Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long. From above, I heard the telltale song of a bird. Looking up, I saw a yellow breasted bird with white tailfeathers and black eyes flying around. Fluttershy also looked up, and her cyan eyes widened. "A meadowlark!" she exclaimed happily.

The rest of us looked up and watched as the bird flew towards a glade. This gave me an idea. I put my hand on Fluttershy's withers and gently pushed her along. "Come on," I whispered.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked, looking up at me nervously.

"I wanna get a good look at the animals for a bit," I said. Pulling out my phone, I looked at it. "We've got forty minutes until Celestia's announcement."

"Are ya sure ya wanna do that, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Hey, I like animals too. Not as much as Fluttershy, but I still like them. I'm even thinking about getting a pet at some point," I said as I continued leading Fluttershy towards the glade.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of them followed. Zecora was at my side, taking my hand with hers. "You aren't telling them everything, are you?" she said.

"I do want to see the animals," I said honestly, "And I also want to make sure that this Gala goes better than the one I saw. And so far, it's gone much better."

She snorted, then licked my face quickly. "You are quite the stallion."

I blushed as we headed deeper into another part of the courtyard. As the sounds of the party died down, I turned to the others, walking backwards as I did. "Okay, everyone." I put one hand on my hip and held the other one up in what was called the President Monika pose. "These animals aren't like the ones Fluttershy takes care of. We need to be extra patient and quiet. That means you, Rainbow Dash," I finished, looking at her.

"I can be quiet when I need to be!" she exclaimed. All around us, I heard rustling in the leaves of the nearby trees and the well-kept hedge we were walking past. Everyone looked at her, and she shrank back. "Um…oops."

"You just proved my point," I said. "Come on, just keep your mouth shut or I'll ask Applejack here to lasso it shut. And I know that'd make her happier than a Sunday barnyard dance."

Applejack snickered at my failed attempt at a southern-ism. The others laughed quietly and Rainbow Dash just snorted and pawed at the ground. "Fine, fine, I'll be quiet."

As we turned a corner, we came to a large a metal fence. The fence surrounded a clearing full of open grass and surrounded by trees and flowering bushes. Fluttershy stared excitedly at all the animals. "Oooh! There's a toco toucan! And a spider monkey! And, oh! Is that a wallaroo?"

I put my hand on her back again, keeping her from running in. "Alright, just calm down, okay? These animals are a lot more skittish than the ones you know. Anyone got anything we can feed them?"

Applejack produced a couple small apples from somewhere in her dress. "Here ya go."

I used some of my Earth Pony strength to split it open, then into smaller slices, then broke them up into little bits. "Follow my lead," I said, slowly walking into the cornered off area. As we all slowly walked in, the animals all turned to look at us with trepidation in their expressive faces. I handed a small apple to Fluttershy. "Why not try to gain their trust with food?" I asked.

Admittedly, I didn't get this idea from my own mind. I got it from a fimfiction story called Spike the Brony Dragon. It was a guilty pleasure story of mine, and I was halfway through it already. I wasn't really a fan of how Discord said that destiny couldn't be changed, since it reminded me of my own foolish attempts to keep things the same by ignoring the mountain of knowledge that was the TV show.

Fluttershy nodded, then slowly made her way over to a small group of frightened animals. "It's okay, little ones," she said, putting the apple on the ground.

The animals moved away a bit, and a nervous Fluttershy backed away. We waited for a bit. And waited. And waited. Just as Fluttershy was turning around, giving up, a small squirrel-like creature with horns made a move to approach the apple. The yellow Pegasus' eyes went wide. "Oh my, a reinsquirrel," she said excitedly.

"Shh, let it approach," I chuckled.

The rainsquirrel jumped closer, then closer again. Sniffing at the piece of apple in the grass, it finally picked it up with its paws and began nibbling at it. Fluttershy could barely contain her excitement, and I was smiling as well. Seeing her this happy always brought a smile to my face.

A larger animal, something that looked like a miniature kangaroo approached. Slowly, I took another bit of apple and held it out to it. "Be careful," Fluttershy said softly, "Wallaroo's have some sharp paws."

"Noted," I said softly back as the wallaroo came closer. It sniffed at the apple bit in my hand, then hopped one step closer before leaning down and nibbling on the apple. Slowly, I reached up with my other hand and stroked the wallaroo's head gently. It paused, giving me an unsure look before relaxing as I found a spot it apparently liked. Unsurprisingly, it was behind its ear.

That seemed to be enough for the other animals. They all approached, hoping for a little nibble of apple or maybe even a petting or two. Some even approached the others, albeit hesitantly. Zecora even saw an animal she recognized from Farasi and let the hornbill sit on her shoulders while it preened its wings.

At that moment, a question popped into my mind, one I felt either Rainbow Dash could answer. I made my way over to the Cyan Pegasus who was hovering next to a hummingbird. The bird was flying circles around an increasingly frustrated Rainbow Dash. "Having fun there, little speed demon?" I chuckled.

She threw her hooves up in frustration. "This little bird's mocking me, I just know it!"

"Now you play nice," I said. "Don't wanna scare the other creatures away. Anyway, got a question for you."

"Fine fine, I'll play nice, and what's up?" she asked, landing slowly.

"Do Pegasi need to preen their wings?" I asked.

"Nope!" she said, causing a few animals to back away.

"Shhh," Fluttershy, who by now was in paradise. She was surrounded by animals now, all of whom were chirping, chittering and nibbling at the apple bits.

"Sorry," Rainbow Dash whispered loudly.

Just then, I heard something like a "Raaaooor!" Then, to my surprise, something landed on my head. A burst of heat followed. The others looked at my head, their faces a mix of confusion and trepidation. Fluttershy looked a bit nervous as she looked at my head.

"What do I have on my head?" I asked, gently pulling out my phone. Opening the camera, I held it out and looked at the creature on my head. "No…way…is that you, Philomena?"

"Craaaw!" the Phoenix, who looked majestic with her red and orange feathers. I held out my arm, and she jumped onto it, stretching her feathers and preening them.

"Wait, how do you know its name?" Twilight asked.

"You really need to ask?" I chuckled as I reached up to scratch the Phoenix's feathered head. "And Philomena is a she, by the way."

"Right…your show," she sighed. "I doubt I'll ever get used to that."

I looked the Phoenix over, and saw a few bare spots on her feathers. "Huh…looks like she's starting to reach the end of this life cycle."

Fluttershy was by my side immediately, looking at the Phoenix worriedly. "She's dying?" she asked in fear.

"You've never heard of a Phoenix, have you?" I asked. When she shook her head, I chuckled and stroked her mane lovingly. "Don't worry. Phoenixes are functionally immortal birds. They go through a normal life cycle before finally shedding their wings and bursting into flames. But-" I quickly added, seeing the look of horror on her face, "but, from the ashes she rises again with a brand-new body." I smirked, then turned to Twilight. "Should I start calling her Fawkes, and then call Celestia Dumbledora and you Harriet Potter?"

Twilight stamped her hoof on the ground, but there was a grin on her face. "Absolutely not," she said. "Besides, who'd be Ron Weasley?"

"Rainbow Dash," I laughed.

"And Hermione?"

"That's easy. Rarity."

"Hmm…I can see Rainbow as Ron, but Rarity as Hermione?"

"Try this one for size," I said, clearing my throat, then doing my best Rarity impersonation. "It's LeviOsa, darling. Not LeviosAA!"

The others looked at us in confusion as Twilight and I laughed. "Whatever are you talking about?" Rarity asked, looking a bit miffed now at being imitated.

I grinned. "For our next movie nights, I'll be showing all of you the Harry Potter series. Twilight's seen them already, but I'm pretty sure you'll all find something enjoyable about it."

"Craaawww!" Philomena began pulling at her feathers suddenly, pulling a bunch of them out, then lowering her head towards me. I slowly reached out and let her drop them in my hand. Then, to my utter surprise, she pulled out more and more until an entire side of her body was bare. When she was done, she reached out, nuzzling my head before she flew over to Fluttershy and landed in front of her.

"Well, um…what do I do with these?" I asked, looking at the long, slender pile of Phoenix feathers in my hand. "Make a magic wand or staff out of them? Twilight, is that even possible?"

"I…don't know," she admitted. "Maybe Princess Celestia knows something about it."

"We can ask her later," I said as I looked back at Philomena. She was pulling more feathers out, handing them off to each Pony, Spike, and lastly Zecora, who she handed another small pile. Flying over to Fluttershy again, she gave the Pegasus a small nuzzle, then flew to me to nip my ear before flying off. "That was…certainly something."

"What the hay are we supposed to do with these?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Don't lose them," I said. "I'm not sure, but I think she gave these to us for a good reason. We'll have to ask Celestia later. Now then, how are you doing there, Fluttershy?" I asked, placing the feathers in a large inner coat pocket.

"I'm…oh my…" she said, suddenly swarmed by the animals. I heard her giggling underneath the mass. "Best…night…ever!"

We spent about twenty minutes in total among the animals. Fluttershy had the absolute time of her life. Since she didn't need any more help to attract their attention, the others and I backed away and let her have her moment. I stood near one of the hedges, Zecora in my arms as we softly sang A Smile and a Song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A lot of the animals seemed to love it, some birds even joining in. After we finished, I made a joke about Zecora being a Disney Princess, causing the lovely mare to blush. After that, we stuck around until some of the animals began yawning.

Fluttershy was, of course, a bit reluctant to leave the animals, but finally we left the animal shelter and headed back to the main event.

"So what next?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing along.

Mentally, I went over the checklist. I'd helped Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy, albeit the latter was the only one I really helped intentionally. That left Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. "Hmm, you know, I wanted to talk to a certain captain about a few things for a bit. Now, where's the Wonderbolt VIP section?"

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up. "I'll go find them!" she exclaimed happily as she zoomed off, leaving a rainbow in her wake.

"Ya ain't real subtle, ya know," Applejack said.

"I'm telling the truth," I said. "I wanted to talk to Captain Spitfire about a couple things."

"But…?" she gestured.

I sighed. "You caught me. I'm using that as an excuse. I wanted to see you all happy. Although the thing with yours and Rarity's was an accident, I swear."

"Ah know, sugarcube," she said. "Ah just hope yer having a good time."

"I helped you earn some big bucks and gave Fluttershy a night to remember," I said with a grin. "Seeing all you happy definitely makes me happy."

"But what about what you want to do?" Fluttershy came up and asked.

"Well…when we're all done with the rest, I've got something I'm sure I'll enjoy. Twilight, in your old room, is there a telescope?"

"Um, there is, but why?" she asked curiously.

Before I could explain, a familiar male voice called out to our left. "Twily? Is that you?"

We all turned, but Twilight was the first to speak. "Shiny! And…Cadance?!"

Sure enough, Cadance and Shining were both approaching us. The captain of the guard was wearing only a collar and cravat, whereas Cadance was wearing a flowing cream, purple and red ensemble as well as her crown. Both mares locked eyes, grinned, then began dancing in front of each other. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

The two mares giggled as the rest of us approached. Cadance turned to me, and her warm smile seemed to broaden. "Jethro! A pleasure to see you again!"

"Heh, it's great to see you too," I said, beaming wide. Turning to Shining Armor, I grinned. "Hello to you too, Captain."

"Shining, please," he chuckled.

"And here I half expected you to be in your Anthro forms," I teased.

"We've actually tried that already," Cadance said. "Shining wasn't quite a fan, but I really was! Those hands of yours are really something!"

"Everyone seems to find my hands fascinating," I chuckled, holding one of them up. The one I did hold up was the one which held Zecora's own, our fingers intertwined. "Makes for a great romantic gesture."

"We should have tried that, too!" Cadance chuckled.

Shining only shrugged. "I'm still not really big on that form. It was…disconcerting."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with the form?"

Shining sighed. "Well, mostly because I'd have to wear something around the bottom to cover up…you know."

"Aaah. No, I get you. But there had to be something you enjoyed, right?"

Shining tilted his head, thinking. "I'd have to agree with Cadance. Having hands was pretty amazing."

"In more ways than you can imagine," Cadance said with a straight face. When a small bush crept up on his face, I knew the meaning behind it. I gave her a small wink, and she winked back.

"Like what?" Twilight looked eager to learn more. Ahh, Twilight. Still so innocent.

"Massages," I replied, reaching down to massage her head. Shining gave me a grateful look. Twilight shuddered and stamped her back hoof. "Grabbing onto things better as well. Hands are good for a number of things."

"Agreed, my darling," Zecora said, her hand running down my back. Her tone had a somewhat sultry tone to it. "Did I forget to mention Twilight managed to make it so that this form lasts until morning this time around?"

"Later, dearest. Later," I chuckled in response. Turning back to the new couple, I beamed. "How are you two enjoying the Gala?"

"Eeeh, I'd much rather be guarding it to be honest," Shining said. "I feel out of place and exposed without my armor. And being around these nobles is a bit of a bore."

"Shiny, you promised me you'd come," Cadance said.

"You're the only reason I'm enjoying the evening as much as I am," Shining said with a warm smile, the kind that would make any mare blush. Which it did for Cadance.

Twilight didn't miss the implications. "Wait, are you two…special someponies?"

Shining blushed again. "Surpriiise," he said weakly.

"Pinkie? Got any popcorn?" I chuckled.

"What for?" she asked with a curious look.

"Twilight's gonna dress down her brother."

A small bucket of popcorn appeared in my hand. This was gonna be fun to watch.

Twilight was, understandably, upset that her brother hadn't even sent a letter telling her about this. He tried defending himself, saying that he thought I would have told him. I laughed, telling him it wasn't my place to say anything to him. Twilight agreed and continued chewing him out. He apologized over and over again until I walked forward and put a hand on Twilight's withers. "Give the poor stallion a break. Us guys are weak to females when you chew us out."

She huffed. "Fine…but you'd better be on your hooves, Shiny."

He gulped. "Yes sis."

She then turned to Cadance. "Keep an eye on him for me, will you? Mom always said he could be a bit willful."

"I'll keep him on a tight leash," Cadance said.

Beside me, I heard Zecora snicker. I sputtered a bit as well, but tried hard not to laugh. Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice. Twilight nodded. "Good."

"If you've forgiven me already, can we meet your friends?" Shining asked.

Twilight's smile returned and she introduced all the other Bearers of Harmony. "Rainbow Dash went off to find the Wonderbolts," Twilight said.

"They're not an easy organization to get into," Shining said.

"She's a determined young mare," I said. "I'm sure she'll work harder than she ever has to get in."

Cadance and Shining chuckled before she locked eyes with Zecora. "So, Jethro, this is your marefriend."

"This is Zecora Mtunga Dawa," I said, putting my arm around her again.

Cadance's horn glowed a bit, and I felt a small tingling around my body for a bit. Her eyes widened and her smile returned. "You have a strong bond; stronger than most others I've seen. Just don't sacrifice too much for the other. But I sense something that causes one of you worry."

I raised my hand sheepishly. "That would be me."

"My love?" Zecora turned to me with worry.

"I'll tell you later tonight, I promise," I said honestly.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, leaning against my shoulder.

Just then, Rainbow Dash came flying back. I could see how giddy she was from the way she was bouncing up and down in the air. "Jethro! I found the Wonderbolt area!"

"Rainbow Dash! Show some decorum!" Rarity said. "You're in the presence of another Princess!"

Rainbow Dash looked around, then saw Cadance. She landed sheepishly and bowed. "Ahaha, I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"Don't worry about it," she chuckled. "Shining and I were about ready to get something to eat before Princess Celestia's announcement. We'll see you all later, I hope?"

"Of course," Twilight said happily, hugging her former foalsitter.

As the Princess and Captain walked towards the food, Rainbow Dash flew over to me, smiling and nearly squealing with excitement. "Come on! Come on!"

"Don't touch the suit or you'll piss Rarity off," I chuckled. "Just lead the way, you silly filly."

Rainbow flew off, doing loop de loops and other small tricks as we approached a large and well-lit area surrounded by VIP rope. On the other side I saw a bunch of different Ponies. In front of the ropes separating the VIP section from the rest, I saw two Pegasi talking. One I recognized as Spitfire, but the other I didn't recognize. It was a Stallion with white wings and dark blue mane and fur. His eyes were a dark green. I gave a wave, then called out, "Hey! Spitfire!"

Spitfire and the other Pony turned to me. Her smile widened and she flew over. "Hey there, Jethro! Didn't expect to see you here!"

"Nice to see you too," I grinned, holding out a fist, which she tapped with her hoof. "Let me introduce you to my friends." I grinned as I introduced the others, but since I was feeling a bit cheeky, I pretended to forget about Rainbow Dash. "And…I could have sworn there was another mare with us…but I can't remember." Rainbow Dash looked pissed and was about to shout at me when I snapped my fingers and grinned. "Ah, yes! Now I remember. She's practically your number one fan. Captain, meet a future member of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash, the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty."

"Ah yes, I remember you," Spitfire said. "You're the Pony who saved us in Cloudsdale and who won The Best Flyer Competition, right?"

"Hay yeah!" she smiled nervously, raising one hoof off the ground.

"But you also didn't collect your prize, you know," Spitfire added.

Rainbow Dash shot a look in my direction, then chuckled. "Yeah…somepony had to make sure that this guy over here was okay," she said, pointing at me.

"Well, I owe him a favor," Spitfire said, "and he asked me to let you hang out with us sometime. Wanna do that now? I'd love to see what kind of tricks you have to show us."

"Yes! I'd love to!" she said instinctively, but then paused. "But…rain check? Um…I'm making sure that this guy over here isn't feeling alone. And I hate breaking a promise."

Spitfire nodded approvingly. "That loyalty of yours will get you really far in the Wonderbolts if you make it in," she complimented. "How does two days from now sound? Say…nine in the morning?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes became the size of dinner plates and she bounced in place in a manner similar to Pinkie. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" she said excitedly. "Yes yes yes!"

"Oh, but before you go, let me introduce another member of the Wonderbolts," Spitfire said, gesturing to the other Pony with her. "This is Soarin, my second in command."

The stallion bowed, smiling. "Pleasure to meet you all. I've heard good things about all of you!"

"Nice to meet you too," I said, and all the others greeted him in kind. Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to have a fangasm from pure joy. I spread one wing, wrapped it around her, and pulled her down. "Simmer down there, Sally," I chuckled, earning me a sharp glance from Applejack. "Don't want you fainting."

"She's really a fanmare, isn't she?" Soarin chuckled.

"She really idolizes you," Twilight said with a chuckle. "More so than anypony else I've met."

"I know it doesn't mean much coming from me," I added, "but I really think she's Wonderbolt material. Sure, she's a bit rough around the edges, but I prefer to think of her as a diamond in the rough. And she's extremely loyal and skilled at flying. I doubt I'd be where I am in my own flight today if it hadn't been for her, admittedly, rough training."

"Oh? Mind showing us the results of this training?" Spitfire asked.

I released Rainbow Dash. "I'll do something simple. Lady Rarity would thrash me if I ruined this suit."

"A lady doesn't thrash, darling!" Rarity said as the others giggled.

"Of course not, milady," I said with a bow. "Now, how about something like a triple flip? Simple enough."

"Go ahead," Spitfire said, watching me with a raised eyebrow. Almost as if she was challenging me.

"Can I borrow someone's goggles?" I asked. "I left mine at home." Soarin handed me his, which I adjusted and placed on my head. "Thanks, Commander. Okay then, everyone, please stand back. I need some space to do my magic," I said. Everyone stood back. I cracked my neck, knuckles, and surprisingly, my wings. After spreading my wings behind me, I bent my knees. Using my Earth Pony strength, I jumped higher than I ever could as a normal human before pushing up with my wings.

Utilizing the techniques Rainbow taught me, I gained plenty of speed as I soared above the party. Grinning, I angled my wings so that I did a sharp curve. The world began spinning as I began my triple flip. I could swear I heard Rainbow Dash shouting out "Very good, Private!"

After I saw the garden below come into view three times, I re-angled my wings, spread them wide after stabilizing, and slowly glided down to the ground. Slowly removing the goggles and handing them back to Soarin, I brushed my hair back into its normal position and folded my wings behind me. "Admittedly," I said, "not my best one, but without Rainbow Dash's help, I'd still be flapping like a baby bird."

"For a non-Pony, you flew pretty well," Spitfire said. "Rainbow, you sure know your stuff. I look forward to seeing you in action in a couple days."

Rainbow Dash tried to look nonchalant. "I mean, sure, why not? Sounds cool to me."

Spitfire rolled her eyes, but chuckled. "Remember, two days from now, nine in the morning. Be there."

"I'll be there!" Rainbow Dash said, beaming now.

"Spitfire, before you go, gotta question for you," I said.

"Sure, what's up?" she asked, focusing her attention on me.

"I heard from Derpy that you're working on getting her some admin work. Is that true?"

Spitfire nodded. "The Wonderbolts might be the best fliers in Equestria, but not every member of our staff are meant for flight. Derpy is incredibly good with numbers, so I'm pushing to get her on our treasury staff. We've been having issues ever since that recession, and I'm confident she can be a great addition to the staff."

I smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Speaking of her, is she here?" Spitfire looked around. "I was going to ask her to join us in the VIP section tonight."

"She's back at my house with Scarlet Dusk, another one of Rainbow's students," I chuckled. "They've gotten to be good friends recently."

"That's a shame," she said, "I was hoping to see her."

"I'll let her know she was missed," I said.

"Captain?" a random Wonderbolt mare approached hesitantly. "Sprint's asking for you. She's being swamped by a bunch of the rich Ponies."

Spitfire looked at us with an apologetic smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you all. And Jethro?"

I looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Consider us even," she said with a grin.

"What about the show I just gave?" I replied with a teasing tone.

"That was good, I'll admit, but not favor-worthy," she laughed as she walked away. "See you all later, everypony!"

With that, the Wonderbolt captain and commander headed back into the VIP section of the Wonderbolts area. I turned to Rainbow Dash once more, who was watching Spitfire walk away with a fangirl look on her face. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? I wouldn't begrudge you if you did."

She snapped out of whatever dream she had, then shook her head as if to clear it then flew over to me. "You're stuck with me, mister," she said, poking my chest.

"Alright, alright! You got me! I was just making sure." Looking at my phone, I saw that there was about seven minutes before Celestia's announcement. "Hey, why don't we all grab a bit to eat before Celestia's big announcement?"

We headed over to the food area. The fancy vittles, as Applejack called them, all looked fancy enough. Twilight, since she'd been living at the palace for years, was actually able to name a few of the hors d'oeuvres. I tried whipped feta with marinated olives, then some whipped ricotta with herbs and honey, then some sourdough bread with herby roasted garlic olive oil dip. To my delight, they even had garlic bread, which I had more of than the others.

"Don't eat too fast there, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Don't want ya getting' sick."

"Garlic bread is amazing," I chuckled, wiping my mouth with the kerchief. "Sorry, I just haven't had it in years. I'd ask the chef how they prepare it, but I bet it's some kind of palace secret."

"Hey, I think it's starting!" Twilight said as a crowd began gathering in the main hall inside the palace.

I took out a couple of mints from my pocket and popped them in my mouth as we headed back inside. "Anyone have any idea what she wants to announce?" I asked as we found a good spot near the front of the crowd.

"I bet it's something super duper surprising!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

"Pinkie Sense telling you that?" I asked.

"Nope!"

I rolled my eyes, amused at her antics, then turned to Zecora. "How are you enjoying the Gala? Is there anything here you wish to see after this announcement?"

Zecora moved closer, wrapping her arms around me and laying her head on my chest. "As long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do. I'm really enjoying myself."

I wrapped my arms around her in return. "To echo your words, you're quite the woman."

Just then, the Master of Ceremonies walked up the stairs and faced the gathering crowd. Hitting the staff on the ground, he got the attention of the gathered Ponies. "Filles and Gentlecolts," he announced, "Princess Celestia has asked you to gather here to make some special announcements! Take heed!"

With that, the M.C. walked down the stairs and Celestia took the center stage. She looked down at the gathered crowd, and for a few brief seconds, our eyes locked. A small crook of her lips didn't escape my sight as she resumed looking at the crowd before speaking. "My little Ponies," she said, her tone regal but motherly at the same time, "I am pleased to see everypony enjoying the Grand Galloping Gala. However, tonight is a very special Gala for two major reasons. Now, allow me to announce the first."

She looked up the stairs, beaming as two Ponies began walking down. Murmurs spread among the crowd as Prince Blueblood and Sharp Point began descending, hoof in hoof. When they reached Celestia's left, they stopped and took a spot next to her. Sharp looked somewhat embarrassed, but a gentle nudge from Blueblood seemed to help. Celestia looked lovingly down at her nephew and fiancée before turning back to the crowd. "The first announcement is the engagement of my nephew Prince Blueblood to Commander Sharp Point of the Royal Guard. I have approved this union, and the wedding date will be announced within the month." She turned to the two, a warm smile on her muzzle. "I offer my most sincere congratulations."

From somewhere nearby, a pair of hooves began thumping the ground. Turning, I saw Princess Cadance among the crowd stomping. Raising my hands, I began applauding, and soon Zecora joined me. My other friends quickly joined in, which prompted the other guests to join in. Soon the room was a roar of Pony applause. Blueblood smiled, as did Sharp Point, the latter of whom blushed a bit.

Once the applause died down, Celestia faced the crowd again. "And now, for my second announcement. As you are all very much aware, recently the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony stood as one against Nightmare Moon and defeated her. What you might not realize, however, is that Nightmare Moon is, in fact, my sister Princess Luna. Some of you might have seen her recently in your dreams if you suffered from a nightmare. She is the Princess of the Night and of Dreams. She has been purified of all the negative magic that flowed within her and has returned to rule by my side. She has been secluded for a time to acclimate to the new world she has found herself in, but tonight she wishes to present herself to you."

Again, this wasn't something I expected. She hadn't even appeared in the episode, so I was thoroughly confused, but I listened as Celestia continued. "However, she wished to appear to you in a manner rather unique. So, please welcome for the first time at the Grand Galloping Gala, Princess Luna!" She gestured towards the stairs to her right.

We all turned to where she was pointing. A few seconds passed, before a single hoof stepped through. Then another. The room went silent as Luna stepped out. She looked around, then caught sight of me.

Raising her hand, she gave me a gentle wave before waving to the crowd. "We greet thee, our royal subjects," she said.

What…the…fuck…CELESTIA!