Princess Butterscotch

chapter 14

Butterscotch lays in bed, his nose wrinkles at the sterile environment around him. He looks out the window, the green grass finally buds as the birds return from their southern trip.

“Just my luck,” he sighs, he looks up towards the ceiling and begins counting the tiles, to stave off the boredom.

As he reaches the twenty second tile and counts off the holes, in said tile, a visitor enters the room. Butterscotch stops to look at the new pony at the door. Her blonde mane in a sporadic mess, as her golden orbs stared at the floor.

The stallion smiles and greets the mare, “Hello Ditzy.”

Her grey wings flinch as her name was called. Those golden orbs slowly rise to stare at the stallion in the bed of white.

“H-hello Butterscotch,” She said, shifting in place as one eye returns to the tiled floor, while the other wonders about.

Butterscotch sighs, but he made sure she didn’t see it. Putting on a smile he speaks to the mare, “You know… I’ve already forgiven you for slamming into.” He raises a hand to stop her from condemning herself, “And I think we’ve already gone over all this… so why not bring out those muffins already.”

Her gray muzzle shows a tint of red, as the basket hidden behind her was revealed. She sheepishly smiles as she walks toward the bed, with basket held out.

Butterscotch chomps down on a muffin, while the mare takes a seat next to the bed. He savors each bite, for the hospital may have food but was lacking quantity that he wanted.

“Mhmm… so happy to finally have something to eat,” Butterscotch sighs, from the flavorful basket of food.

The grey mare giggles from the sight of the pony, all the food in the basket gone in just a few minutes.

Butterscotch turns to the mare a smile on his face, “Thanks for the food… I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem.” She rubs the back of her head and her blush intensifies from his complement.

The stallion shakes his head and rest against the pillow. His ears twitch as he hears the sounds of hooves nearing his room. Ditzy on the other hand smiles at seeing his content face.

The door opens, and a mare enters the room, her horn glows as a clipboard travels behind her.

“Good morning Mr. Butterscotch,” She said, a smile on her muzzle. Her eyes fall on the stallion, then travels toward the mare seated next to him, “I see you're here again Ms. Doo.”

“Good morning Ms. Stitch,” Ditzy greets the blue unicorn, as the mare makes her way to the stallion.

“So how much longer?” Butterscotch asks, as the mare’s horn glows. A silver aura covers his body, the doctors brow furrows while a pen wrote over the clipboard. Butterscotches eye twitches as he observes the mares facial features, ‘That doesn’t look good.’

The scan ends, and mare looks at the stallion, “It seems that the fracture to your skull has finally healed…”

She trails off, only to make Butterscotch inwardly sigh at the mares actions. A clap to his side brought his attention toward the grey mare.

“So he can go home now.” Ditzy smiles at the stallion, only to have her face fall from his saddened face.

“If that were the case… then yes,” The doctor said, eyes returning to the clipboard, “but we still have some test to do.”

Butterscotch sighed and turned to look at the worried mare next to him. Her downcast eyes and ruffled feathers tore away at his heart. He quickly returns it to the lab coat wearing mare, “So what’s the problem this time?”

“If only I knew,” She sighed, and turned around to head out the door. She quickly looks at the stallion, “Get some rest and I’ll have the rest of the results as soon as I can.”

She gives him a nod and heads out the door. Butterscotch thanks the mare, but as the door closes he sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose.

“Uhm… is everything okay,” Ditzy asks, her golden orbs worriedly looks at the pony in bed.

Butterscotch puts on a smile, “I’m fine… just not good enough for me to leave this hospital.” He sighs as he looks out the window, birds flew through the sky, while the animals frollicked in the fields.

“I’m really sorry,” Ditzy mumbles, her eyes returning to the floor.

Butterscotch places a hand on her lap, and as her eyes met his, a smile dons his muzzle, “I already told you that I forgive you… besides.” He repositioned himself, so that he sat on the bed, “It wasn’t your fault.”

The mare blushes from the gown wearing stallion, she twirls her thumbs then says, “y-yeah… hehe.” She giggles as she remembered the incident, “Who knew loading cargo in mid air was such a dumb idea.”

“You do have a point.” He smiles as he wonders why a moving company needed to load items in mid air. The two sat in silence, thinking of the odd circumstance, but their thoughts were interrupted by a nurse walking into the room.

“Hello Mr. Scotch,” She greets the stallion, and smiles when she sees the mare, “And you two Ms. Doo.”

“Hello Ms. Redheart,” Ditzy said, and waved at the nurse as she brings in a cart of food.

The nurse stops as she spots the basket and a half eaten muffin. She smiles and turns to the stallion with a smirk on her muzzle, “I see you’ve already eaten… hmm now what will I do with all this food.”

“Good to see you too Redheart,” he said, as the mare shakes her head and hands him his lunch.

“I really wonder how you can put all that food away,” the nurse said, while Butterscotch bites down on an apple. The nurse looks him over, her eyes moved down lower.

“So any news to what’s taking my release so long.” He cuts her thought’s, before all the odd nooks and crannies of the hospital are filled with her sweet moans. ‘I really wonder if that sponge bath was necessary… I do have a shower after all.’

Butterscotch watches as the mare’s thought’s returned to earth. A sheepish smile adorns her muzzle, while he sat there looking calm.

“There were some complications with the scans… but rest assured.” She clapped her hands, while his ears perked in anticipation, “We’ll have them done before weeks end.”

His ears splayed from the news, and he could only look at the mae. He sighs and let’s the boiling anger fade away, “That’s fine… as long as I’m getting out of here.”

“That’s the spirit!” Redheart smiles, and returns to cater to the other patients.

Butterscotch returns to his meal, while the grey mare looks on in question. Though by the looks of the pony before her, she decides to keep it to her self.

‘Something just doesn’t add up,’ Butterscotch though, as a carrot enters his mouth, ‘Why would she say that when the doctor just came in here… hmm.’

Time passes and the grey mare said her goodbyes, leaving the stallion by himself. With his meal gone, and nothing better to do, he returns his gaze to the window.

The sound of squeaky wheels forces his ears to perk toward the source. Turning his head to the open door, he spots a trolley laden with books. The pony behind the cart stops in front of his room.

“Need a book to read, Sir?” The pony asks, and the stallion in bed nods.

“Yes please,” Butterscotch said, and the pony makes his way inside the room. The cart is pushed to the side of the stallion, for his convenience, so he can go over the selection.

As Butterscotch goes through the titles, his eyes stops dead at a certain book.

“Daring Doo and The Guardian of the Lost City,” He mumbles, his hands hold onto the hard cover, and lifts the book from the cart.

“Ahh Daring Doo,” The pony next to him said, he reads the title and nods at the stallion’s choice, “That one is one of the most interesting from the series… I’ll leave you be.”

The smiling pony pushes the cart out of the room, as Butterscotch opens the book.

“The stench of the sewers was overwhelming to Daring’s nose,” He read aloud, his eyes scanning the page, “Far below the depths of Prance lays a cryptid maze of the dead. Skeletons of past lives, cover the walls of the underground labyrinth. Their presence long gone, but to the ever adventurous mare never did she turn back. Even as their eyeless sockets followed her every step. Though unbeknownst to the mare someone was following her every step…”

Years ago in the underground crypts of Prance:

A mare walks down the maze of the forgotten, her hand firmly clasped around a lantern. It’s light shined on the white bones that covered the walls, like bricks.

She moves a hand across her sweat covered brow, and grumbles her resentment of the cave, “Why somepony would put the entrance to this place under the museum.” She grits her teeth at the thought of those thieves that stole her prized artifact, “when I get my hands on them.”

Her hands clenched on the lantern, while she continued down the trail of the robbers.

Unbeknownst to the gold mare, a figure trails behind her. Keeping its distance from the light, but close enough to grab hold of the mare.

Daring stops in her tracks, in front of her was a chamber filled doors. The dome like structure was large enough for her to stretch her wings and circle the room, but the closed doors caused her to pause.

“This doesn’t look good,” She mumbled, as she looked around the room. She steps into the dome like structure, her rose colored eyes scanned the chamber. The door she stepped through closes, causing the mare to turn.

What she hoped to see was the sealed door, and how she would have to search for a way out. Though the figure that was in front of her, frightened the mare.

The armored being was covered from head to hoof with pitch black armor. The distinctive chest piece, indicated that this was a mare. Everything about this figure sent shivers down the adventure’s spine.

The armored mare, moves forward causing Daring to enter into a fighting stance, dropping the lantern in the process. The lantern shatters on the floor, as the armored figure moves forward.

Daring jumps back, trying to keep her distance away from the mare. The dark armored figure continued to move forward, as Daring’s muscles tensed at the armored foe.

Daring watched as the figure walks past her, toward a closed door. The mares eyes grow wide as she watched the armor clad mare lift a door. The sound of the locks breaking, grated against her ears.

The armored being reaches inside and Daring was able to see her pull down a lever. With the door locked in place the figure turns to the mare, it’s armored hand motions for her to follow.

It walks into the newly opened hall, and with little options for her, the adventurer follows behind the pony.

An hour passes, and the two walked down the halls of bones. Daring was mystified of the pony before her. The mare was radiating light, a much needed comfort in the otherwise pitch dark hall. With her lantern long gone, Daring could only hope that this pony was a friend.

“You shouldn’t have come down here.” Daring flinched, from the pony’s voice. It was distorted, but daring could here a stallions voice behind it.

Daring shook her head, the thought of the pony’s identity was put back behind her head. She kept her gaze forward as she addressed the pony, “So… where are you taking me?”

The pony stopped in it’s track and Daring did the same. The armored pony turns to the mare, it’s glowing eyes stared into hers. The figure chuckles, filling the hallowed halls with it’s gritting laughter.

“You really are the Daring Doo aren’t you.” The pony turns, it’s armored hoofs clacked on the the hardened floor. The pony continues to speak as Daring quickly follows, “Most ponies would be afraid of me… but I see that you’ve face worst.”

“You could say that,” Daring said, while the halls grew brighter from the ponies presence. She could only watch, mesmerized by his radiance.

They turn a corner, and Daring gagged at the sight of the dead bodies. The bodies lay torn, their entrails long gone.

“Looks like Benny got loose again.” The armored pony walked toward the corpses, he rifles through the pile and produces a burlap sack from the mess of entrails. He turns to look at the mare, “I believe this belongs to you.”

Daring grabs hold of the sack, the blood of the thieves dripped from the sack. She opens the bag and finds the missing artifact.

“We should go,” The pony before her said, and moves past the bodies.

Daring looked at the bag in her hands, and then towards the pony. She had the treasure in her hands and could simply run away from this pony, but somehow she didn’t want to.

The pony stops, and gives out a warning that sent shivers down her spine, “We should go… before Benny comes around.”

Daring quickly followed behind the pony, from the way the corpses were torn apart. She did not want to meet this Benny.

Present:

Butterscotch stops, and flips back to a page. He sighs at the wording on the page, “She really watered down this didn’t she.”

He taps the bottom of his chin, and chuckles at the mares writing. A smile dons his muzzle as the memories of his time with mare plagues his mind.

“Still can’t believe Vera let her go…”

Within the labyrinth:

“So… what is this place,” Daring asked, as she continued to follow the pony. It had been hours since she met the pony, as he guided her through the maze under the sparkling city. Though with each passing step, the ever changing bones, sparked her curiosity.

From ponies to dragons, even the skeletons of monstrous beast lined the walls. So many lives surrounded her, yet the ever present question of how they came to be plagued the mares thoughts.

“You really are a strange mare,” The guide said, it’s chuckling voice was like grating grant against a chalkboard, “But it’s quite a long story.”

“I have the time,” Daring smirked, careful to keep her distance from the pony.

“That you do,” it said, as they turn another corner of the seemingly endless maze, “Then I guess I should start from the beginning...”

“But can you first do something about your voice,” Daring begged, her hands firmly clasped on her ears.

The figure just laughs then says, “Give me a second.” The armored being body glows and the voice that projected from the suit was deep and seductive to the mare’s ears, “How’s this?”

“Better.” The mare was in mental battle on whether to rip the armor off, to find out what manner of pony was under the fearsome suit.

The pony chuckled and continued to tell the tale of the labyrinth, “A long time ago there lived a queen. The first to conquer and unify this country.” He points to the wall, “As you can see… it wasn’t such a peaceful conquest.”

Daring gulped, as her eyes grew wide at the many skeletons that lined the walls. The armored pony continued to talk, “There were many that stood against her, both enemy and friend wanted to watch her demise.”

The guide goes silent and let the weight of his word sink in. They pass another corner, and the pony started to speak again, “Many fell before her… and by the end of her conquest.”

They reach a door and the pony turns to stare at the mare, it’s eyes glowed causing the mare to flinch under it’s glowing eyes, “She stood atop a throne of corpses.”

The pony turned and pushed opened the double doors. Daring could hear the groans and scrapping of the door, “You might want to head out first… I can’t hold these doors for long.”

The mare nodded and made her way past the door. Daring turned to watch the pony go through the doors, and as he passed the doors quickly shut, a loud bang echoed from the closing of the door.

Daring blinked and moved closer to exam the door. There was a circular handle, and her hand wrapped around it. She tried to open the door, but the more she tried to open the door, the more she felt shoulder ready to pop.

“You should probably stop,” The armored pony said, as it looked on at the struggling mare, “it weighs more than ton.”

“No way,” Daring gasped, as she stopped her attempts to open the double doors, “these handles are heavier than the idol.” The mare looks at the bag firmly tied to her side then to the latch.

The pony next to her chuckles, and motions for the mare to follow, “Come… it’s almost sunrise and even I have somewhere to be.”

Daring took one last look at the door, and then followed behind her guide.

“So… about this queen?” Daring asked, as she took a look around the stone covered tunnel. The sudden change from a cave of the dead to a modern stone tunnel, perplexed the mare.

“Ah yes… the queen,” The pony in front of her said, its armored hoof clacked against the stone, “Hmm… we’re almost to the exit. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“Of course,” Daring said, a smile on her muzzle.

The pony in armour giggled at the mare’s enthusiasm, “Then I shall satiate your curiosity a bit more.” The pony takes a deep breath and continues the story, “after the blooded war over the land. The queen erected a castle on the very land where she massacred her opposition.” He stops in front of a channel of flowing water.

Daring watched as a snake slithered in the water, it’s head nearly as big as her torso. The snake only took one glance at them, and continued to flow down the waters path.

The armored pony jumps over the channel, and Daring followed after.

They head down a tunnel as the pony returned to the story, “Once she erected the castle a curse befell her. The rage and anger of the fallen have consumed the mare, making her into a demonic entity.” The pony turned a corner and as Daring followed after, she only saw a dead end, a ladder leading to the surface was the only thing there.

“That ladder will take you to the edge of the city.” Daring’s heart pounded against her chest , and quickly turned to spot the pony behind her. It’s finger pointed to the ceiling, “Though do be careful… the street has quite a few thieves.”

The pony turned, and started to move forward. Daring watched as the pony slowly melded with the darkness, a smart thing to do was to let it go. Though something in Daring told her to stop them before they were gone.

“Wait!” Daring grabbed hold of the ponies cape, but flinched when she found out, that held within her hands was a leathery wing. She quickly let go, “Sorry about that.”

The figure turned to look at the mare, “Is something wrong?”

“No… just…” Daring sighs, and gathers her resolve to stare at the pony. She gulped down, when her eyes met those glowing orbs, “I-I just wanted to know what happened to the queen.”

“Ah… the Queen,” The pony before said, its armored hand tapped on it’s chin, “are you sure… I mean you could just simply walk away.”

Daring nodded, “I really want to know… if that’s not any trouble.”

“Fine… but it’s going to take some time to do so and I do have to get to work.” The armored being mulled his options, then it snapped it’s fingers, “How about I meet you later… in a much more comfortable setting.”

“That sounds reasonably,” Daring smiled, with the fact that it didn’t say no, “Here… I’ll give you my address.”

The figure raised its hands to stop her, “There’s no need for that.” Daring watched the pony step back into the shadows, it’s body being dissolved in the darkness, “After all… we already know where you live.”

Daring shivered at the pony’s proclamation, her eyes never left the scanned the darkness for the telltale glow of the pony. Alas this pony was gone from her sight.

With the treasure on her side, Daring turned to climb the ladder…

Present:

“Daring left the wretched sewers, and entered the slum streets of Prance,” Butterscotch read aloud, he stops to rub his eyes. He marks the page, and stares out to the setting sun. He smiles and returns his gaze toward the book, “She really knows how to write a story.”

He cracks his neck and made his way to the bathroom. As he locks the door behind him, he turns on the fan and stares at the paneled ceiling.

“Time to get to the bottom of this,” he mumbled, as he stands on the toilet to make his journey toward the doctors office.

He quickly makes his way through the many twist and turns of the darkened passage way. With dinner already served and eaten, he has all the time in the world to find the documents he needed.

He stops, and checks his location by pulling one of the panels up. He peeks through the tiny gap, and spot the mare’s changing from their uniforms to more casual clothing.

He gently slips the panel back in place and mumbles, “If this ones the changing room… then the office should be twenty tiles down.”

Butterscotch starts his count, and as he reaches his mark the panel was lifted enough for him to peek through. Down below was the pony held him the hospital and some other pony in a suit.

The stallion listens into their conversation.

“What do you mean by that?” The pony in the suit ask, her eyes moves from the file in her hands to the pony at the table, “Please elaborate doctor.”

“It’s just as I said.” The doctors shoulders sag, as she repeats what she has told the mare for what seems like the tenth time, “Like I told… that thing in his chest is there to stay.”

“But can’t we remove…”

“No!” The doctor slaps the table and glares at the pony before them, “If we do that he will die.”

“Then what can we do!” The mare asks, as she sinks into the chair.

“He seems to be doing fine… and from what he told me, it doesn’t seem to bother him.” The doctor looks over his notes.

“What am I going to tell the Princess,” The mare in the suit groans, her hands slapping her forehead, “they're not going to be happy with this.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over this,” The doctor said, as she closed the folder in her hands. She hands it to the mare across her, “but I’m happy I don’t have to face the Princess’s with this.”

“Yeah whatever,” The mare in the suit grumbles, she grabs hold of the folder and looks at it, “How does a pony like that get a three inch spike in his chest.”

“Who knows.” The doctor shrugs, and leans back in her chair, “he was vague about the whole thing.”

“Tell me about,” The suited mare grumbles, and puts the folder into a brief case, “he was gone for nearly a decade and he somehow reappears just a few years ago.”

Butterscotch carefully places the panel back, ‘That was interesting… I thought I would have to sift through her files.’
The stallion makes his way back to his room, careful not to make a sound.

“Still,” He mumbles, as he passes the ventilation ducts, “Why are they looking into my past.”

Butterscotch’s eyes glow, as the thought of his past raced through his mind. He stops for a brief moment, and places a hand on his chest.

“Dammit Vera,” He grits his teeth, from the thought of the metal in his chest, “Still can’t believe she put that thing in me.”