Moonside Dreamer's Chronicle

by DistractionDragon

Meeting Gaiety

We got to Canterlot by economy train the morning before the gala, as per budget limitations. We left before the sun was up and arrived at Central Station around noon, after some delays with a very lost manticore on the tracks.

It was my first time in the capital city, and Tea’s second, so I asked her how we should spend the day.

“I want to drop in on Gaiety, since we probably won’t get to see her at the gala.”

Of course we should thank the pony who’d given us the tickets, though it was my understanding that she was moving up in high society and had been too busy to keep up correspondence with Tea Rose. Would we be able to see her on such short notice?

“I intend to try” was Tea’s response, and she led us through the main streets of Canterlot with all the confident familiarity of a resident. She consulted her last letter from Gaiety, which placed her in an apartment on the Castle Boulevard, only a short walk from Central.

“What are the chances she’ll be in?” I asked, my eyes wandering over the spires of the castle we could see from where we were. I couldn’t help myself, in spite of my self-consciousness of looking like a tourist, which I could tell annoyed Tea Rose. There was an awful lot of tourists in town making right foals of themselves. But all the same, it’s hard not to stare the first time.

Tea Rose was much more casual, even impassive. “At least someone there might be able to tell us where she is.”

We arrived at the Castle Heights Apartments without incident, though the building was almost as tall as the castle itself, and Gaiety’s unit was on one of the top floors. Getting up there was a journey in itself.

A tall unicorn unknown to Tea answered the door, which made her visibly nervous. At the sight of his cravat I withdrew a little, wishing I’d dressed myself up a bit more — or at all.

“We’re calling for Gaiety,” Tea explained. “We’re old friends from Manehattan.”

The stallion swept a critical eye over the pair of us, that lingered on me. I’d actually never met Gaiety. He looked skeptical that I even came from Manehattan, and I didn’t blame him.

“I’m Tea Rose Treat, and this is Moonside Dreamer.” Now she hesitated. “Is, uh, Gaiety about?”

“She’s at a private get-together at the west castle courtyard while they set up for the gala.”

Tea swallowed whatever she was going to say next. Instead, I spoke up. “D’you think there’s any chance we could see her?”

He rolled his eyes.

“It would mean a lot to us,” I pressed.

“I can get you in,” he sighed finally. “I was thinking of heading down anyway.”

He walked us to the castle grounds, and Tea had to push him for his name.

“Doublet,” he said shortly. It was clear that he wasn’t keen to make conversation. We reached our destination soon enough, anyway.

Tea’s eyes darted over the courtyard in search of Gaiety. I didn’t know what to look for, but the ponies gathered on the lawn before us weren’t many, so I was surprised that Tea didn’t spot her.

A serious-looking guard was posted to manage the riffraff, and Doublet approached him. “These ponies are with me,” he yawned, and sauntered off towards a cluster of unicorns before the guard could get the wrong idea about the nature of our acquaintanceship.

Tea trotted quietly over to the long buffet table set up at the far end of the courtyard, and I followed after her, doing my best to imitate her practiced look of nonchalance in front of all the fancy ponies. Those who acknowledged our presence looked at us as one regards a badly bruised apple.

I picked us a couple of strawberry fritters with my horn and we nibbled them timidly while Tea kept looking around for Gaiety.

“Is that guy actually a friend of Gaiety?”

Tea Rose shushed me with a hiss. “Focus. Looking for a pony with a popping champagne bottle for a cutie mark.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “And stop wrinkling your nose, you look like you smell dragon dung.”

With an effort I unwrinkled my nose, but to be fair, the fancy ponies present had already made it clear that they weren’t above nose-wrinkling. I turned my gaze back to the buffet table.

“There!” Tea Rose cried out triumphantly, and I turned in the direction she indicated to see a delicate young mare with a peachy tan coat, a froth-colored mane and a smart little saddle-skirt stepping out from a castle room across the lawn.

Tea Rose cantered to the spot, I still following after her, and at the sight of her old friend, Gaiety cut short her conversation with a ringlet-maned mare and greeted Tea with a warm nuzzle.

“I’m glad I found you,” said Tea. “It’s been so long. You’ve got to come back to Manehattan sometimes.”

Gaiety smiled, looking uncomfortable. She looked at me.

“Oh, Gaiety, this is my friend Moonside Dreamer.”

“Call me Moon,” I said.

“Pleasure to meet you,” said Gaiety, turning back to Tea Rose. “Let’s go talk somewhere more chilled. I know a great place for tea and cakes.”

The ringlet-mane mare pushed in next to her. “You’ll be back in time to prepare for the grand entrance, right?”

“Of course, Frip, I won’t be long,” she answered, and the mare trotted off looking satisfied. “I’m a bit rushed, guys,” she said to us, “but I’m not gonna miss this chance to catch up.”

It was obvious that she was a respected pony as we again walked the streets. Every attempt Tea made at starting conversation was cut off by somepony on the street going out of their way to extend Gaiety a loud greeting, and Gaiety politely answering each one in kind.

Tea Rose finally got her chance in the relative quiet of the tea shop. “I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you, which is ridiculous. To come all the way to Canterlot and not see you.” She blushed awkwardly and tried to hide it behind the dessert menu.

“But I can see how it wasn’t unfounded,” I cut in. “Tea Rose told me you’d made a splash in Canterlot, but I wasn’t expecting this. You really made the scene around here.”

“Oh, everyone makes a fuss this time of year,” Gaiety said with a wave of her hoof. “There’s a kind of paranoia around the gala these days. No one really knows how to act.”

There was a pause as we received our drinks, eventually broken by Tea Rose. “You’re not going to have a spare moment at the gala, are you,” she said, answering her own question. “I miss hanging out like old times.”

Gaiety nudged the subject in a different direction. “How is the old gang?”

“It isn’t,” sighed Tea. “It’s not the same without you. We all pretty much fell out after you left.”

Gaiety sipped her chamomile blend without comment, though looking increasingly melancholy.

“So your new crowd keep you plenty busy, huh?”

Gaiety nodded at Tea. I was surprised now that this was really Gaiety, the social hub, the life-of-the-party Tea Rose had described to me. Right now she was so… subdued.

“We met Doublet,” Tea said suddenly. “He shares your apartment?” Now she wrinkled her nose.

“He’s a friend of Frippery,” said Gaiety. “He had a spare room when I needed one. Personally, I—”

“Gai-e-ty,” sounded a syrupy drawl from behind us. We turned to see a tall, overdressed mare smiling too widely over our heads to Gaiety.

“Hello, Pirouette,” said Gaiety, barely masking the note of boredom in her voice.

“I’m just heading over to that little pre-gala bash in the courtyard,” she said without a pause in her smile. “Were you going to make an appearance? Would you like to come along with me?”

“Actually, I’m here with some friends right now,” Gaiety said bluntly. “You go along without me.”

“Oh, I see,” said Pirouette, still not looking at either Tea Rose or myself. “And is that what you’re wearing to the gala?” She move closer to Gaiety, the better to admire her outfit.

Gaiety shrugged away from her, but said gently, “Of course not, I’m changing it when I get the chance before the grand entrance.” She picked up the pace, speaking too fast to be argued with. “I’m really pressed for time though and I wanted to see my friends from out of town while I have the chance, so I’m very sorry. Nice seeing you.”

At this, Pirouette excused herself and slunk away, and Gaiety went back to her tea.

“So, what are you wearing to the gala?” Tea Rose asked.

“It’s a new gown by…” She trailed off. Her face fell. “Ce— Celestia,” she cursed. “I didn’t pick it up this morning. It’s still…” She backed up from the table with a jerk, bumping into somepony behind her. She tossed her head as if pestered by flies. “I’ll barely make it if I go now,” she moaned. “I’m really sorry, Tea. It was lovely to meet you, Moon— I’ve gotta dash.”

She left some bits on the table for her tea, and she was off at a canter before either of us could say anything.

I looked at her teacup, still half full. “I didn’t get to thank her for the tickets.”