Sweet Pea

by CartoonNerd12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Alternate Universe, Romance, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Button Mash, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Pipsqueak, Rumble
Length: 92324

The spin-off to The Midnight Dance starring the CMC as they take a journey to an island kingdom to face challeges that lie ahead

The spin-off to The Midnight Dance. Based on the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. When the youngest princesses of Celestia and Sombra are invited to an island kingdom to attend a ball and to compete in a series of tests to win the right to marry the prince there. They get doubts from the other princesses there. Will they be able prove themselves as true princesses?

Published 2014-12-03 04:30:12 UTC
Last updated 2015-04-02 19:26:08 UTC

Chapter 1

Sweetie Belle slept in her huge canopy bed while the door to her room slowly opened as eight figures entered the room, casting their shadows on the floor. Sweetie moaned out of her sleep and saw a pink pony in her face, which woke her up with a start as she screamed her head off.

"Surprise!" a large outcry said and the lights were turned on as she could see all of her sisters around her bed.

She gasped as she smiled widely, "You're here! But… I thought you said in your letter you wouldn't be able to make it to my birthday party?"

"Oh, Sugar Cube, we only said that so you could be surprised." answered Applejack.

"Were you?!" Pinkie gleefully asked.

"Was I ever!"

"Now why would we ever miss our little sister's sweet sixteen?" pointed Rarity, "Such an occasion must be celebrated!"

"But what about-"

"They're downstairs, waiting for you." said Twilight.

Sweetie got out of bed as her long pink and purple mane flowed down to her shoulders. She looked at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who grew as well in the last six years since their adoption into the royal family. Apple Bloom had long red hair and didn't have her pink bow anymore; instead, she had pigtails. Scootaloo's mane grew, too, and all three of them had gotten their cutie marks shortly after they became princesses.

She walked towards the door and went out to the stairway overlooking above the lower level. There stood her parents and her brothers-in-laws. All of them shouted, "Happy Birthday, Sweetie Belle!"

Her cheeks flushed, "Oh, my gosh…"

"See?" Scootaloo wrapped her arm around her, "Jut like my and AB's sixteen birthday with every pony showing up!"

They walked down the steps with Celestia and Sombra hugging her.

"Happy birthday, my darling…" smiled her mother.

"And may you have many more to come…" said her father.

"Thank you… thank you… this is all I could ever want!"

"Oh, really?" motioned Discord, "Not even chocolate covered pancakes with whipped cream on top?!"

"Mmm!" both Pinkie and Cheese drooled to the treat and nearly pounced for it, were it not for Discord keeping it out of their reach.

"Not for you two!" they whined in response, "This is for the birthday girl…" He conjured up a single candle that was glowing on the stack towards her.

Sweetie looked at it in confusion and said, "But don't you normally make a wish on the cake?"

"Sure! But this is more fun! And why wait?! Make a wish!"

Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle and went to him, "I think Sweetie would rather have a more traditional birthday…"

"Actually, I do. Thanks anyway, Discord, but you can always liven the party if it gets too dull." she winked, causing him to grin mischievously.

"So what are we waiting for?!" Pinkie jumped, "Let's party!"

Pinkie and Cheese led the family into the ballroom, which was already decorated for the party. The party was in full swing as it started off with the sisters giving Sweetie Belle their traditional birthday dance.

Twilight started the song, "Today it is your birthday and we sing to let you know that you will be queen for the day whatever you say goes…"

The sisters sang and danced around Sweetie, "We spin for you, Sweetie Belle and chasse for you, we pirouette for you and we bow before the queen! We sing because we love you and sing to let you know that you will be queen for the day, whatever you say goes!" they stopped and bowed before her as the room clapped in unison.

Sweetie Belle smiled brightly as she looked around her surroundings. In her mind, she knew this was the happiest she had felt in a very long time. She could vaguely remember a time she was happy like this… She had just turned eight years old and her real mother and father were celebrating with her. Sweetie figured nothing could go wrong… but alas, it wasn't so. Her father passed away from illness and her mother needed to find some way to take care of herself and her child. So she was employed into the castle as another servant with Sweetie helping her, but then her mother must have caught the same illness her father had and Sweetie Belle was on her own.

If Rarity hadn't taken notice of her, who knew where Sweetie would be now instead of with a new family? Luckily, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were also kids who had to work in the castle in order to live there. They were her only friends at the time before they became sisters. Then came that miraculous day when the princesses were back and with their father, King Sombra. Applejack had the idea of presenting the kids to her parents with Rarity and Rainbow Dash's help. And just like that, the king and queen took them in as their new daughters to raise.

Sweetie Belle never wanted things to change.

In a kingdom off of Horseshoe Bay, a prince was despising a change that was about to happen to him.

"But, Mom!"

"No buts, Button! You are getting married and that's final!"

"All those girls…are coming here?!"

"Princesses, Button, princesses, not just girls…"

"I won't do it!"

"Sweetheart, you need a princess to help you rule the kingdom someday… and this is the best way to determine who that princess can be…"

"Except it's going to take a lot of messengers to deliver the letters before my birthday next month."

"The messagers were already sent out a week ago. We'll all be seeing princesses by the end of the week."

"What?! How could you've not told me this?!"

"I knew you would have found a way to stop them, so it was kept secret until I knew it was time to tell you the news."

Button could only face-palmed and rubbed his temples, "Mom… would it hurt you to ask me what I want for a change?"

"Yes, it would, in fact."

He slack-jawed, at a loss for words, and grunted out of frustration before stomping his way out the throne room. He made his way to his castle's gym, which had swords at the ready and practice dummies. He picked one up in his mouth and started going for the dummy until another sword stopped him and he saw Featherweight in his usual jester get-up.

"Featherweight…" he mumbled and dropped his sword. Featherweight did the same as the prince said, "I told you, I'm not about to swordfight with you for fear you might get hurt."

"Aw, come on, Button Mash! I can do it!" he started to spar and ended up hitting his eye, causing a black eye.

"See? That's what I mean. You're too accident-prone!"

"Snips and Sails are on the knight's circuit and they're way more accident-prone than I am!"

"And that's why they don't get assigned the really dangerous missions."

"While I'm stuck here telling jokes and playing the fool to the royal family…"

Button started laughing uncontrollably, "You're the fool?! I'm the one who has to get married before his next birthday at his mother's request! I can't even tell her how I feel without getting criticized! Is that all I am ever going to be? A prince who can't speak up to his own mother? Who am I? Me, who am I? A far-from-perfect guy… A bum who wants to do what's right but often does what's wrong… A kid who's voice is way off key but loves to sing a song… A guy who dreams like a lion but wakes up like a lamb! Me, who am I? But the guy I am, that's who'm I am!"

He started going around his castle with Featherweight and his servants started singing around, "His Royal Highness, Button Mash! Slayer of dragons! Pitiless to ogres! Destroyer of griffins and giants! No friend to gargoyles! Nice to the needy… Sportsman and poet… A guy who dreams like a lion but wakes up like a lamb!"

"Me, who am I but the guy I am…"

"He's our hero! Such perfection! He's the kind of guy who we'd all like to be! What's the use of self-reflection? Church bells will ring when you are king! Ponies will sing… There is no one quite like…"

(Overlap)

"Me, who am I? A far from perfect guy… A jerk who wants to do what's right but often does what's wrong… A drip who's voice is way off key… but loves to sing a song… A dope who dreams like a lion but wakes up like a lamb! Me, who am I? But the guy I am! That's who'm I! That's who'm I!"

"His Royal Highness, Button Mash! Slayer of dragons! Pitiless to ogres! Destroyer of griffins and giants! No friend to gargoyles! Nice to the needy! Sportsman and poet! Swordsman, statesman, Nifty dancer, sailor of oceans, surveyor of the mountains and valleys! He's a prince! What a guy! What a guy! What a guy! What a guy! He's a plain and simple complicated fascinating guy! What a guy!"

All of them finished, "Ha!"

Button could only slump in misery.

Back at the Canterlot castle, the party was still going on with Sweetie Belle talking to each of her sisters.

"So how far long are you?" she asked Rarity.

"Two months, and Dignity is excited for a new baby brother or sister."

"Where is he, anyway?"

"Home. He is very young, after all, and I couldn't risk him ruining your special day…"

"Oh, that's okay. It's not his fault he's only three years old."

"Which is why I left Fire Spark at home, too." Twilight pointed out, "You know how hard is it to keep up with a hyperactive colt?"

"Yeah, Whirl Wind's like that, too." said Rainbow.

"My little Cotton Candy is sweet and hyper; it's hard getting up at night just to feed her." Pinkie mentioned.

"Oh, I can't wait for my little one to arrive…" Fluttershy touched her stomach.

"Me, too." Applejack did the same and Apple Bloom reached over to feel the baby kicking.

Scootaloo asked Dash, "Are you going to have another one?"

"Not any time soon. Whirl's got me and Soarin' pretty beat."

"So all of them are back in Pony-Ville?"

"Ever since we rebuilt Mother and Aunt Luna's castle in the Everfree Forest, we have been pretty busy keeping track of the kids." Twilight explained.

"We all have our own private apartments in the castle as if we all had our own place." said Rarity.

"We have nursemaids helping out, but we also like to take care of the kids' ourselves." said Rainbow.

"But we knew you would want us here for your birthday, so we had them taking care of them while we were gone!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Luckily, Applejack and I didn't have to worry about that." said Fluttershy.

"Since we won't be new mothers for a while."

"Discord can't wait."

"Neither can Spike, although he did faint when I told him we was expecting. So, what's new with you three?"

"Oh, yes," Rarity smirked, "Any… beaus?"

"What?!" all three yelled in surprise, "No!"

"Not me. I'm staying single forever!" Scootaloo declared.

"The right guy hasn't come along for me…" Apple Bloom sighed.

"And… I don't think any guy would be interested in me…" Sweetie confessed.

"That's insane!" Applejack shouted.

"Any guy would be lucky to have you…" Rarity comforted.

"You really think so?"

The sisters nodded then they heard a glass tap and turned to see their father magically holding a drink and spoon. He said, "I was thinking at this time that our birthday girl should sing a song to express how talented she is."

Sweetie started to blush as the princesses and their husbands started egging her on. The sisters that did finally convince her were Scoots and Apple Bloom. She took a breath and made a gesture for them to stop. She went on the stage and had the band playing as she started singing into the microphone.

"Dreams to dream… in the dark of the night… When the world goes wrong… I can still make it right… I can see so far in my dreams… I'll follow my dreams until they come true… Come with me… you will see what I mean… There's a world inside… No one else ever sees… You will go so far in my dreams… Somewhere in my dreams… Your dreams will come true… There is a star waiting to guide us, shining inside us… When we close our eyes! Don't let go, if you stay close to me! In my dreams tonight… You will see what I see… Dreams to dream… As near as can be… Inside you and me… They always come… true…"

Applause rang out, though Discord did a whistle and Pinkie and Cheese were throwing roses to her.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were proud of their little sis and knew she deserved this moment. Scootaloo then heard a commotion coming from the hallway and two guards rushing in to her folks.

A guard stated, "Forgive us for interrupting, Your Majesties, but there's trouble on the main street of Canterlot…"

"Very good," said Sombra, "We'll look into it."

"Hey, Dad!" Scootaloo went over, "Maybe I should go, since you know that Sweetie will want the two of you to stay for the party."

"Are you sure?" Celestia questioned.

"Pffh, I'll be fine. After all, no one can catch me on my scooter!" she ran out of room.

Moments later, Scootaloo was speeding on her scooter and wearing her helmet. The guards were right behind her trying to keep up. She screeched to a halt when she saw the problem.

A dark figure was stealing from vendors and was flying by. Scootaloo spread out her own wings. She remembered that not too long ago, her wings were so short that she could hardly fly with them. Luckily, as she grew, her wings did too and she became one of the best flyers in Canterlot thanks to her sister, Rainbow Dash. She flew past the vendors who got robbed and ducked into an ally to get ahead of the mysterious figure. She stopped to see the thing coming and grabbed a flying pan from a nearby store. Once the figure had gotten closer, she hurled the pan at him and it clanged in his face, knocking him down.

Once she got a good look at the thief, Scootaloo couldn't believe her eyes. It was a pegasus stallion with hair black as the night, a coat as grey as a storm cloud about to thunder. He groaned from being hit and opened his eyes. To Scoot, they were a grayish purple, just like the sky at predawn. Then she thought, Why am I even thinking this way? He's a criminal!

The stallion could see before him a mare staring hardly down at him as a light was reflecting off of her. "Whoa… Hello… Who do we have here?" he smirked as her smothering violet eyes were burning into his soul.

She scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself. Now who are you?!"

"Rumble. Name's Rumble. So, who are you and what made you think a frying pan could stop me?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?"

"True, but… not for long, so if you'll forgive me."

"For what?"

He lunged at her and their positions were reversed.

"That."

"Let me go!"

"Not until I get a name… So, who are you?"

She sighed in defeat, "Scootaloo."

"Scootaloo? Princess Scootaloo? Huh, isn't this a bit out of your league, princess?"

"Arrgh!" she pushed him back and they faced each other, "I'm more than just a princess…"

"Right…" he skeptically said, "If you'll excuse me, Your Highness, but I must be going now." he started to move past her, but she blocked him.

"I don't think so, pal! You are a thief, so you have to pay for your crimes!"

"Do you think I like stealing?! Here, see for yourself what I stole!" he threw the satchel to her.

She opened it to see bread, fruits, and veggies. She was amazed and asked, "Food? Just food?"

"Well, I can't go hungry, now can I?!"

"No, I suppose not… but it's still wrong…"

"You're going to have me arrested, aren't you?"

"I don't have a choice."

"Then, I'm afraid we've reached a confrontation. I didn't want to have to do this…"

"What are you-" Before she knew it, he grabbed for the frying pan and threw it to two trash cans close to her. The garbage landed on top of her as he made his getaway with the satchel. "Yuck!" she exclaimed. She saw him flying away and shouted out, "Oh, it is on! It is so on!"

The guards came to help her out of the trash pile, from which she started to reek and had bits of garbage on her, even a banana peel on her head.

"Will you be alright, Your Highness?" the guard asked.

"Fine… I just need a shower… Make sure you surround the city and if you find him, bring him to me."

"As you wish." They gave the command to the other guards.

Scootaloo did a quick look back before heading back to the palace. Unbeknownst to her, Rumble was watching her from a roof-top. He said to himself, "What made you think she would be different from the rest…? Of course she had to be the princess… She would never understand what you're going through… Riffraff, street rat… I don't buy that… If only they'd look closer… Would they see a poor boy…? No, siree… They'd find out… There's so much more… to me…" He took the bread out, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to eat it now.

Chapter 2

"Pip! Pip!" the sound of his tough, but loving, aunt called out to him.

He was in the kitchen when he heard her voice. While washing the dishes from breakfast hour, he called out, "Coming!" He wiped his hooves with a spare towel and was about to set out until he saw a pile of bills on the counter.

"Pip!" she called him again, this time coming into the kitchen.

"Aunt Hazel Nut… what is this?" he pointed towards the bills.

Her eyes widened and she had an uneasy face when she answered him, "Those? Oh, they're just little reminders, that's all."

"But some of them are missed payments. What's going on? Are we… in some sort of financial trouble?"

"Well… that is… that is… yes. Yes, we are, but it is nothing for you to worry about. It's my concern, not yours."

"Aunt Hazel, you've been taking care of me ever since I was a boy. Let me help you save our inn."

"Dear, I don't see how that's going to do much good… We don't get enough customers anyway and you work double shifts without getting paid. It makes me feel bad that you can't live your life without me having a money problem."

"I'll get a job, then."

"To where? Every business in Pony-Ville isn't hiring any pony, so where could you go?"

"I don't know, but I will look around to see if I can find anything." he walked out of the building.

Scootaloo was walking past the ballroom when she was noticed by Rainbow.

"Whoa! What happened to you?" this immediately got the attention of everyone else in the room. Discord, with Cheese and Pinkie, tried to stifle their laughter.

Scootaloo gave a hard glance and said in a low response, "Don't… ask…" She stomped her way up the steps.

"Hoo-wee, something's got her in a bad mood…" said Applejack.

"Hm-mm." the room nodded in agreement before going back to partying.

When Scootaloo did come back and was all cleaned up, her family gathered around her so she could tell the entire story, "…And then he goes and makes me look like a fool! He made his escape by throwing the frying pan that I stopped him with and he used it to put garbage on me! I swear if I see that… it'll be too soon!" she panted from her rants.

Discord had a sly grin spread across his face and put an arm around her, "You know what I think?"

"What?" she grumbled.

"That you have a crush on the wanted thief!"

"What?! That's stupid! There is no way-"

"You did talk an awfully lot about him…" Rainbow deduced.

"Quite frequently…" Rarity smirked.

"This is ridiculous! He and I have nothing in common, so how can I have a crush on him?! So no! Just no!"

"Whatever you say…" Discord waved the notion off.

"Ugh!"

The room burst into laughter while Scoots was fuming until Kibitz came up to his king and queen.

"Yes, Kibitz?" Celestia asked.

"A messager from the kingdom of Marendelle has just arrived requesting an audience with you and the youngest princesses."

She and Sombra exchanged glances before she replied, "Send him in."

Kibitz bowed and went out, coming back in a few minutes with a courier and a trumpeter. They had the area's undivided attention. The courier was a unicorn and he magically unwrapped the scroll he was carrying in his bag and cleared his throat to deliver the message.

"To the Princesses, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo of Canterlot. You have been invited to attend the Princess Ball hosted by the King Cinnamon Swirl and Queen Love Tap of Marendelle, in hopes that their son, Prince Button Mash, shall have a bride. From the ball, the princesses who may wish to stay shall try for the prince in marriage. Each princess must compete in a series of tests to prove they are the best qualified for the prince. Good luck and we hope to see you there. Signed, the King and Queen of Marendelle."

He magically handed the invite over to Kibitz and bowed before their majesties as the trumpeter with him blew another fanfare. They both went, leaving the family and servant speechless for a moment before the latter group crowded around the trio.

"Alright, settle down." Sombra commanded as he went to his youngest daughters, "This is indeed a great honor, but only if you wish to do it. And do you?"

"Um…" all three were unsure.

Celestia looked at the invite and stated, "My darlings, as you know, not very long ago, I had almost forced your sisters to meet other suitors that were royalty and to have them be in an arranged marriage…" she looked to the older daughters as they exchanged with her a look of sadness. "I do not wish this on any pony that's of royal blood. The reason for what I did was only to protect them from a fate that would be far worse than an arranged marriage."

"Needless to say, she was right… And I was very proud of your mother for staying strong like that…" Sombra wrapped his arm around his wife. She smiled at him and so did their daughters.

"But what the king and queen of Marendelle are doing is something more absurd. They are not letting their son choose who he wants for a bride. As fellow monarchs, it is out of our jurisdiction of what can be done to stop this, but… perhaps if you were to go… Maybe you can help the prince gain the one thing he's being denied of: love."

The trio looked at each other in bewilderment and then with a look of determination, nodded in agreement as they said, "We'll do it!"

The family burst into cheers, praising the little princesses.

Later, after lunch had been done, Celestia and Sombra had their young princesses in the throne room and told them of the necessary preparations they would need on their journey.

"You will pack tonight and will leave first thing in the morning to be taken to the ship yard of Horseshoe Bay, where you will board the royal ship." instructed Celestia.

"Once you arrived in Marendelle, you will be escorted to the royal palace and meet the hosts of the ball. At that point, it would be best to remember etiquette as you will be reflected upon Canterlot's royal family."

"But enjoy yourselves at the ball and while you're there, remember to get in close with the prince as you will want to help him in, anyway."

"Do you understand what to do?"

"Yup." said Scootaloo.

"Sure do." said Apple Bloom.

"We won't fail." said Sweetie Belle.

"And just to make sure you will be alright, we will hire a personal escort to be with you while you're there." Celestia motioned.

"Oh, Mom, we don't need any personal whats-it! We'll be fine on our own!" Scootaloo gestured.

"Nevertheless, we want you to be safe while you're out of Equestria's reach." pointed Sombra.

"After what happen to your sisters a while back, we don't want to take any chances."

"Okay…" the trio barely agreed.

By late afternoon, Pip was losing hope of ever finding something to help his aunt's business. He was about to go inside the inn until an evening edition of Equestria Daily smacked into his face by the wind and he saw an ad that interested him very much.

That night, Button Mash tossed and turned in his bed. He could hear a sweet angelic voice haunting inside his dreams. He was in the middle of the ballroom of his castle all alone and could hear the beautiful voice singing to him, "Dreams to dream… in the dark of night… When the world goes wrong… I can still make it right… I can see so far in my dreams… I'll follow my dreams until they come true…" she kept on singing as he tried desperately to find her to see what she looked like, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He woke up in a cold sweat and felt tormented by the voice that had just come to him through the dream world. "Another one…" he said under his breath, "That's the third one this week! What can it mean?!" he took the covers off and went to his balcony, which was overlooking the ocean. It was a clear night as the salty sea air went up to his face. "It has to be her… the girl of my dreams… literally. But why can't I see her…? Where did she go…? Where can she be…? When will she come again, calling to me? Calling to me…? Calling to me… Somewhere there's a girl who's like the shimmer of the wind upon the water… Somewhere there's a girl who's like the glimmer of the sunlight on the sea…Somewhere there's a girl who's like a swell of endless music… Somewhere she is singing and her song is meant for me! And her voice! It's sweet as angels sighing… And her voice it's warm as summer sky… And that sound, it haunts my dreams and spins me 'round until it seems I'm flying... Her voice… I can sense her laughter in the ripple of the waves against the shoreline… I can see her smiling in the moonlight as it settles on the sand… I can feel her waiting just beyond the pale horizon…Singing out her melody too lovely to withstand! And her voice! It's there as dusk is falling! And her voice! It's there as dawn steals by! Pure and bright, it's always near! All day, all night and still I hear it calling... Her voice… Strange as a dream... Real as the sea... If you can hear me now… Come set me free... Come set me free!"

By morning's light, Sweetie Belle yawned, still feeling tired, as she, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came downstairs with servants helping them by carrying their wardrobe trunks. They stopped outside the throne room where their parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law were going to say goodbye to them. Hugs immediately followed.

"See ya, squirt." Rainbow gave Scoot a noogie.

"You be careful, you hear?" Applejack embraced Apple Bloom.

"I will."

"Did you remember to pack your dresses for the ball when you get there?" Rarity asked Sweetie.

She answered, "Yes, they're all in the trunks and they're beautiful as ever."

"Made just for the three of you. My own personal design."

Sweetie tightly hugged her, whispering, "Thank you… I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Once the trio hugged their parents, Celestia summoned a pony. They saw before their own eyes a young white stallion with a brown spot over his eye.

"Girls, this is Pip, unless you preferred your full name, Pipsqueak?"

Discord couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Just Pip, Your Highness," he quickly responded.

"Pip." said Apple Bloom as moved forward to him, "That's a nice name."

Pip was motionless. Before him was a beautiful mare with the most gorgeous red hair he had ever seen, and those eyes… shining like two suns…

Apple Bloom took a good look at him too, seeing he was a robust fellow, a real stud. His eyes were the color of chocolate to match his mane.

They were staring at each other and didn't even notice the others surrounding them while having smirks, obviously knowing what was going on between the two, even though Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were confused. Sombra decided to clear his throat to bring them back to reality.

Pip went pink and said, "And you must be the princess…" He took her hoof to kiss it.

It was her turn to blush, "Well, one of them. I'm Apple Bloom and this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo."

"Hi!" Scoot motioned.

"Hello!" Sweetie merrily said.

Sombra pointed out, "Do you remember your assignment, young Pip?"

Pip saluted before his Highness, "Yes, sir! Protect the princesses at all cost!"

"After all, we chose you because you proved yourself to be very strong and would be able to be near the princesses to make sure they are alright."

"Yes, sir. I know and I won't fail."

"Very good. Then go and wait outside while we finish up here."

Pip nodded and did a quick look back to Apple Bloom as she returned the glance as he went.

"Do you want one of us to come with you to the train station?" Twilight asked.

"Nah, we're good." answered Scootaloo, "But we could use one last hug…"

The sisters awed and complied, embracing their little sisters for the last six years. The girls hugged their mother and father, saying goodbye and thanks. The trio went to the doors and waved a final farewell, with the family returning it.

The ship laid in port as majestic as it comes. The girls gawked at it, even Pip. Just then, a board came down from the ship and there stood the admiral. He was an elderly, but tough-looking, Earth pony.

"Welcome, Your Highnesses! I am Admiral Scallop. It's been a while since we had members of the royal family board our good ship. So, you're going to Marendelle?"

"Yes," spoke Apple Bloom, "for a ball."

"Well, that's fine and dandy! Come on board!"

The four walked on as they saw the crew setting for sail. In mere moments, the ship was ready for launch as the sails unfurled and the ship started moving out of Horseshoe Bay. About a half-hour later when the ship was out at sea, while her sisters were watching from the side of the boat, Scootaloo headed down into the brig to grab a bite. She found a barrel of apples and was about to reach in for one when she felt a hoof! She looked in and saw…

"You!"

"You?!" Rumble was shocked as well.

Her face went to boil and shouted out, "I'm going to get you!" She jumped into the barrel just as he jumped out to avoid her. She was unaware that he hurt his wing, "Get back here! You're going to pay for what you did to me!"

"You're still sore about that?! I thought princesses don't hold grudges!"

"Well, you thought wrong! You humiliated me!" She began to chase after him.

He ran on deck, where he was bumping into crewmates and items on the ship. He eventually bumped into Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and then tried to fly off, but felt a pain and couldn't. Pip was able to grab hold of him.

"Ha! Thought you could escape, didn't you?" Scootaloo caught up.

"Well, it's not like he could. We are on a ship miles away from land." Sweetie added in.

"Aw, nuts…" mumbled Rumble.

"So, this was the guy who gave you trouble yesterday?" Apple Bloom asked.

"That's him…" she glared hard at him.

"Shall we lock up this stowaway, Your Majesties?" the admiral came down from his post.

The two sisters looked at Scootaloo, figuring that she would say yes, but instead, she surprised them by saying, "Hmm, no."

"No?!" all of them, even Rumble, said at once.

"I got a much better punishment for him…" she gave a menacing look that caused Rumble to have a fearful face, "He is to accompany us on our trip and he has to do every… little… single thing… I order him… to do…" she gave him an evil grin, "If he refuses, then make sure he gets back to Canterlot to be arrested."

"That's blackmail!" Rumble protested.

"Hey, take it or leave it. It's either community service or you can go to prison. It's your choice."

He pondered with every pony watching him. He sighed in irritation, stating, "Fine! What is your wish, Your Highness…" he hissed.

"I say swabbing the deck would be a good start… Admiral, see to it he does a good job. If you need me, I'll be in my cabin." she trotted off, proudly knowing she had gotten her sweet revenge.

Pip let Rumble go and the Pegasus was given a bucket and mop.

"Well, you heard her. Off with you now." the admiral ordered.

Rumble could only glare in fury in the direction where Scootaloo had gone.

"Don't worry. She's really nice, once you get to know her…" Sweetie said and went towards the cabin as well.

"But for you," AB gestured, "that may take a while… just sayin'." she had also gone to join her sisters with Pip following behind her.

Rumble let out another frustrated sigh and started wetting the mop, saying under his breath, "You know… maybe I should've taken prison, after all…" He swabbed away.

Button sat on the sands of the private beach close to his palace home, looking out to the horizon and wondering if the voice he heard in his dreams was real…

Sweetie looked out the window of the cabin and overlooked the ocean as the ship was sailing on it, wondering if somewhere out there was the answer to the mysterious caller in her dreams…

Chapter 3

Rumble had finally finished swabbing the deck as Celestia was setting down her sun.

"You done, boy?" the admiral came up to him.

"Yes, sir. The whole deck has been swabbed from top to bottom."

"Good. Head down below to get some rest. You got a busy day tomorrow." He went back to his duties.

Rumble could only sigh and looked over the side of the vessel.

"Feeling seasick?"

He turned around and saw the pony responsible for making him work on the ship, "Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep?"

"Funny. Actually, I was wondering how you were holding up and wanted to find out how you got here to begin with."

"Well, there's not much to say. I snuck past the guards, hopped on top of the train, got off at the first stop, and found this ship. I sneaked on board and from there, you found me and now, I'm your indentured servant."

"You're welcome." she rolled her eyes.

Sudden guilt came over him, "Actually, I do have to thank you…"

She raised her brow, "How so?"

"You could have sent me to prison, but instead, you chose to let me decide to stay to serve you, thus earning my freedom… If it seems I'm ungrateful, it's because no one's ever caught me before. You're the first one who's ever done that."

"Wow, um, thanks for the compliment."

"I'm curious, but how can a princess such as yourself catch an awesome colt such as me?"

"I wasn't always a princess…"

"What do you mean? You grew up in the palace, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I'm adopted."

"Really?" He actually felt surprised by this news.

She nodded, "I knew my birth parents for a little bit, but… they passed on."

"I'm sorry. I know what that's like…"

"You do?"

He sadly nodded, "My parents were on the weather team back in Cloudsdale. One night, there was a huge storm. They couldn't get a handle on it and…" he turned his head away, pain etched in his face.

"I understand…"

"So it was just me and my big brother fending for ourselves until… he got caught and was taken to jail. I was forced to take care of myself and it was frustrating I was unable to help him out… I still can't."

She put her hoof on his shoulder in comfort, "Shortly after my parents had gone, I was alone in the streets, but one day, Rainbow Dash found me and decided she could use me to help out with her outdoor activities. She became like my mentor until she was kidnapped and returned with the rest of her sisters and their long-lost dad. She then brought me before her parents and next thing I knew, I was adopted along with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. We've been a family ever since…"

He smiled, "You sure were lucky. And… I'm sorry of what I thought about you before. Turns out you do know what I'm going through…"

She gave him a small smile, "Hey, when we get back to Equestria, remind me to bail your brother out…"

He gasped and looked at her in bewilderment, "You… you mean that? You'd do that?"

"Hey, I thought of some pretty harsh things about you, but now that I know the truth… It's scary, but we do have something in common…"

"Heh, I guess we do at that…"

"If you want, you don't have to come with us with we reach Marendelle."

"Nah, it might be fun and I do owe you one."

She smirked, "Then get some shut-eye. We got work to do tomorrow."

"We?"

"Yeah, you and me, working on the ship together."

"You know, you are one weird princess."

She punched his shoulder, "And you're a strange thief." She went back to her cabin and did a glance back to him while winking before going inside.

It was if an arrow struck though his heart.

It was late at night as Apple Bloom woke up after hearing a thump. She saw her sisters sleeping next to her in the bed they're shared in the cabin. She saw a crack underneath the door and a shadow moving past it. She decided to go investigate and moved quietly to the door, slowly opening and closing it. She saw the figure's shadow move to the bout of the ship. She caught up to it and was stunned to see Pip out at this hour.

"Pip?"

He turned around and was equally stunned to see her, "Apple Bloom? I mean- Your Highness?"

"You can call me Apple Bloom. It's just us."

"Right… of course…"

"What are you doing up this late?"

"Oh, just… looking at the ocean and the night sky."

"How come?"

"It's mostly to help me think."

"About what?"

"You sure like to ask a lot of questions."

"Well, I want to know more about you."

"Really? Why?"

"Now who's asking the questions."

They ended up giggling.

"To answer, I've dreamt of moments like this… Getting on a ship and going on an adventure… but I got a job to keep, so I can't really enjoy it as much, but that's okay. It'll all be worth it when I get back home."

"Why's that?"

"Um, I'm not really sure a princess of your caliber would understand it."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure… Try me."

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure."

He sighed, "Here it goes: my aunt and I have this inn back in Pony-Ville and well, it seems we've run into some money problems…"

"Oh, no…"

"And so I took the job as your personal escort to earn enough to help pay the bills and get the inn back on track."

"That's so sweet of you!"

"It's the least I could do. After all, my Aunt Hazel Nut has raised me ever since I was a baby. It's my way of repaying back to her."

"Oh… you never knew your parents?"

"Nope… I never saw them…"

There was silence until she said, "I never knew mine, either…"

"What…?"

"I was adopted into the royal family." she explained, "But before that, I was in an orphanage when I was an infant. As I grew older, I hated it, so I ran away and roamed the streets of Canterlot. I came across Applejack and she took me to the castle where I started working. She looked after me until the day came when the king came back and Applejack had me before her parents and before I knew it, they adopted me, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle into their family. We had never been happier since then."

"Whoa… that's amazing!"

"Well, you had a slightly better childhood than I did. But I am grateful I was taken in by Mom and Dad."

"I wouldn't say I had a better childhood. Because of my small size when I was born, I was named Pipsqueak. And for as long as I can remember, I was teased for my shortness compared to the other fillies and colts at my school."

"I always teased for having a blank flank for a long time; Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, too."

He chuckled, "It seems as much as we have been blessed, life always tries to make it hard on us."

"Tell me about it. Yesterday, my older sisters were wondering if I had a coltfriend yet just because they're already married and have kids."

"Do you?"

"Of course not. The right colt hasn't come yet." she glimpsed at him and turned her head away.

He found himself blushing and turning his own head away, "Oh, that's… too bad, because any colt would be pretty lucky to have some pony like you around…"

"You honestly mean that?" she looked back at him with hope in her eyes.

He faced her, answering, "I do…" They gazed into each other's eyes.

They were about to kiss until AB stopped and cleared her throat, "Well, um… we should get back to sleep."

"Sleep… sure…" they moved away from each other and he went down below as she went back to the cabin.

The rest of the night seem to go well as the sisters slept side by side, but then, Sweetie started to toss and turn. In her dream, she was singing her song in this grand ballroom until she heard someone calling out to her. It sounded like a stallion's voice begging for her to reply. She woke up with a gasp. She couldn't take it anymore. For the last four nights, she had the same dream constantly. She would start singing and someone would call out to her, always the same voice.

She looked out to the port window and saw the stars, "Why…? Just why…?" she told them in a hushed tone. Knowing she wasn't going to get her answer tonight, she tried going back to sleep, but it was never easy.

It was time for breakfast, first thing in the morning. The admiral had Rumble up and grudged, the Pegasus made it to the brig, only to his surprise to see Scootaloo up and at'em already.

"Morning, sunshine!" she saw him come in.

"Uh, good morning?"

"Come on, we got the whole ship to feed!"

"Isn't that the cook's job?"

"Oh, I gave him the morning off, so it'll just be us. Now get a move on and help me out!"

"Scootaloo, you drink way too much coffee in the morning…"

"I know. Now hurry up!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh."

After a while of stirring oatmeal, Scootaloo noticed how bent Rumble's wing was. "Hey, doesn't your wing look a little misshapen?"

"What this? Oh, it's nothing," he tried to move it, but he felt pain and tried to cover up, "See?" he had on a fake smile.

Scoots wasn't all that convinced, "Let me see it."

"That's not nessacery!" he quickly said, taking a step back.

"Yes it is, now let me see it!"

"I told you, it's fine!" he dodged her.

She had to chase him around before she could tackle him, "Oh, hold still, you big baby!" She held the wing to examine it, "Luckily, it isn't broken, but it is sprained. You need a cast to keep it from moving." she found bandages under the counter and wrapped them around his wing.

He was grumbling, but secretly, he was touched by her concern and he hoped he would be able to do something for her in return.

"How did you sprain this thing, anyway?"

"Must've been while you were chasing me yesterday when you found me here. I tried flying away before you could catch me, but I was in too much pain to do so."

"I'm sorry…"

"Nah, don't be. I was in the moment."

"But I should make it up to you."

"Forget it. You're helping my brother out, that's all I care about."

She smiled at him as he returned the grin. The two gazed at each other as her violet eyes were growing big. Then, the ship's bell rang, reminding them get back to work.

All five of them sat at a table as they ate the oatmeal.

"Mmm-hm! This is has got to be your best meal yet, Scoots!" Apple Bloom complimented.

"Well, Rumble did add in the sugar."

"It looked so boring. I had to do something!"

"You know it's weird, but weren't you at each other's throats yesterday? Now you're willing to eat around each other?" Pip questioned.

"Meh, I just realized I was being a bit nasty to the poor guy. I might as well loosen up." She gave him a nudge and he returned it.

Bloom looked over to Pip and said, "Say, uh, Pip…? Would you like to come with me to the observatory on top of the ship this afternoon?"

"Would I?! I mean… Sure, we can do that." He gave her a cheeky grin.

AB could feel her heart flutter.

Sweetie Belle looked between her sisters that were once her childhood friends before their adoption. She couldn't help but laugh inside. On Sweetie's birthday a couple of days ago, Scootaloo said she would be single forever. Well, that had certainly been proven false now, since she had obviously liked Rumble, even if he messed her over in the first place. Apple Bloom didn't think the right colt would come to her, but that was wrong because she crushed on Pip and he seemed to feel the same way. This got her to thinking that ever since their big sisters asked them if they had coltfriends yet, they had to answer 'no'. Could it be that they knew they would fall in love very soon? But it was more or less just a coincidence, much like when their older sisters found love at the same time. It was eerie, but it was just one of those things that happened.

So far, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were proven wrong. Could it be that she would be next? She did say no guy would be interested in her… Maybe there would be? She wouldn't dare to hope, just because her sisters got colts didn't mean she would. For all they knew, her claim could be true…

The observatory was crowded, but Bloom and Pip didn't mind. If anything, they found each other's company inviting. Below them, Scootaloo and Rumble were on the observation deck and she went up to the edge of the front, holding out her arms and shouting, "I'm queen of the world!"

Rumble was chuckling and joined her from behind, holding on to her side.

Sweetie Belle found herself at the side of ship, feeling the wind blowing into her face and the sails. It was clear skies from here on out.

As time went by, Pip and Bloom were conversing when he noticed something dark on the horizon.

"Uh-oh…"

"What uh-oh?"

"Looks a storm's about to hit us."

She gasped as she saw the incoming clouds and shouted down.

"Admiral! Storm clouds, up ahead!"

The admiral was at the helm when he replied, "Thank you, lass! I'll take it from here, so you best get down from there!"

"Right!" they both said and blushed at each other as they climbed out.

The storm came quicker than anticipated and the crew had to try to keep the ship steady from the growing waves, making it bob up and down. The princesses, with Pip and Rumble, headed towards the brig until Sweetie noticed the loose sail in the rain and wind. She knew the ship couldn't lose a sail. She used her magic to grab the rope, but the wind was so strong, it was hard for her to pull. She had managed to tie down the sail manually and was almost to the side of the bout when suddenly, a lightning bolt struck close by! It scared her into falling overboard!

She gave out a high piercing scream that caused the girls and guys to rush back up to the bout. They just saw her land in the water.

"Sweetie Belle!" her sisters cried out and Apple Bloom found a life preserver to throw at her.

"Here! Catch!" Scootaloo threw it and Sweetie, while coughing, got to it.

"Just hang in there!" Pip shouted.

But the sea had other plans as it tossed around took Sweetie Belle with it, shifting her away from the ship!

"No!" she screamed, "Help!"

"NO!" The four on the ship yelled, seeing her being helplessly swept away by the current and out of their sight…

Chapter 4

Button couldn't stop thinking about the voice in his dreams. Day and night, it was pounding in his head, never stopping. He took a walk on the shoreline with Featherweight, who was trying to cheer him up, but it wasn't working.

"How about a joke? Why did the chicken-"

"Featherweight! Enough! It's not helping, okay? Sorry… I'm just so tired. I haven't been sleeping right for about a week now and it's upsetting me."

"No worries. I get cranky if I stayed up all night mumbling 'Where is she? Where she is? Why hasn't she answered my call!'"

He had a look of embarrassment across his face, "You heard that?"

"Every night for the last few days."

"Aw, nuts… Please tell me it's just been you."

"So far, I think so."

"Good, and let's keep it that way."

"Whatever you say. Now back to the joke-"

"Look!" Button pointed to a white figure lying on the shore.

"Just some pony lying on the beach. Nothing unusual about that."

"No, this is different! I think they're in trouble! Go get some help!"

He saluted and hurried back to the castle.

Button quickly rushed over to the figure and was shocked to see a most attractive mare. Wow… you're the most beautiful mare I have ever seen. Well, I've seen other mares like Mother, but still, other mares are probably aren't as stunning as you are…

The mare began to stir and slowly opened her eyes.

And she has eyes that match the sea! Surely she must a sea pony from the depths of the ocean transformed into a mare!

"Oh!" the mare gasped when she saw him.

"Please, don't be afraid. I just want to help you…"

That voice… she thought, Where have I heard that before? She then sat up and asked, "Where… where am I?"

"In Marendelle, an island off the coast of Equestria."

"Marendelle? You mean, I'm right where I'm supposed to be?"

"If you mean that you have been traveling to Marendelle, then I say you are."

"I have to know, but has a ship from Canterlot arrived?"

"Not… yet. But we're expecting guests from all sorts of kingdoms to arrive at any moment. Why do you ask?"

"Because I am one of the princesses of Canterlot sent here by invitation of the king and queen."

"You are? You did?"

"Yes, and if you would be so kind as to help me get to the palace, I can meet my sisters there."

"Well sure, but I don't understand. How did you get here ahead of your sisters?"

"I fell overboard and the next thing I knew, I was here, staring at… you…"

Now that Sweetie Belle's vision was becoming clear, she could see he was so handsome with the sun beating down on him. His dark tan coat, that ginger hair, and his eyes were golden as they gleamed.

"Um…" he found himself saying, "I guess the feeling's mutual. I was just minding my own business walking on the beach when I spotted you ashore."

"Oh, well, I guess I better introduce myself. My name's Sweetie Belle."

"Sweetie Belle?"

"I know it's not a good name, but-"

"No! I mean, no, it's a beautiful name. It… belongs to a sweet pony such as you are…" he moved his hoof through the sand awkwardly.

She found herself blushing hard, "You… You think so?"

"Yes… I truly think so…" he was blushing in turn.

"What is your name?"

"My name? Oh! My name, right… I'm-"

"Button Mash!" came a voice.

They turned to see Featherweight returning with Snips and Snails in their knight attire.

"Featherweight, I thought I told you to get help!"

"I was, but I bumped into these two and they insisted they could help out."

He gave out an exasperated sigh and turned back to Sweetie, "Sorry about that. This is Featherweight, the castle fool."

"Hi-ya!"

Sweetie giggled as she found him amusing.

"And this is Snips and Snails, the… knights…"

"Here to help you, fair maiden!" Snips bowed.

"Yeah, we're always saving the day and helping damsels-in-distress!" Snails gestured.

"How very brave of you. But I think I'm in good hooves already…" She looked at Button while smiling at him, which he returned. Then she asked him, "Did I hear Featherweight right? You're… the prince?"

Button nervously chuckled, "Guilty as charged."

Snips intervened, "He sure is! The head honcho!"

"The big cheese of the island!" Snails impeded.

"Okay, that's enough, guys!" he commanded and addressed Sweetie, "Yes, I am Prince Button Mash, heir to the throne of Marendelle, but I don't act on it."

"He sure doesn't…" Featherweight said under his breath.

"Really?"

He nodded, "I'll explain when we get you to a room so we can have our doctor look you over."

"I would like that. Thank you." she beamed.

He felt dumbfounded whenever he smiled at her like that, causing him to always have a dope grin spread across his face, telling her, "You're welcome…" then, he shook his head as he faced his knights with authority in his tone, "Make sure she gets there safely. I don't want anything more happening to her."

They saluted and said, "You got it!" They extended their arms around Sweetie, carrying her up. She gave Button a quick glance before leaving from his sight.

Once she was gone from view, Button cheered and hopped around Featherweight, "She's the one! She is the one!"

"The one what?"

"The one for me! She's all I could ever want!"

"But Button, what about the girl from your dreams?"

He immediately stopped hopping and suddenly remembered the voice that teased him in his dreams, "Oh… right… but wait… Sweetie showed up out of nowhere just I was pondering the voice! I bet it is her!"

"But can you be so sure?"

"Hmm, then I guess I have to hear what Sweetie Belle sounds like when she sings. If it matches, then I'll be forever happy."

"And if she isn't?"

"I… don't know… A part of me wants the voice, but the other part wants Sweetie Belle."

"We'll just have to wait and see if she is your mystery girl or not."

"So we will." He started heading back to the castle.

Sweetie marveled at the seaside castle before her as the comical knights helped her inside. It was even more spectacular once they got her through the doors.

"This way." Snips started going one way.

"No, this way!" Snails was going the opposite direction.

"It's this way!"

"That way!"

Poor Sweetie Belle felt she was being a toy argued over by two foals. She was grateful when she heard his voice.

"Hey!" Button caught up to them and grabbed Sweetie in his arms. She went pink in the cheeks when she was being lifted into his strong arms, "It's up there!"

"Oh…" the both of them said.

"You two have helped enough for one day. Go back to your duties."

"Yes, Sir!" they trotted off with smiles on their faces.

"Sorry about that. You okay?"

"Uh-huh…" she nodded slowly, still feeling red over the fact she was so close to him.

"Come on, I'll take you to your room."

In moments, he opened the door to a lovely bedroom. It had all the luxuries of any guest room: a huge canopy bed, a vanity, chairs and pillows, and a balcony that overlooked the sea.

Sweetie Belle was speechless of how she was given such an exquisite room.

Button looked at her face and took it as a bad sign, "You don't like it, do you?"

"No! No, of course I like it. It's a gorgeous space that I don't think I deserve."

He couldn't help but laugh, "Well, if anything, the room doesn't deserve you."

Her cheeks flushed again and the next thing she knew, he swept her off her hooves and placed her on the bed.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay…"

He smiled at her and slowly went out the door before closing it.

Sweetie Belle went under the covers and felt the soft comfortable mattress to her coat. She suddenly felt tired remembering the night before, how scary it was to fall overboard. She was so sure she would have drowned at that point, but the heavens had smiled down upon her and had her washed ashore to Button's beaches. Thinking about her savoir, she could have sworn that she heard his voice somewhere before. She was growing exhausted as she couldn't think anymore and slowly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Button saw his parents on their thrones and decided to pull a fast one on his mom like he did back when he was a colt. He sneaked behind the thrones and was going to blow a whistle when he got close to his mother, but just as he was about to blow, she said, "Don't even think about it."

"How did you know?" he faced her.

"I'm your mother. I know everything. Now where have you been?"

"I thought you said you knew everything."

"Just answer the question."

"Uh, I was taking a walk on the beach with Featherweight," he spoke quickly, "and came across a princess who fell overboard! Okay, bye!" He was about to run off until she said.

"Hold it! What princess?"

"Princess Sweetie Belle of Canterlot. She fell overboard last night and was washed onto the shore this morning."

"Oh… the poor dear… where is she now?"

"I put her in the guest room she was going to have."

"What room is that?"

"The one on the second floor on the right."

"But sweetheart, she was supposed to have the room on the left and with her sisters."

"Oops, my bad."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Well, just like you sent out those invitations without my permission."

"He does have a point." spoke the king.

"Thanks, Pop!"

"Cinnamon, don't help."

King Cinnamon Swirl rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know I should've come to you first, but Sweetie Belle needed the rest and has to be look over by the royal physician. She could get sick after falling overboard on her ship."

"Yes, you did the right thing, my dear. It's just I'm going to have to change room arrangements for all the princesses now and there's very little time."

"I could help, if you like."

"No need for that. Your father and I will sort it out."

"We will?" The queen gave her husband a nudge, "I mean, yes, we will."

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Pop. I'll be back as soon as I check on her."

"Just don't find yourself in the habit to do it all the time."

"Why?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Because… oh, never mind. Just go."

Button shrugged and went off.

"Interesting." quoted the king.

"What?" his wife questioned.

"You know, it's almost as if you're afraid that Button will get too attached to the girl…"

"Oh, now, darling, that is quite silly of you to say. Why would I be doing this whole ball for princesses to come to see Button Mash and to see if any of them would be interested to be his wife?"

"Exactly. You arranged this entire ball just so you can figure which princess would be a good wife for our son, a wife that you would like all because you're too scared to admit that you would lose your little boy to just any strange mare."

Queen Love Tap kept her head down as she couldn't deny her husband's words. For too long has she looked after her little precious Button Mash ever since he was born. A tiny baby colt in her arms, she loved him dearly. As he grew, she watched how rambunctious he was while playing, but he was sweet and calm around others. Every night since he was a baby, she would always have to sing a lullaby to make him go to sleep. She remembered the words exactly.

"Come, stop your crying, it'll be alright… Just take my hoof, hold it tight… I will protect you from all around you… I will be here, don't you cry… For one so small you seem so strong… My arms will hold you; keep you safe and warm… This bond between us can't be broken… I will be here, don't you cry… 'Cause you'll be in my heart… Yes, you'll be in my heart… From this day on… Now and forever more…You'll be in my heart… No matter what they say… You'll be here in my heart always…"

She smiled as the memory faded.

"Honey, I know you love our son. I do, too, but you've got to let him grow."

"Of course I am, so if you'll excuse me, I must see to the princesses' arrival." she stepped down, and when she made it to the ballroom, she sang out loud, "Don't listen to him, 'cause what does he know…? We need each other to have, to hold… He'll see in time… I know… When destiny calls you… You must be strong… I may not be with you… but you got to hold on… They'll see in time… I know… We'll show them together… 'Cause you'll be in my heart! Yes, you'll be in my heart! From this day on… Now and forever more! You'll be in my heart! No matter what they say! You'll be in my heart! Always… always… always…"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo couldn't stop staring at the place where Sweetie Belle fell over. Pip and Rumble looked on in sympathy.

"They've been standing there ever since this morning." Pip told his compadre.

Rumble wanted to go over and console Scootaloo, knowing of the pain to lose a close sibling, but he figured he should give her space at the moment since he wasn't sure what her reaction would be to his support.

Pip cautiously approached them and asked them calmly, "I take it you'll just want to go home now? Since you wouldn't be in the mood for a ball."

Bloom looked at him with a faceless expression, but then she gave him a small smile, surprising him by saying, "Sweetie Belle is alive. I can feel it."

"Me, too." said Scootaloo.

"She's out there somewhere in that ginormous ocean and we're going to find her."

"That's great, at least you're not giving up." mentioned Rumble.

"Give up? Never!" Scoot replied.

"Sweetie is lot a tougher than she looks. We know that for a fact." said AB.

"So what's the plan?" Pip questioned.

Scootaloo explained, "We keep on heading to Marendelle where we can get help searching for her."

"Did you hear that, admiral?" Pip called out.

"I did! We're casting away to Marendelle!" he steered the ship in a tight turn, causing the girls to fall into the arms of the colts they were liking.

The four of them blushed to the awkward situation.

The doctor examined Sweetie Belle as she slept. To Button, she was a sleeping beauty that he wanted to very much to awaken her with a kiss.

"So far, everything seems normal. She was a very lucky young lady."

"Thanks, Doc."

"But if there's any problems later on, let me know."

"I will, thank you." The doctor nodded as he went out. Button moved closer to her bed, "Rest, princess. You have my vow that I will protect you from any harm… You may or may not be the voice in my dreams, but you are some pony I most certainly want to help with all my heart." He remembered what she said about her sisters, "And when your sisters arrive, I will bring them to you." On that oath, he did a glance before leaving and shutting the door making sure that nothing would disturb her rest.

Author's Note

The Queen's song was You'll Be in My Heart is an extended version from Tarzan the Musical. Okay, the next chapter may not come out for awhile cause one, I'm waiting for a book that can help me with more on this story since it is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. And two, the next chapter is introducing the princesses and having details of the ball. And three, like so many of you I have finals this week and next week. Until then, see you there.

Chapter 5

The ship docked into the harbor and once the platform was lowered, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom saw before them a busy port.

"Princesses! Over here!" called out a voice.

The girls turned their heads to see the same messenger they saw back home.

"Hey, it's you!" Scootaloo pointed out.

"Indeed, your majesties, and it is my job to take you to the palace."

"But we need-" Apple Bloom started until Scoots stopped her.

"It's okay. Once we get to the castle and meet the king and queen, we'll be able to get the help we seek."

AB gave it some thought before nodding in agreement and they started going down to meet up with the page.

"Good luck, your highnesses!" the admiral waved.

"Thanks, Admiral!" the both of them responded.

Just as Rumble and Pip were getting off, the admiral stated, "Take good care of them."

They were confused at first until he winked at them, causing an awkward silence for them to keep going. Once they were out of earshot, Rumble asked, "What the hay was that about?!"

"I'm not sure, but whatever the admiral was indicating, I'm sure it was nothing."

"I sure hope so." he muttered just before they caught up to the princesses.

Once they did, there was suddenly a huge toot that caused the group to turn around and see a fancy yacht coming into the fjord.

"Ah, I see another of our princesses have arrived." said the page.

"Yoo-hoo! We're here!" called out a princess, who had a pink coat, purple and white curly hair, and ice-blue eyes. Next to her was a mare that was grey and had platinum-blond hair.

"Who are they?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Princess Diamond Tiara and Princess Silver Spoon. They're cousins from the kingdom of Stirram.

When the new princesses got off their ship, Princess Diamond Tiara commented, "How fitting to have servants of the castle escort us to the royal palace."

The Canterlot princesses started fuming while the guys scowled on their behalf.

The page pointed out, "Your Grace, these are also princesses invited to the ball as well."

"Princesses, huh?" Diamond skeptically said.

Princess Silver Spoon had the same tone as her cousin, "Like, where you from?"

"Canterlot." Apple Bloom proudly mentioned.

"Humph." the snooty princesses both scoffed.

Just then, a voice cried out, "Ahoy there!"

The group looked back to see another ship entering the harbor, and on that ship was a princess with curly red locks.

"Princess Twist! Welcome!" the page called out.

"Thanks!" she called back.

By then, more ships were coming in and the page greeted all of them.

"Princess Peachy Pie, Princess Sunny Daze, Princess Aura…"

Then one came off with a somber look to her.

"Princess Babs Seed! I didn't think you'd make it."

"My parents insisted that I come… Believe me, it wasn't by choice…"

"Uh, right… Now, are we all here?" he checked his list and a voice cried out.

"Oh, wait for me!"

The ship docked and off came a light purple unicorn mare with a dark blond mane.

"Ah, yes, almost forgot about you, Princess Dinky Doo."

The snobby princesses did mean-spirited giggles at the mention of her name.

"Hi! Please to meet ya!" Dinky started shaking hooves.

"Nice to meet you, too!" Twist replied and shook hooves as well.

"It's great to see other princesses like me!"

Diamond muttered to Silver, "I wouldn't go that far…" Both of them ended up giggling.

"Hi, name's Dinky." she shook Scootaloo's hoof.

"Scootaloo, and this is my sister, Apple Bloom. This is Pip and Rumble."

The three of them did random greetings to her.

Scootaloo asked, "So, where are you from?"

"Palolasia. And it is the best! I could tell you all about it if you like!"

"Maybe some other time. We're kind of busy at the moment." said Apple Bloom.

"Sure! We got lots of time! And it's always great meeting new friends." she went in line between them and Twist.

The page looked at his list again, "I say it's safe to assume that we're all here now. On to the royal palace!" he began to lead them.

In the throne room, Button gave out a huge sigh, "Do I have to be here? They're going to see me at the ball tonight, anyway."

"You must make a good enough impression for them to want to be here. Also, it's decorum. Isn't that right, honey?" she turned to face her husband, only to see he was sleeping and snoring, "Cinnamon!"

He shook out of his sleep, "Uh, what? Is it time for lunch?"

"No, it is not. It is time to meet the princesses, so straighten up!"

He sighed, "Yes, dear…"

"Honestly, I don't know why you two act like it's the end of the world. Oh, and Button. you have a split end hanging out…" she licked her hoof while Button was squirming from her reach.

"Mom, it's no big deal. They're not going to notice!"

"Princesses like neatness, Button! So hold still!"

Button groaned as his mother patted down his mane. Well, at least this way, I can know who Sweetie Belle's sisters are so I can take them to her. They must be worried sick about her just as much as she was worried about them…

The royal trumpeter then blew a fanfare as the doors to the palace opened up and the page came in with several princesses.

So many of them… how will I be able tell who the sisters are? They'll be the ones from Canterlot, you dope. Oh, right.

Once the girls stopped gathering in the regal room, the queen stood up to address them, "Welcome, honored guests of Equestria! On behalf my son, Prince Button Mash, I thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy your stay. Tonight, we celebrate your arrival, then within two days' time, the tests shall begin. Princesses who fail the tests are allowed to dwell until the final test or may leave, but it would be wonderful if you like to stay put. You will each have a personal servant to escort you to your rooms and help you with your needs during your visit. Once again, thank you for coming and we shall see you all at the ball." she took her seat as princesses began chatting away.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo couldn't join in the rest of them and went up to their highnesses.

"Please, your majesty, but we must tell you something." Apple Bloom said.

"Yes? And who might you be?" Queen Love Tap questioned.

"Apple Bloom."

"And I'm Scootaloo."

"Of?" Button inquired with anticipation.

"Canterlot." both said at the same time.

"Yes!" he jumped and then composed himself after he was given looks by his mother and the two princesses, "I know where she's at."

"Huh?" both said again.

"But we haven't-" AB started.

"I'll explain on the way. Follow me." he ushered them.

Scootaloo signaled the guys to come with them, which they obeyed.

As the small group was going out, Diamond Tiara caught a glimpse of them leaving and turned to Silver Spoon, saying in a hush tone, "Those two are going to be a problem…"

"Why?"

"It seems they already know the prince."

"But isn't the whole point of getting the prince is to win the contest?"

"True, but if the prince wants a girl he already knows, that's going to ruin things as it is."

"What are we going to do?"

"We're not going to do anything. You are going to keep an eye on them and find out what their pedigree is… Got that?"

"You know I do."

Then the two of them did their bumps, "Bump-rump-sugar lump-rump!"

"So Sweetie Belle was here this whole time?!" Scootaloo asked excitedly as they were climbing up the stairs.

"Yes. She washed up on shore this morning and right away, she wanted to know if a ship from Canterlot came yet. When I told her 'no', she was pretty upset."

"I'm just happy that she's here and not lost at sea!" Apple Bloom cheered.

"Me, too…" Button said under his breath.

"Did you say something, Your Highness?" Pip asked.

"Uh, no, and it's Button. I don't like being 'Your Highness' a whole lot."

"How come?" Rumble questioned.

"I just don't like ponies addressing me as something I don't feel like being…"

"Wow, you sure are no Blueblood." pointed Scoots.

"Huh?" all three of guys looked at her in a strange way.

"Long story…" she replied, "You were showing us where Sweetie is?"

"Over here." he went to the left and went to a door, slowly opening it.

He let the sisters in first so they could see her resting in bed.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle…" Apple Bloom whispered.

"Thank goodness…" Scootaloo went up to her and stroked her shoulder.

Sweetie started to stir and slowly began to open her eyes. At first, she thought she was dreaming until she heard her sister's voice.

"She's waking up!"

"Scootaloo? Apple Bloom? Is that really you?" she sat up. The two were smiling at her and embraced her, "Oh, it is you! I was so worried about you!"

"You were worried?! What about us?!" Scoots motioned, "You fell overboard and we didn't know if you were alive or not!"

"But in our hearts, we knew you had to be."

Sweetie said, "We really have been lucky in our lives, haven't we?"

"I just hope it never runs out, though. We may be pushing it." said Scootaloo.

"It's great to see that you're alive and well, Princess Sweetie Belle." Pip came near them.

"Oh, please, Pip. None of that. Just Sweetie Belle or Sweetie, if you like."

"Same goes for me. Just call me Scootaloo."

"As you wish, Your High- I mean, Sweetie and Scootaloo."

"I must admit, I was afraid myself that you had been lost at sea, princess." said Rumble.

"Aw, that's so kind of you. And it's Sweetie to you. as well. I confess that I, too, thought I would have be lost forever, but was fortunate enough to land on Button's shores…" she saw him by the door and stared straight at him and he returned the stare as he came in.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad that fate allowed you to be here." he slightly blushed as she was blushing as well and her sisters noticed. He turned to them, stating, "You shall have the rooms next to your sister's. I'm sure you'll want to stay close by."

"We do. Thanks." Apple Bloom smiled with gratitude.

"And your escorts will also have rooms nearby."

"Thanks." both Pip and Rumble said.

"It eases me knowing you can look after her while I have to prepare for the ball tonight."

"The ball?" Sweetie questioned, "That's tonight?"

"It is, but you don't have to attend, considering you need to rest from what happened to you."

"But-"

"I insist. I will tell my parents you're still resting and shouldn't exert yourself."

"But I feel fine now."

"I don't want to take any chances. I'd feel better knowing you were here."

She sighed in defeat, "All right…"

"Great, I'll see you after the ball." he started walking before giving her a final glance and went out.

"Whoa." Scootaloo voiced.

"What 'whoa'?" Sweetie asked.

"Just the way you two were talking…"

"What about it?"

"It's like… you two were married or something." AB gestured.

"What?! That's… That's not true!"

"Oh, come on! You were head over hooves in love with him!" Scootaloo pointed out.

"And it was almost as if he was feeling the same way about you." Rumble rubbed his chin.

"He was?!" She nearly squealed in delight and then calmed herself while being pink, "That… That couldn't be right… I'm sure he's just being a gentle-colt… He has to be, you know…"

"Or maybe… not." AB smirked.

"Just promise me one thing."

"Yes?" both sisters said.

"That includes you two." she pointed to the guys.

"Uh, sure?" Pip said.

"Whatever you say." said Rumble.

"Do you Pinkie Promise?"

"Huh?" both guys asked in confusion.

The girls giggled while Scoots said, "Don't worry, we'll teach it to you…"

A few moments later after teaching Pinkie Promise 101, Sweetie made them promise not to say anything about her supposed feelings towards Button.

All of them said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

The hour was at hoof as the three sisters were in Sweetie's room. The truck they brought with them was in with them as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took out the ball gowns Rarity made for them.

"Are you sure you'll be okay with us going?" Scoots asked Sweetie.

"You two deserve to experience it and some princess has to be there on Canterlot's behalf."

"We'll tell you everything about it as soon as we get back." AB told her.

"I'm counting on that."

"And we'll tell Prince Button you wished you could have been there." Scootaloo started putting on her sparkling blue short-sleeve dress and wore a single golden pendant.

"I hope you do."

"Don't worry, we will." Apple Bloom winked and she put on her burgundy ball gown with gold trimmings. She also put up her mane.

"Have fun." she hugged them as they started going out.

"We'll try, but it won't be much fun without you." Scootaloo replied.

She waved them off as they returned the wave and shut the door. Sweetie Belle could hear and see fireworks from her balcony window. She stared at them, knowing about all the amazing things she was going to miss. She looked back to the truck that still had her dress in it. After thinking for some time, she made up her mind. I'm going to the ball…

Chapter 6

The band was playing in a glistening grand ballroom as ponies dressed in their finest were making their way in. Princesses started coming in, showing off their new, fashionable ball gowns.

The band saw them and started singing, "Every single princess in Equestria… Prayed to be invited to the ball… Every Portia, Guinevere and Janet… Would come by coach or boat to be here… Most would swim the moat to be here… Just to be at this historic gala! Girls would walk, or run, or even crawl… Rumor is that at this joyous scene tonight…The prince will likely choose his future queen tonight…"

Pip and Rumble were dressed in tuxes, courtesy of the princesses they arrived with. They began to wonder where they were at as they stood by at the buffet table. Tired of waiting, Rumble started stuffing his muzzle with melonballs. Pip looked towards the stairway and slack-jawed at the sight. He nudged Rumble to stop eating.

"What?" he mumbled with his mouth full, but when he saw Pip tilting his head towards the stairs, he ended up nearly choking.

They saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo approaching them, each radiating in their gowns, which made them sparkle.

"Apple Bloom…?" Pip was stunned.

She tittered at his loss for words.

"So?" Scootaloo directly asked Rumble, "What do you think? Too much?"

"No! I mean, no… it's… you…" he smacked his face, feeling like a dope.

She turned her head away in shyness, which was a first for her, "Thank you…"

"So, um, how's Sweetie Belle?" Rumble asked them.

"Disappointed she couldn't come down, but she's willing to wait." Scootaloo answered.

"And have you two seen Button yet?" AB asked.

"Not yet. My guess is he'll be coming in with his parents." Pip said.

Scootaloo gestured, "Well, looks we got time. Might as well go mingle."

The four of them started going around the area.

Meanwhile, in their Everfree castle, the elder princesses and their husbands were settling in for the night. Discord was in his and Fluttershy's apartment propped on the couch while flipping channels through a large magic mirror he had to watch Equestrian events.

"Too boring… Too gory… Too game showy…" Then he passed a channel that sparked his interest, "Wait… was that Scoots and Apple Bloom?" he flipped the channel back and sure enough, they were all dressed up and in a ballroom full of other ponies. "Fluttershy! Come quick!"

"What is it?"

"Look, it's that ball the girls were invited to!"

"That's wonderful, but don't you think we're intruding on their privacy?"

"Oh, no-no-no, we are merely observing. Besides, if this mirror were to show their rooms, then we'd be invading on their privacy."

"But it'll just show the ball?"

"Right."

"Oh, Rarity would be so happy if she got to see them in their gowns."

"Why don't you have them come over?"

"You won't mind?"

"We are technically all living under the same roof, so it doesn't really matter." he felt a big wet kiss on his cheek before she went towards the door acting so excited.

"Tell them to BYOB!"

"BYOB?"

"Bring Your Own Beverages."

"Okay…" and she gone out.

Moments later, they were all crowded either on the floor or the couch wearing PJs or bathrobes.

"I got popcorn!" Discord held out a giant bag full of the salt treats.

Both Cheese and Pinkie looked on with glee and had their popcorn bags at the ready. Once they were filled, Pinkie complained, "Hey, there's no butter on this!" Out of nowhere, a full stick of butter landed on top of her popcorn and she ate it.

There was chatter among them until Rainbow motioned, "Shush! I'm trying to hear!"

The group turned their attention back to the ball and Rarity was pleased to see her dresses fitting so well on the two, but frowned when she realized who was missing, "Where is Sweetie Belle?"

"I'm sure she's around there somewhere." said Twilight.

Fluttershy said, "It's such a lovely ballroom."

"Eh, you've seen one ballroom, you've seen them all." said Rainbow.

"I think they're about to start." Applejack noticed the band stopped playing and sure enough, the king and queen made their appearance along with the prince.

"Oh, so that's the prince that the princesses will be completing for." Rarity pointed, "I dare say, he is a handsome fellow, isn't he?"

"Indeed, it'll be harder for those princesses to want to leave at all." Fancy said.

"I pity the prince." said Soarin', "All those girls to choose from. That's going to be hard."

"Except… he's not going to make the choice…" Twilight reminded them.

They kept watching as they heard the king address the audience.

"Princesses of Equestria, you have been asked to compete for the right to marry my son. But tonight, we shall honor your presence and have you enjoy yourselves. But first, our court jester has prepared a number for you. Featherweight, if you will…"

"With pleasure, Your Highness!" Featherweight went on stage and grabbed up the microphone, telling the band, "And a-one, two, three!" the band began playing and just above the stairs were white mares with light purple manes, ranging from pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony, all wearing glittering gowns. Featherweight cued them, "Beauty and glamour and breeding unmatched…"

The band sang with him, "Princesses on parade…"

"Lovely, enthralling and all unattached… The hoi polloi and those well-bred agree… Each enjoy a royal pedigree…"

"Born for success!"

"Each possesses a spark… Each a remarkable maid! Boy, oh boy, these royal highnesses, all have pluses, they've no minuses, gaze upon these…"

"Princesses on parade!"

The page then took out a list and pointed to Princess Sunny Daze, "This princess comes from Coltchester, where corn and cotton grows… She plays croquet and the harpsichord and sews her own clothes! Aura isn't known to take the path of least resistance… She hails from south-east Rajacinch and came the farthest distance… Twist lives to help the world she finds no task too menial… and all other hopeful girls think she's the most congenial… Babs is from Strapgart, where our swords and armor is made!"

Featherweight took over, "Gaze upon…"

"Princesses on parade! This is the likely occasion… When the heir to the throne picks a wife…"

The ladies sang, "This may be the day when Prince Button will say…?"

Featherweight sang, "Where have you been all my life?"

"Brilliant, beguiling, the smiling brigade…"

"Princesses on parade!"

"Each the pride of her community… Each a golden opportunity!

"Just the thought that Crown Prince Button'll face his choice and he's hysterical!"

"Gaze upon… Heap praise upon…"

"These radiant, glamorous, luminous, dazzling…"

"Princesses on Parade!"

The band ended with a flourish and applause rang out. The only ones who didn't applaud were Button, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Pip, and Rumble. They were shocked at what just happened. They weren't the only ones, however, as miles away watching in the magic mirror, the princesses and their husbands were gaping.

"What was that?!" Rainbow flittered in the air.

"I have no idea." said Spike.

"I like it! It was so catchy!" Pinkie wiggled around.

"It was perfect for a party like that." agreed Cheese.

"A little over the top, but what the heck? It was amusing!" Discord chuckled.

"A disgrace, if you ask me," said Rarity, "Such formal occasions like that shouldn't be a showcase. They should be used for more… romantic settings…"

"I take it you're recalling our first dance in the magical kingdom, are you?" her husband deducted.

"Quite so…" she sighed dreamily.

That caused the other married couples to remember that special night as well. But their thoughts were interrupted when they saw the prince being swamped by princesses asking him for a dance.

Button felt very uncomfortable as most of the visiting princesses were crowding him and begging him to dance with one of them. The truth of the matter was that he didn't want to dance any of them but the girl he held in his heart. However, she needed the rest to make sure she was well. But then, he saw her, right on top of the staircase. Surely, he was just hallucinating, that it was just wishful thinking on his part that she would be here right now. But no, he wasn't; he could see other stallions turning their heads toward her. He couldn't blame them since she was a beauty, wearing a beautiful pink off-the-shoulder ball gown with a bright pink bow at the back and a tiara.

Jealously started consuming him as he could see the stallions were about to ask her for a dance. He had to get over there and fast. He made his way past the confused princesses, only for them to see his destination.

Sweetie Belle arrived down and saw him coming to her. She gave a small smile and started apologizing, "I'm sorry, I know you wanted me to-"

He merely stated, "Your timing couldn't have been more perfect… May I have this dance?" he bowed.

She curtsied in return, "Of course."

They took each other's hooves as they made it to the middle of the ballroom.

Sweetie started to notice the huge crowd gathering to watch them, "They must be all looking at you…"

"Believe me… they're looking at you…"

She blushed and heard the waltz playing.

Button moved her into a slow position and both began to move to the rhythm.

The onlookers included her sisters, who were smirking at the sweet scene before them. Back in Everfree castle, everyone else was smirking as well, but Rarity had to wipe away tears.

"How's that for romantic setting…?" Fancy whispered in her ear.

She simply nodded as she kept releasing tears. Her dear little sister had never looked more grown-up, especially in the arms of a prince.

"Hey, one can say she's the Belle of the ball. Get it?" Discord joked.

But his audience just groaned or rolled their eyes.

"Nevertheless," said Twilight, "Sweetie Belle is the prince's catch. No doubt she'll be his favorite to win the contest."

"But look at their eyes," Fluttershy noticed, "They look so deeply in love…" she stared into her own lover's eyes and saw the same love that Sweetie and the prince were sharing right now.

The waltz had ended quicker than they thought, but they just kept staring into each other's eyes. The band took a break and the crowd departed to go about their business. Button whispered to her, "Come with me…" he held her hoof and started taking her to a glass door leading to the gardens.

"Ooh, I wonder what they're going to do out there?" Discord grinned.

The others looked on with eagerness until suddenly, the channel was changed, causing a huge groan.

Twilight held the remote by using her magic and stated, "I think they would like to be alone now…"

"Oh, but it was getting to the good part!" Pinkie whined.

"We've seen more than enough. We can't play big sister or brother forever. Those girls are growing up and we have to accept that. And by doing that, we will respect their privacy of having a possible romantic relationship."

"You're right, Twi." Applejack nodded.

Most of the sisters and husbands did random agreements; Fluttershy, however, saw that her husband wasn't agreeing.

Eyeing him, she gave a warning tone, "Discord…"

"Sure, I'll leave them alone when it comes to romance, but shouldn't one of us-and by us I mean me-make sure that Sweetie Belle passes those tests? It is obvious she has a thing for the prince and would like to have him."

The others pondered on this and looked at Twilight, who was very deep in thought.

"…I don't like cheating… but Mother did give the mission to the girls so they would help find the one that the prince could love, but clearly, he loves Sweetie and Sweetie loves him… We will see if she can pass the tests on her own first, but if she feels she can't, then you will let me know immediately so we can all figure out a plan to help her out."

"Fine… as you wish…" he grumbled.

On that note, they said their good-nights and went out of the apartment and Fluttershy closed the door behind them. She yawned and fluttered to her love.

"I'm going to bed now, join me?"

"In a minute," he kissed her forehead, "I just got to take care of something first."

"Don't be too long…" she flew to the next room.

"Oh, I won't be." he assured her as he snapped his fingers.

In the room Sweetie was staying in, a single silver hand mirror appeared in the trunk.

The gardens were lovely at this time of night. Above them, a full moon was illuminating. Sweetie knew exactly who to thank for the beautiful night. Button led her to a fountain as they sat on the base of it.

"This was always one of my favorite spots to go as a kid…" he told her, "I never shared it with anybody…until now…"

"That's so sweet…" she went pink.

"It's as sweet as you are…" he touched her chin.

She giggled.

Back inside the ballroom, the band resumed playing. That got Scootaloo thinking as she watched every pony else dancing. She glanced at Rumble, grabbed his hoof, and took him out on the dance floor.

Confused, he said, "What are we doing?"

"It's called dancing, you goof."

"Oh, I'm aware it's dancing, just why me?"

"Well, why not? And if you feel you can't dance, I'd be glad to give you lessons." she mischievously grinned.

"Thanks, but…" Unexpectedly, he twirled her around and dipped her. He smirked at her surprised look, "I don't need it."

"Okay, since when does a thief know how to dance?"

"Oh, you'd be amazed of much you can learn just by watching." he twirled her again.

Apple Bloom saw the happy couple dancing away and looked over to Pip as he was eating cake. She wanted to dance with him, but then he would know her greatest shame of not being able to dance. She would be tripping all over his hooves. She grimaced at the thought and continued to watch the dancers.

Pip wiped his mouth as he saw Apple Bloom sighing at the noble colts dancing with fair ladies of the court. He should ask her to a dance, but he had no idea how to. Growing up in a small town never gave him much opportunity to learn how. She sighed again and he finally decided, Oh, what the hay…

He cleared his throat and bowed politely, "Shall we dance?"

"I… I can't…" she lowered her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I have four left hooves! I can't dance as gracefully as Scootaloo and Sweetie or my other sisters!" she slouched in despair.

He gave her a small smile, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't know how to dance at all."

"You… don't?"

"Nope, never had a chance to try before."

She did a small laugh, "Well, maybe there's something we can do besides dancing."

"Hmm…" he thought it over and saw artworks across the room with nobles admiring the artistic talent, "How do you feel about paintings?"

"Paintings?"

He pointed over to the large paintings.

"Oh…" she slowly went over as if entranced to look at a painting of a landscape that had a waterfall with bright plants surrounding it.

"You like that one?" he asked her.

"Uh-huh," she nodded, "It's so pretty."

"I can see why. It's so vividly detailed. The artist made it seem that the water is really flowing down and the texture on the flowers and the shrubs are brightly colored."

"How do you know that?"

"Growing up in the inn, you encounter a few painters trying to make their way up. I've seen them paint and they taught me what makes a good painting."

"Could you teach me?"

"You paint?"

"A little. I don't think I'm good, but my family has said otherwise."

"I'd like to see what you do in your paintings."

"I don't have an example with me, but I could paint one up."

"Alright, you show me a painting of your finest work and I can give you advice on what could be done to make it better."

"Thanks, but… what can I paint?"

"I'm sure we can find some ideas around here." they started going around the ballroom.

Sweetie Belle and Button started walking around the gardens.

"You must know I never wanted this contest to happen." he said.

"Did you have any say in it at all?"

"No, and neither did my dad. It was all Mom's idea."

"Did she tell you why?"

"She thinks I need a princess to help me rule the kingdom someday."

"Well… I guess that makes sense… but why not a princess you can love?"

"I have no clue as to why she's against that, but it's not fair! I'm old enough to know to what I want!"

"And what do you want?"

He faced her with big eyes, "Freedom…"

"Freedom? But you're the prince! You can do anything you want!"

"You would think so, but as heir, I can't even leave this kingdom."

"Wait… you never have been off of this island?!"

"Yup."

She gawked for a bit before shaking out of it.

"I've seen ponies come and go from this place, but I never go anywhere…"

Her heart went out to him; she knew the feeling of having a lack of freedom. When she was a maid in the Canterlot castle, she hardly had any free time since she had to work nonstop to make sure she stayed in the castle to live there. It wasn't until her adoptive parents took her in that she had more freedom than ever, but of course, she had royal duties and studies since then. Despite that, she had free time whenever she needed it, but that was different compared to Button's royal life. He was practically a prisoner!

Then she heard him say, "Don't get me wrong, I love Marendelle, but when you live here for sixteen years, it gets pretty boring."

"I bet." she agreed.

"Would you like me to show you around? I know every inch of the island!"

"Sure! Can I bring Scootaloo and Apple Bloom?"

"Sure you can."

"But we'll need to bring Pip and Rumble, too."

"That's okay. They seem pretty cool and they're your personal escorts, right?"

"Well… Pip is, Rumble's…"

"What?"

"It's a bit of a long story."

"We got time."

They kept on walking as she retold the tale.

From back inside the party, Apple Bloom and Pip were still figuring out what Bloom could paint when suddenly, she stopped.

"What? What is it?" Pip questioned, seeing the expression on her face.

"It was so obvious!"

"Obvious?"

"You!"

"Me?"

"I could easily paint you!"

"By all means, then, go ahead."

"But you're going to have to model for me, because I can't work without the proper guideline."

"Oh, how long would it take you?"

"A couple of hours, at most."

"Oh… Well, I'm game."

"Oh, thank you!" she hugged him, which caused a huge blush to spread across his cheeks. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly pulled back. A blush was across her face, too, "Sorry… about that…"

"It's… fine. It's fine, don't worry about it."

The two ended up smiling and gazing at each other until Scoots came between them.

"Come on! They're calling for all the princesses!" she grabbed Apple Bloom's arm, dragging her away.

Belle and Button got back inside just in time to see the princesses lining up on stage. Sweetie got behind her sisters.

The king spoke again, "And here are all the eligible princesses that have come far and near for the contest!"

The audience applauded out loud.

"My wife and I wish you good luck and may the best princess win!"

Diamond said under her breath, "Which will be me…"

Sweetie realized then that she was going to have to fight for Button, I know I've only known him for a day, but we really like each other's company… as if we already knew each other somehow… That's when she remembered her strange dreams, His voice… Gasp! It's the same as the voice that keeps calling to me! It's him! It's really him! I'm going to win this… for his freedom! She looked at him as he was looking at her, I promise you, Button, I'm going to pass those tests!

Author's Note

My Christmas present to all of you! Hope you enjoyed it, cause I won't be able to update till next week. Happy Holidays!

Chapter 7

"We should've known you wouldn't easily stay in one place." gestured Scootaloo when they met up in Sweetie Belle's room when the ball was done at midnight. It was just the girls as Rumble and Pip retired to their own guest rooms for the night.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry. We're glad you came after all and it looked like Button was especially glad…" Apple Bloom winked.

She blushed as she recalled her and Button's dance at the ball.

"But you do realize he's going to be hard to get to, right?" Scoots asked, "What with this ridiculous competition going on for winning his hoof."

"I know that, which is why I'm determined to win, but not for marrying him."

The two of them looked at her in puzzlement, going, "Huh?"

"He wants to be free to make his own choices," Sweetie explained, "as much as I really like him… and yes, you are right. I have a crush on him."

They couldn't help but smirk as she continued.

"The point is he should be free to marry whoever and whenever he wants to… I will not marry him unless he wants me to."

"That… is… so… unselfish!" AB's eyes gleamed.

"You're darn right it's not selfish!" Scootaloo beamed, "She's letting the guy have a say in his fate, even if she does want him for herself!"

"Button is his own pony. Who he loves should be his choice, even if I have… a fondness…" she went pink again.

"Hmm-mm." both sisters nodded and the three just burst into laughter before Sweetie pointed out.

"Oh, and by the way, Button's going to show us around the island tomorrow!"

"Cool!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Wait, does that count for us…?" Apple Bloom asked, pointing to the three of them, "or for all the princesses?"

"Us."

"Oh yeah, he's got it bad for you!" Scoots clicked her tongue.

"Now stop that! Just because I like him doesn't mean he feels the same way!"

AB playfully grinned, "But you'd like him to be, right?"

"That's not the point! And what about your guys' love lives?!" she smirked, knowing she finally got back at them.

"Love lives?!" both shouted.

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Scootaloo.

"Yeah…" Apple Bloom stammered with cheeks flushing red, "I don't know what you're getting at…"

"You do so! Pip…? Rumble…? Making any sense to you?" she winked.

"Me and Rumble?! No way! Besides, he's just paying off his debt to me. We are not an item of any sorts!"

"Same for Pip and me! He's… just a friend, that's all he'll ever be… Plus, he has a job to do, so he can't socialize with me! I mean us!"

"That's too bad, because Button was courteous enough to invite them along."

Their faces softened in surprise.

"He did?" Scootaloo questioned.

"He did." she repeated.

The two sisters exchanged glances before coolly replying that it was fine that the guys came with them.

Sweetie yawned, "Well, I'm going to bed now. This day was exhausting."

The sisters agreed and decided to hug each other quickly before saying their good nights. Once Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went to their own guest rooms, they couldn't help having a smile playing on their lips.

"You're going to do what?!"

"Keep quiet!" Button had to silence Featherweight with his hoof. They were in the castle's gym late at night, "Listen, I'm counting on you to help me out here. My mother can never know I'm taking three princesses out to town! I'd never hear the end of it and what's worst, she might send Sweetie Belle back! And I don't want that to happen!" he released his hoof.

"Okay, okay, I'll see what I can do, but I won't be able to hold them off for long."

"It's mostly my mother you have to keep entertain. If my dad found out, he'd be on my side. Say… that's not a bad idea… make sure you can get my pop to help you out. He's bound to keep Mom busy until I get back!"

"Good plan, I like that."

"I would like to count this as a first date with Sweetie, but if we're bringing her sisters along including their escorts, I don't think it does."

"You could always have Truffle in the kitchen to make a romantic dinner for the two of you."

"Oh, sure, while dining with my parents and other princesses with whom I'm supposed to be courting with, that's a superb idea."

"You could have it in the kitchen!"

Button could only shake his head, warily saying, "I'm going to bed. Wake me when you come up with a better approach…" he walked away.

He trailed after him, "We could always-"

"Good night, Featherweight!"

Morning shone brightly as princesses lined up into the banquet hall. There was chatter among them as some of them made friends at the ball last night. Twist and Dinky were certainly talking to each other. Diamond and Silver just kept to themselves as did the trio, but the latter group was open to the other princesses talking directly to them. Most of them were asking questions, especially Sweetie Belle about how it felt to be dancing with the prince.

"It feels like you're floating on air." she answered.

The girls exhaled dreamy sighs while Diamond huffed.

"So, how come we didn't see you getting off of the ship yesterday?"

"Well, I…I fell overboard the night before and the next morning, I was washed ashore where But- Prince Button found me."

"You're so lucky!" Aura said.

"Lucky?!" Babs yelled, "The girl fell overbroad and you're calling her lucky?!"

"In a way, I was, but yeah, at the time it was really scary…"

Dinky gulped, "Like how?"

"Like I didn't know if I was going to survive or not. When I drifted away from the ship, I didn't think I was going to see my sisters again." she wrapped both her hooves around their necks and they wrapped their arms on her back.

"Awww…." the girls, excluding Diamond and Silver, were awing in sympathy, realizing now how horrifying it must have been.

"But thankfully, that wasn't the case because we're all here again and that's what matters."

The surrounding mass smiled at that comment before they heard the butler announce, "Breakfast is served!" Almost immediately, ponies wearing chef hats were pushing carts with white tablecloths on them with the breakfast trays. Each set a plate before the princesses. Twist smiled warmly to a grey pony with cute chubby cheeks and blue eyes. He had a fork and knife for a cutie mark. He acknowledged her and smiled back at her.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He gave an unsure look, "I don't think I should… Your Highness…"

"Please? I would like to know."

"It's… Truffle, Your Grace." he quickly moved away to avoid her gaze and went back to the kitchens.

Twist felt sorry if she embarrassed the poor guy. She hoped she could find a way to apologize to him if she was the given the opportunity.

The butler stated before they started eating, "Their Majesties will be dining alone today, but I was instructed to tell you all that with the first test being tomorrow, you are allowed to roam around the castle to get used to it."

Excitement ran up the large group, but Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom knew they had different plans today.

"Thanks for doing this, gents." Button was telling Pip and Rumble as they set up an open carriage that had enough room for six.

"When you came to us this morning, how could we have refused?" Rumble motioned.

"No one can say 'no' to the prince, after all." said Pip.

Button instantly thought of his mother and he murmured his under breath, "Wanna bet?" Then he turned his head to Rumble, "So, Sweetie Belle tells me you're… a thief?"

"Uh, most of time, I mostly steal what I need. The only reason I'm here is because Scootaloo gave me this," he pointed to the wing still in a cast, "and the fact she offered me a deal I couldn't refuse, so you don't have to worry about me stealing anything valuable. I wouldn't be stupid enough to steal from royalty."

"Good to know." Button said as they had pulled the carriage close to the gates leading to the village, "Now it's up to you to bring the girls here and I will get my guards to pull for us."

"Right." both said and they headed back inside.

Moments later, the princesses were with them and they saw the carriage being hooked to two guards.

Button opened the door and gestured them to get in, "Ladies?"

They giggled to the prince's mannerisms and Pip and Rumble helped Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom up. Rumble was about to help Scootaloo, but she brushed him off by saying the same thing he told her at the ball during their dance, "Thanks, but…" she opened her wings to flap, "I don't need it." she got in as Rumble smirked.

When the boys got in, Button told the pullers, "Ready when you are."

The guards nodded to the command as the gate keepers opened the gates and they headed straight for the village.

"What do you think, oh brother of mine?"

"Hard to say, brother." Flam paced in their pawn shop, "An old couth sells us a treasure map in exchange for a pearl necklace. Either he was off his rocker or he sold us a fake map!"

"If only we knew a way for sure…" Flim thought out loud, "But say the map is real, who's to say there won't be any risks to get to it?"

"I dare say, that won't help at all."

"Which is why we need a pawn to check it out for us!"

"Marvelous idea, brother! But who would this pawn be?"

"Hmm…" he walked to the front door to put up the 'open' sign. Just as he did, he saw a carriage stopping a few feet away and saw a white stallion with brown spots all over him getting off to help a mare with red hair get down. Flim grinned and stated, "Him."

Flam came over to see what his brother was seeing, "Who him?"

"The one with the build and the spots! He's perfect!"

"Then we best get him over here and put on the charm, eh, brother?"

"Naturally, brother, naturally!" they shook on it as they waited for the right moment.

Scootaloo and Rumble started going around the streets of Marendelle's quaint village where performers were performing all over the place. There was a puppeteer, a clown, a mime, and jugglers. The little foals cheered them on until the group watching the jugglers gasped as one of them started losing the balls. Rumble saw this and immediately went into action of juggling the balls back. The other juggler caught them and the foals shouted with joy.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Scootaloo mentioned.

"Just something I learned while being on my own." he replied.

"What'd you do? Join a circus or something?" she joked and started laughing.

"Well…"

"Oh…" she faced him with intrigue, "You seriously were?"

"More or less, it was for a short time until I realized that it wasn't for me. I only did it to raise money to bail my brother out."

"What did you do while you were there?"

"Juggled, like you saw, did the tight rope, and tamed the lions."

"Whoa! Really?!"

"Nah, I was assisting the lion tamer by handing him the chair."

"Humph, had me going for a while there."

"But enough about me. I'm very interested in what you did in the palace before you became a princess as you said."

"Not much there, I'm afraid. I was just helping Rainbow Dash with her thing, that's all I did."

"And by 'thing', what do you mean exactly?"

"Helping her train. She may have been a princess, but she did just about every sport there was. Fencing, jousting, soccer… you name it."

"So I take it you were just as good as her if she had you helping her out."

"Maybe little…" she smirked, "I don't like to brag… but I did have some slick moves."

"Oh, really…" He gave her a sly look, "Care to show me…?"

"Hmm, I would… but I don't want to hurt you more than you already are." She pointed to the wing still in the cast.

"Sounds like a challenge to me."

"Ha! As if! I could win at any challenge you give at me!"

"Is that so? Then how about we settle on a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

"Loser…" he gave it thought and grinned, "…kisses the winner!"

"What?!"

"Take it or leave it, unless… you don't think you're up to it…"

"I am so! Name your challenge and I'll show you!"

He looked around and spotted a playground and on that playground were young colts in a board park skateboarding. Smiling, he turned back to her. "Whoever has the coolest moves on a board wins."

She saw the park and gave off a cool expression towards him, saying, "No problem." She went ahead, making sure he wouldn't see the evil grin on her face, I am so going to wipe the floor with him…

Chapter 8

Button pointed out the many shops of Marendelle to Sweetie Belle, who looked on with interest, "Over there is the bakery, the bookshop, floral shop, candy store, hardware store…" he kept listing off a few more shops while Sweetie noticed the crowd of ponies passing them by.

"Say, Button…"

"Yeah?"

"Does anyone here know that you're the prince?"

"Actually, no. I've always kept a low profile around my ponies."

"But how is that possible? I mean no offense and all, but you do live on a small island. How is it that any pony not know you're the king's son?"

"Simple. My mother kept me within the castle nearly all my life and with the gates almost being closed every day, no pony on the outside could see me."

"When did you first start exploring, then?" By then, they took a seat at a café as a waiter brought them milkshakes.

"Well, a couple of years ago, we had delegates arriving for a royal conference involving trade routes. With my parents being so busy for their visit, the gates were wide open and I took it as an opportunity to see what the kingdom looked like. When I found out that no one knew me, for the first time in forever, I felt free…"

"How long did it last?"

"About a week. As free as I was, I still couldn't leave the island."

"Why not? You could have always hopped on a ship and just go."

"Believe me, I thought that, too, but I knew that Mother and Father would have the guards looking for me if I didn't come back that day. What's worse, they would have thought I was kidnapped or something and you can imagine my mother would stay on my case ever since, making sure I was protected at all costs. After all, I am the prince, not to mention I'm the only heir Marendelle has. My parents were the only children in their families as well. I don't have any aunts and uncles or cousins to take my place if I decided to step down. I have no choice but be king."

"Do… do you want to be?"

"I don't know… All my life, I was trained to uphold the family legacy. I know everything there is to be a king-in-training, but to actually do the job… Honestly, I'm a little scared… What about you?"

"Me?"

"Where do you stand in your family?"

"Oh, um… I'm the youngest of eight sisters." she did a small chuckle.

Button gapped at this information, "Really?!"

"Really… but… then again, I wasn't always a princess."

"Wait… what?"

She explained, "I'm adopted, so are Scootaloo and Apple Bloom."

"So, you weren't born a princess?"

"That would be correct. Before I was adopted, I was an only child, too."

"Did you ever feel lonely?"

"When I was younger and still had my birth parents, sure, but when they were gone, I was working in the castle and met Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Like me, they were orphans forced to feed for ourselves. But at least we had each other and we became the best of friends. Then, out of nowhere, thanks to Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, daughters of the king and queen, we were adopted. And that's how we became princesses and why we're here now."

"But why did they adopt you?"

"Mainly because each of us was working for one of the princesses I told you about. I was working for Rarity at the time before becoming her official sister."

"Wow…"

"Are you upset that I'm not really a princess?" she braced herself for disappointment.

"No! Maybe my mom would be… But not me! In fact… this makes things more interesting…" He mumbled to himself, recalling the dreams he had of the enchanting voice, which had amazingly stopped the previous night.

Sweetie had noticed her dreams of the mysterious caller stopped last night. Could it be she was on the right track of Button being the voice?

"…for the tests, of course!" He told her, "A princess being adopted versus a princess born and bred in a palace."

"That didn't occur to me!" Sweetie suddenly felt worried, "There's only so much I know about being a princess!"

"Uh-oh…" he thought, This may be a problem… I was hoping she'd be able to pass the tests because she is a princess, but then again… Mother will want to make sure that the princess passing all of the tests will be the right one for me to marry, so who's to say that she won't have a couple of tricks up the sleeves of her dress… So, I'll just have to have a couple of tricks of my own! He grinned and took Sweetie's hoof, which made her pink.

He said, "Listen, I can help you out. Every night before the test is given, I can give you a head start so you can prepare for it."

"That's…" she gave it some thought and then cheered, "…brilliant! Thank you!"

"Well, if I have to marry some princess, it might as well be you…" he did a slight blush.

She gasped, "But Button, I don't want to win to marry you, not that that would be great and all, but the point is that I win so you can be free to marry whoever you want."

His eyes widened in surprise, "You… you would do that?"

"I would, because no pony should be forced to marry if they really don't want to. My family knows the heartache of that. Another reason my sisters and I are here is to help you get past this."

"Whoa… this is… I don't know what, but I don't care! I'm just too happy!"

She giggled, "It's settled, then. You give me the advance on the tests and I will try my hardest to win the contest."

"Deal." he smiled as they shook on it and ended up gazing into each other's eyes.

Apple Bloom and Pip were nearing the port. AB had a small canvas and paintbrush on her back.

She said, "I think I see a good spot for you to pose. I'll be right back." She went ahead as he beamed at her enthusiasm.

Suddenly, he heard a psst sound and turned around to see a shop that said on the sign Flim Flam Brothers Exchange Store. He saw two unicorns out front.

"Hey there, young feller!" one of them said, who didn't have the mustache, "Looking for something?"

Pip replied, "Uh… no? I'm just-"

"Of course he's looking for something!" the one with the mustache cut him off and put a hoof around him, "You can see it in his eyes! He's looking for something better!"

"Bigger and better!" The one without the mustache pointed out.

"Just who are you guys?!"

"Who are we? Why, he's Flim!"

"And he's Flam!"

"O-kay…"

"But enough about us. We're interested in your endeavor. You came to this island for a reason. Perhaps for some adventure and excitement, hmm?" the one called Flim said.

"Not… really…" Pip answered.

"Then you came for profit!" Flam gestured.

"Well… kind-of…"

"Then why are you here?" Flim questioned.

"That's…not really your business, sirs."

"Aw, sorry, lad! Didn't mean to get personal there, but we want to be sure that you're the one." Flam winked to his brother, who caught on.

"The… one? What?"

"The one! Yes!" Flim motioned, "You see," he said in a hushed tone, "we have a genuine, bona fide, for-real treasure map!"

"Treasure map? You can't be serious, can you?"

"Oh, we're very serious…" Flam whispered.

"Then, why do you need me? Why not get the treasure yourself?"

"Clever colt! You see… the treasure is protected so no pony can get to it, but… only if a humble stallion such as you is allowed near it… you got that?" Flim said.

"But what's in it for you if I do get to the treasure?"

"So glad you asked!" Flam gestured.

Flim stated, "It is our map, so naturally, most of the profit goes to us."

"By how much?" Pip questioned with a raised brow.

"Hmm, say, 75…" Flam started.

"…25…?" Flim finished.

"As in you get the 75?"

"That depends on how much treasure you find!" Flam pointed out.

"You, sir, would still be a very rich colt! So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?" Flim grinned in anticipation.

"I… don't know… Maybe you should find someone else."

"Why have some pony else take a treasure that rightfully belongs to you?" Flim mentioned, "Surely there's some way you can use the treasure… you catch my drift."

"Yes, surely…" Flam nodded.

"Well…" Pip really thought about it now, "I suppose I could use a small amount that could help me out…"

"That's the spirit!" Flim nudged his shoulder.

"Can I at least think it over, just to be sure?"

"Of course!" both brothers said.

"Take as long as till the end of the week!" Flim magically handed him a business card, "You know where to find us."

"Just make sure you make the right choice." Flam said as they headed back into their shop.

"It's perfect!" Apple Bloom came up to him, which caught him off guard, "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah! I mean, I'm fine. You took a bit longer than I thought."

"Sorry…" she blushed, "But I had to make sure it was the right place to capture your face. Come on!" she ran on.

"I'll be there!" he called back. Suddenly, he felt a tap behind him, turning to see the Flim Flam Brothers smirking back at him.

"A word of advice, my young friend," Flim started off, "a mare like that deserves the best in life."

"But she already has the best in life. She's a princess…"

"A princess, you say!" Flam took over, "In that case, what better way to impress a princess than the heroic act of retrieving a treasure?"

"I… guess…"

"You like her, don't you?" Flim questioned.

"Well, sure I do! But I don't stand much of chance to be with her!"

"Then get that chance by getting that treasure!" Flam motioned.

"With that treasure, you would prove yourself in more ways than one!" Flim beamed.

"You really think I could?"

"Absolutely!" the two said.

He looked over to where Apple Bloom was setting up her canvas. For the short time that he's known her, he enjoyed her presence, her words, and her red apple mane. She was a girl he had hoped to find, but the catch was that she was a princess. Even if it wasn't by birth, she was still part of a royal family that was known throughout Equestria. He would have to prove himself that he was good enough for her and her family. With a treasure, that should be good enough, shouldn't it?

He faced the brothers and stated, "Alright, you convinced me. What do I have to do?"

The brothers smiled as Flim instructed, "Meet us here in two days, and we'll tell you all you need to know…"

"Fine. I'll see you then." He went straight to where Apple Bloom was.

In a tavern off the edge of Marendelle, a grayish-brown earth pony with a gold skull for a cutie mark was sitting with his hench-ponies and discussing the fact that they lost a map that they were going to need.

"…If I ever find the traitor who took my map, I will be very unpleasant with him…" he slammed his mug full of cider on the table.

The hench-ponies were shaking while agreeing.

"It was bad enough that five years ago, I lost the Amulet of Amethyst to the little thief we had in our ranks… I vowed to not let that happen again, but treachery got the best of me again…"

"Your bill, Caballeron." The tavern owner handed a slip.

"That's Doctor Caballeron."

"Right, Doctor."

Caballeron handed the bill to one of his hit-ponies, "Be a good colt and pay the nice stallion. Make sure you leave a tip while I go meet my informant outside." He got up and headed to a deck attached to the tavern, where he saw a cloaked figure, "Have you got anything for me?"

"Nothing yet." the figure removed her hood, revealing her blue coat, white silky mane, and purple eyes, "But the great and powerful Trixie will keep trying."

"And to help you keep trying…" he took out a small box and opened it to reveal an amulet of black and red and an evil alicorn on the design, "The Alicorn Amulet is quite useless to me since I have no magic of any sort to tap into its source of power, but since you are a unicorn, you will be able to."

"Ooh…" Trixie admired it and used her magic to put it on. In mere seconds, she felt the power going to her horn, "I feel so much powerful than what I used to be!" she chuckled.

"Naturally, you were but a fraud when we first found you. But luckily, we were able to put that to good use. While you were distracting all those archeologists, I was able to claim those priceless artifacts all for myself! I made a bundle to be sure, but I needed more in order to retire in splendor. But alas, the map to ensure that was stolen and is somewhere on this miserable little island."

"With this amulet, I shall be able to find the map and nothing will stand in my way! For I am a great and powerfuller Trixie!" she laughed evilly this time.

Scootaloo skid down to a stop on the ramp and saw the expression on Rumble's face, "I win!"

He did a small laugh, "So you did…" he stuck out his hoof and they shook.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Pucker up!"

"But I thought…?"

"Hey, you made the stakes, so you are going to live by them!" she closed her eyes and puckered up her lips, ready for the impact.

Rumble was nervous as he leaned closer to her, "Okay… here it goes…" he closed his own eyes and his heart pounded furiously. He took a deep breath and pressed his lips to hers.

Neither Scootaloo nor Rumble could move as their hearts swelled up inside of them. They couldn't admit it, but this was the best kiss they ever had. To him, her lips were so soft and tender, and to her, his lips were warm and tasty like she couldn't get enough of it. Finally, they broke apart, staring at the other.

"Whoa…" both of them ended up saying.

"That was… um…" Scootaloo had to turn her head away.

Rumble turned his head away as well, "Nice… yeah…"

"Want to… go again on the boards?"

"Yeah! Sure… we can do that…" he grabbed up his board and started to do the half-pint.

Scoots followed suit.

"Almost… there…" Apple Bloom mumbled with the brush in her mouth as she looked at Pip to paint his portrait.

Pip tried his hardest to keep still, but it got harder when seagulls and pigeons started surrounding him and some were on top of him, "Just please tell you're not adding the birds…"

She shook her head, "Nah-uh. It's all you and your cute brown eyes…"

"What?"

"Nothing!" she quickly hid behind the canvas so he didn't see her blush as she rapidly kept painting.

He couldn't help but smile at how cute she was and that she was so sweet as well.

"And… Done!" she moved the picture for him to see.

He shooed the birds away as he got a closer look and gawked, "Apple Bloom…"

"I know… it's not as good as the picture we saw at the ball. I did warn you."

"Are you kidding?! This is incredible! You captured every bit of me! My hair, my eyes, even my spots! Apple Bloom, you are the best artist that I have ever met! How you can see yourself as bad is beyond me."

"I guess… the praise meant nothing to me because I never know if ponies are saying that just to be nice or if that I was really good. My family could have just told me I was good because they're my family. But are you saying these things to be true?"

"Apple Bloom, I was taught what makes a good painting. If you were missing something, I would have told you so you can be better. But you don't need to be… This is a gift you possess and I would not change it for all of Equestria…"

Her eyes began to well up with tears. That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard, "Oh, Pip… you really think so?"

"I do. You're amazing, Apple Bloom." Another reason why I'm going to find that treasure for you… You're worth it…

"Here." she took hold of the picture, "You have it."

"I couldn't… it's your hard work."

"But it's a picture of you. You should have it. I insist."

"Alright, if you insist." he took it as they smiled at each other.

The day was almost over and the group got back to the carriage to head back to the castle.

Button whispered, "Tonight, after dinner, I'll have Featherweight deliver a message to you."

"Right." Sweetie nodded.

Once they reached the gates and headed inside, Button was asking the others how their day went and if they liked Marendelle.

"It's great!" Scootaloo said.

"It is!" Apple Bloom agreed.

"You know, when you first came to this island, I was wondering if you were triplets with Sweetie Belle, but then she told me you were adopted."

"Yeah, we get that a lot from visitors who come to Canterlot, thinking that we're triplets since we are the same age." answered Scootaloo.

"But the truth is we are adopted." Apple Bloom gestured.

"And we couldn't be more proud." Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

They kept walking on, unbeknownst that they passed some pony that was hidden from view. She came out when she saw the prince with the trio of princesses and their escorts going up the stairs. Princess Silver Spoon couldn't help but smirk and said to herself, "Diamond's going to really like this…"

Chapter 9

"Come on! Just give me one little hint!" Button begged in his parents' chambers.

"No, Button!" The Queen replied.

"This is my future wife we're talking about here and I'm not allowed to know what the tests are?! I have a right to know!"

"You just have to trust me on this… I know what I'm doing for your benefit."

You mean your benefit… my benefit would be if I knew what Sweetie Belle is going to be facing!

"Now, we're done talking about this, and you need your rest."

Button sighed in defeat, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere tonight and slumped out.

Cinnamon Swirl saw his son's disappointment and addressed his wife, "I'm going to get a snack quick before going to bed, dear."

"Alright, but don't take so long like last time when you ate those carrots."

He chuckled, "I won't, dear." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading out. Once he did, he called out to his son, "Hey, Button!"

Button turned back to face his father, "Yeah, Pop?"

"Your mother may not want to tell you, but she didn't give me a rule to not tell you."

"Really?!" his eyes widened in hope.

He nodded, "Listen, the first test will take place tomorrow afternoon in the throne room. It's going to test the princesses' knowledge on what she knows about being a princess."

"That's it?"

"Pretty much."

"I don't get it, Pop. Why is she so overprotective about this contest? Doesn't she want me to be happy?"

"Of course she does. Everything she does is only for your well-being."

"Then why can't she trust me to find the right girl for myself?"

"It's not so much as she doesn't trust you. It's the mare she wouldn't trust. You're going to have to cut your mother some slack; you are her only son."

"Then why didn't you have more kids?"

"We wanted to, but after you were born, things had gotten so busy we hardly had a chance to try. Being exhausted every day of raising you and running the kingdom didn't help."

"Oh… You know, I've been wanting to know for some time, but how did you and Mom fall in love?"

"Well… there's not much to tell… As you know, your mother was a princess and it was her destiny to be the next queen of Marendelle. I was a young regent traveling Equestria and the lands surrounding it. I don't want to brag or anything, but I was quite the swash-buckling hero in my day… Fought off a few pirates, saved ladies in distress, and found some amazing treasures that you see in a museum now…"

"Pop? The story?"

"Right, sorry. Anyway, I stopped in Marendelle one day due to a storm going on, and being tired from my journey, I seeked shelter at the castle. Your grandfather, the king, didn't believe me that I was of noble birth, but he was kind enough to let me stay until the storm had gone away and I had the privilege to meet his daughter. It may be hard to believe now, son, but your mother was the most beautiful creature I ever laid eyes on…" he gave a dreamy look.

Button blushed at the memory of when he met Sweetie Belle, I know how that feels… Then he asked, "What happen then?"

"Well… we took a liking to each other. She wanted to hear all of my adventures. At the same time, she showed me her world of living in a castle all her life. Despite our different living arrangements, we found common ground much to your grandfather's dislike."

"How did you get him to change his mind?"

"With the storm still going on for days, it was hard to get rid of me now that I was so close to his daughter. He decided to give me a test to prove my worth."

"Great… it runs in the family…"

"Apparently so, for my test, I had to give him forty baskets of jewels."

"And did you? Of course you had to… You're married now."

"True, but during that time, I wasn't sure if I wasn't going to pass. While I had a bundle of jewels back on my ship, I still had to find more to complete the quota."

"So how did you do it? Did you go back to Equestria get more?"

"Let me tell you something, son, I've had many adventures in my life, but the one adventure that stood out for me was when I met your mother and had you. I was determined to stay on the island so I could be with your mother. I started looking around the island in search of the jewels I needed left. Fate was fortunate enough to me when I stumbled onto an ancient diamond mine and saw so many diamonds that they lit up the whole mine. I took the diamonds that I needed -plus one that was perfect for an engagement ring- and the rest is history. I had proven myself and gained your mother's love. Your grandfather gave his blessing and even wed us. When he decided to retire, the crown went to us."

"Wow… so, you gave it all up? To live here?"

"And I don't ever regret it."

"I don't know what's more amazing: you giving up freedom or mom staying here her whole entire life…"

"Son, I didn't give up freedom. I choose to stay because I wanted to. Sometimes being free means choosing not to go but to stay. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Uh… maybe?"

"Don't worry. When the time is right, you'll understand…" He gave him a pat on the back and then headed down the stairs.

"I suppose… but in the meantime, I got a message to get out."

Sweetie was pacing in her room, hoping that Button will give her something on the test. Suddenly, she heard a knock that made her jump. Once she calmed down, she opened the door and saw Featherweight carrying a scroll in his mouth.

He mumbled through the scroll, so she couldn't understand him.

"What?" she asked.

He spitted out the paper, "A message from Prince Button."

She could only shake her head as she magically lifted the scroll to unfurl it and read out loud, "Sweetie Belle, the first test will be tomorrow afternoon. It will test your knowledge on being a princess. I hope this gave you a head start and you will be ready in time for the test. Your friend, Button…"

She started to worry again. She wasn't a princess until she was ten years old. Other than her sisters, the rest of the princesses grew up on the idea of what it was like to be a princess. She had only five years of experience; the rest of them had a lifetime to learn.

Sweetie turned back to Featherweight, saying in a calm tone while hiding the fact she fretting inside, but she wanted Button to feel relaxed that she could handle it, "Tell Button he has nothing to worry about it. I got this."

"Right away!" he saluted and closed the door behind him.

Sweetie Belle then panicked and paced the room once more, "Okay, stay calm… Everything's going to be alright… You know you don't know much, but you know plenty… Just remembered what Mom and Dad taught you on your first day…" She looked back to the day after their sisters' famous wedding. Now that it was going to be just them and the parents, they would be trained while getting to know each other better.

Celestia addressed her young daughters in the throne room, "My darlings, it isn't that you simply act like princesses, but to show it."

The three looked on in confusion while saying, "Huh?"

Sombra chuckled, "What your mother means is… being a princess is not only learning about etiquette and protocol, but by being generous and kind to your subjects."

"Ohh…" all three said, but still showed incomprehension.

"I don't get it." said Scootaloo.

Celestia smiled, "Don't worry. We have time to teach you and it will be clear to you…"

The memory faded as Sweetie Belle thought out loud, "They taught us everything they knew that day… I could only hope it was enough…" She went to open her trunk to find anything that could help her out and was surprised to find a small hand mirror. She used her magic to see it closer and saw her reflection, "Hmm, must've packed it without realizing it… Although I don't recall owning a mirror like this." she sighed, "I wish I can see Mom and Dad. I could really use their advice…" Suddenly the mirror glowed pink and the image of Celestia and Sombra appeared while they sat on their thrones, looking over paperwork that needed to be filled tomorrow.

She gasped that she was seeing them right now, "Mom… Dad… How…?" She kept watching and began to hear them!

Sombra yawned as Celestia touched his hoof, "Why don't you get some rest? I can finish up here."

"You had to run an entire kingdom for ten years alone. I will not abandon you again."

"You know perfectly well you did not abandon me. And I wasn't alone; Luna and the girls helped me whenever I needed it."

"Speaking of girls, how do you think Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom are handling things in Marendelle?"

"I'm sure they're following my wishes to help the prince overcome his dilemma."

Sweetie Belle nodded to that comment and blushed at the fact that maybe she was helping him more than what her mother thought.

"But what's to stop one of them from falling for him?"

"Perhaps, but I will be happy if one of them does, but only if the prince shares similar feelings for her."

Sweetie blushed even more, remembering Button's words, Well, if I have to marry some princess, it might as well be you… She wasn't going to lie, but that was the most amazing thing she had ever heard. It was almost as if he was proposing to her right then and there. But her decision still stood about giving him the freedom he'd always wanted.

"Sounds like our first meeting." Sombra pointed out.

"It does sound a bit like it." Celestia agreed.

"If you had to choose which daughter the prince would like, who would it be?"

Sweetie would've been shocked if her mother said her name.

"Hmm… I cannot say, for I do not know the prince. If I knew something about him, it would be easy to determine which of our darlings he would adore. I think I remember seeing Apple Bloom having her eyes on Pip before they left."

"He seems like a nice colt, but I hope Apple Bloom doesn't get ahead of herself and just fall head over hooves."

"She won't. She's very smart and isn't so easily fooled. Same goes for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. I trust their judgment. Whatever they're facing in Marendelle, all they can do is try their best…"

Sweetie had a small smile on her face when hearing that, "Thanks, Mom… I needed that." Just like that, the mirror glowed again and the image dissolved back to her reflection. She put back the mirror in the trunk as she kept trying to figure out where the magic mirror came from. But soon, she became tired and knew she was going to need her rest for the test. She would worry about the mirror later…

"No way!" Diamond Tiara squealed giddily.

"It's true! I overheard them talking about it with the prince!" Silver Spoon confirmed in Diamond's guest room that was next to hers.

"Humph, I'm surprised he hasn't thrown them out for being posers."

"Well, they were adopted by Canterlot's royal family. It's not like they came from a small kingdom while we came from one that's so grand."

"That is true…" Diamond went into thinking, "The royal family of Canterlot not only rules over Canterlot, but are also the protectors of Equestria. If one of our kingdoms were in trouble, we have to go to them for help, which is so unfair, of course…"

"And what's even more unfair is that they sent three of them to compete, giving Canterlot a higher chance to win."

A thought then stuck Diamond and she grinned maliciously, "Then we'll just have to have more on our side to bring those three down…" She whispered the plan to her cousin, who in turned grinned just as nastily.

The next morning, the trio was heading to breakfast.

"Nervous about the test, Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked.

"A little…" Sweetie confessed, "I only hope that it's about stuff we learned in the last six years."

"Do you want us to drop out of the running?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"Let's see what happens first. I need you two to help me out."

"We'll do what we can, but you know we can't stay for something that doesn't appeal to us. Button's a great guy and all, but you had your eye on him first and frankly, I don't feel anything for him." Scoots pointed out.

"Me neither." AB mentioned.

"This wouldn't have to do with the colts that are with us, is it?" Sweetie smirked.

"No!" both denied and blushed beet red.

Sweetie could only laugh, and then she saw Princess Peachy Pie and Princess Sunny Daze. She greeted out to them, "Good morning!"

They turned back to see them and had an uneasy look on their faces, Peachy Pie sounded hesitant when she spoke, "Oh… Good morning…"

"What's wrong?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Nothing!" the both of them shouted out, giving each other looks.

"We… have to go." Sunny Daze said as she nudged Peachy Pie to get going. They rushed straight to the dining hall.

"What's up with them?" Scootaloo raised her brow.

"That was weird." Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah…" Sweetie nodded as they got into the hall, and once they took their spots, they noticed half of the princesses were sitting far away from them.

"Okay, something strange is going on here." Scootaloo gestured.

Twist then took a spot next to them.

"Twist," Apple Bloom addressed her, "Do you know why every pony is acting strange?"

"I do, actually…" Twist gave a sad look and explained, "Diamond and Silver came to us this morning claiming you three were adopted as princesses."

The trio immediately winced at this.

"The others took it to heart, but I figured she said that to have a better chance at winning the contest."

"Um… Twist…" Sweetie slowly said, "They're not lying."

"Really?" she had a surprised look on her face.

"It's true… we are adopted…" Apple Bloom spoke softly.

"So, maybe you will want to hang out with the girls who are real princesses…" Scootaloo said in a low tone.

"Now why would I do that? I just thought it was false because you didn't say anything, but since it's obvious you wanted to keep it quiet, I won't hold it against you. I don't care."

"You don't?" questioned Sweetie.

"It doesn't matter to me how you came to be princesses. You're here, aren't you?"

"Exactly!" Dinky came up to them and sat next to Scootaloo, "So what if you weren't born into a high family? You guys were nice to me when we first met. Even if we don't win this contest the king and queen have for us, I just hope we can stay friends."

"I agree." said Twist.

By then, Babs sat across from them.

"Babs?" Apple Bloom noticed.

Babs started eating.

"You are aware that we're adopted princesses, right?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, so?" Babs questioned as she took a scoop of oatmeal.

The five of them stared at her in bewilderment.

"Listen, I wasn't sure I was going to fit in with all of you when I came here. My parents wanted me to forge an allegiance with Marendelle, even it meant winning the contest and marrying the prince, but I don't think like they do and I don't consider myself as a 'normal' princess. So, imagine my reaction when I found out I wasn't alone in that category…" she gave a small smile.

They returned the small smile.

"If Diamond thought that we wouldn't want to hang out with you guys, she sure failed." pointed Dinky.

"That she did." nodded Babs as she looked to the other side of the table where Diamond and Silver were gossiping with the rest of the princesses.

"Let's talk about other things, like the test happening today." said Twist.

Sweetie Belle quickly spoke, "Oh, I'm sure it won't be anything to worry about. For all we know, it could be about how much we know about being princesses."

"You think so?" Dinky questioned.

"You never know." Sweetie replied.

"Do you think the prince will be there?" Twist asked.

"I'm not sure." Sweetie thought, Button didn't say he would be, but then again, he might…

As she was lost in thought, the chefs came out to serve the breakfast meals and once again, Truffle served Twist her tray. She ended up looking at him and whispered before he went, "I'm sorry about the other day… I didn't mean to embarrass you like that…"

Truffle looked up in surprise and whispered back, "You didn't embarrass me. I was… just surprised that a princess like you would be talking to me."

"I don't know how it's done here, but where I come from, I talk to all the servants to make sure they're okay when working in the castle."

"That's… really sweet of you…" Truffle said with sincerity.

She did a small blush, "Thanks… but I like doing it. I want to make sure that everything's fair and that I don't want special treatment just because I'm a princess."

"But you deserve it, with your kind heart…" he blushed this time.

She blushed even further.

"I have to go back now. I've got dishes to wash and prepare for the lunch hour." he started to go until she quietly called back to him.

"Wait, when can I see you again?"

He stopped and faced her with uncertainty, "I… don't know, Your Highness…"

"And that's another thing. I would appreciate it if you would call me Twist."

"Twist? Wow, that's a sweet name for a sweet girl like you."

"Well, thank you, but surely there's a time I can see you without you having to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Well… I suppose after dinner tonight."

"Great, I'll meet you in the kitchens."

"Sure, wait… what?"

"Trust me." she winked.

A smile spread across his face as he slowly moved away from her.

When Twist went back to talk with the girls, they looked at her curiously.

"What was that about?" Scootaloo asked her.

"Oh, um… that was Truffle. He served me breakfast yesterday and I was afraid I embarrassed him by asking for his name, but he seemed okay with it now that I talked to him about it."

"But I thought…weren't you interested in But- I mean, the prince?" Sweetie questioned.

"Well, sure, when I arrived and at the ball. But when I met Truffle, something seemed to click. The reason I'm here is, yes, to participate in the competition at my parents' request, but I'm also here to see if I can find love… I know it's silly to assume that, but I really think it could happen."

"I don't think it's silly at all…" Sweetie smiled.

"Of course it's not!" Dinky motioned, "A lot of ponies want a very special some pony. I wouldn't mind to have one…"

"Is that why you're here, too?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Not really. I'm here out of politeness. I never could refuse an invitation and it doesn't seem like a bad idea to try to earn the prince's attention to see if he could like me."

"Would you drop out if you didn't?" Sweetie had to know.

"I would. I could never marry some pony if they didn't love me for me."

They gave random agreements.

"I wish I had it that easy…" Babs glumly said.

"Why?" AB said in concern.

"My folks want me to marry some pony of noble birth, which is why they're hoping I can marry Prince Button."

"So you're forced to stay on?" Sweetie said with unease.

"Afraid so… Unless I fail the test."

"You could always bounce it up." suggested Scootaloo.

"I would, but I was given intense princess training growing up. To say the wrong answer so soon would convince my parents I tried to get out of it and end up disgracing them. That's the last thing I want to do."

"I understand…" Sweetie sympathetically said.

Babs then asked, "What about you three? I'm very interested in your background is since we've found out you were made princesses. When did that happen?" Both Dinky and Twist looked in eagerness, wanting to know the whole story.

The trio each gave looks until Apple Bloom started them out, "Well, it started back when we were young maids…" and she continued on.

Author's Note

Since school has started up again for me, updates will be slow, all I can say is that the next chapter will finally focus on the first test. Until then.

Chapter 10

Author's Note

So for this chapter it features the song High Adventure from the Aladdin broadway musical. I suggest for those who had not heard it before, it be best to check it out before reading this chapter. Reviews are great since they help me through this story. And I would like to thank the reviewers I get every chapter, your support is most helpful. :twilightblush:

Chapter 10

Button was on edge. He wanted to wish Sweetie Belle good luck before the test started, but he was stopped by several guards by order of his mother that he couldn't be in any way near the princesses before and during the test. He also wasn't allowed in the throne room where the test would take place. He went to the gym, but didn't pick up his sword or did anything else, mostly because he was too nervous to focus.

Featherweight shortly joined him, followed by Pip and Rumble, and then Snips and Sails came in.

"Hang in there. It'll be over soon." Featherweight tried to assure him.

"But what if she fails? What is to become of her? Will she be sent back home so I'll never see her again?" Then I would have never known if she was the lovely voice that was haunting my dreams before she came to my shores.

"I cannot say for sure…" Featherweight sadly said, then grabbed a sword and said though his mouth, "Come on… let's try to get your mind off of things and do some sword fighting."

"For the last time, Featherweight, I will not fight you. You could get hurt. Besides, it's too easy."

"Then fight us!" Snips shouted, and he had a sword at the ready and Snails was going to fence back.

"Engarde!" he said as they clashed swords poorly and ended up tripping.

Button shook his head and turned to the escorts, "How about you guys? Any of you know how to duel?"

"Sorry, I never learned." Pip confessed.

"I suppose I could give it a whack." Rumble grabbed a nearby sword.

"I must warn you: I'm the champ." Button smugly smiled.

"I'll take that as a challenge." Rumble had a determined look as they braced themselves.

Featherweight stood between them as referee, "Ready? Set… and parry!"

The swords clashed and the two fenced for a bit as the onlookers cheered them on. It wasn't until Rumble had the upper-hoof and knocked Button down.

"Whoa!" Button got back up, "Where did you learn to fence like that?"

"Nowhere, that was just beginner's luck, but you weren't so bad yourself." he held out his hoof.

Button took it and they did a firm hoof-shake.

"Say, think you could teach me how to fence as well?" Pip asked.

"Sure, I give you a couple of pointers." Button beamed and handed him a smaller fencing sword and started giving lessons.

"This should be good." Snips said to Snails.

Featherweight told them, "You'll see, Button will be able to teach him to be a cool fighter." He sang out to the prince, "Convince those guys, my lord and master…"

"I'm trying as fast as I can, Featherweight!"

"Well, do it faster, let's be done…"

"Everyone choose a weapon," Button said, "And begin to truset."

Featherweight sang, "In wasting time we court disaster…"

Snips and Snails sang, "Pick up that sword and strap it on…"

"Now pretend we're on an adventure fighting off bad guys." Button had his sword at the ready.

Rumble then sang, "Fate blows her kiss… Chills your heart… Takes your hoof…"

Featherweight kept singing, "Fate feels like this… Play your part… This was planned…"

And all of them sang out loud, "And lo, before you know, you kick the dirt, you grab your gear… Your moment's now, your moment's here… It's time for… high… high… high adventure! You're off and riding saber flashing! Your banner high, your molars gnashing! You feel so dashing on a high… high… high adventure! Get set to give some guy a thrashing! 'Cause high adventure is in the air!"

Pip sung, "There's high adventure in the air, guys… Someone's out there, guys, someone bad…"

Rumble motioned, "You said it!"

Featherweight sang, "He's got a damsel in despair, guys… Heck, that's not fair, guys, and I'm mad…"

Button took over, "Fate blows her kiss… Winks her eye… Plots her scheme…"

Featherweight, Pip, and Rumble sang, "Plots it for Rumble, Pip, and Featherweight… And so, we three will go… Until it's through… Until it ends… Here comes Button's only friends… Off on a high… high… high adventure! To confrontations so exciting! They're playing music while we're fighting! Scratching and biting on a high… high… high adventure! Feel that adrenaline igniting! 'Cause high adventure is in the air!"

They all sword fight while other knights coming though sang out, "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ah! Ahhh! Ahhh!"

Rumble sang out, "Ah!"

Pip did the same, "Ah!"

Button sang too, "Ah!"

All of them sang, "Adventure! Heigh-ho, the stallions are stampeding! With Celestia's wisdom ever leading!"

"My hoof is bleeding!" Featherweight noted.

Button sang, "Well, that's…"

All of them sang again, "High… high… high adventure! What we collectively been needing… This high adventure in the air!"

Rumble, Pip and Featherweight sang again, "Hark! Something calls like a dream from afar… Calls out to Rumble, Pip, and Featherweight… It's-wait-the Voice of Fate… It calls to me, it calls to you and to Button's motley crew! It's time for… high… high… high adventure! Danger to danger we go flying! Completely unafraid of dying!"

All of them finished, "This is high… high… high adventure! There's no ignoring or denying! The kind of thrills that it's supplying! And the effect's electrifying! When high adventure's in the air!" They stopped with the sword fighting and bowed.

The girls marched into the throne room, where the queen sat on her throne and gave off an emotionless face. Once the princesses were all present before her, she spoke.

"Young ladies, I can't tell you how pleased I am to see so many of you competing to give my son a better chance to find a suitable queen. For the first test, I will be testing your knowledge of what being a princess is."

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Babs, Twist, and Dinky looked over to Sweetie Belle in shock as she gave a shrug and a sheepish grin.

"As all of you are of nobility…"

Diamond whispered loud enough for the trio to hear, "Some of us, more or less…" The trio scowled in return before going back to listening to the queen.

"…you will be expected to know how to behave when ruling someday. For the test, I will ask each of you a question relating to princess life. If you answer correctly, you shall move on to the next test. If you do not answer correctly, you have a choice of leaving or staying. You are still our guests and we do not wish to force anyone to leave right away, but you will not be allowed to participate further in the contest. Are there any questions before we begin?"

When no one said anything, the queen stated, "Then please form a line in front of me as I start the test."

The first one in line was Aura. The queen cleared her throat and took out a list, "Princess Aura?"

"Yes…?" Aura shook but stayed calm.

"If a waiter bumped into you by accident and spilled on your favorite dress, what would you do? Would you fire him on sight? Would you accept the spill graciously and tell him it's alright? Or would you yell at him and warm him to not let it happen again?" she finished and waited for the princess to say.

Aura smiled and proudly said, "I would tell him it's alright."

She nodded and said, "Very good."

Aura passed the first test.

Sweetie felt an instant calm, but that shortly changed when she heard the next question.

"Princess Peachy Pie, you are hosting a party. What is it you have to do? Do you mingle with the guests? Do you serve the guests? Or you stay away and watch the party going on?"

Sweetie tried to remember of all her times at the Grand Galloping Gala, but all she remembered was hanging out with her sisters and having fun. She never had to host since her mother and father got to handle that. She didn't need to worry, but in a time like now, she wished she had paid more attention.

Peachy Pie was deep in thought and finally answered, "You stay away and watch." She beamed, but frowned when she heard the queen's tone.

"I'm sorry, that's incorrect. A good host, especially one that's royal, should always mingle with their guests to prove that they're not distant and it's a smart way to make allies they would need."

"Does this mean…?" Peachy Pie solemnly said.

"I'm afraid so, but as I said before, you're welcome to stay, but you cannot continue on to the next test."

"I understand…" she lowered her head and sat down next to Aura.

Sweetie felt sweat running down her face. This test just got harder.

A few more princesses had their questions and said their answers. Some of them passed, but some still failed.

Sweetie hated to think this way, but when it was Diamond's turn, she had hoped she would fail. Much to her dismay, she heard the question given to Diamond.

"Princess Diamond Tiara, you have been invited to afternoon tea by some pony important. What do you wear for occasion? A sun-dress? A ball-gown? Or fancy attire?"

Diamond smirked, "It's quite simple, Your Majesty: you wear fancy attire, of course, to impress your host and to show you took their invitation seriously."

Queen Love Tap beamed, "Why, yes! That is very correct!"

It made the trio sick to their stomachs how Diamond just earned the queen's favor like that. This made Sweetie more nervous than before. She thought she was going to throw up right then and there had it not been for her mother's words she heard last night: All they can do is try their best… This calmed her down so she wouldn't get sick, but it set her on edge that Diamond Tiara impressed Button's mom like that.

Sliver Spoon was next and she had a question similar to her cousin and she passed with flying colors, too. Twist went up, then Babs and Dinky. Fortunately, they passed as well. Scootaloo was after them. She was given a question involving royalty attending sporting events, an area she was luckily familiar with. She got to move on much to Sweetie's happiness. Apple Bloom had the next question of what kind of skills a princess should know. She answered correctly on that one. Then came Sweetie's turn…

Sweetie Belle gulped as she took a step forward to face the queen. The queen herself was examining Sweetie since she was the princess that her son found the morning she washed ashore. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then the queen cleared her throat, "Princess Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie slowly nodded, "Uh-huh…?"

"Two gentle-colts are having a dispute about an apple tree. One of them is owner of the tree while the other is his neighbor. He complains that the tree is dropping apples onto his land. The neighbor wants to remove the branches that drop the apples, but the owner is upset, telling him it would ruin the tree and his family would have less food to eat. The two colts go to the royal family to solve the problem, but the only one there is you. They tell you what's wrong and you think it over. What would you do?" she looked at her to give the answer.

Sweetie was a bit surprised that she wasn't given any choices, but she thought about what her parents told her about showing generosity and kindness to your subjects. The owner needs that tree, but the neighbor is tired of dealing with the apples that keep falling… Could the tree be moved? A simple spell could get it out of the ground and move it somewhere else away from the neighbor's land… She faced the queen once more and said, "I would cast a spell to move the tree away from the neighbor's land. That way, the owner still has his tree intact and both parties would be happy." She waited to see if she gave a good answer or not.

Queen Love Tap gave no expression for a while and this worried Sweetie, until she gave a small smile and questioned, "You would give the spell?"

"Um… Yes…?"

"Most royals would just command their guards who have magic to do the job, but if you have the magic, then it is quite generous of you to do so."

"Well, thank you…"

"And I am pleased at how you wanted both subjects to be happy instead of just one having it their way. You were wise to give in all your options before giving a final answer. I look forward in how you do in the next test." she beamed.

Sweetie could hardly contain her excitement: she passed! She actually passed! She looked over to her sisters and saw the same excitement. The other princesses were either impressed or less impressed.

"Congratulations to those who made it to the next part of the contest. I shall see you in two days' time again in this very room." She bowed her head and went out.

Once the queen was gone, the sisters and their new friends gave each other a group hug.

While they were still hugging, a spirit was wiping his brow and flopped back on the couch from getting over-excited after watching his sister-in-laws take the test. Discord especially felt stressed for Sweetie Belle after hearing the question. He was tempted to help her out, but he remembered the promise he made to his wife and relatives and contained himself. However, it was still very hard watching his little sister trying to get past the competition. If any pony deserved to be with the prince, it should be her… He sighed as he gave a small smile, remembering his memory of the trio before his marriage to Fluttershy.

It was just right after the kids had got adopted and he was engaged to his princess. The girls were a little intimidated by him, but really, what pony wasn't except maybe his marefriend? But after he gave them some presents to play with, they started accepting him more and even asked him if he could help them figure out their cutie marks. He was happy to help them out. The little rascals reminded him of, well, him. They would always get into some sort of trouble or other. The presents he gave them would eventually help them figure out what they were meant to be. Sweetie had a karaoke machine, Apple Bloom a paint brush, and Scootaloo a scooter. In no time, they discovered their hidden talents, earning the cutie marks they had now and he gained three new friends. Sweetie Belle told him once that they didn't fit anywhere before because they were alone in the world, but with him and their family, they didn't feel they had to be anymore. He knew exactly how that felt before he met Fluttershy and his new friends, who of course would've been his family in about a month.

Even after his wedding with his brothers and sisters, he remained in touch with his little sisters and always hanged out with them when he or they visited. Now that they were grown up, he wanted to so badly help them have the same happiness he found with Fluttershy. Seeing them at the ball, he was determined to do whatever it took. He snapped and a mirror appeared in his paw. It was a mirror like the one he gave Sweetie Belle.

He said to himself, "Tonight, I shall ask Sweetie how she felt about the test and ask her if she needs further assistance to get though the rest…" He crossed his fingers in hopes she would ask for the help.

The group of girls was giggling while heading up the steps to get to their rooms. Suddenly, they encountered the boys crossing their path.

"Sweetie Belle!" Button ran up to her and began babbling, "Are you alright? How it go? Did you pass? Or did you fail? I need to know!"

"Button! Calm down!" Sweetie had to shout to get through to him, "Everything's fine… Miraculously, I survived the first test." she smiled at him.

"Seriously?" he blinked.

"Seriously…" she smirked.

He slumped in astonishment, "Oh, man… I was so… I was hoping, but I was so worried at the same time…"

"I will admit, I was worried, too. I was so sure for a moment there, I was going to fail."

They were about to embrace in comfort until they remembered the company they were keeping.

Sweetie turned her head and introduced her friends, "Prince Button, you know Princess Twist, Princess Babs, and Princess Dinky, right?"

"I do," he bowed his head, "Ladies, I'm honored that you're here."

"The honor is ours, Your Highness." Dinky blushed while bowing her head too.

"It should be me proving my worth, not you. I am sorry that you all have to go through this ridiculous contest. I swear, it wasn't my idea."

"Wow, so… this was out of your hooves, too?" Babs noticed.

"It sure was." he looked back and pointed, "By the way, these are my friends of the palace. Featherweight you remember at the ball. And Snips and Snails are knights."

Snips and Snails struck poses to show how brave they could be. Dinky found herself smiling at the tall one.

"Aren't you the court jester?" Babs mentioned to Featherweight.

"I sure am! But I would rather go on missions if a certain prince would let me…"

"We've been over this…" Button sighed, "You get hurt too easily, and I don't want anything bad happening to you."

"Don't worry, Featherweight. I have the same problem with my parents. They think I can't do anything when really, I've done way more than what they know of." Babs winked.

This intrigued him and asked, "Really? Like what?"

"Oh… just sneaking in and out of the castle while they weren't looking."

This time, it was Button's turn to be intrigued, "You did that, too?"

"Well, yeah… and what do you mean by 'too'?"

"Well, I… I sneak out of the castle whenever I get the chance."

Her eyes widened, "Whoa… That's… pretty amazing."

"It is. I didn't think I would meet anyone who feels they had to get out like me!"

Sweetie felt a twinge of fear when watching between the two royals talking about how they had to spend their entire life living in a castle and learning duties being expected of them. It worried her that maybe Babs was a better match for Button than she was. But why should I think that way? You're not winning this contest to marry him. You're doing it so he can be free to do whatever he wants, and if he wants Babs, then he should have her… But why does it hurt to think of seeing them together? Probably because of what he told you in the village… about if he had to marry a princess, then it would be you… She thought of the time she and Button spent when she first came on this island, from him finding her washed overboard to their dance and walk in the gardens at the ball, and him giving her tour of his kingdom… They had grown close, but not that close…

"Sweetie? You okay?" Twist asked, snapping her out of her daydream.

"Huh? Oh… yeah… I'm… fine…" she unsteadily said and that caused suspicion to her sisters.

"You sure about that?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she gave a fake grin.

"You're not acting like you're okay. Is something bugging you?" Scoots asked.

"No! Nothing's bugging me! So let's leave it at that!" she practically shouted and that drew the rest of group's attention on her.

She blushed bright red, feeling so embarrassed that she quickly made a run for it with near tears in her eyes. She heard Button calling her name, but she didn't stop. She was too ashamed of herself and couldn't go back there.

Chapter 11

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 12

Rumble could not stop thinking about the kiss he shared with Scootaloo a couple of days ago. What he would give to taste those sweet lips again… He could always challenge her again, but he wanted her to kiss him of her free will the next time. He wanted a more natural feeling that he was meant to kiss her, but how? He went to a mirror that was in his guest room. He look over his reflection, licking his teeth to make sure nothing was stuck in them, and he checked his breath so it didn't smell bad.

A bath wouldn't be such a bad idea, either… he thought. Then he checked his wing in the cast, seeing if it was back to normal. He slowly unwrapped it and started moving the wing. To his luck, it was better! He knew this was going to please Scootaloo that he made a miraculous recovery. Even better! I'll surprise her! And I know how to do it, too… He put his bandages back on according to his plan.

Pip looked side to side when exiting out of his room. He had to go see Flim and Flam today, and he didn't want Apple Bloom or her sisters finding out. He quietly walked down the stairs to get to the outside when he came across the guards at the gates and he presented his coat of arms, which King Sombra and Queen Celestia gave to him when they hired him to be the princesses' personal escort. Not questioning his business, the guards let him out.

Apple Bloom was checking on Pip, only to notice his room was empty. "Hm, must've gone to get breakfast already." She went to meet up with her sisters and their new friends. "You haven't seen Pip this morning, have you?"

"No." both Sweetie and Scootaloo shook.

"Sorry." apologized Babs while blowing her mane up.

"Nope." shrugged Twist.

"Big guy who's white and has spots, right?" Dinky questioned.

"Yeah! With dark chocolate eyes! You've seen him?"

"Afraid not. I was just trying to remember if that was the same guy."

"Oh…"

"Dark chocolate eyes?" Scootaloo had her brow up.

"It was one the first things I noticed about him!" AB went pink.

The sisters rolled their eyes.

Flim and Flam had the map laid out on the table while keeping the shop closed so they wouldn't be disturbed. Pip study the map carefully; it seemed real enough.

"As you can see, there are directions as well as clues to decipher before you can find the treasure." explained Flim.

"That is a bit of setback." Pip nodded.

"Think you can figure it out?" Flam asked.

"I can certainly try."

"Just remember that we get most of the cut as such." Flim pointed.

"I will take only what I need. The rest will belong to you."

"Atta boy! That's the way to do it!" Flam slapped his back.

Once he composed himself, Pip wrote the directions and the clues down, "It might take me some time to figure this out."

"Take all the time you need, but keep in mind that this offer is limited for a short time. Just so you know." said Flim.

"Then I'll get started on it right away. Have the map ready when I come back." he headed towards the door.

"Will do!" Flam said as he and his brother waved him off.

"Seriously, how close are you?" Scootaloo was asking Apple Bloom on their way to the castle library where they were meeting the others.

"Yeah, have you guys even kissed yet?" Sweetie smirked.

"No!" AB said annoyed.

"Uh… that's weird, cause Button and I kissed and Scootaloo kissed Rumble."

"I told you, it was fake make-out! He was the one who made the stakes and I won."

"You have just refused afterwards." Bloom pointed out.

"Yeah… why didn't you…?" Sweetie was slyly grinning.

"Hey, he was asking for it! I wanted to see it backfire on him!" her face was red either from ranting or blushing.

Apple Bloom shook her head and turned it to see Pip making his way to the guest rooms.

"Pip?" she called out to him.

He froze with his back turned to her and slowly faced her, "Oh, hey, Apple Bloom…" he was rubbing his neck.

"Where were you this morning? I asked every pony if they've seen you, but when they hadn't, I was beginning to worry."

"You were worried… about me?"

"Yeah, and I didn't know if you'd be back or something happened to you."

"Well… I'm touched by your concern, but as you can see, I'm quite alright, so no need to worry anymore."

"I can see that, but I would feel better knowing where the hay you have been…"

"I was…um…" He quickly thought of something that could work for a good excuse, "…getting a frame for the portrait you made for me!" He silently prayed she would buy it.

"A frame? For your portrait?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh. But why not wait until later?"

"I couldn't stand seeing the portrait just sitting there, not after all the hard work you've done."

"Oh, Pip, you didn't have to go through all that trouble and where's the frame?"

"Oh, well, I couldn't find one that would have worked with the portrait."

"Oh… okay… will I see you tonight?"

"Uh, probably not."

"And why's that?" her brow raised.

"I, um, have to do… make a report!"

"A report?"

"Yeah, I have to… give a status report to your parents to assure them everything is going alright."

"Oh… I guess if you have to…"

"And I do. It's important that your parents get it."

"Well, when you're done, come find me so we can hang out."

"Hang out? With you?"

"Yeah, I was hoping…maybe…" she was moving her hoof in a circle, "that you would like to do something together…"

He gave a small grin, "I would like that…" but then frowned, "But it might be a while before we do anything… sorry…"

"I understand. Your job does come first… I'll see you around…" she turned the corner to go meet with her sisters.

As she was going, Pip had his hoof out, wanting to stop her, but he knew he had business to attend to. Once he made it to his guest room, he set the paper with the directions and clues down while taking out a compass out of a brown saddle bag he brought with him. Before he left the inn to take the personal escort job in Canterlot, Aunt Hazel Nut presented him with the compass, explaining it used to be his father's. She knew it would be of good use to figuring out the directions.

He thought to himself, The sooner I find the treasure, the sooner I can be with her…

That evening, Rumble knocked on Scootaloo's door, which she answered.

"Oh, Rumble…" she was a bit surprised to see him and gave a cheesy smile.

"Are you OK?" he raised his brow at her odd behavior.

"Yeah! I was just… reading!" she lied though her teeth. She was actually thinking about him when he suddenly showed up, catching her off guard.

"Um, cool?"

"So what brings you by?" she quickly asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I was…" he should have thought of a good excuse before coming over.

"You were what?"

"I was wondering…" he rubbed his neck.

"Wondering?"

"Wondering that…" he said the first thing that came into his mind, "…that you would still get my brother out of jail."

She looked offended and he immediately regretted what he said.

"Rumble, we made a deal, didn't we? I intend to keep it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean… Ugh, I can't even say something without messing up!" he moved out to her balcony, "I should just go…" He leapt over with her shouting behind him.

"NO!"

"What?" he started flying back up to face her.

"How…? You can fly?!"

"Oh!" he flew in circles around her, "I noticed this morning. I'm back to my regular self!"

"Does that mean you're going to throw a frying pan at garbage to get away again?" she joked.

"About that, why is it every time we met, I ended up either hit, smacked, or yelled at?"

"Because you're so good at it?" she smirked.

"Hm… Maybe… I am good at a lot of things, like you…"

"Wow, that's… pretty big of you to say…"

"Well…" he came down to her level, "It's the truth…"

Their violet eyes stared at each other for the longest time until he broke the gaze and offered his hoof.

"Come on…"

"Come on what?" she questioned.

"Let's go fly around the island, since my wing's all better now."

"I don't know, Rumble… As good as a flyer I am now, I still have trouble with air currents…"

"Why's that?"

"My wings were always too short for me when I was little. All the kids my age were already flying while I could hardly get off the ground! To this day, I still have trouble staying in the air…"

Rumble was amazed at this tidbit of information and offered, "Well, I could help with that."

"You can?"

"Sure, do you trust me?"

She smirked, "Is that a trick question?"

"Is that a yes or no?"

She stood silent for a while before whispering, "Yes…" She took his hoof as they began taking off together.

As they got higher up to the night sky, he noticed Scootaloo was wobbling and quickly wrapped his arm around her to keep her steady from the wind. He didn't see it, but she was blushing. They stopped on top of a cloud and admired the view. They could see the starry night, the island being lit, and the ocean moving calmly below them.

They were quiet while watching the sights until Scootaloo broke the silence, "I've dreamt of moments like this…"

"You have?" he asked.

"When I was young, I was afraid that my wings never grow… That I would never have a chance to fly… Luckily, that didn't happen. Hay, if it wasn't for my wings, I wouldn't have met you. They were the reason I caught you in the first place."

"Wow…" Rumble admired how her wings used to be so small that she couldn't get off the ground with them. But that didn't stop her from trying, and she was right. If she hadn't flown, they never would have met and they wouldn't be where they are now… He felt something overwhelming him and took Scootaloo's hoof by surprise. "Scootaloo, how would you like to see the world with me?"

"The world? With you?" her eyes gleamed.

"Yes… I can show you the world… Shining, shimmering, splendid… Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide? I can open your eyes… Take you wonder by wonder… Over, sideways and under… On a magic cloud ride… A whole new world… A new fantastic point of view… No one to tell us no or where to go… Or say we're only dreaming…"

She sang out, "A whole new world… A dazzling place I never knew… But when I'm way up here it's crystal clear… That now I'm in a whole new world with you…"

"Now I'm in a whole new world with you!"

"Unbelievable sights… Indescribable feeling… Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling… Through an endless diamond sky… A whole new world!"

"Don't you dare close your eyes…"

"A hundred thousand things to see!"

"Hold your breath, it gets better…"

"I'm like a shooting star… I've come so far… I can't go back to where I used to be…"

"A whole new world…"

"Every turn a surprise…"

"With new horizons to pursue…"

"Every moment, red-letter…"

They sang together, "I'll chase them anywhere… There's time to spare… Let me share this whole new world with you…"

Rumble sang, "A whole new world…"

Scootaloo sang, "A whole new world…"

"That's where we'll be…"

"That's where we'll be…"

"A thrilling chase…"

"A wondrous place…"

They finished, "For you and me…"

They went into a tight embrace and then started to fly around the island.

Trixie was by the tavern waiting for her boss to show up when she spotted something up in the sky. She saw two pegasi going on a moonlight flight. Not really sure why she cared, but she decided to spy on the lovebirds and summoned a pair of binoculars with her amulet and got a closer look at the couple. Once she got a good look at the male pegasus, she said out loud.

"Well, well, I remember you…"

"Remember who?" came a voice.

She turned to see Dr. Caballeron and pointed out, "Look through these and see for yourself."

He took the binoculars and saw the same thing Trixie did, "Well, I'll be… If isn't our old friend, Rumble… I can see he's a stallion now. The last time I saw the boy was when he was on his own and I enlisted his help to squeeze in small places at the temple to reach for Amulet of Amethyst. Of course, he double-crossed us and took the amulet for himself…"

"Do you think he still has it?"

"He could, but we would have to find out for sure…"

"How?"

"Hmm…" he looked through the binoculars again and saw how close Rumble was flying to the mare next to him. "We'll use her."

"Her?"

"Yes, the girl that's with him. It is clear that he has feelings for the pretty creature."

"How do you suggest we get her, then?"

"First, you must follow them on where they are staying and then we shall devise a plan."

She nodded as she continued watching them. They kept flying around for a bit until they went towards the castle.

They made it back to the balcony attached to Scootaloo's room. Facing each other with loving glances, she said, "Well…"

He repeated, "Well…"

"Thanks for a great night…"

"It was my pleasure, princess…"

They leaned closer and kissed passionately. This kiss was nothing like their first kiss. That was just a taste of what a real kiss was like. Now, they were sharing a kiss that meant something.

When they broke away, they both ended up saying, "I love you…" Eyes widened as they realized what just been spoken. They both said again, "You do?!" They stayed in a loving embrace.

"This is too unreal…" she softly spoke.

"Afraid you'll wake up?"

"Yeah…"

"Me, too…"

"Just how? We hated each other, didn't we?"

"I didn't hate you. I was… intrigued by you…"

"You were?"

"Hm-mm."

"I guess I didn't really hate you either just for the fact that you bested me."

"Like you bested me."

"And that makes us equal."

"You are my equal, Scootaloo, and I couldn't be happier."

"Even when I win?"

"Especially when you win."

They kissed again and whispered, "Good night…"

He went to the door and he glanced back at her before going. Once he was gone, Scootaloo fell onto to her bed and stared at the ceiling in a dreamy way.

Sweetie was pacing again when she heard the knock at her door. Once again, Featherweight had the message in his mouth and Sweetie took it. She read the letter out loud, "Sweetie, I couldn't get a hint to the next test, unfortunately, so be on the lookout for anything tomorrow. I can only hope that since you passed the first time, you will be able to pass this next round. Try to get some rest and let me have the sleepless night on your behalf…" She tried reading the words that were scribbled out and could have sworn one of them started with an 'L'. It just ended with, "Your good friend, Button."

She put the message down and gulped. Maybe she should have taken Discord's offer after all…

Author's Note

Fun fact: Back when I did The Midnight Dance I was thinking of giving A Whole New World to Rainbow and Soarin' but went for Looking Through Your Eyes instead it just seem like a better fit for them. But I was able to resurrect it with Rumble and Scootaloo and it is so good! :rainbowkiss:

Chapter 13

The next day, the princesses who passed the first test went into the throne room to meet the queen, only to see a light yellow mare with a dark blue and pink mane with wrapped sweets for a cutie mark talking with her.

"Oh, ladies," Queen Love Tap turned to them, "I'm sorry. I had to meet with this young mare. She had just told me that her roof fell and that she needs help replacing it. So I'm sorry, but there will be no test today. I hope you understand how urgent this is."

Most of the princesses nodded and gave sympathy to the pony, including the trio and their friends. The others looked annoyed or bothered.

"I shall see you tonight at dinner. You may go."

The latter went out and once they were, Scootaloo said, "How lucky is that? No test!"

They heard giggling and turned to see the terrible two as Dinky had called them.

"Oh please, don't tell me you were that dense." Diamond Tiara smirked.

"What are you getting at?" Apple Bloom scowled.

"That was the test!" Silver Spoon motioned.

"Huh?!" all six of them said.

"It was so obvious!" pointed Diamond, "She set us up to see who would be sympathetic enough to the pony who had her roof fall in. Of course, that was all a lie."

"You don't know that! It could have been real!" Sweetie declared.

"Whatever," Diamond scoffed, "we don't expect adopted princesses to have the same level of education to us real princesses…" then she and her cousin did their signature bumps.

"Bump-bump-sugar lump-rump!" They left, giggling mean-spiritedly as they went away.

As they scowled back at them, Twist said, "I really do not like them…" They stared at her in surprise. Never had they heard the princess use such a negative comment.

"But do you think they were right? That was the test?" Sweetie looked back to the throne room.

"You can't trust anything they say." Babs pointed out.

"She's right." agreed Scoots.

"So what do we do now?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Oh! We could go to the kitchens!" Twist offered.

"The kitchens?" questioned Dinky.

"Trust me." Twist led them.

Moments later, they were in the gleaming and busy kitchen. Twist went up to a grey colt.

"Girls, this is Truffle."

"Hi!" all five of them greeted him.

"Hello…" Truffle shyly backed away.

"He doesn't say much, but he's fun to be around." Twist explained.

"Aw…" Truffle blushed.

"So a couple of nights ago, I made a special treat for him that I want to make for all of you, too."

"It's really good," said Truffle, "She makes the best peppermint shakes there are!"

"Peppermint shakes?" AB questioned.

"It's my special talent. I discovered it one day when I went down in the kitchens of my own castle. I started stirring two peppermint sticks and made peppermint shakes. Everybody tried it and really liked it."

"If they're that good, I guess we could try them, too." said Sweetie.

"Great! I just need to find the proper ingredients again." In no time, she found what she was looking for and made seven shakes.

They all sat around a table in the kitchen and started slurping the shakes.

"Mmmm!" the five princesses smacked their lips.

"Wow! That is good!" complimented Apple Bloom.

"It sure is!" Scootaloo notioned.

"Gotta admit, it's one of the best things I ever got to taste!" said Babs.

"It's delicious!" Dinky said.

"It's very minty!" Sweetie pointed.

"I'm so glad you like it." Twist smiled.

"That was my reaction when I first tasted it." Truffle said and then looked over to Twist, "It was the sweetest, most delectable thing…" He ended up staring at her, but she was too busy drinking to notice. The others saw and were smirking. "…I ever saw…"

That got her attention, "Saw?"

"Tasted! I mean tasted!" he quickly corrected himself while the girls were trying to hold back their laughter.

"Well, I have to get back on duty soon and make Prince Button's lunch."

"You're serving Button?!" Sweetie's eyes widened.

"Um, yeah?"

Sweetie went into thought and asked, "Can I request a favor…?"

Button was trying to read, but found it hard to do so. He was worried for Sweetie Belle and how she was doing on the test. He was in his room with his back turned to the door. Then he heard a knock, knowing it was Truffle with his lunch tray.

"Just leave it by the door, Truffle. I'll get to it eventually."

"The food could get cold by then." a strange deep voice said.

"Truffle, do you have a cold?" Button slowly turned his head around. Once he completely turned around, his eyes widened in surprise, "Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie was standing by with the cart and wore a chef's hat, which she took off when Button came closer to her. She was smiling at him.

"But the test…?"

"Your mom canceled it."

"My mother canceled something? Something's up."

"Well, we were in the throne room when she was busy meeting somepony who had her roof fall in. She told us that it was urgent and canceled the test."

Button pondered on this, "Sure we help our ponies whenever we can, but something like that could have been easily taken care of… She could have still given all of you the test and then make sure to help our subjects."

"That's odd…"

"I don't know what my mother's planning, but hopefully, it doesn't ruin your chances for winning the contest."

"In the meantime, do you want your lunch right now?"

"Depends, are you going to stick around?"

"Only if you want me to…" she blushed and then pulled up the tray cover, revealing two meals on plates. "I asked Truffle if I could have a second one."

"How is it you know Truffle, anyway?"

"Twist. She and Truffle met when we all came on this island and they've been talking and hanging out."

"Oh…" he blinked.

"I guess what I'm asking is…would you like to eat together?"

He beamed, "Of course!"

They sat across from each other eating for a bit while Sweetie looked around the room. Button noticed this and explained.

"Yeah, this is the room I grew up in. I still got my old toy box, books I don't read anymore, and suits that don't fit me since I grew out of them."

"What's that?" she pointed to a beanie at the edge of his bedpost.

He gave a small smile and grabbed for it, showing her, "My beanie. I wore this all the time as a kid. I would still wear it except my head's too big now to keep it on."

"I would like to see."

He put it on and it stood for a second before it popped right off.

"Aw…" she consulted.

"You know, I wonder if it'll stick to you." he offered the beanie.

"Me?" she took it and put it on.

He did a small chuckle when he saw how it looked on her.

"Is it that funny?" she questioned.

"A little, but you're also, well…"

"What?"

"Cute…"

Her cheeks went pink. You should be used to this by now… For Pete's sake, you just kissed the guy two nights ago! Come to think of it, does he ever think of that night…? How we had that small but sweet kiss… We said nothing after that, obviously not sure what to say to each other without feeling awkward and ruining the moment. I could tell he liked it, but something held him back afterwards…"

Button was smiling at her, blushing and ended up staring at her lips. I don't regret kissing her, but I must make sure she's the one I've been dreaming… To know for sure we are meant to be with each other. Luckily, we had a mutual understanding that we wouldn't think twice of it and go back to being friends, though it is hard going back once you crossed the line of kissing…

"Button?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want this back?" she started, handing his beanie back.

He thought about it and said, "You know what? You keep it."

"Huh? But why?"

"It's better on you."

"But it's yours."

"Now, it's yours…"

She blushed again and scolded herself, Stop that!

They kept on eating and enjoyed each other's company.

Scootaloo was walking around on the second floor till suddenly, she got pulled into a room by something and found her lips touching another pair of lips. She was shocked and was about to push them back until she recognized the taste of the lips and whose they belong to. She slowly closed her eyes, relaxing and relished in the moment.

When they broke away, Rumble said, "How's that to jump-start your day?"

"It was very good, but what if some pony saw us?"

"So what? It's not like we have anything to hide."

"I guess you're right…"

"You know I am…" they went into another kiss.

Babs was thrilled she was allowed access into the castle gym, thanks to Prince Button's permission. She started fencing with a sword until she saw someone holding another sword join her. She looked up to see Featherweight with sword in mouth.

Upon seeing the surprised look on her face, he dropped it saying, "Yeah, I know, it's too dangerous to try…"

This time, she dropped the sword and said, "What? No, I was just surprised to see any pony was here. I thought I was alone. But as long as you are here, do you want to try fencing?"

"Oh…" he was amazed that somebody was actually allowing him to finally sword-fight, "Yeah! Thanks…"

"Tell me something: why do you so badly want to sword-fight?"

"To prove I'm more than just a joke around here. That I can do important things, too! Button is a prince, Snips and Snails are knights, and Truffle is a chef. Hay, even Pip and Rumble are personal escorts to princesses! As for me, I'm the court jester, the funny guy. I can't be taken seriously."

Babs lowered her head, "I, on the other hoof, am taken too seriously where I'm from. I had to learn all my life to be the proper perfect princess. I didn't even know the meaning of fun until I found it in a dictionary!"

"Whoa…"

"And I don't think I have ever laughed! Not when everything is so serious."

Featherweight was appalled, "Never… laugh…?" As serious he wanted to be, he still liked to make ponies laugh.

"Nope." she shook her head.

He looked over his feathers and pointed out, "We'll just have to fix that…" he plucked off one of his long white feathers and used the tip to begin tickling her sides.

A goofy face spread across her face, her lips trembled, and she let out a huge guffaw. The tickle from the feather made her fall down and she kept on laughing.

"Okay! Okay! Stop!" she was still giggling when he ceased with the feather tickling.

"How's that for laughter?"

She smiled, "Thanks… it's just what I needed…" Then, she picked up the sword and tilted her head for him to pick up his own sword.

He grinned and had the sword in mouth.

She readied herself and they began to fence. After a while, she mumbled through her teeth, "For someone who's never done this before, you're very good…"

He mumbled back, "Thanks! I've watched Button do it, so I know all the moves!" They kept on fencing.

Apple Bloom was worried. She hadn't seen Pip since the day before. How long does it take to do a status report? She went to his room and knocked while calling out, "Pip? You've been in there since yesterday! Is everything okay in there?"

She heard him shout through the door, "Yeah! Everything's great!"

"You sure about that? Because you've been in there for an awful long time…"

"I promise you, Apple Bloom, that nothing's wrong and that things are looking up."

"If everything is going as great as you say it is, then maybe now can we hang out?"

"Um…" Inside, Pip looked over to the desk had the clues on. He was almost there; he just had a few more to solve and then he would be done and could go look for the treasure, but he hated blowing Apple Bloom off again. Flim and Flam can wait one more day for this treasure... He slowly unlocked the door and his eyes met with the same golden sun eyes since the first day they met. "So, uh, what do you want to do?" he asked.

She beamed.

That night, as the princesses were finishing dinner, the queen made her appearance.

"Ladies, I apologized again for this morning, but I have a confession to make. There was a test today."

There was instant prattle among the royals, but Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were smirking, feeling proud of figuring out the true test. The trio and the other three princesses were looking at them with surprise.

"Yes, I know," the queen continued, "I am sorry for the deception, but I had to be sure that your feelings were true and that you showed compassion towards subjects even if they weren't your own. I'm pleased to report that almost all of you had passed. The ones that didn't pass were…" She listed off the princesses that didn't make the cut. Sweetie Belle made a sigh of relief, knowing she wasn't one of ones that failed, "And now I have an announcement to make. As a break from the next test, we shall have a talent show!" There was excitement around the table. "It will be a way to show what talent and skills you have to offer."

Silver Spoon raised her hoof, "Will there be a prize?"

"There wasn't going to be, but would you all like there to be one?"

A majority shouted, "Yes!"

"All right, I shall look into that. In the meantime, you have a day and a half to rehearse your piece for the show and not only will you perform, but also ponies in the kingdom, too. Already, ladies, it's all up to you now and I will see you at the show. Break a leg!"

Once she was gone, there was chatter and the six princesses were just as excited.

"Can you believe it? A talent show!" AB said.

"You know what you guys are going to do?" Scootaloo asked their friends.

"I might do some poetry." said Dinky.

"I don't know yet." said Twist.

"Me neither." Babs blew on her mane, "What about you?"

"I might do some skating tricks or dancing. I can't decide." said Scoots.

"What about you, Sweetie Belle?" Twist asked.

"I think I'll sing, since that's the only talent I got…"

"That's not true," Apple Bloom objected, "You write music, too."

"Only if I'm inspired enough to compose a piece."

"Would be inspired enough if we had a sleepover to decide what acts we're all going to have?" Scootaloo suggested.

"A sleepover! Great idea!" Dinky cheered.

"But whose room should we have it in?" Babs questioned.

"I vote Sweetie's room, cause it's bigger than the rest of the guest rooms." Scootaloo pointed out.

Sweetie blushed, "It's true…"

"Sweet! We'll meet you there, then." Twist said.

The girls nodded in agreement.

Chapter 14

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were choosing spots of either side of the bed they were going to sleep next to tonight. Suddenly, Apple Bloom heard a strange buzzing coming from somewhere and looked down to see the trunk. She opened it and the buzzing got louder. She went through it and found a mirror glowing while vibrating. She picked it up in confusion and Scootaloo looked at it strangely. She turned to Sweetie Belle and said, “Your mirror’s vibrating.”

“Oops…” Sweetie took it, “I was going to tell you, honest.”

“Tell us what?” AB questioned.

“You’ll see.” She looked into the mirror and said, “Show me Discord.”

Discord’s image appeared then, “Well, it’s about time you picked up and- Oh, hi girls!” he waved.

“Discord!” both sisters said.

“So I take it they know?”

“Actually… I haven’t told them anything. But I’m going to now.” She recapped discovering the mirror and conversing with Discord.

“So wait,” pointed Scootaloo, “He could have given the answers to the remaining tests and you refused?!”

“That’s what I said!” Discord said through the mirror.

“No, you didn’t!” Sweetie objected.

“I was thinking it. Now about today’s test: how did you do?”

“I passed.”

“We all did.” said Apple Bloom.

“Good, but if you change your mind, you let me know right away.”

“While I don’t need your answers, I could use your help in something else.”

“Anything, Sweetie Belle. What can your genie do to grant your wish?” he turned blue and had smoke instead of feet while holding a lamp.

She rolled her eyes and said, “There’s going to be a talent show and I have no idea how prepare myself for it.”

“And you want my expertise?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, for starters, I assume you are going to be singing, right?”

“Pretty much.”

“Then you’re going to have to be dazzling! The star of the show! And to do that, you’ll have to look the part!”

“How?”

“You leave that up to me. You, on the other hoof, will start rehearsing the song you’ll be singing at the talent show.”

“Alright… I’m counting on you, Discord.”

“You have nothing to worry about. And what about you girls? What are you planning on doing for the show?”

“I think I’ll show off my awesome dance moves!” Scootaloo did a twirl.

“Excellent choice.” he did a thumbs up, “How about you, AB?”

“I’m not sure yet.” she said.

“Don’t worry. You’re creative enough. You’ll figure it out. If not, you could always help your sisters with sets and props on their routines.”

“Hmm… I could.” she nodded.

He summoned a floating notepad with a self-writing quill, “Let’s see, I need to make a stage outfit for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and a backstage outfit for Apple Bloom…”

“I don’t need any stage outfit!” Scootaloo protested, “I’m cool enough as it is!”

“Just trust me, you’ll need it.”

“Fine…” she pouted.

“I’ll call you in… by the way, when is this talent show?”

“In one and a half day.” Sweetie responded.

“Whew! That’s a relief! I’ll get done in no time! Signing off!” The mirror returned to normal just as the door was knocking.

“We’re here.” Twist said as she, Babs, and Dinky walked in, “And look,” she held out a bag full of s’mores, “Truffle made us s’mores!”

“Mmm!” Apple Bloom licked her lips.

“So what do you do at these sleepovers?” Babs asked, “I never been to one.”

“Take a seat on the floor and we’ll show you.” Sweetie gestured as they started forming a circle on the floor.

“’Cause, lucky for you,” said Apple Bloom, “we grew up with six older sisters who taught us everything there is about a slumber party!”

“First things first,” said Sweetie, “Makeovers!”

“Makeovers?” Babs had her brow raised.

“Yeah…” Scootaloo grumbled, “Thankfully, it doesn’t last long.”

The next thing Babs knew, she had green stuff on her cheek and Dinky was rubbing it on.

“What is this stuff?”

“It’s a mud mask.” explained Sweetie while wearing her mask.

“It rejuvenates the face and unclogs the pores.” Twist enlightened as she was putting on her mask.

Babs turned to see Scootaloo glowering with AB helping her with her mask.

“Now for the cucumber slices.” Sweetie put on hers, “Doesn’t it feel relaxing?”

“Uh-huh.” Twist and Dinky agreed.

“I guess…” Babs said unsure.

There was a munching sound and they took off the slices to see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were eating theirs.

“Guys!” shouted Sweetie.

“What? Applejack and Rainbow ate theirs at the last slumber party we were at.” Apple Bloom said.

“But they’re supposed to be used to reduce the puffiness around one’s eyes!”

“You’ve been hanging around Rarity too much.” said Scoots.

“So what’s next?” Babs intervened.

Sweetie was grateful for the distraction and took out hair curlers, “We get to put our hair in curlers!”

Moments later, all six of them had curlers in their manes, though Scootaloo and Babs were less than ecstatic.

“Can we please move on to the next activity?!” Scootaloo was taking the curlers out, “Let’s get to the good parts! Like telling…” she went into a deep spooky voice, “Ghost stories… woooo…”

“I thought you hate ghost stories.” AB pointed, “Remember when we went camping with Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity? You were scared out of your wits!”

“That was when I was a kid. Now I’m not scared of anything! Especially… the Headless Horse!”

“The…” Dinky started quaking, “Headless Horse?”

Scootaloo continued in her spooky tone, “Yes… the Headless Horse… It only gallops at night… looking for little lost ponies… Fear was dripping from the air…”

Meanwhile, outside of the room, Rumble was walking back to his room when he heard Scootaloo talking in a strange voice. He went closer to the door and overheard her telling the legend of the Headless Horse. Being a pony who was on the go a lot, he heard all of the old ghost stories that have been told. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he began to form a plan and quickly ran off.

“…And they were never heard from again…”

Twist gulped, “Never?”

“Never…” Then she started laughing, “Relax, there’s no such thing as a Headless Horse.”

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker and then completely shut off! The girls started screaming their heads off when they saw a pony body with no head…

The lights came back on and they showed Rumble wearing a sheet over his head. Scootaloo’s eyes were full of fury when she bellowed out, “RUMBLE!” He laughed and flew out the door just she was shouting out to him while waving her fist, “You get back here, you coward! So I can knock your block off!”

Twist held out the s’more bag, “So who wants s’mores?”

After a while of snacking, Sweetie said, “Okay, it’s time for ‘Truth or Dare’!”

“’Truth or Dare’? How do you play that?” questioned Babs.

“One pony dares another pony to do whatever she wants her to do, or that the other pony has to give a truthful answer.” Dinky explained, “You got that?”

“Um…”

“We’ll go first to show you.” said Sweetie Belle as she turned to Apple Bloom, “Truth or dare?”

“Hmm,” she gave it a bit of thought, “dare!”

“I dare you to…” she smirked, “…to go find Pip and give him a kiss on the cheek!”

“What?!”

“Hey, you asked for a dare now you have to fulfill it!” Scootaloo motioned.

AB’s cheeks went red and slowly went out of the room. The girls quickly followed her to see if she was going to go through it.

Pip had finally finished with the map’s clues, “Yes! Now I can go find the treasure!” Then he heard the door knocking and went to go answer it. He was surprised to see Apple Bloom, but she looked nervous.

“Apple-“

“Forgive me.” she said and quickly kissed his cheek and made a run for it.

She left him speechless and paralyzed.

When making it back to Sweetie’s room, the girls were giggling while Apple Bloom was glaring at them, “It’s not funny! Now he’ll probably never want to speak to me again!”

“Oh I’m sure that’s not true.” Sweetie pointed out.

“Alright, it’s your turn, but it’d be great if you choose ‘Dare’ so I can get back at you.”

“No way! I choose truth.”

“Fine… tell us your feelings for the prince…” she wickedly grinned.

“But you already know that!”

“Not these guys. They don’t know…” AB pointed to the three princesses with them.

She grimaced, “All right…” she faced them, “The truth is…I have a crush on Button…”

“You do?” Twist asked.

“Yeah… ever since he found me when I was washed ashore… I don’t know what came over me… he was so handsome and nice… I couldn’t help it… Then that feeling increased when we started dancing at the ball… I couldn’t help myself…” she sighed.

“What’s it like to feel like you’re in love?” Dinky questioned.

“Well… I guess you could say that when we walk together and talk together… you get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever you’re near him… And when you’re on a date with him, you feel the entire night is lovely…” she started singing, “A lovely night… A lovely night… A finer night you know you’ll never see… You meet your prince… A charming prince… As charming as a prince will ever be! The stars in a hazy heaven tremble above you… While he is whispering, “Darling, I love you!” You say good-bye… Away you fly… But on your lips you keep a kiss… All your life you’ll dream of this! Lovely, lovely night…”

“That is so romantic!” Twist sighed dreamy.

The girls did random agreements.

“Would you care to share?”

“Me? I suppose I could…” She sang out, “A lovely night… A lovely night… A finer night you know you’ll never see…”

The others sang, “La la la, la la la, la la la…”

They all sang, “You meet your prince… A charming prince… As charming as a prince will ever be! La la la la la la la la la… The stars in a hazy heaven… Tremble above you… While he is whispering…”

Scootaloo sang in a deep tone, “Darling, I love you!”

They sang, “You say good-bye… Away you fly…”

Sweetie and Twist sang, “But on your lips, you keep a kiss…”

Apple Bloom and Dinky sang, “All of your life, you’ll dream of this…”

They all sang, “Lovely, lovely night!”

Then, they started a pillow fight and then resumed singing, “The stars in a hazy heaven tremble above you… While he is whispering…”

Babs used a deep voice, “Darling, I love you!”

They finished, “You say goodbye… Away you fly… But on your lips, you keep a kiss… All your life, you dream of this! Lovely… lovely… lovely… Lovely night!”

They sighed audibly.

The girls stayed up for a while chatting and discussing what they were going to do for the talent show and guessed what the prize could be for winning. When they decided it was time to go to bed, the three princesses found sleeping areas near the bed while the sisters slept side by side. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle took the edges while Scootaloo took the middle.

All was quiet and dark for a while until Babs opened her eyes, went out to the balcony, and looked out to the ocean view.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?”

She turned to see Sweetie Belle, “Sorry, I thought every pony was asleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“That’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping much, anyway. You don’t have a sister who is a restless sleeper and ends up kicking your legs a lot.”

Babs did a small chuckle.

“So why are you out here?”

“I was just wondering what life is like out there and whether or not I have a chance of being happy… My parents want this alliance so badly, but I can’t get something I really want…”

“You two really are alike…” Sweetie sadly said.

“Huh?”

“You and Button… you have so much in common it’s surprising that you aren’t together at this point…”

“Me and Button? Don’t get me wrong; he and I can share hardships when it comes to duty, but has it occurred to you that we’re too alike? Think about it: not only do we have a similar pasts, but we look alike, too! I think we’re maybe distant cousins of some sort.”

“Whoa… now that you mention it… it is creepy now as close in appearance as you are…”

“See?”

“I do see, and I’m sorry…”

“About what?”

“I was… jealous of you…”

“Jealous? Of me?”

“The fact that you and Button seemed so close that… I was upset that I might have lost him to someone better for him…”

“You have no reason to be jealous of me. I don’t like Button that way, and frankly, I think he has his eye on you, anyway…”

“You really think so?” her eyes gleamed with hope.

“I’m pretty sure.” she winked, “Besides, I like his friend Featherweight more.”

“You like Featherweight?”

“Why not? He’s cute and fun to be around…” She turned her head so she wouldn’t see the small blush, “But you have to promise to keep this a secret. If my parents ever found out somehow, I would never hear the end of it…”

“I promise, in fact, I Pinkie Promise.” she made the promise gesture.

“Pinkie Promise?”

“Trust me, your secret is in good hooves…”

Babs smiled and started singing, “The stars in a hazy heaven trembling above me…”

Sweetie sang, “Danced when he promised… Always to love me…”

“The day came through…”

“Away I flew… But on my lips he left a kiss…”

“All my life I’ll dream of this…”

“Lovely…”

“Lovely…”

They both sang, “Lovely night…”

They smiled at each other and went back inside to sleep. Unbeknownst to them, a prince who was on a balcony above them overheard them.

Author's Note

The songs in this one were Lovely Night and Lovely Night Reprise from the Cinderella Broadway musical. The next chapter we get to focus back on the Mane Six and how their life is going. And sorry if this chapter seems mash up but I had computer troubles.

Chapter 15

Flash woke up to find the other side of the bed cold. He opened his eyes to see some pony was missing and thought, Now where could she be… He smirked, knowing perfectly well where his wife was. When they all moved into the castle, Twilight wanted the area where the castle library was closest. He got up and checked on their son, Fire Spark, in the room next to theirs.

"Sound asleep…" he said to himself as he quietly tip-toed away. He looked around the kitchen, making sure everything was ready for when breakfast would be served. His wife loved keeping on a schedule, but if she was too wrapped up in a book, she was likely unable to keep track of time. He walked out to the hallway that led him to the library. He saw Owlowicious on a perch near the table.

"Good morning, Owlowicious. Can you tell me where I can find my wife?"

Owlowicious hooted and tilted his head to a bookcase. Flash got the gist as he pushed back an empty chair and the bookcase revealed a secret passage. There, Twilight was on a couch reading peacefully until she looked up to see the passage was wide open.

"Oh…"

He smiled, "Hi, honey." He went over to kiss her cheek.

"Is it morning already?"

"It is. Were you up all night reading again?"

"Not all night…"

"What were you looking up?"

"Well, the girls' trip to Marendelle got me curious as to what the island kingdom is famous for."

"And?"

"Did you know that it is rumored to have an ancient treasure that no pony knows how to get to?"

"Really? That's amazing…"

"But that's not all. It's huge for traders and sea-farers to stop and rest there before heading out to sea again. And there's an interesting fact about the royal family. The royal couple would only have one heir to the throne, no more."

"Uh, that's strange. You would think a young royal couple would want more children than that."

"Well, part of it could have been due to the fact that most of the marriages were arranged ones…"

"Well, that explains why the prince now has to marry a bride chosen by a series of tests."

She nodded.

On the other side of the castle, a party pony couple was waking up. Instead of making breakfast, Pinkie started to go out.

"Uh, Pinkie? Shouldn't we be making the muffins? You know how Cotton Candy likes her muffins." Cheese pointed out.

"And we will. First, I want to show you something." she bounced as they made their way down a spiral staircase, "I almost forgot that this was around!"

"What is?"

Once they made it to the bottom, she gestured to a room, which had a large pipe organ in it.

Cheese marveled at it, "Ah, cool!"

"Behold, the Organ to the Outside!"

"The Organ to the Outside?"

"My Aunt Luna thought of it when she and Mommy were living here. Care to try it?"

"You bet!" they took a seat and began to play notes on different sides.

Throughout the rest of the castle, the married couples were sleeping peacefully until a loud noise startled them awake. It caused Spike and Discord to fall out of their beds.

Rainbow moaned and put a pillow over her head, "I forgot that was here…"

"What is?" Soarin' questioned.

Applejack leaned over the bed and asked in concern, "You alright?"

Spike shook out of it and gave a thumbs up.

Rarity groaned, "I can't believe that thing still works after all these years…"

"The thing?" Fancy Pants asked.

"Oh, goodness! Are you okay?" Fluttershy worried.

Discord grunted as he got up, "Nothing that a simple stretch can't fix, sweetie." he floated up and stretched his back, legs, arms, and even his horns. He sighed, "That's better… Now where is that racket coming from?"

"The Organ to the Outside."

"The Organ to the- what?"

Twilight and Flash were still in the library when they heard the organ playing.

"Where is that coming from?" Flash asked.

"I'll show you…" Twilight led the way.

When they made it, they saw Pinkie and Cheese playing with the keys.

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, "Stop! You're going to wake every pony up!"

"Too late…" said an irritated voice.

They turned to see Rainbow and Soarin' flapping agitatedly. Next to them were Fluttershy and Discord, who had his arms crossed. Then it was Spike and Applejack looking annoyed and Rarity and Fancy giving disapproving glances.

"Oops…" the party couple said, blushing in embarrassment.

"Guess we got a little carried away." said Pinkie.

"A little?!" Rainbow went into her face, "All of Equestria heard you!"

"Well, as long as everybody's up, I got the list of duties for today." Twilight magically handed over sheets to her sisters.

They looked them over till Rainbow complained, "Paperwork again?!"

"You're lucky. I have to hear disputes." said Rarity.

"Trade ya…" Dash offered.

"There will be no trading!" Twilight had her sheet rolled up and bonked Rainbow. "We all agreed when we had set up the Everfree Kingdom that we would take turns doing the royal duties. Today, Applejack will be patrolling the Everfree Forest, Pinkie will inspect the royal guard, Rainbow Dash will do paperwork, Rarity will meet with subjects and hear their disputes, Fluttershy will meet with the staff, and I will be doing the meetings all day long."

"Yeah, yeah, we know…" Rainbow waved off, "Can we at least eat first before starting with the chores?"

"Yes, meet me in the throne room in an hour." She and Flash went off.

Spike asked his wife, "When you're going to go patrolling the forest, you're going to have me come along, right?" He patted her swollen stomach.

"Normally, I can handle it by myself, but you do make a good point. With a little one on the way, I don't want to take any chances."

"And we'll bring Winona, too."

"Good idea." They headed out.

"Do you want help on the paperwork?" Soarin' asked Rainbow, "That way, we can get done faster and can go flying afterwards."

"Just as long as you can keep up." she smirked and they flew on.

When she overheard them, Rarity turned to her husband, "Would it bother you if you helped me with the disputes?"

"Not at all." Fancy touched her chin and they moved on.

In Discord's head, he thought, Good. The both of them will be out of the way, giving me a chance to sneak into Rarity's workshop to find a couple of designs to use for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's outfits for their talent show.

"Honey…" Fluttershy snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, darling?"

"Do you think you can feed the animals today while I meet with the staff?"

"But of course, my dearest!"

She kissed his cheek, "Thank you…"

"Are you sure you don't need anything else? With the baby on the way, you must be feeling hungry or something."

"Not yet, but I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Alright…" he embraced her until a kick made them part.

When breakfast was done, the girls met in the throne room that was once their mother and aunt's throne room. Instead of two thrones, there were now six white gleaming thrones that each had their cutie marks on it. The thrones were in a straight line and arranged in their birth order.

As they got down to business, Discord waited to make sure every pony was too busy to notice what his mission was. He popped into the elegant couple's apartment when Opal saw him and started hissing at him. Acting calmly, he summoned a toy mouse, which got her attention, and threw it, making her chase after it. Knowing that his nephew, Dignity, and the other kids would be with their nurses, he didn't have to worry about being seen.

He found the room that was Rarity's workshop, full of fashions. She had many unfinished creations and dress patterns that were yet to be created. He started going through the drawers to find dress files. He may've been the Lord of Chaos, but he absolutely knew nothing about fashion. He could have just made a dress appear out of nowhere, but chances were it would have looked awful by pony standards. He needed something to go on to make it work. He kept looking around until a voice screech out.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

He jumped in fright and turned around to face Rarity with a cheesy grin, "Rarity! There you are! I was wondering if you could-"

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes, "You were clearly snooping in my things that you have no right to be in!"

"Is it wrong to say that I am a lover of fashion?"

"You? And fashion? Ha! Don't make me laugh! Come now, I caught you red handed. Now why are you going through my personal items?"

Knowing he had been caught, he sighed heavily, "Alright… you really want to know? I'm trying to help Sweetie Belle look good."

Rarity's face softened at the mention of her little sister, "Sweetie… Belle?"

"Yes, I've been talking to her through this mirror," he showed his magic mirror, "She told me there's going to be a talent show in Marendelle and asked for my help, so I'm trying to help her by giving her a great stage outfit to wear… I suppose you're going to tell Twilight now, about how I broke the promise of not trying to help Sweetie Belle. Go ahead, no one's stopping you."

Rarity was stunned and could hardly speak until she softly said, "So… you were just trying to help Sweetie Belle… find an outfit?"

"And Scootaloo, if it wasn't too much trouble."

"But have you helped her with the tests?"

"I offered, but she refused."

"She did? Oh, Sweetie Belle…"

"So, I guess I'll have to give Sweetie Belle the bad news…" he was about to sulk off.

"Now wait just a minute! There is no way I am going to let my dear little sisters go on stage without something fabulous to wear!"

He turned back in glee, "You mean…?"

"Discord, you should have come straight away to me. I want Sweetie Belle to win the prince."

"Actually, she's trying to win for his freedom so he can marry whoever he wants."

"Ohh…" she put her hoof to her heart, "That sweet… I have to get started right away!"

"But what about your…" he made air quotes, "…'royal duty' for the day?"

"Fancy Pants can handle it. This is an emergency! When do they need the outfits?"

"Tomorrow night."

"What?! But that doesn't give me much time at all!"

"Relax, I've got an idea. You come up with the plans and pattern and I will do the rest. See? Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now chop-chop! We need these designs pronto! And this will be our secret, right?"

"Absolutely! As far as my little sisters go, I would do anything!" She put on her work glasses and took out a new fresh piece of paper and pen to start drawing. From Discord's point of view, he could see that this was going to be one spectacular outfit.

Back in Marendelle, Pip was preparing himself with provisions. He didn't know long it was going to take him to find the treasure, so he had to be ready in case he didn't make it back to the castle that night. Rumble was there helping him. Since they met on the sisters' ship, he was the closest friend he had next to Apple Bloom.

"I don't get it. Why do you have to go?" Rumble said.

"With the girls rehearsing for the talent show, it's the perfect chance for me to leave unnoticed. Apple Bloom won't even know I was gone until after the show. And I'm counting on you to keep watch of them until I get back."

"But won't she be worried?"

"If I don't come back tonight, give her this note." he handed Rumble a scroll.

"You still haven't told me where you're going."

"It's best you don't know. That way, Apple Bloom can't come after me."

"You're making a mistake… you should at least tell someone where you're going so in case you go missing, we can find you."

"I appreciate the concern, but I won't be gone long."

"I hope you're right… Or else, she'll put the blame on me for not stopping you."

"If it comes down to that, tell her I did it for her…"

"Did it for her?"

"And that is all I am saying…"

Rumble's eyes widened in realization, "You love her…"

"And if I do?"

"Nothing… it's just…" Rumble chuckled, "Those Canterlot sisters are something, aren't they?"

"They sure are…" Pip beamed.

"Go ahead, I'll cover for you." Rumble winked.

"Thanks, that means a lot…" he touched the cheek that Apple Bloom kissed and took a deep breath before walking out the door. Once he reached outside the gates, he went past the village and into jungle terrain…

Author's Note

It's Show Time in the next chapter!

Chapter 17

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 18

Apple Bloom yawned as she got up. She was exhausted from putting away the sets her sisters needed in the talent show. Babs, Dinky, and Twist were kind enough to help her out since her sisters mysteriously disappeared after the show. She decided to go see Pip and ask him what he thought of the show. But when she knocked on the door, there was no answer.

"Probably still sleeping…" she told herself, but she had a strange feeling that she should check, "Just one little peek…" she slowly opened his door and saw nothing. She opened the door all the way to see Pip was nowhere in sight. "That's the second time! Where is he? Maybe Rumble knows something…" she quickly went out.

Rumble slowly opened his eyes, only to feel something was attached to him and turned to see a sleeping Scootaloo on his arm.

He slightly panicked, Scootaloo? What- Then the events of last night played through his head and he gave a sigh of relief, Right, Caballeron… getting married… That is, if we really are married… He looked at his supposed wife. She was even beautiful in her sleep… she made cooing noises while breathing… and the way she kept holding his arm was very sweet… He beamed at the sight.

She started stirring and her eyes fluttered open.

"Morning, sunshine…" he told her.

"Rumble?!" she jumped up, "How…? What…? Did we…?"

He chuckled, "No, no, we did nothing like that, remember?"

Her memories of last night came to her and she blushed, "Right… the wedding…"

"So this is what it's like for spouses when they first wake up in the morning…"

"I guess so, though I'm pretty sure they're used to seeing another pony next to them."

"We'll work on that. By the way, are we going take turns sleeping in each other's rooms or are we going to just use your room?"

"We'll think of something. The main thing is we have to pretend our relationship hasn't changed. My sisters already figured that we were more than friends. Imagine their surprise when they'd find out we're husband and wife… supposedly."

"It'll be hard, but I think we can do it."

She smirked and pressed their lips together until a knock came at the door. A voice cried out, "Scootaloo? Have you seen Rumble? I have to ask him something!" It was Apple Bloom.

Both pegasi had a look of panic spread across their faces, trying hard to think of what do in this situation.

"Hide!" she told him.

He got out of the bed and crawled underneath it as Scootaloo went to the door, opening it a crack.

"Oh, hey, Apple Bloom…" she gave an uneasy smile.

"You okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she faked a yawn, "Just tired from last night's events." She had somewhat told the truth.

"Alright… but do you know where Rumble is? I have to ask him something about Pip."

"Pip? Why?"

"He's gone! Again! And I don't where he went or when he'll be back!"

Rumble heard that and thought, Ugh… I warned him… Wait, the note! He started to get up, but he bonked his head and shouted out, "Ow!"

"What was that?" AB questioned.

"That was me!" She rubbed her tummy, "My stomach is 'ow'ing for food!"

"Can stomachs even say 'ow'?"

"Mine can! Look, as soon as I see Rumble, I'll tell him you're looking for him, okay?"

"Sure, thanks sis. That means a lot." she turned to go.

"No problem." She closed the door behind her and gave out a sigh of relief as Rumble came out rubbing his head.

"You alright?" she started looking over the bump.

"It's nothing."

"That's what you said about your wing and looked what happen."

"As I recall, that was your fault for breaking my wing."

"Sprained it. I didn't actually break it."

"Sure felt like it when you tackled me to the ground."

"We're getting off topic here. I'm trying to make sure you didn't get a concussion and do you know anything about Pip?"

"Yeah, he came to me when he had gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know. He refused to tell me."

"Didn't you try to coax it out of him?"

"I told him that Apple Bloom would be worried, but he insisted on leaving."

"When did he leave?"

"Two days ago."

"Two days ago?! Why didn't you tell us sooner?!"

"Well, he figured that with you girls being busy with the talent show, it was a perfect time to go. Look, he gave me a note to give Apple Bloom, but with the talent show and everything that happened last night, I didn't have time to get it to her."

"Then go and give it to her now or else, we'll see AB in panic mode and I know how hard it is to get her out of that state!"

"Right away, honey."

"See you later, dear." They kissed before realizing.

"We're going to have to keep the pet names to a minimum." he said.

"No kidding. I'll never hear the end of it if my sisters heard me calling you 'honey' or 'dear'…"

"Love ya, Scoots…"

"I love you, too…" she smirked as he was leaving and quickly used her tail to swish on his face, causing him to give her a dopey grin before going out the door.

Button walked into the throne room with a skip in his step and a whistle. He then greeted his parents, "Good morning, Pop! Good morning, Mom!" He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh!" Love Tap was surprised but pleased, "Good morning to you too, Button!"

Cinnamon Swirl smiled and whispered to his wife, "He seems to be a in a chipper mood."

"He does… Button, sweetie, may I ask why you're feeling so happy?"

"Oh, just that I found something that I don't plan on letting go…" he sighed.

"That's good to hear." the king beamed.

"Well, as long as you're in a great mood, your father and I want to tell you something."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

His dad started, "Your mother and I been thinking, since you are almost of age… we think it would be a good time for us to retire…"

"…and for you to take over the throne and be king!" The queen finished and was smiling widely, "Isn't that wonderful?!"

Button was speechless. He knew he had to be king someday, but he didn't think it would be this soon. He trained all his life for this moment, but as prepared as he was, he felt he wouldn't handle the job. He finally spoke when finding his voice, "Are… Are you sure? Because I thought I would be able to watch you guys a bit longer and learn all I know before I can take over."

"Sweetheart, I understand that you're nervous. I felt that way too when your grandfather gave the throne to me." his mother explicated.

"But at least you knew what you were doing… I know what I have to do, but to actually do it… those are two very different things…"

"We'll discuss this later. Today, we have to go the Hot Springs with the winner of the talent show. Tomorrow, I have to present the next test to the remaining princesses. The ones who had failed have gone home, but there are still plenty of candidates that could make a good queen for you."

"Just, uh, who are the remaining candidates?" He already knew, thanks to Sweetie Belle, but it was best that he asked to keep his mother from finding out he was secretly dating one of the princesses.

"Princesses Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon from Stirram. One of them would be an excellent queen. They are from a well-off kingdom and have training that matches their pedigree."

And their attitudes… Button thought, recalling Sweetie's description of them.

"And then there is Princess Aura, Princess Babs Seed, Princess Dinky Doo, Princess Twist, Princess Sunny Daze, and the Princesses from Canterlot. I don't need to tell you that having an alliance with Canterlot would be good for us."

"Of course."

"Not to mention that the princesses are talented and smart young ladies."

"It seems you're impressed by them, Mom…" he smirked.

"All of these princesses have impressed me, Button, since they had passed two of the tests so far."

"Just how many tests are there left?"

"Not many. In fact, this next test should be able to eliminate a majority of the princesses."

Uh-oh… Button gulped.

"But there's no need for you to worry your pretty head over."

"Not worry?! Mother! Those girls are trying to win for my hoof when I should be the one trying to prove my worth!"

"He does have a good point." his father nodded.

"Let's not start that again…" Love Tap warned.

"If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." Button made a bow and left to go find Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle… She was the mare of his dreams, literally, since he heard her voice before meeting her on that day when she washed ashore on the beach. To his luck, he saw her coming out of the banquet hall and started heading upstairs. With her back turned, he called out, "Excuse me, miss? Might I know where I can find the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria?" he smirked away.

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around with a smirk of her own, "And who may I ask would wish to know such a thing?"

"Oh," he took a step forward while smoothing his mane out, "Just the most handsome and bravest stallion in all of Equestria…"

She slowly walked down to him, "Hm, maybe I know, maybe I don't know…"

"I think you know…"

"Oh, really…?" They were an inch closer and their faces almost touched. "And what makes you so sure…?"

"Because, you're her…" Their lips made contact and they kissed for a while until Sweetie broke apart from him.

"Button, what if someone sees us?" she looked around.

He took her hoof and put his arms around her, "Let them see. I'm done hiding how I feel."

"But what about your mother? I don't want to come between you and her…"

"I don't care. I deserve this moment of happiness. Ever since I heard your voice, it brought me the hope of feeling happy like everyone else. And when we met face to face, I did feel happy and I'm even happier now… knowing the mare and the voice were the one and same… Don't you see, Sweetie? We were meant to be…"

Tears were rolling down her face and she blubbered, "Oh, yes, Button! Yes!" They went into a deep long kiss.

Apple Bloom was looking over the note Rumble gave her when he found her. She sat at her desk and read the note, which said, Apple Bloom, if you're reading this, it means I didn't make it back tonight. There is something I have to do. I would tell you, but it's a surprise. I will be back; I just don't know if it'll be tomorrow or the next couple of days. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. When I come back, it'll all be worth it, trust me. Your good friend, Pip.

Apple Bloom kept re-reading the note, and the more she read, the more her anger swelled up. Why couldn't he tell her? Where did he go? And was he alright like he said he was? Rumble told her that Pip left the note for her a couple of nights ago and he had forgotten to give it to her. Two nights ago… Pip had been gone for two days now, and if he didn't come back today, he would've been gone for three days. And if he was still not back by the next day, that would be four. Then five, six, seven… A whole week! He'd be gone missing for a week!

She tried figuring out what caused Pip to go off. She thought back to how strange he had been acting since the first time she couldn't find him. And even before that… the day they went into the village, she was looking for a place to paint him, but when she came back, he was uptight about something… Somewhere in the village, Pip started holding back from his usual cool self.

"Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo came in, "Are you ready to go? The king and queen are going to take us to the Hot Springs Resort soon."

"Oh, Scootaloo…" she turned to face her and faked a cough, "I wish I could come with you, but I don't feel so good…"

"Oh, no… are you going to be okay?"

"Oh, yeah. It's just a small cold. Some fluids and soup and I'll be right as rain!"

"Okay…" she turned to go out, "I tell them and Sweetie you can't come, then…"

"Thanks, and don't worry about me." she got in the bed and waved her off.

Scootaloo waved back, "Get better."

"I will." she closed her eyes and once she heard the door close, she had a look of determination and got out the bed.

"Wow!" Sweetie looked around the Resort. Everything had an under-the-sea theme to it. The walls were dark blue and the lamps and wall decorations had a seashell design.

"You said it!" Scootaloo joined in her excitement with Rumble right beside her.

"Too bad Apple Bloom suddenly got sick. She would have loved it here." said Sweetie.

"Alright, ladies and gentlecolt, here are your room keys for tonight." the queen handed their room numbers to them.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." they bowed to her.

"Have fun and we shall see you in the morning." she and her husband went off as Button stole a glance to Sweetie.

She smiled at him before he went and she turned towards her sister, "I'm going to check into my room. See you at the spa?"

"You know I don't do hooficures."

"Ah, come now, Scoots. It might actually be fun." Rumble winked.

"Is that a challenge?" she eyed him.

"I'm just saying if you can't handle it…"

"Can't handle it?! Listen, buster! I can take anything!" she faced Sweetie, "Fine, I'll meet you in the spa…"

"Great! See you there."

Once she was out of sight, he asked, "So, do we sleep in separate rooms tonight?"

"Hmm," she pondered before throwing her key in a flower pot, "I say we sleep in one room…"

"You know, I wonder if we can get a honeymoon suite…"

"Whoa, easy there, tiger! Remember, we don't know for sure… The closest we get is sleeping in the other's room, that's it."

"Does that also limit the amount of kissing time?"

"Just as long as no pony we know sees us… no, it doesn't…" she pulled him closer and he moved her into a dip before they went into a long kiss.

Apple Bloom made her way into the village, retracing her and Pip's steps. She remembered leaving where there were a bunch of shops… She looked over the shops and figured out which one Pip could have gone into. She could just go in ask the owners if they have seen Pip before. She headed for the nearest shop that was called Flim and Flam's Exchange Store.

The bell rang and two stallions started saying, "Welcome to Flim…"

"…and Flam's Exchange Store!"

"What can we do for you, young filly?" asked the one without the mustache.

"Well, I'm looking for-"

"Perhaps you're looking for genuine pearls!" the one with a mustache started showing off merchandise.

"Those are pretty, but I was hoping-"

"…for something better! I couldn't agree more! Who needs pearls when you can have a genuine kelpie lamp?"

"No, you see, I-"

"Or how about a genuine Wonderbolt medal?"

"I'm looking for a colt!" she shouted out.

"Aw, of course. What young mare wouldn't be dreaming of the perfect stallion…?"

"What I mean is I'm looking for a colt that's white, has brown spots all over his body, and…"

"Wait, this colt wouldn't happen to be big and strong?"

"Yes!"

"And has a brownest mane?"

"Yes! With dark chocolate eyes! You've seen him?"

"Hm, nope sorry, haven't seen him."

"Yup, sorry to say."

"But didn't you just-"

"If you aren't interested in buying in anything, then we'll take our business elsewhere. Good day to you."

"Wait! I'll buy it all!"

This intrigued the brothers, "Ah, but how are you going to pay for that?"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, a huge bag of coins landed on the counter and the brothers stared at in bewilderment.

"Well, I say it was a pleasure doing business with you…" Flim started reaching for the bag.

"Not so fast!" she stuck her hoof over the bag, "I'm not paying until I learn all you know… Now, have you seen Pip…?"

"Pip? Oh! That Pip! Well, that is to say…"

"Circumstances being what they are…"

"Where is he?!" she demanded.

"He's out looking for a treasure!"

"What? What do you mean treasure?"

"Our treasure, to be precise…" Flim took out the map, "We own the map, but Pip is going to dig it up for us, so he gets half the profit."

So this is the surprise he was talking about… AB remembered from the note. "Well, he hasn't come back yet and I'm getting worried about him…"

"Oh, that's a shame… Well, brother, looks like we'll need to get a new pawn- I mean helper!"

"How dare you! Pip is lost out there and all you can think about it is finding another pony to take his place?! How much do you want for that map?!"

"Whoa, there, filly! Why should we give up a rare treasure map that could lead to riches beyond your imagination for a bag of measly bits?"

"Gee, I don't know. It could be because I am a visiting princess… and the fact that Pip was my personal escort. If something were to happen to him… something could happen to the princess he was protecting… and when the king and queen find who was responsible for the reason the princess was unprotected, then I'm afraid you will be blamed for it…"

The brothers' brows were sweating and they gulped.

"Now let's not be hasty, Your Majesty. Of course we want you to be protected, so take the map, free of charge!"

"Thank you." she took the map and handed another bag of gold, "For your troubles." She went out, leaving them speechless.

Author's Note

For those who remember my chapters from the Midnight Dance, at this point it was near the battle, but here in this story, we're not even close to the ending! I totally surpassed my last story! How did that happen? And I guess we'll see if Scoots and Rumble are really married or not.

Chapter 19

Sweetie was lying on the massage table as she was being massaged. It felt so good and she felt so relaxed that her worries seemed to have slip away.

"You know, there is a reason they call this the Hot Springs Resort." Button was saying next to her as he was being massaged, too.

"Really? Why?"

"They built it on actual springs. In the next room over where the hot tubs are, those are the actual springs."

"Whoa… that is so cool!"

"I can get us in if you want to."

"I would really like to see that, thanks."

On the other side of the room, Scootaloo was relaxing in a chair as one of the spa ponies named Lotus Blossom was giving her a hooficure. She didn't want to admit it; hay, if Rainbow Dash ever saw her doing it, she'd never hear the end of it. But she really liked the feel and couldn't get enough of it.

"Wow, I can't believe you can actually handle it." Rumble was sitting next to her.

"Told you I could handle anything, and check it out, my hooves are shining!" She showed off the blinding light.

"Ow! They're very shiny, but I still would like to see your beautiful face without getting blinded."

"Aw, you're just jealous, so you should get a hooficure, too, so you can have shiny hooves just like mine."

"No thanks. I like my hooves the way they are."

"What's wrong? Can't handle it?" she smirked.

He groaned and muttered, "I am never going to hear the end of this one…" He signaled for Lotus Blossom to give him a hooficure.

"Love ya, babe…"

He sighed, "I love you, too…"

When Button and Sweetie were admitted into the next room, she gawked at the bubbling hot tubs.

"Come on."

"Wait, as go in one of them?"

"That's what they're for." he chuckled, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe." he jumped into one, but he didn't resurface.

Sweetie worried and called out, "Button? Button!" she leaned closer only for her to get grabbed and pulled into the water.

She took a breath while Button was laughing. She splashed him, "That's not funny!"

"Sorry, Sweetie, but how else was I was going to get you in here?" he started relaxing, "I needed this…"

"How come?"

He moved her closer and she rested on his shoulder.

"Well… my parents are thinking of retiring soon and making me king…"

"Oh, my gosh…"

"That's what I thought… the thing is I don't know if I'm ready… What if I do a bad job? What if I'm a terrible king and my subjects hate me? What if…"

"Button," she used to her hoof to his mouth, "you will be a great king…"

"How do you know?"

"Because you have a good heart… You care about your kingdom more than your own desires. You had a chance to run away, but you knew the kingdom would be lost without the next rightful heir. You are every inch a king: you are fair, just, and kind. I believe you are ready, but do you believe you are?"

"I… don't know…"

"Give it time. If you believe it, I'm sure you will be…" she kissed his cheek.

He lifted her chin and they kissed. As they were kissing, thoughts raced through his head.

She thinks I will be a great king… she gives me reason as to how I could be… He could see it now: he, a leader among ponies… He would wear his father's crown and regal robes. He would be on the balcony waving down to his many subjects waving back to him. Then, he would signal for some pony behind him and she would walk on with his mother's crown and robes on: his queen, Sweetie Belle…

"Button?"

He snapped out of his daydream and ended up staring at her.

"Are… you ok?"

He replied with a smile, "I'm more than alright…" he started getting out.

"Where are you going?"

"There's something I need to get. I'll meet you tonight."

"Okay…?" she gave an unsure look.

"You won't be disappointed." he smiled and went out.

That was weird… she thought and got out of the pool.

Apple Bloom was wearing the outfit Discord gave her for the talent show. It was a great source of camouflage in case she caught up to Pip and he couldn't detect she was on to him. She followed the map's directions and went along the jungle path.

"Pip, you got a lot of explaining to do…" she muttered, "Why would you go do a crazy thing like this…?" Of course, she had to give him some credit, for who wouldn't jump at the chance of a treasure hunt? But what made her streamed was that he never told her about it and why he was avoiding her because of it. She thought of the times they had spent and how great they were together. It wasn't until recently he became distant from her.

Doesn't he like me? I guess it was foolish of me to think he could be the right colt for me… But the moment our eyes met when we first saw each other, I felt something that I haven't been able to get rid of for a while now. So I have to know what his true feelings are for me… to see if he feels the same…

She suddenly stopped to see something ahead. She rushed over to find a saddle bag and a compass lying on the ground. "These must be Pip's," she thought out loud. Then, she noticed hoofprints along with tiny other prints and saw the prints leading off in another direction than the one on the map. "Oh, no… Pip…" she raced on to follow the prints.

The moon was shining bright in the night sky with stars twinkling. Sweetie was uncertain about what Button was doing. He led her away from the Resort and went down to the beach.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"You'll see." he replied and they kept going until he stopped, "Here we are."

Sweetie looked around to realize that they were in the place when she first came to Marendelle. "Button, why…?" She stopped short when she stared at a clam shell in front of her. She read once that clam shells held pearls inside and felt touched that Button would give her such a sweet gift.

"Open it." he gave her the shell.

Using her magic, she opened the shell to see the pearl, but the pearl was strange-looking. Instead of being round, it was square-shaped and it wasn't smooth; it had edges. It also wasn't the color white; it was light green like the shade of her eyes… She gasped when she realized what it was… She looked over to Button, who was kneeling with hopeful eyes.

"Sweetie Belle…" he spoke while taking her hoof, "Alone, I cannot see who I am supposed to be… but when I am with you, I can… If you believe I can be a great king, then I can believe it, too… But what is a king without a queen? Will you marry me, Sweetie?"

She felt tears running down her face. This was happening all so fast… She felt speechless and didn't know what to say until she saw worry etching over his face and she immediately said, "Yes…"

"What?"

"Yes, of course I'll marry you!" she went into a tight embrace with him and then they passionately kissed.

When they broke apart, he had a wide smile spread across his face, "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"To break the news to my parents! And tell them the contest is off!"

"Whoa, Button! Let's think about this first: don't you think your parents are going to be shocked to learn that you're engaged?"

"Mom would, but my dad would be thrilled."

"Well, it's your mother I'm more worried about. I told you before I didn't want to cause a rift between you and your mother… I want to earn her respect and blessing. I love you, but I couldn't stand coming in between a family… You know I'm right… She will see me as the mare who stole you away from her… but if I win, then she will see me as some pony worthy of you… It's the only way for us and for everyone else to be truly happy…"

He sighed and shook his head. Everything Sweetie said was true. His mother would just keep fighting until she got her way and only then would she bless the marriage. "But the next test… I worry about what will happen…"

"I managed to get this far… and if we were truly meant to be together, then I will pass the next one…"

"I'll still see if I can find anything about it and let you know."

She smiled and kissed his cheek.

With it being dark now, it was hard for Apple Bloom to see where she was going and the jungle noises were making it hard for her to concentrate. Oh, Pip… please be okay… Suddenly, she heard drumming not far off. She went near the sound and it got louder. When she saw a fire up ahead, she was careful to approach it as she looked behind bushes. To her surprise, there were primitive hamsters dancing around the fire pit. She could see next to the fire was a small village and next to the village was Pip tied up to a stake!

"Pip!" she nearly said out loud and covered her mouth. Luckily, the hamsters were still dancing and didn't hear her. She was able to sneak past them thanks to her camouflage.

Pip had a weary look to his face and was sad. AB was about to reveal herself until she heard him muttering, "I'm so sorry, Apple Bloom… I only wanted to surprise you and prove myself to you… I didn't know the dangers would be great in this jungle. By the time, they find me I'll be gone… And I'll regret that I couldn't see your face one last time… Your golden sun eyes… your luscious red hair… and your lips… I was able to feel them on my cheek, but I would have so loved to feel them on my own lips… to taste them… I guess… I'll never know…" he lowered his head in despair.

Apple Bloom was amazed by what she just heard. She felt so overjoyed that she couldn't help herself and kissed him.

Pip was taken back at first, but once he saw her, his heart lept and gave in to the kiss. Once they stopped, he said, "Is this a dream?"

"No dream…" she smiled, "I'm here."

"Oh, Apple Bloom, I'm so sorry…"

She shushed him, "You already apologized…"

"You heard that?"

"What I want to know is… why do you feel you need to prove yourself by finding this treasure…?"

"You know about the treasure?!"

She took out the map.

"And you got the real map?!"

She explained about her meeting with Flim and Flam how she persuaded them to tell her where he was at and got a hold of the map. "So I came after you only to find you captured by… hamsters?"

"Yeah, I can't figure that out, either… As for proving myself… I was trying to prove to you that I was some pony you would give time to… You're a princess, I'm just a simple colt working in an inn… Maybe if I found the treasure, I could prove to you and your family that I was worth something and I could give you the best in life possible…"

"Pip… I don't care if you're a colt working in an inn… You know I wasn't always a princess, so I'm used to not having finer things in life… I don't care if you're not a prince or the richest stallion in Equestria… I could less about gold and riches. All I want… is you…"

"You do?"

"Yes… since we met, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you…"

"But… your family… how can I…?"

"It doesn't matter what they think. What matters is what we think…" she started singing softly, "In a perfect world… One we've never known… We would never need to face the world alone… They can have the world… We'll create our own… I may not be brave, or strong, or smart… But somewhere in my secret heart, I know… Love will find a way… Anywhere I go, I'm home… If you are there beside me, like dark… Turning into day… Somehow we'll come through… Now that I found you… Love will find a way…"

He sang back, "I was so afraid… Now I realize… Love is never wrong… And so it never dies… There's a perfect world… Shining in your eyes…"

They both sang, "And if only they could feel it too… The happiness I feel with you… They'd know… Love will find a way… Anywhere we go, we're home… If we are there together, like dark, turning into day… Somehow we'll come through… Now that I found you… Love will find a way… I know that love will find a… way…" They moved into another kiss.

"Let's get you out of this…" she started cutting his ropes with her teeth.

"Ow." he felt her biting.

"Sorry…" she got the rest of the ropes off.

"On my signal, we run."

"To where?"

"Anywhere. We'll find some place to rest for the night and then get back to Marendelle in the morning."

"Actually, I was thinking…" she unrolled the map.

"You want to look for the treasure?"

"As long as we're out here… and it'll even more better if we found it together."

He smiled at the thought, and looked back to see the hamsters were almost done, "Ready… Go!" he made a run for it and so did she.

Once they figured they were in the clear, they stop to catch their breaths.

"Looks like we can rest here." he said as he sat down.

"Thank goodness." she sat beside him, "That reminds me…" she took out the compass and gave it to him.

"My compass? You found it?"

"Yeah, I came across your stuff you were forced to leave behind when you were taken captive."

"Thank you…" he wrapped his arm around her.

"You're welcome…"

"Apple Bloom… I'm sorry for lying…"

"Forget it."

"But I can't forget it. I was deceiving you for something that wasn't worth lying about… If you hadn't come after me when you did… You saved my life…"

"It's okay, I forgive you… As long as I know the truth now, what happened before doesn't matter."

"I'll make it up to you… I promise…"

"You don't have to…"

"But I want to… for you…"

She gave a small smile before giving a yawn.

"You rest. I'll take the first watch."

"You sure?"

"It's the least I can do, after you saved my life."

"Okay… good night…" she rested her head to the ground.

"Sleep well…" he beamed at her and once he knew she was asleep, he kissed her hoof, "I love you…"

Author's Note

Finding a song for Apple Bloom and Pip wasn't easy, thankfully Love Will Find a Way was good timing on what was going on in the scene. And yes, surprise engagement! Squee!

Chapter 20

Sweetie and Scootaloo were back from the resort and met with their friends before going in to take the next test. As expected, Button was worried for Sweetie since he couldn't find out much about the next test, but Sweetie reassured him, even though she was slightly worried herself. They both agreed if she did failed the test, then they would reveal their relationship and fight for Button's right to marry her. However, Sweetie wanted to see if she could pass the remaining tests first, but would resort to that plan as a backup.

"Truffle and I had a great time while you were gone." said Twist interrupting Sweetie's thoughts.

"Oh, really? What did you do?" she asked.

"Since the royal family was out, it gave us a chance to go around the castle and talk. We really enjoyed each other's company…"

"That's so great to hear!" said Dinky.

Babs turned to the sisters, "How do you think Apple Bloom is doing?"

"I checked from her bedroom door and she's still sleeping." said Scootaloo.

"She must have a really bad cold…" pointed Sweetie.

"We'll check on her after the test." gestured Scoots.

"So did anything happen to you and the prince?" Dinky asked Sweetie with hopeful eyes.

"Oh, um…" Sweetie blushed.

"Are you kidding?! They stuck together like glue while we were there!" Scootaloo pointed out.

Sweetie glared at her, mentally saying, Well, so did you and Rumble… she grinned and then said smoothly, "By the way, how are you and Rumble?"

Scootaloo stiffened, causing the other girls to give her funny looks. She unsteadily said, "Wha… what do you mean? I have… no idea what you're talking about!" she tried to keep herself together.

"I've noticed the way you look at each other…" Sweetie started to tease, "Scootaloo and Rumble sitting in a tree…" She was then silenced by her sister's hoof.

"There's nothing going on between us!" Oh, how that pained her to say that…

"You're lying."

They turned to face Babs.

"How… how do you know?" Worry was etched over her face.

"It's in your eyes. They sparkle at the mention of him and you're shaking, so it's obvious…"

She gulped.

"You love him…"

There was awkward silence as they kept staring at her. Scootaloo's lips began to tremble till she shouted out, "Yes! I love him! There, happy?"

Sweetie Belle squealed, "I knew it! I knew it!" She got her in a tight hug, "I'm so happy for you!"

Scootaloo smiled and then nervously chuckled, "Say, uh… this is completely off-topic, but can an adopted princess marry some pony by herself?"

There was confusion spread across their faces until Sweetie shrugged and said, "Gosh, Scoots… I don't know. It was one thing when our parents and Aunt Luna married our sisters, but a princess, and an adopted princess at that…"

Twist and Dinky shrugged too, and then Babs said, "It should work."

"Really?!" they all said to her.

"Yeah, I've studied every royal protocol book and they state through marriage or legal matters, a princess has the power to issue any order to her subjects and, yes, they also have the power to wed ponies."

"So our marriage is real…" Scootaloo said under her breath.

"Huh?" Sweetie said.

"Uh, that it is very cool that we can do that!"

"I guess." shrugged Babs, "But that's how we are. So why did you want to know?"

"Oh, I was… just wondering. It seemed something interesting to figure out." she shrugged while giving a cheesy grin. They shrugged, too, and began talking about other things, like what the next test was.

Only Scoots didn't join in on the conversation. All she could think about was what Babs said. So if she and Rumble really were married, what would they do now? Then she remembered what he said on their wedding night about doing what married couples do except taking it to the next level… She blushed at that fact and stared off into the abyss, thinking about her husband. He was all she could think about now: his grey coat, his hair, his wings, his muscles, and his eyes… When she looked into them, she was lost in them.

Just finally confessing her love made her realize how much she loved him… The question now is how much did he love her?

"Scoots?" she felt a nudge that snapped her out of her daydreaming.

Sweetie pointed to the throne room where the others had gone in, "Let's go." she was about to go in.

"Actually…" Scootaloo rubbed her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Is it necessary for me and AB to be in the tests anymore?"

"You want to drop?"

"It's just… this is your fight. I don't love Button and neither does AB. But you do…"

She nodded, "Well, luckily, you'll be able to stay. You will stay, right?"

"Of course. But it's all up to you now…"

"I'll see you after the test then?"

"Meet you at Apple Bloom's room."

Scootaloo turned to go as Sweetie went into the throne room. Once the doors closed behind her, Scootaloo rushed to go find Rumble.

Sweetie Belle watched as the queen addressed them.

"Ladies, so far, you had passed the first two tests, but can you pass this next one? We shall see… I will ask a simple question and then you must go find an object that means something with the question. Are you ready?"

The princesses nodded their heads.

"Here it is: what do you think it means to be a queen?"

Sweetie's eyes widened and thought, Oh, boy…

"You'll have an hour to search around the castle to find something that goes with your definition of what it means to be queen. Good luck."

The girls slowly went out and some started worrying.

"Wow," said Twist, "This one's going to be tricky."

"I don't think I'll find anything that matches what it's like to be a queen." said Dinky.

"And we can't help each other without having the same item and meaning…" pointed Babs.

"Looks like we were really on our own…" Sweetie softly said.

The four of them exchanged looks and went separate ways in castle.

Scootaloo finally tracked down Rumble in the gym with Button and the other guys, minus Pip. He was in the midst of swordfighting Snips when Scoots called out to him, "Rumble!"

Distracted, the sword flew out of Rumble's mouth and Snips cheered.

"That doesn't count!" Rumble objected as he went to Scootaloo, "What's wrong, Scoots?"

"Is it Sweetie Belle?!" Button had panic in his voice.

"Or Babs?" Featherweight voiced in concern.

The others looked at him with confusion until Scootaloo said, "No, no, everything's fine, but I need to talk to you, Rumble…"

"Uh, alright?" he nodded his head to the guys to keep doing what they were doing and followed after Scootaloo. They went into his guest room, where Rumble asked, "What's going on?"

"We're married."

"What?"

"Yes, I found out it was enough. We are legally husband and wife…"

He was speechless for a moment and then said, "So… I'm your husband and you're my wife?"

"Pretty much…"

"Whoa…" he slightly chuckled, "I was joking at the resort, but I now I wish we did have a honeymoon suite…"

She smirked, "That reminds me…" she slowly flapped her wings and her eyes met his, "You said something about the next level on our wedding night…"

He gulped and stammered, "Oh, that was… it was just…"

"How would you feel if we had a real wedding night…?" she winked.

"A… real wedding night…?" he gaped.

"Hm-mm…" she kept smirking and her lips made contact to his.

He grabbed hold of her and they started kissing behind their open wings. Once they broke apart, Rumble said breathlessly and in a daze, "Oh, Scoots… I wanted to do that since I saw you dancing in that stunning outfit of yours…"

"Just what I wanted to hear…" They stare at each other lovingly, "See you tonight in this room?"

"Whatever you what… I'll see you then…" he kissed her forehead.

She kissed his cheek that eventually led to another kiss on the lips before they slowly departed ways.

Sweetie made it back to her room and looked through her trunk to find anything. Suddenly, the clam shell with her engagement ring fell out. She picked up the ring and look at it with sadness, I can't fail this test… I have to prove my worth… for Button… for us… Wait… worth…? The queen's words came to her, 'What do you think it means to be queen?' What do I think it means to be queen…? She thought back to her mother, Queen Celestia, a wise and kind ruler. There was one thing she always admired about her mother and Twilight, who would inherit their mother's throne, was that both of them were humble…

If she was going to be Button's queen, then that would be the kind of queen she wanted to be: a humble one, just like her mother and sister. Now the question was how was she going to find something that meant being queen that also meant being humble? Then she stared back at the clam shell…

Dinky and Twist met up with Babs, who was wearing a red cape.

"Did you guys find anything?"

Twist shook her head, "I don't really understand what the queen is getting at, since I won't be a queen and I don't think I can be one…"

"Me, too. I have an older sister who will be a queen, so I don't have to learn to be one. I'll always be a princess until I become something else when I get married. There's another thing: it's clear that Prince Button likes Sweetie Belle since he was close to her when they were at the resort, so there is no need for me to be in the running…"

"You're lucky. I still have to be in this for my folks and I have to know what a queen has to do."

"Is that why you're wearing the cape?" ask Twist.

"It is. A queen has to have a legacy and wearing something like a cape shows how long you can keep a legacy."

"That's really clever!" Dinky complimented.

"Thanks." Then she looked around, "Hey, where's Sweetie Belle?"

They shrugged until they heard a voice calling out, "Here! I'm right here!" she rushed to them and caught her breath, "I was… outside the castle…"

"What were you doing out there?" Twist questioned.

"Looking for something. It wasn't easy, but I managed to find one…"

"Find what?" Dinky asked.

"You'll see." she gave a small smile.

Queen Love Tap looked over Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's objects: a tiara and a scepter.

Diamond Tiara explained, "A queen holds power in her hooves that she takes pride in, being the leader that she is."

Sliver Spoon added, "And she does it with dignity."

"Very good, girls. I am impressed by your choices, but these are obvious status symbols. However, your words are true and you may proceed to the next test."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." they both said, then giggled as they passed Babs and Sweetie.

Babs presented her object and stated what she told Dinky and Twist.

The queen nodded, "Yes, Princess Babs. A queen will leave a legacy that her descendants will try to follow as example so that they can be as great a ruler as their ancestor. Well done. You shall continue to the next test."

Babs bowed her head and waited on the sidelines to watch Sweetie's turn.

The queen asked, "And what do you have for me, Princess Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie used her magic to take out a white gleaming pearl and placed it in front of the queen.

Love Tap looked at it in confusion until Sweetie explained, "That pearl came from a simple clam shell that no pony would believe that a beautiful pearl came from it. But it shows that beauty comes from within. A queen may be beautiful on the outside, but she should also be beautiful on the inside. I believe a queen means being humble to your subjects and to yourself…"

There was silence in the ballroom, and just when Diamond Tiara was about to laugh to break it, the queen suddenly spoke.

"My dear, that is one of the most important insights a queen should have… Princess Sweetie Belle, you have a gift to look beyond what others cannot see. You will move on to the next test."

Sweetie and Babs both grinned widely while two other princesses were gritting their teeth. In a huff, Diamond Tiara moved to the other side of the room, away from nearby ears. Silver Spoon followed her.

"Every time I thought she would fail the test, she manages to pass it! I thought it was dumb luck the first two times, but now she managed to impress the queen with her namby-pamby speech about finding the beauty within when we all know that looking beautiful is the only thing matters in this world!"

"What can we do about it?"

"Hopefully this time, her luck has run out and she will fail the next test. I'm not going to let some fake princess get the chance to be queen! That would be a disgrace for all us real princesses who deserve it!"

"And if she actually wins the contest?"

"Then, I'll just have to take matters into my own hooves…" her eyes slit, giving off a dark and sinister mood…

Author's Note

Yeah... about Scoots and Rumble... do you think it's still PG or do I need to raise the rating? I'll let you guys decide.

Chapter 21

Apple Bloom and Pip walked through the jungle terrain that same morning.

"Pip, are you sure you're reading the map right?"

"I am and I'm following my dad's old compass to make sure we're going the right way."

"Alright…" they kept going until they stopped at a waterfall and took a drink from the stream.

Pip looked at the map again and chuckled, "I still can't believe you bested Flim and Flam like that…"

"They had it coming to them since they were letting you fend for yourself out here."

He looked back at the map and scowled, "This doesn't make sense."

"What?"

"There's no waterfall on the map!"

"Let me see." she took it and saw that he was right, "Did we go the wrong way?"

"I don't see how. I followed the directions and they led us here. We should be close to the treasure by now."

She scanned the map and noticed how old it looked. A lot could happen in a long time… "I wonder…" she went closer to the waterfall and looked behind it to find an opening! "Pip! Look at this!"

He rushed over and smiled, "Great job, Bloom!" She went ahead into the opening. "Careful, watch your head and don't slip on the rocks."

"Gosh, Pip, I never took you as the overprotective type."

"It's about time I should be. I was assigned to watch over you and your sisters, but instead, I go on a crazy treasure hunt."

"It's crazy when you go find it yourself, but when you have someone with you, then it's an adventure worth having."

"I'm glad you're here, Apple Bloom…"

"Well, I'm just glad I found you before it was too late."

"And again, I'm sorry for not telling you…"

"Forget it. It's been done, so now we can focus on finding this treasure."

"You said it." he beamed as he took the lead and they started walking in a cave.

There was very little light in the cave and water was dripping from the stalactites, causing sound to bounce around.

"What do you think this treasure is going to look like?" AB questioned.

"Don't know, gold coins, diamonds, rubies…? Any other gem that's valuable."

"Think there'll be much of it?"

"It could be just a treasure in a chest."

"I guess we'll find out." they kept going until they reached the end of the tunnel and saw a bright light ahead.

They got out and gasped what was in front of them. Their mouths were wide open.

"It's… It's…" Apple Bloom tried to say.

"It's a building made of gold!" Pip said for her.

They stared in awe at the large temple made of gold, surrounded by jungle that kept it well-hidden.

After they were done gawking, they slowly went towards it. When reaching the double golden doors, there were strange markings on it and words were written in.

Apple Bloom read them out loud, "Beware, take what you need but not out of greed… Take a peek of what treasure you seek… For those who stay cannot get away…"

"Whoa…" Pip shivered.

"I know. I had a creepy feeling, too…"

The doors suddenly flew wide open, allowing them to enter in.

The couple gulped as they saw the dark hallway before them.

"Um, ladies first?" gestured Pip, giving off a cheesy grin.

She rolled her eyes and gradually walked in with him right behind her. Once they were in all the way, the doors closed behind them, causing them to both jump. Torches in the hallway lit them themselves up. The couple went down the hallway, bracing themselves for what they were about to find. When they reached the end, they saw in wonder of a large room full of gold.

"Oh…" AB started.

"My…" Pip gaped, "Look at this! Just a handful of stuff could make us richer than all the kings and queens in Equestria!"

"Maybe, but don't forget the warning… Take what you need, but not out of greed; take a peek of what treasure you seek; for those who stay cannot get away."

"What do you think it meant by that last line?"

"I don't know, but I don't plan on sticking around to find out."

"You got that right."

"So think, what do we need the treasure for so it won't be out of greed?"

"Hm… my aunt and the inn! Your parents will give me some bits that I would earn once we get back to Canterlot, but it won't last long and my aunt will be in debt again."

"And since I already have what I need, I don't need the treasure, but I will help you get some for you because you need it more."

"Let's try it…" he starting reaching for the pile of gold next to him and had thoughts focused on how the inn was trouble and needed the coins for just that. He lifted a coin up and waited to see what would happen. When nothing did happen, he gave a sigh of relief.

Then it was Apple Bloom's turn as she picked a coin up after she thought she was helping Pip out of his troubles. She also sighed in relief as nothing happened. They gave each other a nod and took as much as they could carry in saddle bags.

"I think we have more than enough." said Pip, "Let's get out of here."

They were about to when a voice said.

"Not so fast!"

They gasped and Pip gasped, "Flim and Flam?! How did you get here?!"

"Yeah! I took the map!"

"Ah, but we followed you as soon as you left our shop the other day." said Flim.

"So you sat idly by while I helped Pip get free from those hamster capturers?!" AB fumed.

"Well, what else could we do?" Flam used an innocent tone, "And it seemed you had the situation well at hoof…" he and his brother slyly grinned.

Apple Bloom and Pip blushed furiously blushed.

"Now back to the business at hoof… Since we have a deal…"

"I thought that was dropped when Apple Bloom…"

"We had a deal with the princess telling her where you were at. Our original agreement still stands." pointed Flim.

"And as long as we're here, we'll take our half of the treasure." Flam starts reaching out.

"Flam, no!" Pip shouted, "The warning! You can't take out of greed!"

The brothers laughed in amusement.

"Oh, come now, that was just a bluff to ward away any pony from touching the treasure!"

"You don't know that for sure!" Apple Bloom protested, "Why take that chance?!"

They laugh again and the both of them started reaching for golden bars. The couple held in their breaths, awaiting the pending disaster. When nothing happened, Flim smirked.

"See? What did we tell you?"

Suddenly, there was a huge boom that shook the whole temple and the floor started cracking, showing molten gold underneath.

"I dare say, brother, this is a major setback." said Flim.

"Indeed, brother. Let's hightail out of here!" Flam responded before they ran.

"Cowards!" AB shouted back, and suddenly, the floor under her gave away and she screamed as she was falling, but was caught by Pip's hooves.

He grunted, "I gotcha!" but he struggled to pull her up.

"What's wrong?!"

He sweated, "I… can't… lift you up…" She noticed her bags of gold, "You have to drop the gold!"

Her eyes widened, "But, Pip, what about-"

"I don't care! Just drop it!"

She let go of her bags and they dropped into the melted gold. With a single pull, he lifted her up and they ran out of the temple just in time to see it sinking into the ground.

They panted and trembled to the grass in relief.

"Pip… I can't believe… just why? Why did you give it up?"

"Because…" he faced her with the eyes that she loved so much. "You're my treasure…"

She gasped and her eyes welled with tears, "I… I am?"

He nodded, "I love you, Apple Bloom, and any pony would be a foal if they gave up a treasure that's right before their eyes…"

"Oh, Pip…" she embraced him and he returned it, "I love you, too…"

"I figured you did, since you did come after me and saved my life."

"Now you saved mine… I guess that makes us even."

"It sure does…" he moved her chin and they kissed.

"Hey, what happened to Flim and Flam?"

"About halfway back to Marendelle, I bet."

"I can't believe they would have left us like that! If I ever get my hooves on them…"

"Honestly, I'm done with having to deal with them. I never want to see them again. Let's just go back and pretend none of this ever happened."

"Does that mean we have to forget what we have gained on this journey?"

"No! No… That, I would like to keep…" he kissed her hoof.

She smirked before moving him into another kiss on the lips…

It was nightfall when they had gotten back to the castle and headed upstairs to Apple Bloom's room. It was dark and when she turned on the light, her two sisters were on the bed scowling at her.

"Oh!" she nervously chuckled, "Hi, gals…"

"'Hi'? 'Hi'?!" Scootaloo rebuked, "Is that all you can say? 'Hi'?!"

"Where were you?!" Sweetie demanded, "Do you realize how worried we were to find your bed empty?!"

AB sighed, "I know… I'm sorry… but I was so worried about Pip that I just had to go find him…"

Pip stepped in, "It's all my fault. I went on this crazy, dangerous quest, and if Apple Bloom hadn't come after me… I don't know what would have happened…"

"Just what was this quest?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Well…" Pip started and told the whole story. When he had finished, the sisters stood silent and gave no emotion. "So, please accept my apologies for not doing my duty and that I beg you to not tell your parents… Even though I deserve what's coming to me…"

"Pfft!" gestured Scoots, "Like we could care about that! We don't need watching over like every second!"

"Right," agreed Sweetie, "Our parents were overacting because of a thing that happened to our sisters six years ago, but there's nothing to fear now. So, it's alright, we won't say a word…" she winked.

He bowed his head and smiled, "Princesses, you are the best."

"Alright, enough of this sappy stuff and don't call us princesses!" Scootaloo made it across the room and hugged Apple Bloom; Sweetie did the same. "I'm just glad you're safe…"

"I'm glad, too… thanks to Pip…"

"You give me too much credit. You were just as capable at handling things yourself."

Scootaloo pointed out, "Just next time… Tell us…"

"So we don't have to worry all the time." Sweetie said.

"You're right. Never again will we hide anything from each other."

The sisters looked at her uneasily.

"Right…" Scoots's brow was slightly sweating.

"Never again…" Sweetie forced a smile.

The trio hugged for a while before Apple Bloom said, "Well…" she yawned, "It's been a long day and I need to rest."

"Me, too." Pip nodded, "Good night, ladies." He stole a glance to AB before leaving.

"Good night." the girls said.

"See you guys in the morning." Sweetie took her leave.

"Night, Sweetie Belle. See ya, AB." Scoots waved.

"I'll see you at breakfast, I promise." Apple Bloom crawled in bed.

Scoots nodded before shutting the door behind her and making it down the hallway.

"Everything okay?" Rumble asked when meeting her halfway before they went towards his bedroom door, "I know you were worried about Apple Bloom… but when I saw that she and Pip were back, I hope everything went over all right."

"Yes, it did. AB's back safe and sound. It seems she and Pip had a rough time, but they made it through okay."

"So, now everyone we know is fine and unharmed, does this mean we can…"

She smirked and wrapped her hoof around his neck, "I say that now is perfect time for anything…"

He smirked back and lifted her off her hooves, "Then we can redo what we did on our wedding night, only this time…"

"You got it…" she smiled as he carried her in and shut the door with his hoof.

Author's Note

As far as Scoots and Rumble are going to go, it's just whispers and closed doors.

Chapter 22

Scootaloo was staring off into space with a dopey look on her face while at breakfast the next morning. Her sisters and their friends noticed her strange look.

"Yoo-hoo, Scootaloo…" AB waved her hoof in front of her, "You okay?"

"I'm…" she sighed dreamily, "…wonderful…" she swooned and giggled.

Around her, the group exchanged weird glances.

Meanwhile in the gym, Rumble was staring off with a dreamy look.

"Rumble?" Pip questioned, "You alright?"

He kept staring off.

Button came up to him, "Uh, Rumble?"

The other guys surrounded him.

"Think he's sick?" said Featherweight.

"Ooh, if he is, think he's contagious?" Snips pointed.

"No!" Pip shook his head, "But something is up with him… Rumble, you okay there?"

"Okay?" Rumble said in a daze, "I'm more than okay!" He jumped in excitement and his wings began to flap slowly. He moved in a circle, not having a care in the world.

"Okay…" Button moved slowly towards Pip, "In the meantime, you can tell us where you've been in the last three days."

"Oh, that…" he took a breath and told his tale of finding a treasure on the island.

"You actually found the Lost Treasure of Marendelle?!"

"You know what it is?"

"Duh!" gestured Featherweight, "Any pony who grew up on this island knows the legend of the lost treasure, but no pony has been able to find it… until now…"

"Well, unfortunately, it's gone now."

"How come?" Snails questioned.

"It was like this…" and he finished explaining his whole story.

Button asked, "…And you haven't seen these Flim Flam brothers since after the temple was crumbling?"

Pip nodded.

"Would you like me to have my guards be on the lookout of them?"

"No, I rather not see them again so I could forget what I almost lost with Apple Bloom…"

Button grinned and patted his back, "I get it…"

"You know, you seem different, Button."

"Yeah…" Featherweight noted, "He's right. Lately, you've been acting more regal than when we were kids. What gives?"

"Well, for one, my parents are going to be retiring soon and I'll have to take their place as king."

"Whoa!" they all said, including Rumble after the news snapped him back to normal.

"You're going to be king soon?!" he gaped.

"Welcome back, and yes."

"Wow… sure you're up to it?" asked Featherweight, "I know you were hesitant when it came to living up to your parents…"

"Trust me, F. I'm more than ready…"

"Hey, if you're going to be king, we need to give you a big party!" Snips gestured.

"Yeah!" cheered Snails.

"Like what kind of party?" Pip questioned.

"Uh… a beach party!" Snails said.

"Yeah!" Snips hoofed bump with him.

"Hey… that's not bad…" Button pondered, "We can invite the girls, too!"

"Sweet!" Rumble flew up and then daydreamed about his wife again.

"A beach party?!" the princesses said when they were alone in the kitchens with the guys.

"We got it all figured out." explained Button, "Truffle will handle the food, Snips and Snails will get the games, Featherweight will provide music…"

"When does this take place exactly?" Sweetie asked.

"This afternoon. Meet us at the cove after lunch."

Sweetie looked at the girls, who nodded, "Okay, we'll see you there."

When everyone else took their leave, Sweetie stopped Button.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but your mother's last test got me thinking…"

Button felt panic rising inside him, thinking, Oh no… she's change her mind! She doesn't want to marry me anymore because Mother scared her with those tests! What if she…"

"I need to know all about Marendelle and how to be a proper queen to you."

"Huh?" he blinked.

"I want to learn how to be a queen… If that's alright…?"

"Alright?!" he relieved a huge sigh, "I thought for a second there you changed your mind about the…"

"What? No! Oh, Button…"

"Well, it seemed like it was…"

"Let's get one thing straight: nothing is going to change my mind about your proposal, because I am deeply in love with you and I don't plan on stopping." she beamed.

He smiled in return as they leaned in for a kiss.

"So… you want to know what it takes to be a queen of Marendelle?"

She nodded, "Hm-mm."

"It won't be easy, I'll tell you this much."

"I'm prepared as long as I have you by my side…"

"Same goes for me, Sweetie…" he grinned, "Follow me, and I'll teach you everything you need to know." he offered his hoof.

She giggled and took it. They started making their way around the castle and stopped at a line of portraits hanging on the wall of Marendelle's past rulers.

"…and here are my parents." he pointed to the last painting at the end of the line.

"Where are you?"

"I won't be up there until I have my coronation and a queen." he smirked at her. "Then it'll be us up there." he wrapped his hoof around her.

She blushed, and then he had them move on. They were in the library as Sweetie Belle sat at a table while Button was looking for something. He finally found it and staggered to carry a literally giant book! He set it on the table with a thump and said, "Here it is the history of Marendelle!"

She looked at it with wide eyes, "I have to read all of that?!"

He laughed, "Nah, just the important stuff." he flipped pages, "Here's a good place to start."

She kissed his cheek, "Thanks…"

"No, thank you… You're going all out just to show you can be the best queen you can be… Which you will be…" he smirked.

She smirked back, "Well, I'll have a king to help me out whenever something goes wrong…"

"You, my love, have a keen insight on things…"

"That's what your mother told me."

"And she's right. Wow…"

"What?"

"That's the first time I actually admitted my mom was right. I still don't like how she still has this contest going when there's no need for it anymore, especially since I've already made my choice about who my wife should be…"

"And you should, but we're doing this to convince her that I am good enough for you…"

"Am I good enough for you, Sweetie?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're forced to prove that you're better than the other princesses when I should be the one who has to prove myself…"

"Button, you don't have to prove anything… Since the day we met, I have seen the kind of prince you are. You don't need a title to show that you are a good pony. I would have loved you even without the crown or the status, because I don't need those… I had to embrace being a princess when I was adopted. I wasn't unhappy since I had a new family that would care for me, but being a princess in general wasn't something I needed. I don't want to be queen for the sake of being queen, but I just want to be your queen…"

They embraced for the longest time.

He pointed, "So, ready for your first queen lesson?"

With a look of determination, she replied, "Ready."

They started going over the book as Button was teaching.

The afternoon came and the fairly large group started playing on the beach. Featherweight had a DJ stand and was playing the music while Babs was helping him. Truffle was making hay burgers on a barbeque. Dinky and Twist with Snips and Snails were playing catch with a frisbee. The Canterlot sisters were splashing each other in the ocean. Their special someponies saw this and decided to join in for some fun. They dived deep into the water and swam underneath them. The girls suddenly felt a shift and were being lifted up.

"What the…? Guys!" Apple Bloom saw Pip holding her on his shoulders.

"Rumble! Put me down!" Scootaloo demanded.

"Why should I?" he smirked.

"Argh!" she wiggled out of his grip and they both splashed into the water. Once they resurfaced, she glared at him, "Okay, lover boy, how about another challenge?"

"Name it." he said with determination in his eyes.

"I challenge you…" she saw how the waves were forming, "…to a surfing contest!"

His eyes were wide for a bit before he grinned, "Oh, it is on…"

"Sure you can handle it? Because I have been whooping your hide ever since we came here."

"As much as you had a lucky streak going, everypony's is going to have to end somewhere."

"Oh, we'll see about that! Let's get some boards and do this!"

"But wait, don't we usually have stakes?"

"Hm… good point, but I know what they should be… Winner gets to have the choice of…" she whispers the rest in his ear and his eyes widened.

"Whoa, getting anxious are we?"

"It's your own fault, you know."

"Hey, you're just as much at blame, too."

"So, do we have a bet?"

"We have a bet." they hoof-bumped before getting out to find a couple of surf boards.

On the other side of the island back in his tavern hideout, Caballeron was fuming.

"That little…" he mumbled as he clutched to his mug.

The hench-ponies were hesitant to go near him until one said, "Uh, boss? You ok?"

Caballeron shot a look that scared his henchies, "Do I look all right?! That little crook did it to me again, tricking me with what I thought was the amulet! But it was nothing but a kumquat, and now I lost all chance of ever having the amulet!"

"Well, that's what you get for locking them in a sea cavern!" Trixie shouted with her eyes glowing red by the alicorn amulet.

"You do not speak back to me!"

She slightly chuckled, "Need I remind you that I hold the alicorn amulet and only I can tap into its source of power…?"

"You wouldn't have that amulet if it weren't for me! You will do well to remember that, Ms. Trixie…" he threatened.

"Well, I suppose, but I don't need you anymore to get by. As long as I have the amulet, you can't do anything to me!" she laughed.

"Nothing?" he smirked, "I wouldn't count on it…"

She stopped laughing and looked at him with confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten? Tsk, tsk. The only reason I recruited you to begin with was because you were using your performances for dirty deeds… Stealing from the audience…For shame…"

Trixie bit her lip and stammered, "I didn't know what else to do! I was brought up by a magician and his magic act and he stole from his audiences! It wasn't until I joined you that I was doing it all wrong!"

"But did I turn you over to the authorities when I found out your secret?"

She lowered her head, "No…"

"And who decided to take you in and look after you like a true friend?"

She sighed, "You did…"

"And you will do well to remember that…"

"Well, what else we can do? You said so yourself that the Amulet of Amethyst is gone because Rumble can't tell us where it is now."

"Yes, unfortunate as that is… Seems we best get back to our original plans of finding the treasure that's here on this island…"

"How, boss? The map was stolen, remember?"

"Indeed, but we will find it again for as long as it takes."

Just as Caballeron and his gang were plotting, the Flim Flam brothers walked in and ordered a couple of apple ciders.

"What rotten luck, eh, brother?" said Flim.

"Quite right, dear brother," said Flam, "So much for being rich beyond our wildest dreams."

"At least we knew now the map was real. Too bad that warning was real, as well."

Upon hearing the word 'map', Caballeron turned his ears over to hear the brothers' conversation.

"Alas, it was. Seems the young ones were right along, but they had managed to get a couple of bags full of gold. It seemed like it was no big deal and we could have gotten some of the treasure for ourselves."

Caballeron turned over to face them, "Did you say 'treasure'?"

After a long time going over events, Caballeron gave a small smile, "It's a shame I couldn't have met you boys sooner. We could have made some sort of agreement of splitting the treasure."

"You got that right, but you would have a tough time getting it, anyway. That's why we hired a pawn to do all the hard work and searching, but the treasure was protected with a trap that if you were too greedy, then you couldn't have any of it." Flim pointed out.

"Looks like we struck out again." said a hench-pony.

"Perhaps, but fortune smiled down upon us when the map was taken and that we didn't have to go through what they did."

"Does this mean we'll leave Marendelle?" ask Trixie.

"Since there is no need to be here anymore, we leave first thing in the morning."

"Mind if we join you?" said Flam.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"It'd be best we skip town since we ran into a princess and her escort… and we don't want to take any chances of running into them again."

"I see… this wouldn't happen to be the pawn and the girl that came to you to get the map, would it?"

They nervously chuckled and Flam said, "Something like that…"

"You seem to be shrewd businessmen like myself, so why not?"

"Oh, thank you! Oh, thank you!" they both cheered and shook his hoof.

"Remember, we leave first thing in the morning. Be on time."

"Right! Let's go, brother. We have lots of merchandise to pack!" said Flim.

"You got it, brother!" They trotted out of there.

"In the meantime, we'll get supplies for our trip back to the mainland. Trixie, you are with me."

"Yes, sir…"

They started walking around the village when Trixie froze.

"What is it?"

She dived into a bush and Caballeron rolled his eyes to join her, "What do you think you are doing?"

"They… they've come back to haunt me!"

"What are you muttering about?!"

"It's them! They've come back as ghosts to haunt me for getting rid of them!"

"What?!" he turned his head to see what Trixie was getting at, but his eyes widened and he gave an evil grin, "Well… Well… What do you know…?"

Rumble and Scootaloo were laughing as they came out of a sports equipment store and carried two surf boards.

"Race you back to the beach!" he said and flew off.

"Hey, no fair! You know I can't fly as fast as you!" she flew after him.

Caballeron slowly came out of the bush and chuckled, "Oh, this is a most fortunate turn of events…" He turned back to see Trixie was shaking, "Get a hold of yourself! They're not ghosts!"

"What…? They're alive…?"

"For now… Once I get the amulet for good, then they'll go back to being ghosts…"

"Caballeron…"

He glared at her.

"Doctor… why do we have to get rid of them? They're just kids!"

"Alas, my dear Trixie, they know too much and that's why they have to go. Come, we shall see where they are going and then we will decide on what to do with them." He went on while she moped behind.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were in Tiara's guest room.

"Do you think this next test is the last one?" Silver said.

"It better be. I'm getting tired of proving I am the best. The queen should have just declared me the winner from the first test since she was impressed by my answer." Suddenly she heard noises coming from outside, "What is that hideous racket?" She went to her balcony and saw from a far distance a party going on at the beach.

"What do you think it is?" her cousin questioned.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," she went out of the room.

Back on the beach, Apple Bloom and Pip were laying on beach towels.

"Need some suntan lotion, love?" Pip asked, holding a bottle of lotion.

"Thanks. I burn easily."

"Me, too. After I'm done, you can do me."

"Deal." she beamed as he started rubbing on her back.

Nearby, Button and Sweetie were building a sandcastle.

"The towers need to go higher." Sweetie pointed.

"Good thinking. The crown jewels inside need all the security they can get!"

They laughed as they continued to build.

On the ocean, Rumble and Scoots were riding the waves.

"Whoever stays on their board the longest wins!" Rumble shouted out.

"Got it!" she shouted back and concentrated on keeping her balance, which was hard to do. She had managed a skateboard on dry land. However, the water around her was constantly in motion, making her wobble a little.

They kept surfing for bit until Scootaloo couldn't control her board anymore and fell off.

Rumble rode on his board as Scoots resurfaced and spit the water up. She looked up to him to see he was smirking. She sighed, "Okay, you got this one."

He chuckled as he lifted her up and set her next to him, "Yes… I do…" they leaned in for a kiss.

Apple Bloom saw them and shouted to them, "Hey, lovebirds! Get a room!"

They turned to her and Rumble said to Scoots, "You know… that's not a bad idea…"

She stopped him, "Ah, ah, ah! Later…"

"Right…" he gave a small smile.

Truffle called out, "Burgers are ready! Come and get it!"

The group rushed in to pick a burger and a comfortable spot to eat.

"Mmm!" Button finished chewing, "You've outdone yourself, Truffle!"

Truffle blushed, "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without Twist's special sauce. She really knows how to mix ingredients…" he gave her a loving glance.

It was her turn to blush, "Oh, it's nothing… we had to do something while you were at the resort."

They chattered for a while until Dinky asked, "Hey, anybody up for a game of volleyball afterwards?"

"Great idea! We can have boys versus girls!" said Featherweight.

"Yeah!" both Snips and Snails cheered.

"Hey, wait!" gestured Babs, "There's, like, more boys than girls."

"So? We'll just try our hardest and prove that numbers don't win a battle!" said Scootaloo.

"Yeah!" cheered Apple Bloom.

"Alright, then, let's win this thing!" Babs had her hoof up and the girls put their hooves together. The guys were doing the same.

"Go team!" both teams cheered as they headed to the net.

Featherweight started off as the server and the game began. While they were playing, Dr. Caballeron and Trixie, both hidden from the players, were conversing.

"So… from what I can tell… those girls with the girl that Rumble is with are friends of sorts…" said Caballeron.

"And he certainly has been reaching high places since we last saw him."

"How so?"

"See that colt next to him with the dark tan coat?"

"Yes?"

"He's the prince of Marendelle."

"Really…? Well, this is interesting… Why would Rumble be highnobbing with royalty?"

Trixie shrugged.

"Unless, of course, his marefriend has anything to do with it."

"Makes sense, since we don't know anything about her other than Rumble found her or she found him… I can't remember."

"Well, whichever it is, he's got a ticket to a good life while we're forced to make it on our own and-"

"What are you doing here?" a voice demanded.

They turned to see a pink mare with a long purple and white mane and dressed in regal gown.

Caballeron started as he made a gentlecolt bow, "My apologies, miss…"

"That's princess to you."

"Princess, eh?"

"I am Princess Diamond Tiara, and you will address me as such. I am here by personal invitation of the king and queen of Marendelle." she kept her head high.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for not seeing your regal splendor sooner for I am not from here. I don't have the pleasure of meeting beautiful princesses such as you. Tell me: are you the prince's betrothed?"

"Ha! I should be, but the queen wanted to test other princesses from across Equestria to make sure if any will be the perfect queen for her son."

"And have you passed the tests?"

"So far, but I've yet to pass the last one and I don't know when the queen will give it."

"Aw…" Caballeron tsked, "Such a waste of time, if you ask me…"

"You're telling me! We even have these pretend princesses and one of them has passed the tests like I have!"

"Pretend princesses?"

"They were really adopted into a royal family… They don't deserve to be here and try to earn a queen's spot. It's a disgrace and an embarrassment to those who inherited their birthright of being royalty like me."

"I'm sure…" Caballeron wickedly grinned, "And you're absolutely right. You are every inch a princess and deserve to be queen, maybe even empress."

Diamond smirked, "Of course…"

"My dear princess, I'm curious, but… those wouldn't happen to be the pretend princesses, are they?" he pointed down to the volleyball game going on.

Diamond looked and her eyes slit, "That's them, alright, and the one with the white coat is the one who's passed all the tests so far, too. How I would love to see her fail so I would win…"

"Your Highness, it would seem that our meeting is just what we both needed…"

Diamond raised her brow, "What are you saying?"

"Princess, I need of your assistance…"

She chuckled out of spite, "And why should I help you? What would you give me in return?"

Caballeron smiled and uttered the words, "To be the prince's bride…"

This actually intrigued her and she said, "Keep talking."

The volleyball game was just over when the girls scored the winning point. The girls cheered and huddled in a huge group squealing. The boys slumped to the ground in defeat and rested from overworking.

"Dudes," said Rumble, "did we just get beat by a bunch of girls?"

"Yeah," said Pip, "but cute girls…"

They muttered in agreement.

The girls came back over and offered good sportsmanship. Then they went to sit on the beach in the embrace of their special some ponies. Dinky, Snips, and Snails went back to the castle to leave the sweethearts alone to watch the setting sun lowering on the horizon of the ocean.

"We better head back soon." said Featherweight.

"I wish we could stay here forever." said Babs.

The other girls nodded or made small agreements.

"Unfortunately, my parents will want to know why I was late for dinner if I don't get going…" Button got up as he kept glancing at Sweetie Belle.

"Go…" she nodded.

He whispered in her ear, "After the contest, everything will change and we will have all the time in the world…"

"I can't wait…" she beamed.

He kissed her hoof and slowly went.

Diamond Tiara saw the whole thing and was boiling red, "That… That… little sneak! Stealing her way into the prince's heart and try to secure the role of queen even if she does fails the next test!"

"My, my, what a conniving plan. I couldn't have done it better myself." Caballeron gestured.

Trixie, however, wasn't convinced. She saw the way the girl was looking at the prince just as he was looking at her. To her, it really did seem like it was love…

"Okay, what do I have to do to keep that little faker off the throne?"

"Just leave it all up to me, but first, we must see if you can win all the tests, then you won't have anything to worry about."

"Yes… I will win, because I am a true princess while she's nothing more than a commoner…"

"Precisely. But if she does win, then come straight to me and we will both get what we deserve…"

She nodded, "Fine." She started to go, "Here's to hoping I never have to see you again…" She trotted back to the castle.

Author's Note

A Be-lated birthday present to myself since I was out of town the day before.

Chapter 23

Rarity and Fluttershy were meeting in Rarity's apartment for their end-of-the-week tea party.

"Fancy should be here soon." said Rarity.

"Discord, too. He's just finishing to feed the animals and you know hard it is to convince Angel to eat anything."

"Opal is the same way." she looked down to the cat next to them, "Isn't that right, Opal-wopel?"

Opal hissed at her.

"Goodness! What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.

"She's just cranky because Dignity pulled on her tail this morning."

"Where is the sweetie?"

"With the nurse, so we can enjoy this time together without interruption."

"Oh." her eyes widened.

"Are you alright?"

"Sorry, the baby kicked."

"Don't be. I remember when I was pregnant with Dignity. He was quite the kicker."

"Only one more month…" Fluttershy rubbed her stomach.

"You're lucky. I have wait a while." Rarity looked at her small bump.

Fluttershy giggled.

"As I told Sweetie Belle, I'm only a few months in. Speaking of which… do you know if she's called on the magic mirror?"

"No, we haven't heard anything from the girls."

"I haven't heard or seen them since the night of the talent show. I do hope everything is going alright…"

"Me, too…"

"Luckily, Applejack and Rainbow Dash haven't spilled the beans yet or we would have received a scolding from Twilight right about now."

"I still don't like hiding this from her or Pinkie…"

"You know Pinkie would have been worse than Applejack when it comes to blabbing the truth out. Remember…?"

A flashback happened of when the sisters confronted their mother about where they have been for the day.

Celestia turned from her grief and gave out a cry of joy, "Girls? Oh, thank heavens!" She ran up to them and gave each a precious hug and kiss on the forehead. Suddenly, her expression soured and she demanded, "Where have you been?!"

"Um…" Twilight rubbed her hoof, "About that… we were… we were…"

"You were what?"

The girls had cringed faces, not sure how to answer.

"You were what?!" she repeated, "Girls, tell me!"

Pinkie gulped, blurting out, "We were in Pony-Ville!" She quickly covered her mouth and hid behind Rainbow who glared at her.

"Pony-Ville? Pony-Ville?! Girls, do you realize how dangerous that could have been?!"

"But Mother, that place was simply divine!" protested Rarity.

"Yeah, nothin' happened there!" proclaimed Applejack.

Pinkie babbled on, "Yeah, it wasn't until we went into the Everfree Forest that we found a scary-looking castle and fainted at the sight of it!"

"PINKIE!" her sisters screamed at her.

"Oopsie…" she shrunk down.

Rarity shook her head.

Fluttershy said, "That may be so, but we could have made her Pinkie Promise that would have guaranteed she wouldn't say anything."

"True… but this is a small matter and Sweetie Belle has been handling the tests very well and has no need for our help. I am so proud of her."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

Rarity sighed, "You know, seeing Sweetie Belle dancing with the prince at the ball reminds of when Fancy and I were falling in love…"

Another flashback happened and it's a montage of Rarity being with Fancy back at Canterlot castle.

"Well, I… I figured in a time like now, you would want me to…"

"Never! Never in a million years! I want you to use my name, because I feel I can be myself around you… and you can be yourself around me…" she had big sapphire eyes when telling him this.

"Rarity…" he whispered.

"Don't worry," Rarity wrapped her arm around Fancy, "I won't let him touch a hair on your head, cousin or no. That was such a wonderful thing you have done… I don't know how to thank you…"

"You don't have to thank me. I can take other ponies' insults about me, but that was downright disgraceful of what he tried to say to you. You are, in fact, quite the opposite of what he said. You are very fashionable and you're certainly not attractive, but very beautiful…"

She put her hoof to her heart, going in awe.

"And you are anything but nasty… you have a generous soul that does you well…"

"Fancy… I…"

"Nonsense! I can tell you are very good! You should pursue this talent!"

"That's very kind of you," he smiled, "but I like serving the royal family, mainly… to serve…" he stopped and turned his head away.

"To serve… who?" she raised her eyebrow.

He turned back and whispered, "You…"

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yes…" he sighed as he couldn't hide it anymore, "Rarity, seeing you every day always makes me happy… You always treat me as I was equal, even if you're a princess and I'm…a lowly butler."

"You are nothing of the sort!" she protested.

"Let me finish. I know you have feelings for me as I have feelings for you…"

She gasped, "You… you do?" her eyes filled with tears of joy.

"Yes… It pained me to tell you we couldn't be together. How could we? You are to marry any day. At this point, what hope do I have of being with you…?" he lowered his head after he had finished.

"Oh, Fancy…" she lifted his chin, "If there's any pony I'm going to marry, it'll be you…"

"What…?"

"Let me explain: my sisters and I have a secret plan of making sure suitors leave us alone so we can marry whoever we want… So… Fancy Pants, if you'll have me, will you be my very special some pony?"

He smirked, "I think this will answer that…" he started playing a different song on the piano and started singing…

Fluttershy sighed as well, "I know what you mean… It was like when Discord and I were on the verge of discovering we were in love all along…"

A montage of Fluttershy and Discord's moments appeared.

"…There's music in the tree-tops and music in the air… All around us music fills the sky!" she vocalized. As she did, a long figure moved from shrub and bush watching her sing. "There's music by the river and there's music in the grass! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!"

Just then, an off-key voice sang while something held her arms, "There's music in the tree-tops and music in the air!"

The animals complained and covered their ears while Angel threw an acorn at the bad voice.

"Ow! Hey!"

She gasped and turned to face a creature with mismatched animal body parts, having horns and red and yellow eyes, but her face soon softened and smiled, "Discord!" She ran into his arms for a hug.

"My dear Fluttershy…" he had her look up to him.

"Discord?" Fluttershy went around the gardens, knowing he wouldn't be here, but it was worth a try, "Discord?! Oh, please… I am sorry about what I said before! So if you can hear me, I really need you now!" When no answer came, she deeply sighed and starting going back into the castle with her head held low until she felt a bump. She looked up and saw him.

He smiled at her, "My dear, that was all you had to say, but you know I'll always come when you call." He moved his paw though her soft pink mane, causing her to slightly blush. Luckily, since it was nighttime now, he didn't see it.

"Listen, the girls and I agree. We want our right to marry whoever we wish. So, thank you for trying to make me see that sooner. Somehow, you must have put the idea in my head."

"Guilty as charged." he chuckled.

"And we could use your help!"

His eyes widened in surprise, "You mean… you girls need my help?"

"Yes… With your magic, I'm sure we can get rid of these suitors out of our lives."

His heart started pounding with joy. Already, he was thinking up mischievous schemes for the colts to take a hike and to stay away from his Fluttershy. It seemed he had a chance with her after all, so he picked her up and began twirling her around.

She said between giggles, "Discord… Discord… wha… what are you doing?" She was laughing away now with that adorable laugh he loved so much.

He declared, "That you are the sweetest mare there is for thinking about me! I will gladly help out with this little suitor problem you're all having." he gently set her back down.

"Really? Oh, thank you!" she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug.

Feeling touched by it, he wrapped his arms around her, too, not wanting to let go.

"Discord?"

"Yes, my dear Fluttershy?" he had her facing him.

"I can't ask you to put your life on the line for us."

"What?"

"I was inconsiderate to forget what would happen if you got caught…"

"Oh," he scoffed, "Like anyone could catch me. You have nothing to worry about…" he patted her head.

"I'm serious!" she moved away from him, "My parents caught you once, didn't they?! So it could happen again!"

"That was a fluke, I assure you!" he mumbled, "How Celestia did it, I don't know…"

"I was selfish to think about myself when I should have been thinking about you! I don't want to lose you!"

His eyes widened to her statement, "What…?"

"I can't lose you… not now… not ever…" she nuzzled her head under his chin.

He was agape of how this was happening, he finally had her… His one true love. He had her facing him once more, "Now you listen to me, Fluttershy: I rather be stone again than to lose you… Without you, I would be in stone still… but if something were to happen to you, I would gladly give up my life to be a statue… For I cannot live without you…

The words echoed in her head as she went back to conversing.

Rarity pointed out, "Ah, young love… That was a magical moment for us… even though we were forced to marry other princes at the time."

"But that didn't stop us."

"No, it didn't…"

Once more, a flashback happened of when the girls took the boys to the underground kingdom.

The boat began moving as they took in the sights surrounding the gold and silver castle. Once they reached the castle doors, they opened and the guys were astounded by the bright golden ballroom much like when the girls first came to the place.

Rarity had thought out loud, "You know for such a formal occasion like this, we should all be properly attired!" she squealed as she said, "I wish for all the guys to wear black tuxedos!"

"Excuse me?!" Discord exclaimed and the next thing he knew, he was wearing a tux. He was about to snap it off when Fluttershy's sweet voice said.

"Oh… Discord… you look so handsome…"

He looked at her in surprise, "You… you think so?"

"You do…" her cheeks went pink.

He then conjured up a hand mirror, "Yes, I suppose I do look good, don't I?"

She giggled.

Fancy told Rarity, "I say, Rarity, this is quite nice."

"I was hoping you would like it and you do look so good in it!"

Rainbow told her coltfriend, "I hope you don't mind my sister's need to fashion everything…"

"That's okay. When you're a Wonderbolt, you get used to dressing up when making an appearance at someplace important."

Pinkie kept bouncing up and down, "Oh, Cheesy! You look so great!"

"I do my best." he smiled at her.

"Now, don't you look all gussied up?" Applejack told Spike.

"Think I look okay?"

"More than okay… you're fine-looking…"

"Aw, thanks…" he rubbed his neck.

Twilight nearly gawked at the sight of Flash, "Flash… wow, I almost didn't recognize you…"

He slightly blushed, "You're just saying that…"

"No… I'm not…" she stared at him and he returned the stare until Rarity announced out.

"Now it is our turn, girls! I wish that we would all wear gowns that make us look gorgeous and that they match our personalities!"

The flowers obeyed and in a magical dust storm, all six of them began glowing so bright that the guys had to avert their eyes. When the glow had died down, Spike shouted out, "Whoa! You all look…"

"Amazing…" all the guys said.

The princesses looked at each other's gowns in awe.

"Rarity, you look so lovely…" Fluttershy said, admiring her sister's magenta jeweled dress.

"So do you!" She looked at Fluttershy's simple nature-designed gown.

"I can get used to this!" Applejack looked at the saddle green dress she was wearing.

"I guess this is pretty cool." Rainbow noticed the cloud-like gown that had rainbows on it.

"Mine looks good enough to eat!" Pinkie jumped in her pink dress with candy corn and lollipop designs on it.

"It is pretty…" Twilight twirled in the blue gown with white stars she was wearing.

"Why, they could be our gowns for the Grand Galloping Gala that's coming up!" declared Rarity.

"That would be nice, but I don't think they're going to stay like this all night." pointed Twilight.

"So let's make use of them and part-ay!" Pinkie grabbed Cheese as her dancing partner and shouted out, "I wish for all the music that you got!"

Once again, the instruments showed up and created the music for them to dance to.

"Shall we, my lady?" Discord bowed to Fluttershy and offered his arm.

She tittered and accepted as he moved her to a nice waltz.

One by one, the princesses were asked by the boys they liked to dance with them and the ballroom was filled with dancing ponies.

"Now it's the girls' turn." Fluttershy gestured.

"Sweetie Belle is on her way to be the prince of Marendelle's lover. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, though… I'm not sure if they have found special some ponies, too. I know Apple Bloom wanted one, but Scootaloo said she was going to stay single."

"I think it would be wonderful if she got married, then she wouldn't have to feel lonely."

"Darling, if that girl ever does get married, it will be when Rainbow gets a hooficure!"

Suddenly, they heard a shout, "DISCORD!"

They went to look out of the room and saw Rainbow getting chased by a hoof file.

"Oh, come now, Dashie! Those hooves need a good shine!"

"No way! I don't like any pony touching my hooves!"

"Well, technically, I'm not even touching them, am I?!"

"Discord!"

He turned to see his wife and gave a cheesy grin and small wave, "Oh, hi, honey… Am I late for tea?"

"Fortunately for you, you're on time, since we're still waiting for Fancy." said Rarity.

"But I would like to know is why you're chasing Rainbow Dash with a hoof file?!" Fluttershy demanded.

"What hoof file?" he innocently said.

"This one!" Rainbow threw the file in front of him.

"Oh! That!" he slightly chuckled, "Well, I saw how Dash's hooves were muddy from patrolling the Everfree today, so I thought I'd help her out by shining her hooves up!"

"Then he sent this flying sharpener out at me!"

Fluttershy shook her head, "What am I going to do with you…?"

Discord coiled his tail around her, "Well, you could always love me for all eternity…"

"And so I will, but you're going to apologize to Rainbow Dash first or else you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

Rainbow snickered.

"Oh, fine… but I bet Rainbow never does this to Soarin'…"

"Maybe not," said RD, "but he's had his share of heartbreak and tough love…"

She recollected her moments with Soarin', the good and bad.

Rainbow had eventually gone outside to do some cloud busting to keep her distracted from her thoughts of suitors and marriage. She was so into it that she didn't noticed a light blue pegasus stallion heading her way and kicked her hind legs to the clouds, nearly hitting him.

"Whoa!" he dodged.

She heard him and turned to see her favorite Wonderbolt, "Oops… sorry Soarin'…" she gave a cheesy grin.

"Had I known you were angry, I would have just come back the next day or next month." he joked.

"Heh, you goof-ball… but a very wise decision, nevertheless… If you were one of those pompous princes or a snobby regent, they would be flying though the air even they didn't have wings!"

He gave a slight laugh, "I believe it…" he grinned.

Suddenly, she let out all of the emotions that she bottled inside her, "Just why?! Why did this have to happen now?! We were happy! I was happy! Then she had to go and ruin it by saying we have to get married!" she crossed her arms.

"You… You weren't planning on getting married, at all?" he questioned.

"I didn't say that. I would like to get married someday… but not right now, and not with some pony I don't even know!"

"I hear ya. Just… why is the Queen enforcing the marriage law on you guys?"

"She claims she's doing this for our benefit and making sure we're taken care of… What bunch of baloney!"

"Yeah… right…" he hesitantly said. It never occurred to Soarin' that he might not be able to support a princess. As a Wonderbolt, sure he had enough to get himself by, but for a princess who had everything in her life, how could he fulfill that? He couldn't ask her to give that all up for him, being the awesome princess she was.

"Yoo-hoo." she waved her hoof in front of him, "Earth to Soarin!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry…" he rubbed his neck, "Listen Dash, uh, I mean, Princess…"

"Princess? But you never-"

"Perhaps it's time I do… Seeing how we won't be able to see each other again…" he solemnly bowed his head and started flying away.

Rainbow was flabbergasted to what she just witnessed, "What…? Soarin'! Soarin'!" she called out to him, but he just flew out of sight, leaving a trail of dark smoke, his signature Wonderbolt mark.

"It's… great seeing you again…"

"Is it? Because I recall… That you broke up with me!" She yelled into his face, causing him to wince.

"Broke… broke up? But we weren't dating!"

"Yeah, well, we might as well have been! You broke my heart!" She turned away from him.

"Dash…" he reached out his hoof.

"Oh, so now it's Dash? Not 'Princess' or 'Your Highness'?!"

"Do-do you want me to-"

"No! I rather you call me by my name, like you always did!"

"But then why-"

"Because the last time we were talking, you said we wouldn't be able to see each other again! Well, I proved you wrong, didn't I?!"

"Not really!" he finally had the chance to yell back, "You came here with other guy! How is that seeing each other?!"

"Blueblood was an excuse for me to get out of the palace while I was…" She made air quotes with her hooves, "hanging out with him. My original plan was for me and Scootaloo to show off our jousting skills to him and then try to convince him to joust with him to see if he was made of hard stuff."

"I don't think he is, so why…?"

"For two reasons. One is to get him out of the castle so none of us becomes his bride and two. He hurt Rarity by being a… grrgh, he's got me so mad I can't even say it."

"So this is also payback… whoa… Sure am glad I stay on your good side. Uh, I am still on your good side, after what happened…?"

"I've gotten over it, but I'm still pretty ticked you would leave me like that. I suppose you've been flying hard to keep your mind off that day."

"Actually… I haven't been flying, not since I told you we shouldn't see each other again… I couldn't fly until Fleetfoot told me she saw you here, and I lifted myself off the ground just to see you…" he did a bashful blush and turned away so she wouldn't see his cheeks.

Her mouth was wide open from bafflement until she scowled and scolded at him, "Let me get this straight: you couldn't fly because of me? Of all the… Soarin'! I refuse to be held responsible for a Wonderbolt not being able to do their job of being the greatest flyers in Equestria! If you cared that much about me, then you should have say so! Or better yet, to never say those words to me about us never seeing each other again!" her face softened, "Now, you tell me that you care and I will say the same thing…"

He lifted his head in surprise, his eyes filled with hope, "You… you do?"

"Nah-ah. You won't get anything out of me until you say what you have to say."

"Alright… since you really want to know…" he smiled, "You're awesome. You're this amazing flyer that I don't think I could ever keep up to… You may be a princess, but you sure don't act like it and I don't have a problem with that… And, I'm afraid to tell you this, for fear you might give me a black eye, but here it goes…you're the most beautiful mare I've ever laid eyes on… I know that's cheesy, but that's the way I see you…" he lowered his head to avoid her gaze of how she'll react.

Suddenly, he felt his head being quickly lifted and could see his lips touching with hers. He slowly closed his eyes to the bliss. After what seemed like a while, they finally broke away and gave each other loving glances.

"Now it's my turn…" she told him while smiling, "Soarin', you're the first colt friend I have ever made… I never liked any boys until I met you… You may think you can't keep up with me, but you're wrong. You're the only guy who can keep up with me… and that's what I like about you… by the way, as cheesy as that was about me being beautiful, you're not so bad yourself…" she swished her tail on his face.

"I see your point." Discord said.

Fluttershy clear her throat, reminding him what he still had to do.

"Oh, right… Rainbow Dash… I'm… s-s-s…"

"What's that? I can't quite hear you." RD egged him on.

"S-s-sorry! I-am-sorry! There… I said it…" he crossed his arms, but he uncrossed them when his wife kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, dear…"

"Only for you…" he beamed.

Rarity grunted, "Where is Applejack? She promised she would make some fritters for us!"

"Hold your horses, girl, I'm here…" AJ came up with a cart of apple fritters.

"Thank goodness!" Rarity took the cart in.

"Applejack, where's Spike?" Fluttershy asked.

"Cleaning up after we made the fritters together."

"Is this the first time you guys made something together?"

"Heavens to Betsy, no! We've done several things together even before we got married…"

A montage happened of when Applejack and Spike were together.

AJ folded over the next flattened piece of dough. She kept humming until a voice said.

"Now what's going on here?" Spike was by the door, "I thought you would still be upset?"

"There's no reason for me to be upset anymore…" Then, she moved him closer so Apple Bloom wouldn't hear them or the rest of the kitchen staff, "Not when we got a plan to getting those suitors to leave on their own before one of us is chosen."

"Really?!" he nearly shouted out until she shushed him. He noticed a very interesting thing as he was standing close to her. He could smell apples off of her and how her emerald eyes were shining and her soft blond mane was touching his scales; it felt good. He had the urge to run his claws through that soft mane. But why would he think that when he was interested in Rarity?

AJ was having troubles with her own feelings of Spike being so close to her. She had to fight off the fact she wanted to wrap her hooves around him and give a great big hug just to see how he would feel against her body. His green eyes looked like they were staring straight into her soul. His scales looked smooth and rough, but she bet that with one touch, they would be soft and even.

AJ was about to return to the kitchen counter until Spike stopped her by pointing out, "Wait, Applejack, let me tell them. It is, after all, my job to deliver messages between the royal family."

"That's sweet, but I don't want you to overwork…"

"Overwork? Overwork?!" he practically shouted, "I'm anything but overworked! I haven't even started on my duties for today because you haven't given me anything to do yet!"

"Spike, please, it's not nec-"

"No! I'm going to do it and you will not stop me!" He was about to stomp out.

AJ was flabbergasted until she had a look of anger and shouted, "Oh, yes, I can! I order you to stay put!" Then she gasped and covered her mouth while Spike stopped dead in his tracks. Realizing what she done, she had never used her royal status on any servant before, but to use it on a servant that was more of a dear friend to her and her sisters since they were little was alarming.

He slowly turned back to her and she saw the shock in his eyes as if thinking the same thing she was.

"Spike… I… I… I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Just why…?" he nearly whispered with his green eyes growing big.

"I…" she slumped down, daring not to look at him, "I don't want to see you working so hard when you hardly get anything in return… All those years I've seen you do things for Rarity for you not to get anything in return… I don't want you thinking you have to do stuff for me if I can't return anything to you…"

"AJ…"

"And that's why I can't let you work for me. It'll be much more work than what you're used to and I don't want you to get hurt-"

"AJ." he lifted her chin, which surprised her to see him so close to her and smiling at her, "You don't have to return anything… I did that stuff for Rarity because I wanted to. And I want to do stuff for you now for that same reason… and honestly, I don't care how hard it'll be. Just as long as we do it together, I'm sure we'll make it much easier…"

"You're… you're sure about that…?"

"Positive." he smirked.

A smile grew on her face and then, with a determined look, AJ said, "Then move your tail. We got pancakes to make!"

He saluted and exclaimed, "Aye-aye!" That caused both of them to laugh.

Meanwhile, the ponies and Nightmares were still fighting out to win. The unicorns were blasting as much as they could. The earth ponies were using their hind legs to kick away the figures. The pegasi were flying above to use an aerial strike. Spike was trying his best from kicking to using other items to keep them away. Suddenly, something caught his eye when he saw a Nightmare about to hurt Applejack!

"AJ! LOOK OUT!" he moved between the Nightmare and Applejack and with all his might, he pushed her away. However, he was struck with the heavy blow instead and crashed up to the ceiling, causing a piece of it to crack and fall down with him before landing on top of him.

Applejack saw the whole thing and screamed, "SPIKE! NO!"

Her cries were heard throughout the hall as the fight stopped and their friends looked on in horror.

Applejack kicked the rubble away and took hold of the dragon in her arms, spilling tears while blubbering, "Spike… of all the noble things to do… Why did you go and do a stupid thing like that?!"

"Because…" he coughed, "Ponies… do… crazy things, for the ones they… love…" he smiled weakly at her.

She started breathing heavily as she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You… you love me?"

"I do… I think… I always have…" he coughed severely.

Applejack was crying harder and moaned, "No, Spike… No…"

He took hold of her hoof, "I'm sorry… Applejack… I… tried… I love you…" He took a final breath before closing his eyes, becoming lifeless in her arms.

"Spike… No… Spike…" Her heart was breaking in half and her voice had broken from sobbing. "No! No!" she kept bawling onto him.

Everyone else was crying as well and standing in mourning as lovers clung onto each other.

Discord and Fluttershy finally made it back, only to see the heartbreaking scene before them.

"Oh, no… Spike!" Fluttershy cried out.

"No…" Discord whispered.

The others turned back to them with glistening eyes, unable to say anything. They lost a friend today: a noble creature who was always willing to help others out and who was always there for them…

"He's not… he can't be…" Discord couldn't believe it.

Twilight could only solemnly nod her head to give the answer.

His eyes grew big as he looked at the dragon, "Oh, Spike… if only there were some way-" Then he realized, "The bottle…"

Applejack looked up to him, "What?"

"The bottle!" he took out the vial that Luna gave him, "Applejack! Give this to him, quick!" He handed it over to her.

"But why? What does it-"

"Just give it to him now!"

She quickly opened the cork and poured the water into his mouth. Once it was all gone, she was silently praying, "Please… Please… come back to me… I never had the chance to tell you… that… I love you, too…"

There was silence for the longest time, and just when they thought it didn't work after all, there was a huge gasp for air and he coughed out his fire.

"Spike!" they all cheered.

"Whoa… it was so dark… but then… I heard a voice…" he looked to Applejack, "Your voice. Was it true?"

She beamed at him and said, "Yes… I do love you… I always have…" She pressed her lips to his and they kissed for a long period of time while the others applauded to them.

Tears were glistening in Applejack's eyes.

"Ah, AJ? You okay there?" Rainbow questioned as she, Fluttershy, and Discord were looking at her in confusion.

"Uh? Oh, sorry…" she wiped her eyes, "I was just thinking about how close we were to losing Spike that day…"

The three of them exchanged glances and gave small smiles while nodding.

"Discord, if you hadn't… I can't thank you enough…" Applejack looked up to him with big eyes.

Discord just waved it off, "Don't thank me. Thank your aunt. She's the one who gave me the vial. I merely assisted by handing it over."

"Still…" she went over to hug him, "It was the best thing any pony could have done…"

Discord blushed red at how embarrassing it was to receive hugs other than from his wife.

A thought then occurred to Applejack, "Have you heard anything from Apple Bloom or Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?"

He stepped back and shook his head, "'Fraid not… They haven't used the magic mirror to call me or to see what the rest of you are doing."

AJ sighed, "Well, then, I'll just head back to give Spike a hoof. See you guys at dinner tonight."

"Oh, right…" Rainbow groaned, "The dinner party we have every weekend mainly because Twilight just wants to celebrate what good job we did with our royal duties for the week."

"Oh, but they're so fun." said Fluttershy.

"If you say so…" RD shrugged, "Well, I got to get going and play with Whirl Wind before getting ready for tonight. See ya." she waved and flew off.

Fancy Pants walked up then while magically carrying a tea pot, "So terribly sorry that I'm late, but I was selecting the proper tea set for our afternoon tea."

"Think nothing of it, old boy!" Discord popped on waiter wear, "This way, my good stallion."

Fancy rolled his eyes, knowing that his brother-in-law was making fun of him of when he was a butler in the Canterlot castle serving the royal family before marrying his princess and becoming a prince himself.

The four of them took a seat at a small clothed table and Discord changed from his waiter outfit to a classy blue outfit and had a monocle. Fancy set the tea pot in the middle of the table and Rarity set down the fritters.

Fluttershy took the sugar bowl and asked her husband, "Sugar, dear?"

"Oh, if you don't mind, I would like a whole cup full."

"Alright, but just one cup." she dumped the sugar in his cup and it was a pile.

"That's one cup?!" Rarity exclaimed.

"It is for Discord." Fancy pointed out.

"Besides…" a voice said, and out popped Pinkie from the tea pot, "You can never have enough sugar!"

"Pinkie!" the sisters shouted.

"What in the wide world of Equestria were you doing in there?!" Rarity demanded.

"Oh, I saw Fancy picking out a tea pot, and I thought, 'Gee, what fun!' So I went into the pot and went along for the ride!"

"Pinkie Pie… as much as I encourage chaos of any sort, but the way you do things is too much even for me!" gestured Discord.

"It's a good thing Cheese is the only one who can keep up with you…" said Fluttershy.

Pinkie sighed dreamily, "Yes… my Cheesy… He's always there when I need him…"

Another flashback montage happened, showing Pinkie and Cheese's moments.

"Oh, Cheese!" she sobbed to embrace him, blowing into his shirt, "It's awful! Just awful!"

"I know…" he whispered over her shoulder and patted her back.

"I don't want to get married!"

His eyes widened, "You don't… want…"

"I want to marry the colt I love!"

Relief washed over him, "For a second there, I thought you didn't want to get married at all."

"No way, silly! When I do marry, it'll be for love!"

"I thought so…" he smiled, and then reached into the basket he had, "Hey, look who I brought?" he held out a rubber chicken.

Her hair immediately poofed up at the sight of him, "Boneless!" She took the chicken and squeezed it into a hug.

Boneless was Cheese's companion in the shop and whenever Pinkie came by to pick up supplies, she and him would always play with the chicken.

"And he's yours to keep in a time like this…"

"Oh, Cheese… really?" he questioned him with her big blue eyes, knowing he would rarely part with Boneless.

"Really… You need him… You need…" he wanted to say 'me', but quickly went through the basket and took out a rubber duck, frog, ball, and a few other things that were made of rubber, "his pals!"

"Cheesy, you are the best!" She hugged him again.

"Oh, Pinkie…" he sighed and took off the glasses as she had asked, "I figured with you having to get married, I didn't have the heart to have fun anymore… So I thought it would be a good idea for me to move onto a new business to keep my mind off of you…"

"What?!" her hair slightly deflated, "But… don't you like me anymore?"

"Yes! No! Of course I do like you! I just… don't have any fun without you… You always brighten up any pony's day. You brighten… my day… Knowing I was going to lose you, I didn't know what else to do…" he stared at her with pleading eyes.

"Cheese…" she had near tears of joy as she got closer to him and nuzzled his head, surprising him as she kissed his cheek, "You know what I feel about you?"

"No… what do you feel about me?" he asked curiously.

She gave him a one moment gesture and zipped out, only to bring back a pony named Octavia who had a cello. She whispered a request and Octavia started playing just as Pinkie started singing.

"Hmm… Um…" Pinkie looked over the glass and pressed her face to it, "Everything looks so super yummy that I can't chose!"

"What about the chocolate cupcake? That looks good enough to eat." Cheese pointed out.

"Hm, that would go well with a chocolate chip cookie!"

"Or chocolate cake?!"

"Chocolate pudding!"

"Chocolate fudge!"

"Chocolate shake!"

"Chocolate truffles!"

"Chocolate muffins!"

"Chocolate sticks!"

They kept blathering on different chocolate combos and eventually, they just got all of them.

Pinkie jumped out of the pot, "Yup, that's my Cheesy. Well, have fun at your party!" she hummed as she bounced out with the others giving her funny looks.

"She scares me…" Discord pointed out.

They slowly nodded in agreement before going back to have tea.

That night, the sisters and their husbands sat at the large dining table. Twilight gave a loving glance to Flash as he returned the glance. They've come so far since that first meeting.

Flashbacks of Twilight's and Flash's time together appeared.

She and the pony had both fallen over and she regained herself by saying, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! I was…" she stopped and looked at the pony. He was a pegasus in golden armor and she could see from his helmet opening on top that he had a blue mane to match his beautiful blue eyes. She ended up staring at them distractedly.

He, in turn, was apologizing before getting a clearer view of her, "No, no, it was my fault, I should have…" He saw the most beautiful mare in his life; the highlights in her hair, the violet in her eyes… He, too, ended up staring at her, "…watched where… I was… going…"

"I… I don't think I've seen you around here before…"

"That's because… I'm new. And… a bit lost. You see, I'm trying to find the servant's quarters."

"Servant's quarters? It's downstairs. Here, let me show you." she began to lead him.

"Thank you very much. I am most grateful for your help."

"You're quite welcome." she told him as they descended down the steps.

"So… have you been in the palace long?"

"All of my life."

"Whoa, really?!"

"Uh-huh, ever since I was a baby."

"Oh, does that mean your parents worked here?"

She realized then that he didn't know she was the princess! She was amazed, yet found it refreshing that no colt would refer her as her highness. She decided to go along with it so she could know him better and that he could know her better, "You… could say that. And, you, have you always been a guard?"

"I went into training last year and have been hired on to protect the royal family this year. Say, have you… ever met the princesses or the queen?"

"Oh, yes, in fact… I happen to be very close to the youngest princess."

"Really? What's she like?"

"She's a bookworm. She spends her days in the library learning important things like spells and magics."

"Does she know anything on zebras?"

"Well, yes, but why do you ask?"

"I met one today on my way here. I wasn't sure if she was good or bad, given of the stories I've heard during my training session."

"And… was she bad?"

"No! In fact, she was good to me and was grateful I saved her life from a Timberwolf."

"You saved her from a Timberwolf?! What was that like?! Are they as vicious as the books say from my- uh, the princess's collection?"

"Very vicious… I was lucky to figure out a way to stop it."

"Goodness… that was a good thing…" Then, she noticed they made it to their destination, "Oh, we're here already."

"Great…" he suddenly took off his helmet, which made Twilight's knees buckle at the sight of seeing his face completely. She thought to herself of how better he looked without it, "I was getting hot in this thing and it's been a long day…"

"I bet. After saving someone's life from a Timberwolf." she smiled at him.

He slightly blushed, "It was nothing, really…"

"Well, I think it's something… By the way, what's your name?"

"Flash Sentry. But you can call me Flash for short."

It was her turn to blush, "Okay… Flash…"

"What's your name?"

"My name? Oh! My name…" she panicked, for she didn't want Flash to know her real identity and to feel he had to keep his distance like every other guard in the castle. She liked him and wanted him to not be afraid of her, so she said the first thing that popped into her head, "It's… Twily!" Then, dread came over her. That name was only used by her father when he called for her when she was little. She felt like she could die from embarrassment.

He raised his eyebrow, "Twily?"

"Uh, yes! It's not a very good name, but it is my name…" It was partly the truth and she slightly chuckled.

"Huh… Well, I like it."

"You do?! Seriously?"

He laughed, "Seriously… It's kind of interesting."

"Well…" she was still blushing, "Yours is interesting, too…"

"May I…" he rubbed his neck, "May I see you again, Twily?" he blushed again.

She gasped and grinned widely, saying, "Yes! Yes, of course you may!"

"Really?!" he caught himself, "I mean… I am most happy you've accepted…"

"Shall I meet you here tomorrow night?"

"If you think that's best."

She started to go, "Until then…" She gave him a small wave and he returned it.

"Until then…" he repeated when she was out of sights.

Twilight quietly moved down to the servant's quarters. Once she had reached the room, she opened the door and spotted Flash in a bed. She tip-toed towards him as to make sure she didn't wake up the other servants sleeping there. She had reached him and slightly shook him awake.

He moaned out of his sleep as he was facing her. Once he saw her face more clearly, he nearly yelled out, "Twily-" But she covered his mouth to shush him and gestured for him to follow her.

They slowly walked out the room and once they got out, she took him to her library, making sure they were all alone.

"Twily, what happened this afternoon? Did I offend you in some way? Cause when you didn't come back, I was afraid I would never see you again."

"Oh, Flash, no… Nothing's your fault. I was just upset at myself."

"But why?"

She gave a deep sigh and said, "Because I haven't been very honest with you…"

"What do you mean?"

"For starters, my name isn't Twily. Well, it is, but that's more a nickname since I go by another name."

"So… what is your real name?"

She took a deep breath and said without hesitation, "Twilight Sparkle." she waited for a moment to see how he would react.

Flash stood still and was processing what he just heard. She had just said one of the princesses' names. That was her name. She was the princess. He thought, "Oh no… I must've sounded so stupid to her!"

"Flash?" she questioned as he was not moving, "Well, say something! Anything!"

"I… I… I can't believe it! The princess! You were the princess! This whole time!"

"You would have found out, anyway…" she lowered her head.

"But why? Why not tell me sooner?"

"For the very reason you were just standing around when I told you the news. I wanted you to know me for who I was… And I wanted you to know me…"

"Oh, Twily… Uh, Twilight…" he did a chuckle, "Personally, I like Twily better…."

"Strangely enough, so did I…" she smiled at him, to which he returned it, and they both began to laugh.

Once they finished with their amusement, all they could do was stare at each other.

"I… I should be getting back…" she blushed while starting to turn to go, "And you should go back to sleep. You have important guard duties to do tomorrow after all."

"Not as important as it is to guard the princess right now." he smirked.

"Oh, you… Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Sure you don't want me to escort you back to your room? It would be my privilege if I did so." he bowed.

"Well… Alright…" she gave in.

Flash and Twilight took a brief stop to face each other.

She said, "None of this would have been possible without you or the others… I can't thank you enough of coming after us and finding our father…"

"It was nothing…" he blushed, "Really…"

"It was something… and I am… so happy to have you here…"

"You are?" his hopes rose.

"I do… I love you…"

"And… I love you, too…"

They stared into each other's eyes as they leaned in slowly before kissing fully on the lips. They broke apart and before they knew it, Twilight had a dark pink glow coming from within her and it surrounded her. She didn't know what was happening and neither did Flash as he stepped back. The gang looked back in surprise of what was going on with Twilight, but Sombra seemed to be grinning.

In a burst of light, Twilight was gently taken back to the ground.

"Twilight? Are you alright?" Applejack asked.

Twilight lifted herself up and suddenly, she spread out wings!

The crowd gasped in astonishment.

"Oh, my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Twilight's got wings!" Rainbow gestured, "Awesome!"

"Darling, you're an alicorn! Like Mother!" motioned Rarity.

"Do you know what this means, Cheesy?" Pinkie led him on.

"I sure do!"

Both of them said together, "Alicorn party!" They blew noisemakers.

Discord found himself sputtering, "But-but-but how is that even remotely possible?! Even I can't do something like that! How did you do that?!"

Twilight found her voice after getting over the shock of having a pair of wings, "I… I don't know! All I did was kiss Flash and now I'm like this!"

Flash apologized, "Twilight! I'm so sorry! I didn't… I didn't mean…"

Sombra came up to them and chuckled, "You have nothing to apologize for, Flash Sentry. This was to be expected for the chosen heir of Equestria…"

"Father?" Twilight raised her eyebrow.

"You see, Twilight, when you were the last born of your sisters, your mother and I knew you would be the one to take our place someday. You may have looked like a unicorn, but you had a power within that could only be revealed when the time would come for to have true love's kiss and earn your wings… Love is the emotion that can reveal one's true potential…"

Discord pointed out, "Well, that's certain a little cheesy!"

"Hey!" Cheese whined.

The group couldn't help but laugh.

Twilight stared back at Flash, "I just can't believe… we're true loves… destiny to be forever…"

"Forever and ever!" Pinkie jumped in excitement.

"But we've only known each other for such a short time… and yet, it's seems longer than that…" he took her hoof as he moved her closer to him and they shared another kiss.

Twilight then tapped her glass, causing everyone to be quiet.

She spoke, "I just want thank every pony for doing a great job as usual every week."

"It's the same thing we always do, taking turns doing the duties! It's not a big deal!" Rainbow mentioned.

"Perhaps, but whenever I see us together like this, it means we have a bond that will last for a very long time… Before the guys, it was just we sisters. But our family has grown since then in the last six years. We lost our father at one point, but because we found love, we got him back. Not only that, but we had three new sisters added into the family. After that, most of us gained children, but the rest of us will also have a chance to have a little one soon enough." she beamed at Discord and Fluttershy and Applejack and Spike. They beamed at her in return. "I wish I can share this moment with our younger sisters, who aren't with us now, but I know they're doing alright in the meantime where they are right now." she raised her glass as everyone followed suit, "May their future be just as happy as ours… To a bright future!"

"To a bright future!" they all shouted out and clanged the glasses together.

A last flashback happened and it was about their wedding day and the reception.

The night air filled in the reception at the gardens as each newlywed took a slow dance for their first dance as husbands and wives. When the music stopped, the couples clapped and a microphone sounded off as Sweetie Belle's voice filled the area.

"Heh…hi, every pony! I just wanted to tell you how lucky I am to have such amazing sisters, even if we weren't sisters at first… but Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I are happy that we are and we just want to thank the princesses and wish them luck in their new lives with their cool new husbands." That got a couple laughs and awes from the crowd, "And to do that, we've been working on a song just for them as a wedding present… Here it goes…" She gave a signal to Vinyl and the latter started the music up.

The newlyweds each got in a carriage-for Rainbow and Soarin', a chariot-to go on their own honeymoons. Each carriage was going to take a separate direction and as they waved off their fellow couples and they waved up to a balcony that Celestia, Sombra, Luna, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were on waving goodbye…

Author's Note

Just a sweet and heartwarming moment before things take a turn for the worse. This was mainly to show some highlights from the last story and a chance to show the Mane Six again. We're almost to the reason why this story is based on the Princess and the Pea.

Chapter 24

Author's Note

Songs featured are Proud of Your Boy from the Aladdin Broadway musical and You'll be in My Heart Reprise from Tarzan the Musical.

Chapter 24

Sweetie Belle tossed and turned in her bed with sweat rolling down her face. In her mind, things were moving around her. She saw clips of failing the test and the queen looking upset as she said, "You failed…"

Button protested to his mother and the queen was furious and banished Sweetie Belle from Marendelle. When Button was marrying a different princess, Sweetie was shouted "no" over and over again.

"Button! No! Please! I love you! I love you!" she screamed.

"Enough!" a voice commanded and in a blast of blue light, the images were gone and in their place was a tall, night-blue alicorn flying down to Sweetie.

"Aunt Luna!" Sweetie's eyes gleamed.

"My dear niece… Sweetie Belle…"

"It's so wonderful to see you! How's Mom and Dad?"

"Fine, but they are concerned about when you and your sisters will return."

"Oh… well… we've gotten a little side-tracked…" Sweetie blushed.

"I see… and I can't help but notice that… you are having doubts?"

"It's just…" she turned her head away, not sure how she could tell her aunt everything that happened. Instead, she just said, "Button can't find anything about the next test… His mother refuses to say, so it's been hard… and I really have to win this because…" she stopped short.

"You and Button are engaged?"

She gasped and stared at her aunt in disbelief, "How… How did you know?"

"I am the Princess of the Night. I go into my subjects' dreams and know all about their troubles… Also… I know about the connection of your dream and Button's dream a while ago."

"You do?"

"Button was having a hard time with the fact he had to get married for the sake of his kingdom. Because of what happened to your sisters, I wanted a chance to redeem myself since I had a hoof in your sisters' capture…"

"Oh, Aunt Luna… Rarity had told me all about that… You were only trying to protect them…"

"Still, I felt responsible, so I was going to help Button out by finding a pony whose mind was like his. Only then could a connection be made. I began searching and to my surprise, I found that it was you, my dear niece, who would have a similar view to his."

"Really?"

She nodded, "It seems that fate has been kind to you, Sweetie Belle. Your adoption into Canterlot's royal family was the only way for you and Button to meet… And you have passed every single test the queen has given you so far, proving you were meant to be here."

"But, Luna… I don't understand. Button and I were able to hear each other in the dream, but we couldn't see each other."

"Yes, that is something beyond my power. There was a bridge between yours and Button's dreams, but because you're never seen each other before, you couldn't see each other."

"Is it possible we can see each other now in our dreams?"

Luna smiled, "Will seeing your love help you sleep better?"

Sweetie nodded.

Luna's horn began to glow, "And one last thing, Sweetie Belle…"

"Yes?"

"Do not fret about failing the next test. You have passed these tests with your heart. As long as you keep using your heart, you will succeed in the end… Have faith in yourself, child, and you will have your prince…"

Sweetie's eyes filled with tears, "Thank you… I will remember that…"

"I sense him nearby. Good luck, my sweet niece…" Luna's aura engulfed the alicorn and she was gone.

"Sweetie Belle? Is that you?"

Sweetie turned to the sound of his voice. He was there in the middle of the golden ballroom just like their first dream together. He was dressed in his finest like he did at the ball and she in turn was wearing the same pink gown. She went over to touch his hoof.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Are you sure I'm not dreaming? Cause I could have sworn I went to bed."

She giggled, "Well, yes… We are in a dream, but we also here together…"

"But it's really you?"

"It is. In here, we are allowed to speak freely of our future plans, like what our wedding will be or how many kids we want."

He blushed at the thought, "So, exactly how many kids do you want?"

She blushed herself, "Er… I don't know yet, but I definitely want more than one."

At that point, music started playing in the background. They tried to see where it was coming from, but gave up when they found nothing.

Button made a bow, "May I have this dance?"

She curstied, "Of course."

They went into a waltz position and started dancing closely, only this time it was just them and no pony else was watching them. They were in their own world, where there were no tests, no mothers, no duty, no titles, and no kingdom to look after. This was a happy moment for Sweetie and Button and they never wanted it to end. They kept dancing and as they did, they could feel themselves being lifted gently up in the air. They didn't care since all they focus on was each other. They held on for the longest time.

"I love you…" they both said.

"It's amazing," said Sweetie, "Before, I was supposed to help you gain your freedom, but instead… I gained your love…"

Button smiled, "At first I did want freedom, but you had opened my eyes on what freedom is… My dad was right. Sometimes being free means choosing not to go, but to stay… I am free as long as I am with you…"

They were about to kiss until they felt a shift and Button was being pulled away, "I'm waking up!" he tried reaching out, "Sweetie!"

"Button!" she called out as she saw him fading away.

"Button… Button…" a voice called him awake.

Button stirred in his bed.

"Button, honey…" a hoof shook on him.

Button groaned as his eyes opened and once his vision was cleared, he saw who it was and got upset, "Aw, Mom! Why did you have go and do that?!"

Love Tap was taken aback and stammered, "Honey… I'm sorry, it's just… you weren't up yet and I wondered why you were sleeping in…"

"You always ruin everything!" Button threw the sheets off and glared at his mother, "Why can't you let me be happy just this once!" he had tears welling up and he ran past her and out of the room.

The queen was shocked and wondered what happened to her sweet little boy, who would always come to her whenever he felt sad and angry and she always calmed him down. Now it was she who caused him pain. That made her release a few tears.

Button went straight to Sweetie's room the minute he ran out of his room. He had his head on her legs as she sat on the bed and she stroked his mane. It reminded him of when his mother did the same thing. He felt guilty that he shouted at the mare who raised him since he was a baby. He was able to tell her anything, but now he was forced to hide his relationship with the mare he loved. He wanted more than anything for his mother to be happy for them.

"Why…? Why did I do that?" he kept asking himself.

"Sometimes… we lose it with the ones we love… You keep seeing her as some pony in your way to happiness, but it could be that you just miss having her around."

"I have been pretty distant lately…"

"Did that start when… I came?"

"No… it started long before you came into the picture, even before I heard your voice in my dream…"

"You need to patch things up."

"How? We've been clashing against each other with this whole marriage and test business so much that I don't know if we'll ever fix things between us."

"You need to remember a time when your mother and you were happy together and that there was nothing in the way."

He smiled as he closed his eyes and memories came to him when his mother would play with him, comfort him, read him stories, and sing to him… She would always sing a special lullaby… He opened his eyes in realization, "Sweetie… I'm going to need your help…"

She gave a confused look.

Love Tap had a sorrowful look while on her throne. Her husband noticed the distress she was in and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong…" she said quietly.

"Since when do you mope around? You're always on top of things."

She did a huff, "If I was on top of things, how come my son has been avoiding me…? Shouting at me… Telling me I'm ruining everything…?"

"Well, sweetheart…" he put his hoof around her, "You can't expect him to cooperate with these princesses being tested to show that they are good for him. All he wants is a chance to prove himself to some mare he could like instead of a mare being chosen for him."

"But I know that because he's the crown prince, it's wise that he marries a princess who knows what she's getting into. An ordinary mare would have no idea how hectic this lifestyle really is. I'm just trying to help him…"

"Maybe he doesn't need help when it comes to love…"

She sighed, "Why did you love me?" she faced him with big eyes, "Why did you give it up? The life you had before me?"

This surprised him for a bit, and then he softly chuckled, "You know… Button asked me the same question… The answer is quite simple: I fell in love and for once, I felt happiness… I've been everywhere in Equestria, but never has there been a place that felt more right to be in other than here…"

"But don't you miss it?"

"Perhaps sometimes, but if I ever got on a ship again somehow, I think I would feel empty inside…" he smiled at her.

She smiled in return.

"Just please tell me we're at the last test already."

"We are just about there, but first, our remaining champions must complete in another test and then it will be determined who's qualified for the final test and to be Button's future queen."

He shook his head, "Must we really force him to marry some pony he hardly knows…?"

"No, I plan for the two of them to get know each better before the ceremony."

"But that doesn't mean they'll fall in love, dear…"

"Sometimes… things must…" she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"So you're putting the kingdom first before your own son…"

"It's not that I don't want to…"

"Love… I have supported you since we ascended to the throne. Every decision, every proclamation… But I cannot support this… as far as our son is concerned… I was hoping that by seeing what the tests would do, I hoped that you would have changed your mind and call the whole thing off… But if you're that willing to see your son unhappy, than what kind of future do we have?" he started getting up.

The queen was staring at her husband in shock, "Cinnamon…?"

"I love you, but what you're doing to our son is not love…" he turned to go and gradually left the room, leaving Love Tap crying. He heard the cries and that caused him to cry as well.

"…And it's done!" Sweetie finished writing the notes and lyrics to the song she wrote. She magically gave the sheet to Button, "From what you told me about how you felt being with your mother when you were little and how you wished it can be like that again, this song will express everything."

He kissed her head, "You are the best!" Then he looked nervous.

She beamed and took his hoof, "Trust me, your mom will love this… Good luck…"

He nodded and kissed her cheek before going. She waited for a bit before following him.

Queen Love Tap sighed miserably and her head hung low. Suddenly, she heard hoofsteps and looked up to see Button looking back at her, "But… Button?"

"Mom…" he took a step forward with a solemn look on his face, "I… I wanted to apologize…"

"Apologize?"

"I snapped at you this morning and that was wrong of me… I'm sorry… To make it up to you, I have a song for you."

"A song? For me?"

He nodded and headed to a nearby piano, where he set Sweetie's music down on the stand. He struck a few chords to warm up, and then he cleared his throat as he began to play and sing.

"Proud of your boy… I'll make you proud of your boy… Believe me, bad as I've been, Ma… You're in for a pleasant surprise… I've wasted time… I've wasted me… So say I'm slow for my age… A late bloomer, okay, I agree… That I've been one rotten kid, some son, some pride and some joy… But I'll get over these lousin' up, messin' up, screwin' up times… You'll see, ma, now comes the better part… Someone's gonna make good… Cross his stupid heart… Make good and finally make you proud of your boy! Tell me that I've been a louse and a loafer… You won't get a fight here, no ma'am… Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, no good… But that couldn't be all that I am… Water flows under the bridge… Let it pass, let it go! There's no good reason that you should believe me, not yet, I know, but… Someday and soon… I'll make you proud of your boy! Though I can't make myself taller or smarter or handsome or wise! I'll do my best, what else can I do? Since I wasn't born perfect like Dad or you… Mom, I will try to… Try hard to make you… Proud of your boy…" He stopped to face his mother, who had tears in her eyes.

"Button…"

He moved up to her and she got up and went to him. They stared at each other before moving into a motherly-son embrace.

"My little boy… You've grown so much over the years… It's just so hard to believe…" she started crying again.

He patted her back and softly sang a melody she recognized, "Don't be afraid… It will be all right… Just take my hoof… Hold it tight… No matter where I am, I'll be with you… Just think of me… Don't you cry…"

They sang together, "No one could understand the way we feel… How would they know, how could we explain? Although we're different, deep inside us… We're not that different at all… 'Cause you'll be in my heart… Yes, you'll be in my heart… From this day on… Now and forever more… You'll be in my heart…"

Love Tap sang, "You'll be here in my heart…"

Button sang, "No matter what they say…"

"Oh, you'll be with me…"

"You'll be in my heart…"

"Here in my heart…"

Both sang, "Always… Always…"

"Mother… I'll be there for you always…"

"Always and always…"

"Just look over your shoulder…"

Both sang, "Just look over your shoulder…"

Button sang, "Turn around…"

They finished, "And look over your shoulder… 'Cause I'll be there… always…"

They embraced for the longest time, unaware that a unicorn princess was watching them from the door, smiling.

Button let go and said, "Mom, if it makes you feel any better, I will marry a princess…" He saw Sweetie Belle and gave a quick wink.

"Oh, Button… you will?"

He nodded, "In truth, I am grateful that you invited all the princesses in Equestria, but I still don't approve of the contest…"

"It's almost over… Tonight at dinner, the remaining princesses will have another test to determine the ones who will go on to the final test…"

"And… what is this final test?"

"One that would prove who is a true princess…"

Button kissed his mother's forehead, "Very well, Mom. Do what you have to and I will do what I have to…"

"Button, you will be a wonderful king…" she hugged him again as he returned it.

"Thanks Mom… that means a lot to me…" he smiled to her before leaving the room. He closed the door and faced the mare he loved, "Did you get all that?"

She nodded, "This is it… By passing this test, we move on to the last one…"

"You can do this. I have faith…"

She giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, just something some pony told me… I believe that both you and this pony were right…"

He moved his hoof around her and she nuzzled under his chin.

Dinner had been served and the remaining princesses were seated, along with some princesses who stayed to see the final results. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo weren't going leave without their sister anyway and Twist and Dinky were staying as moral support. Also, Twist didn't want to say good-bye to Truffle too soon.

"So…" Babs played with her food, "This next test comes down to the last test?"

"That's what I heard." said Sweetie, "Babs… I know you have to stay for the sake of your kingdom… but I have to win in the end…"

"I know… you love him… That's why I'm hoping I do fail this one… And if by some chance I don't, I will drop…"

"But… what would your parents say?" Scootaloo asked.

"I don't care. I never wanted to be queen of Marendelle, anyway. Instead, I want a husband who can make me laugh…" she winked at Sweetie, who smiled when she got the message.

Suddenly, the trumpets blared and the royal family entered the banquet hall. The princesses stopped eating and bowed their heads in respect.

The queen spoke, "Forgive our interruption, but I would like to do the next test with the princesses who passed the last test. Girls, if you could come here."

Sweetie Belle and Babs headed over and so did Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Princess Aura.

The queen spoke loud and clearly, "Ladies, you have passed every test that I have given so far. This next test with show how well you can speak with an audience in a room. You will each have a chance to speak, telling me why you are the best princess for my son, Prince Button Mash. Princess Aura, you may start first."

"I, Princess Aura, have passed the tests since they were first given. That is why I am best princess."

"Thank you, Princess Diamond Tiara?"

"I, Princess Diamond Tiara, am a princess by birth and know all that there is to be a princess. I also come from a kingdom that has much to offer to Marendelle. I shall be a worthy queen for your son, the prince."

"Princess Silver Spoon?"

"My reasons are the same as Dia. There's no need for me to repeat the same thing."

"I see." she looked at Sweetie, "And you, Princess Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie was caught off-guard and her heart pounded. Behind her, her sisters worried. She thought, What can I say? Then, she remembered her Aunt Luna's words to her, "…you have passed these tests with your heart. As long as you keep using your heart, you will succeed in the end… Have faith in yourself, child, and you will have your prince…" She stared at Button, who was staring back at her with concern.

"Princess Sweetie Belle?" The queen asked again.

Sweetie thought with a determined look, What else can I say…but the truth…? She took a breath, and spoke, "I love your son."

There was instant muttering and her sisters were giving each other looks of bewilderment. Button was stunned himself that Sweetie would outright admit her love. Diamond Tiara was snickering inside her head, Oh, she's in for it now! The queen will never let her pass now!

Love Tap was surprised by this revelation and she asked, "And why do you say that?"

"I've been in love with your son since the day we met. I believe I am the best princess for him because I can offer him support and comfort. Happiness and love… He deserves someone by his side who can do just that… I will always love him and that will never die. I will be loyal to him and only to him… My prince… My king… My love…" She saw that he was on the verge of tears.

"Thank you…" the queen softly said, "Princess Babs Seed?"

Babs stood quiet for a moment and then said, "If this was a question about what is best for the kingdom, I could give you a number of reasons. But the question is who would be the best princess for Prince Button Mash. And I believe that princess is Sweetie Belle, for she has made it clear that she loves your son and would anything to make him happy. In the time that I have known her, she is a true friend. She will be the best princess that rightfully belongs by Prince Button's side. You will make the right choice if you choose her." She stood quiet again.

There was a pause in the air and all eyes were on the queen as she stood silent. The king and Button exchanged looks, wondering what was going on in her head. Just then, she spoke, "Princess Diamond Tiara and Princess Sweetie Belle shall proceed to the final test."

Mouths gaped open by the surprising announcement.

"We shall leave for you to finish your dinner. Thank you for your cooperation." she turned to go with her husband and son right behind her.

Once they were gone, Sweetie was surrounded by her sisters and friends cheering and congratulating her. Diamond was fuming nearby, watching the happy scene.

"Wow… even after she admitted having a thing for the prince, the queen still let her take the final test…" Silver Spoon pointed.

"No… I will not let that little nobody have a chance of living the high life… She belongs back where all commoners belong… in the dirt and unseen… I am going to win this test and there is nothing she can do about it…"

The princesses gathered in Sweetie Belle's room going over the recent events. Pip and Rumble were there as well. Once they learned what happened, they were surprised as well that Sweetie got to move on to the last test.

"You got lucky." said Rumble.

"I will admit: I was scared that she wasn't going to let me pass, but when she did…"

"I bet Babs' speech had something to do with it." said Apple Bloom.

"I merely followed Sweetie's example and told the truth. I wasn't going to be able to say why I was the best princess for Button because I wasn't."Babs admitted.

"What do you think this last test is going to be like?" Scoots asked.

"Who knows…" Sweetie shrugged.

"But doesn't Button…?" questioned Dinky.

"The tests were kept secret from him. He's just as much in the dark as the rest of us."

"Well, you made it this far. That should be a sign telling you that you will pass!" gestured Scootaloo.

"I sure hope you're right, Scootaloo… I sure hope you're right…"

Just then, a knock came at her door and in stepped the page they met before coming to Marendelle.

"Hey! You haven't seen you in a while!" Scoots motioned.

"Yes, Your Highnesses, I've been very busy. Now it is my duty to escort Princess Sweetie Belle to a private chamber so that she may be well rested for the final test tomorrow."

"Huh?!" they all said.

"But what's wrong with the room she's in now?" AB asked.

"Nothing. The queen just thought she needed a place to relax so she may be prepared tomorrow."

"What happens if I refuse?"

"Then you cannot compete in tomorrow's test."

"What?!" they all said again.

"That's not fair!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

"I'm sorry, but those are the queen's orders."

"Looks like you don't have much of a choice…" Twist whispered.

"Alright… I'll go." Sweetie got up.

"We'll go with you." said Scoots.

"You cannot. I was told only to escort Princess Sweetie Belle. No one else can follow."

The sisters groaned.

"It's okay, guys. I'll just see you in the morning." Sweetie hugged the both of them and they returned the hug before the page led her out and shut the door behind them.

"That was weird." said Babs.

"Hm-mm…" the others nodded in agreement.

Sweetie walked down the hallway with the page, and then he stopped at a door, where he took out a key to unlock it. He opened it and walked in. When Sweetie Belle entered, she stopped and gazed at the bed. She slowly looked up to see twenty mattresses on it. She gawked at the sight.

"Nightgowns are in the wardrobe. The private bathroom is next to it, and there are some milk and cookies on the table…"

"Wait, you want me to sleep all the way up… there…?" she squeaked.

"As the queen requested."

"But… But…"

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"Heights I can handle, but falling…"

"Not to worry. The bed and the mattresses are enchanted. No pony can fall off."

"You're sure?"

"I assure you, you will be perfectly safe. Why, when you'll be up there, you say you'll be sleeping on air."

"Okay…"

"Sleep well, Princess, and we shall see you in the morning…" he took his leave and went out, locking the door.

Chapter 25

Button rushed it over to Sweetie's room, but once he got there, she wasn't anywhere around.

"She's not here." Scootaloo said as she and Rumble came to him.

"What do you mean?"

"A page took her to another room." said Apple Bloom.

"Another room?"

"Yeah, by your mom's orders that she'd be more rested in time for the test tomorrow." said Scoots.

"Hmm…" Button pondered on this, What is my mother up to…?

Cinnamon Swirl sat on the bed and stared at his wife as she was brushing her mane.

"Still not talking to me?" he asked.

"As I recall… you blamed me for my son's unhappiness…"

"Perhaps I was little out of line… You were willing to let the princess who loved our son do the final test."

"For a minute there, I thought that she was bluffing, but the look in her eyes said otherwise…I remembered her answers from the previous tests; they were so honest and pure… She wasn't lying when she said she loved our son…"

"You know, when she said those words… she reminded me… of, well, you…"

She looked back to him in surprise, "She did?"

He nodded.

"Hmm…"

"So tell me already: what is this final test that will determine who Button's future wife is?"

"Well…" she went to him and whispered in his ear. His eyes widened.

Sweetie slowly climbed the twenty mattresses and tried her hardest to not look down. "Pinkie Pie would have a blast with this. She would have already been up all the way to the top!"

At the thought of her older sister, it reminded her of the times all of the daughters of Celestia and Sombra would hang out together before and after the older sisters got married to their true loves. Because she was Rarity's maid first, the two were closer, just as Apple Bloom was closer to Applejack and Scootaloo to Rainbow Dash. But shortly after the adoption, they got to hang with the other three sisters. Twilight helped them learn new skills and read stories to them. They played in the garden with Fluttershy where she taught them about different animals. They had fun with Pinkie Pie whenever she threw a party or with her just being Pinkie.

"Yup… those were the good days…" Sweetie realized, "Oh, I made it!" She lied in the middle of the top mattress and started to get comfortable, but she sat up when she remembered, "That's right, the cookies and milk. I better get them before…" She saw how high she was and quickly moved back to the middle, "Never mind. I wasn't that hungry, anyway. I can stay up here all night…" she gulped, "I think…"

Button was pacing back and forth, with the sisters and their special some ponies watching on the bed.

"Dude, you're wearing a hole in the floor." pointed Rumble.

"I can't help it." Button kept going back and fore.

"Wherever Sweetie was taken, I'm sure she's fine." said Scootaloo.

"Right, the page did say that the queen wanted her to feel relaxed before the big test tomorrow." said Apple Bloom.

"There wouldn't happen to be a spa in the castle, would there?" Scoots questioned.

Button gave a slight chuckle, "Hardly…"

"Listen, mate, you need to calm down. There's nothing we can do. Sweetie is being taken care of, so you don't have to worry about her." said Pip.

He shook his head, "I really hope you're right… but if my mother is planning something… I won't forgive her any time soon…"

"Try to get some sleep. Sweetie would want that." Scootaloo pointed.

He slowly nodded before leaving.

Sweetie tossed and turned. She shut her eyes a while ago, but once she went to asleep, memories of her parents passing away and leaving her lonely came. Then nightmares appeared of being despised by Rarity, the royal family, and her adopted parents, who were all leaving her. Then, she saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo and hope rose in her, but that hope was dashed when she saw that they were going further away from her. Finally, her nightmares from last night came back. The queen was telling her that Sweetie failed and banishing her away, forcing Button to marry another… She moaned and groaned in the scaled bed all throughout the rest of the night…

The next morning, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and their friends were gathered at breakfast wondering if Sweetie was coming. Their question was soon answered when they saw Sweetie Belle dragging her feet.

"There she is!" AB motioned.

"Whoa… you okay there, Sweetie?" Scoots asked.

"To tell you the truth…" she yawned and there were the bags under her eyes. "I didn't sleep well last night…"

"Oh, no! What happened?" Dinky questioned.

"I kept getting these really bad dreams… It was so awful!"

"Aw…" Apple Bloom patted her back, "…it's okay. Everything's alright now…"

"Except she's got to take the last test today…" Scootaloo said.

"But how can she if she's so tired?" Twist questioned.

"Sure you're going to be up to it?" Babs asked.

"I have to! I have to win! Or else…" She felt her head drooping and was about to shut her eyes.

"Whoa! Hey!" Scoots did a whistle, "Up and at 'em! Don't fall asleep now!" she shook her.

"Huh? What? Oh, right!"

"Quick! Splash some cold water on her!" Dinky got a glass.

"No!" Sweetie waved her hooves. "That…" she was drooping again, "won't… be…" she shut her eyes and suddenly, cold water landed on her, "I'm up! I'm up!"

"Oh, what are we going to do?!" AB worried.

"She can't take the test like this!" Twist gestured.

They suddenly heard giggling and turned to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"Oh, no… What do those two want?" Apple Bloom whispered.

"We're about to find out…" Scootaloo whispered back.

"Aw, had trouble sleeping last night?" Diamond smirked, "I slept like a filly, and it was all thanks to the queen's special room."

"Special… room?" Babs said.

"Yes, it was quite odd having to sleep on twenty mattresses, but it certain was refreshing! Well, good luck! You'll need it!" she and Sliver giggled as they went.

"Twenty… mattresses?" Sweetie softly said.

"Just ignore them, Sweetie." said Scoots, "They were obviously lying… Sleeping on twenty mattresses…"

"But… they weren't… I had to sleep on twenty mattresses last night!"

"What?!" they all said.

Sweetie nodded, "It's true. When I was escorted to the room, there were twenty mattresses!"

"And you had to sleep on them?! What would've happened if you had fallen off?!" AB motioned.

"The mattresses were enchanted. You wouldn't have fallen off."

"Now the next question is why would the queen make you two sleep on twenty mattresses?" Babs wondered.

The group exchanged unsure looks as to what the answer could be.

The trumpets blared and the royal family came. Button saw the condition Sweetie was in and was worried.

Queen Love Tap spoke, "Princess Diamond Tiara, Princess Sweetie Belle, could you come here please?"

Sweetie yawned as she made her way to face the queen while Diamond smiled and kept her head up.

"As you are aware, you will be tested to see if you are fit to be my son's queen. We shall see from the results of the final test last night to determine that."

There was instant confusion. Everyone in the room was surprised to hear that the test had been already taken, but Diamond seemed to be the only one who was unfazed by this. Instead, she smirked.

Sweetie thought, Oh, no! The test has been done already?!

Button shared the same concern, "No! The test is over?! But Sweetie Belle… did she passed?

The queen addressed Diamond Tiara, "Princess Diamond Tiara of Stirram, you had to sleep in a chamber with twenty mattresses on the bed. Tell me: how did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully! But when I went to sleep, I felt something pinching me, so I went to see what it was. I looked down below the bottom mattress and found a pea." She took it out for all to see, "Here it is!"

The crowd muttered and tried to make sense of this. Button looked at his mother in confusion, but she just kept staring at the princesses.

The queen said nothing, took the pea, and addressed Sweetie, "Princess Sweetie Belle of Canterlot, how did you sleep last night?"

Sweetie hung her head low, "Not very well, Your Majesty…I didn't feel the pea… I didn't pass the test…"

"Didn't pass the test? Why whatever do you mean?"

She raised her brow, "Isn't that the test? To see if you felt the pea under the mattresses?"

"Obviously," said Diamond Tiara, "since only a real princess would be sensitive enough to feel a pea under twenty mattresses."

"You are correct about being sensitive, Princess Diamond, but it's not a matter of being sensitive with your skin, but rather within. Tell me, Princess Sweetie: why couldn't you sleep so well?"

"I kept having nightmares and bad memories about my past. I was afraid I was losing the ones I care about the most…" she looked back to her sisters, and then looked at Button.

The queen nodded and held the pea up for all to see, "This pea was designed to give the sleeper terrible dreams that trouble the pony on a day-to-day basis. Princess Diamond Tiara, you let your suspicions get the better of you and you took the pea out before the nightmares were given to test your spirit. I'm sorry, but that disqualifies you."

Scootaloo whispered, "But that means…" Both she and AB gave each other excited looks.

"Princess Sweetie Belle, you will be Prince Button Mash's future queen."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, along with their friends, gave out a great cheer! Sweetie could hardly believe it. It was a dream true come for her. Button was grinning happily as he felt overjoyed.

"But… But… She's not even a born princess!" Diamond Tiara protested.

The crowd gasped. Sweetie cringed and waited for the queen to respond. Button held his breath until his mother calmly answered.

"I know."

The princesses and Button were surprised.

"I was well aware of the Canterlot sisters' adoption into the royal family, and I think it was wonderful…"

Diamond gaped while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went over to hug Sweetie Belle. Diamond snapped out of it as Silver Spoon came over to whisper, "So, I guess that's it, then…"

"No…"

"But the test…? You failed it."

"I may have failed the test, but I will be queen of this kingdom and not some little nobody who thinks she's all that… Come on…" She went out the door with her cousin, who was looking unsure, followed.

Sweetie said to the queen, "Your Majesty… Thank you…" she yawned, "…so much…"

"You have only to thank yourself, Princess Sweetie. You have done everything that the tests required of you. I'm sorry that you had more of a rough night sleep than what was intended, but it proves you have a noble spirit to feel fears inside you. However, you don't let that stop you. But for now, you get some rest and I shall send your parents the good news."

The king took Sweetie's hoof and kissed it, "Congulations, my dear. I hope you make Button a very happy stallion."

She giggled and noticed Button slightly blushing.

"Shall I have a guard escort you back to your room?" Love Tap asked.

"Actually," Button went up to Sweetie, "I'll be happy to escort her."

"Uh…" his mother tried to say something, but his father intervened.

"An excellent idea, Button! You and your bride need to have some time together."

He smiled as he took Sweetie's hoof and led her out, with the sisters right behind him.

"We're going to tell Pip and Rumble the good news. You get some sleep and we'll see you when you wake up." said Scootaloo.

Sweetie nodded as she got one last hug from them and they turned to go. Once she and Button were alone in the hallway, they leaned in for a kiss and Button picked her up.

"We did it…" he softly said.

"We did it…" she repeated.

"For a minute there, I thought you didn't make it… I should have known better…"

"It's okay… I was worried, too, especially when I realized that Diamond felt the pea, but for your mom to say…"

"I know, right?"

She gave out another yawn and her eyes drooped again. She tried to stay awake, but Button shushed her and moved her head on his shoulder.

"Sleep now. The nightmares are over… Nothing will stand in the way of our happy ending now… I love you, Sweetie Belle…"

Even though she was sleeping, Button could see she was smiling.

"So… she did it? She actually did it?" Pip questioned while in the gym with the other guys. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom found them shortly after the last test was over.

"That's right. Sweetie Belle is now Button's betrothed."

"Wow…" said Rumble, "So… what are you guys going to have to do now?"

"Not sure, but the queen is going to tell our parents the news and my guess is they'll make all the arrangements."

Apple Bloom nodded, "I think you're right. Now that Sweetie is going to marry Button, we got a wedding to prepare for and help Sweetie move over here."

"But what about you two?" Featherweight pointed out, "You've been stuck to her since you got here, especially after she washed ashore and you wanted to see her to make sure she was alright."

"Well…" AB wasn't sure what to say.

Rumble said, "Scootaloo…?" he stared straight into her eyes and she stared straight back, reading his mind. How were they going to keep their marriage going after they left Marendelle? Rumble needed to get his brother out of jail and she had things to do back in Canterlot. How was she going to break the news to her family?

"Could you all excuse us for a second?" Scoots took Rumble to the side and they left the gym.

"What we going to do?" he asked.

"I… I don't know…"

"Marendelle has given us a chance to be alone and experience life together…"

"To go away from it… it'll seem like nothing happened… We'll be forced to move on to what we did before we ever met… You'd be living on the run… I'd be doing royal duties… But I don't want things to be the way they were before… I want you, now and forever…" She leaned on his shoulder, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

He took out the amulet, which was still split in half, "We made our vows with this amulet… As long as we carry a half of it, we shall always be one…"

"Promise you'll never forget me?"

"You're my wife, Scootaloo. I doubt I could ever forget the pony I committed myself to…"

"So that's it, then. We keep the marriage secret from our families and see each other whenever we can."

"My brother and I can settle in Canterlot, and I'll visit your balcony every night…"

"I don't like this… but if it's the only way…"

"I'm afraid it's either this or telling them. Frankly, I'm a little scared about how your parents will react…"

"So am I… but not as scared as I would be if my sister Rainbow Dash finds out… Then…" she shuddered.

"I getcha."

Back inside, Apple Bloom and Pip were having a similar problem.

"So… I guess you'll be going back to Pony-Ville after we get back to Canterlot…"

"Yeah… I need to give my aunt what little treasure we did manage to get. Then I have to help the inn to make sure we don't end up in the same situation again."

"I'll… miss you…"

He took her hoof, "I'll miss you, too…"

"I'll come to visit you whenever I have the chance."

"I look forward to it." he beamed.

She gave him a small smile, but felt sad inside.

Rumble gave Scootaloo her half of the amulet, "As long as we each have a piece from the Amulet of Amethyst, it'll keep us going after leaving Marendelle."

"This place… is what brought us together. In Equestria, we were fighting, but here, we found common ground… I really don't want to leave…"

"I feel the same way, but it has to be done…"

They embraced until Scootaloo felt her head ache. She clutched her head.

"Scoots? You alright?" Rumble asked in concern.

"Yeah… just had a minor headache there for a second."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm fine now." she started going back in the gym, "I'm going to get AB and we'll check on Sweetie."

"I'll see you tonight, then."

She nodded, "My room. We need to make every moment count before it comes crashing down." She was about to open the door until he stopped her. He turned her to face him and they leaned in for a longing kiss.

A half-hour later, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom came out of Sweetie's room.

"She sure is lucky…" Apple Bloom said.

"Lucky is right…"

"Does he know?"

"What?"

"Rumble. I know you had a thing for him…"

"Oh," she scoffed, "That's old news, AB. Rumble knows I've been crushing on him since the day we met."

"But I thought you said…"

"So I was steamed. Deep down, I felt something and so did he…" she sighed, "So… about you and Pip…?"

AB sighed, "I can't deny it any longer, can I?"

"It was pretty obvious after you went after him during that treasure hunt."

"I don't want him to go… Now that I met him, I can't imagine a life without him."

"I know exactly what you mean…"

"That's why Sweetie Belle is so lucky. She can have her coltfriend and her happy ending just like our parents and sisters."

"But what about us…? Not only will have to depart from the guys we love, but Sweetie Belle as well…"

"We've been through a lot together… We were the best of friends before we became sisters… I'll miss her…"

"Me, too…"

"This is going to sound crazy, but ever since we came to this island, I feel like we belong here. All of us… Pip, Rumble, you, me, Sweetie Belle, and Button."

"No, that's not crazy… I feel the same way…" Scootaloo grinned.

"I just wish…" AB sighed again.

"I get it…"

"Scoots, I just noticed something. You look… different…"

"Different? How?"

"I… don't know… But there's a spark in your eyes and you seem to be glowing…"

"Glowing? AB, I think missing Pip is making you think strange things."

"I guess you're right. Well… I guess we wait and see what'll happen next, right?"

"There's nothing to do but wait…"

"I'll see you later." Apple Bloom went down the steps.

"See ya…" she went to a hallway mirror and tried to see what Apple Bloom was seeing. Then suddenly, she felt sick to her stomach. She thought, No, that can't be it… It's just the guilt of not being able to tell her or any of my family the truth about me and Rumble… She looked back to where Apple Bloom had gone and started singing, "If only you could know the things I long to say… If only I could tell you what I wish I could convey… It's in my every glance… My heart's an open book… You'd see it all at once if only you would look… If only you could glimpse the feelings that I feel… If only you would notice what I'm dying to reveal… The dreams I can't declare… The needs I can't deny…" she thought of Rumble, "You understand them all if only you would stay…" She sang about her family, "All my secrets you would learn them… All my longings you would know them… Then the silence would be broken… Not a word would need be spoken…"

Rumble was in his room, looking at his half the amulet. Thinking of Scootaloo, he sang, "What is it about her that's so wonderfully, impossibly amazing? Why do I feel dizzy in a way I've only felt but once before? How come when she looks at me it seems like time stops moving… Just like the way it did that day in the alley! But it will pass…"

Scoots sang, "If only it were true…" She touched her stomach, "If only for a while…"

Rumble sang, "It won't last…"

"If only you would notice how I ache behind my smile…"

"It's all too fast…"

"I guess you never will… I guess it doesn't show… But if I never find a way to tell you so… Oh, I what I would give if only you could know…"

Apple Bloom was in the ballroom, looking at the painting she and Pip saw at the ball. She sighed, "Pip… You were the one who inspired me to paint more and showed me what a great artist I already was… You leave me now, and I may never be able to paint again…" she started singing, "If only I knew how I'd make you see the light… If only it were up to me this would turn out right… And if I only could I'll tell you what I'd do… I'd simply wave my hoof and make your dreams come true… And wouldn't that surprise ya if you only knew…"

Pip was on his castle balcony overlooking the ocean, feeling conflicted between his duty to the inn and his feelings for Apple Bloom, "How could she have just suddenly get things so completely out of hoof?! It's been two whole weeks and I don't know how to choose!"

Rumble sang again, "That will pass!"

Pip sung, "If only I'd stay with you!"

Apple Bloom sang, "If only I could help…"

Rumble, "It won't last…"

Scootaloo sang, "If only there were time, I know we'd be together…"

"All too fast…"

Pip, "If only things were different, I'd come with you!"

AB, "Just one more day before we depart…"

Scootaloo, "But time keeps racing forward and our moment's almost passed!"

Pip, "The inn or Canterlot…"

Scootaloo, "It has to happen now…"

Pip, "I want to be with you…"

Rumble, "How I wish we could stay this way forever!"

AB, "Oh…"

Scootaloo, "There's only so much time until we have to go!"

Rumble, "If only!"

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Pip sang, "Oh, what I would give if only you could know…"

Rumble sang, "And at Canterlot, what will occur? Maybe I'll find my brother but I'll lose her!"

Scootaloo, "If only…"

Apple Bloom, "If only…"

Pip sang last, "If only…"

Caballeron sipped from his cup while listening to Princess Diamond Tiara's story. She was still ranting from the fact that she lost to a princess imposter. He waited patiently, for he was in the company of visiting royalty. One interruption and it meant imprisonment.

"Well?" Diamond crossed her hooves.

"Hmm?"

"You said you were going to help me if this little faker won, didn't you?" she coldly said.

"So I did, and I never go back on my word. My dear princess, I have a plan that will help me to help you… You see, I have an old score to settle with a certain thief… Dear princess, you will get us inside the castle and help frame some pony…"

"Frame some pony?" Silver Spoon questioned.

"Mm-hmm… for they will be responsible for the kidnapping of the prince!"

The henchies, Flim and Flam, Trixie, and Silver Spoon gasped.

Tiara had her brow raised and asked, "And would this help get rid of a certain princess who's fake?"

He nodded.

She smirked and said, "Tell me more…"

Chapter 26

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 27

With the information Rumble gave, there wasn't much to go on. The group met in the gym to discuss how they were going to go after the kidnappers.

"The best thing to do is to pick up a trail… It's our only hope…" Sweetie said.

"Good thing the king barred off all ships from leaving port, which means we can't go home until Button is returned safely." said Babs.

"So the good news is that he's still on the island." said Twist.

"The kidnappers would be stupid to leave the island with Button. The whole navy would be looking, not to mention all of Equestria." said Dinky.

"The king and queen are waiting for a ransom to be made." said Featherweight.

"Then we best hurry and get going before they have to pay a cent." said Scootaloo.

"If we're going to face off a bunch of kidnappers, we need the proper attire and weapons." suggested Apple Bloom. She had the trunk with her, so she took out a green chest plate and put it over herself.

Sweetie took out a blue chest plate, a blue crown, and shoes to match. She wore them and found a pickaxe.

Scootaloo put on a purple chest plate, a biker helmet, and leather boots. She took out the two halves of the amulet and put them together, creating one whole piece again.

Apple Bloom put her hair in a ponytail and wore cowgirl boots while gathering rope up.

Twist asked, "How come you guys have matching chestplates?"

"All of Canterlot's royal family has them," explained Sweetie, "though it's mostly for the girls. Our mom and aunt have them on, and our sisters have them. They don't wear them as often."

AB exclaimed, "Neither do we, but in a time like now, might as well."

The rest of the rescue party that was going got ready as well. Pip walked in wearing a blue shirt, his mane pulled back, a red bandana on his head, and a sword at his side. Featherweight wore a loose white shirt and had a sword, too.

"Here, you'll need this extra one for Button." Babs handed another sword to him.

"Good idea." he put it on his other side.

Babs wore a black pirate outfit and put on a captain's hat, but it was missing something. With a wicked grin, she plucked out one of Featherweight's feathers and set it on top of her hat.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Thought it would be cute." she stated, giving him a cheesy smile.

Apple Bloom giggled, "You know, it actually is."

Featherweight's face softened, seeing how happy it made his princess by having something personal from him. They stared into each other's eyes.

Sweetie and Scootaloo admired Babs and Featherweight's sweet moment, but it also brought them pain about how their beloveds were either in danger or imprisoned. It brought determination to succeed with this mission.

Sweetie said, "Now let's go over the plan one more time."

Twist said as she pointed to herself and Truffle, "We'll stay here to await any further news and give support to the king and queen."

Dinky said, "I'll keep an eye on the search party with Snips and Snails to see if anything comes up about Button's whereabouts."

"And the rest of us will track the kidnappers and hopefully find Button and rescue him." said Babs.

"Looks like we're ready as we'll ever be…" said Scoots as she put the amulet around her neck and grasped it, thinking, I won't fail you, Rumble… I will set you free… and Button, too… Suddenly, she felt something surging through her and her eyes glowed. She found herself seeing a strange room full of storage and a group that looked familiar to her. There was a pony tied up to a chair with a blindfold over his eyes. Getting a closer look, she saw it was Button! Then, a stallion came closer to him and Scootaloo gasped when she recognized the stallion all too well…

"Caballeron!" she ended up shouting.

They turned to her in confusion, "Who?!"

Her eyes stopped glowing and she yelled out, "That treacherous villain is Rumble's worst nightmare! He set him up!"

"Whoa! Scoot! Back up! Now start from the beginning and tell us who exactly is this Caballeron?" pointed AB.

She took a deep breath and explained the whole story that happened the night of the talent show, excluding the marriage. She was careful to go around that detail.

"Oh, Scoots…" Sweetie rubbed her front hoof, "I'm sorry… I thought…"

"It's okay… You didn't know. None of us knew… but the amulet's power gave me the insight to see the culprit behind this whole plot…"

AB gestured, "But why kidnap Button? It doesn't make sense. If this is a revenge game on Rumble, why involve Button?"

"I don't get it myself, but what matters is getting him back and freeing Rumble!"

"You're right!" Sweetie declared, "Button is in trouble and we've got to get him out of it!" she charged for the door with her backup right behind her.

"Good luck!" Dinky and Twist shouted out.

In the basement storage of Flim and Flam's Exchange Store, Flim and Flam were nervous about the fact that the Prince of Marendelle was held up in their basement.

"I don't like this, brother…" said Flam.

"Nor I, brother… but Caballeron was sure this was the only place to keep the prince until the plan is complete."

"In the meantime, we best get back to the working to avoid suspicion." The brothers went upstairs.

Caballeron was smirking at Button, who was waking up. The prince groaned and then he felt himself being bounded to something. Seeing only a light blindfold, he asked, "Huh? What's going?! Where am I?!"

"Calm yourself, Your Highness. You'll be free soon enough…"

"Do you realize what you have done?! This is treason to kidnap a prince!"

"Which is why you're blindfolded at the moment: you can't identify your capturers after you're set free."

"If you're waiting for a ransom, then I must warn you: my parents will send an army of guards to come after you!"

"We don't want ransom. You're quite right that it would be foolish to do so… No, we're after something else and you just happen to be the bait…"

"Bait? What are you trying to do? Capture a whale?"

"That's very funny, your Grace. Let's just say that my client would be very pleased that this certain some pony is out of the way. The best part will be that I will be able to have my revenge on a pony I had the displeasure of meeting…"

"Who is it?!" Button demanded.

"Oh, no pony you would know. Then again… maybe you do… His name is Rumble. Ring a bell?"

"How do you know Rumble?!"

"When he was a colt, he used to steal for me until he stole from me! I got him good when he saw us kidnapping you. It was so easy to pin it on him. Poor boy… but he brought it upon himself…"

"You do realize that once I get back, I'll just set him free!"

"Ah… the thing is, once I fulfill my cilent's wishes, I will keep you here as long as I have to in order for Rumble's demise to be complete! He shall have the punishment he finally deserves!"

"For a crime he did not commit! I won't let you do this to my friend!"

"Let me tell you something about your so-called friend… my liege… If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here! He's nothing but a black cat that brings misfortune wherever he goes! He already had him and his marefriend nearly killed once!"

"Marefriend?"

"Yes, one of the princesses, I believe… I'm sure you've met…"

Button thought, He must be talking about Scootaloo… He told his kidnapper, "Maybe…"

"Oh, you don't have to hide anything, prince. We saw you hanging around on the beach with those princesses, Rumble, and a few others, I believe. So there is no point in denying."

Button just bared his teeth.

"Now just stay here and everything should be alright and before you know it, you'll be back in your comfortable palace…" he shouted, "Trixie!"

She came to him.

"Watch His Highness, will you, while I look out for our objective?"

She sighed, "Yes, sir."

"That's a good girl." he trotted out.

"Trixie? Wait… I remember you!"

Trixie used her magic to untie Button's blindfold and reveal herself.

"You're from the talent show!"

"I am…" she broke down and begged at his feet, "Oh, do forgive me, Your Majesty! I never wanted this to happen to you! It was bad enough I almost killed Rumble and that girl!"

"You were…?"

"Caballeron forced me to! The Alicorn Amulet was no help at all by keeping me on the dark side!"

"Then why don't you get away from it? Why not get rid of the thing and leave Caballeron?"

"It's not that simple… Caballeron's got his grip on me and if he sees that I'm not wearing the amulet, he'll get suspicious!"

"Trixie, tell me, why is he against Rumble so much? Who is this pony he's trying to get by using me?"

"Rumble was a young colt when we met him. He had talent that we thought we could use. Then when we sent him to get the Amulet of Amethyst, he just disappeared. When we came to this island, we saw him again. The real reason he hates Rumble so much is because he was planning to have him take over the band someday. He felt betrayed when the boy left us."

Button was surprised to hear this, "He cared… he actually cared…"

Trixie slowly nodded her head, "Caballeron never had any children of his own, so when Rumble came along, he reminded him of, well, himself. He was determined to teach Rumble everything about finding treasure and making a profit. He told me he was going to take him in as a son, but when he sent Rumble to retrieve the amulet, he felt hurt and angry. Something tells me he would have offered Rumble to rejoin the gang again if not for the fact Rumble had someone else in his heart…"

Scootaloo… Button concurred.

"That's why he's been trying so hard to get rid of Rumble, so he can erase any feelings he had felt for the boy…"

Button shook his head. This was a sad tale indeed, but it was even sadder that a stallion like Caballeron would try to hurt some pony he had cared for…

"And to answer your other question… I'm sorry to say… but he's after-" She stopped short when she heard hoofsteps and she quickly put the blindfold back on him.

One of the henchies came to her, "The Doc thought you would need some help."

"Fine."

She and Button were forced to be quiet for the rest of the time.

The rescue party made it into the village and started looking around for anything that could give them a clue about the kidnappers. Pip stopped short at the pawn shop own by the Flim Flam brothers. Apple Bloom joined him and shared the same grimace as him.

"One would think they would have skipped town." said AB.

"After all they have done to us, one would hope so…" Pip agreed.

"Might as well see if they've seen anything weird."

"True, but they may not be so talkative to us."

"Then we'll just have to make them talk." AB started going to the store and the bell rang as she did.

"Welcome to Flim and Flam-" Flim gasped when he saw who it was and ducked behind the counter. Flam joined him.

Apple Bloom gave a careless expression and Pip came by her side, giving an emotionless face.

The brothers were shaking and Flam spoke, "Your Highness! We… We were going to get help to save you from that crumbling temple!"

"Right! And we were going to make sure you got out safely!" Flim kept nodding his head.

"But we were detained and got lost in the jungle!"

AB rolled her eyes and Pip slightly shook his head.

"We're not here to arrest you if that's what you're trying to get out of…" spoke Apple Bloom.

"You're not?!" The brothers said in shock.

"I mean… Of course not!" Flam said smoothly.

"In fact," said Pip, "We need your help in something."

"Oh? And what could that be?" said Flim.

"We're looking a friend of ours… Prince Button Mash of Marendelle." said AB.

The brothers cringed and their lips were trembling.

"You do know the prince, don't you? You obviously live in Marendelle." pointed Pip.

"Of course!" Flim sputtered, "It's just… we never met him… so we don't know what he looks like…"

"So we really can't be of much help! It was nice of you to drop by, so good day to you-"

Suddenly, the brothers found themselves being tangled in rope.

"Don't you dare lie to us!" shouted Apple Bloom, "Now you two know something and you're going to tell us!"

"Why should we?!" Flim demanded.

"Because if you lie, that rope is going to get tighter until you tell the truth!"

Flam laughed, "Yeah, right!"

Pip scowled and yelled, "Haven't you two learned anything from the temple?!"

"Go ahead and try it! Tell a lie and you'll see what we mean!" AB tested them.

"Alright," started Flim, "we know nothing about the prince being kidnapped."

Instantly, the rope around them got tight. They yelped in pain.

"We never said anything about Button being kidnapped…" AB's eyes slit.

"But now that you mention it… Would you care to tell us…?" Pip smirked.

"Okay! Okay! You got us!" shouted Flim, "He's here! Underneath the shop! Caballeron is holding the prince hostage!"

"Thank you." AB gave a smug look, "You have been most kind to help us."

"I'll get the others." he kissed Apple Bloom's cheek before rushing out.

"Say, your princess-ness, where did you get the magic rope anyway?" asked Flam.

"It was a gift from my parents on my 16th birthday. They told me to only use it under dire circumstances and this is a dire circumstance."

The others came bursting into the shop by then, and Sweetie Belle was fuming when facing the Flim Flam brothers, "Where is he?! What have you done with him?!"

The brothers were so frightened to speak that they pointed their heads to the trapdoor behind them.

"I'll go first…" Scootaloo told them and the door opened with a creak. She slowly made it down the steps. When she reached the bottom, the basement was just like her vision with all the storage. She felt an eerie calm around her and when she looked ahead, she saw him. "Button!" He heard someone call his name and tried to make sense of who it was. She started running towards him until she stopped by a sword blade.

"Not so fast…" Caballeron stepped out from behind a stack of boxes.

Scootaloo glared furiously at him, "You! You framed Rumble!"

"For his own good, I assure you…" Caballeron smirked.

"You're going to pay!" she flapped up and flew past him. As she did, he caught sight of what she was wearing around her neck.

"The amulet…" he breathed. Then with a look of hatred, he shouted, "He gave you the amulet?!"

"And what of it?!" she landed at her feet. "He couldn't give it to someone like you!"

"That amulet is mine! I have been searching for it for decades!"

"Why?! Why does it mean to you?! What are you planning to use it for?!"

"Silly girl. I plan to use it to have whatever I want!"

"Like what?!"

"Why should I tell you anything? You've been a thorn in my side ever since I met. Turning Rumble over with all your charm and riches…"

She raised her eyebrow in confusion and then turned towards the sound of hoofsteps rushing down.

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie yelled and then saw Button in the state he was in, "Button!"

Button heard her angelic voice and called back, "Sweetie!"

"Henchponies! Keep them distracted!" Caballeron ordered.

The ponies did as their leader commanded and ambushed the group. They fought back as much as they could and Sweetie kept calling to Button.

Hearing her in distress, he struggled with his bonds and tried to free himself. Trixie decided to intervene when she saw Caballeron distracted with Scootaloo. She loosened the ropes and released the blindfold with her magic. Button was surprised at first, but looked at Trixie as she gave a wink. He nodded in gratitude, and when he saw the trouble, he rushed to help.

Featherweight was swordfighting when he saw his best friend coming. He smiled and quickly mumbled, "Button, here!" He took out the other sword and tossed it to Button.

Button saw it and grasped the sword with his teeth. He heard his love screaming when he saw thugs heading towards her with swords pointing. He came to her aid and fought them off. Once he disarmed them, they retreated and Button smiled at her as she returned the smile. Both had tears in their eyes and embraced while giving a kiss.

Their reunion was short-lived when they saw their friends struggling with the other henchponies. Sweetie looked above them and saw a net hanging. Using the pickaxe she brought with her, she used her magic to cut the ropes with it. The net landed right on top of the henchies.

While the battle had been going, Scootaloo dodged blows left and right from Caballeron.

"He won't be able to protect you this time!"

"I'm aware of that!" she retorted.

"I was forced to get rid of him the first time, but as long as you're here, I can rid of you and maybe once you're gone, he'd be willing to rejoin me!"

"He'll never do it!"

He chuckled, "And what makes you sure? You don't know him as long as I have…"

"Maybe not… but he's a part of me just as I am a part of him!"

"A sentimental thought to be sure, but he'll dump you on the spot!"

"That's not true!"

"He left me. What makes you so sure he won't leave you?!"

"He wouldn't! He… couldn't… No! He won't!"

He gave a small laugh, "Unsure, are you…?"

"I'm very sure!"

"Then give me one good reason he couldn't leave you?" he smugly grinned.

"I…" she lowered herself to the ground. She couldn't say it; it was too risky. If he knew, he would only make sure that she would never have a chance to raise her child, hers and Rumble's…

He smirked evilly, "I thought so… Face it, sweetheart. That boy only causes heartbreak wherever he goes…" he slowly drew near her.

"No… you're wrong…" she slowly stepped away from him, but was soon rammed against a wall. She stared into his cold eyes and it scared her. I really wish Rumble was here!

"At last… the amulet…" He grabbed for it, but felt a zap that made him moved back from it. He glared at her, "It appears the amulet is protecting you… So once you're out of the way…" he grabbed for the sword.

Scootaloo clenched in fear, closing her eyes and held on to the amulet, thinking, Rumble! Help!

Unbeknownst to her, the amulet glowed and while Rumble sat in his cell at the castle, a strange glow surrounded him. The next thing he knew, he saw in horror that Caballeron was about to strike Scootaloo!

With his anger raised in fury, he flew with all his might and cried out, "GET YOUR HOOVES OFF OF MY WIFE!" he punched Caballeron in the face and the latter fell back, knocked out.

Scootaloo cried out in joy, "Rumble!" She ran into his arms and they embraced for a while.

"I'm so glad I got here… The question is, though… how did I get here?"

Scootaloo looked down at the amulet, "The amulet… I wished you were here and it must have summoned you!"

"Oh, Scoots… Had I known it was Caballeron, I never would have let you go…"

"It couldn't be helped…" they embraced again until they heard an ahem. They turned to see their friends gaping at them.

Apple Bloom spoke first, "I'm not sure if I heard right, but did Rumble say 'wife' to you?"

Rumble and Scootaloo exchanged glances and faced their friends, who were giving them confused looks.

Scootaloo sighed, "Looks like the cat's out of bag…"

Rumble nodded, "I'll tell them."

When story time was over, Scootaloo could see the hurt in her sisters' eyes.

"Girls… I'm sorry… but there was no other way… Rumble and I… We were going to die and I thought I could do one last thing that could make me happy…"

"Now we know why you asked if adopted princesses were able to marry ponies…" said Babs.

"Yeah… pretty much…"

"I just wish… you could have told us…" said Apple Bloom, "We agreed to no longer hide secrets from each other."

Sweetie sighed, "Actually, Apple Bloom…" she looked at Button who nodded. "Button and I were engaged before the final test took place. It happened right after you went after Pip… I'm sorry I didn't tell you both, but I felt like it was just Button's and my secret… Just something he and I shared…"

Pip gestured, "So let me get this straight," he pointed to Rumble and Scoots, "You two are married," then he pointed to Sweetie and Button, "You two are engaged…" he turned to Apple Bloom, "Were we the only ones whose relationship that didn't go further than a confession?"

"Not really," said Babs, "I've yet to tell the pony I love how I feel…" She looked at Featherweight, who was blushing red.

"You… you feel that way… about me?"

"I do… You help me get past my worries and know when to cheer me up in my gloomy times… I love you, Featherweight…" she kissed his cheek and that caused him to turn red all over.

They laughed at his new color while he gathered himself.

"Then it's best I say this…" he said, still blushing, "I love you, Princess Babs Seed. Everything about you is incredible: the way you show a tough side when you're feeling sad inside. The way you laugh is adorable; I can't get enough of it… You showed me that I can be serious while still being funny… For that, I will always be grateful and I never want to lose you because of that…"

Babs had to wipe a tear away, "Come with me…"

"Come… with…?"

"When I have to go back home, I want you to come with me. I won't care what my parents will say. I won't marry any pony but you…"

"Really?"

"Really, truly…" they leaned in for their first kiss.

"Aww…" the ponies who surrounded them gushed.

"Oops…" said Babs, "Forgot we had an audience…"

"That was so romantic!" AB sighed.

"So, old friend, looks like it's the altar for the both us…" Featherweight said to Button.

"It sure is. I wish you the best of luck…" Button extended his hoof. Featherweight took it and they shook on it.

Pip pointed out to the three guys, "You do realize that you just put the pressure on me, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Sweetie nudged him, "When are you going to pop the question to our sister?"

"Possibly never…" AB lowered her head.

Pip lifted her chin up, having her face him with tears in his eyes, "You have no idea how much I want to…"

"Pip…?"

"If I didn't have other obligations back home, I would have asked for your hoof a week ago…"

Tears were spilling from her face, "Oh… You would have…?"

"Yes… because that's how much I have come to love you…" he kissed her forehead.

"And I will always love you no matter what…" she nuzzled his head.

"I hate to ruin this moment, but we can finish this when we get back." said Button.

"Right." they all agreed.

"Leaving so soon?" a voice echoed.

They turned back to see Caballeron and his henchies, who were all free now.

"What?! But how did you-" Rumble started.

"While you were all being mushy and stuff, I quickly went to free my comrades. Now, we have some unfinished business to complete… Trixie! Teleport us!"

Trixie was taken aback at first. Button was silently begging to her, but she just hung her head and gave into Caballeron's command. She used the Alicorn Amulet's magic and in a flash, they, except Trixie, were teleported to a beach with a seaside cliff. In the distance, dark clouds were gathering and lighting was flashing.

"This will be the perfect place to finish the job." he started heading over with his sword. The group braced themselves as he shouted, "Attack!"

The henchponies aimed for the group and they began to fight. Sweetie Belle suddenly felt a hoof grabbing her and dragging her away.

"You're coming with me…" Caballeron said.

"No! Helppp!" she screamed.

Button saw this and cried out, "Sweetie Belle!" He tried to go after her, but was overpowered. The others were held back, too, by fighting them off.

Sweetie was kicking and screaming when Caballeron threw some powder on her. At the moment, she went unconscious.

"Alas, sweet princess… this is how things must be… If only you weren't hated by one so fair… Adieu…" He dropped her off the cliff.

In that one moment, they stopped fighting to see her falling… and falling…

Button, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were mortified. Caballeron gave the signal and the ponies who worked for him went off, leaving the young ponies in a state of horror.

When Button reached to the top of the cliff, he shouted, "I have to go after her!" He was about to make the jump until Apple Bloom and Rumble held him back.

"Let me go!" he squirmed to get out of their grip.

"Don't be a fool!" Scootaloo proclaimed, "She… she's…" tears came running down.

Apple Bloom was sobbing, too, "She's… gone…"

"No! No… She… she can't be…" Button moaned.

Babs, Featherweight, Rumble, and Pip gave off solemn looks.

Button fell into despair and thunder crashed as rain began to fall. Button crouched to the ground and mourned for his lost love…

Chapter 28

Twilight was fiddling with her coffee cup, not feeling in the mood to drink or eat anything. Flash came up and offered her some oatmeal, but all she could do was stare at it. He patted her back in sorrow.

Pinkie's mane was deflated and Cheese wore a sad expression on his face. He comforted his wife, but he knew it was going to take a while until she was herself again.

Applejack was lying on the bed, looking depressed. Spike was next to her, looking just as upset as she was.

Rainbow was on a cloud that she darkened to match her mood. Soarin' was another cloud watching her carefully.

Fancy Pants couldn't bear to see his wife so distraught. Her hair was a mess because she was crying in the pillows, but she didn't care, not with everything that happened.

Fluttershy and Discord sat on the couch side by side, releasing each other's pain. Fluttershy would cry every five minutes while Discord moped and wouldn't have a care in the world, especially since their entire world was shattered the night before.

He would never forget the moment that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo called in on the magic mirror without Sweetie Belle and when they were asked where she was, they broke down and told the whole thing in tears. That caused his own heart to break in half, as well as the rest of the family. The sisters immediately started crying and their husbands could do nothing but watch, but Discord himself had to release a few tears since unlike them, he was in more pain.

He found himself saying, "It's all my fault…"

"Don't say that…" Fluttershy softly said.

"But it is… I could have helped her or protected her more…"

"This was something entirely out of your hands… You could not have known this would happen…" she wept.

"I just wish…"

She held his paw, "I know… we all wish that…" she leaned on his arm.

At the Canterlot castle, Celestia was weeping in her husband's arms as he was also shedding a few tears. Luna stood by as she watched them in grieve.

Marendelle was covered in rain. Ever since the tragedy, it didn't let up. Featherweight, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Pip, and Rumble were outside Button's door. He locked himself in ever since they came back.

Featherweight knocked on the door, "Button…? Please… we know you're in there… They're all wondering where you've been…"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom softly sang, "They say 'have courage' and we're trying to… We're right out here for you… Just let us in… We know what you're going through…"

"Won't you please come out of there?"

Button had his head against the door, blocking out any pony trying to reach out to him. He started crying again as he thought miserably, I failed her… I should have saved her but I couldn't… I'm so sorry, Sweetie… I'm so sorry… He kept crying.

Featherweight shook his head, knowing they weren't getting anywhere and led them off. The queen saw them going and gave a sympathetic look. She turned to her son's bedroom door and knocked, "Button… it's your mother… I know you're not in any position to talk, but we must discuss something…"

There was a pause until she heard a click and the door slowly open. She had her arms out as he raced into them sobbing.

She stroked his head, "Oh, my sweet, brave boy… This really has been a nightmare for you…"

"I loved her… l loved her…" he said between sobs.

"Shhh… I know… After everything you told me about the two of you, I will always admire that she wanted to seek my approval so I can bless the marriage… She would have made an excellent queen and an even better wife… And I would have been proud to call her 'daughter'…"

"Mom… you really mean that…?"

"Yes… and I am so glad you found love after all. You made me remember the times of being young and in love… I'm so sorry for forcing you into something that would have made you very unhappy… I'm even sorrier that things took a turn for the worse and that you're forced to face a difficult decision… If I had another child, I would have them take up the throne instead of my heartbroken son, who's lost his one true love…"

Button realized then what his mother was getting at… He was the only heir to Marendelle's throne… The fact still remained that he had to marry to have the next heir…

"You don't have to say anything… You're in enough pain as it is… But you are going to have to think about it… Your father and I will give you all the time you need until you are ready to go through with it…"

He went to the window and saw pouring rain landing on the panels. The dark clouds matched his mood. He didn't want to get married, but what choice did he have…? Marendelle would be lost without the next rightful ruler… He thought about how Sweetie Belle once told him he would be a good king. He believed her. Even if she wasn't here, she would have wanted him to take his place as the true king…

"We can invite all of the princesses back here and you can pick from there…" Love Tap softly suggested, "But it is your choice… Tell us what you want to do and we will fulfill it."

Button pondered on this. It was quite obvious he would never fall in love again like he did with Sweetie. If he had to choose, he would want to marry one of her sisters, but Scootaloo was already taken and Apple Bloom was in love as well. The second choice would be one of their friends, but Babs was in love with Featherweight and Twist and Truffle had a thing for each other. Dinky was around Snails more and he recalled being told that she would want to marry for love. He could never force either of them to go through what he almost went through in the first place. There was only one thing to do…

He spoke while going to his closet, picking out a blue and red uniform he hardly wore, "It only makes sense to marry the runner-up from the tests."

"Princess Diamond Tiara?"

"Yes. And we are to marry as soon as possible…" he buttoned up the uniform.

"Button… are… are you sure? So soon?"

He nodded, "Let's not let it linger. It'll only be just a reminder of what could have been… The faster we get this out of the way, the faster it'll be over and my duty to the kingdom will be done…"

"Alright… if this is what you really want?"

He nodded again, "It is…"

The queen slowly walked away and gave her son a worried glance before leaving.

The wedding announcement was made after lunch and Diamond Tiara was more than excited by the news. She and Silver Spoon went to go make wedding arrangements.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and their friends tried to talk Button out of it, but his mind was made up.

"I'm going to be unhappy for the rest of my life, anyway… Why should it matter if I marry some pony that's going to add to it?"

"At least spare yourself some decency!" Scootaloo pointed.

"All of my decency is gone… It left just as Sweetie had left…"

"If you have to marry some pony, then marry me!" AB offered, even if caused her to cringe.

"No!" Babs gestured and glumly said, "I shall…"

"No… I will…" Twist sadly said.

"I'll do it!" Dinky raised her hoof, but gave an unsure look.

Scootaloo rubbed her neck, "I would offer, too, but… you know…"

"Look, guys… I appreciate this… but you owe it to yourselves to be happy… I can't take that happiness away from any of you. And Sweetie would agree… She wants all of you to be happy. You know I'm right…"

The sisters sighed. He spoke the truth. Sweetie was always the one who saw a happy ending for every pony.

"So… are any of you willing to stay for the wedding?"

They exchanged glances and Scootaloo said, "AB and I are leaving the moment the rain stops and we can set sail for home."

Bloom spoke, "Don't get us wrong, but it'll be hard for us to watch you marry another pony other than our sister… And staying here is upsetting…"

"I understand… out of respect for your sister… I wish we had gotten married sooner because I would have been honored to call you my sisters…"

They gushed over that and they both hugged him. He looked over to the other three princesses.

Babs said, "It's the same reasoning that applies for us. We're leaving at the first chance."

"Sure…" he gave a small smile, "I will miss all of you, though… It was fun while it lasted…"

They nodded in agreement.

"If you'll excuse me, I have wedding details to go over…" he gave them one last glance before he went out.

"Poor Button…" Dinky faintly said.

They could only nod in sorrow.

Diamond Tiara was looking over flower arrangements and it infuriated her, "I don't want white roses! I want red roses!"

The flower arranger, by the name of Roseluck, crouched in fear, "Yes, Your Highness! Apologies, Your Highness!" she rushed off to fix the problem.

When she went into the banquet hall, she saw a towering wedding cake before her. She noticed Truffle standing by putting the finishing touches on the frosting. She demanded, "Is that the biggest you got?!"

"Um… Oh… we can always add an extra layer…?"

"Do so! And make sure the frosting is buttercream!" she huffed and held her head high as she trotted out.

"Oh, Di! I can wait for you to try on your dress and me in the bridesmaid dress!" Silver Spoon gleefully said.

"It better be good… I want this wedding to be perfect! But ponies are incompetent to figure that out…"

A guard came up to her then, "Your Highness?"

She shouted, "What?!"

"Uh, some pony is requesting to see you… Shall we send him away?"

Silver whispered, "It's probably that creepo that we had to meet with the last few times…"

"Yes…" Tiara wickedly grinned and said in a sickly sweet tone, "Thank you, guard. I shall take it from here…" she went pass him and headed towards the gates.

"It's about time! We've been waiting for the last ten minutes! Now that we've fulfilled our end of the deal, you can fulfill yours."

She started acting innocently, "Deal…? What deal?"

"What do you mean 'what deal'?! You know perfectly what deal!"

"Oh, really…? I seem to recall that you offered to help me…" she smirked.

Caballeron went pale.

"You did your part and now I shall be queen of this kingdom. I suggest you submit to me, but if you're against me… You'll be having a harder time hiding out than you are now…" she showed her evil smile.

He gritted his teeth and turned to go with his gang behind him. Diamond gave off a look of triumph.

Moments later, Diamond Tiara was trying out her wedding dress that was made out of silk and lace. She admired herself in the mirror.

"Oh, Dia, you are so beautiful!" Sliver gawked.

"Indeed…" she started singing, "What a lovely little bride, I'll make… My dear, I'll look divine… Things are working out according to my ultimate design… Soon I'll be queen and the whole kingdom will be mine!" She giggled evilly.

Button lied on his bed, knowing of the changes that would soon come to pass. No matter what happens, Sweetie… I will always love you… Forever…

The rain poured into the ocean and waves crashed against rocks while fathoms below the water remained untouched by the elements above. An underwater city lied at the bottom. Sea ponies, kelpies, and mermares were swimming about, going their own way. A kelpie and a mermare were both going the same way as they reached a reef building.

"How is she?" asked the mermare that was pink and had green hair and fins.

"Fine, for now…" said the kelpie that was dark purple and had a white fin on her head.

"The poor thing… It's a good thing we spotted her off the coast or she would have…"

"Yes… but you know she can't stay here or else, we'll both be in trouble for bringing a pony from the above world…"

"And it's hard to say how long the transformation will last anyway…"

The kelpie nodded. They turned into a room where a white coated mare was resting in a sea bed. Slowly, she was waking up and looked to see that she was underwater. She gasped in surprise and realized she could breathe underwater!

"How…?" She found out, "I can talk!"

"Of course you can…" said a voice.

She turned to see two strange creatures watching her and was shocked, "You're… you're mermares!"

"Close, but I am a kelpie. My name is Cassie."

"And I am Jewel. Do you have a name?"

"I'm… Sweetie Belle."

"Welcome, Sweetie Belle," said Jewel, "to the city of Coltlantis!"

"Although it is forbidden for upper-worlders to see it…" Cassie added.

"Aw," Sweetie groaned and then said, "But if that's true… why am I here…?" she started getting out of the bed, "And how can I breath under-" she noticed then that she had a tail from the waist down and her legs were missing. She screamed, only to be silenced by Jewel's fin.

"Please! Don't scream!" Cassie begged, "We'll tell you everything, if you'll just calm down!"

Sweetie compensated this and nodded. Jewel let go of her and started explaining, "Cassie and I were following the ocean currents that lead us close to the island you came from… when suddenly, you dropped into the water. We saw you were unconscious…"

"We were going to bring you back up to the surface, but we were too close to the shore and we could not be seen by other ponies. So Jewel and I combined our powers and transformed you into a sea mare, if only for a short while."

"We brought you back here to rest, and now you know…"

"What I like to know is… what were you doing in the first place that caused you to fall in the ocean like that?"

"Well… it all started…" she relayed her whole tale.

Author's Note

Yes, Sweetie is alive and... a mermare? Hm. Sorry for the scare in the last chapter but I wanted to get away from the groom being under a spell cliché since that's been done in a Canterlot Wedding. Also, I really like Diamond Tiara as a villain, when I first saw her in Season One, I thought she was just a bully and would change later but with each passing season she just got meaner and meaner. By Season Four, I declared her as Pure Evil... So looks like sometime in the future Diamond Tiara will become a tyrant and won't let anything stand in her way. The Mane Six should do something about that before that ever happens. Anyway, I want to thank the IDW comics for coming up with the kelpies and the mermares. Jewel is from Issue 14 and Cassie is from Issue 23. And for a better picture of Coltlantis check out Issue 24.

Chapter 29

The skies were still cloudy, but the rain had ceased, so it was the perfect chance to board ship. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were on the dock saying their goodbyes while Rumble and Pip watched from the ship. Babs hugged both sisters and then boarded her ship. Featherweight gave a look of concern to Button, but he nudged his friend to get going and he followed Babs onto the ship. Dinky embraced the Canterlot sisters and said goodbye to Snips and Snails. Twist hugged them last and Truffle told her he would come for her as soon as the wedding was over with.

The girls hugged Button one last time and he gave them a heartfelt goodbye. They boarded ship and Admiral Scallop gave the command to hoist the sails. With a look of sadness, Button waved goodbye to those who had mattered to him in such a short time…

When Sweetie had finished her story, Jewel was shaking her head.

"That is so sad…"

"Please, is there any way I can get back to my sisters and my true love?" Sweetie asked.

"As soon as you're rested and feeling up to it, we'll take you back to where we found you." said Cassie.

"But I'm fine now! Please, you have to take me back! They must be so worried about me…"

"Even if we do take you back now, you would have to wait for the spell to wear off." Jewel gestured.

"So I'm stuck like this until I can get back to normal…?"

"Afraid so… but we can offer a way for you to see your loved ones." Cassie gave her a fairly large white pearl. "You merely have to state who you wish to see."

Just like Discord's magic mirror… Sweetie thought with a smile, and said to the pearl, "I wish to see my sisters, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom…" the pearl heard her wish and it glowed. The pearl revealed an image of her sisters being on what she recognized as Canterlot's royal ship. Wait… Why are they leaving Marendelle…? Then, it occurred to her that once she was in the ocean, she must have been presumed dead! Oh, no! Not again!

She proclaimed, "I have to go after them and show them I'm alright!"

Cassie and Jewel nodded.

Apple Bloom slumped by the bow of the ship. Pip joined her and placed his hoof around her. Scootaloo sat in the back of the ship and sighed deeply. Rumble came over to her, giving a sad face that was like hers.

"It was bad enough without having to lose you… only to lose my sister in the process…" she put her hooves over her eyes.

Rumble solemnly looked at her and wrapped his arms around her for comfort.

The whole ship was quiet, knowing of the tragedy of the lost princess, and the crew kept working without making a sound. After what seemed like forever, a strange noise filled the air. It was faint at first, but it just grew more and more loudly. The noise then sounded like singing.

AB lifted her head in confusion, "That singing… where have I heard it before…?"

Scootaloo tilted her head up as she listened to the song. The voice that was singing sounded so familiar to her, but she couldn't place it.

"…There is a star waiting to guide us, shining inside us… When we close our eyes! Don't let go, if you stay close to me! In my dreams tonight… You will see what I see… Dreams to dream… As near as can be… Inside you and me… They always come… true…"

The sisters looked around. That last note was closer than the rest of the lyrics. They searched around the ship and Rumble and Pip shrugged their shoulders, unable to find anything. Suddenly, a voice said.

"You know, you could look down…"

They did and their jaws dropped at the sight.

Sweetie smirked, "Yes… it's me…"

The girls burst into tears and reached out to their sister. She reached out to them too, only to get picked up by a mantahawk to help her out. They embraced her, with all three of them crying.

"I just… I can't believe… I was so sure we lost you this time…" Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah… we even had to tell the rest of our family the bad news…" Scoots pointed.

"Well, as you can see, I'm very much alive…"

"Well, now we do…" Scootaloo scoffed.

"And we can- what in Equestria is that?!" AB noticed Sweetie's tail attached to her.

Scootaloo and the boys noticed it, too, and gawked at it.

"What? Oh… this…" she blushed and moved her fins, "Don't worry. It's only temporary, but I'll tell you that if weren't for this thing, I really wouldn't be here…"

When she finished explaining, the girls were shaking their heads in disbelief. How lucky they were to have Sweetie be alive all this time.

"I swear, you get all the luck." Scootaloo motioned.

"You are," AB nodded, "You pass all the tests, you get Button to marry- Oh, my gosh! Button!"

"What? What is it?!" Sweetie worried.

"Button! He's going to marry Diamond Tiara because he thought you were dead!"

Scootaloo gasped, "That's right!"

"No! It can't be! Tell me it's not true!" begged Sweetie.

Pip gave an upset look, "I'm afraid it is…"

Rumble added, "The poor guy didn't have much of a choice. With you gone, he had to marry someone else for his kingdom…"

"But why did it have to be Diamond Tiara?!" Sweetie started crying. Thinking how things have gone so wrong, she sang, "I've always dreamed… That my life could be… like a fairy-tale… a perfect fantasy… Every day a new adventure… on some undiscovered shore… Was it nothing more than a dream? Then one magic night… with a single dance… I found more than just a storybook romance… And for once my life was perfect… as we glided 'cross the floor… And it was so much more… so much more than a dream… I could say it never happened… just a dream from the start, but then I'd live my life with a broken heart…"

"We need to stop that wedding!" declared Scootaloo.

"Right! While there's still time!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Captain, turn us back to Marendelle!" Scoots commanded.

"We're caught in a current, and the wind is picking up! Even if we do manage to turn, we'd be fighting against the waves and it would take a while to get back on course!"

"I wish I could fly ahead, but with the wind, it would be hard move in it." Rumble pointed.

"There's only one thing to do… I'll have to swim back…" Sweetie said.

"All by yourself?" AB questioned with worry.

"I know… but what choice do we have?"

"Just… be careful… We lost you far too many times already. I hate to think that this time will be for good…" Scootaloo hung her head.

AB slowly nodded in agreement.

"I understand. But I Pinkie Promise that you won't lose me this time. Besides, it's probably for the best that I get ahead, and then Button can see I'm alright and stop the wedding."

"Good point." Pip said.

She hugged the girls and they squeezed her in return, making sure that this wasn't going to be the last hug they would ever have.

"I'll see you back in Marendelle…" She took a dive and landed in the water. Making use of her new fins, she sang out while putting all her thoughts on Button, "'Cause in a prince's arms I've found a love I can't deny! If there's any chance to set things right, I've simply got to try! So I'll trust my heart! What else can I do? I can't live in dreams if my dreams are to come true! There's a better life that's waiting, pass the mountains I must climb! I'll will take a chance on love to get my once upon a time! Oh, I want so much more… so much more… than a dream!"

Button sighed as he saw the wedding ship being decorated and set up for the reception afterwards.

"Doesn't everything look perfect!" his new fiancé came up to him with a smile spread across her face.

"It is…" he sadly said.

"Though, we need to change the colors."

"Whatever you say…" he turned to leave the ship.

Silver Spoon said to her cousin, "He doesn't seem very happy."

"Obviously still thinking of that little nobody… Well, no matter. He'll forget all about her once I show him what I have to offer…" she flipped her mane, acting all sultry.

Back on the ship, Scootaloo asked, "Any process, admiral?"

The Admiral grunted as he tried to turn the helm, "Blast these winds! The sea is being a cruel mistress!"

"We need to get back to help Sweetie!" Scoots yelled.

"I know!" shouted Apple Bloom, "But what can we do?! It's not like we can use magic to turn this around any quicker!"

"And even if you did, you would need a powerful spell to fight these currents!" Pip gestured.

AB's eyes suddenly gleamed, "And I know just the being to do that!" she quickly ran into the cabin and came back carrying the magic mirror.

"Of course!" Scootaloo smiled, "It was so obvious!"

Bloom nodded as she started calling to the mirror, "Apple Bloom calling Discord! Apple Bloom calling Discord!"

In the castle apartment, Fluttershy was trying to prepare for dinner that night, but she wasn't in the mood. She noticed her husband still sitting on the couch from that morning. He just kept staring at the wall and doing nothing. She couldn't blame him. Losing Sweetie Belle was a blow for all of them, but her husband and her sister were pretty close. She thought that if they had a daughter in the next month, they would name her Sweetie Belle in honor of Sweetie Belle.

Rarity was in her workshop trying to get her mind off of Sweetie Belle, but each time she tried to sew something, it would get crooked and she had to redo the stitching. She felt a kick and touched her stomach, "Oh, I'm sorry, darling… Mommy's not her usual self…" she gave a slight chuckle, "If you're anything like your dear aunt, I will name you after her…" she sighed at the thought, "Perhaps a visit to your Aunt Fluttershy will help…" she left the room.

"Discord?" Fluttershy came up to him.

He stood silent and not moved an inch.

"Discord?" she tried calling again, but he just stayed the same.

Finally, she shouted, "Discord!"

That made him snap out of his gloomy thoughts and faced her, "Hmm? Oh… Fluttershy… I'm sorry, love. Did you need something?"

"I think the better question is: do you need anything?"

"Who, me? Nah… I'm… fine…"

"You don't sound fine…" a voice said.

They turned to see Rarity walking in, "I'm terribly sorry for barging in, but no one was answering…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rarity. I was so busy trying to get Discord's attention that I didn't hear you knock…"

"It's alright. We're all upset about what's happened… We just can't think straight."

"I should have been there… To stop it from ever happening…" Discord held himself.

"I keep telling you… there's nothing we could have done to prevent it, no matter how much we wanted to…" Fluttershy said softly.

"Sometimes, I still think that she's going to call me up on the magic mirror and ask for my help or advice…"

By then, the mirror on a stand was glowing and vibrating. Fluttershy and Rarity noticed this.

"But chances are that's never going to happen…"

"Um, honey? The mirror…"

"And I'll never hear her sweet voice again…"

"Discord! The mirror!" Rarity pointed.

"The mirror? What?" he looked and sure enough, the mirror was acting up. With a jump in his heart, he snatched it up and said to it, "Sweetie Belle? Is that you?" But when the image came into view, he was somewhat crestfallen, "Oh… Apple Bloom…"

"Discord! You've got to help us!"

This surprised him, "What's going on?"

Immediately, both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were spouting off at the same time. Neither Discord nor the girls could follow. He shouted to them, "Halt! One at a time! Apple Bloom, explain to us what's going on."

"Sweetie Belle's alive! Button's getting married to the wrong pony-"

"Back up!" he yelled, "Sweetie Belle… is… alive…?" he could hardly believe it.

Rarity and Fluttershy were shocked as well.

"Yes!" Scootaloo hollered, "Now pay attention! Button is getting married to a stuck-up princess because he thought Sweetie was dead! Now she's on her way to stop it and we're trying to get there to join her, but we're caught in a current and can't turn around!"

"We need your help to turn the ship!" AB bellowed.

"Can it be true…?" Rarity touched her heart, "Our dear little sister is alive…?"

Fluttershy asked, "Girls, are you sure?"

"YES!" they shouted.

"We saw her with our own eyes!" AB exclaimed.

"And felt her, too!" Scootaloo claimed.

Their mouths gaped open until Discord said, "There's only one way to figure this out…" he went to the large magic mirror, "Mirror, show me Sweetie Belle."

An image of Sweetie Belle swimming in the ocean appeared as she swam as fast she could. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Discord felt joy in their hearts and cheered.

"She's alive! She's alive!" Discord floated up, "And…" he looked back at the picture and realized, "And she's half-fish?"

Back in the smaller mirror, both AB and Scootaloo face-hoofed.

"Look, there's no time to explain everything. Are you going to help us or not?!" Scoots demanded.

The three exchanged glances and gave a determined look.

"Of course we will! But just give us one moment…" Discord popped up the rest of the family living in the castle.

Once confusion was sorted out and the news was given, a plan was set into action by Twilight.

"Alright, every pony. Operation-"

Pinkie chimed in, "Operation-Help-Sweetie-Belle-Save-The-Prince-From-An-Awful-Pony-Who-Doesn't-Deserve-To-Marry-Him!"

"Yes, more or less…" said Twilight. "Anyway, here's what we'll do: Discord, Flash, Pinkie, Cheese, Rainbow, Soarin', and I will help the girls turn the ship around and from there, we'll find Sweetie Belle and help her out."

"Sure wish we could come with you…" said Applejack.

"I know, but you three are expecting. It's important that you stay here."

"Someone has to tell Mother and Father what's going on." said Rarity.

Twilight nodded.

Discord and Fluttershy embraced.

"Oh, please be careful…" she whispered.

"Don't worry, I'll be perfectly safe and I'll make sure to keep everyone else safe. This time for sure…"

She smiled as they leaned in for a kiss.

An "Ahem!" from the mirror interrupted them. Scootaloo pointed out, "Not to ruin the mush, but we're short on time here!"

Discord went to the large mirror, "All right then, we'll be right over!" he waved his hands and the mirror began to swirl and open a wormhole. "This baby should be able to take us to right where you are. So, who wants to go first?"

"I never miss out on entering a strange wormhole that will take you places!" Pinkie said and she took the jump, shouting, "Wee!" She was gone.

Cheese followed right after his wife, shouting, "Yeah-hoo!"

Rainbow and Soarin' shrugged and went in next.

Flash told Twilight, "See you on the other side." She went through.

Twilight looked back at the sisters who were staying and then went in.

Discord stole one last glance of his wife before going in and once he was through, the portal closed and the mirror was back to normal.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waited to see when their family would arrive. Rumble was a bit nervous meeting his wife's family, who technically was his family now, too. Pip was on edge, but remembered that he already met the royal family. He didn't need to worry, but it was probably for the best that he was on his best behavior around Apple Bloom.

Suddenly, a wormhole opened at the center of the ship and Pinkie came out, shouting, "Wee!" Then, she landed smack-face on the deck. Cheese came next and landed on top of his wife. Dash and Soarin' managed to avoid the collision and flew out. Flash, however, missed a step and went on top of Cheese, and then Twilight bumped into her husband. Discord levitated in and smirked at the pile of ponies.

"You must really watch that first step. It's a doozy."

"You could have mentioned that earlier!" Twilight complained.

"Now where's the fun in that?!" he shrugged.

"Discord!" said two voices.

"Hey!" he had his arm out and embraced the fillies that used be no higher than his knees.

Once they finished hugging him, they hugged their sisters and brothers-in-law.

Rainbow rubbed Scoots head, "Great to see you too, squirt."

"Hey, kiddo." Soarin' patted her back.

Apple Bloom finished hugging Pinkie and looked around, "Where's Applejack?"

"Sorry, Apple Bloom," said Twilight, "but we knew it would better for her to stay home, especially in her condition."

"Oh, I understand…"

"Don't worry, she misses you, too." said Flash.

That made her smile.

Discord then saw the colts watching them, "Hello, who do we have here?"

Rumble gulped when he saw the towering creature coming towards him. Pip was a bit intimidated, but he remembered Discord before and remained calm.

AB came over, "You know Pip."

"Him, I remember. As I recall he was supposed to watch all three of you…"

This made Pip sweat, "Well… I…"

Bloom came to his defensive, "There is no way, no how he could have helped Sweetie in time. We were all overpowered by the ponies who led our sister to her doom."

"Okay, okay, I'll buy that, so who's this fellow?" Discord pointed to Rumble.

Scootaloo came at Rumble's side, "This is Rumble. We met before… in the alley…" she almost whispered that last part.

"Wait a minute…" Discord pondered and then smirked, "This is the guy who got away by throwing trash on you…?"

Scoots sighed, "Yes…"

The spirit burst out laughing.

Rumble was confused, "What's so funny?"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "I made a point that if I saw you again, it would be too soon and that's exactly what happened…"

"Whoa…"

"Yeah…"

Rainbow then flew up and examined him, "You don't seem all that tough to me… From Scoots' description, I was expecting some pony with more build and a tougher attitude."

"Oh, I got it! It just seems whenever I'm around her," he pointed to Scootaloo, "I get distracted and I have to use my wits to get away."

Scoots smirked, "Except you couldn't get away when I sprained your wing…"

"Ha! So you do admit it!"

They kept with bantering as Discord watched it while eating popcorn and he shared some with Pinkie and Cheese.

Twilight had her brow raised and asked Apple Bloom, "Is it like that all the time with them?"

"At first, it was like that when we were going to Marendelle. Then when we got to the island, they got all mushy. Don't ask me how it started up."

"Mushy? Uh…how mushy are we talking?"

"Uh…" a bead of sweat went down AB's brow. She Pinkie-Promised Scootaloo that she wouldn't tell any of their family about Scoots' marriage. Thankfully, the topic was changed when Scootaloo shouted.

"Why are we talking about this?! Sweetie needs us to get back to help Button!"

Twilight agreed, "You're right. Discord, can you-" But she realized that the spirit of chaos was already at the helm and had pirate wear on.

"Way ahead of you, bookworm! Hold on tight, everypony!" He jerked the helm, causing the ponies to rock from side of the ship to the next. In no time, the ship was completely turned around and headed straight for Marendelle.

Sweetie wasn't sure how much closer she was to Marendelle. She went past Coltlantis to quickly thank Jewel and Cassie for their help and they gave her a small conch shell for her to blow in case she needed assistance from them in the future. She would treasure it always. She kept on swimming, but then felt strange. She stopped for a moment and looked down to see her gills fading away and her fins were slowly turning back to legs.

No! Not now! She panicked and she started swimming up to the surface, but she was so far down it was hard for her to breath. No… No… she thought, I was so close… I'm so sorry… Button… She felt herself going down, but then, out of nowhere, a giant fishhook wrapped around her and she was being reeled up. She came out of the water and landed on the hard deck. She heard someone said.

"Look who I've caught!"

Her eyes widened when she recognized the voice. She looked up and smiled widely at him. "Discord!" she ran to embrace him, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

"Aw, it was nothing… but now that's out of the way, I'll say this… Don't you ever scary me like that ever again! Do you realize the pain you caused us all when we thought you were dead?!"

She started sobbing then in his arms while saying, "I know… I know…"

Twilight magically wrapped a towel around her and took over the comforting.

"It's alright now… You're alive and that's all that matters…"

Sweetie then noticed that half of her family was here smiling at her.

"Where's Rarity?" she asked.

Twilight explained, "She couldn't come, but I'm sure if she was here, she would be holding on to you and crying."

Sweetie giggled. That was exactly how she imagined her sister's reaction would be. Then, she had a serious expression on her face, "I need to get to Marendelle."

"We know, that's why we're here…" Twilight smiled.

She looked over to where the sisters she knew before adoption were and beamed at them.

"We called in the cavalry." AB smiled.

"So, Sweetie…" Discord coiled his tail around her and smirked, "Tell me more about this prince you so desperately fell in love with… and what are the perks for getting to be his queen?"

Sweetie just rolled her eyes.

Chapter 31

The Canterlot throne room was filled with anticipation as Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity, with Spike and Fancy Pants, were waiting for news from the family members that went on the venture to go help out. Celestia, Sombra, and Luna were waiting with them to await the return of their family.

Rarity asked, "Do you suppose they've managed to help the girls by now?"

"Oh, I hope so…" said Fluttershy.

"Sure they have!" said Applejack.

"I believe you are correct, my darling." said Celestia.

Just then, two guards came bursting in the room with panic spread across their faces and they both shouted out, "Your Highnesses!"

"Yes?" they all said.

One of them spoke, "A ship approaches the city!"

The royals tilted their heads in confusion and Luna pointed out, "So? There are many dirigibles that float around Canterlot. That's not anything new."

The other spoke up, "No, no! This is a real ship! It's a flying ship!"

This got their attention as they rushed to the windows and sure enough, off in the fair distance was a ship flying towards them.

Sombra turned back to the guards, "Round up the other guards and prepare for an attack!"

"Wait, Father!" Rarity gestured, "Look!"

Once he got a closer look, he saw the royal coat of arms on the sails and flag.

"It's… our ship?" questioned Fluttershy.

Celestia's eyes widened, "Which means…" She rushed out of the room with everyone else behind her.

Once they were outside, the ship got closer and the guards were ready on the defense. The family looked up and then they saw the rest of their family waving and shouting to them out of joy.

Sombra smiled and ordered the guards to stand down. They did so.

The anchor dropped in midair and slowly, the ship set down on the ground. When the plank came down, Pinkie and Cheese came bouncing down and Soarin' and Rainbow followed after. Twilight and Flash came out and then Discord. Fluttershy ran to her husband, who held his arms out and embraced her.

Celestia and Sombra shared concerned looks with Applejack and Rarity, but then saw a sight that overwhelmed them with happiness. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo came down with smiles on their faces and then they rushed to their parents, who were tearful.

"Oh, my darlings!" Celestia said and kissed each of their foreheads, "Thank goodness! When I heard Sweetie was… Oh, I'm so grateful that wasn't true!"

"Indeed, it gave us all quite a scare…" said Sombra as he kept hugging his youngest daughters.

Celestia saw Scoots' bandaged wing, "Scootaloo, your wing!"

"It's just a scratch… Nothing to worry about…"

Bloom whispered, "Except when it's broken…"

Scootaloo shushed her.

Apple Bloom then went over to Applejack and Spike and they gave her a huge hug.

Sweetie did the same with Rarity and Fancy Pants and she noticed Rarity was squeezing the life out of her and was crying.

"My poor little sister, having to go through such an ordeal!"

"It's okay, Rarity… The mermares saved me… I own them everything…"

"Oh, you have so much to tell me!"

"And I will, but there's other business we have to take care of…" she turned to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who were nodding, and turned their heads back to the ship.

Pip came down first and Apple Bloom took his hoof as they faced her parents. She said, "Mom, Dad… I love Pip…"

The parents exchanged glances and then smirked, turning back to their daughter.

"It was bound to happen…" said Sombra.

Celestia nodded.

"Then… you're not mad?" she questioned.

Celestia chuckled, "Not at all…"

They smiled, but then frowned as Pip said, "I would ask for your daughter's hoof in marriage, but… I have a problem at home…"

"Oh?" both the king and queen said.

"You see, my aunt… she runs an inn in Pony-Ville, but lately, the bills have been piling up… That inn has been my aunt's pride and joy, aside from me since she had to take me in as a small colt… If she loses this inn, she has nowhere else to go… And that's why I took the job as the princesses' personal escort: to try to raise enough to help out…"

The royal couple gave each other a look of sympathy and then smiled towards Pip.

"I'm sure we can figure something out…" said Celestia, "Twilight will have thought of something by now… am I right?" She turned to her daughter.

Twilight smiled and said while taking out a list, "I've already composed a list of several ideas."

Apple Bloom and Pip beamed at her.

Sweetie said, "It's my turn. Mom, Daddy, I would like for you to meet Prince Button Mash of Marendelle." she gestured to Button's entrance.

The king and queen smiled as they bowed their heads in respect.

"Welcome, Your Highness." said Sombra.

"Thank you," Button replied as he bowed his head, "It's an honor to meet the parents of my beloved fiancé. I would like to apologize for your daughter having to go through such ridiculous tests to prove her worth… That's why I would like to ask for a chance to prove myself… Give me a test, any test, and I will do my best to pass it for the sake of your daughter…"

The king and queen were taken aback by this and Luna came up to them with a smile on her face, "Hmm, quite admirable, if I do say so myself."

Celestia then spoke, "Your Highness, you don't need to prove anything to us…"

"But I am quite impressed that you are willing to give anything for our daughter…" Sombra smirked, "As long as you keep her happy, you have our support."

Button and Sweetie gave each other loving glances.

Scootaloo sighed, "Looks like it all comes down to me… Mom, Dad… I want you to meet-" But she saw that he wasn't there, "Um, just give me one moment…" She ran onto the ship as her parents gave each other puzzling looks. She found Rumble holding on to the mast and shaking. "Rumble…"

"I can't do it, Scoots! They'll banish me to the moon! I know they will!"

"This is coming from the guy who's lived dangerously his whole life and now gets scare about meeting the in-laws?!"

"Can't we just stick to our original plan and have a secret marriage?"

"Uh, it's not a secret when half of my family knows it! Look, it was going to come out eventually… And whatever happens… I'll be by your side… Okay?"

He stopped shaking as he looked into her violet eyes, the same eyes he saw when they first met… He slowly let go of the mast and took her hoof.

Rumble kept a straight face as the king and queen looked at him. Scootaloo had just finished explaining how she met Rumble and that he wasn't stealing gold or pricey objects, but only food to survive. The king and queen seemed to understand and slowly nodded their heads.

Rumble then spoke, "If there is a punishment, I will gladly take it…" He bowed his head.

"Well… since no one was hurt and nothing truly valuable was stolen… we can let this slide." said Celestia.

"As long as you tell us what foods you have stolen, we can accommodate those who had lost something…" said Sombra.

"Yes, Your Majesty…" Rumble bowed his head, "And thank you…"

Scootaloo took a breath as she looked at the family members who knew her secret and they urged her to tell. "There's something else you should…" She lowered her head as she told the story. "…It wasn't on purpose! We… we just didn't know if we going to make it and… Well, I wanted to see what it was like… I know you're upset… but please don't take it out on Rumble, this was my doing…" She looked up and her parents were giving expressionless faces, but the other members who didn't know had a dumbfounded look on their faces. The members who did know were waiting in anticipation.

Sombra then cleared his throat, "This has come as a surprise for us… but given the circumstances… I think we can get used to the idea after some time."

Rumble and Scootaloo gaped in bewilderment.

Celestia started smiling, "Tell us about your husband…"

The entire family started smiling and soon, conversation started as the girls and their special colts told them all about their adventures.

As the days passed, Button, Pip, and Rumble got used to being part of the Canterlot family. Pip met with Twilight as she helped him to expand the inn by starting a chain of inns across Equestria. They also hired more staff for the original inn. Rumble finally found his brother Thunderlane with Scootaloo's help, which she got from Rainbow and Soarin'. It turned out Thunderlane was released from prison with the help of his marefriend, Flitter. They had been searching for the last six years for Rumble all that time. Like Scoots' family was, Thunder was surprised to find his little bro was married, but once he met Scootaloo, he was pleased with Rumble's choice.

Sweetie was going over wedding plans with her sisters when suddenly, Rumble and Pip had a surprise for Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. The princesses were given diamond rings! Pip officially proposed to Apple Bloom and with tears in her eyes, she accepted! Rumble offered to Scootaloo that they renew their vows for their whole family. She agreed.

Button and Sweetie decided then that the wedding would be a triple wedding.

*One month later*

Marendelle was excited for the prince's wedding as well as the fact that it was the first triple royal wedding they ever had. The palace was in a rush to finish preparations before the ceremony began. The grooms were in Button's room getting ready and the brides were getting ready in Sweetie's room.

Sweetie and Apple Bloom were admiring the dresses Rarity made for them. AB had her hair up while Sweetie wore a tiara.

Applejack was back to her regular size after she gave birth to a baby girl a few weeks before that she and Spike named Apple Jewel. She came up to them, "Don't you two look prettier than a pair of gems?!"

"They do…" Fluttershy said. She, too, was back to regular size because she had also given birth to a baby girl a few weeks before the wedding. She and Discord named their new baby Screw Ball.

"Ouch!" Scootaloo yelped across the room as Rarity helped put on her gown. She had a single purple rose in her mane, "Careful, Rarity!"

"I don't understand what could be the matter! This is your normal dress size, and we just fit you a month ago! How could you have possibly gained weight so quickly?!"

Scootaloo bit her lip as her sisters stared at her. Sweat rolled down her face. "Well, um… Funny story…" she nervously chuckled.

They gaped at what she getting at.

Rainbow said, "You didn't…" she slumped, "You did…"

Scoots lifted her hooves in the air, "Well, we were married!"

"Does he know?" asked Twilight.

"Somewhat. I told him I wasn't sure until I checked, but now I can say it is true."

"When will you tell him?" questioned Sweetie.

"As soon as the wedding is over." she beamed.

Twilight went to the door, "Speaking of which, it's almost time to start."

The older sisters gave their little sisters a hug before going out.

The ballroom was packed with guests. The Canterlot family, along with the King and Queen of Marendelle, Pip's Aunt Hazel, and Rumble's brother, Thunderlane, and his marefriend, were in the front row. In the second row, Babs, with Dinky and Twist, were there along with Trixie. Featherweight was there, too, serving as best stallion. The three grooms anxiously awaited at the altar for their brides to come.

Just then, the wedding march sounded off. A young pink filly, who had brown in her mane, came bouncing down and throwing flowers petals. Cotton Candy did a quick wave to her parents as she went down the aisle. Then, three young colts came down, each carrying a pillow with two sets of rings on them. Fire Spark was first, looking like his father, but had purple in his mane like his mother. Dignity was second, looking like both his parents with their snowy white coat, but he had his father's eyes and his mother's mane. Whirl Wind was last, having his father's coat but had his mother's rainbow mane.

Finally, the moment was at hoof as Scootaloo came down first. She smiled brightly to her already-husband and he returned the smile. Apple Bloom was next and when she got to Pip, they glanced at each other before turning to see the last bride come. Button was more than overjoyed. This was how he pictured their ceremony to be like before the whole "supposedly-dead" crisis happened. Sweetie was beaming up at him as she was nearing the end.

Twilight smiled and she began singing, "Look at him, watching her, doesn't she look beautiful?"

Fluttershy was next to her, holding baby Screw Ball and sang, "Could they be more content?"

Rainbow sang, "What a perfect day!"

Luna started singing as the three couples were saying their 'I dos', "You never know when you'll find, what your heart is yearning for… All you seek could be there just a breath away…"

Pinkie sang, "I love the dress!"

Cheese sang, "I love the hair!"

Applejack sang while Spike was a holding baby Apple Jewel, who looked like her mother, "The island rose is everywhere!"

Fancy sang, "I'm trying not to shed a tear!"

Discord sang, "I'm glad this was all my idea!"

Rarity sang, "The honeymoon will start today!"

Cotton Candy sang, "I bet we can stow away!"

Discord sang, "This has got to be the wedding of the year!" He gave an excited laugh.

Later, the newlyweds were in the carriage they sat in since their first village tour of the kingdom. Sweetie was singing, "Now that I've seen the world around me!"

Scootaloo sang, "Now that the answers all are clear!"

All six of the newlyweds sang, "Old concerns behind us, new adventures near!"

Apple Bloom sang, "I know a chance can be worth taking!"

Their families were behind them as they made it to the harbor. They sang, "And that a family can grow!"

The six sang as they boarded the ship, "When we have love to guide us as we go…"

Everypony started to wave them off as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo threw their bouquets, and who should catch them but Babs, who was next to Featherweight, Twist, who was next to Truffle, and Dinky, who was next to Snails. The newlyweds waved goodbye as the ship sailed away and everyone sang.

"There may be miracles awaiting… They maybe closer than we know… When we have love to guide as we go! When we have love to guide us as we go!"

Author's Note

And… that's it! Whew! Where to start…? The decision to have Scootaloo be pregnant was a tribute to Lady Larkin being pregnant in the musical Once Upon a Mattress. I just had to have some elements, considering what fairy tale this was based off of. Okay, secondly, I gave you a hint about who the third installment will be about. This new fanfiction will be a lot of firsts for me, like having Shining Armor and Cadence be the main couple, Luna playing a major role, and adding a villain who's known for growing big and bad… Daughter of the Moon will be based off of Han Christian Anderson's Thumbelina. If you're willing, I'll see you all there! Also, the wedding song was When We have Love from Barbie as the Island Princess.

Prologue

The girls could hardly believe it-they were just made official princesses! Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo had been adopted by the King and Queen of Equestria. One minute ago, they were ordinary servants of the castle; the next, princesses. And it was all thanks to their new sisters, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. The girls didn't know what their new life had in store for them, but it would certainly be better than the last one they had and hey, maybe they could finally earn their cutie marks! One thing's for sure, they were going to enjoy every bit of their new life together with their new family…

Pipsqueak, a small colt with a white coat, a brown mane, and a single brown spot over his right eye, lived in the town of Pony-Ville with his aunt and helped her run an inn. Every night before he would go to bed, he would read tales of far-off places. Sometimes, his aunt would catch him late at night still reading, but she would join him to read the stories to him just so he could finally go to sleep. Pip wished with all his heart that he would go on an adventure someday, but he was stuck on where he was at in the meantime…

A grey pegasus colt with jet black hair named Rumble lived up in Cloudsdale with his older brother; both had to take care of themselves. This ambitious colt always found trouble and got into fights with other colts. He tried so hard to prove himself and wanted to escape the life he was living in…

On an island kingdom not far from Equestria lived a king and queen with their son, Prince Button Mash. The prince was an anxious colt and very energetic. He spent most of his days playing games and practicing his sword fighting. It was until his mother brought up that someday he would have to get married. The idea grossed him out, but his mother knew better. One day, he'd grow to like the notion, but until that day came, Button Mash will just keep on playing his games, not thinking about any girl that would hold his interest…

Chapter 16

Author's Note

Alright, here it is, Sweetie Belle's talent show song is Dreams to Dream the end credit version by Linda Ronstadt. The same person who sang in Somewhere Out There. Enjoy.

Chapter 16

The talent show was going to start soon as the subjects of Marendelle gathered into the ballroom to face the stage. Upstairs in Sweetie Belle's room, the sisters went over their routines.

"Everything's all set." said Apple Bloom. "The scenery is in place for when you two go on."

"Sorry you couldn't perform with us." said Scootaloo.

"That's okay. I like handling things backstage and I know you two will be great."

"Except we won't be great if Discord doesn't get us the outfits he said we needed." pointed Sweetie.

On cue, the mirror vibrated and Sweetie picked it up.

"Now really, did you think I was going to let you down in time for your big debut?"

"Oh, please! You were willing to give up the minute you were caught!" Rarity's image appeared beside him.

"Rarity!" the three said at once.

"Hello, darlings! How are you doing there?"

"We're okay. It's so good to hear from you…" Sweetie had near tears in her eyes.

"As am I, darling…" she beamed.

Discord cleared his throat, "Hate to break up the touching reunion, but aren't you busy getting ready for a performance?"

"He does have a point." agreed Apple Bloom.

"So do you have the outfits?" Sweetie asked.

"Do I have the outfits…? Of course I have the outfits! They're just… on paper at the moment…"

Rarity explained, "Moi had to make the design since our master of chaos here knows nothing about fashion, from what's out of style to the latest trends. So I made a little something that shows great stage presence while looking magnificent!"

"Which I shall create! The paper if you will, Rarity…" he extended his hand and she handed him the design. He held it to his eyes and he began a scan. Once his scan was complete, he said, "Now hold still; I have to do the transformation through the mirror."

Sweetie gulped, "Will this hurt?"

"Not at all! Though you might feel a tingly feeling." he cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hands, "Get ready… Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo!" A silver ball of light flew out of his paw, went through the mirror, and engulfed Sweetie Belle. In a flash of blinding light, an outfit appeared on her.

"Wow!" the sisters gasped when they got a good look.

"Oh my…" Rarity breathed.

Discord nodded in a dumbfounded manner.

Sweetie looked over her outfit. It was mostly white with green leaf embroidery on the strap and the top border. There was green stitching in the swirls, stars, and flowers with emeralds in the center of the flowers and stars. Gold glitter dotted from below the swirls to above the bottom of the dress.

"Rarity! It's beautiful!"

"Indeed it is. I imagined it would be, but to see it come to life… It's even better!"

"Let's not forget who made it possible…" Discord hinted.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Sweetie twirled around.

"Sweet! Sweetie Belle's got what she needs. Now we can-"

"Oh, we're not done yet, Scootaloo…" Discord said, "Have you forgotten?"

"I told you, I don't need a stage outfit."

"We'll see about that… Sweetie, dear, turn the mirror on your sister, would you?" he grinned.

With a look of horror, Scoots started making a run for it, "I'm out of here!"

Doing the procedure as before, Discord released a magical energy that went through the mirror and ricocheted in the room before it hit Scootaloo.

"Whoa…" AB and SB gaped.

Discord did a wolf whistle.

"What did you do to me?!" Scootaloo looked over her outfit. It was a red gown that went down to her ankles and had purple sashes. One of them was a trim and the other two were triangular zigzag patterns on her torso and her skirt. There was gold trim on the top border and her sleeves and purple flaps hung from the sleeves. A jagged pattern lined the bottom of the dress and a Wonderbolt hairpin was worn on her mane. Surprisingly, the dress wasn't restrictive; it was free and loose, giving her enough room to move in.

"I knew that if you were dancing, you needed something daring but simple enough for you to move in." Rarity elucidated.

"It's… actually not bad…" Scootaloo moved around and felt comfortable wearing the outfit.

"It's perfect for you when you show off your stuff!" AB exclaimed.

"Looks like we're ready as we'll ever be." said Sweetie.

"Not quite." said Discord and he snapped his fingers. Apple Bloom was wearing a black jump suit, but when she was near the bed's colorful sheets, the suit turned into the same colors, "Now you can blend with the scenery so you can be as much a part of the show as your sisters!"

"Thanks!" AB smiled.

"That is so cool!" Scoots proclaimed.

Sweetie talked directly to the mirror, "Thank you so much, you guys! You're the best!"

"I know." Discord smugly said.

"You are quite welcome, darling. Now get out there and show them what you're made of!"

"Will do!" the trio said.

Once their image dissolved, Discord grabbed the remote to the larger magic mirror, "Let's see how they do…" They took a seat on the couch and he flipped the channel to see Marendelle's crowded ballroom.

The royal family sat in a personal box in front of the stage. Suddenly, the lights began to dim and the queen got up to face the audience. "Welcome, princesses and ponies of Marendelle, to the first annual talent show!"

The ponies applauded and cheered.

"First off, I would like to thank every pony who is participating in the show and may the best pony win!"

There was more applause.

"As promised to the princesses visiting, I have a prize."

There was cheering backstage.

"Whoever wins tonight's talent show wins a day and night at the Hot Springs Resort!"

There were oohs from the audience and squealing from the princesses.

Rarity gave out a disappointed whine, "No fair!"

"What are you complaining about? We got our own spa in the castle!" Discord gestured.

She scoffed, "The Hot Springs Resort isn't just any spa! It's a paradise!"

"And you know this how?"

"A fashion-forward princess such as I always know what the best relaxation places are in Equestria. Also, it was in a magazine."

He rolled his eyes as they kept watching the show start.

The queen said, "For the first act of the night, let's have a round of applause for our court jester, Featherweight!" Applause rang out as she stepped down and Featherweight came on wearing a suit.

"Hi! How are you doing?! Great to see so many ponies out there! So let's start the evening off with a little joke…"

While Featherweight was upstage, the girls were backstage. Twist and Dinky were gawking over Sweetie and Scootaloo's outfits.

"Those gowns are gorgeous on you!" Twist pointed.

"They really are! Aren't they, Babs?" Dinky saw she wasn't there, "Babs?"

Sweetie gave a small smile, "I think I know where she's at… I'll go get her." She headed towards stage right and found Babs by the curtains, looking out to the stage. Featherweight finished with his joke and the audience laughed, causing Babs to giggle.

"Wow, I've never heard you giggle before." Sweetie noticed.

Babs smiled at her, "Hey, Sweetie Belle. Nice outfit."

"Thanks. My sister and a friend made it."

Babs went to look back at the stage, mostly at Featherweight, "Isn't he amazing…?" she sighed.

"He really is such a funny guy. I can see why Button always hangs around with him: Featherweight can make him happy when things don't seem so good for him…" She could see out in the front of the audience where Button was smiling and laughing.

"So, you're nervous about going on soon?"

"A little. I'm used to singing to my family, but I've never sang in front of an audience before."

"Aw, you'll be great. I'm sure of it."

"It's too bad you couldn't figure out what to do on stage."

"Yeah. All of my special talents consist of jousting and fencing, so that couldn't work, and it's not 'lady-like' like my mom would always say."

"At least you'll be able to work with Apple Bloom with the sets and props."

"Sure will. I'm glad she offered that so I can help the rest of you try to win the prize."

The audience clapped as Featherweight finished with his stand-up comedy act.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all evening! Good night, every pony!" he took a bow and left the stage to where Babs and Sweetie were.

"Whatcha think?" he asked.

"I loved it!" Babs proudly said, "You were so funny!"

"Great job." said Sweetie.

"Thanks."

They turned their attention back on stage when the queen announced, "And now give it up for Snips and Snails!"

"What are they going to do?" Sweetie questioned.

"I don't know," replied Featherweight, "They kept their act a secret all day yesterday."

Snips and Snails came on wearing gangster attire and then started beatboxing.

"They call me M.C. Snips and it ain't no lie! My favorite food is like pumpkin pie!"

"I'm D.J Snazzy Snails, I like whales! When I go to the beach I always bring my pail!"

"Everybody knows my favorite color is orange! My rhymes are so fly they're better than, um…"

"Than an orange, yo!"

"Yeah, represent!"

"Yeah!"

They beatboxed some more while everybody looked at them awkwardly and Button face-palmed.

"What do we do now…?"

"Get off the stage I'd like to leave right now…"

They beatboxed one last time.

"Bam! That just happened."

"Yeah, we are out."

"Snip and Snails outta here!" They drop the mics.

Everybody cringed to the feedback, even Discord and Rarity, although they heard it through the mirror.

The queen uneasily laughed when making her way back up, "Wasn't that great, everybody?"

Awkward silence went throughout the ballroom.

"Alright, then, on to the next act!" There was a huge cheer.

After a while, more ponies and some princesses did their acts. During that time, Fluttershy came back from feeding her animals and noticed her husband and sister sitting on the couch watching something.

"What are you watching?" Fluttershy said out loud while trying to get a good look.

"Fluttershy!" they both said and Discord quickly turned off the mirror.

"Darling, I thought you were feeding the animals." Rarity said.

"I did. I was done and came back to start dinner, but then I saw you two… here… Is there something going on between the two of you that I should know about?" She had hurt in her eyes, hoping what she was thinking of wasn't true.

"What?!" they both gasped, "NO!"

"Oh, honey! It's not what you think at all!" Discord wrapped his body around his wife and held her tightly.

"Yes, darling, there is absolutely nothing happening between your husband and me! I could never do such a thing to my sister or my husband!"

"Besides, your sister is too proper for my taste. At least you loosen up every once in a while. See, it'll always be you and only you I could ever love."

She had near tears of joy as she tightly embraced him, "So if it wasn't... you know… then what are you two doing?"

They exchanged glances and nodded.

"The truth is, sweetheart…" he turned the mirror back on and it showed the talent show still going on and she recognized the ballroom.

He started explaining how he had been offering to help Sweetie Belle and recently helped her and the girls get ready for the talent show. He also mentioned how Rarity had caught him the other day and now they were waiting to see how it all worked out.

Fluttershy stood silent for a bit until suddenly, she grabbed him to kiss him full on lips. Discord's entire body moved in a twirl and his eyes were full of hearts.

"Wow! What was that for?" he composed himself.

"You are going to be a wonderful father…"

"You're not mad?"

"How can I be? You're trying to help out and that is so sweet in my eyes."

"But you won't say anything to Twilight?"

"Of course not. Those girls deserved your help in this matter. In fact, Applejack and Rainbow Dash should be here as well since they were closest to the girls as much as we and Rarity were."

"That would be great, sweetheart, except Applejack is terrible of keeping the truth away."

"He's right. You know what an awful liar she was growing up. Remember the cookie jar incident?"

Fluttershy sighed, "I remember…"

Discord had his brow up and smirked, "The cookie jar incident?"

"I'll tell you about that some other time. The point is that Applejack helped those girls when they were in the service of the castle. She should be here to see them how they turned out over the past years."

"As always, you are right, my love. Go get her and Rainbow Dash, and hurry! I think Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle will be on soon."

Fluttershy nodded as she and Rarity quickly left to get their sisters.

After explanations, the small group sat on the couch, watching the events unfold.

When Dinky finally came on, she recited her poetry and when she was done, there was a huge applause from both the audience and backstage.

"Thank you, Princess Dinky Doo, for that lovely piece!" Queen Love Tap beamed, "Now, we have another princess performing a very special dance routine. Presenting, Princess Scootaloo of Canterlot!"

"Aw, yeah!" Rainbow flew into the air, "Scoots will show every pony how it's done!"

"Sweetie Belle will be just as good!" Rarity proclaimed.

"Quiet, y'all! It's starting!"

The sisters turned towards the mirror as the curtain came up and there stood a vertical pole in the middle of the stage. By then, strobe lights lit up the whole stage courtesy of Apple Bloom. Hard rock began playing as Scootaloo made her appearance.

There were wolf whistles from colts in the audience. Even Button had wide eyes at the sight before him. In the audience, Rumble was in the midst of it and his jaw dropped as his very special some pony was walked on being striking. He found himself drooling, and then he had to slap himself to come back to his senses. At least, that's what she would have done if she was there next to him.

Except if she was here next to me… He had to slap himself again to rid of that dirty thought that just played in his head.

Back through the mirror, AJ, Rainbow, and Fluttershy were gawking at Scootaloo's attire while Rarity and Discord were feeling proud.

"You made that outfit?!" Rainbow pointed out.

"Of course!" Rarity fluffed her mane, "and I must say it works so well for her!"

They kept watching as Scootaloo did a few dance moves before grabbing onto the pole for different maneuvers. There was cheering coming from backstage and the audience. She did poses with the pole such as "The Skater", half flag splits, front splits, "The Phoenix", "The Flag", and even some poses that would let her open her wings like "The Mercury", the basic embrace, the iron X, and the planche. She twirled down the pole before coming to a complete stop and nodded to her audience.

A huge cheer arose as Scootaloo took a bow. On the sidelines, her sisters and their friends shouted in joy. Back at the Everfree castle, there was cheering as well and Rainbow gave out a whistle.

"My goodness!" Queen Love Tap got back on stage, "That certainly was special! Well done!"

The ponies cheered in agreement.

"Let's see if our next act can top that, since she's also from Canterlot. Give it up for Princess Sweetie Belle!"

Button clapped harder, as well as Rarity, than the rest of the audience.

All was dark on stage. Sweetie took a deep breath, thinking, Here goes nothing… She made her way up to the front of the stage and Apple Bloom cast a single spotlight on her. Using her magic, she lifted the microphone to her lips. She cast a glance at Button, who was smiling at her.

She smiled back at him and slowly, she opened her mouth, "I lose my way… No one cares… The words I say… No one hears… My life it seems is a world of dreams…"

Button thought in his head, That voice… is it really?! His eyes widened in hope.

She kept on singing, "Deep in the night… You'll find me… Dream and you're right behind me… Stay… If you will stay… We'll dream the night away…" Her eyes never left him and his never left her. "Dreams to dream… In the dark of the night… When the world goes wrong… I can still make it right… I can see so far in my dreams… I'll follow my dreams… Until they come true… There is a star… Waiting to guide us… Shining inside us… When we close our eyes! Come with me, you will see what I mean! There's a world inside… No one else ever sees! You will go so far in my dreams… Somewhere in my dreams… Your dreams will come true…"

Her sisters, both backstage and through the mirror, were grinning ear to ear. The audience was in awe of this lovely singing voice and that caused a few jealous glances from other princesses, two in particular. And as for Button, he was trying so hard to keep his tears of joy in. His heart swelled in realization that the voice he heard in his dreams had become reality and it was from a mare he had come to loved since the day he found her on his beach. She was heaven-sent and he was so grateful that she came when she did. More than ever, he wanted her to win this stupid contest so he could have her for the rest of his life…

She resumed singing, "Don't let go! If you stay close to me! In my dreams tonight! You will see what I see! Dreams to dream… As near as can be… Inside you and me… They always come… true… Inside you and me… They always come…" she held the last note, "True…"

Once the music had stopped, Sweetie Belle received a standing ovation, to which she blushed at.

Button shouted, "Bravo! Bravo!"

"Bravo, indeed!" Rarity squealed. Then she heard crying and turned to see Discord leaning over Fluttershy's shoulder while she was patting his back.

"Oh, Discord…"

"I can't help it. It was just so beautiful!" he kept releasing tears.

The sisters giggled at his sensitivity.

Queen Love Tap beamed, "I think we all know who has won the talent show… wouldn't you agree, folks?"

There was a great cheer.

"Well then, congratulations, Princess Sweetie Belle. You have won the right to accompany us and choose guests to come with you to the Hot Springs Resort!"

She could hear her sisters cheering behind her.

Sweetie smiled, "Thank you, your majesty…" She did a small bow.

The queen turned to face the audience, "But before we go, we have one last performance of the evening. She's a famous magician known throughout Equestria! Ladies and gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

In a puff of smoke, Trixie appeared in her show hat and cape. Rumble gasped when he got a good look at her and quickly pushed away from the other ponies in the audience. Scootaloo was smiling on stage to watch the show until she looked out to the audience to see Rumble rushing out of there. She frowned and went to go follow him after she got rid of her outfit.

Rainbow yawned as they watched Trixie's performance, "What a loud mouth…"

"No kidding…" AJ groaned.

"Well, I've seen enough," Rarity moved off the couch, "Just knowing that Sweetie Belle won is all that matters to me."

"I still think Scoots had a shot." RD pointed out.

"Well, I'm mighty proud of Apple Bloom for handling the sets and lights. That was a great way of showing off Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and that's why they were in the winner's circle." said Applejack.

"All of our girls did great…" said Fluttershy. "Even if one of them hadn't won, they would still be amazing."

"They sure are!" Discord beamed, "And they got me to thank for that!"

"You?!" Rainbow scoffed, "I taught Scootaloo everything she knows!"

"Apple Bloom is smarter, thanks to me!" Applejack gestured.

"Sweetie Belle learned my grace and style. Therefore, she has the flair!"

Fluttershy sighed as all four of them kept bickering on about who the better mentor was.

Rumble was rummaging through his room as he gathered things in his room into his satchel.

Scootaloo looked through the open door and saw what he was doing, "What are you doing?"

He jumped in surprise and turned to face her with sweat running down his forehead, "Scootaloo! I…"

"Are you… leaving?"

"No! I mean… That is…"

"Why? Don't you want me to help your brother out?"

"I do! I just…"

"Why did you rush out of there when Trixie came on?"

"What? Oh! That was nothing!" He waved it off, though he was lying though his teeth.

"Rumble… Something is wrong… You're usually so cool and smooth, but now you're acting like you're hiding something from me…"

"Hiding?!" he gave a nervous chuckle, "The very idea…" he jeered, "Why would I hide anything?"

Anger rose in her, "Well, if you're not going to tell me anything, then I'm going to find out for myself!" she ran out.

He shouted back to her, "Scootaloo!" Then, he took something out of the satchel that had the same color as his eyes and grunted at it, "This is all your fault!" Then he slumped at how he should have just told her in the first place, "And mine…" He put the thing back in the bag and ran after his love.

Trixie was still performing when Sweetie started heading back to her room. Suddenly, Sweetie was grabbed and a hoof went over her mouth as she did muffled screams. She was struggling while being pulled towards the garden doors when a voice said in a hushed whisper, "It's okay! It's just me!"

She stopped when she recognized the voice and turned to see a prince beaming at her.

"Button? Wha-"

He shushed her and opened the doors. Once they were out and he closed the doors behind him, he faced her with a dopey grin and the next thing she knew, he grabbed her up and twirled her in the air.

She said between giggles, "Button… Button… Why are you doing this?"

"Because you have made me the happiest stallion alive!" He set her down by the fountain just like the night of ball. "Sweetie Belle… I know this is going to sound crazy… but… I have heard your voice before… your singing, that is…"

"What…?" she gasped.

"I know, I know, that sounds totally insane… but before you came to this island, I heard you singing in my dreams… Thing is, though, I didn't know it was you until I heard you tonight…" his eyes glistened.

"Oh, Button… can it be…?"

"Can it be what?"

"I heard you in my dreams, too!"

"What?!"

"It's true! I remember singing until I hear a voice calling out to me! I wasn't sure if it was your voice or not, but now that you told me this…"

Button was shaking his head in disbelief. Their dreams were connected, which meant that it was destiny that they were meant to be together! Button picked her up again and moved his lips to hers… She did not hesitate as they locked lips, unaware that a figure in the moon was smiling at them…

Chapter 30

The sun was setting. Button sighed as he looked in the mirror. He wore a white uniform with a red sash across his shirt. He thought miserably, A couple of days ago, I thought this was going to be the greatest day of my life… Now it feels like the worst…

A knock came at his door and in came Snips, who was wearing black with a white sash as all the knights would wear at the ceremony. Button wished Featherweight was here to play the best stallion to help him get through the wedding.

Snips announced, "We're ready to begin."

"Thank you…" Button dejectedly said. His heart was pounding as if screaming, Call it off! Call it off! But his head was saying, Just get it over with… Just it over with…

Ultimately, he listened to his head and slowly walked out his room, except it wouldn't be just his room after tonight. He made his way down the steps where the guards opened the doors for him and he stepped outside. He had to wait for his bride to come so they could get in the carriage together and be taken to the wedding ship. When she came, she had a wide smile when she faced him, but he only gave her half a smile. Once they were in the carriage, the gates opened and crowds were gathered to wave off to the 'happy' royal couple.

When they made it to the port, they walked onto the ship together and a few minutes later, they were cast off.

"So you saw us at the talent show?" Scootaloo asked Rainbow.

"Yup, and those were some awesome moves you had there, squirt."

Scoots heard Rumble chuckling behind her. She glared at him.

"Okay, hotshot, what sort of names did your brother call you?"

He went pink, "You don't want to know…"

"Oh…" she smirked, "That bad, huh?"

"The worst way possible…"

Her face softened, "You love him a lot…"

"I do, but I also…" he stopped, knowing there were others listening.

But Scootaloo got the message. As much as he loved his brother, he loved her just as much…

Pip and Apple Bloom were on the other side of the ship and talking.

"You have an amazing family." he told her.

AB smiled, "They're pretty special, all right." Then she frowned, "They… could be your family, too…"

"I know…"

"But I admire how you want to help your aunt so much. I hope to meet her someday."

"She sure would love to meet you." he smiled.

Sweetie watched her sisters and thought of Button. I have to get there… Show him that I'm not dead… That we can get married and have our happy ending just like we've always wanted…

Twilight must have read her thoughts because she told her, "We'll get there before it's too late…"

"That's right," said Flash, "I remember when we had to save Twilight and your sisters from the curse before it was cast on all of them."

"Naturally, thanks to my brilliant leadership skills, we got there right on time." Discord bragged.

Flash face-hoofed, "It was a little more than that, Discord…"

"Right," Cheese came up, "Had we not found Sombra, the girls wouldn't have declared true love for him and rendered the changeling queen powerless."

"Need I remind you that I was the one who suggested we looked in the castle in the first place? So it was I who made possible getting Sombra to come to the rescue." he gave off a smug look, knowing he got them.

Soarin' slack-jawed, "Whoa! He's right…"

Flash sighed, "Fine, you win this round."

Discord did a fist-pump. He so loved it when he won.

Sweetie Belle started to worry when she saw their mother's sun going down. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

Rainbow flew to her, "You want fast? We'll give you fast!" She and Soarin' went to the main sail and started creating a strong breeze.

Sweetie went up to the front of the ship, silently begging, Please, Button… Please… don't say 'I do'… don't say 'I do'…

The wedding march started and the bride and groom walked down the aisle with the bridesmaid right behind them. They made it to the altar with the queen presiding the ceremony. The music stopped, and the queen spoke in a loud voice for all the guests who were present on the ship.

"Friends, today we gather to witness the union of Prince Button Mash and Princess Diamond Tiara. My son has chosen a bride that would be beneficial to our beloved kingdom… I thank him for his selfless act…" When she gave her son a comforting smile, he gave a small one in return. "Now, let us begin," she turned to the princess.

"Ship ahoy!" Pinkie cried out from the mast. They looked to see a ship nearby and the younger princesses recognized it as the royal wedding ship of Marendelle.

"Quick!" Scootaloo shouted, "After it!"

Twilight looked through a telescope and she passed it to Sweetie, who cried, "Oh, no! They're starting it!"

"Princess Diamond Tiara, do you take Prince Button Mash to be your husband, and to accept the responsibilities before you as his future queen?"

Diamond put on her best sweet grin and replied, "I do."

She turned to her son, who had a distraught look on his face, "Button…" he turned back into attention, "Do you take Princess Diamond Tiara as your wife?"

Button stood there and all waited to hear his answer.

"I've got to go!" Sweetie started to jump out until Discord stopped her.

"Like you're going to catch up on your own!" he shaped himself into a seahorse, put her in a rowboat, and started pulling the boat.

"Button?" the queen questioned, "Your answer?"

Button looked at Diamond Tiara, who was giving him a look that betrayed her impatience. He took her hoof and slowly began to say, "I… I…"

Sweetie was almost to the ship's edge and started to reach for it.

"I…" then he shouted out, "I don't!"

The crowd gasped just as Sweetie was coming over the rail. She was surprised but happy.

"What?!" Diamond yelled.

"I don't." he repeated, "I can't… I can't do this…" he turned to his mother, "I'm sorry, Mom…"

"No, Button, you have nothing to be sorry for…" the queen smiled.

"That's right! You don't!" a voice said out loud.

Button froze. He recognized that voice. He couldn't believe it, but he had to see… He slowly turned around and there she was… Walking her way towards him… His eyes were filling with tears of joy. He could hardly say the words, "Sw… Sweet… Sweetie Belle…?"

She nodded her head.

He broke into a run as she had her arms out. They embraced, feeling each other.

"Is… Is this a dream…?" he whispered.

"A dream made into reality…" she whispered back.

Back on their ship, the princesses were either cheering or crying out of happiness. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, with their special some ponies, sighed in relief.

"We did it…" said Scootaloo.

"Thank goodness…" said AB.

The couple was about to kiss when they heard Diamond Tiara sputtering, "But… that's impossible! You can't be alive!"

They turned back to in confusion.

"And why do you find it so unbelievable?" Sweetie asked.

She winced, "Well… um…" Before she could think of a good excuse, there was a cannon shot.

The crowd gasped as they turned to see another ship coming over. The royal Canterlot ship was close from this new ship that came in. The new ship had a gold skull on the flag, which Rumble recognized as some pony's cutie mark and he gritted his teeth at the sight.

Caballeron made his appearance as he swung onto the wedding ship.

"YOU!" both Button and Sweetie shouted in fury.

"A surprising turn of events this has been." Caballeron spoke, "Here we were about to crash the party, but it seems that my last plan was unsuccessful anyway…" He looked at Sweetie Belle.

"You're going to pay for what you did!" Button yelled.

"Pardon me, Your Highness, but your gripe is not with me… While it's true we kidnapped you, but you were part of a much bigger plan… at the expense of a certain princess who wanted her competition eliminated…" he smirked.

Behind him, Diamond Tiara was fuming at what he was pulling here.

"What are you saying?!" Button demanded.

Caballeron chuckled, "That the princess you were about to married was the reason you almost lost your bride to begin with!"

The crowd gasped as all eyes turned to Diamond Tiara, who was boiling red.

She screeched, "How dare you! How dare you! Revealing our plan like that!"

"Serves you right since you cut out of our deal!" he pointed at her.

There were more gasps this time, not just from the crowd, but from the king, queen, Button, Sweetie, and her family.

"Let me at her!" Scootaloo yelled and was about to fly if not Soarin' held her back.

Apple Bloom was about to pounce out, too, but Flash held her.

Sweetie said to Tiara, "Just why? Why do that?"

"Why?" Diamond stipulated, "Because I am a true princess while you were some nobody who came off the streets! You don't deserve to be a queen or anything that gives you authority! I don't know what your adopted parents were thinking. They deserve so much better."

Rainbow bitterly said, "Why, that little…" She was to fly up if not for Pinkie and Cheese using both of their strengths to keep her down.

"But I suppose they would do anything, especially since they did let their real daughters marry beneath them…" she said that with disgust.

The girls were appalled by that and the boys scowled. Discord bared his teeth and harshly whispered to Twilight, "Can I please smite her…?" He pointed his glowing finger.

"As tempting as that would be… we don't want to cause a rift between kingdoms here…"

He grunted and put the trigger finger down.

Sweetie frowned and yelled out, "You know, it's one thing to mess with me… but when you insult my family… that's going too far!"

"Guards! Arrest them!" Button ordered.

The knights on board rushed towards Diamond Tiara and Caballeron. He shouted out, "Trixie!"

She hesitated for a bit, but then the amulet around her neck glowed, causing her to obey. The amulet's power transformed the guards into different animals, such as chickens and bunnies.

Twilight gasped as she recognized the amulet, "The Alicorn Amulet!"

Caballeron chuckled and faced the crowd, "Now if you would be so kind as to cooperate…put your valuables in the bags…" he signaled for his henchponies and crew to come.

Rumble felt anger raging inside him and shouted out, "That does it! This ends now!" he flew off.

Scootaloo shouted back to him, "Rumble, wait!" She quickly flew after him.

Caballeron was about to steal from a rich pony until he felt a punch and landed on his back. He looked up to see Rumble glaring at him.

"It was bad enough that you stole treasure and tried to kill me, my wife, and her sister… But now it's gone too far… Harming innocents to get what you want…"

Caballeron got up and faced him, "You were the one who turned your back on us… You could have had it all! Riches beyond your wildest dreams! With the amulet, we could have gotten just that! You're the reason we have stooped so low! You took the amulet and left us to fend for ourselves! There's no one to blame but you…" he yelled as he lifted his hoof and was getting ready to strike.

Rumble braced himself and was about to fight back when suddenly, Caballeron was pushed back by an orange blur. He heard a yelp and thump. He turned to back to see his love on the ground.

"Scoots!" he cried and rushed to her, "Are you alright?!"

"I think so…" she started moving, but felt a pain in her left wing, "Ah! My wing!"

He worried and asked, "Can you move it?"

"No… I think… it's broken…"

He turned back to Caballeron in fury, "You did this!"

"Well, she flew right into it! It's her own fault!"

"Rumble!" Button called and began tossing a sword.

Rumble grab hold of it with his teeth. He told Caballeron, "We settle this once and for all…"

A henchpony gave Caballeron a sword as well.

"So be it…" The two started dueling.

The crowd panicked and Twilight said to everyone on the ship, "This way! We'll get you to safety!"

Rainbow was telling Pinkie at the helm of the Canterlot ship, "Okay, easy does it, Pink…"

But Pinkie took a hard turn and slammed to the wedding ship.

"I said 'easy', not 'ram into it'!"

Pinkie shrugged, "Eh, close enough."

The guests came piling onto the ship as Flash and Soarin', with Apple Bloom and Pip, were helping them.

Diamond Tiara was about to go on, but was stopped when Button said, "Not so fast! You've got a lot of explaining to do!"

"Humph! I don't have to explain anything! I am a princess!"

"Princess or no, you still had a hoof in trying to get rid of my true love!"

"And for kidnapping mine!" said Sweetie.

"So I had to do a few things to make sure things would go my way! I was so upset about losing the final test that I had to something! I was and always will be the better choice for queen!"

"All you care about is the crown when a princess is so much more that!" Sweetie shouted, "I now know what the tests were about… They weren't just to prove who could be Button's queen, but they were lessons… Obviously, you learned nothing from them… A princess is wise, kind, modest, confident, and noble…"

"No! A princess is a figure of power, who's destined to rule those underneath her! I won't let some fake tell me otherwise!" she was about to pounce when she felt being lifted into the air and rope was tied around her.

Sweetie smiled to see Discord magically holding the rope. Twilight came up to them and addressed Diamond Tiara, "You have been deceived by your own cold heart… You are willing to hurt others instead of showing compassion. You know nothing about what it takes to be a true leader… We will send you home and let your father know of the terrible things that you have done while you were here… Hopefully, he can give you the punishment you rightfully deserve… Discord, if you please."

"Aw, but I've always wanted to try this!" he snapped and Diamond had an apple in her mouth while being dangled above a cauldron of boiling water.

Sweetie shook her head, "No, Discord… we'd be no better than she was…"

Discord gave a small smile, "You're a bigger pony than I'll ever be…" He snapped and Diamond was back to normal except she still had an apple in her mouth. She gave off a glare before Discord snapped again and she was gone.

Button and Sweetie sighed in relief and embraced each other. But their sweet moment was short-lived when they saw a battle going on with Caballeron's crew and the others were fighting. Pinkie and Cheese were using their party cannon, Rainbow and Soarin' had to swordfight, and Flash, Apple Bloom, and Pip were trying to keep the guests safe from the impact. Caballeron and Rumble had their own fight going on. Button noticed Trixie was watching from the sidelines and went to her.

"Can't you stop this?!"

She lowered her head, "I want to, but I have no choice…"

"There's always a choice! I was supposed to marry for the sake for my kingdom, but when I decided I couldn't love the pony I was marrying, I renounced it! Look, it's not easy, I know… but you need to do what your heart tells you even if your head is telling you something else…" then he went off to join the fight.

Rumble used his wings for most of the fight and he went up top of the sail.

"That's it! Fly! Fly! That's all you do, you coward!"

"Coward?! Me?!"

Caballeron climbed on the rope ladder while saying, "You wouldn't dare fight stallion-to-stallion. You would fly away like the coward you are!"

"I'm not a coward!"

Their swords clashed, "Prove it, then! Show me you can fight without those wings!"

Scootaloo screamed below, "No, Rumble! It's a trick!"

"Fine… You have my word… But I want your word that if I win, you will never harm me or my family again! That includes my wife, her sisters, and their families!"

This intrigued the royal Canterlot family who heard that.

"An amusing bargain… Very well, but I want your word that I get the amulet if I win…"

Rumble slowly nodded, "Deal…" The fight commenced as the other ponies watched.

"So, wait, he's married?" Discord had his brow up and turned towards Scootaloo, who had her head down.

Twilight asked in concern, "Did you know about this?"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie went to Scoots and AB said, "Tell them…"

Rainbow said, "Tell us what?"

Scootaloo released a tear and cried, "It's me, okay! He's talking about us! I'm his wife! He's my husband! We're married, so there!"

This left the family that was there stunned by the news. Bloom and Sweetie kept their heads downs, waiting for the blowout. Scootaloo panted as she watched her husband fight for his life.

Dash was the first to break the silence and say, "Whoa! Whoa! Let me get this straight: you've been married this whole time?!" she gaped.

"Yeah! You got married and you didn't invite me to the wedding?!" Discord gestured.

"There was no wedding!" Scoots retorted.

"When and how did this happen?" questioned Twilight.

Scootaloo spilled more tears and told the whole story.

Caballeron was impressed at Rumble's performance, "It seems that you've been practicing since I last saw you. But of course, you did learn from me… There were a lot of things I could have taught you…"

"And teach me what?! To steal? To hurt others to get what I want?! Even if I had stayed with you, I would have rejected your methods of surviving!"

"Insolent boy! Did you not see the plans I laid for you?! You could have been my son!"

Rumble was genuinely stunned and stopped fighting for a bit, "Son…?"

"Of course, my son! Wouldn't you have wanted a father to guide you to a bright future?"

Rumble was slowly lowering his guard.

"Yes… It can be that way again… Why must we fight? Leave this life you gotten yourself into… Come back to the life you deserve…" he held his hoof out.

Rumble stared at it, and then he look down to see Scootaloo talking to her family with a look of despair and her family gave solemn looks. With their secret out, chances were he'd never see her again… But it was the amulet that bought him to Canterlot in the first place. He thought he was going to resupply to be on his way. He never once imagined he would meet a mare he would like, let alone a princess… Something in him stirred, but he was also sure that she would never understand him. Then, when the amulet led him to the ship he stowed away on, he was shocked when Scootaloo and he crossed paths again. Had she not sprained his wing, they wouldn't have gotten to know each other and discover how well they went together. Interestingly enough, it was because of the amulet they got married…

The amulet led him to Scootaloo for a reason. Their future may have been uncertain at the moment, but he was going to trust the amulet. He stepped away from Caballeron and said, "No…"

This confused Caballeron, "No?"

"No." Rumble repeated, "My life may not have been always gracious, but I have found something precious and I don't plan on ever letting her go…" he looked down and smiled.

Scootaloo heard that and felt touched. She then proclaimed, "I don't want to lose you, too! I don't care what happens as long as I am with you!"

Rumble smiled widely before Caballeron scowled and grunted, knocking out Rumble's sword and leaving him defeated and crawling on his back.

The group gasped and Scootaloo shouted, "Fly, you idiot! Fly!"

"No! I gave my word!" he saw the flag above his opponent and jumped for it. He tied the flag on Caballeron while grabbing for the sword and pointed at him.

The gang cheered.

Caballeron looked at the sword and then smirked at Rumble, "Well, what are you waiting for? Be a stallion…"

Rumble glared at him and threw the sword away, "I'm not a stallion like you! Now, a deal is a deal…"

"Perhaps… but certain promises must be broken!" he threw the flag at his face, causing Rumble to stumble and begin falling.

"NO!" Scootaloo screamed.

Then out of nowhere, Rumble was caught in a net and was lowered down. Scootaloo ran to him, grasped him, and kissed him with tears running down their faces.

Scoots turned to her family, who gathered around them, "Oh, Discord, thank you…"

"Uh… You're welcome, but I didn't do anything." he scratched his head.

She turned her head in confusion, "Then… Twilight?"

The purple alicorn answered, "I was about to, but some pony beat me to it."

A voice said, "That would be me."

They turned in surprise and Button and Rumble said, "Trixie?!"

Scoots gasped, "You… you did this? Why?"

"I couldn't repeat the same mistakes as before… I'm so sorry I ever hurt you… any of you…"

Caballeron shouted, "Trixie! What do you think you're doing?!"

She yelled back, "What I should have done a long time ago!" she took off the amulet and her original magic aura was back to normal. Then, she threw the dark amulet.

Caballeron bared his teeth, "Then it's best that I take my leave without more traitors messing my plans…" he took out a vital of red powder and threw it down, causing a red cloud and making everyone cough.

When the smoke cleared, Pinkie yelled, "He's gone!" Then, she spotted something, "Oh, wait. There he is…"

Everyone could see Caballeron making a getaway in a rowboat with his three henchponies.

"Oh, no you don't!" Discord started to snap, but nothing seemed to happen, "What the…? Hey! He short-circuited my powers!"

Twilight tried her horn, but it was flickering. The same thing happened to Trixie, "Mine, too!"

"He's getting away!" Apple Bloom pointed.

Sweetie said, "No, he's not!" She blew her conch shell.

Caballeron shouted, "So long!" He chuckled, but his laughter died the minute the boat rocked. "What…?"

His henchies yelled out in fright. The boat kept rocking until it was tipped over. Caballeron found himself facing a group of mermares and a large kelpie…

Caballeron was finally arrested for his crimes. It was safe to say that he would be in prison for a very long time, considering that he kidnapped a prince and attempted to kill a princess…

On the shores of Marendelle, the girls had finished telling their older sisters about their adventures in Marendelle.

Sweetie said, "So… please don't be mad at us for not telling you anything…"

Apple Bloom nodded, "I know Pip was only supposed to be our personal escort, but I couldn't help it… I fell in love…"

Scootaloo nodded, too, "Yeah… Rumble may be a thief, but he means well… I understand if you don't like him as my husband, but… I can't live without him…"

There was silence for a while until Pinkie broke it by snickering that led to full-scale laughing. Twilight and Rainbow followed suit. The younger girls looked at them with confusion.

Rainbow said between laugher, "Sorr… Sorry, but I can't believe what I'm hearing!"

Twilight shook her head and said, "Oh, girls… you don't need to seek any pony's approval… Who you choose for a very special some pony is your own affair…"

"Yeah! Why, we're the ones who went behind everypony's backs first!" Pinkie pointed out.

"Pinkie's right…" Twilight motioned, "When Mother told us we had to marry stallions we didn't know, we were so upset that we had to keep our relationships with the ponies we did love a secret."

"So there's nothing to worry about." said Dash.

"But… what's Mom and Dad going to say about me being married?" Scoots worried.

Rainbow wrapped her wing around the mare she knew since fillyhood, "It may come as a shock at first, but once they meet Rumble and get used to the idea, they'll be cool with it." she smiled.

"Really?"

Twilight and Pinkie nodded in agreement.

While the sisters were talking, Button and the boys were having their own talk with Trixie.

Rumble said, "Trixie, thank you for what you did…"

"It was the least I could do…"

"So where are you going to go now that Caballeron doesn't have a hold on you?"

"Oh, Trixie will go here and there, performing in front of audiences again. Trixie has been missing that…"

Button pondered on this and then pointed, "How about instead of just going from place to place, how about you stay and perform right here?"

Trixie had her brow up, "What do you mean?"

"Our court jester, Featherweight, had to leave due to personal matters, so we could use a court magician to take his place."

Trixie touched her heart in awe, "Trixie is pleased by this! I accept!" The two shook on it. "Oh, and Trixie almost forgot…" she took out the Alicorn Amulet and handed it over to Flash.

"Ooh!" Discord said, "Let me see! Let me see!"

"No way!" Flash kept it out of his reach, "You're not getting ahold of such a powerful object! This thing is going into hiding and I know just the zebra to help us with that…"

Discord humphed.

Moments later, the Canterlot family climbed aboard their ship. Even Button went on it, since he figured it was the best way to meet the rest of his fiancé's family before their wedding. As they were setting sail, Rainbow gestured.

"So we're just going to have to sail all the way back home?"

"I quite agree," said Discord. "How utterly boring, but I know a way to liven up this cruise! All of you might want to hold on to something…"

"Why would we-" Twilight started, but then decided, "Never mind…" she went to grab on to the mast.

When everyone else grabbed hold onto a piece of the ship, Discord rubbed his hands and started blowing gold dust around the whole ship and it turned gold! Suddenly, the ship is being lifted the air!

"We're flying!" they all said.

"Alright!" Dash cheered.

Discord smirked, "You're welcome."

They admired the ocean view as they flew higher and higher into the sky…

Author's Note

This is it, we're finally to the ending. Ugh! This was my first and hopefully last longest story I have ever made! I sure hope the third installment isn't going to be just as long or more... Oops, did I say that out loud? Oh, well... I was going to tell you anyway, yes, just like with Sweet Pea, I thought of yet another story to continue this series. I'm calling it 'Daughter of the Moon' that will star Luna's long-lost daughter, Princess Cadence. It's safe to say you'll get the last chapter tomorrow because I'll be gone all Easter break which means I'll miss the start of Season 5 of MLP. Dang.