Sweet and Elite

Sweet and Elite is the ninth episode of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the thirty-fifth episode overall. Rarity visits Canterlot and becomes the toast of high society. The attention goes to her head, and she neglects the dress she had planned to complete for Twilight Sparkle in time for her birthday. After being invited to the Canterlot garden party, she writes to Twilight and says she can't come back to Ponyville in time for her birthday party, giving a false excuse. Twilight and the rest of Rarity's friends decide to hold their party in Canterlot so Rarity can participate, but the party is held right next to the Canterlot garden party, and Rarity tries to participate in both parties at the same time.

Staying at Canterlot Castle
The episode begins with Rarity being led into her guest room in Canterlot by Princess Celestia. The Princess explains that Twilight Sparkle mentioned Rarity's visit to Canterlot, and welcomes her as a guest in the palace. Rarity is thrilled with her elegant room, repeatedly thanking Princess Celestia. A bellhop is seen struggling with Rarity's luggage and collapsing under its weight.

Rarity and Opalescence are then seen at a tea shop. They are approached by a couple who admire her "chapeau", but before Rarity can explain that it's her own design, a window cleaner addresses her as a friend from Ponyville. The couple quickly lose interest in Rarity's hat, dismissing it as "country". Insulted, Rarity returns to her room, and begins designing a new dress for Twilight's birthday party.

The Wonderbolts Derby
Rarity later bumps into a sophisticated unicorn named Fancypants who invites her to see the Wonderbolts Derby from a very exclusive box seat. The bags that Rarity uses to carry her shopping in before she runs into Fancypants for the first time have two horseshoes arranged to imitate the Coco Chanel fashion house branding.

Back in the guest room, she weighs in the pros and cons of attending the event: she'll gain new opportunities in Canterlot as the guest of an important pony like Fancypants, but will lose time to work on Twilight's dress. After much thinking, she decides to go to the derby. The society ponies are much impressed to learn that she is staying in the palace as the Princess' guest. When she bets correctly on the winner, to the other ponies' surprise, she says that her friend Rainbow Dash knows the Wonderbolts well, but lies that Dash is their trainer. This further convinces the society ponies that Rarity is someone of importance, and she is soon flooded with invitations to dinner parties and charity events. She swiftly gains status and popularity, and repeatedly puts off working on Twilight's dress, to the obvious disapproval of Opalescence.

Becoming Popular
A fantasy sequence or montage follows, where Rarity sings about being an adored socialite pony with a tiara that looks similar to Twilight Sparkle's element of magic. Photo Finish, Prince Blueblood, Sapphire Shores, Hoity Toity and Derpy all make cameo appearances during the song. Various background ponies make their return: the fashion ponies from Green Isn't Your Color, some of the Manehattanites from The Cutie Mark Chronicles, and the Gala ponies and some of the band from The Best Night Ever.

A few of Rarity's dresses from previous episodes also made their return. The dresses she wears while at the auction and on Fancypants' yacht are both from Green Isn't Your Color. Her dress during the dinner party is from the end of Sisterhooves Social. She wears her Gala dress as seen in Suited For Success, A Bird in the Hoof, and The Best Night Ever while at the opera and her dress from her fantasy in The Ticket Master when she enters the ballroom. Finally, the dress she wears at the end of the song is from Boast Busters. Among other places Rarity visits in the montage is an art exhibit, where the central painting on the wall combines elements of Salvador Dalí's paintings, particularly The Persistence of Memory. The painting to the left resembles Pablo Picasso's signature style of Cubism. The painting to the right is an abstract style akin to the works of Kandinsky. The show's director, Jayson Thiessen, has hinted about Salvador Dali and avant-garde in an interview in September 2011.

Unexpected invitation
As her time with the other unicorns ends, Rarity sets to work on Twilight's ensemble, but falls asleep with it still unfinished. The next morning, as she prepares to depart, she recieves an invitation to the Canterlot garden party, which she describes as a major society event second only to the Grand Galloping Gala. She is torn between whether to return to Ponyville or to stay in Canterlot and attend the garden party. She makes up a letter saying that Opal is sick, and that she cannot make the journey home in time for Twilight's party.

Bringing the party to Rarity
However, just as she is about to leave for the garden party, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Twilight show up on her doorstep, saying that instead of making Rarity miss the party, they've brought it to Canterlot for her. With her plan foiled, Rarity hastily makes Opal look ill by drenching her in water, which seems to fool the other ponies. Twilight sees her unfinished dress, but is pleased with it, praising its simple, practical design. Rarity tags along with the other five ponies to one of the castle's ballrooms. Twilight states that the princess heard about it and reserved the ballroom for the occasion; quickly and fully decorated thanks to a "party cannon" that Pinkie Pie brought.

The garden party is taking place just outside this hall, so in order to be at both parties, Rarity takes turns with both parties. She tries to leave each party undetected so no one knows what she's doing, but when she reenters Twilight's party with a croquet mallet in her mouth, it becomes obvious that she was spending time in the garden. Scared and surprised, she doesn't know how to explain herself. Luckily, Twilight assumes she was mingling with the elite to promote her boutique, and praises her savvy business sense. Rainbow Dash tells the group to make it out into the gardens, to show the ponies how to party "Ponyville style".

Much to Rarity's dismay, her five friends make a mess of the party: Rainbow Dash sends her croquet mallet flying and knocks off the wig of a fancy pony, Fluttershy makes friends with the birds which nest in her hair, Pinkie devours the cake, Applejack weeds the garden, and Twilight dances terribly, catching the attention of the Canterlot elites, who are disgusted by her plain dress. Fancypants notices them, and asks about Twilight's dress. When Twilight is about to say that Rarity made it for her, an embarrassed Rarity interrupts her. Twilight says she needn't be so modest, and tells everyone that Rarity made the dress and that she knows the other five. After some hesitation, Rarity admits that she does know them and that they are the most important ponies in her life. While the other guests start to laugh, Fancypants compliments Rarity's friends for being "charmingly rustic" and applauds Twilight's dress, stating "everyone in Canterlot will want one". The guests themselves immediately change their tone and ask for a dress like hers, but Rarity introduces Fancypants to her friends instead.

Epilogue
Rarity begins to write a letter to the princess on friendship, but Princess Celestia comes in person to hear it for the second time since Sonic Rainboom. Rarity says that no matter where you are, you shouldn't ever forget your home and friends. As they finish they see the bellhop asking them to hurry up before being buried in Rarity's luggage once more.

Quotes

 * Rarity: Oh, but it isn't nothing, it's everything! I, I just don't know what to say but thank you, thank you! [kissing her hooves] Thank you! [kiss] Thank you! [kiss] Thank you, thank you, thank you! [more kisses]
 * Princess Celestia: You are very we--
 * Rarity: Thank you!


 * Hayseed Turnip Truck: Rarity! Hey Rarity! Whoo! It's me, Hayseed Turnip Truck! We met at the big hoedown in Ponyville last month?
 * Rarity: Oh, yes, of course... how are you?
 * Hayseed Turnip Truck: Good! Real good!


 * Rarity: ...and then I said, “Puh-lease, that isn't a hat, darling, that's a natural disaster that somehow landed atop your head!"
 * [ponies laughing]


 * Pinkie Pie: Hi again!


 * Applejack: Listen to her. She's so excited to see us she can hardly talk.


 * Opalescence: [yowls]
 * Rarity: I am so sorry about this.


 * Pinkie Pie: Isn't it fancy pants?
 * Rarity: Fancypants?! Where?!


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh, I never leave home without my party cannon!
 * [explosion]
 * Pinkie Pie: Tada!


 * Rarity: [hushed] I need to use the little fillies' room!


 * Rarity: [exhausted] I... have to... go to do... the... thing... with the stuff... you know...?


 * Rainbow Dash: Uh, what's with the croquet mallet?
 * Rarity: [muffled by croquet mallet] What croquet mallet?
 * Rainbow Dash: Duh, the one in your mouth!
 * Rarity: [laughs nervously] Ooh, that croquet mallet.


 * Applejack: How come y'all aren't doing any gardening? This is a garden party, isn't it?

Gallery

 * Sweet and Elite image gallery