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

Past

  The sorrow Discord felt over Carrot Tops death would forever remain in his heart, and he would never forget her kindness and how she loved and took care of him over all the years. Carrot Top had never seen Discord as a burden, and she always tried her best to keep him happy, to make sure he was never down or upset about anything. Discord and Starlight had buried her in the backyard of their cottage, Carrot Top had given the cottage to them to live in once they were married, they didn't have a grave stone, but they had stuck a long piece of bark into the ground and covered it in vines and beautiful white flowers that had grown around the cottage.

  It was not easy recovering from her death, but over time they were able to cope with the fact that Carrot Top was gone and would never come back. Apparently things had been going well for Discord and Starlight, they made a good team and since winter was coming, more ponies wanted to buy their wool blankets and clothing. Starlight Glimmer was able to speed up the process since she had a great talent in magic, meanwhile Discord would provide the sheep wool and help spin it into yarn with Starlight.

  After two years, Discord and Starlight earned enough money to get married, and properly at that. No one was at the wedding, but a couple of volunteers were witnesses including the priest. Thankfully it all went smoothly without any problems and Discord and Starlight now lived together completely in their cottage, living happily and peacefully depite the struggles. As always taxes were indeed a problem, and secondly some ponies have been traveling to the village they lived in from where Discord used to live as a colt, and soon ponies started talking about Discord quietly whenever they thought he wasn't looking.

  Discord would take walks often into town with Starlight, but slowly started skipping out on them as the ponies began to make him feel uncomfortable. It was no longer a secret to anyone who lived in the town that Discords father was a coward, and rumors about him told everyone that Discord too was a coward, to which no pony cared for a coward.

  Discord's thoughts were on that very subject as his strange hands fiddled mindlessly around on the table, the claws poking into the woods surface and scratching it softly. It seems even after getting rid of his magic and trying to hide his identity, he would always be found out in the end. These ponies were causing great frustration and depression for the growing Draconequus stallion.

  Starlight on the other hand was smiling brightly, the Suns light shining through the window and making her face glow. She hummed as she trotted around in the kitchen, an apron wrapped around her neck as she cooked dinner for her and Discord. Although as Starlight went to place a pot in the sink after placing some food on plates, she noticed her husband who sadly sagged on a chair.

  The purple mare bit her lip and she sighed as she turned around to grab a plate with food and walked over to where Discord was, placing the food with contents of carrots, beans, and fresh baked bread.

  Discord starred at the food in front of him before letting out a groan and pushing the food away.

  "Can you wrap up my food for tomorrow Starlight? I'm not that hungry tonight." Discord asked in a mumble, causing Starlight to roll her eyes at her husbands behavior.

  "Are you seriously still upset about what those ponies say about you?" Starlight questioned him accusingly, making the Draconequus just sigh.

  "Look Discord," Starlight began as she sat next to him and rested her elbow on the table, "What those ponies say doesn't matter, they don't know you and they will never understand. The world is dark, selfish, and cruel. It's hard to live a life in a world where the light is crushed by cruelty of rich kings and snobby ponies. You-" Starlight paused for a second when Discord seemed to ignoring her completely and Starlight growled before reaching over to him.

  "Ow!" Discord yelped as Starlight had leaned over and bit on his ear, making him jump and pull away, rubbing the irritated skin that stung from her strong teeth digging into it.

  "What the hell was that for?" Discord asked while rubbing his ear with his paw.

  "You need to pay attention when I'm talking to you Discord. Whenever I try to help you, you act like your in daydream land and ignore whatever I'm saying." Starlight grumbled while glaring at her husband with scrutiny.

  "Be gentle next time! You could have left a scar!" Discord continued to complain.

  "Gosh it's like you have teeth of an ogre..." Discord mumbled under his breath and Starlight couldn't help but chuckle at her husbands over dramatics.

  "Look Discord...." Starlight sighed and reached forward to grasp away his paw that had laid on his ear. "You don't have to worry about what others think of you because they don't know the real you. I know you and I know one thing...you are not a coward." Starlight smiled and Discords ears fell against his head.

  "But what if I am? What if in the future-"

  "Quiet..." Starlight immediately hushed him, one hoof rising over to his lips. "I love you Discord, and whether your a coward or not I will always love you. It's not what other ponies think of you that matters, it's from those who care for you. They are the true cowards Discord." Starlight finished before giving Discord a hug.

  Discord sighed in defeat and hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her lovingly and chuckling.

  "I'm sorry darling, I guess it's just been something I've continuously been carrying on since I was a colt and it's hard to let it go." Discord whispered against her multicolored hair, breathing in her scent.

  "Mm...I know....but that's the past Discord, you need to let it go." Starlight whispered against him and then pulled away.

  "Now! This plate better be empty by the time I come back, if I see even one crumb left I'll be force feeding you from now on." Starlight smirked as she pushed the bowl into his face and he pouted before taking the bowl and gobbling it down, grubbing here and there.

  Satisfied that she got through to him, Starlight smiled and moved back into the kitchen and away from Discord. When she stopped to stare at the window, she found herself frowning, a deep feeling in her heart causing her to bite her lip and glance back at her husband. Things have indeed been going well for her and Discord, but the past year that they have been together Starlight felt like something wasn't right, as if something was wrong.

  Maybe perhaps it was something she realized. Starlight had believed she married Discord out of love, for she did feel like she loved this creature, for he fascinated her, he was unique and so different form all the other ponies and was someone she could understand. But was that all it was? Fascination? Understanding?

  Starlight didn't know how she felt about Discord, but something was starting to become clear in her heart that caused her dread. Had they moved too fast? Had she been too caught up in things to realize what she really felt? Starlight loved Discord, that was true but this type of love seemed to only be temporary like feeling.

  Starlight began to realize with deep painful regret that this love she believed she felt with Discord to be pity. With a sad sigh and ears flat down, Starlight moved to clean up the mess she made in the kitchen.

  After The Dark One released Fluttershy from her 'room', he had been more cautious about her, making sure to keep a good eye on her in case she decided to try to disobey him again. The Dark One questioned to himself as to why he didn't do worse to punish her for helping his prisoner, but as he began to notice that he found himself hesitating whenever it came to the mare, The Dark One started to feel as if this mare was doing something to him. Of course he had pushed the thought aside, for his heart was darker than night, he was incapable of love in the least.

  The Dark One was surprised himself for even thinking of love. He never thought so deeply about such things until she came here. The mare was indeed beautiful, and even though she appeared to be shy and weak to ones eye, she had a strength and bravery inside her that seemed to impress him somewhat, or to put it more like curious.

  The main reason he found her that way, was because there wasn't one person alive who could hold up the brave act for very long, but with Fluttershy over time she seemed to start standing up to him, even giving off annoyed or rude remarks at him. Any pony who said anything disrespectful to him would be punished immediately, but for some reason with this mare he found himself pulling back and ignoring her words and faces, and any thought of hurting sent a strange sensation down his gut, and he wasn't sure what it was.

  Discord had gone without feelings for a long time, so whatever he was feeling now was a mystery. Discord only had vague memories of what it felt like to be happy, sad, angry, or feel love, so whatever this was he would have to guess. He began to wonder if maybe he was slowly beginning to become soft, but immediately threw that thought out the window, for the last thing he would do is be kind, merciless, or giving.

  No, he was a monster, a monster that he willingly accepted, or was it that his spirit was gone? And the monster had full control of him? It didn't matter anyways, for he didn't care in the least.

  Fluttershy had been out of her 'room' for two days now, and every day it hurt to hear those continuous screams of pain every day and knowing that she couldn't do anything now that the Dark One was being cautious. Fluttershy was sure that within the week, the poor stallion will be completely skinned alive, soon to be thrown out to rot. No matter what the Dark One did, no matter how she saw everything that he did, how cruel and uncaring he was, a small part of her was asking her to give him a chance.

  Fluttershy kept pushing that thought away though, for it was just her kind nature and the fact that her mother always taught her to give someone a chance before you judge them.  But she had given him a chance, a silly part of her had been watching the Dark One, wondering if there was anything more than just a monster. She had seen the true him inside and out, he was a villain, a cruel and evil creature and she wanted nothing to do with him.

  Fluttershy's mind was blank as she starred down at the table in front of her, her scratched and dried hooves rubbing a wet cloth along the tables surface. The Dark One had been spinning some straw when he got up, his ears twitching and a strange look going over his features. When the creature began to get up, Fluttershy diverted her head as to not make any eye contact.

  The Dark One seemed to be heading off to the end of the room, the sound of doors opening reaching Fluttershy's ears. He didn't say anything or do anything, but whispered a couple soft words before heading towards the direction of the castles entrance.

  "I'll be back...."

  Fluttershy then watched in the direction the dark sorcerer disappeared to, listening carefully at his hoof steps. The Dark One hadn't gone out for a while since he learned she was helping the white stallion still locked up in the dungeon, and ever since then, Fluttershy had been determined to get the stallion out. What the mare couldn't figure out was how.

  Now was her chance though, and as she let go of the cloth she had currently had in her hooves fall to the table, she quickly ran over to peek at the window. Fluttershy pulled back the red curtains and saw the creature walking off into a forest of pink trees. When she didn't see any sign of him coming back, she turned form the window and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to calm herself.

  Fluttershy didn't care what happened to her, but she knew that the stallion down below was innocent and talked about saving 'her'. She did not know who, but she guessed it was someone important. Fluttershy had snuck down to try and see him again yesterday at night, it had been hard with the Dark One still awake, but she managed.

  The cell had been closed up, and the only way to open it was with a key. Fluttershy guessed that maybe the key to open it was either in a room or the Dark One's bed chambers. She had to be swift, and she still didn't know all the castle very well at all due to its very large size. So Without another thought she raced down the halls, her hooves holding up her torn golden dress as she ran up the trails of stairs and passing by stone statues of strange creatures.

  Fluttershy had been told to clean his room a few times before, and she could remember seeing something that looked like keys. It had to be in his room, she knew it and the thought of the Dark One coming back just made her legs move faster.

  Fluttershy halted as she came to the door, her hooves flying out and pulling the door open before walking into the bedroom. She glanced around the room to see if there were any hooks that could hold a ring of keys but found nothing. Fluttershy began searching around the bed, digging beneath covers and into pillow sheets and a large chest at the edge, digging through everything while trying not to mess it around too much.

  When she found nothing Fluttershy groaned in frustration, wishing she could clap her hooves and the keys would be in her hooves immediately. Then Fluttershy caught a drawer at the corner of her eye, hidden in shadows and hidden halfway from sight as a sheet of some sorts was covering it. Fluttershy never saw it before when she came here, in fact there was no dresser any time she had come to clean his room.

  Maybe perhaps he had made it invisible to her sight whenever she went there, but why? With wonder Fluttershy ran over to the dresser, pushing the fabric aside and setting forth to opening each drawer and checking in around every corner. She began to think there was nothing for her to find, but she opened one and dug her good deep inside before she touched something cold and hard.

  Fluttershy slowly wrapped her hoof around the object and pulled it out, feeling relief that it was indeed a key. Fluttershy wasn't sure if this was the right one or not, but she couldn't give up without trying. Fluttershy began to close the drawer when she noticed something about its contents.

  Fluttershy's eyes furrowed as she starred at a shirt, a rather small one and it definitely wouldn't fit the Dark One. Taking a closer look, they seemed to be that of a foals,  but why would the Dark One have foals clothing in his drawers? She had to get out of there and hurry to free the prisoner before 'he' came back, but the curious side of her was drawn to it and her hoof picked up a scarf, old and covered with stains, completely dirty along with all the other clothing.

  Fluttershy shook her head and placed in back in, almost slamming the drawer closed as she picked up the key again and ran out. It didn't matter what the Dark One had, she needed to focus on what she needed to do before anything bad happened.

  Shining Armor was in pain, every muscle ached from being strained as the chains held him up. His head felt heavy and he was constantly tired, his white fur now dull and blood stained the once bright coat. Shining Armor had hoped that he could find a way to escape this hell hole, but as days went by and the torture continued, Shining Armor was coming to accepting the fact that he wasn't ever gonna get out of there.

  Shining Armor hated to give up, for giving up meant he would lose the one thing he held dearest. He didn't know how she would go on, after a while she would most likely think him dead. What hurt most was that in reality she won't live to ever know what happened to him, for her sickness was fatal.

  Shining Armor never cried, but as the thought that he failed to save the one he loved, his barriers began to break and a tear escaped his eye lids, soaking his stained cheek. The blood made the tears a dark red as they fell to the cold floor, and all Shining Armor could do was pray that he would soon see her again in another life.

  Shining Armor's ears suddenly perked as the sound of hoofsteps came, first fearing that the Dark One had come back for another session, but as the door shook slightly and the door clicked from being unlocked, he felt hope fill his being.

  Fluttershy peeked through the cell doors and immediately caught sight of Shining Armor who let out a deep sigh of relief. Fluttershy glanced behind her cautiously before running over to him.

  "What are you doing here?" Shining Armor asked as the yellow mare began undoing his cuffs.

  "I'm getting you out of here....." Fluttershy replied as she focused to unchain him.

  Shining Armor grunted as his forelegs were free, grasping them to his chest and rubbing the sore skin to sooth it.

  "I don't know when he'll be back, so hurry and get out." Fluttershy explained in a whisper, panting as she finally caught her breath.

  "Will you be alright?" The stallion questioned with worry, not wanting to endanger the mare.

  Fluttershy shook her head and helped him gather his things.

  "Yes, don't worry about me, just go." Fluttershy said without a worry, but inside she knew that the Dark One would eventually find out and that would be very soon.

  Once Shining Armor had his things he began to leave before turning momentarily to face the mare.

  "Thank you, for everything." Shining Armor whispered with deep sincerity, causing the mare to smile.

  Fluttershy watched as the stallion then ran out, slightly stumbling on one leg. Fluttershy moved to follow him quietly, hoping to at least distract the Dark One just in case they had any trouble. Just as she left, hoofsteps echoed through the tunnels, soon coming to a stop.

  The dark creature came to a halt as he starred at the open cell doors, his black eye brows furrowing and a growl reaching his throat. The Dark One stomped over to the cell and pulled the doors wide open and when he saw that all that lay there were chains and blood stains, he immediately groaned and turned around on his heel.