Inkwell

Inkwell hadn't been a very social pony when he was young. Most of the opportunities he'd had to make friends in his early foalhood had passed him by. I'll get the next one, he always said. We probably wouldn't have been that great as friends anyway. It was an insecure lie that he'd gladly rid himself of as soon as he left Trottingham. Jambalaya had been one of the rare exceptions to the rule. She was a nice filly who didn't have anything bad to say about him, and before long both of them had managed to open up to each other and talk among themselves. Then, of course, her family had to leave. They'd barely spent any time together before then, and Inkwell was heartbroken. If it weren't for the suggestion that they write letters to each other, Inkwell might have given up on friendship altogether! But write they did, and Inkwell took refuge in writing, being able to fully compose his thoughts on paper instead of being put on the spot with real-live conversation. Even after he got more sociable, he still enjoyed every letter from Jambalaya relating how she grew and developed into a fine young mare, just like she did for him. When he got the opportunity to invite her to Ponyville and see her in person, he was ecstatic! Now if only he could find her. This was the right day for the meeting, and he'd given the right address, but he forgot to give her directions to navigate an unfamiliar town! He headed to the town square and looked around for several minutes until he saw a familiar mare wearing a nice dress and pulling a cart. "Jambalaya?" he asked her, giving her a genial smile.

The pie that Inkwell nudged in Cat's direction lie forgotten on the ground as both ponies struggled with the awkwardness of the situation. Inkwell listened to Cat's halting, shoddily-conceived words and wondered just why she was acting so weird. It didn't take him long to come to a conclusion, though, as the hints Rose dropped weren't particularly subtle. Cat had reacted even more strongly than Inkwell had, practically turning her entire body red in embarrassment. Why would she do that unless Rose had seen something that made her remark based in reality. It was just like her to charge straight through delicate issues like that, always telling Inky to shape up when he was being a wimpy little foal. Maybe this time it was the right thing to do, after all? And the suggestion that Cat and Inky keep each other company was entirely her idea. She... liked him? That looked like the only answer. Why else would she exhibit jealousy of Rarity's dressmaking abilities when she wasn't even a dressmaker herself? As far as Inkwell knew, Cat never worked at making dresses before, so her complaint about being "upstaged" didn't make sense any other way. "You haven't been upstaged," he said, standing next to her and putting a foreleg around her shoulders. "You're more important than the dress, and I think I'm more comfortable around you than Rarity. You're just better for me!" What was he doing, burying Rarity like that? He'd have to try and be delicate about it, and honest besides. But the truth was, Cat was a more compatible friend than Rarity. He just didn't know if they were quite as compatible as Cat apparently hoped. One way to find out. He finally looked down and noticed the pie, already getting a bit too close to lukewarm for his tastes. Since he didn't know how to heat it back up with magic, he just cut away a chunk and floated it into his mouth. "Want some?" he asked, levitating another mouthful within Cat's reach. "It's really good!"

Rose chuckled a bit when she saw the taller dragon wave back to her, and swiftly returned to browsing the buffet. Sadly, the offerings here weren't the sort of things that looked like they could fill her up too much. There were canapes and miniature sandwiches, things that couldn't even properly be called bite-sized. She sampled an LT with mayonnaise, or maybe it was ranch dressing on it, and smiled. She didn't think she'd find anything like that here! Several more little LTs found themselves on her plate as she moved on to the dessert table. There she found something beautiful: a sumptuous tiramisu as large as her head. It sat there untouched and unsliced, which baffled her. Why wouldn't the chefs save the nobleponies the extra bit of work and slice it for them? If those upper-class twits could get help to chew and swallow for them, they would. Rose started furtively looking around to see if anypony else was watching her. This seemed like far too much of a perfect opportunity to pass her by! After making sure the coast was clear, she levitated the entire thing into the air and took it with her, next to her plate of sandwiches, leaving the serving plate with only a few drops of icing and a dusting of crumbs. She felt generous enough to take only that, leaving the other sumptuous pastries for the other gala-goers. Having found enough food to tide her over for a few more hours, she started walking back over to the pair of dragons, this time to have an actual conversation. She found herself interested in them, and besides, she knew they preferred inorganic meals, so she wouldn't feel the obligation to share. "Enjoying yourself, handsome?" she asked the taller one. No matter how she tried, she just couldn't seem to stop teasing others.

Finally, Rose Madder thought, it was time to indulge in her absolute favorite part of every party: the refreshments! She'd spent a few hours hobnobbing with old friends from Canterlot, making new friends from Ponyville, and best of all, set her brother up with somepony he meshed well with... sort of. In the time since then, she'd digested most of the food she bought from Applejack's booth, making plenty of room for more. So she used her horn to levitate a pair of plates next to her and scoped out the buffet. But before she could take notice of the hors d'ouvres, she noticed a pair of dragons talking next to the table, a tall, skinny, white dragon and a short, chubby black one. She couldn't help but crack a smile and give them a little wave before turning back to the buffet to see what was on the menu.

What Bramble said sort of didn't make sense to Inkwell. "You weren't expecting to see other ponies here?" he asked. "Well, I can see that you wouldn't want to see other ponies here, but I'd think other ponies would get the same idea, or they'd want to see the flowers too. Instead of just trying to get away from them all. You know." And then Bramble confused him even more by mentioning that Fluttershy was "in everything," whatever that meant. "Um, Fluttershy, what's he... talking... about..." Then he remembered seeing a few tasteful advertisements in Fillydelphia, avant-garde pop-art pieces featuring a pastel yellow pegasus with silky pink hair. He's made a painting of the same pegasus as a tribute to the ingenious, eye-catching designs. Now, he just realized, he was seeing the source of those ads in the flesh. "That was you?" It was! For the second time that evening he completely misjudged Fluttershy. Or maybe not; she sounded glad to be rid of the modeling business. He'd have to ask her how she got into that sometime. Maybe later. Fluttershy identified the red stallion he remembered from Ponyville as Big Macintosh, apparently a friend of Applejack's. He had trouble with a bird who found his mane oddly comfortable (it looked coarse to Inkwell) and wanted to know where his sister was. "Oh, um, shoot, where is she?" Inkwell asked. He wished he knew. Lastly there was the matter of another griffon that showed up in the garden. She wore a blue dress with artificial feathers set at the back of her head. Not a bad outfit, but he'd seen better, and it didn't look like she was all that comfortable in it, either. "I was just getting acquainted with the lady and gentlecolts here," he explained, waving his hoof in the direction of the other ponies. "Nothing about eagles or hawks yet. We haven't seen any. I haven't, at least."

Inkwell was quite sorry he asked about Aqua's need for water. He was glad that it wasn't as severe as that other pony thought it was, but he could visualize the decay and destruction of Aqua's skin entirely too well. In his mind's eye she became desiccated and decrepit. He shook his head to try and shake the image. "Well, I think we can probably trust you to tell us when you need water," he said. "And we have plenty to spare, so you'll be just fine. No need for... cracking pelts. Ew." He looked away from Aqua and made a face. Then the green pegasus he barely knew came out with a job application form for Aqua. She was getting settled in town pretty quickly! The words Tempest said mostly went in one ear and out the other, though, as logistics in getting a town to work didn't particularly interest the lofty-minded artist. He did, however, catch a question about the other pony, Miss Gracie. "I dunno, she said she had to get some water for Aqu-" And there she was again, pouring water onto Aqua's head, all one drop of it. In her rush she accidentally used a vessel that couldn't contain liquid, a flowerpot with a hole in the bottom. Before Inkwell could talk her out of it, Gracie ran off to get some more. "No-wait-Aqua-said-she-was-good-for another couple... hours," Inkwell said as quickly as he could, trailing off when he realized she wasn't listening to him at all. "Yeah, there she was."

"You'd really like having me over at your place? Aw, thanks! I'll be sure to stop by when I visit my brother!" Rose barely knew this mare and already she was getting an invitation to stay for lunch. Deep down she was proud of herself for turning on the charm so effortlessly. She loved to eat and Applejack apparently loved to cook. It was the perfect match! She had another tart in her mouth when Twilight replied to her. Rose was surprised that Twilight remembered her, since it didn't seem like she was paying attention the first time around, what with that book in her face and all. "Wefearch?" Rose asked with her mouth full, before remembering to swallow. "Would it be impertinent of me to ask what kind?" Before Twilight could answer, something zoomed past Rose, blowing wind through her mane and leaving a rainbow streak in the air behind her. She turned her head and saw a pegasus with a dashing rainbow and gold ensemble balancing a cupcake on her hoof and sporting a cocky grin. Rose blinked at her, then slowly started to clap her hooves together. Something about her seemed familiar to Rose, and not just because she reminded her of herself. Then she remembered where she'd seen this cocky pegasus before. Her friend Stormy Weather followed the stunt flying circuit as a hobby, and she'd shown Rose a few photos of an up-and-comer she'd gotten obsessed with. What was her name again? "Wow, you're, um, Rainbow Flash, right? I gotta say, you really know how to make an entrance!" Suddenly the booming sounds of a clock tower ringing out the hour interrupted Rose's train of thought, and she found herself blushing. "Heh. Speaking of which, it's time I made my exit. Time does fly, you know? 'sides, it seems like you three have a lot to catch up on! Bye!" She left with the pie, running off to find her brother.

Inkwell nodded and smiled when Dellios introduced himself, turning his sketchbook around to show him the drawing of Ashton and his balloon that he'd drawn. "Pleasure's mine, Dellios," he said, approaching the balloon and gingerly climbing back inside. Sure enough, it was pretty roomy, though it would probably end up being a tight bit for all four of them if they all decided to get in together. Oddly enough, he wasn't all that embarrassed at the prospect. "Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are!" he said to the others, before leaning back against the side of the basket.

Rose admittedly looked a little bored waiting for Scale to decide on his dish, and almost grimaced when he suddenly considered changing his mind. "I guarantee you that every item here is a satisfying dish, unless of course your personal taste disagrees with it. Just pick something and if you don't like it, I'll spring for it myself!" Hollandaise heard Scale finalize his order and took his menu by the mouth, trotting away to the kitchen in order to finalize it. "Never had cheesecake, huh?" she asked. "I can see that happening. It's a marvelous dessert, though it's ironically more like a pie than a cake. I could describe how it tastes, but perhaps I could just offer you a bite of my slice and let you decide for yourself if you like it. What do you say?"

Rose beamed when Voodoo welcomed her inside. "Oh, why thank you!" she said, pulling off her galoshes at the door and setting them just inside her friend's humble abode. "I'd love some tea right about now. It's been too long since I had anything sophisticated to drink. You weren't an easy pony to find!" She was glad that Voodoo had proved to be inviting and friendly, but at the same time, maybe she was a bit too inviting. As ridiculous as it was for her to admit it, Rose did find herself a bit on edge thanks to the reputation that Voodoo had gathered, the same reputation that made her spend days looking for her in the first place. She didn't think that Voodoo was intending to bewitch her or turn her into soup or who knew what else; she wasn't that ignorant. But she knew that Voodoo bestowed karmic retribution upon people who asked her for magical curealls, and just because Rose didn't want something else didn't mean she was beyond reproach. Maybe Voodoo didn't like having her time wasted. "I'm Rose Madder," Rose replied, sitting down on a wooden stool. "And yes, I could probably use a towel. I tried to keep as dry as I could on the way, but that's easier said than done when you walk through a swamp." Some water had managed to splash over the top of her galoshes and soak into her hooves, which felt a bit cold and pruny. The scent of Voodoo's tea smelled pretty decent, but Rose couldn't place the variety. It felt like she was taking a gamble drinking from it; tea remained a hit-and-miss subject for her, and if she didn't like the tea, she'd have to conceal that fact from Voodoo. Speaking of gambles, she thought she'd best get her reason for visiting out of the way. "This may sound a little weird to you, but I'm not actually looking to make use of your services," Rose admitted. "I've heard how those stories end, anyway, and that kind of got me curious about you. I think we've got a lot in common." Now Rose thought that she might be the one putting Voodoo on edge. Hopefully she didn't come across as too much of a fanfilly there.

Inkwell blinked and tilted his head at Cat. He felt like he should know what was on her mind, exactly, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. "Yeah, she's really something," he confirmed. "But yeah, from what I saw of her boutique, that doesn't look anything like the sort of designs she comes up with. Did you make that yourself?" "What my brother means to say," Rose interjected, "is that Rarity has a rather different aesthetic to her dressmaking approach than you do." She'd moved in front of Inkwell, partially blocking him from Cat's view. "He wasn't making any sort of judgment call or definitive statement of superiority by complimenting her. Really, it's like comparing apples to oranges." She nudged his head with her own, hoping he would understand the blatantly obvious signals Cat was sending him. "Oh!" Inkwell said, finally making that last connection. "Y-yeah, she's right, she's absolutely right!" He gave Cat a comically large grin. ]"You know, when I said that I met the most talented fashion designer in Ponyville, I didn't mean that, you know, Rarity was the most talented fashion designer in Ponyville. I think." He struggled to come up with an explanation, and glanced at Rose again. "It's a very high-class way of talking, darling," Rose explained. "For example, when I say that I bought the most delicious apple pie from a vendor in the courtyard with the most quaint, yet charming accent, it's just a way of intensifying those adjectives." She levitated her pie between the three ponies, giving Inkwell a good look at it. "No comparison is being made at all." Inkwell brightened up at the sight and smell of the pie. "Wow, that does look delicious!" he said. "You said this was one of Applejack's?" "Actually, yes. You know her?" "Yeah, I met her the day I came into Ponyville. She sold me my first Ponyville meal!" "Well then, have some deja vu!" Rose said, setting the pie tin down in front of Inkwell. "I couldn't finish the whole thing myself, so I thought I'd share the rest of it with you!" "Wow, thanks Rose!" Inkwell took another look at the pie and notice how large it was, even with half of it gone. "Actually, I don't think I'll be able to finish this either." He was actually kind of surprised that there was anything left of it; when they were young, Rose was a voracious eater, and little suggested that anything had changed. Restraint in that regard seemed beyond her. "Oh really?" Rose asked, in the tone of voice suggesting that a new idea had just crept into her head. "What about your friend there? Maybe the two of you can split it! You know, spend some quality time together. Poor girl's all by herself out here!" Inkwell looked at Cat and shrugged. "Alright. That sounds like a plan." He nudged the pie tin over in Cat's direction. "Ladies first." Gladdened to see her hunch pay off, Rose started to trot away from the happy couple. "Well, I've got a lot of ponies to mingle and hobnob with, so I'd best leave you two lovebirds alone! Let me know if you end up sharing anything else!" Her merry laugh echoed behind her as she left the garden. "W-w-wait! Rose!" Inkwell shouted after her, his face turning nearly as red as hers. "It's not like... that." He rolled his eyes and groaned. "I swear, she can be so insensitive sometimes," he told Cat, slowly turning back to face her.

I honestly don't know whether I'd prefer more events or a members' gallery. Both seem like they would have their pluses, though I have to echo sentiments warning about having too many events. I don't know how often I would hold events myself. Maybe we should experiment with it, but I would put them at least three months apart. And then there's the matter of how long these events should take. I dunno, it's something to think about.

Rose looked around, trying to catch a look at those Cloudsdale pegasi without catching their eyes. She just nodded when Tempest explained why she wanted to avoid them. "Ugh. Tell me about it. I heard that some of my exes got invites too, and if I never see them again, it'll be too soon. "Anyway, I don't think your dress is silly at all! You had a really great idea and I'm glad you're showing it off here!" She turned her head to look at her dress. "Don't get me wrong, I love the Gothic Lolita look, but it's not as unique or personal as your dress, or Miss Aqua's for that matter." She walked up beside Aqua's cart, taking a look at how seamlessly the dress merged with the cart. At the moment, the strange, awkward colt with the tattered vest examined it at the same time, and seemed flustered and embarrassed at assuming the cart was for selling goods. He even got the Ponyville fillies' names mixed up! "Whoa, calm down, calm down!" she told him. "I think you're starting to get a bit mixed up there, Klondike."

"Looks like it!" Rose replied in the middle of her hug. "He told me that everypony in Ponyville apparently got an invitation to the Gala, and all of my friends in Canterlot did, too! I dunno what the Princesses were thinking, but I hope they think it more often!" She sighed with delight and rested her forelegs on the rail of the bridge, staring up at the sky with a look of complete contentment on her face. Inkwell just smiled and leaned against the railing between Rose and Cat. "You really wanted to come here, huh?" "Definitely!" Rose turned her head and gave Inky a smile. "You meet the most interesting ponies at these events, with the most interesting attire!" She looked past him and gave Cat a wink, noticing her own painted dress, a rather haphazard looking thing that no doubt gave the regular attendees of the gala serious cases of the vapors. The thought of that made her instantly like Cat's dress; perhaps if Rose was ever invited next time, she thought, she'd show up in a dress made of rusted metal. Both siblings took an interest in Cat talking about family. "Your father, massive?" Rose asks. "I find that pretty hard to believe, shortstuff! Then again, our dad was pretty big too, and he sired Inky here!" She pointed a hoof at her scrawny brother and snickered, making Inky give her a little glare. "Don't listen to her, she's just being obnoxious again. Honestly, it's like we never split up." He gently pushed her hoof away. "She takes off after our dad more, but I think I'm a lot more like Grandpa, rest his soul." Pleasant memories of the time he and Chiaroscuro spent together in his youth made him smile again, though it also kind of made him feel a bit melancholy as well. "Say, Inky, where did you get that suit? It looks amazing!" Rose asked. "Oh this?" He adjusted his beret. "I found the most talented fashion designer in Ponyville! Her name's Rarity, and believe me when I say you haven't even seen her at her best yet!" "Hmm, really?" Rose asked, rubbing her chin. "Wasn't expecting anyone like that out in Ponyville..."

Rose started walking over to Cat on the bridge. "Yeah, I know how that is," she says with a sigh. "I've been single for months now and it's really starting to get to me." Cat introduced herself, and Rose responded in kind. "Rose Madder, rising star of the literary world." Then she realized it might not be good form to boast to a new acquaintance. "I hope. Heheh. "You're the local artist of Ponyville, huh? Funny, I thought that was my brother's job. He's here too, I think you two would probably get along great, just as soon as I can find him. He's got a beige coat, black m-" She looked past Cat into the distance and grinned. "Well well well, speak of the devil. Hey Inky, get over here! I got some pie for ya, runt!" The pony she spoke of barely saw the bridge in the distance, and the sounds of her voice made him stand deathly still. He peered into the distance and saw her there, with his friend Cat Napper. How would he handle this, he wondered? Though he maintained communication with his sister during his travels, he hadn't actually met her in person, not since their grandfather's funeral. Thoughts of how the two of them would react to each other and how they'd each changed in the intervening time rushed through his head, but he swallowed and put his best face on. Besides, she'd promised pie, and he was starting to get peckish. "Hey Rose!" he called out, galloping up to the bridge. "So great to see you again!" The two of them embraced in a tight hug, before Inkwell turned back to Cat. "I see you've met Cat," he said. "Cat, this is my sister, Rose!"

Inkwell couldn't help but chuckle at the corny banter between Aqua and Granola. This sort of awkward comedy was much more Rose's cup of tea, but even Inkwell couldn't help but see the humor in the situation. And Aqua's rubbernecking made him laugh a bit more, levitating the sketchbook and pencil out of the way. Sure enough, the drawing he made of a land-walking hippocamp did make her look a bit silly. "Heh. I like drawing silly things sometimes. But I'd be happy to take you up on that offer! I wouldn't mind a good swim." Her stately pegasus friend ducked into the mayor's office, and Granola ran off to get some more water for her. "Um, do you need water?" he asked, looking at Aqua's body curiously. It seemed moist enough to him, but what did he know?

Inkwell nodded. "Sure thing, Cat," he says, rooting around in his bag for the appropriate paint. He found two paints that could fit the bill, Pearl and Eggshell. After a moment's deliberation, he decided that the former would suit her needs better, and he levitated it over to her. "Don't use up too much of it, though. I had to special order that." He turned back to Ashton to see that he was busy piling quite a lot of things into the basket of the balloon. "Huh. Looks like we might not have room in there for you after all, Cat. I hope you don't mind flying next to us?" And then a griffon showed up out of nowhere. Inkwell dropped his sketchbook in a panic, before hearing him talk and finding out that he was a part of Ashton's traveling party, too. "Oh! Hey there. Ash didn't mention he was traveling with another griffon! I'm Inkwell, and this is Cat Napper. We helped him get his balloon free and he offered us a ride out of here. You don't mind, do you?"

I was camping out on the link as well. I'd love to see you stream for real this time.

Once again, Rose Madder displayed her innate talent for causing other ponies embarrassment, and once again she didn't quite manage to conceal her amusement at having done so. A titter escaped her lips when Applejack turned away to hide her blushing. "I'm sorry, um, Applejack was it? I didn't mean anything by it." She gladly levitated the tarts and pie out of the way, then counted out a small pile of bits on the counter. One tart popped into her mouth confirmed that they were bits well spent. Her eyelids drooped and her eyes rolled up in their sockets. "Mmmmmm, marvelous," she sighed. "If I see any of my friends here, I'm pointing them right this way. It'd be criminal not to spread word of your wares!" Applejack gave her a free bottle of apple juice as she talked, and she washed the tart down with some of it as yet another pony approached the stand. This pony she recognized; years ago she'd tried to invite her to various get-togethers on several occasions, or even read fiction, but this filly wouldn't have any of it, secluding herself in dry reference books. "Twilight Sparkle!" she called out, giving her a cheerful wave. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Is it true that you moved to Ponyville? What sort of spell are we talking about, here?" Oh, and the other Inky talked to her, asking her name. She was surprised the poor thing could say a complete sentence at normal volume. "My name? Call me Rose Madder," she said.

"Yeah," Inkwell told Bramble. "You're fine! Don't worry about, uh, ruining the mood or anything like that!" He hoped that didn't sound sarcastic. He didn't mean it to. He turned back to Fluttershy and listened to her comfirm that yes, that was one of Rarity's designs. "She's really something, isn't she?" he asked. "I'm glad I was able to fix things up with- Wait, you've been here before?" Fluttershy told him about the events that transpired at the last gala, and to be honest, Inkwell couldn't quite believe it at first. The Fluttershy he knew, albeit barely, was a patient and demure pony, and he couldn't quite imagine her causing a scene just because she couldn't make friends with a bunch of animals. She seemed embarrassed to admit it, though, and was noticeably vague on what sort of incident she caused. "Oh dear. That's a shame," he said. "At least you learned something from all of that. I've been in situations like that before, like when, well, when I first met Rarity." He blushed a bit and looked away. "I hope things go better for you tonight." Before he turned back to Fluttershy, he caught sight of a large, red stallion passing a hedge in the distance. "I've seen him before in Ponyville," he noted. "Fluttershy, do you know who that is?"

She... wasn't mad? She wasn't mad! Inkwell couldn't help but smile right back at her. And she had his sketchbook with her! She must have decided to return it at the same time he decided to apologize. "Oh, thank you! I knew I left it over at your boutique, but I didn't want to intrude until I had my apology gift ready." He looked back at his saddlebag. "I can show you when we get to the cafe. You'll have to show me where it is, though, I haven't found the cafe yet. I'm new to Ponyville, you see." As they walked to the cafe, Rarity praised his drawing, making him blush and fold his ears back. "Thanks. I've been drawing for years now, and when I saw my first airship I had to capture the moment on paper. I'd be happy to show you more of them." He levitated the sketchbook in front of his face and flipped through it, on the off chance there were any drawing that he wouldn't want Rarity seeing, or that he believed Rarity wouldn't like. He saw a few, but most were alright. He spotted a masterfully shaded rendition of the Everfree Forest and showed it to her. "I made this one into a painting. I'd say it went over pretty well. Though I did end up suffering a bit for it." He looked at the bed of poison joke flowers at the bottom of the frame.

The gathering of Ponyvillians getting used to their first gala was quickly joined by a native of Canterlot, one who acted like she belonged here. Rose Madder had never been to the Grand Galloping Gala before, either, but nopony would know that from looking at her. When she received her invitation in the mail, she wasn't too terribly surprised, not for long. Her novel was a tremendous success, after all, and if either of the princesses read it and loved it, well, of course they would invite her to the Gala. Her hopes were momentarily dashed when she found out that all of her acquaintances had received invitations as well, but really, that didn't prove much of anything. She focused on trying to meet interesting ponies at the party, and as soon as she got to the palace grounds, she knew she wouldn't be disappointed. She saw a colt fixing up his vest himself with his own tool kit, which she wouldn't think was something a pony would bring to a formal event. There was also a poor dear in a white dress who looked like she was expecting a predator to attack her at any moment. But the stunning, unique dresses on the other two fillies talking to each other truly shocked and amazed Rose. She'd received compliments on the aesthetic on her dress, but really, it was nothing new to her. The design came from an obscure Manehattan subculture that just hadn't made it big in Canterlot yet. But here Rose saw a dress that seemed to be literally made of ice and snow, and another one with elegant pearls and a nice aquatic theme. The cart puzzled her at first; she thought that the filly was a paraplegic, but closer inspection revealed no hind legs at all. She had a dolphin tail! "Bravo, ladies," she said, beaming as she approached the two of them. "I've barely even set foot here and already I don't think I'll see a better dressed pair of ponies at the whole event." She didn't know if the dolphin-tailed filly technically counted as a pony, but she thought it best to be polite and not draw attention to her unusual body. "I assume this is your first time here?"

As Cat sang, another mare watched her, absent-mindedly levitating half an apple pie next to her. Rose Madder had heard that her brother Inkwell had also been invited to the Gala, and after buying a decent amount of apple-related baked goods from a vendor she found on the grounds with the most interesting accent. As it turned out, she'd overestimated her appetite, and found herself walking around the gala with a full belly and half a pie left. So she thought she'd give it to Inkwell when she stumbled into him, assuming she ever did. But the sight of a pony singing sonorously by herself on a bridge grabbed her attention. Not many ponies were as confident as that, being able to sing at full volume in a public area with the risk of being discovered. Rose could do it, of course, but she had chutzpah uncommon to many ponies. So when this rather small filly finished her song, Rose couldn't help but applaud, stomping the front pair of her black slippers on the ground. "Nice pipes, girl!" she said, approaching Cat with her pie floating behind her. "I guess you're looking for company, then? Can't say I'll fulfill all your needs, but I can spend some time with you if you want."

"Inky?" asked a mare in a gothic lolita dress, with a parasol attached to her saddle. She sauntered up to the stand and gave Inky a smile. "My brother has the same nickname!" She held a hoof to her chin as she perused the wares on display, occasionally closing her eyes and taking a whiff of the wares. "Mmm! Did you make all this yourself, freckles?" she asked, unwittingly using the same nickname her brother used when he first met Applejack. "I'd like some of those apple tarts over there!" She pointed over to a tray of tarts, and heard her stomach rumble. "Oh, and maybe an apple pie, too. Heh. Sorry, I didn't have much to eat today." She gave Applejack an apologetic shrug and smile.

Inkwell: A tuxedo vest with black and white stripes, along with a beret with black and white concentric circles. Rose Madder: A black and white (mostly black) gothic lolita dress with a silk saddle and a fancy, lacy parasol mounted on her side.