• Published 11th Sep 2012
  • 32,583 Views, 2,490 Comments

Cry for Eternity - asylum1388



After Celestia's death, Twilight must take on a role she is woefully underprepared for.

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Chapter 15

A/N: Writing this one was a long and painful process, but I think it was worth it. One more to go after this, then we'll have an intermission, where I'll take the time to create an outline for the rest of this fic and probably release a few side-stories.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie, and f0xhole.

Reignbow has chosen to retire for personal reasons. I'm not looking to replace him immediately, but possibly in the future. I'll put out a journal post if/when the need arises.


Forty-seven days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Luna frowned as she cast a critical eye over the image of herself in the mirror, inspecting herself head to hoof. She turned slightly to get a better view of her flank, carefully scrutinizing the way her current attire perfectly hugged her waist, leaving nothing to the imagination. “I had not expected Rarity to create a gown for me, Twilight, and normally I harbor a most intense distaste for clothing, but this is indubitably the most comfortable gown I have ever worn. Quite exquisite, yet pleasantly simple as well. She is an amazing mare.”

“...Yeah, isn’t she?”

“Darn it, Spike, hold still! Your tie is crooked and I’m not letting you go out there like that!” Twilight groaned, pulling the dragon over so she could adjust it. “Anyway, Luna, I agree. She managed to match the color of your coat perfectly. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the lace, though,” she snickered, gesturing at Luna’s neck.

“I like it. And I really like the silver trim,” Luna replied as she sauntered over to Spike and Twilight, a broad smile lighting up her face. “I suppose I should make sure to inform everypony as to who created my wares; it would be the least I could do for her.”

“You can if you want to, but trust me when I say that all she needs is to see you wearing it. That alone will make it all worthwhile for her.”

“I do like your dress too, even if it lacks the lace,” Luna sniggered. “And for an outfit inspired by my sister’s appearance, it does have a few design oversights.”

Twilight frowned at Luna before looking down at herself. “...Like what?”

“Well for one thing, the white of her coat did not shimmer nearly that much! For another, her tail did not start at her waist; having the hues of her tail begin there is anatomically inaccurate.”

“Oh, now you’re just being nitpicky! It’s not as if I’m supposed to be dressed up as her, it’s not a costume,” Twilight groaned. “And by not having lace on my dress, I can wear all of my regalia. You can only wear your tiara and shoes.”

Luna replied by sticking out her tongue before bursting into a fit of giggles. “So, are you nervous?”

“Very. This is only the second time I’ve ever attended the Gala, and given how the first one turned out, I can’t believe that I’m hosting this one,” Twilight shuddered. “I’m also really excited though.”

“And you’ll do fine, Twilight. Or rather, we’ll do fine,” Luna replied reassuringly. “You’ve spent the past two weeks making sure everything is perfect, and our friends are here to help us.”

“I know, but I’m still nervous,” Twilight muttered. She finished adjusting Spike’s tie and sighed to herself. “Well, I guess there’s no point in stalling. Shall we?”

“After you.”

Twilight smiled, levitating Spike onto her back. She glanced at the mirror, checking herself one last time and took a deep, calming breath, before trotting out the door. She and Luna proceeded wordlessly to the dressing room that she had reserved for her friends. Twilight lifted a hoof to push the door open only for it to be wrenched open before could touch it and was beset upon by Pinkie Pie.

“Twilight, I’m so so so so so so excited! This is gonna be the most awesome awesomest day EVER!”

Twilight wormed her way out of the earth pony’s bone-crushing hug. “I sure hope so.”

“Oh, don’t worry silly. You and me? We thought of everything. Everypony’s going to go home tonight saying that this was the best Gala ever, I Pinkie promise. No, I Super Pinkie promise!” Pinkie shrieked, vibrating with enthusiasm.

“Easy there, Pinkie, Rare’ll kill ya if you ruin Twilight’s dress,” Applejack chuckled as she led the rest of the group out of the room.

“I would indeed, I spent days on it,” Rarity added, playfully ruffling Pinkie’s mane. She gave Twilight and Luna a proud smile that quickly melted into a confused frown. “Luna, dear, you’re missing something.”

“What? Oh, yes I am. I was unable to fit my harness over the lace,” Luna muttered. “This dress is lovely though, I don’t think—”

“No! Nononono, this isn’t right,” Rarity moaned anxiously. “I can’t believe I forgot about such an integral piece of your outfit! Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Before anypony could get another word in, she had disappeared.

“Okay... Bye, Rarity,” Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “Right, while we’re waiting for her, let’s go over the rules again. Rule number one, Applejack?”

“Since we’re the guests of honor, there’s gonna be a lot of ponies who want to talk to us, and it’s our job to answer any questions they have. Also, we need to be courteous and polite to everypony,” Applejack replied proudly with an affirmative nod. “Don’t worry, Twi, we won’t let y’all down!”

“I know, Applejack. We’re all in this together,” Twilight grinned. “Speaking of that, next is rule number two. Pinkie Pie?”

“Have fun!”

“Erm, no; that was rule number four, Pinkie,” Twilight muttered disconcertedly.

“I know, but that’s my favorite rule!”

“Right... Okay, well that can be rule number two from now on,” Twilight sighed. “Which makes the old rule two into the new rule number three. Fluttershy?”

“Oh! Ummm, except for you, Luna and Applejack, nopony is supposed to go off on their own. Stay in pairs so that we can support each other,” Fluttershy said with a start.

“Good!” Twilight chirped. “And lastly, the new rule number four?” She threw a stern glance at the only pony she hadn’t yet addressed. “Dash?”

Rainbow Dash gave a loud frustrated sigh before grumbling, “If anypony tries to start trouble, don’t handle it ourselves, signal the guards.”

“Rainbow, I know that you’re not exactly thrilled about that, but remember that it’s for the best,” Twilight cooed. “The Royal Guards can’t get in trouble for throwing somepony out of the palace; you, however, can. It’s for your own protection.”

“I know, I know. I just don’t like not being allowed to defend myself— or you guys,” the pegasus mumbled. “Oh well, at least I’ll get a chance to hang with the Wonderbolts this time!” A chorus of agreement arose from the group as the rapid clattering of hooves alerted them to Rarity’s return and they all turned to watch the unicorn as she galloped up to Luna, her harness and several pieces of gray-blue ribbon floating behind her.

“I’m back! Hold still, Luna.”

“Very well, but why—” she began, but was cut off as Rarity tore the lace off of the Princess’ dress with a loud ‘rip’. “Rarity! Y-you destroyed it!”

“No, no, hold on, Princess, I’m not finished,” Rarity breathed, gently slipping Luna’s jet-black harness over the Princess’ neck. Working carefully, she tucked the stray threads underneath the accessory before backing away to give Luna the once-over. “There, much better... I’ll fix the damage to the gown later, but the royal vestments should hide it well enough for tonight.”

“O-okay, if you say so...”

“Now, one more thing; give me your hoof for a moment,” Rarity demanded. Luna frowned at her questioningly, but complied. Rarity took the Princess’ hoof in her own and floated the ribbons down, letting them hover near Luna’s jeweled shoe. She appraised them carefully for a moment before selecting one and tossing the rest aside. “This one is just about perfect. Now, Luna, take a deep breath.”

“I beg your pardon?” Luna retorted indignantly.

“Just trust me,” Rarity replied, trotting around to Luna’s side.

“Fine,” Luna groaned, breathing deeply.

“Oh, yes! Now hold that for a bit,” Rarity squealed excitedly, slipping the ribbon around Luna’s waist. The unicorn snugged it carefully and tied it into a large bow, resting it symmetrically in the center of Luna’s back. “There! Well, what do you think?”

“Wow,” Fluttershy gasped, lightly stepping over to Luna. “That’s really nice. You look really pretty like that, Luna!”

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Luna giggled. “And thank you as well, Rarity. Remind me never again to doubt your vision.”

“Think nothing of it! I could never allow myself to let you pass as anything less than perfect!” Rarity purred. “So, are we ready?”

“Looks like it,” Spike observed. “Twilight has her speech all set and everything.”

“Okay; let’s do this,” Twilight shuddered. “Follow us, everypony!” She turned and trotted away, Luna at her side, her friends close behind. They reached the palace’s foyer When Twilight stopped suddenly in front of the massive double doors.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Spike asked worriedly.

“I-I’m just nervous,” Twilight muttered. “I know it’s silly, considering that I’ve been giving speeches for the past month and a half, b-but—”

“It’s going to be alright, Twilight. We’re here for you,” Luna murmured with a comforting smile. “After all, we—”

She was choked off as Pinkie Pie yanked the entire group into a bone-crushing hug. “Yeah! We’re ready if you’re ready, Twilight! Let’s start the show!”

“Y-yeah, okay!” she stuttered. She swallowed the lump in her throat, then turned to the guards posted at the doors and nodded confidently. “Let’s do this!”

The guards pulled the doors open and they trotted out to the palace’s front steps, finding themselves in front of a massive roaring crowd. Twilight took another deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead of her. She scanned the crowd, putting on her best smile before beginning to speak.

“Welcome, everypony, to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala! As you all know, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle; Princess Luna and I would like to thank you all for coming. Now we’re going to do something slightly different this year than what has been done in years past. Neither Princess Luna, nor myself, are going to stand atop the stairs to greet our guests one pony at a time; instead, we’re going to spend the night walking among you. Instead of waiting in line to greet one of us, we’d like you to enjoy the night and either spend time with your friends, or make new friends entirely.

“And on the subject of friends, I would like to remind everypony of five very important words: kindness, loyalty, generosity, honesty, laughter. Many of you will recognize these as the Elements of Harmony; the concepts that have governed us and protected us since the founding of our nation. Two months ago, Equestria lost our guiding light, Princess Celestia, the pony who had watched over us as a loving mother for countless generations. She was a pony whom we all looked up to; our leader, our mentor, and — to a lucky number of us — our friend.

“Since then, we have put our best hooves forward, persevering through one of the most tumultuous times in Equestria’s history, and I would like to say that I am very proud of each and every one of you for not allowing this tragedy to tear this nation apart. I also wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to those who are aiding in keeping Equestria peaceful and prosperous. Most of all, however, I implore you to keep the Elements of Harmony close to your hearts. Only by following the spirit embodied by the Elements can we continue to thrive and grow in peace; thus I would ask you to take a moment, sometime tonight, to reflect on each of them. Reflect on how each has affected your life, and how you may still yet improve yourself by adhering to them.”

Twilight paused to allow the heavy note of her words time to sink in and gazed over the crowd once more. She found that many of those in the courtyard had contemplative looks on their faces and her heart soared, pleased that her words had struck their mark. Smiling broadly, she continued, “But I have taken enough of your time for tonight. Thus, it is my honor to declare this year’s Grand Galloping Gala commenced. Have a wonderful night!”

As the crowd began slowly moving forward, she turned and faced her friends once more. “Okay, places everypony! As planned, Luna and I are going to head into the back for a little while so that everypony doesn’t just crowd around us, then slip back in here once the party’s in full swing and find the ponies we need to see. You girls all know your jobs, and I’m counting on you. When you’re finished, head to the VIP section like we planned. Spike... I guess you’re with Rarity.”

Like troops inspired by their brave leader, Twilight’s friends gave a loud cheer and proceeded into the ballroom to perform their assigned tasks while Twilight teleported herself and Luna to their private dining room.

“Well? How did it go?” Quill-Pen’s voice asked as the pair regained their bearings.

“Very well, I think,” Luna murmured with a serene smirk. “Twilight spoke eloquently and the crowd hung onto her every word.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but yes, it went well,” Twilight giggled. “But as nervous as I am, I’m actually really confident that this night will go along smoothly.”

“Maybe, but every time you say that, something goes wrong,” Quill-Pen replied wryly, earning herself a sharp glare from Twilight. “Coffee? Whether tonight goes perfectly or poorly, it’s still going to be long, so I had some made.”

“Oh! Thank you so much,” Twilight lauded, smiling again as she accepted a cup.

“You’re very welcome,” Quill-Pen replied with a grin before turning to Luna and offering her a mug. “And you?”

“I think that I will politely pass,” Luna said, wrinkling her nose at the brew. “It was first introduced to Equestria during my banishment, and I have sadly not yet acquired a taste for it.”

“Suit yourself,” Quill-Pen murmured, pouring cream into the offered drink and taking it for herself. “So, have you two got everything all planned out?”

“Indeed,” Luna said confidently. “We have decided that Twilight shall seek out and welcome all the foreign dignitaries, while my own duty will be to do the same for the most important among Equestria’s citizens. We both agreed that it would be far more desirable than to have it the other way around.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, we made a few lists of the pros and cons of each option, and this came out to be the best,” Twilight smiled. “Having the older and more experienced Princess greet the guests from other nations would show that we take them seriously, but allowing the younger and ‘more energetic’ Princess would make Equestria seem more eager to reach out to them.”

“That and our own citizens tend to misbehave less around myself than they do around Twilight. I dislike taking advantage of their fear of me, but sometimes it is better than the alternative,” Luna sighed. “Having the nobles disrespect Twilight in her Court is bad enough, but allowing them the chance to disrespect her at the Gala? Out of the question.”

“You’re leaving as little to chance as possible? Makes sense to me,” Quill-Pen nodded. “And can I just say that I’m proud of you both? The two of you have been working hard, not just in putting the Gala together, but in everything. Enjoy yourselves tonight, you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Quill-Pen, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of you and the rest of the castle staff,” Luna replied, breaking into a smile.

“Be that as it may, the two of you deserve most of the credit,” Quill-Pen snickered. “Now get back out there. No point wasting any more time back here!” Using her magic, she pulled the coffee mug out of Twilight’s grasp and shoved the pair of giggling Princesses out the door.

The pair continued laughing as they proceeded to the reception hall where most of the guests would be congregated, pausing to compose themselves before entering. “Alright, Luna, I’m going to look around and check up on our friends before I jump into any conversations. You know, to make sure everything’s going well and all.”

“A good plan from a good mind,” Luna said with a wink. “Please don’t take too long, the sooner we finish with our obligations, the sooner we can proceed to leisure.”

“Agreed. I’ll see you soon!” Twilight turned on the spot and began weaving her way through the crowd towards a large orange banner emblazoned with a single red apple, offering smiles and polite nods to everypony who even so much as glanced in her direction. However, it was not long before she was stopped by an ivory unicorn with a curly pink mane in a flowing red gown.

“Hey, Twilight! Or, as I should say, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight gaped at the pony incredulously for a moment before speaking. “Twinkleshine? Ohmygosh, I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“I know, it’s been way too long!” Twinkleshine squealed. “Hold on, Minuette’s here somewhere... Hey, Minney! Come over here and see who I found!”

A blue unicorn emerged from the crowd and emitted a loud gasp as she locked eyes with Twilight. “Twilight! I was hoping we’d find you. There’s so much we need to catch up on. How’s life as royalty treating you?”

“Ugh, it’s hard. There’s always more work to be done. Still, there are times when I’m happy with it,” Twilight laughed for a few seconds before falling gravely silent. “Hey girls? I... I want to apologize.”

“For what?” Twinkleshine asked, giving Twilight a confused frown.

“For the way I used to act. Back before Celestia sent me to Ponyville,” Twilight said softly. “I was stuck-up and unsociable. Despite that, you girls still always tried to include me in your activities, but I always pushed you away, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Twinkleshine replied dismissively. “Everypony has something they’re not good at, for you it was socializing. I can’t hold that against you. That’d be like Minuette being angry with me for not being very good at singing.”

“Not very good? Try awful.”

Twinkleshine shot a dirty look at Minuette before turning back to Twilight. “The point is that we never got mad at you for that. A little disappointed that you wouldn’t ever join us, but never mad.”

“Oh, well thank you,” Twilight murmured with a smile. “Is Moondancer here?”

“No. She was supposed to come with us, but she came down with a cold this morning. Such a pity,” Minuette said, shaking her head sadly.

“Oh...” Twilight replied, slightly dejected. “Well apologize to her from me for never attending her parties. And tell her that I really appreciate her always inviting me, even if I never came.”

“We can do that,” the pair said in unison.

“Thanks. Well, there’s a ton of ponies — and other things — that I need to say ‘Hi’ to, so I need to go,” Twilight added apologetically, gently throwing a hoof around each of them to pull them in for a quick hug. “But I’d love to hang out with you girls sometime!”

“That’d be great. We’ll get in touch with you soon,” Minuette chirped as Twilight released them.

As Twilight disappeared into the crowd with one last nod, she couldn't help but grin to herself as she overheard Twinkleshine. "I like the new Twilight.” She slid her way through the guests yet again and approached a large group of ponies huddled in a corner, and found a large enough gap where she could see the pony speaking in the center.

“Howdy, y’all! My name’s Applejack, and Princess Twilight asked me to come here ‘n’ lead all ’f ya in an exercise in honesty,” the farmpony said, doffing her hat to the guests. “Now, what we’re gonna do is play a variation of Truth ‘r Dare, ‘n’ Ah only have two rules. One: no mean questions; embarrassin’ is alright, but nothin’ cruel; we’re all here to have fun. Rule two: if y’all ’re watchin’, yer playin’; ain’t fair otherwise.” She paused, waiting for the buzz of agreement from the crowd to die down before continuing.

“Right, now the way this works is that whoever’s turn it is asks somepony else a question, ‘n’ they have to answer. Thing is, this crystal right here,” she stated, patting a large green orb resting on the ground next to her, “was enchanted by the Princesses to start glowin’ when somepony lies. If y’all get caught lyin’ then ya hafta do one of the dares written on these cards. Oh, and can everypony see that pony over there? The pink one who hasn’t stopped bouncing since the Gala started? She wrote every one of ‘em,” Applejack remarked with an evil grin. “So unless y’all want to be seen serenadin’ the dessert table with a lampshade on yer head, I suggest ya be truthful.”

Knowing that Applejack had everything under control, Twilight slipped away, trotting off towards the large gem-studded fountain in the center of the room, expecting to find Rarity nearby. Sure enough, she stood proudly beside Fluttershy, speaking to a pair of ponies whom Twilight didn’t recognize. Twilight snuck closer to listen in.

“Yes, Princess Twilight has been my friend for a while now,” Rarity proclaimed proudly, “and I would never hesitate to say that my life has been made infinitely better since she walked into it.”

“Indeed? I have heard mostly positive things about her, so I suppose that isn’t much of a surprise,” one of the other ponies smiled. “And you... you are Fluttershy, correct?”

“Oh... Umm, yes.”

“I thought so. It is a pleas—” he began before being cut off by the fourth pony in the group.

“Wait! You’re the Fluttershy?” the mare squealed excitedly, causing Fluttershy to shrink away.

Yes.

“What happened to you? You were on top of Equestria! You were the best model ever and you just vanished!” the pony exclaimed.

“Well, miss,” Rarity explained, stepping forward protectively, ”Fluttershy is, as her name suggests, quite shy. She dislikes being the center of attention, so she retired from the business.”

“Oh. That’s understandable, but it must be awful to be unable to use your special talent due to stage fright!”

“What do you mean by that?” Rarity asked. “She can utilize her special talent just fine.”

“But isn’t her special talent her gracefulness? If she’s unable to be a model, then how would she use it?” the mare replied questioningly.

“No, no, no! Her poise is one of her talents, sure, but it’s not her special talent!” Rarity laughed, turning to Fluttershy. “Why don’t you tell her, dear?”

“I-I, umm... I take care of animals,” Fluttershy whispered, hoofing at the floor nervously.

“Really? You see to animals? That’s wonderful!” the mare gasped. “My husband — he’s not here tonight, but he is the administrator of the new animal hospital that just opened up in Manehattan. I wonder, would you be willing to pose in a few promotional advertisements for us?”

Rarity frowned and took a step towards the mare. “Did I not just tell you that she dislikes the spotlight? Why would you ask—”

“Umm, actually, Rarity, I’d like that,” Fluttershy interrupted softly.

“Y-you would?” Rarity stammered, raising an eyebrow at Fluttershy. “Well, far be it from me to stop you, dear.”

“There’s one thing though; can I pose with some of the animals?”

“But of course!” the mare replied cheerfully. “You may pose with as many of the patients as you want!”

Twilight waved, catching Fluttershy’s eye and gave her a wink before trotting off, with one last target in mind. She slipped over to the VIP section and spotted the conspicuous hues of Rainbow Dash’s tail. She snuck closer to see whom her friend was speaking with and broke out in a grin as Spitfire’s flaming mane came into view.

Happy in the knowledge that each of her friends were enjoying themselves, she continued on. Now it was time to get to work. Spotting a large bovine figure towering above the crowd, she changed direction, head held high as the mass of ponies parted for her.

She stepped up to the minotaur and cleared her throat, “Good evening, Ambassador.”

The massive creature’s horned head swung about for a moment, before looking down and smiling. “Princess! You snuck up on me. You need to gain a few inches.”

“So I’ve been told,” Twilight giggled. “Enjoying your night so far?”

“Yes. It’s a little boring, but that’s nothing new; the Gala usually is,” he sighed, draining a full pitcher of wine.

“Yeah, I know; that’s partly why we decided to mix things up a bit this year. In fact, we hired a few comedians for the Laughter station,” Twilight replied, putting on an air of serenity to hide her excitement.

“That actually might be worth checking out...” he muttered, scratching his chin. “Where is this?”

“The east courtyard. Just follow the balloons. It’s decorated in a lot of pink, so you really can’t miss it.”

“Perfect, I’m going to head over there. Have a good night, Princess,” he rumbled, bowing his head politely.

“Have a good night, Ambassador,” Twilight said, returning his nod. She watched him lumber away, then left to find her next target. It took but a moment for her eyes to pick out the telltale black and white from the crowd, and she quickly moved towards the end of the room where Zecora stood, nearly hidden behind one of the room’s pillars. “Hey, Zecora!”

“Ah, Twilight! Good evening! To what do I owe this greeting?”

“I’m just saying ‘Hello’ to all of the dignitaries,” Twilight chirped, walking behind the pillar to see who Zecora had been speaking with. “Oh, Ambassador Sandstrider! I guess this makes things easier.”

“Yes, my friend, being able to greet two of us at once must be quite a boon,” the tall mare giggled. “Ambassador Zecora and I were just discussing the future of our nations. The relationship between Saddle Arabia and Zebrica has always been rocky at best and downright hostile at worst. After seeing Equestria go through a rebirth, we are now hoping for our nations to experience rebirths of their own. The two of us have thus decided that now would be an optimal time to put our awful past behind us.”

“Really? That’s great!” Twilight gasped.

“Indeed, we hope our means make for good ends, for if they do, our peoples may yet become friends!”

“If you two need anything, anything at all, let me know right away! A mediator, a neutral meeting place, or even just public support, I’ll supply anything,” Twilight offered. “Equestria will stand behind this the whole way!”

“R-really?” Sandstrider stuttered. “T-thank you, Your Highness!”

“It’s my pleasure. It’d be an honor to play even a small part in your nations making peace.” Twilight looked over her shoulder at the crowd. “Listen, I have a lot of others that I have to talk to tonight, and I’d like to get something to drink before I have to speak with any of the others, so I’m going to go for now. Keep me posted though!”

“Hold, Twilight! Before you bid us adieu, there is a question that I must ask of you,” Zecora chimed. When Twilight stopped to look at her, the zebra shot a mischievous smile at Sandstrider.“Next week, when we meet for lunch? I would very much like to add a third to our bunch!”

“You are asking me to join you?” Sandstrider asked, blinking at Zecora incredulously.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Twilight nodded. “You’re welcome to come if you like.”

“I think I would like that, Zecora. We are likely going to be spending much time together in the coming months building the friendship between our peoples, so building our own friendship sooner is much more desirable than later,” Sandstrider giggled. She turned to Twilight and bowed her head politely. “Thank you, Princess, for bringing us together. I wish you the best of nights.”

Twilight returned her nod and trotted over to the refreshments table, picking up a glass of punch and sipping it tepidly. She gave a content sigh and mentally prepared herself for the next round of greetings, but a tap on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts.

Confused, she turned to face whoever was attempting to get her attention and smiled. “Hello? Oh, Luna! Hi. How’re things going?”

“Well, Twilight; things are going well. I have greeted everypony on my list,” Luna murmured. “I wonder though about your progress. Whom have you managed to locate thus far?”

“I found Ambassador Stoneshatter of the Minotaur right off the bat, then I found Zecora and Sandstrider together and spoke to them. I’m afraid that’s as far as I got, though,” Twilight replied apologetically.

“Perfect,” Luna asserted. “During my own rounds, I stumbled across the other three on your list conversing with the governor of Cloudsdale and greeted them accordingly. Which, I believe, means that we have finished our obligations for this night.”

“Really? That’s great!” Twilight grinned, eyes lighting up with the news. “Should we go find our friends?”

“I should think so,” Luna smirked. “I passed Rainbow Dash on my way over here, so perhaps we should start there?”

“Luna, when you’re just hanging out with your friends, you don’t need to ‘start’ anywhere! You just do it,” Twilight snickered, walking in the direction Luna indicated.

“Don’t poke fun at me unless you can honestly say that you yourself didn’t need anypony to teach you that lesson as well,” Luna grumbled, gently prodding Twilight’s side.

“Alright, alright, you have me there,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. The two shared a giggle and continued through the crowd towards the VIP section, where the group had all agreed to meet. Rainbow was already there waiting; she grinned as she spotted them coming and waved.

“Hey! You two done?” the blue pegasus asked excitedly.

“We are indeed,” Luna said with a nod. “I see you found Captain Spitfire right away.”

“She did,” the Wonderbolt replied with a wink. “Your friend Pinkie Pie was here too, but she ran off. Haven’t seen her since.”

“That’s normal. She’ll probably show up out of the blue, dragging along the rest of the gang,” Twilight giggled. “So, how are you two doing?”

“Great. Rainbow here was just telling me about how she taught you to fly,” Spitfire said with a coy smirk. She playfully nudged Rainbow and continued. “Not every day that you meet somepony who can boast about tutoring a princess.”

“She told you that, did she?” Twilight snickered, shooting a glance at the rapidly reddening Rainbow Dash. “What exactly did she say?”

“I’m more interested in what you have to say about it, Princess,” Spitfire replied. “So why don’t you tell me the story?”

Taken aback, Twilight looked at Rainbow again, surprised to see a nauseous grimace on the normally rambunctious pony’s face. “Well, she wasn’t the best teacher I’ve ever had. But she tried as hard as she could!” Twilight backpedalled at the horrified expression on Rainbow’s face. “She was patient with me, even though she normally has trouble being patient. She let me learn at my own pace and did her best to make me feel comfortable in the sky. I used to get panic attacks when we first started, but now I can make it all the way up to the top of the castle towers.”

Spitfire frowned at her for a moment. “So, you’re saying that she got better as time went on, but she still has some areas she needs to work on?” she murmured, slowly and deliberately.

“Ummm, yes? I guess so...”

“Glad to hear it!” Spitfire chuckled, clapping Rainbow on the back.

“Wha-what?” Rainbow stuttered.

“Part of being a Wonderbolt is training the younger generations. Believe it or not, I do plan on retiring someday, and I need to be sure that the fliers I leave behind are up to the task,” the golden pegasus said with a grin. “I really don’t care if you started out as a good teacher; Princess Twilight said that you did your best to become a better teacher, and being an athlete is all about improvement. I’d always take a pony who’s not very good at something, but tries to get better every day before I’d take a naturally talented pony who doesn’t practice at all.”

“That’s... awesome!” Rainbow squealed, her body shaking excitedly in place for a few seconds before she regained her senses. ”I can just have Twilight teach me how to teach, she’s a great teacher. I won’t let you down, Ma’am, I’ll be ready to be a Wonderbolt before you know it!”

“Actually, to tell you a secret,” Spitfire muttered, motioning for everypony to come closer. "You are ready to be a Wonderbolt. You’ve been ready.”

“What? Then why—”

“Because you’re still young. You still have a lot to see and do before you get yourself bogged down in a career. You’ll make it soon enough, I promise,” Spitfire started. “Now, I should go find Soarin’ before he gets himself into trouble. You kids have fun.” With that, the Wonderbolt took off, shooting above the crowd to find her teammate. The three mares watched her leave before Twilight turned to Rainbow.

“Hey, Dash? I’m sorry for that. I didn’t think before I spoke. I really could’ve got you in trouble there,” Twilight murmured.

“Seriously, Twilight?” Rainbow squawked incredulously. “That was exactly what she wanted to hear! If that was the worst mistake you make all night, then we’re going to have an awesome time.”

“See? I told you they were here!” a familiar voice chirped as a pink blur bounded over.

“Fine, you were right, sugarcube. Happy now?”

“Girls? How’d you find us so quickly?” Twilight asked happily, stepping back to allow her friends to form a circle as Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy appeared from an entirely different direction.

“We followed Spitfire, dear. When we saw her fly overhead, Spike pointed out that we’d likely find Rainbow Dash where she emerged from.”

“Am I really that predictable, Rarity?” Rainbow groaned.

“I’m afraid so, but we love you anyway,” Rarity giggled.

“If I may, while we are all here?” Luna called out loudly. Everypony immediately fell silent to watch her and she recoiled slightly. “Erm, sorry, I’m rather used to having to shout several times to get everypony’s attention... Regardless, I would like to say a few words, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Luna! If y’all have somethin’ you’d like to talk about, we’re here for ya!” Applejack replied with a grin, quickly being backed up by the rest.

“Well, thank you,” Luna said softly. She opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “I wanted to express how I feel about all of you.” She paused, offering a smile to the group. “You all have done so much for me, much of it without even realizing it. You have accepted me, comforted me, and provided me with companionship during a time as dark as any I can remember. I could spend the rest of the night listing every individual thing each of you has performed for me, and still not cover everything, so instead, I just wish to say thank you. Thank you, all of you, for being my friends.”

The group stared at Luna silently, everypony afraid to be the one to break the silence. “Luna,” Rarity murmured, stepping forward, “we were happy to oblige. We care for our friends.”

“All the same, I feel privileged to know each of you, and am honored to have been accepted into your group.”

“It’s your group too, silly filly, so you should be calling it ‘our group’,” Pinkie chirped. “But I have just one eensy-bitsy question: are we all done being serious for now? Because it’s PARTY TIME!”

“Yes, Pinkie, I’m done with the seriousness,” Luna laughed. “I just wanted to say that while we were all together. And since you were so patient, why don’t you go cut the cake? I had it saved for you.”

Pinkie unleashed an unintelligible stream of squeals and bolted off to the dessert table, leaving her friends giggling knowingly as they strolled in her wake. She hopped over the table, snatched up a serving knife, and bellowed, “WHO WANTS CAKE!?”

Reveling in the spotlight of her own making, she lowered the knife to the sweet mass, only for it to shoot upward into her face, splattering over the area as the surrounding ponies erupted into angry shouts.

Rainbow Dash bolted forward to Pinkie’s side and gave her a worried shake. “Pinkie, what the hay just happened? Are you alright?”

“It looks like... It looks like the cake was spring-loaded to do that when somepony touched it!” Rarity snarled, leaning as close to the table as she could without crossing over the cake-stained section of floor.

“Oh, wow...” the frosting-covered mare gasped, wiping the sugary goo from her eyes, as Luna began to emanate hearty chuckles. “That was a good one, Luna! Never saw it coming!”

“What? You did this?” Rarity screamed, wheeling around on Luna.

“Come on, Pinkie. Ah’ll help ya get cleaned up,” Applejack snorted, unable to contain her own laughter.

“That was cruel, Luna!” Rarity scolded, angrily prodding her in the chest. “I know Pinkie loves pranks, but embarrassing her in public like that?”

“Embarrassing her in public? When she was here two weeks ago, she put dye in my tea!” Luna hissed.

“It’s true. Luna’s teeth were bright pink for six days. We had to bring in a specialist from Manhattan to whiten them again before the Gala,” Twilight replied, giggling at the memory. “Besides, I’m not entirely sure Pinkie even can get embarrassed!”

“Exactly,” Rainbow chuckled. “You know she loved it.”

“Yeah, that was great!” Pinkie shrieked, bouncing back up to them, both her and her gown sparkling clean.

“Wha— Pinkie? How did... You were just...” Luna stuttered, gaping at the pony. “Applejack, what just happened?”

“Ah don’t have any idea. She was covered in cake one moment, then Ah turned around for one measly second to get something to wipe her off, then when Ah turned around again she was clean, ‘n’ Ah don’t wanna know. Ah need a drink...” Applejack grumbled, approaching the group only to walk completely past them.

“Oh cheer up, Applejackey!” Pinkie called after her. “The night’s young and the music’s roarin’! Let’s dance!” She skittered over to an open patch of floor and broke into a jig that was many times too fast for the classical tune the orchestra was playing.

“Well, I’m not going to be making a spectacle of myself like she is, but dancing does sound like fun,” Rarity exclaimed, stepping out onto Pinkie’s newly-christened dance floor and motioning for the others to follow her. Luna, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Spike all trotted over to join her, where Spike sheepishly offered a claw to Rarity, who giggled knowingly and accepted his offer, while Fluttershy and Rainbow began swaying in a slow rhythm.

“You are not going to join us?” Luna quietly asked when she realized that Twilight had remained in place.

“I’m not very good at dancing,” Twilight muttered. “I’d rather not go out there and embarrass myself.

“From the stories I’ve heard, I find that quite difficult to believe,” Luna retorted, walking back over to Twilight.

“Yeah, well, I’m a Princess now. Making a fool of myself would make my life a lot harder,” Twilight sighed. She glanced around Luna to where her friends were enjoying themselves and continued softly, “You know... Celestia kept trying to convince me to take a class in ballroom dancing, but I never listened to her. I always thought that it was a waste of time. I’m really starting to wish that I had listened.”

“It’s not too late to learn, Twilight. Come, I’ll show you,” Luna smiled, offering her hoof.

“A-are you sure? Right now?”

“Of course! Come.”

Twilight nervously followed Luna to an open area of floor where the elder Princess turned to her deliberately and confidently. “As you’d expect, dancing is an art as old as ponykind itself. The style of dancing you see at formal events such as this was developed when Equestria was still young and is actually based on an old gryphon style; though I use the term ‘developed’ loosely.” Luna waved her hoof to where a pair of nobles rotated fluidly nearby. “I have noticed many changes to the style since my return. I would not be so bold as to say the changes were for the worse, but they added unrequired complexity to the art, and thus I believe that they were certainly not for the better. I can only surmise that they were created over the years by so-called ‘masters’ of the art to add their own personal flair to history.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight murmured, staring at the ponies Luna pointed out, hoping to spot whatever ‘changes’ Luna was referring to.

Luna stepped to Twilight’s opposite side and smirked. “Indeed. This particular style was created with a dual purpose: to be elegant and beautiful, yet easy enough to learn so as to not discourage newcomers. The methods I would like to teach you are simple, but will look complex and august to all but the best-trained eye. That is, if you wish to learn.”

“O-okay. I’d like that,” Twilight simpered, trying to sound more confident than she was.

“Good! We begin with the simple embrace,” Luna chirped, moving in close and wrapping her neck around Twilight’s. She gently pressed against Twilight’s body and whispered, “You need only remember to continue moving. The motion should be fluid and unhesitant. Do not worry so much about putting your hooves in the right place for now, just allow your body to balance itself; thinking too much will cause you to stumble.”

Luna stepped back and gently pulled Twilight with her. “We’ll take it slow. Just move in whatever direction I lead you in, and you’ll do fine. I promise.”

Twilight felt a soft nudge on the side of her neck and started, allowing Luna to direct her motions. It wasn’t long before she felt herself pulling away from her partner. Realizing that she was stepping too quickly for the song, she stopped to allow Luna to catch up, but simply collided with the mare instead. “No, no, keep moving!” Luna hissed. “If you go too fast, just slow down slightly. Never stop moving.”

Twilight shook her head, trying to calm her breathing as Luna swung her in a pivot. “Much better.” Luna continued to slowly guide Twilight around the dance floor for a few moments before humming thoughtfully. “Hmmm... If I remember this song correctly, there will be a minor change in direction coming up. Take it easily, no sudden moves. Ready?”

Twilight closed her eyes and allowed Luna to sweep her in another direction, and laughed nervously. “I-I’m doing it!”

“Yes, you are indeed. Let us try something a bit more complex, but still basic. On my count, step back, bow, then step back in. Ready? And one... two... three!” Luna gently pushed her back and Twilight stumbled momentarily as she dipped her head to the floor. Even so, she kept her eyes on Luna throughout the entire motion, noting how the darker alicorn fluidly rocked her weight from her back legs to her front as she bowed gracefully before stepping back in.

“You are performing marvelously, Twilight,” Luna cooed into Twilight’s ear, spinning her back around. “Would you perhaps like to perform some two-legged maneuvers?”

“Err, no! I-I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“Very well, I have a different idea. Get ready to step quickly!” Luna giggled. Before Twilight could ask what she meant, Luna placed a hoof on her back and pressed down. Buckling under the pressure, she felt Luna sweep over her and gasped as she was shoved and spun away, finding herself facing Luna across the floor. Soundless but for a giggle, Luna crossed the distance and wrapped Twilight in an embrace once more.

“Good Twilight. Now, the song is coming to an end,” Luna breathed. “When I move to the side, take five steps forward in time with the music, turn, then finish.” Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Luna stepped to her right, and lightly nudged Twilight over.

For the first time since the song had begun, Twilight was confident about what she had to do next. With her head held high, she strode forward and spun around, grinning broadly, and bowed to match Luna’s pose. Before she could make another move, a roar of applause erupted around her and she glanced around to see a circle of ponies gathered around Luna and herself, all stomping the floor loudly.

Blushing furiously, she trotted over to Luna, who led her out of the circle to where their friends stood gaping.

“Bravo, you two! Very impressive,” Rarity purred. “I didn’t think anypony would be able to help Twilight. Normally she has four left hooves.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out at Rarity before turning back to Luna. “Thank you. That was actually a lot of fun.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you thought so,” Luna replied. She smiled at Twilight momentarily, the color rising in her cheeks. “You know... we could continue the lesson some other time. I wouldn’t mind teaching you more.”

“I’d like that. Especially since it’ll mean that I’ll be able to participate from now on,” Twilight snickered.

“Umm, Luna? If you don’t mind me asking, who taught you how to dance like that?”

“No one actually taught me, Fluttershy,” Luna replied thoughtfully. “I took it up as a hobby when ponies started adapting the style for their own.”

“Oh, so I’ll be learning from one of the old masters who helped pioneer the art,” Twilight chuckled teasingly.

“Ah, errr, I never quite saw it that way. I suppose so,” stammered the flustered Luna. “...You’re teasing me again. One of these days I’ll catch on and you won’t have your laugh.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t tease you if I didn’t like you,” Twilight smirked, giving Luna a patronizing pat on the shoulder.

“You’d best be careful, lest one of these days I start to enjoy it,” Luna replied coyly. “In the meantime, I think I need something to drink after that. Care to join me?”

“I think I’m okay for now. You go ahead,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Oh. I see,” Luna replied, dejected. “Very well. I shall return shortly.”

Twilight watched her leave before turning back to the rest of her friends. “You know, I’d say that tonight— Why are you looking at me like that, Rarity?”

“Twilight Sparkle, you are completely hopeless!” the white unicorn huffed, glaring daggers at Twilight. “Come, Fluttershy, I think I’d rather be elsewhere.”

“Erm, okay...?” Twilight stuttered as she watched Rarity leave. Fluttershy gave her an apologetic shrug and trotted off after the unicorn, with Spike close behind. Bewildered, Twilight turned to the pair of ponies who remained and asked, “What the hay was that all about?”

“Why are you asking me? I don’t ever understand her,” Rainbow muttered blandly.

“Okay, good point,” Twilight chuckled. “As I was saying, with the exception of what just happened, I’d say that tonight was a huge success! We’ve had fun so far and nopony on the staff has come to me to report any major problems. You should be proud of yourself, Pinkie, you did a wonderful job.”

“Oh yeah! Everything’s great!” Pinkie shrieked exuberantly, earning confused glances from nearby guests. “You know, it’s too bad that the castle isn’t bigger so we could invite everypony in Canterlot!”

“Wait, Pinkie, say all that again.”

“All that again!”

“No, I meant— oh, nevermind!” Twilight groaned. “I’ll be right back.”

Twilight shot through the crowd in the direction of the refreshments table. “Luna. Luna!” She caught up to the mare and shook her excitedly.

“Twilight? What’s wrong?”

“Luna, I know what I want to do with my inheritance!”