The night of the performance. Spotlights all around the venue. Twisting, turning and dancing fireworks of the Blastcolts Fireworks & Explosives Co. Mediaponies huddling and pushing one another just to get a shot of picture and interview of each and every celebrities and big-time big-names of Equestria. Dresses and suits at it's best, gowns lusters beauty and coat suits brings out the stallion from within. Luxurous carriages pulled over the red carpets on the three entrances of the Canterlot Open Field Dome.
Inside of one of the carriages, Rarity, dressed in her most fabulous gown for such occasion, is trying to calm herself from all the excitement. She never felt so fabulous in her life. Every minute she thinks of anypony who might be there, the exhilirating feeling seems to steal her words, speechless even of just saying a single name and would just squeal in joy. As for Runeplate, in a simple getup of pitch black suit with white, thin stripes; a wide, black baron hat, with a small hole in the middle to give way for the horn; additionally, his garnet Rune Gaia on the collar, crafted and embedded by Rarity.
Sitting up straight like a noble pony he is, Runeplate gaze upon the light filled towers and dome, and the twitching camera flashes on the road. "Rarity. I know you're excited but mind the noble's etiquettes. You don't do that even if you've been friends with anypony you know; even the two princesses, Ms. Fleur nor Fancypants."
"Yes... Yes, I know that. I just can't handle all the excitement I'm feeling right now. Don't worry about me, I can be lady-like without making such a fuss. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll let all my excitement out so you won't feel... embarrassed." she squeed right after. "I feel so sweet and elite! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I'll meet Mr. Fancypants again!!!" hooves folded and shaking, giggling in so much glee.
Their carriage stops, as the valet opens, the loud cheers and calls from the people outside the red carpet's barricade wail throughout the place. They trot out like celebrities, standing still for a while, waving to the cheering crowd. A reporter had butt-in over their path to the dome "Oh! Oh! Mr. Plate! Can we have a word with you? For your ever following newspaper, the Big Greenapple Times." he smirks at Rarity as if he has something in mind.
"Sure... I'm just treating this lady pony I met in Ponyville. Come, Rarity, be in the cover of my favorite paper in the morning." She's just staring at the camera, not even posing because of stiffed legs caused by the tense feeling.
"Y-Yes... OK. What do I do now?"
"Just stand closer with Mr. Plate and smile with him. There... Nice and easy." He sets up the camera "OK, you lovely couple, smile in three, two--"
Another pony barged in and tipping the cameraman, "Mr. Plate...! From For Mares' View Magazine, I've been following you since the day you got popular, and I can guess what you two are, like the other celebrity mares, and here's my question: How long have you been dating?!"
Rarity gasped from the absurd question. In a quick thought, she would never date such a betraying stallion like him. She tried to walk to the interviewer and give him a scold to deny the query but Runeplate stretched his forehoof and talks to the news colt "We're not actually dating. We're just best friends catching up some old time."
"Yeah... suuuure." giving him a wink and a creepy grin like he meant something. He tips his hat, grabs his pen and writes down on his pad. "Alright then. I'll cook this up in the press right away for you, Mr. Plate." and he galloped away leaving the two being called by other ponies of the press.
"The press... What can you do...?" smirked by Runeplate followed by Rarity's smile. "You'll get used to it, even just for tonight."
Finally inside after few more barge-in of the media, they're finally inside the VIP area up above the dome. Over the bowl-shaped balcony, three hundred feet from ground level in the middle of the dome; the whole venue can be spectated by the VIPs. 360-degrees in bird's eye view. Only the steel beam supports, and glass panes per frame of it are what keeping them above all the ponies inside All below are looking up to them like gods have visited Canterlot for the musical performance. Popular columnists of the newspapers and magazines; actors and actresses of blockbuster movie; even political personalities are inside. Rarity can't hold the breathtaking feeling, giggling uncontrollably with a hardly suppressed grin from ear to ear. "Rarity..." nudged by Runeplate's elbow. Seeing his serious glare, she remembers what they talked about in the carriage. She coughed to calm herself, and pose a lady-like gesture. Chin up, trot straight and no attention-calling emotions. Calm... just be calm... says to herself. As they walk together, few eyes gaze upon them like they're the love birds of the century. She can almost hear their murmurs.
What a couple! Has Mr. Plate really finally found his love?
Is that Miss Rarity from Ponyville? Oh my, she is Miss Rarity, and he's dating Mr. Runeplate.
I can't believe it, the gem elitist and the youngest fashionista in the same room and seemingly dating? Such an unlikely pair!
I think they're a better couple than that upcoming royal wedding between the Princess Celestia's niece and the Royal Guard Captain.
She can feel the attentions towards them, it's like the last time where she was suppose to make Twilight's best birthday dress, but it's different now. No responsibility on hold, no promise can be broken, there is nothing to do but socialize.
Then, greetings from few fashion designers call her name. Hoity Toity was the first to welcome her.
"Hello, Miss Rarity! I see you still keep your fashion in order. You still amuse my picky eyes you know. Now, if I may propose right away, join my crew of fashion. Let's create designs that would jawdrop the apples out of the audience and other teams." a silent fancy chuckles came out.
"Oh, Toity, you're such a charmer." walking from behind, a mare glares at him. Dressed with her signature footwear of fairly sharp heels, walks past Toity and bowed down to greet Rarity. "Well, Miss Rarity. It is nice to see you in person. I've been dying to meet you face-to-face, you know."
"M-Misis Stiletto?! Well, I-uhm..." her presence stole the words from his mouth.
"Well, I'm honored to meet one of my inspirations to my works. Your concept on the sharp-pointed heels give me the idea to balance the number of embedded gems and its host dress, as how you make your models balance themselves over those heels while walking in a thin glass runway." she pulled Runeplate to her side. "Look at my design for this stallion. See the darkness of his suit? Too dark isn't it? but the white stripes gave way to lighten up his stature. It shows his stallion-ness just as he is. I even embedded is birthstone on his collar to give way for his strong identity."
"I can see that, Miss Rarity. I'm no expert in suits but I find your date alluring, and now more alluring with his outfit. Only if I'm not old and married. Ohohoh..."
"Heh... You really know how to look on a stallion, Mrs. Stiletto." followed by another creepy giggle from the old mare.
Not far from their back, several flashes of light caught their attention "Vell, Miss Rarity... Vee have meet again." Over-sized purple shades, white groomed mane, dress of purple and magenta, and a rather different accent from other ponies. Photo Finish and her crew blinds the crowd with their high-powered cameras, as if the sun itself shines on every click.
"Ms. Finish, mind your cameramen." scolded by Stiletto. A raised of a hoof from Photo Finish stopped the flashes.
"Zhere... Anyvay... Miss Rarity, I see you're dating Mr. Runeplate." then she closes her head to her, put her hoof on her shoulder and mumbled an unexpected question from her "Vat is your secret? Of all ze fillies and mares, he chose you to bring here."
"Well, Ms. Finish, there's really nothing between us. I had a grudge on him and he wants me to forgive him from his past mistakes. It was unforgivable, I tell you... but I'm giving him a chance."
"Really... And I thought he's about to marry a filly. Such a shame you don't vant him. Vell, I do..." giggled from what she said "Zon't tell him, OK?" she walks few steps away and summons her cameramen in a position for a focused picture-taking. "Miss Rarity, Mister Runeplate, mind if I take a picture of us together?"
"Of course, Photo Finish."
"So many mares really... uhm... like you." whispered but Rarity while gesturing on every pose-call of camera-enthusiastic mare.
"Money and charm. That's all."
Several flashes are fired, one last shot was from a polaroid camera.
She's glad she meets few people she wanted to see, but that's not all of them. Little by little, more nobles populate the crowd between Rarity. She feels can't handle them all; all the questions and talks from different ponies. She's drowning from the attention. She can't answer all of them, neither can't talk to just one pony, the pressure of the attention is getting heavy that she may explode and break the calmness of herself, flail away from all the excitement... What can she do right now?
Saved by the bell, or rather by the announcer:
"Greetings, ladies and gentlecolts, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! Thanks for all your patience and presence to the annual performance of Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. Let us not wait any longer! Lead by our own Coltgang Appledeus, lead composer and the conductor for tonight's show... Let's give our hooves for the CANTERLOT. SYMPHONY. ORCHESTRA!!!"
The conductor taps his board, sign to ready themselves. His baton starts to wave around with tempos as the instruments follow the leading hands.
"Rarity, have a good time here. I must go for now." he left her in the crowd.
"What? Where are--" a noble interrupted her inviting her to a tea party tomorrow. Followed by an invitation to a gallery exhibit, but she ignored them and chased Runeplate to the doorway. "Excuse me, I need to talk to him."
"There. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll see if I can have a small access to the Library of Runes in the castle. Enjoy the show while I'm gone."
"You're leaving? Where are you going?"
"I told you, at the Library of Runes. See you in four hours."
"You'll gonna leave me here?"
"Don't you like your type of heaven?"
"Yes, but, why leaving so suddenly?"
"I'm not... ugh..." putting his hoof between his eyes, "Look. I'll be doing something in the library. Nothing's gonna go wrong or whatever that you might think of. I'm just visiting my ancestors' archives. Additionally, it should be a surprise to you but, I'm gonna teach you some advance magic that suits your potential."
Dumbfounded of what he said "Teach me magic? Well, I--" she paused for a moment, recollecting that seemingly familar feeling in her. She pulled his head closer and whispered "What are you up to this time?!"
"Rarity?" a familiar mare's voice echoed through her memories. She turned her head and pushed Runeplate's away. A rather slender mare greet her with her very presence. She squeed in glee.
"FLEUR DE LIS!" giving her a hug and a light kiss on each cheek. "How are you? Where's Mr. Fancypants?"
"I'm fine, dear, and he's right here. Oh, and hello, Rune." giving him an alluring gaze, she slitherly trots behind Fancypants' neck and snuggles it. Fleur invited them to their reserved seat, table served with lavish delicacies only given to royalties and nobles.
"Rarity, my little fashionista from Ponyville." his voice stopped her heart for a while. Her eyes sparkled and grin stretched from glee, her friend of royalty stands before her. They sat down and had few reminiscence.
"I would never forget how you saved me last time. I really feel I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. Royalty or friends, it's really hard."
"Of course, even if you are from a non-noble place, such talent should not be clouded with arrogant judgements. I should know, many noble are like that. I'm really proud of how you showed them that you can set aside your status quo when it comes to your friends." pausing for a sip of his tea "I say my Rarity, I would like to get to know your very energetic pony."
"Rainbow Dash?"
"No, the pink one."
"Pinkie Pie? Oh yes, she really is energetic. She never runs out of sugar in her system." followed by small laughs from both of them.
Not long while enjoying their small conversation, "Hello, Fancy." Runeplate greets with arrogantly smile.
"Greetings, Rune..." a rather small grin given in return and quickly turned his head back to Rarity as if he didn't want to talk to him.
"Come on, don't be mean. It's a bet, remember? You just played the game I'm really good at. Yes I almost gave you an injury but hey, we had fun, right?"
"Well, the bet is not the reason I am still mad at you. You almost killed me after your Rune Golem decimated my Slendermane. You seemed to try to maim me, too, my friend."
"I told you, I was really sorry. I got too excited."
"Slendermane? You can call that haunting spirit?"
"Actually my dear, Slendie is really not a 'haunting' spirit. He's a very kind entity, contrary to his dark and scary posture, and he's my family's butler. He really makes a good tea, I must add. All those sightings of a dark spirit you read on newspapers are probably lost souls, much like Slendie perhaps."
"He's also the best massager we know. His tentacle mane really does the job well done, espcially on the hind legs." Fleur added.
Runeplate feels this is his cue, he stands without looking at anypony, "Rarity, have a good time with my friend."
"You really are leaving me here."
"I will comeback. Don't worry, you got Fancy here if things may go wrong." finally had the chance to walk away before Rarity could stop him.
Fancypants reached for Rarity's hoof to comfort her. "Don't mind him, dear. He always visit the library whenever he's in Canterlot."
"Oh... Why didn't he say so."
"He's always strange in some point. Even I, a long time friend, still don't understand him. If he never comes back, you got my place, or even Princess Celestia's, to stay in." but it is not leaving her alone what she's worried about.
His carriage stops at the front of the castle's library, two storeys below the throne room. Reaching the library's doorway, he's halted by two guards by crossing their halberds, he showed his family's heraldic badge. They quickly recognized it and opened up the path before him.
Inside the library, he finds the head librarian, up this late, reading. Without any introduction other than a loud opening to the door, he talked as if he's commanding the mare. "Open the pathway. I need to practice few new rune spells."
Suddenly, she closed the book, looked at him with a serious glare "You almost had Luna caught us with that earthquake last time, if I hadn't used my hallucinating powders, we'll be in jail. The Avarice Mine is forbidden for anyone since then."
"Yeah, good call on those Moleworm illus--." a slam on the desk cuts Runeplate's sentence.
"Do you even know what you were doing back there?! I saved your plot from the Princesses' guards and what? Leave me here?! I'm not a unicorn who can just teleport away." but he has nothing to say... for now.
Slowly stepping in the counter, approaching the librarian. "Last time I visited here, you were reading something... explicit. Didn't know such a quiet and witty mare reads a book about restraints and ropes." suddenly he pushes her to the shelves and hold her hooves to her back. "You don't want them to catch you here tied and drowned of your own sweat, do you?" her breathing picked up its pace, feeling tense in their position, her heart doubled its beat, beads of sweat drip from her forehead, her vision blurs. She suppose not to feel good, but her body seems to enjoy the restraining pleasure.
She would give in to the sensation but her mind keeps her from submitting. "Alright! Fine! I'll open it. Just... stop!" he then let go of her hooves, gave her space to breath. Chasing air, she regain vision and consciousness of herself.
"I know you will." Runeplate walks away heading to a trapdoor behind the counter.
Inside the room, the librarian hold a jar on her mouth, carefully pouring it on the engraved letters surrounding the trapdoor. "When they locked this trapdoor, they enchanted the whole room and the pathway in a lockdown. I tried once to unlock it, but the encryption is too strong. The locker's algorithm in the spell has almost surpass my hacking alchemy. Even you may not be able to open this." She takes out a pouch and pour the dust on her hoof, blowing it unto the trapdoor. The dust swirled and curled in the air, drawing hidden ancient letters written from the trapdoor's frame. "I'm sort of disappointed he didn't encrypted the first set of the pattern well enough. Unlock this, I can unlock all of them with ease."
She started to whisper unknown words, making the patterns move, rearranging to the chant of her voice. She took another pouch and waved it on the dusty air. The enchanting mare took a deep breath, stretched her forehooves in half-circle and shouted "Unlock!". All of the dust, including the powder in the engravings, swirl upward like a gust, slowly coming together, it imploded into nothing but star-like glitters. The trapdoor opens itself, leading to a very dark pathway.
"Impressive." Suddenly trotting away from the librarian, "Keep this away from anypony. I'm bringing in a friend to practice with."
"What? You could've just brought that pony here and make me do the lockpicking."
"And let her see more of my secrets? No."
He's already gone when she chased him outside, as if he was never there. She only saw the carriage galloping back to the dome.
***