Prologue - Once Upon a Time...
Author's Note
Hello to all who are reading this story! I would like to welcome you to the first fanfic I have written. EVER. As such, I would appreciate and encourage any and all constructive criticism and feedback. Other than that, enjoy!
Prologue - Once Upon a Time...
A Tale As Old As Time
Prologue
Once upon a time…
Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a sleepy little village on the outskirts of a vast forest. The village’s name was Ponyville, and the forest’s name was the Everfree. Ponyville was a very traditional town, with a close knit community. Very few traders and merchants passed through Ponyville, but those that did found that it was a self-sufficient town. Aside from merchants and traders, on the rare occasion a noble’s carriage would pass through, heading into the Everfree. The villagers never wondered where the carriages were heading, nor did they care. But to those residing in the carriages, their destination was of great interest. For those carriages were heading to a castle.
Castle Everfree, as it was called, was located only a half-dozen miles from Ponyville, and yet the inhabitants of both have never met. The castle was inhabited by a beautiful Princess. Her unblemished amber-orange skin was complemented by her long, flowing crimson and gold hair, which cascaded down her back like a river of fire. Her eyes were an alluring aqua color, and filled with a warmth only matched by her personality. This Princess was not smug, or pompous. She did not see herself as superior to the “common folk”. No, she was a kind, generous, honest and loyal Princess, with a perpetual smile on her face and a laugh that compelled one to join in. She did not see her servants the way other nobles might; she viewed them as her friends first, and her servants second. She had everything she could ask for, but she always felt she was missing… something. She could not place the feeling. Her friends were unsure how to help her, until one of them suggested she might be wanting for more than just a friend, but rather a lover.
At this implication, the Princess became distraught, for she had no experience with matters of the heart. Her friends promised that they would help her find a suitable individual, no matter how long it took. Over several months, the Princess met with various suitors, be they a Lord, Duke, or Prince… the Princess rejected them all. She and her friends were running out of options, until there was only one prospective suitor left. A Prince of distinguished lineage, with flawless white skin, perfectly combed blond hair, and deep, blue eyes.
The night of the Prince’s visit, a dark and mighty storm descended upon the castle. The Princess and Prince were eating dinner by candlelight, when a loud knocking was heard on the castle doors. Intrigued as to who could be outside in the storm, the Princess and Prince walked to the entrance hall, where the Princess’ friends had gathered, waiting. When they opened the door, they saw a hunched over figure, cloaked and frail, but undeniably feminine. Upon seeing the Princess and Prince, the hunched figure spoke in a wheezing voice
“Please, please give me shelter. I was traveling home when this storm hit, and the horses pulling my carriage were spooked by the lightning. Their thrashing and wild running broke their harnesses, and the carriage crashed. I noticed this castle, and have come here seeking shelter until the storm has passed.”
The Princess immediately took pity on the cloaked woman, but as she moved to welcome her in, the Prince grabbed her arm, pulling the Princess inside and saying to her “My dear, you cannot seriously be meaning to let her in. Look at her, her cloak is little more than rags. I doubt she was capable of paying for a carriage in the first place. No, she is more likely a thief than a lost traveler. I say send her away, never to return.”
The Princess’ response was less than pleased “I cannot in good conscience send her away when she may be in need of help. It would go against how I was raised and what I was taught.”
“Well, if you insist on bringing her inside, then I will take my leave. I will not share shelter with one like her.” Was the Prince’s reply.
At this the Princess became conflicted. Should she let the woman in and stay true to herself, at the cost of her potential love? Or should she turn her away and resume her evening with the Prince, at the cost of her morals? She decided to let her heart make the choice for her.
“I am deeply sorry miss, but I am afraid I cannot give you shelter, I wish you luck on your journey home.”
At this, not only was the cloaked woman shocked, but so were the Princess’ friends, though theirs was quickly replaced by looks of hurt. The woman pleaded once more
“Please, miss, reconsider. My old bones will not survive the journey home in this weather. If you wish for compensation, I have this crown, a family heirloom.” At this, the woman pulled from within the folds of her cloak a beautiful golden crown, adorned with a magenta, six-pointed star at the top. The Princess hesitated, the crown was beautiful, and obviously worth something to the woman, given its near pristine condition. But before she could respond, the Prince pushed past her.
“I knew she wasn’t an ordinary traveler. The whole story with the carriage was probably false, or at least not the whole truth. She must have taken this crown from the true occupant of the carriage, and came here seeking a place to hide. Begone with you, wretch! Never return!”
While he was saying this, the Prince had wrested the crown from the cloaked woman, shoving her to the ground in the process. As he was closing the door, however, the woman’s hands stopped the doors. This surprised the Prince, but not as much as what happened next. Suddenly, the doors were thrown open by an invisible force, and the woman walked into the hall, her cloak dropping away as she did. What was revealed was not a frail, old woman, but instead a tall, regal Enchantress with an intimidating presence. At her full height, she stood a full head taller than the Prince, and her gleaming alabaster skin was covered in a long, flowing dress of the same color. Adorning her wrist were a pair of golden cuffs, and around her neck was a golden necklace with a blue-ish purple jewel in the center, and an intricate pattern going up to the clasp at the back. Atop her head was a golden crown, with three points sticking up from the center, and set into it was a gem matching the one in her necklace. Her hair was long, reaching to her waist, its three colors of pink, blue, and green blowing as if in an ethereal wind. Everyone present was shocked at the transformation, and when the woman spoke, it was with a voice filled with power and disappointment
“I am saddened to receive such disrespect because I came before you in such a humble manner. Prince, you judged me based on my appearance, and came to your own reasons for my being here. You assumed I meant no good, and saw me as beneath your station and time. Therefore, your punishment shall be: Every moment you spend among allies, you will spend in fear of their motives. A fear that at any moment they will turn on you, in order to take your power for their own. And in every moment you spend amongst your subjects, you will be the object of attention. Women will throw themselves at you, eager to be your wife, regardless of their age. And every man will look at you out of jealousy and scorn, refusing you service of any kind. Such shall be your curse.”
Upon hearing this, the Prince’s eyes grew wide with fear, but he did not leave. He could not leave, for he felt some force compelling him to stay. The Enchantress then turned to the Princess, and looked upon her not with rage, but pity. Her next words were
“And you, Princess of Castle Everfree, while not directly responsible for this outrage, are not without blame. You are a kind, generous, honest, loyal, and happy soul. And yet, when you gave me your response, you were not honest with yourself. You acted out of selfish love. You betrayed your morals, and in doing so, cruelly took away the smiles and happiness of your friends. Therefore, your punishment shall be: For the rest of your days, you will feel only anger, will never trust another, will never tell the whole truth, will never act without something to gain, will never treat another without cruelty. Your form will become that of a creature more befitting your new self, and your servants shall take forms more fitting of their stations. But, I am not without mercy.”
At this, the Enchantress summoned the crown once more, levitating it so all could see, as she said
“I saw your doubts when I offered this crown, and as such, shall give you a chance to redeem yourself. This crown is magical in nature, and as such your curse shall be bound to it. Should you find someone that can teach you to be the individual you once were, before the light from the gem fades away completely, then your curse shall be broken. Should you fail, however, then your curse shall be permanent. So shall be your curse.”
As the Enchantress spoke these words, the star-shaped gem increased in its brightness, until it was almost blinding. Once the Enchantress had finished, a pulse of magical energy burst from the crown, encompassing the entire hall. As the pulse passed through the servants, they began to change, as did the Princess.
The first thing to change were her eyes, as where once there was white, there was now only black. Her ears extended, becoming pointed and sharp, and her teeth changed to fangs. Her hands and feet became clawed, and her skin changed from amber-orange to blood-red. She hunched over in pain, as from her back sprouted demonic, bat-like wings, and from the base of her spine sprouted a tail, the same colors as the hair upon her head, which was now styled upwards to look like a flame. Her knee-length dress changed as well, becoming the same color as her hair and tail, and adopting a pattern similar to swirling flames.
The Prince, upon seeing what was happening to those around him, fled. He ran from the castle grounds and into the forest, completely uncaring for the beasts that may lurk within. The last things he heard were the Princess' roars of pain. As the final changes occurred to the Princess and her once-friends, the Enchantress also left, but she did so in a flash of light that took all light in the room with it, plunging the hall into darkness. Where once there was a Princess, there was now nothing but a Demon.
Two years passed, and the castle grounds became overgrown, the exterior fell into disrepair, and what once felt inviting and warm was replaced with a feeling of dread and cold. Ponyville, completely unaware of these events, went on like nothing happened. And nothing did happen, until an eccentric inventor by the name of Night Light moved to Ponyville, accompanied by his bookish and scientifically-minded daughter, Twilight Sparkle. It is with her that this story truly begins.
