I'm A Pony? Chapter 35: S2-Pony 9: Too Busy For High Society, a my little pony fanfic

*Opens door* I'm back—cough, cough! Ah, shit, why is it so dusty in here? How long was I gone? *Looks at last update* Oh...well, shit. Sorry about that everyone. I guess I really kept you guys waiting, huh? To tell you the truth, I actually had this chapter hanging on the back burner, but I kept rewriting some stuff because there was something that didn't feel right or I had a new idea to replace a scene. Combined with my ever-growing busy life, and this chapter was a mess to finish. How did it turn out? Well, you'll guys will just have to read to find out.

*A portal to Equestria appears* Wow, it has been a really long time since I've seen this. Well, see you guys on the other side. But first, cue disclaimer! *Jumps into portal*

(Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. All rights go to Hasbro Studios. I also don't own any songs that may seem familiar to you people. They belong to their respective owners as well. I just own this story and nothing more.)

Season 2-Friendship 9: Too Busy For High Society

Finally. At last, I have it in my hands, er hooves! With a bright smile on my face, I held up a physical copy of Pokemon Sun, the newest Pokemon game to come out. (A/N: To all readers out there who are coming back, a reminder that this story started in 2015 so to Ash it's 2016 for him right now. Just thought I should point that out in case anyone's confused.)

Using the power of my Stand, well actually I just needed a set of fingers to use, I opened the case and carefully held up the cartridge that would send me off to the Pokemon equivalent of Hawaii. I laughed to myself considering it just turned December and I was about to head off to a tropical island.

"Okay, I have the demo so I should be able to get that Ash-Greninja that was promised," I muttered to myself as I grabbed my 3DS from my desk. It was time to set off on a new adventure! Oh, I'm so excited!

*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*

Fuck! Maybe if I stay quiet they'll go away?

*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*

"Ash, can you get that? I'm busy over here."

"Ugh..." I groaned out, thinking why couldn't Twilight just ask Spike when I remembered that he was out buying supplies for the unicorn. Reluctantly setting down my console, I walked downstairs and towards the door. I took a moment to push down the urge to tell off whoever it may be on the other side before opening the door.

"Ash! Just the pony I wanted to see!"

"Rarity?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise. What was the fashionista doing here?

"May I come in?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah, come in." Recovering from my confusion, I stepped aside to allow the white-coated unicorn in.

"Rarity? What a pleasant surprise," Twilight, looking up from her work, greeted her fellow unicorn with a smile. "I thought you said you'd be busy working up new designs for the upcoming winter."

"I was, my dear, but my shop has run low on fabric so I've come by to inform you that I'll be going the Canterlot to restock," Rarity explained before gesturing to me. "I was also hoping I could borrow Ash here to aid me. There's a lot I need to buy and I could use the extra pair of hooves."

Bullshit. "You have magic, why do you need me to carry your bags when you can just levitate them?"

"I can do that, yes, but my magic is not as potent as Twilight here so there's a limit to what I can carry," Rarity said, but I'm still calling bullshit. Don't think I forgot about how you carried around that boulder during the chaos with Discord. You ain't no dainty lady as far as I'm concerned.

"Plus, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can return in time for the party."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Party? What party?" Was Pinkie Pie hosting another party that I didn't know about? She usually goes around telling everypony if that were the case.

"Why, Twilight's birthday party. Don't tell me you forgot."

...

"What?" I blinked in confusion, taking a moment to process what Rarity had just said before turning to Twilight. "It's your birthday?"

"Yeah. It's this Saturday," She said, dropping that bomb on me.

"You didn't know?" Rarity said, looking at me in surprise.

"No!" I said, completely surprised at this new information. Twilight's birthday was this weekend? Why am I just now hearing about this!? Wait, her birthday is in December. Why am I just now learning about this!? You would think I would have heard something from Spike.

"You didn't tell him?" Rarity turned to Twilight and asked.

"Ehehe, it kinda slipped my mind," Twilight said, laughing awkwardly with an embarrassed blush.

*ZOOM!*

Powered by cartoon hijinks and magic, I dashed up the stairs and came back down in the blink of an eye, carrying my signature bag as well as my cloak, ready to leave.

"Welp, I'm going to Canterlot. Tell Spike I'll be gone for a few days, Twilight."

"Oh Ash, you don't have to go all the way to Canterlot just to get me a present."

"Yeah, well, I would have prepared something had I been told beforehand," I said, opening the door. "Come on, Rarity, let's go!"

"Now, now, hold your horses. I gotta go pick up Opal from Fluttershy," Rarity said, following after me as we both left.

"Hold on, you two," Twilight said, stopping us from leaving.

"Yes, dear?"

"Where are you planning on staying in Canterlot?"

"Well, I thought I'd just find a decent hotel once we get there."

"In that case, how about I set you up with a suite in the castle?" Twilight offered, surprising the both of us, Rarity more so as her eyes nearly popped right out of her sockets.

"You can do that?" I asked and Twilight nodded.

"I just need to send a letter to Princess Celestia before you go, so we'll have to wait for Spike to get back from his errand run."

"I'm back!" And just as Twilight said that the baby dragon in question casually walked through the door. "I got the stuff you needed, Twilight. Oh, hey Rarity! What brings you here?"

"Guess we won't have to wait that long," I said, getting a laugh from the purple unicorn.

(The Next Day, Canterlot Castle)

I honestly tend to forget just how close Ponyville is to Canterlot as all it took was an overnight trip by train to reach our destination. By early morning we reached the train station and after a quick stop to get coffee, we were escorted to the castle by guards no doubt sent by Celestia to pick us up. Once there, we met with the Sun Princess herself who was kind enough to show us to our rooms.

"And this is where you'll be staying, Miss Rarity," Celestia said, presenting the room that Rarity would be staying in for the next few days. The white unicorn couldn't help but gasp at what she saw and I couldn't blame her. The room was pretty big.

"Here? I get to stay here?" Rarity asked, no doubt wanting to ensure she was brought to the right room as her cat, Opal, was already making herself at home on the bed. Even after a night with Fluttershy, the feline was still as proud as always.

"Twilight Sparkle said you two were coming to Canterlot for a visit and asked if I might accommodate you. I hope it's to your liking."

"Oh, it's perfect," Rarity said, checking out the room with a big smile. "Thank you so much, Princess."

"You're very welcome."

"No, really. This is so nice of you.

"It's nothing, really."

"Oh, but it isn't nothing, it's everything! I-I just don't know what to say but thank you, thank you!" As if being granted the most wonderful gift of all, Rarity started kissing the princess's hoove, giving her thanks between each kiss. Celestia tried to keep a smile up, but it was obvious to see that even she was uncomfortable with what Rarity was doing, even sending me a silent plea for help through her eyes which I obliged as this was just as uncomfortable to watch.

"Get up Rarity. The princess is a busy pony and probably doesn't have the time for you to be kissing her hooves," I said, dragging the unicorn off the ground and away from the alicorn. Rarity at least had the decency to look embarrassed as evidenced by the red on her cheeks.

"Your luggage, mademoiselle?" Arriving just behind us, the bags valet carrying all of Rarity's luggage finally reached the top of the stairs this room was next to, an impressive feat considering how much the pony was carrying. I don't even know how he got through the door considering the pile seemed to almost touch the ceiling.

'Did she really have to bring so much stuff?' I thought to myself as I looked up at the mini-tower the valet was struggling to carry on his back. I thought Rarity said she was here to restock, not set up a new shop.

"I'll leave you to get settled. Enjoy your stay," Celestia said, turning to leave as the valet bowed his head as she passed. "Come along, Ash. I'll show you to your room next."

"Hang in there, mate," I said to the pony valet as I followed after the princess.

"Thank you!" Rarity cried out one last time as the princess and I descended the stairs.

"She's certainly excited," I commented, getting a small laugh from the alicorn next to me. Might as well strike up a conversation while we walk. "Thanks again, your highness. You didn't have to go out of your way to get us rooms like this."

"As I said with your friend, it's nothing, really. You've not only been such a good friend to Twilight but a great aid to the whole kingdom. This is the least I can do to thank you."

"Then I accept your generous gratitude," I said just as we both stopped at a door. This must be the room I'll be staying in.

"Here we are," Celestia said, confirming my thoughts as she used her magic to open the door. What awaited me inside was, as expected, a fairly impressive-looking room. While not as big as Rarity's, the room still screamed 'royalty,' what with how expensive everything looked.

"To the right is a private bathroom that also comes with a shower and to the left by the bed is a closet to hang up your clothes," Celestia explained, pointing to both directions before looking down at me, or more specifically, at my bag peaking out from under my cloak. "Is that really all you brought with you?" Considering how much stuff Rarity brought with her, I could see why she would ask that.

"My bag's bigger than it looks, so it's fine. Besides, Rarity's the one who's here for work-related business. I'm just a tag-along."

"Well, if you say so. If there's anything else you need, I'm sure the staff can help you. I've informed them about you and Miss Rarity so they should treat you with the utmost respect."

"Actually," I spoke up, stopping the alicorn from leaving. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Well, you see, I just recently learned that Twilight's Birthday was coming up this Saturday and I don't have a gift prepared for her yet, it's why I came along here with Rarity. Since you've known Twilight since she was little, I was hoping you might have an idea of what I could give her as a present."

"Ah yes, I did hear from her brother that her birthday was coming up." Her brother? Oh right, Shining Armor. He's the captain of the Royal Guard. "Well, the obvious thing to do is to get something she likes. How about a book?"

"I did think of that, but considering she and I live in a library, I thought the option sounded...lazy if you know what I mean."

"Oh no, I understand. Hmm..." I watched Celestia bring a hoof up to her chin, thinking. Come on, lady, you gotta give me something! "Well, if she isn't reading for pleasure, she's usually reading to gain knowledge. You said you came from a land outside of Equestria. Perhaps you can offer her a gift that's never been seen before here?"

"Something from my..." I trailed off from there, quickly catching myself before the word 'world' slipped out. Still, giving Twilight something from my world...now there's an interesting thought. But just what could I give her that—

*grumble!*

...dammit.

"Oh my, that was quite loud." I fought down the heat rushing up my neck as the rainbowed-haired alicorn smiled at me in amusement. "Would you like me to show you to the dining hall?"

"Oh no, that's fine. Rarity and I were planning on getting some breakfast in town," I said, waving off the offer. And wipe that smirk off your face.

"I see. Next time then," Celestia said, looking slightly disappointed.

"Any suggestions? This is your kingdom, after all," I asked, wondering if the princess knew any good places. Sure, she was an important pony, but that didn't mean she was stuck inside the castle all day, every day, right?

"I'd be glad to...is what I would like to say, but embarrassingly, I'm afraid I do not know any good places. My duties make it difficult for me to simply walk around. Forgive me."

"Oh no, it's fine, I understand. You're a busy pony after all. I'm sure Rarity and I can find someplace nice," I said, though I was going to mostly leave it to Rarity since she was the most excited about this trip. Hopefully, she doesn't pick someplace expensive.

"Then I wish you the best of luck," Celestia said, turning to leave only to stop herself again. "Any requests for lunch and dinner?"

"Surprise us," I said with a casual shrug. The alicorn smiled at that before she finally took her leave, accompanied by nearby guards. "Well then, I better get Rarity so we can head out."

Hopefully, by then I'll think of something for Twilight's birthday.

"Oh Ash, do you know what I love about Canterlot?" Oh, let me guess. Everything? "Everything!" Called it.

"Really? I never would have guessed," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm as Opal simply meowed before going back to her bowl of warm milk. As planned, Rarity and I had gone out to get some breakfast for ourselves, and luckily we didn't have to travel that far as the unicorn picked out a decent-looking cafe. By now we had already finished our food and were simply taking this time to relax before Rarity had to go off and work.

"I may have been born in Ponyville, but I am a Canterlot pony at heart," Rarity said happily, taking a sip of her tea. She was currently wearing a pink hat though I didn't really see the reason for it since it wasn't that sunny. If anything things were starting to get colder as we were entering December and everything.

"With your attitude, you'd fit like a glove," I said, putting a bit more bite into my words than I intended. Rarity clearly noticed this and looked at me in concern.

"Darling, are you all right? You seem agitated."

"I'm sorry, Rarity, just still trying to think of what to get Twilight for her birthday," I said, drinking my iced coffee in an attempt to calm down.

"Oh, Ash. I know the news came to you on such short notice, but the party isn't until this Saturday. I'm sure you'll think of something by then."

"Hopefully. What about you? What're you getting for Twilight's birthday?"

"Well, since Twilight was such a dear to get me that suite at the castle, I thought a wonderful new dress for her would be the best way to express my gratitude." I couldn't help but smile at those selfless words. She may have her moments, but times like these were great reminders that Rarity was just as wonderful a friend to Twilight as all the others of the Mane 6.

"With your skills, I've no doubt she'll love it," I said with complete confidence.

"Oh, you flatter me, darling," Rarity said, raising her cup in an attempt to hide her reddening cheeks.

Just then, two shadows appeared over us. Turning our heads, we were met with a pair of unicorns, a grey male and a yellow female. From the way they dressed and held themselves, I could already tell that I wasn't going to like these two.

"Can we help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the two while Rarity set down her cup, wiping away some cream on her nose.

"Please excuse our interruption," The grey unicorn spoke first and in a very snobbish tone which already earned my displeasure. "I'm Jet Set, and this is my wife Upper Crust." The fuck kind of name is Upper Crust!? And 'Jet Set' is...not that bad, but I don't think you deserve it.

"We saw you from across the cafe and just had to find out..."

"Where did you get that simply marvelous chapeau, miss...?" Jet's wife finished his sentence, addressing Rarity. In fact, I think they were actively trying to ignore me.

*shoom...*

'Nonono! Calm down!' I pushed down the hand of my Stand who must have reacted to my inner thoughts. Snobs they may be, but it wasn't something worth punching them over.

"Rarity," The unicorn next to me introduced herself, trying to look dignified which I thought was unnecessary. "And this old thing? Oh, it's just something I–"

"Rarity! Hey, Rarity!" Suddenly, another voice spoke up, this one coming from up above us. Looking up, we were met with a buck-toothed Earth pony who seemed to have been cleaning the windows a second ago.

"Whoa!" Trying to wave down to the white unicorn, the Earth Pony, unfortunately, caused the strap which was holding him up to come loose, sending him falling. He would have met the ground face first, but my Stand was a fast one and in the blink of an eye, the dude was on his feet, looking slightly confused as were the ponies around us.

"You okay man?" I asked while making a mental note to avoid using my Stand in public, or at least anywhere outside of Ponyville. Sure it was invisible to everypony, but unneeded attention was still unneeded attention.

"Oh I'm dandy, thanks," He said before waving towards Rarity again who vainly tried to hide behind her hat. "Rarity! It's me, Hayseed Turnip Truck!" Pfft! Okay, seriously how do the people at Hasbro come up with these names? "We met at the big hoedown in Ponyville last month, remember?"

"Oh, yes, of course...how are you?" Rarity asked, trying to hide her embarrassment. Can't really blame her considering the ponies around us.

"Good! Real good!"

"Hmm..." Oh, right, you two were here.

"You're from...Ponyville?" The one known as Set (I refuse to call him Jet) asked Rarity.

"Well, yeah, yes, but–" Rarity tried to save face, but Truck decide to jump in before she could.

"She sure is! She's a real big-time fancy pants dressmaker there! Probably made that real purty thing she's got on her head!"

"I thought it looked a little country," The one known as Crust said, and the fuck you just say bitch?

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I stood up, glaring at the two but was stopped from doing anything by Rarity grabbing my hoof.

"Ash, please," She said, giving me a pleading look to not do anything.

"...tch!" I sat back down, clicking my tongue.

"I told you it wasn't something you could get here in Canterlot, dear." Unfazed by my act of intimidation, the two snobbish unicorns took their leave with a "Hmph!" And good riddance.

"Well, they seemed real nice," Truck said, having been oblivious to the whole thing.

"That's not how I would describe them," I said before turning and offering a hoof to the pony. "Ash Heart, nice to meet you."

"Pleasures mine!" He said, giving me a smile as he grabbed my hoof and shook it strongly. "Well, I best be getting back to work. Nice seeing you two!"

"Seeya," I said, waving the pony goodbye as he left. He seemed nice, though I guess that's to be expected of someone from Ponyville.

"*Sigh...*" Rarity let out a disappointed sigh and I could already tell why.

"Rarity, don't let what those assholes say get to you." Gasps erupted from the ponies around us, but I expertly ignored them.

"And you need to watch your language," The unicorn shot back before looking apologetic. "Sorry, sorry, you're right. I shouldn't let those two get to me."

"It's fine. I understand," I said before glancing to see Opal waiting for us. "Looks like Opal's finished with her plate. Shall we head out?"

"Let's head back to the castle first. I need to draw up Twilight's dress so I know what to get when we go shopping later."

"Sounds like a plan. Bill please!"

(Later)

"Do you really need all this stuff for one dress?" I asked, walking after the unicorn as I had my Stand carry the bags holding the materials supposedly needed for Twilight's dress.

"Of course. This new design is very ambitious, and I've already written to Twilight to let her know she'll have something beyond fabulous to wear to her party," Rarity said as she used her magic to carry the bags holding the things she needed for her shop.

"Just saying, this seems a bit much, and you know how Twilight is."

"Even still, this is an expression of my gratitude and thus I refuse to do any less than—Kyah!" Suddenly, as we turned the corner, Rarity bumped into someone, resulting in her being knocked to the ground as her bags flew out of her magical hands.

"Rarity!" I cried out in worry as I helped the unicorn up. "You okay?"

"I believe so," Rarity said, rubbing her head as she hit her head bumping into whoever she crashed into. Said whoever seemed to be well-dressed if the tux the pony was wearing told anything. It seemed to be a stallion due to the pony's build, but one of Rarity's bags had landed on his head, hiding his face from view.

"Sorry about that," I said to the well-dressed pony, apologizing for both me and Rarity.

"Oh, it's quite all right," He said as his companion, a female unicorn, removed the bag on top of his head, revealing a blue-maned, white-coated unicorn who had the textbook appearance of a gentleman, mustache and all. He even had a monocle hanging from his suit which had probably come off from the crash.

"Fancy Pants!" Rarity gasped, apparently recognizing the unicorn.

"You know him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Rarity.

"He's the most important pony of Canterlot high society!" Okay...and I should care why?

"I say, that's one way to make an introduction," Fancy Pants (I can't believe that's his actual name) dusted himself off with his companion helping him.

"Oh, goodness, I am so sorry. I didn't see you there," Rarity apologized as she picked up her bags using her magic. "I've just got so many bags and I was trying to get back to my suite at the castle and–"

"I think he gets it, Rarity," I said, handing the unicorn one of her bags.

"You're staying at the castle?" Mr. Fancy (Wow, even calling him like that doesn't take away the ridiculousness of his name) spoke up, looking at Rarity in slight surprise as he picked up his monocle with his magic.

"We both are," I said, looking at the unicorn in suspicion. And just why did that little tidbit draw his attention?

"The Princess invited us to stay in one of the suites," Rarity said, double-checking to see if she had everything.

"You two know the Princess?" Fancy said, looking at both of us with greater surprise.

"Hmm, a pony with expensive tastes, I see," Fancy's companion spoke up, picking up a bag we had missed and admiring the brand from which the contents had originated.

"Oh, it's for an ensemble I'm making for a friend," Rarity said, taking the bag from the older unicorn (at least I think she was older). "Her birthday is in a few days. Again, I am really sorry I bumped into you. Come along, Ash."

"Coming," I said, following after the unicorn.

"I'm not!" Excuse me?

Stopping in our tracks, Rarity and I turned back to Fancy giving us a friendly smile.

"You two are obviously someponies worth bumping into!"

"Um...thank you?" I said awkwardly as Rarity seemed delighted by the male unicorn's words.

"Listen, I have a VIP box reserved at the Wonderbolts Derby this afternoon. Would you two be so kind as to join me and a few of my companions there?" Fancy asked as his companion was literally leaning on him though he didn't seem to mind. In fact, his companion had been posing since we first bumped into these two. Were they a thing or something?

"Us?" Rarity said, pointing to the both of us for clarification.

"But of course, my dear."

"Well, I'm, uh, not sure.

"We'd love to see you there, uh...?

"Rarity."

"Ash Heart."

"Rarity. Ash Heart," Fancy repeated to make sure he got them right. "I do hope to see you two this afternoon."

"We'll see what we can do," I said and he seemed satisfied enough with that response as he turned and left with his companion following close behind. "Well, that was...something. Come on, Rarity. Let's get back to the castle."

"R-Right," The unicorn followed after me though there was something in her eyes after Fancy left.

"You're not thinking of going to the Derby, are you?"

"What? No! I mean, well...maybe?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Maybe?"

"Now hear me out before you start judging," Rarity held up her hoof, explaining herself. "I know going to the Derby will cut into the amount of time I need to work on Twilight's dress, but the Fancy Pants was the one who invited us. Besides the Princess, he's the most important pony in Canterlot. His stamp of approval could mean big things for me here."

"For you here?" I repeated as I gave Rarity a questioning look who had the decency to look ashamed, already knowing what I was implying.

"He invited the both of us..."

"Rarity..." I sighed as Rarity tried to avoid eye contact with me. "Is what those ponies from earlier still affecting you?"

"...yes." I let out another sigh, but I can't blame Rarity for being like this. Rarity was a very prideful pony, especially when it came to her fashion.

"Rarity, I may not know a lot about fashion, especially since I keep refusing to let you style my hair, but you are the best at what you do. You don't gotta prove that to anybody, least of all those two stuck-ups."

"Ash..."

"But, if it's really bothering you, then you can go to that Derby."

At my words did Rarity look at me in surprise. "Really?"

I nodded. "It's okay for now, but just this one time. You're here for work after all, and for Twilight. You can goof off all you want after you finish her dress."

"Oh, thank you, Ash!" Rarity smiled before giving me a hug, making me tense up as I still wasn't used to being in close contact with anybody that wasn't my family. These ponies have very little personal space.

"You're...welcome," I awkwardly said as I awkwardly returned the hug. "Just...make sure you get back to work after the derby."

"Right!" Rarity ended the hug before running off. "Come on, Ash! I need to drop off these bags before going to the derby!"

"Coming, coming," I followed after the unicorn who seemed to skip down the road. Here's hoping she'll keep her word.

(Nighttime)

Ugh~! Dammit, why is it so hard to think of a present!? I've been sitting here since dinner! Should I just give up and get her book? But what kind would she like? No! No. She deserves better. But what would make a good present? Argh! I'm going in circles here!

"Maybe I should just go to bed," I thought out loud, taking a look at my phone to check the time. It was 11...yeah, no. Maybe I should take a walk around the castle to clear my head. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Just gotta make sure I don't wander too far to avoid getting lost.

"I'll just leave this open," I whispered to myself as I left my room, leaving my door open so in the case I do somehow get lost, I'll know this is my room if I stumble upon it.

Taking a look around, the halls of the castle were, as expected, dark. The only thing preventing it from becoming pitch black were the rays of moonlight coming through the windows. I didn't see any guards though I'm sure they were patrolling around. Guess I'll make this an hour walk before coming back. Don't want to cause any trouble now.

"I wonder if Princess Luna is around?" I thought out loud again as I walked. I mean, she was in charge of managing the night now that she was back. Makes one wonder how did Celestia manage both the sun and moon when her sister was stuck on the latter for a millennium. I may be still fairly new to MLP but even I knew manipulating the skies like that had to have taken a lot of energy. Really puts into perspective just how strong the royal alicorn was. She probably could have handled Discord if wasn't for those strange powers he got from Dark. That and whatever plot reason was nerfing her.

Huh, now that I think about it, I haven't heard from Light since my first meeting with Night. Is his supposed sibling really keeping that much of an eye on him? He said I would be getting more allies but I doubt Stardust, Night, and I are gonna be enough for the future ahead. Surely it can't be just the three of us. Of course, that begs the question, if there are more of us...

"Where are they now?" In my wondering, I found myself staring outside and toward the distant horizon. I've been in this world for a little over a year, yet I barely know it at all. Perhaps when I get back I should look up some maps and get Twilight to teach me more about Equestria. Of course, first things first gotta get her a present. Sigh, great, I'm looping around again.

"Who's there!?"

"Guh!" I barely avoided screaming as I jumped up. Geez, that scared me! I can feel my heart beating against my chest.

From around the corner came a pony, a pegasus as the wings were a dead giveaway. It was a guard, but different. Instead of the usual gold, this one was wearing lavender-colored armor and his wings were more bat-like than bird-like. It took me a moment to realize what this pony was; a guard under Princess Luna. Huh, now ain't this a surprise? Haven't seen these guys since they showed up dragging Luna's carriage on Hallow-ahem, Nightmare Night.

"Who are you?" The Night Guard (the name seemed fitting enough) questioned me, throwing a very intimidating glare my way. If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead already.

"Uh, my name is Ash Heart," I said, trying to appear non-threatening as possible while trying not to stutter. Enhanced courage, don't fail me now! "I'm a guest here."

"A guest?" He raised an eyebrow at me, analyzing me from top to bottom.

"Yeah. Surely Princess Celestia informed you guys." Okay, okay, keep it cool, keep it cool. Don't do anything to provoke this guy. Looks like my walk's gonna have to be cut short.

"...prove it." Excuse me?

"Excuse me?"

"Prove you are what you say you are." Wha-? The fuck does that mean!? Does he want me to give him an ID or something? I don't have my wallet on me, let alone my bag—Shit! I left my bag in my room!

"Uh..." And in my stupidity, I opened my mouth which only caused the guard to look at me with suspicion. Why is he questioning me like this?

"That's enough, soldier. Stand down."

"Huh-Gyah!" I turned around towards the unknown voice only to jump when I saw who was standing right behind me. It was a white-coated stallion standing a couple of inches taller than me. Sky blue eyes looked down at me as his mane and tail were multiple shades of blue. He wore purple armor, but unlike the night guard, it was accented with gold, giving it a more regal look. A sharp, white horn jutted out from his helmet, identifying the pony as a unicorn. I couldn't see what his Cutie Mark looked like due to the armor, but I didn't need to as I soon recognized just who was standing before me, having seen him from plenty of photos and video clips.

"Captain!" The night guard, surprised, quickly saluted.

"At ease. I'll take it from here. Return to your post."

"At once!" Lowering his hoof, the guard threw me one last look before turning around and leaving, leaving me and the white unicorn alone.

"Whew! Thanks for the save," I said, thanking the pony.

"It's no problem. I heard from Her Highness that the castle would be having guests. Judging from the description she gave me, you must be Ash Heart, correct?"

"That would be me. And may I ask who are you?" I asked even though I already knew who this pony was.

"Forgive me for the late introductions. I'm captain of the Canterlot Royal Guards, Shining Armor. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Heart."

"Pleasures all mine. And please, just call me Ash," I said while trying to calm down my beating heart. I never thought I would meet this guy so soon! Shouldn't he be preparing for his wedding or was that still months away?

Of course, there was also another reason why my heart was beating so fast.

"Shining Armor...You're Twilight's brother, right?"

"That's right. And I've heard much about you from my sis' letters, Ash."

"Hopefully good things." I flashed the older sibling of Twilight a nervous smile as I really hoped the unicorn didn't say anything weird about me.

Armor (I could not call him Shining in my head lest I start laughing) flashed me an amused smile and before I knew it, we were walking together.

"So, how is Twilie doing? I get letters from her from time to time, but I thought I ask."

"Oh, she's doing fine. She's made plenty of friends over in Ponyville and she's done a lot as I'm sure you've heard from the princess being her brother and captain and everything. And I'm sorry, but...Twilie?"

"It's a nickname I use for her."

"Huh." That...is adorable! And kinda funny too. I think I might start calling her that in my head, hehe.

"Still, it's nice to hear she's been taking care of herself," Armor said as a proud smile graced his lips. Considering what Twilight and the others have accomplished so far, the captain must have felt really proud of his sister.

"She mostly stays cooped up in the library, but she gets out enough to help around whenever she can. Ponyville's lucky to have her."

"That's great to hear," Armor smiled before suddenly coming to a stop which got me to stop. "Now, as much as I would like to continue talking about my sister, I've got to ask you, Ash: What are you doing out here at this hour? The only ponies that should still be up are Princess Luna and the guards patrolling around."

"Right. Sorry if I seemed suspicious," I apologized before explaining. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to take a walk around to clear my head a little."

"Something on your mind to keep you up this late?"

"I've just been trying to come up with some idea on what type of present to give to Twilight for her Birthday. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas on what to get her, being her brother and everything."

"Well, have you—"

"And before you suggest getting her a book, may I remind you she lives in a library?"

"Then sorry, I don't know what to tell you. Twilie's always been a bookworm ever since she was a tiny foal. Before moving to Ponyville, if she didn't have her nose in a book, she'd be taking lessons under Princess Celestia."

"Well, that's just great," I sarcastically said, sighing. Should I just stop trying so hard and get her a book? But what kind?

"I don't see what the problem is. Twilie loves books."

"I know that, believe me. I'd have to be blind, which I'm not, after living with her for a year now. It's just, I don't know where'd I be right now if not for her hospitality and I want to give her something beyond just a book to show her my appreciation."

"...You must really care about my sister."

"I...yeah, I suppose I do." I can feel my face heating up as I admitted that. Why did that feel like a confession?

"Well, if you want my advice, Ash, then follow your heart." Excuse me?

"Follow my heart?" I couldn't help but repeat Armor's words as I raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. When in doubt, then just do what your heart tells you to. It's advice I got from somepony special to me and it certainly helped me when I made a... life-changing decision."

Okay, disregarding how his advice sounds like something ripped straight out of Kingdom Hearts, the way he said that, and that look in his eyes...oh.

"Girlfriend?"

"Actually, fiancée."

"Oh, congratulations." If I still had hands, I would have clapped for the white stallion. "Have you told Twilight yet?"

"Not yet. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance to write a letter to her."

"Really? What's keeping you so busy from telling Twilight that her big brother's getting married soon?" Considering how peaceful things are in the kingdom, not counting any shenanigans that I'll no doubt get involved in, one would think the guards wouldn't have much to do besides patrol and guard the princesses.

"Can't say. Sorry." That's understandable given his position. Still sucks he won't tell me.

"Is it something dangerous?" I asked, trying to probe for answers.

"Well...in a sense, but it's nothing for you to worry about," Armor said, obviously trying not to give away too much. He probably knew what I was trying to do as he then said, "It's getting late. I think it's time for you to return to your room, Ash."

"Yeah, I guess." Seeing him trying to end things, I relented as the pony was not only older but also in a position of higher power than me. No need to go making him angry at me.

"Still haven't got an idea on what to do for Twilight."

"Just follow your heart, like I said," Armor said, reminding me of his 'advice.' I chose not to point out how that sounded more like dating advice than how to get a present for a friend. "Do you need me to escort you back to your room?"

"Considering I still don't know the layout of this place, that would be greatly appreciated."

"Then it's a good thing the princess told me about—"

*Shine!*

Suddenly, all of a sudden, Armor's horn glowed with magic.

'Huh, they're the same color.' I couldn't help but notice that the color of Armor's magic matched perfectly with Twilight's. Guess they really are siblings.

"Uh, is that important?" I asked, noticing how Armor's expression quickly turned serious.

"There's trouble." As soon as he said that did the white stallion take off running down the halls. Naturally, I followed after him.

"Go back to your room, Ash," Armor said over his shoulder as he turned a corner.

Normally, I probably would have listened. But whether it was due to my enhanced bravery, Twilight, and the other's influence, or a combination of the two, I continued to follow after the older pony.

"What's going on?" I asked, mind racing as to what could be happening.

Seeing as he wasn't going to get rid of me anytime soon, Armor relented before explaining as we ran.

"To tell the truth, we've had a breach in security." And just like that, alarms were going off in my head.

"A breach?"

"That's right. Tell me, Ash, have you ever heard of a...Changeling?" And now the alarms were louder.

"...Only in books," I said nervously as I was dreading where this conversation was heading. "They're pony-like creatures with bug-like characteristics and have the ability to shapeshift their form into another being, thus their names."

"Looks like you got the gist of it. To keep things short, we discovered a few days back that one of our guards was really a Changeling in disguise."

"What!?" There was actually a Changeling here, in the kingdom? Before Queen Chrysalis' debut? How was that possible?

"Before we could capture and question it, it managed to escape and has since gone into hiding. We don't know if it managed to escape the kingdom or not, but we've since increased security around the castle and have had guards patrol around the city for any suspicious activity."

Well, I guess that explains the guard's earlier question.

"And the reason your horn glowed?" I asked, glancing up to see that Armro's horn was still faintly glowing.

"I've got a magic field surrounding the castle. Despite it being a natural ability of theirs, Changelings still use a bit of magic when they change forms. Since the discovery, I made sure only Pegasus and Earth Ponies were on night duty."

"Meaning you're the only magic user here besides the princesses. And Luna's currently off doing her job."

"That's right. I just detected a small fluctuation of magic that my field picked up. That's where I'm headed. And that's why you need to head back to your room. It's too dangerous."

"If there's really a Changeling walking around the castle, then I can't think of any place safer than being right next to the captain of the Royal Guards."

"I...sigh, forget it. There's no time to argue about this. Just try and keep yourself safe."

"Will do." After nodding my head did Armor soon come to a stop, arriving at another hallway that was exactly the same as the one we came from. Everything looked fine, no signs of any disturbances or anything.

"Is this the place?" I asked to make sure we hadn't gotten lost or something.

"This is where I picked up the disturbance," Armor said as he scanned the hallway for anything suspicious. That's when we saw a guard at the other end of the hall passing by. "Halt!"

"Huh? Captain?"

"You're...Reginald," Armor identified the guard pony as soon as we made it over to him. And wow, was that an actual regular-sounding name? Tonight really is full of surprises.

"Yes. Is something the matter, sir?"

"I picked up a disturbance around here," Armor answered, taking a quick look around before focusing back on Reggie. "Have you noticed anything suspicious or out of place around here?"

The guard pony shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't say I have. I've patrolled these halls five times tonight and nothing has changed. Not a vase or sheet out of place."

"I see...Carry on then."

"Sir," With a sharp salute, the guard pony turned and resumed his duty of patrolling the grounds.

"By the way..." Armor suddenly spoke up, getting Reginald to freeze. "How's that goldfish of yours doing? "

'Ah, I see what he's doing,' I thought to myself, having seen this trick a thousand times. Let's see if it works.

Turning his head to us, Reginald gave Armor a look filled with...confusion?

"Sir, what are you talking about? Nemo passed away a week ago." The fuck? His goldfish's name is Nemo?

As I held myself back from commenting why a pony had a goldish named after one of my childhood icons, Armor waved a hoof, dismissing the guard.

"Nevermind. Just checking to make sure you're you. With recent events, we can't be too careful. Carry on."

"Sir."

"Hold it," I quickly spoke up, having calmed myself down as the two ponies turned towards me.

"Ash?"

"That was a nice trick you tried to pull, Armor, but you said so yourself that the disturbance was around here and we still have no idea if our little spy has skipped town or not. If it is still here somewhere, who's to say it hasn't been taking the time to learn our movements and pick an easy target to replace and cover his tracks." I've seen this type of stuff a million times in shows and what I've learned from it is that, much like killing zombies, you gotta double-tap. Or in this case, simply double-check.

"What do you suppose we do then?" Armor asked as Reginald stood to the side, adopting that signature stoic look that almost all the guard ponies had here.

"I've got an idea. Step back." I moved Armor back a little and approached Reginald. Under his gaze which looked wary of what I might try to do, I mentally called forth my Stand, or at least the arm of it. I still haven't quite summoned it out fully to see what it actually looked like, but just having an arm was good enough.

The Stand arm moved in front of Reginald, waving its hand in his face, but the guard pony showed no reaction to it as his eyes remained where they were, telling me that he could not see it. Good. Next, as I got close to the pony, I had my Stand stick itself inside of Reginald. Still no reaction.

*ba-dump* ... *ba-dump* ... *ba-dump*

I felt a steady heartbeat despite the fact that not a single part of me was touching Reginald. Much like the series it came from, Stands truly were bizarre. But now it's time to see if this pony in front of me really was a pony. Leaning forward, I brought my mouth up to Reginald's ear and whispered...

"So...when's Chrysalis showing herself?"

"...Who?"

Pulling back, I looked at Reginald to find him looking at me...dumbly. His face told me he had no idea who I was talking about. Guess he really wasn't a Changeling...is what I would have thought.

"Nice try...but your heart's beating really fast, you know?"

*ba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dumpba-dump!*

Gotcha. Thank god for my Stand.

"Hey Armor, I think we may have our—"

*CRASH!*

It all happened so fast. One second I'm looking towards Armor, then the next second, I hear the sound of breaking glass and I'm suddenly outside looking up at the night sky.

"Ash!" Was that Armor? I couldn't tell what with the wind blowing in my ears. And why did my back hurt a little?

'...oh.' Looking down, I finally figured out what had happened. Reginald or I guess what was taking Reginald's appearance, had tackled me out a window and we were now falling.

Wait a minute...what floor were we on before?

*CRASH!*

"UGH!" Welp, no use answering that question as I felt my back slamming hard against the ground. Not only that, but I heard the sound of the ground cracking right under me, and before I could even curse I was falling once again, only this time the trip was much shorter as I met the ground much more shortly. That didn't mean it didn't hurt less.

"Fuck..." I groaned out in pain as I slowly pushed myself up. I think that's the first time I've ever crashed through a roof before. Perhaps it's due to my one-year experience living in this world, but despite the crash, nothing felt broken or was preventing me from picking myself up. Movies make this seem way more painful, or is that because of my pony body being sturdier? Could be.

Before I could wonder where the heck I fell down to, a figure ran past me and I quickly realized that it was the Changeling trying to escape. Being reminded of the situation cleared up my head and I quickly acted.

"Get back here!" Sticking out my hoof, I summoned forth my Stand again and had it quickly grab the fake pony's leg just as it was about to turn a corner and pulled it back towards me. Spinning around, my Stand copied my movements and swung the Changeling around, throwing it towards a window where it crashed through it, sending it outside.

I let out a small cheer only to realize a second later that I had thrown the Changeling outside. Shit! I was supposed to capture it! Cursing under my breath, I quickly ran up and looked outside to see the Changeling below, having landed on the roof of the floor below me. A green flash of light soon enveloped the fake pony which I recognized as it finally dropped its disguise.

I may still be somewhat new to the MLP series, but I've seen enough pictures and clips to recognize the true form of the Changeling. The color of its black body was not due to fur, but rather it was its actual skin color. Reflecting the build of ponies, it had a webbed mane and tail and its blue eyes gave off no reflection in them. At the front of its mouth were a pair of fangs and a part of me couldn't help but wince as I gazed down upon its bent horn, jagged ears, insect-like wings, and actual-to-goodness holes in its legs.

'Guess it realized there wasn't any point in keeping up its appearance,' I thought to myself as the Changeling picked itself up and glared up toward me, hissing not unlike that of a snake. Its insect-like wings then started flapping and just when it looked like it was going to fly back up here, the sound of bells rang out throughout the castle which was soon followed by commotion caused by the guards littered throughout the place. Looks like Armor went and sounded the alarms.

Perhaps realizing that too, the Changeling gave up glaring at me and soon took off, trying to escape before Armor and the guards could get here.

"Oh no you don't..." I muttered to myself as I took a couple of steps back. Licking my dry and cut lips and trying my best to ignore how loudly my heart was beating in my ears, I took off into a run and jumped out the window, falling soon after right towards the fleeing Changeling.

Perhaps too focused on escaping, the shape-shifting monster failed to notice me until it was too late. Using my Stand again, I shot it toward the Changeling, grabbing one of its wings whilst crushing it in the process, and pulled it wards me. Once close enough, I swung my arms around its neck and held on tight as the Changeling struggled to escape my grasp. Trying to endure its literal ragged hooves clawing at my face, I looked down to see where we might land and saw we were heading toward a fancy house down below. Well, when compared to Ponyville's humble setting, a lot of places in Canterlot seemed fancy, but now wasn't a good time to be thinking about that as I mentally apologized to whoever may be living down below before crashing.

*CRASH!*

'I am crashing through a lot of roofs today,' is what I briefly thought to myself as I crashed the Changeling through the roof and into the bedroom of whoever was living here. Due to our positioning, the Changeling crashed face-first into the ground and I was thrown off, rolling on the ground until I hit what I think was a cupboard.

"What in the world!?" A voice I surprisingly recognized cried out and I looked up to find a surprising sight.

"Fancy Pants?" Wait, was this his house? Huh, what are the chances?

"Ash Heart?" Oh, he remembered my name. Didn't really expect him to. "Wha-? What is going on here?"

"Well, uh..." Still somewhat surprised at whose house I had literally dropped in, I went to get up only to wince as pain wracked my body. Guess the adrenaline must be wearing off.

"Oh dear," Getting up from his bed, Fancy quickly rushed over to me and helped me up. "Are you all right?"

"I've been better," I said as I was able to get up on my feet despite the pain. "Sorry for, uh, dropping in like this."

"Oh, it's, uh, quite all right. Nothing I can't pay to fix," Fancy said, looking up at the new hole in his ceiling before looking down at the Changeling who was knocked out, no doubt due to crashing on its face from the height we were at literal seconds ago. There was even blood coming from its nose and one of its fangs was broken.

"I say, what is that creature?"

"An...intruder," I said after debating whether I should tell the high-society pony about what was going on before deciding to give him the bare minimum. "Shining Armor and I discovered it disguising as one of the guards and I stopped it from trying to escape, as you can see."

"Shining Armor? I didn't know you were a part of the Royal Guard," Fancy said, looking at me in surprise.

"I'm not," I said as I walked over to the unconscious Changeling, gritting through the pain.

"Are you sure you should be getting close to that thing?"

"It's knocked out, so it should be fine. Although, you wouldn't happen to have any rope, would you? You know, to tie it up?"

"Not as of this moment. Although..." Having an idea, Fancy's horn glowed, and soon enough his blanket floated off from his bed. He then picked up the unconscious Changeling and wrapped his blanket around it tightly before setting it down with a slight grunt. A small part of me couldn't help but think that Twilight could have done all that in less time.

"There. I do hope that's enough."

"It should be good until Armor and the guards get here," I said, and just as I said that the sound of something landing on the roof was heard before a trio of pegasi flew through the hole in the roof followed by Armor who floated down using his magic.

"Ash! Thank goodness you're all right," Armor said, immediately running up to me as relief washed over his face.

"Took you long enough," I slightly joked as the pegasi surrounded the Changeling, pointing their wings at it like they were blades.

"Forgive me, I had to sound the alarm and gather some ponies before I could chase after you," Armor said, looking slightly ashamed that he had taken so long to come to assist me.

"Eh, it's fine, don't worry. As you can see, I've already dealt with our little friend there."

"So you have." Motioning with his head, the Pegasi picked up the Changeling and carried him outside. He then turned back to me. "You really gave me a scare there. Guess all those things Twilie said about you getting into trouble all the time were true."

"Hey! I don't get into trouble all the time. Only sometimes," I argued while making a mental note to talk with Twilight about what she's been saying about me to her brother.

Armor chuckled at my admittedly weak argument before turning to Fancy Pants who had been silent.

"Mr. Fancy Pants. Please forgive us for dropping into your home like this at this hour."

"Oh, it's quite all right, Sir Armor. A hole in my ceiling is a price I'm willing to pay if it meant capturing that dastardly creature. Although, I am going to have to find a hotel to stay for the night considering the condition of my house."

"Sorry," I couldn't help but say.

"As I said, it's quite all right. It's only until my roof gets fixed which shouldn't take long."

"In that case, we can have a room prepared for you at the castle in order to make up for this inconvenience until that hole gets patched up," Armor offered.

"Well, I don't wish to intrude, but considering how sudden these events have been for me...I guess I will have to take you up on your offer. Thank you, by the way," Fancy said, bowing his head in thanks.

"It's no problem, really," Armor said, waving a hoof. "If you'll wait outside for us, I'll have my men escort you to the castle."

"Of course, just let me gather some of my things for a bit." Using his magic, Fancy grabbed a coat hanging from a nearby coat rack and some clothes from his cupboard before exiting, leaving me alone with Armor.

"Thank you, Ash," Armor suddenly thanked me. "If not for you, that Changeling would have slipped right by me."

"Well, bruises aside, I was happy to help," I said, moving to push up my glasses only to feel nothing resting on my nose.

"Here," Just as I was about to panic, Armor reached into his armor and pulled out my glasses. "These got knocked off when that Changeling tackled you."

"Thanks," I thanked him as I took back my glasses and put them on. Thankfully there were no scratches on them and nothing else seemed to be damaged.

"How are you, by the way? You took a couple of nasty falls from what I saw."

"Nothing broken, though I think I might have to spend a night at the infirmary," I said, grimacing when I moved my body a little. The pain mostly came from my back.

"Can you walk?" Armor asked, looking ready to lend me a shoulder.

"I should be fine," I assured him as I moved to exit the room, gritting through the pain.

"Here," Before I could protest, Armor grabbed one of my arms and swung it over his shoulder, supporting me.

"You don't have to—"

"I insist. It's the least I can do after everything you've done tonight."

"...All right." Giving up, I let the royal captain assist me as we exited the room and went down the stairs. Fancy Pants was already outside waiting for us on the carriage that Armor took to get here with the Changeling now bound in rope and tied to the end of said carriage while the pegasi were up front ready to drive.

"Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you say to the Changeling that made it blow its cover like that?"

I did my best to calm down my beating heart when I heard that question. Should I tell him about Chrysalis and her invasion in the future? Oh, who am I kidding? This is Twilight's brother, not to mention that the Changeling queen was targeting him specifically due to his love for his future wife. I shouldn't tell him everything or else I'll look suspicious, but I should at least give him a warning. Yeah, that should do.

"Well, I simply asked about its ruler."

The unicorn raised an eyebrow at me. "It's ruler?"

"It's something else I read about regarding Changelings. Not only do they have a hive hidden somewhere in the Everfree forest, but they also supposedly have a ruler leading them, a queen."

"Queen Chrysalis."

"You know of her?"

"Princess Celestia mentioned her when I reported about the Changeling."

"Well, that makes things easier. Basically, I used her name to see if I could get a reaction out of the Changeling, and lo and behold, its heartbeat quickened."

"Wait, are you saying that the Changeling infiltrated Canterlot under orders from their queen?"

"You catch on quick. I mean, why else would it be here in the first place."

"I see."

"That's not all though."

"It's not?"

"No. See, as I was chasing after the Changeling, I had a thought. If one Changeling was somehow able to infiltrate the city...what's stopping more from doing the same?"

At my words did a look of dread fall upon Armor's face.

"Ash, are you saying that this Changeling wasn't working alone?"

"I'm saying there's a high chance. Remember, these guys are shapeshifters. They can become anypony we may or may not know. Who's to say there aren't more out there roaming the streets with us none the wiser? I'm sorry to drop this on you, but I find it hard to believe that this Changeling was working alone."

"You...make a good point. I'll make a request to the princess to run a full check on all the guards and citizens of Canterlot."

"I suppose that's all we can do, really. Now all that's left is to figure out why they're here."

"Got any ideas?"

"Well, from what I read, Changelings also have the ability to feed off of love, don't know how they do that. So unless there's some big event centered around love I don't know about, I can't think of any...oh."

I made sure to look at Armor as I stopped. He looked confused at me until a look of dread replaced the previous expression. Looks like he arrived at the same conclusion I did.

"My wedding."

"Yeah. I think that's a safe bet."

"...Cadence!"

"Whoa! Hey, hey, calm down!" I quickly stopped the unicorn from running off, half so as to get him to calm down, and the other because I was still injured here and did not want to be dropped.

"How can I be calm? Those things are after my fiancée!"

"Look, I get why you're worried, but panicking is only going to alert those in hiding. We gotta play this smart or else we'll get caught slipping."

"Well, what do you suppose we do?" Armor asked, taking a few breaths to calm himself down, but it was clear that he was still agitated, no doubt worried sick about his soon-to-be wife who was, if I remember correctly, the literal princess of love. Disney-like titles aside, I don't blame him for being worried. I wish I could really help, but...

"Unfortunately, I've got no other ideas besides scanning and checking every last pony in the city which won't be easy for various reasons. I'm sorry I can't do much more."

"No, no, don't be. Just this info alone is valuable," Armor said, trying to reassure me. "If not for your insight, Queen Chrysalis' forces would have caught us off guard."

"They still could though," I said, reminding the unicorn that there might still be more Changelings hidden amongst us. "Just be careful, Armor. After tonight, I'd hate to see these things swarming the streets."

"Neither would I. Don't worry, I'll be extra vigilant until this threat is taken care of," Armor said before readjusting his hold on me. "Now then, let's get you back to the castle and patched up. We should also inform your friend about what happened."

"I'd rather you not, actually," I said, surprising the stallion.

"You want to keep tonight a secret from her? Why?"

"I just don't want her to be worried, that's all. She's here on business and I'd hate for her to just drop everything for my sake." That and I'm sure she'd send a letter back to Twilight who would board the next train just to come check up on me. I've really gotta stop making her worry about me.

"Please?"

"...I understand. But she'll eventually find out about your injuries. What then?"

"Oh, I got that covered."

(Two Days Later)

"I really can't believe you, Ash."

"I can't believe it took you this long to find out."

"Now don't you start. I mean, really, falling down the stairs like that? You're usually not so clumsy."

Yep, the ol' 'fell down some stairs' trick. Now I'm smart enough to know that such an excuse wouldn't fool Rarity, but I wasn't done there.

"Well excuse me for trying to help the valet guy. Really, the luggage he was carrying did more damage to me than the fall did when they fell on me."

"Well, it's a good thing you're all right, for the most part," Rarity looked up and down at me, analyzing my now recovered state as the worry in her eyes was slowly replaced with relief.

"Of course. After everything I've been through, a pile of luggage isn't going to do me in," I said before it was my turn to look up and down at Rarity. "So...what have you been up to while I was stuck in the infirmity?"

When Rarity finally heard the news about me being injured, she had come wearing a very fancy-looking dress. Considering how the sun had set an hour ago and how messy her mane looked which was rare considering how much the unicorn kept it nice and tidy almost all the time, it was clear to see that she had just gotten back from somewhere, most likely some sort of party.

"Oh! Uh, I was just at a party hosted by Fancy Pants," Rarity said, running a hoof through her mane. "Oh dear, I must look like a mess."

"Eh, you've looked worse," I casually said while shrugging my shoulders. "Still, Fancy Pants, huh? You must have a lot of time on your hands if you were able to attend one of his parties. I guess that means you finished Twilight's dress already."

At my words did Rarity stop walking, freezing in place. I quickly stopped too when noticing this. Don't tell me...

"Rarity...you did finish Twilight's dress, right?"

"Well...Uh...I...yes?"

...

I practically kicked open the door of the guest room Rarity was using. Ignoring Rarity's voice telling me to stop, I stepped inside and found discarded flags, party hats, and streamers littering the room. To the right was Opal sitting on a work desk that held a sheet of paper depicting what I assumed was to be the dress Rarity had planned to make for Twilight. 'Had' being the keyword here as the mannequin which should have been wearing the dress was only garbed in a pink scarf and nothing else.

"You've barely even started!?" I did my best not to yell as I swung my head around to glare at Rarity.

"Now I know it looks bad—"

"Rarity, we leave tomorrow at noon!" Wow, is this how my mom feels whenever I don't finish my homework on time? I should get her something nice when I see her again. "I thought I said you could goof off after you finish Twilight's dress."

"Yes, yes, you did, I know," Rarity said, trying to speak up as her face grew more guilty. "It's just, after going to the derby, I kept getting these invites from these elite ponies to attend events for charity and parties that they said they would cancel if I didn't attend so I did and I kept getting more invites to all these events so I went to them thinking it wouldn't be so bad and that I still had time and I'm sorry!"

Oh great, now she's on the verge of crying. Way to go Ash.

"Rarity, Rarity, calm down," I lowered my voice so as to not set off the guilt-ridden pony. "Look, I'm...mad, but from the sounds of it, you were guilt-tripped into attending all those parties so it's not entirely your fault that you lost control. Now I won't ask you to pull an all-nighter on the dress considering how tired you look, but I want you to give it your all to finish as much as you can on Twilight's dress tomorrow. Do you think you can do that?"

Taking a moment to wipe away her tears, Rarity said, "Yes, I believe I can. I promise I will give it my all to finish Twilight's ensemble in time for her birthday!"

"That's the spirit!" I smiled. I really can't be too mad at the unicorn since I knew, despite her personality, she valued her friends just as much as the others valued her. If she were to choose between being famous in high society or her friends, she would ultimately choose the latter.

*creak*

"Hm?" Hearing something, Rarity and I turned to see a letter drop through her letterbox. I honestly didn't know there was a letterbox in the door.

"What's this now?" Using her magic, Rarity picked up the letter and took out a letter. "Let's see... Dearest Rarity, your presence is requested at the Canterlot garden party tomorrow afternoon. Yours, Jet Set, and Upper Crust!"

"What, those pricks? Why did they send you a letter?"

"Uh, well, they were at the parties I've been attending. But they're not important." Damn right, they're not. "What's important is this part: The Canterlot garden party! I can't believe I actually got such an invitation!"

"And what's so great about a garden party?"

"Why, next to the Galloping Gala, it's the premier event in Canterlot!"

"Didn't the Gala suck for you guys?"

"Quiet you, let me have this."

"Just saying." Considering the terrible time she had there, one would think she'd question how legit these events are. "Wait, you're not actually thinking about going, are you?"

"What, no...but then again..." Ugh~! You know, it's stuff like this the reason why you're my least favorite pony of the Mane 6.

"Rarity..."

"Now hear me out, Ash. I know my priorities have been...questionable, but during my time with the elites, I've managed to make a name for myself in high society. If I don't go, my new reputation in Canterlot as a Very Important Pony might be ruined! I might never be invited to another high society event again!"

"At the cost of missing your friend's birthday," I said, emphasizing the last word to really make sure Rarity knew what she would be missing if she accepted that invitation.

"Well, when you put it like that..."

"Rarity, the last time I saw those two, they looked down on you for simply being from Ponyville. Why the heck would you accept their invitation? That garden party can't be that good."

"It's not just about the party, it's about who's going to be there. High-society ponies like Fancy Pants will be there and they all value my approval and opinions. Me! Can you imagine what that's like, Ash?"

Surprisingly, I do. Given I've been a Fanfiction author for a few years now, I've actually got a couple of people asking for advice for their own fics. I never could have imagined such a thing happening when I first started out. Of course, just because I understood what Rarity was saying didn't mean I wasn't still angry with her.

"From the sounds of it, you're only going there just to make yourself look good."

"It's not like that!"

"Isn't it? You just promised literally seconds ago to finish Twilight's dress, but now you're already breaking it! I can't believe how selfish you're being, right now, Rarity!" Seriously, I can't believe she's doing this after everything I've said! She's supposed to be the embodiment of Generosity!

"Oh don't act like your some saint, Ash! Your attitude is far from perfect!"

"At least I know to put my friends first before everything else!" I countered and it looks like that shut her up. "And I thought you were the same. I thought you were better than this...but I guess not."

Ending the argument there, I turned and left the room, both to get away from Rarity and to make sure my anger didn't grow any further less I start shouting. If this doesn't change her mind, then I don't know what will.

"Ash! Please, wait! Ash!" I resisted the urge to look back as I continued descending the stairs. From the sounds of it, Rarity chose to not follow after me and after a couple of minutes of walking, I was back in my assigned room.

Sigh...This was not how I wanted to end the day.

(The Next Day)

Adjusting the bag on my back and dressed in my cloak, I knocked on the door and waited. Seconds later, it opened to reveal Rarity...wearing a bright yellow dress and matching hat.

"I assume you're going to that garden party."

"I...yes," Well, at least she had the decency to look ashamed. Shows she's at least guilty about her decision. "Have you figured out what to give to Twilight as a present?"

My response to that was using my Stand to pull out the gift I prepared and wrapped up.

"It took a while, but after some thinking and some advice, I've figured out what to give to Twilight."

"Well, that's good to hear. A bit small, don't you think?"

"It's the smallest things that always have the biggest impact," I said, putting the gift away. "Guess I'll see you back at Ponyville."

"Yes," She awkwardly nodded, unable to make eye contact with me. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you apologize to Twilight on my behalf?"

"No," My reply was instant which made Rarity flinch at me. "You want to apologize, then do it yourself. Twilight deserves at least that much from you."

"...Yes, yes, you're right. I should."

"Well, bye. Hope you enjoy that garden party," I said, letting some sarcasm slip through near the end as I turned and left the unicorn to her own devices.

"SURPRISE!"

"Wah!" Or at least that was the plan if not for the surprise appearance of Twilight, the rest of the Mane 6, and Night and Stardust standing literally right by the stairs. How the hell did I not notice them coming up?

*thud*

Hearing something hit the ground, I turned and saw Rarity on the ground, having fainted. She even had a hoof over her head for dramatic effect. What a drama queen.

"Huh, dramatic much?" Night commented on Rarity's fainting, no doubt of the same mind as me. But enough about that.

"Twilight? Everyone? What are you all doing here?" I mean, I knew why they were here, but I didn't expect them to get here so fast. Weren't they supposed to show up around the afternoon?

"I got a letter from Rarity saying she couldn't make it back to Ponyville because Opalescence was sick," Twilight explained. "I felt bad so I—"

"Hey, she's waking up," Pinkie spoke up right before Twilight could continue her explanation, alerting us all of Rarity's awakening.

"Wha...What are...?" And as expected, she was confused as to why everyone was here.

"Morning sleepyhead," Pinkie said with her usual happy-go-lucky smile.

"What are you–? How did you–? Why are you–?"

"Listen to her. She's so excited to see us, she can hardly talk." Trust me, AJ, excitement is the last thing on Rarity's mind.

Collecting herself, Rarity asked, "What I mean to say is, what are you all doing here?"

"I was just explaining that to Ash," Twilight said. "When I got your letter saying you were stuck in Canterlot, I asked Pinkie Pie if it wouldn't be too much trouble to move my birthday party here, so you wouldn't have to miss it!

"Balloons are super easy to pack," Pinkie said and as if to prove it, she took out a suitcase from out of nowhere (I've grown too used to that that I can't comment on it anymore) and opened it, releasing a bunch of inflated balloons which spurted out air, sending them flying all over the place as they quickly deflated.

"You couldn't have tied them properly?" I commented, taking off a balloon that had landed on my nose.

"I asked the same, but she insisted it was fine," Stardust said as Pinkie shrugged at me.

"Wow..." Truly touched that her friends had gone out of their way to come here, Rarity held where her heart was as if to make sure it didn't come bursting out due to this act of friendship. "First, you get me a suite at Canterlot Castle, and now this. I don't know what to say, Twilight."

"How about you start by saying what you're doing in that fancy getup?" Rainbow asked, getting up in Rarity's face as she eyed the unicorn's dress with suspicion.

Put on the spot suddenly, Rarity stuttered out an explanation.

"This? Uh-well, I-I always put on something a little fancy when Opal's feeling under the weather, hehe. Cheers her right up." Wow, even without knowledge of today's episode, I could feel my bullshit meter calling her out.

"Oh, poor Opal. Where is the sick darling?" But of course, these ponies are gullible enough to fall for it. Bless your bleeding heart, Fluttershy.

"Oh, uhh, she's...Hold on a minute." And just like that, Rarity slammed the door on us.

"Huh?" The others were understandably confused before they all turned to me for an explanation.

"Don't look at me," I shrugged my shoulders, trying to appear clueless as a minute later, Rarity returned.

"She's resting on the bed," She said and Fluttershy wasted no time going in as she dashed right over to a completely soaked and shaking Opal.

"Oh, poor baby. She looks awful," Fluttershy said, hugging the cold cat in an attempt to provide it warmth while completely missing the glare the cat was giving to Rarity. I don't blame it for being mad. From the looks of things, Rarity knew she was going to pay for that later.

"Is that my dress?" Twilight asked, walking over to the mannequin wearing the unicorn's supposed present. Contrary to the drawing Rarity had thought up, it was only a plain yellow dress along with the pink scarf from earlier. Looks like Rarity tried to get some work in before heading out.

"Yes..." Rarity nervously answered, barely stopping herself from stuttering.

"It's so... simple." That's one way of describing it. "So practical." Is it? "So...me!"

"...what?" I couldn't help but say that.

"It's the perfect dress for my birthday party! I love it!" Twilight, so overjoyed with the simple, basic dress went and hugged Rarity who looked equally as surprised as me before sighing with relief.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that." Oh, Rarity, you lucky pony. You're lucky Twilight likes to keep most things simple.

"By the way," I said, getting everypony's attention. "If you moved the party here, where's it being held?"

"Oh, right, forgot about that. " Looking sheepish that she had forgotten to inform us of that, Twilight released her hold on Rarity and grabbed her birthday dress. "Just let me get changed real quick and then I can guide you."

"No need to rush, darling. The dress is still fairly new," Rarity said as Twilight headed toward the bathroom.

"Nonsense. This'll only take a second."

True to her word, Twilight had gotten dressed quickly, though considering how simple the dress was, I'd be surprised if she actually took longer than a minute to put it on. Once she was done, Twilight took the liberty of guiding all of us through the castle to where her party was being held.

"When I told the Princess that I was moving the party to Canterlot, she was kind enough to offer us the Canterlot Castle ballroom!" Twilight explained, speaking to Rarity up front while I found myself in the back along with the rest of the guys.

"So, how's Canterlot been treating you these past few days?" Stardust asked, probably curious considering he used to live here and all. I wonder if he stayed at the castle due to being Luna's student. Questions for later.

"Eh, fine, for the most part," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Didn't get to see much since I was cooped up in the infirmary for a few days."

"The infirmary? Were you hurt?" Night asked.

"It was a small accident. I tried helping a valet and all the luggage he was carrying fell on me."

"You got stuck in the infirmary because of some bags?"

"It was a lot of luggage." Seriously, even if this was a lie, that poor valet pony.

"Here we are," Twilight spoke up, informing us that we had arrived.

Using her magic, Twilight pushed open the double doors to reveal a decorated room filled with balloons, streamers, banners, and more. To the right was a table that held all of Twilight's presents. On another table neighboring it held a punch bowl. To the left and located closer to the entrance was a table holding food, mostly sweets and desserts. Judging from the big chocolate cake that stood out from the rest of the desserts, that was most likely Twilight's birthday cake. All in all, the decorations were pretty standard, but they did make the ballroom feel more alive.

"Isn't it fancy pants?" Pinkie asked. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

"Fancy Pants?! Where?!" In the blink of an eye, Rarity hid behind the nearest pony next to her, that being Rainbow, in a panic. She soon calmed down when she realized the posh pony was nowhere to be seen and everyone was giving her weird looks.

"Ahh, I mean, where did you find the time to put up all these decorations? Haha...hmm..."

"Oh, I never leave home without my party cannon!" Pinkie said as she took out a literal cannon and immediately fired it. But instead of an iron ball exploding out, streamers, a tablecloth, a whole lot of confetti, and a party blower were what flew out as all the items fell onto a naked table, decorating it in an instant.

"Ta-da!" I actually gave the pink pony a clap, or at least my Stand did, while getting some small amusement from Rarity's annoyed expression due to some confetti falling on her from the blast.

"I thought about having my birthday outside, but they're having another party on the castle grounds today," Twilight said, pointing over to a nearby window where outside was the garden party Rarity had talked about.

"Well, would you look at that, Rarity," I said, sending the aforementioned pony a look that had her sweating a little.

"please be quiet," Rarity whispered to me, sending me a pleading look to not spill the beans to Twilight and the others. In response to that, I motioned zipping my lips, but still kept my knowing look. After all, I didn't need to say anything at this point.

"What're you two whispering about over there?" AJ spoke up, having noticed the two of us whispering.

"Nothing!" Rarity was quick to reply before leaning back when Pinkie appeared from...up above? What the—?

"Let's party!" With that declaration, swing-type music started blasting out from a record player. I didn't know they could get that loud.

As if carried by the loud music, the ponies wasted no time partying, starting with everypony, including me, gathering around Twilight and throwing her up in the air as her laughter was drowned out by the music. Sometime after that, it was time for cake and Stardust took the liberty of cutting out a piece for everypony. As expected, it was great. If there's one thing I've come to learn while living in this world, it's that these magical ponies really know how to bake.

*SPLAT!*

I've also come to learn that some of them can be real troublemakers. Wiping off the cake frosting on my face, the others and I glared over at the laughing pair of Rainbow and Night as both their hooves were covered in cake. Their laughter soon ceased when they noticed we all had some cake in our hooves along with a mischievous look that we all shared. The end result, all of us were covered in frosting and laughing on the floor.

"Man, I don't think I'll ever get tired of how these ponies party," Night said after catching his breath.

"It sure is a stark contrast to the parties held here in Canterlot," Stardust said, using his magic to grab towels for each of us.

As I cleaned off the frost sticking to my face, I thought about whether now was a good time to bring up what really happened to me. I'd hate to do this while in the middle of Twilight's party, but I shouldn't keep my experience to myself, especially from my fellow Guardians. Taking a glance over at the others, they all seemed to have calmed down and were now gathering together to—are they doing the conga? Yes, that is definitely the conga. Huh...no comment, but I guess now's a good time as any.

"Hey, can I talk to you guys for a sec?" I spoke up just as the guys were about to join the others.

"Hm? Sure, what's up?" Night asked.

"Let's go outside. I want to keep this from the others." I motioned for them to follow me out of the room. I took notice of the fact that Rarity had separated herself from the line and was heading towards the door that lead to the garden party outside, but I chose to ignore that little tidbit for the time being.

"What is it that you wish to speak in private with us?" Stardust asked once I closed the doors behind me. After looking left and right to make sure we were all alone, I explained to the guys about my run-in with the Changeling.

"You ran into a Change—!"

"Shh! Not so loud!" I quickly covered Night's mouth, taking another look around me to make double sure we were alone. "Yes, I ran into a Changeling. Bastard's the real reason why I was holed up in the infirmary for a while. I managed to catch it and it's now being held down in the dungeon." Did this place have a dungeon? This is a castle so I'm assuming things here.

"This is concerning," Stardust said mostly to himself, beginning to pace. "If a Changeling was found here, then that could only mean Queen Chrysalis is planning to make her move soon."

"But the wedding isn't until a few more months. Why is she acting so soon?" Night asked with obvious worry.

"She's not," I said, getting the two to turn to me. "If I had to guess, the Changeling I caught was nothing more than a scout."

"A scout...yes, that would make sense," Stardust said, bringing up a hoof to his chin to think.

"But what are they scouting for?" Night asked. "The wedding?"

"It's more than just the wedding," I said. "There's one pony in particular that is a core part of Chrysalis' plans."

"Cadence," Stardust said, coming to the same conclusion as me. "They're on the lookout for Cadence."

"Exactly." I still may not have seen the full episode, but I knew that the Changeling queen's plan was to switch places with Cadence and slowly weaken Armor so as to allow her army into the city. What was never explained was how Chrysalis captured the alicorn, until now at least.

"Have you informed Shining Armor about this?" Stardust asked, remembering that I was with the unicorn that night.

"I dropped enough hints to let him know that the Changelings are targeting his wedding. Considering his soon-to-be wife is also involved, he'll no doubt have some guards stationed to protect her."

"But can they be trusted?" Night asked. "You said so yourself, there could be more Changelings here in Canterlot. Who knows who's who?"

"Let's not forget that Dark could also jump in and assist Chrysalis like he did with Discord," Stardust added, reminding us all of our statuses as Guardians and our duty to fight against Dark's machinations. Stardust does bring up a good point as it had honestly slipped my mind considering how peaceful things have been since my battle with Discord. If Light's opposite was planning on doing anything to cause havoc and chaos, then the penultimate episode of Season Two would have to be it.

"So, what's the plan?" Night asked, looking between Stardust and me.

"Unfortunately, there is no plan," I bitterly said. "Without giving away how we know all this, we've got no choice but to wait for Chrysalis to make her move and react accordingly."

"With all due respect, Ash, that's a terrible idea," Stardust bluntly said.

"Look, I don't like it either, but as Night said, the wedding still isn't until a couple of months. We also have no idea when and where Chrysalis will strike. I've done all I can to warn Armor, but as of right now, there's nothing else we can do but wait. I'm sorry guys." And I really was. Without a good enough explanation, there was no way to ask Celestia to gather a bunch of guards and prepare for an incoming invasion without being questioned about how we knew. All I could hope for was that Armor gathers enough guards for the coming day of his wedding.

Night and Stardust shared conflicted looks with each other, before sighing in defeat.

"I still don't like it, but you do make a point. Without drawing suspicion from our own allies, we can do nothing but wait for Chrysalis to strike," Stardust said, still looking somewhat displeased with our inaction.

"This sucks," Night bluntly said, looking like he wanted to hit something in frustration. "We know danger is coming, and yet can barely do anything about it! It's not right!"

"I know, but all we can do now is prepare for the coming storm," I said. "...That didn't sound cliche, did it?"

"Eh, a little." Ah, dang it.

"We should probably get back to the others before they start searching for us," Stardust suggested. Has it really been that long? Oh wow, the sun's starting to set. How long were we talking?

"Ugh, I'm not exactly in a partying mood anymore," Night grumbled to himself.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, feeling bad that our talk had soured the mood. "Maybe some cake can turn that frown upside down."

Opening the doors, the three of us walked back inside to find...no one there.

"Huh? Where did everyone go?" Night asked, looking around to see where the girls had gone off to.

"If I had to guess, outside," Stardust said, pointing over to the door that led to the garden party outside where we could hear some commotion.

"Huh, I guess things are about to wrap up soon," Night said as we made our way over to the door.

"Ash, considering you've been here with Rarity for the past few days, didn't you try to at least make sure she didn't get distracted?" Stardust asked to which I reminded him...

"Infirmary, remember?"

"Right."

"Trust me, I tried, but that pony can get too caught up with herself." Huh, guess I was still bitter about Rarity not finishing Twilight's dress. I knew that it would happen, but still, I'm mad. Why?

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far. While she does have her moments, there's a reason why she was chosen to bear the Element of Generosity," Stardust said as we walked outside just in time to see a crowd gathering around Twilight, Rarity, and Fancy Pants. "That alone should tell you of Rarity's core character. Observe."

Gesturing to the crowd, the three of us watched the scene before us.

"Fancy Pants! Come with me! I'd like to show you this, er, thing that's over there. On the other side of the room," Rarity said, trying to lead Fancy Pants away to no avail.

"In a moment, my dear. This lovely filly from Ponyville was just about to tell me who made her charming dress," He said, gesturing to Twilight. The fact that he thought Twilight's basic dress was 'charming' really told much about his character, at least compared to the snobs that surround him.

"That dress? Oh come now, who cares, it's just a plain old–"

"Oh, don't be so modest!" Twilight interrupted, seemingly oblivious to Rarity's panic. "This dress you made is beautiful!"

Cue gasps and...did something just break?

"We all think so!" Twilight added as the rest of the girls gathered around, innocently smiling at Rarity who was currently being stared down by all of the elite ponies.

Fancy Pants turned to Rarity and asked, "You know these ponies?"

It was clear to see that Rarity's anxiety was at an all-time high. Like the generic stuck-up snobs that they were, the high-society ponies all started chattering amongst themselves. Rarity looked between them and her friends who only now seemed to notice their friend's anxious expression. Then, as she continued to look around, Rarity spotted us and her eyes landed on...me. I don't know how I knew that, but it just felt like her gaze had locked onto mine. Despite knowing how this would end, I still sent the seamstress a silent message.

'Don't fuck this up.'

She seemed to have gotten my message as Rarity gave another glance at her friends...and a look of determination filled her eyes.

"Yes," Rarity began, turning to Fancy and the rest of the snobs. "Yes, I do know them. They may not be as sophisticated as some of you Canterlot ponies, but they are my best friends. And they are without a doubt the most important ponies I know."

I couldn't stop the smile forming on my face even if I wanted to. The guys next to me mirrored me as did Twilight and the others. The girls still probably had no idea what had just occurred, but they were still happy for Rarity nonetheless.

"Important ponies? These ruffians?" A~nd good moment ruined.

"Don't make me laugh!" I could feel my annoyance rising within me as those very same stuck-up ponies from days ago laughed. I probably would have thrown something at them just to shut them up—

"I, for one, find them charmingly rustic." If I hadn't been beaten to it by Fancy Pants himself who seemed to take pleasure at how his words had left nearly everypony dumbfounded. Even Rarity was surprised.

"And I think the dress you made for your friend is lovely. I dare say every mare in Canterlot will be wanting one."

"Oh, I'd like to place my order right now!"

"I think you should get two!" Well, they sure changed their tune fast. Now what were their names again? Eh, probably not important.

"Back off," I finally decided to make my presence known by shoving the two ponies invading Rarity's space away.

"Well, Mr. Heart, what a surprise to see you here," Fancy Pants said.

"Hey-er, ahem, good afternoon, Mr. Pants." Okay, that was even more ridiculous than calling him Mr. Fancy. Night seemed to agree with me as he was holding back a laugh.

"A good afternoon to you as well," Fancy Pants said before turning to the other guys. "And these fine gentlecolts are...?"

"I'm Night Sky."

"And I am Stardust Chrome."

"Stardust Chrome, you say?" Fancy raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested in Stardust. "As in the pony said to be studying under Princess Luna?"

"The very same. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Chrome," Fancy said, shaking hooves with Stardust before turning back to Rarity. "Now then, Miss Rarity. How about you introduce me to your friends?"

With one big smile, Rarity happily replied, "With pleasure!"

"All well that ends well, right?" Night said, throwing me a smile.

"I guess," I shrugged my shoulders in response. Personally, I felt the pony of Generosity got off too easily, but knowing how forgiving these ponies can be, I kept my feelings to myself.

"And just where have you three been?" Twilight, walking up to us, asked.

"Bathroom," I replied/lied instantly. "The guys needed to go so I showed them the way."

"Uh-huh." She didn't seem to buy it but chose not to pursue it any further. "So, how'd your search go? Call it presumptuous, but I'm kinda curious as to what you got for me."

"Oh, right! Almost forgot." With my talk with the guys and everything, it had slipped my mind to hand Twilight her present. Well, better now than later. Okay...here goes.

"Honestly, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to give you. I know you like books and everything, but that line of thought seemed too easy and lazy. Luckily for me, your mentor gave me an idea and your brother helped me settle on what to get."

Twilight blinked in surprise. "My brother? You met Shining Armor?"

"Just by coincidence. He said to follow my heart and..." Using my Stand, I took out the wrapped present and handed it to Twilight. "Here."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Twilight grabbed the present with her magic and quickly unwrapped it, revealing a small, rectangular white box. Lifting up the lid, her eyes widen at what lay within.

"Ash is this...?"

"Yep."

Taking it out from the box, Twilight held up...

"You gave me a phone?"

"Samsung Galaxy. That's its model. Don't know what year since I didn't look, but that doesn't really matter much, I think."

Yep. I had gifted Twilight Sparkle with an honest-to-goodness phone. Gonna need to give her a case for it later.

"I actually thought about giving you a laptop to use for work, but then I thought you'd probably get more use out of a phone. You can take pictures, look up stuff like maps whenever you want to travel," I don't know how the phone had literal maps of Equestria, but I just chalked it up to Light and his godly powers. "and most importantly, you can make calls though only to me and the guys since we're the only ones with phones."

"Ash, this is...this is unbelievable," Twilight said, looking at her new phone with awe. That was probably because she now owned something that was literally out of this world.

"But...why? Don't get me wrong, this is great, but what made you come to the decision of giving me a phone?"

"Well..." I scratched the back of my neck as I could feel my face heating up for what I was about to say. "Like I explained before, phones can make long-distance calls to other phones. So since you have a phone now and I have a phone, no matter how far we may be, we'll always...be connected." Oh god! Someone kill me now because that was just cringy!

"Oh..." In response to my words, Twilight's cheeks took on a red color, probably just as embarrassed as I was.

"Smooth." Both the guys said in sync.

"Shut up!" I shot back in an instant, but my words did little to erase the smirks on their faces.

"That's...really sweet of you, Ash," Twilight said, still a little red in the face. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Happy Birthday, Twilight."

The pony of Magic smiled back at me in response before going back to examine her new phone. I'll have to show her how it works later, but that's something for future me to handle.

"Um..." Suddenly, an awkward expression formed on Twilight's face which I immediately took notice of.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, actually...there's a slight problem with your gift."

"What? What is it?" Was there something I missed? Sure I had obtained the thing from my Mary Poppins' bag, but everything I had taken out of it before had been fine. So what was wrong?

Instead of answering verballing, all Twilight did was raised her hoof and wave it at me. I raised an eyebrow at that, confused as to what she was trying to tell me. Seeing my confusion, Twilight brought over her phone close, hovering right next to her hoof. Looking at it now, the flat side nearly measured half of the phone's height. If not for her magic, she probably would have had difficulty holding it up, much less use the touch...screen...

"Oh." I looked at Twilight's hoof. "Oh!" I looked at my hoof for comparison. "Oooooooooh..." I then realized that if Twilight wanted to use her new phone, she had to make use of the touchscreen. The screen which her hoof took nearly half of it to touch. Simply put, with how big her hoof was...how was she going to use the button inputs?

...

"FU—

*Comes Out Of Portal* And...done! Man, did that take forever to finish. Heck, I think this chapter broke the word count record for this story. What was supposed to be a simple chapter involving Rarity turned into a chapter filled with foreshadowing for future events. In case you haven't figured it out, the stuff with the Changeling was mostly the reason why this chapter took so long. I kept debating whether I should add this or not, but I decided to add it. The reason being that I don't see myself taking part in the events Rarity got involved in and I probably would have made sure she'd stay on task. So I added the stuff involving the Changeling to not only keep me occupied but to also set up events for the penultimate episode of the season. As a result, I'd say the chapter turned out so-so. My motivation kept fluctuating which affected my writing and I felt the ending was a little rushed, not to mention stuff from the episode ended feeling butchered. If it wasn't for the fact that this chapter was getting too long, I probably would have cleaned it up. But with how much time has passed since my last update, I just really want to be done with this chapter. I still hope you all enjoyed it, but right now, I just wanna take a nap. So here comes the brohoof, my bronies.

*Incoming Brohoof*

This has been Ashbel Longhart here, signing out. Until next time!