I can listen

by walkonfour

What Next?

Years later, when Rarity told the story to her children, she resolved, some details would best be omitted to preserve the spirit of the gesture. Future generations, she decided could do without knowing that her coltfriend had stumbled through her door in the middle of the night, covered in dust and mud from the road. They didn’t need to know that he was exhausted nearly to the point of being incomprehensible, or that he had near galloped up to her, staining her pristine coat with his filthy hooves. No she decided, all that need be recounted was the words he had whispered so gently to her as he held her in his hooves.

“Rarity, would you make me the happiest colt alive and well, marry me?”

For once, there was no fainting couch to catch her.

As she came to, she first resolved a familiar red blur standing over her. An even more recognisable bundle of coulor was floating just behind him. The second blur spoke to the first.

“Way to go big guy, you went broke her”

“s’pose I was a bit hasty… wait, look, she’s comin’ round”

“If you’re going to ask again, try to catch her this time, ok?”

“eeyup”

Rarity remembered. She felt giddy again. It was all so sudden. What if it didn’t work out? Didn’t he understand the risk he was taking? As she looked up at the colt- no, the stallion- standing over her, she understood. She never wanted to be apart from him again. He felt the same. Surely that was more than enough? She sat up, slowly, looking deep into the eyes of the stallion before her. She could see none of the doubt, none of the insecurity she remembered from before. There was a colt who knew what he was doing.

“Rainbow , darling, could I be alone with Big Macintosh for a while?”

“Shure thing rare. Se ya tomorrow” Rainbow Dash, not usually one for subtly, nonetheless complied with this request. She shut the door quietly behind her as she walked out.

As the two were left alone in the shop, Rarity moved closer to her stallion. She could feel his heavy breath on her neck as she paused, her lips a millimetre from his ear.

“You do realise I’m going to have my conditions, don’t you darling?”

She had made up her mind the minute he asked, she realised. Not that she had any intention of making it easy for him.

“conditions? What kind of conditions?” asked a bemused big Macintosh, clearly fearing the worst.

Well Darling, rest assured, I have every intention of accepting your request. But I do have a few things I am concerned about. First of all, something needs to be done with that mane of yours. It’s all very well combing it down, but I have something less... rustic in mind. And those fetlocks simply will not do….”

As she lost herself in a litany of improvements, she felt herself relax. A little polish, a little care, she considered and she would have her prince.

---

Blueblood examined the interior of what he had initially believed to be a tree, beginning to doubt his plan. Perhaps busting through the door of one Twilight Sparkle- or that ‘dammed apprentice’ as the other nobles insisted on calling her- was not the best idea. Finding himself marooned in Ponyville for the night by the vagaries the Equestrian railway timetable, he had recalled that Twilight had some secret means of communication with the palace back In Canterlot. Seeing a means of getting home, he had harnessed some of his indignation from his earlier meeting with Applejack, and burst into Ponyville Library demanding use of her magic mailbox or whatever. Not his finest move ever, he reflected.

It was impossible to grow up in Cantelot castle and not know Twilight. Perhaps he had not been the kindest to the little unicorn filly growing up- water under the bridge though right? She evidently didn’t agree.

“so stop me if I’m wrong, but you, prince of Equestria, thought it would be a good idea to just burst in here, in the middle of the night and let me get this right- send a letter for you!?!”

“err…right?” blueblood suspected even his most charming smile might be somewhat inadequate, given that the was currently held suspended upside-down by the purple filly’s magic. No harm in trying though. The personal student of Celestica regarded him for a moment, before beginning to pace the floor of her library home.

“Spike, take a letter”

Her absurd little pet waddled over equipped with pen and paper. He remembered the baby dragon from Canterlot. Someone else not pleased to see him by the look of things.

“Dear Princess Celestica….”

“NO! Please, anything but that, I’ll do anything! Please… don’t tell auntie…”

Twilight was looking at him with an undeniable air of smugness about her. Damn that mare…

“Well played Sparkle. Fine you got me. What do you want?”

"Hmm, well. Let’s start with an explanation shall we? Like why Prince Blueblood is in Ponyville when he should be doing, well, you know, like royal stuff or something?”

“Royal stuff?” he repeated, smiling. Such a way with words this one.

“You know what I mean. Now talk! I have a Spike and I’m not afraid to use him.” she proclaimed, gesturing to the still vaguely hostile looking dragon poised with parchment in the corner. She loosened her magic hold on his ankles, causing the prince to be somewhat unceremoniously reunited with the ground.

He quickly regained his composure, righting himself. “Very well, you have me at a disadvantage, Miss Sparkle- but none of this leaves this room, alright?”

She paused a moment, seemingly weighing the concepts merits. “Done. Trust is important. It says so in my reports!”

“Good. Can you vouch for the dragon?”

“Yes. Spike can keep a secret.”

Blueblood remembered that discussing his little problem with Big Macintosh had proved a somewhat cathartic experience and, he and Twilight where technically old acquaintances-though the nobility’s apparent distain for the princesses common student prevented them from being friends, or close even. Still, in the spirit of being a better pony…

“Can’t this wait till morning?” the dragon asked, imploringly.

Bless that dragon. The chubby little thing was clearly was as tired as he was. Blueblood yawned dramatically to add his own credence to the dragons idea.

“Fine” Twilight indulged the dragon. She looked over to Blueblood. “You can sleep on the couch. It wouldn’t be smart to try and leave”

Slumming it… Mr Macintosh would be impressed!

“Very well. Sleep well Twilight Sparkle”

Not exactly what he would have chosen but he had a bed for the night. As the prince drifted off, his tired mind began to debate the wisdom in keeping a dragon in a library made of wood… maybe he would ask Twilight in the morning.

Comments

[walkonfour]

Well here it is. What am I doing? I'm not sure any more.

[thewaffler]

I'm confused: his tired mind began to debate the wisdom in keeping a wooden dragon in a library made of wood… maybe he would ask Twilight in the morning.

Blue Blood might have an easier time adapting to Applejack's life style in comparison to Mac adapting to Rarity's lifestyle. To be fair it will be funny seeing the prince use a more country way for speaking and Mac becoming more refined. Plus at least in Ponyville Blue Blood has a friend to go drinking with and to go out smashing mail boxes at 2am for fun.

[walkonfour]

685779
Good catch fixed it now. The words, they get the better of me sometimes.

thanks for the feedback

[Fabulous]

God, you scared me! By the way the chapter started, I thought this was some kind of epilogue, and that the fic had ended.

[HeatherIsBestPlayer]

685779 Why would Blueblood have to change the way he speaks?