“Babs…. you’re wearing a tux…” Piña blinked a few times. “You look really good.” Piña did not know what else to say. She had expected Babs to be wearing a dress. Instead, Piña was with a colt that had a tux and a filly that also had a tux… and truth be told, Piña liked it. Being the only pony in their trio wearing a gown made her feel extra special. It was like having two colts fighting over your attention, or at least the fantasy of that happening.

“We’re all in green,” Larch said, standing on Piña’s right.

“And we all look good,” Babs added, standing on Piña’s left.

“They’re gonna crown Apple Bloom at noon and then the dancing begins. I’m not much of a dancer, but I have something we can do.” Piña offered her companions a sheepish grin.

Larch raised an eyebrow and Babs turned to look at her two companions.

Clearing her throat, Piña steeled her jittery nerves and spat out what she had in mind. “I brought a whole bunch of Thaumaturgy: the Convergence cards. We can split them into decks and take turns playing one another.”

Letting out an exciting squeal, Babs almost lost control of herself on the spot. She bounced in place, her eyes sparkling with happiness, and her nostrils flared from her heavy breathing. “This is going to be the greatest gala ever.”

“I know, right?” Larch, not thinking about what he was doing, stuck his head out and nosed Piña’s cheek. He stopped after the initial contact, frozen, his eyes wide with almost terror. “Umm… sorry, got excited. I’ll behave…”

In a single moment, Sentinel forgot how to breathe. For the second time this day, his wings revealed his real feelings as he viewed Diamond Tiara. She wore a black gown that could only be described as spiderwebby. Her mane had been gathered up into a tight bun on the back of her head, making her look older somehow. She looked cool, calm, and one might even say professional.

The filly didn’t walk so much as she sashayed, moving towards Sentinel with her rear hips rocking like a bell, something she had spent hours practicing with Coco in front of a mirror.

With a loud, painful squawk, Boadicea’s wings unfurled, snapping outwards with a near supersonic crack. Several other pegasi nearby, both male and female, also suffered similar reactions.

For Diamond Tiara, discovering this new power she held over others around her was intoxicating. She placed one front hoof beneath Sentinel’s chin, lifted his head, and gave her coltfriend a saucy lip nibble. She then turned to Boadicea, bowed her head, and then gave her friend a warm smile.

Not yet done, and overcome with an unfamiliar feeling of aggression, Sentinel stepped forwards, pressed his lips against Diamond Tiara’s muzzle, and gave the stunning pink filly a clumsy kiss that borderlined on not-so-innocent-this-is-hot-even-by-adult-standards.

Coco, a chaperone for the dance, watching the pair smooching for a moment, and then she found other more interesting things to go and have a look at, trusting that Diamond Tiara and Sentinel both would know where to draw the line.

Breathless, Diamond Tiara pulled away and regained her composure. “Sentinel… don’t be brutish… you are escorting another lady, and as her escort, it would be customary to kiss her hoof… er, her talons.”

Bowing his head, sucking in a deep breath, Sentinel turned and looked at Boadicea. Reaching out his foreleg, he hooked his fetlock behind her foreleg, lifted it, watched as her talons curled up, a nervous flexing on her part, and he planted a somewhat slobbery kiss upon her knuckles.

The only reply from the griffoness was a lot of heavy breathing.

Flanked by Sweetie Belle on his right and Scootaloo on his left, Rumble strutted up to Apple Bloom with the sort of cool confidence that that only a pegasus colt dating a princess could muster. He raised his eyebrow, gave Apple Bloom a saucy ear wiggle, and then looked up at Princess Celestia with a youthful smirk.

“You are a brave little pegasus,” Princess Celestia said, looking down at the grey colt.

“I get the feeling that you and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other,” Rumble replied.

“You are a brave little pegasus,” Princess Celestia repeated. She smiled down at Rumble, glad to have a pony that wasn’t afraid of her, bowing or scraping, and treating her like any other pony. “You have quite a collection of little fillies going on. You are doing well for yourself.”

“They’re easy to look after, all you have to do is treat them well.” Rumble tilted his head back and looked up at Princess Celestia. “I learned it from my pops. Basically, I treat these three the same way he treats my mothers.”

“Oh my, you are not only brave, but you are a smooth talking little charmer as well.” Princess Celestia gave Rumble a smile as warm and beaming as the sun. A quiet titter escaped from the regal alicorn’s lips and her wings fluttered at her sides. She turned to the two ponies standing off to her left, Violet Velvet and Raven, her secretary, and gave them both a secretive smile.

“Rumble, you look handsome,” Apple Bloom said, stepping forwards. “I’m so nervous. I feel kinda sick and I’m so scared.”

“You got this,” Rumble replied. His expression changed as he looked into Apple Bloom’s eyes. “Look, you made it this far. Getting this far was the hard part. Do you know how difficult it is to become a princess?” Rumble paused for a moment, looking and sounding very much like Thunderlane. “Well, you do actually, because you did it. My point is, the hardest part is over.”

“He is absolutely right, Apple Bloom,” Princess Celestia said, lowering her head and whispering into Apple Bloom’s ear. “He is also a very silly little colt, for being such a smooth operator.”

Hearing Princess Celestia’s words, Apple Bloom began to let out a nervous giggle.

“Anyway, I’ve given Scootaloo a kiss, and Sweetie Belle got one, and the only filly I haven’t kissed was you… so that’s why I’m here.” Rumble looked at Apple Bloom and blinked. Grinning, he looked over at Applejack, who was standing nearby, waved, and then looked back at Apple Bloom.

Beating Rumble to the punch, Apple Bloom stretched out her neck and gave the colt a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering near the corner of his mouth, all too aware of so many eyes staring at her, watching her every movement, and for a moment, she wondered how many ponies might be judging her actions.

“Apple Bloom… that ain’t how you kiss yer beau,” Applejack said in a long drawl. “This is how you give yer beau a proper kiss.” Whirling around, Applejack puckered up, planted her muzzle on Silver Shill, and let the stallion standing beside her have it with a wet smooch that was affectionate, but not too sultry or steamy.

When Applejack pulled away, Silver Shill’s knees wobbled.

“Did somepony catch the name of that turnip wagon that just hit me…”

“I still got it,” Applejack boasted. She shuffled around in her gown and a strand of her mane broke free from her upswept mane style. It tumbled down and came to rest in front of her ear and against her cheek.

“I’m so nervous, I can’t take this anymore. I really do feel sick,” Apple Bloom said as she turned to look up at Princess Celestia.

“Just hang on, I promise that all of this will be over very soon,” Princess Celestia replied.

“I bet you look very handsome, but I wouldn’t know,” Sweet Pea said to her companion, Growler. “Thank you for taking me to the dance. It means the world to me.”

“Growler does what he can,” the diamond dog replied.

“Not only are you my eyes, but you are my best friend. It means a lot, having you here with me.” The filly pressed herself up against her companion. “I can hear a lot of ponies. I’m nervous.”

“I am too.” Growler, who had his paw upon Sweet Pea’s back, reached up and stroked her ear to calm her. “I think they are about to perform the coronation. I’ll tell you what I see so you can enjoy it too…”

“Thank you everypony… and everybirdy, for coming out today,” Princess Celestia said, addressing the entire room. She stood tall, proud, her head high. She extended her wing and gestured to Apple Bloom. “We have a new princess, Princess Apple Bloom. She is not feeling very well, and I do not wish to ruin what is probably the most important moment in her young life… her first big dance.” Princess Celestia smiled at the crowd. “So without further ado, I present to you, Princess Apple Bloom, the Princess of Agriculture.”

Saying nothing else, Princess Celestia set the wooden crown upon Apple Bloom’s head, lowered her own head down, kissed Apple Bloom upon her cheek, and then using her wing, nudged Apple Bloom from the stage.

“Go and calm down,” Celestia said in a low voice to Apple Bloom as she scooted the filly along. “You look like a little green Apple. Rumble, I am assigning you as her royal guard for the day. See that she gets a private moment to herself in that little alcove just outside of the auditorium.”

Sticking out a wing, Rumble saluted Princess Celestia and then escorted Apple Bloom away, pushing ahead through the crowd as both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood on either side of Apple Bloom.

“Perhaps later, when she is feeling better, we can coax a little speech out of her,” Princess Celestia said in a voice that carried over the murmur of the crowd. “Please, everypony, respect her as you would respect me. Thank you. Please, continue having a nice time. A lot of ponies and griffons went through a lot of troubles to make this day special. Please, offer them a round of applause…”

The crowd erupted into cheering.

In an almost quiet corner, Luna and Barley cuddled together in a somewhat beat up stuffed chair. As adults, they would have never fit in the chair together, but being foal sized, it was a tight, but cozy fit for the two of them.

Luna, who quite enjoyed the tender nibbles along her neck, pushed Barley away from her and looked into his eyes. “Barley, I wish to speak to you.”

Blinking, Barley looked at Luna. “Aye?”

“Barley, being young again, it has changed my perspectives a great deal,” Luna said, trying to speak the words she found so difficult to say. “I know this is unorthodox, the question that I am about to ask, but it weighs so heavily in my heart, and this is so very difficult—”

“Yes,” Barley replied and then went back to neck nibbling, moving up Luna’s slender neck as though he was eating corn on the cob.

“Yes? Do you even know what I was going to ask,” Luna asked as she melted into Barley’s embrace. Her young body was overcome with sensation and a curious feeling of awakening.

The nibbles stopped. “You want me to marry you.” The nibbles continued.

“Yes,” Luna gasped as she wrapped her forelegs around Barley’s neck. “But we must ask my sister for her permission. This means a lot to me.”

Pulling his head back, Barley looked into Luna’s teal eyes. “If that is what it takes, then I will do it. But later. This moment right here, I want this moment to last forever.” Barley pulled Luna to him, embracing her, and he held her close, his eyes closed. “I didn’t ruin your big moment when I just came out and said yes, did I?”

“No,” Luna replied. “You made it easier.”

“Aye, that’s good…”

The pegasus in silver armor saluted Princess Celestia and then turned to look at Prince Buckminster. He snapped out his wing a second time in salute as he looked Bucky in the eye.

“Speak,” Bucky commanded, looking just a little worried.

“Lord of Winter, sir, Queen Agnetha’s water broke just a little while ago and I was sent to inform you of her condition. She will be giving birth soon and—”

“She requests my presence if possible, of course,” Bucky said, cutting the guard off. He looked up at Princess Celestia. “I am sorry, but once again, I am escaping a coronation and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

Princess Celestia smirked. “Scoundrel…”

“Auntie, please, make certain that there are plenty of photos… I feel bad for missing this.” Bucky paused. “Also, have a nice time with Raven and Violet.”

“Bucky, what are you talking—”

“Look, you fooled me on the Shetlands, but I’m not fooled now. I’ve seen the way the three of you look at one another and I’ve figured out why Violet heads to Canterlot on her days off. I’m not blind and I’m not stupid. But I am happy for you… have a good time.”

“Bucky, say hello to Beauregard for me.” Princess Celestia’s smile was wide and teasing.

Nodding, Bucky stepped away. There was a flash and then Bucky vanished. In his place was one ugly axe beaked griffon. The griffon began to push its way through the crowd, departing, and the crowd parted to let Bucky pass.

Luna, who approached her sister, watched Bucky go. “He is leaving?”

“Queen Agnetha is giving birth.” Princess Celestia smiled down at Luna. “Is there something on your mind, Luna? You look worried. Are you okay?”

“Sister, Barley and I have something that we would like to ask you…”

Author's Notes:

More is coming... but it is 4 am. I might crash a while. I don't know.

Princess Erroria cometh, behold, behold.