Fanfic - My Little Pony (G1)
Nov. 6th, 2012 04:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
strongheartmaid"Megan! Get down from there," her cousin called. "Honestly, Megan," she muttered under her breath as she climbed the tree up after her. "You know better than to climb this tree. Your father's going to cut it next week because..." she started to say before the branch gave way. She braced herself waiting to hit the ground and break a bone or worse when she landed on something... Someone or something with fur.
Megan breathed a such quick sigh of relief at the fact that her cousin hadn't gotten hurt that she didn't notice who saved her until after they had touched ground. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock. What was he doing here? She had thought that when Tirek had been defeated that he had been restored to normal. Everyone else had been turned back to normal, thanks to the healing power of the Rainbow of Light. "Scorpan?" Megan asked, looking down at him from her spot in the tree before climbing down out of it. "What are you doing here?"
Her cousin glanced up at Megan's "hero" (the one that supposedly helped her during that final battle Megan claimed she had taken part in against the forces of darkness) and bit back a scream. Just what in God's name was Megan friends with exactly? "Ah, Megan, who or what is it?" she asked, struggling to get out of Scorpan's grip.
"His name is Scorpan and he's, well, something of a friend, I think," Megan admitted. Somehow, she didn't think her cousin was going to be too fond of that answer.
"You think?!" her cousin cried, prying herself finally free of Scorpan's arms. "He's either a friend or he isn't. So, which is it, Megan Marie Summers!?"
Scorpan merely cocked an eyebrow, looking first at Megan and then at her cousin. Maybe this was a mistake to come here... But the Moochick said he had to come so came he had.
"Scorpan, this is my cousin, Lise O'Hara. She's spending the summer with our family," Megan said, quick to do introductions, hopefully soothing her cousin's ruffled feathers - which didn't seem to be working, Lise was still bristling over something. "Lise, this is Scorpan. Ah, he's from that place I told you about."
Lise pursed her lips together and gave Scorpan the once over. "And I suppose he's a handsome prince in disguise as well," she said blandly.
Scorpan just tilted his head as he regarded the other female. "Is she always this talkative?" he asked, his voice still a bit gruff. What she said struck a little too close to home. He had been a prince once - a long time ago, long before Tirek's taint had settled far too into him to the point where not even the Rainbow could help him. Bitter, yes, he was - in spades. Nothing like having a stranger remind you of your past, when you didn't want to be reminded.
"Not usually," Megan admitted. She tilted her head in question, something was bothering her about Scorpan's sudden appearence. "So, what brought you here?"
"I'm going to suppose that the fairyland..."
"Ponyland," Scorpan corrected without batting an eye, before glancing over at the brunette who answered for him.
"Ponyland, I stand corrected," Lise said dryly. "That Ponyland is in danger and you're the only one to save it. Again."
Megan flushed at what her cousin said - no beating around the bush with currently very blunt cousin (she was never this blunt before - must have been because of Scorpan's sudden and unexpected appearence that was throwing her cousin into some form of a tizzy - which made no sense). "I suppose," she admitted. "But Scorpan, exactly how do I pull it off this time? It's not like I have Firefly to fly me back this time."
Lise looked at her cousin before introducing her face to her palm. "Megan, you daft or something? The man's got wings, he can fly you back."
Scorpan blinked at the answer. That.. wasn't exactly what he had originally planned. He was still hoping that one of those winged ponies would show up to help him out of this mess. Especially since both girls were needed for this to succeed. He wasn't sure why the young British girl was, but she was so he wasn't going to quibble - at least not out loud.
~~
~~
"Are you sure Megan landed this way, Scorpan?" Lise asked, looking up at him through a fringe of chocolate colored bangs. She flinched for a moment when he offered his hand to her before accepting it slowly, wincing as she put weight down on the ankle she hadn't realized she had injured. She whimpered softly before Scorpan scooped her into his arms, holding her so she wouldn't further damage her ankle. "I can walk," she vainly protested.
"And risk further damaging that ankle?" he asked bluntly, tentatively touching it, and noticing her wince - but unsure if the wince was because he touched her or because she was hurting from how she had landed on her ankle. "It'll be best if I carry you until your ankle heals enough for you to walk."
"You sure?" she asked, reluctance clear in her voice. She didn't want to have him carry her, have him stir up some unexplained, unwanted emotion. Besides, if he was a prince, then it wouldn't do for her to get so attached. Probably had some princess just waiting for him to be freed of his curse so they could go get married and have cute little babies... and God, why was she thinking about this, about him like that? She had to come to grips with this silly schoolgirl crush before she said, did something she'd regret.
"Do you see anyone else out here that could carry you?" he asked, gesturing to the vast expanse of nothingness - well, with the exception of those sand dunes over to his left. If he had been able to blush, he would have out of embarrassment for dropping her onto the ground after he gestured with his hands. "Sorry," he muttered, not sure if she heard it, not caring if she did.
"Point taken," she said before noticing his own injury. "Um.. Scorpan.. you sure you want to do this? I mean, you are injured," she added, biting her lower lip as she looked at the shredded left wing.
He glanced over his shoulder, and then back at her. "Just climb on," he said, bending down so she could climb onto his back.
"Oh-okay," she said, climbing onto his back, wrapping a pair of thin arms around his neck. She closed her eyes tightly, trying at once not to think about how wrong this looked and not think about how much this could be hurting him.
He glanced over his shoulder, noting the pallid complexion of his reluctant traveling companion. "Don't worry," he said finally. "We'll find your cousin, then we'll get to the Moochick and then we can find out how to save this world."
"I wish I had your faith," she admitted softly.
"Faith's all I have left."
~
"So, what's your name?"
"Megan told you. Scorpan," he said bluntly, wondering what the hell brought this on. Well, besides the fact they had been walking for hours without saying anything, that conversation was bound to creep up so they didn't go mad whilst out in this deserted track of land.
"I know that," she said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes, even if she knew he couldn't see her do so. "I meant... What was your name... before?" her tone softened when she asked that question, as if she wasn't sure if this was forbidden territory to bring up.
He paused midstride, before glancing over his shoulder to look at the girl, the one girl who dared to ask about his past. "I.. don't remember. I've been called Scorpan for so long that.. I barely remember my life, my identity from before."
"Surely you remember something?" Lise asked, her voice growing soft as she was slowly drifting off to sleep.
"Vague things. I.. I was a prince once, til Tirek took over my kingdom, using his dark magic to turn me into this... this thing," he muttered bitterly.
"Well, that's a start," she said, a yawn clear in her voice.
"I.. suppose," he said gruffly before noticing that her grip had slackened. He sighed as he glanced over his shoulder and saw she had fallen asleep. He stopped and gently untangled her fingers from his fur and laid her down on the sand, settling down next to her. He wouldn't sleep - not that he couldn't, too many nightmares from what he had done while he had been a loyal servent of Tirek's plagued him, robbing him of a sound night sleep. He glanced up at the stars that were just starting to twinkle and reached up, trying to touch one. "Forever out of reach," he said softly, whether he meant the stars, his own memories or what he was starting to feel for the girl beside him - only he knew for sure, and he ...wasn't sure at all. Maybe one, maybe all.. Too early, too difficult to tell.
~
"Lise short for anything?" he asked during their walk the next day.
"Just that," she said, shrugging as best she could and hoping that it didn't trigger her to fall off. "Parents liked the name so, away it went." She winced again as her ankle began to throb again.
"You and Megan close?"
"What brought that up?"
"Curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"I'm not a cat."
"Coulda fool me with all these questions."
"Meow," he deadpanned finally, his reptilian style lips quirking up at hearing the faint laughter that his comment had earned. "You okay?" he asked when he heard the laughter fade into faint whimpers. He slowly lowered her to the ground and removed the shoe and sock and examined her ankle, his clawed hands infinitely gentle as he touched her bare skin.
"Hurts," she whimpered.
He frowned as he felt the break he hadn't felt earlier in their ardorus trek. Damn, time was really against them - her injured ankle would slow them down even more if left untreated, and they were still days away from where Megan could have been or where the Moochick was. "C'mon," he said, moving so she could climb back onto his back so he could carry her. "Just a little more, Lise," he said as gently as he thought he could be capable of. "Just a little more. Almost there. I can sense it."
"Promise?"
He nodded.
"Kay," she murmured, climbing slowly back onto him.
~~
~~
"You made it!" Firefly cried, sounding relieved when Scorpan treked into view. Her eyes widened a little when she saw him helping the injured girl off his back, acting ever so gentle, ever so tamed. This was definitely an improvement to the Scorpan the ponies had dealt with before.
Bowtie whickered softly, nudging the pink pegasus with a hoof. "Stop staring," she lightly admonished. "It's not polite and you know he feels about being stared at."
"But look," she protested, directing the blue toned earth pony to look at Scorpan and the girl. "He's helping her."
Bowtie allowed her gaze to drift back over to the demonic male and the human girl. "Hmm.." she mused, not voicing any of her thoughts aloud, wanting to think more on the situation later. "Go tell Megan that they're here," she said, shooing the pegasus off. Her eyes drifted back to gaze at the pair, trying to discern what she was seeing.
Twilight approached Bowtie quietly, standing nearby. "You're worried," she said quietly, flicking her white tail lazily.
"They're injured," Bowtie said, nodding at the healing wing and the way Scorpan was carrying the girl, keeping her off her left ankle. "Not a promising start to this quest."
"Hmm," came the response from the pale rose unicorn. "Not promising indeed," she consented, "but we have to make do with the hand we've been dealt." She whickered softly, glancing over at the nursery where the babies were sleeping. "Poor dears are so worn out."
Bowtie nodded and glanced over at where Twilight's gaze had fallen. "Twice a victim," she said, noticing how the pale purple earth baby trembled in her sleep. "I'll watch over Ember tonight. You get some rest. You need it more then I do."
"I wish."
~~
~~
Lise stood away from the others, a melancholy smile crossing her lips as she watched them celebrate. Ponyland was saved again, but at what cost? The man, beast, no, man she had fallen in love with was gone so why should she be happy? She sighed quietly and slipped out of the ballroom, the only sign that she had been there was the soft rustle of white silk. She reached up and ripped out the white roses that had been plaited into the mass of chocolate curls Megan had put in her hair, no point being so dressed up if there was no-one to show it to.
A tanned hand reached down and picked up one of the shattered white roses. He examined it, a small smile crossing his lips as he recalled those blossoms - or rather, flowers quite similiar to these now beaten blossoms. How her eyes lit up at receiving such a simple bouquet of flowers, how that smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear, showing off a row of pearly white teeth.
"Damn it," she whispered, rubbing harshly at her eyes, trying to destroy the evidence of her tears, smearing the makeup around her eyes. "You jerk. You promised me you'd come back. Why'd you have to be such a damn hero anyway?" She sniffled softly. "I knew it was stupid to fall in love with you, so why was it so damn easy?"
"Because, milady, with the death of the monster," an almost familiar voice said, breaking into Lise's heartbreaking musings, "could only then the prince he had been been redeemed, restored."
Lise whipped around, her eyes flashing in anger. "He wasn't a monster!" she snapped, angry tears sparking in her darkened eyes. "He was more human then half the men I know." How dare this stranger judge Scorpan like that - he didn't know him, didn't know about that gentle heart that beat within a monsterous form.
The man laughed and approached the girl slowly, taking in the girl's figure, his eyes drifting up and down her lithe frame clothed in white silk, looking every inch the princess he dreamt she was. God, she was beautiful while she raged in his defense, he mused affectionately. It was good to see that someone had dared to see beyond the furred demonic appearence and see the man he had been - when he hadn't been that man in a long time. "You didn't listen, little dove," he said, reaching over to pin a rose back into her hair, allowing his hand to linger on those dark chocolate curls he had dreamt of touching while he had been a monster, not daring to hope that she'd welcome his touch, too afraid that his monsterous form would hurt her if he touched her. "Or rather, you did listen, but chose to ignore the rest of what I had said. The monster had to die so the prince could be restored."
"Prince?" she repeated, her skin paling a little. She looked up into his face, trying to find out if he was lying or telling her the truth. There, her eyes crinkled up as she examined him closely, there was her answer. "Scorpan?" she ventured, her voice quivering, breaking.
"Yes," he said softly, allowing his voice to take on his former form's gruff tones to allow her to remember, to recognize. "Or rather, I was," he confessed.
"Got a real name?"
"It's been so long that I've forgotten, I'm afraid," he said with a self mocking laugh. "I'm afraid you'll have to name me."
Lise laughed and leapt into his arms, snuggling close, relieved that her monster was still there, still with her, even if he was now human again in appearence. "Be careful with that suggestion," she teased playfully. "I might.."
"You can still call me by that," he said, holding her, savouring the feel of her in his arms - his all too human arms. "He'll always be a part of me. And even now, I can feel him beneath my civilized appearence, my human appearence."
"So... that means...?"
"One day at a time, darling, one day at a time."
"Darling?" she repeated, blushing.
~~
~~
Lise curled up into her husband's arms, walking the path with him. Spike raced on ahead, something about wanting to let the ponies know. "Mmm," she murmured, looking up into his blue eyes. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Just thinking about how I never dreamt this day would come," he said, glancing down at his young wife. "I thought I'd be that monster forever with no hope of redemption."
"Mmm.." she murmured, her thoughts distant as she thought about what they had gone through, her left hand resting on her stomach absently, lightly.
"Looks like we're going to have a new generation of royalty," Paradise said, flicking her dark orange tail as she approached the young couple, her eyes catching Lise's unconcious gesture. "The perfect ending for the legend of the Beauty and the Beast."
Lise blinked for a moment before bringing her right hand up to hide a laugh behind it. "I suppose you're right, Paradise. But what new generation?" she asked confused. What was Paradise talking about? And dear Lord, a legend about them already? Too soon for legends and stories about them, way too soon.
"I think she's referring to the fact you're expecting," a soft spoken pale blue earth pony said, biting her lower lip and tilting her multicolor haired head slightly. "Otherwise, I'm not sure what she's talking about."
"Sweet Stuff, Paradise, what are you...?" Lise started to ask before glancing down to see that she was resting her hand on her stomach, just like how her aunt had rested her hand while she was carrying young Molly. "Um..?"
'Scorpan' blinked his blue eyes and smiled, laughing softly. "I wonder... shall it be a young prince or a young princess?" he asked, resting his hand atop hers.
Lise offered him a soft smile before growing quiet, worrying about something, but not knowing how to voice her fears without upsetting the happy mood everyone was in. Although, her worried expression tipped off the others and relayed her unspoken fears, especially when she started to bite her lower lip, a trait she only expressed when she was worried about something drastic.
'Scorpan' pulled his wife close to him, rubbing her back. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, my darling," he whispered, wishing he knew how to comfort his wife when he knew it was his fault, his past that brought these fears, these worries to her. God, how could he have forgotten about the monster he had been? If the baby... He held her tighter, praying for a miracle.
Paradise looked at Sweet Stuff, confusion on her snow white features.
Sweet Stuff bit her lower lip before mouthing the name of the monster that had haunted the couple - the monster the prince had been thanks to Tirek's dark magic.
Paradise's green eyes widened as she realized and she glanced worriedly at the young couple. Tirek may be long dead but his dark magic still affected all of Ponyland. And to think that they had merely been worrying about what Hydia and her daughters would do if they were to learn about the future heir. She shuddered and turned to the prince. "We'll talk to the Moochick," she said firmly. "Surely he'll know."
Megan breathed a such quick sigh of relief at the fact that her cousin hadn't gotten hurt that she didn't notice who saved her until after they had touched ground. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock. What was he doing here? She had thought that when Tirek had been defeated that he had been restored to normal. Everyone else had been turned back to normal, thanks to the healing power of the Rainbow of Light. "Scorpan?" Megan asked, looking down at him from her spot in the tree before climbing down out of it. "What are you doing here?"
Her cousin glanced up at Megan's "hero" (the one that supposedly helped her during that final battle Megan claimed she had taken part in against the forces of darkness) and bit back a scream. Just what in God's name was Megan friends with exactly? "Ah, Megan, who or what is it?" she asked, struggling to get out of Scorpan's grip.
"His name is Scorpan and he's, well, something of a friend, I think," Megan admitted. Somehow, she didn't think her cousin was going to be too fond of that answer.
"You think?!" her cousin cried, prying herself finally free of Scorpan's arms. "He's either a friend or he isn't. So, which is it, Megan Marie Summers!?"
Scorpan merely cocked an eyebrow, looking first at Megan and then at her cousin. Maybe this was a mistake to come here... But the Moochick said he had to come so came he had.
"Scorpan, this is my cousin, Lise O'Hara. She's spending the summer with our family," Megan said, quick to do introductions, hopefully soothing her cousin's ruffled feathers - which didn't seem to be working, Lise was still bristling over something. "Lise, this is Scorpan. Ah, he's from that place I told you about."
Lise pursed her lips together and gave Scorpan the once over. "And I suppose he's a handsome prince in disguise as well," she said blandly.
Scorpan just tilted his head as he regarded the other female. "Is she always this talkative?" he asked, his voice still a bit gruff. What she said struck a little too close to home. He had been a prince once - a long time ago, long before Tirek's taint had settled far too into him to the point where not even the Rainbow could help him. Bitter, yes, he was - in spades. Nothing like having a stranger remind you of your past, when you didn't want to be reminded.
"Not usually," Megan admitted. She tilted her head in question, something was bothering her about Scorpan's sudden appearence. "So, what brought you here?"
"I'm going to suppose that the fairyland..."
"Ponyland," Scorpan corrected without batting an eye, before glancing over at the brunette who answered for him.
"Ponyland, I stand corrected," Lise said dryly. "That Ponyland is in danger and you're the only one to save it. Again."
Megan flushed at what her cousin said - no beating around the bush with currently very blunt cousin (she was never this blunt before - must have been because of Scorpan's sudden and unexpected appearence that was throwing her cousin into some form of a tizzy - which made no sense). "I suppose," she admitted. "But Scorpan, exactly how do I pull it off this time? It's not like I have Firefly to fly me back this time."
Lise looked at her cousin before introducing her face to her palm. "Megan, you daft or something? The man's got wings, he can fly you back."
Scorpan blinked at the answer. That.. wasn't exactly what he had originally planned. He was still hoping that one of those winged ponies would show up to help him out of this mess. Especially since both girls were needed for this to succeed. He wasn't sure why the young British girl was, but she was so he wasn't going to quibble - at least not out loud.
~~
~~
"Are you sure Megan landed this way, Scorpan?" Lise asked, looking up at him through a fringe of chocolate colored bangs. She flinched for a moment when he offered his hand to her before accepting it slowly, wincing as she put weight down on the ankle she hadn't realized she had injured. She whimpered softly before Scorpan scooped her into his arms, holding her so she wouldn't further damage her ankle. "I can walk," she vainly protested.
"And risk further damaging that ankle?" he asked bluntly, tentatively touching it, and noticing her wince - but unsure if the wince was because he touched her or because she was hurting from how she had landed on her ankle. "It'll be best if I carry you until your ankle heals enough for you to walk."
"You sure?" she asked, reluctance clear in her voice. She didn't want to have him carry her, have him stir up some unexplained, unwanted emotion. Besides, if he was a prince, then it wouldn't do for her to get so attached. Probably had some princess just waiting for him to be freed of his curse so they could go get married and have cute little babies... and God, why was she thinking about this, about him like that? She had to come to grips with this silly schoolgirl crush before she said, did something she'd regret.
"Do you see anyone else out here that could carry you?" he asked, gesturing to the vast expanse of nothingness - well, with the exception of those sand dunes over to his left. If he had been able to blush, he would have out of embarrassment for dropping her onto the ground after he gestured with his hands. "Sorry," he muttered, not sure if she heard it, not caring if she did.
"Point taken," she said before noticing his own injury. "Um.. Scorpan.. you sure you want to do this? I mean, you are injured," she added, biting her lower lip as she looked at the shredded left wing.
He glanced over his shoulder, and then back at her. "Just climb on," he said, bending down so she could climb onto his back.
"Oh-okay," she said, climbing onto his back, wrapping a pair of thin arms around his neck. She closed her eyes tightly, trying at once not to think about how wrong this looked and not think about how much this could be hurting him.
He glanced over his shoulder, noting the pallid complexion of his reluctant traveling companion. "Don't worry," he said finally. "We'll find your cousin, then we'll get to the Moochick and then we can find out how to save this world."
"I wish I had your faith," she admitted softly.
"Faith's all I have left."
~
"So, what's your name?"
"Megan told you. Scorpan," he said bluntly, wondering what the hell brought this on. Well, besides the fact they had been walking for hours without saying anything, that conversation was bound to creep up so they didn't go mad whilst out in this deserted track of land.
"I know that," she said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes, even if she knew he couldn't see her do so. "I meant... What was your name... before?" her tone softened when she asked that question, as if she wasn't sure if this was forbidden territory to bring up.
He paused midstride, before glancing over his shoulder to look at the girl, the one girl who dared to ask about his past. "I.. don't remember. I've been called Scorpan for so long that.. I barely remember my life, my identity from before."
"Surely you remember something?" Lise asked, her voice growing soft as she was slowly drifting off to sleep.
"Vague things. I.. I was a prince once, til Tirek took over my kingdom, using his dark magic to turn me into this... this thing," he muttered bitterly.
"Well, that's a start," she said, a yawn clear in her voice.
"I.. suppose," he said gruffly before noticing that her grip had slackened. He sighed as he glanced over his shoulder and saw she had fallen asleep. He stopped and gently untangled her fingers from his fur and laid her down on the sand, settling down next to her. He wouldn't sleep - not that he couldn't, too many nightmares from what he had done while he had been a loyal servent of Tirek's plagued him, robbing him of a sound night sleep. He glanced up at the stars that were just starting to twinkle and reached up, trying to touch one. "Forever out of reach," he said softly, whether he meant the stars, his own memories or what he was starting to feel for the girl beside him - only he knew for sure, and he ...wasn't sure at all. Maybe one, maybe all.. Too early, too difficult to tell.
~
"Lise short for anything?" he asked during their walk the next day.
"Just that," she said, shrugging as best she could and hoping that it didn't trigger her to fall off. "Parents liked the name so, away it went." She winced again as her ankle began to throb again.
"You and Megan close?"
"What brought that up?"
"Curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"I'm not a cat."
"Coulda fool me with all these questions."
"Meow," he deadpanned finally, his reptilian style lips quirking up at hearing the faint laughter that his comment had earned. "You okay?" he asked when he heard the laughter fade into faint whimpers. He slowly lowered her to the ground and removed the shoe and sock and examined her ankle, his clawed hands infinitely gentle as he touched her bare skin.
"Hurts," she whimpered.
He frowned as he felt the break he hadn't felt earlier in their ardorus trek. Damn, time was really against them - her injured ankle would slow them down even more if left untreated, and they were still days away from where Megan could have been or where the Moochick was. "C'mon," he said, moving so she could climb back onto his back so he could carry her. "Just a little more, Lise," he said as gently as he thought he could be capable of. "Just a little more. Almost there. I can sense it."
"Promise?"
He nodded.
"Kay," she murmured, climbing slowly back onto him.
~~
~~
"You made it!" Firefly cried, sounding relieved when Scorpan treked into view. Her eyes widened a little when she saw him helping the injured girl off his back, acting ever so gentle, ever so tamed. This was definitely an improvement to the Scorpan the ponies had dealt with before.
Bowtie whickered softly, nudging the pink pegasus with a hoof. "Stop staring," she lightly admonished. "It's not polite and you know he feels about being stared at."
"But look," she protested, directing the blue toned earth pony to look at Scorpan and the girl. "He's helping her."
Bowtie allowed her gaze to drift back over to the demonic male and the human girl. "Hmm.." she mused, not voicing any of her thoughts aloud, wanting to think more on the situation later. "Go tell Megan that they're here," she said, shooing the pegasus off. Her eyes drifted back to gaze at the pair, trying to discern what she was seeing.
Twilight approached Bowtie quietly, standing nearby. "You're worried," she said quietly, flicking her white tail lazily.
"They're injured," Bowtie said, nodding at the healing wing and the way Scorpan was carrying the girl, keeping her off her left ankle. "Not a promising start to this quest."
"Hmm," came the response from the pale rose unicorn. "Not promising indeed," she consented, "but we have to make do with the hand we've been dealt." She whickered softly, glancing over at the nursery where the babies were sleeping. "Poor dears are so worn out."
Bowtie nodded and glanced over at where Twilight's gaze had fallen. "Twice a victim," she said, noticing how the pale purple earth baby trembled in her sleep. "I'll watch over Ember tonight. You get some rest. You need it more then I do."
"I wish."
~~
~~
Lise stood away from the others, a melancholy smile crossing her lips as she watched them celebrate. Ponyland was saved again, but at what cost? The man, beast, no, man she had fallen in love with was gone so why should she be happy? She sighed quietly and slipped out of the ballroom, the only sign that she had been there was the soft rustle of white silk. She reached up and ripped out the white roses that had been plaited into the mass of chocolate curls Megan had put in her hair, no point being so dressed up if there was no-one to show it to.
A tanned hand reached down and picked up one of the shattered white roses. He examined it, a small smile crossing his lips as he recalled those blossoms - or rather, flowers quite similiar to these now beaten blossoms. How her eyes lit up at receiving such a simple bouquet of flowers, how that smile seemed to stretch from ear to ear, showing off a row of pearly white teeth.
"Damn it," she whispered, rubbing harshly at her eyes, trying to destroy the evidence of her tears, smearing the makeup around her eyes. "You jerk. You promised me you'd come back. Why'd you have to be such a damn hero anyway?" She sniffled softly. "I knew it was stupid to fall in love with you, so why was it so damn easy?"
"Because, milady, with the death of the monster," an almost familiar voice said, breaking into Lise's heartbreaking musings, "could only then the prince he had been been redeemed, restored."
Lise whipped around, her eyes flashing in anger. "He wasn't a monster!" she snapped, angry tears sparking in her darkened eyes. "He was more human then half the men I know." How dare this stranger judge Scorpan like that - he didn't know him, didn't know about that gentle heart that beat within a monsterous form.
The man laughed and approached the girl slowly, taking in the girl's figure, his eyes drifting up and down her lithe frame clothed in white silk, looking every inch the princess he dreamt she was. God, she was beautiful while she raged in his defense, he mused affectionately. It was good to see that someone had dared to see beyond the furred demonic appearence and see the man he had been - when he hadn't been that man in a long time. "You didn't listen, little dove," he said, reaching over to pin a rose back into her hair, allowing his hand to linger on those dark chocolate curls he had dreamt of touching while he had been a monster, not daring to hope that she'd welcome his touch, too afraid that his monsterous form would hurt her if he touched her. "Or rather, you did listen, but chose to ignore the rest of what I had said. The monster had to die so the prince could be restored."
"Prince?" she repeated, her skin paling a little. She looked up into his face, trying to find out if he was lying or telling her the truth. There, her eyes crinkled up as she examined him closely, there was her answer. "Scorpan?" she ventured, her voice quivering, breaking.
"Yes," he said softly, allowing his voice to take on his former form's gruff tones to allow her to remember, to recognize. "Or rather, I was," he confessed.
"Got a real name?"
"It's been so long that I've forgotten, I'm afraid," he said with a self mocking laugh. "I'm afraid you'll have to name me."
Lise laughed and leapt into his arms, snuggling close, relieved that her monster was still there, still with her, even if he was now human again in appearence. "Be careful with that suggestion," she teased playfully. "I might.."
"You can still call me by that," he said, holding her, savouring the feel of her in his arms - his all too human arms. "He'll always be a part of me. And even now, I can feel him beneath my civilized appearence, my human appearence."
"So... that means...?"
"One day at a time, darling, one day at a time."
"Darling?" she repeated, blushing.
~~
~~
Lise curled up into her husband's arms, walking the path with him. Spike raced on ahead, something about wanting to let the ponies know. "Mmm," she murmured, looking up into his blue eyes. "Penny for your thoughts."
"Just thinking about how I never dreamt this day would come," he said, glancing down at his young wife. "I thought I'd be that monster forever with no hope of redemption."
"Mmm.." she murmured, her thoughts distant as she thought about what they had gone through, her left hand resting on her stomach absently, lightly.
"Looks like we're going to have a new generation of royalty," Paradise said, flicking her dark orange tail as she approached the young couple, her eyes catching Lise's unconcious gesture. "The perfect ending for the legend of the Beauty and the Beast."
Lise blinked for a moment before bringing her right hand up to hide a laugh behind it. "I suppose you're right, Paradise. But what new generation?" she asked confused. What was Paradise talking about? And dear Lord, a legend about them already? Too soon for legends and stories about them, way too soon.
"I think she's referring to the fact you're expecting," a soft spoken pale blue earth pony said, biting her lower lip and tilting her multicolor haired head slightly. "Otherwise, I'm not sure what she's talking about."
"Sweet Stuff, Paradise, what are you...?" Lise started to ask before glancing down to see that she was resting her hand on her stomach, just like how her aunt had rested her hand while she was carrying young Molly. "Um..?"
'Scorpan' blinked his blue eyes and smiled, laughing softly. "I wonder... shall it be a young prince or a young princess?" he asked, resting his hand atop hers.
Lise offered him a soft smile before growing quiet, worrying about something, but not knowing how to voice her fears without upsetting the happy mood everyone was in. Although, her worried expression tipped off the others and relayed her unspoken fears, especially when she started to bite her lower lip, a trait she only expressed when she was worried about something drastic.
'Scorpan' pulled his wife close to him, rubbing her back. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, my darling," he whispered, wishing he knew how to comfort his wife when he knew it was his fault, his past that brought these fears, these worries to her. God, how could he have forgotten about the monster he had been? If the baby... He held her tighter, praying for a miracle.
Paradise looked at Sweet Stuff, confusion on her snow white features.
Sweet Stuff bit her lower lip before mouthing the name of the monster that had haunted the couple - the monster the prince had been thanks to Tirek's dark magic.
Paradise's green eyes widened as she realized and she glanced worriedly at the young couple. Tirek may be long dead but his dark magic still affected all of Ponyland. And to think that they had merely been worrying about what Hydia and her daughters would do if they were to learn about the future heir. She shuddered and turned to the prince. "We'll talk to the Moochick," she said firmly. "Surely he'll know."
