//------------------------------// // Darkness is Easily Hidden // Story: The Lost Prince of the Sea // by Cursory Note //------------------------------// Aecorum smiled and hummed a meaningless tune as he happily but quietly trotted through the halls of the castle. He glanced at the bouquet of flowers held up in his magic and his smile grew wider. He had spent the last few hours searching the Forest of Everfree and had created a beautiful arrangement of moon flowers, night bloom water lilies, and night gladiolus for a very special occasion. Aecorum finally reached the door to Luna’s private study and nodded to the Night Guards before gently knocking, hiding the flowers behind his head. “Enter!” Luna’s take on the Royal Canterlot Voice was very good at piercing through wood. Aecorum opened the door and slyly poked his head in. “If I may beg audience with Thy Graciousness?” Luna chuckled and nodded as Aecorum walked in and closed the door. “Dost thou wish to converse?” Luna giggled as Aecorum bowed low. “Nay, High Princess of the Night, I only wish to givest thou…” He pulled the bouquet out and held it up proudly “These!” Luna gasped as she took the flowers with her magic and Aecorum smiled warmly. “Happy birthday, Luna.” “Oh Aecorum, these are beautiful! Thank you!” She stroked one of the moon flowers with a hoof and Aecorum sat down opposite her. “I have never seen flowers like these, where did you get them?” Aecorum smiled deviously “Oh, it was nothing really. I was walking along the path to our old place when suddenly I heard a terrible roar!” He moved his hooves to illustrate his story. “I found myself surrounded by a dozen manticores, three hydras, and a pack of timberwolves! I was going to fly away, of course, but then I saw that the largest hydra had this bouquet hanging around its middle head.” Luna raised an eyebrow “It is true! I decided then and there that nothing in this world could keep me from this lovely display, and so I quickly dispatched the beasts and brought the prize back as your birthday present!” He nodded triumphantly and leaned back in his chair. “Really? All that for a little bouquet?” Luna’s voice was incredulous and she smirked as Aecorum faked a shocked and hurt expression. “A little bouquet? Why, a finer arrangement has never before been seen in this world!” Both ponies laughed heartily and Aecorum grinned at Luna. Aecorum spoke in a softer, more relaxed voice “I found a beautiful pond about ten miles from our castle, completely covered by these flowers, so I picked the best looking ones and brought them back. They are truly remarkable, when I first got there they looked like buds but just as the moon rose and the second the flowers were touched by moonlight, they unfurled and the whole place was completely transformed!” “They bloom at night?” Luna’s smile grew as she fondly looked at the flowers “I did not think that was possible. All of the flowers I have seen only bloom during the day.” There was a slight hint of anger as she spoke but Aecorum didn’t notice. “It was truly amazing, Luna, I will have to show you the next time we go to the castle.” “I would enjoy that, thank you very much.” “Oh! And I am sure Tia would love to come, I must invite her tomorrow.” “Yes, of course…Celestia.” Luna’s face hardened just slightly. “But for now,” He yawned “I think I will get a couple hours of sleep before Night Court begins. Happy birthday again, Luna!” Aecorum stood and walked out, leaving Luna alone with the bouquet. Luna glared at the flowers as she thought about Aecorum’s invitation. After a second she threw the flowers into the fireplace and watched them slowly burn. “Because nothing is ever complete without dear, dear Tia.” She spat the words out venomously and her eyes glinted darkly for a moment. --- “Tia, have you noticed something…Off about Luna recently?” Aecorum’s voice was edged with concern as he stared out the window of the Hall of Resolution. “Not particularly, what do you mean?” Celestia sipped her tea and debated whether or not to have another cake; after all, they were pretty small. “I am not quite sure, but lately she has seemed distant, even cold at times. The other day I asked her if she would like to go on a picnic and get away from the castle, you know, a chance for us three to relax and spend time together.” Aecorum turned towards Celestia “And she said that she would not want to ‘intrude’ on us.” Celestia put down her tea and straightened up. “Us? As in, you and I?” Aecorum nodded and Celestia’s eyes grew worried “Why in the world would she say that? She knows that we love spending time with her, even though the Night Court and Day Court scheduling has made things difficult at times…Not to mention that horrible incident with Tirek.” Aecorum sat down and nodded “I know, I know. But even so, have you noticed that ever since we banished Sombra she has not been coming to breakfast or dinner and eating in her study or the library because she is ‘far too busy’?” “Come to think of it, yes.” Celestia tapped her chin with her hoof “I hope she is feeling alright, perhaps we should go talk to her.” “I agree, how about we speak to her at dusk?” Celestia nodded and the alicorns sipped their tea in silence for a few more minutes before Celestia smiled and looked at Aecorum excitedly. “I know just what to do to cheer her up!” Aecorum raised an eyebrow and Celestia smiled warmly “How about we take a day off and go visit the old castle? We can play Hide and Seek, write in the old journal, all the things she loved to do. I am sure there are plenty of nobles that would love being in charge for the day.” Aecorum nodded and cracked a small smile “Yes of course, she would love that!” Celestia’s eyes grew more mischievous “And perhaps we could play another round of…The Game?” Aecorum narrowed his eyes “You would not mean the game your Father taught us, would you?” Celestia smiled impishly “The very same. You know how much Luna liked it.” Aecorum smirked and chuckled “Tia, you are an ingenious mare.” Celestia and Aecorum clinked their teacups together and shared a devious smile as they thought about their plan. --- Luna galloped as fast as she could through the magically darkened castle, continually glancing over her shoulder to see if…It was still following her. She skidded around a corner and stopped, quietly gasping for air. She heard something shuffling in the corridor behind her and smiled, charging her horn with magic. The shuffling stopped and Luna raised an eyebrow while she edged closer to the corner. A loud organ blast reverberated through the walls and Luna jumped slightly. After a moment the organ music was replaced with dark laughter as the shuffling noises began again. Luna’s ears pricked to the left when she heard the same sound from behind her. Luna’s eyes widened as she looked around for any chance of escape and the creatures grew closer. She took a deep breath to calm herself and started running down the only open corridor. Her smile grew as she realized she was headed for the Hall of Hooves and instantly formulated a plan. Deftly dodging the trapdoors and leaping into the secret chamber, Luna was certain the creatures would follow her, and once they did…Luna fought the urge to laugh evilly. Luna peeked out of the chamber when she heard the creatures shuffling into the hall and saw that they had separated in order to find her faster. Luna smirked as she slowly charged up her horn and put a hoof on the lever. Her hoof twitched as the creature grew closer to the trapdoor. Closer…Closer…Snap! The floor fell out from under the shadowy beast and Luna ran out of her hiding place, stopping just short of the edge. She smiled again as the monster tried to climb the walls to no avail and she pointed her horn at its chest. Luna’s horn sparked as a magical blast hit the creature and knocked it back onto the floor. A sound of something charging at her distracted Luna from the trap and she swiftly turned around, just narrowly avoiding being hit by the other beast. It turned around to face her and she heard a low snarl coming from its mouth. It charged again and Luna stepped to the side, angering the creature further. She repeated the same sidestep maneuver until her horn had charged again and she chuckled as the magical blast knocked the monster into the pit with its compatriot. Luna walked triumphantly to the edge of the trap and laughed “Ha ha! I win!” She grinned as Aecorum and Celestia took off their disguises and flew out of the pit. Aecorum laughed along with Luna as he looked at Celestia “At least I was not the first pony out, eh Tia?” Celestia shot him a playful glare “No, but your aim is in sore need of improvement, I thought you were going to crush me!” All three alicorns laughed and Celestia took a step forward, wincing as she put weight on her right foreleg. Aecorum cocked his head and asked with a worried voice “Are you alright? I did not actually hurt you, did I?” Celestia rolled her shoulder a few times and waved a hoof “I am fine, really. Luna’s blast was just a bit strong, that is all.” Luna gasped slightly “Oh, I am very sorry Celestia; I did not mean any harm.” Celestia laughed “I know you did not, Sister. Come, let us play again!” Aecorum nodded with a smile “Indeed! Since Tia was the first pony out, she will be the Hunted.” Celestia narrowed her eyes at Aecorum “You know, we have been playing all day and yet you have never been hunted…” She walked over to him and poked his chest with a slight smirk “You have not been cheating, have you?” Aecorum assumed an affronted tone and straightened his neck “Why, Celestia! I am a stallion of honor! I would never cheat!” Luna and Celestia shared a look and spoke simultaneously “Oh?” Aecorum turned around and started to walk away “Of course not!” He turned his head back to the mares and smiled evilly “I am just that good!” Aecorum laughed and ran into the shadows. Celestia laughed and looked around but Luna was nowhere in sight and the trapdoor had been closed. Celestia began walking carefully as she spoke softly “I guess the hunt has begun.” Luna narrowed her eyes at her sister from her hiding place and thought as her eyes glinted with a malicious light. Yes, Celestia…The hunt has begun. --- Celestia sighed as she relaxed on one of the larger pillows in the reading room with a small smile. Luna sat on a pillow a little bit away and Aecorum dug around in a chest before grabbing a quill and some ink. All three of them enjoyed the silence while Aecorum smiled and wrote a bit in their journal. A few more moments passed while Aecorum wrote before Luna broke the silence. “What are you writing?” Aecorum smiled as he shut the journal “Oh, you know, what we did today, what we talked about, all the usual things.” Celestia nodded “Good. It has been too long since we have had a day to ourselves, I am glad we did it.” Luna smiled “As am I.” She sighed “If only we did not have to go back.” Aecorum chuckled “I know what you mean. But alas, we must return before Prince Blueblood gets too used to the throne.” Celestia cocked her head slightly “Which one is he? Blueblood the Third, is he not?” Luna shook her head “No, Sister, I do believe he is the Fourth.” “What about the Second?” Celestia lifted a hoof idly as she spoke. Aecorum sighed with a smile “I think we have all lost count as far as that family is concerned. I still cannot fathom why you two adopted him as your nephew.” Celestia sighed “His family claimed to have proof that they were descendants of our mother and therefore deserved higher rank.” Luna furrowed her brow “I still think we should make them show us this ‘proof’. It is absolute nonsense to think Mother had a foal we did not know about. Not only that, in order for that family to be unicorns, the father of that foal would had to have been somepony other than Father.” Celestia shrugged “I know, Luna, I know. But they are the most powerful family in all the nobility and you know what would happen if we denied them outright.” Aecorum nodded “Very true, very true. At least this way he will not be scrounging around for more power, well,” He chuckled “For a while, anyway. Besides, it is not my place to judge your family, or your choices of relatives.” He smirked and put the quill and ink away. Luna laughed as Celestia spoke “Aecorum, will you never learn? You have always been as much a brother to me as Luna is a sister.” Celestia stood and wrapped a wing around Aecorum’s back, causing Luna’s expression to darken just slightly as Celestia continued “No matter what happens, my friend, you are family.” --- “I look back now and it was so obvious. The darkness was growing within you for years, I should have seen it.” Aecorum looked up at the cavern ceiling and sighed “Perhaps I did see it but chose to ignore it. I cannot say. Tia always knew how to figure out what ponies were thinking.” He laughed slightly “Maybe my power of memory was indeed your undoing…I may have been so wrapped up in how you used to be I was blind to what you were becoming. Whatever the reason for my ignorance, my fear still kept me from saving you.” His ears pricked towards the wall behind him as something cracked the stone. He turned around and cocked his head when he saw a strange black vine working its way through the rock. Aecorum took a cautious step towards it and it lashed out, almost like it was trying to attack him. He raised an eyebrow and thought aloud. “What in the world are you? And why do you seem so intent on reaching me?” His instincts were telling him to destroy this vine without touching it or the grey thorns and he wholeheartedly agreed. It only took a second of focused magic to reduce the vine to ash and Aecorum shrugged as he went on with his day.