[Sunday Afternoon]

[Teala’s POV]

We were in one of the work rooms in my mansion where all the equipment and materials needed to make clothes for special occasions were well organized, and ready to be used. The two of us were on separate podiums while two of my tailors were getting enough measurements on us needed. There were also three more in the room as well, coming up with our dresses’ designs for the evening.

“Ugh, I seriously HATE this part,” Roxxie complained as she was standing on a podium stiff as a board, getting her measurements with the help of my tailors. “Why couldn’t we just RENT the dresses for one night, and be over and done with after the gala?”

“And not taking the opportunity to show our most attractive sides to our dearest friend?” I asked taking consideration on my use of terms as I didn’t want the maids to freak out over me having a coltfriend. “Absolutely not! If we’re doing this, I want us to arrive in style, displaying ourselves to EVERYONE in Canterlot Castle AND Cyan who we are as well respected, refined individuals. Besides, I thought you wanted others to see you as a mare Roxxie,” I pointed out.

“I do, but I didn’t want to resort to ‘prettying’ myself up by applying makeup, and wearing frilly, colorful, complicated filly clothes,” she admitted. “I don’t know, a part of me wants to be seen as cute, but I just don’t see why I have to go through so much effort to look attractive, especially if you’re gonna clean all the makeup off at the end of the day, and repeat the cycle the next morning. Despite the grounding I got after the three of us snuck out of the last Gala we went together, Mom saw that in me as I walked around in that dress during the night. She told me I won’t have to go through that again unless I asked, and I haven’t worn a dress ever since.”

“How very thoughtful of her,” I chimed in. “As a professional tailor herself, do you know how she defines beauty?”

“Mom had talked to me about something like that one time after some damn colts said I wasn’t a filly because I didn’t look pretty back in elementary school,” Roxxie said.

“Ex-CUSE ME?!” I interjected with shock and anger. “Why the NERVE of such ponies! Why wasn’t Cyan or I informed on this?!”

“… I was still pretty self-conscious back then, and I was too sad and cried my way home soon afterwards to talk to you guys about it,” she replied while looking down. “I think that was the starting point when even though I was able to stand my own ground afterwards, I was still concerned that ponies will ever see me as cute at the least. When I talked to Mom about it though, she said that beauty is within the eyes of the beholder. Kind of like what you told me last night Teala, she said that being beautiful only matters inside of us instead of out, and some ponies in this world are better in seeing that kind of beauty than others. What’s also great about that beauty is that unlike just covering yourself with makeup, you are able to change your inner beauty depending on how you go about your life, and the choices you make for it. This even goes for the guys as well, and it was how she fell in love with Dad.

“From what she told me, her job of being a tailor is to design clothes for ponies that will help accentuate and express that inner beauty to everyone else around them. Since I wanted to become a strong fighter like my dad was, and I liked to wear something simple and comfortable, she made my favorite jacket you see today. Excluding the number of times she had to make it again to fit me as I grew overtime, I’ve worn it ever since,” Roxxie finished.

My goodness… I’ve never thought of it like that before. That sounds perfect to put in a romance novel. Why haven’t I come across anything like that yet?

“You know, I almost forgot about what Mom told me that day until you brought it up,” Roxxie said while she turned to me with a smile. “I gotta thank you Teala for helping me bring that back up again. You can probably guess what happened next after she told me that, and that was why I didn’t need to bring up the topic the next time I saw you guys. I think a part of me knew then that you and Cyan were the few ponies that saw that beauty in me since you wanted to hang and be friends with me. I couldn’t be more thankful to have ponies like you two by my side, and it was part of why I want to get stronger to not only fend for myself, but for you guys as well like you have for me.”

I couldn’t help but well up in tears after hearing that, and it seemed the tailors who were measuring and fitting us felt the same as I heard sniffles, and saw tissues being passed around.

“Ms. Stone, we promise you that like your mother, we’ll do our best to make the best dress that will help accentuate your inner beauty,” one of them said to her, which the rest nodded in agreement.

“You know? I’m actually kind of psyched to hear that,” Roxxie admitted. “It will be different, sure, but it’s not like I’m gonna die from wearing a dress like I haven’t done for a while. Alright, I’ll go through with this, but I’m counting on you guys to hold your promise alright?”

“YES MA’AM!” All of them said with vigor before they finished our measurements and got started on making the dresses with much motivation and vigor.

“I’ve gained a lot more respect for you Roxxie,” I said as we put our regular clothes on. “I think a lot of nobles in this city could learn a lot if they followed your example.”

“Heh, I’m pretty darn great am I?” She asked with a big smile as we walked out of the fitting room. “And just wait, as soon as I become the greatest fighter in Equestria, I’ll inspire many mares to get just as strong, independent, and beautiful as I am.”

“I’ll look forward to when that day comes then,” I responded with a smile of my own.

“There’s something else not related to this that I’m worried about though,” Roxxie admitted as we walked.

“What might that be?” I asked.

“Well you know how Cyan’s parents feared his… Magic might be harmful to others around him?” She asked.

“I recall that, yes.”

“Well from what we know so far, Nil’s magic is uncontrollable at the moment, though Blaze’s couldn’t hurt himself, it could still spread outside of him if he isn’t careful, mine could cause serious damage that regular fighters might not accomplish, and who knows what potential yours and Lumina’s may bring? If we aren’t the only ones who can use this magic like Nil said… Could there be some truth to what Cyan’s parents were worried about, and there may even be ponies who could use such magic for the wrong reasons?”

“… Well when you put it that way, it can be true,” I admitted. “But I think what matters is what WE will use this magic for. Blaze already has an idea on his, Nil’s trying to figure out his own, I’m not sure if Lumina does, but knowing Cyan, I’m sure he would want to use his to help other ponies any way possible. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, that DEFINITELY sounds like him,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to use it to make up for his loss at the Magic Duel… Speaking of which, the next time I see that damn Emerald Brace again, I’m gonna give him such a wallop. He played a part in Cyan’s disappearance as much as his parents did.”

“Indeed,” I replied. “Going back to earlier though, I think it’s important to think about what WE want to do with our magic. I believe our resolve on how we use it will prove how far we can practice and improve it.”

“Resolve… Wait a minute,” Roxxie said as she frowned in thought. “Teala, remember how you came across your magic while you were venting your frustrations through your fencing with Sigmund?”

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t at my best back then,” I replied with a blush of embarrassment. “I was so frustrated on not being able to do anything and just sat on the sidelines while you and Cyan can do so much, it just kind of escalated.”

“And I was mad at myself for not being able to stop the Magic Duel from happening, and protect our honor,” Roxxie added. “I think I can guess Blaze somehow came across his Fire Magic while he tried to scare off his first dragon, and Cyan must have been so guilty about losing the Magic Duel, and not being able to protect us with his strength back then… I may not know how Nil or Lumina felt when they got theirs, but do you think… Our hidden resolves in those moments could be some kind of trigger to the release of our Magic?”

My eyes widened at such cognition Roxxie displayed as I wasn’t sure if I’VE ever thought of it like that. I had to take a moment to think it through myself before I answered. “That COULD be a possibility, but what we should keep in mind is if those resolves have to be similar in concept in order for a pony to tap into such magic. We’ll have to see if we can find something like that while searching through the archives tomorrow.”

“Now that you mentioned the plan, there’s something ELSE that’s bugging me as well: your butler,” she concluded.

“What does Sigmund have to do with this?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well take a look back at everything we’ve discussed so far with him in the room,” she explained. “Especially the plan for tomorrow, as it will be something we could get ourselves in danger in. As far as I know, Sigmund has been at your beck and call probably since day one of your birth. How come he hasn’t interjected on anything we’ve discussed up to this point?”

... Now that she mentioned it, I’m curious myself. I’ve been so used to Sigmund being around me for nearly everything, and even now, he still plays his part as the head butler to the Crystalwaters’ mansion. What does he think about all of this? In fact, how did he know a little about the legend since I first discovered it that afternoon?

“… Perhaps I should speak to him in private to see what is going on,” I declared. “Though loyal as he is to me, Mother and Father are still the main heads of this household, and their word and say have higher power than mine. It would be troublesome if he somehow gets in the way of our plans of searching for answers in our Magic.”

“In that case, you better let me come with,” Roxxie suggested. “Seeing how skilled he is with fencing back at the first time you demonstrated your swordsponyship, I’m not entirely certain that’s the only type of fighting style he knows. If it comes down to a brawl, two’s better than one, and though I may still not have quite the grasp on my Earth Magic yet, at least I have something that’s strong enough for him to have difficulty in breaking through.”

“I dearly hope we won’t have to come to that, but I thank you for your concern Roxxie,” I replied.

“Master Teala! Master Roxxie!” Exclaimed a voice from the dining room we were heading into. As we got inside, it was Sigmund standing at the ready near the entrance. “You came just in time. Lunch has been served, and measurements are already set for Master Nil’s suit,” he said as he gestured to him at the table. He looked like he was keeping a stern eye on my butler as he ate his food. I guess Roxxie wasn’t the only one to have such concerns for Sigmund.

“Thank you Sigmund,” I replied as I walked up to him and whispered in his ear. “Do you mind if I speak to you in private after lunch?” Sigmund nodded in response, accepting my invitation before I pulled back. “Okay then, let’s have lunch shall we Roxxie?” I asked as I turned to her.

“Sure thing,” she answered before the two of us walked to the table where we sat across from Nil before we started eating.

What is on your mind right now Sigmund? How is it that you’re still acting your job as my butler like nothing has changed? I know that I can become sour to you now and then, but despite that, you’ve always been there for me when my parents couldn’t. Though I’ve appreciate what you’ve done for me, if you’re hiding something in those fancy sleeves of yours, I’m afraid of what I’ll have to do if I don’t like it. Please don’t let it be anything rash, my love and being together with Cyan and Roxxie is on the line here.

Next Chapter: Chapter 19: Getting on the Same Ground Level Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 38 Minutes