Chapter 6

“Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble.”

― Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Alan’s bloodshot eyes stared at the back of the draconequus, trying his best to give an intimidating glare.

It wasn’t really.

Nonetheless, he watched. He watched as though his very gaze would let this troublemaker know that he was watching.

It didn’t.

Luna and Harmony simply sat under the large tree in the garden, talking about ages long past, completely unperturbed by the watching unicorn.

Still, he had to watch.

“Sir?”

He had to watch, had to keep everyone safe.

“Sir?”

Had to keep them all safe.

“Sir!”

Shaken by the loud voice next to him, Alan blinked wildly, before his eyes settled on the guard next to him. Sunny, he realized. “Ah...um...Sentinel, yes...what can I do for you?”

“A letter, sir,” Sunny said simply, before handing him a letter.

Alan recognized the hoofwriting. His wife had written him a letter.

He sighed. She wrote him a letter, that was a bad sign. She had resorted to a written medium rather than talking to him herself.

His own wife had written him a letter instead of talking…

He shook his head, and opened the letter, muttering a ‘thank you’ as he took it.

“Dear Husband,” the letter read, an opening that Alan felt was both cold and should not have been necessary.

“I would like to speak with you, as soon as possible. However, due to both you being indisposed with your duty, and myself with our son, I have not had the opportunity for the past three days.”

Three days? She waited that long?

“However, I can’t wait any longer, as the due date of our decision is coming. Between your narcolepsy, and Orion’s own bouts of insomnia…”

Orion hasn’t been sleeping lately?

“...I haven’t had much time to talk to you myself. So, I took a few moments to find Sunny here, and he is under orders from me, to take your shift for the night. Please let him take your shift for the night, Alan. He’s even offered to do this off-duty, just so it won’t interfere with his other duties.

Please, Alan...come see me...I miss you.”

Alan sighed, and then looked over to Sunny. “You’ll watch him?”

“Like a hawk, Sir,” he said.

Alan looked at the guard, and sighed. “Alright, thank you, Sunny. Take the weekend off.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, nodding.

With that, Alan began to walk back to palace, heading for the rooms the Princess had lent them.

Sunny’s a good soldier, he told himself. He’ll watch Harmony for me.

His hoofsteps echoed in the evening air, the sun having just went down, and the guard were changing shifts for the night. He plodded along, in a constant state of weariness, and headed for his quarters, one of the empty foreign dignitary rooms.

As he walked under a covered walkway, he paused, coming to a stop under the moonlight.

He looked up, staring at the night sky.

So many stars, all staring down at him.

He sighed once more, before bowing his head. “Faust...I...I need some help. I can’t keep this up and be with Twilight. C-Can you keep her safe for me, when I can’t watch her? Can you give me strength?”

He did not receive an answer.

“Just...just be with me, please?”

Still no answer.

He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting, honestly. A voice from the sky? A whisper in his ear? A shout that shook the very foundations of the earth?

All the same, he might as well finish the prayer properly. “Your will be done. So be it.”

Twilight paced along the room, holding Orion close to her chest. She rocked him slowly, singing as she walked.

“Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby of mine.”

She swayed as she sang, dancing softly to the tune as she rocked her little baby.

“Little one when you play

Pay no heed what they say

Let your eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew all about you

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

What they'd give just for

The chance to hold you.”

A soft, strong neck pressed against her back, and she knew her husband had returned. Together, they then took the little foal to his crib, and laid the sleeping child to bed.

“From your head to your hooves

You’re not much, goodness knows

But you’re so precious to me

Sweet as can be, baby of mine...”

Alan stood next to her, watching little Orion sleep.

They were quiet for a second, before Twilight nudged Alan over, and headed out of the room. Once they stepped outside, Twilight spoke up first. “So you got my letter?” she asked.

“Yeah…” Alan replied, sounding annoyed with himself. “I’m sorry you had to resort to that.”

“It’s alright, Alan,” she said.

“No it’s not,” Alan answered. “A lady should never have to talk to her husband through a letter. I should have been there…”

Twilight took a look at her husband, his back bent a though under a load, his eyes bloodshot and tired…

He looked sick and weary.

“Alan...look...I know that watching Harmony is your top priority right now, but…” she gave an exasperated sigh, “but you know you’ll run yourself into the ground if you keep this up, right? You know that, don’t you?”

Alan nodded, but spoke up. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I have to watch—”

“Alan...please…” Twilight interrupted. “Listen, the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up in a few days, I’ve already gotten Princess Celestia to agree to keep Harmony in her sight the entire night, and we could go and enjoy ourselves. Dance, eat, rest, we could do anything that night.”

“Twilight…”

“Please, Alan?” she asked, looking up at him with sad, pleading eyes. “Please?”

He looked down at her. His wife, whom he had not had a proper conversation with for almost a month now. His wife, who had resorted to writing a letter to get in contact with him. His wife, who just wanted to go out to dance.

Alan sighed. “Alright, we’ll go to the Gala…”

Twilight smile and kissed him. “Thank you, Alan. Thank you so much.”

Alan nodded, all the while wondering if he didn’t just doom them all.

The two hundred and thirty-sixth annual Grand Galloping Gala opened with enough fireworks to launch somepony to the moon.

Alan watched with all with a raised eyebrow, curious at how a new air seemed to permeate the atmosphere. It seemed fresher, more casual, friendlier, even.

“By Celestia’s Summer Home,” Silver muttered as he followed Alan and Twilight into the palace foyer. “They’ve certainly changed things here…”

“I should hope so, dear,” Rarity said, dressed in her newest outfit. “I doubt we’d be let inside otherwise.”

Alan smirked at the thought.

“Alright, girls,” Twilight said, turning to the mares, her midnight black gown, decorated with stars, shimmering, “Alan and I have a lot of catching up to do, so we’ll meet you later,” and that was all of the interaction the Pendragon had with his friends before being pulled away by his wife.

It had taken a little bit of talking to get Shining and Cadence to babysit Orion, and once he was taken care of, the two were finally alone with each other. This did not last long enough for Alan’s liking, as they both had to get ready for the Gala.

Now, he was rather quickly being dragged along down several hallways, down to some unknown destination that she had in mind.

It was nice to see her smile, though…

He was practically pulled across the room, his wife not slowing down until a certain voice called out to her. “Twilight?”

She almost literally screeched to a halt, stopping just in front of three familiar figures. Princess Celestia stood on the left, followed by Harmony and then Luna, all in a row. A smile played on Celestia’s muzzle. “Having fun?”

“Princesses!” Twilight called, giving a quick bow.

Alan quickly followed. “Princesses,” he said with a bow, before giving a very neutral greeting to the draconequus. “Harmony.”

“Pendragon, Mrs. Sparkle,” he greeted back with a smile. “Enjoying yourselves?”

“We certainly plan to,” Alan replied, trying to keep the bite in his voice from showing.

Twilight nudged him.

“Well,” Celestia said, quickly trying to break the tension that was forming. “Have fun you two. Enjoy your night off!”

“Of course, Princess,” Alan said, before he began to lead his wife away, sending a passing glare at Harmony as he went.

Twilight nudged him again.

As they walked away, however, Luna gave a low grumble. “He should stop wasting his time…”

Celestia said nothing.

Harmony smiled. “It’s alright, Luna. Better safe than sorry, after all…”

Luna merely watched the two go down the hallway, eyes narrowing.

They danced.

It was a dance unlike any other dance the palace ballroom had seen in years.

They swayed, spun, and twirled around the room, holding the rapt attention of the crowd around them.

Alan didn’t really notice.

All he saw was his wife, his wife who smiled and giggled as she danced after such a long time.

The song they danced to began to slow, and the dancers followed the tune, slowing...slowing…

And then they stopped.

They hung there, perfectly still, a statue in the middle of the room.

And then the applause woke them, stirring them to stand. They gave a bow, and took their leave, opening the dancefloor to the other couples.

“Marvelous,” a voice said, and Alan turned to face the source.

Before him stood a white-coated unicorn, with an azure mane, and a very tall unicorn mare by his side. “Absolutely marvelous,” he said again as he finished his applause. “A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Pendragon.”

Alan furrowed his brow. “Have we met?”

“Not properly,” the blue-maned stallion said, before extending a hoof. “My name is Fancypants, and this is my wife, Fleur Dis Lis, we were some of the ones that managed to stay at the Gala where you proposed.”

At that, Alan smiled. “Ah! Good to hear!” he said, taking Fancy’s hoof. “At least one of you here knows how to have fun.”

“A lot of fun,” Fleur added.

“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you, you know,” Fancy said as he magically removed his monocle before wiping it clean with a handkerchief pulled from his tuxedo coat. “I’ve been given the honor of planning the Gala thanks to you, and that is no small thing.”

“Anything to get it out of the hooves of Blueblood,” Alan said with a smirk.

Fancypants chortled as he replaced his monocle. “Quite,” he said, before asking, “have either of you eaten yet?”

“Not yet,” Twilight said.

“Well you are welcome to our table,” Fancy said. “It would be an honor to have you both.”

“And we gladly accept!” Alan said, smiling as he spoke. “First, though,” he said, nudging up against his wife, “I still owe my little star, here, a few more dances.”

Fancypants nodded. “Of course, then we will see you at the table later?”

“Count on it,” Alan said, before they headed their separate ways.

They took a few steps away, before Twilight spoke up. “So, if you still owe me some dances, then why are we heading away from the dancefloor?”

Ala smiled. “Too crowded.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips. “Plan to take the whole floor?”

“You could say that.”

Twilight looked up at him, nuzzled him as they walked. “I missed you, you know?”

Alan sighed. “I missed you too, Twi,” he said somberly.

The two unicorns continued walking in silence, enjoying each other’s company as they moved, until they came to a lone, empty balcony.

“This’ll do,” Alan muttered, before reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out a small white device, his iPod.

“Found another song?” Twilight asked.

Alan nodded. “Still don’t know how this little thing keeps updated without internet…” he said, before the song came up, starting with a slow guitar.

He smiled and set it down, before turning to his wife, hooves outstretched to take her in his odd way of dancing. “Just a little encouragement,” he said.

She smiled and stood on her hind legs just as the singer began.

“I was nineteen, you were twenty-one

The year we got engaged

Everyone said we were much too young

But we did it anyway”

Alan spun her slowly, dancing with her to the rhythm.

“We bought our rings for forty each

From a pawn shop down the road

We made our vows and took the leap

Now fifteen years ago…

We went dancing in the minefields

We went sailing in the storm

And it was harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

She smiled as she looked up at him.

Yes, these past few days had been hard on the two of them…

“‘I do’ are the two most famous last words

The beginning of the end

But to lose your life for another I've heard

Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life

Is to lay your own life down

And I believe it's an easy price

For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields

We're sailing in the storm

This is harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

Alan and Twilight danced, no one but him, her, and the moon. He held her reverently, as though she were a gem far more precious than his own life; he held her tightly, as though she would just blow away in the evening breeze.

He was so precious to her, she could feel it.

“So let’s go dancing in the minefields

Let’s go sailing in the storm

Oh, let’s go dancing in the minefields

And kickin’ down the doors,

Let’s go dancing in the minefields

And sailing in the storms

Oh, this is harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

The dinner table was stuffed with the most delicious food than Alan had seen in the past month. Dandelion pies, cheese-stuffed rolls, grass-garnish salads, and a dozens different kinds of pastry.

Heavenly was a perfect word for it.

After sustaining himself on nothing but granola and oat rations, the spread before him looked like a banquet fit for a King.

Which, coincidentally, it was.

As Alan kept trying to keep himself from drooling all over the table, Twilight spoke with Fancypants and Fleur. “So the committee just offered you the job?”

“Yes, it didn’t take much to convince them, either,” Fancypants said, “Social events are a bit of a talent of mine, you see?”

“So why didn’t you get the opportunity in the first place?” Twilight asked.

“Tradition, mostly,” Fancypants explained, sipping a glass of elderberry wine. “The Bluebloods have held the honor of planning the Gala for the past century. The latest prince simply didn’t have it in him.”

Alan gave a snort at the name, and continued to eat.

Fancy nodded. “Yes, our dear Prince simply isn’t who he used to be.”

“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked.

“We used to be good friends, once upon a time. A lifetime ago, it seems,” he said with a frown.

“What happened?”

“He planned his first Gala,” the entrepreneur continued. “Once all of the brown-nosers then kissed his flank, he got it into his head that anything that was not prim and proper was childish, and therefore pointless. Which, meant of course, that I wasn’t worth his time anymore, that lazy—”

“Fancy,” Fleur warned, placing a hoof on his arm to calm him.

Fancypants sighed. “Apologies, it’s just that when one of your best friends leave you, it leaves scars.”

Twilight nodded. “I could imagine…”

Fancy smirked. “I hope you can’t,” he said, before sipping more of his wine. “Anyway, the Princess has told me he’s off on some spiritual sabbatical, and, maybe, just maybe, he’ll return to be the stallion I once knew…”

“I hope he does,” Twilight said.

“You’re one of the few,” Fancypants said. “Not many of ponies these days are willing to give somepony a second chance, especially to someone who’s wronged him.”

Alan paused his eating.

“It’s good to know that somepony here will give someone else a chance,” the mustached unicorn continued.

Alan put his food down.

“Well,” Twilight said, “truth be told, I get it from my husband.”

“What do you mean?” Fleur asked.

Twilight smiled, “Well, let me tell you about how we helped the Griffon King take back his throne from the changelings.”

Alan remained silent, while Twilight began to tell the story, including how the brave Ex-general Ironclaw sacrificed himself to save his nephew and the Pendragon.

“Um...Twilight,” Alan said, speaking up.

“”Huh? Yes, Dear?”

“I’m...I’m going to be right back, got to take care of something.”

“Oh, sure, I’ll be here,” she said.

Alan nodded, before excusing himself from the table.

He headed away, moving slowly as a war waged on in his mind.

Ironclaw...

Ironclaw redeemed himself, couldn’t Harmony? Couldn’t...couldn’t even Discord do it? Iron...Ironclaw had proven himself in far less time…

Was…

He...he should apologize.

Harmony hadn’t done anything to warrant this kind of suspicion, really. He has just been spending his time with Luna.

Just spending time with his special somepony.

...Like somepony else should be…

Sighing, Alan kept walking forward, searching for Harmony.

He needed to find him, apologize, and then get back to the table and enjoy the company of his wife.

He needed to end this stupid, silly cycle of—

“Is everything ready?” Harmony’s voice said from around the corner.

Alan froze, and leaned against the wall.

“Everything’s set,” a second voice said.

A chuckle floated from beyond the corner.

“Good…” Harmony said, “Celestia won’t know what hit her.”

And there we go, it should start picking up now.

“It better! I’m getting tired of waiting!”

I’m working on it!

“For now~! We get a break!”

And after that, Harmony’s plan comes to fruition.

“You’ve been waiting, readers! Chaos is coming!”

And it’s a storm.

“We’ll see you all next time!”

Bye!