canterlot The Royal Equestrian Guards' Ball [signups in OOC]

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 

 

"Isn't that the truth?" Presteza responded with a soft chuckle, "Long Guo is beautiful, but it's somehow a little bit more turbulent than I thought it would be. The palace is so... lively!" Indeed it was, From her time in Long guo she'd gotten to know many a face in the palace. Some she could tell were hiding secrets. There was one certain Empress that came to mind who may well be hiding a secret from herself: one about her feelings for a certain member of the watch. Even now, Presteza couldn't help but wonder how that would play out... and hope that her very stressed friend could come to terms with her true feelings. Hopefully Pressy and Yu's letter correspondence would lead to some good news on that front. 

 

... But for now, it was time for merriment! 

 

Squall's remark about the Crystal Faire made her cringe and look over to flash. The guard's stallion would feel a slight brush against his hoof underneath the table, His date trying give him some subtle consolement out of sight of the other guests.  "Oh! Where are my manners? This handsome stallion is the very model of a modern member of the Royal Guard: Flash Sentry!" 

 

She took a moment to respond to that last bit of information from Squall and looked over to her friend, "Really?" She chuckled a little and eyed her reflection in one of the fancy wine glasses on the table, "Do I really look old enough to be a miss already, Flash?" 

 

Then came that loud announcement! Goodness, where did they find all these creatures with such incredible vocal cords. The closest this mare ever got to that level of volume was when one of her many magical misfires went off. Still, she bowed her head to the princess and her consort upon approach hoping that Flash might be able to answer her question later on. Princess Cadence seemed as resplendent as usual. Her beloved Shining armor a true vision of handsomeness, the both of them perfectly complementing one another... She really should ask to do a portrait of the two of them together. A certain Remark that Shining made did catch her attention though, "A paladin definitely fits you! I'd probably be a Discord attuned Sorceress! *"

 

Spoiler

*Think a Wild Magic Sorcerer from 5e!

 

Her remark didn't get to linger long as she found herself bumped away by an incredibly zealous princess. This was already becoming a remarkable night! Being shoved away like that still felt a little undignified so she tried to steady herself shortly after. Quickly she scooted close to flash and smiled, "You okay? I didn't get the number on that carriage that hit us." She said in a playful, yet hushed whisper.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Bellosh]

 

"Oh! Where are my manners? This handsome stallion is the very model of a modern member of the Royal Guard: Flash Sentry!"

 

It was awkward moments like these that made Flash Sentry almost glad Presteza had been there to witness that... disastrous spectacle in the Crystal Spire. Feeling his date’s hoof brushing against his in a show of solidarity was enough to rejuvenate Flash’s confidence. For what it was worth, Squall didn’t seem to hold anything against the guardstallion either, so there was that.

One distraction from a presenter and one rumination from Fire Walker about her unchanging brother later, Pres had been able to make a proper introduction of her companion to Squall. A second later, Flash followed up with a politely offered foreleg for a hoofshake; “How do you do?”

Flash and Squall would have had only enough time to get in a round of exchanged pleasantries before the two couples were joined by yet another; THE Royal Couple, as a matter of fact!
 

"Do I really look old enough to be a miss already, Flash?"

 

While Shining Armor and Cadence started out a chat about Royal Canterlot Voices, Pres and Flash enjoyed a brief reprieve for themselves. “Nah, no way,” the stallion reassured the young mare, giving her hoof a pat; “Actually, I’ve been meaning to say that you look stunning tonight.” A slight flush of red rushed to Flash’s cheeks, slightly nervous over how Pres would take the compliment... among other things.

 

"It's good to see you again, but I don't think I'm familiar with your date, or with Flash's.  Are they just your companions for the evening, or something more serious?"

 

Things like Captain Shining Armor, namely; a living legend within the Guard’s ranks. A real Equestrian hero! Cpl. Sentry always felt self-conscious in the gleaming Prince-Captain’s presence; no, being told to be at ease only made Flash more uneasy, leading the pegasus to slightly fumble his answer to Shining’s question; “Oh uhh, Presteza’s just my partner only for this evening, sir, but we’ve been acquainted with one another before!” Flash definitely could have used more nonchalant confidence in that reply.

 

"You okay? I didn't get the number on that carriage that hit us."

 

Pres’s quip elicited a chuckle out of Flash. “Heh, I hate to say this,” the stallion was also smart enough to keep his jesting voice down; “But your friend’s a goner. There’s no stopping Her Royal Highness once she catches a whiff of love in the air.....”

[Blueblood]

Shining chuckled on hearing his wife answer with her cassus belli for world conquest.  "Oh, works for me!"  He closed off the joke with a smile and a wink, knowing full well that Cadence spoke in jest.  And if, on some remote possibility, she wasn't... well, there were worse reasons to fight, surely.

 

Back to the party at hoof, Shining was slightly disappointed to see that his effort to put the now-Corporal Flash Sentry at his ease had not gone quite so well.  He supposed that his status among the guard would affect that, but surely that meant little enough here, in a social setting?  Then he remembered that he was technically royalty by marriage, which was like a general coming into the enlisted mess, as far as society was concerned.  It was a real pain sometimes, but mostly he just found it funny.  Who could have guessed that life would turn out this way?

 

His attention was drawn back to Swift, whom the captain was pleased to note was familiar with O&O.  "Oh, I cut my teeth on second edition; though we did try to retrofit our campaign into three-point-zero when it first came out.  That was... probably a mistake, but we still had fun."  He laughed at the memories; nerdy as his hobbies could be stereotyped as, that was the one and only occasion where he had deployed a spreadsheet in the service of amusement.  

"I don't disagree."  He replied, as Swift mentioned the probable usefulness of returning to a more defensive stance in the capitals.  "Trouble is, the necessary retrofits could take... decades, possibly.  Not just the architecture, but the whole organization of defense forces.  I made the mistake of presenting my ideas of re-organizing the REA to better match the hero-focused point balance of Old Equestria armies in Tabletop Battleforge to General Pummel back when I was a Second Lieutenant.  Of course, given how we've actually countered most threats since then, I think that's been more-or-less justified.  I mean, it's how we've always fought, as a country and a culture.  Trying to import a foreign military standard just isn't going to work as well.  You can give a pony a katana, but that doesn't make them a samurai.  Nor does the uniform and drill make them an Aquellian Marine."

 

Realizing he was beginning to ramble, he caught himself.  "Eh, but I guess we shouldn't go on like this here.  After all, we're here to thank ponies, not to critique anypony but ourselves.  And, er, I think Flash was a Private when last under my command; I honestly forget if he was promoted before or after transferring.  It was a... confusing time."

 

Before he could say anything else, his wife's sudden outburst of marriage enthusiasm caught everyone off-guard, though Shining recovered first.  "Yes, pretty much.  She'll probably officiate, if you ask nicely and in sufficient time in advance.  Oh, and you'd have to host the wedding in the Empire, but we've got some very nice venues, and recently expanded hotels for any guests."  As a new ruler, Shining did after all have a duty to drive traffic to power the Crystal Empire's economy, after all...

Edited September 28, 2019 by PrinceBlueblood

[SteelEagle]

                                                            


Applejack felt itchy, her dress uniform almost too finely honed to give any of the small complaints she normally reserved for such fancy dress. It wasn't as if she couldn't stand looking a little bit on the fancy side from time to time and if she had to, she couldn't imagine something finer than a mare in uniform. But it always felt awkward on her. She could always point out a flaw. A dress that rode high on her flank, hose that seemed to cling too loosely, shoes that were too small. She wouldn't voice it much but she kind of considered it a small bit of comfort, a reminder that she wasn't the high falutin' fancy type at heart. Maybe it was the fact it was a dress uniform and seemed a bit more fine-tuned to her sensibilities for what it represented, or maybe it was just so well-tailored she couldn't lodge some rustic complaint at a high society item.

 

Maybe she was itchy because she had taken a good, hard, long bath and fallen asleep, relying on her sprinting to get dried off on the way to the gala. It wasn't a sin to be as tired as she was but get her next to a warm bath and she felt like one of them Princesses in those old fairytales who gets pricked by a poison needle and takes one heck of a long nap. Her hooves felt a little pruney and she hadn't a good drying off spell. And she had to get dressed in an alleyway not too far away because she was running late. So yeah, maybe the clothes were the least of her concerns. She was itchy, she was comfortable, she was suspiciously pruney and well-rested, and she was alone. That needed to be taken care of, assuming that Rainbow arrived on time. Applejack didn't even try to guess how or when, though. She knew better. 

 

It was a lost cause. Trying to predict just when R.D. would show up to an important formal event was like trying to check the windspeed of a hurricane while inside her barn. It could happen, but she wasn't equipped to tell you how to accomplish it. She knew that Rainbow would arrive though because Applejack had pinned her against the barn door and told her that she needed to start doing social calls with her or she'd be in the doghouse. Literally, if Applejack was feeling particularly aggressive about it. For all that playfulness and concern Applejack was excited to have a nice night out with Rainbow. Loved her foal, wanted some time to experience her marefriend some more. Some cups you could never drink from enough.

Plus Rainbow was forced to be in something formal and as much as that flighty pegasus denied it, she rocked pretty much anything she was in. Applejack never felt the same, but she definitely believed she looked good in this here dress uniform. It was a light purple and gold number, slyly matching the colors of her Twilight Guard armor. It even had these cute little tassels near the neck which she didn't understand but heck, she didn't understand a lot of things that went along with the high society types. All she did know was that if it passed muster for the rest of the Twilight Guard it was good enough for her.

 

Dressed, calm, and no longer looking like she had just been sprinting from home to late trains to connections to whole towns like a mare on fire, Applejack entered the gala with a smile and some excitement, always happy to learn more about those who served and see just where they put the cider she had offered.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Reckless watched Aegis incredulously as he checked her out from his upside down position. He soon rolled upright to introduce himself. Ah stallions, who could resist their obvious charm? This one seemed nice enough and her guard friends that helped with this set up hadn't been wrong, he was one good looking stud. He lifted his hoof after his introduction and she smiled with an eyebrow raised.

 

"So formal," Her eyes narrowed as she bypassed his raised hoof and stepped closer to him, bumping gently up against his side. "Recruit Reckless," She stepped to the side and dipped her head slightly. "at your service."

 

She glanced around, hoping to pick out some fun shenanigans to get this date going. There was music playing but from his look she figured it wasn't the sort he was apt to sing to. The mare turned her neon pink gaze back to Aegis. "Not time to pressure you into karaoke..." She stepped towards the refreshment table. "yet." She soon had a glass of sparkling cider for each of them poured. Nothing like cider to loosen a filly up.

 

"So, how long have you been with the night guard?" She took a sip, figuring it would be nice to get to know him for a bit.

 

-----

 

 

The mare in the suit felt good. She'd syked herself up for this like nopony's business! She'd messed up ummmm... like a ton on their last few dates. She didn't even want to think about the last well, disaster that had taken place. She'd been nothing short of absolutely awful that night. She had promised herself she'd make a change and she felt she had. Lots of thinking, lots of choosing the right directions. Lots of striving to be a better version of herself, as a marefriend. She didn't need to improve in any other area as far as she was concerned but she blew barley as a marefriend and Applejack didn't deserve that!

 

Nope her mare, the love of her life deserved waaaay better than Rainbow had dished out lately. She didn't feel like she was doing this as a make up. She was doing this because she wanted to change. She wanted to be there for AJ, to compliment her as a true partner. She owed it to their little guy Zappers to make the change. She wasn't finished yet, not by a long shot but she'd started on the road to better things. 

 

RD landed on the steps outside of the Equestrian Guards Ball. She'd been sent as the delegate from the Wonderbolts to this event so she had even more reason to be on her best behavior. As she made her way up the steps the mare paused to straighten her tie. Her Wonderbolts medals and badges offset the formality of the suit and certainly made her look well, dashing! She had gotten herself a new pair of shades and she planned on keeping it cool in them for most of the evening. In she went, nodding curtly to those in the lobby and outside the main entrance doors to the ballroom.

 

It was nice inside she had to admit! Lots of guard ponies that she knew but only one she was looking for. Ah! There she was! Rainbow stifled a blush when she saw her mare. AJ looked awesome. Her outfit was reminiscent of her Twilight Guard armor but fit her form in a much more pleasing manner. Rainbow trotted up next to AJ and gave a low whistle that only she would hear. 

 

"Hey there beautiful." She used a hoof to drop her shades and winked slyly at the farm mare.

 

 

 

 

[PyroBlaze]

Aegis gave a slight chuckle as Reckless bypassed the hoof to do a full-body greeting bump. He returned the gesture before she finished her introduction, watching her as she looked around. 

 

“Pressure me? Hey, I like singing, it wouldn’t take much to get me to do it. Guess it’d depend on the music, really.” He laughed a bit, taking the cider she offered him and taking a drink. “How long? Hmm, it’s hard to say, I haven’t exactly been keeping track. It’s probably been a few years at least of being both a guard and a musician, and both started pretty close to each other.” He shrugged, taking another sip before continuing. 

 

“How about you? How long have you been a guard? And what do you tend to do for fun?” He asked, looking around briefly at all the other gatherings of ponies around before looking back to her. 

[tacobob]

 

 

 

"Miss Presteza is a type of pony, once you spend time with her, you never want her to leave your side...So I can assume they were always trying to find excuses to keep her on staff.", the mare added, "And artists have to be patient or they'll just make a mess..I'm sure whatever they needed my girl was ready for the challenge."

 

Once near her friend, she couldn't help but watch her interact with the Royal Guard and could not help but chuckle. She had been calling the artist 'Miss Presteza' since they were school-ponies. First out of sarcasm, then a bit later, out of respect. The sunny coated unicorn helped the Pegasus pony out of a rather dark place. Her date was probably the same age as they were, but he had a foal-fact and looked a little younger than the group.

 

 

“Oh..my....”, While she was part of the Twilight Guard, she was still a member of the Royal Equestrian Army. She was still on their mailing list and she received special R.E.A only discounts at any of the Cantermarts Markets....So she knew she had to bow to the good princess, but there was no way she could move in the good princess’ grip. So she would wise to answer her questions. Or face further hugging.

 

“No date yet....We need to make sure our schedules don’t clash...I have my special duties and he has his businesses and hobbies.” Can't miss out on the hobbies! She knew of some of them. Like his need to toss on odd costumes and go on adventures under an odd name. The red Pegasus was no stranger to fun little Daring Do style missions. "I believe...And I'm not one hundred percent sure, but so far there are ideas of having it at the 'Castle Of Friendship' with the good Princess Sparkle.", sweet Celestia's perfect hooves that sounded corny. Normally she would have said Princess Twilight..But Sparkle? Sounds like a character in one of her little sister's shows she says she doesn't watch but does in secret.."She would also work as the officiator....Although that might change considering all the changes that are going on...There is an non denominational pastor in Ponyville named Pipe Down who could fill in that spot."

 

"As for the other questions...Erm.", she sighed, "Originally I wanted a small wedding, but I would be the first mare in my family to be married, and Swifty here is an only child...So this might end up being rather large....As for the rest...Still in debate.", wow, she smells really good! What perfume does she use? "I'm sure once we have a proper planner, things will be settled.", she lowered her voice. "Bachelorette party has been mostly settled....Wild Stallion Saloon in Las Pegasus....Just trying to figure out a way to ask the good purple princess." She also needed to make sure they picked a day there Great Giovanni would be performing.

 

Once she was freed by the Princess of Love, she gave the royal pony a proper bow. As her stallion went in to check on her, she gave him a quick little kiss on the snout. "Don't worry. I've survived several Pinkie Pie hugs...One from Princess Luna...And one from a Yak for some reason. They really like compliments." Her beloved then broke out into some nerd-speak. Some odd language only his kind could use. The good Captain was familiar with such talk. Oh gods, please don't let her first child be a nerd-ling.

 

She spied Applejack from the corner of her eye as she entered the room...She was looking slightly uncomfortable but still rather impressive in her military dress. She would hopefully be able to have a few words with the impressive earth pony of many talents and jobs soon.

 

But for now, she need a drink.

[Bellosh]

 

“Princess Sparkle”? That was an odd way of calling Twilight for sure. For a bizarre reason, Princess Cadence envisioned a fishworks from Neighpon and a heavy manufacturing concern combining forces to create the most uncanny dishwashing detergent mascot to ever creepily resemble the Friendship Princess. Strange thoughts happened to everypony here and there.

Anyway, Princess Cadence wasn’t the sort of pony to take no for an answer. “Oh don’t you worry,” she cryptically assured Fire Walker; “Twilight would LOVE IT if you asked her to officiate your wedding!” If there was one thing better than Cadence presiding over a wedding, it was the chance for her little sister-in-law to do so for the first time! And to clarify from earlier, Cadence isn’t going to take “no” for an answer from Twilight on this one matter. How could a ruling princess take her royal duties seriously without honoring a force as vital as Love?

“By the way, have the two of you decided on a honeymoon destination, yet? Because the Crystal Empire is rapidly becoming a popular and affordable choice! We’ve got spas, historic districts, great cross-country skiing right outside the city limits, and the world-famous Crystal Heart!!!” As a demonstration of her incredible alicorn powers, Princess Cadence materialized a Crystal Empire travel brochure out of thin air geared specifically towards enticing honeymooners. Aware that she was coming off like a salespony, the mare chuckled; “Just something to think about.....”

[Ciraxis]

On 9/26/2019 at 3:21 AM, Pretzelparty said:

"Isn't that the truth?" Presteza responded with a soft chuckle, "Long Guo is beautiful, but it's somehow a little bit more turbulent than I thought it would be. The palace is so... lively!" Indeed it was, From her time in Long guo she'd gotten to know many a face in the palace. Some she could tell were hiding secrets. There was one certain Empress that came to mind who may well be hiding a secret from herself: one about her feelings for a certain member of the watch. Even now, Presteza couldn't help but wonder how that would play out... and hope that her very stressed friend could come to terms with her true feelings. Hopefully Pressy and Yu's letter correspondence would lead to some good news on that front.

 

"Is that so? From rumors I heard, Long Guo as a whole wears a tight corset of tradition, which is supposedly tied in capital tighter then anywhere else. Perhaps those tales regard the previous ruler sitting on the Dragon Throne?" Swift wondered. It's a good thing then that Presteza returned to Equestria. Her first hoof account of the Empress views could be very valuable when it comes to expanding his business empire overseas. But that was secondary concern. What mattered was the fact that He and Fire could hang-out with their mutual friend again!

 

On 9/27/2019 at 6:27 PM, PrinceBlueblood said:

His attention was drawn back to Swift, whom the captain was pleased to note was familiar with O&O.  "Oh, I cut my teeth on second edition; though we did try to retrofit our campaign into three-point-zero when it first came out.  That was... probably a mistake, but we still had fun."  He laughed at the memories; nerdy as his hobbies could be stereotyped as, that was the one and only occasion where he had deployed a spreadsheet in the service of amusement.

 

Squall simply nodded when Captain reminisced about his tabletop experiences. Unfortunately noblepony couldn't really say he had memories like that of his own. While he knew the rules like a back of his hoof, Swift wasn't really a player, merely a collector of game books, and he possessed them all. Why he didn't play? Well, he was pretty much friendless before he reclaimed Squallcoast Manor, and after this other hobbies and duties consumed his time entirely. Not to mention he didn't had anyone to play with. None of his friends or acquaintances were interested in such things...at least he thought they didn't. Heck, even his Sweetheart dissmisissed such activities as 'nerdy'. Et tu, Fire?

Still, imagining - say - Ice Storm or Spring Breeze with character sheets and surrounded by game books was an amusing picture.

 

On 9/27/2019 at 6:27 PM, PrinceBlueblood said:

"I don't disagree."  He replied, as Swift mentioned the probable usefulness of returning to a more defensive stance in the capitals.  "Trouble is, the necessary retrofits could take... decades, possibly.  Not just the architecture, but the whole organization of defense forces.  I made the mistake of presenting my ideas of re-organizing the REA to better match the hero-focused point balance of Old Equestria armies in Tabletop Battleforge to General Pummel back when I was a Second Lieutenant.  Of course, given how we've actually countered most threats since then, I think that's been more-or-less justified.  I mean, it's how we've always fought, as a country and a culture.  Trying to import a foreign military standard just isn't going to work as well.  You can give a pony a katana, but that doesn't make them a samurai.  Nor does the uniform and drill make them an Aquellian Marine."

 

"Yes, for all his virtues, General Pummel isn't big on coming with military innovations." Swift admitted. That said, Pummel seemingly realized this and at least tried, a few times, Suntrot being an example. "And with all due respect Captain, time is no excuse. If anything it's a reason to start immediately. I say that if those reforms would come to pass after reappearance of the Empire, we would be half done by now. But please don't assume I am nor aware of certain...roadblocks when it comes to implementing those. I hope your sister will have less patience for snobbish Canterlotian nobility then Celestia ever did." Swift said. Many of the military officers came from Equestrian aristocracy. Their ranks....were not always justified.

"And if they will give her some trouble? Well..." Swift send Presteza a knowing glance "...At least some nobles have her back." he reassured the Shining Armor. But wrong would be one that would think he was done with the blue maned stallion, oh no.

"Also I would debate how much we 'countered' those threats. I don't have to remind You the one time when certain cockroach captured every merited pony in the realm with nopony wiser, only loosing due to simple overlook, which can be regarded as luck." Swift pointed out. Before giving a heavy sigh.

"And yes, I can't argue with results. But I would be far more pleased if Equestria bag of ticks would be a bit deeper. Too often failure was too much for comfort." swordstallion expressed his concerns.

On 9/27/2019 at 6:27 PM, PrinceBlueblood said:

Realizing he was beginning to ramble, he caught himself.  "Eh, but I guess we shouldn't go on like this here.  After all, we're here to thank ponies, not to critique anypony but ourselves.  And, er, I think Flash was a Private when last under my command; I honestly forget if he was promoted before or after transferring.  It was a... confusing time."

 

Shining Armor proved to be a very insightful conversation partner, so his desire to cut this particular talk short was bit disappointing, although Squallcoast understood his reasoning.

"Very well." noblepony condoned to Captain's wish. Ah, so Flash Sentry was Corporal after all! "Don't worry. I, to this day, catch myself thinking about Pummel as Colonel. And Fire was lieutenant for so long ,that she has to correct herself every other time."

 

On 10/2/2019 at 9:29 PM, tacobob said:

“No date yet....We need to make sure our schedules don’t clash...I have my special duties and he has his businesses and hobbies.” Can't miss out on the hobbies! She knew of some of them. Like his need to toss on odd costumes and go on adventures under an odd name. The red Pegasus was no stranger to fun little Daring Do style missions. "I believe...And I'm not one hundred percent sure, but so far there are ideas of having it at the 'Castle Of Friendship' with the good Princess Sparkle.", sweet Celestia's perfect hooves that sounded corny. Normally she would have said Princess Twilight..But Sparkle? Sounds like a character in one of her little sister's shows she says she doesn't watch but does in secret.."She would also work as the officiator....Although that might change considering all the changes that are going on...There is an non denominational pastor in Ponyville named Pipe Down who could fill in that spot."

 

"As for the other questions...Erm.", she sighed, "Originally I wanted a small wedding, but I would be the first mare in my family to be married, and Swifty here is an only child...So this might end up being rather large....As for the rest...Still in debate.", wow, she smells really good! What perfume does she use? "I'm sure once we have a proper planner, things will be settled.", she lowered her voice. "Bachelorette party has been mostly settled....Wild Stallion Saloon in Las Pegasus....Just trying to figure out a way to ask the good purple princess." She also needed to make sure they picked a day there Great Giovanni would be performing.

 

"Next two of three months if all goes well. For my Moto here I am willing to make few sacrifices." Squall said before giving his other half a smooch on the cheek.

"And yes I guess it's appropriate for Sparkle to do this, seeing she's Fire direct superior...." orange unicorn gave the winged mare a meaningful look "....but I am definitely against the Castle of Friendship. Who in the right mind marries at their workplace?! Even if it's as pleasant for the eyes." noblepony expressed his opinion. "There are so many other interesting and safe places! Calnais, Marelia, Le Trec Plateu, Silversand Isle.....! And that's just Equestria." he said.

 

"Also....." Swift gave the royal couple a royal couple a sympathetic look. "Your pitch isn't bad, but to be honest, access to Empire leaves much to desired. And as Fire mentioned, wedding more then likely will be big. We not hungry for bits either. Regarding the honeymoon....." Swift made an grimace. "Last time we were this close to Crystal Heart, I was doing my best to not get my head looped off by caribou berserker. And Fire had similar experience and then some." swordpony recalled, with one leg extended. Seconds later however, his face softened somewhat.... "Although we don't rule out going on vacation there soon." Squall added under his breath. Perhaps this will get the Princess of Love out of their ponysonal space? Perhaps something else to take Cadence attention was in order.

 

What's this? A certain mare familiar to all of them walked in! Swift just hoped Applejack will not mind this.

 

"Oh would you look at that. Isn't that Miss Applejack with her marefriend? I wonder when they will marry? I mean, they have a kid together already....." he pointed out.

[Blueblood]

So... it seemed that the Crystal Empire as a travel destination still needed a bit of rehabilitation work.  Being remote plus an invasion site didn't do much for the tourist board, and Shining Armor felt more than most ponies the sting of having one's home ill-defended.  Not something he felt like contemplating right now, with his daughter back home.  It was all to easy for a father to spiral into a series of worries, which would only drag Cady, then the whole evening down with them.  Shaking his head, he tried to cut these off at the stem, and was quite grateful to Swift for re-directing their attention.

 

"Ah, so they are!  I haven't heard anything, and I would think Twilight would write me if two of her best friends were getting married to each other.  She did write to me about their son.  Even tried to set up a playdate with Flurry for little... Zap, I think it was?  I wonder if we could still manage that?"  Now freed to roam, Shining noted that the two Elements were not the only couple in sight.  Of course, with so many guards bringing in a plus one, it was only natural that relationships would either begin or continue.  Smiling, he could only imagine how his wife was feeling now right now, in an atmosphere of love...

 

"Let's see now, I think I see the beginning of something beautiful over there, Cady."  He pointed the pink Princess towards where Aegis was meeting up with Reckless.  Couple-spotting was among one of their favorite things to do together.  "Not to mention, there's probably a good story over there."  He pointed out where Sparkles and Licorice were sitting.  "In fact, the only one I see alone is... oh dear, one of mine."  He pointed out Aquamarine, recongizing the signature on her regalia marking her as part of the Crystal guard."

[Dubstep]

Sparkles could count on one paw the amount of fancy get-togethers he had been invited to. It was one aside from this. They'd once gone to a smallish get together of a client of theirs who just had to show off the necklace they crafted for them with them there. The dog assumed it was for the novelty of it, but they went anyway. It was fine, dull, lots of tiny unfilling food and lifeless music, but it went well enough. It absolutely was not what he would have called a wonderful time though. This however at least showed the promise of not being so stuffy one might think you're in a teddy bear factory. After having hopped down from Licorice's back to take their seat — and their seat was even pushed in for them, they certainly found a keeper — Sparkles would wave in greeting to Heart Shield. "Very nice to meet you as well! I hope you don't mind the company." they would say with a smile, giving another glace around the room to take in the sights. Hoo boy did they feel like a fish out of water here.
 

It seemed like it was going to be a fairly quiet get toget-NOPE. Jumping Jimminy but did Princess Cadence have some pipes on her. Where it anyone else, Sparkles would have to question just why she was so excited. But with a title like Princess of Love? "Any closer to that outburst and it wouldn't be just wedding bells that'd be ringing..." Sparkles said with a soft giggle and a rub of one of their ears

[DreamWanderer]

Heart shield settled in his seat as he had company now. Glancing across the room he saw another familiar face enter the crowd. Applejack, He remembered meeting her in the running of the leaves as well she looked a bit different in formal attire , and who was that mare with her he wondered? Turning his attention back to the table once more as the diamond dog an pony got seated, Just as a waiter served his plate of pasta. Taking notice to Princess cadence's excitement in the foreground. What was she all excited about anyway? "Oh, Not at all. Its actually nice to have some company for change" The gray Pegasus softly replied as he picked at his pasta which was sat before him. To be honest there was so many ponies here he wanted to meet, and just couldn't wait to finally meet them. Such as Princess cadence, and Shining Armor. He had seen Shining armor a few times before, but had never gotten to casually talk to him or at all speak to him. Nor had he gotten to see Princess Cadence either. To be honest with himself it was a rather bit lonely being a guard not being able to converse while on duty, or really much go anywhere, But he was rather much excited to go to this party for the opportunity to chat with others he had been around in the guard, but wasn't able to talk to.

[Windwright]

Even Licorice had winced at the volume of Cadence's unbridled enthusiasm for the apparently forthcoming nuptials. "Wow. Royal Canterlot voice indeed." The guard said, using his horn to nervously restyle the mane that may as well have been carved from granite for all the budging it hadn't done when the Princess's exclamation had washed over them. He too was served his meal choice, as was the rest of the table, and the wait staff moved swiftly and efficiently on. "And don't worry, it's not unusual for tables and groups to split up into smaller conversations, but that does occasionally leave an odd pony out." experience said in the voice of former Private Licorice Whip. "Usually gets easier to socialize after the dinner is over and most of the donors only here for status go home. More interesting, too."

 

The last part of that was delivered with a cryptic little sparkle to his eye that one might almost call mischievous if it weren't on the face of an unflappable guard. Wanting to emphasize and highlight the mystery, Licorice tucked into his own dish, the ratatouille, with the singleminded determination of a stallion used to treating meals as a necessary intake of nutrients rather than a social period.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Aquamarine was, not to put too fine a point on things, wandering bored through the crowd. It wouldn't be difficult in the least for anyone with any familiarity at all with her to detect that even though she was adjacent to any of a half dozen groups at any given time, she wasn't engaging in any of them except in the shallowest possible sense. Truthfully, she was halfway trying to avoid being recognized either by those she already knew in the...Royal, Crystal, some went over to Twilight, a couple went from Royal to Lunar...four? four branches of the REAs, or later on by ponies at this event who might run into her in the field, as it were. What irked her the most about the whole thing was that she knew intellectually that her parents were probably right, and that there really wasn't any reason she couldn't wear both mantles, knight and damsel equally. If she let herself she could probably even thrive in these sorts of high-society events.

 

Sisters knew that the politics, intrigue, and drama of courtly life would give her a way to engage her mind even if she didn't herself start scheming. Look at Shining Armor, captain-turned-commander and Prince of the Empire. He looked like he was born to be here, and scuttlebutt around the barracks had been that he'd been an absolute dweeb when he was a cooooooh Sisters he'd just spotted her, hadn't he?

 

Aqua snapped out of her reverie and offered her Commander a polite curtsy across the room to acknowledge that she'd seen him spot her, but kept on her noblemare's mask of neutrality even if her head was running a mantra of 'don't wave me over, don't wave me over, don't wave me over'. Uh oh, he'd pointed her out to his companion. The facade started to crack as the little alarm bell in her head started going off.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

All throughout the venue, carts and trays of food were starting to be replaced with carts collecting the empty and used plates, bowls and silverware as their respective guests finished with them. Soon enough, once everyone was done with their main courses in each section, the butlers would start circulating with desserts and snacks in addition to the drinks already being carried hither and yon.

[Pretzelparty]

 

Had it really been so long since she'd heard somepony compliment her looks in this sort of context? The flush that rushed to her cheeks told her yes. One nervous chuckle later she smiled at her date, "Thanks, Flash... I was actually a little worried that this gown looked a little silly on me." She brushed a hoof over the hem of her skirt to straighten it, the fabric having been jostled by the overeager princess. 

 

Turning her attention back to romantic princess trying to learn more about Squall and Fire Walker's engagement, Presteza couldn't help but chuckle. "Poor Squall. I've seen those two together for so long... You just know that she'll have so much she wants to know."  Presteza had known Fire and Squall as a couple for ages and it always amazed her how well they complimented one another. It was also fascinating seeing just how much the Squall of today seemed to differ from the squall of a while back. Perhaps all the time with Fire Walker was to thank for that... and speaking of Fire.

 

"C'mon, Fire... Between you and Flash here you're gonna turn my cheeks into tomatoes." With a smile she gave Fire a side long hug, "I don't know too much about being patient. I still get seized by the urge to paint somepony on the spot sometimes. That's how I met the Empress!"  For now presteza was happy talking with her friends, and gradually her attention drifted away from the noblestallion's conversation. It was remarkable how well he could manage to talk to so many at once, he truly was a noble to the core. 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Bellosh]

 

“Nah, of course not!” Flash assured Presteza that he gown didn’t look silly, but then he added a playful smirk; “Although I’ll contend your Princess Luna costume is a strong runner-up to Best Presteza Outfit, heh.” He clearly remembered that detail from their very first encounter.

As the dinner portion of the evening wrapped up, Pres’s mention of her meeting the Empress of Long Guo caught the servicepony’s notice. “How’d you manage that?” Flash asked his date; “Scuttlebutt from buddies of mine is that Long Guo's empress is surrounded by an army of bodyguards and handlers wherever she goes. Apparently they are, hmmm, how to put this diplomatically...  hard to work with. And as the old saying goes; ‘One does not simply pop in on the Empress’.”

[tacobob]

 

 

 

"I probably would have never dared to ask her." That would have been weird. Asking your boss to help set up your wedding on your very first day at work. "But the moment I mentioned I was getting married, she just volunteered. Both the castle and her services." And how could one ever forget a wedding with royalty? This could all change with the passing time. She could not help but grin when the Alicorn mentioned her own 'Empire.' "We really need to visit your homeland. The last few times I was there, it was for work, so I didn't get anytime to wander about.  Oh.", she caught the brochure, "It would be the first time I'll really get to visit and not be on the clock..", she paused to glance at the advert, "Hmmm. Flag of many hues and a petting zoo with tiny ewes. " The mare had her mind set that her honeymoon would be more sandy and less fidgety.

 

This was the moment her beloved spoke up.  "Well, generally you want a wedding venue that has a special meaning to your life...", she quickly added, "And is within reasonable distance from your family and friends. All who have full time jobs and in many cases, kids." Most of her friends were not swimming in bits, so a trip somewhere fancy where everything cost a zillion bits to stay would not be wise. "They also converted the old family estate in Canterlot, into a rental. It's being used for weddings...Bed and breakfasts and such....My bunch'a'greats Grandfather Lord Maximus married my buncha'a'greats Grandmother, Lady Labyrinthine there...And wow, what a wedding.", she bounced, "Right before they were to take their vows, the home was seized by Maximus' mortal enemies, the dreaded 'Gloom Brotherhood'.", she lowered her stance as if she was about to get into a fight. "I read the battle lasted for hours and if you ever went into the basement that leads to the wine cellar, there are an assortment of really creepy Ossuary down there..Made of pony, griffon and even a few minotaur skulls....Those aren't fake.."

 

Her jaw did drop just a little when her favorite stallion dissed the Crystal Empire right in front of its ruler. Oh dear. She loved her Swifty ever so, but he really needed a filter. Thankfully the impressive Alicorn was the Princess Of Love, and not the Princess Of War. Hopefully Presteza's natural adorableness and Swift's odd mention of Applejack would be enough of a distraction to keep the Princess from smiting her husband-to-be.

 

"Ha....I have enough Pressy-stories to tell the good Corporal, it would make you blush so hard, you'd end up looking like my twin sister.", she winked back at her old friend.

 

 

[Bellosh]

 

"Last time we were this close to Crystal Heart, I was doing my best to not get my head looped off by caribou berserker. And Fire had similar experience and then some. Although we don't rule out going on vacation there soon."

 

Princess Cadence’s ears dejectedly flopped downward; it seemed like some ponies still had the Crystal Faire Invasion fresh on their minds. And... was the Crystal Empire REALLY that remote of a realm? Crystal Spire could easily be reached via a several-hour long train ride, for Celestia’s sake! Regardless, it wasn’t in Cadence’s nature to be confrontational. Accepting that the Count was dead-set on having the honeymoon elsewhere, the princess meekly replied with a glum sideways glance; “Oh... I see.....”

 

"She did write to me about their son.  Even tried to set up a playdate with Flurry for little... Zap, I think it was?"

 

“Zap Apple,” Cadence quickly filled in the blanks for Shining, grateful for the pivot away from the perceived shortcomings of a Crystal Empire honeymoon. When asked if a playdate was possible, the alicorn replied; “Hmmm... it’ll be tough, seeing that we won’t be visiting Ponyville too often once Twily moves back to Canterlot. But maybe our families could meet up next Summer Sun Celebration? Hopefully we can make it work out; I wanna see how much Zap has grown!”

 

"Let's see now, I think I see the beginning of something beautiful over there, Cady. Not to mention, there's probably a good story over there."

 

An appreciation for couple-watching was certainly one trait of Cadence’s that rubbed off onto Shining Armor. Something about the second couple struck the princess as familiar. It then dawned on her; “Oh yeah, the diamond dog’s companion must be the pony who wrote to Dear Cady about not making a scene over their date. I’m not seeing anypony else with a runt, it looks like. Oh, and it looks like they’re having a good time so far!”

 

"In fact, the only one I see alone is... oh dear, one of mine."

 

“Awwww,” Cadence pouted out of pity, sympathetic to the plight of being alone at an event where so many attendees are coupled up; “She looks SO bored to tears. How about we wave her over and find her a companion before the night’s through! Don’t you agree, Shiny?”

[Ciraxis]

On 10/11/2019 at 6:22 AM, Bellosh said:

 

Princess Cadence’s ears dejectedly flopped downward; it seemed like some ponies still had the Crystal Faire Invasion fresh on their minds. And... was the Crystal Empire REALLY that remote of a realm? Crystal Spire could easily be reached via a several-hour long train ride, for Celestia’s sake! Regardless, it wasn’t in Cadence’s nature to be confrontational. Accepting that the Count was dead-set on having the honeymoon elsewhere, the princess meekly replied with a glum sideways glance; “Oh... I see.....”

Upon seeing how dejected the royal couple was, Swift defiant expression softened. How could he be frowning when they tried so hard?

"Well...." he started before taking a quick sip from his glass "....if it's any consolation for you, honeymoon destination was the one thing that was set in stone for a while now. And seeing that Empire won't get tropical sun, crystal clear lagoons and golden beaches anytime soon, there wasn't really a way you could change our minds." Squall revealed.

On 10/9/2019 at 6:10 PM, tacobob said:

 

"I probably would have never dared to ask her." That would have been weird. Asking your boss to help set up your wedding on your very first day at work. "But the moment I mentioned I was getting married, she just volunteered. Both the castle and her services." And how could one ever forget a wedding with royalty? This could all change with the passing time. She could not help but grin when the Alicorn mentioned her own 'Empire.' "We really need to visit your homeland. The last few times I was there, it was for work, so I didn't get anytime to wander about.  Oh.", she caught the brochure, "It would be the first time I'll really get to visit and not be on the clock..", she paused to glance at the advert, "Hmmm. Flag of many hues and a petting zoo with tiny ewes. " The mare had her mind set that her honeymoon would be more sandy and less fidgety.

 

This was the moment her beloved spoke up.  "Well, generally you want a wedding venue that has a special meaning to your life...", she quickly added, "And is within reasonable distance from your family and friends. All who have full time jobs and in many cases, kids." Most of her friends were not swimming in bits, so a trip somewhere fancy where everything cost a zillion bits to stay would not be wise. "They also converted the old family estate in Canterlot, into a rental. It's being used for weddings...Bed and breakfasts and such....My bunch'a'greats Grandfather Lord Maximus married my buncha'a'greats Grandmother, Lady Labyrinthine there...And wow, what a wedding.", she bounced, "Right before they were to take their vows, the home was seized by Maximus' mortal enemies, the dreaded 'Gloom Brotherhood'.", she lowered her stance as if she was about to get into a fight. "I read the battle lasted for hours and if you ever went into the basement that leads to the wine cellar, there are an assortment of really creepy Ossuary down there..Made of pony, griffon and even a few minotaur skulls....Those aren't fake.."

 

Fire decided to add into conversation, bringing up a quite interesting story about one of her ancestors. Huh, he was yet to hear that one amd it was neat. Have to ask her to retell it in detail when they tuck into bed.

"That's some killer wine your forefathers made then Dear, if it could turn the battle." Swift scoffed afte he finished his glass. "But back on track, of all things, funding travel and stay of our guests is the last of our issues, don't you think?" noblepony pointed out. Being rich solved some problems, bit nopony will sent invitation cards for them. Oh the woe of having a big wedding!

 

"And seeing that you want to bring more tourist's to Empire." Swift returned his attention to Shining and Cadence "A few ideas....." noblepony started again while finally starting to dig into his meal. "....First of, increase the number of railroad tracks. Yes, the the ride from Saraneighvo isn't long but it's only direct connection by land you have. Now you have two, one going to Empire, and one going from it. Make it four, or better yet six. You never know. Maybe the train on one will get broken? Or rails may get iced, forcing trains to run slow, you get the idea." Swift pointed out. Any other time, unicorn's would sound patronizing like he usually did when giving tips - especially due to a very deep voice of his. But seeing Miss Mi Amore so morose made swordstallion speak softer and with more caring.

 

"Second, built a travel hub in the East, on the coast. One with the both port and airfield in it. Believe me, many will appreciate the fact that they don't have to squeeze through Stalliongrad to get to your realm. Not to mention you will save a lot of money in the long run. Airships may bring goods directly, but the combination of ship and railroad is so much cheaper still, especially for overseas stuff. And not all visitors from foreign lands are wealthy enough to get by through air. This alone should give you a much bigger influx of visitors. I saw the coastline near your home, many natural ports there. Use them."

 

"And last, you should give those visitors more reason to go to Empire then 'time-displaced' and 'unique architecture'. Don't get me wrong, both are great selling points, but having more of them is always better." another bite and gulp from the unicorn.

"Hosting the Equestria Game was great idea, but you need to double down on it. For example, you have eternal winter just beyond the door. Capitalize on that. Your sportponies can practice all-year long, which is something that even Stalliongrad can't do. Host Winter Game, or even World Championships, with enough funds you can become winter sports capital of the world." Swift advised

 

Something that Presteza said caught Squall's attention.....

On 10/8/2019 at 3:35 AM, Pretzelparty said:

"C'mon, Fire... Between you and Flash here you're gonna turn my cheeks into tomatoes." With a smile she gave Fire a side long hug, "I don't know too much about being patient. I still get seized by the urge to paint somepony on the spot sometimes. That's how I met the Empress!"  For now presteza was happy talking with her friends, and gradually her attention drifted away from the noblestallion's conversation. It was remarkable how well he could manage to talk to so many at once, he truly was a noble to the core.

 

"So let me get this straight. You saw the Empress, decided to blitz-paint her and she hired you on the spot? That's...not very Long Guo-like...." unicorn vocalized his surprise.

 

On 10/8/2019 at 11:41 PM, Bellosh said:

As the dinner portion of the evening wrapped up, Pres’s mention of her meeting the Empress of Long Guo caught the servicepony’s notice. “How’d you manage that?” Flash asked his date; “Scuttlebutt from buddies of mine is that Long Guo's empress is surrounded by an army of bodyguards and handlers wherever she goes. Apparently they are, hmmm, how to put this diplomatically...  hard to work with. And as the old saying goes; ‘One does not simply pop in on the Empress’.”

It seemed that Swift and Flash Sentry wee on the same, because Corporal decided to say aloud what Count already pondered over.

"Thank you Mister Flash, that! What, did you caught her skinny dipping in the waterfall or something Prezz.....?" stallion inquired.

"Besides that, now that you are free as the wind again, where are you will be going for inspiration Pretzy? New Changeling Kingdom? Seaquestria? Whitescar?" Swift asked while also trying to guess.

 

On 10/6/2019 at 1:10 AM, PrinceBlueblood said:

"Let's see now, I think I see the beginning of something beautiful over there, Cady."  He pointed the pink Princess towards where Aegis was meeting up with Reckless.  Couple-spotting was among one of their favorite things to do together.  "Not to mention, there's probably a good story over there."  He pointed out where Sparkles and Licorice were sitting.  "In fact, the only one I see alone is... oh dear, one of mine."  He pointed out Aquamarine, recongizing the signature on her regalia marking her as part of the Crystal guard."

"That's....Miss Aquamarine Gleam isn't it?" Swift re-joined the conversation. Being a part of it, Swift knew nobility well...."I can't really recall her title. Not that they would care. One of few aristocrats who actually belong in REA...." he summed up. "If I recall one of her ancestors got famous after she decapitated three foes with one sword swing during the Battle for Appoum." Swift remembered some more military trivia.

 

Just then, the more classical music ensued. Squall groaned again.

"Half of my wealth for Aneightem to materialize on stage. Or AD/FD. Or Deep Violet. I am not picky. Just some music with life in it." noblepony practically begged at this point.

[Blueblood]

Hoping to pick up Cady's mood, Shining Armor paid some special attention to the little anecdote about Fire Walker's wedding.  As traumatic as their own had been, it was almost, almost distant enough for him to find some humor in it.  Well, the sort of humor used by soldiers and emergency workers to cope with the darkness they faced, but still.  "Well, I suppose its nice to know we haven't been alone as far as eventful weddings go."  He remarked with a chuckle as the dinner portion of the evening progressed.

 

Flash's mention of the rumored demeanor of Long Guo guards piqued the Prince's interest, as he mused.  "Hm, is that so?  I haven't had a chance to meet anypony from the East; it would be interesting to see how guard practices work over there.  Say, Cady, didn't you once get that letter from a Long Guo guard?"  Princess Cadence's Column was, of course, read religiously by her husband.

 

As the course of the conversation continued, Swift gave some more practical suggestions as to how the Crystal Couple could improve visitor figures to the Empire.  Shining's smile was admittedly rather rueful as he gave his reply.  "Those are... not cheap investments.  The treasury isn't quite so extensive as all that, and you have to factor in the security costs as well.  I don't want to put what amounts to an open portal to Tartarus on our borders if I can at all help it.  Outside investment could help, but they'd want proof of viability, which we could only get with increased tourism, which requires better transportation investment."  His smile was blown away by his sigh.  "Quite the catch-22.  The winter sports idea is a good one, though the weather is... not cooperative out in the north.  The storms come quick, and we just don't have the pegasi to manage them."

The subject of music did bring a short chuckle out of him, though.  "Oh, you'll probably have to talk to Celestia about that.  She seems to know all the musicians, and would be just the sort to bring in one of those bands."

 

As the main course was finished, Shining made a move to excuse himself.  "I'm going to go check up on Aquamarine, Cady.  See how she's doing."  He said, in the tone of a concerned, fatherly commander.

Taking a glass of port with him, he made his way through the crowds to where the mare had acknolwedged him with a curtsy.  "Good evening, Miss Gleam."  He said as he approached, very consciously avoiding either a military or social rank.  He wasn't here as either a commanding officer or as a Prince, right now.  "Glad you could make it all the way down here, it was a bit of a trip for me and Cadence.  You here alone, or is there a plus one somewhere I didn't see?"

[SteelEagle]

                                                                            


"Good ta see ya, RD," she said while giving her mare a kiss on the lips, pulling her in and tossing away some elements of decorum in the process. She liked to see her flighty mare look as cool and confident as she possibly could, what with her power strut and shades and all. It was the sort of confidence, the type that bordered on arrogance, that allowed Rainbow to do half of the amazing things she did. Sure she had to brought back down to earth every once in a while because you didn't want her to fly too close to the sun and get burned in the exchange, but anypony who could look at what Rainbow was capable of and not fall at least a little bit in love with her was stone-hearted in a way that Applejack didn't understand.

 

The pair made their way inside, past the event's crier who would no doubt blast out their accompaniment as they strode inside close by one another. The event was proceeding as she imagined it would with all the fancy ponies being so very fancy and the clearly less comfortable guards and fellow common folk trying to navigate the social norms of it all like a first year schoolfilly navigating a strange new social landscape for the very first time. Applejack was always uncomfortable in these sorts of situations but luckily she had enough experience in them to know a dirty truth: Nopony was comfortable, everypony wanted to find their place to loosen up a bit. Even the fanciest among them knew this to be true. You could just look at Noblepony Squall himself to know that.
 
"Cap'n, good ta see ya. You too, Mr. Squall. Them wedding nuptials are comin' up soon, ain't they?" Applejack said as she trotted up to the pair. It was always good to see Fire Walker at these things. She was a pleasant sort through and through and good in a fight. Swift Squall was an intelligent and well-meaning doofus who stuck his intrigued snout into everything in sight. It almost always turned out well in the end, however. Nopony could doubt his abilities or intentions. They'd make a good married couple because Fire could rein in Squall and Squall could help Walker fulfill her ambitions. Then they could have foals and more little fellas and fillies for Zap to play around was always a good thing.

 

Of course her eyes continued wandering about, spotting a Princess and a Prince. She always had time in her heart to show respect to them, and boy howdy did they deserve it. "Yer Highnesses, a pleasure. How's lil' Flurry Heart doin'?" She said with an informal head nod, wondering how life was treating them. They had a whole lot of responsibility resting on their mighty shoulders and she didn't reckon they were given much of a break from their royal duties, so good on them for making time for this event. They didn't really have to. And it gave her the chance to talk about another very important topic, Flurry Heart. She reckoned it'd be a good idea to get Zap Apple playin' with that high faluting alicorn foal at some point. How many farmponies get to say they have playdates with royalty? Not many!

 

She leaned into RD. There was another thing she had to take care of. The drinks and food were all good, but she had made sure to get some of the real good stuff ready. It had been, hppefully, sneaked in, likely somewhere in the back of the kitchens. What better way to party than with her family's hard cider, damn the regulations? "RD, scope this place out," she whispered, "an' see if tha hard cider barrel's where it should be."

[Windwright]

Oh sisters. He was actually coming over now. Aqua held herself in the carefully neutral pose she'd picked up from her sire but mastered in the Guard when standing sentry on the streets leading to the old palace. She was careful to position herself so that when he arrived, Shining Armor was facing the nearest cluster of guests and, notably, Aquamarine had her back to them. She was mid-salute when Commander Armor greeted her, but was able to change it to a bow with her hoof touched to the emblem on her chest. "Commander, thank you." She replied, trying to keep her tone from sounding relieved rather than merely grateful. "It was a bit of a trip indeed, but I took it a pair of weeks ago to attend to some familial matters." 

 

She once again tried fruitlessly to pin back the errant lock of mane and succeeded only in getting more hair to join it, adding just enough volume that at least it looked intentional now. "Which did unfortunately leave me with too little time to secure an escort to the event. House Resplendence of course always donates any invitations we are unable to ourselves employ, so I'm certain there is a guest attached to my plus one, but alas I've yet to meet him or her." the guard said, adding little flourishes here and there to the statement where she assumed her Dam would have. 

 

She did NOT need her commanding officer (her commander no less!) asking after her dating life. Especially if that inquiry ended with Princess Cadence, the Princess of Love, hearing about it and deciding to conspire with her family. And doubly especially since he more or less represented a happy ending to that dilemma minor nobility sometimes fell prey to where the needs of the heart and the needs of the station came into conflict. Her stock answers of 'noblesse oblige' and 'never enough time as a guard' wouldn't really cut it with the stallion who was himself a guard and a noble who'd managed to find or make time for a relationship. She settled remarkably quickly on an addendum "There has also been raised a question of suitability for potential suitors, an ongoing point of discussion in the Resplendence household." Which wasn't untrue. Her parents had attempted to engage her a couple of times, and she'd casually flirted with a few ponies who'd caught her attention. The resulting 'discussions' were at least civil. Lately, anyway.

[Dubstep]

Now that had Sparkles' curiosity piqued. A little brow arched at Licorice as he idly stirred his drink with one paw, the other holding his chin as a smirk played across his lips. The stallion wasn't really one to do innuendo, at least not ones that most could really pick up on. Made it all the more fun of a guessing game, but perhaps they would see later just what their pony really meant. The diamond dog had ordered a nice Alfredo dish and was of course mindful of tucking in a napkin to avoid getting any on their top. "I can imagine guard duty getting a bit isolating." they'd say with a nod and a glance over at the dining Licorice. "That's why it's good to have a good-natured nosy diamond dog around now and again." Sparkles would giggle and take a bit of their meal, dabbing away any leftover sauce as they glanced around the room.
 

"Well would you look at that. Not just the quintessential couple of Equestria, but those two as well huh? All the more star studded tonight it seems!" Sparkles said aloud to himself as he saw both Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Perhaps not household names, but one would be hard pressed living somewhere like Canterlot without having heard of them at least once, maybe thrice. "Ever and more feeling the odd dog out~ This spinel can only sparkle so brightly after all."

[RainbowFoxxy]

RECKLESS

Reckless took a sip of cider and smiled as the sweet liquid graced her tongue. She raised her eyebrows a bit though as the kick of alcohol seemed to be absent.

 

"Must have stored the good stuff somewhere off camera..." She muttered dryly. Not that she couldn't make conversation and have a nice time and all but a bit of loosening up never hurt. She'd noticed Applejack and her mare Rainbow Dash enter not too long ago. If anypony would know where the good stuff was being kept she figured those two would. She'd have to keep an eye on them.

 

"Well, good to know havin' you up on stage isn't something I'll have to pressure," She winked at him slyly before taking another sip and then setting down her glass. No need to waste calories or put her trim figure to ransom if there wasn't any alcohol involved in the drink. "I like a stallion with confidence." Another coy look before she turned her attention to the ponies playing music.

 

"What do I do for fun..." She tapped her muzzle with her hoof as if deep in thought. "I'd never say no to some dancing but this music's not quite my jam," She swiveled her hips to some unheard tune. "Something with a bit more of a beat's up my alley," She nudged him. "You play anything like that?"

 

-----

 

 

Rainbow leaned into the kiss from her mare, savoring every moment of the breach in protocol. Rules be damned, this night was gonna be fun! Fun enough to swirl some of her most recent exploits back further into memories... and maybe even forgotten if she could play things out right. She was lucky, so dang lucky, and she certainly was going to give her best towards making sure she stayed that way. AJ deserved it. She deserved the best RD could offer, and even more than that!

 

As they made their way into the room and began to make their rounds Rainbow found herself doing as she usually did. Smiling, nodding, making small talk with those around her. She never got tired of attention but tonight she was going to put that aside. She was here to devote herself to her mare and show her that in any way she could. 

 

"Hey there Fire, Squall!" She lowered her shade and smiled at the pair. As AJ mentioned marriage vows she chimed in. "Yeah! That's gonna be some party huh?" She wondered what the two were planning for that event. It was sure to be something extravagant! 

 

Next it was Shining Armor and Cadance. Rainbow nodded with due respect to the pair as Applejack asked about their little one. Just when she thought she would be wrangled into a conversation about fillies and foals AJ leaned in close and inquired about the special cider. 

 

"You got it," She spoke under her breath and gave AJ a kiss on the cheek before excusing herself and trotting off. 

 

The mare glanced about the room, noting the refreshment area and it's lack of the small cider keg she was after. "Hmmmm," She pondered. "The kitchens." Yep, they would have kept it in the back until a bit later into the party. If it made it's way past the kitchen staff of course! 

 

Rainbow ducked through a set of double doors that she'd seen servers entering and exiting from. After not that long she came the the drink storage area. It was a small room off to the side that was kept semi dark and cool to keep the freshness and temperature of the drinks. At the moment no pony was around as the first rounds of drinks were already out on the refreshments table. 

 

"There you are!" Rainbow exclaimed under her breath as the small barrel of Sweet Apple Acres Hard came into view. And that wasn't the only thing. There were other small kegs of drinks with alcohol too! "I'll just take a little for now," She filled a small flask from her jacket pocket with cider and trotted out of the storage room. Soon she was back in the main ball room and carefully weaving her way around ponies towards AJ, Shining Armor, and Cadance with her special delivery. 

 

"Found it!" She smiled as she spoke softly to AJ, giving her leeway to invite the royal couple for a drink if she liked.

[DreamWanderer]

Heart Shield continued to pick at the dish which he was given, as he glanced around the room. This pasta dish wasn't all that bad he thought. All tho there might have been an ingredient here and there he wasn't to fond of, but the pegasus just picked around them, Being careful not to stain his mess dress.To be honest with himself Heart shield wasn't much of a pony to prefer being in formal attire, but he had to do it. "Oh, it can be at times, But sometime its nice in a way. Lets you have time to think to yourself, both in good ways and bad." The Gray stallion said softly as he pushed his pony back with one hoof so he didn't get it in his food. "Say, i don't think i have ever gotten a chance to chat with any of your kind before...... Well that is until now." Heart Shield remarked as he glanced over the crowd again as he continued with his meal.

[Windwright]

Licorice's grin didn't falter, but anyone who knew him well enough, or anyone who'd been long enough around investigators rather than sentries, might pick up on the faint twitch of an ear and the fact that the guard shifted just a smidge toward his junior that meant that Heart Shield was currently occupying a great deal of Licorice's mental attention. He took a few more bites to finish off his main course, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and turned a little in his seat so that he could fully face the other guard, coincidentally also putting him a little closer to his companion.

 

"I was in the same position once but you'd be amazed what you can get used to if you guard Canterlot for long enough, and how much you might have in common with folks who come in different shapes." he said, mildly. "Admittedly I've spent more time with Sparkles and their pack than any other diamond dogs, and I may be a little biased."