You would never expect the nicest ponies to become depressed. You would never expect the most innocent to murder the ones who were close. But it's happening, and these ponies are not ponies you want to see the bad side of.
Abuse. Stress. Depression. Some of the nicest ponies in Equestria have experienced that. Their closest friends and family have ruined their life so much, the poor ponies don't know what to do anymore-mares and stallions alike. But now, the tables have turned. And the most innocent ponies are going in for the kill.
Coverart by me, traced from a vector then added things to make it fit the theme better.
It was a warm summer's evening in Canterlot, Equestria. Canterlot was home to the most elegant and regal ponies in Equestria. That was true, as both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna reigned Equestria in peace and harmony there. But really, Equestria's true heroes were six best friends--Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack.
Fleur de Lis was sitting in the middle of the gardens that surrounded the Grand Galloping Gala. Sitting across from her was Fancypants, dressed in one of his best suits.The couple were the only ponies at the table, with stool-like, frilly, purple pillows to set their flanks on.
The two classy unicorns had gotten together almost three years ago. They weren't in an "on-off" relationship, neither went out with other mares or stallions without the other knowing, and most importantly, they were planning their wedding.
They agreed to try having foals a few days after their official marriage; Fleur and Fancypants had split up the name choosing-female names were chosen by the graceful mare, and male names were chosen by the good-looking stallion. Little did anypony else know about the couple's secret desires of starting a family. Oh, how classy and elegant their foals would be!
Princess Celestia had even decided to start a very frequent event--royal Canterlot tea-time. It took place every evening in the royal Canterlot gardens, when the sun was beginning to set; every evening except the nights that held important events, that is, like the Gala and the Summer Sun Celebration. The regal princess of the sun had set the new event in honor of Fleur de Lis's and Fancypants' wedding.
So, each afternoon, round, small, snow-white tables were set out, each with a different number of purple pillow-stools, which acted as very comfortable chairs. Yes, the Princess didn't go wrong with this one. Such a peaceful, high-class event.
Fleur de Lis and Fancypants had spoken to Princess Celestia and had the table in the middle of the garden reserved. Why the middle? Why not at the edge, where the flowers were in bloom and the trees provided just the right amount of shade? The high-class couple weren't very keen on just looks. No, Fleur and Fancypants were solely seeking attention.
Every high-class mare dreamed of sitting in the middle of the garden, because all the good-looking, rich stallions asked if they could sit with them-if the mare was alone, of course. Only the amateurs would ask out a pony if they were sitting with their significant other. Unfortunately for Fleur, when newcomers arrived for evening tea, the stallions would always flirt with her.
But today was different. Today, there were two newcomers. And they were both mares-unicorns too. Not to mention they were glaring in the direction of Fleur and Fancypants.
The first of the two unicorns had a light pink coat that complimented her long, flowing, wavy blonde mane. She wore a frilly, hot-pink, short dress and pink heels. Her friend had a light blue coat, but bore a nearly identical mane; bubblegum pink streaks had been added. Her outfit was also exactly the same, but only in design; the color was a dark blue. They were strutting about like they were Photo Finish's new fashionistas. Fleur de Lis found this to be hilarious; everything from their mane to their outfits were something somepony would wear to a six-year-old's birthday party.
The first whispered something to her friend. They both giggled. High-pitched, girly, look-at-me-I'm-a-snob kind of giggles. Then they approached Fleur and Fancypants' tea table. The waiter was once again late; that wasn't a means of escape. Fleur de Lis braced herself. Whatever was coming, it could not be good.
The trouble could have all been avoided if the pair had taken a sharp turn to the right or left. Of course, that didn't happen. Instead, they waltzed up right to the middle table. Both Fleur de Lis and Fancypants looked up. The pink-coated unicorn spoke.
"Hey there, handsome. We just wanted to know if you'd like to join us at our table?"
Ignorant, snobbish, girly. Ugh. Who did these bitches think they were, prancing around like leprechauns?
"So sorry to interrupt," Fleur cut in impatiently, all the while forcing herself to smile, "This table is reserved. In other words, it is private. I suggest you leave before you make a complete fool of yourselves."
At that, Fancypants nodded. "I agree completely. I do not appreciate you flirting with me, nor do I find your appearance and attitudes to fit the classy theme."
The mares gaped at him. "Please. Class is for foals. Swag is for the mature ponies."
Great. The sass was back. Luckily, Fleur's coltfriend was not amused.
"Another pair of amateurs, I see. Guards," the attractive stallion called, raising the volume in his voice the slightest bit, "will you please escort these young fillies to the exit. They are distracting my dear marefriend and I from our romance, and, quite frankly, making a fool of themselves."
Two white-coated royal pegasus guards approached the table from where they were standing at the north side of the garden. The one nearest to Fleur smiled. The other grinned. They had also heard word of the two unicorns' marriage and were attempting to show their utmost respect and hapiness for them. The classy couple noticed this and smiled back not only in gratefulness, but also in greeting. Then Princess Celestia's royal guards turned to the non-welcomed mares.
"Please begin walking over there." The one who smiled earlier pointed to the garden exit with his right wing. "We will escort you out of the royal garden."
His voice was deep, compared to the other guard's, which was higher, yet equally calming. If the amateur mares were fazed by it, they did not show it.
They may not have perfect poker faces, Fleur de Lis thought, but maybe only words have affect on them, not the voice tone of the pony who's speaking.
When neither of the mares even flinched, his voice became more stern. "Young ladies, I demand you walk towards the exit."
The other looked over his shoulder at Fleur and Fancypants. His expression was apologetic. The pair nodded in sympathy and understanding. The unicorns may be high-class and obsessed with fashion, but they were also very caring and understanding to their friends. They happened to know both the guards for about seven years, always making sure to stay in touch so their friendship bond wouldn't break. In result, it had only grown stronger.
In the few moments the three friends had exchanged glances and silent words, the prissy, wanna-be unicorns still hadn't moved. Great Celestia, were they persistent. The other royal guard turned his head back towards them. The guards exchanged a quick nod, then flanked the sassy "guests." Instinctively, the prissy unicorns began running towards the far side of the garden, away from the exit. The two guards chased after them, both opening their wings.
Fleur de Lis and her coltfriend watched for over five minutes as the guards flew around, trying to stop the mares from completely destroying everything. It was true; there was tea spilled onto the ground, tables flipped over, and none of the other ponies took the time to set their fallen chairs back up as they fled either to the side of the garden or out the exit. The soon-to-be married unicorn couple, however, stayed seated. They could block out surrounding events easily, a result of years of accidental practice.
"So, my dear," Fancypants began, speaking to his marefriend, "when shall we set our wedding date?"
"Hmm." Fleur hesitated for a moment, thinking; she had to calculate everything, from what they had planned separately to making sure the date wasn't too soon, so the ponies participating in the wedding wouldn't be filled to the brim with stress. "How about April twenty-fifth? That's about two days from now, and I know everypony has been preparing for the wedding for weeks. The two days until our marriage will give both them and us the time we need to do last-minute checks and all."
The unicorn stallion nodded, smiling. "That sounds like a perfect day for all of us."
The pair turned their heads as another table was kicked over. By now, all of the royal guards in the garden had flown into the mini-war. The two amateur mares leaped onto the couple's table, spilling tea onto Fleur's coat and Fancypants' new suit.
Finally, the guards were able to capture the runaways. One of them had gotten a fold-able cloth net out of his helmet-Fleur and Fancypants had learned that this was one of many of the royal guards' defense tactics-and they had thrown it over the table, trapping the ignorant mares under it.
It took eight full-grown royal guards to drag the mares off the table-which fell on its left side due to the unbalance in the weight-and out the exit gates of the garden. After the unwelcomed guests were thrown out, Princess Luna's royal unicorn guards charmed the gate so they couldn't get back inside the garden, yet so everypony else could. By the time that was all done, it was well past midnight. Fleur de Lis and Fancypants decided to stay in the garden and help fix it up a little before heading to their three-story mansion a few houses down.
Tables and chairs were flying, surrounded by purple and blue auras, as Fleur, Fancypants, and the unicorn guards began to organize the now-disastrous Canterlot garden. The graceful unicorn mare had to admit that cleaning up the gardens was more amusing than she expected. The guards occasionally cracked jokes, and soon the couple were joining in. Recalled past times were also discussed, including that night with the prissy, sassy unicorns.
The sun was beginning to rise when the garden finally appeared as it could pass the test for always being that way. Fleur and her coltfriend gave grateful farewells to the guards, then walked home. The dawn promised a refreshing, overcast day with the possibility of light rain showers. No words were spoken on the trip back to the couple's house.
They finally reached it, opening the double oak-wood doors. The inside of the house was amazing. Right away from entering, there was a hallway that branched out into what seemed like hundreds of rooms-bathrooms, kitchens, and even rooms with their own theme, like a music room and art room.
The hall continued forward, eventually widening out into a living room. All sorts of expensive, high-class furniture sat in this room-including leather sofas and marble coffee tables-that was complete with a brick fireplace. Past the living room were two sets of marble stairs, each leading to the same place on the second floor. The railings were made of pure gold.
The couple walked down the hallway and into the living room. Fancypants sat down; Fleur remained standing and yawned.
"I'm going to get some sleep," Fleur de Lis stated drowsily to her coltfriend.
He nodded. They both wished the other a good night, and the mare trekked up the pearly white marble stairs. Once at the landing, she turned right, then walked forward into a room at the end of the hallway.
The walls were painted a rose pink on one side, and navy blue on the other; it was a symbol of Fleur's and Fancypants' love. The king-sized canopy bed against the right wall was also split up into the same colors as the walls. The floor was carpeted, the color a pure white like newly fallen, undisturbed snow on a calm winter's night.
There were also nightstands on each side of the bed. The drawers contained accessories, brushes, and the occasional dress or suit. Sitting innocently above was a bedside lamp that cast golden light when turned on. Next to those were picture frames.
The frames contained pictures of Fleur on the blue side, Fancypants on the pink side. Both sides also owned photos of the two together. Fleur de Lis could recall the memories the pictures told: when the couple first met in their youth, their first Grand Galloping Gala together... There were even photos of the two kissing. The elegant unicorn glanced at them then turned away, smiling and blushing.
She yawned again. Great Celestia. Yes, she had experienced major amateurs before that all threw tantrums, but never had Fleur seen two distasteful, ignorant mares like that. All the insignificant ponies with all talk and no brains or style had been tiring her out.
As Fleur pulled back the covers of the bed on the right side where she slept, she began thinking about her upcoming wedding. She got into bed and pulled up the covers, turning out the light with her unicorn magic. After the marriage, she would finally get to start a family with her soul mate. One last, comforting thought, her head hitting the soft satin pillow; her eyes immediately closed, and her breathing evened out into a sign of sleep.
Nothing could go wrong.
About an hour later, Fleur de Lis jerked up in bed into a sitting position. She looked to the left of her; Fancypants wasn't there. It was still dark outside. Everything was silent, and she didn't have any nightmares. So what had woken her up?
Crash!
Fleur flinched, startled. The noise had come from downstairs. It sounded like one of the plates in the kitchen had shattered.
What in the name of Celestia is Fancypants doing? Fleur wondered, getting out of bed quickly and walking towards the door.
Before she had even walked out of the room, there was another crash. It was definitely coming from the kitchen. Enough time had been wasted walking.
Fleur ran down the hall, down the stairs, stumbling multiple times but not falling or stopping. When she flew past the living room, she made out a shape in the dark that she quickly identified as her coltfriend. She stopped and hesitated. Another crash from the kitchen got her running again.
No wonder our unwelcomed guest keeps breaking things, Fleur thought irritably as she bumped her foreleg on the edge of a table. They didn't even bother turning on the lights. Well... neither did I.
As she approached the kitchen, she managed to-but barely-make out a pony, its face and all features drowned in darkness. It appeared to be a unicorn, and female, trying to escape the maze of rooms. It was true the pony had almost succeeded; there was a back door in the kitchen that led to the freedom outside.
Fleur de Lis turned on the single light switch in the room with her magic. What she saw, she had not expected but was not surprised by the pony's visit.
It was the snobby mare with the pink streaks in her mane, the ringleader of the chaos in the Canterlot gardens.
She squinted against the unexpected light source, then spotted an angry and irritated-looking Fleur and grinned insanely.
"What in the name of Celestia are you doing here, especially at three in the morning?" the model-like mare demanded with less than a second's hesitation.
"Oh, you don't know yet?" The mare smirked. "Your lovely fiance is going to be the father of my foals."
Fleur gaped. She didn't want to believe this insignificant mare had broken into her-and Fancypants'-private mansion, just to get this horrible revenge that made the elegant mare sick to her stomach.
"You what?!"
"I heard news around town you and him were getting married in a few days' time. You got me kicked out of the exclusive Canterlot evening tea for all eternity, so I followed you here and waited until the right moment. The lovely, unconscious stallion downstairs was still sitting on the couch in your living room when I used a tricky charm my best friend taught me to get inside quickly and efficiently. He was just about to go upstairs, but I stopped that from happening. Quite easy with your poor security measures."
"So, in short, you cast an illegal charm on the front door to break in, you found my fiance and decided to get revenge on us by having foals with him, then you break a few plates trying to get out without being caught, being stopped by myself and saying the house has poor security measures?"
The entire plan sounded ridiculous, especially when you added in "was amateur and ignorant in the royal gardens" and "followed us home". The mare nodded as if it was the greatest plan in the world, yet there were many flaws to it. The flaws included being caught and not being prepared for the very high security measures.
Fleur de Lis let her eyes wander upwards to the security cameras hovering at all angles. The mare followed her gaze, then froze. Her face was in a total panic.
"Did you even bother to check by the doors for the cameras?" Fleur asked innocently. When she received no answer, she added, "The Canterlot police force, FBI, and the royal guards saw everything you did. Well, except for seducing my fiance, that is."
The mare gulped. A great plan gone wrong once again. Forever failing. She knew her prissy life and aptitude for pointless revenge would come to an end when she heard the sirens' wailing in a sick crescendo.
"This is the Canterlot police force," a male voice shouted. "All subjects inside, please respond immediately." It sounded like he was speaking through a megaphone.
Fleur unlocked the back door with her magic, then opened it. About thirty ponies from the police force filed into the large kitchen. Ten of them trotted out of sight. Fleur de Lis theorized they were going to find any evidence they could in the living room.
The mare always left the cameras on during the night and while she and Fancypants were away. That way, if anyone tried to break in, all Canterlot anti-crime forces would get a live view of what was happening, therefore responding quickly.
Five of the ponies left in the kitchen attempted to hoof-cuff the ignorant revenge junkie, but she was quick to react. She had obviously had many encounters like this, not hesitating to levitate a pile of about ten plates in a green aura, letting them fall and break onto many of the police officers' heads. They all fell to the floor, in a sick and twisted unison.
In the few moments the police still awake were distracted, the mare raced for the door. It was still flung open, letting in cool, refreshing dawn air. Fleur threw herself in front of the door in a feeble attempt to stop the abuser.. The two unicorn enemies were now horn-to-horn. The graceful unicorn's pure white horn was longer, and she drew it back in a form of attack.
The other wasn't expecting it, and Fleur de Lis's horn plunged deep into her left foreleg, hitting the bone. The pink-coated mare shrieked, detaching her leg from her attacker's horn, which dripped blood onto the tile flooring. She then pushed the pink-and-white maned unicorn out of her pathway, half-running, half-limping out the door. Unfortunately, she teleported away before the police or Fleur could do anything to stop her in her tracks.
Not bothering to do anything more, let alone close the door, Fleur de Lis ran into the living room despite the police officers' calls. She couldn't do anything to stop the ignorant mare, but she could still help Fancypants.
"Fleur, my dear," Fancypants gasped as his marefriend ran up to him. At least he was now awake and standing. "I am deeply sorry. I beg your forgiveness and hope you aren't ma-"
Fleur cut him off. "Fancypants, my love, I could never be angry with you. It isn't your fault. We can only blame the mare for this. Hopefully she will die bleeding."
They embraced, then kissed. In that moment, they both remembered why they were so perfect for each other. They understood each other completely, not getting angry over ninety-nine percent of things. Fancypants didn't even seem to mind the blood dripping onto his mane-that's how much he cared for Fleur. The police from the kitchen walked into the living room and surrounded them both.
"You, Fleur de Lis, are under arrest for attempting murder. Do not resist."
The couple stopped kissing and embracing, looking at each of the officers in turn. All had the same dull, aggressive expression. Not one had sympathy or pity in their eyes.
"Attempted murder?" The fiances exclaimed in unison.
"Yes. You have turned a criminal into a victim by stabbing almost completely through her leg. She could now possibly die."
Fancypants muttered something into his marefriend's ear. She nodded, sighing, then swept through the officers' features. Luckily, not one was a unicorn. Even better, all of them were Earth ponies.
Fancypants clutched onto Fleur's foreleg. The mare's horn was beginning to glow in a purple-pink aura. A blinding flash of light made the police shield their eyes; when they turned back, both Fleur de Lis and Fancypants were gone.
Bon Bon trotted happily towards the center of Ponyville. It was so far a perfect, sunny day, filled to the brim with serenity—a recipe for an amazing summer day.
The cream-colored coated Earth pony had woken up really early and gone out to walk around the town she and her marefriend lived in. It also happened to be Bon Bon's birthday; she was greeted all over Ponyville with joyful hellos and kind smiles.
Pinkie Pie, the small town's happy-happy-joy-joy party pony, had even given the other Earth pony a batch of cupcakes—red velvet with cream cheese frosting—a gift from both her and the Cakes. Bon thanked them with all the gratefulness she could possibly show, then walked out with a new skip in her step. Pinkie Pie was an Earth pony you could always count on to remember everything about everypony, and that was how she knew red velvet cupcakes were always Bon Bon's favorite. Yes, everything was going great.
When Bon Bon returned to her home—a peaceful ranch house near the outskirts of Ponyville—her dark green saddle bag with the lyre-designed latch was weighed down by cupcakes, balloons, and varieties of gift bags.
Berry Punch happened to be trotting past. The berry-colored Earth pony had wished her friend a happy birthday earlier, giving Bon a few bottles of wine straight from Haywaii. The candy-loving Earth pony had never had the slightest drop of alcohol touch her lips in her entire life, yet she was glad her first taste of it would be a brand of wine most wanted over many others.
"Hey, Bon Bon," Berry Punch called, "Need any help?"
Bon Bon grinned at her, replying, "Hello, Berry. Thank you for your offer, but I'll manage."
The other nodded, grinning back. "Alright then, have a good night, and happy birthday!"
"Thank you!" Bon Bon answered, although her friend was already a fair ways away.
She turned back to the door, then tried pushing it open. It wouldn't budge; Bon's marefriend must have locked it. She smiled. Lyra Heartstrings must have something planned for her, or she would have left the door open like she always did.
Bon Bon knocked on the door. "Hey, Lyra, I'm home!"
Creaking followed by quick shuffling could be heard inside the ranch house. A sneeze, then the click of the door being unlocked. There was another thing about Bon's marefriend; she had an obsession with creatures she claimed as "humans".
The Earth pony had no clue how she could just, one day, come up with things like this in that crazy imagination of hers. Lyra was also a unicorn, which would explain the second part of how she knew about locks and could invent them herself. Another clicking sound, then the door opened, pushed by Lyra. The unicorn tried to prevent using her magic whenever she could, which would also explain why her first attempts at creating a door lock were failures. Lyra's mane was a mess, and she looked really tired.
"Hey, Bon Bon," she said drowsily between yawns, letting her marefriend in.
Bon Bon walked in and gasped. The house was a mess. The hoof-stitched pink-and-green curtains were shredded, laying in a heap on the once-beautiful carpet, now flooded with empty food-packages and cans. And... wait, were those beer bottles that were smashed on the table, leaving sharp shards of glass everywhere around?
"Lyra..." The Earth pony moved a ripped blanket off a pile of what she hoped would be more food, then widening her light blue eyes as she found an unconscious mare underneath it.
"How the hay do you want to explain this to me?"
Lyra only grinned sheepishly. Bon Bon walked over to her again. How did she not notice the strong smell of alcohol coming from her marefriend before?
A stir of movement came from over by the couch, where Bon had discovered the unidentified mare. The mare stood up, and the Earth pony noticed at once that it was Carrot Top.
Carrot Top lay on her back on the couch. Lyra Heartstrings strolled over to her, then layed down next to her. What they did next seemed to stab at Bon Bon's heart like a dagger.
They kissed. A long, passionate kiss, like the ones Bon Bon and Lyra would share everyday. Tears welled up in Bon's blue eyes, threatening to flood over onto her cheeks.
"The buck is this? Do you even know what day it is?"
Lyra sat up and blinked at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. Happy Saturday."
Bon Bon shook her head and walked into another room down the hall, out of Lyra's and Carrot Top's view. She returned about ten minutes later, a pink saddle bag with her own Cutie Mark as a latch secured tightly to her waist. It appeared she had put all her birthday presents and some of her own treasured belongings into it. The blue-eyed Earth pony turned towards the door, her curly blue-and-pink mane hiding her face; she didn't bother to look at the mare that betrayed her, nor the one Lyra let into the house.
"It's my birthday, Lyra. June nineteenth."
With that, she pushed open the front door and walked out.
It was a fairly warm night with a slight breeze. The moon was already high in the sky, casting shadows and reflections. If it wasn't for Bon Bon's ex-marefriend's betrayal, it would have been a perfect ending to a perfect day.
The outside provided the betrayed Earth pony time to calm down. This she did, leaning against a tree in front of her and Lyra's house for support while she cried. She didn't make a single sound while the tears rolled down her face, dripping onto the ground at her hooves and reflecting the moonlight.
What did I ever do to Lyra? she pondered.
Bon Bon lifted her head to the midnight blue sky, looking at the beautiful, glowing moon. Stars twinkled like glitter all around. The wondrous sight made Bon feel relaxed, but at the same time gave her chills.
Too many times had Lyra neglected her. Then, she could take it-forgive and forget. Now, her once-marefriend had gone too far.
She could remember the first time Lyra Heartstrings had ignored her like it was yesterday. The day before, the unicorn had decided to start writing a book about these human creatures. It had ended in failure when all the editor ponies in Equestria had rejected the book like it was moldy bread. After that, she gave up, yet gained a new habit, and a bad one at that. Ever since that day, Lyra had spent more time neglecting her marefriend and less time speaking to Bon Bon.
The Earth pony shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts back into reality. If only life really was a long dream. She could dream herself out of this situation. Out of her memories with Lyra. Out of her entire life.
Could she make her existence a dream? Just quickly grab a knife from the kitchen and cut off her bloodstream before Bon knew what was happening, before she could think, before she could chicken out of suicide?
No. Bon Bon shook her head again. Her life was still worth living. Even with Lyra Heartstrings gone from her life, she still had Berry Punch. She supposed she could try making friends with Derpy Hooves again as well. Pinkie was always there for her. She had plenty of friends to keep her mind off Lyra.
Even so, she knew when silence settled in with sleep, thoughts of her ex-marefriend would come creeping back into her dreams and thoughts, threatening to drown her in Bon's own tears. There was only one choice left if she didn't want to be suffocated in the grief and pain.
"Roseluck!" A mare's annoyed shriek rang out from nearby. "Where are the sugar martinis Lily and Caramel ordered fifteen minutes ago?"
A sand-colored, exhausted-looking pony came into view, balancing a wide plate with snow-white martinis on her head. "I'm so-sorry Daisy," she panted. "We ran out o-of sugar, so I went to Sug-Suagrcube Corner to buy some more..."
The mare the exhausted pony claimed as Daisy narrowed her leaf-green eyes until they were little more than slits. "You cannot keep our sister and her coltfriend waiting, Roseluck." Her voice was cold and merciless. "Now, to make up for it, you will go out there, serve them their drinks, and offer them a dessert buffet."
Roseluck sighed, but began walking towards the table her sister and her sister's coltfriend were. They picked a beautiful spot behind the three sisters' flower shop; the area had millions of blooming flowers, and an overhanging willow tree provided shade. Both ponies' faces and manes were pattered by shadows. They looked up when the rose-based Earth mare approached them.
The verbal-abused Earth pony attempted to carefully set the alcoholic drinks down on the table from where the tray rested on her head. At the last second, Roseluck was distracted by a sudden flurry of dogs barking, and turned her head sharply in the direction she heard the noise. With a clatter, the tray and both drinks fell where it was balanced between Roseluck's head and the table. Most of the sugar martinis got onto Caramel and Lily, and they stood up quickly, disgusted.
It only got worse from there.
Daisy and her snobby friends happened to be walking around the corner at that exact moment. Of course, Roseluck was in plain view of them all. The rosey-maned pony looked each of them over. In the middle, Daisy, her spring green mane noticeable from a long distance; Carrot Top, her ever-orange colors glowing, standing to the left of Daisy; Berry Punch, her mane messier than ever, obviously on a drinking-spree and standing to the right of Daisy; and Bon Bon, her mane and- wait...
Where's Bon Bon? Roseluck wondered, glancing at each of the ponies in turn multiple times to make sure she hadn't missed the candy-loving Earth pony among her older sister's gang.
Bon Bon wasn't anywhere in sight. It really didn't matter to the youngest flower pony if she was there or not; Bon was always the quiet type-the only sound that came out of her mouth was always gruesome laughter when the oldest sister made a cruel joke or insult.
"Another fail for you, Dozeluck," Daisy spat at her younger sibling.
The others laughed; Rose blushed in embarrassment, but otherwise took no notice of them. They all sat down at a large table near the back of the flower shop.
'Dozeluck' was one of Daisy's favorite nicknames to call Roseluck, mostly because she was tired all the time, resulting in many spills of drinks. Many times, the drinks were spilled on her own sisters. Great Celestia, how much Rose hated being treated as the average pile of disgusting, ignored garbage. She may be the youngest, the most immature, and the pony with the least friends out of everyone in Ponyville; but it didn't mean she could be addressed as a low-class servant.
It seemed Lyra Heartstrings was also missing. She was known known to neglect her friends, so Roseluck wouldn't have been surprised if she ditched her older sister's gang. That may have also explained why Bon Bon was missing. Well, you could never be sure with the two of them. It was growing darker, after all. They could have been asleep for all the Earth pony knew.
"Go get us some drinks, lousy," Daisy demanded, sneering cruelly at the youngest flower shop worker. "Lily Valley, come join my friends and I."
The other sister walked over and sat down next to her sister. Caramel appeared to have left already.
Probably to go groom his fur, Roseluck thought to herself, trying not to laugh aloud when she visualized it, walking into the flower shop through the back door to prepare drinks for the four snobby ponies.
The back door led to a small, dark room. The flooring, walls and ceiling were dull gray tiling. Along the walls were long shelves, filled with cups of all sorts-from shot glasses to water bottles-that held any beverages Roseluck's sisters and their friends ordered. Just below the shelves were long, granite counters. There were fruits, vegetables, ice, and many other ingredients one would require to make such beverages. There was a large metal fridge in the back corner that held only endless bottles of Vodka, whiskey, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.
There was also another door in the room that faced the front of the flower shop. Through that oak door led to the most bright and colorful room one would ever lay eyes on. Flowers of all types-tulips and roses to blossoms and daisies-filled the room up so much you could barely see the walls or floor, which were both bright yellow. A pastel pink counter was in the middle of the large room, a cash register sitting on the corner. Next to the counter was a pile of multicolored gift bags. In the space by the windows in the very front of the shop were a variety of glass vases.
But right now, Roseluck's business was not with the actual flower part of the shop. Her business and future lay in the dark, depressing room behind it. She had been waiting for this day for a long time, and earlier, she had gotten the chance to steal something she desperately needed from the nearly abandoned store at the barren edge of Ponyville.
She walked over to the counter, opening a cabinet beneath it. She pulled out a vial large enough to fill two shot glasses. The substance contained within it was a violent purple color. Rose got four martini glasses out and set them on the counter, humming a tune that sounded like death itself.
She filled the four glasses to the brim with Vodka, then opened up the vial. Immediately, thick black smog rose out from the top. Roseluck grinned. It was perfect. She carefully poured half the liquid into one glass, then the other half in another. The alcohol started swirling in the glasses. She slid the four alcohol-filled martini glasses onto a circular tray, then slid that onto her head.
She pushed open the back door again and walked outside to the table where the four other mares sat, chatting and laughing. This time, Rose didn't spill any of the drinks. Instead, she carefully set them down in front of each pony. She purposely put the swirling drinks in front of Lily and Daisy. Then she walked away, around the corner of the flower shop.
Ten seconds passed. Berry Punch took a huge gulp of her Vodka. One minute passed. Carrot Top sipped at her alcohol. Three minutes passed. Daisy's voice.
"A toast, to being the most popular Earth ponies in all of Ponyville!"
The clinking of glasses, then more sips. Satisfying gagging noises followed, and Roseluck peeked around the corner to find both her sisters on the grassy ground, holding their hoofs to their throats and choking. Carrot Top was staring in horror, but Berry Punch seemed too drunken to notice it, and continued to relax at the table, taking in mouthfuls of alcohol every two seconds.
Roseluck trotted back over to the large table where Lily and Daisy were sprawled below. Their eyes were glazing over already; they didn't have time to say anything. They were both dead. Carrot Top seemed to have fled, and Berry was fast asleep with her head on the mahogany table. Perfect.
The youngest flower pony dragged her deceased sisters through the back door of the shop, their tails clamped by Rose's teeth. Upon entering the dull room, she noticed some kind of peace had risen. Now she could finally live in peace, with nobody to bother her, let alone treat her like a servant girl.
Wait.
She remembered the sight of Carrot Top fleeing. The orange Earth pony was no fool. She knew it was murder, and her first and only suspect was Roseluck. She needed to get out of here, and she needed to flee as soon as possible. She could leave, but she had to hide the evidence first. Luckily, there wasn't much.
Rose moved quickly. The poison vial was put into the crammed fridge at the very back. Hiding her victim's bodies wasn't going to be an easy task like hiding the tiny vial was. She looked around frantically for anything that might help her in her getaway. Her eyes rested on the flower shop door.
The flower shop.
Nopony would ever think to look for evidence to a homicide in a cheery, flower-filled room that always lifted your spirits. Thank Celestia there was no blood involved in poisoning others. Once again, Roseluck dragged her victim's by the tails into the flower shop. She ran to the windows to look outside.
Not a single pony wandered the streets in view. That was pure luck for the murderer, as anyone who was walking by could turn their heads and see through the transparent windows into the flower shop, no matter how far away they were from it.
Without thinking, Roseluck dragged her sisters by their tails to the back of the counter. There were cabinets there, vases and watering cans in them. Dragged again, inside the room-type area that the counters created. There were hidden cabinets there. She opened one. There was nothing inside it.
Rose roughly shoved her victim's bodies into the cabinet. A few sharp, sickly cracks. Some bones had broken, but there was no blood. With all the broken bones, the two bodies could easily fit-twisted and dead-in the one small cabinet. There was only one more step in her plan. If it flawed in even the tiniest bit, she would be calling jail her new home.
This is what Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom dealt with everyday, both in school and out. They were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, joined together to try and discover their special talents and earn their Cutie Marks. But two of the fillies at the Ponyville schoolhouse had decided anyone with nothing on their flank weren't special at all. The fillies names were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
Today was no different with the two wanna-be populars.
"Blank flanks!"
The three Cutie Mark Crusaders all shared the same thought: They are both so annoying. It was true. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were always bragging about how special they apparently were, talking in high-pitched voices that sounded like they were both on helium.
At least they could get some peace and quiet at Sweet Apple Acres after school. After what seemed like a lifetime of learning math, writing, and more about Cutie Marks, the bell finally rang. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom trotted out of the school and towards the Apple family's farm. Featherweight and Snips followed.
It wasn't a very long walk to the Apple family's farm. In one of the abandoned fields was a clubhouse. Applejack, Apple Bloom's older sister, had showed the three talent-seeking fillies the clubhouse and let them use it. They entered it at least three times a day to plan what they were going to do that day to attempt to earn their Cutie Marks. Although they had tried at least a thousand things, not one of them had gotten their Cutie Mark yet, but they were not ones to give up easily. They wanted to find their talents more than anything else in the entire world of Equestria.
They all arrived at the clubhouse. Scootaloo trotted up the ramps to the entrance to the entrance, but the other four broke up into pairs-Apple Bloom with Snips, and Sweetie Belle with Featherweight. Scootaloo's best friends had been asked out by two of their classmates, but the orange pegasus filly hadn't gotten a coltfriend yet. That was fine with her, she claimed, because she was "too busy and lacked an attractive personality anyway." At this, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had shouted disagreements.
"Scootaloo, I can't think of anypony in our class who wouldn't want to date you," Sweetie Belle had told her.
"Yeah, an' ya already have an amazin' personality," Apple Bloom had chimed in.
"It's nice of you to say that, guys," Scootaloo had replied. "But I don't think anyone in our class could keep up with my pace."
"What if the colt wasn't from our class?" the white-coated unicorn had questioned her.
Scootaloo hadn't had an answer, and she doubted if she was asked this again she could even think of something to say.
"You sure you'll be fine here by yourself?" Sweetie Belle called up to her from where she stood looking at Scootaloo from the ground, Featherweight by her side.
"Don't worry, you guys. I'll be fine. Besides, Rainbow Dash promised me she'd start teaching me how to fly," the short-purple maned pegasus replied. "You go have fun. Meet you back here in an hour?"
Her suggestion was met with nods in agreement. They all trotted their separate ways, but Scootaloo remained outside until her friends were out of view, then ran back down the ramps to the ground and out of Sweet Apple Acres. She had other plans.
When she arrived in the center of Ponyville, she found Rainbow Dash almost instantly. It was easy enough, as her multicolored mane stood out from the normal pinks and blues of the other ponies.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo called to her role model.
When the cyan blue pegasus didn't reply, Scootaloo trotted over to her. There was nopony else around.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash, ready to start those flying lessons?"
More silence. Then the Element of Loyalty turned her back on the orange filly, opened her wings, and flew away. Scootaloo kicked the ground with a foreleg.
You promised. This isn't fair.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and Featherweight were arguing near the edge of the Everfree Forest. A silvery Earth pony had approached them.
"But Featherweight, I thought you loved me?" Sweetie Belle was saying, tears in her eyes and her voice cracking.
"I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. I love Silver Spoon more," the sand-colored pegasus replied. "I hope we can still be friends."
With that, he walked off. Silver Spoon lingered for a few moments more to whisper something to the white-coated unicorn.
"I hope you've learned your lesson about dating. From this moment on, I will steal every colt you date from you."
She trotted after Featherweight. Sweetie Belle was left there to sit on the ground against the trunk of a tree and sob. That, she did. It didn't matter if anypony else heard her cry. It seemed like nothing mattered anymore.
Not a very far ways away, Apple Bloom was having a similar problem. Unfortunately, her brother, Big Macintosh, had walked in on her and Snips while they were kissing. He didn't seem too pleased. Apple Bloom wasn't at all ashamed, but she didn't blame Snips for turning more red in the face by the minute-he had always had a personality that easily gave away when he was embarrassed.
"Apple Bloom, would you like to explain this to me?" Big Macintosh demanded in a deep, booming voice that may have as well just shook the nearby trees to the ground.
"Snips an' Ah are datin'," the yellow country Earth filly replied, simply yet boldly.
"You are not allowed to date. I am disappointed in you, Apple Bloom. I will speak to AJ about this, and we will decide a punishment."
"But that's not fair!" Apple Bloom retorted. Her red mane was flowing loosely, as Snips had taken the bow out of her mane before starting to kiss her. "It's not such a big deal. Besides, all the other fillies at mah school have coltfriends. Why should Ah be any different?"
"They're guardians have different set rules than Applejack and I, Apple Bloom. Come home right this instant. Right now, you are grounded from crusading for a month."
"Ah will NOT come home! Ah will NOT give up crusadin' for a month! An' ya can't make me," Apple Bloom yelled.
Snips had nervously backed away, then fled. The young Earth filly didn't blame him; she would have done the same if it was her in his situation. Scratch that-she would have fled anyways, as the red-coated, husky-built stallion lunged out to grab her at that moment. So, yes, she fled. She fled in the direction of Sweetie Belle.
But first, she gave a swift kick with her back legs to her pursuer. She felt the connection with something-bone. It seemed to have shattered, based on her brother's screams and the power Apple Bloom felt. She should have been feeling guilty, but for some reason, she wasn't. In fact, it was even more satisfying when she felt something warm and sticky on her hind hooves, smelling the metal scent of blood.
By the time Apple Bloom finally approached her unicorn friend, adrenaline was causing her to not be able to stop. Instead, she ran in circles around her fellow crusader. When Sweetie Belle saw Apple Bloom, she wiped her eyes dry with her hooves.
"Apple Bloom? Something wrong?"
"Sweetie Belle, c'mon, we have to leave. Now," the yellow filly added urgently. "Mah brother is tryin' to ground me from crusadin' for a month."
The green-eyed unicorn understood immediately and stood up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"But where are we goin' to go?"
"We need to find Scootaloo, then we can find a way to hide away from Big Mac."
Apple Bloom nodded, then the two ran off in a flat out sprint towards the center of Ponyville. They were both exhausted and it was hard to breathe after a while, but the adrenaline pumping through their veins in place of blood. Their hearts beat so fast and pounded so painfully against their chests that it wouldn't have surprised either if their hearts decided to burst through their rib cage and chest, pulling away from the veins attached to them and making them both die from internal bleeding.
Finally, Scootaloo came into view. "Scootaloo!" the two crusaders called, out of breath and panting.
The orange pegasus looked up from where she was sitting on the ground, staring at her hooves. "Hmm? Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom?"
"Scootaloo, we need to run," Sweetie Belle stated, beginning to pull her friend along.
"Why? What happened? Where are we going?"
"Mah brother wants to ground me from crusadin' for a month, only 'cause he caught Snips and Ah kissin'," Apple Bloom explained.
"No way!" Scootaloo couldn't believe it. "Big Macintosh?"
"Eeyup," Apple Bloom responded.
"APPLE BLOOM!" Definitely Big Macintosh's angry yell.
"We have to run. Now!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed frantically.
With that, they ran, Apple Bloom in the lead and Scootaloo at the end. Apple Bloom needed to be the furthest away from her brother as possible, and the short, purple-maned pegasus knew if Big Macintosh caught up, she would be the most willing to kick him in the face and distract him if necessary. Besides, she was the strongest-in muscle-out of all the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
They all halted when they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, panting like dogs, completely out of breath. The three fillies could hear Big Macintosh's heavy pants and hoofsteps as he ran after them, and they exchanged glances.
No hesitation.
Without another word or pause, they sprinted into the Everfree.
Fleur de Lis blinked open her royal purple eyes. She was lying on her side on a soft dirt road. She briefly scanned her surroundings, then sighed with relief. Fancypants was standing, brushing himself off. He also seemed to be secure.
Ponyville.
Fleur attempted to move up into a sitting position. When a sharp pain jolted through her back, legs, and stomach, she groaned. Her fiance heard the soft noise and trotted over to her.
"Fleur, my dear? What happened?" He was trying to sound calm, but the graceful unicorn mare could hear panic break through his voice.
"I just teleported us here," Fleur de Lis replied, wincing. Great Celestia, it even hurt to speak. "I don't know what happened after that..."
She put her head back onto the ground. She hated being weak and helpless like this. Fleur was only a doe in a tiger's habitat. News from Canterlot spread fast to the other parts of Equestria, so the couple feared if they were to be recognized, they both would be sent back to Canterlot and punished severely by Princess Celestia, the most regal ruler in all the land.
"Do not fret, my love. I will find help," Fancypants replied. He did not try to hide the concern that was flooding over him.
"But... who in all of Equestria... would help two murderous runaways?.." the other answered in question.
Fleur's fiance quickly solved that problem. He motioned towards a sand-colored pony with a two-toned pink mane. The pony appeared to be female, and she also was staring, paralyzed in what the couple theorized to be fear, in their direction.
Fleur de Lis looked up at the mare with pleading eyes-it took all the energy she had left just to lift her head, her elegant pink-and-white mane brushing the ground. Unfortunately, as she was very weak from casting the sudden spell, she was only able to keep her head up for a few short moments before setting it back down again. She was completely helpless, and wouldn't be able to defend herself if anything-or anyone-decided to attack.
Fancypants lowered his head to his marefriend's own. "Please just relax, my love," he whispered, his lips brushing Fleur's ear softly.
She didn't have to reply for her fiance to know she was grateful. Instead, she closed her royal purple eyes, slowly drifting off into the depths of sleep as Fancypants gently caressed her hair. His calming, sky-blue eyes stayed on the sand-colored mare, who stood a few yards away. Finally, she walked over to the two other ponies, yet with a great amount of caution.
"Do not fear us," the gentlecolt told the mare. "We are searching only for a pony who may take us into their wonderful home with welcome and kindness. We need only a pony who may understand the conditions we are now living under. But most importantly, my marefriend needs rest."
The rose-maned mare nodded, seeming much less tense than before. "I can help with that. I'd be happy to. Besides, I might actually know what you're going through. Please, follow me."
Oh, great. I guess I'll have to take them to the abandoned duplex at the edge of town, the mare thought to herself, remembering what had happened earlier.
Pushing the image from her head, the mare began trotting northward, just east of the well-known Everfree Forest. "I'm Roseluck, by the way. Most call me Rose; I go by both," the sandy-colored pony said, introducing herself.
She turned partly around, still keeping her brisk pace, to see Fancypants had lifted Fleur up onto his back with his magic and was using it to keep her steady. The elegant unicorn was surrounded by a soft golden brown aura, and her fiance's horn was surrounded by the same magic put into a similar, multi-colored spectrum of light.
"I am Fancypants, and this is my fiance, Fleur de Lis. We travel here from Canterlot due to some..." The stallion hesitates, then finishes, "...misconceptions."
Rose raised her eyebrows. "Misconceptions, eh? What kind of misconceptions are you guys dealing with, exactly?"
Fancypants sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it all a secret between him and Fleur for much longer. Luckily, Roseluck stopped in front of an old, broken down building just at that moment. It looked like it had been set aflame, then been the major scene for a drunken brawl between at least twenty, full-grown stallions.
Roseluck pushed open the door with a hoof and led the other two inside. With every step they took, no matter where they stepped, the floor creaked loudly and the wood flooring felt like it could fall out from underneath their hooves at any moment. Fleur was surprised that she was uninjured by the time they reached another door, this one made of metal and wide open.
Again, the pink-maned mare led them inside. This time, though, she sat down on dull, moth-eaten, carpeted flooring and motioned for the couple to sit down as well, which they did.
"So, tell me," Rose said, "what exactly happened with you guys up in Canterlot?"
"Fleur and I were involved in an incident at the royal Canterlot gardens," Fancypants began. "Two mares started flirting with me. One of them followed us home and seduced me while Fleur was upstairs and I was asleep. The result was the mare was injured by Fleur and my poor fiance was about to be arrested for attempted murder."
"Oh, so you two are the unicorn runaways."
Rose was answered with blank stares. "What?"
"It was all over the newspapers yesterday. You know, The Canterlot Times. Except this issue was sent out all over Equestria, from Manehatten to Cloudsdale."
Roseluck picked up a very recent newspaper with her mouth and flung it towards the couple. It landed right at their hooves. Fancypants took one glance at it and knew it wasn't good. Fleur voiced his worries.
"This does not look good for us."
"You got that right. But don't worry, you guys aren't the only ones with a problem like this." Immediately after she stated it, Roseluck regretted it and threw a hoof to her mouth.
Whoops.
The high-class couple stared at her. "Did you almost murder somepony, too?" Fleur asked, obvious sarcasm flooding her words.
"I didn't almost murder somepony. I did murder, and I murdered not one, but two ponies." No hesitation.
Oh well. Nothing to lose, right?
Silence. Then, "Who'd you murder?" from Fancypants.
"I murdered my two dear sisters. They used me and treated me like a servant filly. I was sick of it, so I poisoned their martinis."
Another few minutes of awkward silence settled around the three ponies. Fleur de Lis broke it again.
"So... we're all wanted criminals, then?"
"Wanted criminals with bounties on our heads," Rose corrected her. "The police just found the bodies of my sisters a few hours ago but have no evidence it was me, but now everypony in town's keeping their eyes open for any suspicious activity."
"That's lovely, thanks," Fleur stated bitterly. "Now there's nowhere we can go without being caught and most likely executed by Princess Celestia herself."
Rose hesitated a moment before answering. She had a thoughtful expression plastered on her face. "So... you would go anywhere safe to avoid a humiliating, public execution right in Canterlot?"
"Yes," both of the ponies answered.
"There is one place I can take you... that hasn't been sent these newspapers, of course," Roseluck quickly added.
"What one place?" Fancypants asked almost immediately.
Silence.
"What one place in all of Equestria is still safe, Roseluck?"
