//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Sweet Pea // by CartoonNerd12 //------------------------------// "Come on! Just give me one little hint!" Button begged in his parents' chambers. "No, Button!" The Queen replied. "This is my future wife we're talking about here and I'm not allowed to know what the tests are?! I have a right to know!" "You just have to trust me on this… I know what I'm doing for your benefit." You mean your benefit… my benefit would be if I knew what Sweetie Belle is going to be facing! "Now, we're done talking about this, and you need your rest." Button sighed in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere tonight and slumped out. Cinnamon Swirl saw his son's disappointment and addressed his wife, "I'm going to get a snack quick before going to bed, dear." "Alright, but don't take so long like last time when you ate those carrots." He chuckled, "I won't, dear." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading out. Once he did, he called out to his son, "Hey, Button!" Button turned back to face his father, "Yeah, Pop?" "Your mother may not want to tell you, but she didn't give me a rule to not tell you." "Really?!" his eyes widened in hope. He nodded, "Listen, the first test will take place tomorrow afternoon in the throne room. It's going to test the princesses' knowledge on what she knows about being a princess." "That's it?" "Pretty much." "I don't get it, Pop. Why is she so overprotective about this contest? Doesn't she want me to be happy?" "Of course she does. Everything she does is only for your well-being." "Then why can't she trust me to find the right girl for myself?" "It's not so much as she doesn't trust you. It's the mare she wouldn't trust. You're going to have to cut your mother some slack; you are her only son." "Then why didn't you have more kids?" "We wanted to, but after you were born, things had gotten so busy we hardly had a chance to try. Being exhausted every day of raising you and running the kingdom didn't help." "Oh… You know, I've been wanting to know for some time, but how did you and Mom fall in love?" "Well… there's not much to tell… As you know, your mother was a princess and it was her destiny to be the next queen of Marendelle. I was a young regent traveling Equestria and the lands surrounding it. I don't want to brag or anything, but I was quite the swash-buckling hero in my day… Fought off a few pirates, saved ladies in distress, and found some amazing treasures that you see in a museum now…" "Pop? The story?" "Right, sorry. Anyway, I stopped in Marendelle one day due to a storm going on, and being tired from my journey, I seeked shelter at the castle. Your grandfather, the king, didn't believe me that I was of noble birth, but he was kind enough to let me stay until the storm had gone away and I had the privilege to meet his daughter. It may be hard to believe now, son, but your mother was the most beautiful creature I ever laid eyes on…" he gave a dreamy look. Button blushed at the memory of when he met Sweetie Belle, I know how that feels… Then he asked, "What happen then?" "Well… we took a liking to each other. She wanted to hear all of my adventures. At the same time, she showed me her world of living in a castle all her life. Despite our different living arrangements, we found common ground much to your grandfather's dislike." "How did you get him to change his mind?" "With the storm still going on for days, it was hard to get rid of me now that I was so close to his daughter. He decided to give me a test to prove my worth." "Great… it runs in the family…" "Apparently so, for my test, I had to give him forty baskets of jewels." "And did you? Of course you had to… You're married now." "True, but during that time, I wasn't sure if I wasn't going to pass. While I had a bundle of jewels back on my ship, I still had to find more to complete the quota." "So how did you do it? Did you go back to Equestria get more?" "Let me tell you something, son, I've had many adventures in my life, but the one adventure that stood out for me was when I met your mother and had you. I was determined to stay on the island so I could be with your mother. I started looking around the island in search of the jewels I needed left. Fate was fortunate enough to me when I stumbled onto an ancient diamond mine and saw so many diamonds that they lit up the whole mine. I took the diamonds that I needed -plus one that was perfect for an engagement ring- and the rest is history. I had proven myself and gained your mother's love. Your grandfather gave his blessing and even wed us. When he decided to retire, the crown went to us." "Wow… so, you gave it all up? To live here?" "And I don't ever regret it." "I don't know what's more amazing: you giving up freedom or mom staying here her whole entire life…" "Son, I didn't give up freedom. I choose to stay because I wanted to. Sometimes being free means choosing not to go but to stay. Do you understand what I'm saying?" "Uh… maybe?" "Don't worry. When the time is right, you'll understand…" He gave him a pat on the back and then headed down the stairs. "I suppose… but in the meantime, I got a message to get out." Sweetie was pacing in her room, hoping that Button will give her something on the test. Suddenly, she heard a knock that made her jump. Once she calmed down, she opened the door and saw Featherweight carrying a scroll in his mouth. He mumbled through the scroll, so she couldn't understand him. "What?" she asked. He spitted out the paper, "A message from Prince Button." She could only shake her head as she magically lifted the scroll to unfurl it and read out loud, "Sweetie Belle, the first test will be tomorrow afternoon. It will test your knowledge on being a princess. I hope this gave you a head start and you will be ready in time for the test. Your friend, Button…" She started to worry again. She wasn't a princess until she was ten years old. Other than her sisters, the rest of the princesses grew up on the idea of what it was like to be a princess. She had only five years of experience; the rest of them had a lifetime to learn. Sweetie turned back to Featherweight, saying in a calm tone while hiding the fact she fretting inside, but she wanted Button to feel relaxed that she could handle it, "Tell Button he has nothing to worry about it. I got this." "Right away!" he saluted and closed the door behind him. Sweetie Belle then panicked and paced the room once more, "Okay, stay calm… Everything's going to be alright… You know you don't know much, but you know plenty… Just remembered what Mom and Dad taught you on your first day…" She looked back to the day after their sisters' famous wedding. Now that it was going to be just them and the parents, they would be trained while getting to know each other better. Celestia addressed her young daughters in the throne room, "My darlings, it isn't that you simply act like princesses, but to show it." The three looked on in confusion while saying, "Huh?" Sombra chuckled, "What your mother means is… being a princess is not only learning about etiquette and protocol, but by being generous and kind to your subjects." "Ohh…" all three said, but still showed incomprehension. "I don't get it." said Scootaloo. Celestia smiled, "Don't worry. We have time to teach you and it will be clear to you…" The memory faded as Sweetie Belle thought out loud, "They taught us everything they knew that day… I could only hope it was enough…" She went to open her trunk to find anything that could help her out and was surprised to find a small hand mirror. She used her magic to see it closer and saw her reflection, "Hmm, must've packed it without realizing it… Although I don't recall owning a mirror like this." she sighed, "I wish I can see Mom and Dad. I could really use their advice…" Suddenly the mirror glowed pink and the image of Celestia and Sombra appeared while they sat on their thrones, looking over paperwork that needed to be filled tomorrow. She gasped that she was seeing them right now, "Mom… Dad… How…?" She kept watching and began to hear them! Sombra yawned as Celestia touched his hoof, "Why don't you get some rest? I can finish up here." "You had to run an entire kingdom for ten years alone. I will not abandon you again." "You know perfectly well you did not abandon me. And I wasn't alone; Luna and the girls helped me whenever I needed it." "Speaking of girls, how do you think Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom are handling things in Marendelle?" "I'm sure they're following my wishes to help the prince overcome his dilemma." Sweetie Belle nodded to that comment and blushed at the fact that maybe she was helping him more than what her mother thought. "But what's to stop one of them from falling for him?" "Perhaps, but I will be happy if one of them does, but only if the prince shares similar feelings for her." Sweetie blushed even more, remembering Button's words, Well, if I have to marry some princess, it might as well be you… She wasn't going to lie, but that was the most amazing thing she had ever heard. It was almost as if he was proposing to her right then and there. But her decision still stood about giving him the freedom he'd always wanted. "Sounds like our first meeting." Sombra pointed out. "It does sound a bit like it." Celestia agreed. "If you had to choose which daughter the prince would like, who would it be?" Sweetie would've been shocked if her mother said her name. "Hmm… I cannot say, for I do not know the prince. If I knew something about him, it would be easy to determine which of our darlings he would adore. I think I remember seeing Apple Bloom having her eyes on Pip before they left." "He seems like a nice colt, but I hope Apple Bloom doesn't get ahead of herself and just fall head over hooves." "She won't. She's very smart and isn't so easily fooled. Same goes for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. I trust their judgment. Whatever they're facing in Marendelle, all they can do is try their best…" Sweetie had a small smile on her face when hearing that, "Thanks, Mom… I needed that." Just like that, the mirror glowed again and the image dissolved back to her reflection. She put back the mirror in the trunk as she kept trying to figure out where the magic mirror came from. But soon, she became tired and knew she was going to need her rest for the test. She would worry about the mirror later… "No way!" Diamond Tiara squealed giddily. "It's true! I overheard them talking about it with the prince!" Silver Spoon confirmed in Diamond's guest room that was next to hers. "Humph, I'm surprised he hasn't thrown them out for being posers." "Well, they were adopted by Canterlot's royal family. It's not like they came from a small kingdom while we came from one that's so grand." "That is true…" Diamond went into thinking, "The royal family of Canterlot not only rules over Canterlot, but are also the protectors of Equestria. If one of our kingdoms were in trouble, we have to go to them for help, which is so unfair, of course…" "And what's even more unfair is that they sent three of them to compete, giving Canterlot a higher chance to win." A thought then stuck Diamond and she grinned maliciously, "Then we'll just have to have more on our side to bring those three down…" She whispered the plan to her cousin, who in turned grinned just as nastily. The next morning, the trio was heading to breakfast. "Nervous about the test, Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked. "A little…" Sweetie confessed, "I only hope that it's about stuff we learned in the last six years." "Do you want us to drop out of the running?" Apple Bloom questioned. "Let's see what happens first. I need you two to help me out." "We'll do what we can, but you know we can't stay for something that doesn't appeal to us. Button's a great guy and all, but you had your eye on him first and frankly, I don't feel anything for him." Scoots pointed out. "Me neither." AB mentioned. "This wouldn't have to do with the colts that are with us, is it?" Sweetie smirked. "No!" both denied and blushed beet red. Sweetie could only laugh, and then she saw Princess Peachy Pie and Princess Sunny Daze. She greeted out to them, "Good morning!" They turned back to see them and had an uneasy look on their faces, Peachy Pie sounded hesitant when she spoke, "Oh… Good morning…" "What's wrong?" Apple Bloom asked. "Nothing!" the both of them shouted out, giving each other looks. "We… have to go." Sunny Daze said as she nudged Peachy Pie to get going. They rushed straight to the dining hall. "What's up with them?" Scootaloo raised her brow. "That was weird." Apple Bloom said. "Yeah…" Sweetie nodded as they got into the hall, and once they took their spots, they noticed half of the princesses were sitting far away from them. "Okay, something strange is going on here." Scootaloo gestured. Twist then took a spot next to them. "Twist," Apple Bloom addressed her, "Do you know why every pony is acting strange?" "I do, actually…" Twist gave a sad look and explained, "Diamond and Silver came to us this morning claiming you three were adopted as princesses." The trio immediately winced at this. "The others took it to heart, but I figured she said that to have a better chance at winning the contest." "Um… Twist…" Sweetie slowly said, "They're not lying." "Really?" she had a surprised look on her face. "It's true… we are adopted…" Apple Bloom spoke softly. "So, maybe you will want to hang out with the girls who are real princesses…" Scootaloo said in a low tone. "Now why would I do that? I just thought it was false because you didn't say anything, but since it's obvious you wanted to keep it quiet, I won't hold it against you. I don't care." "You don't?" questioned Sweetie. "It doesn't matter to me how you came to be princesses. You're here, aren't you?" "Exactly!" Dinky came up to them and sat next to Scootaloo, "So what if you weren't born into a high family? You guys were nice to me when we first met. Even if we don't win this contest the king and queen have for us, I just hope we can stay friends." "I agree." said Twist. By then, Babs sat across from them. "Babs?" Apple Bloom noticed. Babs started eating. "You are aware that we're adopted princesses, right?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Yeah, so?" Babs questioned as she took a scoop of oatmeal. The five of them stared at her in bewilderment. "Listen, I wasn't sure I was going to fit in with all of you when I came here. My parents wanted me to forge an allegiance with Marendelle, even it meant winning the contest and marrying the prince, but I don't think like they do and I don't consider myself as a 'normal' princess. So, imagine my reaction when I found out I wasn't alone in that category…" she gave a small smile. They returned the small smile. "If Diamond thought that we wouldn't want to hang out with you guys, she sure failed." pointed Dinky. "That she did." nodded Babs as she looked to the other side of the table where Diamond and Silver were gossiping with the rest of the princesses. "Let's talk about other things, like the test happening today." said Twist. Sweetie Belle quickly spoke, "Oh, I'm sure it won't be anything to worry about. For all we know, it could be about how much we know about being princesses." "You think so?" Dinky questioned. "You never know." Sweetie replied. "Do you think the prince will be there?" Twist asked. "I'm not sure." Sweetie thought, Button didn't say he would be, but then again, he might… As she was lost in thought, the chefs came out to serve the breakfast meals and once again, Truffle served Twist her tray. She ended up looking at him and whispered before he went, "I'm sorry about the other day… I didn't mean to embarrass you like that…" Truffle looked up in surprise and whispered back, "You didn't embarrass me. I was… just surprised that a princess like you would be talking to me." "I don't know how it's done here, but where I come from, I talk to all the servants to make sure they're okay when working in the castle." "That's… really sweet of you…" Truffle said with sincerity. She did a small blush, "Thanks… but I like doing it. I want to make sure that everything's fair and that I don't want special treatment just because I'm a princess." "But you deserve it, with your kind heart…" he blushed this time. She blushed even further. "I have to go back now. I've got dishes to wash and prepare for the lunch hour." he started to go until she quietly called back to him. "Wait, when can I see you again?" He stopped and faced her with uncertainty, "I… don't know, Your Highness…" "And that's another thing. I would appreciate it if you would call me Twist." "Twist? Wow, that's a sweet name for a sweet girl like you." "Well, thank you, but surely there's a time I can see you without you having to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner." "Well… I suppose after dinner tonight." "Great, I'll meet you in the kitchens." "Sure, wait… what?" "Trust me." she winked. A smile spread across his face as he slowly moved away from her. When Twist went back to talk with the girls, they looked at her curiously. "What was that about?" Scootaloo asked her. "Oh, um… that was Truffle. He served me breakfast yesterday and I was afraid I embarrassed him by asking for his name, but he seemed okay with it now that I talked to him about it." "But I thought…weren't you interested in But- I mean, the prince?" Sweetie questioned. "Well, sure, when I arrived and at the ball. But when I met Truffle, something seemed to click. The reason I'm here is, yes, to participate in the competition at my parents' request, but I'm also here to see if I can find love… I know it's silly to assume that, but I really think it could happen." "I don't think it's silly at all…" Sweetie smiled. "Of course it's not!" Dinky motioned, "A lot of ponies want a very special some pony. I wouldn't mind to have one…" "Is that why you're here, too?" Apple Bloom asked. "Not really. I'm here out of politeness. I never could refuse an invitation and it doesn't seem like a bad idea to try to earn the prince's attention to see if he could like me." "Would you drop out if you didn't?" Sweetie had to know. "I would. I could never marry some pony if they didn't love me for me." They gave random agreements. "I wish I had it that easy…" Babs glumly said. "Why?" AB said in concern. "My folks want me to marry some pony of noble birth, which is why they're hoping I can marry Prince Button." "So you're forced to stay on?" Sweetie said with unease. "Afraid so… Unless I fail the test." "You could always bounce it up." suggested Scootaloo. "I would, but I was given intense princess training growing up. To say the wrong answer so soon would convince my parents I tried to get out of it and end up disgracing them. That's the last thing I want to do." "I understand…" Sweetie sympathetically said. Babs then asked, "What about you three? I'm very interested in your background is since we've found out you were made princesses. When did that happen?" Both Dinky and Twist looked in eagerness, wanting to know the whole story. The trio each gave looks until Apple Bloom started them out, "Well, it started back when we were young maids…" and she continued on.