Author's Note

Hazel Heart only has one more chapter left after this. then it will be my chapters

Preparing in more Ways than 1

Outside the window of Fluttershy’s bedchamber, Discordula peered in to see Fluttershy sleeping peacefully in her bed, while all the hoofmaidens continued to tend to her and the room. The hoofmaidens were tasty little morsels, but they could never compare to the beauteous little angel sleeping, her long pink locks spread out beneath her sweet head... her eyes closed, her long, pretty eyelashes guarding them and being a perfect distraction.... her adorable little nose... her tiny mouth parted, urging him to just come in, take her in his arms and....

Discordula groaned in frustration, knowing that he can’t enter in her dreams, now that Princess Luna was now on dream patrol. Not to mention the fact that he can’t enter inside the castle without anypony’s permission, and with Princess Celestia now imprisoned in some sort of protection barrier that Lulu whipped up...

“(growls) Be patient...” Discordula told himself. “Everything will fall into place the way you planned...” he glanced back in the window, gazing at Fluttershy. “Come morning light, my love...” he murmured, stroking the outline of Fluttershy’s chin with the window glass. “... we shall meet again very soon. And after such lovely times spent with you,” he said with a tantalizing grin as Princess Cadance slowly raised the sun, “I shall make you my princess of chaos.”

As Princess Cadance slowly raised the sun over Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle smiled with pride for her sister-in-law but sighed. So much for giving our Proclamation Speeches to all of Equestria. She then turned her attention to her big brother, Shining Armor, who was also beaming with pride for his beloved wife. At least my BBBFF and sister-in-law came all the way from the Crystal Empire to help us... Twilight just remembered something. “Hey, Shiny?” Twilight asked her brother.
“Yeah, Twilie?”

“What about the Crystal Empire? Without you and Cadance, how will the Crystal Ponies be safe from harm?”

“Well, before Cadance and I left for Canterlot, we wanted to make sure the Crystal Empire was under tight security,” Shining Armor explained. “So we left the care and protection of the Empire to our royal liaison, Flash Sentry.”

Twilight made a tiny girlish squeak, but quickly cleared her throat. “Fla-Flash Sentry? He-he’s your royal liaison now?”

Shining Armor curiously raised an eyebrow at his little sister, grinning. “Yeah... when he was first recruited to be one of our new Royal Guards, he kind of reminded me of you when you first applied for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns: eager, astute, and very determined to achieve.”
Twilight blushed at the thought of her and Flash Sentry being alike in many ways.

“In fact, his communication skills and cooperation with both the delegates and the Royal Guards during our daily meetings were very impressive, which made him more acceptable for the job. However,” Shining Armor lowered his voice in a whisper. “If he wants to be the future husband of my baby sister, that’s a different story.”

Twilight scoffed and roughly nudged her big brother in the shoulder, then Shining Armor gave his little sister a noogie. They both laughed and hugged each other with brother-sisterly love.

As Cadance lightly landed and rested her wings alongside Luna, she delicately sighed in exasperation. “Goodness... that certainly was a new experience.”
“But you did it with such perfect finesse,” Twilight replied. “I remember when I had to do that after you, Celestia, and Luna transferred all your magic to me. I had to physically operate the motional equations of both the sun and moon’s orbital flight patterns.” She turned to Princess Luna. “Not that I wasn’t honored of doing such an esteemed task. It’s just that it was so much different than writing it on parchment, or laying it all out on blackboard.”

Princess Luna smiled. “That’s what Celestia thought on our very first day of lowering the moon and raising the sun. We never thought that we would actually carry out responsible deeds for our subjects, but Star Swirl was confident in our abilities as alicorns.” She gazed at both Twilight and Cadance. “You both must have felt this task quite overwhelming because you were not born as alicorns. Twilight Sparkle was born a unicorn and Cadance was born a pegasus. But now that you are alicorn princesses, your ability of flight and magic combined helps you raise the sun and rouse the moon, thus making you all the more powerful. Not to mention,” Luna added. “that they will be most efficient for dark situations like this to occur, so nopony shall suffer anymore.” She bowed her head in quiet sadness.

Twilight and Cadance looked at each other in concern. “We’ll get your sister back, Luna.” Twilight assured her. “I don’t know how, but we’ll find a way.”

“There still must be some goodness in her,” Cadance replied. “The bite mark may have taken over her mind and body, but the heart still holds emotion and love.”
“But Cadance, how could you know that for sure?” Twilight asked.

Cadance turned to Twilight, her eyes reflecting tenderness. “Twilight, Auntie Celestia was my guardian angel in so many ways. She took me in, raised me as one of her own and whenever I felt doubtful, she would wrap her hooves around me and whisper, 'As long as you have love and compassion in your heart, you will remain one of the strongest princesses I know you are now.' I could hear her heart beating against her chest while I was still in her embrace; all my life, I have never heard such a strong heartbeat. I knew that a heart as strong as Auntie’s would never allow such darkness and hate.”

“She certainly didn’t show it after she was roused from her unconsciousness,” Luna grumbled. Twilight winced at the memory of Celestia taunting her friends in the Infirmary. “But you could be right, dear niece. A bite from that monstrous draconequus may take over the body and mind, but the heart is a muscle that holds an emotional love for its owner’s loved ones. I just wasn’t strong enough to use that advantage against him.... that night....” Luna shook her head in resilience. “But the past is the past, and I have learned from my mistakes. For now, we must find the innocent victims who have endured the bite of the vampiric fiend.”

“But, Auntie Luna,” Cadance cut in. “What about the necklaces that ward off Discordula?” She gingerly touched the silvery necklace wrapped around her neck. “You, Twilight, and myself are the only ones who can produce alicorn tears...” Cadance silently regretted herself for leaving out Celestia, but remembered she was under Discordula’s thrall. “..... willingly.”

Shining Armor placed a hoof on his wife’s shoulder. “Cadance, you can help make the necklaces with Twilie and her friends after breakfast.” He turned to Princess Luna and saluted her. “A couple of my fellow guards and I will help track down the infected victims, Your Highness.”

Princess Luna nodded her head in gratitude to Shining Armor. “Thank you, Captain of the Royal Guard. I accept your enlistment for this task. In the meantime,” Luna walked toward the balcony and looked down on all of Canterlot. “While sunlight still basks down on all of Equestria, we must still make haste with preparations for tonight. For it is that certain time of day that Discordula will be at his most strongest to shed blood and wreak havoc on us all.” Luna slowly turned her head back towards the young royal trio, and declared, “But fear not, young ones of our royal kin. For I, the Princess of the Night, shall not stop until my sister and anypony else who has been infected will be released from that fiend’s thrall!”

“Um.... Rarity?” Fluttershy quietly asked, with her eyes closed. “I know you mean well in helping me get ready and I appreciate it ever so much, but...” She slowly opened one eye to see her reflection in the mirror. “...I’m not so sure if this is really necessary.” She had green splotches of facial cream on her cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. She was in her white bathrobe with purple lining, her tail was in hair curlers with a turquoise green ribbon tied around at the end, and her mane was wrapped up in a white towel, turban-style.

“Oh nonsense, Fluttershy,” Rarity replied as she brought out a pink washcloth with her unicorn magic to soak it in water and began to gently, but firmly, wash off all the facial cream on Fluttershy’s face. “When my dearest, most loveliest friend is being courted upon by a charming stallion, this practically is necessary!” While she finished scrubbing Fluttershy’s little nose, to which Fluttershy quietly sneezed from, Rarity turned to one of the hoofmaidens who were assisting her. “Would you please fetch me that golden bottle I left by her nightstand?” Rarity gently shook Fluttershy’s towel against her head before taking it off. “Really darling, this is so exciting! I’m sure you’ll have such a wonderful time with this... Drake.” Rarity purred his name while she multi-tasked with her unicorn magic by both brushing and blow-drying Fluttershy’s mane. “With a name like that, I’ll bet he’s sinfully handsome...”

Fluttershy blushed with quiet demure. “H-he is... pretty handsome...” While Rarity continued to brush Fluttershy’s hair, Fluttershy closed her eyes in memory of gazing at Drake’s dapper facial features in the moonlight. His smile as he gazed into her eyes.... his own eyes a sinful dark red... Fluttershy felt her face get warm from just thinking about him. She shook away the thought and cleared her throat, while Rarity started styling the edges of her long pink locks with a curling iron. “B-but he also seemed so sweet and gentle, and he said that he loved nature and flowers... like me.”

“Really?” Rarity thanked the hoofmaiden who brought the golden-colored perfume bottle and put it to the side. “Well I must say, that you are rather fortunate enough to capture the attention of a stallion who shares the same interests... the same passions that captures both of your hearts.” As she put away the curling iron, Rarity took out a tube of mascara and gently brushed Fluttershy’s eyelashes.

“Goodness...” Fluttershy replied in a whisper. “Do you really think so?”

“If there’s one thing I know about stallions is that the ones who have the same tastes are the ones that are worth keeping.” After she was done, Rarity brought forth the golden-colored perfume bottle. Fluttershy recognized the shape and color of that perfume bottle from one of her spa-treatment/shopping trips with Rarity.

“Honeysuckle Heaven?” Fluttershy’s mouth turned upward in an adorable little smile. “That’s my most favorite perfume in all of Equestria. Rarity, you know me too well.”

“I always aim to please,” Rarity replied with a flourish as she turned Fluttershy in her direction to lightly squirt the perfume against her neck and chest. “And now, for the piece de resistance!” Rarity took out a lovely white rose barrette and gracefully placed it in Fluttershy’s hair by her ear. “Besides, if you love it, Drake will love it as well. And since you both love flowers, why not smell like a flower? Not to mention...” She turned Fluttershy’s chair back to the mirror to gaze at her reflection. “..... look like a flower.”

Fluttershy’s hair was both wavy and curly, just mid-length of her locks. Her eyelashes looked longer than before, bringing out the color of her aqua green eyes and making them pop out a little more. The white rose barrette looked lovely in her hair, with its ivory detail glistening and its accompanied leaf a charming spring green. “It will be impossible for Drake to resist you, Fluttershy. You look exquisite, darling.”
Fluttershy blushed shyly at her reflection. “Do you really think he’ll like how I look?”

“Precious, the word ‘like’ couldn’t possibly excel on how he’ll react when he takes one mere glance of you. He’ll adore you, trust me.” Rarity slowly took off the hair curlers in Fluttershy’s tail and fussed a little with the mid-length waves. “I mean, he did take an interest in you last night at the garden party, did he not?”
“Well... y-yes...”

“And now he wants to accompany you on a most gorgeous day... in the daylight...” Rarity winced at the end of her sentence as she finished primping Fluttershy’s tail.

Fluttershy continued to reminisce on what occurred last night: her first encounter with Drake after South Pole denied a dance with her ever so suddenly... being held in Drake’s arms as they flew in the moonlight.... and then the unexplainable weather that disrupted the mane event, even though Fluttershy was grateful that she didn’t have to make her Proclamation speech.....

But then she also remembered that creature in the stained-glass window who looked fearsome and strangely magnificent at the same time. Fluttershy knew there were many magical creatures in Equestria that she may have never come across yet, but she was still surprised that.... What did Princess Luna call him?.... Discordula... could be lurking somewhere in Canterlot....

“Drinking the blood of innocent virgin mares...!” Fluttershy squeaked her thoughts out loud.
Rarity’s eyes glinted red. “What... did you say, sweetie?”

Fluttershy covered her mouth in embarrassment and fear. “Oh my....! I can’t believe I forgot about the creature that is threatening all of Equestria! He could be anywhere, Rarity! Scaring innocent ponies, then drinking their blood in...” she gulped. “...dark alleyways...!” She squealed in fright and hid herself in her bathrobe like it was a tent. “Oh, I can’t go out there! I want to stay inside the castle, underneath the bed covers, with my teddy bear!”

“Fluttershy, it’s one thing to have a case of nerves for a stallion,” Rarity gently, but firmly replied to a bathrobe-tented Fluttershy. “But being worried over a creature that doesn’t come out until nighttime?”

Fluttershy slowly peeked out. “Wh-what? H-how do you know that?”

“Oh, word spreads in the castle like wildfire,” Rarity added sheepishly with a wave of her pale white hoof. “But more importantly, Princess Luna advised all the Royal Guards that this creature won’t come out until nighttime. So that means you’ll be safe as a kitten on your date with Drake.”

“Really?” Fluttershy let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Well, if Princess Luna says it’s okay to go out during the daytime....” She glanced back in the mirror, her bathrobe slowly pooling beneath her. And as long as I can get back before sunset.... I guess I can go see Drake after all. She thought with a little smile. But it faded quickly when she saw the top of her mane look a little fuzzy from hiding in her bathrobe and her rose barrette was a tad lopsided by her ear, a loose tendril of pink hair trailing down. “I’m so sorry, Rarity. I got so scared, and now I ruined your makeover for me.”

“Oh it’s alright, sweetness. As I said before, it’s just a natural case of nerves. But that simply cannot get in the way of your appearance.” Rarity replied with a sigh. She brushed/smoothed away the frizz in Fluttershy’s hair and arranged her hair clip. “Fortunately, your eyes still look perfect and I can barely see a smudge on you. Just a little more sprucing up, and you will be lovelier than a gardenia in bloom.”

“Thank you so much, Rarity. For giving me a wonderful makeover.... and for putting up with me when I get so nervous about these things.”
“Oh sweetie, think nothing of it. And.... je suis fini!” Rarity exclaimed as she neatly put a loose lock of pink hair back into place. She looked over her work on Fluttershy’s appearance with a satisfied smile. “Perfect. Now Spike and Pinkie Pie should be coming back anytime soon with breakfast for us, so we’ll just have a little something to nibble on.”
“We’re going to have cookies for breakfast?”
“I don’t think it will really matter, as long as we have something to eat.”
“I guess... but what about Twilight and-”
“Oh, they’re already mad at work, getting everything ready for tonight; protecting the castle and all the rest of Canterlot from the... creature of darkness,” Rarity replied wistfully.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure why Rarity responded like that for a creature like Discordula. Yes, he may look magnificent, but he’s also a draconequus. Which means he could be part dragon, and Fluttershy really didn’t like dragons... except when they’re babies like Spike. But given the thought that he could pop out anywhere at night gave her chills. “Shouldn’t we help them out?”
“NO!