A Dazzling Flower Under the Moonlight

by Sandbar0227

A bittersweet ride

Moonflower stood up awkwardly, smoothing her dress slowly with her hooves. - "how I'm sorry your majesty" - she murmured, her voice trembling, ducking her head towards Prince Aster - "it's just that... I'm not used to someone helping me, I'm very sorry for the commotion I might have caused".

Prince Aster looked at her in a compressive way and slowly approached her figure- "don't worry lady Moonflower" - he turned to the other ponies who were still looking at them because of the spectacle of a few moments ago - "I usually cause that effect on the most beautiful mares" - and as if he was a successful lecturer exposing in a big theater, the ponies around him smiled complicitly at his comment, provoking friendly murmurs among the spectators.

A mental grimace remained on Dash's face at Prince Aster's smug remark, the comment did not accomplish its purpose with her, however, it did for Moonflower.

- "then, if you will allow me to enjoy a pleasant stroll through the royal gardens with your lovely company Lady Moonflower?" - declared Aster giving a complicit wink to the light blue mare.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes to herself at such cloying verbiage. But Moonflower, completely overpowered by the spell, reacted as expected.

- "It will be a real pleasure to walk beside you, your highness" - Moonflower replied in a honeyed tone, then bowed slightly and took the helmet Aster offered her gallantly smiling.

As they walked into the gardens, leaving behind the other guests who kept throwing them certain glances over their shoulders, the change in the atmosphere was palpable. The nighttime scents of flowers in full bloom mingled with the freshness of freshly cut grass, creating a scene that, despite Dash's initial reluctance, had its own charm and it didn't hurt to admit it in his thoughts.

The royal sisters hurried to follow them discreetly, they couldn't risk losing their concentration again, they couldn't generate another scandal in public, much less let their brother find out what they have done, but wait....

What really happened, how does the spell work, is it just one, what specifically does it control, does it have any weaknesses?

Don't worry, I know you have questions, I'll explain my dear reader.

In essence, the spell creates a sort of magical "second skin" that covers the real Dash under the mantle and control of Moonflower (gesture, word and movement that the real sisters exert), so despite the temporary loss of concentration of the sisters, Dash was still wearing the dress and with the subtlety of the spell that does not allow the ponies to recognize her as Dash but they see her as a stranger despite looking like Dash. What amounts to her unmistakable rainbow mane, vivid magenta eyes and other characteristic features go unnoticed.

That yes, Dash retains the ability to feel emotions, hold feelings and regret in a genuine way, the spell does not control her in that aspect, although it is true, that the actions that the sisters exert on her can alter, amplify or minimize these feelings/thoughts in the long run, thus distorting her reality through Moonflower's fictional reality.

This leads us to believe that there is indeed not only one spell in Dash, but two, but relax don't get upset, just read carefully.

We have spell #1 which is the "Body Control" spell, every gesture, movement and words coming out of "Dash's" mouth, is the expression of control by means of the real sisters spell, therefore, each of those 3 elements for the others and how it is going to be narrated is with the name "Moonflower".

We continue with spell #2 "unrecognition", this second spell, besides altering Dash's physical appearance, also projects a kind of "mental magic camouflage" on those who see her, so that not only her appearance changes, but the perception that others have about her is also being manipulated.

Under this logic, when a pony or living being sees "Moonflower" they are actually being affected by a branch of the spell that clouds their mind and prevents them from recognizing her as Rainbow Dash, trapping them in the aforementioned spell.

It's as if the spell is hiding her in plain sight, because yes, others see her, but their subconscious minds fill in the details by recognizing her as a different mare than the Element of Loyalty bearer they know, because while her physique doesn't objectively change, the way her brain is interpreted by observers does, this means that while someone may notice unique Dash characteristics in Moonflower, the second spell will play with his mind, inclining him to ignore these signs or attribute them to similarity to someone else. This component ensures that even those who know Dash well may not immediately recognize her.

After all, who would suspect that this "mysterious and elegant maiden" is actually the fearless and daring pegasus Rainbow Dash.

Although, as we noted, the spell is not perfect, much less unbreakable, it requires concentration and good magical agility on the part of the unicorn sisters, skills that, yes, they proved to possess and manage quickly.

They also demonstrated that any lapse of concentration, however brief, can create cracks in the magical barrier that allows the real Dash to seep through; these "breaks" or distractions in the spell are fleeting, lasting only a few minutes before the sorceresses can recompose the spell barrier. But in that short period, Dash partially regains her free will and her authentic personality.

As you can imagine, the sisters have side effects while casting this spell, how do you think this spell is distributed, try to find out....

Inside her mind, Rainbow writhed in frustration, trying uselessly to regain control over her body somehow, while she thought deeply about the reason why she was able to recover it before, although she didn't know if she had recovered it by herself or if it was the fault of the two unicorns, one thing was certain for her, the spell has flaws, flaws that she could take advantage of to escape from it and make fun of the sisters in the same way she felt they made fun of her. But how could she know that? She remembered that, in her school period when she was more foxy, she received classes in theory and history of magic, she always complained and asked the purpose of these classes if she is a Pegasus, now she understood that she should have paid more attention.

- "Aren't the royal gardens a real spectacle for the senses?" - Prince Aster asked with mock modesty. He stopped in front of a huge fountain where two daring sculptures of alicorn ponies were spouting powerful jets of water into the marble pool.

- "Oh, they certainly are, your highness!" - Moonflower replied, smiling sweetly at the prince for his comment, Dash even constrained, rolled her eyes irritably to herself - "The meadows and gardens of Canterlot are of unparalleled beauty."

- "Though I must admit, lady Moonflower, that tonight I found in these gardens a flower that dulls the beauty of all the others..."- Aster watched her briefly but not long enough for her to notice the compliment, compliments that Dash within himself was beginning to get used to, attributing it to her innate way of treating others, especially mares like her, or like what he believed her to be.

The princesses quickly orchestrated Moonflower's reactions, communicating to Prince Aster with her body language, that she had been pleased by his rhetorical comment, making her blush goofily and bat her eyelashes at him. A goofy giggle escaped her lips.

Rainbow Dash wanted to smack herself against the wall at such cheesiness. She watched as Prince Aster gracefully and elegantly picked a rose from the nearby rose bush, manipulating it with his magic to carefully remove the thorns. His concentration did not go unnoticed.

All pony breeds have magic in them, however, it is the unicorns who can manifest it in the most tangible and direct way possible, by means of their horn. This, in turn, leads them to develop good mental and magical agility over time, the more they study and practice magic, the more dominant they become with it, requiring less concentration to perform complex spells over time.

The unicorn princesses, Shining Marigold and Blooming Rose, are experts in the use of magic. They had devoted years to their study and practice, which had allowed them to develop exceptional control over their abilities, however, the spells they had used on Dash are particularly complex and demanding, so, although one can carry them without problems, it will require a lot of concentration and mental wear during the time of execution of the spell, which is why they do it between them, to avoid more often these temporary effects.

They split the spell in such a way that the wear and tear is not so close to occurring on them, but the effects take their time, while one focused on managing their speech patterns and verbal responses, the other shaped their expressions and body movements, and between them they hold the spell of unrecognition, which, yes, is the most complex, but also the most durable (or slowly unraveling) if they lose focus for a few minutes, which is why, when Dash briefly regained agency, the ponies around her still perceived her as Moonflower, the sisters were quick on that score.

But, despite their vast experience with magic, the princesses could feel the tremendous toll this spell was taking on them. Maintaining absolute control over another being for prolonged periods of time was frankly exhausting, even for two unicorns as powerful as them, which explains the event of a few minutes ago, where their conversation distracted them and they managed to lose concentration for a few minutes, slowly detaching the body control spell from its target. It was in those moments when glimpses of Rainbow Dash's true will and rebelliousness managed to sneak in fleetingly before being suffocated again.

The prince smirked at Moonflower's shy and flattered reaction, and with a studied movement of his horn, he caused the petals of the rose to open before gallantly offering it to her - "a rose for you my lady, which, beautiful as it is, is not worthy to adorn your radiant presence" - he declared with pretentious eloquence. Smiling and pleased, Moonflower received it, Dash would have too..., What?, she had to admit that Aster had a good persuasive language, very extensive and elegant for her taste normally, even more extensive than that of Princess Celestia herself she would dare to say.

- "Oh your highness, you are very kind" - Moonflower replied in a honeyed voice, bringing the rose with her hoof close to her face to inhale its scent, "I'm afraid your flattery is too generous for this simple mare." - 'simple mare'?", Rainbow laughed wryly to herself.

Moonflower was the antonym of simple, the antonym of Rainbow Dash, who was indeed the synonym for simplicity. She didn't know why she was surprised at the lack of knowledge or even consideration Marigold and Shinning had for her true self.

Now that she thought about it more carefully, she could affirm that they definitely didn't even care about using her in this game, they didn't even think about it, let alone consider her real life before subduing her. Okay, she gave them consent in their ridiculous idea of disguising her to go unnoticed through the castle until they reached the exit, very bad and impractical, but just that. She didn't give them consent to even exercise the control they were currently exercising, much less to put her up as a pretty girl in front of her brother. This was definitely illegal.

Her brief reflection troubled her, made her think, how far are they capable of going? What is their purpose and how the fuck did Dash end up being a part of this now?

Aster gloated at the apparent effect of her gallantry. He stepped even closer, blatantly invading her personal space, until their noses almost brushed.

- "No, no, my lady. You are the very definition of perfection" - he purred and looked at her, of course Moonflower reciprocated the look, a look that Dash longed to avert, she couldn't deny that Aster is an attractive pony, but his impulsive behavior and confidence made her uncomfortable and annoyed.

Her hooves moved gracefully in feigned signs of shyness and submission, his mouth opened and closed, spouting honeyed nonsense that he would never have said of his own free will, and his eyes, those eyes that so often reflected his characteristic determination and excitement in adventure, now blinked coquettishly under someone else's orders, as if they had been replaced with new ones.

But something is missing, don't you think, tell me reader, what keeps the essence of a pony?

---

The train's powerful engines roared loudly, cutting through the air at high speed along the rails. The elite formation waited anxiously in the exclusively assigned carriage in the direction of Canterlot for their long awaited aerial display, they were aware that the gala had probably already begun, but there was no rush, their performance would follow the protocol of the royal ball, also taking into account that they were not invited for the gala directly but only for the show, it gave them less expectation and importance to the event for them, their mood before the disinterested gesture on the part of the royal family and their team, who are the ones who hired them for the show, limited them to go to what they were invited and that's it.

The carriage was relatively silent, Spitfire, the team leader was going through the checklist for the twelfth time, it was her way of keeping herself entertained and reassured that everything was in order: costumes, flight goggles, sound equipment, lights, fireworks, water, choreography, logistics, among others that she made up along the way. His teammates Fleetfoot, Soarin, Rapid Fire and Thunderlane were chatting animatedly, while the rest of the team remained absorbed in their thoughts, staring out the window or resting with their eyes closed due to the accumulated fatigue of the week.

It has been a complicated season for the Wonderbolts. They needed more visibility and relevance from the ponies, to find a way to stand out for more than just their exploits in the sky, no, they needed more dynamism, boldness and fairness, to be remembered and want to continue participating in their events, to create loyalty and surprise the ponies is not easy when they always ask for the same thing. They had to find a way to stay relevant and important, otherwise, the team would get bored of the job and, in the long run, they would end up leaving if better opportunities for growth presented themselves. It was those opportunities that "The Wonderbolts" were to provide them with, opportunities that they quietly sought for themselves and for the strengthening of the team.

Spitfire, for a moment looked up from his board, fixed on the horizon, pondering the situation. She knew that the team needed a change, but she was not sure what was the best way to achieve it, she knew the positive attitude of the team and the willingness they always showed, but these were complicated times, as more than one member had already mentioned, so she felt responsible for the permanence and demands of her teammates and did not want to make hasty decisions that could jeopardize the future of the team, because it could not be an abrupt change that would destabilize the team or take them away from the essence of what the Wonderbolts were. It had to be something that would revitalize them, give them a new purpose and, at the same time, maintain the tradition, reputation and respect they had earned over the years.

- "I can't help but feel we've been relegated to the background"-and everyone thought so, only Fleetfoot (who else? (sarcasm)) should say so-"We're not just a circus act; we're the Wonderbolts for Celestia!"

- "No, nor Celestia, she does consider us more than just entertainment" - promoted Thunderlane listlessly leaning back in his seat, looking for a way to lighten his muscles for the show.

They looked at each other sharing agreement and reluctance, but it was their job and they were on their way. The conversation was interrupted by Rapid Fire - "No matter how they see us now, tonight, we will fly so high and stand out so much with the show that they won't be able to ignore us"- He stood up, spreading his wings with determination.

- "Plus let's not forget that we will have a colorful support this time, so it won't be hard to catch the ponies' attention" - High Winds mentioned with positivism, unfortunately the comment didn't get the expected reception.

The comment fell on the wagon filled with tension, the eyes of the Wonderbolts met, sharing an unspoken concern. Dash's absence was more than noticeable, she was not only one of their best recruits at the academy, but also a source of energy and motivation, not having heard from her so far was beginning to weigh on the team.

- "What if she forgot?" - Surprise awkwardly proposed to break the silence.

Soarin frowned and shook his head vehemently. Her emerald eyes reflected steely determination as she opposed that idea - "impossible no, she's not like that, it doesn't make sense that she would have forgotten about a great opportunity to fulfill her dream, being so close I don't think she would have wanted to go far away voluntarily and, if for some reason she had decided to quit, she would have told us."

Fleetfoot nodded, backing his partner - "i'm with Soarin, I don't think she'd be so brazen as to leave without warning, knowing we'd be waiting for her. She's loyalty made pony."

Misty Fly, however, watched them skeptically, shrugging. -" well, she can be proclaimed whatever, but she's still an ordinary pony, we can't trust her 100% based on that fact only."

-" Oh no! What if she's being controlled and magically induced and can't escape this magical limbo to call for help or get away?" - exclaimed Surprise in a squeaky voice as she began to fidget back and forth exaggeratedly, shaking her hooves in comical but pure alarm.

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, rolling their eyes at her unconscionably ridiculous conclusion.

Spitfire finally interjected with a firm tone - "stop it, that's not even a real option Surprise" - he addressed the whole team - "listen Bolts, just like you I don't know what's going on, the only thing I know right now and what we should focus on is that we are The Wonderbolts, with or without Dash, and we will have the show tonight, whether she shows up or not" - as he spoke he was walking back and forth in front of his teammates - "if she doesn't show up, we will have to make do without her, but I will not allow anyone to doubt her commitment to the Wonderbolts until we hear from her, is that clear? ".

- "Yes ma'am!"-they were quick to respond in unison with renewed verve.

It was at that moment that the first lights of the brightly illuminated city began to come into view in the near distance, they looked at each other with consoling smiles.

The train stopped with a soft screech at the Canterlot station, they have arrived. They received orders from the train administration, telling them to wait for the other ponies to get off the train so they could clear the area and they could get out and head towards Celestia's castle.

The Wonderbolts descended from the carriage, greeted by a crowd of excited ponies all around, there was a group of royal guards dressed in golden armor and with spears in their hooves around the crowd to prevent the other ponies from passing and escort the team to the castle.

-It will always be my pleasure to welcome the honorable Wonderbolts," a grey-coated steed of distinguished bearing, old enough to be the Grandfather of one of the Bolts, greeted them with a smile.

- "Silverstone, old chap!" - Spitfire exclaimed with a wide grin, being one of the few times he abandoned his stoic expression, he reached over and shook the veteran butler's helmet with genuine affection.

Silverstone, one of the head butlers who inhabited Celestia's castle and who has handled more than one event in which the Wonderbolts have starred in the halftime show, knows the ins and outs of the castle and its staff like the back of his helmet.

- "Princess Celestia has entrusted me to escort and attend to you during your stay tonight, as always it is my greatest pleasure." - he added with a slight bow, though a kindly glow lit his gaze as he rested his ancient eyes upon the elite flyers who looked at him comfortingly and with pride that he was the one to escort them through the night.

Thunder stepped forward with a broad smile in a gesture of affectionate familiarity. - "We would expect nothing less from the legendary Silverstone and his unsurpassed treatment, my friend."

They made their way along the path already cleared by the guards for their passage through the charming village towards the castle, all around them were all manner of ponies, some looking at them with admiration and respect, the smaller ones with excitement and joy, and some others with superiority or ignorance.

- "So tell us Silver" - Fleetfoot put a wing around him in a complicit manner - "What news does this royal visit bring? For I doubt very much if it is only for our show."

- "Well, my dear Fleetfoot, as I'm sure you know, any royal visit to Celestia's castle always comes with a packed agenda of logistics and engagements. Tonight, in addition to your show, we must prepare everything for the royal dance to be held at the castle and the ceremonies handled by the royal family."

-" wait, you mean the dance hasn't even started yet?" - Fire Streak paused spectatorially looking at the older pony - "and we thought we'd be late".

Silver nods his head -" that's right, we've had problems with the coordination of the event according to the schedule" - continued Silver as they continued to move forward.

-And what is the reason for this delay in time? The organization of the royal family? Because with Princess Celestia the events have always been very punctual and according to her stipulated schedule" - said Soarin following the conversation with a bit of surprise for the oversight of the event.

- "The truth, son, is that the hosts of the gala, that is, the royal brothers, have been very scattered around the castle"- Silver answered him, with a tone of discouragement and tiredness in his voice. - "We don't know exactly where the unicorn princesses are, they are quickly getting out of sight, and the prince seems hypnotized by a mare that seemed to come out of nowhere and is not paying attention to the gala he himself convened."

That comment caused more than one Bolt to raise his eyebrows and look at each other with some disgust at the hosts' lack of order, The Wonderbolts, used to precision and organization, couldn't help but feel a mixture of confusion and nervousness at what apparently awaited them tonight.

High Winds snorted disdainfully, his navy blue, tousled mane fluttering slightly - "ugh, and here I was planning on heading home early after the show!"

-" I understand you and I must admit that this situation is rather unusual. Princess Celestia is concerned about the behavior of the royal siblings, especially on the eve of such an important event, there are already ponies in the princely hall and they haven't even announced themselves" - Her brow furrowed slightly at the thought of the impending royal reprimand awaiting them.

-"But wasn't it the purpose of the Gala for the Prince to find a bride? Looks like that's where he's got her"- Fleetfoot interjected with a hint of derision in his voice.

-" is true, but you should at least have the decency to announce it to your guests so as not to waste their time in vain. So did we" - The captain shook off her flaming mane with visible disapproval at the royal family’s apparent lack of commitment.

As they approached the majestic castle of Canterlot, the magnificence of the architecture rose before them, reminding them of the reason for their presence there. Despite the worries, duty called

-" well we can take advantage of this carelessness to highlight our abilities not?" - the cheerful voice of Surprise broke the tension of the group, who looked at her curiously at her idea - "if the Princes are not committed to their duties, we will show yes and bring excitement to those boring ponies!" - says Surprise with his characteristic joy and charisma.

That certainly encourage the group - "Sure, Surprise is right. In addition, I have heard that there will be special guests tonight, some even from outside Equestria. ¡ It could be our chance to impress some international sponsors!" - Fleetfoot shared the possibility excitedly.

- "I admit it never hurts to have sponsors backing us up, especially with the new emerging teams trying to steal the show" - Spitfire’s gaze hardened with determination as he thought of the future - "maybe that’s what we’re missing" - she thought to herself.

Just then, the imposing silhouette of the castle shrank against the starry sky, its towers seemed to touch the sky as they approached. The royal guards, erect and imposing in their armor, opened the doors with a solemn gesture, the Wonderbolts entered the vast front garden, where the light of the candelabra danced on the marble columns and the perfumed flowers indicated the way.

Just then, the imposing silhouette of the castle shrank against the starry sky, its towers seemed to touch the sky as they approached. The royal guards, erect and imposing in their armor, opened the doors with a solemn gesture, the Wonderbolts entered the vast front garden, where the light of the candelabra danced on the marble columns and the perfumed flowers indicated the way.

-"Let me notify the logistics team that you are already here" - said Silver straightening towards the door. The old pony began to make its way into the castle.

-"Silver..." - Spitfire stopped it before it moved further away. A knot formed in the captain’s throat when she spoke. - "You wouldn’t happen to see a slightly lower-than-average Pegasus with rainbow hair and a multicolored Cutie Mark here?" - the veteran stallion squinted and pondered for a moment with a thoughtful expression.- "No, my dear Spitfire. Why the question?"

- "she is part of my team for tonight’s show and I have not received news of her condition, I had hopes that she had already arrived" - Spitfire’s voice tinged with anguish as he continued - "I had hopes that she had already arrived." - she looked around with growing anxiety, unnecessarily scrutinizing every nook and cranny as she could not distinguish her companion Rainbow Dash. - "I’m distressed to know he’s not here.".

Silverstone placed a comforting hoof over Spitfire’s shoulder, giving her a paternal look. - "hey, let’s not hurry, I might be out there and I haven’t seen her in my hurry. Don’t worry, I’ll make a subtle announcement, okay?"

That seemed to cheer the tormented captain slightly, who smiled with gratitude. - "thank you very much, Silver" - she returned with his team, wishing she could repay all the favors and wise guidance that this old friend had given her over the years.

-"Every time I walk in here, I feel like I’m in a fairy tale" - Fleetfoot said in an enraptured whisper. The silver-haired mare spun slowly, admiring the sumptuous architectural details bathed in the light of the lamps.

Soarin exhaled slowly, his breath forming a slight cloud of mist in the cool night air. Her emerald eyes swept through the vast garden with a mixture of wonder and nostalgia as a path of brightly colored flowers formed a rainbow that curled gracefully into the castle. - "We hope that this time there will be a happy ending" - he muttered with barely audible hesitation.

He could see Spitfire approaching them slowly denying with his head, answering the question that hovered in the group’s mind. Where could she be? What could have happened to her not to be there at that time? , and no, he played his life to think that she had left them, it is her dream, so she has always tried, something else is preventing her, but what?. he didn’t want to think about it for long, but it was inevitable not to feel her absence, he just wanted to see her for the show, that would be a vision worthy of a fairy tale.

Comments

[Nicol_08]

-" Oh no! What if she's being controlled and magically induced and can't escape this magical limbo to call for help or get away?" - exclaimed Surprise in a squeaky voice as she began to fidget back and forth exaggeratedly, shaking her hooves in comical but pure alarm.

hahaha I liked this Pinkie Pie reference

[Sandbar0227]

11870150
Oh thanks for noticing hahaha