//------------------------------//
// Home In Canterlot [Slice of Life, Sad?] 
// Story: Half-Hour Horses 
// by HoofAndQuill 
//------------------------------//



(Prompt: FFAF.  No prompt.)



Rarity was at home.

Not literally, of course.

Applejack chuckled as she sat back against the stone wall of one of the Canterlot Castle ballrooms.  The charity gala seemed to be going on just as planned, thankfully without any big calamities to mess it up.  Even more thankfully, her little speech at the small event honoring her and her family had gone off without a hitch as well, despite the flinching she saw on the noble ponies' faces whenever she slurred a word or dropped a syllable.

Even with Rarity schooling her on speaking proper for the past few weeks, she never quite lost that twang.  Not that she really wanted to, her brother'd give her no end of laughter if she came back sounding more Canterlot than Ponyville.

Rarity was swimming through the crowd like a seapony through water.  Every movement she made was soon copied by other mares around her, every little polite laugh and gentle approval was met with relieved smiles and glowing appreciation.  She'd certainly come a long way since her first step into Canterlot nobility, and her popularity among the landed elite only seemed to have increased in proportion to her skill.  Applejack, in the meantime, sat sipping cider off to the side, doing her best not to get noticed or bothered by a bunch of stuck-up jerks she'd just as soon never meet.

Applejack glanced to the side as some noble pony she vaguely recognized trotted over to sample the foods at the table beside her.  She sipped at her cider, rather hoping he wouldn't bother talking to her.  Something about most of the noble ponies, and the other fancy, wealthy ones that weren't actual nobles, struck her as just too different from Ponyville folk.  They walked around constantly looking down on everypony, when they were sticking their noses up the rears of anypony more important than they were.

"You're from Ponyville, aren't you?  Ah yes, the speaker, Apple... jack?"

Applejack fought back her smug smile and spoke with an overly pronounced drawl.  "Ah reckon Ah'm jus' th' mare yer lookin' fer."

The stallion actually winced and pulled away slightly, as though her accent might be contagious.  Applejack couldn't help but laugh before speaking again, in her normal voice.  "Sorry, sir, just messin' with you is all.  I'm Applejack.  Pleased t' make your acquaintance."

He looked down at her offered hoof, and then shook it after a moment's hesitation.  His hoofshake was unpleasantly weak and limp-ankled.  "Yes, I'm Gold Filigree.  Mister Filigree if you would."

It was an effort not to sneer herself at the sneering tone in his voice, but Applejack managed well enough.  "An' just what's got you talking to me, Mister Filly?"

She got the intended slight offense she wanted, but he stayed around regardless.  "I believe you know that mare over there?  Miss Rarity, I am told."

Applejack glanced over toward Rarity.  Rarity happened to glance toward her at the same moment, and spared the slightest little wink.  She couldn't afford to actually be noticed noticing the little farm bumpkin earth pony sitting alone on the side of the room, but she wouldn't dream of letting Applejack think she'd forgotten her in all the fancy partying.  At least that's what Applejack hoped she was thinking.

"Yeah, I know 'er.  She's a fashion designer an' seamstress down in Ponyville.  Real fancy type."

The stallion straightened up a bit, plainly glad he hadn't braved her accent for nothing.  "I mean to court her this evening, perhaps for longer.  Certainly in a small town such as... Ponyville..."  He spat the word with contempt.  "... everypony knows everypony else.  Tell me, what could I do to win her favor?  I could make the information worth your while."

Applejack hesitated a moment.  She sorely wished she had a sprig of wheat to chew on while she thought, but no luck.  It might be considered a mite dishonest to point this stallion towards somepony she knew full well he couldn't win, but at the same time, he wasn't really someone she favored anyway.  "S'pose she likes th' real generous an' genuine types.   Just let her know her friend Applejack sent you her way."

Gold Filigree tossed her a small sack of bits, and then turned without another word.  The stallion wandered through the crowd, and after a few failed attempts that brought him frustration that Applejack felt a bit guiltily pleased by, he managed to catch Rarity's attention.  They spoke a few moments, and Rarity glanced over at Applejack again, with the fakest looking smile she'd worn all night.  Applejack chuckled and waved her hoof at Rarity, only to get a very noncommittal wave back.

Rarity spoke and danced among the nobles, perfectly in tune with all their haughty ways without partaking herself.  She smiled with genuine gratitude at the wait staff, and she laughed with measured control with all the wealthy ponies and their insufferable jokes.  Applejack waved down one of the wait staff and passed the bag of bits to her, telling her to split it with the others as a tip.  She knew the nobleponies wouldn't do it.

Applejack watched Rarity closely as she moved through the crowd and worked the nobles carefully in her hooves.  Even Applejack noticed just how perfectly she timed her donation to the charity, and just how she worked the other ponies into goading one another to donate more and more, turning what could have been just simple charity into a status symbol.  The manipulative feeling grated on Applejack's nerves, but the result was a dozen times more money than would have been thrown in otherwise.

Rarity was at home alright, and it was a home Applejack couldn't share.

Applejack noticed a few unicorns supplying the cooks with more produce, and saw the dirt on their hooves and the leaves in their manes.  A place like this must have an attached garden to keep all the fruits and vegetables coming in as fresh as you could want.  The ponies sighed as they trotted their way back outside.

She should probably stay.  Twilight had arranged for this little ceremony recognizing her, and it was possible she could wrangle more money out of these rich folks if she tried.  But it wasn't what she was good at, and she'd never really fit in here, with these fancy Canterlot ponies.  She cast one more glance toward Rarity, but then shook her head and trotted out after the worker ponies, to go back to the world she knew.