//------------------------------// // Chapter 2:9 - The Ivory City // Story: Camaraderie is Sorcery // by FireOfTheNorth //------------------------------// Chapter 2:9 – The Ivory City Cant’r Laht: a city built on the side of a mountain, a city ruled by sorceresses, home to the great alicorn sorceress Celestia, and the seat of the Church of One’s high priestess. Cant’r Laht was near the geographic center of Equestria, the reason besides Celestia’s clout that a summit of all the continent’s crowned heads had met there the previous spring. It overlooked the fertile Equestry Valley, which kings and queens of Equestria had fought over for millennia, visible for many leagues as its ivory towers reflected the sun’s light. Propaganda aside, Cant’r Laht was regarded almost universally as Equestria’s grandest city. It was also where Rarity would be staying for the next few days. During her absence from Ponieville with the rest of the Brave Companions to deal with the matter in Grunstead, a message had come to her from Cant’r Laht. Hoity Toity had been sufficiently impressed with the designs she’d been sending him over the last months, and he was inviting her to come to Cant’r Laht to work with him in person for a few days, to “get a better sense of her talents.” She jumped at the opportunity and prepared to depart as soon as she could. After the long, three-day journey to Cant’r Laht, she’d been welcomed by a surprise. “Here are your rooms, madam,” the page announced as he held open the door for her. She’d anticipated having to find an inn in Cant’r Laht to stay during her time here, but she was staying somewhere far better. After she’d left, Twilight Sparkle had written to Celestia asking that rooms be prepared for her, and a royal page had met her at the gates to the city; during her stay in Cant’r Laht, she would have rooms in Cant’r Laht Castle itself. She marveled at the extent of them as she entered, her chambers here larger than her entire shop in Ponieville. They were also richly furnished, far finer than anything she’d have been able to afford on her own. This was an amazing gift from Twilight, and she’d have to remember to thank her profusely upon her return to Ponieville. “Everything is to your liking?” Celestia asked from the entrance to the rooms, and Rarity whirled in surprise. “Your grace!” Rarity said, executing a bow, “Yes, this is fantastic. Thank you for hosting me while I’m in Cant’r Laht. The honor of staying in the castle …” “It is Twilight Sparkle you should be thanking; it was she who asked that I accommodate you, and I was inclined to indulge her request.” “Oh, I know,” Rarity said earnestly, “I fully intend to thank her as well.” “I will allow you to get settled. If you have need of anything, be sure to let the castle servants know,” Celestia said, casting a glance at the page still holding the door open. “Thank you again!” Rarity called as Celestia left. Another page had taken all the fabrics and equipment she’d brought with her ahead to her rooms, and she gazed over the parcels. Her meeting with Hoity Toity was the following day, and she needed something really spectacular to impress him. Time to get to work. *** Rarity’s last-minute efforts paid off, succeeding in impressing Hoity Toity when she presented the dress she’d designed to him. He’d suggested some changes, but they’d been trivial and seemed more about asserting his position as the master than any actual flaws in the design. By the time she left his shop, she was practically glowing with pride. On her mind, other than her accomplishments, was the question of how she could repay Twilight Sparkle for getting her rooms in Cant’r Laht Castle. The answer was staring her in the face. I shall make Twilight a dress. Maybe it was because she had dresses on the brain after a day spent with Hoity Toity, but the idea seemed remarkable to her. Ever since she’d created the dresses for her friends for the Grand Galloping Gala, Twilight Sparkle had been coming to her more often to request clothing. Most of her requests were for robes, but as the Grand Galloping Gala proved, there were occasions where different attire was required. Perhaps she could make her something for her to wear during the Hearth’s Warming celebrations next month. Celestia had requested the Brave Companions come to Cant’r Laht for the holiday, so there would likely be banquets and balls for her to attend where a more exquisite outfit would be appreciated. “Pardon me, but we couldn’t help noticing you leaving Hoity Toity’s shop without any purchases,” a stallion asked Rarity as he trotted up alongside her, “There is a rumor going around that the apprentice whom Hoity Toity has been selling the works of is in the city at the moment.” “Would you happen to be she?” a mare asked as she trotted up on Rarity’s other side. Rarity stopped and allowed the pair of ponies to come together and face her. Both were unicorns and, judging by their robes, a sorcerer and sorceress too. That may have been the reason behind the aura of haughtiness and superiority they seemed to emanate, but the matching crests around their necks suggested they were also part of Cant’r Laht’s nobility. “I am,” Rarity replied to the sorceress’s query. “I’m Jet Set, and this is my wife Upper Crust, Count and Countess of House Limusighn,” the sorcerer made his introductions, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady …?” “Rarity, my lord and lady,” Rarity made her own introduction, giving a slight bow that evoked momentary eyebrow-raises from the couple. “Rarity, as in Rarity of the Brave Companions?” Upper Crust asked, and Rarity nodded, “Legends pass from mouth to mouth in the lower classes and through the songs of troubadours, but they seem to leave out many things. It seems you yourself are in that habit, so perhaps the fault does not lie with them. If I might inquire, what are your house and titles?” “I … don’t have any,” Rarity admitted, “I don’t belong to any great or lesser house. I was born in Ponieville, daughter of a cooper, and work as a smith and tailor to support myself.” “I see,” Jet Set said with hardly concealed disdain, and lowered his voice to speak to his wife, “I knew Celestia’s apprentice wasn’t very discerning in her companions.” “I told you Hoity Toity’s new designs had a shabbiness not found in his usual work,” Upper Crust whispered to her husband, “It should have been obvious that nopony of status had been involved.” “Hey, wait!” Rarity objected, but the duo was already trotting away without even a farewell. Rarity was livid that they’d been so dismissive of her as soon as learning she had no titles of her own. How was it her fault if she hadn’t been born into a noble house? Then there was their sudden change in opinion. When they’d approached her, it had been to ask if she was Hoity Toity’s mysterious apprentice, who they obviously wanted to meet because they admired her work. As soon as they’d found she wasn’t a member of the nobility, they’d insulted the work they’d previously seemed willing to praise. Shabbiness. Rarity knew her work wasn’t shabby. Maybe she wasn’t a master, but Hoity Toity was, and he’d been impressed time and time again by her work. A plan began to come together in her head, a way to prove her work was worthy of the great houses of Cant’r Laht. The dress she’d been planning for Twilight would be the centerpiece of her scheme. It would have to be her finest work yet, exquisite and extravagant enough to wow Cant’r Laht’s uppity nobility. She could picture it in her mind and hurried off to gather supplies while the image was still vivid. It helped that she’d brought along her tailoring equipment from Ponieville (and that she remembered all of Twilight’s measurements), so all she needed were supplies. Thankfully, material was much easier to come by here in Cant’r Laht than in Ponieville. She wouldn’t have to wait several weeks for a merchant to travel to and from one of Equestria’s great cities and haggle over the price both before and after the trip. Through a combination of shops and marketplaces, she was able to find everything she needed to create Twilight Sparkle’s new dress, with a minimum of fuss. Her saddlebags were bulging with materials by the time she was ready to return to the castle. During her trip, her hoof caught on a loose cobblestone, and Rarity fell to the ground. As she did, her saddlebags could take the strain no longer and tore open, their contents spilling out. Cant’r Laht didn’t have dirt (more often mud) streets like Ponieville, so her materials wouldn’t be ruined immediately, but it still wouldn’t be good for them when they hit the ground. “Febammiga![1]” a voice rang out, and her dress-making materials halted before they finished their fall. Carefully, Rarity stood up among the hovering spools of thread and bolts of cloth. Nearby, a unicorn sorcerer wearing a sharp set of robes and a monocle focused intently on her possessions—the pony who’d cast the spell to save them. Next to him stood a slender unicorn sorceress in no less noble attire (minus the monocle), who trotted forward and directed her gaze at Rarity’s saddlebags. The torn fabric stitched itself back together, stronger than before, and the sorceress gave a little nod when her job was complete. “Leya![2]” the sorcerer commanded, and the hovering materials floated up and back into Rarity’s saddlebags, neatly packed. Rarity was surprised, especially given her experience with another sorcerous couple earlier. Spending time around Twilight Sparkle gave her a bit more appreciation than she’d otherwise have had (even if it did remove some of sorcery’s mystery). Not only had these two ponies gone out of their way to help her, but they’d expended some of their precious magical reserves to do it. “Thank you, Fleur,” the sorcerer said as his companion rejoined him, before looking to Rarity, “Are you all right, my dear?” “Um, yes, thank you,” Rarity said, at a loss for words, “I didn’t expect anypony to help me. Who are you?” “Not from Cant’r Laht, I see,” the sorcerer said with a good-natured chuckle, “I am Fancy Pants.” “Duke of House Hoherdanse and Chairpony of the First Council of the Lodge of Sorceresses,” the mare next to him added. “Yes, yes, of course,” Fancy Pants waved off the impressive titles that made him one of the most powerful ponies in Cant’r Laht, “This is Fleur de Lis, my betrothed, who, as you can tell, is more ardent in reminding ponies of my position.” “It is a great accomplishment and you should be proud,” Fleur reminded him, “Second only to Celestia in Cant’r Laht.” “Until she chooses a new Prince of the City,” Fancy Pants said. “Which may very well be you.” “Perhaps,” he admitted. “Well, thank you again,” Rarity said, her grasp of Cant’r Laht politics not nearly good enough to gauge how likely Fancy Pants was to take Blueblood’s place, “I had best be getting back to the castle.” “The castle?” Fancy Pants said in surprise, and he looked lost in thought for a second, “Of course! That is how I recognize you. You’re one of the Brave Companions, are you not? Let’s see … Rarity?” “Yes, that’s right,” Rarity said. “Yes, I saw you briefly at the Grand Galloping Gala and the summit,” Fancy Pants said, “Why, it’s I who should be thanking you, and not just for saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon and Discord. If it weren’t for you uncovering the New Cabal and their conspiracy to assassinate Celestia, I would never have been named chairpony. You see, the previous Chairpony of the First Council happened to have been one of the conspirators. Also, the treaty with the town of Appleoosa and the bison has brought new stability to the south, where most of my lands are.” “Well, that wasn’t really me, it was all of us,” Rarity said modestly. “Of course, but you were there and part of it and now you are here in Cant’r Laht, so who else would I direct my thanks to?” Fancy Pants said, “I see you are in a hurry, so I shan’t hold you up any longer, though. There is a race going on later today that I plan to attend. I would be honored if you would join me in my private box, along with other ponies of considerable influence.” “Well, I … I don’t know,” Rarity said, thinking about the grand project she was planning and the materials in her saddlebags intended for it. “Give it a thought,” Fleur said, “We would love to see you there.” “I’ll think about it,” Rarity said, which seemed to satisfy the couple enough that they trotted away, leaving her to return to Cant’r Laht Castle and consider what to do. *** Rarity still wasn’t sure of her decision when she arrived at the racing grounds outside of Cant’r Laht, but she forced herself to continue on, knowing she’d already delayed committing as much as she’d dared. It had been a tough decision for her, but in the end, she couldn’t turn down the opportunity to mingle with Cant’r Laht’s powerful nobles. Hopefully it would turn out better this time than it had at the gala. She could afford to wait to begin work on Twilight’s dress until tomorrow. She would still have some time in Cant’r Laht outside of working with Hoity Toity for her to finish it before she returned to Ponieville. She’d written ahead to let Twilight know to expect it, so she was dedicated to finishing it before returning home, but she still had plenty of time for that. She hurried through the stands, searching for Fancy Pants’s private box. Thankfully, one of the castle servants had been able to educate her on the appearance of the Hoherdanse crest, so she was able to locate the box with the matching banners. There were quite a few private boxes built into the stands, a testament to the number of the nobility in Cant’r Laht and their need to feel important. In a box near Fancy Pants’s sat Jet Set and Upper Crust, who turned to watch with some bemusement as Rarity approached the entrance to the box she’d been invited to and was blocked by a burly guard wearing the Hoherdanse colors. “Mm, pardon me,” Rarity said to the unflinching guard, “I was invited earlier today to join Fancy Pants and his party here.” “Rarity! There you are!” Fancy Pants called out as he spotted her, “You’ve almost missed the start of the races. Come in, come in.” As the guard moved to let her in, she couldn’t help noticing the stunned expressions on the faces of the count and countess who’d snubbed her earlier that day. It occurred to her with a shock that it could possibly happen again. She realized that she’d never told Fancy Pants much about herself during their encounter. For all she knew, he thought she was a member of at least minor nobility, as Jet Set and Upper Crust had, and would drop her the moment he learned the truth. He seemed like a decent pony, but Twilight Sparkle had said enough about the pettiness and nastiness of both mages and the Cant’r Laht nobility that she began to wonder if he was as good as he appeared. Best to play it safe and act the part without denying or drawing attention to her unimpressive lineage. “Everypony, this is Lady Rarity of the Brave Companions,” Fancy Pants introduced her to the others in the box, “We ran into each other earlier today, while she was on her way back to Cant’r Laht Castle. She’s being hosted by Celestia while she is here.” Surprised and approving murmurs passed through the assembled ponies while Rarity smiled timidly. She hadn’t missed that Fancy Pants had given her a generic title in his introduction of her, not knowing that she was undeserving even of that. If she could win the approval of these nobles and sorceresses before they began asking questions about her titles, that would be for the best. Fancy Pants, it seemed, already assumed she was a pony of some status, but he wasn’t the type to bluntly ask for her titles and house as Jet Set and Upper Crust had. The assembled ponies took their seats as the competitors for this race took their positions at the starting line. The track was arranged in an oval, as the great circuses of the Holy Maenean Empire had once been. It wasn’t a very interesting course, unlike the Running of the Leaves, but it was one that everypony could easily watch from the stands without the need for scrying. An announcer called out the competitors while other ponies attached their names and colors to a great wooden board facing the spectators. After declaring that five laps would be run in this race, the announcer counted the racers off and they galloped ahead at the end of the countdown. “There’s Rapidfire, off to an early start,” Fancy Pants commented as one of the racers tore ahead of the pack, “He’s sure to win again.” The other ponies in the box nodded in agreement, but Rarity wasn’t so sure. She watched as the racers completed their first lap and checked the board of names before speaking up. “Actually, I think Fleetfoot will be the victor,” she said. The ponies in the box gasped or gave her incredulous looks, appalled at the thought that she would contradict Fancy Pants. Fancy Pants himself merely raised a questioning eyebrow before turning his attention back to the race. Oh, I hope I haven’t just made a fool of myself! Come on, Fleetfoot! Rarity watched with anticipation as the racers completed lap after lap. Rapidfire remained ahead, but Fleetfoot slowly picked her way up through the pack until pulling to the front barely before the last lap ended. “Bravo, Rarity,” Fancy Pants congratulated her while the others in the box sat in stunned silence, “How did you know Fleetfoot would be victorious?” “I could tell that Rapidfire was fast, but he was pushing too hard and didn’t have the stamina to maintain his pace for the whole race,” Rarity explained, “Fleetfoot, on the other hoof, barely broke a sweat the entire time, and pulled ahead while the others tired out.” “Quite impressive, I must admit. You’ve a talent for picking out the best,” Fancy Pants praised her, “You must have seen many races.” “Oh, one or two,” Rarity admitted, that one being the Running of the Leaves over a year ago. “Clearly you are a pony to keep an eye on. I hope I’ll be seeing much more of you while you’re in Cant’r Laht,” Fancy Pants said, and the rest of his guests seemed to agree. *** The next several days were a whirlwind for Rarity. Being invited by Fancy Pants to the races was just the beginning. More invitations came from the duke on a daily basis, to events all around the city. She was hosted at banquets, private gardens, even a session of the Lodge of Sorceresses. It wasn’t just Fancy Pants sending her invitations, either. The ponies she’d met in his private box at the races were the first, but soon other Cant’r Laht nobles were sending her invitations to events. It seemed there was always something going on in Cant’r Laht. The nobles seemed to fill their days with diversions until there was no time left to actually rule the lands they owned. Twilight Sparkle had told Rarity that most of the Cant’r Laht nobility were absentee lords, but she had no idea just how absent they were. Many had no real idea what was going on in their lands, reliant entirely on the not always trustworthy reports of their appointed stewards. Many were even aware of this reality and perfectly fine with it, so long as they received the revenues from their lands promptly and in full. They far preferred to focus their attentions on Cant’r Laht instead of the sparsely settled patches of land Celestia had bequeathed to their ancestors in an attempt to get them out of the city. For the first few days, at least, Rarity had to juggle both working with Hoity Toity and the invitations from the Cant’r Laht nobles. After she’d completed her time with the Cant’r Laht tailor, however, she still found it difficult to manage her days. Invitations became more and more frequent and came from more important ponies, making it hard for her to refuse. She was able to get started on her dress for Twilight, but soon the project fell to the wayside as she spent more and more time out and about. Rarity knew she couldn’t keep this up forever, however. Between the journey to Grunstead and now this extended stay in Cant’r Laht, her shop in Ponieville had been closed for far too long. As much as she’d rather stay here and mingle with the nobles of Cant’r Laht than return to smithing simple things in Ponieville, she needed to return home. She was fully prepared to leave, having turned down invitations for the day in order to pack her belongings (and do a bit more work on Twilight’s dress), when an invitation arrived that she couldn’t refuse. Tonight, a grand fête would be held in the Cant’r Laht gardens, attended by the vast majority of Cant’r Laht’s nobility. At it, Celestia would be announcing whom she had chosen to inherit Blueblood’s title as Prince of the City. The invitation was from Fancy Pants, though others soon followed. After all he’d done, knowingly or not, to elevate her position in Cant’r Laht, she couldn’t turn him down, especially when many ponies were convinced that he would be the pony upon which Celestia bestowed the title. Returning to Ponieville would have to wait. She was preparing to leave for the party when there was a knock on the door to her chambers. “Come in,” she called, assuming it to be one of the castle servants. “Surprise!” Pinkamena called out instead as she bounded into the room. “Pinkamena?” Rarity asked, surprised indeed. The surprise didn’t stop with the limitlessly energetic bard, however. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy all trotted through the door after her. All the Brave Companions were here now, although she had no idea why. “What are you all doing here?” Rarity asked. “Well, originally, I was planning on traveling here with Spike alone to deliver this to Celestia,” Twilight said, producing the gem in which she’d trapped the soul fragment of Discord from Grunstead, “Speaking of which, Spike, could you take this to her? You know where to find us.” The dragon, who’d been waiting in the hallway, took the gemstone and headed down the familiar passages of the place where he’d grown up. “Anyway, as I was saying, I thought to visit you while I was here, if you had not already left to return to Ponieville. Pinkamena caught wind of this, and soon we were all headed here to visit you, and to return to Ponieville together if you are ready to leave,” Twilight explained, “I wrote ahead to Celestia, and she has granted us use of the south ballroom for the evening.” “Ready for a party?” Pinkamena asked excitedly as she bounced up and down. “It will just be a small get-together for the six of us and Spike, of course,” Twilight said, “I was surprised the ballroom was free, given that there is quite a celebration going on tonight in the gardens just outside of it, in preparation for Celestia announcing the new Prince of the City.” What do I do? I can’t turn down my friends, not after they came all this way just to visit with me and made preparations for this party. It isn’t as if we can just go to the fête in the garden, either. Rarity had worked hard the last several days maintaining the persona of a cultured pony of status. All of that could be shattered if the nobles who’d treated her as an equal learned the truth from one of her friends, or even witnessed some of them. Twilight could be counted on to maintain the decorum these ponies expected. After all, she really was of noble birth, even if she was about as low in the Cant’r Laht noble hierarchy as you could go, and her status was boosted by her position as personal protégé to Celestia. The others, though, could prove problematic. None of them had made such a grand impression at the Grand Galloping Gala (though Rarity hadn’t exactly been so great herself). She was beginning to understand why ponies questioned Twilight’s choice in friends, even if she had no such doubts herself. An unsophisticated farmer, a hyperactive aspiring bard, a brutish Hunter, a terribly timid druidess: these were not normally considered acceptable companions for a sorceress and noble. And what about me? A blacksmith without titles or even a family name was just as outside a noble’s circle as the rest, as Jet Set and Upper Crust had demonstrated several days ago. “Is that supposed to be … my dress?” Twilight asked as she spotted the work-in-progress on its frame. “Well …” Rarity said. At least she had something to show, but it was far from the exquisite piece she’d designed. Really, it was no more than the base that she had planned to work from for the rest of the dress, but it did look, at least to the uninformed, that it could be worn alone. “I expected something more extravagant. This seems very simple, austere, practical,” Twilight said as she trotted up to the dress, “Perfectly fitting for me! You have done it again, Rarity.” “You … you like it?” Rarity asked hesitantly. “I do,” Twilight said as she turned with a smile, “Thank you, Rarity. Would you mind if I tried it on now?” “Um, go ahead,” Rarity said, still surprised that she’d gotten away with an incomplete dress, incomplete because of all the time she’d been spending with the Cant’r Laht nobility. What am I going to do about the fête? She had no good answer. *** The Brave Companions’ party was an enjoyable affair, Rarity couldn’t deny that, but the merrymaking was clearly of the Ponieville and not the Cant’r Laht variety. Maybe she’d been spoiled over the past week with the fancy events hosted by the city’s nobility, but she longed to return to it. It didn’t help that the Cant’r Laht gardens were right outside the ballroom and she could see the fête from within. She hoped that nopony would look in, see her there, and wonder why she’d chosen to be here instead of coming to the party she’d accepted earlier in the day. It wouldn’t hurt to at least make an appearance at the fête, even for just a moment. Excusing herself momentarily, Rarity made her way through the hallways of the castle until she found a way out to the gardens that wasn’t through the ballroom. Straightening her attire, she marched into the crowd of nobility. Most ponies were mingling in small groups, enjoying a night that was uncommonly warm for the time of year. (Rarity suspected magic was at play.) “Ah, Rarity, there you are,” Fancy Pants called out to her from where he was chatting with a group of fellow sorceresses, Jet Set and Upper Crust among them, “I was beginning to worry that you might not make it.” “Perish the thought,” Rarity said, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” “We were just discussing the likely candidates for Prince of the City,” Upper Crust explained, “Maybe you have some idea?” “Me?” Rarity asked. “I thought Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s apprentice, might know a thing or two about what she’s planning,” Upper Crust said, “That, or you may have overheard something during your stay in the castle.” “Oh, well, I haven’t heard anything definitive, per se,” Rarity said, nervously, actually having no idea who Celestia was going to pick. “I think that she may just name Twilight Sparkle herself,” a bushy-mustached sorcerer in the group spoke up, saving her, “I heard a rumor that she was on her way to Cant’r Laht and may very well be here at this very moment.” “Give the greatest hereditary title in the city to the second child of an earl? It doesn’t make any sense,” Jet Set objected. “It makes perfect sense,” the mustached sorcerer argued back, “Why wouldn’t she begin to bestow titles on her heir apparent?” “The Lady mi Amore Cadenza is Celestia’s heir, not Twilight Sparkle,” Fancy Pants reminded him. “Yes, but do any of us really expect to see Cadence ever again?” the mustached sorcerer asked, looking around the circle for support, “What do you think, Rarity?” “I think that I’m absolutely famished and should get something to eat,” Rarity said, excusing herself. She vaguely remembered long ago that another alicorn, the Lady mi Amore Cadenza, had been named Celestia’s heir, but she had been sent to Tyrannus the same time that Spike’s egg had come to Cant’r Laht. A hostage of Dragonlord Ingrirtireth the same way that Spike was technically a hostage of Celestia, it was likely she’d never return to Cant’r Laht. That was the extent of Rarity’s knowledge of Celestia’s succession, and her knowledge on Cant’r Laht politics was equally shallow, despite all the time she’d spent recently among the nobility. She wouldn’t be able to answer those kinds of questions, but she’d been dodging them the whole week, and now she actually had somewhere to go while avoiding them. She returned to the Brave Companions’ party, having been gone longer than she’d expected, but not long enough to raise any suspicions. So began an elaborate back-and-forth that soon wore her out. She had to balance her time so that neither set of party-goers would go looking for her. It was easier to escape the fête, since there were so many ponies in attendance that there was no telling where she might be hiding in the crowd, but that was where she wanted to spend her time, among the elite. Soon she ran into another problem besides just dashing back and forth. Attending two celebrations, both of which serving food, meant that she ended up eating more than she wanted, which became a bigger problem as she hurried between parties and began to feel sick. “Rarity, are you feeling all right?” Twilight Sparkle asked her, “You seem to be spending more time away than here.” “Is there something wrong with the party?” Pinkamena asked almost tearfully, concerned as Ponieville’s premier party planner. “No, no, nothing like that,” Rarity said, “Everything is fine.” “Um, what is that?” Fluttershy asked, pointing at a flower in Rarity’s tail. As part of the fête, she’d had flowers from the Cant’r Laht gardens woven into her mane and tail. She thought she’d gotten them all, but apparently had missed one. Twilight turned to look out at the garden party, and it was pretty obvious why she had a flower in her tail. “Rarity, were you attending the fête?” Twilight asked anyway. “Twilight, I can explain,” she said. “So, that is why you were staying so long here in Cant’r Laht,” Twilight said, “You were seeking out prospective customers. I must say, if you have managed to catch the attention of the ponies out there enough to be invited to this event, you have accomplished quite a feat. This could mean great things for you. You should return to the fête and mingle with the Cant’t Laht elite.” “Really?” Rarity said, almost not believing it until Twilight nodded, “Oh, thank you for understanding, Twilight. I’m going to have to make you another dress to show my appreciation.” “No need for that, this one is fine,” the sorceress said, glad she could do something for her friend, “Now, about the fête.” “Right, I’ll see you all later,” Rarity said as she happily trotted toward the gardens. “I’m sure Celestia won’t mind if the rest of us join in as well,” Rainbow Dash said, and Rarity froze. None of the other Brave Companions seemed to notice as they continued on into the party. It’ll be okay, Rarity. They’re your friends, and they’re all famous in their own way as well. So long as they aren’t too disruptive or spread my origins, everything will be fine. It didn’t take long for everything to be not fine, though. Pinkamena, with her ever-present lute, decided to challenge the musicians who’d been hired for the fête, many of them the same ponies who remembered her none too fondly from the Grand Galloping Gala. Rainbow Dash seemed intent on showing off the new moves she’d learned recently to a group of nobles who looked frightened to be so near a Hunter performing combat exercises. Applejack was attempting to chat up another group, but they looked incredibly disinterested in anything she had to say. Either that, or they couldn’t get past her accent or uncivilized manner. Fluttershy vanished for a few minutes, before returning with animals in tow that she’d failed to track down during the gala. She looked overjoyed, but the nobles displaced by the wildlife didn’t. At least Twilight was acting as expected, a bit distant and bookish, but still refined. There were other problems for Rarity around the sorceress, though. “It seems that Twilight Sparkle has taken to the Ponieville way of life,” Jet Set commented nearby disparagingly. “You ought to advise your friend on better fashion,” Upper Crust told Rarity, “That dress of hers is so simple and plain.” “Yes, of course,” Rarity said nervously. Her nervousness only increased as she saw Fancy Pants approaching Twilight. “Pardon me, Lady Haltrotsun,” Fancy Pants said. “Duke Hoherdanse,” Twilight Sparkle replied, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” “I was wondering where you acquired your ensemble. I’ve never seen anything of its kind in the city,” Fancy Pants said as he examined the simple dress. “Well, that is because it was not made by any Cant’r Laht seamstress,” Twilight Sparkle said, intending to do Rarity another favor by praising her before the great lord, “No, a good friend of mine made this, a blacksmith and aspiring dressmaker from Ponieville.” “You don’t say,” Fancy Pants said as Rarity tried to hurry over and interject herself into the conversation, “Who, might I ask, is this pony?” “Oh, here she is now,” Twilight said as Rarity skidded to a halt, her plan backfiring, “Rarity, meet Fancy Pants, Duke of Hoherdanse.” There was no way for Twilight to know that her words had just imposed a crushing blow on Rarity. Now Fancy Pants would know who she really was, as would all the other party attendees in hearing range. Already, she could hear the stunned whispers passing among them. They’d been hosting a commoner all week, treated her like an equal; she’d deceived them. “I told you that’s all you can expect from somepony of her rank,” Upper Crust whispered to her husband, the couple having followed Rarity in her dash to speak to Fancy Pants. “Well, just look at the kind of company she usually keeps,” Jet Set commented. The rest of the Brave Companions, sensing something was going on, converged on Twilight and Rarity. My friends. How could she ever have put these ponies over them, knowing that they’d turn on her the moment they found out the truth. She knew what she had to do. “Whatever you might think of me, these are my friends, and I won’t stand for you disparaging them,” Rarity spoke up, her words mostly directed at Jet Set, “Every since we met, they’ve been there for me through thick and thin, and I’d never abandon them, not even for the sophistication and glamour of Cant’r Laht.” “Nice speech, but it doesn’t change what you and they are and are not,” Jet Set replied. “They are the Brave Companions,” Fancy Pants said, stepping in, “Maybe when you’ve saved Equestria twice, you can speak, but I don’t recall you or anypony in your lineage ever accomplishing such a feat.” Jet Set turned red at the reprimand of a pony so much higher than him in Cant’r Laht’s hierarchy. Some of the nobles in the crowd seemed to share Fancy Pants’s position, albeit reluctantly, others looked like they needed some time to think it over, and others were firmly opposed. Whispers and murmurs passed freely through the garden until Fancy Pants spoke up again, directing his words at the Countess of Limusighn this time. “As for the dress worn by Lady Haltrotsun, I asked because I thought it a bold new approach, not because I thought it beneath the Cant’r Laht nobility or shabbily made. It is simple, but sorcery is extravagant enough, and I dare say the sorceresses and sorcerers of Cant’r Laht could afford to remember that and not try to disguise lack of skill with flash in appearance,” the duke said, “Now, Miss Rarity, would you care to introduce me to your friends?” “I would love to,” Rarity replied. *** The fête went on for some time, as ponies anxiously awaited Celestia’s announcement. As the time drew close, Twilight Sparkle received a message from the Matron of Sorceresses requesting she meet her in the castle. Excusing herself, she headed inside, wondering what her mentor was up to. “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful apprentice,” Celestia greeted her. “Celestia,” Twilight replied, “You wanted to speak with me?” “Yes, as you well know, I will soon be announcing the replacement for Blueblood as Prince of the City and wanted to let you know first,” the ancient sorceress said. “Why?” Twilight asked suspiciously. “I intend to name your father as the new Prince of the City,” Celestia said plainly. Twilight Sparkle tried to imagine it. Her father, Night Light Haltrotsun, was a sorcerer of modest magical ability, very little political power, and an inclination to study rather than interact with the other Cant’r Laht nobles. He would become the second most powerful pony in Cant’r Laht in an instant, and he wouldn’t be the only one affected. The entire House of Haltrotsun would be elevated from an earldom to a princedom. Twilight herself would see her hereditary rank, apart from her status as Celestia’s protégé, jump significantly, although her title would be identical. “What do you think?” Celestia asked. “If I might speak plainly,” Twilight said, thoughts roiling around in her head at the news. “Of course. When have I ever denied you that right?” Celestia asked. “I think it will cause great unrest in Cant’r Laht,” Twilight spoke her mind, “There are those who, not without cause, think you are unfairly favoring my family. First you chose me to be your apprentice. Then, my brother was named captain of the city guard. Now, you seek to make the Haltrotsuns and their descendants Princes and Princesses of the City. Many ponies will see it as an attempt to raise my family at their expense.” “Good, because that is exactly what it is,” Celestia said, looking out a window at the fête going on in the gardens below, “You may find my favoritism unwarranted, but I don’t see it that way. I chose you as my apprentice because of your potential to become a great sorceress. Likewise, Shining Armor was named captain of the guard because of his abilities. Your family has, at least in recent years, impressed me. That is why I wish to place the House Haltrotsun in a place of authority, so that you and your family will be in a position to impress me further. Great things have come from your family, and I’m expecting even greater accomplishments in the future.”