Dubstep

"You know? It's funny. I was just about to say the same sort of thing." Yù was used to keeping her cool on the outside from just about anyone. That happy little smile never leaving her lips as she sat back up properly. But if somepony happened to be good at feeling emotions or something, she'd be an open book with every page reading of her elation. "It's been far too long! I've been doing...well enough. Better now though to be sure." the mare would offer Kahz a wink. "Work has been a little slower these past few...days? Weeks? A lot of the days just tend to bleed together after a little while." When Canterlot wasn't dealing with some wild out there non-sense from Ponyville or the rest of Equestria, the city was frankly a little dull, and it wasn't like she could particularly spice things up there without potentially raising a fuss as well. Yù would casually motion at the seat that Kahz leaned against cheerfully "If you're not terribly busy I'd love if you'd like to sit a while with me. Of course if your hooves are full, I don't mind a bit waiting til after the show. I won't even beg for the Backstage Pass treatment." she would add with a playful wag of her brow and a giggle. "But I wouldn't say no either. How have you been though? Waxing poetic for a moment, life's been a bit less vibrant since parting."

Yù Xīn let out a wistful sigh as she strolled her way through the streets of Las Pegasus. The mare had decided to at long last take another, she felt, well deserved vacation. Work itself wasn't stressful per se, the creatures that came to her for therapy were usually all quite nice. The day job was fine...it was the 'night shift' that was killer. Much to her chagrin she had begun to get used to her work with WRAITH...the pay was pretty good though she did have to admit. The qilin glanced down with a smile at a couple of absolutely gorgeous jeweled bands she'd manage to acquire thanks to the...let's call it supplemental income. Some of her repeat customers were...well, not repeating nearly as much anymore, one has to get bits somewhere when nightmares fade and diets work out you know. One thing that Yù tried to never do was gamble. It was a terrible habit that she knew full well was either running or ruining the lives of some of her patients. Which sure, was a shame, but it also meant they ran up rather hefty bills that took time to pay off. It was a waste of money is what it was. Casinos themselves, however, were interesting. Buffets, enticing lights, music...sometimes other entertainment. It was fascinating to see, even if just to catch a glimpse into the psyche of the ponies that found the thrill of gambling to be such a siren song. It helped her understand them better, for weal or for woe. This fact, coupled with the mistake of deciding to skip out on breakfast at her hotel room this morning, is what compelled Yù to stroll her way into the establishment. And while the prospect of an evening buffet is what originally drew the mare in, the sound of music pouring through the casino drew her attention a touch more than the tone of a grumbling stomach. Something about that voice sounded familiar. But she couldn't quite put her hoof on it...Which was passing strange. Beyond clients and some of those she was forced to work under, she hadn't committed many voices to memory per se. Normally Yù would shrug this off, go find something to eat, maybe something stiff to drink and call it a day. Something was nagging at her though to go and check out what was going down. And boy was she glad she had. Up on stage stood one of the few familiar faces that still brought a genuine smile to hers. 'What are the odds? she'd think to herself as she mad the rest of her way in, taking a seat at one of the unoccupied tables, leaning on a hoof with that smile glued to her face as she listened to the disguised changeling sing. The mare had been certain that karma only wanted to turn around and bite her in the flank, but she must at least be doing something right to be here, right now. She had been certain that the fluttering feelings in her stomach had all been part of the act she always put on for any new handsome face too. So she has been known to be wrong before...

So fabbu~ Thank you so muchly!

42) Time travel is quiiite restricted, given it was such a difficult spell to transcribe and perform in the first place. One would be hard pressed to duplicated it. 43) I'd wager that alternate dimensions and the like not shown in Show or Comic canon would be more restricted to the AU section 44) Could totally be possible yeah! I think it would be a rather interesting addition to our cycle of events. 45) My guess would be around the south of Saddle Arabia possible, I'll see about bringing up more thoughts on that to staff. 46) Environmental changes are a lot more far reaching than say personal changes for characters or their homes and the like. I'd personally say it'd be a bit pushing it to go as far as that. But theoretically I suppose it could be possible. 47) @Bellosh That one's for youuuuu 48) Theoretically, though Equestria doesn't seem like the kind of place that would do that, at least to me Granted as usual, not endorsed by anyone, just my 2cents and assumptions 😄

Starlight couldn't help but to blush a little and shake a hoof after having sat herself down. "Well it certainly wasn't easy to figure out. For me it takes a bit of...I guess you could call it cognitive disassociation. It's easier to lift something with magic that isn't the source of said magic. So with enough mental fortitude you can sort of...'trick' your magic into believing that you're not the source." the mare rubbed the back of her neck a little and chuckled. "It's not the most eloquent way of putting it, but a lot of magic is mind over matter as we know. So with enough brainpower, nearly anything is possible. Theoretically." Settling in to her new seat, Starlight would continue. "When I was younger I...didn't have any friends per se, long story on that. So a lot of my youth was spent studying magic and perfecting various spells. Levitation was one of the first ones I worked on diligently."

After thinking it over owo I think I'd love to request some love for Trixie's number one fan Limelight!~ I've not got any refs of her yet, sadly, beyond a little Ponymaker Image uwu

Smiling softly, the dragon would wait as Yuè tried to find her words. Àilóng knew full well for a mulititude of reasons, it was difficult for her to be able to celebrate as he was sure she desired deep down. But the answer that his friend had finally found warmed his heart. Yuè was just as sweet as she had ever had been. The Long smiled and nodded his head. "Poetry is only as powerful as the heart put into it. I'm certain the Great Masters would struggle to compare." Àilóng would gently caress Yuè's hoof. "That is why I'm here. To do just that." the king would let that linger in the air as he let his admiring gaze rest upon the mare he cherished so. "Our lantern is nearly finished. Would you honour this sappy fool by sending it off with me?"

The mare listened as Bluebelle recounted her meeting with the girls now. It sounded like they had something in common then, neither being terribly great at making friends. Politely Starlight stiffled a giggle at the caking, though she did crack a playful smile. "It sounds to me like we're both quite lucky to have made a friend like Twilight then." Starlight caught that playful tone and saucy smile and met it with a wink of her own. "Glad to hear that you've been able to make such close friends!" Watching as Bluebelle levitated her plate off to the kitchen, Starlight would tilt her head just slightly. She was versed in magic enough to notice that this was juuust a touch out of the other unicorn's comfort zone but she still managed it quite well, bringing another smile to Starlight's face as she spoke up. "If you're looking for any help with that, I'd be glad to offer. I'm, well. Let's say I'm a little versed in levitation." Innocently whistling the mare would light her horn up, moving herself from one seat to the next. A feat she knew most unicorns couldn't manage. Thank you, Twilight, for that little ego boost then. She wasn't cocky about it nearly as much as she was back then, but she was more than happy to help Bluebelle out with magical endurance. From the sound, her honor guard had the physical endurance covered.

Starlight nodded quietly and smiled at Silverstream, setting about fixing her a cup of tea as the young hippogriff poured her heart out. Passing her the cup, she would take a seat again and listen intently to what she had to say. That feeling of powerlessness, of being strung along by the invisible thread of fate or destiny or karma. Whatever one wanted to call it. Feeling like you had no control over anything, let alone yourself. It was a fear that Starlight herself understood quite well, even more so when Silverstream got to the crux of the issue. A fear that she didn't know how to make friends. Now that is a fear I know all too well." Starlight would say with a sympathetic smile. "When I first started learning about friendship, all I had learned, all I knew about it, I had learned from Twilight. The girls...tolerated me, because Twilight believed in me. And to say things were rocky at the start would be an understatement. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but things turned out wonderfully in the end." she would say, glancing at a group photo atop a filing cabinet with a warm smile before turning her gaze back towards her young ward. "But I felt a lot like you. If it wasn't for Twilight, I never would have had the chance that I did to make friends with any of them. I felt...fake. Like I only had friends because someone else carried me along that path. I was so terrified inside that I could never make friends on my own. But...I tried." she would say, taking a little sip of her tea before sitting the cup aside. "And you know what?...It didn't turn out perfectly. I met Trixie and we got along great. Twilight didn't trust her yet, but I did...only for that to bite me in the flank...I thought I was so stupid for trying to make a friend on my own." Starlight shook her head and laughed, thinking about that day with a little smile. "You know what I learned? That I wasn't alone in feeling like that. Trixie felt that way too. She never had someone to be her friend, never had someone to teach her how to be a friend." Starlight leaned on her desk a little bit. "No one ever stops learning. But that doesn't mean you can't start teaching. The way to make friends out here is the same is how you made friends in here. By being yourself, taking the risk. Even if you feel like everything was orchestrated for you, you always had the chance to say 'No'. You could have went home, left all this behind. But you took the risk, and it paid off." the mare would motion happily around the room, indicating the academy itself. "Be yourself, Silverstream. The friendly, wonderful, entertaining hippogriff you are. Not everyone in the world can be friends, and sometimes the gamble of making friends may not work out like you expect. But the only failure rests in not taking the risk." smiling softly Starlight would reach out and gently pat Silver's claw. "There's no doubt in my mind that someday you'll be teaching others the magic of friendship better than we ever could. You have more control over your destiny than you realize. All you have to do is reach out and grab the reins."

"Oh I'm certain that the praise is well earned. Princess Twilight doesn't seem the type to sing hollow praise of anypony, least of all her friends." Lián would say with a smile and a nod before addressing Sunset's comment on family with a laugh and a sigh. "Ahh, yes. The Royal Family is what some might consider...excessive in size. Yuè and I have many half siblings, many of whom cause my sister no end of headaches." he would say with a tired roll of his eyes before continuing. "I won't bore you with all the royal politics of it, but needless to say there's a number of our half brothers and sisters who feel more qualified to hold the throne than her. I've told more than a few of them to their face, if that were the case they'd be sitting on the throne." the prince would chuckle into a hoof and nod once more. "Thankfully we have just as many siblings who support Yuè wholeheartedly, even if a few of them are still sticklers for the old ways of doing things." With a smile, Lián would turn his attention to Feng once more. "Never say never~ But, ah! Yes, after Yuè and I attended the Grand Galloping Gala, I stayed behind for a time to be able to deliver the gifts that we had agreed upon to Princess Twilight and her friends. Applejack and her family were kind enough to house me and Si Jin during our stay." Lián's smile would turn towards Yanhua next with a little chuckle. "Nothing to worry about my friend, habits die hard they say. But change is always on the wind. The Apple family has quite a lot of choices when it comes to apples, it's good you came. Feng likely would have spent hours trying to decide~" he'd give a teasing wink over to the guard. ((Sorry for the LONG delay in my reply, anxiety sucks))

Starlight chuckled softly. Stars she was glad that Starlight didn't go into much detail on her! It was one thing for friends to know the sordid details, they were there, saw the growth she had made. But if there had been a file with all of that in there? She'd probably be mortified to death. "Oh! Well I suppose that's in order, sure." the mare would reply with a smile, taking the offered seat with a little nod of her head, it'd be good to learn about the pony who was basically her new boss. "For me there's...well nothing to special to know really! I met Twilight and the girls when they came to Our Town, where I was ah...I guess Mayor you could say." she'd hide a bit of a grimace and continue. "I was in a fairly dark place in my life at the time and had some some. Well we'll just call it a skewed view on friendship because of it. It lead to some disagreements and altercations with the girls. I was jaded to how friendship could remotely be important. And so I went about a petty revenge and tried to drive a wedge between Twilight and her friends..." The mare sighed a little and paused shaking her head and smiling before she continued. "But Twilight never gave up on me! And well, the rest is history I guess. She and the girls taught me a lot about friendship and so has the school." Starlight blushed and cleared her throat a little. "S-speaking frankly, I had thought that I would have been next in line to be Headmare. But, Twilight's always full of surprises huh?" the mare would laugh a little, perhaps a little forced. She'd nod her head though and the smile would return to her face. "But that's fine. She picked you for a reason and I'm sure you'll do a great job!... ...So, how about you? How did you get to know the girls?"

"Please my friends, this is far from the court and I'm far from the Chancellor. At least I would hope so! Ahah, but relax, I'm off the clock. the stallion would reply with a wink to Feng. "As you know I'm not ever far from my most faithful shadow." as Yanhua introduced the fiery-maned mare, Lián would smile brightly and turn to give Sunset a polite bow. "Sunset Shimmer, finally a face to place to the name. Princess Twilight has spoken highly of you during some of our conversations. It's great to finally meet you!" though their conversations may be brief at times, the Prince had been lucky to learn of a great deal of the interesting ponies of Equestria. Heroes, villains, and those in between. He hadn't all the details of course, nor would he ever pry for things as such. "Forgive me for looking a bit...stuffy." the qilin would motion as his robe and laugh. "I fear some of my retinue may have had conniptions if I didn't wear something regal. Next chance I have at a vacation, believe me it's staying home." rolling his eyes he'd smile playfully and glance between Feng and Yanhua. "So I'm guessing...a little celebratory date to get a snack then? I'm glad to hear of your victories, Feng. You do the guard proud." it was Lián's turn to let a smirk play across his face. "Though even if it's not a date I can hardly fault either of you for coming, the Apple family grow some quite delicious apples, and I could hardly return home without at least saying hello after they'd been so hospitable to me in the past."

Àilóng would nod softly as he worked together with his dear friend to piece together the sky lantern. He had to wonder if she knew how he felt. What something like this meant to him. Or if she thought it a simple kindness from one royal to another. Saying it aloud would be so easy, yet what could come of it? Would it be laughter? Dismissal? Disbelief? Disappointment? "And what of you, Yuè? How do you celebrate?" it couldn't be easy for the Empress to celebrate freely, he was sure. What with how difficult it was to even get her to sneak out with him this evening. Had it not been for the nosy Chancellor, would she have? As he pondered this, the glamoured dragon's hoof met Yuè's and he would turn his head away from the nearly completed lantern to gaze into her eyes.

Today was a rather eventful day for the Long Guo Prince. He had managed to sneak away from the majority of his retinue, but knew full well that his ever present bodyguard was watching from the shadows from not far. It wouldn't be long though before, for both her and the worrying guards' sake, that the prince would have to return for their trip back homeward. But no trip to Equestria was complete without a little detour for a snack. Granted, Hēi Lián's sweet tooth was originally leading him towards Sugarcube Corner, a fateful flyer flitting by alerted him to a more interesting opportunity. "Hmm, it has been a little while since I've had the chance to see the Apple family. No harm in catching two birds in one net." he mused to himself before placing the flyer into a pocket on his robe. With an idle little tug to the ribbon keeping his mane up, Lián made his way off to Sweet Apple Acres. After a short little walk the young prince would find what one could only assume to be the line for the sale...given that Applejack was up ahead and the bushels of apples setting about. While he could very well announce himself and make his way to the front of the line, that would A: be completely stupid and rude and B: be something that snooty chancellor would do and the thought alone gave him indigestion. And so politely the qilin would quietly take his place...only noticing the familiar faces in line as he came to a stop. "Well then, this is certainly a surprise." Lián grinned and dipped his head, flicking a strand of his mane out from his face as he stood back up. "Feng, Yanhua! A pleasant surprise on an otherwise rather boring trip. What brings the two of you so far from home, mm?"

Chuckling softly, Sparkles dabbed his mouth before responding to Heart Shield with a little nod. "Ahh yes, it's true that a lot of packs aren't the most sociable...But they're also not the most welcomed in pony lands. It's a cycle I suppose, I'm glad to have at least chipped away at that, even if just a little bit." they would say with no small measure of pride. It took some hard work and effort to establish themselves in Canterlot! Visiting Ponyville was easy, it was a very welcoming place and Canterlot was starting to take after it some, but there would always be some snubnoses out there, little one can do about that. "My pack operates not terribly far from Solstice Heights, so when I decided to open up a jewelry store I figured Canterlot a perfect place. That being said it certainly was a bit of a challenge getting a paw in the door. But it was a challenge that proved well worth it I think." Sparkles' tail would wag softly behind him as he gave a glance in Licorice's direction with a loving smile. "Not trying to get too sappy, but with there being a certain guest here, love is in the air I suppose."

Now that had Sparkles' curiosity piqued. A little brow arched at Licorice as he idly stirred his drink with one paw, the other holding his chin as a smirk played across his lips. The stallion wasn't really one to do innuendo, at least not ones that most could really pick up on. Made it all the more fun of a guessing game, but perhaps they would see later just what their pony really meant. The diamond dog had ordered a nice Alfredo dish and was of course mindful of tucking in a napkin to avoid getting any on their top. "I can imagine guard duty getting a bit isolating." they'd say with a nod and a glance over at the dining Licorice. "That's why it's good to have a good-natured nosy diamond dog around now and again." Sparkles would giggle and take a bit of their meal, dabbing away any leftover sauce as they glanced around the room. "Well would you look at that. Not just the quintessential couple of Equestria, but those two as well huh? All the more star studded tonight it seems!" Sparkles said aloud to himself as he saw both Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Perhaps not household names, but one would be hard pressed living somewhere like Canterlot without having heard of them at least once, maybe thrice. "Ever and more feeling the odd dog out~ This spinel can only sparkle so brightly after all."

Sparkles could count on one paw the amount of fancy get-togethers he had been invited to. It was one aside from this. They'd once gone to a smallish get together of a client of theirs who just had to show off the necklace they crafted for them with them there. The dog assumed it was for the novelty of it, but they went anyway. It was fine, dull, lots of tiny unfilling food and lifeless music, but it went well enough. It absolutely was not what he would have called a wonderful time though. This however at least showed the promise of not being so stuffy one might think you're in a teddy bear factory. After having hopped down from Licorice's back to take their seat — and their seat was even pushed in for them, they certainly found a keeper — Sparkles would wave in greeting to Heart Shield. "Very nice to meet you as well! I hope you don't mind the company." they would say with a smile, giving another glace around the room to take in the sights. Hoo boy did they feel like a fish out of water here. It seemed like it was going to be a fairly quiet get toget-NOPE. Jumping Jimminy but did Princess Cadence have some pipes on her. Where it anyone else, Sparkles would have to question just why she was so excited. But with a title like Princess of Love? "Any closer to that outburst and it wouldn't be just wedding bells that'd be ringing..." Sparkles said with a soft giggle and a rub of one of their ears

Starlight knew that being late with lunch wasn't the best thing for somepony's nutrition, but making sure her office was sat up well, then making sure to take all the time she could to listen to anyone that came by that morning meant that the mare was running a wee bit late for her break. But given that the new Headmare had given everyone a longer lunch break, was she really all that late? A little. Bit first days were always a bit frazzling though. The unicorn's lunch was something she had prepared and warmed up herself, not because she didn't enjoy the school's lunches, but because she'd been practicing cooking for a little bit now. A hay burger with brie and caramelized onions, as well as some thick cut fries as well, not the world's greatest meal but certainly impressive for only a few days practice. "Hey! Sorry I'm a little late." Starlight would say with a smile as she approached, waving to Rarity as she passed by on her way out. "Well she certainly seemed excited about something. Hope I'm not interrupting anything!"

Again the mare would nod, listening as Silverstream spoke. It wasn't easy dealing with the idea that you and friends could go their separate ways someday, or that after finding friendship that you'd have to experience things alone again someday. It's understandable for the hippogriff to feel that concern, goodness knows Starlight often had. "One of the biggest joys of friendship isn't just maintaining the ones you have, but also cultivating new ones." Starlight said with a gentle smile as she took her seat once again. "If you focus too much on the sardines, you miss out on the anchovies and the prawns." Fish analogies were harder than they seemed..."You're worried about losing who you are now because you feel your friends have led you to be who you are, right?" Starlight knew how that felt too, lessons learned the hard way helped her showed her the loss or gain of true friendship can be changing. However. The mare shook her head. "The you that you are now was always inside of you. Just as your friends helped bring that out, you've helped to bring out the them they are." The mare took a little sip of her tea before continuing. "Your friends are your inspiration, and I'm sure you're an inspiration to them too. If you were somehow far away from your friends, I can't imagine for a second you'd not see something, think of one of them, and be inspired still. And think of it this way, every time you got the chance to see them again, think of how much you'd be able to share with one another. All the lessons and experiences. It'd be like opening a Hearth's Warming gift every time you gathered round!" Starlight would smile and set her now empty cup aside. "That spark of inspiration that your friends helped to ignite is inside of you no matter the distance."

Ship Name: Zephyr's Kiss Captain: Tarisio Goldplume Ship Ranking: Aeronautical, Refurbished Griffon Military Great Frigate, 5th Rank Gundecks: 1 Guns: 40+ Including but not limited to several 42 Pounders, 4 Long Nines, 4 Cannonades, 2 Paixhans Guns, and several appropriated magitech cannons Crew Size: 200~ Player Played Crew: Tarisio Mercutio Goldplume - Captain - Myself Minerva Sheartalon - First Mate - Myself Edelweiss - Cabin Boy - Windwright

~~~~~~~Two Hours Earlier~~~~~~ Sparkles sighed softly, leaning against the wall, watching as Licorice ran to and fro in what could only be labeled as a panic. Ever since the letter of the ball arrived the stallion had been worrying about what they should wear, who would be there, how they should arrive. It was like watching a filly get ready for her prom and the diamond dog couldn't help but to giggle at this a little bit, but as time ticked closer and closer to the ball arriving he knew he'd have to step in and get the poor dear to focus a little bit. It was a time to relax, a time to unwind and enjoy themselves. And maybe a chance to show off a little bit. At the very least, Licorice needed to do the former or he'd tie himself into a Licorice Knot. Having already decided on what they were going to wear, most of the dog's time was spend helping get Licorice set up. Licorice's medals and commendations were shined up and pinned onto the stallion's top by the tiny dog, a little brush of the mane, a little spritz of some delightfully rose scented cologne, and he was ready. All that was left was for the dog to get dressed and the two of them to decide on their arrival...Which Sparkles already had a little bit of an idea for~ ~~~~~~Now~~~~~~ Perched atop Licorice's back sidesaddle and legs crossed with an air of grandeur at least ten times bigger than he was, Sparkles smiled and gently rubbed the stallion's back. The diamond dog himself was dressed in a stunning sapphire blue tuxedo with dazzling silver cuff links that adorned the wrists, also studded with sapphires of course. "Oh I think it certainly might. Whether it's the call out or who, or rather what, your plus one is, guess we'll know before the night's through huh?" Sparkles giggled to themselves as their eyes glided around the room, he wasn't personally acquainted with...well anyone here. Though they did recognize a few faces. Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence being the most obvious two, but there were a couple they vaguely recalled seeing at the costume contest during Nightmare Night if they weren't mistaken. But that was neither here nor there. Sparkles would casually lean in and whisper to Licorice. "Shining Armor is all the more impressive in person, cuts a really dashing figure. And Cadence, gosh, what I wouldn't give to hair like hers." the dog idly fiddled with the fluffy fur atop their head and sighed softly before shrugging. "Let me know if I'm starting to make a fool of myself sweetie. Cus I'm not quite as used to the sorts of affairs."

Name: Sparkles Role: Plus Ultra One Attending with: Licorice Whip

The mare's listening ears were on high as she sat quietly, letting the hippogriff expound upon her feelings. As she went on, Starlight couldn't help but to feel a kinship with Silverstream's worries. After all, everything that lead her to where she is in life was catalyzed by the 'loss' of a friend. It was never an easy concept to think about, losing touch with somepony that you care about, that you see every single day and spend so much time with. To think that in one single moment that could all change and be snatched away from you in the blink of an eye. It's like a part of your world crumbling down...But what she had taken years to learn, the students had so much more time to see. Despite her misty eyes, Starlight spoke up at last a moment after SIlverstream finished. "Oh...I know that feeling all too well. The idea of losing a friend can be terrifying." the mare would rise up to her hooves and move to Silverstream's side, gently laying a hoof on her shoulder. "When I was a filly younger than you, I lost touch with a good friend. The only one I had at the time at that." she'd chuckle softly and continue. "The hurt and loneliness made me a really bitter pony...I did a lot of things I regret. But then I met Twilight and the girls and...even if I didn't realize it at the time, things started changing for the better." she shook her head and laughed. "I'll spare you the boring details on that and get to the point...I finally ran into that friend again after all those years. Things were...a little rocky for a bit, but I found out that even after all those years apart, in the end? We were still friends." Starlight smiled softly, pausing for a moment before continuing again. "Sometimes friends part ways, and they may not see one another for months or years. But no matter the distance, no matter the time, they'll always be right with you." the mare would gently poke the hippogriff's chest, just by her heart. "Growing and learning on your own is nothing to feel bad about. Because your friends will always be there. And if you ever do part ways, think of all the wonderful things you'll be able to share once you reunite. Change is nothing to be afraid of, because near or far, your friends will always be with you. Me included!" she'd finish, offering Silverstream a little hug for comfort.

Starlight chuckled softly, Silverstream was always such a bundle of energy, it was good to see that extended beyond school. That kind of positive attitude would carry her far in life. "That's wonderfully nice of you, Silverstream, I'm certain Sandbar appreciates it!" she'd say with a smile and a nod. It was good that the children were learning to share the weight of responsibility. No one pony can carry everything on their shoulders, at least not for long. "As for getting some apples." she went on to explain, just as Smolder arrived. "Applejack's got a sort of special sale going on today. Five bits for a bushel! Buuut there's a bit of a twist to it." Starlight glanced back over towards the booth where AJ and a mare she seemed rather familiar with were gabbing and chuckled. "But if you don't know, I won't spoil the surprise for you." Starlight gave a little wink and adjusted the bushels floating at her side. "You girls have a great day, I'll see you all later!" the mare would wave once more before moving to make her way back off to Ponyville, she had some apple prepping to do!

Taking a moment to step up to the supplies, Àilóng would exchange a few pleasantries with the stall's owner before returning to Yuè's side with a smile, laying them out on the table before them. Vibrant reds and purples were apparently going to be used with the materials the disguised dragon had chosen, as well as a bit of yellow to accentuate. "Oh you know you're free to ask anything of me, Yuè." he'd reply with a smile as he started into his part of the work. "Truth be told it is much like your own celebrations! Even some of the stuffiest amongst us find themselves loosening up and partaking in dances and games with their friends and neighbors. Our homes are decorated with colourful lanterns and much time is spent together fixing things like yuanxiao, fagao, or yusheng." he couldn't help but to lick his lips a little and laugh. The food was usually the best part of these celebrations, with the mare at his side that was easily beaten. "But what of you and yours? How does the palace celebrate this most wonderful of occasions?" Àilóng asked with a tilt of his head. A large part of him assumed that his poor friend barely got a moment to even think about the holiday, let alone celebrate it, but knowing her brother as well as he does the bigger part of him was certain she at least had a little time to indulge in some 'frivolity'.