Day Seven, Evening: We Can Dream
Even for Canterlot, a city prone to spectacle and pageantry, the impending coronation of Sunset Shimmer was a moment that was going to be nothing less than spectacular. Around the city, balls and feasts were held by the nobility and the well-to-do. For those of more meager means, raves, parties and other special events went throughout the city. The capital city was normally a city filled with about 215,000-odd residents, but for this momentous occasion, the jewel of the nation was bursting at the seams with an estimated 270,000 present and the numbers increasing. What would have been an already special moment to ponies was turning out to be the defining point of a generation, something that colts and fillies of the day would tell their grandfoals in decades to come: the moment the mare, unfairly singled out as a traitor and the most hated mare in Equestria, turned out to have done it all for the nation’s best interests and having ascended in that time. It was almost like a bedtime story that adults told their foals as they tucked them into bed for the night.
Standing in their usual place while they lowered the sun and raised the moon, Princesses Celestia and Luna said nothing, merely enjoying the moment in each other’s company. There was nothing to say, as both knew what was on the other’s mind. The solar alicorn was proud beyond words, virtually enraptured at the accomplishment her daughter had made and what would be to come in a couple of days, even though it had been pushed back beyond the original time. As for Princess Luna, she felt a swelling in her heart that was nothing less than satisfaction at her niece’s efforts. No other could have done what Sunset Shimmer had done and having been at the nadir of her life just as Sunset had once been, the lunar alicorn knew well what it was like to reach the lowest lows and climb back to the metaphorical mountaintop.
Below them, Canterlot was lit up like it typically was in the evening, but now it was even brighter and shinier. A human observing from above would have commented on light pollution, but to the princesses, this was not an issue. After all, this was the whole of the capital in jubilation, and who knew when another celebration like this would come. After all, the Winter of Aftermath was done, Tirek was becoming a bad memory left unspoken, and the world was healing from his rampage. Equestria was becoming prosperous once more and the world moved along with it. To both Celestia and Luna, this was the way the world needed to be: at peace, plentiful and prosperous.
Though neither of them knew it, those thoughts were soon to be shattered due to the very crowds below.
At the Kite High-Flying Circus, crowds watched as Sommerset the Astonishing Aerial Unicorn did effortless backflips on the high wire above. What made it so death-defying was that she did so with a blindfold on and a horn sheath, completely blocking her magic off and giving no chance for her to survive should she fall. And yet she maneuvered at the near top of the big tent, moving with an acrobatic grace that would have impressed even the most athletic of pegasi.
Below her, the eyes of the audience were upon her, including her friend Sapphire Essence (who was in the musicians’ pit) as well as the three Hooves she’d invited. She hadn’t revealed to them that she knew who and what they were, but it was obvious that they were members of the famed (and mysterious) Princess’ Hooves. After all, what kind of maids kept that fit while just doing housework? Sure, the palace was big enough to work off some pudge while walking around, but they had the wiry bodies of soldiers in their prime and none of the three sisters would have looked out of place if you put them in the armor of soldiers, guards, Agency officers, or Church knights. She wouldn’t have expected Essence to be looking out for that sort of thing, and she also expected the three sisters wouldn’t have revealed that. So it was just pure luck that she had run into the trio, or she wouldn’t have found a potential avenue of threat.
As she intentionally dived off the wire, causing the crowd to gasp in shock, she plummeted through rings of fire and an actual hogshead that had been set ablaze – Mr. Kite had always thought it was a neat touch. As always, the slim, nearly invisible strand of silk was there for Sommerset to reach out and grab. To the relief of the crowd, she performed the feat as always, grabbing it and soaring through the air as though she were flying. Finally, with a triple flip, she landed on the ground and took a bow, to the roar of the crowds.
She looked around at the audience. In a sense, she’d miss the performing and the entertaining of crowds. It was a decent living and she was good at it. But she had something far more important to do, something critical to accomplish. She had to get vengeance not only for herself, but for those that had wronged her family – had destroyed her family.
She was going to get it, or she was going to die trying. And if that happened…she was going to make sure she took a whole lot of others with her.
Within the grounds of the palace, the greatest show was being assembled: dozens of the highest-ranking nobles and dignitaries of several nations were in attendance, with musicians playing a myriad of songs depending on the area. The gardens were gaily lit, festooned with a billion different magical lights, giving the place a timeless, ethereal quality. The crowds were assembling for one of the biggest events since the Winter’s End ball that had gone on just a scant few weeks ago: the coronation ball for Princess Sunset Shimmer. And by the looks of things, it was going to even outpace the Grand Galloping Gala in terms of prestige.
Having arrived first to make sure that the “emergency clothing repair center” was ready – never allow a stitch to be out of place! – the two Raritys, Coco and Sassy looked around at what the gathering was wearing and tried to figure out what designers were attached to the attire.
“Isn’t that a Kerfluffle original?” Sassy asked her employer.
Rarity took a closer peek. “Why, yes it is!” she said with a smile on her face. “I’m glad to see she’s back in the business. It was horrible hearing about how she’d lost her hindleg during the war, but I’m glad to see she’s back on her hooves. Er, in a manner of speaking, of course.”
“You know Miss Kerfluffle, Miss Rarity?” Coco asked the unicorn.
“Oh, yes – we met at the Rainbow Falls Fashion Gala last year, just before the war. She’s a sweetheart and probably one of the best young pegasus designers around. When Rainbow Falls was destroyed by the battle, Rainbow and Pinkie led a relief team during the winter to help the survivors, but the only information I’d gotten was that she’d been seriously injured. I guess I’ll have to go visit her when I get the chance.” A thought then came to the fashionista and she turned to her human doppelganger. “Would there, by any chance, be a counterpart that you know of?” she asked.
Rarity tapped her chin in thought. “I recall meeting a girl by that name a few years ago, but she wasn’t a fashion designer, she was an artist. Quite a good one, admittedly. Furthermore, she had more than enough fashion sense to become a designer if she so wished; she hand-decorated her wheelchair and it was very eyecatching, if I do say so myself.”
Coco then saw something – or rather, somepony – that made her wince. “I guess she’s still at it,” she sighed.
Rarity put her foreleg around her apprentice’s withers. “I don’t know why Suri Polomare is here, dear, but you have nothing to fear from her.” Instinctively, Coco snuggled a little closer to her mentor-cum-pseudoqueen’s embrace, feeling a bit safer as the bane of her life walked past, thankfully not giving her even so much as a notice.
Rarity looked at her rival as she walked by. “I wish somepony would teach that harridelle a lesson,” she said softly. “She never learns.”
“I still recall the time she tried to convince the Manehattan Daily News that your dress designs were stolen from a Zebrican seamstress,” Sassy commented. “I’m glad that Nadji was willing to speak up and tell everypony that she had made no such designs.”
“Even if she had, I would never have been so gauche as to steal them – a creator’s art is her lifeblood, after all.” Another thought then came to the pony and she turned to the human Rarity to ask the obvious.
Her counterpart, however, already knew what was going to be asked. “No. I’ve never had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting the Suri Polomare of our world. And I may say, I hope I never do.” She then went on to explain the others’ run-ins with that person and how negatively they had turned out in those cases.
Sassy went ashen faced. “Buttons and bodkins! It sounds as though our Suri is quite the hoofful, yours is downright diabolical!”
“Tell me about it,” Rarity sighed.
A slight distance away, Twilight looked around, as if expecting something problematic to occur.
At her side, Princess Twilight stood, watching her friend and counterpart. As expected, the two had matching dresses, just like everyone else. Both Raritys had pointed out the difficulty of making matching dresses that would compliment both human and pony bodyframes, but they had done so. And with the sparkling, shimmering “magic” glitter of both Twilights’ dresses, it made them stand out all the more.
“Twily, you seem out of it,” she commented. “You okay?”
“Sorry Twi, I’ve just never been a fan of these sorts of things. I’m just not entirely comfortable like this. I guess you could say I’m informal—”
“Or more comfortable at home with a book?” the princess ventured.
“Swap ‘book’ for ‘iPad’ and you’re probably right,” the teen laughed.
“Well, if you’d like, after this is over, the girls and I usually head to Pony Joe’s for some donuts and coffee. You’re more than welcome to join us.”
“Think I might just do that. I mean, no offense to my Rarity or yours, but this dress….”
The mare blushed. “I know what you mean. This thing makes my tail look fuller, which…well, I’m sure you can guess.”
The human looked down at her amply exposed cleavage, both due to the push-up bra and the cut of the top. Normally, she knew that her parents would probably be throwing fits but given the number of non-humans around and thus the number of non-human tastes, the teen fashionista had gotten away with it, though she would likely get a lecture on propriety from Ms. Celestia later. “Yeah, I’m pre-tty sure I can. What were they thinking?”
Out of the corner of her eye, the princess spotted Divine Right walking in, looking completely resplendent in his dress uniform. She blushed and stammered, “Um…I’m fairly certain I know what my Rarity was doing. I suspected that she talked your Rarity into much the same.”
The teen scholar finally put two and two together. “Oh.” She then saw where her counterpart’s eyes were and put that together as well. “So….”
Princess Twilight sighed. “Look, I’d rather not discuss it, because I really don’t know. Div…he’s great. An old friend and somepony I feel really comfortable around. But I’m not sure he feels the same,” she admitted. “I’m not even sure how I feel about him, though I suppose I could do worse. I do notice, however, that you guys don’t talk much about the Divine Right of your world. I take it you’re not familiar with him?”
Twilight pursed her lips briefly. She didn’t want to lie to her friend; given that her friend was essentially herself, she would probably see through it. But at the same time, the local Divine Right was clearly nothing like his counterpart and she didn’t want to cast anything that would seem like a negative light on him. “We know of him,” she said in the most natural voice she could muster. “He’s…distantly related to Sunny via that complex set up she has with her ‘twin sister’. But that Divine Right was both much older than we are and if I recall what Shimmy had said, he passed away last year or something like that.”
Something about what her counterpart said seemed off to the princess, but she let it go; it didn’t sound like she was lying and in any case it didn’t really have any bearing on the Divine Right she knew. Besides, it was just as likely that Twilight didn’t know that she knew the truth of the human madman and just wanted to spare her any unintended bad thoughts, which was only natural. It was, after all, the sort of thing a friend would do.
Standing there in her dress uniform, Arrowswift looked over the burnt remains of a building, where the fireponies present were putting out the last of the fire. She had to leave the coronation ball early, which she didn’t mind much, but the fact that the city currently had a temporary population approaching one-and-a-half times its normal amount…anything that could go wrong would become a powderkeg of epic proportions, and that she really didn’t want to deal with.
Speaking to the fire captain present, the pegasus had a look of resignation on her face. “And you’re serious about this?” she asked, still disbelieving the words that had come out of the stallion’s mouth.
The fire captain spoke, his brushy mustache bobbing up and down with the movement of his lips. “As serious as Celestia’s tail, Captain. Giant fire-breathing multicolored mouse did this. Weirdest thing, too. Then it grew wings and flew off towards the Everfree.”
Arrowswift facehoofed. “Great. As if we don’t have enough things to worry about right now.”
“Well, at least it apparently cleaned up the majority of the concentrated poison joke essence that was here,” another firepony said, holding up the carbon-scored and shattered remains of the vat. “We’ll probably still have some issues with any concentrated stuff that atomized and got into the air.”
“Hopefully, it’ll disperse enough that it won’t be much of a problem,” Arrowswift sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “Fortunately for us, we have the owner of this shop currently in custody for other issues. It looks like he’s going to have to answer a lot more questions than he expected.”
“Worse than cooking illegal chemicals down in the basement?”
“Illegal animals without a permit, a ton of safety regulations and resisting arrest – one of the Bearers brought him in after he tried to give her some grief.”
“Some ponies just don’t know when to quit,” the firepony answered in reply. “In any case, for safety’s sake, we’re sending ponies going down into the basement soon with safety suits, so if we find anything else out, we’ll let your folks know. But given that we have proof of dangerous substances being created without proper safety precautions….”
“Yeah, well, at least we avoided this one without any problems. Last thing we need tonight is for something to go wrong.”
There she was, Applejack noted. It wasn’t hard to pick out her counterpart amongst the dozens of various non-ponies around here. Since she’d arrived an hour ago, she hadn’t said much of a word to anypony – actual pony or not. The only one she’d spoken to had been Fluttershy, who had accepted her apology and told her that the others would forgive her if she tried to make amends. But right now, Applejack wasn’t in a mood for forgiveness.
So at the moment, she sat by the bar, nursing an apple cider and missing her hat. When she got to the room assigned to her to change, she found a note from Rarity letting her know that the ball gown chosen went without the hat. Given her counterpart’s comments that she didn’t like hats and given that the human Applejack was a guest in this world, the local by that name opted to go without her hat for what felt like the first time in ages. Truth be told, she felt a bit naked without it right now – and for a species that didn’t typically wear clothing, that was saying a lot.
“So, care to dance?” She turned to see Boomer standing there. He’d briefly vanished when they arrived at the ball, if only to talk to his friends in the Guard and she thought that was going to be the last of him that she’d seen that night. But sure enough, he came back and a part of her felt good for that. She knew he was attracted to her, but right now she felt like the least attractive thing on the planet, especially with beauties by the dozen here in the palace. And yet, he had come back to be by her side.
“Ah…Ah’m not really good at dancin’, ‘specially this fru-fru stuff,” she admitted.
“That’s okay,” he said with a grin. “They really didn’t teach us how to dance in boot camp and I never learned on my own. You’re not the only one who comes from a small town, you know.”
She remembered that Boomer came from a small town in northeastern Equestria called Hourglass Hills, and it was just as rural as Ponyville had once been. Hourglass Hills was known for its excellent rose orchards; given that apples were part of the rose family, there were a couple of Apples that lived in Hourglass Hills; her cousin Ballyfatten Apple in particular, if Applejack recalled correctly. And yes, with it being such a small town, likely there were nothing like galas or balls or the like – hoedowns were more the order of the day.
“Ah can’t dance,” she reminded him. “But…Ah’m not against strollin’ out t’ a private balcony fer a try.”
Boomer gave her a wide smile. “We can step on each other’s hooves in peace,” he assured her.
The smile she gave back to him was just as sunny.
“They’re totally dating! But they’re also not dating! And they totally should be!” Rainbow told Soarin’ as the two sat, talking to one another. As a member of the Royal Equestrian Navy, Rainbow had to wear her dress uniform to the ball but was mildly jealous of the dress they’d made for her human counterpart. Attired in the Wonderbolts’ colors, it seemed as if it were a moving flame and had caught the attention of several members of the crowd for its gorgeousness – even if said wearer felt really uncomfortable in it.
“Rainbow, why are you worried about your counterpart?” Soarin’ asked her with a bit of amusement. “I thought you wanted to be here with me, not with her.”
“That’s not the point!” Rainbow groaned. “They should be going out because we’re going out, right?”
“I thought you didn’t want to—”
“When did I say I never wanted to? It was you who said that you didn’t want to!” she accused.
Soarin’ blinked and leaned back. “I never said that, Dashie.”
“Yes you did!” She jabbed an accusing hoof at him. “You specifically said that we couldn’t date!”
He sighed. “No, I said that during the war we couldn’t date because we were both Wonderbolts and I was your superior officer. But now that I’m with a different squadron, there’s no regulations against it.”
“You mean that?”
He pointed at himself. “Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Okay, but I’m going to hold you to that!” she insisted. In response, he merely reached out and took her hoof, leading her towards the dance floor. She blushed briefly but agreed to it, as it meant that she would get to spend time with her guy.
Watching from a distance, her counterpart smiled. “Looks like she finally got what she wanted,” Rainbow said to no one in particular.
A voice spoke, “Thinking about your own future, Ms. Dash?” Rainbow turned to look at Luna, who watched her student with a sort of studious pride.
“Look, Ms. Luna, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” was the response. “Besides, why are you worried about my relationship – assuming I’m dating anyone, of course.”
Luna chuckled. “You’re not fooling anyone, Rainbow,” the older woman explained. “And you’re right, as an educator, it really isn’t my business. But as someone who has watched what you and your friends have gone through all this time, can you blame me for caring?”
Rainbow looked at her for a few seconds. “No, I…I guess not,” she admitted. “It’s just…weird, you know? I can’t really tell anyone outside of a small group of people all the awesome and scary things I’ve been through. I mean, some of it sounds like some sort of freaky story I just made up. Others might even say I’m not smart enough to make up what I’m talking about. But all of it is true, even if none of it really happened in the new timeline…and even that I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around.”
“You’re not the only one. That’s probably what ties us all together,” Luna told her in a sardonic tone. “We’ve all been marked by both triumph and tragedy. And even after we’re gone, what we’ve done will live on, even if no one knows. But even if not a single person remains aware of what happened because of us, it doesn’t take away the simple fact that it happened. That I, Luna, lived, breathed and existed in a world that is long gone and yet never existed – and in the now, in a world that should not be and yet still is.”
“Wow, that sounds really, really deep, Ms. Luna.”
Luna laughed, then took a drink from her champagne flute. “Read enough sci fi and fantasy and you learn how to wrap your braincells around anything, kid.”
Tonight’s the night! Precious Jewel mentally squeed as she arrived at the party. Tonight would be the night that she would finally declare her love for Princess Sunset, Princess Sunset would reciprocate and they could plan their lives together as truest of true loves. As she stepped out of the cab and watched as the arrivals danced and sang, as was the norm for ponies, she laughed. This evening, she would be with the pony that she was destined to be with. She knew it.
“Whoops! Excuse me,” somepony said as they quite literally tripped over themselves to avoid bumping into her. She looked down and saw a forlorn stallion on the ground. He looked a mess, with a brown coat, lilac eyes and green mane and tail. His glasses lay askew on his face and Jewel’s eyes wandered over to his cutie mark, noting it to be what looked like some sort of index card.
“You need to be more careful,” she told him, offering him a hoof up.
“Thanks,” he told her, adjusting his tweed jacket. “I actually didn’t want to come tonight, but….” He left it at that as he wiped his glasses on his coat and then placed them back on his eyes.
Jewel looked at the stallion, feeling sorry for him. He looked miserable, both because he felt he had to be here and because he looked, well, miserable. Definitely not the kind of guy she would date at all – not that it was a problem, since her sweetie was inside, waiting for her! “Well, you take care of yourself,” she told him as she walked off towards her goal. “See ya.”
Walking into the ball area, she spoke with several other functionaries and those she knew, and the question that she’d asked all was, “Where’s Princess Sunset?”
“She hasn’t arrived yet,” a guard explained.
“She’s being escorted by her SIRENs,” stated another.
“She’s expected to be here shortly,” stated a third.
And so Jewel waited, hoping for the moment when she could head up to her dearest heart, kiss her and declare that they would be special someponies forever. Then she would take her place at Princess Sunset’s side, and they would be happy together.
Easy peasy, smiley breezie!
Watching from her vantage point, Princess Celestia looked at the milieu of her ponies and other species, all celebrating a moment that was to come soon. And hopefully with that, she could learn to move past everything that had happened in the decades past: her abandonment of her daughter, the temper tantrum she’d thrown when she thought Sunset to be dead and had plunged the world into the Winter, and so many of the other mistakes she’d made in-between. Her life had never been as sterling and precious as her ponies thought it probably was, and if somepony were to ask her in her most unguarded moments, Celestia would probably admit she did not take up her mother’s mantle as queen because she never felt she was worth it; that her sins and mistakes had dragged her down.
But now, there was finally a light at the end of that long, dark tunnel. Luna was back and at her side. Cadance had succeeded at turning the Crystal Empire’s suffering populace to something brighter: the hope of Equestria. Her dearest apprentice Twilight had done the impossible time and time again and had ultimately earned her accolades as an alicorn in the process. New princes, such as Shining Armor, Divine Right and Blueblood had stepped up and done their best to protect and defend Equestria, through means obvious and some less so.
And now finally, the one that Celestia had felt so helpless, so paralyzed against because of her elemental failure to do what was required of her as a mother: her daughter, Sunset, was now an alicorn and would soon be a princess in her own right. It wasn’t forgiveness or vindication of Celestia’s plans, but rather a chance at her own personal redemption.
Unnoticed by the crowds below, the solar alicorn wiped a tear from her eye, allowing herself a relieved smile. Finally, after everything she had done, all her struggles and trials had come to fruition and her family had vindicated her. She would never feel comfortable about taking her mother’s crown as queen, but after everything that had happened, now she could feel a tiny bit, well, regal.
“By yourself, Cellie?” a familiar voice sounded. The alicorn turned to see a dear friend show up, holding out a flute of champagne to her. She’d only met said friend a week ago, but in that time had forged a bond stronger than iron with her.
Taking it in her magic, the princess smiled. “I was just thinking of my daughter and how proud I am of her,” she said honestly.
Standing across from her, the human who also had the name of Celestia agreed. “As my former student, I can’t agree any less. She’s not only turned her life around, but in ways I couldn’t have even imagined. As her educator, I’m proud, but as a mentor….”
Princess Celestia raised a hoof. “I can certainly understand and sympathize with that. I feel like I spent more time with her as an educator and mentor than as a mother and I—”
Celestia held up a finger in reproach. “Don’t do that to yourself. Her triumph today is your triumph as well. She wouldn’t be here at all had it not been for you taking her under your wings.”
As Sunset and Adagio walked around the perimeter of the palace while headed towards the area where they would meet the full SIREN entourage, the latter moved with the casual pace of a girl looking slightly out of place in her dress uniform. Next to her, the former was in her human form, mindful of the gown made for her. Designed by both Raritys, it was nothing short of a masterpiece that would make fashion houses on Earth green with envy: a jade-green number that matched her eyes, with shoulders that evoked flowing flames and heels that seemed to flow from deep red up towards a bright yellow as if her footwear were made from fire. On the gown, a similar-gradient comet design trailed around the torso, with the head of the comet coming to just above her heart. The dress was ensorcelled so that it would change along with Sunset as she switched forms, and Sunset easily saw herself wearing this for the prom. Her makeup was pristine, and her hairstyle had been done up in such a way that evoked the comet’s look, and there were spells cast on it so that both would work in human and pony forms as well.
“So, nervous about tonight?” Adagio asked, trying to bring up some light banter to counter Sunset’s clear discomfort.
“What makes you think that?” Sunset replied in a tone that dripped with sarcasm.
“I intentionally made a tasteless joke two minutes ago about how you’ll have all the kitsunes fighting over you and you completely missed it. Given what Tavi went through, I thought you would have bitched me out.”
Sunset blinked. “You did?”
“Would I do that under normal circumstances?”
“No, tasteless jokes are usually Ari’s stock in trade.”
The golden-haired girl grinned. “Exactly.”
“Oh.”
The two then walked a ways more in awkward silence until they got a corridor away from where they needed to be formal. With that, Adagio paused. “Look, I’m about to go back to normal formality, so I just want you to prepare. Can’t hide behind me forever, you know.”
Sunset crossed her arms. “I’m not hiding behind you, Dagi. You know I hate formality.”
“Yeah, I know. But we all gotta grow up sometime. Even Soni admits that.”
Sunset gestured with her arms to encompass their surroundings. “Soni didn’t have to grow up with all this. I mean, sure, when I was younger, I was okay with it. I craved it and naturally assumed that it was just supposed to be mine regardless. But I’ve grown out of it now, and maybe it’s the guilt that makes me feel I don’t need this anymore.”
“Usually that will do it. Ari’s admitted that sometimes she doesn’t feel she deserves to have a family after everything we did in the old timeline.”
Sunset looked at her cousin oddly. “But you did that because that was the only thing you knew! You didn’t have a typical family life and if you had, chances are you wouldn’t have been in the situation you were. I mean, that’s how it was for you in this timeline, right?”
“Yes, and she knows that. But like you said, sometimes it’s the guilt that makes you forget any logical thoughts. But if it’s worth anything, she wouldn’t have had that thought to process if it wasn’t for you. None of us would.” The smile on Adagio’s face was fond and loving and it once again reminded Sunset of how lucky she was to have the girl as family.
She patted her cousin on the shoulder. “It was always worth it for you three. That’s never going to change.”
“Glad to hear that. Well, unfortunately, it’s showtime. You ready?”
Sunset sighed; she knew this was necessary, but she never really liked it. “As ready as I’m going to be,” she sighed.
Adagio nodded and took one last look at her cousin to make sure that everything was in its proper place. She was sure that it was, but it never hurt to make the boss look good in front of the subordinates. Finally, Adagio shifted her posture slightly and as she did, somehow it seemed to be the terminator line between Sunset’s cousin and her bodyguard.
Finally done, she said, “All in all, looking good. Even that hairpiece.”
“Hairpiece? I hadn’t even noticed the maids put it on me.”
Adagio looked at it once more. “Well, really, it looks more like something Fluttershy would wear, but it still matches the dress. Looks pretty realistic, too: I’d almost swear it was a real butterfly.”
Sunset shrugged. “Well, like I said, I didn’t notice, but if it’s what Rares thinks goes with the dress, I guess it could go with the dress. Anyway, shall we?”
“Follow my lead, Your Highness,” Adagio told her as they met up with the rest of the SIRENs. It was explained that this would essentially be a repeat of the entry at Nobility House, and after which then they could go enjoy themselves at the ball. When Sunset noted that Sable wasn’t there, Sonata helpfully informed the princess that the admiral was otherwise engaged, to which one of the other SIRENs joked that was likely a euphemism for “was currently with his girlfriend”, to which Adagio groaned and Sunset couldn’t help but laugh.
After a couple of minutes the group got into formation and moved on towards the ballroom. Switching to her alicorn form so that she could make the formal entrance as a pony, Sunset wanted to strike up a conversation to bypass the awkward silence, but a quick glance from Aria squelched that. She knew that she had to let the trio do their duty, which also meant letting the SIRENs do theirs. These were the girls that she was going to have to rely upon as the second line of defense once they returned to Earth, which meant that they had to be used to doing things differently from the pony methods they were all likely used to.
Well, if nothing else, the ball was going to be boring tonight, she was sure of it. Afterwards, she could probably just go accept Princess Twilight’s offer and join the girls at Pony Joe’s for donuts and coffee and relaxation into the wee hours.
From his vantage point, Sable watched everything. He wasn’t happy about that; at the moment, he would have rather been downstairs, dancing the night away with his beloved. But because of the number of high-ranking individuals that were here for the coronation, pony and otherwise, the security retinue had to make sure that all was taken care of. While the other branches of the Equestrian military were comfortable with their plans, to her credit, Adm. Tumblehome didn’t feel that same way about the Navy’s concerns and so she was holding a meeting with several of her staff officers in order to ascertain what else was needed. Unfortunately, as the head of the Naval Special Initiative, that meant he was going to have to attend as well.
So here he was, in the captain’s cabin onboard the Space Moment, one of the Navy’s finest airships floating above the palace. Several of the other admirals present looked at him with a mixture of both surprise and concern, and only Vice Adm. Adviso gave him any sort of a friendly look.
Meanwhile, Tumblehome looked at all of them. “I don’t think I have to tell anypony here what a critical situation this is,” she began, the look on her face terser than normal. “While the Army, the Guard, the Guild and the Agency seem to think that we have everything under control here, the truth of the matter is that the city is bursting at the seams with a population explosion right now and despite what Princess Luna states, I do not believe that everything is ‘under control’. It is the job of the Navy to ensure that, and that means every ship, every combat flight squadron, and even those…” She sucked in a breath to bite off a word she’d originally planned to say and then changed it with, “…SIRENs.”
She then leaned on the table and looked at all of those assembled before her. “I want several of our best ships available and in the air above the ceremony. That way when the inevitable trouble starts, we can blow it away with cannon volleys.”
“I’m not sure that’s a wise idea, Admiral,” Adviso stated. “For one, there’s an air grid down there for flyers and I don’t think our ship patrol patterns have taken that into account. Secondly, you did see the report that came from the Canterlot Fire Department, correct? Several concentrated clouds of poison joke essence have been released into the air by a criminal and while the Guild is trying to track it in order to neutralize it, having too many of our ships in the air could be an unknown factor that could turn out to be a real problem.”
“We can deal with that,” Tumblehome insisted.
“Can you deal with the ship’s air balloons getting turned into anvils and dropping down on the heads of tens of thousands of innocents?” Sable stated. The other officers in the room turned and looked at him with various looks of shock, horror and disgust. Only Adviso’s gaze indicated that she was interested in what her subordinate had to say. Knowing he had their attention, the man continued: “While I’m sure that the fleet has backups for this eventuality, what we don’t need is a massive crush of beings going into panic because they see a huge airship plunging out of the sky towards them even if there are safeguards. We’re better off having some of the faster, more agile ships in orbit above Canterlot, with the larger capital ships on standby.”
“Orbit?” one admiral asked.
“Capital ship?” another voiced.
“Most likely human terms,” Tumblehome said, not bothering to hide her disdain.
Sable did some quick translation, thanks to the dry, dusty tomes that Velvet’s younger daughter had supplied him with. It wasn’t of much use to a modern fleet, but the Royal Equestrian Navy wasn’t quite what he would term as such. “In the human world, those are newer terms for ‘circuitous patrol’ and ‘ship of the line’, respectively,” he explained.
One of the admirals, a stout earth stallion named Wooden Carrack, looked at Sable. “You humans are weird. If you just meant that, why didn’t you just say so?”
The returned look by Sable was no less devoid of warmth. “Because I’m used to more modern equipment, such as metal ships that don’t drop on innocent civilian heads and weapons that effortlessly kill the enemy instead of hoping that you might hit the appropriate targets.” He leaned over the table and looked at the senior-ranking officer. “That is, unless you want your name to be attached to senseless deaths.” A pause for effect, then: “Sir.”
“You’re out of line, Adm. Loam,” Carrack told him, immediately pulling rank.
“But he has a point,” Adviso stated. “Think about the incident at Trotter Plains during the war.” She looked at them all. “All it took was one hit from Tirek’s forces and the Inarese Imperial Navy ship that was assisting us came crashing out of the air. Thankfully, it crashed on the farms to the south, but it was just close to coming down on the entire town. Do you think we can afford for multiple ships – our own, no less – to do that when Canterlot is the busiest it’s ever been?” She turned to Tumblehome. “Given his unusual experience, Adm. Loam has a point of view on warfare that we don’t have, ma’am. Perhaps it would be best if we followed his recommendations.”
“Or perhaps it would be best if you left it to the fleet experts,” Tumblehome replied. “After all, you’re just an administrative officer, and Adm. Loam…well, we all know where his bestial level of expertise lies.”
“That’s enough.” The words, though spoken softly, cut through the room and they all turned to look at Princess Luna, who had appeared when they least expected. She looked at all of them, pausing only to give the slightest of approving nods to both Sable and Adviso. “They have a point and if I am to countermand your order, Adm. Tumblehome, then I will do so. Have only two or three of your best ships in the area, and that should suffice. Have the remainder in circuit around the mountain range just to be on the safe side. I believe between the ground services and the SIRENs, we should be safe.”
“But—”
The night alicorn all but glared at Tumblehome. “If we need further firepower, then our fleet will be within striking distance. Although given the current state of things, should we end up in a situation where the ships are needed, we are in far worse straits than expected.”
“But Your Highness—”
“I would rather risk the lesser coverage than to risk the necks of countless civilians. Can you absolutely guarantee without a doubt that nothing will go wrong with the ships, Admiral? Do you have a special precognition that we alicorns are missing, perhaps?” A smirk flitted on her face. “Perhaps you could tell us more about this?”
Tumblehome’s eyes briefly narrowed before she took a breath. Turning to Carrack, she said, “Per Princess Luna’s orders, pull the fleet back to a safer distance. Leave the Allures, the Golden Atoms and the Galaxidion in circuit around Canterlot with the Space Moment directly above. This way we have adequate protection.” She turned to look at Sable. “Do you have any other suggestions, Adm. Loam?”
“No, ma’am,” he replied. “Fleet organization isn’t my forte so much as special operations are. For that, I assure you even if the SIRENs are in a parade status, we’ll be ready to move should something go down.”
Princess Luna nodded. “Then if that is that, I suggest you all head down to the ball. After all, that is, as my sister would say, where the real action is going on.”
As they arrived at the ball, Sunset felt a little odd. For some reason, she felt as though something was ending. Like a change in the weather, or the end of a beloved TV show…which was weird, as she was never really much of a television viewer. The air felt as though it was filled with change, and something in the back of her mind felt as if something was gnawing on her soul.
Maybe it’s just the nervousness, she wondered. Sure, that had to be it. She’d been on nerves for the past couple of days, ever since the practice to become a princess had started in full. It wasn’t as though her mother and aunt were planning to drop the rulership of the nation on her and then just hightail it to Silver Shoals, leaving her holding the bag, right? What was she worried about?
As the SIRENs fell into their positions and brought their swords to the honor position, the answer, she decided, was: plenty. Here she was, solo on the stage and finally ready to assume her position as a future princess of Equestria. She was already used to being the Alicorn of Earth and the protector of humanity; to some degree, she could even argue that she was okay now with being a princess (even if in pretense) of France. But the doubts of unworthiness to being called Princess of Equestria™ weighed on her like nothing else. If anything, she needed something to take her mind off the nagging doubt.
Arriving later to the party than she’d intended, Pinkie felt a giddy excitement in the air. She was taking a step that felt far beyond what she probably would have done under normal circumstances, but things weren’t normal anymore. She was Sunset’s Sword and Sunset’s heart, and she had to act those roles – both for Sunset’s sake and her own.
It was odd, though: she hadn’t expected Sunset’s mother – Princess Celestia, that is – to have accepted them. Not that she was expecting to run into problems, there; after all, she knew that she had the unspoken consent of Sunset’s adopted mother. But with the blessing of the alicorn that had been so instrumental to the life of the woman she loved, Pinkie felt as though every ray of the star of love was shining down upon her.
“Pinkie?” Pinkie turned and saw Twilight walking towards her, and she did not look happy. “What—”
“Twily, no. I know what you’re going to say. I have to do this. I love your sister, and I have to do this. For both of us.”
The other teen looked her up and down as if she’d lost her mind. “Pinkie, we’ve known each other for a while now and I think you’re making a mistake.”
“Then it’s my mistake to make, Twily. Please, don’t interfere.”
“I’m not, Pinkie. I just think this is a bad time. Now is not the time to send a signal.”
“Au contraire – now is the time to do so.” The look in Pinkie’s blue eyes was filled with a bevy of unreadable emotions. “I would never hurt her. I would die a thousand times over before I let that happen.” She reached out and took her future sister-in-law’s hands in hers. “Twily, if our friendship means anything, believe in me.”
“I do, Pinkie. I just….” Twilight sighed and wordlessly walked away.
Both of them knew there were other things that remained unspoken, and as the plum-haired teen melted into the crowd, Pinkie gave both a silent apology and offer of thanks to her. Twilight had backed down in order to let the cotton-candy-haired girl do what had to be done.
As she continued to look for Sunset in the crowd, she could only hope that she would prove worthy of the gesture of faith that her friend had given her.
Sunset suddenly felt a flare at the side of her head, as though she’d been bitten or stung, or jabbed with a sharp needle for just a second, and she wondered, oddly if for just one second that headpiece she wore was anything but. A burning seemed to filter in her head and her vision swam for just the tiniest second…
She took a wobbly step forward as she moved through the final part of the sword arch, and as the other SIRENs fell into their parade rest position, she could instantly feel Adagio moving to her side.
“You okay?” Sunset saw not the eyes of her protector but instead that of her cousin and in that moment, she felt relief. She didn’t want the military formality right now and thankfully Adagio knew that.
“Yeah, I just felt dizzy for a moment,” she replied. “Thanks, Dagi.”
“No worries. I know you have to go up and make a statement, so let me lead you to the riser and then I’ll have someone get you something to drink.”
The two went up to where Sunset would give her speech to the crowd before standing and welcoming people and probably dancing with a few of the dignitaries, and then Adagio broke off to find a waiter to see about getting Sunset something to take the edge off her. This left the young woman alone to stew in her thoughts as the crowds gathered around her. This time, there would be no guidance by her side from her mother – a quick look around even showed that if Princess Celestia was watching, she was doing so from a very discreet vantage point. No, this would be Sunset’s moment before the crowds.
As she opened her mouth to begin her rehearsed speech, she could feel that flare at her side again and the brief flashing lights dance before her eyes. Under a different circumstance, she would wonder if she was being placed under a spell of some kind, but she knew better. Right now, it was just nothing but nerves.
“Ladies and gentlebeings, lords and ladies, and distinguished guests,” she began, her voice as clear as a bell, “thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to this grand occasion. It is a situation that I had never thought myself to be in, and despite all that I have done and all that I have accomplished, it still feels somewhat of a surprise to be here.”
Especially since we’re all living a lie, she thought. She hated that. She knew why they had done it, though, and now that her family had put themselves on the line for that lie, she couldn’t separate herself from that. It was ironic: when she had left here the first time, the world she had thought was flawed was closer to perfect than she’d realized. Now that she was here, reaching the pinnacle her past self had always desired but her current one actually cringed from, she now wondered if by doing so, she’d imported a flaw – a very human flaw: the need to spin a lie until it was the truth.
She hated that.
And then she saw the face in the crowd, like a breath of fresh air. A pair of bright, twinkling blue eyes, looking at her, and a smile that was clearly meant just for her. Seeing that, Sunset’s mind and heart cleared as if the clouds had parted and Faust moved over the waters. Her mind was at peace.
She could do this.
Looking at the crowd once more, she said, “Now, I know you didn’t come here just for my sake,” she said, with a smile, “but let’s enjoy ourselves tonight and celebrate not just my accomplishments, but more importantly, your accomplishments. Because I sincerely believe it is the harmony of Equestria and her allies, all of you wonderful beings out there, that allow the Crown and its subjects to be the best we can for this world. And I hope to do so right along with you.” Giving them all a formal bow, she could hear the oohs and aahs of those assembled; they clearly hadn’t expected such a display of humility from her.
Well, I am a changed mare, she thought to herself. And it’s because of my friends and family. And that girl before me.
As the crowd dispersed so they could take the dance floor or return to their tables, Sunset approached Pinkie. “You, ah, look good,” the alicorn said to the woman.
“Oh, this?” Pinkie said, blushing slightly at her attire. “I, uh, just had an idea and I asked Rarity.”
“It definitely looks good on you,” Sunset said, smiling. At the moment, Pinkie had her hair done straight, accenting her blue eyes. She wore a black tunic with red piping and a standing collar; the gold buttons stood out and also accented the golden aiguillette she wore. On her shoulders were white epaulets covered by a field of large, gold-framed garnets that would have been impossible on Earth but normal here. Beneath that she wore a spotless pair of white pants and black dress shoes. All in all, the whole of the outfit gave Pinkie the look of a refugee from a marching band, or rather…
Fluttershy facepalmed, then looked at both Raritys. “Seriously? Seriously?”
The human Rarity had the grace to look completely embarrassed. “I…I really didn’t know.”
Her counterpart, not aware of what was going on, nodded. “Well, for one, Fluttershy, dear, I can certainly say I don’t know what that refers to. I am, as you can imagine, somewhat uncultured when it comes to human references.”
Fluttershy’s own counterpart looked at the part-Japanese girl with confusion. “Is something the matter?”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy said, crossing her arms and looking cross at the two fashionistas. “they just made Pinkie look like an anime character is all.”
“Well, in fairness, I thought it was an excellent design,” the human Rarity huffed, “and I was actually quite impressed with what I thought was Pinkie’s admirable…restraint…in coming up with an outfit. Typically she sticks to the t-shirt and jeans range that she usually inhabits.”
“And you didn’t think that was off?”
“Well, I….” Rarity blushed and buried her face in her hands. “No,” she squeaked between fingers after a few seconds of utter mortification.
Fluttershy facepalmed again and shook her head. 「私は正直にこのたわごとを信じない,」 she sighed.
“It’s from one of my favorite animes, one Flutters showed me back in Freshman year,” Pinkie explained. “It was about a girl who didn’t want to be a princess, so she decided she was going to be a prince instead and…well, just watch the anime when you get a chance. Flutters has the dub, the sub and the original Japanese release, if you’re into that kind of thing.”
“So why…?”
“Because you’re a princess,” Pinkie told her honestly, “and you deserve a prince. And because one wasn’t available….” Both girls blushed at that. The response was normal for Pinkie, but for Sunset, it seemed a bit out of place and she wasn’t really sure why.
“So…” Pinkie began, “would you, um, like to dance?”
“You know formal dancing?”
“Of course! I’m a dancer and cheerleader, remember?”
Sunset had to blush at that; she’d clearly forgotten, given the year they’d had and everything they’d been through, her mind had been more towards Pinkie’s other abilities, not the least of which were the ones she got as a result of her magic exposure. “I’m sorry, I’d forgotten.”
“It’s okay,” Pinkie said with a smile. “But would you like to?”
“I…sure.” Sunset, much to the surprise of the guests assembled, changed to her human form and taking Pinkie’s hand, was led to the dance floor.
“Let me lead,” Pinkie said. “I know both the guy and the girl’s parts,” she commented breezily as she slipped an arm around the flame-haired girl and the two began to twirl around in something out of a fantasy-fueled dream. Thanks to her dress, Sunset seemed to sparkle like her name, while thanks to Pinkie’s attire, she lent a princely, regal look to the pair. After a few, the audience gathered looked on in awe as the princess and her knight danced the night away, clearly more between them than what it seemed.
As for Sunset, she felt the burning at the side of her head again and her mental alarm bells went off. This wasn’t nervousness, this was a—
And then she saw it.
The most beautiful thing in the world.
Two beautiful eyes looking at her with nothing but love and laughter. She already knew that Pinkie had chosen her out of all the potential mates she could have had, and with many guys – and quite a few girls – wanting her favor, that said a lot. Sunset, for that matter, had much the same problem, but a lot of that had come from her beauty and her money, with maybe some of it coming from her changed personality as of late. But with Pinkie, it was always due to her looks, her bubbly personality and her intelligence.
Sunset sighed, recalling her own thoughts from earlier: if Pinkie had been a guy, then—
~her mind burned~
Her mind cleared once more, though strangely at the same time it felt as though it were clouding. What difference did it make? Pinkie was Pinkie. Pinkie loved her—
~synapses didn’t seem to connect, and at the same time it felt as though something was chewing on them~
—and if her experiences on Earth had taught her anything, just about every guy on Earth was trying to get into her pants just because they thought they could. Any guy who hadn’t she was either related to or wasn’t old enough yet.
But even still, that didn’t make sense—
~Pinkie makes sense~
Something was wrong. Something was definitely very, very wrong.
~It will be alright if you let it~
Her eyes glazed over, and a sultry smile came onto her face.
From where she stood, Pinkie bounced up and down, her tail bobbing in time! “See! See! They look perfect together, don’t they?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Rainbow said, ruffling her wings. “But doesn’t, ah, something seem a little off?”
“Yeah,” her counterpart said with a grin. “We need to get Sunny a red dress, a pair of glasses, a wavy purple wig and a deep suntan, stat.”
“Huh?” both ponies commented.
The human Rainbow groaned. “I hate it when no one gets my references,” she muttered.
“Sunny, I want you to know I’m having the time of my life right now. I mean that.” The smile on Pinkie’s face was beatific and beautiful and to Sunset, she had never seen such a gorgeous being before. And she was right here and together.
“You’re perfect, you know that?” A part of Sunset’s mind swore she would have never said that, and yet it seemed like the perfect thing to say. She let out a girlish giggle. Just her girlfriend and her, dancing together in the light of the moon, with the world watching the two of them. It was so, so very…perfect.
“Thank you,” Pinkie responded. “For you, I try.”
“You mean the world to me, Pinkie, you really do.” Sunset’s eyes gazed longingly into Pinkie’s. It felt somehow wrong and yet so right at the same time. Her mind was swimming right now and she felt as though she was on cloud nine and in Cloud 9 – that dance club in Cloudsdale was one of the world’s most exclusive, after all.
She felt herself drawn inexorably closer to the other girl, despite something in the back of her mind saying this wasn’t normal. Her mind however, suddenly felt like it was shifting once more and though something was giving her permission for this moment.
It felt as though the universe was telling her that Pinkie had been put here, just for her. That a girl from another dimension and another species, had been born just to love Sunset and be with her forever. That the girl would always be there for her, and that Sunset would never be alone: she would always have someone by her side, through thick and thin.
Sunset leaned forward softly, her lips brushing against Pinkie’s. Pinkie responded in kind and the two girls sighed, drawn towards one another at that critical moment.
At the side of her head, the butterfly, no longer able to contain the psychic energies it was drawing from Sunset Shimmer, literally burst on the side of her head, turning into a prismatic spray of light and magic as it died in ecstasy.
At that moment, pony Rarity was finally drawn to the ornament to the side of Sunset’s head and realized that it wasn’t an ornament, but instead the creature that she’d dodged earlier that day. “Oh, my….” she voiced, her hoof going to her mouth in dismay.
However, the others saw the liplock between Sunset and Pinkie and a very different word came to the mind of nine girls:
“Oh, shit….”
Jewel watched, horrified, as her heart shattered into a million pieces. There she was, Sunset Shimmer, her truest love, kissing – kissing! – that human mare! Why?
Why? When I finally found the mare I would love forever and…. And….
No other words were said as she turned and galloped from the room at full speed. It was better than hearing her heart crushed upon the ballroom floor like so much crushed crystal and imploded glass. Her mind drawing a complete blank, she was no longer in control of herself but instead let her instinct carry her far, far away.
Somewhere where pain didn’t matter anymore.
She bowled past everypony else as she retreated and swore she heard the world laugh at her. That was her, a joke. Precious Jewel, whose cutie mark told her that she would be the love of a royal and would be a faithful wife, would never have that chance now. Not when her truest love had just stomped on her heart in front of the world.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
1,047 users online
2,203,966 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Sucks to suck, Jewel
UTENA!!! I haven't seen that series in over a decade, was such a classic. And I love the concept of Pinkie dressed as her, it fits really well.
And if it isn't Utena, I will feel horrifically ashamed and embarrased, then possibly potentially deactivate my computer by chucking it off a bridge.
Excellent chapter, and what a cliffhanger.
9888348
From where she stood, Pinkie bounced up and down, her tail bobbing in time! “See! See! They look perfect together, don’t they?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Rainbow said, ruffling her wings. “But doesn’t, ah, something seem a little off?”
“Yeah,” her counterpart said with a grin. “We need to get Sunny a red dress, a pair of glasses, a wavy purple wig and a deep suntan, stat.”
“Huh?” both ponies commented.
The human Rainbow groaned. “I hate it when no one gets my references,” she muttered.
9888387
My mind made the Utena connection the moment Pinkie's clothes were described, but I chose the quote I did because it was shorter and that was when I honed in on that reference... on the flip side, my mind totally MISSED Rainbow's reference. So now I feel only slightly less embarrassed but still very much so.
It has been too long since I last saw Utena.
I really need that next chapter... lol
Good job, seriously.
The minute I saw the description of Pinkie's outfit, I was like "oh GOD."
Once again... *slow claps* ...good job Pony!Rarity. At least Sparkles the Wonder Mouse cleaned up MOST of the poison joke...leaving just enough to probably hit enough soft targets to cause maximum chaos.
As for Jewel, if any good comes from the kiss it's that it gave her a wake up call she desperately needed.
I also feel bad for not getting the anime reference. Apparently I haven't seen enough of the classics.
Ok I looked up the translation for this 「私は正直にこのたわごとを信じない,」 and I must say that suits human fluttershys personality big time as being one of the more reasonable of the bunch but also one of the few that dint put up with anything
I forgot about that butterfly. What was it supposed to do?
9889764
It feeds on psychic energy and to do so does things to the mind.
9889972 Well, it definitely did that.
In spades.
well then. They really did all fire off. This is gonna be very awkward when H!Pinkie learns the kiss was due to Sunset's mind being tampered with.
10784002
Especially considering her own history.