“My Equestrian brothers and sisters, I cannot thank you enough for your generosity.”
The voice was deep, formal, and full of authority. It was the sort of voice that naturally made her timid, the sort of voice that would command attention—especially among a gathering of the elite. Indeed, it was doing that job quite well; the ponies all around her stared with rapt attention at the speaker.
Fluttershy, however, needed to find Rarity.
“In my homeland, it is rare for so many to be so hospitable, for there to be such great bounty in both food and friendship.”
She slipped between the wide dresses of two mares, muttering a slight apology. No, Rarity wasn’t here, either—at least, not as far as she could tell. It was so dark, she could barely see! Oh, why did they have to turn out the lights for this?
“It is the tradition of my people, when given gifts, to reciprocate in full.”
“Um, excuse me, have you seen my friend Rarity?” Fluttershy recoiled as the top-hatted stallion turned away in a huff. She turned to another mare. “Sorry, this probably isn’t the best time, but—”
“You have shared your culture with us, now allow us to do the same. We will start, as all things do, at the beginning.”
She backed away from the mare’s annoyed look, wincing slightly. This wasn’t working. This wasn’t working at all! Maybe if she just—
Her thoughts ground to a halt as she backed right into somepony. She spun around, another apology ready on her lips, but then she got a look at the stallion in question.
He wore a burgundy tailcoat and red puff tie. His maroon mane was pulled back into a small tail, save the two swept bangs framing his horn. His amber eyes looked down at her in annoyance, and with a flicker of recognition.
Fluttershy recognized him too. “Ah! You’re—”
“Miss… Buttersky, was it?” He brushed his coat with the back of his hoof. “You need to watch where you’re going.”
“Oh, um, sorry.” She shook her head. “No, wait! Please, you have to help me! I’m trying to find my friend Rarity, and I don’t know where she is!”
He chuckled. “This sounds distinctly like something that is not my problem.”
“This first piece is one as old as the Republic itself. It is one of our finest and most sacred treasures.”
“Please! Can you just tell me if you’ve seen her anywhere?”
“I believe your friend made it clear that she never wanted to see me again. I share her sentiment.” He pointed his hoof. “Now, if you’ll please step aside, I’m trying to watch.”
“Behold!”
A bright light snapped on overhead, and a collective gasp rippled through the crowd, breaking into the sound of mesmerized murmuring. Fluttershy turned, her gaze falling on the pedestal in the center of the room, and the treasure nested there.
It was a gorgeous gem—a ruby, huge and shining. Its surface glistened with moisture, rivulets of red-tinged water dripping down its cracked and channeled surface until they soaked into the silk beneath it.
“This, my ladies and gents, is the Bleeding Heart. It is the heart of a great frost wyrm, taken by one of our nation’s founders in hallowed antiquity. I encourage all of you to get close so you may feel its natural coldness. But first, the story behind—”
There was a crack, a shower of sparks. The ponies around her yelped as the lights suddenly died. Fluttershy ducked on reflex, shimmying out of the way as a stallion nearly tripped over her. The crowd surged back, away from the Heart, and as the mass of ponies parted, she saw why.
A figure had appeared on the pedestal, and it held the Bleeding Heart above its head for all to see. Looks of shock and confusion spread across the assembled ponies. All those save Fluttershy, who recognized the figure immediately.
A purple suit. A flowing blue cape. A wide-brim hat, above a featureless mask.
“M-Mare Do Well?!”