//------------------------------// // Meet the family-Part 2 // Story: Ties of Family // by The ancient one //------------------------------// “Alright...today's the day...” I said, staring at myself in a rivers reflection. My body felt heavy, like my legs were to collapse at any moment. I lifted my horn and channeled my magic into the water, the magic ran deep down, all the way to the bottom. I forced my magic deeper, past the ground into a sphere held in place by stone grips. The river froze, like time had stopped, and split apart. The ground cracked and broke apart with the sphere rising from the ground. The sphere was made of a thin glass, covered in gold designs. It shined brighter than the sun, and gave life to the surrounding area. Sprouting flowers and bringing to life the spirit of whatever animal happened to be around. I bowed my head. “Who are you? And why have I been resurrected, young changeling?” the sphere asked. “I am Variance, heir to the changeling throne. And I have brought you back because...it is my time.” I lifted my head. “Ah, welcome young prince. You've come in preparation for your grand day, haven't you?” “I have.” “But you are not ready, are you?” The sphere's light got brighter, and bent it's shape to mirror me. I looked “You come here with a sense of duty, but it is not of your own accord, is it?” “To be honest, I don't want this day to happen...I'd rather my mother keep control. I've no problems in being a prince.” my eyes drifted towards the waters, “I'll have to become an amazing warrior, a magnificent ruler, a calculated strategist and so much more...I don't know if I can do it...” “The responsibility you face is great, but fear not, for I will prepare you for this day as I have done for all who came before.” the mirror image of me grew taller, my horn larger and a crown placed upon my head. “I will turn you into a king like no other. I promise you.” the light version of me exploded, and I was blinded. The energy flowed around me, and I could feel something. I didn't understand what, but it was incredible. The light changed, it grew darker and melted to the ground. I heard a voice, whispering calling out for me. “Where are you...?” the stone claws released the orb reached for me. I ran out of the way and and watched as the world started to crumble. The sky, the water, even the air itself, all shattering and falling into an infinite void. “It's a dream...” I said. “Where are you?” the voice roared, shaking the already unstable ground beneath me. I sank into the ground, being pulled by what felt like fangs piercing me. “You can't hide it, I will rip it from your very skull if I have to.” I fell out of the ground and into the void, where two large intense purple eyes made themselves known. I tried to look away but I couldn't, some force was holding my eyes in place. I looked deep into them and for every second I did, I felt like I lost a little bit of my own mind. My own soul. “That's right, don't resist, just let me—” Light of gold, brilliant raspberry and dark blue broke through the void and surrounded me, forming a shield. “What? No! that's impossible! Who is protecting you!?” The shield sent out a wave of magic and broke the eyes into pieces. With that, I woke up screaming in a bed with Celestia, Luna, and Twilight standing above me. Their horns and eyes glowing and their expressions filled with righteous rage. “Variance, are you alright?” Celestia asked. “I'm fine...” I said, flying up to her and holding on to her neck. “Who was that?” Twilight asked. “I don't know, but to use dream magic to pull information from someone, they must be very advanced.” Luna replied. “We were lucky Luna checked on him when she did, otherwise it could have been much worse.” Celestia said. “It was Marzena...one of my aunts...” I said, gripping Celestia tighter. “She's dream hunting...” “Dream hunting?” I nodded. “She's running through the dream world looking for my mental signature. Once she finds it, she'll...” I grit my teeth and buried my face in Celestia's neck. “Variance, I thought you said family means everything to changelings. Why would your own aunt try to hurt you?” Twilight asked. “My aunts hate one another, but more than anything they hate me for being my mother's son. Marzena was the worst. And even though they hated me, they always warned me about her whenever we met.” I replied. “She's that dangerous?” “Marzena feeds on the consciousness of other creatures. Everything that makes you who you are is a meal to her. Once she's done, you become no more aware than a rock. There's a story that my subjects tell around burning villages.” Twilight cocked her head back, her brows raised and her ears dropped. She raised a hoof and opened her mouth to say something, But Celestia quickly closed it. “It's about how Marzena rampaged through the land, feeding on anything she could find as a rebellion against my mother being crowned the queen. She killed off hundreds of innocent creatures, and thousands of changelings. She kept healing herself by attacking changelings or any being unfortunate enough to cross paths with her. My mother was exhausted, battered and bruised but she somehow kept fighting, resisting Marzena's feeding through sheer willpower alone. The battle lasted three whole days, my mother was able to force her into submission and with broken bones, wounded flesh, and drained will, stood victorious. For her treason against the throne, she was banished to the eternal chambers. A place where you're forced to live out the worst memories of other changelings for all eternity. I don't know how she got out, but now that my mother's gone-” “She's free to rampage looking for you...Celestia this is terrible.” Twilight said. I let go of Celestia and landed infront of her. “You promised to decide on finding my mother today. And now we don't have much time, what's your decision?” She closed her eyes and said, “You understand that if I do this, I may have to battle your mother again one day. And if that happens...” she looked at me. “You'll be in the war too.” “I do...” I dragged a hoof across the ground. “I see.” she opened her wings and stood valiantly. “Variance, prince of the changeling kingdom. Your request has been considered greatly, and it is with all my authority that I deem your request...denied.” “What!?” “And furthermore, you are to be held prisoner within the walls of my kingdom. Never shall you leave until the day you perish!” “Celestia,” Twilight called, confused. “What are you doing?” “Yeah, Celestia! What are you doing?! I trusted you!” I tried to run past her, but she teleported me back where I was. “Understand that this is for the good of everyone.” she shot out a beam of magic into my chest and I fell back into unconsciousness. Marzena hadn't attacked again that night. I awoke in the library, a spiral of books surrounding everything. “What happened?” I asked myself, rubbing my temples. And then it hit me. “CELESTIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” I roared, my magic surging through the room. I launched myself into the air and broke through the ceiling with a pillar of fire. It swirled and morphed into a spear as I flew high into the sky and divebombed into the main palace. I smashed into the ground, my hooves breaking through the tile floor and the force shaking the castle itself. The fire lashed out scorching the walls. I turned my tail into a the head of a dragon, roaring and snorting fire ready to devour whatever I chose. “CELESTIA!! I WILL—” I saw a white unicorn with a blue mane and a lighter blue stripe through it and my magic, everything I was going to say and do, had stopped instantly. The unicorn had blue eyes, his cutie mark was a shield with a small star on it. “Uhh...” “I guess this is him?” He said. Celestia, sitting in her throne, nodded. The unicorn walked up to me and said, “Hey there, little guy. I...I guess I'm your dad.” I retreated and started walking back. I was too afraid to speak to him. “Hey, it's alright.” he said in a calming voice. “I'm not going to hurt you.” “You...you're...” “Go on.” “You're my...” he nodded. “Dad?” “Yeah. I am.” I jumped onto him and held him tight. I held him as though I were going to lose him. Tears streamed down my face and I grit my teeth trying to hold them back. “There we go, just let it all out.” he said wrapping a hoof around me. “I heard about how you thought I'd react. What do you think?” I pulled away and looked him straight in the eye. No malice, no hate, no ill-will. I teared up again. “It's fine.” I said before clinging back onto him. “Everything's fine.” “Glad to hear it, champ.” I must have spent the next half hour crying my eyes out. But he was there comforting me every moment of it. Once I finally calmed down and cleared my eyes of liquid pride, I saw a pink alicorn standing next to Celestia with a gentle smile on her face. She had a mane shifting from rose, to pale gold, to dark violet. Her eyes were purple and filled with kindness. “Who is that?” I asked pointing at her. Shining Armor looked at her and then back at me and said, “You don't know who she is?” “Nope.” “Really?” The alicorn said. “I'm Cadence, your fathers wife...so I guess I'm your step-mother.” I looked to Shining Armor. “I didn't know you got married recently.” “We've been married for five years.” “Really? I never heard of you.” Cadence's face shifted halfway between annoyed and bemused. “Steals my stallion, bears his kid and I don't even get a mention?” she grumbled to herself. Shining Armor laughed a bit, trying to cover his chuckles. “Don't worry about it sweetie, he's here now so you can get to know him. But, you'll have to wait until after me.” he picked me up by my horn and held me in his hoof upside down. “Fatherly dibs.” he said trotting out of the room, me still in hoof. “Yay~” I said, wiggling my hooves. “So little guy, what would you like to do?” “Hmmm” I said rubbing my chin. “I have the perfect Idea!” “There should be a limit for how intensely you can hate something, but so far, I'm not finding it.” Twilight said in my gigantic claw. “Come on, Twilight, play along.” Luna pleaded from my other claw. She snarled and said, “Fine.” she cleared her throat and said, “Oh please, oh please! Someone help me, for whatever shall I do against such a horrid beast!” “Let them go, Malthazeer!” Shining Armor said, dressed in his old knight attire, a spear aimed at me. “Do not make me slay you again!” “Bwahahaha! Foolish little pony, I have captured both the princesses of harmony! Their power is mine! My power is unlimited!” I roared, currently a giant dragon. Shining Armor shot a magic beam towards my chest, the magic bounced off and hit the ground. “Still you challenge me? I shall show you the futility of your life!” I breath out a sea of green fire towards him. He conjured a shield around himself and the fire passed over him. I cackled. Shining armor fell to the ground, panting. “He's too strong, there's no way I can win!” he said. Twilight said in a monotone, “Oh no, it seems our valiant knight has failed us, we are surely doomed. “No, not yet!” Luna enthusiastically replied. “Brave knight! You must use the master spell!” “But I do not know if I have enough strength!” “We believe in you! Don't we, Princess?” Twilight wasn't paying attention. “Princess?” she was staring off into the distance, a solemn look on her face. “Princess!” “Yes?” she said, finally snapping out of it. “We believe in our great knight, don't we?” “Yes...I guess we do.” I cackled, “Your faith is misplaced, girls, watch as I prove it!” I lifted my giant foot and stomped down where Shining Armor stood. “Knight!” Luna gasped. “Oh no...” Twilight said. From between my toes came a shining light, a blue magic shot forth from it and struck me in the chest. I let Twilight and Luna go and fell on my back. “Impossible!” “Now, your majesties!” Shining Armor shouted. Twilight's and Luna's horn started to glow and Shining Armor shot off another bolt of magic into the sky. Luna and Twilight mixed it with their own bolts and it fell down and struck me. “Nooooo!” “Back to your dark pit, evil one!” they all shouted, except Twilight, she yawned it. With that, a large pillar of fire shot high into the clouds. Shining Armor stood tall, chest out and Luna and Twilight by his side. I hopped out of the fire pillar, normal, bouncing towards them. “That was fun!” Twilight patted me on the head and gave me a small smile. “I guess it was.” she gave an angry glare to Luna and Shining Armor before walking away. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked. “No, Variance, she's just upset.” Luna replied. “About what?” “It's nothing, I'll go talk to her.” Luna trotted off. “So, now what?” I asked my father. He turned around and looked at the smoldering ash from Celestia's gardens. “I think you should go inside, Cadence probably wants to spend some time with you too.” he cleared his throat, his eyes to and fro the garden. He smiled. “Ok!” I said. As I made my way back inside, I happened across Luna and Twilight. They were arguing about something. I hid behind the castle door and watched them in the throne room. “You can't honestly expect me to be ok with this, can you!?” Twilight shouted. “I understand how you feel but we don't have a choice.” Luna defended. “No choice? No, there was no choice when you became Nightmare Moon, there was no choice when we sealed Discord, but this? This is madness, Luna! And you stand before me with a straight face, like it doesn't even matter. You didn't utter a single word against the decision, you acted as though we have no choice!” “Because we don't, Twilight. This is how it has to be, if Celestia says-” “Don't get me wrong, I respect you both. You're always so wise and helpful, you aren't infallible, there could be another way!” “Well, what would you have us do? And what if you were wrong? Could you take that chance?” Twilight was silent. “It happens tonight. If things go right, then you won't have anything to worry about.” Twilight sighed. “I can't believe what we're bout to do.” she looked to Twilight. “How can I live with myself. ” “The same as the rest of us...a day at a time. It hurts...I know, but it's for the best.” “Do you think he'll forgive us?” “Of course, he'll be happier this way...he has to be.” “Is that the lie you tell yourself to bear this burden?” “It's not a lie if you don't know the truth.” “What are they talking about?” I whispered to myself. “Twilight said something about a decision, did she mean the one Celestia made?” I thought about how Celestia simply decided to ignore my plea for help, and decided to keep me prisoner. It made my blood boil. I calmed myself down and walked inside, asking where Cadence was. Twilight didn't look at me, she turned and walked away. “Auntie Twilight?” She stopped for a brief moment and ran off. “She'll be alright, Variance, she just has something on her mind.” “Alright.” I said, pretending to be somewhat oblivious. “Where's Cadence? Dad said he wanted me to spend some time with her.” “I believe she's with my sister.” “And where's she?” “Probably overseeing tonight's celebration.” I tilted my head. “Celebration? What for?” Luna chuckled. “You'll see.” she lifted me onto her back. “Come on, let's find my sister.” It was weird how quickly Luna warmed up to me, not too long ago she wanted me gone, now she's treating me like her own. Something was off, I wasn't sure what, but something didn't feel right.