Breaking the Cycle

by Graxic

Chapter 4

Dark Horn had woken up very happy, as he had finally, after a few days of constant practice and theoretical discussions with Twilight, managed to be able to move the shadows subconsciously, not having to focus anymore. He saw Twilight still asleep next to him, and decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air. He silently slid out of the bed, and was at the door when he heard a sleepy voice from behind him.

“’Morning.”

“Good morning.” he chimed back, as Twilight got out of bed.

“Where are you going?” she asked, letting out a yawn.

“I was just gonna go for a walk.”

“Well, if you have some breakfast first, I’ll come with you.”

“All right.” he replied, as the two of them walked downstairs and sat at the table in the kitchen where Spike asked them what they wanted. After they had finished their daffodil and daisy sandwiches, they walked out the door.

“Dark?” Twilight asked after a couple of minutes of walking.

“Yeah?”

“You said we were going for a walk.”

“We are.”

“You’re flying.” she noted, giggling lightly.

“Whoops. Sorry.” he said, folding in his wings and trotting alongside Twilight. They reached the town centre and veered off to the right to go to Sugarcube Corner for some tea and cupcakes. They didn’t get far before they noticed that everypony they passed was bowing, the exception being an embarrassed Fluttershy standing among the bowing ponies.

“Why are you all bowing?” Dark Horn asked.

“My apologies, Your Majesty, but it is custom to bow when in the presence of royalty.” a courageous pegasus nearby rose and looked up at Dark Horn.

“’Your Majesty’? I’m not royalty.” he said, as Twilight brought her hoof to her face.

“Well, you’re an alicorn, are you not?” the pegasus asked.

“That doesn’t necessarily make me royalty.”

“How so?”

“Well, Prince Blueblood is royalty,” he said, knowing full well that even Princess Celestia would like to deny that statement, “But he’s not an alicorn, is he?”

“No, but Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance are, or were, the only alicorns in Equestria that we know of, and they’re all royalty.”

“Well, I refuse to be classed as royalty.” he announced to everypony who was listening, but all of the bowing ponies continued to bow, and Fluttershy remained embarrassed. It was then that he realised that, though he may not be royalty, he was an alicorn, and alicorns were considered to be divine to other ponies. He was a god in their eyes, prince or not.

Flying a few hooves into the air and raising his voice so he could be heard, careful not to use the Traditional Canterlot Voice, he said “Everypony, please. All I ask is that you treat me as an equal to yourselves. I may be an alicorn, but I’m still a pony like you.”

Slowly at first, then rapidly, the bowing ponies rose up, looked to each other, then to Dark Horn, who had returned to Twilight’s side, nodded and muttered in agreement and admiration at his humility, then returned to their daily business.

Twilight smiled at Dark Horn, amazed at how he was acting so calmly when so many ponies were looking up to him as they would the Princesses, as they continued towards Sugarcube Corner.

“Hey you guys! How ya doing?” Pinkie yelled as they entered, causing them both to flinch and retreat a step.

“Oh, fine, we just felt like stopping in for a little snack.” Twilight explained.

“Well, sit down, have a look at the menu!” she said, bouncing joyously over to the counter and returning with two menus, which she sat down on the table where they had chosen to sit.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Cake came through, talking with another mare, a unicorn with a white coat, rose-red mane and a glass Cutiemark. They stopped to speak to Pinkie, who listened intently, then nodded, after which they left.

“So, you guys ready to order?”

“Uh, yeah. Say, Pinkie, who was that Mrs. Cake was talking to?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, that was her cousin, Rose Wine. She’s just moved here from Manehattan, and she’s opened this really fancy-shmancy restaurant just down the road with her husband, Red. I think it was called ‘Le Liquor’ or something like that.”

“Hmm… You maybe want to go there tonight, Twi?”

“I don’t see why not. It’ll be nice to have dinner out, I haven’t gone to a fancy restaurant since Shining and Cadance’s wedding.”

“Uh-huh. So, what are you ordering?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh, sorry, Pinkie. I’ll have a blueberry muffin with a side of butter, and some ginseng tea.” Dark Horn replied.

“And you, Twi?”

“Same, but some lemon tea, please. Ginseng makes me hyper.”

“Comin’ right up!” Pinkie said, bouncing away.

“What time do you think we should go?” Dark Horn asked.

“I don’t know, about 8?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Here ya go!” Pinkie said, bouncing back with two plates loaded with food balanced precariously on her head, miraculously not ending up all over the room. She stopped at the table and the plates, seemingly of their own accord, leapt from her head to the table, “Oh, and if you’re going at 8, you’d best have a reservation. That’s when they’re busiest, apparently.”

“How do we get a reservation, then?” Dark Horn asked.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll get you one.” she replied, winking mischievously, before sprinting out the door at a speed only achievable by her and Rainbow Dash, and returning almost instantaneously with a small piece of paper labelled ‘Table for two, 8pm, VIP’.

“VIP? You didn’t have to get us a VIP table.” Twilight exclaimed.

“Well, I just thought, seeing as you’re two of my very best friends, I’d get you a VIP table. Besides, once I mentioned that Dark here was an alicorn, Rose practically wouldn’t let me leave without a VIP table. Something about ‘royalty in with common ponies’ or something Rarity would say.” Pinkie gesticulated with her hoof to express Rose’s urgency in giving the VIP table.

“Oh. Well, I guess that’s okay, then.” Twilight sighed.

----That night, at 8pm----

“Wow, this place really is fancy.” Twilight gasped as they walked through the door of Le Liquor and seeing the many booths with dining ponies filled, most on romantic dates. The maitre d’, a young pegasus stallion behind a desk with a short, wavy blonde mane and tail, a white coat and a fountain pen hovering above an open book for a Cutiemark cleared his throat to get Dark and Twilight’s attention.

“Bonjour et bienvenue à Le Liquor. Avez-vous un réservation?” asked the maitre d’ in such fluent Prench he could have flown straight over from Prance that morning.

“Oui, c'est ici.” Dark Horn replied, relying on what little Prench he had been taught at school, before teleporting the piece of paper onto the desk with a small spark of magic, unintentionally fanning out his wings as he did so.

The maitre d’s eyes widened as it dawned upon him that Dark Horn was an alicorn, took one glance at the paper and ushered them right through the main dining area and into a lavishly furnished back room with an open fireplace, solid oak tables and chairs and several lit candles with no inhabitants, bar Rose and who they supposed to be her husband, an earth pony with a red coat and crimson mane and tail, and a decanter pouring wine for a Cutiemark.

“Welcome, welcome! I must say, it truly is an honour to have royalty and the bearer of the Element of Magic come to our restaurant, on just our second night,” Rose said, “Oh, I’m sorry. We haven’t even introduced ourselves. I’m Rose Wine, and this is my husband, Red.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Twilight.”

“Oh, we know. Everypony in Manehattan knows about the Elements of Harmony. But we’re curious as to why there’s a new prince in Equestria, one that nopony knew about beforehoof.”

“I’m Dark Horn, and I’m not royalty. I actually spent quite a while explaining to the other ponies that I didn’t want to be treated any different to the way they’d treat one another.”

“Oh, so you’re what that ruckus was about. We heard that earlier,” Red stated, “But we had no idea what it was about.”

“Anyway, please, take a seat, relax, we’ll have a waiter come take your order soon.” Rose said, as the two of them left Dark and Twilight to sit down at the table nearest the fireplace, with a lit candle, two glasses and an uncorked bottle of fine white wine between them. Dark Horn levitated the bottle up and filled the glasses to an acceptable level. He brought the glass nearest to him towards him, swirled it, and took a sip. His face contorted at the taste, then with a second sip, he grew accustomed to it.

"This is quite good wine, isn't it?" Dark Horn asked, noticing that Twilight had already drank more than him.

"Yeah, I've never had anything like it, except the champagne at the wedding."

"I didn't really like that champagne, I preferred the cider and beer they had at the bar."

"Yeah, I saw. I'm surprised you were even still standing that night, let alone able to perfectly form a sentence, with the amount you drank."

"I can hold my alcohol well. Prince Blueblood, on the other hand, was almost throwing himself into walls. If I remember correctly, he ended up getting into an argument with Rarity, and got locked in his chambers by the royal guard."