//------------------------------//
// The Taking 
// Story: Chaos Born 
// by Fluttercordia 
//------------------------------//

Ten years later and the day had arrived, what used to be 11 mares born in may 18 years ago had now turned to 10, which is even worse odds than before, and they all had a huge day ahead of them. It was a clear day, one that did not reflect the inner turmoil of the mares and their families inside. Fluttershy HATED him even more today. They had already lost a friend 10 years ago, now she could lose another. 

She put on a green dress adorned with wildflowers that grew nearby. Mrs shy's hoof was shaking a little as she put her only daughter's mane into a loose but beautiful bun. There was talk that Starlight Glimmer would be most likely chosen, but it didn't mean they wouldn't be afraid.

Zephyr Breeze walked into the room, his face clearly in that of pain and confusion.  Obviously, he was happy it wouldn't be his sister, but even he was a little shaken. Fluttershy put her hoof on his shoulder which slightly eased his tension. They didn't have much to say today, they just embraced each other. 

Angel wasn't happy, Fluttershy had told him of what today meant all those years ago, but he was a feisty one. In an act of defiance Angel had ripped off 3 of the flowers on Fluttershy's dress and squeaked an angry chitter at Mrs Shy as she amended them in silence, but with a clear annoyance on her expression.
"Angel please, I have to look presentable for the Lord today, you know this," Fluttershy said kneeling down at eye level with the furious rabbit. 

Angel turned his head and began rambling another series of angry squeaks and chitters as if saying "why must you look good for this 'Lord', why give him a reason to take you?" Fluttershy sighed.

"Because, I need to make a special effort, I want Tree Hugger and Starlight to know I love them enough to give them a fair chance."

Mares would often make themselves look unpresentable to the lord this day, slouching or wearing a dirty gown sometimes. It never worked. But not Fluttershy, she couldn't do that to the girls. Fluttershy scooped up Angel, whose ears now drooped the length of his tiny frame. If her whole family was to be present, this included Angel.

A wagon pulled by two grey unicorns, one with a pastel blue mane and green streaks, and one with a deep red mane stopped at their house. Fluttershy lifted her dress carefully, her father assisting in her ascend, they pulled into the outskirts of the town into the village green, all 10 mares in line.
There were tables set with the valleys harvest, where a majority of ponies had gathered behind. Stacks of oats and hay were piled up like pyramids like smaller versions of the ones you'd see in Anugypt.

Mayor Mare, a grey-haired earth pony with a caramel coat, was pacing to the left of the Chaos born mares, practising her greeting to the lord, clearly in a state of anxiousness. Fluttershy glanced down the line of tributes, I didn't know any of them much, they weren't all from Ponyville. All of us were silent and stiff, watching the path we were sure the Lord would come down. Their families beside them.

Fluttershy imagined jumping in front of Tree Hugger and Starlight Glimmer, when he came, telling him to take her instead, or stating in matter-of-factly tone that they all DIDN'T want to go. But she knew she wasn't brave enough to do that. She winced, wishing Rainbow was here. 'Then maybe at least some of her bravery would rub off on me' she thought to herself.

Movement caught Fluttershy's eye, and horribly a slit of light came down through the air on the road. He didn't come down the road at all, he stepped out of thin air: an eagle talon and then an arm, and then a goats leg, and then half a long brown serpentine body. It was so wrong and frightening Fluttershy couldn't look away, she felt the ground sway beneath her as her stomach turned in knots. 

The others were lucky, only Fluttershy had seen him enter this way, not even noticing til he took a step towards them. Everyone tried not to flinch in surprise or fear but they were unsuccessful. None of the mares had ever seen a Draconquus before, hardly any pony had, Fluttershy was no exception.

After a thousand years, he was not old, though he looked menacing and had a small goats beard of white. He had a lions paw, the head of a grey pony, a green dragons leg, a goats leg and eagle talon of which she had already seen. 
She shook herself from her fear and bravely looked him over once more. He also had a long red dragons tail with a white tuff of fur at the end and two wings, one of a bat and one of the blue pegasi. At the very top of his pony head a blue horn that would resemble a ram, only more ragged, and the other that of a deer's. He wore a black suit striped with orange and a cape of black with red lined underneath.

One thing that briefly caught her attention was his eyes, a shade of...amber? with red irises. They looked familiar, and held a harshness to them as if to say "I'm  not one of you, and I don't want to be either." He clearly wanted this over with, as if this being the worst day of their lives didn't matter to him. 

Mayor Mare bowed, "My Lord, let me present to you these -" 

"YES, yes, let us get on with it." He interrupted.

Mr Shy, Cirrus, put his hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder and bowed; Mrs Shy's hoof was clenched around her daughters on the other side. Zephyr Breeze looked ready to jump in if he so even laid his paw on Fluttershy, though Fluttershy knew he wouldn't dare. Mr and Mrs Shy then reluctantly stepped back with the other parents.

Instinctively the mares all huddled together,  Starlight and Tree Hugger were on either side of Fluttershy, in a sandwich of attempted protection. The Trio had discussed many things before this day, that Tree Hugger and Starlight insisted that they were okay being chosen, either of them. After all, they had no family, Fluttershy did. But Fluttershy didn't care, the girls WERE her family as well.

It took everything in Fluttershy's power not to grasp their hooves, but she did stand close enough that her wings brushed against them. Fluttershy HATED him, hated him and hated him. On all fours the Draconequus made his way down the line, lifting each mares chin as he went to get a good look at them. He didn't talk to all of them, not even Fleur De Lis, and she was also one of the most beautiful unicorns in the valley whose father was already rich and a designer. Her pink hair tied into plaits and a maroon red gown popping out brightly against her white fur.
It was Fluttershy's turn, he glanced at her with a frown, his fire eyes boring into her. "Your name, mare?"

"-I-I-I’m F-Fluttershy..." she tried to say, but it was barely above a whisper.

"Speak up Mare!" he said, loudly so as to turn some heads abruptly. Only Fluttershy could make out a slight mused smirk on his face.

"F-Fluttershy,"  she said a little louder this time. "My Lord." 

Fluttershy's face was hot, she wasn't sure if the red was evident on her cheeks but dismissed the thought and dropped her teal eyes down. As she glanced down she saw for all the care she'd taken she had gotten a fairly large mud stain on her green gown, and Angel had clearly been at the flowers again. She glanced over to the small bunny, fidgeting against Zephyrs embrace, it appeared he was straining to hold the feisty bunny back, in his paws some of the flowers that had been once sewn on her dress.

The Draconequus shot a questioning glance at her and the bunny, a tinge of annoyance evident in his eyes, drowning out the amusement he had shown only moments ago, he then moved on. He paused, looking at Starlight, tilting her chin up to. He hadn't paused for any of the others. He let his paw linger for a while, a thin pleased smile curving his mouth. Starlight looked at him bravely and didn't flinch at all. She answered strongly without being asked, her voice not wavering in the slightest. "Starlight Glimmer, my lord."
He smiled at her again, not pleasantly but with a satisfied look. He went on to the end of the line rather quickly, barely glancing at the rest of the mares. Fluttershy heard a sob behind her coming from Tree Hugger. He came back and looked at Tree Hugger,  and kind of chuckled, still holding a smirk on his face. And then he turned to Fluttershy and frowned again. 

Fluttershy without thinking took both the girls hooves and draped her wings on their back almost protectively and was squeezing their hooves as if her life depended on it, they squeezed back. They quickly let go and Fluttershy fidgeted with her two front hoofs, before placing one behind her other instead, hot colour in her cheeks, afraid, for he had witnessed this. He narrowed his amber eyes and the red irises danced like a small flame at Fluttershy. He Snapped his talon and a ball of blue and white flames took shape.

"She didn't mean anything by it!" Starlight almost yelled, brave in a way that Rainbow Dash would have done almost.
'The way I hadn't been for her'  Fluttershy thought to herself in guilt. Fluttershy glanced at her parents briefly and caught them shaking terribly. Any bravery her brother and her Angel bunny had were now dissipated and they were huddled close together with fear as well, wanting to intervene but there state not letting them. 

"PLEASE, my dude-" Tree Hugger shouted, joining the defence.

"SILENCE, MARE," the Lord of Chaos said. 'did this herby smelling mare just call me "My dude?"' He thought to himself.
He decided to ignore that and held his claw out toward Fluttershy, flame and all. "Take it."

" I---What?" Fluttershy said, more in shock than if he had flung it at her face.

"Don't stand there like a cretin," he said. "TAKE IT!"

Her hoof shook, she brushed against his claw accidentally as she raised it, his claw felt hot. But the ball of flame was cool as ice, and it didn't hurt to touch at all. Startled and relieved she held it in her dainty little hooves, staring at it like a moth to a flame. 

Nopony noticed that her chest had started to softly glow, all focusing on the flame she held in her hand instead.
He looked at her with annoyance.

"Well," he said unkindly, "you then, I suppose."

In an instant he snatched the ball out of her hoof and closed his talon on it, it vanished as quickly as it had come. He turned to Mayor Mare and said; "Send the tribute harvest you have here up when you can."

Fluttershy still hadn't understood yet, not any pony had, not even her parents; it was all too fast, and she was shocked she had drawn his attention at all. Before she knew it and could get a chance to say goodbye he turned back and took her hoof. Only Starlight, Tree Hugger and Angel bunny moved. Fluttershy looked back and saw them dashing to reach her in protest and a series of alarmed chitters from Angel, and then he jerked her impatiently after him. Stumbling from the sudden tug she was dragged back with him into thin air.