[Sponsored] The Empress from the East (Palace Gardens)

[Dubstep]

It seemed to Lián that the land of Equestria was full of many surprises. As a young foal he had always heard tales of the old Viking Caribou raids over towards Neighpon and other neighboring areas, how vicious their attacks could be and how terrifying of a presence they had. And while this Caribou, this Halvard, certainly could be intimidating in his own right, it wasn't the actions of the many that should poison thoughts of the few. The figurine he presented to his sister was truly something. That he and his people would take the time to create something based upon one of the single most important moments in Long Guo history meant to Lián that he had more on his mind than the profit that could come from them...Unlike some guests tonight.

 

Speaking of the unscrupulous duo, where did they...'Oh brother...' he thought to himself. The Qilin surely hoped that these two weren't a common occurrence in Equestria. But if he gave the strange brothers one thing, it was that they were determined. But determination alone was not enough to impress the Prince, especially when it seemed their end goal was just lining their pockets with Long Guo gold.

 

While the others discussed the matter at hand including the presentation of a beautiful Phoenix, clearly Princess Celestia's, Lián took his time to ponder his next course of action. He couldn't stand around all night if he wanted to present the gifts he carried in a timely manner. Speaking of which, Fluttershy's reaction elicited  a smile from the prince, it was easy to see why stories spoke highly of her and her friends. "Oh please, Lady Fluttershy! It's not because I feel I have to that I wish to present you all with gifts. It's because it would be an honour to me to present tokens of appreciation to the ones who helped preserve their nation countless times. But if you would prefer to wait until a more private and quite time, I perfectly understand." the Prince dipped his head towards Fluttershy, rising it up just in time for a strange little bat-like creature to land upon it.

 

"Well hello there, little guy. Aren't you delightful." he said with a smile. The happy little creature must have been a native animal to Equestria, Lián couldn't quite recall seeing anything quite like them in Long Guo. Gingerly he reached up and gave the creature's head a rub. "It's quite alright, Lady Fluttershy. I adore animals, he only wished to say hello, isn't that right?" While Lián took to greeting the new 'guest', yet another had arrived, one that was easily recognizable from description. Princess Twilight Sparkle. The Prince gave a little wave hello while she took to greeting his sister.

[Bellosh]

 

Jijing Fengbao? Ah, that was a name Yù Yuè recognized from her martial arts classes at Fenghuang Monastery. The stallion had moved on from his position as instructor by the time Yuè began her tutelage under the monks of Fenghuang. Apparently, Jijing had been a rather exceptionally skilled practitioner of Qigong. How fortunate how fate intervened so that this evening, the Empress could meet this legendary master in the flesh.

 

The spear that Jijing produced was not instantly recognizable for Yuè, but the name Xuè Zhǎo was. Yuè had heard the story of how Jijing stopped the frontier bandit, and so from her memory, quickly deduced the true nature of the offered spear fragments before Jijing finished his retelling. Gently, but without hesitation, Yuè’s hooves reached for the bottom half of the spear, leaving Lián to receive the pointy half. “Your teachings,” the young mare deferentially bowed her head; “Will be graciously accepted in my palace always, Shifu Jijing.”

 

The grateful Empress raised her head, not wanting to forget a parting phrase often spoken by those who’ve studied the Harmonious Path; “May the Path of Harmony lead you to Enlightenment.”

 

---

 

To her shame, Yuè had forgotten that flowers and Prestezas don’t mix, so she should have remembered to offer the painter a tea more to her nasal tolerances. But nothing ill came of that oversight as Presteza ended up enjoying the tea. “In Long Guo,” the Qilin kindly answered the question; “We say ‘xiè xie’.” It would sound to the pony’s ears as “shey-shey”, and Yuè was all but certain that Presteza would botch the pronunciation on the first try. Such errors were inevitable; after all, it took Yuè time and patience for her to fully master the Common Tongue.

 

---

 

And so it was that Halvard revealed his true purpose; to secure the economic livelihood of his clan. To that, the Empress had nothing to object to; nothing should stop a merchant from any nation to peacefully trade wherever they pleased. “If there are any difficulties your traders encounter when conducting business in Long Guo,” Yuè performed another informal bow of the head; “I shall hear any concerns the High King’s ambassadors may have. Rest assured, Caribou merchant ships will never be turned away from the Dragon Kingdom’s ports.”

 

---

 

With Philomena well within petting distance, Yuè’s eyes couldn’t hide any longer how awestruck she was by the phoenix. And my, how considerate the creature was to spread out its feathers for display! Yuè considered herself a humble Qilin, but right now she felt a twinge of envy for Princess Celestia, one of the only sovereigns worthy enough to call upon such a rare animal as a companion. If only Yuè could earn the respect of a creature like Philomena one day...

 

Yuè’s eyes betrayed curiosity as Fluttershy communed with the animals. When the pegasus explained her talent, the smiling Qilin replied; “Your skill with animals is remarkable, Fluttershy. It is hard to imagine anyone else commanding the obedience of the prideful phoenix... especially in the face of great temptation,” the smirking Empress briefly glanced in the direction of Fresco.

 

---

 

Noticing that she still carried a cider glass in her hoof, the Empress was just about to take a sip of it when a pony named Serendipity introduced herself in an informal manner. Yuè appreciated the mare’s candid honesty though, getting right to the point. Unquestionably, any of those Las Pegasus casinos would kill for the patronage of a ruler of Long Guo.

 

Based on everything she knew of the resort city of vice, Yuè considered Las Pegasus an unappealing destination that clashed with her Harmonious Path-influenced sensibilities. All the same, Serendipity didn’t deserve to leave on a disappointed note. “Should we have need for a state visit to Las Pegasus,” the Qilin flawlessly answered; “I shall recommend the High Stakes to my staff, for consideration as a hotel to stay.”

 

---

 

Another attempt to drink out of the glass was foiled upon the arrival of Princess Twilight, Yuè’s first alicorn of the night. At this point, the Qilin started believing that she’d be gracefully bowing her head to greeters all night! Oddly enough, Twilight seemed rather diminished for an alicorn in Yuè’s eyes. The Empress had been under the impression that all alicorns were tall, slender, and possessed hair enchanted by the heavens themselves. The lavender mare on the other hoof... she seemed more relatable, for lack of a better word.

“Fluttershy is the most perfect host that anyone can ask for,” the serene Empress lifted her head; “You are most fortunate to count her as a friend, Princess Twilight.” Even as far away as Long Guo, tales of the heroic band of six pony friends (or rather, the fragments of said tales) were known to the Long Sun.....

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 "Well, now that's certainly a fine piece! You wouldn't happen to be the artist that traveled through our homeland some time ago?  I saw a work in the hall of Jarl Sigrun that seemed similar in style."

 

Sweet Sunstamped Flanks! A caribou! It'd been a long time since Presteza'd been able to see one in the flesh. She'd gone to their land and done a bit of traveling there. BY the sisters, it was a bloody miracle she'd even survived in that snow covered place... thankfully she'd managed to stay safe thanks to those awesome Vakystra! She could hardly count the times there that they'd saved her plot from another weird monster from the rugged wilds they'd made their home in. When Halvard came forward she took notice of the imposing shadow and blinked once, then twice. "Wow! Oi'd almost fergotten 'ow tall you lot were!" She chuckled a bit before raising a hoof ... well pretty high since the size difference made such a gesture kind of difficult.

"... And yep! That'd be me! It was a long trip along the roads and even then there were all kinds of crazy stuff that kept poppin' out o' nowhere to try and bite me 'ead off! Thank goodness fer those Road warriors. Saved my plot more than a few times, they did!" The painter took out a small sketchbook labeled 'Whitescar' and showed several nice sketches several of them were some lovingly drawn works of the distinctive armor The warriors of Clan Breen wore. After a few page turns she got to the Halls of The Askr clan. The Hold she drew looked more closely to a city nestled in a huge grove of distinctive trees. There were some sketches of a younger caribou, one who may look familiar to the Bull looming over the artist. He had that shy smile and distinctive shade of his muzzle, It looked like a younger version of the ward Halvard had been bonding with before the Gala.

 

"I wound up meetin' this fella before I reached the hold and before I knew it we were talkin' about paintin' him and his ... well he said she was his mentor and some important cow but She seemed more like his Mom." She chuckled a bit before the words from Fluttershy got her attention. After a sip of the tea she smiled proudly at her pink maned friend, "Yep! Nothin' too impressive though, I was just at the right place at the right time s'all!" She chuckled a bit and winked subtly at the empress, playing it off as if her allergies were still bugging her by following it up with a sniffle and a rub at the offending ocular organ.

 

The response Fresco gave to Fluttershy was a slight huff before positioning himself on the princess head and staring at philomena as if challenging her. before going right back to looking at the prince, "I think 'e's trying ta branch out from intrudin' on the personal space o' princesses to the personal space o' princes too." Said the artist with soft giggle. 

 

 

 

 

"Like I said: Right place, Right time!" She took another sip of her tea and smiled at Seren, "I've also been doin' a lot o' travelin', so I get ta meet a lotta neat types of creatures! S'funny though I wind up meetin' one o' most important mares in the world just foolin' about in a garden!" The painter figured she should hold off an any finer details than that though... with all of Yue's entourage, knowing that she and the empress had managed to bond somewhat during their time in the garden... might cause a bit of a stir in advisors. The kind of stir that would make an uptight ponies bowtie spin like a little motorized fan... wait, did Qilin wear bowties? She knew they wore a LOT of nice sashes but not a lot of ties or things like that. Well, just another thing to learn about once she got there!

 

Meanwhile, back atop the prince's head!

 

"Well hello there, little guy. Aren't you delightful. It's quite alright, Lady Fluttershy. I adore animals, he only wished to say hello, isn't that right?" 

 

The little fruit based chiropteran on Lian's head gave him a slight squeeze of the wings followed by a cheerful squeak. A series of small coos and soft squeaks came from the little purple mammal as a hoof gave him some pets. The little bat on the head of the prince's ear's perked at a mention of temptation and glanced back at philomena who seemed to still be looking at him. The little fruit back looked back and stuck his tongue out at the avian and nestled in on the prince's head.

 

“In Long Guo,” the Qilin kindly answered the question; “We say ‘xiè xie’.”

 

"Shiey... shooey? Shishika? " As the mare tried to sound out the words she eventually devolved into sputters and shrugged a bit, "I'll be sure ta work on speakin' it, Yer Highness! This mouth grew up speakin' equestrian and gnoshing pizzas and sweets with the occasional taste o' the fancy so fergive it's... shortcomin's." She smiled at Yue and took out a small notebook with the words "things to do in Long guo" and began to hastily write down that she'd have to learn the language. She'd heard that the best way to learn a language though, was to go to a place where everyone spoke the language you wanted to learn and learn through necessity!

[Blueblood]

Ah, marvelous!  It seems this lady Presteza was indeed the same artist, and one who had a good word for the Vakstyra to boot.  "I am pleased to hear that your journey was well-conducted.  Our efforts are not as are usually recorded in the sagas; it is a small share of glory that is allotted to our battles.  Any skald to sing our praise is appreciated."  He gave her a warm smile, a more expressive one than often seen upon his usually saturnine countenance.  Part of that was also due to the art he could see in her sketches, and upon seeing a familiar figure, he chuckled.  "Ah, Limi.  He is here also, if you wish to meet him again.  He has grown much since your last visit.  Jarl Sigrun, of Askr, has also changed as well... though lost none of her singular attractiveness, I must say!"  Well, by caribou standards at least.  Ferocity was valued somewhat more up north.

 

His business with the Empress had been concluded to his satisfaction; his aim was merely to give a good impression, there fortunately being no outstanding issues at present to resolve.  Trading posts would be established, though the intervening sea-territories, partly rebel, partly Neighponese, would have to be pacified before a regular route could be established.  That work would be long and difficult, and therefore Serendipity's talk of visiting a resort struck a nerve of envy and humor in the bull.  "Ah, if only your establishment was on our way home!  But I anticipate little time to spare in the near future for such things..."  He paused, a rumor about Las Pegasus surfacing in his mind.  "Is it true, though, that your city builds resorts which are exaggerations of other places and cultures?  I am curious if mine is among them."

 

With the arrival of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Halvard suddenly bumped a few items up on his agenda.  Not an opportunity he could afford to miss, though he would have to wait until the alicorn was finished talking with the Empress before speaking his own piece.  He merely bowed and smiled at her arrival, therefore, before turning back to the group, which now included the twin of the Empress.

"Prince... Lian, was it?"  He inquired politely.  "I'm afraid that I have had little time to acquaint myself with anything beyond the basics of your homeland; my birthplace is on the far west of Whitescar, about as far from Long Guo as you can get on that continent.  I trust all is peaceful in your home?"

[Lux]

Jijing did not know if the Princess recognized who he was at first. He was long retired from teaching at the Fenghuang Monastery before the princess set her hoof into the halls to train. It was interesting that she at least knew of martial arts and the Path of Harmony, perhaps even studied there. The elderly Qilin wonder what legacy he left upon the school and his students who now were most likely teachers themselves. He was not a prideful Qilin but hoped that his teachings impacted some positively. To his joy, the Princess explained that even though he was not there, his legacy carried on and inspired her. 

 

“Your teachings will be graciously accepted in my palace always, Shifu Jijing.”

 

"Then I shall be more than happy to assist in the teaching of yours or anypony else," the Shifu said returning the bow. 

 

“May the Path of Harmony lead you to Enlightenment.”

 

"No truer words could be said of what I was taught and then did teach." 

 

His attention was directed towards another new arrival as others conversed and examined the phoenix. It was an Alicorn who explained that she was the Princess of Friendship, a very interesting title indeed. 

 

"Ah so you are a Princess too. Well it is also an honor to meet you. I am Jijing Fengbao, but if you prefer you may call me Silent Storm. I have recently traveled from Long Guo to visit and learn about Equestria and the ponies that call it home and hopefully pass on my teachings."

[IceStorm]

To say that Medō was a bit lost and out of her element would have been an understatement. She had no idea what to expect when she was arriving at the event that was known as "the Grand Galloping Gala". She had no idea what the even was, or what it meant, but she knew that she had won the ticket as part of one of her scholarships that she had received from Canterlot University. Overall, fitting into the city had been a bit of a struggle. While she knew the common language fairly well and caught on quickly from the college, she still had a fairly thick accent, and was sometimes difficult to understand, and while she had seen and spoke briefly with a few of her classmates, she really hadn't been able to make much in the way of friends. If she had, she probably would have honestly given the ticket to the Gala to one of her friends so that she could have been able to enjoy what she heard so many ponies dreamed of going to. Instead, because she lacked friends, and didn't know anypony, she figured that such a prestigious event would be a great way for her to get out and meet new ponies and start learning a bit more about the Culture of Canterlot in the flesh.

 

However, one of the other things that made her a bit uneasy was the fact that this was a formal event, and while she did have her formal dress with her for such an occasion, she wasn't sure if the formal she had would still be considered formal here. It was a small blue dress fringed with a bit of pink and yellow trailing around the bottom, the tail of the dress stopping just at the top of the calves of her hind legs. She had her mane and tail freshly washed and still a bit damp. leaving them with a faint glimmer in the moonlight, and a small lily blossum rested in her mane just over her left ear. It was traditional formal wear for her village, and while it wasn't anywhere close to the quality of Shimmersilk, it was made from some of the best silk that they had in the village. She had received it from her mother right before she left Jikan-tekina Teien, and she only hoped that it would be acceptable for something as deemed to be important as this. "Dakara, koreha Gurandogyaroppingugaradesu... De Grand Garoppin Gara..." she spoke to herself in a shush voice upon entering what she learned was the Royal Gardens.

 

When she entered the gardens though, she stopped dead in her hooves. There were so many ponies that she didn't recognize or know that it was a bit overwhelming. However, that was not the most overwhelming part of the sight that lay before her. She also spotted a large number if Qilin in the gardens, but not just any Qilin.... it was the to most important ones. Empress Yù Yuè, and her brother Hēi Lián! While she was quite young when she had only had her first encounter with the two of them, she remembered it to this day. How couldn't she? that's how she became who she was! She doubed though that anypony as important as they are though would remember a pony as simple as her. It was so long ago... She made her way into the gardens and she noticed that everypony seemed to be gathered around one of the Alicorns that was presiding over the festivities.

 

She to, following suit began to make her way over towards the group of ponies. Although she had no idea what the protocols were. Should she wait until she was addressed first? That seemed to be the wisest course of action as the closer that she got, she noticed they were already engaged in converation. She wasn't completely aware of all the mannerisms in Equestria, but she presumed that interrupting a conversation was universally accepted in most cultures as rude and something that wasn't to be done. She simply appraoched and awaited a moment for the conversations to die down where she could insert herself in.

 

[moonshineTheleocat]

Voronoi Fractal (Also known as Java) has finally arrived to the party, and talk about being fashionably late! Well the truth of the matter is, that this is the stallion’s first Galla. Not the first time to be invited, but the first time to actually attend. The Grand galloping Galla was a wonderful event of the year that often had very little to offer to the not so political and secretively reclusive stallion. Well that was till this year!

His lovely marefriend was in attendance and he just couldn’t leave her up here all on her own! And surely she’d forgive him for being this late! Right!? He had good reasons! The first was that a magitech engine in the lab had misfired and created a magical discharge that created a localized distortion field that broke all the laws of physics. On top of cleaning that mess up, He still had to stop by the homebase to pick up his suit, some extra supplies for his marefriend, and of course… his feline companion.

 

And now here he was! Strolling along the castle garden’s walkways. Sine, his faithful female serval companion, was sitting regally on his back. The little movements seemed to not bother her much as her head casually adjusted for each bob, giving the appearance of a floating object. Though her eyes did excitedly dart around to every little woodland critter that was present.

The stallion stopped by the mare who was busy arting away, and snuck a kiss on her cheek. “Sorry I’m late love,” The stallion hummed. He lifted the messenger bag full of art supplies off of his shoulder and placed it down next to her.

“Ran into a bit of trouble in the lab. Couldn’t leave it as it was,” The stallion chirped. Though his attention was soon drawn away when Sine planted her paws on his head.

 

She gave him a little bat on the cheek to draw his attention and looked off to a familiar Pegasus with an excitable “YAAAAR!”

The feline just as quickly hopped off of her master’s back and made her way up to the shy mare. The creature reared back on it’s hind legs… and streatched it’s self upwards. It wrapped it’s forelegs around the mare’s neck and drew her into a hug.

[Corsair]

Fluttershy's eyes went wide with indignation.  Had the brothers really tried to bribe her?? Ooh!!  She had half a mind to...  Wait, she would not have to do anything.  She looked to the phoenix sitting on her foreleg.  In a calm voice, the pegasus told the bird, "Philomena, I believe that Flim and Flam were just leaving.  Could you show them out, please?"

 

With a fierce look in her eyes, Philomena turned toward the brothers.  Suddenly, her fiery feathers erupted into real flames along her wings.  The phoenix let out a loud screech at the pair of unicorns, and took flight toward them...

 

*****

 

Taking a few calming breaths, Fluttershy turned her attention back to the Quilin royals.  "I must apologize for that, Your Highness-es," she said, bowing her head.  "I hope that this incident will not damage your impression of Equestria."  It was then she heard the complement from Serendipity.  Her cheeks flamed almost as red as Philomena had a moment before... "Err... um... ah... th-thank you?" she said uncertainly, her confidence and anger swinging back to confusion and bashfulness...

 

Seeking a lifeline, Fluttershy suddenly heard a very familiar voice.  "Twilight!": she called out in relief.  "I wasn't sure you were going to come!"  The pegasus felt like a weight had been lifted off of her wings, and the stress melted.  Fluttershy was good at dealing with animals, but not so great with diplomacy, at least to her mind.  With Twilight here, much of the focus would now be on her friend, the Princess.  

 

Looking back to the Prince, Fluttershy found that little Fresco has settled down in the stallion's mane.  The Prince really didn't seem to mind, but Fluttershy still gave the bat a look.  "Ok Fresco, you can stay, but make sure you behave!."

 

Fluttershy watched the formal greeting between Twilight and Yù Yuè.  At the Empress' complement, Fluttershy once again bowed her head, saying "You are too kind, Empress."  As the Royals became acquainted,  Fluttershy was suddenly distracted by a large purring form rubbing against her.  "Sine!" she called out happily.  She reached out a hoof and scratched the serval cat between her ears.  "Who's a good kitty?  Yes you are!  Yes you are!" she cooed at the large feline.  Fluttershy turned and found Sine's friend with Presteza.  "Hello, Mr. Java!  You're with with Presteza too?"

[Mojo]

Flim and Flam waited anxiously for Fluttershy's response.  The unicorn brothers thought that every pony had her price, so with a bit of negotiation, the pair would have what they wanted, a private meeting with the Empress.  Neither of them expected to hear such a bold, determined response from the super shy Pegasus mare.

 

Both brothers neighed "WHAT??" when Fluttershy informed them that they were leaving.  Before Flim and Flam could voice a further protest, they saw Princess Celestia's pet phoenix flying straight at them!

 

"It is time to flee, dear brother!"

 

"Without question!  RUN!!!"

 

Flim and Flam galloped across the crowded ballroom floor as the  screeching fiery phoenix gave chase.  The fear of being burned was enough incentive for the pair to gallop faster than they ever imagined they could!  Had some pony with a stopwatch been handy, they would see that the frightened pair of unicorn stallions had no doubt shattered the record time in the 100 yard dash while seeking to avoid the flames of the scary looking phoenix bearing down upon them.  Unable to find a door in all the frenzied confusion, Flim and Flam used their magic to swing open a stained glass window with barely enough time to leap through it together.  As their hooves landed on the soft grass below, the brothers immediately shut the window behind them, hoping that would be enough to deter the phoenix from further pursuit.  Panting and shaking with fear, Flim and Flam looked up at each other.

 

"That was a narrow escape!  We are lucky to still be alive!"

 

"Indeed, dear brother.  This quest of ours was far more dangerous than we imagined."

 

"What are you saying?"

 

"I am saying, time for Plan G!"

 

"Plan G?"

 

"Plan G, as in, GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE!!!"

 

Punctuated by two nods of agreement, Flim and Flam departed the grounds of Canterlot Castle.  Their night at the Gala was over.

 

 

(Exit Flim and Flam)

 

 

Spoiler

This has been great fun, but I think at this point, Flim and Flam would realize how hopeless their plans were and bid a hasty retreat.  Thanks for a great time! 

 

[Dubstep]

"Yes, that is correct."The prince replied with a smile and a gentle dip of his head to Halvard, enough to be polite without dislodging the resting fruit bat atop his head. "Things are as peaceful as one could reasonably hope for. There are still moments of strife, but my sister has handled things expertly and we always try our best to tend to the needs of our citizens. And do not be troubled by not knowing more of our homeland, I've heard of the troubles that your land has been going through. I sincerely hope that in time you and yours will be able to find a peaceful resolution. Or...at the very least, somewhat peaceful with plenty of drink." Lián chuckled softly and glanced towards a new bit of commotion.

It seemed that Fluttershy had quite enough of the saleponies bothering not only his sister, but herself as well, and employed Philomena to take care of things. Lián often tried to be on his best behavior during formal situations, but the sight of the two shysters running off like scared rabbits was far too funny! Try as he might to hold back his laughter, he couldn't help himself. "Aaaahahaha...oh I swear their eyes were as big as dinner plates!" the prince took a few deep breaths to calm himself from his hysterics before speaking again. "Oh no Lady Fluttershy, far from it in my opinion. Ahaha...That you care so much speaks louder than those two's clamour for gold." the prince leaned a little closer to the pegasus and whispered softly. "Just between you and I. When a merchant back home was attempting a similar ruse, I offered a little family of mice some cheese to scare him off. I had no idea a qilin could literally leap from their robes in shock."

The prince gave Fluttershy a little wink before standing back up straight, glancing around at the garden. So many ponies had arrived to see his sister. It made sense, most would think this a once in a lifetime opportunity! He hoped though that it would become a regular thing for his sister, both home and abroad. Long Guo's Emperors and Empresses had for too long stuck to their old ways. It was time for things to change for the better and this was a hoofstep forward.

[RarityDash]

Serendipity smiled at the Empress' responde. "Sweet! Totally glad to hear it," she said. "Ponies are so quick to reccomend Canterlot or Manehattan, but trust me, if you want to see the best Equestria has to offer, look no further than Las Pegasus! Entertainment of all types, including shows that put Bridleway to shame! Not to mention restaurants so good that they make Restaurant Row look like an absolute joke. And the best part is, you're high up in the clouds the whole time. How cool is that?"

 

Serendipity hadn't intended to boast on her city's behalf so much, but eh, what else was she going to say to an empress? It was all true anyway. There was no better place for a pony or quilin looking for a good time, especially if they had the money to spend. She chuckled. Her father would probably be proud of her playing the part of ambasador on behalf of the town and the casino.

 

She then looked back to Pres, nodding at what she said. She knew something about being in the right place at the right time, that much was for sure. She smiled at her pal until very suddenly a stallion emerged onto the scene and approached her carrying bag full of what looked to be art supplied. He proceeded to give her a little kiss on the cheek. Seren smirked at the sight.

 

"So, I guess this is that stallion you always mentioned you were seeing, huh? The one who keeps us apart..." She affected a long sigh. "Ah well, I suppose he is kind of cute... in a way," she said, shrugging.

 

She turned then back to Fluttershy, tempted by her oh so irresistable stammering response. She was going to say something more to the yellow pegasus but before she could the pony when to greet a friend. And what a special friend this was. She was a purple alicorn. That combined with her being pals left little doubt about who this pony was. First an empress and now a princess, huh? The gardens were certainly the place to be. 

 

Seren followed after Fluttershy and glanced the princess over. Just like Fluttershy, the mare was a total knockout. "So this is the Princess of Friendship, huh?" she asked Fluttershy. She then flashed her smile at Twilight. "Funny. I always thought Celestia was supposed to be the pretty one."

[Zeig]

 

So far so good.

 

And by so far so good, he meant that he hadn't gotten his flanked handed to him by some humorless guard who wouldn't know a good time if it danced naked on a tabletop in front of him.

 

If he had to take a guess, he'd wager that any guards stationed in the area were either actively patrolling inside the actual Gala, keeping a wary eye out for suspicious characters schmoozing with Princesses and guests, or mostly set around the entire perimeter of the palace, making sure no one managed to sneak in. It was an all too common mistake, Inkbrand had found in some of his more, illicit adventures. Too many ponies put too much faith and trust in a golden invitation, assuming that any one with the right identification was completely legit. They tended to believe that any one with cause to sneak into a party would have to do so from the outside, and as such kept their focus pointed outwards. Hardly realizing that breaking in was more often the easier aspect of a job.

 

...Not that this was a job, of course. Course not. 

 

But even as he thought of it, Inkbrand couldn't help a spike of anticipation that rushed through him as he hopped off one tree branch to grab onto the garden wall, quickly finding purchase in the vines drifting every which way. The last time he'd done anything like this had been...rot, back before the Crystal Invasion? When he and Red had taken out a well known crime syndicate by reverse stealing all their ill-gotten goods. Like a modern day Robin Hoof...eeeex, 'kept they hadn't returned anything to the poor and had just kept the haul for themselves. 

 

But holy buck that had been a riot, seeing Dark Dawn flip out after finding all his wares stolen. Ten out of ten, pure, epic, freak out.

 

The grey stallion was honestly surprised at the rush of nostalgia he was feeling, too. All his life all he'd ever wanted was a good to honest tattoo parlor to call his own, and he had it...but still, there had been a certain freedom in his lifestyle, before he'd settled down with Skin Tyte. The freedom to go wherever the buck he pleased, no schedule except what he decided, never sitting around one place because he couldn't close up shop or he was waiting for an appointment. Life had been more difficult, sure, but Inkbrand honestly could say he had enjoyed it, nonetheless.

 

...Not that he would trade it for anything, buck no.

 

The short nostalgia trip had him reaching the top of the wall in no time, and Inkbrand heaved himself upwards to dangle from the top from his front legs. "This the place, huh," the tattoo-clad stallion murmured to himself - unnecessarily, as there were large clumps of ponies all milling around the area. A particularly vibrant group seemed to be centered a ways off into the garden, and even from his distance, Inkbrand could make out a strange scaled, yet pony-sized figure near the edge of it. 

 

Which is when a smoldering blaze of fire suddenly decided to shove off in his direction.

 

Inkbrand narrowly avoiding shouting out loud as he ducked back behind the wall, ears pivoting on his head at the sounds of screaming and...screeching? Carefully, the grey Earth Pony pulled himself back upwards, in time to realize that the fireball hadn't actually been gunning for him - instead, it seemed to be chasing two Unicorns around the garden, screaming bloody murder as the pair managed to pry open a window and hoist themselves through it. Even more incongruous, the assembled ponies seemed completely at ease at the commotion, and some of them even looked...pleased. As if two ponies running for their lives from a fiery ball of death was the most satisfying thing they had ever witnessed. 

 

Cripes. He really hoped those two Unicorns hadn't been sneaking around and crashing events like...certain ponies...

 

Though, from what he could tell, this wasn't a closed event at all. No guards were standing at attention at the entrance, and ponies were freely passing in and out of the gardens. So, he'd probably been right in his first assumption, that meeting Qun-Lin nobility was something for any one to do if they so chose. 

 

Still, he hadn't snuck his way in here because he'd really thought the gardens were closed - it was just for fun. And a refresher of skills. With a quick glance left and right, and then down beneath him, Inkbrand hoisted himself all the way on top of the wall before making his way towards a nearby tree, one that was actually inside the palace gardens. It was large and sturdy enough for the grey stallion to leap onto a cradling 'v' of trunk and branch, and put him a fair bit closer to the group that was undoubtedly holding the Qun-Lin visitors. Not that he could see much as it was, but as he settled into the crook of the tree like a hammock, Inkbrand hoped that the group would thin out and give him a better look at the mysterious flanks from the east.

 

Er.

 

Ponies. From the east. 

 

Whatever.

[RainbowFoxxy]

Twilight was delighted to hear that the empress was enjoying herself thus far. There were so many ponies around it was a wonder she was able to keep track of everything and still look the graceful ruler.

 

"I'm glad to hear your reception is to your liking empress. We are more than honored to have you!"

 

The princess turned to the empress' brother and smiled before inclining her head.

 

"And you as well prince! I am so glad you were able to attend your sister. We are beyond fortunate to be able to host the royalty of the east. We do hope you will all enjoy this gala!" 

 

Twiliggt trotted up to Fluttershy and gave her good friend and hug.

 

"Fluttershy! Thank you so much for welcoming the empress and her entourage! You did a fantastic job. I knew you would. Please keep helping them and let me know if you need help from me. Looks like your animal skills are in need tonight!" 

 

Twilight glanced at the bat, Phoenix, and feline. She was ok with animals but Fluttershy was truly wonderful with them.

 

"Empress, I would like to present you with a gift when you have a moment?"

[PyroBlaze]

Buck, this was harder than she thought. Not the sneaking around, she was an acrobat after all, and an Aerion to boot, but the whole following someone trying to be sneaky. Being blind sucked... At least her hearing was good. 

 

Yiska hovered behind Inkbrand as he dangled from the wall, blinking at what sounded like fire moving around, accompanied by the yells of a couple stallions. 

 

Before she knew it, Inkbrand was moving on, and she followed after him. At least he didn't go far, and she settled into another crook in the tree. 

 

"What the buck was that fire all about?" She said quietly to him, keeping her head pointed towards the sky while she listened for anything she could overhear from below. 

[Bellosh]

 

Secure in the knowledge that all her interactions with (legitimate) greeters have gone well so far, the Empress felt more at ease as she talked further with Serendipity, who deserved commendation for believing so earnestly in the value her city brought to Equestria. A glint of playfulness entered Yuè’s eyes however when the pegasus spoke of being high in the sky. “If being one with the clouds is what you desire,” the Qilin spoke with an air of mystery; “Then undertaking a spiritual journey to the sacred city of Longri-La will be well worth your time. The home of the Wise Dragons sits upon the highest mountain in the world; by definition, a better vista cannot be found anywhere else.” Yuè subtly smirked, speaking from personal experience.

 

---

 

During an all-too-brief lull, the Empress just managed to catch the end of an abortive “negotiation” between Fluttershy and the suspicious waiters from earlier. Following the command of the pegasus mare, Philomena burst into flame and drove those questionable unicorns away. Yuè found Fluttershy’s eviction methods to be crude, but admittingly, it was all worth seeing the phoenix boldly fly with fire-scorched wings.

 

While all this was occurring, the Empress silently signaled for one of her servants to take the cider glass out of her hoof. Never trust a drink given by those who were untrustworthy.

 

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Yuè returned Fluttershy’s head nod; “Celestia’s phoenix is a valiant defender of your land. Foes would do well not to cross Philomena,” she fought back a chuckle, amused with her own quip; “...Or those who command her.”

 

---

 

The Empress flashed a soft smile when Princess Twilight claimed to have another gift for her. “The fenghuang we’ve brought with us will be presented in a few moments, but there is enough time yet to present your gift.”

 

As this reminded Yuè of another goodwill gesture she and Prince Lián planned on doing, the smiling Qilin briefly turned her head towards her twin sibling. [Brother!] she switched to her native language, shouting at a faster speaking rate that the calm and deliberate manner employed up til now; [Don’t forget the gifts we have for our hosts!]

Once Yuè got her answer from Lián, she brought her attention back to the alicorn princess.

[IceStorm]

It took a few moments for the reality of everything around Medō to sink in. Both the Empress and the Empress's brother were at this Gala... which meant that the ponies that spoke so highly of the event at the college were right. This event was one of the most important events that she would get a chance to attend. The fact that there were so many important ponies here, including one of the primary princesses of the land told her that this was one night that she didn't want to mess up. Her entire future in Canterlot likely rested on this night. Oh what was she saying, with the Empress being here, her future in general rested on this night. Ancestors forbid the thoughts of what could happen were she to accidentally bring dishonor on to one so important to their lands at an international event like this.

 

Medō shook her head. This wasn't the place for such thoughts. Medō was a professional, and she could handle something like this. The most important thing she could do right now was remember her linguistics training since she'd gotten to the college and what little bit she had gotten before hand. If she was going to get to know these ponies, she had to show that she could be expected to speak and understand their language with little to no flaws. If only to show that she was willing to learn the language of the nation that she was entering and that she wasn't expecting ponies that had never seen her before to automatically know the language of her homeland. Such thoughts would be arrogant and entitled and she was neither of those.

 

That said, as soon as she took a few more steps forwards, she spotted two unicorns, whom... looked like waiters running towards her at a high rate of speed before rushing by in a blur followed by what appeared to be a ball of flame. She quickly side-stepped the retreating duo and immediately recognized the flame as a phoenix. She was both terrified and in awe that such a powerful legendary bird was also present tonight and seemed to be guarding the Gala from unwanted guests and intruders. This only made her even more scared of messing something up fearing that she would be the next one the legendary creature targeted for removal.

 

Finally she mustered up the courage to join the rest of the group that was in front of her. She was still quite intimidated by being in the presence of such powerful figures, but she couldn't make friends if she just stayed back in the shadows right? She did notice however that the Empress, her brother and the other ponies were still speaking though, so while she was now standing with the group of ponies, she made it a point not to speak up or interrupt the conversation at hoof. She didn't want to seem rude for interrupting... but would it also be considered rude to just stand there and not say a thing either? She was so untrained when it came to formalities like this and she was constantly worried that she was going to mess something up tonight. She figured at least saying hi would be okay right? Of course it would! It's not like she was going to be adding anything to the conversation! Just politely letting everypony know that she was there and wasn't just eavesdropping on the conversation that they were having.

 

Mustering up what small amount of courage she could, she spoke. "Konbanwa, denka... Good evening, your Highness," she spoke both towards the Empress in her native tongue and the princess in their tongue before giving both of them a light bow in respect. She also gave a courteous nod to the other ponies in the area of whom she did not know the names of.  Oh she hoped that she was doing this right. Why did her first social experience have to be with two of the most important ponies in the world....

 

[Blueblood]

It was fortunate indeed for Whitescar caribou that the other nations could be so forgiving, both of slight ignorance... and a massive legacy of past violence.  Pleased that his task was looking increasingly easy, he addressed Lian with a brief nod and a chuckle.  "Somewhat peaceful with plenty of drink... yes, that about covers it!  If we who aim for that can open a trade route to the east, such a resolution may be opened all the quicker, so... Thank you both."  He bowed, this time a little more deeply, to both the Empress and her twin.

 

Any decent diplomat, then, would have progressed down the rank list of royalty, addressing Twilight Sparkle next.  However, Halvard felt able to delay, perhaps even defer that entirely.  After all, Equestria had already sent governmental representatives, and Sigrun had been handling a lot of work on that end already.  With further talks between the High King and the Princesses planned, such efforts would have been redundant.  Therefore, he left the alicorn to chat with the Empress.  No doubt, both would find many interesting things to talk about.

 

Serendipity, on the other hoof?  A completely different story.  Halvard could tell immediately that she was a business mare, just the sort that he liked to get in with and hammer out a deal.  And Los Pegasus presented a prime opportunity... "Excuse me."  He interjected, with a polite tone, but again with a steel-shod hoof placed on her shoulder.  "While I can hardly blame you for being distracted by the pretty mares of this country," He began with a wry smile, "I did ask you a question.  I was curious, having heard of your great city, whether one of your famed resorts had been based upon the culture of my people.  And, if not, whether you think there ought to be."  Establishing a cultural embassy and an opportunity for Clan Breen to profit?  Too good to pass up!

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 

The painter blushed a bit and nuzzled into the stallion's kiss, "Yer a lifesaver, lov!" The mare hugged Java tight. As usual his presence brought a certain degree of comfort to a mare who tended to overthink and over analyze her own work in any artistic endeavor; a bit incongruous as the special somepony in question one of the more analytical types of ponies by virtue of being an engineer. In some ways the freckled artist was 

 

Once Java got to his explanation of what had held him up, Presteza laughed a bit nervously. "Didn't leave any singularities 'r things like that layin' around did ya? No weird voids to plains of existence ponies weren't meant to trot?" There was a -LOT- that she may never truly understand about some of the things her mate made in that workshop of his. Hay, she wasn't even sure she was using the right terminology right now. Singularities? seemed more apt to say spinny dense things if what she was thinking of was right.

 

 

Watching Flim and Flam head out at Philomena and Fluttershy's gentle protests managed to spark something in the artist. "Ohh.... that'll be a neat moment to paint later." she thought to herself. She couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit sorry for the two stallions as they were chased out though... that empathy didn't last too long though as she remembered the last thing she wound up getting involved with that had them attached to it. That whole smell of success business. Would she love to be able to forget that whole thing ever happened.

 

Seren's slightly melodramatic response got an unsubtle laugh from the cream colored unicorn, "Java 'ere'd probably be all for that so long as he got a picture o' us kissin'" The mare gave java a playful elbow to the side as she levitated up a sketchbook and pencil and began to draw a picture of those lanky unicorns from before being chased off by philomena. It was at an angle other than her own and some of the spatial relationships of others present were wonky, but a credible effort as she tried to get  a bit of practice in underneath the bough of a tree near a wall.

 

 

 

 

[Windwright]

1 hour ago, PrinceBlueblood said:

If we who aim for that can open a trade route to the east

Well, that was a straight line if she'd ever heard one! That was practically summoning her, in fact.

 

Windwright had left Stormwatcher in the ballroom while she pursued business ventures elsewhere, and she'd been hovering outside the royals' conversations, listening for an opprotunity. After those shysters had been chased off -and rightly so -she had been about to turn around and abandon the prospect altogether. The night wasn't going well for business, and she'd nearly had to get in a fight with the guards just for the two of them to get in (that guard would presumably be back to normal in an hour or so anyway, she didn't know why she felt guilty.), AND her outfit was a sheer silk jacket with long tails meant to show off her legs and the markings she'd dyed into her pelt, but apparently that was not the current Canterlot style, and she'd gotten more than a few Looks.

 

Still, Stormy would be disappointed if she hadn't at least tried, So she'd stuck around. And now as the...rather strapping caribou moved out of the conversation, Windy slipped in, saying "Xhing Hui, honourable Empress Yuè, long may you reign, and Prince Lián." She hoped she wasn't botching her pronunciation too badly. "I am Windwright, a chemist of some" very "small renown, attending the Gala to seek new markets for my wares. Much of my early work was influenced by Pedaneighus' De Medica, which wouldn't have been the same if he hadn't studied in your country."

 

She spoke quickly, trying not to bore the Imperial visitors (or get stopped by well-meaning birds of fire) as she pulled out two stoppered vials of clear liquid. "In recognition of that, I'd like you to have these. In addition to medicines I also mix perfumes like these, as well as dyes, mane-care products, pelt shampoo, and make-up." She explained, offering the vials out. If unstoppered, one would smell like fresh mist hanging in the air in a honeysuckle field, while the other carries a scent of what jade would smell like, if it had a taste.

[Zeig]

 

Yeah, what had that been all about?

 

"Buck all if I know," Inkbrand retorted, golden eyes fixated on the group of ponies that...seemed, to be thinning out some? Maybe. "But unless those two ponies were actually trying to set something on fire themselves, then holy buck I don't think I want to find out." Because seriously, what sort of response could warrant a flaming ball of death? Especially when the ponies had seemed satisfactorily justified in letting said flames chase those two Unicorns around, like yeah, those two deserve to be burnt to a crisp. Seriously. He knew Canterlot elitism had its quirks and its pitfalls, but bucking flank. 

 

And ponies called him bad. 

 

Though on the flip side, he kind of hoped that those two waiters had tried burning something down, or done something that actually would have warranted such an extreme reaction, because if fiery flame balls was the standard response to intruders? 

 

Buck him.

 

Still, Inkbrand was sticking to his first theory of the gathering being rather open-ended, as no guards came rushing forwards towards the group, and more ponies were still making their way inwards and exiting as freely as they pleased. The thought gave the tattoo-clad stallion more leeway to take in the ponies milling around the garden, taking immediate note of a tall Caribou (because it was nearly impossible not to take note of a Caribou), the purple Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle (definitely did not want a run in with that one), and a smoking bombshell of a pale lavender Pegasus (definitely did want a run in with that one). However, the menagerie of different ponies, Caribou, and probably a bucking Changeling or two, at the rate he was meeting them, all paled in comparison to the surprising number of scaled figures wandering around below.

 

Ah-hah. The Qun-Lins, he was guessing.

 

"That them?" Inkbrand hissed in a low tone, turning towards Noctis - but oh wait, hey. The Aerion had mentioned she was blind, hadn't she? Tch. Seemed kind of a moot point to spy on some ponies in order to get a better look at them, but hey, whatever floated her boat. "Never mind," the tattoo-clad stallion amended, and turned his attention back onto the Qun-Lin.

 

Because he had asked kind of rhetorically - those scaly, wierdly tufted tail type ponies had to be Qun-Lin, what else could they be? They certainly looked draconic enough, what with the scales he could see on their snouts and necks that weren't covered by clothing. One Qun-Lin, in particular, looked royally decked out in a strange sort of robe that seemed to sparkle and shine with every brief movement she made, and was also sporting a rather ridiculous looking headpiece that seemed like it should weigh her head down towards the ground. A nearby Qun-Lin looked equally fancy in an outfit that even Inkbrand's untrained eye could immediately tell was expensive, and a few others were out and about.

 

One of them - maybe a server? Looked like she was holding a tray of drinks - was wearing a short dress that seemed at odds with the billowing robes of the ponies around her, but suited Inkbrand just fine because hot bucking buck, her flank was fine. And covered with scales, too. How was a stallion suppose to work with that? Maybe...maybe thread the tattoo around the scales?...like sand art that wound itself around boulders and rocks? 

 

And what about the scales along the underside of their necks? How far did they extend? All the way to their haunches, or did they stop halfway?

 

"How far do you think their - oh buck, again. Never mind," the tattoo-clad stallion huffed out in annoyance, as his second inquiry was once again stymied by the Aerion's inability to see what the buck he was talking about. "Getting any good readings, there?" Inkbrand couldn't help but snark, though his tone held no real heat as he turned his attention back onto the Qun-Lins he could see, both his forelegs and hind legs crossed as he absently began creating a color palette for the richly dressed Qun-Lin with the ridiculous headpiece.

 

...Or he would have, if he could have seen more of her natural colors that weren't completely swamped by her clothing. Buck, was that a Qun-Lin thing? Or was it just because of the formal occasion? He sincerely hoped it was the latter - tattoos probably wouldn't gain much notieritgy among a species that drowned in seas of clothing all the time.

 

[moonshineTheleocat]

Voronoi’s head immediately recoiled in surprise as he saw a blur of fire and heat shoot past his head. His eyes widened as he had contemplating ducking… but the threat was already well past. His head slowly turned in time to see two very tall waiters running for their lives.

He extended a hoof out, jaw slackened as if he was going to ask about it. And then he just… clamped it shut. Yeaaah… maybe he’d rather not know what warranted such a violent thing.

“Yeah…” The stallion said distantly in response to Fluttershy, his eyes still watching that fireball dancing around in the distance. A few seconds later he had snapped out of his stupor. “Oh yes of course!”

The stallion hummed as he made a small adjustment to his light blue colored suit jacket. His mane was also combed combed back and styled quite expertly by his own hooves. He was also wearing a pair of glasses this time around. It seems that the stallion undergoes a temporary metamorphosis for formal events.

“Though I came less informed than I like,” the stallion hummed as he turned to the pony of interest. According to Blueblo- er… Bluebelle there would be more foreign dignitaries arriving than usual. This one must be the Princess of the Long Guo? Buck… he doesn’t even know her name. Well here’s to hoping she’s not the easy to offend type.

The stallion then turned to Pressy, and smiled. “Oh goodness no! If a singularity was in the lab I don’t believe I would be existing anymore. And no… no weird void planes or creatures roaming about. The Engine misfire only caused some minor distortions.”

 

The stallion’s attention was then drawn away by a mare. It seems that the two know each other well. Perhaps they dated or had an ‘arrangement’ at some point. It certainly seemed that way with the way the mare was talking. Though… he wasn’t sure if what he had just received… was a compliment or a passive aggressive insult.

“Er… thankyou?”

But he really couldn’t say anything else. As his marefriend was very quick on the draw. In fact it just seemed like this very thing was on the tip of her tongue. A simple use of words and a jab got the stallion blushing something fierce. If it wasn’t for the fact that his coat was a pretty heavy brown, he’d be a lot redder than what he was.

However… that didn’t cover up his mannerisms. The stallion’s jaw was caught wide open. Not a single word, not a single breath. He twitched a few times, as if his brain was trying to force him to say something. Well… sadly that didn’t happen. He just looked off to the side with a bashful gaze. It took a moment for the stallion to finally recover. And then he turned his gaze back to them both.

"Well... I'd rather not get in the way of something obtaining I 'can't' provide very easily..." he sighed. His blush definitely wasn't going away after admitting that.

---

Meanwhile, a sage creature of great majesty and wisdom of a thousand cycles was enjoying herself the ever adoring attention of the very mare that set her up with her new life. That’s not saying it was terrible in the savanahh… but the desire for a change of scenery did prompt her to travel quite far to be where she was now. Sine had always meant to thank the mare in person. Sadly, the harrowing trees would require many days to walk by paw. And hitch hiking onto a train would be more trouble than it’s worth. And while her caretaker couldn’t speak her language. Luck had finally brought this day upon her!

 

Oh and without a word did she let it be known. But sadly she hadn’t quite had her fill when she heard something… unique. To the ears of a pony, it wouldn’t be noticeable. But oh… a cat’s ears do not miss much. And for a serval? The quiet beat of a burrowed mouse’s heart was like someone ringing a dinner bell at the dining room table.

 

It was a woody thump. No bird, nor critter could possibly make such a sound. It was much too loud and clumsy. And that’s saying a lot when the denizens of the garden act as if they have not seen a natural predator before.

Without a sound, she begrudgingly pulled away from the Pegasus to slink into the shadows and investigate. Her graceful and practiced motions have not lost a step in her time with her pony companion. She did not stir the bushes she stalked through. She did not make a sound. And she just as much slithered as she glided over the grass.

Until finally she was up on the wall and creeping behind the offending tree. From it… she spotted two ponies.

‘A walker of earth, and flier of night? MMm….’ Sine thought to herself, her eyes dancing among the two in thought. ‘I commend thee pony of many colors for wishing to be like cat. But I do wander what you two are doing so far away from the party. Perhaps you just like trees. Perhaps you’re not sociable. Or perhapsssss… you’re undesirable. Which are you…’

 

It was only at the end of the thought, did she make her presence known if she had not been discovered yet. The feline kept her voice low, but loud enough to be heard by the two. And the sound it made… was very close mock of a pony word.

She leaned in close, her haunches raising to keep her balanced as she went over the edge of the wall. Drawing closer and closer to the two’s ears… and then whispered a drawled out “Yaaaou”.

A yowl that sounded very close to the word “You”. If you had a long “a” in it. Should the two ponies turn, they’d be met with intelligent eyes from forty-six pounds of wild cat.

She’d study them for a bit with a raised “brow”, before finally tilting her head ninety degrees to the right. Hoping her body language portrayed a question.

[PyroBlaze]

"Fair enough." She responded, chuckling a bit and relaxing in the tree. Her ears twitched occasionally as she listened, picking up the louder conversations mostly. 

 

"Sounds like it's them, getting talk like some of them are Royal fancy." She replied before he spoke again, apparently remembering she couldn't see them. She snorted a bit before listening more, shaking her head a bit at his annoyance as he interrupted himself in the middle of his question. 

 

"Yes, actually. Sounds like there's going to be some kind of gift exchange pr-" She said, cutting herself when a faint sound reached her ears. She would've missed it if it wasn't so strange considering how close it seemed to be. Claws on stone? What was that from? She heard another faint claw sound just before a voice came that made her jump a bit. 

 

"What do you want?" She asked, a little cross at whatever had snuck up on them. 

[Corsair]

Fluttershy didn't watch the brothers as they ran off, but she did keep an eye on Philomena until the phoenix flew out of sight.  The pegasus wasn't proud at what she had had to do, but a blazing phoenix in flight was too beautiful to not appreciate.  When she turned back, to her shock, the Prince was nearly rolling on the ground in laughter.  And while the Empress remained stoic, there was a smile upon her lips as well.  Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at little at the Prince's story.  She had seen ponies like that, who were irrationally frightened of mice.  Often, she knew, the mice were even more frightened of ponies!  But the anecdote did change her mindset;  while these two siblings were Royalty, they were not (quite) as stiff and formal as she had been lead to believe. 

 

Philomena chose that moment to fly back into the garden.  As she alit back on her perch, she was no longer covered in flames, but she did had a smug smirk on her beak.  She preened at the Empress' compliments.  However, Fluttershy was taken aback a bit.  "Oh!  I don't 'command' animals, Your Highness!  I mean, at least not unless there's no other choice."  She looked up to the phoenix with a smile.  "Philomena is a friend."  The magnificent bird nodded in agreement.  Then, she bent down so that Fluttershy could stroke the feathers on her head.

 

Fluttershy accepted the hug from her friend, making sure not to muss the Princess' dress or mane.  Rarity would never forgive her if that happened...  She stood beside Twilight as she and the Empress spoke.  With the departure of the bothers, more ponies were joining them in the garden.  The Empress was approached by a unicorn dressed in Eastern style, who greeted her in what seemed to be different languages?  Fluttershy could understand many animals, but she couldn't speak any language but Equestrian.  A pegasus mare also approached, and appeared to launch into some kind of rehearsed sales pitch.  Again, in a language she didn't understand.  She glanced to Twilight, hoping that her bookish friend had a better idea of what was being said...

 

Fluttershy gave another hug to Sine, and watched as the cat strode out into the garden.  She wondered what had caught the serval's attention and called out "Remember Sine, no hunting here!  This is the Princesses' garden, after all!" 

[Dubstep]

The one thing Lián did not care for in all of this was how much happened all at once. It was like trying to hold fifty conversations at once, all about different topics and while it made it difficult to make any sort of personal connection to any one visitor, it was good at giving a general idea of their personalities. "It's an honor to attend such a grand event, Princess Twilight, I would not have missed it for the world." the Prince gave Twilight a polite little bow, now that Fresco had seemed to have found a comfortable position upon his head. A much nicer hat than what he was used to wearing to be sure.

[Relax, sister dear. We haven't forgotten. I already brought up the topic to Lady Fluttershy. I'll depart shortly to find the others and dispense their gifts!] Lián chuckled softly and waved a hoof at Yuè, she could be such a worrier sometimes. At the arrival of another guest, this one speaking briefly in the siblings mother tongue, the qilin arched a brow as he bowed in greeting. She looked strangely familiar, though the Prince couldn't quite put his hoof on it. Before he could question this however, yet another visitor still broke the brief quiet.
 

Another salespony it seemed. This one...far easier on the eyes and a lot more polite at that. They were quick to the point without acting too familiar, though the Prince had to admit one would not mind getting more familiar with them. "Ah, thank you very much." Lián said with a dip of his head, likely causing the resting fruit bat to wiggle a little bit. Carefully he took the vial of jade perfume and uncorked it. A green, well aged smell. Slightly musty, but with an air of refined dignity, and very, very odd. All in all a very good perfume.

[RarityDash]

Serendipity stared ahead awkwardly as neither the princess or the pegasus in her proximity gave any sort of response to her complimentary words. This was unusual. And highly dissapointing. Seren did on some occasions get the cold shoulder for her flirty remarks, but the brazen was entirely unused to getting ignored entirely. She supposed maybe Twilight was just too wrapped up in what she was doing to pay attention, but to have Fluttershy, who had been good to respond cutely before suddenly acting like she wasn't there rather stung.

 

A little unsure how to proceed now, Seren just looked toward the Empress again and smiled, considering her words for her. 

 

"Well, now I'll have to go check it out!" she said brightly and then gave a flirty giggle. "That said, last time I got a hot travel tip from the totally gorgeous ruler of an entire kingdom about some special, serene magic place I needed to check out, I wasn't able to quite find my way there." 

 

She laughed as she thought of her attempt to reach Amani, spurred by the letters she had exchanged with Princess Celestia and how it had went so wildly off course as adventure unfolded. "Of course, I did end up helping to rediscover a lost ancient city that time, so it wasn't all bad."

 

She looked then back at her adventuring buddy for said discover and grinned at her. She definitely wasn't about to ignore what the artist mare had suggested. She chuckled warmly and raised an eyebrow.

 

"Oh my, someone is a naughtier mare than I remember," she said with a snicker. She then looked at the stallion who Pres had called Java. His absolutely stunned reaction followed by failure to deny he'd be up for what his marefriend suggested was pretty adorable. It was certainly a tempting suggestion. A big part of her considered kissing the other mare right then and there. This was the Grand Galloping Gala, however, and gorgeous ponies abounded who were single and unattached. If she did such a thing, it would kill her chances with any said ponies who might be in her proximity.

 

She looked again at Pres and grinned. "Judging by the look on his face though, I think if we did anything, your stallion here might break," she glanced at the stallion in his little stupor and laughed. "Though, eh, who knows where the evening will take us."

 

That was when she noticed that there was another nearby trying to get her attention. She supposed she had overlooked him what with her mind so dominated by the pretty princess, the pretty pegasus and the pretty Presteza, not to mention the oh so enchanting empress. Which was actually kind of weird still since he was not a sight easily overlooked. He was a caribou, and a fine strapping specimen of one no less--big, bearded and decked out in like armor. Sure, he wasn't exactly Seren's type, but he definitely called attention to him all the same.

 

"Sorry, I was occupied," she said smoothly. "I don't think there's a caribou themed place in the city. You guys are just under the Yaks on the intensity scale, which isn't quite what a pony looking for a good time is after. Most the themed places prefer to look at Saddle Arabia or Long Guo for inspiration. Or classic pegasus design, like you see in Acroneighos and parts of Cloudsdale. Or they borrow from the griffons or the buffalo cultures nearby."

 

"Personally, I've never been about the themed places. It's always to tacky and unauthentic. A shallow substitute for getting out there and seeing the real thing with your own eyes," she said with a huff. "The High Stakes is a classy place. It doesn't need some showy theme to get people in the doors."