//------------------------------// // Pink Lady // Story: Episode 3: Mageismoiras // by mr lovecolt //------------------------------// The Apple family had been in the east field of Sweet Apple Acres since daybreak, and the buckets of apples at a small table was proof of the hard work of the two older Apple siblings. Though Applejack’s bucking skills were less powerful than Big Macintosh’s, she moved more quickly, thus ensuring that the chore of apple bucking was split evenly between the two of them. Big Macintosh lifted a hind leg and bucked a tree, sending all of its fruit tumbling to the bucket beneath. At the small table, two mares sat and inspected each apple for imperfections. Granny Smith and Rarity looked at each apple for a moment and then immediately placed them into the appropriate container. Their matching red glasses reflected against the early morning sun. “Good’n, good’n, good’n, bad’n…” “Lovely, horrid, lovely, lovely…” “Ya know y’all don’t have to worry ‘bout goin’ too quick,” Applejack said as she set down another bucket of apples, “Ain’t like we’re competin’ with Flim and Flam again.” “Very funny, Applejack.” Rarity replied. “We’re just tryin’ to keep up with you two whippersnappers.” Granny Smith quipped. Rarity glanced up at Applejack, who was smiling back at her. The smile was small, but her eyes were squinted, and Rarity knew Applejack was thinking about something. She would have to ask her about it later. Applejack picked up an empty bucket and returned to her brother’s side. Rarity and Granny Smith continued with their inspections, and the chorus of hooves on trees, falling apples, and the two quality control mares’ comments continued on through the morning. “So y’all really do got a keen eye for this,” Granny Smith said as she held another apple up to her muzzle. “Thank you so much, Missis Apple,” Rarity replied as she spotted a hole in an apple and tossed it into the discard bucket. “Shoot, y’all can just call me Granny Smith, or just Granny.” Granny Smith continued, “With the way you and my grandson look at each other, I get the feelin’ you may be part of our family sooner or later. If things work out, that is.” Rarity’s eyes widened, but she tried not to let the comment break her composure. Sure, she and Big Macintosh had been dating for a while, but she wasn’t expecting such a comment to come from Granny Smith so easily. She held up another apple to her muzzle and considered it. A green hue covered the top half of the apple, and the spotted blush of red met it in the middle, where the little red dots speckled its perimeter. She cast a sideways glance at Big Macintosh as he lifted his hind hoof and once again bucked the tree and sent all of the apples cascading in one attempt. She watched as the muscles of his legs scrunched together as he prepared another kick. The stifle and flank muscles connected, and his gaskin flexed. Rarity sighed but moved her attention to Big Macintosh’s face when she realized he had stopped in mid-buck position. It was then that she realized that he had been looking at her from the corner of his eye, as well. His eyes half-lidded for a moment, and a small smirk appeared. Rarity’s white muzzle soon matched the blush of the apple that still hovered in front of her, and she quickly turned her attention away from the stallion. “Ya know,” Granny Smith said as she set an apple in the discard bucket, “The Pink Lady is a funny little apple – first to bloom, but one of the last to be harvested. It’s really crisp, and what’s the word?” “Tart?” Rarity replied. “Yeah, that’s it,” Granny Smith replied, “Tart.” “I see. There’s so much to learn about apples. Before coming out here regularly, I used to know only a few varieties. But learning the names of your extended family has really helped me.” Rarity laughed. “That’s how we all remember ‘em all, too,” Granny Smith replied as she looked ahead, “Each variety is special in its own way, just like each member of the Apple family is special in their own way.” Rarity smiled at Granny Smith as she continued with her lecture. Big Macintosh and Applejack occasionally appeared to drop off another bucket of apples, only to catch a few words and then move on. Rarity stopped her inspections when she noticed that Granny Smith’s gazed had lingered on one of the apples for too long. “Missis Apple,” Rarity asked, “Is something the matter?” Granny Smith placed the apple in both of her hooves and split it in half. Though the outside of the apple had appeared perfect, most of the inside was brown, and in the core of the broken apple was a dead worm. “Sometimes, critters can worm their way into an apple without leavin’ so much as a mark on the skin.” Granny Smith continued, “It takes a really keen eye to make sure those apples are discarded.” Granny Smith tossed the apple pieces into the discard bucket. She then turned to Rarity. “Ya see, one bad apple spoils the bunch. That’s why only the best ones can be considered Apple Family apples.” A lump formed in Rarity’s throat as Granny Smith continued on with her inspections. She looked back at Big Macintosh and Applejack. She watched as they worked silently with each other. Rarity cleared her throat and stood up. “I do apologize,” Rarity whispered, “I think I need to use the little fillies room.” “Mm hmm.” Granny Smith replied, still focused on the apples in front of her. “Good’n, good’n, bad’n.” Rarity smiled at everypony as she left and trotted towards the farmhouse. Her smile faded with each step she took, and by the time she reached the front porch, her smile had gone away completely. Her hoof trembled as she pushed open the door and made her way inside and up the stairs to the bathroom. The door closed behind her and she stared at herself in the mirror. A leaf was tangled in her mane, and she brushed it away. She placed a hoof under each eye and winced at their puffiness. “She’s right, you know,” Rarity whispered to her reflection, “The Apple Family founded Ponyville. Only the best can be considered Apple Family apples. Look at yourself. You don’t belong with somepony like him. He deserves somepony who can-” Rarity’s monologue was interrupted by a knock at the door. A purple aura surrounded the sink as Rarity turned on the faucet and splashed cold water over her face. “Just a mi-nute.” Rarity sang, “Just washing my hooves.” She turned and opened the door, only to see Big Macintosh standing on the other side. “Oh, why Big Macintosh, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” Big Macintosh looked down into Rarity’s eyes for a moment. Rarity blinked and put a smile on her face. “Sugarcube,” Big Macintosh asked, “Is everythin’ all right?” “Of course it is, darling,” Rarity replied as she kissed his cheek, “I just needed a moment.” “Ya know,” Big Macintosh said, “Ah was able to hear what Granny Smith said. And Ah know it bothered ya ‘cause ya used yer fake smile when ya left, just like yer doin’ now.” Rarity paused. Big Macintosh lifted a hoof to her cheek. “How come ya never told me about yer allergy?” “How did you know?” Rarity asked. “Ah’m a farmer,” Big Macintosh replied, “It’s not too hard to tell when somepony’s havin’ an allergic reaction to things like grass or pollen.” Rarity closed her eyes and turned from Big Macintosh. Her breathing came faster as she tried to step to his side. Big Macintosh inched over to block her. “Ya wanna tell me what’s botherin’ ya?” “It’s just…” Rarity began, “You are quite possibly the sweetest, kindest, and smartest stallion that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Most ponies don’t know that last part, because you never speak. But the conversations we have are wonderful.” “So what’s wrong?” “Just look at me,” Rarity said, “I have puffy eyes, I’m allergic to basically all forms of plant life, I’ll never be hard working like Applejack…” “Ah don’t want y’all comparin’ yerself to mah sister, now.” Big Macintosh raised his hoof again to embrace Rarity, but she moved to the side again and closed her eyes. “That’s not what I meant,” Rarity continued, “I’m just a dressmaker when it comes down to it. It’s just that sometimes I feel as though there could be much better mares out there and-” Rarity let out a small gasp when she felt the warm lips of Big Macintosh on hers. As their lips parted, she opened her eyes and saw that Big Macintosh was staring at her with half lidded eyes and a lopsided grin. “Why would ah want another mare when ah have you?” He asked, “And what makes y’all think yer not hardworkin’? Ya own yer own business. Yer determined, and ya know what ya want in life. Yer a good pony, Rarity. And yer so generous that even after coming here so many times to help us on the farm, ya still think yer not givin’ enough of yerself.” “I do feel that way, Big Macintosh,” Rarity replied. “Rarity, there’s only one part of yerself that I need ya to give to me.” Rarity looked back up into Big Macintosh’s eyes. “And what’s that?” Big Macintosh bent down his neck to give Rarity another kiss. “yer heart.” ***** The light began to seep into the basement of the Golden Oaks Library as Twilight Sparkle levitated a small chisel over Fluttershy’s elemental necklace. She glanced over to the glyph drawn in the pages of the Mageismoiras. The glyph had to match the one she drew on the floor exactly. There was no room for any mistake. Finally, as she completed the flourish at the bottom of the glyph, she set the chisel down and turned to her friend. Fluttershy’s eyes were still black. Twilight Sparkle moved over to face her. The eyes weren’t gone, but it was simply that her pupils had dilated to the point where nothing else could be seen. Not her irises, nor the white. She lifted Fluttershy’s mane so that she could connect the necklace. The smell of Fluttershy’s mane infiltrated Twilight Sparkle’s nostrils. Even though it hadn’t been washed in days, she could still smell the scent of the earthbound pegasus’ aroma. It smelled of air just after a heavy storm. Tears formed in the corners of Twilight Sparkle’s eyes as the necklace clicked shut. She then turned to the glyph that had been drawn on the floor. Twilight Sparkle’s aura surrounded the glyph and a force field appeared over it. She wouldn’t let anypony near it. Not after what Spike had almost done that morning when he had found them together. She couldn’t let anypony destroy the lines. It was too important to her. The glyph was protected. The glyph that had been chiseled into Fluttershy’s necklace would ensure that if she needed to go beyond to borders of this basement, she would be able to. Twilight Sparkle laughed in delight as she imagined the shocked looks on her other friends’ faces when she told them about how she saved Fluttershy. She knew that the Elements of Harmony needed to remain intact, and that in doing so, would ensure the safety of Ponyville as well as all of Equestria for years to come. “Fluttershy,” Twilight Sparkle asked, “Do you want to come up with me for breakfast?” Fluttershy said nothing but followed Twilight Sparkle up the stairs to the main floor of the library. Twilight Sparkle opened the door, but when the morning light entered the room, Fluttershy moved back a step. The light continued to pour into the room, and Fluttershy continued to move back into the darkness of the basement. Twilight Sparkle turned to Fluttershy. Right, she thought, Fluttershy’s eyes must still be sensitive to light. “It’s all right, Fluttershy,” Twilight Sparkle said, “You can stay down here.” Fluttershy turned around and made her way back down the stairs. Twilight Sparkle sighed and decided that she would need to go see Rarity about a pair of protective contact lenses that matched Fluttershy’s eye color. Fluttershy disappeared into the darkness, and Twilight Sparkle shut the door behind her and made her way to the kitchen. The saddlebag she had from last night lay on the table, and the corner of Fluttershy’s diary stuck out of the bag. Twilight Sparkle looked around the room, and when she was sure that Spike wasn’t awake, she took the diary out of the bag. She opened the diary to one of the later pages. January 19, 1006 It has been another wonderful day. I made a new friend in Discord. Yes, it started out as an assignment from Princess Celestia, but she placed her trust in me to help reform him, and as I looked into his eyes, I knew immediately what he needed. He needed a friend. I knew that look the moment I saw him. I knew that he was lonely. I never believed that he was evil, even when he first tried to destroy my friends. I know they only saw him as an agent of chaos, but I know there’s something else there. Even after today, I’m going to find out what it is. Even after he said he wanted to be my friend, I know there is something he is still hiding. You can’t see through anypony, but if you look into their eyes, you can see into their hearts and minds. I’ll have to use my stare again to get to him, is all. Twilight Sparkle set the diary down. Is that how her stare works, she thought. She had never paid much attention to her friend’s staring abilities before. She had always assumed that it was simply some form of hypnotism that she used on animals. Twilight Sparkle levitated a small scroll from her saddlebag and began a checklist. 1.) Continue Mageismoiras to learn how to get Fluttershy to speak again. 2.) Speak to Fluttershy about “staring” ability. Twilight Sparkle turned her attention back to Fluttershy’s diary and flipped back towards the beginning of the book. Apparently, Fluttershy wrote through approximately one diary per year. The first entry, however, was scribbled out. Twilight Sparkle had to work through them to read what she could. February 11, 1005 You’re going to do it today. You’re going to gather up your courage and tell Big Mac you want him to be your special somepony. Just remember what Rarity said. You’re beautiful pretty. Any stallion would jump at the chance be happy to have you as a special somepony. Will Big Mac want to kiss me when I tell him? What if he says no? What if he says yes? Big Mac is shy, so I know that he’ll know that I won’t try to do anything to make him uncomfortable. I’m going to do it. Twilight Sparkle looked up from the diary for a moment to think about the scribbled out entry before she continued with the intact. Fluttershy had apparently taken to writing her entries in different color inks. It’s okay. I went by Sugarcube Corner. When I think about it, Cheerilee is perfect for him. She’ll be much better at helping Big Mac come out of his shell. They’ll be a great couple. Twilight Sparkle closed the diary and placed it back into her saddlebag. Why hadn’t Fluttershy told the rest of us about Big Mac, she thought. She turned back to the date. That was the day the Cutie Mark Crusaders had stolen the book about Hearts and Hooves Day that she had been reading and made a love potion. “Fluttershy…” Twilight Sparkle whispered to herself, unable to complete her own thought. She shook her head and looked to the clock. Dawn had already broken, but with Spike being awoken last night, he was still asleep upstairs. She made her way back to the main room and looked at the poetry books she had laid out. She turned to the door that led to the laboratory and made her way down the stairs, where she saw Fluttershy standing in the corner, as far away from the doorway’s light as she could. Fluttershy stood behind a large bookcase filled with vials. Twilight Sparkle stopped at the table where she had brought her friend to life and looked at the Mageismoiras. At the bottom of the page was a small epigram. The Lypouni flower blooms in the vessel Whose soil can feed its desire for sorrow to full Twilight Sparkle made her way to the other side of the bookcase, watching Fluttershy’s body morph and change to the shape of each vial and beaker that lined its shelves. She reached the end and immediately made her way to Fluttershy’s side and held her in her hooves. “Fluttershy,” Twilight Sparkle asked, “I know you’re in there somewhere. I’m sorry for the pain that you have felt. When this is over, I’ll help you get Big Mac. You don’t have to worry about anypony – not me, not Cheerilee – not anypony. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy.” Twilight Sparkle reached up and brushed her lips to Fluttershy’s cheek and she whispered into her ear. A shadow stands beneath the moon. A hoof falls. The air catches in my chest. Tonight, I know that there is no more light but you. Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes, but the blackness in Fluttershy’s eyes remained unmoving.