Another day court over for now, another lunchtime upon me.

I walked out of my throne room and into my dining room, where Captain Blaze was on duty. He saluted me, and I nodded back at him. "Good evening, Captain Blaze. Having a good day so far?"

"Today is completely uneventful, Princess Antares," Captain Blaze said with a nod. "Nothing to report here except that the chefs went all out with your lunch today."

I smiled and sat down at my normal spot at the table, where a covered plate rested. "Excellent, Captain. I look forward to seeing what they have in store."

"I think you'll be surprised."

The top of the cover was engulfed in Captain Blaze's fiery orange magical aura, and he lifted it off of the plate to reveal...

Steak?

My eyes widened, and I snapped my head back to Captain Blaze, who grinned at me. "Figured that you might enjoy it, Princess Antares. I know that you had carnivorous tendencies back when you were a human, so we figured that you deserved a treat."

"Uh..." I turned my head back to the steak and blinked once. "I..."

Steak. Juicy, wonderful, perfectly cooked steak. I could see the seasoning resting perfectly on the flawlessly brown outside, just like I remembered it from home. Oh, it seemed to me like my day took a turn for the better. Nevermind that as an herbivore I would probably get sick from doing this, but they had made this for me, so there I figured that I might as well eat it. I mean, when does something like this come along? I picked up my knife and fork, and speared one of the strips of steak with the fork before cutting into it.

Oh, yeah. Whomever cooked this did a spectacular job. The knife cut through the flesh with little resistance, and my mouth began to water. Maybe my alicorn biology meant that I had a resistance to this kind of thing and could eat steak. Yeah, that's right, I had alicorn powers and whatnot! I could probably eat this no problem! I mean, I had to keep it under wraps and all because a carnivorous goddess wouldn't look the best, scorpion symbolism notwithstanding, but for now I didn't have to worry about that. I could just enjoy my tasty, wonderful amazing meal.

A small piece separated from the rest, and I picked it up with my fork and brought it closer to my mouth. Oh yes, time for goodness. Time for juiciness. Time for steak.

"Time to get up."

Huh?

"Enjoying yourself, Antares?"

My eyes snapped open, and I saw none other than Luna staring down at me, a hint of a smirk on her face. It didn't take a genius to figure out who had engineered this little dream of mine. Not that Luna was allowed to be in my room in the first place!

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Luna and I just stared at each other, neither of us so much as making any noise while breathing. This was a huge breach of my privacy, and there was no way that Luna didn't know that. I knew that this couldn't be a dream either, because I had just woken up from one, and I'm horrible at lucid dreaming. No, Luna stood above me in my room, having just given me a dream about eating steak.

Finally, I took a slow, deliberate breath, and blinked once before speaking in a flat voice.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Now she could have responded with an explanation. She could have responded with an apology, as she was not allowed in my room anymore than she was allowed to order my guards around, and she knew this full well. She could have even shrugged and flew off.

Instead she materialized what turned out to be a bucket of ice water and, with no shortage of internal glee, I'm sure, proceeded to dump the contents on me, drenching me to the bone with frigid water.

Now, I don't care what anypony heard, but I did not "screech like a mare discovering her first wrinkle," as Luna would later put it. Nor was it "so shrill that bats would have no trouble hearing it." If ponies outside of my room heard it that way, I'm sure that Luna casted a spell on my door so that any noise that I made sounded like that.

I rolled out of bed, dripping wet from the icy assault, and tangled in my sheets. I struggled in vain to get out of it, but after a few seconds of watching me squirm, Luna ignited her horn and unwrapped me, that insufferable smile still on her face. My face, on the other hoof, let her know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was the farthest thing from amused. If we could weaponize my glare, Equestria would already be a more hegemonic power than it already was.

I was a touch wroth, is what I'm trying to say.

I slowly reached up a hoof and wiped a little moisture from my face. Luna and I never breaking eye contact. I took another short breath before speaking in the same slow, deliberate voice. "Luna?"

Luna's smile widened almost imperceptibly. "Yes, Antares?"

I gently cleared my throat. "May I... may I ask what the Tartarus is wrong with you?"

Luna's smile shifted to a frown, but it was no less mocking, and she looked to my bedsheets. "We fail to see what thou art referring to, Antares. Your bed hast been made and dried. There hast been no damage done that We have seen." Luna smiled and a twinkle appeared in her eye that I did not in any way care for. "Save for your easily bruised pride, it seems."

I growled and shot to my hooves, but Luna anticipated my move and flew out the open window she had presumably came through. I ran towards it, stopping just as I reached it.

"Just wait until I get to do your birthday prank, Luna!" I screeched, shaking my hoof at her as she whooped and did loops just outside of the range of my magic. "I swear on the stars that Celestia will laugh every time she so much as thinks of the letters L-U-N-A when she sees what I've done to you, you... you... BLUEBERRY!"

You know what's nice? Having a filter between your brain and your mouth. It spares embarrassment sometimes. It also spares being at the complete and total mercy of an Equestrian princess.

Luna stopped flying around, choosing instead to hover in front of my window. That mocking smile was back on her face in full force, and I completely failed in my attempt to restrain myself from shifting nervously. She had me, and we both knew it full well.

Luna took a slow, deliberate breath, and flew a little closer to my window. So close that she could touch me. "Antares, didst thou just call us a... 'blueberry?'"

I gulped. "Uh... n-no. I didn't."

Dang it. Denial just made things worse. Luna's smile widened into a full-blown grin.

"Indeed? That is most interesting, for We believe that We just heard such a thing." Luna "hmmed" and tapped her jaw. "A most eloquent of retorts, wouldst thou not say, Antares?"

"Uh... w-well..."

"'Blueberry.' How remarkable. Our sister and We did quite make the correct choice in making thee the princess of snark and sarcasm." Luna leaned her head forward until our muzzles almost touched. 'Twas the most biting of remarks, We must admit. Didst thou thinkest of that because some call thee a peach?"

I ground my teeth together, but still being at her mercy, I could only listen until she grew bored. Given how long she waited on the moon, that might have been a while.

"'Blueberry.' Simply marvelous." Luna raised a hoof and booped my muzzle. "We must remember that, Antares. We must remember that for aalllll time!" With that, Luna turned around and began flying away, her horn illuminated in a way that made me suspicious. "For all time, Antares! For all time!"

Good to know that two thousand years from now she'd still bring that one up. I groaned and rubbed one of my temples. Nothing I could do about it, I suppose. She'd grow tired of it eventually. Believe me, I'd cling to that hope.

With nothing else for it, I completed my morning routine and went to my dining room for a private breakfast. I suspected that it would be the only time of the day that I could be alone. Not that being alone was going to be completely awful. Celestia, Luna, and I had some plans later.

I guess I should explain the deal with alicorns and birthdays. See, it's customary for the alicorn whose birthday it is to get pranked at some point during the day. This is a tradition dating back hundreds of years before Nightmare Moon. Now, given Celestia's playful streak, I found this out the hard way when I awoke on my first birthday since my ascension to find that my shampoo had been replaced with melted butter, my conditioner with Parmesan cheese, and my bedsheets with a giant, flat noodle.

An odd way to wake up, really. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance didn't tell me that this was the tradition, of course. They just did it and let me figure it out on my own. I figured it out pretty quickly, let me tell you.

Of course, after that and the short party that the commoners throw, it's birthday alicorn's choice.

I walked into my dining room and saw Captain Blaze on duty. He bowed to me, and I inclined my head to him before sitting down. "Good morning, Captain."

"Good morning, Princess Antares." A single moment of silence. "Did you have a nice morning with Princess Blueberry?"

I froze.

So that's why she had her horn illuminated. She had sent messages to my guards, telling me what I said. I scowled and waved my hoof. "I don't want to talk about it." I walked over to my usual spot and sat down. In my place sat a covered plate. "What did the chefs cook up today, Captain? Something extra amazing?"

Captain Blaze chuckled and illuminated his horn, the cover lighting up with his glow. "I think so, Princess Antares. You'll like it."

The cover was lifted off, revealing...

Steak!

My jaw dropped, and I turned my head to Captain Blaze, my eyes wide. He chuckled and nodded. "Yep. It's what you think it is."

Steak. And what steak it was. It was perfectly brown on the outside, perfectly pink on the inside, and just the right amount of seasoning on top of it. There were no words to describe how beautiful it looked. I mean, I could gather that it wasn't real steak, since, you know, I'm a pony, and all, but if it was even close to the real thing, then my birthday was going to start out quite well. I picked up my knife and fork and began cutting the meat. The knife cut through the steak perfectly, and I could almost taste the juiciness of it all. I skewered the meat on my fork and lifted it to my mouth, but before I could eat it, Captain Blaze spoke again.

"Princess Luna requested that the chefs make that for you."

I froze with the fork halfway to my mouth. Luna? Luna was behind all of this? I slowly lowered the fork and scowled again. I couldn't risk it. Not after this morning. She was up to something. Yes. Luna was most certainly up to something. I scowled and slammed the fork down.

"This isn't over, Luna!" I growled. "I'll get you back for this if it's the last thing I do, you stupid, night loving..."

"Blueberry?" Captain Blaze offered.

''Oh for..." I slammed my hoof on the table. "You know what? Forget it!" I ignited my horn and raised the fork again. "I'm going to eat every last bite of this. If Luna thinks this reverse psychology is going to work on me, then she has another thing coming! Oh yes she does."

I shoved the bite of steak in my mouth and began chewing, not even waiting for it to slide off of the fork. I closed my eyes and "mmm"ed as the flavors of the juicy steak filled my mouth. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Even somepony who hadn't had steak in years knew that this... this was how steak should be. There was no doubt about its lack of authenticity. Even an alicorn couldn't eat meat. I didn't care. At all.

Within mere minutes, an empty plate sat before me, and a full belly let me know that my birthday improved significantly since that morning. I let out a contented sigh and leaned my head back on my chair. "Marvelous," I mumbled. "Absolutely marvelous. My compliments to the chef."

Captain Blaze chuckled. "I'll let Princess Luna know. For now, your public birthday celebration is about to begin." Captain Blaze pointed to a nearby clock. "The ambassadors from the various towns and cities will be here in a half hour. I'd actually hazard a guess that some are already trickling in."

"And I've just ruined my chances of fitting into my birthday dress, I'll wager," I grumbled. I clicked my tongue and stood up. I'd still fit into the dress, but I had every right to be hopeful. My birthday represented the one day of the year that I needed to wear a dress. Why? Some traditions just suck. I think this one dated back a few hundred years, and stemmed from some noble tailor family, or something. If I remembered my history right, one of their number had saved Canterlot Castle from burning down, so as a thank you, Princess Celestia said that she'd wear a dress from his family every year on her birthday to honor him. The family died out, but, unluckily for me, the tradition stuck.

Oy.

"At any rate, Princess, your appointment to get all dolled up is upon you." Captain Blaze put the cover back on the plate and bowed to me again, pointing to a nearby door. "You go on ahead. Your Element dressmaker friend is waiting for you."

"Goodie." I grimaced. Rarity meant well with her dresses and whatnot, but those frills; the sheer... girlishness of it all! Not to mention the prospect of standing still for a half hour, while she made whatever adjustments she wanted, gave me some cause for concern. It reminded me of being at the dentist, only with more pokes. Still, no avoiding it, I suppose. I bade Captain Blaze a good day for the moment, and walked through the door to my private fitting room.

When I opened the door, I saw Rarity moving about a bright teal dress on a large ponyquin. I counted myself lucky that the frills on the thing were relatively low in number. In fact, there weren't any at all. It was a sleek, form-fitting dress, and I hoped that my breakfast wouldn't make fitting me into it to difficult. Having said that, it wasn't that large.

Rarity must have heard me come in, because she turned around before I could close the door behind me. She smiled and bowed low to the ground.

"Princess Antares. How lovely to see you again." I saw a hint of a smile on her face. "How was your time this morning with Princess Blueberry?"

I scowled at her. "Oh get up, Rarity, or I'm going to send you a bag of marshmallows for your birthday. You and I both know full well that you don't bow to me." I decided to ignore the "blueberry" comment.

When Rarity straightened up, she had a scowl of her own on her face, and she narrowed her eyes. "Ooh, that is dangerous territory, TD. How would you like lots of frills and lace on your birthday dress next year?"

"Marshmallows with purple sugar made to look like hair coming out of the top," I replied, tapping my lower jaw thoughtfully. "Maybe even some mini-marshmallows with purple and pink hair. I can dress them up in little doll outfits."

"Oh yes, pink. That does remind me: I have to make the dress next year the brightest pink that I can possibly create." Rarity chuckled and rubbed her hooves together. "Oh, everypony will think you will be the epitome of feminine beauty and grace, Princess Antares. Pink, and maybe some nice yellows too. All very frilly and lacy."

"A color scheme that only a madpony would possibly find pleasing to the eye." I snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Everypony would think you had lost your touch."

"Oh Princess Antares, you don't give me enough credit," Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. "I've made worse ideas work before, trust me. You would look stunning!"

"Marshmallows..." I grinned and wrapped a foreleg around Rarity's shoulders. "Marshmallows and a ten year's supply of the finest fudge that an Equestrian princess can get." I turned my grin to Rarity. "As a thank you for the dress, of course."

Rarity's pupils contracted, and her jaw dropped. "Y-you..."

Boom. One perfect hit smack dab in the forbidden pleasure.

"Mmm. I've tried some of the fudge around here. So many kinds to sample. That moment when the rich chocolate hits your tongue..." I licked my lips and rubbed my belly. "Absolute mountains of it, all for you."

"You wouldn't dare," Rarity whispered. "You wouldn't dare fight so dirty!"

"She says to the princess of snark and sarcasm."

Rarity closed her mouth, and her expression hardened into a glare that I got the full brunt of. I took my foreleg off of her shoulder, and for a few moments, the two of us just glared at each other. I attribute it to my practiced alicorn stoicism that I saw the corner of her mouth twitch first, but once hers did, mine followed suit, until both of our faces split into wide grins, and we burst out laughing.

"Fudge, my goodness, TD, you really do know how to hold your own," Rarity said, wiping her eyes.

I snorted and shrugged. "What can I say? It's what I do." I chuckled and nudged her. "You're not so bad yourself."

Rarity's face went back to a practiced neutral, and she raised her nose in the air ever so slightly. "While I am a lady, TD, I know how to handle my own. One must understand that there are times to get into verbal spars and plan accordingly."

"Yes, well, you're very good at it, regardless of why you know how."

"Indeed." Rarity cleared her throat, and her tone turned more business-like. "Now, I hope that you haven't had too large of a breakfast, because we're going to make you look..." Rarity stood up on her hind legs, spreading her forelegs out. "Fabulous!"

"Uh-huh."

Rarity got back on all fours and beckoned me over to the fitting stand. "And no whimpering and wailing this year, TD."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Come on, Rarity, I was being sarcastic and snarky with my whimpering and wailing the first year. I'm kinda the crowned princess of that, thank you very much."

"Indeed," Rarity said stiffly.

Yeah, I didn't quite take it too well the first year I discovered that tradition dictated that princesses needed to wear dresses to their birthday celebration. Luna and Celestia neglected to tell me this, of course, so imagine my surprise when I woke up that day to discover my dress waiting for me. Cruelty at its finest, people. I mean, it didn't turn out to be the draconian torture device that I expected, it looked fine, all things considered, but I do not do dresses.

Except once a year on my birthday for two or three hours.

I walked up on the fitting stand, and Rarity slipped the dress off of the dress form. I extended my wings so that Rarity could slip the dress on, and maneuvered them so that they would fit through the wing holes once Rarity deemed the dress on well enough. She then went about it, checking it for any possible flaw. Easily the most boring part, but one learned to get over that as a princess. I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, how are things in Ponyville?"

Rarity shrugged and examined one of the wing holes in my dress. "Oh, same old, same old, really. It's relatively quiet, though I don't expect that to stay the same for me for long." She gave me a wry smile. "Once ponies see that you're wearing one of my outfits, I'll be swamped with dozens of orders once again, and I'll be able to take a two week vacation to Manehattan with Sweetie Belle once it's all finished."

I grimaced at that. I knew the pressure that doing my outfit put on her. If it wasn't the equivalent of cider season for the Apples, I would have gotten somepony else to do it every once in a while. Well, that and she does an amazing job with them. Even I can see that. Still, I didn't like the idea of her working herself to near death every year.

"You sure you can handle it?" I asked with some caution. Rarity tended to not like being questioned on her abilities. Sure enough, I saw a hint of a grimace appear on her face.

"Of course I can, darling. I've handled it three years in a row now."

"Okay, but if it gets too bad, hire help this year on me, okay?"

Rarity giggled and smoothed out one of the hemlines. "Oh darling, I'm the one who's the Element of Generosity. You needn't do that for me. I manage."

"Uh-huh." I put a hoof on her shoulder as she walked by, stopping her in her tracks. My expression turned serious. "Rarity, I'm not kidding. Every year I hear from Sweetie Belle that you're working yourself to the bone because of the orders you get from the exposure because you do my birthday outfit. You say that you're the Element of Generosity, and that's true, but does that mean that others can't be generous and giving to you? Do others not laugh with Pinkie Pie? Or are honest with Applejack? Or loyal to Rainbow Dash? Don't be so quick to deny generosity because of pride, or because you give it. Don't see accepting generosity as selfish just because you distribute it so freely yourself." Rarity could only stare at me, her jaw hanging open slightly, but I continued on. "Now, I'm not saying that you have to accept my offer. I'm just saying that if you are feeling overworked, let me know, and I'll help out of my own unlimited pocket."

Rarity stared at me, unblinking, for a few moments as we both processed what I just said. After a few moments, Rarity gently cleared her throat and offered me a half smile. "My, my, TD. I don't think I've ever heard you sound so much like Princess Celestia."

My pupils contracted, and my jaw dropped slightly. "Uh... well, I may have gotten a little wiser because I've been ruling a kingdom for a few years, but... uh... heh, I wouldn't quite go that far."

Rarity shook her head and rubbed her lower jaw. "No, no, that was definitely something Princess Celestia would have said, TD. You just tried to teach me a legitimate friendship lesson right there. Should I send you a letter?"

"Let's not be too hasty in comparing me to her, yeah?" I uneasily scratched the back of my neck. "I'm not that wise yet."

Rarity smirked at me and shrugged. "Maybe not, but I can see a definite change in you, TD. You're not the human you once were, and I'm not just talking about the wings and horn." Rarity waved her hoof at me. "Well, I suppose I'll leave you to reflect on that yourself. Your dress is perfect, at any rate. You just need one more final touch before you're ready to face the crowd."

Rarity walked over to her saddlebags and took out a polished oak box. She walked back up to me before opening it up, revealing a polished gold circlet, subtly studded with small rubies. She ignited her horn, and the circlet floated out of the box. I lowered my head slightly, allowing her to place it where my tiara usually went.

"Perfect," she whispered. "I know that you're not one for dresses, TD, but I think that you look absolutely amazing."

I stepped off of the stand and walked over to a full-length mirror to examine myself. For what it was, I do admit that I looked nice. I turned my head back to Rarity and smiled at her. "Thanks, Rares. It looks great." I walked over to her and wrapped my foreleg around her in a hug, which she gently returned so as to not crease my dress.

"You're quite welcome, TD." We broke off of the hug and Rarity used her magic to flatten out any places that had been creased. "Now go out there and greet your subjects, TD. Cheerilee is the Ponyville representative this year, and I think you'll like what she has for you."

I grinned at that. "Excellent. Well, then, I suppose I'd better go, then. You're more than welcome to stay for the party, of course."

"Thank you, TD. I just might do that." Rarity inclined her head in a small bow that I chose to ignore. "For now, I must bid you adieu. I'll see you later, okay?"

"See you later."

With that, Rarity put her saddlebags on her back, and walked out of my fitting room, leaving me alone for a precious few minutes before my party began. I mean, there was no doubt that ponies already filled my throne room and chatted amongst themselves while snacking on hors d'oeuvres, but I wouldn't make my grand entrance for a little while longer. I took a deep breath and walked back over to the mirror. I never really got used to it: seeing myself in a dress. It's especially strange after going around in nothing but my fur and regalia ninety nine percent of the time. Clothes in general are just odd now, I suppose. It doesn't really matter in the end. I'd be able to take it off in a few hours.

That's when my birthday celebration would really begin.

I grinned as I thought about the plans for that evening, and walked over to the doors that led to a hallway that led to my throne room. Three disguised alicorn princesses guarded by incognito Blade Wings ready for a night of tomfoolery in Las Pegasus. That's what I call a birthday celebration. For now, though, I'd have to just play the game.

I stopped just outside of the door that led to my throne room, and heard the dull chatter of ponies already there. I bet that most of the expected guests already arrived. Captain Blaze and Lieutenant Rapids stood on either side of the door, and they both bowed to me when I stopped.

"Princess Antares. You look simply ravishing," Captain Blaze said.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," I grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

"As you wish." Captain Blaze fired up his horn, and the door opened up, revealing a crowded hall of ponies all dressed to the nines and talking amongst themselves. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were in the crowd too, both of whom were chatting with Rarity, though there were other ponies behind Rarity that seemed to be eager to speak with them.

All talk died down when the ponies heard the door open, and I walked into the throne room with practiced grace and the serene smile typical of an alicorn. Each pony turned to me and began stomp-clapping. Captain Blaze and Lieutenant Rapids followed behind me as I walked over to my throne, and I waved to the crowd once before sitting down, my officers taking their places on either side. I raised my hoof and the clapping faded away.

"Good morning mares and gentlecolts, representatives from each of the Equestrian towns and cities. I thank you all for coming to my twenty-fourth birthday party." The crowd began clapping again, and I let them for a few more moments before raising my hoof to quiet them once more. "It warms my heart that all of you could be here to honor me, and I wish you all a wonderful time here today." I inclined my head to the refreshment table, which, I noticed, bore a gargantuan cake of my cutie mark with twenty-four candles on it. Of course. Always my cutie mark. "Now, I look forward to getting to talk with all of you, but for now, please enjoy yourselves."

The ponies began clapping once more, and a servant came by with a glass of champagne on a tray, which I took in my magic and sipped. The ponies began lining up to give me their birthday gifts. Now, back on Earth, getting gifts was always one of the best parts of my birthday. I mean, you have family members who love you and know just what you would really like. Here, though? It's a bunch of nobles who are taking shots in the dark and hoping that they give me something that I enjoy in the hopes that I'll lower taxes for them, or give more attention to their cities. It reeks of falseness. I glanced over at Cheerilee, whom I could already see had a stack of crudely drawn cards that could only have come from foals, and smiled.

Okay, only most of them reeked of insincerity.

I saw the other two princesses excuse themselves from Rarity and walk over to me. I inclined my head in a nod, glad that their presence made the other ponies back off for a little while. Celestia and Luna both tilted their heads in bows, something that I returned.

"Good morning, Antares," Luna said, her voice and face completely straight. "How hast your day been since we... spoke last?"

Again, it goes back to my new, practiced alicorn stoicism that I refrained from ever so gently placing my entire cake on her head. Well, that and the fact that the steak tasted delicious, and there seemed to be no ill effects. I forced myself to continue smiling serenely.

"It has gone well, Luna. My breakfast was quite delicious and, despite my reservations on the tradition, I do think that I look quite good."

"A testament to dear Rarity's skill, no doubt," Luna said with a nod. "You do indeed look stunning."

"My sister is quite right, TD. You do look beautiful," Celestia added.

Ug. I didn't want to look beautiful. Still, Celestia meant it as a compliment, so I took it as one.

However, now that the pleasantries were out of the way, the smiles of the other two turned conspiratorial, and they both leaned in a little closer to me.

"Everything is in readiness for tonight, Antares," Luna whispered, her grin widening. 'Twill be a night to remember."

My own smile turned conspiratorial, and I put my champagne down on the floor near my throne. "It's all ready? You have everything straightened out?"

"Everything, TD," Celestia said, trying to keep the giggle out of her own voice. "We leave as soon as you give the word."

"Excellent." It took every bit of my alicorn self-control to keep myself from rubbing my hooves together and cackling like a maniac. I may have to endure flank kissing for now, but we would balance that out with later festivities.

"Cadance will keep an eye on our kingdom for the night. Should anything arise we will be there instantaneously." Luna glanced left, then right, and when she saw that everypony seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, she raised her hoof. "To tonight."

Celestia and I followed suit, and we knocked hooves. "To tonight," we replied in unison.

With that settled, all three of us straightened up and cleared our throats. That night would be amazing, but until then, we had an image to maintain. Celestia and Luna walked away from the throne, which the gathered ponies took as a cue to begin inching closer to me with their gifts. My stomach tightened, and I glanced over at Cheerilee to reassure myself. She positioned herself at the back of the line, so I wouldn't be able to get the joy of Ponyville's gift for a while. Pity. Oh well, I'd fake it until then.

Well, with nothing else for it, I looked down at the closest representative and nodded. The beaming smile on his face made me inwardly sigh, but the sooner I started, the sooner I'd get it all over with. I raised my hoof, and once again the hall went silent.

"Good morning once again, mares and gentlecolts. I have been informed that some of you have tributes and gifts from your cities for me. If you would make a line, I am most excited to see what you fine ponies have brought."

The vague line that already formed snapped into a more concrete one, and a few of my guards moved closer to it, just in case order would need to be maintained.

I didn't much care for a repeat of my first alicorn birthday, thank you very much. New princess, just as much power as Celestia and Luna, and everypony seeing how easily she can be manipulated. Yeah, lovely. They have since learned. Oh yes. They learned.

Anyway, the first representative walked up to me and bowed low before my throne. "Good morning, Princess Antares. May I say that you are looking as radiant as I have ever seen you."

Bleck.

Alicorn smile firmly in place, I nodded and waved my hoof at him. "Thank you. It is lovely to see you too."

He straightened up and puffed out his chest. "Now, I and this year's representative from the lovely city of Vanhoover, home of the best fashion this side of Canterlot! As such, it is my great honor to present to you a line of our finest dresses made for you personally." The representative stomped his hoof, and the door to my throne room opened. A line of five ponies walked in, each levitating a pair of dresses. From what I knew of fashion they represented the latest styles and trends, but I'd be darned if I had it in me to actually wear any of them. I glanced over at Rarity and saw a grimace on her face. Something told me that she was grinding her teeth together, too. I made a mental note to ask her about that later. For now, I turned my attention back to the representative and inclined my head.

"I thank you, good sir. They truly are beautiful." I picked up my champagne glass and took a sip that was a little larger than usual before nodding to one of my servants. "Make sure that these are put in the correct place. I want them taken care of with the utmost delicacy."

The assembled ponies politely applauded, and the Vanhoover representative bowed low once more before backing away to the refreshments table. Once he left, another noble pony moved up. County Vichy, as a matter of fact. He bowed low to me.

"Good morning, Princess Antares, and happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Vichy straightened up and gave me that confident, but vaguely smug, smile that I loved so much. "Now, as the representative of Baltimare, the fair city that you watch over without fault, we have decided to give you something that really shows how much we love and appreciate you! Something that will stand the test of time, and leave no doubt of your glory." Vichy puffed out his chest even more and stuck his nose in the air. "And so, we have decided to commission a large golden statue of you in the middle of the town square for all to see, to honor your grace, your goodness, and your beauty!"

Well played, Vichy. Well played.

See, the higher-ups in Baltimare had been trying to get a golden statue of me built for quite some time, but I'd always shot the plans down because, heh, I don't want a freaking gold statue of me. I'd even kept it hidden that there were plans for one in the past. Now, though, I'd have to accept it in front of representatives from every single city and town in my country. A lot of Baltimareians would be fully behind the statue. Vichy scored a victory, and I didn't like it. It represented open defiance under the guise of doing something for me.

It seemed that I needed to keep a closer eye on Vichy than I previously suspected. Still, I'd cross that bridge later. For now, my smile didn't falter a millimeter, and I once again inclined my head to him.

"Thank you very much, Count Vichy."

Vichy raised his head until he made eye contact with me. "You're very welcome, your highness. We will begin construction on it tomorrow morning."

Jerk.

With that, Vichy moved back, and the representatives kept moving forward. Next was a pegasus pony in a plain black suit. She bowed low to me as usual.

"Happy birthday, Princess Antares. My name is Soaring Skies, and I'm one of the many heads in the industry district in Las Pegasus."

Ah yes, Las Pegasus. The name caused my smile to shift to one more mischievous for a split second.

"Good morning, Soaring Skies." I inclined my head, as usual. "It is lovely to see you."

"And you as well, your majesty." Soaring Skies unfurled her wing, and pulled a piece of paper out of her feathers. "The tribute from Las Pegasus is two years of free repair work, upkeep, and upgrades to any and all of your guards' weapons and armor, straight from our best smiths. This offer can be redeemed whenever you so desire."

Ah, now here's where we come to more of the political maneuvering. Las Pegasus makes some of the best arms and armor in Equestria, to the point where they have almost a monopoly on big contracts, such as the Lunar and Solar guards. Heck, some of them even had international deals. Naturally, they expected to get me when I started my guard, but that's not what happened. I went to local arms and armor smiths to bolster nearby economies, and you'd better believe that some of the higher-ups in Las Pegasus highly disliked that particular decision. I mean, Celestia backed it completely, as did all three cities that I ordered from, but that meant nothing. I guess now that it was the industrial district's turn to offer tribute to me, they went straight for the kill. Show me what I'm missing, so to speak, so that I'd switch over to them.

It especially sucked, knowing that two years of free upkeep saved me a fair amount of money that I could use elsewhere. Man, I could not win, could I? My smile became more forced by the minute.

"Thank you, Soaring Skies. I hope that everything turns out well."

Soaring Skies bowed low to me, and backed away from the line.

Ug.

And so it went on. I will say that it got better than that. No more manipulation of me, just trying to make me happy, for the most part. Appleloosa gave me one of their apple tree saplings for my royal garden, Canterlot gave me a marble fountain, Dodge Junction gave me a cherry sapling to go with my apple one, and so on. None of them were awful, per say. At least, none displeased me as much as the statue or the weapons contracts. Finally, though, we came to Ponyville and Cheerilee.

Cheerilee walked up to me and bowed low, just as the others had. She knew as well as I that she didn't have to do that, but we all needed to keep up appearances. She wore a simple sky blue cocktail dress, and had her mane done up in a simple braid.

"Good afternoon, Princess Antares. It's lovely to see you again."

"And you as well, Lady Cheerilee."

It made her blush every time I called her that, which is why I kept doing it. Man, I missed Ponyville. I regretted that I couldn't visit more.

"My gift to you..." Very specific language there. Most of the others had said "tribute." I didn't miss the distinction. "Is from my class. We all made you happy birthday cards!"

I grinned and took the cards from Cheerilee when she offered them to me. Now we got to stuff that I actually liked and would cherish. Why couldn't all of my gifts have been this, well, thoughtful? I was just about to begin reading the top card, which I already saw was from Scootaloo, when I heard a quiet snort near the back of the room. I glanced up and saw that two of the nobles behind Cheerilee had their hooves over their mouths.

"Cards," one whispered to the other. "For a princess? Foal's cards?"

"Yes, foal's cards." My voice cut through the room, leaving no doubt whom I addressed. Both of the nobles gulped and looked up, flinching back when they saw my glare. I raised a hoof and pointed it at the door. "Get. Out. I will not have anypony disrespecting the work that these foals put into these. Now or ever, do you understand me?"

The one on the left's jaw dropped. "B-but Princess Antares, we have not yet given our gift!"

My glare hardened into a snarl. "Maybe you didn't hear me? I said get out!"

The two ponies squeaked, and both scurried out of my throne room, my guard helpfully slamming the door behind them for dramatic effect. I glared at the door for a few more moments to drive my point home before my smile returned, and I returned my attention to the card. The mouthwriting was almost illegible, and the drawing of me was crude, but dang it, I didn't care at all. I raised my head and turned my smile to Cheerilee.

"I love it, and tell the rest of them that I look forward to reading each and every one of them." I turned to Captain Blaze and moved the cards in front of him. "Take these to my room. Make sure that they're safe. I don't want anything to happen to them before I get a chance to read them..." I paused. "Or after, for that matter."

Captain Blaze saluted me, and he took the cards before leaving the throne room.

And with that, all of the representatives were gone, now that I had kicked out the last ones behind Cheerilee. All that remained was a little more socializing before... tonight.

I stood up off of my throne and raised my hoof. "Thank you all, mares and gentlecolts. I appreciate each and every one of your gifts. For now, enjoy the rest of the food, and, if you must leave, have safe travels back to your homes."

The gathered ponies applauded for a few seconds more, and when the applause died down, a few ponies came up to me to wish me a happy birthday before leaving. The rest of them flocked around the food table, where it was time to cut the cake.

Now, setting up the cake was a task far simpler for me than Celestia and Luna, as I had only twenty four candles on it. However, that's not to say that ponies didn't make it work. Why, last year for Celestia's birthday, a unicorn baker from Manehattan painstakingly painted minute candles to match the cake, then put the correct number on the cake, so that it looked like there were no candles, but that the entire thing was glowing. The effect looked amazing, and his magic meant that the cake underneath remained perfectly intact.

Anyway, the ponies sang a birthday song to me, and I blew out the candles to uproarious applause. One of my servants took the candles off, and began cutting the cake, giving the first slice to me. As I dug into the cake, I noticed Soaring Skies walking up to me, and a slight grimace appeared on my face. Ballsy, Ms. Skies. Very Ballsy. Still, I couldn't very well tell her to just go away, so I nodded to her when she approached. She bowed to me.

"Princess Antares, I need to speak to you. It's a most urgent matter."

I swallowed the bite of cake I had been eating. "It can wait. Now is not the time."

Soaring Skies nodded. "Of course, but I would advise not putting it off for too long. It is not a matter that I feel can be settled with a simple day court meeting. Is it possible that I can have a longer time with you sometime next week? I promise that I will not be wasting your time."

I grunted and gave a single nod. "Very well, but see that it doesn't waste my time, Ms. Skies."

Soaring Skies bowed low again. "Yes, Princess Antares. I will have my ponies set up a meeting with yours. I look forward to meeting with you."

I nodded in return, not being able to say that I didn't share the sentiments. I don't like being manipulated, and after that stunt she pulled, my trust in her was rather low. I pushed that aside for the moment. My birthday was neither the time nor place to think about such things.

After a few more hours, the party ended, leaving just me and the other two princesses. I said goodbye to the final guest, and took a deep breath, turning back to the other two. Both of them had the same conspiratorial smiles on their faces that they wore before, and I soon matched it.

"We hope that you did not tire yourself out too much, Antares," Luna said. "We have a long night ahead of us."

I chuckled and beckoned my guests towards my changing room. "Oh Luna, Luna, Luna. You forget that we're alicorns. All three of us do something like that for a week solid and need no sleep." I shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I'm glad that it's over, but if you think that I'm ready for bed you have another thing coming."

"Excellent," Celestia said as we entered the room. She ignited her horn and simultaneously levitated my circlet off of my head and slipped my dress off, putting both neatly on the dress form. "Well, ladies, I think that it's time we got ready for tonight, what do you think?"

I giggled and cracked my neck. "Let's do this."

All three of us fired up our horns at once, and our magic washed over us. I felt myself shrinking down to the size of a regular pony as the magic did its work. When it faded, no longer did three alicorn goddesses inhabit the room. Instead, there were three regular unicorn ponies, all grinning broadly at each other. Celestia had changed her coat dark blue, and her mane electric green. Her mane was about neck-length and done up in a simple ponytail. Luna was soft yellow with a sea blue mane that she let hang down to her neck. I changed my coat to bright orange with a bright blue mane, also hanging down at my neck.

Absolutely unrecognizable.

Now, you may be wondering what's going on. Fair enough. Basically, a long, long time ago, Luna and Celestia realized that their birthdays had stopped becoming about them, and had become about the tributes and the nobles and representatives, and whatnot. So, to counter that, they decided to disguise themselves as commoners for two wild nights on the town, one for each birthday, to do something completely for themselves. Never had they been caught, and never had something interrupted them. Naturally, once I came along and had a birthday, they invited me right along, and I eagerly accepted.

"Well, shall we hit the town then?" Celestia asked, her voice slightly lower than usual.

"I think so," Luna replied, her voice closer in pitch to Twilight's.

"Not quite," I said, holding out a hoof, my voice sounding something like Rainbow Dash's. "We still haven't... accessorized quite yet."

"Accessorized?" Luna said, tilting her head.

I nodded. "Correct. If we're going to do this, we have to look the part."

I ignited my horn and pulled a box out from under a nearby desk, which I deposited in the middle of our group. I flipped it open, revealing the contents.

"Ah, excellent," Luna said, her grin returning. She ignited her horn and levitated a pair of sunglasses out of the box. "They look of quality make."

"That's because they pretty much are," I said, levitating my own pair out of the box. "And the sunglasses are mandatory for everypony for when we slow-walk out of the hotel." I put mine on and motioned down to the box. "And whatever else you feel like adding. This is a night to be silly, ladies."

"Indeed it is," Celestia said, taking a tacky clip-on gold earring out of the box and attaching it to her left ear. "There are only three nights of the year when we can truly cut loose. Let us make them count."

I took a poker visor out of the box and put it on my head, while Luna wrapped a small scarf around her neck. "I think we are ready," she said.

"Almost." Celestia put her sunglasses on, then bowed and pointed at me. "TD, it is to you."

Ah yes. Even here there were traditions to uphold, but I rather liked this one. I raised my hoof, and the other two moved in to raise their own and touch mine. We each bowed our heads.

"The day of a birth has come at last.
The Night of the Immortals will soon come to pass.
We sit and smile, as our ponies give
counting down the hours to the time when we go out and live.
Serene are our smiles, and joyful do we sing
for soon we descend with fast hooves and quick wing.
Our ponies we love, and to protect them we strive,
but this is a night when we are truly alive.
If something should make us diverge from our path,
then beware! You will face the alicorn's wrath.
For tonight we are young, carefree, and alive,
to create everlasting memories, have fun, and cut loose we do strive."

I put my hoof down, and the other two followed suit, all three of us grinning like foals on Hearth's Warming Eve. I took a deep breath and cracked my neck.

"Now. Now we are ready."

Author's Notes:

Long chapter to make up for the hiatus. I wanted to have this one out before BABSCon. Heh... yeah, because that happened.