THE ANGEL IN RED

Inkquill

Act I, Scene VI

After a bit of exploration, with Butterscotch having taken a few wrong turns, his nose eventually led him towards the occupied dining room where a fresh and tantalizingly delicious smelling assortment of breakfast cuisines. He could feel his stomach growling as he eyed the table as Archibald set down a fresh tray of sesame seed bagels, not even noticing the eyes that were on him.

“Oh Butterscotch, you’ve arrived.” Eris said in her velvety voice, bringing the stallion back to reality.

“You had us a bit worried.” She chuckled playfully. “You were asleep so long, I was starting to worry that we’d have to bring back from the grave.”

Butterscotch couldn’t help but laugh at that, even if he was a bit flustered by it. “Oh no, no need for that I assure you.” He replied with a friendly chuckle. “Just… had a bit of rough night…”

Both Dusk and Barbara exchanged knowing glances and let a silent sigh pass between them. ‘Nightmares again’, they said silently to each other.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear,” Eris said with an honest voice. “But please… please come eat. Everything is fresh and waiting for your consumption.”

Butterscotch nodded and thanked her, taking the nearest available seat, which just so happened to be next to the generous noble mare.

Happily he served himself a decent sized helping of sesame seed bagels, buttered toast, eggs and piping hot green tea, forming a well balanced breakfast if he did say himself. Putting a bit of the egg on the toast he brought it to his lips and bit down, letting the flavor wash over his tongue; it was absolutely scrumptious!

She smiled and bat her eyes, leaning over the table and propping herself up on her shoulders as she toyed with a spoon. “I’m glad you like it. Archibald is quite the cook.”

Butterscotch looked down at her empty plate curiously. “Aren’t you going to have any?” He asked politely.

She shook her head, “No, don’t worry about me.” She replied. “I ate a little earlier… also had a bit of a midnight snack last night… besides… I’m trying to save my appetite for something extra special. But please, eat up, don’t want any of this to go to waste no do we?”

“You know Eris,” Dusk Shine interjected. “This house is quite spectacular. The architecture is exquisite. I mean the crown molding and carpentry, for a old villa this is quite the splendid retreat from home.”

“Ah well, yes, indeed, quite splendid.” Said Eris, barely even making eye contact with Dusk, causing Barbara to raise an eyebrow.

Dusk glanced towards Barbara looking a bit confused, looking back and forth between the dragoness and the mare before he continued. “Y-yyess…. Well, I was wondering, do you have a library? I’d love to get some reading in for the day if you don’t mind?”

“Oh yes, of course,” replied Eris. “Down the hall and it’s the third door down. You can’t miss it.”

“I’ll be down by the lake…” Barbara added as she finished her meal and hopped out of her seat. “I need some fresh air. You want to come with me Butterscotch?”

At first Butterscotch wanted to instantly to say yes, to go down to lakeside and enjoy the crisp morning, but before he could open his mouth to reply, a sudden urge fell over him to stay inside, practically keeping him planted in his seat. “Um… no, no you go on ahead Barb.” He said apologetically. “I’m just going to… kick back and relax a little inside.”

Barbara and Dusk looked at Butterscotch curiously, both feeling very surprised that the Pegasus stallion would turn down an opportunity to go out and enjoy nature.

“Really?” Barbara asked in disbelief. “You alright Butters? This is a little unlike you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Butterscotch reassured. “I just… need to rest a little. Still a little sleepy.”

The two companions looked to each other, almost wishfully hoping that the other had some kind of explanation to the stallion’s uncharacteristic behavior, but they could read in each others eyes rather bluntly that neight of them had such information.

“Well… alright then.” Barbara replied finally as she and Dusk slowly made towards the door. “I suppose I’ll see you around then?”

“Yeah! Yes, of course,” said Butterscotch. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Don’t worry,” Eris interjected as the Unicorn stallion and dragoness departed. “I’ll make sure he’ll have plenty of company.”

There was something in how she said that not only rubbed the already uneased Barbara wrong, but now even Dusk was beginning to pick up on the noble mare’s strange tone.

“That’s what worries me…” Barbara said under her breath as she exited the room, leaving Butterscotch alone with their mysterious hostess.

There was an awkward silence that gripped the room as they left, with Eris just a few feet away and still toying with the silverware, her eyes more then often wandering over to Butterscotch and accompanied by her signature soft yet perplexed smile that hadn't failed yet to cause the stallion’s cheeks to flush with color.

Butterscotch meanwhile tried his best to not make eye contact, almost forcefully darting his eyes around the dining room trying to find something to captivate himself with to distract himself from the mare’s heated gaze.

“My dearest Butterscotch, do you have a fever?” Eris inquired. “You're turning red, and is that sweat on your brow? I do hope you're not falling ill?”

Turning his head to face her, he found his lips had seemingly gone dry as he tried to come up with an explanation from his vermilion coloration.

“Oh! No no! I’m alright, no need to worry.” He said with a nervous chuckle before letting his mild laughter die, letting a sigh escape his lips.

She looked at him with a confused and curious expression. “Oh? Yes, of course my dear? Does something trouble you?”

“Well… yes and no.” He said finally. “I just… oh never mind it. It’s probably just in my head. I’m probably still shaken up from last night.”

Eris looked at him with understanding. “Of course my dear,” she said. “I do hope your not to shaken up to enjoy the day?”

“Oh, I’ll… I’ll be fine. Just need some hot tea and I’ll be right as rain.” Butterscotch reassured, reaching over to his cup and sipping at the freshly brewed concoction. He let the flavor settle on his taste buds for a moment before swallowing it down, but as he finished it off, he felt the call of nature signal to his body it was time to seek out the nearest laboratory.

“Oh um, Eris? Where was the restroom again?” He asked as politely as possible.

She simply smiled and said, “Down the hall and take a right. It will be the second to last door.” And with that, she rose from her seat and bowed her head. “You’ll have to excuse me also, there is something that I must attend to. I’ll come find you afterwards.”

Softly, Butterscotch smiled and gave her a nod, hopping off his seat and heading down the hall as she had directed.

After he had finished relieving himself and washed his hooves accordingly, he made his way back towards the dining hall in search of Eris, however, as he came to large eating area he found her to be nowhere to be seen. But never the matter, she did say she’d come find him once she was done with… well whatever it was she said she had to attend too.

Letting his inquisitive side get the better of him, he left the dining hall and proceeded to casually stroll down the hallway, his hooves clicking against the hard, dark wood floor as he observed the architecture. The ceiling was rather high, which would easily allow any Pegasus a comfortable amount of air space to get around in; with brace paneling decorating it, allowing with floral crown molding that had even been painted to resemble vibrant spring blooms.

However, as he neared the end of the hallway, he was greeted by a large doorway to his right that had been left partially open. He could feel a cool breeze blowing in through the cracked door; perhaps somepony had left a window open?

Raising his hoof, he placed it on the door side and pushed it open, revealing inside a large parlor room. Stepping inside he was greeted with a wondrous scene; all around the room where brilliant tapestries, statues, buttresses and paintings that, due to his work along side Dusk and Barbara, noted that they were of medieval fashion, possibly 15th or 14th century. However, his attention was diverted as another cold breeze bathed over his muzzle; his eyes darting to an open window and the far side of room.

Trotting over to the window, he promptly closed it and turned the latch to lock it down. “Wonder who left that open.” He said to himself as he stood back; his attention slowly turning to his other surroundings.

About the room he could see much more clearly the medieval art pieces that he had glimpsed as he had entered. Despite their brilliance and master craftsmanship, they seemed to be worn, with many of the once vivid colors faded into duller hues, but no doubt he’d suspect Dusk would have a field day here.

As he when about the room curiously investigating each piece and taking note of their details, he came across a large oil painting that had been hung over the mantelpiece. Unlike the rest, which seemed to have gathered a great deal of dust; subsequently losing their luster, this piece was well kept and still shown with vibrant color as if it had been painted yesterday. In it, it showed a single Pegasus stallion dressed in 14th century Eastern Equestrian garb posing beside a lake shore, his expression gentle but indecisive.

However that wasn’t what had caught his eye. Instead, as he gazed upon the stallion, he came to a stunning and almost frightful realization; that the stallion’s face was basically identical to his own. Almost as if he were staring into a mirror.

He felt his heart beat a little slower as he gazed on the painting as a strange sensation formed in his gut, churning with uncertainty; it was both fascinating and unsettling, like a lost memory that had faded into the back of his mind but traces of it could still be felt, nagging at his heart and consciousness.

It was like a song. A song he had forgotten so long ago in the dim recesses of his youth, that if he just… listened to… closely… enough...

“Dancing bears… painted wings.
Things I almost remember,
And a song someone sings,
Once upon a December.”

The words came without sense or reason, conveyed only on his breath as his lungs took in and expelled the air; the words and melody filling his body and flowing out like a river...

“Someone holds me safe and warm,
Ponies prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory!”

It was as if a great barrier had burst within him; an overwhelming sense of joy and power surged through him with an almost euphoric effect, the song growing within him, only to be released and given life by his soprano voice, which filled the room with an almost dream like aura.

“Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember.
Things my heart used to know,
Once upon a December.”

“Someone holds me safe and warm,
Ponies prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory!”

“Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember.
Things my heart used to know,
Things it yearns to remember…”

“Having fun?” Came a foreign voice, causing Butterscotch to jump in surprise and whirl around only to find the ruby-red eyes of Eris staring back at him from the parlor door way.

“Eris!?” Butterscotch exclaimed, feeling very embarrassed about being caught singing to himself. “Oh, um… I’m sorry, was I too loud? I just~”

“Shh…” She said, placing a hoof on his lips. “It’s okay Butterscotch. No need to be embarrassed. You sounded beautiful.”

There was pure honesty in her vermilion eyes and velvety voice that just seemed to quell the self induced panic he had felt buzzing in his chest.

“Well it is the truth my dear… I see you’ve discovered my little art collection?”

“Uh, yes well, there was a window open and i just kind of… wandered in… this is a very impressive collection you have Eris.”

“Isn’t it? I suppose I’m a bit of a collector. I just love the romanticism of the middle ages. Though a lot of this has actually been handed down through the family tree. For example, this fine piece.”

She pointed to the painting that butterscotch had been looking at before, his curiosity spiking again.

Eris sighed a little as a smile traced over her lips. “That is the Viscount Dandelion, a kind hearted and generous stallion, one of the many nobles of Tramplevania. He was… the betrothed of my great great grandmare, the Lady Erzsebet the I… however… they were never wed.”

“Yes. The Griffonic Invasion of 1437.” Where passion had once been, now Butterscotch could only hear sadness as the mare continued. “A long and terrible war between the Ponies of Tramplevania and the encroaching armies of Griffonstone under the rule of King Gavroche… they’re castle held strong against many assaults… but… eventually… well, the war claimed him before they could wed…”

Butterscotch stood there silent for a moment before he spoke. “That’s terrible…”

There was a brief silence that gripped the room as Eris stared up at the painting, as if it had a hypnotic effect on her.

“But enough of that.” She said finally, a smile returning to her soft face. “I don’t mean to sadden you with stories of the long departed.”

“Thank you… but anyway… you know for what it is, it’s pretty decent day outside,” said Eris as she offered him her hoof. “Nice a cool, why don’t we join that little Barbara friend of yours out by the lakeside?”

Butterscotch hesitated for a moment but gratefully accepted her gesture, taking her hoof in his. “I’d like that.” He said with a warm smile.

She returned his warmth and began to lead him out of the parlor. “You know Butterscotch?”

“I think this is the beginning of something quite beautiful.” She said as her ruby-eyes sparkled. “Quite beautiful indeed…”

The Angel in Red

by Inkquill

Act I, Scene VI