Hey guys, i am sorry i held on to this chapter for so long. I had to rethink how i wanted people to view this chapter. I am not going to say how much i want people to enjoy this story. Now, i may divert from Bride of Discord for some of the scenes. Some things may be different. I will explain some things at the end. Well here's to another chapter of Groom of Eris, but first some comments.

Hysteria Rogers: Really that's where DF got it from. It makes sense actually.

Guest: I know but I will probably bring it back if I ever get the chance to do audio drama of it.

Stephanie 123: If that is what you think, then I don't mind you liking Bride of Discord.

Disclaimer: I do not own MLP nor do I own the gender swap ponies. MLP is owned by Hasbro. No Copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 8: The Gift

Butterscotch was sleeping on his bed dreaming of Eris chasing him through the forest. Something about Eris always frighten him. Either it was her cruelty or her appearance. Either way, poor Butterscotch was running in the woods looking back seeing her chasing him.

"Why must you run, Butters. You know you can't resist me" The wicked voice of Eris grinned

"Go away" Butterscotch screamed

"I will never leave you alone, my love. You are my one and only. Nothing will ever keep us apart." Eris smiled

"That will be quite enough, you wicked being. Back to the shadows from where you hail." a voice roared as a dark Alicorn showed up and vanished the illusion of Eris for the moment.

"Prince Artemis" Butterscotch came to hug the Alicorn of the night.

"It has been a while, dear Butterscotch. Tell me how do you fair?" Artemis asked Butterscotch as the Alicorn landed on the ground.

"I am not sure, but I have been doing well" Butterscotch shyly smiled

"Wait, she hasn't harmed you at all? You are not in a dungeon under her castle? She isn't annoying you with some song? She isn't tormenting you for her own amusement" Prince Artemis's questions were quickly turning into an interrogation.

"No she isn't. She is trying to be nice to me" Butterscotch calmly explained the situation

"Butterscotch, Eris is a heartless being. She doesn't know the meaning of the word nice. i don't think it is even in her dictionary" Artemis coldly exclaimed.

"Well I think that she wants me to love her" Butterscotch commented

"Wait, she wants you to love her? I am most confused" Artemis felt a hint of curiosity as this wasn't something Eris would normally do.

"I postponed the marriage for the moment, but she wants me to love her first" Butterscotch looked to Artemis.

"Eris is a cruel and heartless. This is just a trick to her. She is trying to control your mind" Artemis told the younger Pegasus.

"I don't think so. She isn't…so bad" Butterscotch hesitated for a moment.

"Butterscotch, she has taken you prisoner, took you away from your friends, made you her groom" Eris threw situation after situation of Butterscotch's current predicament.

"But, she says she would give me whatever I want" Butterscotch remembering Eris's vow as his wife.

"What about your freedom? Will she give you that" Artemis asked him

This made Butterscotch halt his words for a moment. It hit him really deep that he can wish for all the cupcakes in the world, but he can never really be free from Eris's grasp. She will continue to haunt him for years and years, but never leave him alone.

Artemis had to leave, but Butterscotch didn't want him to. He wanted to learn about his friends and everything that was happening outside of Eris's castle. He didn't have much of a choice when he had to wake up.

Butterscotch sighed for a moment as he couldn't believe his dream. He looked out the window and then headed out the door. Butterscotch held Artemis's words to the core.

What about your freedom? Will she give you that?

XxxX

At breakfast, Eris made pancakes as she was cheerful as a song bird. Upon looking at Butterscotch, was the exact opposite. He looked like a cat messed with his hair. She looked around the kitchen gazing upon her brooms and mops sweeping up the cotton candy from last night. She looked back faced Butterscotch wondering what she should say.

"I take it you had a good night's rest" Eris tried to smile to make small talk to her guest.

"Yea" Butterscotch lied as he yawned. Eris could tell he hasn't had a good night sleep in years. His eyelids wanting to close forever, Butterscotch's deadpanned words, and his stretches to be a big indication of his sleep derivation.

Butterscotch looked at Eris. His mind was riddling at why Eris would need a Groom? It seemed out of place. He sensed a hint of loneliness within the creature. So, Butterscotch decided to give Eris the benefit of the doubt.

how bad could she be Butterscotch thought to himself

"I got you something" Eris rubbed her arm with her eagle claw and summoned a heart-shaped necklace that spelled her name as she put it around his neck. She attempted to flirt with him. Her attempts were stopped when he pushed her off him.

"Ah the question" Eris looked to him and grinned "Do you love me?"

Butterscotch almost choked on his food as the question came by surprise. He quickly remained calm and knew she awaited an answer from him "Ummmm No"

This process was like this for the next few days. Eris was trying in her attempts of wooing dear Butterscotch. However, his responds were always the same. Those words always angered Eris. Every time she would hear a no out of him, she would teleport to her room and bangs her head against the wall five times. She always held the same words when she received the no from him.

Why. Doesn't. He. Love. Me.

Recently, Butterscotch wouldn't come out of his room at all. He ate very little and only sat on his bed feeling a great deal of sadness. He stared at the walls and sighed.

A knock came at the door as it wasn't hard to tell who exactly it was. He opens it seeing Eris in a dress.

"Oh dear Butterscotch, your maiden in waiting has arrived" Eris curtsied as she glances over to watch his reaction.

Although, it was rather rude of him, he slammed the door in her face. This made Eris's ear steam outward. This was the last straw.

"Okay that is it" Eris growled as she torn off her dress and slammed it to the floor.

"I have done everything to get your attention, I have tried to sing, and I have tried to be nice, and I tried everything to get you to like me. I even wore a dress. A DRESS" Eris growled as she hated dress with all of her fiber and being. She then pounded on the door.

"Butterscotch, would you be so kind as to GET OUT OF THAT ROOM" Eris tries to smile and remain calm.

"No" He shouted from the door.

"YOU GET OUT OF THAT ROOM AND FACE ME LIKE A STALLION." Eris growled as she kept pulling on the doorknob. She had to calm down. She was over reacting to this. The goddess of Chaos and Disharmony needed to take this from a different approach.

"Will you come out pretty pleases with sugar on top" Eris pouted like a little filly hoping her adorable voice would win him over.

"No thank you" That was the last of his words that made her cross the line.

"YOU COME OUT OF THAT ROOM THIS INSTANT" Eris started her roars back pounding on the door.

"I will never come out of this room and you can't make me" Butterscotch said

"Have you forgotten who I am" She said as it was about to turn serious.

She used her magic to come inside the room. She lifted Butterscotch up by using her magic on his necklace and she levitated everything in the room as it started to spin around like a tornado. Eris and Butterscotch were right in the middle of the tornado. Luckily, they were being grounded by her magic.

"YOU PROMISED YOURSELF TO ME AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE MY HUSBAND LOVE ME OR NOT" Eris glared were meeting Butterscotch's eyes filled with fear.

"Fine! Marry me tomorrow, I don't care anymore because there is no way I will ever love you" Butterscotch turned to face her eyes with his. "I will never love such a creature that is mean and cruel. How do you expect anypony to love you when you are cruel to the soul? How do you expect me to love you when you can't even love yourself? If you keep acting this way, you will always be alone with no pony to love"

Eris widened her eyes as she snapped her fingers and most of Butterscotch's stuff fell down due to gravity and the only thing that managed to survive was Butterscotch's bed. Butterscotch was then levitated down and Eris left him. He knew his words were horrid to the goddess of Chaos, but he needed to be truthful to her, even if they were out of spite.

Eris walked out of the room as she suddenly swipes something that came from her eye. It was a single tear drop. In her life, there have been a few situations where she felt such emotions. She overheard the wails of Butterscotch's tears and moans of sadness. She first covered her ears to block out the noise, but Eris's heart was breaking apart from hearing her stallion's tears. For some reason, she felt upset that Butterscotch was crying. Why did she care about that? He was the one that hurt her. Yet, ever time he was crying, her heart was ripping apart like pieces of paper.

There has got to be some way of dealing with this She told herself

XxxX

Meanwhile, in Ponyville,

Applejack days have been spent on missing his friend Butterscotch, taking care of Butterscotch's animals and dwelling on another subject, Barbara. He was hopelessly in love with that dragon. He needed to think of a way of getting her to notice his feeling. He stares up at the sky thinking of a way of Barbara noticing his feelings.

"I've got it" Applejack raced to his room and grabbed the small box which held something that he wanted to give to Barbara for a while.

With his mouth, he pulled out a shiny red ruby from the box and kicked the box under his bed. He put the ruby in his hat and made his way to Dusk Shine's Library to confront Barbara with the ruby. He couldn't wait for Barbara to be bedazzled by his gift. It will be just the kick to convince Barbara to notice his affections. Even though Barbara wasn't exactly known for noticing things right in front of her, Applejack knew this would be the very push it would take her to notice that Applejack likes her.

"Ok, Applejack you can do this. It just takes a little push" He pounded on the door with his hoof hoping the dragon would answer his call.

He saw the door opening up. Applejack saw the purple Alicorn hard at work trying to find a way to save their friend Butterscotch from the claws of Eris.

"Sorry Applejack, Dusk Shine is busy" Barbara stated as she couldn't help but feel sad that Dusk Shine was ignore everything except food, using his magic to find another spell book and the occasional trips to the bathroom.

"Oh, I was hoping to see you Barbara" Applejack smiled "We can talk outside"

Barbara slowly closed the door as she looked to Applejack "So what did you need?"

"Ummm, well because we are such good friends that I wanted to give you a gift that I hope you really like" Applejack took the shiny red ruby from his hat that made Barbara speechless.

"Wow, this is the greatest gift anypony has ever given me" Barbara grinned as she held the large ruby in her hands.

"Yes I need to tell you something important…."Applejack smiled as he had closed his eyes for a moment until.

CHOMP

The stallion watched as portion after portion of the large ruby was bitten by the dragon and felt his heart shatter after each bite was taken. He couldn't believe what she was doing to something he kept for a year and a half.

"O my goodness, this ruby is really delicious" Barbara munched along as Applejack tried to keep his grin his mask, while the inside of his mind wanted to scream at her to stop eating what he had spent seven days searching for.

"What was that you were saying? I was starving and I didn't make out what you said" She smiled at the stallion that was in front of her. She could sense something was bothering him, but wasn't sure if she should ask or not.

"Oh, it's nothing" He lied in his sadness.

"O wait, I can't eat this" Barbara stops her munching. Applejack lifted his head hoping that the dragon would see through the gift of its true intentions.

"Exclusive would probably want suits and dress that were rivet with rubies" She crushes the rest of the rubies and this also crushed Applejack's heart. "I will see you later, thanks for the ruby"

Applejack saw Barbara leaving to Exclusive's place to give him the rubies that was suppose to be for her to keep. Applejack had no choice but to lower his hat and walk home in a sea of shame as he had to hide the tears that started to develop after Barbara's departure.

Will she ever see what she truly means to me? Applejack thought to himself as he walked home to the ranch. His family members tried to stop him, but Papa Smith knew the reason for his sadness.

XxxX

Eris needed advice on how to deal with her groom. She knew she had to rely on an unbiased individual that wouldn't have a say in the matter. The Draconequus snapped her finger summing herself in front of the hut.

"One moment pleases" the voice heard Eris knock before she let herself in.

"Ahhhh…Eris, this is certainly a disturbing breezy" The voice known as Zicoro said

"I hope you don't mind me popping by. I also hope you forgive me for flipping your hut upside down. You know how it is. Chaos business, so don't take it personally" Eris smiled and rubs the back of her neck. "Look, let me get to the point, I need your help"

"No need to frown, would you like to have some tea and sit down" Zicoro asked

"Not much for tea and potion" Eris looked to Zicoro "But, I will have some chocolate milk instead"

Both Eris and Zicoro sat down as Eris looked around the room. It was odd, being in a place like this. He remembered seeing Butterscotch enter this place and heard throughout the Everfree Forest that Zicoro was great at advice. He was the only stallion that seemed trustworthy at the time; that and the talking beaver that only licks the laughing tree.

"Now, what seems to be your troubles, and why do you insist on blowing bubbles" Zicoro asked as he saw her blowing bubbles.

"Sorry about that, easily distracted when ponies don't get to their point" Eris smiled as she popped the remaining bubbles that were in the air. "Well, I am sure you have heard of the ordeal between me and Butterscotch"

"I have heard the squeals that he has accepted your deal" Zicoro told the Draconeqqus

"You see, I have tried to be nice to him. I have given him everything that Solaris would ever dream of and Butterscotch doesn't give me so much as a smile. He just stays in that room and cries. What am I doing wrong in this game of love?" Eris looked up to the ceiling as she had snapped her finger laying on a couch and Zicoro in a chair next to her. "Sorry, force of habit"

"I will try to assist as I must, but I need you to show me a sign of trust. In order to truly keep calm, pleases hand me your palm" Zicoro asked politely.

"Which one my paw or my claw" She extended both hands to the zebra. "Let's go with the paw"

Zicoro was touching Eris's paw as he looked up to the goddess of chaos. "I see so many years of sadness and pain, that being without any pony has led you to this single lane"

"I am not lonely looking for somepony" Eris growled "Now you got me doing this rhyming game, I am surprised that nothing stays the same"

"I have all the cotton candy clouds I could eat and the chocolate milk to drink" Eris continued on her rambling and changed the room back to normal. Zicoro stood there watching her.

"You think these things will bring you such happiness, when it only causes your heart to carry such blackness" Zicoro stated

"Look, I am tired of you being so cryptic; tell me how I can make Butterscotch happy" Eris pounded her eagle claw on the table.

"In order to change his heart's direction, you must show Butterscotch some sign of affection" Zicoro smiled

"Come again" Eris asked as she wiggles out some earwax from her ear.

"In order for Butterscotch's love to yearn, you must show kindness in return" Zicoro tried to keep calm

"I don't follow" Eris told him

"Listen, Butterscotch is the element of Kindness correct?" Zicoro yelled

"Yeaaa…." Eris was confused for the most part

"So, in order to impress him you must be kind" Zicoro finished his words

"Be kind? I ought to give you some hot sauce" Eris felt threaten "Have you looked at me, I am not exactly a creature that screams 'hug me, I am a cute bunny rabbit'"

"Look, do you want the stallion or not" Zicoro questioned

"Fine, how exactly do I do this kind thing" she air quoted

"Do something for him. Give him a gift" Zicoro said

"I have given him gifts" Eris complained

"Something that he actually likes" Zicoro said with a blank expression

"Something that he likes" She said as she searches in her memory bank of something Butterscotch cares about. "Well, he has those friends of his, but I am not letting them near him. He really doesn't do much, but cry, eating, look at plants and play with those boring anima….That's it"

She cheered as she swung Zicoro around and does a little dance in the hut "You really are great at giving advice"

Eris was about to leave when she looked at Zicoro "I don't want this conversation leaving this hut. If I hear anything about this, I will turn you into an acorn and feed you to the squirrels"

"Alright" Zicoro feared as he saw Eris leaving his hut with a snap of a finger.

"If she only knew how this was going to go, will she learn her real self will begin to show?"

XxxX

Butterscotch stood in his room staring at the necklace that was around his neck. He growls as he tries to throw it to the wall, only for it to land on the floor from a few inches from him. He couldn't believe that tomorrow was their wedding day. Butterscotch had to endure that day as he wonders how his friends were doing. Were they living their lives without him? He missed them terribly, but he knew that he would never see them again. That was the promise he made to Eris. He tried to see the good side in her, but from how she acted in the last few days, he wasn't sure she had a good side.

He heard a large pound and quickly opened the door. "Eris, I said I don't love you. Pleases leave me alone"

Butterscotch was shocked that she wasn't by the door. He thought he heard her pounding on the door. He quickly checked around to see if she was fooling him again. He found that she wasn't around his room, yet that doesn't mean he didn't hear anything.

Butterscotch suddenly heard the sounds of a sweet melody being played. He wasn't sure where it came from as he never heard a sound of that kind before. In all of his days staying at the castle, he had heard it a few times but never knew where it was coming from. His hoofsteps kept walking to the source of the wonderful music.

He walked around the hallways and spotted a door that was ajar. He looked through it seeing Eris playing the piano in such an unusual way. He focused his eyes seeing how calm she was and saw her exact emotions being played through the piano. He slowly opens the door, so she wouldn't hear him come in. He watches her eyes were closed as he stares at her claws.

It seems like she is an expert Butterscotch commented as he never seen this side of her before. This was very unusual as this was the goddess of chaos. Something like this would be out of style for her. Yet, she was completely calm while playing it. If she was planning on tricking him, she would have stopped minutes ago. He stood to the side of her body as he saw her play the piano so naturally. Hearing her playing it made him want to sing and dance around the room. Yet, he had to keep his composure for he was still mad at her.

Eris stopped playing it for a moment when she saw him. "AHH, Butterscotch"

Eris suddenly realizes how long he was in the room and made the keys for the piano disappear. "Sorry, I didn't expect to see you here"

"Oh, I am sorry for disturbing you" Butterscotch looked down and started to make his way out the door.

"Butterscotch wait" Eris ordered softly as she gently closed the door. "I should be the one to apologize. I have been acting very selfish for the last few days. This is something that is new to me. I have never been with anypony. I have never had anypony to take care of. I understand that I will need to earn your forgiveness. I hope you can forgive me for I have something to show you."

"What is it?" He asked as he wasn't a stallion to hold a grudge, yet he kept his defenses up just in case if she was going prank him.

"It's a surprise. I need you to close your eyes and I will tell you when you can look" Eris took Butterscotch's hoof and started to make their way outside the castle.

Butterscotch felt something was familiar that was stirring in the air. Eris let go of him and halted him as well. "You can look now"

Butterscotch couldn't believe his eyes when he first opened them up. He was seeing a magical garden before his very eyes. It was full of rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, beavers, and any animal that came into his mind. He looked around checking out the scenery as Eris hoped that Butterscotch had liked her gesture of her love. "So, what do you think? I know I probably went overboard with the flowers and the animals. I just thought that you liked them so much that you would want them to be around you. I added a gazebo so that we may have breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner in it. I wasn't sure if you really approve of it"

Butterscotch heard Eris ramble on and on about what she did for him. "You did this for me….I don't like it. I love it"

"I know it was….What did you just say" Eris asked before Butterscotch put his hooves around her neck as he swung around in a tight embrace. Eris wasn't sure what was going on, but Butterscotch was impressed. "O thank you Eris this is so wonderful. I really love it. O thank you thank you thank you"

Slowly walking backward after the hug, Eris nervously smiled and twirled a piece of her hair "You are quite welcome"

"O my gosh, Angela, I missed you so much" Butterscotch lifted and hugged the white rabbit with a pink bow on her head.

Eris's eye twitched as she wasn't sure what just happened, yet this feeling of warmness has seemed to make her grin. She repeated the praise that kept locked inside her mind from the hug from that Pegasus.

The Goddess of Disharmony and Chaos teleported to her room and held a happy grin as she cheered like a school pony after getting kissed by her crush. "HE HUGGED ME" She sang as she swirls herself from the entrance to her room and lays on the bed giggling and swirling a piece of her hair remembering the smooth hug of Butterscotch. She wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment, but she never wanted to let that feeling go.

XxxX

Duskshine was studying the books hard as he was mustering to find a way of trying to get back his best friend. Rainbow Blitz and Exclusive stared at their friend moving around frantically and going through book by book.

"Duskshine looks absolutely dreadful. How long has he been like this" Exclusive asked

"Ever since we got back from Canterlot" Blitz answered

"We have to help him, I don't want him to turn into poor Bubble Berry" Exclusive worried as both of the stallions looked to their friend.

"No, you are right magician leprechaun mare; hats should be worn on your feet. I am such a silly filly" Bubble Berry started to place hats from his pockets to his feet "Ah that is much better"

Exclusive and Blitz moved to the side upon hearing Bubble Berry's crazy statement.

"Should we do something" Exclusive asked

"They should turn around…eventually" Blitz said in a hopeless tone.

Suddenly, Applejack and Barbara came running through the door. Barbara was on top of Applejack as her feet got tired. "Duskshine, we were taking care of the animals, but they all disappeared and Barbara burped up this note"

"Is it from the Princes" Dusk shine magically lifted the note from Applejack to understand what happened.

"Not exactly…"Applejack hesitated

Dear Stallions and Colts,

Do not look for animals, they are with their owner.

Signed your unfriendly neighbor in the forest.

"Unfriendly neighbor in the forest" Rainbow Blitz raised a brow

"Tell that orange tree hugger I will have his money by Tuesday" Bubble berry said

"This looks like Eris's handle work" Duskshine said

"Wait, why did she take the animals" Barbara asked

"She must have her own reasons. Ponies do strange things for the ones they love" Applejack looked towards Barbara nervously

"Eris and love? What a hoot" Blitz laughed at Eris's little stunt.

"Wait, is there pages from a magazine cut out of it" Exclusive asked

"To hide her secret identity duh Exclusive" Bubble berry exclaimed "I know Santa Hooves, Exclusive should count his chickens before they lay"

"Wait, isn't this against the rules. She is using magic outside the forest" Barbara cautioned

Applejack and Dusk Shine look to one another before Dusk Shine states "I believe in this one instant, we can let Eris's antics slide"

XxxX

Thanks for reading this chapter and hope you all enjoyed it

Now at the beginning I wasn't even sure if I wanted to include Prince Artemis in the chapter. I just needed a place to start. I had nothing so I thought I might include that. Heck, I had learned recently about what originally was in the original story of Beauty and the Beast. I was shocked that Beauty and the Beast was adapted by something. I even included it in my own Beauty and the Beast story for that reason.

Next comes Eris and Butterscotch arguing. This was another thing that I wanted to stay with this story that would come from Bride of Discord. Whenever I would read that chapter or watch that episode in the audio drama I had a picture in my head of Discord creating a tornado in the room. I know it probably didn't happen but I imagined it in some way. So, that's why Eris is doing so.

Now, the whole Barbara and Applejack moment was a personal touch from yours truly. This chapter is called the gift so I wanted to see other ponies sharing gifts and see how it would react. Seeing if people like it or not.

I forgot Zecora was in the chapter of the gift. So I improvised a little bit. Some of it may be funny, others may think not. It's alright. Another man's trash is another man's treasure.

I had some fun writing what Bubble berry would say as I would imagine him going crazy. If you are trying to understand Bubble berry then you are in a losing battle. There is no understanding him.

I had a weird dream that Discord and his family were playing Jumanji. That would be a weird idea for Discord's family game night. Also, i have gotten into this habit of drinking Chocolate milk when i write a MLP fanfic. I don't know why but it seems weird. Anywho, glad you are enjoying yourselves.

Also, Rainbow Rocks is coming out in a few weeks. Tell me your thoughts on it. I am kind of looking forward to it, kind of have some problems with it, but we shall see what it would be like.

If you like this chapter then thanks. If you didn't like it, then that's your own opinion. I really like doing chapters for this story and i will continue to do them. I hope you all are having a great school year as well. Here's to the next chapter of this fanfiction, also to Episode nine of Bride of Discord audio drama or anything else going on. If you have any questions about this story, about me or my thoughts on anything MLP related just ask me.

So, until then, see you all later.