//------------------------------// // Eight - The Queen's Castle // Story: Fractured Fairy Tails: Twilight Sparkle in Wonderland // by Unknown Tale //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy got totally lost in Wonderland with no idea on which way is north. Rainbow Dash saw the whole thing and flew back down to the ground. "Lost your way?" she asked the two. Twilight Sparkle nodded. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she didn't heed the warning Bloom and Dazzle told her. She suddenly sat down near a tree, exhausted. "This world is totally mad. I don't even know half of what's going on!" she said, voice cracking softly. "I can relate..." Fluttershy said. "The Queen will be so furious when she sees me as late as I am with no watch...!" Rainbow Dash finally said, "Ponies, calm down! I know a quicker way to get to her castle!" "You do?" Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy asked at the same time, forgetting their troubles in the strange forest. "Yes I do! It would be 20% Faster!" Rainbow Dash then pulled a branch, and a tree opened up like a door and the castle was shown. Twilight Sparkle thanked her and then walked into a maze similar to the one she went through during the battle with Discord. Could Discord be the king? she thought. Rabbitshy pulled ahead of Twilight and asked, "Um, may you follow me Twilight?" She did follow her and Fluttershy led Twilight to one side of the castle. Twilight looked through the entrance. No guards. Just two ponies with paint buckets... Wait a minute those two look familiar! And they were! Two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders dressed in red! Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle! Twilight ran over to them to see what they were doing. The two were heading over to a White Rose tree. They got the brushes ready and started painting. Fluttershy could understand what was going on. "This is ridiculous," Sweetie Belle finally said. "But I know what would happen if we didn't do this!" Scootaloo replied. "Just stop splashing small amounts of paint on me." "My apologies, Sweetie Belle." Twilight looked over at Sweetie Belle and said, "What exactly are you doing?" "Huh? Oh. Well the fact is, we planted White Roses by mistake and the Queen likes them, red. If she saw white instead, she'll have us imprisoned in her chamber for a week!" "Oh dear," Twilight replied. Then they heard what sounded like trumpets playing a simple fanfare, soon followed by a whole orchestral piece. Fluttershy was leading a march over to the three. "Everypony, the great majesty, Red Rarity, has returned..." Fluttershy said. Then she added, "and the king..." Rarity was the second to lead, followed by Discord, who then suddenly puts a Chocolate Raincloud above Fluttershy, and finally 21 ponies in 2 lines. When the march ended, Rarity said, "Stand by! Count off!" So the ponies stepped apart from each other as the others watching called their numbers in time. "1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, Jack!" Rarity then walked over to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "Why are you painting the roses red?" "We couldn't let you see the White Roses," Sweetie Belle admitted. Paint dripped from one rose and Twilight stepped away from it so it doesn't drip down her mane. "You were careless you two! That's what you are! Take them to the dungeon!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle seized at this opportunity and ran off to another place in Wonderland. Twilight then looked at the Queen and the Queen looked at her. "Who are you?" Rarity asked Twilight, then Discord flew over to her and said, "Let's have a look. It is definitely not from around here. Might be a lost pawn." Rarity interjected, "No, looks more like a little pony." Discord laughed at her because they knew it was only an alicorn that couldn't hurt them in any way. He suddenly makes a Pepsi form in his right hand. "But you do have a point. A pawn doesn't usually wear a dress like that." And to think this is crazy, they'll think I am, Twilight thought. Rarity walked over to her. "What's your name, little girl?" Twilight blushed for a moment. "I'm, Twilight Sparkle your majesty." Rarity smiled. And I thought I was beautiful, look at her, she thought to herself. "Where are you heading off to?" "I'm looking for a way to..." Before she could finish, Rarity cut her off. "A WAY!? Everypony knows all ways are MINE and not the HIGHWAY!" Twilight suddenly felt fear rise up in her. "I-I-I didn't mean to make you mad." "Do not worry, Twilight. Hey, I'll show you a way to my game spot, if you know how-to play HORSE." Twilight was silent for a moment and then nodded. She thought it was that horseshoe game Rainbow Dash and Applejack played back in Ponyville. Her thought was off the scale.