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The Trotsylvania Tavern3,550 words
Castle de Shimmer2,816 words
The Count of Castle de Shimmer3,760 words
A Doctor of Perculiar Profession4,100 words
Slow Growth of the Cult2,684 words

Castle de Shimmer

The enlarge castle doors opened widely as Fluttershy and Countess de Shimmer made their way up the steps. Even in the dark and stormy atmosphere, the young pegasus could see that it was a magnificent and beautiful castle indeed. It was quite massive in size as well. Looking around, she thought that the palace could also double as a separate village.

“Oh, my,” she said, in awe, “It’s like one of the castles I’ve seen in fairytales.”

The Countess chuckled. “Oh, I assure you, it’s nothing of the sort.”

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side at the mare’s comment. She then began to take a better look at the exterior of the castle. Taking in the Countess’s comment, she began to take in the breathtaking sight of the castle in a whole new light. Sure, it was gorgeous, but there was a hint of unsettlement and darkness coming from the it, as well. The thunder and lightning from the storm wasn’t helping much to its advantage.

The pegasus was starting to maintain second thoughts about staying with Countess Shimmer. Should I really stay in the Countess’s castle, she asked herself, glancing around the castle once more. I mean, now that I’m here, I’m not so sure want to anymore. Oh, but she was so kind to let me stay… and I really have no place else… What other choice do I have?

“Are you going to come inside, Mademoiselle Fluttershy?”

The young filly turned around to see Countess Sunset Shimmer already inside the door, giving her a rather concerned look. It took Fluttershy a couple of moments to realize that she had been in her own little world and was still standing on the steps in the rain. She was thankful for the fact that she was still wearing her hood and cape, which kept her dry to an extent.

The pegasus thought it would be a little more thoughtful if she flew up the rest of the few steps she had remaining; she didn’t want to get the floor all wet. Taking the handle of her bag in her mouth, she flapped her feathered wings, and managed to make it inside much quicker drying the soles of her hooves in the process.

The door behind the two of them closed shut as Fluttershy settled herself down on the mahogany wooden floor. She set her carryon bag beside her and was left speechless as she looked at her surroundings.

The interior of the castle was even more beautiful than the exterior. The walls were made of dark shades of grey bricks, which met with a narrow wooden mantle, along about a fourth of a quarter rest of the bottom being wood as well. There were blood-red, and dark purple curtains hanging up on each wall, giving the interior sort of a haunting, yet marvelous feel to it. Candle sconces were mounted on every corner, illuminating the inside just enough to see the beauty of the Countess’s home.

She stopped, however, once she saw, what she assumed was, the dining room table. The table was about five feet long, standing vertically. A long, lacey black cloth was neatly placed, hanging evenly off each side, and a lit candelabra as the centerpiece. What caught Fluttershy’s eye, however, was that there were two plates already set up…

“May I take your bag, Miss?”

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sudden voice spoke near her. She turned her head to look behind her, seeing a pink unicorn mare. Her purple mane was in some sort of ponytail or updo, and her bangs surrounded both sides of her horn, showing off the light blue streaks in her hair. She seemed to be wearing a long-sleeved burgundy colored dress, along with a night blue apron around her waist.

Bringing herself back into reality, Fluttershy responded. “O-oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize somepony was behind me.”

The Countess walked over to the pegasus, laying a hoof on her shoulder. “This is Starlight,” she explained, “she’s the pony who helps assist me here in the castle.” She then looked directly at her assistant. “Starlight, please show her Mademoiselle Fluttershy to her room. She is going to be staying with us for the night.”

“Yes, Countess Shimmer,” she replied, her horn glowing a sky blue aura, levitating Fluttershy’s luggage in midair.

Countess Sunset Shimmer returned her attention back to Fluttershy. “Would you care to join me for dinner after you have settled yourself in?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. She realized that she hadn’t really eaten anything since she had arrived in Trotsylvania. She had ordered a meal at the tavern back in the village, but due to everything that has happened, she hadn’t had a chance, and Fluttershy was feeling quite famished, after all.

“Y-yes. I would, indeed, very much.”

The mare smiled at her. She gave a slight nod to the two ponies before heading off to the northwest wing of the castle. Once the Countess was out of sight, Starlight spoke.

“Come along, Miss.” She began trotting over to the direction of the grand staircase, where each step was covered in a velvet red fleece. Fluttershy followed suit, but glanced back over to the dining room table where she still saw two plates set up.

“Starlight,” she began, causing the unicorn to stop in her tracks. “just out of curiosity, is there any particular reason as to why there were two plates already set up? Unless, of course, one of happens to be yours…”

Starlight turned her head to look at the pegasus. “No, Miss. I have my own personal dining facility.”

Fluttershy grew confused. “Was she expecting somepony, then?”

A moment passed before she answered. “No. No expected visitors. Countess Shimer always has an extra plate prepared if ever somepony visits,” she explained, rather blandly. It was almost as if she had had this conversation before. “Come now, Mademoiselle, we must get you settled in.”

Fluttershy nodded her head as the unicorn continued her way up the staircase, still levitating her bag in midair. The young filly took one more final glance at the dining room table before following Starlight up the stairs, and to her room.

The room that Fluttershy would be spending the night in was truly a magnificent one. A sleigh bed took up the center of the room, its headboard being shaped more like some kind of royal throne whilst the hoofboard was slightly curved. Taking a closer look at the headboard, she saw that it had quite the more elegant and graceful feel to it, being that the arch made it seem like it was fit for a queen.

Fluttershy thought that it made a lot of sense, considering the fact that she is going to be spending the night in a castle. The bed had a spread that consisted of the colors red, purple, and green, which went along great with the sort of reneighsance-type theme that it was trying to get across.

Starlight opened up the wardrobe with her magic and placed the young mare’s carryon bag inside. “Dinner shall be ready in a few minutes,” she said, closing the wardrobe. “Please do not keep the Countess waiting.”

Fluttershy showed her understanding by giving her a nod as Starlight trotted outside the room door. She decided to take this time to look around where she will be spending the night. Taking the hood off of her head, she began walking around slowly, taking in all the beauty and detail of the decoration and furniture.

She began memorizing all of the beautiful and delicate carvings of the wooden wardrobe, the smoothness of the nightstand beside the bed, and the wonderful stitching and pattern of the velvet red curtains, which seemed to be a replica of the ones she had seen earlier when she had first stepped inside the castle.

As she looked around, she noticed a large window behind the some of the curtains in her room. She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her hooves came off of the floor as she began flapping her wings, and flew over to the window. Taking the both handles in each hoof, she pushed forward, opening it to reveal a little balcony.

“Oh, my,” muttered Fluttershy, completely in shock. The young filly was simply in awe at the sight. She landed herself down gently, taking a few steps forward, getting a better view. Although it was dark and continuing to thunder, what Fluttershy could see was just left her in amazement. She could see the rest of the castle, including, what seemed to be, a little fountain.

Fluttershy, then, glanced downward for a quick second, only to do so once again when she spotted a figure on the balcony below her. The figure looked to be a stallion, a unicorn, to be more precise. He was walking out on his balcony, looking down at the few feet below him.

Huh? Who could that be, she asked herself.

The pony felt something wet hit her hoof. She lifted her head to see a couple of raindrops start pouring down from the sky. Taking the hint that this was her cue to go back inside, she immediately retreated, only to find Starlight standing by the curtain.

Fluttershy shrieked in surprise.

“The view is much better in the daylight,” Starlight said, oblivious to the fact that she had frightened the poor pegasus. “You’ll see much more, I assure you.”

The mare took a deep breath, calming herself from the little jumpscare she had. When she was finally relaxed, she spoke.

“Starlight, you told me that Countess Shimmer wasn’t expecting anypony to visit.”

“That is correct.”

“But, I saw a stallion on the lower balcony,” she explained, beginning to take off her cape. “From what I could see, he didn’t look like he worked here.”

The pink unicorn took a few steps toward her. “I’m the only pony to be working at Castle de Shimmer,” she said in from behind, a casual tone in her voice. “Countess Sunset Shimmer is waiting, are you about ready?”

“Almost,” she replied, rather quickly.

The assistant pony gave her, what she could read as, a suspicious look, before making her way out of the room. Waiting for the door to be shut completely, Fluttershy quickly went over to the balcony once again and looked below, only to find the balcony window open, but no pony there.

I was sure I saw a stallion below….

The two mares were seated at the dining room table, whilst Sunset’s assistant served them their meals. A bowl of steaming sweet tomato and basil soup was placed neatly in front of the pegasus as well as a cup of Apple Cider for the mare sitting beside her.

“Thank you,” she said, before looking over at what the Countess was having. She tilted her head. “Are you not having anything, Countess Shimmer?”

A moment passed before she spoke. “I afraid I don’t have much of an appetite tonight,” she replied. “And please, you may call me ‘Sunset.’”

“Oh, well… alright… um, Sunset.”

Sunset gave her a sly smile before taking a sip of her cider. Fluttershy took the spoon in her hoof and began eating her soup... Lady-like, of course.

A few moments of silence passed. Sunset, then, poured herself another glass of cider, and then another moment of silence passed. The unicorn decided to break the quiet by speaking.

“Starlight tells me that you thought you saw somepony in the balcony below the room you’ll be staying in for the night. A stallion?”

Fluttershy ate a spoonful of her soup before responding. “Oh, why, yes. I was looking around my room when I found the balcony window,” she explained, “as I was looking outside, I thought I saw a stallion… a young colt; unicorn, actually.”

Sunset gave her a rather unreadable look. She couldn’t tell if it was worry, surprise, or shame… Maybe it was all three of those emotions combined?

“However, I guess it must’ve been my imagination.”

Countess Sunset sighed. “No, actually, in fact, it wasn't,” she said, not putting down her glass. “You, indeed, saw a stallion.” There was a pause. “You saw my brother.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise. “But I thought tha-”

“You thought what I wanted you to think,” she interrupted, a bit of distress coming out in her voice. “That I was just some mare living all alone in some great big castle in the mountains north of the village, all by herself with only an assistant to keep her company. Well, I can assure that I’m not all by myself. I have a brother… a brother who is very ill.”

The pegasus just sat there for a moment, stunned. She was trying to process of the information that was just told to her. Sunset had a family member living in the castle with her. And…. a sick one…

“I’m- I’m sorry to hear that,” she muttered.

“His sickness has driven me to such chaos, at times for the past few years.” She chuckled slightly. “May be hard to believe, but we had such happy times here in the Castle de Shimmer. Ambassadors, and royalty from all over used to come over for dinners, social events, and balls.”

Fluttershy smiled. “I’m sure they must’ve been wonderful.”

Sunset’s face suddenly darkened. “Then he ruined it…”

“What do you mean,” she asked, tilting her head in both intrigue and confusion.

“Believe me, it’s best that you not know the details,” she replied, as Starlight walked over to take Countess Sunset’s cup of cider away. “Let’s just say that it pains me every single night knowing that I have to keep my own sibling away from everypony… even all the ponies who used to be my friends.”

“Oh, dear… Is he… mentally ill,” a worrisome Fluttershy asked.

No pony spoke for a good few moments.

“I never see him,” she responded, giving her assistant her half-filled cup of cider. “Starlight’s the one who takes care of him.” The two unicorns glanced at each other. “She was our nanny when we were foals.”

The pink unicorn laid a hoof on the Countess’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. Using her magic, she levitated the cup and leftover cider, and trotted her way to the kitchen.

“You haven’t seen him? In years? You don’t even say ‘hello’ to him?”

She could see tears beginning to form in the yellow unicorn’s eyes. “He’s made me suffer for sooo many years… and I’m ashamed to say that I have made him suffer as well.” Sunset sniffed. “He and I have grown apart it seems. So much that he’s had his own part of the castle.”

The unicorn mare extended a hoof, pointing passed Fluttershy toward the direction of a door, barely visible thanks to a pillar and large thick wall beside it.

“The entrance to his room is right through that door…. but I don’t dare go in.”

“But, Counte- I mean, ‘Sunset,’ Fluttershy corrected herself. “Do you really think he’s happy? Spending all of his time, every single day in his life in just that one room?”

The Countess looked away from the pegasus, her curled orange and red mane covering her face. “Is anypony mad, happy?”

Fluttershy took her point into consideration. “Wasn’t there something you could’ve done? Have you took him to a doctor?”

“What for? Everypony around thinks he has been dead for years,” she explained, her voice cracking a bit.

“Do you…. encourage it?”

Sunset gave her a sly smile. “Well, Fluttershy, it seems that you’ve read past me.” She remained quiet for a moment as the sound of thunder rumbled from the outside. “It appears that another storm is happening.” She sniffed once again.

“I suppose there is,” Fluttershy replied. “If you don’t mind Sunset, rain always tends to make me rather drowsy. Is it alright if I say goodnight?”

The mare gave off a soft chuckle. “Of course, Mademoiselle. Goodnight.”

The young filly got up from her seat and began to gently flap her wings. “Thank you, Sunset.” She then placed a hoof on top of the unicorn’s. “And let me just say, you are an angel.”

A surprised expression spread across the Countess’s face as soon as those words left her mouth. The little yellow pony gave a reassuring smile before flying out of the dining room, up the stairs, toward her room.

A single tear from her eye went down Sunset’s cheek as she muttered to herself, “If only he were one.”

Author's Note:

Soooo we get to somewhat hear a bit about Sunset's brother, and meet Starlight. I have a feeling that this fic I'm writing is going to be a lot of fun for me