//------------------------------// // Pretty Purple Pony Prince(ss) Part One // Story: Prince Dusk's Twilight // by TheFaceofMercy //------------------------------// “Oh Rarity, this feels soooo gooood!” Dusk exclaimed in bliss, laying in a soft mattress as Aloe massaged her back. “I don’t know why I haven’t done this before!” Rarity chuckled at the disguised-alicorn’s antics, relaxing with a couple of cucumber slices on her eyes. “Darling, is unknown by me why colts despise so much spa dates, Is after all, an opportunity to relax and enjoy life.” Of course, gossiping and storytelling were also included in the package. “I get you… As soon as I return to normal, I’m going to do this once a week!” Dusk responded rising from her joy induced sleep, when Aloe Or was it Lotus? walked her towards the mud bath at the end of the room. “Wouldn't surprise me,” Rarity said joining Dusk at the mud-bath. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” the purple mare replied, a scowl already present on her recently massaged face. “Well, Dear, you always seemed to…how do I phrase this…?” Rarity paused with a thoughtful expression, “Play for the other team as if were.” The unicorn replied unaware of Dusk’s discomfort “What?! I’m not a coltcuddler!” Dusk shouted, startling Rarity and both Aloe and Lotus. “Now, calm down ‘Twilight,’ there’s nothing wrong with being a colt-cuddler, love is love after all,” Dusk was positively infuriated at the moment, her horn ablaze with anger, hardening the mud over the tip of her horn. “I’m NOT a coltcuddler!” She stated, glaring daggers at the giggling mare. “Of course you’re not, Darling. I was just preparing the ground for the next thing in our agenda,” Rarity said, wiping the few tears that came out from her laughing, as the anger in Twilight’s eyes died down immediately. “Argh! gossip Rarity? Really?” The purple mare groaned in annoyance, slumping down on the relaxing mud, “You just found out I turned into a mare a few hours ago, and now you’re sharing gossip with me?” “You’ll find this one interesting, I’m sure.” Rarity moved closer to Dusk whose ears had perked up in interest. “I am positively sure Rainbow Blitz was ‘hitting on you’” Rarity whispered, smirking at Dusk’s confusion. “Rainbow Blitz, hitting on ME? I mean, the Rainbow Blitz, the most careless stallion ever to lay a hoof in Equestria? For being the element of loyalty he really doesn’t know how to treat a mare properly. I’ve heard Cloudkicker talking about him, she said he couldn’t even keep a relationship with a rock.” In hindsight, she shouldn’t really chastise Rarity for gossiping, right nowshe was the one doing it after all. “I’m going to ignore the fact that a real mare would have said that same thing,” Rarity said, raising an eyebrow as Dusk blushed slightly. “Because there are more important things to say.” “Like what?” Dusk asked, quickly trying to forget her lapse in judgment. “Didn’t you see the way he looked at you? He even wanted to stay during your modeling, probably to check you out… ” “He… he did not—” “And I’m the queen of Equestria, you know he did,” “And what if he is ‘hitting on me’ I am a ma- stallion and when I change back none of this will matter anyway.” the lavender unicorn huffed, hoping that Rarity hadn’t noticed her slip up. The fashionista just sighed in frustration. “I’m just saying, you should tell the others before this escalates,” she said getting out of the tub, cleaning herself up with a towel. “Don’t jinx it, Rares. Nothing is going to happen, you just have to follow my lead, and everything is going to be fine” Dusk said as she followed Rarity’s motions. “You know the last time you said that I ended up managing the weather right?” “You’re being overdramatic… Where are we going after this?” Dusk asked, changing the subject. She definitely didn’t want to remember that day “Oh! We are going to visit Applejack, of course, Rainbow was pretty clear about his ‘tour’.” “I hope Applejack don’t notice who I am,” Dusk said worriedly. “He is the Element of Honesty after all.” “I would be worried about him hitting on you,” Rarity teased, giggling as Dusk’s cheeks heated up again. “We wouldn’t want more suitors knocking at your doors would we?” “Rarity, are you shipping again? Because I swear if I find another Apple-Blitz story I’m going to tell Silver Belle to organize your boutique… again!” Dusk said menacingly, Rarity’s imagination couldn’t keep going on like this. The aforementioned mare promptly ignored Dusk’s threat knowing that Silver was away and so her boutique was completely safe. “I would have thought that someone like you appreciated good literature.” “ ‘Oh, Applejack, mount me with the strength which you buck those apples…’” Now it was Rarity’s turn to blush with Dusk’s impersonation of Rainbow’s voice. “That is not good literature, Rarity, that’s just nightmare fuel.” “Let us never speak of it again,” she said, walking past Dusk at a quick pace. “And the grammar! My Solaris your grammar—” “LET US NEVER SPEAK OF IT AGAIN!” “Heh, I won.” “So, you’re tellin’ me that, a new mare just showed up at Dusk’s place, and you’re already droolin’ over her?” Applejack said while he walked towards the barn with a basket full of apples in his back, looking up at Rainbow’s lovestruck grin. “I know right? This Twilight Sparkle is absolutely perfect, you wouldn’t believe it. I mean her flank is just—” “I’m goin’ to stop ya right there, partner,” Applejack said, rolling his eyes, at his friend’s antics “And you’re tellin’ me this ‘cause…” “I’m telling you this because I already called dibs for her, and If I called dibs for her first you can’t have her,” Rainbow replied matter-of-factly, landing in front of the confused stallion. “You’re only tellin’ me this ‘cause ya called dibs?” Applejack said chuckling, “Blitz, that’s the single most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” He laughed while Rainbow Blitz frowned, stomping the ground with his hoof. “Applejack this is serious, You’re not gonna steal that mare away from me!” He said approaching menacingly towards the laughing stallion. “Bros before horses, Blitz, ever heard of it?” Applejack said waving a hoof dismissively, “And even if I were goin’ to do it. I’ll tell Dusk first, before tryin’ to hook up with his cousin,” The orange stallion said, leaving the picked apples inside the barn as the pegasus smiled nervously. “I-I was planning to tell him when he arrives… but that’s not important right now.” “I reckon you didn’t come here just to tell me to stay out of your way, did ya?” Applejack asked raising an eyebrow at his companion. “Nope, that was it. She’s coming here right now so I want your hooves to yourself.” “You’re kidding aren’t ya?” Applejack asked, partially frustrated that Rainbow was not in fact kidding. “So, you will? That’s great, I didn’t want to kick my best bro’s butt,” Rainbow said smiling widely, while he hovered over Applejack in a relaxed stance. “Ya kicking my butt? We wouldn’t want a repeat of the last time would we?” He said, smirking when Rainbow suddenly flinched. “That was like, totally not fair…” “Yeah, and ya better know it! Anyways, about this mare, you’re tellin’ me that she is new in town and Pinkie hadn’t thrown her a party yet? Talk about weird,” Applejack asked, walking towards the Apple family’s house, opening the door until the proverbial Pink blur slammed him over. “Throw a party to whom?” The pink menace asked casually sitting over Applejack’s chest, while Rainbow Blitz burst into a fit of laughter. “Argh, Pinkie, you’re, crushin’ me,” The farmer said, pushing Pinkie from the awkward position they were in. The orchard wasn’t the place for doing that kind of things. “Sorry, Applejack. I just happened to be ‘round this parts when I heard you talk about a new pony in town, a NEW pony I hadn’t give a party yet! Which is really weird ‘cause my Pinkie sense usually tells me when a new pony arrives in town, and it hadn’t told me anything since this morning… except for that thing with the oven. Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Cake can be so silly sometimes, although—” Pinkie’s rambling was cut short by Rainbow Blitz hoof on her mouth. “Ah tashted the Wainbow.” “Pinkie you’re licking my hoof!” Blitz said shaking his head, as he pulled his hoof out. “And if you wanted to know, we were talking about Dusk Shine’s cousin, Twilight Sparkle, and I already called dibs for her.” Applejack just face-hooved for perhaps the fourth time during his exchange with the daredevil. “Really? She’s a mare, Rainbow.” Ignoring the stallions, or perhaps distracted by the sudden rush of ideas, Pinkie yelled excitedly “Dusk Shine’s cousin?! That’s great! I hope she isn’t a grumpy pants like Dusk at his first party.” The pink mare gasped. “Maybe she IS a grumpy pants! What am I going to do?!” “Um… Applejack?” Pinkie’s concerns were thankfully forgotten by the arrival of Fluttershy to the farm-house. Patches of mud covered her face and several shallow scratches marked her hooves. “Fluttershy! Thanks Solaris you’re here, did those raccoons gave you any trouble?” Applejack asked, carefully helping her to dislodge the dried up mud from her mane. The shy pegasus shook her head, while she reluctantly accepted Applejack’s help. “Oh no, they were the sweetest dears…” Rainbow rolled his eyes and pointed at her hooves. “Were they, really? “Once I got to know them, that is,” “Well, ‘Shy, thank you kindly. Those raccoons were messin’ with the harvest, I’m glad ya took care of them.” “Oh, it wasn’t a big deal, really…” Fluttershy said, blushing at the praise. “Um, did I interrupt something? I’m really sorry if I did, I heard you talking and—” “Don’t worry Flutter-Butter, We were talking about Dusk’s cousin, Twilight. Oh! And Rainbow already called dibs for her,” Pinkie intervened, winking at the aforementioned pegasus. “Dibs? What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked an almost undetectable edge to her voice now. She’d been trying to catch the stallion’s attention for over a month since she sorted out her feelings for the pegasus who was almost like a brother for her, and now some unknown mare comes to steal his heart? She wasn’t going to give up now, that mare didn’t know who she was dealing with. Not noticing Fluttershy’s shift in demeanor, Rainbow smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s nothing Flutters, just a new mare in town, you know how it is—” On the other hoof, Applejack seemed to be the only one paying attention to how the mare’s expression darkened as Rainbow kept talking. “—Heh heh, right… Fluttershy, why don’t you go upstairs and wash, you already know where the bath is.” Thankfully for him, Fluttershy nodded slowly and walked up to the farm-house. Once Fluttershy was out of earshot, Applejack gave Rainbow a slap on the back of his head. Hard. “Hey! What was that for?” He said, nursing the sore spot on his head. The earth pony huffed as he glared at the clueless expression on Rainbow’s face. “That’s for being a thick-headed idiot!” “Huh?” “You’re impossible, Rainbow.” He mumbled, face-hoofing, turning to Pinkie Pie he said. “C’mon, Pinkie, that Twilight mare is comin’ soon,” “Yay! A ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party! ” Pinkie said, oblivious at her friends’ fight as somehow confetti burst from her mane. “Wait up you silly mare, I didn’t say anythin’ ‘bout a party here. I was planning something ‘round the lines of a ‘welcome lunch’.” “Uh… Yay?” Rainbow looked confused at the turn of events, as his gaze traveled between his friends.“Hey! What about me? I know how to cook!” “Yeah right, boiled water doesn’t count.” The pegasus couldn’t think of a proper rebuttal, so he turned to the trusted phrase that had been useful for him in plenty of dire situations. “Buck off, Applejack.” “Gladly,” Applejack replied, making use of his great reserves of patience. “But you’re still not goin’ to cook,” “Bleh, I didn’t even want to,” “You know Rainbow, some mares like a stallion who knows how to cook,” Pinkie said, giving Applejack a conspicuous smile. “They do? Aww man!”