"Lu? How're you feeling?" Tia said next to me.

I started, surprised at the sudden attention.

"Huh? What?" I asked, blinking away my confusion.

"Are you feeling ok?" Tia repeated.

"Oh... Right yes. I'm alright." I replied. I had zoned out, not paying attention to anything around me, but passively watching the crowd below. "I was just- My mind was elsewhere."

"Ah. Well, try to keep in the moment. I think you were glaring at that poor colonnade."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Har har har." I remarked, glancing around to regain my bearings.

The line of Nobleponies had actually gotten longer, but a servant had distracted the next in line to speak as the latest Pony was backing away, giving Tia a chance to speak with me without being rude.

Below, I realized that at some point Ponies had begun dancing.

But it wasn't the wild dancing I had come to know from watching soldiers and peasants, but a slow methodical series of movements that looked both silly and aggravating. To me it looked very... Unpersonal. A fact that was reinforced as everypony who was dancing suddenly made a choreographed motion and passed partners between each other.

How strange... I had thought the point of dancing was to have fun with a loved one. What therefor was the point if you were dancing with anypony other than your beloved?

To me, it just seemed like a vessel to be unfaithful to your spouse.

"Have you had anything to eat Lu?" Tia asked.

"Oh, um no." I shook my head.

"Then go try the buffet." She gestured.

"Buffet?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm told it's been all the rage recently. Instead of a formal dinner, you just go up to the table and grab what food you want." She pointed to the left side of the ballroom, where a crowd of Ponies had gathered around a long table.

Even from across the room I could see the silver dishes full of food.

These bucking Nobles had somehow thought of a way to make their own gluttony even more egregious!

"I'll... I'll keep that in mind Tia."

"Come on Lu. Earlier you said you'd help me in anyway you could."

"... So I did." I agreed slowly.

"Then go mingle! We'll both have a much easier time if you got to know these Ponies!" She encouraged.

Me and my big stupid mouth.

"I..." I started, but I couldn't think of an argument for a rebuttal. "Alright Tia." I sighed. "I'll try."

"Thank you Lu." she smiled.

Tia then turned to address the next Pony ascending the dais.

No time like the present I suppose...

I descended, passing the well dressed Pony as he approached the throne.

He sniffed as I passed, but otherwise ignored me.

I bet if I had done that with him he would've called me rude.

Asshole.

I reached the bottom of the dais and turned towards the left wall, going around the still gracefully dancing Ponies. I had to skirt around a few stationary clumps, but they seemed engrossed in their conversation and paid me no mind.

The dancing Ponies slowed in their choreography as the minstrel's song came to a close, but they almost immediately started playing another, which in turn caused the Ponies to transition into a entirely different dance.

How were they so synchronized? And how did all of them know which dance to dance? Was it an existing sequence for that particular song, or had they just listened to this particular song so much they all knew what to do?

Or was it both?

Gah! Ponies are weird!

So serious about frivolous dancing, yet they won't even pace themselves when it comes to their supply of food!

Utterly ridiculous.

I passed by the dancers, finally making it to the edge of the crowd that had swarmed this 'buffet'.

There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how the well dressed Noble's congregated, instead just forming a mass around the objects of their desire.

Did I join them? Was there a sort of line or queue?

Maybe I could... Skirt around the crowd and approach the table from the side?

The nearest end of the table was rather sparsely crowded, so I approached.

The long table, which must've been a few tables covered by a single tablecloth, was indeed filled with platters of various dishes. Roasted carrots, alfalfa salads, pickled beetroots, savory soups, and more sweets than I had ever seen in a single room. Cakes of all colors, candied sweetmeats of every variety, and several things I had no idea what they even were. Such as whatever a servant was scooping out of a pail with a large spoon, and depositing a creamy looking clump in small porcelain bowls.

As I looked down the table, hooves would appear over the table, take something, and disappear back into the crowd on the right side. More rarely however, a servant on the left side of the table, would remove an empty silver platter, and replace it with another, full platter.

Words were scarcely exchanged between the two sides.

I felt myself frown.

What was Tia playing at? The amount of food merely on display, not even counting the actual consumption, was absolutely staggering! Why was she wasting it?!

She had to have a plan right? But what was it?! Gah!

I took a calmly breath.

She had to have a plan... She had admitted to being able to see the future right? She had to know what she was doing...

And if she knew what she was doing, she would expect me to do the simple task she had asked. That's what I would've expected if our situations were reversed.

And it wasn't like I was being asked to brutally kill an innocent Pony... Just 'get to know these Ponies'.

How hard could it be?

I watched a fancily dressed mare and stallion walk by, speaking with each other.

...

Really bucking hard it turns out.

I looked away from the couple.

'Get to know these Ponies'... Easier said than done Tia.

I glanced back at the buffet table.

Maybe I could try and fit in and hope somepony comes to me?

I picked up a nearby pastry. I wasn't sure what it was, but it looked like somepony had taken a cupcake, cut the sides to form a sort of petals, and covered the whole thing with pink frosting.

It looked like a delicate flower, sweet to look at and even sweeter to smell.

Idly, I tore off a 'petal' and tossed it into my mouth. It was strangely cool and moist, but almost too delicate to handle roughly.

"Enjoying yourself General?" came a voice off to my right.

I turned and had to suppress a gasp.

"Oh Clover! Hello!" I said far too quickly, trying not to spit out the piece of pastry in my mouth.

Clover stood, watching me coyly. To say she had cleaned up well would've been an understatement. The mare before me may have only had a fresh mage's robe, but her mane was immaculately styled into intricate braids that revealed the gentle curve of her neck. Gone was the dirt and mud I had grown used to over the past few months. In fact I hadn't even known her coat could be so bright.

"See something you like?" she smiled.

What did she mean by that?!

"I- Um... Uh..." I stated intelligently.

Clover giggled.

"Personally, I'd recommend the ice cream for you." she said sweetly.

Oh thank the stars, she was talking about the food.

"Ice... Cream?" I asked. "I'm not sure I've ever heard of it."

"Exactly why I want you to try it!" she grinned, lowering her head and pushing my rear.

"Wha- Hey ow!" I protested as she pushed me gently, but firmly into the crowd.

All she did to respond was to giggle some more.

Somehow, Clover managed to push me through the throng of Nobles. And before I knew it she had lead me to that strange creamy goo that the servant was even now scooping out of a pail and serving it delicately into bowls.

"Strawberry or maple syrup?" Clover asked, striding to my side as we came before the particular servant.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked.

"Strawberry? Or maple syrup?" she repeated.

"Uh... Strawberry?" I responded.

The strangely acting mare lifted a bowl of pink goop, which had chunks of bright red inside it.

"Here you go!" she smiled, holding it out for me, and producing a spoon from somewhere.

"Aren't you going to take one?" I asked.

Instead of replying, she held up a bowl with a nut brown scoop and her own spoon.

"Don't worry about me!" she smiled wider. "Go on! Try it!"

"Uh... Ok?" I said, taking the offered bowl and spoon in my own magic.

Clover watched me gleefully, as I started to experiment with the strange clump with my spoon.

It was soft, so soft I could reshape it easily, but stiff enough that it could keep its own shape. I swallowed nervously as I took a scoop and held the strange substance in front of my face.

Clover's grin grew ever wider.

I took a bite.

"Gah!" I started in surprise. "Cold! Cold! Cold!"

Clover laughed, her voice high and clear, but not mockingly.

"Of course it's cold! It's ice cream!" she chortled.

Well now I just felt stupid for not catching that.

But then I actually tasted the diabolically cold substance.

It had the slight bite of fresh strawberries, and the smooth creamy taste of milk. While it was shockingly cold, the temperature complimented the two opposing, yet harmonizing tastes.

I could see myself sitting under a shady tree on a grassy hill during the summer. Not having a care in the world other than a bowl of this substance in my hooves.

Birds sang their songs, which echoed over the land. Laughter could be heard coming from wooden structures in the distance, as foals of all ages and tribes played with each other, racing between the legs of their elders.

It was calm...

It was peaceful...

It was everything I had fought for.

"Luna?"

I was pulled back to the ballroom.

"How is it Luna?" Clover asked.

"Divine." I said happily, taking another scoop and putting it in my mouth.

By now, the crowd of Ponies had broken up around me, splitting apart away from me and filling areas that had previously been abandoned.

Clover smiled widely again.

"I'm glad! It was one of my favorite things when I first got my apprenticeship!"

"Oh right... I forgot you weren't born to this life ether..." I commented.

"Yeah... Been here since I was a filly." she replied.

"Y- You carry it well."

"... Carry it well?" Clover asked, raising an eyebrow.

Uh...

"Uh- What I mean is you look very-" Pretty. "Like you belong." I finished.

"Doesn't feel like it." she commented dryly, looking at the crowd around us. "Even years later, I still get side eyes from the Nobility."

I swallowed nervously.

That... Wasn't good news. If Clover was one of their apprentices, and still didn't feel like she belonged here, what chance did I have? I would try, for Tia's sake, but what little confidence I had suddenly drained away.

"But enough about that." Clover smiled again. "Tonight isn't the time for being glum! Come on! I want to show you something!"

She grabbed hold of my left arm and started pulling me away from the buffet table.

FUCK
That chapter took forever to write...

Also more ghey autistic horse noises.