Under the light of the moon, a lone figured walked down a path in an old forest. Every so often, the cloaked pony would pause to look over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. However, the only thing to be seen was the shroud of darkness that laid beyond the trees. Owls hooted from the trees above and the wind rustled the leaves. The pony eyed his surroundings for a moment longer before cautiously continuing on his path.
In the distance, the mysterious pony saw the glow of a cabin. Unlike the welcoming glow of a warm hearth, an eerie green light radiated from the cracks of the window’s shutters. The pony gulped, knowing all too well the risks of coming here. If anypony knew of what he sought from this location, it would ruin him. However, the risk was well worth it his eyes.
As he approached the hovel, he saw a purplish smoke rise from the chimney, green sparks periodically bursting within the plume. Gathering his courage, the pony rapped his hoof against the door. A moment later, it creaked open to reveal a mare that looked to be as old as time itself. Her smokey purple coat sagged and her frizzy mess of a mane shoot out in all directions. She wore a gray shawl and her one good green eye bulged out, rapidly scanning up and the down the form of her visitor. Her droopy jowls curled upwards into a smile, her single snaggletooth protruding from her bottom lip.
“Well…” the elderly Earth Pony mare wheezed. “What brings a handsome young prince to my door at this hour, I wonder…”
The hooded prince blanched and looked around nervously before asking, “H-How… How do you know who I am?”
The crone cackled and then pointed a wobbly hoof to the clasp on his cloak. “That’s the Royal Crest of the Pegasi, is it not? Here’s a piece of free advice, sonny; if you want to be incognito, don’t wear your crest for everypony to see.”
Prince Zephyr looked down and placed a hoof on the lightning bolt seal. The old mare continued to laugh and he groaned at his own carelessness. Aggravated, he shouted, “Alright, I get it! Stop laughing!”
“I’m only teasing,” she reassured him and then stepped aside, welcoming him into her humble abode. Zephyr unclasped his cloak and hung it on a peg on the wall. Following the Earth Pony, he approached a large cauldron that emanated the green light as it bubbled and fumed. The old mare grabbed a large spoon and started to stir the pot as the Pegasus looked on. The old pony hummed to herself while Zephyr waited for her to saying something. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, the prince cleared his throat. “Oh, did you want something, dearie?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, looking down at the glowing brew. “I understand that you’re a… a… ahem, a witch.”
He blushed, embarrassed from saying the word, but the old mare’s head snapped up suddenly, her good eye staring piercingly at him. She banged her spoon angrily against the side of the cauldron and she shouted, “I’m not a witch! I’m an apothecary!”
She smacked the wooden spoon again against the rim of the cauldron, snapping it. She looked down at the broken utensil and sighed in frustration. She got off of her stirring stool and waddled over to a shelf, on which there was a collection of jars. Inside them, Zephyr could see an assortment of herbs, roots, and various animal parts. The mare pushed the jars aside in search of something, and Zephyr grimaced when he saw an eyeball bob up and down in the viscous material inside one of the containers. Finding a replacement spoon, the old mare went back to her cauldron.
“Just because I brew a few homemade remedies doesn’t make me a witch,” she muttered to herself as she started her stirring again. “I mean, I didn’t mean to turn that filly into a newt. How was supposed to know she was allergic to amphibians? At least she got better. Those stuck up Unicorns… saying that I shouldn’t be practicing magic. Bah! Just because they have those horns and can cast spells doesn’t mean they’re the only ones with magic! Ha! Can they help plants grow like Earth Ponies can? Can they manipulated the weather like Pegasi can? Well… they could, but not as good! I mess up that one time… and that one other time… and a few others… and the Chancellor calls me a witch and has me banished!”
“Um, madam?” The mare looked up to see Zephyr hesitantly approaching her. “I’m sorry to interrupt your rant, but the reason I’m here…”
“Oh, right right right…” she mumbled, recomposing herself. “I’m guess you want me to make you a potion of some kind, am I right?” He nodded and she continued. “You know, it’s ponies like you that perpetuate the image of me being a witch. They all come during the dead of night, knock on my door, and ask for a spell. If they want magic, go ask a Unicorn! I’m sure they’d be glad to wave their little horns and make everything alright!”
“But spells aren’t discreet,” Zephyr pointed out.
“Ah, yes,” the crone crooned. “Discretion. Can’t be very discreet having a Unicorn hex an enemy or enchant somepony to win or lose a competition. So tell me, who are you trying to curse, hm? Trying to turn an enemy into a toad, or perhaps you want a potion that would make you invulnerable to pain during battle? Whatever it is, you’ve come to the wrong pony.”
“I have money,” he told her.
“I bet you do, but I can’t have…” She stopped mid sentence when she heard the jingle of gold and looked down at her table to see a small pouch of coins. She licked her lips, but shook her head. “No, I will not be bought for…” There was another clatter of gold, louder than the first, and she looked again to see a bag alongside the pouch. “...My integrity as an apothecary will not be compromise! I refuse to shame to the practice of….” There was a thud and a sack of gold was placed onto the table, its precious contents spilling out. “...You say need a witch?”
Moments later, the elderly mare and the prince were sitting at the table. The mare excitedly counted the coins, chuckling to herself at the generous bounty. Satisfied with her payment, she looked up and asked, “So, what can I do for you?”
“Um, there is this mare…” Zephyr shyly admitted, blushing fiercely when the purple coated mare laughed.
“Isn’t that always the case! Oh, you young ponies. So, I’m guessing you want a little something to spice up your relationship, am I right? Or maybe somepony is having trouble in bed? Hehehe! What’s the matter, sonny? Do you measure up or do you fall short where it really counts? Hahaha!”
“It’s nothing like that!” Zephyr adamantly declared. “There’s a mare I’m in love with, but…”
“But she doesn’t like you, is that it?” the crone finished for him. He nodded and she hummed pensively as she tapped a hoof to her chin. “Love potions are tricky, sonny.”
“Are you saying you can’t make me a love potion?” he questioned.
“Oh, I can make love potions of all sorts!” she claimed. “The problem is the strength of the potion you need. You see, the best love potions are the weak ones; ones that you use to rekindle a relationship that is having problems or to add an extra ‘spark’ in an existing relationship. Aphrodisiacs, if you will. Those potions are harmless because both parties involved agree to using the potion. They want the relationship to work. They want to love each other.
“What you’re asking from me is a love poison. When the pony of of other pony’s dreams turn them down or are completely unaware of their existence, they come to me asking for something that will force that pony to love them. Dreadful things; they almost always backfire in the end. Not worthy the trouble they cause.”
“But that’s what I need!” Zephyr urgently told her. “I’m in love with her, but she says that I’m not!”
“Maybe you could just respect her opinion,” the crone suggested, earning her the glare from the prince.
“Or maybe I could take my money and leave!” he threatened and reached for the stack of coins.
“Wait! Let’s not be too hasty!” she cried as she placed a wrinkly hoof on his to stop him. After the prince had calmed down, she continued. “If you do this, you must understand the consequences. No matter how much potion you give her, she won’t truly love you. It will all be a facade created by its effects. As soon as it wears off, she’ll go back to the way she was, and I doubt she’ll be happy when she finds out that you drugged her. Do you understand? Despite their name, love potions do not create lasting love, only temporary infatuation.”
“I don’t care. As long as she is mine,” he told her coldly. The old pony was having doubts about doing this to an innocent mare, but the money on the table convinced her otherwise.
“Just as long as you remember that. Now, how long do you need it to last? Just enough for one night or…”
“Forever,” he firmly told her.
“Forever!?” she exclaimed.
“Yes, I intend on making her my bride.”
“There’s no potion that last forever. Long lasting, yes, but even those have antidotes. In order to be permanent, you would have to be constantly drugging her!”
“Then you would have a steady customer,” he pointed out. Again, her conscience gnawed at the back for her mind, but she tried to forced it to be quite.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked one last time, compelled by the voice in her head.
“I’m sure, now make me my potion!” he impatiently ordered. She sighed and hopped off her stool. She headed over to a bookshelf and pulled out a musty, old tome. Placing it onto the table, she flipped through the pages of her recipe book until she found the section on love potions. Her good eye scanned over her notes and then she pulled an anatomy book off the shelf. After cross referencing the books, she grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled down of few notes.
“There, I think that’ll do it,” she stated as she read over her notes.
“What do you mean ‘you think it will work?’ Haven’t you done this before?”
“I have, but never for a Pegasus. Most of my clients are Earth Ponies,” she explained.
“Why would that make a difference?”
“Because you need the right ingredients for the right type of ponies, otherwise you won’t get the desired effect. I can’t give a potion meant for an Earth Pony to a Pegasus or a Unicorn. The results might be disastrous!”
“Fine, just make the potion,” ordered the prince.
“I can’t,” she blatantly told him.
“And why not!?”
“I don’t have the ingredients. You’ll have to get them yourself,” she told him, handing him the parchment. “Remember, follow the instructions precisely! One mistake could ruin it!”
Zephyr looked over the recipe and then back to the witch with a scowl. “This had better work, or I’ll be coming back for my gold and your head!”
“Follow the instructions and everything will go right,” she reassured him. He gave her one last questioning glance before stowing the note in his cloak and left. After he had left, the old Earth Pony mare continued to stare at the door from which he exited. “Why do I have the feeling I’m going to Tartarus for this?”
“So where did his plan go wrong?” Aurum questioned his listeners.
“I’m assuming that he didn’t follow the instructions exactly,” Amethyst responded.
“That is correct,” the golden wyrm confirmed. He stopped to let out a thunderous cough. Though he covered his mouth with a claw, the cavern rumbled from the mighty sound. Afterwards, he took a few raspy, panting breaths. His front legs, which he had been using to raise himself up with, trembled and he lowered him onto his belly. He still held his head up, which craned over Spike, Rarity, and their daughter. “Also, the witch assumed the mare he desired was a Pegasus like he was.”
“So the love potion she came up with was for Pegasi consumption only?” Rarity asked.
“Indeed.”
“No wonder why Big MacIntosh and Cheerilee reacted to it so negatively,” Rarity mused.
The next morning, Prince Zephyr had locked himself away in his chambers. On his desk was the parchment, a bowl, and the ingredients he required. To his surprise, they were fairly simple for a Pegasus to obtain. Perhaps that was why this particular potion was tailored specifically for the winged race of ponies.
There was a knock on the door and General Tempest’s voice could be heard on the other side. “My Prince, we need to go over the preparations for your coronation ceremony.”
“Not now, Tempest. I’m preoccupied,” Zephyr called over his shoulder and focusing back on his work.
“Are you still sulking over that Unicorn?” the older stallion asked in deadpan tone. “I told you, just forget about her. You have more important things to worry about, like this coronation.”
“All I’m doing is trading one crown for a bigger one. I say a few words, I get crowned, and then everypony cheers. How much more planning this there to do?” Zephyr dismissively asked.
“It’s not only that, but the entire procession! You have to know when to stand, when to move, where the soldiers have to…”
“That’s why I have you. You handle the preparations and just tell me what to do,” Zephyr interrupted.
“Your Highness, I strongly urge you to…”
“Just make it happen! I have something important to do!” he again cut off the general.
“I… Yes, Your Highness.” With no further delays, the prince looked at the parchment.
“Let’s see… Take a tuft of cloud.” He picked up a gray piece of fluff that drizzled rain onto the parchment and sparked with miniature lightning bolts. He shook the storm out of it until it turned white and placed it in the bowl before grabbing a flask of multicolored liquid he obtained from the rainbow making facility. “A bright rainbow’s glow.” He poured the liquid prism onto the cloud and then reach to one of his wings, pulling a white feather from its place with his teeth. Using the feather, he began to mix the cloud and rainbow together until it made a purplish brew. “Stir with a Pegasus feather. Fast, not slow. Serve to two ponies who aren't in the know.”
Zephyr then took a bottle of wine that was on his desk and uncorked it, pouring the love potion into it. After swirling the bottle so that the potion would mix with the wine, he stoppered it and placed it in his saddle bag. He placed his royal armor on his body along with his crown and bag and headed to the door. On the desk laid the parchment. In his haste, he had failed to notice that the rain from the cloud had smudged the last line.
“Before serving, whether to stallion or mare, add one strand of your own hair.”
The door to Zephyr’s chamber opened and the prince made his way out into the corridor. Walking away was General Tempest, who turned around when he heard the door open.
“Ah, I’m glad you changed your mind,” the gray Pegasus happily said. “Now, as I was saying…”
“I’m going out, Tempest. Take care of things while I’m gone,” Zephyr told his general.
“Out? What do you mean, ‘out?’” an utterly confused Tempest questioned. “Is there some important mission that I was not made aware of? If that is the case, then I insist you take the elite guard.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m going to pay a visit to the Unicorn Princess.”
“Oh, by the sky above! What can I say to make you forget her!?” Tempest shouted as he blocked the hallway, his patience worn thin. “You are going to be a king! You can’t waste time by chasing after some earth dwelling mare, even if she’s a princess!”
“Remember your place, General!” Zephyr snarled at the older stallion. He puffed out his chest, held his head up high, and flared his wings challengingly to make himself look bigger. “I am the Prince and will do as I please! You will do as you are told! Understood?”
General Tempest scowled at the young stallion that was trying to intimidate him. Tempest was seasoned warrior while this colt had hardly any combat experience. If he wanted to, he could easily take the prince in a fight. Nevertheless, the older Pegasus backed down and begrudgingly muttered, “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Good, now out of my way!” The gray Pegasus cleared the path and the white coated prince flew away in a huff. As he left, Tempest glared at the departing brat.
The prince flew once again to the world below the clouds. Flying past the lowlands and fields that Earth Ponies inhabited, he soon found himself in the domain of the Unicorns; a land of towering mountains. The homes of the Unicorns were more impressive than the Earth Ponies, for they could use their magical telekinesis to carve and place the stone masonry with better precision than their hornless counterparts. Since they had a greater appreciation for the fine arts, their homes were decorated with elaborate ornaments, and finely polished, wooden furniture with plush cushions. Not as majestic as the cloud architecture of the Pegasi but far better than the shacks the Earth Ponies lived in, or so Zephyr thought.
Rising from the side of a rocky mountain was the Castle of the Unicorn King. He could see the battlements lining the roof of the keep and there was a tower that rose over the rest over building, overlooking the valley below. Atop of the tower flew a violet flag that depicted a white Unicorn surrounded by golden stars; the Unicorns’ tribal flag.
Landing at the front gate, Zephyr saw two surprised Unicorn sentries standing guard. Unlike his own soldiers, these stallions bore no weapons other than their horns. One of them shouted, “Halt! Who goes there!?”
“I am Zephyr, Prince of the Pegasi!” the white stallion announced. “Tell the princess that I have come to make amends.”
The tower guards shared a confused look before one said to him, “Wait here, I’ll go announce you.”
Princess Fiore Rossa was reclining on a green floor pillow that complimented her red fur, reading a book by the hearth in her chambers. Hearing a knock on her door, she set down her book and calmly called, “Yes?”
“Pardon the intrusion, Your Highness,” the guard apologized as he entered. “But there is a Prince Zephyr here to see you. He says he wishes to make amends.”
Initially, Fiore Rossa was wary at the mention of the prince’s unexpected arrival, but hearing that he was there to make peace caught her attention. She rose off her pillow and stepped towards the guard. “Is that so? Well, let’s see what he has to say.”
Following the guard through the torch lit halls of the castle, she made her way to the great hall where Zephyr was awaiting her. On the way, she passed by the tapestries that were woven from costly threads and suits of armor that lined the corridors. Upon entering the large hall, she could see the prince in gray armor standing on the long rug that ran down the length of the room. Seeing her enter, Zephyr smiled and politely bowed. Although still suspicious of the Pegasus, Fiore Rossa curtsied in return.
“Prince Zephyr, what a surprise,” she stated as she flicked her golden mane out of her eyes. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I simply wish to offer an apology for my previous behavior,” he claimed. “I was not at my best during the Grand Summit and fear that I gave off the wrong impression.”
“I would say so,” she replied with a raise of a brow.
“I was hoping you would give me another chance,” he said while meekly smiling. Fiore Rossa’s instincts told her to turn the prince away, but that wouldn’t have been charitable.
Conceding to good form, she sighed and answered, “I supposed everypony deserves a second chance. Come, let us retire to the study.”
She led the prince to a spacious room that had numerous bookshelves lining the walls along with sitting pillows and desks. The maids moved two of the cushions so that they sat across a small table from each other. Fiore Rossa and Zephyr had a seat as the servants placed gilded platters of fruit and gem incrusted goblets before them. Before the servers could pour the wine, Zephyr procured the bottle of tainted wine from his bag.
“I brought more of the Earth Pony wine that we had at the summit,” he announced, holding up the bottle temptingly. The princess smiled, remembering how delicious it was.
“How thoughtful of you,” she complimented. She nodded to a servant, who then took the bottle and pour the wine into goblets instead. Zephyr eagerly smiled as the servants placed both goblets on the table in front of them before leaving the royals, and watched with bated breath as the princess’s horn glowed green, only to be disappointed when she levitated a raspberry to her lips.
Suppressing his disappointment, he asked, “How is your father?”
After swallowing the raspberry, she answered by saying, “He is still searching for the dragon with my brother.”
“The dragon?” he asked confusedly, but then recalled what she had said at the meeting a few days ago. “Oh, yes! I remember you saying that a dragon had been spotted within your borders.”
“So you actually remembered something from the summit other than how my flanks look?” she asked facetiously, smirking at him. He blushed furiously, causing her to laugh. “I only jest.” He forced a laugh, trying to uphold appearances. “The dragon hasn’t attack anyone nor has it raided any settlements, but we want to be prepared. My father and brother, along with their knights, are seeking the dragon to encourage it to leave peacefully.”
“And if not, will they use force?” Fiore Rossa’s horn glowed once more, and Zephyr once again watched anxiously. This time, she took a slice of an apple off the platter and dainty chewed it.
“I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that,” she responded. “In my opinion, violence should only ever been used as a last resort.”
“I agree,” he claimed.
“Do you?” she pointedly question as she plucked a few grapes off of the platter.
“Of course.”
“That is interesting. Most Pegasi would answer differently,” she stated as she ate the grapes, doubting his sincerity.
Clearing his throat, he replied, “Well, perhaps it is time for in a change in how ponies treated each other.”
“I suppose so,” she said, thoughtfully nodding along.
“Wouldn’t it be better if the three tribes worked together instead of constantly bartering and haggling over the exchange of goods?”
“Well, that’s the point of the Grand Summit,” she pointed out. “It’s there so we can come together and peacefully discuss such matters. If only the tribes could look past their differences and put their pride aside, they would see that their destinies are intertwined. Each tribe thinks they are owed special compensation for the service they provide. The Earth Ponies grow the food, but only can do so because the Pegasi provide the rain necessary to water them and the Unicorns provide the cycle of day and night which keeps the world in harmony. Does this make the Pegasi and the Unicorns more important? No. Without the hard work of the Earth Ponies, they would starve. To ask which tribe is more important is to ask which leg of three-legged stool is the most important. If one of them is missing, then the whole falls.”
“I’d say that calls for a toast,” Zephyr claimed as he reached for his goblet, moving his plan along. His heart started to race when he saw her reach for her own. “Here is to the ongoing balance between the three tribes of ponies. May the movement towards peace never cease.”
After touching glasses, both ponies brought their drinks to their lips and sipped the wine. Fiore Rossa hummed, pleased by the pleasant taste of the wine while Zephyr watched her with a triumphant grin on his lips. After downing both of their drinks, Zephyr waited for some sort of sign that the potion had work. As he watched the princess sitting across from him wiping her lips with a napkin, a hiccup escaped his lips. At the same time, Fiore Rossa also hiccuped and a small purple bubble floated out of their mouths.
“Oh, excuse me,” she apologized, holding a hoof to her mouth. Before she could say anything else or for Zephyr to question why the potion didn’t work, the two bubbles connected to form a purple heart. As the bubble heart started to float away, Fiore Rossa and Zephyr immediately became transfixed by each others eyes, which pulsated with colored rings of pink and purple.
Though Fiore Rossa couldn’t understand it, she suddenly saw Zephyr for the handsome stallion that he was. She thought him reasonably attractive before, but now she saw how irresistible he was! His rugged good looks, his athletic body, and his chiseled face was every mare’s dream. She couldn’t believe that she failed to see it before. Maybe it was because the long walk to the meeting house had put her in a bad mood.
Meanwhile, the image of the breathtaking mare before Zephyr encompassed all of his thoughts. The way her mane caught the sunlight was dazzling, and he could stare into her emerald eyes all day and watch them sparkle. She had all the right curves in all the right places and she smelled of the sweetest flowers.
“Prince Zephyr,” she said while flirtatiously batting her eyelashes at him.
“Yes, Princess?” he contently sighed, causing her to giggle and shyly turn her head.
“I was so wrong in turning you away earlier,” she pouted coyly. “It would make me so happy to be your bride. Can you ever forgive me?”
“How could I possibly stay mad at you?” he replied in an overly sweet voice. “I would be honored to have a such a beauty as my wife.”
“I’m going to be a pretty-witty pony princess wifey-difey!” she giggled like a little foal.
“And I’m going to be your chubby-wubby-hubby-dubby!” he joined her in the baby talk.
“You’re my honey-doney lovey-dovey!”
“You’re my kissy-wissy cutie-patootie!”
After some time had passed, the servants return to collect the dishes only to find the prince and princess sitting face to face, cooing at each other while pecking each other on the lips between exchanging foalish nicknames. One retainer looked to his companions and muttered, “I am NOT explaining this to the king.”