Blueblood stared at the stallion in the mirror. If anything, his hair was a touch wilder than usual – an hour trying to make it perfect was fruitlessly spent. The evening hadn’t even begun and already his white suit was sporting a few creases.
He had a headache from brushing his mane so much. “I’ve got to be out of my mind,” he grumbled, once more attacking that strand of hair that always seemed to slide down his ear.
“A Canterlot Ball. Brilliant idea, your highness. What was I thinking? Why not a fancy dinner? Lunch in the park? Bird watching? Why not cake? I’d even go for a gross, crumbly, calorie-laden cake rather than put Ditzy through this.”
With a frustrated groan, he dunked his head in the sink, deciding just to scrap the manestyle and try again. “Insane. Insane! I have got to be insane. Why am I wasting so much time with my stupid mane and stupid clothes anyway? Ditzy’ll probably show up windswept from the chariot ride and buck naked. Then Shining Armor will chide her for not being properly dressed, Cadence will flip out on me for ruining the ball, Prince Charming will hit on her, Prince Luxury will treat her like a zoo animal, and everypony will laugh at us. Rarity will be useless and burn the palace down, which is probably the best thing that can happen!”
A droll, stern voice emerged behind him. “Stop panicking, Dear.”
Blueblood gave a start and turned around, fast enough to make his hair whip out like a flail. The wet mane’s momentum carried it to the side of Rarity’s face, delivering a moist slap that took out about a third of her makeup.
“Rarity?”
She glared steadily at him. Her mane was perfect, her dress regal, and her makeup…
“That’s mostly your fault.” He pulled his mane back and raised his nose. “Who let you in, anyway?”
“The Sapphire Ball is in the palace. You gave me an invitation. The chariot picked us up an hour ago.” Rarity pawed the side of her face a little. The smear of makeup made her look like a zombie, and she had a clear vision of herself in Blueblood’s mirror. She took a sharp breath, for a moment looking like she was going to get angry.
But then she let it out slowly, rolling her eyes. She strode on past Blueblood, making for his closet. “This where you keep your makeup?”
“Uh, yeah, top shelf.” Blueblood blinked. “Okay so…I can see how you got past the guards. But what are you doing in my room?”
“Fixing your hair,” she tutted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Right after I fix my makeup…”
------
Rarity knew her way around a manecut, Blueblood could give her that.
With the Ball drawing closer every minute, Rarity had worked a miracle getting his hair to cooperate. Her own appearance was even easier to fix – her and Blueblood used the same brand of makeup, so a simple touch-up was all that was needed.
Blueblood cringed as he stepped outside the room, seeing the hallway beginning to fill with guests. All the posh and pretty ponies of Canterlot. Top hats, diamond necklaces, tiaras…nothing but class.
“Maybe it’s not too late to cancel,” he mumbled weakly.
Rarity elbowed him in the usual spot on his ribs. “Oh, act like a stallion.”
“Good to see you, Blueblood!” A familiar brown unicorn with a slicked-back mane waved at him. “Is today the day we meet your mystery mare?”
Blueblood swallowed hard – recognition was the last thing he wanted right now. “M-m-maybe, Noble Heart.”
He ignored the bespectacled colt’s warm smile. Noble Heart was always friendly…but what would he say when he met Ditzy?
At Rarity’s insistence, Blueblood followed her to the entrance hall, sweating all the while. “Rarity, could I just get a minute to get myself together?”
“Not necessary, Darling.” With a bit more force than necessary, she opened the door to the waiting room. “Behold, your date! Be amazed!”
“I’ve seen her several times, Rarity, I’m not gonna be amaz-“
He stopped.
It was a VERY different Ditzy that stood before him. Gone was the messy mane, replaced by a smooth, combed look. The long hair was stylized into a single large curl, running tantalizingly down her neck. She had pink blush and red lipstick on – Blueblood had always thought blush was silly, but on Ditzy it had an entirely new effect on him. Her jewelry was subtle and tasteful - tiny gold earrings and matching blue bands for her hair and tail.
All these things made her look refined. The dress made her look sexy. It was black and slimming, sleeveless and with holes cut for her wings and tail. Her back was turned and the fabric…sorta hugged her butt.
And her legs…
“What are those on her legs?” Blueblood whispered, mouth gone dry.
“Garter stockings.” Rarity said with a fierce smile on her face. It didn’t take a genius to know she designed the dress.
“Wow.”
“Thank you.” She whistled and waved. “Yoo-hoo! Dizty!”
Ditzy turned and grinned nervously. She strode shyly up to Blueblood, and a weird tapping sound became audible. It took Blueblood a moment to realize his teeth were chattering.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey, yourself.”
A second of silence. Rarity opened her mouth to break it, but Ditzy beat her to the punch. “Do I look pretty?”
“You always look pretty,” Blueblood said without thinking. Right answer.
They embraced, softly placing their necks together. Blueblood could feel her trembling a little beneath him. He sighed. If he was nervous, how did she feel? She had left everything she knew to come to a strange, cloistered event. She had to feel incredibly self-conscious, for more reasons than one.
This was a bad idea. The thought hit him, not for the first time today. Then, at least I can blame Rarity for it.
“It’s all gonna be great,” Blueblood whispered. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
Ditzy stepped back and smiled up at him. “I don’t wanna embarrass you.”
“I won’t be embarrassed,” Blueblood said confidently, and he fervently, fervently hoped he wasn’t lying.
As they began walking to Sapphire Hall, Blueblood’s mood swung more times than little Dinky had on the swing set. When his attention was on the other guests, his paranoia ramped up to record levels. It seemed everywhere he glanced, there was a pair of eyes on him that quickly looked away when they caught his gaze. Posh unicorns with platinum buttons and jeweled necklaces whispered to each other – they had to be talking about Ditzy. Sometimes their hooves were conveniently hiding their lips. A few were laughing quietly in their little conversations.
In ever laugh he saw a sneer, in every whispered comment he thought he heard an insult aimed at Ditzy. He knew he was just being paranoid, but the knowledge didn’t make him any less so.
And then his attention bounced back to Ditzy. Her mouth was opened in rustic wonder as they entered Sapphire Hall. It was a grand place to see, so long as one enjoyed the color blue. Great sapphire chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Stained-glass windows lined the hall, depicting scenes from Equestrian history entirely in shades of blue. Ditzy was grinning, drinking in sights most ponies go their lives without witnessing.
“Blue carrots?” She giggled, eyeing one of the appetizers. “Maybe they grow in the ocean?”
That innocent, naïve wonder…Blueblood’s heart went out to her, now more than ever. He would do anything to defend Ditzy from the reality he felt certain was poised to attack her. Any of these twit nobles wanted to take a shot at her they’d have to go through him, first.
It was while Blueblood was thinking such thoughts that Noble Heart approached him. “Hi, Prince! I’m glad I could-“
The bespectacled stallion gagged as Blueblood’s magic seized his collar. Blueblood spun him away from the mares and chanced a quick glance back – good, Rarity and Ditzy were admiring the Sapphire Statue together.
He slammed the side of his head against Noble Heart’s, whispering in a low growl. “Alright, four-eyes, listen up. Say one word about Ditzy and I’m snapping off your horn and sticking it in a place where the sun don’t shine.”
“The…basement?” Noble Heart looked nothing but confused.
“No, it’s…ugh, never mind.” Blueblood shook his head, clonking it against the other unicorn’s again. “Look, whatever coy little backhanded remark you had planned for Ditzy, skip it. I’m not gonna let you ruin her evening just so you can have a few seconds of smug superiority.”
Noble Heart blinked. “Wait, what? Blueblood!”
He gave a quick laugh and turned his head to peer at the prince. “I wouldn’t do that!”
“Really?”
“Trust me,” The lesser noble pushed up his glasses and beamed. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
ARE we? Blueblood didn’t see Noble Heart that often, usually when they were putting together the charity auction. It was never better than mediocre, but Noble Heart was always so excited about it. He treated every sale like a great personal victory, and bombarded Blueblood with ideas to make each year a more successful one.
And now he was staring at Blueblood, with a smile that was equal parts clueless and friendly.
“Aren’t we?” Blueblood parroted, still unsure how to answer the question.
Noble Heart cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. “Of course! But seriously – you, worried about what other ponies say? What happened to the Blueblood who left mares weeping in his wake? The one who rejects popularity like it’s the plague?”
“It’s…different,” Blueblood sighed. “Ponies can say whatever they want about me. They can say whatever they want to me. But not to Ditzy.”
He swallowed. “I…I want to protect her.”
“From me?” Noble Heart laughed and strode past him. “The pony races were unified a zillion years ago, Blueblood. Nopony will make fun of her just for being a pegasus.”
Blueblood groaned. “Maybe not, but there’s other reasons ponies would mock her.“
“Poppycock, good sir! Here!” Noble Heart abruptly turned past him. “Hello, Rarity! Hello, Madam!”
By the time Ditzy turned, Noble Heart was well within her personal space. Without giving her time to react, he knelt, took her hoof, and gave it a kiss.
“M’Lady, it is an honor to finally meet the apple of Prince Blueblood’s eye.” He gazed up at her, smiling smoothly. “My name is Noble Heart. The pleasure is all mine.”
“I’m Ditzy Doo,” she blushed and beamed back at him. It was great to see her finally relax a little…even though a small part of Blueblood wanted to punch the other stallion.
He straightened and turned to the white mare. “And Rarity! So good to see you again.”
Blueblood smiled, watching the three chat. Okay, Noble Heart and Rarity chatted while Ditzy watched. But she looked comfortable, standing with two ponies who wouldn’t do her wrong. Rarity had doubtless been a torture with her perfectionism, but making Ditzy’s dress did let them bond a little before the Ball. Of all the unicorns for Ditzy to meet here, Noble Heart was a good one to start with. He was young and friendly, and – weirdly – seemed to court Blueblood’s approval. He was a little posh and a little wheedling, but who here wasn’t? The only nicer pony to meet would be-
“Cadence!”
“No, not Cadence,” Blueblood grumbled through gritted teeth as the pink princess entered. Hungry for signs of the rumored proposal, ponies sprinted to prime positions to observe her.
The bad news was that Rarity joined them. Blueblood arched an eyebrow in annoyance, noting that it took all of fifteen minutes for her to forget her offer to be his wingpony. But the good news was that the small cloud of nobles observing Ditzy had run off as well.
Cadence looked a little perturbed with all these ponies pretending not to be watching her. That was a bright spot as well.
Not everypony was jockeying for position around her, though. One second, Blueblood was watching Cadence’s displeasure with just a tiny bit of enjoyment. The next, he was looking into the eyes of another mare he was less-than-thrilled to see.
“Golden Gem,” he said in a bored voice. Yep, she still looked like a dog with that birthmark on her nose.
“Hi, Bluey,” she said, smiling coyly.
“Blueblood,” her date said in greeting, the pair inseparable at the flank. Mane so blonde it was almost white, charming blue eyes, handsomest face in the world…Blueblood’s cousin, Prince Charming.
“Gem,” Blueblood nodded at her, then at the other prince. “Charming. How’s your wife doing?”
Golden Gem winced at that, but Charming only smiled winningly. “Oh, there’s nothing wrong with taking a lovely young mare out for a-“
“Where does she think you are?”
“Trottingham.” Utterly unashamed, Charming winked. “For the next two weeks. But enough about me – HA! Nopony can get enough of me. I could go on about me for hours, but that wouldn’t be very polite. Won’t you introduce me to your own special somepony? I hear she’s…aheh, somepony special.”
Ditzy wandered over, enormous grin still plastered on her face. Meeting a noble or two got her over her trepidation at the worst possible time. “Hi, I’m Ditzy Doo! Are you friends with Blueblood?”
“Friends? Why, we’re practically family!” Charming announced boisterously. He winked broadly at his cousin and went on. “Prince Charming. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Ditzy smiled as he kissed her hoof. “Pleasure to make your ack…kwaitance too.”
There it was. If her race and slow speech didn’t make her a target already, stumbling over hard words certainly did. Blueblood drew in a sharp breath.
The other two hesitated a moment…
“Prince Charming!” a refined voice came over.
“Ah, Fancy Pants! And Fleur, you look beautiful as ever.”
Fancy Pants to the rescue. As usual. I swear, he does this on purpose.
The newcomers occupied Prince Charming, but that left one still unattended. Golden Gem eyed Ditzy as the mare kept taking in the sights. As she turned, witnessing another wondrous blue sculpture, her wing brushed a glass off a tray. The pegasus didn’t even notice the mistake, and disaster was only averted when Prince Luxury saw the fall and snatched it with his magic.
“Well, Bluey.” A half-smile grew on Gem’s face as Ditzy’s staring at the scenery led her to bump into another pony. “You certainly found somepony…’special.’”
Blueblood’s face was deadpan. A single twitch of the eyebrow was the only emotion he showed. And he vowed that if he heard one more ‘special’ pun, he would feel no guilt over the consequences that followed.
“Now I’m not bitter over losing,” she said, and Blueblood resisted the urge to snort. Losing? You weren’t even in the game.
“But are you seriously into…that kind of pony?”
Gloves? Off.
“I’m not terribly discerning,” Blueblood said with a straight face. It always worked better when you delivered it with a straight face. “I’m mostly into mares who aren’t greedy tarts and don’t look like diamond dogs.”
Gem glared at him and huffed. Maybe she was looking for one of those coy ‘veiled insult duels’ and Blueblood crossed the line. Maybe she’d been called a diamond dog before. Even if not, she was probably pretty sensitive about the birthmark on her nose.
Blueblood maintained his deadpan, bored expression and shrugged. Can’t take it? Don’t dish it out.
Her fun ruined, Golden Gem wasted no time in reconnecting her flank with Charming and sauntering off with him.
Now freed of the other prince, Fancy Pants stepped up to Blueblood. “Pleased to see you.”
“Both of you,” he added, nodding toward Ditzy. “So here’s the mare who tamed our Blueblood, eh?”
Seemingly without drawing breath, Fleur raced over to Ditzy making a noise that sounded kind of like EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Ditzy shrank back shyly as the tall unicorn loomed over her. Fleur’s long neck was moving around like a hyperactive swan’s, eyeing the pegasus from every angle.
“Your dress!” Fleur announced giddily, wide grin on her face. “Goodness, Love, it’s marvelous! The red lipstick, the blonde mane, the grey flank and black dress, Oh, C'est Magnifique! It all comes together perfectly!”
Her neck stretched all the way out, Fleur leaned to the side and gave a tiny gasp at the tightness around the flank. “Oh, Love, it’s so risqué! I love it! So seductive! So tantalizing! Great Celestia, you’re so bold!”
“But…Darling…” Fancy Pants shared a shrug with the prince. “You’re…not wearing any clothes at all.”
Blueblood nodded. “Yeah. And, uh, Ditzy usually goes around naked anyway.”
In perfect symmetry, Ditzy and Fleur tilted their heads, staring in incomprehension at the two stallions.
“Boys!” they said in unison, prompting the two to explode in a fit of giggles.
Fleur tossed back her hair. “Despite his name, even my Fancy Pants knows nothing of fashion.”
“Guilty as charged.” Fancy Pants confessed.
Blueblood’s eyes slowly widened as he took in the scene. The two were hitting it off with Ditzy, and he had no idea how it happened.
He eyed Fancy Pants as the fop chatted with the pegasus, not terribly surprised on that count. The monocle-wearing stallion didn’t have a judgmental bone in his body. If he could handle Rarity’s crazy friends without so much as a blink, Ditzy would be no great leap.
But Fleur? When Blueblood pictured the shallow, preening twits of Canterlot, hers was the first face that came to mind. He watched the leggy unicorn suspiciously, but there was no sign of the bigotry he had feared. No backhanded compliments or sneers. No knowing glances to other ponies, not even the ‘wow, I’m talking to an idiot’ pause most ponies have the first time they hear Ditzy speak. Nothing like that, just Fleur doing 95% of the talking with 0% of the intelligence, as usual. Dress fashions and manestyles and…hooficure trends or something. He never managed to pay attention to her for more than a few seconds.
Much as she always made him want to rip his ears off…she was treating Ditzy exactly the same way she treated other ponies. That was as heartening as it was surprising.
Fancy Pants took note of the undisguised surprise and quietly withdrew to Blueblood’s side.
“Don’t be so scared of other ponies,” he muttered softly. “They’re better than you think.”
“Fleur’s better than I thought,” Blueblood conceded, tone still guarded. “Noble Heart’s better than I thought. You’re…well, you’ve always been Sir Perfect. That’s three. But what about all those other ponies?”
“Like Rarity?” Fancy countered with a disarming smile.
Blueblood grunted. “Four. That’s four. What about the rest?”
“Only way to find out is to meet them.” Fancy rejoined the conversation, waving over a few acquaintances to introduce to Ditzy. Lady Sapphire welcomed the pegasus to her ball, then proceeded to wail about her wayward daughter. Regality distracted the lady, giving a wink as the others escaped the awkward conversation. The stiff perfectionist Crown Royal was excessively formal to Ditzy, just like he was to any other.
Prince Luxury asked a stupid, “Is it weird being a pegasus?” But the crowd quickly demanded an apology of him. He didn’t mean poorly, he just had only met unicorns before. Shining Armor was downright friendly to her, far friendlier than he ever was to Blueblood. If anything, the most common awkwardness Ditzy had to deal with was the oft-asked, ‘how do you put up with Blueblood?’ And then she answered that he was never anything but sweet to her. He had caught a few ponies staring at him, struck by the difference between her description and the abrasive stallion they thought they knew. That was fine with Blueblood. If ponies thought that he was the weirdo in the relationship, he could definitely live with that.
Blueblood’s smile – and his sense of ease – grew as Ditzy met one pony after another. Maybe they were just following Fancy Pants’ lead, or maybe the rules and niceties of high society were protecting Ditzy more than harming her. Perhaps Fancy Pants was right, and his peers were better than Blueblood had always believed. The event began passing in a pleasant haze, the couple dancing with each other and with other ponies, eating, chatting, and generally having a classy good evening.
However it happened, Ditzy was having a great time. And that was the important thing.
Ponies talked readily to her, and she was the best listener they ever met. She was strange, but that also made her exotic. Word had begun circulating: the arrogant and boorish Blueblood, wooed by a simple country girl. Ponies liked the story – it was cute and romantic. And it was also readily overshadowed by excited gossip of Cadence and Shining Armor.
“Okay, I seriously wish ponies would stop staring at me.” Shining Armor grumbled. He had fallen in with Blueblood, probably because the Prince wasn’t interested in him. “Why now, of all nights?”
“What do you mean?” Blueblood asked, feigning ignorance. The whole Ball knew of his impending proposal, but no need to say anything.
“It’s just – ugh, never mind.” Shining Armor shook his head. “Sorry. Anyway, I came over to say congratulations on your date. I wish you two the best.”
Blueblood nodded. “Thanks…er, did you see where Ditzy went?”
Shining opened his mouth to respond, but Rarity cut in first from the other side of him. “Over there, on the dance floor near the blue hay table. Dancing with Prince Charming.”
“Great,” Blueblood grumbled sourly.
Rarity gave him a humored, knowing smile. “He always dances with all the mares, Prince. Would you rather he treated Ditzy differently?”
He glanced at Rarity, eyebrows raised. She had a point, and they both knew it. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop a wry smile coming to his face. They locked gazes, smiles growing. Weirdly enough…they were both on the same page. Maybe closer than they ever could have been had Rarity turned his eye at the Gala. It seemed perpetually clouded by ego, but there was a genuine warmth of feeling between the two.
“I’m…glad you’re my friend, Rarity.”
She accepted it with grace, closing her eyes and giving a deep nod. When she opened her eyes, she found her hoof clasped by Blueblood.
“Will you grant me this dance, Fair Lady?”
With a tiny giggle, she nodded again and the pair trod over to the dance floor.
It was a slow waltz, consisting of several minutes of easy movement. Blueblood found it remarkable how easily he was smiling. How easily he was laughing, talking, and breathing. His fears had been dashed. He was actually having fun with his fellow upper crust, and so was Ditzy. And maybe, just maybe…he had more friends than he guessed.
Rarity continued dancing, obliviously pleased. But about halfway through the waltz, an entirely different feeling came over Blueblood.
Nothing ever goes this well.
He swallowed, feeling a chill work its way up his spine. This was too good to last. Nothing, absolutely nothing in his life went this smoothly. Least of all when he brought an odd pegasus to a royal ball.
It wasn’t something that could be described. It was an instinct, a sudden feeling of fear without any cause he could see.
It would be a stupid thing to explain, so he kept dancing. But his head kept snapping around, looking for Ditzy. Where was she? Crying in a corner? Surrounded by sneering mockers? No, there! She was...
…Dancing with Prince Charming, just like Rarity said.
Blueblood sighed with relief. He REALLY needed to relax more.
Such were his thoughts when disaster struck.
It started with the garter stockings, so it was partially Rarity’s fault.
Ditzy had never worn socks or anything like them in her life. She had skidded several times on the smooth dance floor, but always had been able to hold onto her partner and keep balance. Not so with this particular waltz, in which the partners danced at a short distance. It was the only fast movement of the dance, a tight circle around each other. Ditzy missed the cue as Charming quick-stepped to her side. She scrambled twice as fast to try to get back in pace with him and slipped on the blue floor. As her hooves went upward, Ditzy yelped and instinctively flapped her wings.
Naturally, the course of their dance had brought them a bit too close to the cake and punch table.
The tip of one wing slapped a silver bowl, sending it flying end-over-end into the air. The blue punch inside poured squarely on Ditzy, but the closest three ponies also got a splash: Charming and the nearest dance couple, Golden Gem and Regality.
Regality started towards the bathroom without preamble, miffed, but more so hoping that this wouldn’t prove a rerun of the Gala disaster. That other two just stared at Ditzy.
Silence fell.
Sitting on the floor, the pegasus gave a nervous smile before the punch bowl came down over the top of her head.
She pulled it above her eyes and split her eyes even further apart, giving a weak laugh. “Derp.”
Golden Gem was staring with horror at her left hoof, where maybe a square foot of blue punch had hit her. Prince Charming snorted once, then broke out laughing.
“Wow!” he announced loudly, still chuckling heartily. “A disaster like that from a waltz! That takes special talent, my dear! Yes, you are definitely one SPECIAL pony.”
He laughed loudly at his own joke, with Ditzy joining in quietly. Blueblood’s eyes narrowed and he started walking forward. It wasn’t a real laugh, it wasn’t even close. It was her ‘don’t mind me, I’m an idiot’ laugh.
“My dress!” Gem shrieked, realizing some of the punch had gotten on her fabric.
Charming flashed her a smile. “Oh, come on, Dear. Surely it’s nothing an apology won’t fix.”
She ignored his charms, looming over a cringing Ditzy. “You! You did this on purpose, didn’t you!”
“Really? Look at her!” Charming continued to smile, gesturing towards the wet pegasus. They were all a little wetter than they were a moment ago, but Ditzy had definitely gotten the full force of the spilled punch.
“Do you really think this little filly would do something like that intentionally?...Heheh, Ditzy, can you say ‘intentionally?’” Charming was treating the whole thing as a joke, but Gem wasn’t laughing.
Neither was Ditzy. At least, not on the inside.
When the pegasus gave an inaudible mumble, Charming chortled. “Come on, Sweetheart. ‘Intentionally.’ It’s not a hard word.”
“Oh, knock it off!” Gem snarled, glaring at him then back to Ditzy. “What’ve you got to say for yourself, featherbrain?!!”
Ditzy perked up a tiny bit – this was a question any polite filly knew the answer to. “Sorry?”
“She can’t help being special,” Charming said distractedly, winking at one of the mares in the crowd.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Gem snapped, making Ditzy cringe even more. “I can’t believe it! My dress, ruined! My hooficure, ruined! The whole evening, ruined by THE PONYVILLE VILLAGE IDIOT!”
Her hoof shot out, rapping the bowl still on Ditzy’s head.
Blueblood drew in a sharp breath. He was working his way through the crowd as quickly as he could, but their attention was all on the spectacle before them.
Some of the ponies were chuckling along with Charming and nodding their heads – he was attempting to defuse Gem, and the sooner he succeeded the sooner the evening could go on. Others were ignoring the scene, while some were rolling their eyes and whispering to each other. Some were glaring at Gem, and a few were even glaring at Charming for his mean-spirited jokes.
Blueblood ignored them all, even the last group. Disapproval wasn’t going to solve the problem. Action would, but the ponies who looked kindly on Ditzy seemed content to frown and tut to each other about “that poor girl.”
Some were sending glances Blueblood’s way. He was her date, what would he do?
“I’ll show you what I’m going to do,” he growled. With a vicious tug of magic, his tie snapped off and dropped to the ground. He whipped his jacket off, causing a few shouts around him – disrobing in public was nothing short of scandalous.
It was strange, but his vision was sharper than ever. The world was clear, and his course of action was set. Some thought him rude. They hadn’t seen ‘rude’ yet. Every social grace was forgotten. Every self-conscious bit of nervousness or trepidation, gone. He wasn’t even thinking of chivalry and sympathy. He wasn’t going to protect Ditzy. He was going to destroy her aggressors.
Blueblood was a stallion of good intentions. But he was also an unmitigated flankhole, now free of every shackle that forced him to keep it restrained.
Rarity was by his side, scraping the ground with one hoof like she was about to charge somepony. Her face was set in a vicious smile. “I’ll take the one on the left, you-“
His white coat dropped over her face.
“Thanks for holding my jacket,” Blueblood sniffed, and he strode forward.
Maybe he was projecting some kind of aura, because the crowd before him rapidly dispersed as he advanced. Blueblood’s horn was lowered, his posture aggressive. Only an idiot would get in his way now.
“Prince Blueblood,” Noble Heart began nervously, getting in his way. “Let me talk to them, I can-“
“You have exactly two seconds to move.”
Noble Heart blinked. And he took a long step to the side, removing him from Blueblood’s path.
“Good,” the Prince said, and began striding past.
The brown stallion looked worriedly at him. “I want to help you.”
“I got this.” Blueblood grunted. He glanced back, seeing the other unicorn’s head droop a little.
He sighed and paused, turning his head back. “Noble Heart, I…I have a bad habit of treating my friends like griffon droppings.”
Blueblood glanced wryly to Rarity, then back to the other noble. “I really don’t know why ponies make friends with me.”
Noble Heart gave a knowing smile.
“Friendship is a two-way street. You say ‘they make friends with you,’ like they do all the work. You make friends with them, too. You might not even notice it, but before you know it, you’ve got one more friend. Sometimes that’s just how it works.” And with that, Noble Heart tipped his hat and stepped back into the crowd.
The Prince turned back forward, only to find Fancy and his mare blocking the way as well.
Fancy Pants had one hoof up in a ‘stop’ motion, though was leaning back ever so slightly. “Now I know how you feel,” he talked rapidly, pointedly. “But let the cooler head handle this. Come on, you know me. I’ll start talking, turn it into a big feel-good moment about accepting ponies who are different. They’ll apologize, she’ll be happy, we’ll all be happy. Isn’t that good?”
Blueblood cracked one of his foreleg joints. The sappy feeling had passed. “Fancy, either you’re moving, or I’m going over you.”
“Best get out of his way, Mon Cheri.” Fleur gently began pulling Fancy aside, must to the surprise of both stallions.
The fop allowed himself to be lead, shaking his head. “Prince, I’ve never seen you like this.”
Fleur smiled patiently at Blueblood, who – bemused – offered a small smile back.
The regal mare smiled wryly. “I think, Mon Cheri, that Blueblood is a stallion of two natures. He is very kind, but very rude. These two parts of his being have traveled so far apart that they have met on the other side of the globe, at their greatest extremes. Lady Celestia help any who stand in his way.”
“Wow,” Blueblood said, a little off-put. A deep, philosophical guess into his psyche…from Fleur?
“Gee, I don’t know what to say. Thanks, Fleur. You’re smarter than you look.”
Fleur beamed. “Thank…”
The grin turned to an unimpressed glower as the backhanded compliment hit home. “…You,” she finished icily.
“You’re welcome,” he said briskly, and he pressed on without a glance back.
Charming was the first to notice Blueblood’s approach. He smiled lazily as the other Prince advanced, sipping from a glass of wine he had poured himself. It was all part of the fun to Charming: Blueblood looked every inch the part of the angry lover. He would shout like a brute, and Charming would play the part of the calm, smart one. Rather than shouting blame like Blueblood and Gem, he would play things along and come off as the only one with any style to speak of. Everypony would be impressed with his wit, and at least one mare would invite him to her bed tonight. That was how these little dramas played out.
Blueblood was…a little off script when he didn’t go right to Ditzy’s side or start shouting at Gem. He simply walked up to Charming and magically snatched the wineglass away from him.
“Thanks for holding my drink,” Blueblood said without a hint of anger, and downed it in one go.
He dropped it to the ground and snapped his neck left and right, eliciting two loud cracks. Even Gem and Ditzy were staring at him now.
“Prince Charming,” Blueblood announced loudly. Now he did look angry, and he did position himself next to Ditzy. “You’ve been mistreating my marefriend. I’m going to beat your snout in.”
Charming gave a droll glance to the audience. “Good Sir, I-“
Blueblood’s right hoof shot out and slammed into the side of Charming’s snout. Blueblood wasn’t any stronger than the last time he punched somepony, but he was a lot angrier, and Charming was a lot wimpier than Star Gazer.
The impact staggered the other prince, and he looked up at Blueblood with a mix of fear and anger. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go at all.
Still, it was salvageable. Charming righted himself and threw back his mane, flashing a smile for the mares in the crowd. “Boor! Do you wish to brawl like a common laborer, or challenge me to a duel like a proper stallion?”
Blueblood punched him twice more: once in the pretty blue eye before he could react, once in the exact spot the hoof had connected last time.
“Don’t you have any sense of-“
“Not really.” Blueblood said it almost cheerfully, slapping him heavily across the face with his hoof.
Gem gasped. “What are you thinking, you ruffian?”
Blueblood let Charming stagger away from him, turning his vengeful glare at the mare. “I’m thinking that if you touch her again you’ll be banished from Equestria.”
Gem blinked, taken aback at the level of the threat, then rolled her eyes. “Like you can do that.”
“CAN’T I?” Blueblood roared it suddenly, nose in the air. He was shouting, but he was grinning at the same time. “I am the favored nephew of the Princesses – that’s plural, by the way – making me BASICALLY THE HIGHEST RANKING MORTAL IN EQUESTRIA. Maybe I can’t have you exiled. Maybe I can.”
The last part was spoken calmly, even casually. “Do you want me to find out?”
Head lowered in defeat, Gem shrunk back. She had lost her temper on Ditzy, and wasn’t about to let that ruin her life.
“Blueblood?”
From the floor, a quiet voice came up. Ditzy looked up at him, carefully removing the bowl from her head. Her lipstick and blush had been ruined by the punch, giving her face a bluish stain. Two lines of her natural gray were visible beneath her eyes where she had been crying. Her mane was a wet, floppy mess.
“It’s okay,” she said, voice like a whisper. “You don’t need to get d-dufensive? Defensive over me.”
“I’m not defensive, Ditzy,” he turned away from her, grinning savagely. He locked eyes challengingly with anypony who would meet them.
“I’m very, very offensive.”
Nopony in the crowd proved willing to match his gaze. Maybe they were ashamed that they didn’t protect Ditzy, or maybe they just didn’t want to meet the eyes of the crazy pony. Only Rarity seemed comfortable with the situation – she tried to put a disapproving frown on her face, but it kept slipping back into a smile.
Charming shook his head rapidly, recovering from the blow. Seething, he stormed back up to Blueblood. The other prince just watched him approach with an arched eyebrow.
“Cur!” Charming slapped his cousin across the face.
Blueblood just blinked, unimpressed. If he hit Star Gazer like that, no wonder the pegasus only mocked him. ‘Hit like a filly,’ indeed.
“I demand satisfaction!” Remembering himself at the last moment, Charming tossed his mane back dramatically. “I challenge you to a duel.”
“Uh-huh.” Blueblood resisted the urge to punch him again. “Well, I accept. Sure. As the one challenged, I get to choose the weapon and time, right?”
Charming bowed. “Of course. We can do this with foam swords. Or with water pistols, if you prefer.”
“Right.” Blueblood planted his feet and raised his horn. “Cake at now.”
“Very well, we sha-wait, what?”
Blueblood’s horn glowed. Ditzy had destroyed the punch on the cake and punch table…but there was still plenty of the former to be had. Dozens of heavy, moist cakes floated into the air, orbiting Blueblood like sugar-filled moons.
The presence of so many of the fearful baked goods brought beads of sweat down Blueblood’s face. But his fearsome grin was still there.
This was gonna be good.
Prince Charming ‘eeped’ and dove under the nearest thing he could fit under: Golden Gem.
“No fair!” she cried.
“What’s the matter…?” Blueblood asked, eye twitching as a memory came to mind.
Rarity knew what was coming and leaned forward, smiling evilly. “Say it.”
Blueblood’s grin widened to downright terrifying proportions “…AFRAID TO GET DIRTY?”
The slick Charming gave one last fabulous smile to Blueblood. “Hey…this is a duel, right? Can I get a cake?”
“You get ALL the cake,” Blueblood jovially assured him. With a swing of his horn, the mass of baked goods launched high into the air and bombarded his enemies, burying them within a mound of tasty goodness.
“Foul…” Charming groaned from within the heap, but his rival wasn’t paying him any more attention.
Blueblood clapped his hooves together as if he was dusting them off, addressing the audience without even looking at them. “So…anypony else have some witty insults for my marefriend?”
Silence reigned. A motion behind him made him wonder if some fool had actually stepped forward, but it was just Ditzy standing up. She shook her mane a little, dislodging a few drops of blue punch.
His crystal certainty of purpose was fading, and Blueblood swallowed hard as he saw her. Sure, she was a mess. Lipstick gone. Blush smeared. Dress stained and wrinkled. Her dripping hair was dyed blue and hanging down limply from the side of her face.
But she pulled off the ‘wet mane look’ good.
REALLY good.
At this point, they had already made a mess of the Sapphire Ball. So why not?
“You look SO beautiful,” he said, and kissed her square on the lips. Hard. She grabbed his head and pushed his face in even harder. With a rush of air, her wings snapped to attention.
They broke off. “You look good too,” Ditzy returned an instant before they kissed again.
The pair turned and began to stride out of the hall. Ditzy’s wing was draped over her prince like a blanket, holding him tight as they made their way forwards.
With the fight over, the nobility tenaciously resumed their party. Crazier things had happened at these events, and few wanted the evening to end so soon. Blueblood’s name shot to the front of the gossip. Some were grumbling, others speaking excitedly of whatever their opinion happened to be.
Out of the corner of his eye, Blueblood saw Shining in a quiet corner, down on one knee before a beaming Cadence. Nopony was paying them any attention – there was a hot new scandal, and his name was Blueblood.
He didn’t pay them any mind either. A passing glance, and nothing more. Everything that mattered was right next to him.
The cool night hit them as they stepped out of the stuffy hall. Not a word was spoken during the short walk to the chariot. Blueblood nodded to the pegasus guards and held the door for Ditzy.
She looked over the side of the chariot as the drivers stretched their wings. Ditzy was smiling tiredly, worn out from the evening’s excitement.
Blueblood scratched the back of his head, looking down. “I’m…not really sure where we can go with this.”
Ditzy swallowed. “You, ah…”
She smiled a little and blushed. “You wanna find out?”
He shrugged, and said a simple “Yes.”
Blueblood stood on his tip-hooves to give her one last kiss, and they rubbed their noses together with a shared giggle.
He stepped back and nodded to the guards. They lifted and were off to Ponyville within the moment, though Blueblood stood watching the sky for a long time after that.
After a while, Rarity joined him. The night had matured, and with it came the end of the ball. “She’s gone?”
“Yeah.”
She sat next to him, the pair watching the night sky for a few minutes.
Rarity gave a gentle cough and looked at the prince. “Blueblood…”
“Yeah?” He said again, still looking upwards.
“That was my ride home, too.”
Another moment of silence, then he belatedly shrugged. “I guess you’re walking.”
“BLUEBLOOD!”
“Okay, fine! Sheesh, let me call you a cab…”