Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna request the pleasure of the company of yourself and the filly Nyx at the Royal Castle, Canterlot this weekend. Please arrive Friday evening for dinner at 7pm.
A Royal chariot will arrive an hour beforehoof.
RSVP (please state your preference for one of my chariots or one of Luna’s).
With fondest regards,
Celestia
“Well, Nyx” said Twilight furling the scroll and laying it down on the breakfast table beside her plate, “I hope your calendar’s clear.”
“Why’s that Mom?” asked the jet black alicorn looking up with a piece of freshly made pancake poised to go into her mouth.
“Oh, nothing much” Twilight deadpanned, “Just that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have invited us to Canterlot tonight for the weekend!”
Nyx dropped her pancake as her face broke into the widest smile. “A whole weekend?” she asked, not believing her good fortune, “Tonight?”
“And …” continued the lilac mare, watching her adopted daughter’s face “You get to choose whether you want to be picked up in on of Celestia’s or one of Luna’s chariots – the Princess is waiting for your answer.”
“Oh Mom, it just has to be Princes Luna’s!” she bubbled enthusiastically, “Will it be drawn by Bat Ponies? They’re so cool!”
“I expect so” said Twilight, casting her mind back to the only time she had ever seen pegasi from the Royal Guard pull one of Luna’s chariots, a poignant moment following a narrowly won battle bought by personal sacrifice and heavy losses.
Nyx did not pick up on the look of sadness that flashed across Twilight’s face but giggled in her dizzy excitement at the prospect ahead.
“Shall I take that as a ‘yes’ then?” asked Twilight, finally making eye contact with her happy filly.
“Oh, yes please!”
Spike came back in from the kitchen with another plate piled high with pancakes.
“Hey, what did I miss?” he asked, sliding the newly filled plate onto the table, “What was in the scroll from Princess Celestia?”
“I’m going to Canterlot for the weekend” enthused Nyx, “And we get to ride in Princess Luna’s chariot with real Bat Ponies!”
“So that means you’re in charge Spike” added the benevolent librarian with a smile, “You up for it?”
“Hey, what do you know, I just so happen to have some new comics, and …”
“… And the library will have to be opened on Saturday as usual” confirmed Twilight.
Spike giggled a little nervously, “Yes Twi, that’s just what I was going to go on and say.”
“Glad to hear it Spike. Owlowiscious will be around to lend a helping claw when you need, but you’re the one who has to ensure it all runs smoothly.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got it covered” his mouth responded, while in his brain he was preoccupied with working out how he could maximise his own dragon time; plans that involved extensive delegation to Owlowiscious.
“May I be excused from table so as I can pack please, Mom?” asked Nyx, eyes wide.
Twilight marvelled at how Rarity’s etiquette lessons had made such an impression on the filly and gave her permission with a loving smile, wondering what packing she could possibly have to do that would take her all day.
“You want me to keep these warm for her, Twi?” asked the baby dragon, looking at the quantity he had prepared for two hungry ponies and himself, “She’ll be hungry again before long.”
“No I don’t think so, thank you Spike” replied Twilight with a little giggle, “She’ll be bouncing all day.”
“So, more for me then?”
“OK, but don’t make yourself ill – I don’t want any little accidents when you send the response to the Princess.”
After breakfast, Twilight dictated her reply to Princess Celestia and Spike despatched it in a puff of dragon smoke. Upstairs, there was the sound of drawers being slid open accompanied by little gasps of frustration – clearly what she was looking for eluded her.
“Mom!” came the inevitable call from upstairs, “Do you know where my dress is?”
“Which one?”
“You know, the dark blue one?”
“Why do you want a dress?” enquired Twilight, having come up the stairs and joined her daughter in her bedroom, “You see Princess Luna every week for private lessons and you know Princess Celestia well enough too.”
“Yes” replied the filly tensely, “But when I see Princess Luna we always do some flying together, but this time we’re going to Canterlot by chariot, in Princess Luna’s chariot Mom, I’ve got to look my best!”
“Um …”offered Twilight, “Didn’t I last see you wear it to one of your Crusader meetings?”
“Oh no” she froze on the spot and then slowly turned her head to face her mother, mouth agape, “I didn’t forget to put it out for wash did I?”
“Well, I haven’t seen it.”
“What will I do?” the filly wailed.
“Well, you can start by getting a grip on yourself” lectured Twilight, “Run down to Carousel Boutique and see if Rarity has anything in your size.”
“Oh can I really Mom?” she asked excitedly, “Can I really have a new dress?”
“Only if Rarity has one. Now go on and find out.”
Nyx fairly flew down the stairs and out the door as Twilight watched her disappear into town from out of her daughter’s bedroom window, shaking her head gently and smiling at the filly’s enthusiasm.
“What was that, Twi?” asked Spike.
“That, Spike” she replied, “Was a filly on the way to get a new dress.”
“Big deal” said her loyal assistant dismissively.
“It’s kinda like a baby dragon let loose at a jewellers and allowed to pick what they want.”
“Oh right, so it really is a big deal then” said Spike, taking a moment to consider the image of being allowed free reign among a whole shop full of perfectly cut gemstones.
Twilight giggled and set to work straightening out the debris of discarded dresses draped over every conceivable hanging place in her daughter’s bedroom.
Nyx’s hooves indeed didn’t touch the ground until she careened up to the gaudy building that everypony knew and respected as the centre of sophistication in Ponyville, extending her hooves out before her and spraying up a shower of dirt and dust as she skidded to a halt just by the entrance. She pushed the door open, panting as a cloud of freshly kicked up dust floated in with her.
As Rarity turned towards the cheerful jingling of the little bell perched above the door, she began her practiced spiel, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique and …”
Suddenly catching sight of the dying remains of a cloud of dirt settling onto her immaculate sales floor, her mouth fell open and she raised her forehooves to her face as her pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Dirt.
In her boutique.
This was the worst possible thing!
She let out a whimper.
Stood at the epicentre of this travesty, and no doubt responsible for it, was a familiar jet black alicorn filly who had her mouth open ready to speak, but for some reason of developed self-preservation had chosen to be quiet.
Rarity swallowed, biting down with it a selection of the most unladylike expressions and forced a smile onto her face.
“Nyx dear” she greeted through gritted teeth, “How can I help you today?”
“Um, I can come back later if this isn’t convenient …” struggled the young alicorn.
“Not convenient? Not convenient? No” she paused for effect, pouting and tossing her head back theatrically, “Now is fine, but I should be most gratefully obliged if in future you were to leave the dirt outside where it belongs.”
Nyx looked around. It seemed to be spotless, but perhaps being a truly refined Lady bestowed one with some heightened awareness of cleanliness that she had yet to develop, she thought.
“Um, sorry …” she stammered, looking down to her hooves.
“No matter” chimed Rarity, “You seem in an awful rush, darling. What can I do for you?”
“Do you have any dresses in my size please, Miss Rarity?” she enquired hopefully, “Only I’ve been invited to spend the weekend with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia in Canterlot …”
“Canterlot?” the seamstress exclaimed loudly, “Well, we must give you something to wear that befits the occasion. It just so happens that I have the outline of something that might fit. Now, come and stand on the stage, darling.”
The talented fashionista soon got to work with her tape measure, noting down all manner of dimensions while making very positive ooh and aah Sounds.
“Right we are darling, how long can you give me?”
“Well, I’m being picked up at six this evening, so …”
“Oh, plenty of time then” chirped the white unicorn, “Come back at five, and it’ll be ready for you. Only …”
“Yes?” enquired Nyx, hanging on her every word.
“Next time, please leave the dirt outside.”
Nyx uttered an apology and Rarity gave her a warm hug to show there were no hard feelings before the filly carefully opened the door and walked out in a manner more befitting a Lady.
When she returned home, Nyx was tense with the excitement of being a Royal guest and the prospect of a new dress. She paced nervously, oblivious of the effect this was having on the other occupants in the library, and it fell to Twilight to take her to one side before she knocked over piles of books with the swishing of her tail or by bumping into them.
“Hey Nyx” said Twilight comfortingly, “You’re fully up to speed with all the magic homework Princess Luna’s set you, aren’t you?”
Nyx stopped and thought for a moment.
“Well” continued Twilight, “Why not do a bit of background reading and really impress her with what you’ve learned for yourself; I’m sure that will be a nice surprise for her.”
Fortunately, that did the trick and Nyx found herself a comfortable spot where she set to work reading ahead in the books she had been given to study.
Fired up with enthusiasm to impress Princess Luna, she pored through the books until sometime later when Twilight sidled up to remind her that she needed to start getting ready and that Rarity should have finished the new dress for her by now.
Dropping everything as a new wave of panic gripped her, she sprinted out of the door and flew into the centre of Ponyville in much the same way as she had this morning, but this time remembering to land before she got to Carousel Boutique, so that she could walk in like a Lady.
“Ah ha!” exclaimed Rarity, looking up. She had been expecting Nyx, and was delighted to see her make a much more genteel entrance into her shop than she had earlier in the day.
“Well Nyx” she chimed, “I have something here that I think you will agree is spectacular, not garish, eye-catching, yet restrained, in short just perfect for your weekend with the Royal sisters! Ta-dah!”
She moved to one side so that Nyx could now see the mannequin adjusted to her specific dimensions draped in a rich purple and blue dress with spangled chiffon overlays, looking like a shimmering homage to the beauty of the night sky.
“it – it’s beautiful …” gasped the young filly, “Is it really for me?”
“Well of course it is” comforted Rarity, “Who else in Ponyville has your precise measurements?”
“Oh thank you!” sobbed Nyx, overcome by emotion, “How can I repay you?”
“Seeing your smile is payment enough” said Rarity, “That, and remembering to leave the dirt outside of my boutique.”
Rarity put a forehoof under the filly’s chin and gently lifted her face so they made eye contact, and Nyx was rewarded by one of the warmest smiles she had ever seen. In spite of herself, she flung her forelegs around the bearer of the Element of Generosity and gave her a heartfelt hug.