//------------------------------// // Chapter XVIII: Shanghaied // Story: For His Majesty // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Later that day, after speaking with his consort’s mother, Blueblood was in deep thought. Alone from his balcony, he gazed up at the stars that his Aunt Luna had long put out. He was thinking about their next date and he wanted to do something to top the previous ones. Of course, as generic as the others were, it should be easy for him to top in theory. In practice, however, he found it to be difficult. Not because he can’t think of a thing for them to do – quite the opposite – he had too many things on his mind. “Maybe we could go see a show in Manehattan… Or maybe have a couple of miles worth of beaches all to ourselves… No… Maybe I can spend the day in Marerakesh, the food over there is good…” he hummed, “But what if he doesn’t like spicy food? Sweet Luna this is hard!” “We weren’t aware that was a phrase,” the blond Prince nearly jumped out of his skin and has his skeleton hug a flying buttress-like a cat. He quickly located the voice of his aunt as she was balancing on the railings with her wings spread open. “Forgive me nephew, but I couldn’t help but notice that your light is still on.” She hopped down from it, “Is there something troubling you?” Blueblood regained his composer and straightened out his mane. “It’s nothing serious Auntie Luna. I just have some things on my mind.” “Oh?” “Don’t you have to be somewhere right now?” She shook her head, “I’ve already dismissed Night Court and my hunting doesn’t begin in another hour. So I’ve got plenty of time on my hooves, as they say, I’m all ears.” The dark alicorn sat down on her haunches. “Though, I could take a guess in saying that it might involve a certain white unicorn that isn’t in the Crystal Empire?” Her nephew rubbed the back of his neck. “Is it that obvious?” “Tis only a guess, but a good one at that,” she answered. Blueblood glanced over at the twinkling lights of the night sky once more. “I’ve been thinking of what to do for our next date.” “Oh-ho!” Luna grinned, “Well I’ve got plenty of su-” “I want to do this on my own,” the Prince interrupted. “The last three dates only came from you, and none of them were from me. I want to plan out this next one all by myself without anypony’s help. This time, I want our next date to be something creative, unexpected if necessary. No, if we’re going out again, I want it to leave an unforgettable impression on him, something worthy for my consort to show how…” he trailed off as he looked over at his smiling aunt. “To show him, what?” the blue Princess asked with amusement. Blueblood hesitated, for several minutes, but he and Luna stood off in silence. Knowing his aunt, she will not go away once her curiosity was piqued. He knew that even if he tried to get her to go away, he will be visited by her in his dreams. Finally, the Prince looked around the walls of the palace, above and below to be absolutely sure that they were out of earshot from any other pony. “Auntie Lu,” he began quietly, taking a deep breath through his nostrils, Blueblood looked into the Moon Princess’s eyes. “The following conversation never happened.” “Ooh, it’s that serious. Alright, I promise by our moon that we will never speak about this to our sister, nor to anyone else.” Blueblood hesitated, “Oh… it’s like I’m coming out all over again,” he moaned. “Alright Auntie, I… I think, for the first time…” his cheeks gotten redder with every passing word. “I think I might be truly be falling in love… with Fancy Pants.” Without any given warning, two constricting forelegs were crushing his lungs and his ears went ringing as he heard a very loud and piercing squee from Luna. “OH BLUEBLOOD, NEPHEW OF MINE!” she said in her Canterlot Voice to wake up a neighboring cemetery up, “WE ART SO PROUD OF THEE!!” Releasing the unicorn that longed for air, she added, “Oh! Oh! Have you told him about this yet?” “Auntie! Keep it down!” he hissed, “I’m not ready to have it being shouted to the whole world if he doesn’t.” “Oh…” she laughed embarrassingly, “Sorry. But this is great news nonetheless! Bluey, how long have you realized this?” “Since this morning,” he muttered. “But in any case, right now I’m trying to think of a way to make our next date as memorable as possible. Something that would be in an environment that I could tell him in – but the question is how? How am I able to do it?” Luna opened her mouth but was quickly filled by Blueblood’s hoof, “Without your help.” “Aw come on Bluey,” his aunt whined. “No no! I need to do this in a way that…” he trailed off. A memory came back to him from what Clavier had mentioned last night. From that, combined with what he told his consort from the previous date, an idea took form. It was bold but risky. Romantic but would risk the wrath of the Royal family. It was spontaneous but juvenile of the very concept. If anything, he nearly brushed it off because of how insane of an idea it was. So crazy… it might just work. “Nephew?” Luna waved a hoof in front of his face, “Are you there?” Shaking his head back into reality and thinking quickly, he decided to set his plan into action. “Yes. Yes, Auntie Lu… Since you’re here, may I ask if you or anypony is going to use one of the royal airships?” She tilted her head to the side, “No to my knowledge, why?” “I want to borrow one of the newer ones, at least for a day. Starting tomorrow?” “And where exactly are you planning on going?” Blueblood gave an amused smile, “Oh… no place in particular… But as of now, I have plenty of work to do.” _*_ Fancy Pants looked up from his newspaper when he heard the doorbell rang. Curious, he got up from his desk and went to one of the study’s windows. Opening it up so he could stick his head out, he saw on the front steps his coltfriend. However, this scene put him off as he noticed that the Prince’s mode of transportation or his usual line of guards were nowhere to be seen. “Bluey? What are you doing here?” The blond unicorn turned, “Oh, there you are,” he said giving an anxious glance. “Could you step out here for a moment? I want to talk to you.” “Right now? I’m going to be going to work in-” “I-It’s important. Please.” Fancy told him to wait as he shut the window and walked over to the front door that was being answered by a servant. The old unicorn dismissed her as he stepped outside. “Alright I’m listening, but could you make this quick? I’m expected to be at Upper Crust’s mansion for morning tea.” He paused as he noticed the Prince was looking over his shoulder as if he was being followed. “Is something wrong?” “What?” Blueblood snapped back at him. “Oh no… Not nearly… I-I came here to ask you two questions.” Fancy raised an eyebrow, “Okay? And those being?” “If you were given the chance to go anywhere in the world, right now, where would you want to be?” “Like a holiday or something?” his younger coltfriend nodded. “Well… I heard that the Moneigh Islands are pleasant this time of year.” The Prince nodded, “I see… and as for the other…” he rubbed a hoof over his foreleg, “Fancy, can you forgive me?” He blinked, “Pardon?” “I mean, I was to do something that’s considered… questionable. That I’ve done something that isn’t exactly considered legal by any means where even my aunts might get upset over. Would you still forgive me?” he then quickly added hastily, “Please answer it quickly.” Fancy blinked, “Are you in tro-” “Please answer it!” Although taken aback, the blue-maned unicorn replied, “Of course I forgive you, but what exactly am I forgiving you for?” Blueblood wrapped Fancy in an embrace and whispered in his ear, “I really am sorry for what I’m about to do.” “Do what?” Taking in a deep breath, he replied, “Normally I don’t do this, but by royal decree, I order that you, Fancy Pants, to take some time off. You are hereby forbidden to work for the minimum of a week. And you are to spend that time with me.” Fancy pushed away from him, “Now wait a minute Bluey. I know you mean well, but I still have much on my plate as it is.” “Not anymore,” with that, the younger unicorn lit up his horn. Ding! Before he knew what was happening, Fancy quickly found himself being enveloped in something as he and the Prince were lifted off the ground. A moment later, he realized that they were somehow caught in a fishing net, being pulled right up into the sky. In sheer panic, he clawed at the netting. “What’s going on!” the older unicorn shouted. “I am sorry Fancy,” Blueblood said, “I’ve decided to foalnap you.” “WHAT!” “I said I was sorry!” The Prince’s consort looked down at the street that was growing smaller underneath him. “But you can’t! I told you to have places to go, things to do, ponies to meet!” “That’s already being taken care of,” Blueblood looked up. “HAVE YOU GONE MENTAL?!” Fancy erupted. “Why in Equestria would you do such a thing?” Before the Prince could answer, a shadow came over them. His consort looked up at the airship they were being pulled up towards. The balloon in which the ship was being held up was indigo that had a silver, Fleur de Lis pattern with wings spreading outward like a bat. The haul was in the purest white where in some places had windows that looked out. And at the very rear of the boat were still propellers that were set for their getaway. Their netting was hoisted up over to the side by a wench, and by the time it was lifted over to the deck level, Fancy found that the rope was being cranked by sailors. Like fish, they were pulled on board and dumped on the wooden floor. “Your Majesty, Consort Fancy Pants,” one of the sailors said, “Welcome aboard to E.A.S. Compass Rose.” Once freed, the older unicorn looked over the railings to see that he was quite high above the mountainous city. “Take me back!” he demanded. “None of you have any right to-” “Where to Your Grace?” one of the sailors that pulled them asked Blueblood. “To the Moneigh Islands and fast before my Aunts know that I’m gone.” Fancy’s jaw hit the floor, “You haven’t told the Princesses where you’re going?” He grabbed his coltfriend’s shoulders, “Blueblood! What is wrong with you!” “Now before you get angry-” “You’re a bit too late for that!” The Prince flinched as the propellers start to rotate faster, driving the ship away from the city. “Please, at least let me explain.” “Yes, please do,” his consort’s face twisted up into a scowl. “I would like to know why you’ve suddenly decided to Shanghai me.” “Captain on deck!” a voice cried out. The sailors in uniform immediately stopped what they were doing and saluted as up from the lower levels underneath the wheel of the ship came a black pegasus in green. Medals dangled from his chest underneath his thundercloud beard. Fancy caught a glimpse of his cutie mark which was white spiral lines that made it look like a gust of wind. The stallion came up to them. “Welcome aboard sir, and Mr. Pants,” he tipped his hat. “I’m captain Wind Current.” “Sir, I demand you take me back,” Fancy told him, still crossed. “I didn’t agree to come along on this voyage in the first place.” “No can do,” he shook his head. “My crew maybe under my authority, but as of now, the Prince has more command of this then I do. So I’m afraid that I can’t let you off without him saying so.” The affluent looked on in a mix of disbelief and rage. He turned both of them on the Prince, “This is outrageous!” Blueblood took several steps back. “Fancy, I think you really need to calm-” that was as far as he got before he felt a sharp pain against his cheek that had the force to lose his standing on the moving airship. By the time he put a hoof to his face, he quickly realized what just happened. Even his consort just as swiftly realized what he just has done. He had slapped his coltfriend in the face. Eyes from the crew were upon the older stallion, many were unsure what exactly to do. There was a shock, as well as an overwhelming disapproval that was aimed directly at Fancy. However, the blue-maned unicorn didn’t focus on them. Instead, his eyes were on the Prince. He saw pain, betrayal, even heartbreak that was swelling up in those tears. “Blue,” Fancy softly began, his heart is filled with regret. “I didn’t mean to. Oh, Celestia, I’m sorry-” He was cut off when he heard the first of many sobs from the younger unicorn. Even when he tried to comfort him, his coltfriend backed away. And before he could take another step forward, he felt two hooves lay upon him. “Take him to the brig,” the captain ordered. Two sailors restrained the older stallion as they dragged him below to the lower levels of the ship. While this was going on, he further ordered to have the Prince be taken towards the Royal Quarters. But before this could be done, he asked, “Your Majesty, do you wish for us to turn around?” Even in his tears, Blueblood shook his head. “S-Set a c-course,” he croaked in his sadness, “t-towards t-t-the Mon-neigh Isl-l-lands.” The captain nodded, and the blond unicorn was shown to the grand room at the head of the ship.