The Fundraiser

by Karrakaz

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Romance, Princess Luna, Comedy
Length: 10836

As a princess, Cadence is used to the slog that accompanies any fundraiser, though it quickly becomes clear that Twilight doesn't have the same issues. That doesn't mean that Cadence can't help in her own way however.

As a princess, Cadence is used to the slog that accompanies any fundraiser. It's not fun for anypony, but it is important. When it becomes clear that Twilight doesn't have the same issues, Cadence feels like she can enjoy herself a little.

Although that doesn't mean that she can't help some ponies out in her own little way.

Light. Fluffy. Shippy. And hopefully a little funny as well. Enjoy.

Published 2015-04-11 16:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-04-11 16:00:02 UTC

Not quite what I expected.

Fundraisers: Extended talking sessions in which one begged for the money of those who had more than they needed in order to help those that needed more than they had.

Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire was used to them, though she did not enjoy them terribly much. The food served was often of a less than desirable quality, and the company was, almost always, stuffy and boring to talk to. Whenever she hosted such an event in her castle, there wasn’t even the option of hiring some decent musicians, as crystal ponies weren’t exactly familiar with the concept of music; the Flughelhorn being the lone, terribly sounding, exception. The first—and last—time they had tried their hooves at stringed instruments, small cracks had formed in the walls of the castle after only minutes of playing; one of which she still looked at when she couldn’t sleep in the evenings. Still, fundraisers, like political debates, court, and only eating in dainty bites when in public, were one of the necessary evils that came with being a princess.

Supporting a good cause could rarely, if ever, be justified as an expenditure of the crown. Despite, or perhaps because of the fact that the overall standard of living was as high as it was in Equestria, most of her suggestions were treated as preposterous. Even if she did, on occasion, manage to smuggle one past her financial advisors without them noticing, usually disguised in the form of expensive jewelry she bought on the cheap but never wore, very few things changed.

Yet despite her best intentions, and despite going through the slog of holding a fundraiser on an almost monthly basis, there were still ponies that needed help. And despite her assurances and pleas that, yes, such problems did actually exist within the world, the nobility were usually very stingy.

Which was why she was shocked by the generosity ponies displayed when she attended the very first royal fundraiser in Ponyville, held by none other than the filly she used to foalsit: Twilight Sparkle, the self-proclaimed Princess of Books.

Cadence arrived several hours early with the intention of spending a little time talking to Twilight before the fundraiser got underway, and mentally preparing herself for the incredibly boring evening the fundraiser would no doubt turn into. When her train came to a halt at the station, however, she could already hear the sounds of merriment coming from not just Twilight’s library treehouse—which had been the venue listed on the invitations—but the entirety of Ponyville.

Very much unlike a proper princess, she stood there on the edge of the train platform and gawked at the size of the veritable horde that had gathered. It seemed like ponies, young and old, had come from all over Equestria to visit the small town and attend the fundraiser. Not only that, but there were dozens of non-ponies mingling in with the crowd, browsing the stalls the locals had set up, trading playful banter in a way she could only wish they talked like at peace conferences, and generally having a merry time.

Celestia had always been a master of the boring gatherings, managing upwards of a hundred well-to-do ponies at every single one she held, and generally managing to guilt-trip them for a good penny. Cadence considered her own fundraisers to be a success if she influenced half that amount to part with their money. Twily’s—Princess Twilight’s fundraiser blew everything she had ever done out of the water. As far as she could tell, there were over seven-hundred bodies in the square alone, with more arriving at the station behind her.

Granted, the majority of them weren't nobles, but she still thanked her lucky stars that Shining Armor hadn’t been able to accompany her; his decision to go on a survival exercise with his guards preventing him from doing so.

He would have never let her live this down.

Like her, he too found fundraisers bothersome, though perhaps that was more due to his character rather than his training. He simply lacked the patience to stand around talking to ponies for hours on end.

Between her guards and her stature, it was easier for her to get to the library tree than it would have been for most ponies; meaning that, while possible, it was still a challenge. There, in front of the door providing access to Twilight’s home, she found a wooden stage; sturdy but not very elaborate. Next to it were three gigantic glass jars, every single one of which had a ladder propped up against it, and one of which had been filled up to the halfway point with shining golden bits already.

A surprising sight to be sure, but nowhere near as surprising as who was on the stage. ‘The Great and Powerful’ Trixie—whom Cadence had heard was something of a rival of Twilight’s—was performing magic tricks. Simple illusions, intricate fireworks and a good deal of showmareship were all being utilized by the mare to put on a rather dazzling performance. The real shocker, however, was her assistant.

It was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.

Even in the early afternoon the young alicorn already looked winded. She was still smiling as she helped Trixie cast more elaborate spells and volunteered to have herself cut in half, but it was clear that she had been at it for some time already.

Cadence relieved her guards, dismissing their worries about her condition and telling them that she would be safe enough before ordering them to go and enjoy themselves. After they had gone their separate ways, Cadence joined the crowd surrounding the stage to watch the rest of the show, hoping for a little time with her sister-in-law when it ended.

Unfortunately, the questions burning in her gut were given no way out. When the show ended, Trixie bowed, thanked her lovely assistant for her time, and thanked the roaring crowd for being one of the finest she had ever performed for, after which she gathered up her belongings and left the stage. Twilight, however, didn’t.

The Princess of Books cleared her throat and silenced the crowd with a hoof. “Ladies and gentleponies... and uh... other gentle-races?” she proclaimed with a sheepish smile that got a few chuckles from the audience. “The last performance was by the ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie! And after her magic show we now have...” she looked over her shoulder at something or somepony Cadence couldn’t see. “Over six thousand bits, thanks to your generosity!”

The crowd cheered and Cadence found herself cheering with them. Six thousand bits wasn’t the biggest sum she’d ever heard of, but it was quite a feat when considering that the fundraiser technically hadn’t even started yet. She smiled up at Twilight, anticipating that the young princess would soon vacate the stage as well. The smile died a slow death when instead, three young fillies ran onto the stage and, with help from Twilight, built a backdrop that was appropriate for a school play but not much else.

“Howdy there, Princess. Fancy seein’ you here.”

Cadence blinked and looked to her side where a smiling Applejack had appeared. The earth pony looked like cat who’d had all the milk she could want, and Cadence imagined she could hear the earth pony purr. “Hello, Applejack. What’s—” she indicated the ponies surrounding them as best she could, “—what’s all this?”

“A fundraiser,” Applejack said simply, even as her smile grew another inch.

Cadence snorted. Her derision went up in another cheer by the crowd and she tried to be a little more princess-like when she said. “I gathered that much. What is Twilight doing?”

Applejack turned her gaze to her friend over on the stage. “Pretty much whatever anypony asks her to do. ’S been a hoot seein’ what they come up with,” she said.

“Like Trixie’s magic show?” Cadence asked, looking at the fillies who were singing their hearts out about strength, backed by Twilight who had also been given several flags she was waving around in her magic.

“Eeyup. There was a weightliftin’ competition between Twi and a Minotaur before that, which Twi won without her magic,” Applejack said looking sheepish. “Never would’ve expected that... Oh, and before that one o’ them ‘bands’ wanted her to try and play a guitar. That one didn’t work out so well.”

“I see. Will she be taking a break soon? There’s something I want her to know, and I’d love to spend some time with her before the fundraiser officially starts,” Cadence asked, watching Twilight talk to the trio of fillies she had come to know as ‘trouble.’

“‘Fraid not,” Applejack replied. At Cadence’s crestfallen expression, she added: “Twi’s made this promise that she would stay on the stage for three days straight for the fundraiser. Y’know what she’s like when she gets somethin’ into that head o’ hers.”

Cadence looked around, but even with the height advantage being an alicorn granted her, she had a hard time seeing anything beyond the crowd. “And what about all of you? Can’t you give her a break?”

Applejack shook her head. “Not much we can do. We ain’t Twi, and all o’ these ponies are here to see her do all that sorta stuff. So we’re jus’ helping where we can. When she told us of her plan, I asked one o’ my cousins to promote everythin’.” Applejack chuckled when Cadence looked at her incredulously. “He’s got his own publishin’ business. Not every Apple’s in the farmin’ business, ya know?”

Cadence hummed thoughtfully, which didn’t stop Applejack from merrily continuing to explain what everypony had contributed.

“Twilight did most of the organising herself. Pinkie’s in charge of the food. Rares’ worked herself silly trying to make all the decorations match, and she and I are handlin’ the donations together. Fluttershy’s... well...” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. “She doesn’t do crowds well; and Dash’s takin’ kids flyin’ in between organizin’ her own little sportin’ events.”

When the hoof-stomping started, both of them looked at the stage again to find that the song had ended and the fillies were cheering to themselves and hugging Twilight’s legs before taking off at the same speed they’d arrived with. Things went mostly silent when Twilight spread her wings and smiled brightly.

“That was a very inspiring song by the Cutie Mark Crusaders! A warm applause for them, please!” She was drowned out by more hoof stomping and a few ponies yelling. This time, Twilight patiently waited for the commotion to die down a little before clearing her throat. “Alright, who is next?”

Seeing that she wasn’t going to be able to get Twilight alone to talk anytime soon, Cadence decided to go take a look at the rest of the festivities. Even the thought itself stuck her as odd.

Who ever heard of a fundraiser being festive?

And yet, festive was exactly what it was.

Perhaps it’s more like a festival than a fundraiser, Cadence thought to herself when she spotted several games one would find at a birthday party. Small fun games such as pin the tail on the pony and bobbing for apples could be seen side by side with more grown-up fare such as ‘drink your friends under the table.’ Across the square there were even some rides which were more at home at an amusement park than in the middle of Ponyville. It seemed like Pinkie had outdone herself.

She spent about an hour, walking the entire length and breadth of the small town, taking frequent breaks to avoid exhausting herself like she had promised her guards, and had moved beyond the outskirts of town by the time she found Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was zipping to and fro while she encouraged the ponies below engaged in different variations of sports and races, much to the delight of the earth pony filly on her back.

Cadence sat down on a nearby bench and watched them going back and forth across the field for a time, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin.

From what she had seen, it was apparent that the entire town was contributing to the welcoming feeling. Sugarcube Corner, for example, had set up an extensive outdoor area with seating benches and tables, every single one of which was filled to the brim with ponies enjoying a muffin or similar sugary treat. And it wasn’t the only establishment which had taken to the streets. Cadence briefly wondered how much this fundraiser did for Ponyville’s economy outside of the bits raised for... whatever it was Twilight was holding a fundraiser for.

If she was honest with herself, she had skimmed over the invitation when she had seen the ‘fundraiser’ at the top and hadn’t taken in what exactly it was all for. Not wanting to dwell on it, she made her way over and into Sugarcube Corner. Mister and Missus Cake were busier than ever running back and forth and she spotted what she assumed were their children playing with toy cooking appliances off to the side. Despite the hustle and the bustle inside the establishment, there was no line, so she simply walked up to the counter and waited.

“Welcome!” Mr Cake told her, looking extremely pleased with the amount of customers they were getting. “What can I get you?”

“I...” Cadence realised she hadn’t really intended to eat anything, let alone something that would go straight to her haunches. Faced with the friendly stallion, the sweet aromas coming from the kitchen, and a strange craving for something sweet, her resolve crumbled and she ended up shrugging. “Whatever you have that’s fresh out of the oven.”

“Alrighty! We have fresh eclairs, donuts, cupcakes, and bear claws. What’ll you have?”

Cadence looked over the selection of sweets on display in the counter and subconsciously licked her lips. “An eclair will be fine, thank you,” she told the stallion.

Moments later she was outside again, holding not one but three eclairs while trying reconcile the guilty feeling about buying so many with the giddy feeling of spoiling herself. Stars knew that she had been too strict with herself lately, to the point that even Mister-strict-himself Shining had told her so. I wonder if he’ll appreciate a little more curve? She giggled to herself, wondering just how long it would take him to realize where the curves came from. That was a concern for later, however. For now, all that mattered was that she had a bag filled with sweets and could watch her favorite filly—friend have a good time on stage without having to worry about keeping a stiff upper lip.

She made short work of the eclairs, enjoying the sweet sugary taste of the toppings and the creamy filling which was admittedly a little heavy on the vanilla flavor. The last one she left in the bag, both because she knew she was going to feel horrible about her decisions later, and because she wanted to tempt Twilight with it.

When she came back to the stage, she found that there was a bit of a lull in the action. Several dozens of the spectators had abandoned their spots, and even Twilight herself wasn’t completely focused on her chess match with an older-looking stallion; though admittedly, that could just have been because after playing against Celestia for so long, there was no challenge to be had from playing against mere mortals. The young alicorn kept glancing between the chess board and her library, perhaps wondering if Cadence had even arrived yet. She looked like a young filly that had already learned her lessons and was eager for the school bell to ring.

Guess she hasn’t seen me yet.

Cadence went mostly unnoticed for the next few hours, enjoying the shows Twilight took part in and occasionally wandering around to see what else she could do. She even went back to Sugarcube Corner for some more sweets after the eclair she had saved met its demise before it could fulfil its purpose.

She even ran into Pinkie who, after having been locked in Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen by pastry demand, was enjoying a much deserved break. Or perhaps saying that Pinkie ran into her would be more accurate.

“Oh my gosh, Cadence! I haven’t seen you in forever! Well, not forever, I’m not that old, but a really long time.”

Cadence response wasn’t exactly as forthcoming as she would have liked, mostly due to the fact that Pinkie was trying to squeeze everything between her head and her thighs into an area smaller than one of the eclairs she’d had. It was a hug the likes of which had never been seen before and likely would not be seen again either, at least, not until the next time somepony Pinkie hadn’t seen in a while came by.

Finally, several minutes after Pinkie finally let her go, she managed a weak, “Hello, Pinkie Pie.” Breathing still ranked slightly higher on her list of priorities than a greeting, and she spent a few precious moments with a hoof on her belly, trying to catch her breath. “How... how are you?”

“I’m doing great!” Pinkie beamed a smile at everyone that passed, pony or otherwise and made motions like she was trying to embrace the entire throng with her hooves. “Just look at how many ponies came to Twilight’s funraiser!”

Cadence chuckled. “I think you mean ‘fundraiser’”

Pinkie shook her head. “Nu uh! All of this is about smiling ponies. We’re collecting bits because they’ll let Rarity and Twilight make more ponies smile, and I’m here to make sure that everypony who’s giving them bits is smiling as well!”

There was more truth to Pinkie’s words than Cadence would’ve expected, and she smiled at the thought. Why did I never think of it like that?

Next to her, Pinkie pulled out a pipe and blew bubbles out of it with a serious expression. “My work here is done,” she said, giving Cadence another bone-shattering hug and waving goodbye leaving behind a bewildered and out-of-breath princess.

After she had once again gotten her respiratory system under control—and had seen Pinkie leave other ponies in a similar state—Cadence made her way back to the stage. It was slow going, and she had to stop and wait for ponies to move out of the way, or even squeeze past a few groups that simply wouldn’t. It made her feel more jealous than ever of Twilight, who—despite only having become an alicorn a few months ago—had grown like a weed and had nearly caught up to Luna in terms of size already. It made Cadence feel like the runt of the litter, and she didn’t think she was quite happy with the comparison.

When she finally got to the back of the stage, she found the area where the donations for the fundraiser—funraiser, she thought with a smile—were being handled and put into the gigantic glass jars. She suspected each of the jars had been simple household objects until Twilight had supersized them. They made for an interesting, very publicly visible way to display how many bits had been collected. It did appear that Twilight hadn't supersized them enough, however, given that the second jar was now in a similar state as the first had been in when she'd arrived.

At the base of the jars, Rarity and Applejack were working side by side; each taking turns in greeting visitors and thanking them for their donations while the other deposited the bits into the jars. There was a lull in donators when she arrived, and she watched Applejack give Rarity a gentle, but nonetheless more than just friendly, nuzzle. Judging by Rarity’s barely stifled giggle and loving smile, she enjoyed the attention.

Cadence smiled as well. Finding romance in unexpected places was always a welcome surprise, although it meant she would have to update her 'shipping' web when she got home.

Her attempt to remain in the background and give them some space was deemed a failure when Applejack looked in her direction and waved, separating from Rarity in a manner that all but told Cadence they wanted to keep their relationship under wraps. “Heya, Princess, come to make a donation?” she asked, treating Cadence to an uncomfortable smile.

Of all of Twilight’s friends, Rarity was probably the one Cadence felt closest to; she too dealt with nobility on a regular basis, and she was much better at guarding her expressions as a result. Her smile looked brilliant and happy, and her annoyance at having Applejack’s ministrations cut off was only barely noticeable in her ever so slightly arched eyebrows. She embraced Cadence in a light hug, a typical greeting among the nobility, and Cadence returned it in kind. “Pleasure to see you again, darling. Applejack was just telling me that she’d seen you in the crowd. What do you think?”

“Of?”

Rarity playfully rolled her eyes and made a sweeping gesture indicating the stage and the crowd. “Why, everything, of course!”

“Rares’ real proud of this fundraisin’ thing,” Applejack clarified with a teasing grin. “Fancies herself the brains behind it all.”

“Well, Applejack,” Rarity told her significant other coldly. “The fact of the matter is that none of this would have even been thought of if it weren’t for me.” She glared at Applejack for good measure and Cadence had to stifle a laugh. Their bickering made them sound like an old married couple, minus the age.

Applejack shrugged. “Don’t mean any of it woulda happened without Twi.”

Rarity’s indignant frown lasted for a few more moments before she slumped and sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”

A dozen questions spawned in the depths of Cadence’s mind. Why wouldn’t this have happened without Twilight? There’s nothing stopping you from holding a fundraiser yourself, is there? Who came up with the idea of the stage? Rather than voice any of them, however, she simply arched an eyebrow, and let patience do the rest.

“Twilight was the one that decided to make a big deal out of my request for her help,” Rarity said when she noticed Cadence’s expression. “I was running late on an annual donation of comforters for the local orphanage—”

“And Twi turned it into a drive for orphanages all over the country,” Applejack interrupted her with a grin that didn’t let up when Rarity shot her another withering glare.

"She said that her ‘research into socio-economics pointed to a lack of orphanages’, and that she'd always wanted to see 'what holding a fundraiser was like',” Rarity said at length, when it became clear that Applejack was unrepentant.

Cadence nodded with a smile of her own. “That certainly sounds like Twilight, but why did she decide to spend three days on stage?”

By Rarity’s grimace, Cadence could tell that the unicorn wasn’t entirely happy with the idea, even before Rarity said: “Rainbow Dash.”

Confusion was quickly becoming a staple of the conversation, and though Rarity seemed to have gotten lost in her own thoughts Applejack was quick to clarify after she had helped the latest of the donors; a group of foals that had put most, if not all of their pocket money on the table. “When Twi explained what she wanted ta do, Dash told her that she needed to do somethin’ to draw a crowd.” The earth pony chuckled. “O’course, Dash told her that she should do some fancy flyin’ stunt or other, but Twi had her own ideas.”

“Terrible ideas,” Rarity muttered. “Nopony has ever heard of a fundraiser that lasted for more than an evening, let alone three days.”

Applejack nudged the unicorn softly and smiled when Rarity looked at her. “We ain’t doin’ so bad with the donations, and the thing ain’t even properly started yet. Not to mention that Twi’s probably planned everythin’ out down to the last minute; who says it couldn’t?”

Cadence looked over her shoulder at the ever-shifting crowd. Applejack was right. If she knew Twilight at all—and she should hope that she did after years of foalsitting—Twilight wouldn't have been Twilight if she hadn't planned everything. From what she had seen, there were little shops and refreshment stalls all over town that, while not in use at present, allowed for a far greater number of ponies and assorted other creatures to enjoy the festivities. And with every train being full of ponies, Cadence couldn’t help but wonder if Twilight had magicked up a hotel or two somewhere.

When a large group of musicians stepped up to the table with their donations, Cadence bid the pair good luck and made her way back to the front of the stage. Or at least, that was her intent. Before she even made it part of the way, she spotted a carriage, drawn by half a dozen Pegasi and accompanied by around thirty more, which signaled that her aunt, Princess Celestia, was about to arrive. That in turn meant that the fundraiser was about to start in earnest, as Celestia always made it a point to arrive on time.

Not that there was much doubt in Cadence’s mind that Twilight would have postponed the official start if her beloved mentor wasn’t present; the two of them were closer than some couples she knew, and yet, they weren’t. Friendship, mutual respect, Cadence thought, nodding to herself. For some ponies, that is enough.

She quickly made her way over to the landing site—the center of the plaza, near the fountain— finding it a lot easier to move about as the entirety of the festivities had ground to a halt. Every single being in Ponyville made some gesture of respect towards the Princess of the Sun, even if it was only a nod, and not for the first time, Cadence wondered if she would ever be that well respected, and what it would take to get to that point.

For Cadence, getting close to her aunt was easy; Celestia’s guards didn’t try and stop her like they did other ponies and before long stood in front of the carriage. Celestia didn’t consciously try to make a showing of stepping down from her seat; it just seemed to happen. She waved to every creature watching and took a few steps, coming to a halt in front of Cadence.

“Princess,” Cadence said by way of greeting.

“Princess,” Celestia responded, adding a barely noticeable nod to her reply.

That particular exchange happened every time they met in a public setting, and it didn’t feel any less wrong now than it had the first time. Though they were technically equals as far as the rule of succession was concerned, Cadence still felt as though it was a slight against her adoptive aunt. A goddess of several thousands of years having to make nice with a foalish filly playing at being a princess, and having to endure being treated like a stranger, though she had taught said filly most anything she knew about being a princess. She knew exactly what Celestia would say, and smiled. The solar alicorn had never been bothered by it in the slightest, so why should she?

“There are more... donors than I would have expected,” Celestia said, bringing Cadence out of her thoughts.

“With good reason,” she replied, extending a wing to indicate the stage. “Princess Twilight has made herself the focus this particular funraiser, and has shifted the focus away from the nobility.” Her casual mistake got little response other than the single eyebrow raised in curiosity, though that could just as well have applied to the rest of her sentence. “It’s a little different from what we’re used to,” she assured her aunt, leading the way towards the stage.

“Different in what way?”

That simple question, coming from Celestia, belied an intense curiosity. She wasn’t normally the one to ask questions, mostly because she had a breadth and depth of knowledge more vast than anypony alive. Moreso, however, it was because she was trying to keep up that appearance of an all-knowing, benevolent ruler. Not many ponies were privy to that little tidbit of information, but Cadence knew, and she delighted in explaining everything she had seen and done since her arrival. “Well, she’s opened it up to the public, for one. No closed invitations, or barriers, and everyone is welcome to donate as much as they can spare.”

“I see.”

She noticed Celestia’s gaze drift over the square where creatures of every kind were slowly going back to their respective activities now that the princess had been properly received. Celestia looked exhausted, a position Cadence had only really gotten to understand intimately after she had taken up her position as Princess of the Crystal Empire. “How is everything going on the political stage?” Cadence asked, abandoning the notion of talking about the fundraiser entirely. “Still dealing with the zebras’ aggression against the lions?”

Though she had been considered ‘too junior’ of a princess by the delegates, and as such hadn’t been asked to attend the peace talks, it didn’t mean that she didn’t at least keep herself informed. From what she’d heard, she was glad that she didn’t have to be there. Though the lions were natural aggressors and proud to boot, it was the zebras that were really a hoof-full on the political stage and were pushing for sanctions that were both unfair and cruel.

Celestia’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly as she nodded. “It has been an... interesting week, to say the least.”

Cadence nudged her aunt and offered a smile when she had Celestia’s attention. “How about we leave the politics in the castle for now?” she asked innocently before pointing towards the stage with a wing. “Somepony’s been waiting for you to arrive, and it seems she’s happy to see you.”

Twilight did indeed seem very happy that her mentor had arrived. Stepping forward to the edge of the stage, the youngest alicorn only seemed to remember her promise at the last possible second; her wide smile fading a smidge, while her solo act of levitating a hundred or so objects continued on auto-pilot. Celestia’s mood seemed to improve as well, and it was only then that Cadence realised she’d missed somepony.

“Where’s Luna?”

Celestia smiled softly. “She thought she was being cryptic, saying that she prefered ‘the company of her young’ over the ‘hub-bub’ of another noble gathering; which likely means that she’s on the outskirts, playing with the foals and fillies.”

“Ah,” Cadence replied, smirking just a little. “She’s still not entirely comfortable in large crowds then?”

“There was a reason the Royal Canterlot Voice was a common occurence in the past.” At Cadance’s questioning look, Celestia gestured around to the crowd. “Things like this were simply not done. We addressed the people from on high in the towers, or from our dais in the throne room. Back then, our subjects dared not approach us,” Celestia said, her eyes far away as she reminisced. “After our... argument, I changed all that, but Luna hasn’t had the benefit of the centuries spent learning how to talk to them, or how to appear approachable.”

“That... sounds very lonely,” Cadence said as she considered the implications of Celestia’s words.

“It was. I just wish I’d noticed how it affected her sooner.” The elder princess shook her head, then smiled warmly. “No matter. The past is the past, and she doesn’t seem to have the same problems connecting with the little ones. She’s become a bit of a hero to them, you know.”

The two looked over the crowd in silence for a time, Celestia watching her students antics with a practiced impassivity. Cadance, meanwhile, was attempting to mimic her to the best of her ability, to mask the fact that she was somewhat antsy to be anywhere but in this crowd herself.

“How are you adapting to your role, Cadance?”

The question startled her, and she whipped her gaze from the crowd to Celestia, trying to not display the guilty feeling that question brought about. “Oh, I’m fine. The crystal ponies are so incredibly grateful, it’s amazing—”

“And perhaps a little overwhelming?” Celestia asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“What? N-no... I mean...” Cadence stammered, until she noticed the barely disguised smirk. “Okay, fine, yes, a little. I almost wish you had involved me in more social events. I had no idea how incredibly—”

“—boring they are?” Celestia supplied, this time actively chuckling into a hoof. “But really, I was talking about your other role. Dealing with the thought of becoming a mother can be challenging, or so I’m told.”

Cadence flushed crimson. She had thought her guards figuring it out a fluke, brought on by the excessive amounts of time they spent at her side. It seemed as though she couldn’t hide anything from her aunt, however. She drew small circles into the dirt with a hoof and sighed once before looking up. “How—When did you figure it out?”

“I’ve seen it thousands of times over. You learn to see the signs. The weight gain—” Cadence self-consciously closed her wings and pressed them to her sides tightly. Just how much fatter did she look? “—The fondness for sweets, though I think you’ll find you crave all manner of things soon...”

“Enough, Auntie, please!” Cadence exclaimed before an errant thought trickled into her mind. “Wait... how would you know about that?”

“You remember Autumn Wind?”

“Your maid? Yes...”

“I recently found her raiding my private kitchen for pickles. She’s due in five months.”

“I see. So you’ve never actually—”

“My tastes tend to prevent any such a thing from being an issue.”

“Ah.”

“So, how far along are you?” Celestia asked nonchalantly.

“A few months. I’m still not sure how to tell Shining.”

“I’m sure he’ll find out in time, even if you don’t spring it on him.”

Cadence gave her aunt an unimpressed look. “The guards have a pool going based on how long it will take him to figure it out. They asked me to hold off a few more weeks to give him a chance, and if he can’t do it by then, they say they’ll double their bets, and it will all go towards a baby shower.” She looked around surreptitiously before leaning in and whispering; “My in-laws are betting that he’ll just wonder where the little foal came from one day.”

Celestia let out a hearty chuckle which she immediately stifled and disguised with a bright smile. The chiming of the town bell in the background helped. “And if he guesses before?”

“The winner will probably donate the winnings regardless. But they figure if he can’t figure out by then, I’m clearly going to need the help.” Cadence looked at the ground with a tender smile. “I guess I’m lucky to have so many ponies that wish the best for me.”

“Gentle-creatures! If I may have your attention, please!”

Cadence jerked up and looked at the stage where Twilight was still standing out on the edge. The items she had been levitating had disappeared, and the alicorn herself had spread her wings, probably to make herself look more imposing. And imposing was exactly what she was. “As you have all no doubt seen by now, Princess Celestia, Keeper of the Sun, leader of Equestria, and my longtime mentor, has arrived. Which means that this fundraiser has officially begun!” she declared, lighting up her horn and sending a flurry of magical fireworks into the sky that had the crowd cheering before long.

“Must be nice for events to begin when you arrive,” Cadence muttered. She couldn’t help but feel a little slighted by the fact that Twilight hadn’t even acknowledged her, though she understood why on some level.

“It’s the association with the sun,” Celestia replied impassively. “The association with dawn, spring, the beginning of things. I imagine you’re treated much the same at weddings, and on Hearts and Hooves day.”

She didn’t know why, but for some reason being passed over had made her feel inconsequential and really rather sad. And though she could appreciate the sentiment on an intellectual level, Celestia’s assurance didn’t do much for her emotional state. “I guess that’s true.”

A large wing draped itself across her back and squeezed, making her look up into the gently smiling face of her aunt. “Be glad that you’re not the center of attention,” the older princess said with a wink. “It can really be more trouble than it’s worth.” The wing vanished and Celestia straightened as though nothing had happened, though her kind smile remained. “Why don’t you go see how Luna is doing? I think she would be glad to see you, and being around children should give you something to look forward to.”

Leave it to Celestia to see right through her, even if she hadn’t said a word to indicate how she was feeling. “Thank you, auntie,” she said with a grateful smile. It did make her feel like a young filly again, but then, maybe that was exactly what she needed.

By the time she arrived at the road that led to Fluttershy’s cottage, she no longer felt young. The brisk canter that had taken her to the outskirts of Ponyville and beyond had left her breathless and, for the first time, rueing the fact that she had a little pony growing inside of her. Her guards’ warnings about taking it easy suddenly made a lot more sense, and she cursed them for being right.

The sight that greeted her when she rounded the corner wasn’t exactly one for sore eyes—too much chaos for that—but it nevertheless warmed her heart.

Fluttershy’s garden was filled with fillies, colts, and more different kinds of animals than Cadence had ever seen together. She could only imagine how devoted the animals must have been to Fluttershy to let themselves be hugged, squeezed and even climbed upon in the case of a bear. As devoted as the animals were to Fluttershy, however, the children had found their own leader; who was giggling along with the rest of them while she was being chased by half a dozen of the little tykes.

“Never shalt thee catch me! ’Tis impossible!” Her words were proven empty when she suddenly shrieked, stumbled, and was beset by all six of her pursuers. It was only when she stepped closer that Cadence noticed the small possum in Luna’s hair, and more importantly, caught the words that were hurled at the creature. “Thou shalt pay for thine treachery, Tibble-kins.”

The children promptly ignored all of Luna’s mock complaining; laughing and shouting at one another while Luna became the next in what Cadence assumed was a long line of ‘creatures to have crawled over’.

She had to step aside when three colts rushed past her, chasing a frantic white rabbit. They in turn were chased by Fluttershy who was visibly straining to keep up with them. “Uhm... boys? *hufff* C-could you please not *puff* chase...” The mare would have collapsed into a heap of exhausted pony had Cadence not stepped forward and caught her. Fluttershy gave her a semi-grateful smile, still trying to catch her breath. “T-th— *huf* Thank you.”

Cadence returned the smile, wondering if there was any special reason Fluttershy would be out of breath like she was. Her thoughts turned to pregnancy too easily and she dismissed the notion out of hoof. It was unlikely, no matter how much she would have liked to talk to a mare in a similar position. “My pleasure,” she said, gently pushing back a little and providing support until Fluttershy was standing on her own hooves once more. “It seems like you have your hooves full.”

“Oh yes, uhm...” Fluttershy glanced at Luna over her shoulder. “This wasn’t exactly what Luna told me would happen,” she said a little unhappily. “But she convinced my animal friends that it would be a good idea, and... uhm... I... I guess they could use the exercise?” It was a weak rationalisation at best and Fluttershy seemed to be aware of it.

“Do they make you uncomfortable?” Cadence asked, an unbidden smile coming to her lips while she watched the children play.

Fluttershy shook her head briskly. “Oh no, no. It’s... nice, seeing them have fun, but...”

Silence settled between them, and Cadence decided to prompt the pegasus before it became too awkward for the both of them. “But?”

Another glance towards Luna and Fluttershy sighed. “I guess... I wanted to... I mean...” She fell silent, obviously conflicted. “They’re so loud. I... I tried to play Shush with them, but then Luna got bored, and now they’re all riled up...”

“You were hoping for children to be quiet?” Cadence asked, astounded by the sheer amount of naivité contained in the sentence..

“Well... I guess not,” Fluttershy admitted, crestfallen. “I... I just hoped that maybe, when Luna wrote that she was coming to see me... we could have some tea, and visit. But I guess I’m just not exciting enough...”

“Couldn’t you just go inside and talk to Luna there?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Somepony needs to watch the foals,” she said, turning around to stand beside Cadence so she could look at her garden without having to twist around every time. “And Luna likes having fun. I doubt she’d want to stop playing with them to talk to me anyway.”

Where before, Cadence had felt young, now she felt old. Perhaps there was a little ‘older sister’ in there towards Fluttershy, as she genuinely liked the mare, awkward conversations notwithstanding; but most of it came from watching Luna behave very similarly to the foals that surrounded her. The lunar princess had climbed up onto the bear’s belly and proclaimed herself queen of the pirates; though where she had gotten the hat or the eye-patch, Cadence couldn’t say.

Getting her to do anything other than frolick seemed to be as much of a lost cause as Fluttershy seemed to think that it was, but Cadence wasn’t about to give up that easily. “And if I could get her to sit down and talk with you?”

“Oh! I... I wouldn’t want to spoil her good time. I know how it can be when you suddenly have friends and you want to spend time with them,” Fluttershy said, fluffing her wings and reaching back to realign a feather that had shifted during her mad dash. “Especially if you haven’t seen them in a while...”

As if on cue, the white rabbit whizzed past, the three colts still in pursuit. Cadence lifted a wing to stop Fluttershy from going after them again, and grabbed hold of the rabbit with her magic. He tried to continue his escape for several seconds after being lifted from the ground, folding his little forelegs and glaring at Cadence after he found out that he had been caught. He perked up when Cadence lifted him straight onto Fluttershy’s back and shared a happy nuzzle with his pony, while Cadence turned towards the colts looking at the display with shared frowns.

“Come on, boys,” Cadence told them. “Time to find something else to play with.” She ushered them over to the rest of the group and saw to it that they found themselves some other animal to chase before stepping up to Luna who was making a filly walk the plank. Where she had gotten the plank, or how she had attached it to the bear without hurting or even waking him, was unknown and Cadence didn’t want to think about it, lest she strain her brain on top of everything else. “Princess Luna?”

“Be still. I shall get to all of you treacherous curs in due—” Luna cut herself off with a smile when she glanced back. “Our niece hath arrived to witness the splendor that is our rule over this vessel! Welcome! Thou shalt make for a fine addition to our crew.”

“I don’t think so. Fluttershy is—”

“Silence! We are the captain of this ship!”

Cadence rolled her eyes. Playing along wasn’t something she’d been keen on, but if that was what it took to get Luna inside, then she was willing to sacrifice her dignity. Besides, the only ponies that would see it were too young to care. “Nay!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, making all of the children and Luna look at her in astonishment. “You will be captain of this ship no longer! I’m staging a mutiny with all of your prisoners as my allies!”

The kids cheered, and seven of them immediately jumped on Luna who, to her credit, went with it. “Curses on you, Cadence the Ruthless! Turning our crew against us! Stealing our ship for thyself! Thou art the lowest of scum-swallowing bellyfish!”

Cadence had a hard time keeping a derisive snort from escaping her. “Stand aside, loyal crew,” she said, stalking up to Luna. It meant that she had to climb on to the bear, and found it harder than she would have expected. Regardless of her initial difficulty, she managed, and leaned down over the ‘fallen’ Captain Luna. “I think they’ve played enough pirate for now,” she whispered to the princess. Luna looked at her incredulously until Cadence directed her attention towards the door of the cottage where Fluttershy was waiting with what could only be described as ‘resigned anticipation’. “She’s wanted to talk to you, and I think you should talk to her.”

“But we—”

Cadence silenced Luna with a hoof, giving her a piercing look. “You should maintain all of your friendships, not just the ones with the children that adore you.” She looked over at Fluttershy herself and added: “Although I have an inkling that they aren’t the only ones that adore you.” Judging by the way Luna’s ears perked up and the mare herself turned to look at the cottage, Cadence knew she had found something that interested Luna more than playing silly games. She treated Luna to an empathic smile. “I’ll watch over your crew. You really should talk to her.”

After a time, Luna closed her mouth and nodded before getting up. “Thank you, niece,” she said, looking over at the yellow pegasus who perked up considerably when she noticed Luna looking at her. “We had forgotten about the importance of such things.”

Luna’s departure changed a great many things in the garden. For one, the plank lost its adhesive qualities and could no longer be used for the pirate-bear-ship, much to the dismay of the children. Cadence also found a second reason to be weary of the foal growing inside of her when she was faced with the whining of a group of thirty-something children. Even with all of her foal-sitting experience, it wasn’t anything she had ever encountered, and it made her clamp her ears to her skull.

Taking care of and keeping thirty kids entertained was harder than it had appeared. Seeing no other option, Cadence did the only thing she could think of. She told them of her pregnancy and how she would hate for her foal to be woken up by all of their noise. After her tale, it was swiftly decided that she was a beautiful maiden that had to be protected from the forces of evil; a role that the animals filled with relative ease. Cadence hadn’t known that animals could understand ponies at all, much less listen to them to the extent she saw before her.

The noise didn’t diminish much, but at least she had them playing again. Kids being kids, however, they didn’t stick to their pretend game for long and she had to think of several more games to keep them occupied and happy.

By the time Fluttershy and Luna stepped out of the cottage, Cadence felt like she would collapse at any moment, although mentally moreso than physically. The two were practically glowing with happiness, and she found she could still smile despite her exhaustion.

“Thank you for your assistance, dear niece,” Luna said when the pair reached her, slumped against the bear like she was. “Without thee we would have made a truly terrible mistake. If there is ever something we can do for thee, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Cadence smiled, though it became strained when the children squealed happily at their own princess’ return. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said, pushing herself to her hooves with an unladylike grunt.

From out of nowhere, Fluttershy darted forward and hugged Cadence, giving her a kiss on the cheek and whispering: “Thank you,” before stepping back with a demure smile. Luna’s expression was priceless.

“You’re welcome,” Cadence replied before turning to Luna, “but if you don’t mind... I think I’ll turn the ship back over to you, captain.”

“Art thou sure thou does not want to stay and play along for a while longer?” Luna asked, stepping forward and giving her a friendly nuzzle that was miles removed from the distant way Celestia acted in public. “We would welcome thine presence.”

Terrible images of being stuck amongst the foals and a Luna using the full force of her Royal Canterlot Voice flashed before Cadence’s mind’s eye and she quickly shook her head. “No, no thank you, I actually just came over to say hi, and I really wanted to talk with Auntie Celestia a little more.”

Goodbyes were lengthened somewhat when each and every one of the foals came up to Cadence to say goodbye, much to Luna’s surprise. “What hath thou done with them?” she asked curiously around the halfway point. “They never let us depart without being the focal point of a doggypile.”

“The princess told us that she has a little foal growing inside of her, and that means that we should be careful,” one of the colts said, nodding to himself with an air of supreme wisdom and authority.

Cadence beat a hasty retreat; the confused frowns of the two adult mares following her the whole way back to town.

Finding a spot when she arrived at the square was not as difficult as she would have thought. It wasn’t that the crowd was any less dense, or that she found a vantage point that didn’t require her to slog through said crowd, but rather, due to the neat circle of empty space surrounding Princess Celestia.

It put into contrast exactly how well respected the solar princess was in comparison to Cadence herself. And yet, for all the disparity in respect where it was due, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her aunt; though Celestia looked as regal and pleasant as ever, she nevertheless exuded an aura of loneliness.

“Welcome back,” Celestia said as Cadence sat down next to her, her eyes still focused on the stage where Twilight was inexpertly trying to ride a unicycle. It looked more like she was flying than actually riding the cycle with the way her wings were flapping for balance in every direction, but at least the audience was entertained.

“Did something interesting happen while I was gone?” Cadence realised that she felt conflicted about the way Twilight had set up the fundraiser. Sure enough, talking to, and begging for money from, the nobility had a certain distasteful quality to it, but Twilight’s idea to extend it to the public meant that ‘looking bad in front of your peers’ was no longer the driving factor; the audience was only as enthusiastic as it was because they were being entertained.

“Nothing of note.”

That appeared to be the extent of their conversation, and Cadence wondered if there was something else she could bring up. Something that wasn’t either politics, or problems Celestia had to deal with on a regular basis. She came up empty. Moreso than the circle of clear space surrounding them, that was perhaps the most poignant example of the isolation Celestia existed in.

With an angry huff she shook her head. This was neither the time, nor the place to be thinking such melancholy things. She was supposed to be here to cheer Twilight on, so that’s what she did.

After the unicycle stunt met its inevitable demise, and before Twilight could continue on to her next exhibition, Rarity stepped up onto the stage and waved at the crowd. “Hello, everyone! Before we continue, I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that we have, as of this moment, collected more than twenty-thousand bits!” The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer, and Rarity—like Cadence and Celestia—actually clamped her ears to her skull until it had died down. “But—” the unicorn continued, beckoning Twilight to come forward as well. “—we couldn’t have done any of it without Princess Twilight. Three cheers for the princess, please!”

Every creature in the crowd gladly obliged her request, and Cadence was sure that even the surrounding towns could hear the cheering.

Twilight merely nodded her head and waited for the crowd to settle down once more. “Thank all of you for your support,” she said, smiling. “But a fundraiser for charity isn’t something any creature can successfully do on their own, so I wanted to thank all of you for making this one a success!”

Rarity held up a hoof to prevent another bout of noise, though that didn’t stop a few ponies from cheering anyway. “But we’re only just getting started! And to really kick off the donations, we will be auctioning off the princess herself! After the fundraiser is over, one of you could spend an entire day with her, going for an extensive spa treatment, a meal in the most exclusive restaurant in Canterlot, and perhaps even a little more~!”

By the way Twilight looked at Rarity, Cadence could tell that she was as surprised by the suggestion as the crowd was, and she couldn’t help but feel for the filly she had cared for years ago. Twilight Sparkle didn’t much like surprises. She nevertheless recovered quickly and stepped forward with a smile. “Y-yes! As Rarity says, I’d happily go on a... a date with whomever wins this auction for charity!”

“Let the bidding... begin!” Rarity bellowed, stepping forward and nudging Twilight while giving her an encouraging wink.

“Ten bits!”

“Twenty bits!”

“Forty-five bits!”

“Seventy!”

It seemed as though every single stallion and mare in the crowd wanted to have a chance at an entire day with the bashfully-smiling princess on stage. It seemed to Cadence like she was the only one who could see exactly how fragile Twilight’s smile was, and that was only because of how long they had known one another.

“Two-hundred!”

“Two-fifty!”

“Three-hundred!”

As the price on Twilight’s undivided attention rose, more and more ponies dropped out with disappointed groans until only the truly rich were still in the running. Cadence frowned thoughtfully; it was always going to be only the truly rich.

“Five-hundred!”

The voice sent a shiver down Cadence’s spine with its familiarity. She would recognise that voice anywhere. Blueblood. She scanned the crowd, only to find the stallion near the front, looking more pleased with his bid than she had ever seen him. Though Twilight kept her smile intact, she only barely managed it. It continued to frame her face, a shadow of its former self. Cadence didn’t blame her for it one bit, remembering all the times she’d had to console a crying filly because one of her classmates had called her a nerd.

“Six-hundred.”

The second voice from the crowd was one that everyone with even a passing interest in the nobility knew about. Fancy Pants, inventor, investor, and philanthropist. A stallion who was intelligent enough that Twilight would have no problem talking to him for a day, as evidenced by her brighter smile when he put forth his bid.

“Seven-hundred!” Blueblood yelled.

“Eight-hundred,” Fancy Pants said, calmly.

Cadence couldn’t bear to watch Twilight’s expression and turned to her aunt with a sentence on her lips. “I cannot imagine why Blueblood would ever want to...” the rest of what she was about to say spilled out of her mouth without the air needed to make it a vocalization. Celestia’s eyes were fixed on Twilight, and she was no longer smiling. In fact, when Cadence focused on her expression, she found that her aunt was silently gnashing her teeth, tensing up every time another bid was made. It became very clear to Cadence that Celestia wasn’t happy with the prospect of letting either stallion spend a day with her faithful student, yet she didn’t so much as move an inch to make a bid of her own. “Auntie?”

Blueblood got up on his rear hooves and put his two front hooves on the stage. “Nine-hundred!”

Many ponies in the crowd were softly conversing with one another, debating the huge amount of bits some ponies were willing to pay to charity, and others were cheering for the highest bidder. Rarity and Celestia looked similarly unhappy, both stiff with anger but incapable—or unwilling— to do anything about it, and on Twilight’s face, all she could read was resignation after a pleading look towards herself and Celestia that went unanswered.

“Nine-hundred bits, going once,” Rarity eventually said, looking over the crowd with a gaze akin to a glare, as though she blamed each and every one for them for not having enough bits to save her friend from a fate worse than designer hell. “Nine-hundred bits, going twice...”

Celestia had stopped gnashing her teeth, if she had even really done such a thing to begin with, but Cadence couldn’t help but feel like her aunt was shaking softly. The uncertainty wasn’t helped by the fact that she still did not say a word, but Cadence was certain about at least one thing.

She was certain that she wanted to yell at her aunt for being so cold. So distant that she refused to save her faithful, and more importantly, beloved, student simply by making a bid herself. Yet, at the same time, she knew why Celestia could not, which made the entire ordeal even worse. The Princess of Equestria couldn’t exactly go around throwing away bits on charity events, not when such things were the result of the way government spending was handled. Celestia couldn’t act by virtue of her position.

With an angry huff, Cadence set her shoulders and got up. If she can’t—won’t then I’ll just have to do it for her. “Eighteen-hundred bits!” she yelled, drawing a collective gasp from the crowd.

Cadence endured the disbelieving stares. From Twilight, from Rarity, from Blueblood and the crowd, but mostly from the white alicorn sitting right next to her.

“Eighteen-hundred bits going once!” Rarity announced, looking extremely relieved. “Eighteen-hundred bits going twice!” She stomped on the stage with a hoof. “Done! Princess Mi Amoré Cadenza wins the charity auction and has earned herself a date with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Cadence stepped forward and asked, “Might I say a few words?”

Rarity looked lost for a moment before smiling and nodding. “Of course, Princess. Come on up.”

The crowd went wild when Cadence used her wings to carry herself up on stage, but despite the noise, and despite Twilight’s confused but grateful smile, she had an uneasy feeling. It was a subtle feeling she had gotten used to in high school, which had always accompanied colts turning their head when she walked on by. The feeling of jealousy. She shook the feeling off and smiled to herself. Don’t worry, auntie. I’m not about to do something like that to you. Quite the opposite actually.

She turned around to face the crowd and pointedly ignored the one pony she was trying to help. “Hello, everyone,” she began after taking a deep breath. “I’m so glad to be here today, I came expecting... well, not this. I never would have thought a fundraiser could be fun. The ones I had attended up till now were usually merely important, which means they couldn’t be fun.”

She stopped for a breath while letting the audience digest her words. “The next fundraiser I hold is going to be a lot more interesting, I can tell you that much.” Spotted cheering erupted throughout the crowd and she waited for it to fade before continuing. “However, much as I would love the opportunity to spend the day with my sister-in-law, there is a pony in this audience who sees her even less. Therefore, I would like to donate my day with Twilight to...” She pointed at a very surprised princess. “Princess Celestia!”

Gasps and confusion abounded while the crowd tried to make sense of what she’d said. Even Celestia’s volatile expression had morphed into one of confusion and uncertainty, but Cadence wasn’t about to give her a chance to decline. “I've known Princess Celestia nearly my entire life, and in all of the years I’ve known her, I have never seen her take so much as a day for herself. Every waking moment she has had, she has offered up in service to her ponies, and I think that this would be a great opportunity for her to finally take a well deserved break; what do you all say?!”

The crowd broke out in cheers and whistling. A public declaration of support which should give Celestia all the pretense she needed to accept the chance Cadence was offering her without it becoming a scandal. At least... she hoped it wouldn't. And that was only if Celestia even accepted. The older princess seemed unusually pensive, which, considering it seemed to be her default state of being, was worrisome.

Just when Cadence was about to start on one of the many excuses she’d prepared to make it all but impossible for Celestia to accept, the solar princess smiled, nodded, and said: “I will admit that I myself do not feel like I have been overworking myself to the extent that my dear niece says that I have. However, I also know what we are often our own biggest blind spots, so with that in mind, and with all of your enthusiasm behind it, I will gladly accept a day off to spend with my faithful student.” She let out a hearty chuckle and added, “If I can clear my agenda, that is.”

The audience got to talking, and Cadence took that as her cue to step off of the stage, though not before she had given Twilight a quick hug.

“Clever,” was all Celestia said when Cadence sat back down next to her.

“Thank you,” she replied. “I rather thought it was.”

“Were you one of the nobles, I would accuse you of having an agenda.”

“I always have an agenda, Auntie.”

“Oh?”

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one who is capable of picking up on subtle signs.” Cadence basked in the feeling of her aunt’s expression for a moment before adding; “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Celestia hummed thoughtfully and looked back at the stage, where it seemed like the entire show was getting back on track now that the auction was over. Twilight cast a trepidatious look at the cauldron that a zebra from the audience had her levitate over onto the stage, and Cadence couldn’t help but feel like she was going to enjoy the coming days.

Fundraisers. Extended festivals in which one asked for the money of those who wanted to help their fellow ponies, and even help some find something more precious than all the money in the world.

Cadence liked Twilight’s new take on a fundraiser, and couldn’t wait to hold one of her own in this new and interesting way. Much more than that however, she couldn’t wait to see how her latest dalliance in matchmaking would turn out.

The date was sure to be an interesting one; and she was going to make sure to keep an eye on it.

Author's Note

This story began its life as a silly little thing of less than a thousand words, and sat on my harddrive for months. Then I had an idea, and this is the result. I hope all of you reading enjoyed it.

For those that are wondering: Yes, this story is going to have a sequel. Yes, the shipping will be glorious. No, I can't get to it right away; other stories demand my attention.

The first thought I had for the speech scene didn’t make it in, but it did made me giggle a little and I hope it does the same for you people:

Cadence climbed up to the stage before turning around to face the crowd. ”I know you all wanted to see me make out with Twilight, but I don’t think my husband would approve... If he does, it’ll be on pay-per-view.”

Little did she know that Shining would very much be okay with it, nor that she would never again have to hold a fundraiser after that.