Author's Note
Authors Notes: Hey guys, NalaxSimba here with a new fanfic! This time with my new OTP, Sunlight! Warning: this fic is a lot darker than my other fanfics. It contains violence and sexual themes, don't say I didn't warn you.
There are a few things you should know about the world that this AU is set in, so here's a quick introduction to the world and the characters. I'll just explain the main cast, you guys will find out the rest as the fic progresses. This AU is set during olden times, probably during the 19th century.
Canterlot: Canterlot is the main place this will take place. It is a demon realm and the home to the Demon Emperor/Empress. Demons are allowed to leave Canterlot and go to human realms, such as Ponyville, although it is heavily advised not to meddle in human affairs.
Ponyville: A secondary location. This village is populated by humans, although demons do pass through from time-to-time. It is ruled by a tyrannical prince, Prince Blueblood. Ponyville believes in traditional views such as arranged marriages. Ponyville is also home to the Shadowbolts, a group of demon-slayers.
The Crystal Empire: A minor location, and a sanctuary for demons and humans. Their symbol is the Crystal Heart, as a way to show acceptance, tolerance and love for every person and demon.
Sunset Shimmer: The demon empress. She generally rules firmly but fairly, however, she will stop at nothing to get her own way. As the Empress, she wants to protect all of her subjects and will go to extreme lengths to avenge demons who are killed by demon-slayers. She has a deep hatred for humans, although she will not go out of her way to attack them and cares for humans who are the Chosen's of any demons in her kingdom. She is the most powerful demon and is over 70,000 years old. She is the first empress to gain the throne through brute force; she killed the previous empress and took the throne herself.
Rarity: Sunset Shimmer's guardian, and 'aunt'. She was a close friend of the previous demon empress, Adagio. Despite her close bond to Adagio, she disagreed with her way of ruling the empire. When Adagio was killed by Sunset, Rarity swore loyalty to Sunset and has since become Sunset's guardian and closest friend. She is 10,000 years old.
Chosen: the person a demon or human is destined for. A Chosen can be a demon, human or a hybrid. All demons have a Chosen, the Chosen can be a human, a hybrid, or another demon. A Chosen can choose whether to reject the demon or vice versa.
Twilight: Sunset Shimmer's Chosen. She is the human who is bound to Sunset Shimmer. Twilight is an outcast orphan in her village and is outcasted due to her interest in science and reading. She is one of the females offered to Sunset.
Fluttershy: A demon hybrid. Her mother was a demon who fell in love with a human. Due to her heritage, Fluttershy is a lot weaker than the other demons in Canterlot. She was made Sunset Shimmer's ward when her parents were killed. She is currently 1,500 years old and is training under Sunset to become stronger.
Rainbow Dash: A demon. Captain of Sunset's guard.
Pinkie and Applejack will make appearances, so will other characters.
The first two or three chapters will be focusing on the world-building and character development, and then we'll get to the real plot!
Please tell me if you guys like it. Do you think it was too rushed? If so, I'll try and make the rest of the chapters feel more natural.
I do not own that chant that Sunset used, I found it online.
Each chapter involving demons, I hope to introduce a new aspect of the demon culture I have created. This chapter involves birth: Demon fathers must be present during the child's birth, or the mother must be directly placed under the Empress/Emperor's care.
I know this is a Sunlight fanfic, and Sunset referred to her Chosen as a male demon. Remember, Sunset only tolerates humans if they are the Chosen to one of her subjects, so she would never think that her Chosen would be a human. Regarding her sexuality, I'd say she's bicurious. She hasn't had feelings for girls before, but she could.
I was inspired by "Precious Blood" to have Trenderhoof in love with Fluttershy. Precious Blood is a Fluttercord vampire fanfic by DisneyFanatic23, go check it out! It's amazing.
Next chapter, we get to meet Twilight!
Canterlot
Inspired by: Dracula the Musical, Beauty and the Beast
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Canterlot. The simple word causes a rush of fear through the hearts of mortals. Whenever they hear the word, they try to remind themselves of the beautiful scenery that lies there; the beautiful gardens, the luxurious homes, the lush forests that were an array of colours; and mostly, the beautiful palace that stood high and mighty, the pride and joy of Canterlot.
Even then, the thoughts of who live in that beautiful city shreds the beautiful imagery. For the people who inhabit the beautiful city are not humans; they are demons. Canterlot was diverse, with full-blooded demons, hybrids, and many, many more types of demons living together, in harmony for the most part. Even the image of the beautiful castle was torn away, as the demon who lived there was the most powerful demon to have lived.
Sunset Shimmer, the demon empress of Canterlot. She ruled firmly but fairly, however, she was not above murder to get what she wanted. It was rumoured that she had killed the previous demon empress in one night, and promptly took control of the empire soon after. The demons obeyed her every whim, due to both loyalty and fear. The humans viewed her as a tyrannical empress who would one day try to kill them all. The humans' fear kept them away from Canterlot, much to Sunset's delight. There were a few people who trained to slay demons, but Sunset wasn't threatened by them in the slightest.
As far as Sunset was concerned, her kingdom was perfect. The humans kept their distance and the demons obeyed her. Her closest friends lived in her palace with her, along with her young ward, Fluttershy; but even they didn't know Sunset's true feelings of loneliness and emptiness. Sunset buried herself in maintaining a perfect empire, but she secretly yearned for someone to share her world with.
In the depths of her throne room, she gave a small cry, but no one heard. If they did, they didn't come to her aid.
No one ever came to her.
In the darkness of the night, a group of demons frantically made their way to the palace. They were being led by a male demon with vibrant blue hair. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he flapped his wings harder, gaining more speed as he did so. Following him were five other demons.
"Flash, how much longer until we reach the palace?!" a demon with poofy pink hair asked, flying to his side. "I don't know how much longer Fleur dis Lee can last!"
"We're almost there!" Flash replied, keeping his sight on the silhouette of the palace. They were getting closer, that was a good thing. He broke eye contact for a moment to gaze at another demon; this one had long blonde hair braided into two pigtails. "Applejack, how is she holding up?"
"She's doing fine for now! Fancy Pants is using his magic to keep the baby's magic contained," Applejack replied hastily, watching the couple. "but if we don't get to Lady Sunset now, who knows what will happen to her? Fleur is still just a human, and the baby seems to be quite strong!"
"We're nearing the palace now!" Flash said, a small smile falling on his face as they reached the bridge leading to the palace. "Pinkie Pie, fly away now and alert Lady Rarity and Lady Sunset that Fleur's baby is on its way. We'll meet you at the hospital! You must stress how important this is, Fleur could die!"
"Yes, Flash!" the pink-haired demon stopped in her tracks as she unfurled her black, bat-like wings entirely. She flapped as hard as she could, dashing past her group. She darted over the bridge, knocking down the doors to the palace in the process. She quickly turned left and began to fly the courtroom, praying that she would get there in time and that nothing bad would happen to Fleur or her baby. In the distance, she could hear Fleur's anguished cry.
Pinkie flew down the hallway in a rush but stopped herself as she saw the two demon guards with their spears crossed, indicating that the court was already in the meeting. Her eyes narrowed.
"I need the empress now!"
"Lady Sunset is already in court, Pinkie Pie. I'm afraid this will have to wait until later."
"It can't wait! We need Lady Sunset, Fleur dis Lee is about to have her baby!"
"But the empress demanded that-"
"Boys, let her in."
Three pairs of eyes turned to gaze at the demon flying behind them. She was beautiful, with long purple hair and skin as white as snow. Her dark blue wings were outstretched as a way of showing her dominance, and her red eyes were narrowed at the guards. Her pointed ears stood upright, showing that she was not in the mood for any disruptions.
"But Lady Rarity..."
"Now. Empress Sunset must foresee all births, you boys know that!"
With a sigh, the two demons moved away from the door, granting Pinkie Pie access.
Sunset was bored out of her mind, and the court had only been in process for half an hour. The demon court was where demons would bring any of their issues to Sunset. As Empress, it was her job to oversee all issues and promote solutions to said issues. Recently, however, demons would flock to her in regards to her marital status. When she blatantly refused to answer any questions on her relationship status, they would turn to questioning her about her ward, Fluttershy. Currently, she was debating with a demon by the name of Trenderhoof, in regards to Fluttershy's hand in marriage.
"No means no!" Sunset growled, slamming her hand into the table. Her claws dug into the mahogany furniture in anger. She sat above the other demons in a throne, positioned in the centre of the room. "I will not give Fluttershy to anyone, Trenderhoof!"
Fluttershy sat next to her, in a similar throne. She was a lot smaller than the other demons due to her hybrid heritage and didn't look anywhere near as threatening as the other demons. She pushed her long pink hair in front of her face; it was a nervous habit of hers. Fluttershy didn't look like a demon; her eyes were jade green, unlike the other demons who had blood-red eyes. Her ears weren't pointed, and her fangs were considerably smaller than most. The only way anyone could tell she was a demon was due to her yellow, bat-like wings. They were small for a demon of her age, but they were still there.
"But, milady!" Trenderhoof called out, "Fluttershy needs someone to look after her, and-"
Trenderhoof was enveloped in a blue aura. Sunset hand was enveloped in the same blue aura. She stood up, using her magic to pull him closer to her. Once he was close enough, she outstretched her wings and bared her teeth, to show him who was the leader. "Listen, Trenderhoof! I have told you countless times, I will not give Fluttershy to anyone! It is not my decision to make. Fluttershy may be a hybrid, but she is still a demon and therefore will find her Chosen one day. And it is not you."
Before Sunset could scare him anymore, the door burst open. Sunset dropped Trenderhoof and turned to face whoever disturbed her court. Her eyes narrowed at Pinkie and Rarity.
"Pinkie Pie, Rarity! What is the meaning of this? Can't you see I'm busy?!"
Rarity flew forward. "I'm very sorry, Sunset, but Fleur dis Lee's baby is on the way."
Sunset's eyes widened. She turned back to the other demons who were gathered in the courtroom and began barking orders. "Sunburst!" A demon with orange hair and glasses looked up at his empress. "Escort Fluttershy back to her chambers, now!" She turned to the rest of the demons. "This meeting is now over! Pinkie Pie, Rarity, lead me to Fleur!"
Fleur's anguished cries could be heard all around the castle. Sunset had never flown somewhere so fast in her life. She flew past the guards, past the doctors and nurses, past her friends.
Fleur lay on the hospital bed, one hand gripping Fancy Pants' hand and the other hand gripping the metal bar on the side of the hospital bed. She gave out another scream, causing her grip on both Fancy Pants and the bar to tighten.
Sunset flew to Fleur's side, merely nodding at Fancy in acknowledgement. She ran a clawed hand through Fleur's hair.
"Shhh, shush little Fleur." Her free hand was enveloped in her blue aura. "I promise...nothing bad will happen to you."
Sunset pressed her hands down on Fleur's stomach and began to chant gently.
"Bring health to her body
Heal soul and mind too
Strength and wellbeing
Make it all new..."
Fleur's eyes closed gently as the pain began to decrease. The blue aura surrounded her stomach. Sunset's own eyes turned a light blue, and her hands continued to work their way around her stomach. Her body began to envelop itself in the aura, floating closer to the empress.
Rarity cleared her throat, gaining the attention of Fancy Pants, Pinkie Pie and Flash. "Come on you three. The empress needs to concentrate on ensuring success."
They knew a dismissal when they heard it, and began to fly towards the exit. Rarity glanced back at the empress once more, watching as Fleur's body was fully engulfed in the aura. Rarity turned and exited the room, closing the door behind her.
"Rarity, will she be okay?" Pinkie Pie asked, looking up at her friend.
Rarity glanced at Fancy Pants and began to word her reply in a subtle way. "The empress has never had a child or mother die yet in childbirth, Pinkie. I'm positive Fleur will be fine."
Fancy Pants gripped his hair in his hands. "I don't understand! I'm a strong demon, I...My magic should have sufficed to keep her safe!"
Rarity lay a hand on his shoulder gently, making sure her claws didn't scratch him. "Fancy Pants...the empress oversees all births. I know some fathers are able to help their child's birth, even without Sunset's help, but remember, your child is very strong. The healing water we placed over Fleur when checking her pregnancy stages was incredibly thick, showing the child's strength. In addition, Fleur is a human, Fancy."
A moment of silence passed before Fancy Pants looked up at Rarity. "Will Fleur...Will Fleur be safe in there with Sunset? You know she hates humans."
Rarity's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that your empress would harm Fleur?"
"She hates humans, you know that!"
"Sunset would never kill a human intentionally!"
Pinkie and Flash watched the argument, opting to stay silent.
"She's killed humans before!"
"In self-defence!"
"That's a lie! She's sucked humans dry before!"
"Again, in self-defence!"
"How do I know Fleur is safe?"
"Because Sunset would never, never, kill a Chosen! The Chosen's are off-limits to everyone, including the empress herself."
"She killed Adagio's Chosen!"
"It was the kindest thing for her to do, you know that! Thunderbass would have been killed by any demon, at least Sunset did it mercifully!"
The two were now stood nose-to-nose, glaring at each other. Both of them had their fangs bared at the other, and Rarity's fist was clenched in a ball. Her claws nipped at the palm of her hand, but she ignored it; it wasn't painful anyway.
Fancy Pants was the first to back down. He adverted his gaze as he calmed himself down. "I didn't mean to disrespect the empress. I'm just worried about Fleur."
Rarity nodded in understanding, "I can understand, but do not disrespect our empress again."
Fancy Pants nodded in agreement. "I...I'm sorry."
"It's quite alright."
The awkward silence came back to the two as they sat down. Pinkie and Flash released a breath they didn't know they were holding as they glanced warily at their friends.
The awkward silence was broken by a cry. Not just any normal cry, the sound of a newborn baby's cry.
Fancy Pants was the first to rise. "Fleur! She's okay! So is our baby!"
He flew past the other three demons, and into the hospital room.
Sunset smiled and ran a hand through Fleur's hair gently. "Well done, Fleur."
Fleur gave a small groan in response. Sunset chuckled and handed the baby demon to her mother. The baby stopped crying as it nestled into Fleur's chest.
The door opened, and Sunset looked up to see Fancy Pants fly over to his mate. He wrapped his wings around Fleur, who gave a small smile and cuddled into him.
"Fancy," her voice was but a whisper, ragged and shaky, but beautiful nonetheless. Fancy Pants smiled gently at her. "isn't she beautiful?"
It took Fancy a moment to reply. "Oh, yes! Yes...she's so very beautiful." A charming smile fell on his face. "Just like you, my dear."
Fleur blushed but gave out a girlish giggle in response.
Sunset watched the scene with a forlorn look. The bond between a Chosen and their mate was so special, such an unbreakable bond. Often times, she had found herself wishing for her Chosen to make himself known to her. A small grin fell on her face; her Chosen would be a strong demon, but not stronger than her of course. The two of them would rule their kingdom together, and perhaps have a couple of children. Of course, she had Fluttershy, but to have a biological child would mean so much to her too. She licked her lips at the thought.
She shook herself out of her thoughts. 'Worry about that later, Sunset. Right now, you have to talk to Fancy Pants.'
Sunset noticed that Fleur and the baby had fallen asleep, and grunted to get Fancy Pants' attention. "Fancy Pants."
Fancy Pants looked over to her, "Yes, milady?"
"I hope you realise that we must perform the mating ceremony on Fleur and yourself soon. I may care for Fleur as your Chosen, but I would much prefer her to be transformed into a demon." Her eyes narrowed in a warning glance. "I'd prefer it to be soon, rather than later."
Fancy Pants gulped and nodded his head. "Yes, milady. When do you propose we perform the ceremony?"
"Some point next week," Sunset replied nonchalantly, unfurling her wings and stretching them out. Having them folded for so long was unusual for her; she usually had them on show as they were her pride and joy.
Fancy Pants nodded, "As you wish, Empress Sunset."
With a final nod to the sleeping human and her child, Sunset began to leave the room. Just before she left, Fancy called out for her.
"Wait, my Lady!"
Sunset paused in the doorway and looked back at him. "Yes, Fancy Pants?"
He gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you, my lady, for saving my family. I am forever in your debt, Empress Sunset."
She gave him a smile in return and flew out the room. She headed into the waiting room, where Pinkie, Rarity and Flash were still waiting.
"My Lady," Flash bowed to her. She continued to fly but looked down at him as she passed him.
"Flash, well done for getting Fleur here. Because of you, I was able to save her. Keep up the good work, and you may be promoted."
Flash grinned in satisfaction. "Aah, thank you, my lady!"
Sunset nodded and turned to look at Rarity. "Rarity."
"Yes, Lady Sunset?"
"Prepare everything we need for the mating ritual. Fancy and Fleur will be performing their ceremony next week." After a moment of thought, she added, "Also, prepare Fleur for her welcoming ceremony. I need her to swear loyalty to me before she and Fancy return home."
Rarity nodded, making a mental note of everything they needed. Thankfully, she had a good memory. "Anything else we need, Lady Sunset?"
"Yes. Tell Fluttershy her training is cancelled for tonight. I need some time alone."
Rarity was tempted to ask why but she knew better than to question her empress. "Yes, milady. Is that everything?"
"That's everything." She glanced back at Pinkie and Flash as well. "You may all leave now; Fleur needs her rest."
The three bowed to their empress and watched her soar out the hospital, and into the night sky. Her black, velvety wings blended into the darkness.
"Hey, Rarity," Pinkie asked as she made her way to her chambers, "what's wrong with the empress lately?"
Rarity shook her head. "I'm not sure, Pinkie Pie. I'm not sure."
As Sunset flew around her city, her wings beating majestically, one word plagued her thoughts.
It plagued her thoughts all night.
'Family...'
Author's Note
TRIGGER WARNING: REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT
I'm back! This chapter is a lot darker than the last one, but I did warn you guys that this series would be a lot darker to my usual work. And don't worry, things will get better for Twilight!
Next chapter is what I call the 'kickstarter', although Sunset and Twi probably won't meet until chapter five.
Trapped
The village of Ponyville was small, but that didn’t mean it was boring. The town was a bustling community, where everyone knew each other, and everyone knew what was happening. Secrets were almost unheard of within the village. The only secrets that did run around were questions about the mysterious royal family, and the rounds of gossip about the town’s outcasts.
Even in such a small, peaceful town, there were outcasts, the ones who didn’t fit the norms of their society. One big group of outcasts was known as the Shadowbolts, a group of self-proclaimed demon hunters. The group itself wasn’t hated—the idea of having such a group protect their small village from the scary demons of Canterlot soothed the townspeople. They weren’t blind to the existence of the demons, and with news that the latest empress was a cold-blooded killer, they took pride in knowing that a group of mere mortals was there to protect them. No, their problem lay with the leader of the group; a woman named Sour Sweet, who had abandoned the norms for a lady of her town to pursue a career of fighting demons. To most people, it was unheard of: and then, Sour Sweet continued to recruit women into her group. Men were also in the group, but they seemed to take a lesser role to the women of the group. The townspeople hated the group’s leadership and their beliefs, and they only interacted with the group whenever they had information on a demon. The group were publicly supported, privately hated.
The other group of outcasts weren’t as hopeless. Abacus Cinch owned the orphanage, teaching every boy and girl who lived there how to be a gentleman or a lady. Some listened to her every word, hoping and praying that one day they would be adopted or that a suitor would sweep them off their feet and take them to their ‘happily ever after’. Some of these cases were known throughout the village. The story of Starlight Glimmer was a renowned one for how brilliant it was; the young girl had been abandoned at birth due to her father wanting a boy and had been placed in Cinch’s care. She had listened to all of Cinch’s teachings, and eventually, at the age of sixteen, a suitor by the name of Neon Lights had asked for her hand in marriage. Starlight had accepted, and now the two worked for the royal family: Neon as an advisor, Starlight as a housekeeper. It was a story that most people in the town hoped the other orphans could follow.
Some weren’t so lucky. At the age of seventeen, a girl by the name of Sunny Flare had left the orphanage of her own accord, and after two months she had joined the Shadowbolts as a weapons master. A similar case was that of two twins named Globe Trotter and Rose, when, at the age of eighteen, they were thrown out onto the streets, with Cinch calling them ‘hopeless failures’. To this day, the duo remained on the streets—Globe did odd jobs to keep food in their stomach, but Rose was a lost cause, and Globe didn’t want to abandon his sister.
One rule was adamant within the orphanage: if you were between seventeen and eighteen years old and hadn’t been adopted or a suitor didn’t show an interest, your last chance to escape was by collecting thirteen pieces of silver. If you couldn’t collect them, you were thrown out onto the streets to become the subject of the next round of gossip.
Luckily for Twilight Sparkle, a seventeen-year-old orphan who resided in Cinch’s orphanage, she had managed to collect the much-needed silver.
Twilight Sparkle sat on her bed, legs crossed, and her small green and purple dog cuddled up next to her. She was currently counting out the silver she had collected from odd jobs—although very few people were willing to hire women, the local bookshop owner had pitied the girl and gave her a part-time job, so she could save up the silver needed. It also helped that Twilight was a book-worm, and the owner had a soft spot for the girl who would come to his simple library and read for hours on end.
“Ten…eleven…twelve…thirteen…” A gasp. “Spike! Spike, we did it! We collected thirteen pieces of silver!”
The dog perked up and barked, jumping onto his owner’s lap. Twilight chuckled as he did so, her purple and pink hair shaking a little as she shook her head from Spike’s fur tickling her. The dog looked up to his owner and barked, and the girl chuckled a little--it was almost like she understood her companion.
“You want to hear the dream again?” Spike barked, and Twilight stifled a chuckle—Spike was just too cute! “Okay…one day Spike, we’re going to be out of this orphanage.” She waved her arm around to emphasise her point, motioning to the cramped room she stayed in—there was barely enough room for her bed, Spike’s bed, and a small desk, littered with a few books and notepads.
She continued detailing their dream. “We’ll get our own place, somewhere we can call our own home. No one can tell us what to do, or where to be, or how to act…” Her voice wavered slightly at the beauty of her dream. She brought her voice to a whisper so not to be caught by the owner of the orphanage. “We’ll have no Cinch to boss us around, and we’ll finally be free. I’ll write my books: fiction, non-fiction, published studies, all you could ever think off!” She clasped her hands together excitedly. “I’ll become a famous author, and you…” she gently scratched behind Spike’s ear. “…you’ll be my little wonder dog. It will be wonderful!”
She sighed dreamily, and Spike seemed to relax into her, his paws dangling off the edge of the bed. Twilight chuckled. “Just us…Just Twilight and Spike. Doesn’t it sound perfect?”
The image of her dream was so close, she could almost reach it…
“Twilight Sparkle!”
Twilight jumped up, subsequently knocking Spike onto the floor. The pup gave a small yelp; Twilight threw him an apologetic look before she busied herself with hiding her prize. She picked up the jar with her silver inside, prayed to whichever higher being was listening that the jar didn’t break, and quickly grabbed Spike’s bed to use it as a barricade of some sort to protect the jar. She placed the jar against the edge of the dog bed and quickly pushed it under her own bed. Spike followed pursuit, hiding in his dog bed as to protect the silver from Cinch.
Twilight gripped her purple bedsheet and threw it over the side of her bed, hiding the belongings and puppy hidden underneath. She brushed off any dog hairs from her body before waiting for Cinch to appear.
Cinch swung the door open and gazed at Twilight. “I’ve been calling you for a while now, Twilight. What took you so long?”
Twilight couldn’t meet her gaze. “I…I slept in.”
Cinch raised an eyebrow, “That’s not like you at all.” Cinch stepped into the room, eyeing the bedsheet that hung partially of the bed. “Your room is a mess, Twilight. Tidy it up at once!” Her eyes landed on Twilight’s desk, staring at the books that littered the top. “And what have I told you about bringing those books back? Twilight, no man is ever going to marry you if you continue this reading phase.”
Twilight sighed a little, “Cinch, I don’t want to get married. I—”
Cinch chuckled cruelly, “Oh please, Twilight—how would you survive on your own? With your little books, and your little puppy?” She glanced around the room. “Where is he, anyway? I let you keep the filthy animal, that doesn’t mean I want him running around my orphanage.”
Twilight felt anger rise in her stomach at the insult to her companion. She had owned Spike ever since she was a child, he was her best friend! “He’s sleeping. Under the bed, so I can keep his hairs in one place to tidy.”
Cinch nodded, seemingly believing the lie. “I see. No man will want someone who’s so clingy to a pet, Twilight. Whoever you settle down with will definitely have his work cut out for him.”
Twilight frowned again. “Maybe it won’t be a man coming to get me out of here. I could still be adopted.”
Cinch shook her head, “You’re past the peak age now. If someone was going to adopt you, they would have done so by now. Twilight, you know as well as I do, that the only way you’re getting out of here is when you find a suitable husband to marry you! Unless,” Cinch’s voice drawled into a sarcastic, mocking tone, “you somehow collected thirteen pieces of silver without me knowing.”
Twilight bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from retorting back. She took a deep breath and looked up at Cinch. “Uh, was there something you needed, Cinch?”
Cinch seemed to realise she had come here to do something and nodded, throwing a purple satchel at the young girl. “Ah yes. I need you to go the market and get some last-minute ingredients for tonight’s dinner. We’re having some guests over.” With each word, Cinch seemed to become happier. “I may have found a way to make you more pleasing to the upper society members.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she caught the satchel. She pretended to be interested in her guardian’s words, in hopes that acting interested would make Cinch forgive her little outburst earlier—although she had never seen the orphanage owner physically strike anyone, she had heard rumours that her carer’s wrath was not one to be messed with. “Oh, really? How?”
Cinch seemed to brighten up at the interest, “My daughter Upper Crust is coming to visit tonight with her husband, Jet Set. He’s bringing along some friends, including the very single Timber Spruce. If you can please Jet Set, he’s sure to put in a good word with the upper class for you!”
Twilight forced a smile. “Fascinating.”
Cinch ignored her ward. “At the very least, Timber may fall for you. And then I can have you out of my hair.” Cinch almost seemed to be in a dream as she thought of a life without Twilight.
Twilight crossed her arms over her chest. After a few moments, she spoke. “Would you like me to go now?”
Cinch was pulled out of her dream-like trance. “Oh yes, of course!” She handed Twilight some money, which Twilight slipped into the purple satchel. “Please be quick, I’ll need help prepping the meal.”
Twilight nodded her head. “Yes, Cinch.”
Cinch left the room, leaving Twilight alone with the satchel. Once she was sure Cinch was gone, she pushed the bedsheet back onto the bed and gently pulled Spike’s bed into the open. “Spike, let’s go buddy.” She opened her arms for the small dog to jump in, and he nestled into her.
Twilight wished it could stay like this forever, just her and her puppy.
Twilight made her way through the town, Spike walking by her side. She didn’t have a leash for him, but Spike was obedient enough to not leave her side as they walked between the market stalls. She glanced down at her list to see what else she needed to buy, and to use it as a distraction from the whispers that came from those around her.
Twilight knew she was the subject of gossip. Every orphan who was in Cinch’s care was bound to be talked about; pitied over their pasts, gossiped about if they didn’t meet social norms, or glorified if they were a few of the ‘lucky ones’. With Twilight being seventeen, she was at the prime age for gossip. Questions about her remained—would she be adopted late? Would a suitor see her and take an interest?
Twilight couldn’t help but bite back the smile. Neither of those things would happen to her; she would be the first orphan to gather thirteen pieces of silver and escape! Twilight knew that once she did, people would still gossip about her—but she honestly didn’t care.
Twilight was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice when she bumped into another person. Her arms protected the purple satchel of ingredients; Cinch would punish her if the goods were damaged. Since she protected the food, however, she herself fell onto her back, letting out a quiet grunt of pain as she did.
“Oh, sorry!” The voice was strangely familiar. Twilight found herself looking up from her place on the floor, and her eyes widened.
“Sunny Flare!”
Sunny’s eyes widened upon realising who she bumped into. “Twilight! Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry I didn’t recognise you!” She held her hand out for the younger girl to take.
Twilight took her hand and was enveloped into a hug. She wrapped her arms around her friend. “I’ve missed you so much!”
Sunny Flare chuckled a little. “You’ve grown up a lot, Sparky.” She finally pulled away from the hug, continuing her conversation. “I hardly recognised you. Or your dog! No way is that the Spike I know, he was tiny!”
Twilight scratched the back of her neck nervously. “Well, it has been six years…”
Sunny Flare chuckled. “No longer the timid eleven-year-old I once knew?” Sunny’s eyes glanced over the teenager, who blushed in embarrassment. Sunny Flare caught herself. “I’m sorry! It’s just been so long since I saw you, and you look so different!”
Twilight chuckled a little, wanting to change the subject. “How have you been since you left then Sunny Flare? I heard rumours about you joining the Shadowbolts.”
“Oh, I did.” Sunny spoke with so much confidence, Twilight almost envied her. “It’s going great! Although we haven’t heard much about the demon realm, except that it was taken over by someone who’s even worse than Adagio.” Sunny suddenly caught herself, knowing Twilight couldn’t know the demons by names. “That was the last empress.”
Twilight was honestly conflicted about her own belief of demons. While many people of Ponyville claimed to have seen demonic creatures in Canterlot, Twilight was a firm believer of science, and too her, demons went against everything she believed in.
“I see.” Still, she tried to show interest in her old friend’s life. The two had grown up in the orphanage together—although Twilight was only eleven when Sunny left, the two had been inseparable. The least she could do is try to take interest. “Have you slayed…any yet?”
Sunny Flare chuckled. “Oh, I wish. I haven’t encountered any myself yet, but Sour Sweet—our leader—had an encounter with Adagio that almost ended in her death! I honestly couldn’t believe it when she told me, but she has the scar to prove it!”
Twilight blinked a little. “She fought a demon empress, and she won?”
Sunny Flare nodded. “Yeah. I know, it’s unbelievable! We each have these pendants—” To emphasise her point, Sunny Flare held up a circular pendant that hung around her neck, “—which measures magical quantities, and if coupled with strategic attacks, can store magic. Sour Sweet used the pendant to store Adagio’s magic and weakened her. We got them specifically made from some demon hybrid named Zecora.”
Now that was interesting. The prospect of magic had always intrigued Twilight. “That’s… actually kind of interesting, Sunny.” Twilight found herself staring at the pendant. Feeling a little brave, she stepped forward. “Do you think it would be possible for me to…study the pendants?”
Sunny Flare stepped back and playfully ruffled Twilight’s hair. “I see you’re still the scientist I know and love, but sorry Twi.” She winked at her friend. “If I let you do that, I’d have to recruit you into the Shadowbolts, or kill you.”
Twilight’s eyes widened.
“I’m kidding!” Sunny Flare laughed, wrapping an arm around Twilight’s shoulders. “Jeez Twi, you’ve got to learn to relax! But seriously, I swore an oath to the Shadowbolts and I can’t break that.”
Twilight sighed a little, but she understood the situation. “I understand Sunny. I guess I’m just curious.”
Sunny Flare chuckled. “Who wouldn’t be? Who else can say that their job is battling power-hungry demons?” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Aaah! I’m so sorry Twilight! I have a meeting with the Shadowbolts and I can’t be late!”
Twilight chuckled a little. ‘Same old Sunny Flare.’ She shook her head at her own thoughts and turned her attention back to Sunny Flare. “No, go ahead! I don’t want you to be late for your meeting!”
Sunny Flare gave her a wave as she headed back down the street. “Bye Twi! Bye Spike!”
Twilight waved back until her friend was out of sight. She looked back down at Spike, and then at the list in her hands. As much as she didn’t want Sunny Flare to be late to her meeting, Twilight wished she could spend a little longer with her friend—it distracted her from the task she had to complete. She ran a hand through Spike’s fur, letting out a sigh. “Come on buddy, let’s get the rest of the ingredients for Cinch.”
By the time Twilight came back to the orphanage, it was already midday, and Cinch was waiting for her. She snatched the satchel from Twilight and her eyes scanned through the contents.
“What on earth took you so long?” Cinch snapped at the teen as she placed the satchel on the shelf beside her. “I sent you for some simple ingredients, Twilight!”
Twilight cringed in embarrassment. “Sorry, Cinch—I ran into Sunny Flare on the way home and I guess we just got carried away with talking.”
“Clearly.” Cinch rolled her eyes. “Why were you interacting with that Sunny Flare anyways? She’s not the type of influence you should be around.”
“We just bumped into each other.” Twilight said, a little angry at the disregard Cinch had for her previous ward.
“Well, make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Cinch glanced at the time. “Hurry up and make yourself presentable! There’s a dress waiting upstairs for you, Upper Crust will be here any minute.”
As Twilight headed up the stairs, she really envied the freedom that Sunny Flare had as a Shadowbolt.
Twilight was very uncomfortable with the situation. Here she was, sat in a dress she despised, sitting with her guardian, her uptight daughter and son-in-law, and some guy she didn’t know, listening to them talk about who-knows-what. The only comforting thing was that Spike was underneath the table, acting as a comforter to Twilight in her time of need.
Suddenly, the strange guy who was sat beside her turned his attention to Twilight. “So, Twilight, is it?”
Twilight felt herself blush in embarrassment—she hadn’t been listening and so had physically frozen when he addressed her. She turned her attention to him with a smile. “Yeah, that’s me. Twilight Sparkle. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
He chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t throw it.”
Twilight felt herself blushing even more, once again out of embarrassment. The green haired stranger beside her seemed to enjoy how embarrassed she was, for he spoke again, “I’m sorry, I just like teasing people. The name’s Timber Spruce.”
“Timber Spruce.” The name rolled of Twilight’s tongue easily. He seemed…nice. “That’s a nice name.”
Timber chuckled. “Thanks.” Neither Timber or Twilight seemed to notice that the attention was completely on them. “So, Twilight, what kind of things are you interested in?”
Twilight could hardly contain her excitement. “Oh, I’m really into books and science! I read this fascinating story the other day about two lovers in Verona, and just this morning, I read this published study on advancements in modern medicine! Did you know tha—”
Cinch interrupted her. “Twilight, dear, I’m sure Timber doesn’t want to hear about all that nonsense.”
Twilight felt her face flush once again. Cinch was sending her a glare; Twilight knew she was in trouble. “Ooh, sorry Cinch…”
Timber raised a hand. “Actually, I quite like books and science too. It’s nice to meet someone with similar interests.”
Cinch raised an eyebrow. “You do?”
Jet Set nodded his head, speaking in turn for Timber. “Oh yes, Timber is quite interested in making new discoveries about our everyday lives. He’s quite the budding scientist.”
Timber himself blushed at the compliment. “Aw, shucks, I’m not that great. I just have an interest in the subject, that’s all.”
The conversation quickly derailed as Jet Set began talking about his latest business proposal and the money it would reign in, but Twilight hardly listened. Timber had shown an interest in the same things as her, and not only that, he had defended her. That hadn’t happened ever since Sunny Flare was in the orphanage. Even though she wasn’t looking to impress Timber into wanting to marry her, it couldn’t hurt to befriend him and talk about their similar interests, right?
Twilight was so much in her own thoughts, that she didn’t notice Timber’s hand sneaking up her dress and resting on her outer right thigh. By the time she had noticed, he already seemed to busy with continuing his venture up her thigh.
Twilight shuffled nervously in her seat. There wasn’t much she could do, but she was uncomfortable with the placement of Timber’s hand. She tried to move to the side in an attempt to subtly move his hand, but Timber gripped her thigh hard enough to bruise.
“Ouch!” Twilight didn’t realise she had spoken out loud until she saw everyone’s eyes on her. She gulped a little—what could she even say? It’s not like Cinch would believe her—they’d probably just laugh at her. Besides, she could hardly rat Timber out when he was gripping her thigh painfully. If she spoke out, there was no telling what he might do. She sent a forced smile to the others. “Sorry. I hit my knee.”
The other guests rolled their eyes at Twilight and resumed their conversation. Timber let out a small chuckle, and very quietly whispered, “That’s a good girl.”
Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and gulped. She was terrified. Her body language didn’t seem to bother Timber; his hand crept closer to her inner thigh. All she could do let out a small whimper and clutch the edge of her seat with her other hand, gripping it so hard that her knuckled turned white.
Spike had heard the whimper from his owner, and immediately turned so he was facing. He had been facing away from Twilight, attempting to try and ‘accidentally’ bite Cinch, but he left that game for later to see what was wrong with his Twilight.
Spike’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw the placement of the stranger’s hand. Twilight obviously seemed to be uncomfortable, given by how hard she was gripping the edge of her seat. Timber’s hand continued its venture, until it was resting on Twilight’s upper inner thigh.
Spike snapped. His owner was obviously uncomfortable but didn’t dare say anything, and this jerk probably thought he was going to get away with what he was doing! Spike bared his teeth, lowered his body and pounced.
Timber was knocked out of his chair and onto the floor by a green and purple blur, barring its teeth and growling at him. In Spike’s launch, the table cloth had caught on his back paw, causing him to pull the cloth, the plates of food and the drinks, off the table, onto the guests and onto the floor. The shattering of plates didn’t bother Spike as he growled at Timber. He stared a Timber’s hand, before digging his teeth into the flesh.
“OW!”
Upper Crust stood up in disgust, staring at the food stain on her dress. A glass of water had also spilled onto her dress, and she lifted the dress to avoid the liquid getting on to her skin. “Mother! What is that animal doing?!”
Jet Set’s tuxedo had also been ruined; the large chocolate cake had directly splattered onto his white undershirt. “I paid good money for this suit, and I get it ruined by a filthy dog?!”
Cinch also stood up, avoiding being splattered from the food that had spilled. Her eyes narrowed at Twilight and Spike. Twilight sat in her chair, shell-shocked, and Spike was still on top of Timber’s chest, growling menacingly at him.
“Twilight! Get your crazy mutt off him!”
Twilight was brought out of her daze at Cinch’s order and sprang into action. “Spike! Come here, boy!”
Spike looked up at his owner, staring into her pleading eyes, and begrudgingly let go off Timber’s hand and jumped off his chest. Still, he glared at the green-haired man and placed himself between Twilight and the others, almost as if he was a barrier. Timber scurried to his feet and stood beside Upper Crust.
“I have never felt so insulted!” Timber yelled, dusting the dog hair off his torn and tattered suit. As he brushed his suit, he saw a trail of red liquid coming from his hand, and his eyes narrowed at the dog. “That animal drew blood!”
Upper Crust crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at Twilight. “Haven’t you ever heard of training your pets, so they aren’t a danger to society? It’s no wonder nobody has adopted you yet, that animal probably scared them off!”
Jet Set seemed to approve of his wife’s behaviour and took a step towards Twilight. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were thrown out onto the street like that Globe Trotter and Rose riffraff were! Your parents were right in abandoning you!”
Timber nodded in agreement, “And I thought you were a nice girl! Forget that idea, with that crazy mutt around, no one will want you!”
Twilight picked Spike up into her arms and glared at the trio. “Spike was just protecting me from you! You shouldn’t have touched me!”
Timber laughed a little, “Oh darling,” he spoke in a condescending tone. “You should’ve taken that as a compliment!”
Cinch stepped in front of Twilight, and for a moment, Twilight wondered if Cinch was coming to her rescue.
“Upper Crust, sweetie, I’m so sorry you had to endure this tonight!”
Upper Crust turned to her mother. “Mother, you have the responsibility of raising the boys and girls who live here right! You should’ve brought Twilight up knowing her place in life and taught her to respect men!”
Jet Set wrapped an arm around Upper Crust’s waist. “Darling, I think it’s better if we leave. We don’t want to associate with the riffraff here.”
Upper Crust nodded her head. “You said it. Mother, we’ll come back to visit once this disgrace,” she pointed a finger at Twilight, “leaves here!”
Without another word, Upper Crust took Jet Set’s hand in hers and headed for the door. Timber glanced back at Twilight over his shoulder and let out a chuckle.
“I’m so sad our fun had to stop early, Twilight. Let’s continue another day.” He sent her a wink.
Spike jumped out of Twilight’s arms and barked at Timber, barring his teeth and scaring the green-haired aristocrat; he practically ran out the door.
As the door slammed shut, Cinch turned to Twilight slowly.
Twilight went to speak, “Cinch, I’m so—”
Cinch rolled her eyes. “Save it. I’ve had it up to here with your excuses, Twilight.” Her eyes landed on the mess on the floor. “I expect this mess to be cleaned up in an hour tops.”
Twilight nodded her head. “Yes, Cinch.”
“Oh, and Twilight? You should say goodbye to that animal. I’ll visit Tree Hugger tomorrow and see when she can come for him.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, we’re getting rid of him.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wait, no, Cinch! You can’t do that! He’s my best friend, if I don’t have him, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
Cinch turned to Twilight with anger in her eyes. “Too bad Twilight! This was your chance to show you had potential, but you’ve failed me. Again.” Cinch shook her head. “What else could I expect from your family though? Your parents were nothing, your brother was nothing, and you are certainly nothing.”
Twilight didn’t even have the strength to fight back as she listened to Cinch insult her family.
Cinch headed towards the door that led up to her room. “Now clean up this mess.”
Twilight nodded her head. “Yes ma’am.” She knelt to the floor and started picking up shards of broken plates.
Spike came and sat by her, nuzzling into her side. For a moment, Twilight ran her hand through his fur gently. Then she gently picked him up and held him close, beginning to cry into his fur. Spike’s only response was to nuzzle further into her.
After cleaning the mess, Twilight and Spike retreated to their room. Twilight raised an eyebrow as she saw the bedroom door partially open. ‘I’m sure I closed the door before going down for dinner…’
A sudden rattling got her attention, and her eyes widened. ‘No!’
She raced into her room, Spike following closely. Her nightmare was confirmed when she saw Cinch sat on her bed, holding the jar of silver she had collected.
“I’m impressed,” Cinch chuckled sarcastically. “You managed to collect thirteen pieces of silver without me knowing.” She unscrewed the lid. “Too bad you can’t buy your freedom.”
Twilight stepped forward. “No!”
Cinch glared at her as she tipped the silver into her hand, counting the pieces. “I’ll let you stay in the orphanage until you’re eighteen years old. I’ll let you keep the mutt until Tree Hugger can come collect him, but I will not be nice to you anymore. I will not let you get away with what happened today. You dug your grave the moment that animal attacked Timber.”
Twilight shook her head. “Cinch, I collected that myself! It’s mine!”
Cinch shook her head. She tipped the silver back into the jar and screwed the lid back on. “And you are my ward for another two weeks, therefore this is mine. Where would you even go? Do you have enough silver to buy a home? To feed yourself and your dog?”
Twilight had to admit, she hadn’t properly thought out what would happen once she bought her freedom. She had planned to continue working at the bookstore, but she honestly didn’t know how long his pity would last for.
Cinch took her silence as a defeat. “Exactly. You aren’t cut out for living in Ponyville, and tonight you blew your last chance of getting out of here. I will make you pay for tonight’s behaviour.”
With that, Cinch stood up and headed to the door, taking the jar with her. “Goodnight, Twilight.”
Twilight barely made it onto her bed before she started sobbing. She collapsed into the pillow, sobs raking her body.
It was official.
Twilight Sparkle was trapped.
