Chapter 2
"Pip! Pip!" the sound of his tough, but loving, aunt called out to him.
He was in the kitchen when he heard her voice. While washing the dishes from breakfast hour, he called out, "Coming!" He wiped his hooves with a spare towel and was about to set out until he saw a pile of bills on the counter.
"Pip!" she called him again, this time coming into the kitchen.
"Aunt Hazel Nut… what is this?" he pointed towards the bills.
Her eyes widened and she had an uneasy face when she answered him, "Those? Oh, they're just little reminders, that's all."
"But some of them are missed payments. What's going on? Are we… in some sort of financial trouble?"
"Well… that is… that is… yes. Yes, we are, but it is nothing for you to worry about. It's my concern, not yours."
"Aunt Hazel, you've been taking care of me ever since I was a boy. Let me help you save our inn."
"Dear, I don't see how that's going to do much good… We don't get enough customers anyway and you work double shifts without getting paid. It makes me feel bad that you can't live your life without me having a money problem."
"I'll get a job, then."
"To where? Every business in Pony-Ville isn't hiring any pony, so where could you go?"
"I don't know, but I will look around to see if I can find anything." he walked out of the building.
Scootaloo was walking past the ballroom when she was noticed by Rainbow.
"Whoa! What happened to you?" this immediately got the attention of everyone else in the room. Discord, with Cheese and Pinkie, tried to stifle their laughter.
Scootaloo gave a hard glance and said in a low response, "Don't… ask…" She stomped her way up the steps.
"Hoo-wee, something's got her in a bad mood…" said Applejack.
"Hm-mm." the room nodded in agreement before going back to partying.
When Scootaloo did come back and was all cleaned up, her family gathered around her so she could tell the entire story, "…And then he goes and makes me look like a fool! He made his escape by throwing the frying pan that I stopped him with and he used it to put garbage on me! I swear if I see that… it'll be too soon!" she panted from her rants.
Discord had a sly grin spread across his face and put an arm around her, "You know what I think?"
"What?" she grumbled.
"That you have a crush on the wanted thief!"
"What?! That's stupid! There is no way-"
"You did talk an awfully lot about him…" Rainbow deduced.
"Quite frequently…" Rarity smirked.
"This is ridiculous! He and I have nothing in common, so how can I have a crush on him?! So no! Just no!"
"Whatever you say…" Discord waved the notion off.
"Ugh!"
The room burst into laughter while Scoots was fuming until Kibitz came up to his king and queen.
"Yes, Kibitz?" Celestia asked.
"A messager from the kingdom of Marendelle has just arrived requesting an audience with you and the youngest princesses."
She and Sombra exchanged glances before she replied, "Send him in."
Kibitz bowed and went out, coming back in a few minutes with a courier and a trumpeter. They had the area's undivided attention. The courier was a unicorn and he magically unwrapped the scroll he was carrying in his bag and cleared his throat to deliver the message.
"To the Princesses, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo of Canterlot. You have been invited to attend the Princess Ball hosted by the King Cinnamon Swirl and Queen Love Tap of Marendelle, in hopes that their son, Prince Button Mash, shall have a bride. From the ball, the princesses who may wish to stay shall try for the prince in marriage. Each princess must compete in a series of tests to prove they are the best qualified for the prince. Good luck and we hope to see you there. Signed, the King and Queen of Marendelle."
He magically handed the invite over to Kibitz and bowed before their majesties as the trumpeter with him blew another fanfare. They both went, leaving the family and servant speechless for a moment before the latter group crowded around the trio.
"Alright, settle down." Sombra commanded as he went to his youngest daughters, "This is indeed a great honor, but only if you wish to do it. And do you?"
"Um…" all three were unsure.
Celestia looked at the invite and stated, "My darlings, as you know, not very long ago, I had almost forced your sisters to meet other suitors that were royalty and to have them be in an arranged marriage…" she looked to the older daughters as they exchanged with her a look of sadness. "I do not wish this on any pony that's of royal blood. The reason for what I did was only to protect them from a fate that would be far worse than an arranged marriage."
"Needless to say, she was right… And I was very proud of your mother for staying strong like that…" Sombra wrapped his arm around his wife. She smiled at him and so did their daughters.
"But what the king and queen of Marendelle are doing is something more absurd. They are not letting their son choose who he wants for a bride. As fellow monarchs, it is out of our jurisdiction of what can be done to stop this, but… perhaps if you were to go… Maybe you can help the prince gain the one thing he's being denied of: love."
The trio looked at each other in bewilderment and then with a look of determination, nodded in agreement as they said, "We'll do it!"
The family burst into cheers, praising the little princesses.
Later, after lunch had been done, Celestia and Sombra had their young princesses in the throne room and told them of the necessary preparations they would need on their journey.
"You will pack tonight and will leave first thing in the morning to be taken to the ship yard of Horseshoe Bay, where you will board the royal ship." instructed Celestia.
"Once you arrived in Marendelle, you will be escorted to the royal palace and meet the hosts of the ball. At that point, it would be best to remember etiquette as you will be reflected upon Canterlot's royal family."
"But enjoy yourselves at the ball and while you're there, remember to get in close with the prince as you will want to help him in, anyway."
"Do you understand what to do?"
"Yup." said Scootaloo.
"Sure do." said Apple Bloom.
"We won't fail." said Sweetie Belle.
"And just to make sure you will be alright, we will hire a personal escort to be with you while you're there." Celestia motioned.
"Oh, Mom, we don't need any personal whats-it! We'll be fine on our own!" Scootaloo gestured.
"Nevertheless, we want you to be safe while you're out of Equestria's reach." pointed Sombra.
"After what happen to your sisters a while back, we don't want to take any chances."
"Okay…" the trio barely agreed.
By late afternoon, Pip was losing hope of ever finding something to help his aunt's business. He was about to go inside the inn until an evening edition of Equestria Daily smacked into his face by the wind and he saw an ad that interested him very much.
That night, Button Mash tossed and turned in his bed. He could hear a sweet angelic voice haunting inside his dreams. He was in the middle of the ballroom of his castle all alone and could hear the beautiful voice singing to him, "Dreams to dream… in the dark of night… When the world goes wrong… I can still make it right… I can see so far in my dreams… I'll follow my dreams until they come true…" she kept on singing as he tried desperately to find her to see what she looked like, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He woke up in a cold sweat and felt tormented by the voice that had just come to him through the dream world. "Another one…" he said under his breath, "That's the third one this week! What can it mean?!" he took the covers off and went to his balcony, which was overlooking the ocean. It was a clear night as the salty sea air went up to his face. "It has to be her… the girl of my dreams… literally. But why can't I see her…? Where did she go…? Where can she be…? When will she come again, calling to me? Calling to me…? Calling to me… Somewhere there's a girl who's like the shimmer of the wind upon the water… Somewhere there's a girl who's like the glimmer of the sunlight on the sea…Somewhere there's a girl who's like a swell of endless music… Somewhere she is singing and her song is meant for me! And her voice! It's sweet as angels sighing… And her voice it's warm as summer sky… And that sound, it haunts my dreams and spins me 'round until it seems I'm flying... Her voice… I can sense her laughter in the ripple of the waves against the shoreline… I can see her smiling in the moonlight as it settles on the sand… I can feel her waiting just beyond the pale horizon…Singing out her melody too lovely to withstand! And her voice! It's there as dusk is falling! And her voice! It's there as dawn steals by! Pure and bright, it's always near! All day, all night and still I hear it calling... Her voice… Strange as a dream... Real as the sea... If you can hear me now… Come set me free... Come set me free!"
By morning's light, Sweetie Belle yawned, still feeling tired, as she, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came downstairs with servants helping them by carrying their wardrobe trunks. They stopped outside the throne room where their parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law were going to say goodbye to them. Hugs immediately followed.
"See ya, squirt." Rainbow gave Scoot a noogie.
"You be careful, you hear?" Applejack embraced Apple Bloom.
"I will."
"Did you remember to pack your dresses for the ball when you get there?" Rarity asked Sweetie.
She answered, "Yes, they're all in the trunks and they're beautiful as ever."
"Made just for the three of you. My own personal design."
Sweetie tightly hugged her, whispering, "Thank you… I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
Once the trio hugged their parents, Celestia summoned a pony. They saw before their own eyes a young white stallion with a brown spot over his eye.
"Girls, this is Pip, unless you preferred your full name, Pipsqueak?"
Discord couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
"Just Pip, Your Highness," he quickly responded.
"Pip." said Apple Bloom as moved forward to him, "That's a nice name."
Pip was motionless. Before him was a beautiful mare with the most gorgeous red hair he had ever seen, and those eyes… shining like two suns…
Apple Bloom took a good look at him too, seeing he was a robust fellow, a real stud. His eyes were the color of chocolate to match his mane.
They were staring at each other and didn't even notice the others surrounding them while having smirks, obviously knowing what was going on between the two, even though Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were confused. Sombra decided to clear his throat to bring them back to reality.
Pip went pink and said, "And you must be the princess…" He took her hoof to kiss it.
It was her turn to blush, "Well, one of them. I'm Apple Bloom and this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo."
"Hi!" Scoot motioned.
"Hello!" Sweetie merrily said.
Sombra pointed out, "Do you remember your assignment, young Pip?"
Pip saluted before his Highness, "Yes, sir! Protect the princesses at all cost!"
"After all, we chose you because you proved yourself to be very strong and would be able to be near the princesses to make sure they are alright."
"Yes, sir. I know and I won't fail."
"Very good. Then go and wait outside while we finish up here."
Pip nodded and did a quick look back to Apple Bloom as she returned the glance as he went.
"Do you want one of us to come with you to the train station?" Twilight asked.
"Nah, we're good." answered Scootaloo, "But we could use one last hug…"
The sisters awed and complied, embracing their little sisters for the last six years. The girls hugged their mother and father, saying goodbye and thanks. The trio went to the doors and waved a final farewell, with the family returning it.
The ship laid in port as majestic as it comes. The girls gawked at it, even Pip. Just then, a board came down from the ship and there stood the admiral. He was an elderly, but tough-looking, Earth pony.
"Welcome, Your Highnesses! I am Admiral Scallop. It's been a while since we had members of the royal family board our good ship. So, you're going to Marendelle?"
"Yes," spoke Apple Bloom, "for a ball."
"Well, that's fine and dandy! Come on board!"
The four walked on as they saw the crew setting for sail. In mere moments, the ship was ready for launch as the sails unfurled and the ship started moving out of Horseshoe Bay. About a half-hour later when the ship was out at sea, while her sisters were watching from the side of the boat, Scootaloo headed down into the brig to grab a bite. She found a barrel of apples and was about to reach in for one when she felt a hoof! She looked in and saw…
"You!"
"You?!" Rumble was shocked as well.
Her face went to boil and shouted out, "I'm going to get you!" She jumped into the barrel just as he jumped out to avoid her. She was unaware that he hurt his wing, "Get back here! You're going to pay for what you did to me!"
"You're still sore about that?! I thought princesses don't hold grudges!"
"Well, you thought wrong! You humiliated me!" She began to chase after him.
He ran on deck, where he was bumping into crewmates and items on the ship. He eventually bumped into Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and then tried to fly off, but felt a pain and couldn't. Pip was able to grab hold of him.
"Ha! Thought you could escape, didn't you?" Scootaloo caught up.
"Well, it's not like he could. We are on a ship miles away from land." Sweetie added in.
"Aw, nuts…" mumbled Rumble.
"So, this was the guy who gave you trouble yesterday?" Apple Bloom asked.
"That's him…" she glared hard at him.
"Shall we lock up this stowaway, Your Majesties?" the admiral came down from his post.
The two sisters looked at Scootaloo, figuring that she would say yes, but instead, she surprised them by saying, "Hmm, no."
"No?!" all of them, even Rumble, said at once.
"I got a much better punishment for him…" she gave a menacing look that caused Rumble to have a fearful face, "He is to accompany us on our trip and he has to do every… little… single thing… I order him… to do…" she gave him an evil grin, "If he refuses, then make sure he gets back to Canterlot to be arrested."
"That's blackmail!" Rumble protested.
"Hey, take it or leave it. It's either community service or you can go to prison. It's your choice."
He pondered with every pony watching him. He sighed in irritation, stating, "Fine! What is your wish, Your Highness…" he hissed.
"I say swabbing the deck would be a good start… Admiral, see to it he does a good job. If you need me, I'll be in my cabin." she trotted off, proudly knowing she had gotten her sweet revenge.
Pip let Rumble go and the Pegasus was given a bucket and mop.
"Well, you heard her. Off with you now." the admiral ordered.
Rumble could only glare in fury in the direction where Scootaloo had gone.
"Don't worry. She's really nice, once you get to know her…" Sweetie said and went towards the cabin as well.
"But for you," AB gestured, "that may take a while… just sayin'." she had also gone to join her sisters with Pip following behind her.
Rumble let out another frustrated sigh and started wetting the mop, saying under his breath, "You know… maybe I should've taken prison, after all…" He swabbed away.
Button sat on the sands of the private beach close to his palace home, looking out to the horizon and wondering if the voice he heard in his dreams was real…
Sweetie looked out the window of the cabin and overlooked the ocean as the ship was sailing on it, wondering if somewhere out there was the answer to the mysterious caller in her dreams…
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Okay. I was wrong. I can't wait to read what's next. Good luck.
5342075
I'm curious, who did think Pip was going to be like?
5342169 I think he is going to be like Christop from Frozen.
i love this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please tell me the next chapter is almost done
So... are Sweetie and Button - Aerial and Eric, or Cinderella and the Prince?
Either way loving the story
Keep up the work
5347455
I like to think of them as both.
I was rereading this and noticed something I thought was a mistake
What train station?
Marendelle... nice pun you made there.The ball...Cindarella?
Button's dream made me wonder: is Luna secretly a matchmaker?
It's maybe my sixth time reading this, and this part still gets me excited.
8999310
Jesus Christ y r u reading it so many times
the girl of your dreams literally