Unscrewing Herself

Chapters

The Mare of the Plum Trees
The Earl of Pearls
Countdown to Chaos

The Mare of the Plum Trees

This is the story of a young rich mare who never discovered her special talent and, as such, her cutie mark. She lived in an estate in Canterlot, living off the inheritance her parents left behind when they died of sickness several years ago. The estate had hundreds upon hundreds of plum tress growing on her vast property. It was her playground as a filly and now her garden that she kept after.

It was a long and lonely life. Day by day she watched her servants tend to her orchard and night by night she found herself whisked away into the parties and civil pleasures of the wealthy folk of Canterlot. Ponies sided by her and claimed to her friends. They knew nothing but only money, fame, and happiness of wealth. They knew not of the blank flank she bore on her side and she took great care in keeping that secret hidden.

If only they could understand... she would be happy. Yet deep down she knew they wouldn't... no pony will ever understand this feeling of confusion. No pony could understand the bitter nights she spent brooding what she was meant to be. Those long dreadful nights...

Everything would all change however once this mare had a taste of chaos.

* * *

Hours until Discord's release: 6

Warm, soft sunlight poured through the clear glass of the large diamond-shaped window of the third floor bedroom of Merry McScrew. The bedroom was large and oval shaped, cluttered with all sorts of plush dolls and pictures that she had drawn as a filly. It was her childhood room, never changing it since her parents had passed away. In the center of the room, sitting atop a velvet rug, was an ornate bed. The covers were thick and silky, softer than a cloud and under those covers slept Merry.

She was a very light purple Earth Pony, with a bouncy white mane that was now wild and messy due to the tossing and turnings of the night. Dark was the bedroom and was her thoughts. Merry stared into the old tattered photograph of herself as a filly and her parents beside her. The curly haired filly did not smile in the picture; her eyes seemed dull...

"Miss Merry? Are you awake my lady?" A bouncy, fresh and yet aged voice called somewhere, Merry was too drunk from sleep to accurately know were the voice came from.

That was her maid... what was her name again? Merry's violet eyes flashed with recognition when it came to her.
"Yes, Gracia. I am now. Come in." She responded, her voice loud and clear. The moment the words had left her mouth, the double doors to her room opened and a white unicorn wearing a maid's outfit rushed into the room, using her magic to lift a duster and brush off the accumulating dust on Merry's dolls. Merry sat up in bed, watching the old maid fret over every little object and it's cleanliness. A lock of her white mane fell and clung to the side of her face as Gracia spoke. "I just don't know how you can live in these conditions my Merry. Don't you ever clean up my dear?"

Merry looked around her bedroom. Dust covered her collection of stuffed dolls that Gracia did not brush off, the tattered old ones, in thick layers and the red paint that was plastered on the four walls was getting dull.

"I have servants for that Gracia..." Merry mumbled in disheartening tone. Gracia chucked. "Oh yes why of course, silly me." Neither of them said nothing of how Merry would refuse anypony from entering her room to clean at all. For years she had kept the room untouched. It was a sense of something that Merry couldn't explain to herself.

Gracia gave the dusty room a final glance before shaking her head lightly and sighing. "At the very least my dear can you please rest in another bedroom. I'm concerned for your health..."

"I've never had asthma, Gracia... you know that."

The unicorn maid simply sighed once more and backed away into the hallway to fetch the other servants to assume the daily morning routine for their lady.

Merry yawned and climbed out of bed, shaking her head around. Her mane bounced about and assumed it's normal shape, a cloudy and curly look. Two of her trusted servants entered and escorted Merry to an area in the small estate for the purpose of getting spruced up, as her mother used to say, for important social activities her adviser had planned and set appointments for. The shape of the room was an oval and the walls were a dull gold color with small glass lamps lining it near the ceiling, filling the room with vibrant light. A three-sided mirror was on one side of the room and before was a pedestal, where Merry was to stand on for her servants to dress her up.

A light blue unicorn with a mane of white and dark blue brushed Merry's cloud-like mane with an elegant purple brush, held aloft with a coat of bright baby blue magic. "A-one... A-two... A-three..." She murmured under her breath, counting each stroke to achieve a more perfect look on her mistress's white mane. A chubby butler with a speckled white and brown coat brought forward a ceramic bowl filled with fresh cold water and dabbed Merry's hooves in it. He then held a towel in his mouth and dried them off.

They fussed over her looks, tossing jewelry on her and different styles of hats. Merry McScrew just simply stood there, having not moved at all on her own since leaving her bed, as her servants spruced her up for the day. One of the earls of Canterlot requested her for a meeting so they would discuss a business plan that would merge her plum orchard with his peach fields. Despite all the approval of her advisers and how her 'friends' pushed towards the deal as it would benefit her financially, Merry would have to say no to the earl's offer.

This was her family's farm, nothing was going to contaminate it. The soil was meant to raise plum trees and that was how her father saw it and it will be the way she sees to it. Nothing will change... not even herself.

Merry sighed and looked in the three mirrors angled at herself, all her reflections gave her a copied expression of sadness. Nothing will change... She thought, her eyes slinking to the side as she lifted her left foreleg up for her butler to slid it into a sleeve of a dress. What am I doing here? I haven't smiled since I was a filly... Everything is the same. Everypony is the same. No one understands how I feel. She watched as they fitted the red dress over her haunch, hiding the blank flank from view. Business is not my talent. Neither does it have do with plums. I am twenty years old and I still haven't matured in this society's viewpoint! Bah! Enough with it... I have to meet with the Earl of Pearls soon and I'll have to look presentable.

She shut her eyes and let them finish up.

... What exactly does a pearl enthusiast want with my plums anyway? They are fruit, unless he intends to eat them, he wouldn't have such an interest to pester me day by day for a meeting with him.

Merry sighed to herself and opened her eyes, glancing at herself in the mirror. They were nearly done with their job, putting the final touches on her mane. The light blue unicorn, Tesa, had sculpted the white fluffy hair into a beehive fashion and was fitting little gleaming violet gems in the shape of a plum just above her forehead. The butler took a step back, admiring the work he and his assistant had put into their lady.

"Madam, the Earl awaits." He murmured, bowing in a polite manner.

"Yes he is." Merry answered. "Tesa. Bruce. Though the two of you should keep to your daily duties, as usual. There's something else I'd want you both to do in my place."

"Of course Ma'am!" Tesa chirped, hopping up eagerly. "What is it you'll have us do?"

Merry glanced at Tesa, the grin on her servant's face fading away. "I want you two to visit mother and father for me. "
The room fell silent and Bruce shared a look with Tesa.

"Ma'am, pardon me but should you do this? They are your parents after all, right?" Tesa asked. Merry shook her head and walked up towards the doorway leading out.

"My parents are dead." She muttered. Tesa blinked. "Oh."

The violet earth pony shuddered slightly. "Bring sunflowers. Mommy had always loved sunflowers." She hung her head and pushed opened the door and left the two of them there alone. Gracia's voice called out from somewhere and the two could hear her old maid running to catch up to Miss McScrew.

Tesa leaned her head to the side and sniffed. "What happened to them?"

"Hm?" Bruce hummed. "Ah. Mr. and Mrs. McScrew? They both died of a viral infection when Miss Merry was only a little filly." He eyed Tesa, up and down. "You seem to understand. Have you lost a family member yourself?"

"My grandfather."

Bruce nodded. "Time passes like morning and night, the very end we sleep." The butler raised up his foreleg to check on his watch. "Speaking of time we must hurry and deliver the sunflowers to her parent's graves. I recall that Gracia would want you to accompany Miss McScrew."

Tesa nodded, wiping a small tear. "Okay."

* * *

The morning light shined brightly before the lush greenery that was the pride and joy of the McScrew's Estate, lining down as far as the eye can see. Like polished gems, the rich purple plums glinted in the light. They hung in a way that made it seem like they were going to fall down to the earth. Ripe. Almost ready to harvest. Though there were many trees, it was nowhere near the size of the real orchard. The actual moneymaking crop was behind the estate, nearly forty acres large.

Merry McScrew stepped out on the front balcony, looking down at the hired workers plucking juicy fat plums and tossing them in a barrel to be personally delivered to the Earl this afternoon. Merry scrunched her nose, already imagining how dull and bothersome this day would be. "My dear! Wait for me!"

Gracia was behind her, huffing from the effort to keep up with her lady. "Huh... huh... Miss... we must take our leave now if we ever hope to make it in time."

"You're so hasty," Merry mumbled to herself. "Momma had always told me that you were always out of breath when you were around me, trying to keep up with me or keep me out of danger." She smiled softly. "Yes. I do think we should go now. However it is still morning. We can wait, can we?"

"Mi-miss! Merry, we'll... be late!" She huffed.

"We'll be even later if we go now with you like that..."

Gracia fell on all fours, breathing deeply. "No no, I'm... fine!"

Merry opened her mouth to say something but then an idea popped up in her mind. "Well... in that case you should feel good enough to leave?"

"Yes!" Gracia wheezed.

"Hee! Then can you carry the carrige as well?"

Gracia's eyes widened but quickly hid her shock with a fake smile.
"I've always done that for you dear ever since you were" She stopped, out of breath. "were a little... girl..."

Merry grinned and looked below. A large worker waved her and tapped the barrel to let her know they had finished their task. "Can you also do me one more favor?"

"A-anything for you..."

"Carry the barrel full of the first harvest of the week. The Earl will surely enjoy these fat. Gigantic. Heavy, and juicy plums freshly plucked from my orchard?"

"Huh?"

Merry helped Gracia up and pointed down below to the overly large container that held fifty pounds of her family's plums.

With a heavy sigh, Gracia's eye's fluttered and fell with a swoon.

* * *

Tesa left the cemetery alone, stopping before a puddle that remained from last night's thunderstorm. The lone light blue unicorn had left her companion behind to head on back to Miss McScrew before she left her estate. It was almost noon and nearing the time McScrew was to meet with the Earl.

Tesa sighed and simply shook her head. There were times where she didn't know who Merry was and others she felt as if she could read the mare like a book. They had practically grown up together ever since they were little. As the lone mare turned to walk back towards the estate she felt something drip on her nose.

"Huh?"

Another drip fell on her. Followed by another... and another and soon a downpour came over her. Tesa huffed hungrily. "Just great..."

She plowed on, the McScrew family estate wasn't too far from the cemetery and if should she make it within an hour she would have enough time to dry herself off and be off with Merry to the Earl's. A distant rumble made the air around her tremble and Tesa squinted up ahead, seeing a carriage coming her way.

As it neared she could make out the plum orchard's emblem on it's side. Tesa grinned and hopped up to it's side as it came to a stop. The carriage was a light purple and in the shape of a round plum. It was decorated with a greenish tinted metal, embalmed all over as if they were vines or roots growing over the plum. An odd concept, Tesa had always thought, that the roots would grow up and over a plum... Then again it was Merry's father who designed the carriage and he had been an eccentric one.

The door opened and inside sat McScrew herself, sipping from a straw on a tea cup. She seemed to be pleased with herself judging from that smirk on her face. Tesa peeked inside and noticed that Gracia was not with her. "I'm guessing you gave her a day off?"

"If you're referring to my maid, yes. Yes I have. Now come in! Look at you, all wishy-washy with wetness. Cast a spell or something, you're a unicorn aren't you?" Merry piped, talking very... oddly. Tesa hesitated at first but then remembered that they were going to be late if they didn't leave soon. Her horn glowed a shining azure and steam rose from her body as the rain evaporated. She quickly climbed in as the spell was taking effect when Merry dumped the contents of her cup outside and held up, letting the rain pouring in it.

"Miss, whatever are you doing?"

"Hush. How could you not notice, Tesa?"

"Notice what?"

Merry brought the cup inside, the door closing with her friend's magic, and held it out between them.

"What the..."

"Indeedy. I know we aren't supposed to have rain today but this is... something else."

Within the cup was... rain. It fell out of the sky, clouds, it had to be rain. Yet it was brown. Merry lifted the cup up to her mouth. "Don't drink it!" Tesa cried out.

Merry scoffed. "And why should I not?" Before Tesa could reply, Merry downed it in one gulp.

The mare smacked her lips and shook her head. "No this can't be right..."
Tesa glanced outside through the window and back at her friend. "What is?"

Merry looked at Tesa with confusion in her eyes. "The rain... the rain is chocolate milk."

The Earl of Pearls

Hours prior Discord's Release: 4

"Chocolate rain? That's impossible!" Tesa cried out. She opened the carriage door and stuck her head out, looking up to the sky. She then opened her mouth and let several drops fall in. Just as Merry had said, the rain was thicker than water and tasted like chocolate.

"Not impossible but illogical." Merry reasoned, still staring at the empty cup. The pitter patter was the only sound that was made when they then looked at each other, thinking of what this could mean. "Chocolate rain... it sounds... familiar to me for some reason."

The light plum colored mare closed her eyes and began to hum and tune. "Chocolate rain..."

"Merry...this is no time for singing, let's just tell the guy pulling us to go back for now. This is just too weird," Tesa muttered, shivering and glancing from the two small rounded windows. Merry sighed. "No no. I want to make my message clear to the earl and for that I need to do that in person."

Tesa shook her head. "Listen, Merry... I just don't feel safe here. Let's return home."

"Nonsense!" She shouted, "We will not stop. Now you there outside, hasten, pick up speed, go faster, mush!" The carriage didn't change pace and Merry's face scrunched up in confusion. "Perhaps he didn't hear me."

Merry opened the side door and stuck her head outside. "Steed, pick up the pace I have to... be...?" Her command rolled off her tongue and slowed to a stop. There was nopony there. Yet the carriage was moving on it's own. The ground was soaked with milk and Merry peered down at it, thinking that maybe the stallion that was pulling them before had turned invisible or something. No hoof prints.

She slowly pulled herself back inside and shut the door before looking at her accompanying friend. "We'll be there shortly."

Something unnatural is happening... This rain and this enchanted ride. I'm quite sure that Tesa had nothing to do with it.

Tesa smiled cheerfully. "Oh good... I'd rather return home but if we're really that close than it's fine by me to keep going." They both suddenly jumped in their seats when the loud clash of thunder boomed from above. The blue unicorn whimpered, "Hurry up, hurry! I hate lighting storms!"

"Don't worry! Keep calm and trust in me. We'll be at the earl's estate in several minutes."

Tesa shook her head. "A few minutes? You just picked me up from the cemetery. There's no way we could make it there in a few minutes." Merry didn't reply and simply laid back and closed her eyes.

"You know Tesa... I've noticed that you're quite the complainer."

"I've noticed that you've been more talkative." She retorted, scrunching up her snout.

Merry's eyes snapped open. "You're right. Absolutely right. Whatever happened to that quiet, brooding mare who rarely left her room? Just last night, before I slept, I decided to send a letter denying the Earl to combine our business."

She worriedly looked at Tesa. "Yet here I am." Tesa glanced around, unsure where this was going. Merry suddenly grabbed Tesa by her shoulders and brought her close. "Look at me! My eyes. Is there anything wrong with my eyes? Abnormal colors, an excess in visible veins, anything?" She spoke rapidly, as if afraid.

"Miss, calm do-"

"I will NOT calm down! I must be under some spell. Do I sound normal to you?" She shouted, her grip tightening.

"N-no..."

"Now tell me! My eyes? Coat color? Anything different about me, excluding my behavior, anything strange?"

The carriage went silent once more for some time as Tesa examined McScrew closely. Merry nervously tapped her hoof against the seat, blinking rapidly and trembling. If it's under a spell I bet it's that Earl. He wants my orchard for his own... for his... reasons. Whatever they may be. He must have sent a spellcaster and made me all jittery. What will become of me? This is not me... Tesa sat back and looked all over Merry and then sighed, shaking her head. "I see nothing."

"Truly?"

"I would never lie to you. You know that. I'm your friend," Tesa said, smiling and extending her hoof.

Merry glanced down at it and back to her, starting to extend her own. "... So am I."

Just before they could touch, the carriage made a sudden stop. The two mares inside screamed and hung on desperately to their seats to keep themselves from falling over.

"Miss McScrew! You have reached Canterlot's West Earl, Hulio Pearlington!" A deep voice called from outside.

Merry sat up straight. "Oh! He's back!" Tesa raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Uh, never mind me. Just ah..." Merry remembered that she had not told Tesa of how the stallion who was their carriage puller had strangely disappeared. Tesa shrugged. "Right, so shall I carry the barrel out back?" Merry looked at Tesa's skinny weak body, worried and shocked that she would even ask that. "Oh no, it would be too heavy for you. Why no-"

Tesa looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "I have magic. Don't worry about me! Focus on getting your point across with this Hulio. Tell him 'No! You can't have the orchard and we have no deal! Hmph!'"

Merry shut the door to the carriage. "Do I have to say 'Hmph?'"

The barrel that was tied to the back of the carriage glowed a light blue and was lifted off, floating several inches about the ground. "If you want. Maybe give him a slap or two?" Tesa jeered, grinning.

Merry laughed. "I don't see why not."

She then left Tesa to prepare the plum barrel to get inside the carriage once for a mirror. Merry reached down under her seat and pulled back a shelf, picking up a small red rimmed mirror. She took the little time she had to ready herself for the earl. As much as she disliked him for being a bothersome pest, it was a necessary social standard to present herself in such a formal matter. Also Bruce and Tesa had spent some time and energy fitting this dress on to her, at the very least she could go through this whole ordeal for them. Merry quickly bounced her puffy white mane into shape with her hooves and quickly put the mirror back in it's place. Just before she hopped out of the carriage, Merry felt a chill go down her spine.

She turned around quickly and looked around the interior of the carriage. Red velvet covered the walls, looking like plump little bumps. The seats were just made of simple wood and painted over with gold. Carvings were made on the seats, like roots digging through the ground. A small lantern hung from the top, lit by an airless magical fire. Merry squinted, unsure what had made her feel so uneasy...

Oh you will do quite nicely...

"Ah!" She gasped, and looked around her surroundings for the voice. Outside, something black moved in the distance, beyond the trees. Merry got out of the carriage and trotted closer to the small cluster of trees peering in. Something was there, something dark and fearful, something unnatural... Merry leaned in, pushing aside some brush for a closer look when...

"AHA! MISS MERRY MCSCREW!" The hearty voice of the Earl boomed out right behind her.

Soon followed by an earsplitting scream loud enough to scare off the birds in the trees.

The Earl began to laugh as Merry fell back down from jumping up in the air after being startled. The mare landed down on the ground on her backside, quickly rolling over before the dress fell down and revealed her blank flank to him. Her face burning she stood up straight and huffed, in a rather delicate and yet agitated sort of way. "Hulio..." Merry seethed.

Hulio Pearlington, Canterlot's West Earl and adviser to Princess Celestia herself, bowed with dignity. A white Earth Pony like Merry, Hulio was wearing an expensive looking vest of blue and red. His mane a very light brown, a dirty blonde actually, and was characterized by a large pompadour. Though he boasted to all he was stocked and barrel chested, Merry knew better that he was actually fat and the vest her wore only gave him that appearance.

"Ahaha... Oh Madam McScrew, you should have seen the look on your face! What were you doing out over here darling? Did you see a cute squirrel or something?" Pearlington chuckled, patting his huge hoof on her back. Her dress rumpled a bit where he touched her and she puffed up her cheeks angrily. Hulio had known the McScrew family for years and was good friends with Merry's father, Plump McScrew. Of course as she had expected, the Earl was treating her like a filly and it annoyed Merry.

"Yes yes, shall we carry on with business then? I have a... tight schedule and you're just offering up a delay." She moved his hoof off her back and placed her own up beside her mouth to shout. "Tesa! Follow Hulio and I inside, let's get this deal done and over with."

Merry then returned her attention to the Earl. "Tell me. Why are you so interested in my plums that you tried to buy off the entire orchard for the past ten years?" Her hoof was jabbing at his squishy chest as she said the last four words. The rich colt grinned, a smile that unnerved her.

"Ahh... that. That is something I'll have to show you my pretty. Words cannot explain it alone. Come with me to my study and all your questions will be answered." He winked at her and Merry simply rolled her eyes.

"Very well, lead."

The Earl's castle was one of the grandest of the six castles of Canterlot, the other three belonging to the other earls, one where the princess sisters resided, and the last was combined with a musician academy where thousands upon thousands of ponies crowded to listen to the fine songs by the students. The castle was old and nopony owned it, thus it was made into a school and a concert for music lovers everywhere.

As for the Earl's not so humble abode, the castle was made completely out of marble. As the sunlight shone over the clean surface of the white stone, it sparkled brightly. Carved into the sides of the castle was the Earl's emblem, a clam with a large pearl within it's bed. Tesa quietly ooh'ed and aah'ed as they entered the front iron gate and gazed at the garden. Flowers of many kinds littered the grass and small patches of water were seen here and there. The three of them trotted along a small granite roadway laid out before the castle, two streams trickling right beside them.

Merry kept her own astonishment to herself, her face unchanged. She didn't want to give the Earl anything that would annoy her. Such as "Oh I see you enjoy my garden, only cost me a few million to get these rare breeds growing in this type of climate" or "Marble, dear, marble is what makes this palace so grand!" Anything that would get him going on and on and on...

That still didn't stop the stallion from going on ahead and blab. "Oh my beautiful filly, it's wondrous, ever so wondrous! Did you know that certain acids in fruit can effect the texture, color, and size of a pearl? Simply delightful!" He exclaimed. The three of them passed the grand door to the castle and entered the foyer. A massive marble staircase to the second floor was the first thing the two mares saw, it was covered in a ocean blue carpet. A shining statue of the Earl, all masculine and muscular, stood proudly in the middle of the foyer in the first floor. Something told Merry that it was made of marble, everything else was so why not this?

Tesa gazed on it for several moments when the Earl side stepped beside her. "I see you enjoy gazing upon my form of perfection. Made completely out of my finest pearls," Merry frowned.

"An exceptional piece of mastery. Or as you say, a masterpiece!" The Earl chuckled to himself as he marvel the statue for several moments.

"Now then!" He beckoned for them up the stairs. "As I was saying, I have discovered that several fruits can change the property of my pearls. Oranges can make them bumpy and shine like the sun. Cherries fling off a sexy red and Zap Apples are, dare I say it, shocking!" The Earl giggled to himself, Tesa laughing weakly alongside him. Merry pouted, not exactly seeing where this is going. "As for your plums dear, ooh after a taste, I knew I had to try them on my pearls! Though that encounter with the McScrew Family Brand Plums was an excellent one, my favorite vest was left with a horrible stain that would not go away... Oh well, I can always buy a new one, eh? Heh hey!"

Merry rolled her eyes once again. "Applying fruit juice to pearls sounds like a pointless idea to me. Who would buy jewelry drenched in juice? Especially once ponies learn that any pony could just dunk their pea-"

A mare with no talent, the one who's heart is as cold as ice. Wonder what it will be when it is ME who makes things with a little more... spice!

Merry McScrew stopped in her tracks, sucking her breath in when she heard the voice, that VOICE, once again. Tesa had the barrel floating right in front of her so she could not see Merry right in front of her. The blue unicorn accidentally bumped right into her friend, causing the top of the barrel to pop up and let a ripe fat plum fall out.

The soft tender flesh of the violet fruit exploded over the pure white cloudy mane of Merry McScrew.

Countdown to Chaos

Hours unTIL diSoRDS reeLEASE: 1243562425635243324

Merry didn't move a muscle as the sticky thick juice spread across her white mane; the one thing about herself that reminded Merry of her deceased mother. Tesa released her magical grip on the barrel and gasped at her mistake.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Oh my Celestia! Merry I didn't meant to bump into you. I'm sorry, really I am!" She cried out, quickly rushing over to mop up the sticky purple gunk out of Merry's not-so white cloudy mane with a small towel she summoned with magic. It wasn't enough as the juice seeped deeper into the hair, staining it light violet. The Earl tugged on the collar of his vest. "Oh dear me... that won't be easy to be rid of."

Merry herself wasn't sure how to react. The shock of the event made her freeze up with a wide eyed, dumbfounded expression plastered on her face.

"M-my hair..." Was all that she could croak out. The Earl turned at the sounds of the commotion and simply grinned, bemused at the current predicament. Almost as if he had planned it. Almost.

"Oh dear, my lovely guest has taken quite the blow. I'm sure it would have happened sooner or later, considering that you run a plum farm-"

"Orchard." Tesa corrected in a stern voice, working earnestly to get whatever she could out of Merry's mane.

"Orchard. Apologies." The Earl snickered and raises two hooves up before him, clopping them together. The sound reverberated down the hall and no sooner was the call made a butler appeared with a tripod camera. The Earl pointed at the distraught Merry, a wicked smile growing on his pudgy white face.

"Say cheese, my darling!"

"Wha-what are you doing?" Tesa asked, getting in front of her master and friend.

"Stop that! Leave her alone!" She cried out at the camera butler. The colt was under a black tarp and awaited for a perfect shot. The Earl stepped forward, shaking his head ever so slowly as a chuckle rumbled in his throat. Tesa sensed that something was off and immediately crouched, a snarl fixated on her light blue face. She stamped her front legs to prepare for a charge.

"Hulio. Explain yourself this instant!" She growled. Merry was still frozen in place, too lost in the shock of the plum forever staining her perfect white mane. The Earl closed his eyes and sighed. "Ah. I am grateful to have that little mishap you had there, otherwise I would had my butler here make sure she'd get dirty or messy or anything that gets you mares in a tantrum."

Tesa glanced at the butler as he carefully moved the camera for a better angle. She changed her position so she blocked Merry from the shutter's view. "Merry is no ordinary mare. She's not your typical prissy pony like the ones she hangs around with."

"And yet here she stands, dazed from the shock of having one of her own plums splattered all over her oh so special mane. Not your typical prissy pony? Don't make me laugh!" The Earl paced around them and Tesa followed his movements to protect her friend.

"So why then?" The azure maid asked, staring him down with a deadly gaze. "Why did you want to do this to Merry?"
When the Earl didn't immediately answer Tesa, she felt herself ready to run forward and tackle him. She felt ready to beat the info right out of him.

"Why..." The Earl finally answered. "Blackmail of course." He looked past Tesa's back and gave a slight nod. "Take the shot."

Tesa blinked and suddenly the horrible realization came to her. The Earl had been pacing around Merry knowing that Tesa, so loyal and so protecting, would follow. She whirled to quickly block the snapshot but as she did came the blinding flash and Tesa then realized that it was simply too late and she had been deceived. Hulio laughed delightfully. "Excellent! Take it away
to the dark room for development. I'll deal with these two." The butler bowed and removed the camera from the tripod and took off with it in his mouth.

Tesa blinked back angry tears, furious that she had been tricked and Merry was about to be embarrassed over a photo of the incident. "Hulio..."

"Yes?" The Earl leaned in, smug in his expression and voice.

"Before I came here I was sure that you were just a fat rich stallion with nothing else to do but to make money."

"Well that's somewhat true. Though I do prefer to be called stocky. Or big boned." He said as he tugged on his vest's collar.
Tesa stomped up to him and jabbed his chest with her hoof. "But I found out you were much worse." The Earl grinned. "How so?"

"I could tell how exactly how I feel about you but I'll leave you with this..." She leaned in, horn aglow. The room became progressively darker and Hulio began to lose his confident smile. The air was heavy with magic as Tesa's anger flowed through her horn.

"I can be just as bad as you are. Even worse." She hissed.

A loud explosion came from below and a wild fear ran across the Earl's features. "No. No. N-no you didn't!" He panted and his attention shifted from Merry to Tesa and down the hall towards the stairs.

"You didn't! No, no, no, no!" He shouted, running off. Tesa gave him ten seconds before she used magic once more to trip the large stallion, making him fall over the stairway and bounce downwards. Soon he would find the shattered and smoldering remains of his prized peal statue of his fantasized self. Soon he could call in Canterlot's City Guard have her and Merry arrested. She didn't have much time but if she could just find the dark room and destroy that photograph...

"Ooh... Tesa..." A soft mumble came from behind and the maid looked over her should to see Merry finally coming out of shock. The light violet mare suddenly gasped, remembering what had recently happened. "No..." She whispered, horrified.

"No. No! I promised her! I... I must fix this! Tesa!" Merry cried out, anguish making her voice high pitched. The azure maid quickly went up to her lady's side. "I know Merry but there's something more important we have deal with right now."

"Forget the business deal!"

"Not the deal, they took a photo of you. They plan to blackmail you!" Tesa said loudly over Merry's panicking murmurs. It was clear the wealthy orchard owner was too confused and panicked to listen and she grabbed onto Merry, shaking her.

"Listen! Your mane can always be cleaned up. Snap out of it!" Merry blinked and made a shuddering sigh. "I promised..."
When it was clear that Merry wasn't going to calm down, Tesa ran off in the direction the Earl's butler had gone off to.

"I'll be right back and don't move from that spot!" She shouted as she charged down the hallway, passing small busts of the Earl and other members of his family. Tesa's horn glowed a lighter blue, different from the usual color that matched her coat's, as she used her seeking magic. A trail of hoofprints materialized on the red carpet. It's color was the exact same as the butler's coat. Following the trail Tesa put a burst of speed, determined to destroy the photo and save her friend's image.

* * *

Merry panted as she made her way out of the estate, passing a sobbing Earl as he embraced the remains of his prized sculpture. Despite being told by Tesa to stay put, Merry simply couldn't wait for the plum juice stains to settle in and become permanent. She had very little time, thirty minutes to be exact, to wash it off and bleach out the stain. Luckily, with the plum chariot still outside waiting, Merry had a plan. It was simple and quick, Tesa wouldn't even notice her gone and she probably would take longer finding a photo than Merry find the solution to her problem. All Merry had to do was find Mare Spray at the Merriment Fair Way.

Fond memories came back to Merry of when she was only a little filly and her parents would take her along the long and seemingly never ending dirt road that lead straight into Princess Celestia's castle. They had paper lanterns hanging on strings with the little flags blowing in the mountain wind...

Oh and the little booths alongside the wide path! Ponies there would sell small cakes and pastries and others had necklaces and other trinkets that would make anypony get all giddy and happy over. The fireworks that filled the night sky at midnight and the colorful lights all around made it a popular spot for couples. It was practically impossible not to enjoy the scenery on this road. There was a reason why they called it the Merriment Fair Way after all.

Merry could almost smile if it weren't for the current situation. Hustling down the little steps of the front entrance, Merry quickly ran across the green grass of the estate towards the chariot puller.

"To the Fair Way!" She shouted, opening the plum colored door and hopped inside. Her head popped out from the small window on the side of the chariot and she pointed straight ahead with her hoof. "And step on it!"

"Yes milady... eh... What about Tesa?" The stallion asked, looking off towards the estate. Merry pulled head away from the building and towards her eyes.

"Listen! We can pick up Tesa later right now we have to fix what's important!" She snapped. The chariot puller nodded quickly and got to work, intimidated by her. Galloping off towards the dirt road that would lead him to the palace in the mountain, the stallion couldn't help but thick back to his lady's eyes.

They swirled.

* * *

Under the red lighting of the development room, the butler dipped the darkened image in a special liquid, watching it come to shape. He chuckled as he saw the McScrew mare standing with the most peculiar expression on her face and purple fluids running down her mane. How embarrassing! If this were to released among the wealthy, popularity dependent, masses they would make a mockery of her! Then the Earl would have the plum orchard all to himself and use them to coat his pearls and make ten times what he already makes with the lustrous orbs on their own. Then he would repeat the process with the Apple Family in Ponyville, a small drab speck of a town, and then the Carrots and all the other crop owners! The butler was quite pleased with his masters plan and graciously lent a hoof whenever he could.

Once the colors flooded into view, the butler was just about to lace the image with an embalming cover to prevent it from damage when suddenly the door flew open! The light poured into the dark room and the butler raised a foreleg to shield his now sensitive eyes from the blinding light. A figure stepped in front of the opening and declared a victorious "Aha!" before rushing in and tackled the butler. The poor devious assistant of the cunning Earl was knocked out when his head bashed against the table that held the development liquid.

His attacker got up and a light glowed from the extension on her head. Tesa beamed proudly at her ambush and began searching the room for the photo. With the faint otherworldly light glowing from the tip of her horn, she tossed aside photos of pearls and fruits. She stopped every now and then to look a head-shots of several ponies. Some of them she knew and others, like an orange mare with a country hat or a light yellow one with bouncy orange curls, before flinging them over her should to continue her investigation.

It then occurred to her to check the strange smelling liquid in the sink of the table beside her, where she found the now unconscious butler working over before she had taken him out. It was there! Floating, the color of the photograph slowly but surely coming into focus. Tesa sighed. Now to be rid of you. Her horn glowed brighter with that thought and with a poof she broke it down until it was a nothing more than a blobby wet specks in the fluid. Pleased, Tesa started to leave but then her curiosity began to eat at her. Those ponies I saw before. What if... what if he plans to go after them? What other reason would he have these photos? Ah! She suddenly remembered Merry's concern of a possible spell being placed on her which resulted in her unusual lively behavior. If he plotted to blackmail her then it's also possible for him to have a unicorn placing a spell on her as well! I have to alert the guards! A conspiracy is unfolding right now!

Tesa bolted out of the dark room and ran as fast as she could to where she left Merry behind. Counting on the Earl to be as attached to his dream addled idea of his self image, he'd still be mourning over the destruction of his statute. It would also mean that Merry would be safe and out of trouble... as long as she stayed put.

The azure colored unicorn sped around the corner and without warning crashed into somepony. She fell back and shook her head, irritated. "Ugh! Watch where you're going!" She said bitterly and hopped back up to dash off once more when a large white hoof blocked her path. "Hey!"

"Are you the maid under Lady McScrew's employment?" A gruff voice asked. Tesa looked up and recognized the golden helmet of Celestia's Royal Guard. The same group who policed Canterlot.

"Just my luck! I've been meaning to seek you boys out. There's a criminal in this estate and I'll kindly point him out for you." Tesa explained. "Look I'll even show you these photos I found of ponies that're on his list or something! Come with me!"

"I believe you're coming with them." A familiar voice called out. Tesa peeked over a guard's back and saw none other than Hulio. He looked teary eyed but quite furious over the loss of his pride and joy.

"Earl! You crummy good for nothing schemer! I'll have you locked up for what you tried to do and plan to do!" Tesa shouted, desperately trying to reach over the pegasi guards that blocked her.

"Let me at him! Let me at this deceiving scumbag!" Tesa screamed. The Earl chuckled. "Alright boys," He said, his sinister glare never leaving Tesa's light yellow ones. "Take her away."

Shock ran through Tesa's body and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What!? B-but why?"

One of the pegasi guards answered her question. "For breaking and entering." Hoofcuffs were put on her forelegs and locked. "You're going to spend quite some time for an offense. Especially for trespassing Earl Hulio's estate."

"Yes especially." The Earl repeated, grinning creepily. "Now get her out of my sight. I have business to attend to."

She growled at him as he leaned in closely. "I'm sure you'll understand how important it is to me." He whispered, snickering as he turned and trotted off in the direction of the dark room.

Tesa screamed and struggled as Celestia's Royal Guard dragged her away to the castle dungeon. The West Earl of Canterlot was free to set his greedy plan into motion.