How Rarity fell in love with a Flying Purple Hippo

by Thought Prism

<< {1} >>

I stepped through the threshold and into Twilight's castle, eager to confront the day's events. Said princess was standing in the center of the castle foyer, holding a book in her aura. My hooves clacked delicately on the crystal floor as I approached. It appeared as if I was the first one to arrive, judging by the lack of other ponies standing beneath the gorgeous chandelier.

I trotted up next to Twilight, tossing a hoof through my coiffed mane dramatically.

She didn't look up from her book, eyes still scanning over the pages with fervor.

Sighing internally, I decided to catch her attention with a greeting. "Hello Twilight, dear."

Twilight visibly flinched from the surprise, dropping her text. She grinned at me sheepishly. "Ah! Sorry, Rarity. I didn't see you come in!"

"Well, I had discerned as much," I said, slightly deadpan. Then, I leaned in closer. "So, doing a bit of last-minute studying?"

"Oh, yes, more than a bit. This is such a momentous occasion, I just have to make sure I'm as ready as I possibly can be. Which isn't easy considering the lack of information we have about the Hippos." Twilight grabbed the book off of the floor, angling the cover towards me. "I'm on my second read-through of Hippopolis: a History, and there's practically nothing here to go on at all."

A slight crease formed on my brow. "Why is that, anyway?" I asked. "You mentioned as much beforehoof."

Twilight sighed. "See, the Hippos live on the opposite side of the world from Equestria. We essentially lost all contact with them once we abandoned our ancestral homelands. And what records existed of the few interactions our peoples did have are either sparse or lost. Supposedly, the Zebras still trade with them on occasion, but they mostly pass on information by word-of-mouth; there aren't any good first-hoof sources."

I nodded in understanding. "That does indeed sound like a problem, darling. It certainly explains why you were so stunned upon receiving that letter through Spikey-Wikey."

She snorted. "Shocked is more like it. Somehow, they actually caught wind of my ascension, albeit over a year later, and their prince is coming to all the way here to meet us and establish diplomatic relations! Nopony alive has so much as met the current prince before, not even Celestia!"

"Really?" That would explain the excessive fretting Twilight had been subjecting herself to, I thought. Then again, it might not be that much more than her usual level of enthusiasm regarding research. I usually don't stay in her company for too long when she gets like this.

"Yes, really!" she exclaimed. "It's a big deal!"

I recoiled a bit at that. "In no way was I implying it wasn't, darling. I was merely surprised by the facts is all."

Twilight blinked. "Oh. Sorry."

After a brief, awkward silence passed between us, she groaned with impatience, then started fidgeting with her hooves and leaned over to peer around me. Seeing nothing of import, I watched her pull out a faintly glowing scroll, eyes widening as she examined it. I recognized it as the same scroll the Hippos had sent.

"So? When does that fancy scrying rune of yours say they'll be arriving?" I inquired. "Should I go check on the others to make sure everything's shaping up smoothly?"

"They'll be in Ponyville in fifteen minutes!" was her frantic reply.

Oh my. That was soon. "I'll head over to Fluttershy's. She's the most likely to have been held up," I stated with a sudden surge of determination.

Twilight's reply was a vigorous series of nods.

With that, I galloped back out into town, ignoring the state of my hooficure for a greater purpose: helping my friend. Well, that and ensuring a good first impression with a prince. A potentially eligible prince. But mostly the former.

* * *

As it turned out, Fluttershy had indeed been held up quelling a heated dispute between a snake and a mongoose. After practically crashing into her on the way to her cottage, I informed Fluttershy of the pressing urgency. The two of us then hastily made our way back to the castle, only to spy Rainbow Dash hovering outside the open gates, keeping vigil.

Upon seeing us, she turned around and hollered to those inside. "Fluttershy and Rarity are here!"

"Great!" came Twilight's reply from inside.

I slowed my pace to a walk, Fluttershy landing beside me. "Is everything ready?" I asked Rainbow in-between panting breaths.

She flashed me a smug grin. "See for yourself!"

Mentally scolding myself for not thinking to do so on my own, I did just that. High in the air within the massive room was a series of fluffy clouds sculpted into letters that read 'Welcome Prince Phelddagrif' in all caps. Directly below the message was a large table stacked with all manner of local delicacies, including a tower of cupcakes, numerous apple pastries, and some hayburgers for good measure. Nothing else about the castle seemed different decoration-wise, but then again, I suppose it already looked both welcoming and attractive to begin with.

I noticed Pinkie was in the process of rapidly tying bundles of balloons to each of the many pillars. Twilight and Applejack were standing off to the side, having some sort of discussion.

Fluttershy gasped, then smiled. "Wow, everypony, amazing job."

"I know, right?" Rainbow confirmed, prompting some quiet giggles from Fluttershy.

I smiled and shook my head at their antics. However, when I scanned the room again, it seemed that none of our other friends had heard the compliment. Though, Applejack and Twilight were heading over to greet us now.

As I waved to them politely, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Rainbow, still airborne as she is wont to do. "So, any idea what these hippo guys are gonna be like? Because I hope they'll be more sociable than the yaks," she said.

"Me too," I replied. Then, propping up my mane with a hoof, I added: "Though, if it turns out they actually are brutes, my feminine charms should be able to put them at ease."

She snorted. "What, like with those Diamond Dogs?"

When she brought that up, I grimaced. "Ok, perhaps I did go a little too far that time."

Thankfully, before Rainbow could draw out the uncomfortable conversation topic any further, Twilight and Applejack arrived. The latter had a quizzical expression on her face.

"Heya, Rainbow?" asked Applejack, "Are ya sure you got the prince's name spelled right on that there sign? Because it sure don't look right."

Rainbow's brow creased, and it seemed like she was about to burst into a tirade, but she was interrupted.

"Of course it's spelled correctly!" Twilight exclaimed. "I must have checked it over a dozen times! It's just... that weird. Don't you trust her?"

Applejack flinched back a bit. "Of course I do! I was just checkin'. Sheesh."

"Umm..." Fluttershy began, "Not that this isn't important or anything, but weren't we in a rush? We should probably get ready... if that's ok."

"Fluttershy is right," said Twilight. "Once Pinkie is-"

"Once I'm what?" asked Pinkie, who was suddenly standing in between Twilight and Applejack wearing her trademark smile.

Neither mare even flinched, both well accustomed to her antics at this point.

Twilight blinked, glancing around the room. It was now fully adorned in the customary Pinkie Party décor. "Never mind; it looks like you finished setting up all the decorations."

Pinkie nodded vigorously.

"Then that's everything!" Twilight confirmed. "Let's go wait outside for the prince!"

"You heard the princess!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "Alpha formation, ladies! Move, move, move!"

Twilight groaned. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. She had to know by now that Twilight didn't appreciate us treating her like royalty. Perhaps she was trying to get Twilight's thought's off the subject of Phelddagrif so she wouldn't freak out while waiting? Although, it was unusual for Dash to put that much thought into anything.

Still, the six of us made our way outside. Without any further discussion, we formed into a line, watching the skies along the horizon for anything unordinary. For a short while, nothing much seemed amiss, with only the standard local pegasi flitting here and there.

But soon, a shape became visible. I stared as closely as I could while it approached. As it neared, I could make out a blob-shaped form, carried aloft by wings of great size. Said wings could accurately be referred to as angelic, as the two slowly flapping appendages glowed with a comforting white light. Underneath, they appeared to be of a greenish hue. Other ponies milling about town stopped to stare, heads tilting upwards.

In a few moments, the form was upon us, and I got my first glimpse of a Hippopotamus. The first thing I noticed, apart from its bright purple skin, was its sheer size. This being was at least as tall as Princess Celestia, but many times more massive, possessing a long barrel bulging with muscle and fat. This was accentuated even further by the stocky nature of its legs, which looked almost like purple tree stumps. From the shape of its snout, it appeared to be male, or a 'bull'. As he landed directly in front of us, the sound he made reverberated throughout the entire area. For a moment, I found myself unable to look away from the spectacle. It seemed like ages until the magic faded from his wings, which were now neatly folded at his sides.

Then, there was movement on his back, and I noticed a second, pony-sized green hippo who had been riding upon the first, likely Phelddagrif. However, this small but equally proportioned gentlebeing did not have wings like his counterpart. He also wore an ornate headdress of pure white silk, studded with all manner of multicolored gems, while the larger went au naturale. Phelddagrif dismounted from the saddle upon which he had been sitting, a most clearly royal thing formed from gleaming gold and lined with red velvet. His cape, the same color purple as his fellow, billowed in the wind as he did.

As he waddled forward, I bowed deeply, and could see out of the corner of my eye that the others has as well, with Rainbow Dash taking slightly more time to get the hint. When we rose as one, Phelddagrif was standing at attention, glancing at each of us in turn.

"Great prince, I am Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity, fellow bearers of Harmony," she proclaimed, gesturing to us with a sweep of her hoof. "It is our honor to formally welcome you to Equestria!"

"The honor is ours, Princess of Friendship," he replied, expression stoic.

"Very much so," added the purple bull. Both spoke in an exotic accent the likes of which I couldn't quite place. I just knew I'd heard it before somewhere, though.

"You must be quite tired after the long journey here," continued Twilight. "If you would please step inside my castle, we have a number of scrumptious local refreshments prepared."

"Scrum-diddly-umptious is more like it!" Pinkie suddenly exclaimed.

I barely managed to keep myself from cringing at that. And Twilight was doing so well, too; she wasn't visibly frazzled at all!

Luckily, Phelddagrif didn't seem to mind the outburst, merely nodding.

"I suppose I could try a bit of something, if you're offering," added the other hippo.

Hmm. That one seems awfully talkative for a chauffeur, I thought. He does make the appropriate impact, though.

"Well come on in, then!" exclaimed Applejack, snapping me out of my reverie.

With that, we each turned around and led the pair inside. I watched their expressions as they plodded over and took in the interior of the castle. Phelddagrif showed little emotion, his wide mouth set in a firm line as he shifted his gaze around the room. I only hoped he was taking things as well as his servant, who was currently smiling politely and nodding appreciatively.

"Everything looks wonderful. In particular, the architecture on display here is quite unique," the servant stated. "Very dissimilar to the rest of town. Who, may I ask, constructed this palace?"

"Oh, no one did. It just grew right out of the ground. Like, BAM, and there it was. Long story," said Rainbow Dash.

His brow raised at that. "Well, I'd love to hear about it sometime."

It certainly would have to wait, since Pinkie suddenly broke out into a long-winded explanation of all the culinary delights available and what they were composed of the moment we came up to the buffet table. I could have sworn she never stopped to take a breath the entire time.

The pair of hippos hummed to themselves as they deliberated on what to try. Phelddagrif decided first, and, unable to reach the table with a foot, merely popped a whole fritter into his mouth. As I watched him chew, his eyes rolled back in sheer bliss. Soon, he had chomped on three more, practically swallowing them whole.

Applejack curtsied. "Shucks, I'm glad you like 'em, but slow down, would ya? You're gonna choke!"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine," insisted the purple bull. He then grabbed a cupcake, a surprised smile blooming on his face as he chewed.

Once they had finished eating, Rainbow trotted over to take her own food, with Fluttershy and Pinkie quickly following suit. They ate next to the servant at the other end of the table in what I assumed was an attempt to avoid any potential faux pas. Not hungry myself, I turned my attention to the smiling Twilight as she once more approached the prince.

"Well, Prince Phelddagrif, we can move on whenever you're ready. I could show you around the rest of the castle, if you're interested, or we could show around town give you a sample of what life is like here in Equestria for the common pony. I have so many things planned!"

However, Phelddagrif did not seem to share her excitement. Rather than reply, he adopted a look of profound confusion.

This confusion bounced back to Twilight, who surely did not expect him to become this befuddled by her proposition.

It fell onto Fluttershy to ask "Is everything alright, Prince Phelddagrif?"

Rather than reply, Phelddagrif turned sideways and upwards to make eye contact with the purple hippo. Slowly, huge, toothy grins spread across both of their faces and they began chuckling to themselves. Soon, they burst out into raucous laughter, their booming tones echoing to my ears.

Wait, what just happened? Why were they laughing? I looked to my friends for clarification, but they all wore expressions which suggested they were all as out of the loop as I was. Applejack, in particular, had raised her eyebrow to quite a height.

Eventually, the hippos' guffaws died out, and they turned back towards us.

"I am so, so sorry," Phelddagrif said, bowing. "It seems you misunderstand."

The purple bull nodded. "With everything to take in at once, it appears we completely forgot to introduce ourselves."

His bejeweled fellow then cleared his throat and gestured to him dramatically. "Presenting the Steward of the Delta, the Caretaker of the People, Master of the Great Magicks, and largest of us all, His Royal Highness, the Legendary Prince Phelddagrif!"

I blinked. What.

The hippo I had thought to be a chauffeur crossed a foreleg over his chest. "It is truly humbling to finally meet you all."

What. WHAT?

I managed to tear my eyes off of the true prince long enough to see that everyone else appeared equally flabbergasted.

Rainbow recovered first, hinging her lower jaw closed. "Wait, seriously? You're Phelddagrif?" she said, throwing her forehooves down in his direction.

"Indeed I am."

"B-But then who's that in the cape?" stammered Fluttershy.

"Yeah, who?" added Pinkie.

The hippo in question bowed to us. "My name is Suraj, and I am but a humble servant."

Now that was surprising. "Really?" I asked, skeptical. "In those silks?"

That prompted another laugh from Phelddagrif. "Why, that is the standard uniform I provide to all members of the palace staff!"

My eyes widened. "Well. That's quite generous of you."

Smiling, he locked his eyes - deep brown and striking - onto mine. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

I couldn't help but shy away, rendered quite stunned and suddenly antsy. Was I blushing?

Nevertheless, the string of inquiries continued. "Wait a minute," began Applejack, "If you're the prince, why are ya haulin' your own servant around in a fancy golden saddle?"

Phelddagrif opened his mouth to reply, but Suraj cut him off. "My prince did not have a choice. Only those fit to rule Hippopolis are blessed with wings. And, considering the distance between our lands, flight was the only way we could visit."

"In that case, why would Prince Phelddagrif go out of his way to bring a servant?" Twilight asked. Then, turning to him, she added "Surely is wasn't because you doubted our hospitality?"

The prince shook his head. "Quite the opposite in fact. I bought him here to thank you for your hospitality. I assumed that, being relatively newly coronated, you would be in need of a few more helping hooves to keep your castle in shape."

Twilight's brow slowly knit itself together. She took a deep breath. "Let me get this straight. You brought Suraj... as a gift for me?"

"That's right."

"T-That's not something you can just do, though!" she asserted, massaging her temple with a hoof.

Phelddagrif tilted his head. "Why not? I gift hippos to the deserving all the time. And Suraj gave me his permission."

"That is correct," Suraj confirmed. "I have always wished to see far-off lands, and now I can do so while still being able to perform my duties."

"I've even prepared a pension to be sent home to his family," added Phelddagrif.

"So, I will be working with you from now on, princess." Suraj bowed to Twilight. "May you find my service exceptional."

Twilight seemed at a loss regarding the proper response, clearly trying to come up with some way to let him off gently. She shot me a pleading look, but I didn't really have any experience turning down prospective servants, so I shrugged. Eventually, Twilight replied "Oh, um, that's ok, but I already have a very capable assistant."

"Just the one? Surely you could benefit from another," said Phelddagrif.

She glanced from the prince to Suraj and back again. "Well, I feel bad about declining, but Spike would probably get jealous if I didn't. It was bad enough when I got an owl."

"Then perhaps I could meet this 'Spike' now to see if that is the case," posed Suraj. "I will be quite disappointed if I can't stay."

Pinkie raised her hoof. "On it!" Without further warning, she then whizzed up the stairs at a nearly invisible speed, returning seconds later with a bewildered baby dragon on her back.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to inter—" Spike began, before trailing off when he noticed the massive prince.

All traces of joy vanished from said prince's face, only to be replaced by a look of contempt. Suraj's face paled, and he shuffled backwards to hide behind his sovereign.

"That is a dragon," stated Phelddagrif.

"I have a name, you know," said Spike, narrowing his eyes.

"On second thought, maybe I will go back home," mumbled Suraj.

"What's gotten into you two?" I asked. "Sure, Spikey-Wikey is a dragon, but he's just a baby. He wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was made of diamonds or somesuch."

Twilight nodded. "He's been living with me ever since he hatched. The foals around town aren't even scared of him."

"If anything, I'm too well behaved most of the time," finished Spike. "The other dragons all think I'm crazy."

Suraj sighed, then turned to Spike. "Oh, you're civilized. That's a relief."

Spike raised an eyebrow, turning to Twilight for clarification. However, it was Phelddagrif who explained. "You see, we hippos are easily taken advantage of by dragons. You could say that we are their natural prey, of a sort."

"Why's that?" asked Pinkie. "I thought dragons were sorta like my family in that they mostly ate rocks."

"That's right," he clarified. "But rarely do they actually bother to mine for themselves. Every generation, huge numbers of dragons return to our lands, their sole goal to bully us out of our possessions. We never resist, despite our growing fear and resentment."

"What? You don't even try to fight them off?" blurted Rainbow Dash. She had a point.

Phelddagrif shook his head. "It is not in our nature to do so. Hippo magic is essentially the inverse of theirs; we grow larger and more powerful the more selfless we become."

That's interesting, I thought. If that's true, along with those titles from earlier, then that means Phelddagrif is... oh my.

"Anyway, Spike," began Twilight, "Suraj here wants to stay in Equestria and help tend to the castle. I tried to decline, but he insists. I was wondering: do you approve?"

Spike beamed at this. "Are you kidding? That's great!"

"Really? I know you're over Owlicious, but Suraj isn't a pet," Twilight said.

Spike snorted. "That was back when we lived in a two-room tree. Now we live in a castle, and Starlight lives here too now. Trust me, I approve."

This elicited a giggle from Rainbow.

"Then it's settled," Phelddagrif said, smiling.

With that, my friends broke off into two groups. Twilight and Spike began working out the details of Suraj's new residence within their home, while the others talked animatedly with the prince about our adventures and our country at his request.

I, however, zoned out from the scene, becoming lost in my own feelings. Whenever I thought of Phelddagrif, something stirred in my chest, like a fluttering touch, or a warm breeze beneath the skin. I watched him talk, unable to look away.

At the same time, I focused inwards. This feeling was... the prospect of joy, an urgent longing, a spark in a dark room. And yet, the emotion was reminiscent of others, of the sort I once experienced regarding Trenderhoof, only somehow deeper. Much deeper. Almost as if...

Oh, sweet Celestia, I'm in love. At first sight, practically.

Deep breaths, Rarity. If I wasn't blushing before, I definitely am now. This was crazy, curse my foolish heart! We've barely met, he isn't even a stallion, and I'm already smitten! Moreover, he'll only be staying for a few days, not nearly enough time to get to know him properly.

But I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't share these feelings with him while I have the chance. Maybe I could even bring out his own love in return, with the proper steps. I had to get him to myself for a short while, somehow. Even if my love is unrequited in the end, at least I'll have closure, and won't end up pining after him for the rest of my life. Hopefully. The question is, how do I accomplish that?

If only Cadance were here! I just had to turn this diplomatic meeting into a one-on-one rendezvous! My heart was beating faster from the pressure, and I wracked my brain for answers, stooping to drawing upon years of previously read romance novels for examples, to no avail. After what felt like ages, my face lit up, for I finally had an ingenious idea.

I cleared my throat, loudly but politely, turning everyone's heads. Whatever they were discussing surely wasn't this important. "I just realized something. Phelddagrif, dear, you must be awfully tired after your long flight, so why don't you visit the local spa? I'm sure you'll feel much better once all the knots in your back are worked out."

His brow furrowed slightly, and he flexed his magnificent wings. "You know, now that you mention it, I am fairly sore from the journey. That's a great idea... Rarity, was it?"

"Indeed," I replied, flashing my best smile.

Phelddagrif let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. "No sense in dallying, then. I take it you have directions?"

Just as I was about to respond, Twilight cut me off with a huff. "But we were just about to start drafting an international trade agreement over tea! I brewed three kinds and everything!"

"Legislation can wait, princess. Honestly, I didn't wish to come all this way just for politics," he said. "I came so we could be friends. I will be glad to build a bridge between out nations, but only until after I get to know yours a bit better."

"He has a point, Twi," said Applejack.

"Actually, to answer your earlier question," I began, my nervousness hopefully completely hidden, "I believe it would be best if I accompanied you there, prince. As a local, I know what to expect, and can assist in heading off any potential cultural misunderstandings."

Phelddagrif's eyes met mine again, and a shiver ran up my spine. "A good point. Very well, we will go together."

I barely managed to stop myself from squee-ing in delight. It worked!

"Would anyone else care to join us?" Phelddagrif asked.

Everypony, as well as Spike and Suraj, shook their heads in decline.

"I already have an itinerary for a tour of Ponyville and Canterlot to follow once you're done, Prince Phelddagrif," said Twilight.

"I should probably doublecheck that Mr. Slithers has calmed down," murmured Fluttershy.

"We'll get all this cleaned up while you're gone!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Excellent!" Phelddagrif bellowed. "Rarity, if you would?" He swept toward the door with a foreleg.

"Of course, darling," I said, trotting past.

I couldn't help but grin back at him in sheer delight as we stepped outside.

Author's Note:

Behold! My OTP! The actual romance will pick up in time, I promise.

Anyway, this took me far longer to write than I thought it would. My muse is a fickle mistress, and other projects just kept popping up in my head. I actually started writing this first chapter over a year ago, but this story is now my #1 priority.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Phelddagrif is from Magic: The Gathering.Here's his card.
Things should make a bit more sense to you now.

Comments

[Amethyst_Dawn]

Yus.

[Tundric Spirit]

didn't read the story, saw the title in my feed and cracked up laughing!!! you sir, get a like for that, well done.

[Gale Maze]

Holy shit you're serious.

[Cookie_Girl]

Well written and with perfect pov from Rarity.

[FanOfMostEverything]

This is amazing. You may have given us the best Rarity pairing imaginable. So much generosity.

Eagerly looking forward to more, especially if Prince Phelddagrif goes on some manner of grand quest.

[QueenMoriarty]

Fascinating.

[Thought Prism]

7962785
7961787
7961876
7961880

Thank you! I wasn't expecting such a positive reception!

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7963630
Well, this deserves it!

[pinkfloydpig]

High in the air within the massive room was a series of fluffy clouds sculpted into letters that read 'Welcome Prince Phelddagrif' in all caps

Phelddagrif!?

Let's see how tolerant the mane 6 will be in the presence of one of MtG's most iconic Huggers!

Twilight's brow slowly knit itself together. She took a deep breath. "Let me get this straight. You brought Suraj... as a gift for me?"

"That's right."

And the hugging begins!

"T-That's not something you can just do, though!" she asserted, massaging her temple with a hoof.

Phelddagrif tilted his head. "Why not? I gift hippos to the deserving all the time.

Don't let him fool you Twilight! He may seem kind and generous, but in reality he's a communist!