//------------------------------//
// Chapter 86: Prince Stormwood 
// Story: Secrets of the Everfree 
// by PaisleyPerson 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 86
Prince Stormwood


“Charcoal!” Acrylic and Torchwood both shot forward as soon as Topaz had reversed the effects of the manticore venom.
“Hi,” he grinned, bracing himself for impact as their hooves collided with him. 
“Charcoal! You’re-”
“A destral,” Gilda dumbly finished.
“I was going to say ‘alive’, but sure, that too,” Winter shrugged.
“Wowie! You look like a prince, Charcoal!” Pinkie commented.
“Sweet armor,” Spectrum congratulated. 
“It’s that timberwolf I made,” Charcoal ran his hoof over the chest plate. “Only... I don’t know how to take him off.”
“Here,” Topaz’s magic removed the timberwolf, reforming him into the bouncy little pup Charcoal remembered. 
“Hi, boy!” Charcoal greeted, scratching his back in thanks. The timberwolf’s leaf-like tongue hung out of his jaws as his leg began to flap in pleasure.
“Oh my goodness, he’s so cute!” Fluttershy squealed, eagerly scooping up the pup. “Who’s a good doggy? You are! Yes, you are! What’s his name?”
“Ooh, guessing games!” Pinkie squealed. 
“I love guessing games!” Cheese gasped. “ Is it Leafy?”
“Thorny!”
“Twiggy!”
“Sticks!” 
“No, Stickster!”
“Ooh, I like it!” Pinkie declared.
“Stickster?” Whirl Pool and High Tide exchanged glances.
“I never got a chance to name him,” Charcoal confessed, taking the pup back from Fluttershy. “I kind of like... Brambles. Yeah, Brambles! Hi there, Brambles. Hey, Dad, can we keep him?”
“Ask your mother,” the stallion rolled his eyes in amusement. 
“I should hope you would say yes,” Essence prompted. “Once a carbuncle has given its gem to a pony, it is bound to him. And because that gem is now also bound to the timberwolf, he is in turn, bound to Charcoal. They now share an unspoken connection.”
“Hey, how’d you know the carbuncle gave me that gem? And where is the carbuncle, anyway?” Charcoal wondered. Hearing its name mentioned, the carbuncle popped up from the rubble where it had been hiding, along with the two sandfish.
“Sandfish!” Fluttershy gasped. “They’re so cute!” She then proceeded to zoom up and stroke the pair.
“A carbuncle!” Cadance exclaimed. “I’ve never seen one in real life! You know, carbuncles are the Crystal Empire’s national animal?”
“Maybe we should take it back with us, honey. You know, as a national symbol?”
“You mean as a pet?” she giggled. Shining Armor blushed.
“That too.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” she commented, stroking the mangy fox. “Though we’ll need to order you a trim once we get back home.”
“Returning to your inquiry, Charcoal, I knew this was your gem because this timberwolf is the only puppy here. Since he is bound to you, he shall age with you as well,” Essence went on with her explanation.
“Then how can I say no?” Acrylic knew she was already outvoted, and heaved a sigh of defeat. “Though, he might make Bandit jealous.”
“Oh! Speaking of whom...” Time Turner brought out a key ring, and pressed a button on it. An echo-ey, electronic noise rang through the castle halls. “Get it? I unlocked the TARDIS like a car. No? Anypony? Why doesn’t anyone ever think that’s funny?” he pouted. While they were trying to figure out the odd stallion, a quiet scampering was heard down the hall.
“Dookookook!”
“Hsss!” 
“Heckley!” Acrylic gladly accepted the snake as he slithered up her elbow. “How’d you get here?”
“They hitched a ride in my TARDIS,” Time Turner informed.
“TARDIS?” Torchwood sought clarification. Time Turner threw his hooves up.
“Your name is Torchwood! You of all ponies don’t know?”
“What has my name got to do with anything?”
“Nevermind.”
“A TARDIS is a police box that flies through time and space. Duh!” Pinkie clarified. “I break through the fourth wall sometimes,” she added more quietly to Cheese.
“Actually it’s a spaceship and time machine disguised as a police box, but you were close,” Ditzy said.
“Did I miss the part where somepony actually explained how Charcoal grew a horn?” Gilda still couldn’t get over the new appendage sticking out of his head.
“Topaz can explain it better than me,” Charcoal passed the responsibility onto the crystal pony, as he was already preoccupied with getting Bandit and Brambles used to each other.
“Well...” she began. “As a changeling, I was not getting enough love, so I resorted to feeding on negative energy through a siren’s pendant.”
“Siren pendant?” Current gasped. “That kind of technology has not been seen for thousands of years!” Charcoal realized he was still wearing the thing, and gave it over for her examination.
“I gave it to Charcoal when he first freed me, as ‘insurance’ that I would not betray him. He’s worn it all this time, and when Kindling tried to use his magic against Chacoal, the pendant absorbed all the negative energy radiating from him. However, the pendant took in too much energy for Charcoal to safely handle. But the carbuncle gem in Bramble’s armor is a thing of unity and harmony. It created a horn, or an output, if you will, to dispose of the dangerous quantity of extra energy which would have otherwise killed Charcoal.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Shining Armor nodded.
“Isn’t this just the story of a lifetime?” Trender exclaimed. 
“So whatever happened to Kindling?” Twilight wondered. 
“He’s still upstairs in the tower, as far as I know,” Pound shrugged. “I knocked him out hard enough that he shouldn’t be up for a while. And even if he is, that pendant thing drained him pretty good. He won’t hurt anypony else for a long time.”
“Flash, come with me,” Shining Armor ordered.
“Gladly,” his fellow guardspony nodded.
“Be careful!” Cadance called after them.
“Even with Kindling out of the way, we still have many matters to wrap up,” Essence pointed out. “Smoky Topaz, you never answered my question. Will you return to the Everfree Castle?”
“Your highness, I know I’m hardly in the position to be making requests, but-”
“You’re kidding!” Rarity’s jaw dropped.
“Hear me out,” Smoky pleaded. “I made a vow to undo the damage I have done. The corruption reaches back to before changelings were first created, when I began experimenting on ponies. Though the research had your approval, and the new powers I granted ponies appeared to benefit them for a short while, the transformation magic I implanted in thestrals and destrals laid the groundwork for the changeling spell. With your permission, I would like to remove the ‘upgrades’ I created.”
“What?! But that would only leave us with fire dancing and cloud-walk,” Acrylic exclaimed.
“Princess, my father relies very heavily on his earth-quaking power in his work- he is a stone mason. And, he’s growing older. Without that ability, I don’t know that he would be able to keep working,” Torchwood argued.
“Many thestrals rely on their many abilities,” Topaz agreed, “which is yet another thing I have to live with. But these upgrades were intended to turn them into war machines. The particular spells I cast back then were also highly reactive, which means that there is high probability that other spells could combine and create catastrophic results. That was, in fact, what created changelings, when my love spell combined negatively with the transformation magic, resulting in an all-new species.”
“Is that what happened with the transformation spell when I was born?” Charcoal’s eyes were wide. Topaz appeared confused.
“Before I knew I was pregnant with Charcoal, Princess Luna cast a temporary dragon transformation spell on me,” Acrylic explained. “Even after I went back to normal, the spell was implanted in Charcoal, giving him the ability to change into dragon or pony form at will.”
“That is most likely what happened, yes,” Topaz nodded.
“If a transformation spell triggered a new reaction in Charcoal, who knows what other everyday spells could do,” Luna fretted.
“I must agree with Princess Luna,” Essence nodded. “This magic you devised is beneficial in the short term, but it appears to be more risky to allow them to retain the ability. Permission to reverse the spell granted.” Topaz nodded, slightly relieved, and began charging her horn. Strengthened by her recent but final gorge on love, she was able to discharge a reversal spell powerful enough to engulf the whole continent. The thestrals and destrals present all suffered a bit of a shock to their system as their very DNA was revised. Upon recovering, Torchwood instantly put the reversal spell to the test.
“No more wing springs,” he confirmed.
“Looks like we’re just stuck with these clunky old things,” Acrylic teased, fondly stroking her large wings. Everyone knew how relieved she was that she wouldn’t actually have to part with them ever again.
“No earth-quaking, either,” Charcoal was hopping up and down on the ground.
“You do realize that if the reversal hadn’t worked, you’d have sent the ceiling crashing down on us, right?” Pound chuckled. 
“What will your father do?” Acrylic fretted, clasping her husband’s hoof in sympathy. He tried not to look too worried.
“Oh, I think he was getting ready to retire. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” 
“Hey! I retained my shifting powers!” Charcoal demonstrated by reverting to his dragon body and then back to a pony.
“Your ability is unique. I will have to study it myself to devise a reversal,” Topaz explained.
“No, that’s alright, I’d prefer to keep it, if that’s alright with you,” Charcoal hastily shook his head. “It’s just a part of me, now. Kind of made me who I am, you know, and I’d really just rather keep it.” Topaz scanned him. 
“The magic that created your power seems to have fully reacted. It shouldn’t prove to be any more of a problem, unless you want me to remove it, Princess.”
“No, let the boy keep his ability,” Essence smiled. “As he said, it is a part of him, now.”
“Whew,” Charcoal sighed in relief.
“And also, Princess, with your consent, and that of the Wood family, I would like to request that you take Charcoal in as your student.”
“WHAT?!”
“Are you serious?!” Charcoal was ecstatic.
“He will need coaching to control his newfound powers,” Smoky reasoned. “And, I have a theory.
“You earned your mark tampering with Kindling’s recipes, so I naturally assumed you were meant to be a scientist like Kindling and I. But what I told you about the carbuncle representing unity and harmony is also true. Because you united all the different ponies, I now believe it may represent more than your brilliance in the lab. Your transformation into a destral may not have been a complete accident, Charcoal. I think you are meant to be a great leader, Charcoal. Studying under Princess Essence in the palace is the best place for you to learn to become just that.”
“Very well,” Essence slyly eyed the two destrals. “I will take him as my student. But, assuming the Woods also consent, I cannot be expected to deliver all of the training. After all, as you said, Topaz, he also earned his cutie mark as a researcher in the laboratory. I would like to see him further this ability under your coaching, as his tutor.”
“Me?”
“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes! Please, can I?” he bounded back to his parents. “Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase?” Acrylic and Torchwood looked to each other. Neither wanted to lose their boy, but they couldn’t very well deprive him of such an amazing opprotunity, either.
“But what will we do without you?” Acrylic sadly squeezed her son.
“Aw, Mom, you’ll get along.”
“You promise me you’ll take care of him?” Torchwood glared at Topaz, daring her to lie to his face. Acrylic also hesitantly eyed Smoky. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about leaving her son under the care of a former psychopath. Then again, the same thing had happened to Luna once, and now Acrylic wouldn’t think twice about leaving any of her children under the moon princess’s care. And besides, Essence would be there every step of the way, and she knew they could trust the Tree’s guardian.
“I swear on my life,” the crystal destral bowed.
“Then welcome to the Everfree Palace, Prince Stormwood,” Essence knelt in respect.
“Prince?! That’s a little different than ‘student’!”
“Yet, it is your destiny.”
“Finally! You have no idea how long I’ve waited to witness that! ‘Prince Stormwood.’ Isn’t that a catchy name? Ditzy, wasn’t that great? Ditzy?” The gray mare looked bored out of her mind.
“You owe me muffins.”
“Look, I’d be honored to be your student, but... I’m fifteen. I’m not ready to leave home, and I’m definitely not qualified to perform all the responsibilities of a prince! And I only just got my cutie mark- frankly, I’m not sure what my destiny is anymore.”
“Charcoal,” Acrylic took him aside. “Nopony’s thought more about cutie marks and destinies than you or I. And after all these years, I think I’ve finally worked it out. Your destiny isn’t determined by your name, your occupation, or your species. It doesn’t even rely entirely on who you are as an individual. It’s the ponies around you that count, your friends and family. They make you who you are. And so long as you’ve got your friends with you, you’ll be great, no matter what you choose to do with your life.”
“But most of my friends are going to be leaving, now. The changeling crisis made me get out and... interact with ponies. I don’t want to go back to being a loner.”
“Aw, Char,” Pound slung a wing around him. “Ponyville’s not that far away, and even a trip to Cloudsdale is just a hop, skip and a jump for a thestral... er, destral like you. It’s not like we won’t see each other anymore.”
“And I’ll come visit every day after school,” Spectrum vowed. Soarin’ cleared his throat. “And training.” His father still eyed him. “And homework.”
“The Everfree is that much closer to the Foal Mountains, you know. It’s not such a long flight,” Winter shrugged.
“Hey, what are you guys going to do, then?” Charcoal looked to Fink and Shift.
“Well, we did promise to integrate the ex-changelings,” Shift shrugged.
“A task best completed, perhaps, from the castle?” Essence kindy smiled.
“You mean this castle? Here? In the Everfree?” The proposition had been put to them so fast, the stallions hardly had time to process it.
“You would be welcome here, as both residents and staff.”
“I...” Fink stammered, not sure what to say.
“Yes! Just say yes!” Charcoal hissed, elbowing the orange pony.
“I... er... yes,” Shift dazedly shrugged.
“I suppose so,” Fink also agreed.
“YES!” Charcoal hoof-pumped, cracking up most of the assembly.
“Oh, and Smoky Topaz?” Don’t forget your guardian.” Essence levitated the chips of the timberwolf back over, reassembling the smashed wolf and delivering it by Smoky’s hooves. 
“Thistle,” Topaz decided, smiling down on the creature. “I’ll call you Thistle.” The timberwolf gave a low growl of appreciation. Then she beckoned it onto her chest. Adorned in the armor, she looked quite regal.
“It also appears as though we will all have some things to discuss,” Celestia commented.
“Indeed. New negotiations and agreements will have to be reached with the newly-returned hippogryphs and hippocampi,” Luna concurred.
“Yeah, but watch out when you’re dealing with King Trident,” Winter spoke. “He’s a headache.”
“I’m sure it will be a pleasure to meet him,” Cadance optimistically assured. Everypony else groaned in disbelief. 
“If you say so.”
“Now, Char, you want to explain to me how you lot found yourselves in the Dragon Craters?” Torchwood inquired of his son. “I need to know how we’re going to get your sister back.”
“I’m also quite eager to see my little sweetheart again,” Rarity sang.
“Oh, don’t worry! I know a shortcut! I’ll just run and get them. Back in a jiffy!” Time Turner summoned Ditzy and dashed for the TARDIS.
“Bye, everypony! And congratulations, Prince Stormwood!” Ditzy waved before hurrying after him.
“See? Prince Stormwood! Isn’t that fun to say?”
“So, while we’re all tying up loose ends,” Discord interjected, “do you suppose I could bring us all back to the matter that got us into this mess in the first place?”
“What might that be?” Applejack scratched her head.
“Why, my dear, Radiance, of course!” Topaz stiffened.
“I’m sorry, Discord, but Kindling told me that it really was just a statue meant to lure you in.”
“She is not!” he stomped. “I feel it’s her! She’s just been petrified, that’s all.”
“This wouldn’t be the first time Kindling has lied,” Cascade pointed out.
“If it really is Radiance, then I don’t even know how to go about freeing her,” Topaz apologized.
“Well, it might help if you actually took a look at her, first,” Discord frowned.
“Alright, back to the catacombs it is,” Twilight sighed.
“No need. When Kindling crumbled, so did his magical barrier,” Discord informed before teleporting off. He reappeared momentarily, coiled around the stone statue.
Charcoal finally got to see what all the fuss was about. The statue (or petrified mare, depending on your viewpoint) was recoiling from some unknown danger, eyes squeezed shut, rearing back. Charcoal wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but his surprise was evident when he noticed she was an alicorn. She was a little taller than most ponies, but not by much. She had a short yet flowing mane like the high princesses, though it flowed in a freer, looser manner than their single wave. In fact, it more closely resembled Nightmare Moon’s tentacle-like masses. The faint imprint of a cutie mark showed through the stone casing, which depicted a brightly glowing heart.
“Whoa... that’s a bit creepy, don’t you think?” Whirl Pool elbowed Cascade.
“Quite,” the mare shuddered.
“Wow,” Spectrum also shivered. “So that’s Radiance.”
“What’s the diagnosis, doc?” Discord himself appeared in a surgeon’s attire, listening to a stethoscope while he waited for Topaz to speak. She scanned the statue many times over, trying to find any discrepancies in the stonework.
“Hmm...” she scratched her chin. “Charcoal, come here.”
“Yes?” he diligently stepped up.
“I want you to try a scanning spell,” she directed. “Just focus on Radiance, and see what you pick up on.”
“Um... okay.” His tongue stuck out as he attempted to activate his magic for the first time.
“Don’t you think a scanning spell is a bit advanced for a beginning student?” Twilight voiced.
“It’s okay. I’ve done it before with fire dancing.” Twilight shrugged.
“I stand corrected.”
After a lot of struggling, Charcoal finally got his horn to spark. Once he’d figured out how the magic worked, it was fairly smooth going from there. “I don’t feel... anything.”
“She is stone- you wouldn’t feel anything. But search her head very carfully. Do you sense anything unusual?” Charcoal strained harder. This would be much easier with his fire, but Topaz wanted to get him used to his new ability.
“There’s... something...” he thought he’d finally isolated whatever it was Topaz was getting at. “Something... living? What is it?”
“It is her mind. You were right, Discord, it is Radiance. I apologize.”
“Can you free her?” the draconequus pleaded.
“Charcoal, that last prick of life amongst solid rock is the marker of a cockatrice attack.”
“Cockatrices can reverse the damage they do,” Fluttershy spoke up. “With a bit of persuasion, that is.”
“But the cockatrice that petrified Radiance a thousand years ago won’t be alive anymore,” Charcoal realized. “Can another cockatrice reverse the petrification, or does it have to be the same cockatrice?”
“I sure hope it’s the former,” Discord gulped.
“Even I don’t know,” Topaz shrugged. “But there’s one way to find out.”
“And I might have a friend who can help. Hey, Fluttershy, will you take a trip into the Everfree with me?” Charcoal looked to the shy yellow pegasus. Her eyes widened.
“Oh dear.”