Eleven – Canterlot Courtship, Part II
Fluttershy couldn’t help watching the puffs of chilled air coming off Twilight’s mouth. If she tilted her head a little to the right, they almost matched up with the puffs of steam coming from the approaching train, now barely half a mile down the track from Canterlot Station.
She really had to give credit to Twilight for thinking of coming a day earlier than their friends. It had given Fluttershy a chance to walk around the magnificent city alongside her marefriend. Not that she hadn’t seen all these sights before—like the Royal Gardens or the Plaza of a Thousand Fountains—but this time was different. All those other visits had been with Rarity and Applejack and the rest of their friends. Here, Fluttershy could appreciate them in her own way: quietly taking her time and holding hooves with the pony she loved most.
“I can’t believe they’re going to try for a rehearsal this late,” Twilight remarked. She nervously adjusted her crown; some holiday tradition required that she wear it for all of Hearth’s Warming Eve. “It’s a good thing that Spike can improvise, but I worry about everypony else.”
Fluttershy turned and smiled at her. “I’m sure they’ll be just fine. We didn’t have much experience either and we did all right.”
Twilight stopped playing with her crown long enough to pause and break into an embarrassed grin. As she looked Fluttershy in the eye, she took a step closer. “That’s right. You were so terrified that we almost didn’t start on time, remember?”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Fluttershy replied, “I sure do.”
But, as Rarity had pointed out after the performance, Fluttershy had been able to use her stage fright to her advantage in playing the famous Private Pansy. And when she had other ponies like Twilight and Applejack to play off in the final act, she forgot about the part altogether. They were just three friends sharing laughs and stories and songs, just like they did every day in Ponyville. It made the applause and the anthem recital at the end all the more wonderful.
I guess I need to practice being in front of a crowd, Fluttershy thought with a sad smile. Then, as she playfully bumped her flank against Twilight’s, she thought, If Twilight can be brave enough to be a princess, then I can be brave enough to be a princess’s marefriend!
“Here they come!” Twilight squealed. She clapped her front hooves together as the train pulled up to the station with a dramatic hiss.
Ponies crowded around the doors of the passenger compartments, carrying saddlebags and other luggage on board. Through the crowd, Fluttershy scanned for hints of her old friends, like Rainbow Dash’s mane or Applejack’s hat. Instead, the first thing she spotted was a green fin on a purple scalp, which brought a warm glow to her heart.
“You’re here, you’re here!” Twilight exclaimed and rushed forward to hug her dragon. Spike melted against her chest, his tail wagging just like a dog’s. Fluttershy giggled, but she didn’t have long to appreciate it. Rarity and Rainbow Dash quickly came up to give her a group hug.
“How did it go with Twilight’s parents?” Rarity asked, anxiously brushing a hoof through her mane. “What they say when you told them? Were they at least polite?”
Fluttershy beamed. “Oh, they were just wonderful! I couldn’t ask for better… um…” She trailed off as she racked her brain for the right word. “W-what would you call them? In-laws? No, that’s not it…”
As was to be expected, Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. “In-laws, huh? Sounds like somepony’s thinking two steps ahead!”
While Fluttershy retreated into her mane, Rarity drew her close with a protective hug. “Now, now, Rainbow Dash. I’m sure it was a honest mistake.” When she turned to her friend, her smile was just a tad skeptical. “Wasn’t it?”
“Y-yes! Most definitely!” But while Fluttershy gave them a good-natured laugh, inside she was berating herself. Pony feathers! I’ll need to ask Twilight about that later. She’ll know what’s the right word to use for… for your marefriend’s parents!
Meanwhile, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were helping unload the rest of their luggage. Spike had let go of Twilight and was picking up his own bag from the pile. Fluttershy thought it looked a little fancy for something he owned. It was a garment bag shaded in royal blue, with sterling silver clasps and a faux-leather handle.
“Well, guys, this is where we part ways,” said Spike, clutching the bag to his chest. “I’ve gotta hurry if I want to make it to rehearsal on time.”
“Good luck!” said Fluttershy, reaching over to give him a quick nuzzle.
Twilight leaned over and nuzzled him from the other side. “You’re going to do great. Just make sure everypony else in the show is ready, too.”
“Will do!” Spike waved to the rest of their friends as he dashed along the platform ahead of them. Fluttershy kept waving until he disappeared into the throng of taller, larger ponies.
“Can you believe it?” Twilight said, just quiet enough for Fluttershy to hear. “So young and he’s already the official narrator for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play.”
There was a tenderness in Twilight’s voice that really touched Fluttershy. She’d seen her softer side when they were alone, but this was different. It was easy to forget that Twilight had been the pony who hatched Spike’s egg, even though she hadn’t been much older than him. Fluttershy remembered the photo that Twilight’s mother had taken from that day. An adorable little filly holding a tail-sucking drake in her hooves, wearing the biggest grin in the world.
There was no doubt that Twilight was a great mother. Fluttershy hoped, if she ever had the chance, to half as good as her.
I guess we’ll talk about that someday, too…
The Royal Canterlot Theatre was massive, with row upon row of seats and boxes filled with ponies both big and small, rich and poor. All of Canterlot and the neighboring towns had been invited to attend this annual performance. Red-and-white banners hung from the ceiling, most of them bearing the official Equestrian crest. All eyes, however, were focused on the giant curtain and the wooden stage in the center, where stage-hoofs were busy assembling the first set pieces of the show.
From the privacy of the Royal Box, just to the left and above the stage, Princess Celestia was less concerned with the show and more interested watching her subjects. In particular, she was watching each little filly and colt. Nothing but smiles and excitement tonight. For some of them, this was their very first time at the Theatre. It was a sight that never failed to make Celestia smile herself.
Meanwhile, her sister Luna was sitting to her left, reading the program. Celestia looked over her shoulder for a quick peek at the text.
The Royal Canterlot Theatre Company
presents
“The Dawn of Equestria”
A command performance in celebration of our nation’s founding
Dramatis Personae
Derpy Hooves................................................................................................Commander Hurricane
Raindrops....................................................................................................................Private Pansy
Vinyl Scratch..........................................................................................................Princess Platinum
Amethyst Star.........................................................................................................Clover the Clever
Lyra Heartstrings........................................................................................Chancellor Puddinghead
Time Turner..................................................................................................................Smart Cookie
Spike the Dragon..........................................................................................................The Narrator
“Dear sister,” Luna said softly, “I confess I find this year’s performance to be… questionable. Why choose these ponies and not the Elements of Harmony?”
Celestia chuckled, just as she’d done when asked the same by the director, Sir Silver Tongue. “Because I believe everypony, no matter how humble or unlikely, has something to offer in this play, even they’ve never been near a stage before.”
“I suppose that’s true. Never would I have dreamt that so shy a pony as Fluttershy would have done as well as she did in last year’s performance.”
Celestia was solely tempted to make a joke about the obvious similarities between their names, but she let it rest. When she heard the guards in the back pull the entry curtain open, Celestia turned around to witness the arrival of her guests.
Twilight Sparkle was the first to enter, dressed in full regalia from crown to hoof. Her five friends from Ponyville soon followed, all dressed very tastefully in holiday-appropriate colors of red, white, and green. Celestia noted the proud smile that Rarity wore and knew right away that she had masterminded their wardrobe—no doubt planning weeks in advance.
“Welcome, my dear ponies,” Celestia said once they’d finished bowing. “I’m so pleased that you could make it. I trust that you all had a pleasant trip?”
“We did, thank you,” Twilight replied, wearing her usual eager smile.
Although she was old enough to have known countless ponies from childhood to old age, there was always something about Twilight Sparkle that made Celestia remember the excitable and studious filly who’d attended her School for Gifted Unicorns. That filly seemed to come back usually when she was in the presence of her Ponyville friends, for which Celestia was grateful. She couldn’t bear to imagine what Twilight would’ve been like had she stayed in Canterlot, lost among her books with only an exasperated little dragon to keep her company.
She knew that, tonight, Twilight’s smile was large for a different reason entirely. While the six ponies took their seats, Celestia looked over at the yellow pegasus in the green-and-white dress. “I suppose congratulations are in order, Twilight. I understand that you and Fluttershy are now a couple.”
“Y-yes, Your M-Majesty,” Fluttershy replied. She ducked against Twilight for protection. “We’re very happy together.”
“It is wonderful to find somepony to share your life with it, isn’t it?” Celestia turned and shared a pleasant smile with Luna. “Especially when you have all the duties of a princess to manage.”
“It certainly is,” Twilight answered and put her hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “But I know I couldn’t be half the princess I am without any one of my friends.”
Celestia knew it all too well. Deep down, she still remembered the millennium of quiet sorrow she felt when she’d ruled alone. It had been hard to hold the throne by herself, knowing that her beloved sister was locked away. And she could never take solace in a companion as Twilight or Cadance had done. Both mares were still mortal, still bound to all the passions of youth and the tenderness of growing old with somepony. Theirs was a joy that neither Celestia nor Luna would ever have for themselves, being eternally bound to govern the heavens and all the dear ponies who dwelled beneath them.
“If you’re worried, Fluttershy,” she said gently, “I wouldn’t pay any heed to what some of the prouder ponies in Canterlot might say about you. So long as the two of you are happy, there’s nothing else that matters.”
“What would they be saying about us?” Twilight asked, frowning severely.
Luna chuckled. “I’m afraid, my dear Twilight, that you’ve broken many a gentlecolt’s heart here in Canterlot when the news of your new paramour was revealed.”
Celestia watched the youngest princess lean forward and look out at the crowd below. Sure enough, there were one or two finely-coiffed stallions who glanced up at her. Some looked surprised, others pained, and a few were filled with scorn.
Although it hurt Celestia to see Twilight look so crestfallen, she kept her own stoic expression. It was an unfortunate byproduct of royalty, to have one’s life discussed in the public so freely. Celestia was well-aware of the centuries’ worth of rumors about the many colts and mares she was claimed to have taken as her harem of lovers. It had outraged Luna when those same nobles began to gossip the same about her, but a few bold declarations at court—and a soft-spoken apology—had quickly put those rumors to bed.
“Pardon me, Your Highness,” Fluttershy whispered, “b-but I was told that Discord might be joining us?”
“I was told the same,” Celestia replied, giving her a wink. “Unfortunately, you know as well as I do that he can be a little… erratic with his promises.”
Still, as a hush fell over the crowd of theatregoers and the curtain began to rise, Celestia secretly wished that Discord would make an appearance. She enjoyed the annual play as much as the next pony, but she always held out hope for something unexpected. A little dash of color in a story that she knew well enough to recite it line for line in her sleep…
Fluttershy nuzzled her marefriend as the play drew into its final act. She watched as, on the stage, Raindrops, Amethyst Star, and Time Turner forged bonds of friendship to hold back the wendigos. The audience below gave a collective “Oooh!” as the Fire of Friendship was discovered, with two unicorns in the background pulling off some impressive pyrotechnics. When she glanced at Twilight, Fluttershy could see her mentally working out how that illusion spell was created.
Fluttershy would’ve told any other pony to just relax and enjoy the show, but she knew better. Twilight Sparkle was a pony who would measure the marigolds all day long and still find them lovely all the same.
The false ice that imprisoned the other players now “melted” away, as the ancient pony lords forgot all their quarrels and made peace. Fluttershy felt Twilight’s tail twist itself around her own. She smiled and leaned into her marefriend, anticipating the happy climax of the play.
Below, Spike was throwing his arms into the air, now lost in his role as the narrator. “The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land...”
The national flag appeared on stage in a shower of sparks. “Equestria!”
And the crowd went wild. A chorus of cheers from every corner of the Theatre filled the air, punctuated by furious stamping and clapped hoofs. Twilight jumped up beside Fluttershy, cheering loudly while Spike took his bow with the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, even as happy as she was for all of them, all Fluttershy could manage was a quiet “Woo hoo!”
Then, with all the other ponies were doing, she got up onto her hooves and slid her foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders. Her chest swelled proudly as Spike and the ponies onstage began to sing the Equestrian national anthem.
“The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through (Will see us through!)
We are a circle of pony friends
A circle of friends we’ll be to the very end!”
As the audience burst into another cheer at the end of the song, Fluttershy winced when another light flashed over the stage. She drew close to Twilight, wondering if there’d been some kind of accident backstage.
But when she glanced up at the ceiling, something felt odd. When she stared, Fluttershy could’ve sworn she saw something wink at her.
“Fillies and gentlecolts!” a baritone voice announced. The audience’s cheers were cut short as all eyes turned to the air above the stage. Even the actors were just as surprised.
“Fillies and gentlecolts!” the mysterious voice said again. “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve to one and all! As a token of her goodwill to every stallion and mare, our new Princess Twilight Sparkle has graciously offered a token for each and every one of you tonight!”
“What?!” Twilight whirled toward the stage. Fluttershy was scared at how quickly her left eyelid had begun to twitch. “I never said any such—”
Somepony swung a spotlight toward the Royal Box, illuminating Twilight, Fluttershy, and Princess Celestia. The light was blinding to Fluttershy, but she refused to back down. At least this way, she couldn’t see everypony staring up at her. Twilight, on the other hand, was speechless. Fluttershy decided to gently reach out and push her jaw back into place before somepony made a rude remark about it.
“Behold, dear ponies of Canterlot!” said the mystery announcer. “For as every one of you is as precious to our newest princess as a rose, let every pony here tonight receive the gift of a rose and think kindly of her.”
Green light flashed and suddenly the entire Theatre was showered with roses. Fluttershy smiled in awe as rose petals were sprinkled over every row and marveled at the roses that miraculously appeared in every pony’s hoof. Naturally, every actor on stage was given a full bouquet.
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“Hooray!” somepony in the crowd called out. Fluttershy noticed that it was a finely-dressed stallion in a top hat. Perhaps he was one of the spurned gentlecolts that Luna had mentioned. “Three cheers for Princess Twilight! Hip hip!”
“Hooray!” the audience thundered.
As the cheers continued, Twilight blushed darker than any of the roses that now littered the Royal Box. Fluttershy giggled and leaned into her. She didn’t quite know what was going on, but she was happy all the same for this random act of kindness.
“Ah-ah, just a moment!” someone nearby called out. Everypony in the Royal Box turned to see the curtains part and Discord himself come running in. He was wearing a full tuxedo, complete with white gloves, top hat, and cane. Fluttershy guessed that he’d probably teleported in, but he made a show of huffing and puffing like he’d run all the way to the Theatre.
“Oh, thank heavens!” he cried out, holding onto his knees. “Am I too late for the show?”
“As a matter of fact,” Celestia replied with a quiet smirk, “you just missed the best part.”
Discord threw back his head and laughed. “Perfect! I don’t know why I even bothered running over here! There’s nothing quite so sappy like a roomful of ponies singing about friendship.” When he noticed the grim stares that Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were giving him, the draconequus bowed at the waist. “No offense, honored guests.”
“Discord,” Twilight asked, her tone laced with suspicion, “did you have a paw in this?” She held up a loose bouquet of roses that had fallen at her hooves out of thin air.
While she spoke, Discord lifted both paws into the air and snapped his fingers. Green fire burned away the gloves and he wriggled his fingers at Twilight. “Come now, Princess. Clearly, you can see that my paws are clean of this mess.” Another snap of his fingers made the roses at his feet disappear into a puff of smoke. “And besides, if I were going to crash the biggest pageant in all of Equestria, don’t you think I’d go for something with a little more panache? Hmm?”
With another chuckle, he bowed again and strutted out of the Royal Box. But Fluttershy didn’t miss the wink he gave to Celestia and Luna on his way out.
She smiled and slipped free from Twilight’s grasp. “Discord! Please, wait!”
When she raced through the curtain and into the corridor outside, Discord had turned around. He watched Fluttershy with a teasing grin.
“Oh, look, my old pal Cuddleshy!” he exclaimed. In the blink of an eye, he went from standing upright to coiling around Fluttershy like a snake, his body twisting at unbelievable angles while he spoke. “What is it now? Come to tell me off about how it’s not nice to poke fun at your friends?”
“No,” said Fluttershy. She flew into the air, rising up until she was looking him right in the eye. “I just wanted to say thank you. That was a really lovely thing you did for her.”
For a moment, Discord didn’t say a word. He turned to leave again, but as he did, Fluttershy didn’t miss the pleased smile on his face.
“It wasn’t too much, was it?” he asked softly.
“Nope! Just right!”
Discord nodded. “Then you’re welcome.” And with one last finger-snap, he vanished into thin air.
Fluttershy was glad to see that his reformed nature was taking hold. But she didn’t have long to focus on it. She felt Twilight’s hoof on her shoulder and heard the young princess whisper into her ear, “I still don’t know how you do it.”
“Do what?”
Twilight leaned in to peck her on the cheek. “How you can make everypony in Equestria want to be your friend. Even a mean-spirited god of chaos.”
Fluttershy returned the kiss to Twilight’s cheek, snuggling up against her as they walked down the corridor together. “I don’t know either, to be honest. It’s not something I can control.”
“And that, my dear Cuddleshy,” Twilight said with a giggle, “is what I love most about you. Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve, by the way.”
Fluttershy laughed and hugged her tightly. “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve, Twilight.”
“I think we’re done for tonight. Would you like to stay with everypony else in the palace tonight, or should we go back to my parents’ house?”
Fluttershy wished it could be the latter. She’d loved how cozy the house was, from Twilight’s humble bed to the beautiful decorations that her parents had put up. But it would be rude not to stay up chatting with all their friends from Ponyville. There were jokes and songs to be told, and stories to be shared. And of course they’d all be telling Spike what a wonderful job he did onstage over a bowl of hot punch.
“I guess we’ll go to the palace,” Fluttershy answered. She stepped aside and held out her hoof. “Lead the way, Princess.”
“Only on the condition that you never call me Princess ever again,” Twilight insisted. Her tone was stern, but she couldn’t keep her face from cracking. An embarrassed grin slipped past her guard. “Keep close to me. The royal chariot should be just around the corner…”
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Aww, this is such a cute story.
Although the way the chapter ends makes it seem like something bad is about to happen, I'm a little worried now.
Discord, you are awesome.
Oh my. Getting a little saucy there, Fluttershy?
yeah yeah, heartbroken.... theres a princes!!! I think i am in love....am i?
, oh yes i have to be, she is a Princess
I am not sure if i understand the part with the roses (sometimes it is a bit difficult in english), but i think Discord did something to keep Twilight from feeling bad and the Crowd wasn´t so sad anymore either right?
I hope not that my first thought was right, i thought for a moment, that he invited them, to have certain thought´s abou Twilight for an evening or even that they still have a chance, i don´t know i thought about 3-4 possible things, but i think it was the think above.
Yeah, I find it weird that people think neither Twilight nor Cadence are immortal. Maybe because the idea of them not growing old is too sad? Hm
Fun, can I play with the pieces? :3