“Come on, sis! Come out!” Shadow giggled.

“No! Fuck off!” Sky yelled back.

“Sis, if you don’t come out right now, I’ll tell Rat about your ear thing!”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Sky growled after a moment of silence.

“Excuse me a second.” Shadow smiled apologetically to Rat and Fox, trotting into Sky’s bedroom and kicking the door closed behind her.

Sky sat on the bed, blushing hotly with her hooves tucked up under her chin and her tail wrapped around herself. She trembled with fright as Shadow took in her form. Sky wore lipstick and had her mane done up in a neat little bun behind her head. She wore a light blue dress with little silver horseshoes. Shadow’s mouth dropped open.

Holy shit, Sky looks...elegant…

“I’m not going out there.” Sky shook her head, wrapping her damaged wing around her head to shield her face. “There’s no way in hell you’re gonna make me.”

“Awww, come on!” Shadow giggled, hopping up next to her sister on the bed and giving her a push. “You look sexy, you big stupid horse!”

“Oh yeah, this from the pony who wouldn’t know sexy if it crept up behind her and bit her ass.” Sky scoffed, chuckling a little.

“That’s my big sis.” Shadow winked. “Come on, don’t worry about a thing, okay? You look great and you’re gonna rock that dress.”

Sky pulled her wing down from over her face, glaring at her little sister. “Who are you and what’ve you done with Shadow?”

“She’s right here, stupid.” Shadow giggled, gesturing at herself. “And she knows a good-looking co...mare when she sees one.” She scrunched her snout, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Sky smiled slyly, taking Shadow’s hoof and pulling her into a great big cuddle. “I guess I know how you feel about Fox, now.” She giggled, squeezing the filly as tightly as she possibly could.

“Mmmph! Help! Mad pony!” Shadow squeaked, trying for all of ten seconds to escape Sky’s grip before accepting the hug like a big grown-up mare. With a little sigh, Shadow wrapped her huge wings around her big sister, hugging her back. “You mean you wanna throw up or something?”

“Sort of, but it’s more a nerves thing. Plus, what if somepony sees me like this?”

“They’re not gonna know, okay?” Shadow grinned, pulling away a little and looking Sky in the eye. “Nopony’s gonna know who you are. All they’re gonna see is a pretty pony who’s blushing so hard she’s blending into her mane.”

“Yeah, well I guess I was due for my turn since you’ve been doing it so much ever since you met your special somepony.” Sky grinned back, sticking her tongue out.

“He...hey! I’m not...he’s not…”

“See? You’re doing it right now!”

“I...I...oh, fuck you, sis…” Shadow rolled her eyes, laying her head down on Sky’s chest and giggling quietly.

The two sisters held each other for a while, smiling softly as Sky sat back on the bed. Shadow was getting a little heavier, but she was every bit as fluffy as she’d ever been.

“Hey, sis?” Shadow muttered after a while.

“Yeah?”

“Look...I...I didn’t get to say it properly a week ago.” The filly rolled off of her sister onto the bed, looking uncomfortable. “When you said all of that stuff to me about how much I mean to you…um...look…”

Sky cocked her eyebrow, glancing across at her sister as she waited for Shadow to break her badass veneer and say something sweet. “Yeah?”

“You...you shouldn’t say stuff like that to me, okay?” Shadow crossed her forehooves grumpily. “You go spouting that crap and it makes me feel all...all…”

“Happy inside.” Sky finished for her, taking her hoof. “You know, like what happens to me when I see you try and deny that you’re being sweet.”

Shadow cringed a little as she squeezed her sister’s hoof, finally giving a soft sigh and smiling weakly. “Yeah, sis. It makes me happy, I guess. I’m just...sorry I haven’t said it more lately, especially with how dangerous shit’s getting.”

“You used to pounce on me every damn day just so you could get a hug.” Sky beamed, sticking her tongue out. “Still...you’re growing into one hell of a pony. I mean, look at you! Your first coltfriend and everything! Guess he’s the one you’re gonna be getting cuddly with from now on.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up.” Shadow rolled her eyes. “I’ve just got a...you know...a few kinks to work out with him, that’s all. You’re always...you’re always gonna be my number one cuddle-buddy.”

“See, this is the Shadow I keep seeing.” Sky giggled, rolling onto her side and kissing her little sister on the cheek. “You’re sweet, cute, loving and you’re still the biggest ass-kicker I’ve ever met in my life.”

“Well...I mean...er...you see…” Shadow blushed, her ears flicking and swivelling as she tried to conjure up an argument that simply wouldn’t come. “I...I didn’t...I wasn’t gonna...thanks, sis…” She finished pathetically, smiling back at her.

The two of them lay together for another moment, looking back to the ceiling in contemplative silence.

“Are you sure I look okay?” Sky asked doubtfully.

“Hey, sis. You clean up pretty damn well. You’re gonna be fine.” Shadow said, nuzzling her sister. “Come on, even if everything goes to shit it’s gonna be funny, right?”

“It always is.” Sky sighed happily. “Hey, are you sure you and Fox don’t wanna come with me? It might be nice!

“Oh no you don’t.” Shadow growled. “There’s no way you’re making me dress up in front of him. You’re going this alone, sweetheart.”

“Oh, come on! You’d look so pretty and everything!” Sky giggled, nudging her. “He’d be dressed up, too!”

“Heh...I guess he would…” Shadow kept staring at the ceiling, biting her lip a little. “And...and you wouldn’t judge me, right?”

“Nah...but you might make me look bad.” Sky winks. “Go on, Shadow. Go find a nice-looking dress and I bet that you’ll be the prettiest little pony in Canterlot.”

“Great, that’s all I need.” Shadow huffed, blowing her mane out of her face. “Besides, somepony has to keep an eye on your useless ass, right?”

“Damn right.” Sky snickered. “I’m just glad it’s you.”

Another silence, then…

“How did we get to this point, sis?”

“What point?”

“The fate of Equestria and both of our lives resting on you being a huge slut at a party.”

Sky’s ears perked up as she looked across at her little sister. Shadow looked back, a big shit-eating grin plastered on that fluffy little blue face of hers.

As one, the two little ponies began to laugh. This was going to be fun.

“Um...sis?”

“Yeah?”

“Where’s your invitation?”

“I was...supposed to...get an invitation?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck...hang on…”

Shadow looked on with a long-suffering sigh as Sky bumped into every pony who was wearing something pricey, rifling through their saddlebags until she finally produced a ticket.

“There! Was that so hard?” She chuckled, beaming at her little sister.

“Just...let’s go in…” Shadow sighed, taking Fox’s hoof and leading him into the palace.

“You sure you’re not coming, Rat?” Sky asked the other stallion present. He glanced up at the palace, chuckling and shaking his head.

“Nah, usually I’d be up for anything, but you’re gonna have to go this alone, toots.” He chuckled. “I’ve got some stuff to get sorted out while I’m in Canterlot, and we’ll give ourselves away if we both walk into that place together.”

“Guess you’ve got a point, there.” Sky shrugged, gulping as she looked around at the huge castle. “Still...kind of exciting. I’ve never been inside the Palace before…”

“Sure you have! You did that one job there, remember?”

“Uh...yeah…but that wasn’t a job. It was more...well...more of a fuck-up.” Sky shrugged. “Hey, how do you know about that shit?”

“Peeked in your diary.” Rat answered easily. “Now don’t worry. Go in there and go show all of those other bitches who’s boss.”

Sky sighed, adjusting her dress a little and making her way up to the queue. “Fine...I’ll catch you after the job’s done. Just...don’t go reading my stuff. Seriously, there’s shit in there that’s just none of your business.”

And with that, she joined the queue behind Fox and Shadow, about to walk straight into the lion’s den. As Rat trotted off to do stallion things elsewhere, Sky’s legs began to shake a little.

“Hey, sis?” Shadow said quietly. “It’s fine. You’re gonna be okay. Look at these other fancy-ass mares! They couldn’t hold a candle to you!”

“I’m fine, sweetie.” Sky snickered, nuzzling Shadow’s mane. “We’ve got this, right?”

“Right.”

In time, the queue made its way into the palace. Shadow and Fox broke away as soon as they were inside the castle grounds, galloping off into the darkness, and for a while Sky wondered what the hell was making them so timid.

“Oh, shit…” She muttered after a while.

Before her, at the top of the staircase in the entrance hall, stood the Canterlot welcoming committee...including Princess Celestia.

Fuck...thanks for warning me, Shadow… Sky huffed, feeling her legs start to shake again as she got closer and closer to the Princess. As somepony who was small even by the standards of mares, Sky was struck by just how big the alicorn really was. She stood so tall that Sky would have to clone herself and stack herself three-Skys-high to come up to her eyes. Her wings were huge, a little bigger than Shadow’s, and her coat...Sky didn’t know how to get her coat that white. It was probably some kind of princess magic thing.

Sky began to ascend the staircase towards the Princess, gulping. It felt for all the world like she was being led up to an executioner’s block.

What if she recognises me? What if I say something stupid? This was such a bad idea. I wanna go home! No...no...it’s okay Sky. You’ve got this. Shadow said you can do this, and you’re gonna do it. Just shake her hoof and say something witty or fancy…

Sky peeked out from behind the guest in front of her. Celestia hadn’t spotted or recognised her yet. That was a plus.

She’s pretty good-looking...you know, for a thousand year-old sun goddess, I mean…

“Well hello there.” Came a soft voice from right in front of her.

Sky looked up, pulled back into the moment and coming face-to-face with one of the supreme rulers of Equestria.

“Er...hi…” She replied stupidly, glancing from Celestia’s hoof to her face as her mouth hung open. “You look...nice…”

“Well thank you!” Celestia beamed, taking Sky’s forehoof and giving it a gentle shake. “You look lovely yourself, my little pony. I hope you enjoy the Gala!”

Sky stood there in shocked silence for a moment after the Princess relinquished her hoof. The alicorn was still staring at her, almost searchingly. Celestia had an interesting expression on her face. It was kind, yet she gave the impression that she was unravelling Sky with a single glance, laying all of her secrets bare and staring into the deepest depths of her soul.

Or she could be staring at Sky because she’s holding up the line. That was a possibility, too.

“Oooh...erm...sorry…” Sky chuckled, trotting away from the Princess and venturing further into the castle. As soon as she was clear, she broke into a gallop, dashing past oblivious guards and other guests until she found her way into the party room.

Did...did I just get away with talking to the Princess? THE PRINCESS? Sky gasped, sinking down onto her haunches and taking deep breaths. What the fuck am I doing with my life? I just snuck into the biggest party in Equestria, and she knew! She knew it was me...fuck, I’m in way over my head…

Sky peeked over her shoulder back at Celestia. She was in the process of greeting another guest, but cast a momentary glance back Sky. It was just for a fraction of a second, but Sky could tell that it was deliberate. Celestia knew. Of course she knew.

“Fuck…” Sky muttered, trotting nervously out onto the dance floor. She then continued to trot all the way over to the buffet, grabbing one of the complementary drinks and downing it in one gulp.

Well, if there’s one thing I’m really good at, it’s swallowing… Sky chuckled to herself, taking a look around at the assembled ponies.

Lots of big-wigs...most of them look pretty damn old. Where the fuck’s that bridal party? I’ve never seen a bunch of hens that can keep their damn mouths shut for two seconds…

“Ahem...excuse me?”

Sky gave a little squeak as she jumped, trying not to spread her damaged wings as she came back down again. Before her stood a rather nervous-looking stallion with a blue mane and a white coat, coughing awkwardly.

“Ca...can I help you?” Sky asked. Her voice was a little higher than normal, willing herself to make her High Canterlot accent a little more pronounced. She sounded and looked for all the world like a shy but interested young mare.

“I...don’t suppose you want to dance, do you?” The stallion asked, cocking his head.

“Well…” Sky blacnhed. What the hell’s he thinking? I can’t dance! I’ll probably trip over...and...and knock his ass down or something! I can’t do that! Everypony will know it’s me!

Sky stood there in awkward fright for a few moments as her body took over from her brain, drifting to her default response to a stallion’s advances.

“Well…” She said again, a sly smirk crossing her face as she paced toward him. “I’m not much of a dancer, but if you wanna come back home with me, I’ll show you some moves I do know…”

“Oh, really? You mean...like...a waltz or something?” The stallion asked as innocently as he could manage.

Eeeh, screw it. He’s not bad-looking and I might as well do something until that bitch turns up.

“A little something like that.” Sky murred softly, pacing up to him and pressing her chest against his. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I know you’re gonna enjoy it…”

“Oh...well then!” The stallion chuckled, seeming to finally get what Sky’s on about. “You’re...very...forward...aren’t you…?”

“I’m anything you want me to be, sweetie…” Sky whispered in the paralysed stallion’s ear, pulling back a little and biting her lip gently. “Don’t lie. You didn’t want a dance. You wanted me, and lucky for you I’ve got the whole night free…”

As the stallion gaped at her, Sky pulled away a little more, making an about-turn and flicking him on the nose with her tail.

“The only question is, can you handle me?” She finished, winking at him.

Sky downed another glass of champagne, feeling a little buzz as the alcohol began to affect her brain somewhat. It was only a waiting game, now. She’d questioned his male pride, and that could only mean one thing.

“Name a time and a place.” The stallion muttered into her ear, trotting up behind her.

“That balcony overlooking the dance floor, in abooooout...now.” Sky turned to face her erstwhile partner, grinning cheekily. The stallion took her hoof, leading her through the whirling storm of dancing ponies and out into the corridor again. He waggled his eyebrows at her, trotting excitedly up a staircase to the gallery above the dance floor.

“Well aren’t you excited?” Sky grinned, a little giddy from the alcohol, as she trotted up after him. “Now that you’ve gotten all worked up, how about you show me what you’ve got, sweetie?”

The stallion grinned mischievously as he approached her, running a hoof over her cheek with gentility and grace. “You really do look beautiful…” He whispered quietly, running his forehooves down to her shoulders and giving them a squeeze. Sky smiled back, her cheeks going bright pink as she blushed.

“Aww, you’re such a sweet...eeep!” She giggled as he tightened his grip on her shoulders, pushing her against the balcony and letting her look out over the assembled ponies. This was exactly where she needed to be right now, and Sky couldn’t have chosen a better observation post herself. If the bridal party turned up, she’d be able to see them come in...not that she wouldn’t be able to hear them twenty minutes beforehand. Hen parties were the loudest, noisiest things in the universe.

“Now, my lady, you just stay there and let me do my work, okay?” The stallion said nervously. He lifted a shaking hoof, running it down Sky’s back and over her flanks, before reaching down and ever so gently pulling her skirts up over her flanks. He licked his lips as he took in the sight of Sky’s tail flicking from side to side, momentarily exposing her marehood with each pendulous pass.

“Well, okay, if you think you’re up to it…” Sky giggled quietly, raising her tail and obediently spreading her legs a little. She knew just how this was going to go, and her one-night stand, being as he was but a stallion, wasn’t messing around. He planted a row of kisses up her back, meaning to entice and excite her, and it was certainly working. She felt a certain familiar warmth in her damaged wings, felt them spread with a little *pomf* as her legs followed suit.

Oh wow...he is a gentlecolt… Sky thought to herself, biting her lip with a little squee as he kissed her just behind her ear. Sky liked having her ears played with. Well, that was a bit of an understatement. She adored it.

“Eeek...oh...oh Luna…” She whispered, her tongue flopping out of her mouth as he bit the very tip of her ear, pushing the head of his cock against her raised tail and the wet folds of her pussy. Sky pushed back on it, letting the tip spread her lips a little as she flicked her tail out of the way.

The stallion, unable to quite believe his luck, was unable to keep himself under control for a moment longer, finally driving his cock as deep into her as it would go. Sky let out a soft cry, sticking her hoof in her mouth as her voice echoed across the gallery. Getting caught shagging some dignitary when she was supposed to be undercover wouldn’t have very good implications for her. Sky was at least relatively certain that this sort of thing was frowned upon at formal occasions.

“You...don’t exactly...have...much of a concept...of romance...do you?” The stallion blustered, as he started to ever so slowly shift his hips, thrusting into her again and again. His higher-class birth betrayed him, making him incredibly hesitant, and Sky couldn’t help but roll her eyes. He wasn’t a bad size, though.

Sky whimpered through her hoof as he started to speed up a little, venturing a slap across the flanks. She couldn’t stop herself yelping at that, losing herself to a mixture of alcohol and pleasure. Her little gasps and whimpers spurred the stallion on further, driving him to fuck her more roughly, abandoning any sense of class that he may have previously possessed. Sky squeezed her flanks together, looking back at him and smiling encouragingly. She much preferred this kind of pace.

The stallion grew more confident over time, finally settling into a comfortable, fast pace that threatened to launch Sky over the balcony. The little white mare couldn’t possibly keep in her fit of the giggles. She was that special kind of drunk who found absolutely everything funny, even the prospect of being catapulted off of a balcony by an overzealous horny stallion. Her laughter only urged him onwards, pounding away at her and smacking her flank once more, and Sky’s tongue flopped out of her open mouth as her eyes rolled back into her head. She loved it.

Sky felt herself building up to her inevitable climax, at least inevitable for a pony who was getting the kind of treatment that stallion was giving her. She whimpered and moaned ever louder as he kept going, showing no signs of slowing down. Sky didn’t even care that her voice was echoing across the gallery. Everypony could hear her, but she was too far gone to mind too much, just settling into the wonderful buzz of alcohol and bliss. This was the best formal occasion ever.

Finally, Sky couldn’t take any more. She raised her head back and let out the loudest squeal yet, her hind legs shaking as she climaxed. The only reason that she was still even upright was a couple of hastily-written IOUs from her back legs. Most of her weight was borne by her forelegs and chin, resting atop the balustrade as the stallion kept going. He was starting to slow down, however, panting more and more desperately to signal that he was getting close, too.

“Can...can I…?” He inquired breathlessly, slowing down to a snail’s pace.

“Su...sure...don’t worry...I’m...I’m safe…” Sky nodded, looking around at him with a kind smile.

The stallion nodded gratefully, slamming into her a couple more times before finally filling her with his seed, letting out a loud cry that rivalled Sky’s in volume. There was no doubt that everypony at the Gala had heard the two of them going at it, now.

“Well...erm...that’s...not how I usually greet ponies…” The stallion blustered, pulling out and chuckling nervously. “I’m usually...well...I’m usually…”

“Save it.” Sky held up a hoof to silence him. “You were fine, sweetie. And hey, let’s not wait until the next Gala to have a crazy wild night together, okay?” She giggled cheekily, bumping her flank against his and grinning.

“I...erm...I...well...oh my…” The stallion began, but Sky was already gone, trotting down the stairs again to see if the bridal party had appeared yet.

Sky couldn’t deny it - she felt off. Sure, the sex had been nice, but the alcohol had been working on her brain more and more, bringing a certain darkness to the edges of her vision. She found herself having difficulty walking in a straight line...whether that was the sex or the champagne was a complete mystery to her.

Aaah, what do I care what did it...I feel great! I wish I could feel this way all the time! It’s like my head’s a great big cloud… Sky mused to herself as she trotted down the stairs.

She ventured out into the dance floor again, stumbling and giggling a little as she blatantly ignored all of the staring ponies. They knew. Of course they knew. Sky had been louder than a megaspell going off next to a megaphone and she knew it. There was something about the gallery above the ballroom that really made a pony’s voice carry. Everypony in the ballroom was staring at her, her carefree smile, her stumbling and the way her dress was pulled up over her flanks, exposing her tail and hindquarters. Sky didn’t exactly look like the height of class right now.

Huh, this Grand Galloping Gala thing isn’t so bad! She thought to herself, trotting merrily back to the buffet and helping herself to another glass of champagne. A little voice in the back of her head told her that maybe this wasn’t a good idea, but it helped with the nerves, so why not?

Sky smiled as she looked around at the slightly startled ponies, giggling again as she finally processed that they were all looking at her.

“What?” She asked, snickering and trying to trot back into the crowd to blend into it again.

In time, the ponies began to dance and chatter again, leaving Sky lost amidst a sea of unrecognisable faces, soft music and light-headedness. It was the best she’d felt in ages, and she found herself wishing that she could keep feeling like this forever.

Perhaps I’ll get one of those nice bottles of whatever this stuff is after the whole Operative thing’s sorted out. Oooh! Maybe Shadow’d like some, too! I bet that’d help her break the ice with Fox!

So fixated was she on the thought of having a head like a great big cloud, Sky didn’t see the very well-dressed mare who was making her way into the . The two ponies collided, Sky’s skirts still up around her flanks as she tumbled head over hooves. She had at least enough momentum to knock the other pony back onto her hindquarters, where she huffed angrily.

“Young lady!” She barked, as a gaggle of other ponies came to help her up. “Watch where the hell I’m going! Don’t you have any class at all?”

Sky blinked, shaking her head and peering at the fancy pony with confused contempt. “Y’what?” She answered dully.

“Oh, I see.” The mare rolled her eyes, getting to her hooves. “You’re as thick as a commoner as well as looking like one. Why on earth do they let ponies like you into the Gala?”

Sky narrowed her eyes, getting up as well and giving the mare a nudge. “Who are you calling a commoner, you fucking skank?” She growled. There was a little voice in the back of her head telling her that this was a bad idea and that she was supposed to be incognito, but there were three glasses of pretty heavy champagne yelling for her to go for it and put this bitch in her place.

“Why, I never!” The mare recoiled in horror. “Did they teach you that word while you were being raised in a barn, you savage?”

The posse of mares looked back to Sky to see whether or not this was going to go anywhere. She began to pace around the offender aggressively, stamping her forehoof on the floor as she sized up her opponent. Funnily enough, this mare wasn’t much bigger than her.

Yeah, I can take her…

“Well hey, if dressing up to look like a complete tart is high-class, then I’d rather be a savage, thanks very much!” Sky giggled, stumbling a little as she paced around behind her. “Especially if that bloody great spare tyre you call a plot comes as part of the package.”

“Did she seriously just give me lip about my flanks?” The mare growled, sitting down self-consciously. “Wow, can’t you come up with anything better than that old low-hanging fruit?”

“With a face like that, low-hanging fruit is the only kind you’re ever gonna get, sweetie.” Sky winked, grinning acidly. “Besides, it’s not like we weren’t all thinking it. No wonder I bumped into you. You’re taking up the whole hallway!”

This coaxed a couple of giggles from some of the assembled ponies, and the mare’s ears flicked back. “I’m sorry…” She said slowly. “Was it a fight you came here looking for, birdhorse? Because you’ve certainly found one.”

Sky froze as the mare started squaring off to fight her, stamping her hooves and lowering her head.

It’s okay, Sky. You can still get out of this… She thought to herself. Just ask the pony’s name and get on good terms with her and you’ll be able to go back to looking for the bridal party. Just, whatever you do, don’t say anything stu…

“All I’ve got out of you is a pair of flapping lips!” Sky lowered herself into a ready stance. “And I’ve got a much better place for you to stick ‘em if that’s all you’re gonna do all night long!”

Or, you know, you could say that instead… Her alcohol-addled brain finished quietly. That works too. You know what? I’m just gonna take a backseat for a while. Wake me up when you stop acting like a twat.

As Sky threw the first punch, the alcohol finally took over her brain completely, and she remembered no more.