Author's Notes:

Alright, Chapter 29 is finished and posted!!! Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter I can post before I have to go back to college for the Spring semester...

I'm putting this Author's note at the top of the chapter to address the fact that I use the f-word once in this chapter. I don't know if that's permitted by the rating I am using for this story. If not, please tell me instead of reporting me and I will fix it.

Please feel free to give me your opinion of the story so far, any constructive criticisms you can give, and most importantly, thank you for reading this far, I hope everyone is enjoying the story.

Thunderlane was halfway through his flight to Carousel Boutique from his house. The chandler that feel on his head the last time he was at Rarity’s place of business and home gave him a concussion, one that kept him on sick leave for several days.

Despite the head trauma the guard captain suffered, Thunderlane remembered his promise to the white Unicorn he was acquainted with. Rarity was even kind enough to go ahead and make the needed adjustments to Rumble’s tuxedo so he could fit into it, seemingly not caring that Thunderlane could immediately follow up on his promise to help her with the backlog of orders she had recently received.

Normally, Thunderlane would be prioritizing his jobs with the Ponyville Town Guard or the local Weather Team, but things were strangely quiet. Thunderlane had the usual hour-or-so worth of paper work at the Guard Station and the EWA schedule called for clear skies for the next two weeks, meaning that he was free to uphold his promise to Rarity. Thunderlane was strangely insistent on repaying any perceived debts, but one would adopt a similar mindset if he or she had the trouble with the debt collectors of Cloud Spire.

The black stallion cleared his head of the memories he had of past troubles as he landed a small distance away from the door to Carousel Boutique and walked in, sounding the customer bell.

Rarity was in the middle of weaving together fabric for one of her many orders with her sewing machine. She was in her own words, in the zone. What most Ponies, not even her younger sister, realized is that when Rarity was in ‘the zone’, she was not mindless. While she did mindlessly stitch together whatever her clients asked of her and blocked out most outside interference, she was anything but mindless.

When Rarity was working was when Rarity took the time to think to herself. While it was normally unwise to use dangerous equipment without thought, Rarity had refined the use of her sewing machine into a meditative action. She usually thought about what to say to Sweetie Belle or Spike when they were around and asked if they could help in some way, which was quite often. She would also use this time to think about how to fix whatever issues happened to be bothering her, when she wasn’t crying on her fainting couch and eating ice cream by the tub.

At the moment however, Rarity was thinking about her success. She never had so many orders at once before. This is. The. Best. Possible. Thing! At this rate, I’ll be able to expand my boutique and hire staff, where I’ll find Ponies that can competently sew is beyond me, but the possibilities aren’t! Rarity could help herself from giggling at the prospect of expanding her business. It also helped that she had shared the news of her recent success with Fancy Pants who proceeded to mention the existence of some buildings he owned in Canterlot that he was thinking of repurposing, but had no idea what he could possibly do with them.

Rarity was contemplating whether she should rent the aforementioned buildings or buy them outright when she heard her customer bell, one of the few things that could bring out of ‘the zone’ at a reasonable volume.

Rarity rushed from the second floor of her establishment, not wanting to keep whomever had just come in waiting, only pacing herself shy of the doorway to the boutique’s lobby, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is-” Rarity was stunned shortly by surprise at who had just come into her establishment, “Why, what brings you here today Captain?”

Thunderlane raised a hoof and shook his head, “Please, just call me Thunderlane. Or else, I might start calling you ma’am.”

Despite the involuntary shiver that comment gave her, Rarity still thought it was funny, “Ha! Touché Thunderlane. Now then, how can I help you.”

“I’m more concerned with how I can help you,” Replied the Pegasus with a coltish smile.

“I beg your pardon?” Said Rarity, somewhat confused.

“Remember,” Started Thunderlane, “I offered to help you with your work in return for you fixing the measurements on Rumble’s tux?”

“Oh, darling,” Said Rarity as remembered their little deal, “I appreciate the gesture, but you really don’t have to do anything for my sake of all things.”

Thunderlane took a step towards her before speaking, “I want to. You did me a kindness and it’s only fair I return the favor.”

Rarity took a moment to think about the situation she found herself in. She had never had a stallion with her in a confined space for long periods of time before. But, in the few seconds the fashionista used to contemplate this, the more she liked it. She was just thinking about how much work she had, as well as the possibility of hiring a staff. This would give her the opportunity to see if she was ready for handling a staff herself, the fact that she wasn’t going to have to pay a wage for this stallion was another boon in her mind. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s kind and handsome added her subconscious.

“I can’t argue with that logic, now can I?” Rarity quickly turned around to hide the slight but obvious blush coloring her face, “Come with me, and I’ll show you the work room.”

“Gladly,” Said Thunderlane gaily as followed Rarity up the stairs.

The pair started walking into Rarity’s work room when she noticed that Thunderlane had stopped shortly after entering the room. Rarity turned around about to ask what was wrong, when she realized he was staring at the giant piles of fabric scattered around the room.

“This may be stating the obvious,” Said Rarity with a smile, “But I have more than a few upcoming orders for this season.”

“No kidding,” Said Thunderlane still awestruck, “What do you want me to start on?”

Rarity levitated a box, a piece of paper, a piece of measuring tape, and part of one of the fabric piles, “This sheet,” Said Rarity authoritatively, “Lists the material and measurements needed for relevant orders. As you can see, I have elected to use the horizontal rule to separate each individual order. You can ignore the paragraphs detailing the patterns the clientele has ordered, as even simple ones are difficult to accomplish without Unicorn magic, and I will have to deal with them accordingly.”

“Is there a place you want me to set up?” Asked Thunderlane dutifully.

Rarity was taken by surprise for a moment as she was used to Thunderlane’s joyful demeanor, “Just make yourself comfortable.”

Thunderlane nodded his head before taking the supplies given to him over to a nearby chair. He had to make two trips as he didn’t have a Unicorn’s magic, but he had settled in by the time Rarity started her sewing machine.

Rarity had finished five more dresses before hoof cramps forced to take a break. She would normally be able to fulfill two or three more orders before she had to stop, but having to stand on tired hooves and then going up and down a flight of stairs added to the aggravation of her hooves. Rarity rotated her front hooves making them pop and then reclined in her swivel seat. Rarity rested for a few minutes before turning to see how much progress Thunderlane had made, and was surprised. He was in the middle of neatly folding the dress he had just finished sewing before putting in the pile he must have started when he finished the first dress he sewed together. Only years of experience dealing with fabrics allowed Rarity to ascertain that there were three dresses in total.

One would think that Rarity would panic at the fact that folding the dresses like he was would cause obvious wrinkles and creases in the dresses, but she had long since learned spells for removing both wrinkles and stains from fabric. But that didn’t stop Rarity from appreciating the fact that Thunderlane wasn’t just tossing them to the floor when he was done, like how most Pegasi she had meet would have.

Thunderlane was about to start his fourth when he noticed Rarity’s gaze, “Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no darling,” Assured the white Unicorn, “I’m just surprised is all. You said you could sew by hoof, but I didn’t expect you to make so much progress.”

Rarity couldn’t tell with his dark fur, but was sure that Thunderlane was smiling at her, “Thanks,” He said, “It’s been awhile since I’ve had to, but it’s just something that sticks with you after a few years.”

Rarity couldn’t resist tittering at that, knowing exactly what he meant having worked with fabric for as long as she could remember. Then, Rarity realized that there was something bothering her since she had meet Thunderlane, namely his relationship between the Pegasus sisters he lived with.

“Er, excuse me, Thunderlane,” Said Rarity, though what really caught Thunderlane’s attention was the way in which she had spoken, “Can I ask you a… personal question?”

“Uhh, sure,” Said Thunderlane, wondering if he was going to regret those words or not. Like most of Ponyville, Thunderlane knew that Rarity was a hopeless dramatic. Thanks to the mares he lives with however, he knew that Rarity was fairly ‘forward’ with her crushes, which crossed one awkward possibility of the many things she would be about to ask.

“It’s certainly not my place to ask but,” Rarity gulped and decided to stop beating around the bush on this, “Do you mind if I ask about the relationship between yourself and the stunning mares you live with?”

Rarity was mentally prepared for a number of responses from the black Pegasus before her. She was ready for defensive reprimands for delving into his love life, she was ready for arrogant boasting, she was even ready for an awkward silence. What she wasn’t prepared for however, was Thunderlane’s sigh of relieve.

“Thank you,” He said simply.

“I-I beg your pardon?!” Asked Rarity in surprise.

“Thank you for asking, thank you for not making assumptions, thank you for not giving me ‘holier than thou’ lectures on romance,” Thunderlane managed to stop himself at that point if only for Rarity’s sake.

“Did Ponies actually do that?” Asked Rarity.

Thunderlane nodded his, “Oh yeah, mailponies weighed down with hate mail, Ponies shooting me and the girls loathsome looks, and at least three Ponies had tried issuing petitions to replace me as captain of the Town Guard.”

Being Ponyville’s ‘gossip queen,’ Rarity had of course heard rumors and speculation about Thunderlane’s living conditions and the way he managed the town guard. Everything from him using his position to take advantage of convicts and guardsmares alike, him being some sort of polygamist that saw mares as objects, even him using his living conditions as a cover for him being a homosexual. Rarity had been able to dismiss any rumors that fell under the first two categories almost as soon as he met him face to face at the spa. But Rarity had never heard anything like this.

“Well that’s a tad extreme,” Said Rarity with a disgusted look.

“It makes even less sense when you consider one of the girls is Cloud Chaser,” Said Thunderlane.

“I don’t follow,” Said Rarity confused.

“Oh, CC was inspired by Princess Celestia’s granddaughter to publicly come out of the closet,” Explained Thunderlane.

“Oh!” Rarity raised her hoof to her lips in surprise.

Rarity had of course known that Princess Legal Procedure had told reporters from Equestria Daily, the single largest newspaper in Equestria, she was gay. Which had inspired many Ponies to come out to their families. While Homosexuality has never been illegal in Equestria, it was still hard for some Ponies. Family is one of the most important things to Equestrians, so not being able to have foals is somewhat of a sore spot for some, this made even worse by way of making Ponies acknowledge that there are orphans in Equestria when a same sex couple adopted children. And then there were the families who hadn’t taken the news that members of their family ‘swung that way’ well. Rarity couldn’t help but shudder at one particular intense of this she knew of.

Thunderlane politely ignored Rarity’s involuntary shudder and looked to the clock in the room for a change of subject.

There was no need for effort on Thunderlane’s part as his stomach growled loud enough for Rarity to hear. Rarity giggled at Thunderlane for trying to hide a bright pink blush on his black fur, “Should we break for lunch?” He asked.

Rarity turned to look at the clock and gasped. It was nearly one thirty and she had kept this poor stallion here doing work she was being paid to do, “Oh I’m ever so sorry Thunderlane. I insist that you allow me to buy lunch for the both of us.”

Rarity now had a blush of her as she realized the way her statement could have been taken, the goofy grin barely visible through Thunderlane’s dark fur didn’t help either, “I’d be more than happy to escort you somewhere to eat, as a friend of course.”

Rarity nodded her head, “Thank you,” And the two left for a well-deserved meal.

Berry Punch and Twilight Sparkle had decided to wait for Rainbow Dash and the Crusaders in the hospital lobby. It was likely that they would stay in Scootaloo’s room until the hospital staff made them leave. The two mares were currently using the time to get to know each other better.

The two of them was laughing at an anecdote made by Berry about her two younger sisters and her daughter when they noticed someone enter the lobby. While neither of the two mares saw the newcomer at first, they both could hear the clanking of her armor as she walked towards the counter.

Berry and Twilight were surprised to see a mare in House Platinum guard armor. Twilight realized she knew exactly who this was. Her faded purple coat and dark blue mane and with her House Platinum armor with gilded streaks going through the middle of the plates, marked her as the head of the House Platinum’s mares-at-arms.

Twilight recognized this mare as Top Priority, the head of the knights loyal to House Platinum directly, and the mare currently posing as Noblesse’s adoptive mother in order to conceal his real identity. She also noted that Applejack’s description of her had been spot on.

Twilight felt a tapping on her shoulder shortly before Berry spoke in a hushed voice, “Twilight, who is that and what is she doing here.”

“That’s Top Priority, she’s Noblesse’s head of security,” Explained Twilight, “One of his guards must have seen Scootaloo crash.”

“But then why isn’t he here in Pony?” Asked Berry.

Twilight wasn’t sure how sensitive of a topic this was for the young noblepony, so she wasn’t willing to give Berry Punch all of the details, “He’s bedridden at the moment.”

“That is no longer the case,” Said an unfamiliar voice from the lobby counter.

Berry and Twilight looked over to the lobby counter in shock as they realized that it was Top Priority that had spoken. They also realized that the guardsmare had heard their hushed conversation from the other side of the room.

Berry couldn’t help but notice that Top Priority’s mane and tail were the same shade of blue as the blues in Twilight’s mane and tail. She stopped at a polite distance from the pair of mares and chose to sit on the tiled floor instead of one of the cushioned seats in the lobby. While Berry and Twilight didn’t know much about carpentry or crafts in general, no such education was needed for the two of them to know that the average weight of a Unicorn mare added with the weight of Priority’s plate mail armor would probably break the furnishings of the lobby.

“His lordship was well enough to get out of bed this morning,” Explained Priority, “Though his doctors demanded that he not leave the palace until this coming Monday.”

“I’m glad that he’s recovering well,” Said Berry. While she may have been unnerved by the colt’s very presence and didn’t like the dangers her daughter would face being in his presence, she didn’t wish him ill.

Priority nodded her head with a surprisingly warm smile, “Thank you. Though he was likely to survive molting, I will admit that I was worried about it.”

Twilight had already read the spell books that Noblesse had given her and knew the risks that came with taking the Under-City Blood Rituals. Berry’s skin noticeably paled under her coat, “Wait, what! Molting? W-what happened to him?!”

“You haven’t told her?” Asked Priority with a raised brow to Twilight.

“I didn’t think it was my place to disclose his medical information,” Said Twilight calmly.

“I’m sure his highness will appreciate your consideration,” Priority didn’t fail to notice that the desk clerk at the lobby counter had taken interest in their conversation thanks to Berry’s exclamations, but a quick nasty look from Priority had discouraged her from listening further.

“You know the Under-City Ponies that make up most of the lord’s staff?” Asked Priority.

Berry was taken back by the sudden question that seemed to be a non-sequitur, “You mean the Ponies with the weird glamor spells? The ones that look like their part beast?”

“Er yes,” Said Priority, trying to think of a tactful way to explain this to Berry, “Those aren’t glamor spells.”

“What?” Was all that Berry could say.

“They were born that way, and Noblesse took the same blood rituals that the Under-City Ponies’ ancestors used to transform themselves,” Explained the guardsmare.

Priority didn’t stop as Berry’s skin became more pale, “It’s the reason his eyes were changing. The transformation happens inside out, over the course of several years. Fortunately, Hemomancers have made improvements over the last thousand years, so the chance of survival has increased from thirty percent to ninety percent.”

Twilight blushed slightly as Berry started leaning on her. Twilight’s embarrassment turned to concern as she realized that Berry had fainted.

“Oh, Dame Sparkle,” Twilight stopped herself from calling a nurse as Priority caught her attention, “You’ll be glad to know that the information Lord Noblesse had on the transformation was four hundred years out of date, and he lost the Serpent’s’ Lisp the day after you saw him in his bedchambers.”

“What do you mean it was 'four hundred years out of date?' Demanded Twilight, horrified that something so important had been so poorly recorded.

“Lord Noblesse is the first Pony to take the Blood Ritual in four hundred years,” Explained Priority, “Under-City Ponies are typically born that way. While Hemomancers are always tinkering with the ritual spells, they can only estimate the effects of the rituals after they are actually used.”

Satisfied with the explanation, Twilight used her magic to gently lay Berry on the nearby sofa and went to the counter to ask for a nurse or doctor for Berry. After Twilight returned to her seat, she considered holding another conversation with Top Priority, but decided that she wasn’t comfortable enough with the older Unicorn guardsmare to do so. Twilight began to wonder how long she would be left alone with her thoughts when the doors at the back of the lobby opened suddenly.

“Oh come on!” Exclaimed a rainbow maned mare that was being forcibly removed from the hospital’s patient wing, “Just five more minutes!”

Doctor Stable walked through the double doors with the Crusaders slightly behind him. Doctor Stable was being forced to use telekinesis to remove Rainbow Dash and had a clearly irritable expression on his face.

“I’m not trying to haggle with you miss Dash,” Said the Doctor with an annoyed tone of voice, “I’m telling to get the fuck out of my hospital!!!” Doctor Stable threw Rainbow Dash into the air with his magic. While Rainbow Dash could easily catch herself with her flying ability, the message was clear. The Doctor left without another word as the Crusaders strolled past him.

After Rainbow Dash landed, she couldn’t help but slump her shoulders.

“What happened?” Asked Twilight, curious as to what her friend could have done to make the doctor so angry.

“Well,” Started Rainbow Dash, “I wanted to hold Scootaloo, but the Doctor said that would aggravate her injuries. I just couldn't help myself and I might have uh… actually fought him over it.”

“Oh, Rainbow,” Twilight said as she slid her hoof down her face. While she was glad that Rainbow Dash had been becoming open with her emotions since ‘adopting’ Scootaloo, Twilight still wished that her athletic friend used her head more often.

“Hey!” Ruby suddenly exclaimed, “What happened to my mom?!”

Twilight had briefly forgotten the Berry had fainted and was feeling slightly guilty now that her daughter was fretting over her.

“She only fainted,” Explained Top Priority, frightening Rainbow Dash, and the Crusaders. While Twilight was already aware of her presence, Top Priority quietly faded into the background and the newcomers hadn’t even noticed her.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Said the guardsmare getting up off of the floor, “I must do the lord’s bidding,” Priority head through the double doors without another word.

“Hey Twilight,” Dinky inadvertently surprised Twilight by approaching her, “I need to talk to you about Ruby, and the book she has.”

“Berry and I were looking for your lot for the same reason,” Said Twilight, “I would like to take a look at that book myself.”

“Ruby,” Said Berry, getting over her fainting spell, “I’m fine dear, I’m more worried about you.”

“Me?” Asked Ruby, “You’re the one who fainted, why would you be concerned about me?”

“It’s that book you borrowed from the palace library,” Explained her mother, “Twilight and I need to ask some questions about it.”

“Not here though,” Said Twilight, getting the attention of both pink Ponies, “We should head over to my library and talk about first.”

Twilight turned to address Sweetie Belle and Rainbow Dash, “Would you two like to come?”

“I can’t,” Said Rainbow Dash, “I have to go practice.”

“Rarity said I could help her today after I was done Crusading,” Said Sweetie Belle with an eager smile.

“I want to go with you,” Dinky said desperately, “I’m really worried about you?”

“Why, what’s the problem?” Said Ruby in confusion.

“I’ll explain as best as I can when we get to the library,” Assured Twilight, “Let’s go girls”

Sweetie Belle’s head tilted in confusion as the foursome left the hospital, “What’s wrong with Ruby?”

“Beats me kiddo,” Answered Rainbow Dash, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

Golden light briefly filled the dark chamber as Top Priority teleported from the Ponyville General Hospital. While it was by no means a difficult task, she was still glad it was done with. She was also glad the hospital staff cooperated with her completely and handed over the documents without question.

Though Priority could hardly see, she knew the layout of the entire floor she was in. Strangely enough, neither the workers who had dug an extra basement floor for the Everfree Palace nor the servants who came down here to serve their lord could honestly say they knew what was down here. Top Priority had no doubt that her master’s magic was at fault, and it made her happy that her master was willing to trust her with her memories of the eighth basement.

As Priority approached the ornate double doors, the Proximity Light Stones ignited in response to her presence. If she wasn’t kowtowing before the doors, she would be able to see the custom heraldry decorating the doors before, the most notable feature of course being the spider web emblem embedded into the wall just above the doors.

“I have succeeded in my mission your grace,” Said Priority, somewhat straining her voice so her master could hear past the heavy stone doors.

“Enter and at ease, Priority,” Noblesse’s voice echoed past the doors. Priority fancied that he was using one of the only non-offensive spells he could use to speak to her through the stone doors without having to yell.

Priority raised herself off of the floor and used her magic to open the doors and entered Noblesse’s Trophy Room. She didn’t bother closing the doors behind her as she knew the hinges had mechanisms built into them so that they would close on their own. The Proximity Light Stones imbedded into the floor of the room ignited as Priority get close and dimmed as she moved far enough past them. Priority would be lying if she said that Noblesse’s design choices didn’t unnerve her for the first few days after this floor was constructed, but she got used to it.

While Noblesse didn’t rely on sight to navigate his surroundings, he still paid the necessary costs for the sake of the few people that did out of all the ones who were given access to the eighth basement. While Priority didn’t mind the armor and weapons Noblesse had claimed from his past opponents, she still had to ignore the more macabre trophies he presented down here.

Finally, after a minute or so of walking, Priority reached the cushions placed in front of Noblesse’s throne for those who were allowed down here. Priority rested on the center most one as the Proximity Light Stones around this area ignited, highlighting the same spider web insignia that was placed above the doors into this room in the floor before the throne. The Proximity Light Stones embedded into the wall behind Noblesse’s throne ignited, revealing an armored Pony statue similar to the ones made for the Celestia and Luna’s thrones on the ground floor, though this one in particular was clearly made in the image of Noblesse himself. The light also kept his person in darkness, save for his rust colored serpentine eyes which reflected some of the light, making them appear to glow in the darkness.

“How is Scootaloo?” Asked Noblesse, not bothering to hide the genuine concern for her well being in his voice.

“She’s fine,” Assured Priority casually, knowing that she didn’t need to be formal with Noblesse like she did in public, “While Scootaloo did manage to get some severe bone breaks, that happens to be the specialty of the local hospital staff. She’ll be back in school this coming Wednesday.”

“Excellent,” Replied Noblesse, “And when can we expect test results to come in?”

“I have them right here actually,” Priority pulled said test results from one of the compartments hidden in her armor, “They streamlined the tests when they heard you personally requested them, they even promised to keep the results from Scootaloo for the time being.”

The test results were the documents that Priority was tasked with retrieving for Noblesse, though she didn’t know what they pertained to, she knew it must be something serious. Priority levitated the unusually thick document half the distance to Noblesse’s throne where Noblesse took the document in his own magic and brought it over to himself.

Priority decided to converse with her master as he read the document, knowing it wouldn’t bother him, “I thought I’d come in to find you and your cousin having another philosophical discussion or in the middle of discussing your plans.”

Noblesse couldn’t stop himself from giggling, “Oh, she’s out and about exploring the town. Something about not wanting to ‘spend all day in another damned castle.’”

Priority should have known that’s what Legalese would be doing. Legalese didn’t like going into Canterlot. The streets of Canterlot were littered with spotters and spies in service to the local nobility and bourgeoisie. Meaning that if someone of interest, like Celestia’s granddaughter, were ‘hitting the town’ they would most likely run into somepony with influence who ‘coincidentally’ had a proposition for said person of interest. This proposition could range from anything from business proposals to marriage agreements. When that didn’t work, the person of interest risked being implicated in a scandal of some kind. And as such, Legalese and Noblesse didn’t stray too far from the Royal Palace or the House Platinum Housing-Tower.

“That’s- that’s not good,” Noblesse’s voice brought Priority out of her ponderings.

“Is there something wrong?” Asked Priority, wondering what the document could contain.

“Yes, but it’s not something that can be addressed immediately,” Replied the young noble cryptically.

Priority stood up, “Is there anything I can do.”

Noblesse was about to decline, but then he realized there was something he needed her to do about this, “I need you to send a letter for me.”

Priority was taken back at that and lost her composure for a moment, “A letter? Concerning what exactly?”

Noblesse hesitated for a moment, this was going to be something no one save for him would be looking forward to, “How soon can the Steel-Wing Twins can take a leave of absence.”