//------------------------------// // The Prince and the Construct // Story: The Strange Destiny of Prince Blueblood // by Kavonde //------------------------------// Fluttershy was in a near panic. She'd managed to procure the largest wagon in Ponyville (the trick Rarity had taught her about batting her eyelashes had helped) and was currently loading it up with every weasel den, fox hole, dog house, cat tower, bird nest, snake lair, squirrel cubby and duck demesne she could find, piling them atop eachother like a makeshift apartment complex. "Oh, Angel Bunny, I just don't know what to do!" she whimpered as she carefully placed a family of robins atop the heap. "We can't possibly get everypony out of here in time! But anypony left behind might be... " The white rabbit pounded his foot on the ground impatiently. "Fluttershy, I don't know if we can even lift this thing," Rainbow Dash groused, kicking the side of the wagon and barely getting a wobble in response. "Even with the two of us, Derpy, Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth, this thing's gonna be really heavy." "I'm sorry, Dashie, but we have to get as many animals away as we possibly can!" "Helpless animals, maybe! Do we really need to evacuate the bear?" The large, brown grizzly in question huffed, crossed his arms, and looked away. "Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy snapped, stomping a hoof down. "I am saving every single one of my animal friends that I can! And you are either going to help me, or you are going to get out of my way!" Dash gulped and backed away. "She's cute when she's absolutely furious," a blonde-maned pegasus with a light purple coat observed. Her companion, white and with a pink- and green-streaked mane, rolled her eyes. "Just grab the bee hive, Cloud Kicker." "Oh, bee-hive." The other pony groaned. "Girls!" shouted a newcomer, a gray pegasus with a yellow mane. "They're coming! We've only got a few minutes!" "Oh no," Fluttershy moaned. "We haven't rescued the badgers yet!" "We don't need the stinking badgers!" Dash shouted. "Those things are coming! We have to go, Fluttershy! Right now!" The yellow pegasus looked between her friend and the forest, chewing her lip. She nodded. "Finally! Cloud Kicker, Blossomforth, you girls get the back! Fluttershy, get on the other side! Derpy, get the middle as soon as it's airborne! On three, girls! One, two... " An arrow hissed past, scoring a jagged gash along Rainbow Dash's flank and drawing a surprised yelp of pain. Out of the forest came five skeletal unicorns, their eyes glowing with blue sparks of flame. Spears hovered around the heads of four of them, while a fifth used its telekinesis to notch another arrow on its bow. "Three!" Dash shouted, and the pegasi heaved with everything they had. The cart began to rise, but far too slowly; even when Derpy zipped underneath to add her strength, it still wasn't going to be enough to escape before the skeleton fired again. "I thought you said we had a few minutes!" the rainbow-hued pegasus shouted at her wall-eyed friend. "Sorry!" Another arrow flashed past, striking the underside of the carriage with a thunk. Fluttershy stared at it in horror. "Mr. Turkey! Are you okay?!" She sighed in relief when he gobbled to the affirmative. The others were looking below. More skeletons were arriving by the second, and many more of them had bows. They were forming ranks, now, lining up to unleash a deadly volley on the fleeing ponies. "Blossom," Cloud Kicker said softly, "if this is the end, I just want you to know... I'm really sorry I never got to bang you." The white pegasus barked a helpless laugh. The undead soldiers drew back their bows. The strings of their ancient bows went taut. And then, with a wordless howl, they fired. A wall of magenta energy appeared in the sky between them. The arrows struck it and fell harmlessly away. "Protect the civilians!" cried a pony in royal guard armor, a shockingly blue crest on his helm. With a roar, hundreds of soldiers charged forward. The skeletons gave a bone-chilling howl of their own and rushed to meet them. The din of battle gradually faded as the pegasi moved further away and upward. Finally, Fluttershy turned to her old friend. "Wasn't that Twilight's brother? I hope he'll be... Dashie?!" Rainbow Dash looked pale, and her wings were flapping weakly. Derpy had moved up to help support her corner of the wagon, but Dash still looked like she was barely staying afloat. "Dashie, you're hurt! We need to land!" "I'm... fine," she growled through clenched teeth. "But--" "I'm fine," she repeated, looking her in the eyes. "We're not far enough away. Need to get... further. I'll be okay. Keep going." Fluttershy stared at her friend, still wanting to protest, but saw that iron stubbornness that composed her friend's core. She chewed her lip for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "She's cute when she's worried about her friends," Cloud Kicker observed. Blossomforth sighed. "Just fly." Prince Blueblood, Heir to the Greatspire Mountains, Lord Protector of the Realm and General of its Armies, stood on the roof of the Ponyville city hall and watched the battle raging below. He wore a suit of ancient plate mail that covered his features and his cutie mark. The narrow-slitted great helm did little to stop the stench, though; the acrid smoke from the burning Carousel Boutique alone was enough to make him wretch, to say nothing of the carnage taking place beneath him. He distantly remembered that the worst thing a general could do was stand out in the open and look like he was obviously in command. And so he'd climbed up here, shouting orders in a booming voice and hoping the living ponies below wouldn't notice that he was being ignored. He'd tried taking a more active hoof in commanding the battle, ordering his forces to split off from the front lines to give the Canterlot soldiers some breathing room, but the skeletons didn't seem to particularly want or need his guidance. Perhaps the fact that Cadance was floating around somewhere prevented him from doing so; as queen, she did outrank him. So he'd climbed up here in hopes that somepony would spot him and bravely take out the obvious target, boosting his side's morale and inspiring his troops to fight even harder. So far, no one had. Why was it so damnably hard to just die? Below, Shining Armor and his ponies were valiantly losing ground to the endless hordes of Azure's undead. The brave ponies fought hard, taking a dozen or more skeletons for each of them that fell but being forced back nonetheless. As he watched, a group of soldiers led by one of Luna's bat-winged royal guards broke away from the fighting in a full retreat. The undead surged to pursue them, but walked into an impromptu ambush as a second pack of soldiers burst from an abandoned house to hit them in the flank. The first group turned about and set to work, smashing the skeletons to pieces with hardly a scratch. But it didn't matter; more undead were already pressing against them. Honestly, Blueblood wasn't quite sure where the dead king had found so many soldiers. He knew the graves and catacombs of Arctus City had been exhumed, but while the place was fairly large, it couldn't have supported more than a few hundred ponies at a time. But, he supposed, the Everfree was likely full of other ancient pony cities, just bursting with corpses ready to be drafted into the Greatspire Army. Azure had even managed to add a few monsters to the mix. In addition to the skeletal dragon he'd claimed as a mount, he'd added a pack of dead griffons, a rotting chimera, and a squadron of undead minotaurs that were currently circling around to hit Shining Armor from behind. Blueblood began shouting orders to the minotaurs, hoping somepony below would notice. Sure enough, a soldier spotted his theatrical gesturing, turned to follow his gaze, and immediately sent up the alarm. Shining Armor showed some actual sense for once and ordered a retreat, though he himself remained in the rearguard, smashing any skeletons who dared threaten his men. "Ah, Prince Blueblood. I see the battle goes well." The prince turned to see the monstrous form of Cadance floating beside him. Her ethereal, pink mane had taken on a firey energy and her eyes blazed with excitement. "Your husband's a capable warrior," he noted. "What?" Cadance followed his gaze down to the valiant soldier with his blue-hued shock of mane. "Oh, yes. Him." " 'Oh, yes, him?' That's all you have to say?" "What, should I weep for my long-lost love?" She chuckled. "Perhaps I loved him, once, when I was a pathetic mortal. But I have transcended my former limitations." "Really?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I think Azure Throne might disagree." She said nothing. They stood there awhile, watching the battle below, until she finally broke the silence. "You hate him, don't you?" Blueblood looked over the carnage, the dead ponies, the burning town. "Yes." "We need not serve him forever, you know." He glanced at her. He could sense her mischevious grin. "We could overthrow him, Blueblood. We could find a way. Join with me, and perhaps--" "Why don't you call me 'Blue' anymore?" "What?" He turned to her. "You always used to call me 'Blue.' I hated it when we were foals. Eventually, though, I started to enjoy it." She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "Those days are long past." "No, that's not why." She waited for him to continue, but he only smiled. "You are an odd duck, Prince Blueblood." "Oh, yes," he agreed. Below, Shining Armor and his soldiers had managed to break free from the undead horde just in time. The guard captain was still at the very rear, personally battling a skeletal minotaur armed with an axe as large as he was. With a well-placed buck, Armor took the giant's legs; with another, he crushed its skull. "Retreat!" he cried, and his forces finally broke into a trot as they escaped the pressing throng of abominations. "Any word from Azure?" Blueblood asked casually. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to socialize." "Indeed, I received a scroll not long ago. All is going according to plan. As you predicted, the bulk of Equestria's force is gathering outside Canterlot to repel your invasion. Meanwhile, Azure and his forces moved against Fillydelphia and acquired several trains, warded against Shining Armor's protection spell. He and his soldiers are steaming towards Canterlot as we speak. Once inside, he will destroy the barrier, and I shall join him as we defeat and cast down the divine sisters." "Hooray." "You no longer wish to unseat the tyrant Celestia?" He shrugged. "I'm not sure Azure's version of history is entirely objective. And even if he's telling the truth, I don't see how replacing the princess with an evil, undead sorcerer will be an improvement." Cadance made a thoughtful sound. "You should take the throne." The prince said nothing. "Yes. Azure will no doubt be weakened after the battle. Perhaps, together, we can destroy him. And then you, Prince Blueblood, shall take your rightful place upon the throne, to create a new Equestria in your own vision." "And where does the 'Princess of Wrath' fit into this new kingdom?" "Perhaps... perhaps I could be restored to a more," she gestured to her empty ribcage, "robust form. Would you like that, Blueblood? To finally have me as your own? To hold me in your hooves, as you always dreamed?" He glanced at her sidelong. "How stupid do you think I am?" "Very." "Fair enough," he admitted. "But I'm not that much of an idiot. If we defeated Azure Throne, then you would be free to use your power as you wished. You'd destroy me and take the throne for yourself, ruling the world as the omnipotent 'Goddess of Wrath,' mwa ha ha." He rolled his eyes. "Spare me your sudden but inevitable betrayal." "You cast aside a valuable ally," she warned. "Perhaps." She laughed and turned away. "Are you really such a coward that you would--" She stopped as Blueblood's hooves went to either side of her head and his weight came down against her spine. With a heave and a wrench, Cadance's cranium was torn free of her skeleton, which immediately crumbled into a chaotic jumble of bones. She shrieked in surprised, furious terror as he turned her around, looking directly into her burning eyes. "Yes, I am. That's why I waited until your back was turned." "Unhoof me! How dare you--" He tilted the skull up, causing Cadance's blast of pink flame to burst into the sky above him. "You see, I realized something, back at Castle Arctus. You wield a lot of power, there's no question of that. But all that magic is bound up in a fragile, brittle bundle of bones. All it takes is for somepony to get past your defenses, and, well... you really lose your head." "Shut up!" she screamed, another blast passing right past Blueblood's unblinking face. "And that also lead me to another theory. Azure said that he needed your power to raise his armies. I thought that meant that he'd consume your power to fuel the ritual, but no, he brought you back as well. Now, I don't know much about magic, but I'm a reasonably smart stallion. If you weren't the source of his power, then you were just a supplement for it. How do I put this... Have you ever seen a battery? It's an earth pony thing. They try to invent things to make up for their lack of magic, it's rather touching." He casually dodged another blast as Cadance screeched in fury. "Anyway, what a battery does is, it holds a charge. And it uses that charge to power something. Well, and forgive me, I'm stretching the analogy here, but if one battery is empty and another battery is full, they can actually transfer the charge from one to the other. And then, through... I don't know, some sort of chemicals or something, both batteries fill back up! I'm sorry, I'm not boring you, am I?" "I will unleash the unholy fury of ten thousand worlds against you!" "Good, good. Now, bear with me, here. Now, if you have two full batteries, you can hook them up to the same machine. And the machine will draw power off of both the batteries equally. Do you sort of get where I'm going with this? You and Azure are batteries. He used you to power himself up, and now he's splitting with you the energy drain of keeping our undead friends here moving." Cadance's anger finally seemed to be giving away to annoyed resignation. "Fine, fine, you're very clever. So, what happens now? We both know you're not going to destroy me. Not beautiful, unattainable Cadance, your one true love." "Actually, that brings me to another theory. Are you sure I'm not boring you? I've had a lot of time to think over the last few days, marching with an army of silent, undead horrors who ignored everything I said. Anyway, there's something rather odd about your new form, Cadance." She rolled her eyes. "That I'm a skeletal, undead mockery of life?" "Well, sort of. The 'skeletal' bit is the key issue. See, during the ritual, you disappeared. There were no bones left in the cage, no smoking remains. So why do you look as you do? Well, and I admit that this is mostly guesswork, but I suspect that it's because you're not actually Cadence." "What?" He shrugged. "You're not Cadance. You're a... what's the word? An equipomorphic representation of her power. See, I think that Azure separated the real Cadance from her potential magical strength, and then twisted that strength into a form that pleased him. That would be you. I'm not sure why you're sentient, but I suspect Azure put a bit of his own mind into your creation... which suggests all sorts of unpleasant things about him." She rolled her eyes. "You're insane, Blueblood. I'm the real Cadance. I've just transcended... " "No, I don't think you are," he interrupted. "I think that, by destroying you, I will accomplish two things: I will increase the strain on Azure Throne's ability to animate his armies, and I will free Cadance's power to return to her, hopefully letting her escape whatever prison Azure has locked her away in." "W- Wait! You don't know! I'm Cadance, don't-" Blueblood smashed the skull into the side of city hall. And then he dropped it to the ground and crushed it with his hooves, stomping over and over again until nothing was left but a fine powder. Pink energy flickered between the shattered remnants for a bit, and then finally faded away. "If I'm wrong... I'm sorry, Cadance. And I will always love you." He turned to the army of undead ponies. Most were still mindlessly pursuing the retreating soldiers, but others were milling aimlessly about the ruined town. "Soldiers!" he shouted. "Form up!" To his genuine surprise, they did, falling into neat ranks in front of the town hall. Blueblood glanced at the remains of "Cadance's" skull. Apparently, with her gone, he was now the ranking authority in the area. Excellent. He turned back to his assembling army. "Ponies! Beasts! Monsters! We march to Canterlot! We will not stop to engage the enemy; we will not slow to pursue those that flee! We have a train to meet! "And I," he added softly, "have a destiny to face."