//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: What Where and Marry Who? // Story: The Duchess' Son // by Dark Moon //------------------------------// i know short chapter and all but hay, i cant type that fast and this is not prewritten. unfortunately my writing skills aren't that great either so let me know where i can improve ok. Pony code 1 5K2S006330FEBFBFD0FE9E00A01FE0000UF1A31004000002F1FEFF6B80EAFE0G107F3FCC004CB2 I have been pacing my room for hours now. Even with all that happened I couldn’t sleep. All I can think about is what kind of fresh hell my mother is going to put me through and how (if at all) ill be able to get out of it… yah nothing so far. My mother has a pretty low tolerance level. The last time I embarrassed her in front of a snobby noble. She sent me to my room for a month… and I don’t mean a light sentence of grounding, oh no this was a dungeon sentence! ... Except the furnishings where better. I never want to see that stupid blue blood again. *knock knock knock* Yep I jumped 3 feet and almost pissed myself. “Hay Lightning, duchess Vinara wants you. By her attitude I don’t really envy you right now.” I regretfully went and opened the door to see the older guard that was with the younger one last night. His name was Sand Shield; I was a little surprised to see him. “Oh… hay. Enjoy yourself last night?” the guard just gave a friendly smirk. “Well you should know.” I gave a sheepish smile and walked with him to the mane halls that lead to the throne room. This was an unnaturally long walk. It was like I was walking to a death sentence. The guard must have seen my distraught look for he leaned over to me and said “don’t worry, I don’t think she will banish you to the moon.” I chuckled but wasn’t too reassured. That comment brought another question to my mind though. “Who told you what happened?” The guard had a quizzical look “all the guards know, its spread like wild fire. But I think that the punishment won’t be too bad.” Yah right and pink ponies can eat a whole cake in one bite… that was random. We walked the rest of the way in silence. Neather one of us was too happey about the situation. Once the long walk was over we arrived at the throne room doors. The doors where made with mahogany and carved in the most immaculate looking tree. Normally this tree would be beautiful and inviting to those that where visiting. However now the only things that came to mind when looking at it was a looming and foreboding feeling. They’re two guards on either side of the door. Sand just nodded at them and walked in to let her know i was here. The wait was way to short for my taste as he came back out rather quickly with eyes as big as pin pricks. He looked at me with obvious fear “you know how I said it won’t be bad? I take that back.” I sighed trying to breath the fear out of my lungs. It didn’t work. “Lets get this over with then.” I slowly waked in and the doors made the most audible noise as I walked in to see my furious mother. She is just as tall and regale as Celestia. She has a light pink coat and an yellow and sky blue mane that had a somewhat messy look to it that looked like she hadn’t done anything with it yet. However her hair always looked good on her no matter how it was done. She had eyes that where the purest of red, this was to represent her jurisdiction over relationships like love. (1) Now they only resembled the thing that she seemed to be out for. Blood. Specifically mine. I walked down the red carpet to have the talk that I had been dreading. She just looked at me with cold eyes filled with disappointment, as I approached the throne where she stood. The throne wasn’t as majestic as Celestias of course but still looked regale. I stopped right before the steps and bowed my head respectively. I had stood there looking at the floor for a while. She didn’t say a word. So I looked up to say “what did you need me for mom?” I knew it was a futile attempt of avoidance but I didn’t know what else to say. Her only response was to levitate the phillydelphia newspaper from its place on the throne seat up to my face. I grabbed the paper with my own magic and noticed the headline. It read “Duchess’ Son Beats His Own Guards! The Duchess’ son known as Lightning Moon was seen arriving at the phillydephia hospital with a guard that that was beaten beyond recognition. Even the young Alicorn stallion had clear proof of a struggle on his body. As he sat in the waiting room the others testified of the rage in his eyes as…” That was as far as I read as I telekinetically tore the paper to shreds out of anger from the false drivel that I was forced to endure. My mothers expression softened a little as she noticed my own exasperation at the news. “I already know that this is false because of what the guards have told me, but the damage has been done regardless of your good intentions.” Although she was softened she still looked sternly at me “I just don’t know what to do with you sometimes Lightning! I love you to death and I know that it wasn’t your fault but this situation does not make my position any easier.” She sighed and brought her head down to her hooves and then laid down rubbing her temples in frustration. I just felt as annoyed and frustrated as she did really. So in a way I copied her movements but instead of rubbing my temples I rubbed my face with my hooves. After a few minutes of this she picked herself up while saying “I really don’t want to do this but until this whole thing blows over and is forgotten I’m going to have to send you to live with your fiancé.” NO CELESTIA BUCK IT! i turned around to walk away. Trying to think of reasons to stay as I walked. maybe if i told her tha… wait… did she… just say… fiancé!? I slowly turned around to see that my mother had frozen with fear from the truth that had slipped out. “where am I going again?” I was still in shock. It was easy to tell that she was to, as she didn’t answer me. “MOM can you please explain to me where I am going?” I said this with more authority because I was recovering from the shock. “uummm…” was her response “MOM!” She sighed as she recovered “Ok… I had meant to tell you this later when you where older but it seems that I will have to tell you now. When me and your father had you we decided that it would be best to have an arraigned marriage for you…” … … … “WHY?!” I was so beyond confused “Well son you are one of the few remaining male Alicorns in Equestria that we know of and so it was decided who it was that you would sire a foal with when you where born.” “And who would that be?” “Princess Luna” … *Thump* I woke up in my bead and shook my head “Oh please let it all have been a dream.” I opened my eyes to see that all my belongings had been packed. Great! “UHHHHH!” I sighed. How could this happen! I’m engaged? And to princess Luna? I don’t even really know her that well. Yah we’ve spoken before but other then that we have hade nothing but a platonic friendship! We don’t even have a lot in common really. Why is it that I can’t find a normal mare and have a good relationship! But probably the most important question is why me? I didn’t get to finish the thought though. Two guards knocked at the door and walked in to tell me that they needed to get me out of phillydelphia before things started getting crazy! I got up off the bed and followed them out. Then it all hit me at once. I was loosing my family, all the guards that where here, I wouldn’t be able to see them again. Alicorn gossip lasts almost as long as normal ponies themselves. My best friend that’s in the hospital I would never see again. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing but the tears came Anyway. The guards that where with me seemed to be holing back some emotion as well. We made it outside the mansion and I saw that all the guards where there to see me off. My tears changed from ones of sadness to ones of joy as I got to at least see off and talk to them all before I left. All except for one. As I got finished with all the sad goodbyes I turned to the flying carriage and saw a familiar mussel it was the fresh guard that i had pranked just last night before this craziness happened. there was a very notable silence and tension as he was looking at me with a face of distaste. he seemed to still have some places where the paint from the prank remained. I felt bad that i never got to formally meet the stallion so i held out a hoof in friendship. "sorry i never got to meet you in person but I hope there are no hard feelings." he huffed and rolled his eyes then rubbed the back of his head contemplating wether or not to be friendly after my little prank. after he smiled and shook my hoof and all the tension was melted away by his forgiveness. After getting on the carriage and it took off almost immediately. I leaned out the carriage to wave goodbye one last time and continued until they where out of site. After that, I laid down on the couch and let the sobs out. I didn’t care if the Pegasus ponies outside heard or not. Things where as bad as they could get. I lost my family my home and come to find out I’ve basically been soled to some pony at an early age. I felt like a shameful peace of trash that was kept around only for my male parts. I knew it wasn’t true but I couldn’t help feeling that way. After I recovered from my sobs and self-loathing I got up and thought to myself. Well at least things can only get better right? I wonder what Canterlot will be like. I looked out the window to see that the sun had risen from the direction of the great city. A/N well i kinda realize that hes' kind of a sad sack... oh well i will make this less depressing for him in the next chapter.