“Permanent Vacation”
Sweet and Elite or City Life Ain’t For Everyone
Okay, maybe introducing Luna to Bloodborne was a bad idea. Not even ten minutes into it and she started screaming at it, throwing Equestrian insults left and right at it. It took a great deal to calm her down after that. However, she did get addicted to it as I had planned, saying she now considers it a personal challenge to beat it. Even then, I still had a restful night. After all, it was only just a dream.
With my packed bag, guitar, and Sonja in tow, I make my way to the train station the next morning. Nearing it, I see the train and everyone else already there with their bags. I shake my head at the amount of bags Rarity has. “Geez, you taking the entire Boutique with you?”
Rarity laughs. “Of course not, only the essentials needed for a lady such as I. And I can’t forget my darling little Opal.”
I raise an eyebrow at the porter still loading her bags on. “And how many bags would that entitle?”
“Twenty. I counted,” Lyra says.
“Who needs twenty bags?” Vinyl says, her eyebrows raised.
“Why, a beautiful lady such as Rarity, Vinyl,” Spike says.
“Suck up.”
“Why thank you, Spike.”
“Suck up,” Mac mumbles, just loud enough for only me to hear. Good to see I’m not the only one who catches this stuff.
I jerk my head towards one of the train cars. “Come on, let’s get settled in for the trip and discuss our game plan.” Filing in, I notice that the interior is very similar to a dining car with its booths with tables instead of the usual rows of seats. Other ponies already have taken some of the booths in the car, but we do find one at the very back corner for all of us to sit down at. Surprisingly, we all can fit into one booth. On my side is Vinyl and Lyra, both to my right since I took the aisle seat so Sonja could sit at my feet. On the other side, Rarity took the aisle seat with Spike and Mac to her left.
“All aboard!” The conductor yells out just as the porter comes in, panting for breath. He promptly falls into a heap at one of the empty booths.
“Dear God, Rarity, you almost killed that poor stallion.”
Rarity rolls her hand. “I’m sure a strong stallion such as himself will be fine.”
“Water…Water…” The porter rasps out as the train lurches forward.
“…Probably.”
Lyra slaps my shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it. He took this job knowing full well the risks involved.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Eh, point taken. Now, onto business. Vinyl,” She glances up from her iApple, “What’s the plan since you’re the one they contacted?”
“Eh, the usual for this kind of stuff. You get interviewed, short commercial break, then you’re outside playing for the crowd. Short, sweet, and simple, but just enough screen time for the world to see you.”
Spike leans forward in his seat. “So, what song we doing?”
Mac drums his fingers on the table while looking out the window. “Hmm, being that this is city folk, country might not be the best thing.”
I rub my chin. “I have a few ideas, but I want to see what kind of crowd we’re playing for first. Sound good?”
Spike nods his head. “As long as I can play it, I’m good.” General agreement from everyone else follows.
Rarity clears her throat. “Ah, yes. I didn’t forget about our accommodations, Rarity.”
“I didn’t doubt you, dear. But I would like to know where we are staying.”
I smirk. “That, you shall find out when we arrive in Canterlot.”
Rarity sighs. “Very well then.”
I chuckle. “All I can say is that we have a very important guest meeting us at the station to join us and to take our bags to our lodging.” Before Rarity can ask, I shake my head. “And no, I’m not saying their name.”
“How big of a crowd are we expecting today?” Lyra asks.
I shrug my shoulders. “Can’t say. Vinyl, you got any idea?”
“Beats me. Just be happy you’re important enough to be interviewed on national TV.”
“Eeyup.”
The rest of the trip is general small talk between everyone. It doesn’t take very long to reach Canterlot and pull into the train station. I look outside to see a small crowd gathered around two carriages. The rest of the passengers in our car notice this as well, staring out the windows. I snicker. “Wonder why the royal carriages are here?”
Rarity’s eyes light up as she eyes every other passenger. “Do you think so famous celebrity or dignitary is on the train?!”
“Who cares? We got a show to get to!” Vinyl starts shoving me out of my seat. “Come on, come on, move it!”
“Alright, geez!” I get out into the aisle and start to leave, Sonja practically clinging to my leg. She was always like that when around large crowds. Stepping out onto the platform, I immediately make my way towards the carriages.
“Um, Blake, I don’t believe those are for us.” Rarity calls out from behind me.
I glance over my shoulder to see everyone standing there. “Nonsense, Rarity! You didn’t think I came up here without a plan, did you?”
Her eyes widen. “You didn’t.”
Forcing my way through the crowd, I near the carriage when my path is blocked by two royal guards holding spears. “Halt, citizen!”
I cup my hands around my mouth and yell, “Luna! Your entourage has arrived!”
One of the carriage doors swings open. Luna climbs out from inside it as the crowd starts bowing respectfully and shutting their traps. Luna waves her hand towards me. “Let him through.”
I smirk, knowing that all eyes are on me, as the guards step off to the side. Walking towards Luna, I hold my fist out. “What’s going on, my princess?!”
She returns the fist bump. “Waiting for you to show up, my loyal subject!” It’s cool if Luna calls me her subject, unlike Celestia. She bends down and pets Sonja. “And who is this?”
“Ah, that’s right. This is Sonja, my dog.”
“What a wonderful companion to have! Tis been a long time since I had a pet.”
“So,” I jerk my head towards the carriages, “We all set then?”
Luna stands back up, nodding her head. “Of course. We just need your bags, and I would like to meet your band properly before we go.”
I turn around to face the crowd. “Rejects, Rarity, front and center!” The crowd parts slightly, making a path to the carriages.
Rarity slowly makes her way forward. “Blake, did you—”
“Pulls some strings with Luna and get us rooms at the castle? Yes, yes I did.”
Rarity wraps her arms around me. “Oh, thank you ever so much!” Luna giggles, “And to you as well, Princess!”
“Please, Rarity, Luna is fine. Your carriage is on the left. My sister will meet you at the castle and guide you to your room. As soon as your luggage is on, you’ll be on your way.”
“Dear Celestia, not again!” The porter yells.
Rarity blushes and looks away. “About that, Luna…”
Luna smiles and rolls her eyes. “Allow me to take care of that.” With a glow of her horn, all of Rarity’s luggage flies off the train platform and stacks itself perfectly on the carriage.
“Sweet merciful Luna, thank you!”
“You are quite welcome, thine subject!”
“I’m grateful for your hospitality, Luna, but I must be off. Toodles!” Rarity climbs into the carriage. As soon as the door shuts, the guards pulling it take off down the street at a leisurely pace.
I notice our luggage as well fly from the platform onto the other carriage. “Luna, you already met Spike and Vinyl. This here is Lyra and Big Macintosh, or Mac for short.” I point to each person respectively.
“Spike, Vinyl, wonderful to see you again.”
“Likewise, Luna. Say, did you ever get Celestia to lighten up?” Vinyl asks.
Luna smiles. “Only slightly since my return. Give it time, however, and she’ll be back to herself in no time.” Vinyl chuckles and shakes her head as her and Spike climb into the carriage.
Mac clears his throat. “Pleasure ta meet you, Princess Luna.”
“Sup.” Mac slaps Lyra on the back of her head. “What?!”
“Show some respect.”
Luna and I chuckle. “Tis quite alright, Mac and Lyra. Please, climb inside. We’ll have plenty of time to chat during our ride to the studio.” They both climb inside. Once they are in, Luna whispers in my ear, “It would seem you have some competition for my eye.”
I shudder. “Luna, you can have him all to yourself.”
She laughs and slaps me on the back, causing me to stumble forward slightly. “Now where’s the fun in that?!”
“What have you gotten yourself into? Honestly, I turn around for ten minutes and you’re stealing the hearts of mares around you. I’m so proud of you!”
I shake my head and smirk. “As you say, Luna. Could we hurry this up though, we got a schedule to keep!”
“Well,” Luna motions to the carriage, “I’m ready when you are.”
Climbing inside, I sit down right by the carriage door with Mac and Spike to my right. Luna climbs in right after, sitting down across from me with Vinyl and Lyra to her left as Sonja lies down between us. I reach out and slam the door shut. The carriage lurches shortly after, marking the beginning of our journey to our television debut in Equestria.
“We’re back in thirty!” A stagehand yells out. I glance again out the large bay windows off to the left at the crowd waiting for us. Ponies of every age, race, and gender fill the plaza around the stage. Yeah, we arrived on time for the interview. As soon as we arrived, our carriage was surrounded by screaming fans. Upon seeing Luna with us, the crowd got even more hectic, presumably from the fact that a Princess was with us. Hell, Luna had to conjure a shield just to protect us from everyone. Once we were safely inside the building, we were ushered into a dressing room to relax for a bit. Once there, we went over what songs we were gonna be playing for the crowd. After that was another whirlwind of makeup for the cameras, much to Mac’s annoyance.
Now, the four of us sit on a red couch (Can’t forget about the twelve or so cameras facing us too) facing the interviewer, a grey coated, silver haired unicorn stallion named Early Riser, on a chair where he is being addressed to by his own makeup team. Vinyl, Luna, and Sonja are off to the side behind the cameras, watching us.
“Ten seconds!” With that, the makeup team packs up and makes their way off camera. “We’re live in five, four, three, two, one,” The stage director points at Riser.
Riser sits up straight and smiles directly at the camera with a red light above it. “They’ve taken the music world by storm. Here to talk with us today, all the way from the rural town of Ponyville, is The All-Equestrian Rejects.” He turns to us. “Thanks for being on the show today.”
It was previously decided that I would handle most of the talking, unless otherwise directed. “Thanks for having us.”
“Now, for those that don’t know of you, why don’t you introduce yourselves?”
Mac nods his head. “Big Mac.”
Lyra smirks and leans back into the couch. “Lyra Heartstrings."
“Spike the dragon.”
I mock salute the camera. “Blake Quinter.”
“How did you all meet? We’re you just friends looking for something to do in your spare time, or what exactly?”
I pat Spike’s shoulder. “All thanks to this guy right here.”
“Yeah, I wanted to start a band just for fun, so I grabbed Mac and Lyra. Since we still needed a singer, I grabbed Blake too. Put him in charge, along with our manager Vinyl Scratch now.”
Riser raises an eyebrow. “Really? Why do that? Usually the pony forming the band is in charge of it.”
Lyra rolls her eyes. “Pfft, who says that? Blake had brilliant ideas for us, so we put him in charge. Simple.” Well, the whole I handle most of the talking plan just got flushed down the drain.
Spike nods his head. “What she said. My plan was to just do cover songs. Blake had all these ideas for almost everything to make us better.”
I smirk. “Is it me or is my ego inflating here?” We all laugh.
“So they put you in charge, Blake. The question everyone wants to know, me, your fans, everyone at home,” Riser leans forward, “Is why the name All-Equestrian Rejects?”
I chuckle. “Seriously? Take a look at us! You got the strong, silent type stallion, the lesbian, the dragon, and the alien! We don’t exactly fit into the normal bounds of society around here, hence the rejects.”
Lyra looks at me. “Lesbian?”
“Hmm? Oh, right, cultural differences. The term here would be… What’s it called, filly-fooler?”Lyra nods her head.
Riser leans back in his chair. “Interesting. Lyra, care to comment on this?”
Lyra waves her hand. “Nah, I’m good.”
“Really? Some ponies out there don’t believe in this sort of relationship. Any thoughts on if this could negatively impact you at all?”
“Look, ponies shouldn’t be judged on being happy. If’n two mares or two stallions love each other in that way, then let them be. They ain’t hurting you by being happy. Everypony has a right to happiness, and nopony should be able to take that away from them. And if ponies out there don’t like us supporting them, then too bad.” Wow, didn’t know Mac could speak with such conviction about a subject like this.
Riser nods his head. “Strong words indeed. Well, I wish you the best of luck in your relationship, Lyra.” Lyra just nods her head. “Let’s talk about your latest album, On The Rocks. What was the inspiration for it?”
I shrug my shoulders. “At first, it was just a way of saying that this album is about rock music. But after some… Events regarding my life, I feel that the true message is for those that walk a thin line, constantly rocking back and forth between right and wrong, good and evil. I’ve walked that line, and probably still am, but it’s what side do I fall on in the end that defines me, or all of us for that matter.”
“While we’re on the subject of albums, what about your first one, Eyes on Us? Care to tell us about that?”
Spike waves his hand. “This is simple, actually. We’re just starting out, so of course everypony is gonna be watching us and judging our every action from then on. Why not let everypony know that we know this?”
“Interesting, interesting. Any long term plans in the end?”
“Eenope.”
Lyra shrugs her shoulders. “Eh, what happens, happens.”
“Not that I know of.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Can’t say for sure, really. We aren’t in it for the money or fame. We just want to make music and spread it around Equestria. If along the way we help some people through tough times, then hey, good for us.”
“We’re almost out of time here, but before we go outside for your performance, anything you want to say to those watching?”
I see everybody looking at me. “What?”
“You usually have something inspiring to say to ponies,” Mac says.
I raise an eyebrow. “Really? I didn’t think I was that good of a motivational speaker, let alone one.” Mac, Spike, and Lyra chuckle at this. “Alright, let’s see here… Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”
“And that’s all the time we have. After the commercial break, we’re going to hear a song from The All Equestian-Rejects, including a new song just for us here. Stay tuned for this, and more, after the break.”
“And we’re clear!” With this announcement from the stage director, the place erupts into a frenzy of activity.
The four of us stand up and make our way over to Vinyl, Luna, and Sonja. Vinyl gives us a thumbs up. “Great job guys, but you ain’t done yet. Grab your gear and head outside. You still got a show to do.”
I jerk my head backstage. “Come on, guys. Let’s rock this plaza.”
After a quick stop backstage for everyone to rest a little bit, those of us that can carry our gear grab it and make our way outside to the stage in the plaza. Unlike during our arrival, our path to the stage is clear of screaming fans thanks to a length of waist high metal fencing surrounding the stage. As we walk the path, we high five some fans, sign merchandise for others. Once actually on the stage, we take our positions and do a quick tune up of our instruments.
As soon as Early Riser comes up on stage with us, the crowd somewhat quiets down. He winks at us, a sign that the cameras are probably rolling. I wave to a couple of fans just for good measure. “What song are you going to play for everyone today?”
I grab the microphone. “Well, the first song we ever recorded, Move Along.”
“Can’t wait to hear it again. Mares and gentlecolts, The All-Equestrian Rejects!” The crowd roars in approval as Riser makes his way offstage. After that performance, and the commercial break where we tuned our instruments again, Riser makes his way back onstage. “We’re back once again with The All-Equestrian Rejects. I’ve been told you have a special song to perform for us today?”
I laugh. “Of course. We gotta do something special for everyone that came out today to see us! Isn’t that right, people?!” The crowd screams back in approval.
“What’s this song about then?”
I smirk. “It’s about taking that special someone out on the dance floor and just losing yourself to the music.”
Riser claps his hands. “Once again, The All-Equestrian Rejects!” Once he’s offstage, we jump into the song, Shut Up and Dance.
Once the song ends, I yell into the mic, “Thank you all! You’ve been a great audience!” We walk offstage, to the screaming and cheering of our fans, back into the studio to our dressing room. As soon as we enter, I turn around and hold my hand up. “Gimme five, people! We rocked this place!”
“Yeah we did!” Spike high fives me, followed by everyone else.
“Great work today, guys. You really knocked them dead out there,” Vinyl says.
Sonja barks, rushing up to me. I pet her as she playfully bounces around. “Yes, and your popularity is sure to increase with a princess supporting you.”
Vinyl shakes her head and laughs. “Damn, this is turning out to be way better than I thought! An actual princess supporting us. Do you realize how much prestige this is going to bring us?!”
“Enough to have us live like royalty!” Lyra says.
I chuckle. “So, anybody feel like celebrating?”
Mac shakes his head. “Sorry, gotta get back ta work on the farm.”
Spike rolls his eyes. “I would, but Twilight needs help around the library again.”
Lyra waves her hand. “I’m going back to Bon-Bon so we can have our own private party!”
I shrug my shoulders. “Eh, worth a shot. I guess this is where we part ways since I’m spending a couple of days up here.”
Vinyl nods her head. “Yeah, after this, I’m heading over to Tavi’s place. As for your stuff, it’s being loaded onto the carriages as we speak.”
“Well then, let’s head outside and greet our fans one last time then.”
Going back outside to our waiting carriages, I notice that another is already waiting for Mac, Lyra, and Spike. Of course the fans were still waiting for us, so Luna had to conjure up another shield so we could walk in peace. Once at the carriages, Luna holds her hand out. “A pleasure meeting you, Mac and Lyra.”
Mac shakes her hand. “Likewise, Luna.” He then climbs into the carriage on the right.
Lyra shakes her hand as well. “Come down to Ponyville some time. We can show you how Ponyville likes to party.” Lyra climbs in after Mac.
Spike just waves. “See you later, Luna.” Once he’s in, the carriage lurches off towards the train station.
I motion towards the other carriage, causing Sonja promptly hops inside. “Ladies first.” Luna chuckles and climbs inside with me right behind her. The carriage lurches towards the castle once I’m in. Time to see what Canterlot, has to offer for a guy like me.
By day, I explored the city, did some shopping, or ate out. But when the moon rose high into the sky, that’s when the true fun began. With the aid of Luna, we scampered around town, hitting every joint that looked fun. Clubs, bars, restaurants, arcades, you name it. But the fun didn’t end even when I fell asleep. Each night when I laid down in bed, which turned out to be Twilight’s old room in the castle, go figure, Luna and I spent time in the dreamscape doing whatever we wanted. Ah, but the fun can only last so long. Today is my last day in Canterlot, so I figured I’d spend some time with Rarity. Well, as much as I could since word spread around the city about how popular she is now.
At breakfast with Celestia and Rarity, Rarity regales us with tales of her standing within society now. Celestia calmly listens and offers words of praise at regular intervals, but me, one can only act interested for so long when the same story is told over and over again. Before Rarity can start off on another tangent, I decide to butt in. “Rarity, while your stories are wonderful to hear, I need to know if you’d be willing to spend some time hanging out today. We haven’t just hung out once the entire time we’ve been up here.”
Rarity sighs. “Well, I do suppose you’re right and I’m terribly sorry for that. I’ve just been so busy socializing with the Canterlot elite that I haven’t really had time for anything else.”
I wave my hand while tossing Sonja a piece of bread, who eagerly snatches it from the air. “Don’t sweat it too much. I understand you want to enjoy your moment in the spotlight.”
“Thank you for understanding. I suppose I could make time for us to have lunch later today. How does twelve-thirty sound at this lovely little café called Celestial Wonders sound?” Do they really have to name everything in Canterlot around Celestia or Luna?
I shrug my shoulders. “Sounds good to me.”
Rarity claps her hands. “Wonderful! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be off. I have a very important auction to prepare for.”
Once Rarity leaves the room, I chuckle and take a sip of my coffee. “Celestia, we’re gonna need to stay one more night.”
Celestia nods her head. “Of course, though I was informed this was your last day in the city.”
“Plans change, Celestia.” I snap my fingers. “Shoot, almost forgot. We’re gonna need the ballroom reserved for tonight.”
“That can be arranged as well, though there will be an event outside as well.”
I smirk. “Perfect.”
Celestia raises an eyebrow. “Things you know about?”
I nod my head. “Eeyup.”
“Important lesson to learn?”
“Eeyup.”
“Gotcha.”
I snap my fingers twice and whistle, a command for Sonja to pay attention. “Come on, girl. Let’s go for a walk.” Sonja eagerly bounces around me as I stand up, ready to go outside in the beautiful weather.
“Enjoy the morning.”
I chuckle. “Of course, but I live for the night!” I call out over my shoulder.
Leaving the castle behind, Sonja and I make our way to the park. Under the wary eyes of their parents, some of the kids there decide to play with Sonja while I sit off to the side. She always was good with kids. After the kids and Sonja have their fill, I stop off at a couple of shops to look for a gift for Twilight. Checking my iPod, I see that it’s almost twelve. Time to go see Rarity.
With some directions from those willing to help me (Seriously, some fucking ponies tuned me out for whatever reason), I managed to find Celestia Wonders. Walking up to it reminds me of a Starbucks with its dark colors, pastries and sandwiches, and relaxing music playing. I spot Rarity waving me over from an outdoor table. Oh, she’s really playing up her status with that French themed outfit she has going, which really isn’t that hard on the eyes.
“I know a couple of good romance songs.”
“Shut it.”
Sitting down across from Rarity, I nod my head at her while Sonja lays down in the shade under the table next to my bags. “Good to see you, Rarity.”
“And to you as well, Blake.”
“Ahem.” I look over at the waiter to my right, “May I take sirs order?”
I glance at Rarity. “What’d you get?”
“Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel.”
“I’ll take that.”
“Very good sir.” The place isn’t that busy, so it is no surprise that my drink arrived in a short amount of time.
Paying the fifteen bit price, I calmly take a sip as my nostrils are filled with the aroma of caramel and a hint vanilla. “So, how’d the auction go?”
“Absolutely wonderful. Some of the items would have looked wondrous in the Boutique, but, alas, I was unable to purchase anything. Still, the auctioneer had a much larger turnout than expected thanks to mwah.”
I nod my head. “Good to hear.”
“So, tell me, how was your stay in Canterlot?”
“Pretty decent. The interview and performance went down without a hitch, possibly boosting our standing and fan base, the shopping is amazing, and the food is excellent. Hell, I even managed to get Twilight’s birthday present while here.”
Rarity smiles then sighs. “Wonderful to hear, but I’m afraid I won’t be joining you for your trip back to Ponyville tonight.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh? But Twilight’s birthday party is tonight. It wouldn’t be right of us to stay here and not be there for her.”
“I know that, dearie, but I’ve had so many obligations to the Canterlot elite that I haven’t had time to do anything for her. I haven’t gotten her anything since I’m making her a dress, but I haven’t even started on it. I can’t possibly face her.”
I smirk. “And this isn’t because you have something else going on?”
Rarity blushes and looks away. “Well, I may have promised Fancy Pants I’d attend his dinner party, and I can’t possibly disappoint him. So… I may have lied to Twilight and sent her a letter saying I can’t come to her party since Opal is sick and in no condition to travel.”
I sigh. “Rarity, what happens when she finds out the truth? What then?”
“A little white lie never hurt anypony, Blake. I’m sure she would understand if she ever found out.”
I shake my head. “Whatever. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Of course, dearie. Now, I simply must be off. Places to be, ponies to see, but it was wonderful for us to sit and chat.”
I raise my drink towards her. “Likewise. Enjoy your day.”
“Toodles!” She walks down the street, turning down a side street once she reaches it.
I chuckle. “Fly too close to the sun, Icarus, and ye shall come crashing down.” After finishing my own drink, I stand up. “Back to the castle, Sonja. We got some guests to greet.”
The walk back to the castle was uneventful, to say the least. I casually wave to Celestia as I pass by the throne room to my chambers to deposit my gift for Twilight tonight. Sonja is in no mood for anything else right now, so I let her rest in peace. Leaving the room, I see Luna making her way towards me. “Ah, Luna! I have wonderful news for you!”
She raises an eyebrow. “Oh? My sister just informed me you had something to say.”
“I’m spending another day here!”
Luna smiles. “Wonderful! We shall have to make this night one to remember then!”
“And that we shall, but I have a party to attend tonight first. Come, let’s walk and talk.” I set off down the hall, Luna falling into step beside me.
“Ah. Shall we plan for a dream activity only then?”
I laugh. “Are you kidding?! We gotta hit the town one more time before I go!”
“Splendid! I shall find us a suitable event for tonight!” Luna breaks off from me to wherever she needs to go when we reach the main entrance hall. “Enjoy your day, Blake.”
“Likewise, Luna!” I wonder if the girls have already arrived in town. With a shrug of my shoulders, I leave the castle and start wandering down the main street through town. A sight up ahead causes me to chuckle. “Well, look what the train brought in!”
The girls wave, with varied forms of greetings. “Hello, Blake! How are you doing?” Twilight asks.
“Great, actually. Never knew this town could offer so much to someone like me. Hey, Rainbow, how’s the wing holding up?”
She flaps them, hovering in the air. “Good as new! Can’t keep somepony as awesome as me down for long.”
I smirk and roll my eyes. “So, what brings you all up here? Isn’t your party tonight, Twilight? By the way, happy birthday.”
“Thank you, and yes it is. But after I received Rarity’s letter, I asked Pinkie if she could move the party up to here so we could all be together.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Moving an entire party seems like a lot of work.”
Applejack chuckles. “Ya still underestimate Pinkie?”
I shake my head. “I’m not saying that. It’s just gotta take a lot of work.”
Pinkie shakes her head. “It’s no trouble at all! Everything was super-duper easy to pack up and store! Most of it’s in my mane, see?” She reaches into her hair and pulls out a balloon, fully blown with the words “Happy Birthday” on it, before putting it back.
“Okay then… How’s about we go see Rarity? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to know you came all the way up here.”
Rainbow smirks. “Yeah, but first, I gotta know something,” Applejack chuckles, “How’s Canterlot been treating you?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Like I said, Rainbow, great. Why do you ask?”
“It just seems like you’ve been having some fun with Princess Luna.” Rainbow waggles her eyebrows at me.
“Yeah, Blake, it seems like you’ve been having a lot of fun with her,” Pinkie adds.
I tilt my head. “So? We’re just hanging out like friends.”
Applejack snickers. “The paper seems ta think otherwise.” She tosses me a paper.
The front page screams with an image of Luna and I in the arcade competing against each other in the pony version of Dance Dance Revolution with a headline that reads, “Has Princess Luna found a new consort?” I glance through what the front page has to say, and then flip to another page for the full story. There, more pictures of Luna and I are found from our nightly events. I roll my eyes and toss the paper back. “Very funny. Luna and I are just friends, nothing more.”
Twilight clears her throat. “Ahem, shouldn’t we be seeing Rarity now?”
“Yes. If my memory serves me right, she should be at the castle right now in the… Eastern tower, I believe.”
As we set off back towards the castle, Fluttershy finally decides to speak up. “Um, Blake?”
I glance over my shoulder. “Hmm?”
“Do you know what Opal is sick with?”
Shit, shit, shit, shit. I don’t know any cat sicknesses or afflictions. Come on, think, Blake, think! “I think it was called cat scratch fever.”
“Nice save.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard of that before. What is it exactly?”
Shit, shit, shit, shit! “Uh, exactly what it’s called? Seriously though, Opal will keep scratching herself until she practically scratches herself raw.”
“Wow, how’d she get that?” Rainbow asks.
I shrug my shoulders. “Not sure, really. Vet says it’s likely from an airborne virus, and they’re keeping her for a few days till she gets better.”
“Rarity must be worried sick! I would be if Gummy contracted it!”
“Uh, Pinkie? Cat scratch fever?” Applejack says.
Pinkie giggles. “Oops, silly me!” She gasps. “What if there is an alligator scratch fever?!”
I roll my eyes, but thankfully Fluttershy steps in to answer. “Pinkie, there is no such thing as alligator scratch fever. At least, I’ve never heard of it.”
“Oh, okay!” Thank God Pinkie dropped it at that. I don’t know how far down the rabbit hole I would be able to keep this lie going.
The rest of walk to the castle involved commentary from me about what Luna and I did during our stay. When they asked about Rarity, I just shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t know. Hell, I barely know since I only spent time with her this morning, and even then that was short lived. Most of what I know is from what the towns been saying.”
“Well, um, what do you know?” Fluttershy asks.
I chuckle. “To put it in her words, she is simply the type of pony everypony should know. She’s attended plenty of events up here that have skyrocketed her status with the Canterlot elite.”
“Good for her.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Twilight, good for her.” Oh, I can’t wait till Rarity is exposed. As we near the castle entrance, two guards go to block our path. I wave my hand. “At ease men. They’re with me.”
The two guards nod and step back to their positions as one of them magically opens the door for us. Applejack whistles as the door shuts behind us once we’re all inside. “Must have some mighty big pull around here.”
I smirk and glance over my shoulder. “It pays to have friends in high places, no?” I wave my hand down a hallway to the right. “I’m sure Twilight could lead you too Rarity’s room since she practically lived here.”
Twilight nods her head. “I memorized the layout of the castle in case any emergences cropped up. I know exactly how to get to any given room in the castle.”
“Perfect. Go on ahead,” I jerk my head towards the throne room, “I gotta talk to Celestia about some things. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I’m done. Oh, and don’t mention anything about Opal, she’s finally calmed down enough to act normal again.”
Pinkie nods her head. “Got it! We won’t say anything about a pet that may or may not be a cat that may or not be named Opal that may or may not be the pet of Rarity!”
Not exactly giving me a lot of faith there, Pinkie. I raise an eyebrow and look at Applejack. “We won’t say anything, sugercube.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Good enough for me. See you girls later.” I watch for a little bit as they wander down a hallway before turning towards the throne room. The massive double doors are already open, so I stride in as Celestia is signing some scrolls handed to her by an aid. “Celestia, I’ve got another favor to ask of you.”
She momentarily stops to look up, smiling at me. She hands the scroll back to the aid. “What is it that you need, Blake?”
“I’m gonna need five more rooms for tonight.”
She nods her head. “That can be arranged, though I am curious as to why.”
I jerk my head behind me. “Rarity lied to Twilight about not being able to make it home for her birthday, so Twilight moved the party up to here. The girls are gonna need a place to stay tonight.”
Celestia nods her head. “Everything shall be ready for them. Though I hope Miss Belle learns an important lesson about lying to her friends.”
I nod my head. “And the other lesson is to not be afraid of the people you call friends.” Celestia looks at me with an eyebrow raised. “Ask Rarity tomorrow morning for more details.”
“Ah. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss before day court resumes?”
I shake my head and turn around to leave. “Nah, that’s all. Enjoy dealing with the nobility.” Whatever Celestia says, I tune out as I wander down the same hallway the girls took. With some minor directions from the guards, I make it to the base of eastern tower just in time for the girls to reach the bottom. “Rarity, isn’t it wonderful that Twilight moved the party up here so we could all be together?”
I notice her left eye twitch slightly. “Yes, we’re going to have a simply divine time tonight.”
Pinkie gasps. “Wait! I just realized we need a place for the party!”
I smirk. “Got ya covered. Celestia’s letting us use the ballroom for tonight. The only thing we gotta deal with is another event being right outside.”
Pinkie bounces in place. “Perfect!”
“So, what’s there to do in this town anyway until then?” Rainbow asks.
I smirk. “We talking about family friendly things or more nightly activities?”
“Um… I’d prefer we do something safe, if everypony else is okay with that.”
I check the time. “Hmm, two thirty, by the time we get there it’ll be three thirty… How does an early dinner sound to everyone, my treat?”
“While that does sound simply wonderful, I must decline for I am going to visit Opal at the vet.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Eh, your choice, Rarity, but is everyone else game?” Nods from everyone signify the game plan. “Alright, we’ll meet later in front of the castle for the party tonight.”
Rarity splits off from us, waving over her shoulder as she goes off to who knows where. The rest of us head towards this restaurant I’ve heard so much about, The Princess and Castle. This is also going to be a good test to see just how much pull my name has around town now.
Apparently, throwing my name around does work! Once we reached the restaurant, all I had to do was say my name and we were treated to the VIP treatment. The best table in the house, great drinks and food, and great service! I could get used to this kind of stuff. Anyway, later that night, we head to the ballroom to find it decked out for a party. Even though the room is fairly large, Pinkie really only used a tiny portion of it for tonight.
Twilight, wearing that god awful yellow dress Rarity made for her, seems amazed at everything. “Pinkie, this is perfect! Thank you so much!”
“Oh, it was nothing! Now who’s ready to party?!”
The party is enjoyable to say the least, though I wish the games could have been more… Adult themed, but I digress. Twilight thoroughly enjoyed my gift of journals from Starswirl the Bearded (Had to do some digging within the shadier parts of Canterlot to find those). All throughout the festivities though, Rarity keeps dashing off at key moments with some excuse or other. She probably felt safe with her plan, until she came back with a croquet mallet in her hand.
I snicker slightly. “Uh, Rarity? What’s with the mallet? Pretty sure the piñata isn’t that dense.”
“Hmm?” She notices she’s still holding it. With a blush on her face, she hides it behind her back. “Ahem, no reason at all. I, erm, found it laying around.”
Twilight looks outside to see the nobles. “Rarity, were you outside with the nobles?”
Rarity sighs and hangs her head. “Yes, Twilight, I was.” I have to bit my lip to keep from laughing at Rarity being busted.
“Rarity…” Here it comes! “That’s a brilliant idea!”
“What?”
“What?”
“Pardon?” Even Rarity looks surprised.
“Mingling with the nobles to drum up business for the Boutique! The perfect opportunity is right outside to do so!” How smart is Twilight again? Seriously, School for Gifted Unicorns? How gifted are we talking here?
Rarity recovers much faster than I. “Of course! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first.”
Twilight smiles, walks over, and hugs Rarity. “It’s okay. I know how much your business means to you, so go ahead, I don’t mind.”
Rarity raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” Twilight nods her head, making Rarity sigh out in apparent relief. “Thank you ever so much, Twilight.”
Damn, and here is was hoping a lesson was going to be learned. “Hey, why don’t we show those ponies how we party, Ponyville style?!” And there’s the words I was hoping for!
“Oooh! More ponies to party with!” With that, everyone heads outside while Rarity stands in place, mouth hanging open.
I walk up beside her and pat her shoulder. It’s wrong but… “I’m not saying I told you so, but I heavily implied this was going to happen. The ball’s in your court now.” With that, I head outside as well to see the chaos already in full swing with the nobles looking on in disgust and horror. With a smirk, I grab a wine glass off a nearby table and stand off to the side. A couple of nobles look at me. In response, I raise my glass a little and nod my head. “Sup.”
I see Fancy Pants (Not that hard to spot him, what with him being the only one wearing a monocle) walk towards Twilight. “Excuse me,” Twilight stops her dancing to turn and face him, “But wherever did you get that dress?”
Twilight smiles. “Oh, my friend Rarity made it for me.”
The collected nobles gasp. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rarity trying to slink back inside. “Miss Rarity Belle?”
“Yes! She’s one of the best dressmakers in all of Ponyville.” At this point in time, the girls have gathered up behind Twilight.
“Ponyville, you say?”
“Yes. Rarity’s right over there actually!” She points towards Rarity, who freezes in place as all eyes turn to her.
Fancy Pants raises an eyebrow. “Miss Belle, is this true?”
Rarity doesn’t make a move, so I walk over and place a hand on her shoulder. “Decide, now. What you do here will define everything between us from here on out.” I try sounding as harsh as possible to get her to see the errors of her way. With that, I walk over towards the girls. Their faces slowly fall, and with my back to Rarity, I can only assume she is walking away.
“Yes.” I smirk as the girls faces light back up while the crowd gasps. “They are my best friends from Ponyville, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” Rarity walks by me, motioning for me to follow her, as she pulls everyone into a group hug.
I hear some of the nobles laughing, causing my blood to boil. Thankfully before I do something rash, Fancy Pants steps in. “Well, I for one consider them charmingly rustic, and one of them is a famous musician.” This shuts the other nobles up.
I raise an eyebrow. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Of course, my dear boy. Might I say that it is superb to hear something different from today’s artists, especially one so talented.”
“Oh? Well, thank you sir. We try our best to bring something new each time.”
Fancy Pants takes his monocle off and cleans it with a handkerchief from his suit pocket. “And your friend Rarity certainly has an eye for dressmaking. I do believe I may have to order from her in the future.”
Rarity’s eyes light up. “Why thank you, Mister Pants.”
Fancy Pants chuckles. “Think nothing of it, my dear.”
Two of the nobles rush forward to speak with Rarity, but she brushes them off. “Mister Pants, I would like for you to meet my friends.”
At this moment, my iPod alarm goes off to the sound of a siren. Turning off the alarm, I scan one of the towers with a clear view of the courtyard. On a balcony of one of them, I spot Luna watching us. With a wave of my hand, she teleports down. “Are you ready for tonight, Blake?” The nobles swiftly bow at the presence of Luna.
I laugh. “Of course I’ve been ready! Wouldn’t dream of missing one more night to party with the princess of the night!”
“Huzzah! Let us make haste then! We have no time to waste!”
I place a hand to my chin. “Actually, I was thinking we invite someone else tonight as well.”
Luna raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And who would that be?”
I smirk and eye Twilight. “Well, it is Twilight’s birthday today…” Luna smirks. Without another word, she grabs Twilight's left arm while I grab her right. “Ready to see the nightlife of Canterlot?”
Twilight keeps looking back and forth between Luna and I. “What?”
“Twilight, you’re coming with us to party tonight. And we won’t take no for an answer. Luna, start pulling.” We start dragging Twilight out of the courtyard. Surprisingly, she isn’t resisting at all. Probably still in shock at the sudden surprise.
“But… I’m not even dressed properly to go anywhere else tonight!”
I catch Luna smirking. “Then consider the clothes I buy you for tonight as your birthday gift!”
“What?”