Persona EG LTE | Mythril Moth Creations

Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Beware of goats. They may attract chupacabras.

Morning

It's New Year's Eve.

Since we threw out the last of Christmas leftovers yesterday and the rest of the food is running low, Cadance, Velvet, Pinkie, and Shining Armor are making a big grocery trip later today. For breakfast, however, we're all headed to that one buffet place with the big breakfast spread.

This morning, Sonata is using a notepad and fine-point marker to "talk" to us instead of her tablet, which is recharging back at the dorm.

I'd really love to see more of Canterlot today.

"Do you feel up to it?" Cadance asks.

Sonata rolls her eyes.

I'm sick of staying cooped up inside. I need to get out for a little while.

"We can all relate to that," I say. "How about me, Twilight, and Mr. Night Light take you around town while everybody else is running errands?"

Sonata nods happily.

I'd like that.

"Sounds good to me," Night Light says. "I've got a little case of cabin fever myself."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "That's because you've been sitting around playing computer chess and solitaire," she says.

"And because it's colder than a snowman's butt out there," Night Light counters. The girls giggle at that.

My phone rings, as do Twilight's, Pinkie's, and Cadance's.

Invitation From: Rarity

You're invited to Rarity's birthday party at Haflinger Hall!

When: January 2nd at 2:00pm
Where: Haflinger Hall (Map it!)
Dress: Formal attire preferred; semi-formal attire required

"Well, there's the invite," I say.

Sonata blinks curiously at us.

"Oh no! Sonata needs an invite!" Pinkie says. She hurriedly texts Rarity.

Invite to what? And it's no big deal really...I mean I haven't met anybody except all of you yet...

Sonata's phone rings. She looks at it and smiles.

"You really should go, Sonata," Cadance says. "It'll be a great way to meet a lot of your new classmates."

"Do you have something to wear?" Twilight asks. "Leave it to Rarity to require formal dress for her birthday party."

Formal attire...that's going to make the Zodiac situation interesting...

I've got party dresses and stuff. I'll text Mommy and have her grab something and bring it over.

"I guess the rest of us can just wear what we wore to the Fall Formal," Twilight says.

"Umm...can't you...find another dress, Twiley?" Shining Armor asks, a slightly nervous and sick look on his face.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Shining Armor..."

I clear my throat and lean in close to Twilight. "You probably should," I whisper. "If we get pulled into Zodiac at the party...I don't think you can fight in that thing."

Twilight flushes. "Okay, I'll, umm...see what I can come up with."

"See? Even Flash agrees you shouldn't be wearing something like that in public," Shining Armor says, folding his arms in satisfaction.

Cadance slaps him up the backside of the head. "That's enough out of you," she says.

Twilight's parents look bemused and concerned. "What shouldn't Twiley be wearing in public?" Velvet asks.

"There was nothing wrong with what Twiley wore to the Fall Formal," Cadance says, rolling her eyes. She pulls out her phone, slides through a few pictures, and shows it to Twilight's parents.

Night Light frowns. Velvet blinks. "Okay. Well. I honestly never thought my little Twiley would wear something that...sexy," Velvet says.

Twilight blushes. "I...was kind of talked into it by Rarity," she says. "I said I wanted to look...really nice for Flash. Then...well, that." She giggles. "I don't regret it, though."

I really need to thank Rarity later...

My phone rings. I answer it.

"We wish to speak with you as soon as you're able. If you wouldn't mind, please stray from the table." It's Zecora...

I look around at the table. "Excuse me for a minute."

"Of course."

I head for the restroom. Zecora has already hung up. I notice the Velvet Room app on my phone is flashing, and tap it. The door to the Velvet Room appears in front of me, and I go in.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor says. I take a seat at the table.

"A new year approaches...you have come a long way on your journey, and yet there is still so far to go. Your connections to others grow stronger...have you realized the importance of these connections?

"As you grow stronger, so do those closest to you, those who stand beside you in times of peril. You have already witnessed the ultimate form of this growth..."

That vision I had on Christmas Eve...

Twilight's Persona changed...

"Each person who faces the darkness beside you has the potential for growth, the potential to awaken a greater power sleeping inside them. They rely on you to draw this power out. Do not forget this.

"Also do not forget that ever greater challenges await you. If you do not properly prepare yourself for what is to come, your journey will end at Death's doorstep.

"Before you leave, I would like to fuse a Persona for you which may come in handy in your immediate future." Igor waves his hands over the table; two cards appear. A magic circle spins into existence beneath them. The cards rise into the air, circling one another...then clash together in a bright flash of light. A new Persona appears...

"Please return here whenever you require my services. Until then..."

I head back to the table.

"Everything okay, dear?" Velvet asks.

"Yes ma'am. Just didn't want to take a call at the table."

We finish up breakfast; Velvet, Cadance, Pinkie, and Shining Armor pile into the SUV and head off to do the shopping, while Twilight, Night Light, Sonata, and I head out to explore Canterlot.

Daytime

We spend the day showing Sonata several points of interest around town: the school, Sugar Cube Corner, the park, the mall, a few of our favorite places to eat. She takes everything in with interest.

After five hours of walking, bussing, and taking trains all over town, we're all pretty tired, so we decide to have lunch at Grici Pizza, then head back to the dorm. Twilight helps Sonata upstairs so she can lie down, Night Light goes to the apartment to take a nap, and Twilight and I watch television in the lounge. Everyone else got back while we were out, and they're all sleeping so they can be up at midnight.

It's late in the afternoon when Twilight and I decide to get a nap in ourselves...

Night

At around ten, everybody is up. It's still a little too cold to go anywhere to watch fireworks, so we're going to watch the New Year's thing on TV.

Cadance and the others bought stuff to make homemade pizzas, so we have a little pizza party while we wait for midnight. Even though we had pizza for lunch, the ones we all made together are so much better...

As midnight approaches, Cadance breaks out a bottle of champagne to toast the new year. We gather in the lounge, glasses of champagne in hand, as on the TV, the ball is about to drop in Manehattan. We chant along with the crowds on the screen:

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"