Chapter 3: A night to remember
Three months later
I entered the dance hall ablaze with torches and the radiating auras of exited ponies prepared for the night of their lives. I walked forewords into the sea of light when I saw celestia on the staircase. 'Dammit' I thought 'how the hell will I get past her.' I materialized my gun inside of my exquisite tuxedo that I stole from Rarity's boutique. I walked up the stairs with my head low, hoping to pass her by when I heard "Hello sir may I see your ticket"
I looked up and saw Celestia looking down on me with a smirk on her face. "Here" I said levitating my golden ticket to her. She examined it for a while, and I felt the line behind me getting impatient.
She finally stopped staring at the ticket and said "sir may you please come with me" I nodded and started walking up the stairs while thinking 'oh damn, oh damn, I better be ready to run'.
She lead me down several winding corridors, probably an attempt to confuse me, for a few minutes until. She found the location she was looking for. We enter and my breath was blown away.
The room was as large as a normal ponyville dwelling, the walls were covered in paintings and stained glass depicting scenes of war, peace and anything in between. I looked around in awe and Celestia chuckled. "I see you like my mural room", I immediately shut my mouth and grunted. "Ok, ok no need to talk that much" she said laughing. "Ok now for what I brought you up here for," her expression changed from carefree to serious as she said "I'm tired of having to chase you. I need you on my side if we are to survive our future".
I couldn't help it, I let out a laugh. In a mocking voice I said "I need you on my side if we are to survive out future" in my normal voice I screamed "what kind of BULLSHIT is that"
"Lower your voice you'll disturb the other guests" she said her voice growing ever so slightly louder.
"Do I look like I give a shit" I said slightly quieter. "Please just leave me alone, I don't care about this 'future' you speak of"
"Fine but maybe twilight can change your mind" she said back to her normal tone of voice.
I scoffed and opened the door as celestia said "I told her you were coming, she is out in the courtyard" I froze for a second but I snapped out if it and exited the mural room.
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The courtyard was full of ponies dancing and eating gourmet foods, but I could not see twilight. I heard a ruckus coming from the ballroom as several pillars fell down. I stood in the courtyard while every pony (still not used to that word) ran around in a frenzy. After a few minutes the situation died down and the crowd kept getting smaller and smaller until it was only me. I trotted around the buffet taking a few glasses of the punch, and finally I decided to leave. I put my glass on the table and started to walk to the front gates when I heard "IceFire!" I swung around and saw twilight in her beautiful Galla dress. I trotted over to her and to my surprise she hugged me! I froze for a couple of seconds and she let go. "I thought you would have left by now"
"Yeah, well I was told you would be here so I thought I would stay awhile" I heard the music which I was ultimately ignoring turn into a slow, steady beat and I felt very uneasy. 'I haven't heard this kind of a song since before I was enrolled in the military.' I saw a twinkly in twilight a eye and I decided. "Can I have this last dance miss" she smiled and said "yes you can, sir".
We spent the better part of the evening dancing and even a few laughs from when I screwed up the dance a few times. At the end the night she said "I have to go I promised pinkipie that I would help here set up an after party"
"That's ok, I don't think my flank can withstand any more falling"
We both laughed and twilight hugged me again. I was shocked again but this time I hugged her back. It was a good 15 seconds before we let go. "Bye twi"
"Bye ice" she said as she walked through the gates lining the entrance. I looked up and saw celestia looking down from the mural room window. I nodded to celestia as I walked to the gates. She flew in and intercepted me. "Have you made your decision?"
"Yes I have...I will help you"
"Goo..."
"But..." I interjected "I need a place in ponyville and freedom to interact with the elements of harmony...and do non damaging experiments to the elements"
Celestia took a second to respond "ok all of your requests will be granted But all your findings will be reported to me."
"Fine"
She levitated a parchment and quill and wrote a quick letter. The yellow parchment turned into a greenish gas and flew into the sky. "Your home will be to the west side of twilight's, but you will have to supply the lab"
"Alright, celestia...but remember this. I may be helping you but that does not mean I will do whatever you say. You will not take my free will" I said assuredly, though my head started to throb. I walked past celestia and saw the last train out of canterlot ready to leave. I ran to the train and purchased a ticket right before it left the station. Sweat dribbled down my face as I thought how I would fit into life in ponyville.