To my most cherished friends and sisters,
Two weeks ago, a distant relative of mine named Bell Tolls passed away. Although I had never met or truly even heard of them before-hand, they had left me their manor in their will. And trust me, Darlings, that when I say manor, I mean MANSION.
The house is simply divine and quite frankly, enormous. My sister and I have been living in the house for a few days now, and on the night of the fourteenth, the lawyers will bring the deed for the house, and it will be officially mine.
To celebrate this moment, I am inviting all of you to the house for a party to commemorate this moment. I've also decided to make this a masquerade party. Each of you must come dressed in Medieval/Renaissance era clothing. Actual masks won't be necessary. You will find your unique personas and instructions on how to reach the manor in the additional page of the letter.
Yours Truly,
Rarity.
The Artist
'A whole mansion?' I knew Rarity's family was more wealthy than she let on, but a whole mansion for herself? Sweet Celestia!
I took a look at the other page of writing. "Artist huh? Guess I'll be going as a Leoneighdo De Vincie type." I check my reflection in the mirror. "Intelligent, artistic, inquisitive. Yeah, that sounds about right."
I turn my attention back to the letter. The house is quite a ways out of town. Strange name to. "Arx Te Capibit Manor. That sounds like old ponish. I know Arx means box or stronghold. The one subject I passed off as unnecessary." I groaned, this was going to bug me for the next few days. Well, nothing to do for it now. I had a costume to make.
The Blacksmith
"So that's where she's been." I said as I finished reading the letter. This costume ball sounded like a great idea too. Looking at the identical letter addressed to Apple Bloom, I guessed that she invited my little sister as well. Or at least Sweetie Belle did.
A sudden feeling of dread crept into my stomach, a costume ball with Rarity picking out everyone's costumes. I shakily picked up the other sheet of paper. 'Please don't make me wear some giant poofy dress. Please, Rarity.' To my relief she said I would be going as a blacksmith. Leather apron, thick gloves, soot stains. Perfect for me. A bit surprising coming from Miss Clean and Tidy, but hardly unwelcome. "Rarity I love you." Did I say that out loud?
The Explorer
"Come on. It's got to be in here somewhere." As soon as I got Rarity's invitation and saw what persona she had picked out for me, I knew what I was going to wear. If, I could find it.
"Dad!" I called downstairs. "Where did you put your old trunk?"
"Which trunk?"
"The theater trunk!"
"It's the red one under the phonograph!"
I looked and sure enough, there was my prize. Carefully moving the record player out of the way, I opened the trunk and found my prize. My dad's conquistador costume from his high school performance of City of Gold. Putting the helmet on my head, I was glad to find it fit. "Senior Sentry. Not a bad ring to it."
The Gypsy
"A mansion!? She got a mansion?" Trixie was livid. Rarity's distant relative dies and she inherits an entire mansion. Trixie's distant relative dies and what does she get? A deck of cards. "This isn't fair."
"At least she has the decency to invite me to her little, party." Trixie read the directions to the mansion. "Wait. This is that old haunted mansion Snips sometimes talks about." The Mischievous and Powerful Trixie let a wicked smirk spread across her face. "Perhaps Trixie can use her own inheritance to make hers all the more sour." Trixie opened the drawer of her bedroom desk and found was she was looking for, the deck of cards her mother's cousin, Silver Lulamoon, had left her. Turning the deck over, she was greeted by a picture of a young person (boy or girl, Trixie could never tell) carrying a large stick, six more sticks were stuck in the ground around them. Above the image was the Numeral VII. The 7 of Wands, it meant a person of great success. "We shall see who is the successful one, Miss Rarity. We shall see."
The Hunter
"I won't do it! You can't make me!"
Me and Lemon had gone to the mall to pick out clothes for our costumes. But once Lemon found out what she supposed to wear, she started a very embarrassing game of tag. I tried to grab her, but she kept ducking around a rack of dress shirts. "Come on, Lemon. She said we all have to wear the costumes."
"No way, Sunny. There is no way I am wearing that."
"It's a kilt."
"It's a man-skirt is what it is!" Another dodged tackle. "Why can't I just wear a dress?"
"Because they don't sell any plaid dresses. Trust me, I've checked everywhere. Besides, you'll be more recognizable as The Highlander if you wear the stupid kilt." I tried to grab her again, but she ducked and I ended up sliding across the floor.
"Alright! Alright! I'll wear the man-skirt." She smirked, "On one condition."
"Name it." I said, still facedown on the stores floor. Lemon squatted down next to me and whispered into my ear. "WHAT?"
"If I'm going to be embarrassed, your going to be embarrassed to."
… "Fine."
The Jester
"You're sure you don't need my help with this party?" I asked into the phone.
"Pinkie, Darling, I want you to enjoy yourself and have a good time. I don't want you to be worrying about catering and decorations.
"It just feels weird going to a party and knowing that I didn't help make it."
Yes, I suppose I can understand where you're coming from. But that's also why I don't want you to help me on this one. I want you to take a night off and relax, just enjoy yourself with your friends. Let me do all the worrying.
"Alrighty then. Oo! One question. Can I bring some tricks and toys? You know, juggling pins, balancing ball, jumping hoops, that sort of thing."
I could hear Rarity giggling through the phone "Whatever props you want to bring, you can."
"Great! Well, I see you in a few days then."
"Ta ta, darling."
"Bye, Rarity."
The Knight
It was twelve when I finally woke up and saw the letter. With the wax seal I was half expecting it to fold itself into a mouth and scream profanity at me. Instead it just sat there, kinda disappointing in hindsight.
Leave it to Rarity to come up with an idea like this. Invite all of us to the haunted mansion for a costume party. Well at least I get a cool costume. A knight, I get to wear a sword, shiny armor, slay dragons. Well maybe not that last part since I think Princess Twilight's dog used to be a dragon. You know I should probably ask them how he got turned into a dog the next time they come over. Ugh, focus, Rainbow. You need to round up your money, go to the mall and...
Where am I supposed to buy a suit of armor?
The Magician
I was just finishing up my homework for Biology, when my cellphone started buzzing. I definitely did not squeal when I saw it was Timber.
"H-Hey, Timber." I said, perfectly calmly.
"Yo, Twilight. Did you get your invitation to Rarity's big party yet?"
"Oh yes, I just got it this morning. Wait, how do you know about it?"
"Because I also got an invitation. And since you two are much closer friends than I am with her, I deduced that you must have gotten invited as well.
"A fair deduction." An idea formed in my head. "Hey, um, want to meet up later today and go shopping for costumes? Together?"
"Ah haha, sure. How about I pick you up at your house around eleven?"
"I'll be waiting."
The Maiden
Wallflower had come over to my house a few minutes ago. She told me about how Rarity had invited her to her party, but that she wasn't sure she had really earned our forgiveness. She was currently sitting on my bed with Monty the ferret sitting in her lap, giving her something soft to comfort her. I sat in a chair across from her.
"After everything I did, I can't believe that you would all just forgive and... forget."
"Well, you aren't the first person to try and destroy our friendship. Sunset did it first, but we still forgave her."
"But she saved the school from the Sirens, and from Twilight's Angel of Death, world-breaker, thing." She sighed. "I haven't done anything to earn your forgiveness."
"And you don't have to."
"Huh?"
I moved to the bed and sat next to her. "You don't have to do anything to earn our forgiveness. The fact that you want us to forgive you is enough. Let me ask you this, if the memory stone wasn't broken, would you still be using it?"
"No." She answered. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
"And you don't have to be." I wrapped the younger girl in a tight hug. I could feel her tears on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but feel like I was holding a younger version of myself.
After awhile she broke the hug and dried her eyes. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I'm still nervous about this party, but I'm willing to try." Monty sniffed at her cheek making her giggle a little.
My phone suddenly went off. It was a text from Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Wallflower, do you know anywhere that sells suits of armor?"
The Nave
Around the corner, mind the baker, quick jump, 360 for style, and here I am. As my scooter rolled to a halt in front of Apple Bloom's home, I saw Applejack watering some of her trees.
"Morning Applejack!" I called.
"Howdy Scootaloo." She responded, "Apple Bloom's upstairs. Leave your scooter outside this time!"
"Yes, ma'am." I parked my scooter next to the porch and went inside. A quick hop up the stairs found me in Apple Bloom's room.
"Hey Scoots!" She held up an identical letter to the one I had got earlier. "Did ya hear the news?"
"Yeah, I did. It's crazy, Sweetie living a huge mansion."
"We don't know if she's gonna be living there, the letter jus' says that she's been living with her sister. It's Rarity's mansion after all."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, this party is looking like it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm glad Rarity invited us."
The Princess
"Sweetie Belle! could you please come upstairs a moment."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and went upstairs. I knew what she was going to talk to me about, but that just made the trek even harder. Coming to the room she had claimed as hers, I quietly entered. "Yes, Sis?"
"Sweetie Belle. Did you send out two extra invitations to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?"
"Yes."
Rarity sighed. "You should know that I'm disappointed in you for going behind my back. But, luckily I had planned for them to come anyway." She walked forward and put a hand on my shoulder. "This is your house as well as mine, and your friends deserve to spend the night celebrating just as much as mine do. But please, ask me first instead of just doing it yourself."
I nodded, "I will, Rarity."
"Good." She grabbed three envelopes identical to the ones we sent the invitations in. "Because of your sneakiness, your friends don't have the directions to here, or any information about their costumes." She gave me the letters. "I'm going to call mother and have her come pick you up. Give your friends those letters and the third one is for you."
"I thought you were going to make me my costume."
"I could, but I know how much you hate modeling, so I'm going to let you make it, as long as you get mother and your friends help."
"You got it Sis!"
The Queen
As I watched my little sister leave the room, I felt it grow warmer.
It's too many
I wanted to invite all my friends, it's not my fault I've been blessed with so many.
It's too many
The staff are trained and experienced. I'm sure that they can handle a party of twenty
You will be punished
The room got a lot colder. Turning around I saw that the window had come open. As I closed it I tried not to think about the dark figure standing out in the garden.
The Swashbuckler
To say I was surprised when I got Rarity's letter would be an understatement. After the incident with the mirror and me turning into the 50 foot woman, I'd barely heard anything from the Rainbooms. Now, out of nowhere, one of them invites me to her masquerade ball at her new mansion, I had to slap myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Of course then I got a text message from Twilight Sparkle, asking if I know where her friend Rainbow Dash could buy a suit of armor for the party. Apparently I was the only one who knew even remotely where she could get some. And thus was how my day ended up like this.
"I mean come on, if you want to be called a knight you have to be wearing a suit of armor, right?"
"Uh huh."
"And I mean, I could make my own suit, but cardboard just doesn't have the same impact as real metal, or even fake metal."
"Nope."
"And who even has the time to sit down and cut out the bits of armor and tape them together and paint them... "
"We're here."
"And then you've got to, what?"
"I said we're here."
Me and Rainbow Dash were standing in front of an out-of-the-way LARPers store. Inside were racks of swords, bows, spears, and mannequins arrayed in all manner of armor, from samurai to Aztec.
"Hello," said the clerk, a younger man who looked like the stereotypical nerd; braces, broken glasses, and a bad case of puberty. "How may I help you?"
"I'd like to buy a suit of armor."
"What kind of armor do you need?"
"Uh, knight's armor?" Rainbow asked. This was going to be a long day.
The Warrior
Me, Sugarcoat, and Sour Sweet all arrived at the exact right time. We had all been invited to Rarity's masquerade ball, and were all shopping for costumes together. When we arrived at the local LARPing supply joint, we were treated to the sight of Rainbow Danger Dash herself getting thrown out of the store by Dee Twenty, the shopkeeper who can't bench press twenty pounds, trust me, I've seen him at the gym. The suit of armor that landed on top of her told them that she was apparently here for the same reason they were.
"And never come back here again!" Dee screeched as another girl exited the store.
"At least you got your costume." the other girl said, crouching down over Rainbow.
"Forget that!" She yelled, untangling herself from the suit of armor, "The jerk stole my wallet!" She was promptly silenced as the door to the shop opened again and a (probably empty) wallet hit her in the face.
"Am I correct in assuming Rainbow's stellar people skills are to blame for this?" Sugarcoat said.
"Yeah, you could say that." She held out her hand, "I'm Juniper Montage."
"Sugarcoat."
"Sour Sweet."
"Indigo Zap." We all said in tandem. "So you two get invited to Rarity's big house warming party as well?"
"Yeah. And if I know Rarity, she's going to make this the best nigh ever." Rainbow said, standing up. "I'm going to take this stuff home and try it on. I'll see you at the party." And with that she grabbed the mess of metal limbs and began loudly waking away.
Author's Note
I should mention that the events depicted in this chapter aren't occuring in cronological order.