//------------------------------// // Dazzling Sleep Over (Edited By BS And NS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// Exiting Rainbow Dash's house, the pegasus flew around a slightly tired Prince as he made his way to a cloud which she pushed and helped him land safely on the ground before she settled herself down in front of him. "So what did I tell you? Can I throw an awesome sleepover or what?" "Yep, you were one incredible host, Rainbow Dash. I had a lot of fun. I'm not exactly too keen on vegetable dishes but that stew of yours…." "Ah, pa, pa!" She quickly silenced him with a deep blush. "What did I tell you about appearances?" "What's so wrong with being an incredible chef?" He asked, confused. "Nothing, but when you want to maintain the image of a wonderbolt, you need to keep a degree of mystique. I prefer my fans finding out on their own instead of exposing everything right away." She concluded "Ah, I get it." "You better remember. That is the trick when facing those other royals." She reminded him. "It's all about projecting confidence. Let your best features speak for you first. If you want others to trust you, you first need to project and prove you can look out for them and be trusted. Be a figure of strength, security, awesomeness, and just the right amount of sexy." "Sexy?" "Believe me. It is a factor that adds to the alluring angle." Rainbow explained before looking around. "Like…that rock over there." She points at a pebble nearby. "You see that, and what do you imagine you can do with it?" "Ah, throw it in a pond, maybe?" "Exactly, but you don't picture that as a home or a cave, right?" "Well, of course not. That is a pebble." "And you are the Prince and ponies always must see that first, THEN you show the first layer of awesomeness, and then the next one and then the next one and so on." "I still don't think you can explain things by saying 'it's awesome.'" The Prince remarked with a roll of his eyes. "That is because you are not as awesome as I." She boasted confidently. "And, what were all the obstacle courses about?" "Oh, that was for sheer fun, and I wanted to see exactly what Commander Hurricane put you through, not bad, but I bet I could do better. And admit it, you loved challenging yourself." "I will admit it was fun. I didn't think I could challenge myself like that." "It leaves you with a sensation of accomplishment, doesn't it?" Dash grinned with pride. "If you can keep that up, you might make me sweat in our next sparring match." "Whatever you say, I still had a great time, Rainbow Dash. I hope we can do it again someday. And thanks for the advice. I will keep it in mind." He extended his hoof. "Anytime, and yeah, I enjoyed our time together. It was surprisingly cool having a colt sleepover. You don't mind me burping as much as Twilight and the others do." She said, completing the gesture. "Better keep practicing because I'm coming for that rematch, and I intend to win this time around." "Ha, keep dreaming, Blue." Dash kept boasting and waved goodbye as he left and headed for his next sleepover, ignoring a distressed light blue pegasus with dark blue mane and tail running straight to Rainbow Dash's house, followed soon by the two flying away as fast as they could. Arriving at Carousel Boutique, Blueblood noticed how the place was bustling, as clients were looking around at Rarity's latest creations—as he walked through the front door, announced by a small bell. "Just a minute, I will be with you in a moment~" Rarity called from the other room, no doubt attending to another client, making the prince chuckle. "It's ok, Rarity, take your time. I can wait." Blueblood called back as he went and took a seat on a nearby couch, leaning on his backpack as he placed it next to him, and pulled out a book to read. Soon after, the last client left, and Rarity waved them goodbye and turned to look at the Prince. "Ok, all done. Sorry for keeping you waiting, darling." She entered the room before pausing when she noticed his backpack. "Oh, my." "Before you ask, this is mostly Aunt Celestia being a tad bit overprotective." "I can certainly see it." She giggles at the idea. "Although, I wouldn't be thinking of this as 'a tad', darling." "Eh, it doesn't matter to me too much; in fact, it gives me enough space to carry this." Blueblood fished around his equipment before retrieving a big long white box that he presented to the tailor, noticeably reducing the size of the backpack. "Oh, my! For me?" Rarity puts her hoof on her chest in surprise as Blueblood nods with a big grin. "Just a little something I picked up during my travels. It made me think of you, go ahead and open it." Curious, Rarity took the package in her magic and placed it on a nearby table so she could open it properly, revealing a beautiful starry fur fabric, making her gasp in surprise. "Blueblood, is…is this what I think it is?" "Do you like it? I wove it myself right from the source." "The SOURCE!?" She spun around and looked at him in shock. "Y-You mean you faced an Ursa Major!?" "Yeah? Why the…NO! Not like that!" Blueblood raised his hooves in fake surrender. "I simply caught one at a good moment, right when it was shedding season." "Huh?" "You see, every couple of years, a fully mature Ursa Major's fur grows too long for their comfort, so during that time, they search for mountains or canyons with sharp edges to rub their bodies against and shed the excess. When returning to Equestria, I stumbled into one in distress from not finding a mountain tall or spiky enough. Hurricane thought it would be a good opportunity to train, so between the two of us, we assisted her with our swords." Blueblood ended the tale with a chuckle. "Boy, was she grateful afterward, to this day. I don't know if she gave me a kiss or a bath." "And this fur…." "The same fur, woven and ready to be used as material for anything. I thought you might like it." "But…but this couldn't possibly be all of it! If what you are saying is true, where is all that fur?" "Yeah, I have a mountain of it back at Canterlot. Thank Discord for helping move it. I planned to sell it and donate it to tailors all over Equestria and wanted you to have first dibs on the goods. So what do you say? Does it inspire you?" "Oh my, Blueblood, I'm not sure what to say." Rarity confessed, looking away, trying to find a proper reply. Her silence soon sent a bolt of dread and worry down the Prince's spine. "Oh, dear, I did it again. I put you in a tense situation." He took a step closer, wholly mortified. "I'm so sorry, Rarity. I didn't mean any offense. I genuinely thought you might like the starry fabric, but now I realize I don't even know if you ever work with fur." "N-NO! It's ok." She was quick to dismiss his concerns. "I love the present, I do. And you are right. This is new for me, but seeing it now gives me an idea or two for my designs and challenges me with a new project. Which I simply love. Even if the fur isn't exactly my cup of tea, it was a lovely gesture, Blueblood. I am simply astonished that you would go out of your way to give me a present as divine and radiant as this one, that's all." She looked down and away in embarrassment and with some degree of shame. "Especially since how we haven't had the chance to talk alone since…my little incident." "I thought we agreed not to speak about Anne…." "AH!" She raised her hoof with an intense blush. "THAT remains unspoken thank you very much. I was mostly referring to what earned that punishment in the first place." "Oh…that." He said, subconsciously rubbing his cheek as an awkward silence soon filled the room. "Rarity, I need to tell you…." "Blueblood, I need to tell you…." They stumbled over each other's words, making them pause and clear their throats. "You go first, darling, I insist." Rarity was the first to recover. "Thank you." He nodded once before taking a deep breath. "Rarity, what happened there…and before. I know you said we are ok now, but I wanted to tell you that I understand how this kind of things takes time." "N-no, it's ok. I meant it back there. I want us to start over and, well, put what happened behind us for good, like a pesky memory not worth mentioning." "Yeah, I would love that…well that and to find a way to break all of this weird tension we have going on." He half-joked as they both wracked their brains, trying to find a way to lighten the mood a little bit— Desire watching the display with an intrigued grin. My, my, what do we have here. An extinguished flame? Aw, crushed after it was first sparked and built under the illusion of imagination and wishful thinking, so sad, this won't do whatsoever. Let's rekindle that and add some proper kindling for the fire.  Getting to work, she touched Rarity's shadow, and instantly the memory of Blueblood rescuing her flooded back into her head full force, especially when she was left speechless, once she got a good look at her savior while he was on top of her. "Why suddenly did I remember that?" Rarity said out loud, with wide eyes and a blush on her cheeks. "Remember what?" The Prince looked at her with a raised eyebrow making her eep and step back. "N-Nothing, nothing, just something of a…bad memory, that's all." Rarity chuckled nervously as she started to walk away until she noticed the raised podium that she used for her measurements, and an idea popped up. "Say, darling! If it's ok with you, why don't we try to distract ourselves by changing the topic!" She offered in a cheerful tune as she summoned a measuring tape. "I believe I still owe you a dashing outfit from when you first came to Ponyville?" "Oh, yeah! I remember that, although I'm not sure my real body fits with some of the ideas you had back then." "Nonsense! I'm a professional, after all, and I've never backed away from a challenge when it comes to ensembles!" She exclaimed in pride, stepping away. "So? Shall we?" "Sure, it sounds like fun, and it was something I was hoping you could help me with. If that was ok." He admitted with some embarrassment as he stepped onto the podium as she began to take some measurements, gaining her attention. 'My, my, somepony has been hitting the gym.' Rarity's eyes widened slightly at the random thought that crossed through her mind and how her actions unconsciously granted her access to drink in his features more closely. Shaking her head, she, fortunately, was able to regain control and answered the Prince. "Oh? Really?" "Who better to ask for this favor than the best tailor in Equestria?…With Coco Pommel being an extremely close second. Rarity, would you make me an outfit with the sophistication and elegance only you could make? One that shows what kind of Prince I aspire to one day become. One that I could wear to face the royals of other nations?" He requested of her with a calm, serene smile, grabbing one of her hooves, leaving her speechless as she couldn't do anything else but to smile and shed a tear from the praise and admiration he had for her work. "Blueblood, I'm touched" She retracted her hoof and held it against her chest with a big smile. "Is that really what you think of me?" "Simply put, yes. Despite our differences, you are an incredible mare Rarity. It would be my honor to wear one of your creations when I face the royals in three days. Who knows? if you want, I can pass your name along with some business cards, so they know who to seek out when looking for a new dress or outfit for themselves." The Prince's comment made her giggle like crazy in excitement. "With a proposition like that, I'm not even sure which of us should be more honored." She finished taking his measurements and levitated a quill and parchment over to write them down. "Anything in particular that you would like me to add to your outfit, darling?" "Oh, dear, that is kind of a big question. I can't decide, would it be ok if we try more than one option? Also, where do you stand with the option of capes?" He asked worriedly and soon turned around in confusion at her silence. It was only then that he saw her eyes light up and grin ear to ear, almost copying Pinkie Pie's smile. "Well, darling, I say you just made this sleepover fabulous!~" She rushed into her studio and started brainstorming ideas as the sleepover kicked off in earnest. It wasn't until the clock struck past midnight when things finally died down as both ponies enjoyed some tea in Rarity's kitchen as Rarity educated the Prince with some minor advice on how to approach and deal with flirtatious mares. "Flirting back? You're kidding." Blueblood raised an eyebrow at her statement. "I'm telling the truth. You would be surprised how many mares' confidence will crack the moment their targets decide to return the favor and start showering them with praise and innocent innuendos. Plus, as a prince, being able to indulge in some flirting is a given." The Prince can't help but chuckle at her statement. "Good one, Rarity, everyone knows that stallions can't flirt. That's something only a mare can do." "While I agree a mare can have an easier time in the mastery of that tool, it doesn't mean a stallion can't dominate too. Anyone can play the flirting game, darling, IF they apply the correct approach. "Ok, I will bite. What is the correct approach?" Blueblood half-joked half asked, intrigued by her suggestion. Standing up and approaching the mare. "Could it be something as simple as just holding a mare's hoof-like this?" He demonstrated by gently taking Rarity's right hoof and lifting it, startling the poor mare. "Maybe add a small kiss, and then just gently and calmly ask…?" He did as he explained and looked at her with a calm smile. "May I have this dance, my lady?" Freezing in place, Rarity could only gulp at his forwardness and behind her. A teapot started to whistle from the heat, which managed to snap her out of shock and retrieved her hoof after a couple of seconds. "Well…" Looking away, she coughs a couple of times, "t-That could be an excellent start!" "Rarity, I was joking." Blueblood looked at her in surprise. "That couldn't have possibly have worked with you. You're way better than that. A lady of class and independence, some fancy words, and a kiss couldn't possibly be able to melt your heart…right?" "No! Of course not, darling! It will take more than that to get a reaction out of me." She quickly dismissed him with a wave of her hoof. 'By Celestia, why don't you just kiss me already!' "But back on track" She walked to the kitchen and turned off the stove. "You weren't too far off, see? A stallion can be flirtatious too. It's all about subtlety and confidence. You come on too strong, and you come across as desperate or a jerk. Too weak, and at best, mares will pity you, and THEN you become an easy target. But if you balance it just right, then no mare will ever get the jump on you." "Sounds logical. Do you think you could teach me a little about it?" "Well?" She brought her hoof to her chin and pondered the idea. "I might be able to give you some minor pointers." She smirked and looked at him. "And while we are at it, I believe a certain Prince still owes me one dance." Blueblood chuckled and nodded with closed eyes. "I wouldn't mind that, don't go getting any funny ideas, though, ok? I'm not going to propose after just dancing the night away." "Oh, pish posh, darling! That was just an exaggerated fantasy my past self had. I have grown since then." They both shared a small laugh as they moved to her living room, where Rarity levitated one of her vinyl records onto her gramophone and played a slow waltz for the two to dance to. Starting with a nice bow, they both grasped each other's hooves and brought themselves closer. They started their little dance. "I'm sorry if this wasn't what you were expecting." Blueblood whispered. "It's ok, darling, this is better." Rarity replied. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the dance. "Still, I heard how much you were pining for a dance at the Grand Galloping Gala, and well, if you still want it, I can promise you the first dance next time and help you get the evening you wanted in the first place." Rarity let herself take a moment to coo internally at his words before speaking again. "That is so considerate of you, darling, but it's ok. You don't need to go out of your way to make up for a mistake that your past self made." Opening her eyes, she separated from him a little to regard him. "Now enough with the gloomy talk, I'm supposed to be teaching you about the art of flirting, am I not?" She raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk. Chuckling, he nodded once. "Sorry, lead the way teacher, what should I do first?" "Well, the art of flirting is one part confidence, one part bravery, and just a spoonful of control." She said before getting closer to him. "First lesson, eye contact." She demonstrated, refusing to take her gaze off him. "Be subtle, gentle, and careful but always try to keep your focus on the prize. Try to make your date look at you without forcing anything." "Got it." Nodding, they continued to dance as Rarity kept giving him pointers and tips on how to be playful and flirtatious when facing a mare and figure out ways to identify and defuse tactics that mares might try to use on him. Neither of them realized how long they were dancing or were aware of the notion of time until they decided to take a small break and sit on her couch, which soon became their improvised bed. The next day, the sound of Rarity yawning managed to wake the Prince up as he slowly opened his eyes in contentment, feeling a fluffy and comfortable blanket hugging him closely until he felt it move. When his eyes finally adjusted, he was greeted by the vision of Rarity embracing his frame as she seemed to have slept on top of him, judging by the slightest pool of drool on his chest. "Good morning, darling." "Morning, Rarity" They greeted each other lazily until everything slowly dawned on the two and their eyes gradually widened in realization. "Ah, Rarity?" "Yes, darling?" "Did we fall asleep without noticing it last night?" "It appears so." She slowly nodded and tapped the edge of her couch, sighing in relief, and then chuckled nervously. "Seems like we both lost track of time." She slowly stood up and looked away with a blush. "Ah, s-sorry about the d-drool, darling." "It's…ok." Blueblood slowly sat as well. "As you said, it was kind of an accident, and we lost track of time…plus, your fur is very soft." "Why, thank you, darling! You know, not to brag or anything, but the hygiene and maintenance of my fur is something I pay serious attention to ensure it stays glossy, dazzling, and soft." She beamed with pride before looking away with blush too. "Ah…y-your fur was very soft too. What shampoo do you use?" "I don't know its name at the moment. but Princess Platinum recommended it." "I see…I will have to ask her then. An awkward silence started to fill the room until the Prince decided to break it. "Rarity, would you like to have some breakfast and maybe don't speak about this again?" "Yes, please! Thank you!" She eagerly accepted his proposal and hastily rushed to the kitchen with the Prince close behind. And…yep it's… it's engraved in my mind now, My, my chiseled AND soft at the same time? This stallion is a double threat, one with eyes and a personality too. It's a quadruple threat.' Rarity shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Rarity?" Blueblood looked at her, confused. "Is everything ok?" "Yes, yes it is, darling, don't worry about me. Your suit will be ready before your meeting." "Ah…that wasn't what I…." "Oh, look at the time! We better make this breakfast brief. You wouldn't want to make Starlight and Twilight wait, right? It is rude to leave a mare waiting." She then started to work fast on cooking breakfast for two, not letting the Prince say anything else, while from the shadows, a smirking Desire watched the show play out. 'Ah, nothing like a blooming love raising from the ashes, this mare is by far the most adorable of the bunch! She returned to Canterlot, where Scarlet was admiring a cage of haloed rings made from vines with a water bubble housed in the middle showing all the mares that Desire had tagged. "It is done, sweetie!" Scarlet's shadow whispered in her ear. "Excellent! Then it is time to start setting up the party." They both shared a laugh as they prepared for the next phase of their plan.