Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a beautiful and slightly odd pony called Sun-Belle Shimmer. She lived with her father in the village and although she longed to make friends, most of the other ponies in the village thought of her as very strange and some of them didn’t want anything to do with her.
One day, Sun-Belle’s father, Mr. Burst, was called away on an important business trip in the city. Before he left for his journey, he asked his daughter,
“Now Sun-Belle, when I return home, what gift would you like me to get you?”
“Oh Papa, I don’t need anything. All I want is for you to return home safely.” The young mare said humbly.
“Come on, there must be something I can bring back for you. What would you like?”
“Okay, okay; since you are offering and all. I’d just like a red rose, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“A rose it is.”
Mr. Burst nodded his head, gave his daughter a quick hug, and he was on his way.
After his meeting was finally done and over with, Mr. Burst had remembered Sun-Belle’s request, but he couldn’t find a red rose for her. He searched every garden, every greenhouse, and every flower shop he could find, but he had no luck. As he was on his way home through a dark forest, Mr. Burst was suddenly caught in the middle of a horrible thunderstorm. In the midst of the storm, he came across a mighty castle and surrounding the castle was the largest and most exquisite garden he had ever seen in his life.
Mr. Burst walked around the castle grounds with wide eyes, taking in the beautiful plants and flowers that surrounded the enormous manor. And suddenly, something caught his eye; a rose as red as fire, just what Sun-Belle Shimmer had asked for. It was growing on a bush that grew all different colors of roses.
‘A red rose! What luck!’ He thought as he excitedly walked towards the bush.
But just as he picked the red flower, Mr. Burst was greeted by an angry sounding snarling roar unlike anything he had ever heard before.
“Who is stealing flowers from my garden!? You’re not welcome here!!” A loud, unfamiliar voice boomed.
Mr. Burst was so scared that he almost fell over; he quickly whipped his head around to look for the source of the voice. When he craned his neck up, his eyes widened the moment he saw a tall dark figure standing over him. Mr. Burst gasped and cringed in terror at the sight; he backed away in horror, unsure of what to do.
“Don’t just stand there. Who are you? What are you doing here? And why are you stealing my roses?” The figure demanded.
Mr. Burst caught his breath and he could finally talk, but his voice wavered from fear and panic while he spoke to the horrendous creature.
“M-m-my… name is Burst, my lord. I’m just a simple stallion and I was lost in the forest after trying to find a present for my daughter.” He said nervously, trying not to scream in terror.
“So that’s it?” The figure asked. “You’ve come to steal from me, have you?!”
“Please, I meant no harm! Honest!” Mr. Burst pleaded.
“Likely story. I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”
The dark figure reached out an enormous claw, snatched up Mr. Burst and took him back into his castle, slamming the door shut behind him.
A week went by and Sun-Belle Shimmer hadn’t heard anything from her father yet and soon, she began to worry about him. Even though she was told never to leave the village borders because nopony had bothered to go in the forest that stood beside the town, Sun-Belle was desperate. She grabbed herself a scarf, headed outside, and ran into the forest in search of her beloved father.
She wandered the narrow forest paths looking for any sign of Mr. Burst, but hours had passed and Sun-Belle had finally decided that she was lost. As exhausted and hungry as she was though, she kept going, determined to not rest until she was reunited with her father at last. When hope seemed dismal, Sun-Belle saw an old iron gate hidden in the heart of the forest. She was confused at first, but she ran up to it, pushed open the gate, and ran up to what looked like the very same castle Mr. Burst had discovered.
‘Maybe Papa is here!’ She thought before knocking on the door.
“Hello! Anypony home?” She called. No one answered.
Sun-Belle tried knocking again, this time a bit louder and harder only to realize that the door was never locked and it slowly glided open. Gulping, Sun-Belle cautiously stepped into the castle, the door closing behind her with a slam. As she walked down the dimly lit castle halls, Sun-Belle couldn’t help but feel as though she was being watched.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” She called nervously. “My name is Sun-Belle Shimmer and I’m looking for my father!”
“Sun-Belle? Sun-Belle Shimmer, is that you?” An all too familiar voice called from the top of a nearby set of winding stairs.
“Papa?! Don’t worry, I’m coming!” Sun-Belle cried as she ran up the stairs until she found herself in some kind of dungeon-like chamber all the way at the top.
She looked and gasped in surprise when she saw Mr. Burst trapped in one of the cells. She ran to the cell door and held her father’s hoof in her own, a big smile spread across the stallion’s face.
“Sun-Belle, my dear! How in Equestria did you find me?” Mr. Burst asked.
“Oh gosh, you’re as cold as ice. What happened to you?” Sun-Belle asked worriedly.
“It’s a long story. You need to leave, before it catches you.”
“It? Who did this to you?”
“No time to explain. You have to go, now!”
“No! I won’t leave you here!”
Sun-Belle’s sentence was suddenly interrupted by a loud roar that seemed to come from behind her.
“What are you doing here?!” A deep gruff voice asked.
“Who’s there? Who are you?” Sun-Belle asked as she looked back at the stairs, only to see a large dark figure standing there.
“The master of this castle. Who are you and what are you doing here?” The figure asked.
“I am Sun-Belle Shimmer and I’ve come for my father!”
“Your father is a thief.”
“Liar!”
“He stole one of my roses. And in return, he’ll stay here for the rest of his life.”
“A life sentence? For picking one flower?!”
“Apparently so.” Mr. Bursts grumbled.
“Quiet, you!” The figure yelled at the stallion.
“Wait! I asked for the rose.” Sun-Belle said. “Punish me, not my father.”
“Is that so?” The figure asked. “…You would really take his place?”
“What?! No, Sun-Belle, you can’t! You don’t know what you’re doing!” Mr. Burst protested.
“If I did, would you let him go?” Sun-Belle asked.
“Yes, but… you have to promise to stay here forever.” The figure said.
“Wait… come into the light.” Sun-Belle said, narrowing her eyes.
Reluctantly the figure slowly stepped into the light of a burning torch on the wall only for Sun-Belle to gasp in shock. The tall dark figure was revealed to be an enormous and hideous manticore Beast with gray hair and big blue eyes.
“No, Sun-Belle. I won’t let you do this!” Mr. Burst cried, but it was too late.
She stepped forward and hesitantly said, “You have my word.”
“Done.” The Beast said before unlocking the cell door and letting the stallion out.
Sun-Belle looked back at her father with tears welling in her eyes; she gave her father a tight hug before he was carried off by the Beast. Before Mr. Burst left the castle, the Beast told him,
“One more thing; you will tell nopony of this place.”
And with that, the castle doors slammed shut right in Mr. Burst’s face, leaving him in a state of shock and sadness. He turned around to go back home only to find out that he’s already home.
Back at the castle, Sun-Belle was left standing at the bottom of the stairs while still staring at the Beast.
“What are you looking at?” He asked.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I… I’m sorry.” Sun-Belle said, trying to hold back tears. “You know… I’ll never see him again, right?”
“Uh… I’ll show you to your room.” The Beast reluctantly said.
“My room? But I thought…”
“Do you want to stay up in the tower?”
“No.”
“Then follow me.”
The Beast led the mare to a bed chamber of the finest furniture with silk on everything, the bed was an antique four poster with garnet red and golden yellow damask silk for the bedding and curtains, certainly the most beautiful Sun-Belle had ever seen. She sat on the bed and she was surprised at how comfortable it was. She looked at the walls of the room and she saw that they were lined with shelves filled with books of all kinds and the walls themselves were painted aqua green and there was a large golden sun painted on the ceiling where the chandelier was hanging; the sun resembled her own cutie mark.
“I hope this will be fine for you.” The Beast said.
“It’s… great. Thank you.” Sun-Belle said.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you later… milady.”
Before giving a quick bow to her, the Beast then left leaving Sun-Belle to get used to her new home. Sun-Belle didn’t know what to think now; but when she was a little filly, she learned from her wise old grandmother that she should always look on the bright side of things, even if they might seem tough or questionable at first.
A week or two went by and Sun-Belle had already grown accustomed to living in the castle. She was given the best of everything by the Beast, but the best gifts he gave her were rare flowers and lots of books on whatever she wanted to read. The Beast watched as the beautiful unicorn would trot through the garden and hum to herself without a care; he hoped that one day his life could change for the better and Sun-Belle would always be there for him.
Every night, the Beast would hold a grand banquet for Sun-Belle and himself, with the most lavish and delectable of foods and every night as the Beast both retired to his drawing room, he would ask her to marry him and every night she would say no, explaining that she only liked him as a friend and nothing more.
The Beast would always reply, "As you want, milady." And he would leave her be.
A few months had passed and everything stayed the same, both of them happy with each other’s company, they had grown accustomed to each other knowing each other's likes and dislikes. Sometimes the Beast would disappear for hours on end and he always came back unhappy and moody. Knowing he would scream at her if she tried to pry, Sun-Belle kept quiet.
Sometimes, she would throw a little party for the Beast to try and cheer him up. A few times it worked, but mostly they didn’t. As the roses came in one spring day, Sun-Belle remembered her father, she realized she wanted to go back and see him again. That night as they dined, she asked the Beast to let her go back home.
“Beast, I want to go back to my father.” She said.
"Why should I let you go? If you leave, you won't come back." The Beast said, looking away from the mare.
"Let me go, Beast, please. I stayed here for a year already which means I will come back, promise."
The Beast looked at Sun-Belle standing before him and saw that there was truth to her words. He knew what he had to do; he let out a sigh.
“I’ll let you go for a week, but then you must come back. Promise me that you will come back on the date I ask.”
Sun-Belle smiled a big grin and she hugged the Beast tightly.
“Of course I’ll come back. How could I leave my best friend behind? I promise.” She said.
The next morning, she was waiting in the foyer to say goodbye to the Beast. He came towards her and hugged her tightly and gave her a beautiful amulet with a blue gemstone in the shape of a balloon. He told her that if she wants to go back home or back to the castle, she’ll put the amulet on her head and follow the sun or moon and she’ll be there. Sun-Belle gave the Beast her necklace and a big hug as a goodbye gift. She waved goodbye to the Beast before putting on the amulet and she ran out the door and towards the old rock farm by following the rising sun.
The next thing she knew, Sun-Belle could see her old house peeking over the horizon; she was almost home. Mr. Burst looked out at the town; it was so quiet since his little Sun-Belle Shimmer left. But that was soon to change. He saw Sun-Belle come from over the hill to see that the farm hardly changed; sitting just outside the door was her father. Sun-Belle's heart skipped a beat, and she ran to her father giving him a big hug.
“Papa! Oh, Papa, I missed you so much! You have so much to tell me!” Sun-Belle exclaimed joyfully.
Mr. Burst smiled, his daughter had barely changed, except her face, it had a glow of health and happiness.
“Sun-Belle Shimmer, my darling, you’ve come back! I’m glad that monster didn’t hurt you. But how did you escape?” He asked.
“I didn’t escape. The Beast let me go to see you.” Sun-Belle replied.
“That horrible creature?!”
“Aw, come on. He’s not so bad once you get to know him… In fact, he’s actually really sweet.”
Mr. Burst smiled and hugged his daughter close.
As Sun-Belle was getting ready for bed later that night, she thought about the Beast and she dreamed of him all through the week. The week was up; Sun-Belle woke up with a heavy heart. She went down to breakfast and found her father staring at her with a sad look.
“Please don't leave me again, Sun-Belle.” He said. “Can’t you stay just one more day, please?”
The tears in his eyes broke Sun-Belle's heart; she was reluctant to stay longer, but also to leave so soon. “Well, I know I promised and all but… Oh, alright. I guess I can stay, but just for one more day. I promised the Beast I’d come back. What’s one more day?”
As the sun went down on the eighth day, Sun-Belle felt horribly guilty for breaking the promise she made to the Beast. As she was napping, Sun-Belle had a horrible nightmare about the Beast. She saw him half dead on the floor of the castle, tears were streaming down his face and his claw was clasped around the necklace she had given him before she left. Sun-Belle woke up in tears, she just realized she hurt her best friend in all of Equestria.
“Beast! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” She wept loudly.
Mr. Burst came into her room and saw her in tears.
“Sun-Belle, dear, what’s going on? Are you okay? Why are you crying?” He asked.
“Papa! It’s… it’s the Beast! He… he needs me! I broke my promise to him and I… I feel so guilty about it! I have to go back!” Sun-Belle pleaded through her tears.
Mr. Burst looked at his sobbing daughter and he could tell right away that she was being dead serious about this whole thing.
“Go to him.” Mr. Burst said, letting out a sigh in defeat.
“Really? You mean it?” She asked.
“I do. He needs you more than me now…” He said.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!” Sun-Belle cried with joy.
She hugged her father goodbye one more time, grabbed the magical amulet, put it on her head, and ran out the door as fast as she could back to the Beast’s castle. As the moon was now high in the night sky, Sun-Belle was back in the castle. She ran throughout the entire manor calling his name, but there was no sign of the Beast. And soon, she discovered him. Lying on the castle staircase was the Beast. Sun-Belle ran to him and held his body in her hooves; he was so limp and cold. She looked at her friend as he eyes slowly opened to look at her. She let out a fresh spat of sorrowful tears as she held the Beast’s claw.
“Beast! Oh, Beast! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I never, ever wanted to hurt you!” Sun-Belle sobbed.
“I thought… I thought you deserted me.” The Beast said.
“No, no, no, no! I would never do that! You’re my best friend and I would never leave you for dead! This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have broken my promise.” Sun-Belle cried.
“No, Sun-Belle. Maybe… maybe it’s better this way.” The Beast said weakly.
“No! Don’t talk like that. We’re together now. Everything’s going to be fine, you’ll see. My grandmother always told me to look on the bright side and that’s what you should so now.” She said as she tried her best to smile.
“At least… at least I got to see you… one last time. I’m sorry, Sun-Belle. I… I love you.” The Beast whispered before passing away in the pink pony’s embrace.
“No! Please! Please, don’t leave me! You can’t die! Not now! I care too much about you! Please! I love you, too Beast! You hear me?! I LOVE YOU!”
Sun-Belle began to cry rivers onto the Beast's lifeless body; she didn’t want him to die like this. Suddenly, a strange bright light enveloped the Beast, lifting him up into the air, and changing his form. The light was so bright and vibrant that anypony in any city in Equestria could see it; Sun-Belle kept her eyes shut the entire time, she was too sad to even acknowledge it. As the light subsided, Sun-Belle opened her eyes and saw that her beloved Beast was turned into a handsome unicorn stallion with a yellow coat, grayish blue hair, and blue eyes. As he descended, Sun-Belle Shimmer could hardly believe what had just happened.
"Sun-Belle… it's me! Don’t you recognize me?" The pony asked as he approached her.
"What? But-but-but… but how can that be? Who the hay are you?" Sun-Belle stammered.
“My name is Prince Comet and I was put under a spell.” He answered.
“A spell?” She asked, confused.
“Yes.” He said. “Many moons ago, I was a spoiled brat living under my parents, they gave me everything and I took it all for granted. And to top it all off, I didn’t know how to properly have a good time. One day just to prove the darkness in my heart, a witch stopped by my old home, a castle in the city of Canterlot. When she asked to come in for the night, I denied her request and sent her away. That was when she punished me by using her dark magic to change me into a hideous beast and leaving me in this castle deep within the forest, telling me that I would only turn back to my old self when I was ready to let friendship, love, kindness, and laughter into my heart. I kept myself here, shutting out everypony except for your father. There was something different about him, he told me about you and I knew you were the key to everything. I’m just… so glad that I found you.” He kissed her hoof and smiled.
“Wow. That’s a lot to take in when you say it all at once. And I gotta admit, this will have to take some getting used to.” Sun-Belle said.
“I understand. So… can I ask you something?” The Prince asked.
“Of course, what is it?” Sun-Belle asked.
“Sun-Belle Shimmer…” Prince Comet started as he took her hoof and kneeled before her. “Will you finally… marry me?”
Sun-Belle gasped as she smiled a big grin.
“Yes! Of course I will!” She cried as she embraced the Prince; he hugged her back.
As they were in each other’s embrace, swarms of bright, magic light swirled around the two unicorns. The castle reverted back to life and when they opened their eyes, Sun-Belle and Prince Comet were both dressed in beautiful clothes. They quickly noticed that they were now in the castle ballroom which was now as clean and beautiful as can be. The couple then started to dance with many ponies, including Sun-Belle’s father, happily watching them. That day, Sun-Belle Shimmer and Prince Comet were married and they all lived happily ever after.