Labyrinth: Return of Discord

Once the pain had subsided, Fluttershy slid off the bench and continued on her self-guided tour of the gardens.  She paused to admire each and every new type of flower she found, giving each a proper examination of sight and smell.

"Ooh, I've never even heard about this flower," she commented to herself as she spied a group of flowers, each sitting atop their own thin green stalk.

The flower had tall white petals that rose upwards and out in all directions, with two petals exceptionally longer than the others.  The longest petals curled out and around themselves to trail beneath the rest of the bloom, which was slightly drooped from the weight of them.  Each different bloom seemed to be in its own unique shape:  one looked like a grasshopper in flight, another looked like a pegasus dancing upright on its hind legs, and a third had its long petals hooked at the end to form a delicate heart.

"It's so lovely."  She smiled as she gazed at each one.

"I would hardly say that," came a male voice beside her.

She was startled by the sudden closeness of a tall stallion as he leaned over one of the orchids she had been complimenting.  He had a dusty brown coat with a bright red mane and tail.  His mane was slicked back and cut short, as was his tail.  She tried to steal a peek at his cutie mark, but a long black tuxedo coat covered him from his shoulders down to his flank.  Not knowing anything about the stallion, she simply smiled.

"After all, how can such tiny flowers compare to the loveliest in this garden?"  He turned his head to look at her with striking golden eyes.

Her ears fell and she took a step back.  One hoof quivered, begging to run, but the other three remained firmly planted on the cobblestone.  "Wh-what do you mean?"

He raised a hoof and reached toward her face.  She squeaked, but her fear subsided when he pulled the rose out of her hair.  He held it between them with a smile, one brow raised.

"You, of course, found the best flower of all.  Though I do believe nopony is permitted to take from the garden?"

Fluttershy's eyes darted as she took another step back.  "Oh, is that so?  I didn't know that, I mean, I didn't take it, a breezie gave it to me...  Three actually, and, um...  Oh, please don't tell Celestia I took it!"

The mention of the name caused the stallion to drop the flower and clear his throat.  "The Princess?  By her glory, why would I approach her with something so trivial?"

"Because I don't want her to get mad and lock me in the dungeon...  Or kick me out of the room she gave me, and then lock me in a dungeon!"  The mental image of Celestia's wrath, though she had yet to actually incur such a thing, terrified her nonetheless.  The imagined was much more frightening than reality.

"The room... she... gave you?"  the stallion repeated slowly.  A smile broke across his lips and he took one of her hooves in his.  "Why, of course I wouldn't do such a thing.  Come, now, let's look at some more flowers.  Oh."  He picked up the rose and set it back in her hair behind her ear.  "There you go.  Now, let's see..."

He practically dragged Fluttershy alongside him.  He started to ask all sorts of questions that made her head spin, such as how long had she known the princess or how long had she lived in the castle.  Finally, she dug her heels in and pulled her hoof out of his.

"Wh-who are you?"  she said with a false sense of courage.

"Who am I?  How rude of me!"  He put his hoof over his chest as he gave a small bow.  "I am Crimson Kipper, at your service, my lady."

"I see..."  She tried to be polite, though she wanted to be left alone to enjoy the serenity of the flowers.  "My name is Fluttershy..."

"Fluttershy?"  His head lifted with a suave smile on his face.  "What a lovely name.  It suits you."

The compliment made her uncomfortable.  Why was he being nice to her?  What did he want?

"Now, if I may treat you to breakfast, I would be quite honored.  They are serving samples of nectar from the more savory flowers growing here."

"That sounds nice, but..."

He didn't seem to hear the 'but', instead taking her by the hoof again and leading her down a path to a stall where a pony handed out small tasting cups of different nectar.  He politely sat her down at a little table for two and went to get a plate of the samples.

She looked at her surroundings with a small sigh.  She was feeling on her guard again as she remembered Celestia's speech.

"It can be dangerous if you do not guard your heart, lest it be taken advantage of by those with ill intentions."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood and she glanced at Crimson Kipper.  He was offering the serving pony a dashing smile as he gave her a couple of bits in exchange for the samples.  His eyes seemed to catch the sunlight in a way that made them sparkle, and not a single hair strayed from his slick mane.  In all ways, he was perfectly prepared.

Fluttershy's eyes narrowed just slightly.  Too perfect!  She had no idea that Celestia's warning would be regarding something so soon, but this was no ordinary stallion, or so she convinced herself.  She started to plan how she was going to escape from this clearly nefarious pony when a familiar voice called out.

"Why, Fluttershy, darling!  I am not surprised to run into you here."

Her thoughts dissipated and she turned to smile at the unicorn.  "Oh, Rarity, it's so wonderful to see you."  The timing was perfect.  She slid out of the chair and trotted over to her.  "There are some lovely flowers that I've never seen before that I want to show you."

"Of course!  That's exactly why I'm here.  After all, Sapphire Shores's new line calls for some...  Floral inspiration, and where better to get it than during a festival all about flowers?  Though, I do say, for a festival it's rather drab, don't you think?  Everypony is so awfully quiet."  She sighed.

"Well, that's because of the breezies."  She smiled as she watched one flutter by.  "They don't like loud noises."

"Hmm."  The unicorn eyed the passing breezie.  "They are absolutely darling, but...  Now, where is this flower you wanted to show me?"

"Oh, right here."  Fluttershy leaned her head down in front of the delicate and unusual orchids.

Rarity was perfectly still for a moment, saying nothing, which made the pegasus's smile fall.  Finally, she cried out, "They're absolutely perfect!  Oh, I can see it now!"  She willed a pencil and sketchpad out of her saddlebags and began to furiously sketch her thoughts.  "Imagine, that as a headdress, with ribbons... No, no, ribbons are last year.  Feathers.  Feathers!  Yes, and..."

Fluttershy smiled as she listened to her friend ramble.  It was just like old times, when Rarity would need inspiration and she would do her best to help.  They used to be a great team that way.  The smile slowly faded as the unicorn put away her sketchpad and started to trot away.

"Thank you, darling!  I have to begin making a prototype right away!  To- oof!"  She had been so distracted by calling to Fluttershy over her shoulder that she bumped straight into another pony.  "Why, I'm terrible sorry, please..."  She trailed off, gazing up into golden orbs.  "... forgive me..."

"It's no trouble at all, my lady.  Are you hurt?"

Rarity nearly fell over herself giggling and waving a hoof.  "Oh, by no means!  I'm quite all right!  Better, now, in fact."

"That's good to hear."  Crimson Kipper inclined his head to look over at the pegasus, who was trying to back away slowly and froze when she was caught.  "Fluttershy, my dear, I was worried when you had vanished."

Rarity's ears fell back as she glanced at Fluttershy.  "Fluttershy?  My dear?"  She broke into another fit of giggles and side-stepped to try to catch his eye.  "Oh, yes, Fluttershy is rather adorable.  She's like a little sister to me.  Now, why don't we let her enjoy her flowers while you and I talk about how cute she is, among other things?"

The stallion's gaze flickered between them before it settled on the unicorn before him.  "A little sister to you?  Then, I suppose you also know the princess?"

"The princess?  Why, of course, darling!  I would dare to say that she and I are close!"

He gave her a dashing grin and hooked his foreleg with hers.  "Is that so?  Well, then, I just bought some nectar.  Would you care to try some with me?"  He began to lead her away.

"I would be delighted!"

From behind the flowers, Fluttershy squeaked in a meager voice hardly above a whisper, "But... wait... he's evil..."  No one heard her, so she whimpered and whined as she watched the stallion take her friend away.  She took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself.

As they started to turn the corner, Rarity glanced over her shoulder at Fluttershy with a strangely protective glare.  Though she said nothing, Fluttershy could hear the unicorn's haughty voice in her head saying, "Why don't you keep your eyes to yourself, missy?"

She winced as the throbbing pain returned to her head and she had to sit down for a moment.  Should she be worried?  Was she worried, and that was why her head suddenly hurt?  Should she go to the princess about it?

No, Celestia had only warned about her own kindness being taken advantage of, not Rarity or any of her friends.  Besides, Rarity often mingled with stallions, but she was rarely ever serious about any of them, and those with no intention of treating her like the lady she was were cast aside.  After all, if she could turn away Prince Blueblood, it would be easy for her to reject a normal stallion.

Her breathing returned to normal as the pain subsided.  On the plus side, she was saved from trying to protect herself.  She slowly relaxed and a smile returned to her lips.  She trotted through the gardens, opposite of the way Rarity and Crimson Kipper had gone, allowing her gaze to wander across the flowers.

To her right, the cobblestone path broke off to a defined dirt trail, leading between some hedges.  Fluttershy tilted her head to try to peer down the road.  Flower vines grew along the sides, so it seemed to her as a continuation of the flower garden and, with a careless smile, she trotted away from the main path to take it.

Once through the hedges, she found herself in a wide open field with only local flowers growing here or there.

"Oh, I suppose this isn't a part of the festival."  She shrugged and turned to go back the way she came, only to find that there was no path at all.  "Huh?"  She blinked.  "How strange..."

She took a few steps back to survey the hedge wall where the path had been.  It towered above her, dauntingly so, but not so much that it could impede a pegasus.  She flapped her wings to lift up off the ground and gently rose above it, gasping when she realized what was before her.

It was not the hedge wall that surrounded the gardens.  It was a hedge maze.

A sharp pain shot through her and she fell back to the ground, now in a panic.  Where was she?  What was going on?  She backed away from the hedge maze and bumped into a cool, stone surface.  She slid down to the ground and propped herself against the stone.

"No, Fluttershy," she whispered.  "You just got carried away and walked further than you thought.  It's perfectly normal.  You do that, sometimes.  You get lost in your head."  She paused.  "And you talk to yourself.  Aloud.  That's normal, too."

She sighed and leaned her head back to gaze upward at the sky, then cried out in surprise when she found herself staring up at a familiar stone face,  "Discord?!"