Princesses' Day Out (Bellosh & Steel)

[Bellosh]

 

For Princess Cadence, it seemed like an entire lifetime since the last time she was able to enjoy the wonders of Canterlot. After being crowned the Crystal Princess of the Crystal Empire, the alicorn’s visits to her old home city of Canterlot became few and far between. Usually, those occasions were only for important functions or existential crises. As a consequence, it had been a long time since Cadence was actually able to do something fun in Canterlot outside the halls of the castle.

But all of that would come to an end for the Crystal Princess… at least for one day or two. And for one of the best possible reasons too: quality fun time with Twilight Sparkle! The last time Cadence found time to bond with her sister-in-law in Ponyville, the two alicorns ended up serving the whims of a friendship-seeking being of chaos. Then again, dodging Tatzlwurm attacks did give the Crystal Princess an exciting break from the day-to-day responsibilities of governing an entire Empire. Even so, Cadence would also appreciate simply being able to have a girls’ day out in Canterlot like back in her younger years. This time though, she’d get to bring Twilight along!

Princess Cadence waited in the castle’s entrance hall as she waited for Twilight, thinking about what the two mares could do together. Cadence bet that Twilight would have a checklist of things to do today, perhaps even bringing an actual list along! The pink pony wouldn’t put that past the most organized pony in all Equestria. As for the Crystal Princess herself, she’d love to at least pass by some of her old hangouts before the day was through. And sneak in some other stuff as well, probably. Just as long as she and Twilight ended up having a fun and relaxing day! Cadence just could not wait for Twily to arrive!

[SteelEagle]

 

For Princess Twilight it seemed a lifetime ago when she had last had a normal visit to Canterlot, unspoiled by plot, intrigue, or action. It was an unusual feeling, like going home as a different pony or sleeping in your old room in a new bed. Everything that she knew so well from her time in Canterlot had remained the same but was emboldened by the idea of time passing without her, evolutionary changes all around her, in every block, every step she took. Yet it was all so familiar to her. The shop where she spent her allowance as a little filly to buy trading cards of historical figures. The bakery she had held her birthday party at the year before she got her cutie mark. The library that had the most wonderful selection of magic related materials outside of the Royal Archives. Her home. Her school. She passed them all by, remembrances of her younger life, of a simple life, and how it all came back to hit her that no matter how old she was she had a connection to this city and the pony she was meeting today was part of it.

Cadance had been her foalsitter. More than that, she had been one of the few ponies who ever pierced Twilight's impossible veil of social anxiety to become a friend as a filly. They shared a unique and special connection, one that only grew with time. As fate would allow they became members of the same family- not long afterwards they shared the same station in life. The way it all lined up like stars in the sky to create the Celestial formation that guided her life begged the question of whether there was a guiding force unknown to Twilight who had something planned for her. She used to chalk it up to the endless divinations of Celestia, but now she had to look into the aetheral gestalt of ponykind. Perhaps the answer was there. No matter what brought them together, Twilight loved Cadance and when the chance came to see her without issue, restraint, or complication for the first time since she was a filly, the youngest Princess didn't need to have her legs twisted. She cleared up her schedule and made time, booking it as soon as possible.

She now approached the castle, brisk timing made by flying most of the way there. It didn't hurt that there were less ponies seeking her advice in the sky! She loved her citizens, her subjects, but time was of the essence...for no real reason. Twilight didn't have a checklist of things to do this time. She normally did but every time she tried to plan social gatherings to the minute she tended to mess it all up. Instead of relying on her own ability to overcome such failings, she instead trusted more in the idea that Cadance wouldn't have suggested Canterlot without a better idea. Besides- as well as she knew the city, Cadance knew it better. Putting trust into her had never failed, and it wouldn't hurt her now. Twilight landed outside of the castle and nodded to the bowing guards, trotting inside where she saw the beloved Princess of the Crystal Empire. Her foalsitter, sister in law, compatriot, and friend.

“Cadance!”

[Bellosh]

 

There she was, Princess Cadence’s favorite sister-in-law; “Twilight!” Filled with joy, Cadence trotted on over as soon as her name was called out by the other mare. Like with all proper reunions between Cadence and Twilight, once the two ponies were face-to-face, Cadence initiated the special ritual that was forever dear to her heart:

”Sunshine, sunshine,
Ladybugs awake.
Clap your hooves
And do a little shake.”

Princess Cadence could never forget the words to their special nursery rhyme, and the moves accompanying it. The prancing in place. The bending down and covering the eyes before uncovering them. The sitting down while clapping the other’s hooves. The turning around to shake the flank. And then the hysterical giggling to conclude the rhyme. Cadence and Twilight had been singing these nostalgic words to each other for almost the entire time they’ve known one another; ever since Twilight Sparkle was just a little unicorn girl that the then-adolescent Cadence foalsat on frequent occasions.

In actuality, the Princess of Love came up with all sorts of nursery rhymes and routines during her foalsitting years, each one tailor-made for the kids that she regularly watched over. As a mare with an inclination for singing, Cadence always believed in the bonding power of special songs known only to herself and a special filly or colt. The former foalsitter in fact made a point of fondly remembering all of those silly little jigs when she grew older, long after most of her former charges grew out of those supposedly foalish things. But thankfully, the one little filly who managed to endear herself the most to the babysitter also equally cherished the silly jigs of their youth. And thanks to the stars aligning, those two mares now just happened to be sisters-in-law to one another!

“It’s great seeing you again,” Princess Cadence took a reprieve from her giggling; “How is your new castle working out?” It seemed like an act of providence that not only were these sisters-in-law ascended princesses, but that as of now, they each lived in their own crystalline castle. Talk about coincidence!

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Sunshine, sunshine,
Sunshine, sunshine
Ladybugs awake.
Ladybugs awake
Clap your hooves
Clap your hooves
And do a little shake
And do a little shake

For all of Twilight's normal conservatory moods she could be as silly and joyful as anypony else, especially around Cadance. Nopony acted as certain a caretaker of Twilight's foalhood as Cadance did, the greatest foalsitter in all of history as much an earned title because of why she did what she did as what she did. Some of Twilight's first memories of honest friendship were shared with Cadance and Twilight remembered them so well, so starkly opposed to some of her admittedly dimmer moments. The fact they were now family was absolutely amazing by almost every reckoning of the word and a fact which from post to post made thoe earlier memories all the greater for their wonderful foreshadowing. If only the study of magic could be as easily understood and prophesied as the endless maze of friendship.

Then the subject of the castle came up. Ahh, yeah. That. It wasn't long ago when she dreaded it. She used it for official business as she would use any sort of office in the past, but it was no home. When she had nothing scheduled for the day she made a concerted effort to avoid anything and everything that the castle represented. Her friends had made a large scale effort to make it more homely and now it was a place she was proud to call her home. It still was something she had to get used to and it would never have the same earthy tone of the Golden Oaks, but she would love it for everything it represented and everything she was capable of because of it. She needed more ponies in it, though. A larger staff. She needed her guards to get padded out almost purely for the company.

“The castle is doing very well now. I've only recently become comfortable with it if I'm telling the truth and that is only because my friends worked so hard to make it someplace I'm proud to call home. Before we get too much further- what did you want to do? I hate to be rude but I'm...well, I'm just SO excited! It's been so long since I've had a chance to see you without some sort of trouble in the way!” Twilight's excitement grew as she spoke, eventually the Princess needing to catch flight and hover above the ground to get her billowing energy out.

[Bellosh]

 

Twilight was just so adorable when she got pumped up like that, Princess Cadence thought. Well, it was good news that the purple alicorn was finally able to start calling Ponyville’s new castle her home. Cadence remembered having similar feelings long ago when she first moved to Canterlot Castle as a filly; it had all felt so stupendously vast and impersonal compared to her old house in Roam, where she lived with her family. The pink princess in time found her own ways to make Canterlot her home, and she pulled it off again once she sat on the Crystal Throne in the north.

As for what to do now, Princess Cadence already had an idea in mind. She thought back to one of her favorite bonding experiences with her Auntie Celestia. On one of those rare occasions where Celestia felt she had time to take off from her royal duties, she took her then-adolescent niece to the Elite Equine Spa, one of Canterlot’s most precious hidden treasures. Cadence always felt like she was in a completely different world whenever she patronized that establishment; now she wanted to introduce her royal sister-in-law to that secret world.

“Oh, I’ve got something in mind,” the pink alicorn smirked; “But it’s a surprise. I can’t tell you about it until we actually get there.” Knowing that Celestia never got the chance to show Twilight the place until now, Cadence gleefully anticipated being able to initiate Twi as a patron of Canterlot’s secret spa.

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight wasn't usually a fan of surprises, or at least a fan of them like other ponies she knew. In fact as a filly and young mare she detested surprises! They popped their unreliable heads out of the woodwork it seemed specifically designed to share with her the spoils of a life out of control. She did not want those spoils, gilded prizes allayed along the paths of failure as far as a mare devoted to the ideals of fastidious organization was concerned. That had changed when she met Pinkie Pie and had come to love and respect her as she did all her friends, coming t terms with the true face of random chance and the secret joys that hid in the unknown aspects of life. What had once been a terrifying concept devoid of pleasure was now a delicious morsel of life that she enjoyed- in moderation, at least. Excessive randomness was as cruel as ever!

Luckily, she trusted Princess Cadance to not toss Twilight into situations anathema to her as a pony, just as the Princess of the North trusted Twilight to not do the same. Cadabce was, in the words of Applejack, a straight shooter. So this surprise of hers perked Twilight's interest up even higher, her tail flitting excitedly out of her control as it did when she was a filly. It lasted all of a second before it came back under her power, her face cracked with a smile displaying all the joy she honestly needed to show. When she was young Cadance had been the best foalsitter because she cared so much about Twilight. Even now as they were older that same care was evident in the way she spoke and treated her sister in law. It was rare to know a pony like that, and Twilight counted herself honestly blessed for the life she had lead- and Cadance was one of the many reasons she did so.

“I can't wait to see it!” Twilight said with naked excitement. “I'm so grateful that you were able to take time out for me, Cadance. I know what its like doing what I do- I couldn't even begin to imagine how it feels running an entire Empire. How is it, by the way? Broad question, I know. Just yesterday I almost messed up the tax form application to be sent out to the whole kingdom. Think about all the tax chaos that could have caused...” she shivered before brightening up, “so, how is my brother?”

[Bellosh]

 

Before the two princesses could leave for the spa, Cadence had to get two last items from her guest bedroom, which they’d need for the journey. As the pink alicorn started back for her room, she happily continued the small talk by answering Twilight’s questions; “Oh, it’s the same ole’ same ole’ up in the Crystal Empire. I think we’ve just about finally finished cleaning up that mess from the last Faire. Not long after I get back, I’ll be heading to Whitescar for a diplomatic meeting with High King Dragonsong... I uhhh, hope I got his name right.”

The chit-chat between the trotting princesses continued; “Shining Armor’s doing good! You know, he’s definitely better at staying out of trouble than you, so I don’t have to worry about him all that much. Although,” Cadence’s mischievous face inched closer to Twilight’s ear; “I suspect that other ponies in our family don’t quite feel the same way that we do.” That of course was a veiled reference to Cadence’s other in-laws, Twilight Velvet and Crescent Sparkle, whom the pink pony suspected were growing impatient over when their anticipated grandchildren would finally arrive into the world.

[SteelEagle]

 

It was good to know that the Crystal Empire was recovering well. Not that she doubted it could do just that, seeing as above and beyond all places on the mainland it saw such repeated catastrophe befall it. The only other place that could claim to have such a dubious honor was Ponyville, and it really wasn't the sort of thing either place should really try to be the best at. Better to not have it tested. In any case, she was happy. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to do a thorough examination of the Crystal Library and the various secrets of the city and Empire. Ponies hadn't had a moment of rest since the emergence of the Empire to truly suss it out, Twilight included. That'd have to change. “That is good to hear. Please tell me you'll write from the meetings with Dragonsong- Havardr is his legal name, but he is known as Dragonsong for what he is most famous for doing,” Twilight confirmed, following her former foalsitter a bit longer.

And it came back to her brother. And her. And who was better at avoiding trouble- well, that was true for now. But there were years preceding in younger and more dangerous years. “Well, yeah. He always has been very good at following orders from older mares. Mother, Celestia- you!” Twilight laughed, sticking her tongue out and winking before pulling back in. “Though I think the most worried I've ever seen mother or father was when Shining Armor didn't come home on time after a date with a certain love Princess. He was always tight snouted about that but I have my theories. Not that I shared them, because I don't think mother was any less foal crazy back then. She was just biding her time,” Twilight responded plainly. Without thinking of blackmail. And without snickering. And most definitely very seriously.

[Bellosh]

 

On 6/10/2015 at 12:50 AM, SteelEagle said:

“That is good to hear. Please tell me you'll write from the meetings with Dragonsong- Havardr is his legal name, but he is known as Dragonsong for what he is most famous for doing,”

 

Princess Cadence’s curiosity rose. She only had a vague idea of how the High King was like, save from various tidbits every now and then. Perhaps it would be a good idea for the pink alicorn to learn more about him before making the journey to Whitescar. “So, how did High King Dragonsong earn his name?” By now, the two mares were very close to Cadence’s guest bedroom.

 

On 6/10/2015 at 12:50 AM, SteelEagle said:

“Well, yeah. He always has been very good at following orders from older mares. Mother, Celestia- you!” Twilight laughed, sticking her tongue out and winking before pulling back in. “Though I think the most worried I've ever seen mother or father was when Shining Armor didn't come home on time after a date with a certain love Princess. He was always tight snouted about that but I have my theories. Not that I shared them, because I don't think mother was any less foal crazy back then. She was just biding her time,”

 

Twilight’s quip about her brother’s ability to obey older mares elicited a giggle from Cadence. The two sisters-in-law were now finally inside Cadence’s room; one of many well-furnished chambers set aside for overnight guests at Canterlot Castle. What the purple alicorn said next however put Cadence on guard; not drastically, but just enough to be temporarily disinclined from conversation. Like many other adolescents, Cadence and her coltfriend sometimes did things that their elders wouldn’t approve of. Even though it was normal for older fillies and colts to push their boundaries as part of their coming-of-age, the Princess of Love never made a habit out of bragging about her more naughty deeds to anypony else. Even with Twilight all grown up now, Cadence still felt it very off-putting to discuss whatever sneaky things she did back then with Twily’s big brother.

Thankfully, Princess Cadence had a way out of this dastardly peril. “Well, Shining Armor never told me about any time he got in trouble after one of our dates,” she explained rather stiffly for her usual self; “So I honestly don’t know what night you’re talking about.” The best part was that Shining never did actually say that he caused his parents to worry, so for now, Cadence had plausible deniability on her side!

A moment later, the pink princess teasingly smiled as she trotted into the closet to find the things she was looking for. “Well Twilight, I hope you don’t mind dressing for this special occasion.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight smiled as she considered that now was the time to let loose with her accumulated knowledge of the Caribou and their leaders. It was such a fascinating subject, especially when the caribou were in the middle of a gargantuan internal conflict that was quickly spilling out of their borders. That was partially the cause for the attack on the Crystal Empire, the rebellion always seeking to increase their fame so as to attract a good number of neutral clans to their cause. That was a hard thing to do even for neutral clan that would have been swayed otherwise because of the fame of the High King. Such an interesting species! “Well, Harvardr was able to slay a full blooded dragon using a magical weapon in single combat, saving many other caribou. In caribou legend, each dragon that dies in combat sings a different song- Dragonsong being a title that is very similar to Dragonslayer,” Twilight lectured, wishing she had brought with her all the notes and theories she had written down. Those would be saved for another time. Maybe they could research Whitescar together during a trip?

Twilight followed Cadance into her room, which was decidedly less fussy than it used to be. Living hundreds of miles way rather than in the room could do that and it was almost too perfect, missing all the small imperfections that made something look lived in and valuable. It was good to see it undistrubed in some ways though, and Twilight couldn't wait to see what they had planned. “So, what are we getting dressed for?” Twilight asked, excitement creeping in. She wasn't opposed to some nice formal wear either, even if having an army of dressmakers fuss over the smallest details was more than a little annoying. She had one dressmaker and she didn't need to measure every little bit of Twilight to make something wonderful.

[Bellosh]

 

On 6/19/2015 at 1:52 PM, SteelEagle said:

“Well, Harvardr was able to slay a full blooded dragon using a magical weapon in single combat, saving many other caribou. In caribou legend, each dragon that dies in combat sings a different song- Dragonsong being a title that is very similar to Dragonslayer,”

 

“Oh,” was all that Princess Cadence said in response. For a moment, she had been under the impression that King Dragonsong earned his title by well… singing to a dragon, or something along those lines. The pink alicorn felt slightly disappointed that her theory didn’t turn out to be the case, but it didn’t negatively affect her opinion of the Caribou King.

 

On 6/19/2015 at 1:52 PM, SteelEagle said:

“So, what are we getting dressed for?”

 

“I told you Twily,” Cadence held back a giggle; “It’s a surprise.” Several seconds of searching the closet later, the Love Princess found the object she was looking for. “Here’s what you’ll be wearing; I got it in your size.” With the power of levitation, Cadence brought the garment out of the closet, letting Twilight see that it was… a dirty old cloak. The entirety of it was dark gray; no other colors in sight. Predicting a baffled reaction from her sister-in-law, Cadence jokingly asked; “You like it?”

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight was excited to see what Cadance had pulled out of the closet was not, as she had feared, an overly formal dress to impress some ponies who knowing the type who demanded such wear she was not all that excited to meet. Instead it was a simple cloak, one any rogue from any classic fantasy series would wear to a meeting inside of a tavern. Well, this was much more exciting. She trotted over and took it, feeling the fabric in her hooves. Nothing unusual, just a drab cloak. It was worn as well- interesting. Twilight's mind raced at the many possibilities that this entailed. The world was opened to her now and the obvious and hidden opportunities blazing out in front of her majestically all because of a drab, dirty old cloak. Funny how her mind worked sometimes.

“Ooh, it looks really form functional for a rogue! Or a wizard! We aren't going to your secret Oubliette's and Ogres group, are we?” Twilight laughed as she shot back at her sister in law, not really disappointed with that idea much. She levitated it over and put it on, getting in it snug and tight. No matter what they were doing she was bound to be very comfortable in this setup. And for that, she had Cadance to thank. Indeed, she had much to thank her for, but her curious nature in the midst of mystery prevented her from thinking of anything except for the why of what was happening. “Well, color me very, very intrigued. What are you going to wear, hmm?” Twilight's inquisitive tone peaked accusingly, her eyebrows arched in judgment and excitement.  

[Bellosh]

 

On 7/5/2015 at 12:55 AM, SteelEagle said:

“Ooh, it looks really form functional for a rogue! Or a wizard! We aren't going to your secret Oubliette's and Ogres group, are we?”

 

“Oh come on,” Cadence playfully fired back; “I only went that one time with Shining to a O&O meetup.” So, Shining Armor most likely told Twilight Sparkle about that O&O session in Canterlot the royal couple went to a while back. It was a shame though that afterward, everything pretty much conspired to keep the Princess of Love busy in the Crystal Empire. Whenever she wasn’t performing her duties or mingling with the Empire’s citizens, Cadence’s free time was pretty much spent on catching up with friends and family... like what she was doing right now. “Don’t worry Twilight; the place we’re going to is amazing.” The pink princess left it at that.

 

On 7/5/2015 at 12:55 AM, SteelEagle said:

“Well, color me very, very intrigued. What are you going to wear, hmm?”

 

Right as Twilight asked that question, Cadence levitated her own outfit out of the closest; it looked almost exactly like the younger alicorn’s cloak except fitted for a pony with Cadence’s distinctive figure. It was funny how Twi not shot a dirty look at her sister-in-law ever since seeing her outfit; quite the contrast from how long ago, Cadence felt only utter confusion when Princess Celestia told her of the need to wear a disguise. “You got one thing right though,” the pink alicorn energetically explained while putting on her ugly cloak, which concealed her entire body while the hood covered her face in an ominous shadow, just like any proper mysterious garment. “We definitely are going to a secret place, so we’ll have to sneak around the city to make sure nopony discovers the place. Are you up for it, Twily?”

[SteelEagle]

 

That was in some small way a relief. Twilight hadn't been keeping up with all of the latest Oubliettes and Ogres rules and would have felt quite foolish rolling her dice without knowing the newest rules for saving throws. But for the life of her Twilight couldn't help but feel even more excited as the prospect of something truly new and unique came up, the imagination of a Princess being the only constraints. Watching Cadance get dressed very similarly only added to the possibilities as it opened up a wide world of rather intriguing possibilities. Not any of the normal places a Princess might go if they were both trying to pass as normal ponies. They either were heading to a public place and needed to keep their identities safe along the route or to a smaller place that required some small amount of subterfuge, and they were playing the part. Either way, she was excited.

“Well, I see two rogueish types about to trot into some dark alleyways, not some high and mighty Princesses. I can't wait to find out what we're doing!” Twilight stated jovially, clapping her front two hooves together with excited glee. Getting dressed up for any cause wasn't a central tenent of her happiness but seeing Cadance do so made everything a bit sharper. Cadance was always a mare with plans that tickled the fancy of her subjects, family, and friends. Twilight had no doubt that whatever lay in front of her was special. All she had to do was trust her sister in law and let the Princess of the Crystal Empire and the paramour of love dictate the night's events. 

[Bellosh]

 

*SOMETIME LATER…*

Despite it being the middle of the day on a weekend, Princess Cadence did not have much trouble finding mostly-deserted back alleys and parks in Canterlot for her and Twilight to travel. It helped that a championship polo match was going on in the Stadium today, reducing the number of residents out on the streets. Sure, they couldn’t avoid being spotted by the occasional pony, but that’s why the two princesses wore their cloaks. Anyone who saw them would probably just assume they were mysterious travelers; not royalty.

Cadence knew she was getting closer to their destination as she entered the Old Quarter, where the buildings became less posh and the streets turned narrow and windy. “We’re almost there!” she proudly announced… perhaps a bit too prematurely, as a matter of fact. After five minutes of navigating the twisting labyrinth of cobblestone lanes, Cadence became aware that they were trotting in circles. That was the third time the two princesses walked past that creepy looking curio store. Turns out having a busy responsibility-filled life for a couple years drastically interfered with the Crystal Princess’s memories of the Old Quarter’s layout.

“Uhhhhh Twilight...” Cadence nervously asked; “Heh heh... do you have that map I gave you as we were heading out the Castle?”

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight followed Cadance closely, the two of them appearing to any onlooker as scant as they were to be nothing more than a pair of dangerous looking scoundrels. The type you avoided in a big city no matter how safe or well-run it was. That worked to their great advantage! With the additional aid of a sporting event helping depopulate the streets, the two mares made their way into the older sector of the city. True grit was found in the firmaent of a society, and it was bred in the old parts of a city that still clung to passions and traditions that formed the foundations of a growing society. Wherever they were going, it was old and knowing the mares going there, was unique and powerful in some small manner. No doubt an enticing trip for any mare and doubly so for a Princess- quadruple when it was the ruler of the land guiding you there.

Well, guiding in some way, maybe. They started to go around in circles before Cadance asked Twilight if she had brought the map. Had she? Cadance ruled the Empire from the Spire. She should know her own city, shouldn't she? Twilight could lead a blind pony around Ponyville by this stage. Cadance was busy but if she had a specific location in mind, one that she had costumes prepared, wouldn't she have known where it was? So no, Twilight didn't have the map because she didn't think she would need one. “Umm...no. I didn't think to grab it- I assumed you would know it like the back of my hoof. Well...is anything timing based? If not, no big deal, right? I've never been down to this part of the city anyway. A nice stroll can't hurt, can it?” Twilight asked, less than worried. Spending time with her sister in law was treat enough for her.

[Bellosh]

 

“Well,” Princess Cadence mused; “I suppose it can’t hurt.” Thank goodness that the place the two ponies were heading to wouldn’t be closing until the end of the day, which was still several hours away. Better yet, even without a map, they could still find somepony who can give them directions to where Cadence was taking Twilight. Usually though, the Old Quarter was a livelier place around midday. Right now, the winding streets were all but deserted; no thanks to that polo match no doubt.

This made the prospect of trotting through the Old Quarter… a little more weirder than usual. Not as eerie as during the midnight hours admittedly, but still. “I just hope we find somepony who can give us directions, or a map.” Without either of those, the best Cadence could do was stumble some more until finding her bearings again. Or the alicorn could just take the easy way out and use her wings to get an aerial view, but Twilight seemed to be in a rather exploratory mood. Plus they’d have to take off their dirty old cloaks to spread their wings.

With all other options ruled out, the resolute Crystal Princess asked her royal Ponyville counterpart; “Alright Twiliy, should we see if that curio shop over there has a map?” Cadence glanced at the nondescript establishment; a wooden sign engraved with an image of a potion bottle and a wrapped scroll hanged above the door. Since that was the landmark the mare used to figure out they were lost, it seemed to her the best starting point for exploring the Old Quarter.

[SteelEagle]

 

 Twilight nodded along with her sister in law, acutely aware that for every step they took without a clear p[an they invited complications to whatever plan Cadance had crafted for them. This was assuming that it was possible to throw a wrench into her plans in the first place, something Twilight was not entirely sure of since she still had only the vaguest idea of what they were planning to do. Oh well. For twilight the true fun was being able to face whatever was ahead of them side by side with her sister in law. Perhaps this did not fit Cadance's planning very well and was the cause for that small amount of worry Twilight saw forming, but Twilight was truly happy either way. Let what may be simply be and allow the worries to crash against the rocks of her contentment, an unbreakable rock of love and companionship that she was happy to call her own.

Or they could just go to a curio shop. Cadance didn't seem to want to simply be and was intensely focused on finding their way to where she needed them to be. Understandable- she had seemingly went to a lot of effort to set this all up and having it get derailed because of a simple matter like getting lost would not jive with her. Would a curio shop have what they needed? Possibly. Twilight had been to any number of curio shops in her day and they almost always had exactly what you needed, even if you didn't know that you needed or even wanted them. With those experiences fresh in her mind, how could any curio shop possibly fail them? “I would think so. The next time that a Curio shop fails me would be the first time that a curio shop fails me. After you, sis,” Twilight said as she took the rear, trotting with a hum towards destiny.

 

[Bellosh]

 

*RING-A-DING-DING* rung a bell as Princess Cadence gently pushed open the door into the curio shop. With the shades mostly covering the windows, little light existed to illuminate the interior. It took Cadence a few seconds to adjust to the dimness; once she did, she saw shelves and corners cluttered with every manner of strange off-beat items: old books, worn-out collectables, faded paintings, unusual liquids, and so on and so on. A very mysterious establishment, to say the least.

“Greetings,” a raspy voice rang out from the other end of the store, presumably in the direction where the sales counter was located. Out from the shadows emerged a heavily aged earth pony stallion wearing Maretonian garments. His long white mane and beard appeared to not have been trimmed or groomed in any way for at least a year, much of his teeth appeared to have rotted away, and his left eye peered down at the customers while the other remained half-lidded. “I don’t believe I have seen the likes of you around town before...”

“Oh,” Cadence bemusedly smiled in reply to the inquiry; “We’re uhhh, just a couple of ordinary tourists trying to find our way through Canterlot, heh heh.” Without missing a beat, the pink princess subtly nudged Twilight so that she’d corroborate the “ordinary tourist” story, even though hardly any Equestrian pony nowadays wore cloaks on a routine basis to disguise themselves.

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight entered the curio shop, her eyes immediately drawn to the oddities that made such shops the talk of the town. Twilight wished Ponyville had more of these shops, and higher quality ones to boot. You never found grim grimmoires or cursed histories of ancient cities, nor magical items thought lost to time but really just gathering dust in a shop nopony entered. No one really ever came into these shops with anything less than interest or more than intent. Enough bits could get you anything you wanted, though Twilight was taking concerted efforts to get the worst examples of that concept out of shops like this. You didn't want an alicorn amulet to be found by an outrageously jealous unicorn who had nefarious purpose in mind. Really, you didn't want the alicorn amulet to be found period. So she had set some laws and sent out some royal agents to find some of the more powerful artifacts still out there. They could never get them all since Celestia knows some shopkeepers lived and fied on such awfulness, but it would be extraordinarily difficulty to find something like that again with anything not involving a real fortune.

Oh, but they had to be normal tourists. Not a bad deal, though nopony just wondered into a curio shop off the street. They didn't scream out for visitors, after all. They served specific clientele. You would never see a front page advertisement for one. So they had to make sure they weren't entirely too- well, she supposed that since they were just asking for directions she didn't have to be tooooooooo interested. But just a little. Because curio shops were beyond fascinating examples of mercantile distribution of the arcane. “Yes. Yes! Just passing through, really. This shop looks so interesting- is that “Dangerous Covenants of the Basin” by Hidden Path? Ooh- “Metal Deer Solid: The Fancy Grains-” she coughed, hiding her excitement. “Oh. Sorry. Just a couple of tourists.”

[Bellosh]

 

It wasn’t immediately apparent whether the mysterious merchant bought the princesses’ story or not. “Hmmm,” he habitually stroking his beard; “Not many tourists visit this side of town. You know, I traveled far and wide to explore these labyrinthine streets when I was your age. Suffice it to say... I never found my way home again, eh heh heh heh heh heh!!!” For somepony who only wanted to joke about how they chose not to come back to Maretonia, the stallion sure had an odd way of going about it.

 

“Right,” Princess Cadence kept smiling, fighting the temptation to show how unsettled she was by the Merchant’s antics; “You don’t happen to have a map of Canterlot on hoof, do you?”

 

“Maps, you say?” quizzed the aged Merchant; “Ah yes, of course. I sell plenty of... maps, in this establishment. Follow meeeee.....” The stallion beckoned the two mares to follow as he walked back towards the shadowy sales counter in back. Cadence did not follow right away, instead glancing at Twilight to get her feel on the situation.

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Twilight would have been more than concerned by the antics of the shop keep if she was honestly paying a lot of attention. But the fact of the matter was that her eyes were drinking from the cup of visual delight, and as much as she was usually on the tips of her hooves, this was simply too exciting to pass up. She hadn't spotted anything necessarily dangerous, but it was always fun to be able to look at a variation of an ancient magic capacitor and understand how it worked and more importantly the history that made such a device notable, where otherwise it would be simply forgettable. She'd have to visit the store on her own time, away from the plans of her sister in law, with the proper bittage to buy herself some curios of intrigue.

For now though, she focused back on the main discussion. Yes. Maps. They needed maps. He seemed a little...strange...perhaps, but he was proprietor of a curio shop. They were, to the last, legendarily unusual. It took a funky eye and off-key sensibility to spot items that'd sell. Isolation of some small part of you that was fascinated in large measure by the facets of the world that drove others away. So in all honesty, his personality wasn't off-putting to Twilight. Perhaps her constant delving into the arenas of magical thought that somepony else who seemed to lay about in similar circles was not nearly that off-putting. “Oh, never found your way home, I take it? Well, who could blame you? Home is so much less interesting than what you can find in places like this. Not that I'd know, err, just passing through and all.”
Smooth.

[Bellosh]

 

The old stallion could only chuckle at his younger customer’s comments. Now behind the counter, the shopkeeper lit a candle strategically mounted on a nearby wall to help him see better as he looked for a suitable map. A minute of shuffling and mumbling later, the stallion exclaimed to himself; “Perhaps this will please the two mares.”

He turned around to face Cadence and Twilight again, this time laying what appeared to be a very old map on the counter. “Here is a map of Canterlot dating back to the century when the Old Quarter was built. A very rare item indeed, and one most suitable for finding your way around. Since the previous owner of this map had the bad habit of marking all over it with invisible ink, you can acquire this object at a very good baraign, hehehe!”

Princess Cadence took one look at the map, which showed considerable wear and tear, and grimaced. How would a map made centuries ago help her and Twily get unlost here in the present-day (if authentically old) Old Quarter? “Twi,” the pink alicorn muffled her lips as she cautiously whispered in her companion’s ear; “I don’t know if buying that thing’s a good idea.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Ooh, an old map? Twilight had a special fascination with them. They were the purest way of understanding the growth of a city and, more to the point, spoke to the work that was needed back then to get accurate information. An old map would contain many markers a new map wouldn't because so much of the modern day was dominated by convenience. You had to be able to read and understand admittedly confusing terminology as it was applied to a geography, and then wrap it's usefulness around applicable uses. Plus there was something so delightful about an old map! So exciting. Adventurous. Dangerous, Didn't help matters any that the curio shop owner was playing his part well, the slight mystery on his voice carrying eloquently husky.

“Oh, I'm sure it;s fine. It'll be another map I can add to the collection. I have a few already, but none from this year! 093 was a good year for astrological information and the development of cartographical methods. It is the very last year before we formally established relations with Unyasi for the first time, and made contact with Saddle Arabia just a few years later. Really a good year- and thirteen years before the Great Canterlot Fire. I wonder how many of the structures in the area would show signs of the dragon-caused fire in their foundation? Dragonfire doesn't go out like normal fire, after all,” she said excitedly, looking at the map hungrily before turning to the shop keep. It was rare that she had a chance to go to a shop like this. No way was she leaving empty hooved. “I'll take it! How much?”

[Bellosh]

 

One fact couldn’t be disputed; Twilight Sparkle was every bit the sister of Princess Cadence’s husband. The moment either Twi or Shining Armor saw a collectable item that appealed to their geeky interests, they just had to buy it immediately, no matter what the expense. Cadence herself was not an impulse buyer by any stretch of the imagination, but she found herself grinning at the sight of Twilight’s passionate mind running wild.

That was, until the shopkeeper revealed the price of the map. “That will be 250 bits.”

“250 bits!!?” exclaimed Cadence, who thought that was overly expensive for an antique map with invisible ink written all over it. Why pay all that money for an object far from mint condition?

“Yes yes,” the shopkeeper nodded eagerly, acting as if nothing about his pricing was incredulous at all; “A very good bargain indeed.” Directing his pitch towards the obviously interested Twilight, the stallion continued; “You are quite the naturally curious pony; one who knows more things by heart then even those who call themselves the Wise. So just for you, I’ll also add in a special monocle that reveals invisible ink. An 100 bit value; all yours for free! Heh heh heh heh, maybe YOU will be the wise pony that solves the mysteries of the map...”

“Hmm,” Cadence mumbled to herself as the shopkeeper brought out a monocle with a faint, sparkly pink tint on the lens; “I could have sworn they sold those in toy catalogs for 10 bits.” At least, that’s what she remembered from idle reading back during her foalsitter days. But the alicorn knew that after that sales pitch, there was almost no way Twily would turn it down regardless of how much the stallion exaggerated the monocle 's value.