Waking Up Different

Princess Celestia's POV

Inwardly, she sighed. Oh, Rarity, even if he can be a spoiled brat at times, was that really necessary? She beckoned Rarity and Blueblood, who followed her through the hallway into a room. It held a low table and three squashy arm (foreleg?) chairs. They seated themselves.

"Now, Blueblood, I want to hear your side of the story." Princess Celestia directed her gaze into Blueblood's eyes. "Starting from when you woke up."

The Prince tossed his mane dramatically. "Well, when I woke up, I was rudely dragged from my bed by Rarity, who then proceeded to brutally slam my body against the ceiling, then the floor, then the ceiling, then the floor. And as if that wasn't enough for her, she had the rudeness to hurl me out of my window! Had I not flown into a cake that cushioned my impact, I would probably not be here!"

"Rarity, your turn. Begin from the moment you entered his room."

"I entered his room," Rarity began, "and the memories of the anger from being treated so rudely at the Gala overtook me. I… may not have been in the right state of mind. And yes, I did do all that he said."

Celestia gave a long, exasperated sigh. "Rarity, although I do understand that he can be a jerk sometimes, what you did to him wasn't fair."

"What?!" Rarity spluttered. "But-" she began protesting vehemently, but Celestia held up a hoof to stop her.

"If every mare he's ever been a jerk to did what you did, Prince Blueblood would have been dead a long time ago. He was only mean for one night. You, however, sank to his level and could've killed him. I expect that you'll give him an honest apology and I hope that this kind of thing can be avoided in the future. You're an Element of Harmony! You're supposed to act better than this." On the last sentence, her voice took on a disappointed tone, and Rarity hung her head in shame.

"Rarity." Blueblood sighed. "It appears that I, too, owe you an apology."

Her head shot up quickly. "You have nothing to apologize for… it's completely my fault for hurling you out a window." She sighed. "What was I thinking?"

"But I do. I ruined your dreams back at the Grand Galloping Gala, and you deserve to at least know why."

"Then… why?"

"It's because... my heart's set on another mare. In the past, I've found that simply explaining to the mares who chased me that I loved another did nothing; they just assumed I was playing hard to get and chased faster. So I had to resort to the rudeness that you saw at the Gala to get them away. It was the only tactic that worked, short of demanding a guard to escort them out."

Rarity was silent. "But - "

"The only reason you wanted me was because I was a Prince. The only reason you went to the Gala - you were singing about it for Celestia's sake - was to marry a Prince, become a Princess, become Canterlot Royalty. I saw it in your eyes; the same thing I saw in every other mare's eyes. All you've heard of me is from the tablets and the newspapers, not from friendship and truly knowing me."

"… Blueblood, I'm sorry for throwing you out the window and slamming you high and low in your own bedroom."

"Apology accepted." Blueblood rubbed a bruise, wincing. "And I'm sorry for the rudeness I showed you at the Gala and for interrupting your coronation like that."

Celestia's stomach growled rather loudly, to the amusement of the other two ponies in the room.

"Shall we return to the festivities?"

"Yes, we shall."

Prince Blueblood's POV

That Rarity mare wasn't such a bad mare. She'd apologized for hurling him out the window and nearly killing him. I don't quite hate her, but I'm not her buddy... just somewhere in between.

On the other hoof… he hadn't been lying when he said he liked another mare.

The Element of Magic, to be precise. He'd heard of her many times from Celestia, and from seeing her in the time she'd spent in Canterlot Castle, she actually looked quite cute. Plain, yes, but still cute. Even better, she was excellent in her magical skills… but never took the time to pay him any attention. He, the Prince of all ponies, wasn't as important as her books were!

He'd gone to as many social gatherings as he could, trying to see which ones the object of his affection - Twilight Sparkle; even her name was regal! - attended, in vain.

Blueblood trotted to the refreshments, where he spotted… common carnival fare? The mare of his dreams ate this? Well, if this is what she eats, perhaps I can encounter her here. A few bites of a food I don't normally eat will be worth it for a conversation with… *her.***

But as he trotted over there, he saw Twilight with another mare - a light yellow Alicorn with a long, flowing mane and tail, but not quite like his Auntie's. Perhaps I shall go and socialize? That mare she's with must be a friend, and if I can befriend one of her friends, I'll have a link to Twilight! Quickly, the handsome stallion changed course, unaware that he looked like a school colt with his first crush, a stupidly silly grin on his face.

"Why hello, Twiflash Glimmer." Mentally, he facehooved and screamed at himself as he addressed Twilight. "I mean Twiglimmer Flashle… No!… Ugh…"

"It's Twilight Sparkle," she corrected. "And aren't you Prince Blueblood?"

She knows my name! She knows my name! She knows my name! Prince Blueblood shoved his ecstatic feelings down. "Yes, I indeedily am." Yet another fail. Shining Armor would get a good laugh out of this later.

Speak of the devil and he doth appear... Shining Armor suddenly appeared, glaring at him. "Why are you talking to my sister?"

"Shining, it's okay," Twilight began, but Shining interrupted.

"No it's not. You're my little sister! I'm supposed to protect you! That's what big brothers do!"

"We're merely conversing." Blueblood protested. "Am I not allowed to have a conversation with a mare?"

"Not when it's my sister," Shining growled.

"Shiny!" Twilight stepped between them. "It's fine! I'm a grown mare and a Princess! I can handle myself. If I can help defeat Discord and Nightmare Moon, I can certainly defend myself against Blueblood if I need to."

"If you say so…" He walked away slowly, ears pricked.

Twilight sighed. She looks hot even when she's disappointed - this must be the secret to marriage: find some pony who looks sexy when sighing. "Did you need anything, Blueblood?"

The mare next to her - Flutterfly? Shutterfly? No, Fluttershy - gulped loudly. "Uhm… I think he's staring at it."

The beautiful - in his opinion - mare followed his gaze… which led her to her flank. "Well, he's not getting any." Twilight sighed. "Fluttershy, wanna get something to eat? I'm hungry."

"Oh, absolutely."

Blueblood shook himself. How did she catch me staring at her flank? It's not my fault she's so cute!

Why were you even looking there in the first place? a voice asked in the back of his head; sounded like Celestia.

"Wait, Twilight!" he called.

She turned back to him. "What?"

"I was… I was admiring your… cutie mark!"

"Yea, and?"

"And… your cutie mark!"

"And…?"

Busted. "Your flank."

"That's what I thought." She rolled her eyes, and got a slice of apple pie.

Twilight's POV

The nerve! And to think I thought he had at least a shred of respect for mares… Twilight chomped on her pie.

"Twilight? Is anything wrong?"

"No, not at all," Twilight reassured her friend. "Just annoyed. I mean, he's the Prince of Canterlot! Surely he has better things to do than to stare at my flank!"

"What is this I hear?" Rarity trotted up. "Prince Blueblood was staring at your flank?"

"Um, yes."

She snorted. "You must be the other mare he was speaking of - the mare he was supposedly in love with."

Twilight choked on her pie. "Pardon? Blueblood, in love with me? Rarity, I believe you've got the wrong mare."

"Certainly not, darling. It's clear! Was he stumbling over his words when he spoke to you?"

"Yes," supplied a Shining Armor who appeared out of nowhere, aiming a scowl at Blueblood. "And staring at her flank, and he got her name wrong twice."

"Head over hooves," Rarity confirmed. "Oh, Twilight, I can't believe it! Blueblood loves you! Oh, your foals would be the cutest!"

"Whoa, back up," Twilight said. "Blueblood and I certainly aren't getting married or having foals."

"She's right, you know," Blueblood bumped Rarity out of the way, a relaxed grin on his face. Normally, it would make mares swoon, as Rarity did, but Twilight was unaffected. "Our foals would indeed be the cutest."

"Hello?" Twilight asked, a scowl steadily forming on her face to match her brother's. "Do you even know how to flirt? Most stallions don't flirt with mares by saying 'Our foals would be hella cute.'"

"Eh, just saying." Blueblood sighed. "You're right. Then how would you like me to court you? Roses on your doorstep? A romantic dinner at the finest of Bitalian restaurants?"

"First of all, I'm not even romantically interested in you."

A record scratched loudly again.

"Say what?" Blueblood gasped. "A mare not romantically interested in me?"

"Better believe it!" You may be handsome, you may be a Prince of Equestria, but that doesn't mean I want to date you!

His ears flopped down in sadness, and he slowly walked away. "I guess I'll die a bachelor, then."

"There are plenty of mares out there, much more beautiful and talented than me."

"Not! Lavender is such a beautiful color, and your mane is... feautibul, and your talent - it's stumming! You're the Element of Magic!" Blueblood threw himself onto the ground at her hooves, sobbing. "I'll do anything, for even the lowest of relationships with you!"

"Sugarcube, don't you at least think you should give 'im a chance?" Applejack had overheard the conversation, and she trotted over. "Ah mean, you do know a lot about Friendship."

"..."

"I think Applejack's right," Fluttershy admitted. "You should at least get to know him before you flat-out reject him."

"Absolutely not!" Rarity gasped. "They must get married and have foals now!"

"When's your foal shower? Or showers? Or your wedding?" Pinkie Pie slid on some rose-colored goggles. "Ooh, I can totally see you two together!"

"Fine, I'll give him a chance," Twilight relented.

"You will?" Blueblood began erratically kissing her hooves.

"As friends, nothing more," the lavender Alicorn tentatively raised a hoof, obviously not used to ponies kissing them erratically as Blueblood had been. This... Ugh, what did I just agree to?

"Ugh, who gave him love potion?" grumbled Rainbow.

Pinkie and Rarity gasped, looking into each other's eyes.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rarity whispered.

"I think I'm thinking what you're thinking, or do you think that I think that I'm thinking what you're thinking?"

The two mares huddled, whispering furiously.

Pinkie turned to Fluttershy. "Say, you willing to help us with something?"

Fluttershy reluctantly nodded, and they began whispering even more fiercely.

"... I wonder what they're up to." Twilight remarked.

"I don't know, but that's okay, since I'm with the most beautiful mare on the planet." Blueblood sighed dreamily.

Oh, great. His crush on me is worse than Spike's crush on Rarity!

Pinkie Pie's POV

"So, Rarity, what are you thinking?" whispered the pink Alicorn.

"I'm thinking we cook up a Love Potion, and serve it to the two of them. They'll be married before you know it!"

"What if it goes wrong?" Fluttershy whispered.

"It shouldn't," Rarity assured her.

"But think of the consequences. Twilight and Blueblood are royalty; surely they have duties!" Fluttershy squeaked. "Without their duties, who knows what would go wrong?"

Pinkie scoffed. "Silly Fluttershy, I thought everypony knew that all Blueblood does is go to parties, and Twilight's not going to have any since Celestia and Luna practically take care of everything."

"Oh."

"See! It'll all be fine. I believe we need..."

"A tuft of cloud, a Pegasus' feather, and a bright rainbow's glow? Of course, you'd only need the Pegasus feather to stir it with," suggested Pinkie.

"How did you know?" Rarity's jaw dropped, but she pushed it back up.

"I dunno, maybe the author looked it up on the MLP wiki!"

PINKIE!! Stop breaking the fourth wall!

Oopsie! *giggle* Sorry!

How many more times do you plan on breaking the fourth wall? I just repaired it!

Silly Author, I can break the fourth wall as much as I want!

Get back in there and stay there!

If you insist! *hops back into story*

*deep, heavy sigh as she fixes the fourth wall* And now, back to your regularly scheduled - or not, I dunno, I don't control your lives.

"Darling?" Rarity was staring at Pinkie with a concerned look on her face. "Are... are you alright?"

"Yep! Why wouldn't I be?" Pinkie said. "So, can we start making the potion?"

"Certainly!"

The three mares galloped off, Pinkie giggling like mad.