//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17 
// Story: The Blueblood Chronicles 
// by No One and Nobody 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 17: Daddy's Home.


It had been several months, and Blueblood was fully recuperated. Canterlot was slowly being rebuilt, and every morning Blueblood would look out his window to see the reconstruction of the city.

This particular morning, Blueblood awoke to feel a chill in the air. Shivering, his pulled on a robe and slippers before going to breakfast.

But Blueblood was alone for breakfast. Servants bustled all around him, not knowing what to do with lack of the princesses. After breakfast, driven by curiosity, Blueblood searched the castle, starting with the throne room.

He came upon the entrance of the throne room to find the purple protege of his aunt wobbling out with a terrified look on her face. Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"Good morning," said Blueblood, as the filly walked right past him. She mumbled something back and plodded away.

"Blueblood," came Celestia's voice, "Could you join us for a moment?"

Blueblood walked into the throne room to find his two aunts with solemn faces.

"This isn't a social gathering, is it?" Blueblood guessed.

"No," said Celestia, beckoning Blueblood in and shutting the door behind him, "It's not."

"Come on," whined Blueblood, "I just got over the last catastrophe!!"

He chuckled, but stopped when he noticed his aunts hadn't joined him.

"It's not really a catastrophe, right?"

Celestia and Luna exchanged looks and shuffled their hooves.

"He has returned," said Luna.

"Who-?"

The blood drained from Blueblood's face and a rock sank in his stomach.

"My... father?"

Celestia nodded.

The chill in the room grew until the three royals stood shivering.

"Well," said Blueblood, magically tying the sash around his robe tighter and flipping the collar up, "What are we going to do?"

"I have sent Twilight Sparkle to save the Crystal ponies before it's too late."

Blueblood shuffled his hooves and looked down.

"Is that disagreeable with you?" Luna asked.

"No," said Blueblood, "She's  qualified. More so than me."

"Blueblood," said Celestia, "I know what I meant when I sent Twilight. I have a plan. Just trust me."

Blueblood nodded.

"Can I help?"

"You can help by staying as far away from trouble as possible," said Celestia, "I know Sombra, and he'll try to sway you back."

"I know better than that!" said Blueblood.

"Yes. But I don't want to make you have to betray your father. I think it's best to just keep you away."

"Ok."

Blueblood dragged out of the throne room and exiled himself to his room. He understood his aunt's mindset, but he wanted to help.

Blueblood pulled a blanket over him and shivered. It had been getting colder and colder the entire morning. His breath fogged in the air as he exhaled. He looked out his window, but found his view of Canterlot obstructed by a lattice-work of frost, creeping across the window. The frost dimmed the sunlight from outside, casting eerie, frosted shadows on the carpet.

Blueblood's stomach boiled with dread.

"Do I even get a hello?"

"Who's that?" Blueblood demanded, falling off the bed in surprise, "Who's there?"

"Who do you think?"

"Father?"

"Yesssss... I have returned. Jusssst as I ssssaid."

"Leave me now. I no longer support you."

"You would abandon you're father?"

"You're only my father in blood. I have-"

"Haha. You heard... You heard there will be much blood... Yesssss, much blood."

"No. Somepony will stop you."

"Haven't I proven there issss no truly sssstopping me? Evil, my son, is a side effect of good. One cannot exisssst without the other."

"Well, evil may exist, but good will triumph."

"My Blueblood, how ssssentimental you've become. You even believe the rantings of your aunt. Evil will alwayssss win because it will go to lengths good would never dream of. It wins because it dessssires victory more."

"You wouldn't know. You've never been good."

"You know me sssso well. I'll tell you thisss, Blueblood. Maybe I lose. Maybe I lose my life. But whatever is done to me, I'll make sure it is done ten thoussssand fold to the Crystal Ponies. If I sssssuffer, they ssssuffer."

"No."

Blueblood squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the laugh of his father. The laugh chilled the room even more. When Blueblood peeked out from behind his eyelids, he found the room pitch black, except for the glowing presence of his father.

"Join me."

"I made that mistake once. Never again."

Sombra laughed and dissolved.

Blueblood collapsed onto the bed and exhaled. The room was slowly warming and lightening.

Something Sombra had said came back to Blueblood.

Leaping from bed, he bolted for the throne room.

Nopony was there, so Blueblood scribbled a quick note and galloped to the Canterlot train stations.

Aunts,
The crystal ponies aren't safe. If Sombra loses, they'll lose with him. I'm going to save them, or help in whatever way I can.

All the love,
Blueblood.

Celestia and Luna found the note some hours later.

"I shall set out to retrieve him," said Luna.

"No," said Celestia, looking out the window with a pensive look, "No, he needs to do this. We shouldn't have tried to keep him in the first place."

"But-"

"There comes a time when somepony must prove himself, not only for his friend's good, but for his own."

"Sister, if Sombra is able to take control of him again... A thousand years of reformation, down the drain."

"I know. But if we keep him here, is it not useless in another way?"

Luna had no answer for that.





Blueblood jumped off of the train and turned his attention to the conductor.

"What's the problem?"

"It's these crystals," said the pony, pointing ahead of him.

Blueblood's stomach churned as he laid eyes upon his father's trademark.

"They're blocking the way," continued the pony, "Can't get through. I'm gonna have to turn the train around and hightail it outta here. Storms coming on."

The clouds around them had turned a perilous shade of gray.

"Very well," said Blueblood, "I will continue on hoof."

"You sure?" asked the pony, "I wouldn't send my worst enemy into that storm. It ain't safe."

"No it isn't," said Blueblood turning away from the conductor and walking into the maelstrom, "But I didn't come all this way to be safe."

He tightened his scarf and plundered on, hearing the retreating whistles of the train moving farther and farther away. Blueblood felt ice particles sting his face and wind tore at his skin, freezing him to the bone.

But still he went on.

It grew darker. But not from lack of daytime. The clouds above, and all around him, blocked out the sun.

Blueblood trekked on, fearing what would happen. What if he were too late? What if the Crystal ponies were banished again? Or worse?

Blueblood could almost hear their screams.

But...

He could.

Starting softly, the screams intensified.

Blueblood darted in the direction of the screams. He ignored the biting wind and picayune light. He had to find the source of the voices.

Blueblood stumbled into the thousandth cloud bank he'd seen that day, but found something different on the other side.

Trapped in a cage of black crystals, several fillies and colts cowered and shivered. There eyes lit up as they saw him.

"Help us," one said, pitifully.

"What happened?" asked Blueblood, recognizing them as crystal ponies.

"We wandered away from safety," another said, shivering, "I thought I heard my sister calling for help. We ran off to save her and found ourselves beyond the barrier. Blue sky turned to dark clouds, and we were trapped. By, him."

The colt indicated the surroundings.

"He's all around us right now. We couldn't escape, even if we wanted to."

The two unicorns in the group's horns were covered by the same black crystals that encased them. The pegasi's wings were held to their sides by similar crystals.

A laugh echoed around them, bouncing off the clouds.

As the laughter bounced, the clouds solidified into rock. The spell spread like a wave through the clouds and Blueblood found himself trapped in a cave of darkness.

One of the fillies cried out.

Then another.

Then another.

"Hello?" called Blueblood, running to where he'd last seen the cage and squinting in the blackness through it.

The ponies lay on the ground, knocked unconscious by some invisible blow.

"I didn't have to do that," came a voice, "I could've killed them. But I wisssshhhhed to speak with you."

A blood red and lime green glow came from behind Blueblood, who spun on his hooves.

In front of him stood Sombra, in full strength just as he was a thousand years back.

Morbid fear clenched Blueblood as he realized what he'd have to do.

"I'll sssay this once more," said Blueblood's father, "Join me, or die."

"Please," said Blueblood, "Don't make me fight you. Let these ponies go and come home. Everything can be as it once was."

"I've gone too far."

"You are never too far gone. I'm proof of that."

Sombra laughed.

"You're hooves are whitewashed compared to mine. I've only one option left. And I must take it. Join me or you'll die."

"I can't let you harm anypony," said Blueblood, tears streaking down his face, "I can't."

"Then so be it."

Blueblood was blasted against the cage. The crystals shattered on impact and several sunk into Blueblood's flesh.

Blueblood picked himself off of the ground and rebounded at his father. A blast of light illuminated the darkness, blowing away the rest of the cage surrounding the ponies. Next, Blueblood fired at his father.

Sombra dodged and, still laughing, launched a barrage of crystals at Blueblood.

With a deft movement, Blueblood shattered the crystals.

Blueblood had never been good at magic, but he felt powered by a separate force. As if there were no end to his ability at this moment.

Bolt by bolt, blast by blast, they fought. Father and son. Tooth and claw.

Bolts rebounded off of the crystal walls and nearly missed the firer a couple of times.

The air grew hotter around them. What had been shakes of cold, became muscle contractions from the heat. The snow beneath their hooves had melted.

Finally, Blueblood realized the heat was too much. He felt the air pressure on his lungs, and knew the hot expanding air couldn't do any good for anypony.

Blueblood raced over to the unconscious crystal ponies and knelt in the center of them.

Drawing his last ounce of strength, he shot forth a protection spell.

Blueblood wasn't a moment too soon. The walls encompassing them shattered, raining deadly sharp fragments down.

Giving way to the strains of fatigue, Blueblood released the spell, bearing him and the ponies to the icy winds yet again. Slowly, there eyes fluttered open. They stood, shaking their heads. Their eyes caught on Blueblood, and they all launched into grateful thank-yous.

Blueblood didn't hear them though.

"Blueblood?"

Who is this?

The voice was feminine and completely different from his father's.

"Cadence. Celestia told me you were coming. Where are you?"

Outside the city, somewhere in Sombra's cloud. I found several other ponies as well.

"Oh dear. Blueblood, get out of there. NOW!"

Why?

"Spike has the Crystal heart and he's bringing it down to me. We're going to use it to cast out Sombra. But if you're caught in the cloud, you'll be killed as well."

Please keep me notified.

"Of course."

"Come on ponies, we've got to make it back to the city," said Blueblood, lifting himself up.

There was a murmur among the ponies, but they promptly silenced themselves and waited for Blueblood's instructions.

"Where is the city though?" asked a pony, "I can't see anything in this storm."

Blueblood realized she was right. They were surrounded by opaque fog and clouds.

"I-... I."

Cadence! We need your help? Can you hold off the heart? We're lost!

"No can do Blueblood. My protection spell is weakening and Sombra's on the brink of breaking through."

We need help.

"Trust your judgement Blueblood. I know you can do it."

Keep talking to me, I might start believing you.

"We don't have time. You have to do this Blueblood. Those ponies' lives are in your hooves."

Thanks for reminding me.

"I know you can do this. Come to me-..."

Cadence?

No answer.

Blueblood had to do this. These ponies were depending on him.

Blueblood concentrated on Cadence's mind. He could sense her somewhere far off. But where?

Suddenly, Blueblood felt all the other ponies in the Crystal empire. The directional sense was stronger.

"That way," he said, pointing left, "Follow me."

He ran into the clouds, and, after a beat, the ponies followed him.

As he ran, Blueblood felt the sense growing stronger and stronger. They were going in the right direction.

"Hurry Blueblood."

The clink of something hard under his hooves. Blueblood looked up. They'd outrun the cloud and were running through the streets of the Crystal Empire.

Do it.

Ahead of him, Blueblood saw the heart spinning round. A pulse of bright energy erupted from it. As it washed over Blueblood, he felt calm and safe.

It collided with Sombra. Blueblood could hear his father's screams as the energy tore him to shreds.

Blueblood heard the ponies up ahead cheering for Princess Cadence and smiled. The crystal empire was safe.

"You're a hero," said the pony beside him.

Blueblood noticed her scintillating coat and recognized it in all the other ponies as well.

"I'm no hero," he said, looking down and seeing his own legs sparkling, "I just did what needed to be done."

"Isn't that what a hero does?" asked the filly, "Your name may not go down in history. But I'll never forget what you did. You saved our lives. Thank you."

The other ponies concurred and bowed to Blueblood in respect.

Blueblood blushed.

"Blueblood," said Cadence, escaping the throng of ponies and flying over, "I'm so proud of you."

"Well if you hadn't helped me, we wouldn't be here."

"That's very modest of you Blueblood," said Cadence, smiling, "I think you might make a good leader one day."

"No," said Blueblood, "I've messed up too many times to be put in charge of anything."

"You displayed the leadership, intelligence and humility today that I think so characterizes a leader," said Cadence, "You saved these ponies lives. And I think you agree with me even if you don't admit it."

She nodded to Blueblood's rump. Blueblood looked and found his cutie mark glowing.

A smile spread across Blueblood's face.

"So that's what it meant all these years."

"Three cheers for Blueblood," said Cadence.

The ponies around Blueblood echoed Cadence.





Far away in Canterlot, Celestia smiled.

"What's the problem sister?" asked Luna.

"Nothing," said Celestia, "I have a feeling everything's going to be just fine."


***


"What an interesting story,"said Twilight.

Rainbow Dash still had a look of utter shock from Blueblood's escapades on her face. Fluttershy had happy tears streaming down her muzzle, Pinkie was smiling ear to ear and Applejack had a reflective look on her face.

Rarity was the quietest of all. Her makeup had all but been cried off ages ago. Her eyes were still red and puffy.

"I'm so sorry," she said, "Can you ever forgive me?"

"You're already forgiven," said Blueblood, smiling.

"I guess it's just like that Equestrian proverb says," waxed Twilight, "Don't judge a pony until you've walked a mile in their hooves."

"Or heard their life story?" suggested Blueblood.

"Ya know?" said Applejack, "I kinda think yer story should be shared. I know lots of ponies who could learn from the lessons you've learned."

"Yah," concurred Twilight, "Somepony should write a book about you."

"Will a fanfic suffice?" suggested Pinkie, smiling.

"As a matter of fact," said Rarity, a look coming over her, "I know just who we should start with. Tell me, is it too late to tell that story again?"

Celestia laughed.

"The Grand Galloping Gala goes all night."

"What do you say?" asked Rarity.

"Alright," said Blueblood.

The group exited the throne room.





"Ahem," said Celestia, drawing everypony's attention in the banquet hall to her, "Fillies and gentlecolts, my nephew, Blueblood has a story I think would do you all some good to hear."

The ponies listened with rapt attention.

Blueblood shuffled his hooves uneasily and began.

"I wouldn't consider my story that interesting, but I have learned a lot over the years. About love, true friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. It all begins a thousand or so years ago, with a prince and his son..."


The final curse of the author's notes: Phew! Done! I don't know why the last chapter is always the hardest! I thank you for putting up with lazy authors, hectic schedules, writer's block and many other hiccups along the way. Hopefully, you've enjoyed this novel. Thanks goes out to all the helpful criticism I've received, and also to my brother, No One, for his help.





The End... Finally