To say that Rarity was surprised when she opened the door of her suite to leave at the same time as Lazlo and the mares arrived and were about to knock would be an understatement.

She was wearing one of her fancy dresses and looked like she was just leaving. However, she was forced to stay as everyone entered her suite. Fluttershy instantly went to check on the cat, since Rarity had told them that it was Opal’s sickness that forced her to stay. The cat seemed healthy, but since Lazlo didn’t know much about cats, he had to take Rarity at her word.

Twilight also noticed the dress that Rarity was making for her birthday. It was a plain yellow dress, nothing special, but Twilight seemed to love it, given the hug she gave to Rarity.

Later, they went to decorate the ballroom that Celestia had given Twilight to use for the party. Everyone except Rarity, who made up some excuse and left. Twilight also showed everyone her suite, where she used to live before moving to Ponyville. It was just as one would imagine her dream home: books everywhere. It was big and fancy, yet elegant, just like everything else in Canterlot Castle.

The next day, they spent most of their time going around Canterlot, with Twilight showing them some of the places she knew before she became a complete shut-in and only went to a park to read a book. So before her parents applied her to Celestia’s school.

Of course, Rarity again managed to decline attending the tour of one of her best friend’s childhood memories. However, she came around when they were heading to the ballroom in the evening for the party. The place was way too big for six ponies, one dragon, and one human, but regardless, they enjoyed it.

“Where did you get the wine?” Twilight asked as she looked at the glass in Lazlo’s hand, the bottle on the table next to him, and the two other bottles.

“A servant brought them. I think the Princess sent it, with an apology for missing out, as she had other duties. How about we all drink a glass?” he offered.

“I don’t know…” Twilight looked unsure. “I don’t drink often.”

“It’s a special occasion. It’s your birthday,” he argued.

That convinced Twilight. She got the others to join, and they all wished her a happy birthday again, this time with a glass of wine. After that, everything went back to the standard Pinkie party level: punch, dancing, piñata hitting, and Twilight opening her presents, which were mostly books. She loved them all, just like the dress that Rarity gave her.

The party was still in full swing when suddenly Rarity returned with a wooden hammer-like thing in her mouth. Now, that was weird.

“Uh, what’s with the croquet mallet?” Rainbow Dash asked, voicing the question they all had in mind.

“What croquet mallet?” Rarity replied, her words muffled by the very object in question.

“Duh, the one in your mouth!” Rainbow Dash pressed, stating the obvious.

“Oh, that croquet mallet. I… well, you see, the truth is… the truth is…” Rarity stammered, laughing nervously as she let the mallet fall from her mouth, unable to come up with anything.

“Were you at that other party in the garden?” Twilight inquired, as everyone else glanced out at the ponies in fancy attire in the garden.

“I… I…” Rarity’s faltering voice gave her away.

“Rarity, I’m surprised at you,” Twilight said, her tone one of genuine surprise rather than disappointment.

“Twilight, let me explain! I-” Rarity began, desperate for an explanation, but Twilight cut her off.

“I hadn’t realized you were such a savvy business pony!” Twilight exclaimed, impressed, catching everyone off guard as they had all jumped to different conclusions. Lazlo, for instance, had surmised that Rarity’s entire reason for staying was her inability to refuse Fancy Pants, who was hosting the garden party, and now she was attempting to attend at both events.

She had always been away from the castle when Lazlo inquired about her over the past few days. And since she received many invitations on the day of the derby, it seemed a reasonable explanation. Though he wondered about the secrecy. Perhaps it was something he simply viewed differently. He never made a big deal if a friend didn’t come to his birthday party, which weren’t really parties anyway.

“You must understand! I-” Rarity either hadn’t heard Twilight or had misunderstood her somehow.

“All those ponies look so posh. They are perfect clients for you. I’m sure, after getting to know you, they will only buy your dresses. Very smart!” Twilight praised her, and it seemed that Rarity finally understood.

“Why yes, I-I didn’t want you to think I was being rude, so that’s exactly the reason I didn’t tell you. The one and only reason,” Rarity chuckled nervously again.

“Oh, well, you didn’t have to worry about that. You should totally go over there and mingle!” Twilight suggested. It seemed she wasn’t the type to get offended by a friend missing her party either.

“Twilight, you really are the best friend a pony could ever ask for. I don’t know why I ever thought you wouldn’t understand,” Rarity seemed relieved as she hugged the birthday mare.

“Understand what?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing. See you girls later!” Rarity let go of Twilight and was about to leave, but the conversation wasn’t over.

“Hey, wait up!” Rainbow Dash yelled, making Rarity stop in her tracks. “We’re your friends! I’m sure they won’t mind if we check out the party too! Come on, you guys! Let’s show them how to party Ponyville style!”

With that, they all ran towards the exit to the gardens, leaving Lazlo behind, who was in no mood for running around, and Rarity, who looked horrified, exclaiming ‘Oh, no!’ out loud.

“Relax!” Lazlo tried to calm her down. “I’m sure Fancy will be okay with them. Besides, you’re all heroes, so if anything, they should be thanking you for the attendance.”

But Rarity didn’t seem to listen to him and sprinted after them, likely trying to do some damage control. He just sighed and followed her.

When he got outside and saw what was happening, he had to admit one thing.

“They could be assholes sometimes… This is not okay. This isn’t even Ponyville style, as Rainbow said… I never thought Pinkie Pie would ever take part in wrecking a party.”

Lazlo truly started to feel bad for the ponies there. He might not be any kind of protector of the ‘elite’, but in this case, he understood and mostly agreed with them on being annoyed by what his friends were doing. He wondered whether he should stay or leave, as he didn’t want to be part of this, but then Fancy Pants approached him.

“Hello, Lazlo!” he greeted. “I thought you said you couldn’t attend, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Hey! Well, there were some changes, and Twilight’s birthday party was moved to the ballroom, and they decided to check out this party… Sorry about this,” he gestured at the chaos unfolding.

“No need to apologize! I’ve got this,” he winked.

He approached Twilight, who probably got drunk on that one glass of wine, because no one in the right mind would dare to do the 'dance moves' she was just doing.

“Good evening, Miss Sparkle! I haven’t seen you in a long time,” he greeted her, prompting her to halt her dance to everyone’s relief. “Might I ask where you got your ensemble?”

“Good evening, Lord Fancy Pants!” Twilight responded. “A very close friend of mine from Ponyville made it for me.”

“And who is this close friend of yours?” Fancy inquired. Rarity rushed up to him, attempting to drag him away, but Fancy stood his ground.

“Rarity made this dress, and it’s beautiful,” Twilight said, turning to the mare. This revelation caused every pony at the party to gasp in shock. Meanwhile, the others gathered around Twilight. Lazlo decided to join them. “We all think so.”

The ‘important’ ponies began to murmur among themselves, and Rarity appeared stressed as she looked between those ponies and her friends, particularly when one of them questioned if she really knew Twilight.

“Are they really not recognizing Princess Celestia’s student, or do they just don’t give a fuck?” Lazlo wondered.

“Yes, I do know them. They may not be as sophisticated as some of you Canterlot ponies, but they are my best friends and without a doubt the most important ponies I know,” Rarity finally declared.

“Important ponies? These ruffians?” one of the ponies, named Jet Set, asked as if it were the most outrageous thing he had ever heard.

“Don’t make me laugh!” his companion, a mare named Upper Crust, added.

This prompted Lazlo to give them the middle finger, but they probably didn’t pay any attention to him, and there was no way they would understand the gesture anyway.

“I find your dress charmingly rustic, and it was a lovely gesture to make such a fine dress for your friend. I believe every mare in Canterlot should have one,” Fancy Pants spoke and that changed the atmosphere entirely.

Suddenly, every mare was asking Rarity for a dress like Twilight’s, and the stallions all pleaded with Rarity to prioritize their partners.

Now that Fancy Pants had declared his appreciation for Twilight and her friends, the others began to treat them kindly, though the party didn’t last much longer, only as long as the remaining food that survived Pinkie Pie’s rampage.

After the party ended, they all returned to Twilight’s suite, where Rarity began to write her letter to the princess. However, Celestia herself came to visit them and gave Twilight her birthday present, apologizing for her absence at the party, so it was a spoken lesson in the end.

Afterward, they prepared for their trip back to Ponyville the next morning, although Twilight stayed behind as she would have lunch at her parents’ house so her family could celebrate her birthday too.

Author's Note

And a short epilogue for closing this mini-arc. Nothing big, I know, but soon it'll be Spike's birthday and that will be BIG, or should I say... HE will be BIG? Umm... Spoiler alert?