The Princess' New Bodyguard

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Misty stared down at her hooves against the cold, violet floor of her home. In front of her, Opaline paced about in a wide circle in front of her throne. Moonlight stole the green of the windows behind the throne and spread across Opaline’s face like a hood.

For the past five minutes, Opaline had mostly been muttering to herself. Whenever Misty tried to leave, she snapped and demanded she stay in place. Misty was used to being sent away when Opaline was like this.

“I think you’re ready,” Opaline said. “I have a new job for you, Misty.”

“Yes!” Her voice came out a little too strong. “I mean– thank you. Anything for you, Opaline.”

“Sit.”

Misty sat in place.

Dull smoke rose from Opaline’s horn. It curled into a round shape and took form as a floating, round amulet made of light. The amulet rotated between its two sides. On one side, an illustration of the sun outlined an orange gemstone cut like the top of a diamond. On the other, a crescent moon and stars curved around a purple gemstone cut the same way.

Opaline clicked her teeth, staring up at it. “Ever since that Twi-light Sparkle began her rule of Equestria, the Eclipse Amulet was empowered to control the sun and moon by itself. And ever since magic returned, the ponies have kept it within Maretime Palace. Even if anyone reached to take it, the amulet’s power could sense ill intent and blow them to smithereens.”

“But what do you want me to do?” Misty asked.

Opaline smiled. “Well Misty, I want you to save the world.”

Opaline walked past Misty’s shoulder.

“Uh, what?” Misty asked. “Save the world? Me?”

“No, you fool. I’ll be saving the world. You’re a toold I’ll be using to do it.”

“Oh, uh… Right. Of course, Opaline.” Misty straightened out. “But, uh, from what?”

Opaline kept her face turned away. “After many moons, the amulet’s power needs to be recalibrated to match the changes within the cosmos. Only a true alicorn can handle that kind of magic. Their princess, Sunny Starscout…” Opaline faced Misty and flared her wings. “Well, she’s a novice. She doesn’t know the true power of my kind. By the time they realize what needs to be done, it will be too late for them. You are going to fetch that amulet for me, Misty. And once you infiltrate as a palace guard, you’ll have plenty of time to frolic around and find it.”

Opaline walked past Misty again and faced her throne. The light of dawn struggled to reach down its back, but never quite made it to the seat.

Misty raised a hoof in front of her chin. “Um, Opaline?”

“Yes?” she hummed.

“Uh, I don’t think I could fit in as a guard,” Misty said. “I mean, it’s just that, well, you didn’t let me eat for two days this week when I brought back those rotten shadowberries. Which I deserved!” she added quickly. “The, uh, punishment… But, um, I don’t think I’m big enough because I’m sort of underweight right now? And guards are supposed to be big and strong, right?”

Opaline turned the side of her mouth towards Misty. “I don’t care if you have to shove pillows in your shoulder pads. Make it happen.”

“Y-yes Opaline.”

“Good. Now, I have a set of old armor that should work for a pinch. It’s not up to date, but it should get your hoof in the door for tryouts. After that, I expect you to read a book cover to cover on expected decorum, and to remember all of it.” She stomped her hoof and leered down at Misty. “But bear in mind I won’t be there to handle everything for you like I usually do. If this Sunny Starscout catches on, she’ll think you’re trying to destroy the very balance of nature itself. If you get on the receiving end of the punishment that follows, I’m not going to make up for your failure. You have three days to perfect your mannerisms before you set off. Use them wisely.”

Opaline stood in silence.

“Well?” Opaline asked. “Get to it.”

“Right,” Misty said, “It’s just, um, Opaline?

“What?” she growled.

“Can I have a snack?”

“No!”

“S-sorry!”

Misty scampered off.

Misty spent her three days eating, sleeping, and reading. Given that she still couldn’t eat much, after six hundred dense pages, her head felt like it was splitting.

At dinner, Misty stared down a bowl of murky soup on a long table in front of her. Part of her brain couldn’t tell if it was food to eat or words to read. Either way, a fog rolled in through her head.

“No no no no no!”

Misty’s head smacked the table. Soup dripped down her horn to the top of her lips. Opaline rushed over with her mouth hanging open.

“I-I’m okay!” Misty sputtered.

Opaline sped over, reached out her hoof for Misty’s face, and shoved her chair back. “My favorite cereal bowl! Do you have any idea how much that cost?”

“Sorry, I–”

“Go to your room!”

Misty did so, and she passed out on her bed instead.

A clock kept track of the time Misty didn’t have the fortitude to think about. When it rang to wake her up for the third morning, she knew it was time.

Misty had piled up the armor in her room’s corner. Worn patches of gray corrupted large portions of its gold surface. The chanfron fit tight on her face and squeaked when she wrinkled her nose. She stuffed her mane under the crinet and put on the rest. Stiff, dark cloth covered most of her body. Metal surrounded her hooves and arched a short way up her legs in the pattern of flames. Another piece of armor fit around her neck like a long necklace, complete with a faded blue star. The last metal pieces fit on her back and around where her cutie mark would be, if she had one.

Misty checked herself over with a little spin in front of the mirror. The armor didn’t leave many features visible. It cut off the view of her eyelashes, obscured her freckles, and let her make her curly tail look more like an unnoticeable nub. If someone with a few matching traits replaced her, anypony watching might not even notice. It turned her into a ghost.

She liked it. No one would look at her this way.

With everything settled, Misty approached Opaline’s throne for one last check-in before she left. She stared down at her hoofs, acutely aware of every metallic click her steps made.

“Oh my, aren’t you just gorgeous!”

Misty’s ears flicked. She looked up wide-eyed. “Uh…”

Opaline laid on her side on her throne with a mirror in hoof. She angled her face to check how her own smile appeared at different angles. Misty tilted her head.

“Honestly, how do I do it, Misty?” Opaline sighed wistfully. “This truly is the picture of perfection.” She set the mirror aside and glowered up and down at Misty’s form. “Oh… That’s hideous. You’ll fit right in. Now, show me your bow?”

Misty raised her front right hoof, lowered her head, and shuttered her eyes. After a few seconds, she returned to standing.

Opaline smiled. “Well Misty, you are marketably less irritating this way.” She frowned. “But be warned, that material may be outdated as well. If you want to fit in, pay attention to what other ponies are doing and adapt to your surroundings. Be smart for once. And try not to bumble around like you usually do.

“And remember, Misty, if I can’t fix the Eclipse Amulet, nopony else can. If you do this for me,” she glanced past Misy’s face, “I’ll grant you that cutie mark.”

Misty’s heart soared. “Yes, Opaline! I, uh, won’t let you down!”

“You’d better not.”

With that final warning, Misty set off.

Past the bridge into Opaline’s castle, thick woods cornered it off from the rest of the world. Misty followed a dirt path carved out of the weeds by her own hoofs. No one ever came out to here, but beyond the woods, ponies could be anywhere. If Misty wanted to blend in, she’d need to figure out the details about tryouts quick; conversations could get strange if she didn’t.

Luckily, Opaline planned out the day Misty left. Tryouts took place en masse around the start of spring, Misty had been too afraid to ask how long Opaline had planned this, or how much time she had to complete her mission. “As quickly as possible,” would probably be Opaline’s answer, knowing her.

Maretime Palace loomed over a town from a cliff’s edge. It stood as a stone behemoth against the view of the sea. The flag of Unity blotted out the sun, and its towers cast shadows along marble walkways leading to its gates. Even though a long grassland stood between Misty and those gates, their imposing arches felt like they would crush her for a dirty look.

Misty wouldn’t head there yet. Tryouts took place in the town below, and they were known for being picky. From what little info the book offered about them, they always accounted for what the current ruler wanted from those in their service. Sunny Starscout was new. Misty had to be ready for anything.

Some type of festival was going on; streamers with the Unity Flag lined every brick street. Misty measured every step to avoid smacking into another pony. Instead of wandering around, she locked in on other ponies in armor and followed them through winding streets and mazes of storefronts.

The ponies in gold armor gathered around a fountain. A lavender unicorn with a long, blue mane paraded on the fountain’s wall. Her high voice reached every set of ears nearby, but in the back, not even Misty could make out enough words to know what was going on. She turned to a dull-red stallion next to her.

“Is this tryouts?” Misty whispered.

The pony nodded. Misty nodded back her gratitude. She could figure out what it was about by following along.

Everyone around her, some in armor, most not, aligned into rows. Little white boxes were drawn with chalk on the ground. When Misty looked around and imagined how the scene would look from the air, it seemed like some kind of race. After a loud snap, ponies around her started to jog. Misty joined them.

Ponies split into running groups fast. Within the first two minutes, Misty watched everyone else fall behind, except for a bunch of armored ponies around her. With fewer ponies around, she could see the wide streets their path took and the rows of cones and barriers that marked it. Ponies on either side of the street waved from behind barriers. Misty kept her eyes pointed ahead.

The path wound to a forested, quieter area.

Shadows of leaves passed over Misty’s hooves as she stared at them. The constant jangle of the other racers' hooves on the soil guided her onward. Misty started to sweat under her armor’s black cloth. None of the other ponies had the same cloth coverings. It ruined how well she blended in, but no one had cast her a dirty or strange look for it yet. It hid more of her features than their armor. Maybe that would help.

This was nothing compared to the miles Misty had to run for Opaline whenever she screwed up. She could pick up the pace, but to fit in, being the best wouldn’t help. It was hard to tell the requirements to qualify, but given the small amount of ponies around, maybe fourth or fifth place would make it.

“Gah!”

Metal clanged. Misty looked up from the ground.

A yellow stallion a few paces ahead had fallen on the path. Ponies around him shifted to the sides and jogged past. Misty’s hooves stamped down on the dirt next to him and stuck in place. She looked between him and the path ahead, where the rest of the ponies were running.

A red stallion paused with his legs trotting in place. “Hey, newbie!” he called. “If you wanna be one of us, you’d better focus on what’s really important here.”

The stallion continued one and caught up to the rest of them. If Misty didn’t want to fall behind, she needed to follow.

The yellow stallion next to Misty’s hooves shifted around. As he tried to stand up, Misty caught a clear view of a dark, purple mark on the side of his leg. His leg buckled under any amount of weight. Misty trotted up next to him.

“Are you okay?” Misty asked.

The stallion took off his helmet. A wave of a green mane fell behind his head. He squinted up at Misty and shaded his towny eyes from the sun.

“Not really,” he admitted. “Think you can help me get back to town?” he flinched again. “Oh, wait. You’re in the race. It’s alright. I can try and get back myself…”

Misty wished that were true. That way, she could continue the race with a clean conscience. But she didn’t believe him.

Opaline would be so mad.

“I’ll help you!” Misty said. “I mean, i-if you want…”

“Are you sure?” he asked. He looked down the forested road towards the disappearing group. “You’ve got to keep up with them to get a good grade for this activity. That’s your chance.”

Misty knew that, but she imagined what it’d feel like to be left out like this by everyone, in the dirt and hurt. Living with Opaline, it wasn’t a far leap from what she was used to.

She had to. “Y-yes!” Misty said. “I’ll help you back. Uh…”

Misty paced between different angles in front of him. Leaning against his shoulder to balance his weight might seem weird, and she couldn’t think of any other position to help from. Maybe the simplest way would work.

Misty bent her head down, slid her horn under his side, and lifted. With the help of a little magic for balance, the stallion ended up square on her back and easy to walk with.

“Wow,” he uttered. “You’re a tough one.”

He was half the size of Opaline’s purse, even if he was bigger than her. “It’s no problem,” Misty said. “So, uh, I’m not from around here… Do you know where the hospital is?”

“I know someone who can patch me up fine. I know an easier way back to the fountain thataway.”

The stallion raised a hoof and pointed. Past a wall of bushes, Misty noticed another path through the woods. She used her magic to push the bushes aside and squeeze through. Branches and leaves poked at her sides, but the path served well enough.

“I really appreciate this,” the stallion said. “What’s your name?”

Should she lie? “It’s, uh, Misty.” She answered before she could think it through. No going back now. At least he didn’t know Misty was her real name.

“Well, Misty, congratulations!”

“Uh… On what?”’

“You passed the test!”

The path opened up to a small clearing. The lavender mare from the fountain stood there, along with the red stallion Misty saw during the race just moments earlier. The yellow stallion hopped off Misty’s back and walked forward. This time, his leg didn’t buckle.

“W-what’s going on?” Misty took steps back. She’d been tricked.

The stallion she carried turned his head back. “You passed the test!” he repeated.

“Uh, the test?” Misty asked. “For what?”

“Well,” the lavender mare started, “the race itself is to test how well ponies can complete the challenge. But if you want to be a guard inside the palace, you have to complete the test of character!”

“Test of character?” Misty’s shoulders eased. “Uh, what’s that mean?”

“It means the type of pony willing to take responsibility for another pony in need is exactly who we’re looking for.”

Misty stared. Everything she read about tryouts talked about the feats of strength. Either the pony who wrote it didn’t pass, or times had changed. She got lucky.

“Nice to meet you, Misty,” the yellow stallion said. “I’m Captain Hitch. That’s Captain Izzy.” He gestured to the lavender mare. “And that’s Sprout.”

“It’s alright,” Sprout said, “Now that the test’s over, you can just leave him next time.”

Hitch nudged Sprout with his shoulder and smiled.

“But, wait, what about all of those other ponies who were running?” Misty asked. “I mean, some of them may not have stopped only because I did…”

“We have more tests set up for them.” Hitch smiled. “We’ve only done this for about two years, but we’ve got a lot of ideas set up. No need to worry about opportunities for the others.

“Like I said,” Sprout said, “have to keep focused on what’s most important. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to stick a ketchup packet in my nose.”

“I’ll walk you back to the fountain,” Hitch said. “Both other years, we haven’t had someone pass on the very first test like this, so, you’ll have to wait a bit for the others to finish. We’ll take new recruits to the palace this evening. I’ll put in a word with some shopkeepers and get you some food in the meantime.”

Misty’s ears flicked up. “Food? What kind of food?” She lowered her voice. “I mean, uh, thank you.” She giggled at herself.

Hitch continued to smile. His eyes flickered with an odd emotion Misty couldn’t parse out. “Anything you’d like, Misty. Welcome in.”

Misty followed Hitch out of the woods, back on the path to the town. From here on, every step forward took her closer to the Eclipse Amulet, and her cutie mark. She wouldn’t fail this time.

Chapter 2

Misty tried not to cry eating cupcakes. Opaline never let her eat sweets. Misty had to smuggle them in from outside and hide them with magic or some other trick. To eat one outside at a table, with full daylight on her horn and hundreds of eyes glazing past almost felt like a public speech. The armor hiding her face made it bearable. She wondered how so many other ponies were comfortable living like this.

Normal ponies probably didn’t think about it.

Even in constant streams of walking ponies, Hitch stood out. He flashed grins, and occasionally called names, at anypony who acknowledged him first. Misty swallowed a lick of frosting and straightened. He sat across from her in a white, plastic chair and rested his foreleg on the table.

“Guess you’ll stick out this year, Misty.” Hitch sighed.

“Uh, w-why?” Misty asked.

“No one else passed.” Hitch’s stare fell on the table. “Didn’t exactly meet our quota for the day.”

Misty would stick out no matter what, and there wasn’t anything she could’ve done about it. It would take time for her to be able to move when no one else was looking.

“You think we expect too much?” Hitch asked.

“What do you mean?” Misty asked.

“I mean, expecting ponies to just give up on something they want so badly. When it comes down to it, it’s the right thing to do, but sometimes I wonder if it’s really fair to ask that. They all worked hard to be here, and, I dunno…”

“Well… What kinds of tests were there?”

Hitch’s arm pulled off the table. “Plenty of little things. Pretending to drop some money and seeing if anyone returned it.” He rolled his neck and looked off towards the nearby seafront. “Among other things. One of them was just holding the door open for an older pony. We gave everyone who came here today their own chance. It’s hard to find nice ponies.”

Misty gulped. “I mean, I only helped because I understand what it feels like. I’m not actually a nice pony… And I’m sure there were nice ponies who were running today that wanted to help without giving up on their own dreams.”

Hitch looked up from the table and smiled. “You’ll have to try harder to convince me you’re not a nice pony. C’mon.” He stood. “Let’s get you settled.”

Misty followed.

From the very first step, Misty could see Maretime Palace at the top of the hill. Silence overlaid their hoof steps on the stone path up. With the palace’s golden spires, sunset cast a long shadow for them to follow. Misty couldn’t imagine how many sets of eyes could be watching them from within those walls. Nothing about this mission for her cutie mark would come easy.

This was enemy territory.

Along the final path to the gate, Hitch stopped and swung around.

“I’ll take you to the barracks and show you around,” Hitch said. “Then we start training.”

“Training?” Misty asked.

“It’s just stuff like where to stand, who to talk to. Rules.” He smiled. “I’m pretty good at explaining them. It’s mostly just showing you around.”

Hitch’s face dropped. His wide eyes fell out of focus.

“What is it?” Misty asked.

“I just remembered. I can’t tomorrow,” Hitch said. “Dah, there’s this whole parade thing I have to set up, and–” Hitch paused. “Hey, maybe you could help me out with it tomorrow?”

Misty’s lower lip twitched. “U-uuuh, I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“Don’t worry. It’s just one Mane Street, and I’ll be directing where everything goes. I could just use a hoof with some heavy lifting. That, and you’ll get the chance to see the Princess and everyone else.”

Misty had no idea where the Eclipse Amulet could be in Maretime Palace. Without Hitch to show her around, it would be like wandering a maze. She might as well take the easy options to get more intel; she’d let Hitch show her around the palace after, and use the parade to get a better view of what she was up against.

“Sure!” Misty said. “I’ll help.”

“Thanks Misty.” Hitch’s face relaxed. “You’re a lifesaver already.”

While the outer wall was ten times Misty’s height and topped with gold spikes, the gates themselves were the size of a large pony. Hitch waited in front of a row of black bars at the end of the path. A brown unicorn stallion walked towards them from the other side of the gate. Magic swirled around his horn and arched toward Misty between the bars. Misty’s horn started to tingle.

“What’s this?” Misty asked.

“It’s a spell,” Hitch said. “Once it’s placed on you, it lets you enter the palace. It’s a security measure.”

“O-oh. I see…”

The tingling stopped. Misty could tell a spell had been cast on her. In her mind, it felt like a key in a pocket. She could throw it away and get rid of it, but to study and copy it could take years. Spells as security measures were tricky. If the Eclipse Amulet was protected by a different spell, Misty’s mission could be impossible. Misty imagined only a few guards were allowed to know how to perform the spell protecting the palace; she wouldn’t be surprised if only Princess Starscout knew one for the amulet.

“So, what would happen if I didn’t have the spell?” Misty asked.

“It’s a sleeping spell,” Hitch answered, “so, you’d fall asleep after being inside the bounds for a minute or two. Anyone trying cunny business in the Palace wouldn’t have a ton of time to do it. Thanks, Reg.”

The unicorn stallion nodded. He opened the gate and stepped aside for them to walk through.

Artwork of flying pegasi and running earth ponies marched along the path forward. A dozen flights of carved, stone stairs led up to the Palace’s entrance. A pair of marble pillars raised a roof over the final set of stairs. The towers at the back of Maretime Palace shifted out of view as they drew near.

To Misty’s left and right, other small shacks had been set up. Guards patrolled around the outer wall from inside, as if that spell wouldn’t be enough. There seemed to be a healthy amount of security, from windows to pegasi guards in the air. With so many of them, fitting in might be easier than she thought.

“So, Misty,” Hitch said, “is that an old family set of armor you’ve got on?”

“It’s, a, uh, very old hoof-me-down. Is it okay?”

“Sure is. I’ll try and see what we can do about the wear. Izzy can probably take care of it fast.”

It would probably be best if Misty asked for a new set to blend in better, but she preferred this one. It kept more of herself hidden. That could help her chances.

“Thanks. It means a lot.”

Hitch guided Misty to the real front gates, the ones most ponies would only see the outside of. They weren’t as tall as the outer fences, but they came close. Paintings of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns coming together around rivers, forests, and wide landscapes covered every inch of what would’ve otherwise been pure steel. Misty could turn her head up high enough to see the top without strain.

Hitch knocked on the gate like it were any other closed door. With a low groan, the gates pulled open.

Right at the start, Misty could see the ocean through a window at the end of a long hall. Stain glass windows depicted the Starscout Crest in wild colors. She felt their light bear down on her with every clanky step forward. Well-kept flowerbeds underlined each window in similar color schemes as the scenes they depicted.

Ponies like Misty weren’t supposed to be here.

Along the path forward, Hitch guided Misty past a pair of guards: a turquoise mare and a lavender stallion.

“Just one?” the mare asked quietly.

“Looks like ol’ Fleetfoot will try and stick it out another year then,” the stallion said.

“Looks like. Kinda disturbing how many people are failing this stuff. I mean, giving somepony their wallet back? Really?”

“There’s a reason that sappy stuff shouldn’t matter… But yeah, seriously, no one did that? Like…?”

Misty really had lucked out to get this far. From here on out, no mistakes.

Hitch turned them to the right down a different hallway at the halfway point. The beauty of the walls dialed back to a level that didn’t make Misty shake in her hooves, but they remained solid marble. After about three turns, she wouldn’t have been able to find her way back by herself. She had to learn the layout by heart before she could make any moves on the Eclipse Amulet. Even gathering information would be a risk otherwise.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Hitch said with his face turned back. “You okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah! I’m okay…”

“For where you’re staying for a bit, we’re heading to a lower level.”

Underground on a cliffside. Misty knew that Maretime Palace ran deep, but she could only guess how much space they had underneath it all. If the Eclipse Amulet were anywhere, it would be somewhere deep inside.

Hitch led to a spiral staircase down. Little lamps in divots on the walls held back total darkness. Misty poked every stair with one of her front hoofs before every step forward.

“Is it always this dark down here?” Misty asked.

“Not usually,” Hitch said. “Buuuut it’s still pretty dark. The rooms here are refurbished dungeons. From, a, uh… different time.”

“Do all of the guards stay down here?”

“No. We ran out of room upstairs because some of them were damaged. Magical mishaps. Getting the funds to fix the damage has been difficult. Sunny’s–” Hitch cleared his throat. “Uh, Princess Starscout has trouble getting people to listen to her budgetary ideas sometimes, even for basic things like that. This really should be temporary though.”

“So, there’s no one else down here?”

Hitch turned so Misty could see his smile. “I could have Captain Izzy stay down here with you. Sorry about the bad first impression. Most of the palace really is gorgeous. Figuring out what to do with this space down here is a pretty big discussion floating around.”

“It’s okay! I don’t mind.”

Misty didn’t mind at all. Dungeons meant security, so she had skipped past as many layers as of as possible with this cover. This was the best head-start she could ask for.

Hitch walked Misty down a stone hallway. Empty spaces were carved into the right wall in intervals. Each had a window that gave a view of the oceanfront outside. Metal nubs jutted out of the four corners where Misty imagined prison bars would’ve been.

At the end of the hall, Hitch swung a right. The space opened to a wide stairwell with a round area at the top. Two windows crisscrossed the orange light of sunset on pink carpeting. A simple bed and drawer were placed in the corner. A lavender curtain with the Starscout Crest hung in a thick bunch at the front corner. A silvery railing the curtain hung from curled across the room’s front.

Misty couldn’t tell what this room would’ve been used for in the past, but she certainly liked it now.

“Yeah,” Hitch breathed out. “You don’t have to sugarcoat it. I’ll ask about where we can move you tomorrow.”

“I actually really like it,” Misty said smiling. “I’ll be okay.”

Hitch’s face paused, then brightened. “Well, great! We’ll be working through the sunrise, so, I recommend getting some sleep.”

“Will do.”

Misty sauntered forward. The carpet felt plush under her legs. Her body weight almost seemed to ease up on her back. She touched the bed with the front of her hoof. It seemed softer than her own.

“Would you like me to have Captain Izzy come stay with you?” Hitch asked. “I could have another bed brought down.”

Misty whipped her head back. “Oh, no, I’ll be fine! I like, the uh, the privacy.” She stiffly nodded.

“Okay! Well, lemme know if you need anything.”

“Thanks. Good night.”

“Good night, Misty.”

Five minutes after Hitch left, Misty felt safe enough to take off her helmet and the rest of her armor with the curtains closed. A chill in the air ran down her spine. She could see why Hitch didn’t seem pleased about her having to stay here. Despite the dress-up, it was still a cave.

But she was used to worse.

Misty braided her mane into two thick plaits and settled under pink covers on the bed for the night. The bed gave her an angle to stare outside at the sea. Waves pulled back and forth, from the horizon all the way to the cliffs. She fell asleep to the swish of water against rocks.

“Misty?”

Misty fell out of her bed. She pulled the covers around herself and sat up.

Hitch’s foggy shadow remained on the other side of the curtain.

“Sorry,” Hitch spouted. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Uh, just fetching everyone to help set up for the parade. You feeling okay?”

“Yes!”

“Alright. I’ll wait for you at the end of the hall. Take your time. Not many of us are going, so, no pressure.”

“Gotcha.”

Misty raised a hoof to her throbbing head. Now that she was inside, she had a lot of work to do learning the palace interior. She doubted any tour would show her everything, especially about the Eclipse Amulet.

Misty undid her plaits, ran water through her mane, and put on her armor. It fit like yesterday, snug around her face like a disguise; no matter how nice Hitch was to her, she was still only showing him a disguise. Even Opaline didn’t like the pony behind it.

Just as Hitch said, he waited for her at the end of the hall. The stuffy, spiral staircase up smelled differently than the night before. Misty hadn’t expected how strong the scent of the ocean would be. Opaline’s candle collection didn’t do it justice. Misty wrinkled her nose every time they passed by another thin divot in the wall.

At the top of the stairwell, Hitch guided Misty back to the main hall. Sprout was waiting there, along with Captain Izzy. Misty expected there to be more, but given that it was volunteer work, she should’ve expected it. The others probably workeed hard enough already.

“Is all the stuff outside?” Hitch asked.

“All two billion pounds of it,” Sprout groaned out.

“Hey.” Hitch nudged Sprout’s side. “Good job. I’ll take the heavy lifting when we get there.”

Misty didn’t know what they were riding until they left the palace gates behind them.

Some kind of carriage-cart hybrid sat out on the grass. Wooden boxes were piled high in the back of it. A driver’s seat and passenger seat were spaced together in the front, but piles of boxes occupied two more passenger seats in the back. There wasn’t enough room for all of them.

Hitch frowned and walked a wide circle around the cart. The first morning light hadn’t risen over the treeline yet. Even still, Misty imagined Hitch didn’t want to have to take two trips.

“How about you two go on ahead and Misty and I can walk?” Izzy suggested. “Do you remember where all the cookware goes from last year?”

Hitch’s eyes scanned the boxes. “Yeah, I do. Are you two good?”

Izzy waited for Misty to answer.

“U-uh, yeah!” she said. “All good.”

Hitch smiled. “Okay. We’ll see you there.”

Hitch and Sprout took the cart and pulled off. Misty followed behind Izzy.

“You can walk next to me!” Izzy said with her head turned back.

“U-uh, sorry.”

Misty jogged up next to Izzy. She didn’t like walking with somepony she didn’t know without being able to see them fully. They could trip her or steal something from a saddlebag if she was wearing one. Did normal ponies trust each other that much?

“So, uh, what’s this parade for?” Misty asked.

“It’s to celebrate Unity Magic!” Izzy said. “Which ends up being about celebrating the Princess. So, sort of both. Or neither? Or is it everything? You’ll love it!”

“But is there anything we’re supposed to do after we set up?”

“Nah, not really. There’s no need to worry, Misty. This parade is just a small thing the Princess likes to use to raise awareness about issues in Maretime Bay. If you want, we can find a quiet spot to watch from after we set up.”

That sounded nice, but it wouldn’t help Misty blend in. “I’ll be fine helping with anything. What are you going to do?”

“Whatever the Princess asks for help with,” Izzy said, smiling. “I’ll know it’s for a good cause if she asks me.”

Misty didn’t respond. They all had a lot of faith in their Princess. She supposed that was part of the job,

Izzy quietly hummed to herself during their long walk. By the time Misty’s hooves tapped against the stone streets, the entire sky had lit up. Ponies bustled about. This time, thanks to walking with Izzy, they ducked out of Misty’s way instead of the other way around. The streamers and ribbons hanging between buildings remained from yesterday, but the rows of barries marking the previous day’s race had been swapped out with little shops on wheels.

Misty followed Izzy to the center of town.

Hitch and Sprout hustled around a gold-topped gazebo. They carried pots, pans, and metal trays to and from a line of waiting ponies. Based on their clothing, most of them were chefs. The Starscout Crest on a tan stallion’s apron led Misty to believe that they were all from the palace.

A podium had been set up for a pony to speak from. Izzy’s cart, freed from the mountain of boxes, rested from its journey next to a steel railing separating the road from a rocky path down to the beach. Hitch and Sprout bustled around between different tents and stands, speaking with their owners. Several of them were moved to carve out a clear path between the podium and Maretime Palace. Ponies with chalk drew lines across the brick street, followed by a wave of ponies

Ponies, ponies, ponies... Everywhere Misty looked there were more of them.

Izzy waltzed up to Hitch while he fumbled around with an Equestrian flag. “This is looking great, Hitch!” she said. “I guess you really did remember a lot from last year.”

“I try, Izzy,” he said, half-smiling. “The decorations for the streetlights is all you, though.”

“You got it! Let’s do it, Misty!”

“Uh, sure!” she sputtered out.

Izzy trotted off with bundled string lights floating behind her. Again, Misty followed her.

Slowly, Misty helped Izzy set up a long line of string lights between lampposts. While Izzy prettied up tying the lights to them, Misty made sure they were secure and grabbed a new set of lights whenever they needed one. By the time they finished, sunlight came out in full force. The string lights would probably be turned on at night. Misty made a note to ask what events would happen then.

The decorating continued through the morning. Every time Misty asked Izzy where to hang something, she was lost in thought and mumbling to herself. Before Misty could even hang a single banner by herself, Izzy snatched it away from her in her magic and hung it up herself without a thought. Misty wanted to help, but she knew she was only getting in the way. Instead of trying to talk, Misty ferried decorations from the pile of boxes as Izzy worked.

When they finished at noon, the street lights were coated in ribbons and rainbow flags. In the distance, Misty heard the sound of a slow-moving parade on the other side of town. Izzy finished hanging the last bow as a dense crowd. Her playful eyes finally focused on Misty again.

“Alright!” Izzy said. “We’ll wait by the podium.” She trotted past.

“Uh, by the podium?” Misty asked. “For the Princess?”

“Yup! We’ll be there while she gives her speech.”

“O-okay.”

Misty knew she’d see the princess eventually, but she didn’t feel ready. She barely had any intel on the Palace or how life as a guard was supposed to go. Back home, Misty was only used to seeing ponies in tiny amounts, much less talking to them. She wondered if everyone she met could tell.

Times like this, Misty was extra grateful for the helmet covering her face. Even being near the Princess herself, no one would notice if she were traded out for someone else. She could pull this off.

Hitch and Izzy took positions on the left and right side of the podium. Misty assumed they would be the closest, being Captains. She naturally followed and stood next to Izzy, who didn’t complain about where Misty placed herself. Together, they waited.

The parade approached them from straight on. Two lanes of musicians stirred up a clamor with different instruments. A dense crowd, solid as a brick wall, reached out their hooves and cheered on the performance. On top of parade wagons, ponies showcased different talents. Other ponies simply smiled and waved to the crowd. Misty guessed they were celebrities of some kind.

Given that the gazebo marked the end of the line, Misty wondered where the wagons would go after they finished. They rolled around the gazebo came to rest in a wide circle around them.

At the very end of the parade, a wagon dressed with bejeweled curtains slowly followed the path in front of it. A wave of quiet washed over the crowd in its wake. The crowd looked up with various faces; Misty saw everything from awe to fear. The same feelings started to well up in her.

An orange alicorn, with a deep lavender mane, golden wings like a phoenix, and an ethereal horn, kept her green eyes pointed forward. Her face fell into a flat, serene frown. Misty swallowed. She was used to being near an alicorn all the time. She could handle this.

Princess Starscout let the wagon carry her to the front of the gazebo and come to a clean stop. She stepped down two stairs to the ground level and walked behind the podium, taking position like a musician about to perform. She let her eyes wander over the crowd.

Up close, Misty could see yellow shadows on her eyelids. For some reason, she seemed tired.

“My fellow ponies…” the Princess spoke. “Today, we once again celebrate the soul of Maretime Bay, and all of Equestria. We celebrate unity, and the fruit it bears in our homes, families, relationships, and our lives. We live in a world with difficulties, but today, we all share in the joys of making it here another year.” She paused. “We have done well so far. But even on a day as joyous as today, there are members of our community who are in need. There are still calls to action to be made and answered. Our local food pantry is running dangerously low on pasta sauce.”

Misty blinked.

“We need volunteers,” the Princess declared. “We need ponies who will step forward and give the joy of today to those who would otherwise be left out, or it won’t be true unity. And as always, true unity is upheld by ponies who make the sacrifices and do the work to hold our bonds together. And today, that bond will appear as marinara and alfredo sauce on the plates of ponies who wouldn’t otherwise have it. For those looking to volunteer, Maritime Palace’s chefs have been assigned to oversee the process. They will direct you on what to do. Are there any questions?”

A cream filly in the front raised her hoof. “Why are they low on pasta sauce specifically?”

“U-um.” The Princess cleared her throat. “I have no idea… But, yes. Any more questions?”

Silence.

“Then today,” the Princess raised her voice, “let’s bring the marinara… I mean, the magic of unity to everyone!”

Short cheers erupted. Misty’s legs rumbled from the combined roar of so many ponies. The crowd turned into a buzzing horde, magnetized around the chef’s carts. The Princess began to smile at the unfolding scene, and all the chaos accompanying it.

“Captains,” the Princess said, “take time to relax. You did as well as usual this year. You,” she pointed a hoof at Misty, “come with me. I have errands to run.”

Misty’s heart started to race. From what she read, the Princess always needed to have at least one attending guard with her at all times. That meant Misty would be her only defense during a festival filled with ponies. She wasn’t trained for this.

“I can go with you if you want, Sunny,” Izzy said. “Misty here only arrived yesterday, and we still have work to do getting her comfortable at the Palace.”

The Princess’s eyes lit up. “Yesterday?”

Misty flinched under her gaze. The Princess was taller than her and smelled like a flower garden. Misty knew how powerful alicorns could be. She knew to be afraid.

“It won’t be anything stressful,” the Princess said. “Promise.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Misty said. “Um, I don’t know how to–”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hitch said. “Sunny can handle herself. You’ll be with her for, uh… appearance. No stress.”

If Opaline were here, she’d demand Misty to go with her for intel on these “errands.” This chance probably wouldn’t come often. Strategically, it was perfect.

Misty went along with it. “O-okay… Then I will go with you, Princess. Of course.”

The Princess turned. “Alright. This way.”

Izzy and Hitch nodded their encouragement. Misty smiled as she passed them, then her face fell. This would be tougher than she thought.

The Princess left the gazebo and began her walk down a side street without incident. Misty lingered close behind her right side, as protocol called for in the books she read.

Ponies on balconies waved down at the Princess. Whenever the Princess noticed them, she offered a smile and a short wave back. At street level, the ponies' reactions weren’t as strong as Misty thought they would be. A few younger ponies pointed and stared, but the faces of the adults simply brightened seeing the Princess. They must have seen her more often than Misty thought they would.

Misty’s presence seemed to deter the more excited ponies from swarming the Princess, yet she still felt comfortable invisibility in the way eyes glazed over her. She couldn’t tell who was protecting who.

“S-so, where are we going, Princess?” Misty asked.

The Princess’s eyes rolled from left to right. “Nowhere important.”

It seemed like the Princess didn’t want to say with so many ponies around. Misty would have to wait and find out.

After a few turns, the Princess turned down a narrow corridor with dumpsters, trash cans, and loose papers on the ground. No more than three ponies could fit walking side-by-side. Misty noticed white lines scratched into the brick walls on either side. The backs of air conditioners hummed over their heads.

The Princess stopped underneath a high window.

“Up here,” the Princess said. “C’mon.”

The Princess flew up to the window in a single bound, opened it, and slipped in. Misty looked around and hatched a plan to stack a trash can on a dumpster, but right before she got to work, something pushed up under her hooves. She felt herself going up.

A green vine grew out of the street and raised Misty to the window. Staying as still as possible, Misty still wobbled left and right. She wasn’t used to earth pony magic. Trying to reach out her hoof made her feel like she’d fall.

The Princess reached out and grabbed Misty’s foreleg. With a reassuring smile, she pulled Misty in with one tug.

Misty landed on all four hooves. Inside, they were surrounded by boxes and metallic shelves in darkness. Light from the window behind her highlighted dust particles hovering above the wood panel flooring. Misty turned and poked her head back out the window.

The bricks laid on the street reassembled and hid any sign of magic. As expected of an alicorn, the Princess’ magic was strong at every level. Misty pulled her head back inside and took a second look around.

“What is this place?” Misty asked.

“The spa,” the Princess answered. “This is their storage. We’re here for, uh… Maintenance.

Misty couldn’t guess why the Princess wouldn’t want anyone to find out about her going to a spa. It seemed normal. Misty knew it wasn’t her place to ask, but she wanted to.

Forget it. She needed to focus.

Misty followed the Princess through the maze of shelves and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, the floor turned pink. Curtains blocked out a row of windows that would usually show the street in front of the building. A caramel pony sat in near darkness with a lamp on a desk and a book in her hooves.

“Uh… Hey…! Ruth,” the Princess greeted.

Ruth folded her book and smiled. “Welcome in, Princess.” She flipped a switch and the lights turned on.

Besides Ruth, the spa’s front lobby was otherwise empty. A vacuum cleaner and mop leaned against a corner one step away from the front door. A row of salon chairs was set up in front of mirrors. Piles of hair littered the floors near every chair except for one, furthest in the back.

“The usual today?” Ruth asked.

“Yes, please,” the Princess said. “I’m… I’m exhausted.”

Misty watched the Princess totter to the last chair. The Princess heaved as she sat down. Her stature, face, and eyes sagged all at once. Misty noticed hairs out of place in her mane. All at once, the Princess’ mask came off, and Misty saw a regular, tired pony sitting in her place.

Misty shuffled in place. She wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to stay. This spa visit seemed more private than an “errand.” She didn’t want to interrupt.

If Ruth saw Misty, she didn’t act like it; Ruth walked past her without a second glance, tilted Sunny’s spa chair back, and started on precision work on her elegant eyelashes. Misty sat in place and kept herself rigid. If they didn’t acknowledge her, she was doing something right.

A second mare walked out of a short doorway to a back room. Her mane dark purple mane and a fluffy set of wings bounced up and down at every step. Her hooves were painted a deep, shiny purple with a gold crown on each.

Not that Misty could be the best judge, but she was also short. Misty shuffled her hooves in place. She didn’t usually talk to ponies that were shorter than her. Opaline reminded Misty of how much she had to look down to see her every day.

“Hey Pipp,” the Princess’ voice chimed. “Thanks for agreeing.”

“It’s never a problem, Sunny,” Pipp said. “Thanks for substituting in today too, Ruth. After this, we could all use some R&R, y’know? I’ll order us some great pasta takeout.”

The Princess tiredly chuckled at that.

Misty recognized that pony now, and the name Pipp. She was royalty from Zephyr Heights. Maretme Bay didn’t contain the only royalty in Equestria. Misty bowed her head like she should have earlier. Pipp didn’t notice, sizing up Sunny’s face and setting off to work with a tiny razor.

A few silent minutes passed. Misty waited. Ruth and Pipp pulled Sunny’s purple mane out to full length. Misty watched the end of it swing back and forth over the tiled floor. Even unfinished, her mane had a natural sheen to it, like clean metal.

“You’ve got yourself a real careful one there, huh?” Pipp said softly.

Misty blinked. She’d been staring. “U-uh, I’m sorry?” she mumbled.

Pipp spared Misty a glance. “Oh, you’re fine. No worries.”

“May I ask a question?” Misty blurted.

“What is it?”

She inhaled a deep breath. “Um… why are you in a spa here if you could do this at the Palace?

Misty wouldn’t get any closer to the Eclipse Amulet if she only asked suspicious questions; she needed to ask plenty if she wanted to disguise the important ones.

“Oh, you must be new here,” Pipp said, smiling. “Yeah, Sunny calls it an errand, but really she’s just too shy to tell anyone that she needs to relax. Plus, I run this place, so I have all my stuff here.”

A Princess running a spa? Misty had never read about Princesses doing anything like that before.

“She helped volunteer to set up for the parade with Hitch and Izzy,” the Princess said. “I never caught her name?”

“Uh, M-Misty,” she said.

“Well, thank you for volunteering to help those two out, Misty,” Pipp said. “Would you mind giving me a razor from underneath that desk over there? It’s the biggest one in that bucket.”

Misty traced Pipp’s extended foreleg to find that Pipp was pointing at the front desk. “Sure,” Misty said.

Misty stood, walked over, and bent down. A second layer under the front desk was loaded with hairclips she didn’t recognize. The razor Pipp asked for was shaped more like a comb, complete with a handle and little fangs. Misty pulled it out from a glass bottle of other strange-looking razors and walked back over.

Misty gave Pipp the razor and stepped back. As Pipp stared at it in her hoof, her smile fell. She froze in place.

“Um, are you… okay?” Misty asked.

Pipp’s eyes locked onto Misty’s face. “Uh, Misty?” she said. “Lift up your hoof for me again.”

Misty did so.

Pipp’s neutral face turned sour. She sped towards Misty, snatched her hoof, and practically touched her nose to it. Misty pulled back on instinct.

“Ruth,” Pipp said. “Go to the back and bring the tools. Then set up for me. I’ll need the extra space to work.”

The Princess opened her closed eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

“It’s fine, Sunny,” Pipp said. “Ruth will take care of you. I just… can’t let anyone step in here and leave like this.”

Pipp looked at Misty with a terrifying warmth in her eyes. Misty curled her hoof against her chest. Looking at Pipp’s face, especially her soft, green eyes, became a difficulty. A knot in her stomach stuffed out her voice.

Ruth walked through the doorway to the back of the spa. After another deep stare, Pipp returned to Sunny’s side and worked for another few minutes. When Ruth returned, Pipp silently passed her the razor and hurried Misty to the same doorway.

The room in the back of the spa had been cleared out. Misty saw it as a break room, with a fridge and water container in the corner A foldable table and chairs were set aside against a wall. Over the carpet, a white mat was laid out in the middle of the room. On the mat, a black table with a head-shaped hole at the top stood idle.

Misty stalked in a short circle around the table and eyed it.

“Go ahead and lie down,” Pipp said, staring. “It’s okay,” her voice softened. “I got you.”

Royalty from Zephyr Heights were friends to the Equestrian crown. Opaline only cared about alicorns, but Misty’s research told her what type of control this different princess had. It would be best if Misty did anything Pipp told her to.

Misty pinched her lips together in a smile and laid down on her front. Her legs hung off either side of the table. The outside metal of her armor pushed against her chest. At the click of a button, the table’s height increased until Misty's hooves were at the height of Pipp’s eyes.

“So,” Pipp huffed, “Misty, don’t you have anyone to take you to get your hooves done? Family?”

Misty didn’t know if Opaline counted as family. “Oh, um… I don’t have family or anything like that.” She started to talk slower. Pip started to scrape at her hoof with a hook-shaped blade. “And I’m not… uh, royalty. I don’t get my hooves done.”

Pipp chuckled dryly. “U-uhm, like, everyone ever gets their hooves done? Whoever told you only royalty gets it?”

“No one…” Misty squeaked.

“Just for that, you’re getting the royal treatment today. Let me just…”

Pipp swapped the blade out for a massive pair of clippers.

“U-uhaaaauuuuh, what’s that?” Misty asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Pipp said. “Well, actually, it’s just that your hooves are out of shape and I need to put them back into shape, so… You don’t mind, do you?”

“N-no. Not at all, Princess.”

Pipp lowered her gaze and chuckled. “Just Pipp is fine.”

Misty cringed at every enormous cut Pipp made. She’d never been very attached to her hooves, but she should’ve thought ahead. Princesses and Palace goers would have high standards for looking nice. If she had handled her hooves ahead of time, she would’ve fit in better. She wondered how many other little mistakes she made before arriving.

After Pipp finished with her giant clippers, she took and grated the sides of Misty’s hooves like cheese. The rumble ran up each of Misty’s legs. From there, she returned to her tiny blade and chipped away at the bottom. The mat under the table darkened a shade from all of Misty’s hoof clippings.

“So, Misty, how long have you been with the Princess?”

“I, uh, started yesterday,” Misty answered.

“Really? Well, I could help you look spiffy for your new job then. How about I set you up to enjoy the festival tonight? You worked hard today.”

“Y-you don’t have to.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. In fact, I’d love to help out.”

By the time, Pipp finished, it looked like she lopped off one of Misty’s hooves and scattered it on the mat in shavings. Pipp lowered her eyes and checked each hoof individually before she walked back from the table, framed her view of Misty with her forelegs, and smiled.

“Alright!” Pipp said. “That is much better. So, how about you try walking on it and seeing how it feels?”

The table lowered. Misty pushed off the table and walked off of the mat. The pressure of her weight evened out under her hooves. She raised one to her nose to inspect it. The sides were smoothed out, and the bottom was cut into a cleaner shape. Misty never had the best balance. That could’ve just changed.

“This feels… good,” Misty said. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Pipp tilted her head and held a hoof to her chin. “Now, I can’t really get a good read on you with all that junk on…” Her face lit up. “I mean, uh, stuff. Here, you can set your stuff down in the corner.”

“Uh, I think I’m supposed to be wearing this armor and stuff…”

“Don’t worry,” she insisted. “I think I can make you look a bit more spiffy in that. I’m going to go check on Ruth, but when I’m back, I’ll get you more settled in.”

It wouldn’t be wise to turn down a kindness. For all Misty knew, this Princess could get angry if she turned her down. It’d be better not to risk anything. If her hooves ended up better, whatever else she had planned might not end up so bad.

Pipp walked out to the front of the spa and closed the door behind her. Misty took off her armor one piece at a time, leaving on the cloth layer underneath. If Pipp asked for that, she’d have to make up an excuse. Misty couldn’t let her or anyone else figure out that she didn’t have a cutie mark.

The door clicked. Pipp came back into the room and stopped.

“You’re so adorable…” Her eyes widened. “Oh my gooooosh, and your mane… You really know how to take care of it.”

Misty smiled and glanced to her left and right. Pipp’s eyes continuously jumped between looking at different points of Misty's head.

“Okay,” Pipp said. “Hitch came and is taking care of Sunny’s errands with her, so we have all day. Let’s do a facial, mane wash, clean shave, a hooficure, redo those two braids, and take a trip to the sauna.”

“Uh… That seems like a lot,” Misty said.

“Just wait till you see the results.”

After, Misty fell to the call of sleep. She couldn’t help it. Something about Pipp relaxed her. With he sauna’s heat still soaked into her skin, the little hums and scratch of a brush against her hooves serenaded her. She only woke up when the pleasant noises stopped.

Misty had ended up sitting in the same salon chair that the Princess used to be in. When she looked up in the mirror, she saw her hair freshly done and her face with warm colors. Each of her hooves were painted gold like her armor, topped by the Unity symbol Equestrian flag.

“Oh wow,” Misty said. “I don’t deserve this…”

“Sounds like you do to me,” she said. “He was only here for a few minutes, but Hitch told me all about this year’s most difficult test of character.”

“Anyone should help a pony in need.”

“I mean, of course. In theory. But it’s not easy. Sometimes to gain everything, you gotta give up everything. It can be tough, y’know?”

Mist couldn’tdeny that.

One piece at a time, Pipp refitted Misty’s armor and tied it back on. When she got to the helmet, she held it u in front of the mirror and frowned.

“Ugh, helmets are so last year…” Pipp said. “Do you really want to wear this?”

Misty frowned. “I, uh, like how it covers me. So ponies don’t look at me.”

In the mirror, Misty watched Pipp craft and display a fake smile. “Okay. How about we get you back to Sunny?”

“Okay.”

Pipp set the helmet back on Misty’s head. Even with how much of Misty it covered, she still looked a bit like a different pony underneath. Maybe she’d take off the helmet sometime, but not tonight. There were just too many ponies everywhere.

Pipp guided Misty to leave out the front door. Out on the street, the number of roaming ponies had doubled. The last red and pink of sunset drifted away over the ocean. Pipp strangled the building’s handle to get it to lock, breathed deep, laughed it off, and set off down the street. Misty followed.

The crowds formed into two lines moving in either direction. Misty did her best to keep track of Pipp’s tail; because of her height, the rest of her got covered by every pony that passed between them. The constant chatter and loud voices of young ponies heated up her ears.

When Misty estimated they were halfway back, the voices changed. Some are panicked. Pipp's tail started to lash out with every step.

“Is something wrong?” Misty asked, but her voice drowned in all the noise.

The amount of ponies around cleared out. Pipp broke out into a short jog in an open area. Misty followed.

The string lights on the street to the gazebo flickered on and off. Cuts exposed their copper wires, spitting sparks and embers in random directions. They snaked between lampposts and whipped the ground. In the middle of it all, a small, yellow pegasus, a child, dangled by her wing, tangled in a knot of string lights under a lampposts’ lightbulb. Her cries filled the air. Misty stopped along the edge of the crowd.

“What happened?” Pipp demanded.

A green stallion from behind raised his voice, “Princess! There was an accident! Someone needs to get her fast!”

Pipp looked up, stretched out her wings, and flew. She changed directions in short bursts, but the lights moved too fast to track. One of them slapped against her wing and sent her on a spiral back to the ground. She landed hard on her hooves with a little trail of steam from her feathers.

“I, like, totally can’t fly up there without my wings getting fried!” Pipp flared her wings and grit her teeth. “Ugh! Earth ponies!?”

A small group of earth ponies came together and stomped the ground. A vine burst up towards the top of the post.

The sparks lit the vine on fire. It seized and toppled over back onto the street. Nearby unicorns in the crowd started to shovel every water source they could find onto it, to quick success. The flames were out in seconds, but they didn’t make any progress.

“Where’s the power source!? Does anybody see?”

“There’s no time! She needs help now!”

The lamppost the child hung from was surrounded by sparking lights. It couldn’t be climbed directly. If Misty caught the wires in her magic, she risked making the unpredictable movements shift towards the child aor damaging the wires tangling her wing.. Misty needed a point of entry.

Misty saw a way: three of the empty wooden boxesboxes stacked together could make stairs. If she climbed up to the lamppost adjacent to the one the girl was trapped on, she could jump from it, above all the electrical chaos on the pole, and reach the child. If nothing changed, she could even get out the same way. She had to act.

Misty untied her armor. It’d weigh her down, and the metal probably wouldn’t be good news around eletrcity. She threw her helmet aside and ran. With a wave of her horn, Misty yanked boxes next to the adjacent lamppost and stacked them upside-down into two stairsteps. She hopped up each one, then made a final leap for the top. Her hooves coiled around the cold metal.

With a slight heave, Misty pulled herself up and balanced on the thin top. She revved herself up to jump to the top of the other post to reach the child.

“Whoa, Misty!” Pipp called. “H-hold on! What are you doing?”

Misty flew. She started to fall short before her forelegs wrapped around the pole. The tip of her tail grazed a wire before she pulled herself up.

Once on top of the post, Misty balanced on her hooves and walked across a metal curve to the edge, on top of the lightbulb. The child hung by her wing underneath her; her back legs barely dangled over the whipping wires below. Misty bent down, grabbed the child in her magic, and lifted her up to eye level.

The child was hyperventilating and sweating. Her lower jaw shook as she spoke, “The lights were flickered off, and I couldn’t see them, and–”

“It’s okay,” Misty said. “Stay still for me. I’m going to untangle you.”

“But b-my wing! It hurts! I can’t fly!”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you go.”

Misty carefully pulled on the string lights to give more slack around around the child’s feathers. With a tug, Misty freed her. She slowly lowered the leftover tangleof wires back under them and turned.

The lights around the post Misty first climbed had started to sizzle and act up. Sparks and bolts trailed all the way up to the lightbulb and shattered it. The new electricityt blocked the exit Misty had planned. They were surrounded. Misty only saw a way out for the child. With her magic, she grabbed all of the strings lashing out above them and yanked them down.

“Pipp!” Misty called. “From above!” She pointed her hoof up.

Pipp got the message. She flew in a wide arc around all of the wires and went high. With Misty holding the cables down, Piipp was able to float in from above without getting scorched.

“Take her,” Misty said.

“What about you?” Pipp asked.

“Take her!”

Misty shoved the girl in Pipp’s a graps and pushed her back. up The cables started to slip out of her magic’s grip. Pipp flapped hard and took off before they ran out of control. With no other plans, Misty covered her head with her forelegs.

At least the child was out.

“Princess Starscout!” someone screamed. “Up there! Quick!”

Electric bolts crawled up the side of the post Misty hung onto. She let go of the post and hoped for the best.

A orange blur blocked out Misty’s vision. Her descent slowed to a steady, consistent pace. A legwrapped around her back and held firm. Around her, the wires smacked against a bright orange wall and bounced away.

The Princess had caught Misty and surrounded them both in a magic bubble. She lowered them boto to the grond with slow flaps of her fiery, golden wings.The wires limited how much the Princess could move, and the magic required a lot of effort to maintain under the amount of pressure.

“Hitch!” the Princess called. “One block to the left! Shut off the breaker!”

“Princess!” Misty shouted.

Misty ignited her horn to help. The magic bubble around them grew in size. The strain on Sunny’s face eased back into a cool focus. The sound of the impact from the jumping wires and sparks dulled. The reflections lit the Princess’ green eyes on fire. Every flap of her wings reinforced the barrier and brightened its glow.

The Princesss really was beautiful.

All at once, the wires stopped. Misty released her magic stop and groaned. Once the silence took hold, the Princess dispelled her barrier and looked around the newly dark Mane Street. Th only lights left came from phones and other little devices. It was over.

“That was a bit of a workout…” Sunny exhaled and started to smile. She caught her breath in seconds and smiled. “Whoo… You good?”

“Hheheh… Aah…” Misty’s body forced a gritty inhale. “Gh!”

Something told Misty to look down.

A black streak ran down Misty’s right foreleg. She wasn’t catching her breath. In fact, it was getting harder. Heat ran up her leg and turned into fire. Misty took the weight off of it, but it didn’t help. It burned and it wouldn’t stop.

“O-oh, that… Hngh!” her voice snapped. Tears started to stream down. “T-that hurts.”

The Princess’ outstretched leg kept Misty from collapsing.

“M-medic!” the Princess cried.

Chapter 3

Misty woke up in a bed. She could tell a few spells had been cast on her, but given that she remembered Izzy cast some of them, she didn’t try to take them off. They probably helped with the pain, like they had initially. Voices came into focus from time to time.

“There was a power surge. We’re still trying to figure out the details, but it seems like it had to do with some kind of building leak and sloppy upkeep. Looks like a clean cut court case on the horizon. As expected at first glance, the child is unharmed and safely at home. Preparations for the award are on schedule to be ready by tonight. We’ll keep you updated, Princess.”

“Please do. Thank you. Get some rest, Fleetfoot.”

“I could go in here in your stead, Princess. If you need.”

“No. I want to be here myself. But can you do one quick thing for me?”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Check on the Amulet and report back.”

“Of course.”

If Misty could raise her head or do anything, she’d follow. But she couldn’t. Sleep dragged her back down. She couldn’t even raise her eyelids.

“How was it?” the Princess’ voice asked.

“It looked alright. Same as usual.”

“Okay… Thank you, Fleetfoot.”

“Princess, I know these happenings with the Amulet have been scary, but I don’t think it wise to associate every foul occurrence with it.”

“I know… I just, can’t help it. Go get your rest.”

“As you wish.”

Hoofsteps trotted away.

Some time later, Misty could open her eyes. Her face was half-covered by pink blankets. Warm, still air coated her face. If she closed her eyes again, she’d fall right back to sleep; she wanted to desperately. Misty tilted her head up anyways.

The Princess sat on a stool at the bottom of Misty’s bed. She hunched and stared at the tiled floor with glazed eyes. They lit up at the sound of Misty’s horn brushing her own pillow.

“Good morn– uh…” the Princess shot a glance towards a window to her left. A thick reed curtain covered it, but broad daylight tinted its edges yellow. “Good day.”

“H-hi,” Misty whimpered. She looked at the side of her hoof. No pain, no burn mark, and no spells on it that she could sense. “I’m… healed?” she asked.

“Yes,” the Princess answered, “but there’s a side effect. Your leg will feel weaker for a week or two.” Her smile lowered. “Sorry. The weakness should at least be much more comfortable to deal with than the pain, though…”

“Oh. O-okay.”

Sunny’s stare flicked across Misty’s face. “Your magic was very strong.”

Misty paused. She never thought her magic was strong. If anything, it felt weak living around Opaline all her life.

“Are you a wizard?” the Princess asked.

Misty blinked. “W-what? No!”

“Oh.” The Princess’ ears flicked. “Well, okay. I was just curious. Because, when you helped me make that shield, your magic was strong.”

Misty didn’t know what to say. She chose the polite route. “Uh, thank you.”

The Princess stood. “We can talk again soon. Tonight, we’re hosting a ball for donors to yesterday’s event. I’d really like for you to come. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling alright. I, uh, I think I can go, if I don't have to run or anything…”

The Princess smiled. “It’s okay, I won’t ask you to dance or anything.” Her face dropped. “Not that I wouldn’t! Dance, I mean.” She rubbed the back of her head while her face recovered. “But yeah. You should really take it easy on your leg for a few days. We’ll make it easy for you. Uh, here.”

From out of Misty’s view, the Princess picked up a silver tray covered with a steel dome. She set it down on Misty’s mattress and pulled off the top.

A seared sandwich, fries, beans, and a stack of apple fritters were laid out on a plate. The smell of it all wafted into Misty’s nose and down into her stomach.

“The food at the ball isn’t very… hearty,” the Princess said. “This should help you get some more strength back.” She took a step back. “So, I will, uh, let you enjoy your meal. And privacy. And your meal.” The Princess pushed her lips together. “Alright. See you.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“Yup!”

Misty watched her leave out of an ornate door emblazoned with the Starscout Crest.

Something about the Princess felt awkward, like she was worried with every word she spoke. Misty hadn’t done a good job blending in so far. A few quiet days letting her leg rest could help with that.

Misty ate about a third of her plate before she filled up. She wasn’t used to getting to eat so much at once. A knock came to her door.

“Uh, come in…” Misty said.

The knock came again. They probably couldn’t hear Misty’s reply.

“Come in!” Misty yelped.

The door opened. An earth-pony mare with a white coat and a long, pink mane walked in. Her gaze explored the small room before finding Misty’s face. She smiled. Misty pulled her blanket up to her chin.

“Hello,” the pony greeted. “My name’s Aurora. I’m here to assist in preparing you for the ball, since your leg might give you a bit of trouble.”

“Oh, uh, I’m okay. You don’t have to–”

“It’s an honor, if you’ll allow me.”

Come to think of it, Misty didn’t know what she was supposed to wear to this ball. Her usual armor was probably a touch too rustic for a formal event. She still needed to blend in.

“Okay,” Misty conceded. “So, um, what do I wear?”

Aurora smiled. “I have it right here for you. Just a moment.”

Aurora stepped out and walked a few paces down the hall. The sound of squeaky wheels returned with her hoof steps.

A silvery cart rolled in. On top of it, a plain mannequin wore a set of golden armor. A helmet with two large arches around the mannequin’s face uncovered the eyes and most of its face, except a metal strip traveling down between the eyes and stopping over the nose. Holes left the doll’s ears, horn, and mane exposed.

The rest of it was what Misty had brought with her, refurbished with fresh paint. The four-pointed blue star on the chest had been shined to almost glowing. Any sign of wear and tear had been routed out. The dark cloth she had worn underneath was replaced completely, with a different material from the look of it.

“This should do just fine,” Aurora said. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Misty said, nodding. She unrolled the covers from over herself.

Misty thought she had stayed safe other than her foreleg. In actuality, Misty had quite a few small scrapes all over. They were covered in white bandages and some kind of ointment. Combined with her weak leg, the dull sting when she twisted the wrong way made it hard to balance. Swift as a breeze, Aurora swooped at her and carried the weight under Misty’s bad hoof.

Aurora walked Misty over to the armor and put on most of it for her. Misty stepped into each brace and dropped her weak foreleg in last. The extra weight helped Misty balance out. A little more weight fell onto her good foreleg, but she’d last.

“You don’t have to stay at the ball for very long,” Aurora said. “Can I get you anything?”

“Oh, no, I’m okay.” She glanced to her side. “Uh…”

Aurora hadn’t put on Misty’s helmet. She set it off to the side on top of a bookcase.

“Helmets are usually only worn when they’re necessary protection during duty,” Aurora said. “The Princess prefers that we show our faces, but especially at these events.”

Her silence must have spoken for her. Aurora glanced over her shoulder with focused wrinkles between her eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”

“I just heard that helmets were supposed to be worn all the time before I came here.”

“That was true, quite some time ago. But the Princess’ parents didn’t like the effects they had over time. If you still want to wear it to the ball, I’m sure the Princess won’t mind.”

Misty missed how her old helmet covered her face, but anonymity was dead. At this point, not wearing her helmet would let her blend in better. “I’ll be fine.”

Aurora’s face lifted. “Great! Right this way.”

Misty followed Aurora down the halls. Aurora walked slowly and checked on her every few steps, always glancing down at Misty’s legs. After a while, Misty’s leg felt weak. The rest of her body followed soon after.

It seemed like that spell maintained the general effect on Misty’s whole body. The price for fixing her foreleg instantly could have been steeper than she thought. Her breaths were shorter and ran out more easily. Aurora didn’t act surprised, either. She paused and gave Misty moments to rest without her needing to ask.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at a row of ornate, wooden doorways underlined with floral carpets. Aurora stopped in front of one and smiled.

“This is the entrance to the ballroom,” Aurora said. “Once you’re inside, I’ll walk you to a V.I.P. table. This part is hosted for large donors to yesterday’s festivities and events, but you’re the guest of honor tonight. To earn favor with the Princess, some of these ponies may try to shake your hoof tonight and introduce themselves. Politely turn them down.

“Oh, and one more thing. If the Princess speaks to you, only say ‘thank you’ or ‘yes, princess.’ This is a formal event, so it helps to be careful. You’ll be able to actually speak with the Princess after the ball is finished, and plenty tomorrow. She looks forward to it.”

Misty swallowed. There were limits on what she could and couldn’t say, just like with any alicorn. “O-of course.”

“Right then. In we go,” she hummed.

Misty held her breath. Aurora pushed the doors open.

A maze of round dinner tables spread out over a wide space. In the middle, ponies swwayed on a wooden dance floor to simply arranged music. Long banquet tables seated platters of eloquent snacks. Toothpicks ran through tiny fruit kebabs. A circular tray of crackers hosted different kinds of cubed cheese. Ice cubes in a punch bowl swirled in the leftover influence of a ladle. Parted velvet curtains exposed the night sky over the sea outside.

The floors felt too clean to walk on. Even worse, Misty’s armor made a little tink with every step, prompting more and more heads to turn and stare at her. She tried to spot the V.I.P table, but there were too many ponies in the way. Her eyes wandered and accidentally made eye contact with some random stallion. Her breath hitched. She averted her attention back to the floor.

She missed her helmet already. Eyes continued to poke her like needles the more she walked, and her weakened body felt like it took ages to walk across the room. Misty trailed behind Aurora, who parted the sea of ponies with confident steps until stopping a few moments later.

“Here you are.” Misty heard Aurora’s voice. She glanced up and saw a long table with a purple tablecloth, and folded cards in front of seats with names on them. Several other ponies were already seated, chatting away. She recognized Pipp chatting away a little further down. Her name was near the center. Aurora politely held a chair out for Misty. It took her a moment to realize she was holding it out for her, and she awkwardly nodded and sat down in it. Aurora took the seat on Misty’s right side.

“Th-thanks...” Misty folded her hooves over each other. Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the feeling that ponies were watching her.

“The reception is still going so it’s a little light right now,” Aurora explained. “We’ll give it a few more minutes for ponies to trickle in, and then the Princess should get her queue to come in and get things started.” She managed to continue speaking while staring straight ahead, jaw set and stoic. Misty blanched on the inside, caught off guard that the massive amount of ponies in the room was considered ‘light.’

“You okay?” she heard her ask. Misty glanced to the side and smiled stiffly.

“Not...really a fan of crowds, or...” Something Aurora said earlier finally clicked in her head. “Wait, you said that I’m the guest of honor?”

Aurora gave her an apologetic smile. “Don’t worry. Just remember what I told you. Your only job tonight is to smile, turn ponies down, and say ‘yes’ or ‘thank you’ princess. It’ll pass by in a flash.”

It didn’t. At least from Misty’s perspective. She felt trapped in a fish tank as she watched the room slowly fill with more and more ponies, the noise in the room growing progressively louder. A lot of the attendees were, dressed to the nines in sleek suits and frilly dresses, which only made her feel more out of place in her shiny, formal armor.

One of them, a lithe, periwinkle pegasus mare in a tan dress with her blond mane slicked to the side, looked her way and made a beeline straight for Misty. Once close, the mare stuck her hoof out, expecting a shake. The move paralyzed Misty in her seat.

“Dazzle Feather with the Maritime Times. A pleasure.”

Misty blinked, before tepidly bringing her hoof up to meet Dazzle’s. She locked it in a vice grip as she shook, before letting go and pulling out a notepad.

“I heard what you did for that poor filly. Horrible situation. Incredible bravery. And an assist from the Princess? Can I get a statement for this article I’m writing about the event?”

“Um...Uh...”

Aurora leaned forward in her seat and cleared her throat. “Thank you for your interest. We are not able to answer to the press at this time, however, I can direct you to the media table towards the back of the room if you’d like to submit any inquiries.” Her voice remained level and professional, as if reciting from a practiced procedure.

Dazzle rolled her eyes in a huff. “Yes, yes I know the drill. But really, what you did was very impressive. We need more stories like that around here.” Something behind Misty caught her eye. Within seconds, Dazzle trotted off into the sea of ponies to shake hooves with someone else.

Misty released a breath. Aurora sighed beside her. “You’ll get a lot of press too. They’re mostly harmless, just let me handle them.”

It was hard to remain so anxious in the face of Aurora’s professional confidence. Misty forced herself to breathe, nod, and loosen her shoulders. If this kept up, she wouldn’t have to talk at all! That’d be a dream come true.

Sure enough, more ponies did end up coming to the table to speak with her, all of whom were politely shooed away with a small smile from her and a firm rebuffing from Aurora.

Misty had to admit, some of the things they asked for were...odd...

“Would you mind attending a photoshoot for our soda brand? The kids will love having a local hero on their drinks!”

“Misty...Shinedawn, right? Do you think you could put in a good word to the Princess about our ‘City-sized Mall’ proposition? It’s sure to boost the local economy!”

“Hiiiiiiiiiiii! Do you use chapstick? We have a host of families who would love if you would kiss their foals for good luck!”

“Hey, um, do you think...you could slide me the Princess’ number? Just, y’know, um for personal rea...wait, Wait no–”

That last stallion had to get escorted out. Misty didn’t know any of the guards had the Princess’ number. Even if she did have it, Opaline never let Misty have a phone.

Quiet seeped into the room from the main entrance. Aurora’s smile softened and turned real. Misty tilted her chin up to see over a few manes.

Princess Sunny Starscout marched into the ballroom. The hem of a fiery red dress flicked up and down behind her with each step. As she parted the crowd, her eyes remained pointed forward at a crimson throne, only a short walk from the V.I.P table. Different ponies studied her from all angles, but she didn’t slow. Her walk left a wake of quiet murmurs and hushed whispers. Even the music seemed to quiet as she approached the throne.

Misty’s eyes were glued to every step the Princess took. When she got closer, the Princess side-eyed Misty and smiled. Misty’s ears flattened as she smiled back. She couldn’t imagine the confidence it took to be a Princess, let alone an alicorn. The way she always kept her head up, never faltering. She made it look effortless.

The Princess stopped one step in front of the throne and turned to face the entire room. By sheer influence alone, even the hushed whispers ceased as all waited for her to speak. She licked her lips and brought a hoof up to clear her throat, before her wings fanned out just a bit and she stepped forward.

“Good evening, everypony!” the Princess said. “Welcome to the celebration for all of those generous souls who made yesterday’s event possible! It takes a special pony to not just recognize that there is a need, but to take action. Tonight is for all of you, so from the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you.” A second later, the whole room filled with the rumble of hoof stomps on the ground from all in attendance, something that seemed to bring a more genuine smile to the Princess’ face.

It probably shouldn’t have surprised her, but the Princess’ voice managed to naturally project and command attention, just like Opaline’s. Perhaps it was a trait all alicorns shared, although Opaline’s voice had never sounded so gentle, and it definitely wasn’t used to say such nice things.

The Princess allowed a few moments for the applause before raising a hoof to signal she had more to say. “Now, we have quite a few donors to celebrate, and only so much time, so let’s get started!”

She gave a firm stamp of her hoof. A moment later, hidden doors along the sides of the room burst open and waiters pushing carts of food walked out. Ponies that were still on the dance floor moved to quickly find their seats at the nearby round tables. As the servers distributed plates of food around the room, the Princess’ horn sparked, and a paper scroll poofed into the air next to her. She unfurled it in her magic, revealing that it was quite long.

Her eyes scanned the list, before flicking up towards the direction of the V.I.P table. For a moment, Misty thought that she was needed for something, but Aurora took a step to the side and snapped a quick salute against her armor.

“Okay,” Aurora said, turning towards her. “Do you think you’ll be fine to sit by yourself for a few minutes? I need to prepare for a few gifts for this year’s major donors.”

“Uh, sure,” Misty whispered back. “No problem.”

Aurora rose from her seat and took off with her head bowed low. With little flicks of her chin, she called guards from around the ballroom to join her on her way out.

As she left, a chestnut stallion passed by her, entering. He didn’t seem to be a guard, judging by his white tuxedo. He stood out, both because of the ostentatious blond mullet on his head, and because he walked in loud enough to turn heads. Ponies scowled either at his noisy hoofsteps or his late arrival. He didn’t seem bothered. Rather, he licked his teeth as he scanned the room before locking eyes on the V.I.P table. He began to saunter closer, rubbing his hair back on the way.

Misty swallowed. After a minute, he made his way back to the table. The only empty spot left had been Aurora’s, right next to Misty. She scooched away from it before he looked at her.

As expected, the stallion sat down next to her. Misty read the nametag on the table in front of him: “Twig Thunders.” He leaned back in his seat with a bored look on his face, brushing his mullet back once more with a hoof. She kept her eyes glued to the table in front of her, yet could feel his disinterested gaze wash over her like she was pocket lint. It was almost reassuring, in a familiar sort of way.

The servers made their way to their table and started to give out their meals on familiar silver trays to the ponies further down. Some of the dishes had small differences from each other, but most involved a small side salad, two breadsticks, a swirl of potato puree, grapes, and a soy wellington. Pipp seemed eager for the food, and chatted with a stallion next to her as she took a bite of her salad. To her right, Twig huffed and motioned with his hoof for the servers to hurry up.

Misty fiddled with her hooves as the servers passed by her to serve everyone else first. As Twig Thunders chewed with his mouth open, and while everyone else had someone to speak to, she couldn’t help but feel like she stood out when her whole job was to fit in. At this point, it could make more sense to step out.

Just as Misty picked out an escape route, one of the servers, a portly green unicorn with a handlebar mustache, pushed a cart next to her seat. He lowered a covered platter in front of her, angled it for presentation, and swiped off the top.

Misty gawked. The newly revealed plate drowned in frosting. Red velvet cake, an assortment of bite-sized cupcakes, fruit tarts, and finely cut chocolates all shared a space too small for them. The smell of it overtook everything else on the table.

“A specially made dish for you tonight, miss,” he said. “Made by the Princess herself.” He smiled warmly. “You have my envy. Please, enjoy.”

The waiter moved to wheel his cart away.

“Now wait just a minute, sir,” Twig said. “My father and I each donated a combined total that dwarfed all previous years. Did the Princess not have time for us?”

“This was a personal arrangement,” the server answered curtly. “You will have to take that question to the Princess.”

“Absurd…”

After Twig Thunders returned to his meal, Misty felt comfortable enough to try a little of everything. The cupcakes’ frosting had the texture of a sweet cloud. The chocolates melted on her tongue. In the middle of a bite of cake, she squeaked and glanced around. No one reacted like they heard it.

Aurora re-entered the ballroom during dinner, just before ponies would abandon their seats to return to the dance floor. Three guards behind her carried treasure chests on top of red pillows. They all lined up next to the Princess in the shadow of her throne. Aurora evened out the number of guards, despite not holding a gift herself.

The ring of a bell called for the room’s attention. Dinner quieted.

“Everyone,” the Princess said. “Thank you all. This year, for ponies who demonstrated true alliance to the cause of helping others, we’ve prepared special gifts. Bright Luster, Gerome Ferdinand, Twig Thunders, and Misty Brightdawn, please make your way up here at your earliest convenience.”

Misty gulped down a chunk of frosting and stole a swig of water before anyone looked in her direction. Twig Thunders rose to his feet before her, giving her an example to follow. A goldenrod earth pony mare and a pastel pink unicorn stallion lined up under the Princess’ throne. With Twig Thunders ahead of her, Misty had to take the final spot.

“Bright Luster,” the Princess said. “This year, you personally saw to the payment of high-quality chefs from around Maretime Bay. To show our gratitude, we had them prepare an assortment of fine dishes for your longer journey home, as well as plenty to share with your family.”

One of the guards holding the chests stepped forward and presented it.

“I dedicate my service to well-prepared meals for everyone in the future. Thank you, Princess.”

As Bright Luster walked back to her seat, the next stepped forward. He furrowed his beard and smiled.

“Gerome Ferdinand, thank you for collecting and bringing much in the way of raw materials from your people. I recall you saying the process concluded with many sleepless nights. For you, our wizards prepared a written guide for a spell to help with lack of sleep, designed with you in mind.”

“I’ll be taking my leave soon to try and catch up on all of that missed rest,” Gerome said smiling. “Thank you for your attention, Princess. You will have our support evermore.”

Gerome Ferdinand bowed out. After a word or two with a few ponies at his table, he left out of the main entrance with his treasure chest in hoof. His legs occasionally bumped the legs of chairs. A small chuckle broke through the Princess’ regal facade as she watched him out. Twig Thunders stepped forward next.

“Twig Thunders,” the Princess said, “for your father and his thoughtful generosity. Please, give him my regards.”

Misty blinked and shifted her weight. The slightest chill leaked through Sunny’s voice. She wondered if anyone else could feel it. Twig didn’t seem to. He bowed, muttered his thanks, and returned to his seat.

With him gone, Misty stepped forward under the eerily warm glow of Sunny’s eyes. Her eyebrows lowered ever so slightly. Her wings flinched and moved for the first time since her appearance in the ballroom.

“And now, Misty Brightdawn. Yesterday, you showcased the raw strength, intellect, and heroism of a paragon. But it didn’t only start yesterday.” She lowered her chin. “A lifetime of choices leads a pony to their moments of greatness, and like everyone, I was lucky to bear witness to one of those moments. For the sake of Pear Sugar, a filly in need of assistance, you thought of a way to approach the problem and made the very conscious choice to sacrifice your own safety for the safety of another. And for that, the crown of Equestria is indebted to you.”

The Princess stepped down from her throne. Her wings flared at her sides. Misty’s instincts inched her body back. The heat of her presence reminded her of Opaline, but everything else was different. The Princess’ legs bent with every step. Her hair, while as regal as Opaline’s, lacked the same unnatural gloss. Her wings wafted the scent of seared fruit in Misty’s face. She stepped all the way down to Misty’s level and stood face-to-face.

“Please,” the Princess said, smiling. “Raise your hoof to receive your gift.”

That request posed a problem. If Misty raised her good foreleg, her bad one would struggle to hold her body weight up. Raising her bad one itself would be a struggle, but she had no choice. Misty winced as she lifted her bad hoof. The Princess’ eyes darted across Misty’s face. Her smile lowered, then rose and warmed again.

The Princess reached and gingerly raised Misty’s hoof. With smooth motions, she untied the straps holding the armor to her foreleg. Misty’s heart started to thump in her ears. She started shaking, almost enough to rattle her armor before the Princess slipped off the loosened piece and set it on the floor.

Misty froze. The Princes lowered her head, shuttered her eyes, and kissed her hoof. The warmth ran up Misty’s foreleg and traveled straight to her head. Her vision sharpened. Her breaths replayed in her ears. The Princess picked the piece of armor back up, retied the knots, then set Misty’s hoof down like it was made of glass. Misty exhaled a shaky breath.

“You may return to your seat now,” the Princess whispered.

“T-thank you, Princess,” Misty squeaked.

On her way back to her seat, Misty decided; she’d never wash her hoof again. How could she? She didn’t want to lose the warmth cascading down her spine. She sat back down in her seat and realized the sweets on her plate looked like diamonds. When she smacked her lips, the lingering sweetness from her last bite came back.

After another short speech from the Princess, the music got louder. Ponies who finished their meals turned to socializing. Misty continued to eat by herself.

A small feeling, like being poked, came and went on the side of Misty’s head. Each time it happened, she glanced left and right and found nothing. Every time she reached for more food, the feeling came again. Misty cleared a corner of her plate and stared at the reflection. A chestnut smudge reached in towards Misty’s head.

Misty turned to Twig Thunders as he sat next to her. She clammed up. Twig reached towards her mane.

“U-ahm, excuse you?” Pipp snarked. Her voice reached across the table and grabbed Twig’s attention, along with the three mares sitting around her. “What are you doing!?”

The few ponies left at the table turned and stared. Their eyebrows turned rigid. Misty shrunk into herself.

“One second,” Twig shot back. “Is this even mane real? Are these extensions?”

“Would you dare to ask me that question?”

Twig’s hoof flinched back. Misty tilted her head. The shadow of the Princess’ wings fell over their plates. The chill in her voice from earlier became a blizzard.

“Twig Thunders,” the Princess said. “I had a high view. I’ve been seeing that.”

“I was just–”

The Princess stepped between Twig and Misty with her wings extended. Twig waved his arms and fell out of his seat. Misty held her hooves up against her chest.

“A lady’s mane is her business,” the Princess said. “And you do not touch a lady’s mane like she is a pet or ask questions about a lady’s mane like it is a subject of study. A lady’s mane is to be treated like a lady, and if that isn’t clear to you, the rule is: do.” She punctuated with a step forward.” “Not.” Another step. “Touch.”

“I-I’m sorry, I–”

The Princess turned her head to the side.

“Escort him out.”

Two guards were already in wait behind the Princess. They surrounded Twig and started pushing him away from the table. As they left, Twig glanced around and made efforts to hide his face. It didn’t work. Ponies watched him, some snidely. The Princess watched him leave with an even face.

“That boy has some growing up to do, I tell you.”

“In-deed,” he leaned in and whispered. “I didn’t even know the Princess had a bad side to get on. What talent.”

After Twig was gone, the Princess turned down toward Misty. Misty pinched her lips together.

“It’s okay,” the Princess hushed. Her face softened. “I’ll walk you out. Come on.”

Misty nodded.

The Princess supported Misty’s bad hoof as she stood. Misty followed her away from the tables. They walked towards a different door than the main entrance, a metal one hidden in an indent in the wall and marked with a little exit sign. It didn’t seem like a door guests were meant to use, but the Princess opened it and motioned Misty down a thin, stone hallway.

Total darkness took over when the door fell shut behind them. The light of the Princess’ form cast an orange glow on the walls.

For Misty, being alone with an alicorn wasn’t anything new. She knew to be quiet. The noise of the ballroom faded behind them.

“This leads to a balcony,” the Princess said. “It tends not to be busy. There’s a way to your room from there.”

“Yes, Princess,” Misty said. She kept her voice quieter than their hoofsteps.

The Princess turned back and smiled. “Just Sunny is fine.”

After a sharp turn, the night sky appeared at the end of the hallway.

The stone under Misty’s hooves swapped out with marble. Along the castle’s walls, water indefinitely dribbled into pools outlined by flowers. A tall view of the ocean appeared over a tall, marble railing. Half of the moon hung in the skyline over the ocean, surrounded by stars.

Misty’s breath was running low. Her balance teetered in either direction. Sunny turned around when Misty’s hoofsteps went off-key.

“Let’s take a second here,” Sunny said. “To catch your breath.”

Misty nodded with her mouth open. She walked with Sunny toward the railing and settled down in place. She closed her mouth and inhaled deep through her nose.

“Sorry about him,” Sunny said, facing the sea. “I can’t believe he was that rude...” She tilted her head toward Misty. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” she answered. “I’m okay.”

“Well. Good. I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable. Do you like your gift?”

Shock ran through Misty’s head. “U-uh… Y-yes!”

Sunny looked at Misty and blinked. “Oh, you might be wondering,” she said. “A kiss from the Princess is symbolic. Politically, it would mean a very strong pledge to aid. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Oh! U-um, okay…”

Misty held up her smile. It was only political. She should have figured that out from the moment she stepped into the ballroom. At least that meant she could wash her hoof.

The Princess’ eyelashes lowered. “It hasn’t been used in a long time.” She quieted. “But at least… You have very soft skin.”

Misty perked up. She’d never wash her hoof again. “T-thank you.”

Sunny avoided meeting Misty’s eye. Instead, she smiled at the stone floor and glanced around. The flavor of frosting returned when Misty locked her jaw.

A few minutes passed. Misty caught her breath, but her heart never slowed. String lights on the railing turned on and tempted moths to hover around them. The light bounced off Sunny’s mane, lightening it by a shade. The moon’s silver invaded the green of her eyes. After a moment, Misty realized she had been staring by accident. She slowly moved her gaze away.

Sunny stood. “Ready? I’ll walk you back.”

“Uh, yes!” Misty almost yelped. “Yes… Of course.”

Misty breathed in and out. She followed Sunny into another hallway.

Having a crush on a Princess was normal. Plenty of ponies did. She couldn’t let it distract from her mission for the Eclipse Amulet. Seeing where Sunny did or didn’t take her tomorrow would help give her important clues. She needed to pay attention to her surroundings, not the Princess’s haunting eyes, elegant hair, or perfect eyelashes. Or the way her voice bumbled and bobbed through pitches and the warmed kindness it switched to for Misty.

Just a crush. Misty would never have the interior to match the skin.

During the walk back, vases sitting on wood cupboards vibrated from the ballroom’s music. Instead of focusing on which turns Sunny took, Misty had to struggle to keep her hooves underneath her and away from anything breakable. She slowed the further they walked. By the time they reached her door, she could barely hold herself up again.

Sunny glanced at her every other second. She flung open the door, moved to support a little of Misty’s weight, and hurried her in. Misty stumbled in and landed face-down on her mattress. After a few seconds of rest, she summoned up the strength to turn her face and situate herself.

“Thank you…” Misty said between breaths.

“No problem,” Sunny said sternly.

Sunny untied the pieces of Misty’s armor and let her slip out of them. She set the pieces on top of a little table hiding under the window curtain, then returned to the bedside.

Misty attempted to reach up at her head, but her forelegs couldn’t quite make it. For a second way, she lit up her horn and tried to grip her mane in her magic, only for it to flicker out in a mere second. She frowned. She couldn’t plait her hair without her hooves or magic; either the spell weakened it, too, or she had run out of endurance. Sunny watched, wide-eyed.

“So, u-um,” Sunny’s voice raised a pitch, “w-what are you trying to do with your mane there?”

“At night, I plait it so that it doesn’t dry out or become tangly. I just…” Misty gave her all into moving her forelegs up to her head. They shivered and fell back to her sides. She exhaled. “I can’t reach it…”

“I’ll help,” she offered weakly. “Or, uh, I think I could.”

Misty didn’t want to ruin her mane, and she didn’t have anyone else to ask. “S-sure. Thank you.”

Sunny squinted at Misty’s mane. She sat down in place, wiped her hooves on her sides and reach towards it.

“So, um. How do I…?”

“I-I do two of them. So take half of my mane and split it off into three strands. At the… scalp.” Her voice weakened the longer she spoke. Explaining took any confidence she had.

Sunny parted Misty’s mane. It took her a full minute of strange silence and little looks. Misty forced herself to smile, but even her facial muscles tired.

“O-okay,” Sunny said. “And now what?”

“Move the right one over the middle.”

“Okay.”

“U-uh, I meant your right.”

“Oh sorry.”

“Uh, actually,” Misty stammered, “it doesn’t matter. Keep going.”

“No, no. I’ll start with the right one.”

“Uh, that’s the middle one. You have to undo it first.”

Sunny froze and stared. “What?”

Misty breathed in. “Okay, start over with the three strands.”

Sunny unraveled Misty’s hair back into the three strands.

“Now the right one? Cross it over the middle one,” Misty said.

“Okay.”

“Now cross over the left one over the middle.”

“Alright.”

A pinch. Misty squeaked.

“I’m sorry, I–”

“It’s okay,” Misty said. “Just, uh, a little looser is fine.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just… Then you repeat that over again till you reach the end.”

“Okay. I think I got it.”

Sunny crossed the left strand over the middle again.

“N-no,” Misty said. “It’s in a pattern. So now you cross the right one over the middle again.”

“Oh,” Sunny jolted. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Sunny crossed the right one over the middle without undoing the previous error in the pattern.

“Uh, wait,” Misty said. “Go back two stages.”

“Uh, what?” Sunny asked.

“Nevermind. Let’s start from the beginning.”

Sunny bolted up to standing. “I’m not good at this. I should get someone–”

“You almost got it,” Misty said quickly. “Uh, please?”

Sunny seemed to think for a moment, then gave in and sat back down. She took hold of the three strands of hair again. Her green eyes steadied.

Maybe Misty had been speaking too fast. She slowed herself down, “Cross the right strand over the middle strand.”

Sunny did so.

“Now, cross the left strand over the new middle strand.”

Sunny did it, correctly this time.

“Now, right over the new middle…”

Another success.

“Then the left over the new middle…”

As Sunny continued, Misty’s voice tapered off. She got sleepy. By the time Sunny finished her two plaits, Misty’s eyes had closed by themselves. Sunny lifted the blankets to cover Misty’s body up to her neck.

“Thank you, Sunny,” Misty murmured.

“Of course! Uh, good night.”

“Yes. Good night…”

As Sunny walked out, Misty heard a tap followed by the bang of a pony hitting the floor. The carpet scratched as that pony assumedly stood back up and continued for the door. and scrambling back up. The door creaked as it closed.

Some sort of high-pitched squeal leaked through the door. Misty turned her head on her pillow.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Jusmove for the assist.