Grand Larceny

by Waiting on my 20s

Chapter VI - The Gala

Author's Note:

“It’ll be a date to die for…”

P A R T - T W O

9 DAYS TO MIDNIGHT

---

"Century, how can you not tie a bowtie?"

"Trixie, I'm a bureaucrat; I only ever wear ties!"

"Excuses, excuses."

In Spirit Candy's Canterlot apartment, Century and Trixie Lulamoon stood before the bathroom mirror. Century—as surprising as it may seem—was having difficulty tying the bowtie for his tuxedo. Trixie, having much experience in tying bowties, was assisting him. And teasing the stallion, of course.

Today was the day. In less than an hour, the Grand Galloping Gala would begin, and our trio would begin the heist of the millennium. So far, there hadn't been any concerning changes, but the main event was yet to begin. And schemes rarely ever go according to plan.

Trixie adorned a gorgeous, elegant magician's outfit. A porcelain-white tuxedo with a frost-white vest. Along with a crimson bowtie, a porcelain-white cape with a blood-red lining, and a dove-white top hat. Century, a merlot-red tuxedo with a black vest and a black bowtie. The two had never dressed so fashionably and sophisticated. Tonight was important for more than just the heist.

Elegant and precise, Trixie finished tying Century's bow. "There. The Great and Powerful Trixie has finished your bow. Marvelous work, wouldn't you agree?"

Century rolled his eyes, "Superb, Trix."

"Ya know, Trixie doesn't often say this to other ponies, but you look seriously dapper."

Century shrugged, "Yeah, thanks. And I guess you pulled off that magician's outfit... beautifully. Not bad, magic mare."

Trixie smiled, "Trixie appreciates it."

Century smiled back, "Hm."

"Hm."

"Hm."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Well," Century spoke up, ending the sudden silence, "Better get down to Spirit. She said she bought some cider and wanted to make a toast."

"Ah," Trixie replied, jovial, "Trixie loves cider," Before following Century out of the bathroom and towards the dining room. Where Spirit had placed a bottle of cider. One neither of the two had seen before.

As they neared the round table, Spirit entered the duo's view, holding three flute wine glasses in her magic grasp. Century raised a brow when he saw the glass. Noting cider wasn't typically drunk using such glasses. In fact, it wasn't typically drunk using glasses at all.

Trixie and Century sat down. Century spoke up as Spirit gently placed two glasses before the unicorn and Earth pony. Setting the last one near an empty chair reserved for her.

"Uh, Spirit? I've never seen this type of apple cider before."

Spirit replied as she sat down, "That's because it's not your average cider."

Trixie rested her head on her hoof, "Is this some special concoction given to you by the Apple family?"

"This cider isn't from the Apple family. It's not even from Equestria. This is Meridian cider."

Trixie's eyes bulged, and Century replied, "Meridian cider? W-What? How?"

Spirit waved the flute glass before her back and forth, "When I was preparing to leave that warehouse back in Manehatten, I came across an opened crate. Inside were six bottles. Each contained special, sparkling cider from the finest winery in all of Meridio. A family-owned business called Dawson Vineyard & Winery. I decided to take one. Putting the bottle in my satchel for tonight."

Trixie folded her hooves, "What's so special about it? And how come we're just now finding out about this bottle?"

"First of all, I wanted it to be a surprise. Duh. Second of all, this cider isn't like the Apples' cider. This is hard cider."

Century leaned back, "Hard cider? …Should we really drink this before the most important moment of our lives?"

Trixie snickered, "Aw, is the bureaucrat a lightweight?"

"Are you!?"

"Pah! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't know the meaning of the word!"

Spirit grabbed the bottle, "Would you two shut up? You guys are such dopes."

The unicorn began unwrapping the golden foil covering the cork. The sound of the tears resonated in her ears. Once removed, Spirit lined up the cider bottle's cork to the edge of the table; since she lacked a proper bottle opener.

Trixie reeled her head back, "That's not going to explode, right?"

Century chuckled, mollifying Trixie, "No, Trix. You're gonna be fine."

The bottle's cork popped off, and just as Century stated, the cider didn't blast out. Spirit sighed, "Little anti-climatic and underwhelming, but at least we don't have to worry about any stains or whatever."

Using her magic, Spirit raised all three glasses toward her and poured the sparkling cider into each. Trixie's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the liquid bubbling and fizzing. Remarking how similar to soda it seemed.

Century noticed this in her eyes, "You've never seen sparkling cider?"

Trixie shrugged, "Trixie doesn't think so. Isn't sparkling cider, like, a rich pony thingy?"

"Eh... Kinda I guess."

Finished, Spirit handed one glass to Trixie, transferring it into Trixie's magic grasp, and handed the other to Century; Before setting the cider bottle gently on the table with a quiet but discernible thud.

Trixie, inquisitive, brought the glass to her nose and got a whiff of the cider. She reeled in revulsion when its vigorous stench reached her nostrils. Century chuckled, "Trixie, stop being such a bum."

"You shut your mouth!" Trixie replied, flustered.

Spirit snickered, "Alright you guys, let's wrap this up already. Century, you're the speech maker." She waved her glass back and forth like some taste tester. "Give us a toast for tonight."

Century traced the rim of his glass with his nose like a bored filly. A delicate, high-pitched hum emitted from it. "I mean... I guess. Not a bad idea. It's just been a while since I last made a toast. Hopefully, I don't screw it up." He stopped tracing the rim and stared intently at it. The drone of the glass dissipated.

"...We, uh... Shoot, u-um... We have... A little over five days, I received knowledge from an otherwordly being telling of a harrowing future becoming of Equestria. Hours later, I informed my oldest friend, Spirit Candy, and Starlight Glimmer's newest friend, Trixie Lulamoon.

Century continued, "Together, over the past week, we traversed Equestria. Searching for a way to prevent, for the lack of better words, the apocalypse. Gaining knowledge of magic and power beyond our wildest dreams. And our journey has yet to truly begin."

"Now, we have approached what might be our finest hours. As we attempt to not only steal what may be the most important crown in the world—a heinous act of grand larceny—but escape Equestria as the most wanted in all the land. To board a futuristic, highly-advanced ship on a voyage to the other side of the world to destroy said crown."

Century raised his glass into the air. Spirit and Trixie followed swiftly.

"...We ask that whatever forces may be in our vast universe to have mercy on us. To bless us on this treacherous odyssey. We raise a glass to Equestria. A glass to these next nine days we shall embark on. A glass to our souls and our hearts. To our reason and to our resolve. To our loved ones, and the great unknown. May we come out of this in one piece."

The trio clinked their glasses to one another's and sipped their drinks down gracefully. Resisting the stinging and the bittering burn of the hard cider. Century, though normally unbecoming of him—chugged the cider down in mere gulps. The texture grinding his tongue and throat like the coarsest sandpaper. The aroma filling his nostrils like a vicious, toxic gas.

Trixie and Spirit stared in awe. Especially Lulamoon. She attempted to follow in Century's footsteps but failed miserably. Instantly wondering why she even bothered when she began a coughing fit. Spirit chuckled before continuing to sip from her glass.

Century set his glass down with a gentle thump. Thinking in his head for a moment before standing up and wiping the cider from his lips. He gave both mares an intense look. Ignited determination in his eyes.

"Okay... Let's do this."

---

"Can't believe I had to buy a carriage for all these presents."

"Trixie remarks Strawberry Jewel really wanted to go to the Gala."

"Century remarks she didn't need ninety pounds worth of gifts."

The trio's carriage approached the doorway to the Grand Galloping Gala. The Royal Castle was adorned with Gala decorations and lights, and the central passageway was already filled with ponies. Dozens of other carriages were lined up outside as well.

Century squinted at the entrance through the window and humphed. Normally, Princess Celestia would stand there and greet everypony that entered. Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn't doing that this year. He hoped this didn't mean she wouldn't be attending the Gala. That would really throw a wrench in their plans.

Century spoke up just before their carriage came to a stop. "Okay, time to split up. Spirit, you'll locate Starboard and trail him insi-"

"Wait a minute," Trixie cut off. "Do we... Do we even know what Starboard looks like?"

"Of course we..." Spirit's pupils shrunk into tiny dots as the realization hit her. "...H-Holy crap."

Century smacked his face and silently shouted. "For the love of Celestia, how do we not know what he looks like!? Spirit, you didn't grab any photos while you were at the dock?!"

"I-I didn't see any! Besides, I-It's a ship captain! M-Maybe, I mean, i-it can't be that hard to find him!"

"You think we're living in some fantasy world?! Think Starboard's gonna be sitting at a table, throwing back cider, cackling loudly, with a pegleg to top it off?"

Trixie growled, "Trixie knew something was bound to go wrong; she just knew it!"

"Okay, ladies? Relax. We... W-We can still pull this off?"

Trixie and Spirit stared at Century. Then stared at each other. Trixie sighed, "Perhaps it's worth a shot. We can't give up now." She poked Spirit's chest, "Don't screw this up, braids."

Spirit smiled weakly, "Will do..."

...

The trio marveled at the castle's decorated interior. A beautiful, exceptionally complex chandelier hung from the roof of the room. Every pillar was decorated with bells and streamers. At the far left of the room was a massive buffet table with all sorts of mouth-watering delectables. And at the far right was an orchestra performing delightful, slow pieces.

"Excuse me, Miss Lulamoon?" A voice called from the right. The trio looked over and spotted a pink pegasus trotting over. She donned circular glasses and a light green dress shirt. She must've been Trixie's stage assistant.

Trixie smirked and stepped forward. "Ah, Good evening Chestnut Cake. Trixie assumes her stage is set?"

Chestnut raised her clipboard using her wings. "Well, mostly. There are just a few itty bitty problems."

"And those would be?"

"Er... Daisy Dove may have forgotten to do some maintenance on the stage's lighting. And..."

"And?"

"Well... The... Light's... Aren't… Working..."

Trixie fumed, "What?! What do you mean they're not working?!"

Chestnut stepped back and stumbled a bit. "I-I don't know! It's just, T-The spotlights won't shine! W-"

Trixie rushed forward and grabbed Chestnut with her hooves. Comedically rocking her back and forth like some cartoon. "Chestnut!" She shouted.

"Y-Yes?!"

"D'you know how important tonight is?! How could you let this happen?! Why is Trixie just now hearing about this?!"

"I-I just now found out!"

Trixie let go of Chestnut, "Take Trixie to Daisy Dove! Trixie'll teach Daisy what happens to ponies who sabotage Trixie!"

"I-I don't believe it was sabo-"

"Take Trixie now!"

Chestnut, frightened at Trixie's almost savage-like anger, galloped to the outdoor stage. Trixie practically right on top of her. Spirit nudged Century, "So, think she'll be fine?"

Century stifled a chuckle, "She'll be fine; it's just lighting. We need to do our parts now. You start looking for Starboard, and I'll go find Princess Celestia. This night is not gonna be a crap show."

Spirit nodded and bumped hooves with Century. With that, Century stepped out onto the patio in search of her royal highness while Spirit stepped forward towards the ballroom before her.

The plan was finally in motion.

---

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, li'l' mare?"

"I heard that you're the famous captain of the hour?"

"Hah! Inde'd I am!"

Spirit—after observing the ballroom and talking up random ponies—quickly took a seat at a table with several others. Including a certain captain. The ponies that took up the table were exactly what one would expect hoity-toity ponies from Canterlot to look like. Colorful, expensive, and a persistent countenance of superiority. Spirit—despite being from Canterlot and wearing an absolutely gorgeous dress—didn't fit at this table all that well.

One of the ponies, a mare from the Crystal Empire at that, spoke up. "And just who in the world are you, young missy? Interrupting our conversation with such crass; how dare you!?"

"I agree!" Exclaimed another pony, some higher-up at Phillydelphia. A monocle, a black top hat, a freshly trimmed goatee, he was the whole package. "Never in my life have I had to bear witness to such an unsophisticated mare! Explain yourself immediately!"

As Spirit sunk into her seat, and the other ponies of the table began berating her, Starboard chuckled. "All o' yous relax! There’s enough o' this Capta'n for e'rypony 'ere!" A thick, almost unrecognizable, manehattan accent in his voice. With a little bit of something else. Southern, like AppleJack. And strange combination.

He turned to face Spirit and raised a brow. "What brings you 'ere li'l mare?"

As Starboard faced her, Spirit was able to get a better look at the captain. He was a large, burly Earth pony. His coat was a beautiful ginger, and his mane was a marvelous cyan. Almost as blue as the sky. While she couldn't see his head due to the hat he was wearing, she could see that his facial hair consisted of an almost adorable musketeer mustache with fabulous twirls at each end. Along with a skinny goatee hanging from his chin.

He donned a gorgeous, brand-new, all-white suit with several medals along his left breast. His suit featured silver epaulets on his shoulders, each string holding a small jewel at its end. As well as four silver aiguillettes hanging from his left shoulder. And to top it all off, a black and platinum peaked cap with a special insignia on its front. As Spirit continuously scrutinized Starboard, this captain looked less like a captain—and more like some general. Perhaps Starboard was an admiral in the Royal Navy. Minus the pegleg, of course.

Spirit shrugged, coming back to reality. "Oh, y'know, the same reason all these ponies are here! I'd love to hear the stories of such an incredible pony."

Starboard cackled like a mad Santa Claus, "O' course you are! It's so obvious! Can't believe I'd ev'n ask a question as dumb as that!" Starboard lifted a nearby mug full of the Apple family's esteemed apple cider and chugged it down like a mad mare. Wowing everypony at the table.

He set it down, almost breaking the cup in his hoof, and bellowed a great burp. "Yous wan' a story? I'll give ya one! 'ere's one o' my fav'rites!" Starboard took off his cap and set it on the table. Revealing a bald head.

He cleared his throat, "There I was, on the high seas. Just outsi'e Manehatt'n. My beaut'ful hometown. I was commandin' my prized possession. The head of Equestria's Roy'l Navy, a beaut'ful, first-rate, three-decked ship o' the line. The HHS Queen Galaxia."

Spirit quickly remembered her visit to the Manehatten port. That massive ship at the far end of the dockyard must've been this, "Queen Galaxia," Starboard was talking about. She was a little upset she didn't know about this earlier. But something was off.

Starboard not only commandeered the largest, most powerful ship in Equestria's navy, but also this super advanced hypercarrier? A cargo ship, at that? He also didn't seem as old and forgetful as she anticipated. He was stronger, and much louder too.

"A real beau'y," Starboard continued. "We was on patrol after The Roy'l Castle received reports from Griffonstone of big ol' blimps approachin' Equestria. Along with sever'l suppos’d battleships directly approachin' Manehatt'n. My fleet and I were on watch. Had to keep a lookout for any potential danger." Spirit's eyes widened and drifted slowly as she processed Starboard's words.

He continued, "I was starin' off the bow o' the ship. As valiant and fierce as ever. The sun hung direc'ly above us. Her warmth was as lovin' as ever. And the water that surround'd us was a beaut'ful and pur'fyin' blue. Like the coat o' that Rainbow Dash."

"But then, the myst'fyin' peace was disturbed as the sound o' fir'd cannons cracked and filled the air. I looked to my left tow'rds the exit o' the port to see several hardened ships. The'r hulls were heav'ly armored, and the'r sails a dark gray. Donnin' the dark cyan symbol of the Storm King."

Spirit yawned and rested her hoof on the table. She began to drift off from Starboard's story as she'd heard it before. The tale of how seventeen ships held off Storm King's massive, battle-hardened, wrathful fleet. The Tsunami's Roar. A little bland, but they sure didn't care.

It was a battle that lasted several hours. The Queen Galaxia, three man o' wars, four frigates, seven brigs, and two schooners. All against a whopping forty warships. With not one, not two, but four ship of the lines commanding the armada. And every ship armed to the teeth.

It was straight out of some blockbuster movie. Gunpowder, some used disturbingly recently—and some not used in centuries—violently filled the air. A gigantic cloud of smoke swiftly took over the sky, and the city wouldn't see the sun for weeks.

Every sailor reported a lack of hearing when the dust settled. One unfortunate pony even went deaf. At such a young age as well. Equestria's fleet suffered heavy damage, but only one of its ships fell. A brig that got too close to a man 'o war. There was virtually nothing left of the vessel.

It's said Starboard had shown off strategic skills not seen in millennia. He was a prodigy decades ago, and at this battle, he was far more than just a force to be reckoned with. Saying so would be insulting. Through his leadership and coordination, The Tsunami's Roar was nigh-vanquished. All their gunboats, schooners, brigs, and frigates had been sunk. With only one ship of the line, and two man o' wars surviving. Sailing off into the distance with no clear direction as the Storm King was defeated by Twilight Sparkle and Tempest Shadow.

Now that Spirit had some time to really think about it, she was positive the truth had never been spoken. No captain could ever be that good. Not to mention she couldn't imagine Equestria's sailors being at all flawless. None of them had ever seen genuine combat. Not even Starboard. So how in the world did they beat a fleet that only knows conquering?

Perhaps it had to do with that hypercarrier, she thought. Surely—something that large and advanced would have weaponry to defend itself. But what could it have been? Or maybe The Tsunami's Fleet was sabotaged in it’s entirety. There were reports of their own gunpowder exploding.

She also knew there was a rewards ceremony at Canterlot. She didn't go herself, though. Too expensive. Which was somewhat understandable since Equestria's economy had been hit awfully hard. However, she remembered reading the names in the paper.

One Earth pony, a stallion named Surefire Tree, was rewarded for loading three hundred cannon balls, on the dot. The most ever fired in Equestrian history by a single pony. Another pony, a pegasus mare named Popcorn Swirl, was rewarded for single-handedly sinking one of Storm King's ship of the lines. An incredible act of espionage and sabotage. And, of course, who could forget living legend Admiral Douglas MacHoof for leading the charge and defending Manehattan. Spirit would be a fool to forget his name. Heck, she was sitting at his table!

.

..

...

Wait.

"Are you Captain Starboard!?" Spirit blurted out, interrupting "Starboard" as he spoke of the sinking of the first ship. He scoffed, annoyed at her interrupting, and responded. "Cap'in Starboard? Like, Starboard Sail? That ol' coot, o' course not! I'm Adm'ral Douglas M'cHoof! W-Wha, y-you thought I was him this whole time?!"

Spirit facepalmed. That pony by the cider bowl must've told her wrong. Heard captain, saw Douglas at this table, and put two and two together. Guessing instead of just saying no like a normal pony. But she couldn't entirely blame them.

Spirit had never actually seen Douglas. She'd heard of him, sure, but the paper she received didn't have a photo. Production errors after a literal military invasion are surprisingly very prevalent. Perhaps that other pony had the same issue.

Now that she thought of it, it made more sense. Trixie and Century reported hearing Princess Celestia call Starboard old and forgetful. Instead of looking for some old stallion, she just tried her luck with some random mare and a pony that looked like they led a ship.

Douglas rolled his eyes, "If you're lookin' for that walkin' pil' of ashes, he's prob'ly outside smellin' the flow'rs. Some weird ol' man stuff like that." Douglas scoffed, "That Rar'ty would be raisin' and lowerin' the sun befo'e Starboard took my place."

Spirit ignored the Admiral's insults, stood up from the table, and began trotting towards the pavilion doors. She internally slapped herself for wasting so much time and being so lazy. Especially on such a high-stakes night like this.

Luckily for her, locating Starboard wasn't all that difficult after what she'd learned. Sure enough, some old pony was sniffing some dandelions at the far right of the pavilion. As Spirit got closer, she was able to make out some details.

Unlike Douglas, Starboard wore a simple dress shirt with a cute blue tie. He adorned no medals or epaulets. No rank insignia or a aiguillettes. Were it not for her prior knowledge, she would've believed Starboard was just some old stallion visiting. Unaware of what tonight was.

She approached him, "Hello?"

"I like that word," Starboard croaked. Breathing in the smell of the dandelions once more. "I'd say it's my favorite word; The interactions that unfold, the relationships that begin. Such a simple, undervalued word. Yet full of such meaning. Such change."

Spirit rolled her eyes. Not in a rude way, mostly, but in a tired way. She could almost instantly tell what type of pony Starboard was, and she was already a little worn out from the last personality that drove her up a wall. But hopefully, it wasn't as annoying as Douglas.

She replied, "Um... So are you Starboard Sail?"

---

Century gazed off into the distance. The night sky was so enchanting to him. Despite what most ponies say, the night sky is rarely, if ever, pitch black. Rather, it's a dark, dark denim blue canvas painted by the universe's stars, galaxies, superclusters, and Princess Luna's shimmering moon.

He wondered about that somewhat. Princess Luna's moon. In the same way, people would say Princess Celestia's sun. As if the two had created them. Or that they belonged to them. Granted, this isn't the official way to refer to the celestial beings, but they were the most common.

That bothered him.

Yet again, Century had found a reason to criticize the Royal Princesses. Their power, while spectacular, has also given them a god-like status among ponies. Practically revered as such. Nopony would ever say so, but he wasn't stupid. The ponies weren't stupid. Celestia wasn't stupid.

Along with their form. Even Twilight, despite also being an alicorn, does not share their features. Same with Princess Cadence. Celestia and Luna were tall. Century Came up to the base of Luna's neck. And up to Celestia? The base of her chest. And their figure was to die for. So regal, so angelic. Rarity would do just about anything to look as drop-dead gorgeous as them. Any pony would. Even some stallions. This only built up his case. Or at least, he felt it did.

Century, while he'd never admit it, couldn't stand being shorter than them. Being less attractive than them. Being weaker and less known than them. It wasn't rational, of course. He, more than anypony, was well aware of this. But he couldn't help it.

But above all the looks, the height, the popularity, the power, it was the combination of these, and what they've led to, that particularly irks him. And that is the Princesses being given control.

He knew they weren't shadowy monsters tearing Equestria apart from the inside out for their own amusement and benefit. But he just wished they did a better job. But more than that, he wished someone else could take their job. Or at least bring about the same amount of change will not being all-powerful royalty. That way, maybe there'd be fewer playgrounds to replace. Less money to spend. More-

"Hello!? Are you seriously ignoring me right now, dude!?"

Snapping back to reality, and out of his questionable thoughts, Century turned to the voice that called him out. It was Rainbow Dash, with her only fashion being a red, poorly tied bowtie.

"I was list- Yeah, yeah, Wonderbolt crap- so by the way, have you seen Twilight by the way?"

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brows, "You said 'by the way' twice. And you asked me that already."

"...So have you?"

"She's with Princess Luna greeting the guests! Gah, I said this! Why did you just tune me out?! Aren't you a politician or something?!"

Century raised a hoof, "You're right, I'm being silly. I apologize. But, why isn't Celestia greeting the guests? That's normally her thing, is it not?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Yeah, it is. I don't know why she wasn't greeting the guests. I'd guess Twilight and Luna know, but they won't be done for a long while."

"Great," Century groaned. "I could be here for hours. All those stuck-up, pompous, hoity-toity ponies will take forever. It'll be dawn before she opens her presents. Let alone come to Trixie's performance."

"What's the big deal?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising a brow. "What do have to say to her that's so important?"

"Uh... Political stuff. Y'know who I am, after all."

"I do?"

"Don't you?"

"...No."

"I'm Mayor Mare's political advisor. I've been in Ponyville for like a year, how'd you miss me?"

"Uh, I live in Cloudsdale, not Ponyville."

"You're an Element of Harmony! And you're always sitting in that cloud hovering over Ponyville too!"

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof, "Chill dude, It's just a simple mistake. What are you so pressed about?"

"I am not!- ...Wait... W-Why am I so pressed?" Century averted Rainbow Dash's gaze and stepped back. "W-Where did all this... I-Incontinent acrimony come from?"

"Never heard those words before."

"Unsurprisingly."

"Unsur- W-What's that supposed to mean? And how do I know you weren’t just looking at a dictionary before you got here?”

Century looked at Rainbow Dash. He noticed a slight tinge in her feathers. As if they were getting ready to flap and fly away. Perhaps she felt threatened in a way. Or she just didn't like him. Understandably so.

Rainbow Dash looked at Century. There was a minor twitch in his eyes, and sweat beads slowly sliming down his forehead. Like the yolk of an egg thrown against a window. A sign of his growing disquietude.

Rainbow Dash stared intently. "What exactly is this 'political stuff' you plan to ask?"

Century instantly caught on to what she was inferring. He internally slapped himself for letting Rainbow Dash get suspicious of him. A pathetic sign of his sloppiness. He had to be careful with whatever he did next, or risk worsening the situation. He needed to play his cards right.

"...I need a drink."

He threw them out the window.

Century trotted to the nearby drink stand, and Rainbow Dash watched like a hawk acquiring its target. If she wasn't suspicious before, she definitely was now. Successfully failing at his task.

She's fast, but she can't be all that strong, right? Century thought as he poured a cup of cider. His hooves shook and spilled some of it. And as he tried to drink from it, he dropped the cup. Angering him further.

What's going on?! He thought, frustrated. This anxiety that filled his mind and body was inane and came seemingly out of nowhere. Apparently, the idea of stealing the most powerful monarch's crown on one of the most important days of the year, surrounded by dozens of guards, was sorta stressful.

If he was shaking up before Princess Celestia even came, while talking to Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, how could he possibly go with the plan? What if Trixie does her trick, but he freezes up? And the opportunity is lost to them?

What's Plan B? Sneak into the most defended, important building in the nation, sneak past hundreds of guards, and steal it while she's asleep in her own bed? That would be insanity! Maybe if he had some changling to infiltrate it for him, but who'd be stupid enough to do such a thing? Definitely not me, he thought.

"Uh, are you alright?"

Century looked up from staring at the spilled cup like some psychopath. The barista, some young green mare, had spoken to him. Century darted back at the cup. Then back at the mare. Way to make yourself look sane, you dipstick.

"Uh, yeah! I-I'm good, just... A teeny tiny bit stressed. No big deal."

"Really?" The mare asked, cocking her head. "Because you looked like you just had some traumatic flashback. Surely something's on your mind."

"Oh, it's just... Gala. Never been here. N-Never really, uh… U-Uh, seen the Princesses up close. Now I'm just waiting for them to show up already."

The mare giggled, "Show up? But they're right behind you."

Never in his life had Century so furiously and swiftly whirled his head. And just as the mare had said, there they stood. The Princesses of Equestria. Well, two of them, to be exact. Twilight Sparkle and Luna.

Century trotted towards them as naturally as he could, due to his legs going absolutely nuts. They were, expectedly, surrounded by a crowd of ponies who eventually bowed as they neared. He was less willing to do the same.

He planned on just walking right up to Twilight, but he doubted Luna would let that slide. She was old-fashioned. Then again, granted, what he had in mind was still informal, and just plain rude. Mayor Mare had explicitly told him to be a good example of Ponyville.

Slowing his hooves—and watching as the crowd around the two dissipated—he approached Twilight from her left. Intent on getting to the bottom of his target's whereabouts.

"Excuse me, Princess Twilight?"

Said Princess turned to his voice and smiled. "Oh! Hello Century! What do you need? Enjoying the Gala so far?"

"Uh, yeah, I, uh, I've just been..." Century shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Y'know... Just hanging around."

"Just hanging around, huh?"

"Just hanging around," he replied. Twilight giggled, "Alright but, seriously, what do you need?"

“So, I see Luna. I, uh, I see you, but... Where's Princess Celestia? Not to like, downplay you guys, but, I feel like she'd be the mare of the hour right now with all the other ponies hounding her highness. What's the deal?"

Twilight's face lowered, "Oh, you didn't hear, Century? Really? Honestly, I thought you'd know already. Not exactly sure why I thought so; you just give me that sort of impression.

Century cocked his head to the side. "...Knew what?"

"Princess Celestia isn't attending this year's Gala."

"...What."

Comments

[SirCarrot]

Noooooo....a cliffhanger!