"So, uh, King Sombra built this castle with magic?" Rarity asked her guide touristique, Blacky.
"Yes, he did." He answered calmly as he opened the castle's doors.
Rarity shuddered as cold air blew in her face. "Kind of like a haunted house in Nightmare stories Rainbow Dash shares on camping trips," she remarked.
The shadow looked at her strangely. "Er… no. This is the main hall. The Southern Hall, to be specific. That's a newly built hanger, for your guests." He pointed to a coat rack.
"Umm, okay. Is it me or is this place a little too… dark?"
"Not too dark to kill us off. Please come to the stairs, miss…?"
"Rarity. Just Rarity."
"Ah, Miss Rarity. Please take the stairs down." Blacky politely instructed. Rarity cautiously went down the stairs, aware of her surroundings. Something passed Rarity.
"Eep! What was that?!" Rarity yelped, nearly loosing balance and falling down.
"Another servant running by," Blacky responded, his eyes not changing shape. "Ah, here we are." Rarity found herself surrounded by glimmering black walls.
"The servant's quarters?" she estimated.
"Yes. Here is your room," Blacky pointed to the door near her.
"Ten?"
"That is your room number, Miss Rarity."
I'm not five, "Mr" Blacky. She grumbled inside her thoughts. She noticed the well sitting in the middle of the room. "You have a well down here?"
"Not currently being used. It was for prisoners that his majesty expected to bring after his conquer."
"I am a prisoner… right?" Rarity warily asked.
There was an awkward silence between them, with an occasional "Drip. Drip." Then Blacky finally answered to before Rarity went insane: "…in a way. You're not in bars, are you? So in general terms, non. Come, let's go back up."
The moment Rarity reached the South hall, somepony shouted "intruder!" and suddenly found herself surrounded by a few shadows.
"Um, hello?" Rarity smiled nervously, doing a little wave with her right forehoof.
"Ricka, Screa, and Bic, this is Miss Rarity." The nearest one to Rarity spoke, Blacky.
One of the shadows gasped- the one without a forehoof "a guest?!"
"No!" Blacky shook his head swiftly. By now, more curious shadows were slipping out, clambering in excitement.
"Our first guest!"
"Why did my king bring her?"
"Look at that ravishing mane! You know, I used to have my hair done like that!"
"A county bumpkin?! Is you-know-who crazy?"
"Perhaps master bought her to court her!" a squeaky voice said with a hint of amusement.
"No! No!" Blacky shouted desperately.
"Bring her to the dining halls!"
"Yes! She must been starving!"
"How gorgeous she is! I'm melting from her radiating eyes… and hair…. And that mouth…"
"Shut up Tyash!" the admirer was punched.
"Bereiten die Lebensmittel!" a pony with a german voice commanded. To Rarity's bewilderment, they picked her up all royalty style and dashed off to a room in the right.
"Blacky? Help?" Rarity squeaked.
"Oh, poor you! You must been frighten! Don't worry, we'll make it your best night here yet!" A shadow to the right sympathized.
"Quick, quick! Pull a chair, watch your hooves, Bonjo! You don't want her yelping in pain, do you?" One yelled a bit too late, Rarity squeaked in pain. Blacky was trying to make his way to her, yelling "no" and "stop" frantically.
The moment the unicorn was placed in her seat, the room went nearly dark, save it for the spotlight of a shadow. He was wearing a tall black hat, his crane on the right hoof. A piano was softly playing somewhere in the dark. "Welcome, Miss Rarity. I am your host, Peere. We hope to make you feel quite comfortable here during your visit. Now for your entertainment, we have swiftly and beautifully planned just for our very important guest. Now behold-" he waved the crane around with a sly eye, "the dining rooms presents: entrada"
"Now… Be.. our guest, Be our guest! Put our service to the test, tie your napkin 'round your neck, Rarity." Peree sang as some pony put a napkin around her neck.
"And as we provide the rest, Soup du jour, Hot hors d'oeuvres. Why, we only live to serve, try the gray stuff, it's delicious!" Rarity took a spoon and tasted it.
"Don't believe me? Ask his majesty! Here's Pudding, right from Drance. After all miss, it's (sadly) not Drance, and the dinner here is never second best. Go on, unfold your men-u! Take a glance and then you'll… be our guest! Oui, be our guest! Be our guest!" The candle around the room light up as the servants opened the door somewhere, carrying out meals.
The servants sang as Peree did a little twirl off the table: "Salad, cheese soufflé, pie and dumplings 'En flamble.''
Peree continued: "We'll prepare and serve with flair, a culinary cabaret! You're alone, and you're scared, but the banquet's all prepared. No one's gloomy or complaining, While the shadows entertaining, serving you! I do tricks with my little crane." Meanwhile, Rarity was getting spoonfuls of everything offering.
More shadows came in and sang with Peree. "And it's all in perfect taste that you can bet. Come and lift your glass, you won your own free pass-to be our guest!" Rarity took a small cup and looked in it.
Peree glared at the intruders, adding "If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest."
The room revealed a black crystal chandler, with shadows that looks like Pegasus flying around in chorological dance order. The room currently holding the servants sang (despite Peree's stare) "Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Get your worries off your chest! Let us say for an entrée, we've array; may we suggest: try the bread, try the soup!" The shadow pegasuses suggested as they swooped down and showed her their tray, "When the croutons loop de loop, it's a treat for any dinner. Don't believe us? Ask his majesty. Singing cooks, dancing seals!" The shadows stopped and looked around in a confused manner. Peree leaned in and whispered in Rarity ear, "we messed up. Excuse us, miss."
"What an entertaining meal! How could anyone be gloomy and depressed? We'll make you shout 'encore!' and send us out for more. So, be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest!" they hastily got back into the music. Blacky finally barged in and tried to rescue Rarity. Peree stopped him with a trip.
"Life is so unnerving… for a servant's who's not serving… He's not whole without a mas'r to wait upon. Ah, those good old days when we were free… Suddenly those good days are gone. Centuries we've been serving… Needing so much more than dusting, (like) needing fresh air, a chance to run in wind! Most days we just lay around the castle… bored and lazy… you walked in and oops-a-daisy!" Peree kicked Blacky into another room.
A small shadow presumably the size of a colt ran up to Rarity. "It's a guest! It's a guest! Thanks goodness, well I'll be lucky! Appetizers been served, and here (dinner) comes. We've the napkins freshly pressed, during desserts you'll want tea, and Rarity that's fine with us. While the shadows make their preperation'. We'll be here, I'll be singing. I'll get goods, just you wait. Celestia, you're so pretty! Just stay there, we'll get you very impressed."
Even more shadows came out and sang along with the colt. "She's our guest, she's our guest, she's our guest, be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Our command is your request, it's been long since we have anypony here, and we're obsessed with your meal, with your ease. Yes, indeed we aim to please while the candlelight's still glowing. Let us help you, we'll keep going course by course, one by one 'til you shout 'Enough! I'm done!' Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest. Tonight you'll prop your hooves up, but for now let's eat up. Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Please be our guest!" Everypony was on their maximum level of voice on their last note.
The ponies froze as Blacky suddenly flew in and King Sombra stormed in. "What in the hay is going on here?!" he demanded.
A shadow stepped forward. "Sir, we can explain this mess-"
"No! This is the first time any of you disobeyed me! Get out, get out!" he roared, slamming hard into the floor. The servants scurried out in fright and confusion. King Sombra whipped his head around and glanced at Rarity. Fear overcame her as she saw the furious anger inside his eyes. "You! Maid, follow me!"
"Ye-ye-yes sir," Rarity stammered as she leaped out of her seat. The king forcefully grabbed her left ear with magic and dragged her out of the room. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!" Rarity murmured, trying to catch up with the magic.
"How in the hay did you brainwash them?!" he hissed, not looking at her.
"I-I-I didn't! They just appeared out of nowhere and-"
"They're not supposed to have liberty to do that!" he snarled, throwing Rarity into her room. "The first thing you do tomorrow is polishing every corner of this castle!"
"Hey!" Rarity protested as he released her. King Sombra slammed the door and locked it. She quickly ran and pounded on the door. "King Sombra! King Sombra! Get here this instant! I didn't brainwash them! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?! Stop being such a baby, and get mature!" Rarity screamed furiously, starting to cry. Rarity turned around to find a guilty shadow pony looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry- I tried to stop them. Now we got them in trouble." He whispered.
"Are you Blacky?" Rarity fought to kept the tears in.
"Yes. They're not suppose to act like fools. I guess now mast'r discovered our deep secrets, we'll be quite troublesome to him." Blacky looked intensely at the floor.
"Blacky, how did you become a shadow pony?"
He bit his lips and lowered even lower. "I-I-I'll tell you later. I'm sorry. The whole castle are."
"How can I tell you apart?"
"Our voices?"
Rarity's scoff turns out more of a shaky sob. "I mean, you have no mouth, same eye color, no cutie marks, slightly different mane and body structure. Ooh, what if you say carrots every first sentence?"
"Like this? I mean- carrots like this?"
Rarity had to bite her lips to keep from choking with laughter. "Never mind. Just wear a purple bow tie."
"I'll try, it's extremely hard for us shadows to wear clothes since they-" he looked at her "usually slips."
"Then I'll have to make an extremely light material," the unicorn sighed.
Blacky took a note at this, "Better get to sleep before his majesty checks on you. Good night." And with that, he slipped through the wall.
Rarity groaned and crashed into her bed.
"What a day… what a day!" she muttered, breaking into tears.
Meanwhile, King Sombra was prancing around in front of the fire in his room.
"Master?"
"WHAT?!" King Sombra roared.
"We thought that she was-" the shadow said nervously as he walked in.
"Zip, why couldn't you and your pals listen to Blacky?" he growled.
"Yo-your majesty we swear it was a big misunderstanding. I swear! I-we thought she was your-"
King Sombra threw a bottle of ink at Zip, startling him. "Bring my dinner, the mare is a slave, nothing more" the shadow's master responded slowly, his nostrils flaring.
"Yes, your wish is my law, my king." He bowed, and then ran out.
King Sombra smiled in amusement as he went to his patio next to his room. "Finally, just finally. Something changed." He told himself as he prepared a spell. His horn glowed purple and a glass dorm magically formed, made to keep unwanted visitors out, and whatever bounded to him in.
A/N: Sooo... *ahem.*
Yes, I used "Be Our Guest" from Disney, Beauty and the Beast. Notice how I changed the lyrics because: The shadows are NOT inanimate objects, and there was meat. Ponies are not carnivores. I couldn't find a food that rhymes with some of the words, so they may seem a bit off. The pot was a female and there are currently no female shadows (no, Rarity will not become one of them. That is plain evil and cruel.) so I was like, should I get rid of that lyrics? I decided not to and replaced her with a colt. Please correct me if you find any of the French food that has meat in it. I will fix it. :)
I wasn't planning to use the whole song (sorry if your eyes are tried from reading the lyrics, lol.) but... meh. It gives us full experience. I just wanted to add more details but that was like, way too much work. Just image ponies giving you dishes (expressionless but with a happy eye), Pegasus flying around, Peree singing like crazy, Blacky banging on the door (muted by the piano), and that ridiculously cute colt bringing you tea.
In the movie, Beast didn't even come in when the silverware and objects sang. So I wondered: "What will happen if the Beast came in and interrupted their singing?" Let just say, that movie would become scarier. JUMP SCARE! CRYING CHILDREN! :(
Hungry for French food? :D Here's a french fry with a french dip and on a side of that, a french toast. (They're not actually from France. Lol.)
So, Au revoir! I know this is random but, proer de votre appétitfit. :)