Waking Up Different

Shining Armor's POV

The white stallion glared towards Blueblood. Who does he think he is?

Currently, Blueblood was trying - and failing, might he add - to make small talk with Twilight.

"So, uh, read any bloods lately? No, I mean books!"

"You can't read a blood," Twilight pointed out, taking a bite out of an apple treat. Those are good... the Apple Family could teach the cooks at the Crystal Empire a thing or two about cooking.

"Uh, no, no you can't. How are you this fine yesterday?"

Twilight facehooved. "Blueblood, don't you mean 'this fine day'?"

"Uh, yea! That!"

That stallion's struggled enough. Poor Twily, she shouldn't have to try to converse with him. Shining strode over. "Blueblood, I'd like to talk to you. In private."

"Who do you think you are, peasant?" Blueblood aimed a glare at Shining Armor. Aaand there goes my thoughts that Blueblood's a decent stallion on the inside.

"Blueblood, that's my big brother. He's no peasant." Twilight looked very exasperated. "And he gives good advice."

"Oh." Blueblood sheepishly followed Shining.

Once they were out of earshot of other ponies, Shining turned to face Blueblood, ears flat.

"I suggest you leave Twily be."

"Why should I?" Blueblood glared angrily at the other Prince.

"Because it's obvious that were the two of you to marry, it wouldn't go well. She's not your type, and besides, she's immortal now! She'll eventually outlive you, and it'll just cause the both of you pain!"

"That's rich, coming from you!"

"That's different. Cadence and I were made for each other." Shining matched his glare.

"I can just get Auntie to make me an Alicorn!"

"Have you contributed as much to Equestria as Twilight has? Have you done things that actually benefit other ponies, not just yourself? Have you saved Canterlot with your friends from a changeling invasion?"

"That doesn't matter!" Blueblood hissed.

"It does. Say she were to make you an Alicorn, but Twilight won't love you! That's centuries of misery, chasing a mare who'll never love you back!" Blueblood opened his mouth to protest, but Shining pushed his jaw back up, effectively silencing him. "I may not like you very much, but that doesn't mean that I want you to spend, who knows, eternity chasing a mare when you can have plenty others. There's other fish in the sea."

Blueblood pouted. "I don't care!"

"So, if Princess Celestia were to make you an Alicorn - which is a big if - and Twilight never has the same feelings for you that you do for her, you'd be absolutely fine spending close to eternity chasing her endlessly and having your heart broken countless times when you could just live out your life how it is, and find another mare?"

"... I don't care!"

"Suit yourself." Shining sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you if that's how that all turns out."

The two white stallions trotted out, barely sparing each other a glance.

Rarity's POV

The three mares trotted quickly away to Pinkie's room. It was covered in streamers, balloons floated around wherever they wished, and confetti littered any uncovered surface - even the bed.

"Darling, like you said, we'll need a tuft of cloud, a bright rainbow's glow, all stirred with a Pegasus feather." Rarity glanced around the room. "We have the feathers, but not the cloud or the glow."

"Do you think Rainbow would let us borrow a bit of her tail? It's bright and rainbowy!"

"No, that's just hair."

"Oh."

"Um, I'll go and get the tuft of cloud," offered Fluttershy, flying out the window.

"Okey dokey!"

"I have absolutely no idea where we're going to get a 'rainbow's glow'," Rarity admitted.

Pinkie reached into the closet, and brought out a jar of rainbow liquid. "Right here! I keep hard of bright rainbow's glow all over Equestria in case of a bright rainbow's glow emergency!"

"Where did you even... Never mind, I'd rather not know."

Fluttershy returned, a tuft of cloud suspended in her magical field. "Here it is," she called.

"Excellent," Rarity took the cloud, blue magic replacing teal*.

Pinkie felt around in her mane, and pulled out a comically large cauldron.

"... How did that fit in there?" Fluttershy inquired.

The pink Alicorn giggled. "Silly Fluttershy, I'm Pinkie Pie! Anything is possible with me!"

"... That's very true."

Rarity idly hummed. She poured in the rainbow's glow, added the tuft of cloud, and plucked out one of her own feathers to stir it with.

When the potion was finished, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy spent a few minutes admiring it.

"It's PINK!" Pinkie squealed.

"There are hearts floating up from it..." Fluttershy murmured.

"It's just how it should look." Rarity separated the drink into two goblets. "I'll serve these to them tonight at dinner and say that it's an exotic, fruity drink. Twilight, not wanting to insult me, will of course drink. Blueblood will obviously want to drink whatever Twilight's drinking, and voila! They'll be together faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialadocious."

"Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious!" Pinkie chirped. "Are they together?"

Rarity coughed to cover her chuckle. "No, that'll be tonight."

"Wait," Fluttershy said, "what if something goes wrong?"

"Nonsense!" Rarity scoffed, but Pinkie cocked her head to the side.

"No, not nonsense, I think Shy has something to say!"

"Yes, but what could go wrong?"

"Many things, Rarity! What if they end up falling in love with the wrong pony?"

"W-Well, they won't!"

"They both have royal duties, Rarity. What if they become so in love with each other that they can't properly do their duties?"

"That could become a problem..." Rarity admitted. "But it won't!"

"How are you so sure that everything will work out just as planned?" Fluttershy's teal eyes were worried. "I for one find this plan to be very risky."

"Hmm... Fluttershy has a point," Pinkie said.

Rarity sighed. "Then what do you suggest we do to get them together if the potion doesn't work?"

"... We could just leave them be, and not interfere in their love lives."

"Unacceptable." Rarity's blue eyes blazed. "They're meant for each other, Fluttershy! And no matter what you say, I'll carry out my plan tonight."

"... Okay." Fluttershy's ears folded down as she said it, and her voice was full of quiet disappointment. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

That Night...

Pinkie Pie's POV

"So sorry that I'm late," apologized Rarity. "I was merely bringing up this delicious, exotic, fruity drink from my room. Blueblood, Twilight, I'd like you two to sample it."

"If she's having it, I'll have it," announced the white stallion, grasping the bottle of love potion in his magic. He poured some in Twilight's cup and in his, then handed it back to Rarity, who smiled.

There was still some in the bottle, so Rarity stowed it away under one wing. Rainbow saw it, and exchanged a knowing glance with Pinkie, who furiously beckoned her over.

"Pinkie, how good are you with your magic?"

"I'm great with it, Celestia gave me a bunch of pointers on how to use basic spells like levitaviteviation!"

"Do you think you can slip that bottle to me?"

"Yea! It's got love potion in it."

Rainbow's eyes widened, and an evil grin spread over her face. Pinkie saw, and she realized what her friend had planned. "Nonono, Dashie! We can't spike it!"

"But wouldn't it be fun?"

"Well..."

"This prank could be better than any Discord's ever played!"

"Alright, I'm in! We must defeat that silly trickster at his own game of pranks!" Pinkie grinned. The bottle glowed blue like her eyes, and a magic aura surrounded it. It slipped out, and Rainbow caught it. She winked at Pinkie, then silently trotted around the table, and made sure not to spill any as she poured some into everypony's goblets. Surprisingly, nopony questioned it. Rainbow landed in her seat.

And right in time too. The food was carried out on platters, and everypony took what they liked.

The meal went rather uneventfully. Discord was there, along with Shining Armor and Cadence - whose drinks had not been spiked, seeing as they were married.

Rainbow grinned, rubbing two hooves together. "This is gonna be the best prank ever."