Chapter Five
- - -
(5)
- - -
"You'll be seeing Rain Booms!
Ooo-ooo-oooh!
Equestria Girls, we're kinda magical!
Boots on hooves, bikinis on top!"
Blueblood opened his eyes.
He remembered falling asleep in his study, Rarity curled up next to him. He remembered: he had tried to stay up. He had. To the sound of her soft snoring, he had studied her features and talked aloud about mazes and maps and noble gossip and juicy court rumors, long after she had tired of telling him about her friends, Ponyville, her sister and her work. They discussed the merits of archery versus falconry, and she recounted the adventure she had trekking through Everfree and meeting a sea serpent named Steven, winning him over at the cost of an unseasonably short-cut tail. The last thing he recalled was resting his head and his eyes, knowing she was already fast asleep.
And now she was gone.
Resting his front leg against his face, Prince Blueblood sucked in a shuddering breath. It had been hundreds of loops since he had cried. Muffled sounds escaped his lips. Part of him wanted to stay in bed: to just lay in place and relive a shadow of that fleeting moment of happiness he had captured... that he had shared...
Gone.
There was an ache in him that hadn't been there before. He had stabbed himself, poisoned himself, electrocuted himself; he had been drowned, burned, hung, petrified and even devoured; he had died in countless ways but the pain had never lasted. Every morning he was back where he began. Every morning he was as good as new. This was the first time he hurt.
Light filtered in through a crack in the curtains, reminding him that, as attractive as it was to do nothing, he had made a promise to himself: every day, an opportunity. No more suicidal loops. No more wallowing in grief. Do better. Be better. It was the only way forward when fate brought you back to start, time and time again.
Inhaling, fortifying his resolve, Blueblood forced himself out of bed and opened the curtains to take in the Gardens below. It was another day; another beautiful morning. Taking a few seconds longer than usual to stare at the maze in the distance, he rang the bell for his chambermaids. He'd tried to be upbeat, and he told himself again and again he still would be, no matter what happened.
His heart wasn't as compliant as his brain. It felt stressed, stretched, and worn.
"Good morning Light Touch. Sandy," he greeted the pair, and turned his head to stare at his reflection. It was the same as always.
"My Prince?" Light Touch asked, carefully, sensing something was amiss.
He smirked, haltingly.
"Tonight's the Gala, isn't it, Sandy?" he asked, smiling pleasantly at the shy servant filly.
"Yes... sir..." she muttered.
He levitated a brush out of her hooves. "I'm going for a little walk."
- - -
Discord.
He stood before the supposedly inert statue. It was not unfamiliar to him. He had seen it in passing many times. His being able to sense a faint hint of the demon within was new. It wasn't necessarily malice, as the old books claimed: it was like probing ripples of magic, barely discernible against the natural flow of the arcane all around them. Perhaps he had been completely inert once, but those old bonds were clearly fading.... fraying... and close to failing.
"You're clearly distraught, but no magic on Equestria could have the effect you describe. Even Discord himself couldn't cast such a spell. ... Probably."
He had not forgotten Celestia's words, said in passing, so long ago.
"If I released you..." He wondered aloud, believing that just maybe it could hear him. "Could you save me?"
He reached for the cold stone, his hoof rushing against a scaled leg.
"Could you kill me?" he asked, more quietly.
Discord. The only known being more powerful than Celestia. More powerful than Luna. As powerful, it was rumored, as the Elements of Harmony themselves. This was Discord.
He could do it, too.
Blueblood knew he could.
"Even Discord himself couldn't cast such a spell. ... Probably."
Probably.
And if Discord was free; if the rules of the universe were cast aside, then what? Was this the answer? Was this how he could end the cycle? Blueblood wondered about that. He had already destroyed Canterlot once, an act he wasn't proud of. At the time, he had been willing to do that, to take that step, to go that far, to sacrifice that much... to be free. Now, standing in front of what could be his only potential path to freedom, Blueblood couldn't help but think of all the ponies across Canterlot that he had helped and saved trying to manufacture a 'Perfect Day.'
It was just the two of them, alone, in that garden. No pony could stop him in time. No pony could blame him. It was tempting. So terribly, silently, agonizingly tempting.
"I could," he said, but turned away. "But it seems I can't."
He gave the stone prison a passing pat on the foot, and walked back to the castle. There was still much so much see, so much to learn, and so very much to do.
"I think... tonight... is going to be all right..."
- - -
The stagecoach pulled up and Spike made a pair of quick jumps down to the ground. Canterlot had been done up in style; this was his first time seeing the Grand Galloping Gala up close and he had to admit it was an impressive sight! Canterlot was his hometown and old stomping grounds. There was so much to do and see, not just at the Gala, but in the Palace and all around town! Better yet, there was no curfew! They had all night to enjoy themselves!
Bowing as he waited for the door to the carriage to open, he was rewarded with a real sight: the six mares inside were positively glowing with anticipation and excitement, looking outright amazing in their dresses. Rarity sure knew her stuff, that was for sure! What other pony could have designed and stitched six unique, personalized dresses – actually twelve if you counted the rejects, or was it eleven, since the girls had finished one of them? Or ten? Regardless, Spike doubted any other pony in Equestria could have Rarity's feat. The result was a stunning sextet of mares, ready to hit the town.
He stood aside and listened as they began a musical number.
The little dragon had sort of expected something like this to happen. If the group hadn't gotten started on it, Pinkie Pie herself would have at least tried to burst into yet another random ballad about Galas and parties. The spontaneous song and dance thing was a relatively recent development for the young dragon, probably something to chalk up to some sort of weird friendship-based magic or another, so Spike simply took it in stride and tapped his foot as it played out.
Art of the Dress, he decided, Was better.
Then again, what could top Art of the Dress?
The song, meanwhile, reached it's end and...
And then everypony bolted, going their separate ways the moment they passed through the castle gates. Alone on the red carpet, Spike could do little more than stare at the retreating hindquarters of his friends from Ponyville. Twilight – running off to see Celestia. Of course. Rainbow Dash – off to gush over the Wonderbolts. Big surprise. Pinkie Pie – off to tear up the dance floor somewhere. Made sense. Applejack – off to set up shop. Sooner was better than later, he supposed. Fluttershy – beeline right for the gardens. Did she even have a map, or was she just going to get lost out there?
Then there was Rarity – off to find love. Like she couldn't find that down the street. Spike sighed. That was a depressing topic, being treated like a little egg-toothed baby by the mare you loved. Seriously: he'd lost his egg tooth years ago! Anyway: would it have really been so hard for everypony to stick together, at least for a while? Hopefully they'd all get the various Gala distractions out of their systems soon.
Until then, well, he could wait around the gate... so they could find him when the time came.
It was in the midst of doing so, when a rumble in the little dragon's stomach prompted him to cover his mouth. It felt like a letter from Celestia, but now, of all times? Turning his head, he coughed, and the ash from his sputtering green flame came together, congealing into a curled paper note. Reflexively opening it while looking for Twilight – it had to be for her – he caught the line on the top.
"Wait a second," he said to himself, re-reading it. "It's for... me?"
- - -
Twilight ran up the steps of the Oratory, slowing as she noticed not one Royal personage, or even two, but three waiting for her. Waiting for and greeting all the guests. Celestia was actually off to the side slightly, rather than the center of attention, as a dark alicorn gestured and inclined her head politely to the sets of incoming guestponies.
"Princess Luna?" she couldn't help but wonder, stopping a few steps short of the forked platform that crowned the Oratory staircase.
"Twilight Sparkle!" the Princess of the Night announced, loudly. "We welcome you to this year's Gala celebration! There will be much feasting and boasting and drinking this night!" She cringed a little, lowering her voice. "Though, actually, we have been told the feasting and drinking has been refined somewhat over the last thousand years."
"Still a great deal of boasting, however," Celestia chimed in, walking closer and motioning her student closer. "Come, Twilight. We are both glad to see you."
"Yes! We would thank you for your actions freeing us from Nightmare Moon," Luna declared. The Lunar Maiden held out her gilded, silver hoof.
"Happy... to have helped?" Twilight shook the dark alicorn's hoof, surprised that she was more gentle with her grip than she was in toning down her speaking voice.
"Miss Sparkle," another voice spoke, and a large white unicorn trotted up, also offering his hoof. This had to be the one mortal member of the royal family, Prince Blueblood. This was also the stallion that Rarity had mentioned wanting to meet. There was a rumor around Ponyville of all places that he had been seen there. Twilight shook his hoof and he smiled pleasantly.
"Princess." Twilight quickly turned her attention to her mentor. "I was hoping we could talk tonight. I have so much to tell you!"
Celestia's violet eye narrowed as she tried to explain: "I'm quite busy at the moment, but later I'm sure we..."
"It occurs to me, Auntie," Blueblood interrupted, giving a short hmm, "that the rules specify the Princess should be present to welcome guests for the Gala. Not... necessarily... which... Princess."
The immortal alicorn's smile widened, just enough for those who knew her to recognize it.
"Quite a liberal interpretation of the rules, nephew." She leaned down, and whispered among the four of them. "I like it. I'll be back to check on you two sooner or later."
Twilight grinned, ear to ear, and trotted after her mentor and idol.
How lucky!
Luna watched the pair go with a quizzical eyebrow. She then turned to her estranged nephew.
"One would almost think you planned that ahead of time," she stated, a smile on her face.
"One would," Blueblood agreed, and waved to another of the arriving guests: a pair ascending the steps, no doubt to distract her. Luna chuckled, and prepared to meet the next group of ponies, her nephew by her side. Regardless of whether he had any other motive behind talking her into attending, the fact was that she was here, now, and determined to see the night through.
Even a thousand years ago, Luna knew she had never been a very popular or gregarious Princess. So much had changed over the centuries of exile, that she was even more hesitant than before to try and repair her image and make a public appearance. When Blueblood had personally asked her to attend the night's celebrations, she had initially tried to dismiss him. The Gala was the social event of the year, after all, and it was wiser to start small and work one's way up.
Her estranged nephew, however, had a surprising way with words. He also seemed to know every single mare and stallion in Canterlot, and was willing to make introductions for her without making her seem like an accessory. She wondered if his current scheme, whatever it was, was also what had called him away from the Palace so abruptly and repeatedly throughout the day?
"Lady Flare," he identified the mare first, then her date. "Hoity. How nice of you two to make it!"
"Indeed!" Luna thundered, greeting them in her own way, Canterlot speaking voice on full roar. "We are Princess Luna, and in the name of the Royal Family, we welcome you to our Gala!"
- - -
Rarity couldn't help but notice that she had been on the receiving end of a strange look from the Prince when she introduced herself to him – and to Princess Luna. Not only did he know who she was, a fact that had filled her with glee at the time, but he had kissed her hoof. An action she had not seen him repeat with any number of other esteemed and important guests of court. She was still a bit flushed and flattered, but there was a degree of curiosity coloring her thoughts as well. He must have heard of her somewhere.
Yet there was little time for pleasantries.
"Miss Rarity," he had said with a sly grin. "I may impose on you for a dance later."
She had been about to remark on how she'd be honored to do so, when she'd been shuffled off, the Prince offering a conciliatory wink. A long line of guests were gathering to introduce themselves to their new, returned, Princess Sovereign and there was no time to linger. Luna was a new item, and even with Celestia not present, novelty attracted high society. The poor Princess was greeting guests in groups of four or more. Remaining close by – not necessarily to eavesdrop, but just to see – Rarity happened to overhear how the Prince was listing off every guest, by rote and by name and title.
Well, him knowing her now seemed less surprising.
On the other hoof, it was rather impressive. Some faces were known to all who fashioned themselves cultured. It was hard to mistake Hoity Toity, for example, but Rarity had not known the mare with him. She recognized Star Streak, the famous model, but not the other two mares following her around. More importantly, with the rate introductions were being made, the two Royals would be done in less than an hour. This was a good thing: it meant she didn't have to wait long to catch the Prince's eye a second time.
In the interim, Rarity busied herself by mixing and mingling with some of the other socialites upstairs. Checking a large, antique clock on display between two of the Ménagerie wings, she also wondered how her friends were getting along. She had tried to impress on them the importance of blending in tonight and that they were attending the crème of high society functions. It was a big "if" as to whether they had paid much attention.
- - -
"My pie! You saved it!"
Soarin’ wasted no time in dealing with his precious confection. Not wanting to risk another accident, he placed it on the floor and started to dig in. No one could wreck it if it was in his stomach!
"Hey, I know you!" Spitfire pointed to the filly in the rainbow dress: the savior of Soarin’'s pie. It seemed like they wouldn't be hitting the buffet yet after all. "You're the pony that saved us in Cloudsdale and won the Best Flyer's competition!"
"Hay, yeah!" The light blue pegasus boasted, basking in the glow of recognition. "Name's Rainbow Dash!"
"Well, Rainbow Dash, it looks like your skills saved us again." Spitfire smirked and glanced over to the side, where her partner was already half finished stuffing his face. "Or, well, at least they saved Soarin’'s apple pie."
The stallion's response was affirmative, though muffled by chunks of baked pastry.
"Wanna come hang out with us?" she then asked, motioning over to the VIP lounge.
"Sure." Dash played it – terribly obviously – coy. "Why not?"
"Funny story," Spitfire added, leading her through security. "There was some kind of weird scheduling mistake, so Soarin’ and I are free all night."
- - -
Applejack was not a happy pony.
Aside from one apple pie, she hadn't made a sale in almost an hour. The culprit had to be the hay-seed buffet down the way. There were flowery signs up helping to direct ponies – "guests only" – to where they could fill up on fancy itty-bitty hors d'oeuvres. Worse, there wasn't a darned thing she could do about it.
"Pardon me."
Applejack looked up, the cup of her hoof making a 'pop' as she pulled it free of her cheek. How long had she been moping there? Long enough to leave an embarrassing imprint on her face, probably. She got a good look at the speaker, and realized after a second that it was a potential customer! Not one of the guests, though.
This pony wore clean but simple clothes in white and black with a bit of pink. She was a unicorn, with a light blue coat – lighter than Dash's – and a pinkish-red mane, done back into a neat bun. With her was another mare, the same age or maybe a little younger, with a chocolate coat and dark blonde mane. They didn't seem to be guests at all. In fact, if Applejack had to guess, they were... servants?
"I was wondering if I could have one of your apples?" the more talkative of the pair asked, pointing to one apple in particular.
"Sure thing, sugar cube!" Applejack cheered inwardly at finally getting another sale. She faced the other mare. "Hungry? Anything I can get for ya?"
"Could I have a... candy apple?" the dark brown filly asked. Her bashfulness could probably give Fluttershy a run for her money.
"One candy apple, comin' right up!" Plucking the confection off its tray, Applejack added a little napkin so it was easier to hold onto and eat. "Enjoy!"
With a jingle, four bits fell into her purse.
The two serving girls didn't waste time before starting to eat. By the looks on their faces, they were happy, satisfied customers – Applejack's favorite. She only had six bits to her name tonight, but it was better than nothing, and seeing ponies enjoying the fruits and labors of Sweet Apple Acres was a reward in and of itself, too. Just not a monetary reward. The family needed those, too.
"Excuse me, Miss." A stallion's voice this time.
She looked up, and saw a colt in a prim white and black vest. There were two others with him.
More servants?
"We heard you were sellin' applies," the leader of the trio continued.
Applejack's spirits rose. "Yer darn tootin' I am!"
Maybe tonight wouldn't be such a wash after all?
- - -
Things weren't working out.
It was time to be more... assertive. Yes. Assertive!
"I'm so-oo sorry to have scared you, my friends!" Fluttershy called to all the little critters in hiding, the line of rope between her teeth. "But... I'm leaving now... so you can all come out!"
Ducking quickly behind one of the many festive iron arches, she peeked out from around the corner to watch the fruits of her labor. Very soon, she'd finally have one of the garden's elusive little critters, and it would learn to love her just like all the animals back home did. She'd then set it free to tell all the other animals, and like a runaway chain reaction, all the animals would come to her to apologize for being so flighty and rude. They'd see that she was just like them, and that she was their friend, and they'd spend all night singing and frolicking and teaching her about their quirks and natures.
All she had to do to get to that point... was catch... one... little... critter...!
A strangely sinister laughter bubbled up from her throat in a voice she hardly recognized as her own. Part of her Gala dress snagged on a nearby rose bush that wound around the hedge, the thorn ripping free one of her little blue butterfly ornaments. Fluttershy ignored it. Little things like that could be patched up later. All she had to focus on now was waiting for the 'crunch-crunch' sound of some adorable animal, nibbling on the bait!
Pop!
Odd. Animals didn't go "pop." Balloons went "pop" but not animals.
She opened her eyes, and saw a large pair of hooves in front of her. It was connected to a pony, a unicorn pony – oh dear, unicorns went 'pop' didn't they – and he didn't seem happy. It wasn't even that strange but harmless groundskeeper who kept getting in the way of her catching... making... an animal friend tonight. This was a large, pure white, important looking pony.
Fluttershy also realized, then, that she had a rope in her mouth. A rope that led around the corner to a trap. A trap meant for an animal. An animal that was living in Celestia's private garden. Oh dear.
"Miss," the unicorn began to say. "May I ask what you're doing out here?"
"Oh. Um. I." She shrank down, her pink mane covering her face. "I was being assertive?"
He held out a hoof, not angrily, but expecting to help her up.
Fluttershy dropped the rope, took his offer, and stood. Standing up, she could see that he was just as big, and still as intimidating, especially since he had caught her being quite... improper. A voice in her head whispered: not improper, illegal! But that was just an overreaction, surely. She wasn't really in trouble, was she? She wouldn't be banished for just setting one harmless little trap, would she? She wouldn't be thrown in the dungeon! That was for serious criminals, not poor, beleaguered animal lovers!
"You must be Miss Fluttershy," the unicorn said, and she nodded meekly.
"Um. Yes. You... know me?" Probably because of her time as a model. She cringed at how famous that had made her, especially in certain circles.
"I've seen your picture," the stallion replied. "Let's go put away that... trap of yours. I don't think it would work too well anyway."
"What was wrong with my trap?" She asked, feeling a bit defensive... and apparently self-incriminating. "I mean. If you don't mind me asking? I mean. Not that... I was... um."
"Is that a carrot?" he asked, leading her back around the corner, under the iron arch and into the clearing. The only 'wildlife' nearby was that old groundskeeper, as usual.
"I, um, got it from the buffet."
"The only raw carrots on the menu should be served on a bed of rice." He levitated the crispy root into the air and tossed it over to the groundskeeper. Despite having his eyes closed, the old pony managed to snag it out of midair with a snap of his jaws.
"M-m-m!" He groused to himself. "De-licious!"
Floating up the cardboard box, the stallion snapped it at the corners and folded it up into a neat square. Fluttershy bowed her head, fully expecting to be either reprimanded for her behavior, or thrown out of the garden, or the party, or worse. Tears welled up in her eyes at the spectacle she'd end up making. Not only would she be publicly humiliated; she'd never be allowed back. She'd never see a Wallaroo or a Toucan or a Senegal Parrot or a Hedgehog or a Honey Badger or a Red Panda bear or a Jackalope or a Wolpertinger...
"Miss Fluttershy," the unicorn's voice prompted her to look up. "Please don't cry. You aren't in trouble."
"I'm not?" she asked, sounding heartbreakingly hopeful.
He shook his head. "No. The animals in the Gardens aren't normal, you know."
"They... aren't?" Fluttershy asked, curiosity displacing worry. Her wings flexed happily, but then stilled as his words sunk in. "What do you mean?"
"That kangaroo over there, looking at us from behind that bush –"
He pointed a hoof to one of the hedges. The Wallaroo that she had seen before, but been unable to catch, was keeping a wary eye on them from behind the barrier. Its mouth was moving slowly as it chewed and stared.
"That animal was poached from a royal game reserve three years ago," he explained. "Its owner wanted it as an exotic pet."
"Oh," Fluttershy gasped, frowning. "That's not nice."
"It also kicked a pony, hurting them badly," the stallion added. "It's here, because Auntie Celestia didn't want it put down, and because it can't survive in the wild anymore."
"That's terrible. That's... just terrible." Fluttershy wasn't one to get angry easily, but she really wished she had some way of righting what had happened to that poor creature. Her expression fell, dejected, as she realized that just moments ago, she had been chasing that same kangaroo.
"That vulture up there," he continued, making one last example, "was brought in for falconry. Some foal believed he could train it like a common goshawk or kestrel. Almost every animal in this garden was captured wild. Most never saw a pony before they came here and many have been treated poorly.
"Miss Fluttershy," he implored. "Please. Look at me." She did, and saw that he was smiling amiably, just a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You're going to have to be very patient with them."
Oh. Oh. That made sense.
But...
"But I only have one night," she muttered.
"You can always come back, I promise," he assured her, leaning down a little to keep eye contact. "You can't rush friendship, now can you?"
She blinked the last of the tears from her eyes, and steadied herself.
"It took weeks for Angel Bunny to become my friend," she remembered, and nodded to herself, determination in her eyes. "Thank you so much!" She reached out, as if to hug the strange unicorn, and blushed, tucking her hooves in. "I mean. Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," he replied, still smiling despite her embarrassment. "If you like, I can help for a little while. I've had a lot of time to practice my bird calls recently, and I can introduce you to my young tercel, Dream Catcher."
"That – that would be wonderful," Fluttershy agreed, feeling better than she had all evening. "Um. But. You know who I am... but I'm afraid I don't know you. What's your name?"
- - -
"I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala~
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala~
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala..."
Pinkie Pie sighed, alone at her table.
No one wanted to dance. No one especially wanted to dance with her after the spectacle she had made when she first came in. Everypony was avoiding her like she had the dreaded gum disease known as gingivitis! Even though she brushed her teeth three times a day! The big, boring, stuffy meanie-pants jerks!
Not a single pony had even once used the dance floor. It was just sitting there, oh-so-alluringly shiny, and ponies were just standing around it chatting. All they did was talk talk talk talk talk. (Like you're any different.) At least when Pinkie talked she had something to say, and possibly repeat, two or three times over. Why were all these ponies here, in the fancy, expensive DANCE room, if they weren't going to dance? It was as crazy as going to the kitchen to sleep! OH! Or going to your room to make cupcakes!
But wouldn't it be super neat if you could make cupcakes in your room?
Oh! Or sleep nearby while your muffins were in the oven?
(You're getting distracted.) Right. she was getting distracted. Distracted from moping. She had important moping to do. Stupid pretty ponies. Stupid mares in fancy dresses standing around. Stupid cute stallions drinking and ignoring her. Stupid, smelly Gala.
"Um. Pardon, everypony," a voice from the stage caused her ears to perk up. It was one of the band members. The – um – orchestra ponies. She cleared her throat again. "We've had a special request for a rather unorthodox song. Please bear with us."
Pinkie's ear did another little twitch.
"Hey, everypony!" That voice!
Looking up, Pinkie saw Spike sitting next to the piano pony, going over a sheet of music. She tilted her head in bemusement. What was Spike doing here? (What, you're asking me?) She knew the little dragon was quite skilled on the keys from the whole Appleloosa thing. But after she had been chased off stage herself, she doubted he could have just walked up and asked to participate. What was going on?
After a few seconds of prep time, Spike and the pianist, Sharp Note, began to play. The latter also slipped on a pair of sunglasses and cleared his throat in preparation for a vocal score.
Twitchy-twitch.
Soon a trumpet and saxophone started up, bringing home a tune Pinkie knew from somewhere. Not only her ear now, but her left hoof was twitching too. Her back hoof was also tapping, but that was due to the beat, not any sort of Pinkie Sense in action. Something was definitely about to happen!
Something fun!
"Well I heard about the fellow you've been dancing with
All over the neighborhood
So why didn't you ask me baby
Or didn't you think I could?"
Urge to dance.
Rising.
"Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight
but the shingaling's the thing tonight
But if that was you and me a now baby
I would have shown you how to do it right!"
Rising.
"Do it right (Uh-huh)
Do it right (Do it right)
Do it right
Do it rightttt!
Aaahhhh!"
Too late. Her body was already flying out onto the dance floor!
And, to her surprise (silly pony, didn't I warn you?) she wasn't alone. For the first time this evening, somepony else was out on the dance floor, too! He was a unicorn, not really Pinkie's type, but he was dancing, and he was pretty good! She reared up and he grabbed one of her hooves, spinning her around in crazy circles. She hardly registered the shocked gasps of so many of the other staid and scandalized partygoers.
"Twistin', shake it shake it shake it shake it baby!
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby!
Hey we gonna loop de la!"
To her delight, he joined her in bending over and shaking his rear, his dark golden tail swishing scandalously against her dress.
"Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Aaahhhh!"
Spinning around, Pinkie stood on two legs and kicked in time to the music, bouncing and laughing as he joined her. It seemed impossible, but she couldn't help but wonder if this special request had been for her? (This was fun.) It was super duper fun with cherries on top!
"Do the twist!"
Her dress swung from side to side and she flexed her hips.
"Do the fly!"
Flapping front legs switched from the 'buzz' –
"Do the swim!"
– to the 'sea pony' –
"And do the bird!"
– to the 'flailing pegasus' –
"Well do the duck!"
– Pinkie always thought this one should have been called 'the chicken' –
"Aaah, and do the monkey!"
– front legs and hooves swinging, she faced to the side, bounced around opposite, and then faced him again.
"Hey hey, watusi!"
Stepping closer, the two held out their front legs and shifted from hoof to hoof.
"What about the boogaloo?
Oh, the bony marony!
And, ah, what about the food?
Aaahhhh!
Twistin', shake it shake it shake it shake it baby!"
By the time the song finished, Pinkie was ready to collapse into giggles.
It was just too bad that, before she could say anything, the orchestral ponies quickly (too quickly, that was fun) switched to a slower, more traditional song. On the verge of returning to her table, happy at least to have had one fun dance, the pink party pony was surprised when a white foreleg stuck out to intercept her. Eyes wide, she realized her unknown partner was asking her to stay on the dance floor.
Even though it wasn't the same dance as before.
Even though everypony was still staring at them!
"Don't tell me you're tired already?" the white unicorn asked with a cheeky grin. "Pinkamena."
"Oh!" She gasped, but didn't do the normal briefly-suspend-oneself-in-midair trick. She would have, except he intercepted her in that, too, forcing her to stay on the ground.
"Do you know me from somewhere?!" she asked, leaning closer.
"I've heard about you," he replied, tapping his hoof on the dance floor. "Come on. Don't you want to know how to dance to this music, too?"
"I do!"
- - -
This... couldn't be... the Ménagerie Ursae?
It was packed; more than a hundred ponies had to be either in the room or trying to get in, forced instead into adjacent salons. Tables had been pushed back and up against the walls, and the air was filled with not just music, but the sound of a hundred hooves moving on the polished floor.
Rarity had been waiting for Princess Luna to finish with her introductions, welcoming the last of the gentry to the Gala. At some point, however, she and her nephew had vanished. Convinced more than ever that she needed to find her would-be date for the evening, the fashionable unicorn moved from chamber to chamber, trying to catch sight or wind of him. As it was, some ponies did claim to have seen him, just rarely in the same place for terribly long.
"Hey there! Sugar cube!" a familiar voice called out. "Rarity! Hey, over here!"
Craning her neck, she saw the unmistakable hat that only Applejack would be wearing here. Squeezing through the crowd, Rarity quickly found not one but two of her missing friends: Applejack was busily pulling a shy pegasus behind her, Fluttershy softly muttering an apology every time she bumped into another pony. Applejack was all smiles and greeted her warmly with a hug, and despite her nervousness, even Fluttershy seemed to be in good spirits and she daintily touched hooves with her friend.
"My word," Rarity remarked, seeing her fellow Elements of Harmony in such a jovial state. She singled out the country mare in particular. "Don't you look like the cat that ate the canary!"
"I reckon I have a right'ta!" Applejack explained, tipping her hat back. "I darn near sold out tonight. Just put the rest of it away out back." She pointed back behind her in the general direction of where their carriage was parked. "Figured I'd spend the rest of the night seein' how everypony else was doin'."
"Well, that's good news!" she replied, and then asked her other friend, "What about you, Fluttershy? I rather expected you'd still be in the gardens?"
"Oh. Um. I mostly just came back to get something to eat," the nature lover explained. "I also wanted to thank... somepony.. for helping me."
"Ah knew there was another reason why ya came in, all blushin' like that!" Applejack threw a less-than-subtle wink Fluttershy's way.
"It isn't like that!" the pegasus protested, and shrunk back a bit. "I mean. Not really. Blueblood is very nice, and he even found a groundhog for me, but it isn't like that."
"Prince Blueblood?" Rarity asked, tilting her head in confusion. "You saw him out in the gardens?"
Fluttershy nodded. "He stopped me from... making a mistake... and since I am getting a little hungry, I sort of wondered where he had gone to?"
"Well, we can look for 'im and everypony else," Applejack said with a grin. "We got plenty o' time before the dinner spread. You seen any o' our party around, Rarity?"
"Yes, well," Rarity gave her a brief rundown, dismissing some of her surprise at Fluttershy's news, "Rainbow's probably still with the Wonderbolts. I checked the lounge a little while ago but didn't see her. I'm sure Pinkie Pie is in the ballroom somewhere. Twilight disappeared with the Princess. Princess Celestia, of course... and, no, I have no idea where Blueblood is, so don't even ask."
"If you'll excuse the interruption." A monocled earth pony, who happened to be listening in by proximity, pointed towards the dance floor. "I couldn't help but overhear. You must not have heard? They're both out there."
"Out where?" Rarity asked, and squeaked as Applejack began leading her through the crowd, Fluttershy close behind. Much less polite about it than the cultured unicorn, the farmpony was both willing and able to push through when mares or stallions didn't readily yield to right of way. In their wake could be heard muttered, "oh, sorry. sorry about that. oh. sorry. oops. sorry."
What they soon saw left the fashionista's jaw agape.
Celestia herself was on the dance floor, wings unfurled and head swaying to the music as she glided around and in step with her nephew, moving freely and easily to the ballroom music. By simple virtue of size, color, and incomparable presence, she was the center of attention, but the immortal Princess was far from the only one dancing.
A pink bundle of energy, one Pinkamena Diane Pie, was close by, dancing with another mare who could only be Twilight Sparkle. All around them, dozens of other ponies were also paired off and enjoying themselves. Even Princess Luna was present, sipping from a long straw at a table, surrounded by a rainbow of would-be and seemingly emboldened suitors.
"Oh! Oh! Over here!" Pinkie Pie bounced straight up in the air, waving her front legs. "Oh! Hey!"
"Aw, Pinkie, yes, sugar, we see you!" Applejack blushed at the antics of her friend, waving to make sure she could stop telegraphing their presence to the entire world.
"The Princess is...?" Rarity was still gaping at the sight. "I don't believe it..."
Then her face fell along with her prospects.
"I'll never be able to dance with him now..."
Impossibly, Pinkie Pie's front legs stretched to pull them in closer once they entered Pinkie-range. The dynamo of energy wrapped her front legs around their shoulders and she started chattering at high speed, trying to fill their ears on current events. Rarity was only able to catch some of it. It did seem that the "party" portion of the Gala had picked up to an unusual degree.
A pink whirl later, and she'd switched Twilight with Applejack, trying to teach another friend the dance steps she had learned. Partnered with Twilight, Rarity settled into an easy place-step. The tired unicorn prodigy breathed a sigh of relief in not having to keep pace with their earth pony friend's boundless energy.
"Darling, you have to tell me, please," Rarity leaned in so she could be heard. "What's going on?"
"Oh, I'm not too sure myself," Twilight admitted. "This isn't anything like the Galas I read about." She glanced over her shoulder at her mentor. "But... the Princess sure seems to be enjoying herself."
"That's well and nice, but..." She sighed. "I guess I missed my chance."
Rarity couldn't help but glance past Twilight to where Celestia and Blueblood each had a hoof extended, swinging back and forth and ducking their heads in and out, manes shaking from the movement. The Princess whooped as he reared and she did the same, hooves playfully batting in midair. It was so... strange to see the normally dignified Celestia giggling and laughing at her own antics. Her nephew, too, seemed to be enjoying himself as they danced to the lively musical ensemble with its challenging piano score.
It took a second for Rarity to realize Twilight was staring, too, though probably more at her mentor than at the stallion. The dressmaker smiled knowingly and leaned close to the other unicorn.
"Why Twilight," she cooed. "Are you jealous?"
"N-n-no!" The bookworm too-quickly looked away, a faint blush darkening her cheeks. "Why would I be jealous? I mean, what would I be jealous of? ...About... nothing."
"If you say so, darling." Rarity stuck out her front leg. "Once around?"
Mimicking what she had seen Celestia and Blueblood do, Twilight touched her leg to Rarity's and the pair of mares spun around. It wasn't the most graceful move, but it was fun and they laughed. Rarity put aside her other worries for the moment and focused on helping Twilight work on her steps. Really, it was just a matter of her relaxing a bit. A stiff dancer was a poor dancer.
Abruptly, the music became a slower, but still energetic concerto, punctuated with a bassoon instrumental solo. It reminded Rarity of the countryside, the day after Winter Wrap Up – the fields coming into bloom for the first time, life renewed and a reward for the work put in by everypony in town. It was a beautiful and romantic piece, and as much as Twilight was her good friend, it was the kind of music she would have preferred to share with...
"Pardon me."
Suddenly, Rarity's partner was taken aside, spun, and switched for another. The studious mare only had time for an 'eep!' followed promptly by, "Princess Celestia? When did...?" And then: "Twilight! Isn't this a pleasant surprise? Oh. But maybe I should lead, dear."
"I hope you don't mind me pulling a switch like that," her new partner apologized, but clearly didn't mean it. "Miss Rarity."
"Prince Blueblood?" She almost stumbled in surprise but quickly adjusted her steps to match his. "How... forward..."
"Oh?" he asked, playfully. "Did you wish to dance with one of your other friends? Miss Pinkamena perhaps? I can –"
"Absolutely not!" Rarity had to stop him with a crystal-slippered hoof.
"Good!" he declared with an agreeable laugh.
They danced slowly and easily among the crowd of ponies, and as they did, Rarity envisioned what it must have looked like, to have this stallion change partners from Celestia, of all ponies, to her. The thought brought an ebullient blush to her cheeks. The press of bodies around them forced everypony to dance a bit closer than was usually proper, but the pair of unicorns still found it easy to match the rhythm of the other.
One musical piece turned to two, and then to three, the time flying by.
Rarity considered it a small blessing that the orchestra had gone some time without one of the more unconventional dances. She never would have guessed that anything but the most traditional baroque would be played at the Grand Galloping Gala of all events; but then, in the same vein, she never would have thought that the Prince and Princess would indulge in such music either. It wasn't necessarily inappropriate, but it was very... vivacious.
She had only seen a little of the stallion she had come to the Gala to meet, but so much what she had seen so far stretched her expectations. There was talk of him appearing all about the Gala here or there, greeting high society ponies even as he attended to one or another bit of business. According to Fluttershy, he had even found time to stop by the gardens for whatever reason, and knowing the sweet pegasus, she would not have been in the sections of the garden that other ponies would frequent. She suddenly felt woefully unprepared for a meeting she had waited for and dreamed about all her life.
"Miss Rarity," he ducked his head to ask in a conspiratorial whisper, catching her daydreaming. "What do you think of this year's Gala?"
"It's different," she answered, diplomatically. "Not in a bad way. But then... I haven't been to a Gala before tonight."
She leaned a little closer to him, hiding her face as she asked, "What do you think?"
"I think..." He seemed to think about it for a second. "I think this is the best Gala yet."
Spinning her around, Blueblood brushed his lips close to her ear.
"I should warn you," he whispered. "I promised a little dragon that he could dance with you, so I won't have you all to myself tonight."
- - -
"Aren't you done yet?"
"You know, you had a comparatively easy one."
"Can I at least turn around?"
"I'm almost done. Hold your horses."
"Very funny."
"You know, I completely forgot, I could just have used magic to do this."
"You haven't been...? Are you teasing me again, Prince Blueblood?"
"Perhaps, perhaps. Okay. Done."
It was approaching midnight, and Blueblood had escaped from the Gala after dinner. It was a special, specific time: there were no more emergencies or distractions. Just complications. The Gala itself would continue for another hour or so before the Princesses formally retired, signaling the end of the celebration. He had even booked a last minute performance to end the night with a bang, right before the fireworks display: a certain wayward illusionist down on her luck. Hopefully that mare could manage to contain herself and not insult any of the nobles in attendance.
Before then, Blueblood had headed outside.
Conveniently, he had also been followed.
He turned around and marveled at the topiary Rarity had cut. It wasn't simply a matter of practice: she had a real, genuine skill for this, a fact he had learned well. Next to her, the columnar hedge had been cut into the shape of his cutie mark. Even the proportions were spot-on. The plant itself was still alive, and glowed faintly with her magic from the transformation. It really was impressive that she could use pure magic to transform a living thing, even one as simple as a plant, without really harming it.
Beside him, he had cut and arranged a trio of diamonds, using magic to keep the plant alive, warp it here and there, and even out the edges – and fill in the occasional natural hole. Rarity's mark had the diamonds separate from one another, so he had needed to carefully trim away the extraneous branches and add a little magical glamour to complete the illusion.
"Oh. Oh, it's lovely." She deftly slipped past him to examine his work more closely. "Did you add a little sparkle to it, too?"
"You actually shaded yours," he observed, whistling appreciatively at her topiary sculpture. The two tones of his cutie mark were copied in distinct shades of green.
"You didn't peek, did you?" she asked, teasing him as she rounded the sculpture.
"As if I would need to." He rounded and escorted her back into the open. "One glance was all it took."
Rarity blushed, having only shown her mark to him for a few seconds before they began making the sculptures. She'd genuinely surprised him tonight: even acting rather un-princely, she'd stuck around. He wasn't sure if it was tenacity or what. She was so stubborn in certain ways.
"Miss Rarity." He broached a topic that had bothered him before. "I've wanted to ask you, for a while now: why me? Out of all the stallions you could have been with tonight? Why is it me?"
"Oh." Her eyes darted away as she tried to avoid the question.
"Is it because I'm the... a Prince?" he guessed. "Is it because you read about me in some tabloid and caught your fancy?"
The strangest thing was that, at some point, he had come to want to believe it was more than that.
"I'd be lying if that wasn't a factor in it," Ponyville's trend setter replied; he sighed, expecting that answer. It explained the near-obsession she seemed to have in some loops. Most mares would be content simply to go to the Gala itself. Few thought to use the opportunity to woo the head of a noble family. Such as it was. Stringing those mares along had been a private thrill.
Yet...
"I see," he muttered.
"You aren't what I read about," she said, and his ears pricked.
"I'm not?" he asked, walking around her.
"Well, all those articles painted you as the most elite of the elite," she continued, grinning as he feigned appearing aghast. She shook a bare hoof in the air. "Prince Blueblood the fifty-second. Lord Grand Veneur. Most eligible bachelor in Canterlot. Destined to marry any number of the nobility's finest. A unicorn of impeccable taste and unmatched refinement."
"Actually, that does sound like me," he admitted with a chuckle.
"Nothing mentioned dancing, or... what was it? The 'sea pony swim'? Much less gardening and common topiary." Rarity's blue eyes danced with mirth.
"Do you know what I expected?" she asked. "I expected to spend the night stargazing, talking about art and being toured around the Palace."
He breathed in the brisk night air, suppressing a laugh.
"We do sponsor half the artists in the country, and Auntie needs a place to store it all." Blueblood looked up and raised a hoof to eye level. "And it is a nice, clear night."
His gaze drifted from the stars to his company for the night, and grew serious. "Miss Rarity. You should know that I was never the pony you imagined me to be. If you had met me on a bad day, I think you would have been... very disappointed. The truth is that I've enjoyed driving mares away. I've enjoyed rubbing their faces in what I'm not."
She didn't seem thrown or put off by the supposed revelation.
Instead, Rarity watched him carefully and asked, "And why didn't you? You seem to know every pony at the Gala. You knew who I was. Why am I any different? Is it because I'm one of Twilight's friends?" Her face darkened just a little, like passing under the shadow of a cloud. "Is it because I happen to be one of the Elements of Harmony?"
Blueblood's demeanor changed, becoming pensive.
"Thinking back..." And the way he said it, it was as if it was years ago and not hours. "I think it was because you were the most beautiful mare in the Gala... and because I knew you were interested in me. It had nothing to do with Harmony. Or fame. Or honor."
He gave a ragged sigh, his words and memories distasteful. "When I was little, and other ponies used to use blocks to make castles and towers, I was the one who picked the nicest one... and kicked it. That was so long ago... but I still feel that part of me, in here." He tapped his chest, and frowned. "I think that's what Auntie meant before. That's what she meant."
The silence between them stretched on, until Rarity touched her hoof over his.
"I don't believe you're that kind of pony anymore." She said it honestly, candidly. "And since you don't seem to be the Prince your press paints you to be, I think it proper I find out the real you."
"Then let me show you something."
Even as the night deepened, he took her into the Garden labyrinth. Few could navigate it on hoof more quickly than he, though he normally refrained from following the course he knew by heart to the center. In all his loops, he had returned here only once before. Easily navigating the many twists and turns and false-leads, retracing the route he had first discovered on the day he got his cutie mark, he led her to the small, secluded center of the maze.
It was the Blueblood Family monument: a clean, pyramidal obelisk.
On it, the names of fifty three Bluebloods were engraved, from the first, to his name, to the name of his son or daughter. All were Blueblood. Those yet born would be Blueblood. Celestia and Luna would live forever. Blueblood, too, would live forever... in name if not in fact. Carved alongside all the heirs and progenitors of the line were their partners, long gone. Branches trimmed tight on the Blueblood tree.
"The day I got my cutie mark, I found my name on this stone. Right here." He reared up to press the tip of his hoof to a name half-way down the monument. "Each side holds ninety names. This monument is meant to honor three hundred and sixty generations of Bluebloods. I got my cutie mark when I discovered my place in the world. Right here." He tapped his name in the stone. "Right here."
"I used to think this was me." He dropped back down to all fours. "And I don't think I ever told anypony that before."
"But you shared it with me." Rarity, the Element of Generosity, pulled him away from the monument. "Why? I know it isn't just because you see me as a tower of blocks to knock over," she gently ribbed him. "Tell me. Please?"
"Because... because I had fun tonight," he admitted, facing her and not the future or the past. "Here with you, I'm not thinking about tomorrow." His smile became tinged with melancholy. "That probably sounds so mundane, but it means everything to me right now."
"I think I understand," she said, leaning close to him for warmth. "Tonight was the most wonderful night of my life. Tomorrow can take care of itself."
Overhead, fireworks exploded, filling the night sky with a sudden brief bloom of red and orange while a distant orchestra played Entry of the Princess into Light. Rarity turned her chin up, and Blueblood dipped down, stealing a quick, chaste touch of her lips. The pair stood for a short time, until a cool breeze blew in from under the moon. In the night sky, a trio of pegasi swirled, a rainbow streak against the horizon flanked by jets of light and fire.
"Miss Rarity. I'll teleport us inside if you say 'please.'"
"Honestly, Prince Blueblood. Making a lady beg is most unc –"
Pop!
- - -
"You'll be seeing Rain Booms!
Ooo-ooo-oooh!
Equestria Girls, we're kinda magical!
Boots on hooves, bikinis on top!"
Blueblood found himself on his back, eyes bleary but open, staring up at the delicately tiled ceiling. The same: the same ceiling as always. Slowly closing his eyes, he sighed, a single, long lamentable breath that sapped the energy from his body. He began to reach out to turn off the damnable contraption.
"Furry coats so cute!
We'll blow your mi-ind!"
"Ugh, really, darling? You listen to this music, too?"
A soft white front leg swung across his chest, fumbling for a second before turning the radio off. It then retracted, bumping into his cheek along the way, as a body moved to his right, pulling away a corner of the blanket. A voice muttered something about 'a good customer, but an overrated musician.'
Turning slowly, Blueblood sniffed as a violet mane filled his vision.
Shooting upright, he gazed long and hard at the mare lying next to him, still in her Gala dress. Tentatively, he reached out and poked her side. She felt real. Genuinely, really-real. Still not entirely convinced he hadn't just gone mad – madder anyway – he sat still and watched her for a while. Rarity stirred, having already been sufficiently disturbed by the radio, and rolled onto her other side. Blue eyes fluttered open and gazed up at him.
"What?" she asked, catching him staring, and smiled.
"You're here," he whispered, wonderingly. "You're still here?"
She blinked again, starting to frown –
He quickly ducked down and kissed her, first on the lips and then just below the horn.
"You're still here," he said again, marveling at that fact.
Before she could reply, looking somewhere between confused and pleased, he kissed her again. What had been with the hesitation of a pony expecting a mirage to disappear the moment it came in reach now turned into the relieved intoxication of a drowning pony finally on the verge of rescue. Rarity cooed and then chirped as he nipped her ear.
"Prince Blueblood! Really!"
He sighed into her hair, and kissed her on the nose. "Miss Rarity... yesterday was the longest day of my life. You'll forgive me for feeling a little frisky."
Not quite understanding, she watched him with wide eyes.
Never once had he seen her in the morning before. She was breathtaking.
- - -
At the royal table, the Princess Luna sipped from her glass of dinner wine. The night had been quite tiring, for once, and she was looking forward to a good long nap while her sister managed the day. She wondered how some ponies, and some creatures like Miss Sparkle's dragon assistant, could manage to have so much energy, cavorting around the castle at all hours.
So many ponies had stayed up, even after the end of the Gala; some just milling about, others having fun. Even as exhausted as she was, and a little flushed at the attention she had garnered, the Princess couldn't help but look forward to next year. Perhaps she could have some late night fun before then, too. The winter solstice was the longest night of the year, and then there was this 'Nightmare Night' she had heard of...
Sitting close by, Luna's older sister nibbled on a plate of yucca fruits.
Seeing them reminded her –
"Where do you suppose Blueblood's gotten to?" she wondered, having neither seen nor heard him this morning. Luna gave her sister a look. "And what's with that grin?"
Celestia studiously sipped from her cup of tea.
- - -
"It's been some time..."
Light Touch glanced up at the clock. It was almost eleven. Almost noon! Listening to the radio, once again playing Equestria Girls, her quiet partner Sandy didn't look up from where she lay on a sitting pillow.
"The Prince is usually awake by now," the older mare muttered, a bit worried. "I don't understand, isn't he going to call for us?"
Sandy shook her head; the timid filly had only one thing to say:
"Not today."
- - -
end
- - -
A/N
For the curious:
I imagined the piece Celestia and Blueblood danced to, to be akin to "Schubert's 'Fantasie' in C major, aka the 'Wanderer Fantasy' for Piano & Orchestra."
Which then became a slower piece like "Concierto de Aranjuez" when Rarity and Blueblood danced.
I think I've let my personal love of classic music seep into this fic a bit too much.
Of course we mustn’t forget another classic:
"Twist it, Shake it" (Shake Your Tail Feather)
Ray Charles (1930-2004) (RIP)
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Just out of curiosity.. Was this on Equestria Daily?
I remember reading this a few months ago....
Otherwise, awesome story!
I think he's a vampire. His name is Blueblood, he acts all better than everyone else, at the Gala he couldn't eat or cross water, and all the mares think he's extraordinarily good looking.
Luckily Rarity has a built-in stake.
Ah, you've finally put it up here! One of the greatest things I've ever read. Kept me absolutely riveted the whole way through.
This is one of my favourite fics. It's one of the few that I recommend. Thank you!!!
Probably the Funniest Pony Fic i have ever read. Great to see it on here. It is a travesty this does not have a TVTropes page (hint, hint)
384897
You do know that "Blueblood" implies pure royal heritage, right?
385028
This is why I don't write humor. Nobody thinks my jokes are funny.
385031
That was rather hard to identify as humor. Most Internet humor is. Sorry about that.
Aha, I was hoping you'd bring this here!
Excellent story, really tugged at the ol' heartstrings. Will you be bringing the sequel story here, too? I just started reading it on FFnet but this site is easier on the eyes.
385106
I spent quite some time last night trying to fix the mismatched indent issue. No matter what and how I imprted the file from googledocs, it came out with that problem. I considered searching out a 3rd party html/doc -> GG-code converter, but ultimately just chalked it up to wonky formatting. I am curious if other authors have this problem, too. And really, tsk-tsk-tsk, still finding the occasional error? After being combed over by so many people, and have made so many little corrections over the months, there's still mistakes? This may be because I had to upload new chapters rather than the ones on googledocs which have seen the most direct revision (I couldn't import the originals for some reason).
>> to most everyone in general
Yes, I've only recently set up this FIMfiction account and all. I haven't even linked it to my EQD story pages yet. Quite a few people have contacted me in the past expressing a preference for FIMfiction over FFN or even googledocs. I finally decided to do something about it and join up.
385165
On indentation:
It's likely to do with the way FIMfiction justifies text and the way you've used tabs to indent. The best way to fix it would be to (in the GDoc) remove all of the tabs with a find and replace and then select all the text and use the ruler to indent the text in the proper way (just drag the little rectangle on the left-hand side of the ruler as far as you want your indents to go).
FIMfic is pretty much the best site for fics right now. I've always hated Fanfiction.net, and have recently switched my preference to this site from Google Docs because of its HTML/EPUB download features. Knighty's done a great job.
that was a very nice story. i'm glad that it turn out all right in the end and rarity got her man.
maybe for now on that prince will be nice to her ^^
Welcome, my friend. Thank you for posting the best story ever here!
Very glad to see this here. Simply put, this is an excellently written story. It stays true to Groundhog Day, yet it doesn't feel at all like a cut-and-paste crossover. It's been several months since I originally read this, but I think I'll find the time to do it again. Anyway, kudos to you for writing this, it's one of my favorite stories out there.
385106
Perhaps my favorite thing about this story is that the narration doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the hardest things to do as a writer is to remember to have fun - this story, better than ANY other MLP fanfiction, walks the line between telling an amazing story and having an absolute blast at poking fun at itself, the genre, the quirks of the tv show, and the fandom. I sincerely believe that this story is in a class by itself - no other pony fic has ever made me smile, laugh, empathize, roll my eyes, and eventually feel good about life like The Best Night Ever. It's not even that the author used one of the great American film classics as a template - he both translated "Groundhog's Day" and transcended it in writing this. That's why this is the Best Fic Ever!
Wait - have I read this story before?
I was just reading it last night...
Oh No! I must be caught in some sort of weird time warp!
~~~~
I *adore* this story. I'm so happy that I can get it in an Epub format for my phone, now....
Huzzah! The fun has been repeated!
Wait - have I read this story before?
I was just reading it last night...
Oh No! I must be caught in some sort of weird time warp!
~~~~
I *adore* this story. I'm so happy that I can get it in an Epub format for my phone, now....
Huzzah! The fun has been repeated!
~~~~~
Edit: LOL!!! - the accidental double post was totally unintentional, but I have just GOT to let it stand in honor of the subject matter...
I followed this on EQD and loved it. Please tell me you'll be uploading the sequel.
Hm... I swear to god I've read about this fic on Tvtropes. Maybe it was just the fanfic recommendations section...
Glad to finally see this here; it was a blast to read on EQD. And yeah, formatting between gdocs and FiM's import can get wonky. It's a result of gdocs invisibly switching between tabs (\t) and multiple space indents as it tries to match your style. To get around this, I do basically what Ezn suggested.
It's a lot of work, and YMMV since it depends on how polished you want things to look here. I know a lot of authors don't really bother reformatting their older stuff once they import it here.
Well I must say it is about time you posted this here.
I reviewed this on Fanfiction and am currently following the sequel. Reviewed it not too long ago in fact (Which you replied to. Lovely, that)
This fic remains as my favorite MLP fanfic I'd wager, and it made me a solid Blueblood fan. Fantastic stuff. Still looking forward to the next installment of Platinum Crown, but I do suppose it is time I re-read this masterpiece as well.
Keep it up man. Keep it up.
I have little to say except bravo, Cap'n.
You have successfully redeemed Blueblood, a feat not many can say they did, or did it so well.
That's funny, I was looking at this story's EqD page just last night. I read this in one sitting months ago, but after noticing it had a sequel, I was wishing they were both on this site. That was about 10 1/2 hours ago, just before I went to sleep, and this looks like it went up around 10 hours ago, so I somehow managed to only just barely miss it appearing here right as I was thinking about it. An EqD daily search for the tag "Author: Capn Chryssalid" was even still on my list of recently closed tabs.
I assume you'll be putting the sequel here too? Though I'll probably give this one another skim before starting that one.
Glad to see this here, it is just about my favorite FiM fic ever.
ZOMG YOU'RE ON FIMFIC NOW HAI!!!
... Yeah. One of the best fics I've read. That's all I've got to say about that...
~ Magical Trevor, Minstrel of Equestria
Now I finally have an excuse to reread this. Gosh I love this story.
So it's like Groundhog Day? I'm totally going to read this
385165 It's really simple! You just click the decrease indent button a couple times, then hit the increase indent button! Unless they've changed it recently.
It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
I did not think I would enjoy this as much as I did.
Seldom have I been so glad to have been wrong.
Characterization was awesome, it was enjoyable the whole way.
I read all of this in one go and I must say, it was one of the most heartwarming ways I've seen Blueblood portrayed. I laughed in the first two chapters, but after that it ventured further into Blueblood's issue, and what he could possibly do.
I watched Groundhog's Day long before this, and I hated it. With this, though, I might just have to go back and watch it again.
Awesome stuff, dude. *Brohoof*
Brilliantly well done. I would've picked one of the Mane Six for a Groundhog's Day themed fic, but Blueblood was better. Thank you for taking a one-note character and doing something with him. I am deeply impressed.
Eh, don't worry about the tvtropes page. I read this before on fanfiction . net because it was recommended by tvtropes itself. Just go to the friendship is magic page, click on fanfic, you should be able to see it there.
I remember reading this on EqD. It was as brilliant then as it is now. I really do have to congratulate you - it takes a special kind of story to make me bother re-reading it. But seeing this... I simply couldn't help myself. Bravo.
I've loved this story since I first read it. I printed out a copy, and it's in my ridiculously large binder next to Eternal and Silent Ponyville :D
Oh, and your taste in classical music is impeccable, and gives it just the right touch :D
Confused; suicidal; insane; happy.
i think all the best stories go like that.
fine job, my good sir.
Groundhog day + My little pony?
media.comicvine.com/uploads/5/52044/2060390-i_like_it.jpg
But I must say I've already read it on FanFiction.net but still I will add it to my favorites list on here if i ever want to read it again....
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*reads it again*
This is amazing. Need I say more?
Read it elsewhere, loved it anyways.
Read this back in the day. Really excellent! Happy to see it on here!
You should have done
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It's also great in that it has a "characters first" priority ans well a evoking emotion without it being forced or cheap tactics. Just good storytelling all around.
Intriguing. Just as I finally get around to reading This Platinum Crown, the original finally shows up on FiMfiction. Now I can have The Best Night Ever (and World of Ponycraft) in EPUB format on my phone... well, better EPUB format, at least; I like how FiMfiction makes EPUBs better than how FLAG does it for FF.net.
(You are planning on posting This Platinum Crown here, right, Cap'n? I'm reading Chapter Seven right now and I want to leave individual chapter comments on how brilliant, well, everything is.
)
And a perfect ending. Fantastic. From one author to another... very nice job.
I'm not sure if I ever said it on EQD, but I will say it here:
This fanfic is Fantastic.
Some of your editing has obviously vanished with the transfer here, as I could find some errors as I read through it, but even though this is my second read-through I was too engrossed to stop and jot them down. You managed to capture both the comedy and pure emotion of the film it's inspired on, and it's a marvellous read.
The scene with Blueblood "proposing" to Sapphire Shores, and every other time he outright shocks Celestia by doing something outlandish, were often incredibly amusing. His descent into madness, however brief, was chilling, and the eventual conclusion as he do come to understand that he (impossibly enough) falls in love with Rarity is beautiful. The scene where he woke up after she was Gone was wonderful, intense, and his feeling of despair was almost palpable.
I'm never going to be reading your WoW crossover fanfic, but this story really makes me hope that you'll delve further into the ponyverse with more stories. I want to see the other characters explored as well, be they side characters or from the mane six, I have full confidence that you'll do a great job.
I don't usually spend this much time waxing on about how Awesome something is. Usually, I only write this much when I have something to actually criticise, and after five or six million read words about pastel ponies, lord knows I can complain a lot.
But for this one story, you'll receive all my praise. It's most certainly one of the best MLP fanfics I've read, hanging just below Fallout:EQ, together with another small number of fics that thoroughly deserve their six star ratings.
Oh and Twilight being jealous over Blueblood dancing with Celestia was a cute touch, haha.
That's about it. I'm done. I'll end with saying Thank You. This fanfic is incredible.
What's with that description? Are you asking for someone to make a TVtropes page for your fanfiction?
Entrancing, from start to finish. I never felt bored or felt like I was waiting for the "best part". The whole thing was the best part! While there are plenty of redemption fics out there, especially about Trixie and Blueblood, it does take a true talent to make something this interesting. Yes, a good deal of it is owed to the concept which comes from the movie, but you held the spirit of the thing together quite well.
I do like that he didn't turn for the better for a long time. Even in the loops where he was talking with Sweetie Belle. "Is your mother at home?" or whatever the line was, was a perfect touch, haha. I did worry about him turning all perfect and boring too quickly, but you certainly kept up the mischief and charm,which kept everything interesting.
You did raise some very interesting points, studying the fact that perfection isn't always the "best" way to go, and that the chaos of not knowing is a gift in itself sometimes. I felt very moved by Blueblood's talks with both Luna and Celestia, quite honestly those might have been my favorite parts. Celestia is very sympathetic to Blueblood, even though she herself doesn't feel the loops that he's experiencing. Luna, while more guarded, was also interesting to watch when he learned exactly what to say to get her to open up. While doing things "just right" made him look suspicious, it was fun to watch.
Also, I can understand the weight with having "eternity" to do things, as well. Blueblood must've been so very, very lonely stuck like that. The way it was written, mentioning hundreds of loops like that I'd like to guestimate that the loops lasted for... what, about 3 years? He mentions a "thousand or so" at one point, so that's about 3 years, plus whatever came after that. What an eternity that must've felt like. I would've given up hope way before that. Either way. Masterfully done, this is going in my favorites. (And favorites MEAN something, with the new site update! Woo!)
Cheers!
384852
It was either on Equestria Daily or Deviantart.
384852
yes it was and it was awesome then too
ok i gotta know is this the story that came before the platinum crown fanfic that has rarity fighting a phycotic baroness for title and ownership of blueblood?