[Sponsored] The Heart of the Party

[SunsetSombra]

And so it was Vinyl Scratch, MC of Equestrias finest club venues and underground scenes, made her way into the scene with a wide grin and high spirits - the Unicorn looking around with an eager glance as she took in the splendor of the location, which she wasn't really familiar with as much as other places. This was a place she could seriously enjoy lighting up with a show...'specially with the right lighting and music!

Still, that was for a little later on and she really, really wanted to get into trying to just chillax and get into the atmosphere...such a huge positive vibe was rockin' all over the place, and she couldn't help but just have a small spring in her step, even without a tune in her ear. There were crystal ponies in abundance, and plenty of regular ol' Equestrian types too - as well as a vast array of critters and other folks from Equestrias bordering lands all around. It was definitely a noticably 'big deal' event, and the DJ Unicorn could see the joyful looks and smiles on the faces of virtually everyone as she got further lost amidst the large crowds and vending stalls setup all around the place.

It was so much more fantastically gorgeous than she'd have ever imagined, and with a free schedule ahead of her for the most part, there was pretty much absolutely nothing that was going to stop the premiere DJ Musician from letting her mane down and mingling with determined vigor - and when the time came, she was gonna repay back the good feelings she was getting with a few of her own when the party REALLY got started later on in the events!

[Blueblood]

Well, the answers were anodyne and predictable enough. The editor wouldn't ban the copy out of some fear of social revolution. Professional smoothness aside, Earth Writer couldn't help but feel some personal disappointment with what he felt to be an excessively "hooves-off" policy of cultural sharing. Still, it didn't do to be rude, especially to a busy princess who granted an interview, so he only nodded politely and finished his notes. "True enough, though I don't think it would do any harm if you asked politely. A little encouragement can go a long way. In any case, thanks for your time!" And with a final tip of his hat, he bowed out to let Cadence and her paramour enjoy the fruits of their labors as best they could.

*Now, let's get some sketches of the other guests.* And quite a diverse group they were too, of all ages and professions! There was a young cub staring at the Crystal Heart, a griffon who looked a bit like a street conjuror, and, as a familiar face, a DJ he knew. Of course, Vinyl would be a part of the musical line-up; her mixes and techniques put her on the forefront of the musical scene, and assured her entrance in both this show and the Bohemian club, where he knew her from.

"Yo Vinyl!" He gave a quick wave of his red notebook in her direction. "Great to see you here, always good to meet a fellow Bohemian." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see another one of the locals approaching, and smile in his direction. Who- ah! Of course, the dancer Lilac Briolette. At once the reporter's brain began to fizz. There was an idea brewing...

"Say, have you met the local talent? I know a great dancer from here and I'd like to introduce you." It was a long shot, but the omission of any Crystal Ponies from the Club was an absolute shame. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to encourage a dancer to apply? She would be a hit with the Canterlot crowds, of that the stallion was sure. "Vinyl, this is Lilac Briolette, one of the premier dancers of the Empire. Lilac, this is Vinyl Scratch; she'll be playing in one of the shows tonight."

[starswirlthebearded]

Hugo smiled at Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's grace in the face of his compliments. Though he supposed it was to be expected, as a princess she was surely used to such acts of chivalry. When she mentioned her husband he smirked. He knew exactly what he was doing and did it anyway. Being polite isn't anything to be jealous over/ She even joked about giving one to her husband. This, to Hugo was a fantastic idea. "But of course Mi Amore, or should I say mon amour." Hugo said with a brazen wink. With that, Hugo turned to Prince Shining Armour and produced another flower, seemingly out of nowhere and placed it in his dress uniform. "A lovely flower for a dashing stallion, mon capitaine." Hugo said as he lifted the prince's hoof and gave it a kiss as he would a mare. He moved closer and whispered on the side of his wife so she could hear "If you would like I could show you how we do things where I am from mon ami." Hugo was rather confident in himself and his charms as he smiled and winked at both ponies. Even if he declined he hoped to at least frazzle the prince a bit. If he accepted... well... he may very well have to live up to the offer.

As the ponies began to gather more, Hugo took note of everypony, many lovely mares were showing up. He would have to be the sociable griff as always. If for no other reason than to have fun. But first he must finish with his audience with the hosts and leaders of the Crystal Empire. Hopefully it would not get him thrown out, even if he was being playful he was being more brazen than usual.

[Mojo]

Visiting the Crystal Empire for a second time, Pigpen was delighted he was just in time for the Crystal Faire! Last time he was here, he traveled with Mr. Waddle, but this time his traveling 'companion' was his pet raccoon Rascal.

"Look at all this Rascal!" the smelly, unkempt Earth stallion said as he entered the area. As always, Pigpen's loyal flies were orbiting his head as he walked. Spotting a familiar pony, Pigpen rushed over in the direction of Diamond Cut, kicking up a sizable cloud of his own dust in the process.

"Hi Diamond Cut! Do you remember me? I visited your jewelry store last time I was here!" the scruffy stallion neighed, "meet my best friend Rascal! Got him from Fluttershy! Take a bow!"

The smiling raccoon bowed in front of the Crystal pony.

[Hippo]

After Princess Cadance answered a few questions for a reporter, she reunited next to Shining. Shining wouldn't be upset about a few interview questions, but he intended now to have a more face time with the citizens and visitors. He knew that Cadance was more than happen to answer some questions in full about politics and society, but he would have to keep it from continuing if it got out of hoof. This was not a press conference.

A mostly white griffon came up to Princess Cadance introducing himself with a lot less nervousness and shyness than most. If Shining hadn't felt so secure in his relationship with the crystal empress, he might have gotten jealous or fooled into a challenge. However, he thought of the gifting of the flower to Cadance a little humorous, and figured Cadance would know how to handle it. A smirk from Cadance herself solidified that assumption. But then, to Cadance's joking suggestion, the griffon would place a rose on his uniform. Shining's first thought was wondering where he got all these roses from. But then wondered secondly why in Equestria his hoof was being kissed by a griffon's beak. "Heh." Shining chuckled, not immediately knowing how to respond. It could have been a cultural difference, or it could have been a prank played on the Prince by one of his officers. Either way, Shining felt a little necessary to smile in the least. "Why, thank you. We're flattered." Shining Armor's voice wasn't too convincing, but sincere nonetheless. Shining wasn't about to get defensive. The last thing he wanted to do is turn what otherwise is a peaceful fair into a military operation.

When the griffon then whispered something about doing it how it is done where the he is from, Shining then got a little more nervous. His smile was wider, though, easing into the possibility of this just being a ruse. He was at the mercy of however Cadance would respond, after all, she was the leader of the relationship and the empire. But he couldn't help but get Cadance's momentary attention and reveal his feelings about this with a cheeky and bewildered-sounding, "What?" This can't be happening, he thought to himself as his eyes started to look around precariously. Is Flash Sentry hiding somewhere? He feared saying it out loud, as it might upset the griffon or cause a scene.

​

[Bellosh]

 

This scene was simply too priceless to behold! Taking Princess Cadence’s suggestion to heart, Hugo went and performed the same chivalrous flattery routine from before on Shining Armor. Seeing her knightly prince squirm caused Cadence’s soft giggling to become audible, although the mare made sure to wrap a leg of hers around one of Shining’s to express a measure of solidarity. Just because someone could be playfully teased didn’t mean that had to feel isolated in the process.

 

Hugo finally crossed a certain threshold with his whispering to the royal couple, and Princess Cadence knew that Shining Armor was at his wits end. Now came the time when the pink alicorn needed to swoop down and rescue the love of her life from the clutches of a dastardly griffon. “Your offer is most generous Hugo,” Cadence smiled once more as she started leading her husband towards the stalls away from the Crystal Heart; “But sadly our royal responsibilities do not leave enough time for such a thing.”

 

Not wishing to part from Hugo by merely shooting his aspirations down, Cadence stopped in place and turned her head back at the griffon to impart some final words of encouragement. “If your deeds are as sweet as your words however, I know that one day you will find true love.” Fancy talk could only get someone so far in the game of hearts, and Cadence sure as heck didn’t fall in love with Shining Armor for his eloquent speaking (quite the opposite in fact). As the Crystal Princess with her husband in tow started walking away once more towards the booths away from the Crystal Spire, Cadence wished for the best for the humorous Hugo LeBlanc.

[Corsair]

Both Snips and Snails stood in rapt attention at the guard's answers. Not only had she thoroughly answered their questions, but the mare seemed to carry she had a... presence that demanded attention. On top of that, she'd actually been one of the ponies to fight against King Sombra! It was like meeting a pony from the old stories of knights and wizards!

Their attention was only broken when a white stallion stopped to encourage the guard to have fun, even if she was not participating in the jousting. Snails broke the silence first. "Wow, I bet you could, like, win the tournament easy!"

"Yeah!" Snips agreed. Then, he snapped to attention like a solider, and said in a faux-military tone, "But duty comes first!" Snails noted what if friend was doing, and copied his pose.

It was then that a, well, stunning crystal mare approached them. Even for two colts who were mostly in the 'fillies are icky' phase, this mare attracted their attention. She seemed to float along the ground rather than trotting. Snails again was the first to speak up, pushing Snips to the side as he approached her. "I'm Snails!" he said, with a slightly dazed expression.

Snips hoofed his friend in the side, stepping ahead of the taller colt. "And I'm Snips!" he said, adding, "We're from Ponyville!"

Snails stepped up, and using his larger size again, pushed Snips backward. "Are you, like, a model, miss?" he asked.

Snips looked up at his friend angrily, before sweeping a hoof under Snails' hind legs. The lanky colt tripped over his own long legs, and fell to his rump. Snips took the opportunity to move up once again, saying, "Forgive my friend's clumsiness." He drew himself up to his full, unimpressive height. "Is there anything that I..."

"WE..." interjected Snails, hauling himself to his hooves.

"...we," Snips conceded, "can help you with?"

[RarityDash]

A familiar voice hit Alexandrite's ears and effectively disarmed her in an instant. She had not heard its melody in quite some time, and yet she knew it in an instant. It was the voice of none other than Lilac Briolette, the most exceptional ballerina in all of the Crystal Empire. Alexa had met her not very long after the empire's return and had found herself quickly captivated. Many times now she had gone to see the mare dance in the ballet, but few opportunities had there been for the two of them to speak recently. Lilac had a way of throwing off the the stalwart guardsmare's guard and making her feel something like a teenaged filly half her age.

"That is very kind of you to say, Miss Lilac," Alexandrite said with a slightly awkward smile toward Lilac. "As much as I stand by what I told His Majesty, if I had know this to be a chance to perform before your eyes, perhaps I could have been convinced to line up this day for the joust instead."

Alexa moved her eyes from the intensely beautiful dancer's face, feeling grateful that the color of her coat hid the deeper redness building on her face. It had, after all, been a while since last they spoke. Should she say something more? What exactly was proper in this situation? She condemned her lack of experience with such things.

It was almost a relief that the two young colts chose that moment to continue their barrage of comments and questions, clearly taken by the beauty of Lilac as Alexa herself was. With a cheerful laugh, Alexandrite looked to them and nodded. "She is no model, children, but rather a dancer. No mere dancer mind you, but Lilac Briolette, Prima ballerina of the Trillion Ballet Company, a mare capable of captivating crowds of hundreds with the unequaled poise of her twirls," Alexandrite said, grateful for a chance to repay the kind words the mare had paid her in full.

Elsewhere, Alexandrite noticed some male griffon invading the private space of the princess and prince. She likely would have interfered if not for Lilac and children distracting her while it happened, but at this point, the matter seemed to have concluded with the princess stepping away. Alexa kept an awareness of the situation however, just in case the griffon attempted to do anything more.

​

[Elderflower]

“Well then, I have to regret my own poor timing. Perhaps I can convince you to enter the lists a little earlier next year so that I might see you in action!”

Lilac beamed at the guardpony and was about to continue speaking until the two young unicorns piped up once more. It appeared as though both were rather taken with her, vying for her attention and shoving each other aside as only young competing colts could. Even for the prima ballerina, who had the terrible affliction of a resting expression that was gripped with ice, couldn’t help but to smile warmly at the display and chime with laughter over their antics.

Alexandrite stole Lilac’s introduction from her, however, and took the opportunity to shower praise on the ballerina. For her part, Lilac Briolette could not help but to blush. That was not going to stop her from putting on a lighthearted show for the boys, though! If the guardpony was to end her spiel with a ‘twirl,’ then Lilac could only answer it one way.

“Ms. Alexandrite is correct, young sirs – it is twirling I do for a living, though in the ballet we call a twirl a pirouette,” she said cheerfully. And without skipping a beat she finished her sentence by assuming pointe and pirouetting. Her skirts and her braided mane and tail swished around her body as she moved, like a flash of sunlight chased with pink.

“And sirs,” she finished, bowing to the two young colts, “I am honoured that you would offer me your help, and so I beseech you to take on this very important task: laugh! Smile and laugh, enjoy yourselves as much as you can this week, and share your joy with all you meet here. The Crystal Faire is a time of happiness, and at the end we Crystal Ponies send all of that beautiful harmony into the Crystal Heart, which protects us in turn. So if you are happy, you are helping keep our entire Empire and civilization safe.”

When she pulled out of her bow, Lilac found two new faces had joined in their conversation. Her eyes flickered over to Alexandrite momentarily, whose attention had been pulled away. The ballerina followed her friend’s gaze and caught the end of the exchange between the silver-tongued gryphon and the Princess, and deemed not to purposefully seek the guardpony’s attention again until the matter seemed settle. It would be rude to intentionally distract an esteemed member of the Crystal Guard from her duties, after all.

“Hello again, Earth Writer,” she said to the journalist pleasantly, once she had turned her attention back to the conversation at hoof, “It has been quite a while since I last saw you! How good it is to see your face once more. And I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Vinyl Scratch. Our journalist friend here is correct; tonight myself and some of my fellow dancers will be displaying a small bit of my own choreography, though the real treat will come towards the end of the Faire, when the Entire Trillion Ballet Company takes the stage. Tonight will merely be a light introduction!”

[SunsetSombra]

Vinyl took in the information a moment and nodded - having been somewhat aware that there'd be a variety of acts and performers taking to stages across the location tonight, and it didnt really surprise her to have bumped into one of them so early...and from what little she'd seen here, Vinyl was certain Lilac would prove to be a sight to see in full flow. From what the other pony was saying, the sights were gonna be just as awesome as the sounds as far as the performances were involved - no doubt about it, the crystal faire was gonna be a treat for all those present to see!

" Pleased to meetya, missy! " Vinyl responds with a nod, chuckling slightly. " I look forward to seein' the other acts - always did appreciate a wide range, whether it be the music or the dancin'. "

She pauses and coughs into a hoof slightly. " Well, at least watching - I was never all that great at doing it myself, it's like I got 4 left hooves when it comes to stuff like that! "

She glances at Earth quickly and raises the grin once more - it had been a while since she'd seen anyone from the Bohemiam club, having gotten herself buried under a slew of gigs, shows and appearances as of late - it really had been a particularly busy couple of months for the premiere party Unicorn, but at least she had made time for herself to unwind during the faire at least...certainly, she had time to catch up with 'old' friends, at any rate.

" Well, dunno about you, Earth... " she comments, tweaking her shades with a small magical readjustment. " but I reckon this is gonna prove to be an interestin' night for all of us! "

[Lux]

While Crystal Clear looked at the gems, a certain familiar smell caught his nose. He turned to see the source of the odious scent and spotted a familiar face of Pigpen. The Earth Pony was a kind stallion who was very interested in his jewelry especially a certain collar for his raccoon pet.

"Hi Diamond Cut! Do you remember me? I visited your jewelry store last time I was here!" the scruffy stallion neighed, "meet my best friend Rascal! Got him from Fluttershy! Take a bow!"

"Ah yes, I remember you! So this is the one that you bought the collar for. Well he is certainly a cute and well behaved critter. I trust that you are having a great time at the Crystal Faire? I'm surprise so many ponies turned out but I'm glad that they did. I hope that many will return to visit after the fair is done."

Diamond then spotted that Princess Cadence walking away from the Castle and closer to his booth. Now was the chance to present his gift or else miss the opportunity with another swarm of ponies.

"I will be right back I promise," he said to the two ponies at his stall as he grabbed the precious item from its hiding place, "Feel free to look about."

"Princess Cadence," he said walking out from the stall as she neared with a rectangular wooden box with a lid in hoof giving, "It is an honor to meet you."

[Pretzelparty]

This was the first time Belle had ever been to the Crystal empire. When she got off the train she couldn't help but feel it would have probably been a better choice to come during the warmer seasons once she was hit the cold gust of winter air. It practically froze her to the bone, first thing she'd do when she got to empire's marketplace was buy a scarf or something to keep herself somewhat warm. As the wealthy Noblepony made her way down the busy streets she couldn't help but notice all the busy ponies. The further she got into the busier parts of the empire she saw there were quite a few signs of attractions, a petting zoo, a jousting Tournament, had she missed somethin-- oh by Starswirl's beard how could she have forgotten? The Crystal Faire! No wonder everypony looked so cheery despite the cold weather.

With all the stalls that were up, it wasn't hard to find a vendor who was selling some accessories such as scarfs. It took a bit of haggling but soon she got her choice of warming adornments. One of her choices was a long, slightly tacky looking scarf that drew her eye and the other simple minty green scarf that reminded her of her husband's eyes. Actually now that she thought about her husband and her marriage life she couldn't help but remember that letter she'd sent to the current ruler of this land and the helpful advice she'd given her in Equestria's newspaper. She really should thank her sometime... Why not make that time today?

It took some looking but eventually she came upon the location of The princess and her husband; Near the Crystal heart, in hindsight that probably should have been the first place she looked. There already seemed to be a bit of a crowd gathering, Amongst the plethora of faces that were here, Belle noticed two that stood out. One blue pegasus and one red pegasus, both belonging to the walker family. Belle ultimately decided that it was better to leave the princess and Shining armor alone for the moment, as they seemed to be a bit busy for the moment. In the end, Belle chose to socialize a bit with the Walker family.

"Fire! Wind!" The mare waved to the pair and the stallion that they seemed to be with. Walking over she bowed her head a bit in greeting, "It's nice to see you both again... May I ask who your friend is?" She asked gesturing to Swift squall and smiling kindly. While Fire and Squall took the time to answer her question, Belle looked over to wind and grinned,"Well hello, there Wind... " she began before looking searchingly at the filly,"You know... I think somepony has grown quite a bit since I've last seen her."

[TwoBits]

Crystal Clear had just started to take a closer look at a particular piece of jewelry when she raised her head, brow furrowed with a perplexed, distasteful expression as she sniffed at the air. That...smell hadn't been here earlier. Had she just not noticed it? Was there maybe something else on the other side of the stall that was making it smell like all manner of grime and sweat and--

Oh Celestia that smell was a PONY.

Crystal could not help hopping a step or two away from the powerfully scented Pigpen, lips pressed together tight as she did her best not to breathe in too much from the stallion's direction. By the princesses, what filth! He even had flies buzzing around him! How on earth did he manage to get away with such horrendous hygiene?! Even half of this amount of dirt or stench would never have been tolerated within her shop! Maybe...maybe she could still keep her grace about her if she hurried up, bought something and moved on. Hardly had Crystal opened her mouth again to request a transaction, however, when--

"I will be right back I promise," the jeweler stallion said suddenly, grabbing something from under the counter and trotting away. "Feel free to look about."

Oh, no. Oh, no, oh, no, please, no, please please please please--

"Y-yes, alright. Of--of course." Though the words came out airy enough, Crystal still felt a sinking dismay in her stomach. Well. Alright. Maybe he would be back soon enough for her to tolerate the smell a little longer. She thought to look briefly over and offer the scruffy stallion a feeble, fleeting little smile before turning her attention rather intently to the item she'd been peering at earlier; a pendant, an emerald carved much like the others into the likeness of a heart and bound on a fine silver cord. Maybe she could get away with "debating" over whether or not to buy it until the stall owner came back...

[CaptainMcDerp]

Momo rested her face on both hooves and leaned on the balcony railing as she peered down at all the ponies scurrying about with a half lidded expression. She let out a hefty sigh and grumbled. This stakeout was taking forever. Who knew being a super villain could be so boring? Tons of normal ponies were trotting under the crystal tower, but none were coming out. Namely no alicorn princesses. Her hind hooves were starting to get sore from being hooked under the railing for so long. Maybe she used a bit too many balloons since they were currently trying their darndest to pull her from the railing and drag her back into the sky.

Her belly rumbled again. She should've listened to uncle Caber Toss and ate something before setting out. Perhaps with a simple flick of the fishing line, she could reel in a sandwich. Or a nice warm plate of spaghetti...

Hold on a second. Who's that particular pink pony walking right under her wee little snout? Momo squinted and leaned over the railing to get a better look. Wings... a horn.... and more importantly... a crown! There she was. It was Princess Cadence!

Momo scrambled for her fishing pole and angled the hook over her target. Looks like Shining Armor was there too. But no matter. A chance like this wouldn't come back in a million years. And she couldn't wait a million years. At least not until she was a princess.

She carefully lowered the hook, hearing every single beat of her heart. The crown was so close she could almost taste it. The fishing hook descended until it was level with the princess's crown. Now all Cadence had to do was simply walk under the fishing line and the hook would swipe it from her head silent as a... silent thing.

Princesshood was as good as hers!

[Mojo]

Pigpen

Pigpen and Rascal waved at Diamond Cut as the crystal pony jeweler rushed over to Princess Cadence.

"Alrighty Diamond Cut! Me and ol' Rascal will just be hanging around here!" the shaggy unkempt stallion shouted out before turning towards Crystal Clear.

"Hi there! Glad to meet you! I'm Pigpen and this my friend Rascal! Like I was telling Diamond Cut, this is only the second time I've visited this wonderful Empire, but this is Rascal's first time!"

As Pigpen reached his front hoof out to shake with Crystal Clear, the flies orbiting the smelly Earth stallion's head flew upward, circled Crystal Clear's head a few times before returning to orbit Pigpen.

"Look at that! Even my pet flies like you!"

[Blueblood]

Well, this introduction was going swimmingly! "I shall look forward to that very much, Ms. Briolette. I'm afraid I cannot stay to chat long." Earth Writer brought up the notebook again, as a kind of talismatic explanation. "I'm actually working here myself; well, if you'd call Journalism work. Many ponies don't. In any case, if the company ever decides to hold an Equestrian Tour, you all've always got a spot open in Canterlot's Veiled Garden." And tipping his hat, the reporter headed off to another vantage point, chuckling in response to his fellow Bohemian.

"Here's hoping; if it's interesting enough, I might be able to eat this week!" The situation wasn't quite so desperate as all that, but indigence was as much a part of his artistic persona as Partying Hard was of Vinyl's. The Public tended to exaggerate both, but it was an enjoyable part, and it did prove a great help sometimes.

The Royal couple always had a crowd, as usual. The Griffon made something of a comic scene, but two symbols of shorthoof covered the lot. Earth's roving eye chanced upwards, where a young filly was fishing for coronets, and he smiled, nudging his old acquaintance as he whipped out his pencil. "Oh, this ought to be good..."

[starswirlthebearded]

Though the reaction was fun, Hugo realized all too quickly that he had gone slightly too far with his playfulness at the expense of the good prince. He could not have this! He was a gentleman first and foremost, and poor impression was not to be had. "Ah! But of course Princess Mi Amore. My apologies, I did not take your busy schedule into consideration. What a folly I have committed." The griffon said playfully as he turned to the prince. "Perhaps another time mon ami. I would have quite enjoyed a lovely bit of competition in fencing. I believe the crystal ponies prefer jousting, no? But alas, I see you are rather busy, so perhaps another time. It would be my honour to face you in a match." The griffon turned once again to Princess Mi Amore who elected to give him some sage advice on love and life. "Mais oui! Words are only as strong as the deeds that are done! It has been my pleasure to meet you, may we see each other again and have a longer conversation next time. Adieu!" Hugo said with a tip of his hat as he went off to mingle with other ponies.

No sooner did he turn than he notice a very notable pony, a dutchess! First the prince and princess and now a dutchess? He naturally had to greet this mare. She was talking to some other ponies, once again though this didn't interest him much. He knew who he wanted and he'd introduce himself to her no matter what. As he walked up to her, he did the same. "Pardon moi. But are you the radiant Dutchess Silver Belle?" Before she even responded he had produced another flower and extended it to her. "I am Mssr Hugo LeBlanc. It is my honor to make your acquaintance."

[Hippo]

Cadance had bailed Shining out. That was nice of her. He wasn't exactly sure what the griffon wanted in the end, but at least it wasn't a true confrontation. The ability to host the fair for several different types of pony tourists but also non-pony kin as well, would serve a great purpose in solidifying the Crystal Empire's political relationships in its relatively new existence. Cadance, knowing exactly what she wanted to accomplish in this walkthrough of the fair proper, decided to walk towards the merchant district of the fair, and Shining would follow.

By now, the fair was bustling with several ponies of all kinds discovering places in the city and admiring the detail of the cleaning washing streets and architecture. Then suddenly, a merchant pony came out from behind his booth to meet the Princess. With the white crystal stallion holding a small box in presentation to Cadance. It was a gift, Shining assumed. Normally, Cadance and Shining never really accepted gifts behind closed doors. To be laced with precious goods from ponies who loved them was more cumbersome than it seemed. To put it blankly, Shining and Cadance had everything they could want. The intuition of Shining would say that whatever is in this box, is probably not anything Cadance needs.

However, because of the fair and the public setting, it would be wrong for the royal couple to disallow a gift exchange to occur on the street, just as long as it didn't turn into a massive trinket exchange for the Princess to endure. Shining wanted to honor the crystal pony with her respect towards the Princess. "A gift for Cadance? You didn't have to. What's in it?" Shining sorta hoped it was something edible, as he could use a sweet bite right about now. Of course, he would have to get his majesty's permission first.

​

[Bellosh]

 

Unknown to Princess Cadence who focused her attention on all the booths in the immediate vicinity, she strolled right under a nefarious fishing hook. Without the alicorn taking any notice, a certain crown of hers got caught in the hook’s metallic grasp. So while Cadence obliviously walked away to whatever her destination might be, the crown stayed in place midair, now serving as a prize-worthy catch for the pony on the opposite end of the fishing line.

 

Mere moments afterward, the first eager proprietor ran up to seek the attention of the royal couple. A diamond-like crystal pony fellow, he came to Princess Cadence bearing a wooden box. “It’s our pleasure to meet you as well,” the princess greeted in return, whereupon Shining Armor asked what was inside. Cadence’s eyes glistened, curious to see what (fortuitously small) gift laid hidden inside the box. Therefore, she encouraged the crystal pony on with a nod and a grin, meanwhile giving Shining’s leg an enthusiastic squeeze.

[TwoBits]

...They...they were his...pets. The flies were his...pets. His pet flies were buzzing within mere inches of her head. And they...apparently they liked her. Suddenly she had quite the powerful inclination to retreat to an inn or salon somewhere and give herself a good, thorough washing twice over.

Crystal kept up her perhaps-too-sweet smile, doing her best not to think of any of the insects landing on her mane as she gingerly reached out to offer the stallion the barest of shakes with her own hoof. "Crystal Clear," she offered her own name in turn. "It's...actually only my first time here, truth be told." Having completed what surely must be considered a suitable hoofshake, the mare surreptitiously rubbed said hoof against the ground a little once it was back down, effectively rubbing off any transferred dirt without drawing attention.

"I believe I heard Diamond Cut there greet you in a rather familiar manner a moment ago? The two of you have met already, then?"

...Clear wasn't too sure if she wanted to hear how that had happened. Honestly, every inch of the fastidious unicorn's being felt all too ready to get out of there and restore her personal sense of cleanliness, but...ergh, manners! She could do this. She could make small talk and keep smiling until it was time to buy her trinket and make a getaway. She was a professional, and as such, there was little to gain from making a big show of disgust!

[CaptainMcDerp]

Momo was practically grinning from ear to ear as the hook was caught under the edge of the crown. Yes! It worked! And just like that, it was lifted right off the princess's head as if by unicorn magic. Momo reeled in the line with great haste, and once the crown sat in her hooves, her eyes sparkled in awe. What beauty. What power!

This was it. The time has come to show the equestria it's new and rightful leader. Momo cleared her throat before raising her voice as loud as she could.

"Mwahahaha! Attention all citizens of equestria! I now hold in my hooves what once belonged to your princess! The very source of alicorn power!" She raised the crown over her head. "Once I put this on, I'll absorb the alicorn magic and become your new princess! All hail princess Momo! From this day forward, bits will be meaningless. Instead everything will cost a hoof bump. Very expensive things will cost two. Also expect to see all kinds of awesome theme parks, free food, and candy booths for everypony. Every day will be like today under my rule. Also I'm gonna merge all the kingdoms together, and take over equestria! Of course, I'm sure you're totally blown away by how awesome all this and have already decided it was definitely for the best, miss Cadence. And now... gaze upon your new leader, Crystal Empire!"

Momo placed the crown on her head and shut her eyes. Aside from the grumbling stomach, she could already feel herself changing into an alicorn. It was a feeling of weightlessness. Like floating on air. What's it gonna be like having wings and a horn? Probably easier to make a peanut butter and jellyless sandwiches. After feeling like the transformation was complete, Momo opened her eyes. Instead of the castle balcony under her hooves, it was the entire castle! Oh shoot, she must have been dislodged from the railing. What is she going to do!?

Oh wait, she has wings now! Duh. She'll just free herself from the balloons and fly down to her loyal subjects. Momo grabbed the balloon strings and gave them a quick bite. Before she knew it, she was falling towards the ground. All according to plan. Now all she's gotta do is stretch out those wings and she'll go from falling to flying in no time.

Any minute now....

What the hay? why isn't she flying?

Momo looked over her shoulder and her heart sank. Holy Celestia, she didn't have any wings!

"Aaaaaah, somepony help!"

[Corsair]

Snips and Snails seemed to be spending a lot of the day staring. First at the Palace, then the Crystal Heart, then Alexandrite. Now, they were captivated by Lilac. Not only was she lovely, but she was a dancer too! The colts stomped the ground in a rather over-enthusiastic round of applause after her pirouette. They both nodded enthusiastically at when Lilac advised them how they might 'help.'

"Yeah, we can do that!" Snails said, nodding so rapidly you could almost hear a rattle/

"You got it, Miss Lilac!" added Snips, instead offering what he thought was a gentlecoltly bow.

The two were disappointed as the dancer moved away to speak to others around the Heart, but she was still a pleasure to see in motion.

"Wow, she's pretty," Snails uttered, looking even more dopey than usual.

"Hey, I saw her first!" Snips snapped, frowning up at his friend.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

The colts continued in this manner for a few more moments, when Snails suddenly paused. The colt got a confused look on his face, as he stared at something in the distance. "Um, Miss Guard Alexandrite?" he said, still staring. "Why is there a filly fishing from a bunch of balloons??"

"Like you could ever get a mare like... wait what??" Snips said, his train of thought cut off by Snails' odd question. "What are you talkin' about, Sna..." he began, but stopped abruptly when he too spotted the odd display. "Huh," he said finally. "Don't see that every day, and WE live near Pinkie Pie..."

The pair watched as the filly seemed to catch something, and reeled in... a crown?? Well maybe a tiara, like a certain filly back home wore, but still a gold headpiece. The filly then gave a theatrical villain laugh, and gave a monologue about becoming a Princess. The filly placed the crown on her head, and then... bit through the balloon strings?? Snails managed to mutter an "Uh oh..." before the filly began plunging to the ground...

[Pretzelparty]

"Pardon moi. But are you the radiant Dutchess Silver Belle?" Before she even responded he had produced another flower and extended it to her. "I am Mssr Hugo LeBlanc. It is my honor to make your acquaintance."

Well this was a surprise, Belle hadn't met many griffins. In fact, the only one she could currently recall was a surfer she'd met on one of her vacations. Hugo was a specimen she hadn't scene before, A griffin who seemed to be the epitome of courtesy and politeness. The Duchess blushed slightly and took the flower in her magical kinesis and levitated it into the side of her saddlebag,"Well, To be honest. The Duchess is a title from my ancestor's past... It's always nice to meet somepo-- er Someone who values such titles." The Duchess extended her hoof to Hugo,"It's a true pleasure to meet you, Hugo. The lovely Red pegasus before me is Fire Walker, and the younger one is Wind Walker; Friends of the family."

Suddenly there was a glint that hit Belle's eye. Looking up a bit she noticed that something shiny was being lifted into the air, It looked like the princess' crown on a hook on

"Mwahahaha! Attention all citizens of equestria! I now hold in my hooves what once belonged to your princess! The very source of alicorn power!" She raised the crown over her head. "Once I put this on, I'll absorb the alicorn magic and become your new princess! All hail princess Momo! From this day forward, bits will be meaningless. Instead everything will cost a hoof bump. Very expensive things will cost two. Also expect to see all kinds of awesome theme parks, free food, and candy booths for everypony. Every day will be like today under my rule. Also I'm gonna merge all the kingdoms together, and take over equestria! Of course, I'm sure you're totally blown away by how awesome all this and have already decided it was definitely for the best, miss Cadence. And now... gaze upon your new leader, Crystal Empire!"

"Aaaaaah, somepony help!"

For the first statement, Belle could only watch in Disbelief at Momo's words. She wasn't sure where this filly got her facts, but whoever told her that the source of alicorn power was a crown really needed a harsh reprimand. If Alicorn power came from a princesses crown, then how would that explain the most recent addition to the princesses... who if she remembered right had her 'crown' for a while before she ascended. Maybe this filly just had a bad Teacher or something. Once the filly started plummeting Belle made a noise that sounded more like a minor exclaimation of annoyance rather than a cry of worried surprise one might expect from the spectator of this event. "Excuse me a moment." She said to her fellow visitors before she disappeared in a flash of bright blue magic and reappeared under the falling filly.

As Momo began to near the ground she would notice her body soon enveloped by a bright blue haze. It slowed her descent further and further until she began to float down like a feather and on to Belle's back. One of the best things about Magical telekinesis; How incredibly versatile it could be. She soon lowered the earth filly on to the floor and levitated the crown off her head, "Seriously, Young one... Wot ever were you thinking? Even if the princess' crown did transfer alicorn magic to it's user... couldn't you have tested it by trying to just hover a bit in the air instead of leaping of the bloomin' spire?" It seemed abit of her husband's Minor Trottingham cockney had rubbed off on her, once she caught herself she cleared her throat and then walked over to the Princess and her husband, "I think this is yours." She offered them the crown before adding one little extra line, "Thank you again for that advice your highness... it was most helpful."

[Mojo]

Pigpen

Pigpen was delighted that the crystal mare was speaking to him!

"Crystal Clear," the shaggy, unkempt stallion said with a smile, "that's a beautiful name. And yes, I came to Diamond Cut's jewelry store to buy a jeweled collar for Rascal. He's wearing it now, doesn't it look great?"

Rascal cautiously walked up to Crystal Clear to show her his stunning collar. Added to this, Pigpen's flies flew upward before hovering next to the raccoon, forming an arrow pointing to Rascal's neck and collar directly in front of Crystal Clear. Suddenly, the voice of Momo's loud proclamation and screaming before she was rescued in midair filled the room.

"Sounds like somepony's in trouble, Crystal Clear! We better go see if we can help!" Pigpen shouted as he and Rascal rushed over to the royal couple with Pigpen's flies following closely behind. When they arrived, the smelly stallion breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Princess Cadance got her crown back and the ambitious filly who had dived down from above had been saved by an alert unicorn mare.

"Your highnesses, is everything alright?" Pigpen asked, respectfully bowing in front of the Princess and Prince. Rascal, following his master, also bowed and the flies circling Pigpen's head hovered for a moment, before each tiny fly bowed in midair.

"Heard screaming and such, hope all of you are ok," Pigpen said as he stood back up on his hooves. By now, his pungent aroma has spread to a very wide area of the room.

[RarityDash]

Alexandrite kicked herself internally. Here she was trying to impress, and she couldn't even immediately recall the basic terminology despite having learned it. Of course pirouette was the right term. She knew this. She had seen Lilac dance enough that she should and had from curiosity checked out a book about the dance from the Crystal Empire library, even if she had started knowing nothing about ballet when first she had met the beguiling dancer. No, she could still save face. She just needed to remember the words in that book.

Before Alexa could attempt to do so, Lilac gave her spellbinding demonstration of her pirouette for the children. When she was through, the guardsmare applauded as the young ones did. "Bravo, Miss Lilac! Truly captivating indeed," She gave a nod. "But it's not just your pirouettes which astound, but all the manner of twirls and turns that make up your dance, be if pirouettes, fouettés or your chaînés. Like a display of the most rare and precious magic, it is something which must be seen to be believed."

Alexandrite allowed then for Lilac to offer some encouraging words to the children and then go and greet the young reporter they had both met before. She chuckled in amusement as she watched the two children begin to fight over Lilac, the youthful part of her almost wishing to join in. Then, however, the children pointed her back in the direction of the princess and some curious happenings occurring around her. This was more cause for alarm than the harassing griffon from before. A child was speaking nonsense, stealing from the princess and putting herself in danger. There was no time to speak more the young colts, though she nodded to them in appreciation. As the filly fell, Alexandrite ran boldly ahead to intercept her, but another mare was quicker and saved her with magic.

The guard stood stern over the filly just as her savior began to lay into her with some scolding. This was a child, and much had already been said, but even if it was not a true rebellion, but rather a play at one, it was still Alexa's duty as a guard to respond to a would be thief who had set her sights on the crown of the empire.

"We shouldn't take things that do not belong to us, child..." she said sternly. "Would be thieves and usurpers of the empire's crown end up locked in the palace dungeon," she added with a smile, hoping to put a little fear in the silly girl. "No, the path to princesshood lies in being always fair and true, not in wicked deeds done at the expense of others. You would do well to recognize this, or a greater danger even then what narrowly befell you might one day arise."

Satisfied with her brief lecture, Alexandrite nodded and smiled at the princess. Again, she had not had much experience dealing with children... but these seemed the sort of words this would be princess Momo needed to hear in the wake of her ever so short reign.

​