Could Be a...

Chapter 18 – Who it's really for

The darkening sky outside has been multiplied by the fact Vanhoover's skyline is mostly covered by the tall forest trees that surrounded it. Really though, you've never been good with telling time without a clock so it could be later or earlier then you're thinking.

Either way it wouldn't change the fact that you really don't want to do what you're being pretty much told to do. It's been about forty or so minutes since one of the no name guard ponies came to the door to tell you and Twilight that all the guest have arrived, meaning you and Twilight should get ready for the dinner party she called for.

The news came as a surprise seeing as how you and Twilight never even were asked to look over what's being served or even asked what to serve for that matter... But then again your assumption as to how things should go was most likely wrong seeing as how you've never really hosted or been a part of a dinner party at a castle.

You slowly bring your mind from your thoughts as you continue to just stare to the bottle of dark red wine that you float above where you lay, "Twilight?"

There's a moment of silence to the room filled only with the low chime of your now purpley green magic that holds the bottle. Not wanting to be soaked in wine you float the bottle to the side table next to the bed as you slowly start to bring yourself up from where you laid on the bed.

You shift your eyes to the closed bathroom door as you adjust the magically form fitting cloak you have on, "So... I guess we're not doing this now huh? I mean it's been what an hour since you went in there?"

"Almost done..."

You roll your eyes to the comment as you just turn your attention back to the cloak around you. The fabric is actually strangely fun to just run your hoof though, seeing as how it makes a slight static electricity sound every time you touch your hooves together. You stop your hoof as you think to yourself, whoa i'm amazed by static electricity...

Before you can think over your newest realization the door to the bathroom comes open.

You sit up a little as you hold your head to the mare that now steps out of the bathroom. Her mane has been curled on either side as well as flipped up to reveal the silver horn band that proudly sits around her horn. You slowly drift your eyes down the mare as you take notice to the elegant dark purple and starry night looking gown. "How do I look?"

Her words snap your eyes back to her face as he blink to her for a moment for something to say, however you can't quite pick the words as you decide to just speak your initial reaction, "Well... I would say beautiful, but I can't remember a day where you don't look beautiful."

The low comment brings the mare's ears down as a faint blush runs to her face, but she doesn't let it show as she just wiggles her hoof to you with a slight giggle, "S-so this is what you're wearing?"

You quickly bring your outfit less body upright as you flare the cloak out a little with a slight chuckle, "Well I didn't know we would be doing something like this..." You cock your head to the mare as you speak up, "So that's why our bag was so heavy huh?"

Twilight holds her smile as she shrugs, "Could be."

You nod to the comment as you start to stand, "You look very nice Twili-..."

A knock to the door breaks your comment as a stallion's voice comes up, "Mrs.Sparkle, are you two ready?"

Those knocks are getting a little annoying, Twilight speaks up as you just stare to the door, "Yes, we'll be out in a moment."

Twilight turns herself to the door as she holds her head to you, her voice starts up in a strangely regal tone as she speaks up, "Care to accompany me?"

You crack a smile to the try-hard voice as you take a step next to her, "After you... My dear." The last part of your comment has a deeper tone that holds your smile as you bring your hoof up towards the door.

Twilight gives a little giggle as she trots towards the door with you behind her, the light purple magic brings the back part of the throne room into view along with the earth pony stallion at the door into view as you and Twilight trot out.

"Follow me." The stallion starts to lead the way as you and Twilight follow after him.

The castle is still very different to you, and it does bring back a few uneasy feelings. But the trot through the brightly fire lit throne room is brief as you both just continue to follow the stallion out into the front of the castles hallway on the left. After a short trot and another left turn you find yourself now trotting into a tall and large hall with a lengthy bright light oak table spanning the room’s length.

"Here you are, I shall go and gather the others." The stallion bows his head to you and Twilight as you two just look over the room you've stepped into.

Twilight speaks up just before the stallion leaves the room, “And Spike?”

The stallion nods as he speaks up, “The dragon has already ordered something to be brought to his room.”

You give a slight chuckle to yourself as you continue too just look over the room.

However your stare doesn't last long as a light brown coated and sandy maned mare wearing an apron trots up to you and Twilight. She bows her head a little as she speaks up, "Welcome back savoirs of Vanhoover... I have your seats laid out for you both."

The mare's choice in words stuns you and Twilight but you both casually nod as you follow the mare down the one step decline that brings you next to the table. The trot was short for you as the earth mare pulls the large green and gold cushioned chair at the head of the table out for you.

You blink to the spot at the head of the table but you sit down as Twilight is directed to the spot on your right.

"What can I get you to drink?" A smile comes to the mare as she waits for you or Twilight to speak up.

"Um, just water for me." Twilight nods with a slight smile as the mare turns her head to her, you second the comment as the mare speaks up, "The water is from Vanhoover falls, I think you will greatly enjoy it."

As the mare trots away you and Twilight turn your eyes to each other with hopefully the same thought that rings in your head, this is way too much.

A faint chuckle runs from you as you slowly start to ease back into your chair, your lighthearted laugh brings Twilight's up as she does the same.

But your laughs are quickly brought down as the sound of hooves come to the room.

You both turn your heads to the door you came in through as you look over a regal dressed light blue pegasus trotting in followed by equally nicely dressed earthly colored earth ponies.

The three ponies turn their heads to you and Twilight as the stallion directs them to their spaced out seats, "Lord Windsnap your seat is here. Lady and lord Way yours is across."

A little laugh comes up from the pegasus as he takes his seat one seat down from Twilight, "I must say, this castle is very elegant." The stallion's very deep tone flicks your ear as you just look over the pony with a strange thought Morgan Freemen?

You shake the strange thought from your head as the stallion on your left speaks up, "I would agree with you on that, but it is rather chilly." You watch the stallion as he pulls the seat out for the orangy goldish coated mare he trotted in with. These two ponies definitely are older than you and Twilight and most likely the pegasus but not by the much.

As the light gray blond maned stallion finally sits down to his seat he holds his eyes to you as he speaks up, "Well hello again."

You bring your voice up a little as you try a friendly smile, "W-we do?"

Your comment doesn't change the stallion's smile as he lets out a friendly chuckle, "You may not remember me it was a rather long time ago, but we had meet at Fantaisie Gras."

You give a simple nod as you slightly turn your eyes to Twilight to check to see if she's drawing the same blank as you, she is so you bring your voice up with your best shot, "Was it our wedding?"

The stallion cocks his head to the comment as he slowly starts to shake his head, "I-i'm not quite sure if it was..." The stallion quickly brings his voice up as he holds the friendly smile, "How is your daughter?"

Twilight now chimes in as she nods, however the formal voice she brings up actually surprises you a little as you just listen to her, "She's well... Do you have any kids?"

The goldish mare next to the stallion speaks up as she brings her hoof to a little wiggle, her tone has a slight southern drawl to it but it definitely is more of a regal sounding tone rather than like Applejack's. "Yes, we have a daughter, MilkyWay." A faint giggle comes up as she continues, "In fact when Celestia asked us to attend this selection we almost didn't want to leave her at the manor by herself... But she assured us she would be fine."

As her comment comes down a faint laugh comes up from the once quiet pegasus, "Well I seem to be at a disadvantage here... I do not have any foals of my own to boast about." The pegasus shifts his eyes between you and Twilight as he nods, "But I have heard of both of you, and I feel as though I must thank you both for what you've done for Equestria."

The comment both slightly puts you and Twilight in an awkward position as she speaks up, "Well thank you... But we could not have done the things with did without help from-..."

"Terribly sorry we're late everypony..."

The voice flicks your ear as you, like everypony around you turn to look at the newest addition to the room. However, as you look over the half eyed gazing fancy dressed white coated and blond maned stallion you lose your smile.

The stallion's eyes finally lock to you and Twilight as his cocky and flashy smile is chased from his mouth, but he quickly brings a nonchalant grin back as he trots a little further down one side of the table, "My my, Twilight and her... Husband are the host my aunt has picked."

The unicorn's horn sparks up as he pulls the chair out for the nicely dressed cluelessly smiling bright white mare with curvy gold mane that would even make Rarity jealous.

"Yes, Celestia did pick us Blue Blood." Twilight holds her tone as she waits for a response.

But Blue Blood's response is nothing like what you expected as he takes his seat next to the mare, "Well at least she choice some ponies with a good idea as to who should rule... I could not think of anypony better then you Twilight."

The comment doesn't alter your stare as you look over the straight backed stallion.

Your stare turns his head as he speaks up, "How have you been?"

You pause for a moment as you think for something to say, but you bring a smile to your face as you speak up, "Did you do something different with your mane...Blue Blood?"

Blue Blood's smile lightens as he speaks up calmly, "Not in a very long time, I would say five years."

Everypony around the table just blankly listens to the conversation as you nod your head with a faked surprise tone, "Oh really?"

Blue Blood turns his eyes to the silverware in front of him as he continues to calmly speak up, "Yes, actually around the last time we had a little chat." He cocks his head as he continues, "Which reminds me, that pegasus you were with that night. Did you ever take her up on the... As she so elegantly put it when she jumped up on the stage, free pony ride?" Blue Blood casually shifts one of the butter knifes as he continues, "After all, when you left my club I would not know."

He holds his faked questioning expression as he waits for an answer.

You might not know exactly what he's talking about, but that fact only annoys you more as you take a deep breath and just look over the stallion half way across the table. But the slightly warm magic under your coat slowly calms your mind as you bring a little smile to your face, "Well I would have told you, but I could never find you in Canterlot after that."

The slight smile to Blue Blood's face comes to an end as he adjust himself in his chair, "Quite."

As his comment comes to an end the tension that hangs above the table is quickly broken by a slightly high pitched voice of the mare next to Blueblood as she cheerfully speaks up while she wiggles her hoof to the ponies around her, "Did y'all get your wines? Me and Bluey picked them out special for this little event." The mare childishly nods her head as she takes a look around the room.

As his voice comes down the mare next to him starts up her slightly high pitched voice as she looks to Twilight, "Oh my name is Felice Jewels" Everypony nods as they give their own little remarks.

Blue Blood brings his voice back up as he looks to everypony, "Yes, I thought that the wine would be a nice gift, after all it's a magically enchanted brew that helps chase away even the worst of headaches..." He casually runs his eyes towards you as he directs his voice to the room, "...For all those who do a lot of thinking."

You take a deep breath as you turn your head to the labyrinth of silverware that sits in front of you all the while as you think to yourself, this is going to be a LONG dinner... If I make it through it."

End of chapter 18