*
Rarity steps away from her herd, eyes scanning the nobleponies who are, if she dares say, watching her enviously. She can’t help but bob her mane just a little, a knowing smile, a slight shake of her flanks purely to show off the dress. Their appreciative glances and tittering is music to her ears, competing with the cello and tuba. What’s even more delightful is when she spots Prince Blueblood.
The tall white unicorn cautiously looks up at the sky as he exits the castle. Then, his eyes meet hers. She nearly swoons as he tosses those golden locks, his soft smile inviting her over. His quarter suit, black, with a blue bow tie and gold buttons, looks to be missing something.
Her.
Rarity strides forward, as quickly as she can properly walk at such a function - though she desperately wants to break into a gallop. She greets Lunaris with a chaste kiss on each side of his face. Her nose inhales the scent of… chocolate milk. Oh, wait, that is her; he smells of cologne and… some sort of mixture to reduce sweating? What sort of night is he expecting? Doesn’t he know he’s just here to help parade her around?
Lunaris returns the same before pulling back to a respectful distance. “Evening, Lady Rarity. A pleasure meeting you again; I’m sorry I had to run off after…” he twirls a hoof around, again looking up at the sky. “...Well, you know.”
“Yes, well, we shouldn’t need to worry about that happening again. I hope.” Rarity presses herself against Lunaris, bodily leading him out towards the gardens where many other pairs of ponies are congregating. She eyes his suit, and then the red roses blooming around them. They would go perfectly with her dress! “I can’t help but think something is missing, though.”
“Hmm,” Lunaris playfully replies, following Rarity’s eyes to her own dress. “May I hope it’s something under that dress? I don’t believe I took a good enough look the last time you stripped out of it.” He smirks at Rarity’s mock indignation, then follows the brief flick of her eyes towards the roses. His gaze continues past them, back at the castle, specifically one of the guard entrances. His expression brightens, a cheery smile. “Oh! I thought you’d never ask!”
“Wait!” Rarity calls as Lunaris nearly struts off, the Prince stopping to regard her. She smiles, though inwardly is cursing his obliviousness, “I was hoping you might accent our outfits with one of these.” She flicks her mane at the roses.
“Ah. Well, I do believe they go with my eyes.” Lunaris winks at Rarity as a golden aura surrounds two of the roses, neatly clipping the stems and stripping them of thorns. He tucks his into his suit, admiring how well it goes with his coloration. “And yours, of course.” Rarity’s he slips into one of the folds of her dress, managing to secure both of them. He looks again to the guard entrance. “I don’t suppose you had any plans?”
“Nothing in particular.” Rarity gazes to the other guests, adoring their covert stares. “Why, what would you like to do?” She raises an eyebrow as he takes off.
Rarity follows Lunaris to the guard entrance, a hint of confusion as they quickly make their way to the lower levels. Hardly the spot for a romantic tryst. Not that that’s what she’s looking for; in fact, she's surprised he doesn't even make the advance. When Lunaris slips into the armory, returns with a long, thin bag and heads towards the training grounds, she has to open her mouth. “So, what are we doing here?”
“Why, a game!” Lunaris pauses as Rarity’s eyes narrow, anger flashing across her face. “Um, sorry if I struck a nerve?”
“Oh, no, just… nevermind.” Rarity stops outside the dirt floored arena. “Do you take all of your dates here?”
“Only the ones I enjoy spending time with.” Lunaris’ cheerful smile fades for a second. “Which means, you are the first.” He perks right back up. “Have you fenced before?”
“Hoofball isn’t the only sport my sire taught me. I know the basics, at least; enough to not make a foal of myself. Though, I must admit, it has been a while.” Rarity cranes her neck back and forth before stretching her legs. “You’re sure this will be safe?”
“Of course; yours is blunted, though I doubt I need to worry about bruising.” Lunaris winks as Rarity’s eyebrows narrow. “And, I assure you, your coat will be safe from any nicks or scratches. Your rose, perhaps less so.”
Rarity’s eyes go wide as a cobalt rapier levitates from the bag towards her, grabbing it with her blue aura. “Oh, my, it’s so big…” Rarity coyly suggests, running her hoof along the dulled edge. Enchanted with Despair, to break through and dispel magical barriers; the bag has Ward Pierce fittingly engraved.
“Don’t worry, Madame.” Lunaris lasciviously winks at Rarity. “I have a lot of experience with it. I’ll make sure neither of us are injured.”
“Do you often practice alone?” Rarity asks, levitating the cobalt rapier in her lighter blue aura. The blade swishes back and forth, Rarity enjoying the sound and feel.
Lunaris sighs at the admission. “Whenever I get the chance. Which, regretfully, is more frequent than I care to admit.” He grins, a golden rapier, Gilded Graze, now hovering at his own side. “Do you get the chance to practice often?”
“With my horn? Almost never. It tends to mess with my more intricate applications.” Rarity lifts a hoof, grabbing hold of the rapier while her horn winks out. “For something this big, I tend to use my hoof.”
“Mm. I’m not nearly as proficient there, but I can still get the job done. Can’t let those skills get rusty, you know.” Lunaris mimics Rarity, holding the golden rapier in his left hoof. “We will try to cut the rose the other party is wearing.” Rarity nods at that, calculatingly eyeing his rose. “Are you ready to begin?”
“Whether I am or not, you’ve been more than fair.” Rarity dashes forwards, trying to catch Lunaris by surprise. Her horizontal swing is barely blocked, her momentum and awkward three legged gait carrying her out of range of his retaliatory strike. She circles back around, Lunaris holding position and slowly turning to face her.
“You’re using a hooved defense against me,” Rarity quips, dancing forwards and backwards and trying to provoke Lunaris into showing how he will block.
“I find it fitting, considering the objective of the game.” Lunaris steps to the side, favoring moving to the right. “Besides, mouth might give better mobility, but is countered by better range. Don’t you agree?”
“Hah!” exclaims Rarity, going on the offensive again and swinging madly. Lunaris parries every blow, though the effort of dancing backwards on three hooves seems to be getting to him. “Why are you smiling?” she demands, infuriated at his continued smirk. How much she wants to wipe that smug look right off his face, just like she’ll cut that rose…
“Because, there is something you don’t know,” Lunaris calmly states, until Rarity dips down, feinting a stumble. His eyes go wide, almost dropping his rapier as he tries to catch her with a hoof. Her smirk gives away the game, though, and he reels back, barely able to get his rapier underneath and save his rose from being cut.
Rarity whips Ward Pierce up, sending Gilded Graze flying into the air. It twirls, end over end. She laughs as she points her rapier at Lunaris, aiming her next slice at his lapel.
Lunaris does a backflip. A flipping backflip. Well, the first half, and then his front hooves hit the sand and keep his head from smashing into the ground. Smugly smirking, staring right at Rarity, he raises his right hoof and yells, “Because I am not left-”
Gilded Graze drops, hilt first, right onto Blueblood’s head, sending him reeling to the ground. He moans, one hoof rubbing at the lump forming while Rarity calmly walks over and picks his rapier up, a careful swish cleaving the barest margin of rose, slivers of petals falling to the arena. She then offers a hoof, Lunaris gladly accepting as he staggers up.
He idly strokes the rose, ignoring the dirt stains on his suit. “You barely cut it.”
“I would as soon destroy a stained glass window as a blossom like that.” Rarity’s eyes go upwards. “Though I have heard that there is a certain window by the royal throne room that could use a bit of defacing.”
“The one commemorating Discord’s defeat? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait in line.” Lunaris accepts his golden rapier, again with his left hoof. “Ready to go again?”
Rarity stops, looking at the cobalt rapier in her hoof, then at Lunaris. “I-is this all you wished to do? Stay in the training ground and swing pieces of metal at each other?”
“Well, I was enjoying our banter quite a bit.” Lunaris’ expression grows concerned. “Why? Is there something wrong?”
“Not wrong, per se…” Rarity glances longingly towards the exit, then to her dress. It is only slightly out of place, and while she has been running hard she can’t detect any sweat or stains. “It’s just, I was hoping to be upstairs. At the party.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you just want to be seen with me!” Lunaris chuckles at his own joke, though an edge develops to his voice. “But, if you insist, we can return to those nobles and… mingle.” The last word barely conceals the venom saturated underneath.
Rarity nervously grins as she lifts a hoof to her chest, hearing an odd metallic clink. She glances down, spotting the Element of Generosity around her neck. She considers. Why is she at this Gala, except to be seen and desired, to better advertise her name? Should they do what she wants, even if it makes him a little uncomfortable? Or should she again play the gracious, generous mare, willing to do whatever somepony else wants? He did let her make the choice…
Her hoof presses against the Element of Generosity, her mouth opening to reply to Prince Blueblood.
*
Fluttershy slinks away from the group, shaking her tail and mane. Her body tells her that the long pink strands of hair are moving freely, yet her mind insists that she is still soaked to the bone. Even glancing at a reflection of herself in one of the gilded vases fails to dispel the illusion, even if it does make her styled mane even poofier.
The first gardens she comes to are far too crowded, and she can see that Rarity and Prince Blueblood must have had the same idea. Even the second area she tries is… occupied, or about to be, if the dress hitched halfway up the mare is any indication. Even if it wasn’t, she doesn’t see any of the rare and wondrous flora she knows is hidden further in. Fluttershy quietly makes her way along one of the dirt paths that winds its way around the castle seemingly at random.
Finally, as she rounds the Canterhorn side of the Canterlot Castle, she comes across an ornate gate. Stepping through into the private, gated garden is as if she walked through a portal to another realm. Verdant hedges full of blooming roses ring the entrance, almost a maze - well, if one was a foal, and also not a pegasus. The barrel high walls offer a multitude of pathways, each promising a spectacle of delight in every color of Harmony!
Fluttershy picks one at random; okay, not random, she really likes how the rare foal blue orchids look! She even debates picking one of the many blossoms and replacing the imitation earrings Rarity made. But, no, that wouldn’t be nice; what right does she have to monopolize the flowers like that, even if they are beautiful?
Still, as she scampers from one section to the next, something begins to nag Fluttershy in the back of her mind. The flora is absolutely delightful, of course. But, it’s too quiet. Where are the other ponies who might visit the Princess’s private garden, especially on a night like this when every flower is in bloom? No offense, Applejack, but her apple blooms - and Apple Bloom’s apple blooms - have nothing on this!
She likes the silence, too. It’s so calming, allowing her to lose herself in the complex designs and intricate displays. The way that some of the flowers have fractal patterns based on five, or eight, or thirteen! She even sees a twenty one petaled sunflower, and giddily pads over. Her hoof comes up to make sure, counting each and every one. Yup!
A faint skittering above her gets her ears to prick. It stands out against the silence, but doesn’t come back. Of course! That’s what was missing, the fauna! She slowly raises her eyes to scan the dense foliage of the trees.
But she can’t spot anything! Her focus drifts to the next tree, and the next. Nothing! It isn’t until she sighs in disappointment and looks down at one of the rose hedges that she spots a brief flicker of green wing against the leaves.
She cautiously steps forwards; it might have been a green jay! Compared to blue and red jays, only the pink ones are rarer! And she would so love to find a pink jay! Especially if she could get her to ride along in her mane. Oh, they would look so lovely together!
But she has to find one first.
“Hello, there,” Fluttershy calls, as non-threatening and pleasantly as she can.
Her voice is met with a sudden burst of flapping wings, the green jay exploding out of the tree like Pinkie Pie after a piece of cake about to hit the ground. He flies up, disappearing behind a tree before the barest hint of his head peeks out and watches her like a griffon. She thinks she can spot a few other beady eyes staring out at her from the tree, but she’s too busy castigating herself.
“Oh, Fluttershy, you’re such a loudmouth.”
Even Fluttershy’s quiet self-deprecating remark is met by a flurry of motion from the trees, the birds flitting out and away from her like ponies before Discord.
Actually.
Fluttershy takes a long whiff of herself, sighing immediately. Of course. She reeks of chocolate milk, and her nose must be inured to it. After what Discord probably put these animals through, of course they wouldn’t trust her! Well, except that the entire place still smells of milk. They’re probably scared of anything that comes through. No wonder nopony else wants to be here.
At least the plants aren’t afraid of her! Fluttershy giggles to herself as she wanders through another few sections, admiring the vibrant life around her. Except that her eyes keep flicking back, noticing the brief bursts of movement of birds skipping from one tree to the next. But never closer to her.
It’s almost… almost…
Almost enough for her to be mildly miffed!
No, it’s worse than that! She might even be…
Peeved!
Fluttershy drops to the ground at the admission, even just to herself. What kind of monster is she, getting peeved at these poor, innocent animals? They have every right to be wary of a pony like her, even one whose only interest is in being their friend!
Her tear filled eyes briefly look up at one of the hedges nearby. A perfect blue flower sits just out of reach, nearly an exact match for her butterfly shaped cutie mark. Nopony would notice, right? If just one flower went missing? Actually, more ponies would be able to see it if she is wearing it, right? She’d be doing them a favor, in fact!
She reaches out, carefully snapping the flower’s stem. She frowns as she brings it to her ear; she doesn’t have a good way of sticking it there. But the flower that makes up the front part of her dress, though; it could use a friend!
Her hoof clinks against something metallic as she presses the flower against her barrel. She looks down, confused, until she recognizes the Element of Kindness around her neck. “Huh,” she says to herself. “When did that get there?” She looks around, seeing nothing. Except for another flower that would make a perfect complement to the two butterflies on her chest!
Her hoof gently tugs the Element of Kindness. And if it isn’t that unkind depriving somepony of the sight of this one flower, is it really that much worse showing these skittish animals exactly how kind she can be?