Her first night in Canterlot and already she was invited to the Grand Galloping Gala...her heart sunk with intimidation as she entered the front doors of the open floor. Lightning Bliss was a young pegasi pony in comparison to the company around her. Where as majority of the ponies seemed to be important rich unicorns from the city below...she felt extremely out of place being she wasn't rich in the slightest. Immediatly she looked back on the memory of her mother giving her a ticket in the first place for her to be in such an eventful party. "Mother," she said in surprise, barely able to pernounce her words, "how did you come to afford this...Oh, I'm so sorry for asking..." she pawed at the cloud of their home outside of Cloudsdale...her mother had just given her a golden ticket, a rare invitation to attend the Grand Galloping Gala. She was embarrsed for asking such a question knowing it was rude to as she was taught, but she gentley felt her mother's hoof raise her chin up so they could look at each other face to face. "It doesn't matter how I was able to afford this for you my little pony..." her mother Tender Feather said soothingly, "what matters was that I was able to give you this small gift... in the hopes that you may seek out that goal that has haunted you for so much..."

Lightning Bliss approached the stair case where the other ponies were gathering, to meet Princess Celestia before joining the party. But the memory continued to flood her thoughts in distraction. She remembered why she was there to begin with... to follow through with her goal that had plagued her in a state of lonliness and despair...the need to find her true love. She looked at her beautiful gown that her mother worked on day and night to prepare without her knowing, how long she must have strained to make it suit to her color. She herself was a simple white pegasus with a black mane and bluish-green, almost gold eyes. What was unique about her mane was that it was highlighted with the colors of a rainbow. But her most unique character, that she had hoped would go unnoticed by the public, was her bizzare Gryphon like tail. Her mother didn't even know why she was born with such a tail, but to her mother it was unique and glorious just as the rest of her daughter. It was a long black tail, but the fluff end of it was all rainbow colored, a compliment to her mane and cutie mark, which was a rainbow heart with a black lightning bolt going down the middle. Her dress though that her mother sewed together, was a victorian, princess inspired design, all black, with a bustle that was rainbow colored and lined with cloud-like fabric. The black lace gown was transparent so that her backlegs could be seen slightly, and was just long enough so that her rainbow tail fluff stuck out only. Her mother insisted that it be displayed to help accent her beauty more.

Beauty...she mummbled to herself, I truely hope mother wasn't pulling my feathers when she spoke of me having 'beauty'... if I have any hopes of finding my true love tonight at all or within Canterlot... "Hello and welcome to the Gala," Princess Celestia spoke gently to Lightning Bliss as she approached her, head still down in thought and eyes narrow. "OH MY" Lightning Bliss raised her head up fast, ears down and quickly bit her tongue realizing she was shouting from her sudden approach of the royal, powerful ruler of all of Equestria, "forgive me your highness..." she calmed and bowed, "I-I...um...my mind was elsewhere I'm afraid...forgive me for my arrogance, I had no intention to ignore your royal presence..." The princess laughed at the shy and nervous response of the rainbow pegasus before her and gently tapped her on the shoulder to rise. "It is quite alright my dear, may I ask your name, and how you plan to spend your evening at the Gala?" The princess was graceful and honest in her tone, that she couldn't help but smile at the honor that the princess wanted to know of her reasons for attending the Gala.

"Oh yes of course," Bliss happily but quietly answered still feeling shy at the magnitism of the ruler, "my mother is how I got here to the Gala... she had been wanting me to attend this beautiful event because... I've been hoping to reach a goal... your highness" "And what goal may that be if I may ask?" Celestia lowered her head down to better hear the young mare's nervous voice. "Oh um..." Bliss shrunk back a little, holding one of her wings up in slight embarassment, but not wanting to be rude to the princess, she slowly answered, "to...find my true love..." she shuddered and waited. Celestia smiled and raised her head back up. "A noble and strong goal to follow," the Princess Alicorn replied and smiled, "I wish you luck on meeting your goal. And should it not be reached tonight, may you continue your journey to reach it. There is no better journey then to find true love my dear subject." She lifted her wings up and high, slightly startling Bliss as she manuvered her wings in a gesture to allow her to pass, "go and enjoy yourself," the princess continued watching Bliss move forward to the open dance floor area, "and remember to never give up on your goals." Lightning Bliss turned just as she entered the floor and saw the Princess wink at her before turning to greet the rest of the ponies that were waiting patiently but irrtiably behind her. She blushed realizing she had stopped the line and trotted out of sight, not wanting to be greeted by the ponies she held up.

As she trotted by several unicorns, she was unaware that two of them were eyeing her with interest as she approached the buffet table for some punch. She felt hot under her gown, her nerves shot at the realization that she spoke to Celestia herself that her goal she was so focused on seemed cracked out of picture. Get it together Blissy...she said to herself as she sipped her drink, no stallion wants to approach a mare who is shaking like a leaf in the wind... "Ahem," a blunt rich sounding male voice spoke behind her. Lightning Bliss turned abruptly, nearly dropping her cup of punch, but managed to keep it in her mouth as she turned to the stallion unicorn who greeted her. He was accompanied by another mare unicorn, both dressed up magnificantly. He was in a tight golden tux with a red bow tie, his silver mane gelled back straight and pointed, all complimenting his well groomed silver coat. His comrade was a purple unicorn dressed in a white gown with golden lienens. Lightning Bliss again shuddered back a bit, these two unicorns had far more class then she could ever hope to match. She regained her composure just enough to put her cup down on the table. "Pardon our, intrusion," the stallion unicorn with fashionable taste spoke first, "but me and my spouse were wondering, where on earth did you find such a lovely gown? And if you could give us the name and location of the designer, it is simply dashing!" Bliss blushed with the compliment and didn't hesitate to give her mother all the credit a mother deserved. "Oh no designer made it, well unless my mother could be called one heh," she lifted her eyes happily to brag, "she spent months designing it for me. Even though her talent isnt in dress making, she went through all the efforts to make sure it suited me just right. She even had to find fabrics outside of Cloudsdale and-" "Wait just a second..." the mare unicorn of equal fashionable taste approached, "you're not from Canterlot? And you say your...mother...made you this dress?" Lightning Bliss backed up from the sudden firm, disapproving tone of the mare unicorn and honestly replied. "Yes...my mother made me this dress, and no I'm not from Canterlot, but I am very hummbled to be here at the Gala, I've always wanted to attend it." The two unicorns looked at each other till finally the stallion said without so much as glancing at Lightning Bliss, "a pegasus pony from the outskirts of Cloudsdale no doubt... apparently they will let anyone into the Gala nowadays who can afford a ticket, hmf..." The mare unicorn nodded in agreement while adding "indeed so my escort... I should have known from the tacky stichting she was a poor pony hmf!" Without so much as another glance the two unicorns walked away, flicking their tails dissapporvingly back at Lightning Bliss as they went, heading into the crowd to speak with the more 'High Class' ponies.

Lightning Bliss's eyes went red with tears, they flowed like a river so fast that she couldn't control them. Not only did these ponies call her poor and tacky... they insulted her mother's gown that she worked so hard on... Her pride was damaged by the fact that she was crying and grinned her teeth. Without looking she galloped through the crowd, ignoring that she bumped into ponies that were unfortunate to be in her way. She did not care though, she needed air and wanted to get away from the crowds that would poltentially hurt her more. She ran and opened her eyes just enough to see there was a glass doorway that lead to an outside balcony where she could close it and be alone. To avoid the crowds she fluttered her wings, flew over the surprised ponies, and bucked the door open and closed it as speedily as she could. From there she darted down on the balcony and galloped to the railing and began to heave with gasps of tears. She threw her wings over her face trying to hide it all, but she heaved and gasped with every wave. "Who am I kidding!!??" she yelled out amongst her tears, "it was stupid of me to come here!!! Mother, I'm so sorry for wasting your time! But I'm no beauty, I will never find a true love!!! What kind of stallion would love a weird, deformed tail mare pegasi like me!!!" She continued to cry, ignoring the sounds of the Gala going on behind her.