//------------------------------// // Second Invite (Edited By NS And BS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// Repeatedly knocking on a door, an annoyed maid tapped her hoof in exasperation. "Excuse me, sir! I'm sorry, but I need to clean the room. Could you please let me in?" She asked, trying to hide the irritation in her voice, as she had been trying to get an answer from Sharp Shooter, who, after finishing work on his empathic arrow, seemed to have locked himself to his room. No one had heard or seen him in days. Chalking up his reclusiveness as mere exhaustion, the royal couple allowed the poor stallion some time to rest, but by now, their hospitality had reached their limit, and they decided to, at the very least, let the staff clean his room. "Ah, buck it, let the brat have his fit. I'm coming in!" The maid warned him and used her master key to enter the room, only to find resistance When trying to open the door. "What the…?" Adding more force, she succeeded in making it budge as she heard something ripping until whatever was obstructing the entrance ripped apart wholly, causing her to land face-first inside and into some unknown arms that stopped her fall. Startled, she quickly backed away and was shocked to see Sharp Shooter staring back at her with a gentle thousand-yard stare and glowing pink eyes who had some steam wafting up from the edges. Not only that, but his body was covered entirely in green foliage, shaped in the form of a bizarre natural tuxedo, with roots and white flowers acting as the necktie, a big red rose in his lapel, and even a crown made of twigs. The initial shock left her speechless, and she managed to take a single step back before the stallion reached out and froze her in place by caressing her right cheek and smiling softly at her, refusing to break eye contact. The smell his body was exuding was intoxicating. The maid could feel her conscience slowly fading as she started to smile too and lean forward, allowing Sharp to kiss her forehead before stepping back. At the same time, she closed her eyes, ignoring the flower that started to grow in the spot he just kissed as she kept looking back at him with a matching thousand-yard stare and smile. Her eyes slowly started glowing in the same way as his, and her body was quickly enveloped by the flora, too, until finally, she too was wearing a natural formal ensemble. Breaking eye contact, they turned to face opposite directions and then began to march down the hall slowly, leaving a trail of flowers behind. Pausing only to repeat the process to whomever they stumbled upon, the foliage from Sharp Shooter's room started expanding at an alarmingly fast rate. Meanwhile, Back at Fluttershy's cottage. Making their way deeper into Fluttershy's sanctuary, the walk there was notably quiet and tense as both Blueblood and Fluttershy were having a hard time making eye contact with each other, the events of last night were still fresh in their mind and as much as they wanted to understand it, neither knew exactly what happened. One moment they were practicing answers for different scenarios, and the next, they stared at one another for almost five hours, according to Fluttershy's animal friends. So much was the tension that the Prince didn't question it when she decided to bring a saddlebag along as well. They got lost in each other's eyes, and even if they didn't want to admit it, the whole ordeal felt nice, even cathartic to a degree, something that only helped make things all the more awkward between the two. With a sigh, the Prince stopped and looked down with a solemn expression. "Fluttershy, what are we doing?" Stopping a couple of steps further down, the pegasus looked back curiously. "Are we just two hormonal teenagers now?" He asked sarcastically, making her blush and look away, not that he had noticed as he kept his eyes firmly on the ground. "Why do we keep ignoring what happened? Yeah, we kissed, yeah, things got awkward at the train station, and yes, last night we lost time while looking into each other's eyes, so what? Why are we making such a big deal about it? All we did was get lost in our practice session, right?" He finally looked up to see her as she was still looking to the side but occasionally made eye contact before looking down and playing with the dirt a little. "Right" She nodded twice and replied with a barely audible voice, sighing; the Prince returned to hanging his head down. "Fluttershy back at the party, was the kiss an accident?" The question came out of the blue and took her by surprise as she looked up at him with wide eyes, like a deer blindsided by the headlights of a car. "I'm sorry to breach the subject like that, but I need to know. Ever since that night, I have been replaying the events over and over in my head. You were so excited; it was clear that you were mostly caught up in the heat of the moment and probably wanted to thank me in another way other than words. I'm so sorry for this; I don't want to keep making things awkward between us. I want to spend time with my friend, so I want to know… Is what happened there intentional, or was it an accident?" He asked, looking at her with pleading eyes, desperate to find a way to clear the air between the two of them once and for all. What are you waiting for? Tell him the truth. The poor stallion is pouring his heart out for you. Are you going to ignore him? Fluttershy kept hearing her voice inside her head as she took one last glance at him before closing her eyes for a moment, repeating the events that led to the kiss over and over again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she looked forward and opened her eyes to look at him directly, with more determination. "It was an accident." She confessed with pity and sorrow for him. "You were right, that kiss was meant to be on the cheek, and it was a heat of the moment thing for letting me live out my biggest dream since I was a filly." She folded her ears and looked at him in pity. "I'm sorry for leading you on like that. I should have come clean sooner, but when I finally found you again, well…." "Yeah, the duel." "I'm sorry for making things awkward." "No, no, it's ok. In fact, this is great." Blueblood approached her with a smile. "This is exactly what we needed to clear the air and clear up any misunderstandings; it feels good getting all of that off your chest, right?" "Yeah…yeah, it kind of does," Fluttershy replied, holding her chest and smiling more brightly at the revelation. "I don't feel so uncomfortable anymore." "Me neither so…are we ok now? There is nothing else that we should talk about?" He asks worriedly. "Nope, I don't think there was anything else. Thanks for clearing the air Blueblood." "It was nothing. I just didn't want to leave things as they were. You are an incredible friend, an amazing singer, and a surprisingly skilled actress. Fluttershy really, that impression of a queen was spot on." "It was nothing. I have had lots of practice before with trying to be more assertive. taking on a role is fairly easy for me, particularly if it is for just one pony instead of a whole crowd." She replied casually, surprising herself at how calm and relaxed she was at taking his compliments now. Oh my, he is right! I don't feel embarrassed or scared anymore. Talking things out makes everything easier! "Well, it certainly shows. Seriously, thanks for all that practice, Fluttershy. Now I feel more than ready to face those difficult situations if they ever arise." They both resumed their walk to their destination. "I'm glad to hear that I could help and that we can put all the awkwardness behind us before your final surprise." "What surprise?" Blueblood looked at her quizzically as she remained quiet and instead went ahead to move some bushes aside. "Blueblood, meet Philomena." She introduced him to his Aunt's pet rather than answer, and once she moved the brush, he saw a magnificent red bird sitting on a nest looking back at him with a confused and curious look. The Prince kept staring at her, not sure if he recognized the species until the unusual feather that looked like a crown with some small fur along its edge, the yellow borders and the shades of red on her neck and face, as well as the ashes and burned out leaves surrounding the nest slowly allowed for him to piece together everything and subsequently gasp, as his eyes widened. "I-is-is that a-a..." He slowly pointed at Philomina, earning more confusion from the bird who raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior. At the same time, Fluttershy had to put a hoof over her mouth to prevent her from giggling at Blueblood's expression. She even started to get teary-eyed with mirth from how funny the Prince looked right now. "Y-yep" Fluttershy managed to recover as she picked some berries and offered them to Philomina for her to eat. "Princess Celestia's pet phoenix, isn't she pretty?" "Philomena is a phoenix. My Aunt's pet is a phoenix! Oh dear god, I just…there is a phoenix right in front of me! I just…I need a moment." The Prince had to fight the urge to rush toward her and instead took a moment to breathe, recovering from his delight at discovering one of the most beloved mythological creatures, which only kept confusing the poor bird more and more as she started to recall all of the interactions she had before with the Prince, something that didn't take too long as he mostly just ignored her or put food on her plate when her Master asked him to do. He looked disinterested or just annoyed all those times, and he only responded with a snarl at her each time she tried to play a joke on him. "Oh my!" Fluttershy suddenly realized the mistake she had just made, remembering now that Philomina didn't know anything of what had happened before to the Prince. "What? What is it?" Blueblood looked at her, concerned. "Is something wrong with Philomina?" The bird now did a double-take, completely lost on what was going on. "What?! Oh no, no, no, it's nothing like that. I just…ah could you just give us an itsy bitsy moment?" She lightly pushed the Prince away and moved the bushes back as the Prince blinked, confused at her antics. Fluttershy turned to the distressed bird, which by now was screaming for answers. "I know, I know he is acting strange. Please, if you calm down, I will explain everything." Philomina eyed her suspiciously before landing in front of her, pointing with one of her wings and squeaking once more. "No, I'm not getting back at you for that prank you pulled, even if that was a bit mean!…no, I wouldn't!…because that would be mean!" Fluttershy started to argue with her. "Please, Philomina, I'm telling you the truth." She kept looking at Fluttershy suspiciously but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and nodded so she could explain what was happening. A short explanation later, and both the mare and the Phoenix invited the Prince back once more, who looked in worried. "Is everything ok?" "It is now. I'm sorry, Blueblood, I completely forgot." Philomina landed in front of him, confused and tilting her head. "Philomena has been Princess Celestia's pet for a very long time now, so it was obvious that she might know…ah the previous you." "Oh." The Prince realized what was happening, and he knelt in front of the Phoenix. "That explains it. My previous self wasn't exactly very kind to you, wasn't he?" She screeched a couple of times. "She says that it was mostly indifference." She kept squeaking as Fluttershy acted as translator. "He was mostly cold, not interested in getting to know me, I think once or twice I played a prank on you…ah him to rile him up, but we never really saw each other much, so there is not much to be sorry about. I barely knew the guy." She ended with a shrug and a shake of her head. "I see, in that case, I need to tell you. Anyone that ignores such a beautiful and majestic creature like you is a complete moron." He confided with a slight edge of anger in his voice, startling both Phonix and pegasus. "He not only ignored my aunty but also passed up the chance to meet and befriend a phoenix? That guy was a moron. If it were me, I would have given you the attention and respect that you deserve." Philomina squeaks and teared up at the praise. "I still would love to get to know you better if you like, but if you think it will only make things weird, I would understand…." Before he could finish, Philomina flew forward and hugged his face, nuzzling the side of it, making Fluttershy clear away a tear before translating. "She says that she would love that very much and wanted to thank you for saying such pretty things to her." These actions were enough to warm the Prince's heart as he hugged her back delicately and scratched her back softly, earning a pleasant coo of approval from Philomina as they broke the hug. "But wait, I still don't get it, Aunty Celestia told me you were staying with Fluttershy for a while now, but I see you are perfectly fine. Why haven't you come back home, Philomena?" The Prince looked at her confused, making her squeal and ruffle her feathers in excitement before flying back to her nest, inviting the two to come closer. Once there, the Prince gasped when in the middle of the nest, Philomina showed them a single white egg with some flame patterns on its shell glistening in the light, making it look like it was made of crystal or even a diamond. "P-Philomina, you are gonna be a mother!?" The Prince looks back at her, matching her excitement as she nods eagerly. "Oh, it's more than that Blueblood, that right there is an heir egg," Fluttershy explained, gaining his attention. As she pulled a book from her saddleback and opened it, she started to look for a page in particular. "An heir egg?" Blueblood repeated slowly with a raised eyebrow as she nodded and showed him a picture of a phoenix-like Philomina and one with three feathers pulled back instead of the feathery crown she had, pointing at a red egg with the same flame patterns on it. "That is right, you see, as you can see when a female phoenix in the wild lays her eggs, they look just like this one in the picture." She then passed the book. "But when a Phoenix has been domesticated and adopted as a pet, their mating rituals change a tiny bit." She points at a series of sketches of Phoenix's nuzzling a pony, connected to an arrow going to the left, showing the birds flying, and behind it, there was a mountain, another arrow pointing downwards at two Phoenix's inside a heart, another with a nest of chick phoenix and one Phoenix waving goodbye at a departing phoenix and returning to the original image. "When mating season arrives, the Phoenix that has been adopted leaves home and flies to the west like any other bird in winter, to find a mate, create eggs, leave a legacy and then return to their Master. They are particularly prolific like that. Blueblood smiled and extended his hoof, scratching Philomina's stomach. "No male can tame you, right, Philomena? No, you are a free spirit, destined to fly free and wild, aren't you?" He half-joked, half complimented, as she squeaks in delight with some heat on her cheeks as she moved and nuzzled his face appreciating the affection. "She is mostly agreeing and thanking you for the compliment. "Fluttershy translated with a smile at the display before clearing her throat. "Anyway, this is the part I wanted to show you." She flipped to the next page showing the white egg on top of a phoenix and a pony inside a heart next to the same egg, now red with the same image but with a colt holding said egg and an arrow connecting the two. "If the male of the species is the pet when this process happens, he usually brings a mate to join the family of the pony, but if it is the female. During one of their mating trips, they create what is called an heir egg. A special egg that they lay away from their owners to nurture until it's time to hatch. These eggs are special because they represent a deep connection. You see, as the name implies, the chick that will be born from this egg isn't meant to be for their owners but rather the descendants of their owners. A phoenix to look after the next generation as a final show of affection and gratitude to the owner that took such good care of the previous generation. That way, when the owners die, the Phoenix leaves and returns to the wild, and their descendant takes the role of looking after the next generation." "Wow, wait, but that doesn't make any sense; why would you lay an egg? Aunt Celestia doesn't have a kid of her own, or is even dating or anything…right?" "I actually don't know." She put the book away. "Lots of researchers have tried to understand how the phoenix knows before hoof, but none have figured out how or why, but the Phoenix simply knows when the owner will have an heir, so they go search for a mate or lay an egg before that happens and said egg then could take months or even years before it hatches as they prepare." She looks back at the white egg. "It will usually change color when the heir is ready to receive it. By then, the Phoenix will fly off to bring both to her nest and share the news." Philomina chirped in happiness as her feathers ruffled again. "Man, can she even be more adorable?" Blueblood remarked, causing the bird to chortle and look away, squawking in contentment. "That's why she has been staying with me recently. The time hasn't arrived yet, but when it does. Philomina asked me to take care of her egg while she brought Celestia and her heir to the nest." The bird nodded and then went back to sit on the egg. "So that is why." The Prince nodded with a smile before approaching Philomina. "I understand, don't worry, Philomina. I will keep this a secret and will tell my auntie that you are well and good and will come back when you are ready." He then got closer to her face. "And even if this isn't my place to assume, if this means what I think it means, I will do my utmost to be worthy of such an incredible gift." She squeaked softly and closed her eyes while nuzzling his face and neck before he pulled back and turned to look at Fluttershy. "Please take good care of her Fluttershy. She is a good friend." "You can count on me, both of you. Until the time comes, Philomena can stay here as long as she needs." She approached the bird in question with a smile. "And if you wish to visit the Princess before its time, you can count on me to look after your egg while you are gone." Philomena cooed and nodded, in thanks for the offer, before waving goodbye to the two with one of her wings as they left and returned to the entrance of her cottage. "I still can't believe it, a Phoenix, a real-life Phoenix!" Blueblood exclaimed, expressing his growing emotions, "She was even more magnificent and majestic than I could have ever imagined." "I'm so glad to hear that. I still can't believe I forgot that Philomena would also recognize your change, but I'm glad everything turned out fine. You two became fast friends." Fluttershy replied with a smile of her own, stopping briefly when some of her kittens came up to her demanding attention. This made her giggle and rub their backs as they nuzzle at her. "Oh, you and I both Fluttershy, I still can't believe it! I am friends with a Phoenix! You have no idea how many years I have dreamed of seeing one, let alone, HUG one!" "Well, I'm happy to hear I was able to help you fulfill your…HMPH!" The Prince couldn't help himself and, in his excitement, got closer to kiss her cheek in gratitude. Unfortunately, she was in the process of turning around to look at him, causing their lips to connect for a solid minute, causing her feathers to ruffle, her left rear leg to lift into the air involuntary and wings to go stiff until the kiss ended and the Prince went ahead. "Thank you again for the sleepover and the practice meeting Fluttershy! You are the best!" Blueblood called, waving at her, not realizing what he just did before practically prancing his way to town. "Your…welcome," Fluttershy muttered while slowly waving goodbye at him, trying to recover from the shock. So…that is how he felt, and by Celestia, what a kisser. She giggled uncontrollably for a second before going stiff, with wide eyes touching her lips as the realization of what she was doing dawned on her and blush as a result. Ever so slowly, she looked down to see a group of her animal friends looking equally surprised before starting to snicker and grin. "N…no, it is not! I'm sure! y-yes, I'm sure!" She denied going back to her cottage with a deep blush to calm down as they whistled at her, increasing her blush for whatever things she understood them to be saying. Behind them, hiding in a thicket, the silhouette of a dragon was also chuckling lightly. That will keep her mind busy, and my my, what a naughty mind. It always is the quiet ones. Two down. The figure looked in the direction the Prince went. Two to go.