We got to Canterlot by economy train the morning before the gala, as per budget limitations. We left before the sun was up and arrived at Central Station around noon, after some delays with a very lost manticore on the tracks.
It was my first time in the capital city, and Tea’s second, so I asked her how we should spend the day.
“I want to drop in on Gaiety, since we probably won’t get to see her at the gala.”
Of course we should thank the pony who’d given us the tickets, though it was my understanding that she was moving up in high society and had been too busy to keep up correspondence with Tea Rose. Would we be able to see her on such short notice?
“I intend to try” was Tea’s response, and she led us through the main streets of Canterlot with all the confident familiarity of a resident. She consulted her last letter from Gaiety, which placed her in an apartment on the Castle Boulevard, only a short walk from Central.
“What are the chances she’ll be in?” I asked, my eyes wandering over the spires of the castle we could see from where we were. I couldn’t help myself, in spite of my self-consciousness of looking like a tourist, which I could tell annoyed Tea Rose. There was an awful lot of tourists in town making right foals of themselves. But all the same, it’s hard not to stare the first time.
Tea Rose was much more casual, even impassive. “At least someone there might be able to tell us where she is.”
We arrived at the Castle Heights Apartments without incident, though the building was almost as tall as the castle itself, and Gaiety’s unit was on one of the top floors. Getting up there was a journey in itself.
A tall unicorn unknown to Tea answered the door, which made her visibly nervous. At the sight of his cravat I withdrew a little, wishing I’d dressed myself up a bit more — or at all.
“We’re calling for Gaiety,” Tea explained. “We’re old friends from Manehattan.”
The stallion swept a critical eye over the pair of us, that lingered on me. I’d actually never met Gaiety. He looked skeptical that I even came from Manehattan, and I didn’t blame him.
“I’m Tea Rose Treat, and this is Moonside Dreamer.” Now she hesitated. “Is, uh, Gaiety about?”
“She’s at a private get-together at the west castle courtyard while they set up for the gala.”
Tea swallowed whatever she was going to say next. Instead, I spoke up. “D’you think there’s any chance we could see her?”
He rolled his eyes.
“It would mean a lot to us,” I pressed.
“I can get you in,” he sighed finally. “I was thinking of heading down anyway.”
He walked us to the castle grounds, and Tea had to push him for his name.
“Doublet,” he said shortly. It was clear that he wasn’t keen to make conversation. We reached our destination soon enough, anyway.
Tea’s eyes darted over the courtyard in search of Gaiety. I didn’t know what to look for, but the ponies gathered on the lawn before us weren’t many, so I was surprised that Tea didn’t spot her.
A serious-looking guard was posted to manage the riffraff, and Doublet approached him. “These ponies are with me,” he yawned, and sauntered off towards a cluster of unicorns before the guard could get the wrong idea about the nature of our acquaintanceship.
Tea trotted quietly over to the long buffet table set up at the far end of the courtyard, and I followed after her, doing my best to imitate her practiced look of nonchalance in front of all the fancy ponies. Those who acknowledged our presence looked at us as one regards a badly bruised apple.
I picked us a couple of strawberry fritters with my horn and we nibbled them timidly while Tea kept looking around for Gaiety.
“Is that guy actually a friend of Gaiety?”
Tea Rose shushed me with a hiss. “Focus. Looking for a pony with a popping champagne bottle for a cutie mark.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “And stop wrinkling your nose, you look like you smell dragon dung.”
With an effort I unwrinkled my nose, but to be fair, the fancy ponies present had already made it clear that they weren’t above nose-wrinkling. I turned my gaze back to the buffet table.
“There!” Tea Rose cried out triumphantly, and I turned in the direction she indicated to see a delicate young mare with a peachy tan coat, a froth-colored mane and a smart little saddle-skirt stepping out from a castle room across the lawn.
Tea Rose cantered to the spot, I still following after her, and at the sight of her old friend, Gaiety cut short her conversation with a ringlet-maned mare and greeted Tea with a warm nuzzle.
“I’m glad I found you,” said Tea. “It’s been so long. You’ve got to come back to Manehattan sometimes.”
Gaiety smiled, looking uncomfortable. She looked at me.
“Oh, Gaiety, this is my friend Moonside Dreamer.”
“Call me Moon,” I said.
“Pleasure to meet you,” said Gaiety, turning back to Tea Rose. “Let’s go talk somewhere more chilled. I know a great place for tea and cakes.”
The ringlet-mane mare pushed in next to her. “You’ll be back in time to prepare for the grand entrance, right?”
“Of course, Frip, I won’t be long,” she answered, and the mare trotted off looking satisfied. “I’m a bit rushed, guys,” she said to us, “but I’m not gonna miss this chance to catch up.”
It was obvious that she was a respected pony as we again walked the streets. Every attempt Tea made at starting conversation was cut off by somepony on the street going out of their way to extend Gaiety a loud greeting, and Gaiety politely answering each one in kind.
Tea Rose finally got her chance in the relative quiet of the tea shop. “I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you, which is ridiculous. To come all the way to Canterlot and not see you.” She blushed awkwardly and tried to hide it behind the dessert menu.
“But I can see how it wasn’t unfounded,” I cut in. “Tea Rose told me you’d made a splash in Canterlot, but I wasn’t expecting this. You really made the scene around here.”
“Oh, everyone makes a fuss this time of year,” Gaiety said with a wave of her hoof. “There’s a kind of paranoia around the gala these days. No one really knows how to act.”
There was a pause as we received our drinks, eventually broken by Tea Rose. “You’re not going to have a spare moment at the gala, are you,” she said, answering her own question. “I miss hanging out like old times.”
Gaiety nudged the subject in a different direction. “How is the old gang?”
“It isn’t,” sighed Tea. “It’s not the same without you. We all pretty much fell out after you left.”
Gaiety sipped her chamomile blend without comment, though looking increasingly melancholy.
“So your new crowd keep you plenty busy, huh?”
Gaiety nodded at Tea. I was surprised now that this was really Gaiety, the social hub, the life-of-the-party Tea Rose had described to me. Right now she was so… subdued.
“We met Doublet,” Tea said suddenly. “He shares your apartment?” Now she wrinkled her nose.
“He’s a friend of Frippery,” said Gaiety. “He had a spare room when I needed one. Personally, I—”
“Gai-e-ty,” sounded a syrupy drawl from behind us. We turned to see a tall, overdressed mare smiling too widely over our heads to Gaiety.
“Hello, Pirouette,” said Gaiety, barely masking the note of boredom in her voice.
“I’m just heading over to that little pre-gala bash in the courtyard,” she said without a pause in her smile. “Were you going to make an appearance? Would you like to come along with me?”
“Actually, I’m here with some friends right now,” Gaiety said bluntly. “You go along without me.”
“Oh, I see,” said Pirouette, still not looking at either Tea Rose or myself. “And is that what you’re wearing to the gala?” She move closer to Gaiety, the better to admire her outfit.
Gaiety shrugged away from her, but said gently, “Of course not, I’m changing it when I get the chance before the grand entrance.” She picked up the pace, speaking too fast to be argued with. “I’m really pressed for time though and I wanted to see my friends from out of town while I have the chance, so I’m very sorry. Nice seeing you.”
At this, Pirouette excused herself and slunk away, and Gaiety went back to her tea.
“So, what are you wearing to the gala?” Tea Rose asked.
“It’s a new gown by…” She trailed off. Her face fell. “Ce— Celestia,” she cursed. “I didn’t pick it up this morning. It’s still…” She backed up from the table with a jerk, bumping into somepony behind her. She tossed her head as if pestered by flies. “I’ll barely make it if I go now,” she moaned. “I’m really sorry, Tea. It was lovely to meet you, Moon— I’ve gotta dash.”
She left some bits on the table for her tea, and she was off at a canter before either of us could say anything.
I looked at her teacup, still half full. “I didn’t get to thank her for the tickets.”
The Grand Galloping Gala Gatecrashed
We passed the hours wandering the parks of Canterlot, and ended up at the famous donut shop on the boulevard as the sun was going down.
Tea Rose was looking more and more uncomfortable about her lack of fancy attire. The short cheongsam she’d brought for the event was looking plain in comparison to the elaborate gowns on the fine ponies we were now watching make their way to the castle entrance.
“It’s embarrassing,” Tea Rose sighed. “I should have figured nothing even my parents could buy me would look like it belonged at the Gala.”
I shrugged. I found the whole fuss distasteful. We’d already talked about my intentions to go au naturel, which she agreed was better than wearing anything I owned. I suggested that she do the same, if she really felt self-conscious about it.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” she sighed with regret, nibbling at her chocolate donut half-heartedly.
We heard the fanfare herald the opening ceremony of the gala. Tea Rose didn’t look up.
“You want to see Gaiety’s grand entrance, whatever that is?” I asked.
I could see that Tea Rose was caught between being sick of donuts and not being ready to face a crowd of Equestria’s elite yet. We’d been looking forward to this night since we were gifted surprise tickets, Tea especially: it was hard to believe how much her enthusiasm had dwindled over the course of the day. There was something she wasn’t telling me, but I could also tell that now wasn’t the time to push her.
When she was ready, we made our way down the road to the castle, her dress still tucked away in my saddle bag.
The line to be greeted by Princess Celestia extended from the castle almost to where we stood on the grounds. We joined it.
I found myself wondering if the princess had ever personally read the dissertation on Equestria as an authoritarian state that had got me denied acceptance into the princess’s own School for Gifted Unicorns when my enrollment officer got her hooves on it.
I looked at Tea Rose to ask how she thought our ruler would feel about it, but stopped when I saw the quiver in her delicate features: she was trying not to cry.
“Whoa, Tea,” I said gently, recognizing one of her attacks of anxiety. I was lost on what to say next. “Everything’s fine, Tea. Come on.”
The line inched forward. We were a solid five minutes from meeting the princess, at least.
I could see her from where we stood. The portraits I had seen of her did her physical presence no justice. Her resplendent, eternally flowing mane made the rest of her look all the more steadfast and imposing, like the still point of the turning galaxy. Everypony who was looking in her direction was compelled to bow, and I was no exception.
Tea Rose was bowed lower than anypony else. She didn’t raise her head as we shuffled closer. Some of the ponies around us were getting pretty excited; the young pegasus directly in front of us was squealing and beating her wings in anticipation.
Tea’s ears perked up once we were in hearing range of the princess. I think she was comforted by the sincere graciousness in the princess’s voice as she welcomed personal friends and new faces with the same warmth.
Then we heard the reaction of the giddy pegasus in front of us to the princess’s soothing salutation. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she spluttered, “you look amazing!” I looked up to see her companion looking embarrassed for her. And I saw Tea Rose look up too.
I stepped up first. The princess looked me straight in the eyes as she said with a smile, “Welcome” — and I felt it. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of our ruling monarch, but staring into her gentle lavender eyes made me feel guilty for ever having criticized her. The experience was a little hypnotic, as I realized once she turned her gaze to Tea Rose.
Tea had seen Princess Celestia before, and her reclusive younger sister, at a ceremony to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Princess Luna’s return. But it was apparent that she, too, had never exchanged words with the princess.
“I hope you have a wonderful night,” our supreme ruler said to both of us.
“Thank you,” said Tea, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t said anything.
“Yes, thank you, Princess,” I said awkwardly, and we trotted forward into the grand ballroom.
Unsure of what to do, I spent a minute scanning the room for Gaiety, and spotted her following a group of ponies into the roped off VIP section at the far end of the hall.
She was hard to miss — her foamy mane and tail were shimmering, sprinkled with glitter. I was drawn to her even before I recognized her.
I looked at the buffet table with regret for having filled up on donuts.
Tea started walking out towards the garden, and I followed her. We weaved our way through the thickening crowd and slipped out into the cooling night air of the castle’s main courtyard.
A number of ponies were already claiming their places for the fireworks display that was to come later.
We found a place along the back wall that would not make such a good vantage point, but which lent us all the more personal space — even some privacy — because of it.
We made ourselves comfortable and I slung off my saddlebag and emptied it of most of its contents: the pieces of Tea Rose’s small hookah pipe, a pair of tongs, a bag of shisha, a box of coal, a small bottle of water.
I began the delicate task of assembling the hookah telekinetically. My magic isn’t well-tuned to precision work, and I took the tongs in my mouth to work with the coal.
Tea Rose chose this moment to initiate conversation. “D’you think coming here was a mistake?”
“O’ coursh no’,” I mumbled, nudging the coal into place on its tray.
“Everypony’s judging us. I didn’t want to disappoint Gaiety, but she doesn’t even have time to notice.”
I put the tongs down. “At least we got to see it for ourselves.” I know that was why I’d come.
We sat there together and took turns breathing grape-flavoured smoke from the hookah pipe. Tea’s tension eased.
By the time the pyromagics hit the sky, we were quite alone in our corner of the garden, and quite enjoying it. The scenery was amazing, the aromas of all the different flowers perfectly blended to create a heady fragrance worthy of the spectacular landscaping. In comparison, the masterful display of fireworks was strikingly garish.
They were so loud, too, that we barely heard something from the sky crash into the bushes only feet away from us.
“Was that one of the garden critters?” Tea asked, turning in that direction. We’d been keeping our eyes open for members of the princesses’ menagerie, but they were even more elusive than we’d been told.
As if to answer her, a large four-legged creature scrambled out of the bush, wings twitching.
The flickering light of the fireworks revealed the full form to us: a light body speckled in lime green; lime-coloured feathered hooves; large pink pegasus wings; thick pink mane, pink tail, and the face and snout of a runty dragon. Though the rest of the creature, which I guessed to be female, closer resembled a pony.
Tea opened her mouth, but at that moment the creature turned her full glare on us, as if defying us to make some comment on the entrance she’d made, or alert the royal guard to what was apparently an act of trespass.
We did neither, and she began looking around the garden restlessly, as though she weren’t sure what to do next.
“Nice night for it,” Tea Rose ventured, smiling nervously.
The trespasser didn’t appreciate her sense of humour. “If you’re a pony,” she snapped, tossing her mane in a petulant kind of way.
Tea looked openly confused. “What?”
“This is the biggest, grandest party in Equestria and my kind have to gatecrash to see it.”
Tea frowned at her, and looked at me uncertainly. “It’s been an annual celebration to commemorate the unicorns’ founding of Canterlot every year since they completed its construction. It’s historical that it’s held between ponies — at that time there weren’t any griffons or zebras or”—she waved a hoof in search of a word—“snarks, in Canterlot.”
The gatecrasher prickled. Tea’s use of the “S” word had clearly offended her and she took a wide, defensive stance.
“It’s discrimination,” she growled, stamping a hoof warningly. “Celestia rules over more than just ponies, and there’s more than just ponies here now! I’m proud to be a qilin, and if Celestia’s not proud for me too, she can get bucked.” I could see the shimmer of tears in her scowl, and my heart ached for her. Of course she was a qilin — a race I’d read about, but a race almost never seen in the region. I’d never even seen an accurate illustration of one. Qilins were among the more enigmatic races that were thus the object of some stigma to the pony population.
I shot Tea a look for using the word “snark”, a slur referring to “imaginary creatures” that had come to be used for such races less understood by the pony population.
Our uninvited guest was hurt. She looked ready to bolt, but reluctant to move into sight of the other gala attendees. She shuffled on the spot.
“What are you going to do?” Tea asked in a more careful tone. “What were you planning?”
“I don’t know,” she said, tossing her head again in annoyance. “I just want to make a statement.”
“You should get out there where everypony can see you, then,” Tea goaded.
“I will,” the qilin huffed, and trotted purposefully into the open garden.
I looked at Tea, she looked at me, and we waited and listened a moment before following after her to watch what happened.
By the time we peeked around the long bush that obscured our corner of the garden, the royal guard had been alerted. Our new acquaintance had apparently done something to upset the garden crowd. She was now backing up and cowering, but three pegasi guards were moving in on her as though she posed some kind of threat. They announced their intention to escort her off the grounds, and she complied, red-faced.
A sharp, quiet apprehension moved through the assembled crowd as the four took off and flew into the distance. The feeling spread quickly through the rest of the party-goers, and there was no salvaging the night after that. We packed up and weren’t nearly the only ponies to leave early.
We got one last glimpse of Gaiety as we walked back through the main hall. I took in her outfit this time, a light, close-fitting frock overdesigned in a complicated modern style. She fit right in with the cluster of classy young ponies that hung about her. Tea Rose followed my gaze, and just as quickly looked away.
I decided against saying anything about it. We had a long wait ahead of us back at Central Station.
