So here goes. My first detailed fanfic. Hope ya like it.
My mane hung in front of my eyes, dripping water on the floor. How did I ever get into this mess?
"Are you telling me that you've never had a mane cut? Mr. Eclipse, you've simply let your mane grow out to where it's become a burden. I can't tell you how difficult it is to style this much hair for a stallion. Well, I guess it's expected since you grew up in Cloudsdale. The wind probably kept it out of your face, but now that you have been revealed as a royal alicorn you must keep in style. Now if you'd let me cut off at least seven inches-" I instantly cut off the purple pegasus who had been hired to be my stylist. I personally would have been fine with Rarity being my stylist but Princess Celestia, I mean Aunt Celestia, had insisted.
"No! I mean, sorry that's not possible, um don't ask why, it's kinda personal." I thought about how comforting my mane was to Fluttershy, she always seemed to hide in it when we were younger, and had even taken up to it again recently forgetting she was too big to do it anymore. Ya know, maybe I should get a manecut, she might actually like it.
"Alright, you can take off as much as you like."
"Alright then lets get started." For the next five hours I sat in a soft cushioned chair getting hair all over the place. After every snip of the scissors a cascade of hair would rain down on the ground. Small piles began to form everywhere, almost blocking out the floor completely. I knew my mane was long, but this was excessive. I eventually was told I could look up. When I did I was surprised to see the face in the mirror. Due to my lack of a proper mirror at my old home I had been unable to see what everyone saw in me. I had never understood why fillies looked at me the way they did. But I expect that my mane had previously hid most of that physical perfection. Now, with a new manecut I looked like the stallions in Photo Finish's photo shoots. The new cut framed my face perfectly. It showed off my bright orange eyes which matched the orange edges of my mane.
"Wow, Pello, I don't know what to say." My mane was parted in the middle and hung down pointedly on each side of my head.
"Don't say anything then, your smile is the only answer I need. Please call me again in a month or so, I'll need to do some touch ups on that style. Remember it's only for when you're not wearing your regalia. So be careful. Make sure you wash your mane everyday to make sure it stays presentable, maybe Ms. Fluttershy can teach you about hair hygiene. I swear, her hair is perfect, but you already know that, don't you." He smiled and winked at me knowingly. I blushed. Apparently he got what he was looking for.
"Is it really that obvious?"
"No, not really Mr. Eclipse, I just have a knack for noticing things like this, I mean I do cater to the needs of Equestria's finest. You pick up a few things along the way when you're in this business."
"Oh great, for a second I though that it was common knowledge that we've...well you know." I hated being twenty-two sometimes. Everything was so awkward still when talking to older ponies. Pello was no exception.
"Oh don't worry sir, I won't go telling everyone about it, I mean, you've got it hard enough trying to adjust to the life of being a double celebrity as it is. I don't think you need a scandal on your plate." I audibly sighed.
"Thank you, you're doing me a huge favor. How would you like to come to dinner with me and Fluttershy tonight? I mean, if you don't have anything else that is. It's getting close to the time we usually go."
"I'm sorry but I have previous engagements with a Miss Rarity."
"Oh, I didn't know Rarity was seeing anyone, she certainly didn't say anything to my sister and her friends. You seem to have a scandalous life yourself Pello."
"N-no! No. It's nothing like that, we're just getting together to share ideas."
"Sure...What kind of ideas?"
"She's designing Fluttershy and your clothes for your public appearances."
"Oh, I didn't know that."
"Yes, well I better get going. See you before your next appearance."
"See you later."
Pello flew out the window carrying his tools with him. I watched as he left, smiling at the thought of him with Rarity. They'd make a cute couple. I laughed as I left the room and walked down the hall of my new house, or at least my house in the public eye. When it had been announced that I was not only an award winning writer, but also a prince, all of Equestria swarmed my bookstore. My biological mother and aunt had suggested that I hire someone to take care of the shop so that I didn't have to be there all the time. Then they had put me in this giant house, saying it would make the media believe that I had settled into the life of being a prince. They didn't tell me it would be this lonely. The only pony I was able to talk to nowadays was Pello. I hadn't seen Fluttershy during the day for a week and I hadn't been able to be home at night in even longer. I was beginning to worry that maybe I should go on a little vacation with her. Maybe I could go before my new movie came out.
My first movie came out about five months ago, and my new one was scheduled for Heart's Warming Eve in December. I had about eight months to go until the release of 'Love's Embrace'. I had written the book after the pony awards last year, and Fluttershy and I's 'special' night. It had sold two million copies on day one, a record for first day sales. Soon after I had been approached by Big Shot the movie director. He had taken an interest in the book and wanted to make it into a movie. I had of course said yes.
I walked back to my room and put on my regalia. The real elements of harmony, which in truth could only be controlled by an alicorn, made up my regalia. I never used them, well maybe once to speed up the day for about a week after the summer sun celebration...Those were some good nights. They made me a bit bigger than I usually was and gave me a similar mane to my mother's. Except mine had an orange halo that glowed brightly against the black. As I donned the final piece, a golden orange crown- I had changed the color when my mom showed me on arrival in Canterlot- I flew down stairs.
As I came to the main entrance of the mansion I saw Fluttershy waiting for me with a sunhat and shades on. Ever since our dating had gone public, she had been hounded by the paparazzi ponies. She had hated the attention more than the modeling gig she had in high school. Many of the newspapers, recognizing her from her childhood had monopolized on it, made us the celebrity couple of the year. Ever since then she had worn that pretty yellow sunhat and sky blue shades.
"Fluttershy, sorry for being late. I got a manecut, and it took a lot longer than I thought. Apparently my mane was really long. Uhh Fluttershy, are you listening to me?" She had just been staring at me mouth-gaping the whole time. She was just standing there, and seemed to be drooling. That's when I noticed her wings. For the first time since we became a royal couple, they were fully extended.
"Uhh Fluttershy..." She snapped her mouth shut.
"Wow, Thunder, heh...you look amazing, ummm I mean...uh.. never mind. I love your new manestyle. It really suits you." She said all this a lot faster than she would normally talk. From how she blushed I figured that my new hairstyle that revealed more of my face and body made me an alluring sight, of course the fact that my tail didn't cover my cutie mark and flank anymore might've helped. Pello had done it in the most popular cropped fashion. I now looked the part of a prince.
"Thanks Fluttershy. Well, shall we get going, I reserved a table for us at Gourmet's new restaurant. She has gotten nothing but great reviews from our friends, and what with them being the elements of harmony and all, their opinions are now taken into account by all of Canterlot. Even Applejack gave it a five out of five stars."
"Thunder, you know you can say they're not the elements of harmony around me. Your mother told me about it when she told me that if I broke your heart she'd send me to the moon. She's very protective of you you know."
"I know, and I'm glad for it, if not for her I'd probably be hounded by everypony in all of Equestria. Now let's go." I held the door open for her as she fluttered outside. I followed her as she ascended above the skyline. We flew up into the Canterlot sky district. When we landed we were greeted by my new personal guards, a youthful division of my mother's own royal guard.
"Hey there Dusk Wing, Midnight Shield, Dark Shine. How are things up here in Canterlot Sky?"
The dark gray pegasus spoke first."Greetings Prince Eclipse. We are happy to inform you that no one will disturb you tonight. We will be escorting you to Gourmet's. Please follow us."
"Dusk Wing, I know that my mom put you up to this. I put on my regalia and I've got more power than any pony but my parents and aunt. Why don't you three take the night off. If I need you I'll call. Make sure your transmitters are on."
"Thanks Thunder," he said, dropping all formality, "I don't think I can take much more of the work your mom puts us through. I mean you can keep yourself safe right?"
"Right, now please go enjoy yourselves."
"Alright, you two be nice to each other." We exchanged a mock salute and headed off in our separate directions.
After a few minutes of walking on clouds we came to Gourmet's. The front was much too crowded for my liking, so we went out back. Of course on my way I 'accidentally' caused a rain cloud to appear over their heads. I made it cover only the entrance as I knew that would drive them inside. As we went to the back entrance we were greeted by Rarity and Pello.
"Why hello Pello, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Why neither did I, Rarity suggested coming here because the salads were to die for." Rarity blushed as he said this and let out a girlish giggle that I hadn't heard since high school when she was dating Filthy Rich.
"Yep that's Rarity...heh." I gave her a look that said something along the lines of 'just business hmm...'
"Well I see Fluttershy is with you. Could you introduce us?"
"Sure. Fluttershy, this is my stylist Pello. Pello, this is Fluttershy."
"Pleasure to meet you Fluttershy, Rarity's told me so much about you."
He offered his hoof to her.
"Ummm...hi...I'm ...Fluttershy..." She backed up behind me and i put my wing around her. She grabbed on to them thinking to pull them around her, but she grabbed the white tips of the midnight blue pegasus accessories. It just so happens that just about the most sensitive part of my body.
"Oooooohhh... Shy...can you not grab there in public...Uh sorry Pello, she's...uhh...even shier than me. It takes her a while to get used to new ponies usually, the only pony who she ever took to in a short amount of time that I can remember is Twilight."
"That's okay, maybe we can talk another time, eh Fluttershy."
"Ummm...sure."
We walked together into the fancy little back room reserved for VIPs and royalty. The tables were all gilded and had candelabras scattered around them. The walls were orange today, I supposed Ms. Sweets wanted to make me, her most important and established regular, happy. Since I was both a prince and an award winning author I convinced Gourmet Sweets to let us use my aunt and mother's table. It was long so we all fit, the others were a bit short on the table so I lowered it with my magic. I had fit decently well. The table was set to my mother's height, which was only slightly shorter than mine since my father had been, I mean is taller than most ponies. I felt that I should accommodate them though.
We sat down and ordered our meals. Fluttershy ordered a small salad while I got some apple cinnamon croissants. Rarity and Pello both ordered the salad and a glass of apple cider. As our orders came I talked to Fluttershy about a vacation for us, my sister, and Big Mac. She said that I had better make sure my mother doesn't need my help with any royal duties before I made any decisions. I resigned to ask her tomorrow about it. From then on we ate while talking about the recent announcement of my new book 'The Shy-lent Affair'. After we finished our meals we said our goodbyes and Fluttershy and I flew to my small house on the outskirts of Canterlotian airspace.
As we flew I had a chance to admire my mother's work on the night. It seemed tonight she had made every star a little brighter than usual. My sign, Ares, glowed brightly tonight. Odd isn't it. My sign is the pony of war yet I can't stand violence. I at least thought it was a bit ironic. I was a total coward, I wouldn't even fight Fluttershy for the blankets on cold nights.
Oh well, I guess I still have this nice quaint little purple cloud house. The only thing that has any meaning for both me and Fluttershy. This was our first house we bought together. As Fluttershy landed softly on the clouds, she smiled at me seductively, reminding me of how little I saw her anymore. Oh well, at least until tomorrow I have Fluttershy all to myself. I smiled as I kissed her. She broke the kiss and led me to our room. Finally we're alone.