//------------------------------//
// A Mother's Judgment (Edited) 
// Story: Tough Love 
// by Krystal Clearskies 
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Now I’d really done it. This is it, I've really done it now. My rear is going to get magically blasted off, and strung up in the royal throne room. It'll be the dumbest rear in Equestria, oh lord. Why didn’t I think before jumping iinto doing that? I didn't mean to get us both caught, the whole thing was just meant to be a harmless prank for fun.

Alright, in hindsight, MAYBE setting off the fire extinguisher in Donut Joe’s shop was a bad idea. But c’mon, I had no way of knowing that Joe would get into an accident in all of the confusion. He's a unicorn for crying out loud, couldn't he have caught himself using his magic? Can't believe he tripped on a few ingredients that fell on the shop floor, who the hay leaves eggs out in the open like that? Joe lost his balance, knocking headfirst into the front of the display counters and cracking a bit of glass. Then he had to be carted off to the hospital for emergency surgery. Rumor has it his horn cracked a bit.

Before I go into any further detail, let me describe myself to you. I'm pretty different from everypony else. My name is Jordan. But, what’s so strange about that, you might ask? Well, apart from being the adopted son of Princess Celestia, I’m also a human, the ONLY human known to have lived in Equestria since ancient times, since before Celestia and Luna were in power.

I am around six foot tall, almost as tall as my adopted mom. About 200 pounds even, I have mid length light blonde hair that a few mares tell me looks downright sexy. Also my eyes are a middle shade of blue, but to be honest I never really cared about my appearance. I don't have concern for any mares right now, not interested enough to be in a relationship.

Anyway moving on, I am a bit of a famous celebrity in Canterlot, but mostly for all of the wrong reasons. It was mainly due to me being such an anomaly, you could even consider me an alien. Don't get me wrong, everypony I met, especially those inside the castle, loved me and would never discriminate against me. But it soon turned into a game of 'hey, let's go see the weird human creature that the Princess calls a son'.

Growing up I was a natural born trouble maker, I loved pulling pranks the joy it brought. I passed many hours telling bad jokes, I tend to be in the castle often cause I'm the Princess' sun. Y'know being all around mischievous, of course I loved pulling prank-wars. Usually my pranks were pulled off just to jest my best friend, Aurora Sunrise. He and I have been best friends for many years now, we are what I love to call Prankers In Arms. I am the Chief Prankster in Office while he serves as my Lieutenant for Comical Ideas and Successful Transition.

I was actually the one who came up with the idea to pull his fire extinguisher. The whole thing caused a major evacuation down the street, many restaurants had to close way early costing each owner many bits. The Canterlot Fire Department was called five minutes later, every single fire pony was angry by the false alarm. My mother's royal day guard even arrested the both of Aurora Sunrise and I.

And so that brought me to where I was now. The royal chamber has been closed to visitors for the day, which meant royal court had been cancelled and my mother would NOT be happy. I found myself pacing back and forth at the bottom of the flight of stairs which led up to her throne, and then suddenly the large doors of the room burst open with a loud BOOM.

Snapping my head to the sound of the loud noise, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There, in all her glory, stood my adoptive mother. I had never seen such a look of pure anger plastered on her face like this before. She simply glared down at me, a look of scorn in her eyes, before looking up to her throne and flying up to it, plopping her flank down on it. Without uttering so much as a single word, she used her magical aura to grip me, and bring me up about halfway of the staircase.

When she finally released me from her iron grip that was used to raise the Sun each morning, I let out a scared whimper like a small pup having to get their first medical shot. Dammit, this wasn't the time to tuck my metaphorical tail between my legs. I had to defend myself in this situation, I have to explain what had happened. I finally spoke in a fearful tone.

“Mom, I ... I just want to apologize, I am so, so sorr-" Just as I was getting to the apology, a booming voice erupted from my mother's snout. A tone that I was all to familiar with, Aunt Luna used it during Nightmare Night when I was just a kid.

“DON’T YOU DARE UTTER ANOTHER WORD, YOUNG MAN!” She angrily shouted at me, using her royal Canterlot voice like Aunt Luna used to. This made my eyes widen in complete terror, and I felt a giant lump form in my throat, rendering me unable to speak any further.

“Jordan, what you pulled today is without a doubt the craziest, and most outrageous thing you’ve ever done in the ten years I have known you. I don’t know what went through your head that made you think such a prank would be okay, but this is truly an unforgivable crime!” She shouted at me. I reached my right hand to my throat and gently massaged the lump that had formed there away, finally finding myself able to speak once again.

“I...I didn’t think Donut Joe would hit his head like that! Couldn't he have caught himself using his magic. I just-” She once again cut me off, gritting her teeth from the immense anger.

“That’s just it! You never think. You always just figure your actions will never have consequence, that you can just do whatever the hay you feel like and i’ll always be there to cover your own flank. Not this time, Jordan. This time, you’ve crossed a line. Before I came here, I went to visit Donut Joe in the hospital, and do you know what the medical staff told me? He might not make it. And if he doesn’t make it, that’s innocent blood on YOUR hands young man!”

That hit me like a ton of bricks. I...would have blood on my hands? But I never meant to hurt anypony! I just was trying to have a good laugh!

“B...but Mom, I just-” She once again cut me off, snorting through her nose.

“I’m not speaking to you as your mother right now. I’m speaking to you as the Princess of this land i’ve graciously allowed you to live in. I love you, Jordan, but I can’t just allow you to walk away from this scot-free. I’m ashamed of you. Luna is ashamed of you. Cadence is ashamed of you. Our entire castle and bloodline are ashamed of you! Did you know your friend Aurora Sunrise is being sent to military academy by his parents because of this? Because of your stupid idea? How do you think HE feels about all this?” She asked me, her hooves crossed in an upset manner. That once again took the wind from my chest, and a lump form in my throat. Aurora...was going to military school? Would I EVER see him again? He’s my only friend in the entire world!

“But mo...Princess, why is he being punished! I’m the one who pulled the pin on the extinguisher, not him! He shouldn’t be punished for this!” I shouted at her, to which she huffed slightly.

“We’re not discussing him right now. We’re discussing you. As I said, Jordan, I can’t simply allow you to walk away from this like the other times you’ve caused trouble. This time, it’s too serious for that. I had for these past five years hoped you’d grow up, became a man, and get your life together, so I could coronate you as a true prince. I’d hoped with the help of Luna, my maids, and myself, you’d have changed. But that’s not the case. And now I only see one option left.” She took a deep breath, before continuing.

“Jordan The Human, I am officially banishing you from Canterlot. As of now, until you change your ways, Canterlot is no longer your home. You are not to take a single step in this city until your unruly ways have been mended. I’m not going to force you to pay Donut Joe’s medical bill, but I’ll at the very least give you enough bits for a train ride. I’m no longer your mother, and you will have to find your way elsewhere in this land. I’m truly sorry Jordan, but I’m doing this for your own good. Go pack your essentials, and please leave the castle immediately after.”

I could have just been imagining things, but I swore I heard her trying to hold back a cry as she finished that sentence. As if to further that theory, she used her magic to teleport out of the throne room at the drop of a pin. This left me completely alone, feeling the full weight of my stupid prank.

I stood there, for what felt like an eternity, just staring at the marble staircase. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. I felt sick, very very sick. I had just lost everything, and now I had nothing. Not. A. Thing.

After a long while of just standing there, I finally collected myself and on very shaky, uneven feet, walked through the hallways of the castle to my room. Well, former room now.

When I arrived there, I let out a strangled gasp. It seems Celestia had taken care of it for me. The furniture was all gone, the room was empty, and my essentials were packed into a suitcase in the middle of the room. With a heavy sigh, I opened up the suitcase and carefully pulled out my hoody.

I know, you’re going to say, out of all the things in there, all I pulled out was a hoody? Well, this hoody means a lot to me. It’s the only thing I own from my past life back on earth. My parents bought it for me mere days before I was brought here, and I was wearing it when I arrived here. This hoody has major sentimental value for me and wearing it always gave me comfort.

On top of the suitcase, was something that meant even more to me that that though. It was a piece of paper, but it certainly meant more to me than any piece of old paper. It was a handmade drawing of Celestia and I that I had created about nine years ago, not very long after she had adopted me. As I gazed over it, I felt a tear of pain leaving my eye, the memory of me presenting this drawing to my mother and her smile she had, along with how she said she would always love me...it ripped my heart apart. Not being able to take anymore, I carefully opened the suitcase back up, carefully placed the drawing inside, and just as carefully closed the suitcase back up. I gathered my breath, and exited my old bedroom.

And so, in the next half hour or so, I rolled the suitcase through the castle and the streets of Canterlot, towards the train station. On my way there, some ponies stopped to look at me. The “should be” prince was lugging a suitcase around the city streets. I think they were able to tell what happened, that I was being sent away.

I made it to the train station, and I just stood there, trying to think of where to go. As I was thinking, I got hit in the face by a piece of paper. Letting out a sigh of annoyance, I pulled the paper from my face and looked at it.

There, on that flyer, was an advertisement for The Running Of The Leaves in Ponyville. I’d heard of Ponyville before, that was where Princess Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s old student, lived. Rubbing my chin curiously, I counted the amount of bits I had in my pocket, and looked at the prices of train tickets on the big billboard. A ticket to Ponyville ended up being exactly the amount of bits I had on me.

Walking up to the ticket window, I bought a ticket to Ponyville, and got on the train. Luckily enough, the train was nearly abandoned, and I got a private box car all to myself free of charge.

Soon I heard the whistle of the train engine, and the train began to move. I looked down to the piece of paper that hit me in the face, and then out the window to the gorgeous scenery of the countryside down below, saying only one thing.

“Ponyville, here I come.”