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I can not believe,” the lavender pony moaned as she let her head rest on the table, the sparkling stars on her cheek catching the late afternoon sun, “That... that... that HOARSE is going to be High Queen.” “Milky Way, dear” her light pink friend replied,” You knew it was her turn next. And um, your horn is in the sugar bowl” “I down’t carw.” the unicorn mumbled to the table top. She raised her head, completely ignoring the sugar the covered her horn and rained down on her head. “I just never believed it would happen. Even Primrose, in al her air headedness knows what a horrid horrid HORSE that pony is. Ponyland’s going down the drain, Parasol, down the drain..” The pair were nearly the only one’s left in the Satin Slipper Sweet Shop, most of the inhabitants of Dream Valley were visiting the new Cotton Candy Café that had just opened. The only other pony in the place was Scoops who could be hear muttering obscenities under her breath as she shined the sundae dished for the 4th time that day. Every now and again she would look across the street At the new pink café bustling with customers and her obscenities would become louder. “I know you don’t like her, Milky Way,” Parasol said “but do you really think she’ll make a bad high Queen? She can’t be any worse than Down.” “Ha! Dawn is a bubble brain an a klutz. Misty is just snobbish, vindictive and shallow. And lets not forget EVIL. And smells like hay!” Parasol laughed. Milky Way and Misty had grown up together, before Misty grew of age and learned she was a Princess they had been the best of friends. Milky Way claimed that as soon as Misty got her medallion she thought Milky Way wasn’t good enough to be her friend. Misty was heard to say that Milky Way was jealous. Either way, they hadn’t spoken for at least 50 years and Milky Way, who was due to become Queen of Dream Valley in another year or two when her mother Majesty retired did not look forward to working with High Queen Misty. “I just can’t believe I”ll have to work with her” Milky Way sighed “I’ll have to.. Suck up to her. She shuddered. Parasol patted her on the shoulder “It won’t be so bad. Maybe she’s gotten better over the years. When do you leave for the coronation?’ Milky Way glared n her friend who just smiled sweetly back at her, “I”m not talking about that. I’m not going” “I’m not going, that’s all there is to it!” It was early the next day and Milky Way was talking to herself as she packed. “I’v oosh ‘ot oing” She dropped the tail ribbons from her mouth and reiterated to no one in particular “Nope, nope. Not going” She paused from her packing to bang her head resolutely against the wall just as there was a knock at her door. “I’m not going!” she yelled at the door. “Not going where?” A pink head poked itself around the door “Hi Firefly.” MW sighed. “Stressing over the Misty thing?” MW nodded “Yeah, but I could use a break from worrying come on in. There’s an apple pie in the kitchen if you’d like some. “You know me, I never turn down pie” The grinning pegasus trotted toward the kitchen nudging the door closed behind her. “So who else is going?” Firefly asked Milky Way plopped down at her kitchen table “Umm.. Me, my mother, Spike, Moondancer, Medley and Scarlet I believe.” Firefly sat down, pushed one piece of pie toward MW and promptly began scarfing down her piece “Sounds like a regular party to me.” “Oh I’m sure. Especially with the way Medley and Moondancer fight all the time.” “Well, at least its not far to the nearest winking stone. It could be worse.” MW blinked. “I have to have my hair done three times in two days “Ohh...” Firefly made a face, “May be it couldn’t get worse” “Medley, I can simply not see how you believe that the grundles are in the right. The Maps clearly show that land as part of the Mushromp! You can’t argue with the maps of the Royal Paradise.” Moondancer tossed her head matter of factly. “Except of course,” Medley called down from where she flew above Moondancer’s head, “when the maps are out of date by at least 200 years.” The group, up since early morning where nearing their destination, the Dream Valley North winking stone. Milky Way turned to Scarlet who walked beside her and whispered “If mother wasn’t around I’d make the both see STARS” She looked up at her horn to clarify what she meant by stars. Scarlet giggled. Majesty cleared her throat, interrupting the unicorn and pegasus bickering, the usually calm, laid-back pony had obviously had enough, “The clearing of the Winking Stone is just ahead, could we please have a little peace and quiet until then?” Medley was the first to enter the clearing, being the fastest. She waited in the circle of stones for the rest of the ponies. “Ok, everyone gather in close” Majesty directed. The pegasus and earth ponies gathered in the center as Majesty, Milky Way and Moondancer each chose a stone and lowered her horn to it. “On the count of three,” Majesty said, “One...two... three!” The three ponies touched their horns to the stones at the same moment, there was a soft whoosh, and Milky Way could feel the familiar winking feeling, only stronger than usual, the power of stones amplify the power for greater coverage and distance. She felt like her whole body pulled in on itself then with a soft pop expanded at their destination. They were just outside the Jewel Desert Castle in another circle of stones. Medley, Scarlet and Spike were all scrawled on the ground shaking their heads, the unicorns who were use to winking and didn’t suffer wink dizziness waited on them to get their legs back. “Queen Majesty, Lady Milky Way, how wonderful to see you!” A small dragon who looked very much like spike only Orange was shuffling quickly toward you, “and cousin Spike, good to see you too” He bowed deeply before the group. “My name is Flash, I am Princess Starburst’s attendant. How was you trip?” “It went very well Flash, how is dear Starburst doing?” Majesty was again the vision of royalty. Milky Way looked over at her mother. It never failed to amaze her how seemingly without doing anything Majesty could turn from your average travel worn pony into the *Queen of Dream Valley* without so much as moving a strand of hair. Flash shuffled from foot to foot excitedly “She is very well and wishes to visit with you as soon as you are made comfortable in our castle. If you’ll follow me I will show you to your rooms.” “Wow, your room is much larger than mine!” Scarlet was standing in the center of Milky Way’s room, turning in circles. “And your bed is HUGE, why does one pony need such a huge bed? Orrrr...” Scarlet grinned evilly “Does a cute stallion come with the better room as well?” Milky Way laughed “If it did at least I would have some fun this week” The two girls broke into giggles like a couple of fillies. Diner that night was a grand affair with so many very important people amassed in one place it couldn’t be anything but grand. The table, stretching the full length of the room sat roughly 50 ponies to a side. The walls were dropped with elaborate tapestries depicting historic events in Ponyland, the birth of the first princess pony, how the bushwoolies because knighted where just a few of th Ponyland Legends pictured. Milky Way sat near the middle of the table between her mother and Moondancer. While Milky Way would have preferred Scarlet next to her Moondancer wasn’t so bad when Medley wasn’t around to fight with. “It’s to bad Princess Dawn’s queen ship is over,” a gnome across from them spoke, “She did a fine job” “Yes yes, a good earth pony” an even shorter fatter gnome next to him said “Misty though,... frankly I say never trust a unicorn” Majesty, Milky Way and Moondancer all turned toward them, brisling Moondancer spoke up, “High Queen Misty will do a fine job She smiled sweetly at them “Even if she IS a unicorn” Before the gnome could retaliate soft strains of music drifted across the room and the Princess Ponies entered. Pristina and Royal Blue first, not looking straight forward and very regally sat down, the rest of the Princesses filed in and sat down. The last two to enter were High Queen Dawn and Princess Misty chatting together. Misty was followed, as were all the princesses by her dragons. Misty’s dragon was larger than the others and a deep blue. He had slanty eyes and a long tail, spiked at the end that swayed as he walked. Moondancer gasped softly beside Milky Way, “A... mountain dragon? Milky Way watched him more closely, he seemed to be searching for someone in the crown even though his mistress’s dress had caught on the back of her chair. Misty spoke his name and he shuffled closer, barley taking his eyes of the crowd. As the Princesses were seated the music turned to a more lively sound and the conversation picked back up. Milky Way turned to Moondancer, her eyes were fixed on the strange dragon who was now shifting from foot to foot. “Strange behavior for the dragon of the soon to be High Queen...” Milky Way observed Moondancer nodded, a worried look on her face Milky Way narrowed her eyes, “What exactly is a mountain dragon?” Moondancer composed herself, smiled at MW “It’s not something to be discussed here.” She nodded in a motherly fashion. But a split second later whispered “Meet me in my chamber later tonight” |
