The One Where Blueblood Cries

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
chapter 4

Chapter One

She had never seen an animal so aggressive when cornered. Fluttershy rarely saw animals that were terrified of her. It was even rarer to see a pony terrified of her. Shame it had to be her own new, blushing beau. She knew marriage was a bit of a struggle, but this was bordering on Cadance-Armor levels of intensity.

"Blueblood--"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he screeched, horn held defensively in front of him. Golden glow shimmered from his horn and around a very nice jade vase. He held it in front of him, warning Fluttershy not to draw one in closer.

She could not abandon him, though. He may have only given her a home and an income (and his hoof in marriage) because she was meek and he needed to marry despite his uncontrollable fear of mares, but she would not leave him to his demons. She realized now why Rarity had such a poor time with him all those years ago.

Blueblood had probably been scared out of his wits.

She hovered just before him. Deciding it would be better to use her lesser height and stature to appear less intimidating, she dropped to the ground. Wrong move. Blueblood took it as a signal that she was going to disrespect his personal space boundary.She only furrowed her brow as the vase flew past her head.

"Blueblood, stop."

The surprisingly prone looking stallion blubbered. He scooted himself somehow further into the corner of their bedroom he had taken refuge in before beginning to babble. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't do anything. Don't hit me, please--"

She shushed him. He stared at her with the most pleading look she had ever been under before slowly inching her way forward. With the care only the most intimate of companion could achieve, she took shuffle by shuffle closer. It took five minutes to close in the yard that seperated them before.

Blueblood could have turned to stone for how still he was when Fluttershy hugged him. It was a soft, open hug. It was like a warm blanket on a cold day, not like the hastily done hugs of mares who wanted his body or stallions who were chummy just to appeal to yet another femme fatale. He wanted to trust her, but she was female and that was evil incarnate.

"I wouldn't hurt you," she promised into his ear.

The white appendage twitched in response.

"You are my husband and as a lady and a wife I will not hurt the weaker vessel." While there was gender equality now, the chivalric ideals remained. Mares should be the ones dabbling in dangerous magic while stallions safely played with the predictable physical world. Mares should lead their stallions through the troubles and storms of life as the double x-ed creatures were more in tune with the world in general. There were Princesses ruling after all--Blueblood was just one of the many figure heads.

Blueblood held a sob in only to fail. He cried into Fluttershy's beautiful pink mane. He put a hoof to her wings. She was real. He had an angel. Someone who would not beat or abuse him, someone who would treat him as a true gentlecolt. This was a real lady.

"Fluttershy." He didn't know if he was asking or saying.

"Yes." She didn't know if she was telling him who she was or reassuring him that, yes, she would be the one to provide support from here on out.

"Thank you," he said between sniffs.

For an hour it seemed they stay in place. Fluttershy almost fell asleep, but kept herself from doing so. Blueblood needed her. Eventually, he stood on his own. Fluttershy led him to the bed, tucking him in before going to sit on the chaise lounge against the nearest wall. She laid her head between her hooves, ready to sleep.

That was, of course, until she heard the white prince's voice.

"Fluttershy?"

"Yes."

"... I'm lucky."

"Mm, what brings you to say that now?"

"... I get the Element of Kindness to teach me to trust."

Fluttershy tilted her head. She had married an abused toddler it seemed. "Well, you offered to let my little zoo stay here in exchange for marrying you, right?"

"Yes, but you didn't have to do that," he quietly said, as if afraid she would leave him. They hadn't consummated their marriage, after all. "Auntie would have given you land. I... I just used you to keep my title..."

"It's fine." She let the silence lull on for a few moments before slipping out of bed and walking back to Blueblood's side. He waited silently for her actions. She bent over and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "I will heal you and then, maybe, we'll learn to love each other."

He believed her. He believed her despite his mother's abuse and Rarity's haunting repeat of the matriarch's actions. He believed her despite Cadance's threatening to divorce Shining Armor for interfering with a mare-to-mare challenge which had become a fiasco and a reminder of his place as a stallion within government and politics and most horribly of all, love. He believed her despite Celestia insisting that he should just settle with a gentle mare and be content with a loveless life.

He believed her because he had fallen in love with her the moment she tucked him in and asked for nothing of his body in return. He loved the care she showed and was determined to become the perfect groom for his beautiful wife.

With that thought for in the morning, Blueblood snuggled down for the night. Fluttershy would chase away all of yesterday's insecurities.

Fluttershy settled back down on the couch, placing her head between her hooves again. She recalled something, then. She tapped once, twice, and a third final time before the aging Angel Bunny hopped out from the closet which led to a separate room. The white rabbit did not want to walk in on anything, but came when called all the same.

"Angel, be a dear and make sure the maids don't come in to early. I want to clean up the mess so our wedding night secret stays what it is."

Angel looked confusingly around. What didn't Fluttershy--oh. Yes. Jade peices, what looked to be a pee stain a corner. Uh-huh... Angel could understand keeping this all a secret. Whatever freaky things made his Fluttershy happy Angel could ignore, he supposed. With that, the rabbit dashed off as well as he could.

The cream pegasus yawned. This relationship was going to be quite exhausting, but worth it. She did enjoy working with hard to tame things, after all.

Chapter Two

The first dinner they had as a couple was difficult and awkward. That went without saying. The night started out horribly but ended fairly well. Fluttershy had grown used to this pattern of things working themselves out. It came as a pleasant surprise to Blueblood, though. The most difficult part, to follow this train of thought, was the beginning. The newlyweds were to personally greet all the guests to solidify their status as a couple.

Fluttershy wore a simple cream dress with a mild amount of lacing. She was adorned with ruby jewelry. It was almost overwhelming, but the maids insisted that the family heirlooms be worn. Her hair was done up finely, braid crossing over her withers and down to her pastern. Her mascara was on fairly thick. She even had a bit of lip gloss on, but not too much. She was a duchess now, the wife of a prince. Only coy maidens wore deep rouge.

Beside Fluttershy, dressed in much less clothing due to being the more appealing of the two genders in Equestria, was Blueblood. She had mentioned once that she preferred his hair when he had it braided up hunter style. He had gone out of his way to avoid that, getting it plucked and trimmed in show fashion. He wore matching jewels, begrudgingly showing off their status as a couple. If it were not for the fact he had a rotten niece vying for his position as Prince he would hardly be putting himself in this situation.

Fluttershy was better than any alternative. Not once in their now month of being married had she approached him without due reason and permission. She had just recently asked to sleep in the same bed; apparently she was too embarrassed at her inability to seduce him to ask for a separate bed room but also not bold enough to just hop into the bed despite her right to it.

"They will enter soon, Mistress and Master Florence," the maid warned them, wheeling in a cart of appetizers into the ball room.

Oh, yes. How Blueblood hated the fact that the grand Heme palace had give itself into the name of Florence. He didn't dislike Fluttershy for it; it was simply how things worked. Still, he often considered if maybe he should have quit being such a baby and heeded the advice of his elders. The only ponies good enough for the Hemes were the Hemes.

The door opened. Fluttershy put on her best grin, though Blueblood saw her visibly tremble. Most of those invited would be close family. The first in the door was thankfully an ally of both Blueblood and Fluttershy. She stopped her shaking.

"How do you do?" Twilight Sparkle asked charmingly. She dressed up well, even getting a date with a complementary coat color. Ever since her brother had married Cadance, Twilight had made regular trips back to Canterlot to get to know her extended family better. It made the mare giddy to know Celestia was sort of an aunt-in-law or something to her in addition to everything else.

The couple bowed gracefully in unison to Twilight, who returned the favor. Twilight held a special place of honor tonight as she had played match maker for the duo. When Fluttershy found she could not possibly pay her debts back and Blueblood's facade as an eligible bachelor was no longer keeping his niece's claims to his title away, she brought them together to make everything smooth over.

"It's good to see you again, Twilight," Fluttershy cheered.

"Who is this handsome young stallion you're escorting?" Blueblood questioned. He thought he had seen this stallion before. The colt wasn't exactly nobility, but if Blueblood remembered right, the lad's family was.

Twilight grinned mildly at her date. "This is Graphite." Graphite nodded again, despite his hasty bow earlier. Graphite's family was close to the educational system of Canterlot and much of Equestria. The reason why Twilight chose him of all ponies to drag with her to this gathering was obvious.

"I-It's nice to meet you," he nervously choked out.

"Well, I see more guests spilling in. I'll speak to you later, okay, Fluttershy?" With that, Twilight and her date were escorted into the ball room. There would be light, serene dancing before dinner and discussion.

Next was Orion the Count and his wife Royal Ribbon. Because Orion had chosen an already noble mare as his wife, Royal Ribbon had the same rank as her husband while Fluttershy had to take a step below. They were cordial, though Fluttershy got an inkling of a notion that Royal Ribbon was a bit disgusted that the stallions were chattering freely at the same time that the two mares were short-hoofing political jargon.

After that came two surprising guests. Fluttershy knew she had distant family that her mother was sure to tell and therefore invite to this gathering, but the mare had not been expecting Spitfire and Soarin' along with Scootaloo of all foals to enter. Dazedly Fluttershy was reminded that the two mares' grandmothers were sisters. Scootaloo was also surprised to know that she had family living across from the little house she stayed at. As the trio left to enter the mingling group, Scootaloo begged Spitfire to start staying with "Auntie Shy" when the two Wonderbolts were busy.

The next few guests were none too important, just a few relatives of Fluttershy's. She recalled Rosewing, Bonbon, Strawberry Sunrise, and Lavender Skies. The girls all had a good discussion of the good old days while Blueblood tried to keep to himself as best he could when there was no stallion to speak with.

Blueblood was rather surprised to see the family walk in that did grace his property. As they approached, Blueblood figured the close familial bonds would excuse him addressing Fleur before Fluttershy spoke. "Dearest cousin, how are you?" Blueblood winked at Twinkleshine, who hid behind her father's haunch. "And you, little darling? Fancypants, looking robust as always."

Fleur smiled. "Better. Grandmother Celestia has been paying better attention to my little Twinkleshine ever since she started hitting the books, so I can't complain." Fleur bowed to Fluttershy. "So, how is married life treating you? I adjusted poorly myself, at first. I still act like a flirt when the foal isn't around."

Fluttershy grinned, glad to know that if she somehow managed to make this marriage work, that it would not be dull and boring. While no one knew it, Fluttershy was rather repressed. As soon as Blueblood was cured of his fear of oysters, Fluttershy planned to fully show him why mares were ever loving wonderful. "I'm doing well. Blueblood's been doting on me like a doll."

"Oh, he must want a foal. You know stallions--never feel fulfilled without a little foal to herd and tend to." Fleur laughed lightly.

While the pegasus felt the comment was both sexist and uncomfortable, she remembered her current place and merely nodded. "We'll see about it later, hm?"

As the trio left, Blueblood stared ahead blankly. "Not on my life." He shuddered. "I would never--a foal! Making one..." Clearly, intimacy was at least months away--forget doing the do.

Fluttershy mentally warned him to be careful about placing bets hastily. "Fancypants seemed rather proud of Twinkleshine, though, right?"

"If you even approach that sub--... what the devil? Fluttershy, you never told me you had a sister. Er, sisters." He supposed two of the three mares approaching were her sisters. The third, despite looking the youngest, must be their mother.

"Hm? Oh!" She giggled. "No, Rose is my cousin. Gumdrop is my sister." As the mare who looked identical to Fluttershy sans wings approached, the little pegasus enveloped the mare in a hug. "This is my mom."

Posey wiped a few tears from her eyes. "It's a shame we missed your little informal wedding. However, better late than never."

Gumdrop grunted. She eyed Blueblood. Where as Fluttershy was all curvature, gentle slops, and grace, Gumdrop was rough edged, fairly geometric, and full of steep cliffs. They were as different as ink paintings and macaroni sculptures. "Chump looks kind of puny."

Rose kicked her cousin just as Fluttershy spoke up. "I do not appreciate you speaking to my husband that way. He is a prince, after all, Gumdrop."

Gumdrop turned beat red in embarrassment. "Uh... sorry."

Rose shook her head. "Auntie Posey, I'll take Gumdrop into a corner to remind her of her manners. You take a little while longer with Fluttershy if you want. Nice to meet you, Prince Blueblood."

Posey nodded as Rose herded Gumdrop off. She then turned her weary eyes onto the couple. Gray was starting become most of the aged mare's color rather than yellow or pink. "Oh, Fluttershy, you're so beautiful." The mare looked over Blueblood. "You seem like a nice colt. I know the mare is supposed to take care of the stallion, but please to tend after Fluttershy. She tends to get overwhelmed."

"Mom..." Fluttershy squirmed under this new attention.

Blueblood looked his wife over. Yes, he could believe that. Someone who missed a few house payments and then went into a nervous shock over it could definitely be labeled as the type to get overwhelmed. He smiled softly before reassuring Posey. "Miss, your daughter has done me a great deal of good. I'll be sure to take care of her in return." He made mental note to try and overwhelm her as much as possible.

This seemed to satisfy the earth pony. Posey walked off.

"That should be it for my family," Fluttershy tutted. "I don't know if Cousin Jubilee will make it." Bitterly, Fluttershy frowned. "I hope she doesn't."

"Why?" Blueblood asked, trying to be polite and take the edge off his nerves. There were only about five more on his side left to come. He tried not to think about whether two of them would make it and prayed one in particular would stay away.

"Well, a few years ago, my friend Applejack went missing. I asked a Cherries about her because she lived near where Applejack was last seen. She denied having seen Applejack. We had to drag the poor darling back!" The pegasus stomped angrily. "She'd been with Jubilee the whole time." A pout marked her face. "Liar."

Blueblood nodded. "Ah. I can understand that. Not wanting to see her, I mean."

Fluttershy said nothing, stewing in her anger for a second before letting the subject drop.

"Thank you, by the way," Blueblood spat out hurriedly as the door opened for another guest coming in.

"For what?" Fluttershy asked. This guest looked awful familiar.

"... lots of things." Blueblood's eyes narrowed. Everyone else could have not come and he would have been okay with that. He did not bother to hid his inability to smile as the kinsmare made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Aw, smile a little, Blue-boo." The sharpest red eyes ever to grace a pony glittered out from under a jagged bang of blue and bluer hues. An ivory white coat was decked in urban couture. "Seems like you would miss your favorite niece."

Fluttershy looked between the two before gasping. "Vinyl Scratch?! You were the one trying to take Blueblood's position from him?"

Vinyl shrugged. "Yeah. His job's pretty swank. He has lots of free time, money, and land." The white mare nodded. "I could really go for that."

"You squander what little power you have," the white stallion noted bitterly.

Vinyl tossed her mane. "Whatever. We both know Granny only picked you because you were pretty incompetent at basically anything else--"

Fluttershy noticed Blueblood twitch at the mention of his mother.

"--that's really the only reason she'd trust a drop out like you--"

Fluttershy furrowed her brow, ready to speak up.

"I think you've said enough."

All three looked to see a pink, majestic form flanked by a powerful bruiser. Cadance walked up to Vinyl Scratch unabashedly. "Aunt Celestia and Luna cannot make it tonight. As such, I am the highest authority in this house, second only to Fluttershy and Blueblood. If you were waiting to make him look foolish and confused in front of Auntie, you're sadly mistaken, Vinyl."

Vinyl stood her ground. Cadance couldn't prove anything. Vinyl was allowed to talk.

Cadance narrowed her eyes. "Don't act out, Vinyl. You're shaming your branch."

That caught the mare's attention. She looked away, blushing. While most praised her stage persona of DJ PON-3, the royal family considered it trashy beyond belief. It was actually a huge threat to her status as even a low ranking noble. "I understand, Princess." With that, Vinyl walked on.

Cadance sighed and shook her head. She then craned her neck down in a sort-of bow. "Fluttershy, Blueblood."

Blueblood and Fluttershy spoke in unison as Cadance walked by, Shining Armor faithfully trailing her. "Princess, Captain."

Fluttershy's gaze lingered on after them. "I knew the challenge fiasco wasn't anywhere near as big a deal as everyone made it out to be."

"Well, you did get your information from Twilight, so you can naturally assume she threw things out of proportion..." Blueblood said smugly, grinning a bit at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy gave him a look. "Who throws things out of proportion? Just this morning, I remember someone getting their tail accidentally tangled in someone else's during sleep and them freaking the buck out."

Blueblood pretended to ignore Fluttershy. "Oh, look, all our guests are here. Time to start the entertainment!"

"You cried."

"We should start the dancing."

"The maids aren't sure if the stains will come out of the silk."

"Fluttershy!" Blueblood half pleaded, half hissed. "Not so loud! I'd rather them think I'm a jerk than a coward."

Fluttershy felt the exact opposite concerning herself, but she had no desire to control everything about her husband.

Chapter Three

Perhaps Celestia should have listened to Luna and never settled down, never married, never loved something so mortal and weak. The sun goddess would have never suffered the pain of burying her courage and then mildly musing if perhaps she should have been better to him. She would have never seen her sons treated so differently from herself just because they were merely princes and not grand, wonderful Princesses. Celestia could have spared herself the pain of seeing her family line dilute until she had only her sister to prove that she was not alone in the pool of genetics. After all, these many houses of angry unicorns were hardly any consolation to losing her husband.

All the same, she could not help feeling protective of each and every one of them. She loved them each. Her granddaughter Fleur, result of a slip in control a hundred years ago, was especially precious because the pink haired she-wolf was so playful! Orion was a darling. Pity he let Royal Ribbon beguile him into marriage. Her precious Vinyl, despite her lazy and frivolous ways, was a joy whenever the disc jockey mare wasn't after her the crown prince's throat.

Oh, yes, the crown prince...

"Prince Blueblood," Celestia sweetly murmured as the prince entered. He looked unsure of himself. It was rare he was in her presence. She couldn't blame him. Last time she had seen him, she convinced him to go to the Gala and after that, to go to Fleur's airship party. Both had been rather horrible for him. Celestia wondered in the back of her mind how old the romance novels Rarity read were. Certainly modern masculinist and the wave of mares agreeing that stallions were not baby machines and merely body guards were close enough to home that the purple maned unicorn wouldn't foolishly believe she was to seduce a stallion and then keep him as a prize?

If so, Celestia could only wait for what would happen when Spike grew. Dragons were all instinctively possessive, so their domineering natures would clash. Horribly. Amusingly. It would be--

"Um, excuse me, Princess Celestia...?" Blueblood asked, looking almost ready to quake in his horseshoes.

Celestia looked down. "Ah, yes. Sorry, nephew--" the word sounded like a lie on her tongue. It was half truth "--I was just daydreaming. I did call you here with a purpose."

Blueblood shrunk a bit.

"And not a social obligation."

He relaxed.

Celestia walked closer to her distant relative. The moonlight on his golden mane reminded her of her long dead husband. She smiled softly. "I understand why you married Blueblood. Still, I hope you are happy."

Blueblood paused, obviously forming his words carefully. Fluttershy was an Element and therefore precious to Celestia. In the same hoof, Blueblood was a symbol of Equestrian power and a token of Celestia's lost love. He could cause no trouble between him and his wife to be seen by Celestia, least the goddess trouble herself about finding a solution. "It is difficult..."

Wrong word. Celestia stiffened, frowning. "Dear neph--"

Blueblood shook his head. "Princess, please let me finish." He gathered himself, moving to sit by the dinner table which had been their original plan. He was going to dine with Celestia, plus Fluttershy when she returned from her long-awaited spa trip with Rarity. Celestia was one of the few females he liked to be around. "Fluttershy is gentle with me. She is all patience and kindness, like the gentlemares from the old tales."

The white goddess smiled softly. She regretted that Blueblood's mother had drilled the sexist view of romance into Blueblood's head, but if he could become comfortable enough to talk favorable about Fluttershy because she fit into his pseudo-dream woman, she could handle the ancient garbage. "And, has she attempted anything unladylike toward you...?"

A blush crept across his face. "We have... uh."

Celestia couldn't believe it! Her shy little nephew and the darling of Ponyville! How naughty!

The golden haired stallion knew his aunt well enough to know the stupid look on her face meant what he did not. "It was not that, Princess!" He was flustered, nostrils flared and ears pinned. Celestia motioned for him to sit and it was only then that he realized he was standing. "We have... Excuse my bluntness, but we have... spooned."

Obviously, Celestia was not impressed by this. She assumed Fluttershy slept as the big spoon as most pegasi didn't appreciate their wings being touched. They always got a reaction out of a pony, much in the same manner tugging another's tail would. A pegasus had to be a bit into pain with their pleasure for wing fondling to be a turn on for them.

Celestia would know.

"Is that all?"

"All?! Princess, I hardly know the mare, and, she, we, her hair, our tails!" He put his face into his hooves. "You do not understand at all!"

"Nope," Celestia chuckled out. She stopped when she saw Blueblood tearing up. He was probably frustrated. He was trying to keep his homestead and here she was, poking fun at him for not being able to chew what he had bitten off. "Come here," she cooed.

He approached, hesitant.

"Blueblood, next time you try to warm yourself up to touching Fluttershy, try this." She brought her wing out. Blueblood brought his ear to her lips. The servants, who had not been paying attention out of respect, noticed their gathered forms and carefully turned their ears so that they got they could not catch bits of the conversation.

Blueblood brought his head back, not sure how, exactly, his aunt's bit of advice would help him warm up to his wife. However, if her stories were to be believed, Celestia was a bit of a sexual master. He would trust her words. "Alright. Thank you... Auntie."

Celestia smiled. "Anytime, nephew."

"Princess Celestia, Duchess Fluttershy, along with Baroness Fleur, Baron Fancypants, and Countess Twinkleshine, have arrived. However, we were not expecting Madam Fleur. Shall we tell her she and her family will dine in the guest hall, or...?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, please. Let them join us." Celestia smiled widely. "It has been a while since I've seen my granddaughter."

Blueblood settled himself down. He levitated the goblet of water to his lips. He sipped lightly from it. He watched as Fluttershy, Fleur, Fancypants, and Twinkleshine walked in. "Good afternoon," he lightly said. "Darling."

Fluttershy grinned lightly at his after thought. While she had always resigned herself to a life without romance thanks to her bizarre combination of a fairly impressive sexual appetite mixed with her incredible fear of strangers and strange situations, it was nice to at least pretend she could once day do something with Blueblood. "How was your day, Blueblood?"

"Good. I had much of the day off, thanks to you helping me take care of those requests and tend to the paperwork." He frowned a bit before asking. "Um, how was your friend?"

The pegasus understood his hesitation. "She was fine. Thank you for asking. I ran into Fleur after, so I asked her to come." Fluttershy blushed, looking to Celestia. "Sorry. She said you were always happy to have more."

Celestia cheekily grinned. "Always room at my table for my trickster baby."

Fleur made a face at her grandmother. "Grandmother Celestia, I'm not the prankster here."

"No, you'll never pass the master, will you?" The white princess looked more prideful than any other moment.

Twinkleshine could apparently not stand her mother and great-grandmother talking about pranks without her. "Oh, yeah?! Well, you two never figured out who stole Philomena that one time,did you?! No-ope!" It was only after she spoke those words she realized her foolishness. "I mean, uh..."

Fancypants shook his head as the white coated mares got into a rather loud arguement about who was the best prankster. "So, cousin-in-laws, tell me, how is this harvest season."

Blueblood finished chewing his pre-meal roughage. It was watery and cleared his palette. "The grapes are plentiful, as they always are. I'm a bit worried about this year's antler growth. The deer say the shortage of minerals in the summer isn't going to allow for a lot of growth this year. Spring antler-ivory is always a bit hit since it comes right before the popular marrying months. I am surprised at the star fruit growth this year, though."

"Oh, yes, it has been five years since the last star fruit harvest, hasn't it? Ten years since the return of our fair Princess Luna, too." Fancypants seemed to realize something, then. "Why, what about a little celebration on keeping Princess Luna?"

Fluttershy nodded. "That'd be wonderful!" The mare paused then. "Um, doesn't she have houses under her, too?"

"The Sparkle family is her only keep," Blueblood supplied.

"Oh? What about the Doo family you told me about?" Fluttershy herself had been shocked to learn that her friends Derpy Doo and Ditzy Doo were in fact low ranking nobles. However, their family was so weak and of few assets that they would soon lose their status as nobility.

"Well, they're some of Leon's offspring," Celestia interjected. Her mane had a fork floating through it. Fleur's head was adorned with Celestia's crown. Twinkleshine was no where to be seen.

"Where's our daughter?" Fancypants asked, a little bit obvious in his worry over his precious, pink maned angel.

Fleur waved him off. "Oh, somewhere between here and the lower levels of our treasury room." She giggled.

"We keep baby manticores in the lower levels!" Fancypants crowed. Just then, Twinkleshine popped back into existance, the quiet of the non-fighting making her coming more obvious than her going had been during the ruckus. "Darling," Fancypants cooed as she sat down. The youngest rose haired girl threw her mother a dirty look.

"Leon?" Fluttershy asked.

"My cousin," Celestia said bitterly. "He rules a few islands west of Equestria. His special talent is, of all things, time control. He can't even control it! It's pretty pitiful."

Blueblood rolled his eyes. "You just say that because you're have to check with him for 'real' time."

"THE SUN CONTROLS LIFE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT A FEEBLE, RELATIVE CONCEPT SUCH AS TIME HAS UPON THE GLORY OF A PLANET OF EXPLOSIONS."

"Chill, Grandma," Fleur said behind a hoof. Celestia glared at Fleur, then blushed, embarrassed at her outburst.

Fluttershy sighed. "Well, at any rate, we should do something for Luna."

Celestia licked her lips, eying the food exiting the kitchen. "Let's discuss it over our meal, yes?"

"Mm-hm!" Fleur and Twinkleshine said in time.

Fancypants and Blueblood shared a look. When those three said discuss, they really meant override each other's opinions.

Fluttershy saw the gaze and put a hoof to Blueblood's shoulder. "Oh, I'll interject your ideas if Fleur won't listen."

Blueblood shied at the touch, then forced himself to endure it. "Thank you."

chapter 4

The librarian of Ponyville admired her reflection. "Cousin" Vinyl Scratch had popped by for a visit. Twilight Sparkle was never one to say no to friends, much less to family. Besides, the two mares hadn't spoken to each other very much since the wedding fiasco. That was over nine years of haphazard meet and greets.

Twilight walked down from her bedroom, magically tugging her empty cup of tea with her. She passed it to the now fairly tall Spike as she passed by him.

She had to admire Vinyl. When the mare hadn't purposefully messed her mane and tail, the mare looked positively elegant. The ritter sported her black heritage jewels like they were Sapphire Shores's latest trend. The jewelry almost made her look dangerous. Still, Twilight wasn't sure why Fluttershy seemed so apprehensive about Vinyl. The white unicorn was edgy and a bit rebellious, yes, but she was still good under it all.

"So, what can I do you for, cousin?" Twilight asked cordially as she sat down on a large blanket in the middle of a back room on the main floor. "I do, ah, owe you one, it seems," the prodigy said playfully, winking the eye under the beautiful mane clip. It was a simple white bar, but it was made from narwhal ivory. It was excellent for sight related spells. More importantly than that, though, it looked lovely against her dark blue mane.

Vinyl was a good enough actress. She smiled at Twilight, not at all like a creature with an agenda. She seemed all together very... warm. "Hm, well, I understand you have a huge network of friends," she crisply said. Mentally, she wished the pesky Fluttershy was not a friend. While Vinyl had no personal beef with the buttery colored mare, the pegasus had utterly ruined Vinyl's gambit to take the Heme Manor and prestige in the name of the Tremble house. Sadly, Celestia's musical begotten were soon to fade into the common pony class.

Twilight almost humbly objected, but then recalled that her last count of those who she knew considered her a friend now numbered well over one hundred. Almost ten years in friendship studies had given her a life of rich contacts. She would definitely have to get Princess Luna something nice at the party; if it were not for Luna's millennial troubles, then Twilight would have no friends save Spike, Shining Armor, and Cadance. She was particularly proud of the friends she had won in the face of adversary. Gilda particularly come to mind. The griffon had gone from a citizen bordering on rogue to Captain of the Royal Guard in just six years. Her incredibly ferocity and loyalty no doubt helped in all of that.

"Yes, I suppose I do. Um, there's... not trouble... is there?" Twilight fidgeted. She hoped Vinyl would not ask her to help in a clan fued. Twilight was almost entirely certain she was only a duchess because Cadance was her sister-in-law and any fued decision would be made by the family head. Were the princesses' direct houses even allowed to be involved in fueds? Twilight swore she read about that being banned after the Nightmare Moon turmoil.

"Hm? Oh, no. Thank you, though," Vinyl said smoothly. The two mare smiled to pass a quite moment.

As if on cue, Spike entered. He carried a tray of tea ever so carefully. He had grown handsomely. While most ponies didn't see dragons as a potential love interest, it was for one of two reasons: most dragons considered ponies to be pets at worst and children at best, or that most dragons were simply too large for ponies. Spike wasn't faced with either of those problems, currently at least. He had been raised among ponies and was currently as tall as the average mare on all fours.

"Your Haycian tea," he said, purposefully showing off his gravely new voice. He was extremely proud of it, and his budding wings. Scootaloo may be taller than him, but soon he'd be sitting on her stupid face even on the clouds. Heheh, dumb magenta-haired pegasus.

As Spike civilly placed the tea on the table, an idea unlike the simple seduction plan crossed Vinyl's mind. A child of Spike's would be of great importance to the Princess... a mate of Spike's would be, as well. Hm, yes, he was everything she had ever thought was needed out of a male. Pity any children they had ran the risk of becoming dracoequus rather than a kirin, but Vinyl figured a world where she was not on her way to being proper nobility was not a world she wanted to endure, anyway. "Thank you must humbly, Prince Spike." She batted her eye lashes.

Spike blushed, mouth agape. "Ah, um, Vinyl... don't use my title. We've been over this! Celestia's scared I'll get kidnapped... or something."

Twilight raised a brow, grinning smugly at the mention of 'something'. "What, still scared crapless of the last time your title was known?"

"THOSE WERE TROLLS, TWILIGHT. LIKE, EIGHT FEET TALL. And you were taller than me then and you only came up to their ankle!" Obviously, whatever had happened had deeply scarred Spike that he more or less abandoned his title. He wouldn't even use it in his confusing-as-reading-a-blind-pony's-writing relationship with Rarity.

Vinyl figured she could make him proud of his title. She was well aware of his little Oedipus complex--a weakness for white unicorn mares, or white pegasus mares when one was found that was not all muscle and no fat. "Pity. You would look... dashing in a little crown. A metal one, all the way, mind you, but still..."

Spike blushed more profusely than before. "I... um..."

"You'd make a handsome husband."

"Okay, then!" Twilight singsonged out, forcing a smile. She saved Spike from collapsing into a little froth of over stimulation. The dragon more or less ran from the room. Twilight shook her head. "I, uh, take it you've been thinking about husbands."

Vinyl really wanted to tell Twilight she found what she was looking for, but the purple mare had a tendency to tell everyone everything and Celestia had an even stronger tendency to choke hold those who treated her family badly, so it was better to lie a little now and live a lot later.

"That obvious?" Vinyl cooed in mock embarrassment.

Twilight laughed. "You harassed my apprentice."

"Oh? He's your apprentice now?"

Twilight nodded. "He has to use a hyena tail wand, but he's mastered the basics. Most dragons don't know how to do anything more than manipulate their natural fire and their voices! Spike may be among the first to learn to levitate if things keep going well!"

Vinyl nodded. "Yes." She pretended to actually pay attention to the time. "Ah, well, I must be going! So, you understood the nature of our meeting, then, yes?"

"Find a future Mr. Tremble! On the checklist!"

Fluttershy walked through the streets of her crown city with her husband at her side. How she wished they were just strolling through Manehatten for the joy of it. This was her first real political meeting and it scared her stiff. They were going to have dinner at the Cusp to discuss some important business with both the Grapes and the Oranges.

"This is stupid," Blueblood bitterly said as they walked smoothly along.

Fluttershy tutted lightly, brushing her shoulder against his for the briefest of moments. Slowly but surely there were touches Blueblodo discovered he was okay with aside from pats on the back and such. Shoulder contact and him touching her with his horn were non-threatening means of contact. His horn was a focal point for his magic but also fairly sensitive; it was comparable to if she decided to grab him by the scabbard of his sword. It got his attention without freaking him out.

As they walked into the Cusp, the head hostess automatically recognized the two of them. Well, she took a moment longer to have that dazzle of "I know you!" for Fluttershy, but the hostess was learning quickly.

"Your regular spot?"

It hurt both to say no. They usually sat on the second floor on a balcony overlooking a little garden. It was so serene with a little pond and ducks.

Fluttershy cleared her throat, trying to sound calm and steady rather than anxious for what lay ahead for the evening. "Do you, maybe, have a meeting room? For six-ish?"

Not exactly what Blueblood had coached her for, but he would pass her for her effort. Her face was fairly serious and composed even if her voice betrayed her like the Four Stars of Nightmare Moon.

Blueblood gave her a soft smile of "A for effort" when the hostess looked at available tables.

The hostess nodded. "We do have a table like that. Allow me to lead you to it." Her smile was kilowatt.

The newlyweds followed the hostess. The room she led them to was small, but not too small. A television, small but of high quality, sat on the wall on which the table had no cushions. The cushions were of blue velvet with gold trimming, obviously a nod to their current blood-heir. They had yet to redecorate for the fact he had married, but they were trying, as evident by the pink and yellow lilies on the table's center.

"It's lovely, thank you," Fluttershy noted with a much firmer voice. The couple went to sit on the same side of the table, opposite the television. They decided it would be best if the oranges and the grapes were not sitting near each other.

Quickly, an awkward but extremely well groomed looking young gelding brought them little glasses of water. He wore a pendant around his neck, obviously the mark of Luna.

After the gelding left, Blueblood sipped his water. "It's nice to see Princess Luna has regained some followers."

"It has been ten years."

Blueblood looked over to the door. "Ah, here come Amelia and Urkle Orange."

Amelia had pretty blonde hair whereas Urkle had a green, cropped mane. They always looked dashing in their simplistic accessories.

"Ah, Duchess Fluttershy. It's so nice to see you in the flesh. My precious, darling neice Applejack has written about you, but to see you in person, and as our duchess, is so different!" Amelia Orange was laying it on rather thick.

Fluttershy tried to right herself to look proud. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Amelia. I hope you'll still think so well of me no matter what happens tonight, hm?"

Amelia sat down, face faultering a bit to have her flattery do her no good.

Blueblood smiled ever so slightly before moving his hoof closer to Fluttershy's so that she might know she was playing the game well.

The Grapes came in then. Purple Prose and Wrath were fairly vicious looking, but their family had always taught them to be cutthroat if they were to survive in the food provision buisness. Why, they had even kicked out their daughter for being drunken so often. Fluttershy had heard the poor girl's story from Pinkie Pie back in Ponyville, while Blueblood knew because he had to step in with his sect of Royal Guards when Berry Punch would not get the message that she was disowned.

Obviously, Fluttershy and Blueblood felt different on the matter, but that was not what they were to talk about tonight.

"Duchess Fluttershy," Purple Prose said in her heavy accent. Where as Amelia was delicate and frivilous, Purple Prose was ironically anything but what her name implied. "Prince Blueblood, might I say what a lovely wife you have?"

Fluttershy rather liked Prose already as she had mind to remember that, despite Fluttershy being 'in charge' and the estate changed to the Florence Manor rather than the Heme manor, who exactly kept the Grapes in power and had the political expirence.

Fluttershy looked to Blueblood. "Please, you know the Grapes so much better. It would be rude of me to go barging in with my assumptions on how your meetings usually work."

Purple grinned as she and Wrath sat down. Though Fluttershy's reputation as an Element and a coward confused the purple mare, the cream dame was alright in Prose's book.

"Gladly," Blueblood responded. "Madam Purple Prose and Master Wrath, lately, the citizens of Manehatten have been purchasing more and more of the Oranges' produce. Moreso, they have been shipping and serving more and more of the Oranges' produce."

Amelia and Urkle looked rather proud of themselves, here.

"However," Blueblood noted, "your sales have not decreased one bit. I've been looking into it myself. I noticed that a peculiar tradition from Neighpon has come over. Seeing how winter is approaching, many ponies have purchase what is more or less an electric blanket built into their table."

Fluttershy resisted grinning guiltily. He only knew this lead because Rarity, always on the up and up on the latest trends, had told both Fancypants and Fluttershy. Fancypants at once ordered a table and oranges to go with it. Fluttershy had resisted until she was sure how it would look to their patron.

Blueblood continued. "It seems the most appropriate thing to do under these tables is to eat oranges. I'm... a little baffled by it, myself, but of course, trends are not always logical."

Urkle looked panickedly over to Amelia, who only cast a glare to Purple Prose. The purple mare ignored it, eyes trained onto Blueblood. The earth pony mare subtly moved her left shoulder at the same time the pegasus Wrath moved his left. Fluttershy caught it and realized that they were holding hands.

How... precious. They were hoping this would be in their favor. She wished that she and Blueblood could perhaps start doing that. He was slowly getting used to them giving each other pats on the back or brushing hooves.

"However, this reasoning is not good enough for me to change our fruit symbol for the providence."

Amelia stood on her hindlegs. "What?! Why not!? We have come up with orange snacks, orange meals, orange drinks--we even came up with orange themed spa treatments!"

Fluttershy could attest to that, but wisely kept silent. She only gave Amelia a bit of a look. The orange mare calmed down, if only enough to get her forehooves off the table.

Purple Prose stood, though she didn't raise to her rear hooves. "Miss Orange--" Fluttershy winced here; to call a pony by their last name only was to imply that they were either strangers or someone you couldn't be bothered to befriend "--I came here, willing to give up my position if you earned it. I was figuring you were a good, decent mare. A mare I could content and rival with."

Prose's dark blue eyes narrowed.

"You are no such mare if you allow yourself to act like a child not allow to help with harvesting."

Amelia looked flustered. "I... I..."

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Girls, let's be calm. We called you here, also, to discuss something very important."

Wrath turned to pay attention since his wife was still busy glaring at the other fruit-matron.

Blueblood realized he had to say this to snap them out of their mental grappling. "You two are to be part of the families that cater to the ten year anniversery of the return of Princess Luna."

"What?!" Urkle asked, spitting out the water he had been idly sipping. He flushed, embarrassed, before getting up and bowing. He trotted, almost cantering, to the bathroom.

Purple Prose grinned. "Ah, so this is a good chance to try the new night grown harvest."

"Night grown?" Amelia asked.

Purple Prose nodded. "Wrathy-poo here--"

"Hey!"

"--used to be training to be a weather pony before he met a pretty little pony and realized he'd rather farm."

"You're vain."

"So, we were expirementing and discovered that grapes would grow if they were planted in starfruit fertilized ground even if there was no sunlight." Prose frowned. "They need lots of water, though."

Amelia nodded. "Starfruit is so expensive, though..."

"Well, you do have to import it from Prince Leon's islands," Blueblood said haphazardly, regretting it as the two women remembered they were at dinner.

Urkle returned from the restroom.

Their awkward young waitor returned. "Everyone ready to order?"