Over the next several weeks, things were relatively normal in Ponyville, no huge monsters rampaging down main street and no overpowered spells turning the populous into random mix-and-mash concoctions. All and all, things were pretty calm all things considered, and I even managed to master a new trick with my Auramancy while training Rosie. The young gryphoness was coming along rapidly with her own training, although she still struggled to use any color other than red or yellow. Even so, she was quickly catching up to me when it came to raw power, along with her skills with a sword, although I attributed that to Swift’s expert training. To top it off, I managed to even get in a few more dates with Lyra and Bon-Bon, although they were more low key than the dinner dates we had gone on before. A walk in the park together and watching the sunset at the lakeside were just a few examples of what we did together, although I was still getting very strong vibes from Twilight that she wanted to be a part of our herd.

After her little confession in the castle, I talked with Lyra and Bon-Bon about what we were going to do with her, and they decided it would be best if I came up with a plan, given Twilight seemed to be the most interested in me when compared to the group as a whole. So, I wracked my brain trying to come up with something that would work, but ended up with nothing. I just didn’t know enough about this whole herd thing to make an educated guess at what would be a proper way to invite Twilight into the herd. Lyra had some ideas, but I quickly threw them out because of how over the top they were, while Bon-Bon’s suggestions were just not quite my speed. I knew I was brushing their ideas to the side, but I just had this feeling that something was going to come along that would be absolutely perfect, and a few days later, my feeling finally became a reality.

The morning started out much like the ones before it, however, the calm light of the sun was interrupted by a flash of green flames as a loud belch echoed through the halls of Twilight’s castle.

I waved a hand in front of my face to clear away the excess smoke as the letter formed from the mass of fire that had erupted from Spike’s mouth, “Wow, Spike, I didn’t know you could act as a portable flamethrower.”

Spike coughed a time or two as secondary puffs of smoke escaped his lips, “Ugh, don’t joke about this. I felt like I was going to add my lung to the letter from how big it was.” He glanced over at Twilight, who was reading the missive as it hovered in front of her face, “What does the Princess want this time, Twilight?”

Twilight’s face lit up as her magic pulled a cluster of golden tickets from the scroll, her voice rising a few octaves as she squealed like a little filly, “Princess Celestia sent the tickets for this year’s Grand Galloping Gala! And look,” she passed a trio of tickets to me as she folded a septuplet of her own into her saddlebags, “she even sent enough for Sarah and her herdmates to join us.”

I took the tickets from Twilight’s magic, inspecting the gold leaf like a jeweler before turning back to the excited alicorn, “So what exactly is this Grand Galloping Gala? Is it some kind of big party or something?”

Twilight danced around on the tips of her hooves for a moment, her wings fluttering in her excitement as she gushed over the letter, “Only the most prestigious event of the entire year! Everypony who’s anypony gets invited to the Gala, and this year we even get to see my sister-in-law instead of having to go all the way to the Crystal Empire.”

“Princess Cadence is going to be there?” Spike asked, thankfully clarifying who it was we were talking about. I had forgotten for a moment that Twilight’s brother was married to the Alicorn of Love.

Twilight nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, and even better, Princess Luna has scheduled a meteor shower for the evening as a special treat for the event! It’s been over a thousand years since she’s done anything like that and I’m not going to miss it for the world!”

I rolled my eyes as a grin worked its way over my lips. Some things just never changed. “I guess I’d better go over and tell Lyra and Bon-Bon the good news.” I glanced over my shoulder, spying Swift walking into the room with Rosie hot on her tail, “Hey, Swift, need you to cover my behind while I head over to the girls’ place.”

Swift rolled her eyes but declined the opportunity to comment as she turned her attention back to the gryphoness behind her, “Just remember what I told you about your low guard and you should be able to block those right sweeps without any trouble from now on.”

Rosie nodded in understanding, “I get you. Focus on redirecting the blow instead of taking the full hit. I’ll try to remember that.”

Swift turned back to me and tossed her head to indicate the door, “Well, if we’re going to visit your marefriends then we might as well get going.”

I smiled as I walked out of the room, leaving Rosie to talk with Twilight as we made our way through the rest of the castle. The twisting halls were now familiar to the point that I could trace the layout of the building from memory, although I still found Rosie wandering the castle on occasion when she got turned around. The young hen was progressing far faster than I could have imagined, although her lacking ability to use more than two colors of aura was starting to become a topic of frustration for everyone. Rosie even tried taking classes from Twilight in meditation in the hopes of unlocking her other emotions, but even in the depths of a trance she still was unable to use anything other than red and yellow energy for more than a few seconds. Hopefully it was a mental block that was halting her training, but I was beginning to wonder if it might simply be a limit that her species placed upon her. After all, the masters of old had found other students that couldn’t use every color, but that had seemed to be a more individual issue than one belonging to species.

Swift followed behind me as we made our way through town, taking up her usual spot at the side of the girls’ front door as I knocked on the wooden surface. There was a momentary pause before the door was enveloped in a golden aura and swung open to reveal the inquisitive expression of Lyra. Her face lit up as she looked up and spotted me standing in her doorstep, and before I could react she leaped up and wrapped all four hooves around my body in a tackle hug.

“Sarah!” She yelled as I struggled to stay standing and keep my herdmate from falling to the ground at the same time. “It’s so good to see you. What brings you around here this early?”

I pulled the enthusiastic mare off of me enough to look her in the face, although I noticed that her tail had secured a firm grip around my left leg as her hind legs hooked onto the curve of my hips in a possessive hold, “It’s good to see you too, although I wasn’t expecting such an excited welcome. Is Bonnie around? I have something to talk with you both about.”

Lyra glanced over her shoulder into the house, “Bonnie should be coming down in a minute. She was just about to head next door and open up the shop for the day when you showed up.” She turned back to me and grinned, “Although I’m pretty sure she’ll take a minute if it’s important enough.”

I nodded, “It’s pretty important, although I can come back later if you need me too.It’s not the end of the world if I pass on the news later.”

Lyra waved off my comment with a hoof, although she had to quickly grab onto my shoulder again as she started to lose her balance, “It’s no biggie, Bonnie will understand if you have something important to talk with us about.” She glanced down and seemed to realize her current position, a vibrant blush taking over her cheeks as she glanced up at me through her lashes, “Um, would you mind putting me down? This is starting to get a bit embarrassing.”

I rolled my eyes, “Said the mare who jumped on me like a dog not two minutes ago.” I glanced over at Swift and asked, “Mind holding down the fort while I talk with my mares?”

Swift matched my eye roll with one of her own, although the smirk curling her lips belied her annoyance, “Just get going before I have to arrest you both for indecent public behavior.”

Lyra and I stuck out our tongues out at the earth pony before I walked into the house, Lyra’s magic taking care of the door as I sat down on the couch with her in my lap. Lyra blushed a bit harder as she sat back and looked me up and down, her breath tickling my nose as she smiled.

“So, now that we’re alone, what do you want to do until Bonnie gets down here?” The smoldering glint in her gaze made my heart flutter for a moment, and I took the initiative by leaning into her as my arms pulled her to my chest.

Her lips were just as soft as I remembered as her mouth found mine, and I heard her moan softly as her tongue tapped against my lips, asking for entrance. I replied with a tease of my own and then opened my mouth, allowing her muscle to coil around mine as we deepened the kiss. Her taste was just as addictive as the first time I had experienced it, and I felt my core starting to heat as Lyra’s hooves pulled against my shoulders as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss even further.

We could have stayed like that for a while longer, had the sound of hooves stumbling down the steps not interrupted us and drawn our attention to the open doorway leading into the hall.

Bon-Bon’s expression was both upset and flustered as she walked into the room, her tail flicking from side to side several times as she playfully glared at us, “If you two were going to trade spit in the living room, I would have appreciated it if you would have invited me to join you. I feel a little bit left out now that the moment’s over.”

Lyra and I shared a look before turning back to Bon-Bon, “My bad, Bonnie,” I said as I rubbed the back of my head with one hand, “I just got caught up in the moment and let my body get ahead of my mind. I’ll be sure to let you know next time we get in the mood, although right now I have something I need to talk with you about.”

Lyra slid off my lap and curled up against my side with her head resting on my left shoulder, allowing Bon-Bon to climb up on my other side as the earth pony met my gaze with keen interest.

“So, what’s so important that you had to show up first thing in the morning?” She asked as she rested a hoof on my lap, “It’s not something serious, is it?”

I shook my head, “Nothing bad, in fact, quite the opposite, although I need to ask you some questions before I get to the main point.” I cleared my throat, all too aware of the tickets currently sitting in my pocket, just out of sight, “First off, have you two heard of the Grand Galloping Gala?”

For a moment, I was afraid I had given myself away, but that was quickly dashed as Lyra and Bon-Bon started laughing.

Bon-Bon wiped her eye with one hoof as she spoke, “Oh, I forgot for a moment that you’re not from this world. Everypony knows about the Gala. It’s only the most prestigious event of the entire year.”

“Yeah,” Lyra added, “it’s every mare’s dream to get to go to the Gala and meet the Princesses. Sure, they come to little towns like Ponyville every once and a while, but it’s one of the only times that regular ponies get to talk to them face to face without some kind of special event going on.”

I nodded, glad that I hadn’t given away my little surprise too soon, “Well, Twilight just got a letter from Princess Celestia and got her tickets for her and the girls, although I was wondering why she has to get a ticket when she’s also a princess. Shouldn’t she automatically be invited because of her title?”

Lyra shrugged, “No clue. It might just be formality because of the fact that she lives here instead of in Canterlot. Other than that, I haven’t a clue why she needs a ticket.”

Bon-Bon nodded, “Frankly I think all the Element Bearers should be given free passes every year. They have saved Equestria several times after all.”

I nodded, familiar with some of the girls’ exploits after learning what exactly the Elements of Harmony were, “Yeah, although I think Lyra was on to something about them living in Ponyville. I guess Celestia sends the tickets to all of them as a way of formally recognizing them instead of just assuming they would come to the party.”

The duo nodded, although Lyra seemed to pick up on the fact that I was hiding something, “So what’s on your mind, Sarah? Why come ask us about the Gala if Twilight and the other Bearers are going?” She gasped as she covered her mouth with her hooves, “Don’t tell me you got invited too?!”

Both mares fixed me with expectant stares, and I sighed as I realized the jig was up.I smiled at them both before reaching into my pocket, “Well, I was going to try and pull something sneaky and surprise you two, but you’re just too clever for your own good.” I pulled out the tickets and held them up for everyone to see, “I just happen to have a trio of tickets to the Gala with me, and I was wondering if you knew a pair of beautiful mares that would like to join me at the festivities?”

Both of them squealed and tackled me, wrapping me in the tightest hug I had ever been a part of before breaking away and bouncing around the room like jumping beans. I smiled at their antics as they acted like little girls going to see their first boy band concert, and I realized that these two mares had well and truly stolen my heart. Now I just had to figure out if I could fit in one more. After all, I liked Twilight as a friend, I just needed to figure out if we could be more than that. Oh well, that was a problem for a later date, and I had two excited mares to hug before they gave me diabetes from cuteness overload.

I stood up and picked up both of them by the barrel, their surprised squeals making me laugh as I plopped them down on the couch and then sat down between them and wrapped them in a double hug. “Alright you two. I understand that you’re excited, but I have something else I need to talk to you about. I need you to be serious for a moment and listen, because this has to do with Twilight and what we’re going to do with her.”

In an instant, the duo calmed down, although the ecstatic grins that lit up their faces refused to fade as I spoke, “Alright, so we all know that Twilight wants to be a part of our herd, specifically she has an interest in me. So, I was thinking that we could ask her at the Gala to join the herd. It would be a place that she would never see coming, and it would allow us to get permission from the other princesses while also providing a romantic atmosphere for our uses. That, and I have a little surprise in store that I think would make the entire Gala a huge success, on top of making Twilight fall over herself with happiness.”

Lyra and Bon-Bon glanced at each other before turning back to me, “Are you sure, Sarah?” Lyra asked, “We don’t have to include Twilight in the herd if you don’t feel comfortable with it.”

“Yeah,” Bon-Bon added, “her feelings seem to be more like a crush than true love, although if you’re sure about this, then we’ll follow your lead and try to make this as smooth as possible.” She rested a hoof on my shoulder and smiled at me, “You have shown sound judgement so far in our relationship, despite some misunderstandings, so if you’re sure adding Princess Twilight to the herd is a good idea, then we’ll support your decision.”

I smiled back at them both, planting a quick kiss on their foreheads before replying, “Thanks girls, you don’t know how much it means to me that you trust my judgement in something this important. I promise it will be worth it once we get to the Gala, but I’m not going to tell you anything more because I want it to be a surprise for you as well.”

Lyra groaned as she playfully slugged my shoulder, “Oh you tease, why can’t you just tell us and not keep us hanging in suspense?”

I grinned as I ruffled her mane with my free hand, “Oh just you wait. It’ll be so awesome you’ll be glad you waited to see what I had in store. Just don’t think about it and focus on getting prepared for the Gala. Let me worry about the surprise and Twilight’s induction to the herd.”

“You do realize that she might not be comfortable being asked at the Gala, right?” Bon-Bon said carefully, “What if she gets stage fright in front of all those ponies?”

I smiled, “Oh don’t you worry, I’ve got that covered. She’ll be so engrossed in the surprise that she won’t even know what hit her until after I’ve finished.”

Lyra rubbed her hooves together and chuckled darkly under her breath, “Oh this is sounding better and better the more I hear. I’m not sure I can wait for the Gala to see the surprise.”

I stood up and walked over to the door, “Well I’m not telling, so you’ll just have to wait until then to see it. In the meantime, I think we all need to take a trip to Rarity’s so we can get some dresses made for the Gala.” I lifted an eyebrow as I glanced over my shoulder at them, “You were going to have dresses made for the Gala, weren’t you?”

That galvanized them into action, nearly causing them to run me over as I jumped to the side to allow them past me. The door swung open with such force it slammed into the wall, causing Swift to yelp as both mares bolted down the street like they had a platoon of Marines on their tails. I chuckled as I walked out of the house and glanced down at the startled Swift, getting a kick out of her flustered expression as I leaned against the doorframe.

“So, still think I don’t have a way with mares?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Swift scoffed, “Like you need me to answer that for you. With your smoking looks and silver tongue I’m surprised you don’t have a line of suiters lined up around the block to try their luck at being your herdmate.” She rolled her eyes at me as she fell in on my side, “Just don’t go overboard or you might end up scaring them away instead of drawing them in.”

I laughed, “I don’t think I need to worry about that, Swift. I’m happy with the mares I have, and if things go well at the Gala, I just might end up adding a little royal blood to our little family.”

She glanced up at me and smirked, “You’ll have to get past her brother and the other Princesses. I know you can kick Captain Armor’s plot into the dirt, but I wouldn’t try to stand against his wife if things don’t go your way.”

I nodded, “Yeah, getting kicked to the curb by an alicorn is something I would rather avoid adding to my resumé if I can help it.” I paused for a moment as we stepped up to the front doors of Rarity’s shop, hearing the excite chatter of several mares coming from inside, “Ready to face the storm?”

Swift nodded, “Let’s get this over with. Just don’t expect me to bail you out when they drag you into a dress-making hurricane.”

I rolled my eyes before pushing open the doors, leading the way into what was sure to be a moment that would be remembered for quite some time.Now if I could just get my little plan to go off without a hitch, this was sure to be the most legendary Grand Galloping Gala in Equestrian history.After all, it wasn’t every day that someone from another world asked out one of the ruling class to join a relationship.

It took several hours just for Rarity to take our measurements, even though I could have sworn I was the same size as the last time she had done it. Even so, with all of the girls there for their own dresses, it was near sunset by the time we all got out of the boutique, and I could have sworn that I had a crick in my neck from standing in one position for so long. Lyra looked dead on her hooves and Bon-Bon wasn’t much better, although the excited gleam in their eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest throughout the whole process. Rosie had even showed up at one point to see what was going on, although when she found out we were getting fitted for the Gala she immediately beat a hasty retreat and told us that under no uncertain terms would she been attending the festivities.

“I would rather avoid any more high-society functions until I have to return to my home country if you don’t mind,” she had said as she walked out the door, “I’ve been to enough formal balls to know they aren’t my cup of cider. Check you later.”

Rarity had been near hysterics at the hen’s rather crass attitude, although she had been fairly easy to liven up when I started telling her about some of the dress designs I had enjoyed from my days in the Corps. She had listened to my ideas like they were the words of a saint, and I got the feeling that I would be seeing her later after giving her a taste of my world’s fashion.

In the meantime, Swift was guiding us back to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s place with a knowing smirk on her face. I had asked her why she looked so smug, but she had simply replied with a chuckle and a shake of her head. Apparently, I wasn’t going to pry the answer from her anytime soon, so I focused on keeping my mares from faceplanting in the dirt road as we made our way through town. Finally, we made it back to the girls’ house, although by that point I had picked up Lyra and was carrying her in my arms with her head over my left shoulder. Bon-Bon was leaning against my right leg to keep herself upright, and I could feel a yawn splitting my mouth open as I pushed the front door out of the way.

Swift waited by the front as I carried Lyra up to the bedroom and tucked her in, allowing Bon-Bon to climb in next to her herdmate before I pulled the covers up to their chins. I leaned down and gave Bon-Bon a chaste kiss before smiling down at her drooping eyes.

“I love you.” I whispered, trying not to wake up Lyra.

“I love you too,” she replied before rolling over and pulling Lyra against her body with her forehooves. I felt my chest flutter from the cuteness overload in front of me, and I couldn’t help but tuck a stray strand of Bon-Bon’s mane behind her ear before walking out of the room.

I walked back to the front door and leaned out to address Swift, “Hey, can you tell Twilight that I’m going to spend the night here? I think the girls don’t want me to leave just yet.”

Swift nodded, her lips curling as she gave me a sarcastic salute, “Sure thing chief, just let me head over and tell the princess before you head to bed. I’ll crash on the couch if it’s not too much trouble.”

I shook my head, “It’s not a problem. You’re my friend, Swift. I’m not going to make your job harder just for my own benefit.”

I ruffled her mane with a hand before stepping back into the house. Her hoofsteps faded into the distance as she galloped back the way we had come, leaving me alone in the living room with nothing to do until she returned. Thankfully, I only had to wait for a few minutes before the pounding of her hooves echoed through the silent night, and I opened the door for her as she walked back into the house.

She panted as she nodded her thanks, taking only a moment to climb onto the couch before promptly passing out while still dressed in her armor. I chuckled at the adorable sight but decided to save the ribbing for later. I made my way back up the steps and walked into the bedroom, once again taking in the diabetes-inducing cuteness that was my marefriends as they cuddled in the bed.

I tiptoed over to the bed and stripped down to my underwear and bra, climbing into the bed and squeezing between them as Bon-Bon glanced up at me through cracked eyelids.

“You’re staying the night?” She asked in a whisper.

I smiled as I laid back and curled an arm around each mare, “I think it’s about time we started sleeping together, so once we figure out what to do with Twilight I think it might be time to entertain the idea of moving in with you guys. If that’s alright with you of course.”

She nodded, smiling as she closed her eyes and nuzzled against the crook of my neck, “I would like that, and I’m sure Lyra would too if she could say so.” She wrapped her forehooves around my upper arm and rested her tail over my lap as she pulled herself up against my side, “Goodnight Sarah.”

I turned my head and gave her a soft kiss on the tip of her muzzle, “Goodnight Bonnie. See you in the morning.”

Her soft snoring was my only answer, and I felt my own eyes drifting closed as I listened to the soft breathing of my marefriends. I thought back to the words I had said earlier, and I realized that I was truly in love with these mares. I smiled as I pulled them closer to me and settled into the soft mattress a little more, taking in their scents like my own personal perfume as my breathing slowed. All and all I couldn’t imagine things being any better than what I was doing right now, although my mind gave a passing thought for Twilight as my brain began to slow. Maybe she could add a little flare to our budding herd if she decided to join us, although that depended on her answer to my proposal at the Gala. It all hinged on how she took my surprise, and I felt a little bout of butterflies in my stomach at what I had in mind.

Here’s to hoping things went according to plan.

Author's Notes:

Here's a short little chapter for you all, and I hope it leaves you wanting more, because the next one is going to be a doozy. Keep an eye out for the next update and I'll be waiting for your thoughts in the towel section below. Anyways, hope you all are enjoying the story thus far, and I'll see you at the Gala.

See you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.