//------------------------------//
// Invitations at Sunrise 
// Story: Lakeside 
// by Steadfast Bulwark 
//------------------------------//


The sun crested the small hills along the horizon. The light, faint at first but growing stronger, spread across the hills and fields of Ponyville. Shadows gave way as the sun pushed further into the sky, signaling the beginning of a new day.

The light shone through a particular window of a particular building this day. Not just a building but a shop, a very particular shop. A boutique. A shop dedicated to beauty and the creation of beauty.

The owner of this particular shop, on this day was sound asleep in her bed. She lay upon the finest sheets of silk on a mattress of the finest feather down. Blissfully navigating the paths of her dreams.

The sun's rays gently caressed her face, slowly drawing her from her travels. Like a friend leading her by the hoof, she followed the light, bringing her to awareness.

Her eyes opened, still fresh with the sights of her dreams, to the light of the new day. A content sigh escaped her lips. Sitting up, her silk sheets rippled like water as they fell away.

Stepping from her bed, she walked to the nearest window and threw it open, basking in the early sun's warmth. She stayed there for several moments, enjoying the simple pleasure of the sun.

Her ears perked up as down below, she heard the faint sound of knocking.

"Who could that be this early?" she wondered.

Closing the window, she walked towards the bedroom door. Slowing slightly to adjust her hair and to put on a robe. She headed down the flight of stair leading to the main floor of her shop.

As she stepped out into the darkened showroom another knock sounded from the front door. Still curious as to who could be knocking this early, she made her way to the door and after undoing the lock opened it with a smile.

"Good morning! Can I help you?"

A grey stallion, with a large red cap with a black bill and a red bag stood with a raised forehoof. He was about to knock again but stopped himself. "Good morning!" He replied cheerfully. "I am looking for a Miss Rarity. I assume you are she?"

"I am indeed." Rarity responded.

He smiled. "Excellent! I was told to deliver this to you." He reached into his red bag and pulled out a small brown parcel with a letter carefully tied to it. He extended his hoof as it was enveloped in a light blue magical aura, causing it to float to Rarity's side.

"Thank you ever so much! If you wait just a moment I'll get you your payment."

He shook his head, still retaining his smile. "No need. It has already been paid for in full."

"Oh." Rarity said, a small frown appearing on her face. "Then allow me to give you a little something for your troubles."

He shook his head once again. "That's not necessary. The one who requested the delivering made sure I was adequately paid. He in no way wanted to inconvenience you."

The frown on Rarity's face deepened. "Alright then if you insist. Might I ask who wanted this delivered to me?"

"He didnt tell me his name, but if you asked to tell you that you'd know in time." He proffered his hat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have many more deliveries today." Without waiting for a reply, the stallion placed his hat back on his head and walked away, leaving Rarity quite confused, standing in her doorway.

She stayed there until the stallion was out of sight before closing the door. Glancing at the package floating just beside her, She made her way back up stairs into her bedroom and placed the parcel on her work desk and sat down.

Levitating a small knife from across the room, Rarity carefully cut the string holding the letter. The sharp knife cut cleanly through the envelope and placing it aside pulled the neatly folded letter out.

Unfolding the letter revealed beautiful script that flowed elegantly across the page. Her eyes followed the script as it weaved to and fro, like the gentle waves of the ocean, breaking upon a sloping shore.
---
'My Dearest Rarity'

It has been many years since I last saw you, truthfully you won't remember me as you were a small foal at the time. I've been following your accomplishments both as the fashion world's top designer and as one of the fabled Elements of Harmony, and I must say both are equally impressive.

I hope you can forgive me for waiting so long to contact you but recent years have been troublesome for me. Luck has never been on my side and if your father has ever mentioned me, he can attest to that.

I am writing to you as I would like to extend an invitation to you and your friends to come to my Lakeside estate for a week. It is located in the mountains to the North of Canterlot and will be on most maps. It would be an honour to host you and the other Elements of Harmony. 

Sincerely yours,

Sir Constance.
---
Rarity looked up from the letter, brow furrowed in thought. "Sir Constance? Fathers never mentioned the name before but he speaks like they know each other well."

She glanced back over the letter. "Lakeside. Now that I've heard of. If memory serves it's one of the oldests estates in Equestria, second only to the Royal Castle. It would be lovely to visit such a grand estate!"

Folding the letter and placing it on her desk she got to her hooves and set about her morning rituals. She showered and styled her mane and tail to their everyday perfection. After applying a touch of makeup, she was ready to greet the day, properly.

Making her way back downstairs, she crossed to the front door and stepped outside once again into the morning sun. She locked the door behind her and set off towards the center of town.

She met few ponies during her walk. Most were still sound asleep, the few she did meet were all early risers, much like herself. Rarity greeted each with a nod and a pleasant 'Good morning' to which she received in kind.

After several minutes walk, she arrived at her destination. A quaint two story house overlooking the small river that ran along the outskirts of town. Stopping at the door, she knocked gingerly upon the wooden surface, twice.

"I do hope their up."

Thirty seconds passed before she heard the sound of hoof steps coming near the door. Rarity heard a lock click followed by the door opening.

"Hey sis! What are you doing here so early?"

Rarity looked down into the beaming face of her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. "Good morning Sweetie Belle." Rarity said happily before stopping and furrowing her brow. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked, ignoring Sweetie Belle’s own question.

"Oh, me and the girls wanted to get an early start on crusading." she said happily. "I was actually just about to leave when I heard you knocking."

Rarity let out an exasperated sigh. "Do I even want to know what you are planning."

"Um, most likely not." Sweetie Belle said, laughing nervously.

"I thought as much. Promise me you'll be careful?"

Sweetie Belle smiled up at Rarity. "We always are."

Rarity looked unconvinced. "Of course you are. Is Father up? I need to speak with him."

"Yep we just finished eating breakfast. He should still be the dining room." Sweetie Belle said, nodding with her head in the direction of the dining room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got some crusading to do."

Rarity stepped out of the way as her sister charged off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. With another sigh and a shake of her head, Rarity walked into her parents house, closing the door behind her and made her way into the dining area.

It was located just off the living room and she saw her father sitting in his customary spot at the head of the table, back to her. He was reading the morning paper, an empty plate sitting in front of him beside a half full glass of apple cider.

"Father, How many times have Mother and I told you that drinking Cider with breakfast is unhealthy."

Magnum glanced over at his daughter as she pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. "Enough times that I don't do it anymore."

"Then what's this?" Rarity said, pointing at his glass.

"Hard cider." He said with a twinkle in his eye. He began to chuckle as Rarity simply shook her head, with a small smile of her own.

"So what brings you around so early?" he said, setting his paper down on the table. "Me and Sweetie Belle just finished breakfast. I can whip you up something if you're hungry."

Rarity shook her head. "That's alright, I'll eat later."

"Are you sure?" Magnum said. "I could make you my world famous pancakes. You know I used to make them for the Mayor of Manehattan."

"I thought it was for the Count of Pranclvania?" Rarity said.

Magnum waved a hoof dismissively. "Yeah, him to."

Rarity started to chuckle and Magnum joined in. "I came to ask you a question." Rarity said, having finished laughing.

"Of course you did, I am the smartest stallion in the country." His smile broadened. "Did I mention I'm handsome."

Rarity smiled at him. "Yes you did. A letter and a package arrived for me today in fact they're the reason I'm up and about this early."

Magnum brought a hoof up and rested his head on it. "Really? Was it from one of your many secret admirers?"

Rarity blushed slightly and waved a hoof in his direction. "No, no. nothing like that. It was addressed from somepony named Sir Constance."

Magnum sat up suddenly in his chair, his eyes widened as he let his hoof drop off the table. "Constance? Sir Constance? Are you sure?"

A worried look passed over Rarity's face at her father's strange behavior. "Yes, I'm quite sure. A Sir Constance wrote to me, he spoke as if you knew each other."

"That's an understatement." Magnum said, eyes becoming distant. "We grew up together, always getting into something. I can't tell you how many hotels we were thrown out of." He said with a wistful smile.

He blinked once, seeming to come back to the present. "So he's a knight now, eh? Sir Constance. Yeah, it does have a ring to it. So what did he write to you about?"

"Well he invited my friends and I to come stay with him at his mountain estate of Lakeside."

Magnum leaned back in his chair and let out a whistle. "So that dodgy bastard actually did it?"

"Father! Language!" Rarity said in a chastising tone.

Magnum cringed slightly. "Uh, sorry. It's just he always talked about owning that place, ever since we were foals."

"He also mentioned knowing me, but that he hasn't seen me in years. It must have been quite some time."

"Indeed it has." Magnum said, leaning back in his chair. "He helped me get your mother to the hospital and stayed with us until you were born. He's actually your godfather."

"Really? I had no idea. Why have you never mentioned him then?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That...is a long story." Magnum said hesitantly.

Rarity motioned to the morning sun. "We have time."

Magnum said nothing, instead looking between the window and his paper in front of him. "I suppose you're right."

He began twirling his mustache absent mindedly as he began his tale. "As you know I grew up in Ponyville. Granted it was smaller back then and not nearly as busy as it is today but still it was home. Me and Constance were friends from the start. Went to the same school, played on the same hoofball team, and even got an apartment together after graduating. Yes we were irrespirable."

Magnum paused as his eyes looked off into the distance, drawing him down the winding paths of his memories. 

"When I met your mother I remember Constance taking her hoof and telling her that she had found the perfect stallion and to never let me go." Magnum started to chuckle. "He could say that but when he stood up to give the Best Stallion speech he stuttered and fell all over himself."

Rarity remained silent, completely engrossed in her father's story.

"Anyway, I had gotten a new job after your mother became pregnant with you and I was out of town a lot, but Constance would always stop in and make sure she was well. I remember the day you was born, I was in Canterlot for work. After ensuring your mother made it to the hospital, he flew all the way to Canterlot to get me. We caught the last train home and I got to see you be born."

Tears started to well up in Rarity's eyes. "He was a true friend."

Magnum nodded sadly. "Yeah...he was."

"What happened?"

"A few months after you were born, we became distant. I had you to look after and he started to go on extended trips. He'd be gone for weeks on end but whenever he come back he'd always stop in to see how we were. The last time I saw him he came to the house late at night, completely ragged. Looked like he just got out of a bad bar fight. I tried to get him to stay so we could fix him up but he only wanted to see you."

"Me? Why?" Rarity said with surprise.

Magnum shook his head. "He always liked you. He used to say that if he could have a daughter half as great as you he'd be a lucky stallion. We let him hold you while you slept, he stayed for an hour simply holding you then he left, and I've not heard anymore from him, until now."

His story complete Magnum placed his hoofs on the table and looked out the window. Neither said anything for a time, Rarity was processing what her father had just told her and Magnum was still lost among his memories.

"Thank you for telling me all that Father." Rarity said, breaking the silence.

"Of course sweetheart." He replied with a sad smile. "If you do take him up on his offer be sure to tell him that an old friend has some choice words for him."

Rarity matched her father's smile. "I'll be sure to do just that." She got to her hooves, pushing her chair back into its place as she did so. "Tell mother I said hello I have some things I must attend to. Goodbye father." she said with a wave as she headed for the door.

Magnum didn't reply, merely waving a hoof in affirmation as he continued to stare out the window. Rarity stepped outside once again and made her way home. She passed several ponies along the way, all of which waved hello to her but she only absently waved back, lost in thought as she was.

Coming to her front door, she produced the key from its hiding place and unlocked it and stepped inside. She made her way upstairs into her room and sat down once more at her desk. The letter and parcel was exactly where she left it. Taking up her letter knife she carefully opened the parcel. Neatly cutting the package to reveal a small box. Using her magic she slid the top off and gasped at what she saw.

Inside, laying on black velvet was a gold pendant. This pendant was unlike any Rarity had ever seen. Intricate markings were etched into the the gold in silver and a large diamond was set into the center of a ring of rubies.

She carefully removed the pendant and marveled at its beauty. She remained so until a small growl reached her ears. She blushed slightly as her stomach rumbled, drawing attention to the fact that she had yet to have breakfast.

Replacing the gift in its box she laid it back on her desk. Her stomach angrily reminded her to hurry to which she quickly complied. She trotted downstairs into her kitchen and began gathering what she needed for a simple breakfast.

Used to the task of preparing breakfast, Rarity let her mind wander. "I don't see why I shouldn't accept Sir Constance invitation. Father spoke highly of him and he did send me that lovely pendant as a gift."

The eggs began to sizzle drawing her mind back to the present. With a deft use of magic, the eggs were delicately placed on a waiting plate and expertly garnished.

"It has been some time since we've taken a trip as a group...excluding times of crisis of course. The others would enjoy themselves I'm sure."

Rarity finished her eggs and daintily dabbed at her mouth with a cloth napkin. "Its decided." She said out loud.