Livening Things Up
Chapter 15: Livening Things Up
At Moonstone's order, the ponies that had been lurking amongst the other guests at the Gala broke from their cover. They were wearing a variety of clothes had allowed them to blend in with the crowd of well-dressed ponies. At the signal, they shed the ungainly garments, some of them managing to abandon their dresses and suits so smoothly and quickly that the clothes were briefly left standing, as though somepony was still wearing them, before collapsing to the floor. They were all pegasi, which allowed them to surge up into the air of the high-ceilinged room, rising up above the heads of the guests and heading straight for Dawn.
Dawn didn't even bother trying to track them with his eyes. He could feel them moving through the air from every direction. He could feel them drawing knives and daggers, which they held ready to plunge into his flesh. Even as the mercenaries attacked, one of them pulled out a small cylinder, which he pointed upwards. The cylinder discharged a flare that exploded over the heads of the attacking ponies with a loud crack.
Dawn pursed his lips. The only purpose of such a move could be to signal other mercenaries hidden amongst the Gala's guests. As he had feared, Moonstone had targeted his friends and family, planning to exact retribution through them if her threats failed to sway him.
The feathers of Dawn's wing buzzed and began to shine white. A single flick sent a ribbonlike stream of plasma whipping through the air. Spinning about in place, Dawn swung the humming whip so that it lashed about him in a complete circle, striking every one of his would-be attackers. The armed mares and stallions screamed and fell, dropping their weapons and spasming as crackling arcs of electricity washed over their bodies. They hit the floor hard and Dawn heard more than one bone crack from the abrupt, uncontrolled landings.
"That was disappointing," he said, turning to regard Moonstone once again as she regarded him like a terrifying monster.
Her fear and surprise quickly faded and a manic grin took its place. "You think you've won, you fool. That was only the beginning. I will burn the life you've built to the ground."
"I don't think so," said Dawn. "You should have worked out a better signal for your mercenaries, one that wasn't so obviously incriminating. Isn't that right, gentlecolts?"
The clank of plate armor behind her told Moonstone that a pair of Royal Guards were now flanking her. Turning to regard them, her pupils contracted sharply as she saw the stern glares they leveled at her. She whipped her head back around to glare at Dawn. "This means nothing," she hissed. "No matter what you do, you'll end up losing someone precious to you before the night is out." She gave him a malicious grin. "We're going to play a little game. You get to decide who lives and who dies. My ponies have orders to kill your 'mother' and your fillyfriend. Last I checked, they were not very close together. You'll only be able to save one of them. Which will you choose?"
Dawn smacked his hoof into his face. This is pathetic, he thought. Still, I'd best make sure that Mom and Dad are okay. He looked over at the Guards. "If you would be so kind as to take her into custody, I have to go save my parents."
"We'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere but the dungeon," promised one of the stallions, giving Dawn a small smile.
Dawn nodded and took to the air. He wondered if Fluttershy and Scootaloo were the only targets of Moonstone's wrath or if she'd spread her retaliation to other ponies. If the latter was the case, he hoped that Princess Luna's preparations were up to the task of ensuring that nopony got hurt.
Knowing exactly where his parents would be, Dawn flew out the nearest window, heading towards the gardens.
Fluttershy giggled as she exchanged gossip with a friendly lorikeet. The little parrot was an animated chatterbox. Silently, Fluttershy thanked the groundskeeper who had shown her how to win the trust of the garden's inhabitants a few years back. Her...breakdown...during the first Grand Galloping Gala that she'd attended was a memory that still made her wince whenever she recalled it. All of the animals in the Palace gardens were her friends now.
Caramel stood by politely, listening in on the conversation, though he only understood about two thirds of it. Years spent with Fluttershy had familiarized him with birdspeak. However, each species of bird seemed to have its own specific dialect, which sometimes made them almost impossible to understand. He could work out some of what Fluttershy's current conversation partner was saying, but only a little.
Instead, Caramel contented himself with seeing his wife's gleeful expression as she listened to the bevy of news the little bird conveyed. Fluttershy cut an absolutely stunning figure tonight, garbed in a silky-smooth, pink dress that flowed like liquid when she walked and smelled of wildflowers. Her appearance had earned many appreciative looks, while Caramel, dressed in a more unassuming black suit-jacket, had earned plenty of jealous glares.
Finally, Fluttershy bid the lorikeet a cheerful farewell.
"Sounds like he had a lot to talk about," observed Caramel.
Fluttershy nodded. "He wanted to tell me everything that the birds in all the neighboring territories were getting up to. He did have a lot of complaints about trespassing though."
Caramel nodded. "They usually do."
In fact, Caramel suspected that most animals, if they became ponies, would be real-estate agents. Birds had a plethora of terms for articulating their perception of defining and declaring ownership of a particular space. The majority of the rest of their vocabulary seemed to consist of very colorful insults and profanity, some of which Caramel could only wish he had the words to express in Equestrian. The small remainder of their language seemed to cover just about everything else that birds might have to communicate.
The two of them turned and ambled down the path. The number of ponies wandering about the gardens was small. Most guests of the Gala preferred to mingle indoors, thinking the activity more "civilized" than walking through trees, bushes, and flowers; or they were simply afraid that they could get fur and droppings over their expensive clothes. Whatever the reason, Fluttershy and Caramel had the gardens almost completely to themselves...
...Which made it almost impossible to not notice that they were slowly gaining more company. Caramel noticed when they entered a clearing and saw a suited stallion staring at a flowering bush, affecting an expression of interest, while a couple sat on a bench, giggling and nipping at each other playfully. That would have hardly been out of the ordinary. But Caramel noticed because he remembered seeing the same stallion earlier, staring at a different bunch of flowers in the same way, while the same couple had parked themselves on a different bench.
Tensing, Caramel stepped closer to Fluttershy, pressing his side up against hers. The contact got her attention and she looked up at him inquisitively. Caramel wondered what to do or say. Fluttershy wasn't all that skilled at masking her feelings and he wasn't exactly an expert in covert affairs. He didn't want to let their mysterious watchers know that he was onto them. There was no telling what they might do. I guess this is what Dawn warned us about.
He was still trying to figure out what to do when a crack, like a late firework, echoed through the evening air. The ponies who had been following them suddenly no longer cared about being discreet.
Fluttershy squeaked nervously as the stallion that had been staring at the bush turned around and fixed them with a determined glare. The couple on the bench also abandoned their conversation and foreplay, their heads orienting like the needles of a pair of compasses, coming to point directly at Fluttershy and Caramel. They stepped off the bench and moved apart from one another, spreading out so that the three ponies could keep Fluttershy and Caramel entrapped between them with the thickest of the garden undergrowth at their backs, precluding any hope of escaping that way. The fact that all three ponies were pegasi also meant that Fluttershy was unlikely to escape by flying as well.
"W-what do you want?" asked Fluttershy, shaking as she drew closer to Caramel.
None of the ponies answered. Instead, they moved in closer. The mare of the couple reached up with a hoof and undid a couple of straps, letting her dress fall free, revealing a harness that held a long dagger. Wrapping her fetlock around the handle, she pulled it free and leveled the tip at Fluttershy and Caramel. The stallion that had been on the bench with her pulled a short sword from within his suit. The other stallion reared up, the cuffs of his jacket pulling back to reveal a pair of bands wrapped just below the fetlock of each foreleg. Each band sported a thin metal rod with a tiny, leaf-shaped blade on one end. With a flick of his fetlocks, the stallion set the rods to spinning before bringing them to a stop so that the blades pointed straight out in front of his hooves.
We're in trouble, thought Caramel. Dawn had told them not to worry about it, but Caramel couldn't help but worry when the situation was like this.
The ponies were smooth and professional, moving with practiced ease and showing a great deal of familiarity with their weapons. Their expressions were calm and focused. Caramel could see that these ponies knew what they were doing.
However, something was odd. Why aren't they attacking? After drawing their weapons, the three mercenaries had remained in place, their bodies tense and ready. They seemed to be waiting for something. Caramel remembered the noise that seemed to signal their abandoning their disguises. Are they waiting for a different signal...or something else?
He and Fluttershy had now backed up to the edge of the clearing. Behind them were trees and bushes, a screen of foliage that kept them from seeing anything beyond the clearing's edge. Even the other paths through the garden weren't visible from this point. As his hind hoof scraped the edge of the clearing and brushed up against a tree root, Caramel had a sudden realization. They were herding us here! he realized. They had been backed up to this point by design, not because it cut them off from escape, but because they were trying to get Caramel and Fluttershy to develop a false sense of security at the thought of having the wall of undergrowth at their backs.
That means somepony's gonna come at us from behind! thought Caramel frantically, whipping his head around to watch for any signs of the impending attack...
...But none came. The first indicator that something wasn't going to plan for the mercenaries was when the stallion with the spinning blade weapon shifted uncomfortably, shuffling on his hind hooves. It was a tiny motion, but it betrayed his unease.
Caramel stifled a chuckle as he realized the observations he was making. I guess Dawn's been rubbing off on me, he thought. But there was no telling what that observation meant. He and Fluttershy stood no chance against the three ponies in front of them. A strategy to put a fourth pony, or more, at their backs was overkill for a wildlife manager and a candy maker.
A drifting cloud, probably left over from the day's weather, floated across the moon, plunging the clearing into even deeper darkness.
Moving soundlessly, a black figure rushed out from the bushes behind Caramel and Fluttershy, not even rustling the leaves as it passed. Caramel lunged to put himself between Fluttershy and the newcomer. But the pony rushed right past him in a blur of motion, silent wings beating the air, taking her straight for the three mercenaries.
All three of them immediately spread their wings and took to the air, straining to gain altitude. However, their reaction wasn't quick enough. The silent figure was already airborne, her flight taking her right past the mare in the center of the trio. Her foreleg lashed out and the mercenary mare dropped with a scream of pain, one wing trailing limply along with a stream of blood. Before the other two mercenaries could react, the new pony spun about, sweeping her wing towards the sword-wielding stallion. Two thin objects that could have easily been mistaken for feathers flashed through the air, burying themselves into the base of each of the stallion's wings. Like his companion, he dropped with a cry of agony.
The stallion with the tiny rod-shaped weapons closed in. The shadowy pony whipped around, sweeping out the wing opposite the one she'd attacked the other stallion with, sending two other feather-shaped blades flying at him. The with a flick of his fetlocks, the stallion set the two tiny rods to spinning and swept his forelegs up. The spinning rods caught and deflected the long, thin throwing knives. Not hesitating for a second, the stallion darted in, punching out, the rod in that hoof now pointing straight forward as he aimed for the throat of Fluttershy and Caramel's rescuer.
The mare responded by whipping out her own foreleg, a large knife clenched in her fetlock. The knife easily deflected the tiny blade of her opponent's weapon. The two of them went into a rapid exchange of thrusts and slashes, their weapons moving with lightning speed. The mare was quick and precise, but her opponent used his weapon's ability to spin to freely change the orientation of the blade, allowing him to shift the angle of his attack on the fly and rapidly strike from unexpected directions.
The speed and ferocity of the stallion's strikes drove the mare back. The mare pulled back, cocking her arm back for a powerful thrust. The mercenary charged in, aiming to catch her before she could try to overpower him with her heavier weapon. A strong thrust would be difficult to deflect with his lighter weapons. As he closed in, he missed the mare's fetlock tightening around the handle of her weapon. With a click, the knife's blade leapt forward, even though the mare had not actually tried to thrust yet. The knife flew forward to bury itself in the mercenary's right shoulder. His arm went limp and he yelled in pain. Before he could recover, the mare spun about and lashed out with her hind hoof, slamming it right into the side of his head.
The stallion dropped to the ground and did not move. Fluttershy and Caramel watched in shock as the mare who'd saved them landed, her hooves touching the ground without making the slightest noise. She turned to face them. Fluttershy and Caramel tensed, trying to be ready for anything.
There was a rushing noise and an ebony figure seemed to practically materialize in front of them, his silver mane and tail standing out starkly in the darkness.
"Dawn!" exclaimed Fluttershy.
Caramel sighed, relief flooding into him. Now that Dawn was here, hopefully there wouldn't be anything else for them to worry about.
Dawn's turquoise eyes seemed to glow with a faint luminance as he surveyed what had taken place in the clearing. Ironically, the darkness actually made them more closely resemble the eyes of a normal pony, the pupils having expanded to aid his night vision. His gaze took in the three wounded mercenaries and then the mare who had put them in that condition. Dawn relaxed, sinking out of his crouch and folding his wings.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said, giving the mare a small smile. "I didn't know you'd re-enlisted, Shade Steel.”
Dawn's parents gasped. The cloud finally passed by overhead, letting the moonlight stream down once more, revealing a mare of charcoal gray, from coat to mane to tail. The armor she wore vaguely resembled that used by the Royal Guard, but was thinner and lighter, with a dull-gray finish that failed to reflect the ambient light. She regarded Dawn and his family with deep-blue eyes and and she returned his smile with one of her own.
The first time Dawn had met Shade Steel, she had been an assassin, acting on behalf of the Cult Solar and trying to kill him. She had formerly been a member of the Royal Guard's Special Equine Service, elite Guardsmares especially skilled in covert operations and close combat. She had lost to Dawn, but not before nearly succeeding in her attempt to kill him. After her arrest, she had been turned over to the Princesses for her punishment and had been forced to serve as a member of Princess Luna's staff for several months. Then, when a member of the Noble Court had foalnapped Twilight Sparkle, Shade had been asked to locate her, in exchange for commuting her sentence. Shade had cooperated and, in doing so, had won her freedom. Dawn, along with his friends and family, had hardly seen or heard of her since.
"After that whole affair with Wight Shade, the Princesses offered to let me back into the SES," she said with a nod. "Actually, until recently, I'd been acting as a handler and contact for your friend, Perlin."
"Really now?" said Dawn raising an eyebrow.
"Um...is it really okay to be talking like this?" asked Caramel.
"The Royal Guard will be here momentarily," said Dawn. "They just haven't caught up. I wasn't expecting Princess Luna to detail the SES to protect Moonstone's potential targets, but I can't fault her choice."
Shade's smile widened at that.
"What about the others?" asked Caramel. "If Moonstone sent these mercenaries after us, she probably sent others after the rest of our friends."
"I wouldn't worry," said Shade. "She didn't bring in that many ponies with her. We managed to mark them all when they came in. About six of them were sent after you two, all the rest were following Dawn and Scootaloo."
"Only a few of them followed after me when I left Scootaloo and Spitfire," said Dawn. "I'm sure the rest of them are still with her...or they were."
"So anyway," said Scootaloo, flicking a wing and catching a mare hurling herself at her with a thin bolt of lightning, "got any tips for the Academy?"
Spitfire didn't even glance at the stallion charging her flank. Whipping up her forehoof, she caught the stallion's foreleg with her own, sweeping his lunging strike out wide before he could even touch her with the dagger he'd been thrusting. Disengaging her foreleg from his own and moving faster than he could react, Spitfire clenched her fetlock around a portion of the stallion's mane before using her grip to drive his face into the floor with enough force to knock him senseless. "Nuh uh, kiddo," she said teasingly. "No spoilers. Don't want you to have an unfair advantage over the other cadets, now do we?"
"You're no fun," grumbled Scootaloo as she directed a burst of compressed air at another mercenary who'd tried to come at her from above, the impact of it driving the air from his lungs and tossing him to the side, where he fell in a heap.
The two of them continued to chat, even as more mercenaries charged for them, only to be thrashed in turn. One or two of the would-be assassins saw the writing on the wall and tried to make good their escape, only to find that the exits had been blocked by grim-faced ponies in golden armor. These ponies quickly dropped their weapons and put up their hooves in surrender.
Finally, Scootaloo and Spitfire were standing alone amongst a litter of fallen mercenaries, who twitched and groaned in pain. The Gala's guests that had been in the room with them had withdrawn to the walls when the attack had begun. Now that the fighting was over, they started cheering and applauding, as though it had been nothing more than a brief bit of entertainment.
"So I guess that was Moonstone's idea of trying to be persuasive," said Scootaloo with a smirk as she watched the Guards move to round up the unconscious mercenaries.
"Seems like it." Spitfire looked to the highest ranking Guard in the room. "Did they attack anypony else."
"It seems that Dawn Lightwing was targeted," reported the Guard, saluting smartly as he addressed Spitfire. "Aside from that, there's no sign that anyone else inside the Palace was attacked. However, there was a commotion out in the gardens. I'm told that Dawn rushed out there."
"That was where Fluttershy and Caramel went," said Scootaloo, shifting nervously. "I hope they're okay."
"I'm sure they're fine," said Spitfire with an easygoing smile, gently patting Scootaloo's withers.
Moonstone was still in the room when Dawn returned to it, grinning savagely from between the two Guards standing on either side of her. "I knew you didn't care about that mare. You should have taken my offer when you had the chance."
Dawn chuckled. "Obviously you haven't been paying attention," he said. "I've been teaching her the Gale King since the both of us were foals. A reporter even did an article on it. She's quickly approaching my level of skill. Your mercenaries wouldn't be able to touch her if there were a hundred of them."
Moonstone blinked. "Horseapples! That mare should be dead by now."
Looking past Moonstone, Dawn found himself smirking. "See for yourself," he said, nodding in the direction of the door behind her.
Moonstone twisted her head around and her jaw dropped as she saw Scootaloo and Spitfire strolling in, both of them looking as though nothing interesting had happened. "Moonstone," said Spitfire, as though doing nothing more than politely greeting the other mare, "still a greedy witch, I see."
"Spitfire." Moonstone's voice ground its way out from her clenched jaws and she swayed in place at the realization that there was no way for her to profit from her schemes now.
"You disgust me," said Spitfire. "I know all about your history with Dawn. Heck, all of Equestria technically knows. Still, he was willing to live and let live. But the moment you decided there was a way you could profit from him, you tried to backtrack an evil and stupid decision and tried to pretend it never happened. Now you're going to have nothing."
"Indeed." Princess Luna's voice seemed to almost echo ominously about the room as she strode in, flanked by several members of her personal Guard. Behind her, Dawn could see Shade Steel drifting in her wake, almost like a shadow of Luna herself. "Celestia and I are most disappointed in your behavior, Moonstone Gust."
"All I was doing was reclaiming what was mine," protested Moonstone.
"You lost your claim to me when you decided that I was better off dead," said Dawn. "You threw me away, because of my eyes, didn't you?"
Something almost seemed to snap inside of Moonstone and she whirled on Dawn. "Of course I did!" she shrieked. "Imagine what it would have done to my reputation if I allowed a deformed freak like you to live in our home and inherit our name."
"And yet you still tried to bring me back as soon as you decided there was a way you could benefit from me," noted Dawn.
"That's right," said Moonstone. "You should be glad that I found a use for you. When you were born, you were nothing more than a burden and a threat. But when you finally had a way to repay your mother for carrying and birthing you, you dared to reject me. You should be honored to support the one who gave you life!"
"Children do not exist to profit their parents," said Luna gravely, fixing Moonstone with a stern, angry glare. "The enrichment they provide is not material in nature. Those who scorn that fact are unworthy to be called parents. You will rot in prison for your crimes. Throughout Equestria, your name shall be remembered with naught but scorn and derision, feelings that you have most rightfully earned." Luna addressed her Guards next. "Take this mare away and allow her to enjoy the fruits of her labors."
The Guards moved to direct Moonstone out of the room. The livid mare cast her eyes about, looking for any sign of support or understanding, but found none. Finally, her gaze settled on Fluttershy, who had come to stand next to Dawn. "You witch!" she shrieked, throwing herself at the yellow mare. "You took what’s mine!"
The Guards rushed to restrain Moonstone before she could strike Fluttershy. However, Moonstone froze in place, one hoof raised for a punch. Her body quivered, locked in place as she was held fast by the power of Fluttershy's Stare. Fluttershy's expression could almost be called sad as she looked at Moonstone. The Stare held Moonstone in place long enough for the Guards to restrain her. Only when Moonstone's legs were shackled and her wings strapped down did Fluttershy relent.
"Dawn is not your son," said Fluttershy. "He's mine." Then she actually smiled at Moonstone. "But I will thank you...for giving birth to him. Goodbye."
When the Guards moved to take Moonstone from the room, she did not resist. Her mind appeared to have been broken, almost as though Fluttershy's expression of gratitude had completely shattered her will and resolve.
When Moonstone was gone, Fluttershy let out a sigh and sagged down slightly. "That was scary," she said.
Dawn rubbed up against her and nuzzled under her chin. "Thank you," he said softly. "I love you, Mom."
A smile graced Fluttershy's face and she turned her head down to gently kiss Dawn's forehead. "I love you too," she said softly.
A wave of applause and clopping hooves washed across the room. Fluttershy and Dawn looked up to see the rest of the guests clapping and cheering for them. Mother and son quickly flushed red and looked down in almost perfect unison, bashfully scraping their hooves on the floor.
Scootaloo burst out laughing, almost falling over in the throes of her mirth. Spitfire was more restrained, but only by a small margin as she bit down on one hoof to keep from doing the same thing. Luna smiled cheerfully as she watched the tableau unfold. Caramel tried to do what he could to assuage his wife and son, nuzzling them both.
Her amusement back under control, Spitfire smirked up at Luna. "Well, I would say that livened things up."
"Aye, verily," agreed Luna. "I believe my sister will be pleased with the outcome."
"It sounds as though Moonstone's plan has been thoroughly thwarted," observed Celestia as she listened to the whispers of gossip sweeping through the ballroom like a flowing tide.
"I figured you'd want to see it for yourself," said Twilight as she walked alongside her mentor and peer. "It made things much more interesting."
"I decided to let Luna have the fun part," said Celestia. "Still, Moonstone put on a very nice show."
"A lot of ponies could have been hurt," said Twilight, looking around at all the guests, chatting and dancing.
"The SES had already marked Moonstone's mercenaries from the moment they entered and they were poised to ensure that they would be unable to harm anypony," said Celestia. "If anything, I think our guests found it to be a most entertaining interlude."
"I'm sure they did," agreed Twilight. She had to admit that ponies were looking much more animated, now that the story of Dawn's fight against his biological mother and her mercenaries was circulating about the Gala. Moonstone's behavior was sufficiently scandalous to keep even the most callous gossipers well-engaged.
Twilight suspected that there may have been more to Celestia's plans than just an evening's entertainment. Moonstone's behavior would reflect back upon her clan, in the off chance that her clansmares weren't implicated as accomplices to Moonstone's criminal actions. In any case, the Gust Clan's influence would be broken and the few remaining diehard pegasus tribalists would lose another bastion of their worldview. Soon, Moonstone and the pegasus clans' hypocrisy of seeing Dawn as a liability because of his appearance, only to change their tune when they thought he might be useful to them, would drag them down further. Even unicorns and earth ponies would receive a stark reminder of just how foolish and pointless tribalism was, so foolish that even its ardent supporters couldn't hold themselves to it completely.
"Well, I for one have had enough of schemes and plots for the night," said Arkenstone as he came up to stand next to Twilight. "Right now, I intend to ask my lady for a dance, if she doesn't mind."
"I'd love to," said Twilight, giving Arkenstone a kiss before allowing him to lead her out to the dance floor.
Celestia tittered as she watched them go. I think we can consider this a successful evening.
"I didn't know you could dance," said Coco breathlessly as Perlin led her towards a table and helped her settle onto a cushion.
"Um..." Perlin blushed and looked away. "During my free time between missions I...I took lessons."
"Really?" Coco stared at Perlin in surprise and amusement, trying to imagine that formidable stallion being led through the steps of a classic ballroom dance. The mental image made her cover her mouth to stifle the giggles that threatened to emerge.
"Well...it was Shining Armor who suggested it to me," said Perlin. "He said that, if you can cook and you can dance, you won't have any trouble winning over a mare."
"I think that may be a bit of an exaggeration," said Coco wryly. "Besides..." she added, fluttering her eyelashes at him, "...I loved you before I knew you could dance." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
"I know," said Perlin as she pulled away. "But I know that you have to go to events like this fairly often. I don't want to embarrass you."
"Oh Perlin," said Coco leaning up against him with a sigh, nuzzling into his neck. "You don't have to worry about embarrassing me."
Perlin wrapped his wing around her and pulled her close. For a long moment, the Gala around them seemed to fade away, leaving them alone with each other, even though countless other ponies were in the room. The two of them created their own little island of quiet serenity amidst all the noise and activity.
There were multiple active ballrooms throughout the Palace that were being used for the Gala. Ponies with differing tastes in music or dance had their pick of several different options, as each ballroom had its own musicians. The one Coco and Perlin were in had an ensemble playing more classical music, waltzes in particular.
Coco's dress was a sight to behold. It seemed more like a broad cyan scarf that had been wrapped about her entire body, hugging her form and leaving one shoulder and the haunch opposite to it enticingly bare. The two ends of the wrap formed the dress's train, which drifted about in Coco's wake, swishing musically in time with the sway of her flanks. Perlin, who'd spent the last half-hour pressed up against Coco on the dance floor, had been entranced by the fabric's texture. One side was slightly rough, but not irritatingly so, while the other felt nearly as smooth as glass. The wrapping of the broad strip of fabric, pinning and stitching it together into the form of a dress, had artfully twisted it so that one side or the other was facing outward at different points across Coco's body, creating a contrast of textures that made the experience of holding or touching her different each time, whether Perlin was pressed against her on the dance floor or holding her with his wing.
She'd made Perlin's suit as well. Perlin was clad in a pale-blue jacket over a dark-gray shirt, with a tie of darker blue. His mane had been trimmed and combed until it hung neatly over one side of his neck. Coco secretly relished the jealous looks she'd received from many of the other mares in the room, knowing that, if they had seen Perlin before she had gone through the trouble of grooming him, they would have dismissed him as a scruffy rogue at best.
"Well now, you two seem to be doing quite well." Coco looked up to see a familiar white stallion with an azure mane and distinguished mustache settling across the table from them. Beside him was a white mare with a pink mane, wearing a crimson dress that Coco recognized as one of her own designs.
"Fancy Pants! Fleur!" Coco broke out of Perlin's hold to scamper around the table and throw her arms around the slender mare in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you," she said.
"It's good to see you too, Coco," replied Fleur De Lis, pulling back far enough to give Coco a light kiss on the cheek. She looked across the table at Perlin, who averted his eyes. "Is this the mysterious stallion you were always telling me about? He seems quite handsome."
"Y-yes," said Coco, letting go of Fleur and returning to her seat by Perlin. "This is Perlin Bluestreak."
"My, it's nice to finally meet you at last," said Fancy Pants, dipping his head towards Perlin.
Perlin politely returned the gesture. "Likewise," he said.
"I would love to hear the tale of how you two ended up together," said Fleur, giving them both a charming smile. "Given how long you've been waiting for him, Coco, I imagine that it is a fascinating story."
"It certainly is," said Coco.
"That's putting it lightly," agreed Perlin. "But I'm not sure that this is the proper venue for it."
"Then let us be off," said Fancy Pants. "I know that you two must have been given quarters in the Palace, since you came with Princess Twilight. We can adjourn to them and you will have the privacy you require."
Coco and Perlin shared a glance before nodding. "That would be fine," said Coco.
"Huh...I like it," said Spike, twisting his head one way, then another as he scrutinized a stone sculpture that reminded him of water fountaining out of a smooth stone. At one point, he twisted his head around to the point of inverting it so that he was looking at the sculpture from an upside-down perspective.
"Me too," said Bloom, "It looks like it could keel over any second, but it's as solid as Granny's old rockin' chair." Said chair had been in its designated corner of the farmhouse since before Bloom or even Applejack or Big Macintosh had been born. Rumors suggested that it might have even been there as long as Granny smith was. In any case, it was certainly high praise.
Bloom's application of her earth pony magic allowed her to extend her awareness through the materials around her. Her natural attention to detail allowed her to zero in on the points where a structure was joined together and she could also locate weak points and faults just as easily, like being able to feel when a nail was splitting one of the pieces of wood it was supposed to be holding together. Over the course of her apprenticeship, she'd been honing that skill until her creations had been some of the most structurally sound that her master had ever seen.
Knowing this, Spike had decided that they should tour some of the different sculptures that were on display by up-and-coming artists who had been invited to the Gala to showcase their works. In the past couple of years, the event had turned into an opportunity for minds to meet and for artists to find potential patrons and even earn extra renown for themselves. Apple Bloom definitely appreciated the sculptures much more than the paintings. While she might not have had any idea what a painter might be suggesting through the use of shading or a creative application of asymmetry, she was definitely able to enjoy the more three-dimensional pieces on display, often in ways their creators might not have realized. She could feel out the delicate balance that kept one sculpture upright and praise the clever joining of pieces that held another sculpture together as solidly as the girders of a skyscraper, even though it looked as though it might break if a pony breathed on it too hard.
They had a fun evening, visiting room after room. At the same time, they'd enjoyed the music being played by various bands. One ballroom was even hosting a square dance that they'd paused on their art tour to join.
Bloom was a sight to behold, wearing a slim, red dress that matched the color of her trademark blow, with pale-green trim around the hem. It had a texture like soft velvet and Spike particularly enjoyed the scent of Bloom's namesake that rose up from it.
Spike was clad in a dapper-looking suit, a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, with a red tie. It was a classic affair, but one that Spike wore well. He'd been wearing more or less the same kind of suit every time he'd come to the Gala. Several ponies that had passed them in the hallways had stopped to do a double-take when they realized that the handsome stallion accompanying that beautiful young mare was not a stallion at all. Furthermore, he picked up startled whispers when ponies identified him as Twilight's assistant. Spike found it somewhat amusing how his notoriety had increased after Twilight's coronation, with numerous news outlets asking just who the young dragon that seemed to follow Princess Twilight everywhere was.
Of course, some of the scrutiny that resulted was not of the pleasant variety. As a whole, dragons did not exactly have a sterling reputation in pony society. Having seen what some dragons, or at least juvenile dragons, could be like during his participation in the Dragon Migration, Spike couldn't exactly say that the reputation was wholly unearned. For that reason, a quite a few ponies had raised concerns about a dragon living in such close proximity to one of Equestria's Princesses. Spike had even heard that petitions had circulated, demanding that Twilight Sparkle fire him and take on an assistant "more suited to her station." Naturally, such petitions never made it far when they came to Twilight's attention.
Still, from the way some mares had been eying him, Spike figured that ponies' sentiments towards him weren't so negative anymore. If anything, quite a few of them seemed jealous of Apple Bloom. Of course, he thought, they're jealous of the wrong pony. If anything, they should be jealous of me. The thought made him extend a wing and drape it over Bloom's back. She gave Spike a questioning look, but he merely smiled warmly in response.
"There you two are," called Sweetie Belle's voice musically. Bloom and Spike looked up to see Sweetie and Rumble both picking their way through the crowd. Sweetie was wearing an airy, mulberry-dress that matched the darker color of her mane. Rumble was wearing a silk shirt, not all that different from the one he usually wore, though this one was a vivid, jade color with gold embroideries.
"Hey there," said Spike. "Sorry. We lost track of you after the Gala started."
"It's okay," said Sweetie, beaming. "I got to talk with Octavia for a while when she was between sets."
"Sounds like the two 'o ya are havin' fun," said Bloom.
"We sure are," agreed Rumble, pausing to nuzzle Sweetie's cheek.
"So how's your thesis going?" asked Spike.
"Almost done," said Sweetie. "I'm actually working on the final draft right now. Just a few more revisions and it'll be ready for submission. My professors are all really excited about it."
"Apparently, there's even been talk about Sweetie getting a Principle," added Rumble.
"Th-that's just speculation," said Sweetie, blushing fiercely.
"What 'bout you, Rumble?" asked Bloom. "Ah think yer nearly done too."
"Yep," said Rumble. "According to Softhoof, I should be able to go straight into the Ministry after I graduate. They've got a position ready for me and everything. We're even working on the preliminary arrangements for our little project. Softhoof's agents have been identifying prospective candidates, helping us work out the logistics, and even find staff."
"And then you two will be coming back to Ponyville?" asked Spike.
"Yeah," said Rumble. "Though I'm gonna be going abroad fairly often. Softhoof wants me to be a field agent, so I'll be looking into cases where we suspect foals might be neglected or abused. She says that I'll definitely be good for situations where there's a likelihood that the ponies with custody of the foals in question might be likely to react violently."
"Is that really a big possibility?" asked Spike.
"Well...it's not a constant threat," said Rumble. "But sometimes the foals were born into a family with connections to the local Guard or somepony with wealth and influence. Softhoof has had one occasion where she had to rescue a foal from a father who was a member of a town Guard with considerable combat experience. Over the course of her investigation, he actually tried to kill her."
"What?" gasped Bloom.
"She survived," said Rumble. "Softhoof is a lot tougher than you'd think she would be. She knows quite a few tricks. She's also had to deal with wealthier parents hiring thugs to try to scare her off or even kill her."
"Sorta like what that Moonstone mare tried with Dawn earlier," said Sweetie.
Spike and Bloom nodded. By now, reports of Dawn's encounter with his biological mother and the mercenaries she'd hired had gone round the entire Gala.
"Sounds like it'll be a rough job," said Bloom.
"Yep, but somepony's gotta do it," said Rumble. "I've gotten to see and read about some of the situations where the Department has to step in and rescue foals from abusive homes. It can get downright horrifying what some of those little colts and fillies have to go through. If I find somepony in a situation like that, then I'll at least be in a position to do something about it."
"Ah'm sure ya will," said Bloom, grinning. From where she was standing, she could see Sweetie watching Rumble with an expression of adoration. It was Rumble's best feature, his desire to help other ponies in need.
Back when they were still foals and he'd been completely inexperienced in combat, he'd still accompanied Scootaloo and Arkenstone to Canterlot in order to help rescue Twilight Sparkle from a scheming baron. Rumble had done it specifically because he'd felt that he needed to do something to help if there was something that he could do. It had been an extension of what Bloom and the others had seen him doing for as long as they'd known him. Rumble had always been a helpful colt, always looking for times when others needed assistance, even when it meant doing something difficult or dangerous that had him completely out of his depth; like the time he'd helped with Tornado Day after the majority of Ponyville's pegasi had fallen ill due to feather flu.
Glancing up, Spike could see that the night was getting late. More importantly, the Gala was winding to a close. "Hey, let's get going," he said.
"Where to?" asked Rumble as Spike started leading them down a hallway.
"Twilight wanted us to get everypony together because she has a special announcement to make," explained Spike, smirking. "She figured that the Gala was the perfect time because Cadance and Shining Armor would be visiting from the Crystal Empire."
"Huh, Ah wonder what all the hubbub's about," mused Bloom, giving Spike a curious look.
Sweetie thought things over for a moment before sucking in a deep breath in an excited gasp. "Oooh! I think I know what Twilight wants to say," she said in a singsong tone, prancing excitedly.
"What is it?" asked Rumble.
"IIIIIIIII'm not tellllliiiiiiing," sang Sweetie before stopping with a giggle.
"Good idea," said Spike. "We don't want to spoil the surprise."
Rumble and Apple Bloom shared a dubious look. "I hope we aren't about to get blindsided by something," said Rumble.
"Eh...if Sweetie's so excited, it can't be anythin' bad," Bloom pointed out.
"That's true, I suppose," said Rumble with a shrug.
"Might as well find out," said Bloom.
The hour was late and many of the Gala guests were taking their leave. As the crowds thinned out, Celestia, Twilight, and Luna were finally free to withdraw from the Gala at large and move into a more private space. For their purposes, Celestia had proposed that they use the Royal Dining Room. Twilight and her friends had been there before. As far as Palace rooms went, it was private enough for their purposes, as Celestia and Luna tried to take their meals in as quiet and relaxing a setting as possible. It was the perfect venue to discuss anything short of topics labeled Top Secret.
As Celestia led Twilight and Arkenstone into the dining room, Twilight gasped and bounded forward to eagerly hug her brother and her sister-in-law. After disengaging from the excited embrace, Twilight and the pink alicorn engaged in their classic greeting, though Cadance's performance was less exuberant than usual, owing to the large bulge in her belly. At the same time, Arkenstone and Shining exchanged a casual hoofbump.
"It's so good to see you," said Twilight, wrapping Cadance in another hug.
"Well, you could visit more often," suggested Cadance. "You'd be especially welcome if you brought Spike with you."
"I don't know," said Twilight. "Spike's been getting pretty handsome these days. I don't want a bunch of crystal pony mares trying to run Apple Bloom off out of jealousy."
That made Cadance laugh. As she did, Twilight leaned down to inspect the bulge in her stomach. "And how is my precious niece coming along, hmm?"
"Well...pregnancy is no treat," said Cadance, her smile fading slightly.
"You can say that again," said Shining Armor in a hollow tone. When Twilight looked over at him, she saw him staring into the distance with a vapid gaze that suggested he'd seen things that he'd never wanted to see.
"A-are you okay?" asked Twilight, looking nervously between her brother and his wife.
Cadance gave Twilight an apologetic smile before nuzzling Shining. "Well...in the first few months, my mood swings and my cravings got a bit...intense."
Shining nodded in silent agreement, still staring off into the distance.
Cadance sighed. "Really, I'm so jealous of Fluttershy. She had such an easy time during her pregnancies, both of them."
"Personally, I think it's because Fluttershy's spent so long mothering all kinds of creatures that her foals learned to be obedient even when they were gestating," said Twilight with a wry smile.
Less than a minute later, Fluttershy herself arrived, with Caramel, Dawn, and Scootaloo in tow. Behind her came Spike, Bloom, Sweetie, and Rumble. After them came Pinkie Pie and Applejack, along with their respective mates. Rainbow Dash and Soarin' were next. Finally, after a few more minutes' delay, Rarity and Flaxseed arrived, accompanied by Coco and Perlin.
"I'm terribly sorry for the delay," said Rarity. "It was a little bit troublesome to track these two down, seeing as they'd been in their room with Fancy Pants and Fleur."
"Um...Do we really belong here?" asked Coco nervously. "I-I don't want to intrude."
"I'm fairly certain I don't belong," said Perlin, rubbing a leg nervously.
Twilight strode up to them and pulled Coco into a tight hug, kissing her on the cheek. "I want you to be here," she said, pulling away from Coco and giving her a smile. She looked over at Perlin. "I'm glad that you came too. You're one of our friends now."
Mayweather gave Perlin a sardonic grin. "And she means that in the most proactive way possible. There's no escape for you now, bucko." Her words made Perlin swallow nervously.
"Twilight Sparkle," said Luna. "I am desperate to know. Just what is it that you wish to announce?"
"Oh! Right!" Twilight grinned and stepped back from Coco. She made her way to the head of the dining table, where Arkenstone joined her. The two of them looked over their assembled friends (well...Twilight looked). "Everypony! I want to announce that Arkenstone and I are engaged to be married!"
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Shining: *War flashbacks*
So...what happened to Moonstones Husband?
And the award, for the announcing the obvious goes to....
An enraged and older brother with no foresight left that will "try" to threat Arkenstone?
Haaaah, good job on making us think she was pregnant.
7329037 I was hoping for "I'm pregnant!".
Confirmed to have banged:
☑ Fluttershy
☑ Derpy
☑ Coco
☐ Scootaloo
☐ Twilight
I was expecting a pregnancy announcement, guess not.
I still think this should be an anime.
7329037
Oh God.
And everypony's just like.
So? I mean, it's been obvious for so long.
And then you have the mandatory idiots who will try to defend Twilight's honor.
It's really stupid at this point at how OP they are. Actually no. It's just plain hilarious. The Bad Guys In This Story are basically lemmings.
7329018
I'm assuming he took one look at his wife plotting to openly commit assault and murder in front of royalty, and decided he'd rather stay home and get plastered.
Well I was about to be happy for Twilight and Arkenstone, but now your last line in the author's notes has me worried.
Oh, Twilight. You have made one almighty error.
You forgot to invite your parents.
Clever distractions
Wait, married? You mean they DIDN'T tie the knot already. Jeez...
Then with a flick of his fetlocks, the stallion set the two tiny rods to spinning and swept his forelegs up
...I'd completely forgotten about her... and holy fuck is she awesome!
Change the period to a question mark.
A).... hahahahah, the Stare!
B) ...is Moonstone going to get turned into a newt? (Will explain if I have to)
...well, guess that answers my questions about why the pegasi nobles were let off when the unicorns weren't. I wonder... any earth pony 'nobles'?
Drop the first comma.
You know... I wouldn't mind if Swift Bolt took... not so much an active role in Dawn's life... I mean, he didn't do anything to stop her trying to kill him, but what if he couldn't do anything about it? I hope it's not the last we've seen of him.
So the Mane Six shipping race comes to:
3 married(AJ,Rarity,Futtershy)
2 engaged(Rainbow,Twilight)
1 still dating(Pinkie)
One point I tend to wonder about is considering how exclusive the Grand Galloping Gala is. How in the world did Moonstone get so many thugs in with her.
And how pissed off are Twilight's parents going to be when they find out that they weren't present for the big reveal?
7329333 Where are the Grandfoals?!
7329318 *Moonstone*
7329318 it's not anymore. Explained in story with most of the nobility dissolved it's more of a common pony thing now.
7329012
War...war never changes.
7329424 WHOOPS
7329273
She'll get better
7329457 I accept that but there are still tickets and a guest list
7329577 True but i imagine it wouldn't be hard to wright a letter asking to go pretending to be such and such business pony or some such.
I would guess that the pool of those who can intend is still rather limited as travel expenses and distance factor in meaning it's mostly Canterlot folks who go still.
----------------------
Hmm I was honestly expecting Twilight to announce she was pregnant.. and i could see some good natures teasing about when Dawn and Scootaloo are going to get engaged coming.
Glad she's gone. Man, that mare was annoying...
I'm kinda happy you understand this of your own writing as it is always good to understand your own shortcomings to improve them. That being said, when it comes to Moonstone in particular, I almost think she doesn't matter to this story. Her impact on the story is rather borderline non-existent beyond exceptionally minor things. To give a brief idea of what I think:
"A wild villain appears."
"Protagonists shrug."
"All is well."
For this particular story, even if it is just to bring closure, they would have better off being left out. There doesn't necessarily have to be a villain, or one which is so obvious and apparent in their plot. Heck, I think it would have been far more interesting story-wise to have his parents to be regretful of what they had done and had sought Dawn out seeking forgiveness. Just an idea off the top of my head, what if Dust had had siblings and his felt she had to abandon him just to protect the rest of her family? Something that, while his parents still might be at fault and have made a somewhat villainous decision, they trying to sincerly make amends for. Seeing Dust trying to address that would have made for a more interesting coming into adulthood story, than
Furthermore, it seems Dust had gotten over than long ago and had embraced his new family. All this does is reinforce his previous decision rather than make him question it in any way. Which leads to a powerful character just brushing it away like dust.
And that's something else about the series which has bothered me from quite some time: power. The characters have quite frankly an absolutely ridiculous amount of power, which even when dealing with a land of magic, is a little tough to believe. Coupled with a bit of plot armour, I have to admit that since the second story I don't feel any protagonist has been threatened or even seems like it. The fights where small technical aspects, as opposed to mass sweeping or overwhelming powerful attacks, felt to me more of a struggle and risk to the character. I think it would have been better to see characters redone to be less powerful in the physical sense, but not less powerful in what they are able to accomplish.
Is Twilight also pregnant?
And wow... this whole series is nearly 3 years old... did you expect it to be so successful?
You know, no matter how satisfying of an ending you give this series, we are all gonna ask for a proper sequel to this story. A continuation.
Personally, I want to see dawn level an army.
7329066
Yeah, I was honestly expecting that as well. I'd say we have a pretty blatant case of bait and switch here, because the hints and dialog in the previous two chapters were pointing pretty heavily in the direction of pregnancy, not simple engagement.
Especially with Celestia's asking if Twilight will finally deliver what she and Twilight's mother have been pestering her about. Grandfoals is the obvious answer to that, while it doesn't even make sense for them to have been ribbing Twilight specifically about ... getting engaged with Arkenstone. It's not like this changes even the slightest thing about their relationship, considering they have been living together for years at this point. Yay, we are engaged! Now things will be ... exactly as they have been for years!
Pretty disappointed with this announcement really, it feels like a quite heavy handed and deliberate misdirection, and the "true" reveal isn't even all that exciting, considering it doesn't really add anything new to the Arkenstone/Twilight dynamic.
But... But.. Trixie!
super good chapter exultant righting.
Huh, turns out you can have too much of a good thing. Sex PTSD must be a strange one to explain to your psychiatrist.
7329735 yeah, I have to agree with you on that. almost none of the villains ever linger for long, and are quickly dispatched by one of the several fighting prodigies that Ponyville offers. Also, how have none of them gotten arrested for something like "excessive force"?
Well that's a twist...
That comma should be either a period or semicolon.
Period should be a semicolon.
That first comma doesn't belong there.
Trademark "blow"?
Comma needed before "and".
Cool she's back
Wow they are useless, Spitfire and Scootaloo could have a pleasant conversation mid fight.
Casual Danger Dialog is always a welcome addition in a story like this.
That's right Perlin, you're doomed
Pinkie Pie
I’m glad Luna is getting the love she deserves. She’s so frickin COOL
Muhahaha
Knight reservists? That's an interesting idea...
I wonder if any of the mercenaries Moonstone brought with her only tagged along so they could get into the Gala. If I was an Equestrian who practiced some kind of martial profession, I would research other known Equestrian fighters, if only for a distant sense of comradery. If a prospective client was promising me the chance to get into the Gala for free and to watch the only living master of the Gale King fight, I'd definitely go and not help the people that were hired with me. Getting Moonstone's money would just be a bonus.