The whistle blew and the engine whooshed steam as the train pulled out of Ponyville Station. It was after midnight, and Twilight and all of her friends had just returned home from the Grand Galloping Gala.
“Bye, Maud!” Pinkie Pie said loudly as she waved goodbye to her sister. The gray mare waved back before settling in for the short ride between Ponyville and the rock farm.
“Bye, Tree Hugger!” said Fluttershy as she, too, waved goodbye to her plus one. Tree Hugger waved back, looking drowsy. She wasn’t the only drowsy one. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were all fast asleep on the backs of their respective plus ones. It was well past their bedtimes.
“Well, this was certainly a night to remember, wasn’t it?” asked Discord.
“I’d say so!” replied Twilight, “At least, that’s what Princess Celestia thought…”
“I had a pretty awesome time!” said Rainbow Dash.
“Me, too! I had LOADS of fun!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she leaped in the air joyfully.
“Anyway, I’d like to apologize again for causing all that mayhem,” said Discord apologetically, “I should have realized that I can’t be Fluttershy’s ‘buddy’ for everything.” He lowered his head in shame.
“It’s okay, Discord,” Fluttershy said comfortingly as she patted the Draconequus on his back, “Like you said, you’re new to this whole friendship thing. You’ve still got a lot to learn. I think you should just be happy that you learned a valuable lesson tonight.”
“Oh, alright, Fluttershy,” Discord replied before giving the yellow pegasus a hug.
“Well, I don’t know ‘bout you fellas, but I’m eager to get back home. Gotta get my sister to bed lickety split,” said Applejack.
“Same here,” said Rarity, “I’m just glad tonight’s not a school night.”
“I’m with you, Rarity. Well, we’d better get going,” said Rainbow Dash, looking back at Scootaloo, who was still fast asleep on her back. “See ya!” she said as she slowly took flight, careful not to wake the little orange filly.
“Bye, everyone!” exclaimed Twilight as she waved to her dispersing friends, “See you tomorrow!” The rest of the group said their respective goodbyes to the young princess as she herself turned in the direction of her castle. She walked down the steps from the platform and headed down the main road, which was well illuminated by the full moon.
After a short walk, Twilight arrived at her castle. She opened the front door and went inside, closing and locking the door behind her. She made her way upstairs and headed for her room, but not before checking on Spike. She was still unsure why he decided not to go to the gala this year, but she assumed it was because last time he had spent the majority of the night at Donut Joe’s and didn’t really find anything about the whole thing amusing.
Twilight peeked inside Spike’s room and saw him sleeping soundly in his tiny bed. She smiled to herself, then closed the door quietly and made her way to her own room. Once inside, she took off her dress and went over to her vanity to restyle her mane into its normal look. She then turned towards her bed, but stopped as she noticed something on it. She trotted over to her bed to find Princess Celestia’s message book and a note from Spike saying that it had vibrated while she was at the gala. The young mare opened the book to find a newly written letter from her former arch-nemesis. It read:
Dear Princess Twilight,
Hope things are going well in Equestria. I just wanted to let you know that Canterlot High’s Prom is happening next week. My friends and I are all hoping you can come and join us for the big event. See you then!
Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer
Twilight stared at the letter for a little while. She had never heard the word “prom” before. She just assumed it was a big party of some kind. Whatever kind it was, she was eager to go and see her friends from the alternate world. She closed the book and put it on her bedside table before climbing into bed and pulling the covers over herself. She lay there for several minutes before falling asleep, still exhausted from one of the best nights she had ever had.
…
Twilight placed the message book in its slot and stood back as the mirror to the alternate world came to life. Light swirled around inside it as the purple mare prepared for another journey. She turned around and looked at her friends, who, as always, were there to see her off. “Well, looks like I’ll be gone for a while. Spike, I’ll need you to hold down the fort for the time being. If anything goes wrong, come through the portal and let me know.”
“Will do, Twilight,” replied the baby dragon.
“Bye, everypony! I’ll be back as soon as I can!”
“Bye, Twilight!” the others replied in unison. Twilight then faced the portal and darted straight in. Feelings of weightlessness and morphing came over the princess as she drew closer the other side.
…
Sunset Shimmer and Rarity walked out of their classroom shortly after the final bell rang. They were about to head to Sugar Cube Corner to meet up with the others. Sunset Shimmer groaned as she was finally given reprieve from her least favorite subject of the day. “Algebra is the worst class EVER,” she said in a displeased tone.
“Why?” asked Rarity, “Is it just because Miss Cheerilee said we have a test on Monday?”
“No. I just don’t like numbers and letters mixed together like that. Plus, it feels like torture doing something you don’t like during the final minutes of every school day. It feels like the final bell will never ring.”
“Well, just be glad that the weekend is here and that we can focus on getting ready for prom next week.”
“I guess you’re right, Rarity.”
“Besides, I have wonderful dress designs for you, me, and all our friends! I can’t wait for you to see yours!”
“I’m really eager to see it. Thanks again for doing all this, but you really didn’t have to.”
“Oh, relax, darling. It was nothing.”
Just then, a blue-haired young man walked out of the music room with his two bandmates. He looked to his right and saw his ex and her friend just 8 feet away from them. “Hey, girls,” he said to them.
“Hello, Flash,” Rarity replied as she and Sunset stopped walking. Sunset just waved at him.
“So…uhhh…” Flash scratched the back of his head with his right hand and blushed as he wondered if there would be a certain special visitor coming for the big dance.
“She hasn’t responded yet,” Sunset replied, getting straight to the point, “Sorry.”
“Oh. Alright,” Flash said, disappointed. He and his bandmates started down a perpendicular hallway. They were soon out of sight as Rarity and Sunset continued forthright, toward the front entrance.
The two girls walked out the front door to the school only to find a familiar being just getting to her feet. “Twilight!” they screamed in unison before running towards their friend.
“Hey, guys!” Twilight replied as Rarity and Sunset threw their arms around her. She hugged them back, happy to see them once again. “Where is everyone?” she asked, not seeing the majority of her friends with the two girls in front of her.
“We’re about to go meet them at Sugar Cube Corner,” replied Sunset.
“You go right ahead, Sunset. We’ll meet you there. Twilight, you MUST come with me to the boutique,” Rarity grabbed Twilight by the arm and started running in the direction of the boutique, nearly dragging the other girl behind her, “I have something I’ve been meaning to give you since the last time you were here.”
…
“Rarity, I love it!” said Twilight excitedly as she stared at herself in the mirror. Rarity had given her a new outfit to replace the out-of-date one she had worn many times before. While she kept her original skirt, Twilight was now wearing a lavender, short-sleeve, v-neck top and purple, short-sleeve jacket, the same shade as her skirt.
“I knew the minute I saw it that you HAD to have it,” replied Rarity, “It gives you a more modern appearance while maintaining a look of sophistication.”
“You’re right, it does! Thank you, Rarity!” Twilight replied while twirling around to look at every side of her new outfit.
“Well, that’s not the only thing I have for you, darling.”
“You have something else?”
“I sure do. Come over here. I have a few special designs that are all ready for next week.” Rarity led Twilight to a door in the back of the front room. She opened it and flicked the light on. Twilight went wide-eyed.
…
“So it’s settled,” said Applejack to the rest of her friends, “We’ll all meet at my place before headin’ to the dance.”
“Sound good to me!” replied Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, “We could have a big before-prom party!”
“Ahhh, I wouldn’t go THAT far, Pinkie Pie,” replied Sunset Shimmer.
“I have to agree with Sunset,” said Fluttershy, timidly, “I think prom is a big enough party itself.”
“Besides, you helped plan, like, nearly all of prom this year,” said Rainbow Dash, “You need to just step back and have fun with the rest of us.”
“Oh, alright,” Pinkie Pie said in a sarcastically displeased tone.
Just then, they turned to the front door of the café as they heard the bell ring, noticing their purple friend walking inside with Rarity. “Twilight!” everyone, except Sunset, screamed joyfully. They all ran over to give her a hug, and Twilight herself reciprocated.
“Hey, everyone!” Twilight replied, “Long time no see!”
“Wow, Twilight, you look awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she noticed the new outfit Rarity had picked out for Twilight.
“Thank you, Rainbow,” Twilight replied.
“We’re all really happy you could make it here, Twilight,” said Sunset, “I was worried I had contacted you at a bad time.”
“Nope, I was just at the Grand Galloping Gala. I wasn’t home when you wrote.”
“You went to the gala?” Sunset replied in surprise, “Awww, man, I’ve wanted to go to that thing ever since I was a filly! Tell me all about it!”
“Sure!” said Twilight as the seven of them sat down at their usual spot. “So, we each had a plus one, except for me. Spike didn’t want to go for some reason. Anyway, Rainbow Dash, you brought Scootaloo. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, you each brought your sisters.”
“Woohoo!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, “I knew Maud would go to something like this!”
“Fluttershy,” Twilight continued, “Do you know someone named Tree Hugger?”
“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied with a smile, “She’s new to CHS this year.”
“Well, you brought her, much to the chagrin of Discord.” The other 6 looked back at her with confused expressions. “He’s known by everypony as the spirit of chaos. He’s a being of mismatched body parts galore. Luckily, you reformed him, Fluttershy,” Twilight stated as she looked toward her yellow friend, “And that’s why you two are such good friends. You taught him about multiple-friend situations, something he wasn’t used to.”
“He sounds really nice,” replied Fluttershy.
“Well, he can still be chaotic sometimes. Needless to say, with him around, it was more chaotic than last year, despite last year being a total disaster.”
“Wait, this wasn’t the first time you’ve gone?” asked Sunset.
“Nope. We all went last year, too. We each had a game plan that didn’t work out in the end. Fluttershy was trying to befriend all the animals in the garden, Applejack was trying to earn money by selling baked goods from Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie was trying to liven everything up by singing and dancing, Rainbow Dash was trying to hang out with a famous group of flyers, I was trying to chat with Princess Celestia as much as I could, and Rarity was after Princess Celestia’s nephew, Prince Blueblood, all night.”
Rarity immediately spit out the portion of her drink that was in her mouth while a few of the girls ducked and/or leaned out of the way to avoid it. “WHAT?!?” Rarity shouted in utter disgust as she slammed her drink on the table, “I was after BLUEBLOOD?!? He’s such a jerk! True, he IS the nephew of Principal Celestia, and he’s and honors student, but he’s so rude! I don’t know how girls can stand him!”
Everyone else stared at Rarity for a few seconds before Sunset Shimmer broke the silence. “Wow. The gala really sounds like fun,” she said sadly as she lowered her head.
“Don’t worry, Sunset. I’d like to bring you as my plus one for next year’s gala. How does that sound?”
“Really?!? I’d be honored! Thank you, Twilight!” Sunset exclaimed as she threw herself around her purple friend.
Just then, the bell at the front of the café rang as the door opened, and in walked Flash Sentry. He headed for the front counter, but stopped as he looked to his left and noticed his ‘girlfriend’ sitting near the window. “Twilight!” he exclaimed, running in her direction.
“Flash!” Twilight shouted gleefully. She stood up in preparation to head toward him, but was barely able to take three steps before Flash threw his arms around her and picked her up.
“I’m so glad you’re here! I thought you weren’t gonna be able to make it!” He then set her back down on her feet.
“Nope, I’ve got nothing to do, so I left Spike in charge of the castle while I’m here.”
“You never told me you had a castle!”
“Well, I do.”
“Wow. Anyway, you’re not busy with your friends right now, are you?”
“Uhhh…” Twilight looked back at her six friends. Some of them nodded and some of them made motions with their hands that signaled it was okay for her to talk with Flash. “I guess not. What’s up?”
“Well, do you think we could step outside for a few minutes?” Flash’s face was getting noticeably red.
“Sure,” Twilight replied. The two of them walked outside the café and stopped at Flash’s car, which was parked right in front of the store.
“Twilight,” Flash started, anxiety evident through his tone, “Again, I’m thrilled that you’re here. I’m sure you’ve heard that prom is next week.”
“I sure have,” Twilight replied.
“Well, I was wondering…” Flash then opened the passenger door to his car and grabbed hold of something that was out of Twilight’s sight. She grew curious. “Twilight…” Flash continued as he made his hand visible. He was holding a dozen roses. “Will you be my date to prom this year?”
Twilight’s face lit up with excitement instantly. “Oh, Flash, of course! I’d love to…wait, hold on.”
Flash grew worried at the possibility of being rejected by Twilight for a second time. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Well, my friends and I were planning to all go in a group. You won’t mind them heading to the dance with us, will you?”
“Not at all.”
“Even Sunset Shimmer?”
“Like I said, not at all. I figured this was going to happen. We don’t need to go alone.”
Twilight heaved a sigh of relief. “Well then, yes. I’ll be your date, Flash.”
“Oh my gosh, thanks!” Flash said, relieved. He handed Twilight the roses and hugged her tightly as she hugged him back. “Trust me. This’ll be the best night ever.”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
“Party time!” Pinkie Pie screamed. Twilight turned around and noticed her friends outside the entrance to Sugar Cube Corner. She was unaware that her friends had been listening in on her conversation with Flash.
“Oh, hey guys!” Twilight said excitedly.
“Congratulations, Twilight!” said Applejack.
“Yeah! Congrats!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
They all hugged their friend before Fluttershy spoke. “I think Pinkie’s right! We should celebrate this! We should all head to her house!”
“I agree,” replied Rarity. She then looked over at Flash. “Flash, darling, I believe you’ve already been invited.”
“I’d love to go, but I really should be working on my social studies project right now. I’ve left everything to the last minute…again,” he smiled guiltily at the girls.
“Oh, that’s fine. I would have done the same if my project wasn’t done already.” Rarity gave Flash a knowing look as the other girls laughed.
“Actually, Rarity, could I ask a favor of you?”
“Absolutely. How might I help you?”
“Well, my tuxedo needs a bit of work. I’m hoping you’re not too busy with other things at your boutique.”
“Nonsense. You bring that tuxedo right over and I’ll have you looking as handsome as ever before you know it! Just bring it by on Monday after school, okay?”
“Got it,” Flash replied before turning to get in his car, “See you all later!”
“Bye, Flash!” Twilight replied as Flash drove away. Once he was out of sight, Twilight and her friends turned in the other direction and headed for Pinkie Pie’s house.
…
After waiting for a whole week, the night had finally arrived. Everyone was gathered in Applejack’s living room as they made last-minute preparations for the big event ahead. Fluttershy sat on one of the couches as she brushed her hair, her animal friends assisting her. She was wearing a bright gray, strapless dress with daisies and sunflowers located from the bottom to just above her knees. Sunset Shimmer was sitting next to her. She was wearing a bright yellow-orange dress with striking red accents near the bottom. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were standing in front of a mirror, also fixing their hair. Rainbow Dash’s dress was a bright blue up top that gradually faded to a deep royal blue at the bottom. Pinkie Pie was wearing a dress that was the same color as her hair. Meanwhile, Applejack and Rarity were looking in a separate mirror. Applejack, who was adjusting one of her special cowgirl hats on her head, was wearing a bright green, strapless dress that matched her emerald eyes almost perfectly. She was also wearing a white pearl necklace. Rarity was the only one not wearing a strapless dress. Hers was black with a one-inch wide, white waistband, and her left shoulder was covered with the black material while her right shoulder was completely bare. She was trying on different necklaces, seeing which one would go best with her current look. She soon found the right one and hooked it around the back of her neck. She then looked around at her friends and her dress designs. “I must say, you all look absolutely dazzling,” she said to all of them.
“Well, we wouldn’t be lookin’ like this if it weren’t for you, Rarity,” replied Applejack.
“Yeah! You’re the best fashion designer in the universe!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
“You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Rarity,” said Sunset Shimmer.
“Really, it was nothing, girls,” replied Rarity.
The group of girls paused as they heard the doorbell ring. Applejack opened the door to find Flash, handsomely dressed in his freshly mended black tuxedo, standing there with a small, white box in his hands. It was something Rarity had given him when he picked up his outfit. “Whoa, nelly!” Applejack said in surprise, struck by how handsome Flash looked, “Lookin’ good, Flash!”
“Thanks,” he replied, “You’re all looking pretty gorgeous yourselves.” All the girls smiled at his compliment.
“Thank you, darling,” replied Rarity, “It’s nice to have a decent gentleman around here once in a while, isn’t it, girls?” The other girls smiled and nodded, Sunset Shimmer looking away slightly.
“Thanks again for helping me with my tuxedo, Rarity. You did an amazing job.”
“Well, I simply HAD to make it the best I could possible. I couldn’t forget that your date is a princess from another world. She deserves the absolute best.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Flash replied as he sat the white box down on a nearby table, “Speaking of Twilight, where is she? Is she not here yet?” Flash paused as he heard someone coming down the stairs. Everyone in the room looked at the staircase as the source of the steps became clear. It was Twilight. She made her way down the rest of the stairs as the rest of the group looked at her. Flash’s eyes went wide. Twilight was breathtaking. Her dress was a vibrant magenta. It had a ½-inch wide, black waistband tied in a small bow behind her back. Her hair was done up neatly in a bun, and she was wearing white, elbow-length gloves. Flash thought Twilight had never looked this beautiful. After taking in her amazing looks, Flash stepped closer to his date. His eyes met hers. “T-Twilight…Y-You look so wonderful!” His voice was soft, yet it retained a tone of amazement and excitement. He immediately reached out and hugged her.
Twilight giggled softly. “Thanks, Flash. Don’t worry. You’re not the only one. I was pretty shocked myself once I saw this dress for the first time. Anyway, you look really handsome yourself.”
“Thanks,” Flash replied, his tone making it evident he was still in a moment of awe. He then reached out for the white box with his left hand. Rarity had told him not to look inside until he saw Twilight in her dress, and it was pretty obvious why once he opened it. Inside the box was a magenta wrist corsage that matched her dress perfectly. “Here, Twilight,” Flash continued as he took the corsage out of the box, “This is for you.”
Twilight reached her left hand out to Flash, and then he slipped the corsage on. “Flash, it’s gorgeous! Thank you!” Twilight said in excitement. “I have something for you, too. Let me go get it.” She went into the kitchen and retrieved a plastic container from the refrigerator. Inside the container was Flash’s boutonniere. Twilight made her way back to the living room and stopped in front of her date. “Flash, this is yours,” she continued as she took the small floral accessory out of the container and pinned it to the left-hand lapel of Flash’s jacket.
“I like it. Thanks, Twilight,” Flash said, admiring the accessory.
“Well, it looks like we’re all officially ready to go,” said Rarity.
Applejack walked over to the staircase. “Big Mac! Ya ready yet?” she called up the stairs.
“Eeyup!” came Big Mac’s voice from the upper level. Applejack soon saw her brother begin to descend the staircase. He, too, was dressed in a black tuxedo, but unlike Flash, who was wearing a bow tie, he was wearing a bolo tie, sticking with his and Applejack’s noticeable Western theme.
“Ya wanna go get your SUV outta the garage?” asked Applejack.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied before heading out the front door and toward the garage.
“Oh, are we not taking a limo?” Flash asked Applejack.
“Nah, Big Mac’s SUV seats 9, so we’ll all take that to school and take the coach bus from there,” Applejack replied.
“Oh,” Flash replied. He was slightly disappointed, but was quick to brush it off. “Alright. Sounds good.”
Just then, Big Mac honked the horn on his SUV, signaling he was ready. “Prom, here we come!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Everyone, except Twilight and Flash, soon bolted out the door, eager to get going.
Flash turned to Twilight and took her hands in his. “Are you ready for this?” he asked his date.
“I sure am,” Twilight replied softly while looking Flash in the eyes.
“Hey! Are you guys coming or what?!?” Pinkie Pie said through the door. Twilight and Flash glanced back at each other for a quick second before heading for the open door.
…
After a 20-minute ride from Canterlot High, the caravan of coach buses arrived at the front door of the Canterlot Country Club, where this year’s prom was to be held. Nearly all of the Juniors and Seniors from CHS piled out of the buses, eager for the event that awaited inside. Twilight and all her friends were soon off their bus, and they went in as well. The main hall was decorated with balloons, streamers, confetti, and everything in-between. There were plenty of tables around the dance floor. It was the perfect setting for a romantic school dance.
Twilight was the first to react to all the decorations. “Wow! This place looks great!” she exclaimed before turning to face her pink friend. “Did you help set everything up, Pinkie Pie?”
“I sure did!” she replied.
“She practically planned the whole thing!” added Rainbow Dash.
“Well, you did amazing as always, Pinkie!” Twilight continued.
“Thanks!” Pinkie Pie replied before hearing her stomach growling, “Boy, I’m hungry. Come on, everyone! You’re gonna love the food I picked out for tonight!” The entire group made their way to the buffet, which the rest of the students were already doing. After a while, Twilight and Flash were able to each get a plate. Twilight stared at the food selection, but it wasn’t quite what she had expected. There was grilled chicken, steak medallions, pulled pork sandwiches, everything that Twilight DIDN’T eat back in Equestria.
Flash noticed a distressed look on his date’s face. “Twilight,” he asked, “Is everything alright?”
“Uhhh…” Twilight was so disgusted that it took her a while to form a coherent sentence. “Th-this stuff is, well…”
“Are you a vegetarian?” Flash asked.
“Yeah,” Twilight replied, “Everyone’s a vegetarian where I live.” She was having a bit of trouble looking at all the various meat selections.
“Don’t worry, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said. She was directly ahead of Twilight in the line. “Sunset Shimmer let me know you’re a vegetarian. I made sure there were plenty of options for everyone here! Look! There are loads of yummy fruits and veggies up ahead!”
Twilight’s face lit up after seeing what was up ahead. “Thank you, Pinkie!”
“My pleasure!” the party girl replied.
…
Pretty soon, the group of 9 was seated at a table. Twilight had gotten herself a fresh salad, sliced apples, and corn. Flash had gotten a steak medallion with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. Twilight was about to take a bite of her salad when she looked over at Flash, who was putting a piece of his steak into his mouth. She paused as she watched him chew it. Flash then looked over at his date. He ceased chewing for a short time, remembering he was eating meat in front of a vegetarian. He then swallowed before speaking. “Guess I should’ve gotten something el…”
“No, Flash, it’s fine,” Twilight responded as she smiled at him and placed her left hand on his right shoulder, “You eat whatever you want. I don’t want you to change what you eat just because I’m here.”
Flash smiled back at his date. “Thanks,” he said to her.
Twilight then took a bite of her salad. She chewed it and gulped it down before asking, “So, how have the Rainbooms been doing since I’ve last been here?”
“Simply marvelous, darling,” replied Rarity, “We’ve been performing all over town lately!”
“I’ve been letting Sunset Shimmer take over lead vocals from time to time,” Rainbow Dash jumped in, “I never realized how great of a voice she had until we defeated the Dazzlings.”
“I’ve also been doing plenty of guitar riffs alongside you, too, Rainbow,” Sunset brought up, “We sound amazing together!”
“You got that right!” Rainbow replied.
“I don’t just play the tambourine anymore,” Fluttershy said, “I also play the maracas and wind chimes! Oh, those wind chimes sound so beautiful! I think my animal friends enjoy them more than I do!”
“We’ve also been intertwining with Flash’s band a few times!” Pinkie Pie said.
“Really?” Twilight replied with a surprised look on her face.
“Yeah, they have,” Flash said, “My band doesn’t have a bass player, so we have to borrow Applejack sometimes.”
“That’s why I’ve been tryin’ to get ol’ Big Mac here to pick up the bass himself!” Applejack said. Big Mac smiled, but his facial expression was otherwise blank.
“I’m guessing that’s not going too well, Big Mac?” Twilight asked somewhat sarcastically.
“Nope,” Big Mac replied before taking a drink of water.
“The only other times we do that are when Pinkie Pie or I are on lead vocals,” Rarity said, “I prefer not to be playing the keytar while being lead singer and we obviously can’t have anyone be lead singer while they’re in the back on the drum set.”
“It’s really fun to switch roles once in a while!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.
“Well,” Twilight continued, “I’m really glad you’re not having issues anymore. Keep up the good work!” The group continued eating while talking about other random topics. After about 30 minutes, the buffet was cleared of all the dinner items and waiters and waitresses came around and served Pinkie Pie’s delectable-looking dessert choice, a strawberry-flavored virgin tiramisu served in a martini glass.
After another 15 minutes, everyone in the building heard tapping coming over the many stereos in the large hall. Everyone was forced to cover their ears as a microphone, held by Vinyl Scratch, passed under a light, causing an all-too-familiar deafening tone.
“Alright!” Vinyl said through the microphone, “Everyone on the dance floor! It’s time to get this party started!” She then started her turntables and an upbeat pop song began blasting through the stereos.
“Woo-hoo! Let’s do this!” Pinkie Pie screamed. Everyone started to make a beeline for the dance floor.
After Flash and Twilight had gotten up from their seats, Flash held a hand out to his date. “Shall we dance?” he asked.
“Sure,” Twilight replied with a smile. The two of them were soon on the dance floor, in close proximity to the rest of their group. They soon started dancing like everyone else. Twilight wasn’t entirely comfortable dancing on two feet, but she knew this wasn’t the time to dance like she and Flash did at the Fall Formal some time ago. Luckily, she was partially supported by Flash as their hands rarely let go of each other. Flash spun her around a few times, but not all at once, not wanting to make her dizzy and uncomfortable. After a while, a slow dance song played over the stereos. Since the rest of the group didn’t really have dates, they went back to their table and chatted for a little while. Flash grew noticeably nervous as the song began. He knew that this would be a time for him and Twilight to really enjoy the time that they had together. Twilight was also a bit nervous, but more mentally composed. She folded her wrists over Flash’s shoulders and behind his neck, while Flash folded his hands behind Twilight’s back, around her waist. At that moment, it was just the two of them. They swayed back and forth slowly as they occasionally looked each other in the eyes. As the song progressed, they started to make more and more eye contact. Flash’s cheeks were very red, but Twilight’s weren’t, even though she was slightly nervous.
Over at the table, the other 7 were having a casual conversation. At one point, when she felt like she wouldn’t have to talk for a couple of minutes, Sunset Shimmer looked back at everyone on the dance floor. She quickly spotted Twilight and Flash. They looked really happy together. Even though Sunset admittedly never liked Flash, she was happy for him that he had found someone who DID like him. She always knew, even in her days of evil, that Flash had a crush on Twilight. Now, he was fulfilling a dream he had had for nearly all of his senior year, ever since he had first bumped into the princess from another world.
By now, Flash and Twilight were staring comfortably into each other’s eyes. Many thoughts were flowing through Flash’s mind. He was still worried something else may go wrong. He had already been packed tightly in the back seat of an SUV, he had nearly disgusted his date by eating steak, what else could happen? Suddenly, all those fears melted away as he felt pressure on the lower part of his right shoulder. Twilight had laid her head in that spot and closed her eyes. Instinctively, Flash pulled Twilight’s waist in a bit closer as they were practically hugging. Twilight wasn’t fazed and softly hummed against her date. Flash looked straight ahead and closed his eyes. He said, “Yes…” to himself. After that, he leaned his head down and smelled Twilight’s hair, an extravagant scent of lavender filling his nostrils. He exhaled, and then closed his eyes and tilted his head lower until it was softly leaning against Twilight’s.
…
Numerous yawns could be heard as the attendees of this year’s prom slowly made their way off the buses and to their cars. The group of 9 eventually gathered at Big Mac’s SUV, waiting for him to unlock it. “Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, “This is the most awesome thing you’ve helped put together at Canterlot High.”
“I agree,” Rarity chimed, “It was marvelous, darling!”
The others commented respectively on the event. “Thanks, everyone!” Pinkie chirped. “I wish I could do this EVERY weekend!”
Twilight then asked her friends a question as she noticed them standing next to the SUV’s doors, waiting for them to be unlocked. “Wait, are we all headed back to Applejack’s right now?”
“We sure are, sugar cube,” replied Applejack, “That alright?”
“Well, I told my friends back in Equestria that I’d be back as soon as I could be, and since the other end of the portal is now in my castle, I was actually planning on heading home right this second.”
At this point, Big Mac had already climbed into his SUV, but the others heard what Twilight had to say. “Oh…Really, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.
“You don’t wanna have a sleepover?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“It’s okay Twilight,” Sunset Shimmer jumped in, “You have duties to attend to back in Equestria. You may as well get back to them as soon as you can,” she said as she hugged Twilight. The others also moved in to hug their purple friend.
“Come on, Twilight,” Flash said as he held out his hand, “I’ll walk you back to the portal.”
“Thanks,” she replied as she took his hand in hers. “Bye, everyone! Hopefully I can see you all again soon!”
“Bye!” the rest of her friends screamed.
Twilight and Flash soon made the short walk from the parking lot to the portal. They both stopped in front of it before Flash turned Twilight to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders. “Listen, Twilight, thanks again for being able to do this. I just wish this night could have gone 100% perfect like I had told you it would. I feel like I should have known you were a vegetarian. I feel bad for grossing you out. Plus, I didn’t think it was that romantic being squished in the back of an SUV. I just wish that…”
He was silenced as Twilight placed an index finger on his lips. “Flash,” she said in a comforting tone, “You have nothing to apologize for. This was one of the greatest nights I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” Flash asked, slightly in a state of disbelief.
“Of course! I couldn’t have asked for anything better! Spending a wonderful night together with my friends, and especially with you. I’ve never really done anything with stallions in Equestria, so this a first-time experience for me. Plus, you didn’t go overboard and treat me like pure royalty.”
“Which you are,” Flash remarked, giggling.
Twilight chuckled. “Yeah, I know, but, this kinda takes me back to a lesson I learned recently when I was at a convention with my sister-in-law. The day hadn’t gone as planned, but in the end, I learned that any day is great when you spend it with a good friend. Now, I’m hoping I can pass that lesson on to you.”
“I think you have.”
“Great.” The two of them stood there and looked into each other’s eyes for a couple of minutes. “Well, I guess I should get going,” Twilight continued as she took Flash’s hands in hers.
Flash sighed and lowered his head, knowing he wouldn’t be seeing his friend for quite some time. “Goodbye, Twilight,” he said softly.
“Goodbye, Flash,” she replied, “And just remember, there just might be a day where I’ll always be with you.”
“How?”
“Well, you, like all my other friends here, exist in Equestria. However, you’re a royal guard that’s stationed pretty far from where I live. But don’t worry. After experiencing what I did tonight, I may very well go up to him and ask if he’d like to go out and do something. Even though it’s not you from this world, it’ll feel like I’m with YOU,” she said as she touched the tip of her index finger against Flash’s chest, “So just tell yourself that I’ll always be with you.”
“I will,” Flash replied as a look of slight euphoria came over his face, “And again, tonight was something I had been anticipating for so long. Thank you.”
“Well, I don’t think you were anticipating THIS.” At that moment, Twilight leaned up and kissed Flash on the lips. Flash’s eyes went wider than they had ever gone before. Twilight was right. He had NOT anticipated this. He had secretly loved Twilight ever since he had first met her, and now he knew that she loved him back. After 3 seconds, Twilight pulled away, leaving him in a small state of shock. Without a word, Twilight turned to her right, and as she did, she waved to Flash with her left hand, and then walked through the portal.
…
Dear Journal,
Tonight I was reminded of the lesson I had learned when Princess Cadance came to visit for the Starswirl the Bearded convention. Even if a day, or night in this case, doesn’t go as planned, when you’re with a good friend, anytime you spend together is something worth remembering for many years to come. And who knows? Sometimes these times together can lead to something greater than friendship. I think I may be headed to the Crystal Empire in the morning. We shall see.
-Twilight
The young alicorn closed the journal and placed it on her bedside table, next to Princess Celestia’s message book. She then trotted over to her window and looked up at the full moon. She had to agree that this night was far more magical than the Grand Galloping Gala.
…
After taking his tuxedo off, Flash was wearing only his white undershirt and his boxers. He soon found himself looking out his window and staring up at the full moon. He couldn’t get a certain voice out of his head. “Just tell yourself that I’ll always be with you.” And it wasn’t a voice he would soon want to forget.
THE END
