Spell Mannor [Ponyville] (Open)

[Skycoaster]

Tarot would laugh. "Don't worry. Nopony gets hurt. We just give the young lad some nightmares...er um...dreams of possible situations where you are not in his life...then one where you are his..." Tarot would gulp as she said the next part, "...special somepony...Shock the young lad into realizing what he has." Tarot would sigh. Though she longed for a more powerful demonstration of her abilities, she knew that the nightmare option was the best option, especially with the Royal Sisters retired. She'd chuckle under her breath. Perhaps she could add dream walker to her list of abilities next.

 

"I do have one question for you though Moonlight, and you must be honest... what was the official fate of his colthood best friend, Valen Orange? Death? Moving away? Abducted by changelings? I sincerely hope that his best friend didn't ghost him. Oh the trauma that would have caused." She'd scoff. "I bet he'd plan to take over the School of Friendship if that where true," she'd say sarcastically.

[SteelEagle]

 

Moonlight was in the mood for admissions today, thoughts of many passions floating in equal measure disgust and desire to the forefront. It felt wrong, deeply so, to manipulate somepony in their own dreams. She didn't want to hurt him, but hurt came in many flavors and emotional harm was equal to physical harm in most ways that mattered, if not even worse. But then again, if this was all for the best then was it even harm? It didn't feel like harm, the outcome. And she knew it was right for him to see the clear error of his ways, and come to his own conclusion. Well, by his own conclusion she meant the right conclusion. They would be one and the same anyway over time, right? She bit her lip. "I mean, ponies like dreams but...like...I don't think it's...like, I dunno, kosher? Especially since he has sleep troubles. I don't want to be troubling his sleep more than needed...but...I-I don't know..." she bit her lip harder before her eyes narrowed in focus, thinking of what followed.

 

What was she planning on saying about Valen? Well, her hope was to never say anything. They all had colthood fillyhood friends that you drifted apart from. You didn't lose sleep over it. She hoped to just not have it come up, bit like most things in her life it wouldn't work put as easily as she liked. "I...don't, like, have a lot of thoughts on it. I was totally hoping it would just not come up. I mean, like, stick a cupcake in my eye but I was just hoping he'd kinda, like, just think of Valen as a friend from the past. I mean, like, okay, see, like...I mean, I know, right? But, like, I don't, like, know-know when the right time is. Very confusing, right? So I was hoping it just wouldn't come up. Simple, right?"

[Skycoaster]

Tarot would let out a sign as she listened to Moonlight. "I see... If you don't want me to interfere with your friend's dreams so be it...," she said with irritation in her voice. "I knew you where a goodie four hooves, but at least I know that you have boundaries. Just know, as you grow older, they will be tested even further," she'd laugh. "Now then...lets check our other options. Love potion perhaps? No, too old fashioned. Perhaps simple is the best. Why don't you take the first step if the colt is too shy," as she gave an evil giggle. "Put him on the spot in front of all of your friends perhaps. Let the pear pressure make him crack...as you give him the best kiss of his life?"

 

"As for Valen...He will come up at some point, I can guarantee it." Tarot would wave her hoof over her crystal ball as her eyes glowed green. An evil smirk would grace her muzzle as the cloudy ball would clear to show a wedding chapel. A rather nervous young stallion stood at the alter with Prince BlueBlood officiating. The scene would pan to show Remington's family and friends on one side of the room. As it panned to the other, in the front row would sit the Apple family. In the seat for the mother of the bride, Valen's mother. Tarot would chuckle. "And here comes the bride now." The ball would show Moonlight Glitter in her dream wedding dress making her way down the isle. Her father...Valen's...giving her away. She'd look up to Moonlight with a smirk. "Well...that's one way to find out, isn't it?"

[SteelEagle]

 

Moonlight rolled her eyes, but it was performative. For her own sake, own well being, because she was still scared. Telling Tarot no had been rough. The idea of pushing Remington did appeal to the selfishness that she knew helped feed some of the more positive aspects of her personality- self-worth and knowing she deserved to be happy. But she wasn’t evil, not yet at least, and she couldn’t stomach hurting Remington even if she thought it for a good cause. She had almost said yes despite all that because was scared...and interested...but was happy with herself for saying no. Even if she was turned into a frog, she would be a frog with at least some principles and that had to count for something.

 

She hadn’t missed Tarot’s frustration. Part of it confused Moonlight. Tarot was in control, right? Wasn’t like she needed Moonlight’s permission to try things. Unless her strange magic needed ponies to consent? Or maybe she just got a kick out of trying to make ponies do unkind things. More likely, she got her kicks through a bit of chaos. Which is why the idea of ambushing Remington with her affections in public appealed to her. And frankly, the boldness of it appealed to Moonlight, too. She giggled and then put her front hooves on the table. “Ooh, good idea,” she said before pantomiming how she imagined it going down. She puffed out her chest and flicked her tail alluringly, her back straight and leaning forward.
“Heeeey Remmy!”
She then pretended to push glasses up on her snout. “Oh, uhh, hi Moonlight,” she purred out, her voice deeper.
She returned to flirting position. “Oh shush, you hot little nerd,” she said as she pretended to pull somepony in close and then, only half-intentionally, fell down as if somepony was getting on top of her for a wild makeout section. And not at all intentionally, fell onto the floor.
A moment later, she perked back up, a little embarrassed but mostly smiles as she moved her mane back into place. “Ohh, with less horn and more wings, but you get the picture,” she said, hoping the show gave Tarot a bit of fun.

 

Then she got to see the wedding, which is where things took the turn for weird. And the awesome. And scary. The wedding looked wonderful. The dress she had on was something she had doodled with Rarity one day while working on their school uniforms. It was a beautiful day, and Blue was there to officiate- that lined up, that was who she wanted to do it. Blue had a bit of an understanding about what she went through, after all. The Apples were there, including ponies that Tarot could not have seen- and the Oranges, too. Remington’s friends and families. It was then that she realized just what Tarot was saying, and she wanted to vomit.

 

If she really did want this to get as serious as her tiny, romantic heart wanted it to get, then she’d have to tell him. But the idea of how he’d react...it made her want to go crazy! She felt her head spinning. The wedding had looked so good, so perfect, but it couldn’t happen unless she just told Remington the truth. “Oh, sweet buckin’ nightmare fuel,” she groaned, slamming her head once, twice, three times on the table. “Buck buck buck. It looked so good, too! That dress looked so great, everypony is so happy, but like one moment more and CHAOS. All because I’m so buckin’ stupid. But it- I- UGGH, so grody. Like, I feel like it would be wrong to lie ‘cause it is! But if I tell him the truth, he might freak out! And I-” she hit her head again. “Tarot, why couldn’t you have just told me some lottery numbers? Uggh. Gag me with a spoon, why does life have to be so hard? Instead, I have to have this dumb love interest with, like, a hot nerd former friend. What am I, a soap opera? Le sigh. What should I even do about it?” She moaned before rubbing her head. “Oww. I have a headache.”

[Skycoaster]

Tarot smirked at Moonlight's little act. "What stallion...or mare couldn't resist such a display. Remington shall be yours to love and cherish till you are both old and gray. You and Remmy-" as she almost gagged, "Remington are distended to be together."

 

Her reaction the wedding vision on the other hoof left Tarot more confused then anything. "Please be more careful with my table," she'd say glaring at the young unicorn. "It's made of Zap Apple wood and I'm sure your kin would be less then thrilled to have one cut down to replace it." She had to admit to herself Moonlight's antics where entertaining...at least to her.

 

"So, we have a few options... First, Just tell him the truth. Next, would be to disown your own parents, make them sit in the back after everything they have done for you." Waving a hoof, the ball would change to show Rarity waling Moonlight down the aisle before panning over to the back. The pain and sadness in there eyes could be felt just by looking at them. "

 

Tarot's smirk grew as she came to the third option. Eyes glowing green, candles glowing as well. "Lastly, my personal favorite. We make it as if Valen never existed...at least to little Remmy." Now a few strains of her bangs of Tarot's mane where standing up, looking like small horns. "Memory alteration. Perhaps...." she'd wave her hoof and the seen went back to the original wedding scene. "You get to keep your happily ever after, kin isn't hurt and your little nerd colt toy is non the wiser. I can see it now..."

 

The candlelight had  begun to fade as Tarot's eyes were now the brightest thing in the room. "The easy way is I just suck the memory of Valen right out of him...Poof. Gone. Your free to come up with whatever story you want to tell him on how your related to the Apples and Oranges....Or we can fabricate a memory of little cousin Moonlight playing with Valen and Remington in one or two of his memories." The ball would now show how cute Moonlight would have looks if she always was a filly. Bow in the back of her mane playing with the two colts. "Let's say she's visiting from... Canterlot. Related on your mother's side." Tarot would try to hide her laugh as she thought to her. "What do you say?"

[SteelEagle]

 

 

“Sorry,” she replied reflexively when Tarot asked her to be more careful. Truthfully though, it was much for her as to Tarot. That was stupid and it hurt. She was sure the wood would be fine. She wasn’t sure that Zap Apple wood really was any different from any others from a strength standpoint, but the Apples were reticent to let go of any tree that had borne that special fruit. She’d need to be more careful in the future. “I got a little carried away. It’s just, like, uggh, ya know? Like, blargh, barf,” she said sighing and leaning back as she took a deep breath and recentered herself as Tarot started detailing what could come next.

 

The truth was the simplest. But the hardest. She was afraid beyond all reckoning of how he may react. The second option was even worse somehow. She was sure he would find out someday if she had to be evasive about her past, and she was adding in hurting her very own parents! That seemed really mean. And very...unworkable. She was worried about the direction it had all gone, but did she have a choice. She didn’t really think that she did. Tarot was clearly enjoying playing with her but Moonlight didn’t want to see how mean the la jument terrible could get if provoked. Her mind raced but the course was closed and the laps endless, the pace stallion catching up with all the casual intensity of a storm over the horizon.

 

Memory alteration...that would be easier, right? And less...complicated. Maybe it would help make the relationship with her parents easier during the wedding if they weren’t a surprise. She thought about it. “Hmm….” she said, rubbing her front hooves together. “Hmm...that COULD...work. I mean, I told him that I was from San Flanknado- ya know, the valley, the beaches, the warmth- and that I had never been to Manehattan before. And, like, he had never been to San Flanknado before. Umm, but maybe we just change that. After that…” she nodded, “I mean, it doesn’t, like, seem mean or nothing. Distant cousins, not like I, like, visited Manehattan all that often. But, like, still enough to explain the Oranges being there. Right? Right?” She tossed her mane. “So...maybe that. And like, not a lot needs to, like, change. And then nothing else, so really is isn’t so bad?”

[Skycoaster]

"So San Flanknado then," she'd say with a grin. "Easy enough. And look what a cute filly you where. I love the Apple Bloom style bow you have on...with rhinestones non the less," she'd chuckle as the crystal ball now showed glimpses of a young Moonlight Glitter's trips to Manehatten. Once, maybe twice a year. Her appearances where subtle, sometimes only referencing that she was there as the memories of Valen remained as they where core to Remington's early foalhood. Tarot would give a sinister chuckle before continuing. The crystal ball would go back to the wedding, everything going as planned. Moonlight's father walking her to the alter like normal.

 

Tarot would lean back in her chair as she would levitate a candy bar....Remington's favorite to the table. "If you'll excuse me," as she plucked a hair out of Moonlight's mane. As her eyes glowed once more, the mane hair and candy bar would become one. "This is only for Remington to eat, understand?" As her horn continued to glow, the memories of a young Moonlight Glitter would be funneled into the bar. It would fall to the table and glow for a moment. "Now then....I do expect to be invited to this soiree. Close family friend of the Apples and apparently now the Oranges." Tarot would grin as she thought about all the high society that would be in attendance. All the free food she could eat and one other thing. "Perhaps in the meantime you'll have time to make my dress to addend your magical wedding...unless you want to pass it off to Rarity. Tell her that her old friend Solitaire is back in Ponyville. Now then, do we have a deal?" as she extended her hoof to Moonlight. 

[SteelEagle]

Aww, she was really pretty. Not a shock, Moonlight was always super pretty in mind and soul. The body just reflected that now, for real. She would need to solve other problems over time, but at least this gave her a solid foundation to build on. She ignored the screaming voice that this was wrong. Fear could do that, as could hope. Combined, she was simply a servant of her burgeoning emotions, a slave to the wave that washed over her. And once she saw the wedding go down without a hitch, she was certain that this was going to be a good move. She could bury her concerns as she buried her head in him. A good deal.

 

She was lost in that thought as she felt a small, quick pain as her mane hair was pulled. Her eyes furrowed momentarily until she saw what was happening. She watched as the mane hair was pulled into the chocolate bar. And yes, it was his favorite. Any doubts she had that this mare was the real deal was swept aside, and that pit of fear that remained was supplemented by awe. She was a unicorn and she lived in a magical world so it wasn’t as if magic itself was some new concept, but she knew this was different. She would kill to see how some of the higher, more powerful unicorns would react to this. 

 

“O-Oh! Well, like, duh. How c-could I not? As if, right?” She laughed, tossing her mane back to regain some composure, though her heart was racing. "How could I not invite you? You’ve made it, like, a lot less troubling. I’ll try and make a dress fitting for you! Or, well, I’ll try. I mean, like, Rarity’s totally got the eye for it. I’ll tell her what the deal is and she can, like, arrange something too!” She said as she took the hoof and shook it.
 

[Skycoaster]

The room would go black for a moment as Moonlight shook Tarot's hoof before all the candles would relight by themselves. The candy bar would glow green for a few moments before she would levitate it to Moonlight. "You must be careful that only Remington eats this bar, is that understood..." Tarot would smirk. "Also...don't profess your love till after he eats this. Things will go much easier if he thinks you've always had a filly crush on him."

 

Rising, Tarot would motion for Moonlight to follow her up the stairs. Reaching the top, the hidden door would open as Tarot would let Moonlight exit first. "So...do you still want the tour or do you have a lunch date?" she'd wink.

[SteelEagle]

 

The light show added to the mystique and awe that Tarot worked hard at ensuring dominated any great function of the mind. Moonlight felt the candles relight by the same strange aether that seemed to trickle and dance off the walls, malevolence and wicked joy radiating off off the green light that sucked in the shadows and dark places. It left her no place to hide but her heart and soul, and even there she was not certain of safety and refuge from Tarot’s prods. She took stock of the bar she had been offered and with all the heartiness she could muster, took the mutated, cursed object and stuffed it in her saddlebag. “T-thanks Tarot. I’ll make sure it gets put to, uhh, very good use. Like, the best use, haha,” she said as she got up out of the seat and started looking for the staircase out.

 

“Oh, I totally have a lunch date now, haha,” she said, her eyes darting to and fro to ensure she found it before she started to panic, following Tarot dutifully. “I’ll have to take the tour, like, a bit later. When I have something to...report! Yeah, that’s it,” she took a deep breath before they exited the staircase at the top, then allowed a smirk to sneak through her worries. “What’s your size, bee tee dubs?”

[Skycoaster]

Tarot would wink at the young mare. "And very important lunch date it is. I will keep a close watch on you and your little nerd." Her voice, though meant to be joking came across a bit more sinister then intended. Sighing, she'd guide the young mare towards the front door. "It's a shame that I can't show you the rest of the house this visit, but maybe by then, your cousin and I shall have more of the restorations completed, including that big second floor ballroom. Perhaps you may even want to have your wedding up there."

 

As Moonlight stepped onto the porch, Tarot would answer her last question. "Oh, it's been so long since I've had a fitting for anything fancy. Perhaps next time you stop by, you can take some measurements and we can look over some of your sketches. I do like red and maroon," she'd smirk. "Something inspired by the Prench Quarter perhaps? I will let you get going. I must prepare for tomorrow. I have the strangest feeling that the ballet is coming to town soon."

[SteelEagle]

Moonlight was happy to catalog Tarot’s dress ideas. After all, keeping her mind on something pleasant helped distract her from the gnawing sense of wrongness that seemed to escalate and infiltrate in measures equal and ferocious. The little candy bar she was toting around was dangerous and she knew in some ways it was a product of- well, if not evil, at the very least something unsavory. But she was beyond her ability to resist the sense of danger that was found here and was powerless to resist the degrees of threat that she knew instinctively oriented around Tarot. She kept her mind on the fact that it was in the end going to help make things better, and if that was the vase then it couldn’t truly be that bad. It would have to work for now, at least until she found something better. 

 

“The Prench Quarter- oooh, I can already see it on you. Filly, lookin’ fine, like, totally bitchin’,” she giggled as she got some distance from Tarot. Happy thoughts, happy smiles. Once she allowed herself to think of the ballroom and the future rather than the present, she perked up. Once she thought about getting out, she perked up. Once she thought about Remington….she perked up. “She still managed a solid smile. “Hey, like, you’re a miracle worker. I’ll tell you how it goes, ‘kay?” She said with a wave before trotting, then galloping away.

*******************************

The next day, Solar Swing swung back around.,
Like everything else Solar Swing had done lately, the knocks came haphazard, imprecise, and more than a little languid. Canterlot by birth but increasingly Stalliongrad by heritage, Solar Swing was still hungover from last night. He wore a look that would have concerned himself, his family, his sister, his husband. He was not doing okay. 

[Skycoaster]

Tarot found herself out of the manor picking up some things in town. She wore the cloak that Moonlight Glitter had given her as she made it back to grand old home near Sweet Apple Acres. As she reached the porch, she’d first take note of the smell of alcohol before catching site of Solar. Groaning, she’d walk up to him.

“Looks like your luck ran out,” she’d say looking him over. “And no good luck charm on you? My oh my,” she’d say glaring at him. “This is what happens when somepony dose not follow directions to a T.” 
 

Opening the door, she’d point her hoof inside. “Well, are you just going to feel sorry for yourself or do you want to try to fix what’s wrong?” Sighing she would mumble. “So…I wonder who the bad luck attached itself too…”