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Royal Hunger Pains (Open: Dance Hall)


SteelEagle

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"Heh, Mr. Waddle, the family's great!" Applejack had always wondered what kind of relationships Granny Smith conspired to these days. Of course, since Grandad passed away, it always was apparent to Applejack that her granny would still be interested in finding a non-relative companion. Granny needs love too, you know. Applejack winked at the old stallion and offered some fritters to him in hoof.

Timid approached Applejack and asked about Apple Bloom. "Oh actually, she's here at the gala! We couldn't resist bringing her to Canterlot now that its including all ponies of all ages and lifestyles." Applejack opened her smile. "I think Scoots, SB and her are in the garden right now, probably on their crusade."

As Carrot bowed towards Twilight, Applejack bowed towards Celestia in the opposite direction. "Howdy Princess! This has been the best gall dern gala yet! Princess, what's your favorite part? Have you tried the apple cinnamon crumple cake that the kitchen just put out a few minutes ago?"

As Applejack also observed Carrot showing reverence to Twilight, she knew it was unnecessary but for the sake of what was probably just one of a thousand bows Twilight got today, she didn't speak up to interject it.

Applejack saw that the dance hall had lots of ponies, but didn't really have that many of them dancing. "Pinkie, where's that DJ? Some of us ponies, want to cut a rug!"

She turned to her good grey friend, "Right, Carrot?"

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Twilight was a major fan of breathing! In fact, somepony could say it was a personal requirement for living. Controlling it was also immensely helpful at magic, and it didn't hurt that certain exercises helped keep her calm in even the most stressful of situations. But a Pinkie hug was something that twilight could never prepare for and all she could do was endure the epic, epic, super hug of champions and sleeper hold that was being applied. After a few seconds she pulled herself free of Pinkie's hug, head light and smile lighter as she re-adjusted her tiara which had against all logic stayed put.

"Well Pinkie, singing in the Canterlot fillies choir was much easier when everypony else sang and you could just blend in," Twilight said, rolling her eyes in remembrance. She could still remember almost every song she sung in choir, if only because she learned that some things in life were simply beyond her and singing well was one thing that no amount of preparation and practice could help her with. Or maybe she could have if magical studies didn't absorb her so much- she wondered if the Element of Magic could become the Element of Music? Another research topic! Thank you, Pinkie.

As the wind came back to her, she smiled at Rarity's business revelations. No doubt this year provided her with many times the normal number of gala customers, especially since the normal attendees tended to shop local in Canterlot and were well-stocked in one-off dresses as it stood. Nice to see that her friends were benefiting, even if she hadn't necessarily considered it when she drew the plans up.

"I'm glad to hear that, Rarity. I'll be excited to see how far this pushes your...brand?...into Canterlot's social scene. I'm sure that soon enough I'll see every gala attendee wearing a 'Rarity"!" Twilight didn't remember the name of her friend's designs, due less to ignorance and more to being over-capacity the weeks previous.

As she pondered Rarity's extensive list of designs, Carrot bowed awkwardly as he fumbled over his words. It was typical- a stallion struck by beauty seemed infinitely less able to handle it than a mare in the same quagmire. Velvet had always joked this was because a mare was used to such beauty as she looked in the mirror every morning, and that worked well enough for Twilight since all other biological and chemical testing she had conducted on the matter was inconclusive on any differences between mares and stallions in that situation. And thinking how to improve on the testing kept her from being too awkward as she lifted her hoof up.

"No need to bow, Carrot, umm, you may rise? Anyhoof, it's nice to meet you. Applejack has told me plenty!"

As the party continued in it's excited timber, Princess Celestia arrived in all of the subtle radiance and calming aura that was her most effective vanguard. The more Twilight studied, the better she understood what true power was and more importantly what it meant to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Celestia oozed serenity and warmth and that dripped into Twilight as well, who resisted the natural inclination to bow along with the other guests. The reflex to bow was one thing that;d take her some time to conquer, for sure. But just as quickly as her warmth came a sudden nerve-pinging sense of fear struck.

"Celestia, has the throne room closed for greetings?" Her ears pinned back slightly, "or do you need me to go there? Oh, was I supposed to be there already!? Has the schedule changed? Did we change the guards already?" Twilight's hoof shot to her mouth as she ran, re-ran, ran, and re-ran the schedule for the throne room over in her head a thousand times over a thousand times every second that snuck by and struck like a dagger from the dark. Oh no, my first gala and I've made a critical error!

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Fluttershy's gala had been going SO much better than her last. She, of course, had spent much of her time in the gardens, out of the noise and bustle of the rest of the event. The night-blooming flowers had been especially lush and beautiful this year. Also, to her delight, she'd finally gotten many of the animals in the gardens to warm up to her. She had realized how impatient she had been, trying to chase down the creatures, even going so far as to try and trap them... WHAT has she been thinking?? This year, she had been calm, and patient, and she had let the animals come to her. She'd even gotten the resident spider monkey to start looking for bugs in her mane!

As lovely as the evening had been, the girls had all agreed that they needed to do something together at the Gala this year. So Fluttershy found herself nervously making her way though the castle. Now, the problem was finding her friends. Twilight had not been in the throne room when she arrived, and Rarity was no where to be seen in the ballroom. Some of the high-society mares had seemed to recognize her from her modeling, and she had slipped out as quickly as she could. A little growl from her belly made up her mind where to look next. The Gala's buffet was near the new Dance Hall, where Pinkie Pie would surely be, if nopony else.

The closer she got to the dance hall, the louder the music became. She was used to the music at Pinkie Pie's parties, but this was even louder. Finally, her ears lying down, she came withing sight of the buffet table. She also spotted some very familiar ponies already gathered there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she trotted up to her friends. "Good evening, girls," she called out, smiling. "I was wondering where everypony went..." it was then that Fluttershy noticed the other ponies gathered around. Oddly enough, there were several ponies here from Ponyville, including Derpy, and Pig Pen, who had adopted a raccoon from her at her pet fair. Little Timid Star was there as well, along with a few ponies she recognized but didn't know. She shied back a little, just because of the number of ponies gathered around Twilight. Well, it was to be expected, of course. This Gala was a celebration of Twilight's coronation, so she was bound to attract attention.

Just when Fluttershy was gathering her courage to continue, Princess Celestia approached the group. Fluttershy bowed respectfully to the Princess, but she actually relaxed more. The Princess was just so nice and kind, and she loved animals as much as Fluttershy did. It was a pleasure to be around her. Well, when there wasn't some disaster about to happen to Equestria that is... Twilight seemed to have the opposite reaction though. Equestria's newest princess looked as though she was about to have a full panic attack. Fluttershy held in a bit of a giggle. She may be a princess, but Twilight was still Twilight. "Um. Twilight?" Fluttershy said to her friend, placing a calming hoof on her shoulder. "I saw Princess Luna and Cadance in the Throne room on the way here. I think it's their turn."


Gala dress design from selinmarsou.

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No sooner had Celestia entered and given her greeting she already had ponies bowing and introducing themselves to her. No matter how often it happens, she still isn't quite used to ponies rushing her and bowing at the drop of a hat. Still though, she was going to try her best to dispense with the formalities as quickly as possible and enjoy the dance hall and the company of everypony as best as she could!

A rather unkempt pony rushed up to Celestia.

"Princess Celestia, this is an honor for me!"

Celestia startled by the pony rushing to her leaned back with one hoof up. "Greetings to you as well. You must be Pigpen, the one who donated the crown to Princess Cadence. I thank you for your kindness in doing so."

"I was delighted when both your sister and your neice visited my humble antique shop. I have to ask, was the crown I found and gave to them THE real ancient crown of Princess Platinum? I wasn't sure if it was authentic, but whether it's genuine or not, I am proud to have donated it to the Canterlot Museum, your majesty."

Celestia was taken aback by the question. She didn't hold all the answers and always liked it when things were left to her subjects whom were professionals in their field. She may be a wise and fair ruler, but nopony could be a master of all knowledge. "As for the crown and it's authenticity I'm sorry to say that I cannot say with any certainty if it is authentic or not, for I was merely a filly when Princess Platinum was in power. I have seen it in the museum, so I can only assume it is authentic, as the anthropologists at Canterlot Museum would not display a forgery. I do apologize that I am unable to provide you with a more definitive answer." Celestia explained trying to ignore his pungent odor. Celestia bowed her head to him as the next pony approached her. A milk chocolate coloured pony.

"Hello Princess Celestia," she said with a bow.

"Hello to you as well. I believe we've met at the Girl's Con in Ponyville. Sweet Surprise was it?" Celestia said with a smile bowing her head slightly.

Applejack, whom Celestia was already fairly well acquainted with, and always made her feel relaxed. Perhaps it was how AJ always made everyone feel welcome and like a part of her family.

"Howdy Princess! This has been the best gall dern gala yet! Princess, what's your favorite part? Have you tried the apple cinnamon crumple cake that the kitchen just put out a few minutes ago?

"It is a pleasure to see you again Applejack." Celestia greeted the farmpony. "My favorite part is the simple fact that it is open to all ponies and diverse. Last year this dance hall would have been scoffed at by the upper crust ponies who usually frequent the Gala. This very room went unused almost every year, but now it is a vibrant area with plenty of ponies having fun." Celestia answered. The gala that she would previously describe as 'awful' was this year fun and exciting. She was more than pleased with the turnout for this year and how it was progressing. "That is the cake that I just took a piece of. It just smelled delicious I couldn't resist. Even princesses need to eat, and this cake was simply hard to resist!" Celestia said as she took another regal bite of the cake she had so recently procured.

And then her prized pupil, Princess Twilight Sparkle broke out into one of her well known over reactions in response to her being there and not in the throne room as she had expected.

"Celestia, has the throne room closed for greetings?" Her ears pinned back slightly, "or do you need me to go there? Oh, was I supposed to be there already!? Has the schedule changed? Did we change the guards already?"

Celestia smiled warmly and let out a chuckle. Before she could answer and calm down Twilight, Fluttershy made her entrance. And like Celestia she chuckled at Twilight's overreaction to the idea of the throne room being empty and closed. Fluttershy simply bowed to Celestia and Celestia bowed her head in return. "Greetings Fluttershy. You seem to be enjoying yourself this year." Celestia remembered the last Gala all too well and how Twilight and her friends didn't have the best of times until they remembered the power of friendship and having fun with each other.

"Um. Twilight?" Fluttershy said to her friend, placing a calming hoof on her shoulder. "I saw Princess Luna and Cadance in the Throne room on the way here. I think it's their turn."

Celestia smiled and nodded at Fluttershy's words. "What Fluttershy says is true my faithful student. As much as I'd like to greet every guest, I cannot do so while hungry. We had arranged it this year so that there would always be two princesses to greet and the other two would be able to enjoy themselves and get sustenance." Celestia smiled looking at her Twilight. "So be calm and enjoy yourself Twilight."

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"Hello, Pinkie! Hello, Miss Rarity, it's been a long time. I'm that colt from the Wrap Up, the one who took a bit of a header from a juice stand and was involved with that whole bear business."

Things were starting to get very busy where they were gathered. Rarity was having a hard time keeping up with it all. When a cute young colt approached her with a greeting she put her attention that way. She smiled at him and gave a chuckle as he reminded her of the Winter Wrap Up several seasons past. That had certainly been a day rife with craziness.

"Why hello, darling! I don't think I could ever forget any of that day, even if I wanted!" she said, shaking her head slightly. "A pleasure seeing you again."

"That's very kind of you to say, if you sell guy's fashions, I'd like to visit your shop someday. They say clothes make the pony, so perhaps it's time I got a wardrobe."

Rarity looked back toward Pigpen as he spoke. She was all for making sales, but part of her did wonder if encouraging this one into her shop was a good idea. She didn't want any of his unfortunate odors permeating her merchandise after all. Still, she was nothing if not polite to potential customers and did her best to force a smile.

"I can make anything when it comes to clothing, dear and stallion wear is becoming increasingly popular at Carousel," she said, trying her best to stay as professional as possible. "Although, I would argue that there's far, far more to a pony than what he wears," she added, making sure her tone stayed positive.

"I'm glad to hear that, Rarity. I'll be excited to see how far this pushes your...brand?...into Canterlot's social scene. I'm sure that soon enough I'll see every gala attendee wearing a 'Rarity"!"

Rarity looked back toward Twilight then and nodded. "Wouldn't that be lovely?" she said with a laugh.

She sighed and looked out across the room. Familiar clothing was all over the place, but ultimately it was just a number of dots in a much larger crowd. "I'm still just one mare however. I have a long way to go before I'm truly one of the top designers in Equestria."

She giggled softly. "Of course, I'd say having a princess among my best friends definitely plays to my advantage!" she added cheerfully.

The unicorn turned around then to see that even more familiar ponies had appeared. There was Fluttershy and Carrot Fields, the kind farmer with the thick Fet Loch brogue she had met at Apple Bloom's birthday party. Then there was Princess Celestia herself! Rarity couldn't believe she had noticed her yet, but upon seeing her she gave a bow.

"Your Majesty! My most humble of thanks for hosting us all for this most delightful soiree!" she said reverently. In other circumstances she might be compelled to throw herself at the princesses hooves as she often did, but the Gala she thought called for a touch more restraint.

Lifting her head, she then looked over toward Fluttershy and smiled. "Fluttershy darling, how was the garden this evening?" she asked.

She then glanced toward Carrot. "And Mr. Fields! It's good to make your acquaintance yet again. What an eye catching ensemble you've chosen. I do still adore the kilt," she said, tilting her head aside.

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Mr Waddle and Pigpen both noticed how crowded this room was becoming.

"Oh my! There's certainly a lot of ponies here," Mr. Waddle commented. "I better give my greeting to Princess Celestia before more ponies enter."

As Mr Waddle walked towards her, Pigpen was finishing his conversation with the Princess.

"Your majesty, I plead to you that if I ever run into any other items that look historical in nature, I will gladly donate those as well," Pigpen said with a bow as he turned and walked towards the center of the room. "Look at all these mares! If I play my cards right, maybe I can get a date!"

"Good evening, Princess," Mr. Waddle said as the elderly stallion stood and bowed in front of Celestia. "I do appreciate the invitation you sent me to attend your niece's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, well, after that horrible Queen Chrystalis was defeated."

Now Mr Waddle felt bad. He didn't mean to bring up an event where Celestia ended up in peril. The eyeglass wearing stallion hoped he hadn't offended the Princess, that's the last thing on earth he wanted to do. Meanwhile, Pigpen had now made it over to the area where AppleJack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Princess Twilight were standing.

"Hello ladies," Pigpen said in his suave, confident voice. "This is my first visit to the castle, would one of you lovely mares be so kind as to show me around?"

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Rainbow Dash was back at the ball... ugh. Last time was not a good memory for her, but here she was, all the same, at she couldn't even say why. Support for her good buddy Twilight, she supposed. Still, she'd just finished a round of all the rooms she could find ... why did any building need this many rooms?! Anyway, no one to qualify for 'hanging' could be found. The Wonderbolts were all super-busy as usual, and everypony else had their thing... ah well. She had finally circled back to the snack table to regroup with her friends. Not that she didn't want to hang with them! Just last time they'd all been super-busy anyway.

Her eyes brightened as she was returning, though, to see an unexpected face! "Hey!" she chirped happily, pouncing out of the air to land next to Carrot Fields, tossing an arm around his shoulders. "Carrot! You were able to make it, after all! AWESOME! Lookin' sharp, that's quite a gala gown ya got there!" she teased good-naturedly, her hoof punching him in the chest. Lightly, of course.

She turned away from him and back to the food, to start to eat. This gala, she was wearing a dark, deep blue-purple gown, marked with tiny diamonds to evoke the night sky, and her mane was once again as long as it had been at Apple Bloom's birthday party - Rarity making full use of her new mane-growing spell to make Dash even more 'stunning' for tonight. Dash didn't care, but she'd told Rarity that as long as it made her happy, she was willing to put up with it. Her long mane was left loose, cascading over the dress, and a gauzy veil that covered her hair muted the colors, turning her rainbow mane and tail into a softer aurora borealis against the night sky of her diamond-studded gown.

When she turned back with a bunch of teeny-tiny fru-fru tarts balanced on her hoof, she grinned to Carrot. "Thought you were gonna be busy tonight!" she chirped merrily. "hey, guys, have you all met Carrot? I mean, I know AJ and Rarity and Pinkie have... I met him at the Daring Do convention, and we've been hanging since then!"

She then turned her attention to Rarity. "Oh! And Rarity, ponies love the gown. Just thought you should know. I keep getting questions about it, and I just referred them all to the Boutique. So kinda awesome there, huh?" She looked at Rarity's gown critically, seeing it in its full glory for the first time, then down at her own. "Oh, neat! We kinda match, huh? Not exactly the same, but kinda close! Cool! Looks better on you, though, you're made for this sorta thing."

Then she turned to Twilight, wanting to support her friend in her responsibilities. "Doin' good, Twi? Worried you were gonna be stuck at that greeting line all night. UGH! Dire, amirite? Booooooooring. Glad you got away from there! All six of us hanging, that's the ticket!" Cause frankly, if her responsibilities involved that much boredom, then they needed to change a few traditions.

"Highness," she tossed off as an afterthought to Celestia, giving a little wave of her hoof that kinda suggested a salute.
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Sweet Surprise was amazed at the number of ponies that seemed to gravitate to one area! The young mare guessed it was because of having two Princess in one area and not to mention the food. To her surprise, Princess Celestia seemed to remember her from a certain other party that both the Earth pony and the Alicorn were at. Of course it was hard not for Sweet to be noticed there as her mane was illuminated by glow sticks, giving it the rainbow hue of Celestia's mane.

"Oh yeah, right, the Girls Con. I remember now. And yes my name is Sweet Surprise, Canterlot's candy confectioner! I have to say this Gala is really nice! i've lived here my entire life but never went to a Grand Galloping Gala until now."

The mare was amazed at the number of ponies that knew Twilight. They didn't seem to just be the regular ponies saying hello to the Princess but close friends to her.

"Wow Twilight, you really have a big circle of pony friends. Nice to meet all of you! Are you all having a super fun time at the Gala?"

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Pinkie Pie's party mode was beginning to go full throttle! She tossed some confetti over Timid. "Hiya squirt! Enjoying the par~tay? Have some cake! And crackers! And carrot sticks dipped in caramel! Mmm! She unceremoniously piled the food in the arms of the timid pony, casually waving to Celestia as she saw her approach the table. "Hiya Tia! Ooooh you picked the chocolate hay fudge chip cake! You know Sugarcube Corner does a really good version of that? You should stop by sometime and play with the Twins! Pumpkin would love to meet you! When I say 'meet you' I mean she'll probably latch on to your horn and use it like a pacifier!"

The pink mare's attention wafted back to Rarity. "Oooh a new dress? Yes, please! Maybe you might come up with something for Nightmare Night or something! I want lots and lots of candy on my dress! TONS!" Her blue gaze caught sight of a familiar pastel-yellow pegasus. Her jaw nearly hit the floor. Fluttershy was here...and she was being social?! She wooshed to her, giving her a squeezyhug. "Eee, you'e here! It's so loud and full of so many ponies here, I bet they're all looking right at your lovely dress, Fluttershy!" Gummy blinked his beady eyes in greeting. He was still latched to Pinkie's tail...

"I need to check my other dress for a DJ, Applejack. We'll be cutting rugs, tiles, and all sorts of things soon, I Pinkie Pie promise!"

Just then, Rainbow Dash appeared! The pink party pony hopped with bubbly excitement! At last, the stars and planets had aligned...all of her friends were finally in one place, and this time it was to have fun instead of save Equestria. Though...saving Equestria could be pretty fun, too! "Sure, I've met Carrot. It was at Sweet Apple Acres. He's terrible at baking, though he's pretty neat! How's it goin'?!"

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He was pleasantly surprised that they all seemed to remember him in some fashion. He grinned as Pinkie tossed confetti over him, but staggered as his plate was loaded with treats without much warning. "Thanks Pinkie! I'm totally ready for it!", he replied gaily, the added weight under the levitation field a little troubling. His eyes became pinholes of effort as he ramped up the output from his horn to keep it from flinging into his face like it had done at the CRPR. He couldn't let this suit get ruined!

He turned his attention to Applejack next, listening as she said that they were all crusading somewhere in the gardens. That was all well and good, but he didn't think he'd have time to go see them presently. He nodded to Applejack and smiled, relieved to hear that they were here though. "Oh! Okay, maybe I'll go meet up with them later on! Thanks for telling me, Applejack!", he replied to her softly, grateful for her information. He managed to levitate a treat to his mouth and consume it, feeling a bit of a rush from the sugars contained within. This was turning out wonderfully so far for him.

He had to giggle as Rarity recalled that day, shaking her head slightly. It was a crazy day but it all turned out alright in the end. "Yeah, it's a pleasure to see you again as well, Miss Rarity. It was a mad day but at least it turned out well in the end!", he said cheerfully, smiling at her. She looked breathtaking in her dress, in fact they all did! He ate a few more treats that were on his plate and politely wiped his muzzle with a napkin before turning to Sweet Surprise.

As he opened his mouth to reply to her, he noticed Princess Celestia join them and take a bite of cake. He bowed to her and felt so honored to be in their company. "Hello, Princess Celestia...", he said to her so very softly, his lilting accent filled with the greatest respect and awe for her. He almost didn't notice Fluttershy arriving shortly after Celestia, but he managed a small hoof wave to her, making a note to at least speak with her soon as another familiar pony arrived. He had seen her all over the Wrap Up a few seasons ago and could put a name to the face, considering how often ponies talked about her. This was almost too much for him to handle, being surrounded by all six of the Elements in a confined space and with the regal Princess Celestia to boot! He shivered and mouthed to Sweet, "I'll drop by sometime...".

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Carrot Fields didn’t bow because he felt that he was required to, at least not since he was in the R.E.A where it was naturally expected, but because he was always taught that any princess was worthy of such respect. That feeling was a common one back among the folk in Fet Loch, where older ways still often held sway among the traditionaist ponies of the isolated region. Carrot never believed he was old fashioned, although it would appear he was the only one being so formal towards Twilight.

Carrot stood back up on all fours when Twilight acknowledged him, “umm.. it is braw, Ah mean a pleasure, er, honur, tae meit ye, yer highness.” He wasn’t sure how formal to play it, he didn’t know her like Applejack did, and was surprised that she was told about him, "she has?? umm, och sure she has, Ah was tauld ye tois ur pure close friends! I’m surprised Ah cam up, but Ah guess it makes sense, wi' AJ an' Ah bein' neighbors an' aw. She tauld me ye ran th' toon library, i’d ne'er imagine a librarian becomin' a princess!” Ugh.. That sounded all wrong! “Ah meant, er, ye ne'er know fa woods become a one.”, that didn’t sound any better! “Uhh, Ah mean congratulations!”

The embarrassed stallion walked backwards to extradite himself from the situation when he suddenly heard the similar voice and hug of Rainbow Dash! Carrot’s eyes widened in surprised shock before calming to a shy smile, “Och guid day Dash, yeah actually Applejack invited me tae come alang wi' 'er, Ah wasn’t gonnae come originally, nae actually mah hin', but she convinced me.” Of course the truth was the only ‘convincing’ he needed was that a really cute mare asked him to come.

His face went flat though at Dash’s evaluation of his outfit, “A kilt, it is a kilt, jist loch at Applebloom’s ceilidh!” He sighed in realization after his protest, “Ye ur jist messin' wi' me, aren’t ye? weel ye certainly know hoo tae frock in style thoogh… Ye look… bonnie.”

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Strangely enough, all this talk of funny food made Derpy Hooves thirst for a drink. Why this was so… Derpy didn’t understand. Maybe it was just a simple coincidence that the young mare needed something to drink after trying to figure out if zuchinni was good or not. Either way, she touched down again right next to the catering table in order to fill a glass of punch.

Pouring the punch into the glass using the ladle was the easy part; making the drink chilly would be the hard part. Woefully for the gray pegasus who desired ice, no tray could be found within sight. And yet… there was a frozen ice sculpture of a prancing pony right next to the punch bowl. There was a source of ice… if only Derpy could figure out how to take a piece of that ice!

Mere moments later, the goofball came up with a most brilliant solution; to use the ladle to knock off part of the icy rearleg right into the punch glass. Not bothering to check her surroundings to see if anypony was staring at her, Miss Hooves hovered up in the air once more to stare intently at her target. After performing some quick mental calculations, Derpy twisted her head off to one side; her muzzle gripping the ladle tightly in a way so that the ladle's bottom could deliver an impact blunt enough to chip off once bit of ice. When ready, she took a big swing at the leg of ice… and *POP*, one icy chunk fell right into the mare’s cup in a perfect dive! FLAWLESS VICTORY!

Taking one last moment to inspect the vandalized leg, Derpy Hooves briefly pondered whether that leg could still support the weight of the entire ice sculpture.......... naaah, it looked totally fine to the googly-eyed pegasus. Content with her now-chilled punch and mentally patting herself on the back for her brilliant out-of-the-box thinking, the blonde mare flew away to someplace else within the Dance Hall, oblivious to what could have been happening behind her.....

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Fuchsia Blooms had lived in Canterlot all her life, and attending the Grand Galloping Gala had been her dream since fillyhood. She had never gotten an invitation until now. Granted, it was because all the ponies in Equestria were on the guest list, but that wasn't going to squelch her excitement. She had spent a long time wandering in the gardens as soon as she had arrived, how could she resist? But as the hour grew later, the dance floor started calling her name. She wistfully left the night blooming flowers in the gardens, and headed into the dance hall.

Fuchsia's normally wavy pink mane was done up in ringlet curls, with sprays of baby's breath and blushing tea roses woven in. Her tail was also curled, and loosely plaited and wound with strands of pearls. Her dress was pale green silk, with champagne gold embroidery and seed pearls creating a subtle leafy vine pattern on the bodice and skirt. She wore matching dancing slippers with hard soles that clicked as she walked if she wasn't careful.

As the cream white unicorn mare stepped into the hall, she looked around. She saw the snack table, and her stomach gurgled. Right, food. It wouldn't do to faint on the dance floor because she had forgotten to eat anything. There were quite a few ponies gathered around there already. Fuchsia saw why immediately, Princess Celestia was chatting and eating a slice of cake. There were also some other familiar faces, and some she only knew by reputation. Undaunted, she wandered over and snagged an apple turnover from the pile of pastries on the table. Taking a bite, she turned towards the crowd of ponies and politely listened to the conversation.

That was when she noticed the stallion in the kilt. She had never seen anypony wearing a kilt, only read about them in some of her silly romance novels. Surpressing a blush, Fuchsia thought he looked quite dashing. And a ladies colt, too, considering all the mares who were being very friendly with him. Finishing her pastry, she gathered up her courage, trotted up to him and introduced herself.

"Hello there! My name is Fuchsia Blooms. I couldn't help but notice your outfit. I've never seen anypony dressed in a kilt before. Are you from around here?"

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Applejack was only slightly astonished at how much attention Carrot was getting from other ponies. Rainbow Dash seemed surprised that Carrot showed up at all, and another pony whom Applejack had not met was also giving attention to the grey stallion. Rarity complimented his kilt as was expected, and Carrot fumbled his words as he responded to Twilight's knowledge of Applejack's farmer friend. He was completely surrounded. Applejack knew that Carrot would flush red and turn nervous in front of her alone at times, she wasn't sure how he could handle a constant bombardment of so many ponies dressed their best at a social dance hall during the biggest event in the country.

But she saw his smile at least, at that meant good enough. It was important to Applejack that he have a good time. After all, she is the one who brought him. Breaking the ice didn't seem to be something Carrot was all that good at, however, and Applejack grew a little concerned over time. But then, right behind Carrot stood a tall ice sculpture in the shape of a pony. Very elegant, but it seemed to be getting bigger, or closer? What? Applejack saw it before anyone. The big ice sculpture started to timber its way down on Carrot and all Applejack could do is point at it and scream, "GRAVY BOATS WITH APPLESAUCE!"

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Rainbow Dash was moving almost before thinking, her gown and elongated mane streaming behind her as she lifted into the air and darted across the few feet between them to intercept the falling ice sculpture.

Along with the *strangest* sense of deja vu, like she'd done this befo-

..

Uh oh. This is where the previous gala had fallen completely apart. What had she done wrong last time?

Um.

...

uh

...

"Twilight!" she cried with mock cheerfulness, straining as the ice sculpture started tilting off to the side, trying to keep it steady as long as she could. She worked to mask her nervousness that this time it was gonna happen even earlier than the last. "Your turn!"
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Twilight let out a loud sigh of relief, chastising herself for her outburst internally. Of course Celestia wouldn't have allowed the throne room to go without Princesses to greet ponies, and having even momentarily thought otherwise out of fear of being unprepared was a poor sign if she was to take on more responsibility. She chalked it up to an over-abundance of nerves on her first gala as Princess going almost too well- something had to go wrong at some point and until something did she wouldn't feel right. She wasn't sure if that was just experience or cynicism talking. It was good to be relieved in any case, and she laughed before looking down to the floor for no more time than it took to consider her silliness.

"Ah, of course. I didn't expect it to be that late already, Princess. I'm sorry for the outburst," Twilight began before she brightened up considerably, giving Fluttershy a quick but strong hug. The immaculately dressed pegasus looked stunning- it was always shocking how beautiful she was when she wanted to be.

"Fluttershy, how are you enjoying the Gala? I bet you're enjoying the way the gardens has been prepared for a more, err, vigorous crowd," Twilight nodded enthusiastically, a personal project of hers during the planning trying to ensure that the animals and flowers present there were more sociable than in years past where by common experience they were a rather prickly bunch, sometimes literally. Much better this year!

Almost as improved was the styles of the ponies that had come. Here, Twilight believed that Rarity shortchanged herself significantly. No single pony with so little in the way of marketing or production backing them, no public relations powerhouse firms and magazines or massive production houses an warehouses behind them, was having such an impact in the style of high society. It wasn't Twilight's crowd but she had done her research- last year, Canterlot or Manehattan based design firms accounted for over ninety-three percent of all sales made to Gala attendees. Now the percentage would have changed simply because they opened the Gala up, but Ponyville accounted for a solid eight percent of all formal attire at the Gala this year. Not all of it was Rarity but it was a large increase, the fourth largest behind Canterlot, Manehattan, and Talinopolis- which was where almost every griffon attendee had gotten their styling. Point being, Rarity was a fashion powerhouse even if she wouldn't acknowledge.

Fashion powerhouse with a Princess as a friend, even.

"Well, maybe it evens the score. They still have public relations teams, marketing departments, and warehouses full of ponies making their designs. You've gotten this far with just yourself. Imagine where you'll be in just a few years!" Twilight offered, willingly being the bridge that Rarity would use to get to greener pastures. She worked hard- she deserved it.

And few ponies deserved a good Gala more than Rainbow Dash, who had quite the spectacularly eventful Gala the last time. Luckily this time the party was expanded not only in the amount of attendees but also in the size of the space. She wasn't forced to be around ancient statues and marble columns that she could destroy accidentally like true disasters from outside Equestria were rumored to do. Two factors drew her more, however. First and foremost was how she looked- put simply, she looked amazing. Rarity's magic was doing wonders and few things were as impressive as the work she had started on making Rainbow Dash slightly less unkempt than she normally looked. By the end, Rainbow Dash would...look presentable for a few days, maybe. Well, it wasn't like she looked bad normally, not at all! Very beautiful, but active. And she didn't take care of herself. And she slept in clouds. And sometimes she didn't wash before hugging Twilight after a race or something else that forced her to sweat. But that was secondary to how she acted around Carrot- Twilight suppressed a smile. Now now, why would she be acting that way about Applejack's guest?

Obviously she had absolutely crushed him in a race.

"I'm meeting him for the first time, though between you and Applejack I've learned a bit about him so far," She ended with a laugh, nudging Carrot, "I haven't seen him in a gown just yet. His kilt is rather dashing though. I've known a few guards from Fet Loch. Applejack told me you were in the REA, Carrot? Applejack has said nothing but kind things about you, especially regarding your ]amazing foalsitting capabilities. And please, just be calm and treat me as you would any other pony. I might be an Alicorn Princess of Equestria and the Element of Magic but I'm still probably nerdier on the subject of Daring Do than the both of you...combined, " She playfully poked his kilt as she spoke about it. Indeed, there were a few rather proud Fet Lochians who wore similar outfits though they were all too happy to explain differences in family tartans.

"Speaking of dresses and whathaveyou, that's a fine dress you have, Rainbow. I'm having a good time so far- got to meet a lot of ponies and helped plan all this out. Few things are better than a plan working to perfection!" She beamed, taking deserved pride in seeing everything come together. Everypony was happy. Everything was serene and calm and nice. And then a smaller voiced himed in, Sweet Surprise somewhat, well, surprised at the extent of her friendships.

"Yes, these are my very best friends- my PFF's, if you will. I'm sure you have some of your own?" She ended with a question, more than happy to let him go into great detail about his friends. Timid was having fun, Pinkie was having fun, and the tenth mare a minute in Fuschia Bloom was trying to get a word in edgewise with Carrot while Celestia calmly spoke with her subjects pleasantly. Everything was going fine and for the first time in a long time, her best friends were gathered in one place.

Then the other hoof dropped.

While Twilight was conversing with Sweet Surprise and waiting for the youth of Equestria to open up, Derpy did a Derpy thing and she nade a huge derp that would have derped most other events up. She knocked an ice sculpture over. Not just any ice sculpture, but one of three unique sculptures crafted for the event for ambiance as part of Twilight's outreach to the artist community that was growing in Stalliongrad. A bloated but brilliant prancing pony practically parading proudly started sliding suspiciously down devilishly, daring fiendishly friends and partygoers alike. Applejack was the first to notice and as she yelled out, Rainbow Dash leapt into action.

But this wasn't the first time Dash had been in such a spot, and not the first time she had been in such a spot at the Gala. She didn't even have to ask for Twilight's help, as the Princess narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth in concentration. It wasn't a job that required an epic display of power or skill but any first-lesson unicorn knew that no magic should be undertaken without proper care and focus. A micro-second later Twilight took hold of the shattered ice sculpture, encasing it in her purple magical grip.

"Good job, Rainbow. I've got this," Twilight took whatever pressure Dash was still taking off as she took complete control of the sculpture. Her aura surrounded it, encased it, felt along it's ridges and smooth corners and even off the little drops of water that started to fall as the protection spell cast against melting wore off. Twilight levitated the sculpture back into place, feeling a slight pinch as she got it back into place. Slowly she worked it until she had done all she could, but still there was trouble- one leg was missing, and the remaining leg could not support the weight alone. She'd have to hold it in place until a replacement could be found- and why not recast a protection spell, this time a more potent one? Her horn glowed brighter for a fraction of a moment and so did the statue until it returned to the normal purple of telekinetic domination.

"Hmm, well...that should prevent it from taking any more damage, but unless I spend the rest of the night holding it up we're going to need a new leg. Celestia- Your Highness-" Twilight looked ahead blankly for a second before turning to Celestia with a befuddled expression even as she kept the sculpture in place,

"So what DO I call you now? Do we call each other Your Highness is semi-official settings? I guess Celestia will have to work for now."

OOC- Let Celestia fix that leg, you hippies.

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Fuchsia Blooms stood quietly aside and smiled politely as Princess Twilight spoke to the other ponies around her. She had never met the princess before, only seen her from a distance. Once at the royal wedding, and once at the coronation ceremony. Up close, she was not as imposing as Celestia, who was still munching cake nearby, but just as friendly to everyone.

Her ears perked at the mention of Daring Do. Fuchsia was a fan of the series, but not a hardcore fanatic. She had attended the convention held in Ponyville the previous year, and enjoyed herself immensely. It was wonderful to hear that the princess was also a fan, although it wasn't completely surprising. Twilight Sparkle did live in a library, after all.

Just then, the ice sculpture started to topple over. Fuchsia yelped and leaped back as Rainbow Dash caught it. "Oh my, that was a close call, wasn't it?" she said to no pony in particular. She took another step back away from the table, looking around to see if any of the other decorations were threatening to fall.

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The Gala was more lively than ever, some might argue even more so than last year. Though last years was a fair bit more chaotic, but all things considered this was a step in the right direction by Celestia's standards. She'd rather see ponies having fun and enjoying themselves than being sticks in the mud. And much like last year at the center of the excitement was Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Though they weren't causing a scene like last year, they exuded a certain energy that drew ponies to them and it seemed that the dance hall in particular had a particularly fun energy that made Celestia smile. She couldn't personally pull any antics as she was the Gala host and needed to keep up appearances so to speak, but she knew that something was bound to happen much like last year, especially now with so many more ponies in attendance.

"Your Majesty! My most humble of thanks for hosting us all for this most delightful soiree!" she said reverently. In other circumstances she might be compelled to throw herself at the princesses hooves as she often did, but the Gala she thought called for a touch more restraint.

"As always it is my pleasure Rarity. I'm glad you are enjoying yourself." Celestia said warmly. "And I must thank you for not throwing yourself at my hooves like the last time we met at a dance party." Celestia said in playful jest and was of course referring to the Equestria Girls Convention in Ponyville. Celestia never did get used to ponies throwing themselves at her hooves, kissing her hooves or anything else. She acted with regal air, but never saw herself any better than any other pony. Every pony was equally important after all, regardless of title.

"Your majesty, I plead to you that if I ever run into any other items that look historical in nature, I will gladly donate those as well," Pigpen said with a bow as he turned and walked towards the center of the room. "Look at all these mares! If I play my cards right, maybe I can get a date!"

Celestia was always polite to everyone, but even she really wanted to distance herself from the pungently odored Pig Pen. Celestia smiled as he stated that he would gladly donate any other relic he might come across. "I do so appreciate that my loyal Pig Pen. Equestria and myself can only be thankful when mindful citizens donate pieces of our collective history to museums, rather than keep things for their personal collection. I applaud your selflessness and look forward to viewing anything else you may find in your profession." Celestia said with a humble bow as Pig Pen went off to mingle with mares. Though Celestia was indeed thankful for his donation, she was equally as thankful that he was moving away from her. He was a kind and generous pony who seemed to share everything, including his body odor.

"Good evening, Princess," Mr. Waddle said as the elderly stallion stood and bowed in front of Celestia. "I do appreciate the invitation you sent me to attend your niece's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, well, after that horrible Queen Chrystalis was defeated."

Celestia bowed her head to Mr Waddle. "Good evening to you Mr Waddle." Celestia began as he brought up Cadence's wedding and invasion of the changeligns. Celestia didn't much mind being defeated, so long as everything worked out in the end. She wasn't all powerful as many ponies made her out to be, so when she was defeated by Chrysalis it was something she knew was a possibility. Though she would have liked to have defeated the powerful foe, she wasn't so egotistical to believe that she was undefeatable, after all she couldn't beat her own sister, King Sombra nor Discord without the help of the Elements of Harmony. "I'm glad you liked the ceremony after that incident. It really was a beautiful ceremony, and we have Twilight Sparkle to thank for that. She really came through for everyone that day, as well as the indomitable love of her brother Shining Armour and Princess Cadence." Princess Celestia said with confidence and warm memories of the day. She may have been defeated, but far more was gained that day, including knowledge of her student's growth and vindication of her beliefs and will. That was a very proud day for her.

"Highness," she tossed off as an afterthought to Celestia, giving a little wave of her hoof that kinda suggested a salute.

"Greetings Rainbow Dash." Celestia greeted Rainbow Dash but quickly saw that she was more interested in her friends than herself, so Celestia decided to interact with the other ponies around her.

"Hiya Tia! Ooooh you picked the chocolate hay fudge chip cake! You know Sugarcube Corner does a really good version of that? You should stop by sometime and play with the Twins! Pumpkin would love to meet you! When I say 'meet you' I mean she'll probably latch on to your horn and use it like a pacifier!"

"Hello Pinkie Pie." Celestia said warmly. "Chocolate hay fudge chip?" Celestia looked down at her plate confused. Celestia looked in surprise. "I seem to have grabbed the wrong plate in all the confusion..." Celestia looked around for her plate with the apple cinnamon crumple cake that she was eating just before but didn't see it. "I had the apple cinnamon crumple cake just a minute ago, but my plate seems to have disappeared..." Celestia didn't mind as her new plate was an uneaten slice of the chocolate hay fudge chip. She cut another slice and placed it on another plate in case she took someone else's slice. "Pinkie, you didn't switch my plate so you could tell me about your chocolate hay cake did you?" Celestia joked with the bright pink party pony. When Pinkie brought up Pumpkin Cake she chuckled at how Pinkie described her. "I'd love to meet Mr and Mrs Cake's foals one day. Perhaps the next time I'm in Ponyville I'll make another visit to Sugar Cube Corner."

"Hello, Princess Celestia..."

The golden coloured pony greeted Celestia. "Hello to you as well. I do not believe we have formally met." Celestia smiled extending a hoof to the pony.

No sooner had she extended her hoof did every pony's attention turn to the now falling ice sculpture.

"GRAVY BOATS WITH APPLESAUCE!"

Applejack exclaimed as the sculpture fell. This was rather reminiscent of the last gala, and shortly after that sculpture fell pandemonium ensued. Celestia remembered it all too well, she also remembered how much fun it was during that time. A boring affair was infused with excitement, and though it could be fun if this turned out the same, she had to protect her subjects from certain harm.

However before Celestia could react Rainbow Dash sprung into action and caught the sculpture, requesting Twilight to assist with her magic.

"Good job, Rainbow. I've got this," Twilight took whatever pressure Dash was still taking off as she took complete control of the sculpture. Her aura surrounded it, encased it, felt along it's ridges and smooth corners and even off the little drops of water that started to fall as the protection spell cast against melting wore off. Twilight levitated the sculpture back into place, feeling a slight pinch as she got it back into place. Slowly she worked it until she had done all she could, but still there was trouble- one leg was missing, and the remaining leg could not support the weight alone. She'd have to hold it in place until a replacement could be found- and why not recast a protection spell, this time a more potent one? Her horn glowed brighter for a fraction of a moment and so did the statue until it returned to the normal purple of telekinetic domination.

"Hmm, well...that should prevent it from taking any more damage, but unless I spend the rest of the night holding it up we're going to need a new leg. Celestia- Your Highness-" Twilight looked ahead blankly for a second before turning to Celestia with a befuddled expression even as she kept the sculpture in place,

"So what DO I call you now? Do we call each other Your Highness is semi-official settings? I guess Celestia will have to work for now."

Not only did Twilight catch it but she had the foresight to cast a protection spell as well to prevent any further incidents. As she was holding it up Celestia moved some water from the water bowl to the, now missing rear leg, enough to make a stable and well formed new leg, and froze it in place to make the sculpture whole again.

Celestia chuckled at Twilight's name issues. "Princess Celestia is adequate for official or semi-official settings, my faithful student, but calling me Celestia is perfectly fine as well. I trust you enough to know when to be formal and when to be casual." Celestia explained to the new and hopefully no longer confused Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Looking at Twilight and Rainbow Dash. "I applaud your quick actions and thinking Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. Because of your swift actions, not only is the sculpture in tact, but more importantly, no pony was hurt during the incident. I thank you both."

Noticing that she used most of the water in the bowl to fix the sculpture she motioned a guard over and requested that he report to the kitchen staff that a new bowl of water was needed for the dance hall.

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As it dawned on Carrot Fields that both Dash and Applejack had told the princess seemingly much about him, the ruddy maned stallion grew doubly nervous. Why would he be a regular topic of conversation, it wasn't as if he was exciting or anything. At least Twilight Sparkle complimented him on his kilt! Sure it was nice the white unicorn earlier called it correctly in passing, but when a princess noticed, it was something extra special, and he couldn't help but had a huge grin to go along with his equally huge blush.

That blush only became more pronounced when the lavender princess regaled in more detail apparent positive things her two mare friends told her about him. Although a stallion rather be known for other things than perhaps his foal sitting ability, it was still gratifying to be so highly regarded. She also made mention of his former military 'career', such as it was, "weel yer highness, Ah mean Twilecht Sparkle, miss Twilecht Sparkle, Ah was only in th' R.E.A fur a coople years as part ay their recruitment program whaur tae receife a grant upon finishin' yer toor. Ah went in reit efter secondary skale sae Ah coods raise th' money tae start mah ain farm, truth be tauld Ah was ne'er involved in anythin' excitin' while in th' R.E.A." That was certainly true, his military 'experience' was as boring as one's could be; consisting mostly of guard duties in a frontier post west of Stalliongrad, where his most constant companions next to boredom were the cold and the stars.

As nice, and cute, as the princess was, Carrot didn't want to take up anymore of her valuable time and he excused himself so he could step into the background and find something to drink, as it sure felt hot in the dance hall. The gray stallion stepped a only a few feet when a cream colored unicorn with beautifully done up pink mane stopped him and complimented his outfit! That's three mares now! "Och! uUmm.. Ah guess kilts arenae common in Canterlot, at leest Ah dornt hink sae." Carrot rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof, "Och, mah nam is Carrot Fields an' actually Ah am frae Fet Loch, althoogh noo Ah live ootwith ay Ponyville. Ever heard ay it? Fet Loch, Ah mean."

At that moment Carrot heard the commotion near him, from Aplejack's exclamation to Dash sudden fly-by; he looked around and then up, only to see a large ice sculpture in-cased in purple magic as it floated above his head. "Faith n' Begorrah!" Carrot quickly pushed Fuchsa out of the way as they scutted several feet. He had no idea what exactly was happening, but knowing the luck he typically had, he certainly did not want to chance being under anything so large, cold, and wet.

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Sweet nodded to Timid Star's mouthed comment with a smile and mouthed back, "can't wait to see you there," excited that the colt still hadn't forgotten her before Twilight addressed her. The colt was obviously excited to see both princesses there, and for such a shy pony it must be overwhelming.

"Yes, these are my very best friends- my PFF's, if you will. I'm sure you have some of your own?"

"Kind of," Sweet said looking down at her hooves as she tried to talk to Twilight about an awkwardly personal issue, "I mean I'm a really, really, really sociable pony. Been that was since I was a foal. But having close friends is, well, kind of hard for me. Not sure why. I don't know if it someponies think that I'm... well, odd or what it is! I'm still trying though to make better friends. Anyway when I asked about your friends it wasn't that I was surprised that you had so many, but that so many of them were here in this very room!"

Sweet looked up in time to see the hulking ice pony sculpture suddenly tilting, ready to fall right on top of her! Her body froze, unable to move away. The only thing she could do was to get down on the ground and cover her head, a feeble attempt at protecting her. She knew at anytime that statue would come toppling down upon her, ending the party before it started.

A second passed, then two and three, and then seconds became minutes. Finally Sweet Surprise looked up to see Twilight standing there with her horn glowing as the stature was in its righted place. Princess Celestia seemed to finish the job by replacing the pony's missing leg, preventing it from falling.

"Oh thank you," Sweet said hugging the lavender Alicorn, "You saved me from a very cold and painful accident! And you Princess Celestia made sure that it wouldn't fall again. How can I ever repay you two?"

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"Och, mah nam is Carrot Fields an' actually Ah am frae Fet Loch, althoogh noo Ah live ootwith ay Ponyville. Ever heard ay it? Fet Loch, Ah mean."

When the grey stallion in the kilt finally spoke to her, Fuchsia found herself a wee bit disappointed. His accent wasn't as sexy as she had imagined it would be. A little difficult to understand, actually. Well, it was loud in here, with all the ponies trying to hold conversations at once.

"Aye, er... I mean, yes. I have heard of Fet Loch before. My father has traveled there on business, and told me many things about it. It must be a lovely country."

When the ice sculpture fell, he made a loud interjection and bumped into her in his attempt to get out of the way. Fortunately her hair wasn't mussed, nor her dress torn. It was a good thing, too, she didn't want to have to leave early because of a wardrobe malfunction.

"Perhaps we should move away from the table and any other dangerous statuary." Fuchsia said as she smoothed out her skirt with a bit of magic. Hearing the band start up a lively tune, she turned to him and asked, "Say, would you like to dance?"

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Several slow seconds passed by and Rainbow Dash flew by in an instant. Applejack winced and turned away, but when she turned back, she saw that Carrot was unharmed, and the ice statue was being help by Twilight's magic. After Celestia repaired the sculpture Applejack breathed a sign of relief. "Wow, Carrot. You almost turned flatter than a rooster's crow on Sunday. It's a good thing Rainbow and Twilight were here to save ya!" Applejack smiled at Carrot, but then saw that he was being talked to by another mare, another mare who asked him to dance, as music begun playing in the background. Oh, I didn't think Carrot was the dancin' type. And who's that mare? Does he know her? Applejack didn't give it too much thought, though. She shrugged it off and decided she wanted a piece of some of that bumpin' music.

"Hay, Twilight, wanna dance?" Applejack loved how Twilight danced. Carefree and full of energy. But she wondered if her Princesshood would keep that from letting her moves on. "Yeeeehaw!" Applejack jumped out into the wooden platform and started bobbing her head and flick her hooves from side to side.

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"I applaud your quick actions and thinking Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. Because of your swift actions, not only is the sculpture in tact, but more importantly, no pony was hurt during the incident. I thank you both."

Hmmmph, predictable behavior from Princess Celestia; wait until something bad happens, and then provide congratulations whenever somebody else saved the day. While those ponies would inevitably pat themselves on the back for a job “well done”, it would never occur to them to plan every precaution in place to ensure something like say, an irreverent pegasus nearly destroying an ice sculpture, from ever happening again.

Such were the thoughts of Prof. Morianna Razorclaw, a figurative queen among Aquellia’s queens as far as she was concerned. The old griffoness in the past had attended numerous exclusive functions hosted by the Equestrian aristocracy, but up until now had not seen fit to attend a Grand Galloping Gala. For the most part, Prof. Razorclaw saw the event as merely an annual opportunity for equine high society to pay homage to their sovereign. Hence, no reason for a member of a powerful griffon family like the Razorclaws to make an appearance.

Morianna’s calculations changed when she learned of the new purpose of this year’s Gala; to introduce the new princess Twilight Sparkle in a social setting. The Professor’s misgivings about how Equestria’s ruling princess managed the affairs of her kingdom were already well documented through numerous editorials and lectures, although most ponies didn’t seem to take them all that seriously. Yet Morianna hoped that Miss Sparkle maybe possessed enough wisdom to see the merits of the griffoness’s philosophy; as Prof. Razorclaw reasoned, the young alicorn would have to if she hoped for a life of peace with her friends instead of constantly playing defense against every threat that desired to reemerge. Additionally… Morianna felt that this Gala was just as good of a stage for her first social meeting with Celestia herself.

The attire Prof. Razorclaw wore to the Gala tonight didn’t differ from what she usually wore for her day-to-day affairs; a masterfully-sown blue jacket accompanied with a white cravat tied around her neck. As a griffon of the highest stature, Morianna considered it a sign of imperfection if she failed to wear day-to-day clothing that would be suitable for the most prestigious ceremonies. As always, the Professor also did not appear in public without her trademark wooden cane clutched at her side.

For anyone who wanted to meet the princesses, the simple pony would have chosen to meet them in the Throne Room… but not Morianna. She had a gut feeling Celestia and Twilight would both appear in a more public venue once they’ve tired of formalities, and the Professor thought too highly of herself to let herself be beholden to waiting in line. Of course, Prof. Razorclaw’s hunch served her well; as correctly guessed, both princesses were in the Dance Hall…unfortunately while in the process of reacting to a pathetically-preventable disaster.

Once Celestia finished with fixing the ice sculpture, Morianna standing behind the tall alicorn broke her silence with a warmthless voice; “Ah, Princess Celestia. It warms my heart witnessing your successful efforts in managing this wonderful Gala. You… do know who I am, do you not? Or shall I need to introduce myself to you?” Surely Celestia would know a high-ranking and well-known member of one of Aquellia’s three ruling families when she saw one, right.....?

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Celestia quickly followed through with the molecular reconstruction of the leg, solving the crisis in conjunction with Twilight. That had felt good! Nothing bad had happened and her first Gala was Princess wasn't going to be marred by such awful disasters that would make it a failure. All things told, all things accounted for, tonight was a night of great success. No serious accidents nor shortages of food or drink, no great failure of planning nor reaction by a well-picked staff to a large but mostly well-behaved crowd. It was fantastic and the relief she felt was palpable and for the first time Twilight felt like se could relax and just be Twilight, not Princess Twilight Sparkle.

"Well, that's good to know, Celestia. Wouldn't want to be caught empty-hooves at a formal event calling you something silly like Tia or whatever else i could conjure up to embarass you," Twilight offered with a laugh, not a moment before Applejack invited her to dance. Who could say no to that? It had been ages since she'd had a good dance! With the stress of the day starting to peel off of her like a second skin and the subtle worries that had silently consumed collapsed against the backdrop of the night's success, Twilight couldn't say no.

"Of course! There is no decree against dancing!" Twilight jumped and flew towards the dance floor in her excitement, conveniently leaving out the fact that she had actually checked for such a decree in the aptly named Royal Listing of Decrees and Policies, a rather dead portion of the archives. She positioned herself next to Applejack and started dancing the dance that she knew quite well was the dance to end all other dances. Well, to her it was dancing. To anypony with eyes it was the flailing of a wounded deer caught in a terrible storm while getting harassed by a single pair of bothersome hornets, her tongue out and limbs flying about in no organized fashion as she felt the music course through her! (And promptly right back out)

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Rainbow Dash dropped out of the air and landed next to Carrot Fields, grinning broadly at the success of her heroics. (and Twilight's...) "Ha! Savin' the day, yet again!" she grinned, draping one arm over Carrot's shoulders. She punched him in the chest. "You had good reflexes!" Then she punched Fuschia in the shoulder. "And you got nerve! Ha! It was like, oh well, giant falling sculpture, almost died, who cares let's dance!" She laughed merrily and grabbed them both, dragging them out onto the dance floor before she started a smooth grove to the tunes. "Now this is a way better crowd than last time!"
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