BiE 84: At the Gala.


                                            =BiE 84=


                                            >Year 2042 in Equestria.

                                            >You sat in at a desk inside the Arcanium.

                                            >Even if you weren't Grand Magister anymore, you were still welcome here.

                                            >Not that there was anyp0ny to kick you out, the place was deserted at the moment.

                                            >But still you sat here, silently pouring over ancient research notes as you drew up your design.

                                            >It had to be perfect...an elegant but simple design.

                                            >Something artificial to allow for naturalism.

                                            >Your magnum opus.

                                            >You pause in your research as a light giggle echoes through the Arcanium.

                                            >"Working hard, Anon?" Said the voice coming from every direction at once.

                                            >You knew what this was, you had heard this voice often. "Oh, just had a sudden bout of inspiration."

                                            >The laughter comes back a bit stronger. "He stepped down as Grand Magister almost a millennia ago, but he still spends all his time here."

                                            >A thousand years...it felt like yesterday when you handed in your resignation to go off and see the world.

                                            >"Oh, I don't spend all my time here." You say to the sort-of empty room.

                                            >The shadows on the walls seem to separate themselves and slide behind you as look over your notes.

                                            >The light clinking sound of horseshoes heralds the midnight blue face rubbing up against yours.

                                            >"So I'm aware." Luna says.

                                            >The two of you had kept your..."arrangement" going for a good long while now. Even by timeless standards, the two of you spent an awful lot of time together.

                                            >Nothing official yet, Luna still had her episodes every so often.

                                            >They were getting few and far between now, though.

                                            >Which was good.


                                            >Luna looked down at the paper you were working on. "A new project?"

                                            >"Something like that, my biggest one to date."

                                            >Luna's eyes drift over the paper and widen. "How are you going to power such a monstrosity?"

                                            >You lean back. "I...hadn't gotten that far yet."

                                            >Hmm...Considering what you were aiming for here...

                                            >"I guess a shit ton of mana batteries could work, or maybe I could patch it into a leyline..."

                                            >Although...considering what you were planning...

                                            >"Remember the Hybrid Cannon?"

                                            >Luna arches an eyebrow. "What could you possibly want with that thing again?"

                                            >"Remember how we powered it? The Moonstones and that Fusion thing?"

                                            >Luna silently nods.

                                            >"I'm thinking that could work. Especially with what I'm going for."

                                            >Luna looks back over the blueprint. "An ambitious design, Anon."

                                            >Got that right.

                                            >"But not one for you to tackle tonight, I'm afraid."

                                            >You looked out the window at the lights shooting up from the castle proper.

                                            >"This is going to be my first Grand Galloping Gala in a long while." You say as you stand.

                                            >Luna takes a look at you. "Well then, let's ensure you dress the part."

                                            >A glow springs from Luna's horn and takes hold of your clothes.

                                            >You feel them shifting and changing on your skin to reveal a deep navy tuxedo.

                                            >"I feel snazzy already."

                                            >Looking up you see Luna in a similar glow, revealing an evening dress when it dies down.

                                            >You walk up to Luna and hold out an arm. "Shall we, m'lady?"

                                            >"We shall, good sir." She giggles.


                                            >The Grand Galloping Gala hadn't changed much over the years.

                                            >Lot's of high class ponies still just walking around talking to each other for a night, filling up on snack foods and drinking wines.

                                            >As well as Mous sitting alone in the corner asleep on a chair.

                                            >Keep on keeping on, buddy.

                                            >At least you knew you didn't miss much.

                                            >Attending on the arm of a Princess was a new experience, however.

                                            >You certainly met more p0nies this way, you had almost doubled your number since the last time you were here with Dash.

                                            >Wow...that took you back.

                                            >Dash and the girls had been invited to the Gala the year the two of you got married, you were her plus one.

                                            >You could have spent the entire night watching her regale the crowed with tales of her stunts...

                                            >Watching her trot back over to you, give you a peck on the cheek and say "Anon, are you alright?"


                                            >You snap back to the present ant turn to see a concerned looking Luna.

                                            >"Yeah, sorry. Million miles away."

                                            >Luna had brought you up to some pegusi stallion in a blue bodysuit.

                                            >The Wonderbolts still hadn't changed their uniforms...

                                            >The Stallion holds out a hoof. "Thunder Dasher, I'm the Wonderbolts captain."

                                            >You grasp his hoof and give him a firm shake. "Captain, eh? Seems I'm a magnet for those here."

                                            >He and the rest of the ponies around him look at you in confusion.

                                            >"Sorry, sorry, my mind gets away from me sometimes. I was married to Rainbow Dash way back when."

                                            >That grabs this guys attention. "You and Rainbow Dash?"

                                            >You slowly nod. "Uh...yeah?"

                                            >You hadn't kept up with Thunderbolt issues after Dash passed, this guy's interest was beyond you.

                                            >"Did she ever speak about how she did the Inverse Duckwalk Backflip?"

                                            >Talk about it? You helped her work it out.

                                            >"A bit. You see, the trick is..."

                                            >You began to explain the physics behind the Inverse Duckwalk Backflip to the captain.

                                            >Who knows, maybe it could come back into play?

                                            >You looked around the room as the two of you were talking and had a startling question form in your mind.

                                            >Where the hell did Mous go?


                                            -Mous PoV-

                                            >"Are you sure about this?"

                                            >"Coppertone, I've thought of everything. The path, the exit, how to steer, everything. Just get on."

                                            >Celestia hops on top of the food cart behind you and sits down.

                                            >"Alright now, hang on, use your wings to help us steer, and listen to what I say."

                                            >Celestia nods with a look of confidence on her face.

                                            >You looked down the spiraling staircase in front of you.

                                            >Yeah...this was gonna be good.

                                            >You grab the string tied to the break under your wheels as you reach down to the stereo you had hidden on the lower rack of the food cart.

                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKNbnd2VPQ-

                                            >"HI, I'M LOGICIAN MOUS!"

                                            >"And I'm Princess Celestia!"

                                            >"AND WELCOME TO THE GRAND GALLOPING GALA!"

                                            >You pull the break out from under your wheels and start to drift down the stairs.


                                            >The two of you rocketed down the stairs and breakneck speed.

                                            >"Use your wings! Keep us towards the center!" You call to your back passenger.

                                            >As Celestia uses her wingspan to steer the food cart, you lean to the side to give it that extra oomph.

                                            >You clear the bottom of the stairs with a smash and continue to rocket through the ballroom on momentum alone.

                                            >Now comes the hard part. Keeping the momentum up.

                                            >Celestia levels out her wings as you pass a very confused Ex-Grand Magister and his Princess of the Night.

                                            >"HEYANONHEYLUNA!"

                                            >You smash through the doors to the dance room and hop up to a low crouch and try to steer yourself to your target.

                                            >You lean hard to the left as you position your cart dead on to smash through the refreshment table.

                                            >Through the table and through the window behind it.

                                            >And straight into the pond below.


                                            -Anon PoV-

                                            >Dammit, you were having a very nice conversation about aerial stunts and your dead wife too.

                                            >You and Luna had chased the errant food cart as it barreled through the Gala.

                                            >The sight in the dance room was one of utter chaos, smashed tables, a broken window, and a collapsed statue.

                                            >How the hell did the statue collapse?

                                            >You run to the shattered window and spot the carts occupants crawling onto the shore of the pond.

                                            >Of course, they were laughing like madmen.

                                            >"Th-that part when those waiters had to jump out of the way!"

                                            >"Or the part where the band saw us and tried to keep playing!"

                                            >The two of them rolled around on the grass as they reveled in their fun.

                                            >Luna trots up to you and sighs at the sight.

                                            >"This normal Gala behavior?"

                                            >Luna grows a deadpan stare. "Every twenty years, like clockwork."