A group of Ponies were making their way to enter the palace, they were really good in their job, knocking out every Royal guard they encountered and leaving no tracks, finally inside, Heart Stealer, the unicorn líder said:
“Ok everypony, according to our spies hidden in that party, the target must be in the third floor, next to Princess Celestia’s room, remember he looks like a furless monkey with clothes, he posses no magic and is still a kid, in case he wakes up, probably he will not stand a fight, now go!”
A group of five ponies started to look for the target, with the surprise element by their side, no royal guard stood a chance to stop them, they finally were in front of the door, one of the ponies looked at it and said:
“Wow! Even Celestia’s pet know how to live”
“Idiot! According to our information, she sees that thing as her son, That mare really needs a husband”
“hahahaha you are right! ok. . . at three, one. . . two. . . three!”
He opened the door very quietly, when they were inside, they found nothing on the bed.
“What? where is he? Where is that. . .thing?”
They kept searching the room until one of them noticed a strange creature sitting in the balcony, it was gazing the stars, he looked exactly like they were told, a furless monkey wearing clothes, even shoes, they slowly started to aproach to him.
Bright really loved this night, it was so beautifull, even after her mother left him in the bed, he needed to watch it one more time, satisfied, he finally proceded to go to sleep, he stood up and turned around, he then saw 4 unicorns infront of him, he stared at them for some seconds, he finally found his voice and screamed:
“WHO ARE YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM, MOMMY! MOOOMY!”
Bright kept screaming until he noticed one of the ponies’ horn glowing with devious smile.
“Hahahaha, scream all you want, nopony will hear you, now come here!”
He used his magic to levitate him inside a sack.
“HEY! LET ME GO, YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO MY MOMMY IS?
Bright continued struggling inside the sack, he was more scared than ever, why these ponies were doing this? unfortunately his screams were not going to help him since the bag was also covered in a Sound proof spell.
The Ponynappers took him to the entrance of the palace and met with the rest.
“We have it, and oh yeah! he is everything we thought, is he really is one of his kind, we will get a fortune for him”
“Execellent!” Heart stealer said “I knew meddling with that patetic unicorn prince would pay off some day!”
Heart Stealier couldn't believe how lucky he was, he always expected to get some information about the royal vault or maybe the location of royal jewels but this! this thing was even better! Because in case they couldn’t sell him for a good Price, he could always expect a good ransom from Princess Celestia! Thanks BlueBlood.
- - - - - - -
(CANTERLOT’S TABERN, a few hours before Bright’s birthday party)
BlueBlood was already drunk and trying to forget “his bad luck” lost in his thoughts, he started to murmur:
“(HIC). . . Stupid monkey, it thinks it’s better than me. . . (HIC)”
“Hey BlueBlood pal, what are you doing? You are a mess buddy”
BlueBlood turned to see who it was and saw his pal Heart Stealer, he knew this pony since long ago, he always helped him to get the best mares the money could buy, BlueBlood smiled and said:
“Heart (HIC) Stealer, my pal, it’s so good to see you”
“I think the same dude, but don’t you think it’s too early to get drunk like this, is there a problem you want to share with your pal?”
“A problem? (HIC) Yeah. . . you can say that, that thing is a problem, a problem I have since 10 years ago”
“Really? tell me, what is it?”
“I can’t tell you, it’s a secret and to (Hic) be honest, it’s too embarazing as well”
“Cmon Bluey, you know you can trust me, I promise I will not tell anypony”
“I don’t know. . . (HIC) my auntie would kill me if I say something”
“Princess Celestia?”
“(HIC) yes”
“In that case I doublé promise to not tell, c’mon! Trust me”
“. . . .you really promise to not tell anypony (HIC)”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye”
“What was (HIC) that?”
“I saw a crazy pink filly do it some days ago, it means I promise, and don’t worry, I’m not planing to say that chant again”
“Ok. . . (hic) everything started 10 years ago when my Auntie. . .”
- - - - - - - - - - -
“Ok let’s go, we need to get to the balloon and escape to Minus” Stealer said.
“yeah” Everypony cheered.
When they were about to exit the palace, they heard something, it sounded like a glass breaking in pieces, when they turned to see, they saw a Violet Filly, they knew who she was, Princess Celestia’s top student, Twilight. . .something, it seemed she woke up in the middle of the night for a glass of wáter, before any of them could say or do somehting, she screamed.
“Let’s go!” Stealer screamed.
Every unicorn started to run, they needed to get to the port before the reinforcement arrive, Everypony started to wake up and ran to see who was screaming, Princess Celestia was the first to find her.
“Twilight! what is going on? Why are you screaming?”
The rest of the ponies started to arrive as well, Twilight’s family, Cadence, Shinning, Sweet and her daughter and the rest of the guards as well.
“There, there were ponies here a minute ago. . .they looked so mean, they had something in a sack, I think they stole something”
Shinning, after hearing that said:
“Muggers? It’s been ages since a pony was crazy enough to steal something from the palace, don’t worry Princess Celestia, we will captur. . . hey?. . . where is Bright?”
Everypony looked around, Shinning Armor was right, Twilight scream woke up everypony and he knew Bright long enough to know he wasn’t a heavy sleeper, Celestia’s eyes widened to imposible levels, she started to feel very cold.
“Oh no!”
She immediately started to fly to her son’s room.
“Aunt Celestia, where are you. . . NO!” Cadence realized as well what happened and flew after her aunt.
Celestia looked all her night guards unconciouss while flying to her destination, her worries only increased at this sight, when she arrived, without saying a single word, she kicked the door and went inside Bright’s room, he wasn’t there, she felt even colder at that moment. with little hope, she started scream:
“BRIGHT! WHERE ARE YOU SWEETIE? PLEASE COME OUT! IF YOU ARE HERE. . . PLEASE COME OUT! THIS IS NOT FUNNY SWEETIE”
There was not answer, at that moment Celestia felt more scarier than ever, she didn’t want to accept it but knew what happened, using her Canterlot Royal Voice she said:
“GUARDS! COME HERE NOW!”
Dozens of Pegasi and unicorns guards came out to her call and waited for her orders.
“MY SON WAS PONYNAPED! SEARCH EVERY CORNER OF CANTERLOT! WITH NO EXCEPTION! IF ANYPONY ASK, TELL THEM IT’S A NATIONAL EMERGENCY, GO NOW!”
“But Princess, it’s the middle of the night, what if. . .”
The guard was interrupted by a beam directly to his hooves, Celestia was glaring at him, he almost pee when he saw her furious face.
“DID I ORDER YOU TO QUESTION ME? NOW GO BEFORE I DECIDE TO NOT ONLY SCARE YOU!”
“Yes, yes your Highness!”
Every guard exited the room with an incredible speed, Celestia remainded in the room, she needed to calm down before going to look for Bright herself, Cadence entered the room and saw the empty bed as well, she covered her mouth with her hooves and started to cry.
“No. . . . but how?”
“I don’t know and I really don’t care now, I must find my son Cadence, go and tell Shinning armor to join the search”
Celestia then flew outside the palace, she was so desperate to find Bright, in her mind there was only regret, she still remembered what she told to her son some hours ago.
“I told him he would always be safe inside the palace and by my side, I’m a terrible mother, Please Mother Gaia, don’t let my happiness leave me again!”
- - - - - - - - -
(IN A BALLOON AWAY FROM CANTERLOT)
“Hahahaha, we did it, nopony is following us, see? that’s the good side of being prepared, now we go to Minus and become rich and in case we don’t, well, let’s say we will have to writte a letter to our pretty Princess Celestia”
Everypony cheered and started to drink hard cyder.
- - - - - - - - - -
Bright was in a little cell, crying. One of the ponies came with a couple of apples and a glass of wáter, he removed the lock and put the food inside.
“Eat it up freak, the boss needs you healty to sell you at a good Price”
“Why. . . are you doing this to me?”
“Because we like money”
“When, when my mommy find out what you did, (sniff) she will be angry”
“Hahahaha, wake up from your little happy world freak, nopony is comming for you, you are alone now”
Bright didn’t eat anything, he just remained there, thinking in his family and hoping for his mother to find him.
- - - - - - - - - -
BACK IN CANTELOT
“Any news Shinning Armor?”
“I’m sorry Princess Celestia, no sight of Bright, wherever they are, it seems they are no longer in Canterlot”
After hearing those word, Celestia's world started to shatter, every minute that passed, her son was more away from her, she was going to go out again, but one second before, a pegasus royal guard appeared and said something to Shinning Armor, he immediately told the news to the Princess.
“Princess Celestia, we’ve been informed a high speed Balloon flew out Canterlot about one hour ago, it seems they were heading to Minus, our fastest guards have been already sent after it, with hope, we will catch it before they reach the checkpoint”
Once Celestia heard where her son was heading, her worries increased, if they managed to cross the Checkpoint to Minus, there was not way she could find him, Equestria wasn’t exactly in the best terms with Minus, she didn’t have any jurisdiction there, she extended her wings and flew after the balloon, no matter how much Cadence told her to stop.
(SOME HOURS LATER)
Bright kept crying, he was cold, hungry and alone, reluctant, he took one of the apples, it tasted good, but it didn’t compare with the ones her mother had at home, she always brought them from a place called “Sweet Apple Acress” he kept eating it, he wasn’t in any position to complain, he then heard the mean pony coming again. he screaming:
“(HIC) WHY DO I HAVE TO FEED THE FREAK AGAIN (HIC) I WANT TO KEEP DRINKING!”
Indeed it was the same pony again and Wow! he was really drunk, he brought another two apples and glass of wáter, he unlocked the door and threw the food inside, the wáter spilled.
“HERE YOU GO (HIC) FREAK, ENJOY! HAHAHAHA”
He closed the door and “locked” the lock again, but he was too drunk to noticed it didn’t make the click sound, but Bright noticed it, the pony exited the room and Bright as fast as a lightning, checked if the lock was unlocked, IT WAS! he thanked his mommy and opened the door very slowly, he exited the room, trying to not make any sound, when he looked outside, he found everypony was sleeping or drunk, using his abilities of playing hide and seek and Shinning armor agility lessons, he managed to get in the driver’s room without been spotted, he saw only one pony inside, the driver, he went inside without him hear him, as his mom told him, he looked his suroundings and found what he was looking for, a broom, he grabed it and started to aproach the driver who was muttering something:
“Why I had to be the driver this night! I wanted to drin. . . .”
He was knocked out by a strong hit in his head, he released the helm and the Balloon started to go down, ok, maybe it wasn’t a good Idea to knock him out Bright thought.
Bright immediately locked the door and tried to drive the ship, soon he heard many ponies gathering outside the door.
“HEY! WE KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE FREAK, LET US IN!”
Bright didn’t pay any attention to them, he did his best to keep the balloon leveled but it was in vain, it was going down, everypony started to hit the door, it was a matter of time before they got in, Bright released the helm and prepared for their entrance, when the door gave up, with the broom in his hands, he jumped and hit the first pony he saw in the face, he started to deliver hits and kicks to all directions while the balloon keep descending.
“YOU LITTLE FREAK, I WILL TEACH YOU A LESSON” Stealer said and hold Bright with his magic but before he could do something, the Balloon clashed with the ground and everything went black.
Many Timberwolves heard the the balloon clashing in the closest forest and proceded to have the feast of their lives.
- - - - - - -
Princess Celestia flew for hours, there was no sight of any balloon, but she was not ready to give up, she and her guards checked near the Checkpoint, finally one of them told her they found something, Celestia Flew at top speed and got there in minutes, what she saw would follow her for the rest of her life, there was a wrecked big balloon, it was obvious it crashed hours ago, but what really took her out of guard, was dozens of Timberwolfs eating the flesh of many ponies, some of them were already half eaten, by the looks, it seemed some of them even tried to fight back but were outnumbered, but she noticed something else, there was one particular wolf with something atached to his bloody mouth, it was a pendant, but not any pendant, Celestia started to cry and covered her mouth with her hooves, it was Bright’s pendant, covered in blood.
“No!. . .” was all she managed to say before blasting the Wolf with a beam, she took the pendant up from the Wolf’s remanings with her both hooves, it was definitely his son's pendant, She felt her whole world breaking in thousand pieces, she called her son’s name using her Canterlot voice, but there was no answer, she and all the guards searched for hours with no success, no longer able to contain herself, she colapsed in the ground and started to cry like she never did before, while hugging her son’s bracelet, she screamed at high voices:
“BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!”