Chapter Two: The Missing Prince
Twilight and her friends gaze in awe at me as Luna sets me down on the ground. I am a pure snow-white alicorn with deep midnight blue eyes. I shyly rake the ground with the shoes I am wearing. I am dressed in a suit that resembles that night and day together with the stars sparkling in the middle. Upon my head is a small crystal crown adorned with sparkling stars. while around my neck is a necklace with the sun and moon glistening brightly to the right and left, with the stars shining within the middle. On my feet are starlight shoes that glint in the light. My mane and tail are starlight in the golden light of the day. As Rainbow moves toward me, I run away and hide behind my big sister, Luna.
Luna giggles at my cute, shy antics and turns to the Mane Six as well as her niece and Shining Armor. Gently she nuzzles me with her head and speaks to me. Stroking me soothingly with her hoof my big sister, slowly moves me out from behind her with her wing. Smiling Luna stands beside me.
"Go on, little brother, say hello, she says nudging me. I shake my head and shyly hide with her wings. Luna sighs and folds up her wings, so I cannot hide. With a frightened little whinny, I run over to my other big sister and hide within her wings. Celestia, my other big sister nuzzles me with her head and shakes her head, folding her wings. Then her and Luna nuzzle me affectionately before nudging me forward. "Come on, Astrello dear, you can do it. Come on," they say encouragingly.
Swallowing and shaking like a leaf, I walk away from my sisters and stand before the others. I rake the ground shyly and swish my mane. My eyes glisten in the light as I gaze back at my sisters. I take a deep breath and speak.
"Um, hello," I say shyly.
"Hello there little prince," the others says smiling as they move forward.
In response, I give a little foalish squeal of terror, before running back over to my big sisters and hiding within Luna's unfolded wing, gazing shyly out at the strangers.
Fluttershy giggles and speaks.
"Oh my he's even more shy than I am. Of course I think this makes him even more adorable," she says to the others.
Twilight and the others nod. Then Twilight speaks.
"Perhaps we should slowly introduce ourselves one by one so as to make it easier for him," she suggests to her friends.
The others nod and reply.
"That sounds like a good idea Twilight."
Rainbow slowly advances toward me and speaks gently to me.
"Hey little one, why don't you come on out. I promise everything will be alright," she says.
I nuzzle my big sister, Luna and slowly step out from under her wing. I trot over to Rainbow and gaze up at her with a small smile. I rake the ground nervously as I wonder what she will do next.
Rainbow gently scoops me up in her hooves and nuzzles me with her head.
"Well hello there you little squirt, I'm Rainbow Dash, the best and fastest flier in all of Equestria. What's your name, little one," she says stroking me.
"I'm Astrello. It's really nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash," I say nuzzling her back.
Rainbow Dash smiles and carries me over to the others with my big sisters Luna and Celestia following behind. Then the rainbow-maned Pegasus mare starts introducing me to her friends.
"This is my mare friend, Twilight Sparkle, she says pointing her hoof at the purple unicorn. She is the librarian for the Ponyville Library, where she lives. She loves to read, learn new things and is just a great friend. This is my mare friend, Rarity, she says pointing to a snow-white unicorn with violet mane. She is a clothing designer and owns her own boutique in Ponyville. "This is my mare-friend Applejack, she says pointing to a orange earth pony with yellow mane. She is part of the Apple Family and her family owns Sweet Apple Acres. He also is a great athlete like me." This goes on for a little while longer until Rainbow Dash has introduced me to all her friends, including Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. After the Mane Six as well as Shining Armor and Cadence spend some time with me, Rarity breaks the silence.
"So all these years you were only acting," she asks.
Luna and Celestia shakes their heads.
"No, no of course not, what you saw was the truth. We buried our pain within us. We couldn't and didn't want to make our friends worry about us, so we wore masks to hide this. We are sorry we deceived you, my friends. We should have told you about all of this," the Princesses' say bowing their heads in shame.
Twilight however shakes her head and speaks.
"You didn't deceive us, Princesses. You hid a great pain that would be far too much for anyone, let alone you two to bare. You had every right to do what you did to make us believe that you were happy. It was better for us to believe that you and your sister, Luna were fine, than to know about Astrello and your painful past," the unicorn says embracing the Princesses.
Luna lifts her head and dries her tears with a handkerchief that she has, before speaking.
"Thank you Twilight for that, but we did. We made you believe that we were fine, when we were not," Luna says firmly.
Twilight shakes her head.
"How was it deceiving us when it was something that we didn't need to know or should have known. Also it was fine to hide something as painful as losing your little brother from us, I'm sure any one of us would have done the same. There is nothing to feel ashamed about princesses," the unicorn mare princess says.
Luna and Celestia look at one another and then back to the Twilight and the others.
"Still you all deserve an explanation to as why you have not heard about our dearest little brother, Astrello," the two say.
Swallowing Luna and Celestia look at each other before my big sister, Luna and her nod.
Rainbow cradles my little form in her hooves and gives an adoring awe as I yawn and fall asleep in her hooves.
"Awe, look the little guy is fast asleep in my hooves. Isn't he so precious," she says running a free hoof through my snow-white mane as she cradles me with the other.
Fluttershy walks over and smiles, nuzzling Rainbow.
"He sure is, Dashie, she says standing beside the rainbow-maned pegasus mare.
Rarity join them and gazes down at me.
"He's so small and yet so beautiful," she says nuzzling my little form.
Applejack removes her hat and gallops over.
"That there prince is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, don't you think so Twilight," she replies.
Twilight nods and as she gazes down at me her eyes shine as she speaks.
"He sure is. He's unlike anything that I have even seen. I've read about a pure snow-white alicorn prince in this book, the unicorn mare princess says holding out, The Sun, Moon and Stars with her magic, but he was just seen as a myth. I never thought that I'd ever see him for real," she says excitedly.
The others nod and Applejack speaks for all of them.
"Nor did we, but here he is and here we are," Applejack says.
Rainbow smiles brightly.
"I can't believe that I'm actually holding the very Astrello from the greatest fairytale ever. This is so awesome," she says excitedly.
The others nod in agreement.
"Yes, Rainbow this is awesome," they reply.
My big sister, Luna walks over to Rainbow Dash and nudges her with her head.
"Rainbow dear, would you mind taking Astrello elsewhere, while we talk. He is very sensitive about it and we wouldn't want to hurt him anymore than he already is. If you wish to stay and hear the tale, you can hoof him over to one of them, over there, she says pointing to the main door. A black unicorn mare with midnight blue mane stands guard beside it. You know the first one already, her name is Midnight and she as well as the other one. the chestnut brown pegasus stallion with golden mane, who is called Lightfoot, are members of our personal guard. They will probably tuck him back in bed again. Our little brother has had a very bad day and could probably use the rest. It is up to you however, Rainbow," Luna says gazing into her crimson eyes.
Rainbow looks down at me in her hoof and then back at my big sister, Luna.
"Actually I think I'll stay with your little brother, a while longer. The others can tell me all about it later. I want to spend some more time with the little prince, if that's alright with you, Princess," the rainbow-maned pegasus mare asks.
My big sister, Luna smiles and nuzzles the mare with her head. Her eyes glisten brightly in the golden rays of the sun. She swishes her mane before replying.
"Anything you want is fine with me, Rainbow, she says. Have fun with our little brother. We'll let you know when it is safe to return to the others," my big sister, Luna says before returning my other big sister, Celestia's side.
"I have no doubt that I will, Rainbow says stroking me with a hoof. Well I'll see you later, Luna. Later girls," she says waving to the others.
"Later, Rainbow. Have fun. We'll tell you everything later, we promise," her friends say together.
Rainbow trots off toward the Royal Garden with me cuddled securely in one of her hooves.
As soon as she vanishes from sight, Luna and Celestia turn to the others, beckoning them to follow them as they trot off deeper into the palace. The others follow close behind wanting to know all about me, the Princesses' little brother, that was lost to them for so long. Why did the Princesses' have to hide this secret for so long. They were soon to discover this for themselves.