Light as a feather

Amber slammed his rear hoof into the low counter behind where he stood the steel plate along its front buckling beneath the force of his aggravation. “Somepony’s grumpy!”

Pinkie Pie emerged beside him, her hoof poking absently at the charred chunk of cake that was meant to be the rusty orange colt’s crowning jewel but was nothing more than a shriveled lump of coal. Crumbled bit’s of burnt flake fell to the counter top, immediately licked up by the pink mare. She made a contemplative face before it was quickly wiped away by one of disgust.

“You’re not very good at this are you?” She quipped happily.

“How could you tell?” Amber muttered sarcastically.

“I know what we need!” Pinkie Pie squealed determinedly, ignorant to the colt’s mood as she happily began to hum, her humming quickly escalating into a quirky song and dance number. Mortar gave the colt a shrug as he watched from the far end of the kitchen where he was idly flipping through a cook book.

~ All you have to do is take a cup of flour ~
~ Add it to the mix ~

“She’s not…” Amber began with a pleading look to the ashen pony. The stallion matched the colt’s gaze a moment before a satisfied smirk turned his lips and his eyes returned to the book. “You son of a mule,” The irate colt hissed venomously. “You’re enjoying this!”

The grey pony’s response was lost to Amber as Pinkie Pie grabbed his hooves and twirled him back toward the prep counter. She shoved the flour toward him and he smiled uncertainly while doing everything her song dictated with some trepidation.

~ Now just take a little something sweet, not sour. ~
~ A bit of salt, just a pinch. ~

He hastily prepared the ingredients and mixed them together while the comically intimidating pink pony watched him absently. Amber stared at the mixing bowl of ingredients he’d combined finding his batter was grey and lumpy, with the faint odor of rotting cheese.

That couldn’t be right…

The vibrant pink filly was currently bouncing around the kitchen half singing and half shouting ‘cupcakes’ at the top of her lungs. Her song had been vague at best, listing only a few meager components and leaving out vitals like cooking time and temperature. With a sigh the colt poured the concoction into a pan and shoved it into the oven turning the knob to an arbitrary number.

Here we go again…

--

“Good afternoon Miss Luna.” Lexis stood in the hall outside Celestia’s chambers, a tray of uneaten food held in her levitation field. Luna glanced briefly at it before nodding her acknowledgement to the white unicorn. “How is she?”

“The doctor says she just needs rest.” Lexis answered. “I’m afraid she won’t be able to attend the event tonight as planned.”

Luna frowned. For over a thousand years Celestia had risen the moon along side the sun, and though that was an extensive feat in and of itself, there was no reason she should have succumb to the strain so quickly upon Luna’s return. It had only been a matter of months since the stars had begun to dull and a matter of weeks since they’d begun falling. Late afternoon sunlight fell in through the high narrow windows along the expanse of hallway, casting colorful shadows along the floor and opposite wall.

“Has she eaten?” Luna wondered vaguely as she watched tiny particles of dust float in the vibrant rays. Even in her illness Celestia’s command over the sun was infallible. Lexis shook her head indicating the tray held in her magic. “Not a bite, but I thought perhaps I’d try anyway.”

The white unicorn hesitated a moment before speaking again. “Perhaps you should postpone the event until Princess Celestia recovers?”

“No.” Luna replied quickly her tone adamant to such a degree as to prevent any further argument about her decision. “I wish for you to find my replacement, an easy task I assure you since I have already chosen the pony I wish to fill it.”

“Did you know this would happen?” Lexis inquired accusingly before she could stop herself.

“I’ve had suspicions since the beginning.” Luna replied absently her thoughts elsewhere. A long moment of silence fell between them before the alicorn spoke again. “The stars had a thousand years to reject our sister’s embrace, why they should start now perplexes us.”

Luna thought a moment about her dream and the shadowy pony she had seen attacking her sister in her nightmares. “Many things perplex us.”

--

Amber shifted uneasily on his hooves as Rarity fussed over his outfit. She glared at him wordlessly refusing to speak more than required to assure he was comfortable and able to carry out his tasks. He assured her he was and she had accepted his reply almost dismissively. He supposed she was still upset about his shrugging out of it so carelessly, not to mention leaving it trailed across the castle gardens. Her tone, more than her voice, startled him as she spoke up. “I would suggest you not shrug out of it this time.”

In that moment the moody young stallion realized he hadn’t apologized for doing just that. His shoulders sagged a bit as the gravity of that realization weighed him down. When had he become so heartless? Sure he did not adore ponies, he found them obnoxious and less than worthwhile at the best of times, much preferring his own company to that of a vast majority of them but this mare, and her friends, had shown him nothing but kindness. Could he not at least pretend to do the same?

She smeared her special scar vanishing concoction across his muzzle non to delicately, in what he assumed was another tactic of her anger, and regardless of the reasons the colt appreciated the notion. Though harsh in its application she did not cover the wound because it was garish or unsightly, but rather as a gesture of good will and perhaps apology for Fluttershy having reminded him of wounds he’d long thought buried.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered earning a snicker from Mortar, who was leaning against the wall not a dozen hoof lengths from where the pair stood, watching with a bemused smirk. Amber took a moment to assault him with his gaze before focusing on Rarity once more. “I know you put a lot of work into making this for me, and I appreciate it.”

“I suppose I’ll have to accept that as the best you can do?” Amber was about to contest her reply before a slim smile graced her lips followed by a light good-humored titter. She pecked the dapper colt on the cheek much to Mortar’s delight and the colt’s embarrassment. “For luck...”

“Jealous?” Amber quipped out of nothing more than spite for the old stallion once Rarity had gone. The ashen grey pony leaned away from the wall pausing to place a large heavy hoof on the lanky colt’s shoulder as he passed.

“Ask me again when you’ve had more than a feather peck from a pretty mare.” Mortar retorted with a playful smirk.

The colt followed somberly behind the ash grey unicorn as they joined the remaining contestants gathered in the back of the grand ballroom. Again Amber recognized none of them, but then that was no surprise since he’d not bothered to learn any of their names. It was only by Mortar’s own curiosity the pair had met in the first place.

The lights in the room dimmed ever so slightly as Prism Shine stepped onto the balcony over looking the dining hall her gaze trailing across the remaining contestants dubiously. Amber glanced around the room, avoiding her stern gaze. He found the room vacant of the set up previously occupying the grand space, which only led to confusion.

“I regret to inform you that Princess Luna will be absent during tonight’s event due to pressing personal matters that are no concern of yours. Only know that she wishes the best of luck to all participants.”

Dusk had fallen over the city, hues of stagnant red and orange falling in through the tall narrow windows lining the palace walls. The colt noticed it only briefly before his attention was again stolen by the ebony mare now accompanied by a small group of royal guards.

“Each of you will be given a slip of parchment on which has been written the name of a local eating establishment. For tonight you have been given permission to utilize these facilities to the best of your abilities. Present at each establishment will be a local celebrity figure who you will act as judge of not only your performance but also your culinary fare.”

A slim blue unicorn filly raised a hoof. She appeared unsettled and her voice quivered slightly as she voiced her inquiry. “What if we don’t agree with our partner?”

“This is a challenge not a cakewalk.” Prism Shine replied flatly.

“And if we have further questions?” A second pony, male by the sound of it, wondered with far less anxiety than the filly.

“I suggest you consult with your escort before arriving at your destination,” The black mare answered tersely. “Upon arrival to your designated refectory the challenge will commence. Good luck my little ponies!”

A/N ~ Some of you are going to hate what I do these next couple of chapters...
But I am going to do it anyway...