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.