• Published 23rd Dec 2012
  • 66,775 Views, 2,679 Comments

Winter Bells - Pen Stroke



Can Nyx find acceptance with her extended family during Hearth's Warming, or will she find the holiday hymns are filled with nothing but hollow promises?

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Pageant Preparations

Winter Bells

Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By

Batty Gloom, Illustrious Q, Municipal Engines, Cloudhammer, Wraithguard, Kohta Izumi, Kirk Heller

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Part of a side-story miniseries known as "In The Family" for the story Past Sins

- The stories of the miniseries -

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Chapter 5

Pageant Preparations

====================

“I’m so glad everypony could make it!”

Twilight wore a big smile on her face as she stepped back from the front door. Her friends had arrived from Ponyville and were now stepping through the door with matching smiles. Twilight took each of their saddlebags in turn, levitating the bags in her magic so her friends could get comfortable as quickly as possible.

“Shoot, Sugarcube,” Applejack said. “We’re just happy you’re opening your home to us for lunch. Now, where’s that kitchen? You may be hosting us, but I’m not about to let you and your family do all the cooking.”

“Me neither!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounded behind Applejack. “Baking is my favorite part of the holidays. There are just so many yummy treats I could make. There are cookies and candy canes and gingerbread ponies with their gingerbread houses. Oh, and we’ve got to build a gingerbread bakery so the gingerbread ponies can go have tiny candy canes. After all, Gingerbread ponies deserve to celebrate the holidays too!”

“Perhaps not so many sweets,” Rarity commented. “Personally, I’d rather not have anything more than a salad for lunch. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of course,” Twilight assured her.

“Yeah, especially because that means there’ll be more for the rest of us,” Rainbow Dash said as she tossed her head, loosening some snowflakes that had hitched a ride in her mane. “So, what you got to do around here?”

Twilight laughed a little as she began to set the saddlebags in a neat order along the wall. “Well, besides getting lunch ready, you can sit and—”

“Sit? Nah!” Rainbow Dash did a playful loop in the air. “I just spent a whole train ride sitting while playing cards with Applejack. I need to stretch my wings.”

“Well, I guess you could help set the table. There’s a lot to carry from the kitchen to the dining room.”

Rainbow Dash pondered the option for a moment, touching her chin with her hoof. She then smiled and nodded. “Sure, I can manage that. You watch, I’ll have that table set in record time.”

“Do you even know how to set a table?” Rarity asked, an eyebrow arched with skepticism.

“Sure! You put the forks on one side and the knives and spoons on the other. It’s easy peasy.”

“I assure you, it is not ‘easy peasy.’” Rarity said firmly as she began to trot toward the kitchen, as the dining room was on the far side. “And I am not about to let you make a mockery of the importance of proper place settings. You shall transport everything we’ll need from the kitchen or anywhere in the house they are needed. I will place them on the table.”

“Suit yourself, Rarity,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes before following behind the fashion designer.

Twilight herself giggled and watched until the pair had disappeared from view before looking back at Fluttershy. She was carrying a brown paper bag in her teeth, which she set down gently. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a little something.”

“Oh, Fluttershy, you didn’t have to bring anything,” Twilight said. She reached her magic into the bag and withdrew a bell shaped item. It was comprised of tightly packed seeds held together with what looked like honey. “What’s this?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, it’s a baked cluster bird seed shaped like a bell. I call it a bird seed bell,” Fluttershy said. “You hang it outside and little birdies can land on it and pick the seeds out of the honey. I like to make them and hang them outside during Hearth’s Warming. They’re festive and it’s a nice little treat for any birds that don’t fly south for the winter. You know, they have to work a lot harder in winter to find food, so it’s a nice little thing to do for them. That and my birds always say they like their seeds a little better when they’re baked in honey like this.”

“It’s lovely, Fluttershy, thank you,” Twilight said as she turned and began to walk towards the back door. “I’ll go hang it up. You can make yourself comfortable in the living room or help out in the kitchen, whichever you want.”

Fluttershy nodded and followed a few steps behind Twilight. She stopped at the door to the kitchen, poking her head inside. The kitchen was bustling. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had already settled in and were working shoulder to shoulder with Twilight Velvet to help make lunch. She could see Rarity and Rainbow Dash in the dining room as well, having a small, friendly disagreement on whether to use one set of plates or another. One set had bigger plates for more food, which Rainbow Dash thought was important. Rarity felt the other set was more festive. And, amidst all the bustle of preparing for lunch, Night Light and Shining Armor were at the kitchen sink. In attempt to stay ahead of the mess that would result from such a large luncheon, they were washing, rinsing, and drying dishes and utensils as they got dirty.

In all, Fluttershy was sure there were already enough ponies worrying about lunch and retreated to the living room. Cadance was sitting in a chair and smiled as she turned her head in the pegasus’s direction. “Fluttershy, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you for asking. How are you?”

“I got banished from the kitchen by Velvet,” Cadance said with a small chuckle. “Otherwise, I’m doing fine.”

“Why were you banished?” Fluttershy asked as she took a seat on the couch. “Did you spill something?”

“Sort of,” Cadance admitted. “I kept hitting my horn on the cupboards when I was trying to work over the counter and it kept making my magic falter. When I dropped an egg, Velvet sent me out here.”

“Oh my! Is your horn okay? Did you hurt it?”

“Don’t worry about her, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, shaking off her hooves as she came back in from the backyard, having hung the bird seed bell. “A knock to the horn will disrupt unicorn magic for a few moments, but, as long as there’s no cracks or breaks, it will always be just fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t know a lot about unicorn horns, but I know one of my little furry friends twisted his ankle once. It wasn’t bad, but then he didn’t rest it and it got worse. He had to stay off it for a whole week after that. And a pony, especially a princess, should never lose her magic.”

“I’m okay, Fluttershy, I promise,” Cadance assured her. “Here, I’ll prove it.” With that the princess turned her head, focusing on the pile of logs that took up a corner of the room. It looked like pieces of furniture had been hurriedly shoved out of the way to make room for the wood. The princess’s horn glowed, and a single log lifted up from the pile. Cadance flipped and turned it over a few times before putting it back down. “See, my magic is just fine.”

“Well, that’s good,” Fluttershy said, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. Her eyes, however, then drifted back to the wood. “But, if you don’t mind me asking, why are all those logs stacked inside?”

“We usually put them in the backyard but—” Twilight frowned, sighed, and shook her head. “—But something happened last night. Somehow, the logs caught fire. By the time we got outside, the whole stack was burning and the flames were as tall as the house.”

“Did anypony get burned?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No, and, as you can see, we were able to save the wood. Shining put an air-tight shield around the wood and choked out the fire. It was really quick thinking on his part. Still, after what happened, Dad wouldn’t run the risk of losing the Hearth’s Warming logs again. Thus, we moved them inside.”

“You should have been here last night,” Cadance added sticking out her tongue. “The whole place smelled of smoke before Twilight found a cleaning spell in one of her old books this morning.”

“Don’t you mean the book I found?” Spike called out.

Fluttershy, Cadance, and Twilight turned their heads, looking over at the stairs. Spike and Nyx were coming down the steps, Nyx with a box on her back that Spike was helping to balance. “And we found the candlesticks Velvet wanted. Where should we—”

“Did somepony say candlesticks?” Rarity asked, sticking her head out of the kitchen door. She levitated the box away from Spike and Nyx, magically opening the flaps and removing one of the candlesticks. “Oh, it’s an exquisite set and it goes perfectly with the silverware I’ve already set out.”

“Really, Rarity, do you think we need candlesticks?” Twilight said as she looked over the back of the couch. “It’s a Hearth’s Warming lunch at my parents house. It’s not going to be that fancy.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true,” Rarity admitted before smiling and shutting the flaps of the box. “But, since Nyx and Spike went through all the trouble of getting them, I’m just going to go ahead and set them out. Nopony has to put any candles in them, but the table is going to look just fabulous!”

“And speaking of...” Rarity poked her head back into the kitchen for a moment. She then looked back out into the living room, levitating a stack of fabric napkins over to the coffee table. “Fluttershy, darling, could you fold the napkins? You do such a lovely silverware pouch fold and it would just fit so perfectly with the rest of the table settings.”

“Of course, Rarity, I’d be happy to help.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy!” Rarity said with a small sing-song melody in her voice. She disappeared back into the kitchen, to carry the candlesticks to the dining room, and Spike followed in her wake, eager to assist.

At the same time, Nyx walked over to the couch, jumped up, and took a seat next to Twilight. “You know how to fold napkins?” she asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded gently as she leaned forward. She extended her wings and picked up the first cloth napkin with her surprisingly prehensile pegasus feathers. She then began to fold. “It’s just something I picked up.”

“Like your inexplicable knowledge of sewing?” Twilight questioned.

“Oh, well, yes, it’s kind of like that,” Fluttershy admitted, blushing a little.

Nyx was craning her neck, trying to look passed Twilight to watch Fluttershy work. “Can you teach us?”

Fluttershy glanced first at Nyx before looking to Twilight and Cadance. “Oh... well, I don’t know. I’m sure I can fold them all myself. You don’t need to trouble yourselves.”

“It’s not like we’re doing anything else,” Twilight commented as she picked up a fabric napkin in her magic. “It will be fun, right Cadance?”

Cadance nodded in agreement, picking up a napkin of her own to fold. Nyx used her own magic as well, though it took her a moment to get it stable. Still, the cloth napkin was light enough she was able to keep it suspended mid air, and so all three magic wielding ponies looked to Fluttershy with eager smiles.

And Fluttershy, in turn, glanced between them and then smiled. “Well, if you really want to know, the first thing you need to do is fold your napkin in half like a book and then turn the opening towards you. After that....”

~~~

As lunch was enjoyed by Twilight’s family and friends, another pony was tilting back an empty coffee cup for the tenth time, forgetting again that it was already empty. Column sat amidst the stack of papers in Canterlot’s Central Records Office, a repository for many important documents for the kingdom. Legal filings, documents of incorporation, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, certificates of the authority to issue certificates, and many other documents found storage in the shelves of the Central Records Office.

And Column had been flipping through them since the office opened that morning and was rushing against the clock. The office closed at one o’clock for Hearth’s Warming Eve and would not be open the next day. He was running out of time, and the incessant ticking of the reading room’s grandfather clock reminded him that time was continuing to march on. He feared the tolling of that clock like death itself, and it was because of the simple fact that he was so close.

He had fished out all the publicly available records he could find. He had records of adoption, indicating that Twilight Sparkle was Nyx’s legal guardian. He had school records, indicating Nyx’s enrollment at Ponyville’s elementary school both the past fall semester and the spring semester before that. But he was missing what he really needed, the hard evidence.

Yes, he could blow the whistle early. He could write the story with what he thought he knew, and that would be enough to get the front page. But no... no, he could dig deeper. He could get real dirt that would ensure his story wasn’t waved off as some unsubstantiated tabloid tale. He just needed something, something to prove that what Equestria as a whole believed was false. Something to prove Nightmare Moon wasn’t in some jail in some far off land. Something to prove that she was living in Ponyville, that she was living as Twilight Sparkle’s daughter, and that she was free to frolic in a field of flowers with fawns and other fillies if it fancied her.

But he had swung and missed so many times. He had thought to find a birth certificate, showing Nyx had been born less than a year ago, but all he could find was a certificate of citizenship. He had tried to find a change of name form, documenting her name change from Nightmare Moon to Nyx, but had found nothing but a dead moth mushed between some folders.

“Sir, we close in ten minutes.”

Column threw a dirty glare at the clerk who had come up behind him. “That means I get ten more minutes. Quit breathing down my neck!”

The clerk returned Column’s glare for a moment before turning away and muttering something about missing Hearth’s Warming lunch. Column, however, didn’t really care if the clerk lost a leg if he stayed there another ten minutes. The office closed at one in the afternoon. That meant he had until one in the afternoon, and that meant he still had ten... make that nine more minutes.

“Come on, Column, think! There has to be some record. There has to be a needle in this haystack. There has to be a golden apple in this orchard. There has to be a trace somewhere. Thhhiiinnnnnnnkkkkkkkk!”

Column began to massage his temples, running ideas through his head. He had checked all the normal records. He had looked in all the usual places, and he had found nothing. There had to be something, but now he had to figure out where to look. Where did he look in the towering stacks of cabinets and filing boxes, which seemed to stretch forever in every direction like a daunting labyrinth. Where did he look in the massive Central Records Office, which took up a full city block and went several stories down into the ground. Where did he look amidst the millions, if not billions, of records?

He ran over what he knew of Nightmare Moon’s reign, but nothing stood out to him. Records of her rise and her time on the throne would all just refer to her as Nightmare Moon. Records he had been able to get of the time after that referred to her as Nyx. That was the problem. There was no time when, in the records, Nyx and Nightmare Moon had been treated as the same. There was nothing equivalent to a change of name form.

Unless...

Column’s mind hooked onto something, a last desperate hope. He jumped up from his seat and began to race through the stacks of records, looking for a familiar corner of the halls. He made a right, a left, and another right. He galloped with all the speed his hooves could muster, and then he skidded hard to a stop in front of a key part of the shelves.

Horn glowing, he began to rifle through the records as the clerk came running after him, holding the stacks of papers he had left behind. “Sir, we are closing in five minutes. You may not remove any more records!”

“Just give me a second.”

“Sir, you may not—”

“Just one more—”

“Sir! You may not—”

Column glanced to his side for a brief moment and then, with a quick thrust of his hoof, he knocked the papers from the clerk’s magic. They flew wide, and the clerk yelped as he tried to use his magic to gather the pages before they managed to disappear beneath the shelves. At the same time, Column used the precious moments he had gained to continue to search for the record he prayed existed.

And then he smiled.

~~~

“Get out!”

Column was tossed out the front door of the office of records into a pile of snow before the clerk inside pulled the doors shut with a snap. Still, despite the snow that was chilling his spine, Column was smiling. He pulled himself out of the pile, grinning ear to ear before he turned around, flopped back, and began to roll in the soft snow which had just cushioned what would have been a hard landing against Canterlot’s stone streets.

“Having fun?”

Column lifted his head, directing his smile at Quick Snap, who was standing nearby with eyebrows cocked.

“Yes! Yes I am!” Column replied as he pulled himself out of the pile of snow. He slipped up beside Quick Snap, putting a hoof around his partner’s shoulder. “‘Cause you know what I got a glimpse of in there? I got a glimpse of the evidence we need to blow this story wide open.”

“What did you find?” Quick Snap asked, unable to deny his curiosity.

“I found Nyx’s official, royally-endorsed letter of pardon.” Column bounced on his hooves a little, unable to contain his agency. “Oh, it had it all, Quick Snap! The letter of pardon bore Nyx’s name. It was a pardon for her, but the crime’s it described were the crimes of Nightmare Moon. It described the attack on the palace, the attack on the princesses, the coup, and the theft of the Elements of Harmony. And, why would Nyx need a letter of pardon for those crimes unless....”

Column held out a foreleg to Quick Snap, gently motioning with his hoof with a wanting grin. He was asking his partner to fill in the final blank, and Quick Snap nodded his head in understanding. “Yeah, I see. Why would Nyx need a letter of pardon unless she’s Nightmare Moon?”

“Exactly!” Column sang. “Oh, it’s a story of a lifetime, and we’re going to bust it wide open. We have almost everything we need. We have the story, we have the evidence. Now, there’s only one thing we need.”

“What’s that?”

Column moved up to Quick Snap, facing his partner dead on. His smile remained strong, but a hungry ambition replaced the triumphant joy in his eyes. He lifted a hoof and set it on Quick Snap’s shoulder. “We, my dear friend, need a picture.”

“But we have pictures of her,” Quick Snap pointed out. “We took them at the festival when we saw her with Cadance and Twilight Sparkle.”

“She was disguised at the festival. I don’t know how, but the how doesn't change what we need. We need a picture of her in her natural color, with the black coat of fur we saw last night. That’s what will pin this all together into the perfect package. If we want papers to really sell, we have to be able to tell and show the truth.”

“But how are we going to get that picture? If she really is Nightmare Moon, I doubt Twilight Sparkle is going to just leave her alone.”

“That’s true,” Column said with a nod, though his smile didn’t weaken as he threw a foreleg over Quick Snap’s shoulder.. “But, as our own paper proudly reported, Twilight Sparkle and her friends will be reprising their roles in Canterlot’s largest Hearth’s Warming pageant. They are also going to be joined by the royal couple, Cadenza and Armor. And what loving parents wouldn’t watch their own children perform such a heartwarming tale?”

“What are you getting at?”

“What I’m getting at is quite simple, Quick Snap,” Column said quietly, lowering his voice to a whisper. “With all of her family and all of her adoptive mother’s friends involved with the castle’s pageant, who is to keep an eye on Nyx?”

~~~

“Great. Now there's no way out! We're trapped!” Rainbow Dash huffed, waving her hoof to the left side of the stage, where a large piece of wooden set dressing had been rolled into place from behind the curtain. It looked like thick, solid ice, craggy and impassible.

Rarity huffed, lifted a hoof, and pointed accusingly. “You two deserve this horrific fate. You've done nothing but argue and fight with each other!”

“You've been fighting too, your highness,” Rainbow Dash sassed.

“Yeah! Worse! I haven't been fighting nearly as much as you!” Pinkie Pie taunted like a schoolyard filly as she stood perfectly still in a particular spot on the stage. At the same time, from below the wood boards at the mares’ feet, stage hooves began to raise blue-tinted pieces of jagged-looking glass. The panes of glass rose up slowly, making it look like Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were slowly being frozen solid.

“How ridiculous! A unicorn never stoops to fighting!” Rarity snapped with a toss of her head.

“That's just 'cause you wimpy unicorns know you'd never win!” Rainbow Dash shouted as the pane of glass continued to rise up from the stage. “Earth ponies are numbskulls!” And with that the glass clicked into place and Rainbow Dash froze, holding as still as possible. Her mouth was even open, as if she had been caught mid shout. From the audience sitting, she may as well have been truly frozen in place.

“Pegasi are brutes!” Rarity shouted before the glass beside her clicked into place.

“Unicorns are snobs!” Pinkie Pie added, a last final shout from the three mares who played the roles of the tribal leaders. At the same time Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy continued to play their roles. They backed away from their friends, slowly moving towards the center of the stage where they stumbled into one another. They breathed a sigh of relief for only a moment, but then yelped and tensed up as the most horrible, haunting sound came from the air above them. It was a sound so dreadful, it threatened to freeze the blood in their very veins.

OoooOoooOoOooooooo!

“Stop!”

Celestia rose from her seat and strode down the center aisle of the theater seating that had been assembled in one of the largest halls of Canterlot Palace. She moved towards the stage, where several familiar faces turned to look at her. It was the dress rehearsal of the palace’s Hearth’s Warming pageant, which was itself Celestia’s favorite way of celebrating the season. She had started the tradition of the pageant and, when she could spare the time, she was always the pageant’s director.

So far, the pageant's dress rehearsal was going well. The costume and set were in order. Everypony was remembering their lines. Her faithful student was pulling off a splendid Clover the Clever, and all of Twilight’s friends were performing their roles just as excellently. They all had a bit of talent, which Celestia was proud to present to all of Canterlot.

There were, however, some who weren’t natural thespians.

A single flap of her great wings carried Celestia onto the stage. The scene they were portraying was arguably the darkest moment of the pageant. The leaders of the three tribes were becoming frozen in ice, and Twilight, as Clover, was going to take notice and elaborate on the existence of windigoes. And this year, the windigoes were to be played by Shining Armor and Cadance.

That, unfortunately, was part of the problem.

“Cadance, Shining, can you please come down?”

The royal couple descended to the stage. Cadance had kept herself aloft by her own wings. Shining Armor had been suspended by a levitation spell cast by a unicorn that was behind the scenes. They both looked the part of windigoes. Ghostly, wintry, and their natural height made them look more menacing compared to the rest of the actors on the stage.

“Is there something wrong?” Cadance asked as her hooves touched down.

“It’s just a small thing,” Celestia assured before looking to everypony else. “Feel free to take a break for a few minutes, everypony. We shouldn’t be long.”

Twilight, her friends, the rest of the actors, and the stage hooves nodded and began to disperse from their places on the set. Some went backstage to sit, rest, and drink some water. Others just lingered amongst the set pieces, chatting about how the rehearsal had been going.

“Cadance,” Celestia began as she focused her attention back on her niece. “I’m afraid your rendition of a windigo is just a bit off, particularly in the sound.”

“Well, I’ve never heard what a real windigo sounds like,” Cadance admitted.

“Don’t worry, it’s completely understandable and I’m sure you’ll be able to pull it off. Still, allow me to provide a little guidance.” Celestia took a few steps back and then struck a firm stance on the stage, as if she herself was performing. “The ghostly sounds you were making earlier are well suited for stories told to small colts and fillies at a campfire, and I’m sure you put them to great effect during your career as a foalsitter. But the sound a windigo makes is more natural, more instinctual, than that. They are spirits, yes, but they are equine spirits. You should be whining from deep in your chest. Make it almost... guttural.”

At that Celestia reared back, forehooves waving in the air as she unleashed a whinny that startled several of the ponies on stage who hadn’t been paying attention. It was a wild sound, something few would expect to come from the usually well-composed sun princess. Still, Celestia wielded the sound like it was a fine instrument. She had perfect control and was able to bring it to a solid end as she allowed her forehooves to drop back to the stage with a firm stomp.

And the short performance was met by applause from everypony in attendance, to which Celestia politely bowed. “Oh, thank you,” she said before looking back at Cadance. “And, I hope that gives you an idea what I’m looking for.”

Cadance and Shining nodded, going off to practice as Celestia strode amongst the other actors. She gave compliments when it was appropriate and suggestions where they were needed. She was as skilled at directing as she was at teaching, as Twilight could attest. She was a renaissance mare, though gaining expertise in a number of hobbies is easier when one has centuries of eternal youth to do so.

“Twilight,” Celestia said as she approached her student, who was looking over a copy of the script. “It’s good to see you remember your lines as well as you did last year.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Twilight said with a courtly bow. “Though that whinny you just demonstrated puts most of us to shame. You’re really good. Why don’t you ever perform in the pageant?”

“I wouldn’t mind taking the stage like everypony, but I have other responsibilities. There are ponies to meet and greet at the reception before the pageant. There are dignitaries I must sit with during the show. It gets so bad that I can’t even direct some years, and, sadly, I’m not even going to be able to properly enjoy the cast party this year. I’ll only have time to make a short appearance before Luna and I are expected elsewhere.

“But don’t worry,” Princess Celestia said, noticing the concerned frown starting to form on Twilight's face. “The only thing I have on my schedule for tomorrow is the party. I haven’t had a chance to make the acquaintance of your friends’ families, but it’s something I’ve been looking forward too.”

“I’m sure everypony is just as eager to meet you, Princess,” Twilight said, her frown turning into a relieved smile.

Celestia chuckled a little. “Yes, that does tend to be true. Still, where are your mother and father? With the rest of your family and friends here, I’m surprised they aren’t sitting watching the rehearsals.”

“The house was... kind of a disaster after lunch, so they stayed behind to clean up,” Twilight admitted. “ That and my mom’s insisting all of my friends stay at our house, and she’s trying to make some preparations. It’s going to be interesting having everypony crammed in my old bedroom, but it should be a lot of fun. It will be a Hearth’s Warming slumber party, though I hope this time Rarity and Applejack don’t bring a tree branch crashing through my bedroom window.”

Celestia chuckled lightly under her breath. “Yes, It would be an impressive feat if they managed to do that this time.”

“Yes, but, I promise, my mom and dad will be here before the show to take Nyx off your hooves, and thank you again for letting her sit with you during the rehearsal,” Twilight said reassuringly.

The pair turned and looked out into the audience seating, where Nyx was looking over a script intently. “How has Nyx been enjoying Canterlot? Have things been going well?”

“We’ve had a few rough spots,” Twilight admitted, “but it’s been pretty smooth.”

Celestia nodded and began to step towards the edge of the stage. “That’s good to hear. Still, this is a rehearsal, so let’s get back to it, shall we?”

~~~

“Okay, thanks!”

Quick Snap waved a hoof as he stepped out the front door of Party Favor’s Party Rentals. It was the tenth rental business he had visited in Canterlot. And, at each, he had said the same thing. He had gone in and spoken with a secretary, asking if the company were supplying any services to the castle for the Hearth’s Warming pageant. Nine out of the ten had said no, had said that they didn’t have any reservations with the palace, but finally he had struck pay dirt. Party Favor’s Party Rentals was going to be providing the tables and linens for the reception before the pageant.

Taking flight, the pegasus photographer flew across Canterlot, abiding by the air traffic laws while still pushing himself to cross the city as quickly as possible. He zipped, he zagged, he cut off a pegasus-drawn cart and eventually came to a skidding landing at a cafe. He then sprinted inside, shivering and smiling as the warm, toasty air of the cafe’s interior began to sink in.

And Column was out of his chair and beside Quick Snap within moments, a bright smile on his face. “What did you find?”

“Party Favor’s Party Rental,” Quick Snap answered as he began to walk towards Column’s table, where a hot chocolate and a festive cinnamon roll was sitting out, waiting for the pegasus. “The castle’s renting the tables for the reception from them, as well as the linens, centerpieces, and a stallion to run the juice bar.”

Column thumped a hoof on the table before gently pushing Quick Snap into his seat and nudging the cinnamon roll and hot chocolate closer. “Good work. I just wish I had thought to make you look there first. It makes perfect sense. They were the company that handled all the furnishings for the giraffe wedding that happened in Silver Lining Park, and there’s going to be a giraffe delegate at the reception. Our paper ran a story about his arrival five days ago. Their giraffe proportioned tables and chairs are probably the best ones in the city, if not the only ones.”

Quick Snap picked up the cinnamon roll, greedily sinking his teeth into the warm, moist, bread and licking the frosting that clung to his upper lip. “But,” he said through his full mouth, “why does it matter?”

“Ah, this, Quick Snap, is where I’m brilliant,” Column said as his horn began to glow. From beneath the table, numerous brown paper bags floated into view, all bearing the same logo: a trio of hats lined up in a neat, arcing row and the words “Masquerade”. “Let’s see,” Column said to himself. “Rainbow Range Framing, Gallery, and Party Rentals, no. Fancy Flower’s, no. Super Awesome Party Rentals, I can’t believe they’re still in business. Who call’s their business Super Awesome? It’s just... I don’t know, it’s just wrong. Wait. Ah, yes, here they are!”

Column dropped the other bags, keeping one in his magic. He then pulled out its contents and set it on the table. The bag had contained two uniforms, in the bright red and white colors that were characteristic of staff at Party Favor’s Party Rentals. “Now, I walked by Twilight Sparkle’s house. The only ponies I saw there were Night Light and Twilight Velvet, and they were getting dressed up like they were going out. Now, if my gut is right, they’re going to be attending the pageant tonight so they can watch their children, like any loving parents would. Because of that, nopony is going to be home at their house, and that means Nyx will likely be in the castle, either backstage or sitting with Night Light and Twilight Velvet.”

“Okay, but what are those uniforms for?”

“They're our ticket into the castle,” Column answered before glancing at a clock on the wall, which read two o’clock. “We’re cutting it close, but, if we get into these costumes quick, we should be able to intercept the delivery cart. Once we’ve caught up, we say we were sent by... who did you talk to at the office?”

“A mare named Rose Strings.”

“We’ll say Rose Strings sent us to help them. Temps to get the job done faster so they can get home to their families and parties. They’re not going to question it, not for what they’re being paid. Then, we’ll just walk into the palace with the rest of the delivery crew.”

“And what then? Won’t the guards be suspicious if they see a pair of ponies who are supposed to be setting up tables interrupting the rehearsal?”

“Yes, of course,” Column said before holding up a second costume bag, smiling ear to ear. “But that’s what these are for.”

~~~

“That was wonderful, everypony. Okay, we have time to run through it one more time. Places, please.”

The cast of the pageant had just finished singing to Hearth’s Warming Carol, and the stage curtains had closed. The first of the afternoon rehearsals had been completed, and now they had time for one more run through. After that the cast and crew would enjoy dinner, which was being catered by the castle chefs, while Celestia departed to join in a reception being held in another part of the castle. Not long after that, it would be time to start letting ponies in to take their seats.

But first they had to get through one final rehearsal, one final chance to make sure they had everything down. Celestia sat back, stretching her wings and her neck as a gentle smile graced her lips. “It should be another good performance this year, especially now that Cadance and Shining have figured out their windigo wails. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Nyx looked up from the script she had been given, smiling. “Yeah, they’re doing a lot better now.”

“And speaking of how ponies are doing, how are you? Twilight says you’ve been enjoying your Hearth’s Warming here in Canterlot.”

Nyx nodded. “I have. The first day we got here, we did a bunch of fun things with Grandma Velvet and Night Light. Then, after we picked up Cadance and Shining Armor from the train station, I got to meet this really strange, big pony called Lumberjack. After that we had a fancy dinner at a hotel. Then, yesterday, Grandma Velvet showed me the family photo album and Night Light welcomed me and Cadance with a speech. Then, this morning, Fluttershy showed me, Twilight, and Cadance how to fold napkins.”

Celestia smiled and chuckled gently, glad to see Nyx seemed to be having fun. Yet, she noticed there was one pony who didn’t seem to be interacting with Nyx as much as the rest of Twilight’s family. Perhaps that was why Twilight felt they were having some rough spots. “Have you done anything fun with Shining Armor?”

Nyx’s smile withered a little and she shook her head. “No... not really, but that’s okay. He’s just been too busy. He helped Grandma Velvet in the kitchen almost all day yesterday and he helped Night Light stack logs in the fireplace last night. And, the day before that, he had to stop some reporters who were bothering us at the Hearth’s Warming festival.”

“I see,” Celestia said with a nod. “That’s a shame.”

“It is a true shame, sister.”

Celestia and Nyx turned, seeing Luna striding down the center aisle of seats. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, I just wanted to see how things were going.”

“It’s no intrusion, Luna, and things have been going well,” Celestia said as she watched her sister take a seat on the opposite side of Nyx. The two royal sisters dwarfed the filly like two mighty oaks standing on either side of a small flower. “We’re doing one more run through tonight, and Nyx has been helping me make sure everypony is staying on script.”

“Yeah,” Nyx said. “I can’t be in the play like Twilight, Spike, Cadance, and Shining, but I can still help.”

“It is a shame there are no parts for fillies. You were a very good actress in your school's play for the spring festival,” Luna commented.

Nyx flattened her ears and her eyebrows leveled as she looked at Luna. “Do you mean when I was playing myself?”

Celestia couldn’t help but snicker as Luna’s compliment blew back in her face, leaving the princess of the moon mentally off balance. “Well, yes... I suppose, but you didn’t know you were Nightmare Moon at the time.” Luna forced a laugh. “And that doesn’t detract from your performance. You still did very well. I bet you would have done just as well playing as me or Celestia. Yes, I’m sure you’re—"

“It’s okay, Luna, we understand,” Celestia said, reassuring her sister. She then bent her neck down, lowering her head down to Nyx’s level. “Still, Nyx, if you really want to keep helping with the play, I’m sure we could find something for you to do backstage. Why don’t you go talk with the stage manager, Curtain Call, and ask him if there’s anything you can do? Twilight should know where he is.”

Nyx nodded, stood, and trotted off in the direction of the stage, leaving behind a still slightly flustered Luna and a quietly chuckling Celestia. “You seem a bit tongue tied this afternoon, Luna,” the sun princess teased.

“Blame our so-called ‘nephew’,” Luna said as she rubbed the side of her head. “I did not think it was possible for me to find one stallion’s voice so grating. I would willingly listen to hooves on a chalkboard as long as I didn’t have to listen to him anymore.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Blueblood came in demanding to know why one of us wouldn’t be at his Hearth’s Warming Eve dinner tonight.”

It was Celestia’s turn to sigh and rub her head. A small headache began to form behind her horn, as it always did at the thought of having to deal with Blueblood. “I’ve explained to him that I must attend the reception for the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. He’s been told that dignitaries from Zebraca, Dromedar, and Saddle Arabia will be in attendance, who are more important than his high society friends.”

“Yes, and he didn’t forget it,” Luna explained. “He just came asking why both of us had to be at the reception. He wanted to know why one of us couldn’t come to his dinner while the other dealt with the diplomats.”

“Sometimes, I must question whether or not Blueblood has some bull in his blood. He’s more stubborn than any pony I’ve ever known,” Celestia commented before glancing at the stage, “except for, perhaps, Shining Armor.”

“What has he done?” Luna asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“From the sounds of it, he’s been avoiding Nyx,” Celestia said. The smile on her lips had withered to a frown, and she kept her eyes locked on the stage curtains, which hid Shining and the rest of the cast and crew from view. “That, and it’s come to my attention there’s a chance he’s had a second mental exam.”

“Was he afraid some part of the Nightmare Blessing remained?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if he actually had a second exam,” Celestia admitted. “All I know is that Dr. Brain Trust, a stallion whose skills lie specifically in the detection and removal of brain altering magics, traveled to the Crystal Empire, responding to a summons by Shining Armor. Dr. Brain Trust was also the doctor that treated Shining after both the changeling invasion and the recent Nightmare Moon incident. There’s no other reason Shining would see Dr. Trust specifically.”

“Perhaps it was merely preventative,” Luna suggested. “Shining may simply wish to ensure that he doesn’t get bewitched again.”

“I don’t fault Shining for being careful. Anypony would be cautious of mind altering magic after what he’s been through. I just hope he doesn’t let caution turn to fear and paranoia, and I hope he doesn’t do something he may regret,” Celestia said, a small amount of guilt mixing into her worried expression.

~~~

“Make sure the tall table is over there. It needs to be in the center of the room to ensure the diplomat is comfortable and doesn’t hit his head on any of the low hanging decorations.”

A pair of the ponies in red and white uniforms, who were from Party Favor’s Party Rentals, nodded and began to carry the tall table towards the designated spot. The reception was going to be standing room only, a simple snack reception that would let the pageant attendees nibble on fruits, small baked goods, and enjoy some fine juices while they wait for the show to begin. It was a chance for the princesses to mingle and meet with the delegates as well, an important part of ensuring strong, diplomatic relations with the other nations of the world.

And the tables were going up like clockwork. Four teams of two worked together in near perfect harmony. A pair would set up a table, cover it in a table cloth, place a centerpiece on top, and then head back out to the cart to repeat the process. There were several dozen tables to do, but the teams were working hard and efficiently.

There was only one exception.

One of the teams, the temps meant to help speed up their work, were a bit inexperienced compared to the other ponies. They struggled with the folding and it often took two to three tries for them to get the tablecloth centered. Still, they were doing their part, until the pegasus of the pair screamed like he was being torn apart by a hydra.

“AHHHH!”

The palace hostess, who was orchestrating the chair placement, spun on her hooves and galloped over, panic in her eyes. “What happened!?”

“Sorry, sorry,” the unicorn of the pair said with a raised hoof. “I dropped the table on his wing.”

“You numbskull!” The hostess snapped as she used her own horn to lift the table up. The pegasus of the pair stumbled away, wincing an biting back tears as his wing hung limp.

“I can’t feel it!” the pegasus said, starting to panic.

“Of all the things,” the hostess cursed. She then turned and barked, “Somepony, take this numbskull to the infirmary!”

“I can get it, miss,” the unicorn said, moving up beside his friend and casting a levitation spell around him. “I know my way to the infirmary.”

“Do you?” The hostess snapped. “Why, have you been there before?”

“Actually, I have. I’m a little clumsy with my magic when it gets cold. Doctors say it’s because my horn doesn’t get enough blood.” The unicorn tapped his horn, as if trying to prove that the cold was making it less functional than usual. “But, yes, I do remember how to get there. Go around the exterior hall to the garden entrance. Then take the door on the left hand side of the room. After that, walk past the kitchen and then follow the signs.”

“That... that’s right,” the hostess said. She then grunted, tossed her head, and began to walk away from the pair. “But I’m sorry, you aren’t going there unescorted. You!” She pointed at a nearby guard. “Take them to the infirmary.”

The guard nodded, quickly coming up beside the two clumsy ponies. The unicorn offered an apology, but it went unnoticed as the hostess quickly galloped back to where the extra tall table was being set up. This left the pair to turn and begin walking, pegasus cringing as his wing hung limp at his side. The guard escorting them guided passed a number of patrols, but when the group reached an intersection the pegasus stumbled and fell over, groaning in pain.

“Hold up, good sir,” the unicorn called.

“What’s the problem?” the guard asked as he turned around and trotted back to where the pegasus had collapsed.

“My wing... it hurts worse than before!” The pegasus forced out through gritted teeth. “I can’t move.”

“It does look worse, sir. I think it’s bending wrong.”

The guard glanced at the unicorn then down at the pegasus. He leaned in, trying to inspect the wing more closely, only to feel a sudden pinch in his wing. On instinct he fluttered the feather appendage and glanced at the unicorn beside him, but didn’t see anything.

So, when he saw nothing out of place, he went back to examining the pegasus. But, as he tried to look for signs the wing was in fact bending incorrectly, he began to feel odd. He was suddenly tired, sleepy even. He couldn’t keep himself from yawning. He stumbled on his own hooves, like he was coming off a triple overtime, and soon the guard collapsed into a sleeping heap on the floor.

The unicorn smiled at the sight of the now sleeping guard, holding the small needle he had hidden in his uniform. A few months working as a foreign correspondent, in a kingdom where wild beast attacks were more common, meant a few months learning and practicing the art of using tranquilizer darts for protection against things that had a taste for pony flesh.

“Whoa, what was in that?”

“Just a little cocktail a Dulmen pony taught me. A larger dose can take down a manticore, but the dose I just gave him should keep him out for the rest of the night. He should be happy, actually. Guards are so overworked nowadays, I doubt any of them would turn down a little extra sleep.”

The unicorn tossed the used needle into the pot of a nearby plant, and then motioned to the pegasus. In a flash, the pegasus’s supposedly hurt wing became as good as new, limber and ready for flight.

With the need for their ruse over, the pair grabbed and pulled the guard out of the hall, placing him in the first empty room they could find. They then began to jog through the castle corridors. They stripped off pieces of their uniforms as they went, hiding them in any drawers or potted plants they could find, and revealed the ragged, patched fabric they had been wearing underneath. At the same time, the unicorn put on a hat to hide his horn and the pegasus tucked his wings beneath a vest.

Soon, the pair looked like two earth pony peasants from days of old.

“Now remember, Quick Snap,” the unicorn, Column, said with a whisper. “If any guards find us, we say we’re with the pageant and we got lost looking for a bathroom. And don’t talk to anypony backstage. We don’t need anypony back there realizing we don’t belong.”

“Yeah, I got it, I got it. But did you have to stomp on my hoof?”

“How else were you going to yell? You’re a terrible actor.”

~~~

The reception in the castle’s foyer had been a wonderful event. Festive treats, both healthy and sugary, had been paired with numerous juices from both Equestria and kingdoms beyond. The company was generally pleasant, and diplomats who were in attendance were a sight to behold. There was even a giraffe, one of the few creatures that could dwarf Princess Celestia in height.

But now it was time for the performance. Ponies shuffled in through the door, among them Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Velvet was a step in the lead, brushing shoulders against ponies as she tried to force her way further ahead in the crowd. “Why can’t there be assigned seats? Why does it always have to be this mad grab? We’ll be sitting in the back at this rate.”

“Honey, we’ll get good seats,” Night Light assured, and he was right. The couple soon found a place to sit. They were close but not too close to the stage and near the center of the hall. They had a pair of shorter ponies in front of them, ensuring their view of the performance wasn’t obstructed. In all, the seats were perfect, and Velvet was beginning to smile and relax.

“Hello Velvet. I should have realized you’d be here.”

The smile fell from Velvet’s face as she looked to her right. Print Press and her husband sat down next to them, looking just as primp and proper as they had at the publishing company’s banquet. In fact, Print Press seemed to be wearing the same black dress, which clashed against many of the ponies in the room who were going casual or were wearing festive outfits.

“Print Press, w-what are you doing here?” Velvet couldn’t help but ask.

“To see the pageant, same as you. Though, I may not be as invested in the experience.”

Velvet glanced anxiously at Night Light, who returned her wide-eyed gaze. She then chuckled under her breath and did her best to smile. “Yes, we’re looking forward to seeing Twilight, Shining, and Cadance perform. Where’s your daughter, by the way?”

“She’s with a sitter,” Print Press replied before glancing down to the seat just past Night Light. “Is Nyx with a sitter as well?”

“Actually, no, she’s backstage. She was going to sit with us, but then she found a way to help with the pageant as part of the stage crew.”

“Oh, I see. Lucky for her.”

Velvet nodded, laughed a little, and then squirmed in her seat as the conversation withered away. She felt like she had to say something. She felt like she needed to keep the conversation going, but at the same time she didn’t want to earn more of Print Press’s ire. Things were going well so far, but trying to force the conversation might do more harm to good. But she was still sitting next to Print Press.

“Sooo...” Velvet began, unable to keep herself from trying to sustain the conversation, “about the banquet. I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” Print Press said flatly.

“It’s just, I’ve been so worried about the book and—”

“Velvet, I said your apology was accepted.”

“I know, I just feel so stupid. I should have known—”

“Velvet, quit trying so hard to apologize,” Print Press said with a slight firmness in her voice. “I’m not mad, and I’m not even that disappointed anymore. Barrel,” she said, motioning to her husband, “made me realize that I was too harsh. So, let’s just forget the other evening happened.”

“Does that mean you still expect my new draft of the last chapters a week after the new year?” Velvet asked, even as she shrank back in her seat a little.

“Why, is that a problem?”

“Well...” She glanced away, gritted her teeth, whined a little under her breath, terrified she was about to do something stupid. Still, she put on a brave face, drew in a breath, then looked back at Print Press. “Actually, because my family’s in town I haven’t had a chance to get to my writing. It’s the holidays, after all. Is there any chance I could get another week?”

“Yes, you may have the additional week,” Print Press said before she jumped a little. She then glanced to her side, glaring her husband down a moment for elbowing her in the ribs. She then regained her composure and looked back at Velvet. “In fact, after new year, make an appointment with my secretary. We’ll sit and have a proper discussion about the end of your book, in case I feel you’re still having trouble with the last few chapters.”

“Of course, I’ll be sure to do that,” Velvet said, smiling as she looked back at Night Light. He returned her smile, but then she noticed him lean forward. He was looking past her, and when she turned her head to the right, she saw he was looking at Barrel, Print Press’s husband. Barrel seemed to take notice of this as well, because he glanced at Night Light and smiled a little.

It was a silent exchange, but one that left Velvet chuckling a little under her breath. She then couldn’t help but lean her head against Night Light’s shoulder, even if it was only going to be for a few moments. There were times he drove her up a wall. There were times she hated how calm and collected he always seemed to be, especially when she felt like panicking. But there were times, like this, that she was really happy she had such a wonderful husband to keep herself anchored.

Now if only Twilight would find her own special somepony.

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I do not own the intellectual properties this fan-fiction is based on.

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