Derpy slipped her hoof underneath her and undid a strap.

"Oh, it feels so good to get out of your saddlebag sometimes, you know what I mean?"

"Not really," said Karyn, "but I imagine it's probably similar to what I feel when I take my socks off after a long day."

Derpy looked at her strangely, but then remembered that wearing socks was a purely utilitarian activity for humans. "I guess so. But the bag has just been so heavy all week"

"You're tired again then?"

"No, or if I am, it's a good kind of tired. I worked a lot of overtime this week, and I got good pay."

However Derpy claimed she was feeling, Karyn could tell that she was weary, and helped her lay on the bed.

"Did you have fun working it?"

"Well, no more fun than usual, but the next time we're in Equestria, we can do something special, even if it costs money."

Karyn tidied up the apartment while Derpy relaxed. She didn't say anything, and Karyn didn't bring it up. Even with her new class schedule that afforded her extra time, she still liked to amuse herself and catch up with the cleaning on the weekend.

When she finally rolled over and looked up, Derpy said, "So how are your classes going?"

"You know how it goes in the first week."

"Oh, that's right, you told me about that. I wonder if Dinky has the same problem. I would guess not. Her classes aren't as formal as yours, and there are fewer ponies."

Karyn put away the last of the syllabi she had received. "Actually, it's been getting better. In the core courses they're more serious about using the time more effectively, so we did some actual learning."

"That's good." After her long rest, Derpy finally seemed to gain some energy. "You haven't asked me why."

"Why what?" asked Karyn, afraid she'd missed some new mane-cut or enhancement Derpy had gotten.

"Why I had so much extra work to do."

"Oh. I figured that it was just work that gets caught up, and then you have to do more."

Derpy picked up the saddlebag again, but did not put it on. "But this week specifically, everypony was mailing everypony else about their plans for the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Right, that's coming up soon."

"Very soon. Today in fact."

"What?!" Karyn had been fiddling with her phone, but threw it in her pocket when she heard Derpy.

"Yes, today."

"And you were delivering mail all over."

"That's right," said Derpy. Mail and some packages. Lots of ponies bought clothes and such to go to the ball."

"And...invitations? Tickets, I should say."

"Oh, no. Those went out weeks ago. You can't expect anypony to just find out they're going in the last week."

"That makes sense." Karyn's face dropped.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, after we helped Twilight get ready for the Gala, I kind of figured, or hoped, that she would reward us by letting us come to the party."

Now Derpy put the saddlebag back on. "You want to go to the Gala?"

"I do. Silly, right? But I find I like when everypony gets together for a party. Like when we went to the Summer Moon Celebration. They were all having such a good time, it was like a contact high. Plus it gives me a chance to practice acting in a social situation without it affecting my reputation here if I make a faux pas. But I guess they didn't want a human at their pony party."

"Well, then let's go!"

"But we didn't get invited," Karyn said.

"I'm sure you're right, and that it was a mistake. Twilight probably just forgot to give us invitations."

"You think the most organized pony in all of Equestria forgot?

Derpy was racing to kneal by Karyn, but held up. "You might have a point. But who cares? Let's go to Canterlot and go to the castle. Maybe they'll let us in, maybe they won't, but it'll be a fun adventure, and you'll get to be around all those happy ponies that you wanted to see."

Karyn mounted up, and they were in Ponyville a moment later. "Are we going to have enough time to get there?"

"It's still early, but we do have a lot to do. I'll have to find a dress, we'll need to take the train there...all right, maybe not a lot to do, but it could take a while."

Derpy descended toward her house, but they didn't stay long. When they emerged a moment later, Derpy's saddlebag was laden with the extra money she'd earned.

"Now we'll need to find a dressmaker who's open today," said Karyn. "Won't most of them be closed?"

Derpy stopped. "I didn't think of that. We'll just have to take our chances."

"Actually, before we go hunting everywhere, I want to try something. Hold still."

Karyn stood by Derpy's side and concentrated. For a minute, nothing happened, then green light faded into existence around Karyn. When it finished, Derpy expected what she saw: Karyn in a fancy party dress. What she didn't expect was to see herself in one as well.

It swept to her back in the silver-gray of rain, but had fringes and gaps that let her cutie mark be seen. Around her neck, a simple clasp of stone held it together.

"How did you do that?"

"You know how I can make clothes for myself? Well, I can't take them off and give them to anyone, but I can keep them continuous. There are threads connecting that dress to mine. Which means we can't separate at the party, or it'll fall off. But so long as we're in contact, it'll work."

"So it's made out of your own changeling magic's substance? I see." Derpy moved around it the dress to see how it fit, but then stopped. "Does that mean it's like you're always giving me a hug?"

Because the clothes were inanimate, Karyn didn’t feel through them. But she said, “In a way, I guess it kind of is. But let’s not be all sappy. We’ll miss the train.”

The easiest way for them to walk was with Karyn mounted up. Even before they entered the train station, they could see the throng of ponies gathered round waiting for the next train to Canterlot. Half of Ponyville, it seemed, was going to the Gala.

Here and there, stallions in the railroad uniform were trying to keep control of the crowd, pushing everypony to different sides to keep a steady queue. As one of them passed, Karyn and Derpy overheard him say, “Why does everypony have to be going to the Gala?”

“He’s got a good point,” said Karyn. “Why does everypony go to the Gala?”

“Because it’s not held in Ponyville. They have to travel.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. What’s the purpose of it?”

Derpy had a light-bulb-over-head expression. “Oh! To have a party.”

“Yes, but why? Just for the party? I mean, when there’s the Summer Sun and Moon Celebrations, the reason is for the raising of the particular object. If it were a birthday party or a Hearth’s Warming Eve party, there are reasons for those too. But why the Gala?”

“I don’t know. I never thought about it. Maybe you’re right and it’s just a party. We can ask when we get there.”

“If we get there.” Karyn craned her neck over the crowd. “Although I do hear a train pulling in, so that could be good news.”

Indeed the train chugged its way into the station, and with the steam from the engine permeating the air, the queue slowly filled the station.

“Hey, do we even have tickets?” Karyn asked.

“No, I told you, we’d see when we get there.”

“I mean train tickets.”

“No, we don’t have those either. We’ll have to pay cash on board.”Derpy jingled the change in her bag.

“I didn’t even know you could do that.”

“Oh, yes. There’s an upcharge, I think, but like I said, I have extra this week.”

At last they reached the head of the line, but when they got on, not only were the bedrooms and roomettes filled, but every seat in the car as well. They spotted one or two empty ones, but nowhere were there two together, and thanks to Karyn’s magic they were bound together for the trip.

“I guess we’re standing the whole way.”

“Yep!” Derpy said it with more cheer than Karyn expected.

“I’m glad you’re happy about it.”

“That’s right. I forgot that you’re not as comfortable that way. Well, get on my back. It’s not the same as a seat with a back, but it’s better than nothing, right?”

“Thanks, Derpy.” It was a little awkward for her, pressed against some other pony’s body, but Karyn managed to get on top once more. It helped too that Derpy could null out some of the shocks, bumps, and swerves as the train ascended the mountain.

If the packed train had one advantage, it was that those on last were off first. Derpy carried Karyn out of the Canterlot station and toward the castle. The tall towers and buildings still impeded Derpy from flying right there, but after the visits she had to see Dinky, she knew generally where she was going, and had she gotten lost, all that was necessary was to follow the crowd.

Like water pouring down a drain, the ponies came from every alley and corner toward the castle. They were still a mile off when they found another queue, if it could be called so. Throng would be a better word.

"This is going to take forever!" said Derpy. "By the time we get in, the party will be over."

"It's like when Twilight couldn't get any alone time with Princess Celestia because she had to spend the whole night at the reception line."

"It's too bad we can't just go to the side door where ponies deliver mail."

Karyn bent down to see Derpy's face upside down. "You know where that is?"

"Not from experience, but there has to be one."

"Let's try to find it. This line's not going anywhere for a while, and if we don't find it, we'll be no worse off."

They trotted around the crowd. Canterlot Castle, built as it was into the side of a mountain, did not have many accessible entries. But whether by intent of the builders or because they planned for an all-unicorn city, Derpy was able to fly past a barrier where the castle sloped away from the ground. Nopony guarded it, and their progress was neither permitted nor hindered.

The walkways and arches they walked under grew thicker, until the last one became not an arch but a ceiling, and they were fully indoors. From a distance, the sound of chamber music came.

“I think we found it,” said Derpy, but it took a few more twists and turns before they could see the light of the party. Once there, it was exactly how Karyn remembered and Derpy imagined it would be. Fancy ponies everywhere in their best dresses and suits enjoying polite conversation to a background of the band playing.

“We made it. Now let’s have some fun.”

Derpy, though, perhaps forgetting about having to stay close to Karyn, had tunnel vision for one part of the ballroom, and Karyn had to run to keep up. Derpy picked up a dinner plate and attacked the buffet table.

“Oh, I guess I shouldn’t be eating so much, right?”

“For a party like this, I’ll let you have a cheat day. Try not to go too crazy though.”

“These carrots smell so delicious. I love carrots. I used to raid the refrigerator for them all the time. Do you want some?” Derpy took a second plate before Karyn even responded.

“Before I eat anything, I think it would be prudent if we confirmed our invitations. We don’t want to be called out as party crashers.”

“Fair enough, but I don’t see anypony who looks like an usher.”

Karyn took a bite of her carrot. “It’s really Twilight I want to find. Like you said, it’s she who ought to have given them to us, and even if she didn’t intend to, it’s probably because she didn’t think we would want to go. Some usher would be more likely to throw us out.”

“You’re right. Let’s head toward the front of the party. I think most of the important ponies are there.”

“I just hope there isn’t a velvet rope or something holding us back.”

“If there is, I’ll fly over it.”

They made their way through the crowd, and there indeed was a VIP section that was roped off. Before Derpy could show off her boldness, a bell rang that got everypony’s attention. They held still and watched to see what would happen.

It took Karyn a few seconds to process what she was hearing. The music was familiar, but she couldn’t place where she’d heard it until she saw Twilight Sparkle come out. Then she remembered flying away on Derpy’s back as Twilight continued to practice her dance.

Twilight’s dancing was not pure grace, but it did show the practice that she put in. Her timing was impeccable, and she was able to move from partner to partner without missing a beat. Apparently many stallions had sought the right to dance even a few steps with a princess.

The only one that they recognized was Twilight’s brother. It made sense that Shining Armor, as a prince from one of Equestria’s territories, would be invited, and of course Twilight would have him on her dance card. But it was as she took his hoof in hers that the dance took her around to where Karyn and Derpy were standing. After a few twirls, she caught sight of Karyn.

It nearly made her lose her balance, and had it been anypony else, she would have been embarrassed, perhaps too much to continue. But Shining, who had gotten the family’s share of dance talent, helped her recover. As the song reached its final crescendo, Twilight took a bow but then marched over to Karyn.

“Hello, Twilight.”

“Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Karyn blanched. She was a party crasher after all.

“We couldn’t resist,” said Derpy. “We had to be where everypony who’s anypony was. Besides, I’ve never been to one.”

Twilight’s expression was one of sympathy, and something else that Karyn thought of as self-pity. She was still expecting a dressing-down from a princess or some official, but the pony who came by, stopping Twilight from saying anything, seemed more interested in herding Twilight than Derpy and Karyn. He was a fast-talking unicorn who kept staring at a clipboard held in his magic field.

“Right, that concludes the dance, so here we go, back at it, everypony come, we have to keep on schedule.”

Twilight tried to talk to him. “I just wanted to say to—“

“You’ll have plenty of time to speak next, the floor will be yours, of course, now let’s get into positions. This way, please.” If anything, he focused on Karyn to move. Derpy, bound as she was to Karyn for her dress, followed. None of them could get a word in edgewise as they walked with Twilight.

Where they were taken was a room without any decorations, but with lots of ponies sitting around. Many of them had associates and hangers-on, and all of them wore a kind of badge on their clothes. As the stallion who had hurried them in went to bother others, Derpy and Karyn had a conversation in whispers.

“What do you think this is?” Derpy asked.

“I was hoping that you would know. Is there supposed to me some kind of summit at this year’s Gala?”

“Not that I heard, unless it was supposed to be a secret summit, in which case they wouldn’t have told me.”

The stallion returned, consulting a seating chart. “I can’t find where you two are supposed to be. What delegation are you with again?”

“I’m from Ponyville,” said Derpy.

“But we already have Princess Twilight from Ponyville.”

“Oh, you must mean Karyn then. She’s from Earth.”

Once more he scanned his list, but Twilight interrupted him with a sigh. “You won’t find them there. Just grab two chairs out of storage and put them next to me.”

Derpy seemed to sense Twilight’s upset mood, but Karyn didn’t particularly care. “What exactly is going on here?”

Some of the pony delegates huffed their disapproval, but Twilight leaned over and said, “We’ve been meeting here all week. This is the time when we plan out all the things that ponies will do over the next year. Growing quotas, schedules for pegasus weather activity, and so forth.”

“And you scheduled that opposite the Grand Galloping Gala?”

“No, that’s the point of the Gala. Princess Celestia didn’t explain it to me until after my own ascension. It’s one of those open secrets that we have around Equestria.”

“Open secrets?” asked Derpy.

“Well, more like the reverse of open secrets. Things that anypony can find out about, but nopony bothers to do. They all prefer to think of this time as just a party that’s so exclusive.”

Karyn and Derpy surveyed the table. None of the delegates or their assistance seemed happy, and more than one was haggard with unkempt manes and tails. Halfway down, one of them spoke up. “If we could please return to business, Princess.”

“Very well,” Twilight launched into a discussion including some complex terms like “free on board” and “net-thirty.”

Derpy pulled Karyn aside and again spoke in hushed tones. “Do you want to head back to the party then? I get the feeling we’re not supposed to be here.”

“Wait a few minutes. I want to see what’s going on.”

Derpy shrugged, and she spaced out for a minute as the bickering continued.

Karyn, however, seemed to have genuine interest, and when she returned to the table, Twilight was talking again.

"Yes, I know that you've requested a broader time frame, and I've included that in the plan. But there are only twelve months in the year. I can't alter time."

The pony she was talking to shot her a skeptical look, but said nothing.

"I know that there are many things for everypony to consider,"Twilight continued, "but that's why we're here making these plans."

"You say that every year, and every year something goes wrong! The plan doesn't work!"

Twilight was speechless for a moment, and though Karyn hadn't been there, an image emerged in her mind, an image of a full week of this, of Twilight patiently explaining details to one pony, only to have some other pony ask a question on the most minute point that probably had nothing to do with them, but which warranted an equally long explanation. Then she saw Twilight having to listen to speeches that were just as long, but contained nothing but fluff and flank-covering disclaimers. Twilight, though, would not be able to tune out, for fear that some delicate piece of information might actually come through.

She got in front of Twilight and pointed a finger at the stallion. "Listen, I don't know what your issue is, but I do know something about planning, because it's a big part of what my job is," going to be, she said to herself. "And I know that no matter how much you do, there's always something that comes up to mess with your plans. It's just as important to know how to think on your hooves."

Derpy snapped to attention and tried to grab Karyn to pull her back, but she was on a roll. "Right down the hall, there's a wonderful party to go to, and if you would all put in a little more work during the year, you could be out there enjoying it instead of wasting your time down here, and wasting Twilight's time as well!"

Now Derpy slapped a wing over Karyn's mouth. "I'm so sorry, Twilght...Princess! I don't know what got into her!"

It wasn't Twilight, or even the pony she was arguing with, who broke the tension, but a few other ponies around the table. And it wasn't a proper hoof-stomp round of applause, but a few thumps and some who got up and clearly meant to take Karyn's advice and get out to the party. One by one the ponies left the table until even those who wanted to continue the conference saw that it was fruitless.

"I...I don't believe it." Twilight's jaw hung open.

"Twilight, I don't know how we can make this up to you--"

"I've been trying all week to do something like that. Karyn, I could kiss you!"

"What?!" Derpy still expected disaster.

"Derpy," Karyn said, "I know that you don't have to deal with a lot of meetings like this, but even a princess I'm sure can't stand them. And if an outsider can say something to shut it down, so much the better. As a wise human said, a motion to adjourn is always in order."

Twilight laughed. "I'll have to remember that one. And now I really owe you a favor. Come on, let's get back to the Gala."

They were half way down the hall before Twilight spoke again. "Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?" asked Derpy.

"Wait until I tell you what it is before accepting."

Author's Notes:

But don't wait any longer than a week to read the next chapter!

"I’ve been going stir crazy the last three days.”

“But you had plenty of time to catch up on your homework.”

Karyn had to laugh at that. “I finished it all on Friday, and read two chapters ahead in the book we’re doing for English class."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your mom seemed real proud of you.”

“Yeah, I at least got the ball rolling. But I bet it’s an hour at least before we get out of here.”

Derpy seemed distracted by something, but Karyn couldn’t read her expression to tell what.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dinky.”

Out loud, Derpy said, “She’s even thinking of me when I’m thinking of her. I can’t wait till next week.”

She rushed off to find a pen so she could respond.

Please read that one and the next too!