The Hidden Prince

by Rakoon1

Reunion

After the end of the memory shown by Twilight, Star said:

“That explains everything. The reason why I always felt I knew Dusk… You had Mirror Coat to seal the information.”

“I know what we did… what I did… was an injustice for you and your sisters” Twilight said. “Not just for you three, but also to all the others. Sealing memories is something… awful to do.”

Blue placed his hoof over Twilight’s shoulder and said:

“I’m also part of this. I allowed it to happen and, despite my opinion on the subject, I trusted on your mother’s decision. It seemed the right one to do and I don’t regret of anything if that meant keeping you safe.”

“Oh, Blue…” Twilight said, moved by Blue’s words full of love and dedication.

“So, son, if you want to get mad on somepony, then you can be with me too” Blue said.

“What are you talking about?” Star asked. “I’m not upset. I understand why you did it. I mean, what you did was not… let’s just say, very nice, but it’s understandable and… I guess I would have done the same thing.”

“Oh, Star…” Twilight said, with some tears on her eyes. “What have we done to deserve a son like you?”

“But what you told us about Kurama knowing everything… it still puzzles me” Blue said.

“Yes, after all, Mirror Coat’s seal should have sealed everything about Dusk from everypony that was not excluded, including him” Twilight said.

“I agree with them” Kurama said to Star in their place. “I should have forgotten. Not even tailed beasts escape the magic of the General of Knowledge when it comes erasing or sealing information. However, for some reason, it didn’t work on me.”

“Kurama says he doesn’t know how that happened neither” Star said, remembering something. “Wait, for what Mirror Coat told you, the seal doesn’t work on those who give their signature energies to it. Is there any chance Kurama’s went to it?”

“Of course not” Twilight replied. “We put this plan into motion carefully to avoid any mistakes that could get things worse. Besides, the only places where Kurama’s energy existed at that time was inside of you and the tree where Golden and Leaf Mane sealed most of his energy.”

“Not exactly” Kurama said to Star. “There’s one pony that still possesses a little of my energy… despite I’m not inside her anymore.”

“Of course…” Star said. “That’s the only explanation.”

“What, son?” Blue asked.

“I think I know who to ask” he said.

It didn’t take long for Heartbeat to come in and approaching Twilight, Blue and Star.

“Okay, I hope this is important” she said. “I was playing a prank on Purple Smoke. One of the best I have played on him. By the way, if he asks anything, I want you to be my alibi, okay?”

But they didn’t reply her, keeping staring at her.

“You know, this is the time where you give me a sermon for pranking, because you know my pranks are quite funny and my idea of fun doesn’t match yours” Heartbeat said.

“Heartbeat, tell us something” Twilight said. “Did you put some of Kurama’s energy on Mirror Coat’s seal on the information and memories regarding Dusk?”

“Ah, you guys know that Star is standing right there, don’t you?” Heartbeat asked.

“I know everything, Heartbeat” Star said. “But you would know that, wouldn’t you? After all, besides me, you’re the one to possess Kurama’s energy from the time you were his jinchuriki. You put some of his energy on the seal so that you could remember and then tell me about it.”

There was a pause and then Heartbeat, seeing that her cover was blown, said:

“That’s very clever of you.”

“Why, Heartbeat?” Blue asked. “Why did you do it?”

“I was only trying to help you all” Heartbeat said. “I knew you would try to hold this lie for as long as you could.”

“We would hold this lie until a solution was found for Star’s cursed heart” Twilight said. “One that doesn’t involve sacrificing somepony else’s heart.”

“But that can take forever” Heartbeat said. “Besides, this plan of mine may give you the solution you need… for the time being, at least.”

“What plan?” Star asked. “Knowing you, I don’t know if what to know.”

“Let’s just say it was a mix of a prevision and assumption” Heartbeat said. “I knew Dusk eventually would get tired of waiting for a solution. He’s just like Blue: impulsive and impatient, incapable of waiting for anything, even if his life depended on it.”

“Hey!” Blue exclaimed, while Twilight hid a chuckle.

“It was only a matter of time for him to go after Star” Heartbeat continued. “Even if that didn’t happened, they could just meet by accident. And if they met, Star would go obsessed in knowing who he was… just like when Twilight twilights about any little problem that crosses her path.”

“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed, with Blue being the one hiding the chuckle this time.

“Any who, I knew I had to do something to mitigate all this… situation” Heartbeat said. “And the answer couldn’t be more clear: Goldy’s sealing spell.”

That confused Twilight, Blue and Star.

“You mean the one he used to seal Kurama in me?” Star asked. “But I thought that wouldn't work.”

“Yeah, he did say that when we asked him for a way to prevent the curse” Blue said. “You were there.”

“Actually, what he said was that, because of the risk of Kurama taking over Star, it couldn’t be done” Heartbeat corrected. “But now, Kurama is besties with Star, right?”

“Wait…” Star said, while processing what Heartbeat had just said. “Are telling us that you knew Kurama and I would get along eventually? No, I don’t buy it. You hated Kurama. You used to tell he was the most annoying being in all Creation. Even more than Purple Smoke bragging about his skills and constant shapeshifting.”

“Great, now you’re the one roasting” Kurama told Star. “As if hearing Heartbeat doing it wasn’t bad enough.”

“Yes, but my belief in you was bigger” Heartbeat replied the alicorn prince. “If there was some somepony capable of getting through that grumpy fox was you.”

There was a pause and then Twilight said:

“Let me get this straight. You allowed Kurama to remember Dusk so that he could tell Star about him by the time they were friends? You do realize he could have used that to manipulate Star and make him lose control, right?”

An awkward silence and then Heartbeat replied:

“Okay, I clearly didn’t think of that.”

“Neither did I” Kurama said. “How did that escape me? Now I feel stupid.”

“Really?” Star asked his tailed beast friend.

“Okay, let’s focus on the big and better picture here” Heartbeat said.

“Which is…” Blue asked.

“That now Star and Kurama are friends and the seal is now open completely, he can use it to seal the curse” Heartbeat replied. “At least for the time it can hold it.”

“Heartbeat’s right” Blue said to his wife. “This is the solution we needed.”

“Yes” Twilight agreeded, starting to smile. “It’s not a permanent solution, but it can reunite our family at last. Dusk will be able to be with us again and we can undo the seal that holds everything about him.”

“Wait… no!” Star exclaimed, making everyone turn to him.

“Star, what are you saying?” Twilight said. “This is what our family needs.”

“I know that, but…” he said. “For me to do that, I need to seal Kurama again. Opening the seal completely was a sign of our mutual trust on each other. I can’t just put him in a cage just so I can be reunited with my brother.”

“Don’t worry, kid” Kurama told his jinchuriki. “Just do it already.”

“But that would put you in your cage again” Star said. “I can’t do that. Not when I was the one to set you free.”

“Please, stop that” Kurama said. “You know I hate sentimentalities. Besides, I’ve already been caged for centuries: first inside Heartbeat, then in a cell in Tartarus, then a book and then you. Not to mention Ten-Tails, Hepheus and the Lord of Chaos. Believe me, spending more time in a cage is nothing. It most certainly beats hearing you mourning for not being with your brother.”

“Oh, Kurama… I don’t know what to say” Star said.

“You could stop with that” Kurama said. “And also say thanks.”

“Well then, thanks” Star said. “This means a lot for me.”

Returning to the real world, Star said to his parents:

“I talked with Kurama and he said I can do it.”

“Really?!” Heartbeat asked, surprised. “Wow, he really has changed.”

“That’s great!” Twilight said.

“So how do we do this?” Blue asked. “Do we ask Golden Paladin for this?”

As if answering his question, Star charged his horn with magic and golden chains appeared around his torso. Inside their shared mental plane, the watered surface beneath Star and Kurama started to undulate, as a green liquid started to be pulled to where Kurama was, as the cage started to be formed again around him. The doors of the cage appeared and closed in front of Kurama and the green liquid that was the curse, with it being then locked by golden chains.

“It’s done” Star said. “Don’t worry, Kurama. As soon we find a solution for my heart, I will set you free.”

“Don’t rush, or else things may get worse” Kurama replied, while lying down. “I just hope you don’t get in trouble. You won’t be able to use my energy.”

“Oh, Kurama, I love when you show your concern for me” Star told, playfully.

“Don’t be cocky” Kurama replied. “I just don’t want my fun of observing you to be over so fast.”

Star chuckled and then returned his attention to the real world.

“It’s done. I sealed the curse with Golden’s seal.”

“So… does that mean everything is okay now?” Blue asked.

“There’s only one way to know” Heartbeat replied, while playing her teddy bear, which she made appear.

“She’s right” Twilight said, understanding what she meant. “It’s time for us to make a family reunion.”

At Bright Shore, Dusk was at his room, lying on his bed. He sighed, not believing the day he just had. And all because he wanted to be close to his family at the citadel. He then looked at his foreleg where he saw a faded mark, the same one he got for activating Star’s curse for the first time all those years ago. That mark was the one thing that was preventing Dusk from being with his family. He only hoped he could be together with his brother and sister pretty soon.

It was then that he heard movement outside of his room, what caused him to get suspicious. But then his mother’s voice called him:

“Dusk, dear, can you come here? It’s us, mom and dad.”

Dusk got a little confused, as he didn’t understand why his parents were there. Did something happen and he didn’t know about it? He got out of his room and saw his parents and the living room, both with a cheerful look.

“Mom? Dad? But why are you here? I already told you I’m not going to get close to Star.”

“Don’t worry about, my dear” Twilight said. “We’re not here for anything bad you may have made.”

“It’s something good” Blue added.

By the look on their faces, it really seemed that way, so Dusk said:

“I can’t wait to know it. What it is?”

“Why tell, when we can show you?” Twilight replied. “Go outside and you’ll see.”

A little confused, Dusk did what she said and, when he barely step outside, he saw what that surprise was. He couldn’t believe in what he was seeing. Before him was Star, Midnight and Sunny, his three siblings there, with him, smiling at him. He didn’t know what feel at that moment, as he could feel a great amount of joy, but the shock of the surprise causing him to have trouble in expressing it.

“But… what is this?” Dusk asked.

“What it looks like” Twilight said, as she and Blue appeared by his side. “It’s your brother and sisters.”

The twins, not wanting to wait any longer, advanced and knocked down Dusk, all while tickling him in an affective way, just like they used to do with Star.

“We can’t believe we have another big brother” Midnight said.

“This is the best day ever!” Sunny exclaimed.

“You told them” Dusk said to his parents, happily.

“Well, someday it had to be” Blue said. “And I think this one was it.”

After getting up, Dusk looked at Star, who remained where he was.

“Hey” the older brother said.

“Hey” Dusk replied. “So… it’s good that you finally get to know.”

“Yes…” Star said. “I have to say it was a nice surprise to know I had another younger sibling.”

“Yeah… I can imagine that” Dusk said.

It was then that Star started to head towards Dusk. Seeing that, the latter started to say:

“Oh no… You may not want to come any closer.”

“It’s okay, Dusk” Star said, while keeping moving forward.

“But… but the curse…” Dusk said, trying to retreat. “We can’t be near each other.”

But he ended up bumping against his parents and Twilight said:

“It’s okay, son. Don’t worry.”

Star got near Dusk and then extended his hoof, all while smiling. Despite hesitating, Dusk extended his and, preparing himself for what was coming next, he hoof bumped Star and got surprised when he saw that nothing happened to him. That caused a big smile to appear on him.

“I can’t believe it!” Dusk exclaimed. “You’re not getting hurt! Does this mean you’re cured?”

“Well… not exactly” Star said. “But close enough.”

“That’s… great!” Dusk exclaimed. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Yes, Dusk” Twilight said. “We can be a family again.”

A great deal of happiness took over Dusk and then he hugged Star who hugged him back. The rest of the family joined the hug.

Seeing that scene was the Lord of Chaos. Despite the image was failing for not having enough influence, despite the Bright Shore being located at the Light Kingdom’s marine bonder, because of his binds, he saw how Twilight’s family was reunited at last, what really caused him to get very mad.

“I can’t believe this!” he exclaimed. “After all that work to keep that family apart, they just happily reunite?! Is it too much to ask just a little of unhappiness to Twilight Sparkle and Star Knight?! But if there’s something they should know is to not get too much comfortable with the tranquility they have. As long as they and their descendants exist, as long as I exist, I will stop at nothing to keep them as unhappy as they can get. And there’s so many ways to do it…”

And he chuckled evily.