Having been stranded on an island, Prince Blueblood has vowed to save the kingdom that he once took for granted.
(MLP/CW Arrow Crossover) What happens when a stallion is broken?
He is expected to accept things for the way they are and move on with his life. But not this one. He has been forced to put himself back together to survive on his own for five long years.
The skills he learned there will help in his crusade to save a kingdom sick with evil, crime and lawlessness.
This is the story of the Equestrian Archer.
Note: this is an AU all its own. Does not take place in between any events and seasons.
All was eerily calm on a lonely island far beyond the borders of the Griffon Kingdom.
The birds softly chirping in the trees above, the timberwolves howling in the distance, the waves crashing against the beach. It all seemed normal on this bleak piece of land other than the…sound of a foghorn?
This nostalgic sound caught the attention of a wild and mangy-looking creature. Curiosity welled inside it and it began to search for its source. Panting heavily, it seemed that finding this sound was its sole purpose to be alive. Adrenaline furiously pumped throughout its body as it finished climbing up to the highest hilltop it could find. It then focused its sight to the direction of the sound and saw what appeared too good to be true.
A large crab-fishing boat not far from the shoreline of this jungle prison.
"Finally," it spoke in a gruff but refined male voice.
Without another thought, he sprinted off the hill and bolted through the dense forest with quiet grace and swift precision. His green body cloak shook violently from the force of his galloping, his self-made longbow and a quiver of arrows matching his body's rhythm. Arriving at a cliff side, he saw his destination right there in front of him. He leaped off the cliff, landing perfectly with a roll at his rendezvous point and drew his bow and an arrow with his magic. Striking the clothed arrowhead across the ground he set the projectile on fire before fixing it to his bowstrings. Taking a few deep breaths and aiming very carefully, he thought only of what he had to do. With this in his mind, he let go and the arrow flew. It sailed across the sky to the other side of the shore where it struck a pile of wood that exploded with heat.
The captain of the ship was checking his inventory when he heard the explosion. His instincts told him to look towards the shoreline where he spotted the green cloaked pony.
"Bless me eyes. Bring 'er about, lads! Some poor bastard's been marooned on that hellhole!" the captain shouted to his crew.
At that sound of those words, the cloaked pony knew his ordeal was over at long last. Exhausted from the run, he slowly trotted towards the bonfire. Needless to say, he was unbelievably relieved that someone had come to his aid. He dropped to his knees when he arrived at the fire. The captain and his first mate had come ashore to check on what caused the fire, but they couldn't believe what they saw.
The pony was disheveled, dirty, and much leaner than your average stallion. His fur was unkempt and grayed from dirt, and his hooves were severely calloused over. The only sign of him being a normal pony was the unicorn horn peeking out through his messy mane.
"What in blazes happened to ye, lad?" the captain asked.
The pony answered, "My ship. It went to the bottom of the ocean. It was called the Majestic Prince, but I managed to swim here. I've been stuck here all alone ever since it sank."
"That's impossible. I heard about the Majestic Prince and that happened half a decade ago. Even so there weren't no survivors, not even-
"Jet Set, Upper Crust, Florina Tart, Rainbow Shine, Holly Dash, Royal Ribbon. Or even Fleur Dis Lee."
The captain was shocked. Had this stallion memorized the names of the dead? "How do you know their names?"
The pony gave no answer. All he did was remove the cloak from his face to reveal himself. Amidst the dirt and grime, the captain saw one very distinctive feature: eyes with the most beautiful shade of blue. He hadn't seen such eyes ever since he saw…
The captain finally realized who this pony was. "By the gods. It's him."
Now knowing the truth, the captain and his mate lifted the pony onto their backs and sprinted towards their ship. The rest of the crew saw this and quickly helped their new passenger on board. He was given food and water from every crew member and even given a place to sleep in the cabin. He ate ravenously as if he hadn't seen a proper meal since he was born. The captain ventured into the place where the survivor pony was in, but was only greeted by an empty plate.
"And I thought me wife ate too fast," the captain joked.
Forgetting his manners for a second the pony wiped his mouth, looked at the captain the pony said, "Thank you."
But the captain waved him off. "No need for it, lad. 'Snot every day I get to meet Canterlot royalty."
"Please do not treat me as such. I am merely another pony as you are. I'm not like I was before."
"Well, a week in that place and I'd have lost me mind. But, we won't talk about that now. Ye get some rest. It'll be a long trip back home." The captain was about to leave, but turned back. "Almost forgot. I know yer name, but ye don't know mine. Seven Seas, Captain of the Queen's Gambit. I know these waters like the back of me tail." Seven gave a hoof out to the pony who stared at for a while. The pony quickly bumped it and went back to his meal. "And don't ye worry about payin me back. The only thing ye owe me is a drink when we get to land."
"We will get to land, right?"
"On me father's honor, oh ye of little faith!" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The name of the island they found me on is called Lian Yu. In the Lijiang language, it means "Purgatory". I had been stranded there for five long years. I had dreamt of my rescue every cold, black night since then. And for those five years, I had only one thought, one goal--survive. Survive and one day return home.
The island held many dangers. To live, I had to make myself more than what I was, to forge myself into a weapon. I am returning not the stuck-up colt who was shipwrecked but the stallion who will bring justice to those who have poisoned my kingdom.
The Majestic Prince, the prized yacht of Prince Blueblood himself sat peacefully in the calm waters of the Baltimare shipyard. He held this boat with so much esteem it was easy to see why he aptly named after himself. He had been looking forward to this trip for many months and was ready to set off. The cargo had been loaded on and the many friends he invited were very excited about their vacation of a lifetime. However, before the ship left port Blueblood needed to say farewell to some special ponies in his life.
"You don't need to worry, Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna. I know very well how to care for myself."
"You need not remind us," Celestia replied. "However, there is no shame in wishing you safe travel."
"And you need not say we don't need to worry," Luna said. "Regardless of how many times you tell us not to, we shall still."
Blueblood couldn't help but chuckle. "These things are true, but you make it sound as if I'm going to war."
Then a new voice said, "And you make it sound as if you're not traveling hundreds of miles away from home."
"Yes, I know Rarity," Blueblood said. "However, you all know how important this is to me."
The Prince's longtime marefriend, Rarity, had also come to send him off. However, she had some motives of her own.
"If it is that important, darling, then I don't understand why you can't just take me with you," she berated him. "If you still believe that I haven't forgiven for that night at the Grand Galloping Gala, you are surely mistaken."
Blueblood stopped her. His playful eyes now held an essence of sternness in them. "It isn't about you forgiving me, my love. It is about me forgiving myself. The fact that I treated you in such a way makes me sick that I could possibly be the same pony as him." He then drew her closer and gave her a soft nuzzle. "I love you, and you are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. And if anything were to happen to you, then I would no longer have a desire to live."
He had said this to her many times before, but this was one that resonated through her heart. So much so that she began to tear up. "Oh, Blue. You're going to make my mascara run."
"And you would look beautiful nonetheless." He smiled as he pressed his lips to hers. The delicate and tender touch between them felt like nothing but magic. Though he truly and desperately wanted to take her with him, he just couldn't. He had to break from her not wanting the kiss to linger on. He knew that if it had, he might not have left that day.
"Goodbye for now, my sweet Rarity."
"Be safe, my darling Prince."
They finally separated and Rarity went along her way. Blue had known that she was getting busier at her shop in Ponyville, so she was saying goodbye on borrowed time. He was still glad she came after all and left him one more thing to look forward to when he got back.
"She is a good mare," Celestia said with pride.
"This I know very well." Blueblood then put each of his forelegs around Celestia and Luna. They in turn put their wings around him creating a cocoon of feathers and warmth. This had been their way of hugging each other since he was a young colt and was always adamant about never changing it.
"I will come home again. I promise."
No other words were said between them. But, there were none to be said. The Princesses were proud of their nephew and would support in any way they could. Even if it meant letting him go out on his own. They took to the air and began to disappear into the horizon back to Canterlot. Blueblood waited until he couldn't see them anymore to finally turn towards his ship. A lone mare peeked out from the deck of the boat looking very impressed at Blueblood.
"Flankspeare would be jealous," she said.
"You know it was not acting. I meant every word of it."
"Sure, keep telling yourself that. Now come on. We want to get out of here while we still can."
Blueblood gave her a sly smile knowing she was right. The day was still strong and they had much to look forward. "Then shall we set sail, Madame Dis Lee?"
"Please. I've told you Fleur will do just fine."
"Very well, Miss Fleur."
The Prince knew fully what he was doing, and he hadn't planned to regret it. If only he had known what would happen in the ensuing weeks. If only he had known that everything from then on would be all his fault. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The next thing he knew, Blueblood was being awake and lying on a hard floor. It took him a few seconds to remember that he was now on a ship heading to Equestria, not still trapped on Lian Yu. He felt a strange sense of comfort from the ground's coldness. Had he traded his bed for the floor in his sleep?
"Bed's too soft, ain't it?"
The still sleepy stallion looked up to see Captain Seas standing in the doorway. The sea-stallion had sympathy written on his face, something the Prince wasn't expecting. He walked to Blueblood's side as he continued.
"Longest I've been away is ten months. When I finally got home, me bed was too soft. Had to sleep on the couch to catch some real shuteye." He offered Blueblood a hoof up which was gladly accepted.
"The only place I could rest was in a cave," Blueblood said. "If I had slept out in the open, I wouldn't have made it this far."
"I can imagine. And speaking of caves."
Seas pointed to a large rectangular crate in the back corner of the cabin. It looked old and weathered with green smudges all over it. Written in some crusty-looking letters was 'Property of Blueblood. Touch and Die' written. "We found that in the one ye were livin' in. Obviously looked important to ye, so we hauled it up before we left. I woulda told ye about it, but ye were fast asleep by the time we were done."
"Very good," Blueblood said. "This crate is indeed very important to me." He walked over to the crate with the captain alongside him. There was a rusty old combination lock on the crate sealing its contents inside.
Seas asked, "So what's in this thing anyway?"
"Mementos," the Prince said as the lock was undone and the box was opened. There were various articles of clothing, jewelry, and photographs of ponies that he knew all too well. "These were some of the prized possessions of those that died on my ship. I've kept them safe for a long time in hopes of giving them back to their families. If they wish to keep them or bury them is none of my business."
"Very honorable of ye. Though I can guess that keeping these must've been hard."
The Prince had a look of sadness in his eyes as he spoke. "It was hard at first. But I had to keep them. I had to keep living for their sake."
"Then that makes you a good stallion, lad."
Blueblood wanted to agree with him, but he couldn't find it in his heart to do so. He felt as if the good part of him died along with the old Blueblood.
"I know it's none of me business, but I feel the need to ask. What it was really like on that island?"
An oppressive silence filled the cabin. Too many memories the Prince had of things that he still wasn't proud of doing. After several long moments, Blueblood said, "Some experiences are better left to ourselves."
"Mm. Fair enough. Well, don't worry. I just came by to let ye know we're a few miles outside the port. I radioed ahead to tell everypony the good news. Not sure who'll believe it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it eh?"
Blueblood hadn't wanted that when he had just gotten back, but was still grateful to Seas. "Thank you."
"Still no need for it, lad. Come outside when yer ready. We're almost home." He patted the Prince on the back before taking his leave.
Home. That word was almost lost to him it had been so long. That cave had been only place he could call home for the entire five years he was stranded. He could still picture it in his head. His collections of everything from rocks to animal skins had been left behind for some other poor soul to find. Though, it wasn't that he would miss the island. All he would miss was having nothing to worry about other than surviving and getting through the next day. He didn't need to remind himself that he would have to find a way to make his plan work as soon as the boat docked. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As soon as Seven Seas radioed one of his fellow captains at the Equestrian Port, the news spread like wildfire. Some people dismissed it as a worthless rumor started by some stupid foals trying to get a laugh off a dead man. However, with confirmation on who the mystery stallion was and what he looked like, the kingdom was buzzing with reports about Prince Blueblood.
It wasn't long before the news reached Canterlot. The local newspony had called for the Royal Messenger outside and delivered the stunning news. The Messenger quickly took off in a desperate run to reach the Princesses as soon as possible. He struggled to maneuver around the long corridors and the winding staircases that lead to the Throne Room. Finally, he threw the doors open to the surprises of the Princesses. He had been running so hard that could now barely keep himself upright. He found himself unable to speak as his heavy wheezing preventing him from doing so.
"What is wrong, Writeworth?" Celestia asked. He had to take a moment to catch his breath before answering.
"The ship…that sank…your nephew," he said between breaths.
"You must have a very good reason to bring up that day," Luna said with a voice of contempt.
"Sister." Celestia said trying to calm Luna. The event was still fresh in their minds though they wanted so desperately to move on from the past. "Now, please Writeworth. Tell us what you have to say and what it has to do with the late Prince Blueblood?"
The messenger finally managed to say, "He's alive. The Prince was rescued from an island in Lijiang and he is coming back. He'll reach the port of Horseshoe Bay in half a day's journey."
The halls became dead silent. The only sounds echoing through them were the messenger's panting. Luna could only look at her sister in shock at this news.
The stallion they had buried in an empty coffin was still alive.
Losing herself completely in her emotions Celestia then shouted in her royal voice, "SUMMON THE ROYAL GUARD! GET TO THE PORT! PRINCE BLUEBLOOD IS COMING HOME!"
In just a matter of minutes, every royal guard was ready to embark. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Back on the ship, Blueblood about to open the door to the deck of the ship in hopes of seeing Equestria sooner than later. He stopped himself thinking again about what had to be done. He had already mentally prepared himself for what would be both the greatest day of his life yet the beginning of his most difficult challenge yet. He would have to make sure everypony thought the island hadn't changed him that much. He would have to act as himself if the island never happened and he just took a break from the party scene, but he would have to keep his real intentions under lock and key. And though he was looking forward to seeing his family and friends, he would have to keep them far out of this loop. The last thing he wanted to do was to get the ponies he loved involved in any of this. As lonely as that sounded, he steeled himself knowing this was the only way. He had to go through with this. For them.
He finally pushed the door open and the smell of salt hit him. It was dark outside but the lights given off by the ship His first sight looking ahead was Captain Seas, his pure white coat and half-blue half-green mane flowing in the wind. The Prince decided to join the captain and see Equestria for himself once again. They saw the port of Horseshoe Bay, its pristinely blue waters mirroring the lit skyscrapers of downtown Baltimare.
"Ye can never forget beauty like this."
"Absolutely. I remember seeing the city when I first left on my own ship. I could've sworn it wouldn't get any more stunning than it would be at high noon. Now, I'm glad I was able to live long enough to see it be even more so at night."
"Ye say that as if ye ain't expectin' to live much longer."
Blueblood hadn't intended to give that impression, but he agreed that he sounded like that. "If that is the picture I appear to be painting, it is not. It's just…a lot to take in. For the longest time, I thought I would never see this again. And now, I'm finally seeing it again. That is all I meant."
"Right," the Captain said with a smile. "There are times when I've wonder if I'd never make it back home. I'll admit I've been through a few too many storms fer one lifetime. But, I've always been afraid of me wife having to bury me all by herself."
Blueblood remembered Seas mentioning his wife being a big eater quite a while back. He felt bad seeing him as his savior from certain death and he knew next to nothing about him. "What is she like? Your wife."
The thoughts of death seemed to pushed out of Seas' mind instantly. "Oh she's got so much spunk you wouldn't believe it. Her name's Firefly. Whenever I'm feelin' like the world is turnin' against me, she's always there to bring me back into the light. Don't know what I'd do without her."
"Any children?"
"Nah. We've been tryin' fer the longest time, but haven't had any luck. Of course, that hasn't really deterred us. I'm positive that Firefly would make an amazing mother someday."
"And I imagine you'd make for a good father," Blueblood added.
"Thank ye, lad. But enough about me. Let's talk about the great Prince Blueblood. Ye got a mare or little tykes waiting for ye back home?"
Blueblood immediately thought of Rarity. While he was very much wanting to see her again, part of him was afraid that she would hate him for being gone so long. The other part was afraid that she had moved on and some other stallion or mare had taken his place. "Nopony except for my aunts and my sister Cadence," he resolved to say.
"Well then, me friend, ye got a lot of to do if ye wanna make up for those five years gone."
'More than you know,' Blueblood thought. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For a few moments his mind couldn't help but think of the day after the ship had sunk. He and his friend Jet Set were the only ones who made it to the small lifeboat. They were exhausted from lack of sleep and shaking from the cold. Their food and water rations were never going to be enough for the two of them and both were nearly gone. The two stallions were sitting opposite on either side of the lifeboat. Jet looked at Blueblood who looked as if he would fall asleep and not wake up. How they both wished to be found and go back home.
"Blue, I'm sorry." Jet said.
Blueblood sighed and said, "For what?"
"For not telling you everything. About our kingdom, our home."
"What do you mean?"
"All we wanted was to make it great again." Jet then took a cloth from his pocket wrapped around something. "And now, I know that I can't let that happen. But, I also know that I won't make it. You can." Jet then unraveled the cloth, showing a revolver that sparkled in the dim sunlight."
As soon as he saw it, Blueblood began to panic. "Wh-What are you going to do with that?!"
"Look for an organization called the Blood Brothers," Jet continued. "You have to stop them, right our wrongs, save our home. You are the only one capable of doing this."
Fearing what his friend might do, Blueblood asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Jet looked at Blueblood one last time and smiled. "Survive." Then, he levitated the gun to his own head, and pulled the trigger.
It happened so fast that Blueblood didn't have time to react. By the time he lunged to grab the gun, it was already too late. His friend was dead before his body hit the floor. Blueblood's only reaction was to scream. Scream as loud as he could. His voice echoed all throughout the landscape of water though he knew nopony could hear him. This was his reality now.
Blueblood had planned this night of debauchery for himself and all of his closest friends for the longest time. All the preparations could have been done by his royal servants, but he took it upon himself to make sure everything was perfect. After all, this was to be a proper send-off to his old reckless life. And when he would return to Equestria he was sure to start a new life with his beloved. Though he honestly was not sure what the future would bring, and that scared him a little. But for now, his thoughts were focused on the present with the future being the furthest from his mind that it had ever been.
He stood out on the upper deck of his ship staring off into the distance. The sky was dark and the moon was at its fullest. It seemed there weren’t any clouds to be seen except for a small stretch of some a few miles out. He pretended as though it didn’t matter, but there was a thought in the back of his mind that something could go wrong. Even if he had these doubts, his friends were having the time of their lives downstairs with some new-age music blaring out of the speakers. Some ponies were even snuggling close to one another with the probability that they would be ‘spending some quality time’ together. And though the night was still young, the DJ had already passed out on the turntable with his playlist still going. But everypony else paid the music no mind as they were already too drunk, the flow of alcohol seemingly unceasing. The stamping of hooves uneven with the rhythm of the song reverberated across the deck as everypony danced as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
“Blue? Are you coming down?”
His state of mind was broken when he heard the familiar voice of his lover, Fleur, call out to him. She was just poking her head out of the door beckoning him to the inside. “I’ll be there in just a moment,” he said with a wink.
The smile she returned made him feel more content about the voyage as she returned to the inside. She somehow always had that gift with many ponies, especially with her husband Fancy Pants. Being an extremely famous stallion put a lot of pressure on him, and it was her task to love him and provide support for him in all of his decisions. Perhaps that’s what drew Blueblood to her. Truth be told, he and Fleur had been having this affair for quite a few years. There was a time when both of them had felt unfulfilled with their significant others, Blueblood with Rarity and Fleur with Fancy Pants. They had met each other in a small watering hole in Canterlot and had instantly caught each other’s eye. All of this happened behind closed doors with nopony knowing except for the two of them. They had enjoyed it for the time they spent together. But now, with all that could possibly happen between them or what repercussions could result, the two of them had decided they would go their separate ways sooner or later.
As the Prince retired to the confines of the ship to be with his more preferred company, he grabbed a 13-year-old bottle of Caberneigh and two glasses from a cooler in the hall, popped it open with his magic and poured it for himself and Fleur as he walked. He reached the door of his bedroom and gave it a slight kick open. Much to his delight, Fleur was sprawled out on the enormous bed in his quarters wearing a silk robe and pearl kneesocks that were slightly offset from her fur color. Though ponies were no strangers to nudity, it was one of those strange kinks Blueblood was known to have. She held a seductive look on her face as if she had waited her entire life for this. He floated her glass over to her and she grabbed it with her own magic. Immediately going for a sip, Blueblood stopped her for a moment.
“I’d like to propose a little toast,” he told her. She rolled her eyes at that, remembering that he always liked his sentiments. He clinked his glass softly against hers. “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings,” she replied. She took just a short and conservative sip of her wine, relishing the flavor. It had a bold finish of wild cherries with a hint of oak. Blueblood, on the other hoof, took such a large sip that he was nearly finished with his wine almost immediately. She could tell that there was still something on his mind. “Blue, can I ask you something?”
Managing to gulp down the last of his wine he replied, “Ask away.”
“Do you still love her?”
Naturally, he was surprised by her question. He stumbled over his words a little before managing to speak clearly. “W-well of course. I absolutely still love her.”
Fleur raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Then why didn’t you take her with you instead of me?”
Knowing where she was going with this, he mentally prepared himself as he sat down on the bed. “Well for a number of reasons actually. Firstly, I needed to get out of Equestria. Badly. I needed to go to where I wouldn’t be constantly monitored by my Aunts and Rarity. They would rather me go to some boring dinner party with all the posh ponies instead of having fun at the local club. Secondly, Rarity wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if she knew what was happening on this voyage. She would probably turn us around herself at the first sign of anything she didn’t like to see. And lastly...”
She noticed he was delaying his answer. She crawled closer to him and put her forelegs over his shoulders trying to comfort him. “Yes?”
“Well," he sighed. "It would be insensitive and cold to you, Fleur. I can’t just pretend that the time we spent together meant nothing at all. If I did that, then I'd just be that same idiotic stallion I was those years ago. So, I just wanted for us to have a special night together. And finally being so far away from home definitely helps. In short, I really needed this. We needed this. However, even after all we've been through, I will honestly say that tonight will be the last night we spend together."
When he said this, the both of them became visibly depressed. Fleur hugged her lover closer and tighter, and he rested a hoof on her foreleg. She always knew this day would come eventually. She knew that she would have to say goodbye to the stallion who brought the fun back to her life someday. She knew they would have to go their separate ways and back to their old lives without each other. The memories she shared with Blueblood would be some of the fondest and most beautiful she would ever cherish. But, it still hurt. It actually hurt knowing those times would soon be over, and they would become distant memories and nothing more. And she didn't want tonight to end like this. If tonight was their last night, It was then that a new idea came to her head.
"Then," she began with a seductive whisper, "how about we make this night even more special?"
With an astonishing burst of strength, she practically threw Blueblood to the backboard of the bed. Still reeling from the sudden feeling of being lifted off the ground, Fleur started to crawl toward him slowly. She had hunger in her eyes, much to the stallion's delight. She neared him and laid herself on top of him. She leaned down to him, and their lips interlocked in a soft and tender kiss. She even began to gently grind against Blueblood's stifle, earning several gasps from the stallion. They both moaned in pleasure, lost in each other's warmth. All was well for that moment in time, and nothing could .
Until they heard a loud knock at the door. "Your Majesty?!" the Captain's voice shouted from behind the door.
"Ugh," the Prince sighed heavily. "What do you want?!"
"I suggest you hunker down, sir! It looks like there's a storm headed straight towards us!" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Prince silently stood in the center of his hospital room while he stared out the large window. He was stood completely still, almost as if he were an incredibly life-like statue. The shining lights of the city of Baltimare did give him some comfort, and he was glad that nothing seemed to have changed about his home. Although, he knew just as well that appearances can be very deceiving in this day and age. Meanwhile, both Princesses Celestia and Luna peered into the glass of the room looking at the now unfamiliar stallion that was supposed to be their nephew. His loose hospital gown exposed many parts of the Prince, much of which neither of them wanted to see. There were grotesquely-shaped scars and severe-looking burn marks spread all across his body that were barely covered by patches of his fur. The Princesses could even see a few tattoos and other markings that they weren't too sure of what they meant or what they even were. There was almost nothing in this pony that looked remotely similar to their Prince Blueblood except for the colors of his long mane and his disheveled fur.
Celestia turned to her sister with horror in her voice. "What happened to him?"
Luna could only shake her head. "I truly do not know, Sister."
This was all they had said to each other ever since they arrived at Baltimare General. It had surprised the doctors, nurses and patients for the rulers of Equestria to suddenly teleport into the front lobby of the hospital completely unannounced. Without wasting any time, they had demanded to know where the Prince was resting. It took quite a while for the receptionist to get a hold of the doctor in charge of his care as she first had to explain that Celestia and Luna had graced their establishment with their presence. That same doctor was now walking toward them with a manila folder tucked under his right foreleg. Already sensing that they desperately wanted answers, the doctor got right down to brass tacks.
“He's going to be alright." That already gave Celestia and Luna some much needed relief. "However, he's going to need a while to recover," he added as he opened the folder up. He took out several x-ray sheets and put them up on a backlit panel on the wall. One of them showed a bone broken in several places at what would be the back of a pony's leg. All of the others showed small fissures in the bones all across a pony's body. The doctor spoke as he put on his glasses. "He has multiple bone fractures that haven’t healed properly, two breaks in his back left cannon bone, and scarred and burnt tissue now covers 65% of his body. I feel as though I don't need to say this, but his survival is surely nothing less than a miracle Your Highnesses. I just hope he came back as himself as well.”
That last sentence rang out in Celestia's mind. "What do you mean by that, Doctor?"
The doctor took his glasses off again and put them in his back pocket. He seemed unsure of what he wanted to say. "Well, with all due respect, I think it is best that you prepare yourselves for the worst. Having been without contact to ponies other than himself for as long as he has been...well it's never good. I don't even want to know how he managed to stay alive. Regardless, there is most likely some kind of damage to his mental state." He approached the Princesses wanting what he was going to say to be between the three of them. He rested his forelegs around their necks in an attempt to be more discreet. "The pony you once knew as Prince Blueblood may very well have died already. I truly don't know how he'll react to seeing you two again."
In an instant, horror returned to the Princesses. Just thinking about their nephew changing for the worse made their fur stand on end. The doctor decided to back off for now and let them take their time to soak up this new warning. Millions of thoughts ran through their heads. What if he was traumatized by his experience and he developed some severe problem? What if he regresses back to being that wild, childish stallion he used to be? What if he hates them for not doing more to save him? Or worse, what if he doesn't remember who they are? They halted for a brief moment wondering all these things. However, they steeled themselves and prepared to finally see him again. As they opened the door to his room, Blueblood kept standing there with his back to them. They approached with all caution not wanting to anger whoever it was in that room with them. However, he knew instantly and turned to face them. He honestly couldn't believe that they were standing in front of him, their faces completely unchanged over the course of time. He was so happy that there were tears welling up in his arctic blue eyes. The Princesses knew in a moment that their beloved Blueblood was indeed still alive, even though time and nature had been more than cruel to him.
"I'm sorry for being so late," was all he could say.
It all seemed like it was a dream and he would wake up on the island once again covered in his own sweat and angry at the gods for giving him yet another vision that may never come true. But as his aunts approached him, he knew this was all too real. They threw their front legs around him and they began bawling tears of joy. He hugged them tightly around him, not wanting to let them go. They wrapped their wings around him in their signature embrace, something none of them ever thought would happen again, and the room was filled with their joyous sobbing and happiness. Even some of the resident doctors and nurses began to tear up from this tremendous show of affection.
He was home. Finally, Blueblood was home. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Next Day
Reporters had clamored into a conference room and were struggling to find seats in the newly crowded place, wanting to be the first to see Equestria's beloved prince officially announce his return home. The journalists and newsponies from various newspapers and television stations had come from all over the kingdom to see him with some all the way from Vanhoover. There was chatter among them discussing what he would look like and how he could have changed after all this time. Many were checking their cameras to make sure they would work before everything got too exciting for them. Their chatter was cut silent as a brown-colored pony walked up on the stage in the room. The various microphones on the podium squealed slightly as he took his place.
He cleared his throat and began. "My fellow Equestrians, good evening. Today, we come here as a reminder of a horrible and tragic day five years ago. Dozens of mares and stallions alike were taken from us much too early, and their families are still waiting for answers. We are truly not sure when this will finally be laid to rest. However, we have been given new hope that we will find them and they will be brought back home. For one stallion managed to defy all odds and has returned home to tell his story. It is my honor and privilege to reintroduce and welcome back Equestria's beloved prince and the only known survivor, His Majesty Prince Blueblood."
With that, a door to the side of the stage opened and a stallion walked through. The newsponies had their eyes glued to him, but he was unrecognizable to them. His mane had been cut very short and his fur was discolored in several places. His girth was not as prominent, but he still appeared to be physically fit. The only thing familiar about him was the color of his eyes. But, they wondered, this stallion seemed to be the furthest one they thought of to be the once proud Blueblood. It was completely silent, and the only sounds made it the room were the echoes of his hooves clopping against the hard wood of the stage.
"Thank you, sir," he spoke into the microphones. "And I would like to thank all of you for coming. It gives me great comfort to know that I was not forgotten at home, and that the gods truly blessed me to survive long enough to come back home. However, I would not like to make this about me. This will be made solely for the purpose, as my colleague said, to give the families the answers they deserve. Therefore, I will take any and all questions now."
Without even a second to breathe, Blueblood was already being bombarded with words by the newsponies. Carefully listening, he picked out several from the crowd one by one to better hear them.
"What caused the wreck of the Majestic Prince?"
"Are you the only survivor?"
"Can you tell us what it was like on that island?"
One after another, he answered them to the best of his ability. His story of what had happened and what his experience was like. Little did they know that he was lying through his teeth several times over. He thought it for the best that nopony besides him knew what really happened. Then, one newspony mare no older than twenty asked him, "What are you going to do to help the families?"
Immediately brightening up, Blueblood seemed to regress back into his usual overconfident self a tad. "I'm glad you asked because the first thing I am planning on doing since I've come home is celebrate the only way I know how...with a party!" There was immediately a new chatter among the ponies. They were none the less surprised that the former party stallion would be celebrating the moment he returned, but they scrambled to get more details from him. Ignoring them, he continued. "There will be food, music, and of course, drinks, and all proceeds collected from this party will go to a private fund towards the relief of the affected families! You can all help them get back on their hooves with your donations to this fund. And the best part is that everypony is invited! There will be more details to follow which I will personally announce. And that is all the time I have right now as I will be busy with preparations. Thank you!"
The newsponies begged him for one more question to be answered, but he stepped off the stage nonetheless and was escorted outside to a private carriage. He would indeed need to prepare for the upcoming celebration.
'And maybe I can do some home-shopping myself,' he thought to himself.
The enormous swells were merciless to the Prince's prized vessel as the storm raged on. It felt as if the ship would break apart at any second. Anything that wasn't nailed down inside was knocked onto the floor or broken by the impact of the waves. Blueblood struggled just to get down the hallway with all of the debris in his way. He needed to find the Captain quickly. Then, they could find out where this storm was coming from and how to get out of it.
“Captain!” he called out. His voice was being drowned out by the sound of the wood creaking and squealing as it tried to hold everything together. “Captain Chaser! Where are you?!”
“Your Majesty?!” a voice answered. “Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine!” the Prince shouted in relief. “But we need to get out of this storm quickly!”
“Well, do you think I’ve been trying to do?! Get your flank up here and help me!”
The Prince would’ve protested being told what to do, but he rushed to the sound of the Captain’s voice regardless. Finally finding the staircase that led up to the wheelhouse, Blueblood saw that Captain Stern Chaser was trying his best to get the steering wheel to turn.
The earth pony had noticed that Blueblood had made it. “Help me out here! The wheel’s stuck! I can’t get this thing to turn!”
Without hesitation, the Prince grabbed a hold of the wheel with his hooves along with Chaser. They pushed and pulled and lifted with all their might, but the momentum of the ship’s thrashing made it impossible to work the damn thing.
“C’mon! We gotta get this boat turned around or we won’t last much longer!”
Blueblood lit up his admittedly sub-par magic to try and turn the wheel with it, and still nothing worked. They kept trying as they knew their own lives and the lives of those on the boat with them depended on them. Then, Blueblood remembered something.
His mind flashed back to a few years ago. He had gone to visit Sweet Apple Acres at one point to try and make up for that time he insulted the Apple family’s baking. As compensation, he volunteered to work the fields for the day and, needless to say, it was one of the most frustrating days he ever had. Even so, that day proved to be one of the best choices he ever made.
“Chaser, stand back!”
Hesitantly, he did so and Blueblood prepared himself as he remembered the steps. ‘Widen your stance and focus your strength, plant your front hooves, lean forward, spring backward with your back and...’
*Wham!*
He unleashed a powerful buck on the steering wheel and it spun so fast it was almost a blur. The ship began to lurch to the right, and the two stallions in the wheelhouse were thrown onto their backs. It was tipping as it turned in a full 180 degrees, the bow skimming along the surface of the water.
Thinking quickly, Chaser lunged forward and grabbed the wheel with his front hooves. He hung on for dear life while Blueblood was thrown like a ragdoll to the other side of the ship, knocking the wind out of him. Chaser managed to pull up to the left hoof side of the wheel and gripped it in his teeth. As he let his hooves go, his weight was enough to get the wheel turning and the ship stabilized. He kept repeating that pattern until the ship was finally starting to stabilize. As he got used to having his center of gravity back, the Captain noticed that the waters were not as violent as they used to be. In fact, everything seemed strangely calm now. With the massive amounts of stress and adrenaline subsiding, Blueblood slowly picked himself back up.
“Stern. Take us home,” he commanded.
“You don’t need to tell me twice, Your Majesty.” Stern immediately went to work getting his instruments back on the right course and his bearings straight. After fiddling around for a bit, the two of them noticed that the sun was shining and any cloud had disappeared. “This doesn’t make sense. For as long as I've sailed these waters there's never been a storm like that; no, more like a gods-damn hurricane. Not just that, but something that powerful couldn't just up and disappear!”
“Something tells me that was no natural storm.”
“What are you saying?”
“I'm saying that someone could have been controlling it. Signal everyone on board. We may have an unwanted guest.”
Stern turned on the intercom and notified all on board, “Attention, all passengers!! Assemble on the main deck for a headcount! I repeat, assemble on the main deck for a headcount!”
Blueblood was the first to arrive in the main entrance of the ship, silently praying for all of his guests to be alright. And slowly but surely, they arrived. They were shaken up by the fear and stress of possibly dying at sea. Some managed to escape harm with a few cuts and bruises, but the unlucky ponies were much worse for ware. A few groups of stallions were helping others who were unable to walk. Many of the injured were bleeding profusely, others had bones broken in several places noticeable to all. He did a headcount as they arrived to make sure everypony was still onboard. He also kept a close eye out for ponies he didn’t recognize, cautious about one who could have had something to do with that storm earlier. All were accounted for except for one more.
The Prince caught himself in a fit of recollection as he rode in his carriage. The familiar elegance of Canterlot reminded him of his namesake ship and had unearthed some memories that he’d rather not recall. Those events still weighed heavily on his mind as he absentmindedly played with a necklace hidden under his grey Calvin Klydes suit. He rode alone in this new auto-propelled carriage with nopony else but his driver chattering away. The Prince had zoned out and hadn’t paid much attention to this useless banter, but he had caught wind that the rest of his family was waiting for him. He was certain that nothing drastic would have changed even after his time away, but he was preparing himself for the worst just in case. Staring off into space once again, he spotted a little newsfilly trying to sell copies of a paper in a small gazebo. She tried to give a few copies to some passersby, but known paid any heed to her. The little one seemed to grow more desperate with every failed attempt.
Blueblood poked his driver on the shoulder. “Pull over next to that news station”.
But the driver shook his head with a smile. “No can do, sir. I’m under strict orders to escort you to the Palace without delay.”
Blueblood rolled his eyes. This needed some convincing. He pulled out twenty gold Bits from his pocket, and handed twelve to the driver. “Stop here and that’s yours, plus an entire week’s paid vacation.”
The driver did not hesitant to take the money and do as the Prince said. Blueblood figured that the ponies of this city would never change; they would happily obey any order with enough gold in their pockets. As the carriage pulled to a stop, the newsfilly saw her chance. She ran towards it with a paper in her mouth and practically shoved it in the Prince’s face. “Care for a copy, milord?”
Her forelegs were dirty and grimy, but The Prince paid it no mind. He levitated the paper out of her hoof and gave her the other eight Bits he had. Her eyes lit up as if she had never seen that much money in her life. She was speechless as she looked back to the generous stallion. He gave her a smile saying, “Happy early Hearth’s Warming, little one.”
As the carriage drew away, Blueblood looked back one last time. He saw the little filly break out into a dance of joy as if those coins meant she could eat tonight. He didn’t know that for sure, but something told him that little filly needed that. One small step in the grand scheme of things.
“I would refrain from doing that anymore,” the driver spoke up. “That little filly has been on that spot for the past few days trying to sell those old prints. Probably stole them from real newsstands and trying to sell them for her own profit. Quite uncivilized, savage even.”
“Often times, the civilized are the ones who cower in fear while the savages are the ones who survive.” The driver was astounded by that remark, especially that it came from a member of the Royal Family. He looked back wanting to give the Prince a piece of his mind, but stopped when he saw the venomous glare. A nerve had been struck in Blueblood, and the driver could feel it in his bones. Every word he would have said disappeared as a new fear came over the driver.
“Now shut up and drive,” Blueblood remarked.
The driver turned back and didn’t say another word as he drove faster. Blueblood could care less if he hurt somepony’s feelings, so putting one stallion in his place wouldn’t mean any great consequence to him. That, and it actually felt good to have done that.
He directed his attention to that paper, called the Carousel Chronicle. Odd name choice for a newspaper, he had to admit. However, it was the headline that caught his attention.
The Prince Lives, Still the Same Stallion
The trouble child of the Royal Family, Prince Blueblood, has returned to Equestria after miraculously surviving that tragic boating accident which claimed the lives of many beloved residents of Equestria. As a press conference was held early this morning, he assured reporters that he would create a private fund for the affected families. He plans on doing this with a public celebration, as he is known to have done plenty of in the past. The Prince once had a reputation for being a constant party-addict and on-and-off alcoholic, with one notable incident resulted in a felony battery charge after he attacked a bouncer outside of a club in Manehattan. He spent several months in rehab where he was said to have renounced his former ways. Shortly afterwards, he would go on a supposed recovery cruise which would come to be known as one of the kingdom’s greatest travesties.
The paper dragged on for a good portion of the front page as Blueblood skimmed through it. He caught a name of the pony who must have written it.
‘Written by Troubled Beauty’.
Below the printed text were two pictures, one of Blueblood during his homecoming press conference and another of his ship the Majestic Prince. He immediately turned the page, not wanting to look at either of those images. He tried to read something else about the Appleloosa Trailblazers beating out the Cloudsdale Cardinals in their rivalry hoofball game. When that didn't work, he tried out a crossword puzzle to occupy his thinking. And when even that didn't work, he went through the Sunday comics hoping a good laugh would blot it out. However, the author of that article was still stuck in his head: Troubled Beauty. Why did that name sound odd and yet so familiar?
As soon as the carriage came to a stop at the palace gates, Blueblood let himself out. Two Royal Guard stallions were stationed outside ready to assist him. As the trunk was opened and they grabbed for the green crate, the only thing he brought back with him, he suddenly stopped them.
“I've got this,” he told them. Effortlessly levitating the crate out of the trunk, the Prince’s actions made the normally stoic Royal Guards wide-eyed with shock. Not only was his magic supposed to be subpar, but the Prince would also be begging them to be careful with his belongings and chastising them the entire time. Not that the change was unwelcome, it was just confusing. As soon as Blueblood closed the trunk door, the driver sped off without waiting for a word of dismissal. This just confused the Guards even more until the Prince spoke up.
“It's fine. He’s just in a hurry to get his vacation started.” The answer was good enough for them and they went back to their posts.
The Prince hovered the crate onto his back, seeming not mind the weight or bulk of it. His mind seemed to be more focused on the intense nostalgia trip it was taking. Passing through the golden horseshoe archway and through the main doors, he was relieved to see that nothing much had changed. The many banners with different shades of purple, pink, and deep blue that covered the palace walls had remained there for as long as he could remember. He could even recall playing in these halls as a young foal with his family. If his aunts were good about one thing, it was consistency. And without a moment sooner, his aunts Celestia and Luna descended from the staircase to greet their nephew.
“How art thou-” Luna had caught herself doing her formal habit again. “I mean how are you, dear nephew? How do you feel?”
Blueblood lifted the crate off of his back as he spoke. “I feel like I am truly home again.”
“And it truly feels like home now that you are back,” Celestia said with a sincere smile. The two alicorns laid their heads next to Blueblood’s, giving him a heartfelt snuggle. Reminding himself that he was like a broken record, this was yet another moment he thought he would never experience.
“Well, there’s something I haven’t seen in a long time,” a familiar voice spoke up.
The Prince looked up to see it was none other than his beloved older sister, Cadence, standing in the front entrance. Like a sight for sore eyes, he was ecstatic to see her. The princesses looked up as well, pleased to see that she made it in time.
Blueblood would normally come up with some witty remark to tease his sister. But now, he just couldn’t find the words. Not even waiting for a sign, she threw her forelegs around him and hugged him hard.
“I always knew,” she muttered. “Somehow, I always knew you were out there.” He returned the embrace, gripping as tightly as he could. “I’ve missed you so much, brother.”
“You were with me the entire time.” He promised himself that he wouldn’t cry, but he felt happy tears come up nonetheless.
Looking closer at her, he could tell that the years had not been kind. Her mane had lost a small portion of its color, and there were some small but noticeable wrinkles along her cheekbones and forehead. A hint of insomnia was stained under her eyes. She still carried herself with dignity like she always had which gave him some relief. He couldn’t help but notice that some of the servants were carrying in a lot of luggage, presumably hers.
Celestia asked before Blue could. “How have you been, dear Cadence? I trust you had a pleasant trip back?”
“I did,” she said matter-of-factly. “But I don’t know how you and Lulu do it. It’s been a nightmare trying to get the country back to a sustainable state. But, when I heard the good news, I needed to take a few weeks off to welcome my favorite little brother back! So, Shiny told me that he would keep things stable until I got back.”
Celestia chuckled. “Well, it would still be quite the challenge getting it back to its former glory after disappearing for a thousand years.”
Before they could continue, Blue stepped in. “Um, excuse me? Been away for a while. I really could use some context here.” He turned to Cadence, more confused than ever. “Where did you come back from, what have you been doing, and what disappeared for a thousand years? Furthermore, why are you calling Captain Armor ‘Shiny’? The only pony who called him that was that one student of Aunt Tia’s. Twilight...Sparkle, correct?”
Cadence realized what he meant and cursed herself silently. “Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry about that Blue. I’ve just been calling him by his nickname more often ever since we got married.”
“Oh! I was about to say it almost sounds like the two of you-what?!” His voice echoed through the palace, giving everypony a slight jump. “You-he-when-where-what...” Blueblood stood stunned for a second. He expected that a lot had changed but he hadn’t expected this. “I’m going to guess I missed more than I thought?”
He yawned as he flopped onto his bed. One thing for sure was that Cadence liked to talk when you got her riled up. A reality-altering Draconequus, a corrupted King, the reemergence of a lost empire, and his own sister’s wedding were among the tornado of events that still made his head spin. He was still surprised that his old room had stayed pretty much the same. His aunts must have had the servants take extra special care of this room. He recognized the same paint on the walls, the same drapes on the windows, and the same sheets on the bed. This kind of refreshing nostalgia was something that anyone could get used to. He wished he could at least. Everything that once familiar to him was now unrecognizable. He knew that he survived those horrible years in the middle of nowhere, but he still felt lost. He needed to remind himself of his purpose. He lifted himself up to look at the crate he brought with him all this way. Opening the crate, the mementos he had taken shined in the candlelight of the room. He smiled knowing that many mothers and fathers would have something to remember the ones who were gone. Reaching in, he unlocked the drawers containing the mementos and levitated them out. Once they were out, it was revealed that there was a second compartment in the crate covered in a beige sheet. Blueblood unfolded part of it to see the sea-soaked and bloodstained note he had written.
Look for the Blood Brothers
He then picked up the only other things in the crate: a bow and a quiver of arrows. They looked old and weathered. Among all these things he once held the most precious, these were the only ones that brought any semblance of comfort.
“Won’t be long now, old friends,” he thought outloud.
His thoughts kept going back to everything he had to do now that he was back. Thankfully for him, he was slowly being overtaken by a sudden tiredness. Sleep was the last thing on his mind, but it was the one thing he needed the most. He put everything back in its proper place, closed up the crate and slid it under his bed. could only hope that he wouldn’t dream.
Blueblood found himself rushing through the ship, searching for his lover. Dodging past debris, he prayed for a sign of life. Anything at all. He still found nothing as he found himself in the central atrium again.
“Please, don’t do this to me!” Tears began to well up as he ran hard back towards the hallway. If anything had happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
“Blue! We found her!”
Turning on a dime, relief and panic washed over simultaneously. Fleur was alive, but looked worse for the wear. Sweating profusely and appearing completely exhausted, she was being cradled by Captain Chaser in the atrium. Fresh blood flowed down her face staining her immaculate coat. Her breathing was rapid and sporadic. Blue became hysterical at the sight.
“What is it?! What’s wrong with her?!”
“I don’t know,” Chaser said panickedly. “It looks like she cut herself pretty bad, but she’s not anemic. She could have a concussion, but I ain't a doctor.”
“I’m...fine,” Fleur managed to say. “Just a scratch.”
Chaser shook his head. “We need to get you to the infirmary now. She might be going into shock.”
But, she resisted. “Stop! I’m fine!”
“Pssh. Typical dumb mare. Always making our jobs as stallions harder for us.” Chaser felt the need to vent as he reached to pick her up.
“Get away from me!!” She swiped at Chaser. He went flying back. He was pinned against the wall, a red energy surrounding him. his body slowly being crushed. He couldn’t speak as the air was being forced out of his lungs. Fleur held her hoof up and with one swift motion, there was an audible snap.
The Captain’s body drooped against the wall as the light left his eyes. Fleur dropped to the floor when Chaser’s body fell face first. The entirety of his back, every muscle and bone, had been separated from his body and was left behind on the wall. The ship was quiet, its passengers stunned at this horrific display.
Stern Chaser was dead.
She cursed herself, knowing that there was no going back after that.
“This was supposed to be easy, but it can’t be helped now. I need...to take control.”
The mare began to twitch and stutter like a glitch you would see in a television set. Fleur’s delicate features began to morph into something monstrous, demonic even. Her eyes began to glow that same bloody red, her teeth became sharp and vile, and her mane began to burn. The energy appeared to ooze out of her wound as it surrounded her. She looked at Blueblood with Fleur’s face still holding together but barely.
“You’re lucky to have survived my storm, but you have no hope of escaping me.”
Deep in the heart of the tallest mountain in the west, a lone figure dressed in a dark blue cloak wandered through the various dungeons and chambers inside. These sections of the castle had not been used for centuries, and seeing it only told of the dark history of Equestria. Rusty chains littered the ground and skeletons of long-dead prisoners of war lay sprawled out in the same places they had all died. The figure just kept walking until it came upon one certain chamber. Using its magic to unlock the door, it stepped inside and lit a few candles on the wall revealing an elaborate display of colors in the banners and decorations. The figure stepped inside and walked to the center of it all stopping in front of a full-length mirror. It spoke into the mirror in a hushed tone.
“I have received some troubling news. The Prince is still alive, and he has just returned to his home of Equestria.”
“Well now, it seems this stallion is a favorite among the gods.” There was another voice that talked from inside the mirror, much deeper than the figure’s and filled with malice. “But it matters not. One whelp cannot do much to stop what is coming, even with the help of a few feeble deities.”
The figure worriedly asked the voice, “What do you mean?”
“You shall see,” it answered bluntly. "Besides, the truth will never come to him. You were and still are too important to Blueblood for him to have done what was right.”
The figure grew agitated at that remark. “Do not say his name as if he is any consequence to you!” It stomped its hoof against the hard floor, the sound echoing all throughout the chambers. “Just promise me that he will live and I will let you do as you wish.”
The voice had no perceivable face, but a wicked smile could be felt as it spoke. “You have my word, my cherished vessel. And once the Purification is done, I will lift Equestria from its remains and begin it anew.”
