Long ago, in the desert land of Saddle Arabia, the sultan chooses a beautiful yellow pegasus to be his queen. However, will she be clever enough to survive the night?
Long ago, in the desert land of Saddle Arabia, the sultan chooses a beautiful yellow pegasus to be his queen. However, will she be clever enough to survive? The king has a habit of choosing a queen every day, only to kill her by the end of the night. Things are not looking good for Fluttershy.
Ancient Saddle Arabia was the kind of place you would expect nopony to be.
Almost completely desert with the exception of a few oases, this land was quite desolate. But civilization still managed to grow and even prosper here.
A perfect example of this is Neighqra, a large city in the middle of Saddle Arabia.
Of course, every large city had to have a sultan ruling over it. Neighqra’s sultan happened to be the spirit of chaos himself, Discord.
He lived in a palace on a small hill, but constantly felt alone even though he had many servants.
So Discord would every day choose a queen.
But would end up killing her by the end of the night for reasons of his own.
In a small mud-brick house in Neighqra, a yellow pegasus mare named Fluttershy was just getting up.
She slowly opened her eyes, not wanting to wake up. Just as soon as she did, though, an energetic white rabbit hopped onto her pillow and started gesturing frantically to get her attention.
“Oh Angel, just five more minutes.” Fluttershy mumbled as she turned to face the other side of the pallet she slept on.
Angel squeaked angrily and pointed at his grumbling stomach.
“Okay, I’ll feed you now, just let me get some carrots.” Fluttershy got up and walked over to the kitchen, returning with a hoof full of carrots. She placed them in a bowl and gave them to Angel, who began eating them hungrily.
“I should probably go to the market today, Angel. I’ll be needing more carrots soon if you keep eating so many.” Fluttershy smiled at the small rabbit.
As he finished eating, Angel squeaked in agreement and licked his lips.
Fluttershy giggled and grabbed a basket. “While I’m there I’ll get some seed for the birds, and some groceries for myself as well as those carrots,” Fluttershy opened the door and began to walk out.
At the last second, she came back in and quickly said “Be good while I’m gone, Angel!”
He nodded as Fluttershy closed the door.
Meanwhile in the palace dining room, Discord was having breakfast. Well, more like playing with it. Currently his eggs were flying around the room while the cutlery danced on the long table he was sitting at.
Suddenly, the eggs crashed into a light purple mare as she walked into the dining room.
“Is the food not to your liking, sir?” Annoyed, she wiped the egg off her face with her hoof.
“No, they’re fine, Starlight. I’m just so… bored!” Discord put his hand to his forehead in a mock faint as he snapped, conjuring a pillow behind his head.
Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes. “I know how you hate to be bored, but could you please restrain yourself? It’s not exactly easy to eat with dancing forks.” She gestured to the cutlery on the table.
“Oh, right, right…” Discord snapped again, and the utensils in question returned to normal.
With a satisfied nod, Starlight Glimmer continued.“Thank you. Now, today there is nothing important planned, but there are still things you need to do. Here, I’ve written a list for you so you won’t ‘forget’ again.” With that, she handed Discord a small scroll and walked out of the dining room.
As soon as she had walked out, Discord snapped his fingers and the parchment was engulfed in flames. “Psh. These aren’t really important. Now, what is, is finding a queen!” he smiled deviously, and got up to leave
”Let’s see… here are those carrots, and.. Oh! Are those daisies?” Fluttershy grabbed the carrots and put them in a basket and walked over to the owner of the market stall she was at.
“Can I help you?” The stall owner asked Fluttershy.
“Oh, um… How much are the daisies?” Fluttershy said quietly, pointing to the small stack of white flowers.
“They’re 2 bits for 5.” The store owner replied, turning to the next customer.
“I’ll get them then,” Fluttershy went over and grabbed a bunch of 5, putting them in her basket. “They are at a pretty low price.”
Fluttershy went over again to pay the 5 bits for the groceries and went to continue shopping.
“Hmm… I still need some seed…” Fluttershy walked around the market looking for the garden supplies booth where she often bought seed.
“Wait, there’s the garden supplies booth!” Seeing the small booth, Fluttershy walked towards it, deciding which type of seed she should buy this time.
“Hey, are you looking for some seed?” A gray unicorn with a blue horn tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.
Startled, she turned around. “Who’s there?”
“Relax, I was just asking if you were looking for seed.” The gray unicorn said as he gestured to a bag of seed in front of him.
“A-actually, I happen to be at the moment,” Fluttershy stuttered, nervous. “I w-was going over to the garden supplies booth over there to buy some.” Fluttershy looked behind her at the booth.
“Well, I happen to have this seed I’m not going to use, and I was wondering if you wanted it.” He pushed the seed towards Fluttershy.
“Okay, how much do you want for this sack then?” Fluttershy grabbed a couple bits from the basket she was holding.
“Oh, I don’t want any money,” The gray stallion pushed her hoof back. “I just wanted to give it to somepony who needed it.”
“Well… Thank you, but I can’t just take this. Here, I’ll give you 4 bits for it.” She placed 4 shiny bits in front of his forelegs.
“I insist. I’ve got plenty more, and 4 bits don’t matter too much to me.” He pushed the bits toward Fluttershy and began to walk away.
“Oh, you’re too kind! Thank you again!” Fluttershy quietly called as he disappeared, putting the sack of seed on her back.
“I guess I can go home then. Angel will be so happy! Usually I don’t get home until around midday!” Fluttershy smiled as she walked back to her house.
Angel woke with a start as the door opened. Squeaking threateningly, he jumped up and put his paws up as if preparing to fight.
“It’s okay Angel,” Fluttershy put down the basket of groceries she was carrying. “I just happened to get home early today”
Angel hopped into Fluttershy’s hooves, and she hugged him quickly. “I missed you too Angel, but now I have to fill the birdfeeder. The birds need to eat too, you know.” She put him down and walked back outside, the sack of seed still on her back.
While Fluttershy was gone, Angel investigated the basket of groceries. Once he found the carrots he decided to snack on one.
He was about to take a large bite when something slid under the door. Curious, he hopped over to see what it was.
It was a small piece of paper. Since he couldn’t read it, he decided to hold on to it and give it to Fluttershy later after he finished eating his carrot
A couple of minutes later, Fluttershy returned with half of the sack of seed left. .
Angel squeaked and pointed to the piece of paper in his hand as she came in, putting down the sack of seed.
“What is this, Angel?” Fluttershy looked at the piece of paper and read it.
“I would like to apologize for not even asking your name by inviting you to lunch to get to know you better. You seem like a very nice pony, and I love to make new friends! You can meet me in front of the palace at noon. -D”
“That stallion from yesterday feels bad he didn’t ask who I was! I can’t let him down, Angel!” Fluttershy looked at a sundial outside. “I’ll make you some lunch, and then get going. I’ll have to be there soon!”
Angel grumbled as she set a bowl of carrots down in front of him.
“I’m sorry Angel, but I won’t be gone long. In fact, I’ll even fluff your tail tonight as an apology.” Fluttershy petted him and he stopped sulking.
“Bye, Angel!” Fluttershy walked out the door again, and Angel sighed as he watched her leave.
“You look quite dashing, sir” Coco Pommel complimented a pony-form Discord as she walked into a small dressing room with a small box of handkerchiefs.
“Ah yes, thank you Coco” A white unicorn mare grabbed the box with her magic and began flinging handkerchiefs into a pile on the floor.
“No, that’ll clash…. No… Too bright…. This one’s ripped…. No, no, no… Wait, hold on..” The mare levitated a dark red handkerchief and put it in the pocket of the black suit Discord was wearing.
“Ooh yes! It really brings out your eyes!” The mare gushed, levitating a basket of supplies. “I guess that will be all then. Thanks again for the help Coco!”
“No problem, Rarity!” Coco Pommel held the door for Rarity and walked out behind her. Starlight Glimmer walked in after them.
Discord clapped his hooves and transformed back into his draconequus state, the suit changing with him. “It truly is uncomfortable to stay like that! How do you do it?” He stretched, and laughed.
“Not all of us are draconequuni,” Starlight Glimmer frowned. “and if I may ask, why did you want a new suit?”
“Oh, I just invited someone…” Discord rolled his wrist, thinking. ”...special over for lunch”
“I see.” Starlight Glimmer narrowed her eyes. “I’ll go and tell the cooks to make two meals. Again.” Starlight Glimmer left and Discord returned to his pony form.
“Hmm… I’m pretty sure it’s past noon by now…” Fluttershy looked behind her into the palace garden, where there was a sundial.
“Missing me?” The gray unicorn from the market walked towards her with a lopsided grin on his face.
“Oh! Hello,” Fluttershy said softly, noticing his elegant suit. “I guess I’m a bit underdressed then”
“Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you tell me your name?” He gestured to her.
“Oh, I’m… I’m… I’m Fluttershy” She replied quietly.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t quite hear that. Do you mind repeating?” He pricked his ears so he could hear it this time.
“Okay… I’m… I’m Fluttershy” She said again, a bit louder.
“Fluttershy, is it? Well,” The stallion walked over to the gates and clapped his hooves together, making them open “I’m Discord”
Fluttershy stood there with her mouth open. This mysterious stallion had been the sultan Discord? She stared, not believing it.
“Are you coming in, or are you going to stand there gawking?” Discord walked through the gates. Fluttershy shook her head and followed him in.
The path was lined with tons of exotic flowers, and Fluttershy stopped to admire every one.
Discord clapped his hooves again at the door and it swung open. Fluttershy gazed up and her pupils grew small when she realized how high the ceilings were.
“Wow, this palace is pretty amazing…” Fluttershy trailed off as she looked around.
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice. Come on, the dining room’s this way.” Discord walked down a hallway and Fluttershy blindly followed, having no idea where anything was.
“Here we are,” Discord gestured to a door and a servant opened the door for them. “After you, Fluttershy.”
“T-Thank you, Discord,” Fluttershy nervously stuttered as she walked into the lavish dining room.
“It’s my pleasure,” Discord followed behind her and sat down at the table.
Fluttershy sat down and looked at the place setting, still in a bit of shock.
One of the servants came over to her, a lavender-colored mare. “For lunch, we’re just going to have some daisy sandwiches. Discord thought that you might be more comfortable if we ate something simple”
“That sounds good, thank you.” She smiled at the mare and she walked off into what she assumed was the kitchen.
“Now Fluttershy, I have something to tell you. I’m not what I seem. But don’t be frightened. Whatever happens, remember, I won’t hurt you.”
Discord clapped his hooves together, and he grew into the foreboding form of a draconequus.
“You’re- You’re a draconequus?” Fluttershy’s pupils shrank yet again.
“Precisely!” Discord playfully put his paws in the air. “Now that you know, let’s eat, shall we?” The server ponies came out of the kitchen just then with platters of daisy sandwiches.
“This palace…. You’re…” Fluttershy babbled under her breath and suddenly collapsed onto the table.
A strange softness welcomed Fluttershy as she groggily opened her eyes. Midafternoon sun streamed through the window into a small, but beautifully decorated, bedroom.
She still could barely believe what had just happened earlier. “I think I’m fine…”
“Oh, good. Do you want anything? There’s a leftover daisy sandwich from lunch on the table there , but if you want anything else, just call for Coco Pommel.” With that, a cream-colored pony began to leave.
Fluttershy looked around. “W-Where am I?”
“Oh, that’s right, poor dear.” Coco Pommel turned around. ”You’re in one of the palace’s guest bedrooms. Discord decided you should be brought here to rest a bit. Right now he’s in the library if you want to see him.”
“Oh, um… That’s okay, thank you. I think I’ll just eat some lunch and leave.” Fluttershy grabbed a plate with a daisy sandwich on it off of the small table next to her.
“Okay then. When you’re done you can just leave the plate there.” Coco Pommel closed the door and Fluttershy could hear her hoofsteps as she walked down the hall.
Discord looked through the shelves of scrolls again. He didn’t enjoy reading a lot, but it was a way to pass the time.
“Is there anything interesting in this library, like an adventure story?” Discord shoved yet another scroll back into a shelf and slumped into a chair.
The door to the library opened and Coco Pommel appeared. “Sir, Fluttershy has woken up. She’s in the guest room right now.” With that she left, having other things to do.
“Well, I better go and talk to her then.” Discord got up and walked down the hallway to Fluttershy’s room.
“Fluttershy?” He opened the door a crack, peeking through.
Fluttershy walked to the door. “Discord? Why are you here?” Fluttershy looked at him with a surprised look on her face.
Discord walked in and sat in a small leather chair. “I just wanted to talk to you. My draconequus state is a bit… startling, but I hope you’ll still accept me”
“I’ve seen many different kinds of strange animals, but I’ll admit I’ve never met a draconequus before though.” Fluttershy gestured to him.
Discord looked at her hopefully.
“But, Discord, Why did you invite me of all mares to lunch? You could’ve asked anypony!” She asked with a curious look on her face
“The truth is that…you were the nicest pony I’ve met in a while!” Discord’s face reddened, and he looked down at the floor.
Fluttershy nervously stepped forward and put her hoof on his paw. “To tell the truth, it will take some time for me to get used to this you, but one day it may work out. Just, for now… Baby steps, okay?” She smiled at him and began to leave.
Just as the ornate wooden doors closed, Discord scowled. How could she walk out like that on him? He was the sultan!
Snapping, he conjured a black cloak and returned to his pony form. It seems he would be paying Fluttershy a visit tonight.
Fluttershy was just blowing out the last oil lamp in her house when someone knocked on the door. She turned around and walked over to the door.
“Discord!” Fluttershy’s eyes grew large as she opened the door. “W-What are you doing here this late?”
Discord, in his pony form, grinned sheepishly. “I- I.... was bored, so I was going to ask if you had any extra scrolls I could read. I’ve already read all the ones at the palace, and the market’s closed after sunset.”
‘Oh, okay…. I have a few on a little shelf here.” Fluttershy gestured for Discord to come in as she went over to a little shelf by a window.
She lighted a lamp and took a scroll out. “This one’s Daring Do and the 4 Thieves, is that okay?”
Discord smiled. “An adventure story is exactly what I’ve been wanting! This will be perfect.” Discord grabbed the scroll excitedly.
Fluttershy thought for a moment. She knew what happened to the other mares he took an interest to. Suddenly, she had an idea. “Do you want me to read it to you?” Smiling slyly, Fluttershy took the scroll back and sat down on a small wooden chair.
“I can just read it myself….” Discord trailed off. He hadn’t been read to in a long time, and it may be nice to be read to again.“....Okay then, but only for tonight.” He sat down.
Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. In a town in Ponersia, there lived a mare named Daring Do….
In a town in Ponersia, there lived a mare named Daring Do who lived with her son, Quibble. They were quite poor, so she moved clouds for a living.
One day as she was trying to move a particularly stubborn raincloud by a nearby forest, she noticed a group of four ominous-looking ponies coming towards her. Thinking they were robbers, she hid on top of the cloud as they trotted past.
They stopped by the edge of the forest where a large group of bushes were. The richest-looking pony stepped forward, and Daring Do made him to be the leader.
He loudly said, ‘Open Sesame’ and the bushes parted, revealing a small entrance to a cave. Daring Do waited on the cloud until they came out.
Before they left, the captain said ‘Close Sesame’ and the bushes shut, hiding the entrance. They then galloped off in a cloud of dust.
Daring Do was curious as to what was in the cave, so she flew down and said ‘Open Sesame’. The bushes opened and she entered the cave.
She walked down a small hallway to a room full of gold and jewels, and wasted no time in filling her saddlebags with gold. She left the cave, saying ‘Close Sesame’ before leaving.
When she got home, Quibble couldn’t believe how much gold she had. He quickly ran upstairs to get a scale to measure it with.
The next day, the 4 ponies returned and Daring Do again watched them.
“We have been discovered,” The commander said after leaving. “We must find the pony who knows our secret or we will surely be undone. One of us must go into the town disguised as a merchant and find out.” He pointed to one of the ponies. “You will go, and report back to me tomorrow.” The pony nodded, and left.
“I think that’s enough for tonight… it is getting late” Fluttershy rolled up the scroll and put it back on the shelf.
“But…. What about Daring do and her son? What will happen to them?” Discord said anxiously.
“I’ll read the rest of it to you tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you should go back to the palace.” Fluttershy gently nudged him towards the door.
“Well….” Discord thought for a moment and looked at Fluttershy, who had crossed her hooves. ”fine. But this is still a one time thing!” Discord surrendered and finally left, frowning. Now he would have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out what happens!
Discord lazily opened one eye as the morning sunlight streamed through the window. Suddenly, he remembered that Fluttershy had promised to finish the story this morning.
He jumped out of bed excitedly and ran out the bedroom door. A startled maid began to call his name, but he disregarded her and kept running down the hall.
Discord changed into his pony form and hurriedly ran through the town until he arrived at Fluttershy’s doorstep. He breathed heavily for a few moments, and quickly knocked on the door.
A couple of minutes later, a sleepy Fluttershy appeared in the doorway.
“Discord? ….Yawn…. What are you doing here ….yawn…. this early?” Fluttershy looked up at him, and mentally facehoofed. “Oh yes…. Come on in, I’ll read you the rest after I make some tea.” Fluttershy gestured for him to come in and walked into the kitchen.
Discord sat down in front of the small wooden chair and waited anxiously. Fluttershy soon came out with a steaming cup in her hoof. Grabbing a scroll from the little shelf, she sat down.
She took a sip of the tea and opened the scroll, looking more awake. “Where were we? Oh, here it is. Daring Do went to the market that day, not realizing the thieves suspected someone of taking their treasure….”
Daring Do went to the market that day, not realizing the thieves suspected someone of taking their treasure. She was careful with what she bought as to not be suspicious, but still ended up buying a couple of things she may have not been able to afford before.
The henchpony questioned the stall owners that were selling more luxurious items, asking if they had had any customers that usually didn’t buy anything expensive. One of the them said he had sold some merchandise to a pony who didn’t seem rich, and the thief asked him where her house was.
He told him the directions, and went to the house. The thief used a piece of chalk to mark the doors he wouldn’t forget the house, and reported back to his master with the information.
When Quibble saw the chalk, he suspected something bad was afoot and erased it. The next day, the thief was confused as to which house it was and spent an hour wandering the town.
The commander quickly fired him and left him on the streets, and told another henchman to find the house again tomorrow.
Not wanting to make the same mistake again, the thief memorized the look of the house so he wouldn’t forget it. He reported back to the commander and led him to the house.
The commander dressed up as an oil merchant, with a cart with 4 jars covered with cloth in it. 3 of them contained the henchponies, and the fourth had oil in it, replacing the other pony.
He knocked on the door and asked Daring Do to give him a room for a night. Not recognizing him, she let him in and showed them to the vacant room.
The commander whispered to the henchponies in the cart, “Do not leave yet, I will tell you when I am ready” ,and left to get ready for dinner..
Quibble was walking past the room where the henchponies were and heard one of them them say “Master, can we come out?”
Devising a plan, he imitated the commander’s voice and replied, “No, not just yet.”
Quibble then quickly boiled a pot of oil and brought it upstairs. He poured the boiling oil into the pots, killing the henchponies. When the commander came back he found them all dead.
The commander left, swearing revenge. The next day, he dressed as a beggar and asked Daring Do if she would let him in again, and not realizing it was the same pony, let him in.
Quibble saw the commander and recognized him, and also saw that he had a dagger underneath his vest.
Acting quickly, he dressed up as a dancer and took a knife from the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen and Daring Do let him dance for them.
Quibble danced around the table, faking jabs at the commander and Daring Do with the knife. At the last second he plunged the knife into the commander’s chest.
Daring Do gasped. “Quibble! What in Equestria….” But Quibble cut her off, taking off the commander’s disguise.
“See, this was the commander of the four thieves that you saw. He was planning on killing you with this dagger, so I was only protecting you” Quibble opened the commander’s vest, revealing the dagger.
Daring Do stamped her hoof on the table. “Why didn’t I realize it sooner? I let him into the house!” She shivered. “Thank you, Quibble.”
From that day on, the family of Daring Do never was poor again as they continued to use the bounty of the cave.
“....The end.” Fluttershy rolled up the scroll and put it back. “I’m guessing you won’t want to miss breakfast at the palace,” Fluttershy gestured to the door, “So you should probably get going.”
Discord’s eyes clouded over, and he stood up. “Thanks for reading that story to me Fluttershy,” he smiled and looked over at the shelf. “Like I said, there’s not much to read at the palace. Do you mind if I borrow a couple of these?” Discord reached for the shelf.
“Wait, Discord!” Fluttershy flew in front of him. “How about I read you a story again tonight?”
Discord put his paw to his mouth, and his brow furrowed in thought. “Hmm…. That does sound nice…. Okay, I’ll be here at 8 o’clock to get an early start.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready then.” Fluttershy smiled and opened the door for him, waving as his form slowly disappeared.
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and went back into the kitchen to make breakfast. Hopefully her plan would work, and Discord wouldn’t get any ideas.
Angel hopped across the floor, squeaking and pointing to his bowl. Fluttershy smiled and got out a bunch of carrots as Angel took them excitedly.
Fluttershy looked up at the clock- it was 8:00. Discord would be here any minute.
A couple of seconds later, she heard a loud knock and got up to open the door.
“Hello, Discord!” Fluttershy greeted him cheerfully as he walked in.
“Good evening, Fluttershy. By chance do you already have a story chosen?” Discord gestured to the small wooden shelf.
“Actually, I was going to let you choose, like last time. Take a scroll and…. Oh, is that the teakettle already?” Fluttershy rushed into the kitchen to finish making some tea she had put on earlier. A couple of seconds later the high-pitched whistle of the kettle stopped.
Discord sat down on a carpet, grabbing a scroll from the small wooden shelf. For some reason he had looked forward to this all day, getting many questions of ‘master, are you feeling alright?’ from his servants.
He supposed it was because he found everything else boring - he had no one but his servants to talk to, who were always too afraid of him to have a casual conversation. Every day, he would do the same things, with no variation. Sometimes it just got to him….
Discord was snapped out of his thoughts by Fluttershy moving a chair. He smiled and gave her the scroll as she sat down.
Fluttershy opened the scroll and began. “In a city in Saddle Arabia, there lived a poor young stallion named Shining Armor….”
In a city in Saddle Arabia, there lived a poor young stallion named Shining Armor. He usually scavenged for food, as he couldn’t afford it. However, whenever he saw someone even less fortunate than he was, he would try to help them to the best of his ability.
Often, he would dream about living in the palace that overlooked the city. He would be constantly waited on, and never have to run from the law again!
Shining Armor sighed as he looked out of the opening in his small rooftop shack. Unfortunately, he knew that the chances of that happening was incredibly low. He sighed again and settled down underneath his one blanket.
Meanwhile, in the palace, the princess Cadance had rejected yet another suitor.
A young stallion ran out the door, swearing he would never come back. From inside the house, a young mare’s voice could be heard. “But auntie, I only want to marry a guy that will appreciate me!”
An older mare answered her. “Cadance, dear, I know you want a happy marriage, but you’ve rejected so many suitors!”
The younger mare, Cadance, turned away and answered, obviously discontented. “They all treated me like some prized object, Celestia, not a pony! How can I be happy with a colt who thinks only like that?” Cadance’s tricolor mane whipped around, highlighting her point.
Celestia calmly answered. “I know, dear, but you must at least try to choose a suitor, and soon. I’m not getting any younger, you know” She laughed at her joke.
Cadance sighed deeply, and sulked off to her room. Just once, she wished that one of the dreaded suitors would have at least a bit of decency. As Cadance glanced out the window that overlooked the city, she had an idea.
The next morning was a quite pretty one in the city. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, the market was busy….
Shining Armor looked around. The vegetable seller was still suspicious of him, and the baker wasn’t busy at the moment, and so would notice him. Shining Armor looked around, and then he saw the fruit cart, with a long line and overflowing crates of fruit. He quickly ran behind the cart, and leaped on a couple of barrels to get on the roof without noticing.
Grabbing a couple apples and a bunch of cherries, Shining Armor put them in a small cloth to carry. He jumped off of the roof of the cart and began to run with the taken produce. The two produce sellers took notice and yelled, chasing after him.
Shining Armor laughed and ran even faster. A few people joined in the chase, yelling “Stop, theif!” as he navigated the slightly cramped streets. Eventually, though, all but the two sellers were left. When he turned down a winding alleyway, though, the two market sellers soon fell behind and he was left to eat his breakfast.
“Um…. hello” Shining Armor turned around, startled at the voice that had come from a hooded figure behind him.
The hooded figure took a couple of steps backwards. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Shining Armor didn’t hesitate in asking the hooded figure to join him for breakfast, holding out an apple. The hooded figure took it and sat down a short ways away. The hood was taken off and Shining Armor was surprised to see a rather young woman staring at the apple nervously.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything to them” Shining Armor said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
She looked over to him. “I…. I guess I’m just new around here. I’m not really used to doing things like this. Thank you for the food, though.” She turned away and took a bite of the apple.
Shining Armor felt bad, he didn’t like to see people having a hard time. “Hey, y’know what, how about I show you around? That way, you can at least find your way around.” he gestured to the array of squat buildings.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I would very much appreciate it.” She stood up, finished with the apple.
“Of course I wouldn’t mind! I don’t have anything better to do today anyway.” Shining Armor practically leaped up and began to show her the various shops and places around the city, with his own personal commentary of course.
For example, as he passed the bakery, he commented on how they often didn’t remember the extra loaf when making a baker’s dozen, so he could take it and they would assume they had only made a dozen without even regarding a certain empty space! They went on like this for hours, until, last but not least, they arrived at his rooftop abode.
“What is this place?” the girl asked, a little confused.
Shining Armor, feeling a bit awkward, explained. “It’s the place I live…. I brought you here in case you don’t have a room in an inn. I have a little side room over here, where I can set up a separate bed if that’s the case.” Shining Armor pulled back some old blankets, revealing a small area.
“Oh...,. Thank you…. But I do have a room.” the girl was about to leave when she noticed the window. “Wow, you have a great view of the palace from here.” she commented as she walked over.
Shining Armor followed her. “Yeah, it sometimes makes me jealous though. Every time I wake up or go to sleep, I think of what life would be like in the palace.” he sighed, leaning on the windowsill. “I’ve always lived on the streets, never knowing what will happen next. For once, I wish I could be sure that I would get another meal”
The girl strangely grew angry. “I would hate life in the palace! EVEn though it is….”, the girl coughed, “ WOULD be luxurious, it would be torture! Every day, told what to do, what to say…. You’re life planned for you in front of your very eyes!” she looked at Shining Armor, and seeing that he was confused, continued. “Though not like I would know or anything….”
Shining Armor gave her a strange look and walked away from the windowsill. “Well, you should probably get going then, since you have a room”
“Right…. I’ll be going now! Thank you for all the help.” The girl went to open the door, though instead of an empty stairway, she stared into the face of a royal guard she recognized as Bulk Biceps who was making his way up the stairs. Quickly, she stepped backwards, desperately trying to put her hood on. However, it was already too late.
“FINALLY! CELESTIA HAS BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU, PRINCESS CADANCE!” She flinched as the guard screamed into her face.
“Wait….. PRINCESS CADANCE?” Shining Armor felt a little weak. He had been harboring a princess! However, he decided that getting her to go back to the palace was the best option. “You should probably go back to the palace, where you belong.” He sighed, a little dejected. “Besides, like the guard said, Celestia is probably worried sick about you.”
Princess Cadance reluctantly went with Bulk Biceps, as she knew there was no way to get around him, the pegasus was as large as the door! He walked her out an she sadly glanced back as Shining Armor closed the door.
“What were you THINKING, running around in the streets like that, Cadance? You could’ve gotten seriously hurt!” An angry Celestia paced in Cadence's room.
Cadance, even though she loved her Aunt, all but snapped. “Celestia, I know you want the best for me, but I will only marry for love! Even the highest ranking prince won’t get my approval if I don’t love him!” Cadance flopped on her soft bed. “I wish I could make you happy, Celestia, but I just can’t give my life to someone I can’t stand!”
Celestia nodded, but was still annoyed. “Cadance, dear, I know how you feel, but you must choose at least one suitor soon! The kingdom is growing anxious, and so do I. I want to have foals in the royal nursery again, to be a grandparent to them.” Celestia kissed Cadance’s forehead. “Do you understand?”
Cadance sighed, and nodded. “Yes, auntie.”
“Good night, then, Cadance.” Celestia walked out and closed the door to her niece’s room.
The next morning was as beautiful a one as the last, and this didn’t help Shining Armor, constantly reminded of the princess. Why hadn’t he known sooner? Her hair was one of a kind, and how did he even not realize she was an ALICORN? He supposed it was the hood, though.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing the princess even though he knew he could never see her again. Every once in awhile, he would turn to make a witty comment about something, and realize she was not there. It was one of these times, as he was looking down, dejected, when he saw a small, slightly rusted oil lamp. He picked it up, hoping he could later sell it.
Later that night, Shining Armor had decided to bring it home and polish it. He grabbed a rag and some cheap oil and began to slowly rub the lamp with it. As he was doing this, a bright blue light shone from the lamp, and a loud voice proclaimed
“I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!”
Fluttershy rolled up the scroll and yawned, with a mischievous look in her eye. “That should be enough for tonight, Discord”and put the scroll back on the shelf.
“But….. But Fluttershy, we only just got to the good part! Please….”Discord protested, attempting to grab the scroll from the shelf. However, a quick Fluttershy blocked Discord’s hand from taking it. He recoiled, and gasped.
“You can come back tomorrow, and we’ll finish the story, like last time. You should really get going now, though” Fluttershy gently gestured to the door and for Discord to leave.
Defeated, Discord sighed and made an umbrella appear. “I guess I’ll be going then….” He tried to give Fluttershy a sad look, but she persisted. Finally, he gave up and ventured into the dark night, not knowing why he had let her tell him what to do.
Maybe it had something to do with the way she read the stories, or looked at him, or talked to him, or…. Discord shook his head. He was bored, that was all. It was a common thing among people who never had anything fun to do. Yes, he was just bored.
Discord woke up from his dream with a smile on his face. He had been dreaming of Shining Armor and Cadance, and what might happen in the story….
He suddenly remembered - Fluttershy was going to finish the story today! Quickly, he got up and prepared to leave.
A few moments later, he stood outside of the door to Fluttershy’s small house. Fluttershy opened the door and let Discord in.
She immediately went to the bookshelf full of scrolls, and pulled a chair over. “This story is quite long, so we should get started as soon as possible.” She took the scroll as Discord eagerly waited. She tried to hold it in, but couldn’t help but giggle at how adorable Discord was when he was excited.
Fluttershy sat down and opened the scroll, looking over it for a second. “I believe… Yes, this is where we were. As he was doing this, a bright blue light shone from the lamp, and a loud voice proclaimed….”
As he was doing this, a bright blue light shone from the lamp, and a loud voice proclaimed
“I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!”
The blue light then formed into a blue unicorn mare with a white mane and a pointed purple hat. “You have freed the great and powerful TRIXIE, and so I shall grant you 3 great and powerful wishes!”
Slightly confused, Shining Armor stuttered a bit. “A-Are you a genie?”
The apparently ‘great and powerful’ Trixie answered, looking upward. “I most certainly am! Now, what are your three wishes?”
Shining Armor was silent for a second, thinking. Then he suddenly looked doubtful, smirking.“Great and powerful? Hah! I bet you couldn’t even tell me where they took Princess Cadance!”
Trixie’s horn ignited, and a small sphere appeared between them, and it showed the princess Cadance on an elaborate bed. She was gazing out of the open window, looking somewhat depressed.
“Hah! Now you must admit that Trixie is indeed the most great and powerful! Also, you now only have two wishes left.”
Shining Armor smiled mischievously, only taking his eyes off of the sphere for a second. “Actually, I have three, because I technically didn’t wish for this one.”
Trixie opened her mouth, seeming about to refute his argument, but then suddenly realized he was right. “All right, but no more freebies!” Surprisingly, she didn’t remain mad for long.
“Okay,” Shining Armor relented and continued to watch Cadance. He sighed, continuing. “I would give anything to be with Cadance - but Celestia wants her to marry an alicorn prince.”
Trixie frowned. “I may be great and powerful, but I cannot do a small list of things. Unfortunately, this means I can’t make her fall in love with you.”
“That’s okay. I wouldn’t want it to be fake love anyway, y’know? I just wish there was a way I could be in her league.” Shining Armor walked over to the window and gazed sadly towards the palace. “It’s funny - the view of the palace always gave me hope, but now all it gives me is sadness.”
Trixie appeared behind him and had a thoughtful look on her face. “You know, I could make you an alicorn - temporarily, of course, but it would get her aunt to notice you as a suitor!”
“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” Shining Armor smiled widely, almost bursting with anticipation.
“Okay! Now, just let Trixie work her great and powerful magic!” She raised her forelegs and ignited her horn, enveloping Shining Armor in a cloud of white.
Shining Armor struggled to open his eyes. Why did he feel so heavy? If he could just sleep some more….
A voice grew louder as he swam back to consciousness. “Wake up, WAAAKE UP, KID!! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS!” Shining Armor winced at the noise. Groaning, he was barely able to say “Be quiet, please….” The voice wouldn’t stop, though.
Now fully awake, Shining Armor finally struggled to get up. He was about to go to the window to and see what time it was, but he suddenly swayed to the side and almost fell.
Trixie (he just remembered) began to laugh. “Silly… HAHAHA…. you’re an…. HAHaHHAHAhA….alicorn now!” Still in hysterics, she fell to the floor.
He rushed to the small broken mirror in the corner of the room. He did, indeed, have wings in addition to his horn. They seemed quite massive though that was a little expected. However, they kept in heat really well - a little too well, in fact. No wonder most pegasi stayed in the sky where there was more wind.
While he was admiring his new wings, Trixie had finished laughing and gotten a piece of marked rope to measure him with. “What do you think? Vest, or maybe even just a saddle? Oh, so many choices!” Trixie had materialized a small book of fashions that she was currently looking over.
“Well, what do most princes wear? I’ve only seen one prince, but that was quite a while ago” Shining Armor flipped through the pages of the booklet with his magic.
Trixie took it back and flipped to a specific page with a magnificent vest on that came with an accompanying sunhat. “This seems quite nice, though the white doesn’t suit you that well, since you are white…. What the same thing, but in red?”
“Sure, I guess I trust you,” Shining Armor hesitantly let Trixie work as she began creating bright red fabric out of thin air. “I hope I don’t regret it….”
A few minutes later, he was standing in front of a larger mirror Trixie had materialized (She had said ‘that’s hardly anything to admire the great and powerful Trixie’s work in! I must make you something better!’). The vest was quite breathtaking in red, though the sunhat looked like a cherry on his head. They decided he would go without it.
Trixie nodded admiring her work. “Now, every prince needs a grand entrance! Meet me next to the town gates in 10 minutes!” Then, without explanation, Trixie disappeared.
“Well, I guess I can practice flying….” Shining Armor walked over to the window and nervously looked at the ground below.
Fluttershy began to close the scroll soon after the sun went down. “I suggest you get going before it gets too late…. We should stop here for tonight.”
“But…. this is much earlier than we’ve stopped before! Pleeease??” Discord looked at Fluttershy begging like a puppy.
She couldn’t. It was just too cute. How could DISCORD of all ponies (draqoneqqi?) be CUTE?? T’was a mystery. “Okay, fine, but only for tonight. It’s only because this story’s so long anyway.” Fluttershy huffed and sat down, secretly smiling behind the scroll.
Discord excitedly sat down, and snapped, putting Fluttershy in the chair and with the scroll open.
“Okay, you eager beaver, “ Fluttershy cringed at her own terrible pun, but continued anyway. She coughed and began. “ “Well, I guess I can practice flying….” Shining Armor walked over to the window and nervously looked at the ground below…”
“Well, I guess I can practice flying….” Shining Armor walked over to the window and nervously looked at the ground below.
Five minutes later, he was shakily flying…..
About two feet off of the ground.
There were many ponies who laughed at him for not being able to fly well.
“Hey Mr. royal! Too busy to take flying lessons? HahaHAHAHAh!”
Shining Armor cringed, but kept his chin up until he saw Trixie not far from the town square. “Psst! Over here! Get up on this quick! We don’t have too much time!” Trixie was pacing and suddenly teleported him to a small chair that seemed quite…. high up.
“Hey! Trixie… Are you sure about thiiiiis??” All of a sudden, there was a blare of trumpets and an entire PARADE began to go through the town. As startled as he was, he tried to keep up.
They reached the palace and Celestia greeted them at the door, inviting them to tea. Of course he gratefully accepted, and walked in confidently for once.
As he talked with Celestia (who knew her secret passion was baking?), Cadance walked in. She seemed wary of him, and he realized she didn’t recognize him. Slightly saddened, yet still determined, he greeted her. “Hello, you must be Cadance!”
Trying to come up with a compliment, Shining Armor went on. “You’re much more beautiful in person than the people from where I’m from give you credit for.” He smiled, hoping she appreciated the compliment.
Cadance frowned, and faced Celestia. “Tell this dolt that I am not a prize to be won. I’m leaving now. “ She turned around and went back into the hallway. “Wait!-” Shining Armor fruitlessly called her. Celestia sighed.
“You must excuse my daughter. She is so… stubborn at times. I will try to talk to her.”
Shining Armor stopped her before she could get up. “No, itś okay. Let me talk to her…. Maybe I can convince her I’m not so bad.” He got up and walked out to the gardens where her window was.
Shining Armor gathered his courage and slowly left the ground. As he rose, he thought of what he was going to say. Compliments were obviously too strong. Maybe he could offer to just talk for a bit?
Cadance was looking over the city and missing Shining Armor. He was so genuine, and didn’t like her just for her looks or title. She sighed. Unfortunately, she would probably never see him again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by flapping wings. She rolled her eyes - it was probably that idiot prince coming to cheesily serenade her. She walked out to the balcony and saw him almost at the edge of the balcony.
“I thought I told you to go away.” Cadance jeered at him.
He looked sheepish, and spoke. “You’re right. I was only coming to ask if you wanted to talk a bit. Maybe in the garden?”
Cadance considered his offer for a second. He seemed genuine enough, and talking couldn’t hurt. “Okay, but why don’t we go flying? I’ve always loved flying at sunset.”
A little surprised, he stuttered a bit. “O-Okay, that sounds great!” He smiled and slowly flew off as Cadance followed him.
After a bit she decided to make the first move. This guy was practically shaking in midair. “Why do you fly so slowly? Have you been too busy to take proper flying lessons?”
“Oh, uh…. Something like that. I guess you could say I’m pretty new to all this.” He looked over at her. “But what about you? Why do you enjoy flying at sunset?”
She thought for a second. “I guess I love seeing the colors of the sun on the clouds. It gives me hope that my mother can change, like the sun can at sunset.” She sighed. “I’m always held up to so many expectations, and sometimes I don’t want to have to do some of the things she wants me to, like marry for position.”
He paused for a second and responded. “I guess I could understand that. Marrying someone who you don’t love seems somewhat encaging.”
Cadance smiled. Maybe this guy wasn’t that bad after all. “Wow. The city is so beautiful from up here. Normally I only fly over the country, which is quite barren as you can imagine.” The sun was just setting, and the effect it had on the city was amazing. It was like her aunt was gently lulling the people to sleep. It was strangely… comforting.
“I normally don’t fly much at all, so…. Yeah, it’s a sight.” They flew a little longer, and as the sun was almost gone he seemed nervous. “We should really be going back…. I don’t want to get lost in the dark.”
She supposed he was right. “You’re probably right. Let’s go.” They turned around and began to head back, following the grand lights of the palace.
Meanwhile in the palace, Princess Luna (or nightmare moon, as she called herself) had been plotting for a long time. She wanted the crown so desperately - but she was in the way. Cadance was in the way of the heirdom, and that was unacceptable. Getting rid of her was essential.
“Yes Tantabus, we must do it tonight. I saw them go off together. If they marry, all hope is lost for us.” She stood over a small pot with her horn ignited, putting ingredients into it. “Of course I’ll tell you, you don’t have to keep yammering on like a fool! It is a poison, of course. Once I slip it into her food, she won’t be a problem anymore. What? Of course I’ll frame a guard! I’m not an imbecile!” The brew began to bubble, and she smiled menacingly.
As they landed in the gardens, Cadance continued to talk with the young prince. He seemed relatively decent, though they would need to spend some more time together if she was going to marry him.
Time passed, and he had to leave. “I never got your name… What is it? “
“Oh, it’s…. Um…. Prince Blueblood! Goodnight, Cadance! Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Blueblood. And perhaps.” She smiled, actually looking forward to seeing a prince again for once. Her aunt would be happy. She opened the door to go get a small snack from the kitchen - flying always made her hungry - and was surprised to see her other aunt, Princess Luna. “Oh! Luna, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, sorry Cadance, but I just thought you might like a snack. I know you raid the kitchen every night after going flying.” Luna winked and smiled, and handed Cadance an apple.
“Oh, well thank you, Luna!” She smiled and took the apple with her magic. Not wanting to eat it just yet, she set it on the table next to her bed.
Shining Armor sighed as he laid back on his little bed. “Tonight was wonderful. Thank you, Trixie.”
Trixie stood off to the side, next to her lamp. “Your request is my command. It was no problem, really. Hey, do you want to know what Cadance is doing right now?”
“That sounds great. I wonder If she’s thinking about me at all.” He smiled, thinking of being with Cadance again tomorrow.
The sphere appeared again. “Okay, I said no freebies, but I offered this one to you.” Trixie gazed at it intently, and Shining Armor walked over. Cadance was on her elaborate bed, looking out the window with a smile on her face. An apple was on the table next to the bed. Trixie continued to stare, and the bubble suddenly zoomed in on the apple.
“Hey!” Shining Armor looked at Trixie, who was still inspecting the sphere. She gasped suddenly. Worriedly, he asked “What’s wrong?”.
“That apple - it’s poisoned!” Trixie backed away, horrified.
Shining Armor immediately teleported back to the gardens to try and stop her from eating the apple. There must be some way to convince her to not eat it… he would have to.
Trixie followed him and hid in a dark bush while Shining Armor flew up to Cadance’s balcony. “Cadance! I need to talk to you!” Shining Armor called to her, hoping she would come out.
Cadance heard Blueblood at her balcony (again), and went to see what it was. “Why are you here?” Cadance suspiciously looked at him. He looked…. Worried?
“Uh…. hi, Cadance…. Hey, by any chance do you have an apple?” He awkwardly waited for an answer.
“Um…. I actually do…. Hey, let’s split it! That way we can both have a snack.” She laughed a little, and went back into her room. She grabbed the apple Luna had given her with her magic and walked back to the balcony, which Blueblood was now standing on. She noticed that he seemed worried yet again. “You seem worried…. Why?”
He nervously replied. “Uh…. no reason…. Maybe I’m just hungry? I don’t know. Hey, can I see that apple?” He tried to take the apple from her, but she took it back.
“Hold on, let me break it in half first.” She used her magic to cut it in half, and he took one of them. He seemed about to say something as she took a bite, but then stopped. She wondered why, but then became more worried as she became really dizzy…. And she felt herself falling.
“NOOOOOOOOO!” Shining Armor held the unconscious Cadance in his hooves. “Trixie! Can you help?”
Trixie appeared next to them, and looked Cadance over. “She’s not dead yet, so quickly, wish she never ate that apple!”
“I wish she had never eaten that apple!” Shining Armor said through tears of both sorrow and joy.
Cadance opened her eyes. What had happened? She didn’t remember much, but…. Blueblood! She could ask him.
“What….happened?” She asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh…. uh, you ate a poisoned apple. But you’re fine now, Don’t worry.” He smiled and set her down so she could get up.
“But how?” She stared at him, until she noticed a small blue mare behind him. ¨ Aaah! Who are you?”
He gestured to her. “This is Trixie. She’s might be a genie.” He blushed and took his vest off. “She’s also why you didn’t recognize me.”
Cadance’s jaw dropped. “SHINING ARMOR????”
“I probably should have told you sooner, but I wanted to make sure Celestia approved of me.” Shining Armor nodded at Trixie, and she nodded back.
In the middle of all this, Cadance’s room door burst open. Princess Luna stood there with a crazed smile on her face. “Oh don’t worry. I heard everything.”
A few hours later, Cadance and Shining Armor were in adjacent cells in the dungeon of the palace.
Luna paced in front of them and stopped in front of shining Armor. The lamp was in her magic, and she was dangling it in front of him. “Worried about this? Don’t, I already have it!” She laughed maniacally.
Trixie looked over sadly. “Sorry, Shining Armor. She’s my master now.” She followed Luna as she paced.
“I want to be powerful. Genie, Make me Queen!” Luna glared at Trixie.
“It is done” She said. Magnificent robes flew on to her, and given a crown.
Luna cackled. Cadance looked horrified, and angrily yelled. “You’ll never get away with this! The people will overthrow you!”
“Oh really? Genie, I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer there ever was!”
“It is done.” Trixie said, and different robes were placed on Luna. She tested out her new powers, and turned herself into a dragon.
“Hah! Now no one can stop me! I AM INVINCIBLE!” Luna laughed maniacally and breathed fire in her dragon form.
Shining Armor felt helpless. There was no way she could be stopped. There was no way her power could be contained…. contained.... Yes…
Suddenly, he had an idea. “Oh yeah? What about Trixie? Surely she is more powerful than you!”
Luna pondered this for a moment, and Trixie looked terrified “Perhaps you are right…. Then genie, I wish to be an all-powerful genie as well!”
Trixie sighed deeply. “It is done.” Luna was stripped of most her robes, and unbeknownst to her, a small blue lamp was formed next to her.
Luna reveled in her power, until the lamp drew her(and the Tantabus) in as Shining Armor stood smirking.
Trixie quickly found the keys and released Cadance and Shining Armor. “Where do you think we should put them?” She looked at the lamp she picked up with her magic, muffled yelling coming from inside.
Cadance spoke first. “The moon would be quite befitting, don’t you think?”
Trixie laughed and the lamp vanished. “I suppose you’ll want to be a prince again.”She looked at Shining Armor sadly.
Shining Armor pondered Trixie for a moment. “Is something wrong?”
She looked at him sincerely and said “A master can wish for a genie to be free, if they want to. But, I feel that that’s too much to ask of you.”
Shining Armor persisted. “No! You should be free. I can do fine without being a prince - I’m sure we can convince Celestia to change her mind.”
Trixie excitedly cast the spell. The lamp disintegrated, and she was levitated for a brief moment. Of course she ran off, excited to go be a part of everyday life.
Celestia quickly realized that there was really no point in marrying for status anyway. She then let Cadance marry Shining Armor roughly a year later (and they lived happily ever after).
“... The end.” Fluttershy yawned and put the book back on the shelf.
Discord could barely keep his eyes open, it was so late. He just had to know what happened to Cadance and Shining Armor, though! Satisfied, he said goodnight to Fluttershy. Perhaps he would dream of Cadance and Shining Armor again, like he did last night.
As Fluttershy sleepily walked up the stairs to bed, she couldn’t get Discord out of her mind. She still couldn’t believe she let him talk her into finishing that whole story….
The strange thing was that even though she should be should be extremely tired, Fluttershy wasn’t. This perplexed her on many levels until she realized that she still didn’t know what time it was. Hoping that what she now suspected had happened, hadn’t, she gazed out the window nervously.
The sun shone across the dusty brown of the desert surrounding the small oasis town - some ponies were already coming back with pails of water from the nearby well. She could already feel the heat of the day coming on through the window, and angrily strode to the kitchen.
She had slept late.
The day had begun without her and now she was late for breakfast and the many chores she had to do before she tended her small garden. And that was before she even started making small homeopathic remedies to sell at the market. Having no time to waste, she quickly made some breakfast for herself and Angel and got to work.
Discord twirled the cup his tea had been in around its base. Nothing had happened at all today, and he was incredibly bored. All he could think about was how fun it was to be read an interesting story for once. If only -
No, he shouldn’t try to find Fluttershy again. Perhaps he would go to a bookseller at the market to find some interesting stories. That would be a great way to find some interesting books. He would go there as soon as the markets opened in a few hours.
One of his servants appeared in the doorway and slowly approached him. “Sir, there is a lot of work that must be done today. Various minor disputes and a few official matters need to be attended to.”
Discord sighed, and followed. Apparently he would get to the markets later than their opening.
The last weed was a small, annoying little plant that Fluttershy finally pulled and threw into the compost pile after much struggling. Even though her garden was indeed small, somehow it attracted an abundance of weeds. Every day it seemed like more would suddenly spring up out of nowhere. The harvest she received was definitely worth all of the work she put in, though. The fresh vegetables were much more rewarding when she knew she had grown them herself.
As usual, she gathered a few of the herbs in the garden to make her little remedies with. Once her basket was full she went inside and sorted the various ingredients. She mixed and crushed some into herbal teas that she wrapped in a thin cloth, others she cut or steeped in water before putting the resulting liquid that she boiled down to a thin syrup into a bottle. After she made six herbal teas and a few of the liquid medicines, she packed these in her saddlebags and prepared to set up at the market an hour or so before lunch.
Even though the town was small, the market was always bustling with activity. Fluttershy never found any problems selling all of the remedies she had made, especially the teas. The ponies seemed to trust the herbal teas she made and so they always sold well. She rented a stall for the day, and began to set up her little business.
She covered the bare wood of the table with a thin blanket and arranged her wares on one side. A foldable sign that read Herbal remedies - Tea, 4 bits Medicine, 5 bits was placed in front of the stand and Fluttershy returned to behind the table and sat, waiting for customers.
It was only a couple of hours after the market had opened, which wasn’t bad for having woken up late. Most customers came midday anyway.
“Look, if you really think that she owes you a refund for something as pointless as the fact that the basket she sold you had one slightly green reed in it, you’re either the most picky or stupid person I’ve ever met.” Discord sighed, fed up with these petty grievances. “Just accept the basket, and if the reed is really that much of a problem, maybe Wooden Braid here can take it out and replace it, though I don’t expect that she would have fun doing it.” He lighted his horn and they were teleported back to the basketweaver's stall in the market.
When he tried to bring the next two ponies in, nothing happened. Something was off.
“Sir, those were the last of them. Hopefully no others show up today.” The servant mumbled to himself and went to the servant’s quarters.
Discord genuinely smiled, something he hadn’t done for a long time. He couldn’t wait to finally find some interesting books to pass the time with (and maybe get some tea as well, now that he thought about it). The excitement of the market, the opportunity to be just a normal citizen!
He had no idea why he hadn’t thought about it before.
Once he grabbed a small bag of bits, he ran out the door invigorated by the idea of the freedom of living.
The market proved to be not as profitable as Fluttershy had hoped. As hard as she had tried, the customers had haggled a better price out of her every time. Usually she could get at least a couple for the listed price, but the ponies who had approached her today had needed the medicine and only had two or three bits with them. She sighed as she counted her money. She broke even, but barely. She couldn’t leave them with no medicine for their sick foal, but she needed things too!
Of course, there was the last herbal tea that she had yet to sell. That would be profit at least, so all was not lost. She looked at the time - it was midafternoon, so she had plenty of time before sundown to sell it.
Suddenly, she was startled by a grey stallion racing past her stall, and she coughed in the dust he kicked up. A few ponies yelled in protest, but he seemed to ignore them, only slowing down and stopping in front of the bookseller’s tent (she preferred to keep the books inside so they wouldn’t get damaged, or so she heard). The stallion went inside and Fluttershy ignored it to continue waiting for a customer.
An hour or so passed and an elderly earth mare named Windy Thistle, a good customer of Fluttershy’s, bought the tea and Fluttershy began to carefully fold the tablecloth into a neat square.
Fluttershy heard hoofsteps - and they were approaching her stall even though it was rather obvious that it was closed. She looked up, slightly miffed, and realized that it was the same stallion who had kicked up dust earlier. Before she could say anything, though, he cut her off.
“What a coincidence that you’re the only one selling tea today,” He laughed. “I was hoping to buy some tea, but it proved difficult to find. I had been wondering if I might enjoy some.” He noticed the folded tablecloth. “I hope I’m not too late….”
Fluttershy wondered to herself. He seemed familiar, where had she seen him before? Then she noticed that his horn was a light shade of blue, in contrast to his ash-gray coat. “D- Discord? But of course…. I’m sorry, I’m sold out, but I could make some more if you would like…. I could make a couple in about fifteen minutes or so if you don’t mind waiting.” She put the tablecloth in her saddlebag as well as the small sign she folded up. “All the ingredients are in my garden, though, so I guess you could wait in the house while I gather them and make a couple teas.” Fluttershy gestured for him to follow with her forehoof.
Discord walked behind her for the short walk that only took about five minutes. She showed him inside and then she disappeared out the back door in the kitchen. The small bookshelf that held the stories she had read him was to his left, stuffed full of tightly rolled scrolls.
The door swung open a couple minutes later and Fluttershy walked inside with her hooves full of bunches of herbs from the garden. Quickly setting them on a small counter in the kitchen, she separated them and went to get a knife and some of the thin cloth she made the teabags with.
Fluttershy picked up one of the bunches of herbs and began to tear the leaves off of it, putting them in the hot sun to dry. She continued to do this for quite a few of the herbs.
Discord awkwardly waited at first, but after what seemed like hours (but was only about 5 or so minutes) got up and went into the kitchen that smelled faintly of various vegetables. “I know this might sound weird, but… I was wondering if I could help you? I feel guilty for just sitting by myself while you do all the work.”
“Um…. Actually, could you chop the ginger? I’m busy with the mint right now, so if you could….”
“Of course, of course.” Discord followed her over to the small counter with carefully separated plants. Once Fluttershy had shown him how to use the knife he happily began cutting a small piece of the spicy-smelling tan root. “This is so much more fun than listening to petty arguments all day!” he smiled, and excitedly continued to help.
They continued preparing various herbs and talking as they made a few teas. Discord described the particularly annoying last case of the morning, mentioning that he had really only been half listening, since he had been planning to go to the market. Fluttershy agreed that the argument was pointlessly petty and continued on to to talk about the day at the market.
Once they finished measuring and mixing the ingredients together, Fluttershy tied the finished bags. Discord took the teas (there were 4 in the end), and paid Fluttershy for them after he insisted that he would pay full price.
He left happily, looking forward to an evening that promised an interesting book and an interesting tea.
