So, that’s what happened,” Dusk Shine said as he glanced from stallion to stallion, “At least, that’s what she said happened.”
The four ponies sat on a group of cushions in the Canterlot Archives. Applejack and Rainbow Blitz stared at Dusk Shine with confused looks, but Butterscotch continued to stare into his cup of tea. Dusk Shine looked down at his own cup and noticed a smudge on the saucer.
“Well, Ah do think it’s possible for Elusive to do somethin’ like that.” Applejack replied as he caught Rainbow Blitz’s gaze. Rainbow Blitz, for his part, nodded in agreement with the farm pony. “Did y’all see the way he was actin’ at the train station?”
“Yeah, not to mention how he was with Berry.” Rainbow Blitz added.
“...”
“Did you say something, Butters?”
The others turned to Butterscotch, who simply lowered his muzzle even further into the teacup as he shook his head. Dusk Shine nodded his head in the general direction of the others, but turned his attention back to the saucer.
“Well then, Ah feel just downright awful for how Ah thought of her.”
“Yeah, I mean she’s prissy and all, but-” Dusk Shine gave Rainbow Blitz a stern look. “I mean, you gotta admit she’s a neat freak. She’s kinda like you, in a way.” Dusk Shine levitated the teacup from the saucer and used his magic to clean up the small smudge. After he settled the teacup back onto the saucer, he turned back to his company, only to see that Rainbow Blitz had cast a sideways glance to Applejack and that Applejack had simply raised his eyebrow. “I rest my case.”
“... wouldn’t… that…”
The three stallions finally gave their attention to Butterscotch, who had now set his teacup aside and was looking at them. “What was that, sugarcube?” Butterscotch’s eyes widened. He turned his head to the side so that his pink mane came down just enough to cover one eye. “Y’all say somethin’?”
“Elusive wouldn’t do that. I would know.” Butterscotch took a deep breath before he continued. “Why are you so quick to take Princess Bluebelle’s side on this? Elusive is supposed to be your friend, too.” The others watched as Butterscotch’s voice slowly grew louder. “And besides, Dusk Shine, you yourself said that she was paranoid about the ponies of Canterlot. Isn’t it safe to assume that she let her paranoia get to her that night, too?”
“Butterscotch,” Dusk Shine said, “You weren’t there.” Butterscotch scoffed. “You weren’t there inside, seeing how Elusive was acting.”
“He’s right, now that Ah think of it. Y’all should’ve seen the way he was butterin’ her up like some pecan pie.”
“I don’t care if I wasn’t in the room.” Butterscotch said as he stood up, much to the surprise of his friends. “Elusive wouldn’t have lied to me about something like that.”
“What do you mean?” Dusk Shine asked. Butterscotch simply shook his head and looked out the window into the garden below, where he noticed a squirrel hopping from tree to tree. He remembered the night of the Grand Galloping Gala.
*****
Butterscotch and Elusive stared at the scene before them at Donut Joe’s. Dusk Shine, Applejack, Rainbow Blitz, Bubble Berry, and even Spines were seated around a table with Princess Celestia, laughing about their misadventures. He listened to each of them talk to her, he began to piece together the string of events that led to them being here. They were standing at the counter, ordering another round of hot chocolates.
“I’m so sorry about the tuxedo, Elusive.” Butterscotch said as he looked down at the animal scratches on his suit.
“Don’t worry about it.” Elusive replied as a piece of frosting fell off of his mane and landed on the floor with a soft plop. “It seems that all of our suits are a little bit worse for wear. I’m sorry that you didn’t have luck with the animals.”
For his part, Butterscotch had been trying all night to get the attention of the animals; he had tried to befriend the loons, the toucans, and the bitterns; he had tried to capture the birds, the monkeys, and the bears. All said, it was not one of his proudest moments. It wasn’t until he had gotten caught in his own trap and had a breakdown that one of the squirrels finally came up to him and helped release him. It had seemed for a moment that the animals were finally warming up to him, but then an earthquake rocked the gardens and the animals fled once more. Butterscotch ran after the animals, finally catching up to them in the ballroom, only to see his friends in various states of disarray. Butterscotch listened as each stallion told their story, but it seemed that one particular pony was the fulcrum for the more disastrous parts.
“Did she really trip you?”
“I’m afraid so.” Butterscotch shook his head but felt a hoof wrap around his shoulder. “But at least I’m here with you, dear friend.” Butterscotch blushed.
“You know, if she hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have gotten covered with cake. You wouldn’t have had your… incident… and she wouldn’t have knocked over the statue. Rainbow Blitz wouldn’t have knocked over the pillars, and the animals wouldn’t have gotten scared again.” Butterscotch turned towards his friends and watched as they laughed while eating a mountain of donuts. All because she tripped him, he thought. “Are you sure that you didn’t give Bluebelle a reason to trip you?”
“Why Butterscotch, I’m surprised. You know that ever since the whole Photo Finish incident I promised not to keep anything from you.” Butterscotch smiled softly and looked back up to Elusive. “If anything, maybe I was being a bit too chivalrous. I should have known that somepony like Her Highness would have a more independent streak, as it were.”
“Okay.” Butterscotch replied and began to make his way back to the table.
*****
Butterscotch continued to look down as the squirrel hopped into another tree and disappeared amongst the foliage. He snapped out of his reverie and turned back to Dusk Shine. “Elusive was just as much a victim of circumstances that night. If she hadn’t tripped him, then the cake wouldn’t have landed on him, and all the rest wouldn’t have happened, either. End of story.”
“I just say we put the two of them in a room and let them settle things.” Rainbow Blitz said, much to the surprise of the other three. “What? That’s how AJ and I settle issues.”
“Oh please,” Applejack huffed, “That ain’t a fair fight. It’d be over in a second, with a pony cryin’ in the corner ‘bout a messed up mane.”
Rainbow Blitz narrowed his eyes. “You’re talking about Elusive, aren’t you?” Rainbow Blitz smirked and Applejack raised an eyebrow. They immediately shared a laugh and hoof-bumped.
“But seriously. What do y’all need us to do about it?”
“I’m just saying be nice to her is all.” Dusk Shine replied. “She’s been a lot better. She’s opening up.” He smiled. “You won’t believe how much she knows about the Jazz Age.” Dusk Shine stopped when he saw that Applejack was looking at him funny. “What?”
“Nothin’.” Applejack replied as he looked away. He stood up, untied the bandana around his neck, and wiped his brow. “Well, ah gotta go to the colt’s room. Where is it?”
“Take a left, go down three doors, take another left, go down the stairs. When you cross the small archway, take a right, then go down two doors and open the gilded door to your right.”
Applejack blinked a few times, sighed, and then made his way out of the room. When the door shut, Dusk Shine turned back to his pegasi friends. Rainbow Blitz was trotting around the room, poking his head down the aisles that he passed. Butterscotch simply sat on the cushion and looked out the window.
“Why are you being so quick to take Princess Bluebelle’s side?”
“Listen, Butterscotch, it’s not that I don’t believe him. It’s just that there are obviously two sides to this story, and I would like to find the balanced one.”
“Uh, I think… I need to go take a nap.” Rainbow Blitz said as he looked back and forth between the two stallions. “Eeyup… really tired and all.” He gave an exaggerated yawn and darted out the window, leaving Dusk Shine and Butterscotch alone.
“A balanced story? Okay then, how about this?” Butterscotch replied, turning to Dusk Shine. “Elusive talked about Princess Bluebelle nonstop before the Gala, about how beautiful she was, and how he wanted to show her that he was just as good as the stallions in Canterlot. Maybe he acted ‘too chivalrously’” Butterscotch raised his hooves in the air to accentuate his punctuation. “Her Highness didn’t like it, so she makes it so that Elusive is humiliated by getting him covered in cake.”
“That… is just one possible situation.” Dusk Shine said. “But remember, Bluebelle has been around ponies that have tried to use her throughout her life. Isn’t it also plausible that she believed Elusive was using her, too?”
“Are you listening to yourself?” Butterscotch asked as he got off of the cushion. “Even if she thought he was being manipulative, she became manipulative right back. If she really thought he was doing it, she should have just trotted away instead of stringing him along.” Dusk Shine started to speak but stopped when Butterscotch put his hoof down. “Do you realize how many hundreds of bits worth of damage we did to Elusive that night? We ruined all of the suits that he made for us, suits he made for free! What did he do that earned his ruined suit? Showing too much kindness?”
Dusk Shine took a step back. He noticed that Butterscotch’s legs trembled slightly. “Butterscotch.” He reached out a hoof to him, but Butterscotch flinched back.
“And do you know how hard it was for him to reintroduce himself to the fashion industry after what happened? Do you realize what was going on with Elusive as he tried to rebrand himself? Paparazzi ponies with the cameras… those stupid flashing cameras…” Butterscotch’s breathing hitched and his pupils shrank to pins. “Cameras…” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You have no idea what its like.”
“That’s not true.” Dusk Shine said. “Remember the incident with the Foal Free Press?” Dusk Shine smirked at his response, but Butterscotch’s answer was more surprising.
“Are you kidding me?” Butterscotch asked. “Three colts make a little lie about you being a snob and you think that’s the same?” He pointed out the window. “They tried to destroy Elusive’s life, Dusk Shine. All because Her Highness decided that she was too good for Elusive and wanted to teach him a lesson that need I remind you was all in her head. Her actions had consequences, too. What she did was so much worse than anything Elusive could have done.”
“Butterscotch, I-”
“Do you like her?” Dusk Shine was taken aback. Butterscotch blinked a few times. “You do, don’t you?” Butterscotch took a few steps toward the window, but Dusk Shine stopped him.
“Listen, Butterscotch. I like Bluebelle as a friend.”
“Oh really? Close your eyes and think about Elusive, your friend.” Dusk Shine did so. He thought about his encounters with Elusive: the suit fitting upon first meeting him, the times he would take him to the spa as a friendly gift, how he would pay for lunches without flinching. He thought of how he stood up to the ponies in Canterlot when they embarrassed him at the Canterlot Garden Party.
“He’s a good friend, isn’t he?” Dusk Shine nodded. “Now think about Princess Bluebelle.” Dusk Shine imagined her interacting with the Anemoi and about how she rolled her eyes and laughed when they acted like two colts. He thought about the look of determination on her face when she looked in concentration at the ballroom, how she stopped herself and gave the chef encouragement. He imagined the confidence she had when she talked about the Jazz Age. And then he saw her eyes, bright and blue, staring up at him with that same determination and confidence. Dusk Shine laughed lightly and then opened his eyes to see Butterscotch staring at him. Butterscotch nodded his head and turned towards the window. “That’s what I thought.”
“Butterscotch, wait.”
“I’d like to go see the gardens, if that’s all right, of course.” Dusk Shine nodded. Butterscotch laughed to himself. “It’s funny, isn’t it?”
“What’s funny?”
Butterscotch leaped out of the window and fluttered outside for a moment. “How falling in love is like staring at the sun. It makes you go blind.” Butterscotch darted down towards the gardens, leaving Dusk Shine alone at the window.
*****
Applejack galloped through the halls as his glance darted from door to door. He stopped for a moment and jumped from hoof to hoof. “‘Course there ain’t no guards here to help me. ‘Find the gilded door’ he said. They’re all gilded!” Applejack shouted to himself. He turned to another door and was about to buck it open, but he stopped himself mid-buck when he realized that he did not want his family to be in debt for generations just to pay for a door. He turned around and opened the door slowly with his hoof. When he entered, his jaw dropped. “Shoot, the bathroom furniture here is fancier than Aunt and Uncle Orange’s livin’ room furniture. Are mah bits payin’ for the upkeep of this place?" AJ, why are you talkin’ to yourself? He thought. Who are you, Berry? Applejack trotted slowly into the next room and paused. He looked up at the map on the wall with silver pins in random locations and tilted his head. “Ah just don’t get modern art. What is the point of this room even?” He looked across the room and yelped in surprise when he ran into Bluebelle turning through the doorway. “Oh this is embarrassin’. Look, Highness, Ah didn’t mean to come in here, I just really-”
Bluebelle held up a hoof. “It’s… all right, um, Sir Applejack.” He could see Bluebelle giving him an appraising eye. She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped herself and began counting under her breath.
“Is… everythin’ all right, Highness?”
“You can call me Bluebelle, Sir Applejack.”
“Ah promise so long as y’all promise to stop callin’ me Sir.”
Bluebelle chuckled to herself. “Deal.”
“So, this is weird.” Applejack said. “Us, just standin’ here outside the, uh, mare’s room.” Applejack smiled awkwardly at Bluebelle, who squinted her eyes and tilted her head. “Ah think Ah’ll just-”
“You’re in my suite, Applejack.” Applejack’s eyes widened and he backed away. “No. It’s fine, I promise.”
“Ah know y’all are lyin’.” Bluebelle held up a hoof, but looked at Applejack as he gave her an incredulous look. “Ah’m right.”
“Yes, Applejack. If you must know, you have been a bit insufferable since coming in here. You thought my room was a restroom lounge. But I am not going to let my frustrations get to me.”
“Ah get the feelin’ Dusk Shine’s part of that.” Before Bluebelle could stop him, he continued. “Y’all don’t need to say anythin’, I know what’s goin’ on.”
“Excuse me?” Bluebelle said. “What is that supposed to mean?” She turned to the main room and trotted to her sofa. “I think I would prefer it if you just left. The colt’s room, as you so… charmingly put it…” Applejack saw Bluebelle’s eye twitch. “Is five doors down the right, up the stairs, take two lefts and a right, and then just go through the gilded door.”
“All the doors are gilded!” Applejack shouted. “Everythin’ here’s decorated in fancy!”
“Well, I’m sorry if you can’t tell the difference between a gilded golden door and gold painted door, you simple-”
Bluebelle covered her muzzle with her hoof, but realized too late what she said. Applejack smiled and bobbed his head. “Thought so.” He said as he took a step towards Bluebelle. “You ain’t different at all. Y’all are just pretendin’ to be nice. What do you want with mah friend?”
Bluebelle stomped towards Applejack until she was inches from his muzzle. “Nothing. Don’t you ever think that I am trying to use him, do you hear me?”
“Then why are y’all just pretendin’ to be nice when you ain’t?” Bluebelle closed her muzzle and looked away. “Well?” Bluebelle turned away, trotted to the sofa, and sat down. “Am Ah trottin’ over a line?”
“What’s that on your neck?” Bluebelle asked.
“Mah bandana?” He asked. Bluebelle shook her head and Applejack looked down to see a small pendant around his neck that he kept behind his bandana. He took a few breaths and tried to tuck it back behind it, but he saw a yellow aura wrap around it and float towards Bluebelle. “Give that back!”
“Are these your parents, Applejack?” She asked when she had opened the pendant. Applejack tried to snatch the pendant from Bluebelle’s hoof, but she pulled it back. “I will take that as a yes.”
“Y’all haven’t answered any of mah questions.” Bluebelle sighed, stood up, and then trotted into the next room. He heard something scrape across wood, and then she returned a moment later, carrying a picture frame. “What’s that?” He asked as she sat back down. She sat the picture frame down and took a breath when he saw what it was a picture of. No words needed to be said. “Ah see.” They stayed silent for a moment until Bluebelle leaned forward.
“Do you remember?” Bluebelle asked as she dropped the locket into Applejack’s hoof.
“You mean the day they...” Applejack began but struggled to finish the sentence. Finally, he swallowed the growing lump in his throat. “Yes, Ah remember. Do you?”
Bluebelle looked down at the picture frame and nodded her head. “I can’t forget.”
I still recall just how small my own hooves felt in theirs
And how I rushed just to keep up with their stride
Years pass me by and though I try to move through these fears
There are times I cannot help but hide
The day we travelled south down through The Badlands
My parents wanted me to meet the Winds
I still remember trotting through the hot sands
And that was how it ends
If only they could have had more time
Why did they have to leave me early
Life goes unfairly
If only they could have had more time
What will they think of what I’ve become
This mare that I see in the mirror
How would they see her
If only they could have had more time
Bluebelle turned to Applejack and saw that he was staring down at the open locket in his hoof. She stood up and took a step towards him, but stopped when he backed away.
Learnin’ to buck apple trees in the warm summer breeze
Steppin’ behind, watchin’ fruit fall to the ground
Ah took the haul to the barn just to take it easy
Then there was a sudden awful sound
Next thing Ah knew they slammed the door behind me
And Ah could hear them gallopin’ away
When Ah got out it was much too dark to see
Ah chased them anyway
If only they could have had more time
Why did they have to leave me early
Life goes unfairly
If only they could have had more time
What will they think of what Ah’ve become
This stallion here in my reflection
How would they see him
If only they could have had more time
Bluebelle sighed as she set the picture frame onto the table once more.
Scenes keep playing in these memories of mine
How my life could be different if only
They could have had more time
Applejack shook his head and stepped next to her while clutching his pendant.
Ah still recall just how small my own hooves felt in theirs
And how Ah rushed just to keep up with their stride
The two stood next to each other and stared at their parents. Finally, Applejack felt his shoulder trembling and turned over to see Bluebelle leaning up against him. He raised a hoof and lifted Bluebelle muzzle to his. He tried to be formal, but couldn’t help himself. “What happened, sugarcube?”
"The same thing that happened to you." Applejack lowered his hoof, waiting for her to explain. "We were attacked by a Tatzlwurm, and my parents hid me." Bluebelle took a few steps away and looked at her reflection in a mirror on the wall. “You look at yourself in the mirror and wonder what they would think of you?” Applejack nodded. “I do, too.” Bluebelle sniffled, picked up the picture frame and headed back to her room. Before she reached the doorway, however, she turned around and looked at Applejack. “To answer your question, it was because of him that I realized that I want to see somepony better when I look in my reflection, that’s all. You won’t say anything to Dusk Shine about this.”
“Why don’t you think that?”
Bluebelle smiled. “Because I can tell that is not the stallion you see when you look in your reflection.” Bluebelle disappeared behind the doorway. Applejack went to follow her, but she called out from the other room. “Didn’t you need to use the little colt’s room?” Applejack grimaced and darted his eyes back and forth, turned around and galloped out of the room and down the hall from where he came. When she was sure he was gone, she looked down at her hooves. She began to tremble again. She turned around and used her magic to open the gilded door next to the entryway to the Wind Room. A moment later, the sound of running water echoed through the suite.