//------------------------------// // The Truth Finds a Brother // Story: The Hidden Prince // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// After Dusk left the Hall of Heroism, Star started to get up, while he recovered from what just happened. He didn’t understand how could that happen again. He had barely touched that colt and he was pushed back and with his heart hurting, just like how it happened before. But what was causing that every time he approaches that colt? It couldn’t be something that he did, because of the way how he always looked so scared when that happened. However, he should know what was happening. “I can see that one was really bad on you” Kurama commented, in their plane. “You’re taking more time to recover than the last time.” “It’s nice to see that you care, Kurama” Star commented ironically. “Your words of support are really reassuring.” The nine-tailed fox made a laugh and then told: “Come on, don’t be like that. You’re my jinchuriki. Act like it. Just be smart and don’t approach that colt again, okay?” “You’re still gonna tell me what you know about him” Star said. But Kurama just limited to lay down and pretend to be asleep. Because of that, Star knew he wouldn’t say anything, just like he did that morning. He went to the entrance of the museum, where Timber got up and approached his owner, looking at him with a little worry. “Don’t worry, pal, everything’s fine” Star told him. “But I think it’s for the best if we go home. I need to rest a little.” And they did so, arriving to the Light Castle. When they were walking around the hall, they met Sunny and Midnight who were talking. “That was strange, right?” Sunny asked. “That colt that was with Mirror Coat?” “Yeah, I wonder who he is” Midnight said. Hearing his sisters saying that, Star approached them and said. “Hello, girls.” “Hi, Star” the two said at the same time. “What was that you’re talking about?” Star asked. “Oh, we saw Mirror Coat with a colt we’ve never seen before” Midnight told. “Yeah, he took him to the throne room” Sunny said. “Mom and dad are there too.” “A colt?” Star asked. “What colt?” “Well, you know, a colt like the others” Sunny replied. “He seemed older than us, but younger than you, definitely.” “And he also had a surfboard on his Cutie Mark” Midnight told. “Oh, yeah, he had” Sunny remembered. That information put Star thinking. That was the colt he had just encountered. What could his parents have to do with him? He needed to know that. “Hey, girls, why don’t you take Timber for a walk on the gardens?” Star asked. “You know how he loves playing with you.” But that caused his sisters to give them the look. “What?” “Star, we’re not little fillies anymore” Sunny told. “Yeah, we can see when you’re trying to put us out of the way” Midnight said. Star was impressed how much his sisters had matured. Now he could see that he couldn’t trick them with his old tricks. He needed to be more inventive. “Well, too bad you don’t want to take Timber for a while” he said. “If you made me that favor, I could, I don’t know, teach you the theory of my Spiral Sphere.” Hearing that, the two fillies became surprised and then enthusiastic, as that spell was their brother’s first creation and one of his trademarks. “It’s just some basics, but maybe you can figure it out and perhaps master the Spiral Sphere” Star added. “We do it!” the twins exclaimed at the same time. “Come, Timber.” And they moved away, with Timber going with them. Star smiled, as, despite the maturity his sisters have acquired, he could still manipulate them as a big brother would do to his little sisters. “That was well played” Kurama commended. “But please don’t tell me you’re going to spy your own parents.” “Kurama, why don’t you go back to sleep?” Star asked. The tailed beast chuckled and said: “I see… Fine, do whatever you want. Just make sure you don’t get caught. Don’t forget that at least Mirror Coat will be there.” “Don’t worry, I have my ways to do it” Star replied. At the throne room, Dusk was at the base of the stairs to the throne, where Twilight was sitting with Blue by his side. Mirror Coat was beside Dusk and Heartbeat was nearby, playing with blocks, making a replica of the Light Castle. “Dusk, I know that our conversation this morning was a little… unease, but I totally didn’t expected you’d do the same mistake twice in such short time” Twilight said. “You’ve barely turn your back on us and you come to the citadel and meet Star.” “Trust me, mom, I didn’t want to, but…” Star started. “You know you can’t be near Star or else you hurt him” Twilight told. “I understand you want to be with your brother and sisters, but while this issue with Star still persists.” “I know that, mom!” Dusk shouted. “And don’t forget I didn’t have a say in the matter!” After that, there was a small silence that was only broken by the sound of Heartbeat placing the blocks one over the one. “Wow, that is a very deep silence” she said, while playing with some blocks in the air. “I can even hear the ponies outside and the birds. I can hear the voices in my head again.” That caused Blue and Mirror Coat look at her. “I’m kidding” she told them, only to roll her eyes when they dodged their look. Twilight rose up and approached her son, placing then a hoof beneath Dusk’s chin and making him look at her. Drawing a tender smile, Twilight said: “I know that you didn’t meant to put Star is harm’s way. Being far from your family must be really painful. But you have to understand one thing: we’re also in pain because you’re not with us.” “Your mother is right” Blue added, while approaching as well. “The simple fact our family isn’t complete and the thought of you being unhappy because of that caused us to feel bad too.” “Right…” Dusk said, realizing now that situation has also been hard for them as well. “Sorry about that.” “You don’t have to worry, sweetie” Twilight said, hugging him. “It’s not your fault.” “And don’t worry, everything will be just fine” Blue said. “You’ll see, Dusk, soon Heartbeat will find a way to break this curse and everything will return to normal. Right, Heartbeat?” And everypony turned to Heartbeat, who was now painting. As if pretending she wasn’t listen, the General of Affection, she said: “Oh, sorry about that… I was just capturing this beautiful moment. Here…” And she handed the painting to Dusk who took it and then took a look. It was a very good representation of Dusk and Twilight hugging, with Blue by their side with his foreleg around Twilight’s shoulder. Heartbeat could always surprise him with her speed, judging how that moment had just happened and she was able to paint it so well. “I dare to say my paintings are as good as Purple’s, if not better, but try not to tell him I said that” Heartbeat said. “It would be a good painting to hang around the castle, but… you know, with the nopony-can-know-you exist situation, I think you should be the one to have it.” “Thanks, Heartbeat” Dusk thanked. It is then that Mirror Coat coughed to get the attention and asked Heartbeat: “Aren’t you forgetting something, Heartbeat?” “Forget about what?” she asked back. The General of Knowledge sighed and then said: “It’s always the same thing. When a question doesn’t come handy to you, you dodge everyone’s attention to another thing, so that they can forget they made you that question. But in case you did forget, Prince Blue Sword wanted you to reinforce the idea that this curse is going to end soon, as if asking how long it will take.” “Okay, you really need to simplify, Mirror Coat” Heartbeat said. “I hate when you go overboard with your words…” “Heartbeat… answer the question” Twilight ordered, sensing she was indeed hiding something. Because it was Twilight asking that, Heartbeat didn’t have the courage to disobey, so she said: “Okay, you want to know the truth? The truth is… I’m stuck.” “You’re what?” Blue asked. “I’m stuck!” Heartbeat exclaimed. “What?! This curse is tricky and so it needs a tricky solution. Do you really think I would waste all these years I was supposed to find the cure stuffing my face with sweets and playing around?” Noticing everypony was not telling the opposite and seemed agreeing with what she just said, Heartbeat said, making an offended look: “That hurts… To think you actually believe I would do that… It’s just… too much. You know what? Just for you to see I’m a very diligent filly-like General, I will give my best to find the cure for this curse.” And having said that, she just headed towards the exit and got out. Seconds later she did that, Twilight, Blue and Dusk started laughing. “She’ll never change” Twilight said. “I really hope not” Blue told. “Things would be dull without her around.” “But, now being serious, you can believe we’ll figure this out, son” Twilight said to Dusk. “I know that, mom” Dusk replied, with a smile. “And I can’t wait for that day to come.” He hugged his parents together and, when the hug ended, Mirror Coat asked: “Do you want me to take the young prince back to Bright Shore?” “If you don’t mind, Mirror Coat” she replied. “It would be a great help.” After saying goodbye to his parents, Dusk passed over the mirror portal Mirror Coat created and returned to Bright Shore. After Heartbeat got out of the throne room, she walked a few steps before stopping and then saying: “I hope you’re satisfied with what you just heard. I know it’s overwhelming, but I know you can deal with it. Now, you just need to find more about it. Good luck.” And she used her swift nature to get out of there. As soon she got out, Star appeared, using his invisibility spell. He had used his sage mode to hear what was happening in the throne room and what he had just found out couldn’t be any less of a shock to him: he had a brother!