MLP A New Generation 3: The Rise of Armored Hoof

by TwiShine45

Chapter 21

Sunny paced about nervously in her home. She took a deep breath in and then breathed it back out once more. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. This routine was one that was not unfamiliar to the young Alicorn, yet also one that always felt completely new. The circumstances in her life were a blur. Scarlet Wing, her alleged mother, her romance with Hitch, the impending coronation…all of it wrapped around her mind and threatened to do her in. She’d spent the past few days, when not attending Armored Hoof shows, sitting in her home staring at herself in the mirror. Questions thundered through her mind, especially surrounding Astral Flare.

She hadn’t heard anything from Archive since visiting the historian. The interim period had only made her questions increase. Golden veils over the truth of her foalhood were this close to being cut…but she was having trouble locating the scissors. All she knew was that she had a country to run, and having these extra weights didn’t exactly help matters. She was concerned that, while everypony in Maretime Bay and beyond was running around preparing, Scarlet Wing could stage a sneak attack. Meadow’s threats loomed large in her mind and she wondered if Astral was sent as a spy to gauge weaknesses. After all, the outcast had been in Scarlet Wing’s grasp. Perhaps they could have brainwashed her.

“UGH!” Sunny finally growled as she lay on the floor, exhausted from her mental struggle. “Why won’t somepony just tell me the truth?! Why…why is my life consistently filled with way, way too many stories?! Why am I the main character in five conflicting areas?! Why can’t I just have a normal coronation, followed by a normal reign?!”

“Did somepony say normal?” A new voice asked.

Sunny turned and smiled. Hitch stood in her doorway, heart-shaped box in hoof. He strode towards her and kissed her cheek before opening the box to reveal some of her favorite chocolates. She found the gift sweet, even through its cliché nature. She offered him a thankful peck and the two sat for a moment as Sunny began unwrapping the candies. Though they tasted as good as ever, her smile fell. The mental pressures that had inundated her mind came right back, and even the presence of her ever-loving stallion couldn’t sweep them away.

“You ready for tomorrow?” Hitch asked, referring to the special ceremony to take place in the recently restored Canterlot.

“No!” Sunny cried. “Hitch…I…I can’t-“

Hitch stopped her with a hoof. “Sunny, sweetheart, we’ve been through this before. You and I both know that you’ll make an amazing ruler.”

“Until Scarlet Wing is put to rest for good, I’m afraid I’ll be like this,” Sunny said. “It’s not really the ruling that’s getting to me, it’s everything surrounding it. I feel like there’s too much happening in my life. Evil forces, a pony who’s claiming to be my mother…it’s just all…”

“A lot?”

Sunny nodded. “Yes…a lot. I’m worried that, if I get caught up in all this, then I won’t be the leader everypony needs me to be.”

Hitch smiled and gently wrapped a leg around her back. “Well…you know where I stand.”

Sunny couldn’t help smiling back. “Yes, I do, Hitch…and I’m very thankful. I’m so happy that somepony loves me enough to tell me the things I need to hear.”

“Even if…sometimes…they might not be so good?” Hitch asked.

Suddenly, Sunny’s ears drooped. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well…look, Sunny, I spoke with Archive Amulet before heading over here. He told me of your quest regarding Astral Flare. I have to admit, when he told me just who the pony that’s claiming to be your mother was, I had to do a double take. Even I know just how wanted she is. Heck, I’ve been trying to arrest her for years! But…well…I also know how much this means to you. So, I decided to wait until we have more evidence before I go after her.”

“…and what does this have to do with the ‘not so good’ thing I need to hear?” Sunny asked.

“The thing is, Sunny…Archive did a ton of research and ran through a lot of Maretime family histories. Astral Flare is your mother.”

Sunny’s face lit up. “That’s fantastic! Then, that means she was telling the truth the whole time. She couldn’t have committed those murders! But…why isn’t Archive telling me? Why you?”

“Sunny…the thing is…well…there was a body found at the beach earlier today…”

Sunny’s face fell and her heart tightened. “Hitch…no…”

Hitch looked at the ground. He absolutely detested having to tell Sunny this. But, she needed to know. She had a right. So, he mustered all his strength and looked at his beloved mare square in the eye. He couldn’t completely read what he found there. Even so, he saw great turquoise sadness and a stark knowledge of the inevitable. His heart sank to the depths of his hooves as he prepared for a flood of tears. He was already writing his consolation speech in his head.

“…Yes, Sunny. It was Astral’s body. We’re conducting a full investigation, but…it appears that…foul play was the cause. There were marks and contusions consistent with a struggle. Apparently, Astral put up one heck of a fight. But…in the end…her assailant won.”

Sunny felt tears burning her eyes. “No…no…Hitch…please, Celestia, no! NO! This can’t be! NO! YOU’RE LYING! NO! NO! NO!”

“Sunny, calm down!” Hitch exclaimed as he tried to wrangle his suddenly manic mare friend.

“YOU’RE LYING!” Sunny shrieked. “She can’t be gone! I just saw her yesterday! NO! NO! NO! This isn’t right! Not on the day before my coronation! Please, Hitch, tell me this is all some kind of sick joke! TELL ME! TELL ME!”

“It’s not, Sunny! I wouldn’t lie to you about this, and I certainly wouldn’t joke about this, to you or anypony else!”

She could tell that he was serious, so she melted into his hold and simply stood there crying. She felt like she could do nothing else. The next day, she was to be crowned leader of Equestria. But in that moment, the throne of Canterlot seemed eons away. She had gone from gaining a mother to losing her in practically a split second. Now, she was the only one left to carry on the Starscout name.

Comments

[Starlight Glimmer1]

Harsh.

[Phetiamwantip]

That really struck Sunny really bad

[LordFlareon]

Damn. That’s quite the heart-wrencher