As long as Fluttershy was concerned, royalty was a way of life for her and her family, no matter how much of a drag it was. She had always craved for the outdoors and the freedom of making her own decisions, but such a shy, hushed pegasus knew that she could never speak her mind and do as she pleased. Fluttershy knew she had no right to complain or want anything more than what she had, as she was...or wassupposedto be, happy with being one of the few faces of her kingdom.
The expensive, over-the-top dresses, extravagant balls...and even the cartoonishly-small sizing of fancy food was a lifestyle for her family tree. She had been raised with the ideology of such a fate revolving around setting an example for the common people. After all, that's all a princess had to do: be eye candy and occasionally wave at the public.
It was all she knew; all she needed to know.
The fate of the Butterfly Kingdom had been passed down from son to son, yet with Fluttershy being the last heiress to the royal name, she was left with the kingdom being thrown upon her shoulders overnight as she came of age. She had never expected to lead the kingdom, let alone haveanypower, seeing as such a thing was a stallion's duty, but here she was, her coronation in less than a few months and her nerves on edge as a unicorn fancied up the future queen's hair for tonight.
A large, extravagant ball was being held in the castle's ballroom tonight, as the tradition had stated. Such a ball determined the future king of the kingdom if there was ever a need for one. She hated thinking about it: being married off to somepony that she barely knew. But, as the rumors went, when the lights from the Moon Goddess, Luna, fell upon the ball at midnight, the future king would be chosen. Did anyone actually believe in such a thing? Surely, it was a manipulative 'tradition' that just allowed the kingdom to choose the richest stallion for the princess.
Fluttershy was shocked out of her thoughts as the unicorn stylist roughly pulled on Fluttershy's mane, causing the pegasus to be pulled back, then released as she finished with that strand of hair. The princess shook her head slightly as it sent ringing through her ears.
"Is this really...necessary?" Fluttershy whimpered with a small, concerned frown as her hooves reached up to mess with her 'styled' hair. However, her hoof was quickly swatted away as Rarity squinted towards the mare.
"One's beauty should always be of the highest priority, darling!" Rarity claimed with a dramatic glance at herself in the mirror while fixing her mane. "What's the point of a ball if you don't show off yourself?"
Fluttershy sighed as her posture relaxed. Finally, she could sit without having to shift every few minutes at Rarity's request. Not to her surprise, Rarity had become distracted every time she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
"I don't think you -Ineed to...do this," Fluttershy mumbled in a hushed tone with her eyes darting away from Rarity's gaze in the mirror. The unicorn paused as she listened to Fluttershy's opinion with an arched brow. "You're very, very kind to help me, but I don't see the-"
Her comment was interrupted as Rarity took a large strand of Fluttershy's mane and sprayed a nice-smelling liquid on it with ease. It smelt like flowers, but the scent made Fluttershy nauseous...it was so artificial and plastic! Was this what mares wore nowadays?
Fluttershy sighed as her mouth formed into a straight line. She knew Rarity was looking out for her, as she always had, but it seemed like her opinion was overshadowed by Rarity's persistence. Why was Rarity far more excited than her? It made no sense to the future queen, asshewas the one going to lead the kingdom. Yet, she felt anything but excited for such an event.
"Now, now! We're nearly done!" Rarity purred while combing a section of the mare's mane. "You're the grand show of our ball tonight, are you not? You simplymustlook lovely!" She paused with an awkward smile. "Not that you don't already look ravishing...we just need to amplify your natural beauty!"
It was true. Fluttershy was quite the beautiful young mare, according to the countless stallions that attempted to court her. While Rarity radiated a refined, mature beauty, Fluttershy contrasted with an innocent and natural beauty that was as smooth as silk and seemed to purify the air around her.
A faint pigment crawled onto Fluttershy's cheeks as she returned the compliment with a slight smile. Compliments and flattery were things that the pegasus didn't know how to respond to, let alone believe.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to… feel nice," the pegasus shyly stated with a small smile. A lock of hair carefully fell over one of her eyes, but Rarity made sure to quickly move it back behind the mare's ear as she continually fixed up her mane. As the unicorn eyed the lock of bang she had just moved, she furrowed her brow as an idea came to mind. "I wouldn't want my first impression as the future queen to be...not...nice."
Rarity seemed to glow as a wide smile spread across her face. This was the first time Fluttershy had openly trusted Rarity with her style, leaving the unicorn glowing. She knew exactly what to do; exactly what would make this mare appear,and hopefully feel, as confident as a queen!
"Now that's what I wanted to hear!" Rarity sung while grabbing the section of her mane that seemed to always cover her eye as she started eyeing the pair of silver scissors on the table next to her. "I'll make sure you feel as confident as a queenshouldfeel!" She paused as she added a final comment with a small smile. "But you'll need to trust me."
Fluttershy's eyes went wide as a pair of scissors approached Fluttershy's mane, and grew even wider as a lock of her mane fell towards the floor.
The Butterfly Kingdom was widely known for its simple, elegant beauty. Yet, contrast to the peaceful monarchy, the neighboring kingdom, separated only by a strand of mountains, remained dreary and...dull. The halls were adorned with torches and servants anxiously skidded down the hall, all up to their requests from their king. All of their faces seemed unhappy and afraid, but a single mare seemed...confident as she gazed from left to right.
The purple unicorn trotted down the hallway with a small dragon suspiciously following behind the mare. She was dressed in a casual royal-blue dress that was rimmed with a black lacing that carefully made her natural beauty flow, as the colors made her seem to glow.
Well, maybe theglowingwas from the sudden appearance of magic sparks chasing after her dragon.
A contrasting light radiated from a chamber in the dreary, darkened castle as the unicorn glared at the magic. The purple hue sparked through the door's cracks, leaving the lavender pony a bit...anxious as she swallowed the lump in her throat. An occasional spark would come in her direction as she awkwardly shifted out of the way while the light bounced down the halls, effectively chasing her dragon away.
Twilight sighed with a slightly-anxious frown. She had been told time and time again that the being with so much power wouldn't harm aloyalservant. Yet, even with the reassuring information, the sweat treading down her forehead didn't fade as she had seen...what he can do. What hewoulddo to those who defied him. His outgoing, joyful facade was an act that she didn't want to see broken.
When he was in moods like this, one of extreme magical outbursts, the unicorn often feared of the idea of him losing control and hurting somepony.
Ignoring the constant banging and clashing of objects behind the doors, she carefully opened one with her hoof, gazing from left to right as she anxiously looked for her master. The room was sickening to look at, as colors and patterns clashed and consumed the large room.
As quickly as she had wondered where he was, he descended from above and levitated upside down, glaring at her directly in the eyes.
"You know, it's rather rude to enter without knocking," Discord cooed in a condescending tone. He shook his head in disapproval as he glanced at the mare. "My, my, where have your manners gone?" The king paused as he gently poked her snout. "Out of all of my loyal servants, I would have thoughtyouwould be a respectful young mare."
Twilight froze in a clear amount of uncomfortable tension. She loosened the collar of her dress, glancing from side to side with her mouth in a straight line. Discord was...intimidating, no matter how many years she had served under him.
Not to mention his condescending tone and teasing treatment of her made her body tense in frustration.
Twilight forced a clearly-fake laugh.
"I didn't think you'd hear me over the noise, my Lord, I just-"
She was quickly interrupted by the draconequus, who now floated right-side-up at a respectful distance.
"No matter, my dear, I needed some brains to chat with, anyways." Discord's tone became a bit more serious and nonchalant. "Do you know why, by any chance?"
"The Butterfly coronation of course. It's all you've been talking about for ages," Twilight responded with an arched brow. He had proposed countless ideas and schemes to obtain the rivaling kingdom. "I've come up with several suggestions that follow my calculations, if you're open to hear them."
Twilight was easily ignored as Discord murmured to himself and tapped his chin in both frustration and confusion. Would this work?
He had so many followers; so many pawns in this game of his.
Yet, why was Discord never the victor? Why was he thrust into defeat with every match they played? Every card was in his hand...every move was perfect! Yet, no matter how much he broke the rules and pushed boundaries, he was left with anything but victory.
He had tried force and war to obtain the other kingdom, but his unique magic had its...flaws due to an oldfriendof his. To conjure up anything of use, to change the fates of those around him, he would need the wish to be demanded verbally by a participating individual.
One pony, one wish. Those were the rules.
Discord scoffed. He was never one to follow rules, but these unspoken laws chained him. He could never truly cheat and break the rules as he had always confidently claimed.
The king cringed as he recalled the time where he had created a large, horrifying canon at a servant's request, only for it to be shot down bythe other kingdom'sown canon, instantly! It just wasn't fair, was it? To Discord, it clearly wasn't. And, frankly, extremely aggravating.
He could never wish for anything himself, however, as such a thing was impossible. He could summon simple, convenient things, such as magic he had learned throughout the millenniums of his existence, but anything that would alter fate or kill…
That's where his powers were limited. That's where thefunwas limited. He needed a willing participant to wish on their own accord for those games to start.
After an extremely long pause, the king cleared his throat and continued.
"You're aware of the ridiculous, traditional ball they have for the upcoming heir, yes?" Discord's ears went flat as he rolled his eyes, hating the traditions of their rivaling kingdom. Well, simply hating anything associated with it. "Yes, I'm sure you are," he added before Twilight could agree.
The pony frowned. She hadjustbrought it up. Did he even listen to her?
Discord's tone suddenly became upbeat and confident as he could finally discuss his latest scheme with the mare before him. She was...well, an intelligent follower, so her input was valued...almost as much as the several voices in his head urging him to do as he pleased, regardless of her opinion.
The king rubbed his claw against his chest before observing his nails. "Me, myself and I shall be happily attending such a horrifically-sweet event tonight!" He glanced upwards towards his company. "I'm simply such a wonderful guest. They'll be overwhelmed with joy with my company, won't they?" He teased. "My, who should be my plus one?"
The unicorn took a step towards her king.
"You're...joking," Twilight questioned in shock and no amusement towards Discord's attempt at making the situation less...serious. "Do you know what they'd do to you,especiallyat an important tradition? I highly doubt they'd greet you with smiles and-"
"Yes, yes, of course,of course," Discord mumbled bitterly with a nonchalant wave of his hand, gesturing Twilight to hush about such a topic. "My charming good looks would likely disrupt the ball, wouldn't it?" He sighed in a dramatic tone, placing his hand against his forehead. "Ah, to be cursed with the looks of a handsome king!"
After a few seconds of his disastrous acting, he paused as his eyes widened. His tone became his usual, deep and intimidating tone as he continued. "But, as it may seem, I think I know of somepony who would...happily take my place. He's quite charming and handsome, if I do say so myself," he stated while floating towards Twilight's level again.
Discord's brow furrowed.
"But that is not of your concern! I'll give you your orders when you'reactually needed," he purred with a sudden burst of impoliteness. He needed to perfect the spell for Sunday's ball...he didn't need the mare's voice disturbing him! "It's nothing more than a game of chess! With a few pawns here and there, victory is ours! I don't see why you're getting so fussy about a simplegame,my dear," Discord replied with little concern for her questions and worry. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, nonchalantly urging for the smaller mare to leave him. "Shoo, shoo! Scheming is for a party of one,not two!"
He slightly shoved her towards the door, easily stronger and larger than the pony. Twilight gazed over her shoulder as she was shoved away, desperately trying to observe the area for any clue as to who -whatwould be attending the Butterfly Ball.
Twilight glared at the draconequus with disapproving eyes as she was pushed, knowing this would likely end in one of his famous, disastrous messes. Yet, knowing her words of wisdom would be shallow compared to his booming confidence, she knew she had no option but to loyally follow behind Discord's decision.
With that, Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted out of the large room, no longer needing Discord's assistance to leave. With one final glance, she frowned.
His eyes, as usual seemed distant and quite...raging. His expression seemed to always be in an expressed, exaggerated form of his emotions, butthiswas something else. He looked so cartoonishly confident!
Did he really think this would work? Twilight scoffed at the idea.
"Does he really think he'll be able to return to what he used to be?" She muttered while Discord slammed the door shut behind her with a quick burst of magic. "Dear Celestia, I hope not."
With the sounds of spells and magic not dying out from the locked door, she knew her answer: he did.
Twilight scowled.
"Everything's against him. All of the numbers...even all of the ponies!" She shook her head in disapproval. She knew how this would end. "It should be interesting to watch play out, at least." She sighed while rubbing her temple and heading down the hallway.