“And next on the stage, we have Prism Heaven by Light Flash!” A pink-coated earth pony mare with a curly blond mane and tail called out, pointing to the violet-colored runway.
Fleur De Lis emerged behind the red curtains, wearing a prismatic dress that sparkled in the spotlight. She trotted down the runway, bringing several flashes from cameras in the audience.
Lith watched Fleur De Lis’s hips move in elegance with each step taken within the hologram. With a rosy red blush appearing on her face, her breathing became trapped in her throat. She eyed her mane, which was a floral gust blowing out of her head.
Fleur De Lis looked out into the camera, giving Lith a perfect view of her lilac eyes. A shrill gasp escaped her throat.
“By Arceus, she is so beautiful! What I wouldn’t do to meet such a creature.” She stated, detached from the material plane.
Mono entered the living room with his uniform on, eyeing his sister’s reactions.
“You’ll get to meet her today, Lith.”
Lith shrieked and jumped, eyeing a smirking Mono looking towards her.
“M-Mono! How long were you here for?!” She shouted, the blush on her face exploding into a sea of cherry juice.
“Long enough to hear you shrieking when she looked at you. I always find it humorous when you react the way you do when you see someone who you are sexually attracted to.” Mono responded, walking over to Lith and wrapping his right paw around her shoulders.
“Well… yeah. It isn’t weird that I happen to feel attracted to Fleur De Lis, right?”
“Not at all, Lith. It’s almost like how I am attracted to a Pokémon back when I was a human. We can’t control who we have our feelings for, but that is a sign that we are capable of loving others with the bottom of our hearts. Don’t let what our society deems as taboos interfere with your love for others, because you are one of the most loving and caring individuals I ever got to know.”
Lith wrapped her paws around Mono’s body and brought him in for a hug.
“How is it that you know the right words to say to me at the right time, Mono?”
“I don’t, but the both of us know each other very well. It’s almost like we are twins. But, we have to go to our area at H.O.R.S.E. All of the other Pokémon are there after all.”
“That’s right! I almost forgot that we are the bringer of announcements for today.” Lith remarked, shooting up and out of her seat.
Stereo stood in front of a canvas depicting a cityscape within the walls of the Pokémon room at H.O.R.S.E. He rubbed soft strokes on the canvas with a brush in his left hand, adding a pearl white color to a building to the left. He placed his brush on a rung, smiling at the painting before him.
“It took a while, but I finally managed to paint the commercial district of Neo Canterlot.”
Ducking his head underneath the doorway, Professor Pasque entered the room and eyed the painting. He rewarded stereo with a brilliant grin
“Very impressive use of vibrant colors, Stereo. It seems that this city has turned you into quite the painter.” He noted.
“Truth be told, I learned how to paint from Frida and her Smeargle Kahlo back at the lab. Their paintings were so vibrant and life-like that I just had to learn how to emulate their style. I wonder where they are now.” Stereo stated with a half-hearted sigh escaping from his large mouth.
“I’m sure that they are fine, Stereo. They are very resourceful on their own, after all. Anyways, Mono and Lith are coming over here to give us a couple of announcements for today. I suggest you get yourself ready.”
“Right. I’ll just put away my painting materials and place this painting on a corner to furnish this room a bit.”
Stereo lifted the painting towards the corner of the room. He took the plank of wood and tubes of paint he used, bringing them out of the room. Gnasher and Custard entered the room and eyed the painting.
“So that’s what Stereo was working on all this week. It looks pretty nice.” Gnasher commented.
“I love the way how he captured the naturalistic lighting of the cityscape.” Custard said. “Good morning, Professor Pasque. Where is Einstein?”
“I made a suggestion for Einstein to be a part of the Research and Development Division. I feel that his talents are more suited for being in the lab rather than being out on the field. I find myself following in that same path. I’m much too old to embark on adventures with you all.”
“I don’t know; you were quite the badass back at Glacial Drift when you took on those wolf yetis.” Gnasher stated.
“It is only further proof about how much of an old fossil I actually am. It’s actually pretty funny to say, seeing that I am technically part of an extinct species of Pokémon.”
Professor Pasque chuckled under his own breath. Jasmine hovered into the room with a tower of golden plates in her arms.
“The stores here are amazing! I bought a twelve-piece set of decorative plates for fifty bits! It was a bit of a steal.”
“Jasmine, that pun was terrible and you should feel bad for saying it.” Gnasher responded, slamming her right claws at the base of her eyes and groaning.
“You need to have a better appreciation about the art of puns sometime, Gnasher. One does not simply live life without learning to enjoy them.” Jasmine stated, hanging the plates on the western wall.
Rondo flew down from an air vent above the ceiling, covered in soot and a yellow cap with a light on his head.
“Hey everyone. Don’t mind my dirty appearance, but I came back from an overnight quest involving a mind underneath the city. Man, talk about ironic about a bird enjoying the subterranean world!”
Mono, Lith and Stereo entered in the room, eyeing the cast of Pokémon within the room. Mono tapped the case in his left paw.
“Where’s Fluttershy?” Mono asked.
“I ran into her on my way here. She said that she is practicing her aim with Rainbow Dash. From what I’ve heard, she managed to impress her with her critical shots.” Professor Pasque answered. “She won’t be here today since Rainbow Dash took this specific day to train her.”
“So I heard you two have some announcements for today.”
Lith looked down onto her watch.
“Considering that it isn’t time for her to appear yet, we’ll just only give one announcement.”
Mono placed the case on the floor, garnering the attention of everyone in the room. Flicking away the locks and lifting the cover, a cannon small enough to be carried around the shoulder and a three-pronged claw with deep curves were brought into the light of reality. The cannon had a set of silicon panels on the top and the claw was tipped with red gems.
“The Research and Development Division rushed to make these weapons using the typing matrix from my DNA. This cannon here is known as a Solar Cannon. It stores sunlight through its cells and converts it into usable energy. It bestows upon the user Solarbeam and Synthesis. Meanwhile, these claws are known as the Pressure Claws. They bestow upon the user Crush Claw and Fire Punch.” Mono explained.
“Dibs on the Pressure Claws.” Gnasher called out, swiping the Pressure Claws and fitting them over her right claw. She flexed her fingers and hummed with a smile on her face.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to test the Solar Cannon.” Custard suggested.
Lith smiled and took the cannon from the suitcase with her two paws. She tossed it towards Custard, who grasped it with a shriek in his tone. In his rush, he pulled back on a black handle. A light within the barrel circulated with a whirring hum.
“Custard, no!” Lith shouted.
A beam of light shot a plate on the wall, destroying and scorching the area.
“Oops. Spitfire is going to kill us for doing that, isn’t she?”
“My plate!” Jasmine called out, hovering over towards the shattered remains.
“I’ll pay for the damage, Jasmine.”
“No, it’s… fine, Custard. I guess I’ll just have to eat this loss.”
Custard looked towards Lith with a deep frown on his face.
“I’m sorry, Lith.”
“I don’t fault you, Custard. It was your first time actually handling a piece of machinery, after all. You can put it back if you want to.” Lith said.
“I still want to try it out on the field, though. A Solarbeam and Synthesis all in one device?! That is almost magical!”
Fleur De Lis traveled down the hallway, seeing the door ajar and a scorch mark on the wall. She grinned and walked inside.
“I hope you do not mind me coming early, Mono.”
“I do not mind at all, Fleur. You do mind if I call you by your first name, right?” Mono said, extending his right paw out.
Lith’s nerves froze with anxiety and the feeling of a thousand ants gnawing at them permeated throughout her entire body.
“I would rather prefer to be called by it than my full name. I hate the thought of presenting myself with an arrogant and prideful fashion.”
“Ah, so you must be the pony Rarity was talking about.” Professor Pasque stated, bringing his head down to Fleur De Lis’s level.
“And you must be the good Professor. It is an honor meeting a scientist such as yourself. Though, I had never met with an actual sauropod before.”
“I don’t get it; what is a model doing here with us?” Rondo asked.
“I’m glad you asked. You see, I may appear to be just a model on the surface, but I am also a rather influential artist that goes by the pen name ‘Life’s Spade’ and only very few Equusians know my identity. I am not only the canvas for one’s imagination, but I am also the painter behind the canvas as well. You see, I have hit an artist’s block and I need a new source of inspiration.” Fleur De Lis explained.
“But why come to us? Couldn’t any other team with more artful experience take the request? We are a bunch of foreigners reigned into a war after all.” Gnasher stated, crossing her arms together.
“That is why I specifically need your group; you are all foreigners of this world. You all exhibit different shapes and forms, both physically and mentally. When I first heard of your group’s exploits, I knew that you all are stories and poetry in motion. It is inspirational, and I feel a deep urge to paint you all.”
Lith let out a shrill gasp and her eyelids widened to the point where her eyes could fall out at any moment. Her paws were pressed against the upper portion of her mouth, hiding an explosive scream.
“It would be an honor to be painted by someone as illustrious as you, Fleur!”
“I appreciate the enthusiasm very much, Lith. But, I would love to allocate the time I have with you all to get a chance to paint each and one of you.”
Fleur glanced over to the painting at the corner, humming and narrowing her eyes.
“I painted this in my spare time. I hope you enjoyed looking at it.” Stereo said.
“It looks fine, yes, but where is the passion? Anyone can paint a cityscape like this. You clearly have potential with the attention to detail, but you need to do something that is more… unhinged if you truly want it to be an art piece to remember.” Fleur De Lis stated.
Stereo’s heart ripped in half and his jaw dropped halfway down to the floor.
“B-b-but I worked hard on this! You can’t dismiss it as something of below average quality.”
“I’m not saying it is below average. I’m just saying that if you want to be an amazing artist, you have to learn how to suffer for your art. It is not something that I can teach you myself, but it is something you have to experience for yourself.”
Fleur De Lis lifted her right front hoof over to Stereo’s arms, putting them together and lifting them above her hooves.
“Is there a reason you are holding my arms like this?”
“These arms are beautiful to look at, and the pipes on your body are also very pleasing to the eye. You have such a great shade of periwinkle and you are the living embodiment of sound itself. I would love to paint you first if you do not mind.”
“I never heard someone call me beautiful before. Normally, strangers would run away from me because I am a walking boombox and am fierce to the eyes.” Stereo stated, looking towards the ground to his left.
“Those people clearly do not have an eye for what is beautiful, then. I know the location I would like to paint you as well.”
Fleur De Lis tightened her grip around Stereo’s wrist, dragging him out of the room. Stereo shook his head and leaned it backwards.
Fleur De Lis held a cluster of paints, brushes, a canvas and an easel within a lilac aura with Stereo skulking behind her. In front of the duo was a canal erected out of metal. Water poured out of a gaping hole in the wall, running a stream down a deep hole at the end of the line. An arched bridge connected two halves of the city together.
“Wow, how did I not see this place?” Stereo asked.
“Maybe you didn’t go out as much as you would like to admit?”
“Maybe, but where do I stand?”
“Right by the Equusian-built stream over there seems like a perfect place.” Fleur De Lis responded, squeezing out tubes of paint into several black cups.
She levitated a paintbrush towards her face and dipped it in a cup filled with periwinkle-colored paint. Stereo moved himself towards the designated area, standing by the rushing water’s edge. The downpour of the waterfall behind him and the cool mist that splashed against his skin elicited a smile.
“So how long will this take?”
“Hmmm… about an hour. We can talk during that time.” Fleur De Lis responded, placing several strokes of her brush on the canvas. “Mono says that you and he are old friends, having a friendship that lasts over a majority of your lives.”
“Yep. He hatched me as a Whismur when he was about five years old, one year after he got Rondo and Lith got Jasmine. Mono and Lith were always happy with sharing what they have learned with us at school and they taught us how to read and write.” Stereo stated.
“Oh? That is a very interesting detail he left out of our conversation, Stereo.”
“Yep. I was always happy with that skill they both taught us because I was able to pursue other goals in life rather than just be a Pokémon companion. Art was always an interesting subject for me. That reminds me; how did you suffer in life, Fleur?”
Fleur De Lis’s grasp on her paintbrush faltered. She looked into Stereo’s eyes with a melancholic frown on her face.
“I came from a wealthy, aristocratic family from Old Canterlot. My mother was a model while my father was a painter. They had only one child and dedicated their lives to me. My mother taught me how internal beauty was important for maintaining external beauty while my father taught me how to paint. I was the joy in both of their lives.”
“So then what happened?”
“It is needless to say that everything changed when the Van’Goth attacked. It was on the birthday when I was considered a full-grown mare. It was a literal festival, where my mother fashioned a brooch for me while my father danced with me, as tradition in our family follows. The Van’Goth attacked the area and my parents fended off the invaders, telling me to hide in the basement.”
Fleur De Lis levitated the brush towards the easel and began stroking it against the canvas.
“I’m going to guess that they died.”
“Your guess would not be that off-point, but that was half of what happened. When all the noise above subsided, I emerged from the basement to find that everything was destroyed. Many of the guests were brutally killed, including my mother. As for my father, he vanished without a trace. To say I was heartbroken would have been an understatement. My parents were everything to me. But, rather than sit and mope about it, I used my pain to become the two things my parents were.”
A faint image of Stereo’s visage appeared on the canvas. Fleur De Lis dipped the brush into water, drying it off and then dipping it into red paint.
“So did you ever find out what happened to your father?”
“All that I know is that he is still alive somewhere. One day, I hope that I would be able to meet him again as our physical selves. Until that day, I strive to make him the proudest father he can be by besting his pieces of art. With my mother’s brooch by my side, I know that I will be able to anything set on my mind. But, enough about me; who else do you value in your life?”
“I value all of my friends and family closely. But, out of them all, I hold Rondo closest to my heart.” Stereo responded.
“The bird, yes?”
“He’s not just a bird, but yes. You could say that we are heterosexual life partners. Rondo taught me how to sing and helped me to express myself. I loved him like he was my actual brother. Even after everything Mono and Lith went through, I was never feeling hurt because I always had Rondo and them. Even if I was in a cave for three days, I still managed because I know that they are alive somewhere.”
“So, let us say something happened to Rondo; maybe he suffered a broken wing and he can never fly again. What state of mind would that leave you in?” Fleur De Lis asked.
Stereo broke his pose with his spine shooting upwards. Images of a depressed Rondo with bound wings flashed before his eyes.
“That would be horrible. He’s literally the happiest member of our family. Seeing him depressed because of having any of his talents taken away from him will hurt my heart. I can’t bear to see that happen.”
“Hopefully, it will never happen to him. But, this is an age where anything can happen. You should always be prepared for the worst.” Fleur De Lis stated, changing the color on the brush to a pale yellow.
“You know, Fleur, it is very nice talking to someone like you. It helped me cast away any doubts I have right now.”
“Likewise, Stereo. I believe that just talking to you helped make me a better artist.”
Fleur De Lis set her easel and canvas outside a building with Lith standing in front of the neon signs flashing in the background. She dipped her brush in a pearlescent white and began stroking the canvas with her brush.
“You are by far the most eager being I have met who wanted to get painted by me so badly. It’s an impressive feat, considering how desirable of an opportunity it is.”
“I was never put in any piece of art and you wanted to paint me, so how can I resist?” Lith responded, crossing her paws together.
“Mutual benefits are truly a beautiful opportunity for one to truly express themselves. So your brother sings of high praises about you, Lith.” Fleur De Lis stated, painting Lith’s ears.
“What does he say about me?”
“He says that you are one of the strongest people he has ever known. He says that you act even when the situation looks bleak. When two factions are at an impasse, you are the one who fires the shot and inspire your own group to act. While he does note that you can be very impulsive at times, he says that he is glad to be your twin.”
“I’m glad that he feels that way about me. I may berate him sometimes on how nervous and introverted he is at times, but he still is a wonderful brother who would do anything and everything to guarantee the best possible outcome for everyone.” Lith stated. “But, Fleur, how do you feel about the concept of love?”
“Love is a beautiful idea. The thought of two beings who wish to dedicate the remainder of their lives together fills my heart with joy. I even had a close stallion friend who I wanted to spend my life with. Unfortunately, that never came to be because he died of illness shortly after the primary invasion strike.” Fleur De Lis explained, tinting the brush with forest green paint.
“So do you believe that love should not have any sort of physical limitations? I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic and am a firm believer of love transcending beyond what is physical.”
“I share in your philosophy, Lith. It does not matter who we love just as long as we are capable of feeling love for others. There are many different kinds of love, but the love you and I are speaking about can only happen through actual development over time. Simply falling in love for their appearance is shallow and does not lead to any sort of meaningful ties.”
Fleur De Lis swapped out her paintbrush for a fresh one, dipping it in azure-colored paint. She looked onto Lith, eyeing a red coloration building up in her face. She pointed to her own cheek.
“I have something on my face?” Lith asked, looking to the right and eyeing a mirror. Her face lit up in a red color and her heart beat with an irregular rhythm.
“I could see clearly into your eyes and cheeks that you harbor some sort of forbidden love. Is it perhaps for me?”
“D-Don’t be silly, Fleur. This is a completely professional job I’m doing.”
“If that is the case, then why have you not looked me in the eyes all day? I see you trying to avert your gaze away from my eyes, Lith. Only one who is nervous about their feelings for another would feel that way. If I am painting you, then be honest with me. I detest painting liars.”
Lith let out a defeated sigh and looked into Fleur De Lis’s eyes.
“It’s true that I have feelings for you. When I saw your image and your video of modeling clothing at the runway, I felt a sudden urge of just… wanting to be with you. But my heart already belongs to someone else. I’m just not sure if he will be coming anytime soon.”
“And the truth is unraveled like a juicy pomegranate. You do not need to feel ashamed about your feelings, Lith. While I sense internal conflict within your soul, I am positive that you know where your heart goes out to. Who knows, maybe this might be the start of a friendship between you and I that might blossom into something more.” Fleur De Lis stated.
“You mean…?”
“I am not impartial to the idea, but go after who your heart swoons for first. You are young and have the chance to take more bites out of the fruit of life than I do.”
“Thank you for your wise words, Fleur. I will make sure to listen to my heart rather than deny what it says.” Lith stated, her nerves lowering and a small smile appearing on her face.
“Now that’s the type of smile I love to see on who I paint!”
Mono looked at each individual painting of the Pokémon of his team, nodding his head and smiling at them. Fleur De Lis waited in bated breath, gazing at Mono’s reactions.
“You have some amazing use of colors, contrast and style here, Fleur.”
“I appreciate your comment very much, Mono. It seems that I have gained touch with art back from the cold doldrums of mental drought. And I wish to thank you for allowing me to do this.” Fleur De Lis stated, putting her right front leg forward and bowing.
“It is always nice for us to get to meet more people. My squad is much happier after you painted them, myself included.”
“You all have nice colors that are candy to the eyes. It would be a shame to not choose the proper environments and paints that would best fit your unique personalities.”
Mono focused his attention on Fleur De Lis’s painting of Stereo, looking at the earnest smile in front of a tranquil river.
“So Stereo told you about his interest in art?”
“Yes he did. I must say that you did a fine job with giving your Pokémon an education to the best of your ability, and I am glad that he seeks the noble pursuit of art. I’m considering putting him under my tutelage.” Fleur De Lis responded, smiling and whipping her mane towards Mono.
“Speaking of which, I always wondered why someone such as you were to go into the realm of painting and art, Fleur. I mean, you already have an amazing career as a model and everything.”
“It is true that I am content with my life as a model, but I also know that art is needed now more than ever. Most of the art in the world is lost when the Van’Goth attacked. When the war ends, how will the people of our nation return back to life? With art, I can help revitalize the spirits of people and give their lives more options of approach. Many Equusians do not put much value in art after all.”
“Art is nice to look at, but I don’t feel that it is as important as you say it is, Fleur.” Mono said.
“And that is your first error, Mono. You cannot simply just look at life thinking that it only has one option. Having a clearer view and taking things slowly will reveal a multitude of paths you can take on your journey of life. Art grafts this knowledge upon those who take even a minute of their dedicated time. Maybe you can look more into art as well?”
Fleur De Lis’s swords for words pierced through Mono’s mind, causing his nerves to be paralyzed on the spot. A small frown appeared on his face, but curved into a smile.
“I’ll try to look at art in a different way, Fleur. Thank you for teaching me this important lesson.”
“Any time, Mono. I would love to have the opportunity to paint your entire squad in a single portrait some time. In the meantime, I will keep in touch with you, your sister and Stereo. I’ll also leave these paintings here overnight and have some hired hands to pick it up for the gallery exhibit tomorrow.”
Fleur De Lis walked out of the group’s room, leaving Mono by himself. He gazed back at the paintings, allowing their colors to spiral through his head.
“I can definitely see their personalities flash in these paintings now. It’s almost as if I can read what is on their minds right now just by looking at them. But I still don’t see how this will help me look at the different options in my life. I guess it must be acquired.” He said. “Well, I could always start now.”