> The Troublemaker Prince > by lightningflare1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Troublemaker Prince Young Nova Sentry, a young five-year-old, smiled as he ran through the long corridors of Canterlot castle. Full of energy, curiosity, and very bright for his age. The young prince also has a little bit of mischief within him. Well, according to his mothers. He didn’t really agree with them. But one thing was certain, the young colt hates this royal lifestyle! His mothers were always busy, he would be forced to attend boring parties, and not to mention uncomfortable outfits. Today was different, he was going to skip his boring lessons and have some fun. And he was having the time of his life until he ran into his mother’s hoof. "Ow!" The colt cried out with his flank kissing the ground. "Nova, aren’t you supposed to be having your lessons?" Luna asked with a raised brow. Nova looked up at his mother, who so happened to be the princess of the night itself! But what bothered Nova the most, is what ponies were saying about him. Some called him the prince of the night, others the prince of friendship. Ponies would debate constantly over what kind of prince he was, or what kind of inheritance he would acquire one day. "Well, I was.... I wanted to take a break, mother," Nova explained, eyes glued to the floor as he moved his hoof in small circles. "A break? I see, my son." Luna replied with a smile, "Nova, you know how much mommy cares about your lessons." Nova gave a nod of his head. One thing was certain. His mommy, Twilight Sparkle has three great loves in her life. Her wife, her son, and knowledge. "Mother, those lessons are boring! And Regal Crown smells weird." Nova mumble with a frown. "Regal Crown is a remarkable unicorn stallion, dear. You should be honoured he’s teaching you." Luna said taking the young colt in her magic, and gently placing him on her back. "No! Regal is weak! Compared to mommy, he’s just some boring old pony! Mommy can kick his flank!" Nova proudly brags. "I liked it when mommy taught me. She showed me cool things! Regal just shows me books.... and more books….. books are stupid." "Nova my dear. Your mommy didn’t get to where she is now, without books. You won’t be a powerful unicorn right away. You must study and work hard." the lunar princess spoke, as she made her way back to Regal’s office. "And your lessons are only two hours. You have the rest of the day to yourself." "But nopony can play with me!" Nova whine. He quickly stood on his back hooves and stomped his tiny front hooves against Luna’s head. "You and mommy are always busy! Even Aunty Celestia is busy! IM SO BORED!" Luna let out a couple of grunts, as she felt her son pounding the back of her head. "Nova," the lunar princess said, Moving Nova further down her back with her magic. "How about we make a deal? You go to your lessons and work hard, and later mommy and I will play with you." "Do you promise?" The young colt asked with his ears down. "You didn’t keep your promise last time." "I promise, Nova" Luna said smiling at him. "Okay!" Nova cheered jumping up and down in excitement after his mother had placed him down. "Now have fun with your lesson. We’ll find you once you’re done" Luna said giving the colt a nuzzle. Nova ran out of Regal's office and couldn’t be any happier! That old stallion was grumpy, unpleasant, and had a weird old stallion smell. The young prince wanted his mommy, Twilight to teach him again, but she got busier and couldn’t anymore. Nova had asked about a public school before, but his mother, Luna, would immediately refuse and change the topic. His mommy, Twilight, would always tell him the same thing after his mother stormed out; “She’s just being protective, Nova. Don’t worry she’ll change one day.” "When is that day going to happen...." Nova mumbled to himself, as he walked down the hallways of the castle. "Young prince," a voice said. Nova lifted his head and stopped, he turned around to see a Pegasus guardpony. He tilted his head slightly, not recognizing him. Nova would usually be guarded by his mother’s night guards. Those strange bat ponies were fun to be around with. If Nova was lucky enough, he would get a night guard who would look the other way. Allowing the mischief colt to steal a few cookies or play a few pranks on the staff. For some reason, his mother wouldn’t allow any Solar guards around him or even allowed inside of the castle in Ponyville. Canterlot was another story on its own. "Who are you?" Nova asked staring up at the stallion. "My name is Spearhead, young prince." He replied with a bow of his head, "It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. The prince of the night, or is it friendship?" "Uh... I don’t know. My mommies haven’t decided that yet. They said! When I’m all grown up, I could decide and then there would be a big party!" Nova said with a big smile on his face. The colt happily jumped in place, "All of those cakes! Oh! And fruit punch! Oh, oh, how could I forget about the games! Pinky and Cheesy throws the best parties EVER!" "That’s sure exciting, young prince." Spearhead said smiling at him, "Are you heading to see your friends right now?" "I don’t really have friends here," Nova said lowering his ears slightly, "I do have friends in Ponyville! Oh! And the empire! I almost forgot! Do you know my cousin Flurry Heart? Well, she foal sits me sometimes. She’s super fun and we play super fun games! My favourite game is to annoy my uncle Shiny! But…. But…. I don’t have any friends here.... in Canterlot...." "Quite unfortunate, Prince Nova. And kind of ironic wouldn’t you think?" Spearhead asked leaning down to the colt’s level. "What’s.... ironic?" Nova asked. "You’re the son of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship. And yet, you don’t have any friends here in Canterlot. And the friends you do have are either related to you, or there’s an existing relationship." Spearhead explained noticing the colt’s ears drop to its side. "I... I don’t get it." Nova said softly, "My friends at Ponyville are so much fun! I wish they could come here..... but it’s a long trip…. And their parents are busy…. So, they can’t come to Canterlot too often." "That is unfortunate, Prince Nova. But as the son of the princess of friendship, shouldn’t you be making friends?" He said smiling, even more, seeing the colt smile disappear. "But don’t worry. I’ll be your friend." "You’re going to be my friend?" Nova asked "Of course, young prince. Now, I must leave but have a good day." Spearhead said quickly messing the colt’s mane, before leaving him alone. Nova let out a big sigh, "I can make friends! I’ll prove it!" "He said what?!" Twilight gasp in shock. How could her own flesh and blood! Her own son! Say such a thing about studying?! "Yes, he called his lessons boring, and didn’t seem too fond of books," Luna said as she did her best to hold back her laughter. Another large and loud gasp left the purple mare’s mouth. Books?! Her own son hates BOOKS?! "I... I..... I need a moment...." Twilight mumble with horror plastered all over her face. Luna couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst into laughter holding her side, "Oh! Love! Your face is…. Hilarious!" "Luna! This is serious! How could my own son hate BOOKS!" Twilight shouted quickly standing on her hooves, with frantic pacing following. "Books! What’s wrong with books? Books are knowledge! Books can entertain you for hours on end! Books are what brought ponies together! BOOKS!" "Love, please calm down. No need to get your mane in a mess over this," Luna said standing on her hooves and kissing her wife on the lips. Twilight took a deep breath bringing a hoof to her chest, and slowly extended it as she exhaled. "Right…. Yes, you right." Twilight said smiling, "No need to get worked up over books." "Now, where is Nova? I told him we could play a quick game after his studies." Luna said opening the door. "I’m here!" Nova shouted running down the hallways with a big smile on his face, "I’m here!" "There you are, my little prince." Luna said quickly catching the young colt in an embrace, "How were your studies?" "Boring! Now let’s play!" Nova shouted ignoring Twilight’s horrified expression. "What should we play?" Luna asked nuzzling her son softly, "Any ideas?" Nova smiled and was about to answer when they heard a knock. "Princesses, you are needed inside of the throne room at Princess Celestia’s request." A voice said. "Is it urgent? We requested this time off," Twilight said after recovering from earlier, "We would like to spend time with our son." "Yes, it is, Princess Twilight. Some diplomats have just arrived and requested the presence of all three princesses. You are needed inside the throne room immediately." The guardpony said. Twilight and Luna exchange a look. Both mares sighed in annoyance, "Alright…. We’ll be there shortly." Twilight replied while Luna placed Nova down. "We’re not going to play?" Nova asked quickly glancing at his mothers, "You said we could!" "I’m sorry, dear." Luna said sighing some more, "but not today." "But… but you promised! Mother, you promised we could play!" Nova angrily shouted "Nova, honey." Twilight said bringing the young colt in a small hug, "We’re sorry about this, but royal duties call. I promise we can play tomorrow, alright?" "But…. I wanted to play today…." Nova whispered as he felt tears welling up, "You guys promised! You promised! You never keep your promises!" "Princesses," the bat pony gently insisted, "The diplomats are waiting." "I’m sorry Nova." Luna said sighing softly, "Next time." "Love you," Twilight said giving the young colt a compassionate smile. Nova didn’t reply and simply stared at the ground. Twilight look down slightly before leaving with Luna and the guardpony. Nova lowered his ears and hung his head low to the ground. Once again, his mothers couldn’t keep their promise. Once more, he was all alone with nopony to play with. All because of their royal duties, "I hate being a royal pony….." Nova whispered softly with a few tears dripping on the ground. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Troublemaker Prince Deep within the hidden part of Canterlot, in the darkest place of its prison. Stood a unicorn stallion, darkness filled his heart with hatred fueling him to live another day. Crescent was branded as Equestria’s most dangerous criminal. He would have been sentenced to death years ago. The only thing that kept him from his demise, was his knowledge. He knew the identity of the spy within the ranks of the solar guards, and had no intentions of giving up such information. Five long years, Crescent was able to keep this information to himself. "Mealtime," a voice said. Crescent smile turning his head back. "Crescent sir," Spearhead whispered placing a tray of food down. He opened the small slot and pushed the tray inside. "Spearhead, how are you? It’s been a while since you paid me a visit?" Crescent asked taking his apple with his hoof. His eyes quickly glancing over his broken horn with the anti-magic ring around it. "I miss my horn, but those damn princesses removed it. Not to mention they placed a spell over this ring! I can't even remove it!" "Patience sir," Crescent whispered with his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings. "I’ll free you one day, but we need the right pony to help us." "Clearly you haven’t been paying attention! Ever since my arrest, there’s been a crackdown on the solar guards! Every royal guard who shared the same feelings as us! Have either been arrested or dismissed. The ones who are left won’t help you." Crescent said taking a bite of his apple, with his cold eyes glaring at the stallion in front of him. "I never said it was going to be a royal guard," Spearhead said smiling. Crescent raised a brow, now he was intrigued. "Go on," "Prince Nova Sentry," Spearhead spoke as he quickly checked his surroundings. "Young now, but he’s going to grow up. And with the right influence.... we can guide him to help us." "That brat won’t help us, you fool! Why would he help ponies like us?" Crescent said grabbing a slice of bread. "Imagine this, sir. A poor little colt finds himself all alone once more. His poor mommies won’t spare him a single minute with him, his friends don’t want to see him. Vulnerable and broken, and say... I so happen to appear in his life. Give him the friendship and interaction he desperately seeks. Pushing him away from his lovey-dovey family, and towards the wrong path in life and right into our hooves." A sinister smile form on the stallion’s face. He chuckled softly to himself before turning to the Pegasus pony. "It seems you have a brain inside of that skull of yours. If your plan is successful... this brat could be very useful. Let him grow up a little, so his magical abilities are sufficient to break this damn ring." "No problem, sir," he said smiling back. "Don’t fail me, Spearhead," Crescent said as Spearhead left his cell. Spearhead bit down on his bottom lip in annoyance, You bastard! I’m the only reason you’re still alive. Without me, they would have executed you long ago. Nova lazily flipped through the book, Regal had assigned him to read. The young prince wasn’t really in the mood to read now. Once more, both of his mothers brushed him off for their royal duty. "Young prince," Nova looked up from his book, wiping away the drool from the side of his lip. He rubbed his eyes slightly, seeing Spearhead standing in front of him. "Oh…. Hello, Spearhead," Nova said closing his book "Studying?" He asked with a smile "Not really…. This book is boring." Nova replied with a sighed in annoyance "And what book are you reading, young prince?" Spearhead asked as he slowly approached the young colt. "Levitation spells. I know a few spells that my mommy taught me, but these are more advanced." Nova said jumping down from his stool. "You deserve a break, young prince. You should go off and enjoy life." He said messing the colt’s mane. "My mothers told me to stay here," Nova replied giving the stallion a glare before fixing his mane, "They said, I should study until they returned." "Rules are so boring, young prince." Spearhead whispered softly into his ears, "Do you really want to stay here? Sitting on your flank like some fool?" A scowl rapidly formed on the colt’s face. He shook his head furiously, "I AM NOT!" he shouted. "Then go out and have some fun, young prince." Spearhead said giving a small pat on his back, "Don’t you agree?" "I will! My mothers can’t tell me what to do!" Nova shouted before he ran off. Nova went to his room with a cheerful laugh. He quickly opened his closet and pulled out a chest. A mischievous smile formed as a plan formulated inside of Nova’s mind. Who am I going to prank? Oh! Maybe the guards? Wait.... maybe not. They’re so serious... I would have to pull a big prank to make them even blink. Oh! The servants.... yeah! They’re so fun to pull pranks on. But I haven’t done Aunty Celestia in a while.... but she’s probably busy like mother and mommy. Alright! It’s decided! I’ll pull a prank on the servants of the castle! Wait, But what kind of prank? Nova smiled as he removed varies items from the chest. "Hot lemon drops? No. Dribble cup? Nah, that’s lame. Rainbow cookies are overrated.... ugh! There’s nothing I can use." He whines pushing the chest back. He sighed when he suddenly remembered the little gift Discord had given him. "Of course!" Nova opened a small box and stared down at the colour orbs, "Surprise sparks!" "Prince Nova?" A lunar guard called out as he roams the castle. He was supposed to escort Nova to Regal’s office, but the young colt disappeared. Dear Celestia! I’m going to get fired! Captain Umbra will fire my flank, and then Princess Luna will make sure I have nightmares for the rest of my life! And then Princess Twilight will make sure I don’t have any more friends! After that! Princess Celestia will banish me to the Everfree forest! The guardsman thought as he nervously bit down on his hoof. "No.... calm down Midnight. No need to panic. Prince Nova must have gone to the bathroom.... yeah, that must be it." Midnight said before he took a deep breath. He turned a corner catching a glimpse of a purple blur. "Prince Nova! Wait!" Nova peer back slightly to see who the voice belongs too, Midnight Fury. Midnight was recently assigned to be Nova’s personal guardpony. When Nova had learned about this, he was hoping Midnight had exciting stories to tell. But unfortunately, Midnight only did the typical guardpony work, had the typical stern glare, and stood like a statue for hours on end. The only thing exciting about Midnight was his eyes. His right eye is a golden yellow, with his left one a limeade green. The young prince had asked if Midnight had acquired his unique look in some battle. But no, the bat pony was simply born this way. But Nova liked him regardless. He was nice and fun to be around with. The only thing, Nova didn’t like about him was his nervous side. Believe it or not, at times he was worse than Twilight Sparkle, herself. "Hey, Midnight! Bye Midnight!" Nova shouted as he ran into a room. "Prince Nova! Come back!" he shouted running after the young colt. Midnight opened the door and watched in a haste, catching Nova placing weird colourful orbs around the room. A questionable look formed on his face, "What? Prince Nova, what are you doing?" "Close the door, Midnight!" Nova whispered as he waved his hoof at him, "I don’t want the servants to see me." "Prince Nova, you’re late for your lesson. Come along now," he said motioning his head towards the door, "I’ll explain to Regal we were caught up." "No way! I’m so tired of rules. I’m going to have some fun for once." Nova said. He walked over to a plant which sat in front of an open window. "Prince Nova, Princess Luna and Twilight won’t be happy about this." Midnight said as he approached the young colt. "Midnight! It's not a big deal. It's not like last time when I pranked Aunty Tia." Nova said while he roughly placed the orb down. He looked up at the bat pony, not noticing the orb had started to shake slightly. "Remember when I place a whoopie cushion on the throne? Aunty Tia was so embarrassed! It was so funny." Nova said smiling at him. "You were lucky it wasn’t some important meeting, Prince Nova." Midnight said in a sigh. He clearly remembered that day. He had gotten an earful from Captain Umbra and the princesses. "Now come along, Prince Nova. We must depart before anypony notices." "Don’t be such a worried some pony, Midnight. You’re worse than mommy when she’s in one of her…. Crazy panic stages…. Well, from what mother told me." Nova said taking a moment to think about the phrase he spoke. Midnight let out a sigh, his cat-like eyes staring down at the young colt. He unfurled his bat-like wings and lazily flap them in annoyance. "Prince Nova, please forgive me but I must insist. We must depart for your lessons at once." "Midnight! Everything is fine, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen!" Nova said before he gave a light kick to the plant. He sighed in annoyance and backed away, he was about to join Midnight when the orb suddenly exploded. Nova shouted in surprise with sparks flying all over the place. Creating a chain reaction with the other orbs exploding as well. Nova closed his eyes from the sudden light, blinding him. He gasped when he accidentally tripped over the window’s ledge. His eyes widen in horror as he watched Nova fall out of the window. He quickly opened his wings and jump out after him. "PRINCE NOVA!" Midnight shouted Midnight closed his wings and kept his body as straight as possible. He narrowed his eyes as the two-pony free fell. I…. I won’t make it in time! No! I must save him! Even at the cost of my life! Midnight thought with his worst possible fears coming true. He quickly shook his head. He shouldn’t be focusing on his fears. There was still a few more feet’s before they reached the ground. He still had a chance to save the young prince. Twilight sighed softly as she placed a book down. She had finally found some time for herself after such a long day. Being Princess of Friendship was a lot of work, between her duties in Canterlot and Ponyville? She was surprised, she hadn’t gone crazy yet. "Love," Twilight’s ears flinch slightly. She smiled seeing Luna walking across the garden, "Is this where you ran off too?" "I didn’t run off, Luna. Just took a little break with a good book." Twilight said giving a small pat against the book cover. "I shall believe your false claims, love." Luna playfully teased. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and admired the beauty of the garden. "The gardeners have sure outdone themselves." "And why aren’t you working, Princess of the Night?" Twilight teased in return. "I’m sure no pony noticed my disappearance," Luna replied with a chuckle. Twilight shook her head and stood up, she gave Luna a quick kiss on the lips before parting. "What? Is that all I get?" Luna asked before she entrapped Twilight in her hooves. "Yes, that’s all you get," Twilight joyfully replied giving a ‘bop’ against Luna’s nose. "Well, you won’t be able to leave until I get more," Luna softly whispered into the purple mare’s ears. Twilight smiled and placed her hoof against Luna’s chest. She looked up, ready to give her wife a cocky comeback when something caught her eye. "What…. Is that?" Twilight said pushing Luna back. Twilight narrowed her eyes, as she slowly walked away from the lunar princess. "What is what?" Luna asked noticing two strange dots falling from a tower. "PRINCE NOVA" Twilight and Luna heard. They both gasped in horror, immediately knowing what they were witnessing. Their son was plummeting to his apparent death with what seems to be a guardpony after him. "NOVA!" Twilight and Luna shouted in unisons. Both mothers didn’t hesitate, they quickly took flight and raced towards the tower. Luna flapped her wings as rapidly as she could. She closed her eyes before disappearing in a flash of magic. Nova shouted when he suddenly felt somepony catch him. He opened his eyes and found himself inside of his mother’s hooves. "NOVA! NEVER EVER DO THIS AGAIN!" Luna angrily shouted at him, giving the colt a light but firm shake. Tears quickly formed in the colt’s eyes, he nodded his head in response. He had never seen his mother this angry before. It frightened him to see her like this. "LUNA! WATCH OUT!" Twilight shouted. Luna looked back and noticed, how Midnight was having trouble to recover from such an intense fall. She quickly teleported herself and Nova to safety. Every Pegasus pony wishing to enter the Royal Guards. Were required to go through an intense flight regiment, along with the standard military training. Pegasus guardpony, were expected to recover immediately if there were suddenly winded. But Midnight had jumped off from such an extreme height, he had picked up a lot of speed in the process. He was having trouble to recover himself from the free fall. Twilight could easily notice the bat pony needed help. She quickly landed and stood, where Midnight might hit the ground. "TWILIGHT! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Luna shouted as she tightly held Nova in place. Twilight ignored Luna’s cries. She quickly lit up her horn and formed a magical inflatable mattress. "EMBRACE YOURSELF MIDNIGHT!" Twilight shouted. Midnight closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself for what was to come. When he fell on top of the mattress, he let out a shriek of pain. His eyes watered up from the intense agony, he knew his wing was broken. His wing had received the sudden impact of the fall, his entire body weight, and the uncomfortable position his body had been in before the impact. Twilight quickly made the mattress disappear, she gently placed Midnight down. "Midnight!" Twilight said. "Twilight!" Luna shouted rushing over with Nova, "Are you alright?!" "I’m fine, don’t worry," Twilight said giving her wife a reassuring smile. "Midnight!" Nova shouted rushing to the stallion, "Oh no! Midnight…. Your wing!" "I’ll…. I’ll be fine, Prince Nova." Midnight painfully said, giving the young colt a small smile. "I’ll get help!" Twilight said quickly disappearing in a flash of magic. "Are you seriously wounded, Midnight Fury?" Luna asked while she scanned his body for any serious wounds. "No, Princess Luna… just my wing," Midnight replied groaning in pain, "I’ll be fine…" "I’m so sorry, Midnight." Nova cried as he sat next to him. "This is all my fault…. I’m so sorry." "Don’t worry about it, Prince Nova. It's just a minor injury," Midnight said Nova shook his head in denial, "You’re lying…. you got hurt because of me." "Nova, now it's not the time." Luna softly said as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. Nova looked up at this mother before turning his attention back to Midnight, "Okay…." The small family headed back to the lunar chambers, once Midnight had been taken to the hospital, and doctors examining Nova for any injuries. Luna sat Nova on the bed while Twilight shut the door. The two-mare stared down at the young colt. "Nova," Twilight said sighing deeply. Nova hung his head low, he really messed up. How could a simple prank almost cost him his life? And Midnight had injured his wing because of him, "I’m so sorry…. I didn’t… mean too…." Nova said in a teary voice. "We know, Nova," Twilight said as she gently hugged him, "You just scared us. Seeing you fall from such a height…. We were just so scared." "What happened?! How did you end up falling out of the window?" Luna firmly asked. Nova broke away from the hug and whipped his nose. "I…. I wanted to have some fun. So, I decided to play a prank on the servants. I took some Surprise Sparks that Discord had given me. I went into a room that the servants hadn’t clean yet and hid the sparks. Midnight came in….. and was trying to get me to my lessons with Regal. I don’t know what happened…. I placed a spark inside of a plant, gave a little kick to the pot….. and it exploded." Nova explained with tears flowing down his cheeks. "Surprise Sparks are unstable magic. If they are roughly handled, they will explode." Luna said in a harsh tone and a scowl on her face. Nova looked down, lowering his ears to its side. "I didn’t know…." "Luna, aren’t you being a little harsh on him?" Twilight said while she gave Nova a hug, "It was an accident and luckily nopony was seriously wounded. You’re scaring Nova." Luna looked down and noticed how frightened Nova was. She sighed with her expression softening, "I’m sorry, Nova." Luna said as she gently placed a hoof on top of his head, "I shouldn’t have yelled. I was just so….. scared of losing you. I wasn’t able to control my emotions." Nova didn’t reply and embraced his mother. Luna smile fondly and happily returned the hug. "I’m sorry…." Nova whispered nuzzling tightly against his mothers, "I’m so sorry…." Twilight and Luna sighed in relief, "Just…. never do that again, Nova." Twilight said. "We love you, son. We don’t want to lose you." Luna spoke softly as she placed a wing around them. Luna kissed Nova on the top of his head before she rested her head against Twilight’s. "You scared us. We haven’t been able to spend time with you lately but endangering your life isn’t the answer." "I know…." Nova whispered whipping away some tears, "I just… wanted to spend some time with you." "Tomorrow morning," Luna said smiling down at him, "I’ll make sure, no. I’ll ensure we spend the morning with you, alright Nova?" A gentle smile appeared on Nova’s face. He nodded his head lightly before he nuzzled against his mothers, "Alright." > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Troublemaker Prince A few days passed since Nova little stunt. He got a good earful from his mothers, Midnight and his aunt but he promised never to do it again. Nova didn’t mind, he knew he deserved it. But he was happy his mothers kept their promise. He was able to spend a few mornings with them before they went to work. Nova jump down from his chair after finishing his breakfast. "Have a good day Nova," Twilight said as she cleared the table. "Bye, mommy!" Nova shouted as he ran out of the dining room. "Prince Nova, ready for your lesson?" Midnight asked. Nova was happy to see Midnight again. His wing wasn’t in a cast anymore, but he couldn’t do any crazy flying for a few days. "Yeah, I guess. Regal said something about a field trip today." Nova said sighing in annoyance. A normal foal would have been excited about a field trip, but when your tutor brings you to the library! Every single time! Well, there’s nothing to get excited about. "A field trip? Oh, I used to love field trips as a colt." Midnight said as the two walked the castle grounds. "Not when it’s at the stupid boring library! Every field trip was at some boring part of the castle." Nova whines expecting another trip to some stinky old library. "I’m sure Regal has something special planned, Prince Nova." Midnight said smiling at the colt. "Oh! Midnight, I don’t think you need to guard me during the field trip." Nova said "Are you sure, Prince Nova?" Midnight asked. The last thing he wanted was for Nova to get hurt, for him to get fired, and for the princesses to mount his head. "I’m sure. I’m going to be with Regal the entire time, Midnight. And he’s a…. quote, a powerful unicorn. So, don’t worry about it." Nova said. "As you wish, Prince Nova." Midnight said. The two ponies eventually arrived at Regal’s office. Nova let out another whine before entering. An old unicorn stallion flip through the pages of his book, My exploration of Equestria by Starswirl the Bearded. Regal was fortunate enough to meet Starswirl, something he never thought would happen. "Hey Regal," Nova said as he climbed onto his chair. "Good morning, Nova," Regal said placing his book down, "Are you ready for your field trip?" "Yeah.... ready for another boring day at the library...." Nova said sighing. "What’s wrong with the library? You know, Princess Twilight used to live in a library before she acquired her castle." Regal said placing his hoof on top of the book cover, "She read every single book in there. Cover to cover." "Yeah, that’s mommy, not me! I think books are boring," Nova explained. "Alright then, Prince Nova. What would you like to do this field trip?" Regal asked. "Well, what else is interesting about Canterlot? It’s old, I get it but there must be some hidden passages ways! Just like the castle of the two sisters!" Nova excitedly explained. "Well, we can’t just leave for the castle of the two sisters. It requires a lot of organizations and approval, but we can do a field trip for that another time. But I can take give you a tour of the castle and explained the history behind it." Regal said smiling at his wonderful idea. "Uh... Wait that’s not exactly what I meant, Regal." Nova said already regretting bringing up the topic. The next thing Nova knew, he was dragged around the castle with Regal rambling about who knows what. Nova had spaced out a while ago and was simply watching birds fly by as Regal blabbed about the Canterlot gardens. "This is boring," Nova mumble. He looked around and simply left. Regal may be a powerful and famous unicorn stallion, but vigilant he wasn’t. Nova simply left the gardens and headed to the city. "And these beautiful gardens were created by…." Regal said as he turned his head back and noticed his pupil was missing. "Uh……. Prince Nova?" Regal shouted before he checked underneath a bush. Nova smiled as he explored Canterlot city. He always enjoyed visiting Canterlot, it wasn’t as small and cozy like Ponyville, but he still enjoyed it. There were so many things to do, so many things to eat, and it was busy every single day. "Wow! Cotton Candy…. I should have brought some bits with me." He said to himself while he stared at the stand. "Do you want some?" A unicorn colt walking out from behind the cart asked. Nova raised a brow and was surprised how much this colt resemble a cotton candy, with his pink mane and white coat. Now that’s just creepy, Nova thought. "Its only one bits," the young colt said "I don’t have any bits with me," Nova replied rubbing the back of his mane with his hoof. "Hey…. are you Nova?" the colt said narrowing his eyes slightly, staring intensely at Nova. "Uh…. yeah, Nova Sentry," Nova replied "Prince Nova Sentry? Princess Luna’s son……" the colt replied with a weird glare, "Aren’t you….?" "Yeah…. anyways, I don’t have any bits for the cotton candy," Nova replied "Here, on the house," the colt replied before he quickly prepared a cone, "Oh! And my name is Sweet Ace." Nova smiled as he took the cotton candy in his magic, "Thank you," "So, are you free later? My father is supposed to come any minute," Sweet said while he leaned against the cart. "Wait…. What?" Nova said in a surprised tone. "Are you busy? I was thinking we could have some fun," Sweet said Nova smiled big and nodded his head, was this it? Was he about to make a friend? "I’m free! I’m free! We can totally hang out later." Nova quickly replied. The day finally came to an end as the sun started to set. Nova and Sweet had started their day at a park and ended it in the castle. For the first time in such a long time, Nova was having the time of his life. He was having so much fun with his…. Dear he say…. his friend? "This is really fun, Sweet!" Nova said smiling at him, "I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Any ideas what we could do?" "Are the princesses here?" he asked Nova raised a brow, "Uh…. why?" he questioned Sweet. "I just want to know, when can we meet the princesses?" Sweet asked. "Why are you asking? I thought we could do something else." Nova questioned "I can meet the princesses, right? It’s the only reason I’m hanging out with you." Sweet said look at the castle. He smiled, "I just want to meet Canterlot royalty." "I thought…. You wanted to become my friend…. to get to know me." Nova said lowering his ears slightly. Sweet chuckled and shook his head, "Why would I become your friend if I didn’t get anything out of this?! You’re just some purple freak! Nightmare Moon’s spawn! I don’t even want to meet Princess Luna just the other princesses." Sweet said laughing some more. "I am not Nightmare Moon’s spawn!" Nova angrily shouted with his magic flickering around his horn. "How could you! You never wanted to be my friend!" "Of course, not! You’re the spawn of evil! Not to mention a freak of nature!" Sweet said back Freak of nature? Nova stared at Sweet with a confused look. No pony has ever called him such names, and he didn’t know what it meant. "Freak of nature? What are you talking about?" "You were born from two mares, stupid! That’s not natural you freak!" Sweet said pushing Nova back as he spoke, "Why would anypony be your friend! Who in their right mind would be friends with the spawn of evil!" Nova scowled and just felt his anger grow even more. "SHUT UP!" Nova shouted when a sudden blast of magic struck Sweet, sending the colt sliding across the room. Sweet shouted as he struck the wall. He hit the ground and groan in pain before he managed to sit up, "YOU MONSTER! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A FREAK OF NATURE! THE VIAL SPAWN OF NIGHTMARE MOON!" Sweet shouted. Nova turned his head away as tears started to overflow. He shook his head before running off in tears. The young colt soon found himself in a hidden part of Canterlot’s gardens. He sat down underneath a tree and cried some more. "I can’t even make friends…. I’m always alone!" Nova mutter to himself "Young prince," Nova’s ear twitched slightly. He looked back and saw Spearhead land next to him. The Pegasus stallion removed his helmet and placed it down, "Good afternoon, young prince." "Hey Spearhead," Nova replied turning away from him. He sniffs and quickly whip away some of his tears, he didn’t want Spearhead to see him crying. "What’s the matter, young prince?" he asked leaning against the same tree, "Did something happen?" "Its nothing…. I’m okay…." Nova replied sniffing some more "Come on, young prince. I can tell somethings wrong, tell me." Spearhead said looking down at him, "Now, what’s the matter?" "I met this colt today…. I thought he was my friend. My first friend in Canterlot…. But all he wanted…. his intentions weren’t good." Nova explained as he tried to hold back his tears. "I just wanted to make a friend…. that’s it…." This is it…. the moment I’ve been waiting for, Spearhead smiling slightly. He moved away from the tree and stood beside Nova. He went down to Nova’s level, "Don’t worry, young prince." Spearhead softly whispered into his ear as he smiled devilishly behind him. He just needs another push and he’s my hooves, he thought. "I’ll always be here for you, always. You can trust me, young prince. We’re friends after all? Now, what’s on your mind?" Nova stared into Spearhead’s eyes. He whipped away some tears before taking a deep breath, "I’m so tired of this…. Being a prince. I can’t even meet ponies, who wants to know me for me….. My friends in Ponyville, don’t send any more letters as they used too… I’m so lonely sometimes." "That’s why I’m here, young prince. I’ll always be here for you," Spearhead said as he extended a hoof at him, "Only if you allow me?" Nova lifted his hoof slightly before slowly accepting his offer, "You’re my friend right, Spearhead?" Nova asked with a slight smile. "Of course, I am, Young Prince. I’ll be your best friend…. I only want what’s best for you." Spearhead said smiling as well. "You can trust me, Nova." Twilight sighed as she held Luna back with her magic. Both princesses have just learned what had happened between Sweet and Nova. Sweet Ace’s parents had decided to fill out a complaint against the royal family. Celestia quickly dismissed their complaint after an investigation, revealing Sweet Ace had initiated the conflict. Luna and Twilight weren’t sure how the interaction went, but they got the major factors of it. "I WILL KILL THAT COLT!" Luna shouted as she tried to run off but was unfortunately held back by her wife’s magic. "Now, now, Luna." Twilight said pulling her back slightly, "You’re overreacting again." "Overreacting?! That…. That…. THING! Called Nova the spawn of Nightmare Moon!" Luna said as she angrily paced around. "Celestia dismissed the complaint and the Ace Family have been…... warned about their opinions," Twilight said pulling Luna in an embrace. "Now, let's go and talk to Nova about this." "I shall ensure that colt has nightmares tonight!" Luna said before angrily leaving the room. "Dear Celestia…." Twilight mumble shaking her head, "Luna’s wrath…. It should be classified as a weapon." Luna and Twilight entered Nova’s room. They saw his nose deep inside of a book. Yup, Nova was differently upset about this. The young prince hardly read books, he only did when he was forced too or upset. Twilight wasn’t too fond about Nova’s reasons to read but she loved him regardless. "Nova," Luna said as she placed a wing around him, "We know what happened with Sweet Ace." Nova didn’t say anything and tried to focus on his book. "What happened wasn’t your fault, Nova." Twilight said nuzzling his cheek, "Alright? What…. Sweet Ace said was cruel. He had no right to call you such names." "He called me the spawn of nightmare moon…," Nova whispered sniffing slightly. He didn’t want to cry again, not in front of his mothers. "Nova, you know about my past," Luna said sighing softly. Once again, her past was brought up and causing trouble yet again. "I’m not proud about it, but it's in the past. Most ponies don’t see me…. As Nightmare Moon anymore. But there are a few out there who still do. Nova, Nightmare Moon isn’t who I am, not anymore. She would only take me away from everypony I love." "Sweet…. called me a freak too." Nova said closing his book with a flick of his magic, "He said…. I was born of two mares, unnatural…. a freak of nature." "You are not a freak, Nova." Twilight said hugging the young colt, "Do you hear me? You’re a normal colt just like the next one. Yes, you were born in an unusual way but that doesn’t make you a freak." "But I don’t have a father! That makes me a freak!" Nova said as tears started to overflow. "Do you have four hooves, Nova?" Luna asked as she gently placed her hoof on top of her son’s head. "Uh…. Yeah?" Nova said with a confused look. "Two ears? A mane and tail? A horn? Do you eat oats and hay? Are you a pony?" Luna questioned with Nova nodding his head at each question. "Then you’re a normal pony, Nova. The only difference would be that streak on top of your head." "A beautiful night sky with stunning stars," Twilight said smiling at her wife and son, "Just like your mother. It makes you unique." Nova smile at his mothers and nodded his head, "Thank you." He said "Now what are you reading?" Twilight asked "Oh, just some boring book that Regal gave me. He was reading it when I entered his office. Uh…. It's about… some breaded old pony, who travels around Equestria." Nova said as he lazily waved his hoof. Twilight jaw dropped in horror. How could her own SON! Say such things about Starswirl the Bearded! Her idol for years! "That’s wonderful, dear." Luna quickly replied, closing Twilight’s mouth with a swift movement of her hoof, "Right love?" Twilight glared at her wife before slowly nodding in agreement.