Golden Crown was a tall strong alicorn with long golden hair (hence the name). As the younger sibling of Princess Cadence, he had a lot of work to do if he'd ever get the same amount of spotlight as his sister. Though his brother- in -law was the recently slain Shining Armor, Golden Crown was still determined to end the war he'd been against from the start. Strangely, the headmasters of the school had called him down to the office. Taking a deep breath, Golden Crown opens the door.
Sometime later, Golden Crown screams "What do you mean you're expelling me?!" cried Golden Crown to the headmasters of the local Canterlot College.
The headmasters looked away with a solemn look. Then one of them began to speak. "We're sorry Golden Crown; we feel that it is best, that you leave the Academy immediately." The headmasters handed Golden Crown a paper notice to vacate the academy within 24 hours.
"But sirs and madams" Golden Crown was in tears now, he'd never expected to be expelled from school. Now his bright future was falling apart."I don't…. understand why."
One of the headmasters handed him a stack of the essays that Golden Crown had written. "These are the reasons why." Said one of the head masters. "Your anti-war essays seem to be riddled with… unpleasant remarks against the war effort. Furthermore…" one of the head mares lifted up a file on Golden Crown. "You seem to be quite the trouble maker, Golden Crown."
Golden Crown sat there in shock as they read all of his past anti-war actions "Throwing a rock at a soldier, calling him a foal killer. Staging protests against the war.. Golden Crown, the list just goes on and on. I'm sorry Golden Crown" The head master spoke, "I have no choice, but to expel you from the academy."
Gathering his stuff, Golden Crown moves out to leave the academy he was supposed to graduate from in only two months. "Perhaps my marefriend will let me stay with her." Golden Crown thought to himself. Walking up the stairs, Golden Crown knocks on his marefriend's door several times.
"All right! All right!" a female voice calls out from inside. "I'm coming... Just give me a sec". On the other side of the door, you could hear a lock being undone "CLICK" the door becomes unlocked and a young Pegasus answers the door. "Golden Crown … I didn't expect to see you."
"Hello Blue Feather" Golden Crown says and he greets his marefriend. Golden Crown moves in to kiss his marefriend, but is surprised as she turns away from him. "What's wrong feath?" Golden Crown asks as he tries to stroke Blue feather's hair.
"Golden Crown" Blue Feather says to her coltfriend. 'I… umm don't know how to say this … but… I heard what happened. I know you've been expelled. There is no future for me in you anymore, Gold."
Golden Crown tries assuring his apprehensive marefriend "Blue Feather, don't worry, I can go somewhere else, I can get a job-"Blue Feather waves her wings towards Golden Crown. "I'm sorry Gold, but …. We're through…" Golden Crown was shocked. Never did he think that he'd be expelled from school and losing his marefriend in the same day. "Blue Feather wait-"Blue Feather slams the door in his face rather rudely. "No Golden Crown. We are through. Leave!"
Seeing as how there was no one else to turn to, there was only one group of people left for Golden Crown to turn to… His parents.
Now Golden Crown was never attached to his parents. It was all about Cadence this and Cadence that. Though Golden Crown was the baby of the family, his parents devoted nearly all of their free time with Mi Amore Cadenza. Relations worsened over the years as Golden Crown took a more liberal view of politics, saying that Celestia (and with Luna's return) and Luna should give some of the power to the ponies. Golden Crown's father, Diamond Heart, was a diehard conservative. Graduating 1st in his class at the Royal Military Academy, Diamond Heart proved to be a capable military officer. Ambitious and driven, he married into royalty and went on to lead Equestria's army. Not only against the griffons. But also aiding in the defense of Canterlot against the Changeling invaders during his daughter's wedding. Currently he is leading the 1st Shock army against the PLR, meeting with success. Some ponies even claim that it will be Diamond Heart that would single handedly destroy the PLR. His relationship with his son died down, as his wife, the alicorn Princess Mi Amore Dite died, with Golden Crown failing to attend his own mother's funeral. To make matters worse for father and son, Golden Crown failed not only to attend his sister's wedding, but also his brother in law's funeral as well. Golden Crown knew he'd have to be very careful in his dialogue with his father.
"Ding Dong" Golden Crown presses his father's door bell. "Ding Dong". Golden Crown sighs a bit, wondering whether or not his dad was going to kill him for his recent expulsion from school.
The door opens revealing a depressed Cadence. Seeing her brother for the first time in years was hard for a pregnant Cadence to swallow.
"YOU!" Cadence calls out to her brother. "What do you want?!" Golden Crown looks away from Cadance "I'm sorry, Cadence, but-"Cadence cuts Golden Crown off right there. "How dare you show up now out of all the times. Did you show up for mother's funeral? No! Did you show up for my wedding? NO! And did you show up for my husband's funeral? WELL?!"
The enraged Cadence frightened Golden Crown, as he was used to a gentler Cadence. However, this time he faces an enraged, hormonal Cadence.
"No… I'm sorry for not attending the funeral Cadence." Golden Crown replies. "AND YOU SHOULD BE!" Cadence responds.
"Golden Crown" a deep voice calls out. "You're back." Cadence and Golden Crown look over to see none other than Diamond Heart walking towards them. "So I see my recently expelled son has returned. So you were too busy being a lazy quitter at the academy that even they expelled you."
"Father! I was expelled simply for speaking my mind! I do not think that we should even be at war!" Diamond heart glares at his son. "Ah so my son-in-law's death meant nothing to you, eh Golden Crown? Listen, the academy doesn't want you; I don't even want to see you again."
"You can do this to your son, father!" Golden Crown cries out to Diamond Heart. With one look in his eye, Diamond Heart coldly informs his son. "As far as I'm concerned… my son died, killed by the PLR."
Cadence also glares at Golden Crown. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." With that Cadence slams the door on Golden Crown's face.
Overwhelmed with misery, Golden Crown begins to cry as the sky gets darker. Clouds form and to make the situation even worse, it begins to rain heavily. "Fine! No one wants me anyways! I'm leaving! No one will miss me!"
Golden Crown takes off in flight. Flying as the rain strikes against his face. Not knowing where he was going, Golden Crown continues flying.
Meanwhile, at the PLR Everfree base.
"Umm sir, we have an alicorn flying over our air space. Permission to shoot him down?" asks a PLR surveillance operator.
"Negative... Do not engage… look he's landing now, what is he doing?" says a PLR commissar as he points towards the screen.
"This looks like a good spot to land" Golden Crown says to himself. Walking for a bit, he sees a tree perched on top of a hill. "At least they'll be glad I'm gone" Golden Crown says to himself, as he gets out of his bag a section of rope. Tying the rope around the tree branch, Golden Crown tests its strength. "Hmm this will be the one" Golden Crown says to himself.
Preparing to wrap the rope around his neck to make a noose. A voice calls out to him. "Stop!"
Startled, Golden Crown turns around to see a large hooded figure standing before him. "He's at least bigger than Celestia" Golden Crown says to himself.
"Ah, another lost soul drawn to the bounds of the Everfree forest. Tell me comrade, why do you choose to kill yourself?"
Golden Crown turned away from the hooded figure. "You don't understand! I'm going through too much. First, expulsion from school. Then comes my marefriend breaking up with me. Now my family turns their backs on me. I'm sorry but whoever you are, but I can't live anymore."
The hooded figure nods. "Ah, but you are an alicorn, that means you are royalty no doubt. Yet you wish to kill yourself? Now I've seen everything. The brother of Princess Cadence himself, wishing death? Never thought I'd see the day."
Golden Crown stammers away from the tree and the figure. "So you've heard of me?" The figure laughs. "Of course I do, your essays seem to speak for the calling down of Celestia's totalitarian rule of Equestria. I myself was a political science student years back. But it seems like during this time of war, the higher order of society wish to silence views sympathetic to their enemies. TSK TSk"
"Just leave me alone sir" Golden Crown polite fully asks the figure. "Let me die." The figure slowly approaches Golden Crown.
"Golden Crown you think you've had a difficult life. But… you know nothing. Let me explain, but listen for my time is limited. The PLR have surveillance all over this area. The PLR know we're here."
Hearing that the PLR were coming, Golden Crown panics. "Then why are we here?!" The hooded figure laughs "Hahaha, do not worry child, for as long as I am here, they will not harm either of us. Now sit down on the rock behind you and listen."
Looking behind him, Golden Crown sees a dry rock, big enough for him to sit on. Sitting down, Golden Crown listens to the hooded figure's story.
"I was born in a village deep in the mountains far from here." The figure began. "From sunrise to sunset, all ponies had to work in the coal mines in order to survive. My father led many strikes against the owner. In an effort to win support for our cause and have enough to eat... instead a team of strike breakers were sent into the village. The village was destroyed in the riot, it's citizens scattered. My father was killed, leaving my brother and I to fend for ourselves."
Golden Crown was shocked at what the stranger had told him. "Sir… I'm sorry." The hooded figure raised his hoof. "It gets worse, my brother and I traveled from town to town, city to city, looking for work. Eventually, we were recruited in the Equestrian military. We fought in the wars against the griffons. Promises were made throughout the war, made, but never kept. My ponies under my command were nearly all killed in Stalliongrad. You have nothing to complain of… but you have my sympathies…"
The two ponies looked around after they heard several crossbows cocked. "Click!" Golden Crown steps away slowly, but the hooded figure stops him. "Comrades, put your weapons down, he is one of us. He was betrayed, abandoned, and forgotten. Like the rest of us..." The hooded figure lifts his hood to reveal he is none other than Bucephalus himself.
"You! You're-!" Bucephalus smiles and nods his head. "Yes, it is I... The infamous Bucephalus leader of the PLR… now then… do you really wish to have nothing to live for… or … you could join the PLR, and have a purpose in life. We are always in need of more members."
Golden Crown looked away. If he joined the PLR, he'd be betraying Equestria. But… hadn'tEquestria and his loved ones turn his back on him?
"Yes, Bucephalus… I wish to join your cause." Golden Crown responds adamantly. "Good" Bucephalus replies… "Good, now then, let us return to base. We have much to discuss now… don't we comrade."
The PLR and Golden Crown return to a secure area, checking to make sure he hasn't been bugged or anything.
Inside Bucephalus' "Now.. Comrade" Bucephalus says to Golden Crown.. We need you to do one thing…"
Golden Crown sits up straighter in his seat. "Yes sir, anything…" Bucephalus hands Golden Crown a file on… "My father? Diamond Heart?" says Golden Crown I don't understand. "Comrade Golden Heart, I need you to give us the blueprints of his house and the area around it. Knowing my old subordinate in the army, he will be extremely paranoid and security will be tight… now then can you do that for us comrade.
Golden Crown looks Bucephalus in the eyes. "Yes… sir… I'll see what I can do."