//------------------------------// // Evil Flowers Steadily Bloom... // Story: Sunset of Evil // by Skye Mist //------------------------------// (A/N Notes: For those who aren't Vocaloid fans, you might want to watch the videos as well.) "...but Your Majesty, our niece-" "No 'buts'! Guards, escort these two from the palace. I don't want in my sight any longer." "Yes, Your Majesty." Two guards saluted and began to usher the two ponies out. Before the throne room doors closed, the younger of the two yelled to the princess, "Your pride will become your demise! Someday you'll meet your match!" The doors closed with a thud. The princess sighed and slumped against her throne as she closed her teal eyes. Thus, she didn't notice the guard entering. "Ahem, Your Majesty?" The princess's ears flicked up as she recognized the voice. "Flash, you don't need to be so formal when it's just the two of us." She said, opening her eyes and smiling a bit. "Okay, Sunset. Who were they? One of them was screaming about justice for the ponies." Flash raised an eyebrow when he said that last part. Sunset, while straightening her crown and regalia, said boringly, "Just another two ponies who were complaining to me about their problems. What were their names again? Celestia and Luna, I think. Something about their niece being killed." "Erm, not to be rude, Sunset, but isn't that important?" Flash asked skeptically. "No, it was Cadance." Sunset said simply, playing with her mane. Flash's eyes widened slightly and his mouth did a silent 'oh' before he got his expression under control. The grandfather clock in the far corner rang as it reached three o'clock. Sunset turned her attention from Flash to the clock and clapped her hooves. "Yay, it's tea time! I can finally get off this uncomfortable throne." She started heading for the door. She turned back around when she realized Flash wasn't following. "Flash, you coming?" Flash jerked his head towards Sunset. "Huh...oh, yes! I'm coming." 12 years ago... "Hey, Flash! Wait up! I don't have wings, y'know!" A younger Sunset chased after a younger Flash. "Ha! Catch me if you can, Sunny! There's a reason my parents named me Flash!" The young pegasus flew quicker. Sunset stopped in her tracks. A magic aura developed around her horn as she concentrated. In a burst of white light, Flash appeared before her upside down in a telekinetic hold. She walked up to his face and grinned. She bopped him on his muzzle. "Boop. And there's a reason why I'm next in line for princess, Flash." "Alright, alright. I get it. Don't mess with the future princess. Just put me down before I hurl." Flash said. Sunset put a hoof up to her mouth to cover up her giggle. "Okay, if you insist." Flash landed face-first on the ground. As he stood up, he shook his head and put a hoof up to it. "Ugh...I should've seen it coming." "Yep!" Sunset said as she sat down beside him, still smiling. They sat there for a moment, staring up at the drifting clouds. "Hey, Sunset?" Flash asked. "What?" "What would you do when you grow up if you weren't a princess?" Sunset thought about that for a minute, the smile fading away, and frowned slightly. "Hmm...I don't know, really. What about you? What do you want to be when you grow up?" "A royal guard. No doubt! I'd get to wear cool armor, protect the kingdom, and plus, I'd get to hang out with you more!" Flash answered instantly. Sunset blushed slightly. "That's nice." "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's make a deal. You grow up to be the best princess Canterlot's ever seen and I grow up to become the best guard Canterlot's ever seen. Deal?" Sunset smiled. "Deal." "Sunset!" Both foals turned their heads towards the new voice. "It's my mother. I gotta go. See you again sometime?" Sunset asked, turning back to Flash. "Yeah." Little did they know, that was the last time they'd see each other for a long time... 4 years ago... Sunset sighed as she walked down the empty hall. Another boring day as princess. Why did her mother have to pass on so soon? Seriously, princess at 14? She expected to become princess one day, but not this soon. "Your Majesty?" Sunset stopped. There was something familar about that voice. Why did it feel so familar? Turning around slowly, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. Blue eyes and mane, orange coat, same voice... Sunset felt tears well up in her eyes. But she had to be certain at this armored pegasus was truly him. "Flash Sentry...?" "Nice to see you again, Sunny." Flash grinned. He was tackle-hugged by the recently crowned princess. Tears of joy stained Sunset's cheeks. "You don't know how happy I am to see you again! It's been almost ten years!" Sunset said, letting go of Flash and wiping her tears away. "Well, I'm here to stay now. Your Majesty, may I present your newest guard!" Flash bowed. "You did become a guard!" Sunset exclaimed. "We made a deal, remember?" "I sure do." Present day- In a quaint town not too far away... "Oh, I was wondering if you could maybe, um, move a bit, so I can, um, get through?" A yellow pegasus asked a griffon. "Why don't 'cha wait until I move, ya freak?" The griffon growled at her. "Oh, um, okay." The pegasus shrank back and hurried away, only to bump into a pony. "Hey, watch where you're going, mare!" "Go back to your bolt hole, you loser! "Get your wings and skedaddle!" The pegasus fled the town, tears running down from her closed eyes as she tried her hardest to keep them in. She didn't open her eyes until her hooves stopped. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. She had somehow wound up in the Everfree! 'It's okay, Fluttershy,' she told herself. She just needed to follow the path out of the forest. She focused on the positive. At least it was daytime. At least she was already on the path. At least she got away from the insults... "Caw! Caw!" "Hoo! Hoo!" Fluttershy's ears perked up. Turning her head, she caught sight of an owl and a phoenix flying towards her. She smiled at them. "Oh, hello there. Nice to meet you. I'm Fluttershy. My, I've never seen a phoenix before..." The two birds began to push her into the undergrowth. "Wha- What's going on?! What's wrong?" She asked. The two didn't stop. They kept nudging and pushing her in a seemingly random direction. Close by, a large tree loomed. The phoenix cawed to the owl, and they took off in flight, turning towards Fluttershy to beckon her. "O-okay..." She gulped. Fluttershy flapped her wings, desperately trying not to lock up. Once she was up to the two's level, they began flying to the giant tree. Fluttershy followed at a slower pace behind them. Luckily, the giant tree wasn't far, and they reached it in almost no time. As they landed, the owl and phoenix each pointed a wing. Fluttershy followed where they were pointing and gasped as she saw a barely moving body laying near the roots of the tree. The pony had a purple coat with a mane and tail of indigo bearing two stripes down its middle: one a rose pink and the other a deep violet. She quickly cantered over. "Oh, you poor thing. We need to get you somewhere safe." As she examined the pony, she noticed that she (Fluttershy was fairly certain of that, unless she had bad vision, and she was certain she didn't) had both a horn and wings: an alicorn. Fluttershy turned back to the phoenix and owl, but they had gone. She blinked in surprise, but drew her attention back to the unconscious alicorn. "Now, to get you out of this forest." She grabbed the alicorn's front hooves and pulled her off the ground as she flapped her wings. She began to sweat from the effort, but continued on nonetheless.