Chapter 5 The Invitation

Chapter 5 the invitation

When Fluttershy awoke the next day, it felt as if the night before—dancing in that club with a dangerous yet alluring man—was nothing more than a grave dream brought on by her hangover from the party. “Eleven thirty,” she mumbled as she looked over at the clock. She was still dressed in her bridesmaid dress, with no makeup on her face and her hair in a rubber band. She ignored this and crawled out of bed, trying to push aside the lingering feelings of him wrapped around her. She quickly fed her animals, who were more than upset with her for being not only late this morning but also for the night before. When had she gotten home? She couldn’t remember, but flashes of her walking into the room and dancing with the statues while laughing to herself about the night with the man flickered through her mind.

As she fed the snake, she twirled in a goofy motion over to her fish tank, repeating the same moves she had made when she got home last night, as well as the moves she had made while dancing alongside him. The snake gobbled down its dead mouse before wrapping around her arm, thankful for its meal. But its strong grip wasn’t what she felt when it crawled up her arm—oh no. Instead, she envisioned the way he pulled her back to him in his grip as she turned around to feed her parrot, letting the bird fly out of its cage and encircle her. But was it the bird she saw, or was it him dancing around her as he held on tight, much like the snake was now? When she felt something trace up her back, she turned to see her spider giving her a hello. But the spider wasn’t there when she looked at it. Instead, it was him with his mischievous grin as she fed the little creature some fruit flies and headed to its cage. She felt its legs crawl over her until it landed on her hip, just as his hand did when they danced backward.

She inhaled a peaceful breath as the animals retreated to their homes, now satisfied with their meals. She opened her eyes to find herself staring at another woman. She recognized her—it was herself in the mirror, her true self. To her surprise, she saw a grin on her face. The smile was not only mischievous; it was genuine and happy. Cool, collected, and confident—everything she had ever hoped for and wanted to truly be. Letting out a happy sigh, she watched as the smile faded, remembering how the end of her night played out. The man she was with, immediately after he was done with her, turned his back on her and left with someone wanting to talk business with him—apparently an old friend.

The memory of how much it stung to watch him leave her side, as if she were nothing at all to him—just a bit of fun and nothing more—shook her newfound confidence. She watched as the woman in the mirror undid the rubber band from her hair, letting her long locks drape over her face once more. It had only been a night of freedom—something she needed at the time—but her true reality began to set in quickly after that.

A thumping from below caught her attention, and she found her little bunny rabbit thumping his foot on the ground, crossing with her as he waited for his breakfast.

Yes, she had fed the other animals, but she hadn’t fed him yet. The creature that, at that moment, truly represented her truest reality. She soon grabbed a bowl of lettuce and chopped a few carrots. She had to feed the rabbit and shelter it, just like she needed to be sheltered and fed herself. Once again, she was no longer that amazing woman she found in the mirror. No, she was a rabbit who needed to be sheltered by her master, who had fed her for years on end. And right now, in all honesty, she needed that.

After feeding the little bunny, she went up the stairs and changed into her normal clothes. She put on her makeup and grabbed her purse, heading out the door to the one person who could comfort her unlike any other—despite the fact that she was still a rabbit—her mother.

…

Fluttershy walked up to a large wooden door, taking up as little space as she could when she walked. Keeping her arms wrapped around herself, her head down and her hair mostly hiding her face, she hesitantly lifted her hand and gave a gentle knock.

But just as she did, the door cracked open, catching her off guard and making her flinch back, startled by the sound of the door creaking. “That’s strange; my mother and aunt never leave the front door open,” she thought as she lifted her head to peek inside. Due to her emotional state, it never occurred to her that something was amiss until she saw a glimpse of broken glass inside.

Her jaw dropped as worry began to creep in, and she lunged through the doorway to find herself in what could only be described as a crime scene.

Inside the house was a complete mess. Glass from broken pictures and flower vases lay on the floor, and what looked like bullet holes sat in the white walls, with a large red stain ominously spread over them. Flowers and broken pottery were strewn across the couch, and the coffee table was broken clean in two.

“My mother! Where’s my mother? Mom!” Fluttershy cried out, stepping through the field of sharp glass as she tread over to the other side of the couch. But before she could look, something stopped her in her tracks. Almost as if an invisible force field created by her own emotions brought her to a halt, a chill ran down her spine.

“Mother,” she mumbled in a cold tone as she tried to brace herself for whatever was on the other side of the couch. A reality she didn’t want to face would be staring her dead in the eye if she so much as glanced from here. She should just turn away now, she thought. Turn away and pretend this wasn’t happening—that it was all a dream, no, a nightmare. A nightmare, yes, it was just a nightmare; I’m probably at home right now asleep,” she told herself, hoping to calm her rapidly beating heart. Soon, she began gasping for air, her lungs making it increasingly hard to breathe as her anxiety bubbled up to the surface.

“Breathe, damn it,” she cursed at herself. "A panic attack won’t help you right now," she yelled at herself as she clutched her chest. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Thank goodness she did, since a strange, pungent yet familiar scent crossed her nostrils.

She sniffed it a few times, trying to remain calm. “Wine,” she mumbled as she flashed back to her childhood. There wasn’t a day she could remember when her mother and aunt didn’t share at least one cup at night together. She recalled the one time she almost took a glass for herself at the age of eight, and her aunt stopped her.

“No, no, Fluttershy, that is a very adult drink, silly,” she smiled, holding a glass in her hand.

“Yeah, Fluttershy, here I got you some lemonade instead, kiddie,” her mother had said, pouring her a glass.

“Adult drink? What does that mean?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Oh, well, you see, it makes you dumber, and because of that, only adults who are big enough to fight off the dumb-dumbs can drink it,” her mother said, handing her a fruity lemonade instead. “When you’re older and become super smart, I’ll share a glass with you, alright, my big girl?” she smiled, showing off her fangs.

Her mother always had fangs and often refused to show them to anyone but her. Seeing them made her childhood self feel special and happy.

The warm feeling carried through her today, calming her mind. “Mom,” she let a tear drop over her chin. “I still haven’t had that glass with you yet,” she whispered to herself, reeling from the memory. The remorse she felt knowing she had tasted adult drinks without ever telling her mother about them or sharing one with her yet was overwhelming. It was a mix of emotions—remorse, longing, but most of all, relief. Why? Because she smelled her mother’s favorite red wine, not the scent of blood.

With this newfound mix of emotions, she turned and looked over the couch, finding a broken bottle and glass in a red pool, confirming Fluttershy’s suspicions about what was on the walls.

Her eyes moved from the red pool and trailed upward to find a crumpled piece of paper.

She cautiously picked it up and unrolled it, hoping to figure out just what was going on. The paper held several receipts—one from a tailor, one from a car dealer, and one for a motel called “Out Stars.”

“Out Stars? That’s not far away,” she bit her bottom lip and tried to think for a moment. Rising from the ground, a whole group of ideas ran through her mind. “Perhaps I should call the cops, or my aunt, or… or perhaps this was a silly accident and she’s at the motel,” she said, feeling hopeful. “Yes, that’s it! I’ll go to the motel and find her, and she’ll tell me how she made this silly mess, and we’ll laugh about it over a drink of wine.” She giggled to herself, trying to cope with reality as best she could, as she headed out the door, leaving the mess behind.

Fluttershy walked along outside the motel. It was clearly an older building, and a dirty one at that. The chipped and cracked wood of the structure, coupled with the pungent smell of piss, left the place looking anything but friendly. Fluttershy nearly gagged as she passed by. The sounds of cars and the smell of old gasoline didn’t help her keep her stomach down. Luckily, she hadn’t had much to eat that morning; otherwise, she surely would have barfed it up by now.

She stumbled a few steps, swaying slightly as she pulled out the receipt from before. She was going to lean against the wall, but decided against it when she saw how grimy and gross it was. She wasn’t a clean freak like her friend Rarity, but this place did leave an unsanitary impression that she wanted no part of. She glanced at the number on the receipt: “Room Thirteen.” “Huh,” she mumbled as she checked the door numbers. “Ten, eleven… Thirteen must be,” she questioned as she walked around the corner, finally finding the door she was hoping for.

As she approached, she could hear the sound of running water. “Someone has to be in there,” she thought before she gave the door a few taps, serving as a knock.

With that, she heard a groan coming from inside, confirming someone was in there at the very least. She knocked on the door louder in hopes of getting their attention.

“Oh great,” growled a deep, crackly voice from inside. Fluttershy stepped back just in time as the door flew open, revealing a large man in a towel, full of sweat and water droplets that dripped from his long, black, greasy hair.

Fluttershy’s face flushed brightly as she came face to face with the man’s bare chest, inches from her nose, giving her a scent of his body—a mix of sweat, fresh steam, and cologne that nearly made her faint at the sight of a thin but slightly toned naked chest in front of her.

She leaped back, hoping to block out the memory of it, as she tried to recollect herself and get right to the point. “Uh, sorry sir, but I am looking for my mother. Do you know—”

“Well, well, well,” a familiar smooth voice made her eyes shoot wide. “No, no, no, it couldn’t be,” she whispered as she prepared to look at the man in the towel again.

With his teeth bared, it was easy to see one larger tooth shaped like a fang from his upper lip. His fiery ruby eyes fixated on her, and an unsettling grin crossed his face as he raised one hand and knelt on the door frame.

“ I don’t have that kind of money on me. But you can tell your boss I’m thankful for his offer,” he said, squinting his eyes specifically at Fluttershy’s chest. “Unless you’re paid for,” he finished with a lick of his lips and a wiggle of his eyebrow.

The sudden seductiveness of his voice made her shiver, and not in a good way. But to both her and his surprise, it wasn’t fear that welled up in her but rage. She didn’t even think about what she was doing when she suddenly raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

There was little more than a bee sting from her slap. It wasn’t the pain that left him in complete and utter shock. His jaw dropped, his eyes wide, but it was just the fact that she slapped him that had him so perplexed. “Who in the world is she…” he mentally growled as he raised his gaze to look at her face. In that fleeting moment, he saw her determination. “It’s you,” he mouthed as she yelled back,

“Not on your life, asshole,” she replied with a groan of her own. If it were anyone else, that stare, that look in her eye, would frighten anyone; anyone but him. Instead, it brought an amused smile to his face, as he enjoyed the incoming chaos, only for it to come to an abrupt end the moment her hair hid her eyes again.

“Uhhh—I mean…” she stumbled back, tripping over the curb and falling flat on her butt.

A different kind of chaos, then. The one he was expecting, that was for sure. His lip curled and his scrunched nose showed his confusion at the moment. “Is this really the same girl?” he thought as he watched her shiver on the ground.

“What am I doing? What did I just do? It’s him! How in the world is it him?” she questioned over and over again in her mind as she stumbled to her feet, ignoring whatever liquid she sat in, staining the bottom of her pants.

“L-look, I, uh—” she stuttered, trying to regain her composure and failing to do so, until his creakily gruff voice brought her scrambled mind back into focus on him.

“What do you want?”

She turned to see who was standing there, gloating in the sunlight due to his damp body. But she ignored it and got right to the point. “My mother apparently paid for this hotel room, and I find you in it. Do you know Luna Star? Is she—” Fluttershy’s lips momentarily quivered. “In there with you?”

The man’s eyes shot wide at the mention of the name. “W-wait, you’re—” he raised his finger toward her. Suddenly, a convincingly evil laugh erupted from his throat, shaking his entire form in front of her. “You’re that bitch’s daughter,” he said between laughs as he banged on the door side.

“She’s not a bitch!” Fluttershy yelled back, showing her rage once more. “And she’s missing! I’m looking for her.”

“Missing?” he gasped, before readjusting his stance to his full intimidating height, ending his laughter abruptly. “Oh, that’s not good. Come on in, close the door,” he ordered, nodding his head for her to come inside after him.

Fluttershy momentarily flinched at his request, but knowing it was her only chance, she saw no other option but to follow him.

…

Inside the building was just as disgusting as outside. The white walls were now a musty yellow, and the dark red velvet drapes looked anything but comforting. The cracks along the wall and the cockroaches in the corner were anything but sanitary. A bed sat in the middle of the room, untouched by the look of it. Yet Fluttershy could tell she would rather not pull back the blankets and sleep there. An old TV sat chained to a TV stand, alongside a VHS tape and a list of movies she would rather not know the names of. An old dresser served as a nightstand, and on top of it, a duffle bag and a suitcase were the only nice things in the entire room.

Discord retreated to the bathroom, pulling a woman out by her hair.

“Hey,” she groaned as he tossed her onto the floor.

She was half-wrapped in a towel.

“Get dressed and get out!” Discord told her as he walked past and turned off the shower.

“Not without my money,” she replied as she grabbed a very thin jacket that did little to hide her large cleavage. Discord snatched his wallet from the bedside table and pulled out a few dollars.

Once the woman had her pants back on, she took the cash and counted it quickly. “This is only half,” she moaned. “We agreed on a hundred.”

“Half the time, half the pay,” Discord snorted. “Thank you for your services,” he mischievously smirked before grabbing her by the hair again and tossing her out the door.

“Hey, my jacket!” she yelled back. He grabbed a blue hoodie from the back of the room and threw it at her face before slamming the door shut.

He turned back, realizing he was still in his towel, and rolled his eyes. “It’s going to be a long day,” he groaned, mostly to himself in a bitter tone, as he turned his back to her and grabbed his underwear.

Fluttershy darted her eyes away, just as the towel slipped below his waist, her face burning hot as she covered her eyes.

Once he buttoned the last of his shirt, a passing glance was all he gave her. “You can look now,” he muttered before stepping back into the bathroom and looking at himself in the mirror.

Fluttershy peeked out and saw the man now dressed in the exact same clothes she remembered him wearing the night before. She watched as he slipped on his purple tie, contrasting with his orange pants and matching orange jacket, which he threw over his white polo shirt. He fixed himself up, pulling his messy hair back over his head with his hand. “Alright, let’s start with names. I’m Discord Grogar, and you?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Fluttershy Breeze. Tell me, what do you know about Luna Star?”

“Your mother? I can’t believe she actually had a child,” he gagged before walking out and fetching his hat. His cold gaze locked onto her for a moment, and Fluttershy retreated back under her hair, wondering if he recognized her from before. If he did, he didn’t show it. Instead, he placed his hat on, shading his eyes from her completely.

“My apologies,” he said, changing his tone. It shifted back to the smooth one she had met that very night at the club. “I should be more careful with my word choice,” he said, lowering his body a few inches before standing back up. “Forgive me, Luna and I were never really on friendly terms,” his lips curved into a frown. “But I didn’t think she was in that kind of danger.”

With his statement and sudden shift to a serious tone, Fluttershy could only feel her muscles tighten. He invited her to sit down with a gesture to the bed as he pulled on two celeste purple gloves. “What do you know of the Fangs?”

“You mean that weird club?” she mumbled as she cautiously sat on the bed, her face scrunching at the gross creaking sound it made.

Discord shrugged as he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a box from the top drawer. “I’m not surprised you think that way,” he said, with a slow beat to his words. Gone was the off-putting man she had just met a moment ago. Now stood an entirely different entity. “Most think the Fangs are just a silly club full of street thugs, and on the outside,” he shrugged his shoulders. “They’re not wrong... But,” he raised something from the box, “on the inside, the Fangs are one of the most notorious gangs in the world. That and the richest and wealthiest.” He turned to her with a pistol in his hand.

Fluttershy shrank back at the sight of the black metal object, but he only placed it in a holster on his back and pulled his jacket over it. “Your mother has some type of contract with its leader—one she wanted out of,” he said as he pulled out a pair of socks and put on a pair of black shiny, pointy dress shoes. After getting them on, he shook off the dust from them before continuing. “I was once in charge of said gang. She came to me, freeing me from prison in hopes I’d be able to get her out of whatever deal she made. However,” he raised his head to the shy girl, “she refused to go into too much detail about what said deal was until she had proof I was reliable. So I did a little job for her and got some intel that wasn’t really helpful. We agreed on dinner tonight; I was supposed to meet your mother for a meal and re-discuss our deal, but...” Fluttershy couldn't meet his eyes as he calmly spoke, as if this were just an everyday topic of conversation. “It seems he got to her. I shouldn't have left her alone, but she insisted I didn’t go home with her.”

“He—who’s he?” aske fluttersh.

“Tirek von Horns,” an old associate of mine who took over when I went to prison. I am more than certain he is behind this and probably had one of the Fangs kidnap her in order to get her to comply with whatever it is he wants.

“And you, what is it that you want?” asked Fluttershy, barely audible. Her body shivered for a moment, but she tightened her grip on her arm in hopes it would stop.

“Simple, really,” his lips curled back into a playful grin. “I want my power back. I’m planning to go toe-to-toe with Tirek and whatever he has in store. You see,” he raised a gloved finger, “I am, in fact, the holder of the banks. If I say so, I can cut him off, but…” he flattened his hand. “Tirek will come after me. I’m certain by now that Sombra has told him of my release.” Storming near, Discord sat there for a moment quietly, then added, “I don’t know what he wants with your mother, but I’ll figure it out. It seems he doesn’t know about you, or he’d already have you, so,” Discord shrugged, “stay out of it and leave it to me.”

“No,” Fluttershy shook her head. “I can’t do that. She’s my mother.” She sniffled in distress. “Please, Discord, I need to find her. I need—”

“You need to stay safe. That, I’m pretty sure, is what your mother would have wanted.” He chuckled sinisterly. “This is your last chance.” He raised his head just enough for his blood-red eye to peek out of the shadow from his hat.

Fluttershy felt her entire body shiver under his piercing gaze, but as he held up his hand, clearly inviting her into the shadows, she stared at it, remembering how far she had come already.

The determined, confident woman who lived without fear and smiled a genuine grin—she saw her reflection in the mirror. Along with the comforting words of Rarity playing in her mind.

“You’re just shy, that’s all. Look, the next guy that catches your eye, all you have to do is not let your fears get in the way. Got it?”

“Though it was indeed boy advice, it was life advice too. Her mother was now in danger, and all she had to do was take his hand and become that lady once more in order to save her. She couldn’t sit and shiver and roll up into a ball this time. She had to do whatever it took, and without hesitation, she placed her hand into his leather glove again. The same figure who had once shown her a glimpse of this life would bring her fully into it.

And so, as he shook her hand, he pulled her to her feet and gave a resolute nod before he began leading her out the door.