• Published 31st Jan 2014
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How to Court Alicorns: A Human's Guide - little big pony



A cutsie little love story between a human and best princess

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Step Seven: Remember, Things WILL Happen Behind the Scenes


Twilight Sparkle sniffled sadly, curling under her covers as she closed her eyes. For the last few days, the little bookworm had been down in the dumps, refusing to come out despite pleas from her family members.


She needed to eat more, they said; she needed to take a shower, they said. She wiped a tear from her soaked cheek. What did they know? Did they almost kill their friend because they weren’t paying attention?


No they did not.


“Twilight, Honey...”


Twilight sighed, not bothering to poke her head out from her little cocoon; her mother just wouldn’t give up it seemed. “I have somepony that wants to see you,” she said through the door, sounding like she was trying hard not to cry.


Go away, she thought, nuzzling her pillow. And let me—


“Twilight, could you open the door please?”


The bookworm’s ears perked up; she knew that voice!


“A-anny?” she rasped, her voice scratchy from disuse.


Anny fiddled with the door. “Yeah, it’s me, Twilight. Can I come in?”


Throwing the covers off her body and sitting up, she said, “Y-Yeah, just let me open the door.”


He hates me, she thought in defeat, her horn glowing, unlocking the door. He’s just going to come in here and tell me that he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore…

She winced as light poured through the dark room, Anny’s head poking through the door.


“Hey there,” Anny said, frowning when she saw how poor of a state his friend was in. Her mane was unwashed, her fur was in disarray, and her eyes were red from crying.


Silently, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, Twilight joining him, the two silent as the human wrapped an arm around the sniffling mare.


“I’m sorry, Anny,” Twilight whispered. “I’m so, so, sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you an—”


Anny tightened his grip on the little alicorn, picking her up and setting her in his lap. “I’m fine, you silly little pony,” he said lightly, bopping her nose.


She winced, trying not to smile, trying to keep herself down. “But you were sent to the hospital…”


“The Princess made me stay there. I was ready to go as soon as the Doc was done with me; being there those three days was WAY worse than getting hit by the lightning.” He patted her back, letting her lean into him. “So stop beating yourself up, alright? Your mom and dad are getting worried.”


“…And, to be honest, you kinda smell.”


Laughing felt a lot better than it should have as Twilight nuzzled her friend, letting him pick her up and carry her out of the room.


“Thanks, Anny.” She nuzzled his cheek. “This is a weight off my shoulders.”


The human adjusted the little pony in his grasp before patting her on the back. “Hey, there’s bound to be a few casualties in war, right? Me getting hit by a little bit of silly lightning is nothing if the princess finally lets me go out on a date with her.”


Twilight snorted, realizing how hungry she was. “Well, when I look for my coltfriend, I hope I’m half as determined as you.”


Anny smiled. “Well, as long as you’re not trying to get with a male alicorn, I don’t think you’ll have to go to these lengths.”


Twilight stiffened, but didn’t say a thing as a few of the more smutty books she’d read drifted through her thoughts. “Y-yeah,” she sputtered, imagining a big, lean, black-and red alicorn looking down at her with a sly smile and a bouquet of roses in his mouth.

“No alicorns, haha….”





Fleur strode through the streets of Canterlot with all of the grace and charm of one in her position, a gym bag slung over her shoulder.


I hope Blueblood graces us with an appearance today, the mare thought with a smile. I remember somepony saying that they would be sure to wake him in time to see this ‘human’, but you never know with him..


If she was being honest with herself, she was curious about this odd creature that was trying so hard to win the affection of the solar princess.


The man had already gone through such great lengths to try to win her over, and some of the attempts were starting to become the talk of the town, so much so that anypony that knew anything about the little bout could go far with the gossip.


And Fleur always loved to hear gossip, especially if it involved royalty.


After turning a few corners and signing a few autographs—a mare needed to be there for her

fans after all—Fleur finally made her way into a generic looking gym, a small place that you wouldn’t notice unless you knew where to look.


Fleur also happened to know that this place was famous for two things. One, for the seriousness of their yoga instructors. And two, that Celestia had gone to this particular gym for over fifty years—sometimes in disguise, sometimes not—to stay in shape.


Trotting through the doors, she smiled at a rather amusing sight: Princess Celestia, decked out in workout gear, standing beside an exhausted looking Blueblood, who also was decked out in a headband and ankle bracelets, looking like he was about to fall asleep.


“Bonjour vos Majestés, ” she said with a little bow, looking around the mostly empty gym.

Celestia smiled, rolling her eyes at the mare’s antics. “You know there’s no need for that, Fleur,” she chastised.


The supermodel flashed her a cheeky grin before looking over at Blueblood. “Oh, is the baby tired?”


The stallion groaned, rubbing an eye with a hoof. “I don’t see why we need to wake up this early to-” he shuddered, “-work out.”


Celestia smiled while Fleur nudged him. “Because, nephew, unlike somepony who can work any hour that he pleases, I have things to do in a few hours, so this is the perfect time to do this.”


The Prince grunted, trying to ignore Fleur as she teased him in Prench. “Fleur, remember you need to keep your wits about you when this, ‘Anny’ finally decides to grace us with his presence. I’ve heard that he’s a tricky one.”


The mare’s smile just grew, tittering as she brushed a lock of her mane out of her face. “Oh, yes, I’ve also heard of this young man’s tenacity.” Celestia couldn’t help but flinch when Fleur looked over at her. “Are some of the rumors true, Majesté ? “


“I don’t know which ones you’re referring to, Fleur, Honey…”


“Oh, really~? What ab—”


“Go get dressed,” Celestia interrupted, resisting the urge to face hoof. “For Faust’s sake, go get dressed.”


The unicorn just laughed, sauntering toward the mare’s restroom, leaving Celestia with a tired Blueblood.


“I swear, her mother must have had a hooful with—”


“Hey, Princess!”


…And the game begins, Celestia thought as she turned toward the gym’s entrance to see Anny, all dressed up in his finest workout gear, walking toward her. I hope Fleur decides to take this seriously…


Giving her friend a smile, she said, “Oh, hello, Anny. How has your morning been going?”

The human grimaced, blinking in confusion when he finally noticed Blueblood—who was dozing behind the princess.


“Celestia… who’s this?”


The alicorn roughly nudged her nephew awake before looking apologetically back at him.


“What, who?!” the prince grumbled, his eyes widened in panic as he looked around, noticing that his aunt and Anny were looking at him.


Trying to save a little face, the prince bowed. “A pleasure to meet you, Anny.” He extended a hoof, which the confused man took.


“Um, hello, nice to meet you…. Mr…”


“This is my nephew, Anny,” Celestia said, “Prince Blueblood!”


Anny nodded with a small smile. “Oh, I knew you looked familiar!” he said brightly. “So, Mr.

Prince, if it’s alright to ask: what are you doing here with the Princess?”


Before the tired prince could say anything, Celestia cut him off. “I hope you don’t mind, Anny.”


She gave him a little smile. “Blueblood here thought he needed to lose a few pounds because he thought his vests' weren’t fitting right—”


“I fit my vests fine, thank you very much,” the Prince grumbled.


“—So he asked me if it was okay if he joined us,” the alicorn gave her friend her biggest, fakest smile, hoping that he’d buy it.


Anny hummed before shrugging. “The more the merrier! But you might not want to let him use the same instructor as us, Princess… We’re still going over to the intermediate stallion today, right?”


“I’m sure that we will be fine,” a voice said teasingly behind the human. “We may not be as accustomed to this as you and the princess, jeune homme, but I’m sure we will find a way to make do.”


Celestia couldn’t help but grin as Fleur sashayed toward their little group, a saucy little smile on her face as she looked Anny up and down. “My, my you are a big one!”

She offered him a hoof. “Fleur de lis, at your service~.”


She’s really turning on that charm, Blueblood thought before stifling a yawn. If she keeps it up, I don’t see how Anatues will withstand her charms!


Anny cocked his head down at the mare before slowly shaking her hoof.. “Hello, Ma’am,” he said quizzically, looking over his shoulder to look at Celestia, who was still trying to come up with an excuse as to why she brought two ponies with her without it sounding suspicious.


Thankfully, Blueblood was there to save her. “Oh, Fleur, Honey!” he said, theatrically striding toward her and wrapping her in a hug while kissing her cheeks.


“I didn’t think you’d come!” He turned to look at Anny. “I asked Ms. Fleur here to join us; she is a dear old workout buddy of mine,” he explained.


Once again, Anny shrugged, risking a glance toward that clock that was hanging on the wall. “Alright, I think we need to hurry up and get upstairs to that one room,” he said, rolling his shoulders with a grimace. “This is really going to be rough.”






Blueblood, despite public opinion of him, was actually a lot hardier than he looked. When he was just a young colt he had traveled the whole world with his mother on an expedition that had lasted three years. He had walked through deserts, climbed mountains, and learned more than he wanted to know about blisters, cuts, and bruises.


All of that hardship, all of that learning, was nothing compared to what he was going through as the yoga instructor stood over him, the stallion trying his hardest to turn him into a pretzel.


“Come on, your Highness,” the instructor said. “Just… a…. little… more…”


Snap!


“OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO!” the prince yelled, hitting the ground, hard, with a thud, his leg bent at an awkward angle.


Anny looked down at the stallion and shook his head slowly. “Newbies. They can never hang when things get tough.”


Celestia and Fleur, who were holding their positions with barely a wobble, nodded in agreement.


The prince’s eyes snapped open in irritation, and, with a pained grunt, he sat up and popped his leg back into place, glaring at the three.


“How, in the name of all things holy, are you three doing that?!” he demanded, while the three changed positions, untangling themselves and getting into warrior’s stance before sticking one leg into the air.


“I thought you said you had done this before, peu de bleu?” Fleur teased, though it was ruined slightly by how soaked with sweat she was.


Blueblood snorted, sitting up. “I have done this before, in the country where yoga was invented, thank you very much!”


Anny looked over at Celestia, who looked like she was trying hard not to laugh. “It doesn’t look like it to me…”


“Don’t patronize me!”


“Get good then.”


I’ll ‘get good’, the prince thought before getting back to his hooves and looking back at the instructor. “I need you to help me again,” he admitted. “I don’t know what the reverse, triple dragon even IS, much less how to do it.”


Celestia grunted, looking over at Anny and Fleur—who had elected to stand beside the man—with a slight smirk, the alicorn trying to think of a way to get the ball rolling between the two.


“Anny, you were late today,” she said. “Did something happen?” A pang of worry hit her. “Did you start twitching again?”


Anny snorted, adjusting his footing so his knees wouldn’t explode out of sheer rage for what he was doing to them. “No, I’m fine,” he looked down. “When I got back to the Sparkles’ house I found out that Twilight was a little down in the dumps about what happened the other day. I just had to help her out a little before coming here.”


The princess raised an eyebrow. “Really? I heard that Twilight was a little—”


“She hadn’t come out of her room in days before I got her out.”


Fleur gasped, almost breaking form. “Oh, I hope the dear is alright!”


Pop!


“OWOWOWOWOWOWO!”


“Don’t worry, my Prince, that’ll stop hurting after a few more times.”


“What’s wrong with you ponies?! Are you even equines?!”


Anny nodded solemnly. “Yeah, she’s a tough little pony. As long as she keeps eating and doesn’t do anything for the next couple of days, she’ll be fine.”


Snap!


“Oh sweet Faust’s tea cozies, my legs!”


Fleur looked disapprovingly down a writhing Blueblood before she looked back at Anny curiously.


“Well, I will pray that the poor dear will make a full recovery,” she looked over to see a rather worried-looking Celestia.


“Princess,” she said quietly. “Maybe it would be good for your student if she were to see you, no?”


Anny nodded, liking the unicorn’s idea. “Yeah, I’m sure that Twilight would like to see you, and I know that Velvet would love to have you for dinner.”


The princess looked at the two before smiling slightly. “Thank you for offering, Anny - I believe I will do just that,” she said, while Blueblood was desperately trying to crawl away from an instructor, who simply dragged him back.


“No, no, keep your filthy hooves away from me, you monster!”


“Your Highness, please—”


“NO! This is why I don’t work out!”


Anny, Fleur, and Celestia slowly started to bring their hooves back down to the ground, ready to finish today’s secession, when Fleur had an evil, wonderful, awful idea.


He looks like a sweetheart, she thought, looking over at him with a slight squint. He talks like a sweetheart, but does he really act like a sweetheart?


Determined to find out, she rose to her hind legs, reaching her full, impressive height. With a simple shift of balance she started wobbling around, her front hooves instinctually trying to righten her by wobbling around.


“Oh!” she yelled, dramatically, getting Anny’s attention. “Somepony, help!”


Closing her eyes, the mare slowly, at an almost movie-like speed, started to fall on her side, half bracing for the impact, and half trying to keep herself from laughing.


Oh, now I know why I never became an actress, she mused, as Anny, not noticing Celestia rolling her eyes and facehoofing, bolted toward her. I can’t—Oh!


While she would never call herself a heavy mare—though she knew she weighed a teeny, tiny bit more than most mares because she was so much bigger—she really didn’t expect someone as thin-looking as Anny to be able to snatch her up like a kitten.


The mare opened her eyes to see the human looked down at her with concern, his eyes almost sparkling in the studio’s lighting. Fleur blinked, oddly relishing the contact, and the feeling of Anny’s hands holding her body.


“Are you alright there, Ms. Fleur?” Anny asked while the mare panted shakily, her mane out of place.


“O-Oh, Anny, thank you!” she said as he got her back to her hooves. Patting herself off and making sure that her mane was back in presentable order, she smiled brightly up at him. “You really are chevalier en armure étincelante.”


Well, at least he has very strong hands~. I just might pursue this one after all…


“Are you sure you’re alright, Ms. Fleur?” Anny repeated, shaking the mare out of her thoughts. “You look a little flustered…”


Laughing quietly, she nudged him playfully. “I am fine, and thank you, my clumsiness almost turned this fine day into a rather painful one.”


Celestia snorted, trotting over toward the two. “Are you sure you’re alright, my little pony?”


The supermodel’s face scrunched up like she knew it would.


“I’m sure there’s somepony that’ll help you—”


“HELP HER?!!” Blueblood snapped, limping away from the group of yoga ponies that were slowly making their way towards him. “HELP ME!” With a spell he summoned a chair, waving it around hysterically, trying to keep the ponies away.


“Back, you spawns of Tartarus, back!”


“One of us, one of us,” the group chanted, forcing the stallion toward the window.


Blueblood looked around first in terror, then in grim acceptance. “You’ll never take me alive!” he roared, tossing the chair at the crowd before sprinting toward the window.


Crash!


Anny and Celestia looked at the broken window in boredom. “Well, it looks like we’re done,” the Princess said, looking over at the human. “Since, Fleur looks hurt,” she couldn’t help but stress the word, despite herself. “I’ll go get her things. Be a dear and make sure she doesn’t move around, will you?”


Before the unicorn could protest, Anny nodded, looking back toward her. “Alright, Princess, I’ll carry Ms. Fleur here; she might’ve sprained something.”


Now, Fleur didn’t know whether to giggle or snort in indignation, trying to shuffle away from the man. “Monsieur Anny, there’s no need—”


Ignoring her, Anny picked her up with a grunt and placed her on his back, Fleur letting out a little squeak as he patted her on the rump.


“Don’t worry, Ma’am,” he said while Celestia walked out of the mare’s restroom with her bag.


“The Princess and I only want to make sure that you’re okay. We’ll get you home and iced down and we’ll be on our merry way.”


Celestia nodded, throwing her friend a cheeky smile. “That’s right, my little pony,” she said majestically, much to Fleur’s irritation. “We’re only looking out for your best interests!”


Sticking her tongue out at her Princess, the supermodel gently placed her head on the human’s shoulder. “I take back what I said, Anny, you are a beast, throwing a lady around like she was a common sack of flour.”


Even though she couldn’t see it, Anny grinned hugely. “Thank you, Ma’am.”


Fleur giggled, and Celestia couldn’t help but quietly cheer when she saw the look Fleur was giving Anny as they made their way out of the gym.


“Please, Misère Anny, call me Fleur.”


The three turned their heads when they heard a groan. “…Can’t….feel…hooves….”


Celestia, grumbling, trotted over to where a crybaby Blueblood—who, thankfully, wasn’t hurt by the glass—who was trying to wiggle out of a garbage can.


“Anny, could you—”


“Yeah, yeah, I got him… Even if he looks a little heavy…”


The Prince, trying to look as fearsome as a stallion stuck rump-first in a tin can, was able to, glared at the human and alicorn.


“I… dislike you two….very much…”



@#$~~$#@



Cadence, who had been watching everything from the safety of a tree with a pair of binoculars, narrowed her eyes as Anny chatted happily with a dreamy-eyed Fleur inside her estate.


“What are you trying to do, Celestia?” she muttered to herself.


With a spell, she levitated a little notebook toward an awaiting hoof, along with a pencil.


Subject seems to be resisting harder than originally predicted, she wrote.


Like the common cold, she seems to be adapting. As of today she is trying to pawn Antaeus off on supermodel and longtime friend, Fleur de lis. Whether or not Fleur knows of this is questionable, but if so then there’s more players to this game than I am comfortable with.


Maybe I should just hound Aunty until she goes out on a date with him?...


Cadence hummed, shaking her head before scratching that part out.


No no, other than what I’ve been doing, I’ll keep out of it… Love should happen naturally after all...


Need to see what is going on with Blueblood and Fleur; maybe I can convince them to stop this, or better yet, get them to help us.


The pink alicorn couldn’t help but squeal at the thought, her feathers ruffling in excitement.


This was why she had become a C.U.P.I.D. The long, sleepless nights, the worrying about if what she was doing was right or not, all of that was nothing when she saw what was happening in front of her.


This was why she got her cutie mark: to help ponies find happiness, and this was going to be her masterpiece… Even if she had to break a few eggs to make an om—


Her eyes twinkled as she looked at the Supermodel and Blueblood. “…Or I could just make something else with them… Broken eggs can be scrambled...”


“Candy… Cadence!”


The princess looked down at her husband, who was looking up at her with a tired expression.


Blinking in mild irritation, she said, “Yes, Shining?”


The stallion sighed, sitting on his rump and rubbing his temples. “Could you please get down from there?”


“I can’t, Shiny. I’m in the middle of a stakeout.”


“…Alright, could you at least do it in a different tree?You are in the middle of a restaurant.”


Cadence looked around, and, seeing all the ponies, shrugged. “No can do, Shiny, I have to—”

She was interrupted by a stallion walking up to them and clearing his throat.


“Excuse me,” he said calmly. “This is private property and I’m going to have to ask you to leave; you’re starting to scare ponies.”


Cadence waved her binoculars in his face. “But a—”


“I will call the guard.”


“B-But, I’m a Princess!”


With all of the flourish she could muster, she pointed at Shining. “Shining, this stallion threatened me! Defend my honor please.”


“But, Honey, the stallion’s just trying to do his job!”


The stallion-- the owner of the restaurant-- sighed, turning away from the two. “Alright, I guess I’m calling the guard then,” he said calmly, Shining’s eyes widening.


“Wait!” he called, trotting after the owner. “There’s no need for that!”


Cadence ignored all of that nonsense to glare at a starry-eyed Fleur, who was waving as Celestia and Blueblood left with Anny.


“I need to tell Luna what’s going on,” she muttered, tail swishing in irritation. “She’s going to want to know what’s happening…”





“Bye Fleur!” Anny cheerfully called, waving over his shoulder at the smiling mare. “Remember to keep off that hoof!”


Celestia couldn’t help to grin as she trotted down the streets with her friend, the human walking closely beside her.


“You really are a gentlecolt, Anny,” the Princess said, nudging him as Blueblood grumbled, “carrying a mare all the way back to her house.” She winked at Blueblood discreetly. “I hope that this doesn’t become a habit.”


Anny waved her away, looking back at the prince. “It’s really no big deal, you guys really aren’t that heavy… Blueblood, are you sure that you don’t need to be carried?”


Blueblood couldn’t help but smile slightly. “No, thank you, but I’ll be fine.”


“Are you sure? I had to get carried back home the first time I did this, there’s no shame in it.”


Celestia rolled her eyes. “He’s fine, Anny, there’s no need to baby my nephew.”


That got the Prince back to grumbling as the three made their way toward the Sparkle house.


I’m not being a baby, the Prince thought, looking between the human and alicorn with rising interest.


The longer the two walked with each other, the more they moved toward each other, until soon they were almost touching. While this wasn’t odd for Anny to do, Blueblood was starting to notice that the Princess was doing it, almost with a smile.


That left a little seed of worry in the Prince, with each little joke the two threw at each other, the more he was starting to believe that his Aunt was full of horseapples.


I’ve never seen Aunty act this way around anypony…


Like almost everyone in the royal family, the Prince knew that his Aunt was a pretty lonely pony, more familiar with ruling her little ponies than becoming being friendly with them. So, when there was someone standing right in front of him that broke through his Aunt’s walls and brought out the real Celestia, it made him naturally conflicted.


Why doesn’t she want to be happy? He thought quietly, letting himself be led through the streets. Anypony with eyes can see it, why not her?...


Maybe Cadence and Luna were right, maybe he should just tell Fleur to back off and—


“Blueblood, Honey!” Blueblood was violently wrenched out of his thoughts by a pair of hooves squishing his cheeks together, hard.


Velvet looked down at the now horrified Blueblood with barely restrained glee. “How are you? Oooohhh, you’re so big now! Why haven’t you come and seen your Step-Aunt? Huh, huh?”


The prince tried to bravely retreat from the hugging, the questions, and the offers of food and kisses and lovey-doveyness, but Velvet ‘the Rage-Cage’ Sparkle wasn’t taking no for an answer.


Wrapping the stallion in a bear hug that would’ve broken the backs of all but the burliest and hairiest of bears, she slowly started dragging him into her house and toward her kitchen.


“Oh, Sweetie, you look so skinny! Don’t worry, Momma will fatten you up!”


With one last, desperate effort, Blueblood grabbed the door frame. “No, no! Leave me alone! Somepony, somepony, help me!”


Velvet, that big smile still on her face, grunted in exertion, digging in her heels while Blueblood held on for dear life.


The stallion ignored the amused snickers thrown his way as the doorframe groaned in protest of its mistreatment.


Anny looked over at the prince from his seat at the table. “Come on, Blue.” He patted the seat next to him. “It’s almost lunch. Come and sit down and get something to eat.”


Celestia, who had a wing draped over her tired-yet-happy student, nodded in agreement.


“Come on, Nephew, take your lumps like a stallion; Mrs. Sparkle always loves a full table in her household.”


Creak!


Blueblood closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, sweat pouring off his body.


Creak!


His muscles burned and his breath was ragged, but he held on.


Snap!


“NONONONONO!”


Velvet wrapped the terrified prince in a hug in which he couldn’t get out of, a manic’s smile on her face.


“YESYESYESYES!”