• Published 3rd Jul 2018
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The Humble Prince - Lighting Ace



A man wakes up to find he's inhabiting the body of a cartoon horse who wasn't exactly Mister Popular, judging from how shocked the locals are when he says things like 'please' and 'thank you'.

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A Spoon Of Love (Edited By CC, YB And GT4)

"He’s lost all of his memories?" Cadance asked in surprise as she and Shining Armor talked to Mist, who had asked them for a moment of their time while the prince went to play with Flurry not too far from them. The baby in question was initially opposed to the idea, but it had only taken a few instances of baby talk and some tickling from the prince to win the filly over.

"Shhh, not so loud!" Mist whisper-shouted to them in alarm before looking back at the prince, who was helping Flurry pet a group of bunnies that had gathered around them. "Yes, that’s what happened. We don't know why or how and Dr. Caliber gave him every single test that he could think of, but he couldn't find a single thing that would have provoked the amnesia. His mind just…started over from scratch. Right now he’s like a kid seeing the world for the first time."

She looked back at them. "And unless we want the insufferable brat of a prince back, we need to be careful not to trigger any of his memories, not until this new persona settles in permanently."

Shining raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Isn't that morally questionable? It’s almost like we’re brainwashing him."

Mist sent him a deadpan look. "Prince Shining Armor, with all due respect, do you really want the old Blueblood back?" The memories of her standard work day caused her to shudder involuntarily.

"Celestia forbid!" Shining gave a vehement shake of his head. "For some reason, he kept calling me and all the other guards 'Clank' every time he needed something. It was funny at first but after the second month we all wanted to glue our ears shut."

"And he called every maid in the castle 'Dulcy'," Mist added with a sigh. "Look, I know this looks morally wrong but I think it could be a gift from the heavens. The only thing we need to do is welcome this new Blueblood into our lives and all of our nightmares will be a thing of the past."

The couple kept their eyes on her, hearing her proposal in their heads, then looked back at the prince who was happily playing with their daughter. Eventually, a small smile spread across Shining’s face, and he nodded in agreement.

“I must admit, I like him better this way. Normally I wouldn't trust him within ten paces from my little Flurry.”

Cadance, meanwhile, still felt a little unsure. "He looks so happy now. I don't think I have ever seen him smile like that. Having a smirk or a smug smile on him, sure. That was his default face, but honestly happy? I think this is the first time I have ever seen him like that," she wondered aloud.

"It would be too cruel to strip him of that happiness," Shining commented as he looked at Mist. "I think you’re right, Mist. Maybe this is for the best."

"Thank you for understanding, Your Highnesses," Mist replied with a graceful bow.

Cadance sent her a worried glance before looking at Blueblood again. She then made her decision and adopted a determined look, stepping toward him. "I need to confirm it for myself," she murmured.

"Princess, please, be careful. You could…"

"Please Mist, I understand your feelings, but I’ve had to live with him for far longer than you. I have to know if this is true. I must," Cadance assured her.

Shining and Mist looked at one another, a bit unsure, but complied and let her go to her cousin. Blueblood, at that moment, was lifting Flurry up and down while making airplane sounds. Cadance, in turn, had her wings extended, and was taking a defensive, protective stance as he moved Flurry around.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the princess put on her best facade and approached them with her calmest smile. "I see you two are having fun," she said, gaining the attention of the prince and the baby, the latter reaching up for her.

"Oh, sorry miss," Blueblood answered with some embarrassment as he let go of Flurry, allowing her to fly over to her mother. "I didn't mean to bother you.”

"Don't worry, it’s no bother," said Cadance, keeping her mask on. As she gathered Flurry up in her forelegs, she looked back at her cousin. "So, I just talked with your maid, Blueblood. I'm really sorry for your loss. It must have been very frightening, waking up one day only to realize that you don't recall anything whatsoever."

"Honestly, not really. Can’t really miss what you don’t remember." Blueblood sighed, his gaze falling. "But not knowing how to walk was something that really scared me. In fact, I'm trying not to think of what else is gone. I could die of embarrassment right here, right now, if it turns out that I can't even well…answer the call of nature." His cheeks flushed red for a moment.

Cadance narrowed her gaze, although he didn’t notice. "Funny…you don't seem all that scared."

To everypony’s surprise, the prince only chuckled in response as he looked up at her again. "Miss, how would panic help me right now? In any kind of emergency, the first step one must always take is to keep calm. Right now, I have no one to turn to, nowhere to feel safe. I don’t even have a reason to believe anything you’re saying to me. I am afraid, miss, and that is making me extremely paranoid. Yet I know that if I give into what my emotions are telling me now, I won’t have any answers and these fears will just keep getting worse."

For a brief moment, Cadance thought she saw tears in his eyes as he continued, "I need to believe that I can trust the ponies around me and the only way I can do so is to swallow my fears, stand up, and stay on guard. While at the same time, listening to what you have to say until I can really trust in myself again."

Even though part of her mind was screaming to her that he was lying, Cadance could feel another part of her telling her otherwise. Her cousin wasn't lying. He truly was scared, even to the point of being shaken. And yet, despite this, the prince just kept smiling at her and trying his best to be friendly.

Needless to say, that image alone was surreal and perplexing for the Princess of Love and, as much as she wanted to feel sorry for him and try to help him, there was still a part of her that protested against that idea. Blueblood was known to be a schemer and a deceiver. He knew every single tactic in the book of manipulation. Some could argue that he wrote it. And he knew how to play the game of politics better than most. He could be pulling her strings right now and the princess wouldn't suspect a thing.

Emotions and thoughts ran rampant through the princess’s head, leaving her at an impasse on what to do next. In the end, there was nothing else she could do other than keep up her facade and continue to search for any flaws in his acting or cracks in his mask.

She put on her smile once more and tipped her head towards him. "That is a very mature and logical way to treat your problem, Blueblood. Something that is worthy of praise."

"Nah, miss, there’s nothing to praise. I'm just a humble per…pony trying to keep calm and find a solution to his current problem."

It was brief, and few ponies would notice it, but not Cadance. She noticed it: a slight slip of the tongue, and a very quick word change. It was as if he had something to hide.

There it was, a crack in his acting. Now she knew and all her doubts were gone. Her cousin was still there, and he was using her once more. He was doing an incredible job at it. She was still unsure as to why he was doing it, but it was still clear to her: he was pretending.

Got you! Cadance smirked, thinking that she had found his scheme. There were still puzzle pieces missing, but her cousin was indeed hiding something.

"You are giving yourself too little credit, Bluey," Cadance spoke in a silvery way, emphasizing a particular nickname that she knew for sure would infuriate Blueblood. It was a trigger for him that would, without fail, always result in him throwing one of his trademark tantrums. "You always knew how to make a convincing act," she finished, confidently closing her eyes and waiting for her cousin to slip and break his oh-so convincing mask.

It never came. Instead, Blueblood’s next words threw her off-guard completely.

"Bluey?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Sorry miss, did we know each other from before?"

Cadance’s jaw dropped, and despite her best attempts to speak, she remained tongue-tied. How is this happening? That nickname was his biggest weakness, no matter how much he tried or what tricks he used. Even when he hypnotized himself he couldn't escape it! That word should have made him give up the act!

Her own mask was cracking, not his. This wasn’t part of the plan!

"W-well…I…" she stammered.

"She is your cousin, my Prince." It was Mist that came to Cadance's rescue, accompanied by her husband. "Prince Blueblood, allow me to introduce you: this is Prince Shining Armor, and your cousin, Princess Mi Amo…"

Cadance covered Mist’s muzzle with a hoof. "Just Cadance is fine, Mist," she said quickly, a nervous smile etched on her face.

"Cousin?! Then that means…" He turned to Flurry, who looked back at him with wide eyes. "Am I your cousin once-removed, hmmm?" he asked her with a chuckle, and Flurry giggled in response.

Blueblood looked back at the royal couple and the maid. “Well, I certainly didn’t expect this. No wonder you were calling me Bluey." He stepped over to Cadance and gave her a small hug. "Oh Cadance, you were probably so concerned for me, and I not only didn't recognize you, I also told you I didn’t trust you. I’m so sorry.”

"I…it's okay, Blueblood," Cadance replied somewhat stiffly on account of being hugged by her least-favorite cousin. With a nervous chuckle, she awkwardly returned the hug, patting his back. Okay, it’s official, now this is now the weirdest thing I’ve done in a while, she noted inwardly.

As the longer-than-comfortably-normal hug continued, a guard approached the group and saluted. "Your Highnesses?"

Shining turned to him. "Yes?"

"Princess Celestia just became available and would like to receive both of you at your earliest convenience."

"Hey, great!" Blueblood said, letting go of Cadance. "I could go with you and apologize for the confusion back in the infirmary."

He turned to leave, only for Mist to approach him. "I would advise against that, Prince Blueblood, at least for now. Doctor’s orders."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"After the scare that resulted in your collapse, Dr. Caliber determined that you need more time to adjust before you confront the source of stress again."

"I see. Well, if the doctor says I could, I suppose I can see her later, right?"

Mist nodded and took his hoof with her own, smiling. "Come with me, my Prince. There’s still a lot of the castle for us to cover. You can talk with the princess during dinner."

"Okay," Blueblood relented, and he and Mist started to leave. Before they did, however, he turned to the royal couple and waved at them. "Hope I see you there! Tell my aunt that I said hi, okay?"

"Will do, Blueblood," Shining called after him, as he and Flurry waved back. Cadance, meanwhile, stood still as a statue as she watched her cousin leave, her mind going back to the hug and the puzzling words he spoke.

Once the prince and his guide were out of sight, Shining turned to his wife and nudged her with his snout. "Caddy? Are you okay?"

"I-I don't get it…" she mumbled.

"What are you not getting, sweetie?"

"He is both acting and telling the truth at the same time," Cadance uttered, blinking twice and shaking her head.

Shining raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I mean, Mist was right. He doesn't recall a single memory. Nothing, and yet the way he’s handling things, how he keeps calm, even how he keeps looking at everything with awe and curiosity, he seems so wise and mature.” She lightly stomped a hoof on the ground. “It doesn't make sense!"

"Cadance, he has amnesia. Of course he would be acting like that."

"You don't understand, Shining." She looked back at where Blueblood left, frowning. "While we were talking, I saw for a brief moment some kind of panic and not the type of panic of somepony who doesn't know where he is. It was a panic of somepony about to say something secret."

"So you think there’s something he remembers?"

"Exactly. I think Blueblood's mind isn’t totally gone, but what he does recall he doesn't want to talk about for some reason."

"Well, that is unexpected. Why would you think he doesn't want to tell anypony?

"I don't know, Shining. I simply don't know."

Off to the side, the guard, having long since been forgotten, much to his perpetual annoyance, cleared his throat. Startled, the couple looked back at him, finally remembering that they were in public. "Your highnesses? The princess?" the guard repeated, his eyes half-lidded.

"Oh! Right, right, lead the way," said Shining. The royals moved to follow the guard, who guided them back into the castle.

Cadance looked back for a moment to where she last saw Blueblood leaving, and her eyes narrowed. I don't know what you’re hiding, Blueblood, but I'm going to find out. And I swear, if you’re planning something bad, I will stop you.


In the throne room

Celestia waited patiently until the end of her final request of the day: a proposition from a pegasus with white fur and a blue mane and tail, with an eye on top of a target for a cutie mark.

"Thank you for your offering, Lord Sharp Shot," Celestia stopped him by lifting one of her hooves. "But I’ll have to decline it. Right now, there is no need for me to have another advisor. But rest assured, I always take the suggestions of my subjects into consideration, and I appreciate the offer."

The pegasus bowed to her. "As your wish, Princess Celestia. Know that my door will always be open in case you change your mind."

"I will remember it," she replied, dismissing him with a small wave.

The stallion turned around and started to leave, just as Cadance and Shining Armor entered the room. The guards at the entrance immediately stood at attention.

Celestia brightened up when she saw them enter and she smiled. "Ah! Cadance and Shining Armor, such a pleasure to see you both," she said with a cheery voice. The two princesses shared a hug while Shining gave a respectful bow. Then Celestia felt something different about her niece. She almost felt stiff. "Cadance? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it’s nothing, Aunt Celestia. It's just…I ran into Blueblood not too long ago."

The moment he heard those words, Sharp Shot, who had only just left the throne room, had his interest piqued. After making a mad dash to hide behind a nearby pillar, he leaned back a bit to eavesdrop on the royals’ conversation, while trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. This was Blueblood they were talking about, after all. News about that brat was always so juicy.

"Oh, so I gather you know what happened, right?" Celestia guessed.

"It was so unexpected, to say the least."

Oh? What do we have here? Sharp Shot thought with some interest.

"I mean, seeing him act so nice and polite was something I will gladly welcome and wish for, but seeing it actually happen in front of me really threw me off. This is the first time I’ve heard that amnesia could do that to a pony."

The prince has amnesia? Sharp Shot eyes widened in surprise. He would’ve remained in his position longer, only to feel somepony breathing down his neck, scaring him half to death. The moment he turned around, he saw a guard glaring right at him.

"Ah, my deepest apologies. I will take my leave now,” Sharp Shot quickly said.

"Let me escort you," the guard offered sarcastically, gluing himself to the noble as they both left the palace, leaving the royals in peace.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, Shining cleared his throat and addressed the two princesses. "Not wanting to break the moment or anything, but…" He glanced at his wife. "Honey, wasn't there another thing you wanted to tell the princess?"

"Oh, right! Thank you so much, dear," Cadance said, her excitement returning in force. She gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek before turning back to Celestia. "Aunty, I would like to tell you that, following your example, Shining and I made our own school of magic for gifted crystal ponies!"

"You did?" Celestia replied, excitement in her tone. "Cadance, that’s wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

"It's not exactly like yours, princess," Shining added, raising a hoof. "This one is more focused on the nature of the magic of the crystal ponies and the study of emotions and how it could affect one's body. The results have been very promising. We have found that seven spectra of emotions linked to the magic of our subjects could be influenced by different spells. We’re discovering new magic every day!"

"That is incredible,” Celestia uttered in glee. “How long have you had this school open?"

"A couple of months before Twily got hers," Shining replied with a chuckle.

"That much progress in so little time? You must be so proud of your little ponies."

Cadance nodded and let out a quick giggle. "We are! But that isn’t the only reason we came to visit," she said. "Tell me, Aunt Celestia, how would you like to introduce a new exchange student program into your own school?"

Celestia let out a gasp. "Really?"

The couple nodded in unison. "It would be an honor to have some of your students for a while and give ours a chance to expand their horizons in magic," Shining said, no longer hiding his grin.

"Well, of course, I accept!" Celestia cheered, bringing the couple into a group hug with her large wings. "You know I always love to see the exploration of new magic and discovering more about pony kind."

Cadance let out a laugh at her aunt’s reaction. "We thought you would, so we brought the paperwork with us so we could make it official."

"You did?" Celestia asked, ending the hug.

Cadance nodded. "Indeed we did. We’re going to stay for a couple days so we won't interrupt your day court and allow us to catch up with you and Aunt Luna."

"By the way, does she know?" Shining interjected.

Celestia frowned slightly. "Well, I tried to tell her, but…well, it’s Blueblood who we’re talking about. Can you blame her for not believing it without evidence?"

"Not really,” Cadance admitted. “Even I had to confront him to make sure. Even then, there are still things that don’t make sense to me."

"Caddy, maybe it's for the best to leave it for now. Blueblood is still sorting his thoughts and will tell us when he feels he is ready," said Shining.

"Tell us what?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure yet," Cadance sighed, looking up at Celestia with a serious expression. "But something tells me that Blueblood didn't lose all of his memories." She trotted over to a window and leaned over the windowsill, watching as the prince and Mist explored the castle’s hedge maze. "There is something he still remembers aunty and yet, for some reason, he’s keeping it to himself."

"I think you’re overreacting, Caddy," Shining repeated. "He told us that he’s mostly just afraid."

"Shining is right,” Celestia said with a nod of agreement. “Even if Blueblood remembers something he is changing for the better. I say that he has earned the benefit of the doubt.”

"Maybe…but still, there is something bothering me about all of this,” Cadance conceded, and she looked out over the hedge maze once more, just as Blueblood and Mist exited out the other end. “And until I can figure out what it is, I’ll keep a close eye on him."

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