“So much excitement, and the evening has only just begun.”
“Was there a particular bit of the excitement that interested you?” Fancypants asked, not bothering to look at the pony beside him.
His compatriot did not respond right away, and the private box fell back into dark silence. Knowing the futility of pressing the subject, Fancypants remained quiet, allowing the gentle murmur of the ponies below to fill the stillness. His gaze drifted lazily, admiring the decor of the newly renovated music hall.
Their balcony seats on the Celestial side of the Royal Sisters Music Hall overlooked the entire theater. The wall opposite them was painted in a style not far different from von Trough’s ‘Luna’s Night’, with the private boxes representing the moon as it passed through the starlit sky. Ebony carvings of Luna acted as legs for the arches supporting the ceiling between each box. At the center of the arches, effigies of the two Princesses held up the symbol of Harmony. The arches continued down with similar depictions of Celestia in white marble. The wall from which Fancypants sat was a most gorgeous rendition of the sun arcing across the sky, with dawn near the entrance and dusk by the stage.
“How much do you know of Lady Rarity?”
The unicorn levitated a kerchief from the pocket of his jacket and carefully cleaned the lens of his monocle before replying. “Less than you, I am sure. Though if you are asking my opinion, she is still the bearer of Generosity, and from my experience, a mare whose faults are far outweighed by her virtues.”
“Do you see with whom she is seated?”
Shifting his gaze to the crowd below, it didn’t take long for Fancypants to spot the mare in question. He could not stop his brow from rising. “Surely you are not implying that she is in league with Mister Rich.”
“And what if I am? Is she not the long time friend of our fair Princess? Why, then, would she keep such company?”
Fancypants was forced to chew on that for a moment. Much had changed in the last few years. Rarity would not be the first pony in whom he had lost his faith. His eyes drifted to another private box across the hall.
Twilight Sparkle sat in the company of her advisers and one of the higher ranking mages from the School. “It is possible that the Princess could not make the arrangements on such short notice. Even you had not expected Lady Rarity’s return.”
“She returned to the city three days ago. I anticipated her attendance.”
Fancypants was saved from having to respond by the lights from the chandeliers dimming. A pair of spotlights flared to life, illuminating a single spot on the stage below. The red curtains drew back enough to reveal a single ash-grey pony standing next to a cello that was easily as large as she.
A hush fell over the crowd as they waited. All was quiet, the pony on stage as unmoving as a statue. She brought up her bow, placing it along the strings. With all due reverence, she drew the bow across the strings and the first note of the ‘Ode to a Dawn’ filled the Royal Sisters Music Hall. As the first chords ended, the curtain pulled back to reveal more musicians adding their own notes to the symphony.