Bluebelle of the Ball, The Musical

by mr lovecolt


Act 1 Scene 6: Here's My Chance

Sugarcube Corner bustled with the activity of the lunchtime rush, and at the center of it all was Bubble Berry, who stood at the front counter and served the ponies their favorite lunchtime muffins. He hummed to himself in between orders and listened to the sounds of the ponies around him. To any other pony, the sounds would have eventually died off to white noise, but Bubble Berry always had the ability to listen to their simultaneous conversations with ease, which allowed him to always know when to pop up out of nowhere and surprise them with some quip or joke.

“Here you go Noteworthy,” Bubble Berry said with a smile, “One double chocolate chip muffin and one cup of chocolate milk.” Noteworthy raised a hoof to interrupt him, but stopped when the plate was placed in front of him on the counter. “That will be five bits, please.”

“Bubble Berry, I haven’t ordered, yet.”

“Oh,” he replied, “Well, what were you going to order?”

Noteworthy’s cheeks blushed as he looked around at the nearby ponies, who were waiting for his response.

“A double chocolate chip muffin with chocolate milk.”

Bubble Berry continued to smile as the blue stallion placed his bits on the counter and took up the plate who, for his part, ignored the snickering ponies as he walked to the corner of the café. On the other side of Sugarcube Corner, Bubble Berry could hear the conversation of two mares.

“I wonder when our salads will be up.” One of them said. Before she could say another word, Bubble Berry heard the sound of Mr. Cake in the kitchen as he laid two bowls on plates. Bubble Berry immediately ran to the kitchen, snatched up the plates, and then ran to the booth just as the mare was about to continue her thought. “How long can it-.”

“Hey Cherry Berry, Berry Punch,” Bubble Berry said, “sorry it took so long, it’s just that our salads are always hoofmade to order, so it takes a few minutes. Hey, look at this – three Berry’s all in a group. That’s a Triple Berry! Maybe that should be my new favorite word. It’s almost like pickle barrel, but with our names!”

“That is really adorable, Berry.” Berry Punch replied as she turned to her friend. Cherry Berry coughed and nudged the other’s hoof and tilted her head towards Bubble Berry, who stood silently while they silently argued with each other. Finally, Berry Punch turned her head and looked up to him. “Hey, Berry, I was thinking if you weren’t busy later on tonight-.”

A pop sounded in the middle of the three ponies, followed by a purple orb. A moment later, a scroll appeared and fell to the table. The room went silent as Bubble Berry reached forward to grab the scroll. As he unwrapped the scroll and began to read it, Mrs. Cake emerged from upstairs.

“What happened?” Mrs. Cake asked. “I heard a pop and then everything went silent.”

“Bubble Berry got a letter from the princess.”

“What?” Bubble Berry asked. “Oh no, it’s just from Dusky.”

“Dusky?” Berry Punch asked.

“He means Prince Dusk Shine.” Mr. Cake replied as he emerged from the kitchen. “Bubble Berry, I know you used to call him that before, but don’t you think you should call him by his title?”

“That’s just silly,” Bubble Berry replied, “His nickname is Dusky, not Prince Dusky.” Mr. Cake opened his mouth, but then just shook his head and kept his remaining thoughts to himself. The entire café leaned inward as Bubble Berry’s eyes moved over the scroll. “What? But that’s tomorrow night! Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I have to go see Elusive!”

The café burst into a flurry of activity, with some of the ponies already running for the door. Gasps were heard, as well as a few screams. The only thing that they knew was that any letter from royalty to one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony could only mean bad news. Bubble Berry simply fell down to his haunches and sat in the middle of the floor.

“What is it?” Mrs. Cake asked. “Did Discord become unreformed?”

“Worse...” Bubble Berry replied as he placed a hoof over his eyes.

“Did more of those horribly horrible vines show up?” Mr. Cake asked.

“Worse…” He repeated as he put his hooves on his cheeks.

“Is it… Is it Nightmare Moon?” Cherry Berry asked.

“No!” Bubble Berry yelled. “Of all the worst things that could happen… this is the worst possible-.”

“What is it?” Noteworthy shouted as Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked to one another. “What could possibly be worse than those things?”

Mrs. Cake began to head back up the stairs to gather their foals. Bubble Berry took a deep breath. “I just got invited to a super special birthday party for Princess Bluebelle that Dusky was in charge of planning, and he didn’t even ask for my help!”

The five ponies who remained at Sugar Cube corner looked at one another. Noteworthy and Mr. Cake facehooved, while Cherry Berry and Berry Punch just blinked in confusion. Finally, Mrs. Cake spoke up as she held Pound and Pumpkin Cake in her forelegs. Her eyes had widened when she heard Bubble Berry reveal the contents of the letter.

“What?” She asked as she tried to slow down her rapidly beating heart. “You cleared out Sugarcube Corner during our lunch rush and may have started another town panic because of a birthday invitation?”

“Yes!” Bubble Berry answered. “Who throws a party and doesn’t ask me? I am Bubble Berry, Party Planner Extraordinaire! I mean, I know the party is in Canterlot, but he still could have asked for my help. Planning parties isn’t something that just anypony can do. There aren’t any professional party planners in Canterlot at all.”

“I’ll go outside and try to calm everypony down,” Noteworthy said as he slid out of his seat and made his way to the door. Outside, they could already hear the sounds of hooves as they trampled across town, as well as the screams of numerous ponies. As he placed his hoof on the door, Noteworthy shook his head and muttered under his breath, “just like last time.”

“Mrs. Cake,” Bubble Berry asked as he turned his attention back to the mare, “I have to go see Lucy about this. I’m sure the others got invitations and we’ll need all the help we can get to help out with the last minute preparations for the party!”

“Bubble Berry,” Mr. Cake said, “It doesn’t really sound like they need-.”

“Yes!” Mrs. Cake answered a little too loudly. “Go see Elusive and get to Canterlot as soon as possible. After all, who knows what could happen if you weren’t there to help out.”

“Now Sweetie Buns, there’s no need to make it.” Mrs. Cake turned to her husband and winked. “I mean, yes, we both agree that you need to go to Canterlot.”

Bubble Berry smiled again and bolted towards the door.

“Come on,” Mrs. Cake said, “Let’s clean this place up and help Noteworthy out with calming everypony down.”

The Cakes retreated into the kitchen, leaving Cherry Berry to look after her friend, who simply stared at the door that Bubble Berry had exited out of a few moments earlier.

*****

The shades were drawn at Carousel Boutique. The light of late morning bled into the main showroom and streamed across the floor, where they bathed the tuxedo-covered ponnequins in light. The fabric was Elusive’s creation; it combined the dapper qualities of pure black with a special magic that he had discovered. When combined, it allowed for the tuxedos to glow in even the faintest of light.

There was a small clatter in the kitchen, and Elusive emerged while levitating a small cup of tea in his kinetic grasp. As he made his way across the showroom, he stopped to look at himself in the mirror, twisting his hind legs this way and that. As he did so, a small smirk appeared on his face.

“Thank Celestia that the upcoming soiree does not require trousers.”

Elusive snickered to himself, lowered the cup of tea to his nostrils, and inhaled. A sweet aroma entered his snout. Deerjeeling White Tea, Elusive thought to himself. He knew that there were only two places to get it – either travel all the way to the Neighponese region of Equus and ask Empress Kirin Kathiawari herself for the leaves, or to go to a small tea shop that was hidden just off of Trottingham Avenue in Canterlot. Fortunately, Elusive had finally managed to make the connections to get into the tea shop.

At the other end of the showroom sat Elusive’s most prized piece of furniture – a replica of King Gustav the Fourteenth’s chaise lounge. He had, of course, made improvements to the design. Small, golden bulges lined the edges of the framework, and the upholstery had been replaced with red velvet. It was on this chaise lounge that Elusive sat as he looked upon his latest designs.

“One day, Elusive, you shall find yourself living within the Canterlot city limits.”

Elusive smiled as he lifted the tea cup to his lips.

“Lucy!”

Elusive shrieked and tried to keep hold of his tea with his magic. Once he steadied it and set it aside on a table, he turned to the voice of the only pony that he knew would call him by such a nickname.

“Bubble Berry!” Elusive shouted. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in? The door didn’t even open!”

“No time for that, Lucy.” Bubble Berry replied. “I suppose you got the invitation, too?”

“Darling,” Elusive asked as he tried to regain his composure, “whatever are you talking about?”

As if he had spoken some secret passcode, a small popping sound filled the room, followed by the familiar purple orb and subsequent scroll. Elusive turned his gaze to Bubble Berry, who simply nodded his head towards it. He took the letter into his own magic and levitated it over to his side. He knew that for Dusk Shine to send him a letter that it must have been one of utmost importance. However, as he read the words, Elusive couldn’t help but feel a small twitch form against his eye muscles.

“A… birthday ball?” He stammered. “Dusk Shine is inviting us to… a birthday ball?”

“I know, right!” Bubble Berry shouted. “And they didn’t even ask me too-.”

Elusive stopped listening to his friend after that moment and left the comfort of his chaise. As he reread the letter – an invitation to some jazz-themed birthday ball for Princess Bluebelle – his mind went back to that night.

*****

Elusive stood at the entrance of the Canterlot Royal Gardens alongside Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, and many others that made up the upper echelon of the Canterlot fashionista circle. Behind them, they could see the royal Canterlot elite that consisted of the Dukes and Duchesses of Equestria.

“Oh my, would you look at that?” Hoity Toity asked. “Fancy Pants still came with her.”

“With Fleur De Lis?” Elusive asked as he turned towards the couple. “What’s odd about that?”

“Oh, right, you living in Ponyville and all.” Hoity Toity replied, eliciting a series of snickers from the others. “Rumor has it that they are preparing for a separation.”

“Oh really, that’s a shame.”

“What iz a shame,” Photo Finish added, “Iz what she iz wearing.”

“But I thought that dress was one of yours, Hoity Toity.”

“It was. A year ago.”

The group snickered amongst themselves once more. Elusive took in the scene before him, absorbing every interaction that occurred between the ponies. He knew that he had to prove himself to these ponies if he was ever to make it anywhere in Canterlot. He turned back to the line of ponies as they entered the castle and focused in on a stallion with a grey coat and silver mane.

“Oh would you look at Duke Caesar?” Elusive said. “Who in their right mind told him that a yellow of that shade would go well with his coat? It looks like an egg omelet landed on his neck.”

Elusive chuckled to himself and turned to the crowd, who only looked at him with wide eyes.

“Elusive, you are quite fortunate that Prim Hemline is not here to eviscerate you for that remark.”

He tried his hardest to maintain his composure. Must not back down now, Elusive, he thought, you must let these ponies know that you are a stallion of taste and have opinions of your own.

“I stand by my critique.”

“So…” Photo Finish asked. “Are zere any ponies here wearing any of your designs?”

“Of course there are. You probably haven’t heard of them. They are only the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, the stallions who defeated Nightmare Moon.”

“So, you and your friends, then?” Hoity Toity asked, followed by another round of snickers.

“Oh just you wait, Hoity Toity.” Elusive replied as he puffed out his chest. “After tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if I could get Princess Bluebelle herself to model dresses for me. Anypony who can get the princess in their repertoire would be a most sought after prize in the fashion community.” He turned to Photo Finish. “Wouldn’t that be something, Photo Finish? To be able to take photos of one of the princesses?”

Elusive watched as Photo Finish looked up to the night sky. He had caught her attention, for sure. The connection had been made. Now all he had to do was woo the princess, and he would be set.

“You may speak with confidence, Elusive, but let us wait and see if you succeed in your endeavor.”

“Oh, darling, you can count on it.”

*****

Elusive brought his attention back to Carousel Boutique, where Bubble Berry was still rambling on about the party, and turned towards the tuxedos. What Elusive hadn’t counted on that night was just how cold Princess Bluebelle would be. He did everything he could – he held the door open for her, he picked a flower for her, he catered to her every whim – but nothing even broke through her frigid façade. But he managed to keep up appearances until that one moment.

It was in what Elusive would describe as twists of fate so numerous it would make Discord jealous; not only had Bubble Berry managed to embarrass himself by drinking too much sarsaparilla, but Applejack wheeled in some multicolored monstrosity of a cake, which Rainbow Blitz managed to send flying through the air towards Princess Bluebelle, whose response was to push him in front of her. That was the last straw. Even the looks from Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, and the other Canterlot fashionistas couldn’t stop him from delivering one of his famous Elusive-scale tirades. The icing on the cake, Elusive thought and then shuddered that the horribly timed pun he had just made to himself, was Butterscotch chasing the animals into the ballroom in his ruined tuxedo.

“Hello? Equus to Lucy?”

Elusive shook his head and looked at Bubble Berry, whose eyes had widened to the point where they nearly took up all of his face.

“I’m sorry darling. What was the question?”

“It wasn’t a question, Lucy. Something has to be done.”

“What was that?” Elusive asked.

“I said, something has to be done about this.” Bubble Berry repeated as he waved the invitation in front of Elusive. Elusive blinked for a few moments, but then a smile began to form on his muzzle. The smiled widened until it stretched from ear to ear. “So, do you have an idea?”

“I think I may, Bubble Berry.” Elusive made his way to the front of the boutique and switched the sign to closed, went to the blinds and drew them shut so that darkness filled the showroom. The tuxedos ceased their shimmering. “Meet me in the inspiration room.”

Elusive continued on in the darkness and trotted up the stairs, and once reaching the top, he turned back and looked down at Bubble Berry, who still stood in the middle of the showroom.

“So what plan do you have, Lucy. Do you have a really fun idea for a prank?”

Elusive lifted both of his hooves to the banister at the top of the stairs, folded them over, and craned his neck down towards Bubble Berry.

“Precisely.”

Elusive’s horn glowed and it lit the small lights that lined the stairway to his upstairs inspiration room. Bubble Berry made his way up the stairs, but before he made his way to the room, Elusive turned to the vanity.

The Grand Galloping Gala was my chance
To make sure Canterlot knew my name
I saw the Princess, and at first glance
Knew she was my ticket to fame
I courted her all of that evening
To convince her to acquiesce
The night ended with so much screaming
My plans were ruined by that Princess

Elusive levitated the invitation in front of him.

Here’s my chance, with this small invitation
Here’s my chance for a fabulous scheme
This is my way to tell
What I think of Bluebelle

Bubble Berry finally reached the entrance to the room and looked on towards Elusive.

“I thought we could use cheese.”

"Just… listen to me, please.” Elusive cleared his desk in one swift motion and put a clean sheet of paper on it. He drew as he continued to sing.

Think of all your pranking
And how they’ll be thanking
You for it. Is that not your dream?
To make this a most memorable dance?
Here’s your chance!

“Oh, I knew you’d help me, Lucy!” Bubble Berry hugged Elusive. “So, what are we going to do?”

Elusive smiled and turned to his companion to show him the rough sketches.

"Oh, I like pranks involving cake!"

“The cake shall be quite large, so imagine how funny it will be to prank her with it.”

Elusive watched as Bubble Berry’s smiled grew wider until he couldn’t contain it anymore.

“Oh my gosh, this is an awesome idea!”

“Stick with me, Bubble Berry, and you’ll be known as the greatest prankster in Equestria.”

Bubble Berry began hopping around in circles around Elusive.

A chance for my prankiest prank yet
And a chance to do it to Bluebelle!

Elusive stopped Bubble Berry before he bounced again and turned him until they were muzzle to muzzle.

Just think, nopony, shall forget it
And think of the ponies they’ll tell
The smiles that you’ll bring to their faces
Though I know they won’t be wide as mine
And soon, what that pony will know is

Elusive turned to the mirror once more.

You don’t step in between me and fame!

They left the inspiration room and made their way down the stairs. Elusive called back to Bubble Berry.

Here’s your chance for the most daring pranking
Here’s my chance to teach a lesson to her

The two made their way back down to the showroom towards the front door.

And here’s what we shall do
Here’s what I need from you
The things I must gather
At Sugarcube Corner
Come on, shall we go
Yes, I know, we shall throw
A wrench into this whole affair

Elusive placed his forehead against the door and smiled as he stared down at the floor with a smile on his muzzle.

This shall be a most memorable dance
Here’s my chance

Bubble Berry pulled Elusive away from the door.

This will be the most memorable dance

The two wrapped a foreleg around the other’s shoulder and stretched their free foreleg up to the sky.

Here’s my chance!

Elusive swung the door open, and the two began to make their way to Sugarcube Corner. Bubble Berry stopped, causing Elusive to turn around in confusion.

“What is it, darling?”

“I have one question.”

“What is it?” Elusive asked.

“I thought we were throwing a cake into this whole affair, not a wrench.”