//------------------------------//
// Fireworks 
// Story: The Princess and the Unicorn 
// by DisneyFanatic23 
//------------------------------//

	"I'm telling you!" Dawn insisted as she and Blueblood, who had removed his cloak, sat down on bench. "Matter-Horn could just blast Mistress Mare-velous with her power beams! Ice ray, heat ray…"

"Yes, but," Blueblood counteracted, "Mare-velous has faster reflexes and heightened senses. She could dodge those beams with ease!"

"But Matter-Horn's also real smart. She wouldn't just blast random beams! She'd use her brain to find the right tactic in trapping Mare-velous into a corner so she can blast her properly! Now, if she were going against Fili-Second, however, she would have less of a chance."

"Ah, but what Fili-Second makes up for in speed, she lacks in brain! Now, the Masked Matter-Horn may not be fast enough to freeze her, but Radiance could conjure up a sort of barrier to catch her."

"Like a giant baseball mitt?"

"Exactly!"

"Huh. I guess with Radiance's looks, she can be…quite the catch!"

She winced at the bad joke, but Blueblood laughed regardless. She chuckled along with him.

"This is most invigorating!" the prince exclaimed. "I've never talked about this sort of thing with any pony!"

"How did you, a prince, get so much into comics anyway?"

He didn't hesitate. "Aunt Celestia got me a Power Ponies comic for my ninth birthday."

"Which issue?"

"Fifteen."

"The one where the Phony Pharaoh breaks into the Tomb of Anubis, accidentally arising him from the dead?! Oh, that's a classic!"

"Isn't it though? You could say it's been a guilty pleasure of mine ever since. However, the colts at Canterlot Prep didn't think comics were…dignifying. So I've kept my hobby a secret." He turned to Dawn. "I must say, I'm surprised you share my interest. I heard you were well-read, but I didn't think that included comic books."

"Well-read?"

It took a few seconds for Dawn to remember that she was disguised as Twilight.

"Oh, yeah! That's me! I'm a regular bookworm!" She chuckled awkwardly and glanced down at her new comic. "I used to read these all the time when I was little. I had to sell most of my comics when we were short on money. We were going through such hard times, with our financial problems and Mom being sick and all. Comic books were my escape from the real world and into the comic world, where the heroes always get out of tough situations, no matter how bad they get." She sighed sadly. "In the real world, however, things only got worse when Mom…"

She quickly stopped herself, not because she was heart-stricken over her mother's death, but because Twilight's mother was still alive.

"Sorry, I…I'm probably boring you. Ironic, huh?"

"No, no!" Blueblood insisted. "I like hearing you talk!"

It was strange, but he did. Usually when he was with a mare, he did all the talking. Now that he'd thought about it, this was the first time he had been engaged in such a deep conversation. He had tried so hard to keep an appearance that he would normally talk about things he figured would interest ponies of high society. They'd always laughed at his snide remarks, even when he himself didn't find them humorous, but then again, they had to agree with anything the prince said.

That was why he became so intrigued with this mare, this princess, who had outright told him how dull and uppity he was. He had been afraid to speak in her presence afterwards, but now that the ice had been broken between them, talking with her felt natural, as if he had always talked with her this way.

And he found it surprising how interested he was in what she had to say. He had come to the Crystal Empire to court her, but he didn't think that he would be taken with her, let alone that he would be conversing with her as…an equal.

He'd been treated like a prince, he'd been treated like a foal by his aunts, but never an equal.

Dawn blushed at his compliment, and rubbed her foreleg awkwardly. It was like when she first saw him, only now it was different. It wasn't his handsomeness that was making her all giddy inside, but the fact that they'd been talking for Celestia knows how long and she hadn't been bored for a second.

What's more, he was a prince, and he was talking with her like she was an old friend. She'd never really talked much with stallions before, not even the colts at school, so this was a new experience for her. She had also never met any pony who loved comic books as much as she did.

Her earlier affections for him were slowly returning.

"Pssst!"

"Did you hear something?" Blueblood asked, looking around.

"Hear what?" Dawn asked absent-mindedly.

"Pssst!"

"There it is again," said the prince.

"I didn't hear anything."

She really didn't, for she was still staring intently at him.

"Dawn!"

Her ear twitched as she heard her name. She looked over her shoulder and spotted Twilight's head poking out from behind the nearest stall, her hoof beckoning her. Dawn looked up at the sky. She couldn't tell time by the sun's position, but she knew that it was some time in the afternoon. How long had she and Blueblood been talking?

She looked back at her doppelganger and mouthed, Now?!

Now! Twilight mouthed back.

Dawn sighed and turned back to Blueblood with an awkward smile. "Would you excuse me while I, uh…go to the little mare's room?" She forced a laugh as she backed away slowly. "Nature calls, you know!"

As soon as the prince wasn't looking, Dawn turned the corner of the stall and sat in front of Twilight.

"Did any pony find you out?" the princess demanded.

"No," Dawn said, shaking her head. "Well, except Discord…"

"Discord?! He didn't say anything to any pony, did he?!"

"No, he said this was too entertaining for him to ruin, so I think we're safe. I think Pinkie Pie's on to me though…"

Twilight heaved a relieved sigh. "Well, it's a good thing we're changing back then. I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up before some pony else figures us out."

"Oh," Dawn said sadly, clutching her new comic to her chest. "Right. I forgot."

"Forgot? How could you forget…?"

She paused to squint at what Dawn was holding. She recognized it as a Power Ponies comic. Then she noticed the purple pouch around her neck.

"Is that my purse?" the princess asked appallingly.

"Hehe," Dawn said with an uneasy smile. "Maybe?"

Twilight scowled and levitated the purse over Dawn's head and opened it up to examine it.

"There's at least…twenty bits missing from here!"

"I was hungry!" Dawn protested.

"For comics?!" Twilight exclaimed, glaring at the book in her hooves.

"What, this? I didn't pay for this. Blueblood did."

The princess blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry. What?" She stuck a hoof in her ear. "Did you just say Prince Blueblood bought that comic for you?"

"Uh…yeah. Is there any other Blueblood?"

Twilight peered around the corner to look at the prince, who was still sitting on the bench, waiting patiently. Then she looked back at Dawn.

"That guy? Right there?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, color coming to her cheeks. "I thought he was a little snooty at first, but now he's actually kind of…sweet."

"But…Rarity told me that at the Grand Galloping Gala, he insisted on her paying for their treats, and he just bought you a comic?"

"Not just any comic. A rare, limited edition comic! It's worth a hundred bits!" She glanced at Twilight nervously. "Maybe it's a good thing it wasn't paid with your money."

"Hold on!" the princess exclaimed, placing her hoof on her brow. "Sorry, I just can't wrap my head around this!" She pointed back at the prince. "You and…him?!"

Dawn smiled and crossed her right foreleg over her left. "I don't know about that, but…he's actually good company. And he's good at conversation…you know, when he's not trying too hard."

Twilight stared at her blankly. "This is still Prince Blueblood we're talking about, right?"

"Yeah, um…" Dawn bit her lip and turned back to the prince. "Say, you don't mind if we…wait a little longer to switch back, do you?"

"What?! Dawn, didn't you hear me?! If we keep this up, some pony other than Discord is bound to discover that we're not who we say we are!"

"I know, but…I was just starting to get to know the guy and…well, he thinks I'm you."

"Exactly! Which is why you should stop this! If he is starting to like you, he thinks you're me! In fact, that might be the only reason he's being nice."

"But if I turn back into…well, me, he'll never talk to me again! After all," she looked regretfully at the pony disguised as her, "what prince would ever talk to me?"

"Is lying to him worth it then?"

"Look, I know it'll probably never go anywhere, but…I don't want it to end just when we're starting to get to know each other." She looked pleadingly at Twilight. "Can't I just have one day with him? I've never had even the slightest hint of romance in my life! Even if it's just for one day, I want to make the most of it! Please?!"

Twilight had never realized the effect her eyes could have on others. When they got all big and glassy like that, she couldn't help but feel pity.

"Well…"

Dawn could see the princess' hesitation and decided it was time to try a different tactic.

"Look at it this way," she said in a low whisper. "If we switch back now, you're gonna have to spend the day with him."

Twilight cringed, knowing it would be hard to shake Blueblood off, especially at the risk of upsetting Cadence.

"Fine," she grudgingly agreed.

Dawn gasped and threw her hooves around her. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Twilight! How can I ever make it up to you?"

"You can start by giving me my purse back," the princess grumbled.

"Oh," Dawn blushed, picking the purple pouch off the ground and handing it to her.

Twilight took it with a glare. "But we're switching back when the fair is over!"

"Oh man!" Dawn cried out, slapping her forehead. "The fireworks! I'm supposed to help Dad with them tonight!" She glanced back at Blueblood. "Though it would be fun to just watch them for once…"

The princess sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll help. Shooting off fireworks can't be any harder than making sparklers."

"Right," Dawn chuckled awkwardly. "Forgot to tell you about the sparklers."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Anything else I should know?"

"Hmm…" Dawn tapped her chin. "Oh yeah. Dad might expect you to shoot sparks from your horn. That's…part of my special talent."

"Okay. Shouldn't be too hard." Twilight giggled slightly. "I get 'sparks' all the time."

The other mare tilted her head, unsure what she meant be that.

"Anyway," the princess said, shaking out of her thoughts. "This time, we need to agree on the exact time and place we'll meet. After the fireworks, we'll meet over by…the Crystal Heart! Yes! I'll hide behind one of the pillars in case some pony we know is already there."

"Crystal Heart, after the fireworks," Dawn repeated with a nod. "Got it. Oh! I have one more thing to ask you." She leaned forward and whispered, "You and Discord…you're not…well…"

Twilight's eyes widened in appalment. "What?! NO!"

"Phew! Good! I was worried!"

"What made you think that he and I…?"

Dawn cringed. "Let's just say he decided to, uh…have some fun, before telling me what he knew."

Twilight put her hoof to her head. "Typical Discord. Remind me to have a talk with him after all this."

"Hey, at least he's having too much fun to tell any pony."

"Yeah, well let's hope he doesn't have too much fun with this."

"So…are we good? 'Cuz Blueblood looks like he's getting fussy."

"Yes, yes." They both stood up. "Remember. After the fireworks, go straight over to the Crystal Heart!"

"Got it!"

The mares smiled at each other, shook hooves and departed in opposite directions. Neither of them saw the horned pink and blue butterfly hovering over them.

"What kept you?" Blueblood asked curiously as Dawn came into view.

"Sorry," she giggled. "You know mares take forever in the bathroom!"

She winced in embarrassment, but Blueblood gave her a kind smile.

"That's alright. I was only concerned that you were making an excuse to…well, get away from me."

"You kidding? I'm having the best time!"

"Oh, good, because I hear there's a jousting demonstration going on right now. Do you care for jousting?"

"Jousting?" Dawn repeated, scrunching her nose. "You mean like they do in those medieval stories?"

"Don't let my interest in comic books fool you. I do take pleasure in some sophisticated activities."

She raised an eyebrow. "Watching ponies skewer each other is what you call sophisticated?"

"They wear protective gear, and from what I've heard, the lances aren't tipped. Didn't you organize this event?"

She forced a smile. "Right! Silly me! Okay. Lead the way, your highness."

Blueblood huffed in annoyance. "Enough of this 'your highness' business. I believe we've reached a point where informalities are appropriate. From now on, you may refer to me as 'Blueblood.'"

Her smile slowly became genuine as she felt weak in the knees. "Okay…Blueblood. You can call me Daw—I mean Twilight! Yeah!" She chuckled nervously. "Twilight! That's my name!"

"Very well then," Blueblood said, sticking out his foreleg. "May I escort you to the jousting ring then, Twilight?"

Dawn struggled to keep up her smile as she slid her hoof through and replied, "You may."

She would've been more thrilled about being on his foreleg if he had called her by her name.

As they strolled down the street, they passed by Rarity and Spike. The unicorn mare stopped in her tracks, Spike bumping into her and dropping the pile of straw he'd been carrying for the crafting booth. Rarity looked back at the royal couple in disbelief.

"Do you see that?!"

"Huh?" Spike asked, rubbing his head.

"Do you see," she grabbed his head and twisted it around, "that?!"

The dragon's jaw dropped when he noticed Dawn and Blueblood. "I see it, but I don't believe it!"

"How dare she?!" Rarity spat venomously, ignoring Spike's cries as she dropped him. "I can't believe her! After I told her what kind of stallion he was, and how he treated me!"

"I don't get it," Spike said, standing himself up. "I thought she liked that Flash guy. And even if she didn't, Twilight would never do something like this!"

"She wouldn't, would she?" Rarity said, rubbing her chin in thought.

"She's been acting really weird lately. Forgetting things, fretting over her appearance, flirting…"

"It's almost as if…she isn't our Twilight at all."

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I just remembered something! Yesterday, when I went to her room, there was a mare there who looked just like…"

The dragon's mouth shut suddenly and his eyes went blank. So did Rarity's.

"What was I saying?" Spike asked unsurely.

"I'm…not sure," Rarity said, scratching her head. "In fact, I don't even remember what we were talking about." She shrugged. "Oh well. Let's get back to…" She gasped when she saw the mess around the dragon. "Spike, what happened?!"

He looked around at the straw in confusion. "I…don't know. I can't remember. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last few minutes."

Not too far away, Discord was hiding in the shadow of a stall, chuckling at the scene.


	
Now that Twilight had money, she was looking for something to eat. Her stomach was growling from all the hours she'd gone without food. She was paying so much attention to the food stalls that she didn't see Cheese and Pinkie coming her way. She bumped into the latter, who let out an, "Oomph!"

"Oh, sorry, Twilight! I didn't see you…" Pinkie paused as she got a better look. "Oh, sorry, Dawn! I thought you were…"

She squinted at the lavender pony again and gasped. "Oh my gosh! I figured it out!"

"What are you talking about?" Cheese inquired.

Beads of sweat were dripping down Twilight's forehead.

"What's been bothering me since we got here!" Pinkie shouted, standing up excitedly. "Dawn! Twilight! Twilight! Dawn! Dawnlight! Twidawn! Don't you see?! They look exactly a…!"

She stopped suddenly and dropped to her hooves with a blank look on her face. Cheese shared the same expression. Twilight's fear transformed into confusion.

"Uh…Pinkie? Cheese?" she said, waving her hoof in front of their wide eyes.

After a minute, Pinkie blinked and smiled at Twilight. "Oh, hi, Dawn! When'd you get here? Hey! What happened to my balloons?!"

"You had them a second ago," Cheese said, coming out of his trance. "Hey! Weren't we just six inches down that way?"

Twilight took advantage of their confusion and slid past them. She glanced back at the pair in concern.

"That was a close one," she muttered. "But what happened to…?"

"You're welcome."

"Gah!"

She looked up in alarm at the draconequus who had appeared in front of her.

"Relax, Twilight," Discord whispered behind his paw. "I know it's you."

After quickly recovering from the shock, she looked back at Pinkie and Cheese and then narrowed her eyes at the draconequus.

"Discord," she said between her teeth, "what did you do to them?"

"Oh, I just wiped their memories a bit," he said, waving his paw nonchalantly. "Only by a few minutes, nothing that will leave any lasting damage."

"Discord, what did Fluttershy tell you about messing with ponies' minds?!"

He crossed his arms with a pout. "I was buying you some time, FYI! A simple 'thank you' would suffice!"

Twilight groaned begrudgingly. "Thank you. Look, Dawn told me you were in on our secret, but that doesn't mean you can just go around wiping ponies' memories so our…substitution can continue."

"Oh, but I thought I was being helpful!" Discord cooed, batting his eyes innocently.

"Well, you won't have to 'help' for much longer. Dawn and I are switching back before the day is over. We'd appreciate your 'help' better if you just stayed out of the way."

Discord flashed a toothy grin and held up his paw. "Very well, Twi—I mean Dawn." He winked. "I'll stay out of your business from now on. You have my word as the Lord of Chaos."

Still unconvinced, Twilight peered around him. He held up his claw to show that his talons weren't crossed.

"See that you do," she said bitterly.

Discord watched her as she trotted off. Then he sniggered mischievously as he looked back at his tail tuft, which had taken the form of two crossed fingers.


	
"I'm glad that wall-eyed pegasus wasn't hurt," Dawn said as she and Blueblood left the jousting field.

"She had incredible endurance, I'll give her that," the prince said casually. "That rainbow one had impeccable strength and speed!"

"Rainbow Dash. She's one of Twi—my friends, remember?"

"Oh. Apologies. It's so hard for me to remember names."

"That was pretty cool. It was like watching two superheroes in battle! Only with plastic lances instead of awesome powers!"

"Glad you enjoyed it. Now, what should we do next?"

Dawn gasped at the attraction before her. "A roller coaster! I almost forgot they had one! Oh, I've wanted to ride a roller coaster forever!"

Blueblood glanced up nervously at the high structure. "Err…I'm not sure we…"

"Come on! Don't be a spoilsport!"

She grabbed his hoof before he could protest any further and dragged him to the end of the long, twisting line. The sight of the fast-paced ride made Blueblood sick to his stomach, but seeing how excited his companion was, he could only relent. He didn't want her snapping at him again for being boring.

He straightened up and coughed. "Very well. But if we're going on this…thing, we are doing it my way." He tapped on the shoulder of the pony in front of them. "Excuse me."

The crystal stallion turned and gasped. "Prince Blueblood! Princess Twilight!"

At the mention of their names, all heads turned.

"So sorry, your highnesses! Would you like to go in front of me?"

Dawn's jaw dropped as the stallion stepped aside, allowing her and Blueblood to pass.

"Thank you, my good stallion," the prince said with a look of pride on his face.

"You can cut me, too!" said the next pony in line.

"Me too!"

"Go right ahead, your highnesses!"

"It would be an honor!"

Dawn glanced around guiltily as she and her date continued up the line. "Uh…isn't this a little…unfair? Like…abusing power or something?"

Blueblood looked back at her and whispered, "Would you rather wait two hours for a ten-second ride?"

She looked at the amount of ponies still ahead of them and smirked. "Okay, I'll give you this."

When they reached the front of the line, however, Blueblood's pride melted into panic.

"Look!" Dawn pointed. "The front seat's available!"

He yelped as he was dragged yet again by the enthusiastic mare and pulled into the front car with her. He gripped the metal bar tight as she lowered it onto their laps.

"So, uh…" Blueblood stammered, his face breaking out in sweat. "You say you've…never been on one of these before?"

"Nope!" Dawn exclaimed, jumping slightly as the car lurched forward and slowly went up the first slope. "There was never one around, so I never got the chance! Have you?"

"Once," he gulped, his head feeling dizzy from the altitude. "It…wasn't the most…pleasant experience."

She looked at him in concern. "What?"

"There's…there's something I haven't told you."

"What's wrong? You afraid of heights?"

"Not h-h-heights," he said as they reached the very top. "Just…"

He screamed as they began their forty-foot drop. "ROLLER COASTERS!"

"WOO!" Dawn hollered excitedly. "I MEAN…YOU COULD'VE TOLD ME!"

"I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A SPOILSPORT!"

"I WOULD'VE UNDER—WOO HOO!"

She cheered as they made a loop de loop. Blueblood screamed and shut his eyes tight.

"BANANA NUT MUFFINS!" Dawn shouted through the rattle of the coaster.

"W-WHY ARE YOU S-SAYING THAT?!" Blueblood demanded, his voice still shaking with fear.

"'CUZ IT'S REALLY COOL!"

The prince's hoof flew to his mouth as his cheeks puffed at the thought of muffins.

When the car finally skidded to a halt, Dawn was panting from the adrenaline. Blueblood's white coat was turning green.

"Woo!" she heaved. "What a rush! Let's do that again!"

"Let's not," the prince grumbled as he tried to keep his lunch down. "I think I'm going to be ill."


	
When Blueblood finally came out of the bathroom, Dawn handed him a bottle of gold liquid.

"Apple juice always helps me when I have an upset stomach," she explained. "Apparently, Applejack always has some handy."

"Apple juice?" Blueblood said, looking at the bottle in disgust. "Has it been…imported?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh…from Ponyville, I think."

He gagged and waved his hoof. "I do not consume any food and liquid so…common."

Dawn's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

Her scowl was so penetrating, so belittling that Blueblood became petrified with fear. Eventually, he levitated the bottle and put it to his lips. His eyes widened and he swallowed its contents in a matter of seconds.

"That was…delicious!" he said in surprise.

"It's just apple juice," Dawn giggled.

They proceeded to walk through the fairgrounds, trying to figure out what to do next. Dawn was hesitant about dragging the prince onto another ride. Then she saw something that made her gasp. Hanging in the corner of one of the game booths was a large, fluffy, koala plushie.

"Ooh!" she squealed, running up to the booth. "Look at that koala! I love koalas!"

Blueblood looked up at the large stuffed animal and then at Dawn's awestruck expression. He smiled at the gamekeeper.

"Tell me, good stallion," he said in the most polite tone he could muster, "what do I have to do to win this animal?"

"Well," the stallion said, "to win that little beauty, you have to knock down all six bottles!" He pointed to the pyramid stack of milk bottles. "Only one bit for three throws!"

"Very well."

He placed a bit on the table and the stallion exchanged it for three white balls. Blueblood levitated one, only for the stallion to wag his hoof.

"Uh-uh, your highness! No magic! Sorry, but it's only fair to those non-magic users."

The prince's smile wavered, but after a glance at Dawn, he stuck his chest out in confidence.

"Of course!" he said, placing the ball in his hoof. "Watch this," he whispered to Dawn.

He tossed the ball straight forward, but it dropped a few inches away. Blueblood bit his lip in embarrassment as his companion giggled.

"Not to worry, your highness!" the gamekeeper said encouragingly. "You still have two more tries!"

He threw the next ball harder. Not only did it end up too far to the left, but hadn't gone much further than the first. The third one was thrown with so much force that it hit the wall above the bottles and bounced back. Dawn pulled Blueblood to the ground before it could hit him.

"Oh," the gamekeeper tsked. "Tough luck, your highness."

"I'll try again!" Blueblood insisted, bringing out another bit.

"Step aside, big boy," Dawn said, slapping a coin onto the counter. "I'll give it a go!"

The prince looked at her in confusion, not believing a mare could do what he couldn't. When Dawn picked up the first ball, she stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and closed one eye in concentration. Then she opened that eye and took a few steps back before releasing the ball in a mighty pitch. It flew straight like a bullet, hitting the bottle pyramid smackdab in the middle, knocking all six bottles over. Blueblood's jaw dropped in a mix of surprise and awe.

"Excellent job, your highness!" the gamekeeper commended, handing her the koala. "We have a winner!"

"How…how did you do that?" the prince asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" she said smugly. "You and your dad never played catch?"

"You astound me."

She glanced down as he took her hoof, her cheeks turning pink again.

"Here," he said, levitating the stuffed koala onto his back. "Let me carry this for you."

Dawn could say nothing. She just allowed him to carry her prize as they walked hoof in hoof down the street. When she tried speaking, all that came out was a bubbly laugh.

"What's so amusing?" Blueblood asked.

"Oh, uh…nothing," Dawn stammered, her eyes focused on their hooves. "I'm just…having a really great time."

He smiled. "As am I. I must say, I didn't know what to expect when meeting you, Twilight, but now that I have…I'm glad I did."

She frowned slightly when he said "Twilight," but tried to keep her smile up.


	
When she saw it was getting dark, Twilight returned to the fireworks tent. Fire Cracker had already set up a stall in front of it and was selling the sparklers. It was mostly for the foals, but even a few adults wanted some.

"Did you have fun, Princess?" Fire Cracker asked when he saw his fake daughter.

"Lots," Twilight sighed. "It's been so long since I had this much freedom."

"Well, while you're here, Pinkie informed me on what's going to happen. After the crystal ponies power the Crystal Heart, the sky's going to light up in bright colors. When that starts to die down, we begin our display." He leaned over to her. "Apparently, when the heart is powered, our coats temporarily become crystal like the ponies here!"

"You don't say!" Twilight said, trying to sound surprised.

"And I found the perfect clearing for us!"

"Huh?"

"Well, you didn't think we'd be setting the fireworks off here, did you? We might set the whole fair on fire!"

"Oh, right, right."

As Fire Cracker handed a sparkler to a crystal filly, he winced and put his hoof to his head. This action made Twilight frown.

"Are you okay?"

"Yup," he breathed. "All this extra work hasn't made my migraines any better."

"Have you…seen a doctor about that?"

"It's nothing. Besides, can't waste so much money on a doctor's visit for a silly headache. It'll go away eventually."

As the evening continued, Twilight kept glancing at the stallion in concern. Every now and then, he would wince in pain or drop whatever he was levitating to cradle his head. She knew that a unicorn experiencing migraines was never a good sign, and wondered if Dawn knew this too.


	
Despite Blueblood's insistence, Dawn wanted to watch the powering of the Crystal Heart on the ground, so she could see the beautiful heart-shaped gem do its work. It was incredible to see all the crystal ponies, their coats glittering brighter than ever, bow to the Crystal Heart. As their muzzles touched the crystal walk, it began to glow and its light spread all throughout the empire. Dawn's mouth gaped in awe as the Crystal Heart spun faster and faster, until it released a pulse of bright light. As it whooshed through her, her coat was instantly crystalized and her mane was put up in a pretty bun.

The castle then lit up and a rainbow beam shot out of the tower. The sky was now lit with beautiful rainbow ribbons.

"Wow," Dawn whispered.

"Come."

She turned to Blueblood as he took her hoof. His shiny crystal makeover made her knees so shaky, she was sure she was going to collapse.

"We can get a better view from the balcony," he said. "I hear there are going to be fireworks afterwards."

On the edge of the empire, Fire Cracker and Twilight, who had also been crystalized, had just finished setting up their fireworks, ready to light them at any moment.

Dawn looked out at the empire from the view above. With the rainbow lights reflecting off the crystal houses and streets, the empire looked brighter than ever. Dawn sighed as she looked back up at the colors dancing across the sky. Blueblood, meanwhile, was focused on how those colors highlighted his companion's face perfectly.

"This is the best night of my life," she breathed.

She was startled as the prince took her hoof again. He was smiling, his baby blue eyes looking deep into hers.

"Mine too," he admitted honestly. "I can't remember the last time I've had this much…fun."

"Really?" Dawn asked in a soft voice, as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

"Yes. I've tried to appear so…royal and proper for so long that I never really…knew what it was like to…let myself go. I have you to thank for that."

She grinned from ear to ear, a sight which made Blueblood's heart skip a beat. As the lights in the sky were diminishing, so were their crystal coats. However, neither of them seemed to notice, even though they'd been staring at each other quietly for a while, refusing to blink.

Their attention was turned away at the loud popping noise of the fireworks. Dawn felt even more at peace as she watched the colorful exploding sky flowers. She glanced at Blueblood.

"Watch this."

Her horn crackled and a magic beam whizzed up into the sky. Blueblood grinned as a firework exploded in the shape of a heart. He turned to Dawn, who was blushing at what she had just done.

"Impressive," he commended.

"You must think I'm silly that I…"

"Not at all," he said as he took both her hooves.

Meanwhile, Fire Cracker was squinting curiously up at the sky.

"I wonder where that heart came from."

Twilight shrugged as she lit the next firework. "Maybe some pony's trying to impress some pony special."

"Wouldn't be surprising. I did that once for your mother."

On a hill, miles away, another couple was watching the beautiful display in the sky. Discord had spread out a picnic blanket for himself and Fluttershy, so they could enjoy the fireworks away from all the noise, because Fluttershy wasn't fond of crowds and Discord wanted some time alone with his friend. As a bonus, he had a good view of the other show.

Fluttershy blushed as a heart appeared in the sky. "Um…Discord…you wouldn't happen to have…?"

But when she turned to the draconequus, she saw that he was distracted. He was holding up a pair of binoculars, which were actually his own eyeballs grown longer, watching Dawn and Blueblood in their romantic stare.

"Discord!"

He jumped and pushed his eyeballs back to their normal size. "Yes, my dear?"

Fluttershy crossed her forelegs. "What have I told you about spying on ponies?"

"Oh, come on, Flutters! This is the most entertaining story I've ever been involved in! Mistaken identity, romantic intrigue, forbidden pleasures!" He stuck out his eyeballs again to look back at the couple. "Oh, will she ever tell him the truth? Will he accept her for who she is? The waiting is agony!"

Fluttershy tilted her head, her face scrunched in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

He pushed his eyes back in and smiled down at the pegasus. "Tut, tut, dearest." He patted her on the head. "We don't want to spoil the story now, do we?"

She stared at him for a moment and then turned her attention back to the sky. Discord smirked at the balcony where Dawn and Blueblood stood.

"Of course, we'll never find out if it all ends so soon."

As the fireworks display reached its end, Blueblood, to Dawn's surprise, started leaning forward. Not thinking about what she was doing, her eyes slid closed and she leaned towards him too.

"Oh, Blueblood," she whispered.

He too closed his eyes and sighed, "Oh, Twilight…"

Dawn's eyes opened at the name that wasn't hers. Snapping back to reality, she pulled her hooves out of his. Blueblood opened his eyes in confusion.

"What's the matter?" he asked in concern.

She couldn't get her words out. "I…I…"

She trailed off when she realized the sky had become silent. The show was over. She had to go meet Twilight!

"I…I'm sorry, Blueblood, I can't!"

Dawn tried to run, only for the prince to grab her hoof.

"But I don't understand," he said, looking genuinely confused and hurt. "Did I do something to upset you? Was I being too forward?"

"No! No, no. This…this has all been wonderful. You're wonderful!" She sighed. "Sweet Celestia, you're so wonderful." She shook her head. "But I can't! I…I think we should just be friends. Yeah! In fact, it's best that you never speak to me again, especially not about today!"

"Twilight, I don't…"

"I'm sorry! I have to go!"

She yanked her hoof out of his hold and rushed inside. He called out after her.

"Twilight! Wait! Please explain to me!"

"I can't! I can't…I can't…I can't…"

Her voice became quieter as her eyelids suddenly grew heavier. Eventually, she slowed down and started to wobble.

"Twilight!" Blueblood cried out as her hooves gave out beneath her.

He was there in time to catch her.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy shouted as she and Discord came up the hallway. "What happened?!"

"I…I don't know," Blueblood said, his lip quivering. "She just…fainted."

"Oh, she's probably just pooped!" Discord said, waving his paw nonchalantly. "You know, from all the excitement!" He snapped his fingers and Dawn's body levitated. "Let's take her to bed, shall we?"

Fluttershy smiled. "That is so sweet of you, Discord!"

He frowned. "Don't sound so surprised!"

"Oh, I hope she's alright. We have to catch the early train to Ponyville tomorrow."

As Discord carried Dawn to Twilight's room, Fluttershy trotting alongside him, he glanced at the imposter's fake cutie mark and had an idea. He grinned mischievously and snapped his tail as he would his fingers, making sure Fluttershy didn't notice. The fake cutie mark lit up for a second, and Discord chuckled slightly.


	
No way was he letting this charade end when things were just starting to get interesting.

Twilight paced around the crystal heart. She'd been here for half an hour. The streets were empty and the palace guards were eyeing her suspiciously.

"Where is she?!" she hissed under her breath.

"Hey, Miss!" one of the guards called. "No loitering around the crystal heart!"

Twilight looked up at the guards and trotted over to them. "Please, have you seen Princess Twilight? I need to see her!"

The guards laughed.

"Who doesn't want to see the princess?!" said the second soldier.

"But you don't understand! This is an emergency!"

"Yeah, right!" the first one snorted. "Like we haven't heard that one before!"

Twilight grunted in annoyance. It seemed the only way she was going to be let in was if she told the truth.

"Look," she said carefully. "I'm Princess Twilight, alright? I'm just in disguise!"

Her horn lit up and she changed her mane style back to normal. The guards stared at her and laughed.

"You're going to have to change more than your hair to look like a princess!" the first one said, pointing to her bare back.

Twilight then mentally smacked herself, remembering she could perform the reverse transformation spell without Dawn's presence. She closed her eyes and concentrated to get her horn started up. However, it fizzed out.

"What?"

She glanced at her back, seeing that it was still wingless. Then she spotted the firework on her flank.

"My cutie mark!"

She summoned a washcloth, not seeing the fake cutie mark glow for a split second. She tried to rub the paint off, but nothing happened.

"What?! No. No, no, no!"

The guards were getting tired of this.

"Look, lady," the second one said, "we've got a job to do, and that's to keep unwanted guests like you out of the palace. So stop wasting our time and run along home."

"No!" Twilight insisted. "You don't understand! I'm…"

"Dawn, is that you?" Fire Cracker called as he trotted up to her. "I've been looking everywhere for you! And what have you done to your mane?"

"Is this your daughter?" the first soldier asked, pointing his spear at Twilight.

"She insists she's Princess Twilight," the second one sniggered.

"Oh, I'm sure she was just having a bit of fun," Fire Cracker said, patting the mare's shoulder. "Sorry if she bothered you, officers."

"But I…" Twilight started to say.

"Come along, Dawnie."

Twilight glanced back to the castle as the stallion dragged her away.

"Now, what made you go and do a silly thing like that?" he asked sternly. "Didn't I teach you better than to disrespect authority?"

"I…I was…"

"We've had a long day, honey. Let's just go back to the hotel and get some rest. And change your mane back! You look silly."

Twilight sighed and did as she was told. There was no use resisting. She couldn't get into the palace anyway. She wondered why Dawn hadn't kept their appointment, and also why she couldn't turn herself back or wash away the fake cutie mark. She had no choice but to run to the palace first thing in the morning and wait until Dawn came out so they could switch back.

She hadn't seen Discord hiding behind one of the crystal pillars, snickering at the mayhem he was stirring up.