A Good Day

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The smell was the first thing that let her realize she was swimming back to consciousness; no dreams lingered in her mind, just the warm, empty blackness of having her eyes closed in a warm, huge, comfortable bed.

They were hearty, thick smells, and she inhaled deeply, registering them, taking the measure of them; the warm smell of oatmeal and apples being cooked. It made her aware of the hunger deep inside her; she twitched in her state of sleeping twilight, eager to rise and partake.

Yawning, her eyes opened, and she blinked at the light streaming in until her eyes adjusted, looking up. The morning simply felt good, and the urge to laze in the bed was unusually strong; she didn't hop out of bed to begin her day like she normally would. It took her a few moments to realize the window the sun was streaming in from was square, not the usual ovoid of the window above her own bed; and the quilted blanket around her was not her own, either. The bed, predictably, wasn't hers in turn, and she squeezed her eyes, feeling a slight pointy object poking her in the chest.

Eyes narrowing down, she looked down at her body, focusing on the quilted blanket above her. It wasn't hers; it was much heavier than the blanket she normally slept under, but it wasn't uncomfortable, owing to how the window had been left open.

Smiling, she let energy run through her, her eyes focused on it; the blanket began to glow a bright purple, a color that reciprocally flooded the top of her vision as the horn growing out of her forehead glowed in response. A light flick of her head sent the blanket hovering up into the air, and she folded it as it levitated, then set it on the bed next to her.

The blanket out of the way, she looked down to see what she suspected the object poking her was; her writing quill, and laying flat next to it was a parchment. These, too, she attached her telekinetic consciousness to, levitating them, orienting the parchment so she could read it. It was her own writing, but she must have been so close to falling asleep when she'd penned it that she forgot writing it.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned how being able to accept a friend's assistance and hospitality is as important as being willing to offer them to a friend in need; not to feel as if you're imposing, but to look upon it as a chance to spend time with those close to you.

I also learned that when someone is trying to offer you something, being too polite to accept it can be as bad as being greedy, or taking advantage of someone's kind nature; not to mention it can be frustrating if everypony involved is too nice to accept it for themselves and bring everything to a stalemate. As is often the case, compromise is the best solution, and it can bring you closer to your friends than ever before.

Signed, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
P.S. It's been awhile since I've sent one of these myself, hasn't it?
P.P.S. Applejack says 'hello,' though she might be talking in her sleep.

She giggled to herself as she read the post- and post-post script notes, and considered slicing the parchment to remove them, but decided against it. Carefully she rolled to her side, her legs extending over the side of the bed; she didn't want to hop out and step on something, and this was an unfamiliar place to sleep. Her pair of bags were sitting next to the bed, she extended her telekinetic grasp around them; lifting them, she rolled out of the bed, landing on her four hooves and stretching out, bending her forelegs to reach forward, then stretching her hind legs out behind her as well, before lifting herself back upright.

“Spike?” She looked around the bedroom she found herself in, looking for her constant companion, but the small dragon was nowhere to be seen, nor did he answer her calling his name. Shaking her head, she set her saddlebags back on the floor, and slipped the inkwell and the note in, rolling it up and resolving to have him send it later.

The previous day and night came back to her as she stepped out into the hallway, looking left and right, searching for the way down the stairs. It had started when Spike had complained that he had been itching in the night. When he'd got up, however, he had been covered in termites.

That had precipitated a zealous search to find them all, after calming Spike down from his rather understandable panic attack and dousing the collateral damage from his terrified attempts to clean himself off with fire. Distressingly, there were quite a lot of them, in the beginning stages of infesting the library, a building hollowed out of a still-living tree. Frantic, she had evacuated the library's contents, and started searching for spells to help her; she had found one that could restore damage done by pests to a still-living tree, but they would have to be removed first, and after her disastrous attempt at convincing the parasprite swarm to move on, she didn't intend to experiment with on-the-fly spellcasting on an infestation of pests again.

She had galloped into the Everfree Forest in search of a solution, and the strange, yet wise zebra who lived within had once again been able to provide that solution, traveling to the library that Twilight lived in, concocting a brew in her cauldron that had solidified when dumped onto the floor. As effectively as if it had been magic at work, the termites had swarmed into the gooey amber-and-green mass, which Twilight had picked up and returned to the cauldron. Zecora had dumped them in the forest on the way home, but had cautioned that not all would be gone, and had left a second brew in the middle of the tree, a steaming, foul-smelling orange potion that was heating itself (and would for a day, thanks to something she had dropped in,) and made Twilight's eyes water and nose sting.

Zecora had been certain that it would drive any termites which remained far away, and then Twilight would be able to restore the tree. Unfortunately, by then, it was very late, and she couldn't stay at home because of the poison fumes. She had packed her bags and set out, and after she'd stored the library's books and furniture in the town hall, she had realized she needed a place to sleep.

One by one, she had gone to her friends, asking if they knew of any hotels or inns she could stay in; only Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had; the one Pinkie had volunteered had no vacancy, and the one Rainbow Dash had known was in Cloudsdale, so Twilight had vetoed it, as her hot-air balloon was in storage with the rest of her things and getting it out, unpacking it, making it ready, and then flying it to Cloudsdale would have been far too much work simply to find a place to sleep, especially with the necessity of then enchanting herself, Spike, the balloon, and anything she brought with her to stand on clouds instead of falling through them.

All of her friends had offered to let them stay with them (even Rainbow Dash, who had volunteered to carry her up to the home she had made for herself out of clouds above Ponyville,) but she had turned each down in kind, not wishing to impose, and vowing to find lodgings she could pay for. Applejack had been the last she had spoken with, owing to her farm, Sweet Apple Acres, and especially the farm-house, being so far from town. Applejack had regretfully informed Twilight that the only inns she knew of (other than the one Twilight had already tried,) were all in other towns. Dejected, Twilight had thanked her and turned to leave.

“Where do you plan to go,” her orange-coated friend had asked, and Twilight had no answer, saying she'd figure something out.

“You mean you'll look until you're exhausted and crawl under a tree to sleep,” Applejack had shot back, and Twilight could only hang her head and say “Probably,” as she started to walk down the path away from the farmhouse.

“Well, shoot girl, didn't nopony else offer you to stay with them,” Applejack had asked, and Twilight looked up to find the earth pony walking beside her. “No, everypony did,” she said, looking down, embarrassed, “but I don't want to impose.”

Applejack had walked up beside her, looking her in the eyes as if she were odd. “Twilight, it ain't no imposition for you to sleep over at a friend's house when yours can't be used. You remember that time you let me an' Rarity stay at your place when we was caught in that huge storm?”

“Well... Yeah,” she had murmured to her friend, and Applejack had simply laughed. “Then why you so insistent on finding yourself a hotel when you can just stay with a friend?” “Well, I-” “Shoot, you nothing. It's getting dark, don't be a silly filly, just turn your tail 'round and come on back,” Applejack had insisted. “Granny's got dinner cookin', and she always makes enough for guests.” Applejack had swung her flank, making her tail – tied up in a ponytail – swing wide and smack Twilight playfully, in the rear. “Or am I gonna have to rope you to get you to come on in and sleep like the rest of us civilized ponyfolk, 'stead o' sleepin' under a tree like a critter.”

“You like sleeping under trees,” Twilight shot back, and Applejack laughed. “Sure I do; when it's by choice, like when I want to go campin', or sleep under the stars. You wanna go campin', then come on back, get some dinner, then I'll get my saddlebags an' such, and we can head on out an’ pitch a tent.”

Twilight sighed. “You're not going to just let me go, are you, Applejack?” She looked to the side, to see her friend had broken into a broad grin. “As my big brother would say, 'nnnnnope!'”

As she had at the time, Twilight chuckled, her hooves making a quiet clopping on the wood floors as she delicately descended the stairs, towards the source of the delicious smells. “Good... Morning?” She peered around the corner of the stairs, through the Apple family's living-room, and smiled as she heard voices from the kitchen.

“Good morning,” she repeated as she walked into the Apple family's kitchen, where all of the local members of the family were gathered around the huge table; Big Macintosh, every inch as tall as Princess Celestia's younger sister, Princess Luna, bright red of fur and orange of mane, and by far the most mighty equine Twilight knew, sat opposite her as she came in, his expressive face twisting into a welcoming smile as she walked through the door. He was wearing his huge wooden yoke, as he always did.

To his right sat Granny Smith, the third-most ancient pony Twilight knew (after Princesses Celestia and Luna,) her fur green and her mane white as snow. She was ancient and wrinkled, but smiled as warmly as her grandson. “Well, don't just stand there,” she said in her lovably honest, creaky old mare's voice, “get in here, sit down, and get some breakfast 'fore you waste away!”

Twilight laughed, walking to the table to take her seat. She was hardly thin, but she still smiled. “Thank you, Granny Smith. I will.” To her right – Big Mac's left – sat Applejack herself, her hat pushed back down her neck, hanging by its drawstring. “Sleep well,” she asked, and Twilight smiled. “Yeah, I guess I did. We should have sleepovers more often,” she said, as she looked around. “Is Spike – oh, there you are.”

Spike and Apple Bloom were sitting together, with her companion dragon under Apple Bloom’s place at the table, tickling the youngest Apple family member. Apple Bloom herself had bright yellow fur the color of Applejack's mane, with a bright red mane and tail the color of Big Macintosh's fur; to see them together, even without knowing their names, one could reasonably assume they were kin, if not the siblings they were. The smallest pony in the house was laughing, trying to push Spike back under the table with her foreleg, which he evaded and moved in to tickle her again. “H-H-Hi, Twilight,” Apple Bloom managed between fits of giggling, while Spike turned his head to look up at her and waved one hand at her. “Good morning!”

“So... Did I, uh, miss something,” she asked, nodding her head towards Apple Bloom and Spike in the midst of a silly battle. “Eeeeeyup,” the huge stallion across from her confirmed; Granny Smith and Applejack looked as if they were close to cracking up, while the more reserved Big Macintosh still looked mirthfully amused by it. “You... Gonna tell me what?” “Nnnnnope,” he answered her, then broke into a chortle. “Y-You had to have been here t' see th' start of it,” Applejack added, as Apple Bloom finally succeeded in pushing Spike away, under the table, and landed her front hooves on the kitchen floor, triumphantly. “Yes, I win!”

Granny Smith broke into a chuckle. “That you did – now hush up and feed the poor thing 'fore he wastes away,” she demanded, and Apple Bloom nodded. “Alright, Spike, hop up.” She raised her foreleg again, and Twilight's companion dragon scrambled up the young filly, hopping up to the table's surface itself. “Dig in, Twilight” he advised her with gusto, as he raised a slice of fresh-cut bread with rainbow-streaked jam spread on its surface, taking a large bite.

Her eyes went wide with delight, and she grinned. “Zap apple jam,” she exclaimed, giving a short laugh. “I didn't think there was a jar left to be had in all of Ponyville! I ran out months ago.” She immediately levitated the rainbow-filled jar and the knife in it, simultaneously pulling one of the slices of the fresh bread onto the plate that had been set out for her. As she started to smear, Applejack chuckled. “Sugarcube, you're on the Apple family farm, remember? Us runnin' out of our own famous zap apple jam would be like you runnin' out o' books, or, or...” “Or Fluttershy running out of critters,” Apple Bloom supplied cheerfully, prompting Spike to get in on the action, “or Rarity running out of... Of...” “I get the picture,” Twilight said, cutting him off before he could say something that might reveal the worst-kept secret of his crush on her friend and make him start to stammer with embarrassment. “And... Thanks,” she said, with a smile, lifting the warm bread to her head and leaning forward, taking a bite.

Despite being mashed into jam, then gathered with a knife and smeared, zap apple jam always maintained its rainbow-shaded stripes of color, each stripe a different flavor akin to a different fruit, such as cherries for the red stripe and bananas for the yellow. The flavor of apples undercut it all, while the electrical tingle that bore witness to the dramatic way zap apples came into being tingled on her tongue.

She loved it, and displayed that delight, her eyes half-closing as she savored the cornucopia of flavors on the bread, letting out a long, low, ecstatic moan of appreciation. She was overplaying it, but the zap apple jam really was that good, in her estimation, especially for the last zap apple harvest being so long ago that this taste of it was more like getting the next harvest's batch early. “I missed this,” she murmured between mouthfuls, precipitating the rest of the diners at the breakfast table to chortle at her.

“You sure you're eatin' right,” Granny Smith cackled at her. “You sound like y'ain't had anything good t'eat fer months!” Twilight tried to mutter something noncommittal through her bread, but Spike spoke up clearly, saying “Twilight hardly remembers to eat anything when she's got her nose in her books. She's gotten better since we came to Ponyville, but she'll still read through the night until she passes out if I let her.”

Embarrassed, Twilight sighed, swallowing. “Come on, I'm not all that bad...” “You may not be, but here, eat up anyway.” Applejack leaned forward, nosing a large, hearty bowl of oatmeal at her, and leaned over to poke her with her shoulder. “Try the jam in it,” she stage-whispered, “with milk an' a bit o' honey.”

“Okay, okay,” Twilight said with a laugh, preparing the oatmeal as directed, while the assembled diners around her resumed conversations that had evidently been put on hold for the duration of Spike's playful contest with Apple Bloom. The words tuned out as she let her friend and her family chat, Twilight simply finding the bubbling murmur of conversation to be a welcome respite from the many breakfasts she had shared with only Spike.

Hrm... I need to think of a way to have breakfast with my friends more often, she thought, as she levitated the bowl to her mouth, tilting up carefully, and smiling at the oatmeal. “Y'okay, Twilight,” Applejack asked, and Twilight set the bowl back down, smiling at her. “I'm fine, AJ. Just... Reflecting.” “Well, awright,” her earth pony friend replied, turning back to her own breakfast.

The night had been tricky, too; Twilight had been under the impression that there was a guest bedroom somewhere in the Apple family's enormous farmhouse, but it turned out not to have been the case. “Don't sweat it,” Applejack had said. “You'll sleep in my room.” Twilight had agreed, but was confused when she found that Applejack's room had only one bed in it. “I don't... There's only one bed, Applejack.” “You sleep on the bed, Twilight, an' I'll take the floor, silly.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, that's okay. You can have your own bed – besides, your rug looks comfy enough.” “I insist, Twilight – the guest gets the bed.” Twilight shook her head, sliding her saddlebags off. “Not gonna happen, AJ. I'm not taking your bed and making you sleep on the floor.” “Well, I sure ain't sleepin' in bed while a friend o' mine sleeps on my floor.”

They stood at an impasse, looking at one another for a few moments. “Well... You're not going to get in the bed if I lay on the floor, are you,” she asked, and Applejack shook her head. “I reckon not... An' yer not gonna get in the bed, either, are you?”

Twilight had shook her head. “I'm not taking your bed and leaving you on the floor.” “Welp, that settles it, then... I reckon we'll both havta sleep on the floor.” “I suppose so,” Twilight replied, moving her saddlebags away from the rug and slowly bending down. Applejack sat down facing her, and they lowered themselves to lay on the floor, heads beside each other. Twilight pulled the huge pillow off the bed and slid it under their heads, then turned onto her side; Applejack followed suit a moment later, and the backs of their heads came to rest comfortably against one another.

“Good night, silly filly,” Applejack murmured to her, and Twilight nodded. “Goodnight, stubborn mule,” she replied, and the both of them cracked up in a quiet chuckle. Some time later, when Twilight felt half-asleep, Applejack had murmured, “Twilight? Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?” “That we're both really stubborn and so worried about being nice to each other that we wind up seeming something that's not so nice, even though we both want nothing but to be the best of possible friends to each other?”

“No. Well, yes, but no. I'm thinkin', 'long as we're gonna be sleepin' on the same thing –” “We might as well sleep on the bed,” Twilight finished, with a giddy giggle. “Applejack, you're a genius.”

Laughing softly, they climbed into the bed, Twilight going first and sleeping closest to the window. She closed her eyes as Applejack slid in behind her, the earth pony murmuring, “Good night, Twilight.” She murmured back “Goodnight, Applejack,” and before long, Applejack was asleep. She felt herself going, but then realized that the situation she had had all day was something Princess Celestia would probably want to read about, and had levitated her inkwell, quill, and a parchment out of her saddlebags.

When she rolled to her back, she realized that Applejack was either nearly or completely asleep, her eyes closed, tucked in close. The shifting had rolled her enough so that one of Applejack's forelegs slid under their shared pillow, and the other stretched out, over her chest. She couldn't help but smile, whispering to herself as she wrote out her letter, dictating it to herself. Applejack murmured 'hello, your majesty,' when Twilight had whispered Celestia's name, and she smiled as she finished the note by mentioning that.

She finished eating her oatmeal at the same time she finished reflecting on the events of the previous night, with a broad smile on her face. “Never tried oatmeal like that before, huh,” Applejack quietly asked, and Twilight shifted to grin at her. “Nope! I like it.” “That's good to hear. Y'need any help moving your stuff back into your library?”

“Um... No, I think I'm okay. Don't you have work you need to get done?” “Well, sure. There's always work to do on the farm, 'cept in wintertime. Don't mean I can't make time – Applebuckin' season and cider season are behind us, an' the timber wolves ain't started to howl, so zap apple season ain't on us yet.”

Twilight chuckled softly at her friend's explanation, and nodded. “Alright – so, you looking forward to the Running of the Leaves?” “You betcha,” Applejack said, standing up and stepping back, pawing at the kitchen's floor. “I reckon I'm even faster'n I was last year!”

“But sis, you took last place last year,” Apple Bloom pointed out, and Applejack sighed. “Well, yeah... But that's only 'cause I got too caught up in wrastlin' with Rainbow Dash. This year? I'm all speed, filly.”

Their breakfast party was breaking up; Granny Smith had stood up and was walking out through the front room, while Big Mac shook his head, knowingly, with a smile on his face, as he walked out a door to the outside. Twilight chuckled. “You get so worked up over races. I just like to run,” she opined, and Applejack chuckled. “That's so, huh? C'mon! I'll even give you a handicap – Apple Bloom? You wanna ride?”

Laughing, the smaller filly stood up, and jumped, landing atop her sister's back. Twilight couldn't help but grin, turning to follow Applejack out, though she let out a gasp when she felt a weight land atop her own back; looking back, she saw Spike, straddling her and leaning forward. “You ready,” he asked, and she rolled her eyes, laughing. “Sure, I guess, if you wanna come.”

“T'ain't hardly a handicap if you got one o' your own,” Applejack said as they left the door. She let out a whistle. “You really don't have to give me a handicap,” Twilight said, watching for the expected appearance of Applejack's dog. Her exceptions were confirmed; Winona, brown on top and white on her underside, came pelting out from around the side of the house, and leapt up on Applejack's flank, settling in against Apple Bloom's rear legs, the filly standing upright, carefully balanced on her older sister's back. “There, that should be fair,” Applejack said, and Twilight could only chuckle. “Alright, alright, if you insist. So, where are we going?”

“Well,” Applejack murmured, starting to walk forward, down the heavily-packed dirt path from the house, “how about we go to th' fences an' run 'round the farm?”

Twilight chuckled. “The whole farm, huh?” “Sure. You're gonna be in th' Runnin' again yerself, right?” “Uh, yeah...” “Well then.” Applejack chuckled, and broke forward into a trot. Twilight could only smile, stretching her legs and following her far-more athletic friend's lead. She didn't expect to beat Applejack, but she was going to try, especially when she felt Spike bend forward, over her neck. “C'mon, Twilight,” he encouraged her, and she let out a laugh, picking up her pace to draw back alongside Applejack.

“Y'all okay back there,” Applejack asked, and her filly sister laughed back. “We're fine, Applejack! Give it to her, go, go!” Applejack responded by breaking into a canter, pulling away as she turned right, to run along the fence-line, and Twilight turned into the turn to give chase.

She wasn't a very athletic pony, but Twilight enjoyed the friendly competition nonetheless, and even for a pony her friends occasionally ribbed as an egghead, she still relished the opportunity to stretch her legs and run. Applejack certainly looked sufficiently handicapped, with her sister standing upright on her back, balancing carefully, and her dog laid flat out over her flanks, rising and falling without a care in the world.

“She's pulling away, Twilight, pick up the pace,” Spike urged her from behind, his small, three-fingered dragon hands holding onto her mane. “I know you can catch her!” Twilight shook her head, annoyed. “Don't hold my mane, it hurts,” she admonished him, “and if I catch her now, I'll be dead tired by home stretch. Just watch.”

The talkative baby dragon let out a sound of exasperated impatience, but he settled back, bracing his hands around her front shoulders and watching with a worried hiss of breath. She leaned into her trot, pushing, but not quite breaking into, a full canter. Up ahead, Applejack looked back when Winona let out a bark, and pushed herself faster, pulling away, to the delighted cheer of Apple Bloom.

They pulled away faster, and Twilight smiled. She didn't expect to win, but she was going to try, by doing exactly what she had done during last year's Running of the Leaves. Applejack had been distracted that time by her quarrel with Rainbow Dash and had tied with her for last; this time, she wasn't distracted, but was burdened with her sister and dog on her back. Twilight wasn't sure just how much of a burden they really would be, though; Applejack wasn't as massive or as mighty as her brother, but she was unquestionably the strongest pony of her size that Twilight knew, and probably tied with Rainbow Dash for being the most athletic, and most competitive.

That was her edge, she thought; make Applejack break into a full gallop early, then she'd be tired and slow down when she couldn't see Twilight behind her, letting Twilight catch up, but fresher. She felt the magic start to spark through her horn, but shook herself out of it before she projected an illusion of herself and Spike gaining on Applejack.

“What am I thinking,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Applejack's my friend, and this is just a friendly run.” She knew full well how much Applejack hated to feel as if she'd lost some kind of athletic competition because a Pegasus or Unicorn had cheated, using her wings or magic to do things she was incapable of. She could only conclude that Applejack's competitive spirit was infectious, and she laughed, letting the earth pony pull away.

No, I'm going to do this fair, Twilight resolved, watching Applejack pull away. The farm's terrain was quite hilly, and the trees weren't always in neat rows, but there were no trees too near the fence, giving them plenty of space to run. Twilight ran, pacing herself as quickly as she dared, but as a unicorn pony she was simply built with less muscle than the earth pony, and even with her additional burden, Applejack pulled away.

“We're losing them, Twilight,” Spike complained behind her head, and she shook it, her pink-streaked purple mane flopping back in his face. “I know that, Spike,” she complained. “I can't keep up with her for long.”

“You're doing better than you were at the last Running of the Leaves,” he opined, “I think you can go faster,” but she shook her head. “I-I can't.” Still, she tried, picking up her pace a little, as she rounded the corner of the farm. Climbing up a hill, Spike gasped, pointing above her. “There they are!”

Twilight sighed. “I can see them,” she murmured, as she caught sight of Applejack and her riders, descending a hill in the distance. “She looks like she's slowed,” Twilight murmured. “Like she's not running as hard as she can.” “Think she's gonna do the same thing you're doing?” “Probably. She's no dummy, Applejack.”

“Tell me about it.” They cantered past a field where Big Macintosh was working, evidently clearing away dead trees; most of them still had their leaves, but the one he was standing in front of didn't. Twilight watched as he turned around, took a deep breath, and bucked.

She'd seen Applejack buck trees; she planted her front hooves and gave a mighty kick with both of her back legs. She could make all the apples on a tree fall off in one titanic blow; when she had first seen it, she was amazed, but she knew Applejack considered her own skill at applebucking to be nothing compared to her big brother, and had said that he could do what she did with only one leg.

He didn't, though; Big Mac planted his forelegs and jumped his flanks into the air, slamming his rear legs into the tree, with what looked like all of his strength. It wasn't a small tree, either; not huge, but not small. Still it issued out an almighty crack, fractured cleanly through; the top portion of it slid off the stump and fell over with the unmistakable sound of timber falling. Applejack whistled at him, Apple Bloom yelling her greeting, and Twilight did the same, yelling out “Hey, Big Mac,” as she passed him. Spike leaned back and waved; Big Mac simply nodded as they ran past.

By the third turn around the squared-off Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight felt as if Applejack seemed to be slowing down, and nodded to herself. “This is it, Spike. When she takes the turn...” They passed under a low-hanging apple-tree, and she felt, more than saw, Spike jump up, grabbing onto a hanging stick as they ran past; it came off with a thwack of what was most likely the sharpened spade-end of his tail, and he flopped back down.

Oh great, is he gonna... Yep. Applejack rounded the corner after a look back; Spike gave out a yell of “Charge, Twilight! Charge!” His left hand grabbed her mane, and she saw him thrust the stick out forward.

She wanted to roll her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to be more than mildly annoyed at her companion's enthusiasm; the last time he had gotten to ride her at full speed, he had thought they were going to rescue Rarity from a bunch of hulking, subterranean canine bipeds called Diamond Dogs, though it had turned out more that they needed rescuing from Rarity, thus spoiling his theatrical hopes of riding dramatically to her rescue.

The stakes here were much lower, but Twilight still obliged him, turning the corner and breaking out, into a full gallop; the place they had started from was in view, and she was going to give the friendly contest her all. She stretched her legs to full extension, digging in; dropping her head, and galloped, her breath coming hard and heavy, each of her hooves hitting the ground in a furious four-beat rhythm. Spike held on for dear life as Twilight accelerated, quickly hitting her fastest pace, pushing herself. Her legs and flanks and shoulders complained, but they responded as she focused all of her will not into her magic, but into her body, intent on covering the distance between herself and the gate out of the farm as quickly as possible.

She got a head-start on her charge, closing quickly with Applejack, but Apple Bloom looked back and saw them approaching at a full charge. “They're gainin', sis!” She leaned into Applejack's direction of travel, bending her legs to come closer to her sister's back. “Go for it!”

Twilight knew that Applejack had to be tired from their run with both her younger sister (who weighed much more than Spike,) and her dog riding on her back, but the competitive earth pony still responded, leaning forward and bending into a full gallop of her own.

Twilight was going faster than she was when she broke into her gallop, and continued to gain, until her horn was being brushed by Applejack's tied-up tail, but she couldn't gain any more, and then Applejack started to pull away, bounding hard and fast across their effective finish line.

They both slowed down, breathing hard, coming to a stop under the shade of a huge apple tree; Apple Bloom cheered, though Spike sounded disappointed, dropping his stick and hopping down. With him off her back, Twilight took the opportunity to flop over, onto her side, panting hard.

“Y'outta... Breath?” Applejack asked; she was still on her feet, over Twilight, but she looked nearly as winded as the unicorn pony, sinking to her knees a moment later. Twilight nodded, gulping for breath; her muscles ached all over. “You need t' whip yerself into shape if yer' gonna Run the Leaves with us,” Applejack admonished her, then flopping onto her own side, laughing.

“When do I have time,” Twilight asked with a laugh, letting out a snort as she shook her head, trying to clear her lungs as fast as possible to suck in another gulp of precious air. “Make time, silly,” Applejack said back. “I'm winded, but I could go again if'n I had to.”

Laughing softly, Twilight looked up to see that Apple Bloom had joined them on the grass, rolling around on her back, while Spike simply sat, looking glum. “Awh, why the long face, Spike,” Applejack asked, and Spike sighed. “I was hoping Twilight would win,” he murmured, and Twilight smiled. “It doesn't matter, Spike. We ran our best. Applejack's just better.”

“Don't sell yourself too short,” Applejack murmured, looking her in the eyes. “You ran hard and smart. If I'd run dumber at the start, or if I'd had Apple Bloom, Winona and Spike an' you didn't have nothin' on toppa you, you mighta won.”

Unable to stop herself from grinning, Twilight reached up, pressing her hoof into Applejack's nose, crinkling her short muzzle up a bit as she did. “That's nice of you to say, AJ,” she replied, breath coming more easily. “But you're just so much better than I am. You're an incredible athlete. I was lucky to take fifth place last year, and I'm sure I'll do worse this year.”

“You're better'n you think,” Applejack said after pushing Twilight's hoof down. “Heck, if Rarity an' Sweetie Belle could come in second in the Social last year, you can Run the Leaves. You just gotta make the time to run yerself into shape.”

“Maybe,” Twilight replied with a yawn, as the drain after the run hit her. “But I don't know if I can make the time.” “Well, you'd better, 'cause I don't wanna see you pull in any farther back than third this year!”

Grinning, Twilight nodded. “Alright, I'll try...” She rolled to her legs. “Speaking of which, when is the Sisterhooves Social this year? I wanna come watch.” “It's this Saturday,” Applejack replied, shaking her head. “You got your nose in the books so often y'never watch what's comin' up.”

“Yeah, I know, I know.” Rising to her feet, Twilight stretched her body out again. “Thanks for the run, AJ.” “It was fun,” her orange-coated friend replied, turning to walk with her back to the farmhouse. Winona, Apple Bloom and Spike joined them, the dog excitedly running ahead, Apple Bloom cheerfully walking beside her sister, leaning on her, while Spike dejectedly plodded behind them. Applejack looked back, and sighed, stopping, letting him catch up. “C'mon spike, buck up,” she said, prodding him in the back with her hoof. “Y'lost, deal with it, move on. Twilight an' you put in a good hard run. Nothin' to be down about.”

“I... But...” “But nothin',” Applejack said, lowering her head and giving the baby dragon a strong push forward. “You put forward your best, nothing to be ashamed of. Now c'mon, let's head on back an' grab another apple or two, I'm peckish after that run.”

“Yeah... Okay,” Spike replied, starting to walk farther, faster, pulling up beside Twilight and Apple Bloom. He had just held his head up high again, when he clapped his hands to his mouth.

“Spike?” Apple Bloom looked over at him, worried, when the baby dragon let out a tremendous belch, accompanied by a spout of green flame that singed into the air. The flames swirled upward, dissipating at the end of Spike’s flame range, materializing into a thickly-rolled up piece of paper and a scattering of golden cards.

“What in th'... Is that what I think it is,” Applejack asked, as Twilight levitated them all into the air. “Let me see. It's...” She telekinetically popped the seal on the rolled-up scroll, unrolled the top and read aloud. “My dearest student, I apologize for the lateness of this letter. I meant to send word out with the first wave of invitations, but Discord's return swept it from my mind, and by the time the kingdom was back in order, I had forgotten. Enclosed you will find an official invitation for yourself, your good friends, and Spike, as well as the usual flier...”

Twilight separated the sheaf rolled into the scroll, which Spike took from her telekinetic grip, reading, “Hear ye, hear ye! Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala, to be held in the capital city of Canterlot, to be held...” He skipped to the bottom with a dismissive wave of his hand, “Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle and seven guests.”

“Wow,” Applejack murmured. “Really? I thought after last time, we'd be thrown in a dungeon if we set hoof in Canterlot anytime near the Gala.” “Oh, come on, Applejack, it wasn't that bad...” “Twilight, did we not attend th' same Grand Gallopin' Gala last year?”

Twilight tried to hold a straight face, but couldn't, cracking up. “Okay, it was pretty bad,” she agreed, with a chuckle. “Disastrous would be a better word for it!” They both cracked up, while Apple Bloom bounced up and down. “Ooooh, read it, read it, read it!” “Okay, okay, hold your hooves,” Twilight quietly murmured to the filly, finding her place in the letter she was reading from her teacher. “... as well as the usual flier, and invitation cards. I do hope this year can be as exciting and lively as last year, and with any luck, we'll get some more time to spend with each other.”

Giddily, Twilight let out a squeal of pleasure. “Oh, that would be so wonderful! The princess taking time to talk to me again! Let's see... There's a lot more here, though.” She unfurled the scroll, finding more was written below, in a darker color of ink.

“Twilight,” she read, again aloud for the benefit of those with her, “I also must put a large responsibility on your back this year. Thanks to a scheduling conflict, the royal caterers will be handling the tricentennial celebration of the settling of Manehattan at the time of the Gala, and will not be able to manage both functions. I promised them to Manehattan and I won't break my word. With that said, I need you to arrange for the Gala to be catered. I trust you and I know that your organizational skills will be up to the task. Enclosed are details about the spaces that will need to be decorated, the approximate number of guests that will need hors d'oeuvres and other snacks, and the budget. Staff won't be an issue, as the castle's own staff is remaining in residence. You are hereby authorized to write promissory notes in my name.” Twilight blinked, and let out a startled sound as the parchment glowed, the last sentence she had read aloud triggering a spell enchanted into it. The sentence itself seemed to sear in her vision in a bright yellow glow, which shot from the parchment and up; it formed a glowing aura around her horn, settling in slowly and fading.

“Twilight? Y'okay? What was that,” Applejack asked her, waving a hoof in her face, and Twilight shook her head to clear it. “Yer' eyes went big as plates there.” “I... I know how to conjure Princess Celestia's royal seal,” she murmured, blinking. “Wow. I didn't even know she could do that,” Twilight enthused.

“Do what,” Apple Bloom asked, jumping up in front of her, excited. “Impart the ability to cast one of her spells,” Twilight murmured. “At least, not like... Like that. It's like it just... Shot into me.” She turned the parchment over, focusing on the unwritten back of it; the purple aura of her horn, active because she was telekinetically holding the parchment up, had yellow bleed into it as she tested the ability. It was the strangest thing she had ever felt; not like casting a spell so much as focusing on the intent to accomplish the spell, and her magical talent took over from there, conducting a series of instructions programmed from outside.

The yellow glow her horn was generating seared a glowing rune on the paper – reminiscent of roundness but irregular like a seal made in hot wax dripped onto a parchment and then stamped, a glowing outline with Celestial's royal crest within, a stylized drawing of an alicorn mare, sitting regally.

“Pretty,” Applejack murmured. “What else is in th' note?” “Um... Let me find out.” Twilight turned it back over, and unfurled the scroll down. “Below you will find budgetary details, and several promissory notes already drafted, waiting only for you to fill in the amounts and place my seal.”

Scrolling down, Twilight glanced at the figures, with Applejack reading over her shoulder; the earth pony gasped. “Great googly-moogly, is that your budget fer th' Gala?!” Twilight gulped, looking up and down. “Uh... No, that's just the catering budget. The decoration budget is separate.”

Applejack shook her head, snorting. “That's jus' crazy. Y'could hire the whole Apple clan to cater th' Gala wi' that much and we'd still all be makin' out like bandits!”

An awkward moment passed, with Twilight blinking, then looking at Applejack, who nervously shook her head, looking down. “Now, I-I didn't mean to imply... Shoot, we all went crazy on you last year when the dratted tickets showed up, I wasn't tryin' to.. I didn't mean ta...” Twilight couldn't help but laugh, and leaned herself against Applejack's side. “It's okay. I know you didn't... All the same...”

“What? N-No, be serious. Only one pony who wasn't Rarity bought any o' my apples last year,” Applejack said. “They'd think we's a bunch of uncouth bumpkins.”

“But Applejack,” Apple Bloom half-whined, bouncing up. “We are a bunch of uncouth bumpkins, remember? Rarity said so!” “Now, I don't reckon she ever quite meant that,” Applejack reassured her sister, curling her foreleg around Apple Bloom and pulling her close to her chest, hugging the filly. “But regardless, I... I don't think it's a good idea,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “What if they don't like it?”

Twilight bit her lip, thinking about it. “Maybe you'd better see if you can find some other caterers, sugercube. I just don't... Well...” Applejack swayed, nervously, and Twilight sighed; her friend was fearless and level-headed at times of crisis, but skittish at the thought of returning to the Gala. “I don't know, AJ... The royal caterers were the only ones in Canterlot, and I've only ever lived there, or here in Ponyville... And the only ponies I know who do catering are the Cakes, but the Gala's much too large of a job for them alone. Are you sure you can't talk your family into doing it?”

“Talkin' 'em into doing it ain't what I'm worried about,” Applejack murmured, shaking her head. She looked down at Apple Bloom, who looked excited by the prospect. “I'll... Well, I reckon I'll talk it over with Big Mac an’ Granny Smith, but I ain't promisin' nothin', y'hear? I ain't convinced it's a good idea.”

“All right,” Twilight said. “I'll look around... But I think it might just be the best idea I've got.” “Alright. You'd best go give out the rest o' those tickets.” Twilight nodded, and levitated the pack of golden cards. One of them she passed to Applejack, who held her hoof up to take it, and stuffed it under her hat. The second she handed to Spike, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

“Ooooh! Can I have one?” The young earth pony filly jumped up in front of her, bouncing with the seemingly infinite energy she and her two best friends seemed to possess. “I – ah...” Twilight blinked; there were only seven, just enough for her six best friends and Spike. Applejack stepped in to save her, though, turning her sibling around. “You don't wanna go, Apple Bloom. Trust me on that; it's a very stuck-up party, and just about nopony would wanna play with you.”

“Oh...” Apple Bloom pouted, lowering her head, and Twilight nodded. “Besides, last year it was a complete disaster. I couldn't get five minutes to talk to Princess Celestia, Applejack sold one pie all night, Rarity's Prince Charming turned out to be the most selfish, rude, snobbish boor in all of Equestria, Rainbow Dash didn't get to talk to the Wonderbolts because they were too busy talking to other ponies, nopony appreciated Pinkie Pie's attempts to make things fun, and, to top it all off, the animals in the royal gardens were so terrified of Fluttershy's attempts to make friends with them that they stampeded through the ball-room.”

Apple Bloom looked up at her in disbelief, but Applejack nodded. “It's the honest-to-Celestia truth, every last word o' it.”

Applejack's proclamation of Twilight's honesty left Apple Bloom looking stunned. “Wow. The Grand Galloping Gala – ain't it supposta be the best night ever?” “You'd think. It wound up being more like the worst night ever,” Twilight replied, with a soft giggle. “It was really bad.” “It sounds like a disaster...” Twilight nodded. “So, you still gonna go,” Applejack asked her, and she smiled. “Of course! You can't just say 'no', can you?” “Well, I reckon ya can,” Applejack opined. “But... Would you?”

Given food for thought, Twilight looked up towards the sky for a few moment, then shook her head. “No, I guess not.” “Welp, you know what this means?” “I have to talk Pinkie Pie into decorating reservedly?” “No... Well, yes, an' good luck with that. But I mean, it means we're gonna have to get new dresses.”

Twilight gasped softly, then dipped her head down. “Oh... Wow, yeah. Ours kind of got...” “Ruined? Th' boots on mine were still good, least 'till I let Apple Bloom here borrow 'em for somethin' an' she went and splashed 'em all through the mud, but I used th' rest o' it fer' rags a long time ago.”

“Wow.” Twilight laughed. “Rarity would buck you if she heard that.” “Mos' likely, so let's not tell her, okay?” “Okay. I'd better go round up everypony else and tell them we've been invited and all. Let's meet up at Rarity's in, say, two hours?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Gives me some time t' talk to Big Mac and Granny. Y'all take care now.” Applejack gave her a nudge with her hoof, and Twilight nodded, turning around. “Okay. You two, Applejack. See ya, Apple Bloom.” “Bye, Twilight,” Applejack said, and Apple Bloom bounced. “Bye... Hey, wait, you didn't say what day it was on.” “I... Oh, that wasn't on my scroll. Spike?”

“Huh?” The baby dragon looked up, then shook his head, looking back down at the flier announcement in his hands, scanning it. “It looks like it's on the... Twenty-third of next month.” “Huh,” Applejack said. “That's... Well, actually, that'll fit in neatly between zap apple season an' Nightmare Night. That's convenient.” Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Good-bye,” she cheerfully said, as the Apple sisters repeated their good-byes.

Twilight turned around, walking down the path, and Spike hopped up on her back. “Here, Spike, hold these, would you?” He took them without saying anything, and she looked back. “Spike? You're awfully quiet.”

“I dunno, Twilight,” the small purple dragon said, sitting astride her back and gathering up the scrolls and cards she'd handed him. “Last year was an epic disaster... Is this year gonna be just a rerun?” “Oh, Spike, you worry too much. We're going to go to the Grand Galloping Gala, you, and me, and Rarity, and Applejack, and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and we're going to stick together, and we're going to have the best night ever this time. Because we'll all be with our friends! And maybe this time, Princess Celestia will be able to be with us, and who knows – maybe my brother and Cadance will show up, and maybe even Princess Luna.”

Spike chuckled, and nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice, wouldn't it? And hey, if the night turns into a disaster again, at least we can meet up at Pony Joe's for donuts and coffee, right?”

Twilight laughed, softly. “You're too young for coffee, you know that.” “Awh... Twilight,” he whined, and she grinned. “No 'awh Twilight,' we both know what it did to you last time. You can have milk, or maybe apple cider.”

“Apple cider... With donuts?” Spike grew silent, pondering the ramifications of that, a slow smile spreading across his muzzle.

When Twilight had left, Apple Bloom took a hop, and started off, running across the farm. An idea burned in her head, and she needed to meet her friends to discuss it. She hoped they were where she was heading, running hard and fast through the farm's trees. She ran up to it – the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse, which had once been Applejack's old, dilapidated clubhouse until the fillies took it over. “Hey,” she yelled at the top of her lungs, slowing only slightly as she charged up the wooden ramp, taking the right-angle turn in the ramp hard and looking in. “Anypony here? Hello?”

Neither of her best friends made themselves known, and the clubhouse didn't have anything big enough to hide them in in its base. She tried running up the side ramp to the second level inside the tree's branches, but was disappointed to find her constant companions to be missing.

“Awh...” Sad, she turned and walked back down the ramps. “Where could they be,” she wondered, sitting on the landing at the entrance. It not being a school day, they wouldn't likely be at school, as they hadn't any plans or schemes in the works. If they were scattered, then finding them would be difficult; Sweetie Belle might be at her big sister's home, she might be at her parents' home, or she might be somewhere altogether unrelated. Scootaloo, there was no guessing, except that the young pegasus filly was almost unquestionably in motion. If she were on her scooter and rolling, Apple Bloom had little to no hope of running her down, even if she had tied her wagon to the back of the scooter and was carrying Sweetie Belle.

“Maybe I can hear her,” she murmured, aloud. Scootaloo's unique use of her wings always made a distinctive, loud, low-pitched droning buzz. She tilted her head up, listening, in the hopes that she might hear Scootaloo's approach.

To her surprised delight, Apple Bloom thought she did hear Scootaloo's approach. Stretching her head up and tilting from side to side, she smiled as she honed in on the direction they were coming from; towards the farm's gate, of course.

Giggling to herself, she leaned back, clopped her hooves together, and rubbed them. “Oh, I have a plan.” Climbing back to her hooves, she jumped down, running out towards the sound. As expected, her best friends were traveling through the farm at a clip which even Applejack would be hard-pressed to match. Scootaloo was on her scooter, of course, her coat as orange as Applejack's, her mane hidden under her white-striped purple helmet, with her purple tail flapping out behind her. She was leaning over the handlebars, her small wings flapping at a dizzyingly fast pace, providing the motive power for the combined contraption of her scooter and the wheeled, metal wagon behind it, its handle-bar tied to the scooter's back.

Within that wagon, predictably, Sweetie Belle was sitting at the front, hanging on and cheering the pegasus pony on; Sweetie Belle herself was wearing her own helmet which restrained her pink-and-purple mane, her curly locks tight under it, plastered against her white coat. Though she looked every bit as potentially fancy as her older sister, she was cheering for Scootaloo to go faster, rowdy and ready.

Their approach was rapid, and Scootaloo didn't really have any way of braking the contraption other than to stop flapping and let the heavier wagon pull the scooter to a halt; trying to brake as she would without the wagon would result in the wagon running into her rear. When she saw Apple Bloom materialize through the trees, she stopped flapping, and Apple Bloom dodged to the side, then leapt for the wagon, jumping in behind Sweetie Belle. “Girls, girl, girls,” she excitedly yelped, “I have a plan! A magnificent plan, even!” “A plan? For what, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle asked her, and Apple Bloom sat in the back of the wagon, planting her forehooves on her hips. “Girls? We are going to the Grand Galloping Gala!”

The wagon coasted to a stop as her best friends turned around to look at her. “The what?” Scootaloo looked confused, but Sweetie Belle was excited, pulling off her helmet! “The Grand! Galloping! GALA! Don't tell me you've never heard of the most magnificent, munificent, magnanimous, majestic, most, most, most... The Grand Galloping Gala!”

Scootaloo blinked, curiously, and Apple Bloom laughed. “It's this huge party the Princess throws every year. It's supposed to be the best party in the world!” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Last year it was about all my sister could talk about for a while; ponies meeting, ponies greeting, music, the Princess herself, and how she was gonna meet a Prince Charming!”

“Uh-huh... An' did she?” “Well, she did say she met a prince, but she didn't talk about him,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “Maybe he was already married?”

“Maybe,” Apple Bloom said. “But Twilight an' Applejack were talking about it, and when I asked for a ticket, they started to talk about how bad it was,” she said, bouncing out of the slowing wagon excitedly, hopping around it.

“Um... If it was bad, why do you wanna go,” Scootaloo asked, and Apple Bloom grinned. “That's just it. After they told me how bad it was last year, they decided they were going to have to go again – and get new dresses. Now, call me a silly filly, but you don't really go and get a new dress made and go to a party you hated, did you? I think they didn't have enough tickets, and they didn't want to hurt my feelings, so they told me a bunch of bullhooey to make me not feel bad.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “That must be why Rarity didn't talk much about the Gala she went to last year; she didn't want me to be jealous!”

“Okay,” their pegasus companion said, nodding and stepping down off her scooter, pulling her helmet off and leaving it on the handlebars. “But... There's two – no, three problems with this.” “Oh, foo, there's always problems. What are they?” Apple Bloom asked, leaning on the wagon's side as Sweetie Belle hopped out.

“Well, problem the first is: I'm not seeing how this is gonna get us our cutie marks. The second problem is: there aren't enough invitations, right? What are we gonna do, steal some? And the problem number three is: if this is such a big party, what are we going to wear? I don't have any really fancy outfits or anything.”

Apple Bloom blinked. “I dunno about that dresses thing, but I've already got the first two down. We're going to get in by sneaking in, that's how! Twilight asked Applejack to cater the whole dang event. She will, she just don't know it yet; but, if the Apple family's a-caterin' the party, that means apples, and when that many apples are getting' moved, it means Big Mac's doin' the moving. And when Big Mac's haulin' apples, that means his big old wagon gets pulled wherever he goes.”

“I'm... Still not following you,” Sweetie Belle admitted, and Apple Bloom grinned, widely. “Him an' Applejack'll have to be away from the farmhouse for a while sooner or later, and Granny Smith don't hear none too good. We'll pull it out here with a bunch o' timber and build a false bottom into it! Then, when we're at the Gala and the party's started, we can climb out o' the cart and into the party!”

At the revelation of her plan, her friends started to grin widely. “Oh, that sounds good, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo enthused. “Heck, that sounds good enough to do even without any chance of getting our cutie marks!”

“Oh, but girls, don't you see?” Apple Bloom sat up, and grinned. “We'll be the Cutie Mark Crusader Party Crashers!” She held her hoof up, gloriously pointing it skyward, then fell over onto her back, giggling, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle following suit. “If we can pull this off, there won't be a party in all of Equestria we won't be able to sneak into. We'll be famous!”

She giggled at the thought, rolling onto her side and holding her front legs over her stomach until she could laugh no more. “I don't know about the dresses, though,” she admitted. Sweetie Belle grinned. “Oh, I do. I bet I can just talk Rarity into sewing us some nice pretty princess dresses.” “How?” “Simple: We want them for Nightmare Night!”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Well, that might work. But what do we do for real on Nightmare Night? We don't want to wear the same thing, do we?” “Sort-of,” Apple Bloom said. “We'll rough 'em up and add stuff, and be pirate princesses or something. Maybe zombie princesses or whatever, who knows?”

Rolling onto her belly, Apple Bloom looked up at her friends, who positioned themselves likewise, rolling into the three points of a triangle. “This,” she declared, extending her hooves forward, “is gonna be awesome.”

Both of her friends met her hooves with theirs, and the three of them broke into a grin. “Let's get to work planning,” Scootaloo said, and Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

The door’s bells jangled with a rougher opening than she would really have preferred her home and business to be treated; Rarity looked up from what she was working on in mild annoyance, which quickly dissipated when she saw the pony who had entered: cerulean-blue in coat and wing, with a mane and tail showing the bright color spectrum of a rainbow, the aptly-named Rainbow Dash looked somewhat puzzled as she walked into the Carousel Boutique.

“Rarity?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes fixed on her, and she nodded; by way of contrast, her own coat was the color of freshly-fallen snow, with her perfectly-curled tail and coiffure an alluring, refined shade of violet. She blinked, her large eyes seemingly magnified by the oval-shaped glasses she had been wearing, and flicked them up, a light blue glow surrounding them letting her telekinetically lift them and tuck them above her head, behind her horn. “Yes, Rainbow?” She stepped away from where she had been working; just a minor repair to the mayor’s favorite collar.

“Um... Am I the first pony here,” Rainbow Dash asked, and Rarity shook her head. “Not quite.” She turned to look at the sound of hooves; with coat and wings pastel yellow with a mane the color of pink cotton candy, the soft hoof-falls could only belong to one pony, their friend Fluttershy. “Rarity? I - oh.” She beamed a warm-hearted smile upon seeing that the pony who had entered the shop was one of her circle of closest friends. “Good morning, Rainbow Dash,” she murmured, her voice soft and warm, as she walked up to Rarity. She was balancing a garment on her back, folded and evidently unfinished. “I finished stitching this cloak’s pleats, is it what you wanted?”

A quick glow from her horn had her ovoid glasses back on her nose, and Rarity leaned over Fluttershy’s back to examine the stitches on the forest-green cloak. Although she had been using a machine - as performing such intricate work by hoof would have taken days - there was still a lot of skill and care that had to be put into the work. Normally, Rarity wouldn’t let anypony (except perhaps Sweetie Belle, though she knew that any garment her sister’s hooves touched was infinitely more likely to be written off as a learning experience than something she could sell) touch her equipment, let alone to work on something a client had commissioned, but the work was as flawless as if she’d done it herself. Fluttershy had delivered the pleated cloak with a three-thread overlock stitch for all the edges, two with threads the same hue as Rarity’s violet mane, the third a darkened shade of hot pink. It was a subtle touch, which delivered an elegant, curled design around the neckline.

It was beautiful; gorgeous, even. Lovely, and Rarity bit her lip. “Oh, it’s... Um...” Her kind-hearted, sensitive friend’s face became immediately crestfallen, and she apologized. “I’m sorry, Rarity,” she murmured, hanging her head. Rainbow Dash approached them, her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. “What’s the big deal, Rarity? It looks great.” She didn’t look so much accusatory as defensive on Fluttershy’s behalf, while the timid pony tried to murmur “I’m sorry.” Rarity shook her head, vehemently.

“It’s... It is fine. Beautiful, actually,” she said, gushingly, leaning her head down to nuzzle her nose into Fluttershy’s cheek. “It’s absolutely flawless,” she said, with a smile, lifting Fluttershy’s head with a hoof. “The mistake was mine; I forgot to tell you the client is a stallion.”

Fluttershy’s ears twitched, and she saw the problem. “Oh, no,” she murmured. “If I’d known that, I would’ve used two black and one red.” She hung her head again, and Rainbow Dash stepped back, recognizing the mistake and without any sort of useful input to give. “I can remake it,” Fluttershy whispered. “When is the client due?” Rarity glanced up at the clock, and winced. “Today. Within the hour, in fact.”

Fluttershy’s face took upon a look of abject panic, and Rarity shook her head, reaching up to touch her hoof to her friend’s nose. “There’s no way to get it remade that quickly. We’ll... We’ll just present it to him. Some stallions are secure enough in their masculinity to wear something with a splash of a feminine color. If he isn’t pleased, I’ll take the blame and remake it to his satisfaction at a discount.”

“Rarity, you don’t have to take the blame for me,” Fluttershy said, but Rarity shook her head. “Nonsense, dear, of course I do,” she assured her friend, putting her spectacles back above her horn. “This is my shop, I am responsible for the wares I purvey. The fault was entirely mine in not explaining to you the client was a stallion.” She levitated the cloak from Fluttershy’s back, and turned around, walking it over to a mannequin and hanging it over the display stand’s back. “Now, let’s put this up,” she said, and turned around, “and maybe one of you can tell me why my friends seem to be gravitating toward my shop today? Is there something I haven’t heard?”

Fluttershy simply shook her head. “Twilight came by my cottage and asked me to be here. She said she had something to tell us, but she didn’t say what. Since all my little friends were taken care of for the morning, I thought I’d just go ahead and come early.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, that’s more or less what happened to me. I was practicing a new trick - the double-reverse backwards loop, which should be pretty awesome when I get it right - and Twilight whistled me down. She said she had some kind of news to tell us all and wanted us to meet up... Not sure why she wanted us to meet up here, though.”

“Well, I certainly don’t mind it,” Rarity said with a smile. “Fluttershy here volunteered to help out.” “Awh, are you gonna put me to work, too?” Rainbow Dash said, putting a fake pout in her voice, and Rarity obliged her with a look of mock horror. “Good heavens, no. Although, it couldn’t hurt to have someone to help fetch things,” she teased, and Rainbow Dash feigned a shiver of horror.

“Actually,” Fluttershy murmured, “Um... C-Could you get us some breakfast?” She pawed at the floor with her hoof. “I kind of, um... Forgot to eat.” Her stomach let out an exaggerated growl, and Rainbow Dash laughed. “No problem. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she confidently said, turning and walking back toward the door.

It opened before she reached it, though, with a loud jangle of bells and a cheerful “Who’s hungry!” The warm aroma of freshly baked goods heralded the pony who bore them; with a bubblegum pink coat and huge, untamable curly locks of hot pink for her mane and tail, the exuberant Pinkie Pie walked into the shop, her back laden with saddlebags. Fluttershy’s face brightened immediately, her head raising fully.

Rarity let out a sigh; that was it for the work, then, there was no hope of getting any more done with Pinkie Pie in attendance, and her show-room was becoming crowded. She held her head up high, her horn glowing bright as she reached out into the air, grasping very nearly all of the furniture in the room. “Let me make some room for that, Pinkie,” she said, leaving her perpetually-cheerful friend smiling.

Glowing blue, the furniture began to rearrange itself to her direction, all of the pieces in progress lifting with the tables they were on, sliding to the back wall, while she picked up a big, circular table, moving it to the middle. Pinkie walked over to it before she had even released it from her telekinetic grasp, and swung her hips, deftly depositing her saddlebags on the table.

“You’re the best, Pinkie,” Rainbow said to her, sitting at the table next to Pinkie and opening the saddlebags; she pulled out a pair of boxes, one of which was full of donuts, the other which was full of muffins. Both had the look and smell of having been freshly baked. No doubt they were the work of her employers, the Cakes; if Pinkie Pie had baked them, they would have almost certainly have been cupcakes. Fluttershy echoed the sentiment, sitting to Pinkie’s other side and pulling a muffin to herself, hungrily taking the top off in one bite. Somehow she managed to make it look less ravenous than it was, and Rarity shook her head with a fond sigh.

“You should have told me you missed breakfast, dear,” she said, sitting at the table opposite Pinkie Pie, levitating a donut absent of glaze or frosting to herself. Fluttershy beamed at her, swallowing and saying “I didn’t want to be a burden.” “None of my friends are ever a burden,” Rarity retorted, and looked up at the sound of hooves on her steps. Pinkie had neglected to close the door.

“Howdy, y’all. Somethin’ smells good,” Applejack commented as she walked into the shop, though for some reason she was wearing Twilight’s saddlebags. Rarity breathed a sigh of relief that she had evidently wiped her hooves on the doormat before entering, and smiled as the manager of Sweet Apple Acres entered, pushing her hat back down her neck with her hoof. “Well, this looks like it’s almost a party,” Applejack commented, walking around the table, sitting between Rarity and Fluttershy. “Just waitin’ on Twilight to show herself.”

Rarity nodded. “Does anypony know what happened to her yesterday? Termites took over her library! I offered to let her stay here, but she turned me down.” Her friends shook their heads, each of them having the same story in turn; Twilight had turned up, asked if they knew of any hotels or inns she could stay at, then left when they couldn’t name any that were nearby. “I do hope she didn’t wind up sleeping out in the chill air,” Rarity said, and Applejack smiled. “Naw. I had to threaten to rope ‘er an’ drag her in, but I convinced her to stay with my family.”

The ponies around her table broke into a giggle, and Rarity couldn’t help but laugh in turn at the thought of Applejack and Winona herding a stubborn Twilight Sparkle and making her go inside to sleep like a civilized pony. It was good, having all - or almost all - of her friends congregating in her home on a bright, clear morning, eating from her table. Pinkie Pie looked almost ready to burst into song, Fluttershy’s wings were twitching as she gratefully finished off her muffin and tore into a donut, Pinkie whispered a joke into Rainbow’s ear, which made the blue Pegasus break into a giggle, leaning heavily on the table, while Applejack leaned up on the table, lifting a glazed donut with her front hooves and raising it to her mouth. “Ah’m not so hungry,” she said, “but this ‘un smells good,” she opined, taking a bite of it. Rarity smiled at her, taking a bite of her own; though she hadn’t skipped breakfast, she had awoken before dawn thanks to her cat’s sudden need to stalk her own tail atop Rarity’s bed, and had been working straight since breakfast.

“So, Applejack, do you know what this is all about,” Rarity asked. “That is, assuming Twilight hasn’t decided out of the blue she wanted her friends to meet up just to see us all?” “Nope. It’s kind of big,” Applejack says. “But I think she wants to tell y’all herself.”

“Come on... Just a hint?” Rainbow Dash asked, eagerly, leaning over the table, and Applejack laughed, shaking her head. A flicker of gold emerged from her hat, falling from under it and landing on the table. A quiet gasp went up from the assembled group of friends. “Er... Applejack, darling,” Rarity asked her, levitating the golden ticket. “Is this what I think it is?” It was, unquestionably, an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala, but she still felt compelled to ask, and give Applejack a chance to put it in her own words, or perhaps explain that it was last year’s invitation that she had for some reason saved. Rarity didn’t think that Twilight would have invited only one of her friends this year, but if she had, it wouldn’t be hard to get the truth out of the Element of Honesty.

“Er... Yeah, it is,” Applejack said, with a light blush. “There are enough for all of us, aren’t there?” Rainbow Dash asked, just a tinge of accusation edging into her voice; though she was impeccably loyal (as befitting the Element of Loyalty,) Rainbow Dash could be a bit covetous, and could easily feel hurt if it seemed like one of her friends was favoring one above the rest. “Why don’t y’all ask her,” Applejack replied with a relieved sigh, pointing with her hoof; behind Rainbow, Twilight Sparkle herself walked up into the Carousel Boutique, her ever-present companion Spike striding in her wake, carrying a large roll of paper in his arms. Rarity slid the levitated ticket back under Applejack’s hat, grinning.

“Oh, wow, everypony’s here already! That’s a relief,” Twilight said, as Spike bounced to her side and rushed past her; the exuberant baby dragon dropped his burden at the table’s side, scrambling up Rainbow’s back with a “‘Scuse me,” and hopping onto the tabletop. The group of ponies couldn’t help but laugh at him as he hungrily tore into the nearest muffin.

“Heck, Spike, y’all are actin’ like we didn’t feed ya this mornin’,” Applejack teased him; through the muffin, he muffled, “whah c’n ah sah? Ahm hungee,” taking a second bite before he’d finished the first, then gulping them both down.

Twilight sighed, sitting at the naturally open place at the table, between Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and tapped Spike’s head with her horn. “You’re going to make yourself sick, Spike,” she cautioned him, but he grinned. “I’m never sick! I can eat anything,” he confidently declared, with a laugh.

Rarity couldn’t help but tease him, saying, “Be that as it may, Spike, I haven’t known any mares who considered a big appetite to be a virtue.” The baby dragon was immediately paralyzed, in the middle of lifting the bottom half of his muffin to his muzzle, his eyes widening as he worked through what she said. It was the worst-kept secret in the world that he had a crush on her, not the least of the reasons which being that he, himself, had begun to confess it once when it seemed that they were about to plummet to certain death together, but he still attempted to maintain the pretense that it was a secret.

It was comically adorable, and she loved to tease him over it, especially in moments like this. Spike set the rest of the muffin down. “O-On second thought, maybe I’m not so hungry,” he said, and, saving as much face as he could, hopped down from the table, returning onto its surface with the bundle he had carried in. Twilight giggled softly. “Okay, everypony. I’ve got some news. Go ahead, Spike.”

Spike cleared his throat, and pulled the first roll of paper away, unrolling it. He repeated the clearing of his throat, and began with “Hear ye, hear ye,” launching into a full reading of the official announcement of the Grand Galloping Gala, and concluded with pulling a sheaf of golden tickets out of the paper, dealing them around the table like a deck of cards, skipping Applejack. The orange pony broke into a grin, and Rainbow slumped, slightly, in relief and a little glance of guilt towards Applejack.

The only long face at the table belonged, surprisingly, to Pinkie Pie, who stared at her ticket with a dour look of contemplation. Blinking, Rarity peered into her eyes. “Pinkie, darling, what’s wrong?” “I... I don’t think I want to go,” Pinkie said, her bouncy mane taking on a slight droop. That was a cue; her mane was naturally straight and limp, Rarity knew, it was her normal state of excitement and happiness which made it bouncy and curly, and as such, its status was a good indicator of her mood.

Rarity judged it to be a sudden wash of morosity which had overcome her; unusual for any of her friends, to say nothing of the Element of Laughter herself, and that made her worry. Pinkie lifted her head, blinking. “Am I the only pony who remembers the last one? Sure, the end of the night was great, but... The rest of the night was the worst night ever. Nopony there wanted to have any fun, they just stood around gabbing and gossiping, and, and they glared at me when I tried to cheer them up.” She nudged the ticket with her nose. “I mean... It was nice of the Princess to invite us, but... I’d just as soon stay here and throw us all a party, Ponyville style. You, and Applejack, and Rainbow, Fluttershy, Spike, Twilight, and me!”

A murmur of contemplation went through the table; Applejack remained quiet, though Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both voiced assent, Fluttershy timidly speaking up, “None of the little critters there wanted to be my friend, either. But a Pinkie Pie party would be really nice,” she said, and Rainbow Dash nodded. “I mean, I want to go, if only to see the Wonderbolts put on a show, but I know I’m not gonna be able to talk to ‘em this year, either... And the rest of the gala was a drag. I’d rather attend a Pinkie Pie party, too.”

Rarity could see the tide turning, and she had to sigh. Her socially-conscious side rebelled at the thought of missing the Grand Galloping Gala, but she admitted aloud, “I guess... I’d rather attend a party with my friends, too. Last time... Urgh. I’d love to go, but Prince Blueblood would probably be there again, and if I see him, I may throw a drink in his face... I’d much rather be with you all.” She smiled, though it wavered; it was the truth she’d spoken, but it was a hard truth to speak.

The vote of confidence in her had restored some of the lost bounce to Pinkie’s mane, but it fell again when she looked over at Twilight, who had her eyes closed. For a horrifying moment, Rarity though Twilight was hurt, and she leaned over the table, inhaling to try and reconcile, when she saw that Twilight was smiling.

“What if we don’t have to choose,” she said, opening her eyes, grinning from ear to ear. It left them confused for a moment, then Rarity blinked. “You mean, have a private after-party, Pinkie style?” It was a reasonable compromise; assuming they survived the Gala itself, that was. Nopony could throw a party like Pinkie Pie, and it would certainly make another disastrous Gala much more tolerable to know that her friends were going to congregate afterward.

“No,” Twilight said, with the grin evident into her voice. “I mean, the Grand Galloping Gala, entertainment provided by Pinkie Pie!”

A wave of surprise took the table over; Pinkie herself let out a soft snort of surprise. “Why.. I... Eh?” Pinkie looked at her, Rainbow leaning back to allow them to have a direct eye-lock, and Twilight grinned at her. “The Princess promised the Royal Catering Corps to Manehattan this year, and she’s given me the job of arranging everything - the food, the decorations, the entertainment... And I don’t know anypony who could decorate the entire palace... Except you,” she said with a grin.

Pinkie stared at her for a moment, then her mane and tail returned to their normal state of springiness with an audible boing! The pony herself launched into the air, bouncing from a full sit - no easy feat - in excitement. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I’d love to do it, I’lldoitI’lldoitI’lldoityou’llsee!” Her mane grazed the ceiling as she bounced higher and higher, across the table, until Applejack reached out, biting down into her tail, halting her next bounce early and pulling her back to the ground. “Woah nelly,” Applejack cried out, grounding Pinkie. “It ain’t like throwin’ a birthday party.”

“Well, I know that,” Pinkie said, looking back at Applejack as the other earth pony released her tail. “Duh! I was there, remember?” Applejack nodded at her. “Yeah. But y’all ain’t gonna decorate th’ palace the way it was last year, are you?” “Well, no,” Pinkie said, her eyes looking up, in contemplation. “But I can make it something those stodgy old fogies will like, and make it a Pinkie Party at the same time!”

She bounced again, clear over the table, and landed behind Twilight, turning around and hugging her, tightly, from behind. Twilight laughed as Pinkie Pie heavily came to rest on her back, her friend’s forelegs wrapping around her chest. “You’ll see! I’ll arrange the decorations and the entertainment and the music, and the Princess will love it, and all those old ponies will love it, and we will have the Best! Night! EVER!” Squealing with delight, Pinkie Pie bounced away from Twilight. “Oh! I’ve got to start writing letters,” she said, with a giggle. “When is it?” “Ah, Pinkie, it’s -” “On the twenty-third,” Spike said, and Pinkie gasped. “That’s next week!” She practically flew from the door, the speed of her departure causing enough of a breeze to make the cloak Fluttershy had stitched together to rustle, and left a pink blur in her wake that faded after a second.

“... Of next month,” Spike finished, and Twilight sighed, as Applejack chuckled. “Hey, uh, Rainbow Dash? Think you could corral her an’ bring her back? We ain’t done yet.” The pegasus stood up, and saluted Applejack with her hoof. “No problem,” she confidently declared, her wings spreading as she turned toward the door.

“Oh no,” Rarity murmured, her horn glowing blue, telekinetically taking hold of everything loose and lightweight; if Pinkie Pie’s departure had been akin to flight, Rainbow Dash’s literally was flight, the Pegasus’s departure leaving a rainbow-striped trail in the air and a snapping whip of air pressure gusting through the main room of her shop. Had she not restrained the pieces on display, the displaced air would have sent everything flying.

“Whew! Those fillies sure are in a hurry,” Applejack laughed, having caught the baked goods by stretching her forelegs around the table’s edge. “Now, I wanted to... Er... Hello?” A white-coated pegasus stallion with a short-cropped silver mane and tail had walked in, though he looked slightly shell-shocked. “Should I call again,” he asked, his voice quick and jovial, despite the surprise in his eyes. “Those two fillies who just tore out of here looked like they were in a hurry! Is this a bad time?”

“Oh, no, nonsense,” Rarity said, standing from the table. “Excuse me a minute, girls, this won’t take long.” Fluttershy shied away, backing up and almost hiding behind Applejack, as Rarity levitated the cloak the pastel pony had assembled earlier in the morning.

It won’t take long, one way or another, she thought, as she walked over to her customer, unfolding the cloak. “As requested, one pleated cloak, everfree-green. It’s thin in the middle, so as not to obstruct the wings, and certainly light enough to fly in without noticing any burden. Now, it will create some drag - that’s unavoidable with any loose garment - but it has a belt you can affix around your stomach to mitigate as much of it as is possible.”

The pegasus eyed the cloak up, critically for a moment, but broadening his mouth into a grin. “Oh, it’s great! I love the stitching,” he said, peering carefully at the hem, and Rarity allowed herself to breathe a slight of relief. “My daughter’s going to love it!”

“Er... Your daughter?” “Yeah,” he replied. “My daughter... Oh, did I forget to mention this was a gift for her?” “Um... It’s nothing,” Rarity said, pleased to have dodged a potential disaster. “She’s such a tomboy,” the stallion said, reaching back to open his saddlebags and pulling out a small pouch that jingled, setting it on a nearby table. “It’s a real challenge getting her to wear anything nice, but I think she’ll love this! Can you put it in a box?” “Of course,” Rarity replied; turning, she folded the cloak in front of her as she went, pulling a white box out of a shelf under her sales counter, depositing the cloak in it and putting the lid on, then tying it up with ribbon. “Here you are,” she said, levitating it into his saddlebags, and he smiled. “Thank you muchly. This place really is great,” he said, turning and departing.

When he was gone, Fluttershy let out an audible sigh of relief, followed by Rarity doing the same. “I guess sometimes, two forgetful ponies make one, um... Remembering pony?” She walked to her door, hanging the ‘busy, please call again’ sign on the front, and shutting it.

“What was that about,” Spike asked curiously, and Rarity chuckled. “Oh, just a potential slight disaster averted by two mistakes conspiring to negate each other. It’s really nothing,” she said, returning to sit at the table. “Now, where were we before Pinkie left... Oh, right, we were discussing the Grand Galloping Gala.” She grinned for a moment, then realized what she had just said, her eyes going wide. “Oh no! The Grand Galloping Gala! I have to make us all-new dresses, and I’ve only got a month to do it!!”

She felt dizzy, and swooned; instinctively she tugged her fainting couch over to her side, collapsing into it. “I... I... I’ll just have to do it! Somehow,” she said, though she left out a dramatic whine. “I’ve got so many other ensembles already in the works... I’ll just have to work night and day,” she declared, rolling to lay on her belly, looking up at her friends, “and maybe turn down new jobs for the next month.”

The door opened, interrupting her, and Pinkie Pie returned through the door, with Rainbow Dash following her. “I, uh... Jumped the gun a bit,” Pinkie said, and the rest of the ponies in attendance giggled softly. “A bit,” Rainbow teased her, pushing her in and shutting the door. “Now, where were we?” Twilight said, sitting up and placing her hooves on the table. “Pinkie, I’ve got a budget for the decoration and entertainment, you need to stay under it,” she cautioned, but the pink pony laughed. “Oh, Twilight. Have you ever known me to go overboard?”

“Oh, only on everything y’ever do, sugarcube,” Applejack said, which brought a chuckle from everypony, including Pinkie Pie. “Okay, but have you ever known me to go overbudget?” “Well, I’ll admit I ain’t ever known that to happen,” Applejack noted, and Pinkie grinned. “See? You can count on me!”

“Speaking of budgets,” Twilight said, turning her attention to Applejack, who nodded. “Well, I talked it over with Big Mac and Granny Smith, and Granny Smith just about ordered us to do it. Told us we needed to do it, if only to repay the Princess for givin’ our family the land that’s now Sweet Apple Acres.” She sighed. “I’m still not sure it’s such a good idea, after last year, but we’ll do our best.”

Twilight nodded. “Right. So, let’s see... That’s...” She pointed. “Applejack needs to rally her whole family into action to cater the event. Pinkie Pie needs to arrange the decoration and entertainment, and Rarity -” “I need,” Rarity declared, “To get to work on our new dresses, chop-chop!” She stood up off her fainting couch. “This may take all of my expertise to get them done and meet my other obligations. I wish I’d known sooner.”

“Um... R-Rarity?” Fluttershy peeked out from behind Applejack. “M-Maybe I could help?” “Ah? Yes - yes, Fluttershy!” Rarity grinned, broadly. “That would be very helpful. But do you have the time?”

“I... I can find it,” Fluttershy said, walking to her side, and Rarity smiled. “Okay! Let’s see... Fluttershy and I can handle the dresses. Pinkie Pie?” “No worries,” Pinkie cheerfully declared. “I can handle my end of this!” “Okay,” Twilight said, looking to Applejack. “Do you need anything?” “Well, I’m gonna need to get word to and from my kinfolk, and the mail’s a mite slow to coordinate something this big on notice like this.”

Rainbow Dash laughed, and leaned over to nudge her. “I’m the fastest pony in all of Equestria! I can get word to wherever it needs to be!”

Twilight smiled at her friends unanimously pitching in. Last year’s event had been a disaster, but it seemed like they were rallying to make this year’s the best night that it was supposed to be. She was going to have to keep an eye on them - make sure that Pinkie didn’t go too overboard, make sure that Applejack didn’t work herself to exhaustion, but the lessons of the past two years weren’t lost on them. She grinned. “Girls? Spike? We are going make this...” All of them raised their hooves (and Spike’s hand,) and declared, in unison, “The Best Night Ever!”

Empire of the Moon on FIMfiction.net
Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
Next Chapter: Reminiscences

Author's Notes:

So, here we go. Trying this again, now that I've been harangued into chapterizing the story on Google Docs instead of volumizing, I can import from Google Docs. Unfortunately, the formatting is still not great, I can't for the life of me seem to get the text to left-align properly, and FIMfiction doesn't have the fonts I like.

But at least it is properly grabbing italics/horizontal bars, so that's something. But still, for the full effect, including the footnotes which FIMfiction does not properly support, I most strongly recommend you read the story as a Google document, the way it was intended to be read. (And preferably with Firefox, as some readers have reported oddities on other browsers.)

Reminiscenses

Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
The Empire of the Moon on FIMFiction.net (not preffered: please read on Google Docs!)

“Twilight?” The voice whispering in her ear seemed miles and years away, tiny, as if she could simply ignore it and it would go away. The soft nudge to the side of her head bridged that seeming gap of time and space, pulling her towards awakening again. With a soft groan, she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to focus her eyes.

A pastel-yellow face with large, soulful blue eyes was peering at her with intense worry on her face, and Twilight couldn’t help but yawn, turning her head down to muffle it in the wooden planking she was laying upon; hardly the comforts of home.

“Y-Yes, Fluttershy,” Twilight managed to say through her yawn, looking up. “Are you alright?” “Mmmmh...” Her body ached and she felt extraordinarily tired. “I will be, if I can just... Have some time... To rest.”

“Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured softly, sitting down on her rump and peering down at, her face framed by her bubblegum-pink mane. “Did you get any sleep last night?” “Um...” Twilight honestly couldn’t remember, the prior day having been a fog. “I don’t know,” she weakly admitted, and Fluttershy frowned as Twilight looked up at her. “Did somepony put you up to checking up on me,” she asked, and Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no, Twilight. I wanted to check on you myself.”

Twilight crossed her forelegs together, and dropped her head into them. “Of course you did, Fluttershy... Thank you,” she murmured, grateful for her friend’s concern, and Fluttershy slid down to lay on the wooden floor as well, peering at her. “Twilight,” she asked, softly .”Are you... Scared?” “Scared? Me?” She blearily looked up, and yawned. “I’m terrified,” she admitted, candidly. “I know everypony’s been running her rump off to get everything done... I just... Feel like I’ve been completely useless, and I’m terrified that this will be a disaster to boot... And... I’m tired,” she whined; quietly, but genuinely.

Fluttershy bowed her head, her eyes closed. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “About all the same things.. I’ve done my very best, but... I...”

Twilight reached up, pressing her hoof to Fluttershy’s muzzle; pushing in against her nose, Fluttershy’s eyes focused down her leg at her face. “You’ve been doing spectacularly, Fluttershy. Everypony has except me... And I’m the only one who can’t keep her eyes open.”

Fluttershy nudged her, softly. “If you’re that tired, you should go to the caboose and catch some sleep. We’ll have plenty of time, don’t worry.”

Yawning, Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hooves. “Will you come with me,” she asked, softly, and her kindhearted friend smiled. “Of course I will.”

Fluttershy stood up, and nudged her head under Twilight, lifting her to her legs. She was shaky at first; she knew if she made any sudden movements, she’d become too awake to go back to sleep, which could be disastrous later on. She only had a little time to nap, after all, there was so much to do.

Her hooves felt as though they were made of lead as she trod through the train. Fluttershy opened the door to the back of the car she was in, and she gasped when she passed between the cars. “It’s dark!” Her heart started to thump, and she whined. “And we’re not moving. Oh no, what’s happened?” “Relax, Twilight,” her friend tried to assure her, but she didn’t feel relaxed. “D-Did I miss it? Did the train break down?” She jumped down from between the cars, looking around, blearily.

“Twilight, it’s two in the morning,” Fluttershy softly murmured, and Twilight felt as her heart had seized up. “T-Two in the morning?!” She looked straight up, and surely enough the moon was hanging high overhead. She felt a wellspring of despair come over her, and slumped into the gravel below her. “Oh, no... I missed the Gala? The Princess is gonna exile me.”

She felt the reassuring stroke of a hoof caressing her mane. “Twilight, it’s two in the morning before the Gala. We have plenty of time.”

Blinking, Twilight looked up at her. “We... We do?” Fluttershy nodded. “Then... W-Why was I on the train?” “You came to the trainyard to examine the train itself. See?” She pointed; at the head of the train Twilight had been on, there was no engine or tender, just an assembled consist of cars waiting to be hitched.

She could barely remember, and rubbed her eyes again. “I... I fell asleep inspecting the train? How did you know where to find me?” “You told us were you were going,” Fluttershy murmured. “Do you remember? Rarity and I were putting the finishing touches on the dresses. You’ve been running yourself all over Ponyville to check all of the preparations.”

It vaguely came back to her, and Twilight felt a quiver run through her. “Oh, no... Is everything -” “Everything’s fine, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured her. “Everything except the organizer being exhausted,” she said, with a bemused giggle. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed,” she murmured, nuzzling under Twilight’s belly, again helping the unicorn to her hooves. Twilight started to walk away from the train, and Fluttershy caught up with her quickly, laying her wing over Twilight’s neck. “Where are you going?” “Um.. Home?” She blinked, and when she saw the look on Fluttershy’s face, she knew that was wrong.

“Um...” “You need sleep,” Fluttershy softly said, tugging her back towards the train. “We’re pulling out of the station at six. Come on.” Fluttershy led her back to the end of the train, to the caboose, and nudged her up the stairs. Slowly, Twilight climbed up onto the high train, and entered the caboose, looking around. It was full of bunks, and she rubbed her eyes. “Nopony else is here,” she complained, and Fluttershy smiled. “I’m here. Come on.” Fluttershy lifted a weight from her back she hadn’t felt before, and Twilight realized that she had fallen asleep while wearing her saddlebags.

Fatigue washed over her, and she let out a quiet whimper, more crawling than climbing into the nearest bunk, and Fluttershy walked over, pulling the blanket up and over her. “Where’s Spike,” she asked, and Fluttershy smiled. “You don’t remember, do you? You sent him ahead to Canterlot to oversee the preparations there, stocking up the royal kitchens for when the Apples arrive and all that.”

Twilight sighed; she really couldn’t remember that at all. “When was that?” “Two days ago,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Go to sleep,” she encouraged her, and Twilight nodded, closing her eyes. “Um... Owloysius?” “Zecora’s taking care of our pets,” Fluttershy replied. “She’s house sitting at my cottage until we get back.”

Twilight couldn’t remember that. “Um... Did I get her to do that?” “No, that was me,” Fluttershy replied, as she blew out the lanterns in the caboose. “Go to sleep. Everything’s taken care of except you.”

She heard the sound of wings opening, and surmised that Fluttershy was hovering up to a higher bunk, but lacked the energy to investigate. Instead, Twilight simply turned to face the aisle of the caboose, nuzzled her head into the pillow, and closed her eyes.

By the end of the first week since they had vowed to make this Grand Galloping Gala the Best Night Ever, everypony had been feeling the strain. Rainbow Dash had been been flying all over Equestria, taking letters penned by Applejack to her extended kin. The immediate Apple Family had been busy testing out recipes with stored apples, Applejack having recalled her prior experience at the Gala and decided that they needed to find ways to make their fare fancier.

Rarity’s workload had increased dramatically with the addition of six dresses that needed to be fashioned on short notice, especially given that, as she was nearing the Gala, she already had several ensembles in the works for other clients. Fluttershy had volunteered to help her, of course, but it had meant longer hours and much less leisure time for both of them as they put work into clearing Rarity’s existing workload.

Pinkie Pie, of course, had been her usual hyperactive self, rushing, galloping, and at times seeming to outright teleport around Ponyville and beyond; which was absurd, of course, because Pinkie Pie was an Earth Pony, not a Unicorn, and not many Unicorns could teleport at that, yet Pinkie Pie sometimes seemed to do just that.

Her group of best friends had been running themselves ragged indeed, and she in the middle, trying to organize everything, creating promissory notes in Princess Celestia’s name as Applejack and her family tallied fees for things they would be called upon to do, as Pinkie Pie made purchases or hired subcontractors.

Had it been anypony else, she would have been suspicious of being cheated, but she couldn’t in her wildest imaginations consider that the Element of Honesty herself would indulge in any price-gouging, or let anypony from her family do so. Pinkie Pie certainly wouldn’t, either; in fact, Pinkie seemed to be going all-out, which was worrisome, though not financially so. Though she wasn’t normally a meticulous pony, Pinkie had been keeping records of her outlay. Even as the weeks ground on and she purchased more and more decorations and hired entertainment, she still seemed almost to be struggling to actually spend all of her budget.

Finally, it had all become a blur, between the preparations and the various social and other events they had prior commitments to; the Sisterhooves Social had come up on them almost as if they’d forgotten about it. Twilight had only remembered about it when Spike asked if she’d decided not to go, on the day of the Social, and she had only barely managed to teleport out to Sweet Apple Acres in time to witness the race.

It had been short, but fairly spectacular, with a race layout which she was told was basically the same as the previous year’s run, but with the obstacles in different places and a few having been altered slightly. Having learned how important the race was to her younger sister, Rarity no longer balked at it, and had instead turned up in a wide-brimmed lace hat she had fashioned just for the occasion, with a matching hat for her sister.

The assembled sisters had charged from the starting line to a wall of crates, two thick on the bottom with one sitting in the middle on top; most ponies had simply gone over it by climbing; Applejack propelled Apple Bloom up and over by spinning and bucking her sister, who had jumped, their rear hooves striking one another and sending the light filly flying, then Applejack herself had climbed over; Rarity, on the other hoof, simply leapt to the top of the middle crate and pulled Sweetie Belle up behind her, and they had charged on together.

Apple Bloom had a commanding lead over the rest of the pack reaching the next obstacle, having been launched directly to it by her sister’s mighty buck, collecting her chicken egg and balancing it on her nose as she went toward the collection basket, but she stumbled and shattered it on the ground just as she reached the basket. Turning back, she reached the eggs just as the rest of the pack did. Sweetie Belle and Rarity put on the best showing, collecting their two eggs between their noses and walking them together to the basket, Rarity leading and walking backwards, while Applejack and Apple Bloom put the two eggs on Apple Bloom’s shoulders and Applejack held them in place with her nose.

The pack next reached the mud trench; being flat and very wide, it was, Twilight suspected, going to be the dirt-averse Rarity’s biggest obstacle; while most of the ponies tried to leap it and failed, landing in the mud and bogging down, Applejack and Apple Bloom simply charged through side-by-side, not bogging down as much as the ponies who had leapt and sank their hooves into the bottom. Rarity surprised her; she charged through it as well, but with her horn glowing a brilliant blue, the standing mud parted in front of her, letting her run more easily, while Sweetie Belle demonstrated an almost Pinkie-like ability to simply hop over the mud on the surface. The real gainers at the mud pit, however, were a pair of Pegasi, who spread their wings and made the leap across in it’s entirety by gliding. Twilight didn’t really know their names, though she recognized them on sight; the older sister was powder-purple-coated with a mane the color of bright honey, the younger a bright-eyed filly with a mane the color of her sister’s purple coat and a powder-yellow coat of her own, roughly the color of threshed wheat.

Twilight pursed her lips; Applejack and Apple Bloom had fallen to third place, and it was primarily because the Unicorn sisters had used magic (or whatever it was that Sweetie Belle had done,) and the Pegasi had used their wings. Applejack wouldn’t take kindly to that, but Twilight hadn’t heard any rules about magic or wings being considered cheating.

They had then galloped around a long, arcing turn, returning the way whence they had come, and proceeding to the next obstacle, conveying a tightly-bound bale of hay from one line to another. Most of the groups had to stop and hoist their bales onto the elder sister’s back; Applejack and Apple Bloom had bucked theirs together, catapulting it to the second line, while Rarity and Sweetie Belle hit theirs at a full charge, embedding their horns and hefting it up into the air. Twilight was impressed at that, and the Pegasi, who seemed awfully competitive, had also employed more creative teamwork; the older sister flapped into the air, pulling into a tight loop around her bale, the vortex she generated lifting it into the air, while her sister grabbed the bale’s tight cord, tugging it toward the line.

Twilight had begun to suspect that if anypony were going to give her friends a run for the win, it would be those two; the three pairs made it half-way to the next obstacle before the other ponies had dumped their bales of hay.

The next obstacle was a doozy; a long line of baskets and metal tubs on the ground. Applejack and Rarity hit it at the same time, going in tandem, their hooves falling precisely in the center of each basket as they progressed. Twilight suspected that Rarity could have pulled ahead, being one of the most precise ponies she knew, but that Applejack was in front of her and she couldn’t get by. Their two sisters - two thirds of the self-styled Cutie Mark Crusaders - fared better, bouncing from basket to basket and tub to tub, weaving back and forth with only a half-jump between them. The pegasi sisters hit the obstacle just after the two fillies did, and simply went over it, the older sister lifting her younger and flapping up and above the whole obstacle.

They took the lead, passing over the obstacle and touching down ahead of Applejack’s exit from the field of baskets, and reached the next obstacle; apple tossing, where one sibling had to hurl apples from a bench while the other caught them in a bushel. The older sibling deposited her filly sister on the wing, and landed next to the bushel; she picked it up, rearing up, while the younger sister took aim and started to let fly, hefting the apples individually and chucking them like balls with her hoof.

Then her friends cleared the obstacle field, and ran up to the apple-throwing bench. They were slowed again; the older sisters were evidently going to pitch, with the fillies catching, but both pairs of sisters had evidently had a similar idea; Applejack spun and bucked her bench, sending the applies flying, while Rarity leapt on the end of her bench opposite the pile of apples, outward of the bench’s legs, catapulting them up and over her body. Both of the members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders hefted the bushels onto their heads and caught the whole load of apples at once, setting them down and breaking into a gallop, their older siblings pulling up next to them, with the pegasi still in the lead, though it was a diminishing lead.

Rounding the last corner, the two groups came to the third-to-last obstacle; pies. Evidently all six ponies in the lead pack were both famished and feeling fiercely competitive, as six pies disappeared in one gulp that made Twilight wince to behold, the obstacle effectively being a speed bump to none of them. The second-to-last, however, was another matter; the grape vats from the year before having been replaced with the Apple family’s hoof-powered cider press.

There was only one press, but three teams reached it at the same time. As Twilight tried to work out the logistics of it, they became apparent; Applejack, the elder Pegasus sister, and Apple Bloom leapt upon the conveyor belt that drove the massive stone crusher wheel; Sweetie Belle and Rarity delivered apples from the bushels nearby to the press’s crushing wheel via the chute, with Rarity’s eye for quality picking out the good apples and heaving the bad ones into a ditch, and the Pegasus filly worked the tap, quickly lining up and filling three barrels.

The crusher must have already been mostly-filled, Twilight thought, to have filled three barrels so fast, and she suspected it was. Still, she was glad that none of the teams decided to declare the first barrel filled “theirs” and gallop on; all three had worked to fill the three barrels, then charged onward to the last stretch; a straight-line dash to the finish.

Applejack took the lead quickly, but her sister, however athletic she was, wasn’t a match for Applejack in a straight-line gallop, if only because her legs were too short, so Apple Bloom repeated her trick from the practice run that Applejack had taken with Twilight, leaping straight up onto her older sibling’s back and crowing out a triumphant “Yeeeee haw!” as Applejack broke into a flat gallop, her ponytailed mane and tail flying behind her. The pegasi siblings and the unicorns broke into a rough neck-and-neck gallop, neither of those fillies having too much trouble keeping up with their older siblings.

It seemed as if Applejack and Apple Bloom were going to take it, when Rarity did something unexpected; she bent down and slid her head under Sweetie Belle’s body, then lunged, catapulting her sister up and ahead, at the cost of falling flat on the ground herself. Catapulted up and ahead, Sweetie Belle landed just over the line, just ahead of the Apple sisters; the Pegasi pulled in together, and Rarity brought up the rear, just as the next set of sisters was reaching the cider press.

Twilight had cheered, though she couldn’t remember who for, if anypony; someone sounded a loud whistle at the same time, and the exaltation of the finale so strong she felt as if the very earth were shaking under her, yet nopony else seemed to be bothered by the earthquake.

In fact, the earth under was moving - or rather, the bunk under her was moving. “Twilight?” It was definitely Applejack’s distinctive twang, and blearily, Twilight Sparkle blinked herself awake. She was in a rocking bunk; the whistle she had heard was a train whistle, and she was onboard the train that would take them to Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala.

Gasping, she looked up; her friend was standing in front of her bunk. “Applejack? Is she okay?” In sharp contrast to Applejack’s twang and drawl, Rarity’s voice was in a high-class, cultured accent that seemed to be unique to Rarity alone. Applejack turned to nod to Rarity, as the white pony walked into view. “Goodness, Twilight,” Rarity said, reaching up and placing a hoof gently on her forehead. “We’re here, it’s okay, there’s no need to scream.”

She blinked; they both seemed worried about her. “Um... I was screaming?” Applejack nodded. “Y’all woke Fluttershy up, screamin’ for Rarity an’ me. She ran up to the cars we was in to get us.”

Twilight blushed, slightly. “Uh... I did? Sorry,” she apologized, slowly pushing the blanket off her body and leaning her head off the side of the bunk. “I, um... Sorry,” she murmured. “I was dreaming.”

“Well, what could you have been dreaming about that made you need Rarity an’ me in such a great gallopin’ hurry, sugarcube?” “Applejack seemed bemused; Rarity, relieved. “I...” She chuckled, softly. “I wasn’t screaming for you, I was cheering for you. I was dreaming about the Sisterhooves Social.” She frowned. “Funny, I can’t remember who won. I remember you two, your sisters, and two pegasi hitting the finish line, but I can’t remember what came after that.”

Rarity blushed and looked away; Applejack coughed. “Uh... Well, see, about that...” “It was you, wasn’t it,” Twilight asked. “You and Apple Bloom crossed the line first, right?” “Well, we sort-of did do that, strictly speaking, though Sweetie Belle got there just ahead of us.” “Oh... So Rarity and Sweetie Belle took the blue ribbon?” “Not... Exactly,” Rarity demurred, scuffing her hoof on the carpet. “I got Sweetie Belle over the line first, but I was the sixth pony across the line.” “So... What happened,” Twilight asked, blinking. “Did those pegasi take it?” “Nnnnno, they didn’t, neither,” Applejack said, and sighed. “Granny Smith disqualified the lot of us.”

“All of you? All six of you?” Applejack nodded glumly, and Rarity looked guilty. “Yeah,” Applejack said, sounding embarrassed. “She reckoned we’d all done cheated an obstacle; Rarity when she used her magic to make the mud jump out of her way, Cloud Kicker when she picked up Alula and flew over the baskets, an’ me when I carried Apple Bloom for the hoofrace.”

Rarity sighed, sadly. “Sweetie Belle was quite cross with me for not wanting to get dirty so much that I cheated... Honestly, I didn’t think we’d be disqualified, or I would’ve just gone through,” she said with a sad sigh.

“Wow,” Twilight said, blinking, sitting on the gently-rocking floor. “I’m... Well, I’m sorry,” she said. “If none of you won, who did,” she curiously asked. “Welp,” Applejack said, “Golden Harvest and her sister Noi pulled into the finish line neck-and-neck with Berry Punch and Pina Colada, so Granny named all four of ‘em the first-place winners,” she murmured. “Fair’s fair, I guess.”

Twilight nodded her head; though she was still sleepy, and yawned involuntarily in doing so. When she looked back, she pursed her lips. “I wonder why I can’t remember it,” she said with a frown, and Applejack chuckled. “You don’t remember?” Twilight shook her head, and Rarity chuckled. “You saw us cross the finish line and turned around to run all the way back to town, Twilight. I think you had wanted to see Pinkie Pie for something.”

“I did? Oh, wow. Sorry...” Twilight yawned again, and rubbed her eyes with her hooves, then looked back up, blinking. “The last month has been kind of...” “Crazy? I’ll say.” Applejack sat on the floor of the train car, and gestured forward on the train. “I got so much o’ my kin on this train that it’s like an Apple Family Reunion all over again. Rainbow Dash is just about comatose, she’s been flying all over Equestria so long and so hard, she hasn’t even woken up from us talkin’ or the hooplah you were makin’ earlier.” Applejack gestured again with her hoof, pointing to a bunk above and forward from the one Twilight had been sleeping in, and Twilight saw the tip of a distinctive rainbow-hued tail sticking out from a lump of sheets, without even any snoring issuing from above. “Rarity and Fluttershy have been working night and day to deal with their normal stuff and get our dresses made.”

Twilight thought back on it, but she couldn’t actually remember what the new dresses looked like; she couldn’t remember if she had forgotten to actually look, or if she had been in such a hurry over the last month that she only stopped in long enough to speak with Rarity. The white unicorn looked both tired, but proud, and Twilight supposed that meant they were finished. “So... They’re all finished?” Rarity nodded. “Every last one! Fluttershy and I were putting the finishing touches on ours last night.” She smiled, sleepily, peering at Twilight. “I think you’re going to love the way you look in the one we made for you.”

“That sounds great,” Twilight said; after the disaster preceding the first Grand Galloping Gala she had attended, with the dresses on which Rarity had done absolutely everything the rest of her friends had suggested and wound up creating monstrosities only the ponies who had dreamt them up could love, she had learned to trust Rarity’s keen eye and judgement in matters of fashion. “When can we see them?”

Rarity laughed softly, and reached up, pushing her hoof into Twilight’s nose. “When we’re ready to get into them. I want this to be a surprise.” “Okay, okay.” Twilight yawned, as Rarity climbed into a bunk. “Where’s Pinkie?” “Up front with the musicians, I suspect. she’s got two whole car packed just full o’ decorations, and another packed full of the music. She’s takin’ up nearly as much o’ the train as my kin an’ all our assorted apples.”

Twilight groaned, and leaned the front of her body over the edge of her bunk, pushing her saddlebags open with her hoof. “She went overboard, didn’t she? All I remember was trying to make sure she didn’t do anything that the Canterlot crowd would think was too juvenile and that she didn’t go overbudget.” She telekinetically lifted her ledger from the saddlebags, flipping it past Applejack’s page of the budget - which was basically a promissory note signing the entire catering budget over to Sweet Apple Acres to hire her entire extended clan of farming and food experts. She knew that no matter how much Applejack may complain about ‘fancy mathematics,’ it was a front to maintain her country filly status; her older brother may have owned Sweet Apple Acres, but it was Applejack’s keen business mind that managed it, and the responsible orange Earth Pony could be entrusted wholly with minding the money.

Pinkie Pie’s section of the ledger, on the other hoof, was several pages long, and full of itemized lists, with itemized sub-lists. She blinked at that; it looked organized and neat, it was her own writing. It swam back to her; she had been running around so often, primarily because she was running to Pinkie Pie to make sure the pink-coated Earth Pony hadn’t gone overboard. She flipped down to the last page. “Wow. She spent every last bit... And not a penny overbudget.”

“Well, she did swear to you she wouldn’t go overbudget,” Applejack said with a chuckle, and set her own saddlebags on the floor. “Here, try this, Twi. You must be hungry.” She lifted a box out of them and set it on the bunk Twilight had vacated; opening it revealed a dozen flat miniature cakes, donuts, really, but with elegant frosting around the rims, and a slice of Zap Apple sitting on the top. Twilight levitated one, and took a bite out of it; the cake shell was vanilla, but inside was rich, creamy zap apple frosting. She swallowed it down, and blinked.

“Wow. That’s...” She grinned at the flavors lingering on her tongue. “Amazing. I didn’t even know you could make zap apples into frosting!” “Neither did I,” Applejack said with a laugh. “I realized early on that even with all my kin working together, none of us had all that much experience fancifying things to the tastes of royalty. So I subcontracted the Cakes and Pony Joe to help us figure out ways to make our apples - which you know darn well are the best eatin’ for hundreds o’ miles - into the best lookin’ eatin’ they can be. They, um... Well, they took to the job, all right. I think the Apple family repertoire is gettin’ expanded once all is said and done.”

Twilight laughed, and plucked the slice of fresh Zap Apple off the top of the cake, biting down on it, her eyes closing at the fresh, sweet, multiflavored taste of the magical fruit, swallowing it down. “I think they’re going to love it,” she said with a sleepy grin, and finished off the rest of the pastry. She handed the box back to Applejack, who tucked it safely back into her saddlebag. “I guess I should go see what Pinkie Pie’s done with my own eyes, huh?” “Couldn’t hurt,” Applejack agreed. “If you’re not too sleepy.” “I can sleep on the ride home,” Twilight declared, and sighed. “Or on the ride there. We’ve got a few hours, right?” “Yep. We just pulled out o’ the station a little while ago. C’mon.” Applejack turned and led Twilight forward on the rocking train, as Rarity climbed into a bunk with a yawn.

Sleepily, Twilight slid out of the bunk and followed her friend, though she felt leaden and weak, moving slow and carefully planting each of her hooves as she followed Applejack to the front of the caboose. Applejack jumped between the shaking train cars easily, but Twilight balked, blinking a few times, squeezing her eyes shut and watching the lamp-lit gap between the rocking platforms at the ends of the cars.

“Twi? Y’all okay?” She blinked, and looked up at her earnest friend, who was sitting on the platform at the end of the next car, off to the side. “U-um... I... I just...” “Twi, that gap is shorter’n you are.” “I know.” She could easily have stood with her forelegs on the passenger car ahead of them and her hindlegs on the caboose. “I just...”

“Y’all are exhausted, Twi. You sure you don’t wanna crawl back inta bed?” “More than anything,” Twilight admitted, sitting down and lowering her head from her friend’s gaze, looking at the gap. “But I don’t think I’ll get any sleep without seeing what Pinkie’s done.”

Applejack chuckled, wearily, and leaned up, placing her forelegs atop the railing. “Alright. Jus’ sit there. Close yer eyes, and take a deep, long breath.” Twilight did as she was told, holding her breath in for several long seconds, before letting it out. “Y’all are gettin’ yer strength back, right? That cake I gave you should give y’all a good jolt o’ energy.”

“I’m pretty sure it takes longer than two minutes for energy from a donut to metabolize,” Twilight said, with a weary chuckle, and Applejack chuckled back. “Are you? That’s funny, ‘cause y’alls ears are perkin’ up.”

Opening her eyes, Twilight blinked; suddenly the gap, which had seemed so long and dangerous before was nothing, and she smiled. “It was probably the breathing technique,” she murmured, even as she climbed back to her hooves, and took a step back, then jumped over the gap, landing cleanly beside Applejack, clearing the platform’s edge by a good leg’s length.

“Twi’, I am worried about you. Y’all have been running yerself harder’n I’ve seen you run yourself in a while.” Applejack pushed her hoof into Twilight’s nose, and Twilight’s eyes crossed as she looked down the orange mare’s leg as Applejack booped her nose. “I’ll take y’all forward to see Pinkie, but then you promise me you go back and get at least six more hours o’ sleep, y’hear?”

Twilight nodded. “Y-yeah. I will.” “Good. Don’t make me ask Big Mac to loan you Smartpants to get you back to sleep.”

She blushed lightly at the mention of her childhood doll, which Big Macintosh had walked off with after the disastrous incident in which she had caused a riot by casting a “Want it, Need it” spell on the ragged old doll. “Th-that won’t be necessary,” she assured Applejack, who smiled back at her. “Good! Now get up, let’s go.”

The next car did, indeed, look like an Apple Family reunion; Twilight hadn’t seen so many Apples in one place since the first day she had arrived in Ponyville; Big Mac himself was to the right of the door when Applejack opened it, curled up on the floor instead of laying in one of the benches, next to the heater at the end of the car on a woolen mat. Looking down at him, Twilight saw that he was indeed laying mostly atop her old doll, few would have suspected him of having it without careful observation. She wondered why a grown stallion would want it, but decided his reasons were his own and not for her to pry into.

The car was packed full of Apples, but the only fruit in sight was to be found on flanks; evidently the food cargo was in another car. Twilight looked side to side as they passed through the car; ponies were laid out in the benches, with a few laying in the aisle beside someone. Most were sound asleep, but at the far end of the car was an older stallion with an earth-toned coat and snow-white beard, mane, tail, and moustache, wearing a green coat and a green hat with a feather pinned to it by a pin in the shape of an apple, reading a newspaper under the lantern. Applejack and Twilight drew near to him, and he turned the page.

“Er... Beg pardon, uncle,” Applejack whispered as they drew alongside his seat, “But oughtn’t you be sleepin’?” “Sleep?” He let out a quiet snort. “When you get to be my age, you realize you don’t have too much time left to waste sleepin’. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Or dead tired, whichever comes first.” He flashed an irascible grin at them. “Why aren’t you asleep, mmmh?” “Ah... Well, Twilight here was hollarin’ for me in th’ caboose, so Fluttershy came an’ got me.”

“Mmmmmh. All right.” He smiled. “Go do whatever you two fillies need to do, but get back inta bed ‘afore you’re too awake to fall back asleep.” He took the feather from his cap, revealing it to be a cleverly-concealed quill, circled an article in his newspaper, and laid down, closing his eyes.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile, slightly, even though it made her feel a little sad. Applejack had an enormous extended clan; the Apple family was huge, and that wasn’t even counting the branches of the family who had taken on the names of other fruits, such as the Oranges of Manehattan. How she kept them all straight in her head, Twilight didn’t know; she would have needed a ledger with a genealogical tree to keep it all straight.

“Bit fer yer’ thoughts, Sugarcube?” Applejack had turned around, and Twilight found herself shaken from her reverie by Applejack’s face so near her own, and she blinked, smiling. “Sorry. I was just thinking about how big your family is... I’ve hardly got any family, really. I only know of my parents and my big brother and my sister-in-law... Heck, my friends in Ponyville outnumber my actual kin.”

Applejack smiled, and reached up a hoof again, crinkling Twilight’s nose. “That’s okay, sugarcube,” she whispered, leaning to the side and sliding her head alongside Twilight’s, nuzzling her cheek to cheek. “You’re from Ponyville now, an’ that means y’all have a family in all of us. An’ y’all are my best friends, too, so if y’all or any o’ our friends need a clan to call on, y’all’ve got the Apples. See? You needed us, and here we are.” Applejack gestured with her hoof behind Twilight, and Twilight closed her eyes, sitting in the aisle. It drew Applejack forward, as she’d expected, and Twilight raised her forelegs, wrapping them around Applejack’s neck and shoulders.

As expected, the Earth Pony stepped into the hug, wrapping her extended limb around Twilight’s shoulders in response, and Twilight sighed as she was embraced in turn. “Even though I’m a Unicorn?” “Even though.” Applejack leaned her head up, nudging Twilight’s horn with her nose, whilst grinning. “Nopony’s perfect, after all, but you’re one of mine, all the same.”

She knew it was just teasing, and Twilight sighed happily, squeezing Applejack a little tighter. “Thanks, AJ. I just wish I could remember everypony’s name.” Applejack let go, and grinned. “You’ll get it straight in your head if you spend time with ‘em. This here’s uncle Apple Strudel, fer instance,” she said, stepping back and gesturing with her head at the older stallion they’d spoken with for a moment. “Uncle, this is... Er... Uncle?” He was snoring softly, laid out on the bench, and Applejack’s face took on an expression of mirth. “Out like a light. C’mon, let’s go see what’s going on up front.”

They crossed to the next car, which was piled with cargo, with hardly any space to move through it; all of it was pre-loaded in large wagons which had been tied down, with extra bulk cargo hanging from the ceiling, in sturdy rope nets. It was very cold in the car, and probably intentionally so, so as to preserve the cargo. Twilight shivered, as they walked through the car, and chuckled. “Cold in here, huh?” “Yep. Don’t you recall enchantin’ the car to make it stay cold?” “Er... No, I don’t.” “Well, your ledger’s checklist says you did.” Applejack smiled. “I double-checked it when I found y’all and Fluttershy passed out.”

Twilight nodded, looking around. “Say, I was almost expecting to see Apple Bloom in there somewhere.” “Oh, me too. I haven’t seen her all day, though. I suspected she might’ve tried to sneak in with those fillyfriends of hers, but I checked all th’ cargo myself.”

“Huh... Do you think she’s upset that she didn’t get an invite?” “Probably,” Applejack admitted. “I kinda feel bad about leavin’ her outta all this - even without th’ party, she’d love havin’ all us Apples around, but if we’d brought her, there’s no way Rarity’d have been able to talk Sweetie Belle out o’ comin’.”

Twilight nodded. “And where two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders are to be found, you’re going to find all three.” “Yeah, and when all three of those rascals get together...” Applejack paused at the far end of the car, chuckling. “Well, it would certainly be an interestin’ night, for sure.”

Twilight shook her head, trying to imagine the havok the Cutie Mark Crusaders would wreak on the Grand Galloping Gala, and unable to stifle a snicker. “Oh boy. It would be a disaster. All those stuffy, stuck up, stodgy old ponies from Canterlot and Manehattan and all over, with those three running around?”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “I might like to attend that party, but the Princess would probably exile us.” “Naw. After last year, I get the feeling she’ll be happy so long as the night don’t involve arson, anarchy, or revolution. A stampede o’ the Cutie Mark Crusaders might be just what would make her night.”

Applejack opened the door, and Twilight followed her out, giggling as she hopped to the next car. “Probably, but the guests wouldn’t like it. It would make the Princess look bad, and she kind of did tell me to make her look good.”

“Do y’all think she was expecting you to hire us all?” “Knowing her?... Probably. Thinking back on it, that’s probably what she had in mind when she gave me the job, instead of, say, Cadance, or Shining Armor, or Princess Luna.” “Well then.” Applejack grinned, and pushed open the next car’s door. The next car was also full of food; beyond that was a car full of boxes of assorted things, but she spied Pinkie Pie’s infamous Party Cannon sitting in the corner, having been shined and polished for the occasion, and seemingly fitted with a new carriage with masterfully-carved wheels. She felt the urge to touch it, but thought better of it; like most things built by Pinkie Pie, it could only be fully understood by Pinkie Pie, and for some reason it seemed primed to blow at any moment, even when it was seemingly unarmed, and without the fuse being lit.

“I guess this is the decoration car, huh?” “I reckon. Pinkie’s been working her fluffy pink tail off fer th’ last month, you know.” Twilight nodded. “I know. That’s... What worries me.” “Awh, give her some credit, Twi’, she’s been takin’ this seriously. Well, as seriously as Pinkie Pie can take somethin’ without her mane goin’ all straight.”

Twilight nodded. “Even so... Well, it’s Pinkie Pie we’re talking about. Her last appearance at the Grand Galloping Gala wasn’t exactly a spectacular hit.” “Awh... Well, I do admit, that has me worried a bit too, but.... Well, you double-checked everything, right?” “I did,” Twilight admitted. “But honestly, I’m not sure if I remember half of it.” She focused her eyes, causing her horn to glow and shed light, with which she read the label of a particularly large box with a shiny black finish. “Property of DJ Pon-3.” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I don’t remember... Wait... Two-toned blue mane? White coat? Unicorn with purple shaded glasses?”

Applejack nodded. “I reckon I remember her from Princess Cadance’s wedding an’ Rarity’s fashion show awhile back. Pinkie mentioned she’d taken care of the music.”

Twilight sighed, sitting on her rump, putting her foreleg over her eyes. “Er... Twi?” “I need to trust Pinkie Pie, you’re right, but... She hired a DJ? Really? For the Grand Galloping Gala, where they’re used to a live orchestra?”

“Well... Look, I reckon the Princess had to know that you were gonna turn to all of us fer’ help, right? And from your circle o’ friends, who’s the first pony you’re gonna turn to for help throwin’ a party?”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said without a moment’s hesitation. “But -” “No buts, sugarcube.” Applejack shushed her by placing her hoof over Twilight’s mouth. “Pinkie is the first and last stop when it comes to throwing a party in Ponyville, and a Gala’s nothin’ but a fancy-pants shindig. Whatever Pinkie’s done, it’s probably gonna be absurd.” Twilight nodded, and Applejack continued, “And whatever Pinkie’s done, it’s probably gonna be over-the-top. But she knew what she was gettin’ into, and she looked you in the eye and promised you she’d throw one fancy-pants party to rock Canterlot to its foundation, right?”

Twilight nodded again, and Applejack smiled. “Well then, what are you worryin’ about? The worst that can happen is that a bunch of old sticks-in-the-mud don’t like it, but the Princess will. And at the end of the day, it’s the Princess we need to worry about havin’ a good time. If a bunch of old sticks-in-the-mud hate it, and the Princess loves it, they can feel free to uninvite themselves next year, and the Princess can throw herself another shindig with a bunch of ponies she’s going to enjoy havin’ ‘round, right?”

“I... Think the Canterlot social scene is a little more complex than that,” Twilight murmured, though she felt she was hopelessly inept at navigating it. Rarity could probably talk their ears off about the hows and whys it was a terrible idea to risk offending the high society ponies of Canterlot, but Twilight was too worn-out to care. “I guess, in the end, you’re right.” She smiled up at Applejack. “The only ponies I care about having a good time here are my friends, the Princesses, and your family. If the ponies of Canterlot like it, then they can enjoy their first Pinkie Party. If they don’t, well, then they need to lighten up.” She giggled softly, and stood up, leading the way forward, pushing through the stacks of equipment and supplies, as Applejack followed her, chuckling. “There you go, Twi.” “I’m just too tired to care about anypony who could be so mean-spirited as to hate on a Pinkie Party,” Twilight affirmed with a soft giggle, and a yawn, opening the door and jumping to the next car. “That’s the spirit, sugarcube.” Applejack landed next to her, and nudged her with her whole body.

Twilight turned back to the door, but it opened on its own before she could, and Twilight found herself staring into the bright pink face of Pinkamena Diane Pie; bright blue eyes seemingly perfectly alert despite the unholiness of the hour, her mane curly and bouncy. “Oh! That’s convenient, we were just coming to see you!”

How Pinkie could be so chipper at such a wrong hour to be bright-eyed and alert was a mystery Twilight doubted she could solve even with years of research in libraries of ancient lore. Still, she smiled. “Well, Pinkie, we’re here,” she affirmed, as she leaned her head to the side; she doubted that Pinkie had started referring to herself in the plural, and was proved right when she saw Fluttershy, sleepy-eyed but awake, behind Pinkie. Beyond the two of them was another carful of ponies, though this time most of them she recognized as Ponyville residents. She also smelled the wafting scent of coffee, and saw Joe, aka Pony Joe, aka Donut Joe, standing beside a carafe on a cart, which was laden high with cups and donuts; Twilight saw more of the special donuts Applejack had given her one of, and several others; while the multi-colored hue of Zap Apples was prevalent, it wasn’t all-encompassing.

Coffee could have been the secret of Pinkie’s chipper smile; she hadn’t known Pinkie to turn down anything offered, but somehow, she doubted the coffee could do much compared to the simple, boundless energy of Pinkie Pie. “Why were you looking for us, Pinkie?”

Twilight stepped to the side as the bright pink mare stepped out onto the car’s end-platform, and Fluttershy followed her, closing the door and leaving the four of them standing close together in the lamp-light of the railcar’s end platform. Pinkie smiled. “Well, Fluttershy came forward to get Rarity from the car with everypony from Ponyville, and after Rarity headed back to see you, she told me how you woke her up screaming for Applejack and Rarity. We talked about it for a while, and we decided if something was wrong, then it must have needed all of us!”

Twilight smiled, sleepily. “Really? That’s... Thanks, Pinkie.” “After we had a cup of Pony Joe’s coffee and a donut, of course. Don’t want to head out on a midnight adventure on an empty stomach!” The pink mare reached back, rubbing her belly with her foreleg, and Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. But it’s okay.” She reached up, patting Pinkie’s bouncy, coiled mane. “There’s no emergency. I was just having a bad dream.” She yawned. “Actually, I was just getting up to take one last look at everything you arranged.”

“Oh! Well, okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie grinned, and darted back into the cabin, returning with her saddlebags, brandishing a ledger, with a pencil behind her ear. “I kept track of everything, just like you asked.” She coughed into her hoof, and started to run the tip of it down the list. “The first thing I did was buy three thousand yards of silver tinsel, followed by - mmmmfh?”

Twilight cut her off, placing her hoof on Pinkie’s muzzle and pushing in, crinkling her nose. “It’s okay, Pinkie. I don’t need to double-check your work.” “You... Don’t?” Pinkie looked at her in confusion, and Twilight shook her head. “No, Pinkie. On the way up here, Applejack reminded me that you’re all my best friends. I didn’t double-check her work on the food, I haven’t hovered over Rarity’s shoulder while she was making our dresses... I shouldn’t have hovered over yours, either. I trusted you to do this, so I shouldn’t have harassed you as much as I did.”

“Harassed me?” Pinkie beamed. “You haven’t harassed me, Twilight.” She put her ledger away. “Besides, you know how coco-loco I can get on my own. Remember when I asked you if you thought the Princess would like the rodeo clowns, if we dressed them all up in silver or like historical ponies?”

“Ah.... Well,” Twilight murred, thinking back on it. Reflecting, she thought the Princess might get a chuckle out of such entertainment. “Celestia might have thought it was funny, but it probably wouldn’t have gone over too well with the guests.” “Or when I thought about hiring a racing team from the Griffon Kingdoms to put on a show against the Wonderbolts?”

Twilight chuckled. “That might have gone better... Why did I say no to that one?” “You didn’t. You just kind of waved your hoof like you didn’t think there was anything particularly terrible about it. I wrote them, but they quoted a price that was too high. It was them, or the music, and it’s just not a party without music.”

Twilight blinked, and nodded, as Pinkie explained her reasoning for nixing what might have been a good act. It was well-reasoned and surprisingly sensible. “I... Huh.” “What? Did you think I’d just go coco-loco and do everything that popped into my head and run overbudget and need to get Applejack to give me some of her catering bill to cover it?”

“Well, honestly...” Twilight drooped her head. “Sorry, Pinkie. I shouldn’t have doubted you.” “Well, I did,” Pinkie admitted, and Applejack chuckled. “Yep! She ran thirty-three bits overbudget, so I covered her.”

“Thirty-three bits? That’s... not much,” Twilight said, looking up, and Pinkie frowned. “I know, I’m sorry, Twilight. I’ll pay it back just as soon as I can, next month. Promise.” “It’s not much, Pinkie, don’t you sweat it none.” “What was it for,” Twilight asked, and Pinkie’s ears drooped. “I feel bad about it, because it wasn’t, strictly, for the Gala,” her friend admitted. “But I’ve been so busy organizing the entertainment and decorations, I haven’t been able to do anything at Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes let me stay above their shop, but because I wasn’t able to get any work done this month, I didn’t have the rent money.”

Twilight blinked, frowning, reaching up to stroke Pinkie’s coat as what she said sunk in. “Wait... You didn’t have any money for your rent?” “I had twenty-seven bits left in my piggybank, but my rent’s sixty a month. So...” She sighed, and Twilight blinked again. “Wait, Pinkie... You didn’t put any of the entertainment budget aside to pay yourself?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I didn’t think of it at first, and when I was in the middle of it, I started to wonder how much was appropriate. But when I got to last week, I couldn’t make my mind up. I didn’t want to look greedy, and I wanted to help you give the Princess the best gala we possibly could. I forgot about the rent altogether until the twenty-first, a day after it’s usually due. I couldn’t decide what to knock off the list, so...” Her ears drooped. “I’m sorry. I went overbudget.”

Twilight couldn’t help herself, she leaned up and wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie’s shoulders, hugging her tight. “Pinkie, you... Oh, Pinkie. It’s okay.” She laid her head atop Pinkie’s crest, and the pink Earth Pony closed her eyes, raising her neck back into Twilight’s head. “It’s my fault, too. I was checking your numbers, I should have caught that and asked you where your salary was. You’ve paid everypony except yourself and that’s just so... So selfless, so giving and.. So Pinkie of you.”

Twilight couldn’t see it, but by the way Pinkie’s mane seemed to fluff up under her head, she was certain the vibrantly-colored mare was beamingly smiling. On the other side of her, Fluttershy had lain down on the platform, listening to them speak but not interjecting - or possibly she had fallen asleep on the gently-rocking train, despite the loud clatter and clanking of the trucks on the rails. Applejack took on a big-eyed look, and she laid her hoof on the Pinkie’s back. “Shoot, sugarcube, y’all didn’t tell me it was for your rent.” She shook her head. “You don’t have to pay me back a bit o’ it, girl, just go ahead and don’t worry a hair in your mane about it.”

“But, Applejack,” Pinkie said, looking up, and Applejack shook her head, putting her hoof down. “But nothin’. A friend ain’t gonna let a friend get turned out in the street. ‘Sides, technically, I am employin’ yer employers this month. We’ve all been tied up for the same event.” “That’s true,” Pinkie admitted, bobbing her head. “Applejack has been in and out of Sugarcube Corner all month, experimenting with the Cakes and other professionals they sub-subcontracted with, like Bon Bon, to make Zap Apples into hard candy and keep their flavor stripes intact.”

“Bon Bon?” Pinkie’s ears perked up. “You hired Bon Bon?” Applejack nodded. “Well, it was the Cakes’ idea, but I signed off on it, so yeah. Why?” “Because I hired Lyra.” Pinkie giggled, in Twilight’s embrace, and Twilight smiled, letting her go. “She and Vinyl Scratch have been working to electrify the music. It’s gonna be Pinkie Keen!” She grinned, and Twilight blinked. “Oh boy. You gave yourself a singing role in the entertainment, didn’t you?”

Pinkie’s grin couldn’t possibly have gotten any physically wider, but Twilight swore that it did, and she sighed. “Okay... How bad can it be?” “Uh... Are you rememberin’ Appleloosa, Twi’?” Twilight winced as Applejack reminded her, and Pinkie shook her head. “No, no, I swear, this is much better than ‘You Got to Share, You Got to Care’.” Pinkie grinned. “I’ve had time to work on this one, instead of coming up with it on the spur of the moment.”

Twilight took in a breath to voice a reservation, then let it out again, smiling. “Alright.” She grinned. “After all, we have to trust each other, right?” She poked Pinkie’s shoulder with her hoof. “I’m sure it’ll be great, Pinkie.” “Okie-Dokie-Lokie!” Pinkie bounced, leaping from the platform she was on to the cargo car behind it. “You wanna hear a recording Vinyl Scratch and I made a few days ago?”

Twilight shook her head, as she gathered her hooves under her and followed Pinkie, opening the door telekinetically and leading the way. “No, that’s okay, Pinkie. I’m sure it’s great.” She yawned, as she lit and lead the way through the cargo. “Honestly... I just want to go back to the caboose and go to sleep.” “That sounds like fun, too!” Pinkie leapt over her, and dashed forward. “Follow me!”

“P-Pinke! Wait up, y’all! Don’t jus’ crash through the second t’last car!” Pinkie pulled ahead of them, and Twilight sighed. “Do you have the energy to chase her?” “Nope. Fluttershy, do you feel like jumpin’ off the side an’ catchin’ up to her?” “N-Not really,” the shy Pegasus answered. “That doesn’t sound very safe, an-and I’m kind of tired.”

“I guess we’ll just have to deal with the Apple Clan when we get there,” Twilight murmured, following Pinkie Pie through the train, Fluttershy closing the doors behind them. Amazingly, the door to the Apple family car wasn’t opened; passing through it as quietly as they could, Twilight wondered if they had somehow passed her, but when they got to the caboose, Pinkie was already curled up in the top bunk above Rarity, seemingly sound asleep. Twilight looked back to Applejack and Fluttershy, both of whom shrugged, and Applejack simply mouthed the words Pinkie Pie.

Smiling mirthfully, Twilight nodded, and mouthed back good night, before crawling back into the bunk next to her saddlebags, tugging the blanket above herself. She then lifted a parchment and her quill from her bags, telekinetically, drawing them close and beginning a letter.

Twilight set her quill back in her saddlebag, and blearily re-read the note, focusing her eyes on it despite the bunk’s warmth and the gentle rocking of the train that was sucking her closer and closer to sleep. Thinking about it carefully, she thought it might have been silly, but decided to make the decision on whether to give it to Celestia in the morning. She put it in her saddlebags and yawned, expecting to go to sleep, when something flopped into her nose.

Opening her eyes, she saw a rainbow-colored tail had flopped down from the bunk above, and smiled. “Good night, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered, nuzzling her soundly-sleeping friend’s tail, sinking into the bunk. “Goodnight, Applejack,” she whispered to the room, “And goodnight, Rarity. Goodnight, Fluttershy, and sweet dreams, Pinkie.”

Yawning again, she tugged the covers up to just under her eyes, rubbing her head into the pillow, and falling asleep quickly and deeply.

Empire of the Moon on FIMfiction.net
Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
Next Chapter: The Grand Galloping Gala

Author's Notes:

So, here we go. Trying this again, now that I've been harangued into chapterizing the story on Google Docs instead of volumizing, I can import from Google Docs. Unfortunately, the formatting is still not great, I can't for the life of me seem to get the text to left-align properly, and FIMfiction doesn't have the fonts I like.

But at least it is properly grabbing italics/horizontal bars, so that's something. But still, for the full effect, including the footnotes which FIMfiction does not properly support, I most strongly recommend you read the story as a Google document, the way it was intended to be read. (And preferably with Firefox, as some readers have reported oddities on other browsers.)

The Grand Galloping Gala

Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
The Empire of the Moon on FIMFiction.net (not preffered: please read on Google Docs!)

When she awoke to the loud blow of a train’s whistle, Twilight yawned. “Are we there yet,” she asked, reaching up to rub at her eyes.

“Yep!” Pinkie Pie’s bright and cheerful voice was the first thing she heard, but when she opened her eyes, Twilight didn’t see the caboose of the train they had been travelling in. To her shock, strong enough that her heart almost skipped a beat, she saw the domed roof of a tower bedroom in Canterlot castle.

“Ohmygosh,” she yelped, rising with a start, looking around. The source of the train whistle she had heard was obvious: a wooden whistle that mimicked the sound and tone of a locomotive’s massive whistle. “It’s late. What happened?!” “Easy, easy-easy does it!” Pinkie reached up to prevent Twilight from catapulting herself from the bed, only letting her get as far as standing upright, knocking over her saddlebags in the process. “It’s only ten in the morning.”

“Ten? Ten!?” Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat, as doom and despair started to conjure themselves in her mind, but Pinkie smiled. “Just ten. We’ve got plenty of time! Applejack’s got her family and friends organized down in the castle’s kitchens, and I’ve been decorating! See? I even found the time to come wake you up.”

“I... I...” Twilight blinked to herself, and Pinkie smiled, stuffing the whistle back in her saddlebags. “How did I get up here,” Twilight asked, and the pink pony smiled. “Applejack carried you out of the train, and put you on top of Big Mac’s cart. When we got here, Princess Celestia wanted to know what was wrong with you. When AJ told her, she lifted you into the air and flew you right here.”

“She... She...” Twilight’s breath caught in her throat again, and she felt a tremble run through her. “Oh... Oh no, she must... She must think I’m... Think I...”

“Think you were exhausted, Twilight Sparkle?”

The voice sent a bolt of nerves through her, petrifying her to the spot; strong, powerful, commanding. She turned her head to look back, trembling; fantastically taller than any other pony she knew, Celestia walked slowly toward them, her pastel-hued mane and tail flowing around her as if a strong wind were blowing them. She looked tall and angry, and that made Twilight start to tremble, as Celestia spread her wings, drawing up in front of her. “I-I-I... I’m sorry, Princess, I’ve just been so busy, I-” “Haven’t slept for three days?” Celestia’s incredibly long horn glowed a soft golden color, and she produced a parchment tucked inside her mane, unfurling it - it was the letter Twilight wrote on the train.

Twilight felt herself shrinking under the accusatory glare, until Celestia’s face suddenly softened, and she leaned down, rubbing her head against the side of Twilight’s. The soft, intimate gesture immediately alleviated Twilight’s nerves, and she closed her eyes, releasing a sigh. “I... I’m sorry,” she murmured, and Celestia shook her head. “My dearest student, I gave you this responsibility because I knew you could handle it. But I never meant for you to run yourself until you dropped to the ground.”

Twilight nodded to herself, against Celestia’s head. “I know. I just... There was so much to oversee, and I was so afraid of disappointing you, or an error creeping in...”

Celestia chuckled softly, lifting her head. “Twilight Sparkle, the only time you have ever disappointed me, it was because you were the only pony who could see and speak the truth, when even my eyes were blinded. Now, do you feel up to getting up and finishing what you’ve started?”

Twilight nodded, and Celestia smiled warmly. Her horn glowed again, and Twilight’s vision was filled with gold as a gently force surrounded her, pressing into every inch of her and lifting her from where she sat on the floor, setting her gently on her hooves.

“Good. Now, you’ve got a party to prepare, haven’t you?” Celestia smiled at her, and Twilight grinned back. “You’re going to love it, Princess.” “I know. Get going.” Celestia lifted Twilight’s saddlebags and put them on her back, laughing softly as Twilight hurried out of the room, followed by Pinkie. She turned to head down the hall, but was immediately assaulted by a small-but-robust mass of baby dragon launching himself at her chest, wrapping his arms around her neck and nuzzling her. “Twilight! It’s so good to see you again,” Spike breathlessly gasped, and Twilight couldn’t help but laugh as she started to walk down the stairs with her dragon attached to her.

“It’s good to see you again, Spike,” she replied, as he scrambled for purchase on her saddlebags’ strap and pulled himself around to plonk down on her back. “I know! Hey, Pinkie,” Spike called back to Pinkie Pie, who smiled at him. “Hiya, Spike! Everything going good so far?” “Yeah!” Spike pulled a ledger - from where, Twilight didn’t know. The baby dragon seemed able to store objects somewhere about his person, but she could never figure out where.

“I had the palace staff organized, just like you and Applejack told me, into waiters and decorators. The waiters aren’t due for hours, but the decorators are already getting to work. Vinyl Scratch mentioned she wanted to see you in the ball-room, by the way.” “Okie-dokie-lokie! I’ll go there as soon as I can,” Pinkie responded, bouncing forward, past Twilight, then to the other side of the circular stairs they were descending, and then back.

“How are the Apples, Spike,” Twilight asked, and he nodded. “They’re doing great. Just like they asked, I had the kitchen staff prepare the kitchens to their requirements and then get out. They pulled all their carts up here and got right to work. Applejack said you can check in when you feel like it, but she has everything under control.”

Nodding to herself, Twilight stepped off the stairs, smiling as she exited the tower they were in, heading across the palace grounds. “And everypony else?”

“Lyra is organizing the musicians for Pinkie, so she can focus on the decorations. Rarity commandeered a dressing room for you and the others to get into your gowns just before the guests start arriving. She said she even figured out why the critters went antsy on Fluttershy last time, too.”

“Really? That’s good,” Twilight nodded to herself, as she walked to a high parapet, looking down over the gardens. The palace was terraced, giving her a good view; as expected, the gardens were full of critters, exotic and standoffish. Last year they had spurned Fluttershy, unwilling to have anything to do with her, which had just about driven the professional animal caretaker into a berserk rage, and then tears.

“What was it?” “Uh... She didn’t say, Twi,” her familiar admitted, with a shrug, and Twilight nodded. “Well, I’ll ask her later. So, where are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?” “Um... Fluttershy was with Rarity, the last I saw her. Rainbow Dash... I’m not sure. But there’s been a gaggle of Wonderbolts in the castle the last few days, so she’s probably with them.”

Twilight chuckled, as she reached the edge of the castle; from the overgrown, tree-strewn menagerie on the rear, she looked out to the side. Once there had been a hedge maze on this side of the castle, but after their battle with Discord had left a smoking crater where it had been, the field had been refilled as a green space, but there were no hedges, and the marble statuary had been removed.

Twilight pulled her binoculars from her backpack, and laughed as she saw a rainbow-striped blur zooming across the flat green-space. “Found her!”

Using the binoculars, she observed the field; upon closer inspection, it had clearly been laid out as a sporting field; she saw a tennis court nearer to the castle, but the field in use was a football pitch, with tall netted goals at the ends. She zoomed in on the action, telekinetically stabilizing her binoculars, just in time to see Rainbow Dash streaking above the field with wings spread, keeping the ball in the air by kicking it up and forward with her forehooves, forehead, and swipes with her wings. Rainbow kicked the ball, hard, but not towards the goal; she passed to her side, just as as a defender of the other team intercepted her too late; the ball sailed into possession of a tall, charcoal-coated stallion in the flight suit of the Wonderbolts, who headbutted the ball. It sailed into the goal, and somepony whistled, loud enough to make her ears ring.

Pulling the binoculars from her eyes, Twilight blinked as she looked to her side, seeing that the whistler was in fact Pinkie, who giggled. “What? I couldn’t resist.” Twilight couldn’t help but laugh, and raised the binoculars to her eyes to view the action again, as the two teams lined up. The two teams seemed to be Wonderbolts and Royal Guards; the Wonderbolts captain was the mare she recognized as Spitfire, wearing her uniform jacket instead of a flying suit, though Rainbow Dash, unadorned, had also lined up with their team. The other team, however, was a bit of a surprise; though it was full of armored Royal Guard Pegasi, she was surprised to see that Princess Luna herself had formed up on the Captain’s position on the Guard’s team, tall as Big Macintosh, though much more slender; an Alicorn, like her sister, with a very long unicorn horn on her forehead and a pair of massive Pegasus wings, her hooves clad in moonsilver shoes, mane like a midnight starry sky that absorbed light, even in broad daylight. Her tiara somehow remained on her head despite the vigorous game she was participating in, matched by her light-absorbing black collar, which itself matched the dappling of ink-black on her flanks, including her Cutie Mark, a bright white crescent moon.

Twilight was surprised to see Luna in the daytime, but there was a massive grin on her face. As the teams lined up, Rainbow Dash took up her position directly to the right of Spitfire, aggressively bending down and spreading her wings, while the left of Luna was joined by another Alicorn: bright, bubblegum pink coat with a vibrant, purple-and-cream tail and mane, there was no mistaking her old babysitter, Princess Cadance.

Twilight laughed, as she zoomed in on the referee. As she expected, where Cadance was to be found, there was her brother, Shining Armor; the unicorn stallion was evidently not playing, possibly because everypony on the field shared the feature of wings, which he lacked. Instead, the Captain of the Royal Guards had a whistle around his neck. He raised it to his muzzle and blew it, and the play progressed again, with Cadance and Luna approaching the ball, while the teams backed up, putting distance between themselves and the ball.

The moment Luna touched the ball, the two teams surged forward; Luna nudged it hard, to the side, with her hoof, towards Cadance. Twilight laughed as the play resumed, Cadance kicking the ball hard, back towards her team of guards as the Wonderbolts (and Rainbow Dash) charged at them, wings open.

Play quickly became three-dimensional, with Luna the first to launch from the surface of the pitch into the air, whistling at the Guard who had the ball. The armored Pegasus pony leapt in the air, kicking the ball to his side, into the air, away from a Wonderbolt who lunged at him to try to get the ball away from him. Another Guard lowered her head, letting the ball hit hard and ramp off her metal helmet, sailing into the air, and a third guard lifted from the ground on his wings, pulling a hard, tight loop to batter the ball with his rear hoof, sending it flying towards the Princess.

Luna lowered her head, as the ball flew towards her, checking it and redirecting its momentum up with her rear leg, letting it roll up from her hoof past her thigh, above her body. It arched up gently, and fell back towards her; she bumped it up with head again, and continued the motion, gracefully sailing up, clearly intent on wheeling all the way around and hammering it back towards the Wonderbolt’s goal.

A rainbow-patterned blur interrupted her, though, and Twilight couldn’t help but grin for her competitive friend; Rainbow Dash had simply put on a burst of her trademarked speed, arcing above the Princess and rolling hard, battering the ball away from her with her wing, leaving the princess to furiously kick nothing but air.

The ball seemed like it was going to instantly pass out of bounds, but the jacketed form of the Wonderbolts captain caught it just before it would have passed the sides of the pitch below, the ball rebounding from her side and falling towards the field, still in play, as Spitfire wheeled over herself and started to dive.

It was a straight dash to get the ball, Twilight supposed; none of the competitors were in a position to easily intercept it, which meant that wingpower was the only deciding factor, as the ball whirled and spun towards the field. And in any competition of sheer wingpower with all competitors having the same start, the conclusion could only be foregone: Rainbow Dash battered the ball like the impact of hammer at greater than terminal velocity, ramming it in a straight charge, pounding it towards the Guard’s goal.

Twilight thought that the goal was going to be good, with the goaltender on the wrong side of his goal from the incoming shot, but the candy-pink form of Princess Cadance rose, lunging into the air from the pitch to intercept the ball.

Twilight gasped as she watched Cadance rise, her head tilting forward just right. The ball met her horn, and instead of rebounding off the side, impacted directly onto the extra-sharp point of the Alicorn’s extra-long horn.

Her brother sounded the whistle as the ball punctured on Cadance’s horn, the action happening quickly as the play came to a halt, players hovering or standing where they were. The propelled ball had impacted quite firmly, deflating with an explosive pop, and stuck fast to the Alicorn’s horn, leaving her touching down on her rear legs, looking at the ball above her head with a goofy expression, shaking her head to try and dislodge it, fruitlessly.

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “Pinkie?” She looked back, but the pink mare was nowhere to be seen, and grinned. “Hold on, Spike.”

Her familiar dragon held on tight, leaning into her mane, and Twilight’s horn glowed, as she focused on the greenery beside the pitch, next to Shining Armor. She gathered magic to herself, her horn glowing strongly as she drew a mystical connection between the space next to her older brother and where she was occupying; an easy task, given that it was within her eyesight.

A loud, strong poof echoed from her vicinity as a cloud of purple smoke erupted around her. When she stepped clear of the smoke, she was at the side of the pitch, as the airborne players slowly hovered to the ground, while Cadance looked with crossed eyes at the ball on her horn. Armor blew the whistle again, and lowered it. “Everypony, off the field except Cadance! I need to figure out what just happened,” he said, looking to his side. He was looking for a rules-book at his side, but his eyes went wide as they met Twilight’s.

“Twi,” he cried out in delight, and she responded, “Armor!” Her big brother - resplendent in white coat, with blue hooves and mane, reared up, raising his front hooves, and Twilight reared in response, Spike leaping free of her back as Twilight took a step towards Armor, clapping her front hooves together with his with a resounding clonk, before they both fell back into the grass, laughing. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to organize the Gala,” she explained, with a grin, and nodded her head towards the pitch, as the Wonderbolts and Royal Guards walked off it together. “What are you doing?” “Refereeing,” he responded, and turned back to the field. Cadance looked like she was about to burst, and Armor’s horn glowed, surrounding the burst ball, and lifting it from her horn, hovering it in roughly the same place it had impacted her. “Cadance, you can leave the field, too,” he called.

It looked to be a tremendous relief to the pink Alicorn princess, who immediately turned and leapt off the field, sailing over the charcoal-gray thunderbolt who had scored the last goal, directly at Twilight, who murmured, “Excuse me a moment” to her brother, who nodded, as she reared up again and stepped back, giving Cadance room to land just front of her, wings spread.

Cadance and Twilight both began to dance in unison, hopping as they both sang, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!” They each dropped their chests to the ground, rear hips still in the air, and covered their eyes for a split second, before uncovering them to meet each other’s gaze, grinning, surging up to sit on their haunches, clapping their forehooves together. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” Returning to a standing position, they each half-turned, shaking their haunches at the other, before collapsing into a giggling fit on their backs; the song and shake routine had lasted only about six seconds, but the history behind it stretched back years.

Twilight closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking on a moment of introspection; last year, when Cadance and her big brother were married, she had been the only one to suspect that Cadance had been an imposter, because Queen Chrysalis (wearing a disguise of Cadance) hadn’t recognized the dance Twilight had started with her. Then, barely a fortnight later, when she and her friends had been sent to the crystal city in the frozen north, she had been enheartened that it really was Cadance - and she was still holding on, if barely - because Cadance had recognized it and joined her in it immediately. The little game they had done so long ago when Cadance had been her foalsitter had become, in effect, a challenge-and-response method of ensuring they were each who they were supposed to be.

She opened her eyes again, to find her brother grinning down at her, as she rolled back to her hooves and stood up. Though most of the Royal Guards and Wonderbolts were looking at her with a bemused, humoring expression, Luna had a warm smile at the dance she and Cadance had done, and Rainbow Dash seemed unfazed, sitting down. “So, ref,” Rainbow asked. “Was that a foul, or what?”

“Um.. I’m not sure,” Armor admitted, laying the ball down on the pitch and levitating the rulebook; a rather thick booklet. “I don’t think the rules exactly specify what it is if a ball gets lodged on someone’s horn.”

“Here, let me,” Twilight murmured, gently tugging the book from his telekinetic grasp; Armor let her take it, his blue glow surrounding it fading as her purple glow took over, and Twilight sat, looking at it. “What do you think it might be,” she asked, and Armor sat next to her, as did Cadance. “It got kind of stuck,” the pink mare admitted, with a resigned sigh. “I think that was a handling foul, right?”

“Page one-fifteen,” the charcoal-gray Wonderbolt supplied, sitting behind Twilight, and she flipped the booklet to the page specified, but one of the Guards shook her head. “The ball burst, though. Isn’t that a defective ball?” “That’s page fifteen,” the charcoal pegasus behind her murmured, and Twilight reflexively slipped a bookmark from the pouch of them on the side of her saddlebag, marking the first page and flipping back to the second.

“If the ball bursts or becomes defective during the course of a match,” she spoke aloud as she read off the book, looking up and scanning the next few headings. “That wasn’t a penalty kick or a kick-off, goal kick, corner kick, or-” “No,” Armor shook his head. “That was just the normal play,” he agreed, and she nodded, scanning back up to the bulleted directions.

“The match must be stopped, and then restarted by dropping a replacement ball where the original became defective... Unless it was inside the goal area.” She looked back to the pitch, but the ball was hovering well outside the markings for the goal, so Armor shook his head. “Nope. So, we get a new ball and start again from where it hit her horn.”

“But is it handling or not. I didn’t levitate it or pick it up with my hoof, but I did kind of become attached to it,” Cadance said, leaning over Twilight’s shoulder to read with her, as she flipped to the next section. “It might qualify,” Luna murmured, as Twilight scanned the page. “She had it on her horn more than six seconds.”

Twilight scanned the page, frowning. “I don’t see anything about seconds.” She flipped to the next page, and shook her head. “That’s referring to goalkeepers, Princess Luna. Cadance isn’t the goalkeeper, right?” “Yo!” The armored stallion who had been at the goal called out, and Twilight smiled. “Right, so that wasn’t her.” She flicked up, reading the rules regarding handling the ball, carefully. Cadance, to her side, looked guilty, as if ready to slink off, while Luna looked curious, more than anything. Twilight glanced at Armor; he didn’t look nervous, despite the fact that he might have to rule an infringement against his own wife, but she couldn’t find anything to support it, and said as much.

“It doesn’t look like it should be called handling,” Twilight said, levitating her quill from her pack, spinning it around to point to the page. “The rules define handling the ball as deliberate manipulation, but I saw the whole thing, and I don’t think there was anything deliberate about Cadance getting the ball stuck on her horn. From above, it looked like she she was trying to headbutt it away from the goal, and the angle lined up just right.”

Armor nodded at her. “That’s what I saw from down here, too. See, here,” he said, pointing with his hoof. “It says it’s not acceptable for anypony to pick up the ball with hoof, mouth, wing, or any other method, except for the goalkeeper, but that it’s not considered handling if, say, the ball moves towards somepony’s mouth, instead of somepony moving his mouth towards the ball. That seems like it should count for the ball impaling itself on somepony’s horn, versus somepony intentionally impaling the ball on her horn, too.”

Twilight nodded, firmly. “I agree. Does anypony disagree?” The only player present who looked like she might have a reservation was Cadance herself, and Twilight grinned, reaching up and laying her hoof on her shoulder. “It was an accident. No worries.”

The pink pony grinned. “Be happy.” Armor nodded. “Alright. Twi, would you go get another ball for us from the shed over there? Everypony, back onto the pitch! We have a drop-ball situation.” Twilight laughed and turned, dashing towards the massive, rising stone wall she had teleported from atop, galloping directly across the tennis court to reach the equipment shed, tugging it open. Inside was a surprisingly robust selection of sporting equipment, and she scanned the shed for a long moment before locating an identical ball to the one her brother had pulled off Cadance’s horn, stiffly inflated, made of bright white and blue hexagons.

Her horn’s glow sprang to life as she gripped the ball with telekinetic force, pulling it free and turning around and galloping back to the side of the pitch, pulling herself to a stop at her older brother’s side. “Here you go, Armor.” He looked to the side and took the ball from her, trotting out onto the field. The teams both moved back from the spot where Cadance had impacted the ball, as Shining Armor levitated the ball above his head, speaking loud and clear. “We have a dropped ball. Play restarts when the ball hits the ground.”

“Do we just all start from back here,” Rainbow Dash called out, and Twilight whipped the rulesbook to herself, flicking through the index to find the dropped ball definition, and flip to its page. She scanned it, but frowned, as Armor looked to her for advice, she could only shrug. “It just say play restarts when the ball hits the ground.”

The charcoal-gray Wonderbolt spoke up again. “Traditionally, both teams send one player to within a few lengths of the ball who go for it when it hits the ground,” he said, and Shining Armor looked to Spitfire and Princess Luna, who in turn looked to their teams. There were no objections, and they looked back, nodding to each other. “That’s acceptable,” Princess Luna prompted, and Spitfire confirmed, “Works for us!”

“Echo, forward,” Luna ordered, and a light gray pegasus in purple armor with a bat-like crest on his helmet and faux bat wings around his real wings stepped up, approaching to a pony’s length of the ball. Spitfire grinned, looking up and down her team. “Thunderlane, you’re up!”

The same charcoal gray pony who seemed to have the firmest working grasp of the rules - and the rulebook - squared off opposite of the royal guard. They both leaned forward, wings spread, grinning at one another as they hoofed the ground, heralding a charge, as Armor blew his whistle, releasing his telekinetic grasp on the ball and turning to gallop directly off the field. Twilight watched the ball as it picked up speed toward the ground, while the two stallions squared off over it.

The moment the ball hit the ground, Thunderlane and Echo charged towards one another, and Twilight sat, grinning to herself, as Spike appeared next to her, offering her a fresh Zap Apple. She took it from him without looking as the two ponies passed each other, somehow not contacting one another, the Royal Guardsman coming up in possession of the ball, bouncing it between his hooves and out in front of him as he galloped at the Wonderbolts line, bypassing Thunderlane, who turned around to give pursuit.

Echo seemed about to make a kamikaze charge through the Wonderbolts’ captain, but at seemingly the last second he kicked the ball, hard and behind him, taking flight and soaring up and over their team. The Wonderbolts all gave chase for the ball, which soared past Thunderlane’s head despite his lunge toward it, and Luna took possession of it as she rose into the air with a fantastic snap of air displaced by her enormous wings, arresting the ball’s forward momentum by turning her head to the side and deflecting it up; she followed it upward, even as Rainbow Dash took wing and shot straight at her, attempting to kick it from her, a move which Luna foiled by barrel rolling around the ball she kicked upwards with her hooves, keeping it inside her own turning circle.

Rainbow Dash’s charge foiled, she deflected around Luna, soaring for the goal end of the field and wheeling around, but too late; despite another Wonderbolt mare, with white mane and tail, attempting to interfere, Luna successfully cleared the ball and hammered it with her snout, sending it sailing towards the gaggle of players rising into the air. Though Spitfire went for it, Cadance’s longer wingspan allowed her to swat the ball away first, deflecting it below the Wonderbolts team captain, toward a gold-armored Guard who was wheeling around. The guard mare tucked her wings in, diving as the ball fell towards her rear, then past it; in a move worthy of any member of the Apple family, she lashed out with both of her rear hooves, bucking the ball hard and clear of Thunderlane’s attempt to rise up from below her and take possession of it.

The ball soared out, over, and clear of most of the Wonderbolts, and Twilight immediately saw their error; with everypony on the team watching where the ball was, none of them had figured in where it might go: Echo, the pony who had started the play by stealing it from Thunderlane, was deep on the Wonderbolts’ side of the pitch and completely free of interference. He wouldn’t have too long unchallenged, as Rainbow Dash had completed her tight turn around the time Cadance had knocked the ball away from Spitfire, and was now diving at him. He’d never outrun her; Rainbow Dash was unquestionably the fastest living pony in the air and probably in all of history, while Echo was burdened with heavy armor. Still, he didn’t need to outrun her forever, just long enough to take control of the ball and make his play, which would happen well before Dash could reach him.

He spun around in the air holding his rear legs up to arrest the ball’s trajectory to sail past him, rolling back over and diving atop it as the ball fell for the pitch’s surface. Twilight couldn’t quite decide whether he was galloping or flying in close proximity to the earth as he barreled towards the goal, the Wonderbolts goaltender lining up to attempt to intercept him as Rainbow Dash dove down towards him, Spitfire coming up on her wing, the pair of mares leaving brilliant streaks through the air as they accelerated, Rainbow Dash’s a vibrant, solid rainbow, Spitfire’s like a blaze of amber-and-gold flame in her wake.

Echo crossed the penalty arc like an airborne stampede, and lashed his whole body at the ball, skidding sideways and tucking his wings in. It was a dramatic, incredible and risky move, but it nearly worked; the ball soared clear of Rainbow Dash and Spitfire’s reach, toward the goalie who was moving to intercept it. The Wonderbolts goaltender, a white stallion with a midnight-blue mane, had to lunge hard toward the opposite end of his goal from where he had been, stretching his head out to try to block the ball.

The goaltender leapt towards the ball with a powerful flap of his wings, but he leapt too low to reflect the ball back at the field, and wasn’t able to grab it from the air with his hooves. It smacked into the side of his snout and rolled hard over his flight goggles and off the top of his head, through the air and hitting the heavy metal top of the goal next, bouncing up over it and flopping down into the backside of the net, rolling down and off the pitch.

Twilight realized she was holding her breath and levitating an untouched apple in front of her head, so transfixed on the play had she been. Her brother was blowing his whistle as he galloped down the field, Spike in hot pursuit, and Twilight turned, breaking into a gallop of her own, running down the length of the pitch, as her brother called out. “Saved! Guards have the corner kick!”

The teams landed, and the respective captains rallied their teams together, as Shining Armor levitated the ball, galloping to the corner of the pitch on the opposite side, where the ball had gone over. The teams lined up mostly in an arc away from the corner arc, wings spread; the ponies at the front of the arc ready to charge forward on hoof, while those at the back were ready to leap into the air on a moment’s notice.

Armor placed the ball on the white-marked corner of the pitch, and Princess Luna trotted straight out to him, declaring “I’ll take the kick” to the field. She trotted out of the bound markers, around the corner post, and lined up to face the ball, lowering her front shoulders and head, hoofing at the ground, telegraphing her charge at the ball, then looking toward the goal, where the goalie was sitting on his haunches, wings and forelegs spread, clearly ready to jump up and intercept the ball should she try a trick shot that some other member of his team failed to intercept.

Luna broke into her charge suddenly, reaching a full gallop in an instant thanks to a flap of her enormous wingspan, and then jumped into the air as she reached the ball. Going vertical, the midnight-blue alicorn pulled into a tight, wing-assisted backflip, using the momentum to snap her rear hooves at the ball, making solid contact with both at once.

It was a spectacular kick, but Twilight couldn’t understand why - the ball went nowhere towards the Wonderbolts goal, instead propelled over the lined up ponies towards the center of the pitch. It went so fast and far that Twilight wondered if even Rainbow Dash could have intercepted it in a vertical leap, but Dash was nowhere near it, and the Wonderbolt who did flap for it couldn’t reach the ball as it sailed over him.

She followed the ball with her head, and then the reasoning behind it became apparent: the Guards goaltender had abandoned his goal the moment Luna started her gallop and was himself galloping down the pitch like a freight train as the ball hit the turf and bounced, soaring toward him.

Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if Princess Luna’s intent hadn’t been to score a goal but create the most exciting, visually-and-physically dramatic play she could have, as it certainly worked. Utter chaos struck the Wonderbolts’ ranks as they broke from their expected defensive play to act, Spitfire desperately trying to whistle her team into order as they scattered, taking to the wing and hoof with little organization, Rainbow Dash taking flight and diving directly for the oncoming goaltender as he took control of the ball, batting it forward with his hooves.

Rainbow Dash stretched her hooves out, skimming over the ground at full wing and lower than she stood tall, clearly intent on battering the ball from the Guards goaltender’s possession, or at the very least spoiling his play, but he was evidently prepared for her exact maneuver, as he stamped hard on the back of the ball with his next hoof-fall, spinning the ball into the air and headbutting it high. Rainbow tried to pull up and intercept it, but it went too high, too fast, and she soared past him at speed, leaving the armored Pegasus to leap into the air and headbutt the ball again towards his team, as Rainbow Dash was left flying down the pitch, pulling up hard, belly to the skies, and rolling over furiously, reorienting her head to the action and her hooves to the pitch as she dove toward the ball, completing a full Immelmann in only twice her length and orienting again towards the ball.

The ball hit the ground hard between the oncoming goaltender and the crush of players stampeding and winging towards it. Luna had taken flight and was diving toward the ball, while Cadance and Spitfire were the two players nearest to it, both galloping towards the ball as it came toward them. Cadance spread her wings, flapping to gain height, and Spitfire responded by spreading her own, flapping to propel herself faster. The fire-maned Wonderbolt caught up to the ball first, and whistled loudly as she leapt directly into it, arresting the ball’s forward momentum and propelling it straight into the air. She tried to chase it into the air, but Cadance caught up first, checking it upwards as Luna had earlier, batting it farther up as she flapped parallel to its vertical direction of travel, attempting to arrest Rainbow Dash’s interception by rolling around the ball.

This time, though, it didn’t work, Rainbow Dash pulling into an immensely tight corkscrew, matching direction and rotation with Cadance, spiraling up towards her, as Spitfire dropped down, spreading her wings and going horizontal on her back, stalling. Cadance had a split second to be surprised at the rainbow-blurred streak rising into the sky with her, before Rainbow reached out with her rear hoof, batting the ball up higher, spoiling Cadance’s rhythm, then smacking it down toward the field with her snout when they caught up to it.

The ball’s momentum stolen, it fell through Cadance’s rear legs, towards the stalled-out Spitfire, who pitched herself down, completing a Split-S turn and kicking the ball directly to the nearby Thunderlane, with Echo hot on his tail. Thunderlane batted the ball between his legs as he dove, wheeling around on his center of travel to spoil Echo’s attempt to steal the ball, then touched down into a hard gallop, flapping for speed with what seemed the entire Guards team on his tail, charging directly at their unguarded goal.

Try as he might, Echo simply couldn’t catch Thunderlane, the Wonderbolt unburdened by armor and professionally swift. Even Echo’s desperate lunge brought him far short, the Royal Guardsman eating turf and falling by the wayside as Thunderlane charged the goal.

It seemed like a clear line, but one Guards player on the wing had the speed and momentum built up to challenge him. Princess Luna was airborne, speeding up along the pitch’s sides parallel to Thunderlane, pulling ahead, then veering hard towards him, wingtips to the pitch and sky as she barreled in towards the ball.

Luna tucked her wings in and impacted the pitch hard, ahead of Thunderlane and just to the side, skidding across his direction of travel, her head tucked down and trying to bat the ball away from him with the top of her long horn, but Thunderlane must have caught her out of the corner of his eyes. He hopped into the air, kicking the ball up with his forehoof and pulling into the same hard backflip-loop that Luna herself had used to kick off the play, battering the ball like Applejack bucking a tree with his rear hooves, blasting it over the Princess as she skidded along the grass. Luna’s hooves lashed out desperately, attempting to deflect the ball, but she barely grazed it, putting a slight horizontal spin on it as it skidded along the ground toward the unguarded goal.

The ball started to deflect of its own accord, the spin Luna’s grazing hoof-strike putting on it sending the ball curving towards the side of the pitch, but not quickly, and it was already close to the goal. The ball bounced once, twice, and then impacted the goalpost, leaving the metal frame ringing, but it somehow managed to deflect in, spinning like a top and hitting the back of the net, coming to a full stop.

Twilight couldn’t help herself, laughing and sitting back; the grass wasn’t hard enough for her to make a suitable applause by stamping on it, so she clapped her forehooves together to make the sound, as her brother blew his whistle loudly, the Thunderbolts team leaping into the air in a brief cheer, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane sailing past one another trailing their mane colors, their hooves connecting with a loud, hollow clop, before Thunderlane pulled a loop and dove back to the pitch.

Twilight felt herself enthralled watching, and didn’t notice Spike tugging at her mane the first few pulls, but he got her attention eventually, and she looked down with a grin. “Isn’t this fun to watch, Spike?” “Uh-huh,” Spike answered. “I’ve been watching it the last few days. But, uh... Tonight’s the Gala, isn’t it?”

“Oh... Shoot,” Twilight said, with a chuckle. “Heh. I’m going to get hopelessly distracted if I keep watching, aren’t I?” Spike nodded, and she pulled him close with her hoof, hugging him loosely to her chest. “Though, I’m half-tempted to ask if we could just make the match one of the events.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea,” Spike said, grinning, and Twilight nodded. “Maybe, but the Wonderbolts have an air show to put on, too. They’re going to need to rest after this.” “Oh, yeah,” the baby dragon said, with a sad sigh. “You’re right, Twi.” “So, let’s go check on the others.”

Spike nodded, and Twilight waved to her brother, though he was too busy to wave back, evidently, as the match had already resumed. She stared at the match for a few moments as the two teams soared and galloped and competed for control of the ball, which somehow wound up being kicked higher and higher as Luna, Cadance, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire circled one another in a complicated aerial ballet, jockeying for control of the ball, the Princesses’ reach and size giving them an advantage, but the smaller, professional aviators having much shorter turning circles and far greater maneuverability in the air.

“Hey! Equestria to Twilight,” Spike called out in a drawn-out, singsong voice, getting her attention, and Twilight looked back down at him, chuckling. “Right, right, sorry. Come on.” She turned around, and Spike hopped up on her back, then she started to leave, despite the exciting swoops of wings, snaps of air, and thud of hooves into the ball coming from behind her.

“Geeze, Twilight, you’re grinning harder than I’ve seen you grin in a while,” Spike said, as Twilight trotted around the castle green, towards the stairs that could lead back up or down another terrace level. Twilight smiled. “The last month has been kind of, you know, all work and no play. It was... It was nice to see my brother again, and Cadance, not to mention Princess Luna, and it was great to see Rainbow Dash enjoying herself again.

Spike chuckled. “Awh. You sound like you’d rather jump out there on the pitch yourself, Twilight.” She chuckled. “I guess... I would! But, you know...” She looked back, to her side, illustrating the stark lack of wings on her sides. “I’d be at a bit of a disadvantage.”

Spike laughed. “I guess. Hey, since when have you been into football, huh?” “I...” Twilight paused, shrugging her shoulders best she could without rearing up. “I don’t know. Never, really, but... It’s infectious, watching so many ponies have fun...” “Maybe Rainbow Dash isn’t the only pony around here who’s gone for too long without a break,” Spike shot back, and Twilight pouted as she turned around the corner, starting to climb back toward the castle.

“Are you saying I couldn’t play? You know, if I wasn’t trying to play against Pegasus ponies?” The baby dragon on her back shook his head, extending his hands toward her. “No, no, I’m not saying that! I just, you know... I don’t really think that sort of thing is really your speed? When was the last time you sat down and read something.”

“Um... Just now, when I helped my brother look up rules?” “Okay, and before that?” “I don’t know... My ledger, yesterday?” “Something not related to magic studies or organizing the Grand Galloping Gala,” Spike retorted, and Twilight frowned, because he was getting close to home; she had to think about it.

“Okay, okay. It was on the first, when the latest Daring-Do book arrived at the library,” Twilight conceded, and Spike shook his head. “You sure? How did it end?” “Um...”

Frowning, Twilight crested the stairs, and paused, her eyes narrowing as she focused on remembering the book. “I don’t... Okay, I don’t remember. But what has that got to do with it?” “Because you read the dust jacket and then Pinkie Pie turned up and you set it down and forgot about it,” Spike explained, and Twilight sighed.

“Okay, okay. You’re right. Since when did you become my psychiatrist, anyway?” “Uh... Since ever?” Spike leaned forward, onto her shoulders, hugging the back of her neck, and Twilight sighed; it was rather impossible to be angry with him when he was hugging her. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m so much of a nerd that the only time I’d take an interest in sports is when I’ve gone a month without any entertainment whatsoever?” “Uh...” “Because I did enter the Running of the Leaves, you recall?”

Spike sighed. “Twilight... You didn’t enter the Running of the Leaves this year,” he explained, as she started to walk again. “What do you mean? I distinctly remember the race, and passing other racers...” “Yeah, you went on the race course, and you passed ponies, but you didn’t enter the race, Twi. You were just at Sweet Apple Acres to check on Applejack, and then Scootaloo mentioned that Pinkie had been talking about hearing an amazing deal on streamers if she bought ten tons worth... Then you kind of just... Galloped straight back to Ponyville, which took you onto the racecourse for the end, but you didn’t actually run it.”

“Oh, no,” Twilight moaned. “I missed it? How did Applejack let me live that down?” “She, uh... She forgot the start, too, so I don’t think she wanted to bring it up.”

Twilight hung her head in shame, as she walked around the palace grounds, towards the kitchens. “You know what? We’re going to have fun tonight. Whether or not I get a chance to talk with the Princess, whether or not Rarity meets another Prince, whether or not the critters take to Fluttershy or the Wonderbolts can spare a word for Rainbow Dash, we’re going to have fun, because I am going to round up my friends and we’re going to make fun.”

“That sounds like a job for Pinkie Pie,” Spike laughed, and Twilight grinned. “Exactly! As soon as the decorations are done, I’m going to find Pinkie Pie and give her the mission... I think she’s up to it. Anyway...” She took a deep breath. “We need to check on AJ. Or at least, I do.” “Should we split up, Twi?” Spike hopped off her back. “Want me to go keep an eye on Pinkie?”

Twilight thought about it for a moment, looking down at Spike, and shaking her head. “Actually, no. Pinkie promised she’d handle this. We have to trust her.” She prodded her baby dragon in the back, and Spike looked up at her, nodding. “Okay! Let’s get to the kitchens, then.”

Spike darted out ahead of her, and Twilight chuckled, following him, heading into the kitchen, and immediately walking into the domain of the Apple clan. Banjo music assaulted her senses at the exact same moment the smell of cooking.

“Hey, Twi,” she heard Applejack yell for her, over the general din of the cooking, and she whistled for Twilight. Applejack was on a raised cooking platform, a place for the master chef to work whilst still overseeing and directing his or her assistants, cheerfully kneading a small mountain of dough to the beat of the song. “Come to help, or hear the music?”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh, grinning as she navigated through the crowd, mostly Apples - though she did pass Bon Bon who was joyfully drizzling something hot and sticky onto a plate of Zap Apples which had already been impaled with a stick. Twilight paused, looking at her. “Caramel Zap Apples?”

Bon Bon looked back, and laughed. “Sure. If you consider an exquisite blend of five flavors of exotic candy from as far away as the Zebra kingdoms to be ‘caramel.’” Twilight chuckled, and nodded. “Oookay. Sounds great.” “It will be,” Bon Bon said with a grin. “I just have to get it coated just right.”

Twilight passed the candy-maker and climbed up to Applejack’s platform. “What are you making, AJ?” “This side’s gonna be Zap Apple bread, this half’s gonna be pie crusts.” There was already a pie sitting on the indicated side, and Twilight grinned. “Got an example made, I see.” “Example? Heck no, that’s my lunch.” She grinned. “So, you seen what RD and the Wonderbolts are up to?” Twilight smiled, as Spike craned himself over the table Applejack was working on, watching her knead the dough.

“I sure have,” Twilight admitted. “Honestly, if Spike hadn’t pulled me away, I’d still be watching.” “Really? It’s that good, huh?” She shook her head. “It’s been a long time since I played a good ol’ game o’ hoofball, but when Big Mac told me what they were up to, I wanted to run right on out and join ‘em. ‘Course, then he mentioned they were all Pegasi, so...” Applejack shrugged.

Twilight nodded. “I know the feeling, and I’ve never played football before. So, uh...” She nodded her head towards the side, where two ponies sat, identical save for their cutie marks, both of them with light brown coats and silvery-blue mane and tail, one playing a shiny banjo, the other a heavy guitar. Applejack smiled. “That’s Applewood Banjo and his twin brother, Applewood Guitar. Banjo’s the one playing the guitar and vice versa, mind you.”

“Really? They’re taking a break?” “Naw,” Applejack replied, with a grin. “They’re about as lethal a chef as I am after a week without sleepin’.” Twilight cringed, in memory of the time Applejack had poisoned a significant fraction of a percentage of the population of Ponyville by helping Pinkie bake whilst sleep-deprived. “They’re here to support us, like Big Mac is.” “Ah... By pulling carts?” “Naw, by keepin’ the music goin’, silly filly.” Applejack gestured to them with her tail, flicking it slightly towards the two. “You didn’t hear ‘em your first day in Ponyville ‘cause we were takin’ a break when you showed up. Sooner or later they’ll get tired and then uncle Strudel will jump in with his squeezebox.”

Twilight shook her head, but smiled. “Our family scares me, AJ, but in a good way.” “Our?” Applejack looked back, then grinned as she got it, swaying her hips into Twilight’s side, giggling. “Good one, Twi. But don’t go claimin’ membership too loud in this crowd, or someone’s liable to shanghai you an’ put you to work!”

Twilight nodded, and sat back on the rear edge of Applejack’s platform, raising her nose, closing her eyes, and inhaling the smell of the cooking as she let the rapid-fire twang of the two string instruments go through her. It felt weird, but at the same time, it was nice; the sound of laughing and joking, of music and cooking instructions being called out. It made her smile, and she started to stand up, but her stomach chose that moment to let out a dramatic rumble, and Applejack looked at her. “You ain’t eat anythin’ in a while, Twi?” “Well, I had a Zap Apple that Spike brought me... But now that you mention it, I don’t remember eating it.”

She looked down at Spike. “Spiiiike... Did you steal my Zap Apple?” “Of course not, Twilight,” he protested. “Your brother did, while you weren’t looking.”

Applejack blinked, and laughed softly. “Yep. That’s what a big brother’s for, innit?” “Eeeeyup!” Big Mac’s loud voice caught both their attention, and Applejack looked to the side, where the mammoth stallion was grinning ferociously, and where there had been a pie was now just a single slice left sitting in the pie-plate, his lips stained with the evidence. He was drawing in another cart of goods, and Applejack narrowed her eyes. She swung her hips at him, smacking the shy stallion in the face with her bunched-up tail. “Ha-ha, very funny. Now you go an’ give those to whomever gets ‘em and split.”

Big Mac started to walk away, and Applejack sighed. “He gets a mite mischievous when th’ whole family’s ‘round. Don’t worry none, there’s plenty to go ‘round...” She looked around, and called out over the din, “Hey, y’all! Who’s got a batch ready fer taste-testin’!”

A pony wearing a brilliantly colorful sombrero in vertical stripes whistled back. “I’ve got some!” “Well, bring ‘em on up here, then!” The mare flipped her hat back, revealing a unicorn horn, and levitated two platters up to the empty table next to Applejack, walking around and up to the platform. Applejack smiled. “Twi, this is cousin’ Apple Tortilla. ‘Torty, this here is Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight extended her hoof, which the unicorn mare took, shaking it. Twilight smiled at her, swaying to the side of the wheat-white mare, seeing that her Cutie Mark was indeed a tortilla chip. “Well, what’ve you got, Torty,” AJ asked, and the mare lowered her sombrero over her horn again, sitting up and pointing. “Well, I’ve been turning Zap Apples into tortillas, like you asked, though I’m not really sure they’re fancy enough for this crowd.” Twilight looked at the offerings; one platter was full of tightly rolled tortillas, the other had a dish full of brown bean dip in the middle surrounded by a plate of fried tortilla chips, all of them striped like a Zap Apple. She grinned. “Don’t worry. None of the ponies in Canterlot have ever seen anything like this before. They’ll be too afraid of looking like they don’t know what they’re talking about to spurn them.” “Oh, good,” Tortilla said with a sigh of relief. “I was dreadfully afraid I was wasting Zap Apples by making this. I thought I should have stayed home, but Applejack insisted I come.” “That’s ‘cause your apple tortillas are the best, cousin’. Let’s see here...” Applejack lifted one of the chips, dipping it into the dip and raising it to her mouth, as Tortilla cautioned, “That’s very hot!”

Applejack bit into it anyway, eating the whole chip in one bite, chewing slowly. Her eyes started to water and color flooded through the thin coat on her face, as she swallowed, and sucked in breath, waving her flour-stained hoof in front of her open mouth. “Hooo! I’ll say! Sw-Sweet an’ hot. Who’da thunk they’d have gone together?”

Tortilla smiled at her, as Twilight lifted a chip telekinetically, while Spike clambored onto the table manually. They each dipped at the same time, and tried the chip.

An explosion of heat flooded Twilight’s mouth; the burning taste of some kind of pepper and the warm, savory taste of refried beans singed the roof of her mouth, while she could definitely tell the fruity, multi-flavored taste of the zap apples had withstood being turned into tortilla. The heat was intense, though thankfully not as terrifying as the time she had mistakenly drank from a bottle of hot sauce. She felt her own eyes watering and clenched them, hard, as she finished the chip, the remaining bits of which did not have any dip on it, before swallowing.

“Ah... Ahhh, th-that’s...” She sucked in air, as Applejack had, and Apple Tortilla smiled. “Habanero. It’s one of the hotter peppers in the world.” Twilight trembled, looking at the unicorn, who ate a chip with considerably more dip than either she or Applejack had eaten, seemingly without ill effect. Spike, naturally, seemed completely unaffected, but then, she had seen him cheerfully eat (and enjoy) those poisonous muffins Applejack had baked whilst out of her mind from sleep deprivation, so he was hardly an indicator. Applejack coughed. “Uh... I, um...” “Milk,” Tortilla said, levitating a pitcher and a few glasses over; she poured, and Applejack and Twilight both took the offered glass, gulping it down.

The milk immediately soothed the feeling of heat, but it also spread it much farther, coating her mouth and throat as she swallowed. It was more managable, though, and she breathed, heavily. “Oh... Wow.” She blinked a few times, looking back at Tortilla, who seemed not to be suffering. “I should probably cool it down by making it with jalapeños for the party, shouldn’t I,” she asked, and Twilight squeezed her eyes again. “I, um..” “Sugarcube, perhaps you’d best make a couple different batches,” Applejack admitted, and Tortilla smiled, brightly. “Perfect! I can make a batch of the beans with the habaneros, a batch with the jalapeños, and one with bell peppers.”

The tortilla chip and bean dip, though frighteningly spicy, had struck a chord in Twilight, who realized that she must not have eaten in quite a while. “S-So, um... What are these,” she asked, trying to steer her attention away from the bean dip, pointing at the tightly-rolled tortilla, and Tortilla levitated one. “These? Applejack suggested them.” “Actually, Pinkie Pie suggested ‘em to me, ages ago. In, uh, Dodge Junction.” Applejack’s ears sagged, and Twilight let the comment pass, not wanting to drag on Applejack’s memory of the time she had felt the need to exile herself out of shame for not bringing in first place in any rodeo competition.

“These are chimichangas, but I used fruit filling instead of the normal stuff one uses in a deep-fried chimichanga. See, these are filled with cherry,” she said, indicating three of them. “These are full of apple, and these have zap apples,” she said, with a pause. “Though I’m not honestly sure the zap apple filling will differentiate itself much from the zap apple tortilla. I think the zap apple filling might be a bit of a failure.”

Twilight levitated one of the zap-apple filled chimichangas, and brought it to her mouth, taking a bite and chewing. It was unquestionably sweet, and she smiled as the many tastes of zap apple filled her mouth, much moreso than the chip had produced, sitting down. “Well,” she said after she swallowed. “I like it.”

Tortilla smiled, as Twilight took another bite. “I’m glad. Here, AJ.” She gave the cherrychanga she was levitating to Applejack, and levitated one of the applechangas to herself. They each finished one, and Applejack grinned, rubbing her stomach with her forehoof. “Man, Pinkie Pie is going to bounce when she gets one of these.”

Twilight grinned, levitating one of the cherrychangas and taking a bite of it herself. The sweet, slightly tart flavor of black cherries flooded her mouth, with a hint of the other fruits from the zap apple tortilla, and Twilight grinned. “Yeah, I’m sure she’s gonna love this,” she said to Applejack, as her friend and Spike both tore into their second. Apple Tortilla smiled. “I see you like them,” she said with a pleased grin, and Twilight nodded. “I should make more, then?” “Oh, yeah, Torty. In all the flavors you can think of.”

Apple Tortilla grinned. “Splendid! I’m going to try citrus fruits next; lemon, orange, and grapefruit!” Applejack blinked, and smiled. “Sounds... Good.” “Oooh, I wanna try a grapefruit,” Twilight said, with a grin, and Applejack smiled, nudging her with a hoof. “I guess that’s one vote of confidence. “Get to it, cousin.” Apple Tortilla flipped her sombrero up and saluted Applejack with a forehoof, then grinned and headed back to her cooking station. Twilight smiled at Applejack. “You’ve got everything well in hoof here, AJ.” She levitated the platter of fruit-filled chimichangas. “I’ll take these and see what Pinkie and the others think, but I think they’re gonna go over well.” “Well... Well with y’all, anyway. I dunno about... You know, them fancified folk we’re expecting soon.” “They’ll love it. And if they don’t, well...” She shrugged. “We’ll deal with that when it happens. But here we are; it’s too late to back out now.”

Applejack nodded, and sighed. “Yeah. I keep tellin’ myself that. Sooner or later I’ll even believe it, too. Now you two, git. If’in I need ya, I’ll call ya.”

Twilight stood up, and headed toward the exit of the kitchens, Spike climbing up on her back, the tray levitating in front of her. “I’ll go check on Pinkie Pie, then take this tray to the Princess and see what she thinks, assuming Pinkie leaves any,” Twilight called to Applejack, looking behind her as she walked through the door into the castle.

“See what I think of what, my dear student?” The voice came from her other side, and Twilight spun around to look; the Princess herself was sitting in a doorless kitchenware storage-room, and Twilight squeaked. “Uh.... Princess, I...” She blinked, caught offguard, and Celestia laughed. “Relax, Twilight.” The enormous mare stood up, walking over to her, and leaned down, peering at the tray. “What are these?” “Fruit chimichangas,” Twilight answered, as Celestia turned and started to walk away, causing Twilight to follow her instinctively. “These are cherrychangas, these are applechangas, and these are zap applechangas.”

Celestia smiled, levitating three of the remaining chimichangas, one each of each type, beaming as she looked them over, rotating them in the air before her. “Oh, these look great! I wonder how they made this wonderful stripe effect.” She brought the three chimichangas together and took an enormous bite, taking off a little under half of all three of the chimichangas, chewing them and clearly savoring them.

Twilight stifled a giggle at the princess’ exuberant bite, a method of eating she would normally associate with Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, not someone that one would expect to be even more refined than Rarity. She knew the princess had an impishly mischievous streak, though, and was just glad she nevertheless chewed with her mouth closed, before swallowing it. She looked back, her eyes bright, and smiled warmly. “These are incredible, Twilight! Who made them?”

Twilight looked back towards the kitchen, receding into the distance. “Apple Tortilla made them, Princess. It’s a tortilla made out of zap apples - somehow - and filled with fruit filling, then deep fried.

Celestia smiled at her, and took another enormous bite, finishing off all but about an inch of the three chimichangas, and swallowed, then looked back. “Spike?” She levitated them towards Twilight’s back, and Spike jumped off her, mouth open, capturing all three in his mouth and landing to walk with them, as he noisily enjoyed the three bite-sized fruit chimichangas.

“So, have you got the musicians practicing,” Celestia asked, and Twilight blinked, then shook her head, smiling. “Oh, the music back there? No, that’s just some of Applejack’s family, playing for the cooks.” “Really?” Celestia smiled. “They’re nice. I was going to the kitchens to get a snack, but I heard the music playing and stepped aside to listen to it. That’s not something I get to hear every day in Canterlot.”

Twilight could only smile, and nod, as the Princess continued. “Anyway, I do hope everything will be ready soon. I can’t wait to see the castle, before I have to welcome all those guests.” She sighed, and Twilight shrugged. “Why not get somepony else to welcome the guests, Princess?” “I suppose I could,” Celestia murmured, absently, looking back at Twilight as she walked through the castle. “But I’ve greeted all the guests at the Grand Galloping Gala since the very first one, thousands of years ago.”

Twilight frowned, looking down at the exquisite carpet she was stepping over, enchanted to never wear and repel soiling, such as the light coating of flour on her hooves, which simply vanished as she left it on the carpet, and Celestia stretched her wing out, laying it over Twilight’s back. “So, I suppose I could ask someone else to greet the guests for me. It would certainly make things easier, since I might actually get a chance to enjoy my own party for a change,” Celestia murmured, looking down at Twilight with a smile. “But it would necessitate breaking with what has become a tradition. Even when the Grand Galloping Gala started...” She fell silent for a moment, with a chuckle. “A long, long, long time before it was called that; several names before, in fact, I was always the one at the door, greeting the friends, the allies, those who had come together to get in out of the cold and enjoy the hospitality my sister and I could muster.”

Twilight blinked, looking up at Celestia, who had a wistful look in her face. It was very, very rare that Celestia talked about the ancient past, despite having lived it. “The castle wasn’t at Canterlot, then,” she murmured. “It wasn’t even the one you and your friends found in what is now the Everfree Forest. It was several castles before that, too... More of a lodge, really, on the frozen coast; a wooden great hall with a burgeoning town surrounding it, with a wooden palisade that was actually there because in those days, ponies needed protection from the wild things. Timber Wolves certainly weren’t restricted to Everfree then. The Grand Galloping Gala started when I called all the different pony lords and ladies from all around to a great feast in the dead of winter, to reassure ourselves that our ties were still strong, that we were still working for everypony’s mutual benefit. Those were... Very different days, when the rules of hospitality were very much matters of life or death, honor or dishonor. It behooved me to greet all of my guests personally, it was a rather important matter, to them and me.”

Celestia sighed, lifting her head and looking out a window, over the distance and past the horizon. “So, I suppose I could get someone else to greet my guests for me, or greet them in large lots, a little less personally. It would certainly save me a lot of time and trouble, and it’s certainly true that there are quite a few more guests these days than there were then... And don’t think it hasn’t occurred to me before. The Grand Galloping Gala has become... Quite a bit dull in recent years. But I have yet to see a reason to cancel the Gala, and I have yet to have a compelling enough reason not to greet my guests individually to have someone else do it, or to greet them in groups.”

Twilight nodded in understanding, feeling a little guilty for even having suggested it, but Celestia smiled at her, patting her back with her outstretched wing. “Not that I haven’t thought about it, believe me.” She grinned down at Twilight, who smiled lightly and looked back up. The Princess had guided them to the main hall of the castle. Currently, it had yet to be touched by the decorating team, though Twilight distinctly saw the form of Pinkie Pie marching her party cannon around outside, and Vinyl Scratch was setting her sound system up with the help of a few palace caretakers. The dance hall and throne room were farther back, and the entry hall was down below, where Pinkie Pie would have been. “Twilight, come with me,” the Princess said, and Twilight looked up at her. “Spike,” Celestia murmured. “Please, take these treats to dear Pinkie Pie, see how she likes them.” Celestia levitated the tray out of Twilight’s telekinetic grasp, handing them to the baby dragon, who blinked, and nodded, taking the tray with one hand and saluting with the other. Princess Celestia led Twilight up and back, towards the throne room, but detoured into the libraries, walking them right past the guard who was standing attention at the door - though closed off for the gala, he certainly didn’t object when Celestia levitated the velvet rope out of the way, simply sitting on his haunches and smartly saluting her, receiving a salute with Celestia’s wing in reply.

“Princess?” Twilight felt an eager, and nervous, hitch in her voice. “Are you going to give me a quiz? I haven’t had any time to study, but -” “No, Twilight,” Celestia said, with a laugh, laying her wing across Twilight’s back again. “I hardly need test you these days. Though, since you insist, show me a gravity spell.”

“A gravity spell? Okay, I can -” “Not one you’ve studied,” Celestia said. “Show me something of Twilight Sparkle’s.”

Twilight blinked, and bit her lip, thinking on the topic. She couldn’t just reverse gravity’s effect on her to fall to the ceiling as she had in the Crystal Empire, and redirecting gravity’s effect so she fell to the wall would be too derivative to satisfy herself, let alone the Princess. Twilight took a deep breath, closing her eyes, thinking about what she knew of gravity spells, formulas and descriptions flowing through her mind. Then she had an idea, and started to draw power to herself, her horn starting to vibrate as it glowed.

Opening her eyes, Twilight darted forward, feeling the weight on her hooves as they fell upon the hard floor, completing what she needed in the spell; levitation was using telekinetic force to oppose gravity, and spells to reverse gravity were tricky, but hardly impossible. This?

She felt gravity’s grip on her, took hold of it in return, and broke the grip, giving a laugh and kicking off from the floor. Without the inexorable downward draw of gravity, she soared, floating in the direction she had jumped, rolling over in the sky as she sailed languidly toward the ceiling, tucking her head in she hit it with her back and smoothly rolled, her movement arrested as she came to a sitting position on the ceiling, drifting back towards the floor, but slowly. Below her, Celestia laughed back, and raised her head. The Princess’ horn started to glow a brilliant yellow, and Twilight felt the telekinetic hold take grip over her again, and nudged her down, so she floated towards the white princess standing below her. “Gravity negation? I’m impressed,” Celestia said. “How’s your concentration? “It’s...” Twilight was focusing on the spell, but she was hardly sweating. “Stable. Not as bad as levitating myself.”

Celestia smiled, and Twilight felt the Princess’ telekinetic grip around her again. “Let go,” Celestia said, and Twilight relaxed, letting the spell end. With the gravity negation gone, she felt her weight return, sagging slightly, as the Princess lowered her back to the floor, and continued walking. Celestia led her into a sunlit reading room, a large, turreted room on the wall of the castle, glass-enclosed above and to the sides. Outside, she saw the distinctive trail of Rainbow Dash flying, and peered at the game, which was evidently still going. It brought a smile to her face, and she looked back as Celestia sat on the bench by the window, amidst a small stack of books. Twilight sat opposite her, on the floor. “It was Luna’s idea, not to rebuild the hedge maze, and install the sports field instead,” Celestia commented, turning her own head to view the game. Twilight pulled her binoculars out and looked through them; Rainbow Dash had intercepted the ball near the Wonderbolts’ goal and was heading it in the air as she arched up, towards the Guards’ goal. Luna was in the way, though, and while Rainbow tried to go around, Luna directed a hard flap of her wings at the smaller pegasus. It certainly didn’t phase Rainbow Dash, but the sharp gust of wind knocked the ball from her control, and one of the other Guards took possession of it. Celestia chuckled as she saw it. “Oooh, that looks like a foul.” “It is?” Twilight set her binoculars down, and Celestia smiled. “I think so. The rules stipulate Pegasi aren’t to engage in weather manipulation during the game to affect the ball or other players. I’m not sure if Shining Armor will call it or not, though.”

She turned back to Twilight, and smiled. “So, Twilight, you’ve had a lot of action recently, haven’t you?” “Action? Well... Things have been a little more complicated than I would have liked recently, I’ll admit,” Twilight said with a nod, and Celestia nodded herself. “A lot of bad things have been happening recently. Luna’s return was welcome; Nightmare Moon’s was not, but thankfully, you and your friends took care of that, and brought my little sister back to me.” Celestia smiled, wistfully, and sighed happily. “Then there was that dragon who sought to roost in Equestria. That would have been a nightmare. And Discord’s return... Well, you handled him quite nicely, and for that, everypony is grateful.”

Twilight nodded at the Princess, and smiled. “Well, everypony, though Pinkie Pie may be a little upset about the no more chocolate rain thing.” Her joke made the princess grin, and Celestia raised her hoof to her muzzle to muffle the soft titter that came out. Twilight sighed softly, closing her eyes, inclining her head toward the floor. “It has been crazy lately, hasn’t it? Cadance’s wedding, and those Changelings... Then there was the return of King Sombra with the Crystal Empire... How is it doing, anyway?”

Celestia smiled softly. “It’s doing well, actually, thanks to Cadance and Shining Armor. After I had to quash that ridiculous rumor that I’d emptied the royal treasury to build Cadance a city of crystal as a wedding present, everything went well.” She rolled her eyes, and Twilight smiled, nodding at her. “Um, Princess... If I may ask, why is it called an Empire? It’s just one city... And not even a very big city at that.”

“Cities were not what you would consider large, in ancient times, Twilight. At one time, Ponyville would have been considered a city, given its size and population. The city you saw was once the capital of an empire, worthy of its name. Equestria and the Crystal Empire were neighbors, friendly ones, for a very, very long time...” Celestia looked down, and Twilight nodded. “Something happened, didn’t it?”

Celestia opened her eyes, and nodded. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle. Something happened... King Sombra happened.” She took on a somber tone, sighing. “Sombra was... A very strong, a very charismatic unicorn, a very powerful unicorn, Twilight. He studied magic with me, he studied under Star Swirl the Bearded.” “Star Swirl? Wasn’t Star Swirl one of the mentors of Clover the Clever? But that was... Ages and ages ago.”

Celestia laughed softly, and nodded. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle, that is so. But remember, Star Swirl was the pioneer of time-altering magics. To say he was long-lived would be a gross injustice. When he died, Star Swirl was older than I am today.”

Twilight felt her jaw drop, as she stared up at the Princess. She had no idea how old Princess Celestia was, but she knew well that Celestia far predated Equestria as a unified kingdom, and the events around its founding were themselves lost in the mists of time. Even so, Princess Celestia had the advantage of being an Alicorn - ageless. Celestia nodded, seeing that sink into Twilight, and closed her eyes. “Star Swirl was an incredible teacher. He taught me many of the things I know, you know - and Luna, of course. Sometimes, he would vanish for centuries on end, and long after we’d decided he must have died and held a funeral for him, he’d wander back into Equestria, saddlebags and wagons full of trinkets and baubles and artifacts of his journeys or his forays into other vocations. Once he spent a century attempting to master the art of freestyle sculpture. He was never satisfied with anything he sculpted, and he smashed his finest work in a fit of anger at its failure to meet his expectations. The remains of that sculpture to this day are prized antiquities, some of which are in the possession of collectors. I think one piece is actually owned by somepony from Ponyville... But, I digress.”

Twilight sat, transfixed, by the Princess’ stories, as Celestia closed her eyes. “King Sombra was student of Star Swirl’s, too... His last student, actually.” “His... His last student?” “Sombra killed him, Twilight,” Celestia sadly explained. “He killed him because Star Swirl had reached the end of his usefulness to Sombra; Star Swirl had taught him all that he was willing to teach him.”

“That’s... That’s...” “Monstrous is the word you are looking for, Twilight. Star Swirl was never a great judge of character, but even he could see the unchecked, limitless ambition in Sombra’s heart. Sombra wanted to learn the secrets of temporal magic, and Star Swirl knew that if Sombra mastered such magic, he would use it, he would use it without compunction or compassion, he would use it again and again until he had either satisfied himself with the results, or ripped apart the flow of time in such a way as to bring an end to existence as we know it.”

Twilight felt her mouth dry, and she licked her lips, trying to wet them. “Is... Is such a thing possible, Princess Celestia?” “It is, Twilight. It is possible. Time is a resilient thing, but even the most resilient things will tear asunder when assaulted repeatedly. Had Star Swirl taught Sombra what he wished to know, I’ve no doubt that he would have freely altered history, again and again, pre-emptively shaping events, places, ponies, to his own liking. He could have murdered his strongest rivals and opponents when they were foals, caused the outcomes of wars to change - cause wars which never happened to occur, or preempted wars which did happen.”

“I... I thought that such things were impossible? When I-” “When you what, Twilight?” Celestia raised her eyebrow, and Twilight blushed. “Erm... When I-” “When you snuck into a library you could have walked into as gladly as welcome news and used a time travel spell to take yourself to the past...” “Yes,” Twilight admitted, sighing. “When I did that, I gave myself a half-way cryptic message that convinced me utter disaster was going to befall Equestria, only to have a lot of pointless things happen due to my worrying that made me look like a disaster had happened. Then when I use the spell to try and tell myself in the past that nothing bad would happen and not to worry, I wound up delivering the same cryptic message I received in the first place because I wouldn’t shut up about time travel long enough to hear the message. So I... I thought that changing the past was impossible.”

Celestia smiled, softly, and shook her head. “You’re the first pony in a thousand years to hear this, Twilight, but that is not the case. The spell you used, which let you appear in the past and deliver a short message, was one of Star Swirl’s later inventions, and it was designed specifically to give that impression, that false impression.”

Twilight couldn’t help but blink in confusion. “I... I don’t understand, Princess?” “You must understand, Twilight. that temporal magic is very, very dangerous, when one begins to meddle in history. After the Temporal Wars were over -” “Um... Temporal Wars, Princess?” Twilight blinked, and Celestia smiled, reaching across the table, patting Twilight’s head with her hoof. “You never had to worry about those, Twilight, and you never will. They’re not in the history books because technically, they never happened, and for that, you should be grateful. But, as I was saying, after the Temporal Wars concluded by never having happened in the first place, Star Swirl, Luna and I decided that temporal magic was too dangerous. So, Star Swirl devised a spell that was one part time travel, many parts divination and fate-alteration. He wove it into the very fabric of magic, so that any Unicorn attempting independent research on time travel would be almost unquestionably certain to develop that particular spell first. Then they would use it, again and again, and always with the same result of causing themselves a week’s worth of trivial, exhausting hassle and minor injuries, followed by the utter failure to avert anything if they tried to use the spell. It is not the case that time itself is predetermined, rather that the spell Star Swirl designed causes the predestination.”

“So... He... Sabotaged that spell, so that unicorn ponies who attempted to develop magic to travel through or alter time would find it first, completely fail to do anything useful, and come to the conclusion that any attempt to influence the past would result in creating a causal loop that resulted in your own actions bringing to pass everything you intended to avoid? Hopefully discouraging anypony from doing any further research into temporal magic?”

Celestia nodded, softly. “Yes, Twilight. That is exactly the case. The effect isn’t perfect, though. A disciplined mind, aware of the possibility that at any time they may receive a message from a future version of themselves, may be able to shake the predestination effect of the spell, and cause real change to occur. And with other, unfettered temporal spells, untold, terrible changes might be wrought.”

“I...” Twilight blinked, hard, swallowing, wondering how their conversations had gone to such a heavy place. “Why are you telling me this, Princess? Do you think I might need to use that spell again?” “No, Twilight, but... with all that has happened recently, I can’t discount the possibility of a situation so dire arising that it might be your only hope to salvage some terrible situation. Listen carefully: if, and only if, a situation that is more dire than anything you have faced before were to arise, here is what you must do should you decide that sending yourself a message in the past is the only hope. You must have a way to silence your past self, so that you may speak uninterrupted; whether through having a code-phrase established in your head to tell yourself to still your teeth, or by forcefully silencing yourself to make you listen. Then you must tell yourself exactly what you already have done. Telling yourself that something terrible has happened - such as, for instance, saying ‘the library burned to the ground’ will do no good, because that will only ensure that in your haste to prevent the burning of the library, the library will burn. You must specify how, when, and why, the terrible event occurred, and most importantly, what you did. But Twilight... You must fear this idea. It can be tempting, believe me, it can be very, very tempting, to use temporal magic to correct wrongs, correct mistakes... Believe me, for long nights I cried myself to sleep, cursing myself for swearing I would never again cast a temporal spell, after I was forced to banish Luna. I wanted nothing more than to go to the past, prevent her thoughts from turning down the path they did, or tell myself to restrain her here on Equestria, or even just to hold her.”

A tear glistened in Celestia’s eye, and she lifted her head, turning to look back out the window, and Twilight followed her gaze. The game seemed to be wrapping up on the grass below, the two teams jovially walking from the pitch.

“After the Temporal Wars, though, Star Swirl made us promise - vow, swear on everything, on the sun, the moon and the stars, on our horns and wings and hooves, by the earth and water and air and sea, by the mountains and the lakes, by crystal caverns and spires, that we would never, ever, use time magic again.” “Why?”

Celestia took a deep breath, and sighed. “We were too good at it, Twilight. That may seem like a good thing, but the better you are at temporal magic, the greater the effect, the strain, on time itself, and the risk became too great. Even Nightmare Moon, in her maddened rage and thirst for power, never sought to use Luna’s skill with temporal magic, though I don’t doubt that she could have. That should speak to the danger involved. Every time one of us uses temporal magic, the chance exists that we could cause a temporal rift.”

“I... I never knew...” “No, you never did, and I never wished you to, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia murmured, standing up and walking around the table, lowering her head to lay it beside Twilight’s. “But you always have had a way of making me talk and ramble on, even, especially, when there are other things I don’t wish to talk about.” “King Sombra,” Twilight murmured, and Celestia nodded, sitting beside her, spreading her wing and drawing Twilight close to her side. “Sombra, yes... Sombra. He was a ruthless pony, a unicorn with a cold, blackened heart, full of no friendship or laughter, only unlimited ambition. I do not know what could have caused a pony to go so bad. Certainly, he had a good life when he was young, he was nobility of the Crystal Kingdom - minor, but nobility. He was surrounded by plenty, good cheer, good ponies to befriend and unite with, good food, good drink, wealth enough to satisfy most. He wanted for nothing practical, physical, or emotional. What he wanted for was the one thing that in his greed he could never have enough of: power. Absolute, unchecked power. He sought for power in all parts of the world, his hunger for power led to him becoming an incredibly charismatic speaker, to attain power over other’s minds, to perfect the craft of artifice, to imbue power in objects. He dabbled in dark powers, terrible powers... Powers I hesitate to even mention to you, for fear that explaining them will scar your soul.”

“You mean like... That dark magic you showed me, when you explained his return?” “The power of magic fueled by dark emotions was one of his tricks. Sombra hardly invented it, but he raised it to an art form, reveled in it. I dearly regret showing you that power, Twilight Sparkle, even though I knew that you would need it to prevail over him. He would have certainly set it up so that no-one who couldn’t use his own powers could destroy him... But if I could cleanse that memory, that skill, from your head, I would.”

Celestia reared up, and tugged Twilight in front of her, between her hooves, hugging her tightly and laying her head around Twilight’s. “I’d scour it from your head, and then my own, if I could. It hurts us both, to know of it.” Twilight shivered softly, as Celestia embraced her, the incredibly tall alicorn hugging her warmly, her chest laying against Twilight’s back, and Twilight turned her head, to look at Celestia’s face. “Is it... That bad?” “It is, but it’s not the worst, Twilight Sparkle.” She sighed. “He delved into the ancient practices of terrible cultures, twisted himself so he could enact their abominable rites to empower himself.” “Rites such as,” Twilight prompted her, fearing the answer, but completely lost in her mentor’s tale.

Celestia sighed, unhappily. “Sombra had sharp teeth for a reason, Twilight. He had learned a ritual that let him consume other creatures - ponies and otherwise, their flesh, their still-beating hearts ripped from their chests. He could do that to absorb some measure of a quality from them, such as a minotaur’s unerring sense of direction, or a whale’s unconquerable stamina; the best singer’s vocal control, the strongest Earth Pony’s strength, a Pegasus’s wings. He used that power, and he used it without restraint.”

Twilight felt herself tremble, a greasy feeling running down her soul at just the thought of what the Princess was telling her, shivering as her vivid imagination conjured up images in her mind, half-composed of pastiches from her favorite Daring-Do novels and half from her personal experience battling Sombra months ago, of the maddened unicorn king ripping somepony’s heart from her chest with his sharpened teeth while they were strapped to a terrible altar, writhing and struggling.

“I... I... I wish I hadn’t asked you to tell me that,” she confessed, with a hard tremble, and Celestia lifted a hoof, using her wings to wrap around Twilight’s whole body, while she caressed Twilight’s mane with her hoof. “I wish I hadn’t, but... You’re getting older, Twilight, stronger, and you’re seeing many of the worst things the world has to offer. I just... I need you to know that it can get better, that no matter how bad things may seem now, they can, and have been, much worse, terrible ways that are gone, now.”

Twilight nodded, slowly, but still closed her eyes, laying her head into Celestia’s neck. “Princess?” “Yes, Twilight?” “I... I don’t remember Sombra having wings.” “He wouldn’t have, at the time you faced him. My sister and I didn’t know of the true depths of unspeakable, depraved madness that Sombra had descended to, for a long time. Even when he started a rebellion against the rightful Emperor, a rebellion with the goal of driving out or casting down the alicorns who ruled the Empire, we stayed our hooves. We felt that, though extreme, his views might have had merit to them; he certainly had enough of the Empire’s population backing him. Either way, though, it was not our kingdom; to intervene would have been a gross violation of the Empire’s sovereignty. And we desperately did not wish to lead the ponies of Equestria to war, especially to embroil them in a foreign civil war. Peace had existed in Equestria for a hundred and eighty years at that time, and we didn’t want to break that record.”

“But... You did.” Celestia nodded at her student’s murmur. “Yes, Twilight. In the end, when the rulers of the Empire were either dead or in exile, when we learned the terrible truth of what Sombra had done - broken the will, the hearts, the minds, of the Empire’s ponies, enslaved them wholesale despite that they willingly made him their king, just to have more control, more power, over them, we knew that we had to act. We had to act, for the ponies of the Empire, for Equestria, for it wouldn’t be long before he looked south and began to covet power over our ponies, for the world, for if we couldn’t stop him then nopony could. We believed the Crystal Heart could destroy him, of course - he had become a creature so anathema to the Heart, to the ways of the Empire, to the ways of love and light which were so akin to our own ways of friendship, that the concentrated energy of the Heart would be devastating if directed at him. But even if the Heart were in our possession, it would have done no good, unpowered, and with the people of the Empire too broken to power it... Well, it wasn’t an option.”

“But you had another option. The Elements of Harmony.” Celestia nodded. “Yes, Twilight, the Elements of Harmony. That was before the rift between my sister and I, before it... Before it stripped us both of the Elements. Together we embodied the elements of Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic, just as you and your friends do now. We attacked Sombra, suddenly, and without warning - no squadrons of Pegasi to strike from the skies with us, no inexorable column of Earth Ponies girded for war to march upon his lands, no teams of unicorn sorcerers to run magical interference. They wouldn’t have done any good, and would only have magnified the bloodshed. We teleported to the skies above his castle, forced him to take wing to face us, and then we used the Elements.”

“It... It didn’t work, though, did it?” “Not fully, no. I’m not convinced that at the time, the Heart would have, either, even fully powered. Perhaps if both had been used simultaneously... But, Sombra had grown so powerful, so... Twisted, into such a perverse thing of hatred and dominance, that he withstood the effect of the Elements of Harmony. He conjured up a cloud of raw, seething hatred, enough to buy him the time to speak the terrible curse he laid on the Empire, to curse our names, and to ensure his own survival. Even as the Elements burnt through his cloud, and he sacrificed the terrible powers and traits he had accumulated over years of hunting down and consuming other creatures to buy himself time, he wove himself into the fabric of cloud itself, granted himself the power to corrupt and make things whole once more, and spoke a curse that would banish the Empire and himself, for what I imagine was a period of time long enough that he hoped we would be gone or powerless by then. He had barely spoken the curse before the Elements burnt through the last of the powers he had sacrificed to buy himself time, barely enough time for it to affect much more than the capital city itself. Ultimately, the capital city was banished, and with it went the Empire’s government. It left behind an empire full of broken ponies, ponies who barely knew what to do with themselves with their constant tormentor gone from their world, but not from their minds. Equestria absorbed what was left of it, long, long ago.”

“And the city, now?” “Part of Equestria too, Twilight. Cadance and your brother reign over the city from the castle there, but a few hundred ponies from a thousand years ago no longer a kingdom make. Besides, neither of them very much wants to be a monarch. The Crystal Ponies decided to accept our proposal that they follow the example of their kin from long ago, and formally integrate into Equestria. Their traditions, their knowledge and ancient tomes, their lost arts of crystal-weaving and crystal-forging, their unique magics, heritages, and the Crystal Heart, will all serve to strengthen and enrich Equestria, while they will certainly benefit from our advances in the intervening years, and the infrastructure of the kingdom. It will take time, but we won’t let their city fall to ruin again.”

“Again, Princess? Sombra’s gone... But the city is still in the middle of a barren, icy wasteland,” Twilight said, reasoning it out on her own, and Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes, indeed, my brilliant little apprentice. Their position is untenable on its own, for entirely practical reasons, but we’d never let them starve, never let them freeze. Even if they weren’t our kin, we would owe it to them to make their home livable again.”

“I... I don’t understand, though. Did the city move, with Sombra’s curse?” “No, Twilight, the city didn’t actually move. But in ancient times, the power of the Crystal Heart, of their love and light, was used, as you saw, to turn the surrounding environs into lush, fertile green land. That lingered for quite some time after the city itself was banished, after Sombra extinguished love and light throughout the Empire, for terraforming on such a scale is slow to reverse, but the cold and the ice encroached eventually, and the remaining crystal ponies left what was once the Empire, forced to abandon their homes and head for warmer pastures farther south, as their crops started to fail. They were still afraid to think of what had come before, and Luna and I reasoned it was better to let them forget, to move into warmer, happier places, and live happier lives, than to attempt to recreate their terraforming with other magics.”

Twilight nodded, thinking on the Celestia’s story, and she shivered. “I feel cold, Princess.” “I know you do. So do I, Twilight. Any right-thinking, sane, loving, caring, friendly pony should feel cold, contemplating such things.” Celestia’s forelimbs and wings squeezed tighter around her, and Twilight trembled, pressing back into Celestia’s chest, toward the feeling of warmth and comfort. Celestia, in response, turned her head, softly kissing Twilight’s cheek, but remained silent, holding the far smaller unicorn.

“Princess... Why... Why did you tell me?” Celestia’s body shook with a deep, trembling sigh, and she nuzzled Twilight’s mane, above her head, for a long moment before answering. “Because, my dear, my sweet, my little pony, we have in the time since I sent you to Ponyville seen more threats to Equestria than we have in the five centuries prior. You have faced these threats with skill and courage, with the love and loyalty of your friends. You, Twilight... You may become Equestria’s protector.” “Protector? But isn’t that... You, Princess, and Princess Luna?”

Celestia sighed, again. “As long as my sister and I draw breath, we will protect Equestria with all our hearts, and all our power. But as you saw when Queen Chrysalis attacked us, we are not invincible... I dare say we’ve lost a great deal of the edge we once had, when we were at the peak of our fighting prime; a prime I never wished to need to attain again... And I never, never, wanted this for you.”

Celestia squeezed her again, and Twilight sighed, letting her breath out, turning to nuzzle her head into Celestia’s shoulder. “You trained me for it, though.” “Yes, Twilight. I taught you, and well. I see in you such potential, potential you yourself don’t yet recognize, potential which is beyond compare, without limit. Potential such as that is undeniably dangerous: Sombra had such potential in him. But such potential can also be a force for good.” “Star Swirl the Bearded,” Twilight murmured, and Celestia nodded. “That’s right. Star Swirl.”

“Are there... Others? With such potential, Princess?” Celestia nodded. “There are. I know of one, whom you met recently. She had a brush with one of King Sombra’s inventions, too.” Twilight blinked, and it clicked in her head. “The Alicorn Amulet?” “Yes, Sombra invented it. Before he decided to turn public opinion against the alicorn rulers of the Crystal Empire, he sought to become an alicorn himself. The amulet was his first means to achieve that goal.”

“It didn’t work, did it?” “No, Twilight, it did not, but the amulet nevertheless was a powerful, evil thing.” “Did it twist him?” “I would like to say that it did, but it is far more likely that he twisted it. He was wearing it, and it was one of the things he sacrificed to buy himself time, but that amulet cannot be destroyed. Not as it is now. It may be possible to disempower it, but Luna and I never managed to lay our hooves on it, and not for lack of trying, either. I believe he enchanted it to keep it out of the grasp of alicorns.”

“I... I see. So, I should have... Oh.” Twilight frowned. “I probably should have locked it up and given it to you, shouldn’t I?” “You couldn’t have, my student.” Celestia reached up, softly mussing Twilight’s mane with her hoof. “Like I said, he enchanted it to keep it out of our grasp. It never would have occurred to you... What did you do with that accursed thing, anyway?”

“I gave it to Zecora to keep it safe and locked up.” Celestia blinked, looking down, head craning down to look Twilight in the eyes. “You gave it... To a zebra?” “Um... Yes, I did,” Twilight admitted. “Was that... Wrong?” “Wrong? No, I can’t say that it was... Just surprising... Though it may be for the best, Twilight. Zebra magic is completely unlike Unicorn magic. The amulet would be incompatible, and likely hold no temptation for her. It’s entirely possible she may have some way of depowering it. I don’t know much about the way zebra magic works.”

Twilight frowned, but nodded. “I... I hope so.” “As do I. You’ve seen fit to place your faith in her, and I trust your judgement on the matter.” Celestia smiled, slowly unwrapping her wings from around Twilight, and Twilight nodded. “But... You said that the pony who had it had similar potential... Trixie?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, Twilight. The ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie is, for all of her fraud and her failures, one of the unicorns with the most potential alive today. She’s two years older than you are, and she attended my school of magic, as you did. It was there that I saw her potential.”

“I... I guess I can see that. But if she had such potential and she came earlier, why didn’t you make her your apprentice, Princess?” “Trixie has potential as a magician, Twilight. If events in her life go the right way, she, like you, may even learn to forestall aging, to be as ageless as an Alicorn, to become as great as Star Swirl once was. Unlike you, though, Trixie didn’t share your fated nature. It was you who hatched Spike, not Trixie, and her class had the same opportunity to do so that you did.”

“But Princess, I didn’t hatch Spike... Not on my own. It was the rainbow I saw outside of the classroom, the sonic rainboom that Rainbow Dash made. Even then, I felt that there was some outside power giving me the strength to hatch his egg.”

Celestia smiled softly. “Yes, Twilight, that’s my point. You and Rainbow Dash - and, really, if you think about it, all of your friends, were fated to be connected. I think you’ll find that all of your cutie marks manifested simultaneously, concurrent with the rainbow that Rainbow Dash traced in the sky, leading all of you - eventually - to Ponyville. No foal on her own, no matter the raw potential she possessed, could have hatched Spike’s egg, but a unicorn foal empowered by the Elements of Harmony? That’s another matter.”

Celestia turned her head, and kissed Twilight’s cheek again. “Your raw talent and potential as a magician is incredible, Twilight Sparkle. Someday you may surpass Star Swirl, someday you may even surpass me. But that’s only one of the reasons I chose you as my apprentice. You were fated to harmonize with the Element of Magic in a way that even Trixie doesn’t, though it wouldn’t be true to say she doesn’t harmonize with it. More than that, though, I thanked every star in the sky, individually and by name, that you lacked certain qualities.” “Qualities? Like Trixie’s ambition?”

Celestia nodded. “Ambition is... Not Trixie’s greatest failing. It’s more of a by-product of it.” Celestia unwrapped her legs from around Twilight, and stepped back, from the table; Twilight stood with her, and turned to follow her. Celestia led her back into the library halls, as she continued speaking.

“Trixie is, at the very core of her self, insecure. She feels every failure infinitely more keenly than you or I do, so she wrapped herself in the mythos of an exemplary magician-heroine. The ironic thing is that she could indeed meet her own expectations of herself, be the heroine that she pretends to be, but there is cowardice in her heart.” Celestia paused, and looked back, spreading her wings, over Twilight’s body. “Not, that is, that fear is something to be shunned. Fear is intelligence, fear is what tells you there may be danger afoot. When you’re alone in the woods and feel a sense of unease, that’s your instincts recognizing that the sound of the critters has stopped long before you realize it in your head. That’s not paranoia, that’s instinct, and it’s sound more often than not. Trixie’s cowardice lies in the fact that she has failed to live up to her own potential so often that she fears she cannot, so she tries to avoid situations where she might have to mare up and do what she claims to be capable of doing. In doing so, she sabotages her own potential, far more thoroughly than anypony acting with malicious intent.”

“So she sought the Amulet... To get the extra strength to do the things she believes she should be capable of doing.” Celestia nodded to her, and sighed. “Yes, Twilight. She believed - in a twisted way, rightly - that with the amulet in her possession, she could be the heroine she wishes she were.” “Rightly?” Celestia sighed, and nodded. “Yes, Twilight. There are many sources of power in this world. The first source is that which comes from within, one’s own skill and ability. It’s not a truth fit for a nursery rhyme or an heroic fable, but one can use other sources of power to overcome their limitations: magical artifacts, the combined effort of one and one’s allies, wealth to hire or buy means or allies, the political power to effect change, the charismatic power to sway the course of politics. Not all sources of power are corruptive, not even all artifacts. After all, did you not employ the Crystal Heart to destroy King Sombra? Do you feel tainted for having done so?”

“I...” Twilight shook her head, vehemently, and Celestia nodded, with a sad smile on her face. “You lacked Trixie’s insecurities, though you’ve developed a few of your own. Such as your constant fear of disappointing me.” Celestia nudged Twilight, with her wing. “But you also have a keenly logical mind, and friends to double-check your findings with their own experiences. I don’t believe you would ever have put on the Alicorn Amulet, much less sought it out. If you had, even, I suspect that you might have done so only in a situation so dire that you might be considering temporal magic as a solution, and relinquished it the moment the problem was passed.”

“Is... Is that an option, Princess?” “Everything is an option, Twilight. Everything is possible, the limitations are those we choose to place on ourselves. King Sombra choose to heed no limitations; there was, I think, nothing he would not have done if it stood to gain him more power. You have those limitations; you have a heart which cares about other ponies. You have a logical mind that can override your needs and ambitions if the danger of your considered course of action too greatly outweighs the ramifications of not resorting to such measures.”

Twilight licked her lips, and bit her lower lip. “I... I see. So, if she were willing to resort to enough compromises, or if she sought hard and found enough more benign sources of power, Trixie could... Be as great as me?” “Anything is possible, Twilight Sparkle. I haven’t heard from Trixie since you brought her down from the Amulet. I believe she fled the kingdom in shame, to where, I don’t know. I hope that wherever she is, she can find some friends, find peace. I fear she may be so emotionally fragile as to fall into her old ways, though. There are other amulets and artifacts out there, should she choose to continue pursuing the power of artifice, others with similar power to the Alicorn Amulet. Some may even exceed it. Unfortunately, it is the case that often, those sources of power were fueled by the same rage and thirst for power overwhelming which fueled King Sombra.”

Twilight nodded, as Celestia led her into the library, her focus on the princess, not where they were going. “So, if she wanted recognition, why did she... Why did she conquer Ponyville?” “Because the Amulet brings out a pony’s darkest, strongest ambitions. Trixie sought recognition; what better recognition is there than to place oneself on a throne, to fly one’s banner and erect statues and monuments to oneself? It certainly wasn’t a well-thought out plan, of course, but possessing the Amulet doesn’t really lend itself to thinking things out carefully. Luna and I could certainly have defeated her, with or without the amulet.”

“But... I thought the amulet couldn’t be removed, except by the wearer.” “That is true, unfortunately.” Celestia looked up, to the ceiling, and sighed, deeply. “Even if we could have defeated her, restrained her, without killing her, we would have been forced to make her remove it under pain of death if she refused. Even exile to the moon would have been nothing to a unicorn of Trixie’s potential with the Amulet around her neck. It was only due to Luna’s affinity for the moon that I was able to bind Nightmare Moon to it for as long as I did; and even then, I needed to burn out my own ability to use the Elements of Harmony to do so. Trixie, with the Amulet? She would have been back in a month, and if she hadn’t been, it would only have been because she was scouring the moon for more power to come back with.”

Twilight felt her mouth dry again; the thought of Princess Celestia outright executing somepony, even Trixie, made her skin crawl and her hips shiver. It was completely unlike anything she could ever have imagined. As she was contemplating that, Celestia leaned down, nuzzling the side of her cheek with her own, her long, aurora-like mane falling over Twilight’s back. “That’s why I am so very, very glad that you and your friends succeeded in tricking Trixie into giving it up. You saved me from having to do something monstrous for the safety of my ponies and my kingdom. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight gulped, and nodded. “I... I can’t even imagine you doing that.” “It almost feels like a nightmare to imagine myself doing that, Twilight, but in the past, such measures have been necessary. Luna and I attacked King Sombra with the full intention of killing him, as you were sadly forced to do following our failure to finish the job a thousand years ago. There have, sadly, been... Other incidents, since then, and certainly before then. Even after I decided that retributive application of death as a penalty for crimes was too abhorrent to consider and abolished it, following my choice to exile my sister instead of kill her, as would have been the traditional way of dealing with a traitor before then, it has at times been necessary to kill, though always because there was no feasible means of restraining and/or detaining the subject.”

Twilight sniffled, imagining Princess Celestia doing battle with a dragon, or another Unicorn with the Amulet, and felt her knees give out. She slid to the floor, placing her hooves over her eyes, and Celestia paused, turning back to lay in front of her, stroking her head. “Twilight,” she whispered, softly, and leaned up, alongside Twilight’s horn, kissing her forehead. “If you had been an orphan, I would have adopted you. Even before you distinguished yourself by hatching Spike’s egg, proving yourself to be fated, I knew you were special. You’re a sensitive soul, and that’s a good thing. The first time I was forced to kill, it horrified me, and I couldn’t sleep for days. How did you cope with it?”

“I...” Twilight’s mouth was dry, and she licked her lips. “I guess I just... It never really sunk in that we killed Sombra. We banished Discord, we banished Nightmare Moon and restored Princess Luna. We sealed Discord... I guess I just kind of assumed that Sombra had been... D-Dealt with.”

“You never wanted to say die, Twilight. That’s good. I hope, I pray, that you never, ever have to kill again. I fear you will. It would be very, very nice to say that with Sombra dead, with that troublesome amulet of his in the care of someone who cannot use it and will not be tempted to wear it, with Luna back and Nightmare Moon gone, with Discord sealed and Queen Chrysalis expunged from the land, that the kingdom will have another thousand years of peace. I want nothing more than for you and your friends to go back to Ponyville, to laugh and be happy, to live joyfully and free from worry.”

Celestia laid her hooves atop Twilight’s, moving them from over her face, laying them gently upon hers. “You deserve that life, Twilight. You deserve it, but I fear that it may not be soon in coming. Bad things keep happening, bad creatures keep reappearing. I think you know why I’ve made you and your friends deal with so many of them that I could have dealt with, either by myself, or by calling up an army.”

“To... To spare the people of Equestria the chaos that would create?” Celestia smiled. “Partly. Calling up an army is a very disruptive thing. Jobs go unfilled, the economy suffers, even if nopony actually gets hurt, which... Isn’t the case when a war happens. I don’t believe anypony would go hungry these days, though we would probably have to institute rationing if I needed to call all of Equestria to war. Even so, though, that hasn’t been the main concern; if it must be done, if Equestria must be disrupted to spare it from being destroyed, I will call the kingdom to war. No, Twilight. I’ve let you and your friends handle things that rightfully should be the place of the government to handle, because you and your friends need the experience, you need to face these things. In a true crisis, the kind of crisis an army cannot solve, or cannot solve alone, it will be the heroic actions of special ponies, heroic ponies, who can cause the day to be won, who can prevail against overwhelming odds... The time of heroes has not passed our world, and as long as ponies remain magical, it never will, no matter what advancements are made. Here, let me show you something. Something nopony other than Luna and myself have seen in a long time.”

Celestia stood up, and levitated Twilight. “Can you walk again?” “I... I think so,” Twilight responded, lowering her legs, feeling her hooves sink into the carpet, and followed Celestia. “Where are we going?” “The Hall of Artifacts.” Celestia paused at an empty stretch of corridor, and looked around briefly, before she lowered her head to the wall. It seemed like any wall, but there was a gap in the brickwork that just fit her horn. A bright flash of gold emitted from the wall, and filled the spaces between the bricks, which started to scrape and shuffle, and condensed themselves away from the keyhole, vanishing into each other, and ultimately, into the frame of a door, which led down a well-lit staircase. The staircase seemed to go on forever, and Twilight mulled over all of the things Celestia had told her. “Princess,” she murmured, when a question occurred to her. “You said there were other unicorns as potentially-talented as I and Trixie. Do I know any of them?” “Of course you do, Twilight,” Celestia responded with a mirthful tone. “One of them is one of your best friends.”

“Rarity?” Twilight blinked; Rarity was many things, she thought, but talented at magic to the level of herself or Trixie, she would not have believed. “Yes, my apprentice. Your friend Rarity has great potential. She lacks the same drive to develop it that you or Trixie possess, her interests lie in other areas, but if she could develop that interest, she could learn magic the way you do.”

“I... I like that, though... But her Cutie Mark is gems, not an abstract representation of magic, the way mine or Trixie’s is.” “This is true. Rarity has an incredible affinity for gems, though gems are, themselves, an abstract way of representing things. Raw magic and spellcasting would never come as easily to Rarity as they do to you, but they would come. Your friend Rarity, on the other hoof, would find artifice to come as naturally to her as spellcasting does to you, or courage comes to Rainbow Dash, or empathy comes to Fluttershy, to name a few. Here,” she said, as she paused; past her, Twilight could see another door, a massive, heavy, double-door made of heavy wood. Celestia telekinetically pushed it open, and walked in.

The hall Celestia led her into was tall and bright, gleaming with white walls decorated with tile mosaics not unlike the stained glass art in the windows of the castle. It was quite long and had intersections in it at more than one place. The hall was full of things, on stands, in pedestals, a few inside cages or glass display cases, many of them impressive, some of them seeming surprisingly mundane. “I doubt I need to tell you, of all ponies, but touch nothing unless I say you may,” Celestia murmured, and Twilight nodded, dumbly, as she walked in. She looked to her right; on a narrow pedestal was a horse-shoe, ordinary and even mundane in appearance, covered with rust. Twilight blinked at it, turning her head and peering at the simple-seeming thing. “Is that... The olden pony’s horseshoe?” “It is indeed, Twilight, the origin of the ghost story.” Celestia gestured with her wing, to a book on a book-stand in front of the horse-shoe. “Go ahead, Twilight. Read it.”

Twilight blinked, as she approached. The book-stand was much too high for her to read comfortably, but she stretched up on her hind legs, placing her forehooves on the platform, telekinetically opening the book. Most of it was blank, but the front was full of writing, in Celestia’s writing, quite old-fashioned and flowery.

The Rusty Horseshoe
This horseshoe belonged to Gilda Stardust of the Kingdom of Tyrea in an age which no longer exists. Gilda was one of the first magicians to weaponize age-control spells; her method of attack was aging ponies who opposed her into dust in a matter of moments. This horse-shoe, from her right forehoof, was badly aged and rusted in her final battle, when she was destroyed by being shunted outside of time and existence as we know it. Her shoes were affected by Gilda’s use of her temporal magic to attempt to retain temporal relevance by aging and deaging herself, and with her destruction, absorbed some of the power she was channeling. Her shoes were flung through time; three remain unaccounted for. This one, which was first found in the city of Horseshoe Bend in the Crystal Empire in 761 A.F., approximately two centuries after their owner’s destruction, allows the wearer to transfer their own years to another pony by touching them with the shoe when worn, aging the other pony and de-aging themselves in the process. It was captured in 802 A.F. in Cloudsdale by Princess Luna, and returned here for safekeeping.

“It was pure luck that we caught it,” Celestia murmured, and Twilight looked back at her, expectant for an explanation. “The mare who had it had been using it to keep herself young by transferring her years to other ponies. She’d evidently been doing it for centuries, moving every now and then to avoid ponies noticing she wasn’t aging. Luna was in Cloudsdale to observe an event which was not unlike our modern Best Young Flyer competition, when this mare was working the crowd, touching ponies with the shoe, transferring a year here, a few years there. Not enough to be noticed immediately by her victims, but certainly enough to youthen herself by working the crowd, and she could readily explain herself to any who questioned her as her having been jostled. Luna, however, felt the effects and tracked her down, discovered what she was up to, and took the shoe from her. If not for that chance meeting, she might still be alive today, stealing years of life from other ponies.”

“Wow,” Twilight murmured. “What did you do to her?” “Nothing. Star Swirl was able to track down her victims and youthen them by a few years to make up for the damage she caused and change, and without the shoe, she was harmless. We considered imprisoning her, but decided that as she hadn’t been using the spell to age ponies significantly, she wasn’t acting with malicious intent, merely out of fear. We didn’t want to tyrannically throw her in prison, and taking her to trial would have meant revealing the existence of the shoe, which would undoubtedly have spurred more ponies to either seek it, or to seek the others that we suspect are like it.”

“So, because she wasn’t a threat, and letting her go would prevent more trouble from coming about... You let her go? I... I guess I can understand that, but it kind of...” “It doesn’t seem like justice was served, does it?” Celestia wrapped her wing around Twilight’s body, drawing her close, and Twilight instinctively felt herself leaning against Celestia’s side, as Celestia walked down the hall of artifacts with her.

“Twilight, there was a time, a very, very, very long time ago, but within my memory, when a pony could wrong another. Say, two ponies were in dispute over a parcel of land, one would try to use it, then the other would rip up his crops and put in a fence. Say they argued, and one bucked the other, and put one of his eyes out. The pony who’s eye was put out has obviously been wronged, of course, and he could demand payment - in money, or more likely in resources, since coin wasn’t very common in those days. He could also, however, demand that the eye he lost be put out on the pony who bucked him, and his family would help him do so.”

Twilight cringed. “That’s... Pretty brutal,” she said, and Celestia nodded. “It was, but it was the custom of the time. Of course, if he put the other pony’s eye out, as was his right, the other pony had, himself, been wronged, and could demand that his family helped him capture his neighbor and put out his other eye. I think you see where this is going.”

“They both wind up blind?” “Yes, but that’s only the next step. Now both families have blind members, and they’re angry. One or the other, it doesn’t matter, may decide - as was considered their right, mind you - to take resources which they felt satisfied the loss of a useful member of the family - from the other family by force. Of course, it was also the other family’s right to resist such seizure of their property with force. Say that in doing so, somepony gets killed, Twilight. Now the family has an even greater problem on their hooves - they’ve lost a member. One of their own, one of their kin, one of their closest friends. What would you do if Applejack were killed?”

Twilight blinked for a moment, so stunned by the question that she stopped walking, sitting down, staring blankly ahead. The thought of being separated, forever, from Applejack ran through her heart like a freight train’s impact on a wall of leaves, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes at the thought - and the ghost of fury in her heart, recalling the burning hatred she had felt when she had channeled King Sombra’s brand of dark magic to turn the Crystal Castle into the castle that it had been when Sombra was in residence. She trembled, and blinked when motion in front of her eyes made her realize that Celestia had sat in front of her.

“You don’t have to answer, Twilight. Your fellow Elements have become your family as much as your parents, Shining Armor, Cadance, myself, and even Luna.” Celestia leaned down, rubbing her muzzle on Twilight’s cheek. “You’d be beyond anger. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there. You’d want vengeance, your poor, dear heart would demand that find the person who killed her, and take their life in return, wouldn’t it? I’ve no doubt that your friends would rally to your side, of course. Sweet, meek Fluttershy and generous Rarity might have reservations, but I believe Pinkie Pie would want revenge as well, and I’ve no doubt that Rainbow Dash would be ready to follow you to the ends of the world and beyond to take vengeance for Applejack.”

Twilight shivered again, and Celestia sighed, smiling sadly, understanding. “It was just an example. Close your eyes, Twilight. You know how to check on her.”

Twilight closed her eyes and, pushing the Princess’ example from her mind, thought of Applejack. Though the power of suggestion had been strong, she felt nothing was wrong, and opened her eyes, looking up. She channeled magic into her horn, hunching her shoulders forward as she called a divination spell to mind, then watched the cone of light erupt from the end of her horn, hitting the ceiling and seeming to burn it away, stripping away material and only showing her the ponies in her line of sight. She scanned the ceiling until she found the Apple clan, and found Applejack in the middle, up on her hind legs; though Twilight couldn’t see what she was holding, Applejack was unquestionably making the motions of using a rolling pin to flatten dough.

Relieved, Twilight breathed a sigh, letting the spell fade, as Celestia reached up, crinkling her nose with her golden horseshoe. “Just the thought of losing her affected you so badly. Clearly, you love her, just as I know you love all of your friends.” Celestia stood up, and Twilight stood up as well, nodding, slipping up to Celestia’s side. Even though the topic of conversation was grim and grave, she was very, very glad to get a chance to spend so much time with her teacher. “So, Princess... You were saying, about how ponies a long time ago would...”

The princess nodded to her. “Yes, Twilight. As I was saying, in that situation, you had a conundrum - by our standards, a paradox. Family A would decide that Family B owed them blood money for their blinded relative, and would raid Family B’s holdings for wealth and resources that they felt satisfied the debt. Of course, Family B was justified in attempting to fight off Family A, and Family A were justified in using force to overwhelm Family B’s defenses and seize their goods anyway. And if, in the fighting, somepony died, or was injured, well... Whichever family had lost members, or more likely, both families, were then justified in escalating; they could demand more money, and if the other family both could, and would, pay it, then that was supposed to be the end of it. But often they wouldn’t even bother issuing the demand. Money was money, but blood was blood, and no amount of money or wealth could really satisfy the grief of the loss of a loved one, a kinspony. Only blood, shed blood, could repay the shedding of blood, and often the family which felt aggrieved would attack the other family’s house in the middle of the night and kill somepony in revenge. Of course, now the other family has a dead pony on their hooves and they feel the call of vengeance as well... I think you see where this is going.”

“It doesn’t end,” Twilight murmured, thinking about the horrific notion of a cycle of violence. “Nopony feels that they are in the wrong. Even if it can be conclusively proven that their family was in the wrong at the start of the argument, it doesn’t matter because things have escalated far beyond that point. Every time they kill in retribution, they feel the debt of blood has been satisfied on their end, but the other side kills in retribution for their lost pony, and now they have another revenge to carry out... How did a feud like that end?”

“Such feuds could go on for generations, Twilight. Long after everypony involved had forgotten the original bloodshed which started the conflict, there were still killings being carried out in revenge for killings which had been carried out in revenge. Sometimes, it ended up with whole families being exterminated, every stallion, mare, colt and filly put to death to prevent them from seeking vengeance in the future. Other times, if there was a strong lord in the area, somepony with an army, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, they would gallop into the area, round up the heads of the feuding clans, bring them together, work through the history and untangle the knot of revenge and blood, and decide to end the conflict by force of arms. Sometimes they would declare that both sides had suffered enough to have satisfied both sides’ debts and order them to put the matter behind them, sometimes they would decide that one side had been aggrieved more than the other and compel the other side to pay blood money - and the aggrieved side to accept it - and declare the matter settled... Luna and I had to settle more than a few such feuds.”

“That sounds... Absolutely terrible, Princess,” Twilight said, looking up, and Celestia looked down, nodding. “It was, Twilight Sparkle. It was abominable, but that was the way things were in those days. That was what was considered justice, in those days. In those days, by those standards, Luna and I should have had Trixie put to death the moment I learned that she had attacked and captured Ponyville, had hoisted her own flag. By the standards of those days, that wasn’t just treason and rebellion, that was an act of war. Allowing her to go free, even though she was under the influence of the amulet, and even though she regretted her actions once freed from its effects, would have been considered a sign of weakness, an open invitation for anypony who could muster an army to try and attack our lands, capture our holdings away from us.”

Twilight closed her eyes, shivering. “That seems... Brutal.” “Such is how things were, once upon a time, Twilight. Now you know why our pageants and the common versions of Equestrian history omit or gloss over a lot of things.” “So, the Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant we put on was...” “Largely a fictionalized version of the events that took place, though admittedly, that was before my time as well. It was a very long time ago, Twilight.” “Yeah, I... Get that impression.” Twilight nodded, and Celestia smiled. “But from me, at least, you do have a second-hoof account. Star Swirl the Bearded was alive in those times, and mine, and he gladly told us of what had come before. The ponies from your account did exist, as did the tribes they each led. They didn’t found Equestria, the modern kingdom you know of today, together, mind you. Luna and I did that much later, when we decided to conquer a castle made of wood... They knew each other in the old country, and they knew each other in the new, so they had to have traveled here roughly at the same time. The Unicorn tribe led by Princess Platinum - or at least, the pony whom we today remember as Platinum - settled in what we know now as Manehattan. The Earth tribe was largest, and settled inland of Manehattan, and north, up the frozen coast, while the Pegasus tribes settled as far north as they could without provoking an all-out war with the Griffons.”

“And their friendship?” “Calling it such would be a bit of a stretch, Twilight, at least, between the leaders of the tribes. The account of how they were all trapped in a cave by a blizzard and slowly frozen by windigos? That is a work of fiction, though there were terrible blizzards soon after they all made landfall here. Windigos do exist, mind you, and they did attempt to reignite the old hatreds; and the fires of friendship did banish them, but the cave story is just a fictionalization. Largely, the pony tribes realized that, for all of their differences, they were all so very, very alike. Where they had come from, they were the dominant three types of creatures - here, individually, they were small and vulnerable. At that time, Griffons considered anything made of flesh to be food, and there were certainly a lot more griffons than there were of any pony tribe. There were other challenges, too, but in the face of them, Pegasus ponies, Unicorn ponies and Earth ponies all looked at each other and realized they were all ponies. Except for flying cities where only Pegasi can feasibly live, that was the end of ponies segregating themselves by type.”

Twilight lifted her head, up as high towards the princess’s head as she could, and nodded. “I’m glad. So, um... You and Luna decided that killing wasn’t the answer?” “Not... Precisely. We decided that retribution wasn’t the answer; we decided that doing what was just mustn’t take the place of doing what would result in the least harm and the most good. A long time ago, if minimizing the amount of harm that would be done meant killing somepony, we decided that that was what had to be done, but...”

“But after you couldn’t kill Luna, even after she turned into Nightmare Moon and tried to usurp the throne for herself and bring about an age of eternal night...” Celestia nodded, as Twilight murmured the truth. “If I couldn’t kill my own sister for the good of the kingdom, I.. I had no right to kill anypony’s sister or brother, husband or son. Since then, in Equestria, killing has been seen as an extreme measure, only to be considered in an immediate life-or-death situation; and even then, I’d prefer that non-lethal means be used... That isn’t always possible, though, as you and your friends, and Cadance and Armor, learned, up in the Crystal Empire.”

Celestia stopped moving, suddenly, and Twilight stepped forward out from under the arc of her wing before she stopped. “Yes, Princess?” “Take a look at this, Twilight.” Celestia swung her head to the right, and Twilight looked up, her jaw dropping. The artifact on display was inside a giant crystal inscribed with glowing runes; a huge, gleaming marble statue. She couldn’t forget it if she had tried, and Twilight felt a snort of aggression come from her nose as she hunched her shoulders reflexively.

The statue inside the crystal was Discord. The whole display was inside a branch of the main corridor, and large projections from the wall were holding it in the air, along with bulbous, elegant devices that had circles of free-floating runes lazily orbiting them.

“After last time, I thought that more security than leaving him on the lawn in a statue garden was called for. The crystal provides an additional layer of insurance against him ever getting out, and the runes inscribed in it ensure that he can’t perceive anything out here, either.”

“Princess... Discord nearly destroyed Equestria in a day. I...” Twilight blinked, looking down at her fore-hooves. “You’re wondering if I shouldn’t have killed him to prevent that, or if I shouldn’t do it to prevent any chance of it happening in the future, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight guiltily nodded. “It... Kind of does cross my mind, I’ll admit.” “I can’t blame you for considering it. After Luna and I cast down Discord and froze him in stone, we tried. Discord is... He’s more than a creature of flesh and blood. He is the incarnated embodiment of chaos and disharmony... You can’t destroy him, any more than you can destroy the concept of chaos.”

Twilight swallowed, and nodded. “I... Well I almost wish that weren’t the case, but...” “But you’re glad that it removes the choice to kill him and have done with it, aren’t you?” Celestia spread her wing over Twilight again. “Honestly, Twilight, so am I. I don’t believe he’ll be getting out any time soon, but after the disaster he caused last time, the temptation to do so, if I could, would be very strong... Twilight, I am sorry I couldn’t help you battle him.”

“It’s okay, Princess; you did. You sent me all of my letters to you, they reminded me that my friends were the most important thing in my life.” Celestia nodded. “Perhaps, but even so, I shouldn’t have let you six tackle him alone. I should have been there with you, fighting with you, but...” She sighed. “After you six ran out of the castle, Discord led me to believe that he had hid Luna somewhere, and if I didn’t find her very soon, she would die.”

Twilight shivered at the thought, and turned to Celestia, reaching up on her hind legs, placing her front legs around Celestia’s neck, hugging her, warmly. “It’s okay, Princess. I know how important Luna is to you, too. You must have been worried sick.” “I was, but even so... I should have been thinking of Equestria as a whole, not only of my own heartsick worry for my sister.”

“But you saved her, right? She’s fine now.” “No, Twilight, I didn’t. Discord didn’t imperil her at all. He would have had a fantastic fight on his hands if he had, and I would have noticed. Even without the Elements of Harmony, the two of us could have put up enough of a struggle as to damage him and distract him from the shell game he was playing with you... No, he didn’t do anything to imperil her. Discord led her to believe that I blamed her for his return and I was looking for her to banish her to the moon again. So while I was galloping throughout the castle, searching every place I could think he might have put her in a death-trap of some sort, Luna had shrunk herself to the size of a newborn foal and was hiding inside her bed’s mattress.”

Twilight blinked; though the thought of tall, graceful, confident Luna shrunken to the size of Spike and hiding inside a bed’s mattress was silly and amusing, there wasn’t anything funny about the thought of Luna being led to believe her beloved sister was apocalyptically furious and hunting for her. She sighed. “Discord played on all of our worst fears, he turned our natures against us. I’m just glad you found her in time to sort things out.”

“As am I, Twilight,” Celestia murmured, hugging her wing around Twilight’s stretched out body. “We were galloping all around the castle to find your letters - which he hid, of course.” “Well... I’m glad you did, Princess. They came just in the nick of time.” She nuzzled the side of Celestia’s neck, then let go, falling back to her hooves. “So, what are those things in the walls? They look like they’re energy projectors of some kind. Are they there to fry him if he breaks out?”

Celestia chuckled softly, patting the back of Twilight’s head with her wing. “Oh no. No magical defenses could be effective against Discord released. No, they’re there to recrystallize his prison should it start to fracture. Those exist to buy time.” “Time to call for me and the girls?” “Exactly.” Celestia smiled, and pointed her hoof to the info-book in front of the statue. “You want to read it?”

Twilight reared up again, opening the book. It was in Celestia’s writing, but much more modern and straightforward in style.

Twilight flipped through the pages, which were very detailed schematics and instructions for the use and maintenance of the security measures around the statue, which had been completely revamped just a month ago, to incorporate the crystal system, thanks to the availability of a crystal-weaver from the Crystal Empire. “This looks... Thorough,” she murmured, closing the book and getting down, and Twilight nodded. “I never want him getting out. I may not be able to stop him if he does, but I can and will use every means at my disposal to ensure that loathsome draconequus never, ever gets the chance to prove it.”

Celestia sighed, as she turned to walk away, and Twilight followed her, but the Princess was hanging her head. “Honestly, I feel terrible, that I couldn’t help. I should have, Twilight. I never should have made six young mares face Discord alone.”

Twilight blinked, and frowned; she had seldom heard Celestia express such heartfelt self-doubt, and she walked up alongside her, smiling. “Hey, Princess... You did help us. When I found Spike with the notes you sent me back... I... I had given up. I couldn’t get my friends to listen to me, they were all being mean, and I... I gave up on them,” she said with a resigned sigh, hanging her own head. “I was packing to leave Ponyville, to go... Somewhere. Anywhere else. I was ready to just run, and then I found your letters. If you hadn’t sent them to me, I never would have snapped out of it.” She turned her head, and leaned in, daring to kiss Celestia’s cheek, softly; the Princess opened her eyes in surprise. “You did save Equestria, Princess. Without you, I never could have snapped Applejack out of her funk. And without her and her rope, we couldn’t have gotten Fluttershy, or Rarity, or Pinkie Pie, and without everypony, I certainly couldn’t have gotten Rainbow Dash back.

Celestia smiled, and Twilight smiled back at her. “So is this like, the hall where you keep all the dangerous and bad stuff?” “Not yet, though I am reorganizing it along those lines.” She smiled, and spread her wing, pointing at the artifact they were passing; a pair of pegasus mannequins, wearing armor which was made of shiny black, gold and silver metal.

The sets were clearly similar in design and appearance, but unequal in protection and accessory: both consisted of a chestpiece that only went to the mid-barrel and covered the shoulders, and both had armor for all four legs, but one was heavier, with heavy plate protection above the fetlock and cannon of the rear legs and similar plate for the forelegs that protected all the way to above the front knee, and protected the whole body to the mid-barrel with a heavy armored plate over the croup, and came with an enormous two-hooved sword that looked like it would have been sized properly for an alicorn of Celestia’s size. The other set was considerably lighter; though the armor looked just as thick over over the chest and shoulders, the body protection ended mid-barrel with no back protector or saddle piece. The armor over the rear legs ended well below the hock, leaving only most of the cannon protected, and the foreleg armor was only slightly more complete, coming up barely above the knee, and seemed generally less thick and all-encompassing all around. That set, though, was coupled with an enormous greatlance, and unlike the blunted, padded jousting lances that Twilight had seen in the Crystal Empire, this lance had a very sharp-looking diamond-shaped bladed tip set into a sturdy metal body.

Twilight blinked, staring up at the beautiful, polished, gleaming armor. “May I?” “Of course,” her mentor replied, and Twilight reared up to open the book. The text looked more modern than the Rusty Horseshoe’s text, but significantly older than that of Discord’s statue.

Twilight whistled in appreciation. “Knights of Wonder and Bolts of Glory knightly organization?” Twilight nodded, and smiled. “Today, you know them as the Wonderbolts, and they’re not a knightly organization anymore.” Twilight laughed. “Oh man. Rainbow Dash would be beside herself if she got a look at these.” She grinned, and Celestia smiled. “I have no doubt she would. Pegasus heroes have worn these armors and wielded these weapons in hundreds of battles, and they’ve never been let down. Luna made them out of lightning captured in diamonds, which she used in place of coal to forge the steel. It’s lighter than anything made of metal has any right to be, and as sturdy as it looks, it’s far stronger than it appears. It’s a shame about the helmets. She enchanted them to provide the wearer with fresh, clean air at an appropriate temperature and pressure, no matter what environment they went into.”

“What happened to them?” “Lost to this day, as far as I know. Two of the wearers in, I think, around 100 A.B., had a run-in with a changeling hive. They took their helmets off to distinguish their real selves from the imposters, but lost them during the melee. Perhaps the changeling hive still has them in their possession, as trophies or relics. And Wonderstar’s shield was lost in 205 M.E. when Aurora Nights led a charge on a dragon trying to pillage Canterlot. It tried to swallow her, and she blocked with the shield, but the dragon came away with it in his mouth.”

Twilight nodded, and closed the book, after flipping through the pages, which turned out to be a remarkably complete record of the owners of the armors and major engagements they had been used in, along with a description of the forging techniques used to make them.

“Wait... Princess, you said 205 M.E., but this book says that Aurora Nights and Thunder Graymane relinquished the armor in 207 A.B. I don’t understand.” Celestia smiled, as Twilight looked up at her confused. “When I was forced to banish Princess Luna, it felt like the end of an era, and so it became known so legally, and in the calendars. A.B. stands for ‘After Banishing’, just as A.F. is ‘After Founding’. But I grew... Sad, at the constant reminders of Luna’s absence, and in the 7th century of the last era, long after Luna’s banishment had passed from living memory, I changed the abbreviation to M.E., or Modern Era. And of course, you yourself precipitated the change to our current era, A.R.” “‘After Return’,” Twilight said, and Celestia nodded to her, smiling.

“Yes, Twilight, after you returned my sister to me. Thank you.” Celestia smiled, and turned around, walking back to the stairs and leading her up them. The Princess closed the door, which re-sealed into the wall, then turned to lead Twilight back out. “Princess,” Twilight asked. “Why... Why did you decide to tell me all of... All of this?”

Celestia paused for a moment, and looked down, at the comparatively tiny unicorn. “Twilight...” She sighed, and reached her forehoof up, softly stroking Twilight’s mane again. “Before Star Swirl the Bearded was ripped from us, he was privy to such information as well. I haven’t been teaching you magic simply for its own sake, but because I saw the potential in you, the potential that you would be vitally important for Equestria. I’ve spent the last several centuries doing everything in my considerable power to make Equestria a peaceful land where police are seldom needed. Do you know how many murders there were in Equestria last year?”

“Um... I... I don’t,” Twilight admitted, and Celestia sighed, talking, as Twilight felt the mane on the back of her neck start to stand up. “Seven, Twilight. That is, quite honestly, an astoundingly low number by the standards of the rest of the world, even today. Equestria is a wonderful, beautiful land of innocence and harmony. It’s been two-hundred years since we were in a war, a true, major war. But harmonic lands of innocence don’t function by themselves. Someone who knows just how harsh the world may truly be must be there, to watch vigilantly for signs, for trends, that things may be about to go wrong, and-”

“No!” Twilight interrupted the Princess, suddenly, the coat on the back of her neck standing up. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Celestia quite so surprised and shocked, the Princess taken so aback she sat right on her haunches before Twilight’s sudden, loud rejection. “I know where you’re going with this, and I am not going to replace you! Don’t even try telling me you’ve been grooming me to take your place, because... Because I won’t! I’ll go into exile before I do that!”

Celestia stared at her, blinking again, as Twilight walked up to her, rearing up and placing her hooves on the Princess’ chest. “You’re too important to me.” Her voice quivered as she said it, staring up at the Princess with eyes full of worry. “To us - to everypony in Equestria,” she pushed, though her voice wavering as emotion ripped through her. “S-So don’t... Don’t tell me you’re trying to make me ready to do your job, because I’m not. I never will be, I don’t think I ever could be, and... And... I couldn’t... I just... I... I can’t.”

Her momentary anger gone, Twilight felt water come to her eyes, as the shocked Princess slowly smiled, spreading her wings once again around Twilight’s body, embracing her. “Twilight,” she softly said, nuzzling the unicorn’s forehead, next to her horn. “I have no intention of going anywhere. I’ve certainly considered it, but I couldn’t just fly off and leave you in charge, even if you are rapidly becoming capable. I couldn’t do that to Luna, I couldn’t do it to Cadance, I’m not going to do it to you; I’m not going to abdicate, I’m not going to just vanish some day if I have anything to say about it.”

“You... You won’t?” “No, Twilight.” Celestia kissed her forehead. “I’ll never do that to you... But if such a day may come that I don’t have anything to say about it, that I’m not around to rule Equestria -” “S-Stop. Don’t talk like that, Princess,” Twilight tremulously complained, and Celestia sighed. “Twilight, I have no intentions of allowing that to happen. Believe me, I don’t. But, should such a day come, it will be up to you. That’s why I’ve been telling you this. That’s why I’ve showed you the Hall of Artifacts and other things.”

“But... No.” Twilight petulantly complained. “I-I can’t.” Celestia let go of the hug, and drew up to her full height. “Twilight!” Her sudden, sharp crack of voice petrified Twilight into standing still and listening, and Celestia gazed down at her.

“I have no intention of leaving you, or Equestria. But, if it should come to pass that I’m no longer here, or no longer able to rule, it is going to be up to you to restore and keep order in the kingdom.” “Why me, Princess? Luna -” “If I’m gone, then Luna almost certainly will be gone, too. There is virtually no way that some disaster could befall me that it didn’t befall us both.” “Cadance -” “Is not ready, is not trained the way you are, is not prepared to face things the way you are. Neither is your brother, for that matter. They may or may not wind up sitting on the throne, but I am entrusting you, and your friends through you, with the responsibility of keeping things going, of keeping Equestria safe. I know you won’t let me down, will you?”

“N-No, Princess Celestia,” Twilight yelped, staring up at her mentor in shock, and Celestia’s face immediately softened, leaning down to rub her cheek with her own. “I know you won’t, Twilight. But trust me, I don’t intend to go anywhere. I’m planning to be right here to watch you grow, and learn, and surpass even Star Swirl. You won’t stop trying, not even if I’m gone. You, Twilight, are special. Moreso even than dear Cadance and Shining Armor. As powerful as their magic is, they don’t embody the Elements of Harmony; you, and your friends, do. And you are the Element of Magic, the pivotal Element.” Celestia’s horn started to grow, and she drew a ghostly illusion in the air, in the shape of the the gem-topped crown that Twilight’s Elemental artifact appeared as, unlike the necklaces the other five of her friends got.

“Without you, Twilight, the other five Elements are powerless, the magic of friendship unable to catalyze without outside magic to channel it. But, without them, there is no magic of friendship.” “I... Are you saying that I’m... Supposed to be the leader?” “Yes, and no. All of your friends have leadership qualities, especially in areas which are their expertise. Your expertise is your element, which is why you are the focal point when the Elements are invoked. In times of crisis, I imagine your friends usually turn to you first?”

“Um... Usually, I guess, if only to gather everypony up.” Celestia nodded. “You are the focal hub of your friendship, then. You were the last to fall, to deattune to your Element, long after Discord had corrupted your friend’s elements. The others may well look to you for leadership at times. You, Twilight, must have the experience to provide that leadership when it is appropriate, and the wisdom to follow when it is appropriate.”

“I... Well, I don’t think you’ll have any problems there,” Twilight murmured, with a blink, and smile. “I usually would rather let one of the others do the ‘leading’ if there’s any to be done.” “Good. Just don’t be afraid to take the lead if it’s the right thing to do.” Celestia reached up and mussed her mane again, and turned around. “Come along, my little pony. We should go back and see how things are going.”

Twilight nodded, following Celestia, but spoke up. “Princess? I feel... Cold, still. How do I... How do you just... G-Go on, go to a party, after talking about all that we talked about?” “That’s a skill you must master, too.” Celestia smiled. “Change the subject, push it to the back of your mind, immerse yourself in some other activity or endeavor. If you dwell on the terrible, you will never get to enjoy the good. Let go of it, and think of other things, do other things.”

“Um... That... I don’t know if I can do that, Princess,” Twilight murmured, looking down, and Celestia chuckled, as she led her back towards the entrance to the library wing. “Oh, you’ll learn... I’m afraid you’ll learn, soon enough, like it or not. For now, though, why don’t you go see how Pinkie Pie is doing. You seemed to expect that she would enjoy those magnificent fruit chimichangas.”

“Ah? O-Oh, yes. I’m sure she will have,” Twilight murmured, as they passed the guard at the front of the library, the Princess once again levitating the velvet rope from across the door, the guard saluting with his hoof, and Celestia returning it with her wing. Celestia pushed forward, on Twilight’s shoulders, with the same wing, before folding it again. “Then go, go and see.”

“I... Um, okay, Princess,” Twilight murmured, and started to walk back towards the ball-room, but it wasn’t until she got there that she realized Celestia had slipped away while she was walking. Twilight almost felt annoyed, but sighed a took a breath, then smiled. Celestia and she had spent a good half-hour talking, which is longer than she usually got since she’d gone to Ponyville.

By the time Twilight located Pinkie Pie a half-hour later, the pink mare was in the castle’s courtyard, pushing her Party Cannon around. Twilight saw that this was where the other marble statuary that formerly bordered the hedge maze had been moved, and it looked rather nice. The courtyard had previously been a bare stretch of gray stones with a red carpet, but now the carpet was bordered with the statues. Beyond the marble statuary was a forest of marble pots supporting topiary sculptures of ponies, and between the rows she saw benches and small tables.

Pinkie had clearly been busy, and was still busy, aligning the Party Cannon with a statue of an earth pony brandishing a bow with an arrow nocked. She elevated the cannon to point at it, whilst humming a song, and raised her foreleg above the party cannon’s end. “I’m about to drop my hoof!” she giggled, and slapped the fuse of the cannon with her hoof. “And dispense some indiscriminate decor!”

A tremendous, deep bang issued from the party cannon’s muzzle, and it discharged a hurricane of shining tinsel onto the statue, leaving the marble mare draped with shining, metallic lilac and blue tinsel garlands. Most of the other statues were similarly decorated, with the color scheme changing by distance to the castle and splitting to the sides, going from the cool colors Pinkie had just unleashed at the entrance statue to brilliantly-gleaming silver and white and gold on the left, and darkly-gleaming midnight blue and shiny, metallic black on the right. Above the courtyard, there were Pegasi stringing up taut lines between the parapet walls and the castle’s structure. She wondered what was going to be done with them, and smiled as she started walking towards Pinkie, who broke into a bright grin when she saw Twilight walking towards her, and started to wave eagerly with a forehoof, the other braced on top of the cannon.

Twilight laughed as she broke into a trot to get to Pinkie faster. “Hey, Pinkie, this is - ack!” Her greeting was cut off as the pink mare launched herself at her, and put Twilight in a strong hug. She embraced Pinkie in return, sucking in a breath, and smiling. “P-Pinkie, it’s nice to see you too. It’s only been like, an hour or so, but it’s nice to see you again.”

Pinkie released her from the hug, and beamed a bright smile at her, as Twilight looked around. “So, uh.... Wow, you’ve really been working, haven’t you?” “Oh, I know, right?” Pinkie responded, giggling. “I can’t believe I get to decorate the Grand! Galloping! Gala!” Pinkie let out an exuberant squeal of joy. “This is so shiny, so fancy!”

Twilight couldn’t help but grin at Pinkie Pie’s delight and joy, and smiled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Pinkie,” she said, with a warm smile. Pinkie suddenly sat back on her haunches, and saluted Twilight as smartly as Twilight had ever seen any Royal Guardspony ever salute Princess Celestia. “But don’t worry! I am taking my job very seriously, too,” Pinkie suddenly exclaimed. “You can count on me, Twilight! I won’t rest until the job’s done!”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. “Pinkie, I didn’t mean to imply that... I...” She sighed, sitting down and leaning forward hugging the pink mare, softly. “Pinkie, I have no doubt you’re going to do a fantastic job. You don’t need to defend your work to me. The place is looking great already.”

She let go, and looked up. “So, what goes on those ropes up there,” she asked, pointing to the ropes that were being strung by the Pegasi; by now they were weaving together as a tight net over the courtyard, and Pinkie grinned. “Lights! We’re going to hang lanterns from the rope so they shine down on all the statues and topiary, so it catches the tinsel and makes them sparkle once it turns dark, and lights up the topiary.”

Grinning, Twilight reached up, crinkling Pinkie’s nose with her forehoof. “It’s going to look fantastic, I can’t wait to see it,” she said, quickly, feeling herself gush. “Pinkie, I never should have doubted you, and I’m sorry. Can you forgi-mmmf?” Pinkie returned the crinkling, and grinned. “Abso-popso-lutely! Consider it forgiven,” Pinkie replied with a grin. “Come on, I need to get to the dance hall,” she said, standing up and walking back to push the party cannon onward. Twilight smiled, and followed her. “So, Pinkie, what did you think of those treats Spike brought you?”

“The cherrychanga was everything I hoped it would be, and more! I’m kind of sad I didn’t get to make it, but Applejack found someone who’s even better than I could ever have tried to be. I mean, making a tortilla, out of zap apple?! I’m not even sure how I’d even go about trying to do that, maybe cutting up the zap apple, then smoking it until it’s all dried and shriveled, grinding it into dust and mixing the dust with the flour when you make it? I have no idea. I don’t know how you make tortillas in the first place, I just buy mine.” Pinkie took a deep breath after her monologue about the zap apple tortillas, and smiled. “It was just incredible. The applechanga was fantastic, too. The zap applechanga, or maybe it should be called a zapplechanga? Either way, it was a little monotonous, but in a good way - the zap apple filling wasn’t fighting with the zap apple tortilla. It nicely cleared my palate after I ate the cherrychanga, preparing me for the applechanga.”

Twilight grinned; when it came to food, Pinkie was a surprisingly knowledgeable and talkative pony. “I liked them all, and I’m glad you did, too.” She smiled. “Hey, where are the Wonderbolts? I saw them earlier, on the football pitch.” “I don’t know,” Pinkie admitted. “I saw them flying around above the pitch, but I don’t know what happened. Maybe the game finished up?” She shrugged. “Sorry. I can’t help you there, Twilight,” Pinkie said, with a sad shrug, and Twilight smiled back at her. “That’s okay, Pinkie. You have your hooves full, don’t worry about it. Do you know where Spike was headed after he left you?”

“I do! He went back to watch the game,” Pinkie said, with a smile, and Twilight nodded. “All right. I guess I should start at the pitch then. Thanks,” she said, and Pinkie paused, waving her hoof as Twilight started to walk off. “You’re gonna love this place, Twilight!”

She couldn’t help but grin back at Pinkie. “I’m sure I will, Pinkie. Have fun,” she said, as she turned away, Pinkie hauling her cannon up the stairs, and Twilight headed to the side entrance, to go to the pitch.

On the pitch, contrary to Pinkie’s supposition, the game was still going, and Twilight grinned as she galloped toward her brother, who was still brandishing his whistle. She surveyed the field quickly; Thunderlane was off the pitch, behind the nearer corner of the Guard’s goal line, with the ball set on the arc, clearly about to take a corner kick, while the teams arrayed in an arc away from him. Luna and Cadance loomed tall above the other players, but nopony failed to looked ready for action, all of them pegasi, all with their wings spread, ready to leap forward the moment Thunderlane kicked the ball. Twilight grinned to herself, and levitated the rulebook next to her brother to herself, checking the index and quickly flipping to the relevant page, scanning it in the bottom of her vision while the play seemed to be stalled, everypony waiting to make a move.

Thunderlane himself backed up and hunched down, scuffing his hoof on the ground, clearly about ready to charge, when Spitfire called out. “Thunderlane, back on the pitch. Rainbow Dash, take the kick!” Both of the named Pegasi looked up, at her, blinking. Thunderlane snorted, as if confused, and walked back up the pitch, as Rainbow Dash walked toward his post. Twilight blinked, her eyes flicking down to the rulebook in her telekinetic grasp, but on the way, her gaze passed over the ball, which wobbled as Thunderlane passed it; clipped it with his rear hoof, it barely rolled an inch.

“Can they even switch kickers,” she murmured, as Rainbow Dash cantered past Thunderlane, toward the ball. She started off the pitch, to walk around the corner post, but suddenly snapped forward, the sudden motion startling and catching Twilight’s eyes.

Rainbow Dash hammered her forehooves into the ball as she lifted off the ground propelled by her wings, a short rainbow trail forming around her. The move seemed to catch the entire Guards team off-guard, largely because it was a foul, and Rainbow Dash dove down on the ball as it reached the edge of the goal area. She was right next to Echo, but the defending guardsman was so surprised he barely had started to move to intervene when Rainbow Dash hammered the ball into the goal, flying firmly and unquestionably into the net, completely taking the goalkeeper by surprise.

Twilight was left stunned, as Shining Armor started to blow his whistle, furiously, galloping down the pitch towards the still-standing teams. The Guards team and the Princesses looked absolutely flabbergasted, but the Wonderbolts had a grin on their faces, and Rainbow Dash herself did a fast backflip in the air, landing on her rear hooves and balancing on them for a second, her wings spread out, before she dropped down.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Her brother was shouting, and Twilight turned, galloping towards him, her mane and tail flowing as she brought the book with her, knowing that it was unquestionably going to be needed. Shining Armor blew his whistle again, loudly, as he drew up to the players. “What is the meaning of this,” Luna demanded, her voice raised, though Twilight felt relieved she didn’t raise it to Royal Canterlot Voice volume, nor had she reverted to archaic speech. “That - that’s a foul, right? That has to be a foul!” “Of course it’s a foul,” Shining Armor yelled back, as he barreled into the inside of the arc of ponies around the corner arc. “She didn’t even take the corner kick right, and the player taking the kick can’t play the ball again until someone else touches it!”

Rainbow Dash’s jubilation looked unabated, though Twilight’s brother looked astounded and almost angry. “Twilight, what’s the penalty for that?” “I, um...” Put on the spot, Twilight looked down, through her rulebook. “Um... It looks like an indirect free kick is given to the Guards,” she said, and Shining Armor snorted. “That’s all? That was pretty, um...” “Flagrant,” Luna offered, and Armor nodded. “Yeah. Where’s my cards,” he muttered, but Thunderlane walked up to him, shaking his head. “Uh, Ref? You might want to check the rules again. Rainbow Dash didn’t take the corner kick, I did.”

Shining Armor looked at him, as if Thunderlane ha suddenly spoken in another language, or perhaps spouted off a complex mathematical theorem apropos of nothing. “Uh... No, you didn’t. You were going to, then Spitfire called you back, remember?”

“Yeah... But I brushed the ball with my hoof when I walked past it.” “You did,” Armor questioned him. “What... I don’t even know what that has to do with anything.” Twilight started to get a sinking feeling in her gut, as Luna and Spitfire approached her and her brother. “What is going on,” Princess Luna asked, tilting her head, as Twilight looked down to the book. “Um... I’m not sure, but I think...” “It was a trick,” Spitfire admitted, smiling up at Princess Luna. “Thunderlane brushed the ball with his hoof, moving it and putting it in play as the corner kick. After that, Rainbow Dash was free to play it as hard as she wanted to.”

Shining Armor looked confused, and he looked to Twilight for guidance. “Twi? What do you think happened?” Twilight looked down at the rulebook, to the Procedures section, and read aloud. “The ball must be placed inside the corner arc nearest to the point where the ball crossed the goal line,” she murmured, and the two captains and her brother nodded at her. “The corner flagpost must not be moved.” They all nodded again, as she continued, “Everypony stayed at least ten yards away, right?” The team leaders nodded again. “The ball must be kicked by a player of the attacking team... It doesn’t specify a right way to do it. It says the ball is in play when it is kicked and moves, and the kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.”

Shining Armor looked up, meeting Twilight’s eyes, and she shrugged at him. “Thunderlane did brush the ball with his hoof, and I saw it wobble forward a bit.” “As did I,” Luna admitted, blinking. “That hardly seems sporting, but I don’t believe there are any rules specifying a minimum amount of force that must be behind a kick, or a minimum distance it must travel to be considered a kick...”

The Princess furrowed her eyebrows, as if mulling it over, and sat on her haunches, shrugging. “I suppose that was the tiebreaker point,” she mused, looking to Shining Armor. “I, ah... I guess it was,” he murmured, but Spitfire shook her head. “No, it’s okay... We just wanted to see if it would work.” She sat down herself, and grinned. “We’ll concede the point, and the win,” she said, offering her forehoof to Luna, but the Princess shook her head, though she took Spitfire’s hoof, shaking it. “I cannot agree to that. Your trick worked perfectly.” She actually smiled, and Twilight felt relieved. “We should have been more attentive. You should record the win.”

Spitfire shook her head again. “I can’t agree to that. Call it a draw?” The two team captains’ eyes met, and Luna broke into a laugh. “Alright. A draw it is, then, two-to-two.”

The teams broke into laughter, as Twilight looked up at her big brother, asking him, “what just happened?” He shrugged at her. “I guess the game’s a tie, then,” he said , levitating a book from his saddlebags on the ground and making a note in it. Twilight passed him back the rulebook, and smiled. “So, is everything over?” “Yeah, that’s it,” he said, nodding as the teams started to break up, Princesses Luna and Cadance walking past her and her brother. Both of them smiled at her, and she smiled back, though the two tall Alicorns were talking about the game. Cadance paused to say “Hey, Twilight. I bet the party’s gonna be amazing,” and Twilight nodded back. “Oh, it will be. With Pinkie Pie decorating? One way or another, everypony’s going to be amazed.”

Cadance grinned, brightly. “If it’s anything like what she did for my wedding, it’s going to be perfect.” She then trotted on to catch up with Luna, smiling at her. The Wonderbolts spread their wings, but Twilight called out “Hey, Spitfire? Can I talk to you for a bit?” The fire-maned mare looked up at her, and nodded. “Yeah, sure. Everypony, go get some rest. Hit the baths, get yourselves cleaned up and grab some hay. We’ve got a show tonight!” The other Wonderbolts split up, and Shining Armor turned to follow the Princesses, as Spitfire walked up to Twilight. “What can I do for you,” she asked, and Twilight smiled. “I wanted to run over the show with you,” Twilight said, looking up. “I know it’s gonna be great, but I wanted to know what you had planned.” Spitfire nodded. “Mmhmmm. Well, I’d fly you through it, but... You kind of don’t have wings.” “Heh, yeah,” Twilight said, looking back at her wingless flanks. “Can you talk me through it?” “Sure I can,” Spitfire said, spreading her wings and starting to walk from the pitch. “How much do you know about aerobatics?” “Um... Not much, really. I usually just go to the shows to say ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’. There’s gotta be a book on it somewhere, though,” she mused. “I can run to the library if I need to.”

“No need!” Rainbow Dash walked up on the other side of Twilight. “She already explained it to me, so let me translate.” Rainbow extended her wing towards the mountain in the distance. “This is gonna be great, Twi. There’s gonna be three Wonderbolts on that mountain over there on roller skates, ready to launch by cruising down that slope and off the ramp. Meanwhile, three more are gonna come in from that direction, over the valley,” she pointed beyond the castle at thin air with her other wing “and from over the train tracks, coming in like that. Everypony is going to be going really fast and trailing sparks, they’re gonna meet up and pull up hard when they get to the castle’s side courtyard. That’s where I come in.”

“You come - wait, what?” Twilight blinked, looking at Rainbow Dash. “You’re in the show?!” She felt a swirl of joy for her friend run through, grinninfg as she asked it, and Rainbow beamed back at her. “Yep! Spitfire asked me to do a Sonic Rainboom this year, and it. is. gonna. ROCK!”

Twilight laughed, as Spitfire walked up along the other side of Twilight, grinning. “Well, how could I pass up a chance to get an authentic Sonic Rainboom at the show, after we saw one at Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s wedding? Ponies might think the Wonderbolts are slipping.” She grinned, and Twilight thought that Rainbow Dash might simply expire of joy, but instead the blue mare reared up, laughing and pointing. “Anyway, that’s where I come in. They’ve got this huge sky-rocket from somewhere. This thing is gonna be epic, it’s a rocket on top of a rocket! I’m gonna be strapped to the top of it and it’s gonna take off like, fwooooom, while the Wonderbolts spiral around it trailing sparkles and glitter. It’s gonna take a while to pass them, but it will; then the bottom rocket will run out of fuel and drop away when the top one starts up. That’s when the Wonderbolts split into an opening-flower like thing, and the first rocket explodes in a massive firework. That’s also when Pinkie’s gonna light up the fireworks on the ground!”

Rainbow Dash laughed, gesticulating wildly with her forehooves and wings. “It’s gonna be awesome. Fwoom fwoom fwoom fwoom EVERYWHERE! And the Wonderbolts will be dodging and weaving between them - everypony’s gonna be wearing fireproof flight suits, of course - while the second rocket, the one I’m on top of, just keeps going higher and higher and higher, and the ground display goes from the low altitude rockets to the higher and higher ones while the Wonderbolts keep spiraling upwards through the display. Then - then, and this is my favorite part, the rocket under me explodes!”

Twilight blinked. “Uh, Rainbow? That doesn’t sound... Safe.” “Of course it is.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Because the nose-cone is made of metal, and I’m gonna be wearing a fireproof suit, too. But it’s not gonna look safe, that’s the idea. That rocket is going to go ka-boom, and trail gold and silver sparkles all down through the sky as the Wonderbolts turn around and dive, switching to their smoke dispensers, and people are going to wonder if everything’s okay... That’s because I’ll be hovering so far up in the sky nopony will be able to see me without binoculars. Then, as the Wonderbolts start to tightly spiral down around where the rocket went, is when I go. I go, and boy do I go - I’m gonna dive straight down through the sparkles and the formation of Wonderbolts, and, if we worked out the math right, I’ll pass the sound barrier just before I get to them, sending out a rainbow shockwave all behind them, scattering all that smoke they’ve been trailing all over the sky, while I rocket down towards the ground! I’m wearing roller skates too, so I’m taking it all the way to the deck! I’m gonna touch down on that big boulevard running through Canterlot - which is gonna be closed - and blow through the whole town at supersonic speed, trailing smoke and rainbows, skipping off the street, and ponies will see me pass first, then crack! That sonic boom I’m trailing will hit, really rattle the windows, you know?! It’s gonna be awesome! Then I’m gonna pull up and loop around while I still have the momentum, and wrap back in on my own path, make a bow out of rainbows and smoke above the castle. If we have it all figured out right, I should drop below the speed of sound above the top balcony, and I can drop into the castle courtyard and go get my dress from Rarity.”

Twilight stood, stunned for a moment, listening to Rainbow Dash’s explanation of the show she had planned. It sounded incredible; it sounded incredulous. She blinked, looking over at Spitfire. “Is that... Safe?!” “Not in the slightest,” Spitfire cheerfully said. “That’s why we’re taking every possible precaution: fireproof flight suits, goggles, muzzle covers, our manes and tails are going to be covered up. Traffic will be blocked from the road long before the first sky-rocket goes off, and Princess Celestia has had a team at work reinforcing the windows in Canterlot so they won’t blow out when Rainbow goes in trailing that sonic boom. And Rainbow Dash will be riding a giant armored plate into the sky, so even if both rockets below her malfunction and explode on the launch pad with all of their fuel onboard, the worst that will happen is she’ll be thrown violently into the air and spread her wings to catch herself.”

Twilight felt a little dubious, looking towards Rainbow Dash, who was giggling. “Oh man, that would be a fun ride, too. Kind of ruin the show, but it’d be hilarious if that happened, wouldn’t it?” Aghast, Twilight looked over to stare at Rainbow Dash, who was grinning. “I’m joking, Twi. That’s not gonna happen, relax.” She spread her wing over Twilight’s back, and smiled. “It’s me you’re talking about. I’ll be fine.” She smiled, and Twilight lowered her head, shaking it. “You agreed to this,” she asked, looking up at Spitfire, who grinned. “Well, I was a little put off at first, but honestly, it’s that massive firework I’m worried about more than anything else. We’ve been working on them for the airshow for a year now, and I’ve seen it launch a dozen times. It works, but I honestly never thought we’d actually get to the point where we strapped a pony onto the top of it.”

Twilight felt her mouth open, and she blinked. “Wait, you’ve never... You’ve never done this with somepony actually... on it? I... How do you know it’ll work?” “We’ve launched it at least eight times with heavy sacks the weight and rough shape of a pony strapped down in launch position,” Spitfire explained. “When the second rocket reaches its apex, a bunch of little rockets under the cone fire off, separating it and carrying it up while the main body’s fuse burns down. By the time the bursting charge goes off and turns the whole thing into a ginormous firework, the nose cone is plenty far away from it. But even if that bit malfunctions, the rider should be fine.”

Twilight shook her head, sitting down and pressing her right forehoof to her forehead. “This sounds fantastically dangerous.” “Twi. Chill. It’s me,” Rainbow Dash encouraged her, poking her with her wing. “Do you know anypony who’s faster to react or fly than me? If anything goes wrong, I just have smack the release on my harness with my hoof, and I’ll be out of there before you can say the name of the next Daring Do novel!”

“‘Daring Do! And the Buccaneers! In an adventure with Naturalists!’?” Twilight skeptically looked at Rainbow Dash, who sighed. “Okay, the last title, then.” Twilight blinked. “‘Daring Do in Danger: Ahuitzotl’s Grand Scheme of Revenge and Payback in Spades?”

Rainbow Dash sat down and mirrored Twilight’s face-hoof maneuver. “Without the subtitle,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Point is, I’ll be out of there before anything goes wrong enough to hurt me. Besides, somepony has to test it. Who better than one of the fastest ponies above Equestria?”

Twilight felt like arguing, she felt like trying to talk Rainbow Dash out of it. But she sighed, instead, and looked up, meeting her friend’s violet eyes. “There’s no way in Equestria I’m talking you out of this, is there?” “Not a chance,” Rainbow agreed, and Twilight sighed, laying her head down on her forehooves, defeated. “Alright. But if I can’t talk you out of it, I’m going to run to the library and find every spell in the books I can to make you safer.”

Rainbow Dash smiled, and reached forward, rubbing her behind the horn with her forehoof. “If that’ll make you feel better, Twilight,” she said with a grin. “I mean, I’m not worried at all, of course,” she murmured, looking up and away, and Twilight grinned back at her friend’s fibbing about her own courage and confidence, standing back up. “Alright. You go rest up, then. I need a bath, and then I’ll hit the books.”

The two Pegasi turned and walked off one way, while Twilight started towards the bathhouse.

Twilight stretched, yawning, as she climbed out of the palace baths, surprised that she had had time to take one, but glad. Even after checking with Applejack again, then checking again on Pinkie, it had been only about noon when she had glanced at the sundial outside the castle, and so had decided to follow the Wonderbolt’s example, especially since she wasn’t certain she’d had a chance to do so last night.

She had the bathhouse to herself this time, and for a moment’s solitude, she had been grateful, and she smiled as she thought back on her bath, while levitating towels around herself, wrapping them tightly around her body to soak up water. She sat on the marble bench at the side of the room, and levitated her saddlebags to her from the coatroom, setting them down and pulling out her ledger, flipping to the last page and looking down at the items on the list.

[√] Check on the food [√] Check on Applejack
[√] Check on the decoration [ ] Check on Fluttershy
[√] Check on the airshow [√] Check on Pinkie Pie
[ ] Check on the music [√] Check on Rainbow Dash
[√] See if Cadance/Armor are here [ ] Check on Rarity
[ ] Get cleaned up [ ] Get Dressed
[ ] Eat lunch (No later than 2) [ ] Final check on everything
[ ] Attend the Grand Galloping Gala

Satisfied, she pulled out her quill and added a neat mark to the checkbox next to ‘Get cleaned up,’ and put the ledger and quill away, and shook herself as she stood up, discarding the towels. She was still damp, but that was a matter easily resolved with some magic. Her horn glowed brightly as she conjured up a hot wind blowing around her, whisking excess water from her coat and blow-drying her mane and tail. It wasn’t a perfect method, of course, and it left her looking exceptionally poofy, but that she was clean and dry were the important parts; she had no doubt that Rarity was planning to redo her mane and tail anyway, before the gala. She threw the towels into the used bin, where one of the staff would collect them and take them to be laundered, then levitated her saddlebags as she walked out, telekinetically dragging a brush through her mane as she worked to make herself more presentable before she ran into anypony.

Twilight felt quite hungry; though she wanted to check on Rarity and Fluttershy, and the music, she decided to head down to the kitchens when her stomach rumbled, to see if she could find something that wasn’t party food to eat. The castle’s corridors seemed to be picking up in activity, and she passed three stallions pulling carts of what looked like more decorations up through the service halls as she wound her way to the kitchens, but before she got there, she saw a tall, bright pink mare heading in the same direction, and grinned. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” she called out in a drawn-out, singsong voice, and Cadance looked back, smiling at her. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” Cadance murmured, stopping in the hall as Twilight walked up to her. The alicorn’s horn was glowing blue, and she was levitating a pair of books in front of her. Twilight grinned.

“Good books,” she asked, but Cadance shook her head. “Well, not exactly.” She turned one book around, and Twilight read the cover - WAFO International Tournament Laws of the Game 1-2 A.R. Edition. The cover was a fine, sturdy brushed silk in dark blue-black, embossed with the image of a football divided by hexagons, with a silhouetted figure in each hexagon; the center hexagon had an Earth Pony, Unicorn Pony, and Pegasus Pony, but she also saw a zebra, a buffalo, a griffon, and others.

“Studying up on the rules?” “Yeah, um... See, I think we made a goof. I did foul earlier.” She levitated the other book over to Twilight’s field of view, with a similar title. WAFO Pegasi Laws of the Game 1-2 A.R. Edition. It had an embossment of a Pegasus Pony with wings spread, descending on the embossment of the ball. “Um... Wait, I’m not sure I understand,” Twilight said, and Cadance nodded. “This is the rulebook you were reading from earlier. There’s books for Pegasi, Unicorns, Griffons, Earth Ponies and Zebra, Buffalo, and so forth and so on. Because so many races play football, and there’s such demand for rules that account for the differences between them - Buffalo are much larger than any pony, so the pitch has to be larger for them, for instance - the governing body puts out individual and specialized rules for play with only one race involved, but they also put out a mixed-race tournament book that’s made to equalize the game for every player on the pitch.”

“So, what does that have to do with you,” Twilight asked, and Cadance turned over the tournament rulebook, showing Twilight the section she was reading, a sub-heading of the tournament rules regarding replacement of a defective ball, and Twilight read aloud again. “If the ball bursts, punctures, slices, or otherwise becomes defective during the course of a match as a result of accidental impact or collision with a sharp or pointed part of a player’s anatomy (including, but not limited to, the horns of Unicorn or Buffalo, or the claws of a Griffon,) follow normal procedures for replacement of the ball if the ball defect was caused by the failure of safety equipment worn by the player specifically to prevent this occurrence. If the player in question opted not to don safety equipment such as to prevent ball contact with a portion of their anatomy sharp enough that a reasonable creature would determine an impact with the ball might result in a ball defect, the player is held to have committed an offense awarding the other team a direct penalty kick at the end of the play period, and the player upon whose anatomy the ball punctured is to be cautioned or sent off at the referee’s discretion as to how unambiguously capable of puncturing a ball the offending anatomical feature is. (For instance, a Unicorn with a blunt horn may be cautioned, but one with a sharp horn should be sent off.)”

Twilight winced as she looked up at Cadance, whose ears were drooping. “I feel awfully silly,” Cadance admitted. “I didn’t even know I should wear some kind of safety equipment, or what might have been appropriate.” She frowned, sadly, lowering her head, and Twilight looked at her horn - while not the longest or pointiest Twilight knew (both of those qualities unambiguously belonged to Princess Celestia’s horn,) it was certainly long and sharp enough to burst the ball, as she’d seen earlier.

Twilight took a breath, and sighed, smiling softly. “Hey. You weren’t using this rulebook, remember?” Cadance nodded. “I know, but -” “But nothing. Your game was using the Pegasus rulebook, probably because everypony on the field had wings. Since the Pegasus rulebook doesn’t have anything in it about horns or balls puncturing on them, there’s no foul.” She smiled, pushing into Cadance’s side, and Cadance smiled back at her, leaning back against her. “I still feel awful about it,” Cadance murmured, and Twilight chuckled. “Relax, you didn’t do anything wrong. So, how did you and Princess Luna get roped into playing against the Wonderbolts, anyway?”

Cadance smiled. “Well, me and Shining Armor and some of the Crystal Ponies were invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. Most of the Crystal Ponies who came are still in Canterlot, seeing the sights and all, but I just wanted to see Celestia and Luna again, so we came right here. Luna and I were talking about it, and she mentioned that she and the Royal Guards usually split into two teams and played a match every other day or so. Armor volunteered to referee, so as not to ground everypony else, but then one of the Wonderbolts flew up and asked if that was a football pitch we were heading out to. It was, and he said that was great, because the Wonderbolts played a lot, too, and suggested a Guards versus Wonderbolts match. I think you know what happened after that.”

Twilight nodded, and smiled. “Yeah, I guess I do. That was impressive,” she admitted. “It looked like fun.” “It was,” Cadance sighed, smiling. “Even if I did kind of blunder through it. I haven’t played since I was a little foal.” Twilight grinned at her, pushing into Cadance’s side. “Hey, you still did good,” she murmured. “So, how did you get this Tournament Rules book, anyway? I didn’t see it in the shed.” “Oh, I was looking around the courtyard when I met a Pegasus mare who was saying that the ropes overhead reminded her of the hexagons on a football. I’m not sure what she meant, because they’ve been laid in squares, but I asked her if she liked football, and we talked about it for a while. Then I told her about the whole ball and horn thing, and she said what you said - that it wasn’t a foul under Pegasus rules, but would have been under Unicorn or Tournament rules. She gave me the tournament rulebook, too.”

Twilight blinked, and nodded. “Huh... Okay, I guess that was... Well, that was nice of her.” She smiled at Cadance. “So, were you heading to the kitchens to get lunch?” Cadance nodded, as they rounded the last corner towards the kitchen. There was no longer any music coming from inside, which disappointed Twilight a bit, but she walked inside anyway. As she expected, she walked into a magnificent cornucopia of scents, and smiled, saying “Hello, AJ.” Applejack herself was still standing where she had been when Twilight had checked on her through the structure of the castle, though now she appeared to be folding apple fritters, and her back was to Twilight. Still, she responded, “Hey there, Twi’. Y’all back already?”

Twilight beamed a smile at Applejack as the rich scents of cooking apples hit her. “You bet, AJ. I just realized, I didn’t have breakfast. Or lunch.” “The way you’ve been, you probably ain’t had ‘em yesterday, either,” Applejack retorted with a chuckle. She folded the last of what looked like a batch of fritters, and handed the tray they were on to a pony who walked up next to her; he took the tray and set it down on a countertop workstation, where somepony else was evidently dressing the fritters up with zap apple-striped frosting.

“That’s... Interesting,” Twilight murmured,adding “Fritters with frosting? Applejack laughed. “Yep! Apple family fritters are plenty good enough to feed to all those fancified cityfolk, but dressin’ ‘em up some to get ‘em past their lips can’t hurt. So, what brings y’all here, she said, finally turning around, and blinking when she saw Cadance. “Err, Your Highness,” Applejack stumbled over the words, bowing clumsily, but Cadance shook her head, laughing. “No, no, please, just call me Cadance. And I expect we’re here for the same reason: I’m starving!”

Applejack looked up, and grinned. “Is that so? Well, y’all come to the right place. We’ve been fixin’ up lunch to send to everypony, but we just don’t have anyone to take ‘em to ‘em. Er, you wouldn’t mind, would you?” Twilight immediately shook her head. “No, of course not.” She looked to her left, and Cadance was smiling warmly. “I’d be happy to help.” “Alright. Hey, someone hitch these two up to the lunch wagons!” Applejack turned back to grab a notebook in which she was writing notes, and tore out two pages. Twilight levitated one, Cadance the other, as she saw two Apple family mares bring two wagons loaded with paper bags. “Now, I warn y’all, t’ain’t fancy or nothing, but -” “It’s fine, Applejack,” Cadance murmured. “Everypony’s so busy, I imagine we’re all going to be lucky to get lunch at all,” she said, as she stepped back into the harness the pony behind her was holding open for her, then tied around her. Twilight nodded, and stepped back herself, as the light collar was affixed around her, and she felt its weight settle onto her shoulders, a new and not entirely comfortable sensation.

Applejack chuckled at her. “Just don’t try to animate this one, okay? You should be able to pull this one without magic.” Blushing, Twilight smiled, and nodded, taking a step forward. The cart’s weight tugged on her, but she could move it, and she nodded. “I won’t. Promise.” “Good. Now, don’t forget to go ‘round and feed everypony. You shouldn’t run out, ‘cause we made more’n there should be ponies at th’ palace right now, but if you do, run on back and we’ll make you some more.”

When she and Cadance left the kitchen - each of them with a frosted apple fritter levitating in front of them, as well as the books and papers, Cadance looked over at Twilight, and chuckled. “How did we get talked into this again,” she asked, as she took a bite of the fritter in front of her. Twilight laughed, and took a bite of her own; hot apple filling inside, warm crust and multiflavored zap apple frosting all combined on her tongue. She swallowed it, and laughed. “I have no idea... Probably because Applejack asked nicely?”

Cadance chuckled after she swallowed, and looked down at her list. “It looks like everything I’ve got is farther up - the ballroom, the grand hall, and so on.” Twilight nodded, looking down at her own list. “Looks like I’ve got the ponies down from here - the great hall, the courtyard, and...” She scanned the list, and nodded. “Split up?” “Only if you promise to catch up with me and Armor later.”

Twilight grinned at her. “That’s a deal,” she said, lifting her forehoof, and Cadance bumped it with one of hers, then turned to pull her cart up a ramp, while Twilight headed down.

Her hoof thumped into the door, though it felt as though she were wearing leaden shoes. Twilight was not used to bearing a wagon at all, and she was simply glad it was only laden with bagged lunches instead of something more substantial. This was her last scheduled stop, though; the service entrance to the castle’s cloak room, which Rarity and (as far as she knew) Fluttershy had occupied with their dresses.

“Coming!” Rarity’s distinct voice came from the other side of the door, and Twilight heard the shuffling of heavy objects within, before the door opened with a heavy creak. Rarity had pulled a rack of heavy cloaks from in front of the door telekinetically, and she simply pushed it forward, to the front door. “Twilight, darling! It’s good to see you today, at least,” she gushed, stepping back as the glow of her horn faded. “Though, why are you at the service entrance? Oh, nevermind, come in. Here to get your mane done at last, I trust?”

“Ah, not yet,” Twilight admitted, as she shrugged the harness off and stepped in, levitating some bags from her cart; she had less than ten left, after the three she brought into the cloak room with her. “Though honestly, I’m kind of exhausted. I’ve been taking lunch to everyone who’s been busy working.”

“Oh? How wonderfully thoughtful,” Rarity said, with a grin. “Come in, come in, sit down.” She led Twilight through the front of the cloak room, to the storage room. It wasn’t yet being used to store cloaks, which was probably a good thing as it had three salon dryers in it, and a gleaming silver rack with six brand-new dresses, but Rarity telekinetically snapped a curtain over them before Twilight could get a look. She blinked at Rarity. “Oh, are those our new dresses?” “They are indeed,” Rarity boasted. Fluttershy and I have been putting our time and solitude to good use catching up on some of the work I pushed to the side to get everything ready for the Gala. Fluttershy, darling?” “I’m here, Rarity,” Fluttershy called from behind another rack, and Rarity pulled it aside with a telekinetic tug of her horn. Fluttershy was finishing a tuxedo jacket; classic black primarily, but instead of the traditional white trimmings, the inside was a sharp, silky-looking electric blue, while the collar, cuffs, and the pockets’ trim showed off a light, minty green, with polished buttons made of striated, earthtone gems. Rarity lifted her glasses from around her neck, balancing them on her nose for a moment, before grinning. “Perfect, Fluttershy. Tell me again why you never went into dressmaking?” “O-Oh... I don’t really like the pressure,” the pastel yellow pegasus mare murmured, as she carefully folded the tuxedo and boxed it. “This is the last one. Should I put it on the wagon going to the train station?”

“Mmmmmmh, no,” Rarity murmured, with a grin. “That tuxedo is for Fancypants. He asked me to make him a new formal outfit for general use, but, if I surprise him with it tonight, a week before it was due, he’ll probably wear it here, at the Gala, and wouldn’t that be quite the coup?”

Twilight was only vaguely aware of the social scene that Rarity followed with a passion, but she knew that Fancypants was a big-name pony in Canterlot, one whose favor Rarity greatly cherished. Twilight chuckled. “You’re a week ahead? Wow.” “I know, but Fluttershy here is such an incredible hoof at this. She really could have been a dressmaker,” Rarity gushed, as she took the box with the tuxedo in it and levitated it out to the front of the cloak room, setting it on the desk. “So, when are the others going to get here? We really should get started on our manes, we are cutting things a little close, aren’t we?”

“Not so close,” Twilight said, with a smile. “I think we’ve all pulled ahead of schedule.” She sat on a cushion on the floor, setting one bag in front of Fluttershy, who opened it quickly, and another in front of Rarity, as the marshmallow-colored Element of Generosity sat facing the two of them. “I’ll see if I can round everypony up soon, though.” Twilight smiled, as she opened her own bag, levitating the lunch out from within. It consisted of a whole apple, a scoop of homemade hay fries, and a sandwich on ciabatta bread, which on quick glance appeared to be cucumber and dandelion. She took a bite and the sweet, cool flavors of the sandwich filling immediately contrasted with the spread, which was a smoky, slightly spicy flavor. Rarity looked at her scoop of hay fries with disdain that Twilight knew was feigned, and started on her apple, while Fluttershy ate one of the fries, and looked up. “So, Twilight, who have you seen today?”

Twilight grinned, as she gave a quick recap of her day. “Well, Pinkie and Princess Celestia woke me up. Spike caught up with me on the stairs, then I met up with Shining Armor, Cadance, Luna, Rainbow Dash, and a whole gaggle of royal guards and Wonderbolts while they were playing football. From there I met the Princess again, and we spent a while talking in the library, before I found Pinkie, setting up the decorations. After I saw her, I went back to the football pitch to meet Spike, but he wasn’t there. The players were, though. We talked some more, and I went to get a bath... Then I got lunch, bumped into Cadance again in the halls, and I’ve spent the last I-don’t-know-how-long delivering lunches to everypony on or below the level of the kitchens, and finally, I found you!”

She let out an exhausted sigh, and grinned as she and her friends ate their lunches. “So, my day’s been... Busy. But good,” Twilight hastened to add. “I just hope I have energy left for the Gala.” Fluttershy extended her wing, lightly patting Twilight’s back. “I’m sure you will, Twilight,” she murmured, and Rarity grinned. “That’s right! You’ve been working so hard to make this the best night ever, you deserve to look divine and have a magnificent night.”

Twilight sighed, and smiled, lifting a few of her fries and eating them, nodding. “I hope so.” She closed her eyes, savoring the fried hay stalks, and shivered. “I should probably head back to the kitchens with my cart, though. I think I should probably stop and check in the courtyard to see if anypony I missed wants some.”

“Well, that would be magnificently kind of you, Twilight,” Rarity murmured, while Fluttershy nodded. “And after that, you round up our friends and get them here. We have work to be done!” Rarity grinned broadly. “I think you’re all going to love your new dresses, Fluttershy and I worked so hard on them. And we even figured out what went wrong with Fluttershy’s dress at the last Gala.”

“You did?” Twilight smiled. “What happened?” “It was, I am ashamed

“I couldn’t have? Oh, but I should have, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, clasping her free forehoof over Fluttershy’s. “You see, Twilight, it was quite egregiously my fault. I made a fantastic dress for Fluttershy - by pony standards. But, and I am loathe to admit it, the critters in the gardens wouldn’t have thought so. They were most likely repelled by the shampoo and conditioner smells in Fluttershy’s coat and mane, to say nothing of the myriad other smells she would have picked up from us on the coach ride, or, worst of all, the perfumes I sprayed on our dresses. But this year?” Rarity grinned. “I’ve done no such things to any of our dresses, and I know how to do her mane without making it terrify the critters.”

Twilight listened to Rarity’s explanation, and sighed, smiling softly. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure the critters will be delighted to see Fluttershy tonight.” “I-I hope so,” Fluttershy murmured. “But if they’re not, well... I’ll be with my friends, and that will be nice.” Fluttershy smiled,and Twilight smiled back at her. “It will, won’t it?” She smiled, raising her hoof and stretching it forward. Rarity and Fluttershy touched theirs to hers, and smiled back in return. “To having a great time with our friends,” Rarity said, and both Twilight and Fluttershy smiled at her, nodding their assent. “To friends,” Fluttershy murmured, and Twilight repeated it, before withdrawing her hoof.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Rarity shot up with a gasp. “Oh no! What time is it?! Are the guests arriving?!” Twilight stood up, saying “Don’t -” but Rarity cut her off with the word she was about to say, screaming “Panic!”

With Rarity panicking, Fluttershy yelped and leapt under the table she had been sewing at, as Rarity dashed out to the front of the cloak-room, yelping “I’ll be right with you!” She reached the window by the time Twilight had reached the door, and had her head out of it, leaning on the windowsill, questioningly asking “Hello?”

As Rarity repeated her questioning call out to the empty hallway, Twilight smiled at her. “Relax, Rarity. It’s only like, two in the afternoon... But who knocked?” “I don’t know,” the refined dressmaker responded. “I don’t see anypony.”

Another three knocks issued against the door, and Rarity turned her head at the same time Twilight did; whomever was knocking, was knocking on the service door Twilight had come through, and Twilight telekinetically gripped the door’s handle, tugging it open.

The door opened to reveal a gray pegasus mare, sitting in front of the door and lowering her forehoof from where she was knocking; wearing a pair of saddlebags and with a mane the color of wheat. Most distinctive of all, though, were her eyes; bright yellow fading to darker at the bottoms, and unmistakably crossed; her right eye focusing directly at Twilight, while the left seemed to be keenly fascinated by the top of the door frame.

Twilight blinked in disbelief, trying to recall if she had seen the gray mailmare on the train ride, for there was absolutely no mistaking Derpy Hooves for anypony else. “Um, hi, Derpy,” she said, with a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Here? Oh,” Derpy said, pointing with her hoof toward the cart Twilight had left abandoned in the service hall. “I was looking for the pony this cart belongs to,” she replied with a smile.

“Oh...” Twilight smiled, and nodded, looking back to Rarity. “I’ll go round up the others,” she said, as she walked out into the service tunnel, beside Derpy. “That’s me,” she said, levitating the harness and stepping back into it. “I was asked to deliver lunch. Um... What are you doing in the service halls?”

“I got lost,” Derpy admitted with a sad tone in her voice, hanging her head as she stood up. “I was trying to find my friend, but I took a wrong turn and wound up in here, and now I can’t find my way out and I’m hungry. So when I smelled all these bags, I knocked to see whose they were.”

Twilight blinked, her mind racing. On the one hoof, she couldn’t think of much more chaotic and disastrous an arrival than Derpy Hooves at the Grand Galloping Gala, short of the unexpected and unwelcome return of Queen Chrysalis and her army, or Dischord. On the other, well, she couldn’t be rude to somepony she knew and liked. “I, um... Oh, heh. They’re mine. I was delivering lunches to everypony below the kitchens.” She levitated a bag from the cart, lifting it over to Derpy, who smiled and took it from her telekinetic grip with her mouth, putting it in her saddlebag. “I definitely have extras, so sure, you can have one.”

Derpy grinned broadly. “Oh, thank you, Twilight. Is that a cucumber and dandelion muffin with chipotle spread I smell in there?” “Uh, no. It’s a cucumber and dandelion sandwich on ciabatta bread with chipotle spread... You’ve had a cucumber and dandelion muffin with chipotle spread before?” she asked, incredulously, and Derpy laughed.

“No, of course not! That would be weird... Though it might be good. It could hardly be worse than worm, lemon and potato chip muffins.”

“Worm, lemon and potato chip?” Twilight grimaced. “What?” “Do you remember that time, shortly after you got to Ponyville, when everypony got poisoned by the muffins from Sugarcube Corner?” Twilight grimaced as she recalled, and nodded. “Enough said.” She smiled as she started to walk, and the gray pegasus followed her. “Do you know the way out of the service halls, Twilight,” Derpy asked her, and Twilight looked back, and nodded. “Yes, yes, I do. So, um... Derpy?” “Mmmmh?” Derpy was following her, carefully, as Twilight led her up a ramp in the service halls, glad that the walls were completely bare of anything Derpy might destroy by brushing into them with her unusually destructive posterior. “How did you come to be here,” she asked, as delicately as she could, and Derpy giggled. “I flew up from Ponyville, silly. It’s not very far if you have wings.”

“Ah-hah... Yes, I know,” Twilight said with a slight chuckle. “I meant... Are you delivering mail, or -” “Oh. You mean, why am I at the castle? A friend invited me,” Derpy said with a bright smile, and Twilight nodded. “Right, okay... Um, that’s great, great...” She continued on forward, even as her mind raced, wondering what in Equestria that Derpy could have done to have gotten an invite from Celestia. She didn’t recall mentioning the accident-prone pegasus to Celestia in any of her letters, though she’d check with her friends to see if any of them had mentioned her in one of theirs.

“So, um, Derpy... How did you wind up in these service corridors,” Twilight asked, and the pegasus behind her sighed. “Well, when I flew in to Canterlot, I stopped and landed to see if I could get a muffin at Pony Joe’s, but the sign on the door said he was closed ‘till tomorrow. So I walked up to the castle, but they were putting ropes above the courtyard for some reason, and I got dizzy and happy looking up at them, ‘cause they made me think of the hexagons on a football. By the time I got up and was ready to go again, a pretty pink alicorn and I got to talking about football and she mentioned getting a ball stuck on her horn, which reminded me of something from the tournament rulebook, which I... I... Oh, oh, oh Derpy.”

The pegasus behind her let out a sad sigh, and Twilight looked back to see that she was face-hoofing, with a sad look on her face. “Derpy? Is something wrong?” “I, um... I bought a book for my friend as a present like, two weeks ago, but I forgot about it. When I dug around in my saddlebags for my copy, I found the brand new one and couldn’t remember why I had it on me, so I gave it to that pretty pink mare because she was interested in the rules.”

With a heavy, sad sigh, Derpy hung her head, and Twilight winced. “I, um... I’m sorry, Derpy,” she murmured, feeling at a loss to offer advice to the sometimes scatterbrained pony who was clearly sad. Derpy sighed again, slowly walking up alongside Twilight. “Maybe I should just go,” she said, her eyes closed. “I’m not a really good friend if I can’t even remember that I got a book as a gift for a friend.” She looked like she was seriously affected by her slip, and Twilight sighed with her. “Derpy... Look, I’ve learned a lot about friendship since I went to live in Ponyville, and one of the important things I learned is that your friends are your friends because they like you, not what you do for them, or give them.”

She leaned her head over, laying it against Derpy’s, as the two of them continued to climb the ramp. “So, Derpy, relax. I’m sure your friend isn’t expecting a present, but wants to see you.” The gray pegasus beside her let out a sigh, but when Twilight righted her head and looked at her, Derpy had a smile on her face. “I... I’m sure you’re right, Twilight,” she said with a smile. “Now I just need to find my way out of these halls.”

Twilight smiled back at Derpy. “Don’t worry,” she encouraged her. “It’s this way. See?” She heard music ahead, and grinned to herself as she led Derpy through the door to the kitchens. The Apples had clearly made good on the time since she had seen them last; there was an enormous layer cake in a corner being worked on by four Apples, high terraces of cake in the colors of a zap apple’s stripes, frosted with zap apple frosting in elegant curls. It wouldn’t have looked out-of-place at a wedding, though Twilight thought it was very nicely done, with Princess Celestia’s radiant sunburst cutie mark recreated in the form of a cake topper and embossed on the sides of the square cake in frosting. Throughout the room there were other showpieces and simpler platters of treats. Twilight laughed as she looked around; Derpy was staring in awe, and Twilight grinned at her. “Impressive, huh?” The Applewood brothers had been replaced as the musician by a pale yellow mare with a vibrant blue mane, wearing a white hat, green shirt and red kerchief, sitting on a stool, holding a fiddle with her left forehoof and sawing hard on the strings with the bow in her right. Nearly everypony present was tapping their hooves on the floor as they worked.

Twilight could only grin. She knew that the kitchen’s usual staff were competent, efficient professionals, but the few times she had looked in while they were preparing for a big event, they had all been seriously focused on the work at hoof and dourly serious, while the Apple family working together seemed more to be a force of nature, or a gestalt manifestation of an Elements of Harmony - they looked very near to breaking into song, and the entire clan projected an energetic momentum of cheerfulness as they worked.

“Hey, AJ,” the fiddler called out. “Remember the time you torpedoed the barn with a runaway wagon and we all built it back up in an afternoon?” Applejack turned her head, looking at the fiddler, whilst kneading the dough between her hooves without looking. “Ah, hehehe, I kind of do remember that, Fiddlesticks. Why?” “Because it was funny, and I played this song then, too.”

Applejack blushed, and chuckled. “Ah, yeah, you sure did.” She started to hum along with the tune, her own rear hoof starting to tap the stone platform she was standing on, but her eyes fell across Twilight standing with Derpy by the service door. “Well, y’all back now? And you found...” Applejack blinked, her eyes and head shooting up so quickly that her hat fell down her crest. “My word, Derpy? Is that you?”

“Yeah! Hi, Applejack,” Derpy said, taking a step forward. Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart skipping a beat as she anticipated impending disaster, Derpy tripping or slipping on something and setting off a domino effect of disaster that would inevitably culminate in the cake smashed all over Applejack and herself. Miraculously, however, it failed to happen, and Derpy walked up to the platform without incident, sitting on the stone floor with a smile. “What are you all doing here?” “Uh, cookin’, Derpy,” Applejack said, gesturing with a hoof. “Turns out th’ Princess done promised her usual cooks to Manehattan, so she told Twilight to hire someone to cater th’ party, an’ Twilight hired us!”

Derpy giggled happily. “That’s good! You made any muffins? It’s not a party without muffins, is it?” Twilight blinked at Derpy. “I, uh, I’m not sure muffins are fancy enough for this party,” she murmured quietly, pulling the cart with her as she came up alongside Derpy, inwardly wincing at the hurt look in the muffin-loving mailmare’s eyes as she looked at Twilight, then up at Applejack. “That’s a shame,” she murmured, but Applejack smiled.

“Shoot, filly, muffins’re easy.” Applejack’s head swiveled around. “Anypony laid hooves on a muffin pan today,” she called out, and looked down to Derpy. “We can probably make ‘em for ya in under an’ hour. How many you want?” “Um, well,” Derpy said, thinking on the topic, but a pony at the back whistled loudly. “Yo!” With a strong Manehattan accent, Pony Joe trotted up to Applejack’s post in the center of the room, bearing a tray on which sat four zap apple muffins, each topped with a slice of zap apple, and sitting in a paper muffin cup. He set the tray on Applejack’s table, and grinned. “I had some room in the oven an’ I found the pan, so I threw it in, just in case. Followed the recipe in yer’ cookbook, too.”

Derpy and Applejack shared a delighted look, and Applejack took a sniff at them, and grinned. “Smells like Granny’s,” she said with a grin, and quickly packed the four muffins in a box, which she tied up with string and handed to Derpy. “Here y’all go.” Derpy looked joyed, and placed the box in her saddlebags, beaming a huge grin at Applejack. “Thanks, AJ!” She laughed, and looked out the door. “Now I just need to find my friend,” she said, and Twilight chuckled. “How about I help? I know the castle pretty well.” She pulled the harness free of her body with a telekinetic tug, and started after Derpy as the gray pegasus miraculously exited the kitchen without precipitating a catastrophe, and Twilight followed her.

“So, Derpy... The party isn’t until tonight. Why did you come early?” “Oh,” Derpy said with a shrug of her shoulders, “I came early because, well... You know, I don’t really like crowds of strangers. I feel like everypony is staring at me; and besides, I didn’t want to step on anypony’s hoof, you know?”

“Um, sure, I guess I can see that,” Twilight murmured, as she took the lead, guiding Derpy up from the kitchens to the great entry hall, feeling a squirming sensation of guilt; Derpy had every right to be here, after all, having been invited, and she’d been constantly expecting some sort of disaster and almost wishing Derpy would decide to leave. But hearing Derpy almost express a similar sentiment about herself made her sigh, and resolve to be nicer. She looked back, and smiled at Derpy. “We’ll find your friend, I’m sure. The Princess invited you, right?” Derpy nodded, and Twilight smiled. “Okay. So...”

Twilight paused in the great entry hall, looking up the stairs and back, towards the door that led to the rear corridor heading towards the tower in which Celestia kept her rooms. Twilight started up the stairs, but when she turned to the right, Derpy shook her head. “I don’t think it’s that way, Twilight.”

Twilight turned around to face Derpy, who was pointing down the left corridor, and Twilight blinked. “Okay, I... well, you can get there that way,” she agreed, though she thought it would be going out of the way. “But, um... I think this way is faster,” she murmured, turning her head to the side and indicating the doorway she had wanted to lead Derpy through. The gray pegasus mare turned to look through the door Twilight indicated, and looked unsure of herself. “If you’re sure,” she said, turning to follow Twilight, but the look of uncertainty on her face gave Twilight pause. She hesitated a moment, long enough for a face to appear in the doorway Derpy was intending to go through.

Midnight blue fur under a matching horn, higher off the ground than Cadance’s, but lower than Celestia’s; it could only be Luna, of course. Twilight worried for a moment, but the bright smile on Luna’s face dispelled it. Derpy turned around, as Luna stepped through the door, and jumped down the short stairs to the balcony they were on, while Derpy spun around and kicked off, jumping towards her.

Twilight watched, stunned, as Derpy reared up, bracing her forehooves on Luna’s heavy collar, sliding her head next to the taller alicorn’s. Luna, in turn, leaned her head against Derpy’s, as both of them snapped their wings open, Derpy’s wrapping around Luna’s shoulders and Luna’s larger wings wrapping all the way around Derpy. Twilight could only stare in amazement as two of the last ponies she ever expected to see embracing one another hugged, then let go. Derpy fell to the carpet with a bright smile on her face, and she turned back, waving her wing at Twilight. “Thanks, Twilight! I would have been completely lost and wouldn’t have found Luna without you.”

“Is this so, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna suddenly spoke, with sufficient volume to echo off the walls and send a gale of displaced air at Twilight, making her mane flop around her. Gasping, Twilight fell immediately to her knees, bowing her head properly. “Y-Yes, Your Highness,” she gasped out in response to Luna’s use of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but instead of another wind-causing response, she heard Luna, and Derpy, giggle at her. Looking up, she blinked as she saw Luna standing in front of her, Derpy at her side, her left eye focused on Luna, the right seemingly focused on Twilight. “Gotcha, Twilight,” Luna said, and Twilight felt relief run through her, starting to chuckle as she stood up. “You... Heheh, you did, too. That was a good one,” she admitted, smiling, as Luna sat in front of her, Derpy sitting next to her.

“So, you asked Princess Celestia to invite Derpy,” Twilight asked, and Luna shook her head. “I did not,” she said, and smiled at Derpy, who opened her saddlebags, rummaging within for a moment before she lifted out a shining, dark blueish-silver ticket, holding it out proudly. It was obviously analogous to the golden tickets that Twilight had received for herself and her friends, but instead of Celestia’s royal seal, it had an embossed seal of Luna’s crescent moon cutie mark, and the side facing her read “Her Royal Highness Princess Luna of Equestria cordially invites the bearer to the Grand Galloping Gala.” Twilight expected that the reverse side had the day and time on it, as their tickets had.

Twilight blinked as she peered at it, but smiled; it made sense that Luna would be able to send out invitations in her own name, though she hadn’t heard of any others being sent. Luna smiled as well, standing and starting to walk through the corridor she had come from, Derpy following her, and Twilight followed the both of them. “So, how did you two meet,” she asked, “If you don’t mind my asking.”

Luna chuckled, as Derpy said, “Well, it was awhile ago. My mailbag had a letter in it addressed to Princess Luna. It was a mistake, it shouldn’t have been dropped off the train at Ponyville, but I guess it fell into the wrong bag or something. Normally we just put mistakes like that on the next train out, but it was marked urgent, so I flew it up to the castle myself.”

Luna chuckled happily. “She landed on my balcony, and the guards tackled her to the floor before I could tell them to stay themselves.” “It was more of an, um, crash landing,” Derpy grudgingly admitted, hanging her head, but Luna smiled. “There was no harm done, Derpy... Anyway, before I could get in a word, the guards were trying to interrogate her, and I had to raise my voice to get them off her so I could ask her who she was and what she was doing.”

Derpy smiled. “Luna was very kind to me, and I told her who I was, and gave her the letter.” Luna chuckled. “Well, first she gave me a blueberry muffin, but then she gave me the letter.” “Yeah, I kind of took the wrong thing out of my saddlebags the first time,” Derpy murmured in affirmation. “But then I gave her the letter, and the guards let me leave. A few days later, I got a letter in the mail from her, and I wrote back.”

“So, you became pen pals,” Twilight said, smiling as she got the idea, with Derpy and Luna both nodding at her. Luna looked back, with a broad, warm smile. “Yes, exactly, Twilight. She and I exchanged letters for quite some time, and I invited her to come to the castle and spend time with me.” Luna closed her eyes, lowering her head, letting her translucent, starry mane fall over Derpy’s back. “She has been... A wonderful friend to have.”

Derpy giggled softly, and nodded. “She asked me in one of her letters what I liked to do for fun.” “That’s how I got the idea to have the empty green field turned into a sporting field,” Luna continued, looking up, with her mane still spilling over Derpy’s back. “She wrote to me about how she liked to watch ponies play football, among other things, and it sounded like fun. The next time she came up, she gave me a copy of her rulebook, and I had the pitch marked out and put together.”

Derpy giggled softly, leaning into Luna. “You should see her play, Twilight, she’s incredible, like a force of nature over the field.” Luna actually blushed lightly, chuckling softly at the adoring praise, and Twilight grinned. “I have, actually. She’s incredible.”

Derpy laughed softly, while Luna shook her head. “I’m not that great,” she demurred, but Twilight shook her head. “No, you really are incredible to watch.”

The younger of Equestria’s sister-monarchs smiled warmly, looking back at Twilight. “Well, if you say so, who am I to argue with praise?” She grinned. “So, how goes the preparations for the party, Twilight?” “Um...” Twilight smiled. “Let me check.” She levitated her ledger from her saddlebags, and glanced over it, putting checks in the boxes of things she had done but not yet marked.

[√] Check on the food [√] Check on Applejack
[√] Check on the decoration [√] Check on Fluttershy
[√] Check on the airshow [√] Check on Pinkie Pie
[ ] Check on the music [√] Check on Rainbow Dash
[√] See if Cadance/Armor are here [√] Check on Rarity
[√] Get cleaned up [ ] Get Dressed
[√] Eat lunch (No later than 2) [ ] Final check on everything
[ ] Attend the Grand Galloping Gala

“Almost done,” she said, with a smile. “At the rate Pinkie Pie decorates, the decor should be all up within an hour, and the food is going great. I haven’t checked on the music, though since Vinyl Scratch is a professional who’s worked here before, I’m confident it’s ready. I just need to round up everypony to get into our dresses, and we’ll be ready.”

“That’s wonderful,” Derpy said, with a smile. “I... wait, dresses?” Her eyes uncrossed, and she looked down. “I.. Oh, oh... Oh, Derpy, you’ve done it this time,” she murmured, stopping. Luna’s mane spilled over her head as Derpy facehoofed again. “I didn’t think I’d need a dress.”

“I.. Oh.” Luna looked back, with a wince, sadly looking at Derpy for a moment, and raising her eyes to Twilight. Twilight wondered, for a moment; if Luna could somehow alter the flow of events so that Rarity might have the time to make a dress for Derpy, but immediately dismissed the idea. Luna, however, asked, “Twilight, is your dressmaker friend here?” “Ah... She is, but I don’t... I mean, Rarity’s good, real good, but I think getting a dress made between now and the Gala would take a true miracle.”

“I’m sorry,” Derp murmured, hanging her head. “I-I didn’t mean to make you ashamed, Luna. I’ll just go home,” she said, but Luna lowered her head over Derpy’s back, nuzzling her crest. “You do not shame me to be my friend, Derpy Hooves,” she murmured. “Dress or not, you are my guest, and anypony who makes you feel bad for not having formal attire shall answer to us.” Though she didn’t quite create a gust of wind, Luna unmistakably slipped, and intentionally so, into the Royal Canterlot Voice at the end, using the royal plural instead of the personal singular which had seemed to become more comfortable to her since the last Nightmare Night. Derpy looked up and smiled, beaming and wrapping her foreleg around Luna’s.

They were quite a sight, Twilight thought; the mailmare that ponies in Ponyville disparagingly called Ditzy Doo for her accident-prone and somewhat scatterbrained nature, in a warm hug with the tall, black, regal Alicorn, who was standing protectively over her. Twilight sighed. “I don’t know if Rarity can make something for you quickly enough, Derpy, but she might have something she can fit for you in an hour or less.”

“An hour?” Luna chuckled. “She should take her time, then, we have quite a while before the Gala.” Luna smiled, and encouragingly nudged Derpy’s shoulders with her nose, then lifted her head back up to her full height. “I glanced at the sundial when I awoke from my nap after the game. It’s only noon, perhaps half an hour later at the most.”

Twilight blinked, dully, what Luna said taking a moment to sink in. “Wait... You think it’s... Twelve thirty? It can’t be. It has to be much later, like, three or four.” “Surely it isn’t, Twilight,” Luna said with a chuckle. “I looked at a sundial not more than half an hour ago.” “But Princess, I looked at a sundial when I got a bath, and it was about twelve then. It has to have been three hours at least since then... I... I, um... Oh, oh no.”

Twilight looked up, into Luna’s eyes. “Oh no. Somepony is using temporal magic, advanced temporal magic!” She felt her throat tighten as she said it, a chill running through her, and Luna blinked at her. “Time magic? Surely not; I’d have felt that, Twilight Sparkle. My sister would have felt it!”

“Luna?” Derpy looked up at her, and Luna leaned down, to nuzzle her forehead, but there was an unmistakable tone of concern in her voice. “I’m sure it’s nothing, Derpy. Come, let us find a sundial, we’ll see.”

Twilight nodded, and followed as Luna darted down a side hall, breaking into an urgent trot, with Derpy beside her. They climbed quickly up a stair-well, emerging onto a balcony overlooking the courtyard. “Remain still,” she said, wrapping her wings around Twilight and Derpy, and a loud, booming pwoooof echoed through their ears, a cloud of dark midnight smoke enveloping them. The clop of her hooves and the gentle press of her wing into Twilight’s shoulder made Twilight follow her, and they emerged from the smoke, in front of a sundial decorated with shining purple tinsel. Twilight levitated the tinsel off, and away, peering at the sundial, as Luna and Derpy did likewise.

“I think... we need to speak with my sister,” Luna murmured, and Twilight nodded, grimly, as she glanced as the edge of shadow cast by the sundial, unmistakably revealing the time to be about 12:10 PM. “We need to speak to Celestia,” she agreed, then she felt a telekinetic grasp surround her, along with a dark blue glow, levitated into the air as Princess Luna took wing, with Derpy following her into the air. “What’s wrong, Luna? You sound scared,” Derpy asked, and Luna came to a hover in mid-air, Twilight looking down with only slight nervousness as she was levitated by the princess. Luna looked sad, as she met the hovering mailmare’s eyes. “Derpy... Magic that can change the flow of time is very bad if mishandled, and it looks like somepony has stopped time.”

“But... We’re still moving,” Derpy said, looking at her wings beating as she hovered in front of Luna. Twilight blinked. “She’s got a point - we’re still moving, you said you didn’t feel any time magic in play.” “That’s true, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna agreed, nodding. “But it is possible to stop time, but leave a pocket of it in motion... How did you come to learn of temporal magic, anyway?” “Um, Princess Celestia and I talked about it a bit earlier,” Twilight replied, and Luna looked concerned. “That is... Unnerving.” “Hold on,” Derpy said, and turned around, pushing back towards Luna. “There’s a watch on a chain clipped to my saddlebags, in the outside front-left pocket. Can you reach it?” Luna tried to reach for it with her hoof, but pulled back as Derpy’s wings beat down.

“Allow me,” Twilight said with a grin, telekinetically reaching into Derpy’s bag, pulling the timepiece out. Derpy turned around as Twilight flicked the pocketwatch open, staring at the dial. It clearly read 5:47, and Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Great Swirl! It’s that late?!” “I...” Luna looked over at Twilight. “I fear you may be right, Twilight Sparkle. Could we be trapped in a bubble of time?”

“We... Could be. Or...” Twilight shaded her eyes with her forehoof, and looked up. “Luna, you intended to stop the moon in the sky, a long time ago, right?” “I...” Luna looked down, and looked hurt. “I don’t care to remember my treason, Twilight Sparkle. I trust you have a good reason to bring it up?” “I do... could somepony have stopped the sun in the sky?”

Twilight’s question gave Luna pause, and she looked over at Twilight, worriedly. “I...” The dark-coated alicorn blinked a few times. “I... Yes, somepony could. But only my sister could possibly do that!” She looked up, to the upper towers of the castle, and Twilight winced. “N-Not necessarily... But we should talk to her, right?”

“Yes, Twilight. We should.” Luna turned, and flapped hard, setting off into the sky, with Derpy trailing behind her. “M-My watch usually runs a half hour fast if I don’t fix the time on it every day,” Derpy yelped out, plaintively, as they soared up between the front towers, heading for the taller, thicker towers in the back, towards the one where Twilight knew Celestia’s room was. Luna looked back, circling in the air. “Derpy... You... You should probably wait somewhere else. This could be... Bad,” Luna murmured, quietly, and Twilight could clearly hear the concern in her voice.

“No,” Derpy said, banking up behind and above Luna, hugging her hips, head between Luna’s wings. “You sound scared, and I’m scared... I don’t want to leave you alone, Luna,” she plaintively murmured, and Luna looked back, coming to a hover and sighing.

“Derpy... Oh, Derpy, you are a good friend,” Luna replied, and took a deep breath. “Very well. Just... Stay close to me.” “I will,” Derpy promised, as Luna took off again, tugging Twilight up, rapidly, towards the balcony.

They alit on the balcony, Luna setting Twilight down first, but her own landing was so sudden she startled the two pegasi guards next to the doors, both of whom squared their shoulders. “Princess? What is going on,” the first demanded, and Luna glanced at him as Derpy landed behind her, banging her rear hooves into the railing and coming to a landing sitting down beside Luna’s rear legs, her eyes crossed again.

“We must speak with my sister immediately,” Luna said, urgently, as Twilight nodded. “Something is very, very wrong,” she urgently said. The two guards looked to one another, and one of them nodded. “Of course, Your Highness,” he said, tugging the door open.

Luna led the way, Twilight following her, with Derpy’s pocketwatch still in her telekinetic grasp. Princess Celestia was laying on a cushion, a quill and parchment levitated in front of her, the quill making the unmistakable motions of ticking off check-marks on a ledger sheet. She looked up at the sudden intrusion, blinking.

“Luna? Twilight, Derpy?” The massive, white alicorn blinked in surprise. “What is going on?” “I would very much like to know the same thing, sister,” Luna said, a tone of worry and possibly accusation in her voice. “I... I feel deeply concerned, sister, and deeply worried, for I know of nopony else who could have created the problem Twilight and Derpy have illustrated to me, but you, yet I... I...”

Luna’s voice faltered, and Celestia stood up, walking over to her, lowering her head beside Luna’s, even as the younger Princess evidently shrunk back as she realized that it sounded as if she was accusing her sister. “Luna, Luna, it’s okay. Tell me what’s wrong?”

Luna sucked in a breath, and hesitated again; Twilight took a breath of her own, to step in, but Derpy beat her to it. “Twilight saw the sundials say it was noon hours ago, and Luna saw the sundials say it was noon a half hour ago, and we all saw the sundial say it was noon just now, but my pocketwatch says it’s either ten-of six or twenty-past five, ‘cause I can’t remember if I fixed it today or not, and it’s got Luna and Twilight all scared, and that makes me scared, Your Majesty.” Twilight looked under Luna, to see that the gray mare was laying beside Luna, her forelegs around Luna’s hoof, looking up with a worried expression at Celestia, who was staring down at her with utter shock and surprise on her face.

“That... That is troubling,” Celestia agreed. “There can be no mistake?” Twilight shook her head, and Celestia looked up. “I don’t feel any temporal magic at play, but there are spells we can use to make sure. But first...” She stepped around the trio, out to her balcony, and looked at one of the Pegasi standing guard. “Bring Shining Armor and Princess Cadance to my balcony at once,” she instructed them, and the two ponies saluted her. “At once, your majesty,” the one who had challenged Luna exclaimed, and the two of them dove off the balcony, taking wing.

“Twilight, come here,” Celestia said, and Twilight stepped up next to her. “Your Majesty?” “You will need to learn this spell sooner or later, try to observe carefully.” The Princess’s horn started to glow. “I’m going to see if something is wrong with the sun.”

Twilight watched in awe as Celestia’s horn glowed brighter. To somepony who didn’t know what was happening, it would have looked like a simple glow, but Twilight was prepared to observe the spell, and her own horn started to glow, bringing the color of her magic to her eyes.

It was the first spell Celestia had taught her, stripping away the physical world so she could observe magic itself. Sky and marble balcony both became empty blackness, throwing the ponies she was with into stark relief; flesh and bone made invisible, revealing the currents of magic through them; Celestia’s horn was an almost-blinding spire of golden light, but the current flowing through it didn’t end at her forehead, flowing in a brilliant, coruscating golden stream through her head and down her spine, much as any Unicorn who was actively using magic would have. Unlike a unicorn, though, glittering magic highlighted her wings as she spread them, and channeled down her towering legs to her hooves. Luna’s magical illustration was much the same, but dimmer as she wasn’t casting magic, and a deep, starry night blue, while Derpy had no coruscating magical circuit like a unicorn, only a dusting of magical energy on her wings, as any Pegasus would have. All of their Cutie Marks glowed brightly and in stark relief, as any pony’s Cutie Mark would have, but Derpy surprised her; the pegasus mare’s crossed eyes appeared in full relief in magical sight; she looked startled, turning her head and her eyes uncrossing, focusing on Celestia’s horn.

Twilight was surprised by Derpy’s eyes evidently seeming to be magical, but their movement drew her own eyes, and she remembered the reason she had cast the mage-sight spell in the first place: Celestia’s spell. Unlike most spells that Unicorns understood instinctively; for most, limited to telekinesis and whatever spell complimented their special talent, Celestia was invoking true, complicated sorcery; under mage sight, the intense golden glow around her horn coalesced into sigils and connecting flows of golden energy, suns, stars, the skyfield at night, constellations of stars, an astrolabe, and more. It was quick, but Twilight followed it, and felt she could replicate it, watching as the bolt of energy streaked into the sky, separating into pinpoint-thin lines, scanning over the sun high above.

Twilight heard Celestia gasp as the lines from her horn played over the sun in a scintillating scanning pattern, and Twilight let her magic sight fade, looking to her teacher. “Celestia,” she asked, worried, as Luna frowned, and Celestia looked back. “We can rest easier,” Celestia said. “This is not temporal magic, but the sun appears to be stuck in the sky.”

“Stuck?” Luna looked worried. “That should not have happened,” she said, and Celestia shook her head. “Indeed not, sister. I can fix this, though. Twilight...” Celestia looked at her, and Twilight blinked at her. “I-I... I don’t think I-” “Shush, my little pony,” Celestia murmured, pressing her hoof into her nose. “Shush, my wonderful student, and observe.”

Twilight blinked and nodded, again snapping her vision to magic sight. Unlike the invoked sorcery before, this magic was instinctive; no sigils, no learning, just Celestia’s raw talent. Magic was coruscating off her Cutie Marks, swirling around her barrel and around her wings, then swirling in the opposite direction up her neck, to her horn. No beams connected the sun and her, but she could see the sun glowing sympathetically with the magic; it was a thing intense, primal, and she doubted she could have replicated it under most circumstances; perhaps the Elements of Harmony could have produced sufficient power.

What worried her, though, was the fact that, though the sun was trying to move, something was holding it back. Twilight could see it trying to budge west, but being pulled back to its position nearly dead above. “Nnnnnnnh!” Celestia actually let out an exclamation of difficulty and surprise. “Something... Something’s fighting me!”

“Sister?!” Luna’s voice was full of alarm, as Celestia stamped her hoof on the balcony, snorting with exertion. “I... I can’t move it...” Celestia reared up, stamping her hooves on the balcony. “L-Luna! I need help here! Twilight, gather the elements, hurry!”

Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. “But they’re locked up, and only you -” “Not anymore.” Celestia pushed another spell through, a surprisingly simple one from the looks of it; her cutie mark linked in a circle to a sigil of a unicorn’s horn and one of a rock. It seemed perfectly trivial. “Go, Twilight Sparkle! Go, and get the Elements!”

Twilight hadn’t often heard such urgency and worry in Celestia’s voice, and she nodded, looking to the side; Luna was starting to channel similar magic to Celestia, but Derpy was looking nervous. “Derpy!”

Twilight’s sharp order got her attention. “Get down to the kitchens and get Applejack up here, now! Get the Apples to find Pinkie Pie and send her here, too.” “U-uh... Got it,” the mailmare said, as Twilight looked down over the castle, letting the mage sight fade, but keeping the spell Celestia had shown her in her mind. She didn’t know why Celestia had told her to get the Elements, but she had a bad feeling about it.

Derpy dove over the balcony, banking around the castle, as Twilight’s eyes widened. She stamped her foot, picturing the cloak-room in her mind, and let the magic snap through her, erupting in a cloud of purple smoke.

She heard coughing before she saw anypony, and stepped out to see that Rarity was looking flustered, while a few ponies were at the cloak room’s window. “Twilight! It’s still daylight, but the guests are starting to arrive,” Rarity called to her in distress, but Twilight shook her head. “No time, Rarity.” “What do you -” “No time!” Twilight cut her off. “You and Fluttershy have to get up to the Princess’ room, now. Right wing, back tower, top floor.” Rarity stared at her, as Fluttershy peeked out from the back room. “Twilight?”

“No time, Fluttershy. You have to fly to the fireworks launchpad and get Rainbow Dash, get her to the Princess’ room, now.” She looked back to Rarity. “The Princess needs the Elements of Harmony. I’m getting them, but you two need to move!”

Rarity and Twilight both looked stunned for a moment, as did the guests at the window. A beat passed in which nopony said anything, then Rarity nodded. “R-Right. I’ll, um, I’ll go.” She opened the door, calling “Sorry, gentlemen, Princess Celestia calls!” as she started to gallop inward of the castle, and Fluttershy squeaked. “Fluttershy, you have to get Rainbow Dash. You have to get her, now!” “O-Okay,” the timid critter-keeper said with a yelp, bolting out through the door Rarity had just exited.

“So, does this mean the Gala’s canceled,” one of the guests at the window, a brown earth pony stallion in a top hat and suit jacket asked, and Twilight fixed him with a gaze. “We’ll get back to you on that. Take a seat.” She pictured another tower in her mind’s eye, the outside of a secure tower. Teleporting rapidly tended to wear her out, but she had to, and she felt the spell snap through her body as she clenched her eyes, bracing herself. She felt the puff of smoke surrounding her. She stepped forward, opening her eyes and telekinetically throwing the doors to the secure tower open, galloping towards the vault-like doors in the back. “Oh, I hope this works,” she moaned, as she skidded to a stop and focused on the spell Celestia had showed her.

It was simple, really, a mystical conjuration. Twilight focused on the elements of the spell; the magical essence of Princess Celestia, a unicorn’s horn, and conjuration. Power snapped through her, and her horn glowed gold for a moment instead of purple; what surprised her was the kicking force that hit her head, like being bucked by Fluttershy; not hard enough to really hurt, hard enough to insult and alarm.

She saw a long, ivory-white spiraled horn, pointed and sharp, materialize in the air ahead of her, shooting forward and smacking into the heavily-warded, sealed door. While it might have embedded in any other sort of surface, given that it was clearly as sharp as Celestia’s horn, it ricocheted from the door, and Twilight dropped to the floor as it bounced back over her, but she heard no clattering of it landing on the floor behind her.

“Great. I hate learning spells from observation only,” she muttered to herself, standing up and trying again. She had been in a hurry when she cast it the first time, and evidently that shot the conjured horn out with great force; forcing herself to slow down, she focused on the spell again; and again her horn glowed gold, instead of her natural purple, but this time instead of launching the horn with enough force to kick her head back, it materialized in thin air, ahead of her.

“Woah! Oh, wow.” When she lifted her head, it lifted, when she turned her head to the side, the conjured horn swished in an arc ahead of her, to remain facing directly ahead of her horn. “Okay, that’s cool,” she murmured, before turning back to the shielded door, focusing on the spell and carefully stepping forward, towards the hole in the middle of the door.

As she had seen demonstrated when Celestia had attempted to give her and her friends the Elements upon Discord’s return, the horn slid into the keyhole, and a bright blue glow suffused out from it, throughout the door’s many channels and lines; the door let out a heavy sound, and Twilight let the spell go.

The horn vanished, but the door opened, slowly, with a stony grinding sound, revealing the box within; bright, starry blue, gilded with gold and encrusted with several huge gems in different colors, all on a blue pedestal, and ostensibly containing the Elements of Harmony. She opened it, and to her relief, they were there: the giant, golden tiara with the purple star-like gem at its crown that was hers, and the five golden necklaces, with gemstones in the shapes of her friend’s Cutie Marks.

Twilight snatched the box up telekinetically, and turned, galloping from the tower. She felt woozy from the rapid teleporting to and from the cloak room; she could do another, but she wouldn’t really be in any shape to participate in whatever Celestia needed her to do for another few minutes if she teleported again so soon.

She galloped, then, trusting her timely arrival to her hooves, galloping hard toward and into the castle, past staff who were blissfully oblivious to whatever was causing the sun to remain locked overheard, galloping hard past the paintings and statues and up the stairs of Celestia’s tower, bursting through the door, the guards having opened it for her.

Twilight panted for breath as she skidded to a halt, next to a frazzled-looking Rarity and concerned Applejack. “Twilight, thank goodness yer’ here,” she said. “Derpy burst into the kitchen, darn near toppled th’ cake, an’ said I had to come here as fast as m’hooves could take me. What’s goin’ on?”

“It’s the sun, Applejack,” Twilight said as she gulped for air. “It’s not going down like it should.” “T-Th’ sun ain’t goin’ down? I don’t like the sound of that,” Applejack said, straightening her hat with flour-stained hooves. “It sounds dreadfully worrying,” Rarity agreed, as Twilight set the box down, levitating three of the jeweled ornaments within out; she affixed the Element of Honesty, a bright red apple-shaped gemstone, to Applejack’s neck, the Element of Generosity; a crystalline purple diamond, to Rarity’s neck, drawing a pleased look from the marshmallow-colored unicorn, and seated her own tiara on her head. “Now we just need the others,” she said, nervously looking around Celestia’s room; the Princess preferred the huge room to be an open plan, from the bath on the far side to her bed in the middle, with a fireplace and bookshelves on the near corners. “I think I see - yep, that’s Rainbow Dash out there,” Applejack said, and Twilight peered out the window.

“Yes it is! Come on!” She lifted the open box in her telekinetic grasp and hurried out to the balcony; Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were coming in for a landing, though it was hard to tell that the pony with her was Rainbow Dash. She was wearing a heavy flight suit in Wonderbolts colors, bright blue with a pastel yellow lightning bolt down the belly, with her mane and tail tightly bound up, and her eyes covered with goggles. Only her own blue snout was exposed, and she landed on the balcony with Fluttershy, and tugged her goggles up, revealing her vibrant purple eyes. “Twilight, what’s going on? I was just about ready to get my roller skates on,” she complained, as Fluttershy landed next to her. The princess was staring at the sky, dourly, and Twilight levitated their necklaces to them; the red lightning bolt Element of Loyalty to Rainbow Dash’s neck, and the purple butterfly-shaped Element of Kindness onto scared-looking Fluttershy’s neck. “One left,” Twilight said, looking around and demanding, “where’s Pinkie?”

“I’m right here!” A heavy thump heralded her entry, and the pink pony topped the stairs to the tower, pushing her party cannon ahead of her, with Derpy entering after her. “What’s going on? Party emergency?” She looked excited, and Twilight shook her head. “Emergency, yes. Party, no. Here, get this on.” She flicked the last of the necklaces over to Pinkie, affixing the golden, wing-shaped necklace with the blue balloon around Pinkie Pie’s neck. Pinkie looked mystified for a moment, then her cheerful face fell. “What’s going on,” she asked, as she and the other ponies inside walked to the balcony, Pinkie absentmindedly pushing the party cannon with her.

“I don’t... I don’t fully know,” Twilight admitted, nodding over to Celestia, whose eyes and horn were glowing with bright golden energy; Luna stood next to her, her own eyes and horn glowing blue. “But something... Something is very, very wrong. The sun isn’t moving.”

“Oh... I don’t like the sound of this,” Pinkie murmured, as Derpy slunk quietly to Luna’s side, sitting down and hugging her hips. Luna didn’t alter her gaze, but did sweep her wing back, around Derpy’s head. “Not just the sun, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “The moon will not obey me, either! This is quite vexxing!” “Twilight, is everypony here?” “Yes, Princess,” she responded.

“Good. Have Cadance and Shining Armor arrived?” Twilight looked around for a quick headcount, but she counted only her friends, the alicorn siblings and Derpy. “No.” “That is worrying... All right. Twilight, use the Elements. Reference a mechanical clock to learn what time it should be, then use the Elements to help us correct the position of the heavenly bodies.”

Derpy tugged her pocketwatch out of her saddlebag and slid it over to Twilight, who stopped it with her hoof. It was reading 6:20. “Okay... It’s twenty-past six,” Twilight declared. “the guests weren’t supposed to start arriving until six, and I saw some of them at the door earlier, so Derpy’s watch must be fast today.” She closed her eyes. “Formation, girls!”

With a snap of wings, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took wing, hovering above her and to her sides. Applejack and Pinkie Pie jumped to her side, and Rarity walked up behind her, prodding her in the flank with her hoof. “Ready,” Applejack said, and Twilight nodded, closing her eyes. “Here we go.”

Twilight let magic snap through her again, once again invoking mage sight, but her horn wasn’t the only thing that glowed. Her eyes started to feel hot from the intensity of the glow within them, and when she opened her eyes, she beheld the world as the sparkling coruscation of magic that was around her. She sucked in a breath of awe; all of her friends’ cutie marks were throbbing with power, the throbbing glow echoed from the gemstones of their Element gem, swirling streams of power undulating from each gemstone, around them, and meeting up at the massive star-shaped gemstone above her own head. She realized with a start that the mage sight spell, empowered by the Elements working together, had actually projected her vision out of her own body, when she identified the mare she was staring at in the middle of the formation as herself.

“Woah! Freaky,” she yelped, watching out-of-body as her own cutie mark pulsated with power. “Focus, Twilight. I need your assistance,” Celestia murmured, and Twilight watched herself nod, though she felt the weight of her head and the crown topping it on her neck. “R-Right, Princess. Girls, hold on! This is going to be a wild ride!”

Applejack let out an enthuestiac “Yeeee-haw!” as the intense energy Twilight was collecting around herself levitated all six of her friends, picking them up in the air; Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ceasing their wing-beats as Twilight took hold. She grinned, as she reached out with her forehoof. “You know, girls? We’re really awesome, when we have to be, aren’t we?”

Her joke precipitated a round of laughter from her five friends, Twilight grinned ferociously to herself as the power they were channeling came under her control, and she turned her head towards Celestia. “Princess, you ready?”

The white Alicorn turned her head, in alarm. “Oh, no, Twilight! I can’t channel that power! You must do it! Focus on the sun, help me move it to the proper point in space.” Nodding, Twilight looked up. “Gotcha, Princess. Here. We. GO!”

The eruption of scintillating, rainbow-streaked energy from the gemstone atop her head nearly blinded Twilight’s projected mage sight, bright enough that it easily drowned out even the vibrant gold and throbbing midnight blue of Celestia and Luna’s magic. Roaring like a train barreling through a tunnel, or a sky-rocket’s motor igniting, the blast of energy leapt from the crown atop her head, streaking towards the sun.

“You have to hold it, Twilight,” Celestia cautioned her. “The sun is incredibly far away, it will take time for even magic to reach it to affect it. You’ll know when it’s there... You do have it in you,” Celestia encouraged her, and Twilight sucked in her breath.

Twilight couldn’t tell if a minute or an hour passed, though easily twice as long as it took for holding the magic to grow wearisome, but Twilight felt the rainbow ribbon of energy connect with the sun. Suddenly, her vision was there; instead of viewing her friends on the balcony, she saw the sun, a brilliant ball of golden energy in her magic sight, gripped by the golden halo of Celestia’s magic and now speared with the streak of rainbow energy, emitting from somewhere so far away she couldn’t make it out. It terrified her for a moment, but Celestia’s voice calmed her down. “You can’t move the sun meaningfully, Twilight, don’t even try.” Her mentor’s voice was calmer than Twilight was expecting it to be. “But now that you’ve created a mystic anchor to the sun, you can rotate the world.”

The implication staggered Twilight. “T-The world,” she heard Rarity ask. “W-We’re moving the world?!” “Well, rotating it,” Celestia said, and Twilight gulped. “H-How will I know when I’ve got it right? I can’t even see it.” “Well, you can do this for a few hundred years until you get the hang of it,” Celestia said, “Or you can figure something out.” “Figure something out.... Derpy! There’s a sundial on the balcony, right?” Derpy let out an unsure sound. “Um... I’m not sure... I don’t see one.” “Not a pedestal sundial like we have in the gardens and in the center of ponyville. Look up, on the wall. There’s a flat sundial on the outside wall above the door,” Twilight directed her, and there was a pause, then Derpy said “See it!” “Tell us when it hits about six twenty,” Twilight directed her. “Can do!”

“Alright... Luna, have you got the moon under control,” Celestia asked, but Twilight heard an unhappy sound from Luna. “No, it’s not budging. It’s just not budging. Something incredible is fighting me.” “Alright, we’ll deal with that later. Twilight, help me set the sun.”

“Right!” Twilight felt her eyes squeeze harder; with her mage sight focused on the sun, she could see what Celestia was doing to try and set it, and attempted to do the same. Though she didn’t feel anything particular was happening with her body, she could definitely feel the twisting she was exerting through her horn. “Woah! Twi? I feel somthin’ funny,” Applejack complained, and Twilight gulped. “It’s going to be fine, AJ. It’s going to be fine... Derpy?” “Time is moving! Errr, the sun-time is moving. One o’clock!”

“The moon!” Luna yelped. “It’s moving, too!” “Did that free it up,” Celestia asked her, but there was near-panic in Luna’s voice. “No! Something is moving it opposite the sun, keeping it... Keeping it steady over the planet. I can’t... Aaah!”

“L-Luna!” Derpy and Celestia yelped it at the same time, and Twilight wanted to look, but didn’t dare. “I-I’m okay,” Luna said. “I just.... I lost my grip on the moon.” “Nnnnh... A little help, Luna? Can you even... I-I don’t know how much longer I can hold this,” Twilight yelped out. “Yes, I...” Luna panted, and Twilight heard the clop of her hooves on marble as she shifted. “Let me help.”

Twilight heard the sound of Luna’s dropped magic restore itself, and saw her shimmering, starring-magic grip join Celestia’s on the sun, much faster than the rainbow beam of the Elements of Harmony had taken. “Derpy,” Luna murmured. “The sundial, please?”

“Um...” The mailmare gulped, and it was a moment before she spoke again. “Two-thirty... Two-thirty-five... Two forty, you’re going faster now.” “Keep it up,” Celestia encouraged, and Twilight winced.

“I-I’ll try,” she groaned. “Girls? Hanging in there?” “O-Oh sure,” Rarity murmured, her voice pained. “But if this keeps up much longer, I am absolutely going to need my fainting couch when we’re through! And if it’s as bright as I think it is out here, I’m afraid my mane may be bleached the same color as my coat by the time we’re done!”

“I guess I should be glad I’m wearing this suit, huh,” Rainbow Dash retorted to Rarity, and Twilight let out a chuckle, before Derpy called out again, “Three o’clock! Three-twenty!” “Slow it down, Twilight. A world doesn’t speed up or slow down very quickly! Let it go slack and move on momentum,” Celestia directed her, and Twilight nodded, ceasing her attempts to spin the world under the sun.

“Three-Fifty! Quarter past four,” Derpy called out, proceeding through the sundial-registered hours of four and five, slowing down until she was calling it out by multiples of five again. “Six-fifteen... Um... Six-twenty,” Derpy said, as Celestia carefully braked the rotation of the planet. “Six twenty-five... and... I think that’s it.”

“Okay... Ready? Luna, let go. I’m letting go. Twilight?” “Y-Yes, Princess,” Twilight said, as she saw the golden and midnight-blue coronas fade from around the golden ball. “You can let go now.”

Twilight opened her eyes, letting the magical connection terminate along with her mage sight spell. Suddenly she saw out, over the balcony, as the magic holding her friends and herself above the balcony faded, lowering them slowly to the marble floor. Celestia and Luna were panting, as was she; she felt drained, never having channeled that much power for so long before. “I feel so... So weak,” she whined, as she heard hooves behind her. Slowly lifting her head, she saw Shining Armor and Cadance top the stairs, and come galloping towards the balcony.

The two of them barely paused for a second before galloping out to the balcony, coming to a stop. “Twilight, Princesses! What’s going on,” Armor demanded, his voice serious, as befit the Captain of the Royal Guard. Celestia raised her head, blearing for a moment before focusing on him. “We’ve just had to manually adjust the sun. It’s not easy,” she murmured, and Twilight rolled over on her back, letting her legs splay out. “I feel awful,” she moaned, closing her eyes and letting the mage sight spell come back to her in lieu of using her actual eyes and shading the sun’s light with her hoof. “But it worked, right?”

“Yep,” Derpy confirmed, and Twilight looked towards the shimmering silver wings and glowing bubbles Cutie Mark in her mage sight. “It’s six twenty!”

“Six twenty?” Fluttershy quietly asked. “I-I-I thought it went to six twenty-five.” Twilight turned her head, finding the magical signature of fluttershy - her glittering yellow wings, her butterflies cutie mark and necklace. “Um... It did, Fluttershy,” she said, and Pinkie groaned. “Does that mean we have to do it again?”

“No, it’s worse,” Celestia said. “Something is... Is pushing us back!” “Beg pardon, yer Majesty, but are ya kiddin’?” “I wish I were, Applejack!” Celestia exclaimed. “But I can feel it now... It’s... Some other force is pushing back the apparent time. It’s... Oh, Stars. Some other... Some other power is affecting the alignment of the celestial bodies,” Celestia said, slowly standing up. She looked wobbly, and Cadance quickly got under her wing, helping to push the much-taller alicorn to her hooves. “What do we do,” she asked, and Celestia sighed. “I do not know, Cadance. I just don’t know.”

Twilight sighed, and rolled her head back, looking up. There was a bright point of light in the sky, and it seemed to be growing. She focused on it for a moment, bewildered. “What’s that,” she asked, raising a hoof to point. She saw Celestia look up. “I don’t see anything, Twilight. What do you see.” “Something, some light, getting closer... Getting closer! And fast!” Alarm filled her, as she watched the light streak down towards them, and she yelled for her brother, “Armor! Shield up, now!”

Twilight was very, very glad that Shining Armor was her brother. Had anypony else yelled at him like that, except maybe one of the Princesses, he might have hesitated, asked for clarification, but at the note of panic in his younger sister’s voice, he threw his head up and sent up his shield spell.

Pink light erupted from Armor’s horn, a spire shooting into the sky that terminated, feeding a dome of protective energy that formed around Canterlot. Cadance, thankfully, reacted quickly, lowering her head towards Armor, her own pink magic, perfectly suited for bolstering somepony else - especially her special somepony husband - connected her horn with his, and Twilight tried to bolster him as well, feeling magic snap through her body, up her spine and through the headache that was her mind, snapping through her horn. The line of energy she was able to direct to bolster Armor’s shield spell was pitiful compared to Cadance’s, but the tiara still on her head pulsed in response, still connected to her magical essence.

It probably saved their lives, she realized a few moments later; though her magical vision was cut by the shield Armor projected, the impact of the incoming magic felt like being struck by a freight train, or perhaps being tackled by Rainbow Dash moving at supersonic speed. Pain rocketed through her as the incoming attack impacted on the shield like the fall of a meteor made of pure malice, the impact shattering Armor’s shield spell, but the bolstered shield spell sufficiently absorbing it, rendering it harmless. Armor and Cadance both slammed to the floor of the balcony as if hammered down by the fist of a titan, and Twilight felt a similar force smash into her. It’s impact wasn’t as bad, as she was already on the floor it didn’t hit her as hard, and she deduced from the frightened, pained and simultaneous yelp that all five of her friends made, that it was because the Elements of Harmony had spread the impact out amongst them.

Twilight groaned in agony as her mind tried to focus itself again, after the stressful channeling and the impact of the spell. “What was that,” she asked after an interminable period of insensation, and Celestia looked around, and up. “I... I don’t know, Twilight. I don’t know, but it’s a good thing you saw it.”

“How are Armor and Cadance,” Twilight groaned, as she looked to the side, seeing Applejack climb to her hooves, and start to nuzzle Pinkie Pie, who had fallen next to her. “They’re stunned,” Luna said, as Twilight’s eyes fell upon them. Her brother and his wife were both on the marble floor, and looked completely out of it, their eyes closed, with Derpy and Luna standing over them, looking worried. “Let’s get them inside, quickly,” Celestia said, levitating the two, and Twilight rolled over, slowly crawling after them, until Pinkie Pie, standing, though not terribly steadily, caught up to her, got her head under Twilight’s chest, and lifted her up to her hooves.

Once everypony was inside, and Armor and Cadance had been made comfortable and left to recover, Pinkie spoke up first, asking “So, does anypony know what happened?” “Yeah, and did anypony catch the number of the train that hit us,” Rainbow Dash added.

They all looked around for a moment, before Celestia sighed. “We were attacked,” she murmured, as if only finally concluding that was the only explanation. “Somepony - some thing or some one, some where, took exception to our attempt to right the time of day, and launched an incredible, vicious magical attack on us. I... I can’t imagine why, or who, though.”

“I think I know the where, though,” Luna murmured. She was sitting with Derpy nestled up against her side, looking lost and scared, and Luna had her dark-feathered wing around the gray pegasus’s body. “When we tried to set the sun, the moon remained over a specific spot. I don’t imagine that can be a coincidence.”

“I doubt so as well, sister,” Celestia agreed, dourly frowning. “Some... Some power, or force, possessed of significant magical faculty, has halted the rotation of our planet, thus halting the rising and setting of the sun, and has halted the moon in place over a territory on the other side of the world.”

“It stands to reason, then,” Twilight said, wincing at her headache, “that whoever is behind all of this... Is there, where the moon has been frozen?”

Celestia nodded, gravely. “It does indeed, Twilight.” Luna sighed. “Does this mean we... We must call a war council, sister?” Celestia laughed, softly. “Who would we call, Luna, that isn’t already present?” Luna looked around, her ears drooping. “Ah... A few ponies, maybe, but... Yes, I suppose everypony important is present.”

“Er... Beg pardon, yer’ majesties, but do six country fillies from Ponyville really constitute a part o’ whatever council you’d want to keep at a time like this,” Applejack asked nervously, but Celestia smiled wearily. “You are the Elements of Harmony. You are among the first ponies I would summon. And Derpy...” She turned her gaze on the gray pegasus, who sniffed and sat up, leaning into Luna’s side. “Well, Luna keeps her council, and that is enough for me.”

“So... What are we going to do,” Twilight asked, and Celestia sighed. “That’s the problem... I’m not sure I know, Twilight. We can resist magical attacks like that, but... I don’t know how many of them we can take. It would be better to let whomever launched it believe the first was a success.”

“Does that mean not attempting to correct the sun and moon, sister,” Luna asked, and Celestia nodded. “That is what I believe is best at the moment, Luna. Do you disagree?” “I... No, I don’t,” the dark-coated mare conceded. “But... That means that it is going to be high noon forever.” “Not forever; until this problem is resolved,” Celestia noted, and Luna nodded.

“So, we need to resolve this... But if they’re on the other side of the planet... How do we get there?” “There are two ways, classically speaking. The first is to descend into Tartarus, battle your way through monsters unending to reach and traverse the nine layers of Hell and all the damned souls, traitors and murderers and the like who reside there, dig through the unholy ice sheet or descend through one of the preexisting, monster-filled cracks therein to the shadowlands of ghostly ponies who could not give up life when their time was up, ascend the ghostly mountain to the top of the shadow-sky and emerge in a deep fissure somewhere on the other side of the world, then spelunk your way through the deepest, most confusing and difficult caves known to ponykind before finally reaching the surface on the other side of the world.”

Twilight blinked, and looked around; everypony present and sensate looked aghast at the thought of what Celestia had just proposed, and she wasn’t keen on it herself. “An’ Plan B is,” Applejack prodded, leaving Celestia to nod. “Plan B is to circumnavigate the planet until you arrive on the other side by more traditional means, such as on a ship, or by hoof.”

“Well... that don’t sound very quick, but th’ other way sounds like nopony at all could make it,” Applejack said, and Twilight nodded her head. “I... I don’t think we’re capable of that, Princess.” “Not yet, perhaps, though someday, maybe. Star Swirl did it. So, circumnavigating the globe... Crossing the far ocean is out of the question, nopony plies those seas and returns to tell the tale. That leaves the other way.”

“Hrm... I’m not very geographically inclined,” Rarity spoke, “But what is in that way?” “That’s a good question, and it’s not one whose present answer I’m very familiar with.” Celestia sighed. “Not many Equestrians travel abroad, a rather predictable downside to having successfully made a wonderful kingdom that has anything anypony could want. Even so, though, you’re going to need to go fast.”

She looked down, and sighed. “There is an airship docked in Canterlot. The pony who owns it is... Well, rather useless, I’m afraid, but but it’s going to be the best bet to get you across the northern sea... To the old continents, the lands that the ponies who came to these shores left, when the great chill came.”

“The old country, sister?” Luna blinked, and Twilight did as well, looking up at her mentor. “Princess? What could we find there?” “You can find ponies, Twilight; you didn’t think the great migration was total, did you? There are still ponies who live there, ponies who are... More ambitious than the ponies of Equestria. I know that there’s a pony there who is working on the most advanced airship believed to be in existence...” She nodded, though she looked uncertain. “You’re going to need to go there, buy that ship, use it to travel to the other side of the world... And figure out how to resolve this situation.”

“Princess? I...” Twilight blinked. “Are you sure?” “No, Twilight. No, I’m not sure,” Celestia said, with a sad sound in her voice. “But the fact is, we’re in trouble. Whatever power is in effect, it’s strong enough to overpower my control of day and night, overpower Luna’s control of the moon. We can’t fix it from here, so somepony has to fix it from there. It would be theoretically faster to go to the west coast and sail west, but traversing that ocean is suicide, there aren’t even any ships on that coast made to attempt the ocean crossing.”

Celestia paced for a few moments, before sitting down, wearily. “And past the eastern ocean are great islands, followed by the old continents. The last expedition that I know of which reached the eastern coast of those continents and returned was from the the island you’re heading to, and that was a century ago. Crossing the Great Continents by hoof would take about two years at the least... We don’t have that long.”

“Um... Maybe I’m being silly, but why don’t we have the time,” Pinkie asked, though subdued more than usual. Celestia bowed her head. “Applejack, what will happen to the plants if they’re subjected to the constant daylight of high noon?” “Well... I reckon it would be like a midsummer heat wave after a while,” Applejack supplied. “They’d all wilt up, get dry, turn into kindlin’.”

“That’s not good,” Pinkie admitted, her ears drooping, and Celestia nodded. “It gets worse, much worse. If the world stays like this, our side of the planet will continue to heat up, while the other side... Will get colder. With the sun and moon locked, the tide will go haywire, the weather will start to act up on its own...” Celestia trailed off, visibly swallowing, and Luna nodded.

“We could be looking at a truly disastrous catastrophe,” Luna murmured, sadly. “It... I don’t think anything I can even recall actually happening comes close to how bad this could get.” Celestia nodded in affirmation of what Luna said, and sighed.

“So, um... If it’s going to get so bad, wouldn’t whomever froze the day and the moon realize how bad it will get and fix it,” Derpy asked, and Celestia looked down at her, smiling. “We can hope so, Derpy, we can hope so. But if not.... We will have to impress upon them the urgent nature of the need to undo what has been done.”

Twilight listened, mutely; it seemed incredulous to think that barely an hour ago she had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of guests, the celebration of the Grand Galloping Gala. The speed with which everything had happened left her feeling numb, and she turned her head, looking around: Shining Armor and Cadance were barely starting to open their eyes, unfocused and bloodshot. Celestia and Luna were sitting side-by-side with grim, grave looks on their faces, while Derpy sat against Luna’s side, tucked up under her wing, her eyes closed, a mournful expression on her face. Looking at her friends didn’t offer much more comfort; Applejack looked grim and grave, a stony, serious look on her face. Pinkie Pie sat next to her, her mane drooping to almost straight, looking down at the table. Fluttershy had a completely blank look on her face; Twilight had expected trembling, but she looked as if she were stunned almost to catatonia. Rarity was next to Fluttershy, staring at her hooves with a helpless expression on her face; only Rainbow Dash, between Rarity and Twilight, was showing any strong emotions. Rainbow looked furious, ready to buck somepony as hard as she could.

“Twilight,” Celestia asked, “what’s on your mind?” “I...” Twilight took a breath, licking her parched lips. “It just seems so... So sudden, princess. We were just... We were just preparing a party, and now... Now it’s almost like we’re at war.”

Celestia nodded her head, sadly. “War, Twilight, often comes suddenly. When Luna and I decided that we could no longer tolerate the callous, careless and awful rule of the iron-hoofed lords who reigned in these lands, we were but wandering adventurers leading a pair of freelance warbands through the many small and feuding kingdoms that dotted the coast and inland. We decided to strike a decisive blow early, and so we attacked that first capital with our armies during the midwinter feast, when all the lords of the kingdom we decided to start with would be in the capital with reduced war-parties. It was a gamble, but the element of surprise worked in our favor. We blasted the gates inward and our pegasi swept the guards from walls while we led the charge. We caught them off-guard and less than half of the lords, and almost none of their soldiers, escaped.”

Twilight blinked, and sighed, lowering her head; the story Celestia spoke, quietly, left a cool chill in her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she would have been following Celestia if she had lived then; or if she was going to follow her to war now. “Princess... Beg pardon, but do you mean to say we’re at... at war,” Applejack asked, her voice surprisingly level, and Celestia let out a sad sigh.

“I don’t know, Applejack. We have been attacked, that is unquestionable, but by whom, or what, I don’t know. For all we know, this is some ancient, abandoned artifact on the other side of the world that launched an automated response at us when we attempted to override its control of the planet... Or it could be the work of some mad sorcerer, or even an entire nation. I wish I had the answers, Applejack, but I just don’t know. What I do know is that we have come under attack, and if the present state of affairs goes on for too long, ponies are going to start dying.” She looked up, with a heavy sigh. “I’m going to need to consult with the weather managers, see what we can do to mitigate the worst of this. Meanwhile... We’re going to need to prepare, quickly. You’re going to need to circumnavigate the world, and that won’t be easy, and then... Well, deal with what you find there.”

Twilight slowly stood up, and gulped, nodding to Celestia. Her mentor had a positively haunted look in her eyes as she gazed at Twilight, and Twilight saw something in Celestia’s eyes that she couldn’t recall seeing there before: uncertainty. More than doubt, more than worry, more than anger and fury, that, the look of her ageless, seemingly infallible master looking at a complete loss, frightened her.

“C-Celestia,” she asked, looking up at the tall, white alicorn, “did... Did you suspect that this was going to happen?” Celestia’s eyes closed, and she shook her head. “I did not, my wonderful student. I had hoped that what we spoke of would have no bearing any time soon...” She sighed. “Go. All of you, go. Get as ready as you can be, gather whatever things you can think of that you may need, whatever supplies you can gather to hoof... Luna,” she said, looking up at her sister. “One of us is going to have to go.”

Luna met Celestia’s eyes, and shifted, maintaining her wing-grip on the silent, sullen Derpy Hooves as she leaned up, laying her head alongside Celestia’s. “I shall go, sister, if... If you trust me to make the decision that may need to be made.”

Twilight swallowed, as Celestia turned her head, and kissed Luna’s cheek. “I always have trusted you, Luna. Do you think you would be the better choice to remain behind?” “No,” Luna answered, unhesitatingly, and Celestia smiled, sadly. “Then go, sister. Trust Twilight - you both act in Equestria’s name. If a decision has to be made and I can’t be reached, the two of you will have to do so.”

Luna nodded, backing up, carefully, and bowed her head. “I won’t let you down, sister,” she murmured, and Celestia reached up, carefully crinkling the dark-coated alicorn’s nose with her golden shoe. “I know you won’t, sister. I know you won’t.”

Looking back at her friends, Twilight tried to think of something to say, some speech or lecture she could give to inspire or encourage them, but couldn’t. All she could think of was to sigh. “Girls, I... I think we’re not going to be going home for a while.” Their faces turned from Celestia to her, and she licked her lips. “There’s work to be done. Equestria is counting on us... Applejack?”

The sherbert-orange pony looked up, blinking, and Twilight continued, “We’re going to need supplies; food, and whatever else we’ll need to travel. I don’t know much about traveling by ship, let alone airship, but if anypony can figure it out, it’s you. Your family’s all still here, and you brought enough food to cook through the night.”

Applejack nodded. “I’ll get on it, Twi’,” she said, and turned to walk down the stairs, as Twilight looked over her remaining friends. “Rainbow Dash, go find Spitfire. The Wonderbolts are the closest thing besides the palace guards that Equestria has to a professional military. Celestia’s going to need them mobilized, so have her send pegasi out to gather them all - and to get the weather management bureau to Canterlot, pronto. And if you can pick up any tips, tricks, advice, useful manuals, volunteers, or equipment, that’s even better.”

Rainbow nodded to her, spreading her wings and walking to the balcony. She took wing, and Twilight nodded. “Rarity, Pinkie?” They both took a long moment to look up at her. “Okay. Fluttershy?” She got no answer, even when she spoke her timid friend’s name, and sighed. “Okay, it looks like Fluttershy’s catatonic... Hellllooo...” She waved her hoof in front of Fluttershy’s eyes, but got barely any response.

“Rarity, Pinkie... You two are going to need to handle Fluttershy, get her moving, get her to the airship dock.” “I know where it is,” Rarity murmured, quietly. “Should I... I...” She sighed. “I doubt we’ll need our dresses, will we?”

Twilight hung her head, and sighed. “I was looking forward to seeing them, too,” she admitted. Rarity bowed her head, and nodded. “Well, they’ll be here when we get back.” She stood up, walking around to Fluttershy’s side, and Pinkie stood up, taking up position on the other side of her. Together, they lifted the barely-sensate Fluttershy, and guided her towards the steps.

Twilight looked back to Luna. “So, we should... What, hit the library, start grabbing scrolls and books?” “That would be a wise idea, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna replied to her, “As well as the artifact vault. There are useful things within that we may need, I suspect. Has Celestia showed it to you?” Twilight nodded. “I think I can open it if I need to.” “Very well. Let’s go.”

Luna turned to leave, but Twilight looked back at Cadance and Armor, just barely starting to lift their heads, and looked back to Luna. “I’ll catch you up. I need to bring Armor and Cadance up to speed.”

The dark Princess nodded, departing, with the sullen-looking Derpy Hooves at her side, and Twilight walked back over to her brother and sister-in-law, lowering herself to the floor at their sides, reaching forward to touch their forehooves with her own. “What hit us,” Armor asked, wearily, and Twilight sighed.

“It was some kind of incoming attack. Didn’t you see it?” “N-No,” Shining Armor replied, and Cadance sadly shook her own head. “I didn’t see anything, Twilight. The skies looked clear.” “They did?” Twilight frowned. “That’s odd. That much magic should have been glowing like... Well, like a blast from the Elements of Harmony, sounded like a meteor falling.”

“Whoever launched it... They probably went to a lot of trouble to make it invisible,” Armor murmured, reaching his other hoof forward, touching Cadance’s free hoof, and she lowered her head, laying it on Armor’s hoof. “That makes sense,” Cadance quietly murmured. “Hit first, without any warning... How did you see it?” “I was using magic sight because I didn’t want to see the light of day, because my head hurt so much,” Twilight admitted, and Armor smiled. “It’s a good thing you did. So... What’s going on?”

“The short version? Celestia is sending me, Luna, all of my friends, and whomever we can round up on short notice to the other side of the world to put a stop to whatever’s causing the sun to be stuck in the sky, hopefully before it fries Equestria and this entire half of the world to a crisp and turns the other half of the world into an endless glacier.”

Shining Armor and Cadance both turned their heads to look at her, staring with a dull expression as they took a few moments to mull over what she had said. Finally, Cadance blinked, and said “Wow. It almost doesn’t sound so bad when you say it like that.” She reached up, stroking Twilight’s mane, softly. “Should we come with you, sunshine?”

Twilight bit her lip, looking up into Cadance’s eyes; brilliant purple. When she had been a foal, nopony but Shining Armor could make her feel as safe as Cadance’s presence did, and she really, really wanted to say yes. “Twi? We can be ready go in a few minutes,” her brother said, and Twilight sighed. “I... I, I really..” She dropped her head, tugging Cadance and armor’s other hooves together, and laid her head on them. “I really want to say yes,” she admitted. “But... No. We’re going to need you here.” She opened her eyes, looking up. “The Princess isn’t going to try to move the sun and moon again, so I doubt Canterlot will face a blast like that again... No, I need you two to go to the Crystal Empire,” she said, lifting her head. “I need the two of you to scour it for things we may be able to use - information in books, old books, that we don’t have here even in Canterlot’s library. Spells, too, stories, legends, accounts, anything. Maybe even some objects that might be useful, I don’t know... I... I have this terrible feeling that this is going to wind up in a fight, or that we might face some thing else channeling the magic of aggression, and we all know King Sombra was the master of that, so if you can find any information he wrote down, or things he made, they... They might be handy.”

She felt greasy even suggesting it, and from the look in Cadance’s eyes, she agreed with that feeling, but Shining Armor nodded. “I... I hate to say it, you might be right, Twi. But, uh... How do we get it to you?” “Well...” Twilight sighed. “We’re probably going to have to stop in Manehattan to prepare the airship to cross the sea. You might be able to send anything physical to us by rail, or even teleport, if you’re feeling up to a teleport of that kind of distance. Books, scrolls, even scraps of paper, Celestia can send to us by sending it to Spike.”

Her brother and sister-in-law nodded, weakly, and Cadance sighed. “Let me rest for another half an hour, then I can teleport us back to the Empire,” she murmured, more to Armor than Twilight. Shining Armor shook his head, “Cadance, you’ll be-” “Out of it for a day if I do that? Probably,” she admitted, with a weak smile. “But you won’t be, and you’ll be able to get a head-start on searching everything.”

Shining Armor looked unhappy, but Cadance leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Twilight blinked, as she kissed him, lovingly, lowering her head to touch their horns together, both of which ignited with the colors of their magic, blending together where they touched. She pulled away, with a smile. “I’ll be fine, Shiny,” she murmured softly to him, making Twilight’s brother blush lightly. “Get ready.” “O-okay,” Shining Armor said with a heavy sigh, and Twilight nodded. “Armor - Celestia showed me something. You’re going to need it to get into Sombra’s castle.”

“What do you mean,” he asked, curiously. “We have run of the place, he’s gone.” “You have run of the Crystal Castle,” Twilight clarified. “But that’s not King Sombra’s castle. You have to go to the throne room and make it look like it was when he ruled the place to get into Sombra’s castle. It’s kind of a shadow version of the real castle. I... Um...”

She looked around, and her eyes narrowed as she looked over Celestia’s large desk. There was a large, floating crystal hovering over it, a crystal she recognized. “Armor? Mage sight, please.”
Her brother nodded, and stood up, following her as she stood up and walked towards the crystal, gulping. She looked over at her brother; his horn was glowing a bright blue, as were his eyes, and she knew he was invoking magic sight. “This is not the most pleasant thing to do,” she murmured, as she squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. “You need to use the same kind of dark magic Sombra used - the magic of anger, aggression...”

Twilight closed her eyes, and winced. She thought of the magical attack, of the unknown forces who were threatening to ignorantly - or intentionally - fry her homeland to a crisp, and how she’d like to get them between her hooves so she could stomp them properly. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, stamping her right forehoof as she felt the magic snap onto her horn; not her usual Unicorn magic, but a dark, amorphous blob of foul blue energy. Her eyes itched, and she knew it was leaking from them. “The big crystal, on top of the crystal throne, is the key. You hit it, with a beam of this,” she snarled, and directed the rage she was letting into her heart at the crystal on Celestia’s desk.

Trembling with fear and anger, Twilight opened her eyes, knowing that they were spilling foul blue energy everywhere, and struck out towards the crystal; far from the measured, controlled magic she learned and studied, this was nothing less than a raw, directed beam of hatred, which shot from her foully glowing horn, drawing a jagged, uneven line through the air and stabbing deep into the heart of the crystal above Celestia’s desk.

The dark blue light hit the crystal, which resonated with it immediately, shedding purple light through the room, and causing the same dark crystals that Twilight had hoped she had seen the last of when King Sombra had died to sprout from the floor, three large spires like a clutching claw, around the desk.

Twilight let the beam go, and the crystal above Celestia’s desk faded immediately, though the dark protrusions of crystal remained. “That’s what you need to hit the crystal throne’s biggest crystal with, Armor, and-”

An echoing pwoomf interrupted her, and Twilight looked back to see Princess Celestia had teleported into the room, wings raised, horn glowing brightly gold. “What is the meaning of this,” she demanded, and Twilight gulped. “Uh... Heh. Sorry, Princess,” she murmured, drooping her head. “I was just showing Shining Armor and Cadance how to get into King Sombra’s dark mirror-castle.”

Celestia blinked, and when she opened her eyes, they were no longer golden orbs, but her own normal eyes, though thankfully more worried than angry, as she lowered her wings and let her horn’s glow fade. “I.. I don’t... Why, Twilight? Why would you spread such terrible knowledge?” Her voice sounded greatly concerned, and Twilight sighed. “I-” “My sister asked us to scour the Crystal Empire for anything we could find that might help her and everypony else who’s going around the world, Your Majesty,” Armor stepped in, stepping between Twilight and the Princess, and bowing. “I don’t like the idea, but it’s a good one nonetheless,” he said, and Celestia lowered her head. “I... I see.” Celestia slowly walked around him, craning her head down, meeting Twilight’s eyes.

“Do you really think this situation is so dire that you might need to resort to some information, magic, or artifact of Sombra’s, my dear student?” Her voice was quiet, grave, and Twilight looked down, suddenly finding the Princess’ hooves fascinating. “I... I don’t want to, but... T-This is bad, like, really bad. Worse than Discord’s return bad, right?”

“That’s debatable, but certainly it could be as bad...” Twilight nodded. “And if it goes on unchecked, it could... Well, we already know the stakes. You told me that there are many sources of power, that... That a pony might sometimes have to make hard choices, like maybe using the Alicorn Amulet if necessary to stop a far greater danger... If this is going to be as bad as I think it is... I... I want to have as many tricks in my saddlebags as I can. Is that wrong?”

Celestia leaned her head under Twilight’s, lifting it; Twilight’s eyes focused on Celestia’s, and the Princess pulled back, nodding grimly. “Okay, Twilight.”

Twilight blinked at her. “O-Okay?” “Okay. I saddled you with this burden, this responsibility, this task. Unfairly so,” she murmured, leaning up and kissing Twilight’s forehead. “Ever since you hatched Spike’s egg and I knew you were the one, that you were the Element of Magic incarnated, I’ve been training you to be a hero, to be somepony who could do things I didn’t want anypony to have to do.” She smiled, and Twilight saw a shimmer of tears in her eyes. “You’re all grown up, Twilight Sparkle, my dear little pony. I gave you the responsibility of sorting out a problem that is rightfully mine to deal with, but which I cannot because I cannot leave Equestria. If it’s your judgement that it’s worth taking a look through King Sombra’s secrets for advantages in this dire situation, then so be it.”

Twilight gulped, and nodded. “D-Did I overreact?” “I don’t know, Twilight. The honest truth is that I just don’t know. Time will tell.” She turned to Armor and Cadance, who were standing side-by-side. “I’ll send you both to the Empire City. Good hunting, and hurry.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Armor said, bowing, and Cadance nodded her head. “We won’t let you down, auntie.” Celestia smiled at them. “Don’t let your sister down, either. Now...” Her horn took on a bright, golden glow, and she closed her eyes. “Go!”

Celestia opened her eyes, and Cadance and Armor vanished in a bright golden flash of light, without any smoke. Celestia blinked, and nodded, turning her head to Twilight, as Twilight met her gaze. “Twilight... And yourself?” “I’m going...” Twilight thought about it for a moment. “To the library and the artifact vaults, to help Luna look for things, information and spells we might need.”

Celestia nodded. “Good, good... But Twilight? I know this is bad.” “Bad? This could be cataclysmic, couldn’t it?” “Yes, it could. I don’t want to say it to anypony, but it could, Twilight, I won’t lie... But trading one cataclysm for another is no bargain at all. Don’t resort to temporal magic unless there is literally no other way. Trust me, Twilight, you do not want to see a time of fractured years... I don’t want to see another one.”

Twilight blinked; even moreso than her heavy-hearted, weary voice, that quiet admonition made Twilight pause, and she nodded, looking up at her mentor. “Only if it’s the only option left,” she promised, quietly. “Tell Armor to look after our parents for me, will you?” “I will. Now... Go!”

Twilight barely had time to gasp as Celestia’s eyes flashed a brilliant gold, blinding her for a moment, and when she looked around, she was in the main library wing.

Derpy followed Luna as she departed Princess Celestia’s bedchamber, hurrying down the tower, picking up speed as she descended the spiraling staircase. Derpy didn’t like stairs, because she had to take them slow, but she hurried to catch up with Luna.

The stairs came at her from two views; she had control of her right eye at the moment, and it was focusing where she wanted to go, but her left steadfastly insisted on looking at the ceiling, which proved to be very confusing because the ceiling was the bottom of the stairs she’d come down one revolution of the tower ago.

Nevertheless, she took the stairs two-at-a-time, as well as she could, trying to follow Luna’s hurried, graceful trot down them. She almost had it, when suddenly her eyes decided they wanted to switch which one focused the way she wanted to look.

Her left eye snapped down to focus on the stairs in front of her, while her right eye decided to look at the wall on her side. If she had been standing still, she would have been fine; flying in open sky, she could have recovered easily. Had she been walking on level ground, she might have swayed or stumbled, but kept her hooves under her. Had she even been going down the stairs more slowly, she might have managed to catch herself.

Derpy let out a startled cry as her hooves instinctively tried to stay where her right eye was pointing, but she wasn’t actually capable of walking on the wall. Derpy tumbled forward and twisted to the left as her legs went the wrong way, yelping as she tumbled into and off of the wall, rolling towards her friend’s hind legs.

Derpy squeezed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the results of her critical misstep. She heard Luna let out a yelp of surprise, felt the alicorn’s hind legs go out when Derpy hit them. Luna’s weight fell atop her, and Luna’s legs clenched her tightly as they tumbled. A magical humm surrounded them as they fell, and suddenly the impacts of stairs and wall were lessened, until they stopped completely with one final fall.

Opening her eyes, Derpy gulped; they had arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Luna atop her with her hind legs under Derpy’s body, holding the pegasus tightly against her. Derpy blinked, looking up and blushing as shame overwhelmed her, feeling guilty. “I... I’m sorry, Luna, I...” She’d blown it, done something fantastically stupid, and dangerous. She wanted to blame it on her eyes, on her sense of balance, on her hooves going out from under her, but she didn’t want to make an excuse. She had fallen at Luna, after all. “I... I just don’t know what went wrong,” she said, trying not to let the desperate helplessness she felt creep into her voice as a whine.

Luna gazed into her eyes, and Derpy dreaded the thought of seeing contempt, annoyance, or anger in them, and to a lesser degree pity, but Luna looked mainly worried. “Are you okay, Derpy?” “I, um...” Derpy shifted under Luna, and nothing felt strained, sprained, dislocated or cracked. She hardly felt bruised, even, and closing one eye let her tell that her vision wasn’t swimming any more than usual. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Luna carefully stood up, sliding off Derpy, and letting her get back to her hooves. “I’m sorry, Derpy. I was in such a rush I forgot how you hate to go down stairs.” Derpy stood up, shaking her head and starting to protest, but Luna pressed her hoof to Derpy’s nose. “It’s okay. Neither of us are hurt, let’s go.”

Nodding, swallowing the rising feeling in her throat, Derpy followed, as Luna turned and kicked off, galloping down the halls. Derpy gave chase, glad that the hallways in the castle were quite wide, and the only stairs they saw were a short one or two step drop, which Luna called in advance by jumping clear over them, letting Derpy jump after her.

The tall, dark alicorn led her into a part of the castle she’d never been before; slowing down they passed a guard, who looked worried under all of his armor, who saluted and tugged a velvet rope open for them. Luna nodded to him as she trotted past doors and doors, leading into large libraries.

“Wow,” Derpy murmured, feeling in awe, as they passed the doors. “You have a lot of books!” Luna’s head swung to the side, and she smiled, nodding at Derpy. “We really do. I... I never thought to ask if you wanted to come here,” she said, her voice growing quiet and sad, and Derpy caught up with her. “It’s okay,” Derpy said, with a soft smile. “I like to read as much as the next pony, but I’m not exactly Twilight.”

Luna smiled warmly at her, and paused, causing Derpy to pull up beside her. “Luna?” “Here, Derpy,” Luna said, turning to face the wall. She approached it, rearing up and lowering her head, and Derpy blinked in amazement as Luna pushed her horn into a chink in the brickwork.

Derpy stared in amazement as the bricks started to collapse into one another, and in a moment, she was staring at a doorway in what had been a solid wall. “That was cool,” she said, with a laugh, thumping her front hooves into the ground, and Luna looked back, smiling at her. “It was, wasn’t it? Hold still,” she said, and Derpy gasped as Luna’s horn started to glow, and she felt herself rise into the air.

Luna walked through the door, pulling Derpy in the air behind her, and Derpy stared in amazement, putting one hoof over her right eye so she could see with her left as they descended a long staircase, straight and narrow. It seemed to go down forever, and Derpy sucked in a gasp of breath as she hovered down it behind Luna.

“Relax, my friend. I will not let you fall,” Luna promised her, and Derpy closed her eyes at the reassurance, reaching forward. She put her forehooves around Luna’s hips, hugging her, and Luna said nothing, but smiled back at her as she walked down the steep stairs.

When they reached the bottom, Luna set Derpy down, advancing into the brightly-lit hall. “Touch nothing unless you know it’s safe, Derpy,” she was cautioned, and Derpy nodded, walking in after Luna, as the alicorn started to look left and right. “Let’s see, let’s see...” She frowned, as she scanned over the things, that looked to Derpy as if they were a gallery.

“Is this a museum, Luna,” she asked, and Luna looked back at her. “It is, somewhat. This is where my sister and I keep a lot of the magical artifacts that we’ve gathered; some of these things are exceptionally dangerous and need to be locked away, others are important and need to be kept where we can get them on short notice.”

“Like this,” Derpy asked, as she reared up to place her front hooves on a pedestal, pointing her nose at the book on it. “You have a lot of books locked away here, are books that dangerous?” Luna looked back, and smiled, walking to her. “Not quite. These books contain information about what the object behind it is.” She gestured with her wing behind the pedestal, where a small gray rock and a large jar of gray powder were sitting, and she opened the book telekinetically.

Derpy stared at the book for a moment, reading the description within it, and looked back to Luna. “Wow. This rock really cancels gravity?” Luna nodded, and levitated the rock from the pedestal. “Hold out your hoof.” Derpy blinked, raising her hoof, and Luna dropped the rock onto it. As soon as the rock touched her hoof and Derpy held it, she felt immediately weightless, giving out a soft squeal. “Ah-hahah! I’m... Aaah, this is weird!” She realized she was no longer in contact with the ground, and looked down with a start, seeing that she was easily a foot or more from the floor. “Woah... U-Uh, Luna? Can I... Fly?”

“It’s not easy,” Luna said. “Because your wings want to resist gravity and gravity isn’t affecting you, you’ll hit the ceiling. To fly straight, you need to try to dive.” Luna tugged Derpy back to the ground, and levitated the rock from her hoof, setting it back down. “We need something to transport it with...” “Are we taking it?”

Luna nodded, and set it back on the pedestal. “Yes, I think we’d better. It might be useful, and... Ah! I know the perfect thing!” She spun on her hind legs and jumped forward, galloping down the gallery, with Derpy in hot pursuit.

Luna pulled to a stop beside an archway in one of the walls, revealing a side gallery. She grew quiet as she led Derpy down it. The pedestals from out front were replaced with podium-like lecterns, their wine rack-like shelves full of scrolls. “What’s in here?” Derpy paused, looking at a large, heavy-looking black jug, and Luna glanced at it. “Nothing good is in that jar. Don’t look at it, it can hurt you if you stare at it.”

Derpy looked back to Luna, and pursed her lips. “Okay... I-I mean this whole area, though. There’s scrolls everywhere.” “The scrolls are original materials penned by the pony who made everything in this wing of the hall, Star Swirl the Bearded... You probably haven’t heard of him.”

Derpy shook her head, sadly. “No, I haven’t. Was he important?” “Was he important?” Luna looked back, and laughed, but not a mean laugh, more a resigned laugh. “I should say so. He’s pretty much the architect of the groundwork of modern unicorn magic. He taught Celestia and I magic, and he helped us found Equestria.”

“Oh... So he is important,” Derpy said, sitting down, suddenly feeling very small, and Luna sighed, walking back to her. “Yes, Derpy. He was, but... Well, it seems ponies these days don’t remember his name. That may be for the best.” Luna nuzzled her cheek, and Derpy smiled, leaning into her friend’s affectionate touch. “What are we looking for in here,” Derpy asked, and Luna smiled. “What aren’t we? Star Swirl was a master. He made a great many things. Ah, right now we want a container, and it’s over here.”

Luna leaned over, looking around, and levitated what looked like an old set of saddlebags, pulling it out into the light, and grimacing. “I, uh... Hrm.” She suddenly looked doubtful, and Derpy frowned at her. “They look like saddlebags. What do they do?”

“Well, they’re huge, on the inside. They’re not actually limitless, but they can hold a vast amount of things. Anything within them doesn’t really touch them - doesn’t really touch anything at all - and you can always grab the first thing you’re looking for.”

“Is it dangerous, Luna?” “Dangerous? No, no, it’s not dangerous,” she murmured, looking down. Derpy nodded, slid her own saddlebags, with their muffin-shaped clasps, off her back and walked forward, while Luna looked down. She slipped herself between the heavy, unusual bags, made of an impermeable-looking brown material, and smelled oddly musty, but settled heavily, securely, atop her back and wings.

As Derpy was settling them on, Luna looked up, surprised. “Derpy!” “What?” The gray pegasus looked back at her. “Y-You said it wasn’t dangerous, right?” “I... No, it’s not dangerous, but...” “But what? Somepony needs to wear it, and I don’t think it’s sized for you.”

Luna shook her head. “I’m not... I... Well...” She sighed, sadly. “I don’t think you want to be wearing it.”

Derpy laughed softly, and turned around, walking back to Luna, tugging her left wing out to reach up, patting her friend’s shoulder with it. “Why not? It fits, and it can hold like, everything in here, right?” “Well, yes, but...” Luna evasively looked away, and sighed, shaking her head. “If you don’t feel bad about it, I guess that’s enough.”

Derpy tucked her wing back in, and turned around, looking. “So, what else?” “Hrm... Let’s see...” Luna started by levitating the book from the front of the saddlebags into the bags, followed by Derpy’s own saddlebags. Derpy stared in amazement as the left bag seemed to stretch to fit them, then shrank. “That’s... Wow. What are these things made of?”

Luna got a guilty look on her face, and she looked down, at the floor again. “You don’t want to know, Derpy. Trust me on that.” Frowning, Derpy nodded to Luna, though Luna’s grave voice made her feel a little nervous. She didn’t voice it, though, as Luna started to telekinetically tug books and objects from the pedestals; Derpy saw a robe and cloak with a star pattern and bright, jingly bells, with a matching hat, that got stuck over her eyes, causing her to laugh. “Sorry, Derpy,” Luna murmured to her, stuffing the hat into the saddlebag as well. “Wait... I have an idea.” “What, Luna?” “This!” Luna triumphantly laughed, tugging another robe over; it was black with red trim, and had a hood.

“A robe?” “Yes! A robe! Try it on,” Luna encouraged, and Derpy shrugged, sliding the brown saddlebags off her body. She walked forward, under the robe, which she noted had stitched patterns in it like eyes, and Luna settled it over her shoulders.

Derpy immediately screamed, as her world became chaotic; panicked and terrified as she could suddenly see everywhere, but her vision was fractured and blurry, compounded in ways she couldn’t focus on. There was nowhere she couldn’t see, but as she saw it, she saw something else in the same space. She saw Luna behind her, but also the ceiling, and it didn’t make any sense. She tried to close her eyes, but that had no noticeable effect on her field of vision, and she shrieked and panic overcame her, trying to thrash the robe off her back.

“I’ve got you! I’ve got you!” Derpy felt the ground under her back as her thrashing brought her to the floor, but she still saw everything, at least until she felt herself being lifted from the ground telekinetically, the cloak ripped from her body and tossed aside.

Suddenly back to only her own normal, two crossed eyes, Derpy panted hard as Luna tugged her close, sitting back and holding Derpy tightly to herself with her forelegs and telekinetic power. “I’ve got you, Derpy,” she said to the still-squirming, terrified pegasus. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you, it’s okay. It’s okay, Derpy, you’re okay now.”

Shivering, Derpy focused the eye she had control of at the moment on Luna’s face; the black-coated mare looked frightened, and Derpy slowly forced herself to smile, wrapping her forelegs around Luna’s neck, hugging her. Luna lowered her head into the embrace, rubbing her neck on the side of Derpy’s head. “It’s okay, Derpy, I’ve got you. What happened?”

“It... It was terrible, it... I couldn’t tell what I was looking at,” Derpy whispered, even as she heard hooves at a gallop approach. “It was like I saw everything, at once, everything around me, but more times than I could count, each time like... Like it was off, at a different angle, a different rotation. It... I couldn’t figure out what anything was. I was so scared.”

Luna’s eyes closed, and she squeezed Derpy tightly, even as the approaching gallop of hoofbeats turned into a skid of hooves on the ground, then started to gallop down the gallery, as Twilight Sparkle’s voice called out, “Derpy! Luna! Are you okay?”

Derpy opened her eye, focusing it on Twilight coming toward them, and nodded. “Y-Yes. I’m fine now, Twilight,” she said, as Luna carefully set her on the floor. “What happened,” Twilight asked as she drew close. “I heard you screaming up in the library.”

“I.. I don’t know,” Derpy admitted, looking around. “Luna gave me a robe, and... Everything went crazy.” “A robe,” Twilight asked, blinking at her, and Derpy nodded. “A robe.”

“This robe,” Luna clarified, levitating the robe in question up, and over to herself. “I wonder if its nature has changed since it’s been here?” She put it around herself, and Derpy gasped, but Luna shrugged. “It seems to be working fine,” she said with a touch of worry in her voice.

“What is it?” “Something Star Swirl put together when he had reason to fear that somepony was coming to put a knife in his back. It’s called the Robe of Eyes, and it lets the pony who wears it see in every direction at once.” “Really?” Twilight sounded fascinated, and Derpy hung her head, feeling shamed.

“Yes, really. It’s really quite clever. I... Oh, Derpy,” Luna murmured, sadly. “I... I just thought...” “You thought if you gave me the robe, it would let me see everything right, so I wouldn’t trip as much,” she said, with a sad sniff, and Luna reached up, caressing her cheek with her forehoof. “I know how much trouble your eyes give you, how you feel when some mishap that isn’t your fault happens. I merely hoped I could spare you that feeling.”

Derpy blinked, looking up, her eyes both focusing, a minor miracle when there was something she really, really wanted to see properly, and looked into Luna’s eyes. The alicorn’s blue eyes met her own, and Luna nodded. “I have offended you,” she said, a guilty look in her eyes, as Twilight Sparkle seemed to hover behind her. “I apologize. I did not mean to imply that there was anything you should feel ashamed about.”

Seeing the guilt waver in Luna’s eyes, Derpy stood up, walking up to her, and leaned her head up, pressing it alongside Luna’s neck. “It’s okay, Luna. I know you didn’t,” she murmured, and Luna wrapped her forehooves around her, hugging her briefly, but tightly.

Derpy closed her eyes, pressing into the hug and returning it, then letting go. She looked behind Luna, at Twilight, and Luna did so as well. “We should get to work. There is quite a lot to be gathered, I think.” Twilight nodded at her and Derpy. “Yes, I think there is. Let’s go.”

Empire of the Moon on FIMfiction.net
Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
Next Chapter: All Hooves on Deck

Author's Notes:

This is Chapter 3, and WHAT a doozy! Unfortunately, FIMfiction really poorly renders this chapter, owing to the extensive use of alternate fonts, and its odd reluctance to left align (finally got that sorted this time. I really have no idea what's up with that.) I really, truly must recommend most heartily you read this (and all other chapters) in their original Google Documents format, which will let you add comments directly into the text!

All Hooves on Deck

Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
The Empire of the Moon on FIMFiction.net (not preffered: please read on Google Docs!)

Hours later, Derpy found herself on a winding road on the side of a mountain overlooking Canterlot, in a steep ravine between two peaks. She was in the midst of what felt like a howling mob, and was only glad that nopony was paying attention to her.

Up ahead was a huge building built into the side of the mountain and a long wooden dock extending over the ravine, built like a bridge, and connected to a huge airship like nothing she’d ever seen before. She had an idea of what sailing ships looked like, from stories, illustrations and pictures, but she’d never been to a city with a real dock, and the ship at the end of the dock was huge; the gas bag on top of it was bigger than the town hall of Ponyville, though Derpy hadn’t managed to get any good looks at it.

She didn’t like the crowd, but Luna was next to her, so she wasn’t getting any attention as the newsponies hurled questions at Luna, questions like “Do you have any comment on the sun being frozen in the sky,” or “is it true that the crowns have unilaterally requisitioned the only airship in Canterlot without compensation to the owner,” and even “do you believe your sister has anything to do with the abnormalities of the sun?”

Luna was steadfastly ignoring them, though Derpy could tell it had irritated her when the reporter asked if she thought Celestia had anything to do with the sun going haywire. Derpy felt annoyed, too, and wanted to tell the newspony to go away, but one of Luna’s bat-winged guards stepped in first, crowding the newspony away from Luna, and letting Derpy breathe a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay,” Luna asked her, and Derpy nodded. “Yeah, even though that big snooty jerkhead should be told to go home,” she muttered, and Luna smiled at her. Derpy smiled back, lifting her head up to look around the crowd; a huge wagon full of goods was being carted towards the dock, behind which she saw Twilight and the other girls from Ponyville. They were being crowded, too, which Derpy didn’t like, especially the way Fluttershy was cowering. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were on either side of her, and Rainbow Dash was behind her, wings spread, trying to project a bubble of security, but Derpy didn’t think it was working out too well.

“Luna?” Luna looked down at her, and Derpy sighed. “Could you do that scary voice you did on Nightmare Night? Make everypony back off and give us some room?” Luna chuckled at her, and looked around, craning her neck over the crowd, and getting a mishmash of jumbled questions hurled at her, and blinking from the flashes of cameras. “I am strongly considering it,” Luna assured her, but a shadow flitted over them, a hush falling over the crowd before Derpy could reply.

Princess Celestia herself soared over the crowd, and not on the chariot she usually rode for public appearances, cruising over the crowd on the wing, flanked by a quartet of pegasus royal guards, alighting on the ledge above the roar, next to the building. The crowd turned to look at her, and silence reigned for a moment. Celestia took a breath, but the reporters started hurling questions and requests for comments from her.

It was quite a world away from the response the Princesses got in quiet Ponyville. Derpy didn’t know if it was due to the Capital being more accustomed to the presence of the Princesses, ruder in general, or due to the exceptional circumstances of the sun beating directly down on them at around 8 PM in mid-autumn.

Celestia looked annoyed, though, and she sucked in more breath. Derpy, recognizing the signs of what was coming, dropped to the path and put her hooves over her ears.

“Be silent, and We shall speak!” The Princess’s voice boomed over the crowd, the Princess stamping her gold-clad hoof and throwing her wings wide, head high, while everypony who was still on their hooves dove for the ground, save Luna herself and the royal guards. Derpy nudged herself closer until she pressed against Luna’s hooves, trembling in fear from the Princess’ booming voice. With the crowd silent, Celestia lowered her wings and head. “Neither We, Our sister, nor any of our agents, shall be taking questions at this time,” she said, her voice carrying, though at a reasonably conversant level. “We shall issue a short statement at this time, and then We require that all ponies who are not part of the endeavor at hoof depart immediately. A more formal press conference shall be held on the morrow.”

As ponies’ heads started to rise, Celestia took in a breath. “As you are all aware, the sun has ceased its movement in the sky at approximately the zenith. I will state on the record now that it is not the doing of Ourself, Our sister, or any agents thereof. There have been sightings of a strong rainbow blast of energy into the sky from the royal tower. This was not, as some have speculated, a Sonic Rainboom, but was the effect of the Elements of Harmony being utilized by their bearers on Our command. Shortly thereafter, We are sure that all of you are aware, the sun moved to its proper place in the sky for a brief time, and then the royal shield was erected over Canterlot before falling suddenly.”

Celestia succinctly restated the events that Derpy was sure everypony present knew, but it seemed to be invigorating the newsponies, who were all on their hooves again, writing furiously. “The truth,” Princess Celestia began, “Is that an as-yet unknown power has usurped control of the Sun and Moon from Our sister and Us, and when we began to rectify the situation by calling upon the Elements of Harmony to add their strength to our own, an immensely powerful magical attack was directed at Canterlot Castle.”

Celestia could have continued speaking, but it was pointless; the crowd burst into shouts, questions hurled at her. Derpy looked up at her; far from anger, the expression on her face was one of annoyance, and she rolled her eyes. That made Derpy smile, feeling somewhat better, even as her eye focus switched, and she suddenly found the eye she was focusing on looking up to see Luna’s wings spread.

Derpy covered her ears again, as Luna stamped her far hoof on the ground. A cracking peal of thunder emanated out from the sound of the impact, silencing everypony, and Luna raised her voice. “My sister commands you, be silent and listen! She is still explaining!”

She hadn’t broken into the thundering Royal Canterlot Voice, or the regnal plural; but then, she hadn’t needed to. Everypony was immediately silenced, looking back at Luna, then back to Celestia, who smiled. “Thank you, Luna. As We were saying, the castle was attacked; an attack which was adequately rebuffed by the Captain of Our Royal Guards, Prince Shining Armor, Our niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Our Champions, the Elements of Harmony. An expedition is being mounted immediately to travel to the source of the foreign magic which is at work, and rectify the situation, an expedition which is being led by my sister, the Princess Luna, and my own faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, who together exercise the full authority of the Equestrian monarchy on Our behalf.”

Derpy stood up, as Celestia gestured with her wings; everypony’s eyes had swiveled to look at Twilight Sparkle, who was looking back at her friends with an expression of utter shock on her face. Twilight looked up to Princess Celestia, who was already continuing in her speech. “The events of the day have been confusing for everypony, and dangerous for some. It is nearly absolute fact that trying times are ahead of us, but Equestria has weathered trying times before, and shall weather them again! Panic will not serve us today, or tomorrow, or in the days, weeks, or should it come to that, months or years to come. The situation we find ourselves in shall be faced with skill and courage; Equestria’s finest problem-solvers, magicians, and diplomats have been assigned to the voyage around the world, but we who remain behind have more than enough work to keep us busy. Experts in agriculture, weather, construction, and other fields of Equestrian life have been summoned, and shortly you can expect publication of guides on how to minimize the disruption to daily life. For now, Equestria requires each of you, everypony here, and elsewhere, to keep calm and carry on. We all have places to go, ponies to see, things to do, and so we must get on with it. Now, everypony who is not departing on voyage, part of the dock crew here, or otherwise engaged in supporting activities must depart in an orderly fashion, so our expedition may depart forthwith.”

The crowd milled about for a moment, but Derpy saw that those at the back were turning and walking up the path toward Canterlot, and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked back to Luna, who smiled at her, as the ponies around them started to thin out, those without a part in the current effort departing, as ordered. Soon, they were moving again, the only ponies around them either moving towards the ship, the dock, or away from the ship, and Derpy sighed softly. “This is a mess, isn’t it?”

“It is, I’m afraid. Derpy...” Luna looked down at her, and spread her wing, laying it over Derpy’s back. “I’m sorry.” “Sorry? For what?” “For just... For just jumping and assuming you were going to follow me.” Luna had a sad look on her face. “I don’t have any right to demand that from you. It... It was nice of you to carry the bags for Twilight and myself as we galloped through the castle stuffing things into them, but it doesn’t need to continue. I shouldn’t rip you from your life, especially not on a dangerous voyage.”

“Dangerous? Do you... Do you really think this could be dangerous, Luna,” Derpy asked, looking up at her, and Luna nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so, Derpy... You should probably go home,” Luna murmured softly. Derpy blinked at her, feeling annoyed. “Go home? While you go and fly off on a dangerous journey to save Equestria?” “I... Well -” “If I go home, who protects you?” Derpy wanted to scowl, but couldn’t get past sadness, frowning and pressing her side into Luna’s legs, wrapping her left foreleg around Luna’s right. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, as she stared at Derpy’s face. “Derpy, this isn’t going to be a vacation. This will be -” “What, dangerous? You said that, Luna,” Derpy said with a tremble of her lip. “A lot of ponies think I’m stupid,” she said, “But I’m not. A lot of ponies think that I’m useless, a liability to have around... Y-You don’t think that, do you?”

Luna was pushed onto the defensive by Derpy’s question, but there was only shock in her eyes, not agreement. “No, Derpy! I don’t think that at all! I just!...” She lowered her voice from her surprised exclamation, lowering her head down to Derpy’s level. “I just don’t want you, my best friend in all of Equestria, to get hurt.”

Derpy blinked at the sentiment Luna voiced at her, and she felt tears coming to her eyes, which chose that moment to focus, letting her blurrily stare into Luna’s eyes. She paused, trembling, and Luna turned around to face her, a worried look crossing her face. “Derpy? Is... Is something wrong?”

“Yes, something’s wrong! You don’t want me to get hurt? What about you?” Luna blinked at her, as Derpy jumped forward of her. The sudden movement made the two bat-winged ponies start, looking to her, but Derpy ignored them - and they evidently decided to leave her be - as Derpy reared up, reaching up and hugging Luna. The Princess’s eyes went wide as Derpy wrapped her forelegs around her neck, squeezing her. “You’re my best friend in all of Equestria, too,” she said, with rather more petulance in her voice than she wanted. “I don’t - I don’t want you to go into danger any more than you want me to,” Derpy tried to explain, stumbling over her words. “So wh-why would you ask me to go home?”

“I...” Luna stood, stunned, lowering her head into Derpy’s embrace, as Derpy continued, “You wouldn’t jump ship, fly back to Ponyville with me and come hide in my basement if I asked you, would you?” Luna blinked at the question, and slowly shook her head. “No, Derpy. I... I wouldn’t.” “Then why would you ask me to go and hide in it without you?”

Derpy felt a hot sigh roll down her back, and Luna raised one leg, placing her hoof on Derpy’s chest. “I... I’m sorry,” she murmured, softly. “I shouldn’t have. I... I just shouldn’t have assumed you’d want to leave, or that I should have told you could. That was... Presumptuous of me, and insulting to you. Will you forgive me, Derpy, my friend?”

Derpy blinked, and pushed back, leaning back so she could look into Luna’s eyes, blue and emotional. She trembled for a moment, and smiled, pushing into Luna and embracing her tightly. “Of course I do, Luna.” She closed her own eyes, feeling tears leak down on her face, and reached back, pulling her own saddlebags out of the magical ones she was wearing, setting them down and rummaging inside them, pulling out a bakery box. She sat back, smiling and opening it, revealing the four, still-fresh muffins within, with chunks of zap apple visible on the surface, and a big slice of zap apple on the top. “Muffin?”

Applejack looked back, watching as Derpy and Luna sat in the road, sharing a pair of zap apple muffins, and sighed to herself. It felt like just a few minutes ago she was calling out to see if anypony in her kitchen could help sate Derpy’s legendary appetite for muffins, and now here she was on the side of a mountain, about to get on an airship to sail to the other side of the world.

It scared her, and she frowned. She wanted nothing more than to head back down the mountain and start galloping towards Ponyville. If she ran hard, and took some difficult terrain on hoof instead of sticking only to the roads, she could be home by sundown.

Then again, the way things were, she could go to Ponyville by way of Las Pegasus and be there before sundown, she thought with a bitter frown. The farm would suffer without her, but if she didn’t go, there was a good chance that Sweet Apple Acres, and every other Apple family farm, to say nothing of every farm in Equestria, would never grow anything again.

She still didn’t have to like it, though. But she couldn’t exactly abandon her best friends, to say nothing of her Princesses. She looked at her friends; Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty herself, probably couldn’t do anything but go. It just wasn’t in her nature to turn down a mission from Princess Celestia. Twilight Sparkle had the same deal going on; she practically worshipped the ground Celestia’s hooves trotted on, and Celestia had been her teacher since she had been a foal. Throw in the sudden responsibility that Celestia had saddled her up with and she’d have to go, there was no getting around it.

Pinkie Pie, she’d go wherever her friends were going, of course. A lot of ponyfolk didn’t think too highly of her, and they were wrong to judge her lowly. Pinkie Pie would always be at a friend’s side to cheer them up through thick or thin, come heck or high water. Rarity, well... Rarity’s motives could be hard to judge sometimes. Sometimes she only seemed interested in fashion and social climbing, but when it came right down to it, she’d sacrifice whatever needed to be sacrificed - social status, wealth, position, an opportunity - to help her friends. She was coming, of course, because her friends were going as well, and they needed her.

And then there was timid Fluttershy. A pony who didn’t know her would call her outright cowardly, and wouldn’t be altogether wrong in doing so, as Fluttershy was certainly averse to risk. At the moment, the pastel yellow pegasus looked absolutely numb, which was probably the only reason she wasn’t crying, whimpering, shivering, or attempting to fly off, but Applejack knew that when things were bad, the shy, timid, unassuming critter-caretaker turned into a ferocious protector, like the time she had literally stared down a cockatrice - while it was in the process of turning her to stone - or a fire-breathing, smoke-spewing dragon! No, nopony who really knew her could question Fluttershy’s courage in a crisis. It was only her courage getting to the crisis that was problematic. Once Fluttershy recovered from the awful pounding they’d taken trying to fix the moon and sun and the attack that had knocked them all half-insensate afterward, she was going to be miserable and terrified and want to fly home to her cottage and hide under a blanket.

Applejack wouldn’t be able to blame her; she honestly wanted to do that herself. But she’d have to persevere, and she knew that Fluttershy would, too.

Even so, it would almost be better, she thought, if Fluttershy didn’t snap out of it until they were off. That looked almost possible, given how Fluttershy was walking with her head down and a dazed look in her eyes. Applejack felt sorry for her, and sighed, swinging her head over to look in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Hey, y’all okay,” she whispered, but received only a dull look in response. She sighed to herself, but thought that surely Fluttershy would snap out of it sooner or later - and there were more important things to take care of.

Up ahead, at the end of the dock, she saw her brother wheeling his huge wagon onto the ship, carefully. Somepony that she assumed was the ship’s crew asked him, “Supplies?” Big Mac responded with his typical “eeeeyup,” and the crewpony pointed behind him. “Set it over there and we’ll get it down into the hold.”

Twilight was next onto the boat, looking a little nervous as she stepped off the dock onto the ship’s deck, and walking forward, towards the prow, followed by Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack. Rainbow Dash took off and started to fly around the ship, as if inspecting it.

It was certainly an impressive ship, Applejack had to admit; painted three shades of purple in a swoopy, wave-like pattern, with yellow and dark amber trimmings. A pegasus pony with wings outstretched was the figurehead, two lanterns hung on the back, and the balloon above it was like a giant sky-whale, painted with eyes and a huge white mouth, even with a fin on the back.

To call it the unlikeliest vessel Applejack had ever seen would be an understatement. She sighed softly, and looked towards the prow, where her brother was standing, looking out over the forested river valley below. “Well, this has been a mess, hasn’t it,” she asked, and her brother nodded to her. “Eeeeyup.” “So... Thanks fer’ haulin’ the wagon up here. I reckon you’re headin’ home now?” “Nnnnope!”

“N-No?” Applejack blinked, looking at her brother. “Waddya mean, no?” “I mean, I ain’t lettin’ you go on this trip alone,” Big Mac responded, to Applejack’s consternation. “What... You mean to say you don’t plan to head back to Ponyville an’ take care o’ the farm?” “That’s what I’m sayin’” he said, looking to her.

Applejack met her brother’s gaze, annoyed and staring into his green eyes. “Big brother, somepony has to take care of Granny, mind the farm. You’ve gotta go back.” But Big Mac shook his head. “I spoke with Uncle Strudel, an’ cousins Banjo, Guitar, an’ Fiddlesticks. They’ll go mind the farm while we’re away.”

Applejack felt annoyance starting to build, and she reached up, prodding her big brother on his enormous wooden hitching collar. “Yeah, but no four ponies, not even four Apples, are th’ same as you, an’ you know it.” “Eeeyup. That’s why you need me,” Big Mac retorted, gently poking Applejack in the chest with one of his mammoth hooves. “All the harvests have already come in, AJ. They ain’t gonna need to buck apples, just take care ‘o Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, the pigs, the cows, an’ the house an’ barn.”

Applejck stamped her hoof on the deck, making a satisfying, wooden thump. “Darn ‘it, Big Mac, you know that Granny ain’t gonna understand what’s goin’ on. She’s gonna be scared.” “Granny’s quicker’n that, an’ you know it, AJ,” her brother said, annoyance in his voice, too. “She ain’t gonna like us both bein’ away; I don’t like it either. But I ain’t gonna be any good on the farm that a couple o’ cousins an’ Uncle Strudel can’t be; but I can be useful to you here!”

Applejack hated to be wrong, it seriously irked her. She hated being beaten at logic by her big brother even more, but she sighed, and hung her head. “Yer’ right, Big Mac. I just... I just would feel better if I knew you were back at th’ farm to take care of Granny,” she said. Her brother lifted his foreleg, stroking her neck. “I would, too, but if this goes bad, it won’t matter where I am, whether I’m on the farm or somewhere else. But I can be helpful here, an’ that might make a difference.”

Applejack sighed, leaning forward and laying her neck alongside Big Mac’s. He responded by lowering his head to her shoulders, and Applejack sighed. “I don’t like it, but... Well, it might be good to have the biggest, strongest big brother in all o’ Equestria along. Who’s gonna mind Apple Bloom and make sure she goes to school an’ all?” “Don’t you worry none; Fiddlesticks can handle her, eeeyup.” Applejack smiled, and sighed. “All right. Let’s... Let’s get a move on, then.”

“Apple Bloom, are you crazy?” Sweetie Belle hissed at her, her face barely illuminated in the pale, ghostly light she was managing to emit from her horn. “When Rarity an’ Applejack find us, we are so dead!”

“Keep it down,” Apple Bloom hissed back to her, reaching out and putting her hoof on her friend’s muzzle. “They don’t know we’re in here. If we can just tough it out until we’re out to sea, they won’t have a choice but to take us with ‘em.”

Scootaloo whimpered softly, crawling closer to the two of them. “But this... Mmmmh. How’re we gonna last in here?” “I dunno,” Apple Bloom murmured. “But you heard ‘em all talkin’, right? ‘Afore they hoisted th’ wagon down into th’ boat? They’re gonna sail to th’ other side o’ the world. Figure, if we can just go unseen ‘til they’re out over the ocean, they won’t be able to take us back.”

Sweetie snorted, her breath running hotly up Apple Bloom’s foreleg. “But this lil’ compartment is gettin’ hot an’ stuffy, an’ I’m startin’ to cramp up.” “Yeah, I got that... Me too,” Apple Bloom admitted. “We just need to wait ‘til everypony’s asleep an’ we can slip out to stretch, like we did at the castle.”

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes. “This is a really bad idea. You know that, right?” “Yeah, I know,” Apple Bloom murmured. “But if it works, we can be Cutie Mark Crusader Sailors.” “More like Cutie Mark Crusader Stowaways,” Scootaloo muttered, but she reached forward, sticking her hoof out. “But I’m in.”

Apple Bloom reached out, touching her hoof to Scootaloo’s, and looked to Sweetie. The pale unicorn rolled her eyes, then smiled, meeting her two friends’ hooves with her own. “This is a terrible idea, but, one for all and all for one. I just hope Rarity doesn’t find out for a good long while, or we’re toast.”

Apple Bloom grinned at her friend. “We should probably... Close our eyes.” “Can you sleep? I dunno if I can sleep,” Scootaloo murmured, and Apple Bloom shrugged as much as she was able in the space they had. “I reckon we’d better try.” “Okay,” Sweetie Belle replied, closing her eyes.

"Why so glum, Rarity?” Lifting her head from the head prow railing where she had lain it after Big MacIntosh and Applejack had vacated the prow, Rarity turned her head to focus on Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie...” She sighed; trying to explain why one was feeling sad and having a good wallow in one’s misery was difficult to most ponies. To Pinkamena Diane Pie, it was almost impossible: but then, the circumstances of today’s sudden depression were far from ordinary.

She let out another sad sigh. “Pinkie, what reason haven’t I to be sad,” Rarity asked, pulling back from the railing and turning to face her. “The Gala’s been canceled; our dresses and the other things Fluttershy and I finished have likely been abandoned... You won’t get to see any of the hard work you put into preparing the Gala come to fruition, the Apples disrupted their entire Autumn schedule for naught, Twilight isn’t going to get to spend the Gala at the Princess’s side, Rainbow Dash isn’t going to get to perform with the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy never even got to see the gardens... And that’s just for starters,” she exclaimed, laying down, nestling back against the prow railing, looking up at her friend with a depressed gaze. “The sun is stuck in the sky, beating down mercilessly on everyone I know and love, we were forced to use the Elements in defense of the Realm again and it didn’t even work. Someone launched a magical attack that, had it not been for Shining Armor, Cadance and Twilight, likely would have killed us all... I’m not honestly seeing much of a reason to smile, my dear.”

Pinkie actually frowned, which only made Rarity feel worse. Her friend’s poofy mane sagged, making her feel a cold vein of guilt right to her heart. She hadn’t meant to make Pinkie feel down. Pinkie sat in front of her, reaching out, nudging her shoulder with her hoof. “This isn’t something I can fix with a song, huh?” “Probably not,” Rarity agreed, and Pinkie smiled at her. “I have some maracas,” she said teasingly, bringing the ghost of a smile to Rarity’s face. “Thank you, Pinkie... But I just...”

“You don’t see what there is to feel good about,” Pinkie said in response, and she slid her hooves under Rarity’s shoulders, lifting. It would have been easier to argue with a dragon than try to resist Pinkie’s attempts to cheer one up, so Rarity sat up, meeting her eyes. “But that’s just ‘cause you’re sad, which is kind of recursive, isn’t it? You’re sad because you don’t see what there is to feel good about, and because you don’t see what there is to feel good about, you’re sad!”

Rarity wondered where Pinkie had learned the definition of the word ‘recursive,’ but that sounded almost right. She sighed, lowering her head. “Yes, I suppose... But I don’t see what’s to feel good about, either.” “That’s what I’m here for!” Pinkie stood up, closing the distance and wrapping her leg around Rarity’s shoulders, hugging her tightly and patting her shoulder with her hoof. “Because we’re all together, because we’re going on an adventure on an aiiiiiiir-ship, because we’re going to fly across the sea and fix everything together!”

Rarity sighed, and lifted her front legs, hugging Pinkie in return. “Yes... I suppose we will. We always do, right?” She let out another sad sigh, which ran hot and gloomily down Pinkie’s back. “I just wish I was actually useful.”

“Rarity... I don’t understand, what do you mean?” “Pinkie... I’m a dressmaker,” Rarity said, letting go and standing up, looking at the balloon overhead. “Everypony but me is good at... At something which is useful. Applejack is strong, fast, reliable, good with critters, good with rope. Big Mac is enormous, he’s the biggest pony in existence, and remember that in the past, he’s been known to pull entire houses from their foundations and drag them across town.”

Feeling at once sad and reinvigorated, Rarity paced the forecastle of the airship, as the work behind them mostly went past them. “Twilight is - well, we all know what Twilight is. She’s probably the best magician alive today who isn’t one of the Princesses - she’s the Element of Magic! Rainbow Dash is the fastest pony alive, she’s the only pony who can do a Sonic Rainboom. You, Pinkie...” She smiled at her hot pink friend.

“You are you! You can make anypony feel better about themselves, even if they don’t really have a reason to feel better. You’re the Element of Laughter, after all.” She reached up, prodding Pinkie’s shoulder with her hoof. “You may work in a sweets shop, but what you do is so much more.

Pinkie shot a worried look at her, and Rarity sighed. “You’re important, Pinkie. You can do something useful. Even Fluttershy, perhaps especially Fluttershy; she’s warm and caring - not that I am not those things - but Fluttershy has a limitless capacity to feel for others. She’s good with critters - which, while I can’t see an immediate use, will almost certainly come up at some time in our travels. She’s good at helping ponies, too; stars forbid somepony should get hurt, but if it should come to that, Fluttershy can help them...”

Turning to Pinkie, Rarity sighed again, wrapping her forelegs around the hot pink pony. “But what about me? I’m a dressmaker, a shopkeeper. I hardly think my exhaustive knowledge of fashion and dressmaking will be of use on this voyage. And it’s unlikely that my ability to locate gemstones will be of any use - and even should such a situation come up, Twilight can use my own spell far better than I can.”

“Oh, come on, Rarity, you’re hardly useless,” Pinkie said with a smile, reaching up to stroke her neck. “What if we get to the other side of the world and find that the reason the moon’s hanging in the sky over there is because some lonely giant mare wants to look fabulous and can’t find any clothes that fit, so she’s wearing the moon as a beret, but you can fix everything by sewing her the biggest and fanciest gown ever made?”

Rarity couldn’t help but snort and chortle at Pinkie’s suggestion. “That seems... Improbable,” she replied. “Besides, where would I get that much fabric?” “Okay, yeah, that might be tricky,” Pinkie admitted. “Still! Maybe all we’d need would be a hat? We could cannibalize the airship’s balloon for fabric for a hat, right?” “Perhaps, but even so...” Rarity sighed, sitting down and holding Pinkie tightly to her. “I’m not going to be much use on this trip, and I know it.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Pinkie said, sitting next to her and nuzzling her neck. “You’re one of us. One for all and all for one, right? You’re one of my super-duper ultra-special bestest friends in the whole wide world, and nothing could change that.”

“Yes... Yes, I am, and I know.” Rarity sighed, looking up at the balloon, while Pinkie hugged her in turn. “But I think that’s the only reason I’m going. My skills aren’t going to be any use on this voyage, Pinkie. We’re not bringing Vinyl Scratch, and I know for a fact she’s your good friend, too. We’re not bringing Mr. and Mrs. Cake, even though they’re good friends as well.”

She looked down, into Pinkie’s eyes. “Honestly, if I wasn’t the Element of Generosity, I wouldn’t be on this voyage. I’d be slinking off back home to hide under the covers of my bed and go to sleep at high noon and hope that when I woke up, this would all be a terrible, terrible dream.”

Pinkie Pie, for once, seemed not to have something to say in reply, and Rarity sighed. “I know it’s true, Pinkie. I’d never abandon you girls, not in a million, million, million years, but I don’t really belong here, either. I’m only coming because of my connection to you, so we can keep the Elements together and working. I feel like I’m a loadstone, cargo, rather than a crewmember; payload at best.”

Pinkie’s eyes wavered, and she trembled as her eyes went watery. Rarity felt worried for a moment that she’d overdone it, that airing her worries to Pinkie had hurt her friend, but a voice from behind her interrupted her. “Nonsense, miss Rarity! Utter balderdash!”

She knew that voice, and looked around. Wearing a very fetching black tuxedo coat and shiny gold bow-tie, it was impossible to mistake the unicorn for anypony else; ice-blue mane, cutie mark of three shiny, golden crowns, with a monocle and ice-blue mustache, Fancypants was the spitting image of the distinguished gentlecolt. He had evidently just boarded the ship, and heard Rarity’s complaints, because he climbed to the forecastle, smiling down at her as she hurried to compose herself, to wipe her blurry eyes and stand up straight.

“Fancypants,” she said, putting a smile on her face. “I didn’t realize you were coming on this voyage... Oh! This is your ship, isn’t it,” she concluded with a grin, her day brightening.

The older stallion chuckled, shaking his head. “My ship? Oh, I wish. She’s a fine ship,” he said, walking to the fore railing and stroking it with his hoof. “But no, this isn’t my ship. The Princess personally gave me my marching orders, appointed me an advisor to this expedition and ambassador of Equestria.”

Pinkie Pie sat to the side, smiling; Fancypants’ arrival had seemed to cheer Rarity up, or at least make her more energetic, and she was glad for that. “That’s... Wonderful!,” Rarity gushed, standing and turning, facing the fore with Fancypants. “No doubt this will go much smoother with you here.”

Fancypants chuckled softly. “Oh, I should hope so. I’d be a poor advisor and ambassador if I complicated matters, wouldn’t I?” He sighed. “I just hope I’m up to the task. It’s been... Rather a long time since I’ve been abroad. In truth, I was about as old as that fellow when I last left for foreign shores. I fear I may not have it in me anymore.” The tall unicorn turned his head, indicating Big Macintosh, visible at the back of the ship, singlehoofedly acting as ballast while the massive cart he had pulled all the way to the ship from the castle was lowered below, the crewponies simply guiding it into the hold while Big Mac lowered it with the aid of a block and tackle. “It was quite a while later when I returned, of course, but even so... Oh, it’s been a very long time.”

Rarity walked up next to Fancypants, rearing up and bracing her hooves on the railing, getting an even higher view out over the prow than he had. “Surely it’s not as bad as all that. With you along, I’m certain this trip will go better.” “Oh, I’d like to think so,” Fancypants said with a pleased sigh, sitting and reaching up to adjust his monocle with his hoof. “Though I think you’d do quite well on your own. Ponies like you and I, Rarity, we bring an important element to any voyaging party. We’re the talkers, the ambassadors; our presence opens doors, our efforts open minds. We can move in a society’s highest echelons and get the ears of those who inhabit the halls of power and the ministries of bureaucracy, the tradefloors of finance and the guildhalls of industry.”

Rarity couldn’t help but blush at Fancypants’ compliment. “You... You really think so? I’m just a simple dressmaker...” “Nonsense, miss Rarity! I’ve seen your work firsthoof - both your dressmaking and your ability to insinuate yourself into high society are extraordinary and exemplary!”

Feeling greatly mollified, Rarity sat back as well, peering out over the prow. “Well, since you put it that way... I’m sure I can find a way to be useful.” She grinned at Fancypants, who smiled back at her. “Much more useful than myself, I suspect. I should go see if those gentlecolts over there need a hoof with loading the provisions.” He stood up again, and Rarity nodded. “Oh... Wait just a moment. If this isn’t your ship, whose is it? I assume the owner will be coming with us?”

“Oh, that would be -” “Me!” The boisterous voice from the gangplank sent a cold jolt up Rarity’s spine, and she turned her head, only barely managing to turn an expression of utter disgust into one of cold, formal regard, as she beheld the Unicorn who boarded the vessel.

Tall, taller even than Fancypants, young, strongly built and with genuinely dashing good looks, the owner of the airship was one of the three ponies Rarity least wished to see at the moment. His mane and tail were the color of ripe wheat, impeccably styled, even the one ‘out of place’ strand that hung seemingly askew was carefully molded into place. He was wearing the collar of a tuxedo and a bow-tie, with a gleaming red rose on his lapel, and with the cutie mark of a compass rose.

Had she not known him, Rarity would likely have felt swoon at his regal, dignified, and dashing bearing, as ‘Prince’ Blueblood boarded the vessel. As it was, she felt the distinct urge to spit in disgust, a distinctly unladylike gesture she would normally never even entertain the thought of.

The feeling seemed to be mutual, as Blueblood saw her. He evidently hadn’t forgiven her for splattering cake all over him, judging by the cold glare in his eyes, and Rarity’s narrowed in turn. She hadn’t forgiven him for acting like the worst boor she had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Fancypants let out a quiet sigh as he detected the naked hostility Rarity and Blueblood were glaring in one another’s direction. “Now now,” he said, turning around and standing up straight. “I know that there’s been some bad blood between the two of you in the past, but chin up! Our Princess has called upon us in service of the kingdom. Surely we can all put aside our differences and work together, especially in these trying times, in defense of the realm?”

“Well,” Blueblood said, taking in a dramatic breath. “One must do as one’s Princess commands, after all.” “Yes, one must,” Rarity replied, forcing herself to unclench her teeth as she said it. “Therefor, I shall be in my proper place in the grand cabin, as befitting the owner and commander of such a fine vessel. If you need anything, I’m sure the coxswain can take care of it.”

Blueblood turned around, haughtily, and Rarity couldn’t help but scowl. Fancypants let out a sigh, and lowered his head. “Between you and me,” he whispered, and added “and you, miss Pie,” as Pinkie leaned in conspiratorially from behind, “I’m quite certain the only reason he’s coming along is because he refused to sell the ship outright, and the Princess is too good-natured to commandeer it. He may be a talented shipwright, but he’s... Well, I shouldn’t speak ill of the lad, more than I have.”

Rarity nodded, as Blueblood passed the crew of ponies hoisting cargo into the hold. He paused, turning his head to look at Big Mac. “You there,” he said, sharply.

“Uh... Me?” Big Mac indicated his chest with his forehoof, his words muffled around the rope he was holding in his mouth. “Yes, you!” Blueblood eyed him up and down. “You’re filthy! Is...” He sniffed, his nose curling up in distaste. “Is that flour in your coat?”

Rarity grimaced. Her good nature told her to intervene - immediately - but she wanted to see what would happen if Blueblood antagonized the mightiest pony in all of Equestria. “Eeeyup,” Big Macintosh muttered through the rope, and Blueblood narrowed his eyes. “Then you must be the new chef. Go clean up, and for Celestia’s sake, man, put on your uniform! What on Equestria am I paying you for if you can’t maintain a minimum of decorum?”

Big Mac’s eyes narrowed, as Blueblood’s rolled, turning away from the farm pony and walking towards the back of the boat. Rarity scuffed her hoof on the deck, looking around. If nopony else was going to stand up for Big Mac, she would; she’d stand up for practically anypony against Blueblood, but especially the brother of one of her best friends.

“Coxswain!” Blueblood called out. “If that chef isn’t cleaned up and in his uniform by tonight, have him strapped to the mast and lashed nine times. Honestly!” Blueblood opened the door to the rear deck cabin telekinetically, walking into it and shutting it behind him. Even Pinkie looked angry, which was impressive, and Fancypants sighed, walking to the mid deck with Rarity and Pinkie.

The load was settled down, and Big Mac let go of the rope. “Why, that boor,” Rarity scowled, as Big Mac shook his head. “Nopony’s gonna be strappin’ me to no mast,” he muttered, and Fancypants held his hoof up, placatingly. “I assure you, my good lad, I won’t let that happen. I apologize, on behalf of Equestria, for his rudeness, and... I’ll talk with him,” he promised, and Big Mac met his gaze, then nodded. “Thank ye.”

Rarity stomped her hoof, angrily, on the deck. “And I shall straighten out that coxswain... Err, what is a coxswain,” she asked, in the general vicinity. One of the uniformed sailor ponies that was helping Big Mac lower the cargo looked over to her; a tall stallion, though surprisingly thin. “It’s the pony who’s basically in charge of a boat, even if somepony else might be the captain or the owner; basically the pony responsible for all the day-to-day affairs.”

“Oh... Well, then who is the Coxswain?” “Well, that’s just it; we haven’t got one.” Rarity blinked. “You... Haven’t got a coxswain? But he said you did.” “Yeah, well, he don’t know our names, either,” the sailor next to him spoke up - her accent was rough and abrasive, clipped and fast, unquestionably Manehattan in origin, probably from the Bronxo. “We ain’t got a mast, for that matter. He belts out fertilizer like that all the time and then walks off an’ assumes that the coxswain takes care o’ it. But we ain’t got a cox’n, and ain’t none of us in a hurry to remind him that he ain’t gotten around to appointing one o’ us.”

Rarity let that sink in for a moment. “We’re doomed, aren’t we?” “I’ll handle it,” Fancypants promised. “It’s been a long time, but I’ve been to sea before as more than a passenger, and I trust all of these ponies look up to the task. And you most emphatically do not need to lash anypony to keep order aboard a boat.”

Rarity looked up to him, and though she felt worried, the confidence in Fancypants’ eyes was enheartening. “Thank you, Fancypants.” “Oh, you’re quite welcome, miss Rarity.” He smiled. “Now, I need to go and straighten that lad out. If you’ll excuse me, ladies, gentlecolts.” He bowed his head, and the ponies near him nodded. Fancypants straightened up, and walked back to the great cabin’s door.

The hold of the ship offered a surprising respite from the sun, even though it was lit by pale-glowing magical lanterns.Twilight led Fluttershy down into it, looking back at her friend, disheartened. It felt as though everything had gone crazy, and really, it had. It was hard to believe, she thought, looking back on it, that it had been less than half a day ago where she had been shaking her rump with Cadance, watching Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna square off in a football match, or eating zap applechangas in the palace kitchen, and all while looking forward to the Grand Galloping Gala.

The Gala... They had been trying to have another Best Night Ever, and now her bones still felt like they were shaking from the impact of that blast. Nopony had really tried talking to Fluttershy since then, and she hadn’t looked like she was in the mood to talk. Now Fluttershy’s eyes had just a bit more shine in them than they had previously, and Twilight paused, stepping through a narrow wooden door, to the forecastle of the ship, as Fluttershy numbly followed her, Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear. “Fluttershy... Are you okay,” Twilight quietly asked, and the pastel yellow pegasus raised her head, slowly, her eyes focusing on Twilight’s.

“No,” she whispered, softly as she could. “No, Twilight, I’m not.” Fluttershy sank to the floor, her eyes closing, tears immediately welling up in them. Guilt and sadness stabbed at Twilight’s heart, seeing the most sensitive of her circle of friends crying. “I-I... I just feel so... So terrible. Someone tried to... To... To...” “Shhhh.” Twilight reached out, slowly caressing the front of her hoof against Fluttershy’s cheek, and Fluttershy turned her head in, rubbing against her. “We’re going to get through this, Fluttershy,” she promised, looking up at Rainbow Dash, who looked to be at a loss for words. Seeing the most boisterous member of their group at a loss made Twilight feel like she was at a loss as well, and she looked around the forecastle of the ship. It was tightly packed with bales of supplies, and Twilight’s eyes fell across a net laying folded atop one such bundle. It seemed such an odd thing, since it was an airship, and a leisure craft at that, so it probably wasn’t for fishing.

It came to her in a flash; it was a hammock. She recalled reading about them in the first-chapter preview of Daring Do! And the Buccaneers! In an adventure with with Naturalists!; at the end of Daring Do in Danger: Ahuitzotl’s Grand Scheme of Revenge and Payback in Spades had been an in medias res opening, with Daring Do nursing an injury to her right forehoof, going into detail about how she strung the hammock she’d been given to sleep in aboard the ship.

A swing of Twilight’s gaze back over the walls revealed hooks in the ship’s ribs, and she focused on the hammock, pulling it up and unwrapping it, stretching it between spars and attaching the ends to the hooks. Fluttershy’s eyes were still closed when Twilight glanced back to her, and Rainbow was looking at Twilight, her head tilted for a moment, until Twilight saw the recognition bloom in her eyes.

“Rainbow, help me,” she asked, and Rainbow Dash nodded. They both knelt down, Twilight carefully nudging her horn under Fluttershy’s ribs, while Rainbow Dash slid her forelegs under her.

“Wh-What?” Fluttershy looked up, as the pair lifted her. Twilight backed under the hammock, letting it rest across her back, and Rainbow Dash rolled her into the hammock. Fluttershy looked startled as she rolled over Twilight’s back into the net, squirming to right herself, blinking the tears away from her eyes. “W-What are you...” “I just... Think you’d probably be more comfortable in there,” Twilight murmured, reaching up and placing her hoof against Fluttershy’s shoulder. “You... Kind of took a pounding back there. You should get some rest.”

It felt cheesy to even say, but she couldn’t really think of a good way to tell Fluttershy that she was worried she’d break down if she tried to pitch in with whatever preparations were going to have to be made before they set off. She didn’t want to sound as if she were accusing Fluttershy of cowardice, but she knew the pastel yellow Pegasus was taking what had happened worst of all, and the way she had seemingly shut down after the attack had her worried.

Fluttershy wasn’t a fool, though, and she looked at Twilight; meeting her eyes. “You j-just... You don’t want me to break down and c-cry in front of everypony.”

“Fluttershy? No offense,” Rainbow Dash murmured, “But you kind of look like how I felt that time I broke my wing.” Rainbow sat next to her, laying her head on the hammock’s edge, on Fluttershy’s forehoof, and Fluttershy closed her eyes, a distraught look on her face, bringing a wince to Twilight’s. “M-Maybe you should just go,” Fluttershy said with a quiet sniff, laying her head down on the net. “I... Don’t want to be a burden.”

A stab of guilt seared through her, and Twilight winced, looking at Rainbow Dash, who looked equally guilty. The blue pegasus hung her head, turning and guiltily slinking out of the ship’s forecastle. Twilight swallowed, and reared up, wrapping her forelegs around Fluttershy and her hammock, hugging her. “You,” she declared, strongly but quietly, in Fluttershy’s ear, “are not a burden. You’re our friend, and right now you’re hurt and scared and afraid and we want to make sure you’re comfortable and safe and well.”

Fluttershy sniffled, and wrapped her forelegs around her head, hiding her eyes. “I don’t want to be here, Twilight,” she whispered, plaintively. “I just... I just want to go home and cuddle up with Angel Bunny and close my eyes and pretend none of this is happening.” Her ears drooped, and she tucked her rear legs up under herself, compressing herself into a very small space, a bundle of pastel yellow and bubblegum pink wrapped up in a hammock between Twilight’s legs. “I’m scared, Twilight,” she whispered.

Twilight closed her eyes, her throat working. She took a breath, trying to think of something inspirational she could say to Fluttershy, but nothing came to her mind, so she told the unvarnished truth instead. “So am I, Fluttershy,” she whispered, hugging her friend close. “I’m more scared than I’ve ever been. I want to poof back home with Spike and grab Owloysius and pull my covers over my head and pretend this was all some terrible nightmare and I’ll wake up tomorrow on the train to Canterlot and it’ll be time to wake up and get ready for the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Y-You do?” “Yes, yes, I do. I want to just pull something over my head and forget about all of this... But I can’t, can I? Princess Celestia’s called me to do this. And even if I could just ignore that and run away... What then?”

“N-Nothing good,” Fluttershy whispered, slowly raising her head, looking at Twilight from behind her foreleg. “Nothing good. Maybe this could be fixed by somepony else... Maybe it could be. But we’re the ones the Princess asked,” she whispered, her throat working. “I-I can’t just abandon that.”

She looked down at Fluttershy, who was staring up at her, her seafoam-green eyes looking thoroughly miserable. “I guess I can’t, either. Y-You’re going to need us,” she whispered, raising her head and touching the Element of Kindness around her neck.

Twilight closed her eyes, squeezing Fluttershy’s shoulders again. “I need my best friends more than anything else in the world. I’m terrified,” she admitted. “Before I came to Ponyville, I didn’t have anypony except Princess Celestia and my big brother. But now? I can’t imagine doing anything like this without you.”

“M-Me?” Fluttershy looked up, and Twilight nodded, squeezing her tightly, stroking her pink mane. “Yes, Fluttershy. You. I need you, and Rarity, and Applejack, and Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash...”

Fluttershy closed her eyes again, sniffling and nodding. “I-I’m not going to run away, Twilight,” she whispered and Twilight smiled. “I know you’re not.”

“S-So why did you put me in a net?” “A net? It’s a hammock,” Twilight said, with a wry laugh. “Ponies sleep in them aboard a ship. I expect we’ll all get one. I just... I just thought you wanted to close your eyes and go to sleep.” “M-More than anything,” Fluttershy answered, squeezing her eyes to push the water in them out. “But don’t you?”

“Also, more than anything,” Twilight said, and Fluttershy was quiet for a moment, then asked her, “so why aren’t you in the hammock?”

The question stabbed through Twilight, and she winced, feeling guilty. “I, uh... I’ll find another hammock if you want me to,” she said, her ears drooping. “N-No. No, you won’t,” Fluttershy said, looking up. “Because you’ve got stuff to do, don’t you?” “I...”

Letting go, Twilight swallowed, dropping down to her forelegs and wincing. “Yeah, I guess I kind of... I... I’m sorry,” she said, looking up, into Fluttershy’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have... Have... Have treated you like a... An...” “It’s okay,” Fluttershy whispered, reaching out through the hammock’s mesh to touch Twilight’s shoulder.

Twilight looked down at Fluttershy’s hoof, and felt her lip quiver. Guiltily, she looked away, spying Rainbow Dash lurking behind the bulkhead separating the forecastle storage area from the main hold, peering in with worry and guilt in her own eyes. Her heart sinking, Twilight looked back at Fluttershy, reaching up to touch her friend’s hoof with her own. “No, Fluttershy, it isn’t. I... I’m sorry, I’ve treated you badly,” she admitted, the words feeling like they were squirming around as she said them. “I... I assumed that you... That you couldn’t handle this, and I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy peered at her, and Twilight felt herself squirming under the gaze for a moment, then Fluttershy wrapped her foreleg around her neck, pulling herself close to hug Twilight. “It’s okay, Twilight. I’m not mad.” She let go, and squirmed for a moment, flopping out of the hammock and landing on her side, carefully rolling to sit up. “But I... I can help,” she said, standing, and Twilight sighed, nodding. “Okay. Let’s, um... Let’s go see what we need to do.”

She turned, slowly walking out of the small room, Fluttershy’s hooves lightly clopping on the wood behind her. “Ah... Shy? I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash awkwardly said, as they passed her, and Twilight looked back, seeing Fluttershy close her eyes and lean to the side, rubbing herself against Rainbow Dash’s chest as she walked past, from the shoulder, over her wings and past her flanks. “It’s okay, Rainbow. I’m not upset,” she quietly assured the other Pegasus, and Rainbow Dash visibly slumped with relief, then stood up to follow them out.

“Your Majesty, are you well?”

Luna was standing with Derpy at the ship’s prow, gazing out beyond its figurehead. A unicorn stallion had asked her the question; tall and distinguished, with a crystal-blue moustache and mane, still wearing a formal jacket. “As well as can be expected,” she answered him, as he bowed his head. “Forgive me, I haven’t learned your name.”

“Fancypants, your Majesty,” he answered, climbing up to the platform she and Derpy were standing on, looking out with them. She nodded to him.

“Fancypants. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but nothing seems nice about these circumstances.” He nodded in return. “Unfortunately so, ma’am.” “As to answer your question,” she responded, “I am... Uncertain. It’s been a very long time since I sailed, and never aboard a ship that flew. The weather seems as if it should be a good omen - crisp wind, bright sunny skies... Except for the fact that it’s nine at night,” she said, after a glance aside at Derpy’s pocketwatch, which she was now wearing clipped to the outside of Star Swirl’s saddlebags.

“Indeed, your Majesty,” he responded. “It has been quite some time since I put to sea myself. I have reservations about whether I am as fit for it as I once was, but these are dire times, I’m afraid, so I must steel myself, and be as good once as I ever was. I shall not let your majesty down for as long as I still draw breath.”

She couldn’t help but smile, slightly. “I thank you, then, for your unquestionable valor. Are you the master of this ship?” “No, your Majesty. Your sister ordered me to the voyage because I’ve traveled afar, and know some of what we shall encounter, and I may yet still have friends who live in the old country who may be able to aid us.”

“Ah. So, you’re our ambassador, then?” “Just so, your majesty,” Fancypants said, with a nod. “Though it seems I’ve volunteered myself to be the coxswain on this vessel, given that the owner is, in all unfortunate truth, rather useless. On that note, I need to inform you that we are as ready to depart from Canterlot as we can be.”

Luna blinked, and looked back to him. “I... You’re waiting on me?” “You are the princess, Your Majesty.” “Ahem... Right, then, well... We should get under.... No,” she stopped herself. “My sister appointed her apprentice to speak for her. If you require Our approval to set sail, We should consult with Twilight Sparkle first.”

“Very good, Your Majesty. I believe she was belowdecks, I’ll fetch her.” “It’s okay,” Derpy said. “I’ll get her.” The gray Pegasus turned, carefully walking to the ladder belowdecks. “I should do something to be useful,” she murmured, tinnily, but Luna’s ears caught it, and she sighed. She didn’t want her friend to feel like dead weight, and let her go.

“So, Fancypants,” she said, to occupy herself while Derpy was away, sitting down and looking to the stallion at her side. “You seem to have things organized well enough. How long do you think we’ll be before we can make the ocean crossing?”

“Less than a week,” he replied. “I’ve asked the crew about this vessel’s capabilities, and she’s quicker than any ship at sail, but she’s small, and not truly suited for an ocean voyage.”

“Do you anticipate problems with her seaworthiness?” Fancypants nodded. “I’m afraid I do. We’re going to prepare it as best as we can in Manehattan; material to patch the balloon, extra rope and rigging... I just hope we don’t encounter any bad storms.”

“We’ll make do,” Luna promised. “We have to. If needs be, I’ll keep this thing in the air myself.” “Hopefully that won’t be necessary, Your Majesty,” Fancypants said, and cut short anything else he might have been about to say by the approach of hooffalls.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, recognizing the sound of her approach before standing and turning to confirm that it was, indeed, the purple Pegasus nearing them. “Yes, Princess,” Twilight said, climbing up to the forecastle. “Derpy said you needed to see me?”

“I do - we do,” Luna corrected herself. “Fancypants has informed me that we’re ready to set sail, but he was waiting for Our approval to do so. As my sister has elected you to speak in her place, I thought it best to ask you to join us to make the decision.”

“Um...” Twilight swallowed, hard, sitting down on the opposite side of Fancypants. “Are we... I mean... I don’t know much about running a ship. Have we got everything we need?” “Everything we’re taking aboard at Canterlot, ma’am,” Fancypants confirmed. “We’re due to stop at Manehattan to take additional supplies and make modifications to the ship for the ocean crossing.”

Twilight blinked, and nodded. “Um... O-Okay. And you’re ready?” “As ready as we can be.” “Well... I guess we should go,” she said, looking up to Luna, who nodded at her. “I agree, Twilight Sparkle.” She looked back over the deck of the ship; one of the uniformed sailors was tugging on one of the lines suspending the ship from the balloon, with help from Applejack’s mammoth brother. Rainbow Dash had flown to the top of the great cabin at the back of the deck, and was sitting on it, peering out and around, while a mare in a sailor’s uniform walked up the deck, pausing every few paces to stamp her hoof on the planks, evidently checking something, as she moved with purpose. Fancypants nodded. “I’ll make it so, your Majesty, Twilight.” He stood up, and cleared his throat. “Make ready to sail!”

The older stallion’s voice was strong and clear as he called out the instruction, and to their credit the crew lept into action immediately, tying off the lines. “Shore crew, make ready to cast us off!” On the long quay that they were tied up to, two longshoreponies galloped down from the shelter the shore structure offered from the overhead sun, racing to the mooring posts, as Fancypants walked confidently down from the forecastle to the deck. “All hands in position,” he queried the stallion who was securing the rigging with Big Macintosh’s help, and the pony nodded to him. “We’re ready and raring to go. Just say the word and cast us off.”

Fancypants nodded, happily. “The word is given.” He turned, as the sailor started bellowing instructions belowdecks. “Cast off fore line!” The pony on the shore gathered the rope he’d loosened in his hooves, tugging it from the mooring post and hurling it onto the deck, while the one at the rear, a unicorn, telekinetically freed the aft line from the mooring post but held it tight around it.

“Cast off aft line!” The second line was duly levitated aboard, and Fancypants nodded. “That’s it, we’re off. Get us underway,” he told the sailor pony, who nodded to him. “On it!” The sailor turned and darted off down the stairs, to the belowdecks.

“So, um... How does this ship work,” Twilight asked, and Fancypants laughed. “I’ve no idea,” he admitted. “But these fellows are clearly professionals, and I intend to learn everything there is to be known about this vessel’s operation before we reach Manehattan.”

A sudden flap of displaced air disturbed them, and all their heads turned to see; the fins on the ship’s sides stretched and flapped, but they didn’t simply flap up and down. All four of the fins undulated, the first spar preceding the middle and the last in turn. Twilight laughed. “I get it! The fins scoop and push the air behind them!”

The ship slowly started to push itself from the dock, and Luna smiled, looking back to Twilight. “It seems that way, Twilight Sparkle.” She smiled, but a cry from the shore caught her attention; a pony crying out “Stop!” and “Look out!”

A streak of blue and white was pelting down the quay at full gallop, having evidently simply burst through past the ponies at the gates. “What in the world?” Fancy Pants aired the question on everypony’s mind, as the two ponies who had cast them off moved to block the middle of the quay. It didn’t seem to deter whomever it was galloping down the pier, though.

“My stars, she’s going to jump!” The ship yawed away from the dock as the crew executed their plans belowdecks, evidently in ignorance of the development, and Fancypants turned to shout down the hold hatch, “All stop! Stop the engines!”

They didn’t seem to get the message, though, and Twilight gulped as she saw the pony galloping down the dock; getting closer with each beat of the ship’s fins interrupting her vision, the oncoming pony clearly had no intention of stopping, and Twilight winced, as she didn’t think the galloping mare could make it, with the ship getting farther from the quay.

She raised her voice, looking back urgently, shouting “Rainbow!” The blue pegasus had already stood up and spread her wings. “On it!”

The ponies on the shore dove aside when it became clear that the onrushing pony wasn’t going to stop, and she reached the end of the quay, planting her hooves and leaping for it, her horn glowing a bright blue, the glow surrounding her whole body.

Closing her eyes, Twilight snapped into magic sight, and she had to give the crazy unicorn mare credit; her leap was fantastic, and she had correctly used magic to lower her own weight rather than to lift herself. Crackling blue ran the length of her outlined spine and horn, her Cutie Mark a brilliantly glowing musical note that Twilight recognized.

Starting out of magic sight, Twilight watched in shock as Vinyl Scratch’s leap carried her over the railing, landing hard but firmly on the deck. Rainbow Dash was still poised to leap into action, but had evidently arrested her leap into flight when she realized that Vinyl was going to make the jump. Both Luna and Fancypants were staring in shock, and she felt more or less the same.

“Twilight,” Luna asked. “Isn’t that one of the entertainers from the Gala?” “She is. Her name’s Vinyl Scratch,” Twilight murmured, quietly. “You know her?” “Um, yes, yes, I do.” “Good. You deal with this,” Luna said, shaking her head, and Twilight blinked, then nodded. “Um... O-Okay.”

“Are you nuts?!” Rainbow Dash pre-emptied Twilight’s own exclamation of the question, hopping down from the cabin’s roof and advancing on Vinyl. “I mean, good jump and all, but are you nuts?! What were you thinking?”

“I’d like to know that, too,” Twilight said, walking down the deck to where Vinyl was sitting up, looking back and forth between Rainbow Dash and herself. “What in Equestria possessed you to jump on the ship like that?”

“Okay,” Vinyl said, her voice sandy, and winded from her hard gallop. “I know you’re like, probably mad and all, but I really, really need to be on this ship, okay? I’ve gotta get to Manehattan.”

“Manehattan?” Twilight blinked, as Rainbow Dash walked around her, tilting her head quizzically at Vinyl. “Why do ya need to get to Manehattan,” Rainbow asked her. “I mean, Ponyville, I could see, but...” “Look,” Vinyl said, taking a deep breath. “It’s my housemate. Octavia? You guys probably don’t know her that well, but she’s in the Royal Canterlot Symphony.”

“The Royal Symphony?” Twilight blinked. “But they’re attached to the Royal Catering Corps... Which is in Manehattan.” “Right,” Vinyl said, gathering her hooves under her and standing up. “And everything else is cut off. The trains are all commandeered for official use, and the roads are all choked. Everypony’s decided that Canterlot’s not the place to be right now, and they’re all hitting the highways, and all these important muckity-mucks with their stupid carriages are choking it all up.”

“So you decided to jump on a departing airship? What kind of sense does that make,” Twilight asked. “I mean, if you just wanted to get away from Canterlot, why not just go down through the woods to Ponyville? Everfree doesn’t stretch this far, they should be fine.”

“Because I don’t need to go to Ponyville, remember?” Vinyl reached out, tapping Twilight’s horn with her hoof. “I need to get to Manehattan, because Octavia’s there, and word’s getting out about what happened, only it’s getting more distorted every time it gets told. By the time the word gets to Manehattan, it’s gonna be like the castle was leveled, and she’s gonna think I was in it, and be out of her gourd with worry.”

“So you disobeyed Celestia’s order for everypony to stay calm and stay away from the ship and jumped onto a moving airship to get to Manehattan as fast as possible?” “Well... Yeah, but when you put it that way, you make it sound like a bad thing, Twilight,” Vinyl said, with a shrug. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight, with a shrug of her own. “She’s got a point, Twi. Wouldn’t you do something stupid to get to us and let us know you’re okay?”

Twilight blinked, and sighed. She had done a lot of stupid, foolish, risky, sometimes even crazy things for her friends, and she would again, without hesitation... She looked at the DJ, who lifted her violet glasses; she nestled them in above her horn, peering at Twilight with magenta eyes, and Twilight sighed. “Alright, alright... I can hardly say no,” she murmured. “But how did you know we were going to Manehattan?”

Vinyl laughed, softly. “Dude, the rumor mill is workin’ overtime. I heard it from a mare on the road heading out of town who heard it from a friend whose brother’s boy works at the trainyard that they were sending out an express to Manehattan with news, and he overheard them saying the ship was going to Manehattan and asked why they were using the train, then, and he got told the ship was slower than the train and all.”

“Uh-huh...” Twilight blinked as she listened to Vinyl’s recounting of the rumor mill journey of the message. “So, why didn’t you try to jump on the train.” “Dude, I did. But, uh... That didn’t work out so well,” she admitted, scratching her mane. “I managed to toss my saddlebags into the last boxcar, but the caboose’s roof was all slick, and when I jumped on, I couldn’t get any grip. I had to jump clear, so I picked myself up and galloped straight here.”

Twilight blinked, staring at Vinyl, but Rainbow Dash laughed at her. “Wow. You tried to jump a moving train, fell off, and galloped up here to jump on an airship? Man, you are nuts, girl!” “I know, right?!” Vinyl Scratch laughed, grinning at Rainbow Dash, and raised her hoof, which Rainbow Dash promptly bumped with her own. “That was an awesome jump, too, you sailed on this thing like you had wings, or a hang glider or something. I didn’t think anypony without wings could make a jump that long.” Vinyl laughed at her. “It’s not so hard when you weigh less than a leaf. That’s what I did back there, I made myself lighter. That was pretty awesome, huh?”

“Heck yeah it was awesome!” Rainbow held her hoof up, and Vinyl bumped her back. Twilight wanted to sigh dramatically, roll her eyes, or even berate them, but she just couldn’t find it in herself to be upset or angry at Rainbow Dash for having her spirits lifted by Vinyl’s stunt. Rainbow Dash was easy to please with that sort of ridiculous, over-the-top stunts, either by performing them or watching them. She simply smiled. “Alright, alright. You’re here, and we’re underway.” She pointed out past the side, where the mountain Canterlot was built into was receding in the distance. “Get settled in, we’ll get to Manehattan and you can find Octavia. If we’re lucky, we may even be able to get your saddlebags, too.”

“Oooh. I never thought about my bags.” Vinyl winced. “Damn, I need those. My headphones and portable disk player are in there, and so is the Disk of Destiny.”

“The... The what?” Twilight blinked; she could practically hear the capitalization in Vinyl’s words, and she racked her brain trying to think if she’d ever read of a magical artifact by such a name. “The Disk of Destiny, dude. I made it myself, took me for-ever, and I burned more vinyl getting it wrong than a record store fire. It’s an LP disk that changes itself to have like, anything I want it to have on it, like any song I’ve ever heard, or any sound I can think of. Pretty slick, right?”

“Uh... Yeah, okay, sure, that sounds nice,” Twilight said with a blink. “But why is it called the Disk of Destiny, then?” “‘Cause I thought it made it sound all old and awesome, you know, like something out of some kind of a myth. I tossed a bit to decide between the Disk of Destiny and the LP of Legend, but it came up heads.”

Twilight blinked, and sighed, relieved to learn that Vinyl had only given an impressive-sounding name to a relatively mundane home-grown artifact, rather than having come into possession of something ancient and potentially dangerous. Rainbow Dash laughed again. “Well, you’ve gotta admit, Twi, that’s as good a reason as any to name something.” With a grin she couldn’t quite suppress, Twilight nodded, looking around. Princess Luna had slipped away somehow, and was nowhere in sight, though Twilight couldn’t remember seeing her pass down the stairs belowdecks. Fancypants was at the forecastle, speaking with one of the crew, and they seemed otherwise alone. Letting her shoulders slump, she smiled. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Vinyl,” she said, extending her hoof. “It’s been a long day.”

“Hey, s’all good,” Vinyl said, bumping Twilight’s hoof instead of shaking it. “Nopony got hurt and I pulled off a wicked jump. So, since I’m here, you wanna give me the down-low on what the heck happened? I was setting up my amps when Pinkie galloped past me on her back legs, riding that party cannon of hers towards the stairs, then a few minutes later, boom! All of my speakers blew out from magic feedback, the amps blew so hard all those wicked stained glass windows shattered.”

“Awh, what? All of them,” Rainbow asked with a pouty voice. “Every last one,” Vinyl confirmed. “Even the wicked sick ones that showed you and your girls bucking that Discord joker right in the face. Sorry about that.” “Nah, s’okay,” Rainbow Dash replied, though she had a bummed tone in her voice “I mean, you couldn’t have known, right?” “Yeah, but still... At least it was awesome, though.” “What was?” “The amp blow-out. Ka-boom, girl! Ka-boom!” Gesticulating with her hooves, Vinyl curled her forelegs into her chest, then swung them out, wide, suddenly, emphasizing the explosive nature of the event. Twilight simply grinned, and slipped off, heading down the stairs to the hold while Rainbow Dash and Vinyl spoke. She imagined they’d keep each other busy.

“That does sound kinda awesome,” Rainbow Dash admitted, with a grin, and Vinyl nodded. “Heck yeah it was. I need to think about how I can work something like that into my shows... I could probably force a blow-out if I channeled way too much magic into one amp, all at once. It’d be sick.”

She grinned at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow grinned back at her. “Oh man, I have got to see that when you do it.” “Front row, Rainbow, you and all your girls, any time! Bring some earplugs.”

Cracking up, Rainbow Dash barely noticed the sound of the door behind her opening. A huge white unicorn stallion walked out, and she blinked, looking sidelong at him, wearing a high peaked cap with a golden anchor embroidered on the black band around the white hat, and a vest with golden epaulettes over his shoulders. She supposed he must have been the captain, and he certainly looked the part.

“Ugh, what is this?” His voice didn’t quite match what she had expected, though, largely because of the tone of utter disgust in it, and she blinked. “Uh... What’s what, Captain?” “This! You! And you!” He pointed at her and Vinyl in turn with his forehoof, and they both blinked. “Uh... What are you talkin’ about, dude,” Vinyl asked him, and he narrowed his eyes. “You will address me as Captain and/or Prince. What do I pay you commoners for?”

“Uh... What the hell’s he talkin’ ‘bout,” Vinyl asked, directing her question to Rainbow Dash, who looked back at her and shrugged. “No idea. What are you talking about?” She looked up at him, and he scowled at them in return. “Neither of you are in uniform! And for Celestia’s sake, have some respect when addressing your betters!”

“Uh...” “Who the hell do you think you’re talkin’ to,” Vinyl cut her off before Rainbow Dash could work up her own head of steam. “Are you so blind you don’t recognize The Rainbow Dash? The only pony in all of recorded history to pull off a Sonic Rainboom? And what about me, huh? I may not be The Rainbow Dash, but a heck of a lot of ponies have heard of DJ PON-3.” Vinyl levitated her glasses from behind her horn, affixing them on her muzzle’s bridge. “Yeah,” Rainbow said, picking up in Vinyl’s defense. “She’s kind of a big shot too, she plays the castle whenever big things go down. But so what if somepony doesn’t have a big shot name or a title, huh?”

“Yeah. Where do you get off callin’ somepony a commoner, anyway,” Vinyl continued, stepping forward, shoulder-to-shoulder with Rainbow Dash. “Like, seriously dude, who even does that? You need to step down and take a chill pill and apologize.”

“Apologize? To the help?” The huge stallion looked shocked and offended by the mere insinuation. “You’re on my ship, and I will not be spoken to in such a manner,” he said, stamping his forehoof on the deck. “How did you even get onboard? I didn’t hire a musician.”

“Uh, I jumped on? It was kind of important, and I smoothed it out with Twilight.” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “What’s it to you, anyway? Geeze, I thought Octavia was up-tight, but you need to see a proctologist, get that branch removed from your rump.”

Rainbow snerked and snickered beside her, and Vinyl grinned at the put-down she laid on the snooty stallion. “Why, I never! You impudent -!” He choked off, evidently at a loss for words, and Vinyl laughed at him. “Damn right I am, when somepony gets a snoot with me and calls me something like ‘commoner’. Seriously, like who does that? Now, are you gonna apologize to Rainbow and me, or are we gonna have trouble down the line?”

The stallion she was taunting had turned red in the face, and violently inarticulated at her, gesticulating angrily and wildly with his hooves as he tried to form words. The sight of him going through an apoplectic fit made Rainbow Dash break into a giggle. “Man, Vinyl, I think you broke his brain. Come on, let’s leave this loser and go find Pinkie, maybe she has a deck of cards or a board game or something.”

“L-LOSER?! How dare you!” He finally found his voice, and Vinyl laughed. “Yeah, loser. That’s what I call anypony who has a snout full of snoot and takes a tone with somepony like you do. Later.” She turned, to follow Rainbow Dash, as the stallion behind her whinnied in rage. She barely caught the motion he made, reflected in the shiny frame of her glasses, as he reared up and lunged at her.

She couldn’t have dodged in time. She didn’t need to. A blur of white, black and blue sped past, galloping up the deck from a dead stop, charging past her. Vinyl and Rainbow Dash turned in time to see the intervening stallion intercept the captain as he lunged at Vinyl’s flanks, interposing himself between them and rearing up, forcing the bulky stallion in the captain’s outfit to rear up and arrest his charge or plow into him. They squared off for a moment, in the air on their hindlegs, and the one in the uniform fell to the decks first, stamping and scuffing it. “You had to have heard what these commoners called me, Fancypants!”

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Blueblood!” the older stallion all but roared at him. “You call yourself a Prince, but you don’t act like one! The measure of a man isn’t in how he treats his equals or betters, but how he treats those he sees as lesser than him, and you are a poor man indeed! How dare you, Blueblood! For shame!”

“Woah, woah, woah!” Vinyl cried, sensing the trouble brewing far too late, trying to edge towards the two of them, gulping. “Guys, can we bring the heat down,” she said, but they were both focused on each other. “Sees as lesser? They’re a pair of performers, and that one’s a stowaway! This is still my ship, and I am still a Prince! I deserve and demand respect, especially here, and now, taking time and money out of my own business to attend this matter, and if these commoners won’t deliver it voluntarily, I’ll beat it out of them!”

Rainbow Dash snarled at the implication he’d actually have struck them, but she didn’t have time to do more than snarl. The older stallion lashed out, lunging up and striking, hard and fast. His hooves caught the younger, bulkier stallion at the forehead and neck, and he slammed him to the deck, eliciting a very filly-like shriek of pain and surprise from the loud-mouthed stallion.

“Aaah! Y-You hit me,” he cried out, the menace completely gone from his voice, replaced with panic, reaching up and touching his forehead. Bright red stained his forehead, and he gasped when he drew his hoof back and saw it. “Y-You drew blood! You cut me!”

The older colt in the tuxedo squared off against him, narrowed eyes, hunched down. “Blueblood, I am going to speak very clearly, so that even a useless idiot like you can understand me,” he snarled, no trace of the jovial gentlecolt in his voice anymore. “If I catch you laying a hoof on my daughter, or any mare on this ship, but especially my daughter, I will buck you within an inch of your wasted life and tie you up tighter than your own purse-strings!” He stepped on the panicked stallion’s cheek, eliciting a whinny of fear and squirming from the downed aristocrat. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” the stricken stallion yelped. “Get off me, you madman!” The commotion had caught attention, and Rainbow Dash winced as Applejack, Princess Luna, Big Macintosh, Rarity, two of the crewponies she didn’t yet know, and Twilight all charged up the stairs from the hold. “What in my sister’s name is going on here,” Luna demanded to know, and Fancypants looked up at her, unapologetic, but nodding his head. “This whelp tried to strike my daughter and miss Dash,” he explained, “and I am afraid, your Majesty, that I simply could not allow such reprehensible behavior to go uncorrected. Sadly, I fear I felt compelled to resort to violence, as it seemed to be the only language he was willing to use to discuss the matter.”

“He hit me, auntie!” Blueblood whined, and Rainbow Dash looked down at him, grimacing in utter contempt as the bulky stallion squirmed under Fancypant’s hoof. “He hit me! Me, a member of your family! You can’t let that go unanswered.”

Luna blinked, as everypony else looked around in confusion, and looked down at Blueblood. He was still squirming, and she rolled her eyes. “We’re off to a wonderful start,” she muttered, and took a step forward. “Fancypants, let him up,” she said, and the tuxedo-wearing stallion backed off, letting Blueblood get to his hooves. “Did you try to hit somepony,” she asked, and Blueblood shifted uneasily. “These common mares mouthed off to me - one’s even a stowaway! I simply demanded the respect to which I am due, and they continued to do so! I -” “Enough!”

Luna stamped her forehoof on the deck, hard enough to crack the plank it fell upon. “I don’t want to hear it! We’re out of port less than an hour and you’ve started a fight?” “But -... This is my ship,” Blueblood adamantly declared. “I deserve more respect than they have shown me.”

Groaning, Luna facehoofed, pressing her right forehoof over her eye. “Blueblood,” she muttered quietly, advancing on him. “This is only still your ship because my sister and I are quite considerate of whether or not we are behaving tyrannically. This is an emergency situation, and nopony in all of Equestria would fault us for commandeering it outright if need be.” She narrowed her eyes, staring down the shorter stallion, who backed away from her, nervously.

“If you raise a hoof to anypony on this ship again,” she said, quietly but menacingly, “I - and I have no doubt that Twilight Sparkle, speaking in stead for my sister, will back me up on this - will dispossess you of this vessel, claim it in the name of the Crowns, and have you held in irons until such time as it is convenient to put you off the ship. Do I make myself clear?”

“I-I... I...” Blueblood stammered, and Luna looked sideways, to Twilight. The smaller purple Unicorn looked quite overwhelmed, but she nodded intently at Luna, who looked back to Blueblood. “We are in accord, then. Do you understand us?”

“Y-Yes,” Blueblood stammered out, and Luna swung her head to the cabin’s door. “Good. Now, go to your room and think about what you’ve done,” she ordered, and Blueblood turned on his hooves, all but dashing into the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

Awkward silence reigned for a moment, and Luna looked as the entire population of the ship had by now materialized on deck, and were staring awkwardly at her. She sighed, softly, and drew herself up, craning her neck up over all of them, though she had to stretch to get her head higher than the mammoth red Earth Pony stallion. “I’m sorry to say that we seem to be having a little friction aboard the ship. It doesn’t bode well, I will admit, that it happened less than an hour from shore - or dock, rather, as we’re still over land. However, the matter is, I believe, settled. Does anypony feel differently?”

Nopony spoke up, and so she nodded. “Good. If anypony has a grievance with anypony else, please, bring it to Twilight Sparkle and myself before letting it escalate to blows, if at all possible. We are all literally in the same boat on this venture, and I am not exaggerating when I say we carry the fate of Equestria on our backs. We must pull together and work harmoniously if we are to get through this. Does anypony have any questions?”

Nopony spoke up, though several of them looked around at each other, or scuffed their hooves nervously. She sighed, and took a deep, calming breath. “Then please, return to what you were doing.”

Ponies turned and started to filter out, but Fancypants approached Luna and Twilight, lowering his head deferentially. “Your Majesty, miss Sparkle, I must apologize. I shouldn’t have struck him, and if you wish to confine me to -” “Be at ease, Fancypants,” Luna said, holding her hoof up to still his apology. “Nopony should tolerate a boor acting like a bully, and no stallion worth the name could or should stand idle whilst that bully raised his hoof to his daughter... So, which one of them is your daughter,” she asked, with a smile, “as if that weren’t obvious.”

Vinyl Scratch, who had (along with Rainbow Dash) stood quiet since the stampede of ponies to get to the deck, stepped forward, letting out a heavy sigh. “Hi, Dad,” she said to Fancypants, and nodded to Luna. “That would be me, yer’ Majesty.” “You’re quite the troublemaker, aren’t you,” Luna asked, trying not to grin at the brazen young mare. “First you leap aboard the ship, then you evidently enrage my boorish nephew a-hundred-times-removed, and now you reveal yourself to be the daughter of our Ambassador? I am impressed,” she murmured. “Please... Try not to allow any more fights to break out.”

“I’ll try, Princess,” Vinyl Scratch said, and Luna sighed, nodding. “Good.” She let out a heavy sigh, relief draining through her, and she looked down to Derpy, who had been pressing close to her side the whole time, keeping quiet. “Is it over yet,” she asked with a sarcastic smile, and Derpy smiled back at her. “I hope so. I’m almost out of muffins,” she murmured. “And right now, I just want to eat them both and close my eyes.”

Smiling, Luna nodded her head to the stairs. “Let’s do that then. It’s the best plan I’ve heard all day.” Smiling fondly, if a bit sleepily, Derpy nodded, starting down the stairs, with Luna following her. With the crowd dispersed, Twilight sat on the deck, sighing. “So... Father, huh,” Rainbow Dash asked, and Vinyl levitated her glasses above her horn again, walking over to Fancypants. The older stallion extended his foreleg around her, and she hugged him in return. “Hi, Dad. I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said, and looked back to Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, he’s my dad.”

“Well... You do look it,” Twilight said; with Vinyl and Fancypants together, it seemed so obvious; both had varying vivid blue manes and tails, both had white coats, and were both unicorns. They separated after a moment, and Vinyl sighed. “I’m sorry, though. I didn’t think he was gonna bust a capillary and actually try to roll us because we mouthed off at him, or I wouldn’t have egged him on like I did.” “Hey,” Rainbow said, speaking up, “I egged him on, too. Who could’ve known he’s some kind of like, freak who’d blow up because we told him exactly where he could take his going on about us being ‘commoners,’ huh?”

“Nopony, that’s who,” Fancypants said, adding “Except those who have the displeasure of getting acquainted with him and his attitudes, I’m afraid. But even I didn’t think he’d actually try to strike you over the matter, or I’d have stepped in sooner.”

“I guess we all could’ve maybe done that better,” Rainbow Dash said with a sad sigh and a scratch of her mane, but Fancypants shook his head. “Perhaps, but even so, you have every right to stand up to an idiot like that, especially when he starts spouting off nonsense such as he was.” He levitated a hoofkerchief from his coat pocket and used it to wipe blood from his hoof; a bright red smear, but not much worse. Then he turned and dropped the hoofkerchief to the deck, wiping it over the few spots of blood that were staining the deck. “So, Vinyl, how’s your mother,” he asked, his voice returning to the jovial tone it normally had. “I haven’t had the chance to speak with her - or you - for quite some time, sadly. I’d been meaning to catch up with you at the Gala, when I read your name on the playbill.”

Vinyl chuckled, even as she looked at Rainbow Dash, who was looking at her oddly. “Yeah, he’s my dad. Is that so hard to believe, RD?” She poked Rainbow Dash’s wing with her glasses, levitating them off her head to poke with them, while sitting down and carefully lowering herself to her belly. “Mom’s... Well, she’s mom. She’s in good health and she’s as unstoppable as ever.”

“That’s good to hear! I sadly doubt I’ll be able to find the time to see her while we’re in Manehattan - if she’s still living in Manehattan, anyway.” “Nah, dad. She packed up and moved to Appleloosa a while ago. Wanted to see the frontier, she said.”

“Really?” The older Unicorn chuckled softly “I haven’t kept up, I’m afraid. Still, I hope she’s having a jolly good time out there.” He lifted the hoofkerchief from the deck, frowning at it and folding it up several times, so none of the blood was on the outside, before tucking it back into his jacket pocket. “It’s good to see you, Vinyl,” he said, with a smile. “But, if you can spare me, I need to speak with the esteemed miss Sparkle here about some shipboard matters. Can you and miss Dash manage?”

Vinyl laughed, tucking her sunglasses back on her head, over her eyes. “Like, of course, dad. We’ll be fine. And... Thanks,” she said, smiling. “Any time, my dear. Any time. Miss Sparkle? I’ve been speaking with the crew,” he said, walking towards the stairs belowdecks, “and I’ve got a handle on how this singular vessel flies, if you’d care for me to summarize or go into depth about it.”

“Oh, I’d love that,” Twilight said. “Let me get parchment and a pen from my saddlebags, I can write it all down.” She followed Fancypants down belowdecks, and Rainbow Dash settled to the deck next to Vinyl, sighing. “Man, like... Sorry about that, you know? I did not see that guy doing that, or I wouldn’t have turned my back on him.”

“S’all good, RD,” Vinyl responded with a grin, holding her hoof out, and Rainbow Dash nudged it with her own. “My old man probably saved that huge rear end’s life. If he’d actually hit me or something, I would’ve had to like, hand him his own ass.” “Yeah, you and me both, sister,” Rainbow Dash replied with a grin. “So, the old guy’s your dad, huh? I took him for a stuffy old guy, Rarity’s crowd, but he’s actually pretty cool. How come he doesn’t know where his wife is, though?”

“Uh...” The question made Vinyl blink, and scuff her hoof on the deck. “His wife’s not my mom, RD.” “She’s - oh. Oooooh.” Rainbow Dash winced. “Sorry I br

The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a single Flap

Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
The Empire of the Moon on FIMFiction.net (not preffered: please read on Google Docs!)

Shaking. That was what Twilight felt as she stirred her way back from fitful unconsciousness, her eyes blearily opening. Somepony was shaking her hammock, and she blinked, craning her head up to see who was waking her up at what felt like an unearthly hour.

Rainbow Dash’s blue face met hers, and she hissed. “Twi. Wake up, Twi.” “What is it, Rainbow,” Twilight asked, reaching up to rub her eyes. “Fancypants told me to wake you up,” the blue Pegasus hissed in her ear, “and to tell you to be quiet.”

“Uh...” Letting out a deep sigh, Twilight groaned. “Okay...” She carefully climbed out of her hammock, barely avoiding smacking Fluttershy in the hammock next to her with her hoof as she rolled out, and slipped onto the deck. “What is it?” “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me, but he said to wake you and Princess Luna and tell you to meet him in the cabin.”

“In the...” Twilight grimaced, as Blueblood was the last pony she wanted to deal with shortly after waking up. “Do I have to,” she whined, and Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped. “Yeah, I think so. That old guy sounded really, really grim.” “Rainbow... Everypony’s grim,” she noted, but Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Yeah, but I think this was serious and pertains to us.”

Nodding, Twilight slunk from the forecastle to the hold, pausing to pick up the Element of Magic from the crate she’d laid it atop and tuck the tiara in her mane, behind her horn. A lot of ponies were snoring around the ship, but Applejack and Big Macintosh were already awake., missing from where she had seen them sleeping last. She climbed the stairs to the deck, and found the both of them standing outside the cabin’s door, looking nervous. “Twi? What’s goin’ on,” Applejack asked her, and Twilight shook her head. “I have no idea, Applejack. Do you know anything?” “Not much. Th’ princess came by here and told us to stand watch here an’ make sure nopony eavesdropped. I reckon you’d best get in there,” she said, nodding to the door, and Twilight squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.

“This can’t be good,” Twilight muttered, opening the door and walking in. Her jaw promptly dropped at the room she beheld; light and airy, white with gold filigree all around, it was in every sense of the words a great cabin; opulently furnished with expensive fixtures, such as a huge bed that dominated the rear half of the room, and a large, heavy table. There was a liquor cabinet near to the door, and a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Twilight felt stunned as she looked around, but Princess Luna waved her to the table with her hoof. Blueblood and Fancypants were already sitting around it; the young stallion looking surly and angry, while Fancypants looked grim. “Good, you’re here, miss Sparkle,” he said. “We have a problem.”

“A problem so urgent it couldn’t wait until a civilized hour to arouse me,” Blueblood whined. He’d dressed the cut on his forehead himself, evidently, and Twilight noticed a tall bottle sitting on his bedside table, half-empty, and his eyes looked bloodshot. She frowned, as she didn’t know many ponies who drank much; Rarity sometimes had a glass of wine, but the smell coming from the bottle reeked much worse than any wine she’d ever smelled Rarity drinking. “What’s wrong, Fancypants,” she asked, walking up to the table and sitting down.

“I’m afraid, miss Sparkle, your Majesty, that I feel we have a discipline problem aboard the ship,” Fancypants said, gravely. Blueblood glared daggers at him. “I should say so, Fancypants,” Blueblood snarled. “If this is your way of apologizing, you’ll have to do better than that.”

Twilight and Luna both glared at Blueblood, and so did Fancypants. “Apologize? For knocking you down when you raised a hoof to my daughter?” Fancypants shook his head. “Hardly. But that is the... Origin of the problem at hoof.” “What is the problem, then,” Luna asked, and Twilight nodded to him.

“I’m afraid the crew are upset. My confrontation with Blueblood was witnessed by one of them, and it’s spread to all six of them by now.” Blueblood snorted. “Well, of course they’re upset. You struck me, their captain. What loyal crewpony wouldn’t be upset? You should be thankful they haven’t tied you to the mast and flogged you yet!”

“Blueblood, be silent,” Luna hissed at him. “Especially seeing as how you built this ship, you should know full well it doesn’t have a mast! Fancypants, are the crew upset at you?” “I almost wish they were, Your Majesty. That would make this matter much simpler, I could disembark in Manehattan. Unfortunately, the matter is quite the opposite. During the ‘night’ watch, all six of them came to me to express the opinion that they were glad I had struck Blueblood, and two of them were vocally of the opinion that I hadn’t hit him quite hard or repeatedly enough for their satisfaction.”

“Oh... Oh, dear,” Luna said, while Twilight gulped. “That’s, uh... Bad, isn’t it,” she asked. Blueblood looked shocked and outrage, while Luna and Fancypants were appropriately grim. “It is indeed, miss Sparkle.” “Fancypants,” Luna asked, quietly, “Do you think a mutiny might be forthcoming?”

“Mutiny? No,” Fancypants declared. “But only because of your presence. All six of them are, quite frankly, rather amazed and enthralled to have you aboard. But that’s the problem, I fear; Blueblood has engendered nothing but contempt amongst his crew, and they feel more loyalty to you - and, I daresay with no small measure of embarrassment, myself - than they do to him.”

Twilight gulped. “What does that mean?” “I’m afraid it means that we’re close to a disciplinary breakdown on the ship. They may refuse to sail under Blueblood - one of them mentioned that after he’d heard that Blueblood had gone beyond ranting and actually attempted to strike a pony for insubordination, that he’d sooner desert the ship in Manehattan than take orders from him again.”

“Fancypants, this is a bad joke, and I’m in no mood for it,” Blueblood said, gazing darkly at him. “The crew are loyal, well-paid sailors who know their place and respect their betters. I should have you thrown off the ship the moment we make port.”

Fancypants remained silent, while Twilight narrowed her eyes at him, speaking up before Luna had the chance. “No. I’m tired of this,” she said, rubbing one of her eyes, then the other. “You tried to hit two of my friends. And you’re not even sorry?” She shook her head, putting her hooves up on the table. “Princess, I’m not sure I can respect Blueblood any more, even if it is his ship.”

“You common cur,” Blueblood snarled at her, but a glance at Luna froze him in his place; she glared at him furiously, her eyes and horn glowing inky black and nighttime blue. “Blueblood, I told you to be silent. If you insult Twilight Sparkle or anypony on this ship again, you will answer to me. Do I make myself clear?”

Quivering, Blueblood shrunk back from her, nodding. “Good.” Luna let the glow in her eyes and horn dissipate. “So, the crew have lost all respect for Blueblood, then?” “I’m afraid so,” Fancypants said with a heavy sigh, and Twilight could only sigh as well. “And I’m pretty sure none of my friends would give him the time of day, after he tried to hit Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch. Rainbow was telling Pinkie about how Fancypants had run in to save her and Vinyl, and Rarity recounted her... Less-than-pleasant experience with him the last time we were at the Gala. Big Mac muttered about how he wouldn’t tolerate him striking any mare around him, and Vinyl Scratch said that if he tried to hit her again, she was going to ‘buck him up’.”

Blueblood looked horrified at what she was saying, angry and horrified. “Auntie! You can’t... You can’t let that pass! Order has to be restored! This is my ship!”

“Yes, Blueblood. This is your ship, but you’re a very poor captain of it.” She glared at him. “The crew are refusing your orders, and you’ve assaulted your passengers. What do you suggest, Fancypants?” “Your Majesty, I regret to say that I feel that I cannot be an unbiased party to any action, as I was involved in the altercation that took place.” “Even so,” Twilight said, “I think you’re probably the most experienced pony on this ship. I... Really don’t have any idea what to do, and I don’t have a library of nautical procedures to look in for an answer.”

She looked to Princess Luna, who shook her head. “I’m afraid all my sailing experience is literally millennia out-of-date. The last time I was aboard a ship, if a fight such as that had broken out, the matter would have been resolved with one of the ponies in the fight being killed and thrown overboard.” She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what would be appropriate, short of summarily seizing the vessel. I don’t want to do that,” she said, glaring at Blueblood, “though the option is appealing to me more and more by the minute.”

Fancypants looked down at his hooves, a grim, morose look on his face. “I really have no standing to comment on the matter,” he quietly said, eliciting a triumphant, if mean, look from Blueblood, “But, if I had to say, I might suggest relieving him of command. The crew and passengers seem to be unanimous in their contempt for his ability to command this vessel, and a ship can’t sail if the crew has no confidence in the captain.”

“H-How dare you,” Blueblood snarled, but Twilight rolled her eyes, looking up at Luna. “Could that work? We put somepony else in charge of the ship? He still owns it, but another pony becomes the captain? They fly us across the sea and then he can do whatever he wants with the ship?”

“That... That could work, I suppose,” Luna said, stroking her chin with her metal-clad hoof. “Or we could simply put you ashore in Manehattan, Blueblood; pay you for the use of the ship, rent it, if you will - is that the right word?”

“Charter would be the more appropriate term for an agreement for the temporary use of a vessel, Your Majesty,” Fancypants added, and looked to Blueblood. “Would you accept a bareboat charter arrangement, Blueblood?”

“No, I would not,” Blueblood responded, angrily. “This is my ship, mine! I designed the drives, I designed the balloon system! I paid for her, I’ve made her my life’s work. She’s not available for charter or sale!”

Feeling her patience waning, Twilight stretched up to bring her head level with the Alicorn and the two tall stallions in the room, bracing her fore hooves on the table. “Alright then, how about this: you stay on the ship, in your fancy little bedroom with all your fancy little toys, and you stay out of our way. We make somepony else the commander of the ship, you get to stay the owner and get whatever Princess Celestia said she’d give you for the voyage, and we get across the sea without killing each other? Please?”

Anger flared in Blueblood’s bloodshot eyes, and he reared up on his own haunches, bracing his own forehooves on the table. “How dare you take such a tone with me, you - you commoner!” He snarled, and Twilight couldn’t help but start to snarl back. She had very seldom known such an infuriating pony. Luna and Fancypants both looked about ready to smack Blueblood down - verbally or otherwise - but Twilight beat them to the buck, her patience having run out.

“Shut up, Blueblood!” Twilight stamped her forehoof on the table, and jumped up onto it, getting in his face, feeling a surge of anger run through her. “I’ve about had it with you! You tried to hit two of my friends, and I don’t know what this hangup you have with ponies being ‘common’ or - or whatever it is you have, but I’ve had it! I would literally rather spend time with any other pony on this ship than you.” Blueblood took in a breath to speak, but Twilight cut him off; she focused on his mouth, forcing it shut telekinetically, his eyes going wide as he realized she was restraining him.

“Princess Celestia named me to speak in her stead,” she declared, angrily. “And I’m declaring that I think we don’t need you on this trip at all. I don’t know what your major problem is, and frankly, I’ve stopped caring. Equestria came under attack, ponies almost died, and now the sun is stuck in the sky, beating down on all of us, and you’re worried about who’s of common birth or not? What does that even matter?!”

She let go of Blueblood’s mouth as she realized she was probably cutting off his air supply, and he gasped, scrambling backwards and abutting against the footboard of his bed. “Are you going to start trouble again,” she asked, and Blueblood whinnied with fear, shaking his head.

“Good,” Luna declared, standing up and laying her wing over Twilight’s back. “Your choice, Blueblood: we put you off in Manehattan, or you get to come along as the owner but not the commander, and if there’s any more trouble from you, you stop being the owner.” She looked to Twilight, and Twilight nodded at her, feeling in agreement with her. “Then it’s settled,” Luna said. “All we need is your answer. What’s it going to be?”

“I-I-I...” Nervously, he looked between Twilight standing on his table and the Princess standing next to her, and gulped. “I-I’m not getting off,” he said, quickly. “Somepony has to fly it back across the sea when you’re done, and she’s mine.”

“Fine. Then it’s settled. We are officially relieving you of command of this vessel,” Luna declared. “Twilight, who should we put in charge?” “Um...” Twilight looked over to Fancypants, who looked rather embarrassed. “Fancypants... I can’t think it should be anypony but you.”

“I...” The older stallion shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I have skippered a vessel about this size in the past, but that was a long time ago... And it was only a temporary arrangement. Moreover, I’m not sure that such an appointment would be appropriate, given that I was involved in the altercation that sparked this... Unfortunate affair.”

“Nevertheless,” Luna said. “Can you name anypony better suited than you that we have on hoof?” “I fear I can’t, Your Majesty.” “All right,” Twilight said. “This is a small ship, isn’t it? So if the owner’s not the commander anymore, that means we should probably appoint a - a what was it?” “Coxswain, miss Sparkle,” Fancypants filled in. “A coxswain would be the appropriate rank and title for the pony who administers to and operates a ship of this size in the absence of a captain. However, this ship does still have masters - the two of you, Your Majesty, miss Sparkle.”

“What’s the difference,” Luna asked, as Blueblood slunk back to his bedside, having realized that he had been rendered superfluous to the conversation, and she turned her head to ignore him. “Well, your Majesty, on vessels with complicated arrangements, there are, generally speaking, three primary parties to know. The owner of the vessel is the owner of record; typically, if they are not also the master or commander, they aren’t present on a voyage, they simply own the ship and profit by doing so. The Master of a vessel is the party who makes executive decisions, and they may also be present or absent as they decide. For instance, the Master might decide to sail the ship to a given port, or to load or unload a given cargo. The Commander is the pony who operates the vessel - orders the crew about, ensures the smooth sailing of the ship, and in a crisis is the absolute authority aboard the vessel. In most arrangements for a boat this size, one pony would be at least two of those things unto themselves. However, at present, we have a three-party arrangement. The Crowns have decided to deem Blueblood unfit to be the Master and Commander of this ship, therefore he is only the owner. I assume some form of arrangement has been made to compensate him for his vessel’s time, but that’s not really germane to the topic at hand. He still owns the boat, but he no longer has any decision-making authority over it until such time as our voyage no longer requires his ship and he can do with it and himself as he pleases. The two of you have become the masters of the ship. You decide where we go; in this instance, we’re sailing across the sea to the countries that the founding ponies fled from when they landed here in Equestria. And you want me to be the Commander, to ensure the day to day operations of the vessel, to get the ship where you decide it must go, and, should an emergency arise, to deal with it.”

Luna and Twilight looked to one another, and Twilight nodded. “That... Actually, that’s a clear and... Pretty good explanation of the situation as I understand it.” Luna nodded. “I concur, Twilight Sparkle. So it is settled; Fancypants, We hereby order you, in the name of the Crowns, to assume the post of coxswain aboard this ship and guide us across the sea in accordance with previously-outlined plans. Do you accept this responsibility?”

Fancypants closed his eyes, taking in a breath, and sighed. “I do, Your Majesty, but we must be clear that in the event of an emergency, only one of us can be in charge.” Twilight blinked, as Luna met Fancypant’s eyes, and nodded. “We accept and understand this requirement. Twilight and I shall follow your orders as necessary, pursuant to whatever emergency arises, and we shall take your counsel in all other matters.” Gulping, Twilight nodded. “Yes, we will. I’ll make sure all my friends know how this works, too.”

“Good! Then, if you’re taking my counsel, I must suggest a few things at present,” Fancypants said, sitting more comfortably at the table. Twilight settled back down at it, and Luna nodded. “By all means, Fancypants.”

A piercing whistle broke the ‘morning’ stillness. “All hooves on deck, y’all! Get ‘er up an’ out here!” Applejack let out another piercing whistle. She and Big Mac were standing by the cabin’s wall; Rainbow Dash and one of the crewponies, a Pegasus, were flying around the ship when she whistled, and they rolled over and banked to the deck, landing solidly in the middle of the ship. Luna had hovered up to the cabin’s roof, and was standing atop it, regally overlooking the deck, as Twilight and Fancypants stood on the deck.

The ponies belowdecks started to boil out from underneath, hurrying. Derpy Hooves was first, followed by two crewponies, Vinyl Scratch and Pinkie Pie, another crewpony, Fluttershy and Rarity, and the last two crewponies. “Fall in, y’all,” Applejack yelled, then added, almost parenthetically, “That means line up.” She hurried to line herself up as the six crewponies fell into a line after a moment’s glancing around; she stood next to the nearest of them, and Big Mac followed suit, standing next to her. Twilight saw her friends line up after only a moment, with Derpy in the middle and Vinyl Scratch on the end. She squirmed inside; she didn’t like to give the impression she was giving orders, but she needed to explain this, and Fancypants had assured her and Luna that it would be best if they did so, rather than he.

“Alright, everypony,” she said, coughing and trying to make her voice louder whilst not yelling at them. “We’ve had some problems aboard the ship, and Princess Luna and I have come up with an arrangement that holds everything together. Prince Blueblood has been stripped of his command of this ship,” she declared, and let it sink in, letting the crew and passengers look around at each other.

“Princess Luna and I, acting as representative of Princess Celestia, have taken control of this vessel, but not ownership. Prince Blueblood remains the owner of the vessel, but he is no longer in command, and is probably going to stay in his cabin for most of the voyage as he insists on remaining aboard. However, Fancypants has been appointed the coxswain of this vessel. It is appropriate to refer to him as captain, skipper, coxswain, or, if you can pronounce it, ‘cox’n.’.. Coxn... coxen... I’m not sure I pronounced it right.”

“You did, ma’am,” the pony with the Bronxo accent said. “It’s ‘Cox’n.’ Ya had it right the first time.” Twilight nodded at her. “Thank you. Now, if you have any trouble, concerns, questions, or whatever, please, come to any or all of us, quickly, but if anything goes wrong, everypony is to look to Fancypants for guidance, and if he gives anypony any orders, we all need to follow them. All of us,” she emphasized, “Even Princess Luna and myself.”

“So, does this mean we have a proper chain of command,” the Pegasus crewpony who had been orbiting the ship with Rainbow Dash asked, and Twilight nodded. “Yes, we do, but it’s very short. Basically, it’s Fancypants for anything day-to-day or emergency, with Princess Luna and myself making any major decisions that need to be made... With the input of everypony who has a stake in them, which pretty much means everypony for most things. Does anypony have any questions?”

The Bronxo-accented mare raised her hoof, and Twilight nodded to her. “If you’ve relieved Blueblood of his command, does that mean we’re workin’ for the Crowns now?” Twilight blinked. “Um... I... That’s a good question. I don’t know.” She looked back to Princess Luna, who nodded, spreading her wings. “That is what it means. We hope that none of you have any objections, but we very much need every experienced sailor who knows how to fly this ship, and so cannot afford to allow anypony the option to depart before our voyage across the sea is complete.”

The Bronxo-accented pony laughed. “Hah! And my old man told me I was too sassy to be in the Navy. Guess he was wrong, even if I did get conscripted.” She saluted, with her forehoof, and the rest of the uniformed crewponies followed suit, directing their gaze to Princess Luna. She closed her wings, nodding her head. “And, that’s, um...” Twilight nodded. “That’s all, isn’t it?” She looked back to Fancypants, who shook his head. “Not quite. You need to call roll.”

“Ah! Right!” Twilight looked around. “My parchment, I think I dropped - oh.” Fancypants levitated the rolled up parchment and pen to her, and she took them from his grasp, unfurling the parchment. It had nothing but a list of names on it, and she cleared her throat. “I was supposed to say something before I started, wasn’t I?” “If I may,” Fancypants asked, and Twilight nodded to him. “Of course.”

“Roll call! All hooves, stand to attention! All passengers and guests, present yourselves for roll!” He thumped the cabin’s door with his hindleg, and tugged it open telekinetically, as the six crewponies drew themselves up straighter, with their legs together, with more or less the expediency of experience warring with years being out of practice. “That means you too, Blueblood,” he called into the cabin, then walked to the line of crew and passengers, seating himself firmly on the end, squaring his shoulders, head and ears up. Prince Blueblood slunk out of his cabin a moment later, his eyes more bloodshot than they had been when Twilight saw him last, mere minutes ago. He reeked of alcohol, and she winced, but decided not to say anything, as he carelessly sat at the end of the line.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight called out, and looked up to the top of the Cabin. Luna spread her wings. “We are present, Twilight Sparkle.” She had, according to plan with Luna and Fancypants, called Luna first, and Fancypants second, to set an example.

“Fancypants, Coxswain!” “Present, ma’am!” Fancypants saluted smartly, then lowered his hoof, and she checked him off the list, quickly looking back up to check Luna off.

“Wavechaser, Able Airpony!” Twilight read off the next on her list, and a tall, thin Earth Pony in a sailor’s uniform saluted smartly. He had a navy blue coat with two-toned yellow mane and tail, both short and unkempt, as well as a matching tuft of beard below his chin, and was wearing a watch with a white band around his left forehoof. “Present!” Twilight duly ticked him off, and moved on to the next one.

“Smoke Curls, Able Airpony!” “Here!” Twilight glanced up; the rakish mare with the Bronxo accent, her left ear had a jagged edge on top. Bright, piercing blue eyes and a coat the color of charcoal, her short mane was striped toothpaste-green and salmon, while her short tail was primarily the same green with salmon tips. Her salute was sloppy, but swift, and Twilight ticked her off the list.

“Cherry Sky, Able Airpony,” Twilight called out next, and a Pegasus mare with a gray coat a few shades more purple than Derpy’s saluted with her wing. She was wearing tinted pince-nez sunglasses that were identical to Vinyl’s except for their red tint, and her mane and tail were both tightly braided in two tones of red, bright and vivid, like a maraschino cherry, and lighter, pinker. “Right here, ma’am!” Twilight nodded at her. “Um, could you take the sunglasses off during roll call,” Twilight asked. As soon as she said it, she felt a little absurd, as she was, notionally, giving an order. “Er... Yes, ma’am,” the Pegasus said after a moment’s hesitation, pulling them from over her green eyes and tucking them in the pocket on her uniform’s flanks. At the far end of the line, Twilight saw Vinyl Scratch shift uncomfortably, levitating her own sunglasses off her eyes and resting them behind her horn.

Moving on, Twilight called the next name on her list. “Cloudstrike, Able Airpony!” “Present, ma’am!” Another Pegasus, his coat as gray as Derpy’s saluted with his hoof. He was short, shorter than Twilight by a few inches, with a young-sounding voice and piercing violet eyes, wearing a short mane as white as snow with silvery-grey tips and a matching, short, upright mane. He was wearing two thick, fluffy legwarmers on each of his rear legs.

Twilight read off the next name on her list, in order; “Rusty Sunrise, Machinist’s Mate!” The name conjured up an image of a rugged pony with a massive, rusted wrench, and she looked up. “Present, miss!” The Unicorn stallion who answered was anything but what his name implied; his voice was quite nebbish, and he had more or less the same build as Twilight, wearing his mane short-cut, neatly-cropped tail to match that graduated from red to reddish yellow, and a coat the color of wet, brown sand. He was wearing a white vest over the front of his white sailor’s uniform, festooned with pockets, two of them bearing protectors and a number of pens. Twilight nodded to him, and moved down to the next name on her list, the last member of the original crew.

“Ah... Winestripe, Machinist’s Mate,” she called out, blinking. “Right here, miss!” Twilight was taken aback for a moment; she hadn’t seen this member of the crew before, and she was rather sure she would have. Standing as tall and as thin as Princess Cadance, the mare she beheld didn’t appear to be a pony at all, except for the unicorn horn emerging from her mane. Her coat and horn were a deep, rich blue, but she had vivid, snow-white stripes on all of her exposed coat; her face and neck, her lower forelegs and most of her rear legs. They reminded her of Zecora’s zebra pattern, and her mane and tail reinforced the impression; her mane was solid white, worn short-cut and sticking together in square bangs, but the last inch or so was, with a diamond up and down pattern, solid black. Her tail had the same colors, but tied up in a tight, complicated braid pattern alternating black and white loops, with a big tight bun at her rump and a thick loop of black hanging from it. She was wearing white shoes on all four of her legs, but the shoes over her rear hooves were tightly bound up with white straps with buckles around them.

Twilight blinked at the odd Unicorn Pony. “Okay,” she said, her voice betraying her surprise, and she could see the tall unicorn mare shift uncomfortably, but Twilight shook her head, deciding not to make anything of it, and moved on. “Let’s see... Prince Blueblood!”

She knew where he was and looked at him, and Blueblood glared back at her, angrily. He didn’t speak, though, and an uncomfortable silence reigned for a few moments. She had hoped he would have understood by context, but as he didn’t answer, she cleared her throat, pointedly directing the call again. “Prince Blueblood!”

His bloodshot eyes narrowed and focused on her, and Twilight took a deep breath, rolling up the parchment in front of her and walking back to him. “Blueblood, I called your name. Are you going to answer, or make a scene,” she asked, pointedly.

“No,” he said, angrily, and Twilight rolled her shoulders. “No, what? No, you’re not present, or no, you’re not going to make a scene?” The Unicorn stallion’s face twitched. “I’m right here!,” he snapped at her, his voice pouting and defiant. “Are you blind?!”

His snapped and angry exclamation got a series of gasps and nickers from the rest of the ponies assembled for roll, and Twilight blinked, gulping. What do I do, what do I do... I’ve got to keep order, I’ve got to look strong... What would Celestia do?

Squaring her shoulders, she drew herself to her full height. “Blueblood, you’re out of line,” she said, trying to fight down the urge to quiver. “Confine yourself to your quarters. Now.” She nudged her head towards him, and he stayed on his rump, staring at her. “What if I don’t,” he asked.

Twilight blinked, and looked towards Fancypants, then Luna, but both of them nodded to her. She hunched her shoulders again, straightening her head up. “Curl, Wavechaser!” The snapped, sudden order she decisively belted out took a moment to take effect, but the thickly-accented mare and the tall Earth Pony stallion stepped out of line, Smoke Curl saying “Aye, ma’am?”

“Escort Prince Blueblood to his quarters,” she ordered them, and the both of them snapped off a salute. “Aye, ma’am,” Wavechaser said, walking up to Blueblood. “Come this way,” he said, to Blueblood, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Blueblood batted his foreleg away. “Don’t you dare lay a hoof on me, commoner,” he snarled at Wavechaser, and Wavechaser blinked. “Miss Twilight said to confine you to your quarters. Are you going to go?”

“Are you going to make me? I’ll throw you overboard,” Blueblood snarled, and Luna cleared her throat. “Twilight? We suggest you handle this. You know what to do.” and Fancypants nodded at her as well. She stepped up, narrowing her eyes. “Blueblood,” she said, fighting to keep her voice calm, “I won’t order these nice ponies to get into a physical altercation with you. You’re not worth it. So, you can let these crewponies escort you to your cabin, or I’ll ask my friends Applejack and Big Mac to restrain you in the hold. Big Mac? Will you hold him down if I ask you to?” “Eeeeyup!” The mammoth red Earth Pony called from the end of the line. “AJ, have you got your lasso?” “Always, sugarcube,” Applejack responded, producing the coil of rope from her saddlebags.

“It’s your choice, Blueblood,” Twilight said. His face looking paler than usual, Blueblood looked down the line at Applejack coiling up her lasso and Big Macintosh meeting his gaze over the assembled ponies’ heads. He gulped, and turned, as if it were his own idea, walking back to his cabin and slamming the door behind him.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Twilight said, with a sigh. “Um... What’s the right thing to say now,” she asked Fancypants, aside, and he murmured “You’re thinking of ‘fall in.’” “Right. Fall in!” The two crewponies she had called out of line fell back into it quickly, with Applejack returning her lasso to her saddlebags and squaring her shoulders. Rainbow Dash snickered, quietly, nudging Applejack’s side, and Twilight couldn’t help but fight the urge to giggle at the status-conscious Unicorn fleeing in fear of being physically restrained by the two farm-ponies, and to start shaking from the tenseness of the confrontation.

“Um, let’s see... Fluttershy,” she called out. She looked to see Fluttershy, and could see her pastel-yellow friend’s lips moving, but could barely hear a squeak from her. “Come on, Shy,” she encouraged her. “A little louder, so we can all hear?” “U-Um... H-Here, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, still painfully quiet, but audible. Twilight ticked her off the list, with a smile.

“Twilight Sparkle!” A moment of awkward silence passed, and she let out a laugh. “Oh, doy! I don’t need to call my own name.” She checked herself off, with a giggle. “Applejack!” “Here, y’all!” AJ let out a whistle, and Twilight ticked her off. “Big Macintosh!” “Eeeeyup!” Applejack’s brother called out, and she ticked him off as well. “Rarity?” “I am present, darling,” the white Unicorn mare responded.

“Excellent, excellent. Vinyl Scratch!” “Yo!” The other white Unicorn mare gestured in the air by telekinetically levitating her glasses and waving them, and Twilight ticked her off. “Rainbow Dash!” “Here!” Rainbow snapped to attention, saluting, and Twilight grinned, checking her off. Pinkie Pie pre-empted Twilight by calling out “And I’m here, too! Oh, wait, is this like school where you have to wait for the teacher to call your name even though you’re right in front of her and she can see you’re there?”

Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aaaand there’s Pinkie Pie. Yeah, it’s supposed to be like that, Pinkie,” she said, checking her off on the list, and the pink mare’s ears drooped. “Sorry. I’ll do better next time,” she said, and Twilight smiled. “It’s okay, Pinkie. Derpy Hooves!”

The gray mailmare held up her hoof, half-stepping forward to be seen. “I’m right here, Twilight,” she called out, and Twilight smiled. “I see you there, Derpy. Thanks!” Derpy stepped back as Twilight ticked her off the list again, and got to the last name. “Aaaaand... Spike!”

Twilight reflexively glanced down and to her right, but Spike wasn’t there. He didn’t speak up, and she looked to her left, but he wasn’t there, either. She looked up and down the line, as the ponies assembled started to look around for themselves, but her assistant wasn’t in the line, either. “Spike?”

Worried, now, she darted up and down the line, looking for her small purple Dragon friend, then she looked to Rarity. “Rarity, have you seen Spike? I guess I assumed if he wasn’t with me, he was with you.” “I haven’t seen him in a while, Twilight,” Rarity said with a worried blink. “I just assumed he was helping you.”

“No, I...” Twilight blinked, and Fancypants stepped forward. “What does he look like,” he asked, and Twilight sat back on the deck, describing Spike. “He’s a small purple baby dragon,” she said, nervously. “Green crest and ears, short!” She indicated his height by holding two of her hooves apart. “Spade tail, walks on two legs.”

“Right! Wavechaser, Curl, search the hold and forecastle! Open up every crate if need be!” The two of them snapped their hooves into a salute, and darted off, down to the hold. “Sunrise, Winestripe, search the engine compartment. He’s small, he might have gotten into the machinery, so look thoroughly!”

The two unicorn crew snapped their hooves to attention, and followed after the two Earth Ponies. “Cloudstrike, Sky, Dash!” The two remaining crewponies snapped to attention, and Rainbow Dash followed suit, jumping out of line to salute. “I hope to Celestia he didn’t fall overboard. Retrace our route, spread out. If he fell, he might have survived. Stop and ask at any settlements or houses we may have flown over, somepony may have taken him in to render aid. Just be quick about it!” “Yes sir!” Rainbow Dash snapped off a salute, and took off in a rainbow-streaked blur, followed just behind by the two crewmembers. “Fluttershy!” “Y-Yes?” The timid Pegasus asked. “Inspect the hull and the balloon. He might have gotten himself somewhere he’s not supposed to be and become lodged.” “O-Okay,” Fluttershy timidly murmured, spreading her wings and flapping into the air, slowly flying out and around the balloon. “Your Majesty, would you please inspect Blueblood’s cabin? He’s least likely to mouth off or talk back to you, and we don’t have time for his tantrums right now.”

“We shall do so at once,” Luna answered, hopping down from the cabin’s roof and opening the door, walking into it. Fancypants nodded at her. “Miss Hooves!” “M-Me?” Derpy pointed at herself, and Fancypants nodded. “Yes. You’re a Royal Mail Carrier. I need you to disembark, fly to the nearest postal office and compose an alert letter to all emergency services, hospitals, and postal employees between Canterlot and Manehattan, and Canterlot and Ponyville, to be on the look-out for the dragon Twilight described. If he fell from the ship, he may be injured, and have wound up in a hospital or clinic somewhere; and if he’s not injured, he may be trying to make his way by road or overland either to his home, or to our next stop. Any replies should be sent by pegasus courier directly to the ship by way of Manehattan, and if the dragon is found and fit to travel, he should be conveyed to Manehattan as well. Once you’ve had the letter copied and disseminated, return to the ship.”

Derpy’s eyes were wide and proud, beaming at Fancypants, and she said “You can count on me, Mr. Fancypants sir!” She turned and dove off the ship’s side, narrowly passing between the fins and snapping her wings open, gliding away.

“Fancypants,” Twilight said, squirming uncomfortablely, “Is there anything I can do?” “I’m afraid not much. Go to the railing and look around the ship if you can, or return to whatever you were doing otherwise,” the old Unicorn said, with a sad sigh, walking to the forecastle platform and looking out to the front. “One of the hardest parts of command, miss Sparkle, is that once you have given orders, you must wait patiently and trust in the competence of the ponies who answer to you to carry out the tasks you have assigned them.”

Twilight frowned, glad that Fancypants had been the one belting out orders and not her. “I... I don’t think I like command very much, then,” she said, joining him on the forecastle, rearing out and craning her neck to peer down, around the hull.

“Neither do I care for it myself, miss Sparkle,” Fancypants answered sadly. “Neither do I.”

“Where do you think Spike is,” Apple Bloom hissed, quietly, as the clatter of hooves tromping in every direction around them rumbled through the secret compartment in the bottom of the apple cart. They had taken the opportunity to slip out and stretch their legs when the adult ponies had gone upstairs for roll call, but had been forced to dive back in and pull the hidden door shut behind them when ponies had charged down the stairs.

“I dunno,” Sweetie whispered back, her horn providing a pale, ghostly glow that showed her face was nervous with fear. “But if they look in here, the jig is up.”

“I haven’t seen him in days,” Scootaloo murmured. “At least we managed to get some zap apples before we got back in, though... Are you girls sure this is a good idea?”

“No... But I’m kind of afraid of what’ll happen now if they catch us,” Apple Bloom murmured, curling her forehooves around the bow from her mane. “Maybe we should try an’ sneak off the ship in Manehattan?” “I dunno... What then? I think we might really be in trouble,” Scootaloo murmured, and Apple Bloom shrugged. “I dunno, we could go look up my cousin Babs? She’s gotta have established a clubhouse or somethin’ we can hide out in.”

“That’s not a bad idea... Do you think we can sneak past ‘em all, though?” Sweetie asked. “‘Cause... I’m not so sure we can. Maybe we’d be better off staying put?” “Maybe... Let’s just sit tight, y’all,” Apple Bloom said, closing her eyes. “Sit tight an’ stick together.” She stretched out one hoof, and her two friends touched it, softly. “Together,” Sweetie murmured, and Scootaloo nodded. “Together.”

Rainbow Dash had lost all sense of time since she had left the ship. She had flown and flown, leaving Cherry Sky and Cloudstrike in her wake what had to be hours ago, but she wasn’t wearing a watch, and the sun beat inexorably down on her as if it were midday, and had since she had taken off.

It was making her back uncomfortably warm, though with the airspeed she could maintain, it wasn’t too bad. She had darted from settlement to settlement, with the most liberal definition of settlement that she could use; every farm-house, lonely cottage, crossroads with an inn and a tavern and a post office and everything bigger than that, she’d hit, but to no avail. Nopony had seen Spike, and she finally reached Canterlot itself.

The city was much more somber than it had been yesterday, much quieter. Workponies were at work in the mountain above the city and on the valley below it, digging into the mountain and clearing what looked like huge foundations in the valley below. She flew over the city, shaking her head, and spotted a pair of armored Pegasi rising to meet her. Sighing, she came to a hover as they approached her. “Rainbow Dash?” She sighed, relieved that she was recognized. “What’s wrong? Why have you turned back?” “I’m looking for Spike,” she said, “Short purple dragon, really hard to miss. He wasn’t on the ship when we called roll this morning, and I was sent back to look for him.”

“I haven’t seen a dragon,” the one said, looking to the other, who shrugged. “We’d better take you to Spitfire. This way, please.”

“Spitfire? She’s here?” “Yeah. Come on.” The two ponies dived, and she followed them, landing in the castle courtyard. Spitfire was present in her dress uniform, along with what seemed to easily be two dozen Wonderbolts in flying uniform, evidently giving a briefing. “And that means vigilance. We have to keep our eyes and... What in Tartarus are you doing back here,” she said, turning to look at Rainbow Dash. “I don’t believe you of all ponies deserted!”

“Uh, no,” Rainbow Dash said. “I was sent back - I’m looking for someone.” She panted, heavily, and Spitfire shook her head. “You’ve been flying all this time? No wonder you look like you just got out of a sauna.” She turned to the pony next to her, a shorter Wonderbolt mare. “Finish the briefing. I’ll see to this.” Turning, she gestured for Rainbow Dash to follow her, and led her into the castle’s foyer. Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh, slumping on the first bench she came to, launching into a spiel she’d launched into a dozen times, explaining that Spike was missing and they were looking for him.

“Your little dragon, huh? Well, lucky for you, I do know where he is,” Spitfire said, and Rainbow Dash gaped at her. “Y-You do? Is he okay?” “He’s fine. He wandered off yesterday and got lost in the caverns under the city. Some Royal Guards dug him out this morning while they were making a sweep of the crystal caves and put him on the train to Manehattan.”

Relief flooded through her, and Rainbow Dash let out a groan and tucked her head into the bench’s cool marble surface. “Thank Celestia.” She sighed, and stretched. “I-I should probably get back to the ship, then, tell them they can call off the panic.” “Take a half hour’s rest, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said. “You’ll be useless when you get back if you don’t.”

“Yeah... I guess that’s not a bad idea, Spitfire,” Rainbow said with a weak groan, pushing herself up on her forelegs. “Hey, Captain Spitfire? Can I ask you something?”

The flame-maned Pegasus had turned to the door, but looked back to Rainbow Dash, and nodded. “I guess.” “Why did you... You know, flunk me?” “Flunk you?” “Yeah... What you said when the Academy training course was complete. You flunked me out, told me I couldn’t join the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh. That.” Spitfire shook her head, and walked to the bench, sitting on it, next to Rainbow. “I didn’t flunk you out, RD.” “But... You didn’t let me join.” “Those aren’t the same things. Lightning Dust flunked out; you were simply not accepted to join. There’s a difference.”

“I... I don’t get it,” Rainbow Dash said, scratching her mane. “Well, it’s simple. You passed all the qualifications you’d need to be accepted into the Wonderbolts. You passed everything, and you were pretty much the best applicant I’ve ever seen. But you weren’t accepted into the Wonderbolts.”

“I... Why not,” Rainbow asked, blinking, feeling hurt inside. “I’ve been trying to get into the Wonderbolts my whole life!” “I know,” Spitfire said, and sighed. “Look, RD, I wanted you. I wanted you in more than anypony I’ve ever seen come through, but I got orders from Princess Celestia herself not to award your commission.”

“You...” Rainbow Dash blinked, hard, and peered at Spitfire, staring into her metallic orange eyes. “You got orders... From the Princess to turn me down?” Spitfire took a deep breath, and sighed, nodding. “I’m afraid so. The order came down the day before qualifications were over.” “But... What... I... I... Why?! I’ve been working my whole life to be a Wonderbolt, and now you tell me I didn’t somehow blow it but I made the grade, and I was turned down because... Because... Why?”

“Because this,” Spitfire said, reaching out and tapping the Element of Loyalty around her neck. Rainbow blinked, looking down and pulling it off her neck; she’d been wearing it nonstop since yesterday, and had forgotten she was wearing it. “She didn’t have to explain anything, and she didn’t, in the letter I got, RD. But after I had to inform you - in front of everypony, no less, and for that I’m sorry - that you weren’t being awarded a commission, I flew up here from Cloudsdale to argue for it. I wanted you,” she repeated, tapping Rainbow’s shoulder. “I wanted you bad enough to argue with the Princess.”

“Well... I... What did she say,” Rainbow asked, feeling cold and hurt inside, and Spitfire sighed. “She told me that even if you had the potential to become the best Wonderbolt ever to live - which, by the way, I told her rather vehemently you did - that you were far more important to the Realm as one of the Elements of Harmony than as an active Wonderbolt. When she put it that way, I had to agree with her.”

Spitfire poked Rainbow Dash in the chest again. “You could have been a great Wonderbolt, the greatest. But there’s a good reason the Princess sent you and your friends instead of any given six Wonderbolts. You’re something special, more special than any Wonderbolt. It’s not something just anypony can do, it’s not something just anypony can be.”

Blinking, feeling her lips tremble, Rainbow Dash watched as Spitfire reached up, stroking her mane. “So, I’m sorry I had to break your heart like that, alright? But it really had to be done. Because, I guess, of something just like this - we don’t need you. The fastest pony in all of Equestria really can’t do much more on civil air patrol duty than a slower pony. But she can do something important on the mission Celestia sent you on,” Spitfire said, poking Rainbow Dash in the shoulder. “Honestly, I think you’re doing the most good right where you are.”

Rainbow Dash listened to Spitfire’s encouragement, but it didn’t make her feel much better. She trembled, fighting back tears, as she sucked in a breath. “But... I... I...” Feeling supremely dejected, she closed her eyes and laid her head in her hooves, and Spitfire sighed. “Yeah, I know. But tell me, would you really rather be out there, getting ready to deploy on civil air patrol, than be with your friends at a time like this?”

Trying not to sniffle, Rainbow Dash gulped, thinking about it. It was a hard thing to admit, her options torn between the dream she’d always wanted to live and her loyalty to her friend, but it really was a foregone, if difficult, conclusion. “I... I, um.... No,” she whispered, finally, and Spitfire patted her neck. “I didn’t think so. Now, get yourself rested. You have an airship to catch.”

“Twi’, you okay?”

Twilight looked up at Applejack’s face, and sighed. She was sitting in the cargo hold, using a crate for a table and shuffling through all the papers and parchments she had in her saddlebags. “No, AJ, I’m not. Not really.” She sighed. “I just can’t seem to figure out when I lost track of Spike. Was he with us when we boarded the ship?”

“I can’t right say,” Applejack said with a sad sigh. “I was worryin’ about Fluttershy, I figured Spike was with you or somethin’.” Applejack sat next to the crate, looking down at Twilight’s papers and shaking her head. “This is a real pickle we’re in, isn’t it?”
Nodding, Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid it is, and I don’t know what to do. About anything.” Reaching up, she rubbed her eyes with her hooves, then laid them on the table. “Why, out of all ponies in Equestria, did Princess Celestia ask me to do this? To - To speak for her? Surely Princess Luna is capable of speaking for the both of them? I’m... I’m really not. I don’t know anything about running something like this.”

“That, Twilight Sparkle, is precisely why my sister has entrusted you with this task.” Twilight glanced up to see Princess Luna emerging from the engine room, slinking gracefully through the cramped cargo hold despite her amazing height. She nodded her head to Applejack, sitting next to her and peering over the crate at Twilight. “She wants you here to moderate me with your inexperience and cautious nature.”

“To... To moderate you?” Luna nodded to her, and let out a quiet sigh. “For all that I’ve learned in the past two years, you have lived all your life in the modern Equestria my sister has forged in my absence. You are... Connected, then, connected with its values, its mores, in ways I am not. You are also my sister’s protege, and I fear you are likely in a better position to know her mind these days than I. That is why she wants you to speak for her.”

“I... I’m not sure I understand, Princess. Why does that matter?” “My sister entrusted you with this responsibility so that I could not unilaterally take any action or make any declarations on behalf of Equestria that she would not have made. She trusts your judgement of her character and desires enough to have you speak for her stead; suppose for instance, at some point in this venture, some of us wind up afoul of the laws of a land we are forced to pass through, and they wish to hold our companions for trial. My inclination would be to free them by whatever means are necessary; forcefully, if need be. But that would be tantamount to declaring war on their kingdom in the name of Equestria, which is not something Celestia would do lightly, I believe.”

Twilight blinked, gulping, looking up at Luna. “Hence, you are here to speak for my sister; to suggest what she would suggest, to argue as she would argue, to convince me - or be convinced by me - of the right course of action.”

Twilight coughed, clearing her suddenly dry throat, her ears drooping. “But, I... I’m not sure...” She frowned. “I don’t know if I can do that right. I was so frazzled by everything that I couldn’t even keep track of Spike.” “The fault for that is everypony’s,” Luna gravely said, with a sad sigh. “I never even thought of it. My thinking is, I fear, in many ways not so much old-fashioned as antiquated. The last time I took a voyage by ship, it was in the days when such voyages were primarily raiding parties of ponies sailing out in a long boat to raid another settlement for riches or supplies. To that way of thinking, if a pony failed to arrive at the dock on the day the adventure set sail, they were either taken ill, injured, dead, or cowardly, and in any event unwelcome on the ship if they could not make their own way to the launch.”

Twilight blinked, letting that set in, while Applejack turned her head up, looking up at the tall Princess. “Pardon me, but... That sort o’ thing really happened?” “Oh, yes, Applejack. It really did.” She sighed, craning her neck to look up at the roof of the hold. Such things.... Well, that was quite literally another era, one that my sister has spent a thousand years carefully crafting modern Equestria to have forgotten. I failed to think to assure that all of our travellers were aboard because I assumed that all who were coming and in a condition to come had made their way successfully to the ship. Fancypants is disappointed with himself that he didn’t insist on roll being called before we set sail. Blueblood, who should be the captain of this vessel, neglected that duty, among his other faults. And everypony else, I imagine, simply assumed that Spike was within eyeshot of another pony and left it at that.”

Twilight nodded, sadly. “But... What if he’s lost? What if he’s lost somewhere, and scared, and alone? What if... What if we can’t find him before we’re ready to sail?”

Luna peered back down, leaning her neck over the crate commandeered as a countertop. “What do you think we must do in such an eventuality, Twilight Sparkle,” she asked, and Twilight bit her lip. She really, really didn’t want to say it, and her throat felt tight as she took in a breath. “I... I suppose...” She looked up to Applejack, who looked sad, but resigned, and nodded. “I suppose we’d have to... Sail without him,” she admitted with a sad sigh. “This is an urgent mission... We can’t really wait, can we?”

“That depends. Do you believe that what he brings to the mission is more important - and so irreplaceable - that we’d be more likely to fail if we left immediately without him than if we delayed to locate him?”

Gulping, Twilight bit her lip. “Um... He...” She sighed. “Spike has this thing set up with his fire. It lets him send letters directly to Princess Celestia, and she can send them back to him... I... I guess we don’t, strictly speaking, need him, but he’s really, really helpful to have around... And he’s like, my oldest friend.”

Luna nodded, and sighed. “I hope we do not have to make that decision,” she said with a sad sigh. “Let us... Hm?” She tilted her head, looking up the stairs, as somepony on the watch yelled out. “We should see what that is,” she murmured, standing and climbing up the stairs. Applejack followed her, and Twilight followed them both, with a worried sigh.

“Wings ho!” One of the crew clearly shouted - Twilight looked up to the top of the cabin to see Cloudstrike rearing up on his back legs, flapping his wings for stability as he pointed to their aft. Twilight rushed to the side of the ship to look back; the two pegasus crewponies had returned an hour ago, having given up their search when Canterlot was in sight, but they’d said that they’d seen Rainbow Dash zig-zagging her way towards the city when they’d turned back.

Now she was back, and though she looked exhausted, she was still flying, catching up with the ship. “Water,” Twilight called out behind her. “Somepony get some water, Rainbow’s back.” “On it, Twi,” Applejack twanged at her, darting back down the stairs, and Twilight waved at the speck of rainbow-colored pegasus in the distance.

The rainbow-maned-and-tailed Pegasus caught up to the ship shortly, pulling alongside and banking in, landing on her hooves on the middeck. She looked woozy, breathing hard, but alert, and after Applejack and Fluttershy got fluids into her, she finally sat back. “Spike’s okay,” were the first words out of her mouth, followed by a long, deep sigh, and she grabbed the offered cup of water from Applejack, knocking it back greedily. When the cup in her hooves was drained dry, she launched into her story.

“Oh, thank Celestia,” Twilight muttered when Rainbow explained that Spike was on a train to Manehattan. “He’s alright. Heh... I knew he was. He had to be.” She smiled, weakly, as Fancypants nodded. “That is quite the good news. Miss Dash, perhaps you should go and rest belowdecks, get some wind back in your lungs.”

“Yeah... That’s not a bad idea,” she replied, standing up and walking to the stairs, slowly but not shakily. Slinking below, she found herself followed by Vinyl Scratch, who laughed as Rainbow sat at the crate that was serving as a table. “Dude, RD. You look beat.” “I feel beat, Vinyl,” Rainbow Dash replied, with a groan and a sigh, as Vinyl slid in opposite her, levitating her glasses from her violet eyes, tucking them behind her horn. “Well, forget about it. We’ll be in Manehattan in a few hours,” she said with a grin. “I need to get to Octavia and make sure she’s not freakin’ out, then I need to recover my headphones, portable and the Disk of Destiny. Once I got that...” She grinned. “Wanna tear the town up before you girls ship out?”

Rainbow snorted, and laughed. “Sounds like fun, Vinyl. I dunno, though, they might need me here...” “Well, yeah. I mean, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? But if they don’t... You, me, Pinkie, maybe Octavia if I can talk her into it, we hit the town and tear it up, filly! Who knows, maybe we’ll get y’all laid before you ship out, huh?”

Rainbow choked at Vinyl’s suggestion, half-way between a laugh and a snort of utter disbelief, even as Vinyl reached across the crate and prodded her in the shoulder with her hoof. “What? Come on, that’s what sailors are supposta do before they ship out.” “We-Well.. I, um... Uh....” Nervously, Rainbow Dash felt a strong blush creeping up on her cheeks. “I’m not, like, so sure... I mean, you know, I’ve...”

Disbelief and amusement crossed Vinyl’s face as Rainbow prevaricated, and she slowly spread a bright grin across her lips. “You’ve... Never? I mean, you’re a...” “Uh... K-Kinda?” Rainbow Dash felt her blush intensify, as Vinyl propped up on the crate, reaching over and noogieing her, strongly. “Well, that settles it, then. We’re going to have to break you away and get you laid before you head out to save the world, aren’t we?”

Blushing intently, Rainbow Dash lowered her head to the table, hiding her eyes under her forehooves. “Oh, wow,” Vinyl muttered. “You... Okay?” “Just dying of embarrassment,” Rainbow responded, and Vinyl stood up from her side of the crate, sitting next to Rainbow and rubbing her hoof over the Pegasus’s back. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean, you know... I didn’t mean to... Hey, we cool?” “Yeah, we’re cool, I just...” Rainbow Dash straightened up, taking a deep breath. “I just, um...” She glanced around the cargo hold, and finding it empty, continued on with a low voice, “I don’t talk about my sex life much, okay?”

“Oh... Oh!” Vinyl lowered her own voice, and grinned, prodding Rainbow in the wing with her elbow. “You’re a mare’s mare, then,” she said with a cocky grin, and Rainbow gulped. “Uh - I didn’t say that! I just... I... I... I don’t know,” she mumbled, hanging her hooves in her head. “Okay? I don’t know, and, well... This probably isn’t the time to be dealing with my hang-ups, is it?”

“Hey, s’always time to work through what’s ailin’ you if you’ve got to,” Vinyl said, with a shrug. “But hey, if you’d rather not go there, we’ll just tear the town up, three or more mares on a mission to party. Sound good?”

Snorting, Rainbow grinned, the blush on her face starting to go down. “Yeah, that sounds good,” she said, offering her hoof to Vinyl, who bumped it with her own.

“Hey! Did I hear someone say party?” Pinkie Pie peeked out of the forecastle, and jumped out into the hold, bouncing literally over the crates to flop into the makeshift seat on the other side of the makeshift table, grinning broadly. “What’s this about a party?” The bubblegum-pink mare leaned forward, eagerly, and Rainbow Dash grinned back at her, explaining Vinyl Scratch’s suggestion of a party crawl of Manehattan.

After Rainbow Dash’s return, Twilight relievedly found herself sitting on the forecastle, listening. There was laughter on the ship, she heard it coming up from the hold, and it made her smile, even though she didn’t feel like smiling.

“Hey, Twilight. How’re you doing?” Twilight looked up from the parchment she was reading to see that Derpy was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the forecastle platform, so her eyes were on the same level as Twilight’s.

“Hey, Derpy,” Twilight murmured, smiling at her. “I’m... Better than I was,” she conceded. “But I’m still worried.” “Me too,” the gray pegasus confided in her. “I can’t help but feel we worried a lot of ponies for nothing, with the way I sent out messages to everypony between Manehattan and Ponyville. Did we overreact?”

“I wonder that myself,” Twilight murmured, “but what if we hadn’t found his trail so easily? I just don’t know, but Fancypants thought it was the appropriate course of action, so...” “Yeah,” Derpy said, laying her head on the forecastle. “I just hope nopony’s angry at us.”

“As do I.” Twilight sighed. “Well, we’ll be in Manehattan in a few hours, right? What time is it?” Derpy plucked the pocketwatch from the strap on her saddlebag, setting it on the deck: the clock said it was half-past noon. Twilight nodded. “Thanks, Derpy. You wanna go through everything that’s in those bags, maybe catalog it?”

“Can’t hurt,” Derpy said with a smile, walking up to the forecastle and sitting next to Twilight. “Can I help?” Her voice wavered, as if she were afraid of rejection; Twilight blinked, and smiled, sitting up. “Of course you can help, Derpy.” The cross-eyed pegasus beamed brightly, sitting next to Twilight and pulling her saddlebags off her back.

“Wow.” “Mmmhmmm.” “I seen it before, but never from up here.” “It’s... huge.” “I bet it’s a lot of fun!” “It really is incredible.”

Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity all commented on it, and how could one not; the city of Manehattan sprawled out below them as the airship’s fluttering, undulating wing-fin-beats propelled it into the city, over the city. It was truly unlike anything Twilight had seen before; in size and scope, it made Canterlot and the Crystal Empire City both look practically as small as Ponyville.

“Home sweet home,” Vinyl said, joining them at the front of the ship, her voice sarcastic as she reared up to lean over the railing, peering down at the city. “Heh. I can see the place I grew up from here.”

“You don’t sound too happy to be back, Vinyl,” Applejack noted, and Vinyl shrugged. “Yeah, I dunno. I can’t really explain it. I mean, I love this city. You’d think it’s more my speed than Ponyville, right?”

“Well... The thought does occur, darling,” Rarity said, peering over at the other white unicorn, and Vinyl sighed, slumping forward, resting her forelegs over the railing and peering out. “I dunno. I guess I was really burned out when I moved to Ponyville last year, yanno? There’s only so long you can live at a full gallop before you just about drop to the ground and cry. I live my life that way, and I love it, but... Sometimes I don’t. Does that make any sense?”

“Well, sorta,” Rainbow Dash acknowledged. “I mean, I’m that way. All speed, all the time, except when I’m not, yanno? Even I like to kick back and take it easy, read a book or just close my eyes.” “Yeah, I hear you,” Vinyl said, with a chuckle. “I’d been going for like... Well, nonstop, since I got my first gig, living in the limelight, pumpin’ bass and music all day and all night, but... Well, after a while, it got to me. I was kind of a heavy drinker for a few months in there. Things got... Well, they got kind of bad,” she admitted, sourly, closing her eyes.

“What happened,” Twilight asked, worriedly looking to Vinyl. “That doesn’t sound healthy...” “It wasn’t. I figured that out when I woke up one day at nine PM with my contact lenses up my nose, feeling like I’d just swallowed about four quarts of fine sand and chased it with ground glass, out on a quay surrounded by seagulls and used condoms with no memory of the previous day or night.”

“Used -” Rarity choked off, and she and Fluttershy both began to blush furiously, and Vinyl snorted. “Yeah... I don’t think I was involved with them, but still, you know?” “Wow... Harsh,” Pinkie opined, and Vinyl Scratch nodded. “I know, right? There’s partying, and partying hard, and then there’s the kind of party that wrecks your life. That kinda... Scared the fertilizer out of me.”

“What’d you do,” Rainbow asked, and Vinyl chuckled. “Welllllll, I went to my agent and asked him to put all the offers for upcoming gigs on the table, and there was a gig in there to DJ a fashion show in some nowhere rural town I had to get a map and a magnifying glass to find. It was offering like, literally one-tenth of what I’d normally get for a job in-town, and it needed travel that wasn’t compensated, too. He told me that he’d just been about to compose a letter to the offerer telling them to please make serious offers only when I told him to just shut up and book me and my gear on a train out there.”

Twilight blinked; looking around, she saw that the rest of her friends were also blinking, looking between one another, and Vinyl chuckled. “Yeah, I know, right? I actually took a loss on that gig going in, between the pay and the cost to ride out there with my gear. I didn’t even have a road crew ‘cause all the venues I normally played had their own hooves to hook everything up, so it was kind of hellish getting everything up in time. Then you girls trotted out on stage in those outfits.”

Rarity gulped, blushing in mortified horror, and Vinyl looked back at her, laughing. “Hey, I kind of liked ‘em, no matter what that stuck-up pony said. Well, most of ‘em, anyway.”

“O-Oh?” Rarity blinked, perplexed, staring at Vinyl. “Who could possibly have loved those abominati-....” She cut herself off, looking around at the five friends who had basically dictated the designs of the dresses in question, all of whom coughed in embarrassment and looked away.

“Hey, I just spin the disks and all I wear are headphones and sunglasses and sometimes socks, so what do I know about fashion?” Vinyl grinned, shrugging. “But I did think they looked nice. Still, that was a disaster. Hoity was so appalled at the show he refused to pay me, and I was just kind of so worn out so I didn’t even argue or threaten to get my lawyer to sue the cutie mark off his flank or anything, I just kind of walked off, into Ponyville, got myself a scoop of hay fries and tried to find the bar.”

“Wow. You must’ve been lookin’ forever, sugarcube; there ain’t no bar in Ponyville.” “Believe me, I know. It was after midnight when I gave up. I was about to go try and find a hotel when I heard music coming from a house. Like, totally lame music, only it wasn’t, you know? I wound up just sitting there, outside this house catty-cornered from the library that some maniac carved out of the inside of a tree, listening to this music coming from inside, when I noticed there was a card in the window; the occupant was looking for a housemate.”

“So... You knocked at like, one in the morning,” Rainbow asked, and Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I did. It just... Seemed like fate, you know? And Octavia answered and even though we’re like, totally opposites, we just hit it off and I moved in that night, and it’s been like, the best thing in my life since my dad pulled strings and paid out the nose to get me into good music schools... She probably saved my life, yanno? Just... Being there, at that moment in time, needing a roommate, and me deciding to go for it without knowing anything about her but that she played the cello.”

“Uh-huh... So that’s why I get blasted out of bed by you screaming ‘good morning, Ponyville!’ out of your bedroom window at least once a week at 8 AM,” Twilight asked with a wry smirk, and Vinyl shrugged. “Yeah, well, I do that when I’m feelin’ really good, like I just got back from an awesome gig or something, yanno?” She grinned back at Twilight, who rolled her eyes. “It’s not like anypony’s ever complained...”

“Would you stop if we did,” Twilight asked, and Vinyl sat down, placing her head in one hoof and thinking visibly about it for long enough to make Pinkie break into a giggle, which in turn made Twilight laugh. “I’d probably forget,” Vinyl admitted. “And it was probably the best that ever happened to me, going to Ponyville, ‘cause I got know you fillies, and that got me my first gig at the palace.”

“Really?” Twilight blinked. “How did that happen?” “You don’t remember,” Pinkie asked, shocked and peering at Twilight, with a laugh. while Vinyl snorted at her. “Dude, I was like, three yards from you at that gig. White unicorn, sunglasses that look like just like these on account of being these very sunglasses? Speakers bigger than Celestia and a turntable mixer? It was a wedding?”

Snickering, Applejack snorted. “How could anypony forget... Surely you didn’t forget, did you, Twi’?” “No, of course not. I remember you were there, I just didn’t know it was you knowing us that landed you that gig.” “Well, specifically, it was me,” Rarity admitted, and Twilight blinked. “It was? What happened?” “Well, after that unfortunate unpleasantness with that uncivilized band of changelings was dealt with, the musicians were nowhere to be found. Cadance happened to mention in my presence that she was afraid a wedding reception without any music would be terribly dull, but that she couldn’t imagine putting a band together in under four hours’ notice. So, I suggested that we might be able to call upon Vinyl here. She asked me where Vinyl was, and when I told her she lived in Ponyville, she spread her wings and launched right then and there.”

“Wow. She never told me.” “I think you were busy helping Princess Celestia with something,” Rarity murmured, and Twilight shrugged, nodding. Vinyl grinned. “Yeah. She landed outside my house in a frantic need to get tunes, so I grabbed together my kit and a bag of disks and she teleported me and all of it straight into the palace. That was awesome. And that’s how I wound up playing Princess Cadance’s wedding reception, which in turn led to me being slated to play the Gala yesterday.”

She sighed, and shrugged, and Twilight frowned. “Man... I know how you feel.” Twilight sighed sympathetically. “Sorry. You’ll still get paid, I’m sure, and-” “Naw, man, it’s not even that. I’m not worried about the bits. I’m bummed I didn’t get to do the gig - Pinkie and I even recorded a song entirely for it. But not even that... I’m just worried that Octavia’s gonna think I’m hurt or dead or something, and I need to get to her like, as fast as is literally possible.”

“Not to worry, my dear!” Fancypants’ voice came from behind them, making all six of the mares on the forecastle turn their heads to look at him. “We’ll be docked in about ten minutes, and you should be able to get off immediately.”

The relief on Vinyl’s face was palpable, and she hopped down from the forecastle, hugging Fancypants, tightly. “Thanks, dad,” she murmured, and he reached up, stroking his hoof through her mane. “I do hope you can assuage your friend expediently.”

Vinyl grinned, and Rainbow Dash looked up at him. “Hey, mister coxswain, sir?” “Yes, miss Dash?” “Um... Do I like, need to be here for this docking?” “Well, I suppose not, as you’re a passenger. Why?” “I’d like to get off now, fly to the train-yard, and find Vinyl’s bags.”

Vinyl turned to peer at her, levitating her glasses up and behind her horn, blinking. “Really? You’d do that?” “Of course I would! What’s a friend for? If it’s okay with the captain, that is.”

Fancypants couldn’t help but chuckle, and smile. “Very well, miss Dash. You officially have permission to disembark early.”

Rainbow Dash squared her shoulders, snapped off a salute, and turned to the edge of the railing. She jumped, kicking off the railing and plummeting down towards the ground, snapping her wings open and joining the layer of pegasi flying above most of the city’s rooftops. Vinyl sighed, walking over to the railing and chuckling. “I could do that,” she said with a smirk.

“Permission denied,” Fancypants said, quickly, causing Vinyl to laugh. “Okay, okay, I won’t... But I could. Man could I jump from up here.” She peered down at the city below - they were starting to cruise smoothly over larger buildings, some of the ones up ahead came up even higher than the ship. “So, uh... Where do we get off?” “Good question,” Fancypants said. “As it happens, the answer is right ahead of us.” He climbed to the forecastle and pointed; following his hoof out over the prow, revealed a dock high in a building hanging out over the road, very firmly reinforced below with struts and above by cables. “Now, just sit tight, and let the crew do their work,” Fancypants advised them, turning back to see to that work.

Docking wasn’t a terribly complicated affair; Cherry Sky and Cloudstrike took the forward and aft mooring lines and flew out to the building, while the engines were cut. As the ship drifted close, they were secured to capstans in rooms at opposite corners of the building, which were then turned to reel the ship in, and it was carefully tied to the dock. The moment the ship’s side touched the air-quay, though, Vinyl Scratch leapt off it and started galloping down the length of it, quickly disappearing into the building, causing Fancypants to let out a sigh. “She really should have waited for permission to disembark,” he opined, with a sad, fond smile.

With a chuckle, Twilight walked to Fancypants. “May I have permission to disembark? I need to go find Spike,” she said, and Fancypants nodded. “By all means, miss Sparkle,” he said, nodding to the gangplank. “Though somehow, I suspect you won’t be long.”

Following his gaze, Twilight gasped, as did the rest of her friends when they looked; the small purple dragon was walking down the plank toward the ship, with a bindle stick over his shoulder. “Spike!”

“Uh, hi, Twilight,” Spike said, as the purple unicorn leapt at the gangplank, galloping down its length to intercept her assistant. She almost tackled him, diving to a stop on her belly in front of him and curling her forelegs tightly around him. “Spike! Oh, I may never let you out of my sight again! You had us worried sick.”

Twilight ignored her assistant’s struggles for a few moments, clinging him tightly against her chest and nuzzling the side of her head against the baby dragon, as he gasped and panted. Finally she loosened her grip, and Spike sucked in a deep, dramatic gasp of air, reaching up and running his clawed hand through her mane. “Geeze, Twi’li, we were only separated like, a day.”

“A day, maybe, but you had me worried sick!” Twilight stood up, and levitated Spike into the air, planting him on her back, firmly between her shoulders. “Come on. Let me show you the ship, and you can tell us where in Equestria you were.”

Spike sighed as Twilight pivoted on the quay, walking back to the ship, slumping over her and holding onto his bindle tightly. “Oh, brother. I’m in for it now, aren’t I,” he asked Applejack as they passed, and she laughed. “I reckon so, Spike.”

“Man, next time I get hungry, I’m just gonna gnaw on a statue or something,” Spike muttered, looking around in awe as Twilight carried him onto the magnificent airship and down into the hold. Once inside, she planted him atop the crate that had been pressed into service as a table. “Alright, Spike, talk,” Twilight directed him, poking him in the stomach with her hoof. “The last time I saw you, I sent you to Pinkie with food, and she said you’d gone back to watch the ponies playing football. So what happened?”

Sitting back, Spike sighed, shifting his bindle stick to leave the bag in his lap. “Well, when I got there, nopony was still playing. I got hungry, but I just has the munchies for something crunchy, like a gemstone or something. So I remembered you saying there were abandoned crystal caverns underneath the castle and I went to find my way in.”

“You... You did?” Twilight blinked. “How in Equestria did you find them?” “Oh... That wasn’t hard,” Spike admitted grudgingly, rubbing the back of his head and unwrapping the bag, revealing a small hoard of gleaming, shiny gemstones. “There was a cavern tours thing being built in town, but it was all closed up. I just, uh, slipped through a board in the fence and went down into the caves... But the tour route was lame, and didn’t have anything really, really good in it, so I started climbing down. I found this hall of mirror-like huge gemstones, and... Well, I kind of... Pigged out,” he admitted. “I fell asleep and I don’t know how much time passed. When I woke up, I couldn’t find my way out, but I kept wandering and I kept finding all these gems, so I started collecting them... Then a couple of royal guard pegasuses found me and took me to Princess Celestia, and boy was she surprised to see me... I guess I, uh... Missed a lot, huh.”

“Yeah.... You could say that.” “The Princess filled me in,” Spike said. “Then she gave me this and put me on the train to Manehattan.” Spike held up a parchment; unrolling it telekinetically, Twilight saw that it was a royal writ declaring that anypony who read it was to to facilitate the conveyance of the dragon Spike from Canterlot to Manehattan and from there onto the air vessel REAS Unicorn’s Splendour without let or hinderance and, if necessary, bill the Crown for any expenses incurred in conveying him expeditiously to his destination. It was marked with her royal seal.

“Really? That’s the ship’s name?” Twilight blinked. “Wow. Narcissistic, much?” “Er... Huh?” Spike blinked at her, and Twilight laughed. “Nevermind. Come here.” She tugged Spike and wrapped her forelegs around him, holding him tightly to her shoulder and nuzzling the side of her head against him. Spike sighed, but wrapped his arms back around her neck, nuzzling into her in return. “You really missed me, huh?”

“Yes, yes I did. You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Twilight said. “We thought you’d fallen overboard or something. Rainbow Dash, Cloudstrike and Cherry Sky checked like, every town between where we were and Canterlot, and Derpy had the royal mail send out a letter to every hospital, clinic, country doctor’s office, police station, fire brigade, and post office between Manehattan and Ponyville looking for you!”

“Uh... Wow.” Spike said, with a tiny voice. “Really? That much trouble?” “Uh-huh.” “I’m sorry.” Spike closed his eyes, nuzzling into her, and Twilight sighed. “It’s... Okay.” She nuzzled back, glad to have Spike close again, and Spike let out a sigh of his own. “Wait... Derpy? Derpy’s with us?” “Yeah. She’s here accompanying the Princess.... Actually, wait. Now that I think about it, I think there were some of her batpony guards with us on the docks, but I don’t remember them getting on. Maybe I should look into that, too.”

“Oh brother. Here we go again?” “Quite possibly.” Twilight stood up, chuckling, and Spike gathered up his spilled belongings, tying them back into his bindle stick.

Vinyl galloped past the small purple dragon without stopping - she took a moment to focus on him as she ran past him, inside of the building, but if he was here, then their search for him was over; her search for Octavia had just begun. By the time she burst out onto the street, she felt her worry growing more, not less; she’d reached the city, but now she had to find her housemate.

“Oh, man...” Looking around, the enormity of the city seemed to press in on her for a moment, but she shook her head. “Okay, think, think... She invited you to this gig of hers before Pinkie popped up and told you about the Gala...” Knocking her hoof against her forehead, Vinyl started trotting down the street.

The citizens of Manehattan were on edge, moreso than usual; she saw a lot of umbrellas deployed despite the utter dearth of clouds in the sky. Naturally, they were shielding themselves from the sun’s heat; a great many awnings had gone up as well.

“Nnnnh. Think, Vinyl, think,” she hissed to herself. “Where would she be... In a hotel? Probably, if the trains are all down or not available for the public.” Turning, Vinyl started to walk. “Which hotel?” She couldn’t remember, assuming that, indeed, Octavia had even told her which hotel. “So... The venue. I can start from there. She said the gig was going to be at... The park. Not helpful.” Sitting down against a storefront, Vinyl frustratedly scuffed the sidewalk with her forehoof. Think think, think! she inwardly railed at herself.

“Hey, lady, move it! Yer’ blockin’ traffic!” A stallion’s voice, grating and annoyed, spoke out behind her. “Ah! Geeze, sorry,” Vinyl muttered, jumping up and forward, hurrying on with the flow of traffic. A few moments later, she chastised herself. What the hell? Why didn’t I tell him to go shove it? Vinyl shook her head. “I’ve been livin’ in Ponyville too long,” she muttered; before she’d moved in with Octavia, she wouldn’t have thought twice (or even once) with responding to such an order from some irate pony with a rude gesture or an invitation that he do something anatomically improbable with himself.

Far from making her bitter or hardened, it just made Vinyl feel more worried about Octavia. She knew Octavia was a grown mare and could easily handle herself, but all the same, she wracked her brain harder, trying to fight through the mental block between herself and concluding where Octavia would be staying.

It hit her, then; she didn’t need to find Octavia. “That’s it! I’ve got it!” “Yeah? Well don’t give it to us,” the wise-cracker behind her commented, but Vinyl was in such a hurry she didn’t even talk back to him, kicking off and galloping across the street, hurrying uptown.

Four blocks later, Vinyl took the stairs of a green and red building two at a time, until she reached the office she was looking for. She opened the door, barging in. “Where’s Vic,” she demanded of the secretary - unknown to her, as he went through them about once every six months or so - sitting at the desk in the foyer. There were two other ponies in the lounge, burly Earth Ponies the pair, both of them looking like brothers.

“He’s in a meetin’,” she advised Vinyl. “If you have a seat, he’ll see you when he’s ready.” That, at least, told her everything she needed to hear, and Vinyl marched straight to the frosted-glass door in the frosted-glass wall, telekinetically tugging it opening and walking in.

The agent whom she had mentioned to Rainbow Dash was sitting behind a large desk, a huge stogie, unlit but well-chewed in his mouth. He was, in fact, in a meeting - only about half an expected event, as she knew full well he had a habit of having his secretary say he was in a meeting and make ponies wait just to make himself look more important.

The pony he was with looked like a match to the two outside, and she supposed that he must have been the brother nominated to act as spokespony, but she didn’t care, as the suddenly-opening door made Vic start and sit upright. “V-Vinyl? Heey, Vinyl! Viny, Viny, Vinyl! It’s good to see you, kid, but I’m kinda busy,” he said, invoking the nickname that she absolutely hated but he wouldn’t stop using no matter how often she told him to stop in the saltiest language imaginable, it as she walked up to the desk, rearing up beside the pony sitting at the front of it. “That’s nice, I’ll be quick. Where’s the symphony players staying?”

“T-The symphony?” The pony beside her turned his head to glare at her, angrily, as she stared at him. “Yeah. The Royal Canterlot Symphony. In town for the Tricentennial? I need to find ‘em.”

“What, the Symphony? I don’t think they need a DJ,” Vic said, with a chuckle, taking the cigar from his mouth and gesturing to the door, beyond which the two big ponies from outside were standing, glaring angrily at her. “Look, Vinyl, have you met these guys? They’re three-fourths of the Barbershop Brothers, you might’ve heard of ‘em? They’re without an agent at the moment, and looking to retain my services, so if you could, you know... Wait your turn? Especially since I hear you’re freelancing nowadays?”

“What?” Vinyl blinked at him. “Canterlot ring any bells?” Vic’s eyes narrowed, and she narrowed her own in return, craning her neck down over the desk as Vic bit into the stogie, hard. “I might turn a blind eye if you decide to play some nowhere hickville town hall or something for some local hickville thing, Vinyl, but this is twice you’ve freelanced a gig at the Castle. Frankly, I’m hurt,” he said, gesturing to his cheap suit. “I’m hurt that you would go behind my back and do something like that. I might almost think you don’t need my services anymore; whereas these gentlecolts do. So, if you don’t mind?”

Vinyl felt a headache coming on, as she stared in disbelief through her glasses at her agent. Crown Vic was a Pegasus, lounging in a broad, wing-backed revolving chair with a copy of the cutie mark visible on his flank stitched above his head - a broad, ostentatious gold crown festooned with red jewels. “Dude, seriously? You want to do this now?”

Vic laughed, and took the stoagie from his mouth, gesturing at her. “No. I wanna do it later. So, do you mind?” She almost lost it, but stamped her hoof on his desk, hard. “Yes, I do mind. One simple question, Vic, and I’m out of your mane: Where can I find the Symphony players! Don’t even pretend you don’t know, Vic, we both know damn well you’d know. Nothing musical happens in this town without you hearing all about it.”

“The Symphony, huh?” Vic made a show of scratching his mane, while the three burly Earth ponies shot angrier and angrier looks at her. “Yeah, I suppose I do know. I sent you a letter sayin’ I was gettin’ offers for midnight post-party parties that desperately wanted DJ PON-3, but you wrote back with some malarkey about blowing it off to attend the symphony - like you’d voluntarily listen to anything that didn’t have more bass than a Nantrotet fisherpony’s catch of the day! Then I hear through the grapevine that you’re not even gonna be in town, you’re spinnin’ vinyl at Canterlot Castle. Without having gone through me, without paying me my finder’s fee. For th’ second time! So I don’t really feel inclined to give you the time of day, even though it’s been the same time since yesterday!”

“Oh, for the...” Vinyl snarled. “Look, Vic, when you get hired directly to play the Castle - the very same castle where our Sovereign Princessesses Their Royal Majesties the Princess Luna and Princess Celestia live - you don’t friggin’ argue, or tell an agent of the Crowns to talk to your agent! The first time, I was called on literally at a moment’s notice, and I didn’t even get paid for that gig at all. This time, I was asked to do it by a friend. There ain’t no finder’s fee, ‘cause nopony had to find me, get it? I was hired directly.” She stamped her hoof on the desk, angrily. “And all I want from you, right now, is the answer to a very simple question, because my best friend in all of Equestria is in that symphony, and now she’s gonna be tearing her mane out worrying about me ‘cause I was at that castle when all hell fell out of the sky on top it and everything’s gone and dropped into a pile of manure!”

Again, she stamped on the desk. “So the only thing on my mind, now, Vic, is getting to my friend so she knows I’m okay, and the only thing between me and Octavia is you.” She dragged her hoof across the edge of the desk, scuffing the polished woodwork, levitating her sunglasses from her eyes and securing them behind her horn. “So, are you gonna tell me where I can find her, or am I gonna have ta make ya?”

Vic stared at her for a long, silent moment, his jaw open as he beheld Vinyl angrily staring at him. Then he laughed, uproariously. “Wow, Vinyl. You’ve gone soft in hicksville, haven’t you?” He snorted, chomping down on the stoagie, and Vinyl felt herself getting angrier and angrier. “Give me one good reason why I should tell ya, why don’t ya.”

Snorting with anger herself, Vinyl cast around - the trio of brothers looked furious, but she didn’t care. She looked from Vic’s collection of vinyl disks - first-pressing collectibles, many of them her own mixes - to the window behind him, looking out over the noon-lit street, to the wall of drawers on the other side, full of tropies Vic had won golfing.

“I’ll give ya three,” Vinyl said, rearing back and kicking away from the desk, landing on her hooves. “One.” She levitated the largest, the only first-place trophy on the chest-of-drawers’ top, and smashed it into his desk, breaking the trophy from the wooden base and leaving a huge dent in it - and an outraged look on Vic’s face. “Two!” She yanked the rarest piece of vinyl from his collection, the gold-colored first pressing of Louie Stronghoof’s second record, easily worth an order of magnitude more than she’d agreed to play the Gala for. She levitated it in the air, above the desk, spinning it rapidly, and jumped back up, onto his desk, craning her neck down to stare his face as he watched the disk, horrified. “The third good reason is whether I put this back on its stand or send it through your window, Vic. You’ve jerked me around so much, I don’t care if I ever hear from you again. Tell me where can I find Octavia!”

“Alright, alright!” Vic was visibly sweating, reaching for the spinning disc, but Vinyl levitated it out of reach of his hooves. “Ah-ah-ah. Talk first, Vic.” “They’re at the Walldwarf,” he snarled. “I swear, they’re at the Walldwarf!”

“Cross your heart?” “Cross my heart,” he exclaimed, standing from the chair, bracing one hoof on the desk and reaching for the spinning disc, which she still danced out of his reach. “Hope to fly?” “I’m a Pegasus! I can always fly, you twit!” he snapped back, and Vinyl smirked, repeating her demand. “Hope to fly?” “Hope to fly!” He snapped his wings open. “Just give it back!”

“Stick a cupcake in yer’ eye?” She said with a grin. “W-What?!” Vic stared at her, and she grinned, turning her head back, floating the spinning disk back through the door to his receptionist’s room. “Vic? Think fast.” She bobbed her head up, tossing the levitating disc into the air and releasing it. With a panicked shout, Vic leapt forward, trampling over the pony in the guest’s chair, snapping his wings to dive through the door. Vinyl telekinetically yanked open the door to his balcony, hopping from the desk to it, turning back in time to see the levitated disc drop, Vic’s leap carrying him too short.

She caught it telekinetically again, and set it down on the carpet, even as Vic struggled, crawling towards it. “Vic? Yer’ an asshole. Go fuck yerself,” she snarled at him, and leapt from the balcony, kicking up and off the railing, out over the street. Her horn glowed again as she felt her weight almost completely vanish, and instead of dropping like a rock, she sailed down the street, accelerating, but only slowly, towards the street below.

Reaching the opposite building’s walls first, Vinyl arrested her jump on the side of a second-story balcony, letting it absorb her momentum as she clung to it for a moment, her right legs on top of its railing and her left balanced on the edge of the balcony itself, then hopped forward, down to the street, surprising an old Unicorn stallion and making a young Pegasus mare shout “Hey, watch it!” as she landed, her landing disturbing the mare’s newsstand’s stocks. Vinyl spared her a glance, eyes glancing out over the news stand. The prominent picture on the front page of four different rags was all the same - a stock photo of Canterlot Castle from afar, with an airbrushed image of some kind of bolt of hot energetic death streaking down at the top and the headlines “CANTERLOT ATTACKED!” or “EQUESTRIA AT WAR?!” or similar. She shook her head, and turned away, ignoring the angry mare, galloping back downtown towards the named hotel.

The Walldwarf hotel was so named because legend had it that when its foundation had been dug, the workponies had uncovered an ancient wall or fence of stone running more or less along the foundation’s outer line, so low that they concluded it had to have been built by a dwarf pony. She had no idea about whether that story was likely to be true or not, but having played at the Walldwarf as a venue more than a few times, she was familiar with the story thanks to the gold inlaid image, supposedly life-size, of the dwarf pony (the size of a colt or filly) complete with trowel and bucket presumably for masonry work with an incongruous mining helmet, and the wall along the bottom inside of the lobby walls.

At the moment, though, Vinyl only cared inasmuch as the gold inlay of the dwarf pony in his cheerful miner’s helmet alongside his wall made it unmistakably clear that she was in the right place. Her breath came hard, fast, as she tried to bring it under control, approaching the reception desk.

“May I... Help you,” the pony on the desk said; snooty and haughty, she looked down her nose at Vinyl, and at the moment, Vinyl didn’t care. “Yes, you may,” she said, rearing up and resting her hooves on the edge of the desk, giving herself the height advantage. “I need to find somepony. A member of the Symphony.”

“Miss, we don’t-” “Her name’s Octavia, just Octavia. Earthtone gold-gray coat, dark and light gray mane and tail, worn long. Purple treble clef cutie mark, wears a white collar with a bowtie, eyes a lighter shade of purple than my glasses. Plays a cello, is she here or not?”

The snooty mare levitated a pair of delicate glass spectacles onto her nose, keeping her gaze level, forcing Vinyl to bend back down to meet her eyes. “As I was, ahem, trying to say, we do not give out information on our guests to just anypony who walks in here. We must keep our guest’s confidence, after all.”

This is a bad joke, right? Vinyl felt her headache coming back, and she took a deep breath, sliding down from the countertop. “Look, lady -” “Manager-” “Fine, Manager Lady!” Vinyl exclaimed. “Octavia’s my housemate, okay? She’s a member of the Royal Canterlot Symphony, and I was supposed to be here last night to see the show. Only I wasn’t, because after I agreed to come and watch her play, I got an offer myself to play the castle, and you do not turn that down. So I already blew her off once, but you know what? I was in the castle itself, setting up my amps, when the skies opened up and started raining death right on my head! And you know what I did, Manager lady? The very first thing I did was worry that Octavia was gonna be afraid I was dead, so you know what I did then? I didn’t hunker down in some cave, or stampede out of the city with the panicked herd of snooty-snout nobs, I tried to jump a moving train to get here. And you know what? I fell off, ‘cause the roof of the caboose was tin and I couldn’t get any grip. Now, most ponies who’ve just fallen off a moving train and narrowly avoided being bodily dismembered take that as sign from Celestia to pack up and do something less risky with their lives, but I had to get to Manehattan, so I galloped from the Canterlot train depot, at the base of the city, straight to the airship quay where they were launching an airship to travel over the seas and sort this mess out, and I jumped on it as it was departing. Had to be at least a thirty yard gap, with about half a mile below me if I blew it. Then, when I got to Manehattan, my agent was giving me grief about wildcatting instead of just telling me where I could find her, so I threatened to break a priceless first-pressing LP worth three times easy what you get from a gig at the castle if you sold it to a pawn shop. Do you know how much you get for a gig at the castle? A lot, and I blackmailed my agent with it to get the place I could find Octavia out of him. Even money I’ll never work in this town again, and you know what, Manager Lady? I don’t care.”

Stretching back up onto the counter, Vinyl glared down at her. “Right now, the only thing standing between Octavia and me is you, unless the Symphony isn’t staying here and I need to march back uptown and force-feed that snake in pony’s coat his own desk. Which is it?”

The manager was definitely taken aback by Vinyl’s excited declaration, and she coughed, squaring her own shoulders. Awh crap, she’s gonna give me a snoutful of snoot, Vinyl recognized, as the annoyed-looking mare glared up at her. “Well, that’s quite the tall tale, but it doesn’t matter to me. The Princesses could walk in here and demand to know about one of my customers and I’d tell them the same thing I’m telling you; the Walldwarf Manehattan Hotel protects the privacy and keeps the confidence of our guests.” She looked down, ruffling the pages of the register on the desk telekinetically. “So, unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose whether the mare you’re looking for is even with us today or not -” “Look, lady, quit with the fertilizer,” Vinyl said, with an angry glare. “If she wasn’t here, you would’ve told me that already so I’d be out of here, out of your mane and on my way uptown to buck up the jackass who told me she was here. So where is she?”

The manager cleared her throat, craning her head to glare at Vinyl down her nose. “A-hem. As I’ve told you, the confidence of our guests is protected. I suggest, then, that you go and find something else to do.” “Oh yeah? So, you’re the only pony standing between me and Octavia?”

“No. They are.” Vinyl turned her head, to see two large Earth Ponies in bellhop outfits standing behind her. “And if you don’t leave on your own, I’ll have these gentlecolts restrain you and summon the police to have you removed.”

“So that’s the way it’s gonna be, huh?” Vinyl looked back at the two bellhops. She might have been able to knock them out by smashing the huge planters with stunted trees over their heads, but a tangle with the cops would be really problematic. “Can you at least take her a message for me, then?”

“No. There’s the door,” the manager said, snootily, gesturing to it. “I suggest you make use of it immediately.” Looking back, she sighed, and turned. “Fine,” she muttered, and walked to the door, with one of the bellhops turning to escort her out. This isn’t over, bitch, she thought in the direction of the snooty manager mare, but walked out, levitating her sunglasses back over her eyes.

Outside the door, Vinyl looked up and down the street; she was so close, she wasn’t going to give up that easily. The bellhop said “Miss, if you’d please?” “Huh?” “Please move along. She’ll get angry if you loiter outside the door.”

The urge to tell the Bellhop to shove his hat somewhere decidedly unhygienic flared up in her, along with the urge to levitate it from his head and do it herself, but Vinyl restrained her anger, only rolling her eyes, and turned to depart, walking down the street, slowly, to spite him. She realized after a few seconds that he was following her, and was about to give him a piece of her mind when he murmured, “This way, miss,” and ducked down the narrow service ally at the side of the hotel. Vinyl frowned, but followed him. If this guy thinks I’m gonna shake my tail at him to find out where Octavia is, I’m gonna buck it out of him, she darkly thought, but when the bellhop reached a service door and turned back, he was grinning. “Oh, my Celestia. You’re DJ PON-3!”

Relief washed through her, and Vinyl let out a relaxed sigh. “Yeah. Yeah, I am,” she said with a grin. “You a fan, dude?” “Yeah, totally,” the bellhop admitted, gushing at her. “I catch every show you play in Manehattan. Heck, I even went out to Ponyville last time you did a show there. Tiny town, nice ponies.”

Chuckling softly, Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, I know. Why do you think I stayed there? Why do you think I’m so desperate to get to my friend from there?” “Yeah, um... I get that,” the bellhop murmured, looking around, nervously. “This could cost me my job, but...” He nudged his breast pocket with his hoof, and a shiny brass key fell out, falling to the ground with a high-pitched ting. “Ooops. I guess you picked my pocket while I was hustling you along.” He nodded his head at the maintenance door. “That’ll open all the doors except the guest doors. You’ll have to, um, knock, I guess. She’s on the thirteenth floor, room 13204, I think. That is, thirteenth floor, second hallway from the front, fourth from the left, if you were facing the building from outside. I’m gonna go get something to eat, when I get back, I’m gonna ‘discover’ my key is missing, so you’d better have finished up or gotten out of sight before then, kay? You’ve got about twenty minutes... I’m a slow eater.”

Vinyl couldn’t help but grin, as she levitated the key and stuck it behind her ear. “You’re a bro, dude.” She raised her hoof, and he bumped it. “Look, I don’t have any idea where the next gig I do will be, or when, but when you hear of one you wanna go to, no matter where it is, just drop me a line, you and five of your best friends get tickets and train fare, ‘kay?”

The bellhop grinned. “That’s a deal. Did I say I was a slow eater? I think I’m gonna go have a big bowl of Spicy Joe’s three-cheese, four-bean, five-alarm chili, so I’m gonna be tied up in the can for a while. Make it half an hour.”

The bellhop ambled away, and Vinyl took the key, unlocking the door to the service entrance. She quickly tugged it shut behind her and looked around - though largely unmarked, the service rooms she was in were lit by incandescent lanterns that probably desperately needed to be changed, judging by how one was flickering and the others were dim. Still, it was enough light to see by, and Vinyl started looking around, past the boilers and heavy machinery, until she found stairs, after a close call with a door that led back into the hotel’s opulent first-floor hallways.

Climbing the stairs, she counted off landings with doors on them until she found a doorway leading out to the thirteenth floor, and reckoned that once she got into the hallways, she wouldn’t look out of place unless she ran into that harridan manager or the other bellhop who had been called up to eject her. She waited with her ear to the door, listening for a few moments to convince herself the coast was clear, then unlocked it, slipped through, and locked it behind her.

There was nopony in sight, and she checked the floor number on the nearest door - she had wound up near room 13721. Inwardly grumbling at the huge size of the Walldwarf, she carefully navigated her way to the corridor that went between the room halls, and headed for the front of the building, repeating to herself the number 13204 in her head as she went down the hallway. Finding the second hall, she turned and started to walk down the hall, counting off the rooms until she arrived at the designated room, and after a look around, knocked on it.

Her chest felt tight; Octavia hadn’t seemed too upset that she’d had to cancel watching her symphony, but that was before Canterlot was attacked. She heard shuffling from within the room, and finally the door opened.

An Earth Pony stallion with a deep, rich purple coat and vividly blue mane and tail answered the door. He looked haggard, as if he hadn’t got much sleep, but the cutie mark of a golden lyre on his flank was an encouraging sign, and Vinyl blinked. “Uh... Hello?”

He looked her up and down, and groaned. “I swear to Celestia, if this is one of those things I arranged when I’m drunk to prank myself when I’m sober, I’m going to buck myself right in the face,” he muttered. Vinyl blinked again, and levitated her glasses from her eyes, settling them in behind her horn. “Uh... No. It’s not. Promise,” she said, and the stallion sighed. “Good.”

He started to close the door, and Vinyl winced, just barely catching it telekinetically, jamming her forehoof between the door and the doorjamb for good measure. “W-Wait,” she said, and the hung-over pony opened the door again, angrily blearing, “What?” at her with deep frustration in his voice. Vinyl sympathized, having woken up with a similar sensation many times.

“Look, I’m looking for Octavia. I was told she was in this room,” she said, and the purple pony groaned, face-hoofing. “Octavia? Octavia? Why would she be in my room,” he said, turning around, angrily. “I don’t need her in my room.” As he turned, Vinyl saw Octavia’s cello sitting in the corner, and the purple pony blinked. “I... What?” Looking around faster, he groaned. “This isn’t my room.”

“Yeah... Wow. Okay, you’re having one of those mornings. Look, I get it, I’ve been there. Just tell me where she is, then, and I’m outta your mane.” “Nnnnnh.” The hungover pony groaned. “Let me... Oh.” He pointed down the hall. “I’m in 13201, but I have a window, and I wouldn’t have wanted a window with this hangover. I... Buck me, we must have traded rooms.”

While sympathizing with his plight, Vinyl was growing irritated with the continual obstacles in her way. “Alright. Fine. That’s fine.” She telekinetically reached in, grasping Octavia’s cello and carefully setting it in the open carrying case, along with its bow. She levitated them out, towards the door. “Just give me the key to 201 and you can go back to sleeping it off. Deal?” “Nnnnh... Give me a second,” he groaned, turning back. He took a key with a fob that had the numbers 13201 stamped on it from a nightstand, and tossed them out, into the hallway. “Feel free to not knock again,” he said, hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on the handle, then shut the door in her face.

“Suits me just fine,” Octavia muttered, bending down to pick up the key in her mouth, advancing down the hall to the windowed end, and putting the key in the lock of the first door. She unlocked it, carefully, and pushed the door open.

She’d better be in here, Vinyl thought to herself. The door opening revealed a rather dramatic sight; Octavia collapsed on the thick hotel bed, surrounded by newspapers and what looked like composed or half-composed letters. There was a massive floor harp sitting in the corner of the room, and she set aside the keys and the cello, tentatively walking into the room and closing the door. “O-Octavia?”

The haggard-looking mare raised her head, slowly, groaning before she had even opened her eyes. She had an incredible, impeccable upper-class Canterlot accent, albeit marred by the unhappiness in her voice. “What is it,” she asked. “I already traded rooms, now will you please let me be? I have a lot of letters to write,” she complained, opening her eyes.

“Who you writing to,” Vinyl asked, as her housemate’s mulberry eyes locked onto her own. There was a split second of disbelief, then Octavia cried out her name, as if stunned she was still alive and unharmed. “Yeah, I’m here,” Vinyl said, relief draining through her, sapping the energy from her limbs as all the effort she’d gone to paid off, stepping towards the bed. Octavia jumped out of it, and pressed into her, chest-to-chest, head alongside Vinyl’s, hugging her ferociously tightly. “Vinyl! I... I was so afraid,” she said, her voice wavering as she pointed with her foreleg to one of the newspapers, one with that image of the beam of energy hitting the castle from the sky. “Oh my stars, I... I didn’t...” She sounded close to tears, and Vinyl felt the same way, closing her eyes and pressing back into Octavia, sitting down and holding her. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Octavia. I’m here,” she murmured, nuzzling her friend’s cheek, and Octavia sighed, heavily.

“The newspapers were giving conflicting accounts,” Octavia said. “Some of them said there were no casualties, others said there were streams of refugees flooding the roads. The trains are all commandeered, I couldn’t get a ticket to Canterlot, or home, or anywhere.”

“It’s okay,” Vinyl murmured, reiterating. “I’m okay. Everypony’s okay. As far as I know, nopony’s been hurt, just scared,” she explained. “I had a hell of a time getting here, but I made it.”

Octavia finally released her bear-hug, leaning back and sitting down, peering at Vinyl. “You... Oh, you did.” She sighed. “I don’t even want to know, do I?” “Probably not, Octavia. Even though it was really, really cool.” Her friend blinked, peering into her eyes for a moment, then let out a wry bark of laughter, smiling and closing her eyes, blinking away tears. “I was so worried, Vinyl. I thought... Since you were going to have been in the castle itself...” “Chill. It’s fine, we’re all safe,” Vinyl replied, reaching up with her forehoof. Octavia touched hers to it, not bumping, but connecting and holding her hoof to Vinyl’s. “Twilight and her girls, and from what I understand, her big brother and his wife, protected Canterlot from the hit. It was intense, blew my amps all to hell, but nopony got hurt.”

Octavia blinked at her, and sighed, relieved and slumping. “Thank Celestia,” she murmured. “I read that the Elements of Harmony were involved, but again - nopony’s printed an account that doesn’t contradict another.” “Yeah, it’s pretty twisted up. But fortunately, I know what happened straight from the horse’s mouth,” Vinyl said, with a grin. “I jumped the airship Twilight and her girls were riding out here, and they told me all about it.”

“You know what? Tell me later,” Octavia said, closing in for another hug, which Vinyl gratefully received, squeezing her friend. “Just tell me again you’re fine.” “Well, I’m alive,” Vinyl answered her. “There’s a good chance I’ll never work in this town again, ‘cause I told my agent to do something anatomically impossible because he was being a dickhead about just telling me where I could find the Symphony, and when I got here, the manager lady gave me a snoutful of snoot and wouldn’t tell me whether or not you were staying here, wouldn’t even send you a message for me, so I might just, maybe, technically, be trespassing to be here, but I don’t care. You’re safe, I’m safe, and now I know you can stop tearing your mane out worrying that I’m not safe.”

“Trespassing?” Octavia blinked, leaning back to look into Vinyl’s eyes, and she sighed. “You did something stupid, didn’t you?” “Things have been stupid since I tried jumping onto a tin train roof while it was moving yesterday,” Vinyl replied, with a laugh. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“... Oh, Vinyl,” was all Octavia could think to reply, rolling her eyes dramatically and hugging Vinyl again. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t manage to do something completely irresponsible, would you?” “Probably not, no. You mad?”

“Mad? No. I’m exhausted, Vinyl,” Octavia quietly said. “I passed out... Yet, I’m exhausted. I was trying to write letters to everypony I could think of whom you might, for some reason, have contacted first, maybe because you couldn’t get out of Canterlot or something. Then I got afraid you might have been injured, so I got a list of hospitals and clinics in and around Canterlot and I was writing them all with your description. Then I started to worry that you might have been killed, and I... I...”

“Easy, easy.” Vinyl sighed, and let go of Octavia, walking to the single bed. She telekinetically swept the unfinished letters and newspapers off it, and climbed up. “I’m right here, and I’m beat, too. You can relax now - we both can.” She patted the side of the bed, and Octavia blinked; hesitating for a moment, then she climbed up, into the bed, slowly laying down at Vinyl’s side.

Vinyl turned to her side, stretching her foreleg out, over Octavia’s shoulders, and the earthtoned mare closed her eyes, laying her head close to Vinyl’s. “You know, I haven’t even begun to try and calculate how much all my amps and speakers blowing out is gonna cost me. I lost my portable, my headphones, and the Disk of Destiny on a boxcar they went into when I couldn’t stay on top of the caboose. I have no idea if I’m in deep trouble or not for jumping on that boat, I told my agent to do something anatomically impossible, and if the harridan manager of the Walldwarf catches me inside her halls she’ll probably have me arrested. And you know what?” She rolled closer to Octavia, curling her hoof protectively over the cellist. “I don’t give a damn. From the moment I came to my senses back there in Canterlot, the only thing I could think of was that if you heard about what happened, you’d freak out worrying about me.”

“Am I so predictable,” Octavia asked, rolling over to press her back into Vinyl, and Vinyl grinned, closing her eyes. “Wellllll, a little bit,” she admitted, sliding her other forehoof under Octavia’s head. The cellist sighed, softly, and smiled. “Vinyl?” “Yes, ‘Tavia?” “Shush, and turn out the light.”

Vinyl looked up and around; telekinetically she tugged the window shades closed, flicked the light switch, and closed her eyes, laying her head on the pillow, her muzzle in Octavia’s mane.

“Derpy?” Fluttershy poked her head into the forecastle compartment of the ship, but even in the last place she looked, there was no sign of the gray pegasus. With a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh, Fluttershy turned around, about to give up and try later.

“What d’ya need, sugarcube? Maybe I can help.” Applejack looked out from behind one of the crates at the very front of the ship, a rope in her mouth, tugging it tightly and stepping away. “That oughta hold for new. What d’ya need, Fluttershy,” she reiterated, as the shy pegasus’s ears drooped. “Well, I was hoping to find Derpy, because I know she has a mechanical clock.” “Aaah. I see.” Applejack walked out, and Fluttershy turned to walk with her, as they slipped back through the hold, past Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Winestripe and Wavechaser playing cards on the crate-table. Winestripe seemed to be having a run of luck, though Pinkie looked like she was holding her own.

“So, what d’ya need to know the time for,” Applejack asked, scooting past Big Mac as he braced and carefully fed out a rope in his mouth, slowly craning another crate down into the hold. On the far side of him, a carpenter pony was sawing away the deck planks around some of the ship’s ribs.

“I, um... I wanted to know if the post office would still be open,” Fluttershy said, reaching into her saddlebag and presenting a pair of letters, already sealed and addressed. “I wrote these letters to Zecora, telling her that we’re going to be away for some time, and asking her to please continue looking after our pets and all our animal friends.”

“Uh-huh, I see, I see.” Applejack nodded to Fluttershy. “You know, there’s a post office in this here buildin’ we’re hitched up to. Actually, a lot of us are writin’ letters, we’ve got ‘em in a big box and I was gonna take ‘em on down later. Do you want me to take yours, too?”

“Oh, that would be lovely,” Fluttershy beamed at Applejack. “If it wouldn’t be a problem?” Grinning back at her, Applejack took the two letters, and put them in her own saddlebag. “It’d be my pleasure,” she said, nudging Fluttershy. “But, uh, why’d ya write ‘er two letters?” “Oh... One’s addressed to her at my cottage, the other is addressed to her at her hut; just in case she misses one.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Applejack said with a grin. “So, what’s next fer you, with your letters in the mail?” “Um... I... Don’t know,” Fluttershy admitted. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Applejack thought about that for a moment. “I’m not sure. Are ya any good at carpentry?” “Um... No,” Fluttershy admitted, sadly. “Clockmakin’?” “No.” “Know anythin’ about stockin’ supplies fer a long voyage?” “I’m afraid I don’t... I feel useless,” Fluttershy admitted, sadly, and Applejack smiled, reaching up to stroke her mane.

“Relax, then. If you really want to find something to do, though, I’d say you should ask Fancypants.” “Um, okay,” Fluttershy murmured, with a soft smile. “Where is Derpy, anyway? I looked all over the ship for her.” “Well, a short while ago, Luna took off outta here to go and meet with the mayor an’ then to hold a press conference. Derpy went with her.” “Ahhh, I see.” Fluttershy nodded. “I think I’ll go and find Fancypants, then. Is he abovedeck?” “As far as I know.” Applejack grinned, leading the way up the stairs, with Fluttershy following. Rainbow Dash looked up from the card game calling after them, “Hey! If you two see Vinyl up there, tell her I got her stuff.”

“Will do, RD,” Applejack called back after her, and she climbed to the top. Fancypants was standing with a pony wearing a hard hat, looking at some plans. “O-Oh, he’s busy. I’ll ask later,” Fluttershy murmured, vanishing back into the hold. Applejack sighed at her shy friend, but nodded.

“‘Scuse me, Cox’n,” Applejack said, confidently interrupting. “But I done like you said; I done tied off all those ropes where y’indicated, an’ they’re all ready to be hooked up to that spinny-post. Can I take th’ mail out now?”

Fancypants nodded to the pony he was with, and looked back to Applejack. “Excellent! You’re sure those knots will hold?” “Darn tootin’ they’ll hold. I may not be a professional sailor, but there’s only so many ways to hog-tie a rodeo pig, an’ I know ‘em all.” “Excellent,” Fancypants exclaimed. “Then by all means, please, take the mail to the post office.”

“Gladly,” Applejack said. “Though, if I may... I’m not sure I follow yer’ intentions. It’s almost like y’had me tyin’ ropes to the frame o’ the ship without goin’ nowhere.” “That’s because that is exactly what you did, Applejack,” Fancypants said with a patient smile. “Once the modifications have been cut in the deck, those ropes will be tied to the ropes holding the balloon to the ship. Then we lower the balloon flush with the top of the cabin and construct a framework to hold it more firmly in place.”

“Ah... Sounds fancy,” Applejack said. “How long do you reckon this’ll take?” “Not long, fortunately. Three days at worst, but likely a day and a half as the work will be ongoing around the clock. Of course, first we’ll have to empty the hold so the shipwrights can get to work, then we’ll have to fill it again... I’m still not sure about the interim or final sleeping arrangements, but we’ll manage somehow, once we see what we’ll have to work with.”

Applejack nodded. “Alrighty, then. If need be, I can always pitch us tents on th’ docks... But anywho, I’m gonna head out on that mail call now.” The well-dressed pony nodded to her. “Very well, miss Applejack. Carry on, and I’m sure we’ll find a use for your talents when you get back.”

“Will do.” Applejack put Fluttershy’s letters in the mail sack, and hoisted it over her shoulders. “Oh, Cox’n? Could you speak to Fluttershy? She’s feelin’ awful useless an’ it’s eatin’ her up. Maybe you can figure a way to put her to work?” The gentlecolt took a thoughtful look for a moment, and nodded. “I’ll speak with her, see what she can do, and find a way for her to be useful,” he agreed.

Octavia woke up slowly, stretching out. She was on her back, and felt a little cold, as the covers hadn’t been pulled up. Her right side was warm, though; she turned her head, and her eyes tried to focus on the haze of off-white and blue next to her.

Oh! Oh, that’s right, she recalled, the events surrounding her awakening from the exhausted slumber she had fallen into before coming back to her. Vinyl had arrived, giving the barest hint of a tale which was dramatic and, knowing her, impulsive.

Vinyl’s head was buried in her mane, and the unicorn let out a sound between a whinny and a snore in her slumber. Octavia rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but to smile, wrapping her left foreleg over Vinyl’s right foreleg, which was laying heavily over her chest.

She hadn’t wanted to like Vinyl, early in their time together, she reflected. Their first meeting had seemed like a sending from Celestia herself; the house she now shared with Vinyl had been owned by an old mare who had let Octavia rent the spare bedroom in the house. She had been a violinist, and they could spend hours, days even, wiling away the time playing their music together, cello and violin in harmony. And certainly, she hadn’t minded if Octavia fell behind on the rent - after all, she’d been a young, struggling musician herself, a great many decades ago, and she knew it could be hard to scrape up money if you didn’t have a permanent chair in a good symphony.

When she had passed on, Octavia had been devastated. She hardly knew what to do, where to go. For the first time in her life, she’d felt accepted for who and what she was, and the mare had passed on. She had been numb, attending the old mare’s funeral; she’d organized it at the last minute when Ponyville’s court clerk had come to the house to enquire after any next-of-kin, and it had turned out there were none on record.

She hadn’t known what to do, then. She’d almost worked up the courage to pack when the lawyer had knocked on the door and informed her that she was required for the reading of the will. Octavia had been shocked to learn that not only had the old mare not had any living relatives, she’d left her entire estate, house and all, to Octavia!

That had been years ago, and Octavia sighed, thinking back on it. It had been lonely, very, very lonely, but it had given her the freedom to focus on her musicial growth and expression, at least for a while. Then her money had run low - almost out, really - and she was facing the harsh need to either attempt to cut a deal with the tax assessor or sell the house. It had been almost a whim when she got the idea to rent out the spare bedroom, but most of the ponies who came to the door either wouldn’t meet her asking price, or had nothing in common with her. She’d felt lost, and had been playing a mournful tune on her cello with less than two days before she’d have to face the financial music, when a hoof had knocked on the door at two in the morning.

Vinyl Scratch had seemed like she’d been sent from Celestia, that night. She had a musical background herself, and seemed to be in a lost place herself. Although she wasn’t a classical musician in the manner Octavia was - indeed, it was dubious at best whether Octavia could classify Vinyl as a musician at all - she very thoroughly loved music, and they’d spoken at length, about music, about life. She hadn’t even batted an eyelid at Octavia’s asking price, which was probably the highest in Ponyville, simply cutting Octavia a check then and there for two month’s rent in advance.

A few days in, and Octavia had started having second thoughts. Vinyl was very much an extrovert, but she was also, with the benefit of a few night’s good rest, boisterous, loud, raucous and, worst of all, in the absence of alcohol, a morning pony, none of which Octavia was. She lived for sounds that Octavia had considered to be more cacophonic noise than music. She was also horrifically rude by the standards of Octavia’s refined upbringing, and even somewhat rude by the more relaxed standards of sleepy, happy Ponyville, but never purposefully. Octavia had considered telling Vinyl that she would have to move out after the first two months, but she needed the income to pay the bills, and Vinyl was, if nothing else, at least friendly and beneficent.

In darker moments, Octavia had sometimes resented Vinyl; Vinyl was easily the second-wealthiest resident of the town, following Filthy Rich and ahead of Rarity, and the DJ’s money was one of the lesser reasons she had to resent her. Then, almost without fail, Vinyl would do something to remind Octavia that she was Vinyl’s closest friend and confidant, and the feelings melted away.

She sighed, rubbing Vinyl’s foreleg. The off-white mare shifted, mumbling something in her sleep, and laid her head up against Octavia’s chest, atop her right shoulder. Sighing softly, happily, Octavia reached up, stroking the unicorn’s horn with her hoof, looking back up at the ceiling.

When she had finally gotten her break - when somepony from the Royal Canterlot Symphony had heard her play and invited her to join the Symphony - it had been like a dream come true. She’d been beside herself when she told Vinyl, who had squealed with joy with her. They’d danced around the house for what felt like an hour. The next morning, she awoke to find what seemed like half of Ponyville crammed into their house to congratulate her and throw her a party; Octavia had, of course, enlisted Pinkie Pie’s aid in throwing her a celebration, and Pinkie, well, did what Pinkie Pie was best at.

It hadn’t been until later that she realized what Vinyl had done; Vinyl had told Octavia of her father, of course, but it had been months later when she realized what had no doubt transpired, after Octavia had seen Fancy Pants attending a performance from one of the highest ranked boxes in the symphony hall, animatedly chatting away with the director. Yet Vinyl had never brought it up; never hinted at it, certainly never held it over her head. It had taken a while, but Octavia had finally come to grips with the fact that Vinyl had simply done it out of kindness.

She took in a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh, as her hoof slowly stroked Vinyl’s horn. Vinyl’s music had been difficult for her to come to grips with, the boisterous unicorn had seemed an odd fit in a house full of warmly antique furniture, she could be abrasive and straightforward, but Vinyl was, before anything else, a devoted, loyal friend.

If it meant enduring being shaken out of bed by throbbing bass at approximately the crack of dawn every now and then, it was still a bargain, having a friend in Vinyl. “I’m sorry,” she whispered softly, turning to rub the smooth, rounded outside of her hoof along her friend’s horn, curling her other foreleg around Vinyl’s. “I’m sorry for all the times I’ve resented you,” she whispered to her sleeping companion. “I’m sorry I resented the way you seemed to throw money around like it was nothing when I first met you, and I’m so, so sorry for all the times I’ve resented your horn,” she whispered, “and I’m sorry for all the times I’ve thought your music was abominable noise. It’s not, it just took me a while to realize that.”

Vinyl shifted against her, and Octavia felt her heart skip a beat, worried that she’d awoken the off-white unicorn mare, but Vinyl simply stretched out against her, her forelegs tightening around Octavia for a moment, then loosening. Octavia closed her eyes, and smiled, stretching herself out and yawning. Despite all their differences, she had come to realize that she would feel devastated without Vinyl Scratch in her life. The thought that she might have been killed in the attack on Canterlot was, if anything, far more terrifying than the notion that someone had actually launched an attack on Canterlot, and she was so very, very glad to have Vinyl close, safe and sound. “Sometimes, Vinyl,” she whispered again, even more quietly than before. “Sometimes, I feel like you’re the only pony in the world who really, really cares about me,” she almost subvocalized, closing her eyes and nuzzling against her friend’s mane.

A loud knock at the door startled her out of the comfortable reverie, Octavia raising her head. Vinyl raised hers as well, bashing her horn into the underside of Octavia’s chin, causing her to let out a yelp. From the other side of the door, she heard a loud stallion’s voice. “Is everything okay in there?”

“What? Ow! What?” Her jaw hurt, and Octavia turned to look at Vinyl, who had a sheepish look on her face. “Sorry, ‘Tavia,” Vinyl murmured, as she groggily lifted her head, then gulped, “Oh, fuck. I think it’s the fuzz.” “The what?”

Another loud series of raps issued on the door. “Security. Please, open the door,” the stallion outside said, and Vinyl winced. “So, not the cops, but nearly as bad.” “What’s wrong with it? Hold on, I’ll go sort this out.” Vinyl cringed as Octavia rolled out of the bed, walking to the door and opening it. Two stallions, a large unicorn and a larger pegasus, wearing a dark green version of the bellhops’ red staff outfit, were standing outside. “Why did you wake me up,” she asked, as the pegasus tried to peer past her, into the gloom.

“Miss - this isn’t your room.” “Yes, I know,” she answered, blinking at him and taking a deep breath. “The stallion who was assigned to this room didn’t wish to have a window, so he traded with me. We’re colleagues and as this entire hallway was rented by the Symphony, I didn’t see it particularly worth informing the staff. Is there a problem with that?”

“No, ma’am, not with that.” His eyes narrowed, and he leaned close, quietly saying “Miss, are you being threatened?” “What?” Taken aback by the question, Octavia peered up at him. “Threatened? By whom? That’s absurd.” “Miss, we’ve had reports of a break-in.” “A break-in?” “Yes. It seems a belligerent pony approached the desk, demanding to know if you were here. The manager told them to go away, but they were insistent, and after they were escorted out of the building, one of our bellhops reported that his employee key had gone missing.”

Oh, Vinyl, you really did get yourself into trouble, didn’t you? Octavia sighed, and pressed her hoof to her face, making a snap decision to cover for Vinyl rather than try to explain things. “Look, I don’t know what to tell you about your break-in, but whomever you’re looking for, she’s not here. May I go back to sleep?”

He peered into her eyes, and Octavia blinked. “I never said we were looking for a mare.” The pegasus stallion reached in and flicked the light switch, causing the ceiling fixture to shed bright light on the room. Octavia cringed, turning her head around to see that Vinyl was still on the bed, having squirmed herself half-under the sheets, and her unicorn housemate facehoofed.

“Miss, if this mare has threatened -” “I said she hadn’t,” Octavia snapped, angrily, feeling her temper flaring. “This is Vinyl, my housemate. We live together, she’s my very best friend in all of Equestria, and she told me that, when she told your manager why she needed to find me, your manager wouldn’t so much as alert me that my friend was here looking for me, alive and well, which I had very good reason to believe she was not!”

“It’s alright, ‘Tavia,” Vinyl said from behind, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “It’s not like I haven’t been kicked out of a swanky hotel before. And I didn’t even blast out all the windows this time.” She rolled off the bed, walking towards the door, but Octavia turned to bar it, putting her hoof down, literally. “Vinyl, I am not inclined to tolerate this mistreatment and disservice! I was so scared, and rather than bringing you to me, or even letting you send me a letter, the staff barred you from contacting me and sent you away? It’s intolerable, you’ve done nothing more than you were compelled - by appalling behavior on the part of the hotel - to do in order to reach me.”

The two stallions met her gaze, seemingly unimpressed. “Miss, are you going to be difficult? Your friend is being banned from the Walldwarf Manehattan hotel.” “Banned? For finding me?” “For breaking and entering and picking hotel property off a staffmember’s person.”

Behind her, Vinyl chuckled. “Oh yeah. That was funny. He walked out to talk shit to me and I took it right out of his pocket. He didn’t even see my horn glowing, classic, just classic.” “This isn’t funny,” the security stallion declared. “The manager’s giving you one chance to vacate the premises before she calls for the police.” “Oooooh, like I ain’t never been in trouble with the law before, bro.” Vinyl dramatically rolled her eyes, and tried to slip past Octavia. “Whatever. Octavia knows I’m safe and I know she’s not stressin’ anymore, so whatever. Smell you dogs later.”

Octavia let out a tremble, and felt a burst of unexpected combativeness swell up within her, and she held her hoof up, in front of Vinyl’s nose. “No.” Vinyl blinked, peering down her nose cross-eyed as Octavia pressed her hoof into it. “No?”

“No,” Octavia asserted, and turned to glare at the security ponies, outrage in her eyes. “This is wrong; this is unjust. My friend has been badly mistreated by the Walldwarf Manehattan Hotel, and by extension so have I! You will not be barring Vinyl, you will drag your manager up here to issue an apology to the both of us immediately!”

The pegasus stallion lowered his head, meeting Vinyl’s gaze, as she continued, “and if you want to throw Vinyl out, you’ll have to throw me out, too!”

Vinyl broke into a loud, uproarious, raucous laugh as Octavia’s collar was hurled at her from behind, through the doors of the Walldwarf Manehattan’s main entrance, as they sat on the sidewalk outside. A pony tried to heave her cello’s case out the door behind them, but Vinyl caught it in mid-air telekinetically, levitating it over to them. “Damn, ‘Tavia! I didn’t think you’d ever try something that ballsy!”

Octavia was flushed with embarrassment, shaking with some anger at the mistreatment she and Vinyl had endured, but mainly with the fearsome spectre that the police might have summoned and arrested them. “I... I don’t know what to say, Vinyl. I...”

“It’s cool, Octavia. That was pretty damn awesome, you sticking up for me like that. Kinda stupid, but awesome.” She lifted Octavia’s collar and slipped it around her neck, affixing it carefully. “There you go.”

Octavia looked down, touching the collar with her hoof, and sighed. “Thank you, Vinyl. I... I’m at a loss. I... What now?” “Forget those losers, Octavia.” Vinyl nudged the side of Octavia’s head with her own. “You, me, the Big Apple... This is my town, and I don’t think I’ve ever shown you around properly. I’ve still got my loft here for us to crash in ‘till we can get back to Ponyville. I moved most of my furniture to your house, but it’s cool, we can work it out... I think I’ve still got a couch that pulls out into a bed... Meh, whatever. We’ll figure it out.”

Vinyl grinned at her. “C’mon, let’s go to the airship dock. The girls’ll be glad to know I found you safe and sound, and then maybe you, me, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash can hit the town.” “Pinkie Pie? Rainbow Dash? They’re here?”

“Oh yeah, they’re here, all their girls are here, Princess Luna’s here, hell, even Derpy Hooves is here.” “Derpy Hooves? Our mailmare, with the odd eyes?” “Yep. Turns out she’s in tight with the Princess.” Vinyl stood up, lifting the cello telekinetically. “And so is my dad, of all ponies. C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”

Octavia rubbed her eyes, and stood up, following as Vinyl started to walk off down the road. “You simply must explain all of this to me,” she said. “How did you come to be here with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna and Derpy?”

With a laugh, Vinyl levitated her sunglasses from behind her horn to her eyes. “Long story, kind of awesome. Come on, we’ve got time.”

Vinyl explained the story of how she’d arrived at Manehattan as she led Octavia through the streets, beginning with the ponies dashing anomalously through the Castle and her amps overloading and blasting all the windows out, through to the part where she’d blackmailed her agent into giving her the place the Symphony was staying at and snuck into the Walldwarf with the aid of the bellhop who was a fan.

Octavia hung her head sadly as Vinyl completed the parts of the story she hadn’t been present for, and sighed. “Vinyl, I am so sorry for the way they treated you. I cannot believe how rude they were, and I promise, everypony I know will be hearing of the appalling treatment we received at the hooves of that terrible hotel.”

Vinyl laughed, shaking her head. “‘Tavia, why worry? They didn’t have us thrown in the slammer, so why waste any more time thinking about those losers? The worst they did to us was fling us out on our rear ends and cost us some sleep. We can get some shuteye anywhere.” “It’s not just the rude awakening, or the mistreatment we endured. They’ve humiliated us; me in front of my entire group of colleagues no less, and they’re completely in the wrong. What will it do to our reputations for others to know we were ejected and barred from their hotel?”

“Well, I dunno. I mean, it won’t really... I...” Vinyl levitated her sunglasses away from her head, peering at Octavia, blinking for a few moments, perplexedly. “I... Huh. I never thought about that. It won’t do anything bad to my rep, I guess. I never thought it could drag you down, though.” Her ears drooped, followed by her head. “Wow. I’m the asshole here. I... Sorry, ‘Tavia. I never thought about what could get brought down on you if I snuck into that place.” Vinyl Scratch felt suddenly dejected, and it showed in her voice, making Octavia pause for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, Vinyl. You did nothing more than you were forced to do by the extremes of uncooperativeness and disharmony you encountered. As for my reputation, well...” She sighed. “I don’t know. The director likes me well enough. If he takes my side in this matter, the Walldwarf might be the ones who come out of this looking bad.”

“And... If he doesn’t?” Octavia took a deep breath, and sighed. “Well then, I’ll probably have just thrown away my entire life, since if you get sacked from the Royal Canterlot Symphony, you’re blacklisted everywhere. I’d be lucky to find employment playing in a saloon band in Appleloosa...” “Huh... Could it really get that bad?” “I...” Octavia swallowed. “I don’t know, Vinyl.” She slid closer as they walked, pressing into Vinyl’s side. “We should... I... Um, I’m not sure. We should get on top of this, somehow?”

“Well... Wait, hang on a moment! The Royal Canterlot Symphony is part of the Royal Catering Corps, right?” “Um... Yes, I suppose it is. I’m not sure how that came to pass, but we are officially. Why?” “Well, the Royal Catering Corps isn’t a company, it’s, well, exactly what it says on the tin. And I happen to know where we can find Princess Luna. Having your boss’s boss’s boss’s boss in your corner is pretty much the ultimate trump card against getting fired, isn’t it?”

“Vinyl - the Princess? W-We can’t really bother Her Royal Highness the Princess Luna with such a... Mundane matter, especially at a time like this.” Vinyl frowned, lowering her sunglasses again. “Huh... Well, then... What say we stop fretting over it and whatever happens, happens? If things start to turn south, we’ll go and correct whomever needs correcting.” She nudged her head to the left, pressing it into Octavia’s. “Come on, let’s go dig up Rainbow Dash and Pinkie and party.”

“Party? Vinyl... I...” Octavia sighed. “Vinyl, are you sure that... Partying... Is what we should be doing at a time such as this?” “Well...” Vinyl paused, running her hoof through her ice-blue hair. “It’s what I’d do, but... If you think it’s a bad idea, well... I dunno. What do you think we should do?”

“That’s just it... I... I don’t know. Part of me wants to try and find a way to get our side of this out first, part of me wants to go crawl up in a hole.”

“Well... If you wanna hole up, my loft’s... Well, it’s pretty far from here, but we can get on the subway. We can buy some curtains and like, block out everything if you want... Is that what you wanna do, ‘Tavia?” Vinyl’s voice was soft, earnest; far from recrimination and sarcasm, her question was heartfelt and sincere. “I... I, well...” Octavia swallowed, and sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe? It sounds nice... I just wish we were still in bed,” she admitted. “Then we can go find somewhere else to sleep, if you think that’s best, ‘Tavia,” Vinyl offered, but Octavia shook her head. “I just don’t know what would be best, Vinyl. I just... How can you party at a time like this?”

Vinyl sucked in a deep breath, and blew out a sigh, with a shrug. “I dunno, you just... You do. You just don’t sweat what’s worrying you, put it out of your mind, get lost in the music and the beat and the party and worry about it later. Like right now, I’m not sweatin’ the fact that I told my agent Vic to go fuck himself, or threatened to break his single most prized possession.” Octavia recoiled slightly from Vinyl’s casual use of such intense vulgarity, but Vinyl didn’t seem to notice. “I’m not sweatin’ that stupid, up-tight useless manager lady at the Walldwarf, either, or the fact that the sun’s stuck in mid-air. Why? Because either there’s nothing I can do about it, or there’s nothing I care enough to do about it. All I care about right now is that I’m glad you’re okay, ‘Tavia, so, screw the rest.”

Octavia considered Vinyl’s statement for a moment, as they walked down the street pressed together from flanks to shoulders, and sighed. “You can be so... Care-free at times, Vinyl. Careless, some might even say. I sometimes wish I could be so unworried.” “Well...” Vinyl shrugged. “I guess if you’re really worried about it all, then, what are we gonna do?”

Thinking about it harder, Octavia shook her head. “Nothing. There’s nothing we can do, is there?” “Not that I can see.” “Nor I...” Blowing out a sigh, Octavia leaned her head to the right, resting it on Vinyl’s shoulder briefly. “Okay. Let’s, um... Let’s try it. Let’s go find some friends and try to have a good time.”

“You sure, ‘Tavia?” “Yes, I’m positive.” “Well, alright then. Good timing, since we’re here.”

Vinyl turned, leading Octavia into the tall, towering building, and through the lobby, to the elevators. The building, though huge, was mostly deserted, and they had the lift to themselves as they rode it up to the floor Vinyl set it to.

“So, ‘Tavia... Can I ask you somethin’?” “Of course, Vinyl,” Octavia responded, as Vinyl set cello case down, stretching and sitting herself in the back of the car. “Um...” Vinyl scratched her hair with her hoof. “I didn’t want to interrupt you, ‘cause, well, you were kind of laying out some stuff I figured you didn’t mean for me to hear, but... Well, I’m sorry if I’m a jackass.”

“I... I beg your pardon?” Octavia asked quizzically, and Vinyl sighed. “I didn’t... I didn’t realize you were in a tight spot money-wise. I didn’t mean to come off like a dirtbag throwing cash around. I just... I didn’t see anything wrong with the price you quoted me. It seemed like a bargain to me. And I... Well, I guess I’m not so easy to live with. You never complained, so I thought you were, you know, cool with my music, and the way I sometimes get enthusiastic about a new day. It’s just...”

Vinyl let out a tremendous sigh and slumped to the floor, laying on her belly and crossing her hooves under her head. “You know I was burned out when I came to Ponyville, but I don’t think... I don’t think I’ve ever told you just how burned out I was, just how much in a bad spot I was. Then I met you, and you were... Nice to me. Friendly, warm... Inviting. I met you, and I met Pinkie Pie the next day, and everything after that is just kind of a blur of being in the nicest place I’ve ever been in. I guess I don’t have any volume control, though, so when I started feeling happy about life again...”

“...You shake me out of bed at the crack of dawn with a blast of bass.” “Yeah, that. You, and Twilight, and everypony in about a block radius. I... I didn’t mean to be an asshole, I just... Nobody ever complained. I thought Ponyville was fine with it. Here, things are different. If you don’t like what someone does, you tell them to knock it off, if you’re feeling nice. You tell ‘em to knock it the hell off before you shove it up their ass if you’re not...”

Vinyl blinked, and sighed, heavily. “Man, I love this city, but... Is just being here making me a jackass?” She bit her lip, and Octavia sighed, sliding over and sitting next to Vinyl, stroking her housemate’s ice-blue mane with her hoof. “Your language has been rather saltier today than I recall it being previously,” she admitted, “But I think everypony’s been under a lot of stress lately, and everypony has a different reaction to that.”

“And I turn into an abrasive bitch, huh?” “Well... You certainly are shorter of temper and faster to resort to salty language, but Vinyl, you always mean well.” Octavia settled down next to Vinyl. “How long is this lift ride, anyway?” “I dunno... We should be there, but I guess it’s slow or something. We’re still moving, though, right?”

Octavia focused for a moment on the sensation of added weight, and nodded. “Yes, we are. But slowly, I think.” “Oh well. As long as we’re moving...” She sighed softly, and looked over at Vinyl. “Look, Vinyl... I’m sorry. I had no right to resent you because you were successful. Ponies obviously like your music, and... I’m sorry I ever thought it wasn’t music. I simply... Have spent all my life learning more classical forms of music, so the music you weave just... Seems very strange to me, sometimes, even though I’ve gotten used to it. But I’m sorry I ever thought it wasn’t music.”

“Hey, chill, chill. S’all good, ‘Tavia.” Vinyl learned over, pressing the side of her head to Octavia’s, with her eyes closed. “You’ve always... You’ve always been a good friend to me, really. If you want me to try and keep it down, well -” “No, Vinyl.” Octavia laughed, softly, wryly. “You wouldn’t be you if you ‘kept it down’, I’ve come to realize. Somepony who ‘kept it down’ wouldn’t have jumped aboard a moving train to try to find me when I was frightened out of my mind, and she wouldn’t have then stowed away on a royally-commanded airship, and she wouldn’t have found her way to me.”

Octavia pressed her head back against Vinyl’s, and slowly sighed. “So, what did you want to ask me?” “Well, um... I get the money, and the blasting you out of bed at the crack of dawn... But why would you resent my horn, of all things?”

“I... Ehhh...” Octavia’s voice caught in her throat, her face flushing as she pulled back, turning her face to look at Vinyl. “I-I.. You weren’t supposed to... I...” Freezing up for a moment, Octavia finally resorted to lowering her head and closing her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about that right now, Vinyl.”

Octavia felt Vinyl’s quizzical gaze on her for a few long, long moments, then her friend nodded. “Okay, ‘Tavia. Okay.”

The elevator finally shuddered to a halt, and both of them picked themselves up off the floor, as the doors emitted a loud poing! and began to open. Vinyl levitated the cello again, and they walked out to the level of the sky-scraping building with the airship quay built in.

What they found was a bustling mess of busy activity, with what looked like half a lumber yard’s worth of lumber stacked up, and more rope than Vinyl could recall ever seeing in one place, laying in coils and spools on the ground, hanging from huge blocks high above their head. “Woah. They’ve been busy,” she opined, as she walked out towards the quay. Fancy Pants was, of course, on-deck, directing activity, and Vinyl grinned, walking along the quay to the side of the ship. The motion caught his eye, and Vinyl grinned. “Hey, dad; I found her. Permission to come aboard?” “Why, granted, of course, granted,” he replied with a broad grin, and Vinyl walked onto the ship’s deck, grinning broadly as Octavia followed her, staring around in amazement.

Fancy Pants turned back to the hard-hatted unicorn pony he had been speaking with. “Have you got what you need to proceed?” “Yeah, sure we do, but we’ll need you and yours off’a th’ boat.” “I see. Do you want me to detail any of my crew -” “Nah, that’s exactly what I don’t need. Look, your boys may be good sailors, and even good half-assed engineers in a pinch, but this is what me and my boys do fer’ our livin’. Even if we weren’t a Union crew - and that’d be a huge violation o’ Union rules - tryin’ to integrate a bunch of newbies into my crew would slow us down so much that we’d lose time. You wanna help, get this boat unloaded, disconnect the drives and the engine, and make sure there’s an unendin’ supply o’ strong coffee and good donuts, and we’ll get your boat modified to your specs on time and on budget, got it?”

“Hmmmm... I see.” Fancy Pants sighed heavily, and nodded. “Well then, I suppose we’d better empty the ship.” The hard-hatted unicorn nodded at him, and Fancy Pants turned back to Vinyl. “Is this the friend you were so worried about?” “Yeah, pops,” Vinyl replied. “This is Octavia. I had a lot of trouble finding her, but I did in the end. Octavia,” she said, nodding to the musician, “This is my old man, Fancy Pants.”

Octavia smiled at the dashing, large Unicorn stallion, reaching up to shake his hoof. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she murmured, and he chuckled. “Oh, there’s no need to ‘sir’ me, I haven’t been Knighted and you aren’t part of the crew, miss Octavia. Vinyl’s wrote so much about you to me. Thank you for taking my girl in under your roof.”

Vinyl laughed, a short, incredulous bark of laughter. “Dad! I’m not a filly, I haven’t been for ages!” “You will always be my daughter,” Fancy Pants replied with a smile, reaching up and brushing Vinyl’s messy, spiky hair with his hoof, garnering a grin from her. “I do so wish I had more time to spend with the both of you, but it’s fallen to me the task of emptying this vessel from stem to stern, keel to deck. Including the ship’s owner and his lair,” he darkly muttered, before breaking back into a smile. “But that can be dealt with later. For now, miss Dash returned from the train yard some time ago with a set of saddlebags which were not her own, so I believe she recovered your wayward belongings.”

Vinyl brightened immediately, and Fancy Pants smiled. “Go and collect your things and your friends. Anypony you can talk into leaving and going out for a night of recreation will be a pony not underhoof.”

Grinning at her father, Vinyl turned to look at Octavia. “Well, you heard ‘em. Wanna round up the girls and have a night on the town?” “I... That sounds good,” Octavia replied with a grin. “Let’s go.” Vinyl set her cello down, and led her belowdecks. It was difficult to move with the beginnings of the alterations in place, but she smiled when she saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sitting at the makeshift table. They were playing a card game, but both looked up when she walked down the stairs, with Octavia in tow. “Vinyl! And you brought Octavia,” Pinkie enthused, and Rainbow Dash grinned. “You found her, huh? Nice going,” Rainbow Dash said, holding her hoof up, which Vinyl bumped on her way past. “You would not believe what I had to do to find her, though - or how she stood up for me and we both got kicked out of a hotel. That was awesome.”

Octavia’s ears drooped, and she chuckled nervously. “I, uh... Heh. I wouldn’t say it was awesome, really, more like foalish -” “Nah, ‘Tavia. You put your hoof down and stood right by me when those snooty snouts were giving us a snoutful of snoot.” Vinyl turned around and smiled at Octavia, who sat down, blushing. “We-llll, I...” “So, what’s up? You wanna get in on this,” Pinkie asked, holding up her deck of cards. “I can re-deal us.”

“Nah. Actually, my dad said we needed to like, get everypony off this airship we could, ‘cause we need to vacate it for the shipwright dudes. Sooooo... What say we hit the town and go party, girls?”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up with delight, and Rainbow Dash laughed. “A night on the town, huh? Could be just the thing after the weight of the last few days. I’m in.” “Oh, if there’s a party, I’m always in,” Pinkie added hastily. Vinyl sucked in a breath, but Rainbow Dash cut her off by lifting Vinyl’s saddlebags off the floor and setting them on the card-crate. “And look what I found!”

“Oh-ho-ho-ho!” Grinning with glee, Vinyl reared up, opening her bags, and laughing maniacally with joy. “It’s all here! My portable spinner, my headphones, my spare glasses, and the Disk of Destiny!” She pulled the shining, golden LP from the bag, squeaingl with delight.

“Ah, it was nothin’ special,” Rainbow Dash said with a grin, brushing her hoof away, but was taken completely by surprise as Vinyl seized her behind the head and pulled close. Before she knew what was happening, Vinyl’s lips were on hers and the unicorn mare held nothing back; her lips spread, head tilted to seal her mouth against Rainbow’s, and her tongue, wet and warm, lashed against Rainbow Dash’s lips.

Her heart skipped a beat, as Vinyl pressed the heavy kiss suddenly into her, that her mouth fell open, an opportunity Vinyl took. Rainbow felt a small tremble run through her as Vinyl’s tongue pressed into her mouth, against hers, strongly pressing into and around her tongue, filling her mouth for a brief eternity, then pulling away with a loud ‘mmmmwah!’

Rainbow Dash remained in the pose she had been, frozen by surprise. Pinkie Pie broke into a giggle, while both Rainbow Dash and Octavia had furious blushes on their startled faces. “Ho-ho-ho-hooooooooly shit, girl,” Smoke Curl laughed from the other side of the apple cart in the middle of the hold; causing the two machinists to peek in from the aft compartment, and Fluttershy and Rarity to look in from the forecastle hold.

“What?” Vinyl asked with a laugh, looking around. “You fillies have never seen a mare kiss another mare before?” She smirked, and pushed back from the crate, laughing and levitating her saddlebags over her back, rolling her shoulders as the familiar weight of her portable gear rested over her shoulders again. Pinkie Pie’s giggle simmered down a quiet chuckle, while Smoke Curl’s surprised utterance rose into raucous laughter. From the front, Rarity and Fluttershy blinked at one another, as Vinyl nudged Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”

“W-What? Y-Yeah. I’m fine. Fine, just, uh... Surprised,” Rainbow Dash said, blinking, touching her hoof to her mouth for a moment, then shaking her head. She could feel the blush rising on her cheeks, and coughed, standing up. “Yeah, let’s uh... Go, right?” “Yep. My pop told me to take you fillies and show you a good time. Who’s comin’?”

“Me!” Pinkie held her hoof up excitedly, and Rainbow Dash coughed. “I, uh, guess I’m in,” she said, shaking her head. “A party, you say,” Rarity asked from the forecastle, and Vinyl grinned. “Yeah! C’mon, Rarity, Fluttershy, let’s go.” “Well.... I would love to get off this ship. If we’re going to be sailing on it for quite some time, I simply must make some purchases in town before we go, too.” “Alrighty. Fluttershy?” “I... I...” The meekest of the ponies on the ship looked around for a few moments. “I...” Her eyes flicked up to Rarity, then to Pinkie and Rainbow, and she sighed. “Okay.”

“Righteous. Smoke,” Vinyl asked, then looked back to the machinists. “And you guys? You in?” “Man, after seeing that, I’d love to see what you consider a party,” Smoke said with a laugh. “But we can’t. We’ve gotta get this ship empty, and then I’m like, outta here. Gotta go see my folks before we sail off over the sea, yanno?”

Rusty Sunshine and Winestripe voiced nonverbal agreement with Smoke Curl’s turning down, and Vinyl nodded. “Sorry to hear that, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Good luck.”

The crewponies turned back to what they were doing, and Vinyl nudged Octavia. “You comin’?” “I... Uh, yes, of course,” Octavia murmured, only just starting to get her blush under control, and shaking her head. “Awesome! But, uh, where are the others?”

“The others?” Rarity slunk into the cargo hold, having slipped her saddlebags on. “Well, let’s see. Princess Luna and Twilight went off to attend a press conference, and Derpy Hooves and Spike went with them as aides. Applejack and Big Macintosh elected to stay here and assist with the unloading of the vessel, and then I think they were going to look up family in Manehattan to send a message to the rest of their kin. Wavechaser asked for and received permission to disembark the vessel to hurry to his ailing grandmother’s side, Smoke Curl, Rusty Sunshine, and Winestripe are here, and I believe Fancy Pants has enlisted Cherry Sky and Cloudstrike as messengers. Prince Blueblood,” she said, spitting the name with venomous rancor, “has been sulking in his cabin since roll call, and he can rot in there for all anypony cares.”

It was more rancor than one normally expected from Rarity, but the brilliantly-white-coated mare brushed her elegant coiffure with her hoof, dismissively. “So, where shall we go?” “Good question,” Vinyl said, with a laugh. “You girls hungry?”

As those who were going with her generally expressed their assent, Vinyl grinned. “Alrighty then. Dinner first, and then we are going to hit this town!”

Empire of the Moon on FIMfiction.net
Table of Contents (On Google Docs)
Next Chapter: A Day on the Town

Author's Notes:

I'm starting to think nobody likes or cares about this story. I haven't seen so much as a single comment appear on the chapterized Google docs where I'm writing these, let alone any anonymous animals read the chapter I'm writing.