19
“All right now I think that's everything. Outfit? Check. Bag? Check. Sister? Tickets? Check. Over with her friends. Now I just have to meet up with Rarity at the train station though there is still plenty of time until it arrives.” Aegis Flare gathered up her things before brushing off a bit of dust on her suit before leaving her home in the direction of the train station.
Along the way she came across Twilight wearing a slightly oversized pith helmet while she darted from bush to bush. “Twilight? What are you doing?” The purple mare gave a yelp as she leapt from her hiding place in surprise at being called out unexpectedly.
“Shh! I'm trying to find Pinkie Pie and I don't want her to notice me. I refuse to believe that something as silly as a twitchy tail can be used to predict that something is going to happen.” At the words 'twitchy tail' the orange unicorns eyes widened slightly as her horn lit up bringing a canopy of energy over her body into existence as she scanned the sky out of reflex. Twilight brought a hoof up to the top of her muzzle in exasperation when she saw what her friend was doing. “Oh come on! Not you too!”
After seeing that nothing was above her, though she still nudged a flowerpot that was partially hanging off a window sill further back to be safe, she turned her attention back to the unicorn. She was wondering what she was talking about but she quickly connected the dots. “I'm not sure what you're surprised about considering where I've been working. I've seen more strange things than most ponies even know of from books so what Pinkie does barely even touches the strangest. I just assume it's some rare form of earth pony magic that hasn't been documented yet. Of course if her Pinkie Sense really is acting up then I'm glad that I'm heading out of town with Rarity today.”
Twilight let out a groan of annoyance but she does look a bit curious as she takes in her friend's appearance. Seeing her friend in a indigo colored business suit felt odd to her and the prench braid of her mane was looped around itself to form a bun on the back of her head instead of hanging down like it normally did. “Now that you mention it, I was wondering why you were dressed up like that. If you are going there with Rarity then I'm surprised that she didn't make a dress for whatever it is you're doing.”
Her comment was met with an eye roll from the orange mare as she thought back to the fashoinista's reaction. “Well I had to talk her down to this after she saw the green suit I was going to wear. A dress really isn't the best thing for where I'm need to go in Canterlot. I really should go now though if I want to make it to the train on time.”
Twilight nods as the two head off in different directions towards their objectives for the day. Aegis Flare made it to the train station as the train was pulling into the station but with no sign of Rarity. She looked around curiously for her friend as she stepped up to the ticket counter to wave her pre-purchased ticket. With a nod from the vendor she boarded the train before finding a seat at a window as she pondered where the alabaster unicorn was.
It wasn't until the final call for boarding that Rarity showed up in a rush. “I'm here! Sorry it took so long but Sweetie Belle made a mess of my inspiration room and I had trouble finding my hat.”
Looking over Aegis Flare took in the sight of Rarity's most recent apparel that appeared to be a gem-studded belt around her waist connected along the bottom of her body with a strip of pink cloth, studded with what appeared to be amethysts, where it attached to a gem-studded collar around her neck. She was wearing a set of white boots that were trimmed with pink and the hat she mentioned earlier was also studded with gems and appeared to be made of straw with a pink band around it.
While the orange pony was shaking her head at Rarity's appearance the alabaster mare stored her saddlebags in an overhead rack before she took a seat next to the other unicorn. “I still don't know why you wouldn't let me make you something appropriate for our trip. I mean it's Canterlot, it wouldn't hurt to dress in something more appropriate for the city.”
Aegis Flare raised an eyebrow at her friend before she looked back out the window to watch as the countryside passed. She knew better than to say anything to her friend that went against her beliefs but she knew better about what Canterlot was really like. In fact she was curious about how Rarity would react to seeing where she was planning to go and a bit saddened that her friend's beliefs would be damaged a bit.
She just listened to Rarity through the entire train ride while making non-committal sounds occasionally to let her know she was listening. She wasn't terribly interested in fashion but she knew that it was important to the other unicorn that she at least made an effort to pay attention. She considered it a good distraction as well as it made the trip to Canterlot pass much faster than if she was alone.
When they arrived in the city Aegis Flare wasted no time with anything else as she made a direct line towards a bakery that she knew of leaving Rarity to play catch-up with her. By the time that the alabaster unicorn caught up the orange mare was already exiting the bakery with a bag full of day-old bread that was being sold as a discount. “Slow down please dear. What's so important that you need to rush to a place like this?”
Aegis Flare doesn't answer immediately as she starts walking in the direction of the shaded side of the mountain city before she finally speaks again. “That was probably one of the better bakeries if you are after quantity over quality in Canterlot and they have a really good deal for their day old bread. As for why I needed to get it, well...”
As she trailed off Rarity glanced over at her with a touch of confusion on her face but she said nothing. While she had known the orange mare for years there were still times when she managed to confound her with some of the things she did. From her dislike of dresses to the how she always spoke out against the nobility; the orange mare's interests rarely seemed to match up with the fashionista. Rarity decided to pay attention to where they were going as they were going somewhere that she didn't recognize. As the buildings started to get grungier than what the alabaster mare was used to and the sun was blocked by the mountain she was starting to wonder if they were even still in the capital. Her thoughts were interrupted when a small figure ran into her front causing her to stumble a bit and look down.
“Oh I am so sorry about that, darling. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I wasn't watching where I was going.” Looking down she found that she had collided with a young thestral filly who was busy picking herself up off of the ground before looking up at the adult mare with wide eyes. She was a bit surprised though when she looked over the bright green coat that the filly was sporting as well as the pink mane and tail that she had since she had heard that thestrals were of darker colors to help blend in with the night.
Neither of the two noticed as the other unicorn was looking at the filly with a hint of pity when her eyes narrowed as she spotted something out of place. As the filly started to move away she spoke up in thestrali which stopped the filly in her tracks and caused her to look back fearfully. “~And where do you think you are going with that? You may look new but the older fillies always tell the younger ones to not steal from ponies that bring in extra food for you, especially in this area of town no matter how rich they look.~”
Rarity looked confused as the filly turned back which allowed her to get a better look at her and she noticed that the filly was looking a bit scruffy and dirty. She didn't really expect her to come back towards her and lift up a familiar gem with her hoof towards her. “Um, I think you dropped this ma'am.”
Looking down at the offered amethyst for a moment the mare's gaze trailed down to see the empty spot in the center of her breast covering where the gem once was. With a grimace she brought a hoof up to the empty spot before settling it on the gem in the filly's hoof before pressing it back towards her. “Go ahead and keep it dear. I can replace it later.”
Shaking her head, the orange mare also steps forward and settles the bag on the back of the filly who staggered slightly at the unexpected weight. “~You're lucky that she is so generous with just about everything. Just make sure to be more careful about what you do in the future since many of the ponies with money in Canterlot won't be anywhere near as nice.~”
The filly nodded as she walked away while carefully balancing the bag on her back until she was joined by an older filly who helped out while chattering at her in thestrali. Rarity looked over at Aegis Flare to see her staring after the two with a small and sad smile on her face before she shook her head and started walking away. The alabaster mare watched after her for a moment before she trotted to her side quickly before she nudged her with her shoulder. “So are you going to tell me what that was all about now? If I didn't know better you knew that that was going to happen.”
With a sigh the orange mare glanced over at Rarity before she looked ahead again. “There is a lot about them that I don't know but I do know that there is a large group of thestral orphans somewhere in this area of the city. I just don't know if they just gathered themselves or if there is an actual orphanage for them. Whatever the case they seem to have problems as I've caught a couple trying to steal from me the few times I've come through town and I was able to convince them to accept food to not bother me.”
Rarity looked shocked at hearing about something like this in Canterlot and her steps faltered for a moment before she caught up again. “What is a group like that doing in Canterlot of all places? Shouldn't there be somepony keeping an eye on them to stop something like that?”
Rarity shrank back when her friend shot a hard glare at her before it softened at seeing the hurt look on her face. With a sigh the orange mare slowed her pace a bit so she could get her explanation in before they reached their destination. “Because there is nowhere else for them to go. Non-thestrals don't want them because they are thestrals and most thestrals don't want them because they are undesirable in some way, usually because of their brighter colors. Often they make it here since you won't find many thestrals outside of Transylmania anywhere else.”
Rarity's eyes flicked up towards her friend's ears for a moment before she connected various dots that she had seen over years from her friend. “You see yourself in them don't you? You think that your real parents abandoned you out in the Everfree and you could have ended up out here yourself. Then when you see how they live compared to how the nobles in the city live and well...”
The orange mare stumbles a bit as her friends perceptiveness hits most of the things that she had been thinking though she missed a couple key points. “You're only half right about the nobles; that's more because of the noble families in Transylmania itself.”
Looking over to the fashionista she saw a raised eyebrow and sighed before expanding on her correction. “You have to understand that the country follows some very old traditions and are outside of Equestrian control. Instead there are sixteen families that run the country with nine of them having any real amount of power. The seven minor ones are more populous but the other nine are the noble families that most follow. Being born into one of those nine forces certain expectations on you such as marrying only other thestrals and keeping the tribe pure. They don't mind other types of ponies but they don't accept them as family and even shun those that break tradition by marrying them.”
“My father was born in one of those major families and in fact is probably the strongest militarily. The Brasov clan controls one of the strongest castles in the country and protect it and the surrounding countryside. When my father married mom most of them cut all contact with him and the only one that even still considers him family is my aunt who works under Princess Luna now.” Rarity looks a bit saddened at hearing her friends family history but something itched in the back of her mind.
“I feel that I've heard of that clan name before somewhere but I can't remember where exactly. It was somewhere important though, I just know it.” As Rarity thought deeply about where she had heard of it before she missed the tiny smirk on her friends face until she spoke up.
“I don't think those romance novels of yours count as an important place, Rarity.” She let out a chuckle as the mare started sputtering in indignation as her train of thought was derailed. She let out a huff a moment later as she turned her head away while keeping an eye on her friend out of the corner of her eye. She turned back to watch her though when the orange mare suddenly turned to head into a very dirty looking stone building that looked much like the others around it.
Following her inside she shied away from the sides of the filthy door frame and entered to find a well furnished room that contradicted the outside appearance. She looked outside one more time just to make sure that she was in the same place before following her friend deeper inside the building. Her friend led her to a white unicorn stallion that was wearing a black beret and had a scruffy blond beard that was more what she was expecting from the outside. She hung back a bit as Aegis Flare nodded to the stallion before greeting him. “Good morning, Mr. Sang. It's been a while.”
The stallion looked up from what he was reading to see who had entered before giving a small smile. Seeing the second figure though he raised an eyebrow at the orange mare and, on seeing her nod, reached under his desk to push something before finally speaking. “Ahh, Dame Flare. It truly has been a while since you've graced these walls with your presence. And who would your gorgeous friend here be?”
While Rarity raised an eyebrow at how her friend was greeted, the orange mare only let out a groan of annoyance. “Of course you would have heard about that. This is my friend Rarity and she was just following me for a couple stops until we explore the city for the rest of the day.”
Rarity wasn't sure what to think when the stallion stepped around the desk to approach her but was a bit flattered when he brought one of her hooves up to plant a kiss atop it. While she couldn't say much about his scruffy appearance she did have to admit that he at least acted like a gentlestallion. “So who is this interesting stallion here that you've brought me to, Flare?”
Aegis Flare just rolled her eyes behind the stallion's back as he made his way back to his place behind the desk before she sighed. “Really that is probably the question almost everypony asks him and has never gotten a straight answer for. He's a scoundrel, fence, criminal mastermind, and probably one of Princess Celestia's most trusted ponies as he procures dangerous items and useful tools for the guard as he does shows off his bad side.”
With every word Rarity started to frown more and more and back towards the door but her eyebrows shot up at his last accolades. Looking over towards the stallion she saw that he was just leaning back and nodding as the list continued. Shaking her head she turned her attention back to her friend as she started digging through the bag that she brought before she pulled out a set of vials.
“Anyways I came to you since I recently learned that these were actually worth a good amount and I had a few to spare.” Rarity watched as she brought out a half dozen vials of a silver fluid that she didn't recognize. The stallion on the other hoof knew exactly what they were as he perked up a bit and pulled out various objects from his desk.
“Well now, it's not often that liquid mana comes across my desk, at least ones that may actually be worth supplying to the guard.” Levitating over the vials, he uses an object much like a jeweler's lens to get a closer look at them before he lets out a whistle of appreciation. It isn't until he pulls out a counter connected to a wand and touches it to the glass that he actually says anything.
“You found your mother's recipe for these didn't you?” At the mare's nod he shakes his head before putting his tools away. “I thought I recognized the look of these from before. I'm not going to lie, you shouldn't have been able to get ahold of that but considering the circumstances it's better you have it than somepony else. This quality is heavily controlled and only the various Captains and licensed officials are allowed to distribute it.”
With a sigh he reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a bag of bits as well as sheet of paper that he wrote on before sliding them both across the desk. “I'm sure you remember how these work even if you haven't been here in a while. If you have any more of these I suggest either keeping them to yourself or bringing them here again.” He paused for a moment before he added something. “Of course you friend, Dame Sparkle, would also be acceptable as well.”
With a nod the mare collects her payment before walking over towards Rarity who had been watching since they had arrived. Once they were outside she wasn't sure how to react to what she had seen as it was outside of her experience but there were a few things bugging her. “So what did he mean when he called you Dame Flare? You say you dislike the nobles but why didn't you say that you were one as well?”
With a groan and a roll of her eyes, Aegis Flare just shook her head at this information getting out to one of the biggest gossips of Ponyville. “That was a pretty recent thing that I never even agreed to because of services to the crown. I'm just glad that Princess Celestia didn't make it a public thing or else I don't know what I would have done.”
Rarity just rolled her eyes at her reaction but she had a small smile on her face as she knew something like that would annoy her friend and she could think of a few ways to use that later. She continued to think over what she had learned as the stopped at a bank where the orange mare dropped off the slip of paper, which turned out to be a royal bit requisition form, when something came to her as the left the building.
“Wait, he also called Twilight Dame Sparkle as well and she's never mentioned anything of the like before. With your mention of a service to the crown I can only think of a couple things that would fit, but would that mean.” She looked over at Aegis Flare who was wincing as Rarity put all the facts together before she nodded to her. As the ramifications of it all went through the fashionista's mind she could only come up with a single conclusion which brought up only one logical response.
With a sigh the orange mare watched as her friend keeled over from the shock and she shook her head before lifting her up onto her back before finding a shaded place to set her down to rest in until she could recover.
Example of Rarity's outfit.
Happens during Pinkie Keen to show why she wouldn't be there while nothing there really changes. Frankly having her there would really defeat the purpose of the hydra bit and leap of faith considering she can at least scare the hydra away, even if it does nearly burn her out.
It did give me a bit of a chance for some backstory on a couple areas as well as leaving a couple hints for the future that I plan on using. Also I may or may not bring Mr Sang Bleu around again though if I do it may only be another short appearance. Their will be a bit more on Rarity's reaction next chapter though as it will allow me to add a bit of how the other five react as well.
Also with the release of Friendship Games I've gotten a few ideas for when I get that far considering some of the timey wimey stuff I've already hinted at. It probably hints at a future episode but with some of the things I have planned then season 4+ and even some of 2 and 3 will change or may even vanish completely. 
Typos? Questions? Speculations? Leave them below and I may get back to you if a reply or comment is required.
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I don't get it.
7061825 they're Noble birth once sworn into it the other one born into it
7061825 in a previous chapter, the elements of harmony were named Knights of the Realm. Which os a position of nobility
Oranges - they're so...uncultured.
Sorry, stuff like this is fun to read because you can get some truly silly scenes out of it! 
Just add unicorn after that or something.
Inform Luna about them when you get the chance, she will not be happy about their situation and is likely to do something about it
10740972
Hate is hard to change even with laws. We've come a long way from where we were but we still have a long way to go