"All right, it's all finished." Rarity announced to herself as she took a step back from Twilight's dress. Her friends entered the room amazed by the dresses she designed.

"Wow Rarity, that's beautiful!" the girls each told her.

"Rainbow Dash, your fabric is flexible and breathable." Rarity told the Pegasus, showing Rainbow Dash her dress.

"Thanks a bunch! Hey, it feels like my Wonderbolt uniform."

"Fluttershy, your gown is nature friendly and I'm sure Discord will like it!"

Fluttershy blushed and looked down, "Thank you."

"Apple Jack, I've designed your costume so it can match your hat."

"It does match," she responded, admiring.

"Is that real cotton candy?!" Pinkie examined her dress, poking the hem of the cape.

"No, darling." Rarity told her, chuckling.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle! Here's the best gown I've designed for you so far!" Rarity bowed gracefully to Twilight.

"Rarity, you've done it again!" Twilight said, smiling. She added with a sigh: "Rarity how many times I have to tell you. Seriously, please stop bowing to me!"

"Nonsense! Twilight, be a dear and give Spike his tuxedo." Rarity requested, showing her a black tux with a tie in color of emerald.

"Oh what happened to your curtsy?" Twilight teased her, picking up the suit.

"Where's your dress, Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked, popping out under the unicorn's bed.

"It's a surprise! So no peaking, dear." She answered.

"Oh." Pinkie said, her hair deflating. Then her hair puffed out again as she brightly said "Okay!" Rarity looked at the new clock outside of her room.

"Girls! Look at the time, we have three hours to get ready! Get dressed!" she barked, shooing Twilight's friends out of the room. "I will take care of your hair when you are done. That includes you Apple Jack and Rainbow! Now go!"

"Twilight, these extra clothes goes to ponies that already arrived here. Please have Spike send them their clothing. Au revior!" Rarity begged as she gave Twilight more dresses. She nodded and swiftly left.

"Now where is my dress…?" Rarity muttered to herself, walking around the room.

King Sombra watched the mirror with his dark magic. "Well well well. That puny Celestia decided to hold a ball at my castle! He growled, slamming his hoof on his throne. "CRYSTAL!" he roared and an isolated shadow in from of a pony ran up.

"Yes, my lord?" the shadow whispered.

"Get me the princesses, including Spike!" he hissed.

"Yes milord." Crystal the shadow pony bowed low, then galloped away.

"ZIP!" the king roared. Again another shadow pony appeared.

"Yes Master?" Zip bowed low enough for his nose to touch the floor.

"Get me a wig, glasses and a suit! We are attacking tonight!" Sombra commanded.

"Yes, of course, master." The shadow pony said, then slipped through the ice. The shadow king returned to his mirror and watched the Crystal ponies and a few other ponies set up the Galloping Gala.

"Ugh, I really need a slave. Those shadows are so boring." King Sombra complained. "Yes that and yes this, and it's never a never!"

Everypony are chatting excitedly in the gardens and the throne room following to the ball.

"My, isn't that statue so gorgeous?"

"Yes indeed it is!"

"This is so exciting this is part of history!"

"Yer hat is falling off."

"When can we dance? This is so boring!"

"Wow, that picture is intense. Why would they show a shadow on a frame?"

"Must been a legend, Toria."

"Perhaps so."

"Punch?! Why not water?!"

"Haha, you're so funny!"

" No way, Vertitte got her cutie mark?"

"And the orange said to the apple, Hello!"

"Worst joke ever!"

"I bet the Princesses are lovely tonight!"

"Oh my, look! Here comes the Mane 6 and their assistant Spike!" The Friendship princess and her friends were followed by Spike as they entered the room. The room hushed as they saw their outfits.

Pinkie Pie was wearing a baby blue gown swirled with soft touches of bubblegum pink. Her belt has her cute mark, surrounded by a hot pink color. Her front hooves are covered by the sleeves of her dress. On the cuffs are hot pink clouds-looking material. They are very similar to cotton candy look. Her vest goes up midway her neck, finishing off with Pinkie's cutie mark necklace. Her hair is natural but completed with a headband of Baby blue. Her cape has layers of blue. At her hooves they are finished off with the same fake cotton candy color. She is wearing a baby blue ballerina slippers on her back hooves.

Next to Pinkie Pie was Rainbow Dash. Her vest has white ruffles sealed off with a light purple fabric. Her shoulders are bare, revealing white slip on shoes. On her cape the colors layers from a light purple to a deep grape color purple. The cape does not touch the floor, but hides her hooves. What is touching the floor is more white ruffles that's suppose to look similar to clouds, but has an old classic look to it. Rainbow's hair is braided showing the order of the rainbows. Her bangs are slightly curled, being supported by a white headband.

Standing by Rainbow Dash is Apple Jack. Her gown is mostly the navy blue color. She is wearing a tight necklace that shows an apple. Her hair is wavy and not pulled together, making the ponies see her in a new way. She had her hat on, but Rarity added a deep red flower to the left side of her face. Her cape slowly turns invisible the farther the dress gets. Her train is short but surrounded by stitched apples. She is wearing cowboy boots stitched with blue yarns on the back.

Twilight takes her place next to Apple Jack. She is not wearing any vest, except for a golden star necklace with a soft light blue connecting it to the cape. Her cape was at first a short train silvery gray material, but then layered by the same fabric of the necklace and finished with a star constellation. Pulling her dress in position is a layered golden veil. Her hair is pulled to the right loosely with a golden ribbon, letting her hair animations to move more freely. Of course, her crown in sitting near her horn, which gave her a Princess look. Twilight Sparkle was wearing silver hooves, which complimented her skin.

Hiding slightly behind Twilight is Fluttershy. She has a golden necklace that beheld a ruby. In her left ear holds a Single red colored rose with ruby in the center. Her bang is pulled in from right to left. Sitting on her head is a very loose rose look bun. Her hair is flowing freely down her back to the floor, braided with miniature roses. She has a golden ruffled cape that is layered by shades of red. The gown stops are her hooves revealing thin golden shoes. Somewhere in the right side of the audience Discord has his jaw hanging, causing Fluttershy to blush.

Rarity joined her friends to reveal the biggest surprise. Her clothing was simple. She have her bow on her left ear in a mix of aqua and blue. She is wearing a low necklace that connects to her dress. Her necklace holds a diamond shaped sapphire. Her cape was mostly blue with a single veil same color of the bow connecting from another bow on the back of her dress. Below her capes are frills of baby blue. Rarity is wearing bubbly blue gloves. All the blue on her made her eyes look brighter. Her hair was pulled back to the right and it gave the crowd more space to see her eyes.

Near the back of the crowd, King Sombra in a white wig, ski goggles and a red tuxedo. He dropped his mouth. Never before he had seen such a simple dress that can be so elegant! When he noticed someone was starting at his teeth, he quickly closed it and glared at the pony.

"Welcome, everypony! We are proud to announce the one thousandth anniversary of the Galloping Gala Ball." Spike paused to let the crowd cheer and stomp their hooves. "We are proud to announce many ponies' designer for this year's ball. She has worked hard to please everypony. Give one for Rarity!"

As Rarity stepped forward the ponies cheered loudly. She gave a graceful curtsy and backed up into the line.

"Now everypony is graceful for the delicious appetizers and snacks that is straight from Ponyvile. She's honest and a hard worker…" Spike announced each pony's role in the gala. When he announced each pony name, they stepped forward and bowed.

Pinkie Pie, however, could not hold in her energy. She jumped forward at her named and cheered wildly. The Ponyvile ponies, Apple family, Pie family, and younger mares and stallions laughed and stomped their hooves in approval. The Canterlot and Crystal ponies found this act horrifying. They cringed and whispered in each pony's ears they were next to. Some were face-hoofing.

After the announcement the Ball truly began. Princess Twilight was puzzled where the other Princesses disappeared to, but gladly shook hooves and smiled. Apple Jack was standing by the refreshment making sure that no pony is playing a prank on the food. She eyed any suspicious pony and they felt uncomfortable under her graze. Including King Sombra.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing around Rainbow Dash and Cheese Sandwich. Rainbow Dash was giving advice to mares around Apple Bloom's age. "No matter what, stay loyal to yourself and your friends. Don't quit, girls! Quitters never win, and winners never quit!" a few mares found Rainbow's speech overwhelming.

Fluttershy was in the private part of the gardens that Princess Cadance gave her permission to go to during the Gala, talking to Discord. "You see, that's how I got Angel."

"Seriously, wouldn't the bunny give you the same sickness?" Discorded yawned as he teleported to the top of the tree.

"Oh no. I wouldn't care what happens to me as long I have my friends and Angel." She said, nuzzling Angel.

"Well you should seriously take care of yourself, too. I need you." He blurted the last part out, slapping his mouth and quickly teleporting very high.

"Huh?" Fluttershy muttered blushing.

"I-I-I mean- we need you. Yeah. That's right. We need you, Fluttershy. Your friends need you." Discord stammered, hoping that Fluttershy can't see his red face.

Spike was making his way to Apple Jack, hoping for a dance. He kept being interrupted by the Crystal Ponies to his annoyance.

He couldn't take it anymore and excused himself to the stallion's bathroom. As he looked in the mirror he saw a dark pony rising from the ground. Spike spun around ready to burn the shadow up, but to his dismay it grabbed his shadow causing him to trip; and bounded Spike.

Nopony but King Sombra and Princess Twilight noticed that he disappeared.

"Apple Jack, have you seen Spike?" Twilight asked her during her break. She looked around nervously but saw no sign of the dragon.

"Nope," Apple Jack shook her head. "I am keepin' an eye out for strange ponies though.

"Okay then, I'll ask Rarity. Thanks, Apple Jack." Twilight waved and made her way through the crowd.

"So Rarity, what's you next plan?" the news reporter asked, scribbling notes.

"Well darling, I am planning to make clothing for the ponies with green coat. It's not easy being green, you see. So I want to help them be more noticed than hurt." Rarity answered, taking a sip of her Apple Cider.

"Care to tell Daily Pony News of your plans?" she asked earnestly.

"No, my clothes design will be a surprise, dear."

"Rarity, have you seen Spike?" Twilight interrupted.

"Non, have you checked his room?" She said, taking another sip.

"No, thanks anyway." Twilight sighed, leaving.

"Soyez le bienvenu."

"Anyway, have you heard of plaids?" the reporter asked.

"Spike?" Twilight poked her head in his room. She cautiously walked in, trying to look for notes that can be left by Spike.

She heard the door shut behind her. "Spike?" she asked hopefully as she turned around. A shadow pony was standing there, its eyes white.

"Stay back!" Twilight commanded, blasting light at it. It easily dodged and grabbed her shadow's legs, causing her to fall over with her own shadow.

Still holding onto Twilight's shadow, it jumped through the window. Twilight's wings was flapping frantically when she realized her horns was was blocked by crystals.

So, what do you think of King Sombra?