Chapter 7
There was blood on his hooves.
Blueblood could only stare.
There was blood on his hooves.
No matter what he did, whether shaking them or rubbing them on his coat, the crimson liquid kept flowing, oozing out of his hooves.
He tried to look elsewhere. The blood-red color disgusted him beyond comparison, and seeing his clean white coat infected with it, he wanted to banish it from sight. What he got instead was a world of utter and complete darkness. Deepest black conveyed on all corners of his sight, as if everything around him had its color and life sucked off. He tried to say something, only for his voice to come out blurred and soft.
He shouted. He stomped his hind legs.
Nothing.
He looked at his hooves again, feeling his eyes watering. He tried to shake them again to no avail. Then, he heard it.
He could only describe it as a whisper, a sigh in the wind. He placed his bloodied hooves down, and looked forward. Was there someone out there? He tried to shout again.
Again, nothing!
His eyes moved, scanning the area to the left, then to his right. There was nothing but darkness. He looked down. He saw it.
The guard earth pony, lying there on a pool of blood. The Prince winced as the blood itself began to pool at his hooves.
This must be the reason why he couldn’t get rid of the color, he thought.
Blueblood tried to step away, but for some reason his legs stayed where they were. His eyes widened as he realized the blood thickened around his fetlocks and hooves, and if his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, they were transforming to dragon-like claws, grabbing him, keeping him still.
The guard pony then moved. At first, it was just a slight movement. His neck shifted as his eyelids slowly blinked, then unbelievably stood up quickly, shocking Blueblood to a sitting position. The Prince could only look in horror as an animated deceased pony stared at him with lifeless eyes, his mouth opening and revealing sharp teeth as it screamed.
“Blueblood!”
“-rince Blueblood!”
The Prince woke up with a start. He gasped for breathe as he felt a warm hoof on his shoulder. He could hear Gear Match’s voice, soothingly telling him he was okay.
He was not convinced. He could still see the image of the dead pony standing in front of him. He thought he could still feel the thick crimson liquid on his hooves. He could still feel the cold weight of guilt that he felt the day he saw that guard on the ground, the lifeblood leaving his neck.
I have to distract myself lest I go mad, he thought.
“How long was I out?” Blueblood asked, wondering why everything seemed so bright.
“You have been unconscious for a day, my dear Blueblood.”
The Prince blinked. Was that his auntie’s voice? He looked to his left and saw Gear Match. He looked in front, and saw the foot of a bed and white walls. On his right, standing as majestically as ever, was Princess Celestia, looking at him with a mix of relief and sorrow.
“Aunt-” Blueblood scrambled to sit up, only to scream out in pain as his body suddenly felt like it was on fire.
“Nephew!” Celestia exclaimed, her hoof suddenly going to Blueblood’s chest, pinning him down. “Settle down, Blueblood. The healers and I have gone through your body, but you aren’t completely healed. Settle down!”
Blueblood stopped moving and the burning sensation slowly started to fade. He stared at the white ceiling, feeling surprisingly blank. All he could feel was Celestia’s hoof circling his chest... no, wait, circling the place where the mini-AMR would be situated on his chest. Another pulse of panic vibrated in his core as he looked at his aunt, fearful of what to expect.
What would she say?
Celestia said nothing. Her gaze was neutral as she looked to Blueblood’s left. On top of the bed-side table was the vest along with the glowing mini-AMR. Her eyes then traveled towards Blueblood’s head, where his horn once proudly stood. She could only wince.
Did Gear Match tell her why he needed the mini-AMR? Had he explained to his auntie what had happened? Where was the armor itself?
“You look relatively healthy,” Celestia said, cutting off his train of thoughts. “All things considered.”
“How long was I gone?” Blueblood asked. “I lost track of days during our imprisonment.”
“Three weeks,” Celestia replied with a sigh. “We tried to find you sooner, nephew, but we were... delayed.”
“Must have been quite a situation to delay you, auntie,” Blueblood chuckled. When Celestia didn’t even crack a smile, he frowned. “What happened?”
“It’s of... no importance. Not anymore. Equestria is safe, and so are you. It is all finally over.”
Blueblood could only blink. Over; the word echoed in Blueblood’s ears and his chest. He suddenly felt everything pouring out of him. The fear he squashed down to keep his mind sharp for the escape, the strain of working on two projects, both technologically advanced for this age, and the horrors he experienced on his escape.
He didn’t break down, or at least, not completely. Prince Blueblood was raised as a noblepony, as the Crown Prince. Commoners looked up to him in a bit of reverie, so he had to give them a strong front. Fellow nobleponies would see emotions as a weakness, so he would give them nothing.
However, he was not unfeeling.
He felt a few tears leaving his eyes, and he paid them no mind. In his head, all his thoughts were focused on three sentences, repeating over and over. It was over.
It was over.
Prince Blueblood felt a hoof touch his cheek. He saw Celestia smiling at him, her white hoof feeling soft and warm as she wiped his tears away. He gave her a nod of appreciation, and just laid there on the bed, for the first time since he was captured, completely relaxed and contented.
“Is the Prince awake?” a feminine voice rang out on the room. Blueblood blinked.
“Yes he is, Doctor Heart,” Celestia replied, her hoof leaving the Prince’s cheek. She trotted out of the way revealing a unicorn mare with one of those reflective headgears and a stethoscope around her neck. She was relatively nice-looking pony with bright purple coat, mane and tail of a darker shade.
She had quite an infectious smile, though.
“Well, Prince Blueblood, how are you feeling today?” she asked with a bit of warmth. Blueblood could appreciate that.
“Sore,” he replied.
“Well, don’t worry,” she replied, her hoof reaching to touch Blueblood’s in an assuring manner. “We’ll-”
Before her hooves touched him, Blueblood suddenly felt suffocated. The image of Doctor Heart was replaced by the smiling Silver Star, and he automatically flinched backwards. As he did, everything turned back normal. Silver Star wasn’t there, and he could finally breathe.
Doctor Heart looked confused. “Prince Blueblood, are you hurt? Should I-” and when she reached out once more, Blueblood jerked again automatically.
The Prince shook his head as he felt his muscles strain on every sudden jerk his body did. He saw the doctor flinched, her eyes hurt and confused. He saw Gear Match looking utterly flabbergasted. And then he looked at his auntie, who had now had a dark look in her eyes.
She knew.
“Doctor, would you excuse us for a bit?” Celestia asked. Heart looked a bit apprehensive, but nodded just the same, bowing before she slowly left the room. With her gone, the Princess’ eyes seemed to glow with fury as she directed her gaze at the surprised Gear Match.
“Why have you not told me?” she demanded, voice deceptively calm, though one could feel the rage underneath. Gear Match looked even more confused.
“T-told you what, your h-highness?”
Blueblood shook his head, and before his aunt could say more, he spoke up. “Auntie, stop. He didn’t know.”
Celestia and Gear Match looked at him, the latter still looking angry while Gear Match looked even more confused. The Prince breathed.
“It happened just recently,” Blueblood continued. “The day we escaped actually.”
“Prince Blueblood, what are you-”
“Silver Star,” the Prince cut his friend off. “She was the right-hoof mare of their leader, Maelstrom. She was in heat.”
Gear Match’s face went through a whole lot of motion. From confusion, his eyes widened with understanding, then narrowed with disgust.
“She... she what!?” Gear Match screamed the last word.
“She was stopped,” Blueblood continued, closing his eyes. “Maelstrom and the rest came to my rescue. I... I had thought I could finally respect the pony. He was planning something dastardly, but at least he had standards. However, I had to rethink that notion with all the things that came to pass afterwards.” He felt his throat wash with fire as he opened his eyes. “He must have known that Silver Star was in heat and that she was going to assault me. He wanted me rattled enough so I wouldn’t notice his... creature mimic Gear Match.”
He could feel his eyes tear up again. He made no motion to stop it. “I had murder in mind, Auntie. I wanted to kill him, and his little monster. I almost did. Oh Stars, I almost did.”
Blueblood would never admit to anyone that he broke down in a hospital, that he gritted his teeth as he tried to force his cry from coming out of his throat. He would never admit that he was glad that the only witnesses were trusted ponies, one who had gone through the fire with him, and the other, his beloved Auntie, who nuzzled him until sleep overtook him.
When Blueblood awoke, it was nearing sunrise. Seeing it outside his window, he sighed as he drank the vision he had always missed during the confines of his cave. He shifted his blanket around him comfortably, feeling the slight thirst for magic. He looked at his side, and saw Gear Match, still with him, lying comfortably on a recliner on his left.
“Gear Match,” Blueblood called. “Are you awake?”
There was a slight mumble from the older unicorn, but he slowly turned and opened his eyes.
“Prince Blueblood?” he muttered sleepily. “W-what time is,” he yawned, “is it?”
“The sun is about to rise,” Blueblood replied. “You don’t have to dote over me, Gear Match. Go home.”
“I’m afraid going home will be more work than I’m ready to face,” Gear Match declared, sounding more alert. “Our disappearance would have definitely put the company in a bit of disarray. I trust our managers, but some of them can be a bit over-enthusiastic. I can imagine them lining up at my house, waiting for me to get home.”
Blueblood smiled. “You won’t get much rest with me awake, Gear Match. We have work to do. However, I need to know what happened when we escaped. Why did I black out?”
“I believe you overworked the mini-AMR. The fire gems suddenly lost magic, and we basically fell out of the sky.”
“Armor?” Blueblood asked.
“Shattered. The impact shredded the connectors. Pieces were flying everywhere,” Gear Match replied. He looked down slightly. “I had to dump them in a nearby tar pit to carry you on the run, just in case Maelstrom sent some ponies to chase us.”
“Tar pit?”
“Stranger things are found in the Everfree, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match said sagely.
The Prince paused, and then nodded. “Very true. However, please tell me you... oh, yes,” Blueblood sighed with relief as Gear Match levitated the right hoof part of the armor, the one that had the prototype repulsor technology.
“I’d thought you wanted this brought along,” Gear Match smirked.
“You thought right. Excellent,” Blueblood nodded a few times. “Continue.”
“I carried you a few leagues. The crash really took you out, Prince Blueblood. You were breathing shallowly, and without magic, you looked... dead.” He paused, eyes down in shame. After a moment, he recovered, and looked back at the Prince. “I gave you some of my magic. I tried to patch you up as much as I could but if Princess Luna hadn’t arrive...”
Gear Match went silent once more, and this time, Blueblood felt the older unicorn wouldn’t continue. The Prince just let him be.
After a minute, the younger stallion spoke. “I guess we have to improve the interior of the armor as well, then. Make it more... impact-resistant.”
Gera Match scoffed and almost laughed. He looked at the Prince. “Please tell me you aren’t thinking of making more.”
“Who knows, Gear Match. Right now though, we have a more pressing issues and I hate to ask more from you.”
“Ask away, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match declared immediately.
Blueblood told him.
Once the enumeration was done, Gear Match went on his way, leaving Blueblood once more by his lonesome. Another doctor, a stallion this time, came in and did the usual checks, giving him a vial of essence of magic. The Prince drank that one eagerly.
The doctor began to explain the injuries he had sustained, and while he droned on, the Prince’s thoughts went back to Doctor Heart. He felt slightly bad for reacting that way. He had no qualms in hurting somepony’s feelings but the mare was only trying to help. It didn’t help matters that she might have assumed the worst when Celestia asked her to get out.
“Thankfully, with no broken bones, we can proceed with the rejuvenation vats,” the doctor continued. “We can also hire a few more healers to speed up the heal” – and he was cut off when the door of the room opened with fanfare.
Blueblood blinked as he saw an Earth Pony mare with dark yellow coat and light two-toned green mane and tail entering the room. She had a magnifying glass cutie mark, and looked like she was a few years older than the doctor in the room.
“Hey Blue,” she called, waving as she spotted the Prince in the bed. “Aren’t you a lazy bugger? Celestia’s sun is up already.”
The doctor barred her way. “Excuse me, miss but this is” – and once again, he was cut off when the mare shoved him aside.
“Well, whatcha lying there for? Lazing around isn’t quite your style, Blue. What would Photo say?”
“Miss!”
“Doctor,” Blueblood interjected. The doctor looked at him, still somewhat agitated that he was being ignored. “It’s fine. She’s a friend.”
“More than a friend, I’d say,” the mare muttered.
“Oh, shut it Rev,” Blueblood replied, rolling his eyes. “Doctor, do whatever you can to get me up and running tonight, at least. Whatever it takes, doctor. Hire more healers if you have to. Bits are not a problem.”
The doctor just nodded.
“Is there anything else?” the Prince asked. When the doctor shook his head, Blueblood said, “Leave then.”
The doctor gave a dirty look behind the mare, and trotted outside. The room was silent, except for the fading footsteps out the room, and it was almost a minute before the mare finally spoke.
“He gave me a glare, didn’t he?”
“Not really much of a glare, but yes,” Blueblood replied.
“Times changed. Usually, it’s you that gets all the glares,” she muttered.
“Only the mares glare at me. You are in charge for the stallions,” Blueblood grinned. He looked at her. “Thank you for coming, Rev.”
Rev was an Earth Pony whose real name was Doctor Revealing Light (she preferred Doctor Light). An Earth Pony that decided that growing plants was not for her, she discovered that her talent was a critical eye for details, and applied it on an interest: body and face language.
A self-claimed deception expert, she had gone around the world, studying different Equines, and even other species. She gauged their reactions, compared differences and had discovered that all species had the same baseline when it came to emotional indicators.
Reading those indicators, she could then reasonably conclude whether somepony was lying or not.
Blueblood met Rev when he was still a colt. His mother hired her to teach him how to read nobleponies, citing that it would ultimately help him manipulate them to do whatever was most advantageous to him. It worked so well, in fact, that Blueblood easily outmaneuvered his own mother when she began to manipulate him to increase her political clout.
Of course, reading ponies’ emotions were both a blessing and a curse; sometimes, more of the latter.
She was also another important mare in Blueblood’s life. Though he would never admit to it, Rev was his second crush. Of course, she read that easily from him, and had never let him forget it since.
“Old Gear said you wanted to see me. He said you were in need of someone who could help you face some trauma,” Rev said, sitting down near him. “Blue, you know me. I’m a deception expert, not a psychologist.”
“Oh, I know that,” Blueblood replied easily. “But there is no one else I can trust with this.”
“Well, I can still dress up in that school filly uniform you always wanted.”
“This is serious Rev.”
The mare raised her hooves in surrender. “Okay, okay. Serious Bluey here, then. Whatcha need?”
“I need eyes on the castle,” Blueblood declared. “I just found out that someone may be stealing secret documents and handing them to our enemies. I need to find out how many ponies are involved, who, and how deep they have penetrated security.”
“Does the Princess of the Sun know about this?” Rev asked.
“Yes.”
“Liar,” she declared immediately. “Investigating the ponies under her wing may raise a lot of questions. I’d rather not have our esteemed ruler’s ire at me.”
“Coward,” Blueblood teased with a slight smile. He turned serious again afterwards. “I’ll be extending my stay on the castle after I am strong enough to leave my bed. You’ll be my personal psychiatrist, who will ensure my mental well-being. And don’t worry about Auntie. She’ll be too irritated at me to pay any attention to you.”
“Irritated at you?” Rev asked. When Blueblood offered no explanation, she sighed. “Okay, Blue. As for your mental well-being...”
Her hoof suddenly touched his. Blueblood felt himself flinch but was able to keep his foreleg in place. He thought he hid the reaction well, but Rev’s face suddenly softened.
“Horseapples, Blue. That mare... she hurt you,” Rev whispered. “Oh, Blue. I’d hug you, but...” and she left her sentence hanging.
Blueblood was thankful for the silence, and relaxed as he let his foreleg rest. He knew Rev was a trustworthy mare, yet he could still see Silver Star’s evil smiling mug overtake Rev’s place. He shuddered, and he immediately felt his friend’s hoof leaving his leg.
“Rev—”
“Its fine, Blue,” the mare declared as she stood on all fours. “I’m in. Though I’m bringing Deep Forest. He’s a real psychologist.”
“Is he your new boy-toy?” Blueblood teased. “I’d love to meet him then.”
Rev just rolled her eyes. “Yes, he’s my new boy-toy. But, he’s also very good at what he does. Not a bad deception-detector either. He can assist me in your little spy game, while helping you at the same time.”
“Sounds goo—” and Blueblood was cut short when the door opened. Princess Celestia entered, with Gear Match in tow. Rev, seeing the Royal Sister, gave a respectful bow.
“Your highness.”
“Doctor Light,” Celestia declared, surprised. “I haven’t seen you for a good while. How are you doing?”
“Quite good, Princess,” the mare replied. “I’ve just been talking to Blue here”—Blueblood noticed Gear Match give her an irritated look—“and I’ve been hired to help him overcome his problem.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you more of a deception expert?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, Auntie,” Blueblood immediately interjected, “but she has people working under her that could help me. And I trust her.”
Celestia blinked, looking between Rev and Blueblood. The Prince was sure his auntie was suspecting something, but she let it go, giving a nod.
“Then, I shall accept any help you can give to my nephew. You have my thanks, Doctor Light,” Celestia declared.
“Always happy to help a friend,” Rev said.
Celestia just nodded, and looked at Blueblood. “Nephew, I’ve received word that Princess Cadance is coming to visit. She’ll be here any minute.”
“Mi Amore?” Rev chuckled. “Oh ho, I’m outta here then. Good luck, Blue. And see you in the castle.”
Blueblood rolled his eyes as Rev left in her typical brash manner. He saw Gear Match raising an eyebrow as the older stallion watched the mare leave. He looked at Blueblood questioningly, but the Prince gave him no answer. Gear Match shook his head, and looked at Celestia.
“What did Doctor Light mean by ‘good luck’?”
Princess Celestia gave him a tight smile. “Princess Cadance is Prince Blueblood’s betrothed.”
Blueblood could have laughed at his friend’s flabbergasted expression, but he could not. Hearing his Auntie say it brought back a few memories—a whole lot of them painful.
If Rev was his second crush, Cadance was the first. Having an alicorn, the Ruler of Equestria, who doted on him more than his mother did, it was no surprise that Blueblood felt that the perfect pony, the perfect mare, was his Auntie Celestia. Majestic stance, pure white coat, an aura of power and authority, she was a figure that Blueblood could look up to and knowing that with her presence he would be safe.
So when he first laid eyes on Cadance, he was smitten. She was an alicorn, like his aunt, except she had pearl-pink coat and a vibrant three-colored mane and tail; pink of darker shade sandwiched between light yellow and violet colors. She also had the most interesting cutie mark he’d ever seen – a crystallized heart.
His mother had seen his infatuation and made arrangements. When she announced that she had successfully bargained Cadance’s hoof in marriage, Blueblood felt like he was the luckiest colt alive.
And how things have changed, Blueblood thought.
Words were said, acts were done; nothing that could ever be taken back. Blueblood found himself feeling uncomfortable, remembering the past. How long ago since he had spoken with her? How long had they been avoiding each other? Had he died in the mountains, would that be all that was left of their relationship; a mangled broken line filled with lies and pain?
“I’ll make it up to her,” Blueblood found himself muttering.
“What was that, Nephew?” Celestia asked.
“I’ll make it up to Cadance,” Blueblood declared a little louder. “I’ve left a festering wound, and I almost, irresponsibly, left it unhealed. It’s time to clear the air.”
Celestia beamed. Literally. Blueblood could see her glow as her eyes sparkled giving him a smile he hadn’t seen her give him since he was a colt. He only smiled happily back as Celestia patted her hooves on his foreleg.
The arrival of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was the polar opposite of Rev’s. She trotted in gracefully, with her neck and head straight as she sauntered through the door.
She was still as beautiful as Blueblood remembered... maybe even more so. She developed pretty well, her body definitely following the way his aunts were built. He could see her long legs, accented by her golden hoofwear, a gold necklace adorned near her chest and a gleaming crown standing proud on top of her mane. Even the rather ugly rucksack that hid her cutie mark didn’t discount her beauty.
She bowed when she saw Celestia and gave Gear Match, who looked starstruck, a smile. Blueblood couldn’t blame him. She was breathtaking. When her eyes traveled to him, though, expression drained from her face, her eyes narrowing slightly before her gaze turned neutral. She gave him a courtesy bow.
“Prince Blueblood,” Cadance greeted with a neutral tone. “I am glad to see you well.”
She might have as well been screaming at him in rage. Blueblood couldn’t blame her.
“Cadance,” he greeted back with more enthusiasm. He gave her an honest smile. “I’m glad you came.”
She blinked, her eyebrows rising for just a second, indicating genuine surprise, before her expression turned neutral. “You are?”
“Yes,” the Prince replied. He sighed. “Cadance, look, I know things have been difficult between us, and I want to just say that I’m sorry for the way I acted. I was young. I thought the world of you. And while I can’t say how you’ll react, I just want you to know that I am willing to do what it takes to repair our friendship.”
Cadance looked at him for a moment, before her eyes looked down for less than a second. Before Blueblood could react, her horn glowed and she levitated a rolled parchment out of her bag. Blueblood blinked as it unrolled in front of him with pinkish glow, and his eyes immediately recognized it as a magically-bound document.
He looked at his betrothed for a moment before his eyes washed over the words printed on it. His mouth opened slightly before closing. His eyes widened in surprise as he continued to scroll down letter, which ended with Cadance’s horseshoe seal.
“Wh-what is this?” Blueblood uttered quietly.
“These dissolution papers will finalize the termination of our engagement,” Cadance replied, still with the same neutral tone. “Your mother made fool-proof arrangements, but what has happened in the past and with new precedence”—she looked at Blueblood’s head, where his horn used to be—“I was finally able to gain leverage. Just sign it.”
Blueblood went still for a few seconds, his mouth trying to form words. After a minute, he finally shook his head. “Cadance... what in tartarus—come on! Couldn’t this wait? I’m still recovering. Stars and Stones! I—”
“If you don’t sign it, Prince Blueblood, I’ll have to take action.” She levitated another roll of parchment and unrolled it in front of him.
Blueblood read the second letter, and his eyes widened. He felt his heart stop for a moment as the world faded, leaving only the printed words in front of him. He couldn’t even breathe.
“That letter indicates that you have breached our engagement contract, betraying my trust and the foundation to our marriage. With that, I shall endeavor to spend all my time in taking everything you have, including your company.”
“Cadance... why?”
“This is just a little insurance, Prince Blueblood. Please, just sign the dissolution,” Cadance whispered, her face finally betraying some emotion.
Regret.
It infuriated him to no end.
“H-how dare you!?” Blueblood seethed, his jaw trembling.
“Princess Cadance!” Princess Celestia interjected, approaching the pearl-pink alicorn.
Cadance shivered, but stood her ground. “Please, Princess Celestia, this is a lawful matter between nobleponies. You can’t interfere.”
Celestia stared at the younger alicorn hard. “I am fully aware of the limits of my authority, having written the laws myself. However, there’s a time and place for everything. Blueblood is still recovering, and you are badgering him with this? He’s not even out of the hospital yet!”
“I’m sorry, your highness, but it must be done quickly,” Cadance said with conviction.
Fire. That was all Blueblood could feel. It burned in his stomach as he felt the rage once more overtake his senses. His vision tinted red as his lungs tried to grab in more air. His muscles shook, spasm in pain as his eyes, still on the second letter, began to narrow.
“Why?” Blueblood asked, his voice with such loathing that Gear Match blinked. The Prince practically snarled. “Why in a hurry, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza? Are you afraid that my mother may have a way to grow my horn back, thus eliminating your leverage? Or maybe you are in a hurry to be done with me and over it so you can finally be free of your responsibilities and marry that stallion you prefer?”
Cadance shook her head. “Prince Blueblood, you brought this on yourself. Your slovenly behavior in regards to our relationship, your betrayal in sleeping with other mares while I remained steadfast... that is on you.”
“Don’t claim innocence, Princess,” Blueblood retorted. “You may have followed our engagement to the letter, but you never gave us a chance. Every time I talked to you about us, I could hear it—the very doubt in your voice!”
“Everypony has doubts!” Cadance exploded, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Blueblood. “Have you ever thought of that, Prince Blueblood? Or did you fool yourself that having skills in reading ponies could make you an arrogant know-it-all!?”
“Cadance! Blueblood!” Celestia began, but both ponies ignored her.
“Then you underestimated me, Princess Cadenza,” Blueblood seethed, his voice lowering in volume, yet losing none of its edge. “If it was just doubt, I wouldn’t have been hurt. No. I was hurt because you have lied to me.”
“Pray tell, when?”
Blueblood closed his eyes. His memories of his younger years were still sharp as he recalled his first talk with Cadance. He asked her simply if she was excited regarding their engagement. She changed the subject.
He grew up a little from that conversation. He decided to befriend her, know her as a pony. She readily accepted his offer of friendship, but would be quiet when it came to their betrothal. He didn’t mind. He convinced himself they were still young, and marriage was still far off.
She was then hired as a foalsitter. She said she had wanted to experience the work of a commoner to better understand her position and accepted work from a family with noble ties. She began to talk about a stallion named Shining Armor.
He felt a new emotion. Jealousy.
She’d never stop talking about him. Even during their get-togethers, she would not miss a beat where she would describe something new that Shining Armor did. Sooner, she began to cancel their meetings, citing urgent last-minute meetings.
Blueblood opened his eyes as he finally found the memory. “Do you remember the day I asked your thoughts on the future of our engagement?”
Cadance blinked.
“I do,” the Prince continued. “I remember it perfectly. Your first reaction was your eyes going down for less than a second. Your shoulder shrugged unconsciously when told me that I was still your betrothed. You stared in my eyes as you said that you would eventually learn to love me.” He sighed. “Eyes down, shoulder shrug, and finally, forced direct eye contact. Stars take me, Cadenza. I wish you knew how to lie better.”
Cadance looked down again, and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Prince Blueblood. What you have is just a theory of a lie. I have evidence of your unfaithfulness. I never wavered.”
“Of course,” Blueblood muttered as he stamped his hoof on the magical binding document. His hoofmark magically appeared on the dissolution paper, finally making it official. “You win.”
Cadance took the first parchment back, leaving Blueblood the second one. As she slid the dissolution papers in her bag, she gave one last look at the Prince, and sighed. “Blueblood... look, I’m sorry it had to be done this way. I hope we can remain friends.”
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, I had hoped we could have remained friends,” Blueblood declared neutrally. “Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future. Now, if you would be so kind to leave me in peace as you have far overstayed your welcome.”
Cadance sighed and nodded. She began to trot out of the room before Blueblood spoke once more before he could think twice.
“I must thank you, though, Princess Cadenza,” the Prince declared.
“For what?”
“That I didn’t have to marry a mare that just strung me along,” Blueblood drawled. “I wonder how long before this Shining Armor realizes that his marefriend is an unnatural freak.”
Cadance’s eyes shot wide. Blueblood was pretty sure he also garnered the attention of his Auntie and Gear Match as well, but he didn’t care.
“You’ll most likely outlive him,” the Prince continued. “He’ll grow old while you remain youthful. I wonder, would you stay with him until his dying breath, or cuckold him for the next younger colt to come your way?”
“Blueblood!” Celestia admonished, but the damage was done. Cadance’s eyes misted as her wings wilted on her sides. She quickly turned around and galloped away.
“Horseapples,” Gear Match cursed. Blueblood was sure the older unicorn was looking at him with disapproval. “Your highness, should I—”
“No, I’ll take care of Princess Cadance,” Celestia replied. She sighed, and shook her head. “Prince Blueblood... I’m disappointed.”
“Not as much as I am,” Blueblood mumbled, relaxing in the bed. “If she plans to marry this stallion, tell her I’d be happy to accept her invitation. I’m sure it could be of some use in the privy.”
Celestia’s eyes hardened for a moment, before they softened as she sighed. She shook her head with discontent and trotted away, leaving Blueblood and Gear Match alone in the room.
Gear Match mumbled something incoherently and began pacing around the bed. He stole a few glances at Blueblood, his expression far from happy, but the Prince deftly ignored him.
“Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match began, and stopped. He sighed. “What in Tartarus was that?”
“A disagreement,” Blueblood replied easily.
“I’m sorry, a disagreement?” the older unicorn asked, his voice gaining some volume. “Two differing opinions regarding how much sugar to put in a cup of tea is a disagreement. What you just did was insult Princess Cadance, and inadvertently Princess Celestia as well, and run the poor mare out!”
“That poor mare had the gall to threaten me, and worse, our company, so she could finalize a termination of a contract laid down years ago. She had the gall to wash herself clean, citing me as the sole reason why the relationship never worked. Oh, and here’s a clincher, Gear Match... she waited until my horn was cut off, essentially lowering my standing as a unicorn, and that I was in a hospital before she broached the subject,” Blueblood spat. “Oh yes, she’s quite the poor mare.”
Gear Match winced at the last part, knowing full well that even Princess Celestia agreed what the younger Princess did was more than rude. “Be that as it may, Prince Blueblood, you attacked her personally.”
“And she didn’t attack me personally when she came in with her threats?” Blueblood rolled his eyes. “What should she have done to justify my words, Gear Match? Have her put a firestick on my head? She did. I had thought we were friends. I’d have signed the dissolution without the fanfare. But now, I realize the truth. She’s nothing more than another pony that used me to get what they want. They are all the same, whether it’s Auntie Celestia to get a symbol for sociological change, Maelstrom to build the Jericho, or even Silver Star to scratch her itch. The same, every one of them!”
“Even me, Prince Blueblood?” Gear Match asked.
Blueblood shifted, his face looking at the older unicorn. He frowned.
“Am I using you as well?” Gear Match repeated. “Would you prefer I depart now, leave you be?”
Blueblood sighed. He shook his head.
“Good, then you‘ll know that when I tell you this, I’m not feeding you mule dumps,” Gear Match began, a hard edge born out of his voice. “I do not care how hurt you are, but if you compare Princess Celestia to those two monsters again, I will have stern words with you, Crown Prince or not. Am I clear?”
The Prince winced, and nodded.
“Good.”
Blueblood blinked, and looked at his friend. “What, that’s it? No mention of what I did to Princess Cadenza?”
“I am not presumptuous enough to tell you how to act. You’re a grown stallion, and my superior. I’m just hoping what you just did won’t blow back to us, though mostly me.”
Blueblood snorted. “You already know what’s coming next. If you’re afraid of a backlash, you shouldn’t be around me when the time comes.”
“Unfortunately, I agree on what you are about to undertake,” Gear Match replied, sighing. “I set it up, Prince Blueblood. I contacted as many journalists as I could. I also managed to secure the conference room in the hospital, as that way we can easily get you back to your room if something goes wrong.”
Blueblood nodded. “Get the doctor then. I need to at least look like I can stand on my own hooves when I show my face to the world.”
The next morning, Equestrian newspapers would all display the same picture: Prince Blueblood, first stallion Crown Prince of Equestria. The headlines were all the variation of ‘The Crown Prince Returns’, and some even gave a brief history of his absence for the past few weeks.
Not a whole lot of readers actually remembered his disappearance. Discord’s short-lived reign happened in almost the same time-frame, thus putting the Crown Prince’s ponynapping as a mere afterthought.
His return, though, was a different story. His picture on all newspapers had him swathed in bandages, looking dignified. More astute observers would realize his horn was missing as well, which further increased the attention. However, the real reason for remembrance was not of his appearance, but of his words.
“For the past few weeks, I’ve lived in squalish conditions under the rule of a tyrant, conditions which I would not wish on any decent pony. There, my freedom, my dignity, was stripped. I was treated as a convenience, used as a tool to further their goals. And knowing such goals is where I made the discovery that shook me to my very core.
“Like all of you, I had thought that Equestria, proud land of the three tribes, is safe—that we are secure. I discovered that I was utterly mistaken. Equestria is under threat. And I have come to the realization that we are woefully unprepared. The enemy was no nation, but within their ranks I’ve seen ponies, griffins, and even a species that I’ve never heard of. They are armed with griffin, pony and zebra weapons. They have the capital to keep their soldiers well-armed. And from what you see in front of you, they have the will and aggressiveness to further their goals regardless of who they hurt.
“So, effective immediately, I am opening a Weapons Division on Ponytech, until such a time I deem that our country is safe. It is my hope that Equestria will be ready for whatever comes to threaten her lands, and I will not stop until I can spare all ponies the tragedies I have endured.”
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2523092
2523126 Well, I must admit that I myself wrote an Iron Man MLP story.
Except with Rarity.
2523136
^_^ Not a bad choice to be Iron Mare.
2523149 Thanks
I felt I might have botched the third act up a bit, but live and learn.
And yes, I'm doing all the others.
2523160
The Mane Six as the Avengers?
2523166 Yup. Big mega project.
Going all the way here.
2523168
Well, my big plan was for Thor to be a call name for a super-high-tech super soldier using a mix of mass effect technology, and orbital frames like Zone of Enders. Captain Equestria was going to be an OC mare. Hulk would have been a familiar character
. Iron Colt also had someone who was going to be the verse's Black Widow, and a human sharpshooter called Eagle. 
2523185 Son, you best be trollin'
2523583
Nope. It was going to be something massive too.
.... then my other story got popular.
2523598 Well, then I suggest you pursue this wonderfully insane idea my friend.
2523607
One day, when I'm less busy.
Meh, I can live with a hiatus. Good luck with future projects!
Interesting, this is the exact opposite of what Tony Stark did in Iron Man. That should tell us something about Equestria.
Even though I want this to continue, I wish you you luck and hope that all your stories will surpass this one
It's quite clear that when Blueblood lashed out against Cadance at the end, it wasn't just about her. She poked right into a festering wound- his lack of control.
She made him feel helpless and trapped, something he resented all his life, and now more acutely than ever after his recent ordeal.
Of course, she wouldn't have had to do it if not for his past actions (at least in her mind). That's where the regret she showed comes in- she was trapped as well, and wanted out. Had she waited a bit, perhaps Blueblood would have signed the dissolution papers on his own, but she couldn't have known, and she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. Like ripping off a band-aid. I don't think she wanted to hurt him, even after all he's done.
I wonder... how much of what happened does Cadance blame on Blueblood, personally? Does she believe him to be as manipulative as his mother? Does she have reason to? And will Blueblood see that, unless his mother negotiated with Cadance, personally, about their betrothal, the latter was trapped in exactly the same way he was (and hated)?
In any case: Right now, Blueblood shows a lack of empathy, perhaps even insight. He can see when ponies lie, but he either doesn't know or care why they would do so. I'll give him a pass, though, at this time. He has a lot to work through emotionally right now; and I have a creeping suspicion that he'll do so by burrying himself in work and ignoring the problem.
2525691
Honestly, the whole fight was both their faults, though in this particular chapter, Cadance has nothing to blame than herself for Blueblood's response. One has to remember that Blueblood has been a victim of an ongoing theme. He's a Crown Prince when he doesn't want to be, kidnapped and used, and almost raped. As you said, he feels he is in a lack of control.
Would you expect insight from someone traumatized? Would you expect empathy from someone who suffered an ordeal? What Cadance did was trounce around with heavy boots, stomping on her way recklessly, needlessly and rudely enough that even Princess Celestia was shocked. Whether she had felt trapped was no excuse. She already had a valid reason for the dissolution. But she went an extra mile. She waited until Blueblood lost a horn, and threatened a company he worked hard to build.
If anything, I see Cadance having even less empathy and insight than Blueblood. He was emotionally strung. Cadance? Not so much. And for a reason.
She wants to get married.
2527339
Which is also why I believe Celestia gave him a pass.
However, I'm still not fully inclined to agree with your last point (foolish as it might be to argue with the author). At this particular moment, how she conducted herself was deplorable, yes; but considering both their usual dispositions- Cadance from the series proper and Blueblood from the series and this story- I find it hard to believe that Princess Cadance would be this callous without a reason. And unless she's already been replaced, "she wants to get married" doesn't seem very convincing on its own (yet).
2527997
Just because she is nice to Twilight and her friends (and others) doesn't mean there's one pony she won't be callous to. That pony just happens to be Blueblood at that time.
As for wanting to get married... well, maybe she wants to keep Shining for as long as possible. Blueblood already established that Cadance will be living long as an Alicorn. And he hit her right where it hurt her on that part.
2528026
I'm... still not entirely convinced.
I realise that Blueblood didn't deserve what happened, but at the same time, Cadance didn't come across as truly callous. To me, it seemed like she was desperate and didn't believe anything besides threatening him would work; and the way she acted suggested a "please don't make me do this to you" kind of desperation. I even had some doubts that she'd actually go through with her threat had Blueblood declined. Again, I'm basing this on the series and my interpretation of her here.
If there's something else- a different, crueler side to her, or that she's lashing out against him in lieu of his mother, or that he's given her a sense that she had to be so callous becaus nothing else works, or something else entirely- and it's going to be explained later on, then I'll try my best to work with it. Right now, it just seems... strange. So much so that I feel that there are things the reader doesn't yet know.
Of course, I have a history of missing important plot points of Iron Colt, so... yeah. I'm probably not the most reliant reader around anyhow.
2533380
She saw an opportunity, and she took it. And she didn't like it, but she needed to do it. That is the kind of callousness you need in dealing with other nobleponies. Blueblood's been giving subtle hints in regards to that. His mother worked against him, setting him up so she could receive the most advantage out of it. There is a good reason why he never even talks about his mother, at least in a neutral light. Then he had other nobles looking at him like a target because he is a Crown Prince.
I can understand your basing your interpretations on what we've seen in the show, but realize that you've only seen her in a good light at that point. The only time we've seen her angry was when she believed Shining Armor was being taken/stolen from her, and I'm basing it on that. I believe if she was still in good health and wasn't starved or thirsty, she would have lashed out to Chrysalis. Heck, most of the time we see her, she's exhausted or tired (for a good reason. Creators probably didn't want to use her as a Deus Ex Machina).
If I had to put it in words (since I have no idea when I'm coming back to expand on this), Cadance may believe that she has a chance to file an dissolution when Blueblood was emotionally compromised. She felt it cruel but necessary to do so. It was partially Blueblood's fault it turned that way because he had never patched up with her and there was nothing but bad blood, pain, and betrayal between the two of them.
At the same time, Blueblood was having an epiphany of sorts, realizing that one of his few friend was the main reason why he escaped, and the love Celestia had shown made him realize that he needed to fix things in regards to interpersonal relationships. He was going to patch things up with Cadance, maybe give up on her, or give her his blessing to start anew... and she came in with a forceful hand.
Sad thing is... Blueblood's trust for mares will now be limited to barely two and may ignore his epiphany while Cadance will feel sick because Blueblood pointed out something she couldn't deny and may have earned the ire of both the Crown Prince and the Princess, which could affect her plans for marriage. These two ponies won't reconcile any time soon, which is a shame.
2535310
Well, that sounds like we're on the same page then!
2536503
Except... you kinda judged Blueblood unfairly.
xD Its okay. He's an asshole for reals. I've even made sure that aspect doesn't fade even when he's the hero of a story. Honestly, I'd think it would make him a boring character if he became all goody and all, at least with the character growth he had so far.
A few little things first, if you care to review them...
be done as quickly,
- “done quickly”
“I am in dire need of toilet paper.”
- This is probably entirely optional and nitpicky, but using the phrase “I’m sure it could be of some use in the privy.” Probably gives off a bit more aristocratic disdain.
“just did was insulted”
- just did was insult (I think) and at the end of that sentence change to “run” the mare out.
“shook my to my very core.”
- shook me to my very core
Now, with that out of the way, let me say I've really enjoyed this story and contrasting it with Iron Man in general and previous interpretations specifically. Gear Match was a very solid supporting character, and the extended captivity proved to be entertaining and enlightening as to the setting and Blueblood's personal development. I consider him one of the more challenging characters to write for in MLP, and you went to it with an eye for detail and sincerity. Rest assured that I'll always keep an eye out on this fic for updates.
2572743
I'll give those a lookover. Thank you for the support dude.
Demon Eyes your ability to write never ceases to amaze me. And anyone and or anypony who says other wise I will bro hoof them in the face with a brick.
2597755
Thanks. I'm still not good as I want to be, but I'm glad you guys are enjoying my stories.
This story has been reviewed by The Equestrian Critics Society
Story Title: Iron Colt
Author: Demon Eyes Laharl
Reviewed by: Errant
There are a lot of crossover stories in the MLP fandom. If there’s anything that bronies love as much as shipping colorful equines, it’s combining those ponies with other entertainment franchises. This story is another such crossover. If it’s not given away by the title and the synopsis, this draws much from the first Iron Man movie, with Prince Blueblood as Tony Stark. While there are some easily fixable problems hindering it, it manages to remain an enjoyable crossover.
Full Review
Score: 7.5/10
Reviewer Recommendations: A stronger proofreading and editorial process will help correct the glaring grammatical, spelling and technical issues hampering this story.
This was a great story, and I hope that you will that you will soon continue this story.
the story started to rely get interesting on the last chapter where it was starting to fly on it's own, and clearly distinguish Blueblood from Tony Stark and give him a completely different back-story to him. I would have wander what was going to be the AI that he would use in his workshop. I liked the history you create between Blueblood and Cadance.
2597771 why is it dead noooooooo
Good story. At-least you didn't leave it with a cliff hanger.
And I too have interests and an attention span, that can be likened to a rudderless boat in stormy seas. It is quite hard on the sense of self worth. I think your doing better than me though; I tried writing some stories, but I couldn't even get myself to commit to it, and publish a first chapter. You have written and even finished some pretty lengthy stories. That's impressive, to me.