Three
In the years of Blueblood's tenure, the House of Unicorns had experienced little positive development. Scandals and rumors had been become the norm, with the Prince slowly growing more and more out of control.
His disappearance had been seen by many as a relief, his return as a spectacle.
But nopony could deny that Blueblood now had at least one good work to his name. The auction had been a monumental success - the tales of the garage sale had prompted many to come by and see what was to be offered. Carriages and chariots, both the Houses’s collection and Blueblood's excessive fleet, were auctioned for charity - in this case, every bit went towards Clear Waters rehabilitation center.
The near legendary damages to Canterlot after the last Gala? 16 million bits to repair.
The amount donated to the Canterlot Addiction Rehabilitation Center? 83 million bits.
It was a sum that seemed a joke. A dozen of the richest dragons would struggle to put together such a sum. It was almost an embarrassment that such a sum could be raised from the House of Unicorns simply selling off a few assets, but nopony could deny that it was a grand gesture.
There was, of course, a dark spot on the whole affair. Blueblood had locked himself in his bedroom in the villa, only communicating by note though the mailslot and taking all his meals though the dumbwaiter. He refused to allow any servants or guards inside. The media seemed conflicted on how to report this - here was a pony making the single largest financial donation in Equestrian history and he was a scandalous twit who’d suffered some sort of drug-related breakdown, become a recluse, and if rumor was to be believed, shouted at the beloved Princess Celestia herself in a fit of mad rage.
Knowing the truth to the papers guesswork didn’t ease Celestia at all.
To their credit, none of the nobles had asked what had happened several nights ago. They’d heard the shouting, but knew it was a tender subject. Celestia had confided in Luna the entire tale, feeling physically sickened by the ordeal.
What was worst about the situation is that while she felt more sympathy for the Prince, she felt angrier at Blueblood as well.
He thought of the mares he had bedded and scandals he had caused as casually as Discord would think about making it rain chocolate. There was no remorse. No empathy. Not even a flicker of admittance that it could have gone differently.
And his reason for it all?
He wanted to go play.
He was childish. Pathetic. Below contempt. He was a grown stallion behaving like a foal, throwing a years long temper tantrum. It was sick and monstrous at the same time that it made her want to tell him that it was okay, that things would get better.
She was at the end of her options. She didn’t know what to do at this point. She knew how to rule, how to care, how to guide. She’d tried all of those things. She’d given him a thousand chances to improve. She had nothing more to give him.
Generosity had been his last true chance.
Rarity was one of those sparkling gems in the world. She was a mare who wanted it all but would give it up to help a stranger. She was kind and caring but held herself high and pursued her dreams. She worked hard and gave freely. She should have at least shown the Prince what Celestia wanted him to be.
Now she served only as a mirror to how much Celestia hated the Prince and she felt horror at thinking she’d once hoped the Element and the Prince would grow closer. Rarity deserved better.
But she couldn’t forget that little foal, shivering in the dark.
“ Manehattan will be fine, then.” she said, accepting the proposition by the cities mayor for the town to be the center of an upcoming festival. It was her last decision of the morning, with lunch ahead of her. She was hungry. She’d lost her appetite enough lately to make her a little ravenous the last few meals, so she hurried her trot a little on the way to the dining hall. She was one of the first there and took her place.
It was midday, so Luna was fast asleep. She would have loved her sisters company.
“ Bread and a fresh salad to start.” she said, instructing her servant. “ Then...oh, some hay fries with rosemary and, if there is any left, a slice of that delicious pie we had last night. If not, any pie or cake will be fine.”
“ Your majesty.” said the servant with a bow, galloping off.
“ Granny! Wonderful to see, it’s been ages, hasn’t it?”
Celestia’s eyes bugged. Cantering into the hall past a number of stunned looking nobles was Blueblood, his pose comported with pomp and head held high. His hair was immaculate and flowing, his face smarmy and confident, and his suit tacky and out of date. He took a seat a ways from her and rudely called for the servants, ordering a obscene amount of food immediately.
“ Ah, but it shall be so nice to tuck in today!” he laughed, his tone hearty. He sounded like he had months ago, carefree and bold. “ I had a rather busy morning - I had the guards fly me all the way to the Everfree, you know. I suppose I could have gone to one of my usual sources, but Poison Joke is just so much more effective when freshly picked.”
“ Prince Blueblood!” shouted Celestia, getting to her feet. From the doorway the rest of the court watched in stunned silence. “ How dare you enter this hall and brag of such things!”
“ Ah, but you’d missed it so!” he guffawed. A servant arrived with a candied apple, which he took an obscene bite, chomping it down messily. “ The court had - oh, and the poor newspapers, what would they be without me to keep the front page filled? Nothing, that’s the answer.”
“....are you...” Celestia searched for the term. She glanced to a guard, who mouthed it. “ Are you ‘high’, Prince Blueblood?”
“ As a pair of griffons in rut!” laughed the prince, apple and caramel spilling on his suit. “ Ah, you’ve ordered fries I see. Mind if I have a few?”
“ Why would you do this to yourself, Prince?” Celestia’s anger was boiling over, but she was still trying to keep herself from exploding. “ The only progress you’d made was in cleaning yourself up!”
“ And it didn’t do a damn thing - oh, but this is delicious!” Another servant arrived, leaving a tray of imported leaves. “ This should last me a while, so try and keep out of the line of fire, would you?” he said, looking to the servant and giving the mare a little pat on the cheek. “ As I was saying, Granny, it didn’t do a damn thing. I felt like crap, the papers still obsessed over me, and you were just as unhappy with me as you’d ever been. The whole court knew it - you guard your tongue faaar more than that darling little sister of yours!”
Celestia could only sputter in shock.
“ So, I decided it was all pointless.” said the prince with a sigh, taking a mouthful of leaves and chewing them while he spoke. “ I’ve given up. Take away my title, like you threatened in the letter. No, better yet, tell the Guard they have to take a Joke-head like me into their ranks! Oh, that’ll be a hoot. Better yet, give me the whammy. Give me the big one! SEND ME TO THE MOON!”
As he spoke he leapt up, sending the table toppling over and pointing to the sky. He then fell about laughing.
“ See, I can’t be what you want me to be.” said the Prince, wiping a tear from his eye as he caught his breath. “ I’m not that pony. I don’t know who this - “ he stopped to draw the letter she’d written him from his pocket with magic, levitating it in front of him. “ - bright eyes foal who listened to your stories of dragons is. I think he died when he had that fever. Then I think his body walked to that map room I told you about and fell asleep. That’s me, the little lost colt who got woken up.”
“ What are you trying to do here.” It was not a statement so much as a command for an answer. Celestia was livid, glaring at him.
“ I was rather hoping I’d make you mad enough to kill me.” said the Prince in a sing-song voice.
A moment later, he’d been turned to stone.
======================
Celestia simply stared at the smug face of Prince Blueblood as he stood on the pedestal in the garden.
She’d taken him outside almost immediately. The court, in fear, had fled her presence. It had happened before. But it had never happened like this - if she had to deal with a pony, they were out of control and needed to be stopped.
The Prince had set himself up for this.
He’s mocked her. He’d mocked Canterlot. He’d spat in the faces of his family, his ancestors, and everything the Unicorns had stood for. He was back to his dangerous bingeing ways. If she’d left him loose, he’d like had tried to have his way with a servant mare or some such thing to anger her more. He was out of control. He was beyond redemption.
The clatter of hooves told her that her letter had already been heeded.
“ Princess!” cried the ever-faithful Twilight Sparkle, leading the charge into the sun-lit gardens. The other elements of harmony were with her, as was Princess Luna, looking alert and worried. From the windows nearby, nobles and servants watched in curiosity.
“ We came as fast as we could when Spike got your letter!”
“ Thank you, my beloved student.” said Celestia, struggling slightly to keep her voice in check. “ And thank each of you for coming. I’m afraid we have a rather unpleasant task ahead of us.”
“ It don’t involve buckin’ that statue to the dump, does it?” asked Applejack, gesturing to Prince Blueblood. “ No offense, ma’am, but why’d you waste good stone on a rotten apple like that?”
“ I turned him to stone in anger.” said Celestia sadly. The mares - even Rarity - gasped. “ And it pains me to say I had a good reason to. The Prince of Unicorns....is beyond my help. You may know of his self destructive habits, but he is quickly falling into being purely destructive.”
“....so, are we going to try to help you find the good in him?” asked Fluttershy, looking to the statue. She seemed nervous about staring at it and looked away.
“....I-I hope you are.” said Celestia, looking to the ground sadly. “ He is beyond my help. He’s lost and happy there - self centered and proud of it - and in general, rather monstrous. I-I don’t know how to fix him.”
“ Well, lets try blasting him with the Elements of Harmony!” said Pinkie Pie excitedly, hopping up. “ That worked with Nightmare Moon - oh, hey, look! She’s here! Hey Moony! And it’s what we always do around this time, blast stuff with friendship!”
“ That was my plan.” replied Celestia, smiling slightly. Pinkie had the most bizarrely infectious attitude. “ I’m not sure it will do anything - the Elements are magic beyond my understanding - “
“ And it may harm him worse than anything he could do himself.” said Luna, stepping forwards. “ Sister, are you sure you should do this? However bad he may be....the Elements cannot solve every problem.”
“ I-I just can’t think of anything else.” said Celestia, her head falling. She couldn’t hold herself back anymore - she was crying. Frustration and sorrow alike, both emotions dripped from her as she fell to her haunches. “ I just can’t help him. Everything I do makes it worse. And he j-just keeps f-f-falling further away.”
“ Sister-” said Luna, nuzzling Celestia to try and comfort her.
“ I promised his parents.” she sobbed. “ He was sick with a fever and they were needed for a treaty with the diamond dogs. He was sick and I promised I would take care of him. I could feel his burning, I could feel him struggle so hard to breath. I was so afraid he’d die there, die in the dark, alone from his parents. W-when he didn’t die...I-I’ve never seen anything so sad, so miserable, so weak. When he got better I did everything to help keep him safe. And it all turned out wrong. I kept him alive at the cost of him living. He became this twisted little thing that grew, lashing out in pain, and I promised I’d take care of him.”
She fell to the ground, struggling to choke out her words.
“ I-I’ve just lost so many over the years. Ponies I couldn’t help. Ponies I couldn’t save. Ponies I ruined. It hurts me, every time I think of them. And Blueblood....he’s never been anything but that shivering little foal in my eyes.”
And then, the world was silent.
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Damn.
This is beautiful.
45260
Thanks. Anything in particular you felt came out well?
Wow. Just wow. Please tell me you have more planned.
45380
See, i've written myself into a corner.
Blueblood is not a very redeemable charecter in THIS story. But the power of the Elements can simply wipe away everything bad, it seems. What would happen if it was used on him? I don't have anything in canon to base it off of. But I want to "make it all better". How do I do that without cheapening things?
You don't get better from some things. Sometimes, people just don't come back. I don't like to face those facts, but it's true.
And theres my problem - I've got too much emotion in me at the moment to finish this. I'm gonna give myself a few days, see what happens.
Glad you liked it.
Frankly, I love this Blueblood! He may not realize it but he has become a stone cold Anarchist, and he's proud of it. He had the gall to get right in the face to what amounts to God and flip her the bird. He took one look at Equestria and said "This is BS". He has refused the happy happy joy joy dance and decided to make his own. Is he a greedy jerk, hell yes he is! He's a A-hole, and that's just how he rolls. Celestia needs to learn that "her" ponies are in fact there own ponies.
I hope they can't "FIX" him.
You've taken a hilarious take-down (and it WAS hilarious) and you've made something powerful and meaningful out of it.
I'm not sure if you can carry it on - I know a few ways (namely, have Blueblood experience old memories of what he did wrong, detached, so he may see as others see him, rather than through his own eyes), but even if you don't, leaving it open-ended like this is fitting enough.
45453
Thanks man. The great sting of it is that he's kinda right, ain't it? Coming from somepony like Twilight, this'd be one of those "fix Celestia fics". But from him? It's the ranting of a powerless, petulant child.
45475
I was honestly thinking about just stopping here, so I'm glad you liked that as an ending.
I can't think of a better spot to end this, frankly. It's powerful and leaves Blueblood's fate as an open question instead of a didactic device.
This is a very moving piece. Especially so for reasons I'll explain later on.
From what I can gather, Blueblood seems to be pretty much suicidal. He knows he'll kill himself with these excesses, but that's what he wants anyway. If you'll burn either way, be a bonfire, right?
He wants to be left alone- he made that clear inside the maze- but at the same time, not. Perhaps he himself doesn't know what he wants? Other than for everything to stop.
Perhaps it is a form of depression. He's forgotten how to be happy, a long time ago, and only knows ways how to not feel sad, at least for a while. He's not jaded beyond caring what other ponies think of him; If he didn't care about Celestia's opinion, he wouldn't have reacted so stronly to the mentioning of her, and he sure as hell wouldn't have sought her out to witness his self-destruction. After all, he tried to clean up his act for CELESTIA'S sake, not his own. He tried to make HER happy; To him, it wasn't about what he wanted anyway. And since that didn't work, he decided he wasn't worth the effort. He walked up to her and said to her face "I can't be happy, I can't make you happy, my life is meaningless and you can't stand the sight of me, so just end it all so we can finally leave this all behind us."
So, all in all, he's lost on so many levels. He doesn't have friends, he doesn't have any self-respect, he definitely doesn't have the respect of anypony else, least of all aunt(s), he feels he doesn't have a reason for living except to fulfill an official station for aesthetic reasons as much as anything else ("we live, breed, and die just to be perfect little dolls in her castle") and that he HATES.
I really feel sorry for him. 'tis strange, but I am reminded of my own life in a strange, indirect way. There was a time in my life where I felt completely isolated and alone, even though I had friends, even though in hindsight my life wasn't bad. I just felt totally useless. Unwanted, unneeded, unnecessary.I was about ready to jump in front of a train, and looking back the very idea was INSANE. Perhaps that's why I can empathise so much with him, despite never having been a jerk like he is.
45792 The story this is based on, " Dear Idiot", hit me hard because it reminded me of my impotent rage at my little brother, who was caught in the same situation. I'm glad I was able to move someone else and I am gladder that you recovered from your isolation - having seen and been there myself, it's always heartening to know others can relate. Please never fade away.
45409
I have a suggestion. The elements could heal his body somewhat (enough to let him live, but not enough for him to forget his past mistakes). Then they could show him the story of his own life...from everyone else's point of view. He could not only see his own actions through the eyes of everyone he's interacted with, but feel what they felt towards him. Rarity, Luna, and (to cap it all off) Celestia have all had..."situations" because of him. It would be perfect, showing him just how bad he messed up, and just how hard he'd have to work to get through it, and that not all of the consequences could be overcome (I doubt Rarity would ever want to be more than a distant friend at best, for instance), but that he can become a better person.
45798
Thank you. Fortunately I had people who pulled me out of it and put me back together. And I'm sorry for what you and your brother went through.
I would like to ask now, though: Was I terribly off mark with my interpretation of Lost Little Pony? Because if I wasn't, I doubt merely confronting him with his past will help.
46236
See above. He didn't strike me as somepony who doesn't realise he's hurting himself and those around him. In fact, he made perfectly clear he knew what the press and his peers and his aunts think of him; And let's not forget, he did try to turn his life around. What he denied was that Celestia wants for him to be happy. Does he really believe that or does he want to believe that? There's some deep deep immature childish resentment burried inside of him. Maybe he latches on to it because he feels it is, for once in his life, totally his own. Feeling sorry for yourself can be dangerous when it overwhelms your life: Those who feel they've nothing to lose are prone to do stupid, destructive things because they've convinced themselves they don't care about the outcome anymore.
He's already told Celestia changing himself to suit her was neither worth the effort nor possible. Perhaps trying to shock him straight might work... But I doubt it. If he truly is to change, it must be because he wants to, for his own sake.
There was something of this in Dear Idiot too, when Celestia told him of his ancestor, and his statue. Hidden between the rants and the insults was, I believe, an honest question: Namely whether he didn't want for ponies to look up to him. Then again, this ancestor ALSO lived a life not of his own control. Celestia was the one who chose his path for him too.
46418 You were pretty much exactly on the mark. It's the kinda thing ya get after being there, ain't it?
I'm not one for a serious story (Comedy kind of guy)
But Damn this story is amazing I didn't think anyone could build on blueblood and actually make me feel anything for him.
But you've made me feel sad for him, Which is quite weird as the only other story to make me feel sad was Spiderses and the was more or less tears for the brain cells lost reading it.
Can't wait for more
46477
/wince
Yeah, pretty much. I can't offer my solution to his problems though; His folks are gone. They can't help anymore.
46536
I feel real stupid right now I missed the complete tag :< sorry
i was really bummed when the first 2 chapters had 0 comments. this makes me feel better. such a work of beauty should never go unnoticed. ive never been through what you and derpsby have experienced, so i cant say i felt everything here that there was to feel. but by celestia, you write a good story. and now im sad because there's no pony emoticons that fit here..
66418 I thank you for your appreciation - you have been working through my fics and this one, my first, is of particular importance to me. I hope I have not saddened you with it - tragedy is meant to move people towards growth and self-realization.
Thank you so much for your comments.
66455 well, i cant let my favorite independent author's work escape me, can i? and don't hope you havent saddened me. sadness is, in a way, a form of happiness for me. oftentimes, id rather cry my eyes out over something like 'final dream of a filly' than laugh. so thank you for writing such a wonderful piece.
Maybe, in this case, the problem is that everyone tried to help Blueblood because he wasn't what THEY wanted him to be. He began his life as a figurehead being groomed and moulded to be something he didn't want to be. Living under the eye and hoof of someone who literally controlled every aspect of his life--- right down to the sunrise he saw from his bedroom window. It would be like living your entire life with the most smothering mother-figure in existence.
Sometimes love can smother you. and it doesn't feel like love, it feels like being used, like being controlled--- played with like a doll. That feeling, that you're not your own person, that you're everybody else's pet project, just gets worse and worse till you're willing to do the worst, most self-destructive things to yourself imaginable, just to do something that WASN'T arranged for you by your parents or your teachers or your guardians. Like an animal gnawing off its own leg to escape a trap. And once begun, that cycle of self-destruction gets harder and harder to break.... because the only ones that want to help you out of it are the very ones that you were trying to escape when you dove into it.
When Blueblood said he wanted to be like the compass rose on the map, when he said he wanted to be lost, it was because he wanted to be someplace where his life wasn't mapped out for him. And I don't think he was wanting to be the center of the whole world--- just to be the center of his own.
In every child's life there comes a time when he has to leave his parent's arms, strike out on his own, and live his own life. But Blueblood can't do that. How do you get away from a mother figure who rules a whole kingdom, and raises the moon and sun?
(...cont'd)
Part of growing up is letting go. The only way Ceelstia can help him is by cutting him loose... letting him "wander lost" until he finds his center, and can find his way back. He may not make it back, but at least he'll have had the chance to try.
Not all who wander are lost. My prescription for Blueblood: a ship. a crew. and a map with no lines. Tell him to sail off the edge of the last map they have, and start filling it in.
77748 Nice dissection. I agree with you!
77734
Well said, Sir; Well said.
That's really the end? this is the second story I've come across that had an ending similar to this one.
Please tell me this is not the conclusion of the story.
Very good work, if one that could use some editing. Celestia's characterization comes across as an excellent midpoint between pony and goddess, old and knowledgeable without being omniscient or callous. You've kept her smart, powerful, gracious, and in charge while still being shockable, and as a whole it works fairly well. Her emotions come a little too fast toward the end, and the finale scene a bit rushed as a result -- even after losing her temper, I'd still see Celestia as needing more prodding to break into sobs, between Discord and Nightmare Moon -- but it's still a very touching scene. In turn, you've made Prince Blueblood into the right level of prick: I know there's a lot of temptation to turn his sort of character into either abused woobies or cackling villains, and you've hit just the correct level of douche to keep him from being either completely unsympathetic or removing any of his blame for his actions. The wordplay is excellent, whether the subtle choices of phrase or the more overt repeated words, and character tone is distinct and nuanced. Very strong writing as a result.
On the editing side... there are a number of issues of varying severity. One oft-repeated issue : the correct format for quoting a speaking pony using a said word includes a comma, not a period. To take some examples from chapter two, the proper form would be “You see, I don’t do anything,” said the Prince with a sigh." ((This rule only applies to verbs that could replace "said", if it's an action verb it must have its own full sentence.)) Some typos are more severe : "It’s my revenge, you see. I’ve it hadn’t cursed me when I walked though it..." doesn't make sense, and I assume that the correct form would be "It’s my revenge, you see. If it hadn’t cursed me when I walked though it...". "The exercise must have been doing him goon." is, if accurate, a bit more humorous than the expected "The exercise must have been doing him good." If you'd like a full edit of the work, I can try to provide that. Alternatively, I've found that reading a work out loud can be, while slightly embarrassing, a good way to catch typos.
These aren't terrible, but they are distracting and sometimes confusing, and more significantly, pretty quick to fix.
Thematically, I'm not sure that bringing in the Elements of Harmony to fire the friendship laser is a good idea. It's not out of Celestia's characterization, since we know she considers them a good fallback option when nothing else works, but the setting doesn't really support their use like this, and for good reason. One of the nice parts about Luna Eclipsed is that it demonstrates Luna is the most metal Princess ever, and that she's very much like Nightmare Moon without the Evil. If she *had* come in drastically different, then the Elements would have been a magical brainwashing weapon, and that's not exactly a good thing for Friendship to do. The Elements don't need to free Blueblood from some sort of Evil influence because he's not really Evil, just a tremendous douche. And they can't exactly free Blueblood from being a tremendous Douche, because there'd not be much left.
Celestia might try them anyway -- she doesn't everything about the Elements or about any pony, and you've set her up as a fallible character -- but tragedy tends to be more bittersweet when there's the potential for a solution, especially one that could be taken were it not for the limits and flaws of the characters. Leaving the story on that note works, and works strongly in its own way, but is perhaps a bit more fatalistic than you might have been aiming for.
I love rebellion! That's why one of my favorite songs is 'Raise A Little Hell'. but unfortunately, blueblood's rebelling was destroying his life and he didn't care.
Sad, i would have liked to see how this all turns out.
The tragic part of this story is that, even in the most positive fairytale retelling, even if he donates the entirety of the House of Unicorn to charity and spends his days bringing happiness to orphaned foals, he's not going to live happily ever after.
Livers can regenerate, to an extent. I've seen mutton livers at work, ravaged by eczema, growing back. But kidneys? Once they're gone, that's it. And lung cancer... eeek.
The only way I can see for Celestia to 'rescue' Blueblood is to cut him loose completely, with no assets, and plonk him down in a small town somewhere to make his own way in life, without living off his ancestral funds. Sink or swim.
o.o I reckon I'm a softie in this sort of thing. An idealist. I always like to think that everybody is capable of .... redemption. Of cleaning up. Even if I haven't seen a great track record of it among people I've known -_-;
Wow. Just...wow. That's all I can really say.
Have you ever considered submitting this story to Equestria Daily? You can find out how to do so here.
Jesus Christ.
That's... all I really have to say, honestly.
Rereading this story, I can conclude that it has only gotten better with age.