Tonight was that time of the year, where anyone who was able to buy themselves a special ticket for this evening would be able to attend the castle for the Grand Galloping Gala. Throughout the day, the servants set up the formal gathering throughout the foyer, ballroom, and gardens, though with how the event is planned out by Solaris, it won't be the same as what many nobles would expect, seeing as he would be expecting a few guests who would arrive that can help liven the ball up. Food was prepared by the kitchen staff, something for everyone to enjoy, especially since the alicorn was expecting foals to arrive with their parents for Emerald to interact with.

Solaris was already dressed in his regalia: wearing his crown, golden horseshoes, and the white and gold tunic he wore on his coronation, refitted for him as he grew out of it after becoming an adult. He was busy getting his daughter ready for the evening, dressed in a light lavender gown with a gold hem, the dress sparkling with sequins made to look like stars. On her hooves were a pair of gold dress slippers with green bows on the front of them. The filly sat patiently as she looked at herself in the mirror, watching her daddy helping fix her mane into a ponytail while brushing her bangs down, making her look presentable for their guests for the evening.

"There we go," Solaris said, putting down the brush. "My little princess is ready for the Gala."

"Daddy, I think you forgot something," Emerald said, pointing at the top of her head.

"Did I?...Oh, right!" He levitated Emerald's crown off a pillow resting on her dresser, a small white tiara with a purple star in the middle. "A princess can't be a princess without her crown."

He lowered the crown on her already groomed mane, setting perfectly on her head. Now Emerald looked like a proper princess, loving the dress made by her Aunt Gemstone for this night as she posed in front of the mirror to look at herself.

"I look really pretty," she said with a twirl, Solaris nodding in agreement. "Is the Gala gonna be fun, daddy?"

"I hope so. I did plan out a little area for you and other foals that come to the Gala so you don't have to suffer through the boring stuff the adults think is considered fun." They heard a groan as Trill entered the room, the changeling grumbling in annoyance as she walked in their daughter's room.

"Do we really have to wear stuff like this for every formal gathering?" Trill wore an emerald green dress that matched her eyes, her mane tied up in a braided ponytail, and wore green lipstick and eye shadow. Her outfit sparkled with smaller sequins sewn into it, not as flashy as Emerald's sequin stars decorating her dress, but even though she hated it, Solaris loved seeing his beloved wife dressed so beautifully. "I hate these boring events. Why do we have to host the Gala every year, and why do we have to wear these frilly dresses!?"

"Honey, don't complain," Solaris said, approaching the disgruntled mare and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You look really beautiful. And I thought you loved to dress up."

"My version of 'dressing up' is only for you and when we're alone," Trill corrected, poking him in the snout. "You know, the kind of outfits only you're allowed to see and Emerald can't."

"Mommy has dress up clothes?" Emerald asked.

"Adult dress up clothes!" Solaris quickly said. "They aren't the kind of clothes meant for little fillies for pretend games!"

"She is going to play 'adult dress up' with a stallion when she gets older," Trill whispered, flustering the stallion with those thoughts, which made it worse as he didn't want to imagine what their daughter would do when she reaches her teens.

"Trill, cut it out!" he hissed. "I do not want to know or find out what Emmy does the moment she hits puberty!" Trill only smirked as the only amount of fun she'll have at any boring, royal events would be endlessly teasing her husband until it's finally over, where she would make it up to him before falling asleep. Ignoring the coy stare she gave him, Solaris noticed she wasn't wearing her tiara. "Uhh, where's your tiara, Trill?"

"Yeah, mommy! We're princesses!" Emerald stated. "We gotta wear our tiaras!"

"Well, mommy doesn't want to wear her tiara," Trill said. "Even if I'm married to your father, I hate wearing that thing." Solaris managed to find her tiara from their room, placing it on her head to her dismay. Unlike Emerald's, Trill's was black with a green gem shaped like a heart. "It was bad enough I was a future queen changeling like mom, but I guess I can't get rid of my status as princess all too easily, can I?"

"Afraid not." Solaris draped a wing over her, pulling her close and nuzzled her. "You regret marrying me?"

"...Nah. I don't regret anything about you, Solly." Trill pressed her lips against Solaris's, kissing him as she leaned against him. Emerald giggled, feeling the love radiating from them, happy to see her mommy and daddy always so happy together. The mare pulled away and nuzzled his cheek lovingly. "I love you, hon."

"And I love you," he said as he returned her affection.

"Me too!" Emerald cheered, hugging her parents' forelegs as she joined in.

They both laughed at the filly's happiness as she joined in. "Of course. We love you too, Emmy." Solaris and Trill hugged Emerald, trapping her in their forelegs in their family hug. Solaris gave both his princesses a kiss on the cheek, lowering the hybrid filly back down. "I think it's about time for the Gala to start. Let's go and greet our subjects, ladies."

Emerald cheered and skipped ahead of her parents while Trill let out a frustrated sigh, willing herself to tough through the boring ball and meeting snobby kiss ups who try to win her and Solaris over with boring deals or trade ideas. Once they navigated their way to the main foyer, the guards began letting guests inside once they showed their tickets. The majority of guests were mostly nobles from Canterlot, having bought their tickets so they could meet the royal family, but there were a few VIPs who were invited by Solaris expected to show up at any moment. And right on cue, one of those guests arrived in a flash, teleporting before the prince and princesses was Discord, wearing an orange tuxedo, along with a top hat of the same color and a cane.

"The Lord of Chaos has arrived!" Discord announced, blasts of confetti exploding behind him to accent his grand entrance, showering the other guests with his chaotic confetti blasts. "I would have gotten here sooner, but I just couldn't decide what to wear." He snapped his fingers, materializing a walk in wardrobe with thousands of randomly mismatched clothing sets. "I barely had anything formal, but I managed to find the best monkey suit out of my collection, even though it is a bit too orange."

"Unca Discord!" Emerald was about to run up to the draconequus and hug him, only to stop herself as she remembered there were other ponies around them. She cleared her throat and instead curtsied, being a respectable young princess to the public watching them. "I mean, Mr. Discord. A pleasure to see you again."

"Oh, don't be a royal stick in the mud! Give your chaotic uncle a hug!" Discord scooped Emerald up in his arms, ignoring the looks any of the nobles gave as the filly giggled and hugged him. "Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you have to act like one every single day. I mean, just look at what that's done to your father."

"Hey, I'm able to have fun and uphold my duties, Discord," Solaris argued.

"Yeah. You have a lot of fun with our 'wrestling' when you're in the mood to tussel with me, or whenever I start it," Trill said with a grin, rubbing her flank against his sensually.

Solaris stepped away from his wife's teasing rump brushing against his, struggling to hide the growing blush on his face as he felt annoyed by her seductive torment. "Why do you always do this?"

"Because I am bored, I'm not going to have fun taking part in the Gala, and I love to tease you," she answered, sticking her tongue out at him.

"And because of that, I feel like I'm raising two foals: one who's actually my daughter, while the other is a filly trapped in an adult changeling's body," Solaris grumbled as he sighed.

Discord lowered Emerald back down to the floor, making sure not to ruin her dress. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to mingle with the crowd. And by mingle, I mean liven the place up a little bit."

Discord strolled around the castle, whistling a jaunty tune as he twirled his cane in his hand. "He better not cause any trouble," Solaris muttered under his breath, welcoming more guests that approached him as they entered the castle.

The main roads of Canterlot were filled with carriages approaching the castle, many guests for the Gala arriving in style before making their way down the pathway inside the castle. One of the many carriages arriving were accompanied by stallions in the Crystal Guard, escorting the royal family of the Crystal Empire after arriving in the city. One of the guards opened the door as they reached the castle entrance, the first to walk out was young Flurry Heart, now eleven years old. Her curly mane was styled like her mother's, sparkling gems expertly placed in her hair as a custom for princesses of the Crystal Empire for any royal event, whether in their kingdom or royal invites like the Grand Galloping Gala. The alicorn filly wore a pink and blue dress with sparkling sapphires sewn in the white trimming at the end.

"Finally, we're here!" Flurry said as she looked up at the castle. "It felt like forever since we last came here!"

Cadence stepped out next, wearing a light blue dress similar in color to the Crystal Heart, wearing a heart-shaped brooch on her breast as her dress shimmered with sequins and small gem shards also shaped like hearts. "It hasn't been that long, Flurry. We did come for Emerald's birthday a few months ago."

"But it still felt like forever!" the filly exaggerated.

"I know," Cadence giggled. She then turned to the carriage, Shining Armor also arriving with his wife and daughter for the occasion. He wore his old Royal Guard dress uniform, tailored to the style of the kingdom he lived in now as it shimmered with shards of red rubies. Despite his handicap, he wasn't going to miss out on enjoying his time with his nephew and grandniece, sadly unable to go to her last birthday party due to the pain. "Here, hon. Let me help you down."

"I got it," he said, his pride as a stallion, ex-Royal Guard, and prince not allowing him to be weak just because of his injured forelegs. He stepped down from the carriage, his legs shaking as he tried to put as little weight on his front legs as he could. It took a little while for him to finally reach the ground, but he succeeded, despite his injured legs screaming out in pain. "T-There. See? I can handle a couple steps."

"Shining, don't push yourself," Cadence chided. "I know how much you wanted to come along, but that doesn't mean you should hurt yourself." He opened his mouth to speak, but she gently pressed her hoof to his lips. "And don't make an excuse over your pride and mask the pain you're currently in. You're already starting to sweat just from walking down the steps of the carriage."

"Yeah, daddy. Don't hurt yourself," Flurry said, just as concerned with her father's injuries as her mother.

"I know, but...I can't just sit around and lay in bed every day," he said, looking down at himself. Because of his forelegs, he can barely move around much without wincing in pain. The pain only grew worse as the years passed, but he wasn't going to be using a walker or a wheelchair until the rest of his body began to slow down when he reached his late seventies. He had a bit of a pudge to him, able to be unnoticed if he sucked in his gut, and he lost the muscles he had from all the training he's done in the Royal Guard and working for Lucifer as a double agent to seek revenge on him. "I feel absolutely useless if I just sit on my plot and can't move. I don't care if it hurts to walk on these legs. I'm not going to miss out on the time I've lost with my nephew, and I want to have as much time with Emerald before I'm a wrinkled old stallion..."

Flurry and Cadence looked at each other, knowing how much it mean for him to spend a lot of time with Solaris, Trill, and Emerald. Cadence pulled her stubbornly desperate husband into a hug, nuzzling his cheek as he brought his hooves around her back.

"We just don't want you to push yourself and wind up with any worse injuries than you've already gotten," Cadence gently reasoned, giving Shining a kiss on the cheek. "Solaris worries about you every day after what happened. And I know how much you want to bond with Emerald when she can't come over and visit us due to her changeling blood." The alicorn straightened out her husband's dress shirt, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. "Let's not get our grandniece worried either. She can sense your troubles a lot better than Solaris, and he does send letters saying how much Emerald missed seeing us."

"And so could I within a mile where you stand." The Crystal Empire royal family turned to see Chrysalis landing beside them, along with her escort of changeling guards. Unlike them, she wasn't dressed up like everyone else was. "You really shouldn't be moving around that much, anyway."

"Chrysalis? What are you doing here?" Shining asked in surprise.

"Auntie Chrissy!" Flurry caught the changeling queen in a hug, startling her as she awkwardly pet the filly's head.

"Yes, yes, hello, Flurry Heart," Chrysalis said, gently pushing the filly off her. "Nice seeing you again...and your reservoir of Crystal Empire love." She noticed her guards staring at the filly, smacking one upside the head and snapping them back to attention, momentarily forgetting they weren't supposed to steal love after Flurry Heart got too close. "If you want to feed, there's love essence at the party to sprinkle onto the food in the castle. As tempting as it is to suck this filly's love out of her, stay away from her."

"Yes, my queen!" they responded, Flurry giggling, almost as if she did that on purpose to tease the other changelings.

"Anyway, the reason why I'm here is because I was invited by Solaris," Chrysalis said. "And if I didn't, I'm sure Discord would have brought me here by force. He wants me to get more involved with family, even if I have a lot of work to do around my hive."

"Well, that's a good thing," Cadence said. "Emerald's always looking forward to seeing her grandmare again."

"I really hate being called that," the queen grumbled. "Let's just get this night over with. I don't like fancy gatherings, and royal balls are one of them."

Chrysalis walked through the gates with her entourage behind her, Shining, Cadence, and Flurry following behind slowly due to the unicorn stallion's handicap. Some of the nobles were a bit wary of the changeling queen and her guards approaching the castle, few not fully accepting the idea of having Equestria united with love sucking creatures. As soon as Chrysalis walked through the open doorway, flashing her tickets to the guards for herself and her entourage, she spotted her son-in-law, daughter, and granddaughter at the foot of the stairs in the foyer greeting other guests. The moment she walked in, Trill's eyes widened in shock, surprised to see her mother waltzing in and approach them.

"Mom!?" With her presence known to Solaris and Emerald, the former waved to her while the latter ran up to Chrysalis.

"Grandma!" Emerald squealed, ramming herself into the queen's foreleg and hugged it tightly.

Chrysalis grumbled, everyone in the foyer watching the hybrid filly as she loudly proclaimed her entrance and her relationship with her. With Emerald, feeling the love she had in her was a lot different than Flurry's, where it can be noticed, but her mixed blood prevented any changeling from stealing it. Feeling even more awkward with eyes staring at her, including her guards, the mare pat her back, which only made the filly tighten her grip on her more.

"I...I had no idea you would actually come to the Gala," Trill uttered, still in shock. She then realized her mother wasn't even wearing a dress, had her hair styled for a royal occasion, or even any makeup, she grumbled and leered at Solaris. "Oh, so my mom's invited and she isn't wearing anything! That's fair!"

"I was actually expecting her to maybe wear something made from the green webbing you spit out at me and form it into a kind of silk to make a dress." She still held her disdained gaze on the alicorn, slowly shaking her head. "...Well, I thought that was something you could do."

"That's just disgusting," Trill said. "And we're not silkworms or spiders." She began pouting, crossing her forelegs in anger. "Can't believe my mom can come without dressing up and I have to."

While the changeling princess complained, Chrysalis lifted up her leg, Emerald still clutching onto her limb tightly, looking up at her as she continued hugging her. "Hi, Grandma!"

"Hello..." Chrysalis lightly shook her leg, making the filly giggle as she was trying to be shaken off of her grandmother. "...Please let go of my leg."

"But I want a hug!" Emerald said.

The queen's eye twitched, looking to her son-in-law and daughter, the latter smirking as she found Emerald's plea amusing. "...Get her off."

"Just give her a hug, Chrysalis," Solaris advised. "She misses her grandma."

"I hate being called that," Chrysalis grumbled. With no choice, all eyes watching her, she let out a frustrated sigh and lowered her leg back down. She brought her other foreleg around Emerald and gave her a quick hug. "There. You got a hug."

"That wasn't a hug!" Emerald complained.

"Yes it was," she argued. "It lasted for at least a second. It counts."

"And mom thinks I'm the one who can't grow up," Trill whispered to Solaris.

Emerald reluctantly let go of her grandma, even if she found her to be silly hiding the fact she liked her. Chrysalis walked around the filly to speak with Solaris and Trill, her guards wandered off to mingle and help themselves to whatever food was there to sprinkle the delectable love essence on. She turned back to the front entrance, her eyes lighting up with joy as she saw Flurry Heart, her Grandaunt Cadence, and her Granduncle Shining Armor enter the castle.

"Flurry!" Emerald shouted joyfully as she ran up to her.

"Emerald!" The young filly stopped in front of her second cousin before tackling her into a hug, the two fillies doing a familiar dance that Cadence and Shining Armor knew fondly.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!" The two fillies then hugged each other after their greeting.

Cadence knew that familiar dance and greeting, considering it was how she and Twilight greeted each other when they were younger. She didn't recall showing Flurry Heart and sharing it with Emerald, so either they coincidentally came up with that same chant and dance together during their last visit on Emerald's birthday or they found about it somehow.

"Cadence, when did you teach them that?" Shining asked.

"I didn't." He was a bit baffled at his wife's calm answer, but whether they learned it or not, it suited their daughter and grandniece, both fillies near reincarnations of their mothers. "Hey, where's my hug?" Emerald broke away from her cousin and ran up to Cadence, glomping into her foreleg excitedly. The alicorn scooped her up and hugged her tightly. "Ooooh! You have gotten so big since I last saw you! And you look so pretty in your dress!"

"You're pretty too, Auntie Cadence," Emerald complimented, making Cadence giggle, seeing she has definitely gotten most of her manners from Solaris. She put her down, the filly approaching her uncle, who had sat down to rest his sore forelegs. "Hi, Unca Shiney."

"Hey, Emerald." The filly carefully walked up to him and hugged his waist, being mindful of his injured forelegs her daddy told her about. He hugged her back, wincing a little as his hooves made contact with her grandniece, but he didn't let the pain bother him. "You look really beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Unca Shiney." Even if she didn't see her granduncle much with her grandaunt and second cousin, Emerald was happy to see him here at the Gala.

Twilight watched her brother and granddaughter, seeing the pain that was in Shining's eyes. It wasn't the physical pain of his injuries she saw, but the mental pain, able to tell he saw so much of her in Emerald. It hurt him greatly to have his little sister perish, trying to stop a monster that no one could stand up to, nearly losing himself in his fruitless attempts at getting revenge for her unfortunately destined demise. Thankfully, with the threat gone, he was at peace with Cadence, their daughter, Flurry Heart, and Solaris, the alicorn stallion's courageous efforts helping bring peace back to Equestria as well.

Emerald let go of Shining and ran back to her cousin, though Solaris could see his uncle was struggling not to visible wince in pain. "Hey, Emmy? Why don't you show Flurry the garden and have fun with the other foals here at the Gala?"

"But daddy, I wanna wait for Vivi!" Emerald whined.

"I'll tell him where you are as soon as he and his parents arrive." She pouted and looked at the doorway, seeing no sign of her best friend. Solaris brushed her hoof along his daughter's mane, being careful not to knock off her tiara and mess up her mane. "I know you don't want to stand around here all night greeting guests."

"Like me!" Trill exclaimed, Solaris chuckling at her claim, knowing she was pouting and already bored out of her mind.

"But, unlike mommy, you're going to want something to do before bedtime, and standing around the foyer with us isn't all that fun." Emerald looked up at her daddy, his words were a bit true as she was getting a little antsy waiting for Virtuo and standing around doing nothing.

"...Ok. But Vivi better be here soon!" She gave her daddy a quick hug and ran off with Flurry Heart in tow to the gardens where the other younger ponies could have their fun at a formal party.

"Don't run, Emmy!" Solaris called out, but she had already rounded the corner before he heard her. He let out a sigh, letting it slide since she was still a filly and always needed something to do to entertain herself. "Oh well. Hopefully she doesn't get her dress all dirty. Gem would kill me if her dress she made was ruined."

Out in the gardens of the castle, the area was set up to look more fun for any foals who came with their parents to the Gran Galloping Gala. Most of the colts and fillies that were there were just as snooty as their parents, very confused with the birthday party-like setting that was for them at a royal ball. Emerald and Flurry arrived, the alicorn filly staring at the fun decorations that was a big change compared to the royal decor inside the castle, fun music playing that fit the setting of the foal's variation of a Gala.

"Wow. Solly really planned all this?" Flurry asked.

Cherry Pie suddenly popped out of the bushes, wearing the Gala outfit once worn by her mother, Pinkie: a bright pink dress with fake candies sewn on the white sash around her waist, pink dress shoes with blue and white striped bows on the front, and a small blue and white hat on her head. "Actually, I was the one who planned this section of the Gala!"

"Auntie Cherry!" Emerald leapt into Cherry's hooves after climbing out of the foliage, barely getting her outfit dirty for some reason, the red earth pony mare hugging the filly tightly. "Wait, where are my other aunts and uncles?"

"They'll be at the Gala soon," Cherry said. "Gemstone wanted us all to arrive in style, but that would take too long. Plus, your daddy needed a party expert to set up something not boring for little fillies like yourself in something as posh as the Grand Galloping Gala...Although..." As they looked out at the party, the many noble foals just stood around, doing nothing as they stared at the foalish decor that was meant for their ages. "Like with every Gala, we get too many stiffs who don't like fun."

"Well, I'm ready to have fun," Flurry said. "And I love this music!"

"And if you need any refreshments, there's a buffet table with lots of tasty treats and drinks to refill that energy tank and party even more!" Cherry pointed at a table nearby, where an assortment of sugary snacks were laid out, along with a soda fountain with ten different flavors. What Emerald noticed where most of the chocolaty snacks, ranging from cookies to cupcakes. "And just for the little princess, I made a lot of different chocolate treats I know you're going to love. Now, let's dance, little princesses!"

Emerald and Flurry cheered as they ran out into the middle of the garden and danced to the upbeat, non-classical music playing over the speakers. While the adult mare and two princesses were busy having fun, two colts walked into the garden after being lead by the signs to where the foals would have their fun in the Gala. Gold Plate and Platinum Band, wearing matching black tuxedos, spotted Emerald as they looked at the decorations, appalled at what they clearly didn't expect to see.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Gold grumbled. "This isn't fit for a royal gathering."

"Did our moms bring us to the wrong castle or something?" Platinum asked, earning a smack in the back of the head by his friend.

"There's only one castle in Canterlot, stupid." The silver colt rubbed his head, leering at Gold for hitting him. "The Gala's supposed to be a noble party, not...this." Gold Plate grumbled as he and Platinum made their way to the buffet table, scarfing down a cookie as he watched the hybrid princess dance. "I don't even know why our moms brought us to the stupid castle. We're going to be spending the night here with the giant white bug and-"

Gold let out a small gasp when he noticed the older filly dancing with Emerald and Cherry. He watched Flurry, everything else around her fading away as he only focused on the alicorn princess. His cheeks began glowing red, taking note of every feature: her violet and blue highlighted curly mane, her light blue eyes, the beautiful dress she wore. The rude, spoiled colt's eyes drooped as his grin widened into a dopey, love-struck smile, his ears twitching as he heard her giggling over the music playing around them.

Platinum didn't hear his friend continue complaining, looking at him to see him grinning like a doofus as he watched the two fillies and grown mare on the dance floor. "Uhh, Gold?" He waved his hoof in front of Gold Plate's face, getting no reaction out of him. "Dude, what's wrong with you? And why's your face red?"

"...Who...is that?" Gold asked.

"Uhh..." Platinum saw who his friend was looking at, more on Flurry Heart than their victim or the mare acting like a filly. "An alicorn? I didn't know there was another besides Prince Solaris and Princess Cadence."

As the music wound down and shifted to a calmer song, the only dancers out there taking a break as they walked over to the buffet table. "She's coming this way! Act natural!"

Gold shoved Platinum out of his way as he went to grab drink, knocking his friend on the ground and getting his tuxedo dirty. "Hey! Mom bought me this so we could match!"

His complaints went unheard as the light fuchsia colt got his beverage, grabbed a bendy straw to sip from his plastic cup, and leaned against the table, pretending to act suave to impress his crush. Emerald and Flurry went for the snacks on the other end first, feeling hungry more than thirsty as they talked, Cherry bouncing off back inside the castle to see if her friends arrived yet.

"So, I heard you started school not too long ago," Flurry said, both fillies grabbing paper plates and piled a few delicious sweets on them. "How is it?"

"It was horrible my first day," Emerald said with a pout. "I got in trouble because of these two stupid colts in my class."

"You got in trouble? On the first day of preschool?" Flurry was surprised, never expecting anyone, no less her own cousin, who gets in trouble on the first day of starting school.

"They made fun of me, threw paper balls at me, and said mommy and daddy weren't my mommy and daddy!" Emerald explained angrily. "And they still keep picking on me. I don't listen to them, but I still hate it."

"Oh dear," Flurry muttered as they moved down the table with their plates.

"I hope I don't see those two-" Just as Emerald was about to get herself some soda, she gasped when she saw Gold Plate and Platinum Band, the former sipping from his drink while the latter tried getting dirt and grass clippings off his tuxedo jacket. "What are you two doing here!?"

"We were invited with our moms, dork," Platinum said.

"Daddy should have uninvited you bullies!" Emerald shouted.

"You know these two colts?" Flurry asked, only for Gold to approach her, ignoring Emerald's glare as he "accidentally" brushed past her.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you," he said, pretending to be cool despite how hard his heart was beating in his chest. "But I should have with a pretty filly like yourself."

Flurry, Emerald, and Platinum blinked in confusion, the two preschoolers looking at each other with a raised brow while the older filly stared blankly at Gold. "...Umm, I'm sorry?"

"Well, of course you'd be pretty," Gold continued complimenting the confused alicorn filly. "You are an alicorn, and a real princess. Not like a certain somepony." Emerald growled, knowing who exactly he was talking about as she munched on a cupcake. Gold Plate took Flurry Heart's hoof in his own, the filly feeling a little uncomfortable with the younger colt's behavior. "How about we have some real fun inside the castle, where a real Gala is going on?"

"What is wrong with Gold Plate?" Platinum asked, but after seeing how infatuated Gold was with her cousin, Emerald's eye twitched in irritation.

"Oh my gosh...Gold Plate likes my cousin." She could feel the love he had for Flurry Heart, the signs of a crush that she could sense being part changeling, which made her gag. "Eww! Flurry, get away from that jerk!"

"So, these two are the bullies who are picking on you?" Flurry asked, Emerald nodding, wanting Gold Plate far away from her older cousin. The alicorn pulled her hoof away from the love-struck colt, not impressed with his pathetic attempts to woo her. "You and your friend are picking on my cousin in school?"

"Cousin?" Gold asked. "What cousin?"

"That would be me, you dummy!" He looked at Emerald, letting out a small laugh in amusement.

"Yeah, right. As if you're related to that dorky little bug." Gold pinched a nerve in Flurry Heart as he called her a bug, practically insulting her family in front of her. "She's just a half-breed filly who was only lucky to be born."

Flurry Heart wanted nothing more than to slap this colt in the face, splash soda on him, or kick him hard in the gut, but she refrained herself from being violent. "Maybe this may enlighten you if you are nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks he owns everything. I am Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire. Prince Solaris is my cousin and my daddy is his uncle. So that makes Emerald my second cousin, my family, and I do not appreciate it when somepony makes fun of my family because they are different from anypony else."

"Prince Solaris is your cousin!?" Platinum asked in shock.

"...Wait...You two are really...?" Gold's eyes shifted between Flurry and Emerald, his brain slowly processing this news. Eventually, it caught up with him, and his first ever crush was immediately crushed, feeling pale as he actually liked the relative of the filly he despised. "...No...You're kidding...Tell me you're joking..."

"Nope. We're family." Gold Plate's heart shattered, letting out a high pitched whine in utter shock as he grew very conflicted. "I would love to smack some sense into you for not only picking on a princess, but also my favorite cousin. You are lucky I cannot do so at a royal gathering like the Grand Galloping Gala. But if I hear you keep making fun of her, calling her names, and getting her in trouble at school for being racist, I will teach you a lesson the hard way."

"...W-What does 'racist' mean?" Gold asked, now nervous out of fear at the spiteful glare given to him from Flurry Heart.

"It means you hate other ponies, or creatures, who aren't like you for no reason," Flurry explained. "And don't think I'm joking around because I'm a princess. My daddy's been teaching me self defense, spells and hoof-to-hoof, if I'm ever in trouble from a pony who wants to hurt me. So I won't hesitate to be by my cousin's side and defend her from pathetic, spoiled, and bratty foals like you who think it's funny to hurt someone because they're different. The same goes for your friend, too. Understand?" Both colts nodded their heads, her cheerful side shifting to terrifying not as bad as Mrs. Smiley's, but it was scary. "Now, either leave her alone or be nice to her, otherwise, you can leave this area and be with the other stiffs who kiss up to my cousin and my parents."

Fearing what she would do to them, the bullies fled and ran back inside the castle to find their mothers. "I can't believe they're here...I hate them at school, and they're gonna show up whenever there's a fancy party, which makes me hate them more."

"They're just a bunch of bullies," Flurry said. "I can't believe they would say something like that...And that pink colt was acting...weird."

"He's in love with you," Emerald said with disgust.

"...Oh. Another one." Flurry let out a sigh and nibbled on a cupcake. "And this one's around your age."

"You have colts coming after you too?" the hybrid filly asked curiously.

"Not exactly picking on me, but many colts my age always ogle me whenever I'm around," Flurry said. "I really hate the attention sometimes. They always give me flowers, chocolates, ask me out on a date, but none of them really seem to care much about me personally. I know when they aren't sincere with their compliments and giving me gifts because I'm a princess...Well, at least the crystal pony colts respect me, but they aren't the ones who rush at me whenever I waltz right into the room."

"But Gold Plate actually liked you!" Emerald exclaimed, feeling sick as she felt the love coming out of the bully who's been giving her first school year nothing but trouble. "At least it's gone now that he found out we're cousins. But it's still there..." The filly shuddered, grabbing her drink and taking a few gulps to get rid of the disturbing sensation, practically tasting Gold's love. "I'm gonna be sick if I feel it in school."

A moment later as the fillies rested, the other foals slowly getting used to the setting after watching the two princesses having fun, Virtuo walked into the garden. Solaris guided the brown colt, wearing a simple black tuxedo like many of the other stallions and colts in the Gala, following the signs to the foal's area of the ball. Just from looking around the party, it was already ten times better than what was in the castle. He walked over to the buffet table of goodies, standing behind Emerald as she was busy talking with her cousin about the rest of her better days at school.

"Hey, Emerald," he said, the filly's ears perking up as she quickly turned around to see him, a big grin on her face.

"Vivi!" Emerald pounced Virtuo, nearly knocking him over as she squeezed his ribcage. Thankfully, she let go before he passed out and fell over, risking getting both their clothes dirty. Flurry giggled in amusement as she watched Emerald drag the dazed colt to her. "Flurry, this is Vivi, my bestest friend since forever! Vivi, this is my big cousin, Flurry Heart!"

After he regained his senses, Virtuo found himself face to face with Flurry, recognizing her as an alicorn and bowed his head. "Nice to meet you, your Highness."

"Oh, please. Don't be so formal." She lifted the colt's head back up and shook his hoof. "Any friend of Emmy's is a friend of mine."

"Uhh, ok." It was a little awkward for Virtuo to speak normally to a princess, but he is friends with Emerald, though that was because they met and grew up together when she was a baby. "So, you two are family? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, I'm a princess in the Crystal Empire," Flurry said. "My mom and I sometimes visit Canterlot to see her and my cousin, Solaris, especially when winter comes around."

"She doesn't visit you?" Virtuo asked.

"We live in the north, and there's a lot of snow outside of the city. And since Emerald is part changeling, she really can't handle the cold as much as we ponies can." Emerald pouted after she snacked on a cupcake, some icing sticking to her lips.

"I wanna go to the Crystal Empire, but I get really cold and very sleepy when it's colder," she whined. "That means I can't play in the snow, and it looks fun to play in."

"Right...She also gets sick really easily when winter comes," Virtuo added. "I wasn't able to come over to the castle as much last winter because I got sick a couple times, and so did Emerald."

"And I had to drink that yucky medicine!" Emerald stuck out her tongue, licking up the icing she barely noticed. "I don't want to be sick again! And I can't go to school when it starts to snow. At least I won't have to see Gold Plate or Platinum Band. That's the only good thing."

"Lucky," Virtuo muttered.

The next song began to play, which turned out to be a slow song, an odd selection of music for foals. It lifted Emerald's mood a little bit, shifting her negative thoughts away.

"Ooh! I love this song! Let's dance, Vivi!" Without so much as a confirmation from the poor colt, Emerald dragged Virtuo out to the dance floor.

"My name's actually Virtuo-" he said to Flurry as he was pulled by the young filly. "-and I don't want to dance!"

"But I wanna, Vivi. Pleeeeeaaaaaase?" Emerald gave Virtuo the guilt tripping puppy dog eyes and pouted.

It didn't take long for the colt to grumble, giving in as he held out his hoof for her to grab. She squealed happily and took his hoof, both ponies standing on their hind legs and began stepping to the music. Virtuo's cheeks burned red in embarrassment as everyone else watched them, but Emerald didn't care as she was having fun. Flurry wondered why Solaris would put in a song like this, but she found out who the real culprit was, hearing a familiar voice snickering from behind the speakers. She spotted a serpentine tail sticking out, moving around it to find Discord watching Emerald and Virtuo, giggling at the embarrassed colt.

"Discord." The draconequus yelped, leaping out of his hiding place before falling back down, none of the other foals hearing or seeing him. He turned around, Flurry catching him in the act with a mirthful grin. "And what exactly are you doing back here? Spreading chaos?"

"Ah. Flurry Heart." Discord chuckled nervously. "I'm not doing anything. Just shifting the playlist a little bit. It gets a little boring hearing upbeat music all night."

"I see...In other words, you're doing it because it's funny." He nodded, not even hiding his mischievous plan as he peeked over the speakers. Flurry decided to peek too, Emerald the only one having fun dancing while Virtuo wished the song would end already. "Well, at least those two might make for a cute couple someday when they get older."

"I think it was obvious when Emerald was an infant," Discord said. "She was all over him the moment they met. At least, that's what Solaris and Trill said as they showed me those baby pictures. She was like a tiny tick that was tightly attached to a dog's back."

Eventually, the song ended to Virtuo's relief as he quickly made his way back to the buffet table, the party music returning in place of the slightly romantic song. "Looks that way."

"So, Ms. Crystal Princess, any able suitors catch your eye?" Discord asked, apparently overhearing the three talking about Flurry's problems with colts.

"I'm not going to talk about that with you," Flurry said disdainfully. "And stop listening in on everypony like that. It's rude."

"You do know who you're talking to, right?" Discord earned a swift kick in the leg, catching him off guard as he muffled a groan of pain.

"Daddy has been teaching me self defense with the Crystal Guards back home," the alicorn reminded. "So you don't know who you're talking to." Discord rubbed his sore leg, muttering under his breath. "Now, you can either join us colts and fillies, or head back in the castle and mess with the adults inside. I'm going to spare 'Vivi' anymore embarrassment from Emerald."

Flurry walked back over to the table, saving Virtuo from Emerald's playful "wrath" as she wanted to dance with him some more. Discord thought on the offer of joining the foals and make their Gala more chaotic, but he did hear that Chrysalis was around, and without him forcing her anywhere. He slinked off back inside the castle to seek the changeling queen out and pester her in front of the other guests.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur for both sides of the Grand Galloping Gala. Aside from Discord causing mischief with Chrysalis to liven up the adults' party and get a kick out of teasing the changeling queen, it was the usual dull evening where the nobles spoke with Solaris and Trill about matters, business deals, etc. The colts and fillies finally began to have fun as they danced to the music, played the games set up for them, and enjoy the food that actually has flavor to them than what their parents were eating in the castle. Emerald and Flurry Heart talked with some of their peers after they warmed up to the young princesses. Flurry was a little annoyed that some colts around her age flirted with her, but as long as they didn't make fun of her cousin, she can handle the unwanted attention.

Eventually, the Gala began to end as it got late, the foals getting tired after having their fun at their age appropriate ball. Emerald did at least get the chance to see her other aunts and uncles from Ponyville when she took a break from the garden party before she began to feel tired from having so much fun with her cousin and bestest friend. It was a shame she didn't get to see Melody tonight, but she could always have fun with her at school or when their parents allowed her to come over to play. She passed out on her daddy's back as the last of the guests left, her other relatives, Discord, and Virtuo and his parents staying for the evening.

Solaris carried Emerald through the halls of the castle up to her room so she can sleep comfortably. He carefully took off her dress and tiara, surprised to see she didn't get it messy, then laid her down in her bed. He gave his daughter a light kiss on her cheek, the filly letting out a sigh as her horn sparked a little while he tucked her under the covers. Solaris quietly exited the room, shutting the door behind him, then made his way back to the ballroom to meet back with the others.

He wound up bumping into Cadence after she laid Flurry Heart in one of the guest rooms. "Looks like our little fillies seemed to have fun tonight."

"They sure did. Thanks to Cherry Pie, I think the other kids had fun tonight as well." As they walked down the halls, Solaris couldn't help but worry about his uncle. As much as Shining Armor tried to hide it, it was clearly obvious that his pain was getting worse. "Aunt Cadence, are Uncle Shining's legs really getting worse?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Cadence sadly said. "He's taking the pain killers he's been given, and I begged him to stay in bed back in the Crystal Empire...Shining's been getting miserable, unable to move like he used to and feeling completely useless. He's the kind of pony who's active, always training to keep himself in fighting shape, but now that he can barely stand without wincing in pain, I'm afraid he'll keep pushing himself and hurt himself even more."

"He's getting really stubborn...I know he wants to spend as much time with Emerald and I after spying on Lucifer, but he needs to stop before he makes his injuries worse." Solaris could recall seeing the state his uncle was in when his front legs were broken. That moment, like every other tragic moment during his depressing journey, scared him to death when Lucifer teleported Shining Armor in front of him as a meat shield, his forelegs in casts and looking very sickly from the pain he was in. He was lucky he saved him, not willing to risk losing anymore of his family after all he had been through. "If only I had hurried finishing those trials..."

"Solaris-" The white alicorn stomped his hoof, stopping his aunt from her reassurances.

"I know. It's not my fault. I wasn't the one who had caused anyone so much pain. All of you say that to me over and over, but I feel like everything that happened between those fifteen years is partially my fault anyway." He let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes from the tears that began to well up. "After what I went through, what I had lost, I don't want to lose anypony else again...Family, friends, innocents, even my enemies, I don't want to see anymore lives taken away..." His tears continued to form as they began rolling down his cheeks, no longer able to hide them. "...But...eventually...their lives will come to an end one day..."

Cadence watched her nephew silently weep, knowing exactly how he felt. Alicorns had an immortal lifespan, the only way their lives will end is by death from an accident or another pony's intent to kill them. She had feared seeing the day Shining Armor would pass, and she was deathly worried what would have happened when he sought revenge against Lucifer. So many lives had been lost or ruined during that time, no hope for the future of Equestria to save those who took the worst of those long fifteen years. Even though peace had returned thanks to Solaris, some still feel the effects of the dark unicorn's wrath, including him. He had seen too much that not even a normal adult pony could handle, and he had a destiny placed on him before he was even born, put under so much pressure and suffered from losing the ones who he called his family as a colt.

Cadence pulled Solaris into a comforting embrace, nuzzling him gently. "I know, Solaris..." He buried his face in his aunt's neck, his body shuddering, trying not to break down when his heart wanted to let it all out. She patted his back to help calm him. "You'll still have me, Flurry, Trill, and Emerald. We'll be here for you."

Solaris nodded his head, though part of him was unsure of how old his daughter would really be: growing old and passing away, a dreadful funeral when the parents attend a funeral to their foal when they were supposed to pass before them, or maybe she too was immortal and will stay among the living alongside him. He won't know until then, putting away the several sad scenarios that appeared in his mind.

Both alicorns continued through the halls after Solaris had calmed down enough. Little did the two notice Twilight's presence, watching and hearing them as a ghost to them and her granddaughter's guardian angel. Even if she never showed her own concerns as an alicorn when she was alive, she did worry what would happen if she was immortal like Celestia and Luna and watch her friends pass away while she lived on. But after what her son had gone through, he didn't want to see anyone else he cared about leave for the afterlife when their time comes, even if it was inevitable. She sighed and walked back to Emerald's room, her hooves making no noise as she was a spectral being given an opportunity to look over her foal and grandfoal.

"Solaris...I'm so sorry," Twilight said to herself. "If only I knew what would have happened to you..."