It’s the afternoon, of the follow day in Ponyville, as Rarity waves down a hover cab to make her way to the Castle of Friendship for a meeting with Princess Twilight Sparkle. She is wearing Royal blue business skirt suit with black pumps. Dangling from her shoulder was a brown crossbody bag, holding her personal possessions. It took a few minutes for the cabby to make it to the Castle of Friendship after passing through the security check point. After reaching the castle, Rarity points her MCV at the Cabby’s screen and sends the payment to the computer.
As Rarity sets foot into the Castle of Friendship’s vestibule, standing in the center of the room with her arms crossed was a beautiful 5ft 5in purple Alicorn mare with a moderate sapphire blue, moderate violet and brilliant rose streaks mane and tail. She was attired in a green short sleeve sheath dress with her princess’s regalia. On her bare feet were gold pumps. This Alicorn mare is Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.
“Oh Twilight dear. I am sorry for being late for our meeting.I had to take my car into the shop for repairs. The darn thing broke down earlier this morning.” Rarity apologetic as Princess Twilight’s eyes narrowed with suspicion towards her.
“How was your visit to the Grand Royal Palace in Canterlot, Rarity?” Twilight asked with suspicion in her voice.
“What? Were you spying on me, Twilight, while I was in Canterlot? That’s not fair, Twilight.” Rarity said defensively, hoping she didn’t know about the return of the Princesses.
“I don’t call it spying. I call it keeping an eye on my court, to keep them safe.” Twilight replies
“Keeping an eye on your court, what is the difference, Twilight. You secretly had someone watch me without my permission. that’s called spying anyway you look at it and that’s not fair, your highness.” Rarity, ticked off a bit with being spied on
“Besides, I was invited by Princess Alysia Ara Silverlight for dinner. I ran into her at a new spa in Canterlot. Do you remember Princess Alysia, the Great Granddaughter of Archduchess Ophelia Silverlight? The Archon of the Silverlight Unicorn Family and President of Galaxy Corporation? The Corporation that loaned you bits to rebuild Ponyville after the end of the Red Claw War.” Rarity says. With that, Twilight drops the subject and strolled her way to the throne room followed by Rarity to begin their meeting.
Meanwhile, back in the Grand Royal Palace in Canterlot, Princess Alysia walks down the hallway toward her Grandmother Celestia’s bed room in an older part of the palace. She was attired in a black short sleeve; mesh ruffle shoulder top and laced up crop jeans. On her barefeet were white sneakers. A moment later, she arrives at a double wooden door with a carved stylized sun design on it. She knocks on the door a few times.
“Grandma, Are you in?” Alysia calls as she continues to knock on the door
In the room, sitting on a slate colored wingback chair was Princess Celestia wearing a light blue short-sleeve shirt dress. She was busily painting her toenails that rested against a slate colored ottoman in front of her. Upon hearing the first knock on her bed chamber door, her horn glowed with her psychic energy. Slowly, the bed chamber door opens allowing Alysia to enter.
“I am here Alysia. Please do come in.” Celestia says friendly as Alysia walked over to her grandmother’s chair. Celestia turns her cheek toward Alysia who gently kisses her.
“You wanted to see me, Grandma?” Alysia comment as Celestia bends down close to her toes and gently blows on the nail polish to dry it a little quicker.
“A little bird told me you are worried about the Friendship Assembly and Equestria.” Celestia comment as she touches the nail polish on her toes to make sure it was not wet. With it dry, she sets her foot on the ground.
“Miss Rarity told you, Grandma.” Alysia answered as Celestia shook her head. She brings her other foot up and rests it against the ottoman.
“Yes, she did. I gave her my vid-phone number to keep me up to date with Twilight.” Celestia explains as she begins to paint her toe nails with the light pink polish she had in her left hand.
“But.” Alysia said cut short by her Grandmother.
“But nothing Alysia. You are far too young to be worried about something like that. When the time comes that you rise to the throne of Equestria. you will look back at your youth and see nothing but a worried young mare. Enjoy your youth. because if you have some of my blood in you. that age will become fleeting.” Celestia explains as the polish on her toes is dry, she asks Alysia to fetch her bronze colored strap sandals from her wardrobe.
After putting her sandals on, Celestia walks over to Alysia and embraces her Granddaughter in her arms and wings. For as long as she had lived, she never thought she would ever have foals of her own and a granddaughter to call her own. If she didn’t disregard social traditions for Equestrian Royalty and follow her heart, this outcome would have never happened.
“Besides Alysia, Cadence told me about a wonderful warm herbal soak she enjoyed at the Golden Rose Spa. If you don’t mind; would you take me to that spa so I may experience it myself?” Celestia asks as she floats a brown monogram heritage hobo bag off her dresser onto her shoulder.
“Grandma, do you think the spa ponies at Golden Rose Spa will survive seeing you in a spa robe?” Alysia inquiries teasing as it took a few minutes for Celestia to figure out what her grandchild was implying from her comment.
“The mares, of course, as for the stallions, not so much. It’s kind of a curse to have this breathtakingly beautiful figure at my age.” Celestia joking as she laughs jubilantly with the thought of her body killing the stallions at the spa. With that, Celestia and Alysia head out of the Palace to spend their first day off together.
~Back at the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville~
“Twilight when did you become more stubborn than Applejack! I just asked you to consider talking to the Royal foals again!” Rarity said sharply, her face flushed with indignation as she storms out of the Castle of Friendship.
For the next few hours, Rarity walks around Ponyville aimlessly till the black high heel pumps on her feet scream at her to stop walking. Figuring her poor sore feet wouldn’t survive a walk back to her Carousal Boutique on the other side of Ponyville, Rarity heads straight to her Exquisite Fashion house just a block from her present location. As she neared the Exquisite Fashion house, she typed some numbers on her MCV and pointed it at the door. A moment later, she hears a very soft click so she walks into the building. As she thought, the building was empty because her employees had finished their days work and headed home.
The heels on her shoes clicked loudly in the colossal structure, full of bolts of textiles that lined the walls. At the end of the warehouse level, Rarity climbs up a short flight of wooden stairs to the office level of the building. She reaches into her purse and pulls out a small gold key and inserts it into a lock on a door with an ornate gold plank that reads ‘Rarity’ on it. She turns the key in the lock, with a low click the door opens and she enters. In her medium size office, Rarity reaches down and removes her pumps tossing them and her purse onto a nearby sofa.
She padded, barefooted, over to her wooden desk and sits down on the chair behind it. She rests her elbows on the desk and places her hands on either side of her head. Then she let out an aggravated scream.
“Did thy meeting not go well Miss Rarity?” A familiar mare voice inquiry from the deep shadows in the room
A moment later, emerging from the deep shadows in the room was a dark blue Alicorn mare with a moderate sapphire blue with grayish Persian blue outline mane and tail. She was attired in an orange dot short-sleeve shirt dress with black wedge sandals on her feet. On her shoulder was a brown leather zip hobo bag. On her head, behind her horn, was a black brim derby hat with a pair of sunglasses on her snout. She was carrying several small shopping bags in her hands from various shops from the Ponyville shopping district. One of those bags was from her Carousal Boutique.
“I see you were able to master your psychic energy, your highness.” Rarity comments as the alicorn walks over to the sofa to sit down. She drops the shopping bags on the ground next to her placing her purse on the sofa.
“I can take all the credit for mastering my psychic power. Somnus helped me greatly in that endeavor. Luna will be fine, Rarity, it’s my first day off.” Luna explains as she floats one of Rarity’s pumps over to her.
“I ask again, Rarity, did thy meetings not go well?” Luna inquires as she places the pump down next to her foot, to see if the style of shoe would look good on her feet.
“To tell you the truth Luna, it could have gone better. Twilight’s pride took a hard hit when the royal foals didn’t believe that the Friendship assembly didn’t get alerted to the trouble in the Crystal Empire.” Rarity explains as Luna reaches into the Carousal Boutique shopping bag and pulls out a shoe box from it.
“What about the others, Rarity?” Luna asked as she removed her sandal and replaced it with the black high heel pump from the box. She stuck her foot into the air and twisted her ankle from side to side a few times.
“I have not spoken to Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie for awhile. But we have plans to meet for lunch this week away from the Castle of Friendship. I will then ask how their talks are going with Rainbow Dash and Applejack.” Rarity explains as Luna put the other pump on and walks around the office trying them out.
“Understood, Rarity. Continue your efforts to convince all the Friendship Assembly members to reopen talks with the Royal Foals. Since waking up in this time, I have felt a sense of foreboding. Something doesn’t feel quite right. It feels like a storm is building. When the Crystal War ended, it set something else off.” Luna said mysteriously as she replaced her sandals on her feet.
With that, Luna picks-up all her shopping bags from the ground and begins to charge-up her horn with her moderate cobalt blue psychic aura. When the psychic energy reaches its peak, she fades into the deep shadows of Rarity’s office and disappears. Rarity is once again alone in her office at the Exquisite Fashion House.
A moment later, Luna emerges from the deep shadows of one of the many hallways in the Grand Royal Palace. Leaning against one of the columns in the hallway was a handsome light blue, Alicorn stallion with a crimson red mane and tail. He was attired in a papaya colored, long sleeve, twill checked dress shirt and dark, pebble colored, classic, flat-front pants. On his feet were black leather dress boots.
“Well?” Luna exclaimed as she spotted the Alicorn stallion standing in front of the column, waiting for her with his wings folded on his back.
“Hello Auntie, how was your first shopping trip in the new Ponyville?” The Alicorn stallion inquires as he took hold of Luna’s shopping bags for her.
“Let’s not speak here, Somnus. Let’s speak privately in my bed chamber. I would like to sit down and rest for awhile.” Luna suggested as Somnus followed his aunt down the hallway carrying her shopping bags for her. In her bedroom, Somnus watches Luna unpack and hang-up the clothing in her wardrobe. When the last item, a shoe box, is placed in a drawer, she closes the wardrobe.
She walks over to a small seating area in her large bed chamber with two, slate gray wingback club chairs and a single ottoman. She plops down on one of the wingback club chairs, using her telekinesis ability; she drags the ottoman over to her. At which time, she once again reaches down and removes her sandals. Upon putting her feet on top the ottoman, she lets out a sigh of relief. She gestures Somnus to join her in the seating area to talk to her.
“On my way home from my shopping excursion in Ponyville, Somnus. I spoke for a little while with Miss Rarity about other members of the Friendship Assembly.” Luna comments as Somnus sits down in the chair in front of his aunt’s barefeet on the ottoman.
“What did she tell you, Auntie?” Somnus asked, resting his chin on the knuckles of his hands.
“She told me that the talks with other members of the Friendship assembly are not going well.” Luna answers as Somnus let’s out a loud aggravated snort from his nostril and places one of his fingers on top of Luna’s big toe and slowly moves it back and forth.
“That is very dire news, auntie. I didn’t want to worry you my dear auntie.” Somnus says sorrowful as Luna looks a bit puzzled.
“Worry me? Worry me about what, my dear little Somnus? I have told you over and over again. When it’s just me and you alone talking to each other. I will not tell any ponies what you said to me. that I promise to you.” Luna says reassuring as she rubs the back of Somnus’s hand with her foot to get him to open up to her.
“Now please my little Somnus. tell me what you are worried about?” Luna asks with a gentle and patient voice as she continues to rub the back of Somnus’s hand with her foot. She only stops when she senses that he’s about to open up to her.
“Since the end of the Crystal War, Auntie I have felt a sense of foreboding.” Somnus said looking at the banner of a crescent moon on a dark purple background hanging on Luna’s wall, her symbol.
“I, too, have felt that sense of foreboding; my dear little Somnus. since waking up in this time. I push the feeling aside because I was overjoyed to reunite with you and your sisters after discovering that I vanished nine years ago with your mother and cousin.” Luna explains as Somnus kneels on the Ottoman that Luna’s feet occupy.
“The sense I was getting, my little Somnus, was a building storm.” Luna replies
“No, not a building storm, Auntie, a well formed hurricane. the end of the Crystal War set something in motion that should have never been set in motion.” Somnus said correcting as he sat down on his legs and his chin sunk dejectedly into his chest.
“For some reason you are not telling me everything you have sensed, my little Somnus, Why?” Luna inquiries as she lifts Somnus’ chin up with her foot and gives him a reassuring glance.
“I am barely able to understand the rest of my senses, Auntie. They’re so confounding and confusing.” Somnus said sourly as she realizes she never got a chance to teach him how to filter his senses to form a full picture of his vision.
“Its fine Somnus. just tell me what your senses are telling you and let me be the judge of that.” Luna said encouraging as she pulled her feet off the ottoman and sat down with him.
“My senses are telling me, Auntie. That the kin of my father have quite a lot of answers to this foreboding. But at the same time, those answers are well hidden behind a lock of an unbreakable door. I fear, if I open that door, it will change the perception I have towards my father’s family and who I am.” Somnus said his voice cracking as the blood drains from Luna’s face.
“Now I understand your misgiving, Somnus , about sharing this information with me. Truth be told, my little Somnus, there’s still much we don’t know about your Father’s family. So let’s gather together the main Royal Family and have a family meeting about this. Lets hear from everyone and see if they want to proceed with trying to open that unbreakable door to get answers about this.” Luna suggested as she padded barefooted out of her bed chamber. She wanted to gather together the main royal family for a meeting before they turned in for the night.