//------------------------------// // His What? // Story: Heir to a Silenced Blood // by Rock Slide //------------------------------// Celestia stood with her sister, looking down at the most detailed blueprints of their castle they had ever scene. Around the table, ponies in armor stood viewing the map with them. The silent alarm had rallied the commanders of both the castle guard, and military branches, and they had come to the war room to discusses the plan. Coordinating together, the castle was being swept from top to bottom, but it was being done discreetly. A show of force would only let the foalnapper know they were onto them. As it was, guards were conducting their sweeps in pairs, and sticking to the normal patrolling schedule. At the same time, guards disguised as maids and servants conducted more thorough searches. The only high ranking military member not at the table was Blueblood. He was sitting away from the group, hoof on his chin and deep in thought. He had the mares letter in his other hoof, and something about it was nagging at him, but he couldn’t place it. He was so engrossed, he jumped when he felt a hoof on his withers. He turned to find Twilight chuckling at him. He saw the letter in his hoof, and misread the situation, thinking it was just him being worried for the foals. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them.” Blueblood sighed. “It’s not that Twilight. I have a feeling that this is all because of me, and these demands seem to confirm that. But what’s worse, is that I can swear I recognise the hoofwriting.” Twilight hummed in thought. “I hate to dredge it up, but could it be somepony you hurt, back before, you know…?” “I thought about that, but I can’t remember hurting anypony that … badly… Shit.” Twilight looked on, ready to hear what had caused Blueblood to swear. “It all makes so much sense now; how she got in, and where she went, even down to her choice to foalnap.” He turned back to Twilight. “Gather your wife, sister-in-law, and the other two, and meet me in the royal wing.” He started to walk out. “Now that I remember what I did, perhaps I should forfeit my title.” He disappeared around the door, leaving a confused and concerned purple alicorn. Well Kept was now extremely worried, and getting anxious. Splendid could see it on her face as she walked back and forth across the room, and she kept glancing over at them. Behind her, Sunny and Solar were keeping themselves occupied. Sunny had managed to get their captor to give her paper and a quill, so she used the time to work on some of her story ideas. Splendid didn’t know how she could do that at a time like this, but she was glad they no longer felt too scared. Taking advantage of the fact the mare was distracted, Splendid lay down behind the other two, and slipped her horn ring off. The other two smiled, happy in the knowledge of what she was trying to do, and they shifted to hide her head from view. A faint glow came to her horn, and her awareness slipped out, moving across a void of black before a mote of light was found. Focusing on it, she closed the distance, and made the mental equivalent of knocking on a door. The knocks were answered, and she felt her consciousness brush up against another. “Ember?” “Huh?” “Ember is that you, it’s Splendid.” The other being felt confused. “No, this is Spike, and why are you in my head?” Splendid giggled. “Sorry Spike, wrong number?” “What? How did you even…” Splendid pulled back mentally, disconnecting from Spike. Back in the void, she began searching for Ember again, but was overcome by a wave of nausea. Reeling, she woke up, sweating bullets. She noticed Sunny and Solar’s terrified eyes before she saw the mare above her. Gulping, she quickly found herself hoisted up in a field of magic, and carted across the room. The mare dropped her unceremoniously in the corner, and she landed with an ‘oompf’. The horn suppression ring was forced back on, and the mare tied her legs up, before leveling an angry glare at her. “Take it off one more time, and I’ll have to take your horn.” The mare was reaching the end of her tether, and the lack of sleep was getting to her. The blood drained from Splendid’s face, not even wanting to consider what the mare had threatened. “Now, who were you talking to?” “No one.” ‘Thwack’. The mare gave Splendid a backhoof across the muzzle, causing Splendid to whimper. Across the room, Solar held Sunny as she couldn’t bare to watch. “You were talking in your sleep, and your horn was lit.” She waved her forehoof in the air again. “Don’t make me ask you twice.” “Spike. I-I was talking to Spike.” “You talked to the Princess’s pet lizard? How?” “I- I don’t know. I can just, I mean, my mind can leave my body, and I can find others.” The mare pushed her muzzle forward, crushing Splendid’s back. Teeth bared, and fire in her eyes, she growled out. “What others?” “Dr… Dragons. I can talk to Dragons.” The mare burst out laughing. She cackled, and fell onto her haunches. Taking a few moments to control herself, she looked over at Splendid. “You really are mad, aren’t you? Telling a tale of a world through a portal, now saying you can talk to dragons?” She chuckled again. “You really are a basket case. No wonder they haven’t tried to rescue you yet.” She knew the words weren't true, and she knew they were searching for her, but it still cut deep. Still a child by most accounts, the fact it had been over eighteen hours had started to feed into those little doubts in her mind. Unable to help herself, she broke down in tears. On the other side of the room, Sunny thrashed against the magic barrier, trying to get to her friend, her own tears hitting the floor. The mare cast a disappointed look at them all, before huffing, and leaving the room, needing air. Once again, Blueblood found himself surrounded by mares. All three of his aunts, Sunset, Adagio and Dragon Lord Ember formed a semicircle around him on the plush carpet of Luna’s bed chambers. “Before I begin, please remember that this was the old me. I don’t mean that it will absolve me of my actions, but please remember that I have changed.” His audience all nodded, varying degrees of smiles crossing their faces. “In my youth, I had many a tryst with members of the castle staff. My self centred plot-hole of a pony thought that it was a game, with the goal of seducing as many of the servants as possible.” The looks around him soured, but he knew worse was to come. “Often I would coerce them, using my power to force them into it, threatening them with their job security. Some did it willingly of course, but they never wanted a repeat performance, my style a bit too heavy hoofed.” His family blanched, Celestia going somewhat green. “But there was one. One of the maids assigned to clean my room enjoyed it, and we held a relationship in secret for almost two years.” Blueblood sighed, unable to look at the others. “By that point, she told me she loved me. At the time, I didn’t care; all she was to me was a bit of fun.” He gulped, still unable to meet the eyes of anypony in the room. “Then one day, she came to me with the biggest smile on her face. When I questioned her, she told me she was pregnant, and that it was mine. And I know it now, but not back then, that I made the biggest mistake of my life.” Sweat was now pouring from Blueblood, his legs were shaking and his head was low. “I told her she was nothing to me. I told her that the foal wasn’t mine, and that if she told anyone that it was, I would have her beaten. Then I had her fired, and I haven’t been able to locate her since.” Collapsing to the floor, the stallion let the tears fall. “I ruined her life, and probably the life of her foal too. I was an evil pony, and she is right, I deserve to be banished from Equestria.” He felt something touch his back, fearing for a moment that somepony had come to strike him. Opening his eyes, he found feathers of white, blue, and purple stretched out over him. Blinking at his unofficial mother, all he could muster was “Why?” “Bluey.” Celestia nuzzled his head. “What you did was horrible, but you are right, that isn’t you anymore. Ever since you learnt the error of your ways, you have worked hard to set things right. Not only have you served your country, but you’ve gone out of your way to track down some of those you had hurt. Even those you didn’t technically, like Adagio here. You’ve tried to make up for your dimensional counterpart, and I couldn’t be more proud of the stallion you have become.” She pulled him into a hug, wings and all. Ruining the moment, the doors burst open, and Spike ran in, “There you are! You’ll never believe what just happened!” Ember walked over and elbowed him. “Let me guess, Splendid spoke to you in your head.” Spike's jaw hit the floor, and Ember giggled, before pushing it closed. “She visited me earlier. It would seem her powers are growing fast.” A thestral guard walked in the open door. “Your Highnesses. Princess Luna, you summoned me?” “Captain Dead Eye, thank you for coming. We need the ward index checking. An ex-staff member entered the castle on the day of the party, and we don’t think they have left. Can you look into it?” “At once your highness,” he said, bowing and leaving the room. The mare had left a few minutes ago, and still Sunny thumped away at the barrier. But each time, no response came from Splendid. “Sunny, stop!” Prince Solar pulled her backwards, “You’re going to crack your hooves. Chances are she made it sound proof.” She pulled free, and hit the barrier again, but Splendid still didn’t look up. Crying, Sunny gave in, and crawled back over to Solar, who pulled her into a hug. “I’m sure she’s fine.” Sunny hoped she was, but seeing Splendid hurt made her feel hurt too, and she settled down, watching Splendid’s prone form, waiting for her to get up. Not ten minutes had passed, and Captain Dead Eye came running back into the room. “You were right your Highness. An ex-maid by the name of Well Kept entered the castle, and has yet to leave.” “That’s her.” All eyes turned to Blueblood. “That’s her, I remember it now.” Celestia laid a hoof on his shoulders. “Do you remember anything else that might help us find her? Somewhere only she would know?” Blueblood’s face went scarlet, and he nodded. “Yes, there is such a place, but none of you are going to like it.” Luna strode over to her nephew. “Now Bluey, I have been alive for millennia, I doubt you could have anything to upset me.” “I’d rather not, at least in present company.” “Nephew, now is not the time to be coi. Pray tell, where and what is this place?” “Auntie Luna, I don’t want to say it in front of everyone.” Blueblood was starting to get agitated, his blood pressure rising. Luna wasn’t impressed with his tone, and spoke in a voice approaching the Royal Canterlot standard. “And I don’t care what you do or don’t, tell us this instant.” “FINE - THEY ARE LIKELY IN MY SEX DUNGEON!” Blueblood screamed, stunning everypony else in the room, “ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? Luna’s shock quickly melted into a smile. “Very.” Blueblood blinked, taken aback by her quick recovery. “Come now nephew, I walked the dream world, you think I haven’t seen far worse than that? So mush mush; show us the way.”