The end of the year as usual held the promenade with all of the schools coming together to celebrate in the hallowed halls of the Canterlot Ballroom. It was the time of the year that both nobles and peasants alike could mix and mingle. Well the word ‘could’. Should be emphasized due to many nobles succumbing to peer pressure and outright snobbiness to be seen in public with any plebeian level pony. So there always was that empty space in the middle of the ballroom in which would be the place that no pony dare dance on.
Shining Armour had just finished his exams and his recruitment into the Solar Guards would mean he this winter would be his last one in Canterlot before he was shipped off into the army. Perhaps the job as a bodyguard would have been closer to home but then rent-a-cop would stick with him forever.
The streets filled with the joyous sounds of dancing ponies that had been freed from the shackles that is school and are now free to do whatever they wanted. Twilight had entered Celestia’s school for the Gifted and was doing well as the great Solar Princesses apprentice. Her entrance exam was probably the most interesting story he had ever came across. Who knew Twilight could hatch an egg to create a dragon.
The air got much chillier nowadays. In the day it was a refreshing coolness that swept the streets of Canterlot, but the nights were less tolerable. Nevertheless many enthusiastic mares lined the tailor shops for intricate dresses and stallions simply picking whatever that was black and expensive. Many tailors had come to Canterlot to make money.
Shining bustled through the wave of mares his age as the Sapphire Knight was fruitlessly tossed around like a salad by a torrential storm of materialistic mares.
It’s just dresses
Shining Armour huffed and waded his way to the other side of town. Cadence had something fun planned for the day and he was not going to miss it.
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Shining brooded over whether getting stampeded by the crowd outside would be less painful than picking up one of the nearby ties on display and strangling himself with it. If Shining had any foresight he would have realized the only fun thing on a females mind at this time would be shopping.
What’s worse was a female with what seemed like unlimited bits in her bag.
“ Ooh this one…No no this one…Hmmm why not all of them SQUEE!” Cadence bounced around store by store buys almost everything she could like a tornado of bits and dresses. As an Alicorn it meant that she had very little time to be in public. So anytime would mean four times as much speed as usual. Shining groaned under the weight of the growing bags. Although he only had to lift them five meters away into a nearby cart, the weight of the bags was taking its toll. Cadence oblivious to anything simply went on her speedy rampage of buying only stopping to fix her crown.
Scratch the crown
Shining noted to himself as he levitated a small tiara onto the pile of growing bags. “Alrighty then. Time for the next store!”
Shining loaded the bags into the second cart and they carried on through the streets. Cadence ran ahead mumbling to herself about finding a good tailor to fix certain dresses for taller mares. (She had bought dresses too small due to lack of supply.) Shining galloped tirelessly to keep up with his bright pink friend.
“Alright Shiny, you find me a tailor and I will go onward. Take all the dresses in the second cart okay?” She turned to go only to pause “Oh and find one that can sew jewels on my dress. Its rare to find one but not impossible.” Shining raised an eyebrow. “And how do you expect me to carry this, Princess?”
Cadence giggled. Whistling two buff Pegasi donning the traditional golden armor swooped down to pick up the straggling bags. “Thanks.” She pecked him on the cheek and bundled off. Shining let out a sigh. Once more he had forgotten that Cadence had a platoon of soldiers to her beck and call. “Geez she is working me to death.” He mumbled under his breath
“At least you get to go home.” Came the solemn reply from the silent guard.
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“Hello?”
Shining peered into the strange tent. During this time many seamstresses and tailors would bring their wares and set up elaborate tents to temporarily sell their goods in Canterlot. Although the population in Canterlot was no bigger than many other cities, it was bustling with the rich and the kind of rich. Shining simply picked a random tent that looked like it was recently ransacked. Clearing up was a marshmallow colored Unicorn with a purple mane.
“Hello darling, Welcome to the temporary shop of Carousel Boutique, as you can see I only deliver my dresses and do not sell on the spot."
The unicorn levitated a broom and began sweeping up the carnage of bows dresses and other small pieces of clothing. It was almost as if war of dresses had been fought in here. Shining armor looking at the young Unicorns flank could see three diamonds imprinted as her cutie mark.
Diamond…Jewels…Cade-
His thoughts were disrupted by a loud clearing of the Purple-maned Unicorns throat. Realizing he had been staring at her flank for a few seconds too long, he awkwardly looked away and cleared his own throat.
“Ah well then I will be leaving.” Shining edged out slowly only to bump face to face with an old foe. Prince Blueblood. “Ah well if it isn’t Princess Cadence’s butler. How does a plebian such as yourself get along.”
Shining rolled his eyes. “Oh its going along fine bluey, and I am not Princess Cadence’s butler.” Blueblood flinched at the nickname. He raised an eyebrow. “Really now, please explain to me what you are doing now?”
“What are you doing here anyway, I figured you would have been afraid of the mud puddles to even venture this far away from the castle.”
“Ah well that’s what carriages are for.”
The joke was not heeded to. Canterlot castle was literally a stone throw away. “Ah well time to go.” Blueblood trotted off in his usual manner with his hair being flicked to the side every few steps.
Shining stared after him only to be disrupted by a voice behind him. “Really now unless you want something don’t clog up my entra-“ The pale white Unicorn stared with her jaw on the floor after a hair flicking Prince.
“Wh..who was that?”
“That is the great nephew of Princess Celestia, Prince Blueblood.”
Rarity picked her jaw off the ground. “Wo…Woah. He is gorgeous.” She turned her attention to him. “Ah well I am Rarity and you are?”
“Before Shining Armor could speak the Unicorn let out a gasp of shock before dragging him inside with all the bags. “Deary me, all these dresses need work. Never fear, I can save them.” Melodramatically diving into the pile she methodically sorted them and began.
Ah well I’ve met stranger mares
Shining took a seat, waiting for the seamstress named Rarity to finish. “So how much do you know Prince Blueblood?” she questioned as the hum of the sewing machine started on.
“Ah well you can say he likes fashion.”
The smile of Rarity’s face seemed to grow wider. “Ah well then...He sounds nice.”
“Yeah, he’s a real killer.”
Rarity shifted the dress to a side and began working on the next one. “You know I always imagined a life with someone like him.”
Oh dear
"I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder: "Who is that mysterious mare?" They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I'll cause such a sensation, that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself. And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance, that she would introduce me... to him...
Another crazy mare
The most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot. Our eyes would meet... Our hearts would melt... Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course I would say... YES! We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess which is... what I would become upon marrying him... The stallion of my dreams!" Rarity placed her hooves in the air before controlling her dreams and getting back to work.
“So a Stallion like you must have a mare friend?”
Shining Armour fell off his stool. “Well erm actually no.”
“Well what about a person of interest. Hmm?” Rarity asked whilst carrying on with her work.
“Well I-“
“Oh so you do have one.” Rarity dashed to his side somehow dragging the sewing machine with her. “Do tell.”
Shining stared at the strange mare. “Alright then, well she is nice…Tall…Very caring.”
“Well then why have you not asked her to be your marefriend yet?”
“Well there are complications.”
“What is she already taken?”
“No.”
“Does she not like you around?”
“Well no.”
“Oh dear are you a colt cuddler are you?”
“What no!”
“Then what is it then? You look like a confident stallion, she is sure to go for you.”
Shining Armor re-adjusted his seat. “Well we can’t be together because of well…We are not allowed to be.”
“Oh my forbidden love. Amazing, but hey you should be with the one you love. I mean I am aiming for a prince.” Rarity giggled to herself. “So whom is the lucky mare?”
“Uhh…She’s an Alicorn.”
Rarity immediately stopped her work. “Oh I see.” She clumsily tried to get back on track. “Well you know that they are royalty right?”
“Yea. But you said that nobility should not be an issue.”
“Yea but, Princess Celestia is well…A few hundred years old. I mean if you are into older mares then I have no quarrel but…”
“Oh it’s not Princess Celestia, its-“
“Ah finished. Now then good luck with the princess. I’m sure it will be one hell of a battle but hey, I have faith in you. Now take these dresses and get moving. "
She shoved him out and quickly packed up her tent. Shining had just realized the sun setting. “Aw damn. Thanks Rarity. Goodbye.” Shining Armour galloped away into the sunset with Rarity looking at the blue-maned stallion gallop away.
“Good luck.” She giggled to herself. “How does one even think they can woo a princess.” “Rarity stopped giggling. “Oh and I never got his name."