"Goodnight my son, know that I love you very much. Have sweet dreams."
What the heck was that about?
"Solus?"
"Yes, Cady?"
"Is that normal for her?"
"No at all! She barely even visited me before this week!"
"Maybe she's reaching out to you?"
"She never did it before!"
"Maybe she was too afraid?"
"Afraid, her? Why are you on her side, anyway? Its because of her that you're a slave!"
"I...I'm not on her side, I just think it's sad you don't connect with your Mother."
"Yeah, right. Real sad I don't connect with the mass-murdering tyrant."
"You could help her see! Maybe. Probably."
"Unlikely is more like it. She'd never listen to me if she can't listen to the lamentations of those she enslaved."
"But you're her son."
"Am I? Or am I just a weapon? Just another slave to her 'divine' will?"
"You won't know until you try."
"I...uhhhh...oh, fine! I'll try to talk to her. Whatever punishment she has in store for me is worth it if I can just...show her."
She smiles.
"That's more like it!"
"If you say so. You really should try to use your talent to get ponies closer together. I'll get you a few dresses so nobody will notice you're a slave."
"That'd be wonderful!"
"Eh, it's nothing. Anyway, let's get back to sleep. I might still have the day off, but you don't. Goodnight, Cadance."
"Goodnight, Solus."
"Hello, Your Highness! Here to see your companion?", the nurse says.
"Yes I am. Did he wake yet?"
"I don't think so, but he should soon."
"Thank you, have a good day."
"You too, Your Highness!"
Cady and I enter Mac's room, quietly. No point in waking him up, he needs all the rest he can get.
"He...he doesn't look that bad.", Cadance whispers.
"That's magic for you.", I whisper back. "But the energy must come from somewhere, and it has to come from both healer and patient. It's the reason why a 'resurrection' spell hasn't been made yet."
Mac squirm a bit, before blearily opening his eyes.
"...Solus?"
"Yeah, it's me. Sorry for waking you up."
"S'okay. Cady?"
"I'm here, Mac."
"How did...did your day-"
"Better than yours.", she says with a sad smile.
"Good. What now?", he asks, turning to me.
"Well...do you remember last night?"
"Not really."
"Right. I told the Major that you were to be trained to be a warrior, not a weapon."
He narrows his eyes.
"What's the difference?"
"You'll be trained like a noble would. Not only strong, but also trained to be clever and determined. As you'd imagine, slave soldiers aren't usually meant to be either."
"Oh. Wait, couldn't you just have asked for that in the first place?"
I wince.
"Yes, I should have. I was too caught up in my delusions of grandeur and when Iron Rod did something I did not expect I completely panicked like a headless chicken."
"That sound stupid."
I snort.
"That's an understatement. It's not an excuse though. You don't have to, but please, forgive me."
He looks away.
"You betrayed me."
"I did. I'm sorry. Even if you don't forgive me, I'll still do my best to help you."
He looks back up.
"Well, I did promise I'd help you. Ma always said two wrongs don't make a right."
"No it doesn't. Though...your Ma seems strangely wise for a slave."
"She said it's just traditional earth pony wisdom."
"I suppose it makes sense. That's all they have left. Wish I could get some of that, I think I really need it."
"Yeah you do."
I chuckle.
"I really do...will you be fine?"
"I think so?"
"Good. Then rest. When you're ready you'll have to resume training."
"I'll be ready."
"Alright. Cadance?"
"Yes?"
"You can stay here until your lesson start."
I turn to Mac.
"Sorry I can't stay, my Mother wants to see me for some stuff."
"It's okay, staying here won't me help me get any better. Go do your noble stuff."
"Right. See you later, Mac, Cadance."
I leave quickly. What could Coro the Empress want?
"You wanted to see me, Mother?"
"Yes, I have something to tell you."
"Yes?"
"Duchess Velvet accepted that Shining Armour be made your sworn sword."
"What? Will that not disqualify him from succession?"
"He is unlikely to inherit, especially when you consider the imminent birth of his sister."
"Oh, right. When will he...?"
"His room is being prepared as we speak. When he is settled in he will make his oath."
"Uh, is that why Proper kicked me out of my quarters?"
She chuckles lightly.
"Yes. There is something else, however. I would like you to meet someone. She's the daughter of the Duchess of Cambria, Sunset Satin."
Sunset? Nah, no way.
The Empress turns to one of the guard.
"Show her in please."
The guard nod and opens the door, through which enter a yellow filly, a little older than me, like eight or nine..ish. She, of course, has a red mane with yellow highlights.
Sunset Shimmer stands before me.
Fudgin hell.
She bows.
"Hello, Your Divine Radiance, Your Serene Highness."
"Rise, Sunset Shimmer", the Empress says.
"Um, Mother, why did you want me to meet her?"
"Ah, yes. I simply thought that you have so few acquaintances your age and I tried to remedy that."
"I'm honoured that you thought of me, Your Radiance."
"As you should be. Now, Solus, go and have fun with your new companion."
"So, what do you want to do?", I ask her, perched atop my bed.
"Anything you want to, Your Serene Highness!", she says, smiling widely.
Urgh, can you sound more syrupy than that? I don't think you managed to drown me in it yet.
"Then I want you to tell me what you want to do."
Her smile visibly becomes more strained.
"Eh, eh, well, we could..."
Why is she looking around? Oh, wait. She's trying to determine what I like.
Her eyes lit up. Seemingly she found something. She goes to the bookshelf and pull a foal's book from it.
"What about I read something to you?"
"Already read that one. Two years ago."
I have no idea if that's thank to my experience or my alicorn brain, but I'm one hell of a precocious child.
"T-two years?"
"Yeah. Actually I read all of them. On my own."
Okay, I'm rubbing it in, but she's just so fake. It's buckin' annoying.
"Ohh-kay. Well, uh..."
She looks really nervous. Maybe I'm being too harsh on her? Can't really let my guard down though. Old Sunset plus the positively byzantine political system? There's no way she's not as bad as in canon.
"Oh! We could go to the library!"
"Okay."
Is she grinding her teeth? I guess there's a reason Cady was a babysitter and not her. Not that I'm helping matters, but still.
Being a gadfly is fun.
"See anything you like?"
Not really. It's all reference material, why would I read it? Wait...
"'History and Lineage of the Noble Families'?"
"Oh, you want that one?"
"Yes please."
She gets it with her magic and opens it.
"So, what do want to know? Wait, what the buck?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's all gibberish!"
"Maybe it's enchanted? We are in the Royal Library. Can I have a look?"
"Like you could read-"
"Uh, Velvet Cheese? Wonder if he has something to do with Shiny's cheese phobia."
"Wait, you can read it?"
"Yeah? Maybe it's because I'm the Prince. Anyway, mind if I read this? There's something I'm curious about."
"Not at all. Your Highness."
Wow, she sounds pissed. Wonder if being denied something triggered her?
Anyway, book!
I go to a table and place the book on it, hoping on a chair and I begin to look.
Royal Family, Royal Family...
Ah! There!
'Celestia, Alicorn; Blueblood, Unicorn.'
Hmm, the original Blueblood? Wait, wasn't the modern Blueblood a descendant of one of her relative?
'Issue: Cobalt Sky, Unicorn.'
Hmm, not exactly what I wanted to know. Wait...
'Celestia, Alicorn; Cobalt Sky, Unicorn. Issue: Radiant Dawn, Unicorn.'
What!?
'Celestia, Alicorn; Radiant Dawn, Unicorn. Issue: Blueblood 2nd, Unicorn.'
'Celestia, Alicorn; Blueblood 2nd, Unicorn. Issue: Azure Heart, Unicorn.'
'Celestia, Alicorn; Azure Heart, Unicorn. Issue: Sunshine, Unicorn.'
[...]
'Celestia, Alicorn; Blueblood 15th, Unicorn. Issue: Blueblood 16th/Solus, Alicorn.'
No...
No.
No.
That can't...
I refuse to believe...
I'm...
She's my fucking grandmother! Great-grandmother! And-
Hurkk!
I'm going to be sick. I feel lightheaded. Fuck, why can't I breathe!
"...ey...ou...ight..."
What? Who...
"...lus..."
Huh?
"...olus."
What? I'm tired, leave me alone.
"Solus?"
"W-what?"
Fuck, my throat burns. What happened?
"Are you alright?", the Empress (Mom, Gran, sick) asks me.
I look into her eyes.
"Who is my father?"
"What? T-that's not impor-"
"Who. Is. He?"
She bits her lip before answering
"His name was Blueblood."
"Was?"
"He passed away from an illness."
Yeah, right! Like I'd believe that!
"Who is my paternal grandmother?"
"...You already know the answer."
"Why?"
"To give birth to you, an alicorn. And it worked."
Somehow I don't think that's how alicornhood works.
"Am I safe?"
"S-safe? From what?"
"I'm not going to sprout a second head or something?"
"What? Why would you?"
Fuck. They don't know about genetics. I could have any number of birth defects and they'll be totally unable to do anything about it! Hell, some mental illness are genetic!
Joffrey.
Oh, callise! I could end up like fucking Joffrey! Become the Mad King of Equestria! Shit!
"Solus?"
"I'm fine."
She hugs me.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. I promise."
She might actually be sincere about that. And about Father. Passed away from an illness? More like he was more inbred than the Hasburgs at their worse!
Fuck damn it all! What am I going to do? I can't fight that!
No! Being an alicorn might have spared me from that. Maybe.
Shit, I've got no way to know! I could be becoming like her and no one could help me!
I'm shaking like a leaf.
"Shhh, Mommy's here. All will be well, I promise."
This is a nightmare.
How could she-
Will she try to breed me too?
Oh, fuck that! Am I even sane right now? The only people I've been open to are two slaves and someone with severe self-esteem issues, all of them children. How could they tell if something is wrong with me?
What if I'm not human?
What if that's all in my head? A vision Harmony sent me and my mind tried to give a context to it? What are the odds of me being reborn in the world of a TV show anyway? It doesn't make sense!
What am I even doing? Even if I manage to take out Celestia, how am I going to change Equestria? Especially if I can't trust myself to rule after that. Without an alicorn, this world would only become worse.
I can't just do nothing.
"Solus?"
Shiny?
"How are you doing?"
How am I doing? I don't know. Not well at the very least.
"I know who my father is."
"Really? Who is it?"
"My brother."
"Wait, what?"
"My brother."
"But that doesn't make any sense!"
"No it doesn't."
"So, wait you have a brother?"
"Had."
"Um, I'm sorry?"
"Don't be. Never knew him."
"But he's your father!"
"So?"
"But that's not fair!"
"Eheheh, AhahahaHAHAHAHAH!"
"Why are you laughing?!"
"Not fair? Of course it isn't fair! What is fair in this dump!?"
"Solus?"
"Stallion, mares and children die all the time in the name of the Greater Good! They're enslaved for the Imperial Order! They're broken so they'll do the same thing to others! And I'm not just talking about the earth ponies either!"
"Solus, you're scaring me..."
"Nooo, the unicorns are too! Forced to rule, granted countless privileges, turning into self-entitled monsters. You're just as much a slave than Mac is!"
"Stop it..."
"Stop? Why would I stop? It's the truth, and Honesty is one of the virtue of Harmony!"
"Ha-harmony...?"
"Yes, Harmony, otherwise known as the thing Celestia doesn't want you to know about because she's been doing a shit job of maintaining it."
"Solus, stop it!", a female voice shouts.
"Why should I? Ever since I was born I've kept silent and gone along with this abomination! What do I care about your polite fiction about your world actually being worth a damn?!"
"So what are we in your eyes?"
"YOU'RE-you're..."
"We're here Solus, you're not alone", Cadance says.
Yes I am. I'll always be alone. Is that why Celestia went mad? Being the sole immortal...is that why she wanted me so much?
"Leave."
"Solus?"
"Just leave. Please."
"...Okay. Shiny, Mac, he...needs time alone."
I'm alone. And I have to get rid of the only one who could be with me. The one who made me. The one who is responsible for countless atrocities. Responsible for me not even being able to tell if I'm sane!
*sob*
I hate this...
I hate this world.
I hate her.
I hate...
I hate what I am.
Powerless.
Powerful.
Good.
Bad.
Sane.
Mad.
What am I doing? What am I?
Who am I?