//------------------------------// // 61. Fear and Loathing In Las Pegasus // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Though the dusk sky was a cool gray by the time Rarity and Queen Celestia had departed their train, it was still bright with the glaring lights of Las Pegasus; Equestria’s premier haven for all sorts of entertainment and debauchery. Games, food, drink, pleasure, and the opportunity to make a king’s fortune—or lose it— all these things and more could be found within the golden gates to this sprawling, wondrous city. It was exhilarating, but perhaps more than a bit overwhelming. “Have you ever been to Las Pegasus, Rarity?” Celestia asked as the pair entered the city proper, and Rarity barely heard her over the sounds of loud games being played and the people cursing and cheering at them. “Uh, I can’t say that I have,” Rarity answered with what she hoped didn’t sound like a forced laugh. Despite all the glamor and drama on display, Rarity had a hard time imagining who would actually enjoy spending time in a place this loud, obnoxious, and practically barbaric. “Have you?” “A time or two, yes,” Celestia nodded. “Usually only for official Slayer business. This place isn’t really my idea of a great time.” Rarity nodded confidently at this. Of course Celestia, the Queen, wouldn’t be taken in by all the flashy glitz and smoke and mirrors and whatnot of such a shallow and boorish— “Plus, whenever I start gambling, I can never seem to stop on my own!” Celestia laughed. Rarity stopped in her tracks and shot her Queen with a glance of utter bafflement, and more than a bit of bemusement. Celestia looked back at Rarity and, met with her glare, smiled sheepishly. “Everypony has their vices, right? Even me!” “I have a hard time picturing that,” Rarity said as the two resumed their trek down the busy streets. It was only now that Rarity noticed that not a single pony had stopped the two as they walked past; even the guards at the city’s entrance didn’t bat an eye at the Queen of Equestria stopping by their city. Rarity hoped it was because they were simply too intoxicated by the city’s atmosphere, and not because they were used to seeing her. “I remember one time,” Celestia rambled, and Rarity shook away her previous thoughts to focus on her Queen, “Luna literally had to drag me out from one of these parlors!” Celestia laughed, and Rarity arched an eyebrow at her, Celestia’s laughter turning a bit more nervous when met with Rarity’s skepticism. “Okay,” Celestia grumbled, “it was hardly one time.” And now, Rarity was the one who was laughing. “Celestia, darling?” Rarity asked, Celestia smiling at her and waiting for her to continue. “Do you mind if we sit down a moment? All these lights and noises are starting to make me feel a bit queasy.” “Certainly,” Celestia said. “I can go meet with our client, hurry this mission along, or I can stay with you, if you prefer.” “I would prefer, yes,” Rarity nodded. The two took a seat at a nearby bench, and Rarity watched in awe and mild disgust at all the people running this way and that, completely oblivious to everything around them as they hurried to spend their fortunes, bemoan losing them, or beg shady back-alley dealers for another chance. The longer she watched, the grosser she felt, but she couldn’t quite pin down why. She wasn’t looking down on anypony, it wasn’t her place to tell anyone how to spend their wealth, and if they chose to do so gambling, she had no issue with that. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her disgust was not with the people, but the institution itself. She thought about how many nights she’d spent eating frozen meals, or leftovers, or how many times she thought about getting something that was broken or breaking replaced, but simply couldn’t afford to and had to make do. And yet, here she was in a den of thieves, who made more money in a day than Rarity would see in her lifetime, all by having nothing and doing nothing, and stealing from people who couldn’t control themselves. “I don’t like this place,” Rarity said coldly. Celestia said nothing, but she put a comforting hand on Rarity’s shoulder, caressing the weary bone enough for Rarity to briefly forget the anger burning a hole in her stomach. Rarity continued to scan the crowds of people coming into and out of various shops and parlors along the street, when something very curious caught her eye. She was certain she must have imagined it, but then the person she was staring at stared right back at her. “Rarity!” the older woman called out, waving her hand in the air. Rarity held her hand up to wave back, smiling tepidly—almost timidly—in return. “Someone you know?” Celestia asked. “My mother.” Rarity’s mother was a pink, plus-sized unicorn with a striking purple mane, and Rarity cringed when she saw on closer inspection that said mane was sculpted into a beehive. She was a jovial woman, and she practically bounced toward Rarity upon seeing her, and embraced Rarity in a spine-crushing hug as soon as she came close. “It’s so good to seeeee you!” her mother said as she squeezed Rarity and lifted her an inch off the ground, shaking her back and forth. “What are you doing here?” “Well, I—” “Magnum!” her mother screamed back at the parlor she came out of, and Rarity didn’t even know why she tried to answer her question in the first place. “Magnum, get over here! Look who it is!” A portly white unicorn stallion, his muzzle graced by a dashing mustache that matched his long, unkempt brown hair, poked his head out of the parlor, his eyes lighting up as he saw Rarity and she waved to him. He came galloping out of the parlor, and with him was a young silver unicorn filly, her hair an absolutely darling mixture of pale purple and pink, and Rarity’s heart nearly melted at the sight of her. “Rarity!” Sweetie Belle was the first to speak up, rushing toward Rarity with her arms open wide and leaving her father in the dust. Rarity ran forward and picked her up, spinning around while holding her dear sister in the tightest, softest, warmest hug she could manage. “Wow, you look like shit.” Rarity laughed and put her sister back on the ground, possessing half a mind to just drop her right on her rump. “Being an incredible adventurer does tend to do a number on one’s self-care routine,” Rarity said confidently, flicking a hand through her mane, which was perfectly coiffed and curled despite somepony’s accusations. “Uh-huh,” Sweetie nodded, “then why do you look so bad?” Rarity’s face twisted into a scowl of such powerful bitterness that Sweetie Belle’s laughter devolved into a quite undignified snort. “How’re you doing, sugar plum?” Rarity’s father put his arm around her and dragged her into an embarrassing headlock, ruffling her mane roughly. Before she could protest, or answer his question, his eyes landed on Celestia, who had been politely sitting on the bench in silence, watching Rarity’s impromptu reunion unfold. “Is this your girlfriend, Rarity?” her father asked. “Wh—no!” Rarity said, aghast. “Dad, this is Queen Celestia!” Rarity held her hands out to properly introduce the Queen, trying to ignore how baffled she was that none of her family seemed to recognize her, especially since her parents had worked for her! “Oh, Rarity!” Rarity’s mother squealed, and Rarity bitterly dreaded the next words out of her mouth. “You didn’t tell us you were dating Queen Celestia!” “Mom!” Rarity shouted, her voice cracking with embarrassment. “Well, we did agree not to tell anypony,” Celestia stood up and put her hand on Rarity’s shoulder, and Rarity instantly spun around to glare at her. “Celestia!” she shrieked, her face getting redder by the second, to the point where she practically felt like a perfectly ripened tomato. “Oh come on,” Celestia giggled, “you couldn’t deny me that little bit of teasing, could you?” “Everypony relax,” Sweetie Belle scoffed, “we all know Celestia’s nowhere near cool enough to get with Rarity.” Rarity grinned smugly at Celestia, who merely rolled her eyes. “She’s not wrong,” Celestia said, taking Rarity by surprise a little bit. She was just teasing Rarity still, right? “Anyhow,” Celestia cleared her throat, “Rarity, will you be alright if I leave you to your family reunion, and I’ll go check in on our client?” “Absolutely, my Queen,” Rarity gave a salute and a wink, and Celestia took flight, disappearing before everypony’s eyes. She never was one for long goodbyes. Rarity sighed and turned her attention back to her family, her parents still scanning the night sky for any trace of Celestia. Rarity’s mother harrumphed. “Not very polite of your girlfriend to just up and leave like that, don’tcha know?” “Ugh, she’s not my girlfriend,” Rarity rolled her eyes. “She’s not even my type.” “That’s alright, darling,” Rarity’s father said teasingly, ruffling Rarity’s mane much more gently this time, “we were only teasin’ ya.” “Hey!” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “Now that Rarity’s here, maybe we could all grab brunch together!” Sweetie winked at Rarity. “Don’t worry, Rarity. Mom and dad will pay for it.” “Gee, that’s very kind of you,” Rarity replied coldly, giving her sister a wry smirk. “I think that’s a lovely idea,” her mother said, “what do you think, dear?” All three of her family members looked at Rarity with wide, expectant, puppy-dog eyes, and even if she had a heart to refuse them before, she couldn’t rightfully do it now. “That sounds divine,” she said with a bright, if heavy, smile.