Button was on edge. He wanted to wish Sweetie Belle good luck before the test started, but he was stopped by several guards by order of his mother that he couldn't be in any way near the princesses before and during the test. He also wasn't allowed in the throne room where the test would take place. He went to the gym, but didn't pick up his sword or did anything else, mostly because he was too nervous to focus.
Featherweight shortly joined him, followed by Pip and Rumble, and then Snips and Sails came in.
"Hang in there. It'll be over soon." Featherweight tried to assure him.
"But what if she fails? What is to become of her? Will she be sent back home so I'll never see her again?" Then I would have never known if she was the lovely voice that was haunting my dreams before she came to my shores.
"I cannot say for sure…" Featherweight sadly said, then grabbed a sword and said though his mouth, "Come on… let's try to get your mind off of things and do some sword fighting."
"For the last time, Featherweight, I will not fight you. You could get hurt. Besides, it's too easy."
"Then fight us!" Snips shouted, and he had a sword at the ready and Snails was going to fence back.
"Engarde!" he said as they clashed swords poorly and ended up tripping.
Button shook his head and turned to the escorts, "How about you guys? Any of you know how to duel?"
"Sorry, I never learned." Pip confessed.
"I suppose I could give it a whack." Rumble grabbed a nearby sword.
"I must warn you: I'm the champ." Button smugly smiled.
"I'll take that as a challenge." Rumble had a determined look as they braced themselves.
Featherweight stood between them as referee, "Ready? Set… and parry!"
The swords clashed and the two fenced for a bit as the onlookers cheered them on. It wasn't until Rumble had the upper-hoof and knocked Button down.
"Whoa!" Button got back up, "Where did you learn to fence like that?"
"Nowhere, that was just beginner's luck, but you weren't so bad yourself." he held out his hoof.
Button took it and they did a firm hoof-shake.
"Say, think you could teach me how to fence as well?" Pip asked.
"Sure, I give you a couple of pointers." Button beamed and handed him a smaller fencing sword and started giving lessons.
"This should be good." Snips said to Snails.
Featherweight told them, "You'll see, Button will be able to teach him to be a cool fighter." He sang out to the prince, "Convince those guys, my lord and master…"
"I'm trying as fast as I can, Featherweight!"
"Well, do it faster, let's be done…"
"Everyone choose a weapon," Button said, "And begin to truset."
Featherweight sang, "In wasting time we court disaster…"
Snips and Snails sang, "Pick up that sword and strap it on…"
"Now pretend we're on an adventure fighting off bad guys." Button had his sword at the ready.
Rumble then sang, "Fate blows her kiss… Chills your heart… Takes your hoof…"
Featherweight kept singing, "Fate feels like this… Play your part… This was planned…"
And all of them sang out loud, "And lo, before you know, you kick the dirt, you grab your gear… Your moment's now, your moment's here… It's time for… high… high… high adventure! You're off and riding saber flashing! Your banner high, your molars gnashing! You feel so dashing on a high… high… high adventure! Get set to give some guy a thrashing! 'Cause high adventure is in the air!"
Pip sung, "There's high adventure in the air, guys… Someone's out there, guys, someone bad…"
Rumble motioned, "You said it!"
Featherweight sang, "He's got a damsel in despair, guys… Heck, that's not fair, guys, and I'm mad…"
Button took over, "Fate blows her kiss… Winks her eye… Plots her scheme…"
Featherweight, Pip, and Rumble sang, "Plots it for Rumble, Pip, and Featherweight… And so, we three will go… Until it's through… Until it ends… Here comes Button's only friends… Off on a high… high… high adventure! To confrontations so exciting! They're playing music while we're fighting! Scratching and biting on a high… high… high adventure! Feel that adrenaline igniting! 'Cause high adventure is in the air!"
They all sword fight while other knights coming though sang out, "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ah! Ahhh! Ahhh!"
Rumble sang out, "Ah!"
Pip did the same, "Ah!"
Button sang too, "Ah!"
All of them sang, "Adventure! Heigh-ho, the stallions are stampeding! With Celestia's wisdom ever leading!"
"My hoof is bleeding!" Featherweight noted.
Button sang, "Well, that's…"
All of them sang again, "High… high… high adventure! What we collectively been needing… This high adventure in the air!"
Rumble, Pip and Featherweight sang again, "Hark! Something calls like a dream from afar… Calls out to Rumble, Pip, and Featherweight… It's-wait-the Voice of Fate… It calls to me, it calls to you and to Button's motley crew! It's time for… high… high… high adventure! Danger to danger we go flying! Completely unafraid of dying!"
All of them finished, "This is high… high… high adventure! There's no ignoring or denying! The kind of thrills that it's supplying! And the effect's electrifying! When high adventure's in the air!" They stopped with the sword fighting and bowed.
The girls marched into the throne room, where the queen sat on her throne and gave off an emotionless face. Once the princesses were all present before her, she spoke.
"Young ladies, I can't tell you how pleased I am to see so many of you competing to give my son a better chance to find a suitable queen. For the first test, I will be testing your knowledge of what being a princess is."
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Babs, Twist, and Dinky looked over to Sweetie Belle in shock as she gave a shrug and a sheepish grin.
"As all of you are of nobility…"
Diamond whispered loud enough for the trio to hear, "Some of us, more or less…" The trio scowled in return before going back to listening to the queen.
"…you will be expected to know how to behave when ruling someday. For the test, I will ask each of you a question relating to princess life. If you answer correctly, you shall move on to the next test. If you do not answer correctly, you have a choice of leaving or staying. You are still our guests and we do not wish to force anyone to leave right away, but you will not be allowed to participate further in the contest. Are there any questions before we begin?"
When no one said anything, the queen stated, "Then please form a line in front of me as I start the test."
The first one in line was Aura. The queen cleared her throat and took out a list, "Princess Aura?"
"Yes…?" Aura shook but stayed calm.
"If a waiter bumped into you by accident and spilled on your favorite dress, what would you do? Would you fire him on sight? Would you accept the spill graciously and tell him it's alright? Or would you yell at him and warm him to not let it happen again?" she finished and waited for the princess to say.
Aura smiled and proudly said, "I would tell him it's alright."
She nodded and said, "Very good."
Aura passed the first test.
Sweetie felt an instant calm, but that shortly changed when she heard the next question.
"Princess Peachy Pie, you are hosting a party. What is it you have to do? Do you mingle with the guests? Do you serve the guests? Or you stay away and watch the party going on?"
Sweetie tried to remember of all her times at the Grand Galloping Gala, but all she remembered was hanging out with her sisters and having fun. She never had to host since her mother and father got to handle that. She didn't need to worry, but in a time like now, she wished she had paid more attention.
Peachy Pie was deep in thought and finally answered, "You stay away and watch." She beamed, but frowned when she heard the queen's tone.
"I'm sorry, that's incorrect. A good host, especially one that's royal, should always mingle with their guests to prove that they're not distant and it's a smart way to make allies they would need."
"Does this mean…?" Peachy Pie solemnly said.
"I'm afraid so, but as I said before, you're welcome to stay, but you cannot continue on to the next test."
"I understand…" she lowered her head and sat down next to Aura.
Sweetie felt sweat running down her face. This test just got harder.
A few more princesses had their questions and said their answers. Some of them passed, but some still failed.
Sweetie hated to think this way, but when it was Diamond's turn, she had hoped she would fail. Much to her dismay, she heard the question given to Diamond.
"Princess Diamond Tiara, you have been invited to afternoon tea by some pony important. What do you wear for occasion? A sun-dress? A ball-gown? Or fancy attire?"
Diamond smirked, "It's quite simple, Your Majesty: you wear fancy attire, of course, to impress your host and to show you took their invitation seriously."
Queen Love Tap beamed, "Why, yes! That is very correct!"
It made the trio sick to their stomachs how Diamond just earned the queen's favor like that. This made Sweetie more nervous than before. She thought she was going to throw up right then and there had it not been for her mother's words she heard last night: All they can do is try their best… This calmed her down so she wouldn't get sick, but it set her on edge that Diamond Tiara impressed Button's mom like that.
Sliver Spoon was next and she had a question similar to her cousin and she passed with flying colors, too. Twist went up, then Babs and Dinky. Fortunately, they passed as well. Scootaloo was after them. She was given a question involving royalty attending sporting events, an area she was luckily familiar with. She got to move on much to Sweetie's happiness. Apple Bloom had the next question of what kind of skills a princess should know. She answered correctly on that one. Then came Sweetie's turn…
Sweetie Belle gulped as she took a step forward to face the queen. The queen herself was examining Sweetie since she was the princess that her son found the morning she washed ashore. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then the queen cleared her throat, "Princess Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie slowly nodded, "Uh-huh…?"
"Two gentle-colts are having a dispute about an apple tree. One of them is owner of the tree while the other is his neighbor. He complains that the tree is dropping apples onto his land. The neighbor wants to remove the branches that drop the apples, but the owner is upset, telling him it would ruin the tree and his family would have less food to eat. The two colts go to the royal family to solve the problem, but the only one there is you. They tell you what's wrong and you think it over. What would you do?" she looked at her to give the answer.
Sweetie was a bit surprised that she wasn't given any choices, but she thought about what her parents told her about showing generosity and kindness to your subjects. The owner needs that tree, but the neighbor is tired of dealing with the apples that keep falling… Could the tree be moved? A simple spell could get it out of the ground and move it somewhere else away from the neighbor's land… She faced the queen once more and said, "I would cast a spell to move the tree away from the neighbor's land. That way, the owner still has his tree intact and both parties would be happy." She waited to see if she gave a good answer or not.
Queen Love Tap gave no expression for a while and this worried Sweetie, until she gave a small smile and questioned, "You would give the spell?"
"Um… Yes…?"
"Most royals would just command their guards who have magic to do the job, but if you have the magic, then it is quite generous of you to do so."
"Well, thank you…"
"And I am pleased at how you wanted both subjects to be happy instead of just one having it their way. You were wise to give in all your options before giving a final answer. I look forward in how you do in the next test." she beamed.
Sweetie could hardly contain her excitement: she passed! She actually passed! She looked over to her sisters and saw the same excitement. The other princesses were either impressed or less impressed.
"Congratulations to those who made it to the next part of the contest. I shall see you in two days' time again in this very room." She bowed her head and went out.
Once the queen was gone, the sisters and their new friends gave each other a group hug.
While they were still hugging, a spirit was wiping his brow and flopped back on the couch from getting over-excited after watching his sister-in-laws take the test. Discord especially felt stressed for Sweetie Belle after hearing the question. He was tempted to help her out, but he remembered the promise he made to his wife and relatives and contained himself. However, it was still very hard watching his little sister trying to get past the competition. If any pony deserved to be with the prince, it should be her… He sighed as he gave a small smile, remembering his memory of the trio before his marriage to Fluttershy.
It was just right after the kids had got adopted and he was engaged to his princess. The girls were a little intimidated by him, but really, what pony wasn't except maybe his marefriend? But after he gave them some presents to play with, they started accepting him more and even asked him if he could help them figure out their cutie marks. He was happy to help them out. The little rascals reminded him of, well, him. They would always get into some sort of trouble or other. The presents he gave them would eventually help them figure out what they were meant to be. Sweetie had a karaoke machine, Apple Bloom a paint brush, and Scootaloo a scooter. In no time, they discovered their hidden talents, earning the cutie marks they had now and he gained three new friends. Sweetie Belle told him once that they didn't fit anywhere before because they were alone in the world, but with him and their family, they didn't feel they had to be anymore. He knew exactly how that felt before he met Fluttershy and his new friends, who of course would've been his family in about a month.
Even after his wedding with his brothers and sisters, he remained in touch with his little sisters and always hanged out with them when he or they visited. Now that they were grown up, he wanted to so badly help them have the same happiness he found with Fluttershy. Seeing them at the ball, he was determined to do whatever it took. He snapped and a mirror appeared in his paw. It was a mirror like the one he gave Sweetie Belle.
He said to himself, "Tonight, I shall ask Sweetie how she felt about the test and ask her if she needs further assistance to get though the rest…" He crossed his fingers in hopes she would ask for the help.
The group of girls was giggling while heading up the steps to get to their rooms. Suddenly, they encountered the boys crossing their path.
"Sweetie Belle!" Button ran up to her and began babbling, "Are you alright? How it go? Did you pass? Or did you fail? I need to know!"
"Button! Calm down!" Sweetie had to shout to get through to him, "Everything's fine… Miraculously, I survived the first test." she smiled at him.
"Seriously?" he blinked.
"Seriously…" she smirked.
He slumped in astonishment, "Oh, man… I was so… I was hoping, but I was so worried at the same time…"
"I will admit, I was worried, too. I was so sure for a moment there, I was going to fail."
They were about to embrace in comfort until they remembered the company they were keeping.
Sweetie turned her head and introduced her friends, "Prince Button, you know Princess Twist, Princess Babs, and Princess Dinky, right?"
"I do," he bowed his head, "Ladies, I'm honored that you're here."
"The honor is ours, Your Highness." Dinky blushed while bowing her head too.
"It should be me proving my worth, not you. I am sorry that you all have to go through this ridiculous contest. I swear, it wasn't my idea."
"Wow, so… this was out of your hooves, too?" Babs noticed.
"It sure was." he looked back and pointed, "By the way, these are my friends of the palace. Featherweight you remember at the ball. And Snips and Snails are knights."
Snips and Snails struck poses to show how brave they could be. Dinky found herself smiling at the tall one.
"Aren't you the court jester?" Babs mentioned to Featherweight.
"I sure am! But I would rather go on missions if a certain prince would let me…"
"We've been over this…" Button sighed, "You get hurt too easily, and I don't want anything bad happening to you."
"Don't worry, Featherweight. I have the same problem with my parents. They think I can't do anything when really, I've done way more than what they know of." Babs winked.
This intrigued him and asked, "Really? Like what?"
"Oh… just sneaking in and out of the castle while they weren't looking."
This time, it was Button's turn to be intrigued, "You did that, too?"
"Well, yeah… and what do you mean by 'too'?"
"Well, I… I sneak out of the castle whenever I get the chance."
Her eyes widened, "Whoa… That's… pretty amazing."
"It is. I didn't think I would meet anyone who feels they had to get out like me!"
Sweetie felt a twinge of fear when watching between the two royals talking about how they had to spend their entire life living in a castle and learning duties being expected of them. It worried her that maybe Babs was a better match for Button than she was. But why should I think that way? You're not winning this contest to marry him. You're doing it so he can be free to do whatever he wants, and if he wants Babs, then he should have her… But why does it hurt to think of seeing them together? Probably because of what he told you in the village… about if he had to marry a princess, then it would be you… She thought of the time she and Button spent when she first came on this island, from him finding her washed overboard to their dance and walk in the gardens at the ball, and him giving her tour of his kingdom… They had grown close, but not that close…
"Sweetie? You okay?" Twist asked, snapping her out of her daydream.
"Huh? Oh… yeah… I'm… fine…" she unsteadily said and that caused suspicion to her sisters.
"You sure about that?" Apple Bloom questioned.
"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she gave a fake grin.
"You're not acting like you're okay. Is something bugging you?" Scoots asked.
"No! Nothing's bugging me! So let's leave it at that!" she practically shouted and that drew the rest of group's attention on her.
She blushed bright red, feeling so embarrassed that she quickly made a run for it with near tears in her eyes. She heard Button calling her name, but she didn't stop. She was too ashamed of herself and couldn't go back there.