Friendship is Shining: The Ticket Disaster

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Rating: everyone
Tags: Shining Armor, Slice of Life, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 8451

One stallion, five mares, two tickets

Shining Armor is sent two tickets by Princess Celestia to The Grand Galloping Gala. Now he just needs to decide who he should take with him. The problem is that all five of his friends want to go. How will the stallion decide, and what will the mares do to try and persuade him.

(A story set in what I guess I'll call The Shiny-verse).

Published 2013-12-17 04:50:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-21 02:27:24 UTC

A Strange Package

Shining Armor stood in the kitchen of the Ponyville Library, still yawning as his horn glowed. He poured himself a cup of tea, the milk and sugar already added to the mug. There were two slices of toasted sourdough, one with creme cheese and one with apple jelly (compliments of sweet apple acres "f'r helping save the sun so them apples could still grow big, strong and tasty"). Pressing them together, he took a bite, enjoying the mix of the bread's sourness with the jelly's sweet and the cheese's creaminess.

He considered waking up Spike, but there was not really much of a reason to. The dragon was young and did like to sleep in. Besides, everything was clean and organized. The two of them were already moved in.

Moved in...

Shining looked down at his mug as he thought about it. There had not really been much to actually move. Mostly books filled with his own notes from studying, with everything else being a small number of photos and one or two outfits. The library was already furnished so that meant leaving behind the bed and such. It already had books, and a lot of them still belong to the school. Some of the ones that belonged to him he brought a long, but the ones that would have been redundant were donated to Celestia's Academy.

He really did not have much to bring with him, books aside.

A knock drew his attention and derailed his train of thought. Had he unlocked it already? It was supposed to be library hours and it was the routine he was trying to cultivate: get up, unlock the front door (if he had locked it to begin with), get breakfast.

After chugging the rest of his tea, he set the mug in the sink and went to answer the door. Reaching it, he found that, yes, it was unlocked. Taking a hold, he pulled it open.

"Hello?"

Shining looked around, blinking in confusion. There was nopony out there. Although there was a package on his stoop. Moving closer, he looked at it curiously. There was neither an address or return address written on it. So it had not been mailed to him. Who would just drop off a package at the library without saying anything? And why?

With his magic, the stallion wrapped a shield around the package and levitated it. He braced himself and shook it hard, reinforcing the shield as much as he could.

He let out a sigh when nothing happened. Bringing it inside, he carried it with him through the library and down into the basement. Shifting his focus and magic, he let the shield turn to energy, using it to take hold of the packaging. Once it was open, he slowly moved toward it to look inside.

It was the remnants of Nightmare Moon's armor. When the power of The Elements of Harmony had struck Nightmare Moon, it had turned her back into Princess Luna. The armor had been knocked off in the blast. Last time Shining Armor had seen it, they were leaving it behind in the castle ruins as they left to return to Ponyville.

Why in Equestria would somepony send this to him?

Shining Armor reached into the box and took a hold of the chest-plate.

Cold. It's so cold. Everything feels like ice. Dark. There's nothing but darkness. No sun, no moon, not even the glimmer of a star. Fear. ANGER!

"Shining?"

Shining Armor opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. His head throb, the pain pulsating with the sound of steps down the stairs echoing through his ears. He managed to push himself back up into a sitting position as Spike reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Are you okay?" the dragon asked as he reached the stallion.

"I think so," Shining responded, rubbing his head. "I was just checking... something..." Turning he looked at the package that was near him. Spike moved to look as well.

"What's that?"

"Nightmare Moon's armor." Shining Armor started to reach for it, then stopped. He had a sense of deja vu, like he had done this before.

"Why would somepony send this to you?" Spike asked.

"That's just it, they didn't." The stallion pushed the box away. "Whoever sent this dropped it off at the door and left. Although I don't know why."

"So, what are you going to do with it?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll send a letter to Princess Celestia to see if she wants it, then go see if anypony saw who brought it here. Come on. Let's get started."

With that, Shining Armor started up the stairs. Spike looked at the box a moment longer, gave a shrug, then followed after him.

Author's Note

While this is slightly relevant as it sets up events for the rest of the story, a majority of this portion will not be resolved at this time. This is more setting up an event that will be brought back up at a later point in time. This way, if I were to continue, I will not have to try and retcon anything.

Got Two Tickets

"So you didn't see anypony go into, or come out of, The Everfree Forest either?"

"Sorry, Shining," Applejack said as she bucked one of the trees. "Can't say I have. Did ya try asking Fluttershy?"

"I asked her first." Shining Armor's horn glowed as he lifted one of the baskets of apples. "She hadn't seen anything. Said she would ask her animals if they had and get back to me." Moving the filled basket over toward Spike, he then set an empty one under the tree.

"Well I think I see her comin' now," the orange mare stated. "Maybe she's got some good news."

Sure enough, there was the yellow pegasus walking along the path that to Sweet Apple Acres. She had her saddlebags on and a white rabbit was hopping along by her side as she approached.

Shining Armor heard the kick of the Applejack bucking the apple tree. Once again his horn glowed as he moved the full basket and grabbed an empty. As he did, he noticed Spike rooting through one of the full ones.

"Spike, what are you doing?"

"I'm hungry," the young dragon responded. "We've been so busy I missed snack time."

"Well... If Applejack doesn't mind you having one..."

"It's fine," the mare said, not even breaking her pace.

"Alright," Shining said, "but a small one. It is almost lunch time."

Spike resumed going through the apples, tossing several aside. Shining Armor watched a moment before giving a shake of his head. Getting up, he walked over to meet Fluttershy.

"Hello Fluttershy. Did you find anything else out?"

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy answered, "but no. I've asked every animal that I could, but none of them saw a near The Everfree Forest. Sorry."

"Well thanks for trying," Shining said before letting out a groan. "This is really weird. I kind of wish there was a pony that lived in The Everfree I could talk to or something."

Fluttershy let out a small "uhm..' sound, but before she could say anything more, a massive belch came from Spike, getting the attention of the three ponies. As he did, a burst of green fire shot out from the dragon's mouth and into the air. The flame shifted to smoke, then swirled in on itself and popped into a scroll.

"A letter from Princess Celestia," Shining said excitedly. "Maybe it's a response to the one from earlier."

Spike reached out and grabbed the scroll. With a flick of the claw, he broke the seal. The small dragon cleared her throat and unfurled the scroll.

"Hear ye, hear ye," he read. "Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala, to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of..." Getting annoyed, he started to skip through.

"Yada-yada..."

"Ah. Cordially extends an invitation to Shining Armor, plus one guest."

"The Grand Galloping Gala!" Applejack and Fluttershy both shouted out. The pair nearly knocked Shining Armor over as they moved to Spike, looking at the invitation. The dragon let out a grumble as he was pressed between the two mares. Shifting and twisting, he yanked himself free and fell backward. When his back hit the ground, he let out another burp, causing two gold tickets to appear in the air above him. Shining reached out with his magic and grabbed them.

"You two seem very excited at the idea of going," he said as he drew the tickets to him.

"You kidding?" Applejack said loudly. "I'd love to go. Land's sake. If I had an apple stand set up, ponies'd be trying our tasty vittles til the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up around here.

"We could replace that saggy ol' roof. And Big Macintosh could replace that saggy ol' plow. And Granny Smith could replace that saggy ol' hip. Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that Gala."

Shining Armor gave a twitch of his ear as he stared at the orange pony. As selfish as it was, he found himself a little disappointed. When Applejack had expressed an interest in going to the Gala, he thought she would want to go as his date. Turned out it was more for business reasons. It was understandable where she was coming from, but he still felt a little disappointed.

"What about you Fluttershy?" he said as he turned to the pegasus. "I mean an event with lots of ponies, dancing and interaction with a large group you haven't met? Doesn't really sound like something you'd be interested in."

"No," Fluttershy said until Angel tapped at her with one of his large hind feet. "I mean.. yes... Or, actually, kind of. You see, it's not so much The Grand Galloping Gala, as it is the wondrous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the Gala, and that night alone, will they all be in bloom.

"And that's just the flora. Don't get me started on the fauna. There's loons and toucans and gibbons, oh my. Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that can really buzz! With Blue Jays, and Red Jays and Green Jays. Pink Jays and Pink Flamingos."

"Okay," Shining Armor said, "That makes sense." He looked at the two mares, then at the two tickets. With only one extra, he could only take one of them with him.

He wanted to take Applejack... but... he did not want to disappoint Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was so quiet and subdued that seeing her excited about anything was somewhat surprising. On the other hoof, Applejack did have a valid point about how much she could use the bits to help fix and upgrade the farm.

Why was he finding this a hard choice?

"Well," he finally said, "I think Spike and I are going to get some lunch. I'll see you two later. Come on Spike." Reaching out with his magic, he put Spike on his back and started walking down road. The stallion started picking up the pace as he went, feeling an itch on the back of his head and two pairs of eyes watched him go.

Additional Options

"I don't get it," Spike said from his spot on the stallion's back as they went through Ponyville. "I thought you liked Applejack. Why didn't you simply invite her when she said she wanted to go?"

"I thought about it," Shining responded, "but we're just friends. Besides, you saw how excited Fluttershy got about the garden. I couldn't just disappoint her."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. That's why I used lunch as an excuse to get out there. Plus I did say we were going to get some when you were going through the apples. So where do you want to eat?"

As they were going past, the top portion of the door to Sugar Cube Corner burst open. The two managed to catch site of a pink blur before something slammed into them. Shining Armor let out a grunt as the pink form slammed into him, knocking him off his hooves and toppling him and Spike onto the street.

The two tickets, sent flying by the crash, floated gently down and landed on Pinkie Pie's snout as she laid on the ground beside Shining Armor and Spike.

"BATS!" the pink party pony shrieked. "BATS! Bats in my face! Heeelp!" The screaming, and dancing suddenly stopped. "Wait. Those aren't...

"Tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala?"

Pinkie Pie's face lit up and stars filled her eyes. She grinned widely, her mouth open as she stared at the two golden tickets.

"It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous superfunwonderfulterrificallyhumongous party in all of Equestria! I've alwaysalwaysalways wanted to go.

"Oh, The Grand Galloping Gala," Pinkie sang out, "is the best place for me. Oh The Grand Galloping Gala, is the best place for me. Hip-hip. Hooray! It's the best place for me. For Pinkieeeeee!" She stopped singing, but continued to talk.

"With decorations like streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and pinatas and pincushions. With goodies like sugar cubes and sugarcanes and sundaesandsunbeamsandsarsaparilla. And I get to play my favoritest of favorite fantabulous games like 'pin the tail on the pony!."

"Oh The Grand Galloping Gala," she sang again, "is the best place for me. Oh The Grand Galloping Gala, is the best place for me. 'Cause it's the most galloping superlyterrific gala ever in the whole galaxyyeee! Whee!"

"Oh thank you, Shining," Pinkie squealed as she bounced in a circle. "It's the most wonderful gift ever." The pink pony leaned forward and grinned at Shining Armor, blinking her big, sky blue eyes.

Shining Armor had managed to get back up into a sitting position during Pinkie Pie's excited performance. Now he sat there, staring at the excited pink pony grinning in front of him. His mind was working to catch up and figure out...

That now Pinkie Pie wanted the ticket to go to The Grand Galloping Gala as well.

"Uh, actually...." Shining Armor shifted, not wanting to look Pinkie in the eye and tell her that he had not technically invited her. It was hard to imagine anything disappointing the ever friendly pony, and Shining did not want to be the pony to cause such a thing.

Spike had also gotten up from where he had landed. Reaching down, he picked up the tickets from where they had landed. A gasp from behind him made the young dragon tense and turn around. There stood Rarity, neck outstretched and eyes wide as she looked at the tickets.

"Are these what I think they are?" she asked.

"Yes, yes. Yes!" Pinkie squealed with a small hop. "Shiny-hiney's taking me to The Grand Gallopin Gala in Canterlot!"

"The Gala!" Rarity gasped. "I design ensembles for the Gala every year, but I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour. It's where I truly belong. And where I'm destined to meet.... Him!"

"Him!" Pinkie repeated. The excitement quickly gave way to confusion. "Who?"

"Him, Rarity stated again as her gaze turned distant.

"I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'who is that mysterious mare?' The would never guess, that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation, that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself. And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance, that she would introduce me... to him.

"Her nephew. The most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot. Our eyes would meet. Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent." She emphasized the m, making it sound like she ate something delicious. "He would ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course I'd say... YES!

"We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess. Which is," she giggled, "what I would become upon marrying him: the stallion of my dreams."

Returning to reality, Rarity turned her full attention to Shining Armor.

"Shining. I simply cannot believe that you would invite Pinkie Pie so that she can...party..and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you?" With a "hmph" she turned her back to him.

Shining's ears pulled back and his jaw clenched. Now, not only was he being scolded for something he did not do, but he was being made to feel guilty over something he had never done. Plus, he now had two more friends that wanted to go. One was assuming she was going, and the other offended she was not. The stallion opened his mouth.

"Wait just a minute!" a voice shouted before Shining could. Turning toward the source, the ponies and dragon found that Rainbow Dash was standing on an overhanging roof support, staring down. Her wings gave a single flap as she glided down to the ground.

"Are we talking about The Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Shining groaned, rubbing his head. "Not you too."

"I never saw you as the gala type," Spike added.

"The Wonderbolts perform at The Grand Galloping Gala every year," Dash responded. "I can see it now...

"Everyone would be watching the sky, their eyes riveted on The Wonderbolts. But then, in would fly... Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut. Then, I would mesmerize them with my Fantastic Filly Flash. And for my grand finale, The Buccaneer Blaze!

"The ponies would go wild! The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature move would be incorporated into their routine. And then, welcome me as their newest member.

"Don't you see, Shining? This could be my one chance to show'em my stuff. You've gotta take me."

"Now wait just another minute!" Applejack said as she walked up toward the group.

"Applejack?" Shining called out. "Were you following me?"

"No," Applejack replied, "but I did hear the this one!" She pointed at Rainbow Dash. "Tryin' ta take my ticket."

"Your ticket?" Rainbow Dash nearly yelled.

"But Shining's take me!" Pinkie proclaimed.

The mares started to yell at each other, arguing over who got the ticket. Any and all conversation became lost to Shining Armor as he stood there with Spike. The two found themselves surrounded by four mares who were arguing, and he could see that Fluttershy was not far off as well. It was all making it hard to think. He had only had the tickets for less than an hour and now he was in the middle of a fight.

"ENOUGH!" Shining Armor shouted, stomping his front hooves and igniting his horn. The mares quickly started to turn silent and look toward him.

"And I said 'oatmeal?" Pinkie continued "Are you crazy?" That was when she noticed that the others had turned silent and stopped talking as well.

"The next pony to say a word," Shining continue "Will be muzzled." He turned to look at them all, his eyes narrowed. In turn, each one of them looked away. He let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping.

"Look," he continued. "I get it. You all want to go, and you all have reasons. But arguing about it is useless."

"But, Shining-" Rarity was cut off as a small bit of Shining's lavender colored magic wrapped around her snout and held it shut.

"This is my ticket," Shining stated. "Which means that it is my decision. Now I get you all want to go, but all this yelling is making it hard to think." He let Rarity's mouth go. "Now, Spike and I are going to get some lunch and I'm going to try and figure out a way to decide. So the rest of you just go on about your business, and leave us to ours."

The five ponies looked from Shining Armor to each other and back. Silently they turned from Shining and walked away. As soon as they were gone, the stallion slumped down and let out a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Spike asked, moving to put a claw on the stallion's shoulder.

"My head hurts a little," Shining replied. "Come on. Let's get some lunch. I think the stress and hunger has made me lightheaded."

Decisions, Decisions

With that settled, Spike and Shining Armor had continued on their way to get lunch. At one of the outdoor tables at The Clover Cafe, the pair sat. Spike was looking at the menu in his claws while Shining Armor stared off into space. The stallion's horn started to glow as he took a hold of one of the flowers in the vase in front of him.

Let's see, Shining thought, Who to take? Fluttershy would be thrilled to get to see the garden, he magically plucked a petal from the flower, but Pinkie Pie would love the actual Gala. He plucked another. Applejack would love the opportunity to help the farm and make a lot of bits. Meanwhile, Rarity wants to go because of her dream of falling in love with a prince and getting married, and Rainbow Dash wants to go because of her dream to become a Wonderbolt. He stared down at the five petals that made a circle on the tablecloth How do I decide?

"What would you like?" an accented voice said from beside.

"A mare that wants to go to The Gala to be with me," Shining responded.

"Uh, Shining?" Spike said. "He's here to take your order." He pointed at the menu he held.

"Oh." Shining turned to look at the waiter. "Spinach salad with blue cheese dressing please."

"Do you have any rubies?" the dragon asked, receiving a glare. "No? Okay. I'll have the hay fries, extra crispy."

"What do you think, Spike?"

"I think we should try another restaurant. I mean I like grass just fine, but would it hurt anybody to offer some gemstones?"

"I meant about The Gala."

"I wanted to ask you about that." Spike shifted on his bale of hay. "Why didn't you tell Rarity the truth about her... 'prince?' I mean you heard what the guards said."

"That's just it," Shining replied. "It was just some guards complaining. We don't know how true it was. Even if it was, that was a couple years ago. He might have changed since then."

The two stopped talking as their food was brought to them.

"It also doesn't mean she would no longer want to go," Shining continued. "She could still want to go to see her outfits being worn, or compare them to other fashion designs to plan for next year. Even if she did change her mind, that would still leave four others to choose from."

As Shining took his first bite, a large group of ponies ran past him and into the cafe.

"Sir," the waiter said from the doorway, "are you going to eat your food in the rain?"

"Rain?" Shining Armor looked around and found that, yes it was raining. Except right where they were sitting for some reason. There, it was nice and sunny.

"Hi there best friend forever I've ever ever had," Rainbow Dash called down from where she sat in the clouds, looking down through the opening. "Enjoying the sunny weather?"

"...Yes..." he said slowly, narrowing his eyes. "But why am I enjoying sunny weather when it seems it's supposed to be raining?"

"I just saw the smartest most generous pony about to get rained on," she answered. "So I'd thought I kick a hole in the clouds to keep him dry so he could dine in peace. That's all."

"And this has nothing to do with you trying to convince me to give you the extra Gala ticket?"

"Me? No no no, of course not."

Shining said nothing, just staring up at the pegasus at the hole in the clouds.

"Seriously," Rainbow continued. "I'd do it for anypony."

"Anypony?" Shining turned to tilt his head, watching several ponies still running to try and get out of the rain. Rainbow Dash stepped back, letting out a slight chuckle.

"Look," the stallion said as he turned his attention back to the pegasus. "I get you want to go, but I don't appreciate that you're trying to do me extra favors to try and manipulate me into deciding. So please close up that rain cloud, right now."

"Fine," Rainbow sighed. Reaching out, she grabbed one edge of the opening pulled to seal the hole in the cloud shut. With that done, Shining Armor turned his attention back to his salad.

A hard heavy rain fell from the sky, landing on Shining Armor, his salad, and Spike, who had managed to finish his fries before the hole had been closed up.

"Of course," Shining groaned. His horn started to glow as he gathered up his magical energy. The stallion then created a dome shaped shield over them to keep dry. He then looked back at his salad. The vegetables would be fine if a little wet, but the dressing was ruined.

"Shining," Rarity said from nearby with an umbrella covering her, "you're soaked." Moving close, she grabbed a hold of the stallion. "Come with me before you catch a cold."

Offers He Can Refuse

Rarity took Shining Armor into Carousel Boutique, shutting the door as soon as they were in. The stallion shivered from being soaked by the rain, resisting the urge to shake himself dry. Rarity removed the outfit she wore with the attached umbrella and set it aside to dry.

"Just wait here," the mare said as she walked out the foyer, "and I'll be right back with some towels."

"Okay." The stallion stood where he was as best he could, trying to keep from getting too much of the boutique wet. As he stood there, having a puddle develop underneath him, he looked around the boutique that he could see. The main room of the boutique was round and spacious. In one are were three sewing dummies that were completely uncovered that stood near the doorway to Rarity's drawing and sewing room. There were some more sewing dummies that were dressed, showing off the outfits that the mare had made. Along another part circular room, a dressing screen was set up.

"Here you are darling," Rarity called out as she returned, handing Shining the towel.

"Thanks." Taking the towel, Shining wrapped it around himself and started drying off his fur.

"Of course," she responded as she wrapped another around Spike. "After all we are the best of friends, are we not?"

Shining Armor froze as he heard that, shifting to look out from beneath the soft terrycloth to look at the mare. The words were different, but the tone sounded similar to the one he had heard from Rainbow Dash earlier.

"And you know what friends do, right?" Rarity asked as she looked at him with her big blue eyes. "They help each other. Speaking of help, I believe you could help me by trying on an outfit I've been working on."

Shining only had enough time to let out a yelp as he was yanked into the main room of the boutique. Before he could even register what was going on, the stallion found himself behind the changing curtain as Rarity basically shoved him into an outfit.

"There," Rarity said as she took the curtain away. "Now don't you look simply handsome." She brought a full length mirror to stand in front of the stallion, letting him see himself.

Shining Armor found himself in a scarlet colored dress jacket, with two rubies on the lapels. Underneath was a lavender dress shirt. Around his neck was a two-tone electric blue tie that matched his mane with a silver and sapphire tie-clip to hold it in place. He would probably look perfect in it if he combed his mane a little.

"And you," Rarity squealed as she turned to Spike. "Oh Spike, I have a dandy little outfit that's just perfect for you." Once more the dressing curtain was pulled out as the mare assisted in -- and insisted on -- dressing the target of her attention. When the curtain was pulled away, Shining had to place a hoof to his mouth to keep from bursting into laughter.

The purple and green dragon had been dressed in a pair of blue bloomers and coat with gold trim and sash. The cuffs and of the jacket were fringed with white frills. Glossy black leather straps had been put around Spike's feet, with big shining gold buckles. The entire thing was topped of by a wig of long flowing blond hair that went down past his shoulders.

"Now you just need a hat," Rarity said as she re-appeared with one, setting it on the young dragon's head. The hat was black, with gold detailing, and a large feather protruding from the band.

"Ugh," Spike said as he looked at himself. "I want nothing to do with this girly gala gunk. See you back at the library." Stripping out of the outfit as quickly as he could, the dragon took off as fast as he legs could carry him.

"Oh, who needs him anyway?" Rarity gave a wave of her hoof before pulling the mirror in front of Shining Armor once again. "This is all about you, and how fabulous you'll look at The Grand Galloping Gala.

"And, oh, my goodness." Running, she moved to one of the pony dummies that had been hidden earlier by the changing curtain. "What a coincidence. I happen to have an ensemble of my own that would accentuate yours perfectly to a t. We would be the talk of the ball, you and I." Moving up, she pressed against him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Everyone would be clamoring for our attention. All eyes would be on us! And then everyone would finally know, the most beautiful, most talented, most sophisticated pony in all of Equestria, is Rarity the unicorn!"

During her speech, Rarity had tightened her grip on the stallion, pulling him down as she moved to stand up her hind legs more and more. As she talked, he found himself pressed against her barrel, one air pinned against her and listening to her heartbeat mixed with the sound of her voice. A part of him thought that, under different circumstances, it would be kind of comforting.

As it was, he was just annoyed. His free ear shifted to pin against the side of his head. Tilting his head, he looked up at Rarity with narrowed eyes as his lip bent down into a scowl.

Rarity caught sight of the look on his face and let him go, moving back slightly but still on her hind legs. She smiled at him, giving an embarrassed chuckle.

"And Shining Armor, of course." She gave him a gentle pat on the head.

"So," Shining said slowly, "this was just a way to try and flatter me into giving you the extra ticket." His horn glowed brightly as he started to undo the outfit. "Well it's not going to work. You're just going to have to wait for my decision just like everybody else." He tossed the outfit at one of the dummies. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other places to be." With that, he left the boutique, slamming the door shut behind him. Walking away from the business, he let out a snort.

"Hey there, Sugar cube," Applejack called out.

You have got to be kidding me, the stallion thought as he let out a groan of frustration. As he turned to look at the orange mare, she grabbed him and brought him over to a cart filled with baked goods.

"I thought that after lunch, ya could use some dessert," the orange earth mare explained. "I got: apple pie, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplins, apple crisps, apple crullers, aaand, apple brown betty! Uh, the dessert. Not my auntie. What d'ya say there best friend?"

"I say," Shining growled, "that I'm getting tired of all these favors in an attempt to persuade me into giving my ticket. I just want some time to be left alone, and all this attempts to try and get me to choose one over the other is making it harder." Before he get a response, Shining Armor took off, running as fast he could do for the library.

"So...is that a maybe?" Applejack asked after him as she stood next to her cart of baked goods.

Even The Library

Shining Armor felt a sense of relief as he caught sight of the library. He was looking forward to having some nice quiet time alone to think. It was hard enough to try and decide who to pick, and having his friends try and bribe him were not helping. Maybe some peace and quiet would help him clear his mind and come to a decision.

As soon as he opened the door, the stallion heard the sound of singing. The voice sounded familiar, but he could not quite place it. Pushing the door open further, he noticed... birds. And squirrels. That would have given him a good idea who was singing even if he did not see her.

A butter yellow pegasus with soft pink mane floated in front of one of the shelves. She held a sponge in one hoof, wiping along the wood as she continued to sing to herself.

"Fluttershy," Shining Armor groaned. "Not you too."

"Oh!" Fluttershy turned to face him. "Uh... Hello Shining. I hope you don't mind, but we're all doing a little spring cleaning for you."

"Oh?" Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy continued. "It was Angel's idea." She turned slightly and pointed.

Angel, the rabbit, sat on the table. He was wearing a chef's hat as was tossing a salad. As he was being noticed, the small rabbit gave a smile, waving one of the little white front paws. It was incredibly cute, even if the rabbit was not as innocent or gentle as he could appear.

"And this," Shining motioned around the library with one hoof, "has nothing to do with you wanting the ticket to the Gala?"

"Oh, no," the pegasus mare answered as she landed. "I'm doing this because you're my very best friend. Right Angel?"

Fluttershy turned to look at Angel. The rabbit continued to stand where he was, no longer smiling. He was frowning at the pegasus, his black eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Oh," the mare turned back to the stallion. "Yes. We are just doing this for the ticket."

Well at least something can be honest about their motives, Shining Armor thought. He watched as the rabbit grabbed the bowl of salad and brought it to the stallion, holding it for Shining to see.

"This is all very nice of you and Angel," the stallion said as he turned and walked back to the door, "but I would appreciate if everypony would stop trying to convince me with gifts and favors. I would like some time to think and consider the options in peace." Using his magic, he opened the door. "So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"SURPRISE!" a group of voices shouted from outside the door before several party horns blew noisily in the stallion's face. Before he could even register what the buck was going on, Shining Armor found himself grabbed by Pinkie Pie and then suddenly in a crowd of ponies tossing him into the air.

"Shining is my bestest friend," the pink pony sang. "Whoopie, whoopie."

"Pinkie," Shining said as he reached the apex and started to fall.

"Cutest, smartest, all around best pony. Pony."

"Pinkie."

"I bet if I through a superduper fun party, party,"

"Pinkie!"

"he'll give his extra ticket to the gala to meee."

"PINKIEEEE!"

The ponies that had been catching Shining Armor and tossing him back up now all took a step back, letting him fall to the ground with an audible thump.

"Yes, Shiny-hiny?" Pinkie Pie asked as she moved to look down at him with a wide grin on her face.

"I appreciate the honesty," Shining said as he moved to sit back up, "but I would like to decide who to give the ticket to in-"

"What ticket?" a lavender pony with yellow mane asked.

"You didn't know?" Pinkie turned to answer. "Shining has an extra ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala."

"The Grand Galloping Gala!?" practically every pony surrounding them shouted.

Buck! Shining thought as the realization sank in that practically every pony in Ponyville wanted to go. They all started chatting at him excitedly.

"I've always wanted to go."

"It would be so exciting."

"Have I mentioned how handsome you are."

Shining Armor looked around quickly, ears pulled back against the side of his head. His eyes flicked back and forth, searching for a way to get away from the ponies that seemed to be everywhere around him. He caught sight of Spike as the dragon pushed his way through the crowd. The young dragon grabbed the stallion and started to lead him through. Unfortunately, the two continued to be stopped as pony after pony made offers of items and favors in exchange for the ticket (although none actually said it was for the ticket).

"What are we going to do?" Spike asked as he pushed close to Shining Armor.

"At my signal," the stallion replied, "I want you to make a break for the library. Soon as you get in, lock every door and window. Got it?" He got a quick nod from the young dragon. "Good. Now, ready?"

Shining Armor turn and ran as fast as he could, his hooves thumping on the ground. With a leap, he managed to clear a couple of ponies in his way and make a break for it. The crowd turned to watch then started chasing after him, leaving Spike behind. Taking advantage of being left alone, the young dragon ran for the library to do as he was told.

For his part, Shining Armor ran through Ponyville as fast as his hooves could carry him. Looking around, he tried to find a way to lose them, but it was harder than he expected. Finding Applejack's cart, he dove behind it and managed to get unnoticed by most, but one mare managed to pop up right next to him and another popped out from the treats, looking down at him. Bolting, he started to run in the opposite direction.

An idea came to him. Shifting his path, he grabbed a large shoot that he knew would be mostly hollow. The stallion sprinted over one of the bridges as he chewed on the ends. Satisfied it was ready, the stallion dove into the water. He stuck the tube up out of the surface of the water, allowing him to breath and stay under. He was sure no ponies would think to look for him there.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Turning, he found a pony in swim fins with goggles and a snorkel paddling toward him. Not being as well equipped to swim as the other pony, he jumped out of the water and started running again.

Maybe he could hide in a shop. Running for one, he pushed the door open, causing the bell to ring. For a moment, the place seemed empty, until one of the mares he had seen from earlier popped up from behind the register. Instead of talking to her, he ran through the shop and out the back door into an alley.

After a quick glance around, he caught sight of some crates. Charging for them, he jumped up onto the crates and started climbing. With a final jump, he landed on the roof of a building and started to move first along the edge then across the main support beam. If he could make it down the other side without being noticed, he might have some time.

A pair of pegasi landed on the roof, one on each side of the main support beam. Both of them talking, the pair started to walk toward Shining Armor, making it difficult to continue the way he planned. Hoping for the best, he turned and ran down the roof, jumping off the edge.

It hurt when he landed, but nothing seemed broken.

Shining Armor kept running. He tried to think of something else to try. A way to get away long enough for him to escape back to the library. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, he had made a mistake. Soon, the stallion found himself trapped in an alley with no way out and a herd of ponies rapidly coming toward him.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated and focused on his magic. Shining had been hoping to get away from all the ponies long enough to find a quiet place and do what he was about to, but that seemed extremely unlikely. So, seeing no other choice, he went ahead and used his spell then and there.

A glowing bubble suddenly appeared, encompassing the stallion. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, collapsing in on itself with a popping sound a flash of light. When it disappeared, so had Shining Armor, leaving the crowd gasping and wondering where he had disappeared to.

Hopefully Safe

With a pop and a flash of rosy light, Shining Armor appeared in the middle of the library. The stallion collapsed on the floor, legs sprawled out. Steam rose from his body as the energy had vaporized the excess moisture from his body, and his eyes swirled from dizziness.

"Shining?" Spike asked as he approached the prone pony. "Are you okay?"

"Spike," Shining groaned as he started to sit up, "please take a letter."

Spike pulled out a quill and pen, ready to go. He started to write as Shining Armor spoke:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you for the tickets to the gala. It has caused quite a bit of excitement here in Ponyville. As such, it has taught me a lesson in friendship, but also has created a problem on which I could use your advice.

The lesson I have learned is that sometimes your friend's happiness is very important to you. That when you can, you want to make them happy and don't want to cause them to be disappointed or upset. This can be quite difficult when you have to make a decision that will affect all of them and know you cannot make everypony happy.

This is where I could use your advice. I only have one extra ticket, but all five of my friends want to go. I need to decide who to take and how to tell the others without making them too upset. If you have any ideas on how I could do such a thing, please let me know. It would be appreciated.

Your faithful student,

Shining Armor

"Okay. Send it."

With a nod, Spike curled up the scroll and ran to the window. He quickly opened it and blew out a plume of green flame. In a puff of smoke, the scroll was gone. As soon as he was done, the young dragon slammed the window shut once more.

"Sent," Spike said with a smile.

"Great," Shining Armor sighed. "Now we just need to keep quiet and hide until we get an answer."

There was a knock on the door.

"Maybe it's the wind," Spike suggested.

"Shining," Applejack called out, "it's us."

"Maybe they don't know we're here?" the young dragon said.

"We saw the puff of smoke," Rainbow Dash shouted, "we know you're in there."

Shining Armor let out a groan and rubbed at his head. Spike just gave him a shrug.

"Please open up, darling," Rarity added. "We wish to apologize."

Shining perked up at that statement. He moved toward the door as quietly as he could. Leaning forward, he put his eye to the crack between the top and bottom halves.

"Really?" He could see all five mares standing outside.

"Yes," Fluttershy responded. "Please open the door, if you don't mind."

Shining Armor chewed his lip as he looked at them. After some consideration, he took a step back and opened the door. The five mares stepped past him and walked into the library.

"So..." Pinkie started. She shifted on her hooves, looking down at them.

"We saw all the ponies chasing you because Pinkie Pie wanted the ticket," Fluttershy continued.

"So we got mad and started getting into a fight with each other again." Rainbow Dash rubbed at one of her other legs as she looked at the ground.

"That was when dear Fluttershy noticed that you were being chased," Rarity said, motioning toward the yellow pegasus. Pinkie Pie hopped forward.

"And we started talking how totally mean and unfair it was that all these ponies were chasing after you just to get the ticket to The Grand Galloping Gala."

"Which...." Applejack shifted. "Which was when we all realized that we were basically doin' the same thing."

"You told us all you wanted time to think, then wished to have time alone. Yet none of us listened."

"We just kept trying to get you to pick us and didn't think about what you said."

"It was selfish."

"And unfair."

"And we're sorry."

"So we decided to apologize, then give you some time."

"We also promise that none of us are going to get mad over not being chosen."

Shining Armor looked from one pony to the other as they spoke, listening to what they said. When they finished, he gave them a small smile. He felt a knot between his shoulders become undone, and like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"Thank you," he said. "I appreciate that and will try to get you all a decision as soon as I can." He shifted and let out a small chuckle. "You know, I wish-"

Spike's cheeks swelled and he let out a belch. A plume of flame shot out and turned to smoke. It swirled in the air before changing into a scroll. The young dragon reached out and caught it before it could hit the ground. Unfurling it, he cleared his throat and began to read.

My Faithful Student Shining,

I am pleased to hear that you are learning about friendship quite well. As for you decision, I have a simple solution.

"It's four more tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala!" He took a hold of them and held them up for others to see.

"That means we can all go," Shining called out. The six of them started talking excitedly about going.

"Do you know what this calls for?" Pinkie Pie asked as she moved forward with a grin.

"I really don't think we need a party to celebrate getting to go to the Gala."

"No, silly Shiny" the mare replied. "Not a party. A... group hug!" With that she reached out to grab the five other ponies and the one dragon, then pulled them tight and wrapped her front legs around them all.

Spike burped up another scroll.

"And one for you too, Spike." He took the ticket. "You mean I have to go to some girly Gala too?"

"Looks like it," Shining answered, giving the dragon a rub on the head.

A Different Type of Letter

In the minutes before dawn, the library was quiet. The only sound to be heard was the breathing of the two occupants as they slept in their respective beds.

The silence was interrupted as Spike was awoken by the feeling of energy building up. The young dragon was raised from his head by a burp that unleashed a burst of green flame. The fire and smoke floated through the air until transforming into a scroll and landing directly on Shining Armor's head, waking the stallion.

"What?" he asked, blinking down at the scroll that hit him. Using his magic, he turned on a light. Taking a hold of the scroll, Shining unfurled it and started to read.

Dear Shining Armor,

Apologies to Spike for sending a scroll so early in the morning, and to you for not responding to the questions when sending you the additional tickets. However, I felt it necessary to speak to my sister on the matter as well as to have some research done.

On the matter of having the remnants of Nightmare Moon's armor sent to you: I can see no plausible reason any pony would want to do so. There is no special magic in it of its own from what I can find, and honestly was surprised it remained behind when Luna changed back. No prophecies regarding the armor could be found in any text in The Royal Library that any pony could read.

As for what to do with it, neither my sister nor I have any interest in keeping such an artifact of our history. Therefore, you are free to do with it as you wish. I will note that Luna's suggestion was "have it be melted down so it may never know combat again!" This was actually her second suggestion, her first being to have it tossed into an active volcano.

I am sorry that I was not able to provide more help in the matter and wish you luck in discovering who sent you the armor and why. However, do not worry about the matter too much.

Your faithful teacher,

Princess Celestia.

Shining Armor to tell Spike what the letter had said, but found that the dragon had managed to get back to sleep despite being awaken by the letter. Giving his friend a chuckle, the stallion rolled the scroll back up and set it aside. The apology could wait until Spike woke up.

For a moment, he thought about going back to sleep himself. The bed was still warm. Instead he turned off the light and got up. Walking over to the window, Shining sat and watched as the sky began to change with the colors of the sunrise. The problems of yesterday were settled, and a new day was starting. He would worry about the armor another time. For now, things were looking bright.