Sorry for my extended absence again, but life happens. It is time to pack and get ready for the Canterlot Music Festival in my Equestria dreamscape. So early one autumn morning found us busy getting ready to depart. With our wardrobes http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7461577/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7470843/ and toilet kits packed in our trunks we loaded them into Carousel's little cart and headed off for the Ponyville train station. Yes, I offered to pull the cart but Carousel was more than happy to do it for Petina and I. Besides it was one of those gorgeous autumn mornings, not too cold with a slight breeze to keep you company. Applejack had agreed to pick up Carousel's cart at the station when we left and take it back to Sweet Apple Acres until we returned. We had decided that we would head up to Canterlot the day before the festival began just so we could take in the sights and maybe do a bit of shopping. I'm glad we decided to take one of the early morning trains because this one was almost full to capacity. The stallion behind the ticket counter said that by the mid-afternoon most of the trains coming through Ponyville would already be at full capacity as ponies poured into Canterlot for the Festival. Fortunately we were able to get three seats together on the train.

The train ride was relatively short. The surprising thing was this was the first time I had taken the train the Canterlot. On every other occasion I had flown up via sky chariot and this was Carousel's first visit period. Upon arriving at the station in Canterlot we were confronted with a rather chaotic scenario. Extra trains were running for the festival so the station jammed to full capacity. It hummed with the sound of brightly colored engines hissing and steaming at the platforms. Conductors calling out arrivals and departures while porters barked orders at each other and passenger called for assistance with their luggage. After a few frantic minutes we were reunited with our trunks and with them loaded onto public luggage cart we headed off to find a cab. Outside the main station it was bustling scene as carriages, carts, wagons and cabs waited to pick up their rides, friends, clients, cargoes, and loads. The street was full with the sound of hooves clopping on cobblestone, steel rim wheels rolling by, drivers and teams yelling welcomes, instructions, complaints to each other and their customers. Carriage bodies squeaked and tack jingled as they passed by. The air was full of the smell of perfume, cologne, bearing grease, oiled/polished leather, brass polish and pony sweat.

Flagging down a hansom cab, I was able to get all of our trunks loaded without too much fuss with some assistance from the pony driving the cab. Once that was accomplished we were off to our hotel. Now I did not arrange our hotel room for the festival, Petina had taken care of that on one her visits to Canterlot. All I knew was that we staying at the Black Stallion Hotel, which was relatively close to the Palace and the Symphony Hall. Our plans were to play tourist in Canterlot the day before the festival began in hopes that the city would not yet be completely overrun with other festival goers. It was a nice little theory that apparently a lot of other ponies had decided on to. As our cab slowly made its way up the hill to the hotel I could see numerous brightly colored banners and signs heralding the upcoming festival. In general it appeared that the city had been cleaned from top to bottom for the event. The streets seemed to be far more busy than I remembered from my last visit to Canterlot and the cafes and restaurants lining the street all appeared to be full of hungry ponies. Getting a table to eat might take a bit more work over the next few days.

Eventually our trip ended in front of this rather impressive six story building that was none other than the Black Stallion Hotel. Its facade spoke of sophistication, tradition, elegance, and much to my alarm, money. If nothing else the little hansom cab we had just pulled up in looked rather plain compared to the many fine carriages and coaches that were unloading their passengers at the time. In fact I could not help but feel as if the hotel was staring down at me, as if it was trying to determine if I was worthy of just strolling into it. Just inside the main entrance was a full size statues carved from black marble of a unicorn stallion reared back on its hind hooves and its head bowed. With its front legs it was making a sweeping gesture as if to welcome visitors in to the hotel. Reading the brass plaques on it I found out it was a portrait of the original owner of the Black Stallion Hotel. It was made years after his death as a tribute to the institution he made in Canterlot.

Bellhops made quick work of unloading our trunks from the cab into a small cart. With great efficiency we were led into the main lobby of the hotel to check in. The ceiling of the hotel lobby was a dome at least thirty feet above us. In the center of the dome was a circular skylight that let Celestia's glowing rays shine down upon the hotel's visitors. Covering the rest of the dome and framing the skylight, was mosaic glazed ceramic tiles that recreated the sky outside. Rich cobalt blue made the sky with white and grey tiles making the stylized clouds. The skylight was framed in version of Celestia's own cutie mark, a giant symbol of her authority, power, and love for her subjects. The golden sun. For a brief moment I was reminded how I to had used that same symbol to help her eliminate a threat to Equestria just a couple months ago http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6888523/ . The floor of the hotel lobby was of polished green marble with contrasting white marble columns. The counters were of the same white marble with ebony wood tops for ponies to check in and get their mail. Pots almost as large as ponies made of reddish bisque ware were filled with exotic, for Canterlot, ferns and tropical plants. They stood as sentries around the perimeter of the lobby. Yeah this place did not look cheap.

Carousel just stood with me in the lobby and looked around somewhat stunned at the place. I think she was thinking the same thing I was. Unfazed Petina headed over to one of the receptionist desks. Collecting my wits I trotted over to join her. A quick check in a massive red cover ledger confirmed we were registered for four days at the hotel. Petina made a quick signature in the ledger. The clerk stamped the book and from a locked drawer she produced three ornate brass keys. Collecting Carousel who was still staring around the lobby at constant stream of ponies that flowed in and out of the lobby we gathered her up, and with the assistance from another bellhop made our way to one of the newly installed elevators in the hotel. After giving the operator our floor number which was the sixth we began our ascent.

Down halls of deep blue carpet we made our way to our room. After a moment of fiddling for the right key our bellhop who was young grey unicorn stallion, opened the door and led us into our home for the next few days. I think it was a tribute to my self control that I didn't drop my jaw. Petina had somehow managed to get us a suite in this place. I was really starting worry about how many bits this little trip was costing us. The suite was bigger than our entire cottage. Carousel went over and opened up the patio door and went out to take in the view from the balcony. "You can see the palace from here!" She squealed in delight. While Carousel was taking the view of the city, Petina had gone into the bedroom to check out the bedding arrangements. There was one bed there. One gigantic, aircraft carrier size, silk clad, seven foot tall canopy, must weigh a frigging ton bed! The bed seemed to meet with her approval because she was jumping up and down on it while giggling like a schoolfilly. I was absorbing some of the other aspects of the suite. We had our own fireplace. The suite had gas lighting and its' own water heater. There was a well stocked wet bar with a fine selection of Equestrian spirits, and not the kind you find haunting the Everfree Forest. The carpet was a deep red-purple and felt about three feet deep and obscenely rich. The bathroom was masterpiece of marble and glazed ceramics with a bathtub big enough for four or more ponies. No wonder the place had its own water heater. There was a sofa covered in a deep viridian green silk that was embroidered with gold floral pattern in the living room and two silk lounges of equal colors kept it company. A central low coffee table of exquisite walnut provided a place to rest ones tea cup while entertaining. The walls were a rich cream yellow color and several large paintings showing scenes of Canterlot and Equestrian landscapes hung on the walls in ornate gilt frames. All together I figured this room might be worth more than our whole damn cottage, and I had no idea how we were supposed to pay for it.

Petina seemed to sense my concern and came over. "Don't worry." She smiled. " I did a favor for somepony a few weeks back and this is their way of repaying me." She said it so nonchalantly as if she had asked me to fetch her a cup of sugar from the pantry. I just turned and looked at her deadpan. "What kind of favor did you do?" Several possible scenarios ran through my head involving Petina and I was still very uncertain of how the laws concerning business, gambling and sex for hire worked in the fair kingdom of Equestria. With Petina it can be easy to sometimes to imagine the worst case scenario. "Oh, it was completely legal and proper." She said while idly waving a front hoof at me. Then she grinned impishly and wiggled. "But it was lots fun!". I would have to get more details later.

About this time I noticed the young unicorn stallion bellhop who was watching the two mares bounce around the suite with odd a look on his face. Noticing my stare he coughed and in a small voice asked. "Excuse me sir, are you staying here? In this room. With them?" I just nodded and his eyes went wide. "But there is only one bed and well they are……two mares." "Two very pretty mares." "Does that mean you'll be." I knew what station his train of thought was headed for so I decided to have some fun and cause a derailment. Cocking and eyebrow I just look at the young stallion and smiled. "Well it is one way to keep the bed warm." "Don't you think?" His face got this dumbfounded look as numerous little scenes played through his head. Then I dropped a bit into his change pouch and patted him with a hoof on his back. "Now you need to get back to work, and I have things to attend to. Good day!" and with that I escorted the bewildered bellhop out the door, and closed it behind him. Now the real question in front of me. What would the bedding arrangement be?