CRUEL BEAUTY

~Celestia

Celestia froze.

Her mother's voice rang through the dim corridor the unlikely trio was standing in, then there was silence. They turned to face a white mare with a flowing golden mane. A cruel snarl was etched on her face, spoiling her would-be pretty face.

"Mother!" Celestia said, a note of fear creeping into her voice. She nervously looked at her companions, Surprise had a starstruck look on her face, not at all noticing that Queen Silver's snarl was mainly directed at her. Discord was simply frozen, like a statue.

Queen Silver advanced menacingly, towering over them all (except Discord, who had to duck just to see the queen eye-to-eye.) Celestia shrank back from her mother, terrified not only for herself but for her friends. Surprise seemed to have finally realised the danger they were in, and had crept behind Discord.

"I thought I told you to stop seeing this monstrosity." Discord flinched. "And what is that pauper doing in the castle?" Queen Silver said, emphasising pauper like it was a disease. Celestia opened her mouth, but no words came. Surprise gulped, bringing the Queen's icy gaze to her and Discord. "Leave. And never let me see you ever again!" The Queen growled in a dangerous tone. The two fled for their lives. Celestia hoped that they would be alright, and that one of the guards didn't catch them and throw them in the dungeon.

"And as for you-" Queen Silver began.

"Mama?" a small voice said, cutting off the Queen. She turned to see a small blue alicorn with wide eyes. "Luna!" The Queen said, but the filly's eyes filled with tears. Celestia was reminded of the first time she had learned her mother was evil. The Queen had always treated Luna like a precious gem, concealing her true self from her naïve eyes. Luna's blue aura was tugging at the ear of a stuffed teddy bear, half of the body touching the cool marble floor. She ran off quickly, the Queen following. Celestia sighed in relief. Her sister may only be a few years old, but she had probably just saved her life.

~Sparkler

Sparkler was just taking her saddlebags off when she heard her pompous father chatting- well, arguing- with her mother. The door slammed and she shot up, brushing her unruly mane into decent shape and walking downstairs. He parents ignored her, as usual, and set their posh dragonskin saddlebags on their intricately carved pine table. Sparkler sat herself down on one of their antique velvet chairs silently, levitating a book on Equestrian etiquette that was more for show than for reading.

"Sparkler." Her father's voice surprised her, and she looked up at him. His mouth was curled in a smile, or at least as close to one as her father could get. "We've been chosen to dine with Queen Silver tonight! Make sure you dress up in your best clothes, you want to make a lasting impression on her majesty. Who knows? Maybe you'll become one of her royal mares-in-waiting when you are of age."

Sparkler's blood ran cold. The Queen didn't just ask to dine with you. She must have seen her outside, or at least one of her guards had. She was lucky her parents were so used to ignoring her, otherwise they would have discovered her new cutie mark. She would have to hide it from now on.

"It will be an honour." She replied, not letting any of her true emotions worm their way into her voice. She excused herself with the explanation of putting her dress on, but she could tell her parents weren't listening. When she was upstairs she took out a small spells book. Her parents had never shown any attention towards her magical development and thus kept no spell books around the house. She had smuggled this from a market bookseller. She quickly flipped to the page on making your cutie mark disappear.

Her small horn glowed light purple as she muttered the incantation under her breath. The aura spread from her horn to her new cutie mark, and the mark slowly faded away. Sweating both from the fact that the spell had zapped her of her strength and the fear of what she was doing, and what her parents would say if they ever found out, she quickly dabbed at her forehead with a handkerchief and slipped on her best scarlet dress.

Tonight she had to be brave.