Sweetie Belle panted in the summer heat as she rested just outside the Carousel Boutique. It was actually cooler out here. Rarity was in panic mode inside, running every iron, presser, and sewing machine in the place in a mad dash to fill an order for something or other. Sweetie Belle needed the break, as all morning she’d been assisting her big sister Rarity as best she could, which was frustratingly limited. She had labored for years under the assumption that her hidden talents would be related to Rarity’s mastery of all things fashion, but while she was a perfectly adequate helper and could produce quality work, she lacked artistic vision and the ability to handle the more complex projects.
Even worse, she felt utterly alone. The second anniversary of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ founding was nearing, but the members had been gradually losing their enthusiasm for it. For a while, they had believed all the talk about their blank flanks being an exciting source of potential, but month after month of wasted effort had eventually led to discouragement and half-hearted participation. The club couldn’t even meet these days, and that was probably going to be its death knell. They would likely not resume when school started again in the fall. Scootaloo was off at flight school for the summer. Pegasus ponies almost always had a cutie mark related to flying, so of course she’d return with one. Apple Bloom was spending the summer working her relatives’ farm in Apple-loosa. The entire family had apple cutie marks. Obviously, her talent lay there, and that much dedicated labor would surely produce the coveted insignia. Which just left Sweetie Belle, her boring, lonely summer, her dead-end job, her blank flank, and her self-pity.
She let out a deep sigh, and directed a pleading look up at the sky. Imploring the cosmos to intervene on her behalf had never worked before, but it didn’t require much effort either. “With my luck, my cutie mark will be the special talent to go through life without a cutie mark,” she thought. She had experienced a growth spurt during the spring, and looked older than the other two Crusaders, so her featureless coat looked even more out of place these days.
“Oh, Sweetie Beeeeeelle!” came a sing-song voice from inside. “Do be a dear, and help me lay out these fabric patterns. Hoity Toity wants these all finished by tomorrow, and of course I only have four hooves, and… Oh, Opalescence, that is NOT A SCRATCHING POST!”
Sweetie Belle trudged back inside and numbed herself to the feeling of monotony that had been all too prevalent of late. “Oh well, another day closer to… to what?” she muttered under her breath. “To another day, I suppose.”
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Sweetie Belle tossed and turned that night. Considering her mood, it hadn’t been unusual lately, but she had a strange feeling tonight. There were tendrils of consciousness wriggling at the edges of her thoughts, but they stayed maddeningly out of reach. She instinctively reached out with her magic, as Twilight had begun teaching her some basic spells. In her state of half-sleep, she imagined that she was expanding her mind to meet the intrusion and determine its nature, but it drew back whenever she tried. Her defensive posture gradually relaxed as the last vestiges of her resolve and wakefulness faded.
She suddenly found herself alert and in an endless void. The floor was gray and featureless, with a dim ashy light from no discernable source. The weak glow did little to pierce the lugubrious and constricting atmosphere. Little by little, she began to perceive a faint whispering from the inky darkness. It was unintelligible, but somewhat familiar. As it slowly gained in volume, she began to squint into the distance to catch a glimpse of what was approaching. Despite the eerie setting, she felt oddly calm. This was obviously a dream.
-Boo!-
The suddenly clear voice came from right next to her ear, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She rapidly whipped her head around, but saw nothing. She began to cower, casting her gaze all around in an effort to identify its source. Now the voice returned, seemingly coming from all around her.
-Sorry for the theatrics, my dear, but I simply can’t resist drama.-
She opened her mouth soundlessly, and tried to stammer something, but the voice anticipated her thoughts.
-Oh, this is no dream, my pretty little pony.-
It now took on a wheedling and pouty tone.
-Ahh, never fear, there’s no reason to be in such a state.-
The voice turned suddenly stern and somber.
-On the contrary, I bear good news. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.-
“But… but…,” she managed.
-Tut, tut. I have the stage. You remember me, of course? Good. I know you and your little friends felt responsible for freeing me. Pity. To carry that guilt for so long… But you have a grain of truth there, my perceptive little filly! Only, it was not your little band of misfits that unlocked that particular dungeon. It was you. Just you.-
“No, Discord!” she shouted. “Everypony knows you feed on conflict! I couldn’t have done it myself! I accept responsibility for whatever part I played, but you make it sound like I did it on purpose!”
-Oho, you've grown quite bold since we last met! How precious! But, getting back to the point… There’s more than one way to skin a cat, as they say (“they” being anypony other than Fluttershy, I suppose), and you have a rather rare gift, my perfectly precocious pony!
“Gift?” Sweetie Belle was incredulous. “I’ve spent the last two years finding out that I don’t have one!”
-I'm getting to that. You see, I am rather ancient, from before the time of Celestia and Luna. There were very powerful beings in that time. I suppose you’d categorize us as demons, for lack of a better word. Most have moved along. I, however, find Equestria so entertaining, and blessed this land with my wisdom.-
Sweetie Belle could almost hear his self-important grin. "Yes, we appreciated that."
-But, I digress. I didn’t escape because of your petty arguments. I escaped simply because you were near. While the feeble creatures that pass for demons these days are like insignificant ants compared to me, I do share some characteristics with them. Like a compulsion to serve one who has the appropriate talents. That’s where you come in. You are scarcest of the scarce, a Demon Master, and your mere presence gave me the strength to break free.-
Sweetie Belle’s mind raced. She only heard about half of what the voice was telling her, but she caught enough to understand where this was going. “A Demon Master?” she said doubtfully. “Assuming I believe you, why are you telling me this? I know you well enough to be certain you’ve got something to gain. Not interested.”
-Hear me out. I’ve been defeated twice now, and am resigned to the fact that it would happen again. But I’ve turned over a new leaf! I’m a changed draconequus! In short, I’d rather be relatively free in service to you than confined interminably. I think it’s a fair bargain.-
Sweetie Belle mulled this over for a moment. She decided to probe a bit further and try to tease out Discord’s motive. “Okay, but what do I get in return? I’ve never even heard of a Demon Master before. And I don’t believe for a second that the Princesses would allow it.”
-Always the loyal subject. But the risk is all mine. I can assist you from a distance, and it will be entirely your choice if and when to release me from my prison. But more importantly… this is your purpose. I can sense it in you. It is your unique ability. Throw it away if you like, but be sure you fully understand what that means.-
“You mean… this is … my talent? How I get my cutie mark?” she quavered.
-Comprehension dawns, yes? I can sense magical abilities. Usually they’re something inconsequential, but you’re one of the few that has ever been interesting. Go on, give it a try.-
She stood silently for a moment, unsure of what to do. Presently she found her voice, but with some trepidation. “Discord, I… I command you to leave me!” she said uncertainly.
-Oh, come on. Say it like you mean it. But something a little less confrontational this time, maybe? After all, I can’t help you if I’m not here.-
After considering this briefly, Sweetie Belle more confidently said, “Discord, I command you to finish Rarity’s work for her, so she can get some rest!”
-You really are unimaginative, aren’t you? Very well.-
She found herself standing in the Carousel Boutique’s darkened work area, a soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows, with all of the finished orders hanging neatly on the racks. While trying to determine if she’d actually been transported there, or was just being shown a vision, she began to notice a slight itching on her side. Jerking her head around, she stared at the blood-red spot on her side, shimmering in the darkness, as it traced out a pattern. It left its distinctive color behind as it traversed lines over her skin, lines that continued to glow faintly, even after they were completed. In the end, the symbol was a softly luminescent pentacle. Her heart leapt when she saw it, the long-awaited fulfillment of her most desperate desires! Her cutie mark, her life’s purpose! She quickly suppressed her elation as much as she could, with her distrust of Discord still lingering in the back of her mind.
-There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? I trust this proves at least that part of what I’ve said. And the rest is entirely up to you.-
Sweetie Belle stood for a long time in silence. Finally, she ventured, “So I don’t have to let you out until I’m convinced this is for real? Or never, if that’s my choice?”
-Technically, yes, but you do yourself a disservice. You couldn’t choose that. Think of all the good you could do with my power at your command.-
After another long and thoughtful pause: “Okay, but if this thing’s not there anymore when I wake up, deal’s off. I won’t agree to anything until then.”
-I wouldn’t expect anything less. But first, some ground rules. The game must have rules, yes? I must stress how exceedingly rare your gift is. You could literally count on one hoof the number of other ponies who have manifested it in the last thousand years. The other, the poor wretch, had no self-control and went about flaunting his skills in public, a public which feared and misunderstood. His lack of discretion earned him an assassin’s blade, on direct orders of Celestia, I might add.-
-So, secrecy is rule one. Tell no pony, show no pony, or it’s your own skin you risk. You’ll need to do something to hide that mark. Once your talent is fully developed, you can demonstrate it to Celestia and pray she doesn’t consider it dangerous. Or you can keep it secret and explain it away as unicorn magic. Either way, with your capabilities, you stand to be lauded as a hero.-
-The second rule is to acquire insurance. We will need one of the Elements. I suggest the crown of Magic, as it’s the rarest. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with this task, since I currently suffer from the handicap of being unable to move. You’ll have to stow it away for safekeeping. Without it, they won’t be able to stop you from perfecting your art. Hide it somewhere without telling me, if you still distrust me.-
The last few sentences began to fade as she returned to natural sleep, but Sweetie Belle had listened intently. After her presence and the workroom scene had dispelled, only the voice was left in the darkness.
-My first play, and not a bad one. Checkmate in four moves, Celestia. Heh, heh, heh…-
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Sweetie Belle awoke slowly from one of the better sleeps she’d had recently. She lay motionless for a while and enjoyed the feeling of being rested for a change. Yawn. Stretch. She rolled out of bed and noticed the smell of breakfast wafting up from the kitchen. As she descended the stairs into the workroom, she casually glanced around to see what the weather was like this morning. Her gaze passing over the outgoing orders racks, she froze as a chill went through her body. The racks were full, the work complete!
She quickly looked back along each of her sides, seeing the lightly phosphorescent, deep red pentacles. She gasped sharply, and backed against the wall. Hearing this, Rarity headed toward the workroom, levitating a tray of apple-cinnamon oatmeal for both of them. As her sister entered the room, Sweetie Belle began to panic. She stayed where she was, against the wall near the bottom of the stairs, and kept maneuvering to face her sister directly, minimizing the view of her flanks.
Rarity craned her neck around slightly, catching a glimpse of dark red, and said, “Why, whatever is that on you? Have you injured yourself?”
The younger pony was momentarily dumbstruck, but then mumbled a quick, “Yeah, be right back,” and reversed up the stairs, continuing to keep her sides as obscured as possible. Once out of view, she dashed into Rarity’s washroom.
“My word, we must get you down to Nurse Redheart straightaway!” came the voice from downstairs, laden with concern.
“No, no, it’s okay!” Sweetie Belle answered. “It’s nothing. I’m just going to put a bandage on it.” She rummaged through Rarity’s vanity and seized on a box of adhesive bandages. It took four of them to cover each mark entirely, but she could still see the soft glow through them. She pulled them back off, and desperately rifled through the cabinet of makeup. A bottle of foundation eventually bobbed to the surface. Her coat was a close enough match to her sister’s. This would work! She dabbed some on her side and smeared it over her cutie mark. She smiled, satisfied. It would only be visible if somepony looked closely. As she breathed a sigh of relief, the makeup began to turn brown and flake off.
The voice from downstairs returned. “Is everything alright up there, dear? You’ve been up there a while.” Hearing no response, Rarity continued, “If you’re looking for the bandages, the small adhesives are in the lower left drawer, and the larger gauze ones are underneath.”
Sweetie Belle lunged back toward the box of bandages she had first tried, and dug below them, producing the larger package. She taped one over the mark on her left side and waited a minute. It seemed to be doing the job. She added one to her other side, tidied up, and went back downstairs, still being careful to expose only one of her sides to Rarity’s view. If her sister noticed they were on both sides, it would be difficult to explain.
“I thought it was on the other… oh, never mind,” said Rarity. “Thank you very much for finishing the work last night. I thought you’d gone to bed, dear. I didn’t think you had it in you!”
“It wasn’t me,” replied Sweetie Belle. “You must have worked so late that you don’t remember.”
Rarity conceded, “I guess so! Well, we can deliver these to Canterlot, then take a few days off. Eat your oatmeal, dear, it’s getting cold.”
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Later in the day, Sweetie Belle sneaked back into the workroom. She couldn’t risk anypony seeing the twin bandages, and the pentacles were starting to burn through, leaving a light brown char on the outermost layer of gauze. She retrieved her Cutie Mark Crusaders cape from her room, and brought it down to the workroom. It didn’t fit properly anymore, and needed to be lengthened. In a moment of inspiration, she also realized that she’d have to add a hood. She couldn’t take the chance that somepony would notice the glow underneath, especially if it were night, and recognize her face. The patch on it would also have to go, as too many ponies would recall it.
With Rarity out making the delivery, she had plenty of time to work uninterrupted. She finished in less than an hour, and tried on her revised cloak in front of the large mirror. It would work perfectly! It covered both of her sides nicely, but still hung out far enough from her coat that she thought it wouldn’t be affected like the bandages and makeup were. A few uneventful hours later, her assumption was confirmed.
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The next morning, Sweetie Belle once again descended the stairs for breakfast, with more confidence this time, and with her new cloak draped over her, the hood down. However, she was treated to yet another surprise: there stood Discord in the middle of the workroom. Panicked, she hissed, “How did you get out?” knowing that Rarity might overhear if she didn’t keep quiet.
“Oh, relax,” he replied. “This is just an image. A projection, if you will. I’d explain the principles behind the hippomorphism of abstract concepts, but only Twilight Sparkle could possibly find that interesting. We have work to do. I like the fashion sense, by the way.”
Hearing her sister, Rarity came through the doorway. “Good morning!” she sung. “I thought I heard you in here. Why ever are you wearing that thing? Not bad, but an odd choice for this weather.”
Sweetie Belle grimaced as Rarity walked right into Discord, but she passed through him. Discord grinned from ear to ear and stuck his head down inside Rarity’s, making her appear to have three horns. “Hmm, surprisingly little in here,” he deadpanned. “Don’t worry, she can’t hear me either,” he reassured, straightening up.
“I just want to create a different look. Something to set me apart,” explained Sweetie Belle.
“Well, you’ve certainly done that,” Rarity answered. “I’m here if you want any help with it. Remember, we need to start on the next order soon, but we have the rest of the week off. I’ll be at my spa appointment if you need me.” She walked out the front door.
“I thought she’d never leave,” said Discord. “Come along, students. We’re going on a field trip. Time is precious, and we need to get you trained.” He led Sweetie Belle through the town and into the Everfree Forest.
It was a long walk, and she had plenty of time to think. She couldn’t believe it had finally happened! Her cutie mark! The enormity of it weighed on her, but she was ecstatic. She felt like she was going to overflow! A song welled up within her heart, and she began humming an opening passage. She opened her mouth to sing.
“Oh, please!” interrupted Discord. “We don’t have time for that. We’re here.” They found a clearing well away from the road where they wouldn’t be disturbed.
“Lesson one,” began Discord authoritatively. He donned a pair of half-moon glasses and produced a poster of the forest’s monsters. “Know what you’re dealing with. All of the strange beasties in the forest are a combination of animal and demon. The more non-animal traits they have, the more demonic they are. For example, the manticore is composed of parts of normal animals, and has the abilities of normal animals. As such, it is only a small part demon. Conversely, the ursa major has a body made of the night sky. Very supernatural, lots of demon.” He indicated each in turn with a wooden pointer.
“How do you…” began Sweetie Belle.
“Raise your hoof, please,” came the stern rebuke.
She raised a foreleg.
“Questions? Any? No?”
She waggled her hoof insistently.
“Ah, yes, a question in the back?”
“How do you tell when a creature looks animal but has demon powers?”
“Knowledge or experience,” replied Discord. “The best way is to know beforehand. I’m sure your dear friend Twilight can lend you a book on the subject. The alternative is to see how obedient the creature in question is when you ask it to please stop mauling you.”
A nervous expression crossed Sweetie Belle’s face. “Shouldn’t I have studied that before coming out here?”
“Never fear,” Discord reassured her. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Besides, I doubt it will matter. None of these creatures will be able to resist you. Just be prepared for the relative effort required.” He paused to let the lesson sink in. “Now, try it out. Imagine you’re broadcasting your thoughts throughout the forest. Order whatever can hear you to come here. Do it with confidence. Don’t let there be any doubt that your commands must be obeyed.”
She was silent for a while and did as he asked. She closed her eyes and concentrated. After a few minutes, she heard a rustling at the edge of the clearing. A harpy hopped out of the trees, and stood there, watchful. It looked like a large vulture, but walked upright, and had a strange, wrinkled, apelike face.
“What next?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking over at Discord.
“Careful!” he said, quickly but softly. “Maintain your concentration. Now make it do something.”
The harpy obeyed as Sweetie Belle instructed it to fly in circles above the clearing, retrieve a rock from the river, and return to perch in a nearby tree. It sat there expectantly, awaiting the next command. “Was that good?” she asked.
“Yes, very,” Discord responded. “But I have an idea. Make it fly up to those low clouds there.” Once she had complied, he continued, “Now make it fly back down here as fast as it can.” The harpy began to dive as soon as Sweetie Belle spoke the order. As it gained speed, Sweetie Belle waited, seemingly too long. She began to worry that it wouldn’t be able to pull out of the dive in time. Still, she waited for Discord to say something. Finally, she couldn’t hold back.
“Stop!” she yelled. The harpy hovered within a few feet of the ground. “Weren’t you going to tell me to stop it?” she asked, her voice breaking.
“Of course not,” he retorted coldly, as if it had never even occurred to him to do so. “Why would I? It would have killed you without a second thought, given the chance. Why should you treat it any differently?”
“I… don’t know,” she stammered. “It… it just… doesn’t seem right.”
He rolled his eyes. “These things are tools,” he admonished. “You use them, and you throw them away.” After waiting for a response, but getting none, he continued more forcefully. “Tell it to stop breathing. Tell its heart to burst. Do something!” She began to cry softly. He sighed, and his tone became quite curt. “Fine. Maybe you don’t have the stomach for this. Stay here and practice for a while. Then see Twilight about the book. Get the crown while you’re there. Make sure you think about how you’re going to do it.” He stalked off into the trees, making a dismissive gesture. “I’ll be in touch,” he added just before he disappeared.
It took Sweetie Belle a while to recover. She didn’t know it would be like this. Was she doing the right thing? Maybe it was just one of those things where you achieve personal growth through pain. She’d had all she could take for one day, however.
She sent the harpy away, and called several other monsters, having each in turn perform some basic movements. One of the creatures in particular was a large snake with red eyes. She noticed that she had more difficulty controlling creatures when they were under the snake's scrutiny. They were sluggish to respond. She decided to test a theory. Sweetie Belle released a small monster from her thrall, one that she judged to be harmless. It looked confused for a moment, then bolted for the forest. She ordered the snake to block its path, and when it met the snake’s gaze, it stood there, transfixed. This could prove useful. She dismissed everything but the snake, and started toward the library with it in tow, as the sun sank below the horizon. The dimming light among the trees reminded her to pull her hood up.
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It was fully dark by the time Sweetie Belle reached the library. She encountered nopony on the way. Softly, she rapped at the door, in case Spike had already retired to bed. Twilight Sparkle came to the door.
“Thank you for not disturbing Spike,” she said. “It sure is unusual to see anypony here so late, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you here! But, welcome all the same! What can I help you with?”
“Do you have any books on the creatures in the Everfree Forest?” queried Sweetie Belle. “And how they’re related to demons?”
Twilight looked at her for a second. “That’s an odd request. Why the sudden interest? And at this time of night?”
Sweetie Belle’s face flushed a little. “I was just over in that area today and got curious. I remembered… Fluttershy… mentioning something about it. I was just on my way home.”
Her horn beginning to glow, Twilight floated a book down from a high shelf and onto the table. She smiled. “There! Is that all you need?”
“Um… one more thing,” Sweetie Belle ventured meekly, the color draining from her face. The darkness outside made the library windows like mirrors. Over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder, Twilight noticed two points of red light reflected in the door panes and froze. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle whispered, her eyes beginning to tear. She searched the library quietly in order to avoid waking Spike, coming up empty-hooved. On a hunch, she put her mouth up to Twilight’s ear and whispered, “Where is the crown? The Element of Magic?”
Twilight spoke dully. “In the jeweled box… under my bed.”
Sweetie Belle stole up the stairs, and slid the box out from under the bed. She took the crown out and replaced the box. Once back downstairs, with the crown safely stashed in her saddle bag, she stood again in front of Twilight Sparkle, and released the snake. The two red dots slid down, outside Twilight’s field of view, and the snake slithered soundlessly out the door, toward the forest. Twilight blinked once and looked confused. She couldn’t pick up her train of thought.
“You okay, Twilight?” asked Sweetie Belle. “I was just saying thanks for the book. Good night.”
Twilight looked distant. “Oh. Okay. You’re welcome. Good night.” She watched Sweetie Belle leave, then tried to shake the cobwebs out of her mind. Failing, she went up to bed and doused the lights.
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When Sweetie Belle arrived home, Rarity was already asleep. She went up to her room and hid the crown in the bottom of her dresser. Her cloak hung, her saddle bag set in the corner, and her book out, she began to read. She went over each chapter multiple times, and quizzed herself on the entire contents before advancing to the next. She had the essentials of nearly half the book memorized before she succumbed to fatigue, shortly before sunrise.
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Through all of the evening’s events, Discord had watched, never far away, but never seen. He was pleased with his progress. “Mate in three.”