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

  Fluttershy smiled and sighed as she felt the soft wind hit her face like a gentle kiss. She laid on her back against the long green grass of a field near the castle. This is exactly what she needed, a moment in piece, to relax and not think about tonight. She purred in delight as she opened her eyes and looked up at the autumn tree that offered as her shade.

  Leaves fell from it's branches and landed on her nose, making her giggle and blow up against it, making it fly up and onto her hair. These peaceful moments are what she cherished most. Not only was she able to be alone and get away from being a princess, but it reminded her of her mother when she would run through these very fields, laughing and playing together.

  Even if the reminder of her mother brought her pain, it also brought joy from the memories they shared when she was still alive and breathing. Fluttershy wanted to be just like her as a filly, she was beautiful, talented, sweet, and a great ruler, and most of all, she was brave, something Fluttershy always wanted to be.

  As she laid there, she gasped lightly at a strange tickling sensation on her nose and looked down to see a blue butterfly on her nose. She held still and bit her lip as to not scare it away, and ever so slowly sat up, her long pink locks tangled in twigs and leaves. It was beautiful, it's wing looked like the shape of a flower, and it's dark shade of blue gradated to a light pink.

  Butterflies were also a fond filly hood memory of her past when her mom was still alive. The fields used to be covered with them when they would be passing by, and they would run across and dance along with them as they flew around them like flocks of birds. After they ran and danced with the butterflies, Fluttershy's mom would sit her by a tree and sing her a song.

  Ever since Fluttershy turned eight, her father gave her singing lessons. Singing was her secret, no one ever heard her sing besides her father, her mom, and herself, it was a gift she kept hidden, do to her shyness. When she sang, it made it feel like she was still here...sitting with her and singing gently to her...only she was singing to her mom, and she could imagine her mother smiling with pride as she sung.

  At this thought, Fluttershy took in a breath and opened her lips as words of a song she never heard of rose from her throat.

There's music in the tree tops! And there's music in the Vail...and all around the music fills the sky! she began, rising from the grass as the butterfly flew from her face and twirled around her as the wind wiped her hair around like a wave.

There's music by the river!- she sung as she could just now hear the sound of water trickling from a fountain like chimes down into a stream.

-And there's music in the grass! She grinned as she ran her hooves along the itchy and wet green strings in the ground.

And the music makes your heart sore in reply she sang in a long note as she rose completely from the ground.

My voice joins in the chorus! It bring me such delight! She smiled, rapping her arms around herself and spinning. And my heart fly's high up into the sky!

Ah-ah-ah-ahh-AAAAAAHHH! Aahh-ah-ah-ah-ahh-ahhh-ah! Ah-ah-ah-ahh-AAAAAHHH! Aahh-ah-ah-ah-ahh-ahhh-ah! she sung in beautiful enchanting notes that echoed across the field and the sky, her angelic voice calling to the beauties of nature and to her mother as she sung. She could feel as if she was watching from heaven, looking down upon her smiling.

  She walked along the grass till she came by a pond near by. I can feel it grow inside of me[\i] She began as she grasped the skirts of her dress and kicked off her shoes and stepped into its cool waters, trickling against her fur making her shiver. *I feel it getting ready to burst! She beamed, twirling her dress and she walked in the water.*

*To fight through it's constricting cage and break free! Fluttershy left the pond and ran across the field, not caring about the stains on her dress or the parts that she wasn't able to keep from getting soaked in water.*

She halted and opened her arms and slowly spun as she sung in long notes once again, each note perfectly pitched. Small animals had heard this beautiful voice and felt entranced, as well as attracted to it like it was a beacon leading them to what made such a sound.

*Ah-ah-ah-ahh-AAAAHHH! Aahh-ah-ah-ah-ahh-ahhh-ah! Ah-ah-ah-ahh-Aaahhhhh! Aahh-ah-ah-ah-ahh-ahhh-ah! Her notes lasted even longer than her last ones, she didn't even have to take deep breaths as she continued on till she was at an edge of a hill, the sun shining on her, making her body glow like a star and the wind making her hair flow along with her notes.*

Animals watched and cautiously pranced forward, noses twitching and heads tilting as her singing died down and she leaned against a tree, her voice that was once booming, was now becoming a mere whisper.

*There's music in the tree tops...and there's music...in the Vail...and all around the music fills the sky! she frowned and started falling against the tree.*

*there's music by the river....and there's music...in the grass...and the music makes your heart soar in reply.... she finished, leaning her head back against the trees trunk and sighing in joy and sorrow.*

Even if her mom was gone, she would still be with her no matter what, she only prayed that she would be happy with her new life...although she doubted it.

She sat there for about a half an hour, the animals that were once surrounding her left many minutes ago and she was once again all alone. The soft wind that was hitting her face was gone, and a storm cloud began to cover the suns bright and warm shine against her face.

Before she new it, rain hit her nose, then her cheek and began to pour down on her like a shower, quickly soaking her beautiful but plain dress.

"Your highness! What are you doing out here!? You'll catch a cold! Your father has been looking for you!" The familiar voice of Rarity called from behind her, and with a sad sigh Fluttershy rose from the grass turning and walked towards Rarity.

"I'm sorry...I was just getting some fresh air...." She mumbled as Rarity rapped her rain coat around her, pulling up the hood.

"Well now isn't the time for fresh air darling, you need to start getting ready in just two hours! All the guests will be arriving soon as well! And the King has given me orders to prepare you tonight." Rarity rambled on as she lead Fluttershy back to the castle.

Flyttershy was only half listening to Rarity as her mind drift to Sombra's proposal and she felt fear engulf her once again.

*Oh mama...wherever you are...please...give me strength... She asked quietly in her head as they got closer to the castle.*

The streets were empty and quiet...not a single soul in the area. The only creatures around were the scurrying rats looking for scraps by digging into trash cans and sneaking through tunnels to find crumbs. The only sign of life was what was inside, a tavern full of laughing and loud stallions who drunk and played around like foolish foals.

Mares in cheap dresses served drinks on trays, slapping stallions as they tried to grab them or pull at the ends of their dresses. One stallion was shaking nervously in a corner, hiding withing the collar of his cape. He glanced among all the stallions in the bar, scanning the ones under hoods carefully.

He was scared...he knew he had disobeyed him and now he would pay the price, it was only a matter of time before he came for him, and he was sure this night would be his last...

"Are you alright good sir? you look like you've seen a ghost!" A mare with curly red hair chuckled as she placed a beer down in front of him.

"I-I-I'm fine...just bad night sleep I guess..." He murmured and the mare shrug before removing his previous cup.

"Alright then...anything else I can get ya?" She asked, her hoof going to her hip as she waited.

"U-um no thank you...." He whispered and the mare turned to walk away. "O-on second thought!" He suddenly called, making the mare turn again and tap her hoof impatiently.

"Yes?" She asked tilting her head slightly.

"Can you bring me a few more of these?" He requested. He thought that maybe, if he drunk enough, he wouldn't be able to remember anything once he found him, for he knew for sure it was going to be painful.

"Pay first sir..." She said walking closer and reaching her worked hoof out to him.

The stallion nodded and fumbled his hooves as he reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a handful of bits before tossing them onto the table. The mare sighed and grabbed all of it from the wooden table and stuffed into her dress pocket.

"Can I get your name sir? I haven't seen you here before?" She asked right before she turned away.

"U-uh...it's Caramel....Caramel Sweetens...." He whispered, glancing around worriedly, fearing someone had heard him.

The mare raised her brow at his strange behavior but shoved it off with a shrug. "Well...hope we see you soon caramel..." She grumbled as she strutted away, slapping a hoof without looking that reached for her.

"I hope so too..." He mumbled and gulped.

"Are you alright deary?" A voice bright, mischievous, and cheerful voice asked, causing the stallion to freeze.

He slowly turned to look to his side...and he was there....right next to him lounging with his arms behind his back and that grin plastered across his face...and those eyes...those eyes bore deep into his soul and seemed to make his heart stop in fear.

"Y-you...h-how did you find me?" He asked in a high pitched voice, backing away as panic began to fill him.

The creature before him chuckled with amusement as the stallion visibly shook in fear right before him. "Oh I can find anyone deary!...if I look hard enough, and you were quite easy! ynah!" He replied in a calm voice, letting out a small laugh and his grin widened as he leaned forward, causing the stallion to back up more on the chair of his table.

"I take it you didn't do what I asked..." He questioned, raising his talon and tapping his chin.

The stallion rose a hoof and tried to show an ounce of bravery. "P-please...f-forgive me...I couldn't bring myself to do it....I couldn't kill someone...I may be a pirate but I've never killed anyone before...please....don't hurt me..." He whimpered like a pathetic foal begging his mom to not punish him for sneaking cookies, causing the creature to fill with amusement.

"Oh don't worry..." He whispered leaning closer till his face was just inches away. "Let's take this outside...I might think of forgiving you...maybe..." He chuckled and the stallion gulped and felt his heart pound faster against his chest.

The stallion opened his mouth to reply, but sudden he was surrounded in a cloud of purple smoke and then he found himself standing in the ally way just outside of the tavern.

"I'm sorry...but I couldn't do what you asked of me..." He quickly said as the dark creature walked around him. It was hard to tell the expression from the cloak that covered the Arabian like face.

"What? you mean you couldn't simply take the knife and stab it into her chest? dig it deep into her flesh and make her scream in for mercy as you slowly cut out her flesh?....how pathetic." He asked, his talon twirling as he talked in a taunting tone with a laugh.

"It's not as easy as it sounds...please...you have to understand-" He tried to explain, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Oh I understand perfectly!" He interrupted, turning to face him completely, his hands now behind his back. "Truth is deary...the only reason I sent you to kill her was to have some fun!" He said with a grin and jumping in the air slightly. "I didn't even want the mare dead..." He whispered as he began to corner the stallion against a corner of a wall.

"Th-then why did you send me to do it?!" He asked, getting angry that this monster was playing with him.

The stallion froze as the creature was suddenly right in front of him, all he did was blink and there he was, his breath hitting his face and those golden eyes making him feel like crumbling to the ground and hide.

"You obviously don't know me deary!" He smirked joyfully. "I'm the Dark One! And if everyone knows if you break the rules...you....pay the price." He whispered in a calm but also very menacing tone.

"But you just said this was just a joke....that you didn't really want me to kill her-"

"It doesn't matter that I was just playing! The point is..." He said as he walked away just momentarily and pointing his talon in the air. Then he turned and poked him in the chest as he growled. "You.broke.our.deal..." He whispered in now deep voice. " And no one...breaks deals with me." He grinned once more as the stallion shivered and his breathing started to quicken.

"My deal was...you kill that mare...I give you all the gold you desire....but my deeds weren't met now were they?"

The stallion rose a hoof and begged. "Please...show mercy...this is all just so silly-AAAHH!" The stallion roared as the Dark ones hand shot into his chest and yanked it out with a rip.

Caramel gasped and gripped his chest in pain and when he looked up, his eyes widened with horror and he felt faint. In the Dark One's talon, he held a glowing red object....his heart....

"I'm sorry it has to end this way deary! You should have known that once you make a deal with the dark one...there is no going back..." And with that he clenched his claw, squeezing the heart making the stallion cry out and pain and collapse to the ground.

The stallion soon fell limp, his body lifeless as he now laid dead on the street ground. The monster opened his claws and dust blew out from his palm and all he did was smirk before he disappeared into shadow....