The Beauty And The Beast - All Magic Comes With A Price

Prologue

  The castle shook, it's walls rumbling and glass shattering. Screams could be heard along it's halls. Wounded ponies limped to safety, clutching their wounds and groaning in pain as doctors rushed to take hold of them and care for their injuries. Other soldiers headed towards the entrance of the large castle, it's giant doors cracking and rattling as a powerful force pounded against the strong wood. Mares held their children in the corners as they cried and whimpered in fear that death was coming for them.

  "We need more unicorns! We can't hold them back without more magic!" An older stallion of white, his long beard and golden crown, along with his silken cloak called. His mane stuck to his forehead out of sweat as he helped keep the creatures from breaking in and killing everyone.

  "We have no more! They're all dead or injured! These ogres are too powerful! We can't hold back any longer!" A black bat guard of the night replied to the worried king. Blood tricked down his temple, and blood caked the suit and armor he wore, along with dirt and mud.

  The king growled deep within his throat as he began pacing, his hooves grasping his hair as if he were about to pull it out. The kingdom of ponies and the ogres had been at war for many, many years. The blood-thirsty, greedy, and incredibly large vermin would not stop until they killed every last one of them and used their bones for decoration.

  The city had fallen fast, and despite the ogres rather predictable plans, they were still smart, and took them completely by surprise. Ogres were cruel, they were half blind, but their hearing and smelling was better than any other living creature alive. They would find you, tear down anything in their path to get to you. And once they found you, you wouldn't be able to do anything but watch yourself die in the reflection of their white eyes as they tore you apart, piece by piece. The ogres were a menace that had to be put down, but they were too strong and powerful for them, and should have never been threatened by the kingdom all those years ago. If his great, great, great grand father hadn't made the decree to get rid the ogres - a very dim-witted and foolish plan - the war between the once peaceful ponies and ogres would never had started.

  The king felt a curse fall from his lips for the very pony who started this, but now was not the time to think about who's fault this was. He had to focus, and he had to protect his family.

  "Star Swirl!" A mares voice called, a soft and angelic voice. The king swirled his head around to see his wife, his queen running down a flight of stairs, holding her skirts with her hooves as sweat fell from her brow.

  Star Swirl sighed and grasped the mare's soft and warm hooves in his as he ran to her. "Rose Luck, you shouldn't be here-"

  "I-I know...I...I'm afraid...what are we to do?" She asked, causing the king to frown and look down at the ground. The sound of the ogres pounding on the doors echoed in his ears, sending a shiver of fear down his spine.

  When he didn't reply, his wife continued on. "Star Swirl...it's not going to hold...they'll break through any minute now! We need to get everyone we can to safety, now!..." The Queen exclaimed, her eyes darting from the doors behind him to his face.

  Star Swirl didn't want to retreat, and he hated to give up. He felt like there was still hope, hope that once they broke through, they would be able to slay them and win back the kingdom. But the king knew deep in his heart that they couldn't win this fight, and his best chance was to retreat. His stallions were all too weak and wounded, most killed, he couldn't risk more lives, enough blood had been spilt in this war.

  With a deep sigh of defeat, his eyes filled with the fires of determination. The king looked up into his wife's beautiful eyes and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Alright...you start gathering up all the children and mares, along with the wounded, and take them through the mountain pass, the ogres won't be able to follow us there."

  "What about you my love?" She asked, worry covering her soft features.

  "I will hold them back as long as I can, then I'll gather my stallions and head off to the western gates. We can create a diversion there so the ogres won't learn about the pass, and soon we'll join you...now go...quickly!" He said, his wife nodded, now trying to hide her worry for her beloved husband and king.

  "Please be safe for me!" She said and he smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek.

  The queen couldn't help but lean into his touch, despite their situation and felt a moan of satisfaction escape from her throat as she felt his lips ever so gently capture hers in a kiss of promise.

  "I will my love..." He whispered in a warm voice, love shining in his eyes for the beauty who nodded once more and smiled at him before rushing away.

  He took a deep breath and turned around to face the grand doors of the castle, determination etched across his face as he began to point at different ponies and walk forward as he barked commands.

  "General Spark! Take a few stallions to help the queen escort all the foals and mares to the mountains pass! Commander Dashing! Get as many stallions as you can out of here! And you! Get some bars and bolts to hold the entrance closed! We need more time!" He commanded, the guards nodding and obeying his wishes. "And the rest of you, after we bolt these doors, we will retreat the western gates, I'll tell you the rest after we leave. We should have about less than five minutes to get down there before the ogres break through!"

  "Yes sir!" They all called out, despite the looks of despair, exhaustion, fear, and dread that covered them. They could tell that they were retreating, which felt like a punch to the stomach. They had never lost a war, and they were known to be the strongest kingdom in all the land. So knowing that for the first time they had been defeated, felt as if something was stolen from them.

  Star Swirl watched as his stallions worked, helping with bolting the doors as much as they could as the ponies brought more supplies. After it was well covered, the King took one more deep and calming breath to relax his nerves and shouted a command.

  "Alright! We have less than maybe four minutes to get to the gates! You all need to get there as fast as you can! Leave no one behind!" He called out and the stallions reluctantly obeyed his orders and prepared to bolt.

  "Now! Move!" He ordered and his guards left the doors and began running as fast as their hooves could take them.

  "Fluttershy? Fluttershy, sweetie where are you?" Roseluck called while running up a twist of stairs. She had gotten everyone to the mountains pass and told them to start moving without her. Her daughter Fluttershy wasn't found anywhere, and the longer it took to find the pegasus, the more panic the mare felt fill her stomach.

  "Fluttershy, please! Flutter-" She entered a large room, a library full of hundreds to thousands of books and she felt her worry melt away as she spotted the little yellow filly looking up at her, a book held tightly to her chest, and breathing heavily.

  She let out a sigh and bent down to hug her daughter in relief. "Fluttershy...what are you doing up here? I told you to go with Cheerilee down to the pass."

  Fluttershy looked up into her mothers eyes as she pulled away and blinked away her tears of shame at disobeying her mother and worrying her.

  "I-I-I'm sorry..but I couldn't leave it here.." She whispered and her mother whirled her head around as she could hear the doors breaking...the ogres were in.

  "Couldn't leave what, sweetie?" She asked in a whisper, knowing she had to get out of there.

  "T-this book..." She stuttered, removing the book from her chest and a smile pulled at her lips.

  "Remember you used to read this to me?" She asked and stroked the books cover.

  Her mother smiled and stroked her daughter cheek lovingly. "Of course I do my dear...but we need to go before it's too late!" She said, picking her daughter up and heading to the doors when a loud sound caused her to halt in her tracks.

  Borh mares' blood went cold, and Rose new that this would most likely be the end. The hairs on the back of her neck stood and she shivered in fear as she heard thudding coming closer, and closer, as the seconds ticked by.

  The ogres had broken through, and it was too late for them. Although, they could hear the sound of a battle horn join the sounds of roars and loud thumping. The sound sent a  small string of hope through Rose's heart.

  Reinforcements....they had come.

  Roseluck gave a sigh of relief over the fact that maybe, just maybe, the kingdom could be saved after all. But she felt herself freeze again as she heard loud steps coming up the stairs. She began panting and looking around wildly. They were coming for them, they could smell them in the library. And she needed to protect her daughter! She needed to keep her safe from danger!

  She turned around and scrutinized the room, her gaze settling on a small table against the wall. She ran to it and lowered Fluttershy down, placing her under it. She looked over her shoulder for a second, sweat forming on her brow, as of which she wiped off. She then joined her daughter and hugged her tightly.

  "M-mom...are we gonna d-die?" The filly whispered in a whimper, clutching to her mother in fear.

  "No my little one...I'll keep you safe, just be as quiet as you can and don't scream. Stay under this table and no matter what happens, don't leave from under here." She said, her voice full of determination.

  Fluttershy reluctantly nodded and held her mom tightly, before they knew it, the library doors burst open and flew onto the ground with a loud thud. The sound made Fluttershy jump and whimper, her mother quickly shushing her and holding her closer, if it was possible.

  The loud and terrifying growls and grumbles of an ogre could be heard. They could see it's large feet as it walked around the library, sniffing at the air and it's ears twitching to catch the slightest sound. Rose held her breath and closed her eyes as she saw the ogre bend down and crawl over slowly to where they had hidden.

  Her eyes suddenly flew open as she heard loud battle cries come from the reinforcements, joined by the cries of death as ogres perished from enchanted swords and magic. She felt herself smiling but only for a second as the ogre roared in anger and Fluttershy accidentally let out a gasp as it slammed it's hand on the floor.

  Rose felt herself shivering as the ogre paused his rampage. He sniffed around and he was leaning closer...and closer...and closer...

  Just then, the table they were under flew away from them and they both screamed as the ogre's face appeared in front of them and it let out a roar. Rose had never felt such fear as she looked into those pale eyes, and it's breath stunk so badly it could kill something. She felt herself shaking, and by some unknown and unwanted will, she was starring deep into it's eyes and a if she were under a spell, she couldn't look away.

  But any cold fear in her heart was melted as she heard her daughter's cries of fear, the ogre was reaching out. Rose glanced to the side to see soldiers running into the library, but they wouldn't be fast enough and if she didn't act now, her daughter would die. And she would rather burn in hell than let her daughter die at the hands of such a cruel creature like this. She loved her daughter more than life, and any second thoughts vanished as the ogres hand came rushing down to kill them.

  "Stand behind me Fluttershy! And don't move!" Rose said, and before Fluttershy could reply, she pushed her aside and stood in the path of her daughter, a tear escaping her eye as death was sure to come any minute. "I want you to run Fluttershy, your father will take care of you..."

  "Rose NO!" a familiar voice called and time seemed to stop as she saw her husband run in, tears welling in his eyes as he rushed towards them.

  She new it was too late for her now, at least she would die knowing she saved her daughter and lived a happy life. She smiled at her husband and her lips moved in a motion saying 'I love you'.

  Then the ogres hand finished it's swinging arc, hitting the mare hard, and throwing her across the room. Her body hit the wall and the sound of bones cracking reached their ears as her head collided with such force against it. Two cries of sorrow came from the filly and king. Star Swirl watched with deep dread as his wife fell to the ground, lifeless.

  She was dead...

  A deep feeling of rage filled him and he charged after the ogre, his horn alighting with magic and his sword rising. He leapt into the air and cut off the ogres arm, blood splattering his face, but he didn't care. He used his magic to blast the ogre to the ground before he stood on top of it and dug his now flaming sword into the ogres chest, right in his heart.

  The ogre squealed in pain and tried to wrap it's large hand on whatever was stabbing the sword into him. But after a moment, it gargled and it's hand fell limp on it's side, now dead.

  Fluttershy had been shaking during the whole scene. When her father cut off the ogres arm, and she saw the blood pooling the floor from how large it was, she had felt light headed and the room spun. She glanced at her mothers limp and bloody figure, and that did her in, she felt her eyes roll back in her skull and she fainted.

  As she lay on the ground, her subconscious thoughts plagued her mind. 'This was all my fault...if I hadn't gone after that *stupid book mom would still be alive. If I hadn't been so scared, weak, and helpless, I would have been able to protect mum...but I couldn't....I'm so pathetic...please let all of this be a nightmare!'*

  She came to briefly as she heard the sound of shouts and the feeling of strong wet arms pick her up ever so gently and softly, carrying her to an unknown destination.

  "Mama...." The filly whispered before she completely blacked out from the sudden shock of everything.

  They won the war....they should have been rejoicing, laughing and feasting. But so many lives had been taken, so much blood had been shed, there would be no song, nor celebration. For the life of their dearly beloved queen was gone...