This story is a sequel to Rainbooms and Royalty
Takes place in Dashverse, before the events of "Wedding Bells Bug Hunt."
The recently redeemed Princess Luna is overseeing the Grand Equestria Summit, and Celestia wishes to ensure Luna makes a good impression on the delegates. At her request, Rainbow Dash and Rarity travel to Canterlot to offer their assistance.
However, Rarity and Rainbow Dash are coming to realize that despite their friendship, the two of them have spent very little time together apart from the group. Rainbow Dash, scarred by her own experiences with Canterlot High Society, is at loggerheads with Rarity's desire to advance socially, putting Luna's debut in jeopardy. Amid this, Rainbow's return to Canterlot forces her to ask herself just what her role as Princess Celestia's student really means.
I'll be watching this fic with great interest.
I can tell this will be a fun jaunt. The interactions between Rarity, 'high society, noooo' Rainbow Dash, and Canterlot as a whole will be spectacular.
Rarity/Dash friendship adventures in Canterlot? Im all game for that!
A good start. I eagerly await more.
This story gives me a thought. Will you have one where Moondancer and the Canterlot gang fit in?
Nope, you're doomed, Rainbow
Looking forward to this. Rarity and Rainbow Dash are so different it's great when the two are paired together. Reminds me of real world friendships where you and your friend have different interests and goals but still manage to get along.
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An interesting question. While I like Moondancer and the rest of the Canterlot gang, introducing them would take some doing. Remember, they were students at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns (or some school, at least) and that's where Twilight encountered them. Rainbow Dash would not have been in the same school as them and had her own circle of friends.
Is something to ponder on.
This will be interesting. I like this format you've got going on, pairing off each of the M!6 with Dash. I'm especially into how you're hinting at exploring more of Dash's relationship with Celestia as her student.
Huh, this is a relationship you don't see that often. I'd love to see what you could manage to do with it.
6793036 Well here's an idea for it. Went and looked up the Transcripts from Amending Fences to remember a part that might help slightly.
So while maybe not seeing all of Twilight's old friends, should at least see Lemon Hearts. The Summit is a big event after all, right? So she would be involved somehow, if not the one Organizing it. If Rainbow's ever been to any events, or seen any events, she might at least recognize her from being around the castle a lot, even if not friends with her.
Just something to think about.
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Not to mention that Twilight having a bunch of old friends would conflict with her backstory of being a complete shut-in prior to the events of Rainbooms and Royalty. To be honest, much as I liked "Amending Fences," it already felt like a bit of clumsy retcon for the pony who explicitly had no experience with friendship prior to the show starting to suddenly have a bunch of old friends who'd never been mentioned for 100+ episodes.
Shame these AU chapters come out so infrequently, I really like them. From the altered characterizations to the interactions of all involved, they are nice highlights of my day.
So Rainbow's probably going to worry about Rarity being Trixie 2.0
Honestly . . . I can kinda see why she'd be thinking along those lines.
I enjoy these side stories so much!
It's a shame the show so rarely gives Rainbow Dash and Rarity character moments together; I've always felt the two of them could have a fascinating interpersonal relationship. So different, yet also similar in a lot of ways... Top-notch job on portraying the contrast between them during the meeting with Luna.
My favorite scene, though, has got to be Rainbow Dash touring her old room, looking at all the mementos Celestia's hung up. The Rainbow-Celestia dynamic is one of my favorite things about this universe (who'd have guessed?) and it always warms my heart to see it explored.
Nice chapter, but there's a spot where it seems like some words are missing at the end of a sentence.
I can already see that the contrast of Rarity and Rainbow Dash is going to lead to an interestingly prepared Princess Luna.
7046762 No, that sentence is perfect.
They had a Wonderbolt together!
Good chapter
Edit: Funniness aside, I think Rarity is missing a huge issue. She seems to want Luna to be the perfect princess, but not Luna
.
Nice chapter. I found a small thing you may want to edit.
I suggest changing that to "for".
7188083 Agreed. Rarity really only knows Celestia as the "pleasant-if-distant god-princess of all ponykind", and she's trying to mold Luna into the same "ideal". Still ... if Rarity can teach Luna enough for her to grudgingly tolerate and manipulate the so-called "elite", it will make Luna's life easier in the long-run.
I like how you write Rainbow Dash in this fanfiction. I remember and still afraid of my own future like Rainbow Dash here.
Vinyl Scratch is the Dairy Queen...
A more informal style of leading is most likely the reason the noble court is so inclined to make trouble. A large portion of leading is in having the proper image. If people think that you are weak, they try and undermine you. I know that sounds like an evil 'you don't need friends' speech, but it is possible to be powerful and no nonsense in one setting and to have friends and be close to people in another.
7188083 That is very true, but Rarity is 100% wrong either. A leader does need to present an image that people are willing to follow. The real trick is to find the balance between Dash and Rarity's views.
Owlcity called, he wants his song lyric back....
This is a very interesting argument.
neither side is completely correct, but neither is completely wrong either. Rainbow is right that ponies shouldn't play the game, even with noble intentions, but Rarity is right that regardless, the game exists and ignoring it and not using your influence can in fact be a selfish move in itself.
I'm interested to see how this will be resolved.
Rarity isn't manipulative, not really, but she does kind of tend to coerce Rainbow a lot in this fic, and without thinking about how it might be affecting Rainbow.
As someone who has been on a lot of interviews over the past year but works very close with Human Resources, I can see a correlation between what Dash sees as "Canterlot types" and reality. Anyone who has ever interviewed knows that so many places demand references, and those are all the more important if you're straight out of school without the experience. Then even after the interview, sometimes it seems like one big game where your body language or wearing the wrong socks will immediately disqualify you from consideration. Of course, the whole time, you're silently pleading with them to just give you a chance and you can prove that you are the ideal person for the job. Maybe if you had a Rainbow Dash on your resume, they'd look at you a little differently...
Nice chapter, but I noticed something.
Either that should be something different like "humphed" or "harumphed", or she's doing something that would really get the nobles eyes on her in a bad way.
Well Rarity and Rainbow Dash you both frick up.
2016 elections rub a bit on your process? I know pretty much everyone's HAD it now that it's climaxed.
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Surprisingly, no, that wasn't actually what inspired that exchange between Rarity and Rainbow Dash--though I can see how it comes off in that light.
7705117 that's kinda the thing though, Rarity is incredibly manipulative when her conscience isn't getting in the way. The only thing keeping her from being exactly what she thinks Rainbow is accusing her of is her better nature, and she's both acutely aware of it and clearly very sensitive about it.
I'm glad Luna is having the sense to not fall to either side in exclusion of the other. Better to take both considerations and develop her own opinion.
Or in other words, tell a big enough lie often enough, and people will start to believe it as true. It never leads anywhere good.
That bit aside it seems like Rainbow is going to ask why Celestia chose her, and is unlikely to take an evasive answer as an answer at all.
Seriously deep chapter...
The way Luna and Rarity play off of each other, then Rarity and Fancy Pants, and finally Fancy Pants and Rainbow Dash...
Dash seems to stubbornly want everything to be black and white, right and wrong... because if it is, she can fix it. She can DO. There's worse character flaws to have, and it's enjoyable seeing her struggle with the shades of gray and try to do her best.
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Thank you! Yes, that is part of Rainbow's nature. She's very straightforward. If you're flying at supersonic speed, you better be looking at what's in front of you or you might end up plowing headfirst into a mountain. She has the same approach to life. There are problems that come with that worldview, but there others come with their own too.
The phrase "straight from the horse's mouth" takes a much more negative connotation in this setting...
Trinary, I have no words for how much you made my day! I have been absent from the fandom for some months, and the second I come back you have a new chapter of one of my favourite series ready for me
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Wow, thanks John Snow! Don't let anyone tell you that you know nothing. XD
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Now excuse me, I gotta go back to being stabbed. 
Well, I know awesomeness when I see it
While I do like Fancy Pants in this scene I think Rainbow should have talk to Celestia. Because she knows about high society and keep her sister out of it would have hurt her more. Plus I Celestia should get more one on one time with her student.
Okay, this is good. Even in canon these two don't interact all that much outside of the film noir-style episode.
I love Luna's room. :D
Oh, god. the banter between Dash and Rarity is golden!
Ooh. Both sides scored some major blows, here. Admittedly, I've never seen the Canterlot populace as all that bad. But that's just me. ;)
She's not that bad. ;)
Anyway, very deep and great chapter. Fancy Pants as a former student of Celestia's? Yeah, I can see it. Dash, him, Rarity, Luna, all were great here. Can't wait for the next chapter now that I'm all caught up!
I hope you get back to finish this one...
Seriously i read the entire dash verse(Should comment on the other fics because i need to stress how great they are,but i am a lazy bum...)
In any case this side story was pretty good, and you stopped just after things were getting good too!