The Alicorn Prince
PROLOGUE
Princess Cadence walked easily through the corridors of the Royal Palace of Canterlot, though her mind was somewhat troubled. The border dispute with Yakyakistan seemed like a trifle, but with the yaks involved, even a trifle could escalate far too quickly for her liking. She knew, though, that Princess Celestia, her dear Aunt Celly, could find a solution if any pony could. She paused outside the doors to the audience hall, hearing voices... not the one of the pony she sought, but her other aunt, Princess Luna, as well as a deep, resonant, clearly male one.
"My decision was made long ago," the male said.
"I realize that," Luna replied, "but I really think you should reconsider, for your own sake as well as hers". She couldn't explain it, but this comment caused a twinge in Cadence's subconscious.
"To date, I have only regretted not breaking my silence on any matter once, Luna." Who was this other speaker, Cadence wondered, to address the Princess of the Night so informally? "I'm sure you, of all in Equestria, recall that incident."
Luna groaned ruefully, then a third voice, Celestia's, entered the conversation. "I have to agree with Luna on this matter."
"Big surprise there," the mystery speaker said sarcastically. "You know my reasons, Cel; her popularity and position, if she knew about me, would greatly jeopardize my position and duties." There it was again, that informality, now with both of Equestria’s ruling sisters. Who the hay was this other speaker?
“I know you won’t outright order me to tell her,” he went on. “Neither of us wants to find out the hard way if my powers can affect you; more importantly, you both gave your word.” Somepony powerful enough to possibly affect Celestia? Affect her how?! Cadence’s mind was already reeling, but the next four words, spoken by Celestia, hit her like a sledgehammer.
“Cadence deserves the truth.”
The eyes of the monarch of the Crystal Empire shot wide. They were talking about her! “Besides,” the eldest princess went on, “you managed to remain hidden from Discord, Sombra, Tirek, and countless other threats; I really don’t think maintaining your secrecy would be as difficult as you believe”.
There was a long pause, followed by a resigned snort. “I’ll tell you what,” the male said. “Proceed with your plan; I will see to it that the first clue is provided.”
“And...?” asked Luna leadingly.
“And I won’t misdirect or otherwise interfere with her search, should she choose to take it up,” the male finished.
Cadence gathered her nerve and knocked on the chamber door, which opened instantly, not by one of the guards normally posted just within, but by Celestia’s magic. The guards couldn’t open the door, she noted, because they weren’t there, nor was the owner of the male voice she’d heard from outside, as far as she could tell. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were the only two in the room. “You wanted to see me about the border dispute, Aunt Celly?” she asked timidly.
The Sun Princess smiled and nodded. “After you contacted me about it, I took the liberty of making a few arrangements. Prince Rutherford has agreed to meet with you to discuss the matter, but in a neutral location and with an impartial arbiter involved, both of which he actually suggested.”
“Wonderful!” Cadence smiled, though her enthusiasm was only partly genuine. “Where will I be meeting him?”
Celestia’s smile widened. “Ponyville,” she replied. “At Prince Rutherford’s suggestion, Princess Twilight will be taking arbitration duties.” Cadence arched an eyebrow, to which the elder alicorn tilted her head. “I thought you’d be pleased...”
“No disrespect, of course,” Cadence said through a partly-forced grin, “to you or the prince, but it seems weird that he would consider Ponyville or Twilight neutral, all things considered”.
“Apparently, his recent visit left quite an impression,” Celestia told her. “I did inform the prince that Twilight is your sister-in-law, but he remained faithful in her ability to help work out a fair solution for both sides. I also took the liberty of sending word ahead to Ponyville; they‘ll be expecting you at your earliest convenience and the yak delegation at the end of next week.”
“I’ll get ready to leave straight off, then,” Cadence turned, started to walk out, then turned back. “Could you please send word to the Crystal Empire asking Shining Armor to meet me in Ponyville? If you haven’t already, I mean...”
“The letter will leave before you do,” Celestia told her with a nod.
Cadence grinned, more genuinely this time, but hesitated a bit before turning to go. “Was there something else?” asked Luna, noting the hesitation.
Cadence forced her grin a bit wider, suddenly embarrassed that she’d been eavesdropping despite the overheard conversation being about her. “No, it’s nothing,” she said with a nervous chuckle, then hurried out of the chamber, trying not to seem like she was hurrying. Her tension eased a little as she made the arrangements for her trip. She knew, whatever this truth was that her aunts felt she should know but for some reason couldn’t tell her themselves, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle would help her find it. Somewhere in a dark corner of her mind, though, she started to question whether she truly wanted to.
“Thanks so much for your help getting things together, everypony,” said Twilight Sparkle, a sigh of relief escaping her with the comment. Her friends, as always, had been indispensable in helping her convert her castle’s main dining hall into a setting appropriate for the upcoming border dispute meeting. The dining table had been cleared of settings, with two chairs set at each side for the visiting dignitaries and one at the end for herself. On one side of the table, the room was bedecked with banners and assorted decorations indicative of Yakyakistan; on the other, similar decor representing the Crystal Empire. A single banner hung at each end of the room, aligning with the ends of the table: at the far end, which would remain unoccupied, was the flag of Equestria, while a banner embroidered with Twilight’s cutie mark hung behind her seat.
“Not at all, darling,” Rarity, who was adjusting one of the decorations telekinetically, said with a nod. “Granted, designing decor appropriate for the yaks was quite the challenge, especially on such short notice, but...”
“I’m kind’a surprised they wanted to have the meeting here,” Rainbow Dash put in, finishing hanging one end of the Crystal Empire’s flag, “given how most of their last visit went...”
“At least it ended well,” Fluttershy’s soft voice answered from the other end of the flag. “I just hope they don’t start destroying everything again.”
“You all right, sugar cube?” asked Applejack, noting the occasional twitch in her friend’s stance. “You might look calm as a lake surface at dawn on the outside, but ah get the feelin’ you’re more nervous now than the last time the yaks came by.”
Twilight sighed again, this time more in resignation than relief. “It’s just... if Cadence and Prince Rutherford can’t come to an agreement on their own, it’ll be up to me to work something out that’s fair to both sides. That’s a lot of responsibility.”
Rainbow ensured that her end of the flag was secure, then swooped down to rest a hoof on the alicorn’s shoulder. “C’mon, ya did great at the Traders’ Exchange,” she reassured her friend, “even if you did side against me...”
“Dashie’s right,” said Pinkie Pie, popping out from behind one of the Yakyakistan banners. “If ya think about it, what’s a border dispute but a really big friendship problem, and who’s better at solving friendship problems than the Princess of Friendship?”
“Excuse me,” a deep voice, tinged with the raspy quality of age, sounded from the door. The group turned to see a cloaked male unicorn, dark gray coat and black mane, standing at the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important; the front door was open and I heard voices coming from this room, so...”
“It’s not a problem,” said Twilight, shaking her head dismissively. “Please, come in, Mister...?”
“Shadow Gray is my name,” the unicorn bowed his head, the movement shifting his floor-length cloak to allow a bit of his black tail to peek out. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Princess Twilight. I was the caretaker at the Golden Oak Library before your arrival in Ponyville.”
“Gosh, I am so sorry,” Twilight told him, blushing. “It never even occurred to me when I moved in that somepony else already lived there.”
The male unicorn smiled, taking a slightly hobbling step forward. “Do not trouble yourself; when Mayor Mare first brought me Princess Celestia’s request for your lodging, I had already moved out. I was planning to retire and was looking for a suitable replacement as librarian. In truth, I’d sort of hoped your stay would become more permanent; it saved me a fair bit of bother.”
“I’m glad it worked out, then,” the princess smiled appreciatively. “How can I help you, Mr. Gray?”
“Well, now that you’ve taken on the duties of a princess, I had thought to come out of retirement and rebuild the Golden Oak, using my personal collection as a backbone.” His horn glowed, and a box full of books floated into the room from behind him. “I’d wondered if perhaps I could trade you some books I had extra copies of for volumes that might have survived the library’s destruction, if you’d be willing to part with them.”
Twilight began lifting the books from the box one by one with her magic, checking the titles and stacking them neatly to the side. Her eyes grew wider with each tome that met them. “These are all extras?” she asked in surprise.
Shadow grinned. “You no doubt recall the Golden Oak’s selection; I managed to amass quite the personal collection in my time as well.”
The remaining gathered ponies looked to each other with a shared grin; to a one, they knew that if anything could help settle their princess friend, it was distracting her with books. Said princess, however, was oblivious to the exchange, taking particular note of the most recent volume from the box. “Myths and Legends of Ancient Equestria? I’ve never even heard of this one...”
“TWILY!” The outburst startled everyone present, though Twilight, at least, recovered quickly.
“Big brother! Cadence!” she beamed, inadvertently dropping the book to rush forward and hug her brother and sister-in-law. “It’s so good to see you both again!”
“It’s great to see you too, Twilight,” Cadence smiled broadly, “and your friends, though I wish it was under better circumstances...”
Shadow cleared his throat, seeming embarrassed. “It seems my timing was rather poor, after all.”
“I’m sorry, my manners are off today,” Twilight blushed a bit then held a hoof toward Shadow. “This is Mr. Shadow Gray; he was the librarian here in Ponyville before me. Mr. Gray, this is...”
“Princess Cadence and her husband, Shining Armor, of the Crystal Empire,” the unicorn finished for her, bowing respectfully, “an honor to meet you both, to be sure”. He then turned to their hostess. “I shall see myself out, that you may attend to your other guests, Princess Twilight. Please enjoy the books I’ve brought, whether you choose to donate any in exchange or not.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gray; I promise, as soon as I have the opportunity, I’ll go through my books and have my assistant, Spike, bring you the ones I’ll contribute to the new library.” Hearing this, the aforementioned baby dragon, presently buried under a pile of luggage, groaned softly.
Shadow chuckled at the sound. “My thanks, your highness,” he said with another polite bow, then turned to the purple and green head poking out from the baggage. “Mine is the last cottage on the left, as you’re leaving town opposite the direction of the Everfree Forest. I’ve no doubt an assistant as dutiful and capable as I’m certain you are will have no difficulty remembering.”
Spike smirked, puffing his chest out a bit, which was all the luggage he carried would allow. “Sure, that’ll be a cinch.” Shadow nodded his appreciation with a grin, then hobbled for the front door as Spike started for the stairway that would take him to the bedrooms.
Cadence watched the older unicorn leave, a curious look on her face, then turned to Twilight. “You said something about a new library?”
Twilight nodded. "Mr. Gray said he wanted to rebuild the old Golden Oak Library."
"That was your old home, wasn't it, the one that was destroyed in the fight with Tirek?" Cadence asked.
"That's the one," replied Twilight with a nod. "The box there is full of books he brought by hoping to trade for any I might want to donate."
Shining Armor grinned knowingly, looking at the neat stacks near the box; his expression turned curious when his eyes fell on the book Twilight had dropped when they'd arrived, particularly the page it'd fallen open to. "The Alicorn Prince?" he asked, looking up at his sister and wife.
"The what?" Twilight looked back, just as confused.
Cadence, however, looked off to the side, apparently introspective. "The first clue..." she mumbled under her breath.
"The what?" Twilight asked again, turning from her brother to the other alicorn.
Cadence hung her head, embarrassed, then looked back sheepishly. "I... may have overheard somepony else's conversation back at the castle in Canterlot..."
"The WHAT?!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, drawing glares from her friends. "What?" she asked innocently. "I wanted to play too..."
"I know I shouldn't have been eavesdropping," Cadence went on. "Aunt Luna was talking to somepony... I have no idea who... then Aunt Celly joined in, then I found out whatever they were talking about had something to do with me, and something my aunts thought the other pony should let me know but had given their word not to tell me. He then said he'd provide the first clue and not 'misdirect my search', as he put it."
"Misdirect it how?" asked Twilight, raising one eyebrow.
"I don't know," her sister-in-law replied, shaking her head. "Like I said, I don't even know who the other pony in the conversation was, but the way he spoke to Aunt Luna and Aunt Celly, so informally, gave me the impression it was somepony they were very close to."
"Didn't you see him come out of the audience hall?" Shining Armor asked, giving Cadence a reassuring nuzzle.
The alicorn shook her head again. "I went in just as the conversation ended, but the only ones in the hall were my aunts; no other speaker, nopony, not even the usual guards."
Shining Armor smiled and gently nuzzled his wife again. "Well, I think I'm speaking for both Twilight and myself when I say that you've got enough to worry about, with this border dispute and the baby coming. We'll be happy to help you figure this out any way we can." He looked to his sister, who nodded her affirmation with a smile.
"We'll lend a hoof, too," said Rainbow Dash as she and the others approached the pair.
"Twilight's practically a sister to all of us," Applejack added. "Any kin'a hers is kin'a ours."
"Thank you all so much," Cadence smiled, but it faded quickly, "but I don't even know where to start..."
"What about the Alicorn Prince in the book?" Fluttershy asked after a moment's thought. "I'm sure, if there's somepony who'd talk to the ruling princesses like he knew them well, another alicorn would qualify."
Twilight retrieved the book from the floor magically, then cleared her throat and read aloud. "The Alicorn Prince, also called the Secret Keeper, is thought by most to be pure myth, largely because the majority of scholars who do believe he exists agree on very little about him. Most agree that he is some relation to Princess Celestia, though just how they're related and which of the two is older is hotly debated."
"Sounds like we're on the right course so far," Rarity observed.
"It is also general consensus," the Princess of Friendship continued, "that he has the ability to magically know anything any other pony tries to hide from somepony else, as well as other powers that affect the mind. Some even go so far as to claim that he can alter or erase another pony's memories, mainly to prevent them from discovering his best-kept secret: his own identity". Twilight brightened and looked up from the book, toward Cadence. "In other words, to 'misdirect their search' for him?" she asked leadingly.
"This certainly seems like the pony we're looking for," agreed Cadence. "What else does it say?"
"A slight majority believe that he once lived in the Castle of the Two Sisters, citing histories that name it 'The Alicorn Castle' until shortly after the defeat of Discord by the sister princesses." Twilight's grin faded as she went on. "Virtually all other aspects of the Secret Keeper, including his appearance and cutie mark, are debated; a few contend that this very fact is proof of his existence, claiming that the prince himself is using his power to confuse the matter to help ensure that he won't be discovered."
"Whelp," said Applejack with a smirk as Twilight closed the book and set it in one of her stacks, "who's up for a trip to the Everfree Forest?"
"Ooo! Me! Me! I am!" squealed Pinkie, waving one fore hoof in the air and bouncing excitedly.
Rarity nodded her agreement. "The castle does seem to be the next logical step in this endeavor."
"Assuming there's still anything to find," Shining Armor interjected, then turned to his sister. "Didn't you tell me most of the place is in ruins?"
"Yes, but it looks like the best lead we have," Twilight told him.
Fluttershy pawed the floor nervously. "I don't know..."
"Aw, c'mon," said Rainbow, hovering in front of her fellow pegasus. "We've been to the Castle of the Two Sisters loads of times, and Zecora's place isn't far from it; you know she won't let the area get too dangerous."
"Well, yes," the pink-maned pony looked away, then back to her friend, "but, well, with Princess Cadence being..."
The Crystal Empire's ruling princess cut off the argument with a chuckle. "I have no doubt that, should something unexpected happen, Shining Armor and the rest of you will have no difficulty keeping the baby and me safe."
"It's settled, then," said Twilight. "Next stop, the Castle of the Two Sisters!"
The group, rejoined by Spike, made their uneventful way to the Castle of the Two Sisters and split into three groups: Rainbow, Applejack, and Fluttershy searching the upper rooms, Rarity, Spike, and Pinkie scouring the main floor corridors, and Twilight, Cadence, and Shining Armor thoroughly checking through the library. The alicorns and unicorn were still inspecting the countless shelves as the sun sank low in the sky and the pegasi and farm pony entered. "Anything?" asked Twilight, looking over her shoulder at her friends from a ladder.
"Dust, cobwebs, and rubble," Applejack answered sarcastically, shaking some dust from her hat before returning it to her head, "does that count?"
"I even talked some of the spiders into helping us look," Fluttershy added dejectedly.
"It didn't help much that we have no idea what the hay we're looking for," grumbled Rainbow.
"Try not to lose heart, girls," Twilight tried to sound reassuring. "I'm sure there's..."
"We found something!" called Pinkie, bounding into the library. Rarity and Spike followed close behind, a black leather-bound book floating beside them, held by Rarity's magic.
"Actually, Rarity was the one who found it," said Spike, looking at her with a goofy grin.
"It was something of an accident, really," Rarity explained as she set the book on a nearby table, the others gathering around her. "You know how my gem-detecting spell will sometimes go off on its own? Well, this time, it led me to this gorgeous black sapphire, which just happened to be attached to the cover of this journal. Naturally, I flipped through it; turns out..."
"The journal looks like it belonged to the Alicorn Prince himself!" Pinkie finished for her, her grin nearly swallowing her ears.
"WHAT?!" Twilight dove for the journal, accidentally knocking Rarity to the side, then jerked the cover open and started reading, her eyes going wider with each word that met them. "Oh my gosh, I think they're right! Listen to this: 'Discord's power seems to grow daily, spreading the influence of Strife over more and more of Equestria'... Hmm..." She paused for a moment, looking puzzled. "I wonder why 'strife' is capitalized." The youngest princess shrugged and read on. "Oh, wow... 'I told Cel and Luna about the tree beneath the castle, and the mystical elements it contains. Hopefully, they will be enough to counter Discord, assuming the two of them can attune themselves to them properly; unfortunately, because of my secretive nature, none of the elements would accept me enough to be able to wield them, so I can do no more'..."
"He must mean the Elements of Harmony!" Rainbow piped up. "He told the princesses where to find 'em!"
"Amazing," breathed Rarity. "His advice helped save all of Equestria from Discord, yet almost nopony's ever even heard of him."
"What else does it say?" asked Fluttershy, she and the rest of the gathered ponies growing more excited as Twilight skimmed further into the journal.
"A lot of general, day-to-day stuff," the alicorn told her. "Nothing... wait... 'Luna is getting worse; though I've agreed to keep this secret of hers, I've continued to urge her to discuss her feelings with Cel. Sadly, she insists that she doesn't know how to approach the matter without sounding like a selfish, jealous little sister. I admit I've never been more worried'..."
"Ah wonder if he means..." Applejack began.
Twilight nodded as she read. "He does; 'My worst fear has come to pass: calling herself Nightmare Moon, Luna attacked Celestia this morning, resulting in a battle that destroyed a good portion of the castle. They were too evenly matched; Cel was forced to use the Elements of Harmony to banish her to the moon. I suspect that this use broke not only Luna's bond with the elements, but Cel's as well. Worse, I’ve already foreseen that the banishment won’t last, though it will take a thousand years for Nightmare Moon to return'."
Cadence had steadily grown more pale as the journal was read, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Shining Armor. "You okay, love?"
Cadence nodded, though her voice was shaky as she spoke. "He keeps referring to Aunt Celly as 'Cel'; that's what the other voice in the audience hall called her. That voice also told Aunt Luna that she, more than anypony else, knew about the only secret he regretted keeping." She shook her head a bit to clear it. "What does any of this have to do with me? Why do my aunts think I 'deserve’ to know about this Alicorn Prince?"
Rainbow turned her attention back to Twilight. “Does that journal say where he went?”
“Not really,” Twilight replied, “but it kind’a gives a hint: ‘After we discussed the matter, Cel has decided to move the seat of government to Canterlot. Though she tried to convince me otherwise, I’ll not be going with her; I’ve been spending more time in my private meditation hut nearby than in the castle of late anyway, so it won’t be difficult to move there permanently. Cel did at least talk me into taking my Speaking Mirror with me, so that she and I can stay in touch’. That’s the last entry”. She closed the journal and looked around to her friends and family, settling her gaze on Cadence. “I’ve heard of Speaking Mirrors before; they’re always paired, and allow their owners to contact each other over any distance. If I remember right, there is a mirror off in one corner of the audience hall in Canterlot Castle that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose...”
“I’ve seen it too,” the older alicorn said, “and it fits with what little we know so far”.
“Like the fact that the guards were missing,” Spike interjected. “It only makes sense that the princesses would send them away to talk to somepony who’s hiding the fact that he even exists.”
“Zecora knows this stretch of the forest better’n ah know Sweet Apple Acres; maybe she can give us a clue where this meditation hut might be,” suggested Applejack.
All eyes fell on Cadence, who seemed to be mulling the matter over in her mind. “Prince Rutherford won’t arrive for a few more days...” She then nodded, a look of determination on her face. “I’ve started down this path; I have to see it through to the end.”
“For now, though,” said Twilight, “I think we should either camp here in the castle or head back to Ponyville; it’s starting to get late.”
The group settled on the first option, finding plenty of comfortable space within the castle, and the next morning found them assembled outside Zecora’s hut. The zebra herself stood just outside her doorway, regarding them with a warm, if sheepish, grin. “That I don’t ask you in, please forgive,” she told them. “Little room for so many where I live.”
“That’s okay, Zecora,” Twilight said with a smile. “Actually, we just came by to ask if you knew of any structures in this area of the forest, besides your home and the castle.”
Zecora thought a moment, then shook her head. “Those two aside, my welcome guest, Ponyville is the next closest, though when I first came to this wood, the hut you see already stood.”
Cadence arched an eyebrow curiously. “This hut was already here when you first arrived?”
The zebra nodded. “It seemed abandoned, yet I delayed.” She then shrugged. “No one claimed it, so I stayed.”
Twilight’s eyes widened a bit, her excitement growing. “Did the former owner leave anything behind... a journal or something, maybe?”
“One I’d not miss if I were blind,” the zebra replied, “and many potion recipes did I find. If a moment you’ll give me, I’ll bring it out for you to see”. On the alicorn’s nod, she turned and went back into her hut, returning shortly with a black leather-bound book. This one, however, was missing the gem from the front cover.
“Thanks, Zecora.” Twilight took the journal from the zebra and started leafing through it, her grin growing as she read.
“Well?” asked Shining Armor expectantly. “Is it his?”
“It sure is,” his sister replied. “Listen: ’Cel still believes my isolation will start having negative effects on my mind. I keep telling her she worries too much, but I suppose it’s to be expected after Luna. She told me that she recently granted a tract of land just outside the forest to a farming family, suggesting that I try to get to know them, under an assumed identity, of course. Perhaps I’ll consider it’...”
“Whoa, there,” Applejack interrupted her. “Granny Smith told us her daddy was given the land Sweet Apple Acres was built on by Princess Celestia herself. You don’t suppose...?”
Twilight just smirked. “Does this answer your question? ‘I saw the farm family’s young filly... Apple, they call themselves... out by the zapapple trees last night. I wonder if they’ll be able to figure out the plant’s peculiar growth pattern’. Further on, he writes: ‘A booming little town has built up just past the farm, thanks largely to the sale of the jam that young filly made from the zapapples. She gave me a sample last time I visited; it’s quite tasty. I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps Cel was right; perhaps I would do well to interact more with other ponies. I’ve been using an alias of a hermit scholar when visiting the Apples; maybe I could alter that course slightly to a related endeavor...’ That’s where it ends.”
The earth pony farmer returned the smirk. “Y’all thinkin’ what ah’m thinkin’?”
“We need to get back to Ponyville,” her alicorn friend replied, grins coming into each pony’s features. Twilight then turned back to the zebra. “Thanks again, Zecora; this was a major help.”
“I help any way I might, and glad to do it, Princess Twilight.” Zecora waved as the group turned and headed swiftly back toward town.
The door to the small cottage on the edge of Ponyville swung open at Twilight's knock, though no one was immediately behind it; it was as though the door had been left partly open and the knock opened it the rest of the way. Further in, Shadow Gray stood at the far side of a sitting room, pouring a cup of tea; nine other steaming cups were set out around the room. "You're earlier than I expected you," he greeted his guests. "Impressive."
"You knew we'd find our way back here," Twilight said more than asked.
"Indeed, and it is time I introduced myself properly." The gathered ponies noticed that their host's voice no longer held its raspy edge. His cloak fell away, pushed not by teeth, hoof, or magic, but by the majestic wings that spread from beneath them. He rose to his full height, showing that his hobbled gait was simply a side effect of walking hunched. "I am Prince Umbra, the Secret Keeper, the Shadow Walker, Prince of Hidden Knowledge." All eyes widened at the next announcement. "Princess Luna is my twin sister, making Celestia my elder."
The awe of the revelation wore off first, not surprisingly, on Pinkie Pie, who found her attention drawn to the prince's flank. "Um, no offense, Prince Umbra," she said, "but what does a dancing pegasus have to do with keeping secrets?"
"It's not a pegasus, it's a dragon," Spike informed her, "and it's not dancing, it's fighting off others trying to take the secrets from it".
"I was going to say it was an alicorn," Twilight interjected, "reaching for the secrets kept just beyond it".
Prince Umbra chuckled softly, glancing back at his cutie mark. "Actually, none of the three of you are quite correct; it is, in truth, just a blob, no different than the result of spilling some ink on a parchment then folding it in half and opening it again. It looks like something different to virtually every pony who views it."
"So, you know everything everypony in Equestria tries to keep secret?" asked Applejack. Prince Umbra nodded, so she continued. "Well then, um... this is gonna sound real disrespectful, but..."
"Feel free to speak your mind plainly, Miss Applejack," he told her. "You are the Element of Honesty, after all."
Applejack took a deep breath, let it out in a sigh, then looked at the male alicorn suspiciously. "Why didn't you tell nopony about Queen Chrysalis... or where Discord hid the Elements of Harmony... or where the hay Tirek was hidin'?"
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash matched her friend's look toward the prince. "I'm pretty sure those little tidbits of info counted as secrets."
"The answer to all three is the same," he replied, his own expression growing a bit sheepish. "None of those you mentioned are ponies; my powers - beyond the occasional vague glimpse at the future, the greatest secret of all - only work on someone who is one of the three types of pony - four, if you include alicorns - so Tirek, Chrysalis, and Discord were utterly immune."
"Cadence knew she'd been captured and replaced," Twilight put in.
"But she wasn't keeping it a secret... at least, not intentionally," Umbra countered. "The fact that she had no one to tell wasn't her fault.
"In my own defense," he continued, "I was fully aware of where King Sombra had hidden the Crystal Heart, and - posing as Celestia's advisor - sent a small team of infiltrators to retrieve it while Cel prepared the main strike against him". He looked down at the floor, a hint of sadness and regret crossing his face. "To the best of my knowledge, they... didn't survive."
"We're honored that you chose us to reveal yourself to, Your Highness," said Cadence, "but I still don't understand why it was so important that I find you."
"That is easier to show than to tell." The prince motioned to the cups around the room. "I believe that Princess Twilight is familiar with the Alicorn Flashback potion?"
"Is that the one that Zecora gave me when Discord's plants were attacking the Tree of Harmony?" she asked.
Prince Umbra nodded. "The cups contain an improved version: though it still requires alicorn magic to initially enchant it, any pony drinking it gains its effects. Further, if multiple ponies drink from the same batch, they have a shared experience."
"You planning to come with us too?" asked Rainbow, motioning toward the cup the male alicorn had been pouring when they entered. "Um, Your Highness," she added sheepishly, suddenly remembering who she was talking to.
The Secret Keeper chuckled, dismissing the slip of etiquette with a grin. "My cup contains tea only; I think I can safely say I was there the first time." He took a seat, raising his cup to his lips magically and observing as the ponies and dragon sipped from the other cups.
"How the hay'd we end up here?" asked a rather stunned Applejack; the group now found themselves in the audience hall of Canterlot Castle.
"We're seeing the past," Twilight explained, motioning toward the dais. Princess Celestia stood in her customary place, the cloaked Prince Umbra to her left, both of them apparently oblivious to the new arrivals.
"You witnessed the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon like this?" Rarity asked, her voice a mix of awe and sympathy. "Darling, no wonder you became so emotional."
The group, along with the two royal siblings, turned toward the main door as it opened, admitting a young filly; the new arrival strode casually toward the dais, her red and yellow streaked mane and tail flowing behind her. "You sent for me, Your Highness?"
Celestia nodded, then motioned toward Umbra. "This is Shadow Gray, a traveling scholar and one of my closest advisors; Shadow, I'd like you to meet my new protégé, Sunset Shimmer.” The princess seemed to put a slight emphasis on the first part of the name.
“Isn’t that the pony who stole your Element of Harmony and took it through the portal to the other world where Spike turned into a dog and you turned into some kind’a weird creature and there were other versions of us that were those creatures too and they helped you beat her and get your element back and she turned good and started learning about friendship from the other us?” asked Pinkie.
“That’s her,” Twilight told her.
“Seems to be a lot of that going around,” Rainbow commented. “Discord, her, now Starlight...”
“A pleasure, young miss,” said “Shadow” as Sunset bowed politely. He took a few hobbling steps toward her. “Forgive me if I seem rude, but may I have a closer look at your cutie mark?”
“My...? Oh, sure,” Sunset turned, presenting her flank to the male, who leaned in closer to study her mark intently.
“Interesting,” he said at length. “The swirl pattern in the center of the sun reminds me of a symbol I’ve seen before, from a land far to the east of here.”
“Oh?” the filly’s piqued interest was apparent in her voice. “I’d never really thought about it; do you know what it means?”
The disguised alicorn nodded. “It is called a yin-yang, or yin and yang. In their culture, it symbolizes a balance of universal forces: light and dark, day and night, good and evil...” He shot a surreptitious glance to the princess with the last comment.
"Wow," the young student paused, thinking, then turned toward the princess. "Princess Celestia, do you think the library might have more information on this land..." she turned back to the male, "what was it called?"
"The island nation of Lung Xiao Me, beyond the Hurricane Sea," Umbra informed her.
Celestia grinned. "You're welcome to go look if you'd like; I only called you here for the two of you to meet."
"I'll ask Sunburst if he knows anything about it, too," Sunset smiled. She then bowed to them both and left, a spring in her step.
"Sunburst?" the prince asked his sister.
"Another new student," Celestia told him, "one Sunset's been spending a fair bit of time with. His knowledge of magic might even rival yours," she added with a smirk, then waved for the guards to exit. "Then again, he's a young colt and she's a young filly, so her interest may be more than academic."
Umbra watched the guards close the door behind them, then stood to his full height. "Were we ever that young, Cel?" he asked with a sigh.
The Sun Princess replied with a wistful chuckle. "If we were, it was before the memory of any other pony living." She and her brother exchanged grins. "So... what do you think... of Sunset, I mean."
"I think you want to know if she's the one my prophesy about the next alicorn was referring to," he said, his expression unchanging.
"And...?"
Umbra thought a moment. "Well, the prophecy said her name would be the midpoint between you and Luna, and Sunset certainly fits that description, but so would several other names: Dusk, Dawn, Twilight..." The unseen observers all smirked at the youngest alicorn upon hearing this.
"She clearly has a thirst for knowledge," he went on, "and I sense a great aptitude for magic within her..." he paused again.
"I dislike being this blunt, but is she keeping some secret from me?" Celestia asked.
"More from herself than from you, I think," the prince explained. "I sense her search for knowledge comes from a split source: both a desire for knowledge for its own sake and a desire for power. If the former wins over her heart, she could well be the next alicorn; if the latter gains dominance... she could become a threat."
Celestia gave her brother a concerned look. "A threat? How much of a threat?"
"Do you still have Starswirl's portal mirror, the one that opens for three nights every thirty moons?" he asked, his tone grim.
Suddenly, the group found themselves back in Prince Umbra's cottage, quite disoriented. "You'll regain your bearings shortly," he told them. "What, may I ask, did you see?"
Twilight was faster to reorient herself, having experienced the effects of the potion before. "We saw your meeting with Sunset Shimmer, and found out that you predicted me becoming an alicorn."
"Nothing that told us what this all has to do with me, though," added Cadence, sounding somewhat frustrated. "Can't you just tell us what this is about?"
"A longer drink will take you further back," Umbra replied. "You will understand better when you see for yourself."
The group soon found themselves whisked into a scene from the past again, this time in a setting very familiar to all but two of them. "Is this...?" Shining Armor began.
"The Golden Oak Library," Twilight confirmed, the memories flooding back to her evident in her eyes. Nearby, Prince Umbra sat dejectedly, staring toward the door and not bothering with his cloak.
"Am I the only one getting the feeling something really bad's about to happen?" Rainbow asked nopony in particular.
Just then, Celestia entered the library, closing the door behind her. "Brother..."
"I know," he said flatly, drawing a confused look from the princess.
"You know?" she asked. "But, no one had any intention of keeping it from you, or anypony else..."
"Acapella is as much a part of me as my horn or wings," the prince responded, tears welling in his eyes. "How could I not know that she's gone?" He lowered his gaze, his form occasionally shuddering with sobs. "I should've known better..."
"Than to fall in love?" Celestia asked him tenderly, coming up beside him and draping one wing across his shoulders. "Known better than to marry a wonderful young mare and spend several happy years together?"
"You and I are virtually immortal, Cel," he reminded her, his voice breaking. "I should've known better than to believe it would last."
"She knew who and what you really were when she married you, and even you couldn't have predicted it would end like this," she assured her brother. "It's no crime to follow your heart, even for an alicorn."
Umbra closed his eyes for a moment, collecting himself, then looked back at his sister. His next question widened the eyes of the observing ponies and dragon with dawning understanding. "How is the baby?"
A warm smile lit Celestia's features. "Healthy and beautiful," she told him. "You should be very proud, and I know Acapella would be."
A grin began to cross Umbra's face, but it faded quickly. "I must ask of you the greatest favor of our lives, sister: you can give her a far better life and upbringing than I could ever hope to, especially now..."
"Umbra, are you certain of this?" the princess asked doubtfully.
"More so than I have been of anything in our very long lives," the prince assured her. "A life of secrets and hidden identities is no life for a foal. Perhaps I will reveal myself one day, but I'll have your word that you will leave that to me alone."
"As you will," Celestia conceded, "but will you, at least, name her? She is the newest princess, after all".
"By birth, perhaps, but I feel she should earn the title as we did." On his sister's agreeing nod, he thought for a moment. "The filly's name should symbolize both her mother's love for music and my love for her, I think..."
"Mi Amore Cadenza," the Secret Keeper and Cadence said in unison.
"Now you know," the male alicorn said as his guests' awareness returned to the present. "I want you to know, also, that I have ever been in the background, and am truly proud of you and all you've accomplished... and hope, one day, you may find it in your heart to forgive me."
Cadence looked from her sister-in-law and friends, to her husband, to the stallion now revealed to be her father. "I'm not sure if there's really anything to forgive," she said, approaching the elder alicorn slowly. "You did what you felt was best for me, and if you hadn't, I might never have met Shining Armor and Twilight." She stood directly before him, looking him eye to eye. "I will ask you to do one thing for me..."
"You need only name it," Umbra said. "If it is within my power, it will be done."
She looked back to her husband, who nodded, then returned her gaze to her father with a small grin, then gently leaned her head against the side of his neck. "Try to make your presence known to us at your grand-foal's Crystalling?"
The Alicorn Prince smiled widely, resting his chin on the back of her neck and folding one wing around her. "Count on it... my daughter."
EPILOGUE
"I don't know if there'll ever be another Crystalling again," Shining Armor announced. "The Crystal Heart... is shattered!"
The crowd of ponies gathered in front of the Crystal Palace gasped in unison... all but one, a cloaked figure off to the side. He suspected Cadence's choice to keep the Heart's destruction a secret, at least temporarily, was both to avert panic among the population and an effort to let him know what was going on.
As the evacuation of the Crystal Empire was organized, another secret entered Prince Umbra's mind, one with far more dire consequences. His sisters were above, trying to hold back the storms of the frozen north - this he knew already - but they were failing. He glanced around, assuring he wasn't being observed. Fortunately, everypony nearby was focused on making the train station. He ducked around a nearby corner, then discarded his cloak and took to the air.
Celestia and Luna groaned with the strain of the sustained magical barrage. They wouldn't last much longer. Already, their wings and horns were icing over. The elder princess sensed more than saw Luna faltering.
"Push them back, my sister!" Celestia encouraged, though they both knew they were fighting a losing battle. As the clouds closed around them, however, a bolt of deep indigo, darker even than Luna's, shot past the pair and cleared the immediate vicinity.
"Umbra!" Luna called, sparing a glance over her shoulder at the new arrival.
"Cadence has begun the evacuation," he informed them as he added his own power to the struggle against the storm. "You two should join them; I'll continue to hold this off as long as I can."
"But..." Luna began to argue.
"GO!" the male barked, halting the forthcoming protest. "Equestria needs you!"
"It needs you too, brother," Celestia said softly.
This elicited a snort from Umbra. "Most of it doesn't know I exist."
"We need you," Luna told him plaintively. "So does Cadence... and so will your new grand-filly."
The Secret Keeper considered his twin's words, then sighed. "I'll make my escape once everypony else is safe," he conceded, "or when the storm becomes too much for me".
It wasn't long before he was in little better shape than his sisters. He had begun to consider his own retreat when an unfamiliar but very welcome voice reached his ears.
"Citizens," it announced, "may I present the newest member of the Crystal Empire!"
"They did it," he thought aloud, soon seeing the telltale glow of the Crystal Empire's streets below him. He shot one last bank of storm clouds, then turned back for the ground, diving for the concealed corner where he'd left his cloak. He had just donned the garment again when the Crystal Heart's restoring wave washed over him, clearing the snow and clouds and transforming his coat and mane into a semblance of smoky quartz.
"Glad to see you again," said Celestia a short time later, noting the approach of a cloaked figure as Starlight and Sunburst moved off to the side for a private discussion.
"As much as the last time you saw me?" the disguised alicorn quipped, a smirk crossing his features.
"More so," Luna replied sincerely for her sister, quickly glancing at Starlight and Sunburst to ensure they were unobserved, then nuzzling her twin's neck.
"You know, Yo..." Rarity stopped mid-word, noting the male's raised eyebrow and glance toward the pair not in on his true identity, "sir," she corrected, "I must say the crystal look really does suit you".
He gave the unicorn a small, self-deprecating chuckle. "It does make it a bit more difficult to remain unobtrusive, however."
"Not really," Twilight pointed out, "since everypony else in the vicinity is under the same effect".
Umbra conceded the point with a nod. "Now, where is that darling baby?"
END