The day has finally arrived! The Elements of Harmony are at this year's Grand Galloping Gala. While the night's still young, everypony seems to get just what they've always wanted. However, the question is, will it stay that way?
The day has finally arrived! The Elements of Harmony are at this year's Grand Galloping Gala. While the night's still young, everypony seems to get just what they've always wanted. However, as the night progresses, things start to get interesting. Twilight Swish keeps running into Princess Luna, of all ponies. Rainbow Zap somehow gets mistaken as one of the Wonderbolts. Apple Jet ends up selling apples upon apples at her sister's cart. Fleur de Lis seems to be getting a lot of attention...from the animals! Rarity is pretty sure the prince is hitting on her. And Pinkamenia Dawn Pie is chatting up all of the most prominent party ponies. It's truly a dream come true...
Two unicorns stood side by side as their horns glowed. One was yellow, the other pink. Their magic hues lit up the room with tints of blue and green. Their horns grew brighter with each passing moment, signifying the build-up of a spell.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Their friend asked. The purple pegasus had been at the bakery since before the yellow unicorn had arrived, and the two had been standing there for quite some time. She certainly was not a unicorn, nor had she often seen unicorns performing advanced magic, but Twilight was certain that this was overkill. It had been an awfully long time to charge up for a single spell. Especially considering that there were two qualified ponies casting it.
"Certainly you have read ze story, no?" The yellow unicorn retorted. She did not open her eyes to look at the pegasus, no matter how much the purple mare tended to get on each the unicorn's nerves. She kept her eyes tightly closed to ensure her concentration.
"Yes, yes I have Fleur. I have read every book in this entire town." The pegasus countered, hoping her friend would remember that she was not using a hyperbole. "I don't think a spell from a fairy tale is the best course of action. It is fiction, you know!"
"You're one to talk about fiction," Fleur spat. "What with you and your bug ponies."
"Hey--"
"Ah, hush." The other unicorn spoke up. "I've done spells from fairytales before. They've worked out fine." She said with a wave of her hoof.
"You mean like the time you turned Trixie's brother into a frog?" A small purple and green dragon asked as he descended down the stairs into the main party room.
"How was I supposed to know that only a Princess could break the spell?" The pink pony opened her eyes briefly enough to give him a glare.
The drake met her glare with a dead-panned stare of his own. "It's literally written out as the only way in the fairytale, Dawn."
Dawn chose not to respond. She instead closed her eyes so she could return her focus upon the spell.
"I honestly can't believe a magic spell could take this much prep!" The pegasus muttered, pacing around the room.
"You should see her 'party cannon' spell, Twilight." The dragon replied with a chuckle. "She took hours to charge that one up last time."
Dawn hissed. "Gummy." She warned, a frown gracing her face.
"I....think I heard someone at the door," Gummy said, quickly retreating out of the room into the main hall.
As he backed out, he heard an actual knock at the door. Thanking Celestia for his good fortune, Gummy turned around and went to greet the newcomer. He opened the door to two country voices speaking in unison. "Why howdy there, Gummy!" It was the Apple twins who had saved him from humiliation. Well, Gummy wasn't sure if they were actual twins or just simply sisters, but they were roughly the same age. Either way, Gummy was just glad they were here. The orange pegasus, Apple Jet, was balancing a pumpkin on her back, her wings twitching every so often to ensure that it did not fall. Rainbow Zap, a blue earth pony with rainbow hair, was carrying a set of saddlebags that were, if Gummy recalled correctly, filled with stable rubbers (which, if his brief stay at Fleur's house a couple weeks ago had taught him anything, was apparently the best coat brush there was) and Rainbow's seller's permit. Thankfully she had listened to the drake's tales of parties past where vendors came in unannounced and got renounced by the Princess herself. Rainbow had taken the necessary steps and precautions to receive permission to set up her apple stand at the Gala.
"Hi girls," Gummy greeted, "They're waiting for you in there." He pointed toward the old party room through the hall. The two cowponies trotted inside and in the direction in which the young dragon was pointing. Gummy took some time to close the door behind them, stalling as long as he could. He'd rather not incite his mentor a second time in as many minutes.
The sisters trotted into the back room, which, if AJ remembered correctly, used to be the old cafe’s party room. “Howdy, ya’ll” The pegasus greeted. “Ya know, I haven’t been in this room since my cutiecenra.” She carefully set the pumpkin down on the floor before stretching her wings and adjusting to a mid-air hover.
“Yeah, that would be true,” Rainbow smirked, “Seein’ as everyone got their cutiemark before you did.”
AJ scoffed, "Well, at least I have mine.”
Her sister snickered. “Who doesn’t?”
Dawn grunted, interrupting the sisters’ bickering. “Gummy?!” Her call was quite distressed. It sounded as though she had been hanging onto the edge of a cliff with both forehooves, waiting for help to come, and one hoof had just slipped.
The young dragon came barreling back into the room. He was grateful that he was being called back, it meant that the likelihood he would get blasted with confetti was significantly smaller than when he had exited the room moments beforehoof. On the other hoof, Dawn sounded hurt. “What is it Da—“ He cut himself off, realizing the moment he saw her what was wrong. Her eyes were squeezed tight, her horn was bright, and her lip was bleeding (probably from biting it too hard). She couldn't charge the spell any further, nor could she hold the magic steady for much longer. He rushed over to the pumpkin and slid it to the middle of the room, and pushed everypony else out of the way. “Watch out!”
Not more than a second later, twin beams of blue and green zapped from the unicorns’ horns and blasted the pumpkin. The teal color of the combined magic enveloped the fruit and lifted it off the ground. It was pulled and stretched up, down, and sideways, growing larger and larger with each disfiguration. The color slowly faded from the bright orange to a shimmering white. The green stem grew and curled around the pumpkin in swirling patterns, turning to gold as well. Within moments, what was once a pumpkin now was a large, ornate carriage with seating for seven. All the girls gasped and awed at the product of the magical spectacle.
At that moment, Rarity came into the room. “You should probably lock your door, darliiING, Oh My Celestia!"
"Hi, Rarity," Twilight greeted, already flying in through one of the windows to check the interior.
"Darlings. That is one... ahem, ornate carriage."
"Isn't it just lovely?" Fleur replied, taking to fanning herself with her hoof since she didn't think she could summon enough magical power to use her actual fan at the moment.
"But...It's so big."
"Well, it has to fit all of us," Dawn replied.
"Well, sure, but, how are we going to get it outside?"
Dawn and Fleur shared a look as they realized the truth of that statement.
"We could've just gotten a smaller pumpkin and you could've used a smaller spell if you had just thought of this first, you know." Gummy commented as he followed his mentor out the door.
"The spell would've have been just as powerful anyway," Fleur replied, "Plus, It's kinda cold out here. Do you know what that'll do to my coiffure?"
"Not to mention that this size spell isn't permanent," Dawn added, setting the now tiny carriage down out on the Ponyville road. "Everypony step back."
As everyone did as they were told, with Gummy muttering something how he was being grouped in as a pony again, the carriage went from hoof size to fitting-six-grown-mares-inside size in a giant flash of orange.
"What's up with the orange?" Twilight asked.
"What's wrong wit' orange?" Apple Jet retorted.
"Nothing!" The purple pegasus exclaimed. "I just meant that Dawn's magic is usually blue, and Fleur's is green, so where did the orange come from?"
"I think it has something to do with the fact that that was the opposite of my spell." Dawn replied. "Like, I mean, my spell was being undone."
Twilight nodded. "That would make sense. Orange is the opposite of blue."
Rainbow Zap snickered. "Does that mean my sister and I are opposites?"
Rarity just shook her head and entered the carriage. She opted for a window seat, mostly just so that she could look out the window forlornly as if she was in a moving picture. Fleur followed after her, taking the middle seat beside the earth pony. Twilight took the other window seat on that side, and the other three sat opposite of them. Dawn was opposite Rarity, so that she could use the window to steer them with her magic. And as AJ closed the door behind her, they were off.
"Isn't this just so exciting?" Fleur gasped daintily. "We're going to be the Cinderbells of the ball!"
"What in the hay are you trying to say?" AJ asked.
"Well, it's a figure of speech, mon chou."
"That's not how it goes." Twilight retorted. "That is by far the weirdest zeugma I have ever heard. Sounds like some kind of book ti---Wait a second...."
Fleur looked everywhere but at the pegasus while the realization dawned on her friend.
Gummy had opted to ride in the driver's seat, since he knew the way to Canterlot. The spectrals Fleur had summoned needed direction, after all. He spurred the images of gentle-colts onward, and started the trip towards Canterlot. "Can you believe it, Dawn? We're going back to Canterlot! It's been an entire year since we were last there. Our hometown!" Being able to hear the conversation about oranges from inside the carriage, Gummy assumed they would be able to hear him from the outside. "The best part of all of this is that even though these parties are suuuper boring, we'll get to hang out together all night long! This is going to be the best night ever!"
"We're going to be the Cinderbells of the ball!" He heard Fleur say from inside the carriage. Gummy's smile widened. It was true! All of his friends looked absolutely astonishing! Especially Rarity. She looked spell-binding in that music-note covered dress.
"I've got the entire 'insider tour' of Canterlot all planned out! Fleur's got to see the crown jewels, Rainbow wouldn't want to miss the Princess's golden apple tree. Oh! And Rarity, you have got to check out my favorite donut shop! They have a different musician every night. I wish I could remember who they usually have tonight." He chattered on, excited about the prospect at returning to his old home.
"That's not how it goes." Somepony else said. He was pretty sure it was Twilight, although he had no idea what she was referring to. Certainly not him, right? That wouldn't make sense. But, that meant, she wasn't paying attention. Could she even hear him? Could any of them hear them?
"This is going to be the best night ever...." Gummy muttered, trying to cheer himself up as Canterlot came into view.
As the carriage pulled up to the front of the castle, Gummy hopped down from his seat and went to open the door of the carriage. All six mares poured out, not a one bothering to thank the drake for opening the door for them. Suddenly he heard the sound of music swelling, and Gummy sighed as he realized a heartsong was about to begin. Of course, the first song of this new chapter would happen when they returned to Canterlot.
"I can't believe we're finally here!" Twilight exclaimed as she managed to do a summersault in the air, much to the chagrin of Fleur.
"Please, Twilight, do take care of that dress. The gears and the stars; why Diamond and I worked on that dress alone for weeks!"
"At the Gala," Dawn started the song, her typical abnormally large smile gracing her face. Twilight smugly winked at Fleur before joining in the song, along with several other nearby party-goers. Gummy shook his head and sighed. He still could not for the life of him figure out where the chorus for these songs came from. There hadn't been anypony other than the guards around a moment before, and they were still stationed at their posts.
"At the Gala"
Fleur led the first verse, after rolling her eyes at the purple pegasus. It was probably to get back at her, as Twilight had seemed ready to sing first.
"At the Gala, All the royals They will meet fair Fleur de Shy They will see I'm just as regal at the Gala"
"At the Gala!" The chorus echoed.
"I will find him My Prince Charming And what a gallant guy He will cause my heart to fly Tonight at the Gala!" Fleur continued
"This is what we've waited for to have the best night ever Each of us will live our dreams Tonight at the Gala At the Gala" The chorus sang.
Rarity trotted to the front, taking over the next verse, which probably annoyed Twilight.
“At the Gala In the garden I will not have a doubt I will sing and Harmonize here at the Gala!”
“At the Gala!”
"In the gardens, the gazebo, My music will ring out I'll truly make my mark Here at the Gala!"
"All our dreams will come true Right here at the Gala At the Gala"
Rainbow was next, earning a scowl from Twilight. So she decided to lead the chorus in an odd sort of echo. "At the Gala" "It's amazing" "I will sell them" "Better hurry" "All my appletastic treats" "Yummy yummy" "Hungry ponies" "They'll be snacking" "They will buy them" "Bring your money" "Caramel apples, apple sweets" "Gimme some" "And I'll earn a lot of money for the Apple family!"
"All our dreams and our hopes from now until hereafter All that we've been wishing for will happen at the Gala At the Gala"
Apple Jet’s music was awfully upbeat.
“I am here at the Grand Gala As it is the best soirée I’m here to socialize with the most important ponies For I want to make connections For the Apple family Ponies talking Ponies chatting With me at the Grand Gala!”
“Business connections here at the Gala, at the Gala.”
Twilight pushed her way to the front, making sure that Dawn didn't go before her as well. She lifted her wings to the sky as though to conduct a new tempo, and as soon as a new drum beat kicked off, she lifted herself into the sky.
Been dreamin' I've been waitin' To work with those great ponies The Magnabolts, their cool designs Working gears n' cogs; it's sublime! Buildin' for crowds of thousands There will be no more doubtin' The Magnabolts will see me right here at the Gala!
Twilight finished her verse off with a grand loop-de-loop. Fleur bit her lip to keep from interupting the heartsong.
"All we've longed for All we've dreamed Our happy ever after Finally will all come true Right here at the Grand Gala At the Gala"
And of course, Dawn rounded the verses off with her big dream, the chorus echoing after her. “At the Gala” “At the Gala” “With the Princess”“With the Princess” “Is where I'm going to be.”“She will be” “We will talk all about friendship and what I've learned and seen!”“She will see” “It is going to be so special, “As she takes time just for me!”
“This will be the best night ever! Into the Gala we must go We're ready now, we're all aglow Into the Gala, let's go in and have the best night ever Into the Gala, now's the time We're ready and we look divine!”
"Into the Gala" "Find my Prince" "Into the Gala" "Sell some apples" "Into the Gala" "Make connections" "Prove I'm great" "As a Magnabolt is"
Everypony joined in for the final chorus. "Into the Gala Into the Gala And we'll have the best night ever! At the Gala!"
Gumy: Yeah! This is gonna be the best night ever. You know why? 'Cause we're all gonna spend time at the Gala to..." Somewhat suddenly, the music ended with its big finish. Gummy's last note was left hanging as every mare dashed off in a different direction inside of the palace. "-gether. Or not." The young drake sighed before walking forward into the main meeting hall. "I mean, I thought at least Dawn would wait for me." Maybe he'd be able to find some of his old friends. Trixie often talked about being invited to the events because of her mother. Gummy was determined to hang out with friends, one way or another. No matter how much he hated these parties.
Fleur had made a beeline for the ballroom. She waltzed in and out of ponies, making sure to always walk with grace and poise. There! Finally, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the prince. His white coat was shining, his blue hair was flowing like a lazy river. It wasn't enchanted like the Princesses, but Fleur didn't notice. Oh! He even had polished hooves, a catalyst of a hard-working pony. Even AJ couldn't disagree with that. The butter unicorn quickly brought her fan to her face and fluttered it slightly. It just wouldn't do if she was drooling upon her first meeting with the prince. Or light-headed, which, she supposed, was the actual intention of the fan.
She slowly made her way to the area of the ballroom where the prince was. "Hurry, Fleur..." She muttered to herself as she failed to dodge yet another one of her fans. Unfortunately, being a model meant ponies recognized you, especially the prominent ponies that got invited to the Gala. This was probably the tenth time she had to make light conversation with one of the Canterlot folk. One had to make a good impression on one's fans, after all. Modeling careers were all about beauty and reputation. The beauty she had down, but the good reputation was something she had to keep up. Even if it meant postponing her visit with the prince.
Once she managed to politely get away from the mare, Fleur picked up her speed. She chided herself for the obvious break in character. You are a lady. She told herself, slowing down for but a second before picking up her speed again. The prince had wandered even farther away from her, and at the rate she was going, she was going to lose him soon. She tucked her fan back away in her hat. She was pretty proud of that design. The fan was colored green, which brought out her eyes, but also had blue peacock-feather-like designs on the fabric. On the part that was held in the hoof, if you were not carrying it unicorn style, there was a small latch. It was mostly undiscernable to pony eye, but it was able to attach to the back of her hat to give it a little more style. And it gave her a place to store it so she wouldn't grow weary.
Now that she could focus completely on her target, Fleur weaved in and out of the crowd. She gave a few honest compliments on her way, which was apparently just enough to appease any further fans. Oh! There he was! The prince had just dismissed himself from talking with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridle. She turned her speed walk into a full-on trot as the prince walked through an open archway. The yellow unicorn didn't even have time to process that this archway led out into the gardens, and the Princesses' labyrinth. She was too focused on her prize. The change from marble flooring to cobblestone to grass didn't faze her either, even though the only thing between her hooves and the ground beneath her were shoes made of silk.
The winged-stallion made a left turn into the rose-bushed entrance to the maze. Fleur de Shy would never admit to having tunnel vision, but....she wouldn't deny it either. She followed the pegasus turn after turn until, suddenly, she turned to follow a flash of blue down a dead end. She glanced up at the night sky. The moon and stars shined down lovingly on her, but alas, the prince had not used his powers of flight to scale the hedge. And that was the moment Fleur realized she was utterly, terribly, down-right lost. "Sacre-Bleu."
Fleur's first option was to walk straight through the hedges until she finally got to the edge. She really wasn't up for doing that, seeing as how small a space that would be, how scratchy the leaves and branches were, and how frightfully messy it would make her mane. She was saved from having to make that horrible decision when she found she was unable to actually pass through the hedge. They were magically enchanted to keep anypony from cutting through.
Fleur sighed. Even if she had not been excited about that option, it really was the best. Who knew how much of the party she was going to miss trying to get out of this maze. 'Well, might as well keep going. If I stick to ze left, I shall eventually find my way out... I zink." And so she trotted along always taking lefts. She ran into many a dead end, but she just kept following the wall. "It's just like in Prance," she told herself, "Just like father taught me. I will find ze end." At long last, she saw a clearing up ahead.
"Oh please, Celestia please, let it be ze castle!"
Fleur sped to a gallop, not caring at this point if anypony saw her acting like this. Without the sun, she had no idea how long she had been trapped in there. Her main concern was that the Gala not be over yet. As her eyes adjusted to the brighter light in the clearing, she skidded to a stop. She wasn't back at the castle. Yes, there was a tall building in front of her, but it certainly wasn't tall, wide, or fancy enough to be the Canterlot Castle. It was a gazebo.
This gazebo was pure white, with the exception of the roof, which was tinted lavender. It was made of marble and had eight columns, about two in each corner. It was circular, and sat in the middle of an equally circular pond, although granted, the pond was much larger. There was a dainty white bridge that spanned from almost directly in front of Fleur to the gazebo. It went over the pond in a soft arch. The bridge floor was made of wood, though the railing was not. It looked like something out of a fairytale.
"If only I had zomeone to share it wizh." Fleur frowned. She was tempted to break her lady-like upbringing to cross her forelegs and pout. But she was still a lady, nevertheless. She walked forward, careful of the wooden bridge. The cool, smooth marble of the gazebo felt nice to her worn out hooves. She had long since abandoned her heels in the maze, constantly afraid she would trip and twist her hoof. She sat down on the bench, grateful to be off her hooves for the first time all evening. Fleur glanced up at the sky, admiring the constellations of diamonds in the sky. She briefly wondered what it would be like to fly up in that beautiful tapestry like her parents....Like her brother. She quickly dismissed the thought of her worst fears and missing brother, turning her attention to the problem at hoof. She wondered what time it was, and how long it would be before someone noticed she was missing.
She was too worn out from the maze to keep going. She had spent her last bit of energy when she had rushed into this little garden. And Fleur still didn't have enough magic in her to send up a flare. She could lift objects with her telekinesis, but that was about it. Anything more than a simple thought spell would cause her to pass out. The yellow unicorn floated a tulip to her nose and sniffed it, before placing it in her hair. It didn't really go with her outfit, but she was too tired to care at this point.
Fleur hadn't the slightest idea how much time had passed, but she was quite itching to get out of the maze. Birds of nearly every kind were squawking at her. It had taken her a few minutes to figure out where they were, but that was because it turned out they were perched on the edge of the gazebo's roof. A few cat-like critters were laying on the floor of the gazebo, making it nearly impossible for her to get off the bench. She was pretty sure that even if she managed not to step on one, she would undoubtedly bump into one and they would scratch her fur off with their claws. Around the pond there were a variety of different animals. Fleur had no idea what kind they were, although she had a feeling Rarity would know. In the pond itself, there were eels, multi-colored fish, and what looked like a baby dolphin. There were also snakes. Snakes in the water, snakes on the bridge, and snakes coiled around the pillars of the gazebo. None of the animals had been there when she had arrived at the gazebo, but at some point in time, Fleur must have dozed off. Now they were surrounding her, and her only chance at survival...
Okay, well maybe not her only chance at survival, per se. But her only chance of getting out of the maze unscathed at this point would require somepony finding her and guiding her out. While she certainly hoped that by some grace of Celestia that the prince would be the one to show up, she wasn't quite sure she wanted him to see her like this. Her dress was grass stained. Her hat was missing, and a few tulips decorated her mane instead. Her heels were basically unwearable at this point, having been chewed on by some of the supposed cats during Fleur's unplanned nap. So much for the best night ever.
"So you see, that is how I earned my cutiemark." A masculine voice interrupted the unicorn's train of thought.
"Navigating the woods." An obviously exasperated feminine voice replied, "How nice."
"Well, anyways, the gazebo is just right up here. I told you I would be able to escort you safely to the prettiest spot in the gardens." The stallion was obviously oblivious to the mare's distaste. "Although, I assure you, it doesn't compare to the beauty in your eyes."
The mare scoffed, and then trotted into the clearing. Fleur's face widened into a smile with delight when she saw her friend, Rarity, approaching. What luck! Not only was a friend there to rescue her, but it was her friend who had the most experience with animals! Fleur's eyes widened as she saw exactly who her friend had been talking to. Prince Charming followed Rarity into the garden, although he didn't seem to notice the gazebo or the garden at all. His eyes were locked on Rarity.
"Fleur?!" Rarity called, her voice a mix of shock, concern, and...relief? "What are you doing out here? Where did these animals come from? Are you alright?"
Fleur chuckled shyly. "It's a story, zat's for sure. Mind helping me get out of zis mess first?" She waved her front hoof vaguely at the animals surrounding her. "I really don't feel comfortable sharing my story, or my space, with any of zese critters. No matter how cute they are."
Rarity made a mad dash for the royal gardens. The moment her hoof touched the soft grass of the outdoors, she practically sang. She refrained, however, for there were far too many ponies wandering about. She stopped for but a moment before giddily galloping along again to explore the castle's labyrinth. It was at the heart of this beautiful maze that Rarity would finally be able to express her true calling. Music in nature. She darted in the entrance and took the first right, the second left, the third left, and the fourth right. And by the time she got to the twenty-second fork in the road, the white mare realized she got her directions wrong. She should be able to see the gazebo by now, if only by looking over the hedges. However it seemed her memory had failed her.
Dejected, Rarkty turned around and began retracing her steps. Two lefts and then one right than another lef— As the white mare turned that third corner, or eighteenth, depending on how one looks at it, she ran into a wall of fluffy white and silky black. The young mare quickly back peddled and turned her head away from her obstacle. Knowing it would be rude to keep her gaze averted if she had run into another pony, she slowly turned her head back towards the fluff in question.
Her eyes widen in surprise and she realized who stood before her. She had run into Prince Charming. The adopted Nephew of Princess Celestia. Although if the rumors were true, he was more than an adopted nephew—likely blood related. His silky blue hair, shiny hooves, and delicate yet strong white wings were enough to make any mare drool. But Rarity was not any mare. She had long gotten over her interest in stallions. Ever since they collectively seemed to prove that they would never have anything to do with a ‘fake pureblood’ like her. Her mane wasn’t primary, her strength non-existent, and she sure didn’t have any magic like the rest of her family.
She tried maintain eye contact with the stallion. "I'm so sorry, I seem to have lost my way." She apologized, her eyes constantly distracted by her hooves.
Prince Charming smiled, folding his wings to his sides. "Why the fault is mine, fair maiden. I was not looking where I was landing." He bowed and introduced himself. "I am Prince Charming, although you can just call me Prince. Or Charming, if Prince still seems too formal. Whichever you prefer." He smiled again, showing his glistening white teeth to the mare.
"Uh, um. I'm Rarity." The earth pony replied, returning the bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
A few moments of silence followed.
"Well, I really should be going now." Rarity stumbled over her words, she still wasn't used to somepony paying attention to her, especially not a stallion. She started walking past the prince and went to take a right at the next intersection when the prince called out to her.
"I don't suppose you are looking for the gazebo, are you?"
Rarity took a few steps back to look at the prince again. He seemed a bit nervous, but still had that aristocrat pattened smile on his face. "Yes, actually, I am."
The prince seemed to perk up a little bit at her answer. "Well, madam, would you allow me to escort you there? Aunt Celestia's maze is quite hard to navigate, even with directions. Plus..." His smiled faltered. "You are heading down a series of dead ends."
Rarity took a glance back down the way she had been heading. It was near impossible to tell if the Prince was telling the truth or not. But she didn't really have much of a choice. If she rejected the Prince's help, then Celestia knows how long she would be wandering around in this maze. But is she accepted... "That would be appreciated darling, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be good company."
Prince Charming perked up instantly. "Wonderful, if you would follow me this way..." He trailed off, waiting for her to catch up. As Rarity came next to the prince, he draped his wing around her and navigated her through many twists and turns of the maze.
"Why, of course, all the nobles were shocked. How could a pegasus come up with a protection spell? They were especially perplexed since my talents were centralized around navigation. You see, my theory is that I come from a long line of unicorns..."
"I don't suppose you know how much longer it is to the gazebo?" Rarity asked during a pause in the stallion's story. She tried to sound as polite as possible, but it was becoming harder and harder as he droned on and on about his accomplishments in life. The only thing he had yet to discuss was his cutiemark. Although the mare had a feeling that was going to be the next topic.
"Hmm..." The stallion muttered, "Let me check." He flew up above the hedges, and Rarity once more considered running away from the prince. He had double checked their directions a few times on this trip, but he seemed to know where he was going. Every time he flew upwards, the white mare had weighed the opposing outcomes. Unfortunately, staying with the Prince won out every time. The stallion glided back down and nodded his head affirmatively. "It's about a five minute gallop, but at the pace we're going, it'll be more like fifteen minutes."
"Oh." Rarity responded, a bit disappointed. She hummed a slight tune to herself as they continued walking.
"I suppose your cutiemark has to do with that beautiful voice of yours."
The violet-maned mare blushed. She couldn't help it, she had never been complimented by a stallion. Well, Macintosh had said something similar once, but he was AJ's and Rainbow's brother. That was different. "Yes, the music note part stands for my singing ability. I haven't been able to play any instruments yet. The butterfly represents my aptitude with animals...."
"And that's the story of how I earned my cutiemark." Rarity finished, blushing once more. "Sorry, I've been talking quite a bit."
"No, no!" The stallion returned. "It's fine! What a wonderful story."
They walked on in silence for a little while. Rarity sighed. The prince was being awfully polite, not diving right into his own story, but she could tell he was itching for the chance. 'Alright, I'll bite' she thought. "So, what's your cutiemark mean? It looks like a compass, and you mentioned you have a talent for navigating?"
Prince Charming absolutely beamed. "It is a compass, but it is made of spears. My talents lie in navigation and defense!
"You see, my earliest memory was being lost in the woods, and I was running away from some monster..."
"So you see, that is how I earned my cutiemark." Prince Charming smiled that winning smile once more. Was he trying to blind her with how white his teeth were?
"Navigating the woods." Rarity replied, a hint of uninterest and exasperation creeping into her voice. "How nice."
"That and defending myself from the Chimera, of course. Well, anyways, the gazebo is just right up here. I told you I would be able to escort you safely to the prettiest spot in the gardens." As he had been for this entire walk, Charming was absolutely obvlious to her hints. "Although, I assure you, it doesn't compare to the beauty in your eyes."
Rarity scoffed, this stallion was impossible. Who cares if he's a prince? He's not very smart for one. 'Although,' she thought as she turned her gaze back to the clearing they had come upon. 'He did manage to get me to the gazebo, as promised. At least he's got that going for him. As her gaze swept the small piece of paradise that was hidden away from the rest of the world, the white mare noticed that an awful lot of animals had crowded around the gazebo. Young leopards and cougars were sun...er...moon-bathing on the gazebo's floor. Pythons and anacondas were wrapped around the pillars and parrots, falcons, canaries, and owls were singing a chorus on the roof. They were all gathering around the gazebo, or rather the pony within the gazebo.
"Fleur?!" Rarity called, quite surprised to see her friend there who did not have any previous intentions of exploring the garden, somewhat worried because of that fact, and also rather relieved that she was no longer alone with the prince. "What are you doing out here? Where did these animals come from? Are you alright?"
Fleur chuckled shyly. "It's a story, zat's for sure. Mind helping me get out of zis mess first?" The unicorn waved her front hoof vaguely at the animals surrounding her. "I really don't feel comfortable sharing my story, or my space, with any of zese critters. No matter how cute they are."
Rarity giggled at her friend's joke. "Sure, I'll see what I can do. But then you have to give me the full details, okay?"
"Sans aucun doute!" Fleur promised. Rarity assumed this answer from her friend was in agreement, seeing as she smiled brightly while saying so.
The first thing Rainbow Zap did was head to one of the ponies in charge. After asking several guards to point her in the right direction, she finally found Sir Blue Blood, the knight who had apparently been put in charge of organizing the Gala. Rainbow found it a tad odd that a knight had been put in charge of party planning but after knowing Dawn for a year, it was a little hard to faze the rainbow-maned mare.
She approached him just as he had finished talking to a couple of unicorns. The two unicorns seemed familiar; one was a gray stallion with black hair and the other a yellow mare with a mane of purple and white. Rainbow couldn't quite place her. It was probably one of Fleur's clientele. "Sir Blue Blood." Rainbow did a small curtesy as she addressed the stallion she came to see. "I was told you were the stallion to talk to concerning the logistics of this grand party." Rainbow knew she was probably laying it on a little thick, but if there was one thing she knew about the upper crust of society, it was that they responded well to 7-layer-compliment-dip.
"Ah, you must be Ms. Rainbow Dash." The stallion nodded his head carefully. "I was informed of your coming."
"It's uh, Rainbow Zap, actually." Rainbow bit her lip. She couldn't wait until her birthday. It was only a few months away, but then she would finally be able to change her legal name. She always hated the constant reminder of her birth parents.
The knight raised an eyebrow but continued the conversation as if it was purely his mistake. "Of course, Ms. Zap." He said it slowly and carefully, as if the stress he placed on her second name would help him remember it. "A stand has already been set up for you in the gardens. If you would follow me this way." He swept his foreleg to the left, the opposite direction from which she had come, and then began heading that way. Rainbow quickly followed him, thanking Celestia that she had managed to convince Fleur that marble high heels were not the kind of shoes that would traverse well in the garden. Those shoes also would not help her keep up with Sir. Blue Blood. He wasn't particularly tall for a stallion, and he certainly wasn't as buff as Big Mac, but he still walked with incredible speed. Rainbow practically had to trot to keep up with him.
Soon enough they were outside and in a wide open space. There was a hedge about 40 hooves away, and a white fence from the castle walls to the hedge on either side, both about 25 hooves away. The floor was grass with a few flowers popping up here and there. There was a table on the edge of the clearing, up against the hedge wall, with different kinds of food on it. To her right, there was a nicely decorated stall ready to be stalked.
"Now you'll want to hang up your permit right here." Blue Blood tapped the edge of the stand, the wall that held up the shelves on either side. "It's not necessary, since we have already seen and reviewed it, but the ponies of Canterlot aren't quick to buy something that seems...." He trailed off, his hoof rotating in circles as he searched for the right word. For the first time since Rainbow had met the earth pony, his regal air seemed to falter. "...That isn't their style." Rainbow knew what that meant. She was all too familiar with rejection, especially for class reasons. AJ and she faced it all the time. Being from an earth pony family in Ponyville didn't speak well to getting into flight school. But AJ pushed past those barriers. Rainbow herself had had a tough time getting this permit for the gala because she was some low life earth pony from the backwoods of Ponyville. But she had persevered through that. These jet sets weren't going to buy to be interested in Ponyville cuisine unless somebody of their standing, or higher, like Princess Celestia, told them it was good. That was the reason she had been advised to bring her permit. That and to ward off unruly guards that liked to prey on young mares to get what they wanted. Ugh. Rainbow tried not to shudder at the memory. That turquoise stallion was a part of her past, not her present. Blue Blood's next words helped to shake the mare from her thoughts. He lowered his voice a bit, as if what he was going to tell her was privileged information.
"It'll help if you make sure Celestia's signature and hoof print are showing. The nobles flock to her like pigeons to bird seed."
Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Thanks, I'll make sure it shows that Celestia herself approved me, not just some knight in shining armor." She paused. "No offense."
The stallion smiled warmly. "None taken. Now if you'll excuse me, Ms. Zap, I must attend to some other matters at the Gala." He gave a slight bow, or maybe it was more of a nod of his head, before departing.
Rainbow got right to work setting up the stand. She pulled pies, fritters, muffins, bottles of cider, and (of course) apples out of her saddle bags. Fleur had, ever so generously, enchanted them so that they could hold a lot more than it looked like they could. The contents also didn't get smushed, stayed warm (or cold in the cider's case), and the cider didn't spill! It was perfect, and Rainbow was already coming up with a million different ideas on how to pay her back for this little life hack.
Next, she pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it several times, until it was about half her height. She taped it to the bottom of the stand. "Royal Gala Apple Treats" It read up top. Rainbow bit her lip. She was selling these treats for pretty cheap, considering what the Canterlot types were used to. But she knew she couldn't raise her prices any more than she already had. She considered marking them 'on sale' when someone approached her from behind.
"Oooh. Those look mighty tasty." Rainbow turned around to see a young pegasus stallion wearing a uniform. One that reminded Rainbow of the Shadowbolt uniform the pegasi they had run into in the Everfree last year. Except instead of black and white with tints of purple, this outfit was blue with yellow lightning streaks. It really matched the stallion blue eyes and windswept mane. The blue mare squeezed her eyes and shook her head quickly. She did not have a thing for pegasi. She trotted behind the stall and gestured to all of the delicacies she had for sale.
"What can I get for ya? We have apples, fritters, muffins, pie, and cider." She tried not to blush as the stallion looked over her creations with puppy dog eyes.
"I'll take that big pie!" The stallion exclaimed. "What kind is it?"
"Apple cinnamon."
"Perfect."
"That'll be five bits."
They traded currency and pie as Rainbow grinned. It wasn't even her first minute here at the gala and she had already sold her first delicacy. Maybe she didn't need anything to be 'on sale' to sell to these Canterlot folk. The stallion was pretty cute nice.
Rainbow Zap had no idea how long it had been. The moon looked like it was in the same place it had been when she had arrived, and there were no clocks anywhere to track the time. She had given into temptation about fifteen minutes ago and slumped on the surface of the cart. It seemed not one pony cared whether the Princess liked her food or not. It was still common carnival fair as one pony had said in passing.
"Of course. Who could possibly forget the Berry family? They have distributors all over Equestria. You see, apples are going to be a lot bigger than that soon enough..."
Blue ears perked at the voice. It was Apple Jet! Her sister! She lifted her face off of the cart so that she could see it with her own ruby eyes. A plan clicked into place in her head. Apple Jet could watch her stand while she went to find Twilight, the purple pegasus was amazing at advertising. Since she had come to town, cider sales had been up 70%! It was perfect. Rainbow waved her sister over and explained the plan.
"I promise it won't be long. Twilight's been fangirling over the Magnabolts since she heard about the tickets. She'll be watching their display, which shouldn't be hard to miss."
"Alright. I wasn't having much luck socializing anyhow." Apple Jet conceded. "All these Canterlot ponies seem to want to talk about concerning farming or food production is the dang Berry family!"
Apple Jet took the position behind the stand as Rainbow took off. She thought she saw her sister hang up something white, but she didn't have time to look, she was on a mission.
Rainbow trotted into the ballroom at a similar pace as before. She looked around, trying to find out where the Magnabolts were. There was some red velvet roping off to the side, a VIP lounge. Maybe they were over there? She approached a security guard and was about to ask him if this was where the Magnabolts were when a pony with a similar outfit as her first buyer came past. The pegasus took a double take and then smiled widely. "Windy! Glad you could make it after all! I'm so sorry to hear about Bow. It's so sweet of you to dye your hair like his." The pegasus, a yellow mare with orange eyes and fiery hair put her hoof around Rainbow and led her inside the roping. "Come on, Wind Rider wants to meet you!" The earth pony was so surprised by the pegasus that she didn't manage to say anything before she was dragged into the crowd.
The VIP lounge was huge! It looked like somepony had placed Fleur's enchantment spell on the area because there was no way in Equestria that this large room could have actually fit in the corner of the ballroom. Rainbow had no idea who this Windy was that the pegasus--she had learned her name was Spitfire--thought she was, nor did she have any idea who this apparently famous Wind Rider was either. But she patiently let introductions be made and made polite conversation until she could excuse herself. She backed away and tried to return the way she came. After what felt like 10 minutes of walking, she approached the edge of the room, only to be confronted with a large marble wall. Rainbow could have sworn this was the way she had come, but there certainly hadn't been any marble walls nearby. The next logical step was to turn around and walk directly perpendicular to the wall. For once, Rainbow was slightly jealous of her sister's wings. She contemplated how much easier it would have been to simply take flight and fly over the other ponies and out of the VIP area. How much easier it would be to find Twilight with a bird's eye view. Rainbow Zap wasn't one to be jealous of race, she was stubborn like that, but as she weaved in and out of ponies, trying not to be caught in conversation and but also to keep her path straight as an arrow, she found herself being just a tad remorse that she had not been born with wings.
Apple Jet marched into the Gala, her tail swishing underneath her green dress. She was excited to get to know some business ponies. Despite her excitement, she managed to keep her wings at her side and not fly in. If she had learned anything from her Aunt and Uncle Orange, it was that business ponies adored professionalism, and that meant no flying unless absolutely necessary.
She made her way to the long food table, where professional ponies were milling about. She decided she would listen in on some of these conversations first before engaging in any herself. If she was truly going to make this the best night ever, she was going to make sure that she was speaking the right words and knew what was in and what was out.
"Why have you tried the Berry's newest product?" A gray stallion with a puffed up white mane asked the blue mare standing beside him. "Cranberry and Elderberry's granddaughter, Ms. Green Grape, came up with this amazing new drink."
"Green Grabe?" The blue mare with straight white hair asked incredulously. It was obvious she was from Germane. "Isn't sche zee crasy Hestranged mare of zee family?"
"Why, yes, she used to be, but when she showed her parents this drink..."
Apple Jet walked away. She really didn't need to hear about some other prominent fruit family in Canterlot. She needed to know what kind of business she could make here. What kind of food ponies liked. What kind of events could be catered. Did ponies prefer delivery of pick-up? What kind of advertising deals could she pull? That was where Apple Jet's mind was at, and she was certain that most ponies would be as well.
The orange business pony made her way to the punch table. Thankfully there was no line here, so she could just dally a little bit while she listened to some other ponies' conversations. After filling a cup with ice, she held it in her wing as she looked at all of the juices the Gala had to offer. They had orange, pomegranate, grapefruit, cranberry, grape, and even watermelon juice! But there wasn't any apple juice. Apple Jet settled for the grape juice. As she poured herself a glass she heard another conversation, this one between two white unicorns.
"Oh yes, Fleur, my darling. This new grape drink truly is divine, but have you tried Strawberry's Upside Down Cake?" The stallion gestured largely as he talked, as if his words were not enough to convey the amazingness of his find. "It sounds quite weird, but my sister insisted I try it. It's absolutely divine!"
Fleur, the pink-maned mare giggled at her partner, taking a sip from her glass. "Quite." Apparently she was a mare of few words.
Apple Jet walked away wondering if the mare had any relation to Fleur de Shy. They both shared the name Fleur, were unicorns, and had wavy, somewhat short, pink hair. It wasn't uncommon for the family name to be passed down as the first name. She and Applebloom were proof of that. Twilight too, if she recalled correctly. Although, Fleur de Shy certainly talked a lot more than this white unicorn. Still, all this talk about the Berry family. Surely there was something else a buzz.
This was probably the twentieth conversation AJ had partaken in, and easily the twenty-fifth, if you counted all the one she had eaves-dropped listened too beforehoof. And yet, all of them, once directed towards the topic of food, began raving about the Berry Family and the wonders they had recently come up with.
"Of course. Who could possibly forget the Berry family?" The orange pegasus tried not to sound exasperated. "They have distributors all over Equestria. You see, apples are going to be a lot bigger than that soon enough..." She kept talking, she practically knew her spiel by heart, as well as the reaction it would get. Suddenly she saw a blue hoof waving her over, the background a wave of rainbow. Was that her sister? Perfect, a distraction like this might help her get her bouncing business head back up and running....oh that was a terrible analogy. She really needed a break. She politely excused herself from the conversation and trotted over to her sister who was manning an apple stand off to the side of the garden.
"Hi there Zap, house the business going?"
Her sister sighed. "Not well, I've only got a few sales and it's been a few hours. I figured that if I could find Twilight she would be able to help advertise a little, but I need somepony to mare the stand while I find her. Don't want to miss out on some sales, or encourage any possible, even accidental, theft.
"I promise it won't be long. Twilight's been fangirling over the Magnabolts since she heard about the tickets. She'll be watching their display, which shouldn't be hard to miss."
"Not a problem, sis. I need a break from all of these preppy Canterlot ponies anyways; I wasn't having much luck socializing anyhow." Apple Jet conceded. "All these Canterlot ponies seem to want to talk about concerning farming or food production is the dang Berry family!"
Rainbow came to the front of the stand and hugged her sister tightly. "Thanks a bunch, AJ, I'll be right back." And with that, Zap sped off into the gala. Apple Jet took up her new position behind the stand as she watched her sister leave. That mare never had gotten the socialite education from the Oranges. The pegasus decided to look over the contents of the stand as knowing your product was an important part of marketing. She noticed a white piece of paper with an inked hoofprint on the front. She picked it up with her wing so she could peer more closely at it. "Celestia's signed this?" She looked up to her left and saw a nail poking out of one of the beams. She stuck the paper up there for everypony to see. "This must be her permit. Ought to have up there so nopony tries to take the stand down."
It couldn't have been more than 15 minutes before the stand was swarmed. "I saw you talking to Filthy Rich and then when I saw that Celestia herself approved these treats, I knew they had to be good, so I came right over to try some." A young yellow mare chattered on as she bought an apple fritter, a caramel apple, and some cider. "I'm telling everypony I know to come get some."
"Well thank you kindly." AJ forced a smile as she finished the transaction and turned to the next pony. The pegasus had been counting on a slow time, a nice break from the socialite life. But here she was, talking with several of the ponies she had talked with before, and several more who had seen her talking with them. She was famous now, apparently, for talking with famous ponies. She didn't see how that worked. She had easily slipped into their conversations. Easily talked about Canterlotian things and driven the conversation towards food. Nopony had turned her away. Anypony could have come up and talked with them. Perhaps they were all just too star-struck? Sounded like a Twilight move.
"Oh my, did I see you with Hoity Toity earlier? That Stallion has a taste for food! Oh and I swore I saw Zesty Gourmand her earlier too. This must be the créme de la créme. Two slices of pie please."
"That'll be five bits." Apple Jet said as she cut the pie. The bubbly stallion pulled out the bits from his bag and they traded the bits for food.
It went on for hours like this, almost every other pony saying they had seen somepony else, likely somepony famous. Apple Jet was thankful when the last of the produce was gone. "Sorry, that's all we have everypony. Come get some fliers so you know where to find the best food around at your next event." She pulled out the fliers from underneath the stall and set them on the table. The fliers--and ponies, thank Celestia--were gone in seconds.
"Now. Where in Equestria did that sister of mine go?"
Twilight made a mad dash for the Magnabolts display. Their big piece this year was a moving replica of the princesses. She took flight once inside the main ballroom and swished over to the statue. There weren't many objects to dodge in the air...or ponies for that matter. Probably because they didn't want to 'ruin' their dresses. Either way, Twilight didn't care because this allowed her to have a quicker path to the latest and greatest invention. She was so focused on her target that she failed to see a certain princess of the night approaching until the last possible second. She back flapped and then flipped full circle so that she was face to face with Princess Luna. The pegasus backtracked further to put a little more than a forehoof's length between them. "Your Highness" Twilight blurted, trying to do a bow in mid-air. It was harder than usual due to her dress.
"Twilight Swish." The Princess returned, in her Old-Ponish accent. "Please, do not bother with the formality of bowing. We have had quite enough of that this evening."
Twilight quickly rightened herself. "My apologies. I mean, sorry for almost running into you. I'll be more careful. Enjoy your night!" She then proceeded to fly around the alicorn of the moon and closer to the statue.
She vaguely heard Princess Luna say "Thou as well, Ms. Swish," Which seemed to be followed by "We no tea shill knot." But that didn't make much sense.
Twilight landed right in front of the red velvet ropes. She marveled at the work before her. It hadn't been quite a year since Princess Luna had returned, and yet the Magnabolts had managed to craft such a wonderful structure. It showed the two princesses back to back, but with their faces turned to face each other. Their horns touched each other's and seemed to glow with their individual colors. Their manes waved behind them; the automation on the mane was amazing. Twilight couldn't see any gears or overlapping panels of metal as they moved. Speaking of perfection, Twilight couldn't differentiate a single panel from the rest of the statue. It was truly impeccable. It seemed they hadn't yet figured out how to overlay fur, or perhaps they rather preferred to show off the bare basics of their machinery. Twilight could appreciate that. The metal princesses' eyes blinked in synchrony before their pupils trailed up to the ceiling. The pegasus let her eyes follow theirs and saw a group of Wonderbolts fly overhead.
There had been a small time in Twilight's life where she wanted to be a Wonderbolt. The few times she attended their shows, it was amazing to see what they could do in the air. Anypony was able to enjoy it, even her parents from the ground below. It wasn't until she learned what the Wonderbolt's main purpose in Equestria was that she gave up on that dream. The Wonderbolts were the elite guard of Princess Celestia. (Come to think of it, it was possible that they were part of Princess Luna's guard too, but Twilight rather liked the idea that the Shadow Bolts they had encountered in the Everfree almost a year ago were Luna's elite guard instead of a collective one). The Wonderbolts trained just about every day of the week, and often had to spar with one another. Twilight didn't like fighting, not even the friendly kind. She was all about giving back to her family and her community. After all, that was the reason behind her cutiemark. It wasn't long after she learned of the Wonderbolt's true calling that she went to a Magnabolt convention with her parents and earned her cutiemark. The Magnabolts were her true heroes.
Twilight brought her gaze back down to the statue so that she could continue admiring the fine work of art. A splash of navy blue caught her attention from her right, and she found the Princess of the Night standing beside her. "What a lovely piece of art." The Princess said, her voice hushed compared to the loud conversations across the ballroom. "They even got our height right." This comment caused Twilight to look between the flesh and blood princess and the metal and wire one. The pony-made version was as tall as her counterpart, whereas the real-life Princess Luna was a head shorter than Princess Celestia.
"They did?" Twilight replied. It was meant to be a question, but the Princess seemed to take it as affirmation.
"How it is rare to find a pony who understand alicorn magic. We art so glad to have found it in twice over: the Magnabolts, and thyself, Ms. Swish."
"You can call me Twilight. We're friends after all."
"Of course, of course." Luna put her pearl-encrusted hoof to her chin and rubbed it in thought. "Does thou perhaps know where the Magnabolts art?"
Twilight shook her head. "I was about to go find them. I had assumed they'd be near this masterpiece," She waved at the statue in front of them. "But I guessed wrong."
"Very well, We shall continue our search." The Princess left almost as swiftly as she had appeared.
Twilight looked after the disappearing princess with curiosity. "I wonder why she's looking for the Magnabolts?" She muttered, before preparing to take flight again. She quickly forgot about Luna as soon as she spotted the co-captain of the Magnabolts: Flam Apple. She dashed towards him, but quickly realized there was a long line of ponies lining up to meet him. She floated downward slowly, landing at the end of the line with a sigh. She wondered if Flam would remember her. It had been many years since she had last run into him.
Twilight had but one pony between her and Flam at this point. She hopped between her four hooves in anticipation. Her smile was almost too wide for her to keep on her face. She would have tried to calm down if she was capable of it. It was genetic: When a Twilight gets excited, there is no calming her down.
"Flam! Flam! It's showtime!" A voice called from their left.
Flam's head swooshed to his right, nodded, and then turned back to the pony in front of him. "I'm sorry miss, it was really nice meeting you, but I have to get going now." The mare bowed and Flam rushed off in the direction the voice had come from. Twilight guessed that it was his brother, Flim, the other co-captain of the Magnabolts.
"That is truly disappointing." Twilight turned around to see Princess Luna behind her.
"Princess!"
"Well do not act so surprised, Ms. Sw---Twilight. We did tell thee that We were looking to talk with the Magnabolts."
Twilight rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. "Yeah, I guess you did. I just didn't notice you standing there."
"And here We thought our presence was head-turning." Princess Luna's eyes twinkled with mischief. She gestured for them to start walking away from the area and amongst the partygoers.
Twilight laughed at the joke as she followed her princess. "Yeah, you would think having the night sky attached to your head would cause ponies to gawk." She chuckled again before composing herself. "I was just awfully focused on meeting the Magnabolts tonight. I guess I will just have to go, sit back, and watch their show."
"Will thou not have a chance to see them after the show?"
"No, their show goes until the end of the gala. At least you will be able to speak with them, you are a princess after all."
Princess Luna nodded thoughtfully. "We suppose thou art correct. But We just wanted to give them our thanks and appreciation over this fine work of art. We plan to have it placed in the courtyard where we will be able to see it everyday."
Twilight sighed wistfully. "How lucky they are to make something worthy of royalty."
A smile overtook the princess's face. "If thou thinks they are quite lucky, then thou ought to consider thyself lucky as well."
"Huh? Why?"
"Thou hast been chosen to repair our old castle." Princess Luna's face then mirrored the confusion on Twilight's. "Hast thou not received the official summonings yet?"
"No, no I haven't. But that's an absolute honor, your majesty! I would be honored. Thank you!"
"Well, it was mostly our sister's decision, but We will be overseeing the proj--"
"Twilight! Twilight!" A voice called, interrupting the Princess. The midnight duo looked over to see Apple Jet just outside in the gardens. She was at Rainbow's tables selling apple treats. She had only a few left, but the line from her cart was quite long.
Princess Luna gave Twilight a knowing look. "You should probably go over and help your friend out."
"Will do! See you around, Princess! And thanks again!" Twilight leaped into the air and glided over to her friend. She began to help her cut the remaining treats into smaller pieces as she explained the balance of supply and demand.
Dawn was incredibly excited to see what they had done with the Gala this year. She was even more excited to see how they had incorporated her selections into the soiree. Princess Celestia had let her help organize the Grand Galloping Gala this year as thanks. Whether it was for saving Princess Luna or for helping keep her cake addiction under wraps, Dawn wasn’t sure. She didn’t care either way, she was just grateful to have helped the Princess…..and grateful to be a part of the biggest party of the year!
Dawn beelined for the food table upon entering the castle. There were the classic hor ‘de vors, but there were also some of her favorite party goods such as cupcakes, hot sauce, and bacon. There weren’t many hor’devors being served, which Dawn found a bit odd. She had been pretty sure that the chefs would have insisted on having several more of those than her personal choices. Maybe they had actually tried her suggestions this time and realized how good her taste actually was.
She then moved on to the refreshment table. There were a few different options: orange juice, pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, watermelon punch, and an interesting take on grape cider. Dawn decided she was going to stay away from that for now. She was slightly disappointed that there was no apple juice, on Apple Jet and Rainbow Zap's account of course. At least it meant this was a new market for them.
After more than a few songs had played, Dawn decided it was time to find the princess. She had so many questions. Like how the princess knew the other elements were in Ponyville, or why didn't Princess Celestia tell Dawn that friendship was key to saving the world, or how in the world did she get her mane to flow in the wind? Granted, the princess had never answered that last question before, but the other two still stood a chance. And she had plenty more where that came from. She was also itching to tell her mentor everything else that had happened that she hadn't been able to explain in the letters.
The pink unicorn began to walk towards where she had last seen the Princess: the front hall. When they had entered the gala, Princess Celestia was busy greeting everypony. Dawn knew better than to try to spend time with her then, it would just multiply the time it took to have a real conversation with her. Dawn figured that by now everypony would have arrived at the gala, or just--
"Pinkamenia? Pinkamenia Pie?"
"It's Dawn, actually," The pony in question bit back a snarl as she turned around to see who had spoken. "Good Evening." She gave a small smile.
"Oh, yes, of course! How could I forget? Ms. Dawn, my name is Press Release, and I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."
Dawn blew her signature stray hair out of her face in an attempt to hide her sigh. 'I suppose a few questions won't hurt. The Princess might still be greeting ponies anyways. "Of course." Dawn wasn't the kind of pony to give interviews to snotty ponies, but Press Release didn't seem to be the typical Canterlot type. She was a young yellow mare with unruly orange locks--something a Canterlotian wouldn't be seen dead with. Her attire was similarly simple and un-Canterlotian; however, unlike her mane and coat, it was fit for the gala. She wore a sleek black dress with a simple silver necklace. At Dawn's statement of agreement, Press Release pulled out a reporters fedora and placed it on top of her head. Dawn was no fashion expert, but she was pretty sure Fleur wouldn't be the bearer of honesty if she let a customer walk out of her shop looking like that.
"Why have you moved to Ponyville? Was that the Princess's decision, or did you head off on your own?"
"Well, you see, it started with the Summer Sun Celebration..."
"Wow! That is so cool!" Press Release grabbed Dawn's hoof and shook it vigorously. "Thank you for your time."
Dawn couldn't help but smile, the young mare might have been a bit excitable, but it still made Dawn feel complete when she made somepony smile. Besides, not too much time had passed. Princess Celestia must still be nearby. "I'm glad I could help. Now if you'll excuse me, there is really somepony I must see."
"Oh yes, thank you again Dawn!" Press release tucked her hat away and trotted happily off back into the crowd.
The unicorn turned and once more trod her way towards the where she supposed the princess was. She was soon stopped by another pony. This one was definitely the Canterlotian type; he had broad shoulders, a white coat, and a light-colored mane. He wore a fancy blue tux that complemented his mane and even wore an eyeglass. However, this was one pony that Dawn knew. While he did live up to his name, Fancy Pants, he was actually quite a cool pony.
"Ms. Dawn, how lovely to see you here."
"Nice to see you too, Fancy Pants."
"I understood you helped set up this party?"
Dawn simply nodded in affirmation.
"Well that's splendid. This is by far the best gala I have ever seen, as well as one of your best works." Fancy Pants smiled, his statement causing Dawn to blush. "Would you mind telling me about your inspiration? I need a party planner for Fleur's birthday, and I'm running out of time. I accept only the best for my darling."
"Well of course, anything for you Fancy Pants. See, I was thinking about how Princess Luna's return was the biggest event of the year, and I decided to incorporate that into the theme. As you can see," Dawn pointed up at high ceiling, "We used fairy lights to replicate the stars. They also offer some great mood lighting..."
"That's absolutely wonderful!" Fancy Pants marveled, "Do you always go into that much detail when planning a party?"
"This one required a bit more depth and time than usual, but yeah, I always gather as much information as I can on the subject of the party so that the recipients enjoy it to the full extent."
"Astonishing! If you would be so kind as to plan her party, I will pay you forthright." The white stallion floated a small notebook out of his pocket. "This notebook has a list of all the things Fleur likes. The possible dates and times are written on the second page, as well as the pricing."
Dawn took the notebook from his grasp and flipped it open to the second page. She gasped and the figure. "Fancy Pants..."
"And I'm willing to pay you double that if it exceeds my expectations."
Dawn was bouncing on her hooves. It took all of her effort to perform a polite curtesy; she didn't have any left to contain the smile on her face. "Thank you! I look forward to planning this party for you."
"Oh, that reminds me." Fancy Pants turned a quarter of a circle and pointed to some ponies in the crowd. "Some of my friends are looking to host a soiree for Hearth Warming in a few weeks, and they can't seem to find a compentent party planner."
Dawn glanced back at the hall where the princess had been only a few hours ago. Dawn really missed her mentor, but she supposed Princess Celestia might be willing to spend some time with her after the gala. Besides, it would be downright rude to reject such an amazing offer. "Well, perhaps I could be of assitance."
"Excellent!" Fancy Pants led the way to another unicorn couple. "Jet Set! Upper Crust! I have somepony I would like you to meet."
Celestia slumped over the railing. She was exhausted. Not only had she had to hold day court this morning, but she also had to greet every single pony that came through those doors. Not even a millennia of practice made her job any easier. She looked out over the ballroom; Dawn had really outdone herself this time. It looked fabulous, and the ponies of Canterlot's nobility actually seemed to be enjoying it. She watched from her perch as Fancy Pants ushered Dawn over to a pony couple, Jet Set and Upper Crust. Celestia couldn't help but giggle. Who knew a little friendship was all Dawn needed to tone down her exorbitant parties? Now all of Canterlot wanted her to plan their parties.
A realization came to the Princess. She straightened her posture a bit but continued to use the railing as support. She began to scan the room. Where had Dawn's friends gone? Since the Summer Sun Celebration, they had been nearly inseparable, especially when out of town. Celestia turned her gaze around the room, growing more and more worried by the second. The sound of heavy wingbeats brought her attention away from the crowd as her sister landed down beside her.
"Hello, sister. Art thou enjoying the Gala?"
Celestia chuckled at the thought. "Oh, it is the same thing every year dear sister. I am awfully glad you are here to share it with me though." The younger princess turned away from the railing and gave her sister a hug. Celestia smiled as she realized how much taller Luna had gotten since she had returned. Only a few more months before she was back to her original height. As the hug came to an end, Celestia brought up what had been worrying her only a little while before hoof. "Luna, remember those ponies who saved you?"
"Of course We do, the new Elements of Harmony, correct?"
"Yes, you see, ever since the day they received that title, they have always been together." She pointed out Dawn in the crowd. "But Dawn is all by herself. I can't seem to find the others anywhere." She scanned the crowd again. Where could they be?
"Well, We think they all went their separate ways this evening."
Celestia perked up. "Why is that, sister?"
"We ran into Twilight Swish quite a few times tonight. She was trying to get an audience with the Magnabolts." Luna recounted her experience to her sister. "And then she flew off to help the orange pegasus with the apple stand"
"Apple Jet." Celestia supplied. She supposed a millennium of practice did help one remember names. Then her face morphed into one of confusion. "But why was she running the apple stand? I remember specifically signing off on a permit for Rainbow Zap."
"Are they not sisters?"
"I think something went wrong tonight, and not in the way I had hoped."
"Thou hath not stopped thine schemeing in a thousand years, We see." Luna gave her sister a mirthful smile.
Celestia laughed. "You can't blame me, sister. The gala has gotten so boring over the last few decades. All it needed was a little nudge."
Luna stepped forward to nuzzle her sister. "Thou shall..." The Princess of the Night stuck her tongue to the side as she tried to recall the colloquialism her nephew had introduced to her. "You should 'hang tight.' We will go find the prince to oversee the last details of the gala, and then we shall go have some fun together. Gummy has been telling me in his little excerpts from Dawn's letters about this great donut place down the road. Thine sister has a plan."
"Thank you so much, Princess!" Gummy declared as he tossed another macaroon in his mouth. He and his six ponies friends were gathered around a circular table at Donut Joe's. Princess Luna had gathered them all up and brought them to Gummy's favorite place in all of Canterlot. She had had to royal order a certain white-coated prince to take over the gala and leave the mares alone, but everypony else had gladly escaped their nightmare of a night.
"Yes, thank you Princess Luna," Dawn added as she carefully fiddled back and forth with a white powder donut. "And I'm sorry, everypony. I know this wasn't what you girls were looking forward to, and I got you hyped all up for no reason."
"I know it wasn't the best night," Apple Jet replied, "But it wasn't the worst. I'm just glad to be back together with my friends..." Then she leaned over and put a hoof around Rainbow Zap's neck, "...And my sister. Speaking of which, Rainbow, where in Equestria did you get off too? Twilight ended up finding me herself when everything was almost out of stock!"
Rainbow Zap sighed, as she pushed her sister's hoof off of her. "I somehow winded up in the VIP lounge. Some of the Wonderbolts thought I was some pegasus by the name of Windy Whistle. It took me a while to get out of that conversation, but then I couldn't find my way out. I swear the only reason I'm not there anymore is because Princess Luna flew overhead and found me."
"Well, at least we made a buck ton off of your apple sweets."
"That we did."
"And at least I got to see the gardens and the gazebo, even if I had to deal with a clingy prince the entire time. I'm so glad you swept in, Princess Luna, or I don't think he ever would have left me alone." Rarity giggled, despite how draining the night had been for her.
"And I got to meet the prince, even if he wasn't all he's cracked up to be." Fleur added, giggling along with her friend.
"You'll find your prince charming someday, Fleur, even if he's not the actual Prince Charming." Rarity assured her, before they both burst out into a fit of giggles.
"And I might have not gotten to meet the Magnabolts, but I got to hang out with Princess Luna for awhile, and she's pretty awesome." Twilight gave the Princess a hoof bump. "I mean, this night wasn't a total waste."
Dawn smiled. "I guess not. I did get to make a lot of connections with other ponies. I think my party business might just take off." She finally took a bite of her powdered donut. "Mmm, Donut Joe, how do you manage to make this taste so good? What is your secret?"
"Well if I told you that, I'd have to kill you." He winked at her, to show he was joking, mostly. "The Celestia Creme donut is our most popular here--"
"The Mare in the Macaroon is waaayyy better." Gummy interrupted, tossing another one into his mouth.
Donut Joe chuckled. "That reminds me, Gummy, I need a taste tester." He hovered a tray from the kitchen over to their table. On it was a squiggle of a donut that ran from gray to brown to red. Different kinds of sprinkles of varying colors were all sorts of shapes: bat wings, bird claws, feathers, scales, regular sprinkles, and even a Hearth's Warming Eve tree. "I call it the Discorded Donut. Like your macaroons, this was inspired off of an Old Mare's tale: the Creature of Chaos. I'm thinking about releasing it on Nightmare Night, just like I did with the Macaroon's last year."
Gummy was already halfway through the donut before Donut Joe had finished his spiel. "It tastes good....like choclate milk and cotton candy? How did you do that?"
"If I tell ya, I'd have to kill ya, remember?" The whole table burst out laughing, even the princesses. "Now, when did you want your next batch of Macaroons?"