It was time for one of the most often favorite periods at Canterlot High: Lunch! A time where they could get together, forget about their classes for a moment, have something to eat (in one case: without the addition of "please stop" while doing so in class), and talk to their friends about whatever they wished without the risk of getting in trouble.
In the cafeteria was one table which was reserved. Not in any official sense. There was no sign declaring it off limits, and anyone who sat there would not be asked to leave or such. In fact, they would likely be very welcomed by at least one person, no matter what else. However, it had been unofficially decided by the students that only seven specific girls would sit there. No one else would even approach it unless they were invited. Or needed a very specific type of help.
At the moment, six of the seven were already seated, chatting and eating. The seventh admittedly had a tendency to be "fashionably late" for certain social events, but lunch was not normally one of them. Although there had been a few times where she had gotten so caught up in her designs, she would have missed lunch entirely had one of her more sensible friends not found her and dragged her (sometimes literally) to the cafeteria and made sure she ate something.
Fortunately, this was not one of those days.
Rarity arrived on her own, tray in hand and... "emphatically and passionately placed" (for she did not "slam") her tray down on the table, then sat down, letting out a small huff as she did.
The rest of the group looked at each other, a silent vote going on between them on who was going to be the one to ask the obvious question. Most of them all voted the same way: "not me."
After a second vote, it was decided five to one.
"Somethin' wrong, sugar cube?" asked Applejack.
With a sigh, Rarity picked up her fork and... "thoroughly pierced" a tomato. Juice sprayed from the punctured fruit, and a few of those gathered thought, If plants could feel pain...
She then turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer.
"I don't suppose we are going to have some sort of magical incident soon?" One manicured purple eyebrow rose higher. "Preferably something which shall take the majority of the weekend to deal with."
"Well it's not like they ever bother to schedule themselves in advance with me or anything," Sunset retorted. One of her own eyebrows raised in response. "Why?"
"Of course," Rarity huffed, rolling her eyes. She bit down on the impaled fruit, putting its suffering to an end and began to chew vigorously.
Another tomato quickly met the same fate.
"They can never work around our schedules, can they? They just happen, and we have to drop whatever we are doing and try to bring it to an end before too much damage is done. But when you have a moment where it would be more than opportune, and there is no way to have it occur." She bit it and chewed again. "One may as well..." Her fork spun into a small circle as she considered her options. "... place silk undergarments in a washing machine, then dryer, and hope they are undamaged."
None of them being very big in clothing, the finer details of the chosen speech escaped them, but the broader meaning could be figured out from the context.
"Why?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What's happening this weekend?"
Rarity continued her vigorous chewing, blue eyes narrowed in frustration. A cucumber was the next to feel her wrath. She then dropped the fork and let out a sigh.
"I suppose that since I brought it up, I really should explain." With a deep breath, she straightened up. Her bright blue eyes turned to look at her friends. "My mother's family is having a reunion this weekend."
"A reunion?" Applejack said. Her brow furrowed. "And you don't wanna go?"
The young farm woman got a freezing glare in response.
"Not all of us are as close and affectionate with every blood relation for up to twenty-five generations of our family as yours happens to be!" Rarity growled out. At some point her comment, she had pointed the fork at her friend, and had shaken and jabbed it forward for emphasis. Said friend was now leaning backwards, green eyes wide and hands up in a defensive position.
"Okay," Applejack replied. "Easy, now Rares. No need for anyone to get forked over this."
The small plastic weapon was retracted and dropped onto the plate.
"There is one particular member of said family I do not wish to see," Rarity stated. She let out another sigh. "I fear that I have been keeping something of a secret from all of you. You especially, Twilight?"
"Me?" Twilight asked.
"Yes. For you see..." Rarity took a dramatic pause, allowing for all the others to focus fully on her. "...Abacus Cinch is... my aunt!"
"WHAT?!" six voices cried out. The shout echoed through out the cafeteria, everything else going silent. All attention was suddenly on the one table.
When there were no signs of magic or ponying up, the other tables went back to their own conversations.
"You're related to Principal Cinch?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Rarity nodded.
"You mean the same Principal Cinch that ruled Crystal Prep with an iron fist, forcing all the students to distrust each other, brought that same level of distrust to Canterlot High for The Friendship Games, was obsessed with winning more than anything, even the safety of her own students, pressured Twilight into using the magic she had collected that turned her into a insane if beautiful monster that tried to rip apart all of reality to try and understand magic -- no offense -- tried to flee instead of help her students when they actually were in danger, refused to take any blame in the events, and was eventually forced to resign and be replaced by Dean Cadance instead of being facing the consequences of her actions?" asked Pinkie Pie.
Another nod.
"Do you know any other Principal Cinches?" Applejack asked. Although not with as much sarcasm as would normally have been behind such a question. If anyone knew another, it would be Pinkie Pie.
"Nope," Pinkie answered, shaking her head. "Well... not yet, anyways. I know Quick Cinch, who's a college student studying education with the hope of becoming a principal someday. I also know Mrs. Golden Finch, who's the principal at Sunny Smiles Elementary School."
A hand went up to cover Pinkie's mouth before she could go into full tangent mode, listing off everyone -- and the everything -- even barely related to the question, and possibly following one such into another until she was talking about matters which were impossible for anyone else to possibly comprehend how they got to that subject matter. Like one time: she had started talking about breakfast foods, and had somehow ended up telling a story about how she wound up running through the neighborhood naked, with her sister Limestone chasing her, trying to get Pinkie to put her clothes back on.
It had somehow been tied to cream cheese, but no one remembered the specifics.
"Okay," Sunset said. "So you're related to... her... and she's going to be at the reunion. Can't you just... avoid her?"
The others all watched and waited as Rarity let out a hum, rubbing her chin as she considered the suggestion.
"I suppose it is a possibility," she conceded. "However, I fear it it may not be as simple as it sounds." Shifting, she braced herself. "You see, for the sake of full disclosure, I should also mention that when I was younger, the two of us were rather close."
She paused, allowing the statement to sink in.
"Now, when you say 'close'..." Applejack started, leaving the question lingering.
"As much as I love my parents, neither of them are what one would call 'sophisticated.'"
It was a simple statement from Rarity, with no hint of disappointment, anger, or annoyance. She did love her parents, and they loved her. Neither fully understood her, but they loved and supported her all the same. There was also no argument about the sophistication. Her father was happy sitting on the couch watching sports, or going out on a fishing trip. Her mother was a home-maker, and while she may have been where Rarity got a love of trashy romance novels from, that mother had no interest in trying to be one of the upper class women who found love and had a large number of servants to do the work and raising the children for her. That did not even touch on the tastes in clothes. Like Hawaiian shirts and white spandex pants, both made of (*shudder*) synthetic materials.
"Aunt Abacus -- and that was what she was called, because no one dared to call her 'Abby' -- was the one whom I went to in order to learn how to be sophisticated and a proper lady," Rarity explained.
"That explains so much," Rainbow said in something was probably meant as a whisper, but had been a little too loud.
Instead of glaring or commenting, Rarity chose to ignore it and continue.
"She taught me about manner and etiquette, helped me with my diction and enunciation." She let out a sigh, her gaze drifting further into the distance. "She even bought me a book on historical fashion." The gaze drifted, eyes narrowing. "Although it was my mother who bought me my first sewing machine, took me to the fabric shop, and got me my first fashion magazine..."
"So, what happened?" Fluttershy asked.
With a blink of her long eyelashes, Rarity came back to the present. She turned to look at the shyer girl, smiling.
"You four," she answered.
"Us?" Pinkie Pie asked, her gaze moving to Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. The four of them had been friends with Rarity before a certain someone had driven a wedge between them so that they had stopped talking to each other. A certain someone who now sat with them.
"Yes." Rarity shifted, looking off again. "You see, she had very specific expectations on whom I should have acquaintances with." Her gaze flicked back to Twilight. "And those expectations were very much the same ones she expected from her Crystal Prep students. They had to be the absolute best at as much as possible. They had to be driven to be the best, above all else. Most importantly, they had to be of families of wealth and influence." There was a quick, bitter laugh. "Because such 'friends' could, with proper motivation, be quite helpful in making sure I was able to reach a similar position."
The fork was picked back up, and this time, she did stab at her food. The crouton exploded from the impact, sending out buttery, garlic flavored shrapnel in all directions.
"Of course, such belief leads to a certain amount of... let us just call it what it is: paranoia. Because if the only reason to be friends with someone is because it somehow benefits you, then the only possible reason others would be interest in your friendship is because you can do the same for them. And such is fine if it is mutually beneficial, but if it is someone that she saw as 'lesser--"
The plastic utensil let out a scream of agony before snapping to pieces in one dainty white hand. With a fresh sigh, the remnants were dropped onto the table.
Pinkie Pie pulled out an extra fork and passed it over.
"Lesser what?" Rainbow Dash growled, eyes narrowing.
"Just 'lesser,'" Rarity answered as she took the offered fork. "People who simply did not meet her rather lofty standards. Proper social standing, proper economic standing, proper athletic skill, proper intellectual levels, the list goes on and on... and on... and on..."
She gave a shake of her head.
"And of course, nobody outside of Crystal Prep could possibly meet such standards, and those at Canterlot High all the more so. I was an exception, of course, but only because she knew that I should have been at Crystal Prep, and only my mother's 'foolish notion' of having me learn to 'properly socialize' was keeping me from doing so."
There was a fresh round of stabbings. The captured lettuce then was chewed, allowing the young woman to vent her anger in a way that also allowed her nutrients.
"So -- and I reiterate -- to her the only reason anyone would be friends with me at such a 'lowly' school was because they saw someone who could somehow be of benefit to them and allow them to improve their own standing. No other possible explanation was plausible. It became a point of contention that quickly began to drive us apart, as she felt the need to reiterate the point every time we got together! And that was before the bragging about how she had been right a--"
One of Rarity's hands went up to her mouth, covering with a small slap as her eyes went wide.
"What was that about her bein' right?" Applejack asked, a glare in her green eyes and a touch of annoyance in her voice.
Pulling her hand away, Rarity turned toward Sunset.
"Forgive me, darling, but since I brought it up, it must be discussed."
Her attention shifted to take in all the others.
"While we all have forgiven her and moved on, those of us involved still recall how Sunset Shimmer used to be."
Sunset let out a groan as she slouched down, blushing a little. When it had been something that got brought up pretty often, she had gotten used to it. However, as it became less and less common, she found herself getting more and more sensitive about it.
"And," Rarity continued, "I remind you all that when Sunset separated us as friends, we all blamed each other for it, without ever really talking it out."
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash all joined Sunset in looking embarrassed, with all of them finding something more interesting to look at that was anywhere but the table or each other.
"I'm also willing to bet that most of us spoke it to at least one sympathetic ear?"
The not looking became more intense as the group nodded.
"And I was no different," Rarity stated. "When it had seemed that those I had felt closest to suddenly no longer had an interest in being friends with me, I was distraught. Just as much as the rest of you. So I expressed my disappointment," -- often while gorging herself on a bucket of ice cream, but she was not going to admit that part aloud -- " and instead of being sympathetic, my dear loving and kindly Aunt Abacus took it as the perfect time to say 'I told you so.'"
There was a deep sigh as she sagged, her entire body slumping down. A small piece of the once terrorized lunch was now simply pushed around.
"It had been the last straw. We had a large argument and that was somewhat the end of it. We have not really spoken to each other since. My mother understood, but also wishes for us to reconcile enough to at least be cordial with each other. I fear that she may use the reunion as a way to attempt doing just that, and if she should, I would feel obligated to make at least an honest effort, but after how she acted at The Friendship Games, I don't think I can ever trust her again."
She took a deep breath.
"Or worse, she may go after Sweetie Belle." Her gaze narrowed as she scowled, a growl forming in the back of her throat. "See an opportunity to correct the mistake she made with me. Have a fresh young canvas for her to try and corrupt into her own twisted to little vision of a 'proper lady.'" Her voice dropped into her wrathful tone. "Because Heaven knows that no man would ever meet her standards to even date, let alone marry, and to say nothing of her reproducing!"
The conversation had stopped, and Rarity was huffing. As the seconds passed, it started to become clear that this was no dramatic pause, but that Rarity had hit a sort of end point, and was stewing in anger at moment.
"Well, maybe something will happen during the reunion," Twilight suggested. "In fact, it's very likely."
Calming down slightly, Rarity turned, raising one of her eyebrows.
"What do you makes you say that?"
Twilight adjusted her glasses before answering.
"Well, after the events of our spring break cruise, I decided to do some research. There is no set pattern for when we find ourselves facing some sort of magical issue, and there are times when it is a minor thing that is a part of our day to day, but, while there is no way to create any sort of cause-effect relationship, the correlation between major events in our life and a magical incident is too strong to ignore." She licked her lips. "Admittedly, with it being a social event which will only be involving yourself does reduce the odds, but they are still there." There was a sigh of annoyance. "Unfortunately, I don't have enough data to give you an exact probability."
With a small hum, Rarity considered the possibility.
"A magical event occurring which interrupts the reunion," she said, more to herself than to any of the others. She gave a small nod. "Yes. Yes I think that would do nicely. Especially if it is something which allows me to show what I am capable of in front of Aunt Abacus. Thank you, Twilight."
The rest of lunch was peaceful.
Unfortunately for Rarity, so was the reunion.
Author's Note
So, quick explanation. On Aria's Archives, Samrose created a family tree for Adagio's daughter, Victory Bell (tree here). In it, Principal Cinch is sister to Cookie Crumbles, Rarity's mother, making Cinch Rarity's aunt. In the mod blog, someone commented on how it did would have come up in Friendship Games, which Samrose responded to (found here). In response, I came up with the idea that maybe Rarity and Cinch were close, but had a falling out (which can be found here). So, I decided to write a little story based off that.