Royalty Unwanted

by Spalding

Chapter 2: Talks

As the moon reached its peak a cloud hid it, and a dark figure roamed in the Royal Gardens. The shadow slowly crossed the darkness of the night, halting beneath an apple tree. Wings spread from its figure and it collapses upon the snow underneath the tree’s boughs. Moonlight returned from behind the cloud and revealed a navy blue alicorn, head looking to the stars.

So this is home. The stars danced in the sky, like a dance of a million performers, each with their own movement and melody. Beautiful… As Anthony admired the night sky, its caretaker rose into the sky.

Luna looked down upon the palace, the kingdom, the dark distance. The snow made Equestria look so peaceful, so untouched. She knew so much had changed though. Her exodus was more than enough time for the world to forget her, but they could all remember Nightmare Moon. The pain still lingered, even though a few years passed.

As she circled around Canterlot, she flew closer to the palace, gliding to her room’s balcony. She looked down into the garden, and her heart jumped. The very pony who had escaped her gaze the night before had evaded her watch once more, the very same place…

Luna refused to let the same incident repeat itself. She descended from her perch, landing in front of the alicorn. He had been watching the instant she had rose into the sky.

“Good evening!” Anthony was glad to have company.

“Yes, it is nice, isn't it?” Luna said this jokingly; she knew that the night was all her doing.

“The sky is so beautiful here… Nothing hidden... So bright, so open…” Anthony was losing himself to the stars.

“You like my work, hmm?” Luna was pleased to hear a compliment so genuine from a stranger.

“You did all of this? I find that hard to believe.” The colt didn't understand what she said. How could a princess control the sky?

“The entire night sky is mine to control; the moon is my charge. You don’t know?” Luna had forgotten he knew nothing.

“How though? With magic?”

Luna simply looked at the colt and her horn began to glow. The sky’s stars began to move and a picture of a unicorn formed, regal and elegant. The eye was the moon, and it’s figure was formed by the myriad of stars above.

“Oh… This world really is a great place, isn't it?” Anthony was amazed by the spectacle. Never in his life, or at least he thought he never saw it before. Anthony began to feel the pangs of sadness wash over him as he realized he couldn't remember anything he had ever seen before…

“Did I disturb you?” Luna was deeply concerned, watching as a stream of tears rolled down from the alicorn’s face.

“No, it’s just, I…” Anthony sucked in the sorrow and turned to Luna, eyes red and wet. “It’s painful not knowing anything about yourself, where you’re from, what you've seen… Things so beautiful like the night sky here are a reminder of what I once knew, but now can never remember again.”

The princess turned away from the alicorn, feeling the pain she felt from when she returned. Instead of not remembering anything, she was not remembered. Her likeness, her very existence in the world had ceased. Upon her return, this had only fueled her hatred for the ponies she had been rejected by.

“This is my home now though, I won’t try to go back.” He wasn't going to try to go back to somewhere he had no memories of it. Just his name wasn't enough to bring him back. Everything here seemed peaceful, or at least peaceful enough; there had had to be a reason for him to be taken away from where he once came.

Anthony had regained his confidence and stood up in the snow. Luna was surprisingly short in comparison to the newcomer… She only reached Anthony’s neck. He looked down at her, and she felt his gaze. She looked away, not knowing what to do or say. The princess turned around as she heard the alicorn walking back to the palace.

“Anthony... If my sister and I can help you... We will.” Luna began to follow the colt, being sure to give him some distance. Despite the brief talk she just had with him, she still couldn't trust him too much. Nothing but his name was known, if and when he got his memories back would be the time to make a decision whether or not to be comfortable with him.

“I hope I won’t be too much trouble, I think I've caused more than enough excitement within the palace already.” Anthony turned back with a sad smile on his face. He opened the door to the palace and waved good night to the Princess of the Moon.

---

The morning’s sun rose, and Anthony was still asleep underneath the plush royal covers of his bed. The room they had given him was a royal guest room, reserved for emissaries from other peoples, such as the griffons.

The sunlight came in from an angle, granting the room with the brightness of the morn’s rising sun without the painful glare. There was an ornate mirror in the corner of the room beside the door. A balcony was on the side opposite the door, looking out over the Equestrian landscape, the village being in the perfect center. This was the very view Anthony had fell in love with.

Home. The thought of the word had multiple meanings for Anthony. New beginnings, Old memories, Lost time, New chance… A new chance? The thoughts of a new chance stuck to Anthony, like the fragment of a memory finally remembered, but not fully reclaimed. Why would I need another chance?

Before Anthony could continue thinking about this fragment, a guard knocked on the door.

“Good morning? Hello? Are you awake yet?” The voice sounded like it belonged to a colt.

“Yes…” The tired pony half spoke/half groaned this, still feeling tired after his night with Luna.

“Hmm. Guess not… Might as well wake up the lad.” The guard pony walks in, a sword in sheath at his side. He was a one of the few ponies of the guard that isn't grey like the others, but was instead a light brown, and his horn struck clearly out from his uncovered ginger mane.

“I said yes…” Anthony moaned as he saw the unicorn enter. He wasn't unhappy or bothered; being tired can’t help anypony’s attitude.

“Oh! Good morning prince-- Um… Excuse me, what is your name?” The guard was told he was to wake up the pony he had found the day before, but no other information was given to him.

“Anthony. My name’s Anthony. Who are you? Haven’t I seen you before?” He was starting to wake up, but his eyes were still clouded and couldn't see properly.

“Well, I found you in the garden! You were unconscious, so you must be thinking of the other guards. I am Riposte.” The guard bowed as he introduced himself to the alicorn.

“Wait, before, did you call me a prince?” Anthony was somewhat awake now, sitting up in his bed.

“Yes your highness, would you be otherwise?” Riposte was worried about already dishonoring the guest. “I’m sorry sir, I should’ve known better.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not royal at all Riposte. I’m just me. I showed up yesterday, no credit to my name.” Anthony didn't understand at all, weren't the two sisters the only royals?

“I’m sorry to contradict sire, but you’re an alicorn. You must have royal blood!” The guard pony was terribly confused by his charge’s responses and questions. Did he not know anything?

“Wait, so just because I’m… this,” Anthony gestures to his entire body, from his horn to his hooves, “I’m a royal? That doesn't sound very reasonable.”

“Let’s talk about this another time. The Princess has requested your audience in the throne room.” Riposte was trying to hurry things along; it would be horrible to not follow the royal schedule.

“Do you know what she wants me for? It’ll be just a talk, right?” The colt got out of bed, messily leaving the sheets as they were. Riposte was surprised that a royal would leave his chambers in a mess.

“Not a single pony but the princess knows what she will ask.”

---

The guard pony moved at a trot, being sure that his still drowsy charge wasn’t dragging behind. It would be terrible manners to simply go ahead and leave your companion behind in the large and sprawling castle. Riposte also wanted to get to know more about the enigmatic alicorn he had found, so as they walked the halls, Riposte was trying to get to know Anthony better.

“… So you have no clue about where you came from?” The silence was broken between the colts walking down the halls of the palace.

“Yeah. I know I used to be somewhere else at least, but I don’t where it was, what the ponies looked like, or if we were ponies… I can’t remember anything other than the fact that this isn't the way things used to be.”

“So you’re not a pony?” The guard was becoming cautious now, he might just be a hostile threat to the kingdom, and it was all just one elaborate scheme.

“I am now… I have no clue if I was before though! Can we please move on to something else? I really don’t feel comfortable talking about myself when I know nothing about my past, or at least not yet.” He meant it; not to mention the colt began to feel a deep and throbbing pain in his head the more he tried to conjure up memories of his past.

“I’m sorry, I simply find it hard for somepony to know they don’t know something, or anything! I’ve heard of memory loss because of age or because of a severe concussion… But this is ridiculous!” Riposte was tiring himself out trying to wrap his mind around the nonsense.

“Well, tell me about you Riposte. I haven’t found anything out about you.” Anthony wanted to know more about his current caretaker.

“Oh, well, what is it that you want to know?” Riposte was taken back a bit by having the tides turn at him in an instant. He still wanted to know more, but what can you know when the very pony can’t answer a single question about himself.

“What’s your past?” Anthony felt a bit odd asking somepony about their past when he had no clue about his own, but to hay with it! Riposte would likely be the first pony he’d ever get to know.

“For starters, I was just a simple colt in a Canterlot family. My father, Seamcaster, was a designer, making custom dress suites for the upper crust ponies of Equestria; my mother, Starwatcher, was a simple stay at home mare, always watching over me as I grew.” Riposte felt good talking about his past, most guards never talked to anypony, even among themselves. “I was home schooled by my beloved mother, but one day my father bought me a present, and I still have it. It was a rapier. A practice sword, mind you, he’d never give his only son a true sword at such a young age of seven! I fell in love with the sword, and soon enough my father took me to the fencing tournaments that were held in the royal gardens every month. He passed away when I was 15…” Riposte’s voice faltered slightly when he said this. His father was one of the greatest ponies in the world to him. “Only one day later did my mother sign me under the guardianship of one of my father’s friends who was a guard. She cried as I left, but I smiled back at her as I walked away, because I knew I would have an experience of a life time learning swordsmanship underneath the gruff colt. He never told me his name… I guess all the guards are like that, seeing how I know nopony else’s name here either.” It was an unfortunate fact that the guards rarely talked among each other. Whether it was an unspoken agreement among the ponies or they just didn’t like to speak was unknown to Riposte.

“Not a single name? That’s very odd.” Anthony was perplexed by the anomaly, or perhaps this wasn’t an anomaly, and just a code.

“I know! It’s unbelievable! Four years here and not a single word… I’m still not used to it. May I proceed?” The guard pony turned the corner to his left, Anthony following behind. The amount of corridors in the palace was daunting, but the alicorn’s guide seemed to know them like he knew his very hoof.

“Of course! Please continue.” Anthony was amazed with Riposte’s story and hungered to know more about the pony’s past.

“After only a year of basic sword training, my teacher had decided to pit me against the newest guard in the force. Needless to say, when a mere 16 year old pony beats a 27 year stallion colt in a match, the youth must have some talent!” The guard pony said this with immense pride, as if he had only spared the day before. “ I had stunned the guards with my ability and after defeating their top swordsman, I was told I couldn't learn any more under or the other guards. I was sent back to my mother, and she cried the moment I knocked on the door. She was stunned to see me with sword and scabbard on. I told her I wished to compete in the tournaments of the royal gardens…” Riposte’s story continued at a much slower pace now, the details coming back to him more accurately; the story’s length never bothered Anthony, it was like he was living the story as Riposte spun his life’s tale. “… And I climbed to fame! I was top of the top in Canterlot’s society! But, I have grown old now, and my fencing days are over.”

“Why are you in the guard then? Wouldn't they have recruited you sooner?” Anthony was amazed by how skilled and happy Riposte was with his swordsmanship.

“Well, the guard is normally a calling around here, being revealed the day you receive your mark.” The guard pony moved his armor to reveal an image of a fencing sword crossed with a smaller, but wider broadsword. “I received mine when my father died…”

Anthony turned his head for a brief moment, never realizing or noticing that the ponies who surrounded him had one. He saw his flank, and not a single sign of a mark or image. That would be a question for Princess Celestia.

“What is yours?” Riposte didn’t turn to look, seeing that the alicorn had to look himself. How odd it was for a pony not to known his own cutie mark!

“Um… I don’t have one.” Anthony said this like it was normal. Riposte decided not to pursue the topic, seeing how having a blank flank at such an age as the alicorn appeared to be was unheard of, or at least so rare that it would never be spoken of.

“What about your mother?” Anthony wanted to know more about Riposte still, especially since Starwatcher never came up again after that first fencing tournament.

“I… I… She…” Riposte’s voice was beginning to falter. He had never spoken to anypony about her. “I never paid attention to her after my first tournament. I completely forgot about her! I had usurped the five year champion at my first debut and I was washed away with the fame and glory!” The unicorn was excited at this point, like a torrent of emotions was attempting escape, but being repressed by a feeling of shame for making an outburst in front of his guest. “She passed only five years after my first tournament… I was only 21 then…” The words came out like the pain of a wound long left untouched, being reawakened once more. The sadness was overwhelming to Anthony.

A silence developed between the two as the distressed unicorn tried to collect himself once more. It had been so long since he had talked to anypony about his previous life. Most guards talked only about their day, and that happened rarely. Never did they speak of their past or family or even their own aspirations! The duty they must feel for their dear kingdom is impossible to comprehend for the fencing legend.

“I’m glad you talked to me about this… About yourself.” Anthony had a feeling that Riposte would be one of the few ponies that would warm up to Anthony, at least for now.

“I, I think I am as well… I’m sorry if--”

“It’s okay… I’m sure your mother is happy to watch over you.” The alicorn felt like somepony was watching them, and as he turned around, he saw a mare walk down the hall; she looked exactly like Riposte, a unicorn with light brown fur and a ginger mane.

“Ma’am! Excuse me!” Anthony must have blinked, for in an instant, the mare was gone. There was no side corridor though… “Ma’am?…”

“Who are you calling to? We’re the only ones up for now besides the princess.” Riposte had turned around with Anthony, but never saw anypony at all. “Are you sure you saw somepony?”

“I… I’m not sure…” The conversation had ended, Riposte worrying now about his new confidante.

---

The colts now moved through the halls in complete silence, both thinking about what the day held for them. Anthony was to speak with the princess and hopefully get some answers, or have to remember some answers for her… Riposte couldn't stop thinking about how he gave his life story to a complete stranger, a possible threat even! He didn’t seem dangerous though…

The ornate marble and stained glass walls and windows created a stunning spectacle for the pair as they came closer to the royal throne room. They soon entered a larger corridor than the others, filled with stunning pictures of what seemed to be Equestria’s history. One such piece of art was of six ponies, all surrounding a large dark blue, armored alicorn. Another showed the very same ponies dispelling a creature made of mixed and matched parts of many other animals and beasts…

Anthony and Riposte reach the end of the corridor, filled with colorful light and warmth from the morning’s sun. There were two guards standing at attention at each side of the doors that led to the throne room. The white pegasi never turned their heads or looked in the colts’ direction; they were like stone centurions that had been given life.

“Well, I must leave you here. Celestia requested that she see you alone with her sister.”

“It’s been good meeting you Riposte, I’ll be happy to see you afterwards.” Anthony wanted to see his first friend to talk about the city and what society was like.

“I’ll be in the royal gardens. It’s my post.” With that, Riposte turned away from his charge and walked back down the grand corridor. It was going to be a fantastic day in the royal gardens.

Anthony turned to the doors and the two royal guards only opened the port wide enough for him to enter. As soon as his tail had cleared the doorway, it shut behind the alicorn. At the throne sat Princess Celestia, her mane flowing and a smile gracing the room with warmth.

Anthony had been sitting at the base of the throne’s set of stairs. Celestia and Luna sat side by side. Luckily, Luna hadn't spoke about meeting Anthony in the garden the night before. The two sisters had been explaining how they both ruled Equestria and gave him a brief synopsis of Equestria’s most recent events. To Princess Luna’s discomfort, the Nightmare Moon incident was spoken about, Celestia having Luna tell the new alicorn about the ordeal.

“… And when the Elements of Harmony were properly assembled and the six ponies used the magic of friendship to dispel Nightmare Moon, I returned to my old self, or should I say became myself… Everything is still a bit fuzzy when I try to recall my time as Nightmare Moon.”

“Wow. So, Discord and Nightmare Moon... They were both dealt with by six ponies?” Anthony could hardly believe such villains could be handled by everyday ponies.

“Yes, I’m sorry to say that I was helpless in both matters…” Celestia didn’t enjoy being reminded that she couldn’t take care of her kingdom on her own, but to know that some of her subjects were so capable to doing it for her was a great comfort.

“And, you two, you control the sun and the moon, and this Cadence… She is in tune with the very emotion of love? And all of that has to do with you all being alicorns?” Anthony had taken everything in, but he still needed to make sure all the information registered in his head.

“Correct. And also correct. Although, that brings up your predicament…” Luna wanted to get down to some answers, but what answers could Anthony give? He barely knew anything about his old self, let alone his current state.

“So, I’m part of this whole supernatural-magical-universe-y thing?” Anthony’s head reeled at the thought of being in charge of something so great as the moon or sun, and even more so at being connected to the very presence of love!

“Well, that specifically is our current dilemma.” The Sun Goddess chuckled a little with Anthony’s attempt to describe an alicorn’s attunement with the world. “We have no idea or even a clue as to what you’re connected to. You don’t even have a cutie mark, which means that you’re connection hasn't become part of you yet, or at least not properly… It will take some time, perhaps…” Princess Celestia was deeply confused with the matter. It would just take time…

“While we wait for you to remember what you can about yourself and discover your charge, you will have to stay in the palace, and stay hidden for a while. Also, you should be kept away from anypony besides my sister, myself, and the guard who had taken you here, Riposte. There will be great commotion over a new alicorn, especially when he can be a threat to Equestria; mass hysteria would take over the populace if you simply began to walk among society!” Luna wanted to handle this as effectively as possible, and if he was a threat, he would have to be taken care of immediately.

“Now sister, I understand that this is a dangerous matter, but there is no need to be harsh about it! I agree that he must stay hidden, but to keep him isolated is not appropriate at all!” Celestia was displeased with her sister’s brash thinking, yet, she did mean well.

“So… Umm… About all of that… What will I be doing here then?” Anthony didn’t fight the authorities, until he had an inkling of who he was, he wouldn't try to make any decisions for himself. Well, at least not big ones…

“I believe it would be in your best interest that you begin to learn magic. You will need to be capable with your abilities if you are to ever come close to controlling your power or even functioning as a proper royal.” Celestia said this in an authoritative voice, making sure Anthony knew this was going to be a serious part of his life from now on.

“Wait, so I am actually royal? But how can I be related to you?” Anthony had no desire to be royal. Being in the public eye and all the ceremonies that came with royalty was not an ideal life style in his opinion…

“It is most likely you aren't related to us by blood, but like Cadence, you are intertwined with us in some of form of connection with the world. We must keep with customs if you are to be accepted into the world as an alicorn, you will be royal.”

“Great…” Anthony was not prepared to become a royalty. Not by a long-shot.

Comments

[Zinger]

yay im first

[Zinger]

but i need more

[FuntimeBrony]

Okay good try in having him affintive to something (or however the word is said)

[_Twinkie_Pinkie_]

new chapter!!!!!! Like I said before- Trek carefully with this. It could easily fall apart So far so good though

[Spalding]

Okay, I changed the name to the story, and that's because it's original title just wasn't doing it for me. I like it being more vague. So... yeah. New title...

[_Twinkie_Pinkie_]

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