Author's Note
This is my first MLP:FIM fanfiction! I hope I do the characters justice and that you enjoy the plot! I promise you that this story will have plenty of action and eventual romance! This story will not have my usual style of writing...it just doesn't fit the MLP universe for me to ramble about small details! So, this will be a casual story that I'm sure you'll enjoy reading.
Please review! I'll happily respond to your criticism or kind words. Enjoy!
The Scheme
As long as Fluttershy was concerned, royalty was a way of life for her and her family, no matter how much of a drag it was. She had always craved for the outdoors and the freedom of making her own decisions, but such a shy, hushed pegasus knew that she could never speak her mind and do as she pleased. Fluttershy knew she had no right to complain or want anything more than what she had, as she was...or wassupposedto be, happy with being one of the few faces of her kingdom.
The expensive, over-the-top dresses, extravagant balls...and even the cartoonishly-small sizing of fancy food was a lifestyle for her family tree. She had been raised with the ideology of such a fate revolving around setting an example for the common people. After all, that's all a princess had to do: be eye candy and occasionally wave at the public.
It was all she knew; all she needed to know.
The fate of the Butterfly Kingdom had been passed down from son to son, yet with Fluttershy being the last heiress to the royal name, she was left with the kingdom being thrown upon her shoulders overnight as she came of age. She had never expected to lead the kingdom, let alone haveanypower, seeing as such a thing was a stallion's duty, but here she was, her coronation in less than a few months and her nerves on edge as a unicorn fancied up the future queen's hair for tonight.
A large, extravagant ball was being held in the castle's ballroom tonight, as the tradition had stated. Such a ball determined the future king of the kingdom if there was ever a need for one. She hated thinking about it: being married off to somepony that she barely knew. But, as the rumors went, when the lights from the Moon Goddess, Luna, fell upon the ball at midnight, the future king would be chosen. Did anyone actually believe in such a thing? Surely, it was a manipulative 'tradition' that just allowed the kingdom to choose the richest stallion for the princess.
Fluttershy was shocked out of her thoughts as the unicorn stylist roughly pulled on Fluttershy's mane, causing the pegasus to be pulled back, then released as she finished with that strand of hair. The princess shook her head slightly as it sent ringing through her ears.
"Is this really...necessary?" Fluttershy whimpered with a small, concerned frown as her hooves reached up to mess with her 'styled' hair. However, her hoof was quickly swatted away as Rarity squinted towards the mare.
"One's beauty should always be of the highest priority, darling!" Rarity claimed with a dramatic glance at herself in the mirror while fixing her mane. "What's the point of a ball if you don't show off yourself?"
Fluttershy sighed as her posture relaxed. Finally, she could sit without having to shift every few minutes at Rarity's request. Not to her surprise, Rarity had become distracted every time she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
"I don't think you -Ineed to...do this," Fluttershy mumbled in a hushed tone with her eyes darting away from Rarity's gaze in the mirror. The unicorn paused as she listened to Fluttershy's opinion with an arched brow. "You're very, very kind to help me, but I don't see the-"
Her comment was interrupted as Rarity took a large strand of Fluttershy's mane and sprayed a nice-smelling liquid on it with ease. It smelt like flowers, but the scent made Fluttershy nauseous...it was so artificial and plastic! Was this what mares wore nowadays?
Fluttershy sighed as her mouth formed into a straight line. She knew Rarity was looking out for her, as she always had, but it seemed like her opinion was overshadowed by Rarity's persistence. Why was Rarity far more excited than her? It made no sense to the future queen, asshewas the one going to lead the kingdom. Yet, she felt anything but excited for such an event.
"Now, now! We're nearly done!" Rarity purred while combing a section of the mare's mane. "You're the grand show of our ball tonight, are you not? You simplymustlook lovely!" She paused with an awkward smile. "Not that you don't already look ravishing...we just need to amplify your natural beauty!"
It was true. Fluttershy was quite the beautiful young mare, according to the countless stallions that attempted to court her. While Rarity radiated a refined, mature beauty, Fluttershy contrasted with an innocent and natural beauty that was as smooth as silk and seemed to purify the air around her.
A faint pigment crawled onto Fluttershy's cheeks as she returned the compliment with a slight smile. Compliments and flattery were things that the pegasus didn't know how to respond to, let alone believe.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to… feel nice," the pegasus shyly stated with a small smile. A lock of hair carefully fell over one of her eyes, but Rarity made sure to quickly move it back behind the mare's ear as she continually fixed up her mane. As the unicorn eyed the lock of bang she had just moved, she furrowed her brow as an idea came to mind. "I wouldn't want my first impression as the future queen to be...not...nice."
Rarity seemed to glow as a wide smile spread across her face. This was the first time Fluttershy had openly trusted Rarity with her style, leaving the unicorn glowing. She knew exactly what to do; exactly what would make this mare appear,and hopefully feel, as confident as a queen!
"Now that's what I wanted to hear!" Rarity sung while grabbing the section of her mane that seemed to always cover her eye as she started eyeing the pair of silver scissors on the table next to her. "I'll make sure you feel as confident as a queenshouldfeel!" She paused as she added a final comment with a small smile. "But you'll need to trust me."
Fluttershy's eyes went wide as a pair of scissors approached Fluttershy's mane, and grew even wider as a lock of her mane fell towards the floor.
The Butterfly Kingdom was widely known for its simple, elegant beauty. Yet, contrast to the peaceful monarchy, the neighboring kingdom, separated only by a strand of mountains, remained dreary and...dull. The halls were adorned with torches and servants anxiously skidded down the hall, all up to their requests from their king. All of their faces seemed unhappy and afraid, but a single mare seemed...confident as she gazed from left to right.
The purple unicorn trotted down the hallway with a small dragon suspiciously following behind the mare. She was dressed in a casual royal-blue dress that was rimmed with a black lacing that carefully made her natural beauty flow, as the colors made her seem to glow.
Well, maybe theglowingwas from the sudden appearance of magic sparks chasing after her dragon.
A contrasting light radiated from a chamber in the dreary, darkened castle as the unicorn glared at the magic. The purple hue sparked through the door's cracks, leaving the lavender pony a bit...anxious as she swallowed the lump in her throat. An occasional spark would come in her direction as she awkwardly shifted out of the way while the light bounced down the halls, effectively chasing her dragon away.
Twilight sighed with a slightly-anxious frown. She had been told time and time again that the being with so much power wouldn't harm aloyalservant. Yet, even with the reassuring information, the sweat treading down her forehead didn't fade as she had seen...what he can do. What hewoulddo to those who defied him. His outgoing, joyful facade was an act that she didn't want to see broken.
When he was in moods like this, one of extreme magical outbursts, the unicorn often feared of the idea of him losing control and hurting somepony.
Ignoring the constant banging and clashing of objects behind the doors, she carefully opened one with her hoof, gazing from left to right as she anxiously looked for her master. The room was sickening to look at, as colors and patterns clashed and consumed the large room.
As quickly as she had wondered where he was, he descended from above and levitated upside down, glaring at her directly in the eyes.
"You know, it's rather rude to enter without knocking," Discord cooed in a condescending tone. He shook his head in disapproval as he glanced at the mare. "My, my, where have your manners gone?" The king paused as he gently poked her snout. "Out of all of my loyal servants, I would have thoughtyouwould be a respectful young mare."
Twilight froze in a clear amount of uncomfortable tension. She loosened the collar of her dress, glancing from side to side with her mouth in a straight line. Discord was...intimidating, no matter how many years she had served under him.
Not to mention his condescending tone and teasing treatment of her made her body tense in frustration.
Twilight forced a clearly-fake laugh.
"I didn't think you'd hear me over the noise, my Lord, I just-"
She was quickly interrupted by the draconequus, who now floated right-side-up at a respectful distance.
"No matter, my dear, I needed some brains to chat with, anyways." Discord's tone became a bit more serious and nonchalant. "Do you know why, by any chance?"
"The Butterfly coronation of course. It's all you've been talking about for ages," Twilight responded with an arched brow. He had proposed countless ideas and schemes to obtain the rivaling kingdom. "I've come up with several suggestions that follow my calculations, if you're open to hear them."
Twilight was easily ignored as Discord murmured to himself and tapped his chin in both frustration and confusion. Would this work?
He had so many followers; so many pawns in this game of his.
Yet, why was Discord never the victor? Why was he thrust into defeat with every match they played? Every card was in his hand...every move was perfect! Yet, no matter how much he broke the rules and pushed boundaries, he was left with anything but victory.
He had tried force and war to obtain the other kingdom, but his unique magic had its...flaws due to an oldfriendof his. To conjure up anything of use, to change the fates of those around him, he would need the wish to be demanded verbally by a participating individual.
One pony, one wish. Those were the rules.
Discord scoffed. He was never one to follow rules, but these unspoken laws chained him. He could never truly cheat and break the rules as he had always confidently claimed.
The king cringed as he recalled the time where he had created a large, horrifying canon at a servant's request, only for it to be shot down bythe other kingdom'sown canon, instantly! It just wasn't fair, was it? To Discord, it clearly wasn't. And, frankly, extremely aggravating.
He could never wish for anything himself, however, as such a thing was impossible. He could summon simple, convenient things, such as magic he had learned throughout the millenniums of his existence, but anything that would alter fate or kill…
That's where his powers were limited. That's where thefunwas limited. He needed a willing participant to wish on their own accord for those games to start.
After an extremely long pause, the king cleared his throat and continued.
"You're aware of the ridiculous, traditional ball they have for the upcoming heir, yes?" Discord's ears went flat as he rolled his eyes, hating the traditions of their rivaling kingdom. Well, simply hating anything associated with it. "Yes, I'm sure you are," he added before Twilight could agree.
The pony frowned. She hadjustbrought it up. Did he even listen to her?
Discord's tone suddenly became upbeat and confident as he could finally discuss his latest scheme with the mare before him. She was...well, an intelligent follower, so her input was valued...almost as much as the several voices in his head urging him to do as he pleased, regardless of her opinion.
The king rubbed his claw against his chest before observing his nails. "Me, myself and I shall be happily attending such a horrifically-sweet event tonight!" He glanced upwards towards his company. "I'm simply such a wonderful guest. They'll be overwhelmed with joy with my company, won't they?" He teased. "My, who should be my plus one?"
The unicorn took a step towards her king.
"You're...joking," Twilight questioned in shock and no amusement towards Discord's attempt at making the situation less...serious. "Do you know what they'd do to you,especiallyat an important tradition? I highly doubt they'd greet you with smiles and-"
"Yes, yes, of course,of course," Discord mumbled bitterly with a nonchalant wave of his hand, gesturing Twilight to hush about such a topic. "My charming good looks would likely disrupt the ball, wouldn't it?" He sighed in a dramatic tone, placing his hand against his forehead. "Ah, to be cursed with the looks of a handsome king!"
After a few seconds of his disastrous acting, he paused as his eyes widened. His tone became his usual, deep and intimidating tone as he continued. "But, as it may seem, I think I know of somepony who would...happily take my place. He's quite charming and handsome, if I do say so myself," he stated while floating towards Twilight's level again.
Discord's brow furrowed.
"But that is not of your concern! I'll give you your orders when you'reactually needed," he purred with a sudden burst of impoliteness. He needed to perfect the spell for Sunday's ball...he didn't need the mare's voice disturbing him! "It's nothing more than a game of chess! With a few pawns here and there, victory is ours! I don't see why you're getting so fussy about a simplegame,my dear," Discord replied with little concern for her questions and worry. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, nonchalantly urging for the smaller mare to leave him. "Shoo, shoo! Scheming is for a party of one,not two!"
He slightly shoved her towards the door, easily stronger and larger than the pony. Twilight gazed over her shoulder as she was shoved away, desperately trying to observe the area for any clue as to who -whatwould be attending the Butterfly Ball.
Twilight glared at the draconequus with disapproving eyes as she was pushed, knowing this would likely end in one of his famous, disastrous messes. Yet, knowing her words of wisdom would be shallow compared to his booming confidence, she knew she had no option but to loyally follow behind Discord's decision.
With that, Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted out of the large room, no longer needing Discord's assistance to leave. With one final glance, she frowned.
His eyes, as usual seemed distant and quite...raging. His expression seemed to always be in an expressed, exaggerated form of his emotions, butthiswas something else. He looked so cartoonishly confident!
Did he really think this would work? Twilight scoffed at the idea.
"Does he really think he'll be able to return to what he used to be?" She muttered while Discord slammed the door shut behind her with a quick burst of magic. "Dear Celestia, I hope not."
With the sounds of spells and magic not dying out from the locked door, she knew her answer: he did.
Twilight scowled.
"Everything's against him. All of the numbers...even all of the ponies!" She shook her head in disapproval. She knew how this would end. "It should be interesting to watch play out, at least." She sighed while rubbing her temple and heading down the hallway.
Several hours later, once the sun set, Twilight had been requested to return to her master's chambers, ready to depart and do as requested. This time, without her dragon, or any company, rather. As she trotted down the hallway with her brow furrowed in concentration, she frowned while approaching and stopping before her master's door.
No matter how much she would disagree with the demands or the outcome of such a plan, the pony would have no other choice than to follow. She knew the young heiress would be involved, which raised a few flags for her well being, but Twilight knew she would be able to keep him in line if necessary.
Well, she hoped.
If Discord ended up going too far, it wouldn't be the first time. She feared the idea of his plan being...frightfully successful, but such an outcome seemed impossible, seeing as every time he got close to his goal, he would lose his grasp on their monarchy.
But why exactly did he feel so compelled to claim the Butterfly Kingdom? He had his own monarchy, including an army of warriors that, regardless of choice, followed him and did his dirty work! He had everything, including a surplus of magical power that he had learned over the centuries of his existence.
Just what exactly did he...want? More power? More riches? A mare for each arm? Those answers didn't seem to fit. What would a being of Chaos want with physical means that he could conjure? Clearly, it was rooted further than that.
She shrugged. Everyone had their own intentions in the wars that sprung between the two kingdoms. She had no right to question him, seeing as her own dedication to the chaos king wasn't as it seemed.
While she seemed to follow the monster's orders, there was far more to it than that. Her purpose was hidden and her intentions shut away so that no pony could figure her out and get her killed. Nonetheless, it seemed that plenty of ponies had their eyes on her.
Their king, however, seemed oblivious.
Suddenly, the doors rapidly swung open as a cold talon roughly grabbed her hoof, eagerly pulling her into the darkened room. His nails slightly imprinted on her arm as he released her, urging an annoyed glare from the unicorn.
The talon, to no surprise, belonged to a draconequus who seemed oblivious to Twilight's displeasure of her handling. Once she was in the room, he snapped his fingers, causing the door to slam behind her and the darkness to clear.
"For a moment there, I had thought you ended up getting lost," the king greeted with his arms locked behind his back, gazing down towards his follower. "We couldn't have that, could we?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "With you changing the castle's layout every other day, would you be surprised if I had? It's not exactlyeasyto keep up with you."
The king chuckled. "Someone has to make things around herefun," Discord replied before continuing in a serious tone. "But my decor isn't the reason I brought you here, Twilight Sparkle. I have a specific set of...orders for you.I suggest you listen carefully."
Fluttershy's hooves were shaking as she fumbled to lock her room's door behind her. She had sped away the second Rarity had finished with her, ignoring the stylist's crys to stay as the pegasus desperately searched for a mirror to try and fix what the unicorn had done.
As soon as she heard the click of the door's lock, the mare dropped the key and rushed towards her room's vanity mirror with confusion and disbelief. The face that stared back at her made the heiress yelp in shock.
Her mane, though long and pure before, was now bubbly and poofy as it curled around her cheeks, ending right above her shoulders. It made the mare look even more youthful as it gave off a warm, inviting vibe. Yet, her eyes remained pure and somewhat-fearful, clashing with the hair and making her appear extremely elegant.
Her bangs were no longer a curtain to hide her large eyes, but amplified them as they gently rested straight across her forehead, their surface bouncy and curly. The natural pink hue made her eyes pop, allowing her features to seem more lively than ever before. While her tail remained long and flowed behind her, her mane was completely different.
If such a change were on another pony, Fluttershy would have happily compliment the wearer. But, on her, it only made her features and flaws visible for the world to see;
She couldn't hide.
A gentle knock on her door snapped the pegasus out of her panic as her head whipped towards the locked entrance. She sighed as she realized she had no reason to be cautious of who would see her like this. After all, the entire ballroom would likely comment on her sudden change of style in the following hours.
A servant cleared his throat before speaking. "My lady, the opening ceremony has begun. You're needed in the ballroom," the stallion requested before trotting away.
Fluttershy's eyes wandered back to the mirror before replying. "Oh, yes, yes! O-of course," she stammered, though her company was already gone. Her voice was hushed and on the brink of panic. "I'll...be right there."
"You're gonna doWHATexactly?!" Twilight boomed with clear displeasure.
The king rolled his eyes. "Must Ialwaysrepeat myself? I swear, you ponies reallydoneed to get your ears checked.
"It's a simple plan, really," he continued while gesturing to himself. "Disguising myself as a pony should get me behind their walls with ease. They won't question my intentions."
Twilight shook her head back into reality before glaring up at her king. "My earsaren'tthe problem! You just...justcan'texpect this to work, can you?"
Discord leaned back and grunted in annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah. I don't need your spiel about numbers and statistics, blah blah…howboring."He leaned towards the mare with an arched brow. "Really, Twilight, you should get out more," he hissed with a teasing undertone.
Twilight puffed her cheeks in annoyance. He was telling her to get out more? Sure, he was above her in every level: magic and power, but the way he talked to her always seemed to frustrate her, seeing as he never left the gates of his own territory! He had no right to talk down to her.
The draconequus shrugged nonchalantly as she didn't reply. "Altering one's appearance for a short time is a simple spell. I'm sure, out of all of the mares in Equestria, you would know that.
"Besides, getting a young mare to answer a question shouldn't be difficult for the King of Chaos himself. A little prying and toying around here and there, and she'll be in my palm."
Snapping his finger, a small, yellow pegasus appeared in his paw. The pony galloped around, smiling and looking at Twilight eagerly. Twilight's eyes widened as they locked with the mirage's. She knew the tiny pony was nothing more than a condensed figure of magic, but why did the eyes feel so...alive?
However, before Twilight could question anything, the king crushed it while it burst into a puff of smoke. A small cry echoed as he did so, resulting in Twilight's ears to fall flat.
Her eyes returned to her king's, though fear now lingered. "You're insane!No...no offense, of course, but do you really think she'll even do something so ridiculous? Who says she'll even dance withyou?The lights could easily land on another stallion."
"None taken. I think we've established that I'm not exactly consideredsane," Discord interrupted with a shrug and a wide smile. "But, that's whereyoucome into play, my dear! You're a key pawn in this match of ours, and I need you to be up to the challenge." He placed his paw around the unicorn as he held her close. "Manipulating light shouldn't be difficult for you! You'll just need to...alter Luna's spell. Easy peasy."
Twilight stiffened.
"Luna's spell?I thought that was an old pony's tale! You mean, it's-"
"Yes, yes, the cheesy,sickeningspell that determines fate." Discord nearly gagged while imagining how unbearable such an event was. Why did everything ponies do have to involve something so sweetly cliched?
"You won't be changing fate, of course! That's my job. You'll just give that little mare a reason to...dance with me."
Twilight eagerly ducked under his arm and got away from his grasp as he spoke. The mare took a large gasp of air as she realized how much he had been blocking her breathing.
She stood in place for a moment as all of this crashed down on her. She would need to...alter the moon's beam? Change a tradition with her own horn? A spell like that was difficult to maintain, so she understood why she had been called to do so. After all, no other mare had ever been nearly as magically gifted as she.
Discord himself could have done such a spell with as little as a glance towards the moon, but knew his magic needed to be reserved for his facade with the heiress. Changing how he would look would be simple, but keeping up with it would drain him of magic over the course of the night. He couldn't afford to reveal his true form before his act was up.
While Discord remained in thought. Twilight's ear twitched as a realization came to mind:she was a key pawn in his game, as he had stated earlier. Did she truly mean so much in this scheme? Was she expendable? Worthless? Surely not, seeing as he had asked her for her magical assistance.
She meant something in this. She was necessary.
The mare gulped as she came to a decision: for once in her life, she would make Discord reveal his cards.
In the meantime, the King rubbed his chin in thought as he silently discussed the subtle flaws in his plan. However, the mare before him furrowed her brow as she gazed upward at Discord, who now eagerly focused on the unicorn and awaited her agreement.
To his surprise, Twilight took a step forward, gazing up at her king with a large frown. He stared at her, while seeming openly confused as to what this burst of confidence would lead to.
"I can do what you wish, but under one condition," she stated in a curious, demanding manner. "You tell me exactly why you're doing this."
Author's Note
If you're wondering what Fluttershy's mane looks like, I would compare it to Kofuku from Noragami! Also, the reason I got rid of her hair is for character development purposes.
I hope you enjoy the story picking up in the next chapter! Twilight will cross paths with a certain yellow unicorn that might make Twilight question if she finally met her match.
The ballroom was large and polished with gentle music pouring through the space. Several pillars adorned the walls and were layered with golden patterns and shapes, many resembling the family's crest: butterflies.
The floor was a honey-colored stone which mirrored all guests were on its surface, seeing as it was polished spotless. It gently reflected the light of the room, specifically the light raining down from the glass ceiling that seemed to be miles up in the distance. Looking up towards it usually made one feel sick, but the architecture was beautiful, nonetheless.
However, many believed the lovely building not to be the most entrancing distraction at the ball, but the mare who was soon to rule their kingdom.
Ever since her entrance to the ballroom, all eyes had landed on Fluttershy. She had spent the evening shyly chatting with suitors and an occasional mare, all of which seemed taken back by actually seeing her face which seemed to compete with her gown for shere beauty.
She wore a pastel pink dress that flowed behind her in several layers, each getting darker as it progressed further away from her. A small, dainty crown rested on the top of her mane where an aquamarine crystal butterfly jewel shined in its center, matching her eyes.
When she was seen at events, on rare occasion, she usually wore a veil that hid her features. But, to Rarity's demand, her face was fully visible. When she found herself without a veil, Fluttershy's mane covered the majority of her face instead. Her appearance was a mystery due to this, and many assumed she was simply unattractive.
She wore white stockings and gloves with a gentle, golden lace at the top that made her extremely uncomfortable. She was often seen brushing her hoofs together, wishing the fabric would just disappear.
Word of her features and shocking beauty had spread fast and seeing her was an experience every stallion in town craved.
Fluttershy, however, disliked the intentions of the stallions who attempted to woo her. While they were all charming, and didn't seem disrespectful, were also fake and condescending towards her. Either her beauty and elegance or the suitor's wealth seemed to be the topic of every conversation she held for that night.
Well, if they could even be considered conversations. Fluttershy simply nodded and gazed away while her face constantly flushed with color, desperately trying to hide and avoid any interaction, even though she lacked a mane to hide behind.
Every complement flustered the soon-to-be queen beyond comprehension as she nodded and politely thanked every stallion force-feeding her kind words. Her maids and servants often complimented her beauty, but the mare knew they did so out of kindness, not out of greed, as she assumed the stallions before her eagerly did.
It had been hours since she had been able to hide away from the ball and the stallions that crowded it. She quickly felt more and more anxious as the sky continually got darker and darker, acknowledging that her fate would be sealed as soon as it was midnight.
She sighed, knowing the night would be long and tedious, only ending with a groom forced in her direction. She felt sick and alone as she eyed the clock throughout the night. Each hour meant an hour closer to being bound to someone for life, whether happiness was involved or not.
A slight whimper escaped her lips as another suitor tapped her on the shoulder, eagerly initiating a conversation with the mare.
With a defeated sigh, the soon-to-be queen glanced over her shoulder, returning the stallion's greeting.
The two had a bland, generic conversation as the night dwindled. They talked of estates and funding, though it was rather a one-sided bragging contest in which the stallion had much joy in bloating in.
Fluttershy's eyes were glued to the window above the ballroom as the stallion talked. The sky was filled with clouds and the window had a slight amount of dew in on its surface, seeing as it had rained during the day. It was clear Celestia was foreshadowing Fluttershy's fate, or that's what the mare assumed.
She knew this night would be horrible for her and would only get worse as soon as it was midnight.
However, her eyes were no longer focused on the window as countless mares giggled and gawked in the direction of the castle's entrance, where a single carriage stood out among all the others. It was adorned with deep shades of maroon and black, both of which suggested a funeral or any other event than a royal ball. Yet, the mares seemed eager to meet the owner of such an ominous vehicle, and continually gazed towards it while the jealousy in the room continually grew from the suitors.
While the mares seemed intrigued and fancied the ominous stallion's carriage, the stallions scoffed and commented on how ridiculous the decor was. To Fluttershy, however, she found it...unique. While a bit scary, she, too, was curious to meet the pony who remained inside.
The stallion Fluttershy was having a 'conversation' with traced her gaze back towards the carriage before envy creeped on his face as he cleared his throat and stepped between the vehicle and the royal mare. He smiled greatly and nervously as he attempted to gain her attention.
However, Fluttershy innocently gazed around the suitor out of curiosity. Many of the guests were locals of the kingdom, but whoever was going to step out of that carriage was surely a foreigner. No one in this kingdom would dare arrive in something so...different!
Many of the guests stared with greedy and questionable intentions, but Fluttershy gazed with an innocent curiosity. She had rarely ever left the castle, and seeing someone who clearly was not from the area...intrigued her.
As the door to the carriage opened, everypony gazed away, not wanting to be caught staring. However, Fluttershy's ears twitched as her attention didn't falter, but her curiosity grew.
The dark, intimidating carriage sat outside the elegant palace's entrance. The vibes between the dark castle and the inviting castle clashed and seemed...out of place. Many assumed it was a foreign stallion who had come to whisk away the queen and her wealth. However, the younger mares thought the carriage to belong to a vampire!
Why else would the windows be so dark?
The stallion who stepped out of the carriage fit that description perfectly, seeing as he was a charming and handsome unicorn, though a bit older than many had expected. Everything about him was dark and intimidating. Yet, oddly attractive, for pony standards, even appearing to be in his late twenties or early thirties.
He wore somewhat-regal attire for the event: a dark blue suit with a white collar and maroon bow tie. Such an outfit was far too casual when compared to what the king usually wore, but wearing any clothes in this form was extremely uncomfortable for him, so he settled for what he could tolerate.
"This body is so cramped and...miserable!" Discord uttered in clear, bitter disgust as he attempted to stretch his hoofs. "Really, how do ponieslivelike this? It's so restricting!"
The group of young mares leaned towards each other, whispering about himactuallybeing a vampire, which only made him seem even more intriguing for the giddy mares. If he wasn't suited for the queen, they all hoped to have a chance with him. After all, with a carriage like that, his wallet was surely filled to the brim.
He was dark, mysterious and clearly wealthy! What else could a mare want?
Discord rolled his eyes as he gazed upwards towards the building's decorations and remained oblivious to the eyes of the small group of mares on him. Large trees and countless plants adorned the outside of the palace with banners of the family's crest hanging on each side of the entrance.
"Howboring.Though, I never took the Butterflies for thefuntype. Don't know why I'm surprised."
His deep voice further wooed the group of listeners as they gossiped. However, they all quickly skidded off indoors as the music increased in volume; the dances were starting.
The king gave a wide, confident smile as followed suit, casually walking towards the entrance, now alone. He took this time to think to himself about how he was going to manage this plan of his. While it was easy for him to appear charming and convincing, he knew it would be hard to convince the heiress that his words were genuine. After all, manipulation was his specialty! Pretending to be a loving, considerate stallion would be simple, but for her to go along with it would be...questionable.
Discord smiled, however, when he remembered that the light that would bind the two would be enough reason for her to answer his questions. After all, when a Charming young stallion is destined to be with you, why wouldn't you openly be honest with him? As long as Twilight did as he requested, she would likely do as he asked.
His smile was replaced with a bitter grunt at the appearance of every guest as he stood in the entrance. Countless mares were smiling and giddy as they desperately tried to find themselves a stallion who had a wallet to backup their charm, while the stallions themselves only focused on one mare in the room, one of which the king was unable to clearly see due to the countless guests flooding her view.
Their eyes seemed to lock for a fraction of a second before she was blocked away, once again.
The king's eyes were quickly pulled away from the heiress in the distance as he was eagerly approached by young ladies who seemed to take on to his charm and appearance. He found the attention revolting and unnecessary, seeing as he was unable to holster such feelings.
Discord rolled his eyes at every mare who sweetly greeted him and attempted to woo him. He returned any kind gestures with a growl and occasional venomous insult, knowing the younger ponies were eager to prey on the wealthy stallions attending.
He, however, was unlike any stallion attending the ball. Physical means meant very little to him, so every mare attempting to court him was as unnecessary as sense itself. He felt no need to play along with their ruses and thanked the heavens when all eyes turned towards the white young unicorn playing the piano, as the music seemed to slow down in pace.
The dance was starting.
The second Twilight had reached the top of the Butterfly Kingdom's roof, she was met with an uncomfortably-wet surface from a recent downpour of rain. The weather had cleared, but the thickening clouds and dewy scent remained.
She scowled at the musky scent, wishing it hadn't been so easy to sneak to her destination. Up there, the it was dreary and dark…unlike the rest of the castle, which was a soft white with elegant golds complementing its walls. The roof had no need to be appealing, seeing as only workers would see it, but it still bugged her.
On such a romantic, unique night, the mare was alone and irritated on a filthy roof, rather than accompanying the other ponies below her.
She gazed through the large window that allowed the moonlight into the ballroom. The glass was large and took up a majority of the rooftop, allowing the room below to be filled with natural light. The mare glanced towards the moon above, putting two and two together.
She was in the right location; this was where the spell would happen.
However, Twilight frowned as she did a quick doubletake. The moonlight...where was it?
Moonlight barely escaped through the intense clouds, but it seemed to continually streak and fight through the cracks of its walls. It was just bright enough to see, but the guarantee of a cloud-free sky was dim.
Would the moon even shine for the ceremony? It was nearly 12...surely it wouldn't. Even if it did, the light wouldn't make it through the veil above.
The mare rolled her eyes. She was never told to manage the weather, so she considered flopping the plan. She didn't want the king to be successful, after all. But, the agreement she had made with the king flashed before her.
What he told her he wanted...what he needed,was something she hadn't even considered. Well, she had pondered about it, but never found it to be a solid conclusion. Yet, the fool of a king trusted the mare so fondly that he revealed his cards so eagerly.
She had expected a ridiculous reason, seeing as the king often found pleasure in mischief and chaotic activities. Yet, even with that, she knew there was a deeper reason to his actions. He could create anything, yet he so desperately wanted the kingdom. She had observed him for countless years...she knew he was far more than fun and chaos.
Discord was foolishly confident in this plan and Twilight's orders. What he was after took the unicorn by surprise, but not a relieved shock, but a rush of fear as she realized what the future would bring if he claimed it.
What he wanted was anything butrandom or fun.
It was life-threatening.
The mare shook her head, eagerly getting the image out of her mind.
Now that she knew what he wanted, she couldn't let him claim it. She justcouldn't,no matter her personal goal. She would not doom Equestria to such a fate once again, nor let him become the monster he used to be.
Twilight's eyes drifted towards the mares and stallions entering the room below from a large entrance. Their conversations were muffled by the glass between them, but her eyes gazed in a saddened envy and then moved upwards, back towards the cloudy sky.
However, as soon as she faced upwards, Twilight's face immediately burst with color and heat as a large ball of fire rushed past the mare, singeing the unicorn's mane. Her eyes remained wide in shock for a few seconds before allowing her eyes to follow the trail of smoke towards its caster:
A single unicorn with yellow fur and a bright, contrasting mane that seemed to scream fire and heat. Yellow streaks ran down her mane and seemed to make her appear as intense as that spell had been. Her eyes, too, seemed filled with fury.
"You should work on your aim," Twilight muttered while blowing her mane out of her eyes. Once she could see clearly, she angrily locked eyes with the caster for a better examination.
The stranger's eyes were smug and confident, yet harsh and...intriguing.
She wore a waitress's outfit: a lovely, yet casual, black skirt with white stockings and blouse. She was clearly on the staff of the ball being arranged below, yet why did her presence feel so...heated? So intense? What did Twilight feel so nervous?
Why was she even on the roof?
"I think my aim's pretty accurate, if I do say so myself," the stranger replied with a sly smirk. Such a grin was both charming and off putting.
The yellow mare's eyes flicked towards the sky and focused on the clouds above, causing her company's to follow suite in curiosity.
Twilight's eyes widened further as she squinted in disbelief while light quickly consumed the area around the two. The condensed magic had met directly in the center of the sky and caused the clouds to slowly ripple and disappear, leaving the moon's light free to travel as it pleased.
The waitress smirked as she arched a brow and turned back towards her company. However, instead of an impressed expression, Twilight was pulling on her mane in shock.
"No no no…no!" Twilight called out in desperation as her eyes wandered throughout the sky. Her fear quickly turned into anger as her eyes shot towards the culprit and took several steps towards her. "Stay out of this! You can't just...just do something like that when I'm clearly in the middle of something!"
The other mare seemed shocked for a moment before giving a mocking laugh.
"What? Isn't this what your precious little master wanted hisgoody-two-shoesfollower to do? Consider yourself lucky. I just saved you a step." She scoffed while her smirk slightly grew. "Clearing a sky this heavy is incredibly diffic-"
The boasting pony was instantly interrupted as Twilight's horn became enveloped in a slight hue of purple. Twilight's gaze never left the other mare's as a single, condensed beam shot upwards above the two, consuming the sky in a dull storm of clouds.
The haze consumed the sky, causing it to revert back into its original state: one of which the moon's fate-deciding beam would not travel through.
The silent spell was enough communication for the waitress to understand Twilight's goal.
The yellow mare angrily turned her gaze back towards Twilight as she stomped a single hoof in frustration.
"Who...who exactly do you think you are?!" The yellow mare huffed through clenched teeth. It was clear she was impressed, but in sense that made her despise the pony before her. "Are you actually defying the monster?" She paused as an excited, yet hateful, smile crawled across her expression. "Hah, I guess this cutesy little unicorn has some guts after all. Who would've guessed?"
Twilight frowned out of frustration and confusion. What side was this pony on? She clearly had information of Twilight's orders, even going so far as to mention Discord, but seemed to be carrying out the king's wish.
Yet, she wore a maid's uniform! Was she...a spy? A pawn? No, she had called Discord amonster.This was on her own accord.
"Defying would suggest I was ever under his power," Twilight uttered cautiously, the same hatred slowly creeping up on her. Yet, she managed to remain composed, opposed to her company, who seemed to glow with distaste towards the purple mare. "But how do you know that I even work for him? Who says I'm not here on the Butterfly family's request? I could be fixing the..the uh, window!"
She cringed, knowing that was a clear lie. But, what else could she say? The window was the only other thing up there with them!
The yellow mare's smile faded as she glanced towards the window and then back to Twilight.
"I've seen you sneak around here several times." The waitress paused, her voice continually picking suspicion. Clearly, she knew what she was doing. "This isn't your first time doing the monster's dirty work. At first, I assumed you were a common thief, but now I can see what youreallyare."
Twilight bit her lip. She had been figured out. Clouding out the sky had given it away...saying she wasn't loyal didn't help, either.
Why was she being so...careless? Twilight had never been seen or found out...yet, this mare had found her? Multiple times? She hated to admit it, but the more the two argued, the more she became compelled to hear her out.
"I'm guessing you're not a waitress," Twilight added strictly. She needed to distract the mare until the clock hit twelve...then, she wouldn't manipulate the light to land on Discord, or whoever she was aiming for.
"Don't judge a book by its cover, puppet. Didn't they teach you that in school?"
Twilight stiffened at such a ridiculous nickname and insult. Puppet suited her, however. After all, whether she was loyal to Discord or not, she was wrapped around his talon.
"Oh, did that bother you?Sorry,I should have known youdidn'tgo to school. Rather obvious from the sloppy weather-manipulating spell." She grinned as her brow furrowed. "My bad."
Twilight gritted her teeth in anger. The two didn't know each other, yet here she was, being lectured by a stranger on a damp roof! Plus, her spell was flawless!
However, their discussion was cut short as a single chime was heard below through the thick glass; the clock was counting down the minutes to twelve. The note was long and low...rather ominous for such an occasion, sending shivers down Twilight's spine. The note played for several seconds before echoing away.
"Sorry to cut our little date short." The yellow mare paused as her horn started to glow. "But, I have better things to worry about."
Just as it had earlier, a ball of fire darted towards the sky, opening the night sky to rain light down on the two once again. No matter the mare's motives, it was clear that she intended to manipulate who the light landed on.
However, Twilight held her ground, never gazing away from the unicorn before her. With a huff, she sent another blast of haze towards the sky, angrily determined to put an end to this.
Her company's gaze, too, didn't leave Twilight's, as the two silently fought for dominance, casting spell after spell. Yet, both were slightly impressed at each other.
"Not bad for a traitor," the yellow mare snarked while crouching down as she prepared to pounce. "But, now that I see your little game, I'll have to put an end to you. I'd say nothing personal, but you've irritated me to a point where it'sbecomepersonal."
Another long, drawn-out chime passed, urging a fight to break out between the two.
Twilight's eyes widened at both the word "traitor" and the clock's cry. Knowing she had been found out by her opponent, she couldn't let the mare escape. The second word of her betrayal reached Discord, she would lose her position and chance at finishing her purpose in Discord's castle.
And, more likely, lose her life in the process, while perhaps also bringing her partners the same fate.
However, Twilight's thoughts were cut short as her company grinded her hoof into the floor before setting her horn ablaze and charging at her. Her horn was consumed by a fire-like sword as it brushed through the wind.
Twilight instantly dashed to the side as the other member shot herself towards her and attempted to slash at her. The yellow unicorn skidded as she stopped to maintain her balance, quickly turning around and pausing. As soon as Twilight gained enough distance between the two, she shot another beam into the sky while covering it in the familiar clouds.
A loud grunt was heard from across the rooftop.
"Would you stop that?!" The waitress cried in frustration while diminishing the fire engulfing her horn.
"Then mind your own business!"
The waitress scoffed. "You think this isyour business?!You're just interfering with Discord's plans! Unlike you, some of us have our own roles to play, rather than being his little puppet!" She paused as her horn lit up and shot a large beam at Twilight.
Twilight cast a bright bubble, which popped as soon as the spell made contact. The two frowned before crouching close to the ground and running at each other once again, the two gaining speed incredibly fast.
However, the bell rang once again, resulting in Twilight's eyes widening as she lost focus while running, gazing at the ball's occupants through the large window to her side.
She was running out of time.
Before the two could meet, the yellow unicorn dashed to the side as she took advantage of Twilight's temporary distraction, causing her to fumble forward with clear confusion and irritation. Before she could catch her balance, she fell forward as the mare teleported and tripped her, angrily stomping over her.
Twilight landed in a puddle as her dress became soaked in the dirty liquid. She groaned as the water splashed in her face due to the yellow hooves now pinning her down.
Twilight angrily frowned as their eyes locked.
The waitress confidently eyed her with a content and triumphant chuckle.
"Now you can see your place in this world," she muttered with triumph and confidence while leaning forward. "Beneath me."
Twilight blushed at the words, though her anger didn't falter. While the mare on top of her hadn't meant it, the words were suggestive enough to fluster the pony beneath her.
Twilight was snapped out of her daze from the bell's continual ringing. She grunted as she attempted to move for several moments, only being met with a sly grin belonging to the unicorn who pinned her to the damp floor.
After a few moments of shoving, she managed to flip the waitress over, only to have the same thing done to her. The two wrestled until they found themselves on top of the sturdy glass, fighting to claim dominance.
The bell rang once again, making both mares push even harder to win.
While Twilight knew she was likely better at magic than her opponent, she was clearly lacking in strength as the yellow unicorn pinned her down once again, now the center of the glass window, though no one seemed to take notice of the two mares, especially since the window was at the top of the highest ceiling in the castle.
Twilight gazed from left to right in desperation as the bells seemed to chime faster and faster as midnight was less than a minute away. While they had fought, each bell signalling a minute felt so intense that everything seemed to play out far longer than it had in reality.
Yet, even with the constant ringing, the victorious unicorn seemed oblivious to the chiming as she pinned her opponent down with a confident glare. Twilight hid a smirk at this, seeing that, even though she had bested her, she would win...the light would not strike Discord if she remained too distracted to alter it.
The ringing was ominous and dark as it continued to its final call.
"As fun as this was, purple, I have my errands to attend-"
A final, loud echo forced the waitress to lose track of her words as the chime signaled midnight.
The two seemed to exchange expressions as the final, ominous ring echoed throughout the roof. It was far longer and oddly beautiful as it rang throughout the castle. The mares and stallions below were eagerly glancing from left to right at the suitors, hoping it would land on someone they knew to inherit some wealth.
"No!" The waitress called out as she shoved Twilight out from beneath her, plunging her muzzle into the glass. The yellow unicorn's horn started to glow upwards towards the moon, but before her spell could be cast, the moon was enveloped in a blue haze that seemed to glow and radiate a haze of glowing dust.
Before either of them could react and manipulate the light, or run away from it, a beautiful, intense beam shot downward through the window, selecting a single stallion who would be bound to the Butterfly Kingdom, as so fate decreed.
A muffled gasp could be heard from below as it landed on the future king. The reaction was that of shock and confusion, but the two mares on top of the window didn't seem to notice, as a suitor in the ballroom were not the only ones the beam shot through, as the light, too forced its way through both Twilight and her mysterious opponent before reaching the room below.
The light was chilly and damp as it bounced through the two females, removing the memory of fighting moments prior.
The two froze as their gazes locked in an intense confusion. At first, they had squinted due to the light's intensity, but quickly found it tolerable as they continued to stare, their silence communicating countless questions about the situation they were in.
Both of their eyes seemed to glow for a few seconds as their gazes continually locked. However, both of them shook their head as they snapped out of the trance while gazing downward, remembering the purpose of this light.
The two mares cried out in horror and shock as they both recognized a single stallion consumed in light as he stared directly at Fluttershy from across the ballroom, their gazes just as powerful as the two opponents had been when the light had fought its way through them.
Fate, without Twilight's interference, had selected a suitor that was destined to be the heiress' true love and future ruler.
Author's Note
Dun dun duuh! This chapter was so fun to write! In the next one, the story officially picks off! This will be my first story with fights and intense moments, so please let me know if they're paced well! Matter of fact, this was my first "fight" scene ever! It was a lot of fun and I hope you felt involved when reading!
Please read and review! I would appreciate it so, so much!
