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I returned her affections by holding her in my arms while dropping to one knee. “I sure did. She found what she was looking for and headed on out the door. I guess there’s no rest for Ponyville’s personal missing item detective.”

Mitta giggled lightly while my hand stroked her crimson mane. “She’s been getting quite a few cases. I don’t think any of her clients know she’s a ghost though.”

Looking down at my dear friend, I felt compelled to ask a question. “Hey, Mitta? How’ve things been since you moved in around here?”

She looked up at me and beamed with a grand smile. “I really couldn’t have asked for more. Everypony in Ponyville is just so pleasant. And Rarity is always so supportive and attentive to me. She’s made me all sorts of nice clothes, even though I don’t wear them often…” She then buried her head against my chest and spoke in a softer tone. “Thank you, James… Thank you for bringing me here.”

I returned the favor, my hand stroking her red mane. But before long, something suddenly covered my eyes. A very familiar quiet voice spoke up from behind me. “Guess who?”

A smirk creeped across my face while I thought up a witty response. “I will have to say…a tree.”

I doubt anyone else would have gotten that joke, but the person behind me giggled softly before removing her hooves from over my eyes. “Nope. Although I’d like to be a tree.”

Mitta looked behind me and smiled broadly. “Hello, Fluttershy. Glad you could make it.”

My girlfriend cantered forward and gave our friend a gentle nuzzle. “I’m just glad little Angel reminded me of it. I would’ve missed the whole thing otherwise.”

While Fluttershy and Mitta chatted with each other, I glanced around and just happened to catch sight of Luna waving at me and beckoning me to come closer. Only unlike before, her expression seemed to be a bit more serious. When we locked gazes, I pointed a finger at myself to silently ask if she was asking for me to approach. She then nodded, but then seemed to point her hoof just slightly to my left. Directly at Fluttershy. Or was it Mitta? Was she asking for both of us?

Not certain of who she wanted to see, I decided to ask both of them. “Excuse me, ladies. I think Luna wants to see us.”

Mitta and Fluttershy looked at me simultaneously before glancing over at Luna sitting beside her sisters. Fluttershy then nodded with a smile. “If the princess wants to see us, it’s probably for something good.”

The three of us approached the table where the royal sisters were seated. “You called for us, your highness?” Mitta asked with a noticeably curious expression.

Luna nodded while Celestia and Nightmare Moon looked on in silence. “Well, I was more than anything wanting to speak to you, Mitta.”

Mitta only? This caught both Fluttershy and I by surprise. The two of us watched quietly while Mitta took a few more steps forward. “Really? What is it?”

Luna’s expression darkened. She almost seemed ashamed of something. “I have been pondering this for some time now, and… I really must apologize to you.”

Celestia seemed especially puzzled. She leaned to her left and asked, “Apologize for what, Luna? You seem to have done nothing wrong as of late.”

My friend continued with her gaze focused solely on Mitta. “The night you emerged from the Everfree Forest…” She then bowed her head in shame. “I judged you far too quickly… And completely cast aside any thought on the dangers James must have faced just to rescue you from that deathtrap, especially so soon after having awakened from another trial the previous night… Not to mention the support you were receiving from his friends as told by their presence when you arrived at the palace… It was very unbecoming of me. Can you ever forgive me?”

It was not something I would have ever expected from Luna. In fact, I had all but forgotten her actions that night. We all watched in silence, though it did not take long for Mitta to bow her head as well. “It’s fine, your highness… I honestly was not expecting you to remove the curse at all.”

“You are certain? There is nothing I can do to alleviate any bitterness you may still hold towards me?” Luna asked with increasing insistence. She really sounded as if that guilt had been eating at her at the back of her mind for some time.

Much to all of our surprise, Mitta ended up letting out a quiet giggle at Luna’s words. “Your highness… I hold nothing against you for what happened. It wasn’t your fault that I was cursed. And besides, I can’t tell you how much better my life has gotten and how quickly it has improved since the night it was lifted. I have the best friends I could ever ask for in the friendliest town I have ever seen. Please don’t blame yourself, Princess Luna. It’s all OK now. Really.”

After a few more ‘trulys’ and ‘are you absolutely sures’, Luna finally relented. She bowed her head and let out a long sigh. “All right… Forgive me if I seem pushy. This has been weighing down on my conscious ever since that night. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

Mitta seemed to pause for a moment, most likely thinking the offer over. I had a good idea of what to pick. But just before I could speak it, Fluttershy beat me to the punch. “How about inviting her to the next Grand Galloping Gala?”

Luna seemed rather surprised by the suggestion, but Celestia gave her a reassuring nod. Our friend then turned her gaze back towards us and nodded with a smile. “Agreed. I will make certain Celestia adds an extra ticket next time they’re sent out.”

Just before we could converse further, Mrs. Cake approached me after apparently leaving the kitchen. “Oh, there you are. So sorry, your majesties, but I need to speak to James for just a moment.”

Nightmare Moon nodded with a smile. “That’s quite all right. Take your time.”

I followed Mrs. Cake over to the counter. Resting atop it seemed to be a white paper box that was probably filled with pastries. “So, what’s up?”

Mrs. Cake went behind the counter and pushed it towards me. “Fluttershy brought in an order from somepony who passed her on her way here. Would you be a dear and deliver these please?”

I was honestly surprised that we were even open today, what with the royal visit and all. But I suppose business is business. “Today? Oh, sure. You got the address?” I replied while taking the box into my arm’s grasp.

“Oh yes. It seems the address is… The alley between Stirrup Street and Trottingway Lane?” Mrs. Cake explained while reading over a small note on her hoof, sounding understandably baffled. Who sets up a home in an alley? Oh wait, I have seen certain houses on earth where the access point always faced an alley. I suppose I should not be surprised that it is possible here too.

“OK then. And the price is…four bits. I’ll get back as soon as I can.” I replied with a nod before heading out the door. Not surprisingly, the guards took a step away from me upon catching sight of me walking by them after stepping through the front door. I really hope Rainbow Dash did not steal that thing…..

I wandered for a bit, trying to locate the alley between the two streets I had been told about. Even though I have memorized the names of most of the streets in Ponyville, even though there are not very many at all, I still have a habit of remembering locations based on appearance. Eventually, I did find my destination. The alley was somewhat dark with two tall long buildings standing on each side that were too large to be mere housing.

“This can’t possibly be a trap… Right?” I muttered to myself as I walked through the dark passage. And once my eyes had adjusted to the change in lighting, I saw it right in the middle of the alley on one side. The same carriage that I had seen being pulled through town. Only the pony who had been pulling it was nowhere to be seen.

“Um… That can’t be it.” I muttered, walking past it and checking the sides of the two buildings at my sides for doorways. I found none, each wall being bare aside from the peachy yellow hued paint coating their sides and the thick wooden support beams fused into the structures. “So… The address is that?” I asked myself while tilting my head to one side while looking at the carriage. From my current location, the door was visible. With nowhere else to go, I decided to check to see if the occupant of the carriage had placed the order I was carrying.

With a bit more caution than I normally carry, I approached the door quietly and slowly before knocking on it. Just inside the door, I could hear some faint rustling noises. And a moment later, I took a step back as the top half of the door creaked open just a crack. A woman’s voice spoke up in a quiet tone with a sense of urgency. “Are you here to deliver the order I sent to Sugarcube Corner?”

This was by far the most awkward interaction I had ever had with a customer. It almost felt like I was smuggling some form of contraband. “Um… Yes, miss. The price comes to four bits.”

At my words, the top half swung open all the way. The same cloaked pony I had seen before was now standing before me. Her hood had been pulled down further than before, probably to hide her eyes in such a way that I could not see them from my current position. Although she could clearly still see me, judging by her following action. “Thank you. Here’s… Wha… What are…”

She began to back away from me. Apparently forgetting about her reservations, she raised her head while giving me a perfect view of her face. Her eyes were open wide in a show of shock, her irises being a shade of some faded dark violet. I was not sure of what to say, seeing as how it had been quite a while since anyone had last reacted with shock upon seeing me for the first time. “What are you?! How…ack!”

I saw the mare disappear from sight. Judging by the way she seemed to lean back, she must have tripped over something. I was naturally concerned and took a step forward to peek in to see if she had been harmed. “Ma’am, are you OK?! Is anything…huh?”

The mare I had been speaking to really had just tripped over a wooden stool set in front of a sort of vanity. Now lying on her back in a very awkward pose, her cloak was now lying flat on the floor below her, giving me a completely unobstructed view of her body. Like the little bit of her forelegs I had seen earlier as well as her face, her body was a beautiful shade of light azure. Her tail and mane were quite long, almost looking like shorter versions of Fluttershy’s hairstyle, though not as meticulously kempt. Her mane and tail consisted of two shades of cornflower blue, both hues being very pale. All in all, she was very attractive to my eyes. But I felt a chill in my body when I saw her cutie mark. It displayed a magic wand with a star-shaped gem at the tip with a crescent shaped shawl or glittering trail of magic dust overlapping it, both being shades of light blue to apparently compliment her own natural color scheme. I knew this mare. And everything I had heard about her had been nothing but bad news. “The Great and Powerful Trixie.”

The mare before me almost seemed to panic and moved her hoof over her mouth, probably as a way to tell me to keep quiet. She then spoke in a loud whisper, “Just… Get in here! Hurry!”

While still wary, I could tell that this pony was not a threat. I reached inside the door and pulled it open before practically crawling inside due to its low height and the fact that it was raised off the ground by almost a full foot. Once inside, I closed the door’s two halves behind me and closed the lock. It was then I noticed just how cramped the interior was. “And I thought the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse was cramped…” I had to stay on my knees. There was so much in there and so little room to move around, I was afraid I would break something. There was not much to see there. Just the vanity lined with makeup and other cosmetics, a small bed, a dresser, a mini refrigerator, a chest for gear used in Trixie’s performance’s, and what seemed to be a door to a small bathroom at the end of the room. Basically the necessities of a traveling performer. Something that stood out for me was a matching cape and wide brimmed wizard’s hat hanging from a bedpost. They were both mainly light purple while being adorned with many yellow and pale blue stars while the cape had a sky blue hexagonal gemstone serving as a pendant to hold the cape together at the base of the wearer’s neck. And on the wall over the bed was a poster depicting Trixie in her cape and hat from what I would assume was a time when she was in her prime.

“Um…” The mare before me spoke, doing nothing to confirm whether or not she was indeed the Trixie I had heard about every once in a great while. I did not take my eyes off of her once while maintaining a constant scowl of wariness. Using the basic levitation spell, she moved the stool she had tripped over towards me. I felt myself warm up to her just slightly by this small show of hospitality. I stood up while minding my movements and took a seat on the stool. It was still very close to the floor, but it was better than putting more strain on my knees.

“Thanks… Now tell me. Are you the so-called ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie or not?” I asked once I was seated, the box of pastries still in my hands.

Despite having such an astronomically huge ego, at least from what I have heard, the pony before me was very reserved and hesitant to seemingly do anything. She was nervous. I could see that much. But why?

Finally, she seemed to find the will to speak and cleared her throat before speaking in a loud and bold tone. “Yes! I see my name precedes me! You stand before the great and powerful Trrrrixie!” She did a good job of rolling her R’s and really gave off a proud and capable presence with that display. While speaking those words, she even stood on just her hind legs while reaching out with one foreleg while the other was crossed over her chest.

If I had not known about her at all, I am sure I would have been mildly entertained. But not this time. I watched her with a display of indifference. I did not even so much as crack a smile. With the atmosphere in the cramped confines of the carriage having become incredibly awkward, Trixie grinned nervously before letting out a sigh of defeat while lowering herself back down to the floor. “Oh, who am I kidding…”

What was wrong with her? She did not seem just defeated. She seemed downright depressed. “Um… What’s wrong? I was expecting you to be a bit more extravagant and over-the-top in your behavior.” I asked, actually starting to feel some concern for the mare.

Just as it seemed she was about to talk, her gaze looked me over again. Even though clearly down about something, there was still a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. “Before I say anything… What are you? I’ve never come across anything in Equestria like you before.”

I replied dryly. “I’m a human.”

Trixie cocked her head as I spoke those words. “A…human? Really? Oh… I always claimed that they were monstrous sea creatures with massive tentacles that try to draw in anything that drifts near them…”

I rolled my eyes at that assumption. “That sounds more like a kraken. Anyway, are you the one who ordered this?” I held out the box to her. There was a noticeable sweet scent slipping through the lid’s edges.

“I did…” She spoke softly while going over to a small dresser. While she walked, any wariness I felt towards her began to slowly fade. She looked absolutely miserable, a far cry from the Great and Powerful Trixie I had heard about.

“Hey… Are you all right?” I finally asked after wondering if it was my business to worry about her.

She stopped in her tracks before bowing her head. Trixie then looked over at me with a very sad gaze. “Don’t tell me you really believe I am the Great and Powerful Trixie…”

I sighed, seeing just how down she was. Despite her mood, I spoke honestly. “Well, you certainly don’t seem ‘great’ or ‘powerful’ in any way. And I’m going to be honest with you, Trixie. I have heard nothing but bad things about you.”

She seemed to tense up at the sound of my words, almost sounding like she was having trouble breathing. With a brisker pace, she turned and walked over to her vanity before using her magic to open a medicine bottle on it that I had overlooked. With a twist of the cap, a single white and blue capsule floated out before she snatched up a water bottle on the floor next to the vanity with it being securely held between her hoof and foreleg in her ankle joint. She set the pill on her tongue before chugging some of the water to wash it down. She let out a gasping sigh before setting the water bottle and medicine bottle back down.

Seeing this, I was naturally worried. I had all but forgotten any wariness I had towards her. “Are you OK?”

Trixie looked my way after taking a long sigh to apparently calm herself. “Anti anxiety pills. I… Things have not been easy for me lately.”

It was by this point that I just could not sit there and do nothing. I had to find out why this ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie was nothing like I had heard about. “OK, you’re officially getting me worried. What is wrong with you?”

She sighed while looking away from me for a moment before turning and resting her head on her vanity while looking into the mirror with a truly pathetic posture. “I’m just a mare who’s down on her luck. Isn’t that obvious?”

I crossed my arms, starting to become mildly annoyed by her beating around the bush. “No, you’re not just ‘some mare’ who is down on her luck. You’re Trixie. You had a strong fan following not that long ago, from what I’ve heard. What happened to you since the last time you were in Ponyville?”

Trixie’s eyes widened somewhat while she turned her gaze to me, though she then sighed again and let her body go limp with her head still on her vanity. “Why would you even care for a fraud like me?”

I responded honestly. “No, I wouldn’t have much love for a fraud. But… I’m concerned, OK? When I look at you, I don’t see a prideful egotistical jerk of a mare. I see a young woman who needs help. I may have some doubts about you, but I am a good listener. You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone else.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking me while constantly facing her reflection in the mirror. “Were you told about what happened when I last came here?”

It is rather hard to forget a story where a total jerk of a magician comes to town and publicly humiliates three of your closest friends and fails to stop a towering Ursa Minor like she had claimed to have done so in the past. “Yes. I heard.”

Trixie let out yet another long sigh before speaking further. “News spread after that. I lost fans. Nopony took me seriously anymore. More and more was discovered about my claims to greatness. People stopped attending my shows… At one point, I was so low on funds that I had to…resort to working on a rock farm for a week…” She then suddenly looked towards me with tears streaming down her face, her eyes open wide in a show of rage and shame. “A ROCK FARM!!!”

I flinched at that sudden outburst. I did not see it coming at all. But that glare did not stay on her face for long. She seemed to realize what she had done and buried her face in her folded forelegs. “Sorry… It’s just… I don’t know what to do… If I don’t find a way to bring my audience back… My career is over… And I know I can’t! I’m a fraud!”

She was taking it very hard. Her speaking had dissolved into sobbing. This was not at all how I expected my first meeting with Trixie would go. I honestly felt terrible for her. “You became a victim of your own lies…”

“That’s exactly it…” She muttered between sobs while raising her head enough for me to see her eyes. She then looked at me with a tearful and desperate pleading gaze. “I’m out of options… I came to Ponyville to try to start a comeback tour. I have even been studying and practicing new tricks and spells to really capture my audience’s attention. But… This is where my downfall began! Nopony here will even look at me now!” She suddenly lunged at me, holding onto me while gazing up at me. “Please… Tell me! What can I do?! What has to be done to free me from this downward spiral?!”

Even in her darkest moments, it seemed that Trixie still had a flair for being dramatic. However, I doubt she was doing it voluntarily. I looked down at her. She was gazing at me in tears, looking for guidance. She was truly lost by this point. If I had any ill will towards her before, I can safely say that it was all gone by that point.

After taking a moment to think up a response, I finally spoke. “Well, the first thing you need to do is probably the hardest thing you could ever do.”

Her gaze of desperation instantly became a hopeful smile. “Name it! Tell me!”

I braced myself. Knowing her ego, she was not going to like this suggestion. “The first thing you need to do is admit the truth to everyone.”

Trixie’s expression changed to one showing profound fear. And that was to be expected. For someone who had probably been in show business since most likely her late teens, she had probably gone a long time without admitting she is wrong. Before she could object, I gently caressed her mane to calm her while I spoke. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. It’s never easy or pleasant to admit that you were wrong. But trust me on this. The longer you take to do so, the harder it will become. You need to admit to the people you have been deceiving that you were a fraud. That’s the only way you’ll get their respect back.”

I was almost expecting her to explode in defiance. And yet, she remained silent. Trixie rested her head on my chest, my hand constantly stroking her mane. “Admit…that I was wrong…” She muttered in a very subdued tone.

“You have to. Your pride is dragging you down and you need to let that go. Pride can hurt you more than others can. That’s why I try to not take pride in anything I do.” I spoke softly, trying to reassure her the best I could.

After a moment longer, I felt Trixie let out a long sigh before looking up at me. Her tears had stopped flowing and she looked more at peace than I had seen since first meeting her. “Thank you for your advice… Please leave me alone for now. I need to make some preparations.”

“Really? Are you sure you’re gonna be fine?” I asked, not entirely certain I should leave her alone after seeing just what a wreck she had become.

Much to my surprise, she gave me a very faint smile. “Yes… I’ll be all right. But I need some time alone for now. There’s a lot I need to get done before nightfall.” She then went over to her dresser and pulled a drawer open before four bits floated out of it while surrounded by a billowing light pink aura, as was her horn. “Here… And thank you for these.”

I took the four coins in hand, but then glanced back at Trixie. With all things considered, she was probably suffering financially due to lack of attendance to her shows. After a few seconds of contemplation, I took two of the bits between my thumb and index finger and set them on her vanity. “Two is fine. Sugarcube Corner is Happy Hour during this hour. All pastries are half price.”

Trixie looked at me without a word, her expression showing what I think was a bit of guilt. “I know you only just now made that up…”

I rolled my eyes in defeat. I was just trying to be supportive of her. “It’s fine. I’ll just take half. Don’t worry about it.” I then carefully opened the door behind me and set the box of pastries on the vanity nearby before slowly slipping out of the carriage.

“Wait!” I heard Trixie call out before she stopped the door from closing completely by shoving her hoof in the doorway. She peeked through the crack at me, one of her purple eyes looking at me. “May I please know your name?”

I could not help but crack a warm smile. For all the bad things I had heard about her, I was starting to like Trixie. “It’s James.”

Trixie smiled warmly at my response while also showing a very grateful expression. “OK… James… Please come to my performance tonight.” She then silently closed the door. Taking two extra bits out of my own pocket to complete the payment for the delivery, I made my way to the end of the alley and made my way back towards Sugarcube Corner.

There were no real distractions on the return trip. Rather than have to potentially deal with the guards again, I decided to go through the backdoor through the kitchen to get back inside Sugarcube Corner. Fortunately, it was not being manned by any guards. Much to my surprise, I found Spike of all people sitting at the counter while using his flame breath to roast various treats while wearing a white apron and a chef hat. Among them was one tasty treat I recognized. “Ooh, crème brûlée? Save me some!”

Just after ringing a small desk bell to signal that the latest batch was done, Spike looked my way while Mr. Cake grabbed the tray the treats were being served on in his mouth and carried them out to the storefront. “Oh, hey! Yeah, they’ve got me fire-roasting some of the goodies they’ve got out there. Quick and easy!”

“You sure they’re not overworking you on this? That’s a pretty big party out there.” I asked, wondering if he had been single-handedly providing every last edible morsel out in the storefront.

Spike shook his head before blowing fire over the tops of more custard, roasting their tops to a golden brown. “Nah, I can only roast a few things. I asked if they needed me to roast some of the pastries, but they said they need an oven for that.”

“Makes sense, seeing as how the fire quickly roasts the surface while not being able to warm the insides quickly.” I retorted while he roasted marshmallows that where resting atop chocolate cupcakes.

I decided to leave Spike to his duties and slipped back out into the storefront. There was still quite a bit of commotion with all of the partygoers having a good time. Although I suddenly heard a familiar voice yelp. “No! Keep that away! You know cherry juices stain!”

When I turned my head to look at who had just called out in fright, I saw none other than Rarity standing perfectly still while wearing…of all things…the dress she wore to the Grand Galloping Gala. Why in the world was she wearing that to a casual party? Regardless, I tried to approach her. “Hey there, Rarity. Looking…uh…fabulous today. Can I get you anything?”

My overdressed friend looked as if she was about to ask me for something with a smile, but it suddenly turned into an extremely anxious frown. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything! Everything here will be an absolute disaster on my dress! Could you stand to see a masterpiece like this tarnished?”

I rolled my eyes while slightly shaking my head from side to side. “I’m trying to comprehend why you are even wearing that thing to this party. Isn’t that a bit… Oh, I dunno… Over excessive?”

She clearly did not agree with me one bit. “Excessive?! You can’t possibly be excessive when it comes to a visit from royalty! Just look at the princesses! They are clad in fine jewelry!”

I turned to look towards Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon. They were indeed clad in their royal tiaras and matching shoes and neckbands. But that was when a thought occurred to me. “Rarity… They wear that stuff all the time. If this was meant to be a glamorous occasion, you’d think they would spice things up a bit with truly spectacular dresses or something.”

“Well, I still would prefer to look my best so as to not be upstaged by… Uh…” Rarity replied before stopping rather abruptly while looking up. I felt a presence just to my right and looked to find Nightmare Moon herself standing beside me while wearing a rather irritated frown on her face. “Oh, hello, your highness! Are you…uh…enjoying this fine soiree?”

Nightmare Moon did not seem to be in the mood for conversation since she seemed to merely look Rarity over for a moment. When I happened to glance behind her, it seemed that Luna and Celestia were watching her with noticeable interest. Just what was the princess of dreams up to?

After a brief moment of silence, Nightmare Moon seemed to smirk before using the levitation spell to carry a cupcake over to Rarity from nearby. “You seem famished. Here, enjoy this.”

“Oh, thank you, your highness. It does look… Wait. Does that icing stain? Quick! Get it away from me!” Rarity replied, at first seeming calm before suddenly panicking and backing away.

At this display, Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Then take that dress off so you can enjoy yourself.” I see what her game was. She was trying to convince Rarity to remove her dress so she would not have to worry about dirtying herself.

Despite this coming from one of the princesses, Rarity still managed to hang onto her defiance. “What?! I couldn’t possibly do that! This is a royal visit, so I must… Eep!” Rarity was silenced instantly when Nightmare Moon lowered her head until she was glaring right into the finely dressed unicorn’s eyes.

“Do it, or I will confiscate that dress and modify it into curtains for my chambers.” Nightmare Moon spoke with a smirk.

This clearly frightened Rarity. Not surprising, considering that her gala dress is possibly one of her most prized possessions. My friend was twitching with terror before she rigidly nodded before walking over to Pinkie Pie and muttering something into her ear. Pinkie Pie seemed to agree to whatever my friend asked. Rarity then made her way to the stairs right behind the store’s counter and walked upstairs and out of sight into Pinkie’s loft.

“Were you getting fed up with her unreasonable compulsion to look as extravagant as possible, regardless of missing out on all the tasty treats being offered?” I asked while glancing at Nightmare Moon out of the corner of my eye.

“Was it that obvious?” She replied with a chuckle. “I just can’t abide pointless silliness. I love a good bit of humor as much as the next pony, but when they start getting overly dramatic or just won’t shut up is where I draw the line.”

I crossed my arms and shook my head in amusing while a while grin spread across my face. “I guess that’s something we have in common.” This prompted a chuckle from my royal friend.

A few minutes later, I noticed Rarity and Pinkie Pie emerged from the stairwell. This time, Rarity was free of clothing. “OK, back to the party!” Pinkie spoke with glee while trotting off to what seemed to be a long table holding a variety of treats and a large bowl of purple punch.

Rarity walked right over to us and looked directly at Nightmare Moon with a rather nervous expression. “There! No dress to see or tarnish! Happy now?”

Nightmare Moon smirked while gazing down at my refined unicorn friend. “You tell me. Can you finally enjoy yourself?”

For a second, Rarity seemed uncertain of what to say. However, Pinkie Pie then trotted over to us with a cup of punch resting in her mane like a cushion. “I haven’t seen you eat anything since you got here, Rarity! Come on, drink up!”

Rarity seemed to forget all about her dress since she immediately used her magic to levitate the cup to her lips and took a sip. “Ah, I was simply parched. Many thanks, Pinkie!”

“See how much easier it is to sate your appetite without having to constantly worry about your attire?” Nightmare Moon spoke while still keeping that snide smirk on her face.

I could tell that Rarity seemed utterly embarrassed about having to effective been forced out of her dress just to enjoy herself. Clearly not wanting to admit her fashion faux pas, she merely turned towards Pinkie Pie and gave the silly pink pony a rather uneasy grin. “So…uh… Pinkie. What other tasty treats are being offered today?”

“I’m sooo glad you asked! Right over here.” Pinkie Pie replied before leading our friend to one of the tables that was completely covered in platters of a variety of pastries.

“Stubborn, isn’t she?” Nightmare Moon asked without looking at me, her gaze focused on our two friends.

“When it involves her finest dresses and events like this, as stubborn as a mountain against a storm.” I replied in an attempt to be witty.

Nightmare Moon took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat by levitating a cupcake from a long table right next to her. But just before she could take a bite, Pinkie Pie dashed right up to her on the table in such a manner that left their faces on the same elevation. This sudden approach caused Nightmare Moon to pause before she could even taste the cupcake. “You gonna eat that?!” Pinkie Pie asked loudly just before chomping the cupcake down in one bite.

What a blatant disregard of manners! Even I was actually rather offended that Pinkie had so rudely devoured the treat Nightmare Moon was about to eat when there were dozens more strewn around the entire storefront. Nightmare Moon could only glare at Pinkie Pie in obvious disgust, but there was also a loud gasp before Mr. Cake ran by and grabbed Pinkie’s tail in his mouth before dragging her down the table and out of sight. But without even looking in the direction the cupcake thief had been dragged off to, Nightmare Moon spoke dryly while her horn was coated in her deep blue magic aura. “Not so fast.”

Pinkie Pie came floating back over to us while giggling in glee from rolling through the air while surrounded by a blue aura. Mr. Cake was right behind her with an absolutely terrified expression. He pleaded while trying to keep his cool. “Your highness, please go easy on her. I’m sure Pinkie was just too famished to be picky about what she ate.”

“As famished as a termite in a lumberyard, I’m sure.” Nightmare Moon replied with a look and tone of irritation. Pinkie Pie was floating upside-down right in front of her with a rather curious expression. I suppose I could have said something or convinced Nightmare Moon to let her go, but how often do you see someone not letting Pinkie Pie off the hook with her impulsive shenanigans?

Mrs. Cake seemed to take notice of the confrontation that was beginning to occur and rushed to Nightmare Moon’s side with a fresh cupcake on a tiny plate resting atop her mane. “Your highness, here! Fresh and just iced! Don’t worry about Pinkie, please!”

Nightmare Moon seemed to take Mrs. Cake up on her offer since the cupcake was then engulfed by the same type of aura that was surrounding Pinkie Pie. “Many thanks, Mrs. Cake. But I still need a word with Miss Pie here.” Our employers watched with bated breath. Although I am quite certain Nightmare Moon meant no harm.

“Heheh… No hard feelings, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, seemingly starting to understand that she was not going anywhere as long as Nightmare Moon had anything to say about it.

The princess of dreams did not blink once while looking directly at Pinkie Pie. The ponies who were closest in proximity to us had also stopped to watch. The ever-lengthening awkward silence was causing Pinkie Pie’s expression to darken into one of genuine nervousness. Finally, Nightmare Moon spoke. “No, there’s no hard feelings. But let me make something clear to you. You asked me if I was going to eat that cupcake. And what was my answer?” Once she finished speaking, she took a bite of the cupcake she had floating near her mouth in a rather imposing manner. I suspect Nightmare Moon would make a fine interrogator if the need ever arose.

“Uh… You didn’t say?” Pinkie replied with a question of her own.

“No, I did not. You devoured that cupcake before I could even put words together to reply. If I had said I was not going to eat that, it would have been fine to consume it. But I did not say that. What do you have to say for yourself?” Nightmare Moon continued while never once looking away.

“Sorry?” Pinkie Pie replied quietly while trying her best to smile.

“That will do.” Pinkie was suddenly dropped back to the ground while Nightmare Moon consumed the rest of her cupcake with a somewhat satisfied expression. Mr. and Mrs. Cake both let out a big sigh of relief. “Be more mindful of others next time to you ask if they are going to eat something, or we will have to do this song and dance again.”

“Heheh… Will do.” Pinkie spoke with a sheepish grin while lying on her back while Nightmare Moon made her way back over to her sisters. The atmosphere had gotten rather heavy from that little talking-to I had just witnessed, so I went to the closest refreshment table to loosen myself up.

While I waited in line, I noticed someone standing close behind me that I recognized. “Huh? Rainbow?”

Turns out Rainbow Dash was in line right behind me. My brash pegasus friend looked up at me and grinned. “Heya, James! Been having fun?”

Before I could offer a response, a thought came to mind. “Wait a sec… Did you only now just get back? You were gone way too long for a mere delivery.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while a rather goofy grin creeped over her face. “Well, I might’ve ducked into a cloud for ten minutes… Maybe fifteen?”

I winced at the thought. “Rainbow, you didn’t actually use it, did you?!”

She laughed while also showing a deep blush on her face. “Hey, I washed it off when I was done and he was never the wiser!”

“Well… Fine, I guess… Just… Don’t talk about that to me! It puts thoughts in my head!” I groaned while trying to focus on the treats laid out before me. For someone who has already had intimate encounters with Fluttershy, it does not take much imagination to wonder how Rainbow Dash looks under her tail as well.

“Think about it?! Why bother with that?” Rainbow retorted before hovering next to me with one elbow resting on my shoulder. She gave me a very whimsical smirk before speaking further. “You know I wouldn’t mind letting you seeing down there sometime.”

I am very certain I had started to blush at those words. “Rainbow, we already went over this on Hearts and Hooves Day! I can’t!”

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof, apparently to stop herself from exploding into laughter. She did eventually manage to squeak out a reply though. “I know, I know, sorry! It’s just that you’re so much fun to mess with!” I could only grumble to myself while moving along in line.

Once I had loaded up my plate with a fair amount of goods and with a punch cup in my hand, I started to make my way back over to the table the three royal sisters were seated at. However, on my way, I found Applejack standing at a table with an extremely varied list of foods ranging from sandwiches and salads to cookies and pastries. She had seemingly left her hat at home this time and was wearing an adorable red and white checker boarded neckerchief around her neck that complimented her quite well.

As I approached her, I noticed that Applejack seemed to be rather bothered about something. “Hey there, AJ. Something wrong?”

Applejack looked right up at me and managed to flash a smile. “Howdy, James! Just…uh…tryin’ ta figure out… Which of these are appetizers and salads.”

I pointed directly at a small bowl filled with a leafy green vegetable topped with shavings of an orange vegetable and coated with a glistening fluid. You know, a salad. “That’s the salad. And come to think of it, I could use one.” I managed to carry both that and my plate in just one hand.

“Oh, right. How’d I ferget what a salad looks like? Well… Uh… Nuts, I still can’t decide where ta start.” Applejack grumbled, moving her open mouth from one item to the next without ever taking a bite.

After a moment of silent observation, I finally pointed at what seemed to be a scone topped with white icing and a cherry. “How about starting with that?”

“Don’t see why not!” Applejack replied before gobbling down the scone in one bite. With how famished she was acting, I have to wonder if she had deliberately skipped breakfast so she could pig out on the buffet. “All right, now I’ve got an idea of what I wanna try next.”

After merely watching for a moment, I snuck away and returned to the seat I had been offered at the table being used by the royal sisters. Luna spoke up first. “Quite a variety you picked up, James.”

I looked at the princess of the night and gave her a nod. “I fit as much as I could on my plate. Always does the body good to have a salad afterwards to wash it all down.”

Nightmare Moon took a sip of her teacup right next to me before suddenly Mrs. Cake came running up to her with a teakettle hanging from her mouth before promptly pouring another dose of tea. “There you go, your highness.”

“Huh… Well, thank you.” Nightmare Moon spoke with some hesitation, clearly surprised by the sudden refill of her cup of tea. And no sooner had she sipped it down that Mrs. Cake poured her some more.

“The hospitality seems rather…excessive, doesn’t it?” I heard Luna whisper to Celestia to my right.

“Oh, they’re like this all the time. What say you we have some fun with them?” Celestia replied with a wink. Luna seemed to giggle lightly while Nightmare Moon also gave them a wink. I stayed silent and decided to just watch the show.

Celestia took a sip from her teacup, only for Luna to immediately follow with a sip from hers, and then followed by Nightmare Moon. In response, Mrs. Cake went to one end of the table and poured Celestia more tea before moving on to Luna and Nightmare Moon in quick succession. They then reversed the order with Nightmare Moon taking a sip before Luna and finally Celestia. Once Mrs. Cake poured them some more, Nightmare Moon and Celestia each took a sip from their cups simultaneously after Luna took a sip from hers. Just when it seemed like Mrs. Cake was about to have to debate who to tend to first, Mr. Cake came along with a teakettle of his own and they both tended to the princesses at the ends of the table. All three of them smirked at each other. I knew what was coming next. Nightmare Moon and Celestia took the first sips at the same time before Luna followed up with a sip of hers. As expected, Mr. and Mrs. Cake refilled Celestia and Nightmare Moon’s teacups before attempting to both do the same with Luna’s teacup. Only since there was only one cup and two ponies trying to refill it, my two employers ended up running right into each other headfirst. I finally let out a howl of hearty laughter at the spectacle. “What is this?! Musical teacups?!”

I was not the only one being entertained. All three of the royal sisters let out snickers and chuckles in unison while Mr. and Mrs. Cake staggered about for a second in a daze before realizing what they had done before joining in the laughter.

“With all due respect, I believe we have had enough tea for now.” Celestia spoke with a crooked smile on her face.

“As you wish, your highness. If you need anything, please just speak up.” Mr. Cake spoke while he and his wife backed away with nervous smiles and heads hung low in a type of bow.

“Everypony seems to overdo it on the honorifics and protocols whenever we visit. It can get to be a bother after a while.” Luna spoke while letting out a sigh.

Nightmare Moon then lowered her head until she was closer to me. “At least somepony here has the sense to loosen up around us.” I could only let out a snort of suppressed laughter.

A few minutes later of enjoying my food and listening to the three sisters engaging in pleasant conversation, I noticed Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy heading our way. Celestia spoke first. “Ah, hello, Twilight. Have you been enjoying yourself?”

Our friend spoke with a nod and smile. “Absolutely. I never miss a visit from you, Princess Celestia. And it’s so good to see you both attending too, Princess Luna and Princess Nightmare Moon.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes as she was addressed. “That’s a mouthful. Nightmare Moon alone is fine, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna could only cover her mouth with suppressed laughter at her sister’s disdain for her full title. It is amazing to see how similar they are, yet how different they are also.

Suddenly, Fluttershy spoke up while seemingly looking past me. “Oh! You brought Philomena again!”

Philomena? I was surprised to hear that name since I had not once heard it since arriving in Equestria months ago. I turned around to see what seemed to be a gilded birdcage propped up near the wall. “Huh? I thought this was just part of the décor in here.” The cage was of the wired frame variety. And perched motionlessly inside it was a surprisingly tall bird. Its frame was very thin with a rather thick beak. Its plumage was made up of vibrant reds and fiery oranges with a few stiff feathers forming a type of ‘crown’ similar to what you would see on a peacock’s head. Three long orange tail feathers hung down from the bird’s posterior. Including the length of the tail feathers, it was almost as tall as me.

Celestia seemed mildly amused by my obliviousness. “Oh, I’m not surprised Philomena was trying to blend into the background. She is rather mischievous herself.” Her golden magic aura engulfed the cage’s door before it swung open. Celestia then held out her right foreleg to serve as a perch. “Come here, Philomena. And please be on your best behavior, young lady.”

As commanded, Philomena slipped out of the cage and spread her magnificent wings wide before gliding over to Celestia and perching on her foreleg. Such a majestic bird. I would expect no less from a princess. She looked my way, those bold orange avian eyes gazing at me. Celestia then smiled while moving her head to look past her pet. “Can you guess what bird she is?”

With all those fiery colors in Philomena’s plumage, I did not have to think long for an answer. “She’s a phoenix, yes?”

Celestia seemed fairly surprised that I knew of what her pet is. “Yes. You seem fairly knowledgeable about phoenixes. Did you read about them since arriving here?”

I merely smiled while reaching out and caressing Philomena’s feathers, prompting a coo of approval from the fiery bird. “Well, I did write something of a story years ago that heavily revolved around phoenixes and their resurrection capabilities. I’m not sure how well it would hold up here though.”

The princess of the sun nodded with a smile. “You seem to be fairly knowledgeable about animals as a whole. Would you care to hold her?”

I extended my arm towards Philomena while preparing for additional weight to be applied to it. . “I would be honored. Excuse me, Luna.” I spoke, allowing Luna to move to my left.

Philomena glanced to Celestia, who gave her a smile and nodded. The phoenix then looked towards Fluttershy, who I assume must have a sort of bond with her. My girlfriend nodded and spoke softly. “Don’t worry, Philomena. James is very good with animals.”

That bit of encouragement from Fluttershy was all that Philomena needed. With a flap of her great wings, she hopped onto my arm. Despite her impressive size, I found that Philomena is in fact very light. I suppose I should not be surprised with how slender her frame is. I merely looked up at her for a moment while she looked at me. No one said anything, almost as if they were just waiting to see what Philomena would do.

I made the first move. My fingers gently ruffled her breast, fluffing up her feathers while Philomena spread her wings in a manner that seemed to be for keeping balance. “Hello, Philomena. You’re a pretty bird.”

Philomena cooed lightly before lowering her head to me and parting her beak before reaching out and touching my cheek with her tongue much like how a parrot would. Celestia giggled rather loudly at this display of affection. “It seems she likes you.”

I could not help but grin at those words. I leaned forward and nuzzled my face against Philomena’s feathered chest. While I was enjoying myself with Philomena, I heard Twilight Sparkle speak to Fluttershy. “Oh, Fluttershy? Do you still have that feather you got from Philomena?”

This caught my attention. I immediately looked towards the two ponies while Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. “Yes, I’m making sure it stays safe and sound in my home. It makes for a handy bookmark.”

“Hang on… You were given a tuft of phoenix down?” I asked with my attention focused on Fluttershy.

My girlfriend seemed rather baffled by my words. “Huh? Down? Oh no, that was a wing feather. It was just one and very long.”

I could not help but grin. “Oh, so it’s a phoenix pinion then. Very nice. Make sure you hold onto that. Those are very useful.”

Finally, Celestia herself spoke up. “Useful? In what way are phoenix feathers useful?”

I was rather surprised that Celestia had no idea of what I was speaking. And probably for good reason. “Wait… You mean phoenix feathers can’t…you know…bring the dead back to life?”

There was a long awkward silence as I felt all eyes fall upon me. Even Philomena seemed to be giving me a weird look. Eventually, Celestia spoke up. “Um… No, they can’t. What gave you that idea?”

I bowed my head in embarrassment, unable to look my friends in the eye. “Uh… It would take too long to explain.”

Philomena then hopped from my arm and walked across the table before gently nuzzling Fluttershy’s face. I suppose those two must have developed some sort of bond in the past. Luna seemed to notice me trying to lean towards Celestia and stood up. “Oh, allow me.” She and I then swapped seats so that I was seated beside Celestia.

Celestia could tell that I had something on my mind and smiled towards me. “Something you wanted to ask me?”

I nodded before whispering in a soft voice. “Did something happen last time between those two?”

To my surprise, Celestia rolled her eyes while a silly smirk spread across her face. “Oh, that’s an interesting story. I brought Philomena with me to a party just like this one. The only problem was that she was very close to the end of her lifespan and looked… Well…” Her horn was then coated by a billowing golden yellow aura while what seemed to be a photo slid up out of the golden band around her neck. “It’s difficult to put into words what she looked like, so I had a photo taken of her a few days before our visit so we could have something to look back on. She’s only been reborn a few times.”

I took the photo in hand and looked it over. It showed Philomena perched in her cage. However… Just… What was I even looking at? The bird in the picture did not look like Philomena at all. It did not even have the same body structure! It was covered in unkempt pale pink feathers, the eyes were large and listless, the beak was rather large and uneven, the wings were scrawny… Ugh, it was by far the most pitifully bizarre sickly bird I had ever seen in my life. “How in the world is that even Philomena?! That bird doesn’t even have the same build!”

Celestia had to stop herself from laughing at my response. And I can only imagine the expression I was making. “Oh, I don’t blame you. I had to remind myself that was her the first time she took on that form. That is the state a phoenix takes on as the end of their lifespan.”

“And then they die in a flash of fire and are then reborn of their ashes, right?” I asked while sliding the photo between her neck and jewelry.

“That’s exactly right. It’s a shame you missed it. It only happens once every five hundred years.” She said with a nod. I admit I was somewhat disappointed that I had missed the rebirth of a phoenix by probably only a couple of years. But actually being able to see, hold, and pet a phoenix was a fine compensation.

However, Celestia then leaned towards me and whispered. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Tell me, just what did you do to make my guards come barging into the place in such a panic a while ago? They are trained to remained focused on their duties at all times, so it must’ve been especially clever.”

I rolled my eyes at that question. “Believe me, it wasn’t my idea. Rainbow Dash proposed the idea. I would’ve slipped in through the back if she hadn’t suggested it.”

Celestia also seemed mildly annoyed herself, though hid it with a whimsical smile. “Do try to be patient with the guards, James. I’ve tried to remind them to lighten up in locales that are renowned for being peaceful, but they have a habit of taking their roles a little too seriously at all times.” But she then asked with a most curious expression. “But enough of that. What did Rainbow Dash suggest that you do? I’m very curious of what could’ve caused a royal guard to lose his cool like that.”

I had a feeling at the time that I was going to regret my answer. “Well, she had me go somewhere to ask for a ‘foot-long’ and show it to the guards. And it worked.”

The royal alicorn tilted her head to one side. “That’s it? What in the world did you show them that caused them to flee?”

“Well, I also said something to them as well. But thinking back on it now, I probably should’ve said…” I spoke before leaning in as closely as I could before whispering very quietly into her ear. “Prepare your anus.”

Celestia just froze at those words and sat perfectly still without looking at anyone in particular. I watched in concern, wondering if I should not have said that. While the droning roar of many conversations filled the air around us, Celestia suddenly burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! Prepare your anus! Oh my lord… Pffft….Heeheehehahaaa!”

As you would expect, every single pony in sight turned to look at the princess. I felt my face flush red in embarrassment, unable to believe she would react so strongly to that little quip I had just mentioned to her. It did not take long for her to notice and began to slowly turn her laughing into awkward chuckles and giggles.

“Oh… Uh… I mean… I must be off now for…um…a meeting with the mayor! Yes, that’s right! Luna, let’s be off.” Celestia spoke with a very awkward grin spreading across her face.

“Uh… Sister, we do not need to depart just…” Luna spoke while looking up at her sister, but was interrupted when Celestia spoke with an obvious embarrassed tone in her voice while a blush filled her white cheeks and face.

“There’s no time, Luna. Let’s be on our way. Nightmare Moon, please remain here and mingle with our guests.” Celestia spoke briskly while seemingly trying to get out of there as quickly as she could. A handful of seconds later, she and Luna were approaching Sugarcube Corner’s front door in single file. Along the way, I heard her snicker loudly. “Prepare your anus… Heheheh…”

Luna clearly overheard as well. “Sister, please! Compose yourself! Everypony can still hear you!” The partygoers seemed to take the command surprisingly seriously too, all of them looking over their shoulders and at their rumps with uneasy expressions.

All I could do while watching was hold my head in my hands and grumble under my breath. “Oh lord… What have I done?”

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward with her eyes focused on me, Fluttershy standing beside her. “What in the name of Equestria did you say to her?”

I looked directly at my friend, my face frozen in a look of irritation. I rigidly pointed my arm at Rainbow Dash who was sipping from a cup of punch nearby. “It was Rainbow’s idea.”

Twilight and Fluttershy glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who threw up her forelegs. “Whoa, don’t look at me! I don’t know what that all meant!”

I then smirked at her. “Then explain the ‘foot-long’ you had me show the guards.”

Fluttershy and Twilight both gave Rainbow Dash a very suspicious stare. Our pegasus friend could tell she was backed up against the wall. Sweat oozing down her face, she grinned nervously. “Uh… Right. About that foot-long..… Gotta go!” She then bolted for the restroom and locked herself inside before anyone had the chance to react.

“Do we really want to know what she meant by a ‘foot-long’ back then?” Twilight asked as a rather uneasy expression spread across her face.

“Um… Let’s not?” Fluttershy replied with an equally nervous expression. Although judging by that blush on her face, I suspect she had a pretty good idea of what Rainbow Dash meant.

Before I could say anything, I paused while my eyes noticed something outside the window. Across the road was a pony clad in a familiar dark cloak with a pair of light brown saddlebags hanging from its sides. It… Or rather she stopped in front of a building before a billowing light pink aura coated the bag’s flap while a rolled up poster of sorts was lifted out of it. It unfurled before the pony tacked it onto the wall before running off and out of sight. One word escaped my mouth. “Trixie?”

Description
I returned her affections by holding her in my arms while dropping to one knee. “I sure did. She found what she was looking for and headed on out the door. I guess there’s no rest for Ponyville’s personal missing item detective.”

Mitta giggled lightly while my hand stroked her crimson mane. “She’s been getting quite a few cases. I don’t think any of her clients know she’s a ghost though.”

Looking down at my dear friend, I felt compelled to ask a question. “Hey, Mitta? How’ve things been since you moved in around here?”

She looked up at me and beamed with a grand smile. “I really couldn’t have asked for more. Everypony in Ponyville is just so pleasant. And Rarity is always so supportive and attentive to me. She’s made me all sorts of nice clothes, even though I don’t wear them often…” She then buried her head against my chest and spoke in a softer tone. “Thank you, James… Thank you for bringing me here.”

I returned the favor, my hand stroking her red mane. But before long, something suddenly covered my eyes. A very familiar quiet voice spoke up from behind me. “Guess who?”

A smirk creeped across my face while I thought up a witty response. “I will have to say…a tree.”

I doubt anyone else would have gotten that joke, but the person behind me giggled softly before removing her hooves from over my eyes. “Nope. Although I’d like to be a tree.”

Mitta looked behind me and smiled broadly. “Hello, Fluttershy. Glad you could make it.”

My girlfriend cantered forward and gave our friend a gentle nuzzle. “I’m just glad little Angel reminded me of it. I would’ve missed the whole thing otherwise.”

While Fluttershy and Mitta chatted with each other, I glanced around and just happened to catch sight of Luna waving at me and beckoning me to come closer. Only unlike before, her expression seemed to be a bit more serious. When we locked gazes, I pointed a finger at myself to silently ask if she was asking for me to approach. She then nodded, but then seemed to point her hoof just slightly to my left. Directly at Fluttershy. Or was it Mitta? Was she asking for both of us?

Not certain of who she wanted to see, I decided to ask both of them. “Excuse me, ladies. I think Luna wants to see us.”

Mitta and Fluttershy looked at me simultaneously before glancing over at Luna sitting beside her sisters. Fluttershy then nodded with a smile. “If the princess wants to see us, it’s probably for something good.”

The three of us approached the table where the royal sisters were seated. “You called for us, your highness?” Mitta asked with a noticeably curious expression.

Luna nodded while Celestia and Nightmare Moon looked on in silence. “Well, I was more than anything wanting to speak to you, Mitta.”

Mitta only? This caught both Fluttershy and I by surprise. The two of us watched quietly while Mitta took a few more steps forward. “Really? What is it?”

Luna’s expression darkened. She almost seemed ashamed of something. “I have been pondering this for some time now, and… I really must apologize to you.”

Celestia seemed especially puzzled. She leaned to her left and asked, “Apologize for what, Luna? You seem to have done nothing wrong as of late.”

My friend continued with her gaze focused solely on Mitta. “The night you emerged from the Everfree Forest…” She then bowed her head in shame. “I judged you far too quickly… And completely cast aside any thought on the dangers James must have faced just to rescue you from that deathtrap, especially so soon after having awakened from another trial the previous night… Not to mention the support you were receiving from his friends as told by their presence when you arrived at the palace… It was very unbecoming of me. Can you ever forgive me?”

It was not something I would have ever expected from Luna. In fact, I had all but forgotten her actions that night. We all watched in silence, though it did not take long for Mitta to bow her head as well. “It’s fine, your highness… I honestly was not expecting you to remove the curse at all.”

“You are certain? There is nothing I can do to alleviate any bitterness you may still hold towards me?” Luna asked with increasing insistence. She really sounded as if that guilt had been eating at her at the back of her mind for some time.

Much to all of our surprise, Mitta ended up letting out a quiet giggle at Luna’s words. “Your highness… I hold nothing against you for what happened. It wasn’t your fault that I was cursed. And besides, I can’t tell you how much better my life has gotten and how quickly it has improved since the night it was lifted. I have the best friends I could ever ask for in the friendliest town I have ever seen. Please don’t blame yourself, Princess Luna. It’s all OK now. Really.”

After a few more ‘trulys’ and ‘are you absolutely sures’, Luna finally relented. She bowed her head and let out a long sigh. “All right… Forgive me if I seem pushy. This has been weighing down on my conscious ever since that night. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

Mitta seemed to pause for a moment, most likely thinking the offer over. I had a good idea of what to pick. But just before I could speak it, Fluttershy beat me to the punch. “How about inviting her to the next Grand Galloping Gala?”

Luna seemed rather surprised by the suggestion, but Celestia gave her a reassuring nod. Our friend then turned her gaze back towards us and nodded with a smile. “Agreed. I will make certain Celestia adds an extra ticket next time they’re sent out.”

Just before we could converse further, Mrs. Cake approached me after apparently leaving the kitchen. “Oh, there you are. So sorry, your majesties, but I need to speak to James for just a moment.”

Nightmare Moon nodded with a smile. “That’s quite all right. Take your time.”

I followed Mrs. Cake over to the counter. Resting atop it seemed to be a white paper box that was probably filled with pastries. “So, what’s up?”

Mrs. Cake went behind the counter and pushed it towards me. “Fluttershy brought in an order from somepony who passed her on her way here. Would you be a dear and deliver these please?”

I was honestly surprised that we were even open today, what with the royal visit and all. But I suppose business is business. “Today? Oh, sure. You got the address?” I replied while taking the box into my arm’s grasp.

“Oh yes. It seems the address is… The alley between Stirrup Street and Trottingway Lane?” Mrs. Cake explained while reading over a small note on her hoof, sounding understandably baffled. Who sets up a home in an alley? Oh wait, I have seen certain houses on earth where the access point always faced an alley. I suppose I should not be surprised that it is possible here too.

“OK then. And the price is…four bits. I’ll get back as soon as I can.” I replied with a nod before heading out the door. Not surprisingly, the guards took a step away from me upon catching sight of me walking by them after stepping through the front door. I really hope Rainbow Dash did not steal that thing…..

I wandered for a bit, trying to locate the alley between the two streets I had been told about. Even though I have memorized the names of most of the streets in Ponyville, even though there are not very many at all, I still have a habit of remembering locations based on appearance. Eventually, I did find my destination. The alley was somewhat dark with two tall long buildings standing on each side that were too large to be mere housing.

“This can’t possibly be a trap… Right?” I muttered to myself as I walked through the dark passage. And once my eyes had adjusted to the change in lighting, I saw it right in the middle of the alley on one side. The same carriage that I had seen being pulled through town. Only the pony who had been pulling it was nowhere to be seen.

“Um… That can’t be it.” I muttered, walking past it and checking the sides of the two buildings at my sides for doorways. I found none, each wall being bare aside from the peachy yellow hued paint coating their sides and the thick wooden support beams fused into the structures. “So… The address is that?” I asked myself while tilting my head to one side while looking at the carriage. From my current location, the door was visible. With nowhere else to go, I decided to check to see if the occupant of the carriage had placed the order I was carrying.

With a bit more caution than I normally carry, I approached the door quietly and slowly before knocking on it. Just inside the door, I could hear some faint rustling noises. And a moment later, I took a step back as the top half of the door creaked open just a crack. A woman’s voice spoke up in a quiet tone with a sense of urgency. “Are you here to deliver the order I sent to Sugarcube Corner?”

This was by far the most awkward interaction I had ever had with a customer. It almost felt like I was smuggling some form of contraband. “Um… Yes, miss. The price comes to four bits.”

At my words, the top half swung open all the way. The same cloaked pony I had seen before was now standing before me. Her hood had been pulled down further than before, probably to hide her eyes in such a way that I could not see them from my current position. Although she could clearly still see me, judging by her following action. “Thank you. Here’s… Wha… What are…”

She began to back away from me. Apparently forgetting about her reservations, she raised her head while giving me a perfect view of her face. Her eyes were open wide in a show of shock, her irises being a shade of some faded dark violet. I was not sure of what to say, seeing as how it had been quite a while since anyone had last reacted with shock upon seeing me for the first time. “What are you?! How…ack!”

I saw the mare disappear from sight. Judging by the way she seemed to lean back, she must have tripped over something. I was naturally concerned and took a step forward to peek in to see if she had been harmed. “Ma’am, are you OK?! Is anything…huh?”

The mare I had been speaking to really had just tripped over a wooden stool set in front of a sort of vanity. Now lying on her back in a very awkward pose, her cloak was now lying flat on the floor below her, giving me a completely unobstructed view of her body. Like the little bit of her forelegs I had seen earlier as well as her face, her body was a beautiful shade of light azure. Her tail and mane were quite long, almost looking like shorter versions of Fluttershy’s hairstyle, though not as meticulously kempt. Her mane and tail consisted of two shades of cornflower blue, both hues being very pale. All in all, she was very attractive to my eyes. But I felt a chill in my body when I saw her cutie mark. It displayed a magic wand with a star-shaped gem at the tip with a crescent shaped shawl or glittering trail of magic dust overlapping it, both being shades of light blue to apparently compliment her own natural color scheme. I knew this mare. And everything I had heard about her had been nothing but bad news. “The Great and Powerful Trixie.”

The mare before me almost seemed to panic and moved her hoof over her mouth, probably as a way to tell me to keep quiet. She then spoke in a loud whisper, “Just… Get in here! Hurry!”

While still wary, I could tell that this pony was not a threat. I reached inside the door and pulled it open before practically crawling inside due to its low height and the fact that it was raised off the ground by almost a full foot. Once inside, I closed the door’s two halves behind me and closed the lock. It was then I noticed just how cramped the interior was. “And I thought the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse was cramped…” I had to stay on my knees. There was so much in there and so little room to move around, I was afraid I would break something. There was not much to see there. Just the vanity lined with makeup and other cosmetics, a small bed, a dresser, a mini refrigerator, a chest for gear used in Trixie’s performance’s, and what seemed to be a door to a small bathroom at the end of the room. Basically the necessities of a traveling performer. Something that stood out for me was a matching cape and wide brimmed wizard’s hat hanging from a bedpost. They were both mainly light purple while being adorned with many yellow and pale blue stars while the cape had a sky blue hexagonal gemstone serving as a pendant to hold the cape together at the base of the wearer’s neck. And on the wall over the bed was a poster depicting Trixie in her cape and hat from what I would assume was a time when she was in her prime.

“Um…” The mare before me spoke, doing nothing to confirm whether or not she was indeed the Trixie I had heard about every once in a great while. I did not take my eyes off of her once while maintaining a constant scowl of wariness. Using the basic levitation spell, she moved the stool she had tripped over towards me. I felt myself warm up to her just slightly by this small show of hospitality. I stood up while minding my movements and took a seat on the stool. It was still very close to the floor, but it was better than putting more strain on my knees.

“Thanks… Now tell me. Are you the so-called ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie or not?” I asked once I was seated, the box of pastries still in my hands.

Despite having such an astronomically huge ego, at least from what I have heard, the pony before me was very reserved and hesitant to seemingly do anything. She was nervous. I could see that much. But why?

Finally, she seemed to find the will to speak and cleared her throat before speaking in a loud and bold tone. “Yes! I see my name precedes me! You stand before the great and powerful Trrrrixie!” She did a good job of rolling her R’s and really gave off a proud and capable presence with that display. While speaking those words, she even stood on just her hind legs while reaching out with one foreleg while the other was crossed over her chest.

If I had not known about her at all, I am sure I would have been mildly entertained. But not this time. I watched her with a display of indifference. I did not even so much as crack a smile. With the atmosphere in the cramped confines of the carriage having become incredibly awkward, Trixie grinned nervously before letting out a sigh of defeat while lowering herself back down to the floor. “Oh, who am I kidding…”

What was wrong with her? She did not seem just defeated. She seemed downright depressed. “Um… What’s wrong? I was expecting you to be a bit more extravagant and over-the-top in your behavior.” I asked, actually starting to feel some concern for the mare.

Just as it seemed she was about to talk, her gaze looked me over again. Even though clearly down about something, there was still a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. “Before I say anything… What are you? I’ve never come across anything in Equestria like you before.”

I replied dryly. “I’m a human.”

Trixie cocked her head as I spoke those words. “A…human? Really? Oh… I always claimed that they were monstrous sea creatures with massive tentacles that try to draw in anything that drifts near them…”

I rolled my eyes at that assumption. “That sounds more like a kraken. Anyway, are you the one who ordered this?” I held out the box to her. There was a noticeable sweet scent slipping through the lid’s edges.

“I did…” She spoke softly while going over to a small dresser. While she walked, any wariness I felt towards her began to slowly fade. She looked absolutely miserable, a far cry from the Great and Powerful Trixie I had heard about.

“Hey… Are you all right?” I finally asked after wondering if it was my business to worry about her.

She stopped in her tracks before bowing her head. Trixie then looked over at me with a very sad gaze. “Don’t tell me you really believe I am the Great and Powerful Trixie…”

I sighed, seeing just how down she was. Despite her mood, I spoke honestly. “Well, you certainly don’t seem ‘great’ or ‘powerful’ in any way. And I’m going to be honest with you, Trixie. I have heard nothing but bad things about you.”

She seemed to tense up at the sound of my words, almost sounding like she was having trouble breathing. With a brisker pace, she turned and walked over to her vanity before using her magic to open a medicine bottle on it that I had overlooked. With a twist of the cap, a single white and blue capsule floated out before she snatched up a water bottle on the floor next to the vanity with it being securely held between her hoof and foreleg in her ankle joint. She set the pill on her tongue before chugging some of the water to wash it down. She let out a gasping sigh before setting the water bottle and medicine bottle back down.

Seeing this, I was naturally worried. I had all but forgotten any wariness I had towards her. “Are you OK?”

Trixie looked my way after taking a long sigh to apparently calm herself. “Anti anxiety pills. I… Things have not been easy for me lately.”

It was by this point that I just could not sit there and do nothing. I had to find out why this ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie was nothing like I had heard about. “OK, you’re officially getting me worried. What is wrong with you?”

She sighed while looking away from me for a moment before turning and resting her head on her vanity while looking into the mirror with a truly pathetic posture. “I’m just a mare who’s down on her luck. Isn’t that obvious?”

I crossed my arms, starting to become mildly annoyed by her beating around the bush. “No, you’re not just ‘some mare’ who is down on her luck. You’re Trixie. You had a strong fan following not that long ago, from what I’ve heard. What happened to you since the last time you were in Ponyville?”

Trixie’s eyes widened somewhat while she turned her gaze to me, though she then sighed again and let her body go limp with her head still on her vanity. “Why would you even care for a fraud like me?”

I responded honestly. “No, I wouldn’t have much love for a fraud. But… I’m concerned, OK? When I look at you, I don’t see a prideful egotistical jerk of a mare. I see a young woman who needs help. I may have some doubts about you, but I am a good listener. You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone else.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking me while constantly facing her reflection in the mirror. “Were you told about what happened when I last came here?”

It is rather hard to forget a story where a total jerk of a magician comes to town and publicly humiliates three of your closest friends and fails to stop a towering Ursa Minor like she had claimed to have done so in the past. “Yes. I heard.”

Trixie let out yet another long sigh before speaking further. “News spread after that. I lost fans. Nopony took me seriously anymore. More and more was discovered about my claims to greatness. People stopped attending my shows… At one point, I was so low on funds that I had to…resort to working on a rock farm for a week…” She then suddenly looked towards me with tears streaming down her face, her eyes open wide in a show of rage and shame. “A ROCK FARM!!!”

I flinched at that sudden outburst. I did not see it coming at all. But that glare did not stay on her face for long. She seemed to realize what she had done and buried her face in her folded forelegs. “Sorry… It’s just… I don’t know what to do… If I don’t find a way to bring my audience back… My career is over… And I know I can’t! I’m a fraud!”

She was taking it very hard. Her speaking had dissolved into sobbing. This was not at all how I expected my first meeting with Trixie would go. I honestly felt terrible for her. “You became a victim of your own lies…”

“That’s exactly it…” She muttered between sobs while raising her head enough for me to see her eyes. She then looked at me with a tearful and desperate pleading gaze. “I’m out of options… I came to Ponyville to try to start a comeback tour. I have even been studying and practicing new tricks and spells to really capture my audience’s attention. But… This is where my downfall began! Nopony here will even look at me now!” She suddenly lunged at me, holding onto me while gazing up at me. “Please… Tell me! What can I do?! What has to be done to free me from this downward spiral?!”

Even in her darkest moments, it seemed that Trixie still had a flair for being dramatic. However, I doubt she was doing it voluntarily. I looked down at her. She was gazing at me in tears, looking for guidance. She was truly lost by this point. If I had any ill will towards her before, I can safely say that it was all gone by that point.

After taking a moment to think up a response, I finally spoke. “Well, the first thing you need to do is probably the hardest thing you could ever do.”

Her gaze of desperation instantly became a hopeful smile. “Name it! Tell me!”

I braced myself. Knowing her ego, she was not going to like this suggestion. “The first thing you need to do is admit the truth to everyone.”

Trixie’s expression changed to one showing profound fear. And that was to be expected. For someone who had probably been in show business since most likely her late teens, she had probably gone a long time without admitting she is wrong. Before she could object, I gently caressed her mane to calm her while I spoke. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. It’s never easy or pleasant to admit that you were wrong. But trust me on this. The longer you take to do so, the harder it will become. You need to admit to the people you have been deceiving that you were a fraud. That’s the only way you’ll get their respect back.”

I was almost expecting her to explode in defiance. And yet, she remained silent. Trixie rested her head on my chest, my hand constantly stroking her mane. “Admit…that I was wrong…” She muttered in a very subdued tone.

“You have to. Your pride is dragging you down and you need to let that go. Pride can hurt you more than others can. That’s why I try to not take pride in anything I do.” I spoke softly, trying to reassure her the best I could.

After a moment longer, I felt Trixie let out a long sigh before looking up at me. Her tears had stopped flowing and she looked more at peace than I had seen since first meeting her. “Thank you for your advice… Please leave me alone for now. I need to make some preparations.”

“Really? Are you sure you’re gonna be fine?” I asked, not entirely certain I should leave her alone after seeing just what a wreck she had become.

Much to my surprise, she gave me a very faint smile. “Yes… I’ll be all right. But I need some time alone for now. There’s a lot I need to get done before nightfall.” She then went over to her dresser and pulled a drawer open before four bits floated out of it while surrounded by a billowing light pink aura, as was her horn. “Here… And thank you for these.”

I took the four coins in hand, but then glanced back at Trixie. With all things considered, she was probably suffering financially due to lack of attendance to her shows. After a few seconds of contemplation, I took two of the bits between my thumb and index finger and set them on her vanity. “Two is fine. Sugarcube Corner is Happy Hour during this hour. All pastries are half price.”

Trixie looked at me without a word, her expression showing what I think was a bit of guilt. “I know you only just now made that up…”

I rolled my eyes in defeat. I was just trying to be supportive of her. “It’s fine. I’ll just take half. Don’t worry about it.” I then carefully opened the door behind me and set the box of pastries on the vanity nearby before slowly slipping out of the carriage.

“Wait!” I heard Trixie call out before she stopped the door from closing completely by shoving her hoof in the doorway. She peeked through the crack at me, one of her purple eyes looking at me. “May I please know your name?”

I could not help but crack a warm smile. For all the bad things I had heard about her, I was starting to like Trixie. “It’s James.”

Trixie smiled warmly at my response while also showing a very grateful expression. “OK… James… Please come to my performance tonight.” She then silently closed the door. Taking two extra bits out of my own pocket to complete the payment for the delivery, I made my way to the end of the alley and made my way back towards Sugarcube Corner.

There were no real distractions on the return trip. Rather than have to potentially deal with the guards again, I decided to go through the backdoor through the kitchen to get back inside Sugarcube Corner. Fortunately, it was not being manned by any guards. Much to my surprise, I found Spike of all people sitting at the counter while using his flame breath to roast various treats while wearing a white apron and a chef hat. Among them was one tasty treat I recognized. “Ooh, crème brûlée? Save me some!”

Just after ringing a small desk bell to signal that the latest batch was done, Spike looked my way while Mr. Cake grabbed the tray the treats were being served on in his mouth and carried them out to the storefront. “Oh, hey! Yeah, they’ve got me fire-roasting some of the goodies they’ve got out there. Quick and easy!”

“You sure they’re not overworking you on this? That’s a pretty big party out there.” I asked, wondering if he had been single-handedly providing every last edible morsel out in the storefront.

Spike shook his head before blowing fire over the tops of more custard, roasting their tops to a golden brown. “Nah, I can only roast a few things. I asked if they needed me to roast some of the pastries, but they said they need an oven for that.”

“Makes sense, seeing as how the fire quickly roasts the surface while not being able to warm the insides quickly.” I retorted while he roasted marshmallows that where resting atop chocolate cupcakes.

I decided to leave Spike to his duties and slipped back out into the storefront. There was still quite a bit of commotion with all of the partygoers having a good time. Although I suddenly heard a familiar voice yelp. “No! Keep that away! You know cherry juices stain!”

When I turned my head to look at who had just called out in fright, I saw none other than Rarity standing perfectly still while wearing…of all things…the dress she wore to the Grand Galloping Gala. Why in the world was she wearing that to a casual party? Regardless, I tried to approach her. “Hey there, Rarity. Looking…uh…fabulous today. Can I get you anything?”

My overdressed friend looked as if she was about to ask me for something with a smile, but it suddenly turned into an extremely anxious frown. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything! Everything here will be an absolute disaster on my dress! Could you stand to see a masterpiece like this tarnished?”

I rolled my eyes while slightly shaking my head from side to side. “I’m trying to comprehend why you are even wearing that thing to this party. Isn’t that a bit… Oh, I dunno… Over excessive?”

She clearly did not agree with me one bit. “Excessive?! You can’t possibly be excessive when it comes to a visit from royalty! Just look at the princesses! They are clad in fine jewelry!”

I turned to look towards Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon. They were indeed clad in their royal tiaras and matching shoes and neckbands. But that was when a thought occurred to me. “Rarity… They wear that stuff all the time. If this was meant to be a glamorous occasion, you’d think they would spice things up a bit with truly spectacular dresses or something.”

“Well, I still would prefer to look my best so as to not be upstaged by… Uh…” Rarity replied before stopping rather abruptly while looking up. I felt a presence just to my right and looked to find Nightmare Moon herself standing beside me while wearing a rather irritated frown on her face. “Oh, hello, your highness! Are you…uh…enjoying this fine soiree?”

Nightmare Moon did not seem to be in the mood for conversation since she seemed to merely look Rarity over for a moment. When I happened to glance behind her, it seemed that Luna and Celestia were watching her with noticeable interest. Just what was the princess of dreams up to?

After a brief moment of silence, Nightmare Moon seemed to smirk before using the levitation spell to carry a cupcake over to Rarity from nearby. “You seem famished. Here, enjoy this.”

“Oh, thank you, your highness. It does look… Wait. Does that icing stain? Quick! Get it away from me!” Rarity replied, at first seeming calm before suddenly panicking and backing away.

At this display, Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Then take that dress off so you can enjoy yourself.” I see what her game was. She was trying to convince Rarity to remove her dress so she would not have to worry about dirtying herself.

Despite this coming from one of the princesses, Rarity still managed to hang onto her defiance. “What?! I couldn’t possibly do that! This is a royal visit, so I must… Eep!” Rarity was silenced instantly when Nightmare Moon lowered her head until she was glaring right into the finely dressed unicorn’s eyes.

“Do it, or I will confiscate that dress and modify it into curtains for my chambers.” Nightmare Moon spoke with a smirk.

This clearly frightened Rarity. Not surprising, considering that her gala dress is possibly one of her most prized possessions. My friend was twitching with terror before she rigidly nodded before walking over to Pinkie Pie and muttering something into her ear. Pinkie Pie seemed to agree to whatever my friend asked. Rarity then made her way to the stairs right behind the store’s counter and walked upstairs and out of sight into Pinkie’s loft.

“Were you getting fed up with her unreasonable compulsion to look as extravagant as possible, regardless of missing out on all the tasty treats being offered?” I asked while glancing at Nightmare Moon out of the corner of my eye.

“Was it that obvious?” She replied with a chuckle. “I just can’t abide pointless silliness. I love a good bit of humor as much as the next pony, but when they start getting overly dramatic or just won’t shut up is where I draw the line.”

I crossed my arms and shook my head in amusing while a while grin spread across my face. “I guess that’s something we have in common.” This prompted a chuckle from my royal friend.

A few minutes later, I noticed Rarity and Pinkie Pie emerged from the stairwell. This time, Rarity was free of clothing. “OK, back to the party!” Pinkie spoke with glee while trotting off to what seemed to be a long table holding a variety of treats and a large bowl of purple punch.

Rarity walked right over to us and looked directly at Nightmare Moon with a rather nervous expression. “There! No dress to see or tarnish! Happy now?”

Nightmare Moon smirked while gazing down at my refined unicorn friend. “You tell me. Can you finally enjoy yourself?”

For a second, Rarity seemed uncertain of what to say. However, Pinkie Pie then trotted over to us with a cup of punch resting in her mane like a cushion. “I haven’t seen you eat anything since you got here, Rarity! Come on, drink up!”

Rarity seemed to forget all about her dress since she immediately used her magic to levitate the cup to her lips and took a sip. “Ah, I was simply parched. Many thanks, Pinkie!”

“See how much easier it is to sate your appetite without having to constantly worry about your attire?” Nightmare Moon spoke while still keeping that snide smirk on her face.

I could tell that Rarity seemed utterly embarrassed about having to effective been forced out of her dress just to enjoy herself. Clearly not wanting to admit her fashion faux pas, she merely turned towards Pinkie Pie and gave the silly pink pony a rather uneasy grin. “So…uh… Pinkie. What other tasty treats are being offered today?”

“I’m sooo glad you asked! Right over here.” Pinkie Pie replied before leading our friend to one of the tables that was completely covered in platters of a variety of pastries.

“Stubborn, isn’t she?” Nightmare Moon asked without looking at me, her gaze focused on our two friends.

“When it involves her finest dresses and events like this, as stubborn as a mountain against a storm.” I replied in an attempt to be witty.

Nightmare Moon took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat by levitating a cupcake from a long table right next to her. But just before she could take a bite, Pinkie Pie dashed right up to her on the table in such a manner that left their faces on the same elevation. This sudden approach caused Nightmare Moon to pause before she could even taste the cupcake. “You gonna eat that?!” Pinkie Pie asked loudly just before chomping the cupcake down in one bite.

What a blatant disregard of manners! Even I was actually rather offended that Pinkie had so rudely devoured the treat Nightmare Moon was about to eat when there were dozens more strewn around the entire storefront. Nightmare Moon could only glare at Pinkie Pie in obvious disgust, but there was also a loud gasp before Mr. Cake ran by and grabbed Pinkie’s tail in his mouth before dragging her down the table and out of sight. But without even looking in the direction the cupcake thief had been dragged off to, Nightmare Moon spoke dryly while her horn was coated in her deep blue magic aura. “Not so fast.”

Pinkie Pie came floating back over to us while giggling in glee from rolling through the air while surrounded by a blue aura. Mr. Cake was right behind her with an absolutely terrified expression. He pleaded while trying to keep his cool. “Your highness, please go easy on her. I’m sure Pinkie was just too famished to be picky about what she ate.”

“As famished as a termite in a lumberyard, I’m sure.” Nightmare Moon replied with a look and tone of irritation. Pinkie Pie was floating upside-down right in front of her with a rather curious expression. I suppose I could have said something or convinced Nightmare Moon to let her go, but how often do you see someone not letting Pinkie Pie off the hook with her impulsive shenanigans?

Mrs. Cake seemed to take notice of the confrontation that was beginning to occur and rushed to Nightmare Moon’s side with a fresh cupcake on a tiny plate resting atop her mane. “Your highness, here! Fresh and just iced! Don’t worry about Pinkie, please!”

Nightmare Moon seemed to take Mrs. Cake up on her offer since the cupcake was then engulfed by the same type of aura that was surrounding Pinkie Pie. “Many thanks, Mrs. Cake. But I still need a word with Miss Pie here.” Our employers watched with bated breath. Although I am quite certain Nightmare Moon meant no harm.

“Heheh… No hard feelings, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, seemingly starting to understand that she was not going anywhere as long as Nightmare Moon had anything to say about it.

The princess of dreams did not blink once while looking directly at Pinkie Pie. The ponies who were closest in proximity to us had also stopped to watch. The ever-lengthening awkward silence was causing Pinkie Pie’s expression to darken into one of genuine nervousness. Finally, Nightmare Moon spoke. “No, there’s no hard feelings. But let me make something clear to you. You asked me if I was going to eat that cupcake. And what was my answer?” Once she finished speaking, she took a bite of the cupcake she had floating near her mouth in a rather imposing manner. I suspect Nightmare Moon would make a fine interrogator if the need ever arose.

“Uh… You didn’t say?” Pinkie replied with a question of her own.

“No, I did not. You devoured that cupcake before I could even put words together to reply. If I had said I was not going to eat that, it would have been fine to consume it. But I did not say that. What do you have to say for yourself?” Nightmare Moon continued while never once looking away.

“Sorry?” Pinkie Pie replied quietly while trying her best to smile.

“That will do.” Pinkie was suddenly dropped back to the ground while Nightmare Moon consumed the rest of her cupcake with a somewhat satisfied expression. Mr. and Mrs. Cake both let out a big sigh of relief. “Be more mindful of others next time to you ask if they are going to eat something, or we will have to do this song and dance again.”

“Heheh… Will do.” Pinkie spoke with a sheepish grin while lying on her back while Nightmare Moon made her way back over to her sisters. The atmosphere had gotten rather heavy from that little talking-to I had just witnessed, so I went to the closest refreshment table to loosen myself up.

While I waited in line, I noticed someone standing close behind me that I recognized. “Huh? Rainbow?”

Turns out Rainbow Dash was in line right behind me. My brash pegasus friend looked up at me and grinned. “Heya, James! Been having fun?”

Before I could offer a response, a thought came to mind. “Wait a sec… Did you only now just get back? You were gone way too long for a mere delivery.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while a rather goofy grin creeped over her face. “Well, I might’ve ducked into a cloud for ten minutes… Maybe fifteen?”

I winced at the thought. “Rainbow, you didn’t actually use it, did you?!”

She laughed while also showing a deep blush on her face. “Hey, I washed it off when I was done and he was never the wiser!”

“Well… Fine, I guess… Just… Don’t talk about that to me! It puts thoughts in my head!” I groaned while trying to focus on the treats laid out before me. For someone who has already had intimate encounters with Fluttershy, it does not take much imagination to wonder how Rainbow Dash looks under her tail as well.

“Think about it?! Why bother with that?” Rainbow retorted before hovering next to me with one elbow resting on my shoulder. She gave me a very whimsical smirk before speaking further. “You know I wouldn’t mind letting you seeing down there sometime.”

I am very certain I had started to blush at those words. “Rainbow, we already went over this on Hearts and Hooves Day! I can’t!”

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof, apparently to stop herself from exploding into laughter. She did eventually manage to squeak out a reply though. “I know, I know, sorry! It’s just that you’re so much fun to mess with!” I could only grumble to myself while moving along in line.

Once I had loaded up my plate with a fair amount of goods and with a punch cup in my hand, I started to make my way back over to the table the three royal sisters were seated at. However, on my way, I found Applejack standing at a table with an extremely varied list of foods ranging from sandwiches and salads to cookies and pastries. She had seemingly left her hat at home this time and was wearing an adorable red and white checker boarded neckerchief around her neck that complimented her quite well.

As I approached her, I noticed that Applejack seemed to be rather bothered about something. “Hey there, AJ. Something wrong?”

Applejack looked right up at me and managed to flash a smile. “Howdy, James! Just…uh…tryin’ ta figure out… Which of these are appetizers and salads.”

I pointed directly at a small bowl filled with a leafy green vegetable topped with shavings of an orange vegetable and coated with a glistening fluid. You know, a salad. “That’s the salad. And come to think of it, I could use one.” I managed to carry both that and my plate in just one hand.

“Oh, right. How’d I ferget what a salad looks like? Well… Uh… Nuts, I still can’t decide where ta start.” Applejack grumbled, moving her open mouth from one item to the next without ever taking a bite.

After a moment of silent observation, I finally pointed at what seemed to be a scone topped with white icing and a cherry. “How about starting with that?”

“Don’t see why not!” Applejack replied before gobbling down the scone in one bite. With how famished she was acting, I have to wonder if she had deliberately skipped breakfast so she could pig out on the buffet. “All right, now I’ve got an idea of what I wanna try next.”

After merely watching for a moment, I snuck away and returned to the seat I had been offered at the table being used by the royal sisters. Luna spoke up first. “Quite a variety you picked up, James.”

I looked at the princess of the night and gave her a nod. “I fit as much as I could on my plate. Always does the body good to have a salad afterwards to wash it all down.”

Nightmare Moon took a sip of her teacup right next to me before suddenly Mrs. Cake came running up to her with a teakettle hanging from her mouth before promptly pouring another dose of tea. “There you go, your highness.”

“Huh… Well, thank you.” Nightmare Moon spoke with some hesitation, clearly surprised by the sudden refill of her cup of tea. And no sooner had she sipped it down that Mrs. Cake poured her some more.

“The hospitality seems rather…excessive, doesn’t it?” I heard Luna whisper to Celestia to my right.

“Oh, they’re like this all the time. What say you we have some fun with them?” Celestia replied with a wink. Luna seemed to giggle lightly while Nightmare Moon also gave them a wink. I stayed silent and decided to just watch the show.

Celestia took a sip from her teacup, only for Luna to immediately follow with a sip from hers, and then followed by Nightmare Moon. In response, Mrs. Cake went to one end of the table and poured Celestia more tea before moving on to Luna and Nightmare Moon in quick succession. They then reversed the order with Nightmare Moon taking a sip before Luna and finally Celestia. Once Mrs. Cake poured them some more, Nightmare Moon and Celestia each took a sip from their cups simultaneously after Luna took a sip from hers. Just when it seemed like Mrs. Cake was about to have to debate who to tend to first, Mr. Cake came along with a teakettle of his own and they both tended to the princesses at the ends of the table. All three of them smirked at each other. I knew what was coming next. Nightmare Moon and Celestia took the first sips at the same time before Luna followed up with a sip of hers. As expected, Mr. and Mrs. Cake refilled Celestia and Nightmare Moon’s teacups before attempting to both do the same with Luna’s teacup. Only since there was only one cup and two ponies trying to refill it, my two employers ended up running right into each other headfirst. I finally let out a howl of hearty laughter at the spectacle. “What is this?! Musical teacups?!”

I was not the only one being entertained. All three of the royal sisters let out snickers and chuckles in unison while Mr. and Mrs. Cake staggered about for a second in a daze before realizing what they had done before joining in the laughter.

“With all due respect, I believe we have had enough tea for now.” Celestia spoke with a crooked smile on her face.

“As you wish, your highness. If you need anything, please just speak up.” Mr. Cake spoke while he and his wife backed away with nervous smiles and heads hung low in a type of bow.

“Everypony seems to overdo it on the honorifics and protocols whenever we visit. It can get to be a bother after a while.” Luna spoke while letting out a sigh.

Nightmare Moon then lowered her head until she was closer to me. “At least somepony here has the sense to loosen up around us.” I could only let out a snort of suppressed laughter.

A few minutes later of enjoying my food and listening to the three sisters engaging in pleasant conversation, I noticed Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy heading our way. Celestia spoke first. “Ah, hello, Twilight. Have you been enjoying yourself?”

Our friend spoke with a nod and smile. “Absolutely. I never miss a visit from you, Princess Celestia. And it’s so good to see you both attending too, Princess Luna and Princess Nightmare Moon.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes as she was addressed. “That’s a mouthful. Nightmare Moon alone is fine, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna could only cover her mouth with suppressed laughter at her sister’s disdain for her full title. It is amazing to see how similar they are, yet how different they are also.

Suddenly, Fluttershy spoke up while seemingly looking past me. “Oh! You brought Philomena again!”

Philomena? I was surprised to hear that name since I had not once heard it since arriving in Equestria months ago. I turned around to see what seemed to be a gilded birdcage propped up near the wall. “Huh? I thought this was just part of the décor in here.” The cage was of the wired frame variety. And perched motionlessly inside it was a surprisingly tall bird. Its frame was very thin with a rather thick beak. Its plumage was made up of vibrant reds and fiery oranges with a few stiff feathers forming a type of ‘crown’ similar to what you would see on a peacock’s head. Three long orange tail feathers hung down from the bird’s posterior. Including the length of the tail feathers, it was almost as tall as me.

Celestia seemed mildly amused by my obliviousness. “Oh, I’m not surprised Philomena was trying to blend into the background. She is rather mischievous herself.” Her golden magic aura engulfed the cage’s door before it swung open. Celestia then held out her right foreleg to serve as a perch. “Come here, Philomena. And please be on your best behavior, young lady.”

As commanded, Philomena slipped out of the cage and spread her magnificent wings wide before gliding over to Celestia and perching on her foreleg. Such a majestic bird. I would expect no less from a princess. She looked my way, those bold orange avian eyes gazing at me. Celestia then smiled while moving her head to look past her pet. “Can you guess what bird she is?”

With all those fiery colors in Philomena’s plumage, I did not have to think long for an answer. “She’s a phoenix, yes?”

Celestia seemed fairly surprised that I knew of what her pet is. “Yes. You seem fairly knowledgeable about phoenixes. Did you read about them since arriving here?”

I merely smiled while reaching out and caressing Philomena’s feathers, prompting a coo of approval from the fiery bird. “Well, I did write something of a story years ago that heavily revolved around phoenixes and their resurrection capabilities. I’m not sure how well it would hold up here though.”

The princess of the sun nodded with a smile. “You seem to be fairly knowledgeable about animals as a whole. Would you care to hold her?”

I extended my arm towards Philomena while preparing for additional weight to be applied to it. . “I would be honored. Excuse me, Luna.” I spoke, allowing Luna to move to my left.

Philomena glanced to Celestia, who gave her a smile and nodded. The phoenix then looked towards Fluttershy, who I assume must have a sort of bond with her. My girlfriend nodded and spoke softly. “Don’t worry, Philomena. James is very good with animals.”

That bit of encouragement from Fluttershy was all that Philomena needed. With a flap of her great wings, she hopped onto my arm. Despite her impressive size, I found that Philomena is in fact very light. I suppose I should not be surprised with how slender her frame is. I merely looked up at her for a moment while she looked at me. No one said anything, almost as if they were just waiting to see what Philomena would do.

I made the first move. My fingers gently ruffled her breast, fluffing up her feathers while Philomena spread her wings in a manner that seemed to be for keeping balance. “Hello, Philomena. You’re a pretty bird.”

Philomena cooed lightly before lowering her head to me and parting her beak before reaching out and touching my cheek with her tongue much like how a parrot would. Celestia giggled rather loudly at this display of affection. “It seems she likes you.”

I could not help but grin at those words. I leaned forward and nuzzled my face against Philomena’s feathered chest. While I was enjoying myself with Philomena, I heard Twilight Sparkle speak to Fluttershy. “Oh, Fluttershy? Do you still have that feather you got from Philomena?”

This caught my attention. I immediately looked towards the two ponies while Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. “Yes, I’m making sure it stays safe and sound in my home. It makes for a handy bookmark.”

“Hang on… You were given a tuft of phoenix down?” I asked with my attention focused on Fluttershy.

My girlfriend seemed rather baffled by my words. “Huh? Down? Oh no, that was a wing feather. It was just one and very long.”

I could not help but grin. “Oh, so it’s a phoenix pinion then. Very nice. Make sure you hold onto that. Those are very useful.”

Finally, Celestia herself spoke up. “Useful? In what way are phoenix feathers useful?”

I was rather surprised that Celestia had no idea of what I was speaking. And probably for good reason. “Wait… You mean phoenix feathers can’t…you know…bring the dead back to life?”

There was a long awkward silence as I felt all eyes fall upon me. Even Philomena seemed to be giving me a weird look. Eventually, Celestia spoke up. “Um… No, they can’t. What gave you that idea?”

I bowed my head in embarrassment, unable to look my friends in the eye. “Uh… It would take too long to explain.”

Philomena then hopped from my arm and walked across the table before gently nuzzling Fluttershy’s face. I suppose those two must have developed some sort of bond in the past. Luna seemed to notice me trying to lean towards Celestia and stood up. “Oh, allow me.” She and I then swapped seats so that I was seated beside Celestia.

Celestia could tell that I had something on my mind and smiled towards me. “Something you wanted to ask me?”

I nodded before whispering in a soft voice. “Did something happen last time between those two?”

To my surprise, Celestia rolled her eyes while a silly smirk spread across her face. “Oh, that’s an interesting story. I brought Philomena with me to a party just like this one. The only problem was that she was very close to the end of her lifespan and looked… Well…” Her horn was then coated by a billowing golden yellow aura while what seemed to be a photo slid up out of the golden band around her neck. “It’s difficult to put into words what she looked like, so I had a photo taken of her a few days before our visit so we could have something to look back on. She’s only been reborn a few times.”

I took the photo in hand and looked it over. It showed Philomena perched in her cage. However… Just… What was I even looking at? The bird in the picture did not look like Philomena at all. It did not even have the same body structure! It was covered in unkempt pale pink feathers, the eyes were large and listless, the beak was rather large and uneven, the wings were scrawny… Ugh, it was by far the most pitifully bizarre sickly bird I had ever seen in my life. “How in the world is that even Philomena?! That bird doesn’t even have the same build!”

Celestia had to stop herself from laughing at my response. And I can only imagine the expression I was making. “Oh, I don’t blame you. I had to remind myself that was her the first time she took on that form. That is the state a phoenix takes on as the end of their lifespan.”

“And then they die in a flash of fire and are then reborn of their ashes, right?” I asked while sliding the photo between her neck and jewelry.

“That’s exactly right. It’s a shame you missed it. It only happens once every five hundred years.” She said with a nod. I admit I was somewhat disappointed that I had missed the rebirth of a phoenix by probably only a couple of years. But actually being able to see, hold, and pet a phoenix was a fine compensation.

However, Celestia then leaned towards me and whispered. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Tell me, just what did you do to make my guards come barging into the place in such a panic a while ago? They are trained to remained focused on their duties at all times, so it must’ve been especially clever.”

I rolled my eyes at that question. “Believe me, it wasn’t my idea. Rainbow Dash proposed the idea. I would’ve slipped in through the back if she hadn’t suggested it.”

Celestia also seemed mildly annoyed herself, though hid it with a whimsical smile. “Do try to be patient with the guards, James. I’ve tried to remind them to lighten up in locales that are renowned for being peaceful, but they have a habit of taking their roles a little too seriously at all times.” But she then asked with a most curious expression. “But enough of that. What did Rainbow Dash suggest that you do? I’m very curious of what could’ve caused a royal guard to lose his cool like that.”

I had a feeling at the time that I was going to regret my answer. “Well, she had me go somewhere to ask for a ‘foot-long’ and show it to the guards. And it worked.”

The royal alicorn tilted her head to one side. “That’s it? What in the world did you show them that caused them to flee?”

“Well, I also said something to them as well. But thinking back on it now, I probably should’ve said…” I spoke before leaning in as closely as I could before whispering very quietly into her ear. “Prepare your anus.”

Celestia just froze at those words and sat perfectly still without looking at anyone in particular. I watched in concern, wondering if I should not have said that. While the droning roar of many conversations filled the air around us, Celestia suddenly burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! Prepare your anus! Oh my lord… Pffft….Heeheehehahaaa!”

As you would expect, every single pony in sight turned to look at the princess. I felt my face flush red in embarrassment, unable to believe she would react so strongly to that little quip I had just mentioned to her. It did not take long for her to notice and began to slowly turn her laughing into awkward chuckles and giggles.

“Oh… Uh… I mean… I must be off now for…um…a meeting with the mayor! Yes, that’s right! Luna, let’s be off.” Celestia spoke with a very awkward grin spreading across her face.

“Uh… Sister, we do not need to depart just…” Luna spoke while looking up at her sister, but was interrupted when Celestia spoke with an obvious embarrassed tone in her voice while a blush filled her white cheeks and face.

“There’s no time, Luna. Let’s be on our way. Nightmare Moon, please remain here and mingle with our guests.” Celestia spoke briskly while seemingly trying to get out of there as quickly as she could. A handful of seconds later, she and Luna were approaching Sugarcube Corner’s front door in single file. Along the way, I heard her snicker loudly. “Prepare your anus… Heheheh…”

Luna clearly overheard as well. “Sister, please! Compose yourself! Everypony can still hear you!” The partygoers seemed to take the command surprisingly seriously too, all of them looking over their shoulders and at their rumps with uneasy expressions.

All I could do while watching was hold my head in my hands and grumble under my breath. “Oh lord… What have I done?”

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward with her eyes focused on me, Fluttershy standing beside her. “What in the name of Equestria did you say to her?”

I looked directly at my friend, my face frozen in a look of irritation. I rigidly pointed my arm at Rainbow Dash who was sipping from a cup of punch nearby. “It was Rainbow’s idea.”

Twilight and Fluttershy glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who threw up her forelegs. “Whoa, don’t look at me! I don’t know what that all meant!”

I then smirked at her. “Then explain the ‘foot-long’ you had me show the guards.”

Fluttershy and Twilight both gave Rainbow Dash a very suspicious stare. Our pegasus friend could tell she was backed up against the wall. Sweat oozing down her face, she grinned nervously. “Uh… Right. About that foot-long..… Gotta go!” She then bolted for the restroom and locked herself inside before anyone had the chance to react.

“Do we really want to know what she meant by a ‘foot-long’ back then?” Twilight asked as a rather uneasy expression spread across her face.

“Um… Let’s not?” Fluttershy replied with an equally nervous expression. Although judging by that blush on her face, I suspect she had a pretty good idea of what Rainbow Dash meant.

Before I could say anything, I paused while my eyes noticed something outside the window. Across the road was a pony clad in a familiar dark cloak with a pair of light brown saddlebags hanging from its sides. It… Or rather she stopped in front of a building before a billowing light pink aura coated the bag’s flap while a rolled up poster of sorts was lifted out of it. It unfurled before the pony tacked it onto the wall before running off and out of sight. One word escaped my mouth. “Trixie?”