Fluttershy hadn't seen The Lord or Twilight for days. She spent most of her time in the kitchen trying out the new cupcake recipes that were left by a mysterious friend, mostly for fun as she doubted that he would like cupcakes due to the curious diet he apparently had. Of course practising her general cooking as well, doing whatever she could to master the art.
She always got to the library and laid out the tray 5 minutes early, sometimes there was a tray already there that she hadn't put there before, now empty. 'He must get his own food sometimes after all.' She pondered.
Though she still wondered why she bothered at all seeing as how he could summon anything he wanted anyway, was it an attempt to control her? Maybe that's why he wasn't known to have servants, after all, he had the mares he takes.
Another thought dawned on her. 'Maybe he just wants some company?' She had heard no complaints from him. There were some ragged clothes in a box she found in her room, which only just fit her small frame, she had to tie them around her waist for it to not drape on the floor or she would surely trip. She didn't want to please him but she kept herself somewhat presentable, not because she wanted to please him. But because she never wanted him to do whatever he did to her that day again.
She had woken some nights in a cold sweat, the word Mutatiolimen on her lips like it belonged there, and his body close to her own and his paw on her hoof. She swore It had actually felt comforting for a moment. She was still scared, but it was better than giving into the deeper feelings. Feeling that she would not see her friends or family again for 10 years, that age would take angel before she saw him again, and whatever strange alchemy that was placed on all the Chaos mares before would soon take hold and turn her into someone she couldn't recognise.
Looking at herself in the vanity at her ragged dress, she sighed. It had come undone around the waist again and made her look like a sack of potatoes. She was good with a needle but she couldn't find one anywhere.
"MY DEAR!! That looks positively dreadful on you! And it's definitely not your colour."
Fluttershy jumped around to where the door was, her mouth gaped open. ANOTHER MARE?
This mare was a unicorn, and she was GORGEOUS. Her mane was purple and curled in a way which looked like it took hours. and her fur was as white as snow. She had a cutie mark of 3 diamonds and eyes to match the brilliant shade of blue they were. She was wearing a purple slit at her side, and sleeves with light blue ruffles that almost touched the ground.
The unicorn giggled, "Careful if the wind changes you might be stuck agape forever."
Fluttershy snapped her mouth back shut. If she had anything to say she couldn't find the words.
"Ahem. Well.." The unicorn began, anything to break the awkward silence. "My names Rarity, whats your darling?"
"Rarity?" Fluttershy questioned. She gasped. "Rarity as in the Rarity from the stories!? The one and only Chaos born mare the Lord of Chaos kept?!"
Rarity gasped herself, her eyes sparkling. "They tell stories about me? OOOooohh Tell me tell me TELL me!" Rarity squeed and tapped her hooves together in enthusiasm.
Fluttershy couldn't believe it, she just couldn't! How could it be so? Those stories were almost 200 years old, this unicorn standing before her should have long passed of old age by now, and another pony in the castle? How many more ponies are there? The ground below Fluttershy's hooves began to sway. Rarity noticed this and quickly pulled a couch out of nowhere and dashed over to the buttercream pegasus before she was able to hit the floor, out cold.
"Oh dear..." She said looking down at her, she had managed to catch her in time. "I know my grand entrances can take ponies breath away but this is ridiculous."
Sometime later Fluttershy awoke to find herself on a red velvet couch. She put her hoof to her head and rubbed her temple. "That was the most peculiar dream." She said aloud.
"What was it about?"
Fluttershy flew to the ceiling at the sound of a mare's voice, looking down at the ground below she saw the very same unicorn mare as before looking up at her and smiling. It wasn't a dream.
"O-Oh, hello again." Fluttershy fluttered down and landed softly on the couch again in an upright position.
"So sorry to give you a fright there, I should have known better with you being the newest edition and all, I hope we can start over." Rarity said sweetly and with sincerity.
"Newest edition?"
"Why yes to the castle of course!"
"Oh.. yes."
Rarity looked so happy, 'Maybe she's been lonely too, maybe she hasn't met Twilight, maybe she thinks she's been here alone all these years.' Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Fluttershy, it is very nice to meet you." She smiled.
"Well its certainly nice to see a fresh pretty face like you too!"
This comment made Fluttershy blush and smile. "I'm sorry to ask but, are you really the mare that never left after the 10 years were up?"
"The very same!" Rarity answered, happily as if not seeing how it was so confusing.
"But, pardon me, and I hope this doesn't offend you...." Fluttershy began. "But wasn't that... wasn't that almost 200 years ago? shouldn't you be -"
"Dead?" Rarity finished.
"Y-yes." Fluttershy gasped. "Are you a G-G-GH-GHOST?"
Rarity laughed hard at this, making Fluttershy red in the face. "I can assure you I'm not a ghost, and no I'm not dead at all, you could say I aged quite well, no?" She pushed up her mane elegantly with one hoof for emphasis.
"But...how? If you don't mind me asking?"
"No, not at all." Rarity replied, and took a deep breath. "You see, I was taken well, as you know, many MANY years ago. I didn't mind, I had nothing left anymore for me anyway." A wave of sadness washed over her, and she spoke quieter. "I lost my sister, Sweetie Bell to the Everfree, and well, she was the only family I had. So it was not like I was leaving much behind."
Fluttershy's ears drooped back, she hadn't meant to make her new friend sad. How terrible it would be to lose a sister to the Everfree, she could relate after losing Rainbow to the very same thing.
"As it so happens, I have a special kind of magic, and he offered me to stay. He said if he could train me I could help bring peace to Equestria, and well." Rarity shrugged. "I accepted. I didn't have anything or anypony else in the world anyway. As for not ageing, we are both unsure, maybe its to do with that special kind of magic?"
Fluttershy knew that by 'He' she had meant the Draconequus. She felt for Rarity, it was very generous of her to give up her life and live with the Lord of Chaos to help bring peace to Equestria. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"Don't be, darling. It's not your fault after all." Rarity stated, trying to perk herself and Fluttershy up, dabbing a hoofkerchief under her eyes to catch the tears she hadn't realised were falling.
"Bring peace to Equestria?" Fluttershy asked, trying to change the subject and ease her curiosity.
"Oh yes, but we aren't quite there yet, he says we need to find 6 elements to be able to accomplish any progress and he has never been able to find them. He just says we have a small amount of magic that the elements seem to possess, as was written in one of the books." She shrugged again. "But he has never been able to read much of that book anyway, says its all gibberish, whatever that means for him anyway. I'm sure you've noticed by now this place isn't exactly Normal."
"Book? Elements?"
"My, my, a lot of questions today." Rarity said fanning herself. "But I can understand why, oh you poor dear. We simply must find you something to entertain yourself with." she looked up and down at Fluttershy and stuck out her tongue. "But first let us get you out of these clothes."
Fluttershy gazed over her new attire. Rarity had fashioned a beautiful off the shoulder dress, maintaining its Hazel brown colour, however. It now fit her snuggly around the waist and had a Lacey black hem the unicorn fashioned out of one of her bedpost curtains, and a tiny pink bow on the back. "It looks lovely Rarity," Fluttershy said in awe. She had asked for something simple, against Rarity's wishes, but she had complied.
"Now then darling, you look the part!" Rarity stole a glance at her green dress Fluttershy had worn the day of the taking in the corner of the room, stained and battered. "Let me just mend this for you, its far too beautiful to be crumpled on the floor in such a state." And she levitated it over to her with her horn.
"Oh thank you, but you really needn't too-" Fluttershy began. Not really intending to wear it again as it only reminded her of that horrible day.
"Nonsense! this is such a lovely couture, I will get it fixed up for you this evening." Rarity turned to walk out and glanced around her shoulders. "You coming?"
"Oh! Can I?" Fluttershy squeed, thrilled at not being left alone. "Where are we going?"
"To the library."
"LIBRARY?" Fluttershy yelped. Just because she hadn't seen the Lord in more than a few days it didn't mean she wanted to. She was quite content with the fact. Now this unicorn was going to leave her with him just like the alicorn before.
"No no no, relax darling, he won't be there, I believe he is in the potions room this time of day," Rarity confirmed, seeing the fright in the Pegasi's features. With that Fluttershy visibly relaxed and followed her down the corridor and the winding staircase. "Watch your hoof." She said, "these staircases tend to change from time to time." Fluttershy let out a small whimper at that note and started to trot more carefully.
Rarity had managed to find the library just as easy as Twilight had. Fluttershy was about to ask if Rarity knew Twilight, but as soon as Rarity's horn lit up and pushed the door open, her question was already answered. "Twilight! how wonderful to see you this fine day, I should have known you'd be here buried in a book." Twilight was sitting at a desk in a red dress with black trimmings and a sash around her right shoulder, black as well, only it seemed to sparkle a little in the light provided by the windows. She was with a huge leatherback book and a golden lock hanging from the open cover, the book however huge it may be, was still nowhere near as large as the Lords was that day.
"Rarity! What brings you here-" Twilight spied Fluttershy walking in behind her. "What are you doing?" She said to Rarity in a harsh whisper, but still not making any attempt for Fluttershy to not overhear.
"So the poor dear was lonely and in some dreadful attire, so shoot me, Twilight."
"It was bad enough she ran into me, you know he doesn't want us to socialise with the mares unless he knows for certain if she's-"
"Oh, you've met Twilight?" Rarity interrupted, not caring much what Twilight had to say in regards to keeping their distance. She turned sweetly to the pegasus. Fluttershy's looked at Rarity, and then back to Twilight, evidently in sad confusion. She had wanted to see Twilight again, but now it didn't seem like Twilight wanted to see her. Had she done something wrong?
"Yes. I have." Fluttershy stated rather bluntly, a little annoyed to be treated like she wasn't there and shouldn't be.
Twilight sighed, she did feel guilty for being so distant and leaving the poor frightened mare alone. "Well seeing as you are both here, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Ah yes, we are looking for a book." Rarity confirmed.
"We are? Fluttershy said.
"Yes, we simply must give you something to do other than cooking and cleaning." Rarity then narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "Because I'm afraid we can't always be in one another's company." This made Twilight sink back in her chair in a huff. Fluttershy smiled, excited to find a source of entertainment, but was a little sad about the last thing Rarity had said.
Twilight did perk up though if they wanted a book she was the one to speak to after all, and she would always be happy to find other ponies that share in her love for reading. She shook herself out of her sour look at this. "Well if you're looking for a book, what exactly do you like?" Twilight asked Fluttershy giving her a toothy grin.
"Um, I'm not sure, I like animals."
"I'm sure we have something like that around here." Twilight flew up and started sorting through the array of books near the ceiling. "Animals, animals, animals." She muttered to herself. And then she pulled out a red book with silver trimmings. "AH-HA, how about this one?" She then flew down and landed in front of the mares, book clasped under her right arm, pulling it out and levitating it to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stared at the cover and ran a hoof around the rim. "Equestria's wildlife and Mythical beings, Edition one; What to pet and what to fret." She read aloud. "Its perfect Twilight thank you."
Twilight puffed up proudly, "Its no problem at all, Fluttershy."
BOOM
Twilight crouched low to the floor, her wings shielding herself from small falling bits of rubble from the ceiling. Rarity's hair stuck up on the back of her neck, her face contorting, eyes shut tightly, she put her hoofs to her ears as to block out the noise of the blast. Fluttershy grasped the side of a shelf to keep herself in balance, "What was that?! Are we under attack?!"
Twilight regained her composure and stood up, "No, its okay, it must have been a little accident in the potions room, it's happened before, maybe once every two months or so." She laughed nervously.
"Oh no, I hope he's okay!" Gasped Fluttershy. She really didn't want anypony to have gotten hurt, even if he had taken her away from her friends and family.
Rarity let out a deep huff and started fixing her manes tangles and brushing the dust off herself. "Don't panic Darling, its incredibly hard for him to hurt himself, in fact, one of the few times this has happened he ended up in some quite amusing..circumstances." she put her hoof up to her mouth, laughing as if recalling a funny memory.
Another much smaller rumble came. "I should probably go check it out, see if anypony needs a hoof," Twilight said, and with that, she picked up some speed and ran out the door but coming to an abrupt halt at the entrance. She turned around and looked at Fluttershy, "It really was nice seeing you though Fluttershy, I hope you enjoy your book." She smiled at the little Pegasus and then disappeared up the spiralling stairwell.
Rarity followed not far behind Twilight, levitating Fluttershys green dress from the floor where she dropped it during the commotion. "I will bring this to your room once I've patched it up, shouldn't take me too long." Another rumble came again, "Well, I suppose I better get up there too, Besides, I'd hate to miss out if it was anything like last month. So nice to meet you Fluttershy!" And she too disappeared up the stairs all the while giggling "P-popcorn- t-to the ceiling." quietly under her breath.
Fluttershy for a brief moment was about to go and help to, but something called out to her.
"Fluttershyyy"
Her ears perked up and she spun around, there was nopony there.
"Fluttershyyyy.."
It came again, in a hushed whisper. Although it was strange, it didn't make Fluttershy anxious, in fact, it was almost calming in a way, silky, longing. She wondered to the bookshelf to the right of Twilights desk, next to that menacing throne she had seen The lord on those few days ago.
"Fluttershy"
It was softer this time, and she was frantic to find it before it faded into nothing. She ran a hoof along the shelf, collecting dust all the while. It was caked in it, except for one section, it was lacking dust as if the books there had been taken out frequently. Her chest began to admit a soft glow, but it had gone unnoticed. She ran a hoof up one of the bindings of a book and felt a sense of comfort like before.
It was a dark blue, and visibly aged, it has a trim around it that looked almost like crystal. She pulled it out fully and opened it, the pages were gold, and the words although she didn't quite know what language, burned into her eyes. She could understand them, she knew what the book was saying without knowing at all what was written.
Fluttershy looked up, and pressed the book against her glowing chest and drew in a deep breath. She tried to recall what she just read, but she couldn't. She tried and tried to even remember a sentence, but she just...well... couldn't? She opened the book again and her eyes danced across the pages, and once again it was all coming back to her.
It was spells, potions, ingredients. All written by hoof, with different amounts and variations. Fluttershy shut the book, There was no title on the book, just a small engraving on the bottom that reads Property of S.S. She placed it down on her new animal book, and then picked them both up under her wing and trotted up the staircase to her room. 'Surely the Lord and Twilight wouldn't mind if I borrowed one more.' She thought to herself.