The Humble Prince

by Lighting Ace

Ruins Of Alicornia (Edited By BS)

Stirring from her sleep, Amber slowly returned to the waking realm as a cold chill ran through her body, making her shiver. This reminded her of her mission, and she was surprised not to recall exactly when she fell asleep during her shift as a lookout.

To her right, she saw Stellar, not too ill for wear, looking back at her with the same surprise as the two quickly scanned the area and noticed how they were both lying on a bed of giant flower bulbs with a bedsheet on top of them. Not only that, but rather than the igloo they were previously in, the two seem to have been moved into a room made of polished stone and cleaned up, hinting that they were back in civilization as they took note of strange drawings and letters scattered about and pinned on the walls.

"Oh good! You came back." The voice of Hurricane alerted the two as the pegasi quickly followed by the mare entering the room carrying various spheres made of crystal, which she took into an iron disk not too far from where the soldiers were.

"You two are good?" Commander Hurricane continued while placing the prismatic balls in the disk. They all soon came to life in a flash of blue light and projected a semi-translucent pillar of blue light that levitated the objects. Moments later, the circles broke apart and expanded, refracting the light and showing parts of a map while she fiddled with an odd rock tablet in the middle of the disk that seemed to move the map depending on what she touched.

"Commander?" Amber recovered, and Stellar shook her head before they realized more details about the stone room. It was filled with fabrics and pillows everywhere. "What is going on? Where are we exactly?" Amber asks, and Stellar nods as they both sit up and approach the pegasus

"Living in ancient history, if I can be a bit poetic, you should feel honored, ladies." She stopped what she was doing to look at both of them with a proud smile before heading to a window covered by a blue curtain. She moved the fabric aside to show them magnificent and imposing city ruins reclaimed by nature and half-covered in snow.

"You are the first ponies stepping hoof here in over a thousand years. Welcome to Alicornia." Hurricane pointed at a statue of two alicorns, one a king and the other a queen, judging by their crowns and capes. The alicorns extended their wings and looked up in pride while holding a scepter in one of their frontal hooves, leaving the soldiers cold with the revelation.

"I...when did...? Wha..what?" Stellar tried and failed to comprehend what was happening, exchanging between looking outside, the commander and her parter as Amber was now rendered mute and could only point outside while looking at Hurricane, desperate for an answer, making the commander laugh briefly.

"There is plenty to explain, but I'm not much of a fan of exposition, so I will give you the short version on this place: First of all, yes, you are looking at the birthplace of all Alicorns; yes, this is Celly and Lulu's birthplace; yes, it was around during my time, which is why I know how to use its trinkets; and yes, until recently, this place was not even a myth because a bastard made sure that it was completely forgotten and erased from history."

She ended her story with a sad sigh before returning to the map: "There is so little information about alicorns because almost all of their knowledge went missing alongside their native kingdom, which, to our luck, just so happened to be in the way of our mission. Before my kids took the throne, alicorns weren't all that different from any other tribe of ponies. They weren't that imposing or powerful, but they were smart and curious."

The map disappeared when Hurricane removed the tablet, and the spheres fell on the ground like everyday objects.

Approaching the flabbergasted guards, Hurricane inputted a command on the tablet and spun it around using her wings to show the two its contents. "And when I say they were curious, I mean it; I don't believe there was a single field they didn't explore. However, a favorite of theirs was crystals, alchemy, and enchanted metals for all types of construction. Still, they pretty much researched and exploited the potential of everything: crystals, magic, hexes, runes, and many other things, as they erected this kingdom of wonder and knowledge." She explained with admiration in her voice.

The soldiers were glued to the screen as Hurricane explained all sorts of examples of golems, homes, structures, defense systems, a crude idea for an electric grid, and even ways to harness the elements themselves. All this made a city in the middle of the tundra flourish with green life, similar to the Crystal Empire but leagues more advanced beyond anything the Empire ever had, despite being quite more ancient than the dust of the world itself.

Once she was done, Hurricane pulled the tablet away from the two. "Enjoy it while you can, girls. It's back to the hunt once we restock and locate ourselves on the map." Hurricane informed the pair as she turned around and returned to the metal disk. There, she reopened the maps and started organizing the various ones, trying to pinpoint their location.

"Ma'am, if I can be blunt, how can you take this so lightly?" Amber exclaimed in complete disbelief, pointing at the window. "You're telling us that while we were sleeping, somehow, we ended up in this land of wonder and disbelief. All while brushing it off as just another stop, and you want us to move on?"

Hurricane stopped and looked at Amber with a deadpan expression. "Would you rather we turn around, report this place, and let the killer get away? The trail hasn't gone cold yet, but the clock is ticking." she reminded the guard in a neutral tune.

"Of course not! We should report it on our way back, but I..." Amber kept stumbling over her own words until her friend intervened

"We have so many questions!" Stellar belted out when Amber seemed stuck on what to ask first. "Starting with how we ended up here and what happened to this place?"

Hurricane looked at them for a second and tilted her head. "You mean to tell me you don't remember? No, wait. Let me ask that in another way: What is the last thing you recall?" she asked, pointing at the two mares.

"I recall taking my shift on lookout after constructing an igloo to protect ourselves from the weather. A snowstorm was coming, and we decided to stop and check our map to ensure we were still on the correct path and on our way to rendezvous with our contact, Ms. Berrytwist. I was feeling tired, and then I...I don't recall anything else." Amber finished realizing this as she held her head.

"After we were done with the maps, I was resting in the shelter." Stellar said before the two looked at Hurricane for an answer, who hummed and brought her hoof to her chin.

"I see, so you were that deep asleep during the time. OK, that gives me an idea, and I can fill the rest of the story from then on, but you better promise not to freak out; that is an order!" Hurricane pointed at them sternly, and the two tensed their bodies and saluted.

Relaxing her posture, Hurricane sighed and explained, "All of Equss was the victim of a surprise attack."

When she heard them gasp, Hurricane looked at both sternly, preventing them from expressing their surprise. "Remember your orders!" Hurricane reminded the two, making them relax again.

Once sure they would not bombard her with more questions, Hurricane resumed her tale. "Two more of Discord's siblings, Desire and Dream, decided to put a little plan of theirs into action. Putting everyone into placid dreams and having some fun of their own, The other founders and I were spared because we are golems, but almost all of the world, including you. Were trapped in those giant bulbs over there." Hurricane pointed at the flowers the two had been sleeping on moments before, and the soldiers slowly nodded.

"Are we still in danger?" Amber asked, concerned, While Stellar looked at Hurricane with the same question in her eyes.

"Nah, the fact that you two are awake proves that those two were dealt with accordingly." She then smirked and crossed her forehooves. "I will give you three guesses as to whom you should be thankful for that."

The soldiers looked at one another before Amber answered with a raised eyebrow. "The elements?"

"OK, I will give you half a point for that."

The two mares were still confused before shaking their heads. "Well, OK, it's a relief the worst is behind us, which explains why we don't recall anything. But how did we end up here, ma'am? Did you bring us?" Amber decided to get the conversation back on track.

"More like an old ally rescued us. It will be easier if I show you this, and fillies? You better prepare your jaws to hit the floor; you will love this." Hurricane proclaimed with a confident smirk before heading towards the main door, beckoning the two to follow, moving a piece of fabric, and stepping outside. Amber and Stellar were close behind, curious about what the commander wanted to show them.

The second they exited the tent, the two were forced to avert their gazes and cover their eyes with their hooves for the sudden brightness of morning, but once their eyes adjusted, they were left speechless by the scene in front of them. Sitting at the edge of the city ruins on a tailor-made platform, built and merged with the city wall, a massive alicorn golem was looking outside the city not too far from their location. The sound and sensation of booming footfalls and trembling earth alerted the two guards who, looking beyond the statue, were startled when they saw yet another of those huge golems patrolling the city limits, with glowing golden runes covering its body, matching its golden eyes.

Its body was comprised of a series of harmoniously moving rocks, trying and succeeding in recreating a pony's movements. The engravings depicted an architectural art style. Its wings were retracted, but with each movement, sections of its feathers moved at different paces, revealing how each stony feather was an individual piece. Its horn glowed with an intense golden hue, serving as an improvised lighthouse in case of a snowstorm.

"Ma’am, what are we looking at?" Amber finally asked in awe as she and Stellar recovered from their shock after shaking their heads. The other unicorn even pointed at an empty platform with a clean layer of snow in the middle—evidence that the golem had just recently started moving.

"Meet the Guardians ladies or at least one of the 13 surrounding the city. They are one of the crowning achievements of Alicornia; all have multiple uses: city defense, army weapons, rescue missions, and even as a form of transportation. There was little those guardians couldn't do back in their glory days." Hurricane explained with a proud smile before turning to the two guards. "If you want to thank someone for rescuing our flanks, you can thank that bad boy over there." She says, pointing at the roaming guardian over her shoulders and using her wing to point the Guardian out.

"Ah, Ma'am, with all due respect, that thing is the size of Canterlot Castle. How in Equestria could it pick us up and carry us to safely without bringing along a chunk of the land beneath us?" Amber asked, pointing at the golem in question as Stellar moved forward to look at it more closely, squinting her eyes.

"Is that thing...levitating a boulder?" She asked no one in particular, catching Amber's attention, who looked back at the golem again and saw what Stellar meant.

An intense white light emerged from its horn, and then it shot a concentrated beam from its tip to move a massive boulder in front of it, pushing it out of the way before resuming its march.

"I believe you just got your answer, ladies; their appearance is not just for show; like I said, a guardian is one of the crowning achievements of Alicornia, including its power source that simulates magic, the power of highly refined gems, and alchemy making it move. It should be completely drained by now like its companions," Hurricane explained, pointing at the other golems. "Yet for some reason, there is some juice left in that one, enough for a rescue when we casually stumbled into its patrol path."

"Is that why he is just marching aimlessly ?" Amber asked, now more relaxed. "it seems to be following the city's edge." She noticed how the Guardian's massive footprints extended around the edge of the city walls, copying the movements of a royal guard in the middle of their patrol.

Nodding, Hurricane turns around. "that's my best guess so far. I've been trying to contact the big guy with no luck. From what it seems, it has a fail-safe, so no one can go and use it. When I try to address it with titles and with what I know about this place, it just keeps saying Foreign ally ruler, access denied. Only the higher-up from Alicornia itself can command that beast, and since all of them are dust by now, don't expect another joy ride any time soon."

She joked before entering the house they were resting in. "Now, let's go; we wasted enough time as it is."

With nothing else to say, the two mares relaxed and followed behind the pegasus. "This is, quite possibly, the discovery of the century, archeology societies, Universities... no, the entire world is gonna flip when we report on this place." Amber commented with a mild tone of excitement, coloring her voice. Stellar nodded until they saw Hurricane stop dead in her tracks, and then she turned to look at them.

"Yeah, about that, I think it would be best if we keep this between us for the time being." She explained with some worry. "I don't want to alarm you, fillies, but the curse that made this place vanish hasn't been lifted yet we only got lucky it was weak enough for us to see it, and if we try to expose it before it completely gone, well, you'll end up in the looney house."

The comment scared both mares. "Just think about it like The spell Sombra used to erase the crystal empire and then make that even worse, and you would start to understand what we are dealing with here. The one that erased this place was one that a class-A asshole liked." Hurricane finished in anger and frustration as she looked down.

The two unicorns stared at her in surprise before looking through the window at the ruins of what once was a thriving civilization. "So that is then? We are witnessing a huge piece of lost history, and Equss will never be able to know about it?"

"Not right now, but this is the legacy for my fillies to have and tell when the time is right." Hurricane explained after taking a deep breath and recovering. "Not to mention, we still have a mission to finish, do we not?"

She reminded the mares as they nodded and approached the map, "Good, in that case, we are in luck. Looking through this map, I saw a transport gate with some power remaining that would leave us right outside Berrytwist's cabin. We can arrive with the storm ending soon and continue our task. The gate is another invention of Alicornia. Think of it as a door frame that instantly teleports you from A to B."

Hurricane explained, showing them a map of Alicornia and then moving her hooves to the right several times until they located the aerial view of the house where they were heading. She then changed the map to show an image of a massive stone door frame with runes and a giant green gem at its apex.

"And before you ask, no, we can't go back; that door only has enough power for one jump, and no, you can't bring any souvenirs; the curse will split you in half the second you try to bring any evidence with you, as I said. The one responsible for this problem was a class-A asshole" Hurricane turns back to look at the mares. "Any other questions before we depart?"

"Just one," Ambert raised her hoof and looked at her thoughtfully. "What kind of being had the means and power to erase an entire population from maps and history?"

Hurricane went quiet momentarily before sighing and looking down in silent rage. "The same type that thought it would be funny to play with one of my filly's hearts and toss her aside as she was a common harlot." She replied with cold venom in her voice, rendering both mares speechless. They both wanted to ask more, but Hurricane silently told them that that was a sensitive subject as she turned around and stared directly at the map. "OK, you got your answer; now let's move on, fillies; the portal is a short distance from here. I want you to pack your bags and get your flanks ready to move in the next minute. Are we clear!?"

"Yes, ma'am." They both saluted and bolted to their improvised beds, checking their equipment and getting ready to depart. Hurricane never turned to look at them; she was doing her best to distract herself from a painful memory.

So much lost, the last will of my friends forgotten for millennia; I swear I ever see that bastard again, I will make him swallow my hoof, and then I will pull his balls up from the inside out! Hurricane promised in her head as she admired the statue's remains depicting a king and queen on the map.

Comments

[Fireeaters]

Does that golem do a little dance for the birds and assorted tiny mammals?

[Akira Dragonborne]

11892814
buffy.mlpforums.com/monthly_01_2015/post-25645-0-06076300-1421528394_thumb.jpg

[Lighting Ace]

11892814
Ja was that an overwatch and/or Killer Instinct Reference?

[Fireeaters]

11893209
It was a reference to Castle in the Skymiro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:650/1*XU_Nx_ExyfkhThEOFU7BCA.jpeg

[Fireeaters]

he spins his head and plays some chime sounds

[Lighting Ace]

11893214
Ah cool, jeje and yeah maybe. I was mostly thinking on Legend Of Zelda and Atlantis when I made the guardian but I wouldn't be surprise

[Fireeaters]

11893216
I had just sort of assumed that everyone had seen all of the studio ghibli movies that disney had translated, like I did while growing up

[Lighting Ace]

11893286
Sharp Shooter is a pegasus, also there is no prophesy per se, that is just a tale in the wall that he decided to take as a prophesy, so yeah, he is a sociopath and a notch insane

[Black--Soul]

Wonder if the Crystal Empire has hidden high tech libraries hidden?
Awesome chapter ♡

[Phetiamwantip]

So far so good on this new chapter, Lightning Ace. I enjoyed it. I'm crossing my fingers of Princess Luna WILL tell Blueblood about Celestia along with meeting Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, I want to see how would they react of knowing that New Blood is actually Blueblood.

[tsaukpaetra]

Always be wary of the out-of-place.
A lot of lore dumping for something supposedly never going to be visited again. 😈

[Icy Creation]

11893616
No I'm pretty sure it's just Adhd
I haven't gotten past the 2020 chapters even with two tries. Thanks for reminding me, a third try might be in store this year.

[Lighting Ace]

11903507
pretty much, nice catch

[Lighting Ace]

11903395
Those relationship are call troupel, right? Or that term is used for something else?

[ghostcyclone02]

11903582
"Throuple" is the word you're thinking of but the general term for a group in a polyamorous ("-gamy" suffix is for marriage) relationship is a "Polycule." I think throuple does specifically apply when 3 members are dating eachother and I believe when it's 2 people dating one (paramour? metamour? I can't remember which, sorry ^^;) that's a "Triad" but I may be wrong. There's more specifc terms for how relationship dynamics go and those within them within etc but as those are irrelevant to my situation, I must admit I haven't learned most of them There's plenty of resources available online though!

[Lighting Ace]

11903663
got it, thanks

[ghostcyclone02]

11903665
Np! Happy to help- mostly just trying to make somewhat of an effort to normalise poly relationships so people don't immediately assume it's just like a weird sexy thing rather than, y'know, an actual relationship. Because honestly half the time the response I get when I say "partners" is something like "kinky" or I'm referred to as a "player" and that kinda stuff just makes me uncomfortable, especially from strangers, y'know? I'm not a perfect educator, by any means. Nor am I able to reach everyone but if I can at least get the seeds going...

[Lighting Ace]

11903675
That is fair, love is free wild and it can take many forms. If you can really make a functional relationship with multiple partners, then more power to you, respect even. It all about been a team and communication I suppose, so if there is harmony there, then that is awesome maybe even beautiful

[ghostcyclone02]

11903553
I thought it might be the case after I saw you named Luna's sword Yamato and that it had a blue scabbard, it was cemented with this scene though. Also since I don't think I mentioned it, caught back up at this point and enjoying your story, even with its "anime nonsense" at times (I don't really think thats a bad thing tho) eagerly awaiting more

[Lighting Ace]

11904298
Glad to hear you like it so far. And hey in order to allow Blueblood to rest I will focus on the rest of the characters for a while. See what can I do with the other stories

[ghostcyclone02]

11893532
Like 90% sure they found out around the same time their sisters did. Iirc AB or one of the other crusaders asks him if he can use his necklace later on to play with them

[ghostcyclone02]

11883364
Dreams are fuckin weird dude. That could be enough of an explanation, Luna is likely aware of the Miror Portal as this takes place after s8 I think, so the humanoid shape probably isn't that strange, even if he had an actual skin tone rather than EQG standard. Also og-BB was enough of a dick that she probably wouldn't care what replaced him as long as they weren't outright evil. The fact The Death of Ponies herself can and will vouch for him probably helps too