//------------------------------// // 31. A Wrinkle in the Weave // Story: The Trials of Shmarity: an Ogres and Oubliettes Story // by TheMessenger //------------------------------// 31. A Wrinkle in the Weave “Wait, what the, how, what?” Steel Nerves’s stammered exclamation neatly conveyed the shock and confusion of the group’s majority as they took in their new setting. A bright, blue, impossible sky complete with its own sun and roaming clouds hung above their head and the roofs of the buildings around them to their bewilderment. They had just stepped into a dark tower only minutes ago so how was it that they were now surrounded on all sides by houses and shops and the occasional tree planted in the pavement to add a little natural color? “Magic,” was Biala Diyn’s disinterested answer, and as simple and lazy as the answer was, it was the only explanation that could’ve made any sense here. Many started to nod and ohh and ahh as if they suddenly understood what had happened. The place was called the schools of magic after all, it probably would have been odder had they enter through more mundane means. Rarity, however, still couldn’t quite shake off those feelings of shock and disbelief. Not by the the possibility of magic being involved, no. She, being a unicorn and all, never mind her current lack of horn and abilities, could handle magic and its presence, and being in the regular company of such accomplished and talent magicians as Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer meant that she was no stranger to astonishing, amazing, and awesome acts of arcana. Still, of all the powerful spells she had personally witnessed Equestria’s premiere princess of friendship and her former student perform, Rarity couldn’t think of any that were similar to what she was experiencing right now, and she had no delusions of herself being able to pull off anything a mile near this level. It didn’t feel like any teleportation spell Rarity had been through, and the largest number she had ever seen Twilight bring was maybe seven or eight, less than half the size of her current group. Was this all just an illusion? She tapped her hoof on the pavement. It sure felt real, as did the fresh outdoor air she was apparently breathing in. The magnitude of this magic seemed to rival that of Discord’s, and the thought of there being another creature with as much power as the nigh omnipotent spirit of chaos made Rarity shudder. She felt something against her shoulder and turned. “I know, it is a lot to take in all at once.” Alharir said with a sympathetic smile as she withdrew her hoof and motioned Rarity toward the rest of the moving group. “Let us get going. We still need to find some place to stay.” “Oh, of course.” Rarity shook herself and followed after Alharir, hurrying to catch up with the group. As they walked through the streets, Rarity‘s earlier discomfort turned to curiosity over all the new sights, and she started to relax. The separate houses with their yellow roofs, tan walls, and wooden frames painted blue reminded Rarity of Ponyville and were a welcomed change to the endless sands of the desert. Almost every building they passed had a sign near or hanging over the entrance decorated with images of varying brightness, colors, and details. Some were obvious, like an open-air cafe that had the picture of a dish with a spoon and fork crossed over it or what could have only been an ice cream parlor with that giant cone stacked with scoops of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and mint pistachio right above its door, while others Rarity could only guess what laid inside. Like that one building which was adorned with the image of a single crimson and heavily detailed pinion. What could that possibly mean? A stationary store? A pet shop? Arts and craft? The inhabitants of the town were just as diverse as Baldursgait had been, at least in regards to the type of creatures that were around. Ponies of all sizes and sorts strolled the streets with their more exotic and taller equine cousins. There, chatting away on a bench in front of a sprouting fountain, was new duo of cat folk, one in a dress fit for a noble lady and the other in a set of dusty robes. Some yaks greeted the group with a hearty hello as they passed while a lone minotaur with his nose buried in a book walked by without even noticing them. They, like many of the creatures here Rarity noted, were dressed in robes or capes, and the minotaur who had passed them by also had on a pointed hat with a wide brim. An elderly griffon stepped out of a building and onto the street, and he shouted at the young pegasus who flew overhead and nearly knocked over the stack of crates the griffon was carrying. No, not carrying, Rarity realized with a wide-eyed stare, but, levitating? She blinked several times, but the griffon’s claws stayed low to the ground while the boxes remained in the air, held aloft by a dim aura barely visible in the sunlight. It was such a simple trick, any unicorn foal could figure it out with a bit of time and practice, but to see it being done by a griffon, by a member of a species not known for having any magical affinity, was more than a little surprising. The griffon was glaring at her now. Realizing that she had been staring for much longer than what was considered polite, Rarity looked away and turned her attention to her companions. They had stopped and were crowding around a moderately sized billboard that stood between two bearded stallions made of stone, their capes and hats carved to appear as if they were fluttering in a breeze. As she got closer, Rarity saw that on the board was a map of the area and a highly detailed one at that. The depictions of all the buildings and streets and landmarks like statues and fountains were so meticulously and even appeared somewhat three dimensional, which made Rarity questioned whether she was just looking at a picture of the town taken from a bird’s eye view. From an initial glance at the map, Rarity gathered that the place was structured in the shape of a circle, with rings of buildings going around one another separate by rounded roads. A web of connecting paths ran throughout the entire city, meeting in the center at the walls of what appeared to be a great cathedral. Rarity turned her head for a quick look, and sure enough, she could see the grand structure’s domed roof peeking over the tops of the city’s lesser buildings. Tariq tapped the board right where there was a bright dot marked by the bright flashing words YOU ARE HERE, and as he traced his hoof along the street they were on, the map in front of them fade momentarily before returning. “We should find a place to lodge and get some rest,” Tariq declared. As he spoke, a number of buildings on the map suddenly lit up, each with a short line of bright bold text over it. There was The Yawning Portal[/], Dragon’s Rest, The Bloated Wizard’s Tavern[i/], High Moon Inn, Halfway Inn, all scattered throughout the town. “So, these all inns and stuff, right? Alright, how about this one? It’s pretty close to where we are now.” Steel Nerves pointed at one of the presented establishments, causing the building to flicker as his finger passed through it. With its burgundy brick walls and rows of covered windows spanning across multiple floors and a statue of a mare in a hooded dress in front of its gated entrance, the place Steel was pointing out gave Rarity the impression of a downscaled Manehattan hotel. “Enchantress’ Ecstasy,” the minotaur slowly read aloud. “Huh. Looks kind of fancy. Must be nice.” Shaking his head, Biala Diyn stepped forward and placed his hoof in an open space of parkland. “Let us set camp over here. That should be allowed, as long as we are not being disruptive.” “Wait, you want to camp out?” Steel waved his hand across the map. “When we’ve got all of these to choose from?” He groaned, and Rarity had to say, she felt a similar annoyance toward Biala’s suggestion. His offer of trading their mattress of sand for one of grass felt insulting when compared to the promise of a nice soft bed with real pillows and sheets and her own private room and hours of sleep uninterrupted by watch rotations. “It is not whether I want to or not,” Biala said stiffly, and he motioned toward the mares and foals they had rescued. “They are still our responsibility. We do not have the means to pay for lodging for all of them, not at some fancy inn in any case. Or are you suggesting that we are to abandon them after bringing them all the way here?” “Hey, hey. Don’t make me into the villain here,” Steel shot back. “I’m the one who said that we couldn’t just leave them by themselves, remember? And I’m still all for getting them back to their homes safe and sound once we’re done here. But come on, after everything we’ve already done and been through, I think we deserve a little break. You can’t honesty tell me you don’t miss sleeping on an actual bed. Besides, they can fend for themselves for a couple of days at least.” He turned to some of the group in question. “Right? You’re in a city now, or whatever, civilization, so there’s nothing you need to worry about anyways. No bandits, sandstorms, slavers, nothing. You can handle yourselves for a few days here, right?” There were a few scattered nods. “You see?” the minotaur trumpeted triumphantly at Biala, but when the stallion’s sole reaction was to supplement his glare with a raised eyebrow, Steel’s puffed chest deflated a bit and he sighed. “Look, you can’t just, expect me spend my entire time here sitting around and babysitting. It’s my first time at the schools of magic, and who knows when my next chance to come back will be. I’ve got to see what I can, you know, explore the place.” Steel’s plea only deepened the scowl on Biala’s face. “You are not here to have fun. You have a job to do.” “The job I was paid to do was getting us here and getting us back,” Steel snapped. “So yeah, I don’t know what you’re going on about, but I did my job.” “Yes, and you did it like the amateur that you are.” Biala said with a short snort. “If I were your employer, I would have demanded my money back.” “Yeah well, you’re not, and if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be standing here to complain. Oh, and guess what? I’m not hearing the actual boss saying a single bad thing about my work.” Steel and Biala both turned their heads toward Tariq, and he shrunk back as he found himself in the middle of yet another one of their arguments. When it became clear that the spotlight wasn’t leaving the poor stallion any time soon, Rarity readied herself for a new round of deescalation. To her surprise, as she was opening her mouth to speak, Tariq himself stepped up with a loud clearing of his throat. “I believe,” he began slowly, “it may be best if we, disbanded, for the time being. It is not because I am not disappointed by either of your performances,” he quickly assured. “You have done us a great service in getting us here, both of you, but Ser Steel Nerves, he is not wrong in that we had only hired the two of you for the journey to the schools and back. There is much my wife and must get done, setting up shop, letting our daughter know that we are here, and I understand that you, Madam Rarity, have your own business here.” He nodded to Rarity and adjusted his headdress before continuing. “Given that we all have different goals and wants while being here, perhaps we should go our separate ways. And, when the time comes to leave the schools, we will regroup then.” He looked around the group. “Is that acceptable?” Steel Nerves crosses his arms but gave a small shrug. “Yeah, sure,” he said. “Works for me.” Biala took a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Where and when should we meet then?” “The main campus building,” Tariq answered almost immediately, and as he spoke, the cathedral in the center of the map started to glow while the city’s inns dimmed away. “Yes, I am starting to remember from my last time here. It is impossible to miss, and we should all have access to its entrance at the very least. As for when, let us meet in, let us say, four days?” “Four days?” The protest came from Alharir. “You cannot be serious. How can you possibly think that a mere four days with our Aibnatu, after all these years of separation, would be enough?” Tariq winced and sighed. “That, we will have to discuss this later. Aibnatu, she will have her own schedule, and we do not want to, that is, we will have to discuss this later.” He turned to the rest of the group. “If we need to extend our stay, we will let you know once we have gathered, but for now, let us agree to just meet up in four days. We can decided on when to leave then.” There was a round of nods, and though Alharir did not look any happier, she made no further objections. “Will you be finished with your business here by then, Madam Rarity?” Tariq asked. “I, am afraid I can’t quite answer that just yet,” she said with a small, apologetic smile. “I do have quite a few rather important tasks that must be done while I’m here.” Like learning more about this necromancy and figuring out how it could be used to save her friends from the Squid Wizard, and while she was here, Rarity wouldn’t mind doing some investigation into how she ended up in these unfamiliar lands with a new identity and memories and maybe even find out more about the mysterious being who had supposedly brought her here. And then there was matter of finding and retrieving her horn, if it was even here. The Queen of Fey had only told Rarity to look south, and with only a vague direction to work off of, she could only hope that if her missing horn didn’t happened to indeed be at the schools of magic, then maybe there was at least a clue here that would bring her closer to its actual location. If not, well, given a bit of time and a whole lot of patience, Rarity was certain she’d be able to convince a rescued Discord to help her once she finished enduring his inevitable teasing over the fact. Whether she would be able to accomplish any of that in just four days, however, well... “I’ll let you know if I’ll be ready to leave when we meet again,” Rarity finished saying. “Very well,” Tariq said. “Then it is decide. We meet again in four days time at the main campus building, around noon.” He gave each of the three creatures who had been with him and his wife since their journey’s beginning a nod, first to Rarity, then to Biala Diyn, then finally to Steel Nerves. “Until then, I wish you all the—“ “Wait,” Alharir interrupted. “I am sorry. Just, please spare me one moment before you all head off.” The mare removed herself from the wagon and went inside it. There was some rummaging to be heard, and after a few seconds, they turned to Tariq questioningly, but he just shook his head and look as confused as the rest of them. Finally, Alharir returned and with three heavy sacks on her back. “These are for you,” she said, giving the first bag to Biala. “Consider it a bonus for the wonderful job you have done, a token of our appreciation.” Biala took the bag hesitantly, and weighed it in his hoof as Alharir gave the next one to Rarity and then moved on to Steel Nerves. “This, is—“ “From the slavers’ camp, yes,” Alharir explained. “Tariq and I, we had already divided the shekels we found in the tent of their leader and were planning to distribute it once everything was finished, but I suppose now would be as good a time as any.” Rarity slowly loosened the string that was holding the bag closed, and the silver squares brimming inside threatened to spill out. The minotaur standing beside her hadn’t been as careful, and as he scrambled to the ground to recover the silver that had fallen out, Rarity turned to Alharir and Tariq and said, “This, this is quite the generous gift, and I wish could show my appreciation beyond a simple thank you, but won’t the two of you be needing any of this?” Tariq stared at the bag of silver in Rarity’s hoof, and eventually he shook his head. “We will be fine. And it is not a gift. It is what you deserve. We would not be here if it had not been for the three of you.” It was a statement that Rarity couldn’t really dispute nor was she all that inclined to try, and so with a grateful nod, she put the bag away as did Steel Nerves. Biala, however, continued to hesitate, and he simply looked uneasily at his portion of the looted silver. “Hey, if you don’t want it.” Biala slapped away the reaching hand and as he glared at the minotaur who owned the offending appendage, he placed the pouch into his saddlebags, in the pocket right beside the hilt of his sword. He bowed to Tariq and Alharir and said, “Thank you for this kindness. Until we meet again.” Then, with a farewell nod to Rarity and a gesture to those behind him, Biala Diyn walked off, taking the mares and foals and carts that had been freed from the slavers with him. “Well, if that’s everything, I’ll be heading off too,” Steel Nerves announced with a yawn. “There’s a hot meal and a nice bed waiting for me somewhere in this town.” He waved and started down the street, the silver jangling from his belt, and soon after, once they had finished saying their good byes, Rarity separated from Alharir and Tariq. She first headed in the same direction as Steel had gone with the same plan the minotaur had in mind but stopped, turned, and hurried instead after Biala Diyn and those under his care. The distance between her and them had already grown a good deal in that time, but the group eventually halted in response to Rarity’s calls, giving her a chance to catch up. When she reached Biala up in front, she took out her bag of silver squares and held it out toward him. “If I’m not mistaken, you will be needing this far more than I will,” Rarity declared to Biala with a knowing glance at those around him. “What with all the extra mouths you’ll have to feed and bodies to shelter. I still have plenty of my own money leftover, so there’s no need to worry about me.” She patted the front of her cloak, and against her chest she felt her personal wallet, still relatively full of Spiketopia currency, in addition to her sack of diamonds. “There must be an affordable hostel somewhere in this place, I’m sure, so do try to spend at least one night indoors and give them something better than dried rations and cold bread for dinner.” It took Biala some several seconds before he finally accepted the offered money. “I thank you, Madam Rarity,” he said as he entered a bow. Those closest to him who had witnessed the exchange did so as well, and those closest to them seeing the gesture followed suit, and so on and on until the entire crowd was bowing to Rarity. The scene was just as embarrassing and discomforting for her as it had been in Horshire, and the strange looks they were getting from the few bystanders wandering nearby made it all the worse. “Please, don’t,” Rarity plead. “It’s alright, truly, it is. I just wish I could do more to help, but there’s so much I still need to get done.” She slowly backed away. “Er, yes, anyways, I suppose we will be seeing each other soon. Do stay safe.” And she hurried off to escape any further awkwardness, making her way back up the street, to the map on the billboard. Alharir and Tariq were already gone by this point, and Steel Nerves could no longer be seen. Just as well, Rarity supposed. While she had enjoyed the company of her fellow travelers and could probably use some extra hooves and hands, it didn’t seem right to her to try and recruit them into helping her with her search, not when they all had their own things to do. Stifling a yawn, Rarity looked to the board and got to planning. “Library, please?” Rarity said aloud. If there was any place to start looking for information, it would be at a library, though she felt a little silly over having to asked the actual map for directions. A small number of spots were glowing in response, but the most prominent one to Rarity was the great building in the very center. It was the place they were to meet again, the main campus building if she was remembering Tariq‘s words correctly, and it made sense. Of course the schools of magic would have a large collection of knowledge within its main building, where its students probably spent most of their studies, and it was probably where the lecture halls the cat from the tower had mentioned were as well. Books, students, and perhaps even members of the teaching staff, yes, with all of those resources in one place, the main campus building was the obvious place to start. Another yawn arose, and this time Rarity couldn’t keep it from escaping. With it came a wave of weariness and a reminder of the long night of travel she had just gotten through. Eagerness was no substitute for proper rest, and in Rarity’s current state, she wasn’t sure how much she’d be able to accomplish. She couldn’t exactly read a book if her eyelids were too heavy to keep up, now could she? “Inns,” Rarity said, and the map again displayed all of the lodging establishments. She tried to study her options, tried to compare the appearances of the different buildings and gauge and rank them based on assumed luxury and potential price in hopes of finding one that found that perfect balance between comfort and cost. That criteria was becoming increasingly difficult to judge as Rarity’s tiredness continued to eat away at her, and she was slowly approaching her limit. In the end, she decided on the closest and most convenient place and just hoped that it had clean sheets and an affordable rate. It didn’t take Rarity very long to find the place even in her dreary state as the garden of ivies in the front and the quaint styling of the building made it all very distinctive. Its appearance reminded Rarity a bit of Fluttershy’s cottage except that it was blown up to be four to five times its size and thus was lacking in much of the original’s coziness and charm. A wooden sign dangling from rusty chains hung above the red, rounded entrance, and beneath all the vine growth she could barely see the faded picture of a bed with a bowl where the pillow should have been. Perched on the sign was a plump raven that at Rarity’s approach croaked out a shaky, “Caw-elcome. Hag’s Haw-ven. Yes. Va-caw-cies.” Normally such an odd welcome on top of the place’s particular styling would have sent Rarity back to the map in search for something a little more conventional, but her usual pickiness took a back seat to her need for rest, and walking all the way back to the street when she had already made it to the doorstep here really didn’t seem worth it. So once she had recovered from the raven’s greeting and forced herself to stop caring about the bird’s staring, Rarity pushed open the door and stepped inside. The smoke filled lobby she entered was largely quiet, though muffled laughter could heard coming down a hall leading further within. On one side of the room, there was a brick fireplace decorated with potted plants and old portraits of cats in ribbons and bows. Two such furry little creatures, one black and the other brown with white spots, were sprawled over the hearth, their tails flicking as they soaked in the heat of the contained fire. On the room’s other side, there were some pieces of furniture, including a dusty coffee table, a worn couch, and a couple of old fashion rocking chairs, all of which were already occupied by more cats. One of them raised their head as Rarity passed for a scratch beneath their chin, which Rarity obliged before continued to the desk in the back. The receptionist sitting at the desk was a mare sucking on the end of a polished pipe while she leafed through an old pamphlet. Her gray mane and the wrinkles on her face suggested some age, but to what extent, Rarity couldn’t tell. The posture of her body and the sparkle in her eyes suggested that the mare was still very much in her prime. As Rarity got closer, the mare looked from her reading and breathed out a gust of smoke. The scent of cinnamon and spicy herbs tickled Rarity’s nose and caused her to sneeze. “Ah, ‘ello there dearie,” the mare said. She tapped her pipe against the side of the desk and emptied it. “Welcome to the Hag’s Haven, for those looking for a little slice of countryside heaven. Now, what can I do for you today?” Her voice was full of youth, but the words she spoke and their intonation made Rarity think of her own grandmother. “I’d like a room, please.” “Yes, yes, of course.” The mare reached down and pulled out a massive book and dropped it onto the desk with a loud and dusty thud. As she opened the ledger, she put on a pair of glasses and took out a pen. “Let me see your pass, please. Thank you, dearie. Now, let’s see here. Ah, a Miss Shmarity is it? Or should we say, Princess?” The chuckle the mare let out was closer to a crackle. “The first night’ll be a gold piece, and don’t you fret, Spiketopia coins will be fine. Every night after is going to be eight silvers.” Rarity fished out her purse and placed a single gold coin down on the desk. “Just the first day for now.” The mare scooped the coin up and studied it in the light. Once satisfied, she shut the book and returned Rarity’s pass back to her. “Yes, yes. Wonderful. Now if you could please follow Mister Whispers, he’ll take you to your room.” As she spoke, one of the cats jumped onto the desk with a ring of keys jangling from their tail. “Your room is on the second floor, to your left,” the mare continued, gesturing to the stairway leading upwards. “Dining room is down that way, if you get the hankering for something hearty. It’s all made from scratch, none of that conjured junk that you’d find anywhere else.” She pointed to the hallway behind her where the muted sounds of revelry were coming from before returning to Rarity with a small smile. “Enjoy your stay, dearie. If you need anything, just let either me or one of my lovelies know.” The cat with the keys dropped to the floor and after rubbing against the front of Rarity’s leg, he pounced off and up the stairs and waited for Rarity to follow him upwards. Despite the building’s appearance, it was still very much an inn, with rows of doors leading to private rooms. They stopped before one of the rooms, and as the cat pawed at the closed door, one of the keys removed itself from the rest of the ring and floated into the lock. The door swung open, and as the key returned to the cat’s tail, Rarity followed her feline guide inside. It was a fine little room, finely furnished, finely cleaned, nothing too fancy but perfectly fine for a short stay. Sunlight and fresh air streamed through an open window, and next to the wall was a writing desk made of polished wood and a couple of cushioned chairs. There was even a small closet with coat hooks and a hat stand, but Rarity barely made a note of it as her attention immediately went to the provided bed. Like the rest of the room, it was comparatively modest by Rarity’s standards, but the mattress was adequately sized, far larger than the cot she had half-expected in any case, the sheets looked washed, and when Rarity pressed down on the pillows to gauge their softness, they gave little resistance and threatened to swallow up her hoof. A soft meow caused her to turn back to the entrance, just in time to catch Mister Whispers’s striped tail as the door closed behind him. Now alone, Rarity got ready for bed. She pulled the binds over the window to darken the room and removed her saddlebags and her cloak, giving them a quick pat to knock off the initial layer of sand before draping them over one of the chairs. Then she unceremoniously flung herself on the bed and buried her head into the pillow. A thought did occur to her, a disturbing one regarding all of the dust that currently clung to her coat and mane, but it was too late. Thanks to a combination of physical exhaustion from the difficult journey, mental strain stemming from the relief of finally arriving and stress over the tasks ahead, and the sensation of the soft mattress against her body after so many days of sleeping on the desert ground, sleep overtook Rarity before she could properly recognize the horrors of going to bed in a real, legitimate bed without attempting even the most minimal of maintenance. * She had only meant to take a quick nap, a couple of hours at most. Rarity’s body, however, thought it knew better, and when she finally arose, refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day, well, the day was already mostly over. The world outside her window had grown dark, the last of the sun barely visible as the light posts lining the streets begun to flicker on. It was early evening, as far as Rarity could tell. A disappointed sigh was released as Rarity sat up and got out of bed. She should have arranged a wake-up call with the receptionist or something, anything, to ensure that she wouldn’t oversleep. And now, thanks to her shortsightedness, her first day at the schools of magic was all but spent with nothing to show of it. Even if the library was still open at this time, she doubted there would be many students or staff around to help her find the material she needed, and the possible few that were there were probably too busy with their own studies or in no mood to provide her with any assistance. The window was a poor mirror, but Rarity had to make do as she ran her hoof through her hair and combed out the tangles. Well, what was done was done, and wallowing around in self-pity and fretting about it wasn’t going to help, just like how her messy mane wasn’t going to fix itself if she just kept pouting at her faded reflection. She would head to the main campus building first thing tomorrow, but for now Rarity could at least make sure she was ready for the day ahead. She gathered her things and gave them a more thorough cleaning. A quick look through her purse confirmed that she had more than enough to pay for the next four days at the Hag’s Haven, and it didn’t seem like there was anything missing or out of place, so the room was plenty secure. It was a nice place, and Rarity didn’t want to spend too much more time looking for somewhere to stay. She did wondered if the inn had a bathing area. Based on the place’s appearance, she doubted there’d be anything too sophisticated, but it couldn’t hurt to ask, and maybe someone knew of a bathhouse that was close by and open for business. It might just be a trip to the library, but Rarity still would’ve like to look presentable. Her hoof brushed some of her last remaining rations, and her stomach let out a low growl, a small reminder that in going straight to sleep she had skipped a meal. There was a dining room downstairs, and it looked like Rarity had gotten up just in time for supper. Perhaps chatting up one of her fellow lodgers over a shared meal would yield some helpful knowledge, like some details on how the library was organized or who the nicest and most helpful librarian was and when were they most available, anything that might make her search easier on top of decent meal would be wonderful. Rarity donned her cloak and started to put on her saddlebags when she remembered the closet. She was just going to get some dinner and maybe mingle with the other patrons, no need for any of her camping gear, so Rarity set her bags and supplies aside before heading toward the door. The cloak stayed on, however, as she remembered Sir Gustford’s warnings to keep her money and weapon close, and while Rarity didn’t think anything would happen, it was better to be safe than sorry. She kept the hood off though; no creature here seemed to be able to recognize Princess Shmarity by sight and those who did identify her didn’t have much of a reaction, so hiding her face didn’t seem worth the hood hair. Waiting just outside Rarity’s door was Mr. Whispers, who greeted her with another soft mewl before getting up and heading down the hall and toward the stairs leading to first floor, the keys in his tail’s grip jingling as he walked. Rarity followed after the cat, and she soon herself back in the front lobby where the receptionist welcomed her with a smile. The number of cats around the fireplace seemed to have doubled. “Good evening, dearie,” the mare with the graying mane said as she removed her pipe from her lips. “Everything to your liking, I hope.” “It’s wonderful, thank you,” Rarity assured, returning the smile as she approached the desk. “I would like that room for three more days, please.” “Of course, of course.” A number of gold coins and silver coins went from Rarity’s purse and into the hooves of the mare. “And I’d like a wake-up call tomorrow morning if possible. Early, around seven preferably.” “Oh, yes. That’s certainly something we can do,” the receptionist said. “We’ll send someone to wake you in the morning. And will there be anything else?” “Well yes, actually. Is there some place nearby where I could take a bath?” “Not this season, I’m afraid, my dear,” answered the mare with a frown that caused her wrinkles to deepen. The frown turned to a smirk as she leaned forward and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Most folk around here think they can get by with just magic, but it’s pretty obvious to any creature with a functioning nose. Prestidigitation is no substitute to good old lather and water.” She slapped her hoof hard against the desk and crackled. “Don’t worry. We’ll arrange a basin with water and soap and some washcloths to be sent to your room. Would you rather them in the morning or?” “Could you possibly send them up after dinner, possible an hour from now?” “Of course. Dining room is at the end of this hall. I can have someone bring you there, if you like.” At the mare’s offer, several of the cats lazing about suddenly ran up to brush themselves against Rarity, causing her to nearly stumble and trip as they wrapped themselves around her legs. “I believe I can find on my own, thank you,” she said over the collective purring. The receptionist nodded, and with a glare she dispersed the gathered felines. Rarity then made her way down the long, winding hallway she had been directed to, past several doors that possibly lead to other guest rooms and more of those cat pictures she had seen in the lobby. After a couple of turns, the hall opened up into a large room with several round tables and sets of chairs scattered about on the carpeted floor. One end of the room led to an outdoor patio illuminated by nests of fireflies where there were additional tables and stools. Most of the tables were unoccupied, so Rarity had no trouble finding an open seat, and the few guests who were here were just as casually dressed as she was, making her feel slightly less self-conscious about her own appearance. As she sat down at one of the empty tables, she wondered about the noise she had heard earlier today, when she had first arrived here. Now that Rarity thought about it, it sounded awfully busy for the early hour. Maybe it had just been some special occasion, but the difference in the apparent energy from then to now was still a curiosity. Something to spark a conversation with the few others in the dining room perhaps, but for now, Rarity was more interested in finding out what the menu that was propped up between a salt and a pepper shaker had to offer. Dinner tonight was a choice between a savory pie of curried vegetable, a hearty autumn harvest stew with rice, or a plate of sautéed apples, potatoes, and cabbage. Below that was a list of appetizers including some roasted Brussels sprouts, a couple of salads, and baked and fried potatoes, and on the menu’s other side Rarity found a selection of mixed and blended punches, coffees, and teas as well as desserts like tarts and various fruit pies. Feeling something against her leg, Rarity turned away from the menu and looked down. It was another cat, this one dressed with a bow tie around its neck and a tray on its back with a glass full of water. “Oh, thank you,” Rarity said, and she picked up glass and set it on the table. The cat did not leave its position, however, and just continued to stare up at her, which made it awkward for Rarity to take a drink. “He’s waiting for you to order.” Rarity looked to the table next to her, to the creature who had spoken in a voice that was oddly familiar, and blinked. Her heart skipped a beat. “Twilight?”