"Wake up! Please wake up!" A white pony held a mare in his hooves, barely conscious, on the brink of death. "Please you have to stay with me... I need you..." No response... "My sweet...I'm sorry..."
In a blur the scene vanished and another one took it's place. Fire...brimstone...hundreds of ponies laying dead around that same white pony.
"T-this can't be happening! I promised I would save everyone! S-she said I could...mother...why...I...I miss you...Celestia..." In that moment Celestia awoke with a fright. The 4th time she'd had the same dream, or, vision as it were.
"That same dream...why would I dream of this...he won't possibly have to go through all this...will he?" Suddenly crying was heard beside Celestia's bedside. She looked over to see the little colt she found outside the castle crying. She had taken him in knowing he was abandoned. "What purpose could be so great that you are meant to play...I just can't see it..." The colt looked at her with his golden eyes and sniffled. Celestia could only smile at him. "It doesn't matter...whatever the reason...I'm sure it'll be fine...my little Prince. Gleaming Dawn." The colt giggled as Celestia uttered his name to him. The name she gave him herself.
That colt grew to be by Celestia's side by every waking moment. Learning everything he had to directly from his adopted mother. Spells, how to fly, how to speak, even a bit about Friendship. Unfortunately, he was never able to experience Friendship himself. Celestia knew that if word got out she had a son, the citizens may think badly of her, or perhaps bad things could become of the young Prince. He had to remain a secret, from everyone. She never even told her student Twilight about him. For years it stayed this way. Day after day, night after night, stuck inside Canterlot Castle.
He knew why he had to be there, but he still didn't like it. All he was able to see of the ponies outside was from a window in his room. He witnessed the disaster of the Grand Galloping Gala, the Return of Discord, the Changeling Attack, but never has he experienced them himself. He even witnessed the coronation of Princess Twilight from the window. He was honestly jealous of her. Being able to go about normally even though she was a royal now.
"18 years..." He says to himself. "18 years I've been in Canterlot...when will mother let me leave, see the world for myself...I just wish I could..."
"Well why don't you?" A voice said to him.
He suddenly looked around nervously. "W-who's there? Show yourself!'
"Show myself...that may be difficult...but I can tell you, there are ways to get what you want..."
"What do you mean?" Gleaming asked the voice, which he was honestly starting to think was his own insanity.
"You could sneak out, where a disguise. Perhaps use an invisibility spell on your horn to hide that your an Alicorn. Nobody would even know your Celestia's son." The voice let out a low chuckle.
"But...I could never do that...I must do as mother wish-"
"Oh please!" The voice cut him off. "If you do as she says, you'll be here your whole life! But you could be out there, making friends, having adventures, being a real pony! So?"
Gleaming looked down in thought. "...I...i could really do it?"
"Of course you can! Trust me~" The voice said with a slur in his voice.
"...what will you get out of it?"
"I want nothing more then your happiness."
"...well...I guess it wouldn't hurt..." He admitted to himself... "But what if mother comes to check on me while I'm out?"
"Oh you can leave that to me~ I'll make sure nobody will even know you left."
"Wow...thank you um...disembodied voice." He smiled nodding. "I'll do it!"
With that, Gleaming Dawn started his plan to sneak into Canterlot, and see just what he can do with his life. He knew this would be his one and only chance to do so many amazing things. Maybe just even make friends, like he always wanted. Little did he know, that that "Voice" didn't just want his happiness. He wanted him out of the castle. That way he can do his own plan that he had, without interruption from the Prince. This will be a day in Equestria, that nobody will ever forget, for on this day, everything that ponies know will change...forever.