Here's chapter ten-the Gala! We get to see who Fluttershy picks, and the outcome of the Gala! Again, this will be Rarity/Blueblood. Because I adore them. I really don't know why, because he's a pompous douchebag.
Chapter 10: At the Gala!
Before they knew it, the week was up, and the day before the Gala had arrived. Elusive and Applebuck, keeping their agreement to always stay friends in mind, made their way over to Fluttershy's to get her answer as to who she was going to the Gala with. Elusive knocked on her door, and Fluttershy answered it quickly.
"Good morning, Miss Fluttershy." Elusive gave a slight bow.
Applebuck tipped his hat. "Mornin', Miss."
Fluttershy smiled. "Good morning, boys." She sighed. "Well, I have my answer." The two colts leaned in, blocking out everything else as best as they could. "And…I can't go with either of you."
"What?" Elusive and Applebuck shouted in unison. What did she mean, she couldn't go with either of them?
"I'm sorry," She said. "But Butterscotch and I are going to look at the animals. It's such a special event, and the animals are so exotic! They're so rare, and it's the first time I'll ever be able to see them. And…I'd rather spend that time with family." Said family came up from behind her, Butterscotch as bashful and quiet as usual. He waved to his friends and said a whispered good morning.
"Oh…well, alright." Applebuck said, defeated and disappointed. "Maybe next time."
"Yes, yes, perhaps next time." Elusive agreed.
"Well, we'd better get going. It's a long trip to Canterlot, and we need to get ready and leave as soon as possible." The other three ponies nodded and went off to Rarity's boutique for their outfits. They had to do their makeup and hair and Rarity and Elusive would be there to help every step of the way. She picked up four mice from the ground.
"What are the mice for?" Butterscotch asked.
"Twilight asked me to bring them for something." She answered, as the four of them began to walk to Rarity's shop.
Butterscotch and Fluttershy were behind in the group and Elusive and Applebuck were a few hoovesteps in front of them. Applebuck sighed. "Well, I guess neither of us is better than only one of us."
Elusive nodded, feeling defeated. "Yes, I suppose so as well." He sighed, very disappointed.
Rainbow Dash and Blitz flew over to where they were supposed to be meet Twilight and the others, a few yards away from Rarity's shop. Pinkie Pie and Berry were bouncing up and down on a trampoline while Twilight had her eyes narrowed and fixated on the pages of a large brown book she had on the ground.
"Ah!" Pinkie squealed. "I! Can't! Believe! The! Grand! Galloping! Gala! Is!"
"Tonight!" Berry shrieked.
"Pinkie, Berry," Twilight said, wincing with her ears pressed to her skull. "Please stop shouting, I'm trying to concentrate!" Dusk Shine was lying under the shade of the tree, watching his little sister go over the spell they needed for tonight.
Rarity exited her shop and spotted the two pink ponies getting some exercise on the trampoline. "Pinkie Pie, Berry Bubble, stop that right now." She held her hooves onto the side of the trampoline. "It's time to prepare for the Gala, and I refuse on your dress and suit when you're both all sweaty."
Pinkie and Berry gave Rarity a brief look like she had ruined their fun but obliged and jumped off the trampoline and stood next to Spike and Barbara, who were a few feet away from Twilight.
"Whatcha doin' there, Twilight?" Blitz asked, peering at the pages of her book.
She smiled. "I've been working on this spell for the Gala."
"Oh, where are the others?" Rarity asked, looking around, as only half of them were present. "It's getting late."
"Hold your horses girls, we're here." Applejack responded, with Elusive, Fluttershy, Butterscotch, and Applebuck with her.
Twilight snapped her book shut and grinned. "Perfect, I'm ready."
"For what?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.
"Alright Spike," Twilight smiled. Spike placed an apple on the ground.
"An apple!" Pinkie smiled.
"Are we having pie?" Berry asked.
"Shh," Barbara said, a finger to her lips. "Watch!" She had been there to witness Twilight practicing the spell and memorizing it.
Twilight aimed her horn at the apple, and her horn and the red fruit glowed purple. The apple contorted and was distorted. Purple tendrils swirled around it, and in a puff of smoke, a red carriage in the shape of an apple appeared. It had swirled designs, was a bright red, and the stem was curled with a yellow flag on it. The seat resembled an apple slice, and the window on the brown door was shaped like a heart.
"I love it." Applebuck said, approvingly.
"Big enough for all of us." Rainbow Dash observed.
"Nice work, Twilight." Blitz said, giving the female pony a hoof-bump. Dusk Shine felt a strong sense of pride in his sister. She had certainly come a long way.
Twilight beamed. "Thanks. But that's just the start." Twilight turned to her philly friend with the long pink mane. "Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?"
The four mice from earlier peaked their heads out from Fluttershy's pink mane. "Yes." She smiled, looking up at them. She lowered her head, letting them onto the ground.
Twilight nodded. "You have my word." The four mice gave little squeaks as Twilight readied her magic again. In another ray of purple sparkles, the mice turned into what resembled horses, with long legs, about three times the size of Twilight, only with…mice features, including mice noses and whiskers. The others were…less impressed, but Twilight smiled. "Neat, huh?" No one seemed to be aware of Rarity's cat coming out from the bush. "And don't worry-they'll be mice again at midnight."
They only noticed Opal pouncing on the horse/mice creatures when it was too late.
"No, Opal!" Rarity shouted.
She let out a sharp meow and dug her claws into one of the horse/mice things. The one she attacked kicked her off and all four of them took off down the hill, too fast for any of them to catch. "Wait!" Twilight yelled. "Come back!" She sighed and turned to her friends. "Those horses were supposed to pull our carriage! How are we going to get to the Gala?"
"Uh, Twilight?" Blitz called. He and Applebuck, the two most athletic ponies, had hooked themselves up to the carriage and were ready for the trip.
"Oh." Blush immediately went to Twilight's face. Obviously embarrassed, she said, "Right."
In a few minutes, the colts and phillies were separated in different rooms, the phillies doing their manes and makeup and the boys were getting dressed. Rarity did Twilight's mane and adding a few products into it to give some body and curls. "Oh Twilight, that's wonderful!" Rarity gushed, pinning back Twilight's loose strands with bobby pins. "Your first date! Your first date! Oh, I'm sure it's going to go well. Blitz seems like such a gentleman."
Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, who had wrapped her mane in a towel to dry it. "Rainbow, are you sure you're okay with me…you know, dating your brother?"
Rainbow Dash smiled. "At first, I wasn't sure. But now, I want you to date my brother." Twilight gave a shy smile in return. "Twilight, you're one of the few girls that I know that's good enough for my brother." She patted the purple unicorn on the shoulder.
Twilight was glad at least somepony approved.
Fluttershy, Twilight, and Applejack were under Rarity's hairdryers, while Pinkie played with one and was sent flying. Rarity rinsed off her face mask and tossed the cucumbers that had previously been on her eyes into the garbage.
In the room down the hall, Elusive was helping the others to dress. Barbara banged on the door. "Come on, you guys! Let me in!"
Blitz heard her voice and got up from his seat. "Sure thing, Barb."
Elusive immediately rushed and blocked the door with his body. "Heavens, no! We're getting dressed!"
"Dressed?" Applebuck questioned. "Beg your pardon Elusive, but we don't normally wear clothes."
Elusive groaned and complied, opening the door and letting an annoyed-looking Barb in. "Terribly sorry, Barbara, but some of us do have standards."
Back in the room with the girls, Rarity had also let Spike in while Twilight was under a dryer. "I still can't believe we're going to be in Canterlot tonight! Our hometown Twilight! And the best part is we all get to hang together all night long!"
Rainbow had seated herself on a chair with two fluffy pillows. "I don't know, Spike." She had her own plans for the evening.
Rarity placed one of her false eyelashes on, and blinked to make sure it was in the correct position. She already had her eyeshadow on. "We'll just have to see."
Applejack also had her mane up wrapped in a towel and she was spit-shining Fluttershy's hove. "We're gonna be a might busy."
Pinkie had finished drying her mane. "Busy having fun!" Her mane was straight for just a moment, before it puffed up into its usual style.
Twilight had gotten out from under her dryer and was applying blush to her cheeks. "Don't worry Spike; we'll all get to spend some time together."
"Great!" Spike smiled.
About an hour later, it had gotten dark; Luna had turned the sky a purple-color, dotted with white stars and the full moon hang high in the sky. Blitz and Applebuck were hooked up to the carriage, and Spike had the reins in his hands and Barbara sat next to him. The girls and the rest of the colts were in the carriage, happily chatting away. "I planned out my insiders tour of Canterlot. I gotta show Rarity the crown jewels, and Applejack the Princess' Golden Apple tree, and Pinkie, we gotta go to my favorite doughnut shop." They couldn't hear a word he was saying over their own happy chatter, and Blitz and Applebuck shook their hoods with smiles on their faces.
"So, Twilight's your date, huh?" Spike asked.
Blitz nodded. "Yep. It's our second date."
Applebuck smiled. "It's nice to see you being a serious about a girl."
Blitz grinned. "Serious about her the moment I saw her."
Spike narrowed her eyes. "You better be serious about her! Twilight's the one who hatched me! If you do anything to hurt her feelings, I'll…"
Blitz cut him off. "I'm not gonna hurt her! Celestia, you're as bad as Dusk Shine." He rolled his eyes. Spike glared at him in response, while Barbara just giggled.
Finally after a long walk, a very long walk, they were at the castle. Twilight was glad to be back home, and she wondered if her parents and older sister would be attending. She hoped so; she missed her sister very much. They pulled up to the castle, and Blitz and Applebuck dismounted from the carriage.
Spike hopped down from her seat, opened the door, and bowed for the colts and phillies. They descended and Blitz and Applebuck couldn't help but stare. Elusive had been staring all evening at Fluttershy. They were all beauties to behold.
Rarity had actual glass slippers, a pinkish-purple intricate and complicated dress with gold designs. She had a cloak tied around her neck and purple earrings. Her mane and tail were tied back, and a gold crown was placed upon her head.
Applejack's dress was green and brown, with what looked like a saddle. She had cowpony boots, and a triangle-shaped collar with a red apple on it. Her tail and part of her mane were braided, and her bangs were swept to the side of her face. She had her hat, like always.
Rainbow's dress was inspired by Athens, with two golden feathers on her head and her mane tied back in a large and low ponytail. She had golden sandals, and a rainbow skirt fitted over her wings so she could fly with ease. The end of the rainbow had a cloud design.
Pinkie Pie's outfit was large and pink, with designs of lollipops and candy corn. She had blue and pink shoes, and a shirt with blue and whites stripes and a large pink bowtie. She had a white and blue with another pink bow on it.
But what a beauty Fluttershy proved to be! Rarity had insisted on pulling her mane back so it didn't hide her face. It had blue and light blue little flowers in it, and her dress was butterfly-inspired. She had a butterfly clip on her ear, and her outfit was tied on her neck by one. Her dress was green with blue and yellow flowers. Rarity had also applied false eyelashes, making her green eyes pop against her coat. Elusive and Applebuck stood and stared. She was a sight to behold.
Blitz was looking at his date for the evening. Her dress was cut so it completely covered her flank, and had a very high collar. It had a dark blue color, with lighter blue and white stars on the edges and on the part that covered her torso. Her shoes were light blue and also had star details. She had star earrings, and she just looked so lovely. It fit her perfectly; smart, not too bold, not too quiet, and it was sophisticated and almost classic. The color of her dress made her eyes and mane stand out more than usual, and she was stunning. Blitz smiled to himself and walked over to her, offering his arm. "M'lady?" He asked. Twilight smiled, and gratefully took it. "Twilight, you look wonderful."
She giggled. "And you look very handsome in your suit." Rainbow Blitz had on a blue suit with puffy sleeves and it showed off his cutie mark.
He grinned. "Thanks."
Spike, dressed in a black and white tuxedo with a red bowtie, was lighten up like the fireworks display above the palace. "Yeah, this is gonna be the best night ever! And you know why? 'Cause we're all gonna spend time at the Gala together-" However, in a heartbeat, everypony was gone. He had spun around and landed on his rear-end. He was left alone with Barb, who was in a little pink dress. They both stared in shock, as everypony seemed to have vanished into thin air. "Or…not." He muttered.
Blitz and Twilight had headed for the staircase with Dusk Shine with them, where the Princess was greeting the guests. Twilight smiled. "Blitz, have you met the Princess before?"
Blitz shook his head. "No, I've met her brothers before, Solaris and Artemis."
Dusk Shine grinned. "I'm going to ask the Princess where I can find Solaris. He'll probably want to see me right away." Twilight nodded, not feeling anymore dread about what Solaris wanted with her brother after being comforted by Blitz.
The trio walked up to the Princess. "Princess Celestia," Twilight greeted.
"Twilight Sparkle," The Princess grinned. "It is so lovely to see my star student. And I see you brought some friends."
Twilight nodded. "Princess, this is my date for the evening, Rainbow Blitz, and my brother, Dusk Shine."
The Princess smiled mischievously. "Yes, yes, Solaris has told me all about them. It's nice to know you're not spending too much time in the books. Dusk Shine, Solaris told me to tell you to meet him in the library to discuss matters."
Dusk Shine nodded gratefully and bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness. And it's been a pleasure."
Celestia bowed back. "To you, as well." Dusk Shine took off towards the library, going up the staircase and following the signs that were on the walls for the ponies that were new visitors to the castle.
He found the library shortly.
Twilight was barely able to contain her excitement. She had been dreaming about this for so long! And now it was finally coming true! "We have so much to talk about! We've got a lot to catch up on."
"Well then," Celestia began. "I want you right by my side the entire evening, so we'll have plenty of time together."
Twilight turned her date. "Is that okay with you, Blitz?"
Blitz nodded. "Of course, whatever you wanna do, Twilight."
Celestia tapped Twilight on the shoulder. "You've bagged a good one, Twilight." Her prized student t only flushed in response.
Meanwhile, Rarity had entered the hall, and she looked around for her prince. She gasped when she spotted him heading out towards the gardens. He had a white coat, a long, straight, silky-looking blonde mane, and he was a unicorn. His tail curled just slightly at the end. His eyes were an icy blue, and he looked shy and kind with his gentle smile that seemed to be at her. He had on a black collar with a blue bowtie.
Rarity gave a tiny, almost inaudible shriek. "Hurry Rarity!" She whispered to herself. Then she slowed her pace. "Oh, but not too fast." She didn't want to get all sweaty-or seem desperate. "But I don't want to lose him. Wait! No, play it cool." Her pace kept getting slower and then faster; luckily, nobody seemed to notice. "Oh, but I can't lose him!" She spotted over by an arch. "He's everything I imagined!" She thought she saw him smile at her with a rose in-between his teeth and him wiggling his eyebrow at her. "Oh, even better than I imagined."
On the other side of the garden there was Butterscotch and Fluttershy, checking out the birds and other wildlife. Fluttershy heard a bird chirping. "Oh, I think she's calling to us! Oh, it's exactly what I wished for!" She sang back, and got a "reply". Fluttershy and Butterscotch giggled.
Meanwhile, Applebuck and Applejack were opening up their apple stand. Applejack pushed the cart along, and gave it a kick, and it popped open. It was filled to the brim with apple treats, including candy apples and even apples cut to be shaped like actual fries. Soarin, a Wonderbolt, walked up to her stand. "Howdy partner!" Applebuck greeted. "You hungry?"
Soarin nodded. "As a horse!"
"Well, what are you hungry for?" Applejack asked. "We got caramel apples, apple pie, apple fritters, apple fries."
"I'll take that big apple pie!" Soarin grinned, pointing to the large pie on the small shelf. He dropped a few bits into her bucket, and took the apple pie in his mouth.
"Well, thank you kindly, sir." Applejack smiled. When he was gone, Applejack and Applebuck gave cheer. "Yee-ha! In the first minute, we made our first sale! Just like I expected!" They grinned to themselves, thinking of all the money they were going to make for their farm.
Over by the VIP (Very Important Pony) section, the Wonderbolts had gathered around after just finishing their show. Spitfire had joined Soarin, who still had the apple pie in his mouth. "Always hungry after a show, eh Soarin?"
In a stupid move, he opened his jaw and let out a "yeah", and Rainbow Dash saw an opportunity to make herself stand out to the Wonderbolts. As Soarin dramatically shouted out, "My pie!" Rainbow Dash dove forward and caught it between her hooves, just before it splattered on the ground. Soarin smiled. "You saved it. Thanks."
"Hey, no prob." Rainbow Dash said as Soarin took his pie from her.
"Hey, I know you," Spitfire smiled. "You're the pony that saved us in Cloudsdale and won the Best Flyer competition."
"Hey yeah!" Rainbow Dash wanted Blitz to be around for this, but he was most likely with Twilight at the moment. "The name's Rainbow Dash."
"Well, Rainbow Dash, it looks like your skills saved us again. Well, at least they saved Soarin's apple pie." Said Pegasus was happily chowing down on his desert, and gave a "mhmm" through a mouthful of apple. More Wonderbolts had appeared and Rainbow Dash's heart nearly stopped when Spitfire asked, "Wanna come hang out with us?"
"Sure, why not?" Rainbow answered, acting more collected than she really felt. She skipped-skipped-after them in the VIP section. She stopped. "I'm hanging. With. The Wonderbolts!" She gave a tiny squeal. The Wonderbolts brought out the more…excited part of Rainbow Dash.
Elusive was unhappy. He thought he wouldn't be so, being in Canterlot with many high class ponies, and being at the Gala, with all of the sophistication and glamour that Canterlot had to offer. But he wasn't happy. No, he was miserable. And he knew why. He was at the Gala, yes, but not with Fluttershy. Fluttershy was with her brother, enjoying the animals and flowers in the garden. He sighed. He missed her. He missed her beauty, her kindness, and he missed that gentle look in her eyes. He wanted her to be by his side. He wanted to dance the evening away with her, having her hove in his, and keeping her close enough where he could smell her perfume. He gave another depressing sigh. Heartache hurt so bad…
"Excuse me," That voice belong to a mare. Elusive looked up and saw a blonde pony with a white coat and shining blue eyes standing in front of him. "You look troubled." She said. "Is everything alright?"
Elusive sighed. "I am as alright as I can be." He said. "Please, don't worry about me. Go and enjoy your evening."
The mare shook her head. "No, it's alright. My brother ran off somewhere, and I can't find him anywhere."
"Who is your brother?" Elusive asked.
"Prince Blueblood. I am his sister, Prince Bluebell."
Elusive nodded. He remembered Rarity talking about Prince Blueblood and how he was her "prince charming" and all, but he wasn't sure if he should tell Miss Bluebell that. "Good evening, your highness. I am Elusive."
Back in the garden, Rarity was admiring a fine red rose when her prince came up to her. "Well hello," He began. "I am Prince Blueblood."
I threw a wish in the well.
Don't ask me, I'll never tell.
I looked at you as it fell,
And now you're in my way.
I trade my soul for a wish,
Pennies and dimes for a kiss.
I wasn't looking for this,
But now you're in my way.
Your stare was holding,
Ripped jeans,
Skin was showing,
Hot night,
Wind was blowing.
Where you think you're going baby?
Hey I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me maybe?
It's hard to look right at you baby,
But here's my number,
So call me maybe?
Hey I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me maybe?
And all the other boys
Try to chase me
But here's my number,
So call me maybe?
Rarity flushed. Her prince had introduced himself to her! "I am…Rarity." She smiled. She gazed at the red flower again. "Oh my, what a lovely rose."
"You mean this rose?" He plucked it from the bush, and she glowed when he held it in front of her face…but that glow was gone when he snipped its leaves and thorns, and attached it to his collar. "Thank you. It goes with my eyes."
Rarity winced. This was not a good sign.
She should've just walked away. Just like when Twilight foolishly let her brother into the door of her library, Rarity should've just gotten out of there as quick as she could. But no, she stayed. She stayed and decided to wait for his "gentlemanly" side to come out. And she would cause so much trouble for herself down the road…
When Rarity met Prince Blueblood, it would be the beginning of an emotional rollercoaster for her.
Back in the garden, Fluttershy and Butterscotch were in the garden, following the whistles and trying to find their already-beloved bird. "Right around this corner!" Fluttershy yelled. They crossed the bend, but did not find a bird. They found an old farmer pony, who had a rake and was whistling.
"That was you?" Butterscotch asked.
"Yep," The farmer pony responded. "I love whistling while I work." He whistled away, raking the leaves and putting them into piles.
"Hey Butterscotch, are you hungry?" Fluttershy.
Butterscotch shook his head. "Not really, why? Are you?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna go grab a bite and then be back soon, okay?"
Butterscotch nodded. "Okay. I'll be here when you do." He smiled. She smiled back, and she headed off towards the main hall with all of the food.
If only Fluttershy hadn't left her brother alone.
Rainbow Dash wasn't having that much either. She had been completely cut off from the Wonderbolts, and had to push her way past ponies to even get near them. However, they couldn't hear her attempts for conversation over the loud chatter of the other ponies, and she wasn't sure if even performing a sonic rainboom could even get their attention. She sighed, letting her head down.
Twilight was disappointed, to say the least. More and more ponies kept showing up, and she couldn't get a word in edge wise with the Princess. "I'm sorry you're having a lousy time." She whispered to Blitz.
He shook his head. "Hey, I wanted to spend the evening with you, and that's what I'm getting." Twilight smiled, feeling better hearing those words. "But do you think you could tear yourself away from the Princess and share a dance with me?"
Twilight nodded. "I would like that."
"Your highness, would you mind if I borrowed your prized student for a dance?" Blitz asked.
Celestia shook her head. "Not at all. You watch your footing. She is my prized student." Celestia chuckled.
And this would be the start of when everything would blow up in their faces.
Blitz took Twilight into the dancing hall, where they saw Pinkie and Berry…making total fools of themselves! They were hopping, shouting, and cheering at the top of their lungs! They winced when they saw the appalled and almost horrified expressions of the other ponies. Pinkie even chipped off a portion of the ice sculpture, and disrupted the band! One of the strings on Octavia's violin snapped! "Oh no," Twilight whispered.
"Oh, shit, Berry," Blitz muttered, a nearby pony with a high style of mane looking disgusted with his language.
"Young lady!" One older mare snapped. "You are behaving completely inappropriately!"
"Sir, you should know better than that!" Her supposed-husband joined in.
"That's what I was afraid of." Twilight took one step back.
"We gotta stop 'em before they-" Before Blitz could finish, they heard Rarity's shouting from the other end of the hall. She was with Prince Blueblood-Twilight recognize him from old family photos the Princess had once shown her-and she was not a happy pony. Elusive stood with Bluebell, astounded with his sister's behavior.
Back outside at their stand, Applejack and Applebuck felt defeated. They hadn't sold anything besides that one apple pie and that one apple fritter to Rarity and the Prince, and Blueblood hadn't even liked it! They…really just wanted to go home. Applebuck sighed. "Come on sis, let's pack up." Applejack nodded, and began closing up the stand. They returned it to the carriage and decided to go check on the others in the main hall. Applebuck hoped he could get a dance with Fluttershy before the night was over. However, they were stunned by what they saw.
"Elusive, I must say, I very much enjoy your company." Bluebell smiled.
Elusive smiled back. "Thank you, Princess Bluebell."
"Please, just call me Bluebell." She giggled. "All of my friends do."
Elusive chuckled. "Yes, my sister Rarity mentioned that to me."
"Oh, Rarity is your sister? I thought you looked familiar. She designed the gown I'm wearing." The delicate-looking, lacy light blue dress with the design of silver bells was obviously Rarity's work. He was so proud of his sister-she designed for royalty!
"Yes, she's actually pursuing your brother."
Bluebell's eyes turned wide. She looked panicked. Before he could ask what was wrong, she said, "I certainly hope not! My brother is a pompous fool who doesn't know how to treat a lady right! And I know Rarity won't take that from him! If she tells him off in front of all these people…" It might damage her career! The people in Canterlot were so important-if Rarity looked like a raging freak, no one would buy from her!
"We have to find her and get her away from him." Elusive said.
But it was too late.
Somepony had tripped and fallen over Rainbow Dash during one of her attempts to get the Wonderbolts attention, and he had fallen directly onto the table. The large cake with several layers went flying across the room. Blueblood panicked and pulled Rarity in front of him. Her gown was ruined as the desert seeped into the fabric and into her coat.
Fluttershy was about to go find her brother when she saw Rarity get covered in cake. She hadn't seen how that came to be, but it was obviously Blueblood's fault.
Rarity's face was red with rage, and Blueblood was backing up away from her in fear. Elusive thought to himself that he should be afraid. He glared at Blueblood. How dare he treat his sister like that! He was about to go over there and tell him how a gentleman should act, but Rarity beat him to it. She backed him up against the door. "You sir are the most un-charming prince I have ever met! In fact, the only thing royal about you is that you are a royal pain!" She shouted. Elusive smirked, while Blueblood's sister Bluebell stood in agreement.
"Ew!" Blueblood yelled in disgust. "Stay back! I just had myself groomed!"
"Afraid to get dirty?" Oh, that was exactly what Elusive had been afraid of. She shook the cake from her clothes and coat and splattered it all over the self-centered prince. Said prince stumbled backwards, knocking over a golden statue of Celestia, which was about to fall and crush several ponies.
"This is my chance!" Rainbow Dash grinned. She sped past the Wonderbolts, and caught the statue on her back. Everypony turned and stared at her in total shock. "Yes." She muttered pleased. But the statue was too heavy for her. "Whoa, whoa," She muttered, as she fell to the side. The statue rammed into a column, and like a row of dominoes, the rest fell to the ground with it and all of the tops broke clean off. When all the pillars were nothing but piles of rubble and chunks of stone, the golden statue broke in half.
Twilight looked around. All of their friends and family members except Spike and Barbara-whom she had not seen all night-were all together in the room. Except for Butterscotch. Fluttershy looked around for him, but she was thankful he had been spared from his chaos. Celestia, now done with the greeting as all of the ponies on the guest list had arrived, had come to join the party. She saw the mess that had befallen her ballroom. Twilight was the only one that didn't have a torn dress and a mattered mane. Twilight sighed. "Well, it can't get any worse."
And she jinxed it. There seemed to be an earthquake, but perhaps they all would've preferred that over the stampede of exotic animals that came bursting through the tall golden doors that led to the garden.
A disheveled, exhausted-looking Butterscotch was there. His mane was in knots, and his suit was torn. "You're…GOING TO LOVE ME!" Butterscotch roared, frightening the animals even more.
"Butterscotch?" Fluttershy yelled in bewilderment, as her brother never acted like that. Blitz and the other colts stared as well. He was a sight to behold…in fact, the entire room was a sight to behold.
The animals chased the rest of the ponies around the room. There were squawks and chirps and angry noises from a variety of animals. "Oh, um…" Twilight simply couldn't come up with an explanation for this.
"Run." Celestia whispered. Twilight and Blitz whistled, getting everyponys' attention, and Twilight gestured for them to follow her and Blitz. They all took off, Elusive having lost Bluebell in the chaos. They slipped out, completely unnoticed especially by the mare that had a small bird stuck in her mane and was shrieking for somepony to get it out.
They rushed down the staircase, Rarity dropping one of her glass slippers. Pinkie Pie stopped and noticed it. "Oh, Rarity, your glass slipper! Now your prince is sure to find you!"
Horrified by the thought, Rarity took two steps up at a time, and crushed it with her bare hoof. "Let's go!" She shouted. Pinkie hesitated, feeling bad for Rarity's prince for some reason, and Rarity grabbed her by the collar.
At Spike's favorite doughnut shop, Spike was sitting with Barbara and they had been chatting all night with each other, not really having too much reason to go the Gala. "Hey, Pony Joe," Spike said, lightly slamming his glass of hot chocolate onto the counter. The remains of doughnuts were on the counter. "Another doughnut."
"Don't you think you've had enough?" Joe asked.
"Another doughnut!" Spike snapped. "Extra sprinkles!"
The door's bell rang, signaling a customer, and Joe was surprised by who it was. He smiled. "Dusk Shine and Twilight Sparkle. Long time no see!" Spike and Barbara turned around, seeing all twelve standing there, all with ruined suits, dresses, manes, and tails. Whatever happened, it caused a lot of bruises.
"Hey, how was the Gala?" Spike asked, as if oblivious to how they looked. Maybe he thought they partied too hard. "How was your best night ever?"
In a few minutes, they were seated around the largest table in the shop, Fluttershy in-between Applebuck and Elusive, Rarity sitting next to her brother, Butterscotch next to Applejack who was next to her brother, Twilight was in-between Dusk Shine and Blitz, and Rainbow Dash was next to Blitz. At the end, Pinkie and Berry sat next to each other. They had explained the entire night, and what a failure and disappointed-not to mention humiliation for most of them-it had been.
"Wow," Barbara said, sitting next to Spike on the end opposite to Pinkie and Berry.
Spike nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like the worst night ever!"
"It was!" They all said in unison, plates of doughnuts and mugs of hot chocolate on their table. They all joined in a laugh, because if anything-at least they all made it out mostly unharmed. Once the laughter had died down, Twilight pointed something out that had been sitting in the back of all their minds since they fled the palace in the carriage as fast as Blitz and Applebuck's legs could carry them-and no matter how fast they really were, it never seemed to be fast enough. "I just hope Princess Celestia isn't too upset with us about running the Gala." Winces, frowns, and rubbings of the back of the head and neck were all around.
"That was the best Grand Galloping Gala ever!" A familiar voice called, getting their attention. Especially Joe, who had not been expecting to see the Princess in his shop.
"Princess Celestia!" They all said together.
"Pardon me, Princess," Twilight began. "But tonight was just…awful."
"Awful" truly seemed to be an understatement.
"Oh Twilight," The Princess laughed. "The Grand Galloping Gala is always awful!"
"Is it?" The purple unicorn questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Celestia nodded. "That's why I was thrilled you were all attending. I was hoping you could…liven things up a bit." A bit? Blitz asked himself, remembering the destruction they had caused. "And while the evening may not have gone how you planned, I'm sure you'll agree that-in the end-it didn't turn out so bad for this group of friends."
"And family." Fluttershy smiled, beaming at her brother. "I didn't know you could be so…assertive." She grinned. Butterscotch was embarrassed. Rarity was too, and the same could be said for Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Berry as well. None of them knew how long it was going to be before they could show their faces in Canterlot again.
"You're right, Princess," Twilight smiled. "Friends have a way of making even the worst of times into something pretty great."
"No matter what happens," Blitz agreed.
"We'll always have each other." Dusk Shine smiled, patted Blitz on the shoulder.
"Amen!" They all called, toasting their mugs.
"We should've spent the Gala hanging out with friends," Rainbow Dash said before taking a sip of her drink.
"Talking," Berry agreed.
"Laughing!" Pinkie Pie giggled.
"You mean doing exactly what I wanted to do all along?" Spike asked, giving them his "I was right" pose.
Twilight nodded. "Yes, Spike. You were right."
"As always," Barbara smiled, poking Spike on the spike on his head.
"As horrible was our night was," Applejack began.
"And it was horrible," Applebuck nodded.
"Being together has made it all better." Rarity and Elusive said together. Sitting next to Fluttershy was certainly helping that bad feeling Elusive had in his chest.
"In fact," Butterscotch said.
"It's made it the best night ever!" They all said together.
This started another round of laughs and giggles, and since it was well-past midnight, the apple turned back into a carriage and so they spent the night drinking hot chocolate, eating doughnuts and telling stories-and of course ranting about how terrible the night had been. Rarity just kept going on and on about how horrid her "prince dreaming" had turned out to be. When they were all beyond exhausted, the Princess let them stay in the castle with her for the night, as it would just be a bad idea to try and get back to Ponyville in the dark. Besides, they were all just too tired.
Twilight had folded up what was left of her dress, and decided she would ask Rarity to mend it when they got him. Her room was small; there was a large purple-curtained window that was letting in plenty of moonlight and kept the room glowing. She was about to go to bed when there was a knock at her door. She opened it, and it was Blitz. She smiled. "Hey."
"Hey." He greeted. She brought him, and she closed the door. "You know, you still owe me that dance." He said.
She smiled and nodded. "Indeed, I do."
They stepped over to the window, and held each other's hooves, and he held onto her, keeping her close enough to smell the berry perfume she had applied earlier that night.
Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell-
It was love from above that could save me from hell.
She had fire in her soul.
It was easy to see that the devil himself could be pulled out of me.
There were drums in the air as she started to dance,
Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands,
And we sang,
And the voices bang like the angels sang.
They could only dance for a few minutes before Twilight was falling asleep on his shoulder, and he smiled. He gently placed her on the bed, pulling the blanket over her and closing the curtain. He walked out of the room, making sure to shut the door behind him.
Holy shit. 16 pages and over 6,000 words long. This is probably one of the longest-if not the longest-things I've ever written. Like ever. Wow. I'm amazed.
Well, next chapter marks the return of Discord, and the premiere of his sister, Chaos. And what did Solaris want with Dusk Shine? Well, you'll find out soon! So wait until next time!
See you then!
~Mimi