Light as a feather

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight called boisterously from across the hall. Several ponies turned to stare at the young filly a sheepish smile crossing the purple unicorn’s lips as she noticed their stares. The princess’s smile was of a different sort as she greeted the group warmly.

“I am so glad you could make it.” She said giving her most faithful student a well deserved hug. “I know Luna will be pleased to see you again.”

“I thought that this was a private function.” Twilight began glancing around at the ponies she had upset only moments ago. “Who are all these ponies?”

“These ponies my dear student are those who have already been eliminated.” She explained. “They have been allowed to stay and witness the remainder of the contest should they so desire. Many of them have friends down there still.”

Applejack gave a low whistle as she leaned against the balcony railing, peering down into the ballroom below. “How many ponies are down there ya think?”

Twilight stepped up beside her curiously, doing a quick headcount. “Thirty seven.”

“How many were there to start?” Rainbow Dash asked her own eyes searching across the faces of the ponies below. Celestia’s voice rose from behind the group. “Forty eight ponies began. By the end of the week there will be only one.”

“Oh! Oh! I see Rarity!” Pinkie Pie interrupted excitedly bouncing up and down. All four ponies looked where she pointed spotting Rarity at the furthest end of the ball room talking with a familiar rusty orange colt. She used her magic to straighten his bow tie and smooth his mane, which had begun to frizz.

“She looks so pretty.” Fluttershy remarked noticing the simple dress the stylish white unicorn wore, unusual given her normally eloquent designs. Despite the contrast between the deep purple of her mane and the pale yellow of the dress Rarity still managed to look stunning.

“There will be time enough to catch up with Rarity in a moment my little ponies.” Celestia said shuffling the group to their seats, as an unknown pony called for their attention.

“I would like to congratulate you all on passing the introductory round.” The mare began her voice booming, but not in any way unpleasant. “To our esteemed Princess Celestia, and to our guests welcome.”

The dark pony stepped back, allowing Princess Luna to take the floor. The alicorn masked her nervousness well, as she spoke, her words coming out with a regal air despite their simplicity. “I would like to thank my sister for granting me the opportunity to hold this event. It is my deepest hope that each of you will do your best for me, for yourselves, and for all of Equestria!”

A resounding cheer rose from the balcony as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie shouted their approval. Twilight groaned while Fluttershy’s cry barely managed to reach the ponies sitting right behind her. Luna cast an apprehensive glance at her sister waiting in the balcony, smiling as the shimmering white alicorn nodded her support.

Again the roles were reversed as Prism Shine took the floor. “There will be a momentary recess while the floor is prepared.” She explained much to the surprise of a certain earth pony who was quaking in his hoof cuffs. “I ask that all participants remain in the designated waiting area until this evening's trial officially begins.”

The ebony pony dismissed the participants to a steady murmur. Amber cast a glance about the room as he followed his peers. Princess Luna was watching him as the white unicorn Lexis whispered something into her ear.

--

“Glad to see you made it mate.” The ghostlike pony greeted as he joined Amber and the other ponies in the designated waiting area, which was really only the hallway leading to the grand ballroom. He remembered the stained glass windows from his first trip through. He had been admired them in the light of dusk, the hues of sunset changing the colors in ways he would never have imagined possible. The orange pony smiled, glad to see a familiar face. “You too…”

The colt hesitated realizing he had never learned the pony’s name. Sensing this, the stallion extended his hoof. “Name’s Mortar, but friends call me Mort.”

“Amber.” The orange pony replied shaking his fellow participants hoof.

“So what do you do on the outside Amber?” The pony asked, as if the contest were some sort of prison. Amber thought it best to spare the complicated details of his journey settling on a lie instead. “I’m a waiter.”

“Waiter eh?” The pony mused. “I’m a cook myself, though I didn’t start that way. I was at the bottom of the pile once just like you.”

Amber gave a wry smile at the comment. He wanted to be angry about it but he knew it wouldn’t do for him to start a fight with the only pony that dared bother with him. He needed friends in this contest, not enemies, especially if it meant he would have to move beyond balancing trays.

“Me and a few of my mates get together every now and then to talk strategy, gossip, and the like, you’re welcome to join us, if you ever find the time.” The stallion offered hopefully.

“Sure.” Amber answered lamely at the sudden invitation. With a gleam in his dark eyes Mort disappeared into the gathering of ponies leaving the colt alone again. Amber was content to hang back less eager to introduce himself. After fiddling his time away with random hoof tapping, and avoiding eye contact with those ponies willing enough to glance his way, Prism Shine emerged in the doorway, looking every bit the hostess pony she was meant to be.

“Each of you will be broken into groups of six, taking the floor two at a time.” She explained, stopping to assure each pony understood. When no questions were posed she continued. “You will begin by choosing one member of your team to act as waiter, the other acting as server. The choice will be made by your team as a whole, after which those chosen ponies will carry out their assigned tasks.”

Amber only half listened, more curious as to whom he would be paired with. Prism Shine’s next words caught him off guard. “One of you has been pre-chosen by the princess, to act as her personal attendant for the evening.”

A murmur went through the crowd as the ebony mare locked her gaze on Amber. “Please follow me.”

--

The princess sat at a dark clothed table, in the middle of the room, surrounded by several other tables, sheathed in white. While the flowers on those tables were variants of white and gold, the flowers at the dark alicorn’s table were a variant of the colors in her coat and mane with a single flower matching the hue of her beautiful teal eyes.

Amber fought the quiver in his flanks, aware that the suit Rarity had donned him with covered his cutie mark and at the same time his nervous tick. He was grateful it was not visible anywhere else. His father had an eye twitch for instance. The colt quickly shoved the thought away.

The princess was far more beautiful up close than he could have ever imagined. Even his wildest dreams, a few of which she had been a part of, could not fully capture her essence. The stories he’d heard, of the monster she had once been, were hard to believe given the light easy smile she gave as he approached.

He cast his eyes briefly around at the other ponies, those chosen to represent their respective groups. Mortar, the silvery ghost like pony was not among them. He hadn’t bothered to learn anything about the other ponies, their names or their professions outside of the event and he couldn’t say he cared much one way or the other.

“G…Good evening.” He muttered with a stutter as he turned his attention to the lunar princess. Was it evening? Had Celestia raised the moon yet? When did evening really begin anyway or dusk for that matter?

“Good evening sir.” Luna answered with an amused smile, her eyes brightening. Soft music played in the back ground, a low quivering hum, from a single gray earth pony playing an instrument as big as she was. So, he wasn’t the only earth pony, at least not entirely.

Amber all but forgetting himself hastily placed a menu before the royal alicorn. She levitated it with her magic, a trait he silently envied, as she perused the options available. Even he hadn’t seen the menu so should she order something like, an old horseshoe dipped in applesauce and deep friend, he would be inclined to believe her.

As he waited he listened to the voices of the ponies at the other tables. They mingled quietly, their conversations easily distinguishable from one another. Most of it seemed to center on politics or fashion, two things he knew next to nothing about. The colt opened and closed his mouth several times trying to find a proper way to say what he had on his mind. The princess watched him with a cocked brow.

“Your highness…er, majesty…P…Princess Luna…” He began stumbling over what to call her. None of it sounded right coming from his mouth. “Why…why did you choose me?”

A light chuckle left the princess’s lips and Amber slung his ears back holding his feet firmly. He’d wanted nothing more than to back away from her but felt that it would in someway be treasonous if he made the attempt. His hooves ached with the pressure he was putting on them.

“I heard tell of a young stallion who chanced upon and saved a young damsel in distress.” The princess answered simply. She did not watch his gaze to see his reaction, but she was listening as he spoke, his words tinged with emotions she wasn’t sure she understood.

“Is this some sort of punishment?” He asked. Inwardly he snorted at the very idea of Vinyl Scratch being any sort of damsel in distress. That fell more he imagined to that grey earth pony playing the giant instrument or perhaps Fluttershy, the pale yellow pegasus back in…Ponyville, the purple unicorn had called it. He wondered a moment what they were up to and if they were upset about his leaving so ungraciously. Did they even still care?

“It was meant to be a reward young pony.” Luna said with a confused look. “Though I can see that perhaps I was mistaken. I have been away for a long time and it would seem there is much I have yet to learn.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Amber corrected. Now he really wanted to run, not just from the room but from the castle, from the city, from Equestria itself. How is the moon princess? Is it nice in summer?

“This is practice for us as well.” Luna said snapping the colt back to the present. She had slipped into some of her old habit of referring to herself in the third pony. He supposed being alone for a thousand years would do that but it still surprised him to hear her speak as if referring to more than one of herself.

“I’m sorry.” Amber said clearing his thoughts. He had a job to do and the least he could do to make up for insulting the princess, inward and outward, would be to do that job well. “Can I start you off with a beverage?”

“Please call us Luna.” She said amused, her voice just a bit teasing. Amber felt a twinge at her tone despite its pure intent. “And tell us what you would recommend.”

“That depends on what you eat.” Amber said not for certain that was true. He’d heard several ponies talking about it back in Hoofington, even Short Order had tried explaining it to him once or twice, but the colt hadn’t been listening properly. “Perhaps a light apple wine?”

The princess’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. She hadn’t had wine since she came back from the moon, what with Celestia treating her like a filly most of the time. She was older than all of the ponies in Equestria but for her sister, so she was of age to drink fermented beverages should she so choose. “I would like that.”

Amber stored the drink to memory, something he had learned to do quite well given that holding a pen and paper in his hooves or mouth was awkward not to mention unsightly. The princess glanced over the menu a moment longer before choosing a light radish salad, a bowl of hazelnut soup, and perhaps the most unexpected item, a blueberry scone, which Amber mused was the only item that would in any way compliment the wine.

“I’ll be a moment.” He said backing away, the tension in his shoulders relenting only slightly. He struggled to keep his walk to the kitchen casual so as not to upset the entire floor. Several of the other ponies were just as nervous, if not more so, about serving their own customers, who appeared as best as he could tell members of the royal court.

The kitchen allowed him only a brief reprieve as in a matter of minutes the princess’s order was ready.