//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Many years later... // Story: Queen of Evil and Princess of Kindness // by kurusagi16 //------------------------------// Many years later... Princess Fluttershy awoke to the bright morning sunlight that shined in from her bedroom window. It's rays moving across her walls, illuminating the room with a pale green glow, reflecting off the wallpaper. Her deep teal eyes fluttered open and she let out a long, soft yawn, stretching her limbs and sitting up on her canopy bed. A couple of birds perched at her window, tweeted sweetly. Fluttershy smiled at them. "Oh, good morning!" said Fluttershy. Slipping out of bed, the buttercream Pegasus went to the window and fed the birds some seeds she kept under her window for any feathered friends that decided to drop by. Fluttershy adored any creature great or small, and if one should happen to drop by, she'd happily great and befriend them. It seemed like so long since she lasted had any furried or feathered visitors. "There you go!" she said. The birds chirped their thanks and pecked hungrily from her hoof. "You must be very hungry, after all it's a long journey here from the rest of the kingdoms. Or at least that's what mother says." The birds chirped inn agreement. There was a loud knock on the door that made Fluttershy jump in surprise. "Oh dear! You better fly off now. go!" said Fluttershy, shooing the birds. "Come in!" she called to whoever stood outside. The door opened to reveal a servant in a dark colored uniform. "Princess," he said. "The queen wishes to see you for breakfast." "I'll be right there." said Fluttershy. As the door closed, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, if he had seen her with the birds, he would've no doubt reported it to her mother. Her mother didn't approve of a lot of the things she did. Like cavorting with woodland critters, or showing kindness to the servants. So she'd ordered her servants to report to her if they should catch the princess doing any of these things. Not wanting to be late to breakfast, Fluttershy slipped into a simple dark emerald dress, brushed out her pale pink mane and set her silver tiara on her head as quickly as she could. The castle as always was dimly lit and full of tall creeping shadows. Shadows that always seemed to be reaching out toward Fluttershy to snatch her up and pull her in. Fluttershy closed her eyes and tried to ignore them, continuing toward the dining table. She glided down the long, spiral staircase and entered the dining hall. The servants, in their dark uniforms silently went about their business, forbidden to speak unless spoken to. "Good morning!" Fluttershy said brightly. Her mother, Queen Melodia, sat in her high backed chair at the end of the long table. Her black, spiked crown nestled in her red-violet mane. She didn't return the friendly greeting, retaining her serious and cold demeanor. Fluttershy lowered her head as she made her way to the seat at her mother's side. Ever since she was born, Queen Melodia had frowned upon her daughter's kind and gentle nature. 'No doubt inherited from that father of yours.' she had said. Before she was banished, the queen had married a handsome stallion named Drake. Each day, King Drake wished that his wife would abandon her dark ways and return to being the mare he knew and loved. He loved Fluttershy just as dearly and taught her the value of showing kindness and consideration for others. Shielding her from any sadness or loneliness that dared to take root in her young heart. Unfortunately, he'd passed away from a horrible sickness that held no cure. Since then, Fluttershy would find herself crying softly to herself some nights, wanting her father to return to her. To tell her that everything would right itself out. No pony, other than her mother, dared speak to her (for fear that she was just as bad as the queen), leaving her with no pony but herself (and an occasional critter) to comfort her. The queen felt no sadness for her husband's passing, declaring that she and her daughter were better off without that fool. With him gone, Queen Melodia began to push Fluttershy into her studies. So that she could one day fulfill her destiny. Fluttershy sat down and quietly at the table and ate her blackberry pancakes, her mother's hard gaze locked on her. "Have you been working hard on your studies?" asked Queen Melodia. Fluttershy gulped. "Y-yes, mother." Fluttershy lied. Queen Melodia had been trying to train her daughter in the ways of being an evil queen and the art of black magic, for like her mother, she too had been born with magic. 'You'll need to hone your abilities if you're to one day rule over all ponykind.' she'd said. But in truth, Fluttershy had no interest in evil or anything like that. But at the same time, she didn't want to disappoint her mother. "Recite the qualities of an evil queen." said Melodia. Fluttershy straightened up in her seat and recited the words her mother had taught her ever since she was born. "An evil queen is: dishonest, disloyal, greedy, angry, and cruel." said Fluttershy. Queen Melodia nodded approvingly. "Remember them, never forget those words." she said. Fluttershy nodded. These traits, according to her mother, would make her just as strong and powerful as her. But silently and secretly, Fluttershy would think to herself, 'I don't want to be you mother.' The last thing on the poor princess' mind was hurting other ponies, but there was little she could say or do to make her mother say otherwise. "After breakfast, we'll begin your next level of magic training in the library." said Melodia. Fluttershy felt her stomach churn at the thought of black magic. It had always scared her since she was a filly, but she couldn't tell her mother. Instead, she did everything she could to please her mother. Even if it was scary and made her feel even more miserable. In the musty library, Queen Melodia began the lesson by showing her daughter how to invoke the magic from within herself. "For this lesson, you shall use your magic to destroy." said the queen. Melodia closed her eyes and concentrated, her red-violet mane flowing as the black magic began to flow through her, lifting her off the ground. Her sea-green eyes opened, flashing with a harsh fire behind her pupils. Her irises glowed as she cast a spell on a nearby vase, causing it to shatter. "Now you." said Queen Melodia. Fluttershy stood glued to the spot, afraid to try and call upon such fearsome power as her mother had. Taking steady breaths, Fluttershy concentrated as best as she could, only able to lift an inch off the ground. She landed back down, her mother looking at her with disappointment. "Pitiful." said the queen. Fluttershy looked down at the floor. 'Why can't I do anything right?' Fluttershy asked herself. No matter what she did, she'd never be able to do anything right, and would never meet up to her mother's expectations. "I'm sorry mother." said Fluttershy. Before the queen could lecture her, there was a loud squawk. The two pegasi looked up toward the ceiling, where they saw a fiery bird, a phoenix, circling the air. It swooped low and dropped a crisp white letter before flying out the high library window. Fluttershy watched the bird with amazement while her mother examined the letter. "A letter from Canterlot castle." said Melodia with narrowed eyes. Fluttershy looked at the letter with great curiosity. They never got any letters, and to get one from Canterlot was certainly curious. "What does it say?" asked Fluttershy. The queen's eyes scanned over the letter as she read it aloud. Dear Queen Melodia, It's been a long time since last we spoke. I hope you are fairing well. I've written to you to offer a chance to give your daughter a chance to learn how to be a great and noble ruler at a special school for princesses. Me and my sister have created the school in the hopes of better teaching the royal families of Equestria. I hope you will allow your daughter the chance of not only learning to better help ponykind, but also to make friends, something you had great difficulty with in your youth. I await your reply tonight, and shall send a carriage to pick up your daughter if you do decide to let her go. Sincerely- Queen Celestia "A school...for princesses?" said Fluttershy. The idea of her going to school with other ponies was both thrilling and terrifying. She'd rarely met anypony outside the castle, and only spoke to the servants (though they hardly replied) and her mother. Not only that, but this was a message from Queen Celestia. Her mother's old teacher and nemesis. The pony who banished her to her own kingdom for all these years and was now asking for her daughter to attend her school. She looked at her mother expectantly to see what her answer would be. A small smile crept onto the queen's face. "This, my dear daughter, is exactly what we've been waiting for." she said. Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. "It is?" said Fluttershy. Her mother's eyes gleamed as a plan started to form in her mind. No doubt that whatever it was, it wasn't very pleasant. "You will go to this school and once there, you'll find a way to free me from this cursed barrier. Then, together as mother and daughter, we shall rule over the pitiful ponies." Fluttershy said nothing, not wanting to get her mother angry at her. It was an interesting thought, but it seemed...risky. Not to mention impossible! How in Equestria could she lift a barrier casted by two alicorns? She could barely handle the simplest of her mother's basic black magic spells. "Come with me my darling." said Queen Melodia, leading her daughter to the throne room. She shooed any straggling servants who were dusting so that she could speak to Fluttershy privately. "I've waited patiently all these long years for a chance like this. You have been slowly progressing in your studies, something that until now I've let slide. Now however, my dear Fluttershy, you need to stand firmly and start acting like the evil queen you are meant to be." Fluttershy slouched, avoiding looking at her mother's face. The queen faced her. "Promise me, that no matter what, you will do everything in your power to not only free me, but to seize you're rightful place as the ruler of all Equestria." said her mother in a serious tone. Fluttershy looked up at her mother's face then back at her own hooves. "I-I promise mother." Fluttershy said quietly. Queen Melodia smiled. "Good. Now, we must prepare for your departure. There is much to do." Fluttershy knew she had to keep her promise, but at the same time, she hoped that somehow at this school she would find an answer to a question that plagued her mind. Should she follow her mother's teachings and be the new Queen of Evil, or be her gentle self.