On a cool summers day, the city of Canterlot bustles with ponies, noises, and dragons. Carriages bounce over the uneven roads of cobblestone, banners hung from poles for the upcoming celebration sway in the breeze, foals laughter and ponies chatter is what you hear for miles.
Near a local tavern, two dragons preform tricks. One blows fire as the other catches the spark on their tail and flies in the sky to spell out 'thank you!'. As they land on the stage with bright smiles, ponies cheer and bits are thrown into the hat in front of the show.
"That was amazing!" A filly yells and claps along side their parents. One of the dragons smirk in pride, while the other flies down to pick up the filly in their arms.
"Glad you enjoyed! What's your name?" The female dragon smiles, bright blue scales sparkle in the sun as their tail swings back and forth. The dragons brother rolls his eyes with a sly smirk as he grabs the hat and walks behind the curtain.
"Babs Seeds," the filly smirks and blows her hair out of her eyes. The dragon smiles happily at the pony until her wings snap against her back and send her and the filly falling from their place in the sky. Screams erupt from around and from the two.
The filly is caught by an orange earth pony while the dragon is caught by her brother. Everypony and dragon near by looks rudely at the white unicorn whose magic still held the dragons wings shut.
She was snarling at the dragon as her magic moved from the wings and to her mane. Some gasped in shock at her appearance, some stared at her in awe, few snarled right back.
Her snarl turned to a bored expression as her mane poofed right back into place. It was an assortment of colors, very different from her usual flaunting purple. Didn't mean stallions and male dragons still didn't gawk at her, they'd say this new look only made her even more attractive.
Her mane was an assortment of green, yellow, and her usual purple. All spiked and intimidating, she had a leather jacket that was studded on the collar and sleeves, a studded bracelet sat on her left fore leg. Her tail was cut much shorter and had another studded band that made her uneven tail even more uneven. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the sun.
The dragons snarled in unison. "You could've hurt somebody, Rarity!"
Rarity rolled her eyes and walked right past them into the tavern, "That was the point, little fillies need to learn not to be entertained by you beasts, darling." She trotted into the tavern where every one had their eyes on her. The dragons taking shots, the ponies at the bar, the ponies and dragons simply talking. She rolled her eyes once again.
The old rickety tavern was the one place adults could go without their fillies, sad enough, it was the only one in town. It was ran by a family who specialized in apple this and apple that, the most profitable thing they owned was apple cider, the only real reason they had the tavern.
Rats ran across the floor in the back, fighting over something Rarity couldn't make out. The ceiling and floorboards creaked with every movement. Every corner had a dust bunny family making a couch on a spider web. The tables and stools seemed on the verge of snapping, especially under dragons and strong stallions. The jukebox in the corner had a few screws missing and it played a low static.
Ponies sat at tables enjoying the apple treats the tavern owner made, others were downing whiskey and a few dragons were seeing who could down the ale the fastest without breaking.
Rarity rolled her eyes as a familiar face approached her. A smirk sat on the pegasus' light blue coat and her rainbow mane spiked as she approached Rarity.
"Hey doll, care for a dance?" The pegasus asked, a cheeky look as she awaited her usual rejection whenever she tried to wow Rarity. Her name was Rainbow Dash, all stallions thought her a pest as she stole their girls right underneath them on their dates. The town casanova is what she was. Yet, no one hated her.
"Sorry... doll, I would buuuut saying as there is no music, I must decline," Rarity smirked and trotted past her, leaving Rainbow Dash's mouth open at the new rejection.
"Hey! We had something and your just gonna throw it away?" Rainbow Dash dashed over to Rarity, anger covering her tone. "I ask you to dance, you reject me, simple as that. Nothing different, princess."
Rainbow Dash was hovering in front of Rarity, showing off her black vest over a white shirt, a rose waiting to claim a girl for the night sat over her heart. Rarity snickered, a grin spread across her face as her magic forced Rainbow Dash on a stool at a table with a purple unicorn.
"Sorry darling, felt like something new, saying as you are ever so boring," Rarity smirked as she turned away. "Besides, if you want a princess, try the lovely Fluttershy."
Rainbow Dash scowled at all the ponies and dragons laughing at her, she snapped. "Everypony knows Fluttershy denies everyone."
Rarity ordered a wine. "That was the point darling, besides, any pony who forces anything onto her gets blown away by magic, gotta wonder who does that." Rarity's smirk insinuated that it was her protecting the Lady Fluttershy, though everypony knew Rarity wouldn't help a soul.
Rainbow Dash fumed and crossed her front hooves, she raised an eye brow at Rarity as she just stared right back. "You wouldn't happen to know who protects her, would you? I mean, she is your friend and all, but we know she isn't a witch like you."
Some were interested in the conversation between the fiends of town -maybe two were fully interested- everypony went back to what they were doing. The purple unicorn sitting across from Rainbow Dash occasionally raised her eyes from her book to witness the scene of her friend and the witch.
Once the two started bickering back and forth, she slammed her book down to catch the twos attention. Rainbow Dash stared with full attention at her friend, Rarity listened but looked away with annoyance as she took a drink.
"You two bicker like children, why not ask Fluttershy herself?" The unicorn asked and turned to Rainbow Dash. "And you're the fool for egging her on, you know Rarity is never going to stop as long as she gets under your skin."
Rainbow Dash huffed and crossed her hooves, stopping her bickering with Rarity. Twilight smiled as she returned to her book. Rarity smirked at an idea.
She stared at the purple unicorn with navy bangs, a pink and purple streak cutting through them, the violet eyes concentrated on the book, her crimson cloak wrapped tight around her. A simple pink dress sat underneath the cloak. She licked her lips and saw that Rainbow Dash was still pouting. Perfect, she thought.
"Why Rainbow Dash, I happened to notice you spend a lot of time with the scientist," Rarity sashayed over to the two and smirked playfully at Rainbow Dash who was now red. Rarity used her magic to grab the rose and she sniffed it with her eyes on Rainbow Dash. "Why isn't it you haven't handed this over to Twilight, darling? If you wanted a little help, all you had to do was ask."
Rarity placed the rose in Twilight's mane with a smirk. Then, a bucket of water appeared over Rainbow Dash and drenched her, earning a gasp from Twilight. Rainbows eyes narrowed as she growled at a cackling Rarity.
Rainbow Dash smashed Rarity into the bar, smashing through the wood and crashing into the wall of glass and alcohol. Rarity screamed as Rainbow simply trotted off. The unicorn growled and used her magic to slam Rainbow to the floor. She earned a punch to the cheek and Rainbow got a kick in the hind leg in return. Rarity squealed and growled, Rainbow Dash simply panted and growled as the two exchanged punches, kicks, bites, and magic.
The crowds cheered Rainbows name, despite her hate amongst the men in town. No one called the witches name as they fought. They lasted for about a minute or two before being separated by a red stallion and an orange mare.
Next thing the two knew, they were thrown out. The two stared at the door as it was slammed shut by an elderly green pony. The two sat in silence as they breathed and the adrenaline left their bodies.
Twilight ran out to aid Rainbow Dash, only reminding Rarity even more that she had no pony for her. She huffed as she stood up and dusted off, she summoned a hand mirror and groaned at the state her makeup was it. Her eyeliner and mascara was smeared, her blue eye shadow along with it. Blood tinted her lips, putting an off color to her black lipstick. She revolted in disgust as she summoned a wet towel to wash it all off.
"You happy with yourself, witch?" Rainbow growled as she tried to stand, only to fall miserably. Rarity felt a tinge of guilt as she turned away. She looked back and saw the state she was in. Her mane was ruffled, misaligning the colors they were in, her hind legs were covered in bruises, her shoulders and fore legs were littered in cuts from the glass. Rainbow yelped as Twilight pulled them out.
Rarity took a look at herself in the mirror, glass shards sat in her body as bruises started to form in her forelegs. A huge red hoof print on her cheek, cutting into her beautiful white coat. She sighed and started home to the woods, she needed more from the town, but first she'd find something at home to make these go away.
"Rainbow, why'd you do that?" The orange mare stepped outside, fury etched into her face. Rainbow sheepishly laughed.
The orange earth pony had golden hair and a brown cowboy hat. She wore a white shirt and brown overalls, brown boots sat on her hooves. Her emerald eyes cut into Rainbow Dash as Twilight picked glass shards out of her fur and skin with magic.
"Ow! Well... you see... um.. ow, Hey! That hurts. Anyways, she made fun of Twilight! I wasn't gonna stand for that!" Rainbow slammed her hoof down and jumped as another glass shard was pulled out of her skin. She groaned as she took a look at her hind legs, she instantly looked away and tried to cover up her disgust.
"She didn't make fun of me," Twilight said and fixed her patients mane, realigning the colors from orange, yellow, red to red, orange, yellow.
"Yes she did!" Rainbow Dash snapped, turning to Twilight, she fell and looked at the ground. "She said you'd be with somepony as low as me. That seems like making fun to me." Rainbow sulked.
Applejack sighed at the two, even if she slightly wished Twilight would correct her and say she would date someone as low as Rainbow Dash. "Look, I know that witch won't pay up for the damage, so you're gonna have ta."
Rainbows expression fell and she flew over to Applejack -well, tried to, her wing was sprained. She walked over and got down on her hind legs in front of Applejack. She put her front hooves together and begged. "Please! I'll do anything! I-I don't have that kind of money."
Applejack smirked and glared at Twilight. "Alright, you and the scientist gotta help rebuild until its fixed, but you're gonna have to pay for anything we don't have." She trotted back inside and Rainbow smiled and jumped up, just to sit back down from the pain in her hind legs.
"That means I don't have to pay for anything! The apples have everything they need to fix some bar table!" Rainbow jumped happily and hugged Twilight who blushed, but hugged her back.
Applejack smirked and poked her head out the door, "We'll need a hammer, screwdriver, and you're gonna have to pay for the next shipment." She went back inside and Rainbow Dash groaned. Twilight giggled and Rainbow Dash started laughing to.
The witch hid in the alleyway next to the tavern, her blood boiled at the scene. How desperately she wanted a friend to do that with, and Rainbow Dash got one thing she wanted? The town casanova? The town player? Rarity was shocked as to how, then she realized Twilight was her friend, Applejack was a friend of hers. Two ponies she never hit on. Rarity turned away and ran down the alleyway to the other side.
She had returned home to find she had nothing that could help her circumstance. None of her herbs she grew would be ready until next week. She had many flowers that helped make beauty potions and her makeup, but none could be used on their own to cover the bruises or the thing on her cheek. So she was forced to go back into town to find something that could help.
She mumbled hateful things about Rainbow Dash as ponies and dragons gaped at her. Some smirked as if she deserved it, some revolted at her appearance, others didn't notice. She hid her face, trying to act like it didn't hurt her, even if it did.
She was so lost in thought, that she didn't notice she walked into somepony until she did. She groaned as she sat up and saw it wasn't a pony at all, it was a dragon. She wanted to scowl, but he instantly stood up and extended his claw to her with a smile. He smiled as if she didn't have a huge mark on her cheek, or as if her forelegs weren't covered in bruises and cuts.
She swallowed and took his claw, she didn't know why but he helped her up and smiled. She was surprised by how tall he was. He seemed so young and didn't have his wings, yet he was inches taller than her.
She froze at what she saw, white sharped teeth stared back at her, green reptilian eyes stared down at her. A deep blue suit covering a white shirt sparkled in the sun as the gold chain and charm around his neck caught her eye. Purple scales with a green set of scales down his back were the creatures being. She looked at the charm and her breathe caught in her throat.
The charm was a fang in a crown in front of a fire, all seemingly gold. Only the royal dragons wore that, and the royal guards. But he looked far to young to be a royal guard, so he was the prince.
"Y-y-y-you're the prince?!" She exclaimed and he just smiled at her and chuckled. He nodded and she cowered away from him.
"Are you okay? You look hurt," The prince pointed out as she swallowed. He tilted his head, "and scared." She screamed and ran off, back to her home. She would just try tomorrow, there was no way she could talk to a real prince. Of course not. She was use to being snarky and the guards always let her get away with it because they were too scared of her, but a prince?
She'd be burned at the stake in a second if she even got close to being insensitive to the prince, much less be plain rude. She shook in her hooves as she ran through the opening into the woods at the end of town. She followed a path that went right off the trail.
Left by a big rock, right past a set of poison ivy, the set with blue paint on them, keep straight until you see a row of Poison Joke and take a sharp two rights down a set of pink flowers. She ran right to a hut in the middle of the woods, she stared at it as she caught her breath.
She looked up at the purple, pink, and blue boutique covered in plants. Poison Joke grew slightly up the left side, pink flowers sat on the roof top along with a bunch of crows. She looked at the boarded up windows and she remembered how pretty it used to be.
The pink-purple checker pattern came from the Canterlot castle, the blue and grey around the windows and on the bottom floor walls was all her genius design. The windows used to sparkled with the orange and yellow curtains. Now, they sat boarded up. The boutique got smaller as it got taller, but the genius design behind it all used to sparkle. The carousel boutique had magenta mannequins around the top floor that was a light blue with white designs. The same mannequin sat above the door on the edge of the overhang.
The door was purple with a doggy door for her cat and a diamond shaped window. The pink border seemed so dull and so did the magenta-pink lining on the bottom of the boutique.
She sighed as she opened the door and walked inside. The purple, pink, and orange design glowed through the darker colors placed over them. The edges of the three mirrors and the stage were painted dark orange, like a pumpkin. Her dressing room doors were black with a blue bat painted on them. The magenta curtains were now black with that blue bat and a new spider design alternating.
The floor was still its bright color, though it seemed to dim and the stairs to the upper floor were painted black and looked at if it wanted to crumble. The pink-purple checkered pattern was now dark purple and green. The whole boutique was a mix of black, dark orange, light blue, dark purple, and a hint of neon green. She loved it.
She sat against the stage near the three mirrors and recollected herself.
Had she just escaped certain death? Why did she let him help her up? She would've spat at a dragon or pony and got up herself. He was the prince, it was the only reasoning. Her mind recognized it before she did! Of course! That had to be the reasoning.
She smiled at her minds quick wits. If she had been disrespectful then of course she would be screaming at the top of her lungs on a burning stake. Then a thought occurred to her as her cat hissed at her from the kitchen.
Why did he, a prince, help the town witch? And why did he act as if she didn't deserve what had happened to her?
Spike watched as the town witch ran away, she was petrified. He was only confused and worried.
A red dragon with orange scales on his head that ran down his back only smirked and crossed his arms as he watched Rarity run away. He wore a blue suit -a couple shades lighter than Spikes- with the same gold charm Spike wore, except his was pinned to his suit, Spikes was a charm on a necklace.
"Great job! I know we're supposed to be 'pony friendly' but we shouldn't be friendly to some pony who hates us," Garble, the red dragon, smirked as he stood next to Spike. He was Spikes guard and friend, though he always snuck off to throw rocks at phoenixes.
Spike turned to him, confused. Then his eyes widened in understanding and he turned to see where she ran off to. "That was the witch Rarity?" He pointed in the direction he was staring. He we so confused, he couldn't believe such a beauty could be a witch.
"Yep, plucked all the phoenixes feathers before we got there, never got to chase anything for a month afterwards. She's a heathen." Garble smirked at his friend, "But you got her to run in fear! She was actually scared! Told you, you are a scary dragon."
Another dragon walked up, this one was thin and purple, he had blonde hair covering his eyes. "She's probably just scared cause he's a prince. She can't disrespect a prince, then she'd really be dead meat." Fume suggested, just for him and Garble to laugh at how petty ponies are.
"We should've told Ember not to be friends with those namby-pamby pony princesses," Garble mocked, only for him and Fume to laugh harder. Spike couldn't think, he was just worried about Rarity, the pony who had a reputation for saying she'd light up every dragon and pony in Equestria in blue fire.
He was always told she had a purple mane and wasn't... a total punk. She had a record of being a gothic beauty, sure, but she was said to be more elegant than punkish. And why was she hurt? Her forelegs were covered in bruises and cuts, her cheek had a huge red mark, and her eyes seemed so hurt. He wanted to help, he was going to be ruler, that meant he had to care for every one of his subjects, no matter how cruel.
That's how he saw it anyways, whenever it came up when he talked to Ember she lectured him on how it wasn't that way. The only way anything gets any respect is if they respect others back, rudeness shouldn't be given an easy time. Queen Ember was cruel, and only cared for those who let her. Garble and Fume were right, the only reason Rarity was even pleasant was because he was prince.
If she had a record of disrespecting the prince of dragons, then she would be burning at a stake. He sighed, that's all anypony thought of him, a prince. He wasn't a dragon who liked comic books or a dragon who disliked violence. He was a prince.
He sighed and turned away from the two laughing dragons and started to head for the dragons castle, opposite of the one for ponies. Queen Celestia had the same morals as him, yet her son made it impossible for her to use them. Her son would fit perfect as Embers kid, and Spike would fit perfect as Celestia's son.
Prince Blueblood was a charmer and had about every girl in town that was pretty in his eye. He was about as bad as that Rainbow Dash he heard about. But he also knew that Rainbow Dash was kind and ensured girls -dragons and ponies- a fun night at the tavern or wherever she found them.
Prince Blueblood only liked ponies, he never proclaimed that he hated dragons, but Spike knew he did. And he also knew that Prince Blueblood got girls too drunk to notice and he took advantage of them. At least that Rainbow Dash gave them a fun night and not a regret the next morning like Blueblood.
He stood in front of the castle for dragons. Most dragons went there for fun if they didn't take a liking to ponies, it was one thing Spike liked about Ember. She took care of dragons and ponies, as long as they respected her. The castle was a set of the dragon lands connected by a bridge that led to them. The castle was very pony like, well the castle was all of the dragon lands, but the real castle where Ember and Spike resided was very pony like and almost mirrored the ponies castle.
He took a couple of shortcuts through the mountains so he could avoid talking to any dragon, he wanted to get lost in thought. He smirked as he heard the faint echoes of his name being called by Garble and Fume who would definitely get in trouble at his expense.
Once he got to the castle, he noticed how different it was than the ponies castle. The pillars and structure was scorched and seemed made out of the rocks of the dragon lands, only to be painted over. Roses, crystal flowers, and tulips covered the tower, the closer they got to the top, the fewer there was and the vines were cut off by a fire breather who 'took care' of the plants.
He walked inside and saw the usual black and white checkered pattern of the floors. The pillars were painted black and the stairs that circled up to the second platform were a rustic hardwood. The walls were a faint purple. His mind ran to the gothic beauty that was the rumor of Rarity.
"Spike!" A familiar voice called. He looked up to see a smiling blue dragon in a dark blue dress, she had white horns that pointed downwards. Her happy expression turned to one of confusion. "Where is your guard, Garble was his name?"
"I told him I could get to the castle myself," Spike said reluctantly. He knew she would only yell at him, but he couldn't stand the idea of his friend getting in trouble because of him. Embers eyes narrowed on him and she flew down to stand in front of him. Her reptilian eyes stared daggers into Spike.
"You know not to let your guards off duty until you're here," Ember crossed her arms and Spike laughed nervously and stared up at her.
"Like anything could happen to me in the dragon lands, besides, I took the shortcuts and secret passages, no one knows of those," Spike defened himself. It was something he got used to. Ember crossed her arms and raised an eye brow.
She sighed and made a shooing motion with her claws. "Fine, fine, but don't let it happen again. Now, go get ready, we're having dinner with Celestia and Blueblood at eight." She flew off down a wing of the castle.
Spike sighed. "Great."