//------------------------------// // "BeeBee" // Story: My Fair Princess // by Toothsome //------------------------------// This was so embarrassing! Having to stand here, on display in front of the room like some side-show act for the dignitaries, some of which she knew personally! She was never going to live through this, she was sure she was going to have an anxiety attack if one more pony awkwardly commented on her appearance, or snickered under their breath, or even just talked to her. Why couldn't this day end so she could hide forever in an abyss and never be heard from again. "BeeBee!" Oh no, please, why did she have to be here! From the entrance, came Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, commonly known as Cadence, but even more privately known as Cadee. BeeBee and Cadee were the nicknames they gave each other growing up. Even though they're cousins, they felt more like siblings, always spending time together and hanging out, which made it all the more horrible for BlueBelle, she didn't want her to see her like this, she didn't want her cousin here! The laughs she could take from strangers, but from Cadence?! It would be soul crushing. Before she could run or teleport away, Cadence was before her; staring at her new body. "Hello Cadee..." BlueBelle said, slowly shying away from her and hiding behind her hair. "Wow, I'd heard the news, but I just found it a little hard to believe... Did you really have yourself turned into a mare?" "Yeah..." BlueBelle couldn't meet her eyes. "Is everything alright?" Cadence leaned closer, trying to meet her gaze. "Um, yeah. Yeah everything's alright. I mean, there isn't too much different. I'm just getting used to a few things." "Like what?" "Well, I'm a lot shorter than I used to be." "Haha you're right! Check it out, I'm finally taller than you!" Cadence puffed up, reveling in her new height dominance. "Heh, yeah..." BlueBelle's head lowered, a pit of sadness growing in her chest. Cadence's wing suddenly wrapped around her shoulders as she said, "Cheer up BeeBee, you're going to be Princess of Equestria soon! You should be happy!" "Mhm." "Good morning to you Cadence," Luna said as she stood before them, "did you make the trip alright?" "Oh it was fine Aunty, we even stopped in Ponyville to bring Twilight, she's staying in Canterlot for the week to be here for the coronation!" "Really? I thought she wasn't coming." "Well originally she wasn't, there's still so much for her to do in Ponyville now that she's a Princess." "Hmm." Luna's interest waning. "But since Shiny and I were going we talked her into it. She should be somewhere around here by now." "The room's almost full," Luna gazed through the crowds, "I see the Saddle Arabian delegates, the Griffon Ambassadors." "Ooo there's the Bat Pony delegate, I didn't think they'd be here during the day." Cadence said. "How many more are coming?" BlueBelle groaned, all these ponies, and griffons and who knows what else! Here to stare at her. "Not many," Luna answered, "Discord may or may not make an appearance, if the mail pony managed to reach him in time that is, so we're just waiting on the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia's family to arrive." Great, just what this party needed, a god of chaos, I'm sure he'd have loads of fun making jokes about her new body. BlueBelle walked away from his Aunt and Cousin, they barely noticed, still naming off the different dignitaries that filled the room. She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, that she wound up bumping into someone. It's very impolite, and she immediately apologised. "Oh, so terribly sorry, I didn't see you there." "BlueBlood?" Looking up, she realized that it was Princess Twilight she had bumped into. "Oh-uhhh... It's BlueBelle now." "I barely recognize you." Her eyes squinting at her all over, "Were the Princesses really able to do this?" "Yes." "I knew Alicorn magic was powerful, but I didn't know it was this powerful. How did they find out about this? Is there a book here about it? I've never read about anything like this happening before." "Your guess is as good as mine, Twilight." "Don't you know?" "No, they didn't tell me much aside from the fact that they could." "I have to talk with them about this." Twilight's eyes sparkled with excitement, a short dragon rolling his eyes by her side. Though those eyes quickly fell on the food tables and he was gone. "How do you like being a mare?" "Huh?" BlueBelle's focus from the dragon turned back to the purple alicorn she realized was also taller than her. "I asked if you liked being a mare?" "I haven't been one long enough to really say." "Oh, well... Uh how about the Gala? Are you excited for it? Is your gown beautiful?" "I don't have a gown, I haven't managed to get one yet." "What? But the Gala's tonight! Where are you supposed to get a dress at such short notice?!" "I-I don't know, maybe I could just where one of my bow ties, that would be fine wouldn't it?" "But this is your first Gala as a girl, as my friend Rarity would say; you've got to look simply marvelous! Rarity! Maybe I could get a letter to her, she's the best seamstress around. She could make you something in time." "No, you really don't have to." BlueBelle started backing nervously away from her, "Besides, I don't think she'd want to; I was a bit rude to her, she threw cake on me, we.. we don't really get along...." "Nonsense, Rarity's always willing to forgive anyone, I'm sure if you both apologized, she wouldn't mind making you a dress, plus, she'd love the advertising either way." "It's really okay, I'm fine." "I'll send the letter right now! Spike take a...." Twilight spun around searching for her dragon friend, "Spike?" She wandered off in search of him, while BlueBelle silently sneaked away, hoping that would be the end of it. Not many other guest talked to her, they mainly all glanced her way when she passed, muffled whispers followed where she went. How she wished to just escape from this torment, perhaps no one would notice if she left... One of the hallway doors was close by, if she managed to just make it past this group of ponies, she could head out, disappear, perhaps leave Equestria all together? It's not like ruling Equestria is that important to her. She made her way closer, and just as she was about to make it out of the crowd, a large white looming shape appeared before her. "BlueBelle! Just the pony I was looking for." Princess Celestia started herding her back through the crowd and away from the exit, BlueBelle tried to push past Celestia, get around her somehow, but Celestia expertly blocked every path while saying; "The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia have finally arrived and wish to meet you, I told them I'd introduce you personally and they've even brought along their son. Their Grandparents are here as well, though I believe they wandered off to find a suitable place to sit down." They'd made it to the centre of the room even with BlueBelle trying to push past Celestia's leg, though she fell down once Celestia stopped. "Are you alright Miss?" BlueBelle turned to the voice and saw someone she didn't recognize, he was a large stallion, much like how she had looked as a stallion, though with a rounder chin, and his coat was a bright white but had a colourful blue robe that covered his entire body, hiding his cutiemark. His mane was a dark brown, and bunched in curls all over his head, while his blue eyes gazed down at her. "Oh, uh yes. Yes I'm alright." "Let me help you." His hoof appeared out from under his robe, revealing dark hooves like his hair, she put her hoof into his and he helped her up. "Thank you.." "Indigo, Indigo Feather; Earl of Maretonia." "Thank you Earl Indigo, I'm Prince Blu- Princess BlueBelle.." "So you're the Princess, I don't mean to be rude but we were told that it was a Prince being coronated." He smiled as he talked to her, chuckling as he said it. "Heh," BlueBelle nervously laughed, "There was some.. last minute changes..." She glanced towards Celestia standing with Indigo's Parents. "That must've been so odd for you," he circled around her, forgetting what personal space was. "I mean, I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. Has your mind changed as well?" His face suddenly very close to her own as he stared at her head, "Do you find kittens uncontrollably adorable?" "I-I haven't seen a kitten yet to test it out." "Well we simply must find one!" Suddenly he was dragging her out the door and down the stone steps of the castle, making his way to the city.