A magically, glowing, floating hairbrush was brushing through Eris's long white hair. The brush had soft cream hairs and a gold carved handle. Each stroke of the brush turned Eris's edgy yet messy hair into a long...luscious...fluffy...slightly wavy and curly...cloud-like mane. Eris allowed herself to relax and close her eyes during the brushing. Eris has been stressed out ever since yesterday...ever since Butterscotch asked her out for a...date.
Whenever her mind wandered on the "D" word, her eyes spin all over and send her into a whirlwind. Not the fun kind of whirlwind that she likes to create from time to time, but the more motion sickness kind of whirlwind. Was this pegasus possessing some kind of dark magic like her? What was this spell he was using on her? How can she break it?
Eris's thoughts interrupted by the brush floating away from Eris's hair and landing on the golden vanity before her. Eris opened her eyes and looked down at the animated hairbrush. It had big filly-like eyes, a sweet cartoon smile,and tiny gold arms and legs sticking out from it's carved handle body.
The hairbrush bowed to the Phantom and proclaimed in a very squeaky voice, "You look lovely Mistress. Anything else I can do for you?"
Eris bowed her head back at her brush and answered "That will be all sweetie." She waved her glowing lion paw in front of the hairbrush and took the animation spell off it.
Then she directed her attention to her reflection in the un-cracked mirror. She was surprised on just how good her hair looked. She knew she wanted her hair to be gorgeous today,but she never thought she could make it...this good. She lightly ran her eagle claw through her white locks and admired how silky soft it was. Eris concluded that it was the miracle of trying.
She traced her long jaw line with her eagle claw, and slowly..traced it all the way to her tall slender neck. Then...to her neck line...soon she found her self tracing over her full chest. She lingered on the soft silk material of her new dress. She decided this morning that she would wear a red, long sleeved, Victorian Marie Antoinette corset gown. The neck line and sleeves were accented with delicate red lace. The black of the dress had a long trail of black cloth buttons. The gown's specialty was simple. It emphasized beautifully her curves. The gown also brought out the shining gold and the bold black paint on Eris's mask. Eris decide that she wouldn't wear her usual black cape today...in order for her dress to stand out. Eris traced her eagle claw from her chest to her waist...then to her curvy hips.
She whispered out loud while still gazing upon her reflection, "I wonder...will he...like it?"
"The lair is spotless Mistress."
Eris turned around in her stool and found Dopey standing three feet behind her. The hunchback was sweaty...a little...from cleaning and polishing the lair all last night and this morning.
She asked him "What time is it?"
Dopey looked down at his hoof watch and replied "It is...7:50."
Eris remarked with a bright smile "Excellent! Now, get the table, the marzipan, and the caramel ready. But before that, wait for Butterscotch by the portal."
Eris stood up from her stool and summoned the purple portal by the dock.
Dopey joyously exclaimed "Yes Mistress." before happily running for the small dock.
As soon as Dopey scurried off, Eris levitated the light red and brown see through dresser panel. She placed it in front of the golden vanity and in front of her. She slowly slumped back into the stool and scavenge through the vanity's drawers. Eris found it. Her wooden music box. It never failed to calm her nerves. Just touching it's smooth top can transport Eris's mind into a whole other world. It was her muse. Her confidante.
She didn't open it,but instead softly pet it's top. Eris began to wonder about Butterscotch. His words began to echo in her head...
Our lives are measured by how kind we are to our friends, to our enemies, and to strangers.
She mumbled to herself "If that were the case, what would my life measure up to? How can one measure my life?"
Despite this depressing thought, Eris's couldn't help but feel the warmth of Butterscotch's wise and compassionate statement. His words had the power to linger in her. His kindness had the power to linger in her heart.
She sweetly sang to herself...
Loveliness, Tenderness,
Warm as the summer,
Offer me their embrace.
Friendliness, Gentleness,
Strangers to my life.
They are there in his face.
Goodness, and sweetness,
And kindness,
Abound in his place.
I am in love with the things
that I see in his face.
It's a feeling
I know time
Will never erase...
All of sudden,Eris heard new hoof steps on the dock. She quickly put her music box away in her vanity drawer. She stood up from her stool and positioned her back to face the panel. Eris decide to pose casually yet seductively in front the panel. So that way, it can lure Butterscotch to her instead of having the draconquues crawl over to meet him. It was perfect!
Butterscotch slowly walked out of the magic portal. He was still wary and cautious of it. He had this irrational thought that it might close on him in the middle of his crossing. He let out a sigh of relief once he passed through and the portal closed behind him.
"HELLO!"
Butterscotch squeaked in fear and jumped back at the sudden greeting. He cowered himself down to the ground and covered his face with his wings.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but I was so excited to meet you."
Butterscotch peeked through his wings and saw the grey hunchback pony named Dopey. His eyes widen at the sight of him. Butterscotch had never seen a pony like him before. Butterscotch wondered if he was one of Eris's magical creations.
Butterscotch slowly rises up and folded his wings back to his sides. When he returned his gaze back to Dopey,the hunchback pony exclaimed "You're a pegasus, just like me!"
Dopey then removed his brown tunic over his shoulders and head. Butterscotch questioned what the stallion was doing until he saw the grey wings...on each side of the pony's large yet strange apparent hump on his back. The yellow pegasus felt ashamed for staring, his father always taught him to never stare at others. All ponies are different, it's part of life.
Dopey grinned joyously at Butterscotch. He then fluttered his wings and lifted himself five feet in the air. In order to show Butterscotch how similar they were. Dopey added "See?"
Butterscotch smiled back and said "I see. You were right."
Dopey's grin grew wider and it made his small dimples show. He fluttered back on the ground and put his tunic back on.
Butterscotch asked him "What's your name?"
"My name is Dopey." he responded.
Butterscotch happily shook Dopey's front hoof and said "Nice to meet you Dopey, my name is..."
Dopey interrupted him with "Oh I know who you are. You're Butterscotch. I remembered because your name is a piece of candy."
Butterscotch stopped shaking his hoof and remarked "Oh...I see. How do you know my name?"
Dopey happily answered "Mistress told me."
Butterscotch uttered "M-Mistress?"
Dopey continued "Yeah, she told me how nice you were. She told me how much you liked music. Oh! She also told me how friendly you were. That's why I was so excited to meet you."
Butterscotch blushed "Oh. She talks about me?"
Dopey nodded his head and casually said "Yup. Alot. I'm so glad that Mistress has a friend. Especially a friend like you. Can I be your friend too?"
Butterscotch nodded his head and softly answered him "But of course Dopey."
Dopey surprised Butterscotch with a big tight hug. Dopey exclaimed while swinging his new friend around,"Yay! You're the best! Thanks!"
Butterscotch squeaked "No problem. It's my pleasure."
As soon as Dopey released Butterscotch, he realized "Oh! I better get going. I have to get everything ready."
Dopey pointed one of his front hooves to the dresser panel and Eris's golden vanity, "Mistress should be over there."
While Dopey left in the opposite direction, Butterscotch tells him "Thank you."
Butterscotch looked back at the dresser panel and saw a shadow outline that looked like Eris. He didn't notice anything special about Eris's pose, but focused on not disturbing her. Butterscotch just hoped that he wasn't too early. He gently walked towards Eris in the corner.
When the yellow pegasus was in front of the panel, he lightly knocked it like a door and quietly questioned "Eris? Is that you?"
A red dragon tail rapidly pushed the panel away to the wall. It revealed Eris's back...and the back of her red dress. Butterscotch's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets at the sight of her glistening white hair. Flowing all the way down to the end of her back. Eris looked over her shoulder playfully, and fluttered her eyes at Butterscotch. She swish her tail from side to side in a graceful manner. Butterscotch backed away from Eris carefully.
Eris teased in her deep yet alluring voice "Hello Butterscotch."
She then rotated herself swiftly towards Butterscotch...to show him the front of her dress. His entire mouth fell wide open. Butterscotch immediately noticed that she wasn't wearing her cape. No cape to hide her figure from him. Plus, the gown drew great attention to her full chest and her round hips. This all in all emphasized the index in her waist. Butterscotch kept telling himself not to look at those areas,but he couldn't help it. It was the dress that was doing it! Not him!
Butterscotch felt a giant lump forming in his throat. He was sweating to no end. It was like meeting Eris all over again...only much worse. He needed salvation from his 'racing to no finishing line' heart. He couldn't breath.
He felt like he couldn't speak, but he had to answer. She was waiting for his response. He nervously stuttered "H-H-Hi. H-How are you today?"
Eris giggled, knowing she had succeeded in making Butterscotch nervous and flustered. The dress worked. She hunched over on all fours, and smiled at Butterscotch with great mischief in her grin. She stopped Butterscotch's backward pace by slithering her body behind her. Her head now to his left, and the feathery end of her dragon tail on his right. However, Eris didn't wrap her serpent body around him because it would scare Butterscotch away. Plus, it was too much for a first date.
Her feathery tail cupped and petted Butterscotch's chin and neck. His entire face and neck was deep red, covered in sweat, and flaring to the heat of fire. Butterscotch's little dilemma made Eris smirk with joy.
She soothed her guest with "My day is wonderful...now that you're here."
Butterscotch at that moment was finally able to swallow that huge lump in his throat. But swallowing it was both a relieving experience and a disgusting experience. His knees were shaking. He prayed to himself "Oh Solaris."
Eris used her tail to turn Butterscotch's face towards her face. Butterscotch was petrified at the sight of her deep gold and ruby eyes. He also stared at her long fluttering eyelashes, and every single detail in her beautiful mask. The more Butterscotch stared at the mask...the more he wondered what she was hiding behind it. Perhaps this is where her secrets lie he thought to himself.
Eris then seductively asked him "How are you my dear?"
Butterscotch nervously whispered "Oh f-f-fine. Thank you."
Eris chuckled in her throat warmly "You're welcome. So...what would you like to do today my dear? Hmmm?"
"Um, I was thinking...that is if you want to. Maybe...we could...perhaps...play some music? From your opera?" Butterscotch responded while playing with his front hooves and staring away from Eris.
Eris's eyes glowed brightly at this suggestion and immediately grabbed one of Butterscotch's front hooves. She proclaimed while happily dragging him to the organ "I thought you would never ask!"
Before Butterscotch knew it, he and Eris were promptly placed on the organ stool together. Side by side. He immediately followed the organ pipes traveling to the top of the gold stone ceiling. Butterscotch awed at it's height and it's enormous width. He marveled how the pipes glistened in the candlelight. Then he gazed upon the smooth and gorgeous white and black keys. Butterscotch always wondered what an organ would sound like it. He couldn't wait to hear it's divine sound.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Butterscotch drew his attention back to Eris. She was smiling at him. It was so warm...gentle...and soft. She lightly ran her fingers over the musical keys like she was dipping her nails in water.
She softly continued with "She's my Bebe. Fixed herself up myself. The poor thing...scattered into tiny dusty pieces back stage. Without a friend in the world."
Butterscotch added with a small smile on his face "Well, it's a good thing that you were there to rescue her."
Eris's smile grew deeper and wider on her long face, she sighed casually "Yes well, in the end...Bebe saved me."
Butterscotch remarked "She saved you?"
Eris ignored his question and continued "So, which song would you like me to play?"
She straightened and laid out all the musical sheets on the stand above the keys. Butterscotch scanned for the title that interested him the most. He squinted at the musical sheet in the middle of the pile. The style of the title was messy and the musical notes were smeared with ink and dried black spots.
He read aloud to the best of his ability "The Beauty Underneath?"
"Oh, that one. Well, it isn't a song for my opera. It's just something I've been working on the side." Eris explained.
Butterscotch grinned sweetly, "That's fine. It sounds very interesting. I wanna hear it."
Eris grinned at him back, "Alrighty then! Here goes nothing!"
Eris almost made Butterscotch jump out of the stool when she slam both her hands onto the organ keys. It was a loud sound. But not an unsettling sound like he expected. It was a strange, dark yet hypnotic sound. Soon, more instruments joined in with the organ. But Butterscotch had never heard these kinds of instrumental sounds before. He noticed in the corner of his eye that the feathery end of Eris's tail was glowing.
The tail was waving around as if it was conducting an orchestra pit. Butterscotch looked all around and found multiple instruments to the side of the organ. They were glowing...floating in mid-air...and playing by themselves. Incredible Butterscotch pondered to himself.
Eris, still staring at her music sheet and her organ, rocked her body to the music. She was already into her composition. She then sang with great gusto in her operatic voice...
Have you ever yearned to go
Past the world you think you know?
Been enthralled to the call
Of the beauty underneath?
Have you let it draw you in
Past the place where dreams begin?
Felt the full breathless pull
Of the beauty underneath?
When the dark unfolds its wings
Do you sense the strangest things?
Things no one would ever guess
Things mere words cannot express?
Butterscotch, completely entralled in the beauty of the music and in the truth of the lyrics, happily whispered "Yes."
Eris continued but with her eyes closed...
Do you find yourself beguiled
By the dangerous and wild?
Do you feed on the need
For the beauty underneath?
Have you felt your senses surge?
And surrendered to the urge?
Have been hooked as you looked at the
At the beauty underneath?
When you stare behind the night
Can you glimpse its primal might?
Might you hunger to possess
Hunger that you can't repress?
Butterscotch then flied away from the stool and fluttered into the sky. High above the candlelit lake. He gracefully glided and danced in the air. With his eyes closed, he softly sang in his operatic falsetto voice...
Yes
It seems so beautiful
So strange yet beautiful
Everything's just as you say
Eris was in awe. His voice so clear...so pure...it was the ringing of bells or the ringing echo of a violin. She was lured away from her organ and floated towards Butterscotch. While still conducting the organ and the instruments with her magic, she sang slowly...
And he's so beautiful
Perhaps too beautiful
What I suspect cannot be
And yet somehow, we both see
The very same way
Butterscotch then notice Eris in front of him and grinned with great glee. He sang and danced with great passion...
It's the music in your head
Have you followed where it led
And been graced with a taste
Of the beauty underneath?
Does it fill your every sense
Is it terribly intense?
Tell me you need it too
Need the beauty underneath
Then they both sing and danced together...
When it lifts its voice and sings
Don't you feel amazing things?
Things you know you can't confess
Things you thirst for nonetheless
Butterscotch sang sweetly...
It's all so beautiful
Eris whispers "Can it be?"
Butterscoth continues his singing...
Almost too beautiful
Then they both harmoniously sing together...
Do you see what I see?
Butterscotch exclaims "Heavenly!"
Eris continues to sing...
To him it's beautiful
My world is beautiful
Butterscotch sings divinely...
How can this be what it seems?
Then he and Eris sing in harmony once more...
All of my most secret dreams
Somehow set free
The song reaches it's crescendo and the dancing pair draw closer...and closer to each other...Eris swirls around Butterscotch like a flying serpent dragon. Eris then sings with fire in her soul, with each note building more and more momentum...
You can feel the lift
Come closer
You've no fear of the beauty underneath
You can face it
You can take it
You see through to the beauty underneath
To the splendor
Butterscotch sings backup (Splendor)
And the glory
Butterscotch (And the glory)
To the truth of the beauty underneath
Butterscotch (The beauty underneath)
You'll accept it
You'll embrace it
Let me show you the beauty underneath
To the splendor!
Butterscotch (Splendor!)
And the glory
Butterscotch (And the glory!)
To the truth of the beauty underneath
Butterscotch (The beauty underneath!)
You'll accept it!
You'll embrace it!
Let me show you the beauty under...
Accidentally, Eris's tail tied around too tight around one of Butterscotch's back legs during their dance. When the yellow pegasus twisted this back leg to dance, it made him lose his focus and balance in his flight. Butterscotch started to fall towards the organ. Because Eris's tail was tied to his leg, Eris was falling with him.
When she saw Butterscotch heading towards the organ,she quickly gathered him in her arms and pulled him into her chest. In order to shield him from their incoming impact. Eris opened her wings so that she control and slow down their descend. The falling pair headed towards a curtained room next to Eris's golden vanity instead of the organ. Before they knew it, they crashed into Eris's round red velvet bed.
Butterscotch groaned in pain. And this pain was coming from this new slightly throbbing headache. The yellow pegasus rubbed his forehead and the back of his head in order to find any bumps. To his luck, no bumps. Butterscotch slowly fluttered his eyes open despite his throbbing headache. When he was able to properly gain a clear vision...he gasped and blushed.
He was standing over Eris. Well at least the top upper half of her long body. Her tail was no longer tied to his back leg, but instead hanging with her feet over the end of the bed. Butterscotch immediately noticed that they were on a bed...probably her bed...due to the soft plush feeling under his hooves. His front hooves were on each side of her head. She was awake. She was staring at him. Butterscotch didn't know what to do!
Eris fluttered her eyes half closed. Her cheeks, her face, and her body were overwhelmed with the feeling of over passionate desire and the heat of fire. Eris was able to gaze and admire the depth of Butterscotch's ocean teal eyes. She could look at them all day. Then again, Eris could stare at his face all day.
Now that Butterscotch was this close, she could see how masculine his chin was. She could see how softly framed his face was. She could see how soft and smooth his mane and his ears looked. His front legs looked so strong...so powerful...it made her feel like she was a damsel in a gothic novel.
But the most important feature that Eris paid attention to was...his lips. They looked so luscious and smooth. Sure, they were small but they were also full looking. And this fullness can make up for it's smallness. Her lips hungered for his lips. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
After what seemed to be of eternity of this awkward staring contest, Butterscotch was able to spit out "Oh Eris, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! It was an accident! I uh..."
Eris began to slowly yet gently lift her head towards Butterscotch and pursed her lips towards his lips. Butterscotch freeze when she started to do this. She carefully shut her eyes closed...and lost herself in the moment. Butterscotch began to sweat profusely. His deep red blush turned into a dark maroon blush. He couldn't understand what was happening and what Eris was doing. What should he do?!
Just when her lips were centimeters away from Butterscotch's lips...
"Food's ready Butterscotch and Mistress!"
Dopey barged in Eris's curtained room with a bug goofy grin on his face. But this grin quickly dropped and his left eye began to twitch when he saw the...particular...situation that his Mistress and his new friend were in.
Eris and Butterscotch were stuck in their position. Their heads turned towards Dopey, with their eyes as big as dining dishes. They all blinked at each other for a moment or two.
Eris let out a fake joyous but awkward laugh which deeply confused Butterscotch and Dopey. Eris smiled at Butterscotch before slithering out of their position. She picked Butterscotch up and sat him down on the end of the bed. The phantom walked backwards towards Dopey, while keeping her gaze on Butterscotch.
While clinching on the curtain, Eris said graciously "Excusez-moi for a moment." Then she closed the curtain which leaves herself and Dopey alone outside her room.
There was a second of silence...before Eris screamed out "DOPEY! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Butterscotch almost jumped off the bed at Eris's scream. Then his ears perked up at the sounds of pots banging, dishes clanging, Eris growling, Dopey's panicked yells, galloping hoof steps, horns honking, papers flying, and squeaks of all variety. Butterscotch shuddered at every way. He kept wondering what she was doing to poor Dopey. He didn't mean to barge in. During Eris's rampage, he wondered what was Eris going to do to him earlier. Why did he freeze like that and allow her to do it? Was it fear or curiosity? Or both?! Butterscotch felt like his head was about to explode.
All of the sudden, the noises and sounds stopped. Butterscotch couldn't hear Eris or Dopey anymore. He huddled his front legs and back legs close to him, trying to predict what will happen next.
The curtain rapidly opened and revealed a exhausted sweating Eris. She tried to smile at Butterscotch despite being tired and frustrated. Her glorious white mane was slightly damped by her sweat and frizzed by her chase for Dopey.
Eris happily sighed out while wiping the sweat from her forehead "Sorry about that."
Then she slithered herself closer to Butterscotch and cupped Butterscotch's chin. She remarked seductively "Now, where were we?"
Butterscotch stuttered "Uh..um..we were about to...have something to eat!"
The shy and flustered pegasus bolted out of the bedroom. He galloped towards the ding room table on the other side of the cave. Leaving Eris in the dust and...alone in her room.
She uttered out sadly while looking towards the bedroom curtain "Oh. Right."
After that, she slowly floated after Butterscotch.