The New Generation

by Star Plasma

Chapter One: Brother and Sister

Sixteen years after Discord's defeat and the tragic losses of Equestria's previous rulers, we find ourselves in the barracks of Canterlot Castle. Shining Armor and Cadence now rule Equestria, and they have given life to two healthy unicorn ponies. Of course, the teenagers cannot resist the normal feelings that even the non-royal ponies have...

Clang! A Royal Guard clad in violet, spiky armor skid across the barrack's floor and crashed into a shelf lined with a variety of spears and battle-axes. The knight made an attempt to scramble to his hooves, but was pinned down by another's hoof that was pressing down firmly on the center of his breastplate. It wasn't really the hoof that was keeping the knight pinned down; it was the rapier that poked into his helmet, sharply stinging his nose.

"Well done, Master Shield." The knight commended from the ground. He held still as he spoke, preventing the rapier from scratching his nose any further. Prince Shining Shield pulled the rapier away, but his hoof remained in place.

"Muscles," he said, ignoring the compliment, "can you tell me where you wronged right now?" Shield asked. Muscles didn't dare to try and attempt to get back up yet.

"Yes. Somepony spent too much time polishing the floor, and unfortunately I failed to notice how slippery it was..." Muscles complained. Shining Shield laughed.

"I'm famished. Wanna go grab something to eat from the dining hall?" Shield asked his friend. Muscles shook his head.

"I can't. Obviously I need more practice." Muscles replied. Shining Shield turned to leave, but looked over his shoulder at his friend.

"Muscles... you are my best friend; do you know that?" Shield asked his friend, not waiting for an answer before turning back around and leaving through the barrack doors. Muscles stood still for a moment, evaluating what Master Shield had said. Sure he knew that they were best friends, but why would he mention it now?

* * *

Shield opened the doors leading into the dining hall, instantly regretting doing so. All eyes were on him as walked down the hall, stopping at a table filled with royal guards. Shield liked to think of these guards as his friends, but more than anything, he wanted their large frames to prevent any further attention on him. Of course, Shield had realized what a silly plan that had been when the guards turned their attention on him. "So, Shield... what's this I hear about you and Golden Blossom?" a guard finally asked. The rest of the bunch burst into obnoxious laughter.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shield replied evenly. Despite his cool attitude, Shield began to feel himself flush.

"Aha! He's blushing, guys!" blurted the guard sitting across from Shield. Another round of laughter followed as Shield slammed his head down onto the table.

Couldn't I have just been a peasant?

* * *

Princess Amore Diamente (also known as Love Diamond) gazed out of her window longingly. Her object of interest was but a mile away, inside of a residency inside of Canterlot. Ever since the peasant had moved to Canterlot a few years ago, Princess Love Diamond could not help but stare at him. Everything about this peasant was appealing. From the time she had started watching him, Love Diamond could tell that he was hard-working, he was kind, and he was quite intelligent too. The Princess had studied on the magic of sight enhancement intensively, only because of this peasant. Yes, she was in love with him, but she did not even know his name. She often thought about sneaking out and meeting him, but she knew that her brother would have none of that. Love's thoughts were interrupted my the sound of hooves on her floor.

"Staring at peasants again, are we?" Shining Shield asked harshly. Love Diamond's eyes flared angrily.

"That is none of your business!" Love replied, taking a step toward her brother. "What are you doing in my room anyway?!" she asked. Shield shook his head.

"You know that you can't get with him, right? You may as well just shut that window and find something else to do. You can't just stare out of that window all day, sis." Shield finished.

"Oh yeah? Who's going to stop me?" Love asked, her horn glowing threateningly. Shield chuckled.

"Have you forgotten that I'm the one who is in the royal guard?" he asked.

"So? Have you spent hours upon hours studying magic in the library?" the Princess retaliated. Shield growled.

"I actually know offensive spells. I don't study books about stalking peasant ponies." the Prince answered smugly. Princess Love Diamond gasped with shock.

"How DARE you?!" she asked, firing off a bolt of magic from her horn. Shield quickly created a barrier that let the magic bounce out of the window harmlessly.

"Well I guess it's a good thing that you do stalk peasant ponies." Shield remarked, wondering how much trouble they would be in if the magic bolt had hit the window. Shield quickly regretted this remark as he realized that his sister's rage was not yet spent. Her horn glowed a harsh green color, and her fur had turned a dark color. Shield gasped. He had never seen his sister like this before. Thank the old Princess Celestia, Shield heard his name being called. This voice caused Love to turn back to normal, and her horn stopped glowing.

"What's all the fuss about?" asked Shining Armor, walking into his daughter's room. Although sixteen years had passed, the unicorn stallion still looked the same as long as Shining Shield had known him (A.K.A. his entire life).

"Hey, Dad." Shield greeted, giving his father a hug. Royal duties and guard training prevented Shield from seeing his father as often as he'd like to, but it was still enough to let the father and son have a strong bond created between them. Love, on the other hoof, was a different story entirely. She spent her days in her room, staring out of the window at the stupid peasant that she had fallen in love with, caring little about her family or anything having to do with the castle. Still though, she respected her father as much as everypony else in the kingdom.

"Dad, he just came in here and started whining about how I'm in love with a peasant. There is nothing wrong with that, is there?" Love asked.

"Of course there isn't, Flitty." Shining Armor responded. Flitty was the nickname given to Love after Shining Aromor had found out that his daughter's brain had been filled with thoughts of this peasant, and how whenever she thought about him, she would always flit about the castle all happy-like.

"See?" Love asked her brother, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Real mature, sis. Real mature." Shield replied.

"Knock it off, you two. I don't want any problems right now." Shining Armor grunted.

"Why? What's up?" asked Shield.

"I'm going to be gone for a few hours. Your mom was complaining about wanting a bigger mirror or something. She thinks that she's put on weight since she gave birth to you two, no matter how much I try to tell her that she is still sexy as she has always been." Shining Armor replied, causing the teens to facehoof.

"...Nice, Dad. Reeal nice..." said Shield. Shining Armor laughed loudly.

"Don't act like you don't have somepony that you're interested in!" retaliated Shining Armor. "I've heard the rumors about you and Golden Blossom!"

Shining Shield blushed. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't lie to me, son. There is somepony for everypony. Now, excuse me, I should really be going. You two know how your mother is when she's angry." Shining Armor said, making a horrified face as he exited the room. Brother and Sister looked after their father for a few moments before Shining Shield spoke.

"I'm going to go see what Muscles is doing. See ya!" Shield said, exiting the room. Love sighed and walked back over to her window.

Soon, my love. Soon I will meet you at last...

* * *

Prince Blueblood paced his cell quietly. Sixteen years he had been in this dungeon of Tartarus, and sixteen years he had been planning a way to get out. The constant dripping of water from the ceiling was enough to drive a pony mad. Inside of the dungeons, there was nothing to do but think and listen. There was nothing to see, and taste was pretty much useless, unless you actually wanted to taste the garbage you were fed. Blueblood did not mind thinking, however. He often thought about how he had ended up in this dreaded dungeon.

"Traitor!" called a royal guard outside of Blueblood's cell. Blueblood looked toward the guard, who had shoved some food underneath the cell door. Mold was growing on the food, and its reek could be smelled from a mile away.

"This should keep your trap shut for a while, huh?" the guard taunted. Blueblood had made a habit of trying to annoy the guards as much as possible by being boisterous and stupid. He would always yell obscene comments from his cell and get the guards pissed. While this was sometimes a bad thing for Blueblood, the rest of the dungeon criminals had thought it hilarious. The guards of these dungeons weren't too bright; they often fell asleep on the job, leaving Blueblood and the rest of the convicts free to discuss plans and stuff. Some of the ponies had been there from the time Blueblood got there, and others had been dragged in over the years. But all of the ponies had been conspiring to break free since Blueblood had been there.

"Damn, your cell stinks!" the guard yelled at the pony across from Blueblood. The guard then continued back to the front of the dungeon.

"Mach!" Blueblood whispered after the guard had left. The pony contained in the cell across from Blueblood got up and walked to the front of the cell.

"What?" he whispered back. Blueblood looked around cautiously before continuing.

"That was the dinner round. Another hour and they'll come back to check on us. Is it ready?" Blueblood asked. Mach nodded his head.

"Good." Blueblood responded. The guards placed an anti-magic collar on each of the unicorns before locking them up, but a miniscule amount of magic could still be used. For sixteen years, Blueblood and Mach had been hatching a plan that was sure to get them out of this dungeon. Blueblood had placed a spell on Mach that made his sense of smell very weak. The two villains had been slowly massing their food into little spheres over the years, hiding them under their mattresses and pillows. Sure it was disgusting, but how else could they get out? Blueblood had coated each of the spheres with a thin barrier. As soon as the barrier broke... Blueblood just chuckled thinking about it. The putrid fumes of the food was enough to kill a pony, but Blueblood knew that the guards would find some kind of defense against it.

Blueblood looked down at the cell door. All of the water that had been dripping from the ceiling was being put to good use. Blueblood would gather the water from the ground and splash it on the cell bars each day. Common sense didn't disappoint, and rust had been forming on the bars for years, making them brittle. Prince Blueblood gave a devilish smile.

Sixteen years he had been confined, but in less than an hour, he would be free.

Comments

[Star Plasma]

Sorry update took so long, guys! I tried to do it sooner, but... you know, stuff happens. Anyway, sorry if chapter seems kind of rushed or something, but future chapters will have more going on.

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Blueblood, you caused your aunts to die, have you no shame?!

[Star Plasma]

1606883 Of course he doesn't. It's Blueblood.

[SuperPinkBrony12]

1606946 Well I hope he realizes that now even his own sister and brother-in-law will turn on him, I hope it was worth it Blueblood.

[Cobrawolf_Meiji2012]

Blueblood: Soon to be featured on Equestria's Most Wanted.

[BenRG]

Less than an hour and he will be free... and into the middle of a maelstrom that will make a renegade member of the Unicorn aristocracy pretty much the #1 suspect for the current crisis. Great timing, Blueblood.

I liked Shining and Cadence's kids. I wonder if they've got around to telling Diamond how much like her mother she is, especially in mooning after a certain social inferior?

[The Great Derpsby]

I want Blueblood to succeed, just for the "always been a mistake in Celestia's eyes and would continue to be a mistake for the rest of his life" comment alone. Just to spite her.

[FuntimeBrony]

I know whats this story is based off of and I will not read it furthermore good sir.

[Star Plasma]

1611456 I honestly don't know what you're talking about.

[FuntimeBrony]

1612153 Talk to kevon and show him the story he will under stand he wrote a story like this for a girl and it turning out like the story

[Star Plasma]

1615010 Oh. Well I have that story. I'm only using the first chapter of it though. I made a prologue to tie things in better. Why do you think Celestia and Luna died?

[FuntimeBrony]

1616240 ah I see what you did there

[Scribblestick]

Well, I'm probably very late getting to this chapter. But hey, better late than never.

I found it interesting overall. It's certainly not as intense as the last, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that. You've started to set up your main characters, and I'm getting at least some sense of how they interact with each other.

One suggestion, if I may. Your pacing seems very rushed. We're introduced to all these new characters, but we don't really get a chance to see how they interact with each other. Sure, you tell us they're friends or lovers or whatever, but as a reader, I'd much rather see their relationships than just be told about them. For example:

"Muscles... you are my best friend; do you know that?"

"So, Shield... what's this I hear about you and Golden Blossom?"

Ever since the peasant had moved to Canterlot a few years ago, Princess Love Diamond could not help but stare at him.... she was in love with him, but she did not even know his name.

Royal duties and guard training prevented Shield from seeing his father as often as he'd like to, but it was still enough to let the father and son have a strong bond created between them. Love, on the other hoof, was a different story entirely.

There's an awful lot of telling here. Why not let us spend more time with Shield and Muscles and see their friendship? Why not describe Diamond's love interest in a way that shows he's her love interest? You're moving the plot along, but I don't feel like I have a sense of who these characters are as people (ponies?), and without that, it's hard for me to connect with them.

Her horn glowed a harsh green color, and her fur had turned a dark color.

What? This moment just comes out of nowhere with almost no explanation, and it ends just as quickly. I've barely met Diamond. Give me some time to figure out who she is as a character before foreshadowing some kind of dark power.

no matter how much I try to tell her that she is still sexy as she has always been.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't really see a parent talking like that in front of his children.

Prince Blueblood paced his cell quietly. Sixteen years he had been in this dungeon of Tartarus, and sixteen years he had been planning a way to get out.

Wait, what? When did this happen? How? Maybe you're planning to reveal this later in the story, but you're throwing so much new information at me that this sudden development was just too much. Like I said earlier, this whole thing seems rushed. There's a lot of new stuff to absorb and new characters to meet, and I feel like I only spend a moment with them before I'm rushed along to the next. Showing, rather than telling, is your best friend when introducing a character, and I think more of it will really help your writing. I can handle a few unexplained things, like Blueblood suddenly being imprisoned for some reason, but there comes a point when it's just too much new information to take in at once.

I hope you don't take offense to all this. I'm just trying to offer some friendly advice, one writer to another. Hope it helps!

[Star Plasma]

2001444 Thanks, but things have a way of coming together soon, I promise.