Heartfinder (MLP Fan Fiction)

Strawberry Goodness

The dark black, spiked gates swung inward as the spinning gears began grinding on either side. As the sound bounced around the metal buildings around her, Blooming Rose shrunk back instinctively, shying away from growling sound of the gears just like she would for any wild animal. Statue-like guards lined every available space on the edges of the gates and nearby tower, with menacing swords that gleamed a slight blue as if they had been forged by hardening a moonless night sky. The walls of the gates circling the tower were at least 20 times Blooming Rose's height, making her feel like she was about to be swallowed whole by a beast. A white film stretched above the metal gates, extending into the sky and arching over to form a dome over the tower, similar to the small, ball-sized, antique force fields held in the museum back home, expanded to a monstrous size. As her legs began moving on their own accord, Blooming Rose's mind was held in place by the image of a large silver bear growling as she came deeper and deeper into its open mouth, as the gates swung in and over half a dozen locks began reengaging.

There were no words for the sense that the needle-like tower inspired, its fine tip pointed towards the gray sky. It was sharper than fear, darker than content, harsher than hatred, richer than awe. She was held in a trance until a hard slap connected against her back, snapping the connection. Looking up fearfully at the Butterwhat, Blooming Rose readied herself for a smirk, or another hit, the awful feeling still clinging to her mind. For that moment, the Butterwhat's stern features soften into a kind of pity, as if she was sorry for what she was about to subject Blooming Rose to. It lasted for only a second before her face hardened again and Blooming Rose was prodded toward the tower. It wasn't until that first feeling of pure fear had subsided and they were on the verge of a grand door that Blooming Rose realized that it was the first time the Butterwhat had ever hit her.

The intricate door swung open, revealing a grand throne room. Light flooded in from the back wall made of interlocking metal swirls, blinding Blooming Rose after the long corridor of dim electrics. Blinking her eyes quickly, she was able to make out a high black throne, made of sweeping tendrils of the black metal that seemed to grow out of the floor. It stood empty, and except for her and the Butterwhat, so was the room. While she glanced around the room make sure that they were alone, a white figure had taken a seat in the throne. The same strange feeling slowly crept into her heart. Blooming Rose didn't know why she was so afraid of the almost glowing, regal pony, but it didn't stop it from growing until she was petrified. The terrified look frozen on her face only made the white Butterwhat laugh, a cold, hard thing that bounced sharply on the walls. "Well what do we have here?" she asked sweetly. "Jir and the little anomaly I've wanted so desperately, three days late."

The Butterwhat bent forward until her face touched the cold floor. "My Queen, I was..."

Cutting her off was another cold, hard laugh. "Why Jir, how unlike you to give excuses. There is no worry. I'm sure you will make up for it in the next mission," she said sweetly, but despite the Queen's wide smile and Jir's stone face, Blooming could see the small drop of sweat splash onto the floor starting from Jir's eye.

"And she is completely unharmed, yes," the Queen added just above Blooming Rose's shoulder, causing her to startle slightly. "I want my new pet to be perfectly happy with us here." Even with Blooming Rose's determination to not be swayed, the distance between them made the strong, paralyzing feeling grow to a mind bending point. Everything in her field of vision took a slightly white haze as the power around the Queen began taking ahold. The conversation faded into a hum as a thread of thoughts took over her brain.

You are nothing. You are no one. You do not matter in the least. You will never amount to anything. You are worthless. You are hideous. You are nothing. You are no one. You do not matter in the least...

Any other thought was washed away, and she did not know time or reason as the power began taking over. The was no world outside the blankness and words. Just as she began to believe the thoughts, Blooming Rose saw one speck of gold in the mist, slowing blowing towards her until falling onto to her nose.

"Promise?" asked Cutedrop with her big blue eyes full of love and childhood stubbornness. Her sister was smart and wonderful, and just needed understand that. Then everything would be perfect and she wouldn't be sad.

"Promise," answered Blooming Rose, and Cutedrop smiled.

Blooming Rose clung to that smile as waves of self-doubt washed over her, pounding her into the ground only for her to hug tighter and rise up again. She wasn't nothing. She was priceless to a little pony that depended on her to get out of this. As she began her own string of thoughts, of memories of Cutedrop and Glen, the waves died and she began rising out of the sea of fear. She slowly rose out of the misty clouds until the hum grew stronger and she found herself once again in the throne room.

For some reason, Blooming Rose was situated on the floor with a strange lumpy object underneath her head. Lifting up her battered body, she followed the lines of what looked like a flattened muffin. Was it...a chef's hat? What business would such a ridiculous hat be doing here?

It was then when she realized that the loud hum behind her had stopped, leaving two strange ponies with surprise written upon their face, as well as what looked like strawberry waffles smothered across their features. The memory of the Queen's power slowly flooded in.

"How did you escape?" cried the Queen. "You are nothing."

"Someone like you could never understand," replied Blooming with a hard stare. She turned her attention to the short pony smiling up at her from underneath half a dozen Butterwhat soldiers. "I am so sorry for what I said Northern Lights. I do want to help Cutedrop more than anything. But I realized that the best way to help her is to help her help others. She would not allow me to make that sacrifice for your people." The black pony's beaming face was struck down by complete surprise.

"Do you really mean that?"

"With all my heart."

Northern Lights' face lite up, more warmth than light. It was like a small candle flickering to light in a dark room, with the light giving more than the heat, but the hope giving even more. It was a look of purest innocence and joy.

She then turned to bright blue figure that had still not moved from her position on the floor. "What do you think Butterwhat? The throne? Me too." Turning away, she walked up to the black throne, climbing as everyone stood still in surprise.

"No!" yelled the Queen, and met Blooming Rose just a moment too late before she touched the jewel sparkling subtly at the top. The entire room lit up in a flash of white light, and when it was gone, Blooming Rose had the glowing sword held high in the air, and as the heart shaped pommel on the end faded as Blooming Rose's necklace stayed bright. The Queen, crumpled at the bottom of the throne, struggled to attack Blooming Rose, but found her wings too weak to support her weight, and her legs too used to disuse to rise. "No!" she screamed. "Get her!" The guards shook themselves out of the trance and charged toward the bright pony. Parrying the first, Blooming Rose lifted up his gleaming blue sword outward and away with a clean bell-like sound, leaving him defenseless, then quickly stabbed him through the heart. Instead of hitting him, the blade went through him as if it wasn't real, and the guard's black exterior simply brighten into a brilliant purple and the cold look on his face was replaced by a sharp look of surprise. Blooming Rose flew through the room, hitting each and every guard right through the heart and brightening each and every one. Now, instead of the heavy black that had made the room so imposing before, bright neon filled the room, with smiling individuals who surrounded and shackled the Queen. Examining her handiwork, Blooming Rose then moved on to Jir, pointing the blade towards her heart as well as she flinched.

"Don't worry Jir." She stated. "You know how to get rid of the Queen's influence by yourself. Thank you for what you tried to do, and make sure that the Queen never gets that kind of power again."

Jir face filled with questions, but quickly composed herself and nodded.

"Come on Mr. Chef," said Blooming Rose as she used her free hoof to lift up Northern Lights. "It is time to meet destiny."