An Inside Tour of Canterlot
Twilight took us to a quaint outdoor restaurant overlooking the main street. I settled for a big bowl of tomato soup with basil, with extra bread. Somehow, wearing my big, fancy top hat gave me a heightened sense in my need to eat in a refined and mannerly way. I took careful sips, occasionally dunking my bread in the soup before biting into it. Twilight ate similarly, but Rainbow Dash didn’t possess as many scruples. Honestly, the way she ate her flower sandwich, it was almost like Pinkie Pie had come with us. I was painfully conscious of several posh ponies looking at us, most likely from Rainbow’s loud eating, though I’m still sure I stuck out like a sore thumb, so really, it could have been either of us.
“Rainbow?” I muttered. “Don’t you think you ought to ease up? Ponies are staring.”
“Ffo wuh?” said Rainbow, her mouth full of flower petals and bread. Twilight and I shared a look of disgust with each other. Rainbow swallowed. “Just cuz I’m in Canterlot, doesn’t mean I gotta act all snooty and uptight. We’re here to unwind while you have your meeting with the princess.”
“That’s still no excuse to behave like that in public,” chided Twilight. “Honestly, Rainbow, you’re behaving like Pinkie Pie.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” I said.
“Aww, sheesh, don’t tell me you guys are gonna gang up on me,” groaned Rainbow. She sighed. “Fine, I’ll ease up. Just trying to have a little fun, is all…”
“Fun’s fun, Rainbow,” said Twilight, “but there’s a difference between having fun and just being obnoxious.”
Rainbow blew a raspberry. “Obnoxious? Me? Good one, Twi.”
She thought she was kidding?…
“Pardon me, my good fellow.”
I looked up. Standing by our table was a tall unicorn stallion, white with a neatly combed blue mane and a thin moustache. He wore a fancy black tuxedo jacket as well as a monocle.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, sir? I hope we weren’t disturbing you.”
“Not at all,” said the unicorn. “I was merely passing by when I spotted you. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone quite like you around here. What do you call yourself?”
“Oh! Well, I’m a human, sir.”
“A human?...Most intriguing. I’m not entirely familiar with the lore of your species, understand, so I do hope you’ll forgive my skepticism.”
“Of course.”
“It wasn’t just that, however. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but I felt as if I’d met your companions before. And as I came over, that’s when it hit me. You must be acquainted with Miss Rarity, are you not?”
This guy knew Rarity?
“Why, yes. Are you a friend of hers?”
“Certainly. She was quite the lively attendee of several Canterlot social functions. I’d even go so far as to say the city fits her like a glove.”
“Heh, yeah, I can see that.”
“In any case, during the Canterlot Garden Party, I had the distinct fortune of being introduced to her charming friends, two of which I see seated next to you.”
“Ah! You two know this gentleman?” I asked, looking at Twilight and Rainbow.
“I do recognize you!” said Twilight. “You’re the stallion who complimented my birthday dress!”
“And you are the spirited young mare who livened up the dance floor,” said the stallion, chuckling. He turned to Rainbow. “And, if I recall correctly, you’re the young lady who created quite a scene at the croquet game.”
“That’s me!” said Rainbow, proudly.
“You play croquet?” I asked the pegasus, in surprise.
“Sure!…Just, not very well,” she added, with an embarrassed grin.
“Any friend of Miss Rarity’s is welcome in my book,” the stallion went on. “My name is Fancypants. I don’t wish to brag, but I’m something of a VIP in Canterlot.”
“A VIP? As in ‘Very Important Pony’?” I ventured.
“Ah! You’re a sharp lad!” said Fancypants. “Now, what do you call yourself?”
“Dave, sir.”
“Dave…Very good. As I said, I’m not sure if Canterlot has seen many, if any, humans in the past, but if it has, I hope they had as much sense of fine fashion as you do.”
“Huh?”
I looked up at my hat.
“Oh, this? It’s part of a gift from Rarity, actually.”
“I should have known!” said Fancypants, jovially. “Something about that hat of yours suggested something of Miss Rarity to me. Must have been the phoenix feather. Regrettably, none of the Canterlot boutiques use phoenix feathers in their designs. I daresay a good fiery feather adds a certain flair, don’t you agree?”
“Uh…yes, sir.”
“Splendid. Well, I’ll let you return to your meal. It was pleasant meeting you, dear boy, and lovely to see you young ladies again. Cheerio!”
And Fancypants took himself off, allowing me the chance to see his cutie mark: three gold crowns.
“Wow. He’s a really nice guy,” I said.
“Rarity has a lot of good to say about Fancypants,” said Twilight. “He’s one of her closest contacts outside of Ponyville. She says his opinion is like law within Canterlot.”
“Yeah!” said Rainbow. “So if he likes you, everypony else is bound to, cuz no one disagrees with Fancypants!”
“Wow. Sounds like he has a lot of influence. Maybe Canterlot’s going to be a lot more interesting than I imagined.”
“Just you wait, Dave,” said Twilight, as I resumed my soup. “We’re only just starting.”
***
Indeed we were. As soon as we had finished eating and had paid for our meal, Twilight took the two of us around the royal city, pointing out nearly every store and establishment as if it were a historic landmark. She knew Canterlot like the back of her hoof, having wandered its streets even as a little filly, often under the supervision of her foalsitter, Cadence. That, and, she admitted, she also studied a city planning guide while going back and forth from the library. Probably what I would have done.
Over yonder, for example, was Mareshall Field and Co., an internationally-renowned department store. Beyond that was Le Roche’s, a boutique like Rarity’s, though it didn’t possess quite the same friendly charm that my unicorn friend’s establishment did. Past that was Primp and Trim ( a mane-stylist’s), the Cantante Cavallo opera house, Knicks & Knacks (an antique shop), the Leoneighdo art gallery, the Celestia Royal Theater, and so, so much more.
And the restaurants? Hoo boy! That little café that we ate at, Caesar’s, was only the beginning. There was the Diamond Trough, Chateau Chevalin, Little Romero’s Neightalian, the Gilded Horseshoe…the list could just go on and on…
What Twilight was most proud of, however, was a building just off of Canterlot Park, which appeared to be connected to the castle. According to her, this place housed the Canterlot Archives, a collection of ancient scrolls and documents by the most learned and prestigious minds in Equestrian history. Star Swirl the Bearded apparently had a whole wing dedicated to his spell work, which amounted to over 200 spells. I had to say, it was kind of cute how Twilight’s eyes would light up every time she mentioned Star Swirl the Bearded. Something told me she was a little fan girl-ish over this guy.
Rainbow, however, was impatient for Twilight to finish her spiel, as she had a specific place in mind for me. As soon as Twilight had finished gushing over the many spells Star Swirl had created, which included time spells, transfiguration, duplication, and age spells, the sporty pegasus dragged us off to a building that would have been impossible to miss, with its bright blue coloring with yellow accents, marked above the door with an emblem resembling a winged lightning bolt. The sign read ‘Wonderbolt Memorabilia’.
“Ahh, yes,” I said. “You said this place had just opened.”
I looked at Rainbow Dash, who had the most gleeful smile on her face, as if it was her birthday.
“Can we go in, Twi?” she asked, like a kid in front of a toy store. “Can we-can we-can we?”
“Of course, Rainbow,” said Twilight, amused. “This is your special treat for this trip.”
“Yes! Come on, Dave!”
Without further ado, she dragged me inside, through the electronic doors.
The inside was decorated much the same as the outside, the same color and motif plastered all over, and was crammed with other ponies. There were racks of flying suits, T-shirts, caps, goggles, every wearable imaginable suited for fan-basing something internationally popular. There were also coffee mugs, snow globes, ornaments, plastic and porcelain figurines, even plush toys. One corner was dedicated to things to spruce up the home Wonderbolt-style: rugs, bed sheets, pillows, bathmats, and, of course, posters. Some were group shots of the team, while others showcased some individually. Rainbow Dash pointed out two of these for me to pay especial attention to.
“Every Wonderbolt is a valuable asset to the whole crew,” she told me, “but these two make everything possible. I want their images burned in your memory until the day you die, Dave.”
“…Very grim, but all right.”
“That right there is Soarin,” she went on, pointing out a pegasus stallion, bluish white with a dark blue mane and tail. “He’s one of the highest-ranking members, and for good reason. But the one on top of it all is that mare right there.”
The one she pointed out was yellow with a fiery orange mane and tail.
“Spitfire,” she said, reverently. “The Captain of the Wonderbolts. An inspiration to young fliers everywhere!”
“She certainly has the ‘fire’ part of her name down pat,” I remarked.
Rainbow didn’t seem to hear me. She was gazing around her at the scads and scads of Wonderbolt merchandise she was surrounded in. I looked at Twilight, who was looking very amused at Rainbow’s filly-like behavior.
“Boy, Rainbow,” I said, “you really admire these ponies, don’t you?”
“Admire them?” asked Rainbow, looking at me. “It’s only been my lifelong dream to be one of them! The only dream I’ve had second to that is chugging an entire barrel of cider without throwing up! Tell me that’s not going for the gold, I dare you!”
“Oh, no, no, that’s definitely going for the gold. The thing is, have you ever even applied?”
“It’s not that easy,” said Rainbow. “You have to pass the Wonderbolt Academy before you can even be considered.”
“Wow. Sounds rigorous.”
“Only the best fliers ever join.”
“And aren’t you the best?” I asked, with a smile.
“Of course I am! Just you wait. They’ll ask me to join on the first day!”
“Oh, definitely.”
“Are you two just going to obsess over posters, or did you plan on buying something?” asked Twilight.
“I’d buy the whole store if I could,” said Rainbow, dreamily. Then, she said, in a more business-like tone, “Come on, Dave, let’s pick you out something. Maybe a poster for your new house, when you get it, or a Wonderbolt T-Shirt!”
In the end, I ended up with a big team poster of the Wonderbolts and a T-Shirt with the Wonderbolt insignia on the chest, all costing 20 bits. Rainbow paid for her own pile of trinkets, and we left the shop with the pegasus sporting bulging bags slung across her back.
“Thanks for bringing me, Rainbow,” I said. “I’m gonna need to check out these Wonderbolts for myself one of these days.”
“Well, when one of their air shows pops up, I’ll definitely try to bring you! They perform for grounded audiences, so it’ll be perfect!”
“Sweet!”
I glanced at my watch, and was surprised to find that it was already past 5.
“Whoa, is it nearly sundown already?” I asked. “No wonder my feet are killing me. We’ve been out and about all afternoon. But it was definitely worth it!” I added, hastily, to Twilight.
“Don’t worry, Dave, I get it,” said Twilight. “Let’s go grab some dinner and head back to our suites. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Boy, do I,” I muttered. “Walking about nearly made me forget I have a meeting with royalty.”
“Relax, you’re going to be fine,” said Twilight. “Celestia will really like you.”
“I hope so…”
“Come on, guys, let’s quit talking and get walking!” said Rainbow, a little snappishly. “These bags aren’t getting any lighter, you know!”
“Well, whose fault is that for splurging?” asked Twilight.
“It’s my bits to use as I want!” retorted Rainbow, as we set off back down the street.
***
After dinner, we returned to the castle to go back to our suites. Twilight wished us a warm ‘good night’ as we left her to her own room. Rainbow Dash plopped her bags next to her bed and flopped down onto it, nursing her stomach with one hoof.
“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing,” she groaned.
“No kidding,” I said, taking my shoes off. “I had my doubts when you ordered a whole garlic and calla lily pizza for yourself. You should have stuck to the cheese lasagna, like me.”
“They never tell ya how big they make them,” she retorted. “It’s their fault!”
“Of course, Rainbow, of course,” I said, humoring her.
I grabbed my bedclothes and toiletries, went into the bathroom, changed and brushed my teeth. Then, finally able to sink down onto the soft mattress, I plucked out the Daring Do book from one of my bags and set to reading where I’d left off.
Daring had been taken into another tribal chamber, roped to a stone slab by Ahuizotl. A flip of a lever, and the crooked villain left the pegasus to her doom. Now, spiked walls closing in were bad enough, but apparently this jack-wagon wanted to go all out. The spikes on the walls were crawling with spiders, cobras started slithering out of the mouth of a tribal statue, and to make matter worse, quicksand began filling up the place. Daring was well and truly doomed…
Or was she?
The section detailing her imprisonment as all these dangers surrounded her was quite lengthy and astonishingly descriptive, but it also remembered to detail the fact that the young Miss Do had a mind like a steel trap. Luckily, she had managed to knock her hat off onto her stomach. Without further thought, out of desperation, she stretched it taught with her teeth from her hoof, and let it fly, resulting in a series of precise ricochets that would have made Basil of Baker Street envious. Just as it looked like Daring was going to drown in the sand, her hat knocked the lever back up, reversing the trap and freeing her. To her, it was just another day and another dungeon. God, that was cool.
Ahuizotl, meanwhile, was one smug snake (er, dog-ape-thing). He was confident in having done in Daring, and she was no longer in his way to stop him. While he ranted on how awesome he was, Daring swept past and snagged the Sapphire Stone right out of the hand he had on his tail (yeah, he has one of those. Figure that out, Darwin), bidding him a mocking farewell and leaving him to curse her name and bemoan his loss. With the Sapphire Stone recovered, the world was safe once again, thanks to Daring Do…
“Isn’t it great?”
I jumped, startled. Rainbow Dash had floated right up beside me as I was reading, and was grinning at me.
“Yeah, it really is,” I said. “Very gripping and action-packed. I can’t wait to see what comes after.”
“Oh, you’ll love it! Daring Do and the Griffin’s Goblet! Easily one of the best of the series.”
“Is that something you say about every installment?” I asked, wryly.
“Maaaaybe,” said Rainbow, teasingly.
“Well, I think that’s enough for tonight,” I said, putting the book away. “I. Am. Beat.”
“You and me both, big guy,” said Rainbow, stretching and yawning.
“Listen,” I added, in a humbler tone, “thanks for coming along. I certainly didn’t want to come alone, and Twilight’s great company, but it would have been great to have everypony else with me. You would have made this really fun, and so far, you have. I know I sounded disgusted about your eating at lunch, but to be honest, I wanted to laugh. You’re on par with Pinkie in making me smile.”
Rainbow’s face split into a warm grin.
“Thanks, bud. You’re a real softie, you know that? But you’re all right. You’re gonna do good tomorrow.”
She threw a foreleg around my shoulders and pressed her cheek against mine.
“Sleep tight, big guy.”
“Good night, Rainbow.”
She flew back to her bed and nestled under the covers, both of us turning out the lights on our sides. With the moon providing the only luminescence in the room, I soon sank into a deep slumber, dreaming about Wonderbolts…
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Fantastic! 2 updates in one week, too! I can't wait for the next chapter!
OMG PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPLOAD THE NEXT CHAPTERRRRR... PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, this was surprisingly fast...
New Chapter... Already? That was quick! Lol
Hahahahahah!
It seems that Rainbow really pounded these guys into his subconscious!
Calla lily pizza? Yikes. I know, fanfic and all, but calla lilies are poisonous to animals, most notably cats, dogs, and horses.
this needs to be a spin-off Fuck equestria girls
2413485
Though Pinkie ate one in A Friend in Deed.
2730267 Amen to that, bro.
Rainbowdash, you sappy silly filly.