Well...
"I really must thank you for letting me tag along!", Rarity said, barely containing a wide smile.
Beside her, Fancy Pants chuckled lightly, readjusting his monocle. "Oh, it is perfectly fine. After all that happened with Jet set, Upper Crust, and that Garden Party, I think just something simple and relaxing would be fine."
"Well, not all the way, dear", Fleur cut in.
Rarity stopped, followed shortly by her companions. "I'm sorry? What do you mean?"
"Ah, right", Fancy said. "Well, it's not actually our box we'll be seeing the opera in."
"It's not?", Rarity asked.
"Non", Fleur said, before casting her gaze over to a nearby clocktower. "Perhaps we should keep moving. The opera will be starting soon."
Rarity nodded, resuming her pace alongside the two of them. "Well, if it's not your box, then whose is it?"
"Why, it belongs to none other than Baroness Silver Rush", he said, before widening his eyes slightly and looking at her. "You, have heard of her, haven't you?"
Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin, not an easy task considering that she was also walking. After a moment, she said, "No, I don't think I have. Would you mind giving me the scoop, as it were."
"Hold on. We're here. I'll tell you inside", Fancy said.
Rounding the corner of the block, Rarity was greeted by a large and fancily decorated entrance. A swirling golden doorframe covered the outside of the entrance, a red silk overhang covering the entire front of the Operahouse. A pair of well-built stallions in suits stood outside, checking tickets of the equally if not better-dressed guests. A white sign showed the list of shows that would be shown in the near future, along with some for the show they were seeing, C.S Pinafore.
The three of them arrived at the door, being confronted by one of the stallions. "Tickets, please."
Fancy pulled the trio of small paper slips from his jacket's pocket and levitated them over to him. "Here you are."
The stallion checked them over, both physically and using a spell to comb over it. "All set, Viscount. Enjoy yourself."
"Thank you", Fancy said. "Oh, and, one more thing. Is Baroness Silver Rush here yet?"
"Yes, Viscount. Up in her box. You know where that is, right?", the stallion said.
"Yes, thank you", Fancy said. "Come, come. The Baroness isn't the most patient mare."
As the trio entered into the lobby, which was just as lavish and well-decorated as the outside, Rarity couldn't help but wonder about what Fancy had said about this Silver Rush. She asked, "So, what sort of mare the Baroness?"
"Well...", Fancy said, before stopping. "Eh, Fleur, dear? You've had more interactions with her than I have. Perhaps you would be better suited to explain?"
"Of course", she said. "Well, I do know her better, true. But, in truth, I have only met her... oh, three times."
"Only three?", Rarity asked.
Fleur nodded. "Indeed. She is something of a... a recluse. She rarely visits Canterlot, and only ever really on familial business. I think, in fact, that the only pony who's had more interactions with her than me would be the Royalty themselves."
"Well, what do you know of her from your own interactions?", Rarity asked, growing more intrigued even as they arrived on the second floor.
"She is certainly an interesting mare", Fleur said, tilting her head back in thought. "I suppose the best way for you to figure it out would be to talk to her. We do have a good ten minutes to the start of the opera."
Rarity nodded, turning her gaze away from her friend and to her front. Her mind raced, considering possibilities and potential personalities of the Baroness. She also considered the potential of working something out with her. If she could sell a dress to her, it would certainly be a big potential boost to her business.
Up ahead, she spotted a pair of griffons, one male, and one female. Both wore, surprisingly enough, armor; a polished steel breastplate over a faded blue and red-trimmed jacket, along with a silver helmet with a large red plume. On the front of the helmets, inlaid in bronze, was a crest: Two lightning bolts coming together, the tips connecting at the base of a spear. A sheathed sword rested at the side of each. Gold decals covered the armor, helmets, and scabbards, giving them an appearance resembling statues at museums as opposed to the servants she assumed they were.
The male spotted the trio of them, his beak sliding up a little to form what Rarity assumed was a smile. "Hallo, Viscount."
"Hello, Garan", Fancy Pants said in reply. "I take it the Baroness is inside?"
"Jawhol", he said. He turned behind him, lifting up the flap door. "Baroness. The Viscount and his guests are here."
"Got it. Thank you", A highly accented voice replied.
The three of them entered the box, another mare, this one a pegasus, standing up as they did. Rarity had to admit that she was stunning. She had a dark blue coat, well-groomed and immaculately kept. Her mane was a deep silver, true to her name, pulled into a braid that formed a circlet around her ears before falling down to rest on her shoulder. She wore a simple black and red dress, yet made it look just as classy as any of the dresses Rarity had made for the Gala. Her form was graceful and subtle, yet at the same time appeared to be well-muscled and toned.
The only thing that somewhat ruined the look was her face. It was pretty, no doubt about it, but it wasn't it. Her face had a certain degree of coltishness to it, as well as lacking any makeup. There was also something vaguely familiar about it, especially in her dark cerise eyes.
"Good to see you again, Viscount", Silver Rush said, holding out a hoof to Fancy, who took it.
"You too, Silver", Fancy said. "You remember Fleur, of course."
"Naturally", Silver Rush said, turning her attention to the Prench unicorn. After exchanging another hoof shake with her, Silver Rush finally turned her attention to Rarity.
Rarity noted that, for seemingly just a second, a small sign of panic appeared in the Baroness's eyes. It was quickly hidden, however, replaced by a warm smile and an extended hoof. "You must be this Rarity I have heard so much about. You've made quite the splash in the world of the Aristocracy."
"Oh, thank you", Rarity said, her curiosity outweighed by her giddiness once again. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Baroness."
"The pleasure is all mine", Silver said, smiling. Again, there was something about it that attempted to jog Rarity's memory. Before she could continue, Silver gestured to the four seats in the box. "Well, have a seat. I have sent Gabriel off to fetch some refreshments, but I see no reason why we can't simply relax and wait for the start of the Opera until then."
"Agreed", Fancy Pants said, taking a seat in one of the seats. Fleur sat down next to him, leaving the only seat open next to the Baroness.
Rarity sat down, once again noting the concerned look that Silver Rush sent her. "Is something wrong, darling?", she asked.
"Nein", Silver Rush said, before clearing her throat. "I mean, no. Nothing is wrong."
"Ooook", Rarity said, before deciding to drop the subject. Instead, she settled on the topic that had initially drawn her interest. "So. Fleur told me that you are something of an enigma among the Canterlot elite?"
"I suppose that I would be", Silver Rush said, growing a bit more relaxed. "I'm not in this city often. Between you and me, I prefer the open air of the family estate. Not that Canterlot isn't nice, mind you. But, it's just not for me."
"Open, you say?", Rarity asked.
"Yes", Silver said, sighing contentedly. "While I am able to enjoy myself at them, I've never really had a love for formal events and garden parties and the like. Besides, the aristocrats here are a bit... stuffy, for lack of a better term. Give me the local burgesses any day."
"Burgess?", Rarity asked. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the term."
"It's the rough equivalent of a Mayor. They have a bit more authority than that, but it's the closest in rank I assume you would get", Silver Rush said. "It's a holdover from the days of my Family's forebearers. From the tradition of Commanders and Captains in the Pegasoplian Army."
"You're a descendant of Pegasi aristocrats?", Rarity asked, the concept strangely foreign to her.
Silver shot her a look of minor annoyance. "Not per se", she said. "Pegasi didn't have any formal aristocracy, as the unicorns under Platinium had. Over time, though, many of the military positions became formalized further and further, eventually falling into nepotism. After the creation of the Royal Army and the establishment of the Diarchy, the positions became ceremonial titles only. Gradually, it shifted from Commander and Captain in areas that these families held sway in, to Baron and Burgess. Hence, why most nobles are unicorns, and there are barely any Earth ponies."
Rarity blinked, before grinning sheepishly. "R-right. I, I knew some of that, of course-"
"There is no need to be untruthful", Silver Rush said. "It's somewhat obscure, and I'll admit I only know it because it is directly tied to my family's history."
"I see", Rarity said.
Behind them, another griffon entered. Unlike the others, this one wasn't wearing armor, but instead, the coat that the others seemed to be wearing under said armor. Getting a better look at it showed that, underneath the coat, was a black waistcoat with red trim, white undershirt, and a black cravat. A pocket watch hung from the waistcoat pocket, and he held a bottle of wine in his talons. "Ich brachte den Wein wie gewünscht, Baronin*", he said.
"Danke, Gabriel. Gießen Sie uns ein paar Gläser, oder?**", Silver Rush asked.
As the griffon went off to go perform his requested actions, Rarity asked, "Is that Germane?"
"He he. Ja", Silver Rush said. "My family's land is right on the border with Germaney, and most of the help hail from that fine country."
Any further conversation was halted as the music in the pit below sparked to life. The lights dimmed, and the curtain pulled back to signal the start of the production.
+++++~+++++
The remainder of the evening progressed more or less uneventfully. Rarity had to admit, this particular show was quite good, and the Baroness agreed with her. The wine was excellent, and the two of them talked in hushed tones in between scenes or during the intermission.
The opera was drawing to a close. Suddenly, the unarmored griffon that Rarity recalled was named Gabriel came up beside Silver Rush and whispered something in her ear. The Baroness nodded, let out a sigh, and stood up. She said. "I must apologize, my friends. However, Gabriel here just reminded me of some urgent business I need to take care of. I must go. You have the use of my box for the rest of the night, and Garan and Greta shall escort you back to where you are staying. Goodnight."
With that she and the other griffon trotted off, heading around the upper ring that connected the boxes. True to her word, the two armored griffons remained outside.
Another few minutes passed, and Rarity suddenly felt the wine coming back up. She stood up, pushing past the other two seats, whispering, "Sorry, but I need to visit the little fillies room." She then passed the two guards and raced down the hall, heading towards where she had remembered seeing a bathroom sign.
She sighed in relief as she spotted it, before opening the door and heading for one of the stalls. She slid inside and relieved herself, much to her satisfaction. She flushed and opened the stall, ready to wash her hooves. She stopped midstride by the other pony in the bathroom with her.
It was Rainbow Dash! Her athletic friend had a large duffle bag slung over her side, the strap resting between her wings. Rarity's brain short-circuited, and Rainbow seemingly had the same reaction.
"What are you doing here!?", Rainbow hissed, casting a look over her shoulder.
"Darling, I could ask you the same thing", Rarity said. "How did you get in? Why are you even-" She stopped herself when she noticed something. On the front of the duffle bag was a small patch, displaying the same symbol as on the Guards helmets. "Wait... why do you have a bag with the Baroness's crest on it?"
Rainbow once again sputtered, before once again casting her gaze over her shoulder. "I-I, I... Look, now is not the time and place for this. I REALLY don't want to get seen here."
"What are you talking about? I have so many questions, darling... Wait", Rarity said, the pieces falling together in her head like... well, like the pieces of a puzzle. "You're here. You have a duffle bag with Baroness Silver Rush's sigil on it. And she left a few minutes ago. So that means... oh. My. Celestia. Are you-?"
"Yes, my real name's Silver Rush", Rainbows hissed, getting closer. "Tell anyone, and I'll Rainboom you right into a Dragon's den."
Rarity raised her hoof up, going through the motions as she said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
Rainbow backed up and sighed, looking much more relaxed. "Ok. Thanks, Rares."
"Don't think you're getting off scot-free", Rarity said. "You owe me an explanation."
"I expected as much", Rainbow said sullenly. "Ok. I'll send Gabe and a few others to take you to my place tomorrow at about eleven, ok?"
"Darling, I know where you live", Rarity said.
"Not my Ponyville house", Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her hoof anxiously. "M-my, uh... my family house. My mansion. In the meantime, don't say anything about this to ANYPONY. Please?"
"Got it. See you tomorrow then", Rarity said.
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, you too, Rares", she said, making her way to the large window on the other end of the bathroom. She opened it and slipped outside the building, taking off at full speed into the night. Rarity just nodded to herself and left the restroom, questions swirling around in her head. One thing was certain, though.
Tomorrow was going to be very, very interesting.
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... You were obviously high as buck if you ever thought this could ever be a thing in the Prime Universe. It's an AU helps. But I wanna know how or why you'd think this could be a thing.
10227510
Have you seen Rainbow's house?
Besides, I said it was BASED on my old headcanon. Not exactly the same thing as what I initially envisioned.
Always thought Rainbows family should have been super rich because look at her house! She has to have high pay to have that kind of home when her parents lives in a nice little house
10227530
I'll buy it, that's a magnificent piece of work right there, probably takes constant maintenance. And those fountains, aiet, that's got to be pricy.
HMS could still work in the context of Equestria, HMS can stand both for Her Majesty’s Ship, or His Majesty’s Ship. Though in a world dominated by Celestia for a thousand years, I could definitely see C.S becoming the trend on naming ships.
Nice Worldbuilding
The German part sounded weird. I guess you used google translate or learned it as a second language.
"Ich brachte den Wein wie gewünscht, Baronin." would be a literal translation. Doesn't really work though. When anouncing something like that, we wouldn't use past tense for brought. That would imply that the task is already fullfilled and the "servant" talked to sombody after that and told them they had brought the wine to her and left. Also we'd rather say "as you requested" instead of "as requested". Lastly it sounds unfamilliar, simply adding "baroness" at the end. "Madame" , "Frau Baronin" or "meine Dame" would sound better imo and i would put in at the beginning as a meaning of adressing someone.
"(Bitteschön,) Frau Baronin. Hier ist der Wein, nach dem Sie gefragt hatten." The "Bitteschön" would make it sound even nicer but is not needed.
For the second Sentence the word "gießen" is only used for watering flowers and such. To pour a glas would be "einschenken". Also the "oder" or "would't you" doesnt make sense in the context, neither as a request nor as an order. Its mostly used for assumptions when inquiring about something.
"Danke Gabriel. Würden Sie uns bitte ein paar Gälser einschenken?" for a more friendly sounding request. or
"Danke Gabriel. Dann schenken Sie uns (bitte) ein paar Gläser ein" as an order for a servant but, again, the "bitte" makes it sound a little nicer.
Small nitpick: "Jawohl" translaters closer to "Very well". "Ja" is a confirmation.
Wonderful, simply wonderful.
10227886
Also its pronounce "jawohl"
I really want to read this piece, because the premise sounds super interesting, but I can't get over the incorrect quotation grammar. You don't ever put additional punctuation after the closing quotation mark.
Places like this, omit the comma. The exclamation point is sufficient.
In quotes like this, the comma should go before the closing quotation.
Please fix these, it's super jarring.
10227856
I am a native german speaker and i can say that this is completely the german way of saying it but i can understand that it being a direct translation makes you wonder if it is right, i would question it as well.
Hm... I was thinking more that RD would have been the daughter of the Baroness and not the Baroness herself, this stretches the credibility quite a bit.
Rainbow Dash wearing a silver wig and going undercover with a Germane accent... this wouldn't happen to be inspired by Photo Dash, would it? Not that it isn't a good story in its own right, I'm just curious.
10227549
10227691
I think cloud-housing is more a matter of skill and motivation than it is of money, especially since Rainbow has a direct line to the weather factory and she can sculpt a moderately elaborate cloud ramp in seconds. Not that it couldn't still be inspired by how she grew up.
(One minor headcanon I have is that liquid rainbow needs to be kept in motion to keep it fresh, so those fountains are actually part of Ponyville's official weather office rainbow storage)
I’m into it but the reveal kinda lacked energy to me. Still the story flows
You spelt Germany wrong and I hate it
10283166
I know It's spelled wrong. It's a horse pun. Ger-mane-y. Get it?
10231113 I have to agree with him. Rarity's reaction felt very mild, considering the situation.
Still, it was nice. I remember Rainbow said 'Gesundheid' right before she raced two possible pets. Is that what inspired this story?