//------------------------------// // Act 1 Scene 8: We're The Same // Story: Bluebelle of the Ball, The Musical // by mr lovecolt //------------------------------// The 69th Regiment Royal Guard Repository in Canterlot wasn’t a difficult building to find – its architecture was in the Beaux-Arts style and was the first building to be designed by non-ponies in Canterlot. The design was classically Prench, with its mansard style roof and incredibly large archway complete with a stone griffon acting as a keystone. However, the designer had taken into account that it was to act as a repository for the Royal Guard munitions, and so projecting cannon bays lined the façade of the building. Since the Great Peace Treaty between Equestria, the Griffon Union, and the Dragon Kingdoms, the repository was now used as a site for Canterlot’s numerous art exhibits, fashion shows, and the occasional charity auction. It was here that Hoity Toity held his annual Maretoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Princess Bluebelle stood near the entrance to the repository and shook her head. The sun was beginning to set in front of her, causing the shadows of the buildings to creep slowly towards her. She looked up at the griffon figure above her and shuddered as she gazed into the stone eyes. She knew it was just a statue, but even now she couldn’t help but feel as though the stone griffon was watching her as she took a few steps beneath the looming archway. To her left was a small marquee that read MARETORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW – CIRCO DE LA FANTASIA. A circus theme, she thought, how strangely coincidental. As she neared the front doors, she was met by a pair of guards. Bluebelle was saddened by the fact that they looked at her with a mixture of confusion and fear. She stopped for a moment and took a few deep breaths before softening her features and allowing a smile form on her muzzle. Much to her dismay, this change in appearance only further confused the guards, who bowed down even lower so that she could not see their expressions. “Your Highness,” one of the guards said, “how may we be of service?” “Please rise, Corporal Gold Helm.” Princess Bluebelle turned to the other guard. “You too, Corporal Iron Lance.” The two guards exchanged curious looks before rising to their hooves. “I’m just here to see Miss De Lis.” “Umm, certainly, Your Highness.” Gold Helm replied as Iron Lance used his magic to open the door for her. “Thank you so much, you two.” She replied as she trotted into the building. When the doors closed, the guards nodded to one another and Iron Lance levitated a small black box from the top of the door. Gold Helm took it with his hoof and moved the tiny levers that surrounded it. “Nope,” Gold Helm said, “it’s not broken.” Iron Lance levitated the Changeling Infiltration Detector back to its original spot where Princess Celestia had ordered the device to be placed over all doorways in Canterlot. “That really was her.” ***** “All right, fillies and gentlecolts,” Hoity Toity called out to the various models from his silk cushion, “I want to see a good first rehearsal. You have been hired because you are the best of the best of the modeling world. You all know your parts. Do not make me regret this.” The runway lit up and the music started. Dual raised platforms flanked the sides of the runway, upon which stood two zebra stallions in red spandex trunks. A single white stripe in their manes and tails had been dyed red, as well. They began to contort their bodies in ways most ponies couldn’t imagine. One stood on a single foreleg as he bent his hind legs over his head. The other began more simply with a mid-air split as he balanced on both forelegs. Above the stage, two unicorn stallions swung back and forth on a pair of trapeze swings. The white furred stallion wore black spandex and also had cloth strips wrapped around his muscular barrel and biceps, while the black furred stallion wore only a white spandex bikini with white fabric spiraling down his legs. Their muscles clenched as they leapt through the air and caught one another, going back and forth. Large red curtains opened, and the first model, a pale blue earth pony emerged onstage. On her legs were dark blue silk stockings that rivaled the night sky. Her main article of clothing was a blue and black corset with stitching that almost glowed in the light and spiraled along the fabric like tufts of smoke. She wore a small cape over her back that barely reached her withers and a top hat that completed the ensemble. Upon reaching the front of the catwalk, she reached up, lifted the top hat from her head, and began to slowly rub her hoof around the brim in a very sensual motion. A white dove flew out of the hat as the model smirked at the empty audience chairs, and then turned around to make her way back behind the curtain. Model number two, a yellow unicorn with a brown mane, began her walk. Her mane had been intentionally styled to resemble a lion’s mane, and her tail had been braided up to the tip, which was disheveled. She wore stockings that were covered in a furry material similar to her own mane and a blood red bikini. The most intriguing aspect of her outfit, however, was the lion tamer’s whip she held in her teeth. As she stopped to strike a pose, she levitated the whip out of her mouth and cracked it in the air. She peered into the distance with half lidded eyes, shook her mane, and then gripped the whip with her teeth once more as she retreated. As the rehearsal was going on, Princess Bluebelle had taken a seat in the back of the room where the ponies wouldn’t notice her. She looked at the stallions above the stage and then to the zebras off to the sides. Hoity Toity’s Fantasy Circus, indeed, she thought. The third model was a white pegasus with a white mane. But what had been done to her made Princess Bluebelle cringe. She wore rainbow colored silk stockings and panties. Her mane had streaks of multiple colors in them, and her fur was covered in what she could only think of as colored powder. It was as though she had landed in a rainbow lake at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. As she neared the edge of the catwalk, her wings began to unfurl, revealing that they had been dyed to match the clown motif. She gave a more playful smirk, contributing to the clown aspect of her modeling persona. Where is Fleur, Princess Bluebelle thought as she watched model three leave the stage. A red unicorn emerged and smirked in a way that made Bluebelle uncomfortable. The model wore a black teddy and stockings, but both pieces of lingerie had flame designs on them. The flames spiraled up from the hooves and the teddy itself consisted of tattered pieces of red and yellow fabric near the edges. As the model strode down the catwalk, Princess Bluebelle noticed that she was levitating two metal fire sticks. Once she struck a pose, the two sticks moved in front of her and then caught fire. The model opened her muzzle and placed one of the ignited sticks into her mouth. She then turned to the other stick and blew on it, releasing a huge burst of flame into the air. The music began to change, and Princess Bluebelle knew what that meant. Now was the time for Hoity Toity to reveal his most extravagant piece, worn by the mare that she was waiting for. She tried to contain a grimace as Fleur De Lis appeared on the runway. It wasn’t even so much lingerie as it was an entire outfit. On her hind legs were black stockings with golden designs that made Bluebelle think of embroidered peacock feathers. White cuffs wrapped around her front pasterns and covered her hooves. The black panties and corset, however, seemed merely an afterthought compared to what she wore on her back. A red silk cape stretched all the way down her hind legs, covering her tail. It even went so far that sleeves had been made to go down Fleur De Lis’ fore legs, its gold trim ending just where the white cuffs began. The red cape had similar peacock designs running down the length. Fleur De Lis reached the end of the catwalk, removed the black top hat she was wearing, and then stood up on her hind legs to better reveal the lingerie underneath. The music reached its crescendo, and the other mares emerged from backstage. Princess Bluebelle looked at the display in front of and above her. Acrobat and contortionist stallions, a magician, a lion tamer, a clown, a fire eater, and of course Fleur De Lis as the ringmaster. She looked down towards the front of the auditorium and heard the sound of Hoity Toity clopping his hooves together. “That was beautiful, mares. Stallions, I want to you work more on your movements. I want it to be fluid, as though you exist in a dream.” She had to try hard to stop herself from laughing at that last line. “I shall see you all tomorrow evening.” Princess Bluebelle waited for the models to leave the stage before approaching. Fortunately, Fleur De Lis was still on stage. The stallions, however, had also stayed behind. The zebras continued to stretch their bodies, while the stallions hung upside down from the trapeze swings. As she drew closer, she noticed the two stallions looking down at her with surprised expressions. She reached the soft pink mare who was currently turned away from her. Before she could say anything, the two zebras froze in mid split when they saw her. Fleur De Lis turned around and gasped when she saw her. “Why, Your Highness.” Fleur De Lis said. “What a surprise. I wasn’t sure that I’d be seeing you. I’m just so happy that I received an invitation to your birthday ball.” Princess Bluebelle could tell that she was trying to hide a smirk. “Prince Dusk Shine told me you wanted a jazz theme, correct?” She tried to keep the anger from rising as she watched Fleur De Lis chuckle to herself. “I can’t wait to see everything.” “Fleur,” Princess Bluebelle said, “Can we talk?” ***** Princess Celestia stared intently into the distance as the sun touched the horizon. Sunrise and sunset were the only times during the day that she had to focus closely on the sun’s movement. The best way she could describe her and her sister’s work was by making an analogy of a foal playing with a ball. Once the ball is thrown into the air, velocity and gravity take care of the middle part. She and Princess Luna simply had to concentrate during the pitching and catching part, just with much, much larger balls. She was glad that Princess Luna had returned to take care of the duties of the night, mainly due to the fact that she had to not only control the moon, but she also had to control its spin as well as the arrangement of the stars. Almost there, she thought as the sun pressed lower and lower beneath the horizon. A sudden knock at the door caused Princess Celestia to turn her head. She gasped when she saw the light on the wall disappear and turned back to see that the sun had fallen beneath the horizon. Her eyes darted from side to side and she peered down onto the streets to see if anypony had noticed. Her usually stoic demeanor cracked for a moment, but then took a deep breath before regaining her composure. “Enter.” She called out. The door opened and she smiled when she saw who it was. “Ah, Dusk Shine,” she said, “how nice of you to come.” She immediately levitated two chairs out from under a nearby table and motioned for him to sit down. As he trotted towards her, she could tell that there was something off about him, but decided to wait for him to speak before mentioning it. “How was your day?” “I finally managed to get the details of the party together, thanks to some help, of course.” Dusk Shine replied. He shook his head. “I don’t see how Bubble Berry has the energy to plan so many parties. I’m exhausted and I only helped pick up the pieces of this disaster.” Princess Celestia coughed. “No offense, Your Highness.” “None taken.” She replied. A few moments of silence passed. Princess Celestia’s aura surrounded a teapot and she poured them a cup of tea before she continued. “So, you mentioned that others helped you in your endeavor.” “Oh yes, I did. I’m glad that Bluebelle was able to help.” He said as a cup floated to his lips. “You know, she’s very different than what I had been led to believe.” Princess Celestia’s ears twitched as she heard those last words. She turned her head to Dusk Shine as she watched a smile take over his face. “She’s actually really smart.” “I am glad to hear that you have become fond of Bluebelle.” She watched his face as she accentuated the word. As she expected, the teacup froze momentarily in his grip and his eyes widened slightly. “Is something on your mind?” She asked. She waited as Dusk Shine sighed and then lowered the teacup to the table. “Honestly, it’s more that somepony is on my mind.” Princess Celestia made sure to hide her smirk behind her teacup and took a sip. She saw Dusk Shine turn his head toward the nearby window and stare out for a moment. “This is a strange feeling, Princess Celestia.” “And what feeling would that be, my former student?” “Well,” Dusk Shine began, “my mind captured her body movements more specifically than would a normal situation, as though I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Even the way her mane moves has become somewhat ingrained in my memories. When I go back to those images, I feel a bit lightheaded, as though there were an increase in dopamine. This, in turn, results in my heart speeding up by approximately five to ten additional beats per minute. The increased adrenaline also seems to have an effect on my own body’s movements, as well. It’s as though I’m moving faster.” Princess Celestia froze in mid sip after listening to what she thought was the oddest description of developing a crush that she had ever heard. “Do you know what I’m talking about?” Dusk Shine asked. “Well,” she replied as she gently set the teacup back on the table, “aside from that very… clinical… definition, I would have to say that you are, in fact, falling head over hooves for this pony. Have you spoken to her about it?” “No, but I did invite her to Bluebelle’s party since she helped me so much in Canterlot.” “I’m sorry?” Princess Celestia asked as she attempted to hide her confusion. “So then who is the lucky mare?” “I met up with Fleur De Lis this morning.” Dusk Shine replied as Princess Celestia kept her stoic demeanor, even though her confusion was now replaced by disappointment. Sister, you made me subconsciously get my hopes up. “There is something about her. Besides her physical features that drew out the responses I had mentioned earlier, she has a certain playful quality – a joie de vivre, I suppose – that is appealing. It’s almost as though there is friendship and then there is an addition to it, or an extension, or an upgrade.” “I see.” Princess Celestia remained still as Dusk Shine stood up and trotted over to the window. “I must admit, your skill at analyzing this emotion rivals Cadance’s.” She stood up a moment later and stood by his side. Together, they watched as the stars appeared in Luna’s night sky. “But analyzing this emotion is much different than feeling it, Dusk.” She could tell that he had turned his head up to hers, but she kept her head forward. “How do you feel?” The silence reigned once again. She heard Dusk Shine take a breath. “It scares me, Your Highness. It makes me feel happy, but beneath that, I’m scared.” “What about it scares you?” “I’m scared to say these feelings to her, because even though I’ve never felt this feeling before, I know that it can hurt me.” She heard Dusk Shine’s hooves as they came to a rest on the marble banisters. “It is as though I’m learning about friendship all over again, Your Highness.” “Well, you learned that lesson in less than a day, Dusk.” Princess Celestia replied. “I’m sure you will be successful at this endeavor, as well.” She heard Dusk Shine scoff. “And what’s funny about that?” She looked down to see that Dusk Shine had turned his head at just that moment. It’s simple to make friends But that is where it ends Is this how Golden Dream did feel When she took quill to her dilemma How does one make a true love real? Though friendship’s bliss is fine I want one to call mine Although I have tried to conceal The thought because I know it’s selfish But I want to make true love real Princess Celestia smiled as she watched Dusk Shine’s eyes lighten. And Fleur De Lis showed kindness towards me today Brought me laughter throughout this whole ordeal The two’s eyes met once more. Your Highness, I must say I’ve never felt this way I’m not sure what it is I feel But I think that this might reveal A way I can make true love real The two slowly made their way back into the castle, not noticing that the stars ceased their twinkling. A few stories above them, the princess of the night stood alone on her balcony and stared up to her sky. Her eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head. Many thoughts galloped through her mind at that moment, but on top of them all was the thought of a white unicorn. She bit her lower lip and focused her attention to her horn. A dark blue aura emerged, and the stars resumed their twinkling. ***** “Because he is a nice stallion.” Princess Bluebelle nearly shouted. The only reason she didn’t was because she didn’t want the nearby stallions to overhear their conversation. “He doesn’t want anything to do with ponies like you. So help me, I will make sure that he sees through your little act.” Fleur De Lis chuckled as her top hat floated just above her. “Oh, Your Highness. Do you think he’ll believe you?” Princess Bluebelle opened her mouth for a moment, but then shut it again. “I didn’t think so.” Fleur De Lis leaped onto the runway again and raised her voice so that the stallions could hear her. “Although it is interesting that after all of these years, this is the first time I’ve seen you come to the defense of any of the Canterlot ponies. Why is that?” “He is nothing like the Canterlot ponies. We are not like you.” Fleur De Lis laughed, as did a few of the stallions. Come now, Princess Bluebelle You know this is the way things are You can’t judge me I am not to blame Princess Bluebelle turned to the stallions in the air and watched as they swung back and forth on the trapeze. Come now, Princess Bluebelle You have never once cared before About who falls in this Canterlot game The zebras ahead of her continued to stretch, but their movements now filled her with dread instead of curiosity. So tell me, now, Bluebelle Why does he mean so much to you What makes you think that you can stop me? I know you, we all do You know that he’ll see straight through you And deep down you know what it is he’ll see The stallions above lowered themselves to the runway and flanked Fleur De Lis. Princess Bluebelle instinctively took a few steps back. We’re the same Just the same You know that this is true Prince Dusk Shine Will be mine There’s nothing you can do Princess Bluebelle felt Fleur De Lis’ eyes burn into hers. My status shall “It’s how things are.” The white stallion said. Rise once again “Just like a star.” A zebra chimed in. Prince Dusk Shine is the one To lead me back to fame “She’ll go so far.” The black stallion smirked. My status shall “It’s how things are.” The second zebra said. Rise to the top “Just like a star.” The white stallion continued. Until I reach my rightful Place I’ll never stop “She’ll go so far.” The stallions cried out in unison. Fleur De Lis continued to look down at Princess Bluebelle, who couldn’t help but feel smaller. So now, Princess Bluebelle What do you think that you can do Who do you think Prince Dusk Shine will believe? And how, Princess Bluebelle Did Dusk Shine make this change in you? It doesn’t matter you had better leave “I won’t stand for this!” Princess Bluebelle shouted. “You won’t get away with this!” “What?” Fleur De Lis asked. “You heard me!” She continued. “I will make sure that Dusk sees the real you!” “You won’t,” Fleur De Lis laughed, “You gave away your weakness, Your Highness. You’ll play the game. The prince and I will be the toast of all of Canterlot!” We’re the same Just the same And Bluebelle, you will see Prince Dusk Shine Shall be mine And you cannot stop me The stallions turned away and left the runway, one by one. I will never desist And he cannot resist The top hat came to a rest once again atop Fleur De Lis’ mane and she threw herself upon her hind legs once more. Don’t think that you can Try to stop me! Fleur De Lis fell back onto all fours and stared at Princess Bluebelle. A smirk grew on her muzzle. “I do hope that you don’t cause a scene at the birthday ball tomorrow, Your Highness. What would Prince Dusk Shine think?” Princess Bluebelle gritted her teeth. “Especially with all of the trouble that the two of us went through to make sure everything was perfect.” She raised an eyebrow at Princess Bluebelle and watched as her eyes began to glisten. Princess Bluebelle shook her head and began to gallop out of the room. “Oh, and if I don’t get a chance to say it tomorrow,” Fleur De Lis called out after her, “Happy Birthday, Your Highness!”