The Reattempt and the second chance

"PRINCE LUNARIO!"

A white pony burst into the doors of the high courts with guards running after her but one glare from the princess caused them to look back to the prince, waiting for orders. Prince Lunario sighed, pushing extremely confidential records back into the abyss of their folders with his magic, taking his time to get everything back in order. Princess Bluebell tapped her hoof, daring to trot closer, growing impatient. From the far edge of the table, a younger colt with light pink hair and a crown too big for his head leaped towards the princess, as if summoned.

"What is it?" The prince asked finally, daring himself as to see how long he could keep his cool.

Bluebell took a moment will the tiny pink prince back to his hiding spot, avoiding verbal reprimand for the mysteries of alicorn power were, exactly that. She gave up, clearing her throat. "The gala is in three short months, and I want you to begin the preparations!" She jumped up, emphasizing her drama. "I need you to!" Lunario opened his mouth to have the guards drag her out by her hind legs, but the princess yelled again. "Do not botch the guest list again! You have to invite Elusive."

The prince cast an annoyed look. "I'm sorry?"

Bluebell groaned. "He is the best fashion designer in all of Equestria, and my future boyfriend." She gestured to her dress, an even whiter, overly extravagant ball gown with yellow trim to match her hair and way too many gems. "This is an original, custom made."

Lunario almost laughed. "Fashion designer? Shouldn't that tell you something?"

Bluebell stomped her hooves again. "Your hair sparkles and I don't see you ogling the guards."

Lunario rolled his eyes. "Fine, now leave." The princess twirled around and galloped out, slowing down at the end of the hallway, the guards closing the doors once more, and locking them from the inside this time. The prince looked down at his younger brother. "What do you think? Would you want to help?" Prince Sol thought this over, but the thought of responsibility scared him off to another room of the palace. Lunario thought of going after him, but changed his mind. Maybe mundane party preparations would take his mind off what was trapped among the folders. It wasn't as if he'd get to experience any of it anyways. There were too many ponies who wanted a greeting with the Prince of the moon, even more so now that young Prince Sol may be at his side, if Lunario let him.

Dusk Shine was methodical, redundant almost, waking at the crack of dawn and pulling Thorn out of bed five minutes later as the days had always proceeded. The dragon regularly fought off the pony's attempt before she was lifted into the air by means of telekinesis, while Dusk trotted downstairs and double checked the day's schedule. By then, Thorn was on her own two feet, one of the few bipedal animals in Ponyville. She yawned, picking off lint from her scales wondering if she'd already eaten her stash of sapphires the day before. The dragon walked over and sat on the stairway, waiting for Dusk to mandate where they were going, and what they were doing, when she nearly burnt his mane off with an unexpected burst of green flame, sending Dusk back to the bottom of the steps, staring wide eyed at Thorn, shocked from the sudden break in his routine.

"Sorry." The dragon shrugged, walking over to what had come from the Prince while the unicorn recollected himself. "Hey look, Dusk." Thorn lined up the golden pieces of paper in a straight on the stairway. "It's for the Grand Galloping Gala." she read.

"The gala? Isn't that in a month? That looks like too many tickets for the two of us." Dusk walked over, as if staring closer at the tickets would give him the answer.

Thorn counted them out."There's seven! I could come too. It's been a while since we've been to Canterlot, don't you think? Ooh, and we could show the others around too! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Dusk was too busy over analyzing things before he reached the first of many Eureka moments. Thorn sighed, not even bothering to get up as she and the tickets were levitated onto Dusk's back as he raced out the door. "I bet Elusive would love one, right? Then Rainbow Blitz, because of the Wonder Bolts, and Bubble Berry. We'd need his help to get Butterscotch to even consider though."

Thorn nodded, distracted by daydreams the moment she heard 'Elusive', only hoping they'd be in the Carousel Boutique long enough to get to talk to him before Dusk rushed on to the next victim. She was pulled back into the present by a knock on a door.

"Elusive! It's me!" Dusk called out. Thorn listened carefully, noticing that all the rooms were dark. There was a crash, a long list of complaints before the unicorn in question found the door handle and let in the early morning sunlight.

"Hello, Dusk. Pardon me. I couldn't find one light switch and wound up on the first floor anyway." His horn started to glow, making his purple hair look even more so, and Elusive's quest for light ended, the glory of the Carousel Boutique illuminated. "Ah, there we go. What was it that you wanted to show me?"

The unicorns went on in their own conversation, Elusive exclaiming how late the invitations were sent out, and how excited he would be regardless. Thorn went outside to stretch her legs, finally feeling fully awake, and a little hungry, hoping her sapphires were still back at the library. She went around the Carousel when she caught Butterscotch sleeping by a nearby tree. She hadn't come close before the pegasus startled awake.

"Oh, hello, Thorn." He stretched his legs, trying to shake himself awake. "I must have fallen asleep."

"I saw." she replied, repeating his motion to see if they would work earning herself a minor headache.

Butterscotch started flying, only a few feet off the ground. "May as well steal this opportunity and sleep at home."

Thorn watched him fly away, figuring he was too tired to be shy and wondering what he was doing behind the Boutique. As always, her thoughts were interrupted when Dusk called out for her. Now they were headed for Sugar Cube corner with all the hopes in the world that Bubble would be there, then it was off to Butterscotch's Cottage, who normally knew where Rainbow Blitz was, the two being pegassi and all.

"I could have given Buterscotch his." Thorn said. "I saw him behind Elusive's."

Dusk paused in his pace. "What was he doing back there?" He still faced forward, not turning to face Thorn.

The dragon shrugged. "Dunno. He said he was tired, but he seemed exhausted."

"Oh, well, everypony has their days. Come on, Thorn. We're almost there."

The air to Sugarcube Corner was almost intoxicating, sugar invading your nose and pounding on your lungs, inching its way into your brain for the glorious sugar high. That may have explained Bubble's nature, jumpy, hyper, and borderline invasive. It wasn't two seconds after the bell rang that the earth ponies blue eyes were inches away from Dusk's purple ones.

"Hallo!" he yelled, joined in by Mrs. and Mr. Cake before Bubble went back to his post, dutifully frosting cupcakes in rainbow colors. For a moment, Dusk wondered if showing the ticket now would be a good idea, but nothing gets past Bubble, especially the glint of gold in Thorn's tiny claws. This time, he was practically making out with the ticket, recognizing it's appearance in a split second. "You're invited to the Grand Galloping Gala! Congrats!"

Dusk shook his head. "Bubble, this ticket is for you. We're all going."

Bubble almost slipped, regaining his posture faster than he processed what Dusk was saying. "Me? You mean I'm going to the Gala. At the Palace. Where the Prince is."

Dusk nodded, surprised by his reaction. Bubble was the pony of parties! Yet, he was almost apprehensive. "Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to."

Bubble was back on the air with a dramatic gasp, his moment of eerie calm now history. "I am going! You all are, so I am too."

"Well, we're hoping we're all going. Elusive is in, you are, and I know Rainbow Blitz is but Applejack and Butterscotch? We'll need your help." Dusk explained.

Bubble smiled. "I know every pony better than any pony. Come on!"