//------------------------------// // Chapter 54 - The most unexpected night // Story: Dusk Shine in pursuit of Happiness // by bigsnusnu //------------------------------// The most unexpected night Oblivious to the bustle inside the castle, Fluttershy was still in the royal gardens. After shutting the gardener's mouth by mistake and seeing that none of the beautiful little animals in the garden were approaching her, Fluttershy had hung her head in sorrow and resignation. "Hm? Why so discouraged there, missy?" The gardener asked suddenly with great curiosity, since it was rare to see one of the guests of the Grand Galloping Gala being so far from the great halls of the castle. Most ponies came to approach the royal gardens only for the surroundings, without going as far as that finely dressed yellow pegasus had. After depressed sigh, Fluttershy lifted her head and stared at the old gardener. "I wanted to get close to the little animals in the garden, but... they seem to fear me." Fluttershy replied with great pity, lowering her head again as she felt that her dreams had been broken. "I love animals, and I always dreamed of being here and seeing all the exotic and beautiful species that live here. But… if none of them want to approach or even see me, maybe… maybe I'm not as good with animals as I thought." Fluttershy added, lowering her head even lower. After the yellow mare spoke, the old gardener was touched when he realized that this pegasus was really hurt by not being able to get close to the little animals in the garden, animals that were always ignored by the other guests of the Grand Galloping Gala. Then the gardener gave a thoughtful look and he smiled and decided to help her. "Listen honey, the animals that live here aren’t like the wild animals you probably know. These critters were raised here their entire lives. So they aren’t particularly used to other ponies. Especially on nights like these when the castle is full of strangers and the noise from the halls bothers them." The gardener explained as he rested a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, causing her to look up. "I'll teach you a trick to get them closer. But if they want to trust you, it'll depend solely on them." Then the gardener cleared his throat and began to whistle sweetly, just as Fluttershy had heard him before she got there. The sound was so sweet, it seemed strange to hear it coming from that old gardener. It didn't take long for the heads of various animals to timidly peeked between to trees and shrubs. As soon as they saw who was there, the animals were afraid to see that there was an unknown yellow pegasus. However, they were so attracted by the sweet whistle of the gardener, who was the only one who accompanied them daily in those gardens, that finally they began to slowly approach where both ponies were. "A flamingo… an angora rabbit… and a wallaby!" Fluttershy thought, opening her mouth wide with excitement and happiness when she saw that the animals finally approached. But she quickly closed her mouth and froze, wanting to prevent the animals from running away from her again. Once the animals surrounded both ponies, they timidly stared at Fluttershy, as she was a complete stranger to them. Then the gardener, without saying anything, indicated with his eyes to Fluttershy to try to approach them. She accepted shyly, swallowing hard and very slowly extended a hoof towards the same little red squirrel that had run away from her the first time and that now was before her. "They're shyer than the animals that live near my cottage..." Fluttershy thought. She found herself somewhat supposed at how she could relate with the skittish creatures. "I understand… I know how difficult it is to meet somepony new and trust them. I'm just like you." Fluttershy said shyly, opening her heart and looking with kindness and some concern, at the little animals, timidly extending a hoof towards them. "Please... don't be afraid, I just... want to be your friend." Fluttershy added sweetly, deciding at the last second not to touch that beautiful little squirrel, waiting for it to decide to come closer, so as not to force it or make it feel uncomfortable. After a couple of seconds, the little squirrel timidly sniffed at Fluttershy's hoof and then stared at her. Looking at those big aquamarine eyes, the little squirrel felt that look had no hint of evil and that this pony kept only kindness in her heart. Then the squirrel approached Fluttershy's hoof and allowed itself to be caressed meekly by the shy pegasus. Instantly, after the squirrel verified that there was no danger, the other animals did the same, happily approaching Fluttershy, smelling her and playing with her mane and tail, which made Flutterhsy laugh with excitement when she saw that the animals finally trusted her. "I told you, animals know who to trust. They know a kind heart when they see it." The gardener said with a big smile, who actually never seen a pony so quickly earn the confidence of the garden animals. Not even himself, who had taken weeks to earn that confidence when met. Then, knowing that the shy little animals in the garden were in good hooves, the gardener slowly withdrew with a grin on his mouth as he saw that beautiful pegasus smile when playing with the animals. The night continued to advance and Fluttershy enjoyed being surrounded by such exotic and cute little animals like never before. They now had formed a circle around her, taking turns being caressed by the soft hooves of the mare. Then Fluttershy began to walk more around the garden, since her trust with the animals reached such a point that they invited her to visit their burrows, and in some cases their own young, which amazed the tender pegasus even more when she saw the new life blooming in that beautiful garden. And every place that she went, all the animals followed her and threw themselves on her hooves so that she would continue to give affection for them, since very few times did a pony approach to caress them as tenderly as she did. Most likely from Fluttershy’s timed experience as to where along the fur and feathers felt the best for animals. So, the criiters fought to be Fluttershy's darling and to be caressed and pampered longer, while the kind pegasus did with great pleasure. She could the love that those animals felt for her, which filled her with joy. "This is like my dream… No… It's more wonderful than I could imagine!" Fluttershy thought, laughing as the animals had made her fall back to the ground and tenderly pressed their heads against Fluttershy's fur to express their trust and affection, being completely surrendered to her caresses. "This... This is the perfect night!!" Fluttershy thought with the biggest smile she had ever had that night, but as soon as she felt content with herself, the image of a lavender colt popped into her mind, and then her smile faded. That moment with the animals was one that Fluttershy would never forget, but she realized that she didn't want to live that moment alone. She wanted to share it with somepony special, with the colt that had changed her life and with whom she had fallen in love slowly until finally falling completely for him. And if she wanted to be completely happy, she needed to be with her beloved Dusk Shine. "No… Tonight is not perfect… I… I still have something very important to do! I promised myself that I would do it tonight!" Fluttershy said with a serious look, standing up as she remembered that she had another important goal to accomplish. Knowing that she had to fulfill the self-imposed promise that she had made and that she couldn't let that night pass without fulfilling it, Fluttershy saw those cute animals one last time. Although her whole body screamed at her to continue enjoying the caresses of those tender animals, her heart finally made the pegasus understand that she had to put aside the animals to fulfill a new dream, and if the night was perfect, maybe at some point she would return there to share with the animals again, but this time with the colt she loved. Then Fluttershy stroked the animals one last time and said goodbye with a sad smile. "I'm sorry. I would love to stay, but I must see somepony very important to me." Fluttershy said sweetly, turning and starting her way back to the castle. However, she didn't manage to take two steps, as something stopped her hooves. Turning around again, Fluttershy was surprised to see that the animals had clung to her hooves, all with looks of fear and sadness when they saw that sweet mare left them. The mare who had caressed them like nopony else, the mare who seemed to understand her feelings, the mare that they want to stay with forever... Then the animals began to cry and kept holding on tightly to Fluttershy's hooves so that she wouldn't abandon them. "Oh, oh..." Fluttershy said worried, feeling moved when she saw those cute animals cry, and also worried when she realized the great problem she had gotten into, because now... How could she leave there without hurting her beloved animals...? While that was happening in the royal gardens, a great ovation was heard in one of the great halls. Specifically, in the hallway next to the designated VIP lounge of the Grand Galloping Gala, where several ponies applauded in surprise to see the agility with which Rainbow Dash had prevented a tray of sandwiches from falling to the floor. And although there were several ponies that were applauding her, Rainbow Dash's eyes had been fixed only on one of them, on the colt that had accidentally dropped that tray. "You... You're Soarin!" Rainbow Dash said full of amazement when she saw in front of her the vice-captain of the Wonderbolts, a colt with pale light blue fur and dark blue mane, who, like the captain of the team, was wearing their characteristic uniform. "And you’re Rainbow Dash, I remember you. You're that pegasus that made that amazing sonic rainboom at the Cloudsdale competition." Soarin said, remembering Rainbow Dash from her particular rainbow mane. "Yeah, well, it wasn't that complicated, hehe." Rainbow Dash said with mock modesty, blushing at the compliment of one of her idols. "You're still as fast as I remember you. Thanks for saving my snacks!" Soarin said with a huge smile, taking the tray of snacks that Rainbow Dash was holding and quickly eating that delicious food. "I was so hungry..." Soarin added with his mouth full of food, smiling as he approached the guard guarding the VIP lounge. Seeing how Soarin stooped paying attention to her and head to the VIP lounge, Rainbow Dash lowered her head sadly and turned around, resigned that that little moment would be all she would get from the Wonderbolts that night. "Hey girl!" Soarin said suddenly turning to look at Rainbow Dash. "Wanna come to the lounge with me? I'm sure Spitfire will like to see you here." Soarin added smiling. After hearing that, Rainbow Dash's mouth opened slowly in amazement as she barely contained herself from screaming in excitement. "Uh... Excuse me, but I think she's not on the list..." The guard blocking access to the VIP lounge said. It was clear that he was still upset at the daredevil and would rather not admit defeat by letting her in. "Uh, isn’t it obvious? She is one of us!" Soarin said smiling and pointing to the Wonderbolts emblem on his uniform. "We need her for the closing of the Grand Galloping Gala. You don't want to tell the princess that the flight show was ruined because you forgot to put a name on the list, right?" Soarin added, bringing his face close to the guard to scare him a bit. The guard was almost certain that what Soarin said was false. But even if there was a slight possibility that that was true, he decided to accept that possibility, since in no way did he want to ruin the final show and have the princess reprimand him for it. So finally, the guard had to swallow his pride and ducked his head as he cleared the way for Rainbow Dash to enter the lounge. Then Rainbow Dash, after removing her amazement at the great way in which Soarin had managed to get her to enter, happily advanced to where Soarin was. Before entering the lounge though, she stuck her tongue out at the guard, unable to bear teasing him since she had finally been able to enter the VIP lounge. Once inside the room, if Rainbow Dash had paid more attention, she would have seen that in that room there were ponies dressed even more elegantly than in the other halls, even dignitaries from other nations who had been invited for that occasion. However, the pegasus's eyes only focused on two ponies, the pegasi that wore the official Wonderbolts uniform: Soarin, who was in front of her; and Spitfire, a mare with yellow fur and orange mane, captain of the Wonderbolts, who was just approaching the two of them, which made Rainbow Dash's heart race. "Where were you, Soarin? Without you here, I've had to deal with all the talk from the local fans..." Spitfire said once she approached where they were. "Yeah well, I wanted to find something to eat." Soarin replied, still eating voraciously from his snack tray. "Also, I invited somepony who might interest you." Soarin added, gesturing his eyes at Rainbow Dash. "And you are…?" Spitfire asked raising an eyebrow when she saw Rainbow Dash. Although she didn't like ball gowns very much, she had to admit that that pegasus looked good in that beautiful dress. "I-I'm Rainbow Dash! I… I was the one who did the sonic rainboom in Cloudsdale." Rainbow Dash responded quickly, trying in vain to hide her nervousness. It took Spitfire a few seconds to remember, but as she did so, she widened her eyes and approached Rainbow Dash with a huge smile. "You were that mare!? I can't believe it! I didn't recognize you in that dress." Spitfire said excitedly. "Barely had time to speak with you since you left the competition in such a hurry. It's amazing that a civilian was able to beat me flying in free fall. You have guts, girl!" Spitifire added, playfully hitting Rainbow Dash. The instant Spitfire touched Rainbow Dash and praised her, the blue pegasus pressed her lips tightly as she inwardly screamed like an uncontrolled filly of excitement. "I think she can be a good replacement for Fleetfoot." Soarin said suddenly, finally finished eating his snacks. "Replacement?" Rainbow Dash asked, not sure if she had heard correctly. "Yeah. It turns out that Fleetfoot twisted a wing in the last practice, and that complicated the show we have to do for the grand finale of the Gala." Soarin replied. "But if we ended the show with that sonic rainboom of yours, I think it would be a good alternate ending to tonight's show." "Yeah, it's not a bad idea..." Spitfire added with a thoughtful look and then glanced at Rainbow Dash. "What do you say? Do you think you could pull it off again?" "A-Are you inviting me to fly with you!?" Rainbow Dash asked stunned, who quickly pointed somewhere behind Soarin and Spitfire would turn and look away. As soon as both Wonderbolts were distracted, Rainbow Dash bit down on one of her hooves to stifle the scream of excitement she felt, and she jumped for joy, but quickly regained her composure when Soarin and Spitfire turned back around. "Ahem! Y-Yeah, I think I could." Rainbow Dash said seriously, maintaining a facade of calm while inwardly feeling like she would explode with excitement. After that, Soarin and Spitfire invited Rainbow Dash to go to a window to look outside and began to explain what the routine would consist of, the movements they would do and when she would have to enter to perform the grand finale. And as they talked about those details, more ponies came closer seeing that the great Wonderbolts were already starting to prepare their great routine, and as they did so, Soarin and Spitfire commented about the great show that Rainbow Dash had done in the Cloudsdale competition. They were quite excited that everypony tonight would see the magnificence of a sonic rainboom that only a few pegasai could pull off. Feeling the center of attention, Rainbow Dash quickly began to integrate into the conversations and tell anecdotes about so many other stunts she had performed in her workouts. The night went on and Rainbow Dash felt that her dream had been fulfilled. However, as everypony watched on and smiled as she started explaining a secret trick she was working on, the pegasus had a small epiphany. While Rainbow Dash saw the smiles and heard the words of encouragement from all those ponies, she realized that the smiles of her friends were missing, and especially that of a certain lavender colt. She knew that if he were there, he would be the first to support her and congratulate her, as he always did, being always at her side... Then Rainbow Dash realized that despite having managed to meet her idols, she wanted to be with somepony else at the same time. That clumsy and cute colt named Dusk Shine who had stolen her first kiss and her heart. "Excuse me, I think I need to head out for a moment." Rainbow Dash said suddenly, remembering her important mission for that night. She then began to make her way through the ponies that surrounded her to get out of there. "Wait! Where are you going!?" Spitfire said, holding her from behind. "There’s only a little time left before the show starts, we need to go over every last detail of the routine so that everything goes perfectly!" "Y-Yeah, I know. I'll be right back; it'll only take a few minutes." Rainbow Dash said nervously. She had learned in that short span of time that Spitfire was a perfectionist and didn't want to leave anything to chance. Rainbow Dash started walking again to leave the VIP lounge. As she did so, she noticed that Spitfire and Soarin were following her. Then Rainbow Dash picked up her pace, and behind her Soarin and Spitfire did too. Finally Rainbow Dash ran off at full speed, while both Wonderbolts kept up with her. "We already told everypony that we would end the show with the sonic rainboom! Quit running away!!" Spitfire yelled as she chased after Rainbow Dash. "I'm not running away! I just need to be alone for a few minutes!!" Rainbow Dash screamed in response as she fled, completely terrified to realize that if she didn't get away from the Wonderbolts, she couldn't be alone to declare her love for Dusk... As Rainbow Dash fled through the corridors of the castle, in another part of the castle in the great ballroom, everyone had been stunned to see who had entered. "P-Princess Celestia!" Pinkie Pie said in surprise. The mare could hardly believe that the only pony who had enjoyed her impromptu dancing was none other than the princess regent of the entire kingdom of Equestria! "Y-You want to talk to me?" Pinkie Pie repeated, since all the other ponies in the hall had made fun of her and turned away from her after her dance. "Of course! Although I always attend these parties, the truth is that I never have the pleasure of chatting much with the guests, since I have to greet them all one by one at the entrance." Celestia said with her angelic smile. "Fortunately, I got a replacement for a few minutes." Celestia added with the same smile but narrowing her eyes to avoid laughing when she remembered the joke she had just played on Dusk to replace her. "I… I'm sorry! I didn't know that I had to greet before entering the party!" Pinkie Pie said quickly with a bow, thinking that she had made a serious mistake and that perhaps the princess was coming to reprimand her and her friends for not knowing that. "Don't worry, I'm actually glad you didn't. That way, we can talk without any time constraints." Celestia added, gently touching Pinkie Pie's head to cease her bowing. "I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a long time. I wanted to ask you for some advice." Hearing that, Pinkie Pie widened her eyes and her sight went blank as her brain repeated what she heard to see if she understood correctly. "You want advice... from me?" Pinkie Pie unbelievingly asked. "Of course! According to what Dusk Shine has told me in his letters, you're the most festive pony he knows. An expert in parties and celebrations." Celestia confirmed. "I always attend these Galas, but the truth is that I always think they’re…well..." "Too fancy?" Pinkie Pie said, trying to soften what she was really thinking. "Boring!" Celestia said sincerely, making Pinkie Pie laugh upon hearing the princess admit that her own party was boring. Then both mares giggled for an instant, with Celestia quickly regaining her usual composure. "Well… I think there could be a few changes around here to spice things up. We could start with the music and then…" Pinkie Pie said with a thoughtful look, feeling surprisingly comfortable despite talking to the great and imposing Princess Celestia. With Pinkie Pie giving her advice on how to brighten the Grand Galloping Gala, and Celestia listening carefully and contributing some crazy ideas, both mares realized that in some respect they were both very similar... Although they both had an appearance on the surface that was adored by the ponies around them, they both also had inner side that was more than the happy façade they put on every day. This made it possible for the two to converse fluently and comfortably, and to relax and laugh from time to time. "So, Dusk told you that when he discovered your secret room?" Celestia said, slightly surprised after the conversation turned to Dusk and some anecdotes that Pinkie had with him. "Yep... he said he would be there for me, whenever I needed him..." Pinkie Pie said with dreamy eyes, blushing at the memory. And it was only in that instant that Pinkie Pie realized that she might have accidently opened up too much with the princess. "W-What I mean is… That Dusk is a very good pony! Hehe!" Pinkie Pie quickly added, slightly embarrassed. Princess Celestia often had that effect on ponies, generating an aura of confidence that made them open completely when they talked to her. It was one of the reasons why it was said among ponies that nothing escaped her. She also had another amazing talent she had obtaining from hundreds of years of experience. The alicorn could observe her ponies and decipher every word and gesture to know what they thought about something. It was this talent that told Celestia that it was obvious that Pinkie Pie held great love for Dusk and that she had something special for him tonight. "Hmm... I see." Celestia said, narrowing her eyes slightly as her gaze analyzed the cute pink pony. Then she sighed and smiled with a thoughtful look. "Well, I think it's time to go back to my post. I think I need to free Dusk so that he can…enjoy the party." Celestia then smiled, guessing that her beloved Dusk had many surprises waiting for that night. After the princess said goodbye to Pinkie, the pink pony sighed and touched her heart, feeling that she had regained her cheerful spirit at just the right moment. Before the princess arrived, she had begun to get depressed after the teasing of those ponies from the ballroom. Fortunately, after that happy conversation, everything seemed to have been solved. "I wonder if the princess noticed that I was depressed and that's why she approached me..." Pinkie Pie thought, smiling a little when she realized that now she knew that she and the princess were more alike than anyone imagined. "Excuse me... You... Do you know the princess!?" a stallion next to Pinkie Pie suddenly asked. Turning to see who was speaking to her, Pinkie Pie was surprised to see that many of the ponies in the room were now standing beside her, staring at her with shocked eyes. "What were you talking about with the princess?" a very elegant mare asked, looking curiously and wonderfully at Pinkie Pie. "Uh, well... She wanted to ask me for some advice." Pinkie Pie answered, not understanding why everyone was paying so much attention to her now. After Pinkie Pie said that, the eyes of everypony present widened in amazement, and they quickly began to mutter among themselves: 'Did you hear that? Princess Celestia asks her for advice!' 'She must be a very important mare!' 'She's the princess's private advisor!'… And like a fire in a pasture, the rumors of 'the princess's advisor' spread rapidly through the great hall, causing all the ponies to come to see and try to chat with such an important mare. "What do you think we should do to win the approval of Princess Celestia?" A very elegant stallion asked, while everyone around him nodded, as they also wanted to win the favor of the princess. Hearing that question, Pinkie Pie's eyes sparkled with excitement, knowing that this was her chance to throw the party she'd always dreamed of. "All you have to do... is start having fun!" Pinkie Pie yelled animatedly, running over to where the orchestra was and instructing them to play more upbeat music. With the change of music, the elegant ponies in the ballroom were perplexed, not understanding how such music could be sounding at such an elegant party. However, no one thought to question a suggestion from 'the councilor of the princess', and likewise, no one said anything when the pink mare began to dance and invited everyone to dance with her. Despite their initial reluctance, slowly and timidly the ponies in the room began to imitate Pinkie Pie's dance, albeit with some crazy and a little ridiculous poses. But everything was valid if with that they managed to win the appreciation and favor of the princess. However, what none of those ponies expected was that as time passed, they really began to genuinely enjoy that crazy dance and that simple and spontaneous music. It seemed that the party pony’s famous began to infect the hearts of those rigid ponies and soon the sincere laughter of everyone began to be heard throughout the ballroom, making Pinkie Pie's heart feel full of joy to see what she had achieved. "This is it! This is the party I've always wanted!" Pinkie Pie thought as she danced in the center of the dance floor and everypony followed her steps, laughing among themselves. As she led the dance, Pinkie Pie felt she could spend the whole night like this. Celebrating alongside all those new friends, filled with the satisfaction of having taught those snooty ponies to have fun, sharing, dancing and laughing all together until everyone at the Grand Galloping Gala gathered and shouted that the best night of their lives had been spent... That dream could be fulfilled! It was within reach! But then… why did she feel like something was missing!? At that moment, while Pinkie was dancing, she imagined herself dancing with somepony truly special. Dusk Shine, who was smiling lovingly at her even knowing her darker side... Because he hadn't only seen the Pinkie Pie that everyone loved, he had seen her other side, the one that concealed her past and her future. And yet, he was there for her… and always would be. "I'm sorry... I think I should go." Pinkie Pie said, stopping her dancing suddenly. As soon as Pinkie Pie stopped dancing, the orchestra stopped playing, and all the ponies that had been dancing also stopped. They all looked at each other in confusion, as if for an instant they had been caught in a spell of smiles and now they came back to reality and slowly realized how embarrassing and inelegant it was to dance that way. "N-No! Wait! G-Get the orchestra play again!" Pinkie Pie said quickly, feeling that the atmosphere around her was changing rapidly and that boredom and seriousness wanted to re-impose itself in the room. "I'm still here! Keep the party going!" Pinkie Pie yelled with a nervous smile. Hearing that the party continued, the orchestra played again and the ponies in the hall slowly began to dance again and forget their inhibitions. Thus, the joy once again overcame the boring atmosphere. But despite the fact that the joy returned, there was a pony that was not entirely happy even though she danced along. "I'm trapped here..." Pinkie Pie thought with a nervous smile as she danced, realizing that now she was the engine of that party cheer, just as she had wished. But without that engine, the party would die. "How can I go be with Dusk!?" she thought, scared of what she herself had caused... As the party began in the ballroom, not far from there, in a corridor on the side of the castle, another crowd of ponies gathered in front of a small, makeshift apple stand. Minutes earlier, while Applejack was desperate to find her way to the front door, her suitcase with Granny's apple candies had suddenly been opened, leaving everyone present speechless at the strange situation. And in said situation, it was that a certain elegant pony had questioned her as to what was going on. "Are you stealing food from the kitchen or something?" the elegant stallion had asked, beginning to look at Applejack with distaste. "N-No, I haven't stolen anything. This food…" Applejack said quickly to justify herself. "These candies were made by my granny on the farm..." she added, saying that last bit more slowly and with her head hung down with shame. She remembered the fine sandwiches that were on the tables in the halls, and her confidence was still somewhat undermined when she felt that her food was out of place at such a fancy party. "Of course it's not royal kitchen food! Just look at it! Do you think real cooks would make scones and apple pies?" Another noble-looking mare, looking with distaste at the produce from Applejack's little stall. Having heard what she had most dreaded, which confirmed all her fears, Applejack just pressed her lips tightly together and looked away as her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. "Oh! Rural gastronomy, what a wonderful idea! I always wanted to try typical country food, it's so exotic." a white stallion suddenly said, who seemed to stand out from all the other ponies there in elegance, wearing a fine tuxedo and a monocle in one of his eyes. "What do you think Fleur? Would you like to try one of these apple scones?" The stallion asked his companion, a long and beautiful white mare with pink mane, who was very attached to that elegant gentlecolt. "You know I'm on a diet, dear Fancy. But… I think I could make an exception." The beautiful mare, called Fleur de Lis, answered, looking flirtatiously at the stallion and then looked to Applejack. "Are they natural products?" "Uh... Y-Yeah, made one hundred percent with apples from my own farm..." Applejack replied with a little shock. As the representative of the Element of Honesty, she could recognize that the couple genuinely seemed interested in her apple candies. However, that hadn't been what had surprised Applejack the most. As soon as that stallion appeared, everypony around him had fallen silent and were listening carefully to what he was saying. All while they murmured among themselves and wondered if he really was the famous aristocrat 'Fancy Pants'. Although Applejack had never heard that name, she quickly understood that he must be someone very respected. "Fantastic! Then I think I'll take two apple scones." Fancy Pants said, pulling his hoof close to his suit and pulling out six gold coins. "Will this be enough?" he asked, setting the bits on the small counter at the apple stand. Seeing the money, Applejack's eyes widened, not only because those apple scones only cost one bit each, but because those bits were encrusted with tiny diamonds, something Applejack had never seen but could only mean they were worth a lot more. However, although ambition began to grow in Applejack's mind, she quickly pushed that thought away. She realized that the stallion was not only being too generous but had also saved her when the other ponies were about to make fun of her. So, Applejack decided to reward that kind gesture. "Don't worry, those scones are on the house." Applejack said with a kind smile, finally regaining all her confidence and pushing the bits for the stallion to retrieve them. "Nonsense, I insist! Free food would make for a lousy business. Trust me, I know about that." Fancy Pants said, smiling kindly at Applejack as he pushed the bits back for the orange mare to take. "Great Celestia! These scones are delicious!" Fleur de Lis suddenly said, who had timidly tasted the exotic and rural apple scone, and now ate it with a smile on her face at its delicious taste. After seeing the genuine reaction of happiness of the beautiful mare when eating that apple scone, the other ponies looked with yearning at the other candies that were on the small apple stand, and they all quickly approached to also taste those exotic rural delicacies. Faced with the avalanche of customers, Applejack quickly positioned herself behind her small stall and quickly began to sell the various apple candies that Granny Smith had prepared for the occasion. The ponies rained the gold coins on her small counter, selling everything for double or triple its value since Applejack hadn't even given prices. The ponies had simply taken as a reference what Fancy Pants had paid. In addition, another factor that raised prices was a phenomenon that Applejack was unaware of until that moment. It seemed that all the elegant ponies competed in status and in demonstrating who could more easily detach from bits in those simple candies, just to show their high status. So as the prices of all the apple candies went higher and higher, Applejack was amazed to see so many bits that she had already lost count. And the best of all, was that despite all the money that the rich ponies spent, everypony was fascinated and very satisfied with what they paid after eating the tasty candies, since, as Fancy Pants said, those candies made entirely from naturally harvested apples really gave a unique and delicious flavor. "Three apple scones... Two pieces of apple pie... Two caramelized apples... A whole apple pie!" Applejack counted in her mind when she saw the products go, and quickly turning them into profit and its equivalent in repairs for the farm. "New door for the barn… A new plow… More grain for the hens… New chair for Granny!" Sooner than Applejack could even imagine, the products finally ran out, leaving Applejack with a huge pile of bits on the counter of her little stall. Then she stared in amazement at all that she had earned in a few minutes. "This is so much more than I expected… This… This is perfect! Much better than I could ever imagine!" Applejack thought in wonder as her imagination flew and she imagined herself swimming in bits while in the background her house was completely remodeled, all new and with her family enjoying great comforts. As she enjoyed her fantasy, Applejack's smile slowly faded as a question popped in her mind. "I made a lot of money, but… Is money really the most important thing tonight…?" Applejack thought, slowly remembering that she had something more important to do than make money that night. What she wanted to look for was love. Something more elusive and difficult to find than bits, but which she had finally found, and now she needed to tell the colt she loved. Determined that now that she had fulfilled one of her dreams, she should fulfill her other dream in order to have a perfect night. Applejack tried to dismantle her stall to convert it back into a suitcase and keep all the money there, but due to the weight of the bits on the counter, the stall couldn't be completely disassembled. "Troubles with disassembling your stall? Don't worry, I could have somepony take it apart and safeguard your earnings." Fancy Pants said suddenly, who had been waiting for Applejack to finish selling her products and now saw that the orange mare seemed to want to leave. "After all, if the negotiation goes well, trust is a highly valued commodity among partners in this business." Fancy Pants added with a sly smile. "Uh? What do you mean?" Applejack asked. "Well, I've been thinking, and I know a good deal when I smell it, or in this case, when I taste it, hehe." Fancy Pants laughed elegantly, then looked seriously at Applejack and smiled. "I would like for us to do business together so that we can sell your delicious apple treats all over Equestria." "A-All over Equestria!?" Applejack repeated, amazed at what she heard. She realized that her ambition had fallen short with what was happening in reality and now she was facing a business that could change her life and that of her family. "Yes, we could start with a branch office in Canterlot... Invest a few thousand bits to start and then we'll see." Fancy Pants added, quickly calculating numbers in his mind and predicting that this could be a very lucrative business. All while poor Applejack was stunned to hear 'a few thousand bits'. "Wait, Fancy! That’s not fair. I also want to invest in this business." Suddenly another elegant stallion said, taking an interest in the business that Fancy Pants was proposing and wanting to take it off before losing to the aristocrat. Then the elegant stallion turned to look at Applejack. "I know Fancy Pants, surely he'll ask you for royalties at twenty percent. I promise you royalties of twenty five percent and an investment greater than his by five percent!" "I would increase the investment by two percent and promise a two hundred percent return on business capital in the first year!" A third interested investor added, beginning to improve the offering. Then the three potential investors began to argue like sharks of business that they were, arguing in financial terms that Applejack didn't understand, and that she only got dizzy to hear such complicated concepts. But what the mare did understand was that this was the opportunity of a lifetime and that she couldn't move from there until 'the sharks' stopped negotiating. "But that… How long will it take!?" Applejack thought scared, realizing that she was trapped and that if everything continued like this, she wouldn't be able to meet with Dusk Shine... Applejack had been so busy in those remote corridors of the castle, that she had completely forgotten about Rarity, whom she had left abandoned at the entrance door of the castle, completely alone until a certain colt approached her when he saw her cry. "Please don't cry." A tender voice had said next to the beautiful white unicorn, which had made Rarity raise her head and was surprised to see who was speaking to her. Before her was the most handsome colt she had ever seen. A tall and well-built stallion, an elegant unicorn with impeccable posture, white fur that gleamed in the moonlight, long golden mane, with beautiful blue eyes, wearing the upper part of a fine tuxedo. He held out a small handkerchief so that she could dry her tears. If Rarity had to describe him in just a few words, it was how she imagined a fairy tale prince must be. "W-Who are you?" Rarity asked, unable to help but blush a little when she saw that she had been staring at the colt too long. Then she took the handkerchief that that colt offered her, and elegantly wiped her tears. "Oh! Forgive my manners. I am Prince Blueblood." The white colt said, bowing a little and showing Rarity a hoof to invite her to stand up. "A prince!? It can't be true, I must have misheard, there are no royal princes... or are there?" Rarity wondered in amazement as she took Blueblood's hoof and stood up.. Upon getting up, Rarity almost fell back to the floor because she had forgotten that she had broken one of the cleats of her glass slippers. Then she lit up her horn and used her magic to repair her beautiful broken slipper. "It's not a perfect arrangement, but at least it'll last through the night." Rarity thought, happy to have learned that little binding spell, something she had fortunately envisioned when making slippers from such a delicate material. "Wow... Along with being beautiful, you're very skilled, Miss..." Blueblood said gallantly, with his perfect smile. "Rarity." The mare replied, blushing again at the compliment. "So tell me, Miss Rarity, what is a beautiful lady like you doing out here? I thought that all the guests to the Gala would be inside and that I would be the last to arrive." Blueblood said, looking at Rarity curiously. "Oh well I…" Rarity replied, pausing as she remembered that the previous couple had made fun of her for not having an invitation. "I forgot my invitation at my house, so I was going to come back to look for it, hehe." Rarity lied as she started to walk away, regretting that she couldn't talk to that chivalrous colt anymore. However, it was better to leave and have the colt believe that lie, than to admit she had no invitation and be ashamed again. When Rarity turned to leave, Blueblood quickly grabbed her by the hoof and pulled her close to him, surprising the fashionista. "Do not fret, my lady. Come with me." Blueblood said, bringing Rarity close to his body and making her accompany him to the castle gate. Once they reached the door, the guard again stood in front of the door and stared at them. "Your invitations?" The guard asked seriously, focusing his eyes mainly on Rarity, not wanting to have to explain to her again that she couldn't enter uninvited. "This is her invitation." Blueblood said pulling out his own invitation. After seeing only one invitation, the guard started to ask where the other invitation was, but before that happened, Blueblood took out a medal with the emblem of a sun on it and showed it to the guard. "And this is my invitation. I'm the nephew of Princess Celestia, and this emblem proves it. The castle is like my second home, are you really thinking of stopping me from my own home?" Blueblood said looking with some contempt at the guard. Seeing the emblem of Princess Celestia, the guard tried to hide the fact that he had been scared, and finally let both unicorns pass. "I can't believe it… Is he really the princess's nephew!? A real prince!!" Rarity thought as her heart raced at the thought that she was facing a real prince, like in the fairy tales she read as a filly. As they walked, Blueblood glanced at Rarity and smiled proudly, as his title always had that effect on mares. While the title was true, in reality it was something more honorary than of real importance, as he didn’t have any official ruling over the kingdom like the princesses. However, as a show of appreciation towards the nobles, Princess Celestia always granted the honorary title of ‘Prince’ to the sons of the noble families of the kingdom. And since the current generation only mares had been born and he was the only colt, currently he was the only one in the kingdom to hold that honorary title, which filled him with pride. "It seems that this year I'll close the deal quickly... It was fortunate to find a beautiful mare as soon as I arrived at the Gala." Blueblood thought with a mischievous smile, since the truth was that he always went alone to the Grand Galloping Gala, because he liked to conquer beautiful mares on his way. "After all, no one can resist my charms." Blueblood smiled vainly. After advancing to the main hall, Blueblood stopped when he saw that Rarity had stood still to look at something. Following the mare's sight, Blueblood was surprised to recognize the colt he saw. It was Dusk Shine, the student of his 'Aunt' Celestia, who for some reason had taken the place of the princess and was in charge of the official greeting to the guests. Recognizing Dusk Shine, Blueblood frowned. He had always held distain for the lavender colt. Despite not being of noble birth, the princess held him in high esteem for some inane reason, something that neither he nor the Canterlot noble families liked. "Come, let's eat something, I think we'll skip the official greeting." Blueblood said, pushing Rarity into another hallway. "Uh? B-But I…" Rarity said shyly, still looking at Dusk, since now that she was inside the castle, she wanted to get closer to Dusk. However, she realized that it would be very impolite to abandon Blueblood so quickly after he helped her into the castle, so Rarity finally just looked away and followed Blueblood. That gaze from Rarity to Dusk didn't go unnoticed by Blueblood, who immediately found it inconceivable that the eyes of that beautiful mare weren't fixed on him and would have turned away to see that simple and silly lavender unicorn. "What was that!? I have charm, money, gallantry… Why did she stare so hard at that fool Dusk Shine!? Isn't it enough for him to steal the attention of my 'Auntie', who by right should be mine!?" Blueblood thought, starting to get angry. "Easy Blueblood… Don't overdo it, now show this mare that you are a thousand times better than a clumsy lavender colt." Blueblood breathed to calm himself, fixing his gaze on Rarity, taking it as a personal challenge to win her in love. "Would you like a tour of the castle? I know it perfectly, and it would be an honor for such a beautiful lady to accompany me tonight." Blueblood said, using all his charm and his perfect smile. "Of course! The honor would be mine." Rarity answered dreamily, being enchanted by that handsome face, and thinking that it wouldn't be bad to walk around the castle a bit, just as she had always dreamed of. After that, Blueblood led Rarity through various corridors, chatting about 'his important tasks' as the prince of Equestria, exaggerating a lot to impress the mare, and always talking about his attributes and accomplishments. To which Rarity was smiling sincerely, as it was thrilling to discover what a real prince did in real life. Eventually, they came to a large door that led outside to one of the many gardens of the castle. Then both ponies stood in front of the door, waiting for the other to open it. It took a couple of seconds for Blueblood to understand that, since he wanted to impress that mare to show that he was a much better option than Dusk, he would have to be the one to open the door. Something that he normally didn't do, since the mares that accompanied him always did it for him. "Here." Blueblood said gallantly, as he 'made a great effort' and opened the door, an act that Rarity found most chivalrous, and made the mare smile sincerely at him. Blueblood was a bit surprised, as it was a kind of smile that no mare had ever give him before. After that, Blueblood invited Rarity to smell the most beautiful roses in the garden, and he cut one to put on his suit, but while Blueblood still had the rose in his mouth, a crazy idea that had never occurred to him before crossed his mind, and finally he gave the rose to Rarity. "A beautiful rose to match your beautiful features." Blueblood said chivalrously, but inwardly thinking that that rose would look better on him. "It's beautiful! Thank you so much!" Rarity said, again with a big, genuine smile of appreciation, blushing at the gift. "What is this...? Her smile... It makes me feel weird..." Blueblood thought quizzically as he blushed at the sight of Rarity's beautiful smile. "I-I think I've talked enough about myself… Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" Blueblood said, slightly nervous. This came as an internal shock to the stallion as this was the first time that he was really interested in knowing more about one mare. Rarity then smiled and began to chat about her life. About her work, her sister, her friends, and eventually shifted to some fun anecdotes, which made them both laugh and began to talk cheerfully. Blueblood starting to open up as well and also telling humorous anecdotes, while Rarity began to marvel at the thought that princes really existed. "Not only is he handsome, he's elegant, funny, gallant... He's the colt I've always dreamed of as a filly..." Rarity thought excitedly, feeling that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a fault with Blueblood. Until she snapped out of her daydreams by discovering Blueblood's only flaw. "His only flaw… is that he is not Dusk Shine." Rarity thought with a sad smile. Though Blueblood was perfect in every sense of the word, neither her mind nor her heart could stop thinking about Dusk. Through all of his faults, the lavender colt had earned a warm place in the unicorn’s heart that no other colt could hope to achieve. "I’m sorry. Tonight was perfect…but I really must be going now." Rarity said after Blueblood finished telling a funny story. Hearing that Rarity was leaving, another strange feeling was born in Blueblood. Normally, he was the one who left the mares, never before had a mare told him that she had to leave his side. Then all those new emotions that Blueblood had felt began to intensify in his chest, and he had a revelation. No longer was this just a silly competition against Dusk, now he had discovered something wonderful that he could no longer let go. "Rarity, you can't go!" Blueblood said fearfully, tenderly taking Rarity's hooves next to his own and looking at her with big and sincere loving eyes. "I think I love you." And although it might seem impossible with Rarity's fur, the white unicorn turned pale with surprise... With the five Ponyville mares having their own problems escaping from their respective situations after having fulfilled their respective dreams, the only one who remained without fulfilling his dream was Dusk Shine, who was still up the stairs of the main hall. His hooves were sore after having to greet so many ponies and his throat was dry after having to explain to everyone why HE was waving instead of the princess. "This is not how I imagined my night at the Grand Galloping Gala would go..." Dusk sighed wearily after finishing greeting a couple and waiting for the next one to approach. "Then tell me... How did you imagine spending tonight?" A familiar voice suddenly asked from behind Dusk, causing him to jump in surprise upon seeing his teacher. "Princess Celestia! You’re finally back!" Dusk said with a mix of surprise and relief. "Why the face? Did you think that I would leave you here all night?" Celestia asked warmly, slightly narrowing her eyes. Faced with that question, Dusk just kept quiet and analyzed his teacher's face, a face that he knew perfectly. Dusk was able to recognize that in his teacher's mind, there had really been the option of leaving him there all night, which made Dusk just smile nervously, relieved that she didn't choose that option. "You may go ahead and enjoy the Gala before it ends. We can talk later." the princess said, relieving him of his position to the joy of Dusk and the other guests, who smiled when they saw that they could now be greeted by the princess in person. Then Dusk turned around and decided to go with his friends to enjoy the party before going back to his teacher. "By the way, Dusk..." Celestia added suddenly, before Dusk moved away, causing him to turn around to look at her. The alicorn was silent for a moment, and then she smiled. "Nevermind,. Go be with your friends. I'm sure they can't wait to see you." Celestia added with a sly smile. "I think something very important is ahead for my little Dusk..." Celestia thought, as she remembered her conversation with Pinkie Pie, and her sixth sense warned her that something important could happen to her beloved Dusk that night. After saying goodbye to his teacher, Dusk moved away from the main hall and started walking through the halls of the castle. Suddenly, he felt someone pull him aside and cover his head with a sack, making everything go dark. After that surprising act, Dusk felt somepony pick him up and take him from where he was. While this was happening, Dusk was perplexed, not understanding what was happening or how he should act. "Is this another prank from the princess?" Dusk said out loud for his captor to hear him. However, no one answered him, his captor just kept moving while carrying him. When he didn't get an answer, Dusk began to have serious doubts as to whether that was a joke, so he tried to move. Only then did he realize that an immobilizing spell was casted on him, which scared him even more. Before Dusk could think of anything else, his captor suddenly stopped and lowered Dusk to the floor, and then removed the sack on his head. As soon as Dusk could see again, he had to focus his eyes a bit, since this place was very dark, totally different from the illuminated corridors of the castle where he had been before being kidnapped. There, the only thing that illuminated the surroundings were small torches on the walls. It appeared to be an entirely new location of the castle to Dusk. A rather surprising fact considering he had spent much of his childhood wandering the corridors of the castle. Once his sight got used to the darkness Dusk was surprised to discover who his captor was, or rather, captors, since before him were two mares that he knew from his time living in the castle. "Sweet Creme and Sweet Caramel?" Dusk asked in surprise and confusion, recognizing the twin sisters as the elite maids of the princesses. "What are you doing? And… Where are we!?" "This is one of the secret corridors of the castle. Very few ponies know about it, so no matter how much you yell, no pony will hear you." The twin with red mane, Sweet Caramel, said while giving a threatening look at Dusk Shine. "Yes, so you better not resist and give us what we want!" The mare with blue mane, Sweet Creme, said with the same menacing look. "What are you doing Creme!? It was assumed that I would be the bad cop and you would be the good cop!" Sweet Caramel whispered, scolding her sister. "Oh, that’s right! I'm sorry." Sweet Creme apologized with an embarrassed smile. "Uh... what's going on?" Dusk asked, raising an eyebrow, still not understanding what those two mares were planning. During his childhood, Dusk had seen both sisters being with their parents while they were learning the trade of serving royalty, so they had seen several times in the castle. They even had played together some few times. However, for some reason, one day both sisters stopped talking to him and distanced themselves from him. Ever since then, Dusk had only seen them occasionally when Princess Celestia requested their presence. However, despite not knowing them so well, what Dusk did know was that they were both extremely loyal to Princess Celestia. So Dusk was amazed that they were both doing something like that in secret from the princess. "Wait… the princess asked you to play this prank on me?" Dusk asked, suspecting again that that could be the reason for all of this. Hearing that, both mares turned to glare at Dusk with fire in their eyes. "Princess Celestia is the most magnificent and sensible pony in all of Equestria. She would never stoop to doing something as a joke." Sweet Creme said in a cold tone of voice, feeling that she had just been insulted personally. Seeing Sweet Creme's face of fury, Dusk bit his lip and looked away, having forgotten that the jokes between him and the princess were something that no one in the castle knew, because it was a side that the princess didn't show to others. And even if Sweet Creme ever saw the princess playing a prank on Dusk, in her mind she had Celestia's image on such a high pedestal that it was impossible for her to think of her beloved princess doing something so vulgar. "This is not a joke." Sweet Caramel said, calming down and looking at Dusk seriously. "We brought you here because we want to offer you a deal." "A deal? What deal?" Dusk asked, looking back at the twins confused. Sweet Caramel gave a signal to her sister, and the mare with the blue mane turned around to look for something, and then with her magic levitated a huge bag, almost as big as Dusk. Then Sweet Creme dropped the heavy bag, and as soon as it fell there was a metallic sound inside it. The bag was so bulky that it fell open, showing that it was full of bits. Seeing the huge amount of bits, Dusk was surprised to see such a great treasure before him. "This is all that my sister and I have saved over the years since we began our service at the castle." Sweet Caramel said, still looking seriously at Dusk. "And this can be all yours." While the red-maned mare spoke, Dusk saw the enormous amount of money and imagined all he could do with that. Ever since he had moved to Ponyville, his lifestyle had changed a lot when compared to living in the castle. Though nowhere near unbearable, he had missed some of the previous luxuries he had that he could no longer afford with his librarian salary. But if he had that money, he could enjoy those luxuries, not only for him, but Spike and his friends. "And you... why would you give me all this?" Dusk asked, coming out of his daydreams, realizing that there had to be a catch. "You just have to do us a little favor..." Sweet Caramel confirmed. "You have to promise never to see the princesses again... Never again." "What!?" Dusk said, amazed at what they asked him. "Why don't you want me to talk to Princess Celestia again!?" "We have our reasons!" Sweet Creme said quickly, her lips tightening as she remembered that this was for the sake of her beloved princess. "I said princesses, not just Princess Celestia. This also includes my… includes Princess Luna!" Sweet Caramel added, blushing slightly, thinking that she almost said, 'my princess', out of the respect and great affection she had for her beloved boss, the princess of the night. " I guess you could keep meeting with Princess Cadenza, but you could never speak or write to either of the other two princesses again." "I… I couldn't do that. Princess Celestia is my teacher. And Princess Luna…" Dusk said seriously. "I... I don't want to stop seeing Princess Luna." he added with a blush, since every time he thought of Princess Luna, he always remembered the kiss she had given him. "What if we double this amount!?" Sweet Creme said anxiously, bringing her face closer to Dusk to stare at him. Thinking that they would have to dedicate their lifetime wages to fulfill such a promise, but if with that they managed to drive away the colt that influenced the lives of their beloved princesses, then it was worth it. "I wouldn't do it for all the money in Equestria." Dusk said, looking seriously at Sweet Creme, causing her to recoil back. Seeing that their bribe had not worked, both sisters glanced at each other and nodded, accepting that they would have to use another plan: force. "You know... I'll remind you again. We are alone here, you can't move, and no pony will ever find you here." Sweet Caramel said with a threatening look. "If you don't do what we ask, we'll have to use force to convince you." The mare added as she and her sister lit their horns to threaten Dusk with their magic. "Actually, I can move." Dusk said smiling, moving his hooves to show that he had long since freed himself from the immobilizing spell that had been casted on him, which left both mares speechless. Seeing that Dusk had freed himself from their spell, both mares used their magic at the same time to perform the spell again. However, with a quick flash of magic from Dusk's horn, he freed himself again. And when seeing that Dusk was released again, both mares repeated the process over and over again, always with the same result. All the while Dusk remained immobile, with his lips pressed together, just moving his eyes, seeing how the twins got angry when they saw that their spell was so easily canceled. "Remember that I am the student of Princess Celestia. If you want to use a spell against me, it won't be that easy." Dusk said with a nervous smile, not wanting to upset both mares more than they were. Seeing that their backup plan also failed, both mares turned their backs on Dusk and began whispering to each other. "What do we do now, sister!?" Sweet Creme asked, a little scared. "Hmm… wait! I have an idea." Sweet Caramel replied with a thoughtful look, and then she leaned closer to her sister to whisper her plan. Meanwhile, Dusk simply stood there, waiting for both mares to speak to him again, as he began to have some compassion for both mares when he saw that their plan hadn't worked. "They're more fun than I expected… I wonder why we stopped talking to each other when we were younger?" Dusk thought, starting to laugh at the situation. He couldn’t think of any situation the mares could come up with to make him stop seeing the princesses. "Hmm... it's a shame our magic doesn't work on you..." Sweet Caramel said suddenly, narrowing her eyes and speaking in a softer tone of voice. "I guess if magic won’t work, we'll have to tie you up with this rope…" Sweet Caramel added, playfully swinging a rope near her mouth and then approaching Dusk. "You know that I can also unleash myself with my magic, right?" Dusk said with a smile full of confidence. However, that smile vanished when he felt Sweet Caramel hugging him and stick her head next to his as she passed the rope behind his back. "T-That won't work..." Dusk added nervously, blushing at having the red-mane mare so close. "What is the matter? Are you nervous about something?" Sweet Creme asked, also approaching Dusk and looking at him with the most innocent face she had, making Dusk blush even more. "I-I'm not nervous… W-Why would I be nervous?" Dusk said looking away, his cheeks still blushed. "Well, you seem nervous to me." Sweet Creme said tenderly, placing her head on Dusk's chest, which made Dusk turn even redder. "Goodness, your heart is beating very fast... you're definitely nervous about something." Sweet Creme said, looking at Dusk from below with her big eyes. After seeing Sweet Creme, Dusk once again looked away, deciding not to speak anymore, since everything he said turned against him and made him blush more and more. "You know, I discussed it with my sister, and we decided that there is more than one way to convince a colt..." Sweet Caramel said, moving away from Dusk a little so that he could see her fully. The mare with the red mane stared at Dusk with a seductive gaze and slowly began to remove her maid outfit. "W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Dusk asked, red with shame, looking away quickly. His brain was struggling to understand why while ponies normally didn't wear clothes, it was so erotic to see a mare taking off her clothes. "If you do what we ask... we could fulfill all your desires." Sweet Creme said with a flirtatious look, moving Dusk's head with her hoof so that he didn't look away. "Whatever…they…may…be." Sweet Creme added seductively. "Uh... Bleh... Uh..." Dusk stammered as his brain stopped working properly after hearing that very suggestive phrase. "What do you say sister? It seems that tonight we could take the innocence from a certain colt." Sweet Caramel said smiling coquettishly, recognizing that those nerves that Dusk showed were because surely he had never been with a mare before. “We could…demonstrate all the pleasures a mare’s body can give.” "I think that's how it is, sis. I must admit, he is rather cute. But only if he promises to do what we ask." Sweet Creme said with a tender smile. Then both sisters hugged each other and looked intensely at Dusk Shine, one with a seductive look, and the other with an innocent and tender look. Seeing both twin sisters before him, in such a position with their loose clothes, Dusk's heart accelerated to a thousand beats per second, feeling that he was in some crazy erotic fantasy of some story. In what real world could it happen that two beautiful twin sisters were flirting with him and promising that they would do 'whatever' he asked them...? Then Dusk remembered the four colts that had pulled his carriage that night, and with absolute certainty Dusk realized that any of them would kill for be in his position. While Dusk kept thinking about how crazy this whole situation was and how excessively nervous he was, both sisters slowly approached Dusk and, one at a time, approached and gently kissed Dusk on his trembling lips... As soon as Dusk received the kisses, his mind felt like it exploded because of how racing his heart was and how his body was reacting, but... "Uh?" Dusk thought suddenly, his eyes widening when he realized something as both mares kissed him. "This... It doesn't feel like I expected..." There was no doubt, Dusk's body had reacted like that of any other colt to having two mares flirting with him, even more so since both mares were so beautiful. However, leaving aside the bodily reactions and his racing heart due to his nerves, Dusk realized that after the kiss... he felt nothing. At least, nothing like what he had felt in his previous kisses. "Every time one of my friends had kissed me… even with Princess Luna, I… I felt a surge of happiness that filled my heart, a joy like nothing else makes me feel." Dusk thought. "I felt their affection, the passion when they did it, I felt my emotions go crazy and my heart goes crazy sharing that..." "Love..." Dusk whispered after discovering why despite having two beautiful mares kissing him, he didn't feel comfortable. "Did you say something?" Sweet Caramel asked, without leaving her facade and keeping her flirtatious gaze towards Dusk. "I…I’m sorry. You two are truly beautiful, but…I couldn’t be with either of you, because… because I'm already in love." Dusk said without a hint of doubt, his eyes wide as he realized how easily those words came out of his mouth. Hearing those words, both maids froze and looked at each other in confusion, as if they didn't know what to do, because it never occurred to them that Dusk would tell them something like that. And seeing that the confusion was mutual between them, the two sisters removed their facade and again turned their backs on Dusk and began to murmur among themselves. "He… is he already in love with somepony?" Sweet Caramel whispered, thinking that Dusk's look was unmistakable, and he was so in love that he even resisted the charms of both sisters combined. "Wait! Maybe that can help us." Sweet Creme whispered, who was a little shyer than her sister and now that she had let go of her facade, she was blushing because of what she had done to Dusk. "If he starts dating with a mare from the town where he lives, then he'll have less time to write and meet with the princesses." "That could work..." The red-maned twin added with a thoughtful face. While both twins whispered between them, Dusk, who had just stood still, staring at nothing while his mind realized what really mattered to him that night. "I love my friends. I would be the happiest colt in the world if I could be with any of them right now." Dusk thought slowly, coming back to reality and smiling. "I can't waste any more time here, I… I want to enjoy the Gala with them!" Then Dusk used his magic, and with a silent Poof!, he teleported away from there. Right at that moment, both maids had decided what their new plan would be, and they turned to see their prisoner and offer him a new deal. However, they were surprised to see that Dusk Shine had disappeared. "No way! He escaped!" Sweet Creme said, pursing her lips in annoyance. "Don't worry, we'll catch him again." Sweet Caramel said with a look full of determination. "And next time, we'll take more drastic measures to ensure that Dusk doesn't disturb our beloved princesses again..." Then the two sisters bumped their hooves, vowing that they would keep that promise. "I imagine you two had fun?" A third female voice said suddenly, causing the twins to freeze. Then both sisters turned slowly to see who was behind them, and both were paralyzed when they saw who that pony was, going pale and speechless when they realized the problem they had been involved in. End of chapter 54