A Fancy New Orange

Valencia Orange made her way to the hors d'oeuvres table and perused the selection. She was somewhat disappointed to see that there wasn't any fruit. Just flowers on bread and the like. She hummed thoughtfully, but not too loud as to distract any other passerby's.

"I don't recommend the cheese, they have a particular flavor." Valencia looked up with surprise to see a slate gray mare with a kindly expression. Valencia had a brief recollection of a classical performance she saw a week ago.

"You're that cellist?" Valencia asked, almost hesitantly

"Octavia." She dipped her head slightly, bringing attention to her pink bowtie. "Pleasure to meet you...?"

"Valencia Orange. Niece to Mosey and Curezone Orange." The two stuck out their legs out and their knees briefly touched, as is appropriate for the setting. "Why do you say that?"

"Hmm?"

"The cheese. What is wrong with it?"

"Ah." Octavia chuckled. "This might be scandalous to say, but I've heard that these nobles," she gestured to the whole garden party, "only take food from certified producers. Of course, those certified producers only care about bits and not about their craft. Hence, the cheese tasting off."

"Oh." Valencia blinked. "You speak as if you're not one of these uh, nobles."

"I'm not." Octavia smiled with pride. "Despite my Manehattenite accent, I'm a pure Ponyvilian through and through. I even have a wife." She winked conspiratorially.

Valencia couldn't help but gasp and look around frantically. Then paused and looked back at the cellist with guilty eyes. "I'm uh...I apologize for that."

'Tcha, speak nothing of it. I'm used to it." Octavia amiable, almost amused, voice was soothing. "I wouldn't say that to most ponies, especially nobles, but I've got a different...sense about you."

"How so?"

"You remind me of an old friend. She had a farm, one of the best." Octavia stopped and sniffed a little. She even turned away slightly to hide her eyes. "Terribly sorry about that, it's been...a difficult month."

Valencia instinctively placed a comforting hoof on the cellist's shoulder. She flinched and Valencia drew back with shock. "Oh, sorry! I don't know what came over me." She hung her head in shame, both from upsetting a potential friend and from completely forgetting about her training.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You just startled me, that's all." This time it was Octavia who placed a hoof on Valencia's shoulder. "Truly."

"Well...alright." She opened her mouth to say something, but Octavia was looking at her anymore. Valencia followed her gaze to the entrance where two mares were seen. A white unicorn and an alicorn no less. From what her aunt told her, she believed that alicorn was the Princess of Friendship, though she couldn't rightfully place her name however. The unicorn took a bit longer to place, but when Valencia recognized her as Rarity, owner and designer for Rarity 4 U, she had to restrain herself from gushing about the dress she was wearing this evening.

"Ah, these are my friends. I invited them." Octavia explained casually, as if it was perfectly normal to be friends with those two. "It's their first time out since...since everything, I suppose." There was a pause. "Come! I'll introduce you to them, I'm sure they'll love you."

***

"Twilight, I'm not entirely fond of this idea." Rarity muttered under her breath as the two ascended the stairs that led up to garden party. Twilight sympathized, they've, as a collective, only recently reentered society, and it visibly showed as Rarity did the bare minimum for her appearance.

"Come on Rarity, you used to love this kind of stuff. It also wouldn't be fair, seeing as Octavia invited us."

Rarity sighed heavily. "I know, Twilight. Believe me, I know." They got to the top and the two took deep breaths. "Shall we, darling?"

"I suppose so."

Twilight walked in first, quickly followed by Rarity. They looked around, immediately spotting some familiar faces. Hoity Toity, Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis. There were many unknown faces mixed in as well, wannabe nobles, more secluded nobles, or just unrecognizable. Rarity was the one who spotted Octavia who came trotting over with a big smile.

"Twilight, Rarity, pleased you could make it." The pony behind her however, was what stopped Twilight in her tracks. A hollow feeling of longing echoed back from it's ashes. "Twilight, Rarity, I want you to meet Valencia Orange of the Orange Household. Valencia, meet Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rarity of Rarity 4 U."

Rarity and Valencia exchanged pleasantries, but it was almost as if Twilight was caught in headlights. It couldn't be, but she was there, a ghost. Under the layers of makeup, pleasant charm, bouffant-like manestyle, frilly dress, even that orange cutie mark, it was her. It wasn't until Rarity nudged her a bit forcefully that she was able to snap out of her melancholy.

"You're being rude, Twilight." She whispered.

"Ah!" She shook her head. "Uh, terribly sorry about that. I thought I saw...something."

"Oh." App...Valencia chuckled politely, though a bit disheartened. "It's alright, though, if it's fine with you, may I ask what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Twilight had to smile at that, but one wouldn't call it a healthy one. "You could say that. Apologies, but if you'll excuse me..." She bowed once and bid a hasty exit. She naturally found herself gravitating to the other side of the garden, away from Valencia. It didn't occur to her until she accidentally bumped into Fancy Pants.

"Oh, sorry about that." Twilight stammered out.

"Ah, nothing to worry about, Your Highness. No harm, no foul." Fancy chuckled good naturedly. His wine glass was on the grass, but luckily none of the wine had fallen on either of their clothes. He hummed as he picke dit up again with his magic and proceeded to clean it off with a pocket hoofkerchief. "It is pleasant seeing you here tonight, I must say."

Twilight smiled a bit more warmly than the last one. "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me 'Your Highness'?"

"Till the day I die, Your Highness." He bowed graciously which made Twilight blush a little. "How may I help, as it appears you are in distress."

Twilight sighed heavily. "It's been...difficult."

"I can imagine."

"Yes, I suppose you can. Imagine, that is." Twilight pondered on a thought for a moment. "Say, Fancy Pants, you know much about the upper crust, wouldn't you say?"

"The upper crust or Mrs. Upper Crust?" He raised an eyebrow, a small hint of a smile playing his lips.

"You know perfectly what I mean."

"I jest." Fancy chuckled again. "To answer your question, yes. I pride myself on my knowledge. My knowledge has helped Princess Celestia in many pinches before, I'll have you know."

"Yes, I've heard. She's praised you on more than one occasion."

"I'm glad."

"Anyway, what can you tell me about that pony?" She felt rude by pointing at her with a wingtip, but she couldn't bring herself to say her name.

"Valencia Orange?" Twilight nodded mutely. "Hmmm. I see what you mean. Before you pointed it out, it wouldn't have occurred to me. Hmm. Well, I'll tell you what I know before we jump to speculation. Mosely and Curezon Orange both claim that Valencia is their niece. Valencia claims the same. They've supposedly been raising her for highborn life ever since her parents died. They've only introduced her to the upper crust, as you say, a mere moon ago. There hasn't been any physical evidence of such familial ties, but it's not uncommon. All we've got is the Oranges word. It sparked controversy amongst the inner circles, myself in many of them. In a nutshell, Your Highness, she's a mystery wrapped in a orange-shaped hearthswarming box."

"I see..." Twilight fell quiet. "Thank you, Fancy. You've been very helpful."

"My pleasure, Your Highness." Fancy left the silence stew for a minute before speaking again. "If I may be blunt, Your Highness. Worrying over this silently won't help matters. If you truly wish to know, there is a simple way and that is to ask. Any speculation won't lead to any satisfactory answers, merely theories. I trust your judgement, Your Highness."

"...Fancy, you really are kind and wise. Why doesn't Princess Celestia give you a higher position?"

"Then I wouldn't be of any use to you. My usefulness lies in my position. That and I don't think I would like it." Fancy chuckled again before moseying off.

Twilight watched him wander off for a moment before reaching a decision.