Pony and the Beast: Prologue

Pony and the Beast

Prologue

Rose

~*~

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young foal prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar mare came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the mare away.

She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. When he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful, powerful alicorn. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart.

As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. A spell and curse of discord, no one would dare gaze upon him. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

Years went by, everyone forgot his real name, including the beast himself. His figure was so mangled and deformed, the servants called him Discord. The name eventually latched on, which became his only name.

More time passed. He fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

Until one day, a pegasus filly entered the castle...