A Dance to Remember

Chapters

Simple Steps
Difficult Dances
Awkward Alliterations
Confused Choreography

Simple Steps

To some, a thousand years can feel immeasurably long. To others, it is but a drop of water in an endless ocean, with time spanning farther than one can perceive. An alicorn's lifespan is determined not by their fortune or their biological gifts, but by the way they choose to live their life.

For two alicorns, both Princess Celestia and her counterpart Princess Luna, a path has been chosen for them. They live in a relatively peaceful manner. Despite the constant surprises and major threats, the two share innumerable assets both far and wide. Whether it be the allies they have carefully selected and built upon over their lifespans or the acquaintances they have chosen to bring in close, the ones they trust offer something no other being can possess. Friendship.

The an alicorn, such a word is a bittersweet subject. Friends are the ones who are there to entertain, comfort, and even love one another until eventually time catches up. Unfortunately, that battle is clearly one-sided a majority of the time. With a shortage of acquaintances like themselves, the co-rulers of Equestria have made due with reaching out and grabbing at the most friendly amongst their circles.

In time, one such friend has come to join their ranks as an immortal being, and her journey there provided her with the numerous trials and tribulations needed to prepare her. One Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's personal student and confidant, became an alicorn after realizing her destiny through hardship. And while it was a shock to many, to the one named Luna, it was a miracle sent from the stars.

One she trusted, and one she already had a degree of familiarity with, had joined the eternal bond of alicornship and ascended into immortality. Thrust into the role of princess, however, there was still much that the young pony needed to learn. It was not until she began *teaching Luna various subjects did she truly earn the respect of her peers.*

Since then, Princess Luna has shed the husk of her doubts and cast aside her fear of others. While she did not trust everyone, she now knew that she did not need to become hostile with them.

This is not to say that the princess of the night was an exceptionally social creature. Even before her banishment to the moon, Luna had always been the type to prefer solitude - it came with being a nocturnal creature. When the land you rule over hides away when you arrive, you tend to get used to the silence.

And that is what has led to what may as well be a monumental challenge for Princess Luna. In only a few days time, an event known as the "Grand Galloping Gala" would arrive at the Canterlot Castle in full glory, and hordes of ponies would come pouring in wanting to socialize.

Though she was no stranger to this event, considering she had attended the very first Gala after the construction of Canterlot Castle, it had never boded well for the princess of the night. She always felt a looming sense of dread when it came close, and a striking feeling of nervousness when it had finally arrived to greet her.

It became a custom of Luna's to lock herself away in her observatory and gaze at the stars until dawn, when the Gala finally came to a stop. But the more time that Luna spent around Twilight Sparkle, the more she realized that the tradition needed to come to an end. Putting aside her fears and bracing herself for embarrassment, she decided that this Gala would be different.

She would be going, and she would enjoy it.

"The time hath come again," Luna spoke inwardly as she gazed out over her balcony, her moonlight pouring over the land. She stood serene and tranquil, waiting patiently for her night to give way to Celestia's day. After a few minutes of this, her nerves got the better of her and she began to fidget.

"Oh, this shall not do," she said, quickly rising and moving away from the balcony. She paced the large observatory, gazing around at all of its furnishings. Whilst she was entirely familiar with all of them, having seen it hundreds upon thousands of times, she still found solace in their company.

Star charts, relics of ancient travelers by sea, magical artifacts aiding astronomers; if it was related to the night sky, Luna had tirelessly worked to obtain it and treasure it within her observatory. What was not so familiar was the untidy stack of books that was amassing in one section of the room, isolated from the grandeur of the other scenery.

The sight brought a small smile to her face and a pang of comfort to her heart. "Twilight Sparkle," she said to herself. "Thou hast a way of leaving thine possessions where thee lay."

Moving over to the stack of literature, she began to levitate some books in front of her to take a look at what her new acquaintance was studying. "Advanced Starcharting: Volume Nine," she said, turning her gaze to another book, "and What Lies in our Skies. Oh, Twilight Sparkle. Thine interest of our stars is flattering. If only thou wouldst request a lesson; we would teach thee all we know."

Laying the books down to rest where they previously were, Luna moved on with a heavy-hearted sigh as she made her way towards the dining hall. If she could not find solace is silence, maybe she could find it within company. More often than not, Twilight or her assistant could be found within the dining hall - assuming that the hour was still young.

Her assistant had a healthy sleeping habit, or so Celestia had once proclaimed. To Luna, it only meant that she might never get a chance to properly get acquainted with the young drake. She only caught minor glimpses of him regularly, and had only spoken to him on a very rare occasion following the Changeling invasion.

He was no longer a "baby dragon" as so many had called him. She had preferred the term "whelp", but her sister warned her away from such a term, deeming it rude. It mattered not to her the political correctness of the term; it was the same one used by adult dragons. In any case, she settled upon changing her mannerism when speaking in public about the young drake; if only to please her sister.

He was, biologically, still very young. As a member of the draconic species, he would not hit physical maturity for several decades, if not a few centuries. His mind, however, had been put through more trials than many within her kingdom could lay claim to. To say she respected Twilight Sparkle's assistant was an understatement.

For the life of her, however, Luna could not remember his name. It was something simple, she knew, but she could not bring his name to the forefront of her memory. She knew it had an "s" in it somewhere, but otherwise it did not ring any bells.

"Sam? Soar? Star.. Something with star, surely? Twilight Sparkle would enjoy that," Luna mumbled to herself as she moved about the corridors leading up to the dining hall. Along the way she passed various guards, all of them saluting her dutifully. Having gotten so used to it, she simply pressed forward all whilst speaking to herself.

If the guards had been wary of Luna's habit before, they did not show it now - she was constantly speaking to herself quietly or thinking aloud absently. It had become commonplace within the castle, especially among the royal guard, and all who worked there accepted it as nothing more than force of habit.

"Looking for someone, Princess?" came the voice of a batpony guarding on of the many royal libraries. "May we assist you in some way?" The batponies. Creatures of mysterious origin that loyally followed Luna as if she were more than a princess, more than an alicorn. They revered her beyond measure, and would gladly lay their life on the line at any moment for her.

For now, however, such drastic measures were far and away from what she needed. Luna gave pause and turned towards her servant, speaking low and calm towards them, "Twilight Sparkle - dost thou know of her current whereabouts?"

"I do not, Princess. Last I saw her, she was heading out the castle and talking about her home in Ponyville. My best guess is that she went to visit it," the batpony responded, her voice laced with regret. It seemed as if she considered it a failure, and Luna picked up on this.

"Thank you, guardsman. Thou hath done well by us," she replied, bowing her head gently in respect at her guard's information. The expression upon their face immediately changed to one of admiration, and they perked up to salute her once more. The Princess excused herself silently, moving towards her destination once more.

Perhaps she should have inquired about the assistant's name. It was well and truly weighing upon her now that she realized how lost she was upon the subject. He was such a kind young dragon, and she had forgotten his name as easily as breakfast. It could be that seeing his face would hold the key to remembrance, and this thought alone drove Luna back into a comfortable mindset.

Instead, her thoughts turned to focus upon just how kind the assistant actually was. In all of the friendship letters sent by Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna found that the ones involving her assistant always seemed to end in him acknowledging his own shortcomings or praising others for their hard work. Upon meeting Princess Luna on friendlier terms than Nightmare Night, he did not offer any trepidation or even nervousness at speaking with her.

Where many felt she held on to trace amounts of dark magic left over from her transformation, it seemed that the drake was entirely convinced she was a new mare. To Luna, this was beyond kindness; it was the work of a good heart. And while many did not give him the credit he deserved due to his age, she understood all-too-well that he face many a problem bravely and never let that slow him or his beliefs down.

And for that, she respected him all the more sincerely. In her heart she now held a secret hope that it was not her friend Twilight Sparkle that she might find within the dinging hall, but her assistant. Whose name was on the tip of her tongue. It would give her a chance to speak with him on a purely natural ground, with no ulterior motives pushing her to do so.

Aside from the loneliness that was plaguing her tonight, that is. The Grand Galloping gala still weighed heavily on her mind. Questions such as "What shall we wear?" and "How shall we speak?" brought along with them the inevitable indecision that Luna so fearfully dreaded. If there was one thing that bothered her more than any other, it was not having a clear and level head about important matters.

"Nothing a cup of tea won't fix," she told herself with a gracious sigh, rounding the final corner leading into the great dining hall. If her potential friend was to be found, it would not be here. She gave another, more disappointed sigh, and cursed her luck. "Make that two cups of tea."

"Good evening, Princess," came a slightly rough voice off to the side. Jerking her head in reaction, she felt both relieved and joyful at the sight before her. There, sitting at a lone table with a small plate of food, was Twilight Sparkle's assistant.

That joy was short-lived, however, as Luna remembered all-too-late another one of her previous problems. As she searched for clues hinting at the name of Twilight Sparkle's assistant, her eyes settled upon the green protrusions upon his scaly back. "Ah, hello.. Spike?" she said with no amount of hiding her uncertainty.

"You got it," he said with a kind smile before taking a sip of his drink. It seemed like it was coffee, but it also had a faint blue tint to it. It was a drink she was only vaguely familiar with due to her sister's boasting of its potency. Rather appropriate, considering a dragon's anatomy was more resistant to the effects of pony beverages.

"We apologize, young drake," she began, not catching the slip-up of dialect, "it has just been a long while since you and I have partaken in conversation." She could feel her face heating up, but took solace in the fact that she had gotten his name right on the first try, rather than with multiple attempts.

"No worries, Princess. We don't really chat all that much, so I understand. I have an unfair advantage anyway, considering your title," he said with a friendly tone. His words put Luna at ease, at least enough for her to calm her nerves and take a seat across the table from him.

He sat in a cross-legged position with his back slightly hunched over, and it gave him a bit of a relaxed air about him. It wasn't a major development, but at least Luna knew he wasn't tense about speaking with her. "You speak with ease," she commented curiously, "Most creatures tend to shy away from us - uh.. Me."

Before she could be embarrassed by her mistake, however, Spike stopped her with another kind smile. "It comes with a lot of practice. And don't worry about your speech; I actually find it pretty fascinating."

This brought a smile to the Princess' lips; not many would be so bold as to compliment her in such a way. Normally she might shy away from the flattery or even keep a cold expression in the face of kindness, but she could allow a small smile at the very least. "It is not often we are encouraged to speak as we may. Thine generosity dost not go unnoticed."

"No problem," he said casually, accompanying it with a nod. "I've spent enough time around royalty to know that you're just like any other pony - albeit a bit unique. But in a good way." There was another compliment. Twilight Sparkle mentioned that he tended to "lay it on thick" with his flattery. She found it to be a bit odd, but pleasant nonetheless.

Moving on with the conversation, Luna wished to see if she could perhaps get a bit of advice from the dragon pertaining to the upcoming Gala. He chaperoned the Elements of Harmony, after all; surely he might know something about enjoying the festivities properly.

"Excuse me, Spike, but may we ask of thee a personal question?" she asked carefully as she put together her next sentence. When confirmation came from Spike, she continued, "What can thou tell us of the Grand Galloping Gala? We have been.. Distant, when it comes to our subjects, and we wish to ensure that we connect with them properly in this event."

"Well, actually, I don't really know much about it," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Last time I went with the girls, - the Elements, I mean - I actually kinda stuck to myself. Didn't do much other than checking out the buffet." he finished with a small laugh at his own jesting, but it left Luna a bit desperate nonetheless. What would she do for help now that her only two confidants were unavailable?

She could ask her sister, but Celestia had her own way of attending the festivities. She wished to make herown mark upon her subjects, not mimic the successes of her sibling. She had begun to believe this year may be a repeat of her other Gala experiences up until Spike spoke up with a suggestion.

"Do you know how to dance at least?" he asked curiously, his brow raising in accordance with his tone. Luna couldn't remember the last time she had danced - with anyone. It felt like a lost art to her, and her confidence in the plan began to wane.

"No, we cannot say we do," she admitted abashedly. One would think that royalty would at least be able to carry themselves gracefully during a dance, but Luna had never been fond of it. She tended to stumble clumsily during the steps even when the partner was familiar to her.

"I could teach you!" he suggested happily. The prospect of dancing with a stranger, even one she had a mutual acquaintance with, threw Luna for a loop. It made her stomach turn and she felt a rising desire to return to her observatory.

"Oh, no. We could not possible bother thee with such a ta-" she began, trying to ease her way out of the conversation with grace and charisma. It failed rather quickly.

"Come on," he said after taking a final sip of his coffee and laying the cup to rest on the table. He stood up and extended a hand towards her gently, beckoning her to take his hand. "It'll be a nice change of pace for me at least."

After a few moments of consideration, Luna dawned upon a realization. If she was going to make a change, she would have to take a few risks. She felt rather strongly that this event would be the beginning of that change, but it would not come without a bit of embarrassment. That being said, she would not settle with sitting idly by whilst she sank slowly into isolation.

Setting her fears aside, she reached out a hoof and took Spike's offer. "Okay," she said with a voice as loud as her night sky. While she didn't quite know how this would end, she did know this is how it would begin.

It was time to start anew.

Difficult Dances

Asking for a location in which Luna would feel comfortable, the princess thought it to be the simplest of questions. Leading her way past door after door, uncomfortable gazes from guards, and alternatively-suitable rooms, she finally came upon the room she felt most comfortable in. It was by no means a secret, and the dragon already wore a knowing smile upon gazing at the doors leading into it.

"The Observatory," he said as he craned his head backwards a bit, getting a better look at the intricate patterns that lay chiseled into the stone of the archway just above the door. "Should've known, really."

A look of concern came upon Luna's face as she mistook Spike's mellow tone for displeasure or mockery. "If thou dost not find it a suitable location, We could sugge-"

"It's perfect," Spike said, cutting her off with another one of his warm smiles. Though she hid it well, it relieved Luna of a great burden to be allowed such control over the decision of such a matter. To her left she saw two guards approaching - on patrol, most likely - and stopped them.

"Guards," she said in a calm manner, trying to maintain discipline without arising suspicion. The two saluted right away, taking note of their postures and correcting it with impeccable speeds. "Thine duty has been changed. Thou art to be stationed at either side of this door, entrusting entrance only to the most urgent of matters. Understood?"

"It shall be so," the guards said almost in unison, much to Spike's surprise. He arched an eyebrow at Luna, who simply nodded towards the door with a bit of magic to open it. Her guards were among the most well-trained and highly-disciplined units among Equestria. Such loyalty and respect came naturally from them.

They tossed what was supposed to be an unnoticed glance towards Luna's unusual companion, however, but gave no word or indication of mistrust. He was something of an oddity to the guards, being what they might call a "day-dweller". Having proven himself time and time again, however, it seemed they harbored little ill-will towards the dragon. He gave them a quick nod and smiled as a gesture of thanks, but just as he expected the two returned only silence as they moved to their posts on either side of the door.

Shutting the doors behind her, Luna's posture quickly fell into a more relaxed state. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she let her head drop from its regal posture into a friendlier manner. This was her domain, and Spike was something of an acquaintance to her - she could afford being comfortable.

Seeing the look upon her companion's face, she gave a small, calm laugh under her breath. Were it not for the silence of the Observatory, Spike not have heard it. It was nothing practiced - nothing like her sister's laugh, which might calm a horde of rampaging dragons at the sound alone.

"Doth mine appearance jar thou, Spike?" her voice was unsettlingly calm towards Spike; he had expected a bit of a reserved attitude coming from the Princess of the Night. Perhaps he had misjudged her opinion of him, in that she had seen him as something of a distant figure.

"Uh, no!" he said, stammering over his choice of words. "It's just that - well, to be honest, I expected you to be kind of.. I don't know, anxious? Worried?" He tried to recover, but only found himself more and more worried himself as he kept on. Finally, reserving himself to a sigh he added on, "I'm just glad you're relaxed, is all."

" 'Tis not hard to be relaxed when one's company is rather elegant themself," she replied kindly, not at all a dishonest comment. There was a certain air about Twilight's assistant - she assumed it was from all the years spent by her side that had molded him into the gentledrake before her.

Now, however, was not the time to dawdle on obvious details. She had asked him for a favor, and she intended to collect upon it. He was smiling now - surely this would be an appropriate time to act upon such a claim. "Thou saidst thine dance skills could be shared?" she asked politely, urging him to prove his earlier boasting.

"Oh, yeah! Of course!" he said, his expression changing from embarrassment to glee in only a moment. His movements grew quicker and his demeanor grew lighter with each passing gesture. "Alright. So I'm assuming you'll be taking a pony to the dance, so lemme just get down to size," he said as he dropped down to all fours, settling his height just above Luna's.

She took note of the convenience of his new height, glad that she would not need to stray from her comfort zone entirely - only in a major way. Soon, he guided her through a few basic movements - how he observed others moving throughout the Gala, how he noticed the way they spoke, how they wore the expressions on their faces. But on subtly disturbing detail came into play time and time again as he explained: he was speaking not from experience, but from analysis.

"Hast thou ever attended a dance for thineself, Spike?" she asked out of curiosity before she could consider the weight of such a statement. After getting it out into the air, she realized how insulting it sounded after being laid onto the metaphorical table, and was quick to try and recover ground. "Beg pardon - we did not mean to insult thee! It is just that thou speakest as though thine eyes do the dancing, not thine feet."

He held up a hand to signify he felt no negative feelings towards her slip-up, and she felt a degree better. Silently scolding herself, Luna listened intently as Spike went on to explain his various dealings with the Gala. "My first time hearing about the Gala, I wrote it off as.. What was it? 'Girly Gala gunk', I believe I called it."

He topped the sentence off with a chuckle to himself, but soon picked up where he left off. "Eventually, the girls convinced me that going to the Gala might not be all that bad. So I agreed on the condition that I might show them around Canterlot and we could see some of my favorite hangout spots - something for all of us to enjoy."

He gave a pause, which allowed Luna to interrupt politely to comment on the state of things, "But We assume that is not at all how events transpired?" She was all too used to things turning out in that manner - one moment they are blissfully perfect only to be ruined by some random occurrence or oversight. It was a feeling of emptiness that only the passing of time could heal. With time came new memories, and those new memories would push aside the old.

"You got it!" he said with mock cheerfulness. "Turns out they all had their own plans; Applejack set up a stall to sell pies, Rainbow Dash tried to connect with the Wonderbolts, Twilight spent the night lonely - whole thing was a flop. And then that left me, on my own, to try and find something I could do. In the end I just made my way to Pony Joe's and settled in for the night."

"Thine tale.." Luna began, feeling a longing in her heart to reach out and console the dragon whose expression had taken on a rehearsed smile betrayed by sad eyes. "It saddens Us.. Me. I do not wish that burden upon any, for I have felt it myself." Though she did not act upon the urge, she made a mental note to find some alternative.

"Nah, that's okay. Really," he urged, seeing the doubtful expression upon her face, "it was just something that kinda ruined my impression of the Gala. Ever since then, I've kept myself at a bit of a distance from the other ponies. And over time, with my growth spurts and reclusive nature, I realized that I kept getting more and more strange and wary looks at the dances."

"Judged for thine appearance, not for thine deeds," she spoke up, her voice trailing off as she lost herself in thought. Her mind was in a great debate on whether to confide within Spike or keep him at a distance, as she did for all others around her. On one hoof, he was looking more and more like herself - shunned by those close to her and then left to her own devices when she was brought back in - and it appealed to her heart that she might find a friend in the young dragon.

On the other hoof, she would also be spilling private information out to someone that she hardly knew. He was undoubtedly trustworthy, she knew, but even with that in mind it was a terrifying prospect to have someone else have her secrets in their mind. What he could do with that information wasn't truly important to her so much as what he might assume about her afterwards.

"Everything okay?" came Spike's voice, snapping out of her dilemma with a start. She gave a small gasp and clacked her hooves across the ground as she gave a small step back in reaction. "Woah. My bad," he added, his claws in the air as an apologetic gesture.

" 'Tis of no consequence, young Spike. We were only considering something important - should we continue with our lesson?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject to something a bit less personal. It only occurred to her afterwards that she would be jumping from the frying pan and into the fire - the matter of dancing face-to-face was not at all an undaunting topic.

Whether he sensed her apprehension or not, Spike gave no opposition. Instead, he offered up a gentle smile and a nod. "Sure," he said with his voice just above a whisper. He began by giving a proper bow, bending at the knees and leaning forward, with his head towards the ground.

She responded as she was taught before - the process was almost automatic for her - and crossed her forelegs before bending slightly in a traditional curtsey. With that out of the way, he spoke softly as he moved towards her. "Now, this is gonna require me to place my hands on your shoulders. Is that okay?"

If no other rumors were true, those about Spike's gentle nature were entirely correct. "Of course," she said after going over the various options that might give him her approval. It ranged from "If thou must" to "Please do", the latter of which might make her blush at its forwardness and the former that might make her dance partner shrink away from hostility.

She felt the gentle placement of his clawed hands upon her shoulders, the dangerous additions doing nothing more than giving a slight tickle upon her coat from how careful he was being not to harm her. She had never known how calm a dragon could be in its actions, and she was delighted to find that Spike was capable of putting her mind at ease.

Her heart, however, was another matter. It began to beat frantically, as if she was being chased down by some manner of threat or surprise. It did not accompany a sense of dread, however, as she was so used to with her night-terrors and daily thoughts of negativity or fear. Instead, it was a sense of warmth, perhaps comfort, that rode alongside the tingling feeling that ran down her spine.

Involuntarily, she gave a bright smile at the dragon's touch, which caused him to offer his own toothy grin. "Next, just lean onto your hindlegs and place your forehooves onto my shoulders. After that, We'll go through a few basic moves that I know. Easy stuff - promise."

Doing as she was told, Luna's skin began to flush with that same warmth as she was brought face-to-face with Spike. Her knees wobbled ever-so-slightly and she nearly lost balance if not for the dragon supporting her along the way. "Easy there, I gotcha," he said simply, steadying her with confidence and grace.

"Th-thank you," she uttered rather sheepishly, trying to keep her embarrassment under wraps for the time being. Acting good on his promise, Spike showed her some basic steps; they moved back and forth, working to steady her hooves and synchronize their choreography properly with only minimal stumbling on either part. All in all, it was not nearly as bad as Luna had anticipated - perhaps she had a knack for such a thing.

At the end of the lesson, she felt confident in the fact that she could at least control her own hooves under the stresses of being so close to another pony - or at least a dragon, for whatever difference it made - in such a manner. Her heart had still not stopped beating quickly, however, and she began to wonder at whether or not it was a matter of concern. As the two pulled away, however, the beating slowed to its regular pace within her chest. Along with that, a sense of longing.

The gentle and friendly touch that came from Spike was little more than an instructional and guiding gesture towards her, but she couldn't help but feel as if it were more important than that. Perhaps this is what she had in mind when she sought and alternative to her urge to assist him earlier - she wanted to have him feel that same connection.

So, with nothing more than a grateful glance between the two, Luna reached out and wrapped her hooves around Spike's neck, embracing him in a gentle hug. It was nothing more than an attempt to brighten a darkened heart, though she did not know of which heart she spoke of, but she realized it was more than she had hoped for.

The same frantic beating of the heart returned to her just as quickly as it had departed, though she did not release him upon noticing. Instead, she heard Spike inhale sharply, as if just as startled as she was earlier. It was not a moment later, however, that she felt the return of the embrace with his scaly arms sliding across her back.

For a few tender moments, the two simply stood in the Observatory, enjoying one another's company in the warm embrace. She knew it could not last for much longer, but Luna wanted to savor the feeling as long as she could. She closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh as she pulled away from the hug, her hair falling partway onto her face, partially concealing the blush that had overcome her after the brash course of action.

Before she could begin to explain, Spike spoke with that same voice he used to calm her earlier, "Thank you."

She stared up at the now-standing dragon with a mixed expression of confusion and joy, finally settling upon saying little more than, "It was Our pleasure."

Spike looked outside, towards Luna's night-sky, before giving a slight frown. "I should be heading back home soon. Twilight will be getting worried any minute now. But.." he rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly apprehensive, "If you'd like, I could come back and teach you tomorrow night?"

What had begun as a simple favor seemed to have blossomed into something more - that much, Luna was sure of. But what it had become, and how large a role she had played in it, she did not quite know. But the emptiness within her heart had given way to the warmth that filled it now, with Spike by her side. "Thou wouldst not mind?" she asked politely, raising and eyebrow.

"Thou doth protest too much," he said jokingly, eliciting a laugh from both parties before he answered her question with a resounding, "I'd love to. See you tomorrow?"

"We shall await thee with bated breath," she replied, mimicking his earlier poetic statement. Another laugh, another memory made. It was not at all a lie, of course- this was the closest she had gotten to having a close friend in years. To say she was unenthusiastic would be a bit of a lie.

Saying their farewells, Spike made his way out of the Observatory and past the guards outside. Luna made sure to peak out and dismiss the guards, thanking them for their dutiful service. Returning to her balcony and gazing towards the sky, she decided to allow herself a bit of a guilty pleasure by shivering with excitement and letting out a quick giggle. That had gone beyond well, in her eyes.

And it had only just begun, from the look of things.

Awkward Alliterations

Spike had seen a lot of unusual things in his life. Anything from seeing clouds of cotton candy rain sugary-sweet milk to being brought into a comic book world in order to fend off an evil that otherwise would have posed no threat to anyone. He himself had also been altered into something of an oddity when his greed outgrew his patience one fateful day, transforming him into a gargantuan of power and size.

But this was something he honestly could say ranked pretty high on the "Weird Things I've Seen" list. He leaned against the window of the Golden Oak Library's upper floor, sipping a drink concocted by Pinkie and Zecora. They said it was like coffee, but much stronger. Or in Pinkie's words, "So strong it'll knock you on your scalie butt!" So far he hadn't noticed much of a change, but that was alright. The drink was pretty tasty, all in all. Perhaps he was too surprised by the sight just outside his window for the drink to make much of a difference.

At the foot of Golden Oaks Library, he watched as ponies were caught between a struggle of either bowing out of respect or fleeing out of fear. The former was made by the adults while the latter was mostly composed of children, with their minds still scarred from their last meeting with this incredible foe.

Posted around town were guards that most of Ponyville had never actually seen in person - there were rumors about them, but they were just that: rumors. Batponies of different sizes dotted the alleyways and stood proudly in the shade wherever they could find it. That meant one thing and one thing only: Princess Luna had arrived.

"Am I under arrest?" Spike asked just before taking another, long sip from his drink and then setting it aside in favor of leaning onto both of his elbows resting on the windowsill. It took a bit of awkward shifting to get comfortable, but soon he found himself calmly smiling out as he awaited the response from one of the guards. He had become accustomed to speaking with a few batponies and understood that they preferred to speak for their leader rather than have her show up personally.

"Not that we know of, Sir Spike," a female batpony answered, kneeling in respect as they regarded him like royalty. He thought he'd like the special treatment when it first began but over the years he realized how wrong he actually was. Attention was immediately drawn away from the batponies and turned instead to him.

"Just Spike is fine," he corrected her politely, taking note of all the awed and awkward stares that he was now receiving from various ponies around town. Even a few children had stopped running long enough to watch the scene play out.

"We believe in giving someone such as yourself the respect you deserve, Sir Spike. Would you kindly come down and meet us, if it pleases you?" the batpony called up at him in reply, her eyes determined and dead-set upon his own. Taking note of her calm, carefully-carved expression, Spike realized there was no way to shake his title among the batponies and sighed.

"Yeah. Just gimme a second," he answered before pushing off of the windowsill and making his way downstairs to clean out the mug he was using to drink his special coffee. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, he opted for just laying it down in the sink instead. With that out of the way, he simply made his way into the -

"WOAH!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards and nearly bashed his head against the counter, mere inches away. There wasn't much risk to his body, what with his scales having hardened to a density nearing steel, but Twilight would have found a way to kill him if she found out his head broke a chunk out of their furniture.

"Hello, Spike!" Luna greeted him cheerfully, her face giddy with the same excitement he saw when she was winning the games during Nightmare Night. "We have come to acquire you for a very special task. Dost thou accept?"

Before he could give a reply, he felt himself being lifted and then placed onto his feet by Luna's magic. "Thanks, but what exactly did you have in mind? And how did you get in here?"

"Twilight Sparkle is not the only one in all the kingdom that may teleport properly. 'Twas a simple trick, getting here! The real trouble was surprising you, and we do believe that went splendidly," she explained, giving Spike a playful wink as she did. "We cannot tell thee all of the details. Know only that it is very important and will surely open the way to greater, more important things!"

"Well how could I refuse that?" Spike said with a small smile, listing more than a few reasons why he could and probably should refuse that. Walking blindly into propositions had only ever turned out well a handful of times and when it concerned a Princess, let alone a Princess known for being interested in all things arcane, he felt as if he would be walking straight into a spell.

"Wonderful! We need you to.." Luna began excitedly, looking up at Spike with a shine in her eyes. But whatever confidence had brought her here on her own accord, it seemed to fade and flood from her in an instant. All she needed to do was ask him to accompany her to the Gala - a simple proposition that he truly could not refuse; it was an Equestrian custom that was upheld like a law.

".. to walk with us," she settled upon quietly. Her smile did not fade, but internally she was scolding herself for appearing weak to a friend. This would not ruin her chances, however; if anything it might even bolster her chances at appearing confident to Spike. "Yes, this is definitely what thine must do. 'Tis important!"

There was no way this wasn't a trick. "You want me to.. Walk with you?" Spike asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow in confusion. He leaned over and past Luna, checking the room for hidden buckets of water or chalk dust, perhaps even a boot to kick him on his way out the door. "Like.. Just walk? To where?"

"Wherever our legs might take us," Luna affirmed, already turning to lead Spike out the door. "Though we may have to deal with a bit of an extra presence along the way - my guards never take well to being ordered against guarding me."

"That's fine. All the more reason not to be worried," the young dragon said with a nod before opening the main door to the library and showing both Luna and himself out.

"Thou art worried, my friend? Whatever for?" the cobalt mare beside him asked curiously. She wore an expression of sincere amusement, which only added to the aura that this was one big, elaborate prank that either Pinkie or Rainbow somehow conned Luna into.

"I've had a bit of trouble with pranks in the past. Figured you might be joining in on that bandwagon or something," he answered truthfully, hoping that the charade would be brought down if exposed so easily. What came was nothing more than a small giggle from Luna, however, and Spike found himself worried all the same.

"Thou art a clever one, Spike. But no - we did not intend to prank you aside from our surprise visit to thine residence. Admittedly, we do have a destination in mind. Away from the peering eyes of thine fellow residents," she spoke openly, nodding kindly to a few ponies that had stopped what they were doing to stare at the odd pair strolling through the streets.

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me where that is, right?" Spike guessed, seeing a pattern in the way that Princess Luna seemed to prefer secrecy and mystery. It was a stark contrast to Twilight's blunt and straightforward nature, which meant he was wading through uncharted waters.

"Thou art correct in thine assumption, Spike. Thou shalt know it when we see it," she answered with finality, a quick and decisive nod punctuating the end of their conversation neatly and properly. He had learned the gesture quite some time ago when he noticed Celestia did the same thing when speaking to creatures in her courtroom. When the nod came around, it was time to leave.

Except now there was nowhere to go. He had chosen to accompany Luna and really there was nowhere else he'd like to be at the moment. What would he say, anyway? 'Sorry, Luna, but this is just too secret to me. Catch you later!' He didn't doubt her guards would have him run down within the minute for insulting their leader.

So instead of pure silence, he decided to compliment her in an attempt to start up a new conversation."You're looking very nice today, if you don't mind me saying," he offered with a smile.

Not missing a beat, Luna asked, "Am I not beautiful every day?" She put on a pouting face in order to drive home that she was simply joking rather than actually offended. There were, after all, several over-zealous creatures at her call and command just behind her.

"You got me. What I meant is that you're somehow even prettier than usual, but my tongue was tied," Spike shot back, the grin on his face growing. That joke was an old classic that many had tried to use on him, and it was just another way to continue the conversation.

"I'm sure we can find a doctor for your condition, my friend," Luna finished the joke, opting for the lesser of the two flirtatious routes. The other route consisted of offering to untie it for him, and such an option was only taken by someone looking to express courting behaviors. She was trying to express courting behaviors, but only at the bare minimum level, rather than an extensive -

"Is this what you were talking about?" Spike asked, inadvertently interrupting her thoughts. They had stopped just before the entrance to a woodlands trail that led parallel to Sweet Apple Acres. He and Twilight had walked along the trail many a time in their pursuit of a quiet reading place. "I love this place."

"Truly? Wonderful! Thou shalt find this escapade most pleasant, then," Luna replied with renewed excitement. She talked a big game, but all the while that they walked along the trail her mind was racing in an attempt to try and figure out just how she could properly invite him to escort her.

He made a few absent comments about how he and Twilight would spend their days reading in peace or even arranging playdates with the pets under the gazebo that was built here sometime last year. Luna paid close attention to his stories, but ultimately she was sidetracked by an idea formulating in her mind. She knew that it would only work if she was unburdened by the watchful eyes of her protectors, however, so she resolved to temporarily rid herself of their company.

Holding up a hoof to Spike in order to signify she wished to stop, her guards immediately picked up on the hidden gesture. The rustling sound of leaves, branches, and dirt shifting immediately ceased and was replaced by the gentle beating of wings coming from one of Luna's batponies. The same one that spoke to Spike earlier now took her place by Luna's side.

"Yes, my Princess?" she asked with a bow, her eyes filled with both admiration and determination. Her expression looked rather different from when she spoke with Spike before; it looked as if she had aged in reverse, reverting to a young filly meeting her hero for the first time. It was now that the young dragon understood just how tightly bound these ponies were to Luna herself.

Which made it all the more confusing that after a whispered phrase from Luna, it took only a moment to register with the young batpony before she and all of her peers leapt upwards through the trees and took a formation to fly back towards Ponyville. Spike turned towards Luna with a confused expression before raising both eyebrows and giving a quick laugh.

"Talk about training, 'eh? I don't think even the Wonderbolts could pull off that maneuver so quickly," he commented as he and Luna continued their walk, the gazebo now in sight.

"They do their best. Not only that, but they and Celestia's guards have a bit of a competitive spirit when it comes to the stunts they pull. You'd be surprised how unruly the guards can be in their downtime," Luna commented, a smile growing upon her face. It made her proud to know just how opposite the guards' personalities could be. When they were on-duty, they were comparable to golems in their stoic actions - whereas when they were on their own they were as carefree as children.

"You ever worry about their rivalries getting out of control?" Spike asked curiously, stepping up into the small gazebo and taking a seat upon one of the benches lining the low walls.

Following suit, Luna continued with a confident, "Not at all. My guards have the control to match Celestia after her morning coffee. And I don't know if you have ever seen my sister when she has been caffeinated, but it is like watching a stone fly."

The expression made absolutely no sense to Spike, but he made no effort to try and figure it out. Instead, he opted to continue the conversation with another compliment. "I suppose they learned from the best, huh?"

"Oh, please, Spike. You do me too much honor," she waved a hoof at him, brushing off his compliment earnestly. "My guards were disciplined all their lives by military instructors, not by my personal guidance."

"If that's true, then they wouldn't be nearly as nice to me," Spike said in reference to his draconic heritage. Guardsmen were notoriously harassed by those among his kind - which was no surprise, considering how abrasive dragons were by nature. If they were kind to him it was due to Luna's teachings, not the teachings of an angry general.

Luna sighed and gave a meek shrug. "It is true that we taught our guardsmen to behave in a manner most becoming, but other than that, their techniques are inspired by those other than I. But your kindness surely has had an effect on their opinion of you. You are not, after all, like those they have met before." After slightly shifting in her seat, her mind burst forth with an idea that could lead her to complete her original goal.

"Not unlike how I feel about you," she mumbled quietly, as if the trees around her might mock her for the statement.

"What was that?" Spike asked in the same manner he might confront Fluttershy about her volume level. He was impressed with how quickly Princess Luna's mood shifted from an excited, adventurous tone to a timid and quiet one.

"Pardon me, Spike," Luna began as she rose her voice to match his. "But might I ask of you a request?" She steeled her nerves as best she could, though she could feel her knees beginning to wobble and her body beginning to get jittery with anticipation. So much could go right, so much could go wrong. She didn't even have an exit strategy.

"Of course," he answered as he slowly fell down from excited, curious state and into a concerned, on-the-verge-of-worried one. "Is this the adventure you had planned?"

At this, Luna let out an audible laugh - not a giggle, but a laugh. Her nervousness prevented any regal composure that allowed for a calm shrug and nod combination that most royals seemed to favor when faced with this sort of thing. "No, but yes. But also no," she admitted half-heartedly, not quite sure of how she might go about answering his question honestly.

"Good answer," he replied with a laugh of his own, obviously amused by her dancing around the issue. "Well, lay it on me. What'cha got?"

"We do not quite know how to go about this properly, and in our research with Twilight Sparkle we found that the best approach would be to await your personal answer but I believe my intentions might not be so clear," she began in a sudden burst, letting loose all that she could possibly think to ease her way into asking the question itself. When she realized she was simply vomiting up words and stalling for time, however, she gave a pause and took a deep breath.

"Wouldst thou accompany us to the Gala?" she settled upon, the heat already rising to her face so quickly that she feared that fire might burst forth through her mouth at any given moment.

"What do you mean? Like a chaffeur or..?" he asked, shocked by the sudden request. Two days ago he had taught the Princess how to dance and now he was being asked to escort her to a dance. It was so sudden, in fact, that the thought of being pranked crossed his mind for just a moment before he took in her honest, shakingly nervous expression and dismissed his doubts.

"As an escort, if you please. Or you might call it a.. A date? I believe so," she questioned, feeling smaller by the second when put beside what she saw as a massive issue. She was a princess. The Royal Princess Luna, Guardian and Protector of the Night, sworn by oath and by blood to watch over the moon, the stars, and the dreams of all beneath them. And she was shaking like a mere child beneath this problem.

"Oh. Uh.. Forgive me, but," he began, instantly recognizing the change in Luna;s expression as crushing defeat. He had only ever seen it three times - this time made it four - in his life, and each time it hit him like a brick.

"I apologize. I did not mean to offend," she with a voice that began to shake with each added word. Taking a stand, she prepared herself to teleport out and away from the gazebo before Spike's voice interrupted her concentration.

"Hey. I wasn't going to say 'no', you know," he assured her with a smile, turning her attention to him by gently nudging her back to sit beside him. "I'm just a little surprised that you'd be so sudden with all of this. You seem like more of the care, plan-everything-out type."

"Well I did have a plan," she admitted, her voice returning to its normal level of nervousness to which she was accustomed. "But I grew wary of putting it into play. I am not exactly the best when it comes to confronting social situations."

"So you're just as nervous as I am, then? That's a relief," Spike commented with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and his knee with the other. That gesture was a sure-fire signal to let others know he was cornered and by now it had become a habit.

"We truly did not mean to offend. Truly. We simply do not know any other as we know you, and though we do not speak to one another very often, I am confident that we have learned of one another substantially, yes?" she offered up in hopes that Spike might understand where she was coming from.

"Now that I think about it, yeah. I suppose you and I are already good friends from how much we probably hear about one another. Pretty odd, but I think I can deal with a bit of oddity. How about you?" he asked while rubbing his chin in contemplation. The thought actually hadn't come to him before now, though he was glad it did. Maybe this whole meeting wasn't as peculiar as he was led to believe.

"Hearing thou say that puts our heart at ease, Spike. To know we are not alone in our thoughts is a blessing of its own," Luna answered with a small smile of her own.

"I didn't answer your question, did I? Well.. Now that you put it this way, I think I'd be willing to give it a shot. If nothing else, I'll get to teach you some more dance moves," he suggested hopefully, leaning back into his seat and taking in the quiet beauty around them.

"Dost this mean thou wilt go with us?" Luna asked, her face lighting up in anticipation. Spike noted that it almost copied the look that her royal guard had given her earlier whilst speaking with her privately, and found himself grinning like an idiot at it.

"It'd be an honor," he said formally, bowing to her in an effort to retain some of her royal dignity.

This notion was shattered, however, when Luna suddenly bit her lip and let out a small giggle, much like Pinkie might have done if she were told some especially good news. Maybe Ponyville was already growing on the Princess and she just didn't know it. "We must go and make preparations!" she said quickly as she got up and nearly rushed out of the gazebo

He was about to call out in goodbye but found himself stopped short when Luna rushed back and wrapped her arms around him tightly for only a moment then vanishing in a dark blue light before he could react. Sitting there stunned for a few moments, Spike tried to comprehend what had happened within the last few minutes. When that failed, he settled upon crossing his legs and tilting his head backwards to look up into the trees while he cleared his thoughts.

"A date with the princess. I can think of worse fates," he told himself. While looking around at the forest surrounding him, he thought he caught the sight of a pair of yellow eyes staring back, but they were gone before he could get a good look. "Though maybe I might be speaking too soon," he added on, once again to himself.

"I wonder what kind of preparations she meant," he asked out loud as he stood up and walked away from the gazebo. If nothing else, this certainly was an adventure of sorts. One that he was not likely going to forget soon. With an ever-growing array of questions in his head to provide him with all the confusion he could (and could not) handle, he decided upon heading back home and trying to sort it all out. And possibly drink another one of those coffees that Pinkie and Zecora had conjured up for him.

Perhaps it was time to ask Twilight for a bit of assistance.

Confused Choreography

"Ah, Princess Twilight!" Luna managed to voice despite her growing fatigue. The sun was well over the horizon now - the day was nearing noon. "Surely thou mayst help us."

"Princess Luna? What are you doing up at this hour? You look exhausted," Twilight replied in a voice filled to the brim with concern and confusion. "And pardon me for saying it, but you're speaking with the Royal Canterlot mannerisms again."

"Oh, we - I apologize, Princess Twilight. We were simply perplexed by recent events and were wondering if th - you could me," Luna said, taking a moment to yawn after making her request. She was by no means inattentive but Twilight Sparkle did have a point; Luna was absolutely exhausted. That she was slipping in her speech was but a minor consequence.

"Help you?" Twilight replied curiously, raising and eyebrow. "What do you need?" She wasn't trying to stare but it was getting difficult; Princess Luna's eyes were bloodshot and they twitched uncomfortably every so often. After a few moments, she found the princess of the night reaching up and rubbing her eye with the back of her hoof absentmindedly while she spoke.

"We require a second opinion upon a matter most important," Luna said confidently, her eyelid slowly rising after having been rubbed at for so long. She looked around for a moment before looking uncharacteristically abashed. She beckoned Twilight closer and leaned in to close the distance. "And a bit personal. We do not wish for rumors to be spread about the castle."

Leaning away from Luna only slightly more confused - albeit intrigued - Twilight could only wonder at all of the possibilities. With a bit of worry she asked, "Is everything okay? Is the Kingdom in danger? Are you in danger?"

Luna looked rather confused herself at that, recovering only after several confused expressions and false-starts. "No, nothing of the sort. We assure you that it is a very safe situation, though it is still very dear to us." Then, perhaps a bit too loudly, she announced, "Come! We shall discuss things further within the Observatory."

Following suit, Twilight watched as the nocturnal mare veered off to either side after several steps, nearly tumbling into Twilight at one point when she turned her head one way and took a step in the other. It was rather evident that she had not only stayed up for a full day, but had probably been endlessly going over something in her head. It was both pleasant and concerning to note how closely Luna resembled herself.

Upon reaching the large Observatory, a bastion of silence in which Princess Luna had given her express privilege that she might use it to her leisure. The day she had done so, Princess Celestia had to intervene when she found Twilight thanking Luna for about the hundredth time for the day. It wasn't her most prideful moment, but it had meant a lot. To her knowledge, only a handful of creatures had ever been within the Observatory upon its completion.

Before long, Luna delved into all of the things that she had gone over in the previous day; from loneliness, to the Gala, to meeting up with Spike, to having him teach her how to dance, and to the present moment. "I've been thinking about it over and over, and I cannot decide, Twilight Sparkle."

"Decide upon what, exactly?" Twilight asked as she waited patiently, sitting upon a bright red pillow that had been brought to the middle of the room where they both resided. Luna had opted to pace back and forth nervously while Twilight mimicked Princess Celestia in her tranquility.

"We brought you here to ask you.. Dost thou believe it would be a good idea to- Or rather, what do you think of us.. We cannot get the words right. 'Tis a delicate matter," Princess Luna explained frantically, almost sheepily. Twilight had never seen this side to either princess before; she didn't think it existed. Finally, after steeling her nerves and taking a deep breath, Luna took a seat upon the pillow parallel to Twilight's and said simply, "We wish to court Spike to the Gala. Or, rather, have him escort us."

If there was any direction Twilight had believed this conversation would go in, it certainly wasn't this one. Blindsided, it was all Twilight could do not to stammer out a confused "What?" and probe Princess Luna on her inner thoughts. On one hoof, Spike was like a brother to her - she had a certain protectiveness over him and who he associated with. On another hoof, this was one of the other royal princesses, who she ruled alongside for several months and had known for a good chunk of her life.

"We meant no offense," Luna spoke up hurriedly, spotting the look of shock on Twilight's face and mistaking it for a negative response. "Only that we could think of no other that we might be as comfortable with, save our sister and thou. But as we understand it, neither is an option as of now."

"Oh no, no, no! I didn't take offense," Twilight interjected before her conversational partner could jump down a slippery slope into full-blown panic, as she herself had done so many times before. "I just didn't expect you to take an interest in Spike. I mean, don't you have the pick of, well.. Anyone?"

"Yes, but just because we have it doth not mean we need to use it. Thou knoweth Spike better than any other, mayhaps even himself, so we would like to understand. Is our idea a mistake?" Her words were earnest and her voice was sincere, and it was all that Twilight needed to wash away any doubt of Princess Luna's sincerity upon the matter. It wasn't just a means to an end, or something of a convenience to her - she truly did wish to follow through and gain a new friend.

That made it all the more difficult to think clearly however, and Twilight found herself lost within a thousand conflicting thoughts swimming around in her head. Anything from Spike's well-being to how this would all end - or blossom further - was on her mind and at the end of it all her head was spinning from the sheer amount of possibilities. Desperate for a little relief, she concluded that the only safe option would be to help Luna if she could and see where this might lead. Perhaps she would have to speak with her assistant at a later time and see just what he thought of all this.

"If you want my opinion, Princess Luna, I think you should go for it," Twilight said with finality, despite the aching desire to analyze and map out the entire situation at hand to find a perfect solution. If there was one thing she had learned with her time at Ponyville, it was that trusting her gut wasn't necessarily a bad choice. Sometimes it was the perfect one.

"Thou doth mean it?" Luna asked with a bit of a hopeful shine in her eyes.

"Yes. Spike is a sweet, honest dragon and I think he would be delighted to court you at a dance," she responded with a bit of a smile, having seen the happy gleam coming from Princess Luna's expression.

"This is terrific news! We must think of a way to alert Spike of our intentions at once," she began, finishing off her statement with a decidedly long yawn and a shudder through her body. "Perhaps after a bit of sleep. And a cup of tea."

"Sounds perfect to me," Twilight said as she stood up, ready to leave the Princess to her slumber. "If you need me, I'll be with Princess Celestia in the gardens. Just let me know!"

"Yes, I understand. And thank you Twilight Sparkle - thou hath done us a great service by putting our mind at ease," she said happily, already moving into a more comfortable position to sleep in. With that, Twilight felt free to take her leave and make her way to Princess Celestia.

The air was calm and the sun was bright. Twilight had always enjoyed the Royal Gardens, perhaps moreso because she spent many a thoughtful day and hidden evening within the serenely beautiful wing of the palace reading books. The chirping of birds could be heard above and beside her and Celestia as they sat and drank

"So my sister has taken a liking to your kind assistant," Celestia said casually, taking a sip of her tea with a calm smile upon her face. If she had any signs of confliction or even moderate surprise about the news, she wasted no effort in hiding it. She looked utterly at peace.

Twilight, however, nearly spat out her tea when her mentor spoke of her knowledge on the subject. She had been debating whether or not to keep Luna's confession - could she call it that? - a secret from Celestia. Sputtering and coughing the drink that had caught in her throat, it took a moment before Twilight could gain her composure and speak clearly. "You know about that? How?"

"I have eyes and ears all over the castle, my dear Twilight," she answered cryptically, which was her way of buttering up her conversational partners before either answering their questions outright or leading them to figure it out themselves. Fortunately for Twilight, who had only enough mental capacity to try and figure out how she'd approach the situation herself, Celestia continued, "One of my guardsmen spotted Spike leaving the Observatory with a rather large smile molded to his expression. There could only be a select few explanations for a situation like that, and I picked the most likely one. I suppose I was right."

So Celestia had tricked her into confirming her suspicions. Not the most honest and elegant ways to get information, but Twilight had to admit that it was effective. But with the knowledge now out in the open, she also saw a chance to ask a question of her own. "What do you think of the whole thing, then? I'm not sure how I should approach this," she asked more pleadingly than she had intended.

"I would not worry so much about Spike as I would about Luna, but perhaps that is biased upon my part," Celestia admitted freely. "I say this not because I believe Spike is harmful or even foolish enough to inadvertently harm Luna; I say so because Luna can harm herself easily. As you already know." The statement brought back memories of the Nightmare Night in which she had helped Princess Luna win over Ponyville.

It had been a marking of respect for the princess of the night by the townspeople of Ponyville, but Twilight had noticed something else - something important. Luna, throughout the entire ordeal, had relied entirely on others to shape her image for her. She saw the fear that her presence created and wanted to right that wrong, but the worry in her eyes was apparent.

Luna couldn't stand to see others cowering at the sight of her, it seemed, and the longer she stayed the more it became obvious that she had begun to despise herself. How Celestia was aware of this was anyone's guess, but it made sense that she'd know her sister better than anyone.

"So you're saying that I should just.. Let it happen? Should I tell Spike anything?" Twilight fired off question after question, but found only a calm expression staring back at her as her panic level rose. She realized the message that Celestia was sending her, then made an effort to do her breathing exercises. Once she was calm again she asked in a much more relaxed tone, "What would you do?"

Celestia took another long sip of her tea and dropped the small smile on her face in favor for a contemplative gaze off into the distance. She leaned forward and rested her chin upon the backs of her forehooves, which she held together like a bridge. "If I were in your position, I believe the logical step would be to wait and see how this all pans out. No sense in rushing either Luna nor Spike into acting upon what they've learned."

Calm, cool, and collected; that is how Celestia had acted. She didn't show an inkling of doubt within her judgement, and Twilight chose this as the opportune moment to admire her mentor - and friend - for what she truly was: a wise and benevolent pony. She also wondered a bit in regards to how such a pony might dance at a Gala, but that was another discussion for another time.

"Thank you, Celestia. Certainly makes my mind a bit more at-ease," Twilight admitted happily, tossing a grin Celestia's way. With the gesture returned, she couldn't help but feel a sense of joy wash over her. The Gala was going to be a special occasion - she could just feel it.

With her mind settled and her thoughts tranquil, Twilight began to daydream at all the possibilities that could come from Luna befriending Spike - or vise-versa. What a crazy friendship that could be. A recluse alicorn and an outgoing dragon. She couldn't wait to see how it would blossom forth, but first..

"I should probably clean this up," Twilight said sheepishly, only noticing the spilled tea-cup that had produced the villainous liquid she had choked on earlier in the conversation. A giggle and then a laugh arose from across the small table, and Twilight felt compelled to join in as she wiped up the mess.

If the rest of her days could be spent like this, there was no telling how happy Twilight might become. Maybe that's how it might be for Spike if things went right? She could only sit and wait, now. Sit, wait..

And daydream.