Chapter 12
Pausing at the door, Flurry thought of the hug that her nanny, Sleet had given to her before sending her off. It was just what she had needed. Flurry was almost envious of her little sister right now, because Skyla was going to have a special night with Sleet. Of course, this was being done to keep Skyla away from the cotillion and out of trouble. No doubt there would be popcorn, treats, storytime… but all of that was foalish stuff, and it was time for Flurry to put that behind her.
Taking a deep breath, she made a last minute check of her gown, a magnificent creation that was all of the colours of her Auntie Celestia’s pastel rainbow mane. The jitters were getting pretty bad, but this would all be over soon, and with luck, she would never have to endure anything quite like this ever again. When she nodded, one of the guards opened the doors for her, and Flurry strode into the room.
“Princess Flurry Heart!” one of the guards near the door announced.
The murmur of the crowd became a roar for a moment as she entered and just about every head in the room turned to look at her. After a quick look about, she spotted Sumac, who stood out. He was wearing some kind of amazing jacket of a style that she did not know. It was green, a bright, sour green apple shade of green, and beneath his jacket he wore a buttery yellow shirt. The overall effect was striking, handsome, and made him stand out in a crowd.
Boomer was sitting on his back and Spike was standing by his side. Together, the three of them were chatting up Chartreuse, Sunburst, and Starlight. Focusing on them, Flurry did her best to ignore the crowd around her and she approached them while wearing a big false smile. Everypony was staring at her, smiling at her, and the overall effect was like standing beneath the burning sun on a hot day. Even with the climate control turning the room into an icebox—a necessity for hairy creatures wearing fancy clothes—Flurry was sweating and the chilly air caressing her now damp skin made her have confused shivers.
Spike and Boomer split as she approached, and Flurry was sad to see them go. When she drew near, Sumac, Sunburst, Chartreuse, and Starlight all bowed in greeting. After bowing, Sumac followed through with his expected duties; he approached—causing Flurry’s heart to pound against her ribs—bowed his head somewhat, and then stood there waiting. It took Flurry a moment to raise her foreleg, and when she did, he kissed her offered fetlock. Then, she stepped in closer to him and they exchanged mutual kisses on each cheek, first to the left, then to the right.
He smelled good and having him so close like this left her flustered and confused. On one hoof, she found colts kind of gross, but on the other hoof, Sumac was her friend. Ears pivoting, she could hear ponies around her talking, and the sound of hooves striking the floor was a dreadful distraction. Some of the crowd was coming closer to have a better look. Much to her dismay, Sunburst, Starlight, and Chartreuse were retreating, no doubt so they could do their jobs. This left her alone with Sumac… alone in a crowd… alone in a room packed with ponies that thought they knew what was best for her.
“You’re beautiful, Flurry—”
“Oh, stop that, Sumac.” Now she felt even hotter and sweatier, which made everything worse.
“Oh, but you are beautiful, and everypony is looking at you because of that.” The colt made a gesture with his wing, but Flurry refused to look around. “Come, Flurry. Follow me and let’s go get something to eat. You and I, we’re going to have a nice time, and we’re going to ignore everything around us.”
“Sumac, I don’t know if I’m hungry—”
“Oh, but you are hungry, you want to eat, and you want to have a nice time with me.”
At that moment, she realised what it was that Sumac was doing, and she loved him for it. She was hungry, now that she thought about it, and the crowd didn’t seem so bad just so long as she kept her focus on Sumac. A little spark of courage ignited in her breast and burned with a warm, steady glow. Turning her head, she looked over the buffet tables, some of which were steaming, and there were so many delightful treats just waiting to be sampled. Cuisine from all over Equestria, and indeed, the world awaited her, and it would be a shame to miss out.
“You are brave, beautiful, and filled with courage,” Sumac said to her.
Flurry found that she really couldn’t argue. She did feel brave, her gown was a masterpiece, and she was feeling pretty charged up for what would come later. Yes, she was excited and looking forward to everything that would happen. Sumac was doing his confidence trick, but it didn’t matter.
“This will be a night to remember, Flurry.”
“It sure will, Sumac.”
Together, they walked side by side, and Flurry reveled in the social etiquette that she had cast aside with casual disregard. She was supposed to walk just a little behind Sumac, with her head aligned to his withers, (a symbolic gesture of protection and letting the stallion deal with danger first) but she was being naughty. With her ears turned off to each side, a neutral position, she could hear the the snap of fans being opened all around her, and Flurry wished that she too, had a fashionable folding fan, because it was far too hot.
Having wings had drawbacks: enormous wings had enormous sweaty drawbacks.
The crowd parted and the aristocrats stepped aside. Flurry saw smiling faces, ponies that knew her, but she didn’t really know them. Her mother and father trusted them, these ponies were vital to the well-being of the Crystal Empire, and Flurry knew through Sunburst that they were meaningful contributors to the explosive growth and prosperity that the Crystal Empire was blessed with. These were ponies with aspirations that went beyond growing crystalline corn or pulling a wagon. The cutie marks of these ponies—some of which were hidden beneath fancy gowns—were all symbols of greatness, of rule, of leadership. They were the true wealth of the empire, the treasured assets that allowed the empire to flourish. No amount of gold, wealth, or resources could ever replace them.
It made Flurry a little nervous to upset them, because in doing so, she would be upsetting the very empire itself, because they were the empire. Now, she felt conflicted; she wanted to protect the empire, to do good for it, but now she was about to cause some great upset. There would be ripples from this, consequences, these ponies would remember this night and when she was older, when she was grown up, some of them might bear her some resentment.
A dreadful fear overtook her and the need to have a talk with her Auntie Luna crept up on her, sort of like the panties she was wearing were doing right now, this very moment. Alas, there was no time to stop and adjust, or kick out her leg, or, Auntie Celestia forbid, twerking until the awful knickers were loosened from her crack. How did Pebble deal with this grating annoyance?
The buffet distracted her and she froze while taking it all in, now paralysed by the sheer number of choices being offered. Sumac paused beside her, and she felt the clumsy touch of his wing against her back. Without realising that she was doing so, she sidled a little closer to him, until she was pressed up against his side, where she remained, trembling and breathing a little hard.
“I don’t know what I want,” she said to her companion.
“I don’t know what I want,” Sumac heard Flurry say to him as she pressed up against his side and quaked against him. He understood; there was a massive spread laid out before them, the very reason that Boomer wanted to come in the first place. This buffet was one of legend, with everything prepared by the many young would-be cooks and chefs attending Cadance’s school. Where did one even start?
Sumac had an idea. “I can get salads and greens at any time,” he said as he lowered his head down closer to Flurry’s twitching ear, “But some of these desserts look like once in a lifetime opportunities… at least for me. Lucky you, you get to live here.”
“Maybe not for much longer,” he heard Flurry whisper to him.
“What do you mean, Flurry?”
“Sometimes, Sumac, a foal leaves home to become an apprentice.” Flurry’s voice had a dreadful tremour to it that alarmed Sumac a great deal. “Chartreuse left home to become my father’s apprentice. It is the great rite of passage, Sumac.”
“Twilight?” he asked, guessing without hesitation what Flurry might be thinking.
“Yes.” Sumac heard his companion gulp and her shaking caused the fabric of her gown to rustle. After a moment, she continued, “I’m smothering here, Sumac, and after tonight, it might be best if I left.”
“Don’t say that, Flurry—”
“But it’s true,” she retorted.
“Oh look, cheesecake with crystalline strawberries. The little paper tag says it was made by a student named, ‘Nomination.’ I think I’ll get some.” He took a bold step forward and sure enough, Flurry moved with him, remaining tucked under his wing. “These bits of paper are a good idea… a chef looking for an apprentice will know who to ask for.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Flurry replied. “Nopony ever teaches me about all of these hidden reasons for why things get done. Sometimes, Sumac, I get the feeling that I’m not that bright. I mean, I don’t think I’m stupid, but I’m not that bright, either.”
“I’ve had a giant rocket strapped to my back and I crashed into Applejack’s barn.” Sumac let out a sigh at the memory and he heard Flurry laughing beside him. “I’m supposed be a genius with a magically enhanced IQ, but with some of the stunts I pull, I can’t be that smart.” Lifting up two plates, he served himself and Flurry some cheesecake.
Moving along, so he wouldn’t block others from the buffet, Sumac kept his wing over Flurry’s back and held her close. The chocolate cake looked amazing, but would probably require a bib while eating. He took two slices, one for him, and one for Flurry, knowing that she had a soft spot for runny, oozy chocolate cakes. It was stressful, making her decisions for her, because Sumac hated when others did that for him, but she didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she seemed relieved, and was content to remain under his wing.
“Oh hey, that looks good!” Flurry pointed with her wing at an ice-glazed tray laden with custard cups and somehow avoided an unbridled disaster. “Cherry and smoked chili pepper custard from Dodge City Junction!”
Taking a cue, Sumac grabbed two of the sweet-heat treats and then held them aloft with the plates. Flurry somehow moved even closer, and he could feel the fabric of the collar of her gown rumpling between his neck and her neck as she rubbed up against him. The sensation was arousing, but Sumac struggled with it because Flurry was young—perhaps too young to have those kinds of feelings for. Now he understood some of Olive’s hesitation involving him, when he had flirted with her and things had been confusing for a time. Everything was even more confusing because Flurry’s relative size made her look far older than her age suggested.
It was then and there that Sumac had a distressing thought, a thought that almost every colt has at some point during their foalhood, and each of them tended to take it differently. For Sumac, he felt revulsion at the realisation of just how easy it would be to take advantage of Flurry. She trusted him, was affectionate with him, and it wouldn’t take much applied pressure at all to have his way with her.
The plates and custard cups wobbled in his telekinesis and he almost dropped them. Sumac, son of Lemon Hearts, knew the difference between right and wrong, even if Trixie had given him broad definitions to work with. There was wrong, such as what he and Flurry had planned for tonight, and then there was wrong, such as his most recent development of understanding of what could be done with the filly that held so much trust in him.
Sumac almost lost his appetite on the spot and he felt far too sweaty beneath his jacket. The plates and custard cups trembled even more, requiring his utmost concentration to keep them from falling to the floor. Such an act would almost leave him as slimy as Belladonna—it would be an evil from which there was no return—and his revulsion grew so powerful that he could taste it in the back of his throat.
Rogue though he might be, grifter he most certainly was, Sumac had honour and for him, this was a defining distinction. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear Rainbow Dash cheering him on for being a good colt, with her loud cries being accompanied by Lemon’s softer, but no less enthusiastic cheers.
A single haunting, “Eeyup,” in his ear was the only reminder he needed to be good.
“Oh look, cheeses!” Flurry cried and she began to shove Sumac in the direction that she wanted to go. “My dad once told me a super grody story about how they get bubbles in cheese.”
“Eh?” Distracted, Sumac shoved his negative thoughts aside.
Flurry’s voice dropped into a low, somewhat hissy whisper as she made her response, “Daddy said that ponies with big bubbly bwooshy bottoms sit down in the vats of runny cheese and blow butt bubbles as it starts to harden.”
Once more, Sumac almost dropped everything he was holding.
“Mom heard him and she called him a big gross super-mega-dork. She also said that his raisin-sized brain had been rotted by comic books.” Flurry giggled—a sweet sound to Sumac’s ears—and she continued to rub up against his side, rumpling their clothes together. “One time, my father convinced me that I was going to have watermelons grow out of me because I had swallowed some watermelon seeds. I freaked out and got real scared and I cried and Sleet scolded him and threatened to slap that silly smile right off of his face. Mom chased him around the room and threw watermelon chunks at him.”
One of the custard cups almost became a casualty to Sumac’s tested concentration.
“Sumac, I love my family and I don’t want to leave them behind,” Flurry said, her mood shifting with the same suddenness of a winter storm. “I want to stay, but if I do I feel like I’m going to suffocate! I can’t even have a later bedtime than my sister and everything really sucks right now and I can’t spend another day living in this crystal prison!”
“Flurry… remain calm.” Sumac used the power of his voice, throwing willpower and intent behind it. “Now is not the time to panic. We must remain calm.” He felt woozy as his own magical suggestion fell upon his own ears and went to work. This happened sometimes, but not other times, and it always left him feeling a little off when he was the recipient of his own magical whammy-jammy. Regardless of the ill-effects, he kept going: “We’ll deal with this and sort this out. After tonight, one way or another, things will change. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worse. But we have to get through tonight together, okay?”
“Okay, Sumac.” Flurry’s meek response worried him and he wondered if he had pushed too hard.
“I’m going to get us a good sampling of cheese and then we’ll go and sit down, okay, Flurry?”
“That sounds nice, Sumac… get the cheese with the bubbles in it…”
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Wel if you are going to have an insurrection, do take the free food first, am i right?
What's a vizard?
Ohhh, damn it Kudz you always make me feel so much when reading your stories. The shit, metaforicaly and literally, that these kids go threw... the adult decisions they have to make balanced agsinst responsibilities and privilege they endure.
You have one heck of a magical world here but damn if you don't have to work at it for happiness.
Not only does Chryssi make the Swiss cheese, she grates it for you too...
orig14.deviantart.net/47a1/f/2016/047/c/1/chrys_gif_02_by_venates-d9s2es2.gif
8409756
Wizard with a German accent.
8409756 http://wikidiff.com/vizard/wizard
Sorta suits him, remember, author can use words to have his own meanings too.
You can do it Flurry!
8409756
A vizard is a terrifying variant of the wizard: this nightmarish subclass is known to throw spells around like confetti, leaving behind a wake of devastation and destruction everywhere they go. A specialist in evocation magics, the vizard throws off a seemingly endless and unfair supply of fireballs, lightning bolts, and destructive spells, with no regard to the rules.
8409772
i.imgur.com/edBQBeJ.gif
This line seems a bit off. They kiss each other on the same side cheek then reverse. From one's perspective it may be the other side, but from each personal perspective it's the same side.
8409822
Hmm.
They switched sides though, so it was reversed.
8409756
Like a wizard, but with considerably more glorious and often gory explosions.
At this point in the story how old are sumac and flurry? I know they're fairly close to one another in age but just different enough... isn't it something like 15 and 11, or is that too much of a difference?
8409861
Sumac, as mentioned elsewhere a fair number of times, is 11. Flurry is...
I just realized. They live in a fronking castle. there should be plenty of rooms that one can be converted into a new bedroom.
8409878
This was already addressed. Did you miss it?
8409888
Maybe. I've been missing a lot lately.
8409891
I believe it was for security reasons.
8409778
Vizard is as vizard does. :) Wizards speak with authority and can cast mighty spells. Vizards let the spells do the talking.
8409827
Switched side how? if they are one in front of the other Sumac right cheek is on the left side of Flurry. So if they kiss cheek more or less normally they get to "present" the same side to each other... I mean...
8410222
Moving from right to left is switching sides.
First, you kiss the right side, and then you kiss the left side.
Why is this so complicated?
It is amazing how much Sumac can influence others. If he goes through with the part of the plan where he says hateful things to Pebble and Silver I hope he has enough control of his power that it doesn't take a mental toll on them. Even knowing that it is part of the plan and not real his magic tongue could still hurt them immensely.
8410242
Pebble is actually smarter than Sumac.
8410227
Ok... Sumac and Flurry are in front of each other.
So the right cheek of Flurry is on the LEFT side of Sumac.
He approaches Flurry right cheek, so he MOVES toward HIS left presenting his RIGHT side to Flurry. For Flurry to kiss his LEFT cheek she has to go around his head onto the other side.
8410258
Gloriously simple.
8409827
Ok, have an illustration. (Using Heir of Rick's sketchy ponies from La Da Dee, because it's the first top-down view of ponies I could find.)
puu.sh/xsIWe.png
It's left to left and right to right, not left to right.
This makes me so stiff, how do you keep the tension on them two?
How is it T?
This is SO TENSE
I love stories with this much tension, they're the kind of stories that stick in my mind for the rest of the day, and make me refresh the page every hour to see if a new chapter is out.
8410254
I didn't think intelligent or not intelligent had much to do with it. Thought it a magical compulsion on emotion. His gift doesn't directly go after its target's logic it goes after their emotional state and emotions typically can overrule logical reasoning in terms of dictating action once strong enough even in the most logical person. How you feel about something will more often overrule what you can logically think about something or simply make you disregard logic altogether. Get the emotion strong enough then logic and intelligence might as well not exist on the subject.
8410658
No, Pebble is smarter than Sumac and has already anticipated this.
Keep it simple, yes?
8411255
given that shiny groped his wife I say they wont be there for long
8409756
Mid-High Optimized Sage Sorceror Blaster-build.
This is why Int and Wis are two different stats.