The Son of infinity

by Krystl_Fae

Chapter 1: LOST

Every Tale Has Its Beginning...

<<<Canterlot Castle>>>
Celestia (3^rd Person)

It had been six hours.

"...and so, as the pretenses set forth by the committee indicate..."

Six. Bucking. Hours. Since this meeting had begun.

"...all clauses abiding without interactions entertained by sub-clause 342-c2, as explained in..."

I can't take this anymore!

"...Excuse me, ministers."

"...and- Yes, Princess?"

"I apologise, but there is a matter to which I must attend for the moment. If I am not back by the time at which you are completed, please give a copy of the completed document to my assistant, Miss Silver Quill, at your earliest convenience for my approval."

"Yes! Yes, but of course Princess! We shall have it to you as soon as we are able. Although, I hope this matter requiring your attendance is concluded swiftly, so that you may oversee the final alterations yourself."

"Thank you, minister Plumb, I hope so as well."

No thank you. I hope this "task" of mine takes until next week, at least with the rate at which you're progressing. With one last nod to the ministers, Princess Celestia left the meeting room. Six hours to decide if a new stall should be set up in Canterlot Square. I swear... sometimes I wonder if they are TRYING to make this difficult. A thousand years ago, my sister and I would have just approved or denied the request in a matter of moments, and that would have been the end of it. She shook her head in annoyance at the thought as she continued on her way down the hall, her plastered-on smile slipping for a moment at the memory of her long-lost companion. Celestia sighs.

Luna... my dear sister... oh how I have missed you these last thousand years...

The royal guards standing at the end of the hallway bowed to her as she walked past them, entering into her private chambers.

But soon, Luna. Soon we will be reunited once more, and I can atone for my mistakes... I only hope that you can forgive me after all that I have done.

Celestia walked out onto her balcony as the moon started to rise in the distant east and the final rays of daylight filtered through the mountains on the western horizon. After millennia of practice, Celestia's moving of the sun through the sky had become almost instinctual; though after the banishment of her sister, Celestia now had to strain her magic to move the sun and moon, a task which was no easy feat. Thankfully, since Luna had to also attend to the stars before she... left, the moon had already been moved into a semi-stable orbit, only requiring minor adjustments every few hours.... Or, if Celestia could get the delicate balance of the two celestial bodies right, every few days.

Celestia stood out on her balcony as the cold winter winds picked up, and looked out over the city of Canterlot with both joy and sorrow, her loneliness more biting than the freezing mountain air swirling around her.

I wish I could be out there, among my little ponies instead of trapped behind the castle walls by all this bureaucracy that comes from ruling a country...

Celestia stepped closer to the edge of her balcony, where the railing was slightly worn away from hundreds of years of use. It was the spot Celestia used to push off, leaping onto the spot before jumping off and taking flight, as it was difficult for her to gain any lift without a running start, her muscles atrophied from centuries of inactivity. The added weight Celestia had gained in the past millennium that she could not seem to shed didn’t help matters either, though nopony seemed to notice.

Perhaps... one little flight around Canterlot couldn't hurt...

...right?

Celestia jumped off her balcony with practiced ease, and was soon soaring over the city of Canterlot. Her ponies down below were all heading inside as the cold winter night set in. Celestia herself would have loved to be down there among them, seeing the hearth's warming re-enactment of the unification of the pony tribes. But alas, her duties to her country prohibited her from attending this year. A shame, but having seen the same play every year, attendance was more of a favour to her ponies than a treat for herself.

Celestia thought back to when her mother would take her and Luna to the town square, and all the other fillies and colts would sit together and watch the original re-enactment. Of course, over the years, she and Luna had altered the story slightly to contain less gore and violence, and to be more suitable for her ponies’ enjoyment as a tale of hope, as opposed to the horrific tragedy it truly was. Celestia had always ignored the darker parts in the original story’s telling, and only saw the positive outcomes and morals the story portrayed.

She closed her eyes as she thought back to the first year that Luna had attended. As the play went on, Luna became frightened, before breaking into tears during the middle of the story, something that wasn't too uncommon among the younger fillies and colts in attendance. Celestia could still hear her little sister's crying as she held her in her arms, attempting to slow the flood of tears on Luna's face.

It only feels like it was yesterday... I can still practically hear her cries of loneliness and pain as if they were...

The smile that had formed on Celestia's muzzle started to wilt. Her sister had cried in fear, not anguish.

..as if they were....

Something was amiss. Celestia's smile waned even further, bordering on a frown as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

..as if....

Celestia suddenly opened her eyes as she realised the truth: something was horribly, horribly wrong. The cries she had heard were not coming from her own mind, but the dark streets below her, near the outer edge of Canterlot, where few ponies lived and fewer still dared to roam at night. This particular part of the city was infamously known throughout the ranks of the royal guard as "Black Canterlot". Not only did these facts alone have her rattled, but the sound Celestia had heard had been made by somepony young, most likely still a foal.

Celestia looked around, her ears flicking back and forth, scanning for the sound she knew she had heard as panic began to set in. This was not the place for one as young as a foal to be wandering, especially at night, and Celestia knew it was only a matter of time before the cold started sapping their strength and the snow covered their body, leaving them undisturbed until some unfortunate pony stumbled upon their frozen corpse.

Celestia couldn't allow that to happen.

Celestia WOULDN'T allow that to happen.

She waited for any sort of sign to help her locate the source of the noise…

...

.....

.......

...THERE!!

Celestia briefly heard the faint cry as she passed over the area for the second time. It wasn't very long, or very loud, but it was enough to pinpoint a location. Though by the sound of it, Celestia had to hurry. The cry was weak, bordering on exhausted, and if she didn't hurry...

NO! I won't think about that! I WON'T! I HAVE to find them... oh, please, Faust, help them!

Celestia flew herself down into a small street, more of an alleyway really, and began searching the area for the source of the cry she had heard. But time was against her; it had begun snowing a few minutes ago, and now there was several inches of the white substance covering the ground, more than enough to make a foal's body look like just another pile of snow.

Oh please, Faust, please, please, please....

...and then she saw him. The body of a young colt, half buried in the snow, no larger than her adopted filly niece Cadance. His coat was a dark shade of grey, bordering on black, with a white mane and tail through which ran a dulled light blue streak. Celestia almost missed him as the snow and dark shadows hid his form quite well, and most ponies would have never even noticed him. But Celestia was not most ponies.

The Princess looked around for any patrolling guards, only to find none. She would have to organise a search party later to look for any clues as to why this colt was left here in the street, abandoned and freezing to death.

Left without much of a choice, Celestia took off one of her golden horseshoes and placed it next to the colt's body, before using her magic to levitate him onto her back, and hold him tightly against herself as she took off again, racing back towards Canterlot Castle.

Celestia wanted answers. Who was he? Why was he there? Why was he all alone? Does he have a family? Where are they? Who are they? Who is responsible for this? But despite Celestia's desire for information, she knew what she had to do right at this moment. If he did not get immediate medical attention, he would likely not survive the night.

As Princess Celestia landed at the front gates to Canterlot castle, the on-duty guards quickly stood to attention before noticing the worried look on the Princess' face and the limp body slung over her back.

"This colt needs immediate medical attention. Get him to the castle infirmary and make sure he is put in a stable condition with a guard watching over him."

She turned to the other guard.

"Bring me captain Shimmer Shield, I wish to speak with her. NOW!"

Both guards immediately saluted and shouted "Yes, Princess!" before moving to their appointed tasks, with the unicorn guardsman teleporting himself and the colt to the infirmary while the other headed to the barracks to fetch the current captain of the guard, Shimmer Shield.

Celestia began pacing nervously in front of the doors that led into the palace proper. She was concerned for the young colt she had found. Just what kind of pony could let their foal wander around like that, and at such a young age? Or was it... no, she couldn't consider the alternative. Sure there was the occasional con-artist, but nopony in Equestria would be so black-hearted as to abandon their own foal out in the cold at night.

"If you keep pacing in front of the palace like that, ponies may start to get worried, Princess."

"Gah!"

Princess Celestia jumped at the sudden interruption of her thoughts. She was so engrossed in them that she had completely missed Captain Shimmer Shield's approach.

"You called for me, Princess?"

"..Ah, yes. I found a young colt, around a decade younger than Cadance, in an alleyway in 'Black Canterlot'."

"Black Canterlot?! What were you doing there?"

"That does not matter right now. What matters is that the colt I found there was half buried in snow, and unconscious from the cold. I left one of my horseshoes to mark where I found him, and I want you to send a squad to find out as much as they can before any evidence is buried or lost."

"Yes, Princess; I'll lead the squad myself. But, how could somepony so young end up there at this hour?"

"That is one of the things I am hoping to find out. Thank you, Captain."

Shimmer Shield saluted and trotted off to ready a squad of guards to investigate. Celestia watched her leave for several seconds, before teleporting into the throne room. From here she walked to the infirmary, where the young colt was being kept. Inside the room, Frost Shield, the guard from the entrance, was standing beside Green Remedy, one of the palace healers, as they looked over the unconscious pony’s condition.

The colt lay on the bed between them, shivering despite the numerous blankets that covered him. Now that Celestia could get a better look at him, she was slightly shocked. His fur was roughly cut, as if he had cut it himself with a blunt piece of metal; his coat and mane both looked like they had never been washed in his life; and there was numerous places where his fur was patchy, as if it was growing back after an injury or burn. Now that his mane was out of the way, she could clearly see that he was a unicorn, though his horn was badly damaged and half of it was missing; but all this new information only raised more questions than it answered.

Noticing the Princess' shocked expression, Green Remedy turned away from Frost to address her.

"His condition was bad when he was brought here, Princess. He is suffering from severe hypothermia, exhaustion… and magical deprecation so great that it's a miracle he isn't in a coma right now. And those are merely the immediate issues we’ve had to deal with so far. It fails to even begin on many of his other injuries; or those which are so extensive that they may never heal entirely at all."

Celestia didn't know what to make of that. This colt had already suffered so much, and yet there was still MORE?!? She was reluctant to ask.

"Other...injuries...?"

Green Remedy nodded and pulled back the blankets so that the Princess could see.

What Celestia saw made her gasp, shocking her to the core. Her blood went ice cold as she looked at the pony on the bed. She struggled to think, to speak; even her heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of her. It was as if she were in some sort of horror novel. This was not something she ever though would be possible for any pony to suffer, let alone a mere FOAL!

As reality set in for the Princess, Green Remedy began extensively listing all the critical injuries. Celestia could barely hear her words through the haze of emotion racing through her mind as she gazed upon the helpless colt in front of her. “…broken femur, cracked and extensively chipped/broken horn, fractured skull, third degree burns, lacerations, severe bruising, malnutrition, three cracked ribs, several ingrown hooves, numerous severely infected (now cleaned and sterilised) wounds, dislocated shoulder, multiple missing or broken teeth, fractured muzzle, internal haemorrhaging, a collapsed lung, a failed kidney…” and still the list went on.

"...If I am completely honest, Princess, it is more than miraculous that he is still alive at all. If anypony else had suffered these injuries, they would most certainly be long dead by now. The fact that he is of such a young age, too... it is simply heartbreaking to think that this is even possible, even though I am seeing it right now with my own two eyes!"

Princess Celestia simply stood there for a few seconds before tentatively stepping closer to the bed. For over a millennia, she had persevered to ensure peace and prosperity for everypony. To ensure their safety and comfort; to make sure no harm ever came to her little ponies.

And then this colt appeared, and shattered everything she thought she knew.

Had Celestia managed to secure peace? To protect her ponies? If so, then how was this possible? This colt had suffered so much tragedy, so much pain; and in Canterlot of all places; RIGHT UNDER HER VERY OWN NOSE!

Celestia charged a powerful healing spell and cast it on the colt. He groaned and moved slightly in his sleep as his broken bones were mended and many of his other injuries were healed, his almost violent shivering giving way to the occasional involuntary twitch.

"Thank you, Princess. We… could have had some unicorns come in and heal him themselves; but you, as an alicorn, are much more powerful than they are, and can cast significantly more powerful healing spells. I did not know if I should ask for your help, but… Still, thank you."

Celestia nodded in acknowledgement, “You should never need to worry about asking for my help. If I can do something to help save others, I will gladly do so.” Now that the colt was no longer in immediate danger, she relieved Green of her duties so the healer could get some sleep; and dismissed Frost Shield from his temporary post, whom soon went back to his night-time patrols of the castle grounds. Celestia remained in the room alone, looking at the poor colt laying in front of her. The scars and scratches were gone now, almost completely healed by her spell; but Celestia remembered what they looked like, and how closely they resembled the wounds her soldiers would receive in battle over a thousand years ago, back when war was prevalent between Equestria and it’s neighbours.

How could such a thing happen? Those lacerations and cuts had to have come from somewhere, and they were most certainly not natural. Who would do such a thing? He’s just a foal!

As emotions ranging from sorrow to guilt, and even anger, swirled inside of Celestia, she felt at a loss of what to do. In a brief moment of what may be described as ‘clarity’, she lifted the colt out of the bed in her telekinesis, and lay him gently on her back as she gingerly walked out of the infirmary and back to her own private chambers. She now understood just how bad his condition was when she had found him, and she knew he could not be left alone; at least not yet. Perhaps her motherly instincts, which had lain dormant her entire life so far, had kicked in and made her care personally for the poor helpless foal as if he was her own flesh and blood. She certainly cared more for the foal than would be considered normal; and, should her actions become known, they would most likely send shockwaves throughout Canterlot’s nobility and the media for weeks to come, causing nothing short of a political nightmare. But no matter how her ponies might feel on this, she couldn't leave him alone. She felt responsible for what happened to him; after all, it happened in Canterlot, right at the seat of her power in Equestria. And that should NOT have been possible.

As she walked down the hall to her chambers, the odd sound of three metal shoes and one hoof rhythmically echoed down the corridor. The guards standing either side of her door were only slightly surprised to see her entering her own chambers again without having left, as it was a somewhat common occurrence during stressful times for her to ‘escape’ through her window or via teleportation magic. They stood to attention with a salute, letting only a slightly confused look show on their face once they noticed the dishevelled foal the Princess carried on her back. Celestia shut the door behind herself with magic and made her way to the bedroom. She didn't even take notice of the small pile of papers on the side table as she walked in, too focused on her current task. Lighting the fireplace with magic, she placed the colt on the side of the bed facing the warmth of the fire before levitating over some blankets, and curling up protectively around him from behind as the blankets covered them. Before long, the cosy warmth of the fire and the comfort from cuddling the small, fragile foal in her hooves lulled Celestia to sleep.

Author's Note:

Any constructive criticism is welcome. Chapters will be added as completed (and when I'm satisfied with them). Expect updates every few months... or once every year or so, I don't know when I'll write each chapter, I have numerous works going on behind the scenes that are all demanding my attention at any one time so it's hard to keep up. Expect the first seven chapters in quick succession (if I don't decide to release them all at once), but (possibly) a long break after that. That said, expect fluctuation between 1^st and 3^rd person- I'll try to keep it clean but my mind is a minefield of... getting off topic.
Thanks for reading,
- Krystl

Comments

[funtime_foxy455]

Ooooh nice start. The horn thing reminds me of tempest. Wonder if he will get his horn back somehow.

[Revluc_The_Pony]

Oooh this is really rad.

[EnderHooves]

Celestia looked around, her ears flicking back and forth, scanning for the sound she knew she had heard as panic began to set in. This was not the place for one as young as a foal to be wandering, especially at night, and Celestia knew it was only a matter of time before the cold started sapping their strength and the snow covered their body, leaving them undisturbed until some unfortunate pony stumbled upon their frozen corpse.

Oh.
I would embed a video of Disney's "Little Match Girl" from 2006, but disney put their internet bounty hunters to work sniping them off all platforms.
Such a sad story.

[GreenLion]

https://imgur.com/gallery/oLeMAH8

[SuperSaiyanFluttershy]

8th time rereading this story