The time was finally here. The night of the Grand Galloping Gala was here at last. It was dusk in Ponyville as the group prepared themselves for what might just be one of the most memorable nights of their lives.
"Sora, do you really need privacy to change?" Rarity asked, "You do realize ponies don't normally wear clothes, correct?"
"Yeah, of course I do," Sora replied from behind the curtain, "I just like to change when I'm alone is all," Sora went to Rarity's for some early preparation, which entailed wearing the tuxedo Rarity made for him all those weeks ago.
"Well, if you say so," Rarity responded. After a minute of preparation, Sora revealed himself, clad in the custom tuxedo Rarity made for him. He would have looked smashing, had it not been for one thing, "Sora, why is your bow tie like that?" Rarity questioned, pointing to the sloppy knot around Sora's neck. The caramel pegasus could only sheepishly laugh in response, "We went over this yesterday."
"I kinda forgot," Sora admitted with a nervous smile.
The fashionista groaned as she rubbed her head, "Honestly, Sora," She used her magic to undo Sora's embarrassing work and tie the bow properly, "You could at least try to put in more effort into being a civilized pony."
"Hey, I'm sorry, okay," Sora exasperated, "I'm not used to this kind of thing."
Rarity sighed, "Forgive me for my rudeness. I guess I'm just a little nervous about tonight. I am hoping upon hope that Prince Blueblood and I will be joined in true love," Rarity's eyes went elsewhere clearly fantasizing about her soon-to-be Prince Charming. Sora was also staring off into space, but for a different reason.
"That must be nice. Getting excited about being with your true love."
"Sora," Rarity called out, breaking Sora out of his trance, "Is everything alright?"
Sora shook his head, "Oh, sorry, kinda spaced out for a second," Sora responded, not wanting to think of the issue even further. Thankfully for him, Rarity quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, don't you look just smashing," Rarity complimented.
"Well, it is your design after all," Sora replied.
"Oh pish posh, darling," Rarity shrugged off playfully, "Don't you know it's the pony who makes the clothes?"
"Don't think I've heard that one before," Sora said.
"Well, it is very much true in your case," Rarity told him graciously, "If I wasn't pinning for Prince Blueblood, I'd probably swoon over you."
Sora blushed in response, "Hey, how 'bout we go gather up the others?" He hastily changed the subject, for more than a few reasons.
—
Outside the boutique, Sora and Rarity met up with Twilight, Spike, Rainbow and Pinkie. Twilight was deeply engrossed in a book as Sora conversed with Spike.
"I can't wait for tonight!" The little drake exclaimed, "All of us hanging out like friends on the biggest night of the year!"
"Nice to see you excited," Sora commented.
"Hey, Sora, what'll you be doing at the Gala?" The purple drake asked.
"Me? Oh, I'll probably just hang out," Sora responded plainly.
"Oh, where in the world are Applejack and Fluttershy?" Rarity questioned out loud.
Right when proper timing demanded it, Applejack and Fluttershy trotted over to the group, "Hold yer horses, Rarity, we're here," The farm mare said.
"Perfect timing, Applejack," Twilight greeted, closing her book, "Did you you bring what I requested?"
"Sure did," Applejack replied, removing her hat to show that there was a ripe, red delicious apple underneath, an apple that was promptly placed on the ground.
"Okay..?" Sora tilted his head, "What's with the apple?"
"Just watch," Twilight responded before taking a deep breath, "Okay, let's see if I can perform that spell I read about," Twilight lit up her horn and casted a spell at the apple. In a puff of smoke, the apple morphed into an intricately designed apple carriage, complete with wheels.
"Woah," Sora displayed clear amazement at Twilight's abilities. There was something that was bugging him, however, "Wait, who's pulling it?"
Twilight now turned her attention to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy, do you have your little animal friends?"
"Right here," She answered. Four mice appeared from under her mane. The yellow mare lowered her head so that the mice could scurry onto the ground.
"How are they gonna pull that?" Sora motioned to the large apple carriage, far too heavy for mice to pull.
Twilight smirked, "Don't you worry about that," She casted another spell at the mice. In another puff of smoke, the mice's form took that of gallant steeds. They even had girdles to hook them onto the carriage. Their mice-like features (mainly their eyes and whiskers) were still present, giving them an unorthodox appearance overall.
"Okay, I guess that works," Sora said.
"Uh, Twilight," Fluttershy sheepishly addressed the purple unicorn, "That's not permanent, is it?"
"Don't worry, Fluttershy, the spell wears off by midnight," Twilight assured. Unfortunately, Opalescence was nearby; once she saw the giant mice, she immediately hurled herself at them, latching onto one of the horse-mice. The mouse reared up to push Opal off. The sudden shock of this event spooked the mice into galloping far away.
"Wait, come back!" Twilight called out in vain, but the horse-mice were long gone.
"Opal!" Rarity scolded her pet, stomping her hoof on the ground, "Bad!" The cat showed no signs of regret or anything of the such from Rarity's scolding.
"Well, now what?" Sora asked, crossing his hooves. His eyes drifted towards Rarity, who was looking at the caramel pegasus with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, "Rarity, what's with that look?" He surveyed his surroundings, now finding that the other mares were giving him similar, expectant looks, "Uh... Why are you all looking at me like that?"
—
The girls managed to convince Sora to pull their carriage all the way to the Gala. Rarity in particular played the chivalry card against Sora heavily. It was not very hard for a pony of his surprising strength, but it was still humiliating nonetheless.
"Couldn't we have just taken the train?" Sora whined.
"Quit your complaining," Spike commanded, pulling the reins from the front seat of the carriage. The mares were inside, conversing with one another. It was a long ride to Canterlot, a ride that took many hours. Along the way, other carriages carrying noble ponies were seen along the path.
Sora had not been to Canterlot since he visited Celestia a few months ago. Looking at it from the close distance he was at now, Sora remembered just how stunning the city actually was. After hours of trotting, the group made to the draw bridge leading into Canterlot proper.
"Finally," Sora breathed a sigh of relief as he removed the harness from himself. Spike leapt off of his seat and walked over to the carriage door. Leisurely, the mares all filed out of the carriage one by one. They were all wearing the gorgeous dresses that were a centerpiece of a little adventure they had months ago. Sora had seen the girls in their Gala dresses before, but something was different this time around. The girls themselves seemed more radiant than before. Maybe it was due to the excitement in the air.
"Wow, you girls look great!" Sora complimented.
"Oh, you are too kind, my dear," Rarity replied, her excitement clearly evident on her face, as was the case with the rest of the girls.
Then there was the sound of instruments playing from an undisclosed location. Sora always wondered how this occurred. Equestria was a world abundant with strange magic. Perhaps the out of nowhere musicals were connected to that same magic.
"I can't believe we're finally here," Twilight announced with a wide smile, "With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this... The Best Night Ever!" Like all other times before, the out-of-nowhere instrumentation was accompanied by singing.
[Twilight Sparkle]
At the Gala
[Choir]
At the Gala
[Fluttershy]
At the Gala
In the garden
I'm going to see them all
All the creatures
I'll befriend them at the Gala
[Choir]
At the Gala
[Fluttershy]
All the birdies
And the critters
They will love me big and small
We'll become good friends forever
Right here at the Gala!
[Choir]
All our dreams will come true
Right here at the Gala
At the Gala
Applejack took over from Fluttershy, the former having basic string instruments accompanying her singing.
[Applejack]
At the Gala (It's amazing)
I will sell them (Better hurry)
All my appletastic treats (Yummy yummy)
Hungry ponies (They'll be snacking)
They will buy them (Bring your money)
Caramel apples, apple sweets (Gimme some)
And I'll earn a lot of money
for the Apple family!
[Choir]
All our dreams and our hopes from now until hereafter
All that we've been wishing for will happen at the Gala
At the Gala
Now it was Rarity's turn to sing, her voice just as elegant as the music accompanying it.
[Rarity]
At the Gala
All the royals
They will meet fair Rarity
They will see I'm just as regal at the Gala
[Choir]
At the Gala
[Rarity]
I will find him
My Prince Charming
And how gallant he will be
He will treat me like a lady
Tonight at the Gala!
[Choir]
This is what we've waited for to have the best night ever
Each of us will live our dreams
Tonight at the Gala
At the Gala
After Rarity finished singing, a group of pegasi flew in perfect synchronization high overhead, leaving behind a smoke trail as they passed by. They were the Wonderbolts, prompting Rainbow Dash to begin singing.
[Rainbow Dash]
Been dreamin'
I've been waitin'
To fly with those great ponies
The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks
Spinning 'round and having kicks
Perform for crowds of thousands
They'll shower us with diamonds
The Wonderbolts will see me right here at the Gala!
[Choir]
All we've longed for
All we've dreamed
Our happy ever after
Finally will all come true
Right here at the Grand Gala
At the Gala
Pinkie Pie's rendition was accompanied with peppy and upbeat music as she hopped her way over to the entrance.
[Pinkie Pie]
I am here at the Grand Gala
For it is the best party
But the one thing it was missing was a pony named Pinkie
For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree
Ponies playing
Ponies dancing
With me at the Grand Gala!
[Choir]
Happiness and laughter at the Gala
At the Gala
Princess Celestia flew above over the city, leaving behind an arcing rainbow as she landed atop her balcony. As Sora looked at the rainbow, he could not help but think there was something oddly familiar about it. He did not have much time to ponder as Twilight began to sing her portion.
[Twilight Sparkle]
At the Gala (At the Gala)
With the Princess (With the Princess)
Is where I'm going to be (She will be)
We will talk all about magic and what I've learned and seen (She will see)
It is going to be so special
As she takes time just for me (This will be the best night ever!)
The castle was getting so much closer as the song began to reach an epic conclusion.
[Choir]
Into the Gala we must go
We're ready now, we're all aglow
Into the Gala, let's go in and have the best night ever
Into the Gala, now's the time
We're ready and we look divine!
[Choir and Fluttershy]
Into the Gala
[Fluttershy]
Meet new friends
[Choir and Applejack]
Into the Gala
[Applejack]
Sell some apples
[Choir and Rarity]
Into the Gala
[Rarity]
Find my Prince
[Choir and Rainbow Dash]
Prove I'm great
[Rainbow Dash]
As a Wonderbolt is
Fluttershy: To meet!
Applejack: To sell!
Rarity: To find!
Rainbow Dash: To prove!
Pinkie Pie: To whoop!
Twilight Sparkle: To talk!
[All]
Into the Gala
Into the Gala
And we'll have the best night ever!
At the Gala!
By the time the song ended, the group was at the front entrance of the castle, "I should join in on the singing one of these days," Sora thought to himself. He had not done something like that in such a long time.
"You're right, it is gonna be the best night ever," Spike said, "Because we're all gonna hang out like—" And the mares all ran off before he could finish, leaving both Spike and Sora alone at the entrance.
"Well, there they go," Sora said. He was about to head off into the party himself, but a quick glance at a dejected looking Spike kept the stallion in place, "Hey, what's wrong?" Sora asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Spike lied—badly. Sora wasn't fooled. He gave the little drake a stern gaze, silently demanding an answer. After a few long seconds, Spike finally relented with a sigh, "It's just... I was hoping we would all spend the night just hanging out, having fun together. Instead, the girls are each off doing their own thing."
"The girls all know what they want. I'm sure they know what their doing," Sora's reasoning did nothing to sate Spike's sadness.
"I don't know about that. I have an itching feeling their plans won't turn out the way they want them to," Spike let out a sigh, gazing at the floor, "I feel like drowning my sorrows in donuts right now," Sora could see Spike was really down in the dumps, something he could not take lying down.
"Well, I'm still here," Sora proclaimed, "I'd like to hang out if you want. I could use a little company myself."
"Seriously?" Spike was taken out of his stupor, "Don't you have your own plans for tonight?"
"Of course," Sora replied, "I went to the Gala for the same reason as you: To spend time with my friends. And if you want, we can check in on the others after a while, I'm sure they wont mind."
Spike gave Sora a genuine smile of gratitude, "Thanks, Sora, you're a true friend."
"Great!" Sora proclaimed, "C'mon, hop on," He lowered his frame so that Spike could jump onto his back. He gave Sora a grateful smile before they entered the Gala proper.
—
The main site of the Gala was the castle's ball room. There, numerous round tables were set up so that guests could converse with each other. Longer tables were set up with fancily prepared concessions that were very low in portions. There was also a stage set up where a band of ponies were performing soothing classical music. Sora trotted into the ballroom with Spike in tow.
"Wow, fancy," Spike said.
"Yeah, I don't think I've been to a party like this," Sora commented. His eyes drifted towards the snack table with platters filled with pieces of food on toothpicks. Hearing his stomach growling, Sora made a decision, "Let's try out the snacks."
Sora trotted over to a platter and grabbed two snacks with his wing, handing one of them to Spike, who eagerly accepted it. The pegasus and baby dragon ate the small amount of food, leaving only the tooth picks. The two of the chewed the food and swallowed, all the way their faces stuck in neutral expressions.
"Huh, that's pretty blank," Spike said, tossing his toothpick away.
"Yeah," Sora agreed, "You'd think it have more flavor because it's so small," That was what experience taught Sora, but this situation seemed to be the exception.
And then Pinkie bounced into the ballroom singing a song. Unlike before, there was no accompanying music to go along with her singing. She bounced all over the ballroom, her cheerful energy juxtaposing the prim and proper atmosphere.
[Pinkie Pie]
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala,
It's all I ever dreamed.
It's all I ever dreamed, woo hoo!
It's all I ever dreamed, yippee!
I'm at the Grand Galloping GalaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!
After Pinkie hit that high note, the ballroom was left in an uncomfortable silence. The band had stopped playing, all conversations halted, and any other background noise silenced, leaving only an awkward tension. And Pinkie Pie was at the center of it. The pink mare looked to be in a tense mood.
"It's all I've ever... dreamed?" Pinkie finished with a hint of uncertainty. The nobles continued what they were doing, completely ignoring Pinkie and her antics.
"Wrong time for a song and dance, I'm guessing?" Spike commented with a shrug.
"That's a first, Pinkie's energy completely stalling a party," Sora added, "She looks like she took that pretty hard," He took note of how uncharacteristically uncomfortable Pinkie looked.
"I'm sure she'll get over it," Spike said.
"I don't know," Sora replied, turning his head to Spike, "Remember when she forgot her own birthday?" Long story short, a week ago, the group was planning a surprise birthday party for Pinkie. She had interrupted their secrecy as the group not wanting her to be their friend anymore, leading her into a crazed depression that freaked Sora out when he saw it. She started talking into inanimate objects with this creepy look in her eyes.
Spike blinked his eyes. He certainly remembered how crazy Pinkie became during that time, "Okay I guess you have a point. Maybe we should talk to her."
"Yeah," Sora agreed. He turned his head back where Pinkie was, only to find that she wasn't there anymore, "Hey, where'd Pinkie go?"
"She was there just a second ago..." Spike said.
"Hmm... Let's go look for her," Sora suggested. The little drake nodded his head in agreement.
—
The two friends searched across the entire party grounds, but had no luck finding Pinkie anywhere. With their search proving fruitless, Sora and Spike decided to just go exploring the castle.
"These are the gardens, right?" Sora asked Spike as the former trotted through a dimly lit area adorned with well kept grass and bushes.
"Sure are," Spike answered, "Fluttershy should be around here somewhere."
As the two continued on, a chipmunk scurried it's way in front of the caramel pegasus.
"Hey there, little guy," Sora motioned his hoof forward. In an instant, the chipmunk bolted away, leaving the caramel pegasus stunned, "Wow, the critters in Ponyville don't act that skittish."
"You know, the animals in the gardens do always act frightened whenever I show up," Spike commented.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I always assumed that they were afraid of me because I'm a mighty dragon," Spike puffed up his chest and put his hands on his hips for emphasis. Sora chuckled in response to Spike's attempt to seem intimidating.
"Well, if anything, I'm sure Fluttershy's made friends with them already," Sora spoke with certainty. After trotting further into the gardens, Sora saw a familiar pony, "Hey, there's Fluttershy."
Sora was going to approach her to say hi, but something seemed off. He only saw her from the back, but Sora could see that Fluttershy had grown unkept since last he saw her. Her dress was heavily wrinkled and stained with mud. There was also the matter of the strands of hair sticking out of her usually smooth mane. Next to Fluttershy was a simple box trap help up by a stick tied to a piece of string.
"I'll catch you yet, my pretties," She spoke in a low and predatorily voice as her eyes darted back in forth. All the while, the critters in the garden all hid away in fright, "Oh yes. As soon as one of you little birds or monkeys or bears touches this net... You'll be mine! MINE!" Fluttershy stood on her hind legs as she cackled in an uncharacteristically evil laugh, lightning cracking behind her. Then she lost balance and fell on her back, causing her trap to go off.
Sora and Spike witnessed this scene, clear expressions of fear on their faces. Fluttershy had not noticed either of them yet. Not wanting to try his luck, Sora began to slowly trot backwards.
"Back it up. Just back it up, back it up real slow... back it up, just backing up here. Just sloooowly back it up."
—
After that particularly frightening experience, Sora and Spike backed it up as much as they could towards anywhere else.
"Jeez, I didn't think Fluttershy could be that scary," Spike said, still trembling.
"Yeah, no kidding," Sora recalled a rumor he heard once before. Supposedly, Fluttershy had an ability know as The Stare. Sora had no idea what it meant, nor did he find the rumor to be credible to begin with. However, what he just witnessed clearly showed that Fluttershy has a dark side, "Where are we?" Sora did not pay attention to where he went after the Fluttershy thing. There was a large group of ponies behind velvet rope conversing with one another. There were so many conversations going on that they all overlapped each other, thereby making it impossible to understand what was being discussed.
"That must be the VIP section," Spike said.
"What are they all talking about?" Sora asked, the inane mutterings of the ponies were not getting any clearer.
"Who knows?" Spike shrugged.
While observing Behind the crowd of busy ponies, Sora could see somepony jumping away waving her hooves frantically. Her face was hard to make out, but the mult-colored mane gave it away.
"Hey, I think I see Rainbow Dash," Sora said, squinting his eyes to confirm it. That was indeed Rainbow trying to pass through a crowd of ponies.
"Really?" Spike tilted his head, "What's she doing in the VIP section?"
"No clue," Sora admitted. It was then that he noticed a few pegasi ponies wearing familiar blue jumpsuits, "Hey, there are the Wonderbolts."
"Oh, cool. That must mean Rainbow Dash must be hanging out with them!" Spike stated. Looking over at how Rainbow Dash was acting, crawling under a crowd of ponies to get close to the Wonderbolts, Sora was having doubts about Spike's statement. It seemed even less like when he saw Rainbow chatting up a storm, only for the Wonderbolts to not pay her any mind.
"That doesn't look like hanging out to me," Sora remarked.
"Yeah, their not even looking at Rainbow," Spike took notice of how the Wonderbolts seemed to be ignoring Rainbow, "Man that's a bummer."
The sound of growling stomaches demanded the full attention of both pony and dragon, bringing themselves away from Rainbow's plight, "Man, I'm getting hungry," Sora said.
"Yeah, all we had to eat was that bland stuff at the ballroom," Spike added. As Sora dealt with the ringing in his gut, a thought occurred to him.
"Hey, let's go find Applejack," He suggested, "She's selling food somewhere around here, right?"
"Yeah, good idea!" Spike agreed, "Let's get some Apple family goodies!"
"Sounds good to me," Sora nodded his head, "Now all we have to do is find her."
—
It took a bit of searching, but the duo eventually did find Applejack. She was standing behind a retractable stand lined with various homemade apple treats. However, Applejack looked anything but pleased at the moment. Her chin rested on her fore-hooves as she slumped forward in annoyance.
"Hey AJ," Sora greeted, snapping the farm pony out of her slump, "Made any good sales?"
"Well, so far ah've sold jus' one apple pie," Applejack sighed in frustration, "Ah don't suppose you two'll take what ah got?"
"Sure thing," Sora replied, "I'll take one of those fritters."
"I'll have one of those caramel apples," Spike made his order.
"That's real nice a' ya'll," The orange mare thanked, "Ah'll get those right up."
"You really haven't sold anything yet?" Sora asked in surprise as Applejack brought the orders, "I'd have figured you'd be sold out by now."
"Apparently, these Canterlot folk want sumthin' more than home cooked," The farm mare scowled, "Ah tell ya, ah don't get these fancy noble types. Too busy acting all high and mighty to try out something with some real flavor. What does Rarity see in this ponies?"
"Speaking of Rarity," Sora said, "I haven't seen her all night. You think she found Prince Blueblood yet?"
"Probably," Applejack responded, "She wouldn't stop talking about him on the way over here. Kept saying things like, 'Oh, Blueblood will sweep me off my hooves and we will live happily ever after.'" Applejack's rather inaccurate imitation of Rarity's accent earned the farm pony a round of laughs from Spike and Sora.
After their laughing fit, Sora and Spike were given their treats, the former holding his fritter with his wing and the latter holding caramel apple's stick with his right claw. The two of them graciously dug in immediately after Sora payed Applejack the necessary amount of bits.
While Sora was enjoying the crumbly goodness of his fritter, his mind was thinking towards Rarity and her romance with Blueblood, "Hey, Spike, do you know anything about Prince Blueblood?" He asked with his mouth full.
Spike made sure he swallowed before he made his reply, "Not much. Twilight and I never met him before. Twilight never really talked with members of the royal family aside from Celestia."
As if the timing couldn't be any more perfect, Rarity approached Applejack's stand with another pony close by. This other pony was likely Prince Blueblood. He certainly fit the bill of a handsome prince, a unicorn stallion with a pure white coat, a combed back blonde mane, and pristine blue eyes.
Sora took notice of Rarity, the usually elegant and graceful mare was now grumpy and pouty. Blueblood carried a smug expression in comparison.
"Two apple fritters, Applejack," Rarity requested.
"Sure thing, Rarity," Applejack obliged, presenting two well baked fritters to the two unicorns, "That'll be four bits."
Neither pony made a move for a good few seconds. Blueblood kept his held up high while Rarity was eying him expectantly. The posh stallion gave her an arrogant glance.
"Surely, you don't expect me to pay?" Blueblood questioned Rarity with squinted eyebrows. The marshmallow unicorn gasped in shock before she switched to furious anger.
Sora was astonished, "That was really rude of him," He thought, glaring at Blueblood. The prince either did not care to acknowledge Sora's glare, or did not notice Sora's glare altogether.
Seeing that there was an intense air, Applejack stepped in, "That's okay, Rarity, I'll cover you."
"Thank you very much, Applejack," Rarity expressed her gratitude, "At least somepony here has good manners," She casted an annoyed glance at Blueblood. The two unicorns used their magic to pick up their fritters and
The unicorn stallion spat out what he bit into, his face scrunching in disgust, "Oh! Fritters! Dumplings! Caramel apples! My royal lips have touched common carnival fare!" Blueblood screeched. It appeared as though he was completely unaware of what Applejack was selling, despite Rarity stating the order a few seconds ago.
The other ponies were more than surprised at his over the top reaction. Applejack and Sora were peeved at Blueblood for his insulting remark on the Apple treats.
"Whatchu say, partner?" Applejack gritted her teeth, "Mah homemade delicacies ain't cutting it for ya?"
"Oh heavens, no!" Blueblood replied, "I couldn't possibly eat something so... plain!" He spoke in a normal tone, something that made Applejack fume steam from her nostrils with a red face, "I'm going to the buffet for some... hors d'oeuvres," The pompous unicorn made to leave, but somepony stood in his way
"Hey!" Sora stood in Blueblood's path, "You don't get to just walk away after saying something like that! You should apologize to Applejack!"
"And who are you to lecture me?" Blueblood brushed off, "I don't have to listen to any nonsense you spout," Sora puffed up his cheeks in frustration. First this jerk insulted Applejack, then he had the gall to talk all high and mighty.
"Has Rarity dealt with this guy all night?" If she did, it was no wonder why she was acting grumpy, "I haven't met many princes in my life, but you sure as heck don't act like one!"
"What would a commoner such as yourself know about being royalty?" Blueblood scoffed.
"Well, I'm pretty sure princes are supposed to treat others with respect!" Sora fired back.
"Please," The arrogant stallion rolled his eyes, "This mare should consider herself lucky that I decided to grace her with my presence."
The ponies gasped in shock. Sora gritted his teeth in disgust at how Blueblood was acting. Spike, who crushing his fritter in his claws, was absolutely livid with rage. How dare this stallion insult Rarity like that. If looks could kill, Spike's angry expression would've destroyed Blueblood a hundred times over. The little drake wouldn't stand to see this spoiled brat treat Rarity in such a way—and his other friends, of course. Jumping off Sora's back, Spike marched his way to Blueblood.
"She's the lucky one?!" Spike yelled, "Who do you think you are you spoiled brat?! You should consider yourself lucky that such a beautiful unicorn decided to spend her time with you!"
"Do you have any idea who that is?" Spike pointed towards Rarity, "She's one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony! She deserves nothing but your respect and admiration!"
"And I should listen to you, why?" Blueblood rolled his eyes.
"I'll tell you why you should listen you weasel!" Spike fired back, yet Blueblood was still unfazed, "She is the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria! She deserves more than you!" Rarity looked at Spike in amazement, touched by his words.
"Hold your tongue you plebeian!" Blueblood roared in anger, pushing his hoof forward against Spike, forcing him on his back. The other ponies were blown away in surprise, Rarity in particular put a hoof to her mouth with a gasp. No one expected Blueblood to physically attack anyone. Sora knelt down to Spike to help him back up before he gritted his teeth at the arrogant unicorn.
"That was really low!" Sora yelled.
Blueblood scoffed in response, "Come you," He motioned his head toward Rarity, indicating he did not even know Rarity's name, "Let us go to the buffet for some... hors d'oeuvres."
"Not on your life!" Rarity shot back.
"Excuse me?" Blueblood turned to her with an arrogant expression, only for it to shift to worry once he saw Rarity's vengeful face.
"If you think I would continue to flaunt around with you after such a display, then you have another thing coming!" Rarity screamed, advancing towards Blueblood, who trotted back in fear, "You, sir, are the rudest, most unpleasant, most un-princely pony I have ever met! Make me open doors for you, make me use my scarf so you could walk over a puddle, act as un-chivalrous as you like, but you may not—repeat—MAY NOT harm my friend you charlatan!"
The other ponies were taken aback with how angry Rarity was. It was more than clear that this frustration had been built up for some time.
"I pray that the next mare who falls for you doesn't make my mistakes!" Rarity continued her rant, "If I could go back in time, I would tell my past self to never ever associate herself with you! The past few hours have been nothing short of infuriating, you pompous, arrogant, heart-crushing buffon! The only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain!"
"So, what are you saying?" Blueblood questioned obliviously. Rarity's eye twitched, her teeth grating as the others backed away in fear at what she would do. In an instant, a blue aura enveloped one of the pies and flew straight into Blueblood's terrified face. The force of the impact created an indent on the tin. The resulting pang sound brought forth a silence that made the smallest sounds noticeable. Breading and mushed apple flew off in any direction they were able too. The tin slowly fell of the stallion's muzzle, now covered in bits of apple pie, along with the rest of his face and mane, his expression one of pure horror.
"OH NOOO!" Blueblood screeched in dismay, "What have you done to my mane!"
"Is that really what your worried about?!" Rarity grinded her teeth. She received no response as Blueblood galloped away, crying in the most pathetic display anyone present had ever seen. The marshmallow mare scoffed in displeasure.
"Hey, Rarity," Sora approached, "I'm really sorry your dreams didn't come true."
"You've nothing to apologize for, Sora," Rarity replied, "I was the true fool here. I stuck with Blueblood all night, hoping that he might show some semblance of princely chivalry. But alas, it was not meant to be," She then turned to Applejack, who still had a stunned disposition, "Sorry about the pie, Applejack. I'll pay for it."
"Don't think nothin' of it, Rarity," The farm mare shook off her shock, now adopting a mug smile, "Watching you put that varmint down to size was payment enough."
"Well, that's nice to hear," Rarity thanked graciously. The marshmallow mare trotted over to Spike, who was back on his feet, "Thanks for stand up for me, Spike. This is for you," Rarity knelt down to Spike's level and puckered her lips, rewarding the little drake with a quick peck on the cheek. Spike stiffened when Rarity's lips met his cheek, transitioning into a dopey expression when the mare pulled back. Rarity then addressed a stunned Sora, "I'll be heading off now, dear. I'll see you later."
"Okay, see ya round," Sora nodded. With that, Rarity graciously trotted off, clearly pleased with herself.
"Ah'll be heading off too," Applejack brought up.
"Really? Why?" Sora questioned.
"Ah shuolda figured sooner," Applejack said, retracting her cart into something more manageable, "These noble types are fillin' up on those fancy-schmancy vittles. Well, my down-home apples are plenty good enough for this crowd. I'll just dress 'em up a bit and prove it to 'em," Applejack moved her cart away, soon leaving Sora and Spike alone.
"Well, I guess that takes care of that," Sora said, turning over to his draconian companion. His eyes were droopy as he tenderly rubbed the cheek where Rarity kissed him, "Uh, Spike... Are you okay?"
"I'm never washing this cheek again..." The little drake trailed off. Sora waved his hoof in front of Spike, but received no response. Spike did not react in any way.
"Oh boy..."
—
Sora picked the lovestruck Spike back up and continued to wander around the Gala. Spike eventually did snap out of his daze, but he still felt his cheek tenderly. Sora and Spike found a long line of nobles stretching from outside the grand hall of the castle. Inside the grand hall, the pair found Twilight at the top of a large flight of stairs standing next to Princess Celestia, who was greeting the quests one by one. Twilight wore a face of anxious anticipation. She wanted to spend the night with her mentor and idol, but the never ending line of nobles wanting to shake hooves with the princess kept Twilight from any proper interaction.
"Man, the Princess must be really popular," Sora noted, observing the length of the line.
"Of course she is," Spike responded, "She's Equestria's benevolent ruler. Everypony looks to her for guidance."
"Ya know, seems to me like they just wanna shake her hoof," Sora commented, seeing the nobles shake Celestia's hoof and then go about their merry way.
"Yeah, Canterlot nobles really value their reputation," Spike expressed with a shrug.
"There's Twilight," Sora commented. Upon taking a closer inspection at Twilight, she looked absolutely miserable, having to stand there, unable to talk with her mentor as the nobles kept stalling their conversation, "Man, Twilight looks miserable."
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "Has she been shaking hooves all night? That sounds like a nightmare."
"Hey, I just thought of something," Sora said. Seeing Princess Celestia jogged his memory on a certain subject, "We haven't seen Princess Luna anywhere."
"Princess Luna?" Spike tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah, you know, Nightmare Moon," Sora clarified, "I thought that she'd be here," Sora had not seen Princess Luna ever since her heart was purified all those months ago, "I really hope she's doing okay."
"I still can't believe you were able to take on Nightmare Moon," Spike commented.
"Yeah, it wasn't exactly hard, though..." Sora spoke with modesty, not pride.
Sora thought back to that encounter. He was beyond shocked when he discovered that Luna was in fact a Keyblade Wielder, even more so when he discovered Celestia was one as well. It was all so strange, he knew something about the Princess that no one else knew. Not even Twilight knew of Celestia's keyblade. While Sora was deep in thought, he managed to hear a long winded sigh. It came from none other than Spike.
"Hey, Spike, is something bugging you?" Sora questioned.
"Huh?" Spike perked up in surprise, his mind clearly drifting elsewhere, "Oh, uh, it's nothing really."
Sora was not buying it, "C'mon, Spike, I'm your friend, remember? You can talk about whatever you want with me. You don't have to hide anything from me," The caramel pegasus gave his friend an encouraging smile.
Spike sighed heavily, "Twilight wanted to spend the night with Celestia. She didn't even think about spending the night with me, or anypony else," Spike sighed in sadness, "Sometimes I wonder if she even cares about me..."
"Spike, of course Twilight cares about you," Sora said with conviction.
"Huh?" Spike was surprised that Sora responded with such certainty, "You really think so?"
"Spike, I know so," Sora replied, yet the purple drake seemed like he needed more convincing, "You remember that time you got kidnapped by the buffaloes by accident," Spike nodded his head, "Twilight was really worried about you. The only reason she didn't come looking for you was because I told her she needed to stay behind. And remember, she was so happy when she saw you. Isn't that proof enough?"
Spike considered Sora's argument for a moment, "I guess you got a point there."
"Look, Spike, Twilight's still new to friendship," Sora elaborated, "I'm sure she has trouble expressing how she feels, but she values you as her close friend. All of us do."
"Really?"
"Sure, remember what happened with Rarity?" Sora gave Spike a big smile, "You stood up for her against that spoiled brat, and she was more than grateful for it. That proves that she values you. Maybe Twilight wanted to spend the night with Celestia. That doesn't mean she doesn't care about you. Tell me this, Spike, what does your heart say about this?"
"My heart?" Spike repeated, putting his hand over his chest. The little drake thought about it. What did his heart say? If Spike had to say anything, his heart said that Twilight valued him not only as her assistant, but as her friend. Spike smiled, "Heh, thanks, Sora. I really needed to hear that."
"It's no big deal," Sora brushed aside, "I'm always happy to help out a friend," The caramel pegasus looked back towards Twilight, who was still mindlessly shaking hooves with the never-ending line of nobles, "Let's let her know we're here."
Sora waved his hoof excitedly, with Spike mimicking his action. Twilight, having seen a pony wildly waving his hoof, turned her head to see Sora and Spike waving at her with smiles on their faces. Twilight was a little surprised to see them there, but she was glad to see some familiar faces in the sea of monotony she was currently in. The purple unicorn put on a little smile and waved back, not as vigorously as Spike and Sora. Seeing that they got Twilight's attention, the dragon and pegasus lowered their limbs.
"See, Spike, Twilight was happy to see you," Sora encouraged.
"Yeah, don't even remember why I was worried," Spike agreed.
"Ya know, we've been at this party for awhile," Sora commented, "Not alot has happened."
"Hey, if you're getting bored, I know this really good donut shop we can go to," Spike offered. Sora thought about it. Even though he just had an apple fritter, he could go for a few donuts.
"Alright, I'm in!" He responded.
—
"And after all that, Twilight still didn't notice the quill was still stuck on her face," Spike was currently explaining to Sora a particularly embarrassing moment in Twilight's life when she had to deliver a presentation on Eastern Unicorn Magic to Princess Celestia. The story involved staying up all night practicing and numerous mis-reads. Sora had a hard time holding back his laughter. The two of them had gone to the donut shop the Spike suggested they go to, where Spike told Sora his past experiences with Twilight, most of them at her expense.
The two heard the sound of a bell ring, signaling that someone entered the shop. Sora looked over to see the others had entered the shop.
"Hey girls," Sora greeted. His attitude changed to bewilderment when he saw their current state. Their dresses had become unkempt, some of them torn in some areas. Fluttershy in particular looked like she was put through the ringer, "What happened to all of you?" He questioned.
Twilight glanced towards the other mares nervously, who bore similar expressions, "Hehe, well... funny story."
Twilight then went into extensive detail what happened after Sora and Spike left the party, Pinkie tried to get the party going into full swing after she got over Feeling Pinkie Keen getting looked over...
Wait. I didn't write that—Pinkie!
Anyway, the rest of the story involved cake flying everywhere, pillars collapsing, a lost glass slipper, and animals running amok the ballroom. In the end, Rarity was without a Prince, Pinkie did not get to party the way she wanted to, Applejack made little profit, Fluttershy made no new animal friends, Rainbow Dash made no leeway into becoming a Wonderbolt, and Twilight spent no quality time with Princess Celestia.
"Wow, that sounds like the worst night ever," Sora said, the group sitting at a booth.
"It was!" The mares all agreed with a hearty laugh.
"I just hope Princess Celestia isn't upset with us for ruining the Gala," Twilight said, suddenly growing fearful.
"That was the most fun Gala ever!" Spoke a new voice. The ponies and dragon all turned their heads to find somepony they never expected to see right now.
"Princess Celestia!?" They all shouted in surprise.
"Princess, what are you talking about?" Twilight questioned, "Tonight was horrible."
"Twilight, the Gala is always horrible," Celestia replied, earning her confused looks from everyone, "That is why I invited you all here. I was hoping you could liven things up a bit. But I must admit, I was slightly hoping for an invasion of some kind from those Heartless."
"Huh?!" Sora was flabbergasted hearing the Princess say such a thing, "Why would you ever wish for a Heartless invasion?"
Celestia responded plainly, "Listen, Sora, if you spend an entire night shaking hooves, you'd wish for anything else to happen."
"Yeah, I have to agree," Twilight added, her eyes drooping.
"Okaaaay..." sora tilted his head, still in shock.
"At the very least, I'm sure you'll agree that in the end it didn't turn out so bad for this group of friends," Celestia stated warmly.
"Yeah," Twilight nodded her head, "I guess friends have a way of making even the worst of times into something pretty great."
"Yeah, Kinda like how Sora made my night all the more better just by being there," Spike chimed in, giving the caramel pegasus a grateful smile.
"Heh, yeah," Sora nodded, "Spending time with friends is important," The caramel pegasus lowered his head for a moment, his expression briefly shifting into something solemn. He immediately put on his biggest smile, now was not the time to be dwelling on that.
"As horrible as our night was..." Applejack started.
"...being together here has made it all better," Rarity finished.
Pinkie threw in her two bits next, "In fact, it's made it..." She made a pause as if expecting everypony to respond in a certain way. Thankfully, they all did just that, exclaiming at the same time:
"The Best Night Ever!"
—
The ponies traveled back to Ponyville, by train per Sora's request. Whenthe late night train arrived at it's destination at the Ponyville train station, the ponies all bid their farewells and returned to their respective homes. Sora, however, stayed behind, compelled to stare up at the stars in the sky. So very few knew the true nature of the stars, but Sora knew what they were.
"Hey, Sora," called Twilight, causing the caramel pony to turn his head to the purple mare.
"Twilight, you're not gonna go back to the library yet?" Sora asked.
"Not really, I kinda feel like stargazing right now," She replied, trotting next to her companion. Both mare and stallion gazed at the beautiful night sky, "You, know, it's strange," Twilight initiated a conversation, turning her head to Sora, "Just a few months ago, I would have been burying my face in a book at this time."
"But now you're going to parties with friends," Sora finished with a smile.
"I wish that's what happened," Twilight commented, "Then I might have enjoyed myself."
"Well, there's always next year, right," Sora suggested, "Maybe you could try and make the Gala actually good next time it comes around."
Twilight considered what Sora said, bringing a hoof to her chin, "You know, that might not be a bad idea. Reorganize a few things and it could turn out enjoyable for everypony."
"Yeah, just do that!" Sora encouraged. Twilight chuckled from Sora's contagious enthusiasm. Afterwards, Twilight looked back up at the sky, with Sora doing the same.
"Sora, don't ever change," Twilight said out of the blue, admiring the night sky's majesty.
"Sure," Sora replied, turning his head towards Twilight. His voice released a gasp when he found an entirely new scene. Rather than the night draped town of Ponyville, he saw a wooden dock of a tropical island overlooking a gorgeous sunset surrounded by a serene sea. The sounds of the ocean's waves brought forth a calming sensation. Most interesting of all, Sora didn't find the lavender mare to his right, but a beautiful light pink unicorn mare with a messy auburn mane and ocean blue eyes.
An overwhelming surge of emotions flowed through Sora as he saw this scene. An overflow of both positive and negative emotions whirled in his heart. He broke down in light sobs, unable to bear these feelings. Twilight looked to Sora when she heard something on her left, gasping in shock to see her friend crying.
"What's wrong? Are you okay" Twilight asked like a concerned parent whose child was injured.
"I'm fine, just... Something in my eye..." Sora answered, composing himself and wiping away the tears on his face. It didn't take Applejack to know that Sora was lying through his teeth. Twilight thought back to her first week in Ponyville; at the time, she pushed Sora into an emotional breaking point. She always assumed it had something to do with his home.
"I can't get home."
She remembered those words all but clearly. Based on how he was acting at the time, she assumed something terrible must have happened to his home. Right now, he was in a very similar state, only she did not know what was bothering him.
"Sora, please," Twilight pleaded, "I know something's bugging you."
"What..?"
Twilight was not sure why she was trying to push this subject. For the longest time, she had refrained from questioning his past, in fear that she might strain their relationship again. However, he was distressed, and as his friend she felt a duty to make him feel better.
"Sora, I'm not forcing you to tell me what's wrong, but I'm willing to lend you an ear if you need it," Twilight offered earnestly.
Sora knew what was bothering him. He had been trying to put it off for a long time, but he knew he could not hold it off anymore. His heart was aching, maybe talking about it would help. Spike needed to talk about his problems, so Sora should do the same.
"Alright," Sora agreed, taking a few seconds to compose his thoughts, "It's just, when you told me to never change, it reminded me of someone."
"Who?" Twilight asked.
"A girl named Kairi," Sora answered, his breathing starting to become heavy, "When I was a kid, she just sprung up from nowhere during a meteor shower. The two of us became fast friends after we met at school. We always used to play on this island off the main shore with my best friend, Riku. Whenever I felt down, Kairi always put me at ease just by being there for me. She's just that kind," Sora reached into his coat pocket with his wing, pulling out his wayfinder. Twilight eyed the trinket with piqued curiosity, "This was a gift Kairi gave me a long time ago. It's so that we would never forget each other, no matter what."
Twilight payed close attention to how Sora was speaking as he described this Kairi mare, his inflections and his tone. She was not completely sure, but the purple unicorn had an itching suspicion that Sora saw Kairi as more than just his friend.
"And, I remember she said to me once, 'don't ever change.' I'm still not completely sure what she meant, even now," It always felt like an out of the blue thing for Kairi to say, "I haven't seen her in a long time. I guess I just really miss her."
Twilight knew very little of what Sora's life was before she met him. From this brief anecdote, the purple unicorn began to see a different side of Sora she never knew, leading her into her next question, "Sora, if you don't mind my asking, why don't you go see Kairi? If you miss her that much, what's stopping you from going to her?"
Sora choked back a sob, pushing the wayfinder tightly against his chest, "I do wanna see her, more than you could ever imagine," Sora's eyes began to shed tears as it became increasingly difficult for him to not break down, "But I can't."
Twilight's eyes widened. She was worried of this exact scenario occurring. She had clearly opened an old wound, albeit unintentionally.
"Sora, I'm so sorry!" Twilight frantically apologized, "I shouldn't have made you bring up something so personal."
"No, no..." Sora shook his head, straining himself to stay composed, "It's fine, you don't have to apologize for anything," Sora trotted past a worried Twilight, "I'm gonna go back to the farm, I'll see you 'round."
Twilight watched Sora trot away. Her heart felt heavy, having listened to Sora's story, "I had no idea he harbored feelings like that for somepony," She thought back way back when, when she found him lamenting his inability to see his home, how utterly distressed he was. This was far worse than before. He was not just upset, he was heartbroken. There had to be a connection somewhere. That led her to one conclusion, "Something terrible must have happened to Kairi and Sora's home."
The idea of such a thing made Twilight feel uneasy, but it was the most logical explanation for how Sora was acting. Some event must have occurred that emotionally destroyed Sora. Did it have something to do with his keyblade as well? Based on how he reacted to being asked how he received his keyblade all those months ago, it seemed likely. So many questions, and Twilight was not sure she would get any answers.
Sora continued his trek to Sweet Apple Acres unhindered. It wasn't a particularly pleasant trot for him. The image of the pink mare never left his mind, creating a sinking hole in his heart. He did not address the Apple family members as he made his way to his room. All he wanted to do was rest.
As he lay down on his bed, after taking off his suit and lazily placing the pieces on the nightstand, Sora's aching heart reminded him of the pink mare once again. She looked exactly like Kairi if she were a pony. It was more than clear to him now, he had no way to go to her and she had no way of knowing where he was. The clarity of that revelation caused a sinking feeling in Sora's heart.
"Kairi..."
Sora lifted his wayfinder to look at it. Tears freely fell down from his eyes, staining his cheeks. With a sob, Sora gripped his lucky charm tightly to his chest. Sora remembered clearly the last time he ever saw her, how sad she was despite putting on a brave face. The last thing he said to her continued to resonate at the back of his mind clear as day.
"...I love you."
—
And that's it. Volume One of Kingdom Harmony is complete! I'm sorry that this final chapter took so long to come out. I've had to focus my efforts towards school recently, but I'm still dedicated to this story. Okay, I say school got in the way, and that's true, but I also tend to spend my time playing video games. Anyone else excited for DOOM Eternal?
This particular story will now be labeled as "complete," but that will not be the end. As I stated in the last chapter, season two of Friendship is Magic will be adapted into its own story, or volume.
Also, now you get to know some real world lore on myself. I am a Sokai shipper, always have been since the mid-2000's. Honestly, in my mind, I cannot see Sora sharing a romantic relationship with anyone else, nor do I see why the two of them have not gone the next step yet.
Now that Volume one is finished, I want to give one quick announcement. I have a new story separate from Kingdom Harmony in the works. I don't want to give away too much, but let's just say any messages I get asking what the new story is about will be met with an objection.
Thank you so very much for supporting this project of mine. This has been amazing so far and I hope to continue this journey into the future.