“...and then they made me their chief. Which was nice.”

Dusky was silent for a few seconds.“I'm really not sure what I can say to that without trivialising it.”

“Yeah, it's quite a story. I tell it to new folk any chance I get, and it always gets a reaction.”

“I can imagine. You know what? You clearly have everything under control here, so we'll just go and check on everypony else if that's alright with you.”

They had left the forest and reached the crisp white fields around the complex of houses and barns. Penny was either wandering at random or following a path Dusky couldn't detect as they meandered towards the main house. Dusky tried to trot off to the gate, only to feel a sharp pull on her tail. Looking back, she saw that Penny had grabbed her, and that her sudden stop had thrown Spike to the floor.

“Oh no you don't. This is your first visit to Our Celium and I ain't letting you get away without trying one of my famous stews. Why, if all I did was talk at ya, what kind of hostess would I be?” Penny was, by this point, emptying her baskets of mushrooms into a chute on the wall of her house. Muffled rumbles and clicks were coming from below their feet.

Dusky shook her head quickly. “Nonono, that really won't be necessary. Both you and me are busy, and Spike already ate about half of what you picked.” Spike had the good manners to look slightly sheepish.

“Nah, it don't bother me none. I'd probably have snacked on 'em myself if I hadn't been chewin' yer ear off. Now come on. Country hospitality is known as the best there is and I sure as heck ain't gonna tarnish a perfectly good stereotype.”

She sighed. “I'd love to stop and eat with you,. But I really do have a lot to do tonight. This time tomorrow, half the Royal Family are going to be here and if I did anything at all to let them down it'd just be awful.”

“Thinkin' all them negative thoughts won't do you no good, girl. Know what will do you good? Stew! Seriously, Dusky, you look like one'a them starvin' mystics. So you just hush now and I'll set you up some vittles.”

“You're not actually going to let me go without having this stew, are you?”

Penny grinned the smuggest grin Dusky had seen in years. “Nope.”

“Alright, fine. But just a little, and I mean it.”

“Don't worry, I won't hold you up.”

_

The tray Penny set in front of Dusky was enormous. In the centre was what might have been the biggest bowl she'd ever seen, full to the brim with steaming hot mushroom stew. Next to it was a very slightly smaller bowl full of soup and plentiful slices of three different kinds of bread. There was also a small bowl of walnuts, with an old iron nutcracker. Next to her, Spike was already digging in to a similarly huge meal.

“This is just a little?”

“It sure is. I'd give ya a proper meal if I didn't have to save some for Red Pine – oh, speak of Morning Star. Hey, Red!”

Dusky turned in her seat to say hello to the new arrival, only to feel awkward that it was none other than the behemoth she'd bumped into in the forest. Up close, she could see that his mane was slightly darker than Penny's, and that they each had three freckles on each cheek. “H-hey! How's the ...uh, the farming?” 'Is farming even the word? Is this a farm? Why do I know so little about this sort of thing?'

“Howdy. 's'alright.”

“Good! That's good.”

If he had even noticed her discomfort, he gave no sign. “Eyup.” He made his way over to the table and sat down slowly as Penny set a meal in front of him.

'No', thought Dusky. 'That's no meal. It's a feast. Compared to that I may as well be fasting!' The speed with which Red Pine devoured everything in front of him belied his great bulk – even Spike was impressed. She ate mechanically until, to her great surprise, she found that she was finished. She pushed her tray away and stood quickly. “Well, this has been just lovely, but I really do need to go find the other heads of department. You wouldn't know where any of them are, would you?”

“I do, as it happens. I got a good friend by the name o' Moonstone, and she's in charge of decorations. Y'see, she designs and sells clothes for a livin', so – I'm sorry, I'm rambling again. You'll probably find her settin' up the stage at the town hall this time o' night, or else she'll be at the Rag with her wife Comet Trail.”

“The Rag?”

“Rag n' Bone, I mean. It's a club near the centre of town. You know, dancin', food, all that kinda thing. Either way, Moonstone's pretty hard to miss. She's a tall unicorn with a white coat and a pale grey mane. Makes her look like some kinda spook, you know?”

Dusky nodded. “Great, thanks. We'll just be on our way.” Spike hopped up onto her back and waved goodbye with one hand while he licked the remains of the stew off the other.

_

As it turned out, Moonstone really wasn't at the town hall, but the banners and streamers festooning the building gave a clear sign that she'd already been hard at work. When Dusky eventually found her way to the Rag n' Bone club – a fairly narrow building with green and red lights shining from its round windows – the bartender told her that Moonstone would be in the quiet room, which was apparently down the stairs at the back. Dusky threaded her way past a crowded dance-floor, and went down the stairs at the back.

She then realised that these were the stairs to the bathrooms and made her way back up sheepishly before finding her way to the other stairs at the back. These went further down and, sure enough, the music from the ground floor slowly faded. Spike was beaming from ear to ear.

“This is some place, huh Dusky? It's nearly as good as Imperative back home!”

Dusky rolled her eyes. “I wouldn't know, Spike. You know I wouldn't know, I don't go in for this kind of thing.” It was true. Dusky had resigned herself to the fact that she was just one of those ponies for whom drinking and dancing all day long weren't particularly interesting. A nice night of shopping and hanging out with the girls was enough for her, with a quiet day in (or perhaps at the theatre) every now and then for variety.

As they reached the quiet room, Spike continued, “Oh, you really should try it. When it's getting near dawn, Imperative serves the best- the best-”

Dusky could see why he'd trailed off. The quiet room was like a lounge, with an empty space in the middle. Though there was no music, there was a blue pegasus mare in the centre of the room dancing more gracefully and beautifully than anypony Dusky had ever seen. Her mane and tail were coloured in a spectrum of blue, gradually working their way from ocean depths to the sky at high noon, and they flowed around her like smoke. The pair stood transfixed as the pegasus completed a series of spins that were somehow simultaneously incredibly complex and wonderfully simple.

There was loud applause from one corner of the room, and Dusky saw that a unicorn - presumably Moonstone - had enjoyed the performance just as much as she had. Moonstone was as ethereal as Penny had described, her colouring and height combining to make her look somehow uncanny. Her mane did not make her appear old, as Dusky had assumed that it would. Though a pale grey, it was full of a vibrancy that could only have come from dedicated care. Her friend Light Show back in Canterlot would seethe with jealousy, could she see it. Dusky made her way over and found that the mystery pegasus was heading in the same direction.

“Oh, Comet, darling, I swear you get better every night!” As the pegasus grinned and waved a hoof dismissively, Dusky took the opportunity to step forward. “Oh, hello there. Can I help you at all?”

“Yes, actually. I've been sent by Her Majesty to check on the preparations. I saw your hoofwork at the hall, but I just need to make sure nothing else needs doing.” Dusky could feel Spike struggling not to stare.

Moonstone gestured to the couch. “Sit down, please – you too Comet, I know how much a routine like that tires you.” The pegasus slumped onto the red sofa and grabbed a glass of something green and fizzing, utterly devoid of her previous grace. Moonstone turned back to Dusky. “I am indeed in charge of the interior decorations, and I'm happy to report that everything is going precisely to plan. We had a bit of a scare with some of the lights last night but we're on track now. Comet Trail here will clear the sky tomorrow , won't you darling?”

Comet Trail nodded vaguely, struggling to keep here eyes open.

“Oh dear, you're not that tired, are you?” Moonstone turned back to Dusky and mock-whispered, “I won't be able to wake her up until it's almost midnight tomorrow. She's a total layabout, and when she's asleep it's as if she's made of stone.” Comet Trail stirred at this, and jabbed a hoof at Moonstone.

“Hey, it didn't take that much out of me! I could waltz you to Colton and back!” A fraction of her former energy had returned to her. As she moved, Dusky noted her taut muscles – she was built like an athlete. It certainly made for an interesting contrast with her wraith of a wife.

A smirk crossed Moonstone's face. “Oh, really? You work-shy little filly, I'll bet you can't even stand.”

Dusky sank into the couch as the pair bickered gently. The squabble was taking on an air of pleasant routine, and she was glad for the chance to relax a little before tackling the last two ponies on her list. Just as she was wondering if she could get away with taking a nap and meeting the last two in the few hours before dawn, the quiet room was rocked by the sound of a distant explosion.

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