Chapter One: Deep Depression and Skiing Challenges
"But Double Diamond, we've literally tried everything! And nothing's worked!" Sugar Belle whispered, with a deep expression of sadness.
"I know, Sugar Belle. But we have to keep trying. It's for Party Favor after all." Double Diamond said with hope in his voice.
"But how?" Sugar Belle started to cry.
With Party Favor
Party Favor sat alone in his house, staring at a framed photo.
"*sighs* I miss so much." Party Favor said sadly.
He remembered when he first met the mare of his dreams.
Flashback
"Welcome! I'm Party Favor."
It was when Party Favor had just met the new ponies in town, including Princess Twilight.
He noticed a frowning pink earth pony with a three balloons cutie mark, he was lost in gaze, very lost in gaze.
Back to the Present
Once he put down the picture, a knock came at the door.
"Party Favor? It's Double Diamond and Sugar Belle." Double Diamond said.
"In here!" he's basically given up on telling them to go away.
"I made Poppin' Cupcakes, your favorite!" Sugar Belle held out a tray of cupcakes with an aura of dark purple.
"Thanks Sugar Belle. I've been hungry for a couple of hours." Party Favor took a cupcake, held it up with his magic.
Party Favor's eyes sparkled as he ate the cupcake, reminding him of somemare he knew.
"Party Favor, we're very worried about you. You hardly eat, you hardly speak, but luckily you're still able to sleep. Please tell us what's wrong?" Double Diamond begged.
But Party Favor didn't answer.
"How about we go skiing?" Double Diamond suggested, knowing no pony could say no to that.
"Okay, that would feel great. Good idea Double Diamond." Party Favor smiled a little bit .
"I'll get Night Glider." Sugar Belle said, running out to go grab her.
"I'll get our gear. But remember Party Favor, you'll have to tell us eventually." Double Diamond galloped out of Party's house.
When he left, Party Favor got his light blue scarf on and he stared over at the photo he was looking at earlier.
He sighed and wished he could see her again, just for one more moment.
"WE'RE HERE!" his friends barged in, Double Diamond holding the skiing gear, Night Glider wearing a light purple scarf, and Sugar Belle wearing a magenta scarf with different baked pastries design on it.
"Hey." Party Favor took his skiing gear which had balloon designs on it, each amount of skiing gear reflected each pony's personality.
"Alright, last one to get to the mountain is an old cupcake!" Night Glider said, and raced out of the house.
Double Diamond and Sugar Belle followed closely behind her, with Party Favor walking there, he never cared that he was always the old cupcake.
But Sugar Belle and Double Diamond looked back, noticing that Party Favor was walking there again.
"Double Diamond, it doesn't look good. Even when we're about to have fun, he still is depressed. I'm surprised he isn't going to go equal again." Sugar Belle whispered as the duo ran, Double Diamond knew exactly how she felt.
This wasn't looking good, at all, especially since, aside to Sugar Belle, Party Favor was normally the most energentic.
Party Favor was feeling really, superstitiously, sad.
"Hey PF, you alright? You don't seem to good, you can tell us anything." Night Glider asked, flying towards him.
"Don't worry about it Night, nothing's bothering me. I promise." Party Favor lied, Night Glider wasn't that convinced but didn't really care.
Each of his friends reminded him of the visitors they had a few months back, including himself.
Party Favor sighed and the four friends found themselves at the mountain they liked skiing at.
"Ha! I win!" Double Diamond announced, doing a victory dance while the others laughed (Party Favor sighing as well).
"Okay, since I'm second place, I get to choose what we're gonna do with our skiing today." Sugar Belle smiled and the other three gulped. "We're going to do a challenge! We're supposed to mix up skiing and our own individual talents. Double Diamond, since your talent IS skiing, you're gonna be the judge."
Double Diamond nodded and got the raceway set up with the things they needed to do for the challenge.
"On your mark, get set, GO!" Double Diamond waved the flag he made and the three friends took off.
But as Party Favor was on his balloon skis, it reminded him of the time he and his friends saved six mares' cutie marks.
He daydreamed for a moment but little did he know that a grey pegasus was flying towards him and accidentally got crashed into.
"Are you Party Favor? 'Cause I've got a letter for Party Favor, Double Diamond, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle." the pegasus asked.
A dizzy Party Favor nodded and the pegasus handed him a letter, after he took it, the grey pegasus flew back off.
Being that they were still in a challenge, Party Favor stuffed the letter into his scarf and kept skiing.
An Hour Later
"I win the challenge of the talents! What's my prize?" Night Glider turned to the judge, whom was working on the prize.
"By the way, a grey pegasus gave me a letter during the beginning of the challenge." Party Favor took out the letter from earlier.
"I'll read it, especially since I'm the best reader of this group." Sugar Belle offered, nopony argued, she always was reading recipes for treats.
Sugar Belle used her magic to open the envelope and read the letter aloud.
Dear Party Favor, Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Double Diamond,
You are cordially invited to the Grand Galloping Gala of Equestria.
In this envelope, you'll find four golden tickets that will get you into the gala.
DO NOT LOSE THIS LETTER OR YOU CAN'T ATTEND THE GALA!
Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship
Chapter Two: Gala Invites and Visiting Outside of Town
"Wait, wait, wait. You're saying that we've been invited to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" Double Diamond said, his mouth being dropped.
"That's what it says, DD. I went there before I came to live here, and it can be awesome plus boring at the same time." Sugar Belle once lived in Canterlot before moving to their little town.
"I know, but I thought the princess and her friends has forgotten all about us by now." That comment hurt Party Favor pretty bad.
"Obviously they hadn't! But, we ARE going right?" Night Glider said, the others nodding.
"Besides, I want to see them again. Pinkie still owes me some recipes." It was true, Pinkie promised to give Sugar Belle some new cake recipes.
"It's settled, as soon as we get back to the village, we'll pack for Ponyville." Double Diamond announced, the other three cheered.
After they had a little more fun, they headed back home.
Party Favor was still looking bummed out and of course Double Diamond and Sugar Belle noticed.
"SB, it's getting worse. It was a little better for a small while but nothing's working." Double Diamond whispered.
"I know, he won't tell us what's bothering him, and even the skiing didn't help. What could it be?!"
Sugar Belle started to cry but Double Diamond hugged her.
This made both of them blush, despite that they were sad-mad.
Party Favor had already finished packing everything up, and already at the train station, waiting for his friends.
"*sighs* What's taking them so long?! Normally Night Glider would already be here."
"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE HERE!" Party Favor's three friends said in illusion.
"Sorry we're late. Somepony was over packing." the two mares eyed the white earth stallion, who was blushing from embarrassment.
"DD? You're the reason! But you're a guy! Wait, let me guess. You were packing all your skiing stuff?"
"Yeah, uh, is that too weird?" the embarrassed earth pony said.
"Well, at least you guys are here. 'Cause the train's here."
"Train leaving for Ponyville. All aboarders coming aboard." the conductor annouced.
The four friends hurried onto the train and took their seats.
Night Glider found their seats for them and they all chose who they were sitting next to: Night Glider by P.F. and D.D. by Sugar Belle.
"Um, Favor? Don't you think you should smile a little bit? I mean, we're going to see the princess again after all."
"It's not that big a deal, she's our friend. Our REAL friend, unlike Starlight."
Although they wished he would be happy, they understood.
As the train ride went along, the four noticed that as they got closer, the world looked more colorful.
Party Favor and Sugar Belle watched in awe of how cheerful and colorful outside of their little town looked.
"I can't believe we're going to Ponyville! I mean, I've lived in our little town longer then most of you." Double Diamond said, everypony agreeing.
"GUYS, LOOK WHO'S THERE WAITING FOR US!" Sugar Belle said excitedly.
She pointed out the window and they could see that it was the purple princess and her friends.
"RACE YOU OUTSIDE!" Sugar dared Double Diamond and Night Glider.
Party Favor was in charge of getting all the bags, with the exception of all of D.D.'s bags.
Once outside, he gets attacked by Pinkie Pie.
"PARTY FAVOR! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ME HAVE YOU?!" the excited party pony said.
"Nice to see you too, Pinkie." Party Favor said with a happy sigh.
Pinkie helped him up and the two ponies hugged.
Sugar Belle and Double Diamond watched with suspicion.
"Could it be..... That this the reason for P.F.'s depression?" Sugar Belle whispered.
"Quite could be, Belle. Quite could be." Double Diamond hugged Sugar Belle slightly.
This caused the two to blush and break up, Rarity giggled while watching the two friends.
"Alright, everypony. It's time to go to the Carousel Boutique, it's my duty to make sure you all look..... FABULOUS!" the white unicorn annouced.
The now 9 friends started walking to wherever Rarity was taking them.
Once they arrived at the Carousel Boutique, the Cutie Four noticed that there was a purple dragon, waiting for them at the door.
"Spike, this is Party Favor, Sugar Belle, Double Diamond, and Night Glider. They're the friends we've invited to the gala. And guys, this is Spike, my number one assistant."
The dragon glanced at the four ponies and gave a smile.
"A pleasure. I know it's odd for a princess to have a dragon companion but I'm useful." Spike said to the quartet.
"Spikey-wikey, do you think you could help them with their things? And then later you can help with the supplies."
Spike obeyed and helped Party Favor with the bags.
Once all the luggage business was taken care of, Rarity got to work.
First came the measurements, someponies weren't very pleased with that part.
Next came to the design on a piece of paper, Sugar Belle helped with that.
After that was where they were to fit the start of the dress.
And finally, the final result were amazing.
"They look amazing! You've done it again, Rarity." Twilight congratulated.
"Thank you darling. Sweetie and Sugar Belle helped me with some of the details."
"Can we try on our attire now?" Fluttershy asked eagerly.
"You could but boys, OUT! THE GIRLS WANT THE DRESSES TO BE A SURPRISE!" Rarity pushed the three boys out and locked the door.
They just sat there in silence at the door, waiting for them to come out.
"Okay, I'm getting some milk. Nopony makes me sit by the door without a cup of milk!" Double Diamond went down the stairs to the kitchen.
A couple hours later the girls had finished trying on their dresses and were back out.
"You girls took forever! Everyone knows that girls should only take at least five minutes to try things on."
"It took awhile to get Rainbow and Night Glider to try on the dresses." Applejack gave the two pegasi a glare.
"Well, at least you're finally out. Did the dresses fit alright?" the dragon asked.
"Yeah, they did. They're ready for the gala tomorrow." Pinkie squealed.
But Pinkie and everypony else had no idea what was on Party Favor's mind.
