//------------------------------// // Chapter 24, Baby steps // Story: An Unexpected Life // by alejin //------------------------------// Celestia stared for several minutes to the smiling creature, opening and closing her mouth, her mind couldn’t process what was happening, why was she keeping seeing her son, first she had dreams about him, then she hallucinated with him and now she was doing it again. . .or not? She immediately turned to see Cadence. “Cadence?” Cadence smiled with some tears already. “Yes Aunt Celestia?” “Do. . .do you see what I see? Because. . .if you don’t, I think I finally gone nuts” Cadence trotted to Bright, she then gave him a warm hug. “If you think that. . .then we are both nuts and you know what? I don’t mind if we are” Even if it seemed imposible, Celestia’s eyes widened even more, she tried to think many posibilities, changelings? No, for what she heard, She and Shinning Armor expelled all of them and his forcefield was still around Canterlot, a dream? She used her magic to pull her mane and cheek as hard as she could, Bright and Cadence couldn’t help to chuckle and feel shocked after seeing her do that, once the pain was gone, Celestia kept thinking. . . A cruel joke? No, Cadence would never do that and BlueBlood wasn’t dum enought to try to pull something so. . . stupid. Cadence and Bright kept looking at Celestia, somehow it was kinda cute seeing her acting like that, it was perfectly normal, in fact she was taking it better than they thought but he was getting a little impatient, he bet everything in his next move. He broke Cadence’s hug and walked to the still confused Celestia. “No no, a joke, it can’t be. . .maybe a. . .ahgg” Celestia’s talking to herself was interrupted when she felt a tight hug, given by no other than her. . . son, she was out of words again, she didn’t know what to do, there were a very few times where she found in this kind of situations. . . she really didn’t know what to do, she managed to say a few words. “Are you real?” Steel chuckled, he didn’t want to admit it but he liked the feeling of this pony’s fur, just like when they stared at the garden. . . he felt so secured. “Yes, I am very real, I promised you I’d be here when you wake up didn’t I?, I always keep my promises” After hearing that, Celestia started to remember everything, their meeting in the garden. “Our meeting in the garden. . . was it real as well?” “Yes. . . yes it was” Celestia couldn’t help herself anymore, she returned the hug with both her hooves and wings, Steel once again felt that powerfull shield around him, not his best armors or even his axe and powers gave him that feeling of security, until that moment. . .only Mrs Margaret’s hugs made him feel like this but her mother’s. . . was in a whole other level, the hug of a mother. “Sorry Miss Margaret” he thought, he loved that minotaur so much and it really hurt him to think like that but it was the truth, but she still had an special place in his heart. Cadence couldn’t help herself as well and joined the hug, they recieved her with open arms and hooves, the two alicorns were already crying, Bright shared some tears as well, he did his best to hide them with no success, using her Canterlot royal voice, Celestia screamed: “OH SWEET MOTHER GAIA. . . MY BABY IS BACK! MY BABY IS ALIVE!!!! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST GLORIOUS DAYS EVER!” She tighted the hug even more and started to kiss him in the face, she was so scared if she let him go, he would dissapear, Steel tried to stop her but gave up the second later, he hated to admit it, he really hated to admit it but that felt. . . nice, after some minutes, Celestia finally remembered something else, she immediatealy saw her niece and son, with a broken voice she asked: “Wait a minute. . . So. . . my first dream. . .was real too? I turned into that Nightmare and. . .” Flashbacks of her hitting Bright’s back started to haunt her, not losing time, she started to nuzzle his back. “I hurted you! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, are you alright? We need to get you to the hospital!” Bright used his hand to cover her mouth. “It’s ok, Cadence and the doctors already took care of that and believe it or not, I had it worse, a lot worse, trust me” Hearing that didn’t give Celestia and Cadence any confort, for how much pain he went through. . .they needed to made sure to find out later, meanwhile, with lot of pain, Celestia broke the hug but held his hand the second later. She stood up and said: “Come. . .there is so much I want to ask you and so much I want to tell you. . .” She noticed Bright’s half confused face, recalling her memories, she remembered what Cadence told her. “You don’t remember me. . .at least a little?” (Sigh) “I remember a little more now, I remember my childhood here. . . a little and I remember. . .happy times. . .with you” Celestia’s eyes widened again, it was little but it was there. . .HOPE! her son wasn’t completely lost after all, with a warm smile she said: “It’s ok honey, we’ll deal with that starting now, come with me, I know you have many questions as well and don’t worry, we have all the time in the world to answer them” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Everypony was waiting outside Celestia’s room, the mane 6, Shinning Armor and dozen of guards and maids, even Prince BlueBlood was there. “Uhg! For how much longer Auntie Celestia and my sister will be there?” “Sip it BlueBlood! Cadence said it was a family business! They will take as much time as they need” Twilight said with a venomous voice, even now, she never forgave Blueblood for what he did 8 years ago. “How dare you to talk to me like that! No matter, I’ll deal with you later, you said it was a family business, then why I wasn’t called?” “Because you never thought of him as family that’s why!” – Shinning Armor said next to his sister. “What? what you mean?” Before he could respond, Celestia’s door half opened revealing her face, she turned to see Shinning Armor and said: “Captain Shinning Armor, every court meeting I have for today is cancelled! Only call me if it’s a national emergency you got it?” Shinning Armor smiled. “Yes your highness! By the way. . . how is he?” “He is fine, we are all fine but we will need some time to. . .catch up, I hope you understand if we postpone your wedding a little. . .longer” “It’s fine Princess, I can wait a little more time, just please, tell him I said Hi, even if he can’t remember me” “I will Captain and don’t worry, we will have him back, you’ll see” – Celestia said and went back to her room. Shinning Armor noded and turned to his guards. “Ok everypony, you heard her! No pony will disturb the princess until she says so, now leave this place and go back to work!” Everypony guard and maid noded and left the place, only the mane 6, Shinning Armor and Blueblood stayed there, still confused, Blueblood asked: “What’s this all about, of who are you talking about?” Shinning armor narrowed his eyes and with a big smile answered: “We are talking about somepony who would had never leave 8 years ago” “8 years ago? But who left. . .” Blueblood face turned to a horror one. “No! It’s not posible. . .the monke. . .” “I wouldn’t end that sentence if I were you Blueblood, for what my sister told me, it seems he is no longer the little boy you used to bully and one more thing, he is strong and brave, while you were hidding like every coward noble, he faced Chrysalis himself, in fact. . .you should be praying nopony tell him who was partially responsable for his. . .dissapearing 8 years ago” Blueblood gulped a little, trying to sound brave he said: “You think I will be scared of that monkey” “You should” Twilight said smirking “we all saw what he can do and trust me, it was amazing!” Blueblood started to sweat a little. “Well. . .I really don’t care anyway, if he is really back. . .at least I’m glad I don’t have my royal hooves dirty after all, I just hope my auntie is not thinking in taking him back again and if she is, I’ll make sure to remember him what his place is” After saying that, Blueblood left the room as fast as he could, he was so obvious, Twilight didn’t say anything but in her heart, she hoped to see Prince Bright getting a little payback with this excuse of prince and she knew he’d can do it. after all, he had the Lightning Axe, yes! she knew about it, she still could not believe she lived to see one of Metalbrook’s 8 enchanted ítems and even better, Bright was the owner, how he found it? how it worked, did it really hurt to get it as the legend says? there was so many questions in her mind but the most important was. . .Does Bright really meant it when he said she was cute? Everypony noticed Twilight lost in her thoughts, all of them were confused, except for Rarity who was looking at her with a warm smile, she noted to find more about this creature later. Knowing the royal family may take their time, everypony proceded to get some breakfast, wondering what would the royal family be talking about. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “And that’s how I found you my son” “I see, still, I wonder from what she tried to saved me?” “What you mean Bright?” Cadence asked. “Well you see, in the single memory I had about another human. . .I remember someone putting me in the box you mentioned and it was woman. . . she seemed in a hurry, like if she was saving me from something” Celestia raised her eyebrow and searched for something in her wardrobe, she took out a Golden box and sat again next to her son, she opened it and took out a picture and show it to Bright. “Is this the. . .human you saw?” Bright looked at the picture of the woman and him as a baby, it was her! His biological mother, she was beautiful and not for the fact she looked like him, he stared at the photo for some seconds until Celestia put her hoof on his shoulder. “I don’t know what made her put you in that box but I’m sure she wanted you to be found and being safe, I’m sure she loved you with all her heart” Bright couldn’t help to smile, he knew Princess Celestia was right, he stared at the photo again, her mommy was beatifull, what happened to her? He wondered, his thoughts were interrupted when he saw Princess Celestia looking him with sad eyes, still smiling, he touched her cheek with his hand and said. “Hey hey, she may be my biological mother but you were the one who raised me and protected me when I was a baby and a child, even with few memories. . .in my book, You are my real mother!” “Really? but. . .what about Mrs Margaret?” “I will always love her for all the years of love and care she gave me but . . .if I’m honest with myself. . .she never. . .exactly filled the void of a mother I needed, even with amnesia, somehow I never forgot the love and care you gave me, the love and care of a . . . real mother.” Celestia hugged her son again and said. “You . . .really mean that?” Bright noded. “Thank you Sweetie, I just hoped to had done a better job” “What you mean?” “You know what I mean. . . I let them take you away from me? I wasn’t there for you! I’m so sorry” Bright stroked his mom’s mane. “Easy mother, I know this sounds crazy but. . .maybe all that had to happen, if something I learned in these 8 years is. . . there are somethings that happens by coincidence and some happens for fate, in any case, one must learn to deal with what life gives you, believe it or not, I had a good childhood in Minus, it was tough I can’t deny that but it made me strong, strong enough to help your kingdom againts the changelings, well at least for a while” Celestia felt a lot better after hearing Bright said that, he was right, maybe she wasn’t there to see him grow up but at least he was taken care good, for what he told her, this Mr Onyx was a great minotaur, Mr Jilt, Zahari and Margaret sounded nice too but she couldn’t help to feel a little jealous of her, at least he had a motherly figure in her absense, she noted to made the arrangaments to properly thank them later. But not everything was fine with his story, first, it seemed he was hidding something and second. . .he endured many dangers, lost a good friend and his body got hurt, yes she didn’t forget about his scars in the face, she wondered if he had more around his body, she shaked a little by the thought but no more, her baby was back and now he was going have the life he deserved, Celestia then asked: “Bright. . . how you managed to fight againts Chrysalis? Don’t get me wrong, I know you are strong, Mr Onyx and Zahari trained for that but. . .for what Cadence told me, you have some. . .abilities you didn’t have when you were here, can you please tell me. . .what changed?” Bright and Cadence looked at each other, Cadence noded to him, with a sigh, he gave a few steps away, confusing his mother. “Bright sweetie, what are you. . .” Celestia was interrupted when she saw her son’s ring shining, the moment later, an impresive looking axe appeared in his hand and it wasn’t a simple axe, she couldn’t believe it, how he got that? The Lightning Axe!! One of her dear friend MetalBrook’s ítems, she thought it was lost forever, the last time it was seen, it was in the hands of a mino. . .oh! right. “Wow Sweetie, I always knew you were special but this is just incredible, to see you are the new owner of the Lightning Axe” “You know about the axe?” “Sweetie, I had lived hundred of years, I knew MetalBrook and Xismas personally, both of them were a great Unicorn and Dragon, I pained me when he died, I met many of the past owners of the axe, some were good, some were evil, that axe have made many wonders but also many disgraces, I’m happy to see now it’s in good hands, I just hope it didn’t hurt so much getting it” “Thanks mother and. . . well, it hurt a lot! But still it worth it.” “You. . .you are welcome sweetie” “And I will do everything in my power to make sure you will never need to use it again” Celestia thought with a new found determinated feeling. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - They kept sharing some more stories, after a good time, when they checked the clock, they couldn’t believe they had talked for more than 3 hours. “Well, I think a good brunch would be nice, don’t you think?” Cadence and Bright noded and alongside Celestia proceded to walk to the dinning room, Celestia then motioned Bright to climb on her barrel, he and Cadence looked at each other and nerviously chuckled. “Mother. . . what are you doing?” “I want to carry you there. . . like I used to do when you were a kid” “Ok, I undestand that but. . . I’m almost 19 now mother, don’t you think I’m a little. . .too old for that? (not to mention it’s embarazing) “Oh! I see, sorry, I think I did it for old habit, hehehehe” Bright sighed in relief but was immediately levitated by her magic and put on her barrel. “An old habit I’m not giving up” Bright was blushing hard by this moment. “You are pushing me a little too far. . .you know that right?” Celestia looked at her son with puppy eyes. “Please. . .just this time. . .for me?” “Stupid Pony cuteness” Bright thought in defeat, he didn’t like it but. . .being in the Princess’ barrel brought some kind feelings, Cadence was doing her best to not laugh but at the same time she felt bad for her cousin, even so . . .the sight was very cute. Once Steel dying of embarazment was secured on her mother’s barrel and Cadence at their side, the three of them exited the room. In the way there, many guards and maids looked at them, some of them were shocked but almost everypony were close to laugh, he so wanted to have his mask with him at that moment. Celestia by her part was beaming in happiness. “I’m so happy to have my son back, I’ll start to make the preparations to present you to everypony, all of them will know who my son is! Prince Bright Sunny” Bright immediately answered. “ahhh, I didn’t tell you but I’d prefer. . . Prince Bright Steel”