//------------------------------// // The Return of the Princess // Story: The First Hearts and Hooves Day: A Legend of Spike Story // by DiabloGuapo //------------------------------// The dawn broke over Blind Chasm, the sunlight weakly filtering through the thick haze that constantly shrouded the canyon. Prince Orichalum and his team of knights had already broken camp and were making their way through the treacherous pass, led by one of King Adamant’s mages. The orange Unicorn in the blue cloak levitated a hairbrush that belonged to Princess Fiore Rossa in his magical blue aura, strands of the princess’s golden hair caught in the bristles. As they walked, the handle of the brush would point like a compass in the direction they needed to go. Using the hair on the brush, the Royal Mage was able to cast a spell on it that would lead them to the missing princess. A noise caught their attention and they all froze mid step to search the gray sky. It was the sound of leathery wings flapping, and Orichalum knew immediately it was the dragon that had taken his sister. Preparing for a confrontation, the prince and his knights drew their swords and lances while circling about in hopes to spot the fiend. “There!” a knight urgently whispered, causing all eyes to turn in the direction he was pointing. In the distance, they saw the outline of a large figure swoop through the fog. The group reformed and the mage stepped forward, holding the enchanted brush before him. The handle spun until it was pointed in the direction the dragon had went. They looked to each other and nodded as they followed the dragon to its lair. ***** Fiore Rossa awoke with a jolt, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the morning light. To her surprise, she wasn’t in her lavish bedroom in the palace, but instead was in a dank cave. Then the memory of the past few days returned to her and she remembered that she was in the home of Aurum the Gold Dragon. She and her host had spent the evening talking to each other, Rose explaining the intricacies of pony society and Aurum shared tales of the ancient wyrms. It was quite the experience to learn about the elusive dragons, for hardly anypony knew anything about the mighty beasts. They were too rare (and too scary) for anypony to study. He also went through the hoard of treasure and explained where each piece came from. They had talked well into the night and Rose had fallen asleep at the dragon’s side beside the pile of treasure. Speaking of which, there was an uncomfortable sensation in her side. She hissed with pain as she pulled the offending object from her coat to see she had rolled onto an emerald in her sleep. She slid the stray gem back into the pile and then noticed that Aurum was missing. Alarmed, the mare raised herself up and looked around the cave to find it devoid of any draconic presence. Just as Rose began to wonder where the dragon went, she heard the whooshing sound of something large flying just outside the cave and a heavy thud shook the ground as a shadow filled the entrance of the cave, partially blocking the light. As the shadow entered, its gold scales came into view and the princess realized it was the dragon. To her surprise, Aurum held a large clump of dirt in his mouth. Before she could ask why he was carrying it, he dropped it onto the cave’s floor before and spat out any residual specks of dirt from his mouth. “I have brought you breakfast,” he announced. Fiore Rossa looked at the pile of soil at her hooves, hiding a look of repulsion as she saw lines of dragon saliva running across the dirt. Out of the dirt, blades of green grass stuck out. Seeing her hesitation, Aurum asked, “Is something wrong? Is this not to your liking?” “No, no. It’s fine!” she hastily reassured him, trying to spare his feelings. Aurum smiled expectantly at the red Unicorn, waiting for her to try the food that he had gone out of the way to provide for her. She smiled wearily back at him and reluctantly stuck her head forward. She carefully pulled a blade out of the pile and chewed on it, the earthy flavor of the dirt filling her mouth. It wasn’t the typical cuisine she was accustomed to, but she didn’t want to offend her new found friend. Besides, she was rather hungry. During the time she and Prince Zephyr were under the influence of the love poison, they were too distracted to eat more than a few bites at a time. “Mmm.” Fiore Rossa forced a smile and nodded while she forced down the dirty food. “Thank you.” “I know it was not much, but it was all that I could find nearby,” Aurum explained. “Not much grows here in the chasm.” “Trust me, it’s fine,” she again assured him. Being a pony, she was a herbivore by nature, however, grass was seen as a commoner’s meal. At the palace, she was served fresh fruit and vegetables and enjoyed rich desserts that the chefs diligently prepared for her. In this case, desperate times called for desperate measures and she gladly accept the meal. After picking out as much grass as she could, Rose looked outside at the dim light that was the rising sun. A frown of disappointment formed on her graceful face and looked regretfully at the ground. As pleasant of a host as Aurum turned out to be, she knew it was time for her to leave. “Aurum, I’m afraid that I must be getting back to my family,” Rose sighed. “Would you please fly me back to the castle?” “There is no need,” Aurum told her, earning himself a confused look from the princess. “I saw ponies in the canyon while I was gathering food for you. I made sure to do a flyby to alert them to my presence. They should be here soon.” “Oh, I guess we only have a few minutes to say our goodbyes then,” Rose said, disappointment apparent in her voice. “Goodbyes,” Aurum repeated the word she had used. For some reason, the word tasted sour in his mouth. It sounded so final, so morbid, yet at the same time, he knew it was the courteous way for ponies to part. Reflecting upon this word, it occurred to him that he never had the chance to say farewell to his mother or any of his nestmates when they parted ways. If he had the chance to go back in time, would he have said it? Dragons weren’t sentimental creatures like ponies were and the gesture would have been meaningless to them, but it would have given him closure. The thought of saying goodbye to his first friend ever suddenly frightened the dragon. He was afraid that if he let her go, he would never see her again. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll see each other again,” Rose promised, seeing his distraught state. “I have to go back and let everypony know that I’m okay. My father is probably worried sick.” “I guess you are right,” he said reluctantly. A small smile then formed on his scaly lips and he quipped, “Next time, I will find you something more adequate to eat.” “That will be nice. Not that there was anything wrong with this,” she said as she motioned to the pile of dirt before her. “It was just a little ‘dirty,’ that’s all.” “I guess I could have brushed off some of the dirt first,” Aurum sheepishly muttered, causing Fiore Rossa to heartily laugh. Hearing the mirthful sound, Aurum started to chuckle as well. Lost in their own amusement, they failed to notice the sound of hooves quickly approaching the cave. Seconds later, the heroic image of armed ponies appeared at the cave’s entrance, their armored forms illuminated by a halo of light coming from the sun behind them. “Release the Princess, foul beast!” a voice Fiore Rossa recognized boldly echoed throughout the cave, causing the mare and the dragon to look to the knights. Seeing the lead knight, Rose gasped with delight and exclaimed, “Ori? I’m so happy to see you!” “Never fear, my sister! I’ll save you from this monster!” With a roaring battle cry, Orichalum charged towards Aurum with his sword. “Orichalum! Wait!” Rose shouted to try to stop her brother, but he didn’t hear her. In order to defend himself, Aurum flapped his large wings, creating a strong gust of wind. The golden coated stallion was knocked back by the breeze and dug his hooves into the floor to steady himself. The prince grunted with anger and shouted as he rushed the dragon again, his knights following his lead. Aurum was cornered and outnumbered, the only way out would be to fight his way through these ponies that had invaded his home. He recognized the lead Unicorn from his assault on the castle yesterday, and Rose had identified him as her brother. For his friend’s sake, he didn’t wish to harm the prince, but he didn’t have any other options. If he did nothing, these ponies would certainly try to kill him. With no other choice, Aurum took in a deep breath, a green light glowing from the back of his throat. Before both parties could engage each other in combat, a voice cried, “STOP!” The Unicorn knights came to a halt, their swords and spears still raised, and Aurum had paused while raising himself up on his hind legs, claws bared and smoke fuming from his opened mouth. They looked over to see that Fiore Rossa was the one that called for a ceasefire and she ran out before her brother and stood on her hind legs, spreading out her front legs to block the stallions from reaching Aurum. “Rose, what are you doing!? Get out of the way!” her elder brother shouted. “No! I won’t let you harm him!” she adamantly refused, shaking her head. “Harm me?” Aurum quietly said under his breath, doubting the ponies’ weapons could pierce his hide. “This is all just one big misunderstanding,” Fiore Rossa calmly tried to explain, lowering back down onto four hooves. “Rose, this monster kidnapped you! He’s working with the Pegasi to overthrow our kingdom!” Orichalum protested. “Don’t be ridiculous, Ori,” the princess scoffed. “A dragon work with the Pegasi? Dragons are solitary beings, they don’t even like to work together. No, the only one here to blame is Prince Zephyr for drugging me.” “Then how do you explain the Pegasi army showing up right before that thing...” he asked while pointing an accusatory hoof at Aurum, “...showed up and flew off with you!?” “What Pegasi army?” Fiore Rossa asked while looking back to Aurum, who just shrugged in response. “As we speak, General Tempest is laying siege to the castle, claiming that we’ve kidnapped Prince Zephyr, while our father fends him off. This is all a part of Prince Zephyr’s scheme. He allowed himself to be captured so that the Pegasi will have a ‘just’ cause to declare war upon us and he conspired with the dragon to kidnap you to hold you as a hostage.” “That is not true,” Aurum denied. “I kidnapped her to ransom her for money.” Everypony, including Fiore Rossa, cast the gold dragon a cynical stare. Fiore Rossa then dryly stated, “Not helping, Aurum.” Turning back to the stallions, she said, “Look, he may have kidnapped me, but he is sorry.” Orichalum gave his sister a disbelieving look and stared up at the dragon menacingly. “Orichalum,” Fiore Rossa said to her brother, pulling his murderous gaze back to her. “I’m telling you the truth, and if you’re telling me the truth, then we have to get back to the castle and explain to General Tempest that this is all just a misunderstanding before something terrible happens.” Orichalum looked back up at the dragon, who was looking just as bewildered as the rest of them, and then back at his sister. With a huff, he said, “Alright, let’s go.” Following their Prince’s lead, the knights and the Royal Mage headed out of the cave. Orichalum stopped at the entrance and waited for Fiore Rossa to follow him. The princess and the dragon looked to each other, knowing the time for them to part had come. “I’m sorry about my brother,” Rose apologized. “He can be overprotective.” “I understand,” Aurum told her, casting a wary eye towards the golden Unicorn that was glaring at him. “I will come to see you after I clear up this whole mess,” she promised. “I am looking forward to your return.” “Well...” she hesitantly started to say. “Goodbye, for now.” She turned to walk away, but he placed a large hand on her shoulder and said, “Wait.” Looking back at the dragon, she saw him deep in thought, his eyes darting about as he pondered. He then went back to his treasure hoard and pulled out the starburst-shaped fire ruby. He took her by the hoof and place the sparkling gem on it. “Rising Sun,” she whispered, remembering the name of the jewel. “I… I want you to have it,” he said, going against everything he knew as a dragon by freely giving away a piece of his hoard. She looked down at the gem on her hoof and back up to him, her eyes shimmering with tears. “I don’t know what to say,” she said, astounded by the generous gift. “I can’t possibly accept this.” “Please… take it,” he almost had to force himself to say, struggling between his draconic nature and his newfound sensitivity. “It is the least I could do to make amends for holding you against your will. I hope you can forgive me.” He bowed his head submissively, but then felt her hoof raising his chin up to look her in the eye. “Don’t be silly,” she softly spoke, smiling comfortingly at him. “Of course I forgive you. We’re friends, right?” “Right,” he agreed. “Rose,” they heard Orichalum impatiently call to her. “We need to go.” “I’m coming,” she called back to her brother, the gem floating beside her in the green glow of her magic. Turning to Aurum one last time, she said, “I’ll see you later.” Aurum didn’t say anything, but slowly nodded as he watched her leave in the company of her brother and his knights. As he watched her exit his home, he felt the all encompassing loneliness return. Without his friend, his large, empty cave seemed abyssal. With a heavy heart, he slunk back to his treasure hoard and curled up on top of it. “You gave her a fire ruby?” Rarity asked, nearly swooning at the touching thought. “That was one of first gifts that my Spikey-Wikey ever gave me.” “When… Rose returned to the castle… she found that the Pegasi army had indeed surrounded the castle…” Aurum narrated. As Orichalum led his sister up the hidden trail to the castle, Rose could see the dark clouds that had gathered in the sky above, bolts of lightning crackling through the sky. She could hear General Tempest in the distance barking orders to his troops while her father gave commands from the battlements. Barrages of hail, lightning, and gales fell from above and streams of colored, magical lights shot from below. However, the opposing armies were at a stalemate, unable to gain an advantage over the other. Rose stared at the chaos that had been wrought upon her home. She didn’t know how long this battle had lasted, but it horrified her to know that this madness was all over her. No, not her, but the blind fool that tried to enchant her; Prince Zephyr. Knowing what she must do, Fiore Rossa sprinted into the war zone, leaving her brother and the knights behind. “Rose! Come back!” Orichalum called after her, running to catch up to his sister. She ignored his call and ran off the trail that would have led to the secret entrance in the back of the castle. Instead, she ran up the rugged hill towards the front gates. Thunder boomed and cold rain pelted her red coat, clumps of her wet, blonde mane sticking to her face. A chunk of ice struck her back and she winced at the sting it caused, but she pressed on through the downpour. As General Tempest was about to order another volley, he spotted a lone Unicorn running between the two armies below him. Upon closer observation, he saw that it was a mare. Not only that, it was the princess that had supposedly went missing. At the same time, King Adamant saw his beloved daughter in the middle of the crossfire. “Rose!?” he exclaimed, hardly believing his eyes. Turning to the soldiers, he ordered, “Hold your fire!” “Ceasefire! Ceasefire!” General Tempest ordered his troops as well. The drawbridge lowered and King Adamant rushed out of the castle to embrace his daughter. “Oh, my daughter! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Adamant told Rose as they hugged one another. Just then, Prince Orichalum caught up to them and General Tempest flew down to investigate the matter. “What is going on?” the gray Pegasus demanded, looking between the members of the Royal Family. “Stand back, Rose,” Adamant said as he moved to place himself between his daughter and the Pegasus General. “Wait, I can explain everything!” Rose said before the two could begin fighting. ***** Prince Zephyr heard the sound of a door being thrown open above him, banging against the stone wall as it was forcibly opened, followed by the stomping of many hooves descend the stairs to the dungeon. Tracking the sound, he followed them through the wall of his cell until King Adamant appeared in the opening of the stairwell. The Unicorn King was followed by his son and their guards. “Adamant! Let me out of here!” the captive prince began his rehearsed rant once more. “You can’t…” His yelling came to an abrupt end once he saw that Princess Fiore Rossa was with them, not looking too pleased with the Pegasus. His eyes then panned over to the gray figure behind her and, to his delight, saw it was it was General Tempest. “Tempest! Thank heavens it’s you! These Unicorns…” “Not one word,” the furious commander threatened to the prince’s shock. The Unicorn guards opened the door to the cell and released him from the chains that held him to the wall. Despite Tempest’s enraged appearance, he was relieved to finally be free. “You haven’t heard the last of this, Adamant!” Zephyr sneered. “You’ll pay for this… hey!” The prince’s gloating was abruptly silenced when a pair of shackles were clasped onto his hooves. He looked up to see that it was Tempest himself who had placed them on him. “Tempest, what is the meaning of this!? This is treason!” “Prince Zephyr,” Tempest began with a hard voice. “In the name of the Pegasus Kingdom, you are under arrest.” “You can’t arrest me! I’m the Prince!” Zephyr screeched in protest. “Your selfish actions have brought shame upon our nation and almost started a war,” Tempest announced the charges. “You are unfit to lead and will be removed from your position, least you cause anymore damage.” As Tempest led his soon to be former prince out of the dungeon, he cast a look to Adamant. “On behalf of the Pegasi, I apologize for his actions. I can assure you, he will be swiftly dealt with.” Adamant nodded and Tempest took his leave with Zephyr, who kicked and screamed all the way out of the castle. “That marked the end of the Pegasus Kingdom,” Aurum rasped. “Instead of a coronation, a court-martial… took place instead… All three tribes were present… During the trial… Prince Zephyr tried to place all of the blame… on Rose… saying that she seduced him… and that she was the one that… bewitched him… His claim was quickly refuted… Then he tried to blame the witch… saying that she had misled him… The witch was brought in… and tried to denied everything… but the money which was found in her home… bore the crest of the Pegasus Kingdom… She eventually confessed… and was punished as well…” “What did they do to her?” Amethyst asked. “Since she was an Earth Pony… she was tried separately… by her own kind,” Aurum explained. “She was in violation… of her own court order… Fertile Soil had already banished her… and had forbidden her to make any more potions… after all the chaos she had previously caused… For this offense… she was placed in a dungeon… After her release.. Fertile Soil told her that if she ever brewed another potion… she would banish her… and then throw her in a dungeon… in the place she banished her to… “As for Zephyr… the Council of Generals came to an unanimous decision… He was removed from his throne and the rule… of the kingdom fell to… the Council… The Council wanted to appoint Tempest as the new king… but he declined… leaving the other generals to contend with one another… for the throne… This led to a civil war… amongst the Pegasus Army… General Tempest eventually stood up and seized control… placing the kingdom under martial law until… the days… of Commander Hurricane… And that is how the Kingdom of the Pegasi… fell…”