Twilight sighed as she sat down in the booth. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie joined her. With a groan she dropped her head to the table between them. Just as her head made contact with the wood, the train rumbled and began moving, exiting Canterlot’s station.
After speaking with her family, and recovering from the emotions that had run rampant at the end of that discussion yesterday, Twilight had decided to spend the rest of the day walking around Canterlot and taking in the sites. She had visited Applejack to see how her tests were progressing, and immediately regretted it when the farm mare completed unloaded on her about bigoted nobles and scary as all Tartarus angry Alicorns.
When she finally got away from that, she decided to see her mentor about her apparent blowup. That was the plan, anyways. The only Alicorn she found was Luna, who was maintaining a domed shield around a raging inferno in the otherwise empty throne room. The shield was colored blue and, oddly, flickered with blue flames as well. Luna explained that it was an experiment in combining elemental magic with defensive magic.
Luna also informed her that Celestia was meeting with the Lion ambassador and would not be able to accept a visit today. Twilight grumbled but thanked her.
After that, she decided to make good on her word to visit Ash Winder and her family. In a moment of prophetic wisdom, she left behind her Bit bag. The whole situation had been a rather unremarkable affair. She was introduced to her husband, a Pegasus stallion with a dark red coat and light red mane and tail named Crimson Fira. He was gruff and slightly rude, but Twilight took it in stride and accepted his thanks for protecting his wife and son. She spent the rest of the evening enjoying a dinner with the family and playing with Stratus, and eventually went back to the castle and to sleep.
Pinkie Pie woke her up that morning by scaring the ever loving crap out of her with an air horn. How the Earth Pony manipulated one without the dexterity of wings or magic baffled her, and no matter how many times she asked Pinkie just kept talking about the plans her and Snow Cloud were making.
Though, to be honest… she was grateful to Pinkie Pie for waking her up.
“You okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked in concern.
“It’s just been a long weekend, that’s all,” Twilight answered, lifting her head to look at her friend. Applejack frowned at the bags under her friend’s eyes.
“Wanna talk about it?” Applejack asked. “After the ear chewing I gave you yesterday, it’s the least I could do.”
Twilight perked up slightly. “Oh, that’s right! How did the tests go?” she asked.
Applejack cringed and looked at the table. “We didn’t pass.”
“What?!” both Twilight and Rarity exclaimed. Pinkie… seemed to have vanished.
“One of the cooks supervising us turned out to be accepting bribes from the noble that got booted by the Princess the other day, and we didn’t catch it until after he messed up the lunch and dinner tests.” She sighed. “Princess Luna tried to tell us we could retake the test… but it’s harvestin’ season back at the acres, and we’ve been gone for too long as it is. We plain don’t have the time to retake the test before the Gala.” She smirked after a moment. “I admit, I took some joy outta watching Princess Luna tear the cook apart with nothing but words. He’s no longer a part of the castle staff, and a warrant’s been put out for the arrest of Black Bag. Tribalism ain’t a crime, unfortunately, but bribery is.”
“Good!” Rarity nodded firmly. “I heard all about the sordid affair regarding your first test while working with the Head Seamstress. I was not impressed. I had also heard there was a bustle regarding corruption yesterday… but didn’t know it was about you.”
“Speaking of you, how’d your weekend with Blueblood go?” Twilight asked.
Rarity gave a dramatic groan. “Ugh… He is every bit as boarish as every single pony I asked described him.” She frowned. “At the same time, I feel something is off. I have been told countless times that he is a coward, braggart, and will have the Guard do his work for him. And yet...”
“Is it bad?” Applejack asked in concern.
Rarity pursed her lips, and slowly shook her head. “Not… necessarily, no. He attacked me when we first met… but that was understandable considering the circumstances.”
“He attacked you?!” Applejack and Twilight asked in disbelief, though for different reasons.
Applejack was enraged that one of her oldest friends was assaulted by a noble, further souring her opinion of Canterlot Nobility. Twilight, on the other hand, was not angry, just… shocked.
“He actually attacked you? Himself? He didn’t order a guard to do it?” Twilight asked for clarification.
Rarity smirked. “Yes. It was a valiant attempt as well… but a Lady is always prepared for untoward advances.” Her grin became… unsettling. “He was properly chastised.”
“Did he try to rape you?” Applejack asked in quiet horror. Twilight’s mind flashed back to yesterday, making her grimace and shove the memory away.
Rarity’s eyes widened. “Goodness no!” she exclaimed, realizing her slip. “No. You see, I resemble his departed mother, bar the fact that her mane is styled differently. And he has apparently had nobles try to use the image of said deceased parent to gain his favor. After all, he loved his mother, and instinctively would want to make her happy. That instinct can carry over to those who look similar. It ingrained in him the idea that any who look like his mother are trying to manipulate him. The Princess cleared it up though, confirming that this is indeed my natural body and not an illusion.”
Applejack went quiet, considering how she would react if somepony had tried to use her dead parents to try and get her to do things. Every time she considered it, she knew her response would always be instant… and violent.
Never mind what Granny would do. Old she may be, dispassionate she was not.
Twilight scrutinized Rarity for a moment, her eyes progressively getting wider. “Oh my Stars…” she whispered in surprise. “You really do look like Lady Cerulean! I can’t believe I never realized that.”
Rarity shook her head. “It’s understandable really. I am similar in appearance, but not strikingly so. She was shorter than me, her frame was a bit thinner, and her coat was apparently a rather light shade of grey, rather than the albino I am gifted with. I am told she also had a vastly different voice from my own.”
“Still…”
Rarity flipped her mane. “Anyways, afterwards he approached me and apologized for his uncouth behavior.” She frowned again. “He settled into bragging and trying to impress me, but, as I said, something seemed off.” She growled. “I swear, I cannot for the life of me figure out why I am unsettled by his mannerisms!” She huffed. “Needless to say, I will be returning at some point. I do not like a mystery left unsolved.”
Twilight and Applejack exchanged a glance, shrugged, and changed the subject.
---
Later...
The train pulled into Ponyville’s station. Twilight stepped out first, closely followed by Pinkie, Applejack, and then Rarity.
Pinkie looked up at the sky, and frowned. She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge something. Applejack noticed. “Y’alright, Pinkie?” she asked, placing a hood on her friend’s back.
Pinkie jumped, startled, but smiled at Applejack. “I’m fine, just thinking about the Hearth’s Warming Eve party. I have soooooo many ideas!” she squealed. “I gotta start working on them! Bye!” She started bouncing away.
Applejack chuckled. “Well, don’t forget to sleep tonight!” she called, before looking at Twilight and Rarity. “Ah should get going as well. Gotta make sure Bloom ain’t caused another tree to start attacking anything near it.” She shook her head. “Ah swear, the day we finally figure out that filly’s talent will be a family holiday.” She trotted off, waving a hoof briefly as she did.
“What will you do today?” Rarity asked Twilight. “It’s still rather early.”
Twilight shrugged. “I’m going to check on Spike and see how he’s doing… and hope the library’s still standing.” She sighed. “He’s eager to please, but not exactly graceful.”
“He is just a child," Rarity reminded her. "Grace comes with experience, which he currently lacks."
“I know.” Twilight smiled. “I appreciate that he wants to help. That’s why I made him my assistant. It’s a safe job, he gets a paycheck out of it, and we get to stay together.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “I do not believe you told us how you two met. How did an Amethyst Drake such as him come under your care?”
Twilight led Rarity towards the library as she told the mare the story of her entrance exam into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Needless to say, both were giggling before long. After all, it wasn’t every day a filly turned an entire group of unicorns, including her parents, into a variety of flora on accident.