//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: First Encounter // Story: Royal Pain // by Pixel Berry //------------------------------// Dear Journal, It has already been three weeks since I move out and I finally unpacked everything into my new home. I apologize for not writing in a while(unpacking being the reason), but now that I don’t have work today, I could spend this nice afternoon on my couch surfing through the internet. Even though my mother thinks it’s a waste of time, I find it quite the entertaining thing to do when you don’t have anything to actually do. The typing stopped for a moment as she wiped her brow a little, her loose dark brown hair moving away from her face. And I think I need the small break after so many tears my mother shead as she didn't want me to leave yet. Man, her grip was hard on me… She cracked her knuckles as her hands felt a little stiff. My dad honestly didn't care. He was just happy that I'm someplace warm so I wouldn't worry about snow anymore. As for my siblings… they couldn't really react since they were busy with their own life. She glanced away from the screen, fixing her small glasses as she moved the laptop a little off her lap. I think I'll miss all of them. But I won't show it. I have to be strong for them. Anyways, I better get going, I may say I have nothing to do, but perhaps one more clean up won't hurt. ~Melissa The girl sighed as she closed the laptop as she looked up at the ceiling. She thought that writing a journal entry might help, but she really didn't like that all she was doing was starting the cycle of work and home in a new location. She slowly got up from the couch, leaving her laptop behind as she walked to her bathroom and took a look at herself. Melissa was a fairly normal girl, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and clothes that you would most likely see a background character from a show wear. She scratched her scalp as she was reminded on how she needed to wash her hair before she went to bed. “Man,” She spoke. “This is kinda boring.” She looked over at the small window in the bathroom. “I hate this. Nothing but work, home and sleep. I want to change this cycle.” She was quiet before she talked to herself again. “Hmm…what about a roommate?” She smiled. But that quickly vanished. “Nah, they'll just eat all my cookies and chips.” She shook her head as she remembered her best friend and older sister’s experience with that problem. “Besides, I already have a pet.” She smiled bigger as she heard the clinking of metal and teeth. “And looks like their drinking again.” She sighed as she rested her head on her hand. “Maybe I should just go with what I got. Not everyone has the movie life, and I'm just a simple face in the crowd. But it wouldn't hurt for a little change in life.” She smiled again. Whether some deity heard what she spoke to herself, or a mere coincidence, a loud thud came onto her front door, which was followed by a painful sounding groan. Melissa’s smile disappeared once again by the sudden sound as she didn’t know what to think of it. Her mind immediately thought it was a burglar, killer, or maybe some obsessive boy that saw her online and wanted her. “... Ow…” The voice, which was a man’s, groaned in pain. “... Tia?... Lulu?... Where am I?” ‘Tia? Lulu? Are they his partners in crime?’ She thought as she slowly went out the bathroom and to the front door, deciding that checking who was out there was better than just opening the door. Looking through the eye hole, all she saw what looked liked the tip of a white horn. Knocking came. “Hello? Is there any simple peasant inside? I need directions to Canterlot.” A pause, followed by more knocking. “If you give me directions, I'll pay you handsomely… just not as handsome as me!” ‘Canterlot?’ She thought as she also heard the ‘handsome reward’ part and could easily tell that this creature had a rather big ego. ‘I don’t even know where that is… but I know I shouldn’t leave someone who’s lost. Even with how big of an ego he has.’ She thought. She inhaled before she decided to speak out. “Yes. Hello? Who is this?” She asked. “‘Who's this’!? I am Prince Blueblood, heir to the Canterlot Throne! Who is this!? You should already know who I am! All of Equestria knows about me!” “Well, my name is Melissa. And sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t think you’re in this Equestria place anymore. The place you're in now is Jacksonville Florida. And in Florida, there aren’t any princes, princesses, kings or queens.” She said as she rested against the door. “Jacksonville!? Well lead me to this ‘Jack’, Melissa, and I won't have my aunt come here and place all of you under arrest for kidnapping me!” “There is no Jack that owns this city.” She crossed her arms. “And if I were you, I wouldn’t try to get over eight hundred thousand humans behind bars. And I don’t think your aunt can do that.” “Yes she can! And- wait…. Humans? What are those? Some kind of hairless monkeys?” “You could say that. But I don't know how powerful your aunt is, but I know she won't be against the laws of this place.” “She moves the sun AND the moon! Now open, or else I'll find my way back and have my Aunt throw you in jail!” “Well with that tone, I don't think I can. And in this world, the sun doesn't move and the moon moves on its own. And in this world, if they see a animal like you, you'll probably be sent to a science facility and dissected since no one has seen anything like you.” She smirked. “What the-!? You savages!!! Fine! I will find my way back home without your help, and my Aunt and her army will take over your excuse for a kingdom! Goodbye!” He flicked his tail and walked down the hall. “Ugh, and this place is filthy!” “Just think of the news title: Talking animal: alien or science experiment gone wrong?” She giggled. “Anyways, you have fun while I get something to eat.” “Bah!!!” He walked to an elevator. Curiously, he clicked on a button… or buttons. “... Any time, machine!” He turned around and knocked on Melissa's door. “How does your stupid machine work!?” “Oh? I thought you said you could find your way home without my help. If that's the case, then I can't answer.” She said in a smug tone as she was in the kitchen making some white chocolate pancakes, the smell filling the house and even seeping through the cracks. He sniffed it, followed by his stomach growling. “Ugh… so hungry… Make me something to eat!” “Sorry, but I don’t want to.” Melissa said. “And isn’t giving food count as helping you?” The smile on her face only grew as she knew that he might give in. “I said I'm hungry and you give me something to eat! And I don't need your help, filthy peasant! There's a difference between helping and assisting! Now give me food!” This time, Melissa didn’t answer as she flipped her flapjack and made it land dead center. “Nice.” She smiled as she finished the other side and placed it on a plate. She then got ready to make another one. “Hmm… maybe some hot chocolate might go well with this.” She spoke to herself. “You made me do this! And I just had my hooficure.” He turned around and, not really wanting to do it, bucked the door with his back left leg. The front door was slightly bent. “Hey! That’s my door you’re hitting!” Melissa shouted as she put the other pancake on the first. “Let me in then! You're going to fix it, and make my hoof look-” The door went back to it's original form, no longer bent. “... What did you just do!?” “What are you talking about!? You almost broke my door and now it’s fixed. You sure you didn’t use some alien technology or something?” She asked as she actually looked over at the fixed door. She stared at it for a little while longer before she shrugged and decided to continue making more pancakes. “Hey! First off, let me in! Second, I use magic! And third!” His horn glowed as he tried to open the doorknob. Melissa could see the doorknob having a blue aura around it, but nothing happening. “OH COME ON!!! OPEN!!!” “What the heck are you doing to my door knob?” She asked as she poked at the blue aura, it feeling cold and hot at the same time. “Feels weird...” She mumbled. “Trying to open it, stupid! Another stupid peasant, I see. What's this made from!? Chrysalis’s throne!?” “Who’s Chrysalis?” She asked as she moved away from the door and finished her third and final pancake. “You know, I could let you in and give you food. But you have to do something for me so that you can be safe and get help from someone who knows this world.” “I don't need help!... But what is it?” He sighed in defeat. “You just need to say the magic word.” She smiled. “While also admitting that you want and need my help.” Blueblood gasped. “Never!” “Then I guess you’ll starve to death.” She said as she brought her plate with her and started cutting up the first one. “... Abracadabra!... Hocus Pocus!... Expecto Patronum?” She stayed quiet as she ate the first piece and even hummed at how good it tasted. “Ugh… please?” “Hmm? What was that?” She asked before she took a sip of her hot chocolate. “I said please.” “Sorry, I can’t quite hear through your ego. Can you annunciate?” “I said please!!! Now let me in!!!” “You forgot the second part of the deal.” She said as she ate another piece. “... And I… may need… your…” He mumbled away. “Mmmmmyes?” “I said that I… just probably… need your help.” “Do we really have to go through all of this again?” She asked as she rested against the door. “I need your help! Now let me in!!!” Melissa smiled as she got up, placing her plate down on the table and put it back to open the door. Blueblood tapped his hooves, impatiently waiting, and having the urge to throw up after saying those things. “Was that so hard?” She smiled as she kept her cool as she didn’t want to freak out over a talking blond unicorn with a white coat. ‘It’s like those stereotypical unicorns… or those lovely steeds in some other little girl’s fantasy story.’ She thought. Blueblood stared at her, looking at her figure. “... Well, you're not as ugly as a minotaur.” he commented “And you’re no prince charming yourself sweetheart.” She smirked before she turned around. “Come in before I think of some other way to let you be nice.” She said as she went over to the kitchen. Blueblood followed, but stepped around, almost as if the place was a minefield. “Ugh, stooped to common levels. By Faust, what did I do to deserve this? Trapped in a filthy, small house with a hairless monkey!” “Thanks for the compliment on my home. I worked really hard to earn it.” She crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter. “And with an attitude like that, I won’t feel sorry for starving you.” “Oh hush! I'll be out soon. My Aunt will be here in no time.” Equestria The Throne room had turned into a wild party, with Luna on a corner auctioning off some of Blueblood’s junk. Celestia sat on a table, a bit surprised by everyone's actions, followed by her feeling a bit down. “Please learn your lesson soon.” She mumbled to herself as Rarity smashed a head bust of the Prince. Earth “I guarantee it.” Blueblood smirked. “But, in the meantime… I guess I'll try to survive in your pig sty of a home, Melissa.” “You know I’m really not stopping from you leaving if that’s how you feel about my home.” She said as she took her own plate and resumed eating her pancakes again. “Like I said, I will deal with it. But first, does my hoof look bad?” He lifted his back leg. “I can't have hooves not match with my face!” “First, I can’t tell, and second, I think no one would care if your hoof doesn’t match your face. I mean, it’s not like you can roam freely like this.” She said. “Of course I can't! I need to be as beautiful as a royal stallion can be. Now check! I can feel my beauty swelling away by the seconds.” “Yeah, no.” She said. “Again, no one will see you even if you are one hundred percent pretty or something.” She ate her pancake again as she was halfway finished now. “You can't let me be ugly like you! I have my standards, you know!” “Well,your standards don’t matter now. You’re in a unknown world, with unknown beings, and have to either adapt or cling on to those ‘standards’ and rejects everything and will soon die.” She said. “And by how you act, I don’t think any of those other ponies will care.” “They do care! I'm one of the most important ponies! When my aunt is gone, I'm going to be king!” “If you’re so important, then why are you here? If this was some form of getting rid of you, then you wouldn’t be here and probably curling in your golden silk bed. And what about your other family members? If you’re gone and your aunt is gone as well, mostly the vice or co-ruler will be the main ruler now.” She explained. “Heck, even if you were still home, the vice or co-ruler would be the next queen of this Equestria place.” “You know nothing about Equestria, monkey!” “But I do know some of the laws of leadership and royal bloodline.” She said. “Even in this world we have kings and queens, princes and princesses. But only in various countries.” “Then one of them knows Equestria! Tomorrow, you're taking me to one of these countries!” “Listen, no one has ever heard of Equestria. So I don’t think someone of royal blood will know any better.” She said as she really didn’t want to know what they might do with an ‘exotic’ animal coming to their front door. “Then how much will a train ride cost?” “More like a plain ride.” She mumbled. “And if anyone sees you, you’ll only get a one way ticket to dissection-ville.” She said. “With that magic stuff and that you can talk, surely someone would want to either sell you off to someone or do some really f’ed up stuff.” She shook her head. “I’m just trying to not let yourself get killed by how snobbish and spoiled you act.” “I'm not snobbish and spoiled! I'm just a pony who has a better position and a sense of everything compared to you.” “Oh really? Then answer me this: what was the most recent thing that you’ve done that was nice towards someone other than yourself without having any personal gain to yourself?” She asked. “And if you’re a prince, then that means you have servants and maids. Have you ever thanked them or even did something for them instead?” “Of course both at the same time; Yesterday, I laid off our oldest servant and had him replaced by a new maid. He was so happy, he teared up and gave his goodbyes to some of his coworkers.” “I think he was more happy that he didn’t have to work with you anymore.” Melissa rolled her eyes. “What about helping to the community? Have you done some volunteer work for others without any payment or reward?” “Also yes! I hung the Hearth’s Warming Eve star!!” “... have you ever done manual labor?” She asked. “Like, got a job to earn your own money?” “Pfft! I'm a prince! A prince is already a job itself, albeit, one you have to be born into, and can be fun.” “Jobs are rarely considered fun. And that answer just proves that you were spoiled from the minute you were born.” She shook her head. “You haven’t experience hard labor, why, I bet you didn’t even go through the hard parts of school… or maybe they just gave you A’s cause your a prince.” “My aunt was a good teacher!” “Just proves how easygoing your teacher was.” “She's a princess who controls the sun. She's not easygoing at all.” “Really? Is that all she does? Or maybe she runs a small court as well. Either way, I know that royalty doesn’t have to do a lot, but the prince and princesses in this world do things they don’t need to do. They sound so much better than you or your aunt.” “Hey!!! Nopony’s better than my aunt! I bet none of them are 1,328 years old.” “Well, it’s true that none of us can actually live that long, but I have a feeling some kings and queens have done more things than just raising and lowering a celestial body.” She rolled her eyes. “I bet she does nothing but sit in that throne of hers and pretty much hears the complaints of ponies she doesn’t really care for.” “She does more than that! She's single hoofly fought many forces that would bring the end of the world! United Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, and, along with moving the sun, also moved the moon when her sister was banished to the moon for a thousand years, all with no sleep! BAM!!!” “Hmm… I have a strong feeling that she told you all of that and you never really saw any of that happen. And why just those three types of ponies? Why not zebras, donkeys, or that minotaur thing you said I looked like? Are they not refined to your aunties standards like you?” Blueblood glared at her. He stood up and walked out. “I should've just left when I had the chance! You and your peanut brain can't comprehend the might of my aunt. I will find my way home and have my aunt take over your excuse for land!” Instead of going to the elevator, he opened the door to the stairs and began to walk down. “And I can't believe I'm going down without my servants, and anyone to carry me!” Melissa rolled her eyes as she looked away, seeing a small sheet of paper on the floor. She read the note, only to see that now she really regretted letting this unicorn in her home. “This Celestia girl really knows how to pick ‘em.” She mumbled as she waited for him to reach a pull door that he couldn’t push… it being the door to the second flights of stairs. All that could be heard was some woman shrieking. “Put a sock in it!” Blueblood yelled back, still continuing his way down. “You know you forgot something. Something from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” She decided to call out as she rolled up the previously sealed scroll. “They won't mind!” Another door opened. Almost immediately, loud honking came, followed by a crash outside. Melissa looked out of a window and saw Blueblood walking away. She couldn’t help but groan as she knew that she had to go get him before he really gets hit by a car. She grabbed a dog leash from the very back of her kitchen as she put on a light jacket, her keys, and even the note before she left her apartment so that she could get Blueblood. “This isn’t the change I was wishing for.” She said to herself as she crossed the same street. “Blueblood!” She called out. “Mommy! Look! A Unicorn!” A little girl with her mother pointed out. “Look! A dirty child!” Blueblood mocked. This made the girl blink, then cry. The mother glared at him. “Hey, it's impolite to point.” He stuck his muzzle up and continued to walk… until he stepped on some gum. “Eww! Disgusting!!!” It wasn’t that hard to locate his snobby voice as she saw him trying to take the gum off the coat on his hoof. She leaned against the tree, watching him do this for a few more seconds before yourself. “How’s the search going your highness?” She asked, sounding as smug as ever. “I just started, thank you!” He tried to wipe the gum off of his hoof. “If you're here to apologize, then I shall accept… probably.” “Then I guess I’ll probably show the note your aunties gave you. It fell out of your saddle bag since you haven’t noticed it was on you yet.” She said as she pulled out the small scroll with the royal seal on it. “Read it! What did they say!?” Melissa cleaned her throat before she started: My dearest cousin, I know you must be wondering where you are and why you are here. Well… it seems that both my sister and I see that you have gotten a little too comfortable in the royal life. With you wanting somepony to play a certain song on the flute to wake you up, to nearly firing a maid for one small stain on your shirt. And it is certain that the small talks we’ve been doing to straighten you out never works. So, both of us have decided that you need to experience what it feels like to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. We’ve sent you to a world where your royal title won’t make things easier for you. There isn’t much magic in this place either, but you can at least levitate things that are lighter than you. She had to clear her throat again before she continued. So, if you think that me or my sister might easily pick you up, I am sad to say that we can’t. The portal we used is a special one that will open once a task is complete: the task being that you could reform yourself and understand that royal blood doesn’t make you any better. So, if you want to get home quickly, you just have to treat others as you want to be treated. Your loving aunt, Celestia She then read to the small notes. P.S: This mainly happened cause you stole Luna’s moon cakes again. P.P.S: At this moment, Luna is probably going to leave a big surprise as a little revenge for that. The next one was obviously by Luna. P.P.P.S: THOSE MOON CAKES TAKE ME YEARS TO MAKE!!! “... I'M STUCK!!!” Blueblood yelled in panic. “What am I going to to do!? What am I going to do!? I'm a good prince! I've been one! They told me those Moon cakes were free! I-I've been set up! There has to be a typo! A-aunt Tia’s not a great speller!” “Are you saying your teacher isn’t a great speller?” She said with a smile as she sat down at the floor. “And by how the last part sounds, I don’t think they were free.” “I'M TRAPPED!!! I'm gonna die here! I'm gonna die a lonely, unattractive stallion! And at a young age! Tia!!! Come back!!!” Melissa sighed as she moved a little closer. “You’re not going to be trapped here forever.” She spoke. “I mean, if your aunt knows that you could do this, then she wouldn’t have done this, right? And are you saying that the prince of Equestria can’t even be nice? Man, if that’s the case, then maybe you aren’t prince material.” She crossed her arms. “I am prince material and I am nice! I'm just being set up, somehow. It's probably that Shining Armor… Or Discord. Oh, I'm gonna play their game, and I'm gonna expose them for the crooks they are!” “Okay, and why would they be prime suspects? Do they want to be princes too?” She asked as she didn’t know the names. “Shining Armor is a prince, but not an heir to a throne! He's only a prince thanks to Princess Cadence, another princess, but not related. And Discord because he's the self proclaimed Lord of Chaos, and, knowing him, this is just an elaborate trick.” “Well, Shining Armor doesn’t sound like he would need to mess with you, and with someone titled the lord of chaos, I think that if it was him, he might’ve done much worse.” “He likes to toy with his victims. But if I'm going to find out who set me up, I need to play this game of theirs and get back. But first, I need a place to rest… do you know any five star hotels I can book in?” “The only ones I know of don’t allow pets.” She got up from her spot on the floor. “I mean, you could stay at my place, but some things have to be clarified before we go back.” She said as she put her hands in her pocket. “Ugh, like what?” “I won’t say until you want to come back.” She said. “... Fine. I guess I'll go with you.” “Alright.” She smiled as she pulled a leash out. “But first, you have to be on a leash. All animals have to be on one. Talking or non.” “... Are you serious?” He glared. “Does it look like I’m joking?” She asked with a serious look. “If you aren’t on a leash, I would have to pay a fine and you could be taken away from me. And I think you know what happens when someone else has you.” “Other than ruining my Mane and coat?” “Your coat and mane doesn’t matter right now.” She said as she tried to put the leash on him herself. “Ugh, I guess I'm now your pet? No longer a prince, nor a simple minded peon peasant, but a barking dog. Shall I roll over for you while we're here? Or do… whatever dogs do.” “I guess you would call that starting at the bottom.” She smiled as she made sure the leash wasn’t too tight around him. “And don’t worry, this will only happen if we have to go outside. Inside you could go wherever you want. Just… don’t mess with some of my things please.” She got up onto her feet. “Arf Arf.” He groaned. “This is so embarrassing.” “I didn’t say that you have to act like a dog… unless you're into that type of stuff.” She blushed pink before shaking her head and starting to head back to the apartment, the unicorn stallion in tow. “I don't even know what you mean by that. And do you have a mutt with you? I guess I have to share some unwashed, covered in fur, dog blanket with it?” “Actually, this was from my old home. They had two dogs there, so with so many leashes, I don’t think the minded if I took one just in case.” She said. “I really liked the dogs, I just hated cleaning the messes they made.” “I guess we can agree on that… just as long as said dog is properly trained and won't give kisses unless commanded. But, what am I saying? I'm more of a cat pony. At least they don't do all the gross stuff dogs do.” “Wait, you think I have one of them with me? Sorry, but after living my life with three dogs, I think I’m done with dogs entirely. But, I won’t say that I have a pet of my own.” She smiled as she thought of the two. “I think you’ll like them. Unless you don’t like getting scratches from them. Their nails are kinda sharp.” “Please, you're looking at a feline professional here. I know cats like the back of my well polished hooves!” Melissa only smiled as the small conversation lead them to already being at the front door already. She unlocked the door, taking the leash off of Blueblood once it was clear that there was no need for it anymore. “I’ll get one of them from the cage.” She said, placing a untouched pancake on the table. “You should probably eat before they try and take it themselves.” She then glanced over at him. “Is chocolate toxic for you?” “No, it's not. And I prefer dark chocolate covered cherries.” “Dark chocolate isn’t my favorite. But I wouldn’t mind a sweet cherry.” She smiled before she went off to another room. Blueblood looked around the apartment, figuring some way to make more to his liking. He turned to the pancakes sitting, awaiting to be devoured. ‘Common, sugary breakfast!? I've got to make this place better in more than one way!’ “Uh… are you having that pancake?” “I already had dinner. You can have it.” She called out as it seemed she was taking longer than usual to bring her pet out. His stomach growled again. “Ugh… there goes my diet.” He took the plate and, with some tears, had his meal. It did taste good, that he couldn't lie about, but he was eating something that only common ponies would love. ‘I gotta get some of the freshest ingredients for my new prison. How much is Saffron and dragon eggs again?’ Once he was finished with his meal, that was when Melissa came out, a smile on her face as it looked she had nothing in her arms. “Did the pancakes taste good? I mean, I eat them all the time, and I can’t really hate on what I made.” She asked. “My diet is ruined!!!” He squinted his eyes at her “I hope you're happy.” “I’ll take it that you liked it enough to eat most of it.” She smirked as she saw the almost finished pancake. “So, do you wanna see Pepper?” She asked with a bigger smile. “Unless it's accompanied by Salt.” Melissa couldn’t help but laugh. “How did you know the other’s name?” She smiled. “Either way, this is Pepper, one of my two little sweethearts.” As soon as she said that, a gray rat with black spots came out from her hoodie’s hood and was on her shoulder. The small animal sniffed the air a little before it aimed its nose and whiskers at Melissa’s neck, making her giggle at how ticklish it felt. “AHH!!! RAT!!! RAT!!!” He screamed, running to the front door in panic, only to slam into said door and knocked himself unconscious. “Huh? He sounded just like my landlord.” She said as she lightly petted Pepper’s head.