Canterlot [Army Ball - PUBLIC] Red Carpet Run

[Dio]

The ornate doors of the palace complex stand open, aglow with the soft light of aetherlamps. A red carpet traces a path from the castle gates through the courtyard, and into the castle foyer. At the head of this carpet stand guards in formal armor, checking in their comrades and their friends and family to the festivities beyond. You step up to the cordon and the guard ushers you through. The air itself seems alive as ponies clad in military regalia and formal wear mill about on the carpet and the warm strains of jazz music waft from within the castle walls. The entire night awaits you.

What will you do?

[Bellosh]

[colour=#ff6666]

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Well, wasn’t this a sight for Dr. Spin Tale to behold. Quite a while back, he had learned through written correspondence that Princess Celestia had been in the process of devising an event to honor those who serve in the Royal Equestria Army; something Dr. Tale obviously wholeheartedly approved of, being the President and Curator-in-Chief of the Canterlot Army Historical Society and all. Then sometime after that... what was supposed to be a mudane trip for out-of-town business left the foolhardy stallion away from Canterlot on a most dreadful sort of endeavor; one that featured a never-ending march of annoyances and inconveniences of infinite stripes and shapes.

But now the curator was back home on his native turf, and it seemed that in his absence, a Royal Equestrian Army Ball finally became a reality. Knowing that he could use anything to wind down after all his recent travels, Spin Tale resolved to go to the event and provide his support for Equestria’s peacekeepers. Maybe he’d get a chance to say hello to some familiar faces too!

Dr. Tale never had much use for extravagant appearances; a black bow tie and neatly-combed mane sufficed to make the earth pony presentable for tonight’s purposes. As he stood off to the side of the red carpet with throngs of other ponies, Spin wonder who he’d encounter first this fine evening.....

[Elderflower]

Elderflower let out a nervous yelp as she was shepherded through the massive doors of Canterlot Castle. The crowd pouring in was just as huge as the one that had gathered for the recent coronation, and El was no more comfortable here than she was back then. She simply wasn’t used to these massive throngs, despite being a Canterlot native. The last few years of her life revolved around traveling alone to find the best plants to breed for her teas, then constructing and running the Elder Tree Teahouse. The biggest “crowd” she was used to was the afternoon rush that came into her shop. Truth be told, she would have skipped out on the ball entirely – not out of a lack of support for the Royal Equestrian Army, but simply because she knew she’d be uncomfortable in such a massive gathering of ponies. Her parents, however, had other plans for her. Just like they coerced her to go to the coronation, they had harassed her until she agreed to attend tonight’s celebration.

So here she was, spiffed up (the result of her mother’s deft hoof for beauty) and completely at a loss for what to do next. She would admit, though, that the music drifting in from the dance area was catchy, and seeing the foyer lit up by glowing arcane energy was absolutely enchanting. El allowed herself to relax a little, pushing a small wisp of pink mane out of her eyes with a hoof. Despite being a little bitter that she was forced into coming here tonight, she did enjoy getting a bit of a beauty treatment from her mother from time to time. For tonight’s event, El’s mane had been woven into a loose but elaborate braid that hung down to her knees. Little crystal drops that looked like dew and elderflowers preserved in beeswax dotted the hairstyle. Her tail was in its usual bun-loop, though the hair that hung down was braided like her mane (and adorned with crystal drops and elderflowers to match as well). Her dress was a somewhat simple affair – golden silks in a flowing, breezy style with a cream band wrapping around the neckline and then running down her left side to the bottom hemline of the skirt. It felt nice to be dressed up! It didn’t happen often. And with the beeswax-dipped flowers, she didn’t even need perfume. The wax itself had a divine, floral-honey aroma.

The scent, actually, was reassuring. It reminded the wisp of a mare of her garden and her teahouse, something that was guaranteed to soothe her spirits. She was actually beginning to really relax when a boisterous and loud-mouthed old mare moved out of the crowd to find a friend and accidentally bumped into her. In turn, El was shoved forwards and found herself colliding with something solid and warm. The mare that bumped into her charged off without so much as an apology, and El backed up, fixing her hair nervously with a hoof, her cheeks blushing violently.

[colour=#ffa07a]“S-sorry about that,”[/colour] she said quietly to the stallion. A look of horror struck her as she realized she had messed up his bowtie. Eep!

[colour=#ffa07a]“Sorry! I can fix that,”[/colour] she apologized again, her horn glowing a pale gold as she fixed the stallion’s bowtie with her magic. When it was straight again, she gave a little nod as if to say “Perfect!” and offered the stranger a small smile.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Well, this is certainly an interesting way to meet somepony new. My name is Elderflower. And you are?”[/colour] Despite her nerves, El hadn’t lost her touch as a conversationalist. It came with running your own teahouse! She gets great practice with her customers.

[Bellosh]

[colour=#ff6666]

[/colour]

[colour=#ff6666]“BLAGHH!”[/colour] Poor Spin Tale couldn’t catch a break if he owned the world’s biggest next. Only mere minutes after entering through the castle’s massive doors, he found himself rammed by another pony... a tall unicorn mare to be exact. And this was only the second time tonight somepony collided into the red earth pony, the first being somewhere outside the castle. Large-scale public events always seemed to be a brewing ground for collisions, mused Dr. Tale.

This time however, Spin’s bowtie didn’t survive the encountered without getting crooked. Before the stallion could offer a standard statement of apology acceptance, the mare who crashed into him took it upon herself to readjust his bowtie. Her action gave Dr. Tale a chance to get a good look at the cream-coated stranger. Obviously this mare took significant time and effort to appear spectacular for the REA Ball, and the mare’s dress, while far from upper-crust stock, complemented her very well. Oh, and she smelled of honey too for that matter.

Once the stranger fixed the miniscule damage she caused a moment ago, she introduced herself as Elderflower. That name sounded somewhat familiar to Dr. Spin Tale... oddly enough, it kinda reminded him of that Elder Tree Teahouse place he passed by every so often. Anywho, Spin smiled and offered a hoofshake to Elderflower as he provided his standard introduction; [colour=#ff6666]“I’m Dr. Spin Tale; President and Curator-in-Chief of the Canterlot Army Historical Society. I presume you’re here to honor our soldiers like I am?”[/colour]

[Elderflower]

Still smiling, El reached out and shook hooves with Dr. Spin Tale.

[colour=#ffa07a]“That’s quite the impressive title!”[/colour] she remarked, [colour=#ffa07a]“My position is much less esteemed than your, it seems. I run a teahouse in the mercantile district. A fairly humble position, next to a President and Curator-in-Chief. I don’t think I would trade what I have though, all the same. As for this ball, well…yes. A little?”[/colour]

El sighed, and momentarily looked a way, her cheeks flushing a little – that must have sounded dreadful!

[colour=#ffa07a]“What I mean to say,”[/colour] she continued, smiling a little awkwardly,[colour=#ffa07a] “Is that I had planned on celebrating at home as opposed to coming out. I’ve had the teahouse decorated in honour of the Royal Equestrian Army for days now to celebrate the Ball, and to be honest that was what I wanted my little part to be. I’m not very good with crowds like this…which I guess you already know, considering how this conversation started![/colour]

[colour=#ffa07a]“In any case, I was pressured into coming here by my folks. Seems a bit foolish, at my age, but – oh. Oh! I’ve been blathering! My apologies. So, ah, how did you get involved with the Canterlot Army Historical Society, if you don’t mind my asking?”[/colour]

Well. Apparently speaking to her patrons was much easier than speaking in the World Outside the Teahouse, as El liked to call it. At this point she felt a little foolish – normally, she had tea as a fallback. Ponies had questions about her shop: how she started it, what her teas are, where they come from - it always made conversation easy. The real world, however, didn’t revolve around tea or tea culture, which left her feeling much like a fish out of water. Perhaps her parents were right in shoving her out of her house for the night. She might just learn a thing or two about carrying a normal conversation. At the very least, the wisp of a mare hoped she didn’t scare Dr. Spin Tale off with her rambling. He seemed pleasant, and she was genuinely curious to hear about how he earned such a prestigious career!

[Bellosh]

[colour=#ff6666]

[/colour]

Dr. Spin Tale suppressed a chuckle as Elderflower thought his title was impressive... on the contrary, nothing could be further from the truth. But the stallion kept his mouth shut knowing full well how awkward the mare sounded. Dr. Tale himself had never been one to shy away from social situations, but he knew plenty of old friends who couldn’t talk with anypony new if their lives depended on it. Thus, Spin could sympathize with Elderflower.

Once the confirmed tea shop owner relented in her nervous blabbering, Dr. Tale issued one slight correction; [colour=#ff6666]“To be fair, my title’s not that impressive... the Canterlot Army Historical Society is actually a very niche organization in the grand scheme of things. I’m all but certain your tea house made more money these past few months than my humble museum.”[/colour] This time not holding back his chuckling, Spin’s claim indeed thought his claim as 100% accurate; the museum had in fact been operated by a couple of dedicated interns the entire time while the red earth pony had been busy elsewhere conducting various affairs. Heh; served him right for not returning a simple library book on time.

But Spin Tale summoned a new smile on his face as he switched gears more pleasant conversation subjects. [colour=#ff6666]“Don’t get me wrong though,”[/colour] he assured Elderflower; [colour=#ff6666]“I love working as the museum’s curator. It’s kind of a family business, you might say. My parents founded the Society after my dad... got honorably discharged from REA service; it’s a long but interesting story. Anyway though, when I got older though, I drove my parents to make the Society more than just some club that met once a month in my parents’ living room. Nowadays, not only do I run a museum, but I publish a tidy research publication too.”[/colour]

Looking wistfully for a moment, the museum curator soon turned his eyesight back towards Elderflower; [colour=#ff6666]“Anywho Miss Flower, I take it that your business is doing good?”[/colour]

[Jane]

Hammer Spark kinesthinetically tugged at the collar of his formal uniform - he was utterly unused to wearing it, but such was expected of him at such a formal gathering. At least he wasn't the only one - many of his comrades seemed to be doing the same. Ugh - he would take gold-plated armor over stiff, starched and itchy fabric any day of the week.

Or maybe he was just nervous. He decided that was probably more likely. How long had it been since he'd seen her? Several years, by his estimation, and as exciting as these past years have been, he was anxious to see her again. He scanned the crowds coming in, knowing that the one he sought would stand out among the throngs of ponies on account of there being one major distinction: She was a dragon.

He hoped there wouldn't be any objections from the higher ups to him inviting his adopted sister. After all, family was welcome, and the sergeant was used to arguing on Sierra's behalf - he'd been doing so since he was a colt in cadets, after all.

He'd sent her the invitation weeks ago - she lived a rather nomadic life, but the two of them communicated using magic. Indeed, although it had been years since they'd seen one another face to face, the two of them kept in touch rather religiously via correspondence. And learning that he would be seeing his sister at an event so illustrious as the Army Ball was both exciting and nerve-wracking. What would his superiors think of him dancing with a dragon?

Well, he'd decided, Sierra had been no secret. Eventually his comrades asked if there was a mare he was writing to so faithfully, and he had told them the truth (and endured several weeks of being mockingly called Dragon-boy as a result). If his bringing a small dragon to such an event as this would pose any problems with the officers, he would deal with the problems civilly and respectfully as they came along. But tonight was meant to be a special night for the soldiers to enjoy themselves and spend time with their families. And Sierra was family, nopony would dare argue with him over that. Mares came and went, but the dragon was as steady a friend and sister as any stallion could ask for.

Finally, he caught sight of her in the courtyard - the scaly, reptilian head rising above the heads of the other ponies. She had grown some in the years since he'd last seen her, but was still small for a dragon. Of course, Hammer Spark knew better than anypony that what she lacked in size she made up for in strength, courage and wit. Oh, how good it was to see her again! A wave of emotions rushed over him and very nearly swept him away - it took all his carefully-disciplined self-restraint not to gallop across the foyer. Instead, he trotted as quickly as was socially acceptable under the circumstances, giving quick polite nods to the ponies he passed as he went and saluting to those he recognized as higher-ranking officers in the army.

[colour=#7f0000]"Sierra!"[/colour] he called out when he reached the courtyard, though there were still several bodies between the two of them. [colour=#7f0000]"Sierra, my sister! At long last, you're here!"[/colour]

​

[Elderflower]

[colour=#ffa07a]

[/colour]“Hm,” Elderflower said, holding a hoof to her chin as she thought for a moment, “I think you exaggerate the humble nature of your career. Small or not, so long as the knowledge contained within is true or even has value beyond the literal, a museum is a precious thing. I may be a little bit tea-brained and horribly lacking in historical knowledge compared to yourself, but growing up in Canterlot I have visited quite a few museums. Not yours, unfortunately, though I would like to visit it someday, now! Er, either way, I appreciate the quiet atmosphere. Ponies gather together in these places and it’s like a spell’s been placed on them: everypony grows still and hushed, more hungry for knowledge than the company of others. And yet, despite this, there’s an immediate sense of camaraderie. You read one document after another pony, and you feel as though you’ve connected them, or at least I do! I always wonder what they think about what they see and read, the ponies ahead of and behind me. It’s a little game I play, I suppose…Ahem, anyways. All I’m trying to say is that no matter the size of the museum, I don’t think that any of them are humble or small in worth.”

Perhaps it was a mixture of her lack of experience with academia and the way she projected her own experiences onto the idea of the place, but El genuinely appreciated every museum she had ever visited. Atmosphere was something that was very precious to the owner of the Elder Tree Teahouse, after all, so every atmosphere that stands out to her and strikes a similar cord to the serenity she strives to create in her shop has the ability to instantly charm her.

At the very least, she felt herself calming down and stepping away from the jitters she had earlier. With the right topic, she could easily start chatting, and after that it was just a small wait before she was completely relaxed.

“My business is doing quite well, yes,” she replied quietly, smiling fondly at the thought of her teahouse and the little garden she had worked so hard to cultivate, “It’s not quite the gilded lap of luxury that many places in Canterlot seem to be, but I have worked very hard to create a place where anypony can come to unwind and feel completely at ease, and I like to think I have succeeded. I hope I have, at least. I spent a large portion of my life traveling Equestria on my own to start my garden, after all. It would be a shame if my teas could not succeed in soothing my patrons: that is of upmost importance! That said, it can be very tough work. Gardening and making tea and baking and running the shop just with the help of a little fairy wren, well, it can be taxing. It is rare I have a day off, except for the Canterlot-wide holidays, though I often work through those as well! It’s a tough, but very rewarding way of living!

“Oh my,” she finished, her expression turning apologetic as colour touched her cheeks once more,[colour=#ffa07a]

​[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]Sierra could be described as being a rather composed young dragon. She had something of a temper, but otherwise she was levelheaded and mature for her age. As she found her way across the red carpet for the REA Ball, however, she found that she could not even begin to contain her enthusiasm. Despite the fact that she had spent her days traveling the world, It had been years since she had returned home to Canterlot. She hadn't seen her family in so long now. She had missed them so much, and none more than him, Hammer Spark, her brother and lifelong friend. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Now here she was, with him right in her sites. Sierra had to fight the powerful urge to open her wings to thrust herself forward and tackle him to the ground. If she were still a child and smaller than him, she likely would have. Instead, she just increased her pace. She was sure many gathered there found the sudden appearance of a dragon to be a curious thing, but she didn't pay any of the other any mind. No, her eyes stayed on Hammer, a grin stuck on her face. Sure, they had been in regular contact throughout the years, but letters were no substitute for actually seeing him again.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She managed to checked herself as she got closer. She knocked herself mentally for letting herself get carried away. They weren't children anymore; Hammer was a soldier and the setting was a esteemed ball held in honor of the service of he and his comrades in the guard. She needed to remain respectable and presentable. She had stressed so much already in preparing for the event. As his guest, she really had to take it as seriously as she could. She had had no clue how to even dress herself for the event. The REA Ball suggested formality and regalia, but that really wasn't Sierra's style and there really weren't a lot of places to get clothing for dragons in the first place. Not wanting to go underdressed, but not wanting to spend for some kind of elaborate custom dress, she had settled on a long and flowing fancy dark purple cape that covered most of her, including her wings.[/colour]

​

[colour=#7F0000]"Sierra! [/colour][colour=#7F0000]Sierra, my sister! At long last, you're here!"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]At the sound of his voice, Sierra found herself no longer able to hold back. She strode boldly right up to the unicorn stallion, quickly past several ponies. She took a moment to admire how cool and dignified he looked in his formal uniform before breaking out a giant grin.[/colour]

[colour=#cc99ff]"Hammer.... I missed you so much![/colour]" [colour=#000000]she started as she moved toward him. She pulled the stallion into a powerful hug.[/colour] [colour=#cc99ff]"It's been far too long! There's so much to discuss."[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She pulled back then and gave a nod.[/colour] [colour=#cc99ff]"You look rather cool and distinguished in that uniform, by the way. Not bad!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, still grinning.[/colour]

​

[Bellosh]

[colour=#ff6666]

[/colour]

Well now... Dr. Spin Tale didn’t expect Elderflower to plow into an eloquent argument for the worthiness of museums, but she did. As it matter of fact, hearing that torrent of words made the curator feel even more like his old self again, before he went away from Canterlot. [colour=#ff6666]“Well, I must say,”[/colour] fondly commented the stallion;[colour=#ff6666] “I hardly know anypony who thinks of museums in that sort of light... heck, I don’t many among my own colleagues who see those places in that sort of light. Then again, I suppose it’s equine nature to take what we have for granted until it’s gone.”[/colour]

Pausing to chuckle, Dr. Tale smiled as he went on; [colour=#ff6666]“If you’d like Miss Elderflower, I’ll give you my card; it’ll tell you where you can find the Canterlot Army Historical Museum should you feel the desire to stop by.”[/colour] After reaching into his mane to provide the mare with a business card, Spin heard all about all the hard work Elderflower put into her business. When she felt she rambled on for too long, the red earth pony chimed in with an amusing request;[colour=#ff6666] “Say, you don’t sell any grape-flavoured teas at your place, do you? Personally, I really love grape juice, heh heh.....”[/colour]

[RegalSteel]

"[colour=#999999]Mother stop fussing over my mane and hurry![/colour]" Regal scolded the pinkish older mare. The three of them were all dressed in their finest, Regal and her parents. Adamant Shield; Regal's father, was in his REA dress uniform, medals dangling from his chest, all freshly polished. Fluerette; Regal's mother, wore a vibrantly blue coloured gown made of fine silks that held to her small frame well and hung loosely from her flank to the ground below. Regal herself wore a much more subdued lavender coloured dress and silver jewelry to compliment it. Her mane was done up into little curls that turned up toward the sky around her neck. Fluerette had commissioned the two dresses from a friend in the 'biz' as she called it and fussed endlessly over the past month over fittings, colours, and every other little detail. Now that the day had arrived the two ladies had spent the morning at the spa and gotten their manes and tails done for the ball. Regal loved her mother but she was growing impatient with her endless pestering about out of place hair.

They at last neared their destination, albeit a bit late; which Regal suspected her mother had orchestrated purposely to be fashionably late. "[colour=#999999]There it is,[/colour]" Regal announced happily as the castle came into view at the end of a long red carpet, "[colour=#999999]Canterlot Castle.[/colour]" She could see her mother's face brighten at the sight of it all, the glitz and glamour immediately flipping a switch in her head as she took Adamant Shield by the arm and started down the carpet, a big grin on her face. Regal shook her head and giggled as she followed behind her parents, trying to keep her composure despite her amusement. The beautifully armoured guard ushers them in through the Castle's massive gates.

The plaza was filled with ponies of all different shapes and sizes, all mingling about with soldiers, friends, and families. Regal had never been in the castle before and her golden eyes took in every inch of the gleaming alabaster hungrily. She couldn't believe she had been so lucky to be able to attend this wonderful event. She looked around at different group of attendees; a tall graceful looking unicorn was conversing with a stallion with a black tie, what appeared to be siblings hugging, and so many more! She was a bit overwhelmed by the mere number of ponies in the place that she hadn't realized her parents had wandered away from her into the crowd, doubtless to find an old friend of her father's. She looked about unsure what to do with herself.

​

[Jane]

In a matter of seconds, it seemed that every childhood memory he had of Sierra came rushing back to him in an instant as Hammer Spark approached his sister. Seeing the young dragon in the flesh felt a lot like taking a step back in time. She looked beautiful – for the occasion, she had donned a flowing cape of dark purple, appropriate attire for a dragon on such an occasion. When she rushed forward, Hammer Spark dropped all formalities and all sense of ceremony and pomp and allowed himself to be pulled into his sister’s embrace. There was nothing, absolutely nothing in the entire world quite like a dragon hug.

[colour=#7f0000]“Oh, dear sister, I’ve missed you as well! You’re absolutely right; it has been entirely far too long since last we spoke,”[/colour] he said as they pulled back from one another’s embrace.

​

[colour=#cc99ff]"You look rather cool and distinguished in that uniform, by the way. Not bad!"[/colour] she said, still grinning.

[colour=#7f0000]“The uniform? Oh, this – isn’t it terrible? I do so dislike it. Give me armor any day; you know, I’ve never really been one for the pomp and ceremony of the army, and probably wouldn’t have bothered with tonight if you hadn’t agreed to come along.”[/colour] This was true, of course. They were all soldiers because they wanted to serve and protect their country, not because they wanted to get caught up in the ceremony and glamour of the military. Hammer strongly disliked those who romanticized the life of a soldier. [colour=#7f0000]“However, may I say that you look absolutely stunning in that cape, Sierra? It suits you perfectly!”[/colour]

At that, the stallion turned back towards the red carpet that led into the castle ballroom – part of him wanted to introduce her to his friends, but mostly he just wanted to sit down and catch up with her on everything that she had done since they parted ways those several years ago. [colour=#7f0000]“So tell me sister, where have your adventures been taking you lately? I hear you’ve been travelling all over the wide, known world! It’s so strange to be back in Canterlot after gallivanting all over the place, isn’t it?”[/colour]

​

[RarityDash]

[colour=#7F0000]“The uniform? Oh, this – isn’t it terrible? I do so dislike it. Give me armor any day; you know, I’ve never really been one for the pomp and ceremony of the army, and probably wouldn’t have bothered with tonight if you hadn’t agreed to come along.”[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Sierra gave a chuckle at the response. It was exactly the sort of thing she'd expect her darling brother to say. He had always been humble stallion, and the sort to be most comfortable standing proud in the armor of the guard. It was a relief to see he wasn't one to change needlessly. All the same, he really did look cool and dignified in his uniform. She was positive that were he to hit the dance floor at this ball, the mares wouldn't hesitate to queue up for a dance. She'd have to tease him more about it later.[/colour]

​

[colour=#7F0000]“However, may I say that you look absolutely stunning in that cape, Sierra? It suits you perfectly!”[/colour]

[colour=#cc99ff]"Well, figured I gotta wear something... and there isn't much that suits us dragons," [/colour][colour=#000000]she responded to the compliment with a laugh. [/colour]

[colour=#cc99ff]"Thanks though. I'm gonna stand out, so it is better if I look good..."[/colour][colour=#000000] she added kind of shyly. She really wasn't one for this kind of thing. Crowds had a tendency of making her self-conscious. Big crowds could even make her anxious. She really hadn't been sure about coming to the ball at first, but a chance to see Hammer again was worth any discomfort.[/colour]

​

“So tell me sister, where have your adventures been taking you lately? I hear you’ve been travelling all over the wide, known world! It’s so strange to be back in Canterlot after gallivanting all over the place, isn’t it?”

[colour=#000000]The dragoness smiled at this question. She enjoyed discussing her travels. Really, exploring the world, seeing different sites, that was her element. Hammer of course knew this, which was probably why he was so quick to ask her about it all. She gave a sharp nod before opening her mouth.[/colour]

[colour=#cc99ff]"Well, it wasn't too long ago that I got back from a voyage of many months down to Unyasi, if you can believe it. Such an exotic and lively land that is! We saw so many new things there. Quite the experience,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, nodding some more. This particular had been her first time in Unyasi, and had left her with a lot interesting memories, especially since it had happened with such an interesting and varied crew.[/colour]

[colour=#cc99ff]"Other than that, I've mostly been called upon for the usual sorts of excursions. Everfree, the badlands, the swamplands in Aquelia. I'm still the dragon to call on for anypony wanting to trek through any of Equestria's rougher spots,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she continued, giving it some thought. There wasn't as much recently quite as memorable as Unyasi, though her excursions were almost always fun. [/colour][colour=#cc99ff]"I have a few Arctic excursions coming up; that area has become a lot more popular what with that Crystal Empire that's apparently up there now."[/colour]

She gave a small laugh and a sigh. [colour=#cc99ff]"I haven't been down toward Canterlot in I don't know how long. These days I don't even tend to spend very much time at home in Breakbeak before I have some other trip to leave on,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she added.[/colour]

​

[Elderflower]

[colour=#ffa07a]

[/colour]El smiled brightly, waving a hoof as if to brush off Spin Tale’s comment.

“Oh, I’m sure many of them have a similar feeling to mine, they probably just choose not to discuss it. I’ve got a fondness for atmosphere, myself, so I can get a little carried away on the subject – that’s all!”

A 'fondness' was a pretty hefty understatement, however. To Elderflower, atmosphere was everything! Well, after tea. It helped so much to shape and define her own business, so it was something she put a great deal of care and consideration into. It started as a small-scale obsession that focused on perfecting the mood of the Elder Tree, but quickly evolved to a passion of hers. After all, once she was able to scrutinize and evaluate the ambience in her own home, she quickly began to pick up on the nuances of “mood” elsewhere. It was something she truly enjoyed!

The wisp of a unicorn took the proffered card, enveloping it in golden light before tucking it into one of the folds of her dress, where it wouldn’t wrinkle her outfit.

“Excellent!” she exclaimed, “I look forward to visiting!”

After her little ramble, Spin Tale piped up about grape tea. Grape tea? Had she even tasted a grape tea? Oh, she had tasted a few sorry attempts, but she couldn’t recall ever having a successful grape tea. It certainly didn’t sound like an appealing concept, but still…she couldn’t just brush off the idea.

[colour=#ffa07a]“I can’t say I’ve ever made grape tea, or tried anything like it…I’m not sure it would even make a good tea! But I can certainly try experimenting – if anything, I could make grape syrups and try flavouring different teas with it,”[/colour] El tapped her chin thoughtfully and trailed off, a look of intense concentration on her face as she considered different combinations of flavours and brews.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Tell you what! Pop by the Teahouse sometime! I’ll get working on this conundrum immediately, and I’ll probably have something for you to try in the very near future!”[/colour][colour=#ffa07a]

​[/colour]

[Jane]

Hammer Spark listened with intense interest as his sister spoke passionately about her journeys. So intensely focused was he on finally hearing her voice again that the ballroom and its excitement seemed to slowly fade away into the background.

​

[colour=#cc99ff]"Well, it wasn't too long ago that I got back from a voyage of many months down to Unyasi, if you can believe it. Such an exotic and lively land that is! We saw so many new things there. Quite the experience."[/colour]

​

[colour=#7f0000]"Unyasi! Oh my dear sister, that must have been so exciting! I have only heard stories about the place, it must have been wondrous to visit and experience first-hoof! The Zebras have such a unique and fascinating culture and I am sure it was quite insightful to spend some time in their native land."[/colour]

​

[colour=#cc99ff]"Other than that, I've mostly been called upon for the usual sorts of excursions. Everfree, the badlands, the swamplands in Aquelia. I'm still the dragon to call on for anypony wanting to trek through any of Equestria's rougher spots. I have a few Arctic excursions coming up; that area has become a lot more popular what with that Crystal Empire that's apparently up there now."[/colour]

​

[colour=#7f0000]"Ahh, the arctic! I may have ventured to the far northern reaches of our land once or twice whilst I was stationed in Stalliongrad. I have yet to get to the Crystal Empire, though I would love to head up there as soon as I can,"[/colour] he sighed, smiling. [colour=#7f0000]"It is so good to hear that you're making a life for yourself, Sierra. I always knew you would accomplish great things - how wonderful is it to see and experience Equestria for yourself? Of course, my experiences have differed rather drastically from yours, being of the military variety, but I have still been so many places and seen so many things, and I wouldn't have it any other way."[/colour]

​

[colour=#cc99ff]"I haven't been down toward Canterlot in I don't know how long. These days I don't even tend to spend very much time at home in Breakbeak before I have some other trip to leave on,"[/colour]

​

Hammer frowned slightly. He knew his sister didn't much like crowds, but of course in his excitement to see her, he very nearly forgot where they were as he listened to her speak of her adventures. But as their conversation slowed, he too began to be self-conscious of the stares the two were getting from the other ponies. There weren't too many - a lot of the ponies were engaged in their own affairs - a tall unicorn mare seemed to be deep in conversation with a light red earth pony. A grey mare in a lavender gown stood anxiously with her family. Perhaps they had both worried needlessly as to just how Sierra would be received at the event.

[colour=#7f0000]"And I do so appreciate that you came to Canterlot to visit me as you did. I know how you feel about the crowded city and I'm so grateful that you're here in spite of your reservations,"[/colour] he told her, [colour=#7f0000]"but to put it simply, unless you're planning on setting the place ablaze, it doesn't really look like anypony cares that you're a dragon. I think they're just more curious than anything."[/colour]

​

[Bellosh]

[colour=#ff6666]

[/colour]

Dr. Spin Tale heartily laughed as Elderflower apologized for her ambience ramblings, his smile indicating that he appreciated her thoughts on the subject nonetheless. Who knows? Maybe the tea shop owner might have some constructive thoughts on how to improve the atmosphere of the stallion’s museum and attract more visitors. And because Elderflower graciously accepted the offer to visit the Canterlot Army Historical Museum, it looked like Dr. Tale could be getting her insights very soon.

As Spin Tale expected, the task of brewing a grape-flavoured tea appeared to be all but pointless. Not that the earth pony minded though; his request born out of jest rather than a genuine want for the tea in question. No matter how frivolous his request was though, Dr. Tale decided to accept Elderflower’s own offer to drop by the Teahouse; [colour=#ff6666]“You don’t really need to go through all that trouble Miss Flower; not on my account. However, I shall take up your offer anyway. If you’re going to stop by my museum, the least I can do then is to... heh, take a break from grape juice for one measly day.”[/colour]

[GingerbreadSpy]

Moon Walker trotted through the entrance, clad in aforementioned military regalia, with his son, Tawny, following close behind. He veered off the red carpet a bit to make room for other ponies coming through and beamed at the proceedings going on around him.[colour=#a52a2a] "So, son, what do you think? Pretty fancy party, huh?"[/colour] He gestured at everything with a hoof.

Tawny was dressed in a little tuxedo meant for colts with a red bow-tie. He edged a little closer to his father, nervous not only about being surrounded by so many ponies he didn't know but also about being in the palace. What if he accidentally broke something expensive? Would he get in trouble, would his father be fired, would the princesses hate him? He didn't want his father to think he was a complete wimp, though, especially since he seemed so happy about being at this army ball thing. Tawny avoided looking at his father but nodded.

[colour=#ffcc99]"Y-yeah, this is... a great party,"[/colour] he said, forcing a smile.

[colour=#a52a2a]"That's the spirit!"[/colour] Moon Walker exclaimed, oblivious to his son's discomfort.[colour=#a52a2a] "Now, let's go find some punch!"[/colour] He got about half-way to a buffet table before he stopped in his tracks. He casted an uncertain look toward Tawny. [colour=#a52a2a]"You like punch, right?"[/colour]

[colour=#ffcc99]"Yes?"[/colour] Tawny dared a glance up at his father. He was smiling. That's good. Maybe the party wouldn't be so bad, after all. And he did actually like punch.

[colour=#a52a2a]"Great!" [/colour]He lead the way to the buffet table.

[PyroBlaze]

Pyro Blaze walked through the entrance, looking at all the soldiers in the room. It had taken some convincing, but Pyro finally got his parents to agree to let him come. It was his dream to become one of them after all, well a guard anyway, but they were close enough in his book. This was a rare occurrence for Pyro; not only was he able to meet some soldiers from the army, but he had also put on a fancy suit. Rarer still, Pyro had taken off his sunglasses as a sign of respect to the army. It showed his red eyes to everypony, but he thought that better than seeming disrespectful.

Pyro wandered the ball, looking for a soldier to socialize with, when he saw one talking to a dragon in the courtyard. Pyro wondered how he had missed a dragon at the party as he walked over to them, narrowly missing other ponies that were in the path. As he got closer, Pyro noticed that the two seemed very friendly with each other, so when he noticed a lull in the conversation, he asked them [colour=#ff0000]"Are you two friends? That would be awesome, a soldier and a dragon being friends! I'm Pyro Blaze, but everyone just calls me Pyro. I always loved the army, in fact I have wanted to join the guard for as long as I can remember. Pretty much the same as the army, but I get to stay near home too! If you don't mind me asking, why did you join Mister...?"[/colour]