The Best Night Ever (Private with The_Pariah)

"No, no. So, do you think you can do it?"

"Master of the trade." Vision bowed. "Yes, I can do it, though you can't stray too far from my position. What kind of illusions do you need?"

"We need her to look somewhat normal, and I to look how I normally do, but rather sick."

"So basically, you want both of you to look like yourselves, except one healthier and one worse off." Vision sought confirmation.

"Not quite. I want Celestia to look like a normal mare. Inisght, show Vision what I normally look like."

Insight raised an eyebrow. "As in, not in your current getup?"

"Insight, show him. It'll be faster."

"Very well." Insight closed his milky eyes briefly. Vision raised an eyebrow.

"So, you mean, he's usually—"

"Yes."

"But why—"

"Don't ask."

"... Right." Vision looked at them. "So you want me to cast it now? We should wait until you absolutely need it so I can save energy."

"Well, I'm going to break up the rallies, so you only need to cast your spell on me now."

"Rather sick..." Vision muttered. He closed his eyes tightly, and gradually the image Paladin wanted built itself around him from the ground up.

Platinum glanced at herself. "Huh, not bad~ Can you hold this through a teleport?"

Vision wrinkled his nose. "That would be inadvisable. Could you teleport me along with you?"

"Of course. I'll be teleporting all of us."

"Very well, then." Vision nodded.

Insight looked at him unsurely. "Why would I be needed?"

"You don't, but you know, the Gala will be fun." Before they could argue, her horn flared, shifting them to an unused room. "Here we are."

I never asked for this. Insight snapped over his mental frequency.

Vision glanced at Platinum. "Ready whenever you are."

Celestia looked at all of them. "I shouldn't be up and about for too long, you know. It's these kinds of things which keep prolonging my full recovery."

Too bad.

"Don't wprry Cell, I'm healing you slowly." She giggled. "Right, I'm off to break up a riot. Insight, stay here and watch out for Cell."

"Fine." Insight muttered grudgingly. Vision followed Platinum quietly, keeping the illusion up and running.

Speaking of riots, Insight added mentally to Platinum, it's not a riot yet. It's just a protest, and a peaceful one at that. Don't do anything stupid.

Platinum strode to the front gate. "Howdy Ician," She said, switching her vocal cords back.

I won't tonight. Nothing will ruin tonight.

"Paladin." Ician, clad in full armour, stood behind a line of similarly gold-armoured Guards armed with spears and shields. He turned to face the illusory face of Paladin. "Your sister came by earlier. Something about a message for Celestia or whatever."

Beyond the line, an angry crowd waving picket signs protested.

"I don't even know how they managed to get so many signs in just a few hours." Ician mused.

"Neither do I..." He shrugged. "My sister huh? I can't believe she actually came. Anywho, I heard this was happening... And I fought off my illness to come."

"Hm. Right." Ician turned his attention back to the crowd. "Not sure how much you can help here, though. Unless we manage to disperse this crowd, I doubt much is going to happen very—"

"Ician!" Plant's voice came to them as she hurried towards them from the ballroom, back the way Platinum had come. "News!"

"News?" Platinum asked.

"Yes." Plant said breathlessly.

"Bad news, no doubt." Ician remarked.

"Sort of." Plant answered.

"What else is new?" Ician deadpanned. "Well, what is it?"

"The, uh, changeling diplomat is here."

"About time," Divine said as she trotted over. Her mane was done up beatifully. She was wearing a silvery dress, that ran down over her tail, just touching the ground.