The Young Prince

by Bluecatcinema

False Friends

Dusk had just turned five years old, and a day he had been long awaiting had finally arrived; The first day of school. Rather then utilise private tutors, or home-schooling, Twilight was quite adamant that Dusk did his learning in as normal an environment as possible. A public school would help him make all sorts of new friends. And if there was one thing Twilight had learned in her time, it was to never underestimate the value of a good friend.

As Twilight and Flash walked their son to school, Dusk was barely able to contain his excitement.

"I can't wait to start learning!" He cheered.

"Yep." Flash smirked at Twilight. "He's definitely your son."

"Funny." Twilight said drily. As they finally reached school, she gave Dusk his lunch in a paper bag, and a kiss on the cheek. "Have a great day, honey."

"I will, mom!" Dusk smiled.

"Go get 'em, sport." Flash chuckled.

"You know it!" Dusk nodded, turning and dashing through the entrance.

"Our little colt, off to his first day at school." Twilight sniffed. "It seems like only yesterday he was running around in diapers."

"I know." Flash sighed. "Where did the time go?"

Inside the school, Dusk gathered with his fellow classmates. There were a lot of ponies he didn't know, and a few he did. He scampered over to the nearest one. His mane was scruffy and blonde, and his coat was a dull red. He also had green eyes.

"Hey, Crabby." He smiled.

"Hey." The colt shrugged. His name was Crab Apple, and he was the son of Applejack. Outwardly, he was gruff and surly, but underneath, he was one of the sweetest colts around.

"Hey Dusk!" A voice yelled from behind them, making them both jump.

It was Purple Punch, Pinkie Pie's daughter. She had a fuschia coat, a short, spikey lavender mane, and amber eyes.

"What's the happs?" She asked.

"You nearly givin' us both heart attacks." Crab grumbled. "That's the 'happs'."

"Oh Crab, you crack me up!" Purple chuckled. "Get it? Crack, Crab... Hello? These are the jokes here..."

Suddenly, two blurs flew overhead, blowing their manes to one side. It was Rainbow Flash and Thunder Storm, the twin offspring of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Flash had her mother's mane, but a white coat and blue eyes. Thunder Storm had Rainbow's coat and eyes, but a golden mane. The two were often talking and acting in tandem, to the point where it seemed like they shared the same mind.

"Hey, guys!" Rainbow smiled. "What's up?"

"Besides us, of course." Thunder joked.

"Showing off as usual, I see." The demure voice of Dazzle, daughter of Rarity, rang out. She had her mother's white coat and blue eyes, and a hot pink mane which had been styled into little ringlets. "A little restraint wouldn't hurt, you know."

"I agree." A filly with a bright yellow coat, light green mane, and brown eyes added. She was Honeysuckle, the daughter of Fluttershy. She was soft-spoken, like her mother, but more adept at making her opinions heard. "There's nothing wrong with exercising self-control."

"Hey, Dazz." Dusk smiled. "Hon."

"Dusk." Dazzle beamed. "Looking forward to the first day, are we?"

"I bet he was up way before any of us!" Rainbow smirked.

"Maybe he didn't even go to sleep last night!" Thunder teased.

"Real funny, guys." Dusk shook his head, smiling all the while.

These seven foals knew each other well. Their parents held several playdates for them every week. They were all very close, and though they often joked and snarked amongst themselves, they were all the best of friends.

"Attention, please." Cheerilee called. "Students, take your seats."

The foals obeyed. Dusk found himself sitting across from a gold-coated colt with an orange mane.

"Alright, class." Cheerilee smiled. "Let's begin."

And so, the learning began. Dusk listened attentively, absorbing all the knowledge Cheerilee shared with the class. Others, like Rainbow and Thunder, were barely listening. Dazzle was only half paying attention, her eyes on one of her well-polished hooves. To Dusk's disappointment, the bell for recess rang all too soon. As he and the other foals went to the playground, he was approached by the gold colt, who was joined by a silvery-coated, white maned filly

"Hey, you're prince Dusk Glow, aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah." Dusk nodded. "And you are?"

"Gold Chain." The colt smiled. "And this is my sister, Silver Plate."

"Nice to meet you." Silver smiled. "It's not every day you meet a prince."

"Well, I'm not just a prince, you know." Dusk shrugged.

"Of course." Gold replied. "Silver and I are new in Ponyville."

"Our parents own this big diamond mine." Silver added. "We've got lots of money."

"Uh-huh." Dusk said dully. "Listen, I gotta go hang out with my friends, okay?"

"Okay." Gold nodded. "But how about you join us for lunch?"

"I dunno." Dusk scratched his head. "My friends would probably like to have lunch with me too..."

"But they hang out with you all the time." Silver pointed out. "We've never had lunch with a prince before. Please?"

"Like I said before, we're new here." Gold added. "We could really use some pointers about our new home."

Dusk mulled it over. They were new, and it wouldn't hurt to extend some kindness their way.

"Okay." Dusk nodded. "I suppose my friends wouldn't mind if I had lunch with you once."

Dusk found he was correct. His friends agreed that the new kids needed some friendly interaction. At lunch, Gold and Silver brought large boxes containing some very fancy food. Dusk's bag lunch contained a daffodil and daisy sandwich with a side of hay fries.

"That's your lunch?" Silver said distastefully. "Hardly a royal repaste, is it?"

"Maybe not." Dusk shrugged. "But I like it."

"Would you care to try some of our food?" Gold offered Dusk some of his orchid salad.

"Yeah, why not?" Dusk nodded. He took a bite. "Mmm, not bad."

"You know, we're a lot alike." Gold smiled. "Our parents are all important, influential ponies."

"True." Dusk agreed.

"Maybe we should hang out more often." Silver added. "Really get to know each other."

"Maybe." Dusk smiled. "But we're going to have to schedule it so it doesn't clash with the time I spend with my friends."

"Anything you say." Gold said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

At the end of the school day, Dusk exited the school to find his parents waiting for him.

"How was your day, dear?" Twilight asked.

"Great, mom!" Dusk smiled. "I even made a couple of new friends!"

"That's terrific, kiddo." Flash smiled.

"You can never have too many friends." Twilight declared.

The next day, after school, Dusk was walking with his friends when Gold and Silver suddenly popped up.

"Ah, Dusk." Gold smiled. "Just the colt we were hoping to see."

"Hey, guys." Dusk nodded.

"Care to join us for a smoothie?" Silver asked.

"We'd love to." Dusk looked over to his friends. "Right, guys?"

Dusk's friends voiced words of agreement.

"Ooh, sorry." Gold winced. "We only have enough allowance right now to pay for three smoothies."

"So it looks like it'll be just us and you, Dusk." Silver added. "Your friends will have to wait outside."

"Oh, okay." Dusk said awkwardly. "Be back soon, guys."

After Dusk was led into Sugarcube Corner, Crab let out a snort.

"Only enough for three?" He huffed. "Please. Ah've seen them flashing bits around town. They could buy smoothies for three hundred, if they wanted to."

"So, they're a little snobbish." Honeysuckle shrugged. "That doesn't automatically make them bad ponies."

"We'll see..." Dazzle frowned.

That encounter set the bar for the rest of week. Each day, Gold and Silver would snatch Dusk away from the others, providing some excuse for why it could only be the three of them. That Saturday, Dusk decided to go to the park, where he knew his friends would be.

"Hey, guys." He smiled.

"So, you do remember us." Crab said derisively.

"What?" Dusk tilted his head.

"Don't play dumb with us." Rainbow pointed.

"You've been ignoring us all week!" Thunder growled.

"In favor of Gold Chain and Silver Plate, I might add." Dazzle huffed.

"Come on, guys, it's not like that!" Dusk protested.

"Really?" Crab asked. "Because it sure does seem like it."

"Ease up on him, Crab." Honeysuckle (as usual) acted as the group's peacemaker. "Let's give Dusk a chance to explain himself."

"Gold and Silver are new in Ponyville." Dusk told him. "They need a friend to hang out with."

"We need you too, Dusky!" Purple chimed in.

"It's like my mother always says." Dazzle declared. "'A pony simply must get her priorities straight'."

"Hey, Dusk!" Gold waved, as he and Silver approached. "Come over here!"

"Think about it, Dusk." Crab said firmly, as he and the others departed. "Who's more important to you: Them or us?"

That evening, Dusk was playing forlornly with his food.

"What's wrong, son?" Flash asked. "You haven't touched your food."

"I've got a problem." Dusk sighed.

"Which is?" Twilight asked.

"I made some new friends at school, Gold Chain and Silver Plate." Dusk explained. "But they want me to hang out with them all the time, and my other friends aren't happy about it."

"I see." Twilight nodded.

"What should I do?" Dusk asked. "I don't want to lose my best friends, but I don't want to hurt Gold and Silver's feelings either."

"It's always good to make new friends, Dusk." Twilight told him. "But you should never forget your old friends. The ones you've been through thick and thin with, who you've laughed, cried, and had fun with."

"Listen to your mom, kid." Flash grinned. "If anypony's the authority on friendship, it's her."

"Thanks, mom." Dusk smiled. "I get it now. The next time I see everypony, I'll make everything better again."

"That's my boy." Twilight chuckled.

That monday, Dusk had tried to talk to his friends as they entered the school, but got the cold shoulder. He was about to try again at recess, but Gold and Silver suddenly stepped forward.

"Hey, Dusk." Gold smiled. "Wanna hang out?"

"Not just now, guys." Dusk tried to get past them. "I have something more important to do."

"Excuse me?" Silver said, affronted. "What could be more important then us?"

"My friends." Dusk said simply. "I've been neglecting them all week, and I have to make things right."

"You don't need them any more." Gold snorted. "You've got us."

"Yeah, we're the same." Silver smirked.

"What do you mean?" Dusk asked.

"You're royalty, and we're rich." Gold explained. "We're all above the rabble. Better then those lowly commoners."

"Hey!" Dusk growled. "Those 'lowly commoners' are my friends!"

"They don't deserve you." Silver chuckled. "We're the ones who deserve to have a prince for a friend."

"That's all you care about, isn't it?" Dusk realised. "Me being a prince. You wouldn't look at me twice if I wasn't."

"But you are." Gold declared. "And you belong with us."

"No, I don't." Dusk said with disgust. "I'm outta here. And just for the record: You're not better then my friends. They're better then you."

Dusk walked over to his friends.

"How dare you!" Silver shrieked.

"Nopony ditches us!" Gold roared, outraged. "I don't care if you are a prince. You're gonna pay for this!"

"Whatever." Dusk shrugged.

Dusk's friends had heard the discourse between Dusk and his new ex-friends, and had dispensed with the glares.

"Good to have ya back, pal." Crab declared, flashing Dusk a rare smile.

"Good to be back." Dusk smiled. "I'm sorry, guys. I got so wrapped up in my new friends, I didn't think about how my old friends would feel-"

"Blah-blah lesson, blah-blah feelings!" Rainbow interrupted. "Boring!"

"Yeah." Thunder agreed. "What say we skip the sap, and get some playing done?"

"I say 'yaay'!" Purple cheered.

"Sounds great." Dusk smiled.

The friends made the most of what was left of recess together. Dusk had learned an important lesson about friendship; That old friends should never be discarded for new one.

Comments

[Glocky]

Well. Looks like somebody mixed Blueblood and Silver Spoon together.

Still a really enjoyable chapter though. Good visualization of the next generation, in my opinion.

[brony323]

I sense a bit of a parental conflict on the way. O.o
Also: I wonder who the fathers are of Dusk's friends are?

[Arron_Starchanger]

Great chapter cant wait for the next one.

[Bluecatcinema]

3051871 I might reveal them in a later chapter. I haven't decided yet.

[brony323]

3052862
K

[Bluecatcinema]

3061418 Actually, that was Honeysuckle he was addressing, right after Dazzle. "Hon" would be the short version of her name.

[Rakoon1]

Inside the school, Flash gathered with his fellow classmates.

I think you have a mistake here, because Dusk is the one who gathered with classmates.

[lunas_servant]

I see a timeline conflict. If all those ponies are starting school the same year then they would have been born in the same year. However, based on your past writings, Twilight's friends didn't even have coltfriends at the time Dusk was born. This is either a plot hole or all of her friends had children out of wedlock.

[Gboyd]

Nicely done, Dusk! Although I wonder when if we're ever goimg to see Quick Bit again....
Gold and Silver Plate could get along with him like two peas in a pod. All you need is a certain Lily Sapphire Rose Rich. Then you'd have the perfect storm.

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

something tells me that silver and gold are going to be back with a vengeance...