//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6.6:  Presents and souvenirs 
// Story: Side story: Make up 
// by Zweiterversuch 
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Presents and souvenirs




The train to Canterlot had been pretty crowded that morning. It felt as if all of the ponies in Equestria had decided to visit the kingdom's capital at the same time. 
Complete families and ponies, groups of students, friends, and the occasional loner filled the cars of the train with laughter, gossips, or complains. Their voices were like a buzzing, which had only intensified when the train suddenly stopped and they were informed about a small situation with a lost, and stubborn cow, that had decided to take rest right in the middle of the railway.

While the ponies in charge tried to solve the situation as soon as possible, the passengers inside the train tried to look for different ways to spend their time. Some of them read, some of them looked at the landscape through their window, some others wrote busily as if suddenly struck by maddening inspiration, while others told themselves some jokes or played card games.

What Rarity, Applejack and the others did was the latter. Pinke had brought along a very amusing card game she had bought "eons" ago and that she, so far, had never had the opportunity to play with others besides gummy. She also stated how good the small alligator was in that game.

The five mares sat in a circle with a moderately large pile of discarded, multicolored cards in the middle of it. Next to it was the card deck and a small basket full of sandwiches that Fluttershy had made that morning for the trip.

"Alright. My turn. And I choose the color green. Also, I'm on my last card."

Rainbow dash finished her turn by showing everypony in the round the back of the last card in her hoof. She was about to win according to the rules of the game.
As Pinkie had explained, the game consisted on discarding all of your cards until you had none left. Of course that could only be done if the card about to be discarded matched the color or the design of the one discarded before. In the deck there were also some cards that skipped turns, reversed the order of the turns, or even forced somepony else to draw a certain amount of cards, from two until even four, giving the whole game a small strategical touch.

"Well, Sugarcube. Looks like you could use some more cards. Here hav' some."

Applejack discarded a red card with a +2 drawn in one of its corners. It meant the pony right next to her should draw two more cards without the chance to discard any for this turn.

"Oh. A daring strategy. You do know other three other players have to play before it's my turn again, right?"
" Ah have faith on their cards."
"Hooo... I see. Let's see were your faith will take you."

Applejack's card and any other card of that kind was accumulative. It meant that if Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity discarded cards of the same type, the amount of cards Rainbow dash had to draw in her turn could easily become eight, twelve or even fourteen.
The orange earth pony and cyan pegasus had been at odds since the very first match, always striving towards maintaining a flawless victory streak of five or more consecutive matches. Rainbow dash had managed so far to win three matches in a row so far, but it had been always Applejack that thwarted the next one, not always looking victory for herself, but mostly making sure Rainbow didn't win. 

"Come on girls, this is just a game. We're supposed to be having fun."

Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus with the butterflies cutie mark, was next. She had never understood the fun Rainbow Dash and Applejack had during their competitions. So she doubted a little before throwing her card into the pile.
Unlike the other two before her, she didn't expect to win every single match without ever losing. She was more content with the idea of having fun with her friends and winning just one match.
The cards she had right now were quite good and they were only three. All she needed was a chance and it'd be her victory this time. She'd have to make sure Rainbow didn't win on her next turn.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow."

The innocence reflected on her eyes certainly did not match her actions. Fluttershy threw a +4 on top of the pile, meaning that Rainbow would have to draw six cards on her turn.

"Woah Fluttershy, I never expected that from you. So coldblooded!"

Pinkie pie giggled with mischievous grin on her face while she shuffled the cards in her possession.
Like always it was hard to see Pinkie's true intentions. Since they started playing she had never shown her determination to win a single match. Instead she seemed to have her fun playing around with others, messing up their strategies or aiding them in their victory when she saw it was fine with her.

"Let's follow Fluttershy on this one."

The pink pony threw the second +4 on top of the pile and things started to look pretty bad for the cyan pegasus. Only Rarity was left. If she also added a +4 or even a +2 to the chain, Rainbow dash would have to draw ten or more cards, nullifying her chances to win this round.

Rarity didn't seem to be that interested in the game though. She saw through the window at her side at an unknown point in space.

"Rarity? It's your turn."

The mare didn't reply and instead continued to stare.
The girls, unable to fight against their curiosity got close to the window and looked too. But saw nothing besides the bluish mountain range with its snowy peaks in the distance.

"We still can't see the castle, huh?"

That comment from the cyan pegasus managed to snap her out of her trance.

"W-what? Oh, the castle. Yes. We still can't see it. I'm sorry. Is it my turn already?"

The white unicorn quickly took a look at the cards in the pile and her own and discarded another +4. Apparently Rainbow was doomed. But the game didn't continue right away.

The girls all looked at the unicorn with wide smiles on their faces.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"Oh, come on, Rarity. No need to play it cool in front of us."

The smile on Rainbow Dash's face as she spoke was both teasing and mischievous. The mare enjoyed seeing her friend try to hide her obvious embarrassment behind a fake indignation.

"P-playing it cool? I wonder what you might possibly be talking about, Rainbow Dash?  I was eeehm...astonished, yes! Astonished by the wonderful sights presented in front of us. Nothing more."

"Yeah, right."

Apparently the unicorn's act had not fooled any of her friends, especially Rainbow dash.
Applejack asked Rainbow to stop her teasing. It didn't seem like Rarity was comfortable with the way Rainbow expressed herself, so she decided to put what the pegasus wanted to say into her words.

"Ah think what Rainbow here wants to say Rarity, is that you don't have to act as if you didn't care about arriving to the castle faster.
Ah think we all here are feeling the same as you. It feels like ages since we have met with Twilight and Spike. Ah personally can't wait to see them again.
Ah have to admit that if it weren't for this card game, Ah'd be asking every five minutes if we're there yet."

The orange mare placed one of her hooves gently on her friend shoulder and, while looking her in the eyes, told her that it was alright to be anxious.

"This is especially true in your case, Rarity. After all you were the one that organized this whole trip and gathered us together in a -what did you call it?- "flash visit".  I guess that without you, we wouldn't have come here at all and we would still wait for them to come visit us."

Fluttershy's comment caused everypony else in the round to agree. The mare's nodded and thanked the white unicorn for inviting them and some straight out forcing out of their labors in order to come visit Twilight and Spike.

"That's true. Without you I would surely have waited ages to show Twilight the second chapter of my awesome Daring Doo fanfiction. She liked the first one so much I'm sure she'll just shoot into the sky out of excitement once she sees it."

Rainbow dash took from the bag next to her a thin booklet with a colorful cover depicting the famous adventurer jumping with her whip over a pit full of thorn vines. 

"Woah! Rainbow Dash, you drew that? It looks amazing."

The image was good. It looked almost professional. But Rainbow Dash quickly pointed out that the didn't draw the cover, but a friend from work. She immediately after explained that the story was her own invention.

"Well, Ah surely didn't expect you to give Twilight a book of your own authoring. In my case Ah brought her a bottle of our Apple family special cider. We can only do twelve of these every six years so it's an almost one of a kind drink."

Applejack had in her hooves a brownish bottle with an old looking label on it depicting right in the middle of it an aged apple tree flanked on both sides by earth ponies bucking its trunk. The name on the label was "Ye old kick in the apples". On the label was also additional information regarding ingredients, production and the address of the farm.

Through the glass one could see the yellowish-golden liquid fizzle inside the bottle. Everypony in the round had to gulp down their saliva at the thought of its taste. Rainbow Dash was especially affected by the idea.

"Ehm...hey, Applejack. I was wondering if I could get a tiny sip of that cider."

The puppy eyes of the pegasus were useless against the earth pony.

"Nope. This is for Twilight only. If you want cider, you'll have to get it like everypony else."

"Oh come on, Applejack! What if I leave town? Would you give me some cider then?"

At the question Applejack's reply was even colder.

"Not in a thousand years, Rainbow dash. If you leave town just so that Ah send you a bottle of cider, Ah'd make personally sure that never again a single drop of our cider touches your tongue."

"Woah...that's harsh. Why would you go that far? Do you have something against me and cider?"

"No. But I don't like the idea of you leaving just because of that."

"Awwwww...well, aren't we a softie."

Rainbow Dash began to tease Applejack about her last comment. Meanwhile Fluttershy, who believed was her turn to show what she had brought for Twilight and Spike, started to talk.

"I brought a photo album. It has all the pictures I could collect that had Twilight and Spike in it."

A thick and heavy book was set in the middle of the circle for everypony to see. The cover was made of leather and it had written beautifully in golden letters the words "Ponyville's memories".

"I have been gathering the picture for a while now. I wanted to make an album from all of us. I was really surprised by the fact that some of them even existed, like this one here."

With her hoof the yellow pegasus pointed at a picture of the very first time that Twilight and Spike came to Ponyville. It showed the two newcomers looking surprised at a pink pony jumping several inches above the ground.

"Oh, that's me, that's me! Where did you get that picture?"

"Well...I got it from..."

"Did you get it from Mike?"

"How did you know?"

"I thought it could only be him."

The conversation of the two mares was something the others couldn't quite follow. So Applejack as well as Rainbow Dash and Rarity just had to ask, who that Mike was.

"Oh, Mike is a stallion that keeps following me around. He seems to admire me a lot. He keeps taking pictures of me and makes different things that look like me: stuffed dolls, costumes, mugs, lamps. Even his wife resembles me a little."

The other girls didn't want to say it out loud, but that "Mike" sounded like a creepy pony. Maybe that was the reason why Fluttershy hesitated before mentioning him. 

Disregarding that situation Pinkie pie was next to show her present for Twilight and Spike, and she was more than happy to do so.
She took out two pink boxes with big white letters that read "Sugar Cube Corner" on them. Both boxes were tied with an elegant cyan ribbon and from inside them came a delicate and tempting smell.

"These are special V.I.P pastries of Sugar Cube corner. They are made following an old recipe of Mrs Cupcake and have a name so exotic that any amateur pronouncing it would bite off his tongue by accident. In the business we just call them 'Heaven's lies'."

Maybe it was the way Pinkie was talking, but there was something ominous and yet alluring about the contents of the two boxes. Something that seemed to pull softly from their noses towards them, but at the same time seemed to alert them about something.

Y-you are surely exaggerating, Pinkie Pie. It clearly smells like vanilla and almonds."

Pinkie let a somewhat creepy giggle at her friend's comment.

"Is that what it smells like to you? For me it smells like banana and chocolate."

"What? What are you talking about? It's clearly apples and honey."

The mares kept quiet for a while and looked at the boxes, trying to find out exactly what they smelled like. But despite the many attempts they could never coincide in the aroma. Some times it smelled like roses, some others like peaches in syrup. It even smelled differently for the same mare after a few moments.
At the end they just stopped guessing and just let Pinkie put the boxes inside her bag. 

"Woah, I'm officially freaked out by those pastries...I wonder if they are dangerous."

"I don't think so. Otherwise we wouldn't sell them."

"Still Ah really want to know how she makes them."

"Mrs Cake said she'd show me if I stay long enough with them. Anyway what did you bring, Rarity?"

Once more the spotlight shone upon the white unicorn. The fashionista was still trying to comprehend the mystery of Pinkie's pastries, so it took her by surprise to be the center of attention again.

"Ah, well. I brought Twilight a dress.  I thought it'd she'd look amazing in it."

Rarity used her magic to get her bag and from inside it pulled a long blue dress with silver decorations and gems.
It was astounding. Even Applejack, who didn't have much of a fashion sense, had her mouth wide open in amazement.

"Ah, it's beautiful!"

"Yeah. Ah'm sure Twilight it's gonna luv it."

The compliments from her friends continued to rain over the unicorn. All the mares seemed to love the dress.
During their talk though and by the careless, but unintentional, movement of one of the mares, Rarity's bag topped over and fell to the train's floor. From inside of it a heart-shaped blue gem encased in a golden necklace slid on the floor until it finally stopped at the hooves of Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, what is this? Is it an accessory for the dress?"

"Well, that is...yeah...it's an accessory for the dress. Now could you please give it back to me?"

Rainbow dash kept the item in her hooves for a while longer, despite the fact that Rarity had her foreleg stretched out, already waiting for her to hoof it over.
There was something about the necklace that just bothered the pegasus. A feeling of seeing such an item before, but with a slight difference.

"Say, Rarity. Didn't you have one of these already?
I think I have seen you wear one of these before."

"Yeah. Ah'm with Rainbow on this one, sugar cube.
Ah could have sworn the gem was red though."

Rarity quickly let the necklace fall in the depths of her bag. The others were quickly catching on the matching necklace in her possession, but they still didn't see the connection between them. It was better for her that way, less embarrassing.
She attempted on changing the subject, stating again the gem was nothing more than an accessory for Twilight's dress, but Fluttershy and the others didn't seem to want let go of the matter.
Finally Pinkie put all the pieces together and exposed the nature of the object.

"Ah! It looks exactly like the necklace you have with Spike's ruby. But this one is blue."

"Ho ho! A matching pair of necklaces, huh, Rarity? Looks like we know the real reason for this flash trip to Canterlot."

On the unicorn's cheeks appeared a soft blush, and the delicate line of her mouth twisted in to an annoyed scribble.

"Hmph! I don't know what you might be thinking the reason for this trip is, besides our visit to a good friend, but I can assure you, you are mistaken."

Again Rarity used her fake indignation to evade the problem. Despite being one of the most sophisticated and cunning mares in Ponyville, Rarity was simply too bad at hiding things regarding her feelings.

"Come on, Rarity. Give us a break. It's obvious you organized this whole trip to give Spike that necklace."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Rainbow."

Trying to make Rainbow's comment like a mere  trifle Rainbow dash turned around and acted as if she were busy folding the dress again and putting it inside her bag.

"Everything makes sense now. The fact that you were so pushy when you invited us, the sudden visit. It was all because you miss him."

"I believed we all agreed on the fact that we missed him."

In Rarity's voice there was something threatening. It was subtle, but very clear for those who paid attention to the unicorn's tone of voice.
Unfortunately Rainbow dash didn't care much for small details.

"Yeah, we sure do miss the little guy, but not in the same way it seems. Who would have thought though. After all those years following you around trying to woo you, all the little dragon had to do to get your attention was leave."

That was the drop that filled the cup. Even Pinkie Pie, who was also kind of blunt with delicate matters, knew that Rainbow Dash had crossed a line there. Fluttershy and Applejack could only stare in silence.

"It seems there's a misunderstanding here and I better clear it up. I do not, and I repeat, I do not see Spike as more than a friend. This present is only as a symbol of our friendship, nothing more or nothing less. If you'd like to imagine some other intention involved, please keep it to yourself."

Rarity's words were like sharp daggers. She was totally in the defensive, ready to deliver any kind of retaliation to whatever comment might follow her own.
At least Rainbow was able to see now that Rarity was not in the mood for tolerating any other joke about her and Spike.
With a troubled expression Rainbow apologized and let the matter rest.

A sudden and rough movement of the train let the ponies inside know that again they would advance towards the castle. One by one the ponies around the car returned to their respective seats and to their conversations.

Rarity and the others were awfully silent though. The game had ended without a winner and Pinkie had returned the cards to their package.
Applejack looked at the ceiling as if entranced by it. Fluttershy put the album back into her bag and looked down at her hooves.
Rainbow and Rarity stared out the window at the passing forests and mountains, without saying a word to each other.

After a a few minutes had passed, Pinkie was the only one that dared to speak again about Rarity's present.

"Rarity..."

"Yes, darling?"

"Spike...Spike doesn't mean anything more than a friend to you, right?"

".....
That's right."

"Then I don't think you should give him that necklace. For Spike that your necklace means a lot. If he gets a present resembling it he might think it conveys the same feelings his does. He might misunderstand too and he might end up getting hurt. Instead give him this, here."

The pink earth pony placed the deck of cards they had been playing with not too long ago before the unicorn.

"I am sure Spike will like this too. And there's no way he'll misunderstand."

Rarity stared at the deck of cards for a few moments, thinking what it'd mean to give such a present to Spike.
It didn't convey any of the feelings the necklace would, but as Pinkie stated, it clearly labeled their relationship as friends. Maybe it'd be good enough. After all it was better than ponies having the wrong impression about them.

"Thank you, Pinkie. I'll give him this."


(*)




The train's speed finally decreased. The tubes and pipes of the machinery whistled tiredly, as if breathing out a long and exhausted sigh after an extensive journey.
The last station of the train, Canterlot Castle was quickly covered by the white steam that escaped the locomotive.
The last five passengers descended in a for them unusual silence. But strangely enough the castle seemed to share their quietness.

Ten, maybe twelve guards were posted at the entrance of the castle, a bit more than usual. All of them looked at the group of friends very respectfully, but under their stoic and severe expressions laid a vague shade of sympathy and sadness that only Rarity seemed to notice.


'Did something happen?'


The group of friend walked in silence towards the entrance. There was a young looking guard waiting for them.

"Ah! You have arrived sooner than expected. I guess our messenger really outdid herself this time. Please follow me, the princesses await you."

Rainbow Dash and the others were confused. They were expecting them? How was that possible?
They had decided today morning to come to Canterlot without telling anypony. Unless Twilight had developed psychic powers, it was impossible for her or the princesses to know they were coming. Besides, what about that messenger?

"Eh, sorry. But what do you mean by 'expecting us'?
We didn't tell anypony we were coming. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"A...surprise?"

Rainbow had finished her sentence with a smile, but the guard replied with a somewhat shocked expression, that confused the group even more.

"Yeah, a surprise. Something wrong about it? Did something happen?"

"I...I'm sorry. Did you receive our message?"

"No, we didn't. As I just told you, we decided this morning to come visit Twilight. We must have crossed paths with your messenger.
Is something going on?" 

Without giving an answer to Rainbow's question the guard just apologized, mentioning that he didn't have the authority to speak about it, but that the princess should be able to clear the situation for them.
Once more he asked them to follow him, to which the mares acceded.

The guard led them directly to the throne room. Many times before had they been in that gigantic hall, every time for a different reason.
They were led inside without being announced, which in itself was very odd. But even more so was the fact that inside the room was not only Twilight, but princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence and Shining armor as well. It was a meeting of all the greater powers in Equestria. Whatever the matter was, it seemed to be quite serious.

"Girls. You are here."

"Hello, Twilight, or should I say your highness?"

Twilight giggled. Rainbow's little joke helped break the oppressing atmosphere that seemed to envelope every single pony in the room.

"You know there's no need to call me that, Rainbow Dash.
Call me Twilight, like always.
...
I am really glad you came girls. There's something I have to tell  you."

"Oh, Twilight! We have missed you too!!!!"

Unable to wait any longer Pinkie Pie jumped at the neck of her friend and embraced her tightly. Although surprised, Twilight naturally returned the hug. What she had to tell them was pushed aside just for a little while longer.

One by one the friends of the purple unicorn began to surround her, each one waiting for their turn to hug and greet her.

"Darn Twilight! Why haven't you written us a single letter? We were afraid you might have forgotten about us now that you're a princess."

"I'm sorry. I always thought I could go visit you any time, but at the end it was impossible."

"Well, the important part is that we are now together. And if it's Ponyville what you're missing we have even brought you some souvenirs!"

One by one the mares showed their presents to the young alicorn. Rainbow Dash's fanfiction, Applejack's cider, Fluttershy's Album and Rarity's dress, all the presents seemed to delight her. But the best was saved for last.

"I'm glad you like the presents, Twilight. But now it's come the time to reveal the true form of the mysterious pastries of Sugar Cube Corner. Prepare your mind to be blown by the tastiest thing ever baked, the 'heaven's lies'!!!!
Beware Twilight, even if  you are an alicorn if you eat this pastries, there's a 95% chance your sense of taste won't be the same afterwards."

"Heaven's lies? What kind of name is that? Also, they will change sense of taste? Are they really that good?"

"They are even better! Would you like a bite?"

Twilight nodded. She hadn't realized how much she missed Pinkie's antics and exaggerations.
PInkie was about to untie the ribbon on the boxes, but then she remembered these were not only for Twilight.

"Ah! Wait! We're still missing somepony. Twilight, could you please call Spike. Mrs Cake made one for him as well."

The pink earth pony looked around the room for the purple dragon, but was unable to find it.
Applejack and the others were also wondering where he might be. It was unusual for Twilight to be meet with the princesses and her brother without him. Usually he stood right next to her in this kind of situations.

"Spike...won't be able to accept it, Pinkie." 

"Eh? Why not? Is he not around? Did he leave for royal business?"

There was once more that subtle shade of sadness that Rarity had noticed in the guard's face.

"What's wrong, Sugar Cube? Did something happen to Spike? A guard did tell us you had sent a messenger for us, but we must have passed him on the way here."

Somehow Rarity was scared. She couldn't tell why, but a cold sensation began to grow inside her chest. 
The sadness in the faces of princesses, Twilight included became more and more obvious with each second they spent in silence.

Spike wasn't there.

Twilight had said nothing yet, but somehow Rarity knew that's what she was about to say.

"Twilight, where is Spike?"

That's the only question Rarity wanted an answer for right now.