Brilliant

by Undeniable Paradox

Rating: everyone
Tags: Fleur de Lis, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Other
Length: 962

There's more to Fleur de Lis than you know.

Florentine Flower was never a pony for beauty: she would much rather absorb herself in studies than in frivolous things such as pageants. But when a high-class talent agent tells her she's "gorgeous and has a model-like figure", Florentine is too shocked to refuse his offer to attend the Beauty, Cosmetics, and Modeling Academy, all the way in Canterlot. Her parents are overjoyed and encourage her to stay with it, even though she was planning on attending Stallionford: a great achievement for anypony in Mareyanna. Instead of explaining her own needs, she gives in and allows herself to become a pupil at the academy. She is sure that she will fail and be allowed to continue her studies. However, after one week, she easily passes all her modeling classes, in which all she had to do was walk, stand there, flip her hair a few times, and walk back. Florentine is considered "magnificent" and is immediately assigned to a modeling coach who wants to change her name, her friends, and her true love: Smart Alec, and never asks her opinion on anything, even if Florentine were to say anything. What will Florentine choose: pleasing her parents and living a glamorous celebrity life, or speak up and stay the way she has always been: brilliant?

Published 2012-12-12 22:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-12 22:50:02 UTC

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Florentine Flower anxiously awaited the arrival of Thunderclap. The yellow pegasus with a night blue spiky mane and a lightning cutie mark was her partner, and she desperately needed this assignment's top-mark to complete the "500 Assignments Perfected" part of getting into the Stallionford Elite group. After 20 minutes, she realized he wouldn't show up, and so she began the project alone. A pink cloud arose around "Substance A" and magically poured it into the vial marked "Substance B". A green mushroom cloud of smoke puffed out and dissolved into the atmosphere. Another pink cloud came up around the vial and poured it into the pot marked "Test Subject". The lily arose from the plant. it curled and twisted until the vines formed a sun, the bud of the lily still closed. Florentine crushed up a blue berry she had bought from the "Herbs and Potions" shop and mixed it into the vial marked "water". She poured it into the pot and the lily bursted open: a beautiful swirl of red and pink. Just then, Thunderclap barged in.

"Excuse me for being late! Let's-," Thunderclap's glasses nearly fell off and his cheeks flushed as he saw the completed project, and Florentine smirking victoriously.

"As you can see, tardiness is not permitted without punishment," said Florentine. "You may participate in the notation activities, however," said Florentine, serious. They both stared at each other for a while, and suddenly, they both burst out laughing.

"Notations! That's a good one, Flor!" laughed Thunderclap. His laugh was like thunder: booming and deep.

"I've had practice," smiled Florentine. "Anyway, since I did the project, you still do have to take the notes."

"Aw, come on!" moaned Thunderclap. "I guess that's what I get for running into Pinkie Pie on the way over here. Besides, I would have done it anyway on this very special day. What is it- your 500th Perfected Assignment? You know what that means?" sang Thunderclap.

"Stallionford Elites!" screamed Florentine. Ever since she was a little filly, she had dreamed of getting into the Stallionford Elite group, and now it was going to come true.

"You know, we're going to miss you here at Mareyanna," Thunderclap whispered. "Are you sure you don't want to-"

"No!" yelled Florentine. "I mean... what I want to say is, I don't have time for frivolous things such as... romance," said Florentine. "Stallionford will give me all I need. Just you wait.

Thunderclap sighed. "All right. You can't say no forever, Florentine. Even geniuses need to expand a little." Florentine sat down on the red stool by the sun-lily, while Thunderclap took notes. A barrier of awkward silence surrounded them. When Thunderclap finished, he looked Florentine square in the eye.

"I love you, Florentine. When your high and mighty in the Stallionford Elite group, don't forget about me," Thunderclap said carefully.

"Goodbye," Florentine said coldly. She didn't mean for it to sound the way it did, but it did, and she felt horrible. But he knew better than asking her the same question already he had thirty-seven times before. She and Thunderclap had been best friends since diaper days. Why couldn't things just stay the way they had been? Florentine laid her head down on the table. She watched as the potion's effects diminished. The bud closed, and then recoiled back into a seed. All that was left of the once beautiful flower was a clay pot. She reached over and read the notes Thunderclap had taken. At the foot of the drawing was a heart. In the heart was a portrait of Florentine. A small tear rolled down her cheek and splattered onto the notebook paper, smearing the ink of her portrait. Florentine dug her hooves into her mane and shagged it, something she often did when nervous. Why couldn't I have said yes? What do I have against romance? And then she remembered: The Stallionford Elites. To stay focused, she had to have no distractions. Thunderclap had barely passed her "necessary eliminations" list. On the list had included her "side friends," any kind of relationship (family not included), vacations, field trips, and field days. Often Florentine asked herself whether this was the right choice or not. Today, she once again puzzled over the concept. A ramming on the door came so suddenly Florentine almost fell over.

The door abruptly whizzed opened, and in the doorway stood a tall, snow-white female unicorn with a mint-green mane. She had a long, pointed horn with a twisted design, and wore a facial expression that said, "I'm better than you". The unicorn stood in the doorway for one second more, and then broke into a chilly smile.

"Darling! It's dinner time, sweetheart!" said the unicorn.

"Yes, mother," Florentine smiled weakly. The dentist, also known as Minty Fresh, led the way to their house.

***

The next day, Florentine was out and about, walking through the Mareyanna's Market Mania, known more commonly as the MMM. She decided to stop at her favorite smoothie place, called Smoothie Universal. She ordered her favorite, Galaxy Grape, and sat outside on the patio. When she dipped down to slurp her smoothie, her crimson glasses slipped off her snout. She was enjoying it too much to care, and continued drinking. She was about halfway through when a short, mocha-colored pegasus with a bowler's cap that said "press" scrambled up to her. He stood there and panted for a while. Finally, he spoke with a stutter.

"Wow, I mean... wow. Your the most beautiful unicorn.... or the most beautiful anything, more like, I've ever seen," he said, breathless.

Author's Note

This is my first ever fanfic, and I really hope its not considered "horrible". Thanks for at least checking it out :twilightsmile: