Hurting

by SevenLies1Truth

Chapter 2: Stories, Mischief and Adventure

Chapter 2: Stories, Mischief and Adventure

Celestia couldn't believe it had been almost 4 days since Prince Daze and Queen Stonelight had arrived. The days had been chock full of activities such as more drawing, telling jokes and her mother had smiled all through out it while taking care of Luna.

She was on way up to the tower where Queen Stonelight had promised to tell her and Prince Daze a bedtime story, yes she seemed a bit old for them but she really wanted to listen to one!

Knocking on the door, Celestia invited herself in and saw that her sister Luna was cuddled up by Prince Daze, it looked like her mother had brought her up here. Queen Stonelight smiled as Celestia lay down next to Prince Daze.

"Well I'm sure everypony would like to hear the story of The Prince and The Witch?" Queen Stonelight asked, gazing down at them.

Celestia nodded but she noticed out of the corner of his eye that Prince Daze looked quite sad, a tear forming on the brink of his eye. She watched as it fell to the floor and was slightly confused, why was Daze crying? He must have heard the story before, she hoped it wasn't that sad that she would cry.

"I'll begin." Queen Stonelight and began to tell the tale.

Once upon a time, there lived a King who ruled over an ancient land. This king was lonely and had no airs to carry on his line. He had searched and searched for a bride but could not find anyone who met his qualifications, he had become bitter and sad taking it out on his servants. Years passed this way until one day there was a knock at the door and a young mare stood in front of the king. To say it was love at first sight for him, his heart seemed to soar and it looked like he had finally managed to find his bride.
The king invited her in and spent many days getting to know her. Eventually he proposed and she accepted. However the mare had a dark secret, since she was a unicorn, she practiced Black Magic.
On the day of their wedding, an old friend who her's showed and told the whole kingdom that she practiced Black Magic. The king turned on her becoming angry at the fact that he had not told her this, Black Magic was forbidden you see because it was very dangerous. The unicorn mare grew angry at the fact that he had turned on her and not accepted for who she was and decided to cast a very powerful spell on him.
" I curse you and your decadents! You will be bitter and angry while looking after a child and as for your last descendant they will change into a monster that no-one will be able to stop!" The mare cried and then disappeared.
The curse took into effect however the King managed to have a son from one of the maids in the castle, which bung shame to his family. Soon the King died and it says to this day that his descendants are cursed and always will be.

Celestia looked stunned when Queen Stonelight finished the tale, She had not been expecting something like that and it did seem a bit sad but Prince Daze looked really upset as he looked at his Mother. Celestia shook her head, she would let it rest for now.

Heading back out the door, she swore she heard something faintly like Why did you tell her that tale, Mother!, she must be imagining things.

***
The next day Celestia had challenged Prince Daze to a game of hide-'n'-seek, she really enjoyed this game but they had to be careful not to run into her Mother, her Father was having a sleep. She was going to see him later on.

Looking into the room, she could just see Daze's mane poking out from behind a bed.

"Found you!" Celestia cried happily.

Daze came out of his hiding spot, sheepishly and gave her a big smile.

"So what do you want to now?" He asked.

"Well I was thinking, that maybe we could go on an adventure into the forest? I think it's called the EverFree Forest, My mother never really told me." She responded.

"Tia, are you allowed in the forest though? I don't want to get into trouble for doing something you shouldn't."

Celestia pondered this a bit, her mother had never warned her about the Everfree Forest so they should be alright.

"Yeah, come let's go!"

Celestia lead the way down the stairs, through many doors until at last they came to the main entrance. Bolting through the door, Daze followed her as they made their way into the forest. She stared at the towering trees and the dark grass that seemed to fill everywhere where her hooves touched.

"Tia, this place is slightly creepy, I really think we should turn back now." Daze stated, looking around quite scared.

"Oh don't be silly! There's no danger here!" Celestia chimed.

They carried on walking for another half an hour and came across a clear blue lake, it gave off a strange air to Celestia and she didn't know what to really think about it. Daze was looking into the water and looked positively scared, of what she didn't know.

"Daze...are you alright?" She asked.

"No, not really. Listen there's something about me that I really need to tell you."

"What?"

He looked like he was about to respond to her question when she heard a snap of wood and saw that across the lake stood what looked like a dog but it was made out of wood.Daze was also looking in the same direction now.

"Daze, what's that across there?"

"I have no idea but we better run!"

The two ponies began to gallop away from the creatures that had begun to swim across the lake, Celestia knew they had to get home fast. They ran and ran until at long last Celestia saw the castle however she could see her Mother, Father and Queen Stonelight looking around the castle, quite frantically.

When Celestia and Daze reached them, her and Daze's Mother grabbed them both by their ears and took them inside to their bedrooms.

Celestia watched as her Mother looked down at her furious.

"Celestia! Why did you run off like that? You know you're not mean to venture from the castle." Her mother shouted, quite stressed.

Celestia only bowed her head and mumbled "I'm sorry Mother, I forgot."

Her mother huffed, "Go to bed, I will deal with you in the morning."

Her mother walked in and Celestia could feel tears begin to fall down her muzzle, she knew that her mother worried about her a lot, also because her mother's brother had gotten killed in the same forest and no-one knew what he had been doing.

Celestia sat on her bed for a while and then her father decided to come in.

"Celestia, don't cry my dear." He stated sitting down by her and giving her a cuddle.

"I'm sorry Daddy to make you and Mother worry it's just that I wanted to go on an adventure, I didn't want to make her angry, I'm sorry, does this mean that I won't be able to do anything with Daze, Daddy?"

"Shush, my princess you'll be able to play tomorrow. Go to sleep now my dear."

As Celestia's lay in her father's embrace, one thought stirred across her mind, what had Daze been planning to tell her at the lake?