Author's Note: Alright, just a little side note for you all, as you can probably guess by the title of this chapter, there are going to be some songs in store for you all. However, the music isn't going to be in link format like last time. Instead, our lovely MC will be doing the singing herself, so there are a few things you need to know. First off, the text for the songs will be colored based on who is singing at that time, so pay attention to what color you're reading.

Words that are this color are Sarah's voice,
words that are this color belong to Lyra,
words that are this color come from Bon-Bon,
and words that are this color are everyone singing in chorus.

Also, the credit for the original songs will be in the altro, so take a look there if you want to know the original versions. Alright, now that we have that out of the way, let's get this show on the road. On with the book!!

Our arrival at the Gala was a bit more high-society than I was used to, and that was even taking into account the limo ride I had gotten to one of the officer’s dinners back home. Twilight and the girls had gotten to ride in one of the two pegasus carriages that had been waiting for us at the front doors to her castle, leaving the second for Swift, Lyra, Bon-Bon and myself. However, the part I really wasn’t expecting was the fact that we got to ride them all the way up to the castle gates without having to wait in line like the rest of the nobles. We climbed out of the carriages and I could feel the dirty looks that the nobility were throwing our way, but at that moment I couldn’t care less what they thought.

Rarity had completely outdone herself with the dresses she had made for me and my herdmates, and I was almost feeling overdressed when compared to some of the other nobility I saw walking in before us. However, compared to our ensemble, the Bearers were decked out like it was a royal wedding or some such thing.

Coming back to our dresses, I couldn’t have been prouder of my herdmates as I led them into the castle, one to each side. Lyra was decked out in a shimmering gold dress that hugged her body like a second skin, topped with a lime green saddle that was trimmed with amber lace. Bon-Bon was dressed in a similar outfit, although her dress was ruffled along them hem and was cut low to show off the majority of her chest and shoulders. The fabric was a deep navy blue with rose pink trim, along with a deep auburn saddle that was lined with turquoise that matched her eyes perfectly. As for myself, Rarity had taken some of the designs from my world and had combined them with the fashion themes popular in Equestria.

The dress itself was a soft burgundy color with a hemline that rose up to my thighs in front but hung down to my ankles in the back. She had made me matching stockings that hid the majority of my legs from view, along with the same slipper design she had made for me before. On my right shoulder, she had made a miniature saddle that rested almost like a pauldron would with a muted gold sash that hung over my chest and ended in a bow on my left hip. The left shoulder remained bare save for what little of it was covered by my hair, done up in a perfect French, er, Prench braid.

All and all I thought we looked amazing, although the Bearers certainly stole the show with their outlandish outfits. I could never understand how Rarity could get stars and candy popper designs to work in formal wear, but she somehow got it to work and the girls looked great. Then again, we were in a world populated by candy-colored ponies that could perform magic like it was nothing. Shows what I know about this crazy planet.

We entered the castle foyer and I immediately spotted the Royal Sisters standing at the entrance, greeting the ponies as they came in. What I didn’t expect to see, was Princess Cadence and Shining Armor standing next to the Solar and Lunar alicorns. That is, until I remembered Twilight’s comment the other day about her sister-in-law attending the Gala as well. Oops. I figured they wouldn’t have a problem with me asking Twilight to join our herd, but that was assuming they were alright with Twilight dating a creature from another world. Not exactly the normal fair you get when you ask to date someone. Given I didn’t know Twilight’s parents, and the fact that the rest of the royalty were technically her family, I figured that asking them for permission would be the best way to go. After all, one does not snub the literal embodiment of love when it comes to asking someone to join a relationship.

Putting that aside for the moment, I nodded in greeting as we came up to the royal family, feeling Lyra and Bon-Bon bowing beside me as Swift saluted on my left. The military mare had been invited by default due to her position as my bodyguard, although she had made it abundantly clear that she was not going to enjoy the evening in the slightest. Much like the rest of the guard, the Gala was one huge boring night listening to nobles talk about unimportant things for hours on end. Luckily, I planned on changing that if the princesses would let me.

“Good evening, Captain,” Celestia smiled as she spoke, “it is wonderful to see you again. I take it things are going smoothly in Ponyville?”

I nodded, returning the smile as Lyra and Bon-Bon straightened from their bows, “I’m doing fine, Your Highness. Nothing too interesting to report, although the training of the guard members at Fort Reinwright is like pulling teeth.”

Luna chuckled as she looked me up and down, “Training old dogs new tricks is quite a difficult task, although I think you will be more than up to the challenge. To change the topic, you look absolutely stunning in that gown, is it one of Dame Rarity’s designs?”

I nodded, “Indeed, although if you want to see something amazing, you should have seen the dresses she made for herself and the other Bearers. I don’t know how she does it, but she could make a toad look like a literal prince if she tried.”

We all shared a laugh at that mental image, although it was carefully set aside as Cadence walked up and grinned at me with a knowing gleam in her eye.

“I see you have been busy since we last met.” She pointedly indicated Lyra and Bon-Bon with a wing while matching my gaze, “Joining a herd after only a few months on our world? I must say I’m impressed.”

Lyra and Bon-Bon blushed as I pulled them against me with a hand against each of their necks, “I couldn’t be happier, although you might want to hold your congratulations until later. I have another pony in mind that you might want to pester once I ask her to join our herd.”

That caused all four pony’s eyes to widen, although I noticed the slight glint in Celestia’s gaze before she managed to hide it. Cadence and Shining Armor, however, were completely floored.

“You mean you plan on asking another mare to join your herd here at the Gala?!” Cadence squealed as she covered her mouth with her forehooves, “Oh I can’t wait to see the look on her face. Who is it, who is it?”

I shook my head, “You’ll just have to wait until I ask her out.” I glanced down at my mares and smiled, “We’ve already discussed it and we think it would be a good idea to save the surprise until after we get her answer.”

All four ponies nodded, although I noticed that Celestia was trying to hide a smirk behind a hoof as we walked past them and into the Gala itself. I had a feeling she knew what I had planned, although I bet even she wasn’t going to expect my little surprise when I pulled it out of my pocket. I ran my fingers over the little package in my hip pocket and thought about how I was going to do this, hoping against hope that my little stunt was going to pay off.

For the first couple hours of the Gala, Lyra was off talking to some of the Bearers, while Bon-Bon stuck with me and Swift as we made ourselves available for those who wanted to talk. The number of ponies that actually wanted to converse with the alien, however, were woefully few. Save for a couple of the more upstanding members of the nobility, like Fancy Pants and his fiancé Flur de Lis, there weren’t many ponies that seemed to have much interest in talking to me or my companions. However, as we made our way across the floor to the royal table, we were run afoul by a very familiar gryphon.

“Ah, so good to see you again, Captain,” King Edward said as he walked up to us and offered his talons, “it’s been a while since we had our little sparring match, hasn’t it?”

Bon-Bon gaped at the royal gryphon while Swift simply smiled up at me. I wasn’t affected as much and took the offered talon in my own hand, giving it a firm shake before returning his leg to him, “It’s nice to see you as well, Your Highness. What brings you to Equestria?”

His face fell, and he looked over his shoulder before leaning in to whisper, “My daughter has gone missing. I was hoping to speak with Celestia and her sister about sending out search parties to find her. She’s been gone for almost a month now and I’m starting to lose hope that she’s still in Gryphonia.” He fixed me with a hopeful look, “She was fascinated with the stories I told her about you and your combat skills. She hasn’t shown up looking for you, has she?”

It took all of my military bearing not to lose my cool at his admission. Rosie, missing? According to her she had been sent by her father to train under me in order to better herself as a warrior. She even had a signed scroll and everything. So, either she was lying about having her father’s blessing, or there was something more sinister going on.

Bon-Bon opened her mouth, presumably to blurt out something that would blow Rosie’s over, so I did the only thing I could think of. I covered her mouth with my hand and interjected before she could speak, “Nope, haven’t seen her anywhere around Ponyville.” I sent Swift and Bon-Bon a pointed glare before turning back to the king, “However, we’ll let you know first thing if she shows up in town looking for me. I can’t imagine what it must be like not knowing where she is.”

The aging gryphon nodded, his eyes downcast as he turned to face the royal table, “Thank you anyway, Captain. I guess I’ll just have to ask Celestia if she can do anything to help me.”

“Actually,” I interrupted him as he started to walk away, “I can ask them for you. I have some personal business with the Royal Sisters so I can add your request for aid on top of my own if you would like.”

He smiled tiredly but shook his head, “Thank you, but I think this is something I have to do myself. There isn’t anything more important to me than my daughter, as you could well imagine, so it would not be proper for me to burden you with my problems.” He turned to face the princesses and nodded to himself with a sigh, “I might as well get this over with.It’s not going to get any easier the longer I wait.”

As he walked away, Bon-Bon shoved my hand away from her mouth and glared up at me, “What did you do that for?You heard him, Rosie is missing and you know exactly where she is. Why are you hiding the truth from him?”

“Because she showed up with a scroll signed by him and asking formal permission for my skills in training Rosie in combat.” I countered. “So, either Rosie forged her own father’s signature and ran away from home to seek me out, or something else is going on here. I think I know what’s going on, but just to be sure, I’m going to keep my cards hidden until I can get a better read of the situation.”

“Well then you better do something fast,” Swift interjected, “because he’s just about to talk with the Princesses.”

I followed her pointed hoof and saw King Edward stepping up to the royal table, and I made a quick decision in my head. I was going to cover for Rosie, but the instant we got home I was going to have a long talk with that hen.

Leaving Bon-Bon and Swift behind, I took long but measured steps until I walked up behind the king. He was just opening his mouth to speak when I stepped up beside him, although I refrained from interrupting him. It wouldn’t due to have my actions questioned when I had to do this perfectly.

“Well met Your Highnesses,” Edward said with a formal dip of his head, one that was matched by Celestia and the others, “I was grateful for the invitation to this prestigious event, although I wish I had come with better news.”

Celestia’s face showed level concern as she leaned forward, “What has happened? Did something go wrong with your plans to placate the northern clans?”

Hew shook his head, “Far worse I’m afraid. My daughter, Rosie, has gone missing, and I have no idea where she might have gone. She seemed to have taken a shine to Ms. Lovegood after I told her about our duel, but she tells me that my daughter hasn’t been seen around Ponyville as of late. I fear that the longer she remains on her own, the more likely the chance that something terrible could happen to her. Please, can you help me find my daughter?”

Celestia’s eyes had widened slightly as she cast a discreet glance my way. I shook my head slightly in the hopes that she would understand my meaning, and I saw the slight nod that followed my request as she turned her attention back to the king.

“While I regret to hear that your daughter has gone missing,” She said in a measured tone, cutting off Cadence and Luna as they openly gawked at her, “I am afraid that I cannot help you as of right now. Our guard is getting overhauled right now and will not be able to perform the majority of its duties until the units under Captain Lovegood’s command have completed their training.” She bowed her head in apology and cast a pointed look my way as she finished, “Please accept my most heartfelt apologies and hopeful wishes for Rosie’s safe return.”

The king nodded his acceptance, and then turned to leave with a heavy sigh. Luna and Cadence both opened their mouths to call him back, but Celestia stuck her wings into both of their mouths to silence them. By the time they got untangled from Celestia’s feathers, the king was gone, leaving us alone at the head of the dining hall.

“What in the name of Tartarus were you thinking, sister?!” Luna hissed out as she shoved Celestia’s wing out of her face, “We all know fully well that young Rosie is currently residing in your former student’s castle and is receiving training in Auramancy from young Sarah. Why in Equestria would you hide that from our old friend?”

“Because she showed up with a scroll signed with his name asking me to train her.” I countered, “So either she lied about getting her father’s permission for my training, or something else is going on here that we can’t see. I don’t like unknowns, so I thought it would be best to get a clear picture of the situation before revealing our hand, er, so to speak.”

“But why would he lie about his daughter being missing?” Cadence asked as Shining nodded his agreement, “What could he possibly hope to gain from doing so?”

“That is what I am hoping to find out,” Celestia replied as she looked towards me with a firm glare, “But know this, Sarah, I do not enjoy lying to one of my oldest friends, so if you cannot find evidence that Rosie’s location must remain a secret, then I will be sending a letter to King Edward myself to tell him exactly where his daughter is. Am I making myself clear?”

I nodded, throwing a salute for good measure, “Crystal, ma’am. I won’t wait any longer than necessary to inform you of my findings. I only ask that you wait until I can get a good read of the situation before you send that letter.”

Celestia returned my nod, although she looked less than thrilled about having to keep such a secret, “See that you do. I will wait for no longer than a week to hear from you. After that I will be sending the letter anyway, regardless of the circumstances.”

I clapped my hands together and tried to pull us out of the somber mood we had fallen into, “Anyways, enough with the depressing stuff. I have something to ask the four of you, and I would like to get your blessing before I go any further.”

The four royals locked their gazes onto me, and I smiled as I continued, “I have with me some of the music from my home world. I would like to share some of it with the ponies of Equestria, and I thought what better way to do so then at one of the most important events of the year?”

All of them showed great interest in my proposal, although it was Luna that was struggling to hold in her excitement as she replied, “Thou hath music from thy home world? How doth thou plan on sharing it with our ponies?”

“You’re slipping into Old Equish again, sister.” Celestia muttered out of the side of her mouth, causing Luna to blush as her ears folded against her head. Never the less, they quickly sprang up again as she turned her attention back to me.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and showed them the little device, “This may not look like much, but it holds almost sixteen hundred songs from my world inside it. The only thing I need is your permission to play them for your ponies.”

Celestia looked skeptical, but with Luna and Cadence giving her the most adorable puppy eyes I had ever seen, she quickly folded under their duel assault, “Oh very well, but you must get permission from the musicians as well. They might not like the idea of having to share the stage with somepony else.”

I nodded my thanks, “Thank you, Princess. I promise it won’t disappoint.”

As I made my way back through the crowd, I noticed that Twilight and the other Bearers had taken up positions around the royal table to talk with the other princesses. I knew that if they started talking with the princesses it would keep them preoccupied for a while, so I sped up my steps in the hopes of catching them while they were all in one place. It would make my little plan all the easier to pull off. I also spotted Lyra walking up and sitting next to Bon-Bon and Swift as they ate some of the hors d’oeuvres.

However, my steps were ground to a halt as I overheard some of the nobility talking, and what they said had my blood threatening to boil over after only a few seconds.

“To think that the best of the Royal Guard got beaten by that overgrown ape in a four-on-one duel,” one of the more flippant mares said to her little cluster, “and I thought the members of the Guard were incompetent before. Now I know just how worthless they truly are as a fighting force.”

“Mmhm, indeed,” a dark grey unicorn stallion added as he sipped his wine, “after the abysmal skills they showed during the changeling invasion, I’d nearly lost hope that we could rely on a sit-still-and-look-pretty fighting force. Now it’s been proven without a doubt that they are completely useless in a fight. I only hope the next time a crisis comes around that they can be more than simple meat shields for the rest of us.”

I ground my teeth as I continued my walk towards the stage. They wanted to disrespect the stallions and mares in uniform? Not on my watch, buster. I changed my plan slightly as I walked up and took notice of the orchestral quartet that were currently taking a break. If I was going to impress these ponies, then why not start by giving them something to remember about their own military. As I stepped up and onto the stage, I also noticed the two-tone blue mane and signature shades of Vinyl Scratch as she lounged against the side of the stage while talking with Octavia. I cast a glance over my shoulder and saw that Twilight was still siting next to Celestia and the others, while the Bearers settled in on a table to their left. I knew now was the best time to pull my little surprise, so I pulled out my phone and walked over to Vinyl and Octavia.

“Hey,” I said as they looked up at me, “Princess Celestia has allowed me to play some of the music from my homeland, but I need your permission as well before I can borrow the stage. Do I have it?”

Octavia glanced at the other members of the quartet, who simply shrugged in reply, “I guess it would be alright. What would you plan on playing for us?”

“Oh, is it some of those sick beats we heard from you the other day?” Vinyl asked as she levitated her shades up and over her horn to look me in the eyes.

I shook my head, much to her disappointment, “Not really. I have something special planned, but I’m going to need your help to do it.”

Her face brightened again as she hopped onto the stage, “What do you need me to do, chief?”

I handed her the phone, which she carefully picked up in her magic and levitated next to her head, “I want you to increase the volume of the music coming from the speakers so that everyone can hear it. I’m going to be singing some songs and I need the music to be loud enough to be heard.”

Vinyl nodded, “You got it. Just tell me which song to play and I’ll make sure that everypony can hear it.”

I turned to Octavia and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have a microphone that I could use, do you?”

She nodded, indicating the mic stand that was resting at the back corner of the stage, “You can use that, although you might want to just hold the microphone, given the stand is far too short for somepony like you.”

I nodded, “Thanks, I’ll be right back.”

I made my way around the other quartet members, getting a few second looks as I bent down and grabbed the mic. It wasn’t much different from the ones back home, but I could see where a magic gem was infused into the system instead of an electric cable. I flipped the switch and walked over to the edge of the stage, pausing to whisper in Vinyl’s ear what I wanted her to play. She nodded and used her magic to select the song, although she refrained from playing for the moment.

I took a moment to look out over the ponies below, seeing that several had already noticed my presence on the stage. The royal family, the Bearers and my own herd were paying rapt attention as I lifted the mic to my face, and I took a moment to still my racing heart before speaking.

“Hello everyone,” my voice rang out across the room in clear tones as I spoke, “my name is Sarah Lovegood, and I’m here to share with you some of the music from my homeland. Most of you don’t know this about me, but I can sing pretty well, and it would be my honor if you would all listen to me tonight. I’ve noticed that some of the ponies around here are taking the Royal Guard as a joke, especially after my duel with some of the commanders. However, I am going to tell you right now that they deserve your respect and your praise, because I was part of the military back home before I was discharged.”

I slid the stocking down my leg enough so that everyone could see my fake limb, causing several ponies to gasp before I slid the cloth back into place, “I lost my leg in a war, and it is because of that loss that I was removed from active service. I haven’t seen any ponies missing limbs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems of their own that you don’t understand. How do you think the guards felt after the changeling invasion? Who could they go to when they woke up at night screaming because of the ponies they failed to protect? Who could they talk to about their own insecurities when they get called incompetent by everyone they meet? Why are they so disrespected when you have no idea the hardships they have gone through in the line of duty?”

I paused, taking a moment to let my words sink in, “Think about them, and the hardships they have faced as I sing this song for you, because there is always something more to a soldier than what you see on the surface.”

I nodded to Vinyl, and she started the song as the music began to resonate through the room.I waited for the intro to finish before I lifted the mic to my mouth, taking in a deep breath before I let the words go.

I've been home about six months now

And I still have my doubts

I'm not sure how I got here

Or how I'm gonna get out

My mama says I look the same

As I did before I left

But if she could see inside of me

It would, scare her to death

From the very first word, every pony in the room was enraptured with my voice, and although I had no idea how, I was singing far better than I ever had back home. Maybe it had something to do with the magic of this world, but in any case, I could see eyes already tearing up as I powered into the main chorus.

I can still taste the powder, from the barrel of my gun

And I can hear my sergeant screamin' "Run soldier run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulder, God it weighted a ton

And I can see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

But I just can't get it off

I noticed that Luna was openly crying as she watched me, and I had a feeling that she was doing so because of the dreams she had seen about my time at war. Even Celestia was struggling to keep her composure, although compared to the rest of her ponies, she probably wasn’t going to last very long.

Last Saturday they honored us

In a small parade downtown

And when they set off those fireworks

I nearly hit the ground

While they smiled and cheered for us

All I could do was stare

Cause part of me was here at home

And part of me’s back there

I can still taste the powder, from the barrel of my gun

And I can hear my sergeant screamin' "Run soldier run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulder, God it weighted a ton

And I can see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

But I just can't get it off

By this point, there was not a dry eye in the room, and I could see Cadence wiping her eyes as she wrapped her wings around Shining Armor. The unicorn stallion was watching me with eyes the size of dinner plates, and I could swear he was mouthing the words along with me as I went into the bridge.

Yeah there's no end in sight

Cause' even though I'm home now

I'm still fighting for my life

I let my voice taper off slightly as I went into the final chorus, taking my time to put my every memory and emotion into my words as I felt tears run down my own cheeks. I forced the lump in my throat back where it belonged and continued on, managing to keep my composure until the end of the song.

I can still taste the powder, from the barrel of my gun

And I can hear my sergeant screamin' "Run soldier run"

I can feel the backpack on my shoulder, God it weighted a ton

And I can see death in every single thought

They taught me how to put that uniform on

But I just can't get it off

Well the Devil’s won some battles

And he may win some more

But don’t he know, the American soldier

Will always win the war

As the music faded into nothing, I lowered the mic and took a moment to wipe my eyes. However, I was not prepared for the thunderous ovation that I received as ponies wiped their eyes. I stood there for a moment as they pounded their hooves against the floor in applause, and I saw that even the princesses were joining in. Lyra and Bon-Bon were up on their hind legs waving their hooves in the air like a couple of morons, and even Swift was smiling as she tapped her hoof on the edge of the table. All and all, it was a much warmer reception than I had imagined, and I felt new tears forming in my eyes before I quickly wiped them away.

“Thank you everyone.” I said as I looked around the room, “That song is near and dear to my heart and will always mean the world to me as a former member of the military. If it’s alright with all of you, I have a couple more songs that I would like to share with you, if the Princesses would allow it?”

All eyes turned to Celestia and the others, and I could see the sad smile that graced her and Luna’s lips as they nodded.

I bowed my head in thanks and then turned to Vinyl, “Hey Vinyl, let’s get something a bit happier going for these ponies, don’t you think?”

She nodded, lifting up my phone as she readied a mote of magic, “Ready when you are, chief.”

“How about,” I paused for dramatic effect, “Fever?”

She scrolled through the music for a moment before waving to me, “Ready!”

I nodded, swaying my hips as the slow bass began its distinct strumming. I put on my most sexy expression and did a little pose for the audience as the words began to flow from my mouth in a sultry tone.

Never know how much I love you

Never know how much I care

When you put your arms around me

I get a fever that's so hard to bear

You give me fever - when you kiss me

Fever when you hold me tight

Fever - in the morning

Fever all through the night.

From the stiff wings all around the room, and the wide eyes from most of the stallions and mares alike, I had a feeling I was sinking my hooks into them a little better than I had planned. I stepped off of the stage and made my way through the crowd, letting my hips swing in a gentle circle as I stepped through the masses.

Sun lights up the daytime

Moon lights up the night

I light up when you call my name

And you know I'm gonna treat you right

You give me fever - when you kiss me

Fever when you hold me tight

Fever - in the morning

Fever all through the night.

I continued until I got up to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s table leaning over the far side so that my cleavage was distinctly visible to the pair, as well as to Swift. Their eyes widened to almost comical levels, and I could practically feel the heat rising off their faces as all three of them blushed like cherries.

Everybody's got the fever

That is something you all know

Fever isn't such a new thing

Fever started long ago.

I decided to let my herdmates be for a bit and turned my attention to the royal table. Taking measured steps their direction, I sang a little louder and locked my eyes on Princess Luna as I entered the next verse.

Romeo loved Juliet

Juliet she felt the same

When he put his arms around her

He said "Julie baby you're my flame"

Thou givest fever, when we kisseth

Fever with thy flaming youth

Fever - I'm afire

Fever yea I burn forsooth.

To my utter amazement, Luna’s wings sprang open with an audible “Pomph!” much to the shock and awe of everyone else in the room. However, my next victims weren’t going to be so lucky. I had changed the lyrics for the next stanza, and it was going to turn some heads for sure.

Captain Armor and Princess Cadence

Had a very mad affair

When her auntie tried to stop him

She said "Auntie-O don't you dare"

He gives me fever - with his kisses

Fever when he holds me tight

Fever - I'm his Missus

Oh auntie won't you treat him right.

At that point, both Cadence and Shining Armor were blushing beet red from the neck up, leaving most of the nobles to stare openly at Celestia as she gaped in my direction. I laughed under my breath as she fumbled over her words and tried to come up with a retort, but by that time I was already into the final chorus.

Now you've listened to my story

Here's the point I have made:

Mares were born to give you fever

Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade

They give you fever - when you kiss them

Fever if you live and learn

As I entered the final lines, I turned back to the stage and swayed my hips at the royal table, hearing a cluster of “Pomphs” as the pegasi and alicorns lost control of their wings. I glanced at them over my shoulder and winked at them as I sang the final lines, taking steps in time with my words as I worked back through the crowd.

Fever - till you sizzle

What a lovely way to burn.

What a lovely way to burn.

What a lovely way to burn.

The silence that followed my last words was thicker than pea soup, although from the shocked expressions and stiff wings from nearly everyone present, I figured I had completed the desired effect. Even Celestia was struggling to keep her wings under control, and that was saying something when everyone with wings had locked them completely at my last little trick.

“Thank you again for letting me share my country’s music with you all,” I said calmly as I grinned, “and although I understand your reaction, just know that I’m not going to be accepting any marriage proposals anytime soon, alright?”

That earned me a chuckle from several ponies as the royal table got themselves under control, although this was going to be the most trying test yet. I had warmed them up to the idea of my singing with some more influential numbers. Now I needed to pull my little surprise out of my hat and see if my little ploy worked.

“Hey, Lyra, Bon-Bon, could you join me up on stage for a bit?” I asked.

All eyes turned to follow my gaze as both mares shared an uncertain look, “Us?” Lyra asked, “What do you need us for?”

I waved them up, feeling a chuckle work its way out of my mouth as I spoke, “Just get up here you two.”

Both of them reluctantly got up and made their way up onto the stage, waving sheepishly to the gathered nobles before glancing up at me.

I indicated both of them with one hand as I turned to face the crowd, “These two mares were the first ones to show me what love in this world is like. Both invited me to join their herd a couple months ago, and I accepted. Together we are happy, and I would like to think we could be even happier. To further that goal, I have a special surprise in store for one very special mare.” I turned to Vinyl and said, “Would you mind playing ‘That’s the Way it is’ for us, Vinyl?”

The disc jockey gave me a salute, and as the opening music began, I turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon, “Would you mind helping me by being the backup vocals?”

“But we don’t know the words.” Lyra said nervously as she glanced at the gathered ponies, “What are we supposed to do?”

I pat her on the head and turned to face the crowd once more, “Just do what you think is right. This is meant to be from all of us, after all.”

I hummed the opening lines as the music began to swell, and I couldn’t help the grin that grew on my face as Twilight held a hoof over her mouth in realization.

That’s right, Twilight, I thought to myself, this one’s for you.

I can read your mind and I know your story

I see what you're going through, yeah

It's an uphill climb, and I'm feeling sorry

But I know it will come to you, yeah

Don't surrender 'cause you can win

In this thing called love

Lyra and Bon-Bon began swaying to the beat as they hummed along, and I could feel the magic in the air as they began mouth the words with me. I could swear they were reading my mind as they joined in with the chorus, although it knew it was probably just my imagination.

When you want it the most, there's no easy way out

When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

To my utter amazement, Lyra stepped up next to me and began singing the next verse, taking over my place as lead while she and Bon-Bon traded off lines. I smiled as they added their own flare to the song and added in my own voice as the chorus came around again.

When you question me for a simple answer

I don't know what to say, no

But it's plain to see, if we stick together

You're gonna find a way, yeah

So don't surrender 'cause you can win

In this thing called love

When you want it the most there's no easy way out

When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

I turned my attention to Twilight as I took over the bridge, allowing Lyra and Bon-Bon to echo me as we sang our hearts out. The purple alicorn was tearing up as she grinned from ear to ear, and I could see Cadence sending her confused glances that were slowly turning into a surprised stare. Shining Armor was simply sitting there, while Luna and Celestia were casting knowing looks between themselves as they hid smiles behind their hooves.

When life is empty with no tomorrow

And loneliness starts to call

(loneliness starts to call)

Baby, don't worry, forget your sorrow

'Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all

When you want it the most there's no easy way out

When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

(when you want it the most there's no easy way out)

(when you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt)

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

That's the way it is

(that's the way it is)

That's the way it is, babe

(that's the way it is)

All three of us joined together to sing the final verse, and I could feel the magic leave the room once again as the music drew to a close.

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is.

For a moment there was silence, although this time it was baited breath that seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Taking the initiative, I walked off the stage, followed closely by Lyra and Bon-Bon as I walked up to the royal table. I stopped right in front of Twilight, who was wiping her eyes with her wings as I spoke.

“Princess Twilight,” I said calmly and with more confidence then I knew I had, “you have expressed interest several times in joining our herd. We have talked about it as a group, and we think you would make a great addition to our little family. You have a spark in you that we love and admire, as well as a drive to see this new change through to the end without letting your fears consume you. You’re a charming, funny, dedicated and responsible mare, Twilight, and we know how much it means to you and to us that you want to join our herd. So, it is my honor to formally invite you into a relationship with Lyra, Bon-Bon and myself, if you wish to do so.”

A collective gasp erupted from most of the ponies present, including most of the Bearers. Shining Armor was so floored he nearly fell out of his seat, while Cadence simply squealed and failed miserably to hide her glee behind her hooves. Celestia and Luna smiled while the Bearers kept turning from me to Twilight and back again with looks of complete bewilderment. The entire hall waited on baited breath as Twilight composed herself, waiting for her answer.

Just as it seemed she had herself under control, tears started running down her cheeks once again, although they did nothing to dissuade the smile that graced her lips, “Yes. A thousand times, yes. I would love to join your herd.”

Immediately following her words, the entire ballroom erupted into bedlam. Nobles cried their outrage while Cadence enveloped her sister-in-law in a crushing hug using both her wings and forehooves. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity were gushing over the news between themselves, while Rainbow Dash was busy forking over a small cluster of bits to Applejack. Shining Armor looked completely lost, as if the entire world had just come crashing down around him and he had no idea how or why, leaving Celestia and Luna to watch in awe as the Gala devolved into a circus. For a moment, I was worried that the nobles might attack me and my herdmates, given the fact that several were closing in from multiple sides. Swift jumped from her seat and got between me and the approaching nobles in an attempt to dissuade them from doing something stupid, but with the sheer numbers running against her, I pulled Lyra and Bon-Bon to my sides in preparation for a fight. I wasn’t above harming nobility, but I dearly hoped Celestia forgave me if things came to the worst.

Finally, as her left eye twitched once in frustration, Celestia raised her head high and called out in the Royal Canterlot Voice, “ENOUGH!”

Immediately, the room fell into silence, some of the nobles pausing mid-rant as they took several steps back from me and the girls. Swift let out a sigh of relief as she lowered her guard slightly, although she kept up her stance at my side in case someone tried anything.

Celestia’s gaze travelled around the room, a look of contempt on her face as she pinned the nobility to the floor with her glare, “I am shocked that my little ponies would react in such a way to this kind of news. To think that you hold us in such low regard that you would speak out against the wishes of one of your princesses when it is absolutely none of your concern.”

“But Your Highness,” one of the nobles on my left called out, “Princess Twilight deserves better than these commoners.” The dusty brown unicorn mare turned her glare my direction as she continued, “To think that a creature such as this would even dare to try and court one of our princesses is beyond unthinkable. Why I have half a mind to ̶ ”

“Finish that sentence at your own peril,” Luna growled as she stood from her seat and glared the mare into submission. “You will show a Captain of our guard the respect she deserves, and you will refrain from insulting the members of the royal family in such a manner or I swear I will make your life as miserable as the law allows. Do I make myself clear?”

The mare’s ears folded as she bowed her head and backed away, her tail between her legs, “Yes Princess.”

Celestia nodded, gently pushing Luna back into her seat with a wing as she added, “Let me make myself perfectly clear as well. Princess Twilight is allowed to choose those that she loves without any impunity from you or anypony else. She is free to choose those in her life that she wishes to live with and those that she chooses to befriend. We have no say in the matter other than to voice our opinions, and only if those opinions are shared within the spirit of love and tolerance that I have fostered as Equestria’s motto for the last thousand years. I will not tolerate any hate or angst targeting any of the members of Princess Twilight’s new herd, or there will be legal consequences."

A round of nods and murmured agreement went around the room, allowing me and my mares to finally relax as the majority of the nobility went back to their own business. At that moment, Cadence couldn’t keep her excitement in any longer and squealed at the top of her lungs, wrapping Twilight in a second crushing hug, much to the purple alicorn’s chagrin.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Cadence gushed as she pulled back and turned to face me and my herdmates with a beaming smile. “I thought there might be something going on between you two, but I never imagined that you would be asked to join a herd. This is so exciting!”

“Indeed,” Celestia said through a smile as she turned her attention to me, “and to think this all came about after you asked to share some of your home world’s music with us. Clever, my little human, very clever.”

I blushed as I rubbed the back of my head with one hand, “Oh it wasn’t much, I just wasn’t completely clear as to why I wanted to share my music with you. It was meant to be a surprise for all of you, not just Twilight.”

“Shining Armor,” Luna said with a chuckle as she turned to face the shell-shocked stallion, “do you have something to say to your sister and her new herdmates?”

The Lunar Alicorn’s words seemed to pull the unicorn from his shocked state, his head shaking a time or two before his eyes came back into focus, “Who? What? What just happened?”

Cadence giggled as she nuzzled under his chin with her muzzle, “Your sister just got asked to join a herd. Were you not paying attention?”

Shining’s eyes widened as he looked around the room with murderous intent, “Where’s the stallion that dared to ask her out? I’ll pulverize him if he thinks he can take advantage of my sister.”

Cadence and the other princesses shared a chuckle while Twilight fumed to herself and blushed like a strawberry, “Oh you silly stallion, there isn’t a stallion in the herd that asked Twilight to join.”

Shining’s gaze leveled on his wife and with a confused expression, “Come again?”

The pink alicorn gestured to me and the girls with one of her wings, “Captain Sarah and her herdmates were the ones who asked Twilight to join. I think you might want to reassess your opinions about your sister joining a herd if you want to avoid sleeping on the couch for the next month.”

Shining’s gaze immediately locked with mine, and I saw a flash of fury cross his face before he took a deep breath and let it go. He opened his eyes and met my gaze with his own as he spoke, his tone level and controlled as he stood up and walked towards me.

“So, you think you can just walk in and ask my sister to join your little herd and not have to deal with me?” He asked as Swift stepped into his path. He gave the earth pony a passing glance but did not try to get past her, instead looking over her head at me as he continued, “Well I have some words to say about that.”

“Shining,” Twilight said in a warning tone, one that was matched by the glare that his wife was pressing into the back of his head.

Shining either ignored them or did not hear them as he continued to speak, “First of all, can you protect my sister if she needs it?”

I nodded, “With my life if necessary.”

He didn’t miss a beat before firing off the next question, “Can you provide for her as a member of her herd if the task of brining in income becomes necessary?”

I nodded again, “My salary as a member of the guard as well as a foreign advisor more than covers any living expenses.”

“Finally,” he stepped around Swift and got right up in my face as he delivered the last line, “do you truly care for my sister, or is this just some ploy for power amongst the royal family?”

Before I could answer, Cadence walked up and grabbed her husband’s ear in her magic, making the stallion wince as she dragged him away from me, “That is enough Shining Armor. Celestia just said that we have no right to interfere with Twilight’s love life, and here you are throwing out accusations like one of those foals in noble’s clothing. Come along, dear husband of mine, we have some things to talk about.”

We watched as the alabaster unicorn was dragged out by his ear, leaving the rest of us to breathe a sigh of relief once they had vanished from sight.

“I don’t know about you,” Lyra muttered as she shivered from ears to tail, “but that mare scares me.”

Bon-Bon murmured her agreement as she pressed herself against my side, although she was forced to move over a bit when Twilight flew over and wrapped all four legs around my torso in a full-body hug. I could feel the tears of happiness running down her face as she nuzzled into my neck, her lips pressing to my cheek once before she pulled back to look me in my eyes. Her lips were pulled back in the biggest grin I had ever seen her make, and I could practically feel the emotion flowing off of her as she wiped her eyes with her wings.

“You have no idea how happy you’ve made me tonight.” She said with a crack in her voice, “That song was beautiful, and I just wanted to say that I love you for doing this for me,” she glanced down at Lyra and Bon-Bon, “all of you. It was the most romantic thing anypony has done for me in my entire life, and I can’t imagine this night being any better than what I feel right now.”

I grinned as I wrapped my arms around her back, supporting her rump with one hand while pressing between her wings with the other. She gasped as her wings flared wide, and I heard Rarity swoon as Twilight’s face melted into one of bliss.

“Oh, I think I could imagine something that would make tonight even better.” I turned my attention to Celestia and Luna, “With your permission, Your Highnesses, I think it’s about time we take our leave for the evening.”

Luna indicated one of the hallways to the left of the table, “The guest wing is down that hall and to the left. The rooms should be unoccupied, so you can use them at your own leisure. However,” she made us pause as I carried Twilight out of the room, Lyra and Bon-Bon at my sides, “if you wish to see the shooting stars I have planned for this night, then I would suggest staying up until midnight so that you can enjoy them.”

I cast a knowing look down at my mares before winking at Twilight, “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble staying up tonight.” I bowed my head to them with a smile, “With your leave, Princesses.”

The Bearers simply sat in shock as I walked out of the room, a blushing Twilight held securely in my arms as we made our way through the halls and into the guest wing. We picked the first door that we came across and found a large room containing a dresser and a single king-sized bed. Given how large the furniture was compared to the ponies accompanying me, I figured this was one of the rooms designed for the larger species of this world. Perhaps the gryphons or minotaur would be comfortable here. In any case, the room was more than enough for our uses, so I walked over to the bed and set Twilight down, hearing Lyra lock the door behind us as she and Bon-Bon walked in after me.

Twilight looked around and blushed when she realized that we were all alone in the room, “Um, what exactly as we supposed to do now?”

I slipped the dress off of my shoulder and began to slide it down my body, noticing how Twilight’s eyes widened as she followed my movements with her gaze.

“Now,” I said in a sultry tone, “we get to make you a part of our herd in a more private manner.”

“Yep,” Lyra added as she climbed onto the bed, her own dress already discarded to the floor, “because a night like this wouldn’t be complete without making you a part of our herd in every way possible.”

“You can say no if you aren’t comfortable with this right now,” Bon-Bon said as she climbed onto the bed on Twilight’s other side, also sans her dress, “just know that we will respect your decision, whatever you choose to do.”

Twilight’s gaze had only left my own body for a moment as each mare spoke, although from the blush on her cheeks it was apparent that she knew exactly what was going on. “I, I think I would like to try this. Just, please be gentle. I’ve never done this with anypony before.”

She ducked her head and hid her face behind her wings as she squeaked in an absolutely adorable way, so I sat down next to her and lifted her chin with one finger. Her eyes widened and her blush traveled down to the base of her neck as she gazed upon my completely naked body for the first time, and I smiled as her gaze locked with mine.

“You have no need o be scared or embarrassed, Twilight.” I said softly as I leaned closer to her face, “We all get nervous when we try new things. Trust us and let us show you that we care for you just as much as you care for us.”

My lips met hers and she melted under my touch as her own mouth opened in a moan. Her wings flared wide and I couldn’t hold in the chuckle that escaped my own mouth as Lyra and Bon-Bon moved up to either side of the alicorn. I could tell already that this was going to be a fun night, the only limit was how long we had before the sun came up.

Author's Note

Alrighty then, as promised, the names and authors for the origional versions of the songs are presented just below. If you want to look them up feel free to check them out on Youtube or something like that. They are all amazing songs and I would recommend giving them a listen if you have the time.

Song one: A Soldier's Memoir by Mitch Rossell
Song two: Fever by Michael Buble
Song three: That's the Way it is by Celine Dion

Anyways, as you can probably tell by the ending, the next chapter is going to be centered around the not-so-Y7 bedroom activities between the main characters. If you wish to skip the clop feel free to do so, just know that you won't be missing anything important.

Other than that, I hope you are all enjoying the book thus far, and I'll see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.