Sora had to admit, in all his time living in Equestria, he had to hand it to the populace, they knew how to set up a party. The vast room was illuminated by enormous crystal chandeliers, their prisms casting a soft, magical glow across the space. The light is golden, tinged with ethereal hues of lavender and silver that shift and dance as if alive, responding to the movements and murmurs of the guests below.

Grand arches span the walls, tapestries woven with threads of gold and silver hung between them. Tables lined with fine crystal goblets, polished silverware, and platters of exotic fruits and rare delicacies that would make even the most stoic person's mouth water.

It was an evening to help raise the morale of the whole kingdom. Much remained to be done, so to help ease the hearts and minds of the people, the Princesses saw it fitting to invite everyone to give back what the castle had to offer. And to also award those that played pivotal roles in saving Equestria; I.E. The very 'monster' they had feared and some had scorned.

"You look tense," Startling Sora from his trance, hiding by one of the archways, Celestia approached with a warm smile. "Expecting somepony- or rather, someone?"

"W-well, the chances of her actually showing up are low- this is W we're talking about, and all this-" He gestured wide to the many nobles that were easy to pick out amongst the common populace. Always look for who had the most sheen to their attire, his Aunt had said once- "Is grounds for her to make herself scarce and probably try to take over the throne again..."

That had Celestia laugh behind her wing, bringing it forward to pat her son on the back. "It was a fun little prank; but I do believe W has her own intentions for coming tonight, little Astra is certainly enjoying herself."

Speaking of the filly, she was seen speaking with Cliffheart and Swift across the hall. The charcoal pony wore a cute, lilac dress with decorative constellations running down the fabric, glimmering just like her silver eyes that occasionally shined when she giggled at something Cliffheart was describing, Swift rolling her eyes.

"She deserves it, they both do," Sora replied, leaning against the archway. That's when Celestia began to walk away. "Mom?"

"Oh, sorry, I have some preparations to attend to, Luna would never let me hear the end of it if I threw all the work atop her," Celestia gave a small wink. "Enjoy yourselves."

"Huh?" Raising a brow at what she meant by that, for a split second, he felt another's presence dangerously close to his.

"Wow, never would've taken you as the 'hide by the punchbowl' type at these fancy-ass parties," He knew her voice a mile away, drawing his attention to-

In that moment, Sora felt his heart stop for the first time in his second life at one of these social gatherings.

W's silky-white skin was shown more, her arms bare, same for her back and even her sides, daringly revealing some of her collarbone and the sides of her breasts. Adoring her body was a midnight-black dress that seemed to sparkle with stardust, transitioning into a thigh-high skirt, black tights and matching flats. A golden necklace stood out against the collar snug around her neck. Lastly, some of her hair was pulled into a messy bun at the back.

Putting one hand against her nape, she placed the other on her thigh, giving him a flirtatious grin. "Likin' the view, Fly-Boy? And they say a 'Monster' can't be stylish, hah, shows what these glue factories know-"

"Beautiful..." He murmured, making her blink a few times to register his words. "...there isn't really a word that I can think of to describe how you look, Aoi..."

A faint pink crossed her cheeks, lowering her hands with a chuckle. "Don't go overloading your brain now, Astra's my last line of salvation to stick this out- let's stick with 'Oh My Gods, you're the most beautiful woman in the world', 'kay?"

"Ye-yeah, that'll suffice," He found his voice again, his throat feeling dry as he coughed. "So, I-I guess our lesson wasn't for naught?"

She blew a raspberry, swirling the wine glass slowly with her tail. "I said what I said, even if this is waaaay out of my comfort zone. I get to lord over these ponies and reap the benefits a little more, what more could a girl want?" She walked closer, emptying her glass with a light smack, tapping the Prince on the nose, seeing him jump slightly. "Well, perhaps I also wanted to see the look on your face when I rocked up in this, best savour it, won't last forever."

"How... haha, where'd you even find this?" Sora gestured to... all of her, admiring W as she gave a little twirl on a heel.

"Thank some tailors, once they caught wind this whole morale-boosting party was mainly to reward yours truly, they saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to model a female human for a change. And I'll admit, those girls know their stuff- guess fashion sense is one win I can give 'em."

"I'm surprised you stuck it out." Sora smirked, seeing her hop her hip to place a hand upon, raising a brow.

"Wooow, I'll have you know, my patience is amazing, I could've committed plenty more crimes in my early days in this cesspool of a world, thank you very much," Rolling her eyes, she eyed her empty glass, setting it down on the table next to her. "I need another drink to get me through this..."

Instead, her antenna-like bangs twitched, eyes catching the hand offered to her, and the cute, weird boy that offered it. "How about... we make good on our practice," Smirking when her eyes widened, and glanced around at the guests, some sparing the Sarkaz looks since she arrived. "W, would you care to dance?"

A groan left her lips, but was unable to hide a smile. "You've been dying to use that line, haven't you?"

"Is it working?"

Her slender hand brushed against his. "Lead the way, Prince before I change my mind."

♫If only you knew what it looks like from here♫

Guided to their own empty space on the floor, not front and center, but just off to one side that wasn't completely out of the way. The music played quietly, slow and steady, its rhythm weaving around them, muffling and tuning out any discourse in their surroundings. They stood close, one hand finding the other’s, fingers interlacing with a shy familiarity.

♫Staring into your eyes lost in your labyrinth♫

W placed her free hand lightly on Sora’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of him through his blazer. His hand settled at the small of her back, careful and grounding, as though they had all the time in the world and he wanted to make sure she knew it.

♫And countless stars glow from countless miles away♫

They began to sway, barely moving, their feet shifting almost instinctively. Sora’s eyes searched hers for a moment before they drifted away, his gaze focused somewhere over her shoulder for a moment, he could feel his mother's and aunt's gazes on them. She looked up at him, smiling slightly at the way he concentrated on ignoring some of the looks thrown their way, how he moved with gentle grace, far better than her occasional misstep.

♫They put on a grand show but all I could see is you♫

"Hey-" She caught his gaze with her fiery eyes- "Eyes are here, Fly Boy."

"I've, uh... n-never really done this," Lack of appropriate dance partners, he was ashamed to admit.

"And you think I'm any better?" She smirked, listening to him whisper a laugh.

"First times all around then," Sora focused on her again, solely on the silverette that infected his mind and kept him hooked.

♫I watch as the night bloom into a vast wonder♫

W only smiled, and without thinking, she shifted her hand, moving from his shoulder to the back of his neck, feeling his breath hitch as her fingers brushed through his hair. She could feel the faint tremor in his grip, could sense the awareness between them, delicate as the music filling the room.

♫Stars of ancient past have gathered here to find you♫

"Let them gawk, I already caught some that looked oh-so-eager to see me disappear," W grinned, whipping her tail behind her to curl around them without touching either of their bodies.

"I know the feeling all-too-well," How many saw him as some creature, maybe it wasn't exactly the same as W's experiences, but he could understand the feeling, and tell when others watched on with spite. But right now, he could hardly care, pivoting a little faster, surprising W who jumped a bit, then grinned daringly back.

"Oh, you're enjoying this..." She could see it in those stupid, mesmerizing eyes.

♫But it's so unfair for them, don't you think?♫

They continued to sway, less a dance now and more a simple closeness, a quiet comfort they both seemed to sink into. Time drifted, the world around them fading, leaving just the slow rhythm of their steps, the soft, shared breath, the press of their hands together.

♫They're all outshined by the most beautiful one♫

After a while, Sora leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper, his heart racing a mile ahead. "So... is this more toward the preferred Isekai adventure you wanted?"

Realizing the situation they were in, it did settle into one of those key moments in a fantasy novel didn't it? It was no secret that W still held resentment for Equestria, but, she'd be lying if there were a handful of benefits and pleasant, unforgettable memories along the way. And where she was now? Well, what girl could complain?

♫And I don't know if you've realized it♫

W's head came to rest against Sora's shoulder, her eyes slipping closed. She felt his cheek brush against her hair, the subtle shift in his arms as he pulled her a little bit closer. "...more than you know." Her voice travelled, gentle and warm.

They swayed in silence, forgetting the world and all its problems, lost in their own serenity, letting the music carry them along.

♫But darling it's you, the most beautiful one here tonight♫

End

Author's Note

Finally got to see the fruits of W's labour in 0-7, she and Sora whisked away into their slow dance for the whole kingdom to see. A Prince of another world, and the Devil that stole his heart. Super sweet this one! I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya next time, Renegades!

And if you were wondering what song they danced to, here it is, enjoy.

Mica Caldito - Night Bloom (Lyric Video)