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// Chapter Two: Rats, Mice, and Princesses 
// Story: The Mare and the Draconequus(Plot Twist) 
// by ADenter1 
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Chapter Two: Rats, Mice, and Princesses
(Picture him a bit younger I guess, and his dream of becoming a Palace Guard... OOH ideas!)




“STOP THIEF!” Shining Armor skid to a halt, grabbing the loaf with his magic.
“I will take your horn for a trophy filthy street-rat!” the Guard snapped.
“All over a loaf of bread?” Shining Armor closed his eyes, magic strong around the bread, as he jumped.
He slammed into a bunch of hanging clothes, and one of the mares slammed her window shut so that had hurt the unicorn stallion. Eventually he had a ‘soft’ landing in a pile of clothes. “There he is!” another shouted from the rooftop.
“You won’t get away so easy!” he added.
“That was far from easy,” he heard giggling mares and saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie too.
“Morning, mares,” he grinned and Applejack laughed.
“Gettin’ into trouble today, aren’t you sugarcube,” Shining Armor snorted.
“Nope, it’s only trouble if you get caught,” he felt the Guard’s hoof grab his vest. “Okay, now I’m in trouble,” he added.
The Guard bared his teeth in a horse’s snarl. “And this time--” he got cut off by a unicorn mare pushing his turban over his head and eyes. Shining Armor grinned.
“Perfect timing little sister,” she grinned. “As usual,” she lifted her own red hat and leapt onto his shoulders and back(she’s smaller than him, it works)
“Will you hold still!” the Pegasus Guard snapped as he swung his sword.
“Can’t,” Shining Armor began. “I gotta keep one step ahead of you after all,” he added.
That was how Twilight and Shining Armor’s days were. Scraping around for food, and thievery. You either had quick and tricky hooves, or you didn’t. That was often how it worked. They ran up and down stairs, through buildings and windows. All just to avoid the Palace Guards and protect their horns.
“I blame parents!” the older mare glared as she swung her broom at his head, missing. “Oh, wait. They haven’t got them!” she added with a sneer.
“You have to eat to live,” Twilight defended. “And gotta steal to eat,” Shining Armor added. If things had been different, then he would be one of the guards chasing after the thieves. But that was not how things went. Luna bless the souls of Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
“If only magic carpets were real,” Shining Armor muttered as he and Twilight leapt from another building window, the guards chasing after them and falling into a pile of cow, you know what. “And that’s nasty,” Twilight nodded with a grimace.
They landed softly and safely into a shaded alley. “And now, we eat,” he broke the bread in half. But both froze halfway before the bread even touched their lips. Three little fillies, wearing rags and just about nothing that could keep them warm at night and cool during the day, were digging through scraps. The scene made Twilight’s stomach churn with disgust and sadness. “By Luna, is this what the city has come to?” she sighed, walking towards the three frightened fillies with her half of the bread.
“Go on,” she smiled softly as the red-maned one stood in front of the other two. An orange Pegasus filly with purple eyes and a purple mane and tail, and a white furred and green eyed Unicorn filly. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.
“Take it,” Shining Armor gave his to the Pegasus filly, and Twilight to the Unicorn and the Earth Pony. Shining Armor’s gaze however, landed on the commotion taking place outside the alley. Stallions and mares, mostly stallions though, were gathered outside. “By Luna?” he wandered that direction, with Twilight on his heels.
Twilight’s violet eyes landed on a fancy looking Unicorn stallion. His coat was pure white, and it looked like it had been recently trimmed and groomed. And his mane and tail were long and also combed, and blonde. His eyes were blue, and his Cutie Mark was a star. Her grimaced returned, and she stuck her tung out in disgust. “Prince Blueblood,” Shining Armor bit back harsh words that should never be stated in front of a mare. Unless of course the mare said them first, or said worse things. And of course ‘his highness’ was being pulled by a donky.
“Who do you think it’s for?” Trouble Shoes asked the mare. “Princess Fluttershy or Princess Cadence?” Shining Armor seemed to stiffen. The elder Princess wasn’t getting married so soon, was she? Despite being from a different area, and the horn he had(let us not forget that Blueblood is also a Unicorn)
“Winona!” the country voice of Apple Bloom shouted, chasing after her dog with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle behind her.
The donkey whipped up, startled, and brayed angrily. “Out of the way, you filthy brats!” the Prince almost hit one of the fillies, but Twilight’s face literally got in the way when she appeared in front of the fillies in a flash of hot pink. SMACK. There was a red hoofprint where he struck her.
Shining Armor saw red. A red redder than Twilight’s cheek. Nopony ever hit a mare, and nopony definitely hit his sister. “If either of us were as rich as filth like you, we could afford some manners,” he snarled, stomping in front of the wagon.
“I’ll teach you manners!” he knocked both Unicorns into the red mud. Ponies, mostly the stallions, laughed as the mares looked at them sympathetically and stared at the so called Prince in disgust. Rarity in particular.
“Look at that Twilight, it’s not every day you see an donkey with two rear ends,” ponies ‘oohed’ and the mares snickered. The Prince snorted in disgust.
“You are a worthless street-rat. You were born one, you’ll die one. And only your sister and the cockroaches will mourn you. While I’ll be living with Princess Mi Amore Cadencia,” Shining Armor glared as the doors shut behind the pathetic excuse of a Unicorn and a stallion.
“We’re not worthless,” he muttered, feeling the angry fade just like the crowd did. “C’mon Twili, let’s go home,” he sighed sadly.
They walked home with their heads down, hunger still in the pit of their stomachs. “I just hope she doesn’t actually choose him to be her suitor,” Shining Armor stared at the grand palace beyond the city from the window. “She’s no fool, and only a fool would pick that scum to be her stallion,” Twilight snorted.
“You hope she doesn’t pick anyone who isn’t you,” she retorted and Shining Armor blushed. It was no secret to his sister that he was infatuated with the Princess of Saddle Arabia. “If ponies looked closer, I would certainly hope they’d see that there is so much more to what they call street-rats and street-mice,” Twilight sighed, closing her book of magic.
The two were already on the Guards’ list for arrest since they were common “street-rats” and thieves. But learning magic, if you weren’t a Royal Blood or had the Sultan’s permission, was strictly forbidden. Twilight didn’t like breaking the rules often, except when it came to food, but she still did so to learn more about magic. It was her passion, and her Cutie Mark alone could tell a story. Even Pegasus flying was strictly prohibited, not often did you see many Pegasi flying. Unless it was to clear away the desert clouds or to bring in rain clouds. It wasn’t even treasure that the two wanted. Only a chance.
“One day, Twili. We’ll have the money we need and we’ll never have to worry about the guards ever again,” he promised his sleeping sister as he stared at the shining lights from the palace.
**********
The doors nearly ripped off their hinges as Blueblood stormed out of the gardens. “I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO INSULTED!” he bellowed, raising his nose in the air snobbishly. It caused Starswirl the Bearded to jumble about.
“Prince Blueblood, leaving so soon... are... ooh,” he saw what the problem was. His tuxedo had been ripped off, and not even by sharp teeth. Rabbit’s teeth. But Blueblood’s insults were far from over.
“Rudeness from Cadence, and that pile of white furred filth from Fluttershy,” he growled. “Good luck marrying either of them off,” he added, raging out of the palace. Starswirl shook his head and groaned. He understood why this one had not been a suitor for either mares, but this felt like the hundredth suitor that both refused. Oh, wait. It was.
“Cadence, Fluttershy,” he ran into the gardens. “Fluttershy,” he saw the Pegasus mare sitting near the fountain, but a mass of white fur with tuxedo pants in his mouth stopped him. “Drop it Angel,” Starswirl ordered the white rabbit, and nearly ripped it from the rabbit’s teeth. “So, this is why Blueblood stormed out?” he raised an eyebrow, throwing the fabric unto the ground.
“Angel, was only playing,” Fluttershy giggled softly with the rabbit before looking bashful.
Starswirl sighed. “Where’s Cadence?” he looked to the sky as she flew overhead.
She landed on her hooves, her purple and yellow mane flowing lightly behind her. “You could not have really expected either of us to pick him as a suitor,” her purple eyes looked amused and disgusted at the same time. “Did you?” she inquired. Starswirl sighed and shook his head. It was no doubt that they would not choose him of all ponies.
The Unicorns were borne of a Royal Bloodline, or at least a few of them. The Unicorns came from their own area, in which the bloodline Starswirl was a part of, and then the Pegasi came with their own sets of Royalty. Cadence and Fluttershy had both been born Royal Pegasi. In Saddle Arabia, the Unicorns were primarily the Royal Blood but there was a treaty with the Pegasi. So, that was how Starswirl had been named Sultan and how Fluttershy and Cadence had become Princesses. It was a pattern. Unicorn Sultan with Pegasus Princesses, and then Pegasus Sultan with Unicorn Princesses. That was why more than half of the suitors had been Unicorns.
“I will accept the fact that you refused Blueblood, but you cannot refuse EVERY suitor that comes to call. There are rules,” Cadence and Fluttershy shared a sad sigh.
“I don’t want to be married unless it is a pony who can accept me for me, and who I love and who loves me,” Fluttershy defended and Cadence looked at her oddly.
“Love? Whatever does love have to do with it?” Fluttershy looked at her with wide teal eyes. Did she really say that? Cadence of all ponies? The horror!
Cadence shook her head. “Nowadays ponies don’t even care for love anymore,” she stated. “And I feel like one of your birds Fluttershy, trapped inside the cage that is the palace walls,” she pointed with a accusing hoof. “Flying doesn’t help much when ponies are watching you day in and day out,” she added. “Not to mention most suitors ask about this,” she pointed to her flank.
She had a lavender flank dress over it. She had a Cutie Mark like other mares and ponies, but it was what the Cutie Mark was after all. She didn’t believe in love, and her Cutie Mark was a heart. But the heart partially resembled the Crystal Heart of Empire Legends, but instead of being crystal blue like the real heart, it was a faded and dull grayish red. Like a dead heart. Nopony, not even Starswirl, understood it. She understood her duties as a Pegasus Princess, but she didn’t understand her Cutie Mark and none of the suitors, Blueblood included, had ever not talked about it.
“The Law states you,” the three talked in unison. “Must be married to a Prince,” Cadence glared and Fluttershy looked sullen. “And Cadence, you only have three more days,” Starswirl reminded.
“The Law is wrong,” she defended. “I may not believe in love, but I do believe I should not be forced into marrying somepony who only talks about himself and gloats about how rich and fancy he is. That is how all of the past suitors have been,” Fluttershy nodded silently. Fluttershy walked up to the bird cage and pulled a little dove out.
She smiled and nuzzled it softly. “And if I am to marry, then I want it to be for love,” Starswirl sighed for the thousandth time.
“I will not be here forever you two, and the Law also states at least one of you has to marry a Unicorn or a Magical born pony. I understand you don’t like it, but everypony has to make sacrificing for the good of their people. Do you think that Luna enjoyed raising and lowering the moon and enjoyed being outshined by her elder sister?” they shook their heads. “No, but she still did her duty as an Alicorn of Equestria,” they looked down.
“I just want to make sure the two of you are taken care of,” Starswirl walked back into the Palace. “Provided for,” Cadence sighed almost angrily and Fluttershy let the birds fly free.
~In the Palace~
“There mother’s weren’t nearly so picky,” Starswirl twirled the sun on his solar chart. A dark shadow loomed over him, and he felt the magical presence of the Royal Vizier in the room. “Sombra,” he nodded. “I need your help,” he sighed.
“It is my life to serve you my liege,” Sombra pressed his hoof to his chest almost humbly, the parrot rolled her eyes.
“It’s the suitor issue. Both Cadence and Fluttershy refuse all the suitors,” Starswirl groaned. “I am at my wits end,” the parrot squawked with humor.
Her eyes looked odd and dumb, but inside she glared. “Cracker?” he used his magic to still a saltine in her beak. Sombra laughed.
“Your Majesty has quite the way with dumb animals,” she glared at him and the moment Starswirl’s head was turned she spit the cracker on his face. He wiped it off and swore vengeance later. “But I could certainly help you with your troubles,” Starswirl looked at him with hope in his yellow eyes.
“If anypony can help, it is you,” Sombra lifted the blue jewel around Starswirl’s neck though, twirling it in his hoof.
His red eyes focused intently on it. “It would, however, require the help of a mystic blue diamond,” he pointed.
“The Jewel of Rarities? But it’s been in the Royal Family for centuries,” Starswirl looked slightly afraid.
Sombra twirled his scepter in his other hoof. It had the Alicorn Amulet on the top of it. “Only logical that you do all means necessary to find at least one of the Princesses a suitor,” the eyes of the Amulet met Starswirl’s and red swirls formed in the older Unicorn’s eyes. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Starswirl muttered the same words. “The diamond,” Starswirl hoofed it over. “Now, go play with your little toys,” Starswirl smiled.
“That would be...” he began. “Pretty lovely,” he smiled in a trancelike manner.
Chrysalis began scrubbing her tongue as hard as she could with a toothbrush that Sombra manifested. “I can’t take it any more, one more time! Just one more time!” she threatened.
“Calm yourself Changeling,” Sombra ordered. “And don’t think that last ordeal will go out unpunished,” she glared at him.
“You called me a dumb animal,” the dark Unicorn rolled his eyes.
“Once I become Sultan and that twit no longer rules Saddle Arabia, how about I let you shove the crackers down his throat?” he offered and she grinned maliciously.
“That would be...” she cackled. “Pretty lovely,” she mocked and the two began laughing together, plotting revenge and hatred on both the Sultan and the city.