Loss
We had been walking down the streets of downtown Canterlot at the time. The slightly less immaculate part of the capital of Equestria had quickly started buzzing with activities when the residents had realized who was coming for a visit. Both princesses at once had to be a rare occurrence.
Slowly, some of the streets filled with excited ponies looking to catch a sight of their rulers together. Heads turned on the terraces and whispers floated in the air. At those that dared address even a single word of welcome or good will to us, Celestia responded in kind with her owns and a nod of acknowledgment.
So, while the atmosphere grew more excited and febrile, our little group made its way through the stony walls with the practiced ease of a regular visitor. Not once was there even a need to pause at an intersection or before eclipsing ourselves under a bridge. That small tidbit casted a light of suspicion upon my eldest cousin.
Not that Calx cared. He was literally buzzing with excitement, shaking at the idea of spending a whole day with his favorite princess. I would have thought he’d be at least a little put off by the part about being forced to study again, but then again, To- Calx had a pretty big forgiving streak.
“They’re here!” Somepony shouted, and instantly, we were surrounded.
It had been a great naivety on my part not to have expected it, but, as I stood blinded by a few dozens of flashes of cameras, I had to admit that the press eating up one of our first public appearance outside the castle was a dreadfully unpleasant experience.
Leave us alone, seriously. Right now is not the time you put me through the grinder, I thought, partially covering my eyes with one hoof. This way, at least, the pain each flash sent barreling through my brain was considerably lessened.
Heck, with a glance to my left, I could see Celestia’s figure standing a few feet away. While she had her own reporters to deal with, I had the gnawing impression her attention was actually focused on me.
As such, I did my absolute best not to react when a mike was shoved in my face, literally. “Sorry, Prince Ventus. What is your stance on the upcoming demolition of the old opera?”
Oh damn it… politics.
I could consider myself lucky, as for the most part, I hadn’t had direct contact with the incessant questioning. Considering the spell covering my being and possibly Calx’s, this had been a very good thing. Politics were a timberwolves’ den and I wanted nothing less than to avoid it entirely.
Still, now that I was face-to-face with it, I didn’t have that much choice. And this was a political question, no doubt about it. Problem was, knowing what was political and what wasn’t didn’t mean a lot when trying to come up with the right answer.
However, to my bafflement, Blueblood’s image flashed in my mind, retelling the events of a long opening ceremony during which he had been ambushed by paparazzi. At the time, I had smiled and rolled my eyes at his evasion technique. Now seemed like an appropriate moment for me to try my hooves at it.
“Eh, maybe my brother could answer you better than me,” I said quickly, snatching him away and putting him on my back. Quickly though, I felt his weight shift, with only two hooves pressing on my back, the remaining two pushing against the back of my head.
“Huh?” He exclaimed, tugging at my mane a little too strongly without realizing it. “On what?”
The multiple ponies stared silently for a moment, mouth opened widely and faces crunching up in an effort to think of the best way to approach this. It almost seemed like I had succeeded before a brave one took a step forward and prepared her quill and notebook.
“Prince Calx, the old Opera’s main building is decrepit!” She called with a bleeding heart. “Experts are formal: the only possible solution is well-organized demolition. Otherwise it will collapse and possibly injure innocent ponies!”
“Oh, duh, yeah, that’s bad. Just put it down.”
Excited, the journalist, a beige pegasus mare, started scribbling down his answer. What she hadn’t realized was how fake the indifference in my gaze truly was. My guts told me to be very wary of these ponies.
Still, seeing as one royal figure, albeit the least influencing one, had declared an opinion he hadn’t approved of, one much older stallion nearly pushed the mare over to talk to Calx. “But the old Opera is a remnant of our past and our culture! The institution remained standing for nearly three centuries! Our knowledge and practices of old cannot be lost to time so easily!”
If there was one thing he mustn’t have been expecting in response to his passionate declaration, it was that hissing noise so characteristic of uncontrollable snickering.
“W-what is so funny?”
“‘Three centuries’?” Calx quoted, failing to suppress some more snickering. “My brother’s older than that.”
Instantly, every pony stopped talking, looking quite a bit uncomfortable. Some were staring, the old stallion that had talked was squirming on his hooves and at least three ponies were trying to muffle their reactions by coughing loudly.
Unbelievably, I couldn’t stop myself from scowling at them, an eye twitching into a death glare. There was just this kneejerk reaction in me, like a kick to the guts, at having my age mocked. My cheeks were burning hot at that point.
Worse still, in the corner of my eye, I could see that Celestia was greatly amused, to the point even Luna realized it and sent her sister a curious look. How this managed to escape the attention of the journalists, I would never know…
“Oh, yes, you see, my little ponies,” the ruler of Equestria went on peacefully, as if she hadn’t followed our own interview word by word, “the idea of alicorns being able to visit us at any given time is unfortunately false. There are great balancing powers at play, involving the consequences of some of our actions, sometimes being thrown back at us.”
What goes around comes around, I translated in my head, finding it harder and harder to fight a snarl. I can’t believe she just managed to secretly taunt me in public!
Luckily, I had a little colt on my head ready to gather the attention and hold it forever.
“Okay, here’s what I would do. You take out the pricey stuff, put it in a museum and then you demolish the very old thing.” He crossed his forelegs over his chest and nodded, looking quite proud. “Problem solved.”
I wanted to laugh so badly at the disgruntled look the journalists shared, especially since, you know, Calx was probably screwing with them anyway.
With but that simple act, he had washed away my irritation and replaced it with a good natured desire to troll. So, not to be outdone by my little brother, I channeled some power through my horn and made us disappear with a breeze.
--
His little filly walked down the stairs with a bit of haze to her steps, but even then, he could not stop himself from feeling a great sensation of relief. At long last, she was willing to leave her room and stop crying her eyes out.
Alas, he had expected it would happen one day, but still, the heartache of a rejected love was a painful ordeal he had wished his precious daughter would never have to face.
“Come here, my little princess, let’s give your mother her gift,” he said, with an inviting hoof.
Wearing her signature tiara covered in diamonds, the pink filly accepted her father’s hoof and followed him to the kitchen, so she could give her mom her present. She even gave him a small smile.
It made him feel as if Father’s Day had come early. She would be okay.
--
Unfortunately, short of using my powers seriously, I couldn’t shrug off a bunch of super persistent journalists. Once past their initial shock, they had dispersed toward every single direction they could think of, including the sky itself.
Their frantic determination had something… disturbing to it. Such a powerful focus, toward just a few beings… eh, wasn’t it a bit excessive? Ah. Takes one to know one.
Cautiously, taking the time to examine my surroundings thoroughly beforehand, I had us rematerialize in a small alley.
“As I once discovered, Ventus, one does not simply escape paparazzi,” the Sun Princess said lightheartedly. I nearly jumped out of my horseshoes in shock at the sound. Even Calx had yelped. Not that our reaction affected Celestia’s serene features. “They are a persistent and tenacious breed.”
As if it had been a signal, and considering who I was talking to, it might have been one, dozens of voices started calling for us. With a quick scan of the air, I could tell they were also converging in our direction.
“You have got to be clopping me…” I grumbled under my breath.
“What was that?” My cousin’s voice instantly rang to my ears, in a very dire warning tone
“Nothing!” I said quickly, flashing an angelic smile at her.
Calx rolling on the floor while holding his sides ruined the effect nonetheless. As such, I felt quite justified when my right hind leg shot up and gave him a retaliatory kick. Not a big one, but hey, it got him to stop laughing.
“Quick!” Luna’s voice came from another corner, causing me to twist around to catch a glimpse of her disappearing in another darkened alley.
Before I could blink, a blue blur passed me by, flapping his wings at high speed. For a second, I stood, shocked, until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. With a glance, I took in the form of the white feather resting against my body and looked up to its owner.
With a simple movement of her head, she asked me to follow course. Since I did not want to face a horde of ranting journalists or leave my brother alone, the command was quite easy to accept.
However, a lot of muscle power had to be used to keep my mouth closed when I noticed Celestia also running by my side. There was just something… bizarre about the sight of Celestia not going at a brisk and calm pace. “Isn’t this exciting, my dear little Ventus?”
My eye twitched. I want to gouge somepony’s eyes out now.
As usual, I forced myself to let nothing of my thoughts surface, though I did let some of my annoyance filter. It seemed appropriate and in synch with my previous slip-up.
Thus, I was frowning when I managed to make it to the corner Luna disappeared behind. My expression did not change when I took my first step in the new street it crossed.
Luna and Calx were standing next to each other, in front of an opened barrier.
“Ah, it seems we have made it in one piece after all,” Celestia joked, pointing to a pony with a camera near the end of the street. “Though not for long.”
A shrilled cry of astonishment pierced my eardrums the very next moment. Strangely, the source of the cringe worthy ringing in my ears had come from above, nowhere near the journalist.
In fact, looking up revealed a female pegasus flying overhead.
A teenage filly, pointing at me with starry eyes.
Fangirls…? I’m going to torture something now…
“My, shouldn’t we wave at this nice filly?” Now the mask of serene perfection was cracking up, letting me see her grin.
I felt the bile rising in my throat, painfully burning everything in its path and almost rendering me unable to speak, but not to think. Slowly. With acid. It will also involve dismemberment.
Before I could enact any form of retribution however, a soft pat against my back got my attention. Her head turned toward the end of the street, Celestia diverted my attention toward the journalists that were bound to have heard that supersonic cry.
“Let us make haste, Ventus,” she declared simply.
For once, I was not tempted to insult her under my breath. It was a reasonable, sensible, workable idea with a clear goal that didn’t involve me embarrassing myself in front of others.
Getting closer to Calx and Luna, I caught sight of a sign, hanging loosely by a pair of old ropes to the gateway.
The Star Covent? I pondered, repeating the words and their meaning in my head.
My eyes darted from one side of the building to another, taking in the wooden exterior from this three stories high… house. What is this place?
Neither princess proved helpful when I shot them a curious glance. Both just… smiled mysteriously, as if I was about to make some kind of grand discovery and be let in on some precious secret. Without even stopping her strides, Celestia opened the door and entered, followed closely by all of us.
A swift slam of the door later and only the four of us had managed to enter, a series of insistent knocking quickly starting to shake the door. Soon, it was followed by muffled voices that could barely be heard, except, you know, by me.
“Please, just a few more questions!” was pretty much the standard.
For a second, we stared collectively at the one obstacle between us and the crowd of journalists.
“Sheesh, they’re pretty clingy, huh?” Calx mused it over, hesitating between a grin and a grimace.
“I do love my little ponies, but even I can find this quite tiring.” She sighed.
A thousand years of this? It’s a miracle she hasn’t snapped yet. I thought, fighting a grimace and averting my gaze from the source of all this commotion. Rather than them, I would rather focus my attention on the new environment I had been given the opportunity to visit.
The interior reflected the exterior. Adequately cleaned, with not a speck of dust to be seen, but barren of furniture and paintings, this place had a strange atmosphere to it… The wooden walls and the stone floor gave a rustic charm, without chasing away the impression of poverty that reeked out of the entire building.
If anypony else was affected by this, they didn’t show it. Instead, the two princesses lead us to the end of the hallway, past a staircase that I noticed in the corner of my eye and in front of an open door.
Placing ourselves behind Luna, Calx and I were at the right angle to see into the small room it opened to. There, at a humble desk, a gray mare past her prime was reading papers after papers, her gaze filtering the information through old glasses.
“Miss Soft Center?” Celestia said softly.
The mare in the office stood up quickly at the call of her name, adjusting her glasses on her nose and the bun on her head. A glint of recognition had flashed in her eyes at Celestia’s voice and she left her desk behind her swiftly. Her expression lighting up with each step, she crossed the distance between us in the time it would have taken me to flap my wings.
To my surprise, she seemed quite at ease in the presence of her rulers. “Princesses! We were hoping you could join us once again.”
“You and your residents know that we wouldn’t miss this occasion for anything,” Celestia replied with a kind smile.
“Indeed.” Luna nodded in approval of her sister’s declaration. “Have the supplies arrived? We were worried that they might be spoiled if our visit was delayed by some… individuals, so we had them delivered this morning.”
Supplies? I repeated mentally, eyes now darting toward every corner of the room to catch a glimpse of a ton of… ammunition, food, survival blankets? It mattered not though, as there was nothing in the hallway or in the office. Okay, what the Tartarus?
“Of course, Princess Luna. The foals were just so excited when they saw the carriage arrive.” Miss Soft Center nodded too, chuckling to herself.
However, Calx interjected, not willing to stay in the dark any longer. “What supplies?”
For a moment, the mare seemed confused, as if something didn’t click in her mind, before she caught a glimpse of my brother just next to Luna. Her body noticeably straightened, especially when her eyes quickly went to me, then to Celestia. “Oh, are they…?”
“Yes, my sister and I believed it would be beneficial for everypony if they could participate in our yearly ritual. We hope it is not a problem for you.”
“Oh,” Miss Soft Center whispered, taken aback, eyes wide. “Oh! It is no problem. I simply never imagined there would be more nobles willing t-to…”
To my growing frustration, she stopped there, right before telling us. Willing to WHAT exactly?
“Can anypony tell me what’s going on?!” Calx reared, looking at the three mares sullenly.
“You will know soon enough, little prince,” Luna said mildly, eyes half-closed. “There is no need to be so impatient.”
Ouch, that’s a typical ‘you’re too young to know’ reply. Now he’s going to get real pissed.
Surely enough, not a second had passed since the Alicorn of the Night had turned her back to us that Calx stuck out his tongue. His gaze was a death glare but it softened as he turned pleadingly to me, begging for answers with puppy eyes to melt one’s heart, to which I could only shrug helplessly.
“We’ll find out together,” I whispered and winked, hoping to mollify him.
“I guess…” He scratched the ground with his hoof, not quite pleased but at least a little less angry.
“Go on,” I said, giving him a little push that got him moving, though not without a whine.
None of the adults paid much attention to the scene, seeing as, per my estimates, they met plenty of kids in their lifetimes. Celestia and Luna hoofsteps echoed Miss Soft Center’s owns as the old mare lead her rulers to a door on our left.
Strangely, there was a little more furniture in this corridor, though the bulk of it was simply hanging on the walls in cheap frames. Curiosity made my eyes gravitated to them. And I regretted it.
The pictures were old, their corners gnawed upon by time and insects and the images broken down in shades of brown and white. From one image to the next, I could sense a pattern, a rather simple one, all things considered. It was this place, or at least its front facade, where a hoofful of ponies and a few dozens of foals stood or sat. Amongst them, I spotted a few whose eyes would not meet the camera, instead being fixated on the ground or refused to smile.
A few thoughts flew through my mind, each of them a possible answer, most I dismissed on the spot. This isn’t a school… There’s nothing reminiscent of-
I stopped, blinded by a flash of inspiration. Foals, a good number of them, some looking depressed out of their minds, with no adults but the same aging mare supervising them.
An orphanage?
A burst of phantom pain struck me at the heart, so suddenly that my breathing hitched.
Those kids… those poor kids… what I feared and so desperately tried to avert beyond all… they had all faced it.
Quite suddenly, I felt the contact of dry paper against my body. To my own surprise, my hoof had gone to the closest picture subconsciously, covering half the foals depicted.
It was hard… too hard… to pretend I hadn’t seen that, that this place was home for some truly unlucky little guys and gals. They were young, yet so few of them had kept this childish air to them.
It was easy… oh so bucking easy to replace any of those faces with Calx’s. In the blink of an eye, his traits danced over the heads of a colt, who simply seemed emptied of… o-of everything!
Quickly, I diverted my gaze, feeling the corners of my vision heat up. The pictures were unbearable to look at.
But the images did not fade from my mind. What if I hadn’t been able to come in Equestria? Would this be the place they’d had left Calx at? N-no… he was an alicorn, surely they’d… they’d…
My brain refused to fool itself. Hard and cold, scarily so, my own voice hammered down the brutal truth for me. He was just a kid, all alone, without any known family… and I have no idea if the spell ever worked for him…
“Are they here?” Somepony whispered, before being instantly shushed.
Perking up, I shot a glance at the staircase now well behind us, recognizing the juvenile undertones. With a small smirk, I said, without making a sound: “Yeah, they’re here.”
While they hadn’t noticed the cries earlier, with the shriek of surprise coming from upstairs and the sudden stampede going down the stairs, all four of my fellow companions turned around in surprise.
Yup, even Celestia.
The way her eyes narrowed on me was the closest thing to a dirty look she ever sent my way. As soon as Miss Center caught on to her ruler’s behavior, she joined in on the hate group. Judging by how these things were going, it wouldn’t be long until Luna decided she wanted to be part of the herd too.
For some reason, this sent bubbling desire to laugh my butt off to my brain and screw all conventions.
My little brother saved me, simply by jumping in the space between us and the residents of the orphanage, as proud and boastful as ever. “Hey guys! What’s up?”
Thank the Elders for the distraction. With that, I could turn to see the young foals I had impishly riled up with a little trick.
Fourteen adorable little things, ranging from taller than Calx to half his height, and colored from flashier than my coat to darker than Luna’s, all of them had gone down to the ground floor when they had heard my voice.
By the way they were looking at my brother and myself with such confusion, I could guess that we had been an unknown variable to those foals. They probably didn’t have access to news all that often…
Suddenly feeling my stomach twist, I opened up my mouth to say something, but Luna beat me to the punch.
“Children of Star Covent! How grand it is to see you all so lively and lovely today!”
Cries of delight made their response. And I saw, Luna’s heart melted on the spot. Shadows of tears danced in her eyes for a split second, before she was all smiles and warmth.
“You make my heart soar with joys, my little ponies!” She said once more, putting a hoof over her chest. “Come, for we have prepared a surprise for you.”
The promise of a present unsurprisingly gave them all springs for legs, as I had to sidestep to avoid being trampled. Curiosity over me was already fading in favor of swarming over Princess Luna. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Celestia and Soft Center, both observing the scene with a fond smile.
To tell the truth, so was I.
Hay, Calx, the little social bug, had already taken advantage of the confusion to get into an intense conversation with two colts his age, an earth pony and a unicorn.
Bemused, I just shook my head. Every single time…
“Now then,” Luna called. “Would you care to follow me into your kitchen?”
Fifteen little heads nodded in unison, wishing nothing more than to do just that. At that age, it was pretty much anything for a present or a treat. Coming from the princesses ruling the kingdom, it would have to include the most stupidly healthy food to make them even pause.
Luna lead them proudly, head held high as Celestia, Soft Center and I walked at the end of the pack. Turning just around the corner, her horn lit up with blue light and I heard the click of doors opening.
Surely enough, when I made it to their levels, I got a look at the orphanage’s dining hall. It was rather sober, without extravagancy, but for the first time, I got a sensation of homeliness. The place radiated welcoming heat and simple acceptance.
My mouth formed a grin.
Then, my eyes caught sight of the command the princesses had brought with them, at the very end of the hall, near a couple of stoves.
Ingredients, in enormous quantities. But they lacked a certain… diversity, hinting at their true purpose.
Eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, fresh fruits…
The realization once again hit me with the strength of a rampaging minotaur, though this time, it was sorely because of how unreal and surreal the idea inherently was. For a moment, my mind struggled to keep the shattered images of my cousin in place, before miserably surrendering when the cover of a recipe book was made known to me.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna… were going to bake a cake?!
--
He had only the sound of tinkling glass for a companion, but Blueblood didn’t mind terribly. Rarely so often did nobles like them have a moment to reflect in silence and enjoy each other’s company.
His gift to her, a splendid ornamented diadem, her favorite jewelry, laid unpacked in the table between them. Every so often, her eyes would drift to it and she would giggle, sending a loving look to her son.
Every time, the prince would allow himself a rare show of bashfulness and playfulness.
Un-princely, he knew, but it mattered little when both were alone in their private mansion. There, they were free to act with a bit less restraint than normally.
“I have heard your airship has left its anchors, yesterday,” Silk Sculpture said with a very slight hint of disapproval.
Suddenly apprehensive, Blueblood pondered for a second the best way to answer.
“Yes,” he replied slowly, with what appeared to be a lack of heavy investment in the subject. “I used it to invite Prince Ventus and Prince Calx for some time... away from the rest of the nobility.”
Those were the right ponies to mention for his mother to forget her initial inquiry.
“Humph, I have heard strange rumors on this one, of a disdain for nobility. Some even try to avoid the older one for that.” Her nose crunched up, as if the idea evoked in her the taste of a bitter fruit. “But it is nonsense. An alicorn directly related to the Princesses themselves? Only a fool wouldn’t try to approach them. It was very smart of you, my son, to enter his good graces.”
Oh, a lovely disconnected lady you are, Mother… The prince thought, taking another sip of wine from his cup to hide any smirk he could have had. To anypony with two eyes and a brain, it should have been obvious that Ventus Vinco wasn’t in Celestia’s good graces.
“Thank you,” he quickly muttered before taking another sip.
“Ah!” The mare laughed. “Seize the opportunity and the connections those lower born idiots won’t take. Let them show their inherent lack of insight when you’ll stand so high above them.”
How strange, that he actively wished for her to remain oblivious. Had she heard of his behavior while on board… her fragile heart might not have survived. For all her phlegmatic manners, Silk Sculpture had quite the blood pressure. And temperament that matched.
Briefly, he wondered if it wasn’t a mistake, to risk angering her so badly, for the sake of another’s words. Would it not be so simple to simply pretend it had never happened?
But the faces of the ponies he had encountered could not be dissolved and destroyed at will. His mind had been opened to the possibility that they were indeed just as worthy of respect as himself, just as real and emotional beings as him. And he could not forget.
Suddenly, the smile of the alicorn seemed quite devious, rather than kind. To hear of words so similar to his owns – and how appropriate that they came from his own mother –, it left him with only the strange twist in his guts and the taste of ash in his mouth.
Swallowing more wine appeared difficult, if not outright unpleasant, so he let his magic carry it to a nearby table. With a little effort, he made himself seem relaxed and content, lying across the absurdly delicate cushions of his mother’s living room.
Luckily, his bluff turned out effective and his mother only gave a nod of approval.
“This wine is the reward of your station, my son.” Silk Sculpture rose her glass, letting the rays of Celestia’s sun hit it and spread a tinted red light. “Is it not the most sumptuous your lips were given to touch yet?”
“Delightful, Mother…” He said, faking a smile. “Yes… delightful.”
--
In the immortal words of a certain pegasus… I just don’t know what went wrong…
“Your creation now stands taller than one of our royal guard, Tia.” Luna’s voice echoed with warning and wariness.
In all honesty, she had excellent reasons to be. Even at the distance I observed the scene, right next to Miss Soft Center and far from the counter on which they were working, the endings of my coat were tingling with anticipation of danger.
“Now, I do not understand why the cake is rising so much, Lulu.” The glorious leader of Equestria muttered, her sparkling mane dancing on her shoulder as she read from the scroll. “We’ve rigorously followed the instructions.”
The cake, if it could be called that, emitted a strange hissing noise, causing the Alicorn of the Night to stare at it with a twitching eye. “Perhaps your sources were erroneous, but this monstrosity is still rising and growing more threatening by the second.”
The remark was met with snorts and giggles from the orphans sitting at the tables. Judging by the lack of worry or surprise in any of their cute faces, this might not have been quite new to them.
“I do not see what it could be...” Celestia’s head turned toward the counter and the empty bags of ingredients. From the angle we stood at, it seemed as if she was looking at… Oh dear. “...Lulu, put the frosting on top of it.”
“W-what?” Luna stuttered, too shocked for proper elocution. With shaking movement, she wildly pointed at the menacing pastry with her hoof. “Your… your cooking attempt is slowly overtaking the room. It is no time to decorate it!”
Wise words to live by, Cousin Lulu. I nodded in approval.
“The cake is still hot and must be reacting with the baking powder. The frosting is cool and will stop the reaction.”
“This is a foolish endeavor, Tia...” Yet, with such a resigned tone, it was obvious she would indulge her older sister.
Indeed, her magical aura lifted up a spatula and a bowl of frosting. Determination gleaming in her eyes, she gave the cake a hard stare before first splattering one side of the cake.
Unable to keep myself from noticing more signs, and the curiosity devouring me, I momentarily looked away from the disaster scene to turn to Miss. Soft Center. “Please, be honest, Ma’am. Do they do that every year? The whole ‘failing at baking’ thing?”
“Yes,” she admitted, torn between laughing and fearing for her establishment. “Though it is the first time the cake has done that. Usually, it is something a little less spectacular.”
The foals around us had no such restrictions and were openly giggling and whispering excited words between each other. Their eyes would not leave the baking princesses.
On their side of the hall, the cake had risen well over even Celestia’s full height, though it was now decorated exquisitely with some of the most delicious looking frosting I had ever seen. It sparkled, unctuous and smooth, easily malleable and given off a fresh aroma of vanilla and cream. The light contrast between its perfectly white color and the beige coating of the sponge cake created a simple but effective appearance.
Luna stood right by her sister side, her face locked into a deadpan poker face.
“Pardon my protests, sister. Though still rising and now looming over the both of us like Discord before it, I cannot deny how splendid the cake appears with the frosting adorning its sides.” She nodded to herself, giving the rearing frosting alicorn on top of it a last nudge.
It almost crushed my heart to see such a beautiful sculpture tremble and oscillated with the movement of the thing’s expansion.
Probably just as devastated, Luna spoke with a tone that was downright venomous. “Now, if only your cake would pause in its quest to bloat out the sun and stop stretching my work of art, it might become edible.”
Unfortunately, it was no exaggeration. It was casting an ominous shadow over the rest of us.
“...This makes no sense...” The Princess of the Sun whispered, bewildered.
Grimacing, she quickly glanced between her cook book and the fruit of her hardwork.
“Fine. The easy way didn’t work. We’ll try the hard way.” She shot the growing monstrosity a terrifying glare. “Lulu, compress it with your magic.”
Not even Luna could keep a straight face now. “WHAT?!”
As for the rest of us, we wisely stepped back, making ourselves as small as possible. With one wing, I covered up Calx protectively.
“It is the only solution we have left, short of the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia insisted, dead serious.
“T-this is folly, sister.” Luna stepped back, eyes wide. “I shall not accompany you to the depth of Tartarus!”
“If you refuse, I will do so myself.”
With that ominous statement, she lit up her horn and enclosed in a magical field of a golden color. Not content with that small victory however, the Princess of the Sun contracted the field until the cake had no choice but to decrease in size.
The reactive sound it made had my blood freeze.
Unable to curb my instincts any longer, I threw myself to the ground, simultaneously tackling Miss Soft Center and Calx out of harm’s way. “DIVE!”
Luckily, my panicked shout got results, as a bunch of screams came out before a sound akin to a bursting balloon created a small shockwave. The sight making our jaws slack with disbelief, Miss Soft Center’ and I witnessed a wave of pressurized pastry fly overhead, to harmlessly collide into the walls and make an impressive mess of the previously clean dining hall.
Silence reigned.
For a few seconds.
Before it was destroyed with a series of slow strikes of hooves against the ground.
One needed not see Luna to imagine her absolutely deadpan expression. “Magnificent, now the whole room tasted our creation without the need to move. Congratulations.”
Slowly, we inched out of her cowering position. Enough to see what was happening at least.
“Then I suppose we can say the original purpose was fulfilled, albeit in a roundabout way,” the white alicorn declared with great dignity for someone covered in frosting.
Not that her situation was an isolated one. The high pressure volley of cake had simply covered more than its share of the hall and its occupants. We had been spared only by a fortunate angle and obstacle. Quite a few foals were laughing at their friends and themselves, looking positively ridiculous with their coats and mane all sticky like this.
This was stupid. Potentially hazardous. Worth a smack to the back of my head. But I had to know what had caused the cake to react that way.
So I scooped a hoofful of the pulverized pastry and, after giving it a tentative sniff, slipped a piece into my mouth.
“…T-this…”My whole body threw itself upward and I barely suppress the desire to throw up. The pastry was rancid, an abomination that would surely surpass Applejack’s famous Baked Bads. “This is bitter to the point of… oh you are jousting the hay out of me… Celly!”
Both alicorns instantly turned to me, Celestia in particular appearing very curious and attentive to my indignation.
“You inverted the flour to baking powder ratio! There’s barely any flour in this! We’re lucky it exploded!”
One sister gave the other a look. After all, Celestia’s role in this had only been to read out loud and help with the mixing of the enormous bowl of ingredients.
“Oops?” The contrast was sharp, between Luna’s previous attitude of deadpan exasperation and this sorry smile and blush. At least, until she suddenly straightened and spoke with force. “This accident barely bares mark of our intervention, sister! Labels were incorrectly placed and the resemblance is too great for untrained… it is entirely our fault.”
Miss Soft Center had heard more than enough. By the time I had realized she wasn’t by my side anymore, the mare was standing in front of both alicorns.
“Now that this show is over, your Majesty…” She said with a stern voice. “May I ask that you do not destroy my kitchen, again?”
Amazingly, the little old mare had managed to make both rulers of Equestria look incredibly sheepish, even if Celestia’s attitude seemed tainted by her obvious amusement. They were both avoiding her steely gaze and scraping the ground with their front hooves.
“Worry not, oh mare of great heart, our guards will come and clean every trace of corruption. Not to mention any nutriment lost today will be sent to you ten folds.”
I doubted there was enough place to stock ten times the ingredients put in that cake.
“Thank you…” Soft Center nodded. “You should go talk to the foals now, they were very excited to have you come here. I shall handle their lunch.”
With a nod, Celestia and Luna accepted and made their ways up to us, the foals looking quite happy.
“Hello, my little ponies,” Celestia greeted them, before sitting to the ground and waiting patiently as they threw themselves in front of her.
They wasted no time in returning the favor, almost saluting her, all at the same time.
“Calm, calm,” Luna gently reminded them of a more peaceful state of mind. When they had, mostly, settled down, she spoke again. “Now, what would you like to talk about first?”
“Who are they?” One of the older foals pointed at me and my brother, a little suspicious.
“These two alicorns here are our young cousins, Prince Ventus and Prince Calx.”
A little more than a dozen pair of innocent eyes looked at me with fascination.
Thank the Elders for my experience with children. It didn't actually make me nervous. I just flashed them my best grin. “Hi.”
“Yeah, that,” my little brother added.
Again, the foals reciprocated in spades. Except for the colt that had first spoken.
“Yeah, right! Everypony knows there’s only four alicorns!”
I sorta… just blinked. Four is an acceptable number…?
“Now then, Ventus, why don’t you do something to prove your affiliation with us?”
…She wants me to do something only an alicorn could do? …She can’t seriously mean that. But seeing the eager faces of the kids all around me offered me a better insight. Oh, do something a child would believe only an alicorn could do.
That would be either much easier or thrice as hard. No middle ground.
Eh, there was always one trick, it worked well with non-pegasus…
Five minutes later, the room was filled to the brim with foals flying with the use of glittering wings of air. Laughter echoed even when a slight hint of horror passed by Miss Soft Center’s expression. Hay, even the little pegasi, who hadn’t gained much from the spell, appeared well and truly delighted with so many new comrades of flight.
I noticed, however, that not everypony was flying. Some were making plans first.
“Okay, guys, I’ve got it!” Calx’s eyes widened and grinned, as if hit by a brilliant idea. “We’re the Alicorn Rangers! And I’m the captain.”
His friends certainly wouldn’t take it lying down. The green unicorn spoke first. “What? No way! I wanna be captain.”
“Nu-uh, I want to be captain.” The red earth pony waved at him dismissively. “Just be a colonel!”
“Colonels are bigger than captains, you dummy!” Green colt stuck out his tongue.
“What? No, they’re not!” The little red guy butted head with his pal.
“Guys!” Calx stepped in, trying to push them apart. “I’m the captain, ‘cause we’re the Alicorn Ranger and I’m an alicorn!”
The two remaining colts looked at him with indignation and would have surely protested, if not for an unexpected snag in their plans of superheroing.
“Oh, Alicorn Rangers, you’re so naïve.” I said, making my voice echo all around them. At that, the three colts didn’t seem nearly as confident as before. “You spent so much time focusing about positions that you forgot about your greatest enemy, the vile wind dragon!”
All three turned just in time to come face to face with a glowing mouth full of fangs and a roar. Their eyes shrunk to tiny dots and their ears flattened against their skull. However, beyond that, they… didn’t react quite as expected.
They freaking jumped my magical construct, war cries and all. As one pony, the three arguing kids started beating up the moving image of a dragon with tons of battle codes that made no sense whatsoever.
Twice, they called different names for exactly the same thing.
The sight made me smile, having me chuckle at this display of simple childishness. It almost turned into full blown laughter when Celestia stopped to turn at the troubling display of brutality.
Better, the remaining colts and fillies noticed the commotion, stopped flying and started to cheer on the ‘Alicorn Rangers’. The domino effect started, spreading the energy from one foal to another, until every resident of the orphanage was chanting for their victory.
Well, let’s make them work for it. I grinned, not quite without malice.
Drafts of air started to gather around the construct, making my brother and his new friends struggle to even stand. But they held strong.
Bits of cake and frosting started to fly around the room, an howl ringing to ears of the occupants. Suddenly, a stronger draft of air, that, of course, I hadn't conjured up myself, threw the would-be heroes off the vile wind dragon.
Another roar from the beast, and the chanting had ceased, instead replaced by wide eyes fascination and pure admiring silence. Making sure none of the foals were looking at me, I deepened my voice as much as possible and projected it from every angle. “You will never defeat me, foals!”
For a second, they hesitated, looking well and truly scared. Did I overdo it?
Glaring, Calx stomped, shouting loudly. “We won’t give up, Vile Wind Dragon!”
“Yeah!” His two companions jumped forward, snarling. “You don’t scare us!”
“We’re the Alicorn Rangers!” They screamed. “And we fear nothing!”
As one, the three colts charged.
Stomping, roaring, they ran wildly into the construct, three small bodies about to collide with a solid wall of air. Or not.
On impact, the figure bent, the image twisting for a second, before I stopped channeling magic into it. With a loud ‘pop’, it faded away under the assault of the ‘Alicorn Rangers’, who all fell to the ground inelegantly.
The crowd erupted into wild cheers.
Staggeringly getting back on their hooves, the ‘Alicorn Rangers’ shook their heads, trying to chase away the momentarily confusion. Quickly enough, they realized they had won and reacted appropriately. Puffing their chests, grinning smugly, they posed and exchanged a brohoof.
Laughter bubbled up in my chest. For the love of… those colts were just awesome.
I… I could not believe it, but damn, I was really, really glad to have come here. In what probably had to be the most depressing place I could visit in Equestria. And what had been the most amazing part was just giving a few foals the time of their lives.
T-that… that’s almost normal…
The idea sounded almost foreign to me. That hit me hard. For a split second, I had to just… just look away from those innocents, not when I knew how much of a broken monster I was. The movement itself made me realize something though.
One filly wasn’t taking part in the games of her comrades, discreetly eclipsing herself from the rest. In fact, her transparent wings lied flatly against her body. Her head was hung low and her eyes expressed nothing but an empty, downtrodden lack of… everything.
W-why was I so drawn toward that little filly? I didn’t even know her name! B-but, I couldn’t… I couldn’t just ignore her, right?
Ignoring the sick feeling settling down in my chest, I let myself fall on my rump, just next to her. “Hey, are you feeling alright?”
“O-oh, Mr. Ventus…” She jolted, surprised, before trying to wipe away her tears and the trails they had left in her cyan fur. “T-thank you very much for the wings! They are… lots of… fun.”
Well, darn, if I wanted somepony to deliver a weaker line, I’d have to look in a cemetery.
A bit strongly, I extended my right wing, then closed it around her. Surprised, she looked at me with wide eyes… reddened eyes…
I put up the kindest smile I could muster. “What’s your name, kid?”
Her voice squeaked, even as she looked away. “…V-Violet Petal…”
“Well, Violet, I just saw you looking sad, here all alone. Do you want to share your reasons with me?”
“I… It's... I only arrived here last week…” Please, don't tell me... “I-I thought… Mom and D-D-Dad would… would be… with me f-forever, b-b-b-but…”
She could not finish her sentence. Miserably, she curled up and started sobbing again.
My heart sank. The horrified realization that her words had brought in started tainting my perception of this whole experience. How could I have let myself forget?! How did I, for one measly second, forget that the kids here all carried their personal tragedies?!
I could not help, but find myself a repulsive being.
Blood pumping powerfully in my veins, I felt each heartbeat against my temples, pulsing… Again and again… Cold and hatred… the blood of windigoes, they said… Lack of empathy…
Uneasy, I felt my chest itch, but I resisted the urge to squash it. I… could try to comfort the filly. It wouldn’t bring me anything, but… w-why not?
Gently, I brushed my feathers against her back, tracing soothing circles in her back. Probably subconsciously, she leaned into the touch, pushing herself against that small source of comfort.
I moved a little closer to her.
“I… I know… that feeling,” I said, my mouth going dry.
“You do?” She asked, sniffing.
Sadly, I nodded, memories coming back and weighting down on me. It made it so easy to express the same emotions as hers.
Then, I said the words that she needed to hear, but wouldn’t heed. Not yet. “It will get better.”
“B-but how, Mr. Ventus...” Her eyes glittered with a hint of anger, and her voice rose. “How could it ever…?! It... it's so painful...”
Just like that, the outburst died… and she lowered her head even further, shaking with every sob.
“W-well, sometimes, it's because there's no other choice, but to move on. T-they'll live on with you, forever, that will never change.”
Just then, she let out a louder wail than before, and cold claws gripped my heart. Something about her distress was reaching into me, deeply enough to unearth things I had thought lost for anypony beside my brother.
Breathing more heavily, I made a shield of my wings for her. At the very least, she would have this moment to herself.
“But sometimes...” I went on, quietly… without much strength. “You can let other ponies in too... you can love again. The wound... it will scar... become a bit less sensitive... until you can look back and remember the love before the hurt.”
“I…” Her voice wavered, too much pain still present for her to accept it. “I want to, but…”
“You can do it...” I swallowed dry air, before putting just a little too much emphasis on my next word. “You, you're strong enough.”
I knew she never felt as weak as in that moment. I knew that. There was nothing to stop her tears… only time could make the pain fade.
So I let her hold onto me, let myself become nothing but the anchor for her to grip to. The little filly wanted nothing more than that, but needed more.
Finally, she managed enough control over her sobs to let words out, albeit tainted with despair. “I don’t want to forget them!”
Something started to form in my throat, an obstruction, that had me unable to breathe properly. Keeping this mask had never felt harder.
“You won’t.” I placed my hoof against her chest, right over her beating heart. “It’s not their faces or their voices you will remember, it’s how much they loved you. Do you remember the warmth of their embrace?”
She hesitated!
My front legs moved by themselves, carried by an impulse I couldn’t rein in.
“It’s like this,” I whispered softly, stroking her head. “You’re not alone. Even when it seems to get darker and darker, there are other ponies around you. If you open your eyes, you will see…”
After a slight hesitation, I gently turned her around, toward the other foals – still playing for the most part – and the few adults. While none had truly noticed her distress yet, some, including Celestia, had sent encouraging nods our way.
“You will see two kind rulers that want you to feel loved, on the day that would be the most painful. You will see a nice mare that wants you to have a home and friends. You will see… so many other foals that are just like you… and do want you.”
Suddenly, she turned around and hid her face in my shoulder, her tears damping my fur. “I… I don’t know, Mr. Ventus! It just hurts so much! Even when I’m happy, the world just turns grey so soon! It never lasts! I just want to cry all the time!”
“Then cry, confide to others to help them heal you.” My voice broke. This was hitting too close to home, I couldn’t… no, I had to. I had to show her a strong face, if only to give her some hope! “They’ll be there for you! And if it ever gets too hard, if… if you need somepony to listen, t-to help… pray to the wind. I will listen to every word. I swear.”
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deep.
3048766 ...
What is?
An orphanage......wow. THAT was out of left field for me......
Just.......WOW!
Poor Ventus......there isn't really any one he can talk to about ANYTHING he's feeling (can't talk to Luna as that'd be too weird what with the ex-boyfriend angle-thing; can't talk to Celestia as he's basically alienated himself from her too much; can't talk to Calx - it's his younger brother, Ventus HAS to be strong for him, it's in the big bro code; can't talk to ANY of the Mane Six as the alienation this time is to Twilight, though the other five don't know it [yet?]; AND can't talk to Blueblood as the pony is currently acting as an "apprentice/mentoree" of sorts), and he runs into a little filly who has ALSO LOST HER PARENTS. Albeit, it doesn't seem to be her fault, and it was true death, not transferring dimensions, but still....
Hello awkward.....
Although, we now have another lifeline for Ventus if/when the Horcruxi (Horcruxes? I always forget what the true plural of that was....) activate; this sad little filly named Violet Petal.
....the FEELS man.....
Quick Edit - Forgot about the other two "Mother's Day" bits.....Diamond Tiara for the first one (got confused at "pink filly" as I had thought DT was a different color, but the "rejected love" picked it back up for me) and that was actually pretty nice there, showing a heart for this family even with the fandom's usual thoughts on it. Number 2, though.....Blueblood's mother? That explains a lot......I'm being reminded of Gru from "Despicable Me" - being shot down EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he tries to impress her with something he's ambitious about. [I mean, come on, AN ACTUAL ROCKET, she actually OOHS at the launch of it, and then MEH?!])
3048837, This whole thing really. I know it's a bit cliche to resort to simple words to describe emotion but...
The feels.
And the acclimation continues. Also, how dare you tug on my heartstrings man. XP
Let there be MOAR EXPLODING CAKES.
MUHAHAHAHA *cough* *cough* *hack* *cough* Arg, I really need to stop laughing like that.
We had anticipated something that would simulate or substitute their parents, but this was still quite a surprise. by the time he had realized where they ended up awe knew he would be personally speaking with one of the children.
I am surprised at how well he's holding up. although we sense the breaking point is nigh. in the words of Alice of Wonderland, "I often give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it."
Keep going! ;)
3048837 the end of the chapter was deep in emotion for a lesson it hit close to the heart and can almost bring a tear to the eyes. it good.
If I could upvote individual chapters, I would definitely do so here.
I doubt that last scene was broadcast, but- I think maybe it would be good if it had. That's a powerful, useful message.
3048920 Yet, somehow, it (the orphanage) was what I believed most in character for Celestia. The immortal benevolent ruler of Equestria, taking some time to herself? It's sad, but I don't think she would do something for herself when some of her subjects need some comfort.
Sam certainly doesn't have many he can talk to about his fears. He cannot really rely on anything but his own strength to carry on...
Diamond Tiara's part? Well... foreshadowing
Blueblood's segment however underwent a lot of change. At first, it was a ridiculously tragic moment and I pretty much revamped it from scratch, his mother included. And, while it did expand on him, I wasn't sure if that was how I wanted him to expand.
3049081 No, no, don't be sorry. It's fully appropriate.
3049114 Eh, wanna do a little test? Do you remember the last time he used Tom instead of Calx? *whistle* And don't complain about heartstrings. I put the tag on the story, it's sad! I CAN HIT YOU IN THE FEELS AS OFTEN AS I WANT!
But I still haven't put a dark tag...3049350 Give me baking powder then. And two alicorn sisters.
3049535 That Alice in Wonderland quote is so spot on, you have no idea...
3050412 Awww, thanks.
But I'd rather not think on the number of chapters you would downvote3053536
I would like to think we are following this story well enough for us to have an idea! We've had that quote in the back of our mind for quite some time but I usually forget by the time we review a chapter. ;)
3053536
Woah woah woah, hold on dere pardner!
As of right now, I've downvoted a grand total of three stories and three comments, and I've been here since January of last year^^ Downvotes are serious business, they're not done for something petty as not liking the protagonist.
I am thinking of bumping the story number up to four, though- there's this new human/Arnicorn (sic) and Fluttershy story. It's... really bad.
Well, I hope he stays in Equestria...FOREVER! Sides, he can't leave Twilight or his alicorn parents hanging...
No I didn't But I loved it non the less... It was so powerful. The love and compassion.
3055720 Just teasing, hence the use of Rainbow-ticones, to express laughter. Also, I don't see why you couldn't just dislike a chapter in particular, I think I can pinpoint those. And it is a pretty good reason too. In a (mostly) first person perspective story, not liking the protagonist means it's a tedious read...
However, out with the hypothetical scenario, I do understand what you mean about downvotes. I think I've downvote only a single story so far... It was kind of horrible for all kinds of reasons... What do you downvotes stories for, by the way?
3056959 Funny, not many people seem to agree with your angle. It's something to wonder about, isn't it? What of those ponies that got to know Ventus?
(and did not wish to strangle him)3057691 Eh, thanks! Everyone needs a little love here and there.
3058419 I was just shitting with ya... But the chapter was great non the less.
3058419
Likewise^^
And oh, it's usually a combination of two factors: 1)Overwhelming number of typos plus horrible grammar. Like, a fourth of every word wrong, and sentences formed so awkwardly as to twist the meaning. I don't mind typos now and again, but there were stories that were barely intelligible because you had to read some passages thrice before even getting a sense of what the author was going for!
b)A Sue/Stu protagonist. One that's played painfully straight. My favorite example is still this one: in this story, out of a chapter of 2231 words, 1898 were the protagonist explaining his special powers to Scootaloo. The remaining 333 words moved along the story- in a weird and awkward way. Scootaloo was there to tell the guy off about his bragging and how he treated Diamond Tiara, and he had been established as not knowing why the kids were unhappy with his behaviour. Come next chapter, after nearly two thousand words of him telling her about his Iron Man suit, the conflict was resolved thus:
For the record, that was the entirety of their exchange regarding the subject. Apparently the protagonist immediately knew what she was talking about, and had already come to that conclusion off-screen.
However, let me also stress that the author was friendly, polite, open to criticism and perfectly willing to incorporate it. That's something I've noticed with other authors who write straight Sue protagonists as well: A lot of them are very willing to improve. yet won't get any useful feedback because, let's face it, those stories usually aren't salvageable.
I still feel that, if I downvote a story for the above reasons, it is only right that I point them out. Just downvoting and going away without a word just doesn't feel right.
And you? Only one story yet? That must've been something alright! What was wrong with it?
All dem feels. The best chapter so far.
Urg, I can't tell if Ventus will go bad or not... I mean, he has his brother, and then there was this chapter with all the feels
It is hard to think that there is a possibility for ventus will become evil...especially after this chapter...
argh this is also so far one of the four stories I have read on this site to actually make me shed tears.....please keep up the fantastic wrighting!
Urg, I just can't see Ventus going back to Earth after all of this, if that happens, it will be pretty surprising I think
3060350 Eh, I don't even remember which story that was. It happened a while ago. I remember that the syntax and grammar were quite off, and that it approached a very delicate subject with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It's not that it was that special, but I just don't read bad fics that often...
3062661 Whoa, thank you.
3075158 The big question here is, do you want him to? With every chapter, it just gets a bit harder to imagine him leaving Equestria behind, right? Do you think of him as Sam or Ventus?
3070030 Ah, I see. Are you familiar with the saying that even Evil has its loved ones? If Evil were to be just alone and selfish... wouldn't it be quite pitiful? Then, again... He is rather pitiable.
Saw that coming.
While I didn't see the scene itself coming... I do like it. It may even be stuff like this that helps Sam keep from becoming the king of the Windigoes.
Well somebody must have miscounted.
8406937
No, this was written before Flurryheart (Princess of Merchandising) was born. At this time, there were only 4