//-------------------------------------------------------// The Battle of Beauty and Love -by Bro Dash- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Discovery //-------------------------------------------------------// The Discovery First, I do nto speak french. I will use a translator to make a second chapter which is exactly the same, but with inserted french phrases. You can read whichever, but the entire thing will not be in french. I will advise not using what I write as a key to learn french, as the translator can be wrong. For now, it takes time, so it will be given at a separate time to give it a cooler look, or whatever. But the french inserted story chapters will be done. ______________________________________________________ As Fleur De Lis readied for the day, she finished her grooming, having completely straightened her hair. Though, it did not bring her smile up to see another day rise, it brought her smile up to see her own translator, Fancypants rise another day. She dreamed about him daily and nightly, dependign on the dreams she had, she usually requested if she could sleep in a room far from his in the mansion they both lived in. As another daydream prodded her mind, wishing he'd wrap his legs around her and just hold her popped into her mind, he passed by. "Bonjour Fleur!" "Bonjour Fancy. Sleep well?" "Yes, thank you. But, I'm still puzzled you left your bed last night." A blush rose on her cheeks, but she quickly forced it away. "Oh, well...Uhm..." "Are the bed sheets too scratchy?" "No...Something else. It's fine though, I'm ok with trading beds every now and then." "But you hadn't left your bed in over a month till last night." "I know, I'm wondering why my drea-I mean, nights haven't been disturbing me so." "Well, If you need something, you can wake me. It's no big deal." Fluer De Lis smiled. He was up. And it was definitely the happy, and different stallion she knew. She would have yet another happy day. "Well, I expect you will get ready, as alays, today I have a date with one of the mares which will acompany me on the trip tomorrow. The Queen has requested a few things. Plus, a little date sounds fun and romantic. A little something to spice up this boring life." The magic which enveloped the comb Fleur was using caused the plastic to shatter as an astonished looked moved over Fleur's face. Her smile now gone, she turned to Fancypants. "W-wait. What? You're...you're going on a date?" "Yes. She is lovely, might I say. Same ideas and so forth. She too is a translator, as I am for you. But she is a german translator. Wonderful at it to. The accent! Oh! Scrumptious. I guess I will be leaving you with The Français Croisade which is scheduled for today." Fleur fougth back the urge to burst out in anger and fear, to be desparate for him not to leave. "I am guessing we are at an understanding?" "ou-oui..." "Good! You have an hour to get done, please don't be late." This is the first day that she has not tagged along with Fancypants for over two years. Last time, he had to comfort her once she got lost in a dark alley. It was an embarrassing moment for her, not only because her mascara began to run, but because she sobbed from fear like a filly! Not this time..., she thought to herself. "I will go to the Français Croisade. Who all is there?" "A few of teh residents here, including the one from the lower district named Vinyl Scratch, Princess Luna, and a few others from all over Canterlot. Don't worry my dear, you can have an actual conversation witht hem all!" "But...I've never been able to...easily leave your side." "Well...Thats a little questionable, just look at teh nights you left my room, your own bed. What about that?" "Oh, that was a [size=6]wet dream..."[/size] "I didn't get that last part Fleur." "Uhm...It's nothing to worry about." "Well then, I'll be off in a few. You'll be fine, just try not to get lost in a dark alley again." Fleur let out her held breath as he left, then looked at herself in the mirror. She picked up the powder and began applying it, for even mroe astonishment to cause more destruction to teh make up supplies as Fancy Pants' voice carried from downstairs with a name. "Elaza! Good day!" The remnants of the collected make up powder lay all over the counter, covering half the mirror and coating the rest of the make up supplies in dust. "Guten tag Fancy! I am to assume that you got frau Fleur to accept teh invitation to the event?" "Yes, she accepted it." "Gut...gut." "Uhm, Mind my asking, what does frau mean?" "Lady, mare, or sometimes female, depends on the terms it is used with. Fleur is a lady, so she would be addressed as frau Fleur." "And guten tag?" "Good day. It is used in formal greetings. And in this event, it is necessary." "Well, splendid! I grow even more interested the more you speak! Shall we take a stroll to the diner?" "Oh, wunderbar! Might there be Rot Traube?" "Pardon?" "Excuse me if I do so say, the Equestrian, wine, just has no good terms with me. It is...too sweet." "Oh you mean the more salty beverages." "Good, now, let us take our leave, I don't like to be late, especially to a date." As Fancy Pants chuckled, Fleur heard the door close throughout the large building she lived in. She felt like thrashing her station where she sat, stunned by the conversation she heard, half of it she didn't even understand lingually, the other half, she couldn't understand mentally. If she didn't understand what the ponies of Manehatten meant when saying, bitch, she easily figured what it meant on her own in the next moment, wanting to do several actions which she recalled the mares of Manehatten doing when angered. She always knew it as a term most used by dog breeders, but, she thought different now. Taking up the stool she was sitting on, almost diretly from under her, she threw it to the side, listening as it slammed into a window. The occupants in the street below all panicked as the shards of glass fell and a single, ouch, could be heard aloud as the hair obviously hit someone. Feeling only slight better, Fleur, looked at herself in the mirror, then turned around and bucked it, turning her nose up with a hmph. She trotted over to teh window which loud voices now trailed through asking for the person who had thrown the stool out and she looked out at the ponies below with anger. "Hey! Are you the one who threw this?", a unicorn held the stool up with his magic. "Silence vous ennuyeux poneys, permettez-moi, laissez-moi à moi-même et je ne veux pas entendre votre voix visant à moi!!!", she yelled at the few on the street. No one spoke and the unicorn holding the stool let go of it, the only sound coming from the street then was the stool hitting the ground, then silence. No one had ever seen Fleur angry before, or yell at someone. No doubt the word would get around as much as it will astonish hundreds of ponies. Fleur had never been seen angry, only daydreaming as she stood around, sometimes on, the famous Fancy Pants, and when engaged in conversation, she was always happy-go-lucky, not even raising her voice to anyone, even if they yelled over her or were purposefully loud to the point to where she would not be heard. It was not a good feat, but it meant she was a lot nicer than most, and therefore, worth it to even meet in some situations. But she was not happy, she was not even slightly nice. She was clearly angry enough to harm anyone without a single feeling of remorse, even if it were on accident. Giving a sad sigh, she looked up at teh shattered and completely destroyed frame of the mirror she had been using only moments before. She used her magic to fix it then looked at herself. She was beautiful, only a blind stallion could say different. Her make up, when on, only over did her looks, but without it, she looked even better to others, or atleast thats what Fancy told her. She began taking off the applied make up and soon her face was barren of any masking colors, nothing but her natural looks. Her eyelashes didn't have a sheen, nor stood out, her eyes look normal, no hot pink eye shadow applied, and her irises, though they were a pearl shine blue, she wore a type of lens which made them mirror like, taking each out, she looked  at her own reflection. It was definitely different looking than when she had the lenses on, changing her vision when worn, she saw herself at a closer angle. She definitely noticed new things. The counter shich her make up had been stored on was a mess, still, but it was barely wider than her head. She could have swore it was big enough to the point she could even lay on it. She looked at herself in the mirror, leaning towards it out of habit and nearly cracking it with her horn. She never looked to be this close when putting on make up, not at all. Forgetting teh change in her eye sight, she snorted and though. "The Français Croisade hmm?" Taking up the idea, she cleaned up teh glass hurriedly off the floor, putting a curtain over it, and hurrying otu teh door. //-------------------------------------------------------// A Day of Drinking //-------------------------------------------------------// A Day of Drinking The trip was short, as the location where the small gathering was held, was literally across the street. An old fashioned pub. It was purposefully built and maintained as an old fashioned pub. The lighting was a large roaring fire and sever candle chandeliers as well as a few candles on each table. The band playing was as old fashioned as the pub. An old, tarnished stand up tuba, a violin, a flute, an accordion, it was a folk dance band. The jaunt being played Fleur recognized immediately, though it made her smile for a short time. She was not used to this place at all, yet everyone around her spoke in the french they were born from, or learned. A few had a single Fleur De Lis on their flank, the cutie mark of a traditionally known french pony. Though, she was high class. She was even a little snooty sometimes, but she was high class. Everyone there was either wearing something a peasant would wear, or wiped off all their make up and undid their hair. It was like watching a council of patriotic rich folk go insane. But...they were having fun. "Bonjour Fleur!", Luna addressed the pinkish mare. "Luna! Bonjour, voltre altesse!", Fleur bowed. "Rise, no need for that." "Luna, I'm not sure if you are the one for me to go to, but, I need help." "What kind of help?" "Well, I have been with Fancy Pants for some time now, as you know. He is my translator. But, I don't want to be just a French Ambassador and her Translator, I love him too much to even think of us like so. But, recently, he has found another mare." "Well, it seems the odds are against you. He sees things differently. While I would respond to something that isn't perfect, like running a marathon like a hillpony, he would see it as an opportunity. He prefers less than the upper crust of Equestria." "You mean, he would prefer to be with someone like Twilight sparkle, instead of someone like Miss Upper Crust?" "If that is how it seems to you, then yes." "So every morning applying a thick mask of make up to look beautiful, to get him to notice me, was all for nothing?" "I wouldn't say so. Just think of how much he thinks of you, build from there." "Thank you Luna, but why are you giving me this advice?" "Oh, I have been around. It was a good one hundred years before that fateful night, one thousand years ago. I can't say I haven't been with a stallion or two of a...different look." "Well, I'm not one to question another." "Well, since you're here, why not join int eh festivities? It's fun!", Luna smiled. Fleur smiled again, finally finding happiness in thoughts of joining the lesser known life of rich folk. She was exhausted, plumb out exhausted. She could barely dance straight anymore. The music died down a while ago, switching to small lullabies and even legend songs. It was soothing though. But Fleur couldn't say she hadn't been drinking. Her thirst quickly built as she danced and sometimes she chugged entire mugs of the alcohol that the pub sold. At first, she was uneasy about it's strong taste, but the bitter, salty taste began to get better, even causing her to just sit back in a chair and drink down several mugs. She was drunk indeed. Could not stand up straight, hanging to the side a litte. Her sight was slightly buzzed, seeing a picture which could barely be registered more than it was spinning. "Fleur, you are drunk of your ass!", Luna laughed as Fleur stood again, nearly falling over as she hung on ehr left side. "But, but you gotta think, what if there really are rats working a giant mechanism of gears underground? We'd have to call, call an army!" "Like I, like I said, you're drunk!", Luna laughed harder. "I'm serious, what if, what if they decide to just stop working, and talk away all our electricity!" Luna fell over, her laughs carrying on with several others. Her disguise, a simple fedora to hide her horn, and it's enchantment to change her mane and tail into hair, fell out. "Woops! Looks like the secrets otu!", Luna laughed again. She got to her hooves, swaying from side to side in her own drunken state. Looking around, she found Fleur. "Would, would you help me get home, I can't, can't remember where I parked my guards.", she chuckled weakly. "Y-you could, you could, you could stay with me for the night. I, I mean, it's right, across the the street. There is, like, twenty bedrooms." Luna looked on towards the spinning door, her smile fading as she thought that through. "Yeah...yeah. That would, that would be better. That way I'll be sober in the morning. And then, then I could go home." "Ok then, lets, lets go." The two drunk mares left the pub, swinging from side to side, and even nearly falling over. The trip across the street was a lot worse, Fleur tripping over the curb as she stepped up onto the other side of the street. Luna ddidn't have as much luck, tripping as she stepped down off the curb on teh opposite curb, stumbling out into the middle of the street. Though, they both made it to Fancy's mansion. Fleur tried to go up the stairs but fell up them on the first step, only for Luna to help her up. "Are you sure Fancy won't mind? I mean, he does own this mansion.", Luna said "It's, it's ok. He doesn't get mad. But I'm not sure about that mare he was with earlier. That mare just, just doesn't go well with me." "Well, she did take your stallion out on a date, talking to you about it like it was casual." "If, if I see her, I'd like to just pull off all her hair, and shove it down her throat, make her taste revenge, er, whatever she'd be tasting. It'd probably taste hairy.", Fleur laughed. Luna laughed as well, "Well, I'm about to fall, so...So where are the beds?" Fleur looked at the room, seeing the familiar sight of her bed and Fancy's bed. Though, in her drunken state she couldn't see that Fancy and Elaza were clearly looking at the two drunken mares which had interrupted their time together. Though Fleur just laid down where she was and her eyes closed slightly. "My bed...feels, like a rock. It feels, flat. You need, you need to feel this Luna.", Fleur said. Luna didn't stand much longer, though, falling against the wall just inside the door and slumping down as she slept. "Yeah, I know, it's probably even better, it'll probably get better...if I g to sleep. Yeah." As she finished she almost passed out, laying her head down on her hooves, then fell asleep a few seconds after. Out of the small venture they had getting across the street, the two drunken mares ended up falling asleep on the polished wooden floor. And not in a planned way. Fleur's mane was sprawled across where she slept, tangled in with ehr own tail. Luna on the other hand had just slid down the wall, laying against it. Her head throbbed, like something inside was beating against her cranium, trying to get out. And upon knowing it, she awoke, looking at her surroundings. It was sunrise, definitely, but Luna was not in the room Fleur had walked into last night. "Fleur. You're awake." Fancy's voice only worsened the painful throbbing. "Please be a little quieter...", Fleur pleaded. "I saw you come in last night." "Y-you did? Am I...in trouble or something?" "No, no. I'm just, disappointed. You brought Princess Luna home, you cracked one of the front windows, you came home drunk, and I ound out about the window, the stool, and your angry shouting." Fleur laid her head down, covering her eyes as she tried to hide her tears. "I'm sorrryyy! I, I just got angry because you left with that mare, I hadn't even known about ehr before you told me you two were going on a date, and I...I just couldn't stand the pressure! I couldn't hold it in!", she sobbed. Fancy put a hoof on her shoulder. "I said I was disappointed in you, I didn't say I was angry about it or that I hated you for it." "Fancy, I zink it better if we just leave her." "Well, I'd like to stay. Out of the many things she told me of herself over the years, she is very sensitive. I will not leave her till she is happy once more." "Well zen, Fancy, I take my leave. I have an appointment anyvay." "Well, go then. I guess we will meet again in the park later?" "As planned last night. Vich, might I add, was very...fun...Until the interruption..." Fleur, catching what she said, sat bolt upright and grabbed the nightstand, throwing it at her, "Get out!!!" Startling the mare, she skittered across the polished hardwood out the door. "Fleur, my word, what has gotten into you?" Holding her head in her hooves, she waited for the throbs to ease down before speaking. "Fancy, I can't really explain it more than I already have. Not until I can get past commitment issues." "Commitment? You mean you are in love with someone?" "Yes!, thats what I've tried to tell you for years now." "Well, then who is this sharming stallion?" Fleur sighed and turned away, "You don't even understand, do you..." "Fleur, I want to, but you just are not giving me enough to work with. I need a name, a sight, even, to even have a clue who this is." "Fancy, I've lived with you for six years, how could you not know?" "Because you never said anything." It was true. She had kept her feelings for the stallion a secret from him for years. And not once did she tell anyone, not until yesterday. "What do you think I am doing everytime I lean on you, stare into nothing, or sometimes even stand on you? You never even asked why I did that." "Well, I expected you were just trying to find a comfortable position to stay by me. That, and I thought you jsut liked to stare at things all the time." "Fancy, you are just too clueless." "Fleur, I assure you, I am as aware of our relationship as Ambassador and Translator. If you wanted to ever spend some time together, you could have just asked." "I couldn't. Commitment issues, remember?" "Oh...Oh dear...Could I have been so blind?" "I've clearly spent nearly every moment with you for six years now, how could you not have known?" "It's embarrassingly remarkable how I have not noticed." "But, now that you know...Would you spend more time with me, not as a translator, but as a..." Fancy had stopped her. Sighing deeply, he looked at her with his full attention, "Fleur, I can't just agree to that. It's like having a relationship with two mares. I'm afraid that I can not go to either of you, you or Elaza. Not until I've thought it through." Fleur laid her head back down, "I understand." "Listen, it's not a punishment, I'm not going to refuse either. But, Elaza and I were easily as drunk as you were last night, and...things got intimate. Leaving her will be harder for her to handle. It would cause a bigger problem than leaving you." Fleur could feel her heart sink lower and lower. "But...I'm not sure if leaving you will be easy for me. Not one bit. A competition between remorse for her and self forgiveness." "So...You won't leave me?" "I'll break it to her in three days. That will give her enough time to grow used to me a bit mroe. It will leave her heart broken, but it will be better for you and I." "I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle that. I'd not be able to live without you." "Well, lets not let that happen. Would you like some coffee or tea?" "Yes, I would." "Would you like to join me?" "I'd love to."