The ballroom gleamed from the many chandeliers that were lit up. People-nobles and villagers alike flooded onto the dance floor as a herald announced names from a grand stairway. On a balcony overseeing the entire ballroom, Tirek was sitting on a throne as his sons were lined up in their birth order watching the crowds.
Meanwhile, Chrysalis and her daughters had entered in and she had to tell the herald, "Lady Chrysalis and her daughters."
The herald called out, "The Lady Chrysalis and her daughters!"
Tirek told his sons, "And there they are, boys, your future brides."
The princes carefully tried not to look eager as they saw the six lovely girls next to their mother from afar.
Tirek continued, "And of course you will invite them to dance this evening as it is good form."
"Yes, Father." they said.
The herald then announced, "Their Majesties, King Sombra and Queen Radiant Hope, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Mi Amor Cadenza."
King Tirek commented, "Good, they made it."
Discord questioned, "Didn't King Sombra tried to marry off his daughter to one of us?"
His father replied, "That he did, but I stood my ground stating you were already engaged to six beautiful ladies and that's the way it was going to stay."
Capper mentioned, "And for that we are eternally grateful, Father."
Tirek smirked in approval, "I'm glad to hear you say that." then he got up and said, "Now I must meet with Lady Chrysalis to arrange the announcement. You are allowed to go about the ballroom to mingle."
"Yes, Father." they replied as he went.
Discord suggested, "Let's go find our dear lady loves."
Spike nodded, "I agree, but first I want to get my gift that I got for my betrothed."
Flash agreed, "So do I. I got something special for my love."
Capper mentioned, "I have something for my dazzling beauty too."
Cheese said, "I just know my girl is going to love my present."
Soarin gestured, "I hope mine will like hers. I don't think she's the sentiment type."
"You five are hopeless. And now I'll need to find a gift too for my darling or else it'll look like I'll be a bad husband." he went on as the others followed behind him.
The herald kept announcing, "The Baron Svengallop and the Baroness Gourmand! The Countess Coloratura! The Duchess Sapphire Shores! The Earl Hoity Toity! The Lord and Lady Rich! The Viscount Trenderhoof! Princess Songbird Serenade! Sir Jet Set and Madam Upper Crust!"
At that point, the girls had arrived at the palace where they were taken in by the sight of it with its majestic hallways and works of art around every corner and once they were on top of the stairway they noticed the herald was announcing names and that caused a slight panic among them.
Rainbow fretted, "What are we going to do?! He's announcing everyone's names!"
Rarity added with worry, "We can't have him announcing our names! Our mistresses will know it's us!"
Pinkie suggested, "Easy! We just give him pretend names!"
Applejack voiced, "Pretend names? I don't know about this…"
Twilight told her, "What choice do we have, Applejack? We can't let them know we're here."
The chamber maid sighed, "Okay…"
The girls made their way to the herald and each whispered their fake name to him.
"Miss Regal Splendor! Miss Paperback! Miss Cottontail! Miss Apple Jewel! Miss Zero Cool! And Miss Feather Brain!"
The five eyed Pinkie with Rainbow questioning, "Feather Brain?"
The pink-haired girl shrugged, "What? It was the only thing I could think of!"
They just sighed.
Fluttershy said, "At least it wasn't your real name."
Rarity pointed, "The important thing is, we're all here now and look at how gorgeous it is!"
They did look and it was amazing. The ballroom was glistening as people mingled with one another. Some were also mingling over at the buffet table as they laughed in merriment.
Sonata was there as well eating away since she couldn't get enough of the delicious treats.
Aria gave a snarky comment, "What a pig."
Sonata glared and found an apple while sticking it in her sister's mouth, "Ha! Who's the pig now?!"
Aria spit the apple out and the two glowered at each other.
Sunset came up to them and said in exasperation, "This again?"
Suri joined in, "You two really need to stop acting childish. We're about to meet our husbands for goodness sakes!"
The two humphed and crossed their arms and turned away from each other. Sonata then asked, "Do you think they'll like us?"
Aria stated, "Who cares if they like us, as long as we get to move into the palace that's all I care about."
Suri nodded, "I have to agree, it doesn't matter if we like them or if they like us. We'll be princesses and that's all that matters."
Sunset however felt unsure about that. Sure she wanted to be a princess and live in the palace like the rest of her sisters, but she couldn't help but feel that she should at least like her husband a little and he should like her. In all the books that she read about, love was an important part in a marriage, of course she knew this was an arranged marriage that her mother set up ever since she was little but she felt a glimmer of hope that she would like her betrothed and he would like her back and maybe they would grow to be something more.
In another part of the ballroom, Lord Fancy Pants and his wife, Lady Fleur-de-lis were greeting old friends with their social standing. Until his wife pointed out the six newcomers and commented, "Now those girls have expensive tastes."
The nobles looked and Viscount Trenderhoof said with a smile, "Oh they do, especially the one wearing the white dress, isn't she beautiful?"
"They're all quite lovely, if you ask me." said Fancy.
Upper Crust questioned, "Do you know who they are?"
Fancy shook his head, "I've never seen them before."
Hoity motioned, "We must introduce ourselves to them." the group agreed and made their way to the girls.
The girls soon found themselves being mobbed by the nobles and were bombarded with questions.
Rarity put on a charming smile and said, "Please, one at a time, we are greatly honored by your interests and we would like to answer all your questions."
The others seemed hesitant about that.
Upper Crust asked, "Where did you get those marvelous gowns?"
Rarity was quick to reply, "Oh, a couple of angels gave them to us a gift."
Rainbow uttered in her ear, "Smooth…"
Upper stated, "I must know where they got them, I would love to have one just like it."
Rarity tittered, "I'm afraid they're custom made and cannot be replicated."
Fleur said, "What a shame. Still, you girls have certainly shown great taste and I would be honored if you would have tea with me and my husband some time."
The girls exchanged unnerving glances, and Twilight started, "We would love to, really, but I'm afraid we won't be able to do so."
Pinkie added, "We're very busy as it is."
Applejack nervously chuckled, "That's true, we are."
Trenderhoof flashed a smile at her, "Well, I hope you won't be busy to share a dance with me right now." he offered his hand.
Applejack looked at it with uncertainty before going, "Um, sure?" she took his hand and they made their way to the dance floor, joining other dancers. She told him, "I should warn ya, I'm not much of a dancer."
Trenderhoof just kept smiling, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you keep up to me."
"Uh, thanks?" they started to get into position of doing the waltz but as they got into it, Applejack kept fumbling with Trenderhoof's feet. She kept saying 'sorry' whenever she hit his foot.
He winced in pain, "Don't worry about it." then he moved his hand slightly below her waist with smirk, "Besides, I know of ways you can make it up to me…"
Applejack caught on his meaning and was appalled and was about to shove him away until a familiar voice asked.
"May I cut in?"
Trenderhoof and Applejack turned to a finely dressed man with bright green hair and a dark green mask holding out his hand.
Trenderhoof frowned and started to say, "No, you cannot-"
But Applejack said, "You certainly may!" and took the mystery man's hand which had a familiar touch to it as he led her away from Trenderhoof.
He inquired, "You alright? I saw the Viscount making an inappropriate gesture with you."
"Yes, but I have to thank you for stepping in like that." she still held his hand and felt the strange sensation all over again, "It's you, isn't it? One of the men that was with his brothers when that storm happened."
He smiled, "It is, and I thought I recognize your locks when I saw you dancing with that wolf."
She chuckled at that, "Wolf is right."
"You're even lovelier then the last time we met."
She blushed, "Thanks… but I'm not that good-lookin', why compared between Fluttershy and Rarity, I'm pretty ordinary."
"Don't say that. Yes, your sisters are pretty, but… you stand out in my eyes…" he locked gazes with her.
She was utterly speechless by his words.
He kept smiling and motioned, "Would you like to dance?"
She nodded in a dumbfounded manner, "Uh-huh…"
He took her back to the dance floor and started to gracefully waltz, like they were meant to dance with each other.
The other girls were still getting questions and compliments that Fluttershy and Twilight were starting to feel overwhelmed by the attention while Rarity and Rainbow were basking in it. Pinkie however was gone.
Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore when suddenly a recognizable voice said, "Now really, that's enough all of you! Can't you see the poor thing is overcome by all of this?"
The crowd parted to reveal a tall man with dark hair and a mask but she knew his voice as it was the man she first met back at the manor during a storm.
She told him, "It's you…"
He smirked, "And it's you… I would know those beautiful eyes anywhere…"
She countered with her own smirk, "But I'm wearing a mask, how could you tell?"
He humorously chuckled, "Alright, it was the luscious rosy pink hair, satisfied?"
She nodded, "Mm-hmm."
He offered his hand and she took it, in instant they both felt the strange sensation they both felt since they first touched hands. He looked at the dance floor and commented, "It would seem my brother and your sister are having a dance, shall we join them?"
She smiled brightly, "Yes, please."
With his own bright smile he escorted her to the dance floor and slowly put his arm around her waist making her slightly gasp. The feeling of his touch was amazing, never had she been so close to a man before. Normally something like this would scare her. But not now, not when it felt so right to be next to him. Then they started to dance.
Twilight looked at her friends and their dancing partners and started to look around, if two of the mysterious men showed up tonight then that meant he had to be here. Luckily she didn't have to look far as a well-dressed blue-haired man made his way to her with a smile.
She started going over to him when suddenly she felt herself tripping. Flash saw this and quickly went to her as he caught her by the waist.
He kept smiling, "We have to stop bumping into each other like this."
A blush crept on her cheeks and when he touched her hand the feeling increased ten-fold. She admitted, "I must confess, I was hoping to see you again…"
"The feeling's mutual." they stared at each other for a bit before he asked, "Would you like to have a dance with me?"
She gave him half-lid eyes, "Yes."
He took her toward to the dance floor joining their companions.
At this point, Rarity was hobnobbing with the nobles while Rainbow had to listen to them in boredom until a voice said.
"It never ends, does it?"
She replied without looking, "I know, right?"
"It would be a lot better if the conservation was about sports, like horse racing."
This time she looked and realized it was the man she touched hands with, stating, "It's you."
He smirked, "You were expecting someone else?"
"Honestly, I was hoping you would be here but I didn't want to get my hopes up."
His smirk grew, "Oh? Just why were you hoping I'd be here?"
She quickly looked away from him as she felt her cheeks going red.
"Come on, you can tell me, I promise I won't laugh. Far from it, because if your answer is what I think it is, then I would tell you that I feel the same way as you do…" he said that last part with sincerity.
She looked back with wide eyes, "Really?"
He smiled tenderly and nodded.
She stammered, "Well, um, if that is my answer, what are you going to do about it?"
"Simple, I would ask you to dance with me." he offered his hand then added with a quirky comment, "Unless you don't think you're up to it…?"
She proclaimed while taking his hand, "Dance floor. Now."
With a chuckle he took her there.
Rarity was just finishing telling a few elite a story, "…And I said, 'Please darling, that isn't a hat you're wearing, that's a natural disaster that somehow landed on top of your head!'"
The aristocrats guffawed on.
One lady said, "My dear, you're an absolute delight!"
Others agreed with her.
Rarity tittered, "Well, thank you, but it is you my friends that deserve the credit for accepting me in the first place."
Murmurs of approval sounded off.
A silky voice suddenly said, "Well, aren't you the belle of the ball."
She turned around and came face to face with the very man she wanted to see, and it pleased her more to see him so stylist with a bright red suit with golden threads around the borders of his coat.
She replied with a smirk, "Well, well, if it isn't the charmer, I was wondering if you were going to appear."
"Well, charming is my game, and what better way to use that charm than at a royal ball especially for a dazzling beauty I can't stop thinking about."
Her eyes lit up at his words.
He bowed to her, "May I please have the honor of dancing with you?"
She softly answered, "You may." and presented her hand to him.
He took it and led her straight to the dance floor, joining their brothers and sisters. As they began to waltz, Rarity noticed the large crowd watching them and commented to him, "They're all looking at you."
He smiled, "Believe me, they're all looking at you…"
Happiness overwhelmed her as he spun her around.
By then Pinkie and Cheese joined the group in the waltz, with Rainbow and Soarin being the closest to them, Dash quickly asked, "Where did you two come from?"
The couple giggled, with Pinkie replying, "Just lifting a couple of party poopers' spirits."
Cheese added, "It's all in good fun!" he lifted his partner and twirled her around.
Soarin furrowed his brow in suspicion, "What kind of good fun?"
Pinkie answered, "A few harmless pranks here and there."
Soarin asked his brother, "That was your gift for her?"
"But of course! And she had a good time didn't you my little prankster?"
She beamed, "I most certainly did!" wrapping her arms around his neck and cuddled close to his chest.
Rainbow muttered under her breath, "They are so made for each other."
Soarin agreed, "They are." and they went back to dancing.
By then everyone in the ballroom watched the six mysterious women with the mysterious men.
Sunset could see pure love radiating from them and she hoped once more she'll have that with her future husband.
When the music ended the dancers stopped but they couldn't keep their eyes off each other.
Discord then pulled out a single pink rose and presented it to his partner, "For you."
Fluttershy gasped.
He sadly admitted, "It's not much but I wasn't sure what else to give you."
She shook her head, "It's wonderful."
His brothers saw this and took this as their cue to do the same, Capper took out a diamond collar necklace making Rarity gasped in excitement, "How beautiful!"
Spike took out a single elegant emerald ring making Applejack speechless again until she uttered out, "I couldn't…"
He smiled, "You must…" he slipped the ring on her finger.
Flash took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Twilight, she looked it and inquired, "It's a song?"
He nodded, "I wrote for you, I hope you'll like it."
She read the words and smiled at him, "I love it."
Soarin took out a white see through crystal and gave it to Rainbow, he blushed in embarrassment, "I know it's not the best gift but when I found it outside shining in the sunlight and it made this rainbow, it reminded me of you."
"Wow…" she held it up to a candleholder and sure enough its light touched the crystal making a rainbow. She declared, "I like it."
He gaped, "Really?"
She smiled at him, "Really."
All six couples lovingly gazed at their partner until trumpets sounded off and the boys knew exactly what that meant.
Discord spoke for them, "Please excuse us, ladies." they bowed and quickly went toward the balcony where their father was waiting for them along with a stylish middle-aged woman, no doubt this was the Lady Chrysalis.
Tirek turned to the princes, "Well, my sons did you find your fiancées?"
They stated, "Yes, Father."
Chrysalis asked in eagerness, "And did you like them?"
Capper answered for them, "That we did, madam."
Tirek said, "Good, then there's only one thing to do…" he turned to the herald and gave a nod.
The herald then called out to the entire ballroom, "Ladies and gentlemen and esteemed guests of faraway lands, His Majesty, King Tirek has an important announcement to make that will surely gladden our hearts!"
The girls looked up to the balcony and were surprised to see the boys next to the king. Before any of them could question it, the king spoke and gestured to the boys.
"Rejoice my people, for on this very night, my sons the princes, are to be married to the daughters of the fair Lady Chrysalis!"
There were gasps and happy murmurs. But the girls were frozen in shock when they realized that the men they had come to like were none other than the princes themselves!
Meanwhile on the balcony, the boys were happy until Chrysalis pointed out, "And there are my lovely girls now."
They turned to see six beautiful women but their smiles faltered when they saw it wasn't the same girls they had recently danced with. The princes exchanged confused glances and until they looked down and saw the girls staring up, looking stun. That's when it hit them they made a mistake.
Spike whispered, "Oh-no… We fell for the wrong girls!"
Cheese shook his head, "Correction, we fell for the right girls." subtly pointing out, "Those are the wrong girls."
The boys realized quickly that their brother was right with Discord saying, "He's right, he's absolutely right. So what if they weren't Chrysalis's daughters, those girls down there are our true soul mates."
Flash said, "Except we got a problem now. We still have to marry these girls here." he looked at the girls next to their mother looking happy as they faced the audience but he couldn't but noticed that one of them was putting on a fake smile like she was on the edge of tears.
Sunset faced the room with her head held high but inside she was crying, once she and her sisters saw these princes up close she could remember how joyful they were dancing with those girls on the dance floor and knew immediately that there was no chance for love in her marriage now.
The girls were still shocked by the revelation till finally they couldn't take it anymore and started to run for the exit.
The boys saw this and they wanted to run after them, but protocol demanded they stay put.
Soarin whispered, "Let them go for now, it's not like we don't know where to find them."
They nodded.
The girls ran out of the palace gates and straight into their carriage as they panted from both the run and the shock overweighing them.
Rainbow shouted when the carriage moved, "The princes?! All this time they were the princes?!"
Applejack declared, "I should have known it was too good to be true! I'm such a fool!"
Rarity sadly added, "You're not alone, darling…"
Fluttershy held her hands to her face, "I'm so embarrassed."
Pinkie hung her head in shame.
Twilight held herself while clutching Flash's gift to her chest. She said, "We should have asked for their names that day then all of this could have been avoided."
They agreed with her.
Rarity pointed, "It makes sense now why they wanted to see Lady Chrysalis, it was so they could meet their betrotheds but instead they met us…"
Pinkie slowly started, "Now… we'll never see them again…"
Applejack stated, "It's better that way, sugar cube, they have to marry our mistresses after all."
"So why are you still wearing his ring?"
She looked down at her hand and grimaced, she wanted to pull it off and throw it out but her heart prevented her to do so.
Rarity touched the necklace she was given and like Applejack she tempted to get rid of it but she didn't want to.
It was the same for the other girls that were given a present by their prince. It hurt to have them but at the same time they were too precious to lose. For the rest of the carriage ride they stayed silent, letting their memories of one extraordinary night play out in their heads.