A City's Understanding

"Rarity, my dear, where would the red silk be?"

"Mother, the red silk is actually behind you, on the counter."

Mother turned around in a swift and precise motion. A motion I was well accustomed to. With the little complication out of the way. Mother could resume her work on the woman's dress. I returned to my present chore. The chore was the sorting out of different fabric. I sighed as the shelves for the fabric were less than neat. To be truthful, most of them were in shambles. We had frequently made reminders to repair them, but have never got around to it. Being a seamstress did not always give one a decent earning. And with the forgetting customers of nobility, payment was not sure to be delivered. Father was the one who earned most of our money anyway. I held a roll of Imperial lavender silk. The Belle family was fortunate enough to be able to afford silk from the Crystal Empire. Although Equestria had such silk, the Imperial silk was much, much finer. This was because the Crystal Empire had a similar climate to that of the East Empires. I held the silk gently; I did not want to ruin such a divine fabric. The jagged wood of the shelves made me groan internally. One touch could devastate the precious fabric's perfection. I placed the silk down on the wooden work table beside me. I took care not to jab my finger on the sowing machine that resting on the table. I carefully picked up a blue Equestrian silk. It was of less worth and I placed it on the splintered shelf. I did this also with another cheap silk. I then finalized my work by placing the Imperial silk safely on top of them.

"How are the dresses going?"

I looked at the doorway of our workroom. My father smiled lovingly back at Mother and me. Father had been working hard with the neighbor's gardens, thus his sleeves were spotted with dirt. He was not a gardener by trade, but a banker. He enjoyed helping the community and forming friendly relations to those who lived in our Delta District of West Canterlotia. I was fortunate to be of higher class and not of the middle-class and below, who worked day and night in the factories (Oh, the awful smoke that emitted from such places.), and this allowed us to have such kind neighbors around us.  He was about to step in the room, but Mother waved a hand at him. I silently agreed with Mother. If he had come inside, he would surely have tracked dirt in the room. Even though no words were said, we all understood each other. Father nodded his head and took a step back.

He rubbed his thick moustache. "Oh, sorry about that. Well, I'm done with Lady Luck's garden. Let me tell you, her rose bushes are certainly a pain." He placed his hand on the door frame and rested. His sapphire eyes, the color of eye that I had acquired through him, looked about the room, searching for something of interest. As he stroked his facial hair, I noticed his ring. He always wore the ring, it was our family ring. The ring was made of real silver and the top formed a small black square. In the middle of the square was a red cross. The ring was so familiar to us that I made no comment on it. It was my father's and his father's and even his father's ring. Now this made me assume that I may inherit the item, as I was the eldest child in my family. The only one who could compete against me for the ring was Sweetalia, or Sweetie, my younger sister. However, my little sister was a wild one, always executing some childish scheme in the Capital. She was a eight years younger than me, but she had a quick and even subtle mind. Like I took to sewing and dressmaking, she took to books and words. Every other night at dinner, she would explain a word she learned earlier that day. I admired her diction, but she sometimes needed to understand the word "bombastic." I never took to reading. Do not mistake me, I was a skilled reader and I did not falter in intellectual reasoning, but I thought highly of fashion and proper etiquette. Since my upper-class family could not afford noble-esque dresses, I often made my own. I had already built notoriety around the District for my personal and particular fashion. I used the word "notoriety" here because many jealous crones disapproved of my elaborate and complex modus operandi. I never cared to blend in and rather stand out in every crowd. I had to admit, I sauntered around to receive compliments from other ladies or even gentlemen.

Mother continued to work on our current order. We were fashioning a dress for one Lady Twilight Armour. Her father visited our shop nigh on eight days ago. Master Armour told us that the dress was for his daughter's nineteenth birthday. This made her a half-year older than myself. We had worked on the dress since the arrival of the order, though, it was not easy as one would expect. From the order, I could that the girl was one of the weird types. She had written the order by hand and wrote with many scientific terms and numerous awkward sentences. My mother and I had to decipher the words for anything meaningful. We deciphered that the dress was to be a dark bluish color, like that of the night sky. Her body measurements were labeled in scientific notation, which I was rather unfamiliar with. Fortunately, Sweetie somehow knew what it meant and changed the numbers to more, well, appropriate ones. Twilight also wished for the dress to be simple. Usually people will choose us to make their dresses due to complexity, but not in this case. I walked over to Mother. She was placing the final adjustments to the dress. It was not one of our finer works, but the customer was always right as they say. I inspected the dress. It was a tight-fitting apparel of velvet with a solid dark blue color from the bosom to the edgings of the skirt. A red silk shawl rested on the square-cut buttoned shoulders. The neck area had a simple collar that did not reach the chin of its wearer. That was just the outside of course. With all evening dresses, underneath was a corset and white stockings that ended in tall black heeled boots. It was not unique in any manner. I would have never caught myself wearing such simplicity, but I was not the customer. Mother stepped back and combed her light purple hair with her aged hand. She then nodded slowly, as if satisfied with the work.

"I believe the dress is ready. Rarity, would you be a dear and deliver it? I know you are not dressed for public view. Go on, get ready. The Armour family lives in the Beta District by the Grand Plaza. I think it's in the Marian Neighborhood. I hear they have a massive telescope peering from the roof, so you certainly cannot miss it!" Mother removed her red spectacles and patted me on the shoulder. I was not in the mood for meeting one who would wear such a travesty, but I must obey my mother's orders. I took one last glance at Twilight's dress before traversing the steps to my room. I was in a house dress that was purposed for work and not anything one would wear in public. My room was in its organised chaos as usual. Every single trinket, brush, and undergarment was carefully sprawled about in utter perfection. Nothing was in place, thus nothing was out of place. This was an issue I fought with my dear mother and my sister about. Sweetie was a girl bent on organising. Whatever one tasked her with, she would create a delicate memo or method by which she would accomplish said task. Left to her own guidance and purpose however, and one will receive her usual erratic personality. Mother often pointed out inconsistencies in my room and my fashion. My garments had to be immaculate before I wore them and my room had to be in disarray before I could properly operate. I tried in vain to explain the cause, but repeating the words in my head only supported my mother's arguments. The best way I could describe it was that it was "the manner of which I was born with." This may not seem like a viable argument, but it sufficed as a daughter's excuse.

"I must not offend the Armour family. Hmmm, what should I wear?" Now what I was about to perform was the delicate procedure of choosing one's proper apparel. I required something to impress the family. A relevant color scheme was a must. Purple on purple? I ran a hand through my dark purple hair of which I was so proud of. Yes, that would be perfect for the situation. I withdrew my purple day gown from my closet and carefully placed it on my unmade bed.

"Oi! You better not take forever! I am not waiting on you for an hour again." The shout from my mother downstairs interrupted my thought process, making me stop and frown. She was an impatient woman that did not understand careful decisions. I tried to ignore her and gathered some accessories for my outfit. A hat, boots and the like. When I had accomplished the task of gathering my clothes, it was now the even more difficult and sequacious process of putting them on.

"Daylight is escaping us, Rarity!" I growled loudly at the sound of my mother. After I stripped down from my work clothes, I fumbled with my long stockings, falling down once or twice in my supposed haste.

"Rarity? What was that noise?"

She was at it again. "Nothing, mother!" I answered and finished my first step. From the stockings, onto the various undergarments. They were not as hard to put on as those dastardly stockings.

"The Armours will be retired by the time you reach them!" I was on the edge of my patience. I did not know how many more shouts I could handle.

"Mother, you simply cannot degrade her for being an aesthete." Well, at least Sweetie is on my side, I thought. I sped up my process and quickly placed my dress on. The dress had several overlaps of purple and white satin. The dress reached my ankles in the front and touched the ground behind me. I finished buttoning the dress up and placed a purple silk shawl over my shoulder. I then placed my black stiletto boots on and completed the outfit with my purple embroidered cap. I was about to head downstairs before I remembered my white gloves and placed them on as well. Once I was satisfied with my arrangement, I opened my room door and returned to the downstairs.

"Well, there you are. Here I have the dress ready." Mother handed me a rectangular white box.

"You are not going to comment on my apparel?" I asked her. Mother rolled her eyes and then smiled warmly.

"You are the loveliest delivery girl in the Capital." She said this with an amused manner. With such humbling words from my mother, I turned and headed towards to door. The sound of my heels echoed through our home. "Rarity? Are you wearing those killer shoes again?" I stopped and faced Mother.

"Killer? I believe the word you are thinking of is promethean." I replied.

Mother sighed and waved a dismissing hand at me. "You girls and your new styles. I will never comprehend how you even walk in those."

I understood that we had been delaying the package long enough. I gently opened the white door and stepped out into the city. Beta District, now where was it? I closed the door behind me. The bustling streets of the Capital engulfed me almost instantly. The Capital was a city like none other. It was a mixture of beauty and gloom. It was gentle yet savage. One could praise the high minarets and at the same time cringe at the low slums. Every Sector of the city had its share of wealth and poverty. The Districts themselves were named with a letter to signify its average wealth. Alpha was the richest District of the Sector, Omega was the poorest. These Districts helped keep the civilised and privileged away from the lowly scoundrels that roamed the forsaken alleys. That was the way of the Capital. The rich would have their places and poor will have theirs. It was a simple concept of the time. I never visited the poorer Districts. My area to roam was Alpha, Gamma, and Delta. Now, of course, that was a very large area. I had visited the Beta District before, but it was a while ago. I did not really know which direction to even go, and in such an endless city, one could easily get lost. However, one could always use the Grand Royal Palace to show north. One could see that massive paradise from anywhere in the Capital. It was much better to use it as a marker than the stars or sun, as they were constantly blocked by the black smoke of the Industrial District. I found my bearings and headed towards the Beta District to the east. Gentlemen and Ladies of good class acknowledged me as I passed them. That was a reason I endured such a city. The etiquette of the higher classes was boundless. I admired such manners. It was what made me a lady of the time.

"This looks like the place." I inspected the large building on the street corner before me. It indeed possessed a massive telescope peering at the stars from the roof. The entire place was abnormal in every way. There was no front door as the place was round and had a door every five metres or so. It looked more like a monstrous laboratory than a home. It was the only building with such a description. All the others were the proper square and bricked homes and shoppes. I hesitated. The place was just so wild and had no sense of proper decorating. I was desperately hoping that I made a wrong turn or was in the wrong District.

"Are you here to see the Armour family?"

I turned to see an aged woman smiling at me. She was accompanied by two other women of white hair. "Yes, I am." I answered her. They nodded slowly and the first one gave me a worried look.

"That's unfortunate. We wish the best of luck to you." I could only blink in confusion to her words. Was it really that bad? I gulped and delicately walked up the stone steps. I tried to be as silent as possible, but my shoes made that impossible. I halted in front of what I thought was the main door. It was the largest door with a large six-pointed pink star painted neatly on it. I took hold of the golden knocker and sounded my arrival. There was no response.

"Well then, I'll just go back." I said and quickly turned around. Suddenly, the door opened. There was no one there to greet me. It was like a phantom welcomed me into their haunted abode. I cursed beneath my breath and entered the home. Instantly, a flash of light blinded me. I stood there dazed and confusingly glanced at the daguerreotype camera in front of me.

"Did it work? Haha! It worked!" From behind a table, a young woman appeared. She clapped her hands in sheer excitement and joy. As soon as I regained my vision, I could see the girl fully. She had bright magenta eyes that complimented her dark purple and pink highlights in her hair. The rest of her hair was a dull purple. Her style was most peculiar for a woman of her age. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail. On top of her head was a pair of thick brass goggles, of which one seemed to have some sort of magnifying ability. Her garments were filthy and in disarray. She had a white large lab coat that stretched to her knees. Under the only-one-buttoned-coat was a lavender work dress that too only reached her knees. Her leather boots were men's work boots. Her hands were covered in thick leather work gloves that were absolutely filthy and spotted with grim. Well, all of her was spotted in dirt and soot. She took no notice of me and cared to the camera.

She giggled in her enthusiasm. "It worked! Hehehe. Father's going to love this. With my brand new security feature, I shall have a photo of everyone who steps through this door." I held a finger up. "Uhm, I am here..." She interrupted me with a shout. "OF COURSE! How could I forget the dress? My dress. Hello, my name is Twilight Armour." She held out her filthy glove for me to shake. I retracted my hand from her vile outstretched arm. She frowned at me before rubbing her face. "Oh, where are my manners?" She flicked her hand and the glove flew off and onto a small table with several identical gloves. They were spotted with grim in the exact same areas as well. She returned her hand to me. I finally took her hand.

"I am Rarity Belle, pleasure." We shook hands awkwardly. Her grip was much tighter than mine and she made my arm bounce up and down in the air. After that, there was an odd silence that followed.

"Well, here is your dress." I handed her the box and successfully ended the silence. She took it with a broad smile and quickly opened it. With one small glance, she closed it again. "It's perfect. Thank you kindly. Spike! Get over here!" Her call echoed through the high ceiling. I had not received any form of payment, thus I waited next to Lady Twilight. The voice of a small boy answered rudely. "What da ya want, Twi?"

Lady Twilight growled through her smiling teeth. "Get over here! We also have a guest."

"Fine!" The sounds of metal items crashing to the hard floor were heard from the back of the house. Talking about the house, it was a complete mess. There were machines in every corner making loud and annoying sounds. There were revolvers, lever-action repeater rifles, muskets, and carbines resting on every table. It was apparent this family loved weapons. Models of planets and stars hung from the high dome ceiling. The walls were lined with photographs, posters, news articles, and lots, and lots, of red string that connected said pictures and articles. Most of the articles were about murders, attacks, or odd business movements. Some were even about the gangs of Canterlotia. These gangs never bothered me, so the articles did not pique my interest. The entire place was filled with everything imaginable, except for anything that should be found in a proper and functional home.

My attention returned to the task at hand when a small boy, no older than twelve, with wild green hair revealed himself from behind an iron cauldron. "Oi, Twi! What ya want? I was busy with the stuff."

Twilight frowned at him. "Spike, that 'stuff' is very important. If you add three milligrams sodium too much, it could react violently. Now, here's this. Take it to my room."

She tried to hand the boy the box, but he was not focused on her, but on me. He was almost dumbfounded and his jaw gaped slightly. "Spike?" Twilight waved a hand in front of his face. He continued to stare in awe at me. Finally, he pointed at me. "Twi, you said angels didn't exist. Then what is she?" Twilight's face dropped at this. I couldn't control myself and giggled at the boy's compliment. Twilight shoved the box into Spike's arms. This interrupted Spike's stare and he frowned as soon as his eyes departed my figure. Twilight gave him a firm finger to go away and he sluggishly did at she asked. She then turned back to me with a smile. "Little brothers, they can be odd at times. Thank you again for the dress."

"Oh, no need to thank me, Spike did enough already." I told the woman. Twilight suddenly turned and walked away without another word. I was greatly confused by this. I still had not received any payment. "Ahem, Lady Twilight, I have not received payment for the dress."

Twilight stopped and turned around with a sheepish grin. "Oh yeah, uhh....We don't use currency like gold coins or paper here. We trade instead. Take anything you want, just make sure it isn't too valuable. See? You can take this repeating air-rifle. It's operated with a new pump action. It silently fires darts or really anything you can stick into the barrel. Good ol' homemade technology." She showed me the small rifle. It was not like any rifle I had seen before. It was pleasant to look at, but "I'm sorry, but what good will that be to a seamstress?"

Twilight paused. "You're right....Well....If you find anything, just ask." She then walked away and out of sight. I sighed and looked around. Nothing even looked remotely useful for my family. Bitpieces were useful, not these odd inventions. I shook my head and exited the home.

"Bloody Armours, no currency? Hmph."

I was frustrated with my short trip. Who trades like that? Not my family, not any family or business I've known before. What, did they live in the Tribal Ages? I had lost my patience. I couldn't go home to Mother and Father and say that I had no money. That dress was worth at least 300 bitpieces. While the usual worth was 800 or more, this was still money not in my possession. I will admit, I've been in this situation before, well not exactly, but still.

"Time to snatch some fat purses." I searched the area. People in their lovely dresses and coats walked around me. I spotted a nice gentleman with a black top hat. He would do. I casually walked by him and reached in his pocket. I quickly withdrew my hand with his leather wallet. I checked to see if he noticed, and he did not. I counted the bitpieces inside. There were 43. Not a bad start, but I still had to gather more. Was I proud of what I was doing? Well, not entirely. I was proud of my fingersmithing skills and I needed the money for my family. I would only steal from those who obviously wouldn't miss a few bits. However, if my mother or father caught me being so naughty, well, my views on the subject would certainly change. I snatched another purse from a wealthy lady. I was up to 126 bits. I always made quick work of these times. Swiped another. I counted the bits in this wallet and then accidentally bumped into a wall. Actually, it wasn't a wall but a large young man in a military uniform. I looked up at his face. His eyes were shrouded his tall black and blue plumed hat. From the gold and blue and black on his uniform, I could tell he was an Officer of the Royal Army. There were many similarities between the Royal Army and Royal Police. The Royal Army had special "Officers" that worked both as a constable and a soldier. This man was one of them. One would always know an Officer from the rest because of their tall, flashy black hats and feathers. His thick jaw was tight as he looked down at me. "Well, m'lady, do you think I didn't see you pickpocket that man?"

I laughed weakly and placed a hand on his chest. This was the first time someone's caught me red-handed. "You do not mind, do you? You are quite dashing in that uniform, I must say. I am certain that a little company and some bits would let you turn a blind eye?" I thought I nailed my delivery, however, this did not faze him.

"That's bribery added to your charges, m'lady. Anything else?" He said this with a smug and casual voice. I wouldn't give up that easily. There was too much at stake. "Well, my good sir, I am free tonight, if you don't mind of course. But, if we are to meet after dusk, I require your name."

The Officer smiled. "My name is Officer Flashius Senti. The name of the one who caught you red-handed."

"How do you deny this face?" I asked in shock and gestured at myself.

He started to chuckle at my feeble attempts to persuade him. "I wonder that too, but I have my eyes on another and would not dare to be unfaithful. So....Are you done?"

I silently gave him my stolen bits. He, like any militant, took the bits and pocketed them. I then sighed in defeat and showed him my hands. "I do hope labour is not the sentence."

He carefully placed the handcuffs on me, making sure not to inflict any unnecessary harm. "Then I do hope it is, m'lady."