Seedling
The sound of the beating water was all the snow white stallion could hear. Prince Blueblood's body shivered despite the feeling of warm water running down his neck and over his legs. He pressed his hoof against the wall of the shower when he began to feel a tad queasy. The soap flowing down from his mane and over the back of his neck smelled strongly of roses to him. The liquid dulled from eye-catching red to pink, sliding down the drain. It reminded him of his own stomach, spinning and twisting around.
The stallion narrowed his cyan eyes. His fur which has one been dull and dirty was now pure white like snow when he scrubbed. He had managed to lose track of just how long he had been standing here by himself. If his mind ever came back to reality his stomach would twist and he would begin to feel ill. He decided that while it did make him calm, keeping his mind so unfocused would help nopony.
Prince Blueblood sighed loudly under the screaming stream of water. He reached for a golden handle encrusted with a royal blue gemstone. He turned the handle with a swift snap of his hoof and felt the water grind to a halt. His own breath along with the drip of the faucet above were the only two sounds that filled his ears for quite some time.
“My prince,” A high pitched voice came from the other side of the large bathroom. It managed to make the young prince jump. Blueblood bit into his cheek when he realized he had forgotten for just a moment that he wasn't alone. He looked over to the wall near the doorway and spotted a brown stallion. The stallion's body was wrapped a green sweater vest and coat. There was a rose peaking out from the collar which he quickly adjusted before hopping to his hooves with a stretch of the legs. His eyes met the prince’s before Blueblood turned away. “You've been in there for nearly an hour. We're to be late if you dally any longer. You're probably all wrinkled now, right?"
“Thank you, Sunny,” Blueblood’s realized his words sounded much duller than he intended. He put a hoof to his lips and bit down on the end. He stared off briefly at the door and felt the gears in his head turn. “For not disturbing me, that is."
Blueblood wiped his soggy mane with his hoof and felt his body drip with the water body. Sunny levitated a towel over to him with the use of his magic. Blueblood took it carefully from the air and quickly began drying his body. He dried off just enough so that he wouldn't leave small puddles behind him while he walked, but he was still wet when he trotted up to Sunny.
“Rare for you to thank me for something so small.” Sunny grinned mischievously when he ran his hoof through his blonde mane. “I know you'll only get in a huff if I rush you. You look stressed and worried enough as it is."
"I don't look stressed and worried," Blueblood stated when he glared his eyes at Sunny. From the look of his servant he must not have sounded as convincing as he thought he did. He trotted past Sunny and stared down at the purple floors that looked so polished they gave off a shine. He entered his large bedroom and looked over to the large windows that seemed almost larger than life. The height of them was similar to the ceiling of his room. There was a time when he was younger that Prince Blueblood thought the ancient royal ponies must have been giants, for everything in his room and the castle was standing at a grand size. The ceiling was the only dull color in the room, for it was pure white like his fur.
The older unicorn followed him silently and simply shrugged his shoulders before Blueblood stepped into his large bedroom. The prince ran the towel over his mane with a single hoof and trotted up to the window. He could feel a gentle breeze from the balcony hit his damp body and his body involuntarily shivered. He grabbed one of the curtains that danced in the breeze and pushed it aside to stare out to the entrance of the castle. There were already mares and stallions entering the castle and chatting excitedly. They were loud. The mob of voices were already audible as they drew ever closer to the castle.
Prince Blueblood pulled the towel over his head when he saw the massive number of ponies pouring into the castle. Celestia, he could already hear the noise in his ears echoing around his once spacious home. Even his own empty room felt like the walls were closing in on him the louder the echos became. His own breath got caught in his throat and he felt as though he was suffocating. He slammed his hoof down on the purple floors and turned away. His heartbeat was loud in his ears.
"Close the curtains, Sunny," Blueblood demanded with a cut of his hoof through the air. He saw the twilight sun that once streamed into his room hide beneath the shadows. When he glanced behind him he saw the last remnants of Sunny's magical glowing grasp on the curtains. The room was now only lit by the light bulbs from above. With the room darkened and echoes growing quieter it suddenly became much easier to breathe.
“S-Sunny?" Blueblood asked. He tightened the muscles in his legs when he realized he had stuttered. He removed the towel from his head by pushing it back to his shoulders. "Did you mention to Aunty Celestia what kind of music I requested?"
“I did indeed." When Blueblood looked to Sunny the stallion had a smile plastered onto his face. "I requested a wide variety of classical music. Though I must apologize. You weren't very specific in the artists you enjoyed so I didn't know who to request."
“Anything's fine,” Blueblood mumbled quietly. He let his cyan eyes glanced over his bed. The thing somehow seemed even bigger than a king size did. The blankets were shining lavender and the sheets a dark purple to match. He had perhaps half a dozen small pillows all arranged neatly at the top. Though his gaze merely skimmed over these minor details when he spotted a large blue bow tie atop a small button up vest and dress shirt. He ran his hoof over the soft cloth and silk bow-tie when he came up to his bed. “When did these things arrive?”
“Right then,” Sunny said with a nod to the clothing. He lifted Blueblood's clothing with his magic and hopped in front of Blueblood. When Blueblood examined the outfit more closely he could only frown. He couldn't quite put his hoof on why his chest felt cold at the sight of it, but it did. “One of the guards brought this for you! I had it special fitted for tonight. I'm sure you'll be the center of attention, in a good way I mean. It won't be like..." The stallion’s words drifted away. Sunny quickly swiped the thought away by wagging his hoof in front of his face. “Oh never mind that. Anyway, once we get you all dressed and ready you’ll have to go down and see Celestia and talk with her for a while. After that you can get some food and mingle for a bit with the gue-"
“Do I truly have to go tonight?” Blueblood interrupted his butler. He hadn't mean to blurt it out in the muddle of the other's sentence, but Sunny was talking so fast it was near impossible to get a word in otherwise. The Prince dug his hoof into the towel until it was wrinkled and ugly. He let his damp fur wet his bed covers when he sat down on top of it. Water dripped from his long mane to the floor below. He put the towel over his head once more and held it firmly over his ears. “What does a prince have to do with something like the Grand Galloping Gala anyway?”
“Appearance!” Sunny said as he flicked his hoof against Blueblood's horn. Blueblood flinched and rubbed at his horn. “We've been over this! You don’t have to speak to anypony as usual but I'm recommending you do. But just some appearance from the royal family is nice every once in a while. If you stay in your tower they'll just be nasty rumors about why you make any sort of public appearance!” He rolled his eyes at the prince. Blueblood could feel a blush come to his face when Sunny scolded him.
“Celestia likes part of the royal family to show up. It gives us in the castle a sense of family and other ponies look up to us as an example. At least that’s what she likes to say,” Sunny’s eyes drifted to the window where the curtains had been shut. Blueblood wondered how soon it would be until ponies flooded the halls with laughter and small talk that wouldn't be remembered the next day. “Plus it wouldn’t hurt you to be a little more sociable. You aren’t exactly like Princess Cadence, now are you?”
"Cadence is..." Blueblood pressed his hoof to his forehead to keep his head from spinning. He bit down onto his lip before he shook the thought away. Water dripped from his mane to his leg and soaked up into his snow white fur. “How long am I required to attend?”
Sunny frowned. “At least for a few hours,” His tone was quick to the point. “Then I can walk you up here hoof in hand like when you were young and it got past your bedtime if you desire, but for now you're on your own.”
"I..." Blueblood could feel his cheeks darken in color. He bit down on his tongue to keep Sunny from scolding him any further. He wanted to keep his eyes shut for a few more moments, but a piece of fabric was soon pressed up against his nose. When he opened his eyes Sunny was using his magic to hold out Blueblood's outfit.
“Come on! Get up,” Sunny said with an impatient gesture of his hoof. He pulled Blueblood off of his covers and quickly began drying off Blueblood's body with the towel in the areas where he was still damp. “Celestia wants you there before the party ends! Your father always said that being early was a good sign of a true royal family member.”
“Yeah… My father... he said that,” Blueblood glanced away from Sunny when he spoke. He could feel an uneasy sinking in his gut when the thought of his father crossed his mind. He ran his hoof over his mane and pulled at the end until it stung.
Sunny began putting the dress shirt over Blueblood's body. The fabric already starting to itch and feel rough on his skin when hooves smoothed it out and buttoned up the front. He felt his forehead begin to sweat when the butler's hooves shoved his fluffy chest under the buttons.
“You’re slouching again,” Sunny mumbled. Blueblood nodded in response before he fixed his posture. “It's a good habit to get into to stand up straight. It'll make ponies enjoy seeing you more if you can smile too. And do not try to get drunk. We don’t want that kind of happy representing the royal family. Who knows, maybe if you're lucky you'll find a nice pony.”
“I don't really...” Blueblood didn’t finish his sentence. He looked down at his hooves before he drug one around in small circles. “Please, I just want this night over with. I'm not looking to make friends tonight."
“Then at least smile. It’ll make your aunt happy.” Sunny said. He pat his hoof on Blueblood's cheek and pulled it back a bit in an attempt to get the prince to smile.
Blueblood tried to put on his best smile. It ached within seconds but he tried to keep it a bit longer. His ear twitched the longer Sunny's ramblings filled his ear.
“Look, if you walk around for a while and just try to look your best maybe you can go talk to Shining Armor for a while,” Sunny chuckled. He must have noticed how Blueblood's eyes had widened for a for a grin spread across his face. “Last time he was able to see you was before he traveled to the Crystal Empire. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on.”
“Sh-Shining will just be with the guards. I won’t be able to see him. I don’t know if you’ve heard but captains don’t have much time on their hooves to work with. Not even for princes," Blueblood sighed. He wished more than anything right now that his face would stop being so warm. For a moment he recalled Shining Armor's smile and his white fur which he never seemed to be able to keep clean. “He probably hasn’t missed me that much.” Blueblood’s brief warmth he felt at the mention of Shining flickered when that thought came out of his lips.
“A dozen or so letters seem to say otherwise," Sunny said. He snatched the blue bow-tie from off the bed and started to tie it around Blueblood's neck with haste. "You seem to forget Shining Armor is married to a princess now. He gets to take part in all the night’s activities just as you do. Though of course he has the princess by his side.” Sunny said as he paced back and forth slowly in front of Blueblood. “You are to address him as Prince Shining Armor now if you're in public."
"Shining's just going to call me Blue, like always," Blueblood started to argue when Sunny stepped away. He used his hoof to tug at the bow-tie now constricting his neck. "I honestly don't think I could call him that with a straight face."
"Being so formal is just about the one thing ponies in Canterlot seem to like about you over Shining Armor, I might remind you," Sunny narrowed his eyes at Blueblood. "Saving the lives of everybody in the kingdom tends to make you a bit popular and overshadow those around you."
“Shining's always been better at getting ponies to enjoy him than I've ever been,” Blueblood said with a frown on his lips.
“He has always been charming,” Sunny agreed with a nod. He used his magic to tug and straighten Blueblood's bow-tie when he spoke. “It’s no wonder Princess Cadence was drawn to him as she was. Though you look the part more than he ever will.” The butler's lips curled into a smile when he hopped away. He took in the full picture of Blueblood before clapped his hooves. "Excellent!" He cried. "We're just about ready."
“Honestly this whole party seems to always end badly,” Blueblood felt a chill run down his spine. Sunny had walked back and had begun to straighten Blueblood's damp mane with his hoof the best he could “I didn’t look anything like a prince when those pictures of me covered in frosting came out. It was so... disgusting,” He hissed under his breath, his skin crawling as if it were covered in the disgusting sugary ooze once more. “What if everything goes wrong again?”
“Just be perfect tonight and everything will go fine,” Sunny reassured with a pat on Blueblood's chest. Though the prince was looking down at Sunny he couldn't help but feel the smaller one of the two.
“Perfect...” Blueblood trailed off. He looked to the shut curtains and noticed that a breeze from the open balcony had managed to open them just a sliver until a ray of light was shining down between the two of them. “I look perfect right now, right? I mean, if I have to go I might as well not embarrass the family.” The prince’s gaze drifted to Sunny. His stomach was twisting around again. His legs were feeling more like jelly than muscle.
“Your father always said, royalty has to be…”
“Royalty has to be perfect,” Blueblood finished. There was a sigh at the end of his words that he hardly realized he was letting out. He felt tempted to tug at his hair once more. The echos were still there, and he knew very well that ponies from all around were in the castle... inside his home. “Royalty is only as powerful as it makes itself look… I know. I just want this night to be over."
The prince took in a deep breath. Sunny smiled at him and Blueblood attempted to give one back. It hurt.
"Just a few hours," Blueblood mumbled.
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“Dear, you truly shouldn’t worry so much.”
The clock struck midnight. Fancy Pants felt his lips twist into a frown at the sight of time. His bright blue eyes locked onto the ticking hand inside of his pocket watch that he had opened with a brief flick of his hoof. He supposed it didn't exactly matter what time it was. He knew from the moment he stepped out of the door that he was very, very late.
The white unicorn snapped the device shut and shoved it into his coat pocket. There was a sigh on his lips when his gaze turned away from the floor board of his carriage and towards Princess Celestia's massive castle. The lights were bright enough to overshadow even the stars in the sky. As he feared, ponies were in fact leaving the Grand Galloping Gala before he had even had the chance to arrive.
“Fancy Pants, being fashionably late is seen as stylish these days,” Fleur de Liss spoke. She was a thin white mare with a bright pink mane. She sat beside him in the carriage and rested a gentle hoof on his tense shoulder. She bore a dazzling red gown with golden highlights that shimmered when she shifted in her seat. “Besides, you are the most important pony in Canterlot. Nothing you could do wouldn’t be popular in a week’s time.”
"Perhaps you're right, Fleur." Fancy sighed with a shake of his head. "I'm overthinking this far too much."
Fancy Pants kicked open the carriage door and jumped out. The muscles in his legs protested against him, but he tried to ignore them. His hooves pressed to the smooth pathway before him that led to the drawbridge of Princess Celestia’s palace. It was only as he saw ponies on their way out by their flying pegasi flown carriages did his heart truly begin to sink. He glanced behind him at their carriage driver when he heard a yawn. The workhorse was covered in sweat.
“I think this is a tad more than “Fashionably late” Fleur,” The Fancy Pants' voice matched his flattened ears. “Honestly I’m usually so much more put together than this.” The stallion lifted a handkerchief with a pull of his cyan colored magic and dabbed it against his forehead. “All that work for nothing though,” His tone grew sickly. He glanced to Fleur's dress before he turned away from it. “Last season's trash is what it is.”
Fancy Pants heard a cough from behind him after he had rambled for a few moments. It had made him jump when he turned back to the mare. He saw her hoof was extended along with her head nodding towards the castle.
“Oh, right,” Fancy said with a blush on his cheeks when he extended his hoof out to the mare. Fleur took the hoof and hopped down from the carriage. He made sure to smooth out her dress as she planted her hooves on the pathway. “I forgot my manners, dear.”
“You seem stressed,” Fleur giggled. Her hoof stroked up against his cheek and held it firmly on his chin to examine his face. “Don’t you worry your handsome head about tonight. You’ll still have time to talk with your friends and pitch your sale lines about my dress to the commoners while I stand aside and look pretty. The dress looks fine.”
“You look fantastic no matter what. It's what I pay you for after all,” Fancy chuckled. He grabbed Fleur’s hoof in his own and brought it to his lips. “You look dazzling as usual. I’m sure we’ll sell out by weeks end. Even if it isn’t exactly my best work... Oh who am I kidding? The color’s too bright for this to even be decent. What in Equestria was I thinking?” He let out a huff. “I’m lucky you can make any piece of trash look acceptable,” His words ended when he dropped Fleur's hoof from his grasp and bit into his cheek. Fleur gave him a hard look that forced him to take a deep breath.
“I know,” The stallion looked down to his hooves. He forced himself to loosen the iron grip his teeth were holding on his cheek. “It’s not healthy to talk like that.”
“Not at all,” Fleur’s said to the stallion only to lean against him. Her hoof stroked down his coat jacket to begin straightening out his bow-tie. “Honestly you shouldn't be so frazzled, you love parties like this. Forget about the dress.”
“Right,” Fancy Pants nodded. He forced a smile on his face as he thought about at least being able to see his friends. “We can still have a good time.”
The stallion quickly reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small bag that jingled when he dumped out six golden bits into his hoof. He levitated them over to the carriage driver and gave him a tap on the ear with the money bag. “Go on and have some fun. Get yourself a drink or two, there’s a charming restaurant nearby. We’ll wait for you here.”
“O-Oh… uh… thanks sir!” The stallion jumped when the bits landed in his hoof. A a happy grin spread across his face that he soon tried to hide with his hoof. He swiped the bits from the air before unlatching the harness of the carriage and trotting off happily with little more than a glance back at the two. There was a spring in his step when he walked away.
Fancy put on his best face when he turned back to the path leading to the drawbridge. His smile faltered for a brief moment when he passed at least three ponies with exhausted expressions leaving the castle grounds. The scenery was at least nice. The grass looked freshly cut and the path didn't have a pebble out of place. It reminded him of something he would see in a catalog about homes. The quickly dimming sky give just enough light to see the flowers sway in the darkness as they approached the river. A variety of colors met Fancy Pants' eyes when they drew close. Fancy Pants was getting so distracted by the scenery that he had to be tapped on the shoulder by Fleur when he had nearly walked past the first set of royal guards. He quickly pulled out two bright golden tickets from his pocket.
"Hello there, sir! Here is my invitation," Fancy Pants said in a cheerful tone. The guard snatched the ticket from his hoof as his eyes scanned them carefully.
"You can go in, Mister Fancy Pants," The guard gave a quick bow as he backed away. The drawbridge was long and empty, but most importantly free to cross.
“We might as well greet the princess while we’re here,” Fancy told the mare beside him when his hooves pressed against the wooden bridge. “She always throws a lovely party. Don't you think? The royal wedding last year was just spectacular after that whole mess settled.”
“It is always nice to meet with friends, I agree,” Said Fleur in a quiet tone. Her eyes were focused on the garden around her when they entered the castle grounds. Critters scattered away and into their hiding places when they passed. Perhaps they were afraid of the noise the Gala was giving off. Many ponies were wandering about the area in groups. Ponies of all colors and shapes were wandering around. It was easy to spot the middle class who had gotten in only by connects or sheer luck, for they gazed at the gardens with wide eyes and happy grins.
Fancy Pants quickly left the garden behind him to approach the large doorway to the castle. The vast entrance to the castle opened up in a chamber that seemed larger than life when he walked in. Walls were covered in paintings of roses and political figures long past. The muscles around his lips kept aching quite so much when he smiled. The sounds of laughter and chatter gave his next breath a new sense of life when he glanced over to the mare at his side, who shared his excitement with a soft smile of her own.
“It truly is beautiful in here.” Fancy Pants sighed with a relaxed expression on his face. His eyes gazed at the purple marble floors to the maroon columns that held the next floor above their heads some thirty feet. When he looked up he saw the princess in all her glory waiting next to the entrance to the ball room talking to a white stallion with a bright blue mane. He followed the red carpet before him with a great grin on his face.
"It's just that I haven't seen Blue in so long," The stallion was talking to the princess in a tone that reminded Fancy Pants of a foal asking his mother to go play outside. It was only on closer inspection did the unicorn realize that he was looking at Prince Shining Armor. He was bouncing in place every few moments. The prince appeared a bit uncomfortable with standing in place so long. "He doesn't like going to parties like this where he doesn't know anypony. I just wanna check up on him and see how he's doing."
"You may go," Princess Celestia held a gentle smile on her face when she nodded to the new prince. "Don't dally. I still want you and Princess Cadence to discuss the matters of the Crystal Empire later tonight."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia," Said Shining Armor. The new prince gave an improper looking bow before he turned away. He nodded his head to the older unicorn before he trotted down the stairs at a speed just below a jog. Fancy Pants frowned for just a moment, but approached the princess nonetheless once Shining Armor had escaped out into the garden.
“Hello there Fancy Pants,” Princess Celestia said when she adverted her attention from the royal guard captain. Her face was soft with a smile when she extended her hoof to shake the stallion's own. Fancy Pants took it in his own and pressed it up against his lips. He cloud hear Celestia chuckle. “Delighted to have you with us tonight. Though you are fashionably late, I must say."
“Well my dear princess, I must say it was truly my fault.” Fancy Pants said with a glance to Fleur. He couldn't help but frown when he looked at her dress. “I couldn’t quite get the final finishing touches on the dress to my liking. Then I had to get myself ready and it was truly a big mess from there.”
“It looks beautiful,” Celestia said with a glance to Fleur. “Oh I love the gold. It truly pops out compared to all the dark colors around here.”
“Thank you very much… er, what was Prince Shining Armor on about just now?” The stallion questioned with a tilt of his head to the Princess before he looked at the doorway to the garden where the captain was last seen.
“Shining Armor and Princess Cadence came back from the Crystal Empire late last night, they were meant to talk to me tonight about it after the party cooled down a bit. Shining wanted to go see Prince Blueblood before we began, truth be told I don't think he's enjoyed greeting a hundred ponies tonight,” Celestia said with a giggle in her tone.
“I see,” Fancy Pants said before he gave another polite bow to the princess. “If I see either prince I’ll be glad to buy them a drink to make the night a tad more bearable.”
“Please do,” Celestia lifted her hoof and pointed to the doorway at the bottom of the stairs that led to the ballroom. “Well please do enjoy the party while you can.”
“Thank you, your grace.” Fancy nodded before trotting off. Fleur was quickly on his heels. The stallion could feel his chest rise when he stepped into the ballroom to take in the ponies around him. Many of the guests were in their own groups chatting loudly. Some were laughing as they sipped drinks, others talking quietly in corners, and a few that were quite possibly a little too far gone to be at the party. There was a soft sound of violin the the background when the two walked by the ponies playing music up on a small stage.
“Quite lovely I must say,” The stallion said, pressing a hoof to his chin as he admired his surroundings. The doorways had golden arches and the pathway was a bright red carpet leading up to the center of the room. The windows each had designs of their own on the colored stained glass. He looked down to the floor to see the checkerboard pattern under his hooves. He attempted to take a step further but a tug on the end of his tail caused his fur to stand up on it’s end and force a sound he wouldn't have made under any kind of normal circumstances out of his mouth. The unicorn stopped flat in his tracks as he looked around to see a giggling earth pony with a large white mane and purple sunglasses.
"Hoity Toity?" Fancy Pants raised his eyebrow at the swaying earth pony.
“Hey there Fancy boy, where on earth have you been all night?” The gray stallion spoke with excitement in his tone. He lowered his sunglasses to look at Fancy Pants more clearly. His pupils were clearly dilated. He wrapped his legs around Fancy Pants briefly and gave him a pat on the back. The drunken stallion soon moved over to Fluer and gave her a brief peck on the cheek. Fleur smiled politely despite the fact her nose wrinkled at the scent of alcohol on Hoity's breath.
“Hoity, honestly,” Fancy shook his head. "How do you function at bars without us? I do hope you hired a decent carriage driver.”
“The night is still young Fancy! Why don’t you grab a drink of your own?” Hoity Toity said with an excited tone of voice. He was swaying a bit when he snatched up a wine glass from a passing waiter carrying around a dish. "You're such a lightweight you can get on my level in five minutes if you try!"
“I believe I’ll pass for now,” Fancy rolled his eyes at Hoity Toity. “Though I encourage you to make a fool of yourself. I’m sure Photo Finish will have many photos of you hitting on all the pretty guards if I track her down.”
“Hush hush hush!” Hoity Toity snapped and waved a hoof in front of Fancy's face. Fleur giggled at the earth pony's burning red cheeks. “I don’t talk to stallions with that intention at parties like this, you idiot! It’s strictly business and time to spend with friends... But I may have had to entertain myself because you two are the only ones here who don't bore me to tears."
“Did you hit on the guards only, or was it the Wonderbolts this time?” The pink mare smiled at him. "Or both?"
“I said hush!” Hoity snapped. His cheeks started to glow from more than the alcohol in his system. “Honestly am I not allowed to drink just for the sake of drinking? You two shut your traps and come sit with me so I don't look nearly as lonely and pathetic as I have been all night. It's been two hours!"
“Yes yes I know,” Fancy laughed when Hoity Toity grabbed at his hoof and tugged him along. “We truly do want to talk to you, I just wanted the dress to look good for tonight.”
"Can we please not talk about sales tonight?" Hoity Toity groaned. Despite his words he did begin to inspect Fluer's dress. His eyes narrowed into a confused expression. "Is it just because I'm drunk... or is that dress the same one Fleur wore last year? Or was it two years ago?"
Fancy Pants could feel the muscles in his neck tighten when Hoity spoke. He kept a careful eye on Hoity Toity's reactions. He raked his hoof down his mane and felt his lips sink into a frown. He could feel the two staring at him before he cleared his throat with a cough. His mustache tickled his hoof when he brought it to his lips. He could feel himself begin to sweat as he struggled to think of an answer.
“I believe that the time I introduced this at the Gala there was… er…” He trailed off with a mild blush on his cheeks. “A little disaster you could say… I’m sure I don’t need to bring up the finer details. It didn’t get any coverage and seasons change before it caught on,” He glanced to Fleur’s shimmering red dress. It truly was eye-catching. “It’s nice to revisit our roots from time to time… yesterday’s fashion can be tomorrow’s success.”
Hoity Toity rolled his eyes. “So you've run out of steam for once, huh? You can fool the stupid ponies who follow you like a god, but not me."
“I… I uh... Hey, I think I'll take you up on that drink offer after all,” Fancy said with a smile that he felt was hard to keep for once. "Fleur, do you mind terribly just trying to get some of the ponies to look at you while I'm gone? If they ask about the dress just tell them all the little details."
"Of course," Fleur nodded her head and pat her hoof on Fancy Pants' cutie mark. "Go loosen up a bit. The party will be more fun when you do."
"Quit talking and drink with me!" Hoity Toity's voice was approaching the sound of a whine a small foal would give. He pointed to the direction of the bar in the back corner. Fancy Pants shrugged his shoulders at Fleur and was soon pulled away by the impatient earth pony.
"You're awfully pushy tonight," Fancy Pants mumbled. "Normally you at least attempt to look like you have class."
"You're awfully late tonight," Hoity snapped back with a glare at Fancy Pants. “You're lucky I'm still going to pay for your drinks. I won't even make fun of you for your feminine fruit punch drinks since you can't stand hard liquor, that's how good of a friend I am."
“Th-Thank you, Hoity.” Fancy said. He attempted to put the comments about the dress in the back of his mind. Maybe a drink would settle his thoughts after all.
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Blueblood could feel his smile ache the longer he was submerged in the crowd of ponies. He could spot eyes gazing in his direction from across the ballroom, many polite enough to bow briefly, though none interested enough for small talk. His smile faltered for a brief moment, a sigh escaping his lips. He let himself sink into that moment, the seconds seeming to tick off in his mind like the hands of a clock.
There were many faces that the prince knew in the crowd tonight, important ponies, ponies from fashion, entertainers, and the select few lucky enough to have their families riches fall upon them. He was thankful that few paid much mind to him, for his mind was constantly else where as he made his way around the ballroom for what must have been the second dozen time that month.
The prince walked boldly, chest puffed out as he lifted his chin. It was a peaceful Gala so far, very rarely did an event like this spiral out of control like it had two years prior. Many ponies were locked in heated discussions with their small groups, a few stay ponies running to grab drinks before heading back to the safety of their friends.
Faces of the ponies started to blur. Very few of the guests came out to shake his hoof, though their touch usually ruffled up the fur on his leg. He didn’t recall any names, faces, or half the time even genders they had gotten out so quickly. Seconds ticked by like hours, each one moving slower and slower than the last.
Blueblood pulled at his bow tie by the time a seventh pony had shaken his hoof. He locked his eyes on the rose garden outside the window that ran along the castle. After a brief few moments of debating, he decided to make his way in the direction of the doorway that led out to the harden. It only took a single step before he felt a rather rough tug on the end of his long blonde tail that made him jump. It was as if he was being pulled back into that crowd against his will, his cheeks flaring up in a red flush.
“Why you simpleton,” The stallion growled when he faced the direction that his tail was pulled from. “Do you have any idea how rude it is to grab a stallion's ta-” His words cut off when he bit down on his tongue. The white unicorn before him dressed in a red vest with golden highlights smiled at him. The pony’s blue mane looked messy, impossible that it had been brushed, yet Blueblood felt his heart give a single loud beat.
“Glad to know you missed me, Blue.” Shining Armor laughed at his friend. For just a moment Blueblood felt his smile grow genuine. He took a step forward before it shrank into a frown, his ear giving off a flick when he realized just how many ponies were looking at him after his little outburst.
“Prince Sh-Shining… I didn’t know you…” The prince wasn’t able to finish his stuttering words. “It’s good to see you.” He said as he reached out his hoof to Shining Armor, chuckling quietly. Shining looked at it briefly with a puzzled expression. He rolled his eyes as Blueblood suddenly felt himself be wrapped in the forelegs of his firend, his cheeks still pink as he felt Shining's breath on his face. He wondered if Shining could feel his heart pound.
“Luna, please don’t get formal with me.” Shining Armor groaned in Blueblood’s ear. “I feel like I have to greet my own wife with a hoofshake, don't you dare start on me too. How the hell have you acted like this your whole life? I'm not even allowed to eat food bad for me in public.”
Blueblood shrugged, his eyes distracted by the crowd's eyes beginning to stare at the two. “Shining can we…?”
“Sure sure sure,” Shining nodded as he let his hooves drop from Blueblood. He nodded in the direction of the garden, Blueblood following him closely as they walked through the crowd and out the door. They were close to the same height, yet Shining somehow still looked taller than him. "Sorry, I'm just so excited to see you again, Blue. I know you hate crowds like that. Celestia, last year must have been awful for you without me or Cadence here, I'm sorry. "
“You look… Handsome,” Blueblood said. He wasn't exactly sure why the words came up, but looking at Shining Armor made his belly twist, and it was the only thing to come to his mind. It wasn’t a lie at least, the suit truly seemed made for Shining Armor. Such a bright bold color compared to the grey and black that draped over the stallions and mares tonight. “Honestly most of the stallions here try for hours and don’t look anything decent.”
“The guys made fun of me in the break room when I stopped by,” Shining laughed as the two of them began to walk in the direction of the rose garden. “They said I looked like a real Prince,”
Shining Armor shook his head, though his eyes suddenly looked over to the prince. "Speaking of which, what's with that 'Prince Shining' thing? C'mon Blue, don't get weird on me. I feel bad enough that me and Cadence were too tired last night to go visit you."
"It just sort of slipped out," Blueblood shrugged his shoulders in response. He tried not to look at Shining Armor too much, his eyes locked onto the rose bushes. "I didn't know if you wanted to see me tonight or not, I mean it's a big party and you are expected to entertain a little as the new prince."
"Of course I wanted to see you, Blue," Shining said, his eyes boring into Blueblood's skin like needles. "I'd rather see one snooty stuck up rich pony I like than a dozen snooty stuck up rick ponies I don't know."
"Your words flatter me."
The two passed few who were admiring the garden, or at least what wasn’t fenced off for the guests to venture into. Not many seemed to want to bother with the two princes at the very least. Most of the ponies seemed to be admiring the garden more than anything.
“I say it’s true, you fit the part,” Blueblood chuckled as he reached out his hoof to Shining Armor's chest. He briefly fiddled with the crest on the front of Shining’s suit. “You wore this to the wedding… you couldn’t keep this straight then either. Cadence must have adjusted it a million times after things settled down."
“Geez, you really are my wife,” Shining laughed as he ruffled his own mane, a blush appearing on his face. “First time I’ve been grateful for the Gala though. I think Cadence is happy for an excuse to see Celestia and Luna again, she had to leave a lot behind to protect the Crystal Empire… I'm glad she looks so happy.”
"I'm sure Cadence is..." He trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence, so he bit down on his cheek. He glanced up but found only the leaves that rustled above him in the branches above. “I... haven't written in a while,” The prince sighed, his smile failing to reach his eyes. “I've been busy with a lot. A whole new set of guards to complain how spoiled I am.”
“That’s what the guards watching the spoiled prince expect,” Shining said. He scratched as his mane, Blueblood spotting how his smile faltered for a brief moment. The new prince stopped his walk near a set of rose bushes. Not many ponies were out this far from the gala, the sounds of small critters nearby that hissed and chirped at the commotion around the palace.
“Ponies love to give titles, don't they?” Blueblood sat down on the ground. He started to run both hooves over each other, folding and squeezing them together. He soon realized his tightened belly had begun to make his chest hurt. “You’d think they would let some names die after you grow older."
“Blue, I wrote a lot,” Shining spoke as he looked away from his friend and into the trees. The captain tried to pull the conversation right back to the previous one. “It’s been a lot of work helping these ponies get back on their hooves. I feel like me and Cadence are finally starting to make progress, they’re starting to respect us out of compassion and not fear, but I don't want you to think that that means I don't have time for you... but you never even wrote back once.” Shining was speaking in a quiet voice. The unicorn turned around and grabbed one of Blueblood's hooves.
“You seem to like your new role. You’re awfully good at it.” Blueblood tried his best to focus on something else in his words other than what was making his heart sink so drastically.
“Blue, c'mon, don't dodge the subject like that,” Shining groaned. "Cadence has been worried too."
The prince felt his heart sink the moment the touch of Shining Armor made it rise. The mention of Cadence made his ears droop briefly, unable to make eye contact with the other. That’s right, Cadence was in the picture right beside Shining. He could remember the three of them together. Cadence used to sneak Blueblood out of the castle and buy him the most horrible food that he craved. He couldn't recall a thing wrong that she had ever done to him intentionally… Why did her name always make his heart drop?
“Blue, really, I don't want you to feel like I'm... y'know trying to get up on your case here,” Shining seemed to finish whatever Blueblood zoned out of. “Look, me and Cadence are gonna be staying here for a while. The Princess wants to go over a lot of things political. I had to beg celestia to come out and find you tonight though. We should do something, just the three of us like we used too. I don't want you to explain why you won't write or... I just want want things to be normal again.”
“Shining, I never...” Blueblood was unable to look the captain in the eye. Shining Armor's hooves tightened around his own.
"Don't freak out, okay?" Shining tried to make his voice as calm as possible when he dropped his hooves back to the ground. "Let's just talk about this someplace later where it feels like I'm not interrogating you. I just want to start up what it was like before we left... Now's a really bad time to be dumping all of this, I have to go talk to Celestia really soon."
Shining Armor's eyes gazed over to the direction of the rose bush behind Blueblood. The new prince's horn glowed when he ripped one from the bush, snapping off the thorny stem and putting it over Blueblood's dress shirt.
"Do you still like roses?"
“Roses are pleasant,” Blueblood nodded his head. “You go ahead, I'll be fine here. We can... talk later, okay?"
Shining gave a brief mock salute with a bow. “Yes, Prince Blueblood, we'll talk later... And stop giving me that look, I said I'm not mad.”
"What look?" Blueblood glared at Shining.
"The look that you get when ponies get angry at you." Shining laughed, but his eyes felt honest to the prince. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Blue." He said, hopping up straight and onto his friend and giving him another hug, much briefer and looser than the last, though for some reason Blueblood still found it hard to breathe when Shining’s scent hit his nose. He tried to hug back, but his hooves struggled to find a place on the unicorn. Before he knew it, the moment had passed, and Shining was already off of him.
“See you later, Blue.” Shining said in a cheery voice before he trotted off.
"Shining wait, I..." Blueblood reached out his hoof. His voice was quiet, so quiet that Shining Armor seemed to not have heard him, for he kept trotting away.
"I missed you."
Blueblood began to feel a brief snag on his collar from behind followed by the sound of a tear when he leaned his body forward, a thorn from the rose bush digging into his back. The tear was sudden, nothing to prevent the damage he knew he has caused. His eyes shot down to the tear. He blinked, but it was still there.
“That’s just...” Blueblood mumbled, eyes staring at the fabric He could feel something inside him clench as he pressed his trembling hoof to the spot, a small droplet of blood staining his snow colored fur.
The prince sighed as he quickly took off his shirt, looking around to make sure nopony was watching, and held it in his hooves briefly. He examined the tear, it was about one inch long and very, very noticeable. His heart sunk further. He closed his eyes for a single moment, wishing more than anything Shining had stayed for a moment longer.
Blueblood took a deep breath, focusing the magic in his horn on the tear before him. He watched the threads begin to close together, slowly and surely beginning to shrink the tear before he felt a sudden throb in his head. His body gave an involuntary flinch, his eyes cracking open to the tear only increasing in side. He bit down hard on his cheek once more.
Prince Blueblood pressed his hoof to his horn, a frown appearing on his face. A gentle throb from his forehead made him flinch, but not before a nervous whimper escaped from his throat as he realized many cuts had appeared in the dress shirt.
"Not now!" He found himself whispering, panic seeping into his voice.
This certainly wasn’t very becoming of a young prince.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fancy Pants rested his head on his folded forelegs, which he propped up on the table. The unicorn was swishing around a glass before him using his magic. A whiny escaped from his lips when he glanced to Fancy Pants, his own head feeling a tad light. Hoity Toity's cheeks were pink, and he had to hold his glass in both hooves to keep it from spilling.
“You’ve been asking for something a little stronger than wine, haven't you?” Fancy Pants asked with a flick of his tail at the other’s side.
“Only a little, only a little!” Hoity said as he batted away Fancy's tail. The earth pony's eyes peered around the room for a bit. “Quite a lot of dresses that aren’t on the market tonight. My my my the Gala really has become a commercial for us fashion ponies hasn’t it?
“None of the models look as good as mine at least… Fleur really is incredible at her job, don’t you agree?’ Fancy questioned the drunken stallion. Hoity replied with a shrug before lifting his hoof to get the bartender's attention.
“Fleur is very pretty, thankfully her feminine ways are not prone to work on me,” Hoity said with a chuckle. The bartender snatched up his glass and began to refill it before his eyes. “I understand the game we play, I just don’t understand how those ponies fall for it every time.”
“Mares want to look beautiful like she does,” Fancy gave his back a brief stretch as he gazed into the crowd to spot Fleur, talking to a waitress with a glass of wine in her magical grasp. “Stallions want their mares to look just as beautiful. It’s a vicious cycle really but it's fashion.”
“Speaking of fashion,” Hoity leaned over to the other and whispered in his ear. His breath was hot and scented of alcohol. “I was right, you devil, that dress is near identical to the one you had last year.”
Fancy could feel the muscles in his legs tighten. Somehow he managed to keep his face calm and collected in the moment, pushing his hoof up against other’s face. “I think you maybe had a little too much to drink, you're talking nonsense.”
“No no I remember! Rose red truly stands out in a place like this,” Hoity said as he jabbed the end of his pointy hoof into the other’s dress shirt “The golden highlights are a nice touch though. Certainly something I wouldn't think of.”
“I’m telling you, Hoity, you are indeed drinking too much.” Fancy spoke with a hint of annoying jabbing itself into his words. He took a quick sip of his drink to distract from his friend's gaze. Hoity Toity lowering his sunglasses with his hoof to reveal his dark blue eyes to Fancy.
“I’ve noticed your production has been slowed down recently,” Hoity said as he reached over his hoof, placing it on top of the other’s. Fancy looked away and bit at his tongue to keep silent. The unicorn began to focus his ears on the gentle strum of a violin in the background. “Fancy Pants, you're one of the few stallions in this business who isn't a complete dunce, I want you to talk to me.”
Fancy Pants didn't answer, he instead reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch. It was getting late. He quickly shoved the watch back into his pocket and finished off his drink in a few sips. It tasted bitter going down his throat.
“I believe the alcohol is getting to my head at last,” Fancy stated firmly as he looked to Hoity Toity. “I’m going to go take a brief walk.”
“Suit yourself," Hoity answered with a shrug as he took a sip of his drink. Hoity began running his eyes around the room before pointing to a large royal guard in the corner. “I’m going to go talk to that big guy over there. Maybe he'll talk to me about feelings or some mushy stuff while I take off all his armor. He's been staring at stallions all night.'
“You… actually watched him do that?” Fancy questioned in mild disbelief. "Even as out of it as you are?"
“I always make time for the cute ones, darling,” Hoity said, hopping down from the stool and straightening his pose. The stallion waddled off, perhaps using a little too much concentration to walk like he wasn't drunker than half the ponies in the ball room.
Fancy Pants slapped a few bits on the table before he walked off and away from the bar. He made a line for the garden outside and opened the door with a quick push. The wind whipped up against his face and he began to button up his jacket. His hooves pressed down against the soft grass when he took his first breath of fresh air. He glanced to the purple star filled sky, Princess Luna’s moon shining brightly.
He tried to put Hoity Toity's comments in the back of his mind when he walked. The scent of flowers drifted to his nose when he moved along the rose bushes, the violin was sweet and calm, yet nothing kept his mind from falling right back into the middle of that awful conversation. He let out a groan that he would not have dared let out if the castle was livelier. He stamped his hoof into the ground.
It wasn’t long before Fancy Pants had gone a full five minutes without seeing another pony as he traveled along the side of the castle wall, the large glass windows stained in colors of pink and purple. It made it difficult to see the party life going on within the castle. The critters and birds making their songs in the night. He let himself zone out momentarily, to let the nighttime consume his mind.
Fancy turned a corner swiftly. In his mind he planned to loop around soon and head back to his little circle. Yet his hooves kicked up against something soft. His mind was ripped from his twisting thoughts only to struggle not to fall over on top of the pony he had indeed kicked. He only managed to avoid toppling over by hopping to the right, a sight that must have looked quite funny.
“Goodness gracious," He backed off quickly, nearly tripping over his own hooves as he nervously adjusted his monocle. “M-My apologies, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was…”
“For Luna’s sake!” The stallion on the ground snapped at him as he jumped to his hooves. His body was bare was the first thing that caught Fancy Pant’s eye, far too casual for a gathering quite like this. When he caught first glimpse of the other's face, he could feel his mind draw a blank.
“P-Prince Blueblood, forgive me my prince, I apologize for not watching where I was going.” Fancy tried his best to explain, his words spilling out quickly.
“Do I look like I care about what you were thinking of?” The prince snapped at him. Fancy felt himself flinch at the harsh words. He wanted to step away and turn tail, but he couldn't help but think that the last thing he needed right now was for the prince to go and say how some stallion kicked him. “Honestly just GO!” He ordered the other. “Do I need to get my aunt? Get out!”
“B-But Prince Blueblood, I just… forgive me.” Fancy lifted his head as he glanced to the piece of torn fabric in the other’s hoof. It looked like it was a dress shirt, or at least would have been if it wasn't for the dozen tears. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Blueblood quickly hid the cloth behind his back. The prince's eyes were slightly red, hooves trembling as they gripped onto the cloth.
“Did something happen to your outfit?”
While he wasn't sure if it was strange to take notice, Fancy Pants knew for certain it was strange to bring it up. Blueblood's eyes lifted up to his, and for a brief moment the prince's guard had dropped. But only for a moment.
“That is none of your concern.” Prince Blueblood snapped at him. The prince's body was trembling, still hiding the shirt.
Fancy frowned as he reached out his hoof hesitantly, grabbing the cloth slowly from behind Blueblood's back. He expected the prince to put up a bit more of a fight, however when he removed it the prince’s grip was weak. He watched the other sit down, a sniffle coming from his nose.
“Please just go away… leave me be.”
Fancy ignored the prince as his eyes scanned the shirt. How mistreated it looked indeed, far more than a simple tear. There were several cuts and slashes that looked as though it had been ripped apart with a knife. Blueblood was still looking away from him, seemingly determined to keep his mouth shut and wait out the moment.
“I could look at it. If you want, that is,” Fancy said softly to the other. The prince didn’t answer, but he didn’t seem to put up much resistance either as Fancy Pants sunk to the ground and examined the dress shirt. "I'll take that as an okay."
“It’s a simple mending spell," Blueblood's silence finally broke. Fancy Pants looked up when the prince said. He watched Blueblood grip both of his arms as he hugged his own body. “Mending spells are easy, all you do is imagine all the little threads realigning back together… it should be easy,” Blueblood grumbled under his breath to himself, the muscles in his hoof pinching his arm. “B-But It… it kept tearing when I tried and then it just kept getting worse and worse…”
“It isn’t... too hard to accidentally do the opposite, I suppose,” Fancy lied. He decided it best to avoid pushing Blueblood. He turned the cloth over in his hooves for a few moments. "What pray tell is Celestia's great nephew doing outside panicking over a small wardrobe malfunction?"
Blueblood didn't answer him, but he did finally release himself when he looked off at the rose bushes. The silence of the night was broken only by the party in the distance. "Everypony will talk if they see me look so ragged... it was awful enough when that fiend covered me in cake and frosting and it ended up on the front cover... disgusting... I don't want another repeat of that."
"I think there's a small difference between covered in frosting and not wearing an outfit." Fancy chuckled as he threw the other a smile.
Blueblood didn't respond to that, and instead changed the topic. "Shining would laugh at me like you did... he laughed when I showed him the picture of me in frosting." The other started speaking to himself. Fancy Pants glanced to him but didn’t comment. “You’re Fancy Pants.” Blueblood mumbled quietly. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Fancy nodded his head in response anyway. “You own… the largest fashion cooperation in Equestria… I trust you wouldn’t want to let that you saw me like this get out…”
"What would I gain from teasing a young prince publicly?" Fancy frowned. Blueblood's eyes seemed hard at first, but they soon broke back into that saddened state he was in before. He nodded and put on a small smile, deciding to change the subject. "I'm not surprised you recognized me... I suppose it's likewise for you. Honestly it’s a big corporation, I’m horrible at managing and finance and things like that, I mostly just create dresses.”
"Mmm." Blueblood was frowning, his eyes still locked onto the dress shirt.
“This Gala must be important to you,” Fancy said as he rolled the clothing around in his hooves. “I don’t normally see stallions tear their clothing to shreds over it. Hair maybe, but not clothing."
“It’s…” Blueblood’s words stopped short to take in a deep breath, beginning to fold his hooves together. “I’m supposed to be perfect tonight… It's one of the few nights of the year where I even have to do anything and I just screwed it up like two years ago,” The prince grumbled under his breath. “Honestly I look like common trash. Sunny spent all that time on me just for me to tear everything up and… what am I to do? I look like a ruffian, or a homeless bum, I'm not sure which is worse. I spent all day being groomed for this and I... I just..."
“Shh, dear it’s quite okay. You're the most handsome ruffian I've ever met, if it's any consolation,” The older laughed as he pressed his hoof briefly to Blueblood’s lips to quiet him. The other shrugged off the touch, pressing his own hoof to his lips. Fancy noticed the gentle blush coming to Blueblood's snowy cheeks. "I don't think you look like either of those things, Prince Blueblood, honest." Fancy Pants' words were soft. Perhaps it was the reason Blueblood's guard had lowered for a brief moment to stare back at him. "In fact you look lovely, albeit a little rough sitting here on the ground."
It was unexpected, but the other gave him a smile after that. It seemed weak, almost pained, but it wasn't by any means forced. Fancy returned the gesture before turning his attention to the fabric. He tried his best to clear his head, which was beginning to feel light, and focus on closing each of the little holes. However the sides began connecting to the wrong ends, the shirt looking like a sewing machine nightmare after but a few seconds.
"Oh my, that does pose a problem. I have quite a skilled horn in cloth weaving most of the time," Fancy let a whinny past his lips as he pulled at the cloth. "I apologize, Prince Blueblood, I fear I've had one or two more drinks than needed tonight.'
“It’s not your fault.” Blueblood stated, his words quick to Fancy Pants' defense. "I know you're talented, I've seen plenty of your work."
"i... Thank you." Fancy didn't expect the other to hand out such kind words.
“I can’t get to my room without walking through there. What kind of prince just strolls naked through a ballroom during such a big event? Honestly the headlines… first the cake incident now this,” His ramblings seemed to be much less focused on talking to Fancy Pants and more speaking his feelings aloud at this point. “Half that room is going to laugh at me... Shining too."
“You must think highly of Shining Armor. That’s the second time you mentioned him.” Fancy Pants commented only to watch Blueblood glance away.
"I didn't realize..." Blueblood looked away.
“I'm sorry, Prince Blueblood," Fancy shook his head. "Too much small talk from a drunken old man, I know."
"At least you're kind," Blueblood somehow managed to chuckle this time. "I've been taught to entertain guests my whole life, be it with knowledge or small talk. I guess a few tears and some pointless cloth can really make you forget your manners."
"We've all been there," Fancy Pants grinned. "I once flirted with my boss quite a few years back when I got drunk. The only problem was he flirted was married and I didn't find that out until much later that evening when she confronted me."
"I didn't think you would get drunk at a party so easily," Blueblood wiped at his eyes with his leg. Though his eyes were red, a small tick of life was present. "You seem too important to let yourself go like that."
"I'm actually quite a lightweight." Fancy Pants pulled at the cloth with both hooves. "I've only had a few drinks tonight and I'm a little tipsy right now. Now that I've cleared my head a bit, it might now have been such a good idea to let my friend go flirt with guards at such a big party like this."
"I wish you weren't so tipsy," Blueblood sniffled once more, his lips forming a frown when his eyes caught the cloth.
“I must say my mending abilities haven’t been itself lately.” Fancy Pants ran his hoof through his mane as he looked up to the sky. The moon sure did give the castle some much needed light on a night like tonight. The unicorn looked to the prince, his head drooped as he seemed to hug himself with one hoof wrapped around his body.
“Honestly I'm at quite a loss right now,” The young prince sighed in a tone that sounded similar to if he were ordering one of his guards around. “You weren't very useful, if I'm being blunt.”
“Tell you what,” Fancy got to his hooves when he spoke. He reached out his hoof to Blueblood. “Here, stand up. You can go to the party in just a moment.”
“E-Excuse me?’ Blueblood questioned the other, his hoof hitting against the ground. “I'm not going anywhere where all those ponies can mock me.”
“Just trust me, Prince Blueblood.” Fancy asked Blueblood with a firm look into his eyes. “Please, your highness."
Blueblood was hesitant at first, but eventually he managed to reach out his hoof and let Fancy pull him up. Fancy Pants turned away, pulling his long coat off with a bit of help from his magic before he went straight to unbuttoning his dress shirt.
“W-What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” Blueblood questioned.
“Calm down," Fancy rolled his eyes. "You look about my size? I think I’m a little chubbier than you, comes with age I guess… And a lot of cake.” Fancy Pants chuckled as he motioned the other to turn around. With a brief moment of hesitation Blueblood complied, fancy draping the vest over his back and helping him in one off at a time. It looked a tad baggy on the prince. In fact he put the overcoat over the vest he had to roll up the sleeves to keep them from getting dirty on the floor.
“What’s that awful smell?” Blueblood asked, only to be greeted with a laugh from Fancy Pants that brought a blush to his face.
“That would be my cologne… don’t worry you get used to it. Luna, you might even like it.” Fancy Pants promised as he pat on Blueblood's body. "It's rather pleasant once you warm up to it. I've had several mares and stallions comment on it when they got... let's say up close."
“Why are you doing this?” Blueblood asked, his tone much less fierce than before. “You want something, don't you?"
“No… I don’t want anything. Not everypony wants something in return for being nice” Fancy shook his head at Blueblood. "Keep it."
"But I..." Blueblood tried to argue, but Fancy Pants planted his hoof over his mouth once more. The prince slapped it away, though not with even half of his strength.
Fancy pants picked up the blue bot tie off the ground where the prince had been sitting. He tied it hastily around Blueblood's neck with a bit of magic. “Truth be told blue suits you much better than purple. At least you didn’t tear this thing to shreds as well."
Blueblood didn’t respond, he simply ran his hooves over the clothing on his fur. He ran his hoof along the grass in small circles while he examined himself. “Do I look okay?”
“You look dashing,” Fancy Pants stated, feeling himself smile when Blueblood’s eyes lit up. He didn’t expect that reaction, but for some reason it made his chest puff up “You looked handsome before I came. But it does hurt to see such a pretty stallion cry over spilled milk.”
“B-Before… right.” Blueblood’s eyes dimmed again for a brief moment as he shook his head almost to himself. He tugged at the collar of the coat and looked to Fancy Pants. When he held his head high and legs straight he was still a good three inches shorter than Fancy Pants. “Where do I return this to?”
“Think of it as a gift,” Fancy Pants said as he quickly put his bow tie around his neck hastily. "I can safely say my own clothing has been worn by royalty now, if anything."
“You look awful." Blueblood said, for the first time a hint of guilt seeping into his words. “Not awful but… poorly put together I’d say… nothing more than a commoner at a glance. Some ponies spend so much to get here that they can't even afford a decent outfit."
“Nobody cares what I dress like. I’m the most important pony in Equestria.” Fancy Pants said with his head held high. “I didn’t expect to meet one of the princes tonight however. Even Princess Cadence doesn't seem that social in parties."
“I… don’t like talking to ponies at events like this.” Blueblood confessed as he took a step in the direction of the rose bush. “A lot of the time they only try to like me for my status.”
Fancy Pants shrugged before he quickly picked up a rose from the bush with a snatch of his magic. He twirled it around in front of his face for a few moments before trotting in front of the Prince, pinning it to his new jacket.
“A rose really is a good highlight for you,” The stallion chuckled as he adjusted his monocle with his. “Now you look even better. Thank you Prince Blueblood, this really managed to clear my head. I do believe my friends are expecting me… would you like to join us?”
“I uh,” The Prince’s eyes seemed to be shot with a bolt of fear at that suggestion. He looked down to his hooves and shook his head quickly. “I don’t like being in groups at places like this… I apologize.”
Fancy Pants tried not to frown when he nodded, still keeping his smile. “Another time then. I hope you have a wonderful night my prince.”
“W-Wait!” Blueblood called suddenly when the other started to leave. Fancy Pants turned around with a raised brow as he watched Blueblood grip his hoof into the grass. “T-Thank you… very much Fancy Pants, I will return it to you safely. A prince is one to keep his promise.”
Fancy Pants smiled, giving a slight mock bow before turning away once more
“You’re very welcome, Prince Blueblood.”
And with that the blue maned unicorn took his leave of the strange prince, thinking of the party ahead of him with a little less weight on his shoulders.
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this is the last couple I would ever expect
I love you Storm Butt, much ship and much awesomeness of said unbelieveably undone ship. This is just amazing, and F*** the fags who get homophobic at stories like these ones. It's really good, keep it up my good Gluteus Maximus kind friend.
Sincerely,
The Notebook
Holy crap. Your making me like BlueBlood!?
4554341 just took out a bunch
wait wait wait sense when did blueblood wear a suit last time I checked he only wore a bow tie
4554913
It's obviously unfashionable to wear the same outfit every day.
I like it.
4554827
I'll try to give the story another go later :) When writing in the future, ask yourself if a long is necessary when writing the dialogue.
I like where this is going!
Interesting concept. I shall be following this story. There were a few mistakes, but to me this was the most noticeable:
I think you meant 'mischievously'.
FINALLY SOMEBODY MADE A SHIP/FIC OF THIS COUPLE. Anyways, I will certainly read this. Looks interesting ^^
someone call fedex because it is time for some shipping.
did you forget about us?
When moar? I wanna see moar.
MOAR moar MOAR moar MOAR more. I absolutely love this story and ship! Keep writing, I beg you.