Chapter 14: Framed?
"Are you ready my dear?" Flim asked Rarity. They were in Rarity's dressing room watching as Applejack helped Rarity tighten her gown.
"No," Rarity admitted.
"Well now's the time to suck in all that doubt and move on with the show," Flam told her. Applejack pulled one last time before tieing the strings.
"Thank you Applejack," Rarity said.
"The curtains go up in thirty minutes," Flim told her.
"It looks like they're not going to head our demand," Discord's replica said.
"I guess not," the original responded. "I've told them twice in two separate letters. Now what to do about it?" Discord's eyebrows shot up. "I think I have a solution. Hopefully Rarity will forgive me."
"Ready?" Fluttershy asked Rarity.
"Yes, but I'm still nervous," Rarity said. "It'll be a miracle if we get through tonight without a hitch."
"Relax Rarity," Twilight told her. She put her hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "You'll do great."
"Thank you all," Rarity said. "I don't know what I do without you girls."
"The feeling's mutual," Pinkie responded. "Now let's knock this opera out of the park!"
"Booo!" Pinkie sprang into the air in shock.
"Ahh!" They turned to see Gus Tenor. "Gus!" Pinkie hugged him. "Good to see you."
"You too Pinkie," Gus responded. "Now would you please get off me?"
"Oh! Of course," Pinkie said. She got off.
"It's good to see you again," Rarity said. "But why are you here?"
"Oh just stopping by while I'm in town," Gus said.
"Rarity!" They turned to see Fancy Pants running in. "I need your help. Fleur is under a panic I don't know what to do."
"Oh, of course," Rarity said. "Excuse me." She left. The girls looking at Gus.
"What? I didn't do anything," Gus said. "I'm not responsible for EVERY mayhem that goes on here, you know."
"Well I'd check on Spike," Twilight responded. "It's good to see you again Gus."
"You too," Gus replied. Twilight then ran off to find Spike.
"In all seriousness, did you do it?" Pinkie asked. Gus shook his head.
"Even if I had I'd be there watching it not here talking to you girls," Gus responded.
"So how long are you here for?" Pinkie asked.
"Just till the end of the week," Gus responded.
"Good, cause I've got this prank planned for Fleur and Blueblood and I could use an extra hoof executing it," Pinkie said. "Think you can stick around long enough?" Gus smirked.
"Are cupcakes better with frosting?" he said rhetorically.
"Um yeah!" Pinkie responded.
"Then yes I'm in," Gus said.
"Great! I'd better start making that list of materials," Pinkie said before running off to her room. Gus chuckled.
"Always good to see her," Gus said.
"Discord, what are you up to?" Fluttershy asked seeing that they were alone.
"Up to? What makes you think..." Gus started.
"Because you always are," Fluttershy responded.
"Well not this time promise," Gus said. Fluttershy gave him the 'really' look. "Come on! I've never once ruined this why would I start now? Trust me no pranks tonight." Then Rainbow Dash ran up to them.
"Fluttershy! Rarity's lost her voice!" Rainbow exclaimed. "The brothers want you to fill as the Countess and Rarity will play the page boy. Hurry! The curtain's going to go up soon." Fluttershy ran off with Rainbow to the dressing room. Gus was surprised. His replica appeared besides him.
"Um...I don't remember doing that," the replica said.
"Never do I," Gus responded. "Yes that's what I was planning on doing but I still have the stuff we were going to trade it with. Odd." Gus ran off to where Fluttershy had gone.
"You'll do wonderful Fluttershy," Rarity said through a croaks.
"Thank you but please don't speak," Fluttershy responded. "Your voice needs to heal." Applejack pulled on the strings and then tied them. "Thank you Applejack."
"You're welcome sugarcube," Applejack said. "Now go blow them away."
The opera started off normally with Fluttershy as the Countess and Rarity as the page boy and Gus had changed back into his draconequus form and was in box 5. Discord was quite pleased the cast change and actually enjoyed this opera for the first time. Strong Wood was there too and watching from box 4. Everything went well for the first act and now it was intermission.
Discord decided to check up on Fluttershy as Gus during intermission so he put on his pony disguise. He was walking backstage when he saw a strange figure in a black clock in the middle of an open area of backstage.
"Hey!" he called. The figure stopped. "What are you doing back here?" He lit his horn and the figure teleported up to above the stage. Gus teleported up there too. The figure ran and Gus followed him but then the figure levitated the unconscious stage manager in front of Gus. Gus stopped. The stage manager had a rope tied around his neck and the figure held him over the edge of the railing.
"What do you want?" Gus asked.
"Something that you have," the figure said in a cold chilling voice. "Something that belongs to me."
"What are you talking about?" Gus asked.
"Great job Flutters," Rainbow told her. "You're totally blowing them away."
"Thank you Rainbow," Fluttershy responded. "Is Rarity's voice doing any better?" Rainbow shook her head.
"No, good thing that the page boy's part is silent," Rainbow said. "Otherwise she'd sound like a croaking frog on stage."
"Rainbow! That's not very nice!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"What? I'm just telling the truth," Rainbow responded. They then heard screaming coming from the audience. They ran and saw from backstage that the dead stage manager hanging from a rope. The lights traveled upward and they saw that there was a pony covered in a black cloak. The crowd and the cast gasped.
"It's him!" Rainbow exclaimed. "The phantom of the opera." The pony in the cloak then shook the cloak off revealing Gus Tenor! The cast was in more horror. Gus's eyes widen at being seen and quickly teleported away.
"Gus?" Fluttershy questioned.
"But why?" Pinkie said. "It doesn't make sense." Fluttershy cried and quickly to her room. She ran into her room collapsed onto her bed and wept. Discord walked out of the shadows.
"Fluttershy..." he started.
"Why!" she demanded. She turned to face him. "Why!"
"I didn't!" Discord responded. "I swear on my life I didn't. It was the this other pony in a cloak! I chased him up there and he dropped him. I tried to save him but while I was distracted he threw a cloak on me. Please Fluttershy you HAVE to believe me!"
"Why should I?" Fluttershy asked.
"Fluttershy, in all the time you've known me I've never lied to you," Discord said. "Why would I lie to you now? Please think about it." He then snuck away and went down into his cave. Fluttershy continued crying.
"How long has she been in there?" Strong Wood asked Pinkie.
"Ever since Intermission," Pinkie responded. "She hasn't come out and we've been trying desperately but nothing's working."
"Let me try," Strong Wood said. Strong Wood knocked on the door. "Fluttershy, it's me, Strong Wood. Please let me in." The door slowly opened allowing Strong Wood entrance. He walked in and Fluttershy hugged him while she continued to cry. "Ssshhhh. I'm here. It's okay. I'm here."
And the plot thickens. What do you think?