After twelve days, Noble Heart was feeling well enough to go back to the Platinum mansion. His parents had paid a very steep fine for foal abuse and Noble Heart now had a case manager that he would need to give bimonthly reports to. But in all frankness, he wasn’t too worried about his parents anymore. With the shame they brought upon themselves Bright Steel and Sapphire Diadem would be unwilling to discipline him.
But Noble Heart had no intention of taking advantage of that.
Nightmare Moon was coming, and with her, promises of death and doom. Whatever grudge he had against his parents simply seemed small in comparison.
He was escorted home by his case manager and two guards, much to his mother’s chagrin and neighborhood's delight
His case manager stared down both of his parents and shot down any attempts of intimidation coldly and efficiently. A couple weeks ago, Noble Heart would have been smirking at his mother and father from behind his case manager’s skirts, but now, he just didn’t care.
His family was curt and cordial when they ate dinner, and for once, Sapphire had chosen not to attack him for picking at his food.
“May I be excused, mother?” Noble Heart asked. “I’m feeling sick again.”
“Very well,” his father waved him off. “Golden Crown, show him to his room.”
He was surprised that he was no longer sharing a room with his brother, but he didn’t question it.
The pair made it all of four steps before Noble Heart stumbled to the nearest bathroom to throw up. He didn’t make it.
By the time Golden Crown (and their servants) managed to get Noble Heart to his new bedroom, he was regretting his decision to leave Castle Canterlot.
“Mother says you’ve ruined us."
Noble Heart flopped into bed. “We’ll be okay."
“No we won’t,” Golden retorted. “Nopony wants to talk to us anymore because everypony thinks mother and father are foal abusers.”
Noble sighed as he wrapped himself in a cocoon. “Everypony will forget about this in a few weeks. That’s how it always is with gossip.”
Golden Crown snorted in derision. “Not with things like this."
“You’ll see,” Noble whispered, not wishing to argue. “Right now, it’s tough, but it’ll be fine later. I promise.”
“You ruin everything,” Golden Crown muttered as he left.
The colt, now alone, looked out the window to see a half moon outside. Nightmare Moon gazed down coldly at Equestria, bidding her time for when she would be at last free and able to destroy the world that rejected her.
It was surreal to say the least, knowing when the apocalypse was coming. Everything would be gone… the queen, Canterlot, Chateau Clover, his family.
His stomach churned again.
He’d lose his parents and his twin.
He got up to puke in his chamber pot.
By the gods… everybody he knew and didn’t know would be dead! And, and he’d be dead, too!
Noble Heart continued to retch until all that was left was his stomach acid, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep that for much longer.
With his head spinning with both thought and vertigo, he stumbled out of his bedroom to make his way to the dining room where his parents were.
He heard them mumbling amongst themselves, and could see their shadows flicker from the light of the fireplace.
Noble Heart stumbled into a wall and started to cough and gag again.
His parents immediately stopped their discussion.
“What are you doing out of bed?” his father demanded. “You’re sick; go lie down.”
“N-n-no,” Noble Heart said as he careened toward them.
“Noble Heart, you need rest,” Sapphire pressed.
The colt toppled on top of her and embraced his mother.
She stiffened, but didn't push him off.
He took in his mother’s heart beat, hair texture, and smell.
Sapphire would die one day, whether Nightmare Moon killed her or not, and so far, the relationship he had with her was strained and combative, as if she were an enemy, and not the mare who gave him life.
An overwhelming sense of guilt rose inside him. How could he have treated her like that? “I’m sorry!” he shouted into her neck. “I’m sorry for everything I ever said and did to you!”
Bright and Sapphire looked at each, completely bewildered by the unorthodox behavior.
Sapphire stiffened shock for a moment, but then she held him in an awkward embrace. “It’s, ah, alright?”
“I love you!” His declaration, though muffled, was heard clearly by his parents. “I love you!”
“I, I love you, too,” Sapphire assured him. Despite how unsure she sounded, they all knew she meant it.