The Pawn Who Would Be Queen

Canterlot once more found itself in the grips of a snowstorm, though not nearly as obstructive a blizzard as had been the case at the outset of winter. Pristine white flakes fluttered silently through the night air, filtering gently through the streets that were, for the first time in a long while, quite tranquil. Few cars scooted about the city at present, the hour was growing late, and most of its inhabitants were already where they wanted to be.

This passive state of affairs wasn't limited to Canterlot alone, indeed it seemed that a spirit of peace and good will had descended all across the world. For the time being, all the ills and struggles had been put to rest, as nations the world over embraced each other in the name of friendship... For most families in Equestria's illustrious capital, that illusion might have even appeared to be real... Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for the Royal Family, at least... Not to such an extent. It was true that most of the troublemakers in the world opted to take the holiday off, even countries that didn't celebrate it officially, but there was always at least one issue to spoil things.

For Princess Orzel, who was currently in the process of singing along with closing hymnal of the Hearth's Warming Mass, that one spoiling issue was her impending departure. According to a cursory examination of the facilities there, Amberjack Island didn't even have a model store, not that she'd ever find time to make models with her busy research schedule. To that end it did have a sizable scrapyard, which was bound to be filled with all sorts of goodies that'd been tossed aside by the military base there.

Possibilities for inventions aside, the prospect of leaving behind everything and everyone she'd come to know and love had, needless to say, rendered it difficult for her to enjoy the service... Much as she would've loved to be spending a few more minutes with said family, Orzel also understood this was likely going to be the last mass she'd be able to attend for a long while, and she'd be damned if she missed it... Figuratively speaking, of course.

There was another reason she'd wanted to attend, beyond the journey she'd embark upon come morning. Between the looming shadow of the unknown threat, and the stress of designing weapons to counter that threat, Orzel was in desperate need of something... Bigger. The girl had been holding together quite well lately, and both she and Doctor Scratch were hopeful that trend wasn't contingent on her being in Canterlot. For as successful as some of her recent endeavors had been, Orzel understood it would take all of her strength to accomplish the tasks set upon her by Mother. So, in addition to enjoying the company of her fellow practitioners, the girl had also come to pray for that strength.

Thankfully, between the warm atmosphere and the low hanging fog of various smoldering aromatics, Orzel managed to achieve a decent level of meditation. The sense of calm it'd restored was enough to salvage the service, and she certainly felt stronger... Of all the things Orzel was going to miss about Canterlot, her twice weekly visits to the temple would be quite close to the top of her list, just below her family, friends, and the local model store.

So it was that preemptive nostalgia in mind that Orzel sang the closing hymnal, carrying on with as much reverence and conviction as she ever, standing from her favored seat in the very front pew. Her attachment to the seat was due in part to the fact that she enjoyed being as close to the altar as possible, but mostly because sitting in any of the rearward pews rendered it virtually impossible for her to see the altar, or the Seeker. The worshipers of Lexicos were an atypically lofty crowd, with the average height being somewhere around five-foot-eleven, while Orzel still topped out at four-foot-nine... Though she could get that up to four-foot-nine-and-a-half, if she wore combat boots. She wasn't at present, however, so the matter was a moot point.

Tonight the temple was almost packed to capacity, and Orzel's voice had become but one of over a hundred. She actually preferred it that way, especially given recent developments. While she knew all of the words to the hymn, she still wasn't all that confident in her singing voice. While she could better speak, or sing, draconic, the effect of the lengthening of her now serpentine tongue had on her Equestrian was... Far less positive.

She was back to the point where her words were so indecipherable that she was embarrassed to speak anything but draconic or Szafirian. Fortunately she had little reason to fear making a fool of herself at present, as here in the temple draconic was the default language of every service. For that, Orzel thanked Lexicos profusely. The combination of so many voices, singing joyfully and triumphantly, coupled with the expertly played organ, had to be the most heavenly sound Orzel had ever heard.

She'd thought about it hundreds of times by now, but there was still something about the mentality of the people here... Something that made Orzel all the happier to count herself a member of the Lexican Orthodoxy, or... At least a prospective member. She'd yet to officially convert. In all her years of attending services at the Vindictan Temple, often filled with almost a thousand people, she'd never experienced a more earnest and harmonious entreaty to the divine... The hymn amounted to a simple, poignant, request... Peace on Equus, good will towards man.

Typically services lasted anywhere from three to five hours, but as it was Hearth's Warming and there were plenty of people that wanted to be home with their loved ones, Seeker Topaz had constrained that evening's worship to a measly hour. Despite the truncated meditation period, it'd been a particularly invigorating sermon on the virtues of justice and courage in the face of adversity.

Orzel particularly liked the Seeker's manner of conveying the story of Lexicos' confrontation with a roving band of barbarians, which had been terrorizing a small farming village. Lexicos had taught the farmers to defend themselves with strategy and intellect, rather than the ham-fisted brute force of the barbarians. Using the benefits of her knowledge to even the field, the farmers ultimately emerged victorious, handing the barbarians a crushing defeat.

While an invigorating gospel in its own right, the content in and of itself had helped to settle a few concerns Orzel had been harboring, considering the fact that she'd recently become, for all intents and purposes, a merchant of war. That fact was quite present in her mind as she sang the words, as there was very little 'peace and good will' to be found coming out of the barrel of one of her Rivet Guns.

Orzel nonetheless understood that while her weapons would certainly cause great harm, they would also do a lot of good... It was not a perversion of knowledge to create a better means of defending one's self. The barbarians had swords, bows, and spears, essentially the most advanced weapons of Lexicos' era. The farmers, by comparison, were forced to adapt their plowshares, pitchforks, and other tools into weapons... What separated them was how those two opposing groups used the technologies at their disposal... Knowledge had no morality, one way or another, it simply existed. Those that used the fruits of that knowledge, for good or ill, were the ones that bore responsibility.

While Orzel was ostensibly building the PM-72 for the military, she also fully intended to sell it to as many of her subjects as possible. Not because she made four Bits for every unit sold, but because the Raiding Season was fast approaching. With the coming of winter also came a renewed period of aggression from the smaller clans of the Southern Dragonlands. Only the northernmost portions were actually comprised of desert.

The more southerly territory, were most Southern Dragons lived, could expect a particularly harsh winter, and thus an increased scarcity in resources. That would breed hunger, hunger would breed discontent, and the almost universal response of the smaller dragon clans to being discontent was to simply 'get more stuff'. They couldn't take on the larger dragon clans, those officially recognized by Equestria, and fighting amongst themselves wouldn't solve the problem either, so... That left Equestria, which for the past thousand years had allowed the raiding to continue, rather than risk an all out war with the entirety of the Dragonlands by marching across the border and pacifying the smaller clans once and for all.

It was a policy that made Orzel's blood boil, but she understood the logic... Equestria could certainly take on and defeat the Dragonlands if pushed to do so, but it would be costly, and the country couldn't very well uphold its obligations to other nations that relied on Equestria for protection at the same time. Sorting out that gross policy oversight once and for all was at the top of the list of things Orzel planned to do when she finally took the throne, but for now... She could only provide material aid. So her intent was to get as many PM-72s into the hands of as many ranchers, farmers, and other militiamen as she possibly could... People very much like the farmers in the Seeker's sermon, against other people very much like the barbarians.

She hoped to do so before the first raiders attached Equestria's southern border, but doing so would be far easier said than done. The Princess was becoming quite good at her new job, especially as far as getting the factory at Maksym Field ready to begin production of the PM-72... A lot of the equipment was already on site, the real challenge was producing a significant number of dyes, which would be used to stamp most of the weapon's components. There were enough already from the prototyping phase, enough to produce perhaps ten of fifteen units per day, not nearly enough to supply the PM-72 in any significant numbers.

Piercing estimated they'd be able to begin full scale operations in a matter of weeks when more dyes arrived from a factory on the east coast, not that Orzel would be present to oversee any of it... Then, assuming they managed to hire enough workers and nothing else went wrong, the factory at Maksym field might very well be capable of producing somewhere closer to one-hundred units a day. Again, not ideal, but better than nothing...

The music came to its inevitable conclusion after several minutes, quickly drawing Orzel's thoughts away from the subject of her work, back into the present. Normally it would've been rare for her thoughts to wander during services, but with the length of meditation having been so greatly reduced, her focus wasn't nearly what it typically was. All that mattered now, she supposed, was that she stop letting her mind wander and pay attention... Seeker Topaz made his way to the front of the altar with an air of adjuration, his great pendulous beard swaying slightly with every step, just as it had with every service Orzel attended. He turned and bowed his head to the statue of Lexicos, then held his arms aloft and to the side.

"Lady Lexicos, your children thank you for the gift of knowledge, we beg your guidance in our lives, that we might one day better comprehend the infinite mystery of our universe..." Topaz entreated with reverent supplication, a statement the entire congregation repeated. After a few more moments of silent prayer, the Seeker turned to face the congregation, the tails of his klobuk fluttering slightly from atop his head. "Our mass has ended..." He brought his palms together. "With all the light and love of Lexicos in your hearts, may you depart now in peace."

The organ once again began playing, this time a slow but upbeat hymn, which sounded in the background as the congregation rapidly filed out of the temple... Well, all save for Orzel, as she wanted to personally say goodbye to the Seeker. Wordlessly she sat in the front pew, idly adjusting the hood of her crimson prayer robes, then quietly bowing her head in silent prayer... As with every time she prayed, Orzel's first prayers were for the souls of her Mother and Father, and all those lost in Cesarski. Afterwards she prayed for the continued safety and health of those that meant so much to her, her adoptive family and friends...

She said an extra prayer for Spike, whom had recently phoned her to inform her that his Mother would allow him to join Auxiliary Fire Department of Ponyville. He wouldn't begin training for a week or so, but it was never to early to ask the Goddess to keep an eye on him. Orzel wasn't quite sure how she felt about Spike fighting fires, even though she agreed with his decision... While his desire to do so hadn't shocked the Princess by any stretch of the word, she nonetheless couldn't help feeling some level of unease...

Talking about signing up was one thing, but actually doing it? Actually putting his life on the line? Now it was more than theory, it was... Real. Even though on paper the risk of injury wasn't nearly as high for dragons, if there was one thing the development of the PM-72 had taught her, it was that what was on paper seldom lined up with what happened in real life... Thus, it was impossible for Orzel not to worry. That worry was tempered only by the knowledge that Spike wanted to put his life at risk for the benefit of others...

Orzel lo-... Orzel really cared about Spike, and the thought of something happening to him, even a slight injury, was too unbearable to even mention aloud. What was just as difficult for her to talk about, if not more so, was another facet of her relationship with the aspiring fire fighter. She'd been thinking about him quite a lot lately, and not just in the sense that she worried for his safety. She could always count on him to make her smile, at least on the inside, and at the same time... Whenever they talked about their fears, or their worries, or their dreams, or... Anything, really. He held nothing back... Well, almost nothing...

Orzel had a feeling there was something he wanted to tell her, she didn't dare contemplate what... She had something she wanted to tell him too, but... Then she'd look at herself in the mirror, she'd see the fangs, the horns, the eyes, the tongue, and the innumerable patches of scales... She was quite thankful for the coming of winter and her inherent inability to maintain her body heat, if only because it allowed her an excuse to wear longer sleeves and trousers. Orzel need only look past the cuff of her robes if ever she needed to remind herself why it was best she just keep her feelings to herself.

In a way, much as she hated the idea of leaving Canterlot, she was grateful for the chance to be away from prying eyes... Had she her druthers, she'd do away with every mirror in the Castle... Perhaps she could settle for all the mirrors in... Wherever she wound up. The Princess took a calming breath, inhaling deeply through her mouth and exhaling through her nose. She'd been feeling so good up to that point, and she wasn't about to allow her overactive emotions to send her spiraling... Not tonight.

Eventually, after what felt like a considerable amount of time had passed, Orzel felt the tell tale vibration of someone taking a seat beside her. Lifting her head and looking to her right, Orzel was unsurprised to see the bearded face of Seeker Topaz. His features seemed far softer in the dim candle light, with only the distinct presence of his fangs to clearly denote his draconic origins, as like Orzel he too concealed his horns. She didn't know how he hid his reptilian eyes, though she wasn't quite sure how she'd ask for such information either.

"Please, do not let me interrupt you." Topaz stated softly, smiling faintly. As with the service he was speaking draconic, though Orzel suspected he did so for her benefit, rather than his own. He was... What was the Equestrian idiom? A... Good egg? The Princess was thankful for his choice of language, regardless of whatever kind of egg he was. "You know the service is done now, yes...? You can go home?" Orzel nodded, folding her hands in her lap. "So I take it you are waiting to speak to me?" The girl nodded again. "Very well then... Speak." Orzel took a deep breath, then sighed through her nose.

"I wanted to tell you how thankful I am for all you have done to guide me towards Lexicos..." Orzel began, silently pondering just what, if anything, she could say to the man. The Seeker wasn't on the list of people authorized to know where she was going, but Mother had given her permission to at least say goodbye. "I am afraid, however, that this may be the last opportunity I have to tell you as much. I will be departing Equestria tomorrow, bound for parts I cannot divulge..." The Seeker hummed simply, stroking at his beard as he thought.

"Your observation is far more correct than perhaps you realize, Sister Orzel." Topaz agreed sagely. "This may be our last interaction, for a time at least... You are not the only one who will be departing on the morrow." He explained with a sad smile, taking Orzel slightly by surprise. "You will recall I am a visiting Seeker, yes? Well, my visit has concluded. I have been recalled to my monastery." The man explained gently, resting his hands on his knees and looking up at the murals painted on the ceiling above. "Never fear, as I doubt very much this will be our last meeting." He closed his eyes, a larger smile gracing his features. "Lexicos has large plans for both of us, and I am certain she will have our paths shall cross again one day." Orzel closed her eyes as well, though she preferred to bow her head forwards. "I sense there is more on your mind."

"There is, but... I cannot find the words to say exactly what." The Princess began, sighing heavily through her nose. "I have so many thoughts, so many things to worry about, especially now..." She took another deep breath, basking in the aromatic smoke that swirled throughout the temple. "I have committed to a field of study as per your suggestion, but that field of study is rooted in violence." The girl laced her fingers together in her lap. "There is part of me that feels some moral apprehension, but... What I am doing I do for the good of my subjects. Overwhelmingly, I feel my actions are righteous. I suppose that righteousness is what worries me most. How many atrocities were perpetrated by the people of my old motherland because those in charge felt righteous in their actions?" She asked rhetorically. "I do not want to become like them..."

"I cannot say for certain the type of people they were, I did not live there. That being said..." Topaz trailed off, Orzel lifted her head and looked over at the Seeker, who by now was sitting with his hands resting on his knees. "Do not become entangled in the concerns of being a righteous person, merely try to be the best person you can be. So long as you do that, the risk of you lapsing into the methods you fear will remain low." The man patted Orzel on the shoulder, then rose from the pew. "Now, come along, Sister Orzel. I am sure your escorts will be growing anxious at your delay." The Princess nodded, glancing at the door at the rear of the room, then standing to follow the Seeker. "It is likely for the best that I take my leave of you sooner rather than later. I get the distinct impression your government is growing... Concerned with my presence. " Orzel froze briefly, her stoic mask breaking as her brow furrowed with renewed concern.

"What has led you to think this, Seeker?" She asked with barely restrained worry, Topaz simply offered a dry chuckle. "Is it something I have said? Have I offended you in some way?" She didn't expect as much, but was nonetheless greatly relieved to see the Seeker shake his head.

"I have been visited, several times, by gentlemen concerned as to my true purpose in Equestria." Topaz explained amiably, as if he was recounting a story about a particularly interesting fish he'd caught. "I assured them that there was little to be concerned over, nonetheless the visits persist." The man shrugged as the two of them started walking towards the rear of the temple. "I believe they may have even had a look around my hotel room, not that there was much for them to find.

While the Seeker seemed perfectly fine with it all, Orzel was very, very quickly going from irked to furious. What idiot made the boneheaded decision to start sending Nocturne Agents to people's houses, just to check up on them? If there was one thing that had a direct line to the rage center of her brain, it was the government invading peoples' privacy and harassing them about 'what their business was'! Lexicos damn it, this was Equestria, not the blasted Szafirian Empire! Orzel's eye quickly commenced to twitching uncontrollably, and though she managed to maintain her composure, as of that moment the Princess was very likely the most livid person in all of Canterlot. Were she not currently in a holy place, she might very well have screamed an expletive or two...

"That is beyond the pale, Seeker. Why did you not tell me of this harassment sooner?" Orzel asked stiltedly, struggling to maintain her stoic composure, which grew all the more difficult when the Seeker actually began to chuckle. Blatant harassment and invasions of privacy by a state intelligence service were not a laughing matter, didn't he understand that?! As if sensing the building volcano that was about to erupt, the Seeker patted her on the back with one hand, as if to reassure her that she was making a mountain out of a mole hill. It didn't help.

"I did not feel harassed, Sister Orzel." He explained soothingly, clasping both hands behind his back. "It is entirely reasonable that your government would take an interest in me. After all, I have had regular access to you." That point did managed to defuse a great deal of the rising anger as, upon thinking about it... It actually did make a lot of sense. She was certain that everyone she had regular contact with also regularly received visits from the Nocturne Agency, or at the very least were under some form of surveillance. This was probably just the only time she'd ever heard about it... Of course, knowing that it wasn't just did little to quell the issue either. "Tonight is supposed to be one of joy and happiness, do not allow it to be clouded by what I consider to be a non-issue."

"It is hardly a non-issue, Seeker..." Orzel began, clasping her hands together as they continued walking. "However, if you insist, I suppose it will keep until tomorrow." She reluctantly conceded as they passed out of the temple proper and into the outer halls. Hoping to bring down her blood pressure, and by extension make the evening more enjoyable, the Princess opted to try and change the topic. "I still cannot believe this will be the last time I see you." She was surprised to hear the Seeker commence to chuckling again, this time a bit more jovially than before.

"As I have already said, I am certain that Lexicos shall bid our paths to cross again someday." Topaz repeated, pausing briefly to reach for the Monolith pendant that hung around his neck. Orzel eyed it for what had to be the thousandth time, wondering just how much it might've cost.

Such a necklace in the Empire would be unspeakably expensive, but... Gold and gemstones were unbelievably common here in Equestria, so for all Orzel knew, the seeker could've gotten it from a One-Bit store. She doubted that was actually the case however, merely from the look of the pendant. The beautifully polished rectangle of soapstone, set in a pendant gold, encrusted with rubies... It was a sizable piece, and the craftsmanship was evident merely by looking at it... As if reading Orzel's thoughts about the necklace, Topaz lifted it up and over his head, then offered it to her. The Princess stared at it with obvious uncertainty... Regardless of what it was worth materially speaking, she couldn't possibly think to accept such a generous gift.

"I received this pendant from the leader of my order when I was inducted into the monastery." Topaz stated solemnly, still holding out the necklace. "I have carried it with me for well over two centuries, and I do not part with it on a whim." He smiled faintly. "I have been selected to lead our order, that is the reason I have been called back to my monastery. Upon my return, I shall receive a new pendant fitting of my rank, and this will become superfluous." The man once again held it out for Orzel. Finally, the Princess hesitantly took the offered necklace, weighing the heavy gold chain in her hand.

"Normally there would be a drawn out ceremony for someone's induction into the Orthodoxy, but it is not a requirement." Topaz continued as Orzel examined the necklace. "Given our limited window of time, it is better we do so with haste. As you do not have a pendant of your own, I would like for you to have mine." They were now among the hallway filled with statuettes, drawing closer to the main entry hall.

"I suppose it is obvious, but duty requires me to ask anyway. Do you, Sister Orzel, wish to convert?" The Seeker asked with an air of officiousness. The two of them stopped, allowing Orzel once again to look at the necklace. After a few moments contemplation, which was really all she needed, the Princess nodded. "You do so honestly, and of your own volition, and not under coercion or other false pretense?" Orzel nodded again, so Topaz gestured for her to don the necklace.

"We wear the symbol of the Monolith not only to indicate our faith, but to keep Lexicos close to our hearts..." Topaz proclaimed, as if preaching to an entire room. Orzel donned the necklace accordingly, noting the surprising weight of the pendant and the chain itself. "In our darkest hours, when despair creeps in, it reminds us that the Light of Truth lives on inside all of us." The Seeker made several gestures with his hands, and Orzel once again felt compelled to bow her head.

"Sister Orzel, will you seek the truth and freely share that which you have learned with the rest of the world?" The seeker's voice was as serious as Orzel had ever heard it. "Will you stand for those who cannot stand for themselves? Will you stand for freedom of knowledge, and teach those who would seek to better themselves? Will you oppose the forces of darkness and censorship, those that would seek to maliciously obfuscate the truth, and deceive your fellow man for their own nefarious aims?"

"I will." Orzel nodded solemnly.

"Will you show compassion, kindness, acceptance and love to all, even your enemies?" Topaz asked in that same baritonous righteous voice of his. "Will you, Sister Orzel, renounce your supreme fealty to any other deity, and in matters of faith abide by Lexicos as your supreme deity? Will you, to the best of your abilities, hold to the holy tenants of the Orthodoxy of Lexicos?" Once again, Orze's response was a solemn 'I will.'. "With the powers granted to me by Lexicos, I accept you into the rolls of the Orthodoxy, the newest daughter of the Goddess of Knowledge. May she grant you peace, prosperity, and a long and happy life." The man rested his palm on Orzel's forehead for a good five seconds, then drew it away. "It is done. Welcome to the eternal search for knowledge, Sister Orzel."

"Thank you, Seeker." The Princess stated gratefully as she looked at the necklace, which was obviously meant for a much larger person. "May I...?" She asked hesitantly, the Seeker nodded as the they resumed their walk. "Alter yourself." She commanded forcefully in Szafirian, sending forth several streamers of magic. They coiled around the chain, shrinking it to better fit her smaller frame while the sizable pendant remained more or less the same. The two of them soon stopped beside the door, which was frigid to the touch. Orzel expected she'd find find two familiar patient, but slightly chilly, visages of Grim and Fable waiting for her outside. "I suppose this is farewell, for now..." Topaz nodded, briefly making a motion with his hands that Orzel recognized as a blessing gesture.

"I will pray for your safe travels, Sister Orzel. Go with Lexicos, and have a happy Hearth's Warming Eve." The man stated warmly, Orzel bowed her head respectfully towards the man, then opened the door and made her way out into the fluttering snow. Sure enough, she saw Grim and Fable standing ready, whilst an unmarked black sedan sat parked beside the curb at the edge of the Temple grounds.

With a mix of trepidation and relief, the girl followed her two gigantic bodyguards to the waiting vehicle. She'd incorporated a fair bit of time into her schedule for the visit to the temple, time enough that she wasn't too concerned about missing the pageant slated to be held at the Castle that evening. Sighing faintly as she entered the armored sedan, Orzel cast one final look at the temple, then took her seat. While she was quite familiar with the actual founding of Equestria, the prospect of seeing it in the form of a theatrical performance sounded like a splendid idea...

A chance to sit with Mother and Aunt Celestia, just enjoying one another's company for what would be the last time, was something Orzel wouldn't give up for the world. It definitely had nothing to do with the person they'd chosen to serve as narrator, or the fact that said person would be staying for the ball that followed the performance, that was for sure... Nope, nothing to do with it whatsoever... Just holly jolly music, good food, and a maybe, possibly, highly unlikely chance that Spike might ask her to dance.

She doubted any such request would arise though, a doubt that only grew with every moment Orzel saw her reflection in the window. The Princess needed to get her head together, to stop focusing so much on her physical appearance, but... That was difficult, especially when it was literally staring her in the face. Words like 'frumpy', 'brutish', 'animal', and 'defective' rattled around her head like gravel in a hubcap.

Orzel's face was little known to the public, there were few photographs of her, and almost all of them had been taken before her transformations began. Perhaps, going forward, she would be better off just... Wearing a mask. It might help her to cultivate mystique and intrigue, it would certainly help to reduce the insults she read in the papers. It infuriated her to no end that she still allowed them that level of hold over her, but... Perhaps there was some tiny part of her that thought they might be right. With all the changes she'd undergone since they first published their critiques of her appearance, Orzel wasn't so sure that particular portion of herself was as 'tiny' as she liked to pretend it was.

All of this was something she wished she could discuss with Spike, or with Doctor Scratch, or with... Anyone, really. She had mentioned it in her therapy sessions, but she was too ashamed of her own weakness to go into much detail. Thus, the true extent of the issue remained... Cloudy... She had to remind herself that tonight was supposed to be a happy occasion, so she needed to appear happy. Maybe, if she pretended long enough, she might even fool herself...

With cheerfully festive music and bustling joyful voices, it was becoming quite clear to Princess Celestia that the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball was so far a resounding success. Occasionally a booming belly laugh from among the crowd would join the tumult, generally from the delegation representing the Minotaur Republic. They made up perhaps a third of all the 'official ambassadors' in attendance. After all, the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball wasn't nearly as well advertised as the Grand Galloping Gala, and that was the point. The Gala had always been an affair for all the 'movers and shakers' of Equestria and beyond, the rich and powerful that wanted to rub elbows with Royalty, or for the matter of dealing with foreign affairs. Strictly off the record, of course.

The Hearth's Warming Eve Ball, conversely, was... Different. It was special, more personal, exclusive even, and that was entirely by design. The Princesses had far more control over the guest list than even the Grand Galloping Gala, and generally only invited people they liked... That always included the Castle Staff, who worked so diligently throughout the rest of the year. It all made for a smaller, more welcoming and family friendly affair. Celestia and her Sister had seen to the decorations themselves, and they would personally deal with cleaning the aftermath... It didn't seem proper, or fair, to host a party for the Cleaning Staff, only to then expect them clean up after it was done. Still, the two sisters had out done themselves this year, if Celestia said so herself.

The ballroom was decorated with garlands and strings of light, while a massive fir tree rose at the center-front of the chamber. It was likewise decorated wonderfully, with colorful glass balls and other ornaments. The tree was topped by a glittering crystalline star, which through various magical means scattered brilliant dots of multicolored light across the room. The base of the tree had, at the start of the night, been occupied by dozens of large presents, wrapped in vibrant red packaging.

Most of these had since been distributed to the party's guests, young and old... As with the decorations and the party itself, Celestia was more than happy to splurge, especially for the staff. The only presents that lingered at the bottom were those that Celestia had placed there for her close family and friends, and they'd be given out later that evening.

The air was heavy with the smell of eggnog, gingerbread, and pizza, of all things. There were more children in attendance tonight, as the families of Staff Members were also invited, so Celestia had wanted them to have something other than the possibly 'stuffy' meals otherwise brought by the caterer. As was always the case, Blueblood also personally invited the entire catering staff. Celestia had to wonder just why he did that, or why he always insisted on having the event catered by the same people every year, for as long as she could remember.

Celestia was honestly wondering a lot of things about him lately, because Blueblood was... Well... Less 'Blueblood-y', ever since the Grand Galloping Gala as a matter of fact. The only thing that prevented her from suspecting him to be an infiltrator was a recent blood test, administered under the guise of a blood drive for the Equestrian Red Diamond. His date for the evening, the Element of Generosity herself, had likewise passed the same test. Perhaps Rarity had something to do with his recent change of heart? If so, good for her.

The Princess suspected that now the gentle soul lurking beneath the callous politician was finally being given a chance to come into the light. Blueblood was already starting to restore his reputation among the Canterlot citizenry, if not the Nobility itself, running on a platform of tax cuts, school choice, and 'Journalistic Reform'... Which was the catch-all term being thrown around to refer to putting a stop to the wildly differing and often entirely false stories that were regularly splashed across headlines. How he'd accomplish such a goal without infringing on the constitution was still unclear, but... Celestia shook her head, now was no time for worrying about the nation's domestic politics, or the terrible danger that said nation didn't know it was potentially facing...

This years celebration had been kicked off by a pageant put on by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, carried out at Celestia's request. Partially because it seemed a decent change of pace, and also served as a sort of 'primer' for those in the audience who may not know exactly what Hearth's Warming Eve was about... Namely her niece Orzel and future Brother-In-Law. The former had been fairly well versed in the written history, but the play had acted as a sort of 'spark'.

Celestia had seen Orzel happy before, even delighted, but there was something about Hearth's Warming... Celestia had never seen Orzel so openly gleeful, even in spite of recent developments, but... The woman wasn't entirely sure her niece was as giddy as she appeared. Her frightfully adept skill at concealing her true emotions made it difficult for Celestia to tell if Orzel was truly in the holiday spirit, or if it was just a front... The woman certainly hoped it was the former, but experience told her it was very likely the latter, it was so hard to tell...

Orzel had returned from that evening's services only a few minutes before the pageant began, apparently having been delayed to accept a gift from the temple's Visiting Seeker. The man in question, Seeker Topaz, had been under a particular bit of scrutiny considering his association with certain groups in the Dragonlands that'd taken an interest in Orzel's origins. He consistently denied any ill motives for his presence in Equestria, and... Celestia believed him, at least in part. It wouldn't matter much longer, as Orzel was scheduled to depart the next day. Celestia shook her head at that... Hopefully the girl was managing to enjoy the evening, though the Woman nonetheless thought it prudent to have a talk with Luna before the night was through. Celestia could at least take solace in knowing her niece would be more comfortable on a tropical island than a freezing mountain top.

Piercing Gaze, on the other hand, had been more obviously struggling to get into the 'holiday spirit'. He'd been less than sanguine about a play venerating what he called 'a council of fools and traitors'. Technically speaking, the holiday was about Equestria's founding, and not its founders... Still, of all the people present, Celestia supposed that Piercing was perhaps the only one with a legitimate gripe with the Tribal Council. To him, unaware of the passage of so many centuries within his stone prison, that pain must've still been very fresh. Despite that, he still wore a festive red hat, though Celestia suspected it had more to do with Luna placing it there than anything else.

Currently, Piercing and Luna were dancing together to the sound of a rather upbeat swing song. All while Celestia was quietly moving through the party, diligently making her way to the dessert table. She'd already eaten dinner half an hour or so earlier, which meant she could finally partake in one of her favorite parts of the holiday... The treats. She'd done away with typical gown and crown for the evening's festivities, replacing them with a simple pair of slacks and a warm Hearth's Warming sweater. Her eyes were set on a few pignoli cookies, resting beside a tray of equally tempting cannolis. These hadn't been provided as part of the catering order, but rather by several guests.

Despite the gorgeous arrangements, something about the scene didn't seem quite right, as a dark form loomed beside the table. Her eyes panned upwards, and for a few moments Celestia wondered if the ghoulish figure she saw standing beyond the table was a misplaced Nightmare Night decoration. At least, until she spotted the opaque round spectacles and the gaunt ghoulish cheeks. Director Orcus' black suit and tie certainly stood out among the cheerful bright colors. No cigarette dangled from between his lips, likely because Celestia had banned smoking at this particular event... He stood with a small plate in hand, experimentally examining a chocolate chip cookie... Staring at it intensely, as if the tiny round baked good was some sort of... Alien life form.

"Director." Celestia greeted as cordially as she could, still bewildered at just what he was doing there. Briefly she worried that perhaps a new development with the Changeling Menace had emerged, or maybe an issue with the still missing 'Tome of Obscurum Scientia', but if that was the case, what would he be doing examining a cookie? Then again, the Director was still very much an enigma, perhaps he worried the cookies had been poisoned? Then why wouldn't he have had them thrown out, or the party shut down? Perhaps he'd been invited by Luna? That seemed the most likely answer. Orcus looked at Celestia and flashed what she supposed, to him, was a genuine grin.

"Hello, your highness!" Orcus responded, his rasping voice grating slightly on Celestia's ears. He seemed... Happy to see her. "Did you know that the cookie dates to seventh-century Abyssinia?" He asked, looking back at the cookie, which he finally opted to place on his plate. "They weren't anything like what we know now, of course. Flavorless wafer things, easy to transport as rations. Closer to hard tack than anything else..." He shook his head momentarily, trailing off. "Amazing, the useless knowledge you pick up in my line of work." His features became slightly less jubilant, more akin to his typical scowl. That he'd called any sort of knowledge or intelligence 'useless' surprised Celestia, and yet there he was.

"I wouldn't say it's totally useless." Celestia encouraged, taking a few of the cannolis for herself. "Who knows, you might want to become a baker some day. It's never too late to change careers." Orcus barked a laugh, an oddly pleasant sound, before looking down at his suit and tie. Celestia could see as well, the man in no way looked like he had any business going near a bakery... Still, there was something about the man that just didn't seem... Normal. Not in a suspicious way, as Celestia doubted a Changeling could ever hope to overpower whatever twisted magic it was that Orcus used. So what was it that bothered her so? "How are you feeling, Orcus...?" She asked, opting to just ask. She decided to drop the title of Director, going for a more casual approach.

"Pondering, as I've often done." Orcus shrugged before his eyes drifted to the dance floor. Celestia followed them, and found they fell upon Piercing and her sister. A rueful smile spread over his features. "Observos and Luna are together again, but the work is not done." He shrugged again. "Now we have these new concerns, you know which ones, to replace the old." He glanced about, just in case someone might be listening. "Princess Orzel's arrival has muddied the waters of time... Like a great stone tossed into a shallow lake. As such, I cannot divine the future as before." His scowl returned for a few moments, then morphed to one of sad acceptance. "Piercing seems to think that doesn't matter... Maybe he's right, maybe the time for such things has passed." Orcus started to reach into his jacket, likely for a cigarette, then stopped himself.

"Peering into the future is a dangerous business..." Confirmed Celestia, though she could read between the lines. Orcus was pondering his own usefulness, especially now that the Nocturne Agency had failed to prevent so many crises, and the raid on Facility One-Two-Seven. The Princess didn't doubt he had the ability to 'see' things, and perhaps that included his own future. "You've performed your duties far longer than any other official I know, not including myself. After we've handled the current crisis, is it such an extreme idea to think about leaving it behind?" Orcus chuckled faintly, that rueful smile once more returning to his face.

"No... Though it's not the only thing I've considered leaving behind." The Director slipped his hands into his pockets, looking about the room. "Do you know how long it's been since I've looked upon Thestral soil?" Celestia shook her head. "Not since the ending of the Nightmare War..." The Director's smile turned to a frown. "I used to live in Kalterberg, what's come to be known as 'Bug Bear Territory' in modern terms... I doubt anything remains." The man took a hand from his pocket and gestured about the room. "Equestria has become my home, but I must admit... It would be nice to leave it, for a while, to see if I might find where Kalterberg used to be." He shook his head. "Then who would look after this place while I was away, hmm...?" His eyes fell back on Luna and Piercing. "It would be easier, if I had someone with whom to share it with..." He shook his head. "Sorry, I doubt my problems are what you want to hear on this particular holiday."

"On the contrary, I'm liking this new side of you..." Assured Celestia, earning another hesitant smile from the man. "I'm sure there are plenty of ladies that would be interested in someone with your... Erm... Rugged good looks?" Orcus burst out laughing again, supporting himself on the table. The Princess actually rather liked the sound of the Director's laugh the more she heard it, and gradually the ghoulish visage he sported seemed less... Imposing. She was seeing him as more than 'The Director', or even as the old 'Legate Orcus'... He was a person, not just some implacable ex-cultist with a penchant for spy-craft. "Besides, I hear there's quite a large portion of Equestrian women that are interested in older men." Orcus held up a hand, steadying himself as he reigned in his chuckling.

"From your lips to the ears of the Gods." Orcus finally managed, setting his plate on the table and looking back towards the dance floor. The music of the swing song was replaced by a much more mellow slow dance. For a moment Celestia thought she saw uncertainty in the man's eyes, as if he wanted to say something else, before ultimately he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I won't trouble you any longer. Enjoy the rest of your evening, your Majesty..." With that he retrieved his plate and began to pile it high with the various deserts arrayed on the table. Celestia had to wonder just what it was he hadn't said, though it probably wasn't important... He would've told her if it was.

Nodding at Orcus' departure, Celestia resumed her earlier mission of acquiring some of the desserts present there. It'd be rough on her figure, but a few hours of exercise would hopefully mitigate it. Steadying her plate, Celestia carefully stepped away from the desert table and started towards the 'Royal Table'. Cadence and Shining Armor were seated there, joined by a happy, and slightly inebriated, looking Twilight Sparkle. Celestia had to wonder just how the girl couldn't realize the obvious 'chemistry' between her brother and former babysitter, but maybe she'd just had a little too much eggnog. Either way, the woman wouldn't be the one to spill the news. Maybe the couple was trying to tell her without 'telling her'? If that was the case, Twilight might need to see about getting her prescription lenses adjusted.

Cadence wore a modest gown, fittingly decorated for the night's celebration, while Shining wore his typical red jacketed dress uniform. Twilight was dressed as casually as perhaps she dared, a simple button down blouse, skirt, and dark stockings. It wasn't that different from her typical clothing, Celestia realized, though the blouse looked as though it'd been ironed and heavily starched. Shining nearly bolted to attention as Celestia approached, but Cadence prevented him from rising, thankfully. Setting her plate on the table, the Celestia took her seat and smiled warmly at the waiting trio.

"No need to strain yourself, Captain. This is a casual gathering, nothing more." Soothed Celestia, picking up one of the cannolis and taking a tentative bite. The filling was smooth, sweet, and creamy. Small chocolate chips also danced across her tongue, mixing with the crunchy savory shell, and perhaps just a hint of... Rum? Maybe brandy? Her eyes widened... It had to be, without a doubt, one of the most decadent pastries she'd ever had the pleasure of sampling. Swallowing the morsel, Celestia stared at the flavorful tube of pastry with shock. A few hours of exercise likely wouldn't make a dent, she realized grudgingly. "So how have things been in Ponyville?" She directed towards Twilight, before taking another bite.

"Oh, they've been excellent!" Twilight's smile broadened. "It's been mercifully quiet when it comes to 'World Ending Events'... Nothing major since that teensy-weensy little thingy... Y'know the one, right? With that crazy screaming guy?" Celestia nodded, inwardly chuckling at the young woman's significantly looser tongue. "Mayor Mare is up for reelection, and that's what most people seem interested in. I'm told it's the first contested election Ponyville's had in a long time..." Celestia raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, um, Filthy Rich is running on the Black Crown ticket. No one I know thinks he'll win, though."

"Just because something seems certain, doesn't mean it is." Celestia hummed, leaning back in her seat and nudging the plate closer to the guests as an offer. Cadence accepted one of the pignolis, while Shining seemed uninterested. "Who knows? Mister Rich may surprise you... Not that I'm endorsing him, of course." Twilight nodded, taking one of the cookies for herself, albeit hesitantly.

In truth, Celestia couldn't pay attention to each and every little election underway throughout the country, but it didn't strike her as odd that Mister Rich would be running with the Black Crowns. He was a business man, but not the sort that the Noble Party tended to favor. He had little experience in politics, much like so many of the other candidates of the Black Crowns, but Celestia supposed the private sector could be just as cutthroat as life on the Mountain, if not more so...

"Come on, no politics... It's Hearth's Warming Eve." Cadence chided, her eyes darting to the pignoli, and Celestia suspected she was having the same realization about just how many calories were in them. Perhaps the two of them would need to exercise together. Celestia nodded concisely, her niece had a point about the conversation as well. "How has Spike been? I heard he's joined the Fire Department?" Twilight seemed briefly surprised by the question, but smiled proudly as she leaned back in her seat.

"Oh, he's super excited! He's a bit bummed out though, since the Canterlot election really kicked off... I told him it was best not to look at those papers, but..." Twilight peered at the table where the young Drake sat, or in its general vicinity, as to her it was lost behind a crowd of dancing party goers. "Still, he's shaping up to be such a strong little fella..." The woman lifted her glass of eggnog while Celestia scowled ever so slightly, primarily at the mention of the newspapers, and the photographs that had accompanied them.

Somehow a few brave, or stupid, paparazzi had managed to get onto the Castle grounds undetected. In so doing, they'd managed to take several pictures of both Rarity and Blueblood walking among the Gardens. They were remarkably tame, likely because getting any closer would've gotten the photographers caught... Indeed, those same photographers were quite lucky they hadn't been spotted, as the Guards were still authorized to shoot trespassers on site. Tame as the images they'd taken were, however, those photos been accompanied by sensationalized claims, as was always the case with the tabloids. The most egregious of which was that the Element of Generosity was secretly carrying Blueblood's child...

It was undoubtedly the work of Olympus Solare, as the race between he and the Prince was truly heating up. The special election for the Canterlot seat was less than a month away, and Solare was pulling out all the stops while Blueblood had run a comparatively 'clean' campaign. Most people still believed it was a contest of whom they disliked least, and the polling showed that they much preferred Blueblood, as one potential voter had dubbed him 'a crook we can trust'...

"Personally, I think the pictures were a good thing, actually." Twilight shrugged, unaware of Celestia's inner thoughts, while enjoying another bite of her cookie. "He got to see how happy Rarity is with Blueblood, and he's been a real trooper about it since... Though... A lot of the stories did irk him, I think..." Celestia smiled, lacing her fingers together. "I also think, and you didn't hear this from me, but... I think he might have a teensy weensy teeny tiny crush on Princess Orzel, but you didn't hear that from me... Did I say that already?" The woman looked at her now empty eggnog glass while Celestia's eyes flicked towards the distant table. "I hope things are going alright over there... Maybe I should go check on him? After I get more eggnog..."

"I think you've had enough..." Shining grunted, taking the glass away from his sister. "As for going over there? Let him be." The man continued, crossing his arms with a sly smile. "He's not a kid anymore, y'know? Sometimes he's gotta fend for himself." Twilight seemed conflicted, but ultimately nodded. Celestia's gaze lingered on the distant table, wondering if perhaps she should go check on Orzel... Once again Shining had a point, Orzel was more than capable of talking with Spike as it was, and she couldn't do that with her Aunt popping in unexpectedly. That'd be embarrassing. Still, Celestia couldn't help wondering just what was going on over there...

Situated well away from the dance floor, their joyful moment of dancing having concluded, Princess Luna and Piercing Gaze sat among the Griffon Ambassador and his entourage at the ambassador's table. The group in attendance this evening was more or less unchanged from those that'd attended the Grand Galloping Gala, though the Ambassador's wife had excused herself for their discussion. Luna and Piercing were joined by Director Orcus, who regarded the Griffon delegation from behind those nearly opaque spectacles of his. While the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball was supposed to be a strictly social affair, sometimes a request for audience arose that just couldn't be ignored. The subtle petition for assistance on behalf of the Griffon government was one such request...

Ambassador Flaumfeder's typically serious expression had become anxious as soon as Luna agreed to the meeting, and the imposing officers in his company were now characterized by equal parts sternness and uncertainty. Luna could understand the reason for their atypical behavior, given the dire nature of the topic they'd come to discuss with her.

The Griffon Empire's economy had been in shambles long before the ongoing drought throughout West Parthenia, but the lack of rainfall had led to marked increase in demand for irrigation water, which the Griffon infrastructure was in no position to supply. To pay for the system to be modernized, the Emperor had ordered the Griffon Treasury to significantly increase the money supply, which in turn decreased the value of the Griffon Königsmark... Its valued had plummeted to nearly zero, leading to rampant inflation, driving up the cost of everything from grain to gasoline. Grain prices in particular were so bad that in some cases bakeries would charge a wheelbarrow of Königsmarks to purchase a single loaf of bread. Others had taken to burning piles of Königsmarks in their fireplaces, as it was actually a cheaper means of heating their homes than purchasing wood or coal.

Needless to say, this created a significant problem for the Griffon Empire, in that it presented the perfect environment for widespread discontent to take root. The recent creation of the Black Crown Party in Equestria had inspired a similar uprising of rhetoric in the Empire against the status quo, leading to the various strikes and other work stoppages, which only further compounded the country's economic woes. It'd all culminated in the formation of the Iron Bloods, the Griffon equivalent of the Black Crown Party, though only in a general sense. The difference was that the Black Crowns were a political party, and the Iron Bloods... Weren't.

They certainly had political aspirations, but these existed outside the realm of current Imperial government. Among their most ardent supporters? Just about every Senior Officer in the Imperial Armed forces, at least those presiding over the Northern provinces. Therefore, it might've been more accurate to refer to them as a heavily armed, borderline insurgent group, very much intent on self governance. Already they'd started drumming up support for the Empire's provinces in the North to 'abandon the decadent South to its fate', as it was 'a gangrenous limb which would rather see the North perish than grant it freedom.'. In all honesty, the separatists weren't finding it all too difficult to find sympathetic citizens, given the current political climate.

In their summation, and Luna could see why they came to this conclusion, it was the people of Griffonstone that had allowed the Empire's booming iron industry to crumble. Numerous failed government programs, compounding upon one another, chaining together to suck millions of Königsmarks into a black hole of increasing government expenditure. The people were frustrated, hungry, freezing, and now grew tired of being dictated to from a city thousands of miles away, by an Emperor that'd never so much as set foot north of the Guto river.

Iron had been the life's blood of the North, while the Southern mountains were rich in gold. It was on those deposits of gold that the Empire still managed to maintain some degree of financial credit, which had prevented the Empire's economic collapse thus far... Without the gold, or foreign financial assistance, odds were the entire Imperial government would come screeching to a halt. Soldiers' paychecks would stop coming, and soon after they'd begin to question just how long they were willing to starve for an Emperor they'd never so much as laid eyes on. Now, Luna suspected the gold mines were beginning to 'run dry', and the Iron Bloods could smell the blood in the water...

That was what brought Ambassador Flaumfeder and his two military companions to request this unorthodox meeting with Princess Luna... Piercing was present primarily due to his interest in the political machinations of the 'New World', and Luna also thought it might help to have him around so she could 'pick his brain' later. Orcus was there, well, because he was Orcus. As director of Equestria's foremost intelligence agency, he'd be best informed as to how dire the situation actually was versus how the Ambassador made things out to be. He also had an apparent... Fondness... For the Griffon's provinces to the North, though only Luna seemed capable of picking up on it. Hopefully that wouldn't cloud his judgment.

"What the Empire is asking for, your Majesty, is the assistance of Equestria in the short term, both financially and militarily." Flaumfeder explained awkwardly, tapping the tips of his fingers together in apparent nervousness. "We have sufficient ground forces to quash a rebellion, so long as we can deploy them, but... Citizens aligned with the Iron Bloods have seized control of choke points along the Guto River, including the Lila Draw Bridge crossing. It's the only bridge across the river large enough to move troops and supplies through in any appreciable number."

Luna glanced at Orcus, and the Director gave only the most subtle of nods. Honestly, Luna was rather impressed... Regardless of how she felt about the 'rebels', their ability to secure and fortify that crucial passage spoke to their strategic forethought. They were more than just armed farmers and miners running amok, or at least their leaders were. The Iron Bloods knew they couldn't take the Empire in a one on one fight, in the event tensions flared to such a point... Then again, they wouldn't have to, they'd just need to dig and let the Empire's military grind itself down trying to fight through the mountains, exhausting the Empire's coffers even further, until eventually it was forced to sue for peace.

"Of course, no rebellion is yet underway, but..." Flaumfeder continued, it was obvious from his tone that he too understood just how precarious the Empire's position was. "The Emperor fears that sending troops to stabilize the region overland might 'kick things off', to use an Equestrian phrase."

"You're planning an amphibious landing, aren't you? That's why you want our military support?" Orcus asked evenly, leaning back in his seat with a hand on his chin, his eyes boring deep into the Griffon Major. "It's a risky maneuver, but it would allow you to land behind the force holding the pass at Lila... Encircling them, and possibly cutting the Northern territories in half." Major Klippenschaber seemed surprised at his observation, adjusting his monocle but nodding in confirmation. "Does the Empire not have sufficient airships to embark its troops over the mountains?" All three Equestrians knew the answer already, still they waited for the Ambassador confirm it with a hesitant nod.

"Normally, yes, but..." Flaumfeder began, his nervous expression morphing to one of genuine concern. "There are elements of the Imperial Air Fleet that are... Sympathetic to the Iron Bloods." He explained further, and Luna noted a considerable amount of sweat forming on his forehead.

It was a little more complicated than a fear of a mutiny, though Luna didn't doubt for a second that was also a risk. While on paper the Griffon's boasted one of the largest Airship Fleets in the world, the economic troubles facing the Empire had seen a good deal of those ships lapse into disrepair. Unlike a regular ship, which wasn't at immediate risk of sinking if all of its engines failed, airships like those used by the Empire were far less forgiving.

"The more pressing issue is not the potential for insubordination. The Iron Bloods have somehow made contact with a clan of Drakes inhabiting the mountains along the Guto, including Lila Pass." Further explained Flaumfeder, a statement that struck Luna as odd. However, another glance at Orcus confirmed that the Ambassador's words were once again true. "The clan's airship fleet is modest, but between them and a possible mutiny, the Emperor doesn't feel confident embarking troops over the mountains." Flaumfeder concluded, looking rather apologetic.

Drakes were known to build and fly massive airships, often painting them to look like dragons or other fearsome creatures. While certainly able to undergo an Elemental Transformation in a pinch, doing so consumed vast amounts of energy, one of the reasons the Draconic metabolism was so high... It was far easier for a Clan to pool its resources and build an airship than to feed its people with enough calories that they all might undergo a temporary transformation which, in theory, also might be used to overthrow a Clan's current leadership. At present, of these Clans resided in the Eastern Dragonlands, though that would likely change in a couple years, when they undertook their 'Great Migration' to the Southern Dragonlands... And people in Lone Star thought the raids they were sustaining now were bad.

There were some Clans that, having found a nice stretch of territory upon which to make camp, settled down and ceased migrating. Typically they made their homes in the Southern Dragonlands, or in other remote, hard to reach areas. So, while unusual to find a Clan of dragons inhabiting the Guto Range, it wasn't entirely impossible... Even a modest fleet of airships, crewed by Drakes, could very well be enough to bring the Imperial Air Fleet, in its current state, to a stalemate.

"No shots have been fired as of yet?" Asked Luna as she picked up a small glass of dessert wine, Major Klippenschaber nodded solemnly. "I will not lie to you, Ambassador. Equestria has domestic issues of its own, you have seen them yourself, and powerful as we may be... We must see to the needs of our own people first." Flaumfeder looked crestfallen, but not surprised.

"That being said, I am not convinced that your deployment of troops to 'stabilize the region' will do anything other than start a bloody, not to mention expensive, Civil War." She continued before sipping her wine, it was rather sweet, with just a hint of a 'berry' flavor. "Now, perhaps the Griffon Empire desires other assistance in this matter? Equestria could send mediators to reach some sort of agreement between your government and the..." She paused, picking her words. "Disenfranchised provinces of the North." She finally settled, then reiterated. "Bullets and bombs are costly, pens and paper are cheap." Flaumfeder looked actually relieved, lacing his fingers together on the table. Of course he did, Luna had no doubt that was what he would've angled for upon having his initial request declined...

"I believe that would be most helpful indeed, your Majesty." The Ambassador agreed with the first smile Luna had seen of the man since his arrival that night. "My people are stubborn, given to fits of temper... An Equestrian mediation, on neutral ground, might ease tensions considerably." Luna nodded quietly as the Ambassador rose from his seat, followed by the two soldier's he'd brought with him. Snapping his heels together, the man bowed deeply. "Vielen dank, Princess." He stated while the Major and Oberleutnant bowed as well, then all three stood at once. "If I may take my leave?" Luna nodded quietly.

"Of course, Ambassador. Please, do try to set aside matters of state for the remainder of the evening. Enjoy the party." The Princess encouraged, Flaumfeder smiled gratefully and nodded before he and his entourage departed, likely to find his wife. Luna took another sip of her wine, then set the glass on the table, allowing a long sigh of exasperation to pass her lips. "So, Director... How bad is it over there, really?" Orcus clenched his fist, summoning a burst of black spectral flames, tinted by an eerie green, which erupted around his hand. Gradually it formed into one of the countless identical manilla folders, so common among the Nocturne Agency's records.

Within, as one might expect of an intelligence folder, were reports and photographs... At first they appeared to depict an unassuming series of dust clouds, others were obviously a bird's eye view of hundreds of airplanes lining the edges of a runway. Luna recognized them from a series of threat assessment meetings they'd held, back when the Army Air Corps unsuccessfully petitioned the DAC for a new Air Superiority Fighter. Griffon EA-107s, aluminum skinned monoplanes, widely considered within the aviation community to be the most advanced and most heavily armed Air Superiority Fighter aircraft in the known world. Within the first few photographs alone, Luna counted at least five squadrons of them, giving up any attempt at guessing their numbers soon thereafter.

What concerned the Princess more wasn't the aircraft themselves, but rather the high quality close-up of their wing roundels. The typical Griffon Air Force roundel, a white circle with an image of a golden crown painted at its center, was absent. In its place was a white diamond, at the center of which was a pair of crossed swords, apparently applied in great haste. Add to that the dust clouds, the obvious result of tank and troop movements, and the picture became even more disconcerting. Every photograph in the file had been taken over the Northern Provinces, above military bases with soldiers and officers the Nocturne Agency's reports suspected owed allegiance to a man by the name of Adler von Eisenblut, the eponymous 'Iron Blood', as his name translated in Equestrian.

The folder also contained a dossier on the man himself, and it was equally concerning. A highly charismatic Oberst in the Griffon Army, the equivalent to an Equestrian Colonel. Eisenblut was unlike most of his fellow senior officers, in that he'd not been born to a noble family. His father had been a member of the Imperial Guard, and had thrown himself atop an assassin's grenade, saving the Emperor at a cost to his own life. For his sacrifice, he'd been awarded the Empire's highest military award, which entitled his then teenaged son, Adler von Eisenblut, to a scholarship to the prestigious Imperial Military Academy.

At just under thirty six, he was young for an Oberst... Youth didn't mean inexperience, however, as Eisenblut had made a name for himself with the Imperial Zebrican Expeditionary Corps, where he'd successfully defended Griffon gold interests and civilians against local insurgents. From that point Eisenblut was promoted to Generalmajor, the Griffon equivalent of a Major General, and transferred to take command of the 'Imperial Armed Forces in the Northern Provinces'. Evidently, the Imperial High Command hoped he might be able to use his experience with the IZEC to clamp down on the growing amount of civil unrest.

Eisenblut tended to lead from the front, even having lost his left eye when fighting hand-to-hand with an insurgent. This endeared him quite highly to his men and his subordinate officers, whom he treated with a firm but fair attitude. It was only recently that he'd entered the Griffon public consciousness, for the same reason he'd become known to the Nocturne Agency. The Generalmajor had refused to deploy his forces to violently suppress a worker's strike in the northern city of Rabenwald, and even went so far as to encourage other senior officers to do the same. The strike wasn't illegal, nor had those involved acted violently towards anyone, with a few minor exceptions.

Regardless of the legality of the strike, his refusal to fire on said strikers had earned him a severe reprimand, and a demotion back to Oberst. Internal communiques indicated he'd been given orders to report to take command of a comparatively small garrison in the Griffon controlled Kanarienvogel Islands. He'd grudgingly complied, or so it first seemed... Now, the soldiers formerly under his command, as well as other officers that shared his political leanings, were becoming far more active within the Iron Blood party. That they were painting their vehicles with different markings than those typically used by the Empire was, needless to say, not good.

Luna had been alive for a very long time, and as Princess she'd watched the beginnings of thousands of civil conflicts, not the least of which being the Nightmare War. One of the first things the Lunar Legions did at the outset was to paint their armor a dark shade of blue, as to better distinguish themselves in appearance from the Solar Loyalists, as it lessened chances of attacking a friendly unit in error. While there wasn't any of the typical fiery rhetoric associated with the build up to a coup d'etat, when taken in accordance with the meeting she'd just had with the Griffon Ambassador, Luna nonetheless found the images to be alarming.

It was unclear how the High Command would respond to a mutiny, if they'd respond at all. For all their various claims of authority and strength, the Empire's civil government tended to be rather feeble and feckless. It could simply be that the Northern Provinces declared themselves a sovereign state, and that despite their plans to 'stabilize the reason, the Empire might very well do nothing...

Nocturne Agency observers embedded in Griffon townships were also indicating a drastic increase in both violent and property crime. While this was at first attributed to the Chaos Wave, those effects should've worn off by now. The motives for the rise in general anarchy were impossible to fully discern from a distance, but starvation, inflation, and the onset of a winter that was already a record breaker for cold and snowfall in West Parthenia certainly had to be contributing factors...

"So... Bad?" Piercing stated simply as he too read over the dossier and examined the photos. Orcus merely nodded, closing the folder and dismissing it in another burst of black fire.

"Why was I or my sister not informed of these photographs sooner?" Luna's tone was slightly accusatory, but if Orcus minded, he didn't make any sign. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

"They were only developed a couple hours ago. As there is little we can do immediately, I was going to bring it up with Celestia at the morning threat assessment tomorrow." He stated simply, briefly reaching to his lips as if to hold a cigarette, only to pause and scowl as he realized he didn't have one. "I thought that, considering you would be indisposed anyway, I should allow you to enjoy the evening with as little stress as possible." Luna opened her mouth to retort, but... Orcus was right. There really wasn't a whole lot Equestria could do right now, and she had to go with Orzel on the train to the West Coast as part of the ruse for why her daughter wasn't in Canterlot anymore.

"Are we sure that the people that visited our antique store a month ago weren't doing so on behalf this guy, or even the Emperor himself? Those guys were really good antique collectors. Some might even say special antique collectors." Piercing suggested more seriously, lacing his fingers together on the table and leaning forward. "I mean, if the Empire's hurting for funds, I'm sure they'd be happy to sell off a couple antiques, even ones that don't technically belong to them." Luna hadn't even considered that as a possibility, but a quick look at Orcus revealed he didn't think that was likely.

"Our guests have all indicated the trip they made to the antique store was on behalf of someone far closer to home, and I'm inclined to believe them." Orcus explained, pushing his spectacles back on his nose and folding his hands in his lap. "Besides, the Empire has its own antiques. If they were really interested in getting into that sort of business, they could do so without having to visit one of our stores." Luna looked at both men, both of whom communicated so fluently in that annoying 'code lingo' of theirs that she almost believed they might actually be talking about Antiques. "Speaking of business, how are things going with those shovels I ordered from the Ironmonger?"

"We still need to hire some workers to do put the handles on on the spades, but the Ironmonger has personally prepared the machines for production. We should have the first batch of shovels out in a month or so." Piercing stated casually, as if to taunt Luna's sense of reality... "Then we'll ship them to your cousin up North, so he can see if the handles are long enough. If they're not? Well, we should be able to make alterations for the next batch on the go. Speaking of gardening tools, the Ironmonger is still set on the intermediate sized trowels-."

"Enough!" Luna declared forcefully, holding both hands up to silence the men on either side of her. Her palms glowed faintly, and a few moments later the entire table was briefly bathed in a bright blue glow. "I have created a dome of silence around the table, so you may speak plainly, if only to spare my ears from that irritating double talk. Please, try to limit your discussion, this is Hearth's Warming Eve!" Orcus and Piercing looked sheepishly at her, then the latter cleared his throat.

"As I said earlier, the PM-72 is primed for mass production, and Orzel is already in the process of working up a design for the new rifle." Piercing plainly stated, and immediately Luna regretted her decision to let them speak so freely. "I've taken a look at her latest concept drawings, and while I'm nowhere near an expert on firearms... It's really something. Gas operated, rotating locking bolt, long stroke piston. She seems set on the idea of detachable magazines as well, which... Having fired the PM-72 for myself, I find a lot easier to manipulate than stripper clips."

"As long as she's making steady progress... We can cover the rest in greater detail at your Agency Firearms Certification test." He stated diplomatically, much to Luna's relief, as she really didn't want to hear about whatever it was Orzel was cooking up. Meanwhile Piercing and Orcus began talking about other matters that mattered little to Luna, not that she normally wouldn't be paying attention. She just had other things on her mind.

The woman looked throughout the room for any sign of Orzel, as she hadn't seen the girl since they'd eaten dinner a good while ago. After searching the thinning crowds for any sign of her daughter, no mean feat given that Orzel's compact nature made it easy for her to disappear in a sea of people. Eventually Luna spotted the girl, walking beside Spike along the edge of the ballroom, apparently talking up a storm with the young man.

That was one worry Luna could set aside, for the time being at least... Her reluctance about him and her daughter being friends had abated as she came to know more about Spike, still... She worried. Orzel could put up a brave front just as well as any Princess, she might've even believed she was fine, but... Luna still remembered that first meeting she'd had with Doctor Scratch, when she'd first learned Orzel had thought about... Doing something foolish. For all the progress the girl had made, there was still that part of Luna that feared, however unlikely, that her child might return to such a state. Spike would certainly never intentionally hurt Orzel, Luna trusted that much, but... Unintentionally? That was far harder to say.

At the same time the woman knew that, without someone to talk to or correspond with, Orzel would likely feel very isolated when she arrived at Amberjack Island... That was one of the many concerns Doctor Scratch had voiced about the plan, as prolonged periods of social isolation could do considerable damage to an already troubled psyche. Considering the girl already felt isolated on account of her recently returned inability to speak Equestrian, isolation was a problem that weighed heavily in the Princess's mind. What Orzel would do on that island, virtually in exile, with a blank check and nothing but spare time to create weapons, was yet another fear Luna would have to live with for the foreseeable future.

Piercing had agreed to run the majority of the business side of things, in exchange for a modest stock option. Already he'd lined up deals to purchase several other decommissioned arsenals, for the purposes of increasing Basilisk Defense Technologies production capabilities. With his ability to organize and Orzel's design work, both of them stood to make a fortune. That was what worried Luna most of all, not so much for Piercing's sake, but for Orzel's... Money could be a very powerful lure for anyone, but especially for a Drake... They'd already discussed Orzel's idea to reduce the conflict of interest, and it made sense, at least somewhat. Luna shook her head, she'd just need to trust that her daughter's priorities were already squared away.

Luna watched Spike and Orzel stop beside one of the windows, looking out into the snow storm. For a few moments she looked over to Piercing, recalling a similar walk on an equally similar evening. There was little Luna could do, however, not without potentially making a scene. All she really could do was observe from a distance, and hope that matters didn't become any more complicated than they already were...

The band had just struck up another song, a slower and almost sleepy sounding melody, another sure sign that the evening's festivities would soon be winding down. By now, most of the guests had already departed, giving the Ballroom an almost lonely atmosphere. Well, maybe lonely wasn't the right word? The room was certainly large, but those that remained inside were still talking. Intimate... That made more sense. For the occupants of two seats directly adjacent to the mostly shuttered buffet, it wasn't so much lonely or intimate as it was... Quiet. Their feet ached from a combination of ill fitting dress shoes and a good amount of walking, but those painful sensations seemed worlds away for the unlikely couple, who at present sat comfortably beside one another.

"So... Are you sure you still want to be a part of all this...?" Blueblood asked tiredly, glancing to his left as Rarity leaned her head against his shoulder. The man moved his arm slightly, draping it around her. "You've seen it numerous times now. Living among the Canterlot Nobility isn't necessarily a cake walk." Even in this tired state, to Blueblood's eyes, she remained the most radiant creature to ever so much as grace the world with her presence. Her hair was slightly messy, but the two of them had stopped caring about appearances almost as soon as the last ambassadorial couple departed.

"Oh, you're not going to get rid of me that easy." Rarity responded, equally exhausted, scooting her seat just a little closer. "I mean, what would the papers say if you kicked the woman carrying your baby to the curb?" Blueblood actually got a good chuckle out of that, leaning his head against hers and sighing through his nose.

"I am going to kill Solare for starting that rumor... I haven't decided if that's literal or figurative yet." He stated coolly, smiling faintly as he observed the rest of the room. "But... Not tonight. Tonight...? I'm all yours, Princess Platinum." Rarity tittered at that, bringing a hand to her chest and fiddling with a platinum and diamond necklace she'd been wearing since the pageant. It went remarkably well with her evening gown, and Blueblood found its ability to accent her eyes to be well worth the twelve-hundred Bit price tag, not that he'd told that was what it cost... The necklace was, after all, a Hearth's Warming Eve gift.

"I still say you didn't need to get this. You don't have to spend so much money on me." The woman chided half-heartedly, prompting Blueblood to sit up a bit straighter. Had she just read his mind? "I live and breathe fashion, Darling... I'm well acquainted with the work of Rubis de Feu. Though... It is certainly an exquisite piece." The Prince sighed, unable to constrain his widening grin as he shook his head... She could read his mind, and he couldn't be happier with that arrangement.

"I should've known I'd never be able to sneak that one by you." Blueblood declared as Rarity lifted her head from his shoulder, this time to once again take a closer look at the necklace. "I suppose I'll just need to find something I can surprise you with next time. How much do you know about cars?" Rarity's incredulous expression told him he'd likely found a winner...

Truth be told, there was more to his questions than ideas for a gift. He'd been thinking a great deal on some of the things that'd been said about Rarity in Canterlot's newspapers, and though Rarity hadn't said anything, it obviously bothered her. She'd put up with so much, certainly more than she deserved, still she'd stuck by his side. In some cases, on the rare occasion where she was approached for comment, she'd even stick up for him... He might've been getting ahead of himself, but... A good sized part of the Prince wanted to spend the rest of his life with Rarity. Of course they'd only been together for a short time, but if things continued along at their current pace... Well, it was a very real possibility.

"Oh, would you look at that...?" Rarity said with a mixture of surprise and elation, Blueblood's eyes quickly scanned the diminishing party for any sign of what might've drawn her attention... Then he spotted his cousin Orzel, walking together at the far side of the room with that remarkably tall 'Spike' boy. Blueblood only knew the fellow in passing, primarily through Rarity's stories about him, including his 'secret' crush on her. "I knew there was something going on between the two of them." The woman cooed, as if observing a particularly adorable puppy.

"Really? I don't see it..." Blueblood stated curiously, squinting his eyes at the distant teenagers. They just looked like they were walking and talking, and as far as the Princess could tell, his cousin looked... Well... About as expressive as a slab of granite. Then again, she always looked like that... He supposed it was better than the frantic mannerisms he'd noticed upon first meeting her. Blueblood wasn't particularly good at reading people of a stoic persuasion, there were very few that could do so well. Politically speaking it could serve as a good way of throwing off one's opponents, if done correctly. If done incorrectly such mannerisms ran the risk of coming off as overly cautious or boring.

"There's definitely something between them..." Rarity affirmed, leaning on the table and observing the duo from across the room. Blueblood tried searching for whatever sign the woman was seeing, but for the life of him he couldn't see it, not clearly at any rate. "They could've sat down any time now, especially with so many open seats, so why not? Methinks they're circling the dance floor." Blueblood narrowed his eyes, leaning forward and squinting at the pair...

"Or they just want privacy while they talk." The man theorized, leaning back in his seat. "Aunt Luna can be... Protective." Rarity hummed at the suggestion, but she looked unconvinced.

The man briefly considered mentioning that Orzel would be departing soon, but... Rarity wasn't on the list of people authorized to know about that. The girl would leave at dawn the next day, for reasons that Blueblood had yet to be informed over. The Prince honestly doubted his aunt would do something like send her daughter away over a boy like Spike... That, coupled with the recent 'Operation Firewatch' and subsequent creation of the Civil Defense Agency, told him there was something afoot... Something he really should've been informed about.

While Blueblood was by no means an expert on national crises, it certainly couldn't hurt to get a fresh perspective, right...? He got the feeling that even Orzel had more information about what was happening, as she'd been spending quite a bit of her time working on... Whatever it was she worked on in that dingy old factory of hers. He knew that it likely had to do with the recently stepped up level of palatial security, perhaps Orzel was just better equipped to handle the problem, but... Tonight wasn't really the time to worry about such things.

He'd ask Celestia about it tomorrow, after Luna and Orzel departed for wherever it was they were going. Celestia was a little easier to convince when she was on her own... If that failed, he might be able to pump the recently introduced 'Piercing Gaze' for information. Far be it from Blueblood to question Luna's choice in suitor, but... He didn't really see the appeal. Of course he wasn't one to throw stones either, seeing as his relationship with a treasure like Rarity was equally unlikely in the eyes of the public. Still, Piercing had a look about him that suggested he might be more than the slightly awkward scholar he presented himself as.

"See?" Rarity suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the two teens as they neared the edge of the dance floor. "I told you..." Blueblood eyed the pair cautiously, they were far closer now, and he could indeed see that his cousin appeared less implacable than usual. Still, nearing the dance floor was one thing, actually stepping out onto the dance floor was another, and the latter point remained to be seen...

Spike's heart was racing about as fast as he'd ever heard it in his ears before, and it had very little to do with the lengthy walk he and the Princess had just enjoyed. Anyone could see that the party would soon come to an end, and with its conclusion would arrive the inevitable need to depart back to Ponyville. Since first meeting up that evening, the two had conversed entirely in Draconic, as Orzel's grasp of spoken Equestrian had recently become... Tenuous. He and Orzel had spent the past several hours talking amicably among one another, covering so many topics that they'd wanted to save for their daily lunches all at once, and... It'd been a fairly eye opening experience.

Orzel had opened up to him about much of her life in the Szafirian Empire, and the world she portrayed was difficult for Spike to truly comprehend. She'd even mentioned a few things that the boy suspected she'd never mentioned to anyone else, stories mostly... But each one contributed to clearing up many of the strange mannerisms and obsessions Spike had noticed about the Princess. For instance, just that evening he'd watched her spend five minutes arranging the potatoes on her plate according to size, coloration, and texture. Then she'd cut her steak into tiny, nearly perfect, cubes... She did this with every streak she'd eaten, of which there were plenty.

Spike by how had deduced that a great deal of her reasoning behind it was for the purpose of maintaining some level of control in her environment. There was also a very real concern of what an unkempt house might lead to in the Szafirian Empire, were the 'certain parties' ever to see it. From there they'd moved on to subjects of a less personal nature, namely their reasons for preferring certain model kits over others, as well as their thoughts on the latest book in the EG-1 series. Spike preferred model airplanes to model ships because, in his experience, model airplanes could be larger and maintain a decent level of detail. As for Orzel's feeling on the book in question, her reaction to the story was... Lukewarm.

Having exhausted all the topics either of them could come up with for the time being, their conversation slowly dwindled... Still, neither of them wanted to stop talking, or walking, with one another. They'd simply walked laps around the ballroom for a couple minutes before Spike got to thinking that now was probably the last chance he'd ever have to talk with Orzel for the foreseeable future... The last time he'd ever get the opportunity to potentially get certain things off of his chest.

Spike kept thinking about what might happen after Orzel went off to parts unknown. What if she met someone else...? What if he never got to tell her how he felt, and just had to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life? He knew how active his anxiety was, and had no doubt that it would have a field day with a regret as juicy as that. So, as they were preparing to lap the room one more time, Spike made a sudden suggestion... Well, more accurately he blurted it out without really thinking about it.

"Would you care to dance, my Lady?" The young man was somehow able to make the request sound confident, or at the very least not nearly as nervous as he actually was. That he managed to do this while speaking Draconic, his second language, was all the more impressive... At least, it was to him.

The Princess had stopped mid step, then she stared at him for a few moments, her cheeks flushing as they always did. The girl opened her mouth to speak, but... Closed it shortly after, answering with only a mute nod, leading Spike to worry he might've overstepped some boundary. With little hesitation the two of them had made for the edge of the dance floor, and it was there that the prospective firefighter found himself with his feet to the flames, figuratively speaking. He still might've been able to back out, but as soon as he and Orzel stepped out onto the polished wood, one way or another he'd have to tell her, else he'd be forced to live with his own cowardice for the rest of his life.

Taking the Princess by the hand, he took a deep breath, then set his foot out onto the dance floor. She'd dressed for the party in a rather casual outfit, a black turtlenecked woolen sweater and a blue floor length skirt, which swished majestically as she moved to keep up with him. It was slightly more casual than his own attire, a suit that Rarity had tailored for him just for that evening... He thought it made him look particularly dashing, especially considering he'd started growing a full beard. Together, the respective outfits complemented each other quite well.

The Princess only came up to his chest now that they were up close, so he wasn't quite sure how to position his hands, and their first few steps were visibly awkward. The initial terror Spike felt was quickly subdued when the Princess placed her hand on his shoulder, the other gently grasping his fingers as together the two of them moved in time with the ongoing song. It was, somewhat fittingly, a slow romantic piece...

"I did not think you knew how to dance..." Orzel said quietly as the two of them moved across the floor, maintaining the pattern that night of speaking exclusively Draconic. Spike smiled sheepishly, looking nervously about the rest of the room. He soon spotted Rarity, who was smiling the widest Cheshire grin he'd ever seen.

"Well, that makes two of us, because I didn't think I knew either." The young man managed, briefly looking at the few other pairs dancing among them. Orzel offered one of those little cough-like giggles of hers, leaning her head forward. Spike eyed the new necklace she was wearing for a brief moment, though only to admire the fine quality of the rubies set in its surface. The gold contrasted well with the black wool, further accented by her crimson headscarf. "There's a lot of stuff I didn't think I knew, actually... A lot of stuff I don't think you know, either..."

Orzel looked at him with a barely visible raised eyebrow, her eyes shimmering like gemstones. Spike got the sense whatever else was bothering her, it wasn't anything he'd done. The Princess moved closer to him, and it was at this point the young man felt her virtually trembling in his arms. This was the closest the two of them had ever been, and it was only now that Spike saw how... Vulnerable she was. There he was thinking it'd been tough getting up the nerve to ask her to dance, he hadn't even considered that she might be just as nervous about taking that chance... All the more reason for Spike not to screw this next bit up. He tried to think of something witty, or at the very least creative, but the truth was he'd never thought he'd make it this far.

"I had this whole speech planned out in my head, but... I guess I don't know how much time I have left, so... Forget it." He looked off at Rarity across the room, thinking about how much time he'd spent 'spinning his wheels' for her... This was it. Time to bite the bullet, be a man... "I've been racking my brain trying to think of a way to tell you that I like you... As more than a friend. I have, for a very long time." Orzel's features briefly shifted to about as genuinely shocked as she ever allowed herself to get, but she swiftly gained control of herself and looked down at the floor.

"I... I had suspected as much..." The Princess started, subtly stepping closer to him as they continued to move with the music. "I care a great deal for you as more than a friend as well, Spike..." She paused. "I apologize, I do not know how to properly put my feelings into words." Orzel leaned her head against his chest, sighing faintly through her nose. Spike nearly stopped, because for a few moments he felt her shake in his arms, then... Was... Was she crying? "You do not think I am ugly?" Spike once again almost froze, as in that moment... Things started to make more sense. Why the Princess always insisted on covering her face, for one thing.

"Of course not." The young man stated firmly, his eyes panning over the table where Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Twilight, and a handful of other people were now seated. Twilight and Celestia looked pleased with what they were seeing, while Princess Luna... Not so much. None of them knew what was being said on the dance floor, and Spike wasn't entirely sure he wanted them to. "I... I admit, I don't really know what else to say here. I don't want to say the wrong thing, y'know? Like I would mean it as a positive thing, but..."

Spike trailed off as the two of them just continued their dance, each apparently processing the news shared by the other. It was just starting to set in, he'd told the Princess how she felt, and she essentially felt the same way. He should've been over the moon... This was the part in all the other books where the hero and the Princess should've been overcome by joy... But there was no swelling music, no outspoken jovial response, it was just him and the Princess. If anything, Spike was afraid to make a step in any direction for fear of undoing what he'd built up in his head as the largest hurdle so far...

"Why did you not tell me sooner?" Orzel asked quietly as the pair made their way around the dance floor, her head still resting against his chest. Just from that alone Spike could tell she was still crying, and that, more than anything, was playing havoc with his head. He didn't think they were sad tears, of course, but... Orzel didn't cry. Period. As far as Spike knew, it just didn't happen. She'd told him about the night her family died without so much as getting misty eyed, among other equally saddening events that easily might've had someone else bawling their eyes out, but this... This was what got her?

"I guess I was also scared I wouldn't be able to handle all the stuff that comes with you being a Princess..." Spike answered honestly, cautious of how best to handle his response. "I don't know the first thing about politics." Orzel giggled again, a little softer this time, which did wonders to boost his confidence that the tears were anything but the product of sadness.

"I would not expect you to..." The Princess stated quietly as the two of them neared the edge of the dance floor. "You forget that I am also quite new to this." Spike hummed quietly in acknowledgment, adjusting the placement of his hands now that he wasn't quite as nervous. "You need not concern yourself with politics, Spike. In fact, I find that to be one of your more endearing qualities." Orzel took a few deep breaths, leaning against Spike a bit more, allowing him to lead the dance with a greater deal of control. "I am... Unsure of where we go from this point?" Spike chuckled faintly, that was a first... Typically the Princess had a plan for everything, or a vague outline, or at the very least some sort of... Word cloud?

"Well, again, I think that makes to of us..." Temporized Spike, his brow furrowing as he pondered what the next proper course of action was. It wasn't like they had a lot of time to go out for dinner or anything, especially seeing as it seemed obvious the current song was going to be the last of the evening. "I guess for now we just keep doing what we did before? Writing letters to one another, talking on the phone, and so on... Then, whenever you get back, we can, I don't know... Go to dinner?" The Princess looked up at him, her teary eyes intensely pensive, then shook her head.

"I do not feel comfortable eating in public. The last thing I would want is for the press to get a picture of us eating as we normally do..." Orzel countered, leaning more against him as they continued moving with the music. "Perhaps we could see an opera?" Spike was unable to hide a wince, opera was decidedly not his scene. Orzel picked up on that fairly quickly, and responded with another one of those odd giggles of hers. "Okay... No opera. Maybe we just, what is the idiom...? Play it by ear?" She offered a small smile, an actual smile, far more fitting her beautiful features than the typical stoic mask. It lingered considerably longer than any previous smile he'd seen, and warmed his spirits with its sincerity. "What will it matter what we are doing, so long as we are spending time together?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way..." Spike spoke with a tone of realization, all while leading the Princess closer to the edge of the dance floor. The song was reaching its closing notes, in just a few moments the evening would come to its conclusion... "I'm really going to miss you. Like... I knew it was coming, but it's all just hitting me now."

That was a bit of an understatement... He'd had so many worries to focus on that night that the actual matter of saying goodbye had been pushed to the back burner. Now, for a few blissful minutes, he'd actually gotten to feel like the luckiest guy alive... Only to have it ripped away from him. The two came to a stop just as the music ended, though Orzel didn't step away as Spike expected. Instead, she leaned against the young man, hugging him tightly. In all the time he'd been alive, he'd been hugged by many people, but... This one? This one felt different... Not bad, just... Different. More personal.

"Things will be okay." Orzel assured him before relinquishing the hug, then she looked up at him with those gorgeous emerald eyes of hers. For a few moments she stopped beside one of the tables, taking a napkin and dabbing at her cheeks, having brought the tears under control by now. "For now, I think it might be best to keep this development from my Mother... I am not certain she will approve." Spike briefly considered telling Orzel that Princess Luna very probably knew already, but... He wasn't sure what to say. Regardless, with the band having played the last song, the buffet closed, and the hour thoroughly late, the moment he'd been dreading all evening had all but come to pass.

The two of them made their way over to the table where their respective parents sat, all of whom were in the midst of talking about this or that... It was a phenomenon Spike was all too familiar with in Ponyville. Everyone had to go home, but no one wanted to be the first to leave. This typically led to a twenty minute period of the people involved insisting that they really had to be going, often numerous times, until finally someone had enough sitting around and actually left. Speaking of leaving, Spike hadn't seen Rarity since she'd grinned at him across the room, nor had he seen Prince Blueblood.

Maybe Blueblood had retired early, but that really didn't make sense seeing as Rarity lived in Ponyville, so why would she leave at the same time as the Prince? Maybe she just wanted to beat the traffic to the train station? It still didn't explain why the woman hadn't at least stopped to say goodbye. Spike supposed it was probably just an innocent oversight, the result of understandable exhaustion and a desire to get home. Were this any other night, the young man was certain he'd be well on board with that line of thinking... Just as he feared the night would reach its conclusion, however, the sentence of bidding Orzel farewell was stayed by an unanticipated outburst.

"You guys can't leave yet!" Celestia abruptly declared, bringing all eyes towards her. Spike was briefly taken off guard, he'd become so used to speaking Draconic that evening that hearing Equestrian sounded... Strange. He didn't know what she could possibly mean, it most certainly seemed like there was nothing else to keep them around, much as he wished that were the case. The few remaining members of the Castle Staff were in the process of leaving, turning off many of the ballroom's illustrious chandeliers and other light fixtures. All that remained to illuminate the cavernous space was the warm friendly glow emanating from the sparkling Hearth's Warming tree. "We still have presents under the tree, and I know for a fact there's at least one for each of you!" The woman explained cheerfully, gesturing to area currently dominated by the stately pine.

Spike inhaled sharply as he recalled that he'd actually placed something under the tree at the start of the evening. With all that'd happened, and all the hours that'd passed, it almost entirely slipped his mind. The gift itself wasn't anything world shattering, though it was maybe a tad out of the ordinary as far as gifts for a Princess might be concerned. It was just something Spike sent away for in one of the mail order catalogs that occasionally made the rounds at the library. He'd even paid an extra five Bits to have it delivered via teleportation magic, just so he was certain it'd be there in time for Orzel's departure.

Honestly, Spike didn't expect he'd get the chance to be around whenever the Princess opened it, seeing as most of the time presents were left until Hearth's Warming Day. Looking over at Orzel, he could see the hidden joy blazing in her eyes. Celestia was giving them a few more minutes, maybe even an hour, to just be together... While Spike was certainly nervous about being included in what for all intents and purposes was a private family moment, the notion of spending a little more time with his Princess was no less welcome.

"That's a great idea!" Twilight chimed in, prompting Spike to cast a look at Orzel, just to ensure that she was okay with the idea. The Princess looked at him serenely, once more assuring the young man that things would be alright. The rest of the group seemed inclined to go along with Celestia's suggestion, and together they made their way to the tree... Orzel never strayed more than a few feet from Spike, all the while Princess Luna was watching him intently. If looks could kill, he'd be dead where he stood.

They assembled around the tree, some dragging seats over from the now abandoned tables, others opting to sit on the floor itself. The lights were low, and Celestia summoned a small phonograph to give the scene a more festive flair. It commenced to play a slow piano rendition of an upbeat holiday tune, which when coupled with the low light, might've been misconstrued as potentially romantic... Most of the adults continued to chat among themselves, meanwhile Spike and Orzel sat beside one another. Every now and then they'd meet eachother's eyes, blush, and then look away... This too was doubtful to go unnoticed by the protective eyes of Princess Luna, though as of yet she'd failed to say or do anything beyond staring Spike down.

There were quite a few boxes and bags resting beneath the tree, some were small boxes, others looked to be full sized shipping crates, easily enough to keep them busy for the next forty-five minutes. All of were wrapped in festive colorful papers, accentuated by bright red ribbons and bows. It was easy for Spike to spot the package that he'd brought, and a little embarrassing when compared to its flashy neighbors. He'd paid extra for gift wrapping, but that 'gift wrapping' amounted to little more than brown paper and butcher's twine. The parcel itself was about the size of a bread box, further adding to the illusion that it was the odd gift out, as it was one of the smaller ones in the pile.

First to open their presents were Cadence and Shining Armor, both of whom Spike was considering approaching for advice later. Obviously, Shining had far more experience courting Princesses than anyone, and Cadence, as the court-ee, would equally be qualified to attest to the actual effectiveness of said courting practices. Twilight evidently still failed to see that the pair was an item, though for how much long that would last was difficult to determine. Still, Spike didn't plan on being the one to break the news to her, as he wasn't sure either Cadence or Shining would appreciate him doing so.

Cadence and Shining Armor had purchased gifts for one another, in addition to those that'd been given by their immediate family. The Captain of the Guard's eyes went wide as he opened an envelope, which contained season tickets for the 'Mountaineers', Canterlot's baseball team. They included a private viewing box overlooking home plate, complete with buffet... Spike could've sworn he saw tears form in the big soldier's eyes, not that he'd blame the man. While not the biggest sports fan out there, Spike could still appreciate a good ballgame when the mood suited him. Cadence, meanwhile, received a far less expensive gift... A pink beret, which came with a chin strap of all things. It must've meant something to the woman, because she burst out laughing, mentioning something about a show they'd gone to see a while ago. To top things off, she gave Shining a great big kiss on the lips.

"Hey, Spike...?" Quietly asked Twilight, the young man looked over. "Do you think there's something going on between Cadence and Shining?" Spike's jaw hung slack for a few moments, he honestly wasn't sure how to respond. After a few moments hesitation, he opted to just... Shrug. He was honestly amazed that Twilight couldn't figure that out on her own... Then again, she had been hitting the eggnog pretty hard that evening.

Next in the running were the gifts given between the Princesses themselves, starting with a brand new set of star charts for Luna. Celestia accepted a remarkably tacky looking snow globe, depicting a coyote poised to eat a woodpecker, given to her by her sister... The woman absolutely adored the thing in spite of the obvious cheapness, she must've had a thing for curios. Piercing Gaze, whom Orzel had regularly described as her lab assistant and quasi-step-father, gave Celestia a similar bric-a-brac... A little statuette of baseball player Clutch Fencebuster, whose head bobbled about on a spring. This gift giving went back and forth, until eventually all eyes fell on Orzel, whom had yet to give, or receive, a gift.

"I vasss think-ink you might like thisss, as not ai-bull to continue lessonsss." Orzel spoke up quietly in Equestrian, the first time Spike had heard her do so that night. From the sound of things she was trying mightily to rein in the hissing, to varying degrees of success. The girl picked up a leather bound book from the nearby pile, held shut with a bright red ribbon, tied into a bow. She handed it to Piercing Gaze, who took it cautiously. "Only ssshort time to write, so I comp-leate when come bahk." The man removed the bow, then opened the book. After a few moments he smiled widely, rapidly leafing through the pages with great speed.

"This is..." He began, then trailed off with mild disbelief. "This is the most extensive collection of the Kwarczkie language I have ever seen. If I might ask, how do you know the details of so many words? The definitions? The classifications?" Orzel paused momentarily, her brow furrowing for a moment or two, before she ultimately shrugged.

"Do not know..." She admitted simply. "They jussst... Come-ink to me as I wrote." Spike couldn't help but notice her hand drifting towards the pendant that hung around her neck, idly fiddling with it for a few moments. Twilight meanwhile scooted over towards Piercing, almost hesitantly at first, but Spike supposed her curiosity about the book won out. Why she was hesitant was another mystery, though he didn't feel compelled to press her on it. It wasn't any of Spike's business. "As I sssay, is not complete, ssso I mail re-main-ink pah-jesss. You have my apple-ogiesss."

Piercing cautiously allowed Twilight to examine the book, taking a book of his own from the pile. Spike noted that this one looked far older, older than any book had a right to be. Perhaps even the oldest book he'd ever seen. This he handed to Orzel, who accepted it daintily. She examined the spine of the book with furrowed brow, obviously intrigued, as it had no discernible title where one might typically find one. With a great deal of care, the Princess opened the cover.

"By Lexicosss...." Orzel said softly, almost in disbelief. "Firssst edition of 'Empire', and..." The girl examined the pages closely, then the cover again, then the spine. Her eyes went wide. "Isss comp-leat-ly original!"

"Really!?" Twilight suddenly cried out again, handing the Kwarczkie Dictionary back to Piercing as she moved to look at what Spike assumed to be a very old book... Empire was a good thousand years old by his recollection, so a first edition was probably the same age. "All the pages are here... The illustrations are all done by hand, and is that...?" The woman and Orzel almost in unison emitted what had to be the strangest sound Spike had ever heard from either of them. A high pitched 'Squee!' the likes of which he never thought would be capable of coming out of Orzel, or his Mom, for that matter. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! He signed it! Observos the Watchful actually signed it!"

Orzel actually hugged the book against her chest, gaining the largest, toothiest, smile Spike had ever seen of her thus far. Every tooth had by now become razor sharp, all the better for tearing away and chewing chunks of raw meat. They had taken on a faintly metallic luster, and and Spike knew from his own shifting dentition that the Princess bite force was likely upwards of seven-thousand-seven-hundred pounds per square inch. Wholly unnecessary for life in a modern Equestrian setting, but absolutely vital in the vast and untamed wilds of the Dragonlands.

Orzel's smile stretched virtually from ear to ear, just one example of the millions of years of evolution that'd rendered dragonkind into the world's most foremost predators... By the Gods, it was magnificent. How could Orzel think herself ugly? Between her sheer physicality and raw arcane power, Spike just didn't understand how she could see herself as anything but the epitome of draconic beauty... He supposed, if he was going by the metrics of Equestria, she might be a tad... Off... But, Spike was past looking at that sort of thing now.

If that was how she saw herself, then the young man had just acquired a new mission in life. It would have to wait, unfortunately, as now was neither the time nor the place. So he settled for sitting at her side, basking in that radiant grin of carnivorous majesty for as long as she allowed it to shine.

"Thisss isss... I can-not be-jin..." She began in Equestrian, only to stop and swap to her native Szafirian, which Spike was actually getting pretty good at by now. "I cannot begin to thank you enough! This is too much, Mister Gaze! Do you have any idea how much this is worth?!" She asked rhetorically, looking at the book with her eyes glowing brighter than before. "It... It should be in a museum..." The struggle against her desire to hoard the book was written across her face, but no one hear would stop her. "Where...? Where did you find it?" Piercing smiled amicably, crossing his arms across his chest whilst Twilight and Orzel continued to fawn over the book.

"Let's just say I know a guy that knew the author..." Piercing stated coolly in Equestrian, only to immediately go pale and wave his hands dismissively. "I mean... I know a... A descendant of a guy that knew the author. Yeah, that's totally what I meant!" Spike got the feeling that wasn't anything at all what the man meant, but he didn't care to go pulling on that thread at present. It was Hearth's Warming Eve, after all, hardly a good time to deal with... Whatever that was. "Books are meant to be read, Orzel, not gawked at inside some glass case by stuffy rich people. It does need to be handled delicately, and I know I can trust you to treat it with the care it deserves." The man added sincerely, returning to his earlier relaxed state.

From there Orzel received several other packages from her cousins... Blueblood, having departed early, would have his gift to Orzel opened in absentia. His was the package shaped like a shipping crate, because it was, indeed, a wooden shipping crate. It contained an entire series entitled 'Der Kaiser Ist Tot!: An Unabridged Examination of the Collapse of the Thestral Imperium and its Lingering Effects on Modern Geo-Politics: Volumes I to XXXV'... All of which were nearly six inches thick, which accounted for the need to deliver it in such a massive container. The lengthy title spelled out fairly clearly what one might expect to find in its volumes.

Cadence continued with the book trend, giving Orzel something called 'The Complete Encyclopedia Enchantica: Volumes I to XV'. Also delivered in a box with numerous volumes, thought not nearly as extensive as Blueblood's gift. Encyclopedia contained just about every enchantment known to the modern Enchanting school of magic. Wards, runes, permanent spells, golem maintenance, levitation, even scroll creation. With the exceptions of some highly obscure and possibly apocryphal enchantments, it was all there...

Spike had no doubt that all fifty books would be completely read and re-read before the week was through, especially given Orzel's recently developed eyes. She was almost quite literally drooling over the collection of leather, paper, and ink, as if eying some great all-she-could-eat buffet of assorted meats... With a great deal of effort, the Princess restored her calmer appearance. She looked over at Spike once again, this time with an expression he couldn't quite discern. Not vulnerability, but... Maybe she was seeking reassurance? The young man smiled warmly at her, causing the Princess's cheeks to once again flush deeply.

Luna quietly cleared her throat, and after a minor preamble about the short notice of her departure hampering things, presented Orzel with an envelope. Within she found what looked to be a legal document of some sort, which Spike actually recognized as he leaned over to get a better look. Her Diploma, or the home school equivalent of it at any rate... The young man didn't really remember what it was called, he'd only gotten his recently, not that it seemed to matter much. The fire department hadn't asked to see it, nor had the Navy recruiter for that matter.

Evidently Orzel wouldn't have had time to actually take the test, but had by far learned enough to ace it, so Luna had petitioned the EEA for special dispensation. According to the Princess, they'd given up resisting the request when a pallet, a pallet, of diligently filled out notebooks, some of which were more in depth than actual school textbooks, was presented as evidence that Orzel had not only understood the material, but absorbed it as well While it hadn't really been a big deal for Spike, just something he'd needed because Twilight said he had to get one, the diploma certainly meant a lot to Orzel.

With every minute that passed, the seeming inadequacy of what he'd brought for Orzel only mounted... It got even worse when Celestia presented Orzel with a pageant necklace, much like those she and Luna wore as part of their regalia. This one was made of wolfram-arcanium alloy, studded with absolutely gigantic emeralds, and accented by a large central pendant that bore a bronze dragon insignia, which matched the Princess's Royal insignia perfectly... Spike had become quite good at identifying it, as every letter he received from Orzel was sealed with that same marking.

In return for these gifts, Orzel gave each of them something she'd either made herself or picked up in what little spare time she had... Given how much Orzel and Spike talked, he knew that amount of time was vanishingly small. For Celestia, the compiled works of the famous tenor 'Soppressata Alfredo', including several obscure recordings, previously unreleased to the public.

For her Mother, Orzel produced from a small satin bag what at first looked to be a simple fork... Which, it turned out, had been enchanted... Orzel explained how the enchantment worked, and how greatly improved the end product was compared to her first foray into the field of enchanting.

"Never had I felt I could be more than what I was..." Orzel explained solemnly in Szafirian, with Spike opting to translate for the benefit of those that didn't speak it. "You pushed me to try, even when I felt I could only fail. While I owe a great deal of who I am to my birth parents, everything I am now, everything good I have accomplished here in Equestria, I owe to you, Mother..." She handed the fork and its accompanying bag to Luna, her voice cracking when next she spoke. "You saved me..."

That obviously meant a lot to Luna, who accepted the gift gratefully, then, with slightly teary eyes, she proceeded to hug her daughter as tightly as was conceivably possible. It was nice to see the woman that could potentially banish Spike to another celestial body had an emotion, aside from cold judgment and blatant suspicion. It also gave the young man a deeper insight into why she might've been so hostile towards him and Orzel spending so much time together... Spike wasn't sure how he'd address it at present, but at least he knew it was based in care for Orzel, and not an underlying dislike of him as a person...

Cadence received gift certificate to some spa, and Blueblood... Well, he wasn't there to open it, so it remained a mystery. Gradually the rest of the group received their presents, all the while Spike eyed the brown paper package placed beneath the tree. The gifts weren't limited to the Princesses or the royal family either, indeed it seemed Celestia had really gone all out. She'd given Twilight what at first seemed to be a playing card, but the happy squealing and utterances of gratitude indicated it was anything but. Upon closer inspection, Spike realized it was a golden card, engraved with the sigil of the Royal Canterlot Archives, bearing Twilight's name... A Golden Scholar's Pass, granting Twilight unlimited access to the RCA. There could be no more than fifty of such active cards in the world, each of which could only be issued by Mandate of the Crown, and now Twilight held one such card.

In Spike's case, the Princess managed to somehow get her hands on a genuine air brush kit from 'Mini-Tech', just about the most highly sought after tool on the model making market... It wasn't a used model either, as it was still sealed in its original box, which made the kit all the more rare. Finding anything from Mini-Tech anymore was virtually impossible, as they'd gone out of business years ago. All the fine craftsmanship made for expensive prices, which severely limited the number of people who could afford their product to an unsustainable niche market. Spike wasn't sure what he should say aside from 'Thank you!', and he was honestly wondering if he should even open the box to begin with... It'd ruin the value. Then again, he suspected Celestia hadn't purchased it for him to let sit on a shelf...

While the young man was certainly grateful for what the Princess gotten him, it only twisted the knife further regarding his own purchase. By now he was certain that his gift to Orzel would end up being the low point of the evening... It didn't help that he and Orzel were the last ones with gifts to give one another. As Orzel was a Princess, she opted to use her Princessly powers to go first, not that Spike would've argued the point. He wasn't sure what it was she intended to give him, as a Princess the possibilities at her disposal were virtually limitless. The girl searched around the bottom of the tree, then grabbed a modestly sized package, wrapped in simple red paper, with a white envelope taped to its side. Examining it to ensure it was indeed the correct box, Orzel offered it to Spike.

Spike decided to open the envelope first, and what he found within surprised him. Two-Hundred Bits in paper currency, as well as a circular embroidered patch. The latter most item obviously belonged on a fire fighter's uniform judging by the brilliant florian cross. What stuck out to Spike was the bronze dragon insignia situated in the central roundel, which hovered above a silver shield emblazoned with the letters 'CDA'. The dragon drew inspiration from Orzel's personal emblem, but held clenched a sword in one talon and a fire axe in the other. The text beneath the insignia was the motto of the FDPV, 'Fire Defense is Civil Defense', while a ring of Szafirian runes ran around its entire circumference.

"It is a new enchantment I have been working on." Orzel explained to him in Draconic, picking up the patch and holding it in her palm. "Here, blow flames on it." Spike looked at the Princess skeptically, then exhaled a small burst of green fire. He feared the patch would be incinerated, as they were quite intense, but... When the flames died down, he was stunned to see the patch right where it'd been before, perfectly untouched. "There are other features as well. For example, if you become trapped or are knocked unconscious, the patch will emit a distinct and loud noise." The girl explained seriously. "Your brigade commander consented to testing these for me in the field, and while I have made all of them by hand to ensure no failures, this one I put particular effort into." Spike took the patch back as the others looked on with fascination. "I do not want anything to happen to you, especially after... Well, you know." She said a bit more quietly. "The money is merely the remainder of the budget I allotted myself for the more substantial aspect of your gift. Please, spend it as you please."

"Thank you, my Lady..." Spike responded genuinely, inwardly smiling to himself as the Princess's cheeks blushed a more vibrant red than was typical. He was truly touched by the gift, as he knew that Orzel was probably understating the amount of effort she'd given. That just left the package, which Spike found to be surprisingly heavy. Removing the paper, he found himself looking at a highly polished wooden box, the lid of which bore Orzel's emblem in polished raised bronze. To open the box he first had to undo a small latch, and what awaited him inside was... Surprising.

It contained five humanoid contraptions, slightly larger than one might expect of a typical 1:6 Scale action figure or wooden artist's model. They were made entirely from metal, displaying a level of articulation unmatched by any conventionally available toy. Each bore two dull green gemstone eyes, with their chests being numbered from '1' to '5' in ascending order. Spike's brow furrowed as he attempted figure out precisely what they were. Reading his evident confusion, the Princess cleared her throat.

"Those are constructs I designed to aid you at the library, or just in general around the house." Orzel explained, continuing in draconic. "They will respond to your commands, be they verbal or mental. I have already imbued them with a basic understanding of the standard library organization system, so they can even operate autonomously when you are not present to directly influence them." She added further as Spike carefully removed one of the surprisingly heavy contrivances from the box. "I used a wolfram-arcanium alloy for their torsos, the rest of their bodies are comprised of stainless steel, to minimize the risk failure on account of oxidation. Their joints will require occasional lubrication... Actually, all the information you need is in the booklet." Spike looked back in the box, spotting the aforementioned booklet at the bottom.

"I don't know what to say..." Spike responded with a genuine smile, placing the figurine back in the box and closing the lid. "I mean, thank you, obviously, just..." He set the box on the floor and looked again at the patch. "You put a lot of effort into both of these, and when I look at what I got you, well..." He shrugged, his smile fading slightly.

Orzel responded by putting her hand on his shoulder. Though it was obvious she wanted to do something more, the fact that they remained in mixed company stayed her hand... Still, just knowing that she wanted to comfort him was enough, especially given the recent deepening of their relationship. With that in mind, he once again translated what Orzel's gift was for those that didn't speak draconic. Twilight's grasp of the language was decent, and he noted that she'd been eying the box of 'Mechassistants' with an envy not unlike that of a dragon, ever since Orzel first explained what they were... Of course, as his Mom, she'd be free to use them as well.

"I still wish I had something as stunning to give you in return." The young man sighed faintly, picking up the plain paper package and holding it in his laps for a few moments. "It's just a little something I saw in a catalog. I know you're interested in learning about new stuff, and since you're really into science fiction, I figured you might get a kick out of it. Something to do in your off time, y'know? I hope you like it." Bracing himself for the worst, he handed the package to the Princess.

She opened it with eminent care, undoing the knot, peeling away the paper to reveal... A checkered black and white box, on the side of which was emblazoned a stylized rocket, which was bright orange in color... It was obvious from the packaging, and the slogan 'Light-Years of fun!', that the kit intended for children to put together with their parents. Orzel was probably at that very moment wondering what might posses someone to say 'light-years' as a measurement of time rather than one of distance, but Spike understood by now that sometimes Orzel didn't realize most people weren't as well read as she was. Spike had searched for a more advanced or adult oriented version, but this was the only 'rocket kit' he'd actually been able to find that was available to the general public.

Orzel stared at the box in silence, and Spike could've sworn he saw that far away look in her eyes. This time, however, it wasn't as if she'd 'checked out'. Her eyes glistened with a renewed intensity, and in an instant Spike realized this look wasn't one of distance, it was one of... Inspiration. He'd seen it dozens of times with Twilight, just as all the pieces of a puzzle began to fall into place for some challenging scholastic endeavor, or if she got a new idea for some outlandish experiment...

Somewhere, deep inside that beautiful brain of hers, the Princess's mind had opened a doorway to a world of possibilities hitherto unrealized before. What Spike wouldn't have given to be able to read her thoughts in that moment, to see the potential she saw in that simple children's toy. It was sure to be the subject of days and days of uninterrupted scribbling, note taking, calculating, and re-calculating. Reams of paper would be sacrificed at the altar of scientific or arcane curiosity, not to mention the chalk, ink, and other stationary also destined for the chopping block. Spike knew, in no uncertain terms, that Orzel would love every moment of it... Every second spent in the pursuit of discovery, every experiment, failed or successful, was sure to bring her to the unparalleled heights of joy. With that realization on his part, Spike suddenly didn't feel so bad about the nature of his gift.

"You are correct, Spike... While rocketry is a topic with which I have little experience, I do find that I am intrigued by the prospect." Orzel stated somewhat distantly, before abruptly shaking herself out of the stupor of realization and setting the box beside her other gifts. "It is rare that I encounter a new field of study for which I can immediately see potential, especially in my line of work. This... This is one of those fields. I believe it will be a mentally stimulating endeavor." Those among the group that couldn't speak Draconic just stared at her. "Thisss isss very thoughtful, SSSpike... Thank you, am much eager to be axe-spear-mint-ink with thisss."

She turned in her seat and pulled the boy into a tight hug, angling herself so as to conceal the kiss she hurriedly placed on his cheek. Spike did his best not to react, still his cheeks betrayed his bashfulness. Luna's glare remained at its current level of intensity, which informed him that Orzel's attempt to conceal the act had likely succeeded. From that point on, the writing was all but on the wall. The evening had reached its conclusion, the partygoers had run out of steam. Over the course of a few short minutes, one after another, the scant remnant attendees of the Hearth's Warming Ball bid their final farewells.

There was much that Spike wanted to Orzel, and he could see she had much on her mind as well, but... Neither of them dared to do so in front of others. The best he could hope for was one final hug, one final goodbye, both of which lasted far too briefly. With that, he was forced to leave Canterlot Castle, casting one final look over his shoulder at the Princess, his Princess... Knowing that this would be the last time he saw her for the foreseeable future. He wanted to burn that image into his mind, to remember the night where it all had changed, and to hope for what the future might hold whenever Orzel returned to him. All of this he was forced to remain silent over...

"Spike, are you crying?" Twilight asked as the two of them passed through the falling snow that blanketed the Castle courtyard in a field of white. Spike briefly dabbed at his cheeks, then pursed his lips and sighed through his nose.

"No, Mom..." Spike explained quickly. "Snow just melts extra fast on me, higher body temperature and all that." Twilight looked at him skeptically, at this point they were approaching a waiting sedan that would take them to the train station.

"You know, it's okay to cry when a friend goes away, right?" She asked a little more seriously, reaching over and rubbing his back. "I'm gonna miss her too, but it's not like you two can't write each other! Pen pals are still pals." Spike just nodded quietly, tucking his hands into the pockets of his wool winter jacket. The night had been a bit of a roller coaster, emotionally speaking, but Spike had weathered it about as well as he thought he might. At least that night he would go to bed without the regret of having kept his mouth shut hanging over him. Even if things didn't go exactly as planned, he could still hold his head high and say that finally, on this topic at least, he'd stopped spinning his wheels...