Your Loyal Subject

"Please, 'Tia?" Luna asked. "Can he please come with me?"

Celestia bit her lip. "I'm not quite sure... how do you suppose it would look in front of everypony attending?"

"I'm sure they won't mind! Besides, you told me that it's okay for me to start seeing Avey! I can't tell you how grateful I am for that!" Luna said.

The two sisters had, once again, gotten into a very drawn-out debate. By this time, Luna's color had become re-saturated, and her mane and tail were once again perpetually rippling after channeling the moon's power through her horn into her body.

"I'm just saying, he's never been to one before! And I'm positive he'll want to accompany me this year! I'll buy him a Gala ticket at my own expense!" Luna said.

Celestia relented, sighing whilst hanging her head down with a subtle grin. "...Very well, he may come."

"YES!" Luna exclaimed.

As it turned out, Luna had asked Celestia if Aversion could come to this year's Grand Galloping Gala. She wanted to have the opportunity to have some fun with him in a way that was not so discreet. That way, everypony would be able to see how much this really means to her. Surely they would all understand... right?

Luna managed to get in touch with Aversion about the night at the Gala. She went through the portal in her room to the Castle of the Two Sisters, and into Aversion's house through his, where she presented him with a ticket, as well as an invoice.

"What's this?" he asked upon noticing the latter.

"A gift receipt for the Carousel Boutique!" Luna said. "I have paid, in advance, for Rarity to tailor a suit for you to wear to the Gala!"

"Really?" Aversion asked. "You did all this for me?"

"Of course! After all, why would I want my Avey to spend beyond his budget just to come... and why wouldn't I want to be alone at the Gala after a couple thousand times of just that?" Luna said.

"Heh heh..." Aversion chuckled. "...I'm really glad you did this for us to have a special night!"

"Absolutely." Luna said. "And it truly will be a good night! I strongly look forward to having our first dance together, Avey!"

Shortly after Luna departed back to Canterlot Castle to aid in preparation for the upcoming Gala, Aversion went straight to Carousel Boutique, the receipt in his mouth as he walked. Upon making it, he went straight inside... but found nopony in the building.

"Hello?" Aversion called out.

He made his way to the front desk, where there was a small desk bell. He rang it a couple of times. After a moment, a white unicorn filly with a lilac mane and tail came down a set of stairs nearby.

"Oh," Aversion said upon seeing her. "hello there!"

"Hi!" Sweetie Belle said. "Need something, Mister?"

"Yes..." Aversion said, holding up his gift certificate. "...I have an appointment with a Ms. Rarity. Is she around?"

"Oh, yeah! I'll go grab her real quick!" Sweetie Belle said, going back up the stairs.

After a few moments of waiting, Aversion heard of some hoofsteps shuffling around from the stairwell.

"I'm coming, I'm coming...!" came a voice from upstairs.

Eventually, a white unicorn came down.

"Good day, sir!" Rarity said. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Ah, Ms. Rarity, yes..." Aversion said, holding up the invoice Luna gave him. "...I've got this gift certificate, here. I need a suit tailored."

Rarity took the receipt and looked it over.

"Ah, yes..." she said, realizing who the stallion was. "...Mr. Aversion, I presume?"

"That I am." Aversion said.

"Yes, so it seems your bill has been paid for in advance by... another party. So, if you'll come on up with me, I shall get started right away!" Rarity said.

"Great!" Aversion said.

With that, the unicorn escorted the earth pony up the stairs to her sewing room. Having heard the rumors from Celestia through Twilight... the former was quite confused by the stallion who had entered her boutique.

So... THIS is the stallion Princess Luna is head-over-hooves for...? Rarity thought. ...Odd. He does not seem much different from other stallions I have seen around here. What exactly does the Princess see in him, I wonder...?

As they were walking, Aversion sniffed, glancing around.

"Say, does something smell kinda like..." he took another deep sniff. "...marshmallow?"

Rarity pressed her lips together, glancing around nervously. "...O-oh, well... I'm sure it's n-nothing... just some... aroma..."

"Hmm..." Aversion uttered. "...I see."

They said no more on the matter.

...Nopony must EVER find out about... THAT aspect of me... Rarity thought.

Sure enough, after a good bit of time, Rarity got the measurements she needed, and would work on tailoring his suit for him over the next couple of days, having it ready before the Gala.

"I do hope it isn't too long of a wait." Rarity said as her customer was on his way out.

"Oh, not at all!" Aversion said. "Take all the time you need! But, y'know... before the Gala comes, and all..."

"Of course! I appreciate your affiliate's patronage!" Rarity said.

"Yes, of course! And thank you, Ms. Rarity!" Aversion said.

"It's merely what I like to do!" she responded.

Sure enough, within a week, the Gala was taking place. Luna had prepped herself up in a special dress that was made for her. As she glossed over herself in the mirror in her bedroom, she could not help but keep spinning herself around to get a view of all possible angles.

"Oh, I just know Avey's going to be so surprised when he sees me in this!" she said to herself.

This also made her wonder what kind of suit Rarity tailored for him. She hoped it would be worth the expense she put out for it... not that it really cut into her budget in the slightest. But she was sure that, in a nice, formal suit, which she had not seen him in before... it would blow her away regardless.

Once she was finished getting ready, Luna proceeded down to the Gala Hall, where Celestia, the Mane Six, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, and many attendees were all conversing before the actual Gala was about to begin.

"So... I take it the plans for this evening are going to be... better, this time?" Luna asked her sister.

"Hey..." Celestia said, shrugging. "...I just like to experiment. I can only hope everypony will be more excited about the Gala this year."

"Indeed. I just want to make sure Avey has a good time tonight!" Luna said.

And then, right on cue...

"Hey, Lulu!" came Aversion's voice.

Luna and Celestia both looked in the direction of the voice... and what met their sight was the stallion in question adorned in a sleek, black suit with dark gray trim, along with a white collar, and a black bow-tie. His mane and tail were gelled, and his mane being brushed off to the side. There were four leather coverings on all four of his hooves that matched the color of his suit. Both Princesses' eyes went wide, the younger one's jaw dropping when she processed what he looked like.

Oh my... Luna thought in awe at the sight of Aversion. ...he's so handsome! Aww, he even fixed up his mane and tail for the occasion!

Aversion stood in front of Luna, getting a good glimpse of what she was wearing herself.

"Wow!" he said. "You look absolutely beautiful in that dress..."

Luna blushed and giggled. "Why thank you, Avey. And might I say... you look quite remarkable yourself!"

Aversion himself blushed while hanging his head down and feebly smiling. With that, the two went off to one side, away from most of the crowd.

"So... I'm here." Aversion said. "Never thought I'd ever be able to attend the Grand Galloping Gala in my life!"

"Yes," Luna said. "life does play some unexpected cards at times... and I'm sure you'll have quite a good time with me!"

"I just hope this can make up for Prom, back in grade school." Aversion said.

"Why?" Luna asked. "What happened at your Prom?"

Aversion shuffled his hooves nervously. "...Hell if I know; I didn't go. That's why I hope the Gala will make up for me not going."

The two heard that the music was about to begin, and several ponies began to file to the dance floor. As Luna and Aversion approached... they were met with confused murmuring among the rich attendees what the music was likely to entail. Upon making it to the dance floor and getting a clear view of the stage, the young stallion saw why.

"Woah, no way!" Aversion said upon seeing who would be hosting the music on the stage. "You got DJ-Pon-3 here?"

Luna pressed her lips together. "...'Tia felt like changing up the Gala a bit this year. She's always wanting to experiment and try something new."

"...I just think it's kinda odd; wubstep doesn't really seem to fit the formal setting of a Royal Gala." Aversion commented.

Vinyl Scratch, more commonly known by her stage name, DJ-Pon-3, was quite popular for holding private gigs at college parties and dance clubs, and pioneering a new genre of electronic music that she has dubbed "wubstep."

Little were the two aware... Blueblood was at the Gala as well, and he happened to follow them into the dance ballroom, concealed by the large crowd of other ponies.

"Just you wait, Auntie Luna..." he said to himself. "...I shall make that pathetic wimp look so bad in front of you, you will want nothing of him any longer!"

"Alright, ponies of Canterlot!" Pon-3 said over the loudspeakers. "You're in for a real treat! I've just finished putting together some brand-new, never-before-heard mixtapes that are sure to make you shake your formal flanks! And bring back those memories of the good old days of young electronic music!"

This hyped up Aversion for sure; he has always been a fan of Pon-3's mixtapes and tracks. She was even the DJ at a college party he went to (...and was awkwardly trying to drum up small-talk with other students, who kept forcing him out of their little circles).

"Ooh... I feel this is going to be quite enjoyable!" Luna remarked.

With that, DJ-Pon-3, having just put some vinyl records on the turntables, dropped the styluses on them, and cranked up the volume on the mixing board.

Aversion's eyebrows shot up. "Well... this feels quite alien for a royal setting!"

Several of the attendees were quite confused by the selection of music. However, Celestia, the Mane Six, Starlight, and Spike all began to slowly move to the beat themselves.

"Well, c'mon Lulu..." Aversion said, extending his hoof toward her with a smirk and narrow eyes. "...give me your vibrations."

Luna returned the smirk as he mimicked the song lyrics, and took his hoof as they made their way more toward the center of the dance floor.

Once the bass kicked in, that was when things really started to get wild. Luna and Aversion both began to let their dance instinct kick in. They began to step in a DDR-style pattern, occasionally extending their forelegs forward.

Everypony was staring in confusion at Luna and Aversion dancing together... especially Blueblood, who happened to be off to the side, watching discreetly.

"Who is that stallion?" one pony asked. "The one dancing with Princess Luna."

"I'm not sure. Is he a prince?" another asked.

"I haven't seen him before... perhaps he is an ambassador from a neighboring kingdom?"

"Lulu..." Aversion uttered, glancing around. "...everypony's watching us..."

"Just ignore them for now." Luna said. "Right now... it's just you and me!"

At this point, she chose to really show off her dance skills.

Luna performed a series of different dance moves, such as balancing herself on one forehoof while spinning, and then doing a hoofspring into the air, landing on her hind legs. She also did some strange trick where she stood upright, and was somehow able to move backwards while making her forelegs look like they were walking forward.

At some points, she grabbed Aversion's foreleg and pulled him into some kind of fast-paced two-pony dance in between her solo movesets. Several ponies took notice, especially the Mane Six.

"Woah!" Rainbow Dash remarked. "Luna's got some moves!"

"Yeah, and that Aversion dances quite well, too!" Fluttershy added.

Twilight could not help but happily watch the two.

"It's good that Luna finally found somepony special in her life!" she said.

Blueblood was trying to get close, having pushed a small delivery tray of snacks with him. He levitated some, taking a moment to aim, so that he could ensure that some of them would end up hitting Aversion. His goal was to get him absolutely filthy, so Luna would end up being revolted by him... at least, that's what his mind pieced together.

Blueblood was getting ready to hurl the stolen snacks at his self-proclaimed rival... but something happened that caught him off guard a little bit.

The tone of the music had changed to just the sound of some fast bongos, as well as a whispering female voice. Both Luna and Aversion, pausing their dance for a moment and blushing at each other due to the shift in music, were both wondering the same thing:

Did Pon-3 intend to include in this song a... sexy breakdown?

Despite the shift in the tone of the song, they continued to dance, but with more subtle movements, since it would be overkill with the current instrumental arrangement. Blueblood was about to try and lob some snacks at Aversion to sully his suit... but some of the other attendees were starting to dance as well, becoming accustomed to the music.

This was making it difficult for the prince to get a clear shot at Aversion. He did not want to try and hit any other of the party members, not out of empathy, but because he hated when ponies would have the nerve to shout at him.

The segment went on for a little while, before the song went into its closing portion.

The song finally concluded, and surprisingly, there were quite a few attendees who had become quite interested in DJ-Pon-3's music, while the others were... well...

"Excuse me, but what, pray tell, is this disgraceful mockery of Gala symphonics!?" a rich mare questioned out loud. "This is not THAT kind of party!"

Luna and Aversion privately laughed at the select ponies who were complaining about the fact that an electronic music disk jockey was allowed to play their music at a Royal Gala.

"Well, that was quite a exhilarating start!" Luna said.

"I agree!" Aversion responded. "And knowing Pon-3... we've got quite a fun night ahead of us!"

The night carried on, and the Gala was quite a bit more interesting than it had been for the past couple of years. Celestia was really getting into DJ-Pon-3's music, and was dancing in quite a lively, borderline acrobatic style, which several other ponies were stopping to watch in awe. After all, how often does one get to see their Princess show off some epic dance moves?

"OH, YES!" Celestia exclaimed. "THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST GALA IN CENTURIES!"

Luna and Aversion had both been dancing together for quite a while, but nopony was really watching them anymore. The two had been at it for quite a while, and both were getting somewhat fatigued.

"I'm just gonna step out on the balcony for a bit to get some air." Aversion said, just before he began to walk off.

"Alright, Avey!" Luna said to him. "I need to stop, myself... and I definitely need something to drink."

Aversion made his way to the outer corridor, outside of the ballroom, and out to a balcony that looked out over the southern edge of Canterlot Castle. He took in a lungful of the cool, night air. It was a clear night, and there were lots of stars in the sky. The lack of any breeze and silence made it absolutely peaceful...

...but not for long. Aversion just so happened to be unaware of somepony creeping up behind him, as they were walking without making any hoofsteps. With a smirk on their face, they stood right behind their oblivious target, charging up their horn, and releasing the magic straight at the young stallion.

There was a flash of light, and then Aversion's whole body seized up as his eyes went wide for a split second... and then they rolled back into his head as he closed them and slumped over.

"Ahh..." Aversion sighed as he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Once he was on the ground, the pony who attacked him stood over him menacingly...

...It was Blueblood. He had used a special spell he looked up to knock Aversion out.

"Heheheheh..." the prince chuckled evilly. "...now you see what happens when you do not take a hint!"

He rolled Aversion onto his back, belly-up on the stone floor.

"Now..." Blueblood said, his horn glowing. "...let us strip you of these... unfitting garments that do not belong upon the body of a peasant!"

He then proceeded to rip Aversion's suit, seem by seem, off his body. Eventually, Aversion was fully exposed. With that, Blueblood levitated Aversion himself into the air, the golden halo outlining the earth pony's body. He did not resist in any way, being out cold.

"Now..." Blueblood spoke. "...I think it's time to say goodbye to Aversion the uncouth parasite!"

"Avey, are you out here?" came Luna's voice.

Blueblood went rigid with fear as he heard the voice. Luna herself exited through the door and stepped out onto the balcony. She was levitating two glasses of fine rosé wine, drinking out of one.

"I brought you a glass of—" she stopped speaking when the sight before her was processed in her brain.

The Princess' eyes went wide as she dropped the glasses, which shattered upon impact with the floor.

"BLUEBLOOD!" Luna thundered, making the stallion in question jump. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"

Blueblood darted his eyes... but then hardened his expression and lobbed the unconscious Aversion into the air. "Removing the SCUM from our regal residence!"

"AVEY!" Luna said, rushing forward and charging her horn.

She was going to catch him using her magic... but Blueblood lobbed him fairly far off, and high up. Blueblood himself tried to rush away, but Luna partially redirected her magic, and conjured some glowing fields around his hooves that held him to the stone floor of the balcony.

"You are not going anywhere!" she said, continuing to try and achieve telekinesis from a long distance, using close-quarters magic.

Once she had a good hold on Aversion, she brought him back over toward the balcony. Blueblood was struggling to try and get away... but he stood no chance again the magic of the Moon Princess. Once Aversion was on the safe side of the ledge, she laid him down, face-up, and went to check on him.

"Avey!" she said, tipping his head upward. "Avey, are you okay? Please, say something!"

Aversion simply remained unconscious. Luna brought her gaze up to Blueblood... and it was akin to that of a vengeful glare.

"...What did you do to him, Blueblood!?" she asked harshly.

"Oh, come now, Auntie Luna! You know as well as I that commoners should not associate themselves with royalty! I was doing you a favor by getting—" Blueblood said before he was cut off.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY AVEY!" Luna shouted.

"N-no, Auntie...!" Blueblood said, covering the top of his head under his hooves and closing his eyes. "...p-please, mercy...!"

"Then you had better, the moment he wakes up, tell him what you did, and sincerely apologize for doing it!" Luna demanded.

Blueblood hastily nodded, before resuming his cowering and panting.

Luna glared at her nephew. "...This is your one and only warning, Blueblood! You will leave Avey alone, or else there will be more serious consequences! I catch you trying something like this again, and there will be Tartarus to pay!"

"B-but, Auntie...! You must understand!" Blueblood begged. "I heard him mumbling to himself... his..." he paused, darting his eyes around. "...his plan, yes... his plan to lure you into his trap... so he could take over the kingdom! He remarked to himself that it was all going according to his plan...!"

Luna opened her eyes wider as she stared Blueblood down. This made it abundantly clear that his words did not have the desired effect. She knew that Aversion would never try to trick her. He did not desire power; he simply desired love and acceptance from somepony special.

"...I find it extremely disrespectful that you actually think I am stupid enough to fall for such a paper-thin lie!" Luna said. "It looks like we are not going to get anywhere, because you clearly are uninterested in having a productive conversation."

With that, the Princess of the Night stomped toward Blueblood, making him cower before his younger aunt as she continued to give him her piercing, angry stare.

"I'm sending you to your room for the rest of the night! My guards will make sure you don't try to leave!" Luna said.

She then looked directly upward at the Sisters' Spire.

"GUARDS, I BECKON THOU FORTH TO THINE LOCATION!" Luna spoke in her Royal Canterlot voice.

In that moment, a group of batpony guards showed up, gliding down onto the balcony.

"Yes, Your Highness. What are thy orders?" one asked.

"First, see to it that my nephew here is escorted to his room; he is going to stay there for the remainder of the night. Lock his door from the outside." Luna said.

"Right away, Your Highness!" another batpony said, before he and another got on either side of Blueblood. Once Luna released the magical restraints on him, he conceded in defeated and walked with the guards. There was no way he would be able to take out two trained batpony guards... especially having no combat experience.

"But, Auntie..." Blueblood said, looking back. "...what if I have to use the lavatory?"

Luna stared blankly. "How stupid do you think I am!? You have a bathroom in your quarters!"

"But what if I get hungry?" Blueblood said.

"I saw you having dinner at the banquet just a few hours ago!" Luna said.

Blueblood took another few steps... but dared to look back one last time. "...But what if I—"

"BLUEBLOOD!" Luna thundered.

Blueblood gasped in horror. The batpony guards pulled him along.

"Keep moving!" one said. "Or we'll bite you, and you'll become just like us!"

They hauled Blueblood into the castle. With that, Luna returned her attention to the remaining two batponies.

"And you two, get him up to my quarters." she said, pointing to Aversion. "Just lay him in my bed, under the covers, and leave him to rest."

"Yes, Your Highness!" one responded.

The guards were trained to follow the orders of the Princess they served without question. So, with that, they both lifted Aversion, carrying him perpendicular in both of their forelegs, and ascended toward the tallest spire on the castle.

"Now then..." Luna said, striding briskly back into the castle. "...I will need to inform 'Tia about the misconduct of our spoiled-rotten nephew..."