//------------------------------// // Plans At Sunset (BS, RB and FS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// "No, that is possibly the worst idea I have ever heard!" Princess Celestia exclaimed in anger as she and Blueblood continued to walk throughout the hallways of the castle. Moments before that, the monarch of the day was finishing working on some paperwork in her room. Usually she would be doing so in the throne room, but due to the high alert and tension that Canterlot was facing, security was forced to be increased and protocols had to put in place. Even though she was partially relieved that day court was temporarily canceled, she couldn't help but feel slightly paranoid and angsty for all the arrests she and her sister had to enforce. So when her nephew appeared and asked for a moment of her time, the princess was more than happy to accept, taking full advantage of the opportunity to stretch her legs and get some fresh air, even more so when her day was coming to a close and the vast majority of her work was complete. As she continued listening to the idea Blueblood had to offer, she was more than willing to give it a try, right until he mentioned who had come up with it. "Aw! But auntie, don't you see? This is could be the opportunity we need. Our current relationship with our ponies could be described as tenuous at best right now. Ever since the castle went into lockdown, our citizens are starting to feel like they are being ignored and fear that at any moment the guards could take anyone away under the suspicion of being traitors without any evidence." Blueblood argued back. "I would never do such barbaric thing!" Celestia replied in shock. "I love all my little ponies and respect their rights, neither I or my sister would never take advantage of the law that way, perhaps bend it slightly and compensate and ask the proper permissions if needed, but only if it is absolutely necessary. We are not tyrants" "I know and I love you for that auntie but your subjects need to hear you say and prove that, you have to understand, all this thing that happens with Fort Knox has put all of us on edge. Now more than ever, we need a solution to help us all relax, and what better way to relax than with a party?" "A day spa, some therapy, meditation, a stroll in the park, some music, either playing or listening to your favorite composers, watching a nice movie…" The princess continued to list until the prince stopped her. "Ok! I get it!" Blueblood shouted at her in frustration. "There are others methods. But we could use this one that could serve on a grander scale, and let all the ponies know that we are still the same rulers they know and love." “Blueblood, it is not that simple, we can’t simply invite all the nobles here in the castle, smile, offer them some cake and ask them to like us once more.” Celestia tried to reason with him. “Besides we are on alert for traitors, how could it be wise to invite our citizens to a party when we just finish arresting all the members on Fort list?” “Because it will show all of Equestria that we are not afraid and it will take more than a piece of paper to destroy our bonds of friendship with the noble class. Furthermore, it will be a perfect opportunity to show them that we haven’t gone mad with power and we are still the same as ever.” The prince pushed his point home. “Also there is no need to worry about the invites; Scarlet insisted on taking care of them and guaranteed us the arrival of every pony we invite.” He mentions her with a smile, causing the princess left eye to twitch in barely contained anger. "Oh did she? My, My, what a good friend..." Celestia informed him with a practiced smile. By Faust’s sake Scarlet, I don't know what sort of brainwashing you put my sweet nephew under, but I swear if you ever touch one hair on his mane… "Auntie?" The voice of the prince manages to snap the princess back to reality. "Yes Blueblood?" She simply asked pretending nothing happened. "I was asking if you are ok for us to at least give it a try? She agrees to review the guest list with aunt Luna, and we can double check the security to calm you down. At the end of the day though, we don't lose anything with at least trying right? Do they want an audience and a chance to speak their fears? So let's give them just that. Please!… I could wear the changeling necklace for a day and we can have a mommy and son day in exchange~" The prince offered in a sing-song voice while giving her his best puppy eyes. The combined effect of which made the princess do a double take at the expression while mulling over the idea. A mom and son day in exchange?! The princess' heart starts to warm up as she could picture herself and Blueblood having a normal day as a family with her, pretending to be simple pegasus as a mom, and carrying an infant Blueblood on her back, an idea like that was just too good to let it pass. Shaking her head to clear any lingering stray thoughts, the monarch sighed in defeat and lay her head down. "Ok Blueblood, you win, we will give it a chance. I still have concerns, but you do raise a valiant point and if we play our cards right, it could help us put all this mess behind us." "Yay!" The prince throws a hoof into the air in victory. "BUT!" The princess stops and raises her hoof into the air. "Only if you agree to my conditions for it." "Yeah, of course. Anything." Blueblood stops and nodded at her exclamation. Meanwhile at Twilight Castle As time continued to run at a snail’s pace, the royal siblings kept staring at a mare with gray fur, a simple green dress, and a purple straight mane and tail. Said mare continues looking at a probe with a liquid on it, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever. Ever since Shining Armor explained the situation to Twilight, both of them had been working non stop to find out what substance could possible make a pony sweat blood so clean and efficiently. Yet, no matter what they tried, all their tests and trials lead them on to another dead end. Even with their combined experience, knowledge in the royal guard and access to a wealth of knowledge on all sorts of subjects, neither of them were experts on the field they required. Fortunately, with the findings they discovered, Twilight was able to find out that whatever it was. It was related to some sort of natural mineral. And she knew just the mare to ask when it came to minerals; Maud Pie, Pinkie Pie's older sister who not too long ago had graduated from Rock University. The hopes of the princess rose when Maud agreed to take a look and keep their meeting a secret, yet they had started to wain after the second hour with the mare just staring at the tube without saying anything. "Well…?" Twilight finally asked, unable to keep the suspense any longer. "Do you recognized it what is on it, Maud?" "I did recognize it immediately princess." Was Maud’s simple reply, turning to look at them, her expression never changing. "It's a mineral, that comes from a rock, a very therapeutic one" "Wait, did you say therapeutic?" Shining asked in shock as Maud simply nodded. "Anthracite Somnium Coal. Or as it more commonly known as; Dreamer rock." Maud explained as she pulled out a pitch black rock in the shape of a pillow from her pocket. "I have one too." She scrapped the edge of said rock and put the resulting dust in another empty tube before filling it with water and swirling it gently. The solution contained within changed color to be the same as the probe Twilight had shown her. "See?" The siblings nod once they notice the change. "And would you say that this type of rock could kill a pony?" Shining asked with interest. Maud shook her head. "This rock is not too hard to find, any pharmacy sells them, and they are generally used as a sleep aid by ponies with insomnia. You simply scrape its edge and burn the powder. the smoke it produces has been noted to induce drowsiness in ponies." "What about in big doses?" Twilight inquired, but once again Maud shook her head. "That will only put anyone in a real deep sleep. Perhaps capable of sleeping right in the middle of one of my sisters loudest parties." Both siblings laughed at the joke. "That wasn't a joke," Maud replied, making them stop. "You would need to powder the whole rock to do that, after that, no matter how much rocks you scrape the effect will be the same. Additionally, the effect would only last six hours, at most. This rock is pretty harmless." Maud finished and put the rock back on her pocket. I don't get it. If the rock was so harmless how did it make Blueblood bleed to death? Shining Armor thought in worry. "If anything was lethal, it must have to be the other component." Maud suddenly interjected. "Other component?" The siblings exclaimed in shock. She simple nod and point to the probe once again. "The main component of this solution was the rock, which has been concentrated to achieve its maximum level of efficiency, but there was a second component, one I didn't recognize. So it wasn't one of a geological nature." She explains to them. "Let me see." Twilight takes the tube and picked a sample, that she then placed on the stage of a microscope. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Shining asked Maud while his sister was hard at work trying to discover the other elements contained within the sample. "I was trying to see if I recognized it. That is why I was staring for so long." Maud replied calmly. The prince sighed in defeat at her answer before looking at Twilight. "Anything Twily?" "I think so…but it’s hard to tell. It's very small and it is so little on it. I was forced to use a spell that illuminated the mineral elements just to see it." Twilight responded. "Maud, how did you manage to notice something so small?" "I didn't." She once again replied. "I just saw something else mix with it." Well, all things considered, this is a breakthrough. We still don't know how that kills Blueblood, but at least we know why he couldn't fight it. That dream rock must have kept him from waking up until the very end Shining thinks while crossing his frontal hoofs. "Sorry that I can't be of any more help." Maud apologies with the same neutral expression, "My major is in finding, identifying and categorizing new types of rocks, not in their chemical components and how they work." "It’s ok Maud, you already did enough, we should be the one thanking you for help us find more about this mysterious substance," Twilight replied with a smile. She nods and starts to walk away before stopping and looking back at the two. "If I remember anything else, or find some pony that could help I will let you know. Goodbye Princess Twilight and Prince Shining." She gives them a small bow and then keeps walking, leaving the siblings alone. "Well, we at least now we know where to start." Shining comments with a sigh, and then headed to a desk and picked up a scroll and quill. "I better write the princesses about our progress." The princess nodded. "I will go look if I have any books about chemistry, and see if there something about Dreamer Rocks, and how they could be used as a weapon," Twilight replied, exiting the room as both siblings went back to work. Meanwhile at Upper Crust and Jet Set mansion While admiring the setting sun and enjoying a cold beverage, Scarlet smiled and leaned on the edge of her friend's balcony while a noble couple played some chess near her. "Don't you love it when everything falls into place?" Scarlet inquired her friends as she admired the sunset. "I still don't get all of this is Scarlet." Upper replies, confused by Scarlet's scheme even as she beat her husband on another match. With the game finished she turned her attention to the other mare. "Why are you going this far for a shot with the prince? You already befriended him and got his trust, why don't you just make him yours already?" "Oh Crust, you poor naive mare." Scarlet shakes her head and looked back at them. "What kind of game will that be if I just do that?" She probes her with a smirk. "Game?" Jet looked back at her confused. "The thrill of the chase, the excitement in defeating rivals, the taste of victory after a grueling battle." She lists while slowly walking around them. "All those little things that would make my conquest all the sweeter." She paused for a moment to sigh in delight, looking at the distance with dreamy eyes. Shaking her head, she looks back at the two. "Plus, a good love story has obstacles for the protagonist to overcome, and when I have the prince’s heart on my hoof, I will be able to write my best work yet. Oh, I can feel it, this upcoming book will be my magnum opus!" She proclaims in pride. "You know, Scarlet. If the three of us form a herd I could give you enough material to work in an even better book." Jet Set offers, approaching the mare. "You?" Scarlet look at him in surprise before chuckling. "Oh Jet Set, you make the funniest of jokes, a mare joining a herd of nobles? Cliché much?" She shakes her head before pointing at the castle. "Oh no darling, a mare rising from humble beginnings and ending with the unconditional love of a prince?" Now that is a book who title would be enough to give any mare goosebumps." She explained with a shiver. Jet look away in anger. "Yeah, sounds like a good title." He mumbles in anger. "Oh don't be like that Jet" Scarlet cooed while she tilted his head up with a hoof so she could see him. "Upper Crust has a glamorous and appetizing pair of flanks that would make any mare jealous." She casually comments, making both nobles blush hard. "And if you really wish to try the herding game, then by all means, let’s take advantage of this party, I love playing matchmaker," She tells them in excitement as she shakes her flank. "I know of several mares that have been checking you out Jet." She grins wolfishly and begins to giggle as she watches how his blush keeps increasing before turning to Upper Crust. "Would you like to know their names, honey? See which mares could be good enough for you? Know which one could make your names truly remembered?" "Y-Yes?" Upper answers, unsure of what was happening. "Great!" Scarlet abruptly shifted away from the two and return to her usual cheerful self. "Then I will tell you AFTER we make our move" "I still think you are overcomplicating things, Scarlet. Even if you wish to put obstacles for yourself, why do you want to earn the prince like this?" "Because it needs to be poetic. That prince has been my white whale ever since I lay eyes on him. First by being the unreachable prince that all mares yearn for while growing up, then by becoming the prideful brat who looks at everything as inferior, and needs to be trained. And now as this new kind and friendly teddy bear who is just perfect to be hugged." Scarlet start to drool at the memory. "The beast has become mellow and intelligent, now it only needs to be tamed." She finishes with a smirk as she looks back at her friends. "And once I have my leash on it, you two will take his status and position, and will be placed right beside the princesses. Just like we agree upon." "Yeah." Upper Crust smiled at the idea. "Now we are talking." "And what about the others?" Jet raises his point in intrigue. "Sharp Shot has been rather quiet ever since the princesses started to hunt for traitors, and other than all those interrogations the princesses disguise as 'tea parties' and force us to participate, I haven't heard or seem much of him." "Oh don't worry about that grumpy soldier. I already sent him a letter and he already told me that he will be there…and he is bringing a very important guest with him." She informs them, her smile turning malevolent "Who?" The couple asked, now more than ever intrigued about this new development, as the sun finally set. "The only other mare who was present during all of our beloved prince’s childhood, and it’s possible the one to be responsible in turning him into the brat we once knew and used." Scarlet tells while admiring the rising moon. "Crossfire Tempo, the renowned owner of all of the best and most popular spas in Equestria…and Blueblood's official godmother." She announced, making the couple gasp at the revelation. "Rejoice, my friends, the day for us to have the spotlight is almost upon us. Our unity makes us untouchable, and with Skies as our ally, the prince soon will be ours. And all the benefits that would come with it." She picks a nearby glass and raised it into the air. "For a new and better future!" Crust smiled and pick another glass. "For royal statues!" She announces. "For a useful prince." Jet Set adds as well with a smirk. "Cheers!" They exclaimed and hit their cups in happiness. At that moment at Sugar Cube Corner Pinkie Pie was happily humming a tune while working restocking the fridge when a bolt of pain made her stop suddenly in both surprise and annoyance. Looking back at her flank she adopts an expression of concern. A pinch on my cutie mark? I have never had this Pinkie Sense before, but I know that is something bad, something mean, and that I need to stop it! She looks at Canterlot through a nearby window with concern. And it coming from Canterlot. She hums as she works, even though unsure of what to expect or what would it be expecting her when she arrived.