Bon Bon growled as she grabbed the stallion by the rump and sat him down. “Aspect! Would you sit still? Tying a tie isn’t easy when you keep fidgeting!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just, there’s so much to do, so much to prepare! And after this we have the little ones to take care of. Is Lyra on board with coming over to take care of Darice?”

“Yes, she’s a bit miffed that she got passed over for supplying music… that role was given to Miss Octavia and her quartet,” Bon Bon sighed. “I had to bribe her with so many sweets. Poor dear, she was so upset.”

“She’s a great musician, don’t get me wrong,” Aspect replied as he finally sat still. “I just get the feeling...she’ll be glad she wasn’t there tonight.”

“Oh, is your famous gut telling you something?” Bon Bon chuckled as she finally finished dressing him.

“More like common sense when you hear about all the other plans,” Aspect replied, before pointedly looking at an empty painting on the wall. Most of them were. The vast majority, as a matter of fact. The only ones that were out and about were the Founders, for now, and Written. And they were doing sweeps, to round up the others and bring them to the larger-on-the-inside castle painting.

“Which reminds me,” Bon Bon said. “How do you plan to get that massive painting up to the castle?”

“Saddlebags,” Aspect replied bluntly. “They can hold just about anything. Realm’s aren’t as good, but they should be able to handle that picture.”

“...” Bon Bon blinked. “Aspect, that thing is huge. Just how do you intend to fit it inside such a small hole?”

“Hey, I fit the Golden Doors inside my saddlebags,” the stallion replied. “Granted, I had to basically shrink them off the rock wall they were on. But I managed it.”

“You could have just said ‘Shrinking Spell’.” Bon Bon deadpanned and shook her head. “Okay, I’m going to go and get dressed. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Take care,” Aspect called after her, before turning to Written. “Are the others ready?”

“As ready as they’ll ever be,” Written nodded. “Though I believe dear Hurricane is looking a little too forward to tonight’s festivities. Oh, and Starswirl won’t be coming. He said, and I quote, ‘It’s a frivolous waste of time when I could be researching instead’.”

“Fair enough, I just thought I’d offer tonight,” Aspect smiled. “What better way for the Alicorn of Art to make his splash than by bringing to life all the nobles of yesteryear?”

“It should be most fun… but, are you sure about this?” Written asked. “Once you unveil us, there’s no taking it back.”

“Pictomancy was important, once,” Aspect replied. “It was a respect field of art, once. And it’s something Realm is quite skilled in. I would love for nothing more, than my son to be able to practice his art, and not be labeled as a crazy pony.”

“I guess,” Written nodded and smiled. “You know… I think Written Script would be very proud of what you’ve done so far.”

“Some days, I get that feeling too,” Aspect nodded. “Well, if everypony is ready, I think it’s just about time for you and the founders to join the picture.”

“Of course,” she smiled. Turning her head, she let out a small gasp and grinned. “Ohh, you lucky stallion you~” And with that, she turned and left the portrait.

“Tch! She had to say that, didn’t she?” Bon Bon frowned and Aspect turned to see her in her Gala dress. It was a deep blue with varying shades of purple. The front of the dress was made like a vest, with short sleeves and a high, ruffled collar. The rear was blooming like a flower, the outer dress spread out, while the under dress trailed down past her legs and onto the floor, a pink sash around the waist tied it all together.

Her hooves were adorned with silver slippers, and a silver band around her right foreleg completed the outfit.

“I say that Rarity outdid herself with your dress, and you can’t tell me otherwise,” Aspect said as he drew closer and planted a kiss on her lips.

Bon Bon waited til he broke the kiss and smiled sheepishly. “Heh… thanks…”

“Now,” Aspect mused. “Time to get part one of my master plan.”

“You know you sound like a villain right now,” Bon Bon mused as she followed him through the house, towards the massive painting of the Everfree castle.

“I just want to liven up what has surely become a dull party,” Aspect replied. “It’s not like I’m planning world domination or anything.”

“Only because you’d complain that ruling the world is too much work,” Bon Bon snarked back.

“Celly and Lulu have problems with just one city, no thank you about putting me in charge of everything,” Aspect replied, pulling a face.

“Called it,” Bon Bon smirked as they entered the room. “So, will everypony be okay inside the painting if you shrink it?”

“It’ll be fine,” Aspect replied. “Just watch.”

Bon Bon nodded and took a step back, giving him some space to work.

“Everypony in there?” Aspect asked of the castle painting.

“Aye!” Hurricane called out. “Let’s get travel-sized!”

“Oh don’t you worry, it’s my bags you’re going into,” Aspect said as he shrugged his saddlebags off. He carefully reached out, grabbed ahold of the painting, pulled it off the wall, and set one corner of it in his bags. And then they seemed to...stretch a little at the opening, before the painting just...vanished into his bag.

Bon bon just stared, her eyes wide with her mouth hanging open.

“Saddlebags of holding, from Dream Valley,” Aspect said as he shrugged them back on. “I think runes were involved in their making.”

“I… just... “ Bon Bon shook her head. “Wat?”

“Hey, don’t knock it,” the stallion replied. “If I were skilled at weaving and crafting with runes, I’d make second...third, set.”

“Every mare alive would kill for a pair of bags that could hold everything,” Bon Bon sighed. “Well, now you’re done breaking physics, shall we get going?”

“Just let me think,” Aspect mused. “Suit, check. Lovely mare, check. Painting, check. Young ones. Young ones?”

“GET BACK HERE YOU INSIPID FURBALL!” Realm roared as he chased the manticore, who had one of his brushes again.

“Darice!” Aspect called out. “Drop it!”

She did so and rounded a corner, Realm went to stop… but fast-moving hooves and polished floorboards do not mix… and the end result was his horn stuck in the drywall.

“Sun-bucking-darnit!” he yelled. Aspect reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a plush mouse toy and tossed it across the room to distract the manticore before helping Realm up.

“I told you to lock them up if you don’t want her getting into them,” Aspect said to the pinto alicorn.

“I did… she ate the lock…” Realm groaned. “Well, it was an old brush anyways. So, ready to go yet?”

“Nearly,” Aspect said as he looked the little colt in his suit over. “Where’s Artemis?”

“Waiting outside,” the alicorn responded. “He’s nervous about going to Canterlot though.”

“He’ll be with you, me, or Bon Bon the whole time,” Aspect replied. “It’ll be fine.”

“Well, let’s get going then,” Bon Bon said. “No point in delaying any longer… oh, question. How are we getting to Canterlot?”

“Well, we have options,” Aspect mused. “I could use runes to just transpose us there…”

“Didn’t you say that runes are a last resort defense?” Bon Bon questioned him. “And now you want to use the most powerful artes in Equestria as… a taxi?”

“Just saying I could,” Aspect huffed. “It’d be faster. Alternatively, I could send for a carriage.”

As he said that, an enclosed carriage dropped from the sky, two large white pegasus towing it.

“Sir Aspect?” one asked. “We are here on order of Princess Celestia to escort you to Canterlot.”

Bon Bon just ogled the handsome guards.

“Thank you,” Aspect nodded before turning to Artemis. “Okay. I’m going to make a wild guess here. Diamond Dogs and height get along about as well as they do with water.”

The dog was literally shaking in his boots.

“Hey,” Aspect said, walking close and hugging the pup with both wings. “It’ll be fine. The carriages are enchanted. While in flight, nothing can fall out. I promise.”

“Plus the windows can be blacked out with a spell,” the guards nodded. “Do not worry sir, you will be perfectly safe.

Artemis shuddered, but nodded as Bon Bon nuzzled his paw. Inside the carriage was lined with a chocolate brown velvet and Artemis sniffed and frowned as they entered.

“Why… does it smell like cake in here?” he asked.

“All of Celly’s carriages end up smelling like it eventually,” Aspect quipped as he got settled.

“That… is just a little bit sad,” Bon Bon chuckled as everyone was seated and the carriage jolted, before lifting into the sky.

“I will say that at least she is predictable in her vices,” Aspect returned. “Mostly because they were spoiled as foals.”

“Ah, so you’re the spoilering type,” Bon Bon nodded. “Does that mean I have to be the tough parent?”

“Good luck with that, they’ve had about a thousand years to get that way,” Aspect informed her. “I’d love to see you try and stop them from indulging their sweet tooths though.”

“I… what?” Bon Bon paled as she considered that. “I… could never… the princesses!? I’m not their…” She burned bright red as her brain fizzled out over the thought of the most powerful ponies in the world calling her Mom.

“So, the both of you know the plan, yes?” Aspect said as he looked at Realm and Artemis.

“Ehhh… remind me?” Realm chuckled as he sketched Bon Bon’s ‘broken face’.

“Well for you it’s simple,” Aspect replied, patting his bags. “Set up this painting, and anytime a noble doubts that you’re a true alicorn, ask them their lineage...and let their painted ancestor chew them out.”

“Ahh, do you think we have enough ancestors?” Realm noted. “I mean, not everypony is related to the Founders.”

“That’s why we also got the nobles of the past, the ones that actually, you know, did things,” Aspect illuminated. “Must be about a hundred and fifty, two hundred painted ponies in one painting.”

“Ohh yeah,” Realm nodded. “Well, this ought to be educational…”

“My gut is telling me tonight is going to be the single biggest disaster in Equestria,” Bon Bon groaned.

“And you,” Aspect said, as he poked Artemis on the nose. “Your job is to stay by me, look respectable, and answer questions intelligently. For your very first Gala, you’re going to simply show the others that Diamond Dogs are not all thuggish brutes, got it?”

“But… they kind of are…” Artemis pointed out.

“For now, yes,” Aspect replied. “But you’re the cornerstone to that no longer being true. You’re going to be the change for them all. If we start with one destined for greatness...a whole species can change. It’s like planting a seed. It will eventually become so much more than just a small kernel.”

“That… was really cheesy Dad,” Realm chuckled.

“Also accurate,” Aspect nodded. “As for you, I want you to show the nobles that you’re having none of them for a reason. To remind them that not all power in this world is beholden to them. That you will forever be out of their reach. Just don’t lose control of your aura.”

“Especially on a mountain city,” Bon Bon added.

“Great… totally not nervous. At. All.” Artemis mumbled and folded his arms.

“It’ll be fine,” Aspect replied. “Just look dapper and try not to smile to the point where you show off your teeth. Fangs make ponies nervous.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” he said and rubbed his jaw.

The ride took little time, and soon Aspect saw the mountain city come into view, the carriage circling around to land at the palace entrance, a multitude of carriages already there.

And even from here, he could feel the musical number happening, the Harmony almost demanding he join in.

“No no no,” Aspect muttered to himself. “No. No, no, no. Don’t do this to me…”

And then Bon Bon started humming, her hoof tapping the carriage floor as it got closer.

“What… the heck is going on?” Artemis asked, unaffected by the strange display.

“Equestria is a magical place,” Aspect explained. “So much so that random bursts of Harmony magic can make ponies burst into song. But for me, it can be dangerous. Because if I don’t keep a hold of my Sorcery…”

Then Bon Bon started to sing...

“♪Here at the Gala, there’s but one thing I desire,
A night of wonder and romance with the ones I love,
And hope that nothing catches fire~
Right here at the Gala♫”

“Must...not…” Aspect gritted his teeth.

“♪Here at the Gala, I’ll show them all who's best,
That my skills with a brush, will always pass the test.
I’ll prove to them all that I’m not some foal,
Right here at the Gala!♫”

Aspect tried. He really did. He did everything in his power. And that was probably the only reason his Sorcery didn’t get involved.

“♪Here at the Gala, time with those I love,
Showing them that they’re the ones I’m thinking of,
Proving to everyone family means the most to me,
At the Gala, for all of them to see♫”

Bon Bon stared at him with wide eyes as the song down below finished.

“I don’t like the fact that the music makes me sing against my will, okay?” Aspect muttered.

“Are you kidding, your voice is amazing!” Bon Bon squealed and clapped her hooves. “Ohh, you have to sing more often.”

“I’ll consider it,” Aspect muttered unconvincingly.

Bon Bon just smiled. She would hear him sing again, and make sure their little Dashie gets to as well. Speaking of, she wondered if they were here yet.

“We have arrived,” the guards called out as as a valet opened the door for them.

“Welcome, sirs. Madam,” he bowed. “To the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Thank you,” Aspect rejoined as he stepped out of the carriage and helped everyone inside out. Bon Bon was the first out, followed by Realm and Artemis, the latter two already getting some stares and whispers.

“Yup, this is going well already,” Realm sighed and adjusted his jacket. “Can I go home now?”

“Nonsense, this is supposed to be your splash, your big debut,” Aspect replied as he reached into his bags and pulled out the painting from within, putting it on Realm’s back. “There are your subjects, go knock them dead.”

“You know how heavy this thing is right?” Realm groaned as Artemis stepped up to give him a hand.

“Well, shall we?” Bon Bon asked, offering her hoof to him.

“Tonight is going to be so much fun,” Aspect replied with a grin.

Walking up the red carpet, they entered the front of the palace, where Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle stood, the former greeting each and every pony that walked in. It took close to twenty minutes before Bon Bon and Aspect could climb the stairs and reach the teacher and student pair.

“Welcome, Miss Bon Bon… Sir Balanced Aspect,” Celestia bowed her head politely.

“Thank you for welcoming us, Princess Celestia,” Aspect replied, bowing his head as well. “I hope you have an enjoyable night.”

“Well, this Gala should shape up to be very interesting,” Celestia chuckled. Twilight also bowed her head and greeted them, and Aspect got to see the dress she was wearing. It very much suited her, in his opinion.

Realm couldn’t actually bring himself to say anything about it, though he did blush and avert his eyes. He also muttered something about staring into the sun too long.

“Oh, hello Realm,” Twilight waved at him and smiled. “You look very handsome this evening. Oh, would you like a hoof with that painting?”

“I…” Realm squeaked out, before clearing his throat. “I’ve got it,” he said in his normal tone of voice. “Uh...thanks for the offer, though. I can...tell you’re busy.”

“Are you alright young Realm?” Celestia said with a knowing smile. “I don’t mind Twilight stepping away for five minutes to help you.”

“See,” Twilight nodded and lifted the painting in her magical field. “Now, where did you want to put this?”

“Preferably on a stand in a nearby drawing room,” Aspect spoke up. “So that he doesn’t end up too crowded. Also so that he can make sure no food or drink can spill on it.”

“Hmm, oh there’s a room adjacent to the ballroom that isn’t being used, let’s go,” Twilight said and trotted off, taking Realm along with her.

A pony from behind Aspect coughed into their hoof, the line still being held up by the Pegasus.

“Apologies,” Aspect said as he took Bon Bon to the side. “Let’s join the gala, dear.”

“Yes, thank your Highness,” she bowed her head to the alicorn and they headed to the main ballroom.

It was… well it was just about typical of every other stuffy social event ever. Hundreds of nobles, all discussing some new fashion trend or business. Poor Artemis looked rather out of place, and more than once he’d been mistaken for a waiter or some kind of castle servant.

“Are you sure it was a good idea for me to come along?” he whined to Aspect.

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best idea,” Aspect admitted. “But free food. And drink. Plus, you can always attend a Gala for free. It’s an old rule, set down by the founders of it. Any Aspect of the world can attend the Grand Galloping Gala. It’s meant to attract the immortals to attend one, so they can meet up and swap news, compare notes.”

“And yet, I see only you, myself and the Sun Princess,” Artemis deadpanned. “Where’s the Moon Princess, is she not attending?”

“She only did get back from the moon recently,” Aspect pointed out. “Though I suspect if I called, the others would come.” Suddenly, Aspect’s grin became even more devilish.

“Aspect, no.” Bon Bon booped his nose. “No summoning ancient and powerful immortals to scare the noble ponies.”

“Oh come on, a little brush with Mort would do them all some good,” Aspect replied.

“And say, in their panic and stampede,” Bon Bon pointed out. “That in this crowded room, somepony were to accidentally touch him?”

“That whole touch of death thing is like an aura that Realm emits,” Aspect replied. “He can turn it off. He just doesn’t because sometimes, he gets an unruly client.”

Bon Bon stared hard at him. “You do realise what you just did to poor Mort yes?”

“What?” Aspect asked her, not quite getting it.

“Oh… you’ll see eventually,” the mare replied, taking a cue from Celestia’s Book of Being Enigmatic.

Across the room, a poofy pink pony vibrated and smiled widely. Somepony was getting the biggest hug EVER the next time he visited.

Displaced air next to Aspect told him a pegasus just landed next to him, and a pair of cyan lips on his cheek told him which pegasus it was. He turned his head to see Rainbow Dash, clad in the Gala dress Rarity made for her.

“You are beautiful right now, I hope you know,” Aspect said to her, before turning to Bon Bon. “Both of you.”

Bon Bon blushed and Rainbow snorted, hiding behind a hoof as she made an overdramatic cough.

“PSh! Yeah, I’m… totally awesome and stuff too ya know,” she replied.

“Anyways, so how’s your first Gala going?” Aspect asked them both.

“Better if I could get the Wonderbolt’s attention for more than thirty seconds,” Rainbow grumbled and frowned. “But everytime I try, like, a billion ponies get in the way…”

“You do remember the whole ‘you training with them’ thing you’ve got going on, yeah?” Aspect asked.

“I knowwww, but I’ve been so busy with work that I haven't been able to come lately,” Rainbow sighed. “And besides… This is like, The Gala! If I could spend a little time with them outside of training…”

“Good luck with that,” Aspect said to her. “Might go a little better if they weren’t so surrounded, though. I mean, they are supposed to be celebrities, yeah?”

“I’m an Element of Harmony! How am I not famous as well?” Rainbow groaned. “It’s not like I helped save the world or anything!”

“The biggest heroes don’t need to do big things,” Bon Bon said with a smile. “They just need to do the right things.”

Rainbow just stared at Bon Bon and snorted. “Wow… that was kinda cheesy Candyflanks.”

“But no less true,” Aspect pointed out.

“Yeah yeah,” Rainbow sighed. “At least the others are probably having a better time…”

“Oh ye of too many expectations,” Aspect replied. “This party is boring. It probably has been for a thousand years. That’s why I brought Realm along.”

And on that cue, he spied a pair of nobles exiting an adjoining room, looking as though they’d seen a ghost…

“And so the fun begins,” Aspect chuckled.

A familiar voice caught his attention, and he spied Rarity trotting after a stallion with far too much beauty products on. His golden mane practically shone and his white coat gleamed. And Rarity was positively smitten, as she might say.

“Well, this is shaping up wonderfully,” Aspect chuckled. “I think I know why Celly invited you all here.”

“Huh… why?” Rainbow asked, trying to get a better view of the Wonderbolts.

“Where do you think she gets her mischievous streak from?” Aspect inquired. “She wants you all to liven the party up.”

The Pegasus hadn’t heard him though, opting to zoom off in search of her idols. Bon Bon groaned and put a hoof to her forehead.

“This can only end badly,” she sighed.

Rarity and Blueblood stood before Realm’s painting, the latter of the pair staring at it with disdain.

“Urgh, it’s hardly art now is it?” he snorted. “Far too… realistic. I could get the same thing with a camera. Where’s the actual art behind it?” He spied a mare in the background and chuckled. “Take that mare for instance. Her cloak looks like a piece of ratty carpet and that crown is so… urgh, gaudy. Who in their right mind would wear such a horrid thing?”

Then the painting did something he hadn’t expected. It turned to look at him, looking him up and down before snorting.

“This?” she asked, poking the cloak and crown. “I never actually had these, but I was painted with them. It was thought that since I was the last Runemaster, I deserved a regal bearing. I wanted to dress up for the Gala. Fitting accessories, since I was the only queen Ponykind ever had. A mare of deeds and actions rather than just titles.”

“Hrm, what’s this?” Blue blinked and Rarity’s eyes widened.

“Prince Blueblood. I really think you shouldn’t—”

“Hush, the stallion is talking,” Blueblood stopped her. “Now, what manner of trickery is this? Some kind of tacky illusion mayhaps?”

“What manner of trickery is this?” Majesty parroted at him. “A tacky stand-in for a real noble? Where’s the badges of honor, the list of military service? Your trophies, both your slain monsters and scars you got doing them? In my day, a true queen could protect all of her subjects at once. Frequently I did so with a single spell.”

“Tch! Where is the artist? I should show him some manners for such blatant insults from a… a figment of one's imagination,” the stallion snorted as Rarity slowly backed away. “Military… tch! The army is for poor ponies whom cannot find any other real standing in life…”

“Who said that?!” A mare’s voice screeched from the painting. “I’ll rip him limb from limb! I’ll buck him from here to Cloudsdale! And when he begs me for mercy, he’ll know to say my title!”

“You’ve gone and done it now,” Majesty chuckled. “You went and insulted the military in front of Commander Hurricane. She was the drill instructor other drill instructors fought to get away from. She charged into battle because she was bored. Fighting was her life. Oh, and a little thing you might want to know about this frame?”

Then the painted pony reached out of the painting and tapped at it.

“It lets us out if we want to be~” she sang.

Forget backing away, Rarity was galloping from the room as fast as she could. Forget Blueblood, he was on his own.

“I…” Blueblood stared at the painting and then chuckled. “You have got to be joking. Is Auntie Celestia’s school playing an illusion prank? Hilarious…”

“Let me phrase it in a way your mind can understand,” Realm spoke up, finally looking up from his painting...and flaring his wings to emphasize his point. “I am the Alicorn of Art. This? This is what got me that station. It’s no joke. This is my debut. And if you hang around here for ten more seconds, we’ll get to see just how much pain a painted pony can inflict upon a real one. Hurricane has an awful lot of sky to get through, but that won’t save you forever.”

“An ancient featherduster from Hearth’s Warming?” Blueblood snorted and noticed the wings. “And you? You got wings? For painting! I am Prince Blueblood the 16th. Royalty is literally in my blood! I am descended from Princess Platinum herself and if anypony deserves to be an Alicorn Prince, it is I!”

There was silence from the painting, and then the voice that was off-canvas spoke up again. “Oh boy. He’s gone and done it now,” Hurricane said. “Five, four, three, two, one…”

“Ex-cuse me!?” A new voice spoke up. “Did I hear that snobbish excuse for a fop say he deserved to be alicorn royalty simply because he was descended from moi?!”

“And just so you know, before you get your royal arse hoofed to you by none other than Princess Platinum,” Realm said, before pointing at his horn. “I got this for the painting. Now enjoy.”

Majesty stepped to one side, and from the castle, the mighty doors opened, and out stepped a pony he was very familiar with. Her portrait only hung up in his manor as a matter of pride, after all.

“Oh horseapples…” Blueblood swore.

“So,” Platinum said as she stepped out in front in her full regalia. “This is the little brat that dares think himself worthy of the line of Platinum?”

Blueblood was shocked into silence at first, before he shook his head and glared at Platinum. “And you are just a magical figment of days long past! I am Prince Blueblood the 16th and I’ll not be made a mockery of by a pretend pony!”

“I was the princess of Unicornia, not because of my lineage, but because of my deeds,” Platinum sniped. “The throne could have just as easily gone to one of my sisters. But because I defended our fledgling nation from Pegasi and Earth Pony attacks, I was named next in line to the throne. The common pony rallied around me. And it took a literal incarnation of hate made ice for us all to get along, at which point Equestria was founded. What great deeds have you done? Because I will wager the location of my scepter that you are nowhere near impressive enough to warrant a claim to my throne.”

Blueblood’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound seemed to come out.

“I was the grandmaster, premiere Sorceress in the day,” Platinum continued. “I wielded an art unlike any other, tapping into the very magic of the land to perform great deeds. With a rhyme, I could erect a shield around a city. With a phrase, I could break up a hurricane whipped up by Hurricane. With a simple word, I could rain terror. The only one that could possibly match me in Sorcery these days is Aspect himself, and that is because he has had time to refine his artes, young half-baked heir. And even then, I would not dare challenge him, for he is the holder of Majesty’s majesty.”

Blueblood finally found his voice and gave a derisive snort. “Pah! And I should believe the outlandish tales of a makebelieve pony such as yourself?” he replied back. “I am a Prince by right and I’ll not let some loudmouthed whorse tell me otherwise!”

Majesty and Platinum glared.

They stepped closer to the painting.

There was a ripple effect…

And suddenly the room was host to four ponies, two of which were painted.

One of which had a horn that was glowing and dragging Blueblood closer with an aura that shifted through the spectrum.

“Care...to repeat your words...gelding?” Majesty hissed. And even Blueblood could tell if he opened his mouth...it wouldn’t be an insult.

It would be a promise.

The stallion wisely kept his trap shut. But the fear in his eyes spoke volumes.

“I do believe he’s learned his lesson,” Platinum noted.

“Pity, I had so wanted to try casting again,” Majesty mused. “It wouldn’t be that hard to remove them. He hardly seems to know how to use them in the first place.”

His mouth opened, letting out a terrified whimper.

“Keep in mind this,” Platinum said to him. “In my day, nobles earned their position. They did great deeds to protect and serve the common pony. Because we all knew a simple truth. We’re outnumbered. If the common pony got tired of a noble...they could just as easily strike us down and replace us. Noble blood sheds just as easily as any other.”

His terrified whimpers increased.

“Now go and do the Platinum name proud,” Platinum told him, patting him on the head. “Starting by apologizing to that mare for not listening to her. Then go out and earn your title. Who knows? Maybe one day you will actually do what I could not, and earn wings. I doubt it, though. Realm had to sacrifice almost all of his life to earn his horn.”

“I…” Blueblood turned and bolted from the room, his tail literally between his legs as he cried for his mother.

The two mares waited for about five seconds before breaking into laughter, laughter that lasted as they returned to their painting and awaited the next snobby noble.

“So… what, was that?” Rarity blinked, coming out of hiding.

“Your noble date being shown he was only noble in name and title, not deed and worth,” Realm replied. “It has many meanings. Most of which, these nobles have forgotten.”

“He wasn’t… the stallion I imagined him to be,” Rarity sighed. “But then, I suppose it was my fault, pushing my ideals on a stallion instead of knowing the real one.”

“Oh don’t worry dear,” she heard Platinum say from the painting. “He comes from a strong lineage. He just needs...a firm hoof, to guide him into being the noble he needs to be.”

“Well, then I hope he does as such,” Rarity nodded. “But I think I have had quite enough of the Grand Galloping Gala for one evening…”

Out in the main hall, Aspect was sharing a dance with Bon Bon… up until the music suddenly changed. Rather than a gentle waltz, Pinkie Pie had somehow gotten up there and was leading the band into a quick paced Pony Polka.

“Uhoh, the madness begins,” he chuckled, before changing steps and dancing a polka with her instead. Across the room, Applejack was wheeling in some massive three-tier cake, muttering something about nobles and fancy tastes.

And as if in slow motion, Pinkie stage-dived…

Right. Into. The cake.

“...And Celly won’t be happy,” Aspect noted aloud. “In fact, we should probably move towards the edges…”

Then the massive double doors leading outside burst open! Dozens upon dozens of animals streamed into the room, running in fear as a dishevelled Fluttershy appeared.

“YOU’RE. GOING. TO LOVE ME!!”

“...Why is it always the quiet ones?” Aspect moaned. “Let’s run for it!”

“W-What about everypony else?” Bon Bon asked, as a series of statues were knocked over and shattered, Rainbow Dash at the center of the destruction she just caused. Blueblood ran past them, crying about something and Applejack was yelling at Pinkie Pie for ruining the cake.

The regal Gala had devolved into complete and utter madness.

“Look, we’ll talk about it when we’re not in the middle of chaos made manifest,” Aspect replied as he ushered Bon Bon along. “I saw a nice doughnut shop on the way here. We’ll go there, sit down, have some chocolate and think about this.”

“Done,” Bon Bon nodded and the pair left, the earth mare leaving a silent prayer for the castle’s cleaning staff.

Turns out that Aspect wasn’t the only one that had the idea of a doughnut shop. Spike was there when they arrived, drowning his woes in hot chocolate and glazed doughy goodness. And not long after, Twilight and her friends arrived, looking like they’d stepped off of a battlefield instead of a ballroom. It wasn’t long after that that a certain pair arrived, Realm being helped with his massive painting by Artemis, and the smaller, but still large for a doughnut shop, party, settled in to relax after that...madness.

‘So… does anypony wanna talk ‘bout whut happened?” Applejack asked.

“Pretty cut and dry,” Aspect said, looking at all the mares. “You all had expectations for what the Gala would be like. Even I had a few. But you all tried to change the Gala to suit your visions.”

“And I’d say it worked splendidly,” a voice asked as Princess Celestia walked in, smiling brightly. “I haven’t had that much fun at the Gala for centuries!”

“And because if she told you she wanted you all there so that you would liven the Gala up,” Aspect nodded, “Then you all would think she was joking.”

“Wait,” Twilight held up a hoof and looked at Celestia. “You knew this would happen? Why didn’t you stop us? We ruined everything!”

“I’m pretty sure everything was ruined ages ago, when it stopped being a get-together for the ponies that actually did thing to improve the lives of the common pony,” Aspect pointed out. “I was of half a mind to invite the other Aspects to the party.”

“I’m rather glad you didn’t,” Celestia sighed. “Heavens know what that foolish king would do…”

“He’d probably just sit in the fountain in the gardens and...wait, no, he can control water, nevermind,” Aspect mused. “He’d probably get bored of the party and turn it into a pool party.”

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded. “Which would have triggered Pyroclastia, and then you know the kind of panic Mortal would have inflicted.”

“He can turn off the touch of death,” Aspect pointed out. “He’s just never done it. It’s an aura, like Realm’s, only kept to touch. Granted, everypony would be very spooked out, but I say a brush with death would have livened the party up.”

“Of course you would think that,” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “And of course, Luna slept through the whole thing…”

“I can’t blame her, she’s still within Woona range,” Aspect chuckled.

“Woona?” Rainbow blinked and stared at him.

“That’s what she called herself when she was a foal,” Aspect chuckled. “She couldn’t quite get the L right for a little bit.”

“Awww~” the mares all cooed in delight. And elsewhere, a certain alicorn of the night suddenly felt like murdering her father.

“Regardless, you needn’t feel bad about tonight,” Celestia smiled. “The ballroom might be unsusable for a while.. Oh, and Miss Dash?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow looked up.

“You owe the Royal Family roughly two-point-seven million bits for those broken statues.”

Rainbow’s eyes slowly widened as her iris’s shrunk to the size of a pinhead.

“Don’t make me come over there, Cewy,” Aspect said to her.

“I’m only kidding,” Celestia chuckled. “And call me that again and I’ll banish you to the moon.”

“Luna wasn’t the only one who couldn’t pronounce their L’s,” Aspect said to the other mares. Celestia’s cheeks turned pink and Aspect vanished with a flash of golden light.

“Princess!!” Twilight exclaimed but the alicorn raised a hoof.

“Don’t worry, I only teleported him onto the roof,” she chuckled. Yet, it took Aspect a full five minutes to come back, and when he did, he was glaring a little at Celestia.

“Really? The roof of the castle?” he deadpanned.

“What?” she said to Twilight. “I never said which roof~”

“You’re just lucky I didn’t come back with reinforcements, I could see Luna’s room from where I ended up,” Aspect riposted.

“She’s probably still sleeping, so good luck waking her,” the alicorn quipped back.

“So… still the Best Night Ever?” Pinkie asked, blowing bubbles in her milkshake.

“Well, we’re all together now,” Twilight nodded. “So yeah, definitely the best night.”

“And in the end, that’s what matters,” the stallion agreed.

“And to think, it only took extensive property damage, sending several elite nobles into therapy, a cleaning bill larger than Rainbow’s ego and complete and untold chaos,” Bon Bon smirked.

“Hey, they brought it on themselves,” Realm replied. “They doubted whether I was real. So I just...let their ancestors chew ‘em out.”

“I don’t think poor Blueblood will ever be the same,” Rarity giggled and Celestia blinked.

“Platinum… what did you do?” she said to the wrapped painting.

“Majesty may have threatened to geld him,” the painting replied.

Celestia just applied her hoof to her face.

“To be fair,” Realm pointed out, “He shut up.”

“And ran screaming from the room,” Rarity added. “It was rather entertaining.”

“...I feel as though Aspect could be blamed for a lot of this,” Bon Bon mused. “Bringing the painted ponies was his idea after all.”

“And I don’t regret it for a moment,” Aspect nodded.

“So… next year’s Gala then?” the earth mare asked the Princess.

“Let’s survive the fallout of this one first,” she chuckled back and bit into a donut. “Also… Miss Pinkie Pie? I believe I heard that you ruined a perfectly good apple cake?”

“Run,” Aspect whispered dramatically.

Pinkie nodded and bolted, the white alicorn soon giving chase.

“Ah well,” Aspect smiled as he watched the scene. “At least we had fun.”

Author's Notes:

Well, surely things can't get more chaotic than that, right?

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