Of Love and Loss

by tom117z

7 - The Voice

“-and then you have that appointment with Mayor Mare at seven. That should be the last thing today before Luna begins her duties in your stead,” Raven, Twilight’s assistant who once served Celestia, finished listing Twilight’s appointments for the day.

“Mayor Mare? It has been an awful long time since I have seen her, I do hope she I well.”

“I’m sure she is, your highness.”

The two were in a hallway leading towards the main throne room, to their left a large open window provided a breath-taking view down onto the city and the landscape beyond the mountain it sat on. Green pastures dominated the land of Equestria for as far as the eye could see. Twilight’s eye briefly landed on the silhouette of her old castle in the morning sun, far off in the distance. The old building was initially going to be knocked down, however Mayor Mare had insisted on refurbishing the castle and turning it into a museum based around the elements and their bearers, as well as a memorial to those who we no longer with them.

When the old mayor had brought the idea before Twilight in day court she received much support, and Twilight had little choice but to accept the proposal.

Of course, she would never have said no.

“Now, come Raven. I do believe day court is due to start soon?” Twilight said to her assistant.

“Yes, and I do believe the petitioners are many this morning.”

The sound of beating wings caused Twilight’s ear to twitch.

“But as your number one assistant, I have prepared far in advance,” Raven assured.

“Thank you Raven,” Twilight smiled, “But I would be careful if I were you, a certain dragon behind me might get jealous.”

“Aww, how did you know I was here?” Spike said, clinging to the open window.”

Twilight pointed at his wings, “Those are hard to miss,” She teased.

Spike had vastly grown, no longer was he the small dragonling that followed Twilight everywhere she went. Now preferring a quadruped stance due to his elongated body, and was easily as tall as Twilight when he stood on all four of his legs. And yet despite his growth there was no denying Spike still had a lot of growing ahead of him.

“Well, dragons aren’t known for their stealth,” Spike pointed out.

“Your majesty, Princess Twilight?” A voice called from down the hall.

Twilight’s smile faltered slightly, an unnoticeably small amount, but it did happen.

“Prince Blueblood. Good morning to you.”

“And to you, your highness,” He approached Twilight, completely ignoring Spike and Raven.

“I’ll go and make sure day court is ready to go,” Raven took her leave, walking down the hallway after giving Twilight a bow.

“Hmm, credit where it is due, your assistant is nearly forty and she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down,” Blueblood issued a rare compliment.

“You’re older than she is,” Twilight pointed out, “Though I don’t suppose I should be worried about you dropping to the floor out of exhaustion now, do I?”

“No, your majesty. But enough idle… what is it the commoners call it?”

“Small talk?” Princess Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“That is the one. I need some of your time.”

“Blueblood,” Twilight sighed, “We have been over this, and if you want to make a request of me at this hour it is to be in day court, where I should currently be.”

“B-but couldn’t you make time for a fellow royal? Ponies like us must stick together after all.”

“Ponies like us?” Twilight said, bemused.

“Yes. Those of royal stature struggling against the tide of the lower rabble. You couldn’t possibly ask me to wait in line like a commoner!” Blueblood maintained.

“The other nobility do, so you can.”

“The other nobility are not royalty, I am above even them.”

Twilight mentally facehoofed, but kept her mask from showing it, “I’m sorry Blueblood, but that is something I cannot allow. It is not my place to choose favourites, and fair is fair.”

Blueblood huffed, “Aunty Celestia would always make time.”

Spike growled at Blueblood as he came particularly close to a nerve in the lavender alicorn. Her regal stature didn’t falter for a moment, but she narrowed her eyes at the alabaster unicorn.

“Princess Celestia may have, perhaps because you could play the ‘cherished nephew’ card. But your title of ‘prince’ is hollow, allowed to you because you are descended from Queen Platinum. So do not try my patience Blueblood, because the reality is, your title means nothing. And you are not above your fellow nobles in any way,” Twilight scolded the unicorn. “Even then, are you not flesh and blood? You are made up of the same materials as every other pony in Equestria, and are no different. You will not get favouritism from me, you will be treated fairly, and equally.”

Blueblood had a look of outrage etched into his face, “Very well then, Miss Sparkle. I suppose I can’t really blame you for not being Celestia’s equal when it came to ruling Equestria, you are just her replacement after all. It is a shame really, that aunty didn’t teach how to properly respect ponies such as me.”

The nerve was cut.

“RESPECT?!” Twilight’s royal Canterlot voice boomed around the castle, sending Blueblood scurrying backwards as thunder crashed down onto the roof.

“DO NOT HAVE THE GALL TO LECTURE ME ON RESPECT, BLUEBLOOD, FOR YOU HAVE NONE AND THUS DESERVE NONE! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO EQUESTRIA’S ROYALTY AND A STAIN ON QUEEN PLATINUM'S GOOD NAME, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”

Blueblood vacated the area faster than Pinkie Pie when somepony said the p-word, terrified at the alicorn’s outburst.

Slowly the quiet of the day's morning returned, Twilight calming enough to realise what she just did.

“Twilight?” Spike called gently out of concern.

“I’m fine, Spike,” She replied, “I just… I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Twilight, he had it coming for a long time. Remember how he treated Rarity at the Gala all those years ago?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m a Princess of Equestria. I should be able to control myself.”

Twilight slowly lifted a hoof, revealing a burn mark on the floor where the power of the sun had run rampant in the rage of its master.

Twilight lit up her horn a bright lavender, and the burn mark quickly evaporated, as if it was never there.

---

Discord hummed to himself as he entered the ancient chamber, which sprang to life with his very presence.

“Hello? Discord to… wherever you are. Can you hear me?”

“Discord,” A voice flowed through the air around the chamber, originating from the dark artefact within.

“Ah, there you are. It’s good to hear your voice again.”

“Why do you seek me out this day? You know I prefer not to use this… device. Its dark magic is… uncomfortable.”

“Yes, well I am sorry about that, but you really should blame the maniacal pony who designed the thing. Once upon a time I may have enjoyed the company of such a chaotic individual, now though I realise how little fun somepony like that would be. I would be more inclined to hit him in the flank with a 1910's Spalding Fred Clarke Baseball Bat.”

To demonstrate his point, Discord spawned an antique baseball bat and wacked a ball, which bounced an unnatural amount of times from one wall to the next.

“A… what?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t know the sport. This gem is from dear Sunset’s private collection I believe.”

“Sunset? If it belongs to her, Discord, then I request you return it,” The voice demanded.

“Oh, fine,” With a click of his talons the bat and ball vanished in a flash, “Even now, you’re no fun.”

“Discord, why have you come here?”

“Just to warn you that ol’ love butt junior is on her way here with an expedition.”

“I know, I am counting on it.”

Discord raised an eyebrow, “You are? Oh please, do tell.”

A sigh passed through the air, “My position allows me… insight into what could be.”

“And I can do that on a rainy day, your point?”

“I have seen tragedy,” The voice responded.

“Excuse me? No such events are due to happen.”

“I see many paths, you only see one potential path. You always were unreliable,” The voice teased.

Discord pouted, but pressed on, “What did you see?”

“I saw the Crystal Empire. Something is likely to happen soon. It is unclear as to what, and it may not even come to pass. But I must warn Flurry Heart nevertheless.”

“I hope you are wrong. Twilight Sparkle is in a bad place,” Discord clicked, and an image of Twilight’s outburst to Prince Blueblood appeared before him, “She is coping, but the loss of her mentor and mother figure affects her even now. She will heal in time, but that time has not yet come. If tragedy would strike again, so soon after all of that business. I fear it would set her on a dark path.”

“I know,” The voice said, regretfully, “And I fear for her. I have seen many paths, many futures. And far too many feature a bad end to her story…”

“I trust her,” Discord said honestly, “And if anypony can make it through this, it is her.”

---

Flurry Heart looked off into the distance, before her was a vast expanse of trees as far as she could see.

“Are we close?” She called back to one of her companions.

“Yes, princess. The ruins should be somewhere in that forest!” The expedition’s leader, a professor of Celestia’s School, replied.

Flurry Heart was giddy with anticipation, “Yes! I feel like Daring Do and I love it!”

The professor chuckled, “Well, wait until we are inside.”

“I can hardly wait.”

Comments

[ValNitak Choas]

I think the voice is either nightmare moon or the celestia and luna's mother

[shenadri]

ok... creepy proffesor... DAAAAMN

[tom117z]

7159204 Creepy? How?

[Cross Lament]

7158967 It seems like the voice is (or was) acquainted with Sunset. I wonder if it's part of Sunbutt.

[ValNitak Choas]

7159963 it good idea i though about at the start, but i think it one of her other persoanlity like molitia or trollteistia

[Lunar Justice]

"The sun scorches both of our souls, but only one is deserving"

That was litterary what i thought when Twi went ballistic on Blueblood. A cookie to the one who catches the reference. Eagerly await more and i am glad that the sun indeed reacts to Twilights mood. It's a touch i've always loved. Wonder if Luna heard her Outburst. The signs of Twilight not being well are there, now it is only left to see what will happen to her. Also the professor seems like quite a creep might just be me overthinking it. But he kinda worded the exchange between him and Heart so it seemed a little bit off. But we will see

[Commander Darklight]

7160140 yeah my creep scene is a tingling

[erictheblue]

Blueblood vacated the area faster than Pinkie Pie when somepony said the p-word, terrified at the alicorn’s outburst.

the p-word?
oh.
Party.

i'm kind of embarrassed it took me so long to get that...