//------------------------------// // The Power of the Sea // Story: The Lost Prince of the Sea // by Cursory Note //------------------------------// Aecorum walked slowly through the dark streets of Canterlot, being careful to keep his hoof steps as quiet as possible. Ever since Fauntleroy’s funeral, Aecorum had followed Royal Protocol more closely out of respect for his friend, but he still spent at least a few nights walking through the capital of Equestria before he was due for Night Court. So far it had been an average night; only one or two ponies had crossed his path, which made sense in the midnight hours, but suddenly he stopped, pricking his ears towards a nearby alleyway. He took a few steps forward to make sure of what he heard, and quickened his pace when the sounds of soft whimpering became clear. He gasped softly when he saw a tiny yellow colt sleeping in the dirt, covered with burns and soot, whining pitifully. “The poor little foal…” Aecorum whispered softly before taking a step closer and looking up towards the moon. “Protect his dreams, Luna. I will take him home.” He carefully used his magic to put his dark cloak over the colt as a blanket and knelt down, facing the foal. Aecorum’s horn lit softly and he bent his head forward, touching the colt’s forehead with the glowing tip of his horn. Instantly, Aecorum felt the familiar sensation of being sucked into a void as his vision went black and he saw the foal’s first memory: Being held as a newborn by his mother, a soft pink mare, while a disheveled yellow stallion smiled on warmly. Aecorum nodded and passed through the white barrier to another memory, he was only using a fraction of his power so he remained a solitary observer in the foal’s mind. He could have chosen to bring the colt’s consciousness with him through the memories, but Aecorum thought that little Firefly needed rest. Aecorum traveled from one memory to the next, memories of birthdays and Hearth’s Warming Eves and all the days of Firefly’s short life, searching for the most recent memories to explain how he came to be in that dark alley. He found that Firefly lived in a moderately wealthy family in East Canterlot, his mother was named Delicate Tone and his father was Gifted Suit. Finally Aecorum came to a memory that broke his heart and unfortunately explained everything. Aecorum saw flames. Flames that were writhing and tearing into the wood of Firefly’s home, leaving nothing but ash in their wake. Aecorum gasped as the hall before him collapsed and Delicate Tone fell to the bottom floor, luckily he saw her get up and shout towards him. “Get out! Go! NOW!” Her voice was panicked and her eyes wide with alarm. Aecorum looked down and saw Firefly standing next to him, who flinched as a spout of fire sprang up where Aecorum was ‘standing’. Firefly ran towards the stairs at the end of the hall, bumping into sooty walls and dodging falling beams. Aecorum followed him to the halfway landing of the stairway, where Firefly was now trapped on either side by walls of flame. Gifted Suit was standing at the bottom, limping on a twisted ankle and looking up fearfully at his son. “Firefly! Jump! Do not be afraid of the fire, I will catch you! JUMP TOWARDS ME NOW!” Gifted Suit extended his forelegs towards his son and Firefly started to run to the edge but the wall of fire leapt up twenty feet and the colt screamed in terror before turning around and blindly jumping through the window that led into the street. Aecorum appeared behind Firefly as he ran as fast as he could in no particular direction. The tears in the foal’s eyes streamed along his soot covered face as the fire that threatened to destroy his house at any moment illuminated the streets until he turned a corner and the light died. He ran and ran until he finally collapsed in a dark alley and cried his eyes out in sheer terror. Eventually Firefly cried himself to sleep and the memory faded to blackness, leaving Aecorum to end the spell and return to the present. Aecorum’s eyes opened and he saw that Firefly had stopped whimpering and actually had a hint of a smile on his dreaming face. “Thank you, Luna.” Aecorum whispered. Aecorum gently picked up Firefly and wrapped his cloak tighter around the colt, before nestling him in the space between his wings, spreading them to ensure that Firefly wouldn’t fall. He knew that the house wasn’t too far away so he decided to walk, rather than fly. It only took about ten minutes of walking before Aecorum saw the Canterlot Fire Brigade attempting to put out the last of the fire. Aecorum slowed his pace as he saw a burned and bruised stallion attempting to fight past the Brigade and into the house, shouting and shoving. “My son! My SON IS STILL IN THERE! LET ME THROUGH!” “Sir, I need you to remain calm, once the fires have been completely extinguished we will search the house for your-” “FIREFLY! FIREFLY CAN YOU HEAR ME?!” Gifted Suit tried to push past again and Aecorum spoke softly but firmly. “Hush now. A child is sleeping.” Aecorum was using the Royal Canterlot Voice but at a much lower volume to avoid waking the sleeping foal nestled on his back. Everypony except those putting out the fires dropped to their knees when they saw the prince standing before them. Gifted Suit snapped his head around to face Aecorum and ran up to him, eyes wide with fear. “Prince Aecorum! Please help me! Tell them to let me through to search for my son! He was in there when the fire started! His name is-” “Firefly. We know, Gifted Suit.” Gifted Suit took a step back in shock and the fear in his eyes was replaced by eager hope. Aecorum smiled warmly and motioned to his back with his head. Gifted Suit rushed to the bundle on the alicorns back and laughed with relief when he saw Firefly curled up in the cloak, fast asleep. Aecorum knelt down and Gifted Suit gently touched his foal’s forehead. He whispered softly with fear in his voice “Fly? Can you hear me?” He stroked Firefly’s mane and Firefly’s eyes flickered open. He rubbed his little eyes and blinked slowly “Papa?” Gifted Suit’s eyes glistened with tears of joy as he hugged his son “Yes, yes I am here, it is alright.” He put Firefly on his back and limped back over to face Aecorum. Firefly gaped in wonder at the prince and wrapped his forelegs around his father’s neck, hiding his face behind Gifted Suit’s sooty mane. Aecorum smiled and cocked his head at Firefly “Thou hast no reason to fear us, Firefly. Thou didst help us bring thee home to thy father.” Firefly nodded and Gifted Suit looked up at Aecorum with tears in his eyes, saying nothing but showing his gratitude through his smile. Aecorum smiled again and nodded, before his eyes glinted with an idea. He levitated his cloak off his back and put it over Firefly’s; although it was so large it covered both ponies. Gifted Cloak’s jaw dropped in surprise as he ran his hoof along the expensive black fabric with tiny gold and silver embroidered designs all over it, so subtle they were almost invisible. Firefly snuggled closer to his father, falling back to sleep, and Gifted Suit started to speak but Aecorum raised his hoof. Gifted nodded and smiled, beaming at the alicorn stallion who simply nodded in return and gently took off into the night sky, heading towards the castle. --- Aecorum smiled as he levitated a forkful of hay into his mouth. He had just finished telling Celestia and Luna about his night’s adventure and was very satisfied at the expressions on their faces. Celestia laughed “Aecorum, you never cease to amaze me.” Aecorum waved his hoof “Did we not accept this position to help ponies? I was simply helping young Firefly.” Luna smiled “Still, to give your hoofstitched cloak to a colt whom you had never even seen before is quite something.” Aecorum smiled warmly at Luna “But we must remember that his mind was most troubled when I entered his memories, and yet when I returned, he dreamt with a smile. Your power grows each day, High Princess of the Night.” Luna’s cheeks grew slightly pink “Thank you.” She took another bite of her breakfast before turning to Celestia. “Is there anything important happening today, Sister?” “I do not think so. I am reasonably sure it is just open court in the morning and then a meeting with a few planners for the Grand Galloping Gala.” The two other alicorns nodded then a blue unicorn mare came in and bowed, levitating a few letters onto the table before walking out again. Aecorum picked up the letters and Celestia asked “Anything interesting?” Aecorum laughed “I will not know until I read them, Tia.” He opened the first one and quickly scanned over it before levitating it over to Celestia “It seems we are invited to attend the wedding of Lady Former Glory and Lord Steady Heart.” Luna cocked her head slightly “Former Glory…Is that not the granddaughter of Lord Fauntleroy?” Celestia nodded as she read the invitation “Indeed she is. Well, as far as I can remember there is nothing important going on that day, we should attend. I know I would enjoy it, how about you Luna?” Luna smiled and nodded “It would be nice to see Fauntleroy’s family again, and I always love a celebration. Let us attend!” Aecorum’s voice was low and worried as he spoke “I am afraid we will not have time. Look.” He put the letter he had been reading on the table in front of the two mares. They looked at each other in shock and Luna swallowed a lump in her throat. “Is this serious?” Aecorum nodded solemnly and Celestia said “It seems so…” The three alicorns stared at the gold writing on the red edged parchment just above the seal of King Ironbeak as they tried to understand what had just happened with this one scrap of paper. Griffonia had declared war on Equestria. --- Aecorum sighed as Celestia and Luna almost galloped up to him on one of the larger castle balconies. He turned to face them and cringed slightly when he saw their faces, eyes wide with alarm and confusion as they looked at the titanium armor covering his body and the Equestrian Seal engraved on his breastplate. “Aecorum, is it true?” Celestia’s voice was panicked and filled with concern. “Yes Tia, it is.” Luna shook her head earnestly “No. No Aecorum, you cannot!” Aecorum sighed again “I am sorry Luna, but I must.” Celestia put her hoof on her mouth before asking “But why?” “You know why just as well as I do. Luna, Tia, I have to go. It is my duty to Equestria.” Aecorum’s voice was sad but firm. Luna took a step forward “Then at least let us come with you!” Aecorum shook his head quickly and his voice grew stern “Absolutely not! I am not going to risk the two of you getting hurt!” “But Aecorum, we are immortal!” Celestia’s eyes pleaded with Aecorum. “I do not care! There is no way I am going to let either of you come with me!” Aecorum’s voice grew slightly in volume and Luna was on the verge of tears. “But you cannot go, Equestria needs you here. I need you here. Please, please stay.” Aecorum turned to Luna and his voice got softer “Luna, Equestria needs you. You and Tia are needed here to help everypony who stays; I am needed alongside the soldiers.” Celestia swallowed a lump in her throat “Aecorum…” Aecorum smiled warmly at the mares “It is like you said, I am immortal. I will be fine and I will come back.” “Then why can we not…” Aecorum gently put a hoof on Celestia’s mouth. “I know you two are immortal, but who knows what weapons the griffons may use? If there is any chance of them having a way to harm us, I will take it upon myself a thousand times before letting either of you anywhere near it.” His voice grew slightly firmer as he wrapped his wings around his friends and continued “I promised your father that I would protect you two no matter what, and I intend on keeping that promise.” Celestia and Luna hugged Aecorum and Celestia nodded while a single tear fell down Luna’s cheek and onto Aecorum’s coat. He pulled back and kissed each of them on the forehead before turning around and leaping off the balcony to lead a platoon of pegasi warriors to the front lines. --- Aecorum sighed sadly as his thoughts wandered to the War. He had never told Celestia or Luna some of the more…Gruesome details of his experiences on the front lines of the Equestrian Army or his short time as a prisoner of King Ironbeak and he was glad he didn’t. He had once again wandered to the Sky Cavern, as he called it, and looked up at the Mare in the Moon before sighing again. He thought of Celestia’s and Luna’s father, the greatest stallion that Aecorum had ever known, and felt shame sink his heart. “Aecorum, it is time for my wife and I to leave this world.” “What? But what about Tia and Luna?” “They are strong, beautiful mares, each one with more power within them than they now realize. Our time is over, Aecorum, and yours is just about to begin.” The powerful stallion looked down firmly but warmly at Aecorum. “But there is one thing I would ask of you.” Aecorum nodded eagerly “I will be glad to do anything you ask.” “Good. I need you to promise me that you will protect them. You are the eldest, and even though you are not of my blood, I have always thought of you as my son. Take care of my daughters, Aecorum. Regardless of what may come to pass, promise me you will keep them safe.” His eyes were earnest and strong. “I will.” Aecorum straightened up and spoke proudly with determination in his eyes. “I swear that no matter what happens, I will gladly sacrifice my life to protect both of them from any and every danger.” Aecorum hung his head in shame as he shook his head and whispered softly “I swore I would protect her, and I failed. I failed you, and I failed them. I am sorry, my Lord. I am so, so sorry…”