The tension in the dining room was palpable as Pinkie Pie, Baked Bean, and Pudding Head were eagerly awaiting the results of their friendly competition. Hours before dinner, all three spent the day making dish after dish for a three-meal course meal, all with their signature flair. It was mostly just a match between friends, but it was also a matter of honor and in Pinkie and Baked Bean’s instance, a chance to best what they saw as another world legend.
"So?" Baked Bean finally broke the tension by speaking and looking at the royals, the founders, and Fluttershy. "Which one did you like the most?"
"Before I answer, I just want to say that all of you did a magnificent job." Celestia was the first to answer after daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You three put your heart and soul into your dishes. I could feel how much passion and effort you put in each and every single one of them."
"Indeed. These meals were certainly a trip down memory lane, and nothing would bring me more joy than to have the chance to eat delicacies such as these more often." Luna continued, earning a smile from Platinum who looked at the sisters like a proud teacher seeing their efforts paying off.
"That being said, and although you all made one incredible effort, Pudding Head’s title as the best chef on Equestria still stands," Celestia informed them with a sad smile.
"Indeed, even with thousands of years in absence, her dishes still rule supreme." Luna concluded with a satisfying nod, "As well as a neat trip down memory lane."
"Yes!" Pudding Head hoof bumps the air in victory as her opponents looked down in defeat until Commander Hurricane voiced her opinion.
"Not so fast, sunshine."
Everyone looks at her as she smiled and tapped her plate. "As always, you are a softy when it comes to matters of family members, even when we were your teachers, you always kept calling us your 'aunts'." She stated with a wistful smile. "Adorable as fillies, but as mares, it’s time to take off the rose-tinted goggles and get serious." She pointed at Baked Bean. "And big yellow there, just wiped the floor with Pudding Head."
"What?!" Pudding looked at her friend incredulously as Bean glanced at the commander in surprise and was then shocked when Princess Platinum nodded in agreement. "I’m afraid I have to agree with her dear, you three were always a bit clingy to us when growing up and at times, that always clouded your judgment in things like this." Platinum made a comment, which earned the confusion of Blueblood when he noticed that Platinum was referring to Celestia and Luna.
Three?
"Sir Bean here has an extraordinary knowledge of cuisine and all the variables of it, and the truth of the matter is that like everything else, dishes tend to evolve and grow. His courses certainly did. There is no shame in admitting defeat, dear, if anything I say that Sir Bean has more than earned the right of being your successor."
"Lady Platinum, I don't know what to say, I, just…thank you," Bean stammered, and gave a bow in respect to both her and Hurricane until the commander stopped it. "Ah, we…don't exactly do that."
"Well…I thought that it was a bit spicy." Fluttershy is next to talk, gaining everyone’s attention. "I-I mean it was tasty and everything, but your dishes were a bit too intense for my taste." She then smiled demurely and looked to at Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie’s plate felt more comfortable, more relaxed. I enjoyed hers just a tiny bit better, n-not that yours were bad, or anything. I just thought that…ah well I…kind of like her more than yours, just a tiny bit?"
"Thank you, Fluttershy," Pinkie replied warmly.
"Same," Blueblood said without looking as he played with some of the scraps on his plates and looked pensive. A reaction that both of the royal sisters and Fluttershy noticed.
"Wait…so what does that mean...?" Pinkie asks.
"Each of us got two votes so…did we get a draw?" Baked Bean asked, perplexed by the results.
"Ooooooooh! I have never got one of those before!" Pudding mentioned in excitement. "What do we do now?"
"I think we should have a tiebreaker somehow. Though I don't know how since we had a three-meal course contest," Bean mused, genuinely confused as to what to do.
While the three chefs continued to ponder what to do, Celestia whispered to Blueblood worryingly. "Blueblood? Is everything ok?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah, everything is fine." The prince answered, finally looking back up.
"Are you sure? you barely even touched your food." Luna voiced her own observations, "What is the matter? You didn't like it?"
"No, the food was fine it was…well the thing is..." The prince kept struggling to find the right words until Fluttershy grabbed his hoof with her own for support. Blueblood looked at her, smiling, and soon he relaxed before nodding and looked to Celestia and Luna. "Aunties, there is something I need to ask you both, and I'm afraid it kind of a sensitive subject."
"What is it?" Celestia asked.
"How did my parents die?" He finally managed to say, earning the attention of everyone in the room and creating a tense and eerie silence that lingered for what felt like years.
"Blueblood how did you…?" Celestia began to inquire, but Blueblood interrupted her before she could say anything else.
"Ever since the masquerade, I have been asking why I never once met my parents or found out who they are or why they were never here…as well as thinking about if I even have the right to ask about them or to meet them." He explained, looking down in sadness before looking back to Celestia. "A month ago, I couldn't take the pressure of not knowing anything anymore and started searching for them and trying to understand what happened. Why did neither of you even mention their names once? So imagine my shock when I asked for my blood lineage on the civil register in Manehattan and found…their obituaries"
"Ahhhh…maaaaaybe, this sounds a bit personal. Perhaps we should be going for the time being?" Bean offered and tried to pull Pudding Head and Pinkie Pie away, but neither of them wanted to move. "You are right, Sir Bean this is a family issue, Fluttershy, Pinkie. Could you please give us a moment?" Platinum asked the two mares as they turn to regard her. "Please?"
They both share a look, unsure. Ultimately, they nodded and complied, leaving the room along with Baked Bean.
Once they were gone, the founders put their full attention to the royal sisters. "Just answer me this Celestia." Pudding asked in complete seriousness, catching everyone by surprise as she refused to look at her. "How long were you planning to wait before telling him about his parents?"
"Chancellor Pudding, this isn't an easy subject to…" Celestia tried to speak, but Pudding interrupted her.
"How long!?" She yelled, demanding an answer.
"…When he was ready to hear it." the solar princess finally confessed, looking away.
" When he was ready?" Pudding asked, finally looking at her. "Or when you were?" She asks before looking at Luna. "Did you know of this?"
"Just recently, but…yes," Luna said, looking down as well making Pudding sigh in disappointment and shaking her head as she takes a seat.
"Well, the wound is bleeding now, might as well just rip the bandage off already," Hurricane remarked, trying to ease the tension. "So how much did you find out rookie?"
"Just that it happened twenty years ago." He looked back at his aunts. "Nothing else, I wanted to hear it from you aunties. I couldn't take that away from you. This needed to be something that I learned from you. Not a piece of paper, not a mortician, you. So I will ask again, how did it happen?"
The royal sister looked at one another before sighing in defeat and looking down. "It not a story that I enjoy recalling." Celestia began. "Before our subjects had the chance to meet Luna again, the idea of Nightmare Moon struck fear and anguish into the hearts of some."
"A misguided idea, fueled by myths and legends involving Nightmare Moon, and the notion that she might have followers among our family tree." Luna continued gaining the attention of Blueblood.
Time seemed to freeze as both sisters recalled the events that transpired 20 years ago, how Blueblood could have had a chance for a normal childhood, and how his parents, a normal duke and duchess couple were nothing special among nobility except for their bloodline connection to Celestia. They then recalled how the assassin left their corpses around a now-orphaned Blueblood who didn't have anyone to turn to but his heartbroken aunt.
"Royal Treatment and Formal Attire might not have been exactly the best when it came time to modesty, kindness, and at times even honesty but they were good ponies, and loving parents, who didn't deserve to die." Celestia now with teary eyes concluded the story. "To this day, I have yet to find the monsters that took them away, but when I do, and I promise you Blueblood. I will…They will answer for their crimes. They will be judged and punished with the full force of the justice system!" She swore in anger until Luna grabbed her hoof, helping her calm down.
"Nephew, this is in no way an excuse, but I hope this helps you understand why we had our reservations in telling you this story, what happens to my nephews…is something I will never be able to forget…or forgive myself since it was my jealousy which provoked the creation of such horrible ideologies." Luna confessed, looking down in guilt.
"No." Blueblood shook his head. "It wasn't your fault Auntie. It was theirs. They and their stupid ideology were what caused that tragedy. Like I said, Nightmare Moon is more than just than a bedtime story. I would never blame you for what others did." He responded to her with a nervous smile, clearly trying to hide his emotions. The royal sisters weren't entirely sure if they had seen anger or sadness behind that mask.
"Nephew, there is no reason for you to hold back your emotions. If you are sad or angry please, just let them out. No one here will think less of you from expressing yourself." Celestia encouraged him to let go, but Blueblood shook his head.
"It's not that. It’s just that it's a sad story. My emotions are so conflicted. Even when I didn't know about them, I felt some connection with them, even when my soul is human. This body, this life. They are an important part of them, and I wish I was part of theirs as well. Would it be ok for me to think of them as my real parents?"
"Of course its ok sweetie, like we have been telling you and will keep saying. You will always be a part of this family," Celestia assured, approaching Blueblood and nuzzling his cheek, "No matter what, I'm sure Royal and Attire would have gladly taken you as their son if they had the opportunity to meet you."
"Thanks, auntie," Blueblood sighed, returning the gesture but still looking sad.
"That is not all, isn't it nephew?" Luna wondered, noticing his expression, and he shook his head, letting go of Celestia. "As I said, I have been thinking a lot and started to wonder about my family roots, that is why I wanted to ask if I could go and visit their graves?"
The princesses looked at each other in surprise and then back to him. "I mean, after everything that has happened, I think I'm ready to embrace who I truly am and to know more about my family. That is why I want to see them, in person. To talk to them, and say my goodbyes." He explained, looking down.
The sisters kept looking at him before smiling. "Would that bring you peace, nephew?"
"Yeah, that's all I want, so I can finally put my mind to rest."
"Then we will gladly take you to them, sweetie," Celestia answered. "Anything for you, my kind fluffy nephew, you!" Celestia baby talked, unable to resist poking fun at his still fluffy coat and to bring him into another hug as she nuzzles his neck, tickling him in the process.
"Oh come on auntie cut it out." Blueblood tells in between giggles, trying to get free from her hold
"Never! Your fur is just so soft and fluffy! I will never let it go" She proclaims in happiness keeping her administration.
“Aunt Luna help, please do something” Blueblood call for her other aunt help as he continue to laugh
“Oh I will” She tells joining on the hug “By the stars, this is soft, would you mind if I use you as a pillow tonight dear nephew?”
“No!” Blueblood tells in mock horror as they all three share a laugh
"The Rookie is growing," Hurricane remarked with pride, as the founders let the family have their moment in peace while they spoke in a low voice, so as to not interrupt.
"He sure is." Platinum agreed. "There is still a ways to go, but he is taking the first steps there."
" Do you think he is ready to hear about Festivia?" Pudding asked her friends.
"Not yet, I think he has learned enough of his family lineage for today. Her story can wait for another time." The three agreed with a silent nod before going in two different directions, Pudding toward the royal family and the other founders to the front door in order to get their friends back. "Group hug!" Pudding yelled before tackling the royals into the ground,
"Oh! I want in too!" Pinkie cried out in excitement as she launched herself into the hug as well, making everyone share a laugh.
Meanwhile on the balcony of the top floor of a luxurious apartment complex in Canterlot
"Birth of The Night Prince and his Terror Knights?" Sharp Shoot chuckled and shook his head as he put away a copy of tomorrow’s newspaper showing a picture of Blood Moon and his creations. "Cute." Using his wing, he took an apple from a nearby bowl as he continued to enjoy his dinner in peace while admiring the stars, until the arrival of Crossfire Tempo who marched into the room unannounced, breaking the silence as she approached the stallion. "Sharp Shoot, we need to talk," She said with a glare on her face, "You told me that by the time this is over I would have Blueblood in my hooves, you didn't say anything about a crisis, our friends being arrested OR that he'd be taking on an appearance similar to those annoying princesses!" She growled out in frustration. "This thing just went way out of hoof, and none of that plays in our direction."
"You think so?" He asked rhetorically, taking a sip of his drink, confusing his partner.
"Excuse me?"
"True, things are different than what we expected, when I suggested the idea of a duel to those two idiots, my only interest was in seeing how our reformed prince would act under pressure, and deal with a potential crisis." He finished his drink and stood before heading back inside the room. "But exiling himself? Solving an economic catastrophe? Destroying four criminal families? Even achieving a new transformation? Things went far better than I thought they would and more importantly..." He looks back at his friend with a sinister smile, "Now we know how this new him, thinks under pressure and, by extension, what his capabilities are."
"You mean that all of this was so that you could know what he is capable of?" Tempo asked in surprise.
"A necessary step in order to achieve our goals." He answered, looking back and pulling the horn on a bust of Celestia which revealed a secret room behind a library. Inside was a cork board mounted on each of the walls with a series of photos of the main six, the tree of harmony, the Princesses, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and the six pillars. Alongside these were reams of papers and charts of statistics, powers, and natures of almost everything; All of which connected with a red string. "Do not fret my friend, I still remember our deal, and I intend to keep it. As a matter of fact…"
He picked a picture of Blueblood and placed it underneath the royal sisters, connecting a new string to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie "…the seeds of doubt, have already been planted," Shard Shot concluded in confidence. "Soon enough, those seeds will guide him in new directions."
Meanwhile on the royal castle
The rest of the dinner became more lively as everyone kept chatting and laughing, the princesses in particular been especially giddy and happy for how things have developed.
"A direction full of questions…"
Blueblood laughed and tried to push Celestia away as she refuses to let him go.
"…questions that the princesses will be unable to answer…"
Luna finally saved him, but so that she could lean on him as well.
"…and that will eventually make him realize how flawed his supposedly perfect aunts are in reality."
Back at the apartment
Sharp Shoot finished writing some data on a sheet of paper and placed it next to the picture of Blueblood. "I suppose this would be the part where I told you how soon Blueblood himself would break all ties with the princesses. About how his resentment will erase any love toward them, but talking is cheap…" He looked back to her with a smile, "…and actions speak louder than words."