It hadn't been just Penumbra for long. Her secretaries had joined them, one after another, taking what seats remained open at the table piled high with food. Chatter had quickly spread through the mingling group and... It felt strange, listening to them speak.
Rarity had not initially known that the rising starlet of her favourite foalhood film had been from Eventide, as the character being played by the actress had been a Canterlot-dwelling countess, but by the time she'd learned that, the accent had already cemented itself in her young mind as a signifier of elegance, and when she'd thought to adopt mannerisms worthy of the image she wanted to project to the upper class, she'd found it one that she could mimic almost flawlessly.
Not that Rarity wasn't a talented mimic in general. It came with the territory of her magic, which was much more complex than her single gem-hunting spell. That spell was simply the most obvious and most visible portion.
When it came to ponies, unicorns were nothing particularly special for senses. Earth ponies had stronger senses of smell, pegasi better eyesight--Rarity in particular had the not-at-all-uncommon problem of being slightly farsighted, something that tended to catch all unicorns eventually but had struck her relatively young--and while some unicorns would argue that their magic sense was the strongest, and argue it at high volume, that was nigh-impossible to measure across the tribal barrier, and so had no true evidence. At default, they were entirely average equines, and so was Rarity.
Until she wasn't.
Give her a moment to tap in and the world opened up to her. She could suddenly see a single loose thread in a mare's saddlebag as she crossed her vision once from across the marketplace, or tell exactly when a second can had been opened to continue painting a wall due to the miniscule difference in hue. Her ability to detect direction of sound was still limited to what was granted by being able to rotate her ears, but the range of pitch she could detect widened, and she could find all the little nuances within and, most importantly, commit it to memory. Give her time and adequate samples while her senses were open, and she would be able to reconstruct another being's voice as much as her own distinct vocal chords would allow. Accents? Were foals' play. She had noticed some subtle differences between herself and Masquerade at the station, but she doubted most ponies would catch them.
What left Rarity curious, however, was that Masquerade was the only one to sound like that. She could hear some of it in Diamond Dust's voice, but the rhythm of her speech was different. It danced in and out of Penumbra's, as well, but Rarity still couldn't quite tell if it was a natural accent that tended to wax and wane or if she, too, was a mimic. A subconscious one, one of those ponies who absorbed speech patterns like a sponge and let them do with their voice what they will. Honour Code hadn't had a trace, and neither did Blackbird or Brandywine.
City-states tended to have a few different accents among their members, divided by location or class, but it still seemed so strange, to hear so little of what she associated with the city's mysterious glamour among its shadowy leaders.
Rarity had to fight not to physically shake her head. Shadowy leaders. Clearly Rainbow's talk of evil plans was getting to her. While she would certainly not discount the possibility of ulterior motives, she felt that the Umbral Society, and Eventide by extension, was owed the benefit of the doubt. Politics were complicated, ones marred by an old tragedy and a thousand years of resulting tension even more so. The chancellor was young, and it did not seem out of place at all that she might see Princess Luna's return as an opportunity to start improving relations.
Right now, however, Rarity's attention was not on Penumbra, but Blackbird. The pegasus secretary had come in with slightly-dragging hoofsteps that spoke of thinly-veiled fatigue, and the scent of hot water and soap that indicated her having had a recent shower. While she was engaging with the conversation around the table--Pinkie Pie was currently regaling her about the parasprite incident--it was clear she'd been through some kind of exhausting ordeal lately.
In fact, that soap had a rather strong scent. It was heavily floral, made from a mix of plants Rarity couldn't quite recognize, and was the sort of thing one chose when one didn't want to smell anything but flowers. An odd thing to wear to lunch, as the scent of the food was a third of the enjoyment, the other thirds being its flavour and, of course, the company had while eating said food.
In fact, the scent was getting to be oppressive, and the scarf she was wearing was starting to itch. A sign that Rarity needed to send her senses back to baseline.
Blackbird wasn't touching the food much. The other Society ponies were eating, Brandywine in particular doing so with gusto, but Blackbird seemed a bit ill, and was cherry-picking--almost literally, as she plucked the cherry tomatoes out of her salad and chewed them during the moments when Pinkie was speaking, which was most of them--from her meal as if searching for the things that wouldn't upset her stomach further. Rarity's heart went out to her, as it was obvious that she was suffering one of the downsides of being a very important pony, the inability to simply cancel a meal with guests while unwell.
Pinkie Pie, while well-meaning, was also likely draining what remained of the poor mare's energy, and that was why Rarity cleared her throat, entering the fray at a moment when Pinkie proved that she did, occasionally, need to stop to breathe. "Secretary Song? May I ask you a question? There's something that has me terribly curious."
She watched a brief moment of tension as Blackbird pulled back from her meal, looking Rarity in the eye. And what dazzling eyes they were, a stark blue only a shade or two darker than the chancellor's, standing out against the sleek, black pelt and white mane. There were so many ways to potentially draw those eyes out with the right dress...
"Of course," she said in return, the warm smile adding a twinkle to those eyes. "But it's just Blackbird. Titles are for business. This is just lunch."
Rarity smiled back. "In that case, Blackbird, I wanted to know a bit more about your mark. Are you a musician, in addition to your duties to the Society?"
The tension faded, and Blackbird turned her head to regard one of her flanks. There was a splash of white across her hips, matching the mane and tail, that made for the perfect backdrop for the black violin. "Well, I do play, but it's a little more abstract than that. It's more a talent for..." She looked back at Rarity, and she could see the energy coming back; ponies couldn't help but perk up when given a chance to talk about their mark. "Lifting spirits and bringing creatures together. That can be with a good meal, a song, a rousing speech, whatever." She leaned down to nibble a bit at the lettuce, then continued. "I think my mark just latched onto the image of my violin because that's what I was playing when it first showed up."
"Ah, I understand entirely, darling," Rarity said with a nod, watching Blackbird's ears twitch a bit at the endearment. "My mark is for bringing out beauty, as if the world itself is a runway, but it first appeared when I found the gems within a truly massive geode." She looked at her own flank, smiling at the three gemstones as if they were an old friend. "The moment of epiphany never leaves us."
Blackbird looked thoughtful. "That's a good way to put it. The mark's not just our purpose, it's the memory of the moment that we figured it all out, so we never forget." She then grinned. "And with one like that, I'll bet you'll be the talk of the party."
Rarity shook her head with a titter. "Oh I wouldn't presume to draw attention from the true guest of honour." She inclined her head toward Princess Luna, who was currently chatting with Chancellor Penumbra and eating her food with the most gusto of all. "But with a mark like yours, I'd assume you're the one organizing the celebration?"
"Nahhhhh, the whole thing's Dusty's baby." She jerked her head in Diamond Dust's direction, and Rarity had only a moment to realize why Pinkie had not cut back into the conversation--how did that mare manage to be so bizarrely stealthy sometimes?--before Blackbird was speaking again. "There's going to be a lot of nobility there, and she's good at making sure they're happy."
"Ah, so she's the one with her hoof on that pulse--"
"Basically."
"--While you're more of a, shall we say, champion of the common pony?"
Laughter broke out. Loud, genuine laughter that reminded Rarity of the caw of a crow. "If that's your way of saying I don't have the same grace--"
"Not at all, darling! But a talent for bringing others together speaks to a way with the masses, yes?"
The laughter faded to chuckles. "You could put it that way. But it's a lot more than just the common pony." She briefly spread her wings, gesturing outward with them. "Everyone could use a little hope sometimes, you know?"
"Quite," Rarity agreed, though it turned to a soft sigh. "It's a shame little Spikey-Wikey couldn't come along, but I suppose a baby dragon would struggle to stay awake for so long."
Ponies tended to be surprised, when anypony in the group mentioned Spike's species. Shocked may even be the better word. The reaction to his presence could earn staring, startling, stunned questioning, fleeing, and reference alone would get the first and third of those, at length. Which was why it caught Rarity by surprise when all Blackbird did was let out another, cawing laugh.
"Probably for the best, yeah. But, wow, if you want to talk about stealing attention, a dragon..."
"They're so small..."
One corner of the large table was where Brandywine had staked out her territory, and around her played her fuzzy charges. The four kittens had drawn Fluttershy like a bee to a flower, and she was peering at them all with wonder while the earth pony mare devoured her way through her third slice of vegetable pie.
Brandywine was horribly intimidating, having trudged into the room alongside Blackbird when the two had arrived, and been looming there with the distinct impression that she would rather be anywhere else. It wasn't the fact that she had height and bulk that could make somepony wonder if she had horse ancestry--plenty of the larger earth pony families could trace branches back into the Saddle Arabian deserts, something that Fluttershy had learned from Applejack once during a discussion on how large and widespread her family truly was--because physical size rarely intimidated Fluttershy unless it was taken to full-adult-dragon scale.
Instead, it was the obvious tension. Brandywine would occasionally turn to look at Blackbird, narrowing her eyes. She would also look at Penumbra sometimes and audibly snort, and it was hard to not associate a pony snorting that much with a possible fight on the horizon. The inability to paw the ground with a hoof and then charge when sitting at a table did nothing to make it less frightening, because that meant that any altercation would be verbal, and Fluttershy found ponies shouting at each other infinitely worse than one charging. Charges could be dodged, while yelling was much harder to avoid.
Yet, she'd approached, because how scary could a pony really be if they took care of cats?
"They can't be any older than six weeks..." Fluttershy breathed, as one of the balls of fluff ambled closer.
"The vet actually guessed eight," Brandywine said, raising her head up from her meal to look at pegasus and kitten alike out of the corner of her eye. "They're undernourished and still catching up."
"Poor things..." Her chin was practically on the table as the curious creature wandered up to her face. "Can I...?"
A ghost of a smile tugged at Brandywine's lips. "Go ahead. The black and white one is really friendly."
Fluttershy lifted her head with a squeak of joy, and gently gathered the kitten up into her forelegs, earning a soft mew. "And the mother's doing alright?" she asked softly, never taking her eyes off the bundle of purring fluff.
Brandywine nodded as she pulled a fourth slice onto her plate. "Now she is. She's eating and catching up on weight too."
"That's good to hear." Fluttershy's ears drooped, the look in her eyes turning mournful. "The thought that somepony would just leave them..."
Brandywine's smile vanished, and she snorted. "It happens. Some ponies find little carnivores cute right up until they don't. Then you've got a cat just old enough to have kittens and just young enough that she shouldn't wandering around in the dark, not knowing how to feed herself, let alone a litter."
Applejack, her own plate loaded down with pie and a baked potato piled with fixings, gave a snort of her own to match. "I know what'cha mean. Everypony wanted t' see Winona when she was a lil puppy, but now that she's big, the more skittish folks in town think she's scary." She shook her head, the hat never shifting enough to risk falling from her head. "An' dogs are a lot easier for ponies to handle, dependin' on breed, so I reckon it's even harder on the kittens."
"Do you think you'll be able to find good homes for them?" Fluttershy asked, as she leaned down to nuzzle the purring kitten.
The smile came back, if still a thin one, and she nodded. "There's already a taker for the mother cat when the kittens are old enough. Nice griffon family. And there's been some interest in the fuzzballs, too. I just wanna be thorough with the background checks so it doesn't end up round two of the same."
That had Fluttershy looking up, and she gave an understanding nod of her own. "Some of the animals at my cottage are tame enough to be adopted, but I try to be careful too. It's always so heartbreaking if they need to come back."
"At least we can give them a place to come back to. Better than some get." The next snort from Brandywine was almost amused, paired with a slight roll of the eyes. "Some lunch convo, huh? I'm bringing the mood right to rock bottom."
"Oh no no no!" Fluttershy shifted closer, and found another kitten batting at the end of her mane for her trouble. "You aren't bringing anything down. It may be a sad story, but these kittens get a happy ending."
"I guess." Finally tearing her gaze from the plate fully, she turned and looked at her company directly for the first time, quirking a brow. "Should I be worried about you trying to smuggle one home?"
"Not until they're old enough." The brief grin disappeared as quickly as it came, and she looked at the purring kitten contemplatively. "And I shouldn't, really. I think my Angel Bunny would get jealous..."
This place could've really used some streamers.
It was something that had been on Pinkie Pie's mind since entering the tower. The torches on the walls could've made some amazing light patterns reflecting off streamers made of the right material, and it would liven up the gloomy halls and make them much more inviting for visitors. There were going to be lots more visitors now that Princess Luna was back, after all! They had a chance to show these ponies how fun it was to have somepony from outside the city come and party with them.
These celebrations could even become a whole new holiday, which meant that Princess Luna was bound to keep bringing guests here with her. All the new friends she'd make over the years would be able to come with her to Eventide, and soon it'd be just as big as the Summer Sun Celebration, or the Grand Galloping Gala!
Well, hopefully more fun that the Gala. All those stuffy traditions had made it so boring that even Princess Celestia didn't want to go anymore, and Pinkie didn't want that for Princess Luna. She'd have to get in right when history was being made and make sure their royal friend had lots and lots of fun on her big day.
It'd been with that thought in mind that she'd slid into an empty seat next to Diamond Dust, the dour-looking unicorn having been slowly making her way through a bowl of thick soup. "Soooooo..." The blooming grin on her face grew wider as the spoon coated in green magic lowered to the table. "Blackbird said you're the one planning the party?"
"Indeed." Diamond Dust turned her attention to Pinkie Pie fully, meal left untouched as she continued. "I have a knack for organization and logistics, and so the work of putting together such things often falls to me." Her ears twitched, and Pinkie watched tiny hints of expression on an otherwise stoic face give off a subtle signal of discomfort. "As there are no historical precedents for the celebration of royalty returned from such long absence, there are no traditions to follow, and so I will be trusted to... wing it."
Oh. She understood now. It looked like her expertise was needed even more than she thought!
"Which is hard when it's a party for somepony so special," Pinkie agreed, and with a sagely nod, added, "And it's extra hard to wing it without any wings." No laughter at that, but she thought she saw an almost-smile, and so she grinned in response, pouncing on the opportunity. "But it's easier with friends, soooooo... Can I help?"
"Pinkie no!"
She heard the hiss from the far side of the table, recognized Twilight's voice, and blinked. Then she realized that she'd put her hooves on the table in excitement while asking her question, and hastily pulled them back down onto the chair. That was good of Twilight, looking out for her table manners. She didn't want to make a bad impression on the Umbral Society, after all. Especially not the chancellor and secretaries, who were the most important of very important ponies in Eventide!
Pinkie watched a cascade of micro-expressions turn discomfort to surprise, then relief. "I am always open to new perspectives on how I might improve upon my ideas." Diamond Dust's ears then tilted forward and... Well, Pinkie wasn't sure exactly what kind of smile that was, but it didn't set off the alarm bells of a Discord kind of smile, so it was clearly a good one. "Especially when it comes from one of our honoured guests."
"Yayyyyyy!" Pinkie hopped onto her hind hooves, remembering to stand on the chair just soon enough to stop herself from leaping onto the table instead. "You won't regret it! We'll make this the best. Party. Ever!" She swiped her front leg along the space of table in front of her, scooping up several dinner rolls. "After all, we've got to make up for a thousand years of missed birthdays and Hearth's Warmings and a whole bunch of other things." She shoved several of the rolls into her mouth, barely noticing Diamond Dust levitating one of the ones still on the plate over to herself. "It's gotta be a bonanza."
"Pinkie no!"
Pinkie blinked again, then the realization hit her. Right, no talking with her mouth full. That was very bad table manners! She'd make sure to chew the food properly before she spoke again. She'd need to thank Twilight after lunch for helping her so much with making new friends.
Diamond Dust, for her part, dipped the roll in her soup and then look a bite, and she chewed, too, before saying anything else. "That is precisely where my mind has been." She gave a determined nod in Pinkie's direction. "Every stop must be pulled out to best honour our Lunar Princess, after such injustice." She then tilted her head to another part of the table, where Penumbra and Princess Luna were chatting. "Perhaps we can discuss the details tomorrow? To preserve some pleasant surprises."
Pinkie's eyes widened, and then she rapidly nodded. "Right!" She mimed a zipping motion across her mouth, her next words strung together as a muffled, "PnkiPiSpsPtyMd!"
Diamond Dust chuckled. It was a soft, low sound, and Pinkie Pie got the distinct impression that its owner didn't let the sound out very often.
Well, all the more reason to help with the celebration, then. She'd have Dusty rolling on the floor with laughter in no time!
Penumbra wasn't sure what she'd expected.
She knew the Elements, had studied them as much as she could from the scraps of literature she'd managed to find, but the current Element-Bearers had been sheltered from the spotlight, and so, other than the famous Lady Twilight Sparkle and her closeness to the princess's sister, she'd had very little to go on. Applejack had been the easiest, as the Apple clan had put down roots in Eventide alongside every other part of Equestria, and so she'd had a basic idea. Otherwise? There had been whispers about Rarity among Canterlot's elite, some talk of Rainbow Dash in Cloudsdale, but nothing substantial. Nothing to analyze and study, like the high profile individuals her predecessor would intensely study before engaging with.
She wondered what Moonshadow would've thought of what she'd done. She wondered if the former Society Chancellor would have called this reckless, or if she would have scoffed and said it was not reckless enough. Penumbra had more than once thought to bring Brandywine to her grave, to seek counsel, but she knew better. The echoes were not true souls, merely the imprint left behind, and when sapients left such echoes, there wasn't much of them that remained. The earth would remember that it was a unicorn's final resting place, but who she'd been was for the Unseen Place to claim and shelter beneath bone white wings.
She also wondered what Moonshadow would have made of Princess Luna, who was currently devouring her way through a bowl filled with dozens of different fruits and laden with sweet syrup. Numerous empty bowls and plates were strewn around her, having once been filled with various dishes that had since been laid waste to by the alicorn's appetite. Logically, Penumbra had known that an alicorn's larger size and greater magical power naturally led to needing more calories, but she'd not been quite prepared for the lunch spread to be so soundly devastated.
"How are you finding your fruit salad, Your Highness?" she asked, voice polite and calm, hoping that the question would conclude before said salad met its untimely demise.
"Most excellent!" Princess Luna paused in the merciless slaughter to smile. "I do not know how you became aware that I am so fond of pomelos."
"If I may be honest?" she asked, and the next words, as Penumbra found herself smiling back, truly were the honest ones. "A lucky guess. There is a citrus grower here who keeps several trees, and it is quite popular, especially among the local pegasi."
"Well, it also popular with the visiting alicorn. How I have missed such things." The Lunar Princess rolled her eyes. "My sister insists that grapefruit tastes just the same as pomelo, and I swear--" The spoon that was grasped in dark, starry magic stabbed at the air, still holding a few slices of pineapple. "--That her tastebuds have eroded over the centuries to come to such a conclusion."
"I'll have to be sure to send several with you after the celebration, then." Penumbra was already calculating the cost, and even the treasury having been tapped for both the party and other necessary investments, she would easily be able to send the princess's weight in fruit with her on the train. It would be the least she could do, after all was said and done.
"That will not be necessary." A shake of the head never once shifted the dark crown. "'T'would be terrible for your princess to deprive her ponies of such delights to sate her own appetite. I will simply see if this grower would be interested in expanding their orchard to in order to supply Canterlot as well as Eventide."
Now that was a thought. The location had its difficulty with agriculture, but earth pony magic often found a way, and even if she'd thought the endeavour too much, there was only one thing she really could say. "I'm sure he'll be honoured to have his fruits on the table of royalty, Your Highness."
Exporting produce. Working for something beyond mere self-sufficiency, and to make Canterlot into a customer at that. What would Moonshadow think of that?
Penumbra watched her princess return to her campaign to drive all food on the table to extinction. She remembered what she'd read about the dark alicorn next to her having once carried Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter as part of her duty to her ponies, and looked at a vibrancy and zest for life that had never been captured in stained glass.
Sitting there, having barely touched her own fruits, she came to the realization that she liked Luna.
It was the last thought she had before the contents of the salad bowl hit her in the face.