"Butters? Are you ready yet" said Bluebell while knocking on the closed door of the stallions's room while wearing her long and wavy mane and tail in buns and fashioning a tight black ballet tights for rehearsal.
She allowed a minute or so for her friend to answer, but nothing happened. She knocked again while nervously asking "Butterscotch?"
When she didn't hear a response, she began to worry. What was Butterscotch doing in there? Was he even in there? No, of course he was. Maybe he can't hear her knocking on the door? Yes...yes that was it.
She quickly looked to her left and right before opening the door. "Hey Butterscotch, can you hear me?"
Bluebell was greeted by a small yet empty room. She slowly closed the door behind her before investigating the room. She was panicking about the sudden disappearance of her dear Butterscotch. Yet, she couldn't help be suspicious. Why would he leave his room? Especially in a short amount of time. This isn't like him! What if...the phantom took...no! There's no such thing!
Bluebell then noticed a small circle rug tossed aside next to one of the twin beds. She went over and picked it up, trying to figure out where the rug was before. She scanned the old water stained wood floor and found...a small trap door with an iron handle. What was this doing here? She thought to herself.
The white unicorn quietly went over to this mysterious door in the floor. She lifted the heavy handle up and down before opening the trap door wide open. Her eyes widen at the deep and spiraling stair case that lived underneath the floor. Bluebell's jaw almost dropped to the floor when she looked deeper into the darkness surrounding the narrow stair case. She then whispered out loud "Don't tell me that he...?"
Bluebell's question was answered by the echoing sounds of water dripping coming from the stair case before her. She groaned to herself while slowly sliding her hoof over her face "Why am I going to do this again?"
Then an image of Butterscotch's warm and beautiful smile flashed inside Bluebell's mind. The image was accompanied by the sound of Butterscotch's light and gorgeous laughter.
"Oh yeah, that's why." She sighed to herself.
Bluebell scooted herself closer to the edge of the opened trap door. She took deep calming breath before venturing down the stair case.
She wanted to quickly run down those creepy stairs, however one slip could either crack the entire stair case or send Bluebell tumbling down all the way to the bottom. She was thankful to have the light coming from her horn to guide the way. With each step she took,Bluebell's breath became more and more uneasy. Her new breathing pattern didn't help with her racing mind and heart.
Bluebell had a natural instinct to worry about Butterscotch. She felt that this instinct didn't come from her big sister mentality or from family love..but from a love beyond words. Bluebell was always disturbed by the fact that she wasn't creep out by her crush for her adopted brother. Even though they came from two different parents, they were still raised by the same father. Their Baba. Oh Solaris,what would he think of her feelings for Butterscotch? What would he say if he found out about her rule breaking? She's not suppose to be down here! But she had a good reason to be in the dark catacombs of the opera house. So Butterscotch should be punished for running off! No, she couldn't do that to Butterscotch. That pegasus had soft puppy eyes when he's sad and it breaks her heart to see him like that.
Before Bluebell knew it, she was at the bottom of the staircase. This joyous new revelation made Bluebell gallop down the short hallway. As the white unicorn was turning around the hallway corner with speed, she bumped into something. She charged at it so hard that it made her fall backwards towards the wall. She noticed how hard and bulky this thing was when she bumped into it. And she also noticed that it said "Ouch!"
While Bluebell was rubbing her now sore front legs on the ground, she heard a voice asked "Oh gosh! Are you alright Madamesoille?"
Bluebell rapidly looked up and found herself staring into the face of...a hunchback pony! It appeared to be a light grey stallion wearing a large burlap tunic to cover the large hump on his back. He had a shaggy blonde mane along with crossed eyed yellow eyes. The hunchback pony was smiling at Bluebell while offering his front hoof to her, showing her that he wanted to help her up. But Bluebell wasn't paying attention to his smile or his kind gesture, her mind was occupied with her father's stories. The phantom was a large, misshapen pony with golden eyes...and the creature before her had all these things!
"Wow! You look...just like her." sighed the cheerful hunchback pony.
This made Bluebell scream in the stallion's face and galloped back towards the stair case down the hall.
"Oh! Bye-Bye Madamesoille who looks like Esmeralda!" waved the happy grey hunchback, completely ignoring her terrified response.
The crossed eyed stallion continued to wave even when the white unicorn completely disappeared from his view. His wave over the last couple of minutes began to slow down, and he gradually developed a large goofy love struck grin on his face. He kept thinking to himself how that mare looked exactly like Esmeralda from his "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" story. Even though Esmeralda in the story was a earth pony with a brown and white spotted coat, along with a dark black mane...the mare he just met was beautiful just like her. She had pretty eyes just like Esmeralda. I bet she's nice just like Esmeralda. I bet her name is Esmeralda he thought to himself.
As the hunchback pony slowly turned in the way opposite direction, he bumped into a familiar face.
"Oh oopsies! So sorry Mistress! I-I didn't see you there." said the flustered grey stallion to Eris.
Eris softly smirked at her serving companion and told him "You seem to be in a good mood today Dopey. Let me guess...Esmeralda came by to visit again?"
The draconquees knew that her little hunchback friend loved that Notre Dame story so much that he created an imaginary Esmeralda to keep him company. For some strange reason, Eris found this adorable.
Dopey blushed while answering "Actually, it's a different Esmeralda."
Eris raised her white hairy eyebrow at this and remarked "A different Esmeralda?"
Dopey answered with great enthusiasm "Yeah! Oh Mistress, she was so beautyful! I mean she didn't look exactly like her, but still!"
Dopey added a little sigh and held his hooves over his chest to calm his beating heart. Meanwhile, Eris was confused and suspicious about this new imaginary friend. She asked Dopey casually "What did this Esmeralda look like exactly?"
Dopey quickly said "She was white! All white! And-and she had this shiny blonde hair! And she was a unicorn! And...!"
Eris interrupted with "I think I get the picture."
Eris knew exactly which pony he was talking about. She certainly wasn't surprised that the little unicorn came down here. This thought made the opera phantom smirk evilly to herself.
Eris patted Dopey's head before journeying into the hallway, "It seems, Dopey, that my opera house has some new ballet dancers."
Dopey's ears perked up when Eris revealed this, "Oh that's wonderful news Mistress!" Then he followed Eris down the dark hallway.
Eris darkly chuckled "Indeed...it is."
Then she turned her attention back to Dopey and instructed "Make sure to lock up all the stair entrances. Make sure to camouflage them properly this time. Also, keep checking the sanctuary room every fifteen minutes or so for important messages...and visitors."
Then the tall draconquees handed the light grey stallion an envelop sealed with a golden pony skull wax seal. She said to him "But the first thing you need to do is deliver this...there are more guests coming today. And I can't wait to meet them."
Bluebell raced up those steps like there was no tomorrow. Her high pitched girlish scream echoed throughout the narrow stair case. Bluebell felt like she has been screaming and running for ages. However, she was more concerned about the phantom following her up the steps. Bluebell perked her ears behind her head, trying to pick up any sound. She can only hear the sound of her own hooves galloping on the steps.
She thanked Solaris when she saw the room light above her. Bluebell literally leaped out of the floor and slammed the trap door behind her with her magic. She collapsed upon the old and dusty floor, and took some slow deep breaths to get her regular heart beat back.
"Bluebell! Oh goodness! Are you alright?"
The white unicorn looked up and found Butterscotch with a brotherly concerned look on his face. He lowered his head towards her, so that they can talk at the same eye level.
She immediately lunged herself towards Butterscotch's neck. Once she got a hold of his neck, she tightened her grip. The combination of Bluebell's weight and her indestructible grip made Butterscotch fall over backwards.
Bluebell shouted "Butterscotch! Thank Solaris you're okay! What happened to you?! Where did you go?! You could have gotten yourself killed! You had me worried sick about you! Oh that doesn't matter. What matters is that you're alright."
Butterscotch choked out "Um Bells...can't breathe."
Bluebell's cheeks flared up when she realized what she was doing to Butterscotch and how close she was to her crush. She whispered "Oh oops. Sorry."
Butterscotch took a deep breath before telling Bluebell "Don't worry Bluebell, I'm alright."
Bluebell didn't answer Butterscotch. Instead, she tried to hide her red face from Butterscotch and praying that he didn't notice.
Butterscotch then said "I'm so sorry that I...disappeared...without telling you. It's just that...there was this...rat. Yes a rat. The poor thing broke his leg. I just had to help him. Not only in casting his little leg, but also getting him home. So I...took him down that one stair case Baba showed us, and took the little thing back to his hole in the barn."
Butterscotch's story helped Bluebell forget her embarrassment, which the blush on her cheeks to fade away. She smiled at her adopted brother, knowing that he had such a deep and compassionate love for all animals big and small. She was thankful that he didn't go down the staircase she explored. Of course he wouldn't go down there. Butterscotch is too smart for that. Bluebell decided not to tell Butterscotch of her encounter with the phantom. Butterscotch would have a heart attack if he knew.
Meanwhile,Butterscotch felt horrible in lying to Bluebell. He had never lied to her before. Plus, he wasn't a very a good liar to begin with. Hopefully she bought it Butterscotch thought to himself.
If Bluebell knew about her...and the phantom...Butterscotch couldn't bare giving his adopted sister a heart attack again. Plus, he promised Eris not to tell. Butterscotch's mind wandered back to his time with Eris just minutes ago...
After Eris told Butterscotch her name, she then magically summoned a staircase...made of water! In the middle of the underground lake! This strange water staircase tower all the way to the stone ceiling. Eris created a hole into the stone ceiling for the water staircase. Butterscotch's mouth was opened so wide that a fly could fly in without the pegasus knowing it. This made Eris smile and slightly chuckle at him.
Eris offered her lion paw to Butterscotch and said "Come. Let me help you walk back."
Butterscotch was touched by her generosity and kindness. He gave her a small shy smile before placing his hoof in her claw. Eris smiled back at Butterscotch,with her eyes glued upon his eyes.
They flew towards the bottom of the staircase. Butterscotch was amazed by how Eris didn't need wings to fly over the lake. He couldn't hear any wings flapping from under her black cape. Eris was the first one to climb up the steps. She lets go of his hoof so that he can follow her up,although Eris didn't want to stop holding his hoof. It was so soft and warm...oh Eris could have held his hoof for an eternity.
Butterscotch had to tap the bottom step with the tip of his front hoof to see if the water staircase was truly solid. And...it was! It wasn't slippery or cold like ice, it was like walking on a cobblestone road. This made Butterscotch laugh in revelation.
Eris laughed softly "You like my magical creations?"
Butterscotch blushed, realizing that he laughed out loud, "Oh yes. I do."
Eris smiled. This was all a strange experience for the phantom. No pony had ever liked her magic before. Her magic was always looked at with scorn or with disgust or with annoyance.
As the two creatures progressed closer to the hole in the stone ceiling, Butterscotch asked Eris "What was the name of that song you were playing?"
Eris proudly responded with "Chaos of the Night. It's for my opera. It's called..." Then Eris sang out loud "Donna Triumphant!"
Eris recomposed herself and continued "Chaos of the Night is a love ballad from the main character Donna to her gorgeous lover."
Butterscotch's sparkled with excitement and joy, he beamed "Oh my, an opera! That's wonderful!"
Eris let out a shy smile and blush at Butterscotch's response. She was thankful that the little pegasus could only see her back. Eris never thought in a million years that she could find some pony just as excited as she was for her opera. She sighed out loud "Indeed. Wonderful."
At first, Butterscotch was feeling unsure when into entering the giant hole in the ceiling. But when he saw Eris enter into it with ease, Butterscotch was able to gather enough courage to do the same. He closed his eyes...took a cleansing breath in...and...
"You can open your eyes now."
Butterscotch slowly opened his greenish blue eyes and he was surprised to find himself back in the stallion dancers bedroom once more. He was in the middle of room, standing on top of the trap door.
Eris was standing by the window next to Butterscotch's twin bed. She had a playful smirk on her face,while her arms were crossed against her chest.
Butterscotch let out an embarrassed chuckle when he looked around the room, and this made Eris chuckle along with him. Butterscotch then saw Eris raising her eagle claw, as if to snap herself magically out of the room and leave Butterscotch forever. But Butterscotch didn't want her to leave! Not yet! Not after he just met her!
"Hold on!"
Eris paused and was shocked at Butterscotch sudden outburst. For a shy little pony, he can be quite loud when he wants to be.
Butterscotch's face reddened immediately, as he softly sat himself on the ground. He lowered his gaze from hers, and started playing with his front hooves. It took a full minute for Butterscotch to gather up enough nerve to spit out, "W-W-What I meant to say was...when will I see you again?"
Eris's eyes widened at that moment. Her face flustered red, her palms became sweaty,and her heart raced wildly in her chest.
Butterscotch continued "I would love to hear you play and sing again, but...I might be asking too much. Forget that I asked. You can go now, if you wish..."
Eris responded quickly "You're not asking too much!"
This made Butterscotch look back up to Eris.
She coughed into her arm in order to recollect her calm and dignified persona. "You can visit me if you wish. All you have to do is write me a letter to let me know of your arrival in advanced. Drop the letter off at the sanctuary room near the dressing rooms backstage, and I shall respond."
Then she swirled one of her lion claw fingers in the air, and she magically made a neck appear on Butterscotch's neck. Butterscotch looked down and saw a gold pony skull head key on his necklace.
Eris continued while twirling the key in her paw, which made Butterscotch simply uncomfortable, "Once I have given you permission and the time to visit, you use this key and enter it into the hole next to the altar. A door will appear and the door will lead you back to my lair."
Their conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of muffled screaming from underneath the trap door.
Butterscotch uttered "Bluebell?!"
Eris the proclaimed with a cheeky smile "That's my cue."
As soon as Butterscotch turned around, Eris was gone...
Butterscotch quickly stuffed his necklace into his saddlebag before Bluebell blasted through the trap door.
After Butterscotch dressed into his black rehearsal ballet tights and put his mane in a pony tail, he met with Bluebell outside the stallion room.
They gave each other a comforting smile, before descending down the staircase by their rooms. They were on their way to meet with the other ponies on stage for their first rehearsal. However, the two siblings didn't notice...that in the shadow of the stallions' room door...was Zircoro. Looking at his children with a very stern look on his face.