The exquisite Rarity laughed to herself with disbelief as she turned her head over her shoulder. Her purple mane danced in the air as she did this, and it followed the currents of the air. How excited Rarity was to be in Saddle Arabia! She seemed to sob tears of joy as she threw herself onto her bed. "How perfectly dandy!" Rarity exclaimed to herself. She thought herself very fortunate to have been invited to such an honorable dinner party, and to think that SHE had been invited to dine with these famous fashion designers instead of her rivals! Rarity was in such joy and awe that she felt as light a feather. She felt like she could just glide across the room. She trotted merrily to her dressing room, where it was there she leaped upon a purple cushion in front of a mirror. Her beautiful horn lit up in a glossy blue color as she powdered herself with fine luxuries.
In the corner of her eye, she read a note that had been tucked into the side of the mirror. The note only reminded her of when her dinner party was going to begin, and she had still had quite a bit time left. After she had placed all the finest luxuries upon herself, Rarity began to admire herself in the mirror. She saw a beautiful unicorn in a fine purple dress wearing a beautiful white crown. With white stockings up her right and left front hoofs, Rarity stroked her mane gorgeously. "How beautiful you are Rarity!" She exclaimed to herself. "What a fine example of perfection you are!" She finished saying these things and then tossed herself into her bed. Her horn lit up, and a book came hovering to her from across the room. She began to read all about Saddle Arabia, and as she read, many interesting things were found. First of all, purple was a desired color, and only kings wore it. This made Rarity beam with pride. Was not her mane the finest purple to be found in all of Equestria?
After some time, Rarity was ready to make her appearance in the dinning hall. Hurrying to finish up her dress, Rarity told herself, "Hurry now, it isn't polite for a lady to be late!" Arriving at the dinner, Rarity was the center of attention. How simply perfect her dress fit the style! Rarity was already having so much fun, and the dinner had not even started yet!
She had been quite nervous at first, making an appearance to such famous ponies and all; but when she had awed them speechless, she beamed with confidence. After a blissful time, a bell rang, and all the ponies took their seats at a fine table, and then began to eat in what we call a, "Civilized" manner. The guests to such a feast consisted of fashion designers, army officers, and a detective from Canterlot. At one side of the long table a spirited discussion broke out between a young stylist and an Officer. The stylist insisted that mares had long outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-sight-of-a-mouse era, and that they are not as fluttery as their grandmothers. The officer says they still are, explaining that mares haven't the actual nerve control of stallions. Although Rarity disagrees and is offended by this conversation, she controls her feelings and says not a word. The other stallions at the table agree with the officer and tease the mares about it. "A mares unfailing reaction in any crisis," the officer says, "Is to scream. And while a stallion may feel like it, he has that last ounce more of control than a mare has, and that is the last ounce that counts!"
Although heads nodded throughout the room, Rarity had to take another cup of tea, or else she might have burst out saying something rather inappropriate. The detective from Canterlot did not join the conversation, but instead he observed the expressions of all who were present. As he looked on, he saw a strange expression come over Raritys face. She is staring straight ahead, and the muscles in her face only contract slightly. With a small wave of her hoof, she calls a servant colt over to her. Leaning his head down to her mouth, Rarity whispers something of importance to him. The colts eyes widen as he turns quickly and leaves the room. No pony else sees this, nor the colt when he puts a bowl of milk on the verandah outside of the glass doors. The detective comes with a start. The detective knew that in Saddle Arabia, a bowl of milk means only one thing. There is a poisonous Milk Cobra in the room!
The detective looks up at the rafters--the likeliest place--and sees they are bare. The three corners of the room, which he can see by shifting only slightly, are empty as well. In the fourth corner where the servants stood, all seemed well over there. There is only one place left in the room. Underneath the table! His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion will cause the cobra to bite. He speaks quickly, and with the quality of his voice so arresting that it sobers everypony, "I want to know just what control everypony has at this table has, I will count five minutes and not one of you is to move a single muscle. The pony who moves will forfeit 50 bits to each pony in the room! Now! Ready!" 20 ponies and unicorns alike sit like statues in the room while the detective counts. Rarity is the stillest of all, and her nervous almost get the best of her many times.
Even so, Rarity doesn't sweat a drop as the detective says, "...two-hundred and eighty..." Finally, after what seemed like forever for Rarity, out of the corner of the detectives eye comes a cobra emerging from the corner of the table. It slithers its way towards the bowl of milk, and eagerly begins drinking from it. Four or five screams from other fashion designers ring out as a servant colt slams the glass door shut behind the cobra. Rarity says not a word, but instead almost faints quietly. "You certainly are right, Officer!" a stylist who had been listening upon the previous conversation closely. "A stallion has shown us an examples of real control!"
"Just a minute," says the detective as he turns to Rarity. "There's one thing I'd like to know, Mrs. Rarity. How did you know there was a milk cobra in the room?" A faint smiles lights up the gorgeous unicorns face as she replies; "Because, it was lying across my hoof!"
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned something in a rather difficult way, but I simply HAD to write you about it.
While dining at the table, I learned in an odd and peculiar way that it's best to control your feelings rather than for them to control you. Even though sometimes you feel like saying something, perhaps you should think it over first. This is not always the easiest thing to do, but it is the right thing to do!
Your graceful subject,
-Mrs. Rarity
