=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."