Human isekai'd into Equestria, regular stuff, right? Wrong! He knows nothing of the show and he took over the body of Prince Blueblood. Shenanigans ensue.
Prince Blueblood is many things.
He's a Unicorn, He's royalty, He's a stallion, He's entitled, He's high-class, And most importantly he's not here right now.
If Blueblood isn't here right now, then who's that?
Well, That's Blueblood, the new Blueblood that is, a human in the body of Blueblood.
What will follow the actions of the new prince can be nothing short of disastrous.
Warning, this story contains Jokes, Magical Politics, a human-turned pony who doesn't know about MLP, Prince Blueblood doing Blueblood things, "Wine-Moms", and a very large sum of money. You have been warned.
Featured for the first time two hours after being published :) 24/4/2023
Do you know how hard it is to walk on four legs without tripping?
Because I don't.
When I woke up in this colorful world approximately twenty-one minutes ago, I was scared. How could I not be? I wasn't in my home, I had no idea how I got here, and I'm pretty sure I was drunk. I don't really remember.
And that's when the memories hit me, or at least the memories of the past year hit me.
"My name is Prince Blueblood," I said as I looked at my new visage in the tall mirror placed in my room, "I am the nephew of Princess Celestia," I tried to match my tone of voice to that of this body's natural speaking tone, "And I am a noble of Canterlot, pffft," I almost burst out laughing when I said the name of the city.
"Canterlot? Like a cantering horse? That's fucking hilarious, Ahahahaha!" Okay, maybe I did burst out laughing, but can you blame me? It's a stupid name.
I mean, I understand that this country is run by ponies, but you don't see humans calling New York City something stupid like New Ligament City, or replacing Brooklyn with Boneklyn, Washington? More like Runnington!
See? It's stupid.
But something interesting about this body is this!
With a subtle flair of heat on my forehead, as if my body was previously frozen solid and the layer of ice over my forehead just melted away, Metaphorically of course.
A book flew from a nearby shelf and in my direction. And promptly slammed into my face.
"Gonna need to get used to that, Ahem! I mean, Darn peasant literature hitting me in my... Okay, yeah I can't do this guy's act."
Sorry Princey, I'm going to have to change your style.
I'm just kidding! I'm not actually sorry.
At the top of one of the towers of Canterlot castle, a white Alicorn with an aurora-colored wispy mane was sitting next to the bed of a short purple Alicorn with purplish-blue hair, the tips of her mane moving slightly in an imaginary wind as if made of smoke.
Those two were none other than Princess Celestia, the Princess of the day, and the newly freed Princess Luna, The yet-public Princess of the Night.
"How are you feeling?" Celestia asked as she placed a plate of fruits on the stand next to Luna's bed.
"We are *cough cough* Feeling fine, dear sister," Princess Luna answered with a raspy voice, Ever since her transformation into her original form started almost nearly a month ago, She has been bedridden and weak.
"I see," Celestia said quietly, "If you need anything, please just ask. I have some matters to attend to so I will be taking my leave." She turned around and exited her sister's room at the top of the spire.
"Wait, Sister, wait!" Luna tried to get her sister's attention, but her rasped throat wouldn't allow her to shout loud enough. Celestia was already outside her door.
"We just want something to entertain us for the while," She whispered dejectedly before grabbing a bite of one of the fruit on the platter.
"Yuck, Persimmon," She spit the fruit out.
"As I was saying your Highness, I can't allow you to enter the library," The annoying blue-furred guard in front of me said, his shiny golden spear blocking my way of doing some research on the things I can do in this new world.
"And why, may I ask, am I not allowed to enter the royal library?" I ask the fool, how dare he do his job! Doesn't he know that I'm Prince Blueblood? I have 'Prince' in the name!
"Because you need permission from Princess Celestia to enter the library," He spoke in his monotone voice, likely wishing for me to leave him to do his job.
Hahaha! Foolish security guard! You activated my trap card!
"I'll tell Auntie Celestia that you wouldn't allow me, a Prince may I remind you, to enter the royal library, that is for the royal family may I remind you, which I just so happen to be a part of." Being a prince is fun, but I need to enter that library in order to do more fun things.
Hoohoho, The possibilities will be endless! With my knowledge of the modern world and Blueblood's money, I could do so many things!
But first I need to enter the library, Haheehoohooha!
"Sir, Please stop laughing like that, It's making me want to punch your face." The guard said in a monotone voice and I couldn't help but laugh louder, a smile full of teeth showing as I lean on the wall next to the entrance to the library as support.
"Hahaha, Oh you are hilarious Jeremy!-" "My name is Flour Dust," "-But you can't talk like that to nobility, what would your wife say if she found out? She-" "I'm Gay, and I'm sure my husband wouldn't care," "-would definitely chastise you for disrespecting your boss, If I was some other, less kind noble, I would have had you fired-" "That doesn't seem like that bad an option right now," "-But I am a kind Prince, really you should be thankful I'm not reporting you to Celestia, she-" "Report what to me?"
I paused, The guard quickly turned down the corridor and bowed, I follow his gaze and felt the smile on my face dimming in intensity, into a more relaxed and subdued smile.
"Ah, Auntie Celestia! I was about to enter the library and read a nice book, but this ruffian of a guard would not allow me entry. How rude!" I told the White furred, wispy-haired, Horned horse with bird wings. The subdued smile on my face like a mask of sheet iron. Unbending and unflinching.
"Blueblood," She started, slowly walking towards me, her eyes not leaving mine. "Are you?" She started saying something as she walked even closer.
Before she suddenly grabbed me in her long legs and hugged me to her chest Like I was a stuffed teddy bear.
"Ooh! You want to read a book! So cute! I have a way better Idea," She smiled as she looked down at me, weakly struggling to escape her iron-hard embrace.
"Why don't we spend the afternoon together?" She asked and smiled as she nuzzled her cheek on my head, ruffling my blonde hair as she does.
"Ahaha! What a lovely jest Auntie, your jokes are as great as ever, but I know that you have a very busy schedule, and I would simply feel the worst if I somehow managed to ruin your day." I tried to turn her down as diplomatically as possible. But it was of no use.
The want of what was essentially a thousand-year-old "Wine-mom" to spend time with her "Strapping little baby" simply outweighed her want to actually do her job.
I had no option but to accept the request of the monster in white feathers.
And as she dragged me away from the library, I stared at the eyes of the guard that made all of this happen, And I swore that I will get my revenge.
"I just got this new shipment of Cheese-cakes all the way from Prance, they are simply the most delectable treats, I assure you, you must try some," After I eat these magical French cakes, obviously.
"So, Blueblood," Celestia began, the two of us were currently sitting on a lovely little table just outside the castle, the garden was lovely, clearly well kept.
"What book were you looking forward to reading?" She asked before floating an entire slice of french- excuse me, I mean Prench Cheese-cake into her mouth and ate it all in one bite.
"I was looking forward to reading a law book," I told her truthfully, gently cutting off a corner from my slice of cake and lifting it with a floating spoon.
"A Law book? Why would you need to read that? Oh! Don't tell me!" Celestia said in shock, her two front legs holding the sides of her face as if she was recreating an image of someone screaming. But, why would she be shocked? Did she figure out that I'm not actually Blueblood? What happened to Blueblood anyway?
"Are you a practicing lawyer?! I always knew you wanted to do something important in your life that wasn't just hanging around with all those rich friends of yours." Celestia guessed incorrectly, why would I want to be a lawyer? I just want to know what I can legally do as a prince, and how far my title and authority can go.
I'll be careful not to break her guess though, Celestia seems to be in a good mood compared to the Prince's memories.
"Ahaha, Well, You know me, always trying to move forward," Wait that doesn't sound that Blueblood-y, "Right?" That's more like it.
"And I am so very proud of you," Celestia spoke before picking up another slice of cake, casting the conversation into an awkward silence. At least It was awkward for me, Quick! Change of topic!
"And what about you, Auntie? You seem to be in a chipper mood today. Has something good happened?" I ask, taking another bite of my cake. It's surprisingly good.
Celestia finished her slice before slumping into her chair, "So much has happened recently Blueblood, My sister is back, the new Elements of Harmony have been picked, and I still keep getting letters about The Grand Galloping Gala. But none of those matter because my sister is back, and soon she will be back to her normal self, and no longer bedridden. How could I not be at least happy for that?"
Half of those words meant nothing to me. The Grand Galloping Gala is some rich people's party, you get the tickets a year in advance so it's really exclusive, I know about that. Elements of Harmony are some magical doodads that when combined with some doohicky or another make a thingamajig that does something, magical Gadgets and gizmos, I think? But Celestia has a sister? The Prince didn't pay enough attention in his talks to remember such a thing.
"Tell me more about your sister, it seems to cheer you up. I just hope I myself wouldn't need to call her Auntie as well, that would seem mighty awkward seeing as we haven't ever met." I say, and Celestia immediately perks up.
"You want to know more about Luna?" She smiled and closed her eyes, reminiscing on the past, "Very well, I shall tell you about my dearest sister."
And so my new Aunt spoke about her sister who was banished to the moon for one-thousand years.
It was interesting at first, but after she started getting into the nitty gritty I lost most of my interest.
Why should I care that Luna wore a yellow dress to the wedding of some Minotaur they knew, Oh the Minotaur hated the color yellow and specifically asked for nobody to wear it? How interesting.
Truly, my mind is aflame with curiosity and intrigue. I really do not care.
"Oh, why don't we go and visit her right now then?" I quickly change the topic, If only to get Celestia to stop telling such a Grandma's story.
"Are you sure?" She asks, "I can tell the guard at the Library to give you entry whenever you want, I notice that the story wasn't that interesting to you." She said, and I quickly came up with an excuse to not look like an asshole for making her stop telling the stories.
"I would be thankful for the library pass, yes. But I want to spend more time with my favorite family member even more." There, now she should know that just because her stories got really boring really fast, it does not mean that my excuse to stop listening is because I dislike hanging out with her.
I'm not going to call her an Old Hag, she could probably twist my body like a pretzel. And not in the kinky kind, that would just be weird. I mean in the painful kind where your bones are snapped.
*Sniff*
Wait, is she crying?
*Sniff*
Oh no, please don't cry, Blueblood doesn't know how to handle crying people, and neither do I!
Celestia wiped the tears from her eyes before pulling me into a bone-crushing hug, something that was even more painful on account of the table between us and the cheesecake that is now squishing into our fur.
"You said I'm your favorite *Sniff*" She whispered as he hugged me. I can't really rebuke her on that, Blueblood doesn't really have family other than Celestia, seeing as he was adopted because of being related to the bloodline of one of the founders of the nation, making him a very distant relative to Celestia, and also a Prince by technicality.
"Yeah... I mean, Ahem! Of course you are! You are my dear Auntie Celestia, It would be preposterous for me to not love you!"
"I love you too," She said before letting go of the hug, "Now, let me introduce you to my sister."
The two of us left the table, a maid was waiting nearby to clean after us, and we went in the direction of one of the spires of the castle.
Lying in her bed, under a heavy blanket, in a room of purple and black, with the windows closed and the drapes down, Luna sneezed.
"We hope that next Celestia visits us, she will bring this treasure called 'The Milk Shake', But sometimes fate deals us an unfair hand in-" "Lulu, come meet your new best friend!"
For more than a month she was bedridden, her magic rapidly increasing in power as her body tried to return to its original form. Not this younger body she was trapped in, but her true form as an Alicorn Princess.
"And when he saw his first Griffon he was so scared, he thought it was going to eat him. But there was no need to worry, I calmed him down and taught him that griffons are people just like ponies are," However It doesn't help that Celestia was doing just above the bare minimum in making her time easier.
"I am sure that story does not interest a lady of such high esteem as Princess Luna, Auntie, Perhaps we should change the topic to something less... personal?" And then there was Prince Blueblood.
Luna didn't know what to think about the stallion, Adopted by her sister at a young age, claimed to be the last heir of the line of Platinum, and was obviously uncomfortable with talking about himself.
"For example, Your Highness, what are your favorite foods? We might be able to find a topic of discussion if we explore your culinary preferences, yes?" He also seemed to enjoy changing topics, already on his fourth change of topic.
"Bluey, I'm sure Lulu wouldn't mind if you drop the title, We're all a family here, aren't we?" Celestia said before she looked Luna straight in the eyes. Most likely preparing her ultimate technique from two thousand years ago, the secret ability of hers that would make even the strongest of wizards bend to their knees in compliance.
And as Celestia's pupils widened and her eyes started to wet, Luna knew that she was doomed to the horrible fate of agreeing with her sister's demand.
Because not even Starswirtl the Bearded was immune to her "Puppy Dog Eyes"
"Fine," Luna rasped out, "You can simply call me Luna, but only in private, I have an image to maintain." She told the Prince.
"Pfff, Image to maintain," Celestia murmured to herself, her childish side clearly taking over as her prim and proper persona fell long before she entered her room. Luna decided to ignore her sister, if only to protect her sanity.
And as all this went down, in the corner of her eye, Luna saw Blueblood head toward one of the windows and open the blinds.
And the rays of the setting sun invaded her room like an angry bull on a rampage in the middle of a bazaar, and Luna could do nothing but hiss as the darkness that she loved so much was taken away from her.
Looking at his hoof after opening the window, she could see Blueblood grimace and wipe it on his leg. "This room is filled with dust, when was the last time someone came and cleaned it?" He asked as he turned back to look at the two, millennia-old siblings.
"I haven't had someone clean this room since Luna was bedridden, and it has been almost a month since," Celestia told him, and Luna couldn't help but grow worried at the direction of this talk
"Someone will need to clean this room, tomorrow preferably. We can move Luna into one of the guest rooms for the day and return her when the cleaning is complete," he said, levitating a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping it on a small lamp above the dresser.
The purple lampshade turned pink as a thick layer of dust was wiped off, revealing the true color underneath. Even Blueblood seemed surprised by how much dust was on it, and suddenly, Luna felt that maybe getting someone to clean the room would not be such a bad idea.
"You know," Celestia began to stand up from her position next to Luna's bed, "You have a point," Luna couldn't help but agree with her sister's sentiment on the matter.
"Why don't you show Luna around the castle grounds tomorrow while her room is being cleaned," And now Luna had to disagree.
"That's a terrible idea, Auntie, Luna is obviously unhealthy, moving around the castle would do her no good, it could even worsen her condition," Luna had to agree with Blueblood on that matter, she could barely talk, let alone stand upright long enough to walk.
"I know it would not be easy," Celestia began, "That is why I have already prepared a wheelchair and snacks for tomorrow," Celestia smiled before turning toward the door to Luna's room.
"And do not worry Lulu, I planned everything from the start," And with that, Celestia took her leave. Leaving Luna and Blueblood to watch in astonishment at how the most powerful pony in the world just strong-armed them to hang out for a day.
"She planned this from the start?" Luna heard Blueblood whisper to himself, and when she turned to see his reaction, she was surprised to see a smile filled with excitement, "How cunning, Celestia, But two could play at that game," He turned his head to look at Luna, and she almost shivered at the large grin on his face.
"Princess Luna, what do you think of getting back at my dear Aunt for setting this up? I would like to hear your thoughts before planning anything," and as Luna looked into his eyes, she started to smile.
Her cunning sister could play the goofy pony all she wants, but she can also be cunning if she wanted to.
She was a Princess as well, after all.
"I think, Prince Blueblood, that if everything goes well tomorrow," She said, "It will be the start of a beautiful friendship,"
"If that is the case, I will be looking forward to planning with you," He said and left her room, Leaving Luna alone with her thought.
"Oh, Right, Would you prefer Mushroom or Pea soup?" Until he returned less than a minute later and asked her what she wanted for dinner.
Yes, Luna was sure that Blueblood and her would get along, wonderfully.
"And would you like tea or juice with it?"
Very Wonderfully.
"The options for the tea are-" "I would like Mushroom soup and a pitcher of cold tea,"
"I see, I will go and tell the chefs immediately," He once more turned away.
"Blueblood," Luna rasped out to him, making sure he listens carefully to her next words.
"Tell Celestia to get pink cake for tomorrow, she'll know what we speak of,"
Blueblood nodded to show that he heard her, before turning back to the door.
"Oh, I almost forgot," She called out once again, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes Princess Luna, what is it that you almost forgot?" He asked, subtly gritting his teeth and once again being called.
"Could you kindly bring me a story to read?" She asked of him, and he gave her a tired smile.
"I'll be sure to tell a maid to bring you a book, now if there's nothing else, I also happened to have matters to attend to before Celestia whisked me away, Have a good night," And he was once again on his way to leaving her room.
Luna couldn't help but smile as the Stallion tried hiding his unwillingness to serve but decided to end her toying with him there. She only met the Unicorn, after all, and she wouldn't want the first impression of her new "family" to be an overly negative one, even if it was in a dusty and dark room.
But whatever Blueblood may think of her, She was sure that tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
"Now," She whispered to herself as she leaned back into her bed, "How shall we hatch this cunning plot on my dear sister, Mayhaps we shall replace her hygiene products with Poison Joke, hmm, But how shall we get the flowers? Maybe we shall-"
And so Luna spent the rest of her time until and after dinner thinking of ways to get back at her sister for putting her in a dusty room for a month just so she would spend time with her Nephew.
Leaving Luna's room and passing her orders to a maid, I made my way back to the Prince's room.
"She already prepared a wheelchair and snacks," I said to myself as my mind went back to the Alicorn princess of the day.
"She knew that Blueblood would suggest moving such an Esteemed person as Princess Luna to a clean room and have someone clean all the dust," I smiled at the thought of living with such a cunning person as an "Auntie"
Truly, a politician's worst nightmare.
"However, While I may not be able to play you like a fiddle on account of my own memory of your personality dating back only a year, I will simply have to do what Blueblood would do with any other such guest, and crank it up to twelve," My sharp grin subdued in its intensity as I thought of what to do.
And I already have a plan in mind, inviting Luna to join was merely an act of kindness.
In truth, my goal is to live a rich and relaxing life until I'm old, for is that not the dream of every orphan from the streets?
If I wish to live such a rich and relaxing life, as Prince Blueblood no less, then I will simply need to show dear old Celestia why "I" deserve the money and authority given to me as a "Prince", using my knowledge of the modern world, I will invest in the correct facilities and business to ensure that the money will keep coming on the off-chance that I am banished from the castle and lose my title.
With that steady supply of money, I would not need to worry about hounding Celestia for bits, making it a Win-Win.
I will receive my money, and she will think that the Prince has matured.
and the first step in that plan is to showcase to her that I should not be relegated to some background job, I can do more than simply wine and dine with the rich and elite.
And when I get more power in the castle, I will get more money, and with that comes more power which leads to more money.
Yes, my new life in this world will truly be "Exquisite"
It was early in the morning, before the sun started its ascent over the horizon, when Celestia woke Luna up.
"I assure you, dear Sister, you will love it today, Blueblood even came and asked me permission to buy you a gift," Celestia told her as she gently levitated her weak sister off her bed and into the wheelchair.
"'A Princess must have the best of the best, even if just for a day' He said, I'm sure he'll bring the best chefs from the city just to show you the wonders of this new age, He's over-the-top like that sometimes. I remember, back when he was still going to his magic school, that-" Luna closed her ears to Celestia's nostalgic ramblings for the nth time, content to simply let the sound roll off of her and into the distance, enjoying the tranquility of the morning.
A tranquility that was interrupted by the hurried steps of servants all around the castle as they moved about carrying letters, documents, and even a large block of ice.
"What is going on?" Luna rasped, bringing her sister away from her nostalgic story of how Blueblood found the keys to the castle after they went missing, and how that was how he got his cutie mark.
"Let me ask, Excuse me, Marigold?" Celestia stopped and grabbed the attention of one of the passing maids, "What is going on?"
"Oh, Princess Celestia, I'm sorry I didn't see you there, everybody is busy fulfilling the requests that Prince Blueblood left on the Chief of Staff's table this morning, he gave very specific instructions to not tell you about what he's planning, but If you ask I can't say no, Ma'am." The maid answered as she pulled a bunch of documents closer to her chest, away from the princess's prying eyes.
Nodding in understanding, Celestia responded with a relaxed and warm smile, the same one she holds in her public outings.
"There is no need to tell me, I am sure that whatever Blueblood is planning, he wants to keep as a surprise. When you're done, could you please tell Raven to get someone to clean Princess Luna's room," Celestia told her before returning to her sister in the wheelchair.
"I'm sure he's just excited to show you what the castle has to offer, I need to open day court soon, so I'll leave you in the gardens where the snacks are ready, I'll tell Blueblood to find you there and then you two can have as much fun as you want, I'll be back by five," Celestia told Luna as she wheeled her towards the outdoor table where she ate the cheese caked a day prior.
"And if anything is bothering you, Tell one of the servants," She told her as she parked her near the table overlooking a nice and open section of the gardens, before leaving her there and returning to her royal duties for the first time in more than a day.
Leaving Luna alone to wait for Prince Blueblood to show her around the castle.
But it wasn't all bad waiting at the table, "At least she hast given us the Chips of Potatoes," Luna smiled and levitated a chip into her mouth.
Maybe she could get used to this new modern era.
"What is that?" I asked as I looked at the block of ice that was wheeled in front of me, "I explicitly asked for a black ice sculpture, what I'm looking at is not black ice, is it?" I ask the servant who brought the ice for the sculpture.
"Your Highness, we don't have black ice in the castle, the mo-" I interrupt the pony trying to give me the most useless excuse.
"Do we have black ink in the castle?" I ask him, prompting him to stop and think for a moment before he nodded. "And we have a quick way to freeze water into an ice block, right?" I ask slowly, as If I am talking to a toddler, the pony nods slowly, likely already seeing where this is going.
"Then what was stopping you from making the water black, and then freezing it?" I ask rhetorically.
"Your Highness, we didn't think of-" "I didn't ask you to think, Did I?" God I love being a Prince, "I asked for a black Ice Sculpture, and for that, I need black ice. This ice is not black, is it?"
"The Ice isn't black sir, no," He bowed his head and shivered, Likely afraid that I will fire him or something worse. From what I saw Blueblood isn't the kindest pony when he's away from Celestia.
But damn if it isn't a pain to have to explain to these ponies how to do a simple job without them starting to tremble in fear. Something is gonna have to change about that soon.
But that is a problem for future BB, I have my own problem.
"Then go ahead, and get me that black ice," I tell the servant, who keeps trembling instead of doing what I told him to. "Any day now, In the next ten minutes would be preferable," I tell him in a firm tone and he runs away back into the castle, hopefully to do his job correctly this time.
"Now," I whisper to myself, "What will I do with you?" Looking at the giant block of ice.
And as I thought of what to do with the Ice block, Someone called out to me, "Your Highness! Your Highness!" And so I turned to address them.
"Your Highness, Princess Luna is waiting for you at the fourth garden," An Earth-pony maid told me before she started greedily breathing air and wiping her brow after running all the way here.
"Very well, I will be there soon," I tell the maid who smiled at fulfilling her objective, her legs shaking from the workout of running all the way to where she was. "Meanwhile, I have a new job for you," I told her and couldn't hold back the smirk that emerged when she paused her heavy breathing and tried to straighten up.
"I want this ice block to be sculpted into a dove, you have two hours to do so," I told her and she stammered for a moment before replying.
"But your Highness, I don't know how to sculpt," She said, and I smiled calmly at her, enjoying how her face seemed to relax simply by me changing my expression.
"Then Find someone who can, I want a single dove, I do not want any other animals or creatures on this sculpture other than that one dove," I told her and she looked at the large block of ice.
"But your Highness, that ice can make three, no, maybe four doves, why only one?" That was a good question, and I saw fit to tell her that.
"That is a good question, I'm glad your question wasn't something wasteful like 'Why not sculpt a different bird' or 'Why do you need an Ice sculpture', and for that, I will answer you," I said as I turned to look at my face reflected in the ice sculpture, or more correctly the face of Prince Blueblood.
"I want only a single dove simply because that is what I want," I explained to her while keeping my eyes on my reflection, "There is no poetic meaning, there is no hate for an animal that isn't a dove, there is no hidden message with there being only one dove instead of many." And then I looked into her eyes and smiled a Prince's smile.
"I want a single dove simply because I want a single dove, and that is all there is to it," And with those parting words of Princely wisdom, I started my walk towards the meeting place with Princess Luna, leaving the large block of not-black ice to the servants to take care of.
"I hope I won't need to interfere with the other requests I gave them," I thought to myself as I briskly walked in the direction of the fourth garden, and a genuine smile spread on my face, which only grew in size when I heard the maid sigh in exhaustion so early in the morning.
Luna didn't know how long she waited at that table, eating those snacks, and listening to the buzz of insects in the garden. And she was fine with it, she was tranquil.
Sure, she would much rather be in a dark room with the blinds closed, reading a book about two stallions who went on a quest to save a friend of theirs from the clutches of an evil wizard, The action was mesmerizing and the story was dramatic and catching.
It's not Homoerotic Smut, she promises.
"Princess Luna, I apologize for my late arrival," And now the tranquility of the morning was gone, replaced with the white unicorn prince, standing next to the other chair of her table.
"You do not need out permission to seat yourself, Blueblood. You are just as royal as we are," She told him, and Blueblood took his seat at the other side of the table.
Unfortunately, thanks to her current short stature, combined with the fact that the wheelchair that Celestia has given her was shorter than the other chairs at the table, Princess Luna was forced to crane her neck upwards in order to look the prince in the eyes.
"Just a moment," He spoke before moving his chair to sit diagonally from the Princess, no longer forcing her to look over the table to see his face.
"That is better, thank you," She spoke, and Blueblood smiled.
"No problem Luna," He said as he levitated himself a biscuit and dipped it in a bowl of cream cheese.
She will have to try that sometime.
"But if I could, I would like to start off this day of ours with a small feast," He smiled to himself before clapping his hoofs twice, which seemed to be a signal for a group of maids to hurry over and bring with them another table, one that was thankfully shorter than where she was currently sat and was covered with an assortment of breakfast foods.
"Thank you, kindly," He told the maid as soon as the new table was set before them, they nodded their heads and quickly entered back into the castle, hurrying off to do another task.
It would seem that even after one-thousand years, Maids still worked hard at the most menial tasks.
Wheeling herself closer to the new table, leaving the snack behind, Luna got a better look at the food presented to her.
From fried eggs and omelets to pies and salads, the table was covered in food that would be vastly expensive for her to eat back when she still ruled.
"Agriculture and farming have progressed vastly during the centuries you were gone," Blueblood said once he spotted her expression, already cutting into the breakfast pie and placing a slice on his plate, "What was once an expensive delicacy can now be found at almost any household... Within reason, of course,"
Luna couldn't help but nod as she herself placed a large omelet with vegetables and mushrooms on her plate before pouring herself a glass of what seemed like orange juice. "No! it wasn't Orange juice," Luna quickly corrected herself after she took a sip.
It was carrot juice!
"How?" She whispered, questioning how one could juice a carrot enough to fill a pitcher of juice, something which Blueblood clearly misunderstood as he started a short history lesson about the changes made to the farming of animals in the past 400 years, something he seemed to know a lot about. Surprising from a prince who has lived it.
"Ah, I can see that you are questioning my knowledge, I assure you that I am not as, how shall I say this? Stupid, As I might seem at first glance," He told her with a small smile growing on his lips as he ate the unique breakfast.
"We did not question your intelligence, Blueblood, Merely surprised as to a prince knowing something that as you have portrayed seemed inconsequential," Luna told him, a small smile growing on her face as well as she took another sip of her orange juice.
"Ah, I apologize if that was the case, The other members of this city's elite seem to think that merely because my wealth comes from a blood connection, my intelligence must be that of a worm and my subtlety that of a brick," He took another bite and his smile grew three sizes, showcasing his clean white teeth., "Oh, how mistaken they are,"
And if Luna was questioning what the friendship between her and her sister's nephew was going to be like, Luna was now sure that it would be wonderful.
Oh how she loved to play with the high society of her old castle town, thinking that simply her being the younger sister, who has less social interaction with the masses, she must be easy to manipulate and control.
And then Luna frowned as she thought about what she did to those same nobles under the control of Nightmare Moon.
The rest of the meal went by with a subdued and awkward tone.
Shining armor was many things, He was strong, he was protective, he was the captain of the royal guard, he was charismatic, he was the brother of both Princess Celestia's pupil and a Dragon, and he was also dating a princess.
What he was not, however, was great at improvising.
So when Prince Blueblood entered his office while wheeling around Princess Luna in a wheelchair, he didn't know what to do.
Was he supposed to kick him out? Was he supposed to invite him to stay? Was he supposed to ignore him and continue doing whatever he was doing beforehand? he didn't know.
Shining Armor counted himself as one of the few ponies working at Canterlot Castle who never had to interact with Prince Blueblood, seeing as their schedules and personalities were so drastically different, that even when they were in the same room, their interactions were minimal.
That does not however mean that Shining Armor did not know of the rumors surrounding Prince Blueblood and his acts. Calling him selfish would be an understatement.
Knowing not what to do, Shining Armor was forced to settle on the first course of action that entered his mind.
"Your Highness, I do-" Only for whatever words he was planning on telling the prince to be cut off as Blueblood pointed at him and nodded to Princess Luna.
"This is Metal Shield, He's the chief of security here, If anypony manages to sneak into the castle he will take the punishment for failing at his job, Now! Off to the room with the stars on the roof, Observatorium, or whichever name they chose for it." And with a few words, a giggle from the princess, and a loop of the wheelchair on his carpet, The two royals left.
Leaving not only the office but leaving the carpet with tracks from a wheelchair and leaving a confused expression on Shining Armor's face.
"...My name isn't Metal Shield," He mumbled to himself as he sank into his chair, looking at his hooves in bewilderment.
"He doesn't know my name..."
After a number of long hours of being wheeled around the castle and being shown its more important rooms, From Metal Shield's office, to the balcony overlooking the entrance to the castle, and even the statue garden, where she spotted an old enemy still stuck in his stony prison.
"It is nice to see that even with Nightmare Moon and all the years we were away, Discord is still imprisoned in his stone cage." She thought to herself, a small smile on her face as she leaned back into her wheelchair, content to let the prince take her around.
"And now, the room I saved specifically for last, The Ballroom," And with a telekinetic push, the doors in front of her opened up to showcase a beautiful sight.
A large ice sculpture, made of black ice, sculpted into the shape of a gorgeous swan-like creature, A Unicorn horn was emerging from the bird's forehead, and an image of a moon and star was carved into its breast. Beside the black Unicorn Swan, was another large sculpture, one made of regular ice depicting a white dove, also with a unicorn horn and the image of a sun on its breast.
"Those are..." She whispered in awe as she looked at the two birds made of ice, "Celestia and Us,"
She heard Blueblood nod behind her, "It was supposed to only be the Moon Swan, seeing as this was your tour, but we had another block of ice to use, so I ordered a dove. Although I did not expect them to catch on to the theme and make it a Sun Dove, A happy coincidence it seems," Blueblood wheeled her over to a table in front of the two statues, one filled with more food. Mostly fruits and sweets it seems, but it mattered not to Luna what was served to her.
Because as she looked at the large black Swan of ice, she couldn't help but reaffirm to herself, That this new modern time she lived in wouldn't be so bad if she could keep being with her family and eating this expensive food, reading her captivating books, and hanging out with her Sister and Blueblood.
Her Friends.
"Are you crying? Oh dear me, please don't say that I did something wrong, is the statue not to your liking? Is it the fruit? I could get replacements immediately if you wish," Blueblood stammered out quickly, confusing Luna as to why he was acting so before she felt a droplet land on her leg, soon followed by another and another.
She was crying.
And Princess Luna couldn't help but smile joyfully as the tears rolled down her cheeks, as for the first time since she returned, it hit her.
She was no longer on the moon, She was no longer controlled by that nightmare, she was back with her dear Sister.
She was free, and so she cried.
And as she cried, her short light azure hair burst to life like ten thousand stars in the night sky, Her blue fur darkened to the color of the evening sky, and her body grew in size, breaking the wheelchair she was sitting in during the process.
And as she lay on the floor of the Hall, in the wreckage of her wheelchair, Luna could not stop smiling and crying.
Princess Luna of The Night was back.
It was the end of the day, Princess Celestia just finished reading the friendship report her dear student Twilight sent her, and she was on her to meet up with her dear Sister and Nephew.
"Hahahaha, We are free!" She heard her sister's joyous laughter, her cheerful voice echoing across the castle.
Princess Celestia smiled, she knew letting Blueblood take care of her for the day would be a positive thing for her.
"Ah, Yes, You indeed are free, Though I do not believe you were forbidden from leaving the castle previously, were you?" And her smile only grew when she heard her dear Nephew trying in vain to understand the joy her sister was feeling.
And if Celestia had her way with the world, No pony will ever need to be put in a situation where they would need to feel such intense joy and happiness, least of all her own family.
And as Celestia entered the large ballroom, where in a month the Grand Galloping Gala will take place, she was nearly taken aback by the sight that was happening before her.
Two large ice sculptures, an untouched table with sweets and fruit, and a dark blue princess rolling on the floor with tears of joy in her eyes, her night sky hair leaving traces of stars and moonlight as it floated mistily behind her, powered by the magic that grew over centuries of life.
Celestia gently closed the door to the ballroom and went in a different direction, Her sister needed some time to readjust herself to her old body, and Celestia would not want to ruin her time- she paused as she felt a familiar grab of magic pull at her.
She quickly turned back to the ballroom and strode inside, in the direction of the magic.
Her nephew's horn dimmed as he saw her enter and the weak telekinetic grasp let go.
"Sister!" Luna yelled and threw herself onto Celestia, her melodic giggles filling the room, "We are free Celestia! We are finally free, How wonderful!" her horn glowed and Blueblood stumbled into her, joining in the impromptu group hug.
Celestia smiled, Her sister laughed, and her nephew tried to hide his smile underneath a grimace and a roll of the eyes. It wasn't perfect, it might have been disjointed, they might not have similar hobbies, and Cadance might not have been there at that very moment, but the ponies who were hugging her were definitely, without any question or doubt.
It was on my third day as Prince Blueblood that a letter arrived.
"Dear Prince Blueblood, You are formally invited to attend the special art exhibit hosted by Lady Fleur De Lis this Saturday at the Canterlot Museum of Art and Literature," I read the letter aloud before placing it gently on the desk in my room.
I knew that the Prince usually visited such events of high society, but I thought I would have a few more days to get used to this new persona I must inhabit.
"Saturday, how far away is that?" Looking at the Prince's memories, it should be two days from now.
I really should get a calendar, seeing as I don't have a phone to remind me of the date.
"Very well, In two days' time, I shall visit this art exhibit, hopefully, it won't be a waste of time,"
Princess Luna was smiling from ear to ear, her pearl white teeth grinning out to the world as she flew laps around Canterlot Castle.
"Ahaha, We are flying! look at us Sister, we are soaring the sky just as we used to!" She shouted down to her sister, who was sitting under a parasol, watching the events unfold.
"Yes Luna, I am happy to see you back to your usual self, I missed days like these," Celestia said, using magic to enhance the reach of her voice so her sister could hear her all the way up near the roof of one of the castle spires.
As Celestia watched her sister fly through the air in her newly restored body, she thought of the pony that made it all happen. Her adopted nephew, Blueblood.
Closing the book of "Equestrian Nobility Laws," I took a deep breath and sighed.
I have been reading it for several hours and I'm barely halfway through. How do law students back on Earth do this? Sure, my old job back on earth required similar reading material to study for, but It wasn't as boring as this.
"I'll just continue this tomorrow," I said and closed the book, a small slip of paper acting as a bookmark, and placed a small note next to the book saying "Do not touch, Blueblood is reading,".
"Now I can come back here tomorrow," And with that, I stood up and exited the library, ignoring the annoying guard stations outside, and headed towards the kitchens to grab something to eat.
Luna was awestruck as she looked at the list one of the maids gave her detailing all the different kinds of food the staff were readily available to make for her.
"So many options," She whispered to herself, before looking up as the sound of hurried hooves and the clattering of pots was heard in the nearby kitchen
"Hurry up! We need this mayo to be made of Quail eggs Yesterday!" She heard somepony yell in the kitchen.
Walking into the kitchen, she spotted a group of cooks and a chef working on slicing up vegetables and moving around large boxes filled with rows upon rows of small eggs.
"Ah, Princess Luna!" One of the cooks exclaimed when he spotted her standing in the doorway, which quickly had the pony who must have been the head chef quickly turn to look at her.
"Your Majesty! We apologize for the disturbance our sounds caused you, but we are in a hurry as you can see. Do you need anything to eat? We will make it for you as quickly as possible," He told her, bowing his head in a show of respect for her authority.
"Raise your head, There is no need to apologize for doing thou jobs, we were simply curious as to the source of the commotion,"
The chef visibly relaxed as he raised his head, "Still, as a chef, I must apologize, Prince Blueblood just came by and asked for a bowl of salad, mainly coleslaw with a few extra vegetables, which normally wouldn't be a difficult task, in fact doing so will be far easier and quicker than the Prince's usual demands," The chef explained to Luna, who nodded in understanding.
"But then he said that the mayonnaise for the salad shall be made using Quail eggs!" The Chef turned and pointed at the boxes of Quail eggs that the cooks were carrying around.
"So now we had to buy quail eggs, and we need to quickly turn them into mayonnaise, even with magic to speed things up, it would take us an hour to do so without ruining the taste of the eggs. So we decided to quickly work on an appetizer for the prince to eat while his salad is getting ready," He said, and Luna once more nodded in understanding.
Even one-thousand years ago, nobles would ask for the top of the culinary world, so much so that many times the castle chefs wouldn't even be able to provide their demands.
It is wonderful to see, that in this new day and age, the acquisition of ingredients is so quick that the demand for a quail egg mayonnaise could be completed within an hour.
"We understand, While we are here we would like to also ask for the same food Blueblood wanted, we would like to taste this unique choice of food he picked ourselves." Luna smiled and told the chef before turning her back to the kitchen and went to search for Blueblood.
"A Mayonnaise made of quail eggs, how delightful," She whispered to herself with a smile.
Sitting on her throne during her Day court, Celestia suddenly had the urge to try something new for lunch.
"Maybe Quail egg mayo?" She whispered, catching the attention of one of the ministers in the room.
"Did you say something, your Highness?" They asked the princess, who turned to them with a sheepish smile.
"Nothing important, just thinking about what I would like for lunch," She told the minister before turning to look at the rest of her court, "Would any of you care to join me? We can make an hour-long break to get something to eat before we return," She asked them, receiving different answers in response, it was decided that an hour-long break shall take place for the court to eat some food before returning.
Back in the kitchens, with a terrifying shiver going down his spine, the chef had the sudden urge to procure more Quail eggs.
I closed the book on Nautical History and placed it on the corner of the table I sat at, I started tapping my foot and leaned forward onto the table, resting my head in my arms in the process.
"Where is my food?"
The Kitchen Staff weren't having a good time.
"Chef! Princess Celestia just ordered four meals of exactly what Blueblood asked!" One of the cooks ran in to inform the head chef, who couldn't help but sigh in despair as he looked at the ever-shrinking supply of Quail eggs.
"Why couldn't he just ask for normal Chicken eggs?" He asked himself as he thought back to the stallion that made this day the hardest workday of his life, Which is really saying something considering he had to cook for royal diplomats and Griffon guests.
He didn't know that some ponies ate meat at that time. Now he does.
"Get more Eggs!" He yelled to the cook in charge of stocking the kitchen before he threw a shiny golden card at him, "Go straight to a Quail farm if you must! Just get me those eggs!"
And with the cook running out of the kitchen on his sacred mission of acquiring more Quail eggs, the Head Chef turned back to the loud kitchen, grabbed a sharp knife, and started cutting the cabbages like a machine.
That Coleslaw wasn't going to make itself.
Raven Inkwell was an interesting figure to see in the castle. She was the royal secretary, making her Princess Celestia's right hoof pony and her number 1 assistant.
But other than working as the Solar Princess's right hoof mare, not much was known about Raven Inkwell among the rest of the staff of the castle, seeing as she barely talked with the rest of the staff unless it was to deliver an important message.
And that enigmatic existence that Raven Inkwell had in the castle, led to a not insignificant amount of rumors to start about her.
Some rumors said that she was a vampire who never left the castle, others said that she was actually a descendant of one of the Earth Pony founders of the nation. One preposterous rumor said that she was the secret lover of Princess Celestia, which in return started a rumor that she was actually the secret lover of Prince Blueblood instead, which further devolved into far more outrageous and simply slanderous rumors.
Enough so that the sightings of Raven Inkwell around Canterlot Castle stopped almost entirely, making her elusive existence in the castle much more mysterious, and prompted Princess Celestia to punish those who spread those false and harmful rumors about the White Earth Pony.
But the truth of the matter is...
Raven Inkwell isn't good at social interactions.
That was it. Ponies rarely spoke with Raven because she wasn't good at speaking with strangers. There was no deeper meaning.
And where did she go after the hurtful rumors spread about her?
Did she leave the castle? Quit her job and moved elsewhere? Did she truly become a vampire or a ghost and trapped herself it the deepest darkest corners of the castle?
No, She simply started using the hidden passageways of the castle to move around quicker.
Moving inside the walls of the castle was a much quicker way of travel, and she didn't need to speak to anyone as she did so.
So it was to her surprise, when she was walking in the passageway hidden above the dining room, that she spotted Prince Blueblood walking around the room, looking at the paintings on the wall.
"What is he doing?" She asked herself as she looked through the small, enchanted, one-way window of the hidden passageway, into the room.
She watched on as Blueblood walked towards one of the paintings on the wall, one which seemed to be slightly tilted, and straightened it out.
As Blueblood tilted the painting, however, a doorway appeared at the other side of the room, catching both Raven's and the Prince's attention.
Tilting the painting back to its previous position, the doorway disappeared.
Blueblood then let go of the painting and trotted slowly back to the dining table, where he sat and opened a book he left there previously.
Leaving the hidden voyeur confused as to how she didn't find that hidden passage beforehand.
"Move Aside!" The cook with the golden card yelled as he carried on his back a large crate filled with rows upon rows of Quail Eggs.
"You're back, wonderful! Take my spot and keep cutting the cabbage!" The Chef yelled at him the moment he entered the kitchen before he ran and took the crate of eggs away from him.
"Hurry up everyone! We need to finish this meal now! Put your work into overdrive!" Chef yelled over the sounds of the kitchen as he picked a carton of eggs from the crate and ran to one of the unicorns in the kitchen to hurry up the Mayo-making process.
"Yes, Chef!"
Princess Luna was on her way to the dining room when she spotted her Sister walking in the same direction followed by a group of old and important-looking ponies.
"Sister, Should you not be handling day court? What are you doing here?" She asked as she joined her sister in her walk.
"Hello to you too, Luna," Celestia said cheekily, pointing out that her sister didn't greet her before she continued, "I am taking a small break from my duties, I grew rather peckish and decided that a nice lunch would be good to have. It wasn't until I was near the kitchens that I learned that Blueblood made a unique custom order from the chefs, and I decided that I would also like to try some of it."
"Blueblood's meal? What a delightful coincidence. We just asked for the same meal from the chefs, would You like to join us in our meal?" She said, and Celestia nodded, leading the group of important ponies to the Dining room.
"Chef! Everything is ready!" One of the cooks shouted as he finished loading a cart with several plates and bowels of salads and soups.
"The Croutons?" The chef asked, receiving an affirmative response. "The Leek and Onion soup?" He received the same affirmative response. "And most importantly, is the Quail Egg Coleslaw ready?"
"Yes, Chef!"
For the first time in an hour, a smile spread on the chef's face, "Then get that food to their royal majesties!"
As the food finally arrived, I couldn't help but feel relieved.
"I have been waiting for nearly an hour, what took you so long?" I ask the chef as he entered with the cart of food.
"I apologize, your highness, We had some technical difficulties, but I assure you, The food we made here for you is just as good, if not better, than anything else we make here for you," He said as he placed the plates of food in front of me.
"Very well, you may leave," I shooed him away and started eating my lunch.
Just as he exited the dining room, the doors on the other end opened and Princess Celestia walked in with Princess Luna shortly behind her, followed by a small crowd of old ponies who I could recognize from the Prince's memories as several important ministers and advisors of Celestia's Day Court.
"Auntie, should you not be managing your day court right now? You barely worked yesterday and two days ago you didn't work at all, you must be very busy," I told her as she walked closer to my seat and took a chair in front of me.
"Nice to see you too, Blueblood," Celestia said and I heard Luna try to stifle a giggle, "But I am just taking a break for lunch, no need to worry too much," It was then she spotted the book I was reading.
"Nautical history?" She asked as she read the title, and I smiled as I started to explain to her my plan on getting a shipping license so I could manage a boat.
I didn't particularly like boats when I was younger back on Earth, but like any normal human, I wanted to be rich. To do that, I needed to go to a university of higher education, something that was very expensive where I was from. So in order to not need to pay for my education, I joined the Navy.
That was where I fell in love with the sea.
I was on my way to getting a master's in Nautical Sciences before I found myself as the Prince, I was going to be a ship captain.
Now with the Prince's pockets, I could easily finish my nautical science education here and get my diploma.
But, I can't really tell all of that to Celestia, can I? So instead I explained that I want to start my own business and get money that way.
Imports and Exports are a lucrative business, after all.
"Nautical Science you say? If you wish I could oversee your test personally, get it done quickly so as to not waste your time," One of the important ponies that joined Celestia says, and I recognize him as Chancellor Neighsay, the head of the Equestrian Board of Education.
"That would be delightful, Thank you, Chancellor, I will send a letter when I feel I am ready," I tell him and return to my food.
Soon the rest of the food arrives for all the ponies in the dining room, and I am humored to see several copies of the exact same meal that I ordered.
The rest of the day passes on without any major incidents.
But I couldn't help but think back to the secret door I found in the dining room, something to investigate later.
Sitting on the floor of the kitchen, their bodies covered in oil and egg yolk, The cooks and Chef of the royal family couldn't help but release a sigh of contentment as the horrible day that would later be known as "The Quail Egg Incident of 1001," was officially over.
"We did it..." One of the cooks whispered. "We made all the Quail Mayo we needed..." Another said. "I don't ever want to see a Quail Egg again..." A third cook joined. "...We still need to clean the kitchens..." The Chef said before he picked himself up from the floor of the kitchen with a mighty groan, his back releasing popping sounds as he does.
A collective sigh passes through the kitchen staff as they each start to clean up the mess that was made in the kitchen.
At least nothing bad could happen.
"Chef! Captain Shining Armor just asked for the same exact meal as everypony else!" One of the cooks ran into the kitchen and was promptly thrown out when an empty crate that previously held Quail eggs was thrown at him.
It was my fifth day as Prince Blueblood, which meant that I was currently in a walk-in closet searching for something to wear to Lady Fleur De Lis's art exhibit.
I can't look too casual, it is a high-class art exhibit after all, but I also can't look like I'm taking it too seriously. I need to look important, but not too important. High-class but not too high-class.
And so I decided to go with a sky blue knitted scarf and a grey cardigan, both made by one of the best tailors in the nation.
Going for a smart-casual look mixed with the high-class appeal of custom design and the seasonal clothes of early fall.
Celestia was eating breakfast by herself, Her sister was sleeping off her tiredness from using her magic the night prior, and she hasn't seen her nephew yet.
It was when she lifted one of the breakfast muffins that she had the cooks make, that her cutie patootie little treasure walked into the dining room, dressed to impress.
"Auntie! I didn't expect to see you here so late, it's already ten, shouldn't Day Court have started by now?" He asked her while adjusting the small enchanted bag he was carrying, able to hold inside of it more than five times its size.
"It's Saturday, Court doesn't start till twelve today," She said before passing him a pecan and banana muffin.
"Thank you," He said as he picked up the muffin with his magic and took a seat in front of her.
The duo ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence that was broken when Celestia finished her food.
"Where are you going dressed like that?" She asked Blueblood, her eyes looking over his new outfit.
Blueblood looked down at the clothes he was wearing before turning to look at Her with a small grin on his lips.
"This? I was invited to the Special Art Exhibit hosted by Fleur De Lis at the art museum, I wanted to dress for the occasion," He told her, "I can't just go to an Art Exhibit wearing nothing, can I? I don't want my own Art to steal the spotlight,"
Celestia took a moment to think over what he said, before bursting out laughing.
"Yes yes very funny, I know. I worked on it all night," He said cheekily, which only made the princess of sunlight laugh louder.
Celestia then decided to grab him from across the small table between them, pulling Blueblood into the crook of her neck, and hugging him tightly like a life-sized stallion-shaped doll.
"I am so proud of you for helping me out lately," She whispered into his ear, causing him to freeze in her embrace.
"What are you talking about, Auntie?" He asked shakily, trying to turn his head to look at her face.
"Nothing, now stop moving, Mama needs to recharge," She told him and leaned onto his body, forcing Blueblood to stand up from his chair in order to stop Celestia from falling onto the table between them.
She had a pleased smile all the while.
The Canterlot Museum of Arts and Literature. The building was built roughly eighty years ago by an artistic architect who wanted a place to showcase and preserve modern artworks.
Maybe that's why the building is shaped like a layered wedding cake, four stories tall, and each floor is smaller than the one below it.
Doesn't really scream Modern art but who am I to judge, it was built so long ago that if this was back on earth, Grant Wood would still be considered modern.
But I am not here for the Museum itself or its history, I am here on the invitation of Fleur De Lis, who most likely didn't expect for me to come seeing how the Prince didn't really participate in such public outings, even among the high-class.
Time for that to change.
"Fancy Pants, is everybody here?" The white and pink unicorn model asked her husband as they both stood in the lobby of the museum, ready to start a tour of the exhibit the two of them prepared, showcasing the different artworks they had ponies from small towns and villages send over to them.
The Exhibit for today was to showcase the art of those who lived basic lives, a chance for them to showcase their art to the top of the nation, something that would usually be impossible for those who live outside of large cities like Neigh-York or cities of cultural significance like Canterlot.
"I do believe that everyone we expected to come has arrived, shall we begin?" The White Unicorn gentleman said as he readjusted the cuffs on the suit he always seemed to wear in public.
"Of course," Fleur De Lis said before clearing her throat and gaining everyone's attention, "Excuse me, but we would like to start soon, there won't be any bathroom breaks for at least the next hour, so if anypony needs to go then- and there they go," Four of the ponies in the lobby went towards the bathroom.
When they returned, Fleur continued, "As I was saying, The tour will continue for the next hour or so, We will showcase these works of art that have arrived for today, Are there any questions before we begin?" Fleur finished before taking a peek at her husband who subtly nodded his head at her.
There were several hushed murmurs among the crowd of the one percent, but no questions were raised.
"Very well, let us start the tour," Fleur smiled before walking into the art gallery section of the museum, where the exhibit was waiting.
"So far none of the artworks has caught my interest," One of the ponies told his wife, who nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, if somepony told me earlier that these works were from the country, I wouldn't have came at all,"
More murmurs of those kind started to sound in the gallery as the ponies looked at the paintings and statues before them.
One was a filly's drawing of a pine tree, another was a wooden chair painted green and covered with small pebbles. One canvas was almost entirely blank except for a single red stain in the middle.
That is to say, none of the works were good.
Hidden among the crowd, Blueblood sighed silently in boredom. Nopony noticed his arrival, there was no interesting artwork to look at. Heck! Blueblood doesn't even like art!
"The whole reason I'm here is to look good to the rest of the upper class, mingle with the top as it were, but this is soooooooo boring!" He thought to himself as he looked at an oil painting of a valley. It wasn't an ugly thing , but it also wasn't something he could see becoming as well-known as a Van Gogh, or even a Dali.
Seeing as the crowd was moving on to another part of the gallery, nobody keeping their eyes on him, Blueblood smirked and walked off, away from the gallery and into the museum proper.
"Boys, The job is simple, we wear these maintenance uniforms and walk in with these boxes of tools," A Pony wearing a reflective yellow vest told three other similar ponies as they stood in an alley across the street from the museum.
"We walk in, unscrew the case protecting The Dreamer, and leave with the painting. No time for questions, let's move," And with that, the group of three Earth Ponies and a Pegasus crossed the street, carrying boxes, a bucket, a mop, and a sign for a wet floor.
Intent on leaving the museum 300 million bits richer.
Fun Fact about myself, Art doesn't interest me. Why should I care for some painting of some merchant's wife? It's just colors on a canvas, it doesn't impact my life in any shape or form, so why should I care? Simple, I don't.
However! High-Class ponies, the one percent, the top of the top! They LOVE talking about art, they love discussing the deeper meaning behind this painting and the emotions the artist must have felt whilst making it. It's all bullshit. But in order to blend in, and keep the facade of a "Prince," I'll have to play along.
I managed to escape the boring art tour, But I can't just go back to the castle, That would make Celestia suspicious.
So here I am, staring at a statue of a pony sitting in a "The Thinker" pose.
How wonderful.
"Boys, remember the plan," An Earth Pony carrying a box of maintenance tools said as he and his group strolled into the museum, past the check-in and security. Step one of the plan.
"We act like we belong, and take the painting, no funny business. Understood?" He asked, receiving nods from his partners.
And so they walked towards the painting section, placed the ladder under a ceiling light in front of the doorway to the small area where the expensive paintings stood, closing off one of two entrances in the process. That was step 2 of the plan.
While one of the ponies worked on the ceiling light, blocking the path for security in case they'll need to run, The Pegasus of the group silently flew near the ceiling, above the eye-line of the few denizens of the gallery, and one by one disabled the security cameras. Step 3 was complete.
Now was time for step 4, Using the maintenance tools, it was up to the two remaining Earth Ponies to quickly unscrew the latch holding the glass screen over the painting, keeping the artwork secure from the grasp of ponies. For that reason, the Museum used special bolts that require a specific type of screwdriver to unscrew.
But the thieves came prepared, opening the toolbox, one of the duo took out a spray bottle with a clear liquid inside, while the other took a small device that looked like a mechanical pen.
Spraying the liquid on the screws, the thieves gently placed the device above the metal of the screws, holding it in place before they heard a light PING.
"It's in," The one holding the spray bottle said, causing the one holding the device to start turning it like a screwdriver. After a minute of careful turning, a screw fell off the casing of the painting. One down, three to go.
Everything was going as planned, everything was perfect, and soon they'll leave the museum as rich men.
"Hey kid, what do you think this Painting means?" The thief holding the special screwdriver heard one of the visitors of the museum ask another, a few meters away.
"Uh, Mum told me not to speak with strangers, mister." The child said, a foreign accent on his tongue.
"I see, My name is Blueblood, Now I'm not a stranger anymore," Wasn't that the name of Celestia's Nephew? Nah, must be a coincidence. The thief kept unscrewing the casing.
"Oh, Okay! My name is Pip Pinto Squeak, but everypony calls me Pipsqueak!" The colt said loudly, causing the Pegasus to nearly fall back onto the floor, but he managed to stop himself and return to silently moving near the ceiling. Only a few cameras left.
"Yes, Okay, Nice to meet you and all that, please answer my previous question," The pony who shared a name with a prince pointed to the painting he was talking about.
"Umm... It's called The Card Players, so it's about a game of cards. I'm sorry, My mum is the one you should ask," The colt said before the adult stopped him from leaving.
"No, I want to ask you specifically because you're unsure," He said, catching the attention of not only the colt but also the thief holding the mechanical device, "You do not know much about art or the intrinsic details behind the craft-work of these masterpieces, but by not knowing, you learn more from these works of art than any other."
"Really?" Pip asked as he looked up at the Stallion that started talking with him about the paintings.
"Hey," The thief suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, seeing his partner with the spray bottle, "Why aren't you twisting? We don't have all day," The thief blinked before noticing he stopped unscrewing the painting as he listened to the two strangers talk about art.
Taking a look at the painting he was trying to steal, a classic of a Unicorn mare sleeping in her bed, the sheets messy as if she turned in her sleep from experiencing a bad dream.
The Dreamer, it was called, was estimated to be worth 300 million bits.
"Now, let's try a different painting?" Blueblood asked Pip, receiving a nod in response as the duo walked closer to the two thieves in front of the painting.
"Excuse me, good sir, would you mind moving aside so we could look at the painting?" He asked as he approached the duo in front of the painting.
"No, now scram." The one holding the spray bottle responded, catching the attention of both The Pegasus who just finished covering the cameras, and the third Earth Pony, who got off the ladder to stretch his legs.
"That's rude, Do you not know who I am?" He asked, and in response, the Thief with the device stopped unscrewing the case and turned to look.
It was Prince Blueblood. Not a pony who simply shared the same name as the prince, no. It was Celestia's Nephew himself.
"Shit,"
"I don't care who you are, we're busy here, Scram." The thief who unscrewed the case wanted to stop his partner from digging a deeper hole for himself, but couldn't do so as he spotted the Pegasus of his group positioning himself directly above the Unicorn, intent to drop on him in case he continued to cause trouble.
Looking behind him, he spotted the thief on Ladder duty take out a small hammer from a pocket in his safety vest and start walking towards the group.
"I signed up for the painting, not an assault on the crown, I'm out of here!" He thought to himself as he quickly placed his device back in the toolbox and start walking away from the painting.
"And where do you think you're going?" Spray bottle asked him, "We're not done here, If you walk outta those doors you're not getting a bit, you hear?" Device nodded his head and quickly left, Another year in a dead-end job is better than life in the slammer.
Spray Bottle clicked his tongue in frustration before turning back to Blueblood and Pip, "Look, I told you to scram, didn't I? If you keep standing there like some idiot you can't blame me for what'll happen."
Seeing the angry ponies gathering around him, Pip huddled closer to Minster Blueblood and turned his head up to speak with him, only to spot another Pony directly above them ready to drop.
"Mister Blueblood!" He yelled, trying to alert the Unicorn of the pony, which instead caused the Pegasus above them to drop down on the unicorn's back, slamming him into the floor.
"Enough games!" Spray Bottle yelled, causing the few other visitors to run away from the commotion that was happening. "Grab that painting and let's get out of here!"
Fleur De Lis wasn't having a good time, the art gallery that she and her husband spent almost a month getting ready was a monumental failure.
"Enough Games!" That was until she heard a muffled shout from a different part of the museum, which caught the attention of everyone in her exhibit.
"What was that?"
"Did they just slam me into the ground?" I mentally asked myself as I lay on the floor of the Museum, a heavy feathered body holding me down as the two goons with hard hats try and rip a reinforced glass casing off the wall using sheer brute strength.
They did, didn't they? They slammed me into the ground.
They slammed me.
"Hey! Let go of him!" I heard the little kid I just met yell before feeling the body on top of me move slightly as if pushed by a child.
"I said!" Pip yelled again as he started to push harder, "Let go!"
"Scram!" The Pegasus seemed to have enough of the kid trying to push him around, as he swiped his front leg into Pip's face, throwing him off to roll on the floor.
A small trail of blood dripping from his nose.
Spray Bottle watched from the corner of his eye as the annoying colt was thrown off his pal, likely breaking his nose as a result.
No problem, nobody needed him to play hero, should have left the grown-ups to do their jobs.
"Hey stop struggling!" The Pegasus yelled before a loud crashing sound could be heard from his direction, causing Spray Bottle to once more look away from the painting, leaving Ladder Duty to take care of it.
"What are you- doing now?" He stopped talking when he saw the blonde Unicorn that annoyed them stand up from the floor, his blonde hair dropping onto his face, making it hard to see his eyes, and the scarf that was around his neck moments prior now held in his hooves, the clothing accessory wrapped firmly around the neck of the Pegasus, who was struggling to get it off.
"L-let go of me," The Pegasus choked as the scarf got tighter and tighter around his neck.
"Hey!" Spray Bottle yelled, catching the Unicorn's attention.
He almost paused when he spotted the bloodshot eyes on the stallion, but decided that helping his partner was more important than the eyes of some idiot.
He threw his right hoof towards the unicorn's face, a smile on his face at the thought of that nuisance leaving him to steal the painting in peace.
He started to frown when he didn't feel an impact, moving his head to see what was going on, he was greeted with a powerful glare, his hoof held in a telekinetic hold, and a glowing horn.
"Shit,"
Seeing all the ponies running out of the Expensive painting room, A single mother turned to ask one of the guests What was going on?
"There's some sort of fight going on, Why isn't security doing anything?!"
"There's a fight? Oh no! Pip!" The mare yelled before running towards the room, pushing past the crowd of scared onlookers. Her baby could be in danger.
The reason security was so slow? There just so happened to be an entire group of some of the richest ponies in Equestria in the museum, and the owner thought it would be a good idea to leave most of the guards with them, good PR and all that.
Who could have guessed that would backfire?
Spray Bottle wasn't having a good time. His Pegasus was lying on the ground a few meters away, struggling to move as he massaged his neck. Ladder Duty was out cold, his ladder was toppled over him, his vest covered in blood from all the teeth he broke.
And Spray bottle? He was currently getting his head slammed into the floor over and over, thanking every deity he could think of that he decided to wear a hard hat for this job, Otherwise a strong Concussion wouldn't be the worst thing happening to him right now.
SLAM
He looked into the eyes of the Unicorn above him.
SLAM
No, Unicorn isn't a good word for what this person was,
SLAM
He was looking at a demon.
SLAM
And when Spray Bottle felt his eyes close as his adrenaline run out and the sweet embrace of unconsciousness took him, he stared into the eyes of the Devil himself, and they were Light Blue.
"Pip!"
Clean Squeak was panicking. Not because of the ruffians beating each other on the other side of the room, no. She was panicking because her son was bleeding and unconscious.
"Wake up, Pip!" She cried as she tried to shake him gently awake to no response.
"Nonononono! Please I-" SMACK
She turned her head to see the White Stallion grab a scarf wrapped around the Pegasus, and rip it off his neck with a strong pull, ruining the scarf and leaving a section wrapped around the ruffian.
Clean Squeak slowly crawled back with her son in her arms as the Unicorn started walking towards her, holding the scarf in his mouth.
She almost stopped breathing when she felt her back hit the wall, there was nowhere else to go. She closed her eyes and hugged her son closer to her when the Unicorn took the scarf out of his mouth and held it in his hooves.
But nothing came, she wasn't being hit.
Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the Unicron wiping the blood off her son with his scarf, his horn glowing as he worked.
"Nothing serious, good," She heard him whisper under his breath as he cleaned the blood off before his horn glowed brighter, and with a small yell and another shower of blood, her little Pip opened his eyes.
"Ow!" He yelled, his legs quickly moving to hold the scarf to his nose as the blood flowed like a leaky faucet.
"What is going on here?!" A yell cut through her thoughts as a short Unicorn came into the room followed by a bunch of guards.
Seeing them entering the room, The Blonde stallion looked at the mother and son duo before quietly telling them "Excuse me for just a moment," And walking to the guards who just entered.
"You! Did you do this?! I will have you know that this Museum is owned by-" The short Unicorn stopped talking when the White Unicorn opened his mouth.
"I don't care. Are you in charge or are you not?"
"Wha- Listen here, you scoundrel! I am the head of this establishment and I won't be-" "That's all I needed to hear,"
The Unicorn then grabbed a bag from the floor and levitated it towards him, opening it when it reached him and taking out a large book.
"What are you?" The head of the Museum tried to speak but the Blonde Stallion interrupted him.
"With the authority handed to me by the crown, I am placing you under investigation and house arrest for its duration," He said as he opened the book showing him what must be a certain law.
"For workplace negligence," A bead of sweat started to form on the short pony's head, "Lacking security of a piece of historical importance," more sweat.
"Child Endangerment," Pip sneezed and wiped his nose with the scarf, "Insufficient safety regulations on a commercial property,"
Clean Squeak stopped listening to the words as the list went on and on, but when the Unicorn finally closed his book and placed it back in his bag, the short pony asked him a question that even she wanted to know.
"Who are you?"
The White Unicorn blinked before looking down at his ruined cardigan. With a sigh he took it off, revealing his Cutie mark that was half hidden under the shirt.
"I am Prince Blueblood Platinum, and you are under arrest," He said before turning his back on the short pony in charge and walking back in her direction.
"What?! You can't do this to me!" The short pony yelled as the guards that came with him picked up the thieves that lied on the floor and dragged them and the owner outside of the museum.
"Actually, he can," A new voice made itself known, catching the eyes of every pony in the area.
"Fancy Pants?!" The owner yelled in surprise as the gentleman walked in their direction, making sure to keep out of the room so as to not disrupt what will now become a crime investigation scene.
"As a member of the crown, Prince Blueblood does have the authority to place you under house arrest and order an investigation if given sufficient reasoning, the list of crimes he read out will suffice in this case." The Blue haired Unicorn said, and the owner of the museum slumped onto the floor, forcing the guards to actively carry him out.
"I didn't know you were a prince!" Pip yelled excitedly, his voice nasally from the blood drying on his nose and the scarf covering it.
"I didn't tell you," Blueblood smiled before taking out a small pouch from his bag, opening it, and depositing part of its contents in front of Her.
"Here," He said as he placed a small pile of bits next to her legs, "This should cover the hospital bills, lunch, and dinner," He told her, a tired smile on his face.
"Wha?" Clean Squeak managed to let out before the Prince smiled at her and Pip, and walked away.
Leaving a trail of blood in the shape of his hoof-prints behind him.
"You seem to have had an exciting day," I paused when I heard a familiar voice tell me.
I managed to walk all the way back to the castle without anybody stopping me, why now?
"Yes, Princess Luna, I did indeed have a most exciting time today," I smiled as I responded to the Dark blue Alicorn as she made her way in my direction.
She smiled and looked at my legs, "I can see that," Luckily the blood wasn't mine.
"Yes, I'm sure you can," I smiled wider at her, which only causes her smile to widen in response.
We both stared at each other for almost a minute, neither of us willing to look away from the eyes of the other.
Sadly it seems that the sunset had different ideas, as the rays from the window entered my eyes and forced me to lose the impromptu staring match with the Princess of the Night.
"Have a good night, Blueblood," She said as she continued her walk, passing by me and ignoring the trail of bloody footsteps.
"You too, Luna," I respond and continue making my way back to my room.
Luna calmly walked down the corridors of the castle.
The Moon was at its Apex, The stars in the sky glowed and sparkled on the dark canvas of the night, And Princess Luna walked through a wall and stood in front of a sleeping figure.
It has been less than a week since her powers as an Alicorn Princess have returned to her, and she has yet to walk into another pony's dream, so who better to test her power on than her new friend, her Sister's Nephew, the Pony who helped her get her powers back, and the one who just had a very tiresome day.
That is correct, Princess Luna was entering the dream of Prince Blueblood.
And with an ethereal hoof moving invisibly through the air, she touched the sleeping Stallion's forehead.
And entered his dream.
An Unnamed Earth Pony stumbled into his small, one-bedroom apartment. His mane was frazzled and untidy, And his coat smelled of booze.
"Stupid Bottle," He mumbled to himself as he drunkenly stumbled into his home, "Stupid Prince, Stupid Painting," He kept mumbling and grumbling, unable to finish a sentence as the thoughts of the heist he participated in from earlier in the day continued to play in his head.
"It was all going to plan, too," He spoke to himself, nearly tripping over the small coffee table in his living room as he drunkenly walked around the apartment.
"But then Spray Bottle had to keep going!" He cried out loud, holding a leg to cover his eyes as tears threatened to spill from it, "All he had to do was let the Prince look at the painting before continuing!"
"There were no guards! There was no security! Everything was perfect!" He yelled before he looked at the ratty couch he used as a bed, and he remembered something important.
"Shit! They're gonna squeal!" He quickly pushed the couch aside, drunkenly tripping over and over as he moved the heavy furniture, just so he could reveal the dust-covered plank floor underneath it, or where a plank floor should be.
He knew he was taking a big risk by making this hole under his couch, his landlord might actually kill him if he found it, but now he won't have to worry about it.
"Where is it where is it where is- THERE!" He took out a bag, one filled with all the money he saved over the last few years of being a petty thief.
Quickly shoving any spare clothes and canned food that he could fit into his bag, he put it on his back and drunkenly ran towards the door.
Only to crash into a pony waiting outside.
"I'm really sorry," The pony said as he gently lifted him from the ground, his White fur almost giving the thief a heart attack before he spotted the blue hair of his mane.
"I apologize for bothering you this late at night, but we have some things to discuss," A gentle smile graced the handsome Unicorn's face as he looked into the thief's eyes.
"So I thank you for letting us in," The Unicorn walked past him and into his dingy and ratty apartment, dragging the thief in a telekinetic hold. It was then that he noticed that more Ponies were waiting outside his apartment, almost all of whom were wearing Golden armor, with the outlier being one wearing a long coat and holding a notepad.
The Lead Unicorn sat down on his couch and urged him to sit as well. Seeing the guards outside told him that he was surrounded, listening to the pony who must be in charge should have been the correct choice.
Too bad for him, he was drunk. And scared. Drunk, Scared, and surrounded by Royal Guards? That is a recipe for disaster.
The Thief turned and ran to the window above his sink, He was on the third floor but he should be fine, He was an Earth Pony after all, he was resilient.
Too bad that instead of jumping out the glass pane, he instead crashed into a pink barrier that appeared around him like a bubble.
"Why are you running away?" He heard the Unicorn ask, "Do you have something to hide?"
The thief tried to look for a way out, but everywhere he looked he could see only more of the bubble barrier, slowly closing in on him, trapping him in his own living room.
"Fine, enough theatrics. Dust Blower, You are under arrest, please do not resist," And when the Unicorn said those words, The alcohol and adrenaline must have hit the thief simultaneously, as he collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
Seeing it all, Guard Captain Shining Armor couldn't help but let out a sigh of disappointment. His first active job since the Parasprite incident, and this is how it goes.
All his recent jobs were nothing more than cleanup duty. Arrest The Diamond Dogs who kidnapped Rarity, Clean up the Parasprite infestation, Clean up this, Arrest that.
Finally! He could question, Interrogate, and maybe have a runaway who he'll need to chase after like some sort of action star. He was trained for this!
But now the guy is out cold.
"I need a break," He whispered to himself before ordering two of his guards to carry the unconscious thief to a jail cell, interrogation will begin when he wakes up.
Celestia was having a busy night.
She was supposed to be sleeping, getting ready for tomorrow. Instead, she was waiting for the results of what her guards found from the thieves her Nephew took down.
knock knock knock
"Open," She called to the pony who was knocking on her door.
In walked a Paper-White coated Earth Pony with Brown Hair tied in a bun on both her head and tail. A white suit collar around her neck was held with a red tie.
"Your Majesty, More results came in," Raven Inkwell said as she carried a pile of papers to Celestia, the bags under her eyes showing how tired she was.
"Good," Celestia picked up one of the papers and started reading, "Anything noteworthy to report?"
Raven took a moment to think before nodding her head, "Yes Your Majesty, After the investigation into the Museum has shown a clear discrepancy between the amount of money coming in and the money being documented." She told her.
"Money laundering, and so close to the castle... Tell Shining Armor that I want to know every underground connection the thieves had, And tell Note Pad that I want him to put his whole focus on the Museum Owner, where was he laundering money? how long? How much? We need answers." Celestia ordered, and Raven bowed her head and turned to leave.
"One more thing," Raven stopped in her tracks when Celestia called out to her.
"Good Job," Celestia smiled when she saw the energy entering Raven Inkwell when she got the compliment.
"That girl really needs to smile more," Celestia thought to herself before she returned to reading the new documents.
In the following weeks, fourteen different ponies will be arrested and sentenced following leads that popped up in the investigation. And Two works of art that were thought to have been lost for years were found and returned to the Royal Castle for safekeeping. But that is a story for another time.
Luna didn't know what she expected to see in Blueblood's dream. Maybe a scene from earlier in the day, It's not every day that a pony gets into a fight that ends in blood.
But no, Instead she found herself sitting at what seemed to be an empty train station in the middle of the desert. At least she believed it was a train station, seeing as instead of tracks, there was a metal railway lifted horizontally above the ground, held up by pillars.
Luna decided to wait, she was simply visiting the Dream, there was no need for her to start moving around and making a mess when there was no nightmare.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting on the bench at the station, she heard something walk in her direction before they stopped.
Turning her head, she spotted another pony waiting on the bench for the train. His Coat was white but covered in dust and sand and his cutie mark was hidden under a leather belt and orange pants, not that Luna expected to see a Cutie Mark anyways, this pony wasn't real and the mind usually didn't create the finer details of the dream.
What stood out however in this pony, was that his face was hidden under a mask and his front legs were wrapped with bandages.
The mask covered his entire face, holding onto the back of his head with leather straps, It was white and only had a hole for his Unicorn horn and a left eye, the other eye hole was covered with a patch of brown leather. There seemed to be a rounded orange triangle design on the mask, creating a line of orange going from the bottom of his cheeks, over his eyes, and connected just above where a hole was made for his horn.
The mouth portion of the mask was instead replaced with a gas mask, extending into a small pipe connected to a small tank on the right side of the mask.
Luna spent what felt like another hour silently looking at the surprisingly detailed pony before she realized. "Oh, That's supposed to be Blueblood,"
That brought another thought to pass through her head.
"Why is this his dream?"
It was then that she heard the sounds of heavy machinery whirring in the distance, growing ever closer.
Looking at the source, The train was coming.
Dreamblood stood up from the bench when he heard it, looking at the train in the distance coming closer.
Luna now understood why the tracks looked how they did, The train wasn't connected to them with wheels, but with powerful magnets instead.
And it wasn't slowing down to pick them up.
Dreamblood started to run towards the track, surprising Luna with what he was doing, before he jumped onto the fast moving train and hung on the side of it before kicking in a window and swinging himself into the carriage.
"Wait!" Luna shouted as she flew after him, now interested in what was going on in his dream. It seemed almost like a scene from a book with how it played out.
Passing through the walls of the train as if they weren't there, Luna started to walk toward the carriage Dreamblood entered.
She heard the sound of metal hitting metal, and passed by what seemed like broken yellow boxes before she once more saw Dreamblood.
Catching up with him, she followed as he opened the door to the next cabin and entered.
Instead of more yellow boxes like in the previous cabins, this one was almost completely empty, save for two things. In the middle of the cabin was a large pile of dynamite sticks, and a chair with a mannequin that also looked like Blueblood, but for some reason, it was wearing a mask that looked exactly like his face. A bomb was strapped to the chest of the mannequin and was ricking down rapidly.
"It's cute that y'all think you're the heroes of this little adventure, but you're not," A voice similar to Blueblood came out of a radio in the mannequin's mouth.
Dreamblood looked around at all the explosives as the timer on MannequinBlood counted down.
"Welcome to Pandora, Kiddos."
And with an Explosion of Dynamite, the Dream ended and switched to another.
"This is a nice place to stop," Luna thought to herself as she left the dream, Seeing that her friend was simply dreaming about some book or another that he read and wasn't having a nightmare.
She walked back to her own bed in the castle, ready to return to her physical body and get some rest for herself.
Around a week passed since the incident at the Museum, and the tabloids are still printing out stories about it!
"'Prince Blueblood, Brave or Beast?' Who wrote this?!" I ask loudly as I slam the newspaper on the table, rattling the single cup of coffee that was situated next to me.
"I get it! It was probably the most interesting thing that happened since that Bug infestation in Fillydelphia, But it has been a week already! Find something new to write!" I angrily rant to myself before taking a long sip of my coffee.
"Blueblood, Just the Pony we were looking for!" I spit out my coffee when the Princess of the Night loudly barges into the small dining room, only slightly scared of how a creature with hooves can sneak up on a person.
"Ehe? I mean- Luna! What is the reason that you were searching for me? Do you wish to order the servants to bring you something specific?" I ask, wiping the coffee off my coat with a nearby napkin.
"Oh nothing of the sort, We have found this page!" Luna shows me a rolled-up piece of paper with words written on it.
"Yes, That is Indeed a page," I say blandly as I read the words written on it, "Why have you brought it to my attention though, might I ask?"
Luna huffs and smiles proudly, lifting her head back as to make herself look taller, something which doesn't do much on account of me sitting on a chair and her standing, but go off. "It is the duty of the crown to assist its citizens in their struggles," She explained proudly, her hair flowing behind her in an invisible breeze, "And the pony who wrote this paper is obviously in need of assistance!"
"Of course she is," I think to myself as I look once more at the words written on the posted paper, "Her daughter hasn't answered any of her letters, and the poster is scared that she is missing,"
"Luna, may I be allowed to speak my mind?" I ask her, receiving a confused blink and a nod.
"Of course you are, We are both of the crown, are we not?" She asks before grinning slightly, "Although you hold a lower seat of power, and are below me in the succession line," My eyebrows twitched, "And I have also lived centuries more than you have, not counting the Millennia I spent trapped on the moon,"
My right eye twitched as she continued talking.
"And all of that is also disregarding me being an Alicorn and you a simple Unicorn,"
"I Get it!" I yell at her as I stand up from my chair, "No need to point everything out to me! I know..." I sit back down and take another sip of my coffee.
Luna frowned at my outburst, "We apologize, Blueblood, our desire was to engage in some friendly teasing, although it seems that we have stepped over a line," Luna said, giving a curt bow of sorry before once again addressing her reason of coming to me.
"We thought that we might investigate this case, We know that you have been cooped up in the castle for a week and we were starting to get worried,"
Dammit Luna, Now I feel bad for yelling at you.
"It was also to be our first time leaving the castle grounds since our power has returned to us in full, yet perhaps a later date would be more appropriate," She placed the paper in front of me and turned to leave, her horn glowing as she walked away.
The Paper slid slightly closer to me.
Luna walked another few steps away before stopping, the paper once again slid just a few centimeters closer and Luna resumed walking.
Once she was fully out of the room, I was left with nothing but my thoughts, a cooling cup of coffee, and a poster for a missing pony.
Only for me to suddenly jump in fright when I heard a large bang on the window, Turning quickly to look, I relax when I spot Luna pressing a piece of paper on to the window.
It read "Investigate this case! Go Outside! Take the credit! The News will stop talking about the Museum!" She repeatedly pointed at the paper, twisting her leg as if using body language to say "Go on,"
I silently gesture at the paper she left lying by my side, receiving many repeated nods from the princess on the other side of the pane of glass.
I look to her side, before opening my mouth to tell her "The Window next to you is open, We can still talk,"
Luna paused her gesturing, looking to her left and spotting the open window only two meters away, her face flushed in embarrassment.
Instead of moving to talk through the window, she proceeded to close it and return to pantomiming.
I sighed in exhaustion, drank the last of my coffee, grabbed the paper, and walked out the door, ignoring Luna giving me a supportive smile from beyond the pane of glass.
"And it's only ten in the morning,"
Shining Armor was having an uneventful day, All the ponies that were connected to the Museum Debacle were arrested and in the process of being investigated, thus no longer part of his job, leaving the captain to sit back and relax after a good week of actually doing his job.
Arresting Criminals, Protecting Ponies, and serving the Princess. This was what he signed up for!
And with a content sigh, Shining Armor closed his eyes, basking in the midday sun shining through his office's large windows, landing on the many photos that sat on a corner of his desk.
"Breastplate Twinkle, I require your assistance!" Shining Armor opened his eyes as the voice entered his ears, the relaxing atmosphere from just moments prior replaced with the headache-inducing feeling of dread that followed him whenever the Prince was involved.
Loudly opening his office doors, Prince Blueblood strode in as If he owned the place, which Shining Armor had to reluctantly admit that by virtue of being of The Crown, he technically did.
"I require bodyguards to follow me as I work on an investigation," He said as he spun the chair that sat in front of his desk such that the backrest was facing him, allowing Blueblood to cross his legs as he leaned forward on the chair as if it were a table.
"Prince Blueblood, I can't just give you some of my-" Shining Armor tried to explain to the Prince why he couldn't do such a thing, only for the prince to interrupt him.
"Don't care," Shining Armor's headache began, "I am a prince, And it is the duty of the Royal Guard to protect the crown, which includes me," The headache only got worse when Shining Armor had to admit that Blueblood's words made complete sense.
"Will you use my name correctly if I give you guards for the investigation you're doing?" He asked quietly, massaging his temple as the Prince smiled at him.
"Of course, I will!" He said, "After all, How could I forget what a wonderful pony our very own Captain Twinkling Protection is?"
Shining Armor swallowed a sigh and wrote a note instead, which soon disappeared in a puff of magic.
"Done, now please get out of my office," Shining Armor couldn't even look at the prince at the moment.
And once the prince was well and truly out of his office, Shining Armor levitated one of the photos on the table closer to him.
"What would you do in my situation, Twilight?" He said to himself as he looked at the photo of himself, smiling at the camera as his siblings and parents hugged him as he showed off his high-school diploma.
"Pinkie Pie! Stop messing around! Princess Celestia said she'll be visiting in SEVEN DAYS!" A Purple Unicorn yelled loudly at her friend in the kitchen, trying to stop her from making a bigger mess of the Library than she already has.
When Twilight Sparkle got the letter telling her that Princess Celestia will be coming over to visit in a week, She knew that everything needed to be perfect, especially after her embarrassing performance at Appaloosa only two days prior.
CRASH BOOM CLANG
Twilight squinted her eyes as loud noises came out of the kitchen, Her Pink friend shambling out, covered head to hoof in white flour, making a powdery mess on the floor.
"Hey Twilight," Pinkie Pie said as she tilted to and fro in a doozy, "Maybe the Library isn't the best place for guests," She coughed out a cloud of flour, before falling face-first onto the floor.
"Oh Pinkie..." Twilight rubbed her brow as she looked at her friend before turning to look out the nearest window, "I wonder what Princess Celestia would do in this situation?"
Sitting on her throne, Princess Celestia sneezed.
"Everything alright, Your Majesty?" Raven Inkwell asked as she passed her a tissue paper to wipe her nose with.
"Everything is fine, Raven," Celestia smiled down at her young secretary before looking at the almost empty throne room, soon to be filled with different ministers and chancellors as Day Court would start.
"I Wonder what Luna is doing?"
Princess Luna smiled cheekily as she looked through a pair of small telescopes connected by a bar of metal, called by the guards of the castle "Binoculars"
She was currently spying on her friend as he went about the mission she gave him.
Luna frowned for a moment as she remembered what happened earlier today, She wasn't expecting an outburst from The Prince, or at the very least not one as loud as he had. She didn't know he would have such a reaction to joking about the succession line or being an Alicorn.
Although now that she had time to think it over, it sort of made sense to her where that anger could stem from.
"I hope he realizes we do not think of him as any lesser, just because of his lack of wings," Luna mentally told herself.
She sighed, It seems she still had much to learn in regard to friendship, and the surprisingly delicate art of Playful teasing...
"How did he master such an art form?" She asked herself in a whisper, her sudden voice scaring away a small phoenix that was nestled nearby in the tree she was hiding.
If someone told me a few months ago that I'd be spending my time investigating a missing person case on the behest of a talking horse, I would have punched them in the face and then check for drugs.
But now here I am, on my way to talk with the mother of a mare who supposedly went missing.
"Your Highness, we have reached the town of Sire's Hollow, We'll start the landing now," One of the three guards accompanying me on this little side-mission said before the carriage started to descend.
Because of course the carriages in this world are enchanted to be carried by Pegasus. I'm not even going to question the concept of using people as horsepower for the moving of carriages.
After a slow descent in altitude, the door to my carriage opens and I step outside.
"You," I point at an orange guard, "Carry my bags, and you," I point to a different guard, "Write down everything that the mare will be saying even before she opens the door, I Want everything written down, even if it's just her wondering whether her cake is ready, Am I understood?"
The two guards quickly nod, one entering the carriage and grabbing my bags, and the other taking out a notebook and a pen. The third guard stays at the carriage, making sure we're able to leave at any moment.
Sire's Hollow was a rather small town, with just over one-thousand residents, It also happens to be the home of one Starshine Campfire, a sickly mare who is worried for her daughter.
When she sent out the posters for her daughter, she expected the police to arrive and question her in a few weeks, maybe even a month if they were having a busy schedule.
She did not expect somepony to answer her posters less than a week after she published them. And she definitely didn't expect Princess Celestia's Nephew to be the one to do so.
But that was how she found herself, Slowly limping to her living room so the Prince could question her about her daughter.
"Before I start asking questions in regards to the investigation, I have to ask if you are okay, ma'am?" He asked as he noticed her pale look and sickly figure.
"It's nothing serious," She told him with a gentle smile, lying to him without missing a beat, "It's just age catching up to me," Her smile wavered but she carried on, slowly sitting on one of the chairs in the living room, Prince Blueblood sitting in front of her.
"I am telling you now, Ma'am, We will find your daughter," He told her as he moved his blonde hair off his forehead and looked her in the eyes.
"Now, I will be asking some questions," He said, and Starshine nodded, "I want you to answer all of them truthfully and to the best of your ability, am I understood," Starshine nodded once again, and the Prince began asking his question.
Leaving Starshine's home, I couldn't help but frown.
"Sir, Is leaving her like that a good Idea?" The guard I had carrying my bags asked, Worry plastered on his face as he thought back to the sickly mare.
"Her health is none of our concerns, Guard, It is her choice to seek medical attention, we can not force it upon her," I tell him and start walking to a different part of the town, intent on speaking with the father of the supposed "Victim"
"But your Highness, she is not well!" The guard with the notes yelled, forcing me to turn and address her.
"Do not raise your voice at me," I tell her, my voice the picture example of calm, Her Red feathers quivering in fear as her eyes met mine. "I am your Prince," I tell her, taking a few steps forward, "Your Job is to protect me, Protect my Aunt, Protect my cousin," Each word was emphasized with a single step forward, "And most importantly, Protect the crown," My face was now only centimeters from hers. The Orange Guard carrying my bags looked unsure of what to do, so I ignored him and brought my full attention to the Red Pegasus.
"Let me make something clear to you, Cherry Pop," Her shaking seemed to intensify when I used her name.
Some of the staff and guards might think me stupid for never using the correct name when addressing them. Those same people are dumb.
I remember the name of every person who works for me, Be it Captain Shining Armor, Raven Inkwell, Princess Cadence who I have yet to formally interact with, Chef Flour Cap who I burdened with the task of making Quill Egg Mayo, and even the three guards that were placed with the duty of my protection.
"That mare, Is not your job, her health is not your job," I continue to tell her, "You may feel bad for her, You may pity her, You may even complain about how unfair the world is to make illnesses get as bad as they can, and I would allow you to do so, Sometimes I might even encourage it. But unless my life is in immediate danger, you do not raise your voice at me," I looked her in the eyes and asked her. "Am I Understood?"
She swallowed her saliva and nodded her head before giving me a quick salute and a "Sir Yes Sir!"
I backed off and nodded at her, "Good," And then turned to the Orange Pegasus, "The Same goes for you Flash Sentry,"
He quickly nodded and saluted as well.
"Good, now let's find the father of this scenario."
When I reached the building where one Firelight worked from, I didn't expect much.
He was the head of the Sire's Hollow Preservation Society, so I expected his office to look like an old archive, I remembered when I spent a summer working in an Archive for one of the Navy Bases I was stationed at, It was filled with old boxes and even older documents, dating back to the founding of that naval base approximately 80 years prior.
And just as I expected, his office looked just like an Archive would, dusty books and boxes of documents lined the interior, The door and windows of the building must have also been part of his Preservation job, seeing as how they looked like they might just crumble into dust.
But I was not here because of his job, I'm here because he's the father of the victim.
"Mister Firelight," I called into the building as I waited outside the doorway, "I am here to ask you some questions in regards to the whereabouts of your daughter," And Just as I said those words, I heard a voice call back, "Just a moment!"
What followed soon were the sounds of hooves quickly clopping off the tiled floor of the old building, followed closely by a Purple Unicorn with Aquamarine hair, wearing a red vest over a cream-colored shirt and tie. But what stood out about the older gentleman were the dark circles and wrinkles around his eyes, making him look older than he actually was.
"You know where my Starlight is?" He asked, and I made sure that Cherry Pop wrote everything down.
The discussion that followed would in most other cases be considered a waste of time, seeing as everything he told me I already knew.
Everything other than one little detail, that is.
"You're telling me that she kept in touch by sending you letters on a monthly basis?" I asked the stallion to repeat what he said, my brow furrowing in confusion.
"Yes!" He cried, wiping snot off his muzzle with a handkerchief, "And it's been months since her last letter, We thought that the next letter got lost, so we waited another month, and then another, but nothing came! Oooh my baby!" He cried, and I sighed in exasperation.
"Could you perhaps let us see the last note you got from her?" I asked.
Stationed on top of a roof on the other side of the small town, hidden under a camouflaging spell, Princess Luna spied on Prince Blueblood through the pair of binoculars she borrowed from the empty desk of Captain Metal Shield.
She saw the stallion he was questioning crying as he gave him a note, she saw Blueblood massage his forehead as he read what was written, she saw one of the guards writing down what was being said between the two, and the second guard was standing outside, making sure nobody will interrupt them.
Although it seemed like Blueblood got enough information out of the Unicorn, he soon left and started walking back to the carriage that he rode in, but not before buying a glass of lemonade from a stall being run by a pair of fillies, who seemed amazed at having a real-life prince drinking from their stand.
He then returned to the carriage and flew off in a different direction than Canterlot.
And so Princess Luna, still camouflaged, flew after him, intent to make sure her new friend was still doing fine.
"Good Evening, I need you to get at least ten guards, a construction expert, an engineer, and a doctor that specializes in magic and hexes," The Sheriff of the Flamefall County Police department blinked when he saw the Blonde Unicorn sitting on his chair, behind his desk, ordering him what to do while looking out the window.
"May I ask why you need all of those people," The Sheriff asked, before adding a "Your Highness?"
Prince Blueblood turned his chair away from the window looking at the sunset, now facing the sheriff with the setting sun illuminating his back.
"There's an illegal town built a few klicks north of here, and It's run by a powerful Unicorn." The Prince told him, "And I also need you to bring an Arrest Warrant for one Starlight Glimmer," He smiled down at him.
The Sheriff gulped before turning and leaving his office, already shouting orders to his precinct to get ready for what might be the biggest case they got involved with in years.
"The target is twenty-seven-year-old Starlight Glimmer," The Sheriff of Flamefall County told the officers of the precinct as they stood in an empty office space, cleared out to make room for more ponies.
"According to the investigation made by our Prince Blueblood and the Royal Guard, the mare has been researching advanced magic for the past eleven years and has never stayed in one place for longer than a year," The Sheriff made sure everybody that was available would be in this meeting, from Prince Blueblood and his protection to the construction investigators and medical specialists that will be coming with them.
"Five months ago, she sent a letter to her father, telling him of building a town where nobody has a Cutie mark, and everyone is equal." Whispers started to spread across the precinct when the Sheriff told them.
"We already have an arrest warrant ready, your job is to make sure none of the people living in her town start any trouble, try and keep confrontation to a minimum with them," The police officers nodded, "Our target is wanted on a number of charges, most notable being the illegal removal of Cutie-marks without a specialized medical license, and the illegal construction of a town. There's more to take her down for, but those are the main points of this operation,"
He turned to look at the more armored police officers, wearing equipment specifically made to take down Unicorns, The tools themselves will be proven mostly worthless against a magician that knows even the basics of combat, but most regular Unicorns simply throw objects around with telekinesis or fire beams of concussive force.
"Make sure everything is ready, we're leaving early tomorrow morning," He told them, receiving plenty of nods in return, "Any questions? Yes, Mushroom Puff, what is it?"
"Why are we leaving tomorrow morning? Why not now?"
"That is because we don't need to hurry, The Target doesn't know we are coming after her, and it is better to be safe than sorry, We'll be doing a check of equipment once this meeting is over," He told his officers before turning to the rest of the ponies in his precinct, "We will be moving out tomorrow at eight, please be ready and here by that time," The Sheriff turned to look at everyone in the room, "Meeting adjourned,"
Flamefall County is a small County situated near the northern edge of Equestria, its towns don't have many commodities and its main attraction for tourists is a wealthy ski resort situated on top of a rather large series of underground tunnels.
For all intents and purposes, it was a glorified Ski and Caving region, which meant that most of the towns in the county were tourist hot spots.
That is how I found myself sitting at a family-owned inn in a nearby village, a mug of hot cocoa in my grasp and a warm blanket covering my body, sitting on a surprisingly gentle sofa while looking at the fireplace.
While sipping from the cocoa, I thought, "How will I explain this to Celestia?" Surely once I return to the castle, she will throw aside all of her duties for the day and make sure that I am fine and uninjured, babying me as if I am a gentle foal who can't take care of himself.
I'm almost thirty, both me as a Human and Blueblood, I don't mind being treated special because of our familial connection, but I don't want it to happen every time I leave the castle.
As I thought of what to say to Celestia, I turned to look at the figure that stepped into my private space, pushed me to the side, sat next to me on the sofa, took my cocoa, and covered herself with my blanket.
"This isn't a Loveseat, I don't think this thing can hold both of our weight," I told the mare who was sipping from the Cocoa that I paid for.
She put down the empty mug and gave me a quizzical look, "Art thou calling us fat, Prince Blueblood?" Princess Luna asked as she shimmied herself backward on the sofa, taking the entire seat for herself, before pushing me off the sofa and away from the heat of the blanket with a gentle nudge from her leg, "And what is a Loveseat?"
Still laying on the floor, I explain to the princess of the night that a Loveseat is a chair that was invented by some old king so he could be able to hold his wives while sitting down, or something along those lines, I don't research furniture.
"How long were you planning on simply following me from afar, Princess Luna?" I ask her as I push myself off the carpeted floor, "If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed that you were checking me out?" I flick my hair, receiving a huff of amusement from Luna.
I move another Sofa closer to her and grab another blanket, "But in all seriousness, This investigation that you brought up to me this morning has really gotten out of hand fast,"
She looks away from me for a moment and sighs, "Yes... This morning... we wish to apologize,"
That caught my attention, apologize for what? "We made fun of you, insinuated that you were lesser of a prince on account of not being an Alicorn, I wish to apologize for that, You are just as much a prince as any other of the crown, and a lack of wings does not make you any lesser than I nor Celestia, So we would like to apologize for our remarks at that time, we held no ill will in them,"
I blinked slowly as I listened to what she was saying before I turned my head fully to look at her and asked her "What are you talking about?"
Luna turned to me in shock and opened her mouth to ask something, But I cut her off "You already apologized for that, Didn't you? I practically forgot it happened already,"
Now it was her turn to blink slowly, "In fact, I find it more insulting that you thought bringing up my lack of wings or my position in the chain of succession was enough to hurt my feelings for longer than five minutes. I know I likely won't be the ruler of Equestria, Celestia has been ruling for more than a thousand years without stepping down, why would she do so in my lifetime?"
I laugh to myself as I lean back on the sofa, "I mean, what are the chances?"
After our insightful talk, Luna left back to Canterlot, promising to tell Celestia of what I'm doing.
It has been a full night since then, and now I find myself wearing a winter coat as I stand on top of a cliff overlooking a small collection of houses stationed in two rows, a lone road in the middle between them and a larger house at the end of it.
"So this is the place," I say out loud, getting a nod from a Sheriff.
Even with his body covered with a heavy winter coat, colored blue to distinguish himself as a cop, he still had his white Sheriff's hat and a walrus mustache. He kind of looked like Sam Elliott now that I think about it...
"Once we get down there, We should be able to get her arrested and under custody easily," He told me, "I'm more worried about what will happen if she tries to resist, You said she was a powerful Unicorn, yes?"
I nodded and told him what was written in the letters Firelight showed me.
"Then let us hope it won't come down to that," The Sheriff said and turned to address the crowd of police officers and specialists, While I walked over to the three guards that were here for my protection.
"Why is it so cold here?" Cherry Pop asked out loud as she shivered in her armor, "Canterlot is way warmer than this!"
"That's because we're near the border," The green guard who was left with guarding the carriage yesterday said as he pointed towards a row of mountains in the distance, "See those mountains over there? The other side of those is white snow, as far as the eye could see, And if you keep moving even further north, you'd reach Yakyakistan. It also helps the cold that it's still fall, and winter is just around the corner,"
"Why aren't you also cold?" Flash Sentry asked the larger green Pegasus, his wings rubbing against each other in order to generate heat.
"My Special Talent is building igloos," And that was all the explanation the two smaller guards needed.
Walking into the makeshift village, we were welcomed by many smiling ponies.
"Welcome!" "Welcome!" "Welcome!" They were all smiling, their flanks had the same cutie mark, and their haircuts were mostly the same.
It was almost like a sight out of those cult movies, where the normal family moves to a new town, but everybody is acting weird. You know the movies I'm talking about.
"All their Cutie marks are the same," I hear Cherry Pop say. "And their houses look the same as well," Yes Cherry Pop, we can all see that. "And their mane designs are also-" I cut her off.
"Let me finish that line for you, Cherry Pop, They also look the same," I turn around to look at the red royal guard. "Do you have any other wondrous observation that none of us was able to spot? Maybe how this rock on the ground looks just like that pebble over there? No? Nothing? good." I take a deep breath and count to ten.
"If you have nothing but the most obvious observations to add to a given conversation, then perhaps it is a better idea for you to be quiet," I tell her and continue walking toward the house that presumably belongs to Starlight Glimmer, ignoring the stares from the police officers on my back.
"Is he always like this?" One of the officers asks, receiving an affirmative grunt in response from Cherry Pop.
I stand right before the door to Starlight's house, "You, knock on this door for me," I tell Flash Sentry, who looks around to see if I was addressing anybody else, and walking up dejectedly when he notices that everyone is looking at him.
I make way for him to reach the door, where he quickly knocks on it three times. No magical trap was activated, better safe than sorry.
"Coming!" A cheerful voice calls out from the other side of the door, The Sheriff walks up to stand next to me, and we wait in quiet as we hear hoof steps getting closer from the other side of the door, before it opened, revealing a light-purple Unicorn with a dark purple mane, Purplish-blue eyes and several light-turquoise streaks in her hair.
"Ah, You must be Starlight Glimmer!" I say loudly as I quickly grab her hoof and shake it, causing the mare to blink rapidly in confusion before taking her hoof out of mine, "Thank you so much for inviting us in!" I say loudly, moving into her house, followed closely by the Sheriff and my royal guards, ignoring the Unicorn's protests.
She quickly catches up to us as we stop in the middle of her mostly empty house, "I don't know who you are, but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," she tells us.
I give a quick look to my guards, gesturing in her direction a few movements that got a nod out of the green Pegasus, who nudged Cherry Pop and Flash Sentry before whispering in their ears what I told him with those movements.
"Miss Glimmer, You probably don't know who I am, but I certainly know who you are" I tell her, making her look at me instead of at the sheriff who was carefully taking out a pair of cuffs, or at the guards who started to circle her.
"You see, for the last month or so, I've been following a trail that caught my attention," I ignore the blinks of astonishment from the guards at the obvious lie, "You see, It all started when a detective pal of mine brought over a poster he wanted me to look at," I told her, lying through my teeth.
"It was this missing person poster, posted by one Starshine Campfire, I'm sure you can find that name recognizable."
Starlight started looking around her, her hooves shifting around as if waiting to run. I smirked.
"What I'm trying to get at, Is that you are under arrest," and as those words leave my mouth, The guards that surrounded her jumped.
Unfortunately, with a quick aquamarine flash from her horn, Starlight was at the other side of the room, throwing a wooden bed straight at us.
We all quickly ducked underneath the bed, letting it fly and crash behind us in an explosion of splinters.
"After her!" The Sheriff yelled and a group of officers ran into the house, and down the tunnel that was hidden underneath her bed.
I sighed at seeing Starlight disappear.
I knew she probably would have tried to fight and escape, I just hoped it would be more exciting than throwing a bed and running away.
"We'll take it from here," The sheriff patted me on my shoulder, "Thank you for bringing this up with us, Your Highness."
I nodded and walked outside, intent on leaving the rest of the job to the people who actually get paid to deal with this.
I sat underneath a pine tree as I waited for my guards to get the carriage ready so I could return to the castle, my job here was done, All I had to do was wait for the eventual report, and bada-bing bada-boom.
ZAP ZAP CRASH
I quickly stood up as those sounds hit my ears, I turned to look at my guards, only to find them out cold.
"You..." A voice said, and I turned to see a very angry Unicorn, with a shining purple horn pointing at me.
Oh... Starlight wasn't caught yet...
"You took everything from me..." She growled at me, And If this situation wasn't as serious as it was, I would have told her that I didn't take anything and that she was being stupid. But alas, years in the Navy taught me how to act when someone was pointing a gun at me.
"At the very least, I am going to take your Cutie Mark from you before I leave!" She yelled, and with a flash of pain, I felt as if a piece of my leg just got cut off.
"Hahaha! With this, you won't be able to use your magic to stop me!" She smiled as she looked into a glass jar, inside of which was a compass star, the same one from the Cutie Mark on my flank.
But, regardless of the seriousness of this situation, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as the danger of the moment made itself known.
And I smiled.
"You know," I told her, "I don't need my magic to beat you into the cold hard dirt,"
"What?" She asked, looking away from the jar and towards me.
Or more specifically, my hoof.
And as my hoof made contact with the Unicorn's face, the jar she held fell to the ground and I suddenly felt a warm energy flow through me as my Cutie-mark suddenly flew back onto me.
My smile only widened when Starlight turned back to me, her brows glaring at me and her horn glowing once more, ready to fight.
"Yes!" I yelled, running towards her, my front legs flying towards her as I punch in her direction.
She simply growled as she ducked under a punch, shooting a thin beam of Turquoise energy out of her horn which I quickly roll to the left to avoid, my smile widening at the sound of tree branches snapping behind me.
"This is what I live for!" I yell excitedly as a blue glow surrounds my horn, and a heavy tree branch is thrown at Starlight, who ducks under it while walking backward, her eyes not leaving me as I continue to move closer and closer.
And just as I'm about to hit her, I quickly dodge to the side and evade the massive pile of snow that fell from the branches above me, before springing forward and decking Starlight in the face.
"The Action! The Adrenaline!" I yell as I throw another punch, Starlight quickly teleports a few meters away, her horn ready to blast another spell as a bruise grows around her eye.
"This excitement!" I smile wider as I dash in her direction, ducking beneath the low-hanging branches in the way, ignoring the scratches on my body from all the dodging and rolling.
And just as I reached her spot, my hoof ready to rain another few punches at her, her eyes turned to pinpricks.
And with a flash of Aquamarine light and the sound of a hoof hitting flesh, we both disappeared.
Leaving behind us a snowy forest clearing, with pockmarks of magic and broken branches, a magical carriage, and three unconscious guards.
"What the hell do you mean the Prince is missing?!" Sheriff Oakflank yelled at the three royal guards who stood in front of him.
These three knuckleheads had a single job, making sure that Prince Blueblood is safe and protected. And what does he find?!
THEY FAILED!!!
First Starlight Glimmer managed to escape, And Now Prince Blueblood has disappeared! What's next? The Princess Finds Out?!
Oh...
"Sir, We assure you that Starlight couldn't have gotten far," The Orange Pegasus tried to reassure the fuming Sheriff.
"Yes! She couldn't have made it far with all the snow outside! All we have to do is send out a search party! I'm sure that we'd find both of them before the Princess even finds out about it!" The Red Pegasus also said loudly, likely in an attempt to reassure herself more than him.
But Sheriff Oakflank ignored both of them and instead focused on the pony behind them, A pony that only the green guard managed to see walk in, and smartly kept his mouth shut.
"Until the Princess finds out about what?" The pony that stood behind the guards asked, and likely not hearing that the pony who asked the question wasn't the sheriff, the Red Guard answered.
"Until she finds out that both Starlight Glimmer and Prince Blueblood are missing of course!" Oakflank and the two male guards looked at the only female Pegasus in the room as if she was the stupidest pony they'd ever met.
And seeing the looks aimed at the inexperienced Royal Guard, Princess Luna couldn't help but agree.
"We have returned from an arduous day of flying all over the country," Now it seems that the Guard managed to catch on to what was happening, "And not just to Canterlot and Back, We have spent our precious time assisting these fine ponies with the return of the Cutie Marks that were removed and held by Starlight Glimmer," The mare slowly turned her head to see that her two coworkers were looking away from her.
"And what do we hear when we reach the precinct?" Cherry Pop finally turned her head enough to see the new Princess of Equestria, Princess Celestia's long lost sister, Princess Luna, Staring at her as if she was not even worth her pity, such was the sheer amount of disappointment that could be felt directed straight at her.
"That the pony you three were specifically tasked with protecting has been taken?" None of the guards could look at the Princess, and Oakflank couldn't blame them.
If he was as young as them, he might have started crying. But he wasn't young, Oakflank has been in the police force for over forty years, He knew how to deal with angry nobles.
"Your Majesty," He bowed his head, Exactly how he did it twenty-four years ago when the grandson of a visiting diplomat was foalnapped, "Allow me to show you where the scene of the crime happened, perhaps you would be able to find something we didn't," He waited for the princess to nod before he straightened up, grabbed a winter coat, and led the Princess of the night to Bluebloods Carriage.
Looking at the scene in front of her, Luna frowned.
Broken branches littered the clearing, burnt spots in the dirt indicated where blasts of magic were struck, and the snow has clearly been shifted as if somepony rolled and ran through parts of it.
A clear sign of a struggle, which if Luna followed the order of events that seemed to form when she looked at the marks, all ended in one spot.
A circle in the ground, devoid of snow, or grass, almost as if something appeared and ate everything inside of the circle but the ground itself. Or more realistically. Moved it somewhere else.
"But how can that be?" Luna whispered as she studied the empty patch of dirt.
"A Teleportation spell is carefully adjusted to only take the things you want to teleport, the grass and snow should still be here," Luna took another look at the clearing, and at the small indents in the ground that were slowly disappearing as the slow wind pushed snow to cover them, but not enough for them to disappear.
"Hoof-steps... They're bigger than the ones that look to be walking backwards into the circle, so these must be Blueblood's" Luna studied the two sets of hoof-prints.
"Starlight Glimmer walked backward, keeping her horn aimed at Blueblood," Luna looked in the direction that the hoofs would be facing, seeing the burnt spots on the ground and a pile of snow below a tree clear of the stuff, "Starlight tried shooting Blueblood, which caused him to roll out of the way, leaving these spots of shifted snow and dirt, So she tried dropping this here pile of snow on top of him, but he once again moved out of the way,"
Luna studied the hoof-prints more carefully.
"Starlight's prints only started here, but Blueblood was running from over there," Luna looked to a different part of the clearing, where she could spot another two sets of Hoof-prints, where this time the smaller pair disappeared before reappearing next to the path leading to the circle.
"So she teleported to get away from him, But why didn't Blueblood use a- Of course! Blueblood is a Prince, not a Warrior!" Luna exclaimed when she finally pieced all the pieces together.
"He doesn't know any spells that he found to be useful in this situation, so he used his larger body to his advantage in close-quarters combat!" Luna once again looked over the prints where Starlight seemed to have Teleported away from him, noticing that the smaller set of prints was stepping over itself, almost as if trying to balance itself after being hit!
Eyes now wide, Luna looked at the circle of missing snow where the two sets of hoof-prints ended.
"Starlight was planning on Teleporting herself to a more secure place to continue the fight, but Blueblood caught up to her and hit her again, ruining her concentration on the Teleportation spell! That's why the snow and grass are gone! She lost control of the spell so it took everything in its radius!"
A realization hit her, "But if that's the case! That means she also lost control of where the Spell dropped them, And Starlight is a Powerful Unicorn, a Teleportation spell going haywire to a Unicorn like her... The two of them could be anywhere in the north!"
Luna quickly spread her wings and flew back to the Flamefall County police department, intent on telling the Sheriff of what she figured out.
Starlight was cold, but she was also warm.
Her whole body hurt, and she didn't know why.
She tried moving her legs, but she found herself too tired to do so.
She tried opening her eyes, but found herself too cold to try.
"What's happening?" She asked out loud, barely able to hear herself with how fry her throat felt.
"Just hang on," She heard a voice from underneath tell her, "I've almost reached shelter," She didn't recognize who that voice was, It sounded like they were carrying something heavy, but she didn't care enough to check what they were caring or who they were.
Because Starlight was cold, Oh so cold, but she was also warm.
And when her tired and cold mind returned to the gentle embrace of sleep, she dreamt of a Unicorn walking through a frozen tundra, carrying another Unicorn on his back, her body wrapped with the only coat the two of them had, leaving the Unicorn who was doing carrying without a coat.
Forcing him to face the elements of the frozen north all by his lonesome.
Those were the words that kept repeating in Starlight Glimmer's mind as she slept her headache away.
All she could remember was getting punched in the face, and her horn releasing an unseemly amount of magic all at once, knocking her out.
"Why is everything so cold?" She wanted to open her eyes and look, see for herself the reason she was freezing, but she couldn't.
Be it the magical fatigue from her spell going haywire, or just the freezing shivers of her body as she tried in vain to rub her body, generating even the most meager amount of body heat.
She didn't know how long she's been cold, it could have been an hour or it could have been days, but nevertheless, she was cold.
Oh so cold.
When Starlight finally opened her eyes, it was to find herself laying inside of a cave, a campfire made of small sticks and twigs burning a meter away from her, and her body covered in an unfamiliar coat.
"Where am I?" She asked raspily, one hoof quickly moving to massage her throat as she felt her breath leave her lungs as if grinding on sandpaper.
The cave itself was five meters tall, and three times as wide, she could see the entrance of the cave, a white canvas painting the outside of the cave in a heavy snowstorm, she could just barely make out a pile of sticks laid in front of the entrance like a fence, trying to stop the snow from getting too far into the cave.
"Hey you, you're finally awake," A voice she could barely recognize called out to her before a figure hidden on the other side of the campfire threw a bundle of twigs and dried pine leaves into the flame.
"You..." Starlight rasped as she squinted her eyes, looking at the pony who moved around the fire and sat next to her.
His white fur was matted and wet, and his blonde hair was sticking to his face, he wasn't wearing the coat she had previously seen him wear when she tried to get her revenge on him, and the tips of his hooves were red.
With eyes widening, Starlight weakly tried to crawl away from the Unicorn, only to trip over herself and slam her chin onto the floor.
"If you're going to try and kill yourself in the snowstorm outside, could you at least give me back my coat?" He asked her, his eyes not leaving the fire and two sharp wooden sticks that seemed to be burning some sort of creature she couldn't recognize.
"Why are you here?" She asked, weakly turning her body around so she could look at him.
"Why are you asking stupid questions?" He replied to her with an eye roll, "I should be asking how long you think it would take for you to send us back, but if you think running into that snowstorm outside is the best option, I think I'll take my chances in this cave,"
"Why would I send you back?" Starlight returned his question back at him, causing the Stallion to stop looking at the fire and turn to look at her as if she was stupid, Starlight wanted to punch him in the face.
"Because if you send me back to Equestria, you wouldn't have a murder charge on your profile," Starlight paused.
"What?"
"You are a wanted fugitive, Miss Glimmer," The stallion turned back to look at the fire, his magic levitating out a small fish impaled on a stick, giving it a closer look before levitating it towards her, "It's better to not add a crime as horrible as Regicide to your much tamer list of medical malpractice and illegal construction work, By the way, I hope you like eating blind cave fish because that's all we have."
Starlight tried to grab the fish in her telekinetic hold but had to quickly move to her hooves when her horn started to ache.
She looked at the prince, eating the seethrough fish with a look of annoyance on his face, before looking at her own fish.
It was small, half the size of her hoof, with seethrough scales and no eyes.
She gulped, her dry throat uncomfortably itchy as she looked at the tiny fish. She wanted to throw up, she always saw the act of eating meat as lesser, she was a pony, after all, her diet was mostly herbivorous. But seeing the small fish, the smell of food wafting into her nostrils, and the lack of anything else to eat.
Starlight caved, and she cried as she ate the underground fish.
She cried not because she found it disgusting, no. She cried because right there and then, that bland, blind cave fish, with no spices or oils, that was being cooked over a rudimentary campfire. It was the tastiest thing she ever ate.
Starlight didn't know when it was that she fell asleep, but when she next woke up, it was to find herself once again in that same cave, the snowstorm outside stronger than previously, and the campfire in front of her barely burning.
Looking around the cave, she spotted Blueblood exiting the deeper part of the cave, around a curve hiding it from her view, carrying a makeshift wooden spear in his telekinesis, A few more fish impaled on the end of his makeshift fishing device.
When he spotted her looking at him, he sighed and slowly walked up to her, before lifting her from the ground and placing her on his back. She was too tired to push him away, it was a miracle she was able to keep her eyes open with how tired and cold she felt.
"We need to get moving, The Storm outside isn't going to stop anytime soon, and we can't just stay here until it does, We'll both freeze to death," He explained to her as he started carrying her deeper into the cave.
As they moved deeper into the cave, Starlight was able to see where the fish came from.
A large underground pond, The crystal clear waters of the spring allowed her to spot the many fishes swimming in the pool, she even managed to spot a small crab scuttling its way under the surface of the pool.
"Where are we going?" She asked, Turning her head to look away from the pool.
"Deeper into the cave," Blueblood explained to her, before stopping and pointing his spear at the other side of the pool.
Starlight followed where his spear was pointed, faintly managing to spot a section of the cave wall that seemed to be covered in bricks.
"What is that?" She asked.
"I don't know, but whatever is over there, is preferable from freezing to death," And with those words, Blueblood continued walking around the underground pool.
Starlight tiredly nodded her head, her hooves dangling off the Prince's body as his body heat warmed her up.
The soft beating of his heart and the movement of his lungs slowly lulled Starlight back to sleep, making her last view before the sweet embrace of dreams be that of herself, reflected in the water of the underground pond, the only source of light being Blueblood's horn. Before that reflection started to ripple when a small fish swam through it.
Blueblood paused after reaching the other side of the large underground pool.
He stood in front of what looked like a stone door built into the walls of the cave, the bricks around it only holding it in place to reinforce it.
Seeing it, he was reminded of a Video Game he used to play years ago, Skyrim it was called, and just that memory caused a small smile to spread over his tired face.
Readjusting the passenger on his back, he put the spear on the ground and used his magic to open the door.
The stone slab that made up the door ground and shook, before slowly moving to the side, allowing him to see what was on the other side.
With an excited smile on his face, an unconscious criminal on his back, and a spear with three fish in his hold, Blueblood walked into a corridor of bricks and stone.
Each step he made moved dust from the floor, as he looked at the walls he could see carvings and images of Yaks and Dragons.
"A war between Dragons and Yaks? I should read some of this whenever I get back," The Prince whispered to himself as he walked deeper and deeper into the underground tunnel.
It wasn't long before he reached another door, one much bigger than the one at the entrance.
He tried to push on it, but it barely budged. He tried harder, and it only moved slightly.
He thought of giving up on moving the large rock until he heard a faint sound coming from the other side of the rock.
Sounds of somebody... crying?
Blueblood tried once again to push the door, dust and cobwebs flying about as he pushed harder and harder, each attempt to move the door of carved stone one managing to move the slab a centimeter at a time.
But someone was on the other side of that rock, and whoever they were, they must know a way to get out of there! And with those words in his head, Blueblood finally managed to push the door open, the large stone slab sliding backward before falling into a large pond of crystal clear water.
"Is anybody there?" He called out to the room, the faint crying he heard from the other side of the door all but gone.
The room was large, with a large pond of water in its middle, with four walkways from the corners of the circular room all acting as a bridge, connecting to the middle of the room, above the pool of water, where an elegantly carved pedestal stood, a soft glow emanating from whatever it was holding.
Readjusting the hold of the passenger on his back, he walked up the nearest walkway, the thing emanating the glow from the pedestal almost in view.
And when he reached, he couldn't stop himself from gasping.
On the pedestal, was a broken piece of a gemstone, almost in the shape of a triangle, It was red with subtle lines of green underneath the crystal surface, twisting around like the designs of a marble.
But what stood out the most, was that the gem only took up a fifth of the room in the pedestal, almost as if it was a piece of a larger whole, like a puzzle.
Blueblood slowly moved his hoof to touch the crystal, stopping to look for any traps, before nodding to himself and picking up the gem.
And then he heard it again, the voice crying from before, he heard it far more clearly than before.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" He asked again, his voice echoing over the walls of the empty room.
Seeing that nobody was answering him, he looked to the other side of the room, away from where he came from, and spotted another door.
With the gem held in his magic, and Starlight on his back, he kept walking towards the door.
Deeper and deeper into the cave, And deeper into the ancient ruins that it held.
And as he kept walking deeper into the ruins, he once more failed to find the source of the crying.
And he also failed to notice the red and green gem pulsating in his magical hold as if it was a distress signal on mute.
Ponyville was home to a colorful cast of characters, but none were more colorful than the Elements of Harmony, or at least their current bearers.
From the Sporty and Loyal Rainbow Dash to the Kind and timid Fluttershy. From the Cheerful and Happy Pinkie Pie to the Honest and Helpful Applejack. From the Elegant yet Generous Rarity to the most important pony in the group.
The Smart and Magical, Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight! Another letter arrived!" Oh! And we can't forget Spike the Dragon of course.
Looking up from the book she was reading, The Purple Unicorn quickly turned to her little brother.
"Another Letter? then if you could," She said, and Spike coughed into his hand before opening the paper scroll that the Princess of Day uses to write her letter.
"Dear Twilight Sparkle, I am sorry to tell you that my visit to Ponyville this weekend has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Due to the circumstances in question being a more private matter than I am used to dealing with, I would kindly ask you not to overthink the cause Still, I look forward to when we next are able to properly speak, face to face ~Your teacher, Princess Celestia"
Twilight paused to take in what Spike read to her, before yelling at the top of her lungs "She's not coming?!"
Raven Inkwell was tired, ever since Prince Blueblood Disappeared two days ago, Princess Celestia has been investigating any possible sightings of the missing prince, Leaving her to do all the work.
She understood that leading the nation should the available members of the Crown be unable to do so is part of her Job, But that doesn't mean that she has to like it.
"Raven, Our Appaloosa Liaison just sent us another letter, Deal with it!" And with those words entering her ears, The Earth Pony secretary sighed quietly into her hooves.
Why can't Celestia do this herself?
The Princess of the Sun was having a stressful day.
When news reached her of her So-NEPHEW disappearing in a Teleportation spell, she was terrified! She spent hours pacing back and forth in her chambers, hoping for news to reach her, telling her that her darling nephew was found and safe.
But when no news reached her, she started to fear the worst. And nothing is worse for a Mo-AUNT than imagining her nephew in horrible scenarios.
Oh, How worried and scared she was for him, When he gets back she would make sure he wouldn't leave her sight for at least a month, No, A Year!
Oh, How scared he must be right now, being all alone without anypony to take care of him, How terrible.
If only she knew where he was, He wouldn't have to be so scared.
Princess Celestia quickly started searching for a hidden box of cakes she stored secretly for stress eating.
"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got," When Starlight once again opened her eyes, She found herself still being carried by the Prince, a glowing gem in the shape of a broken triangle levitating next to his head like a lamp, and a song leaving his lips as he carried her on his back down the mysterious ruins the two entered.
"Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot," Starlight tried to move her legs, wincing as the feeling of needles and pricks assaulted her as blood started flowing back to her numbed limbs.
The Prince stopped his song when he felt her move and turned his head so he could see her from the corner of his vision.
"Wakey Wakey," He smiled down on her, making the situation Starlight found herself in more annoying than she would like.
Okay, Scratch that, being stuck in the middle of nowhere is already a horrible situation, the annoying attitude of the prince is actually a somewhat welcome thing.
"Why are you still helping me?" Starlight asked, causing the Prince to stop his walk, turning his head further so he could look at her more clearly.
Her coat was matted, and sweat stuck to her face, she was obviously not well. But even still, The prince not only gave her his coat, but also carried her on his back through how many kilometers of freezing tundra, and even got her food and fire, and for what? Why is he doing this?
The Prince looked at her, thinking over the words he was going to use, before sighing and telling her.
"Starlight Glimmer, You are under arrest." He told her, causing the purple Unicorn to wince as the situation of what happened when she was previously lucid hit her.
"But," Prince Blueblood cut her chain of thought "As a Prince of Equestria, I do not make the laws, I enforce them. This means, that until you reach a court hearing and trial, you are under the protection of the government, and subsequently, The Crown," He turned away from her and started walking once more.
"Until we return to Equestria and you are handed over to police custody, it is my duty as a member of the Crown to assure your safety," Starlight could feel the somewhat positive emotion that the prince previously shared when he interacted with her, however briefly, almost completely evaporate.
She was no longer talking to Prince Blueblood Platinum the individual, she was instead dealing with Prince Blueblood of Equestria.
"If I wasn't such an upstanding individual who respected the law and order of the nation, I would have left you out in the snow to freeze," Starlight could almost feel the sneer on his face as she looked at the back of his head.
"Because allow me to remind you, It was your lawbreaking that got us into this situation in the first place, So unless you can finally walk on your own or can utilize your magic to help us in any form at all, I would kindly ask for you to shut the fuck up and let me get us out of this place,"
And so a silence descended on the duo as they walked deeper into the ancient brick tunnel.
It was hours later, that Blueblood Decided to stop for the time being and catch some sleep.
He was close to finding an exit from the ruins, he could feel it in his gut.
So with thoughts of no longer being underground, Blueblood went to sleep.
In his dream, he found himself standing on a flat, empty plane, floating in the middle of space. Everywhere he looked, he could see stars and suns, planets and galaxies, nebulae and streaks of shooting asteroids.
It was a unique thing to dream about, especially when he was lucid.
Until he heard a voice from before, the sound of someone crying.
He quickly looked around, hoping to find where the crying was coming from, yet he couldn't find it.
"Hey! Anybody here?" He yelled out, and the crying stopped.
"I'm over here!" He heard the voice of a woman call out to him in response, he turned to look at where the voice was coming from, yet he couldn't see anything.
"Where?" He asked, his head turning around as if on a swivel, searching for the woman, yet only finding more stars and nebulae.
"I'm over here! Behind you!" He turned behind him, hoping to find the source of the voice, yet he still didn't see anybody.
"Down Here!" The voice, now much closer than before, called out to him, and Blueblood looked down.
And he saw-
A loud roar echoed through the tunnel where the two Unicorns came from, waking the two of them up.
"What's going on?" Starlight asked in a panic as Blueblood once again picked her up and placed her on his back, before he picked up the glowing gem and started running deeper into the ruins.
"Something is coming," Blueblood answered, running past intricate statues of long-dead warriors, Yaks who lost their lives to an Ancient Dragon war centuries ago.
ROAAARRRRR!!!!!
The roar of whatever creature was suddenly chasing them was heard closer.
The Prince ran past detailed murals on the wall, stone statues, and carved walls, before reaching an almost dead end.
In front of him stood the largest door he found yet, twice as tall and wide as the stone slab that acted as a door to the room where he found the glowing Gem.
Good news, This time it was an actual door instead of an intricate stone slab, Bad news, it looked very heavy and Blueblood doubted he had time to open it before whatever was now chasing them would reach him,
But he didn't really have a choice, did he?
Grabbing the gem in his hoof, Blueblood put all his effort into his Telekinesis, a magical skill that is found in all Unicorns. Which sadly for our protagonist, was something he wasn't used to doing.
With a blue glow both around his horn and around the large stone doors, Blueblood pushed.
The doors barely moved, but they did! That means he could open them.
He pushed again, the glow around his horn growing in intensity as his telekinesis worked harder than it ever did, both since Newblood took over the body of the prince and before it.
Slowly, the door was opening wider and wider, and a loud noise similar to chalk grinding on a board sounded out as the two large stone slabs slowly slid apart, barely making out the staircase on the other side.
"Behind you!"
But it was too late, Just as Starlight screamed her warning, A large white beast exited from the darkness of the tunnel behind them, its tiger-like face illuminated by the glow of the gem in Blueblood's hoof, Its ape-like palms on the ends of its front legs where dissimilar to the cat-like paws on its back legs, Its large quadrupedal body almost reaching the ceiling of the ancient ruins they found themselves in.
Almost without thinking, Blueblood ran towards the doors, and to the small opening he managed to make in them.
He knew he would have to squeeze to make it through with Starlight on his back, so he threw her.
"Ack!" Starlight cried as her body hit the stone floor on the other side of the door, her head quickly moving to see the large white beast descending on top of Blueblood, And she knew that if she didn't do anything RIGHT NOW he was going to die, and if he died, she was as good as dead.
And so, ignoring the ache in her horn, and the pins in her body, Starlight Glimmer pointed her horn at the beast, and fired a beam of aquamarine light.
SMACK
With a sound akin to flesh being slapped, the beast was thrown away from Blueblood, buying the prince just enough time to run past the small opening, and swiftly close the doors behind him. Shutting the two of them away from the monster, but also away from the path that was known.
"What was that?!" Starlight yelled between heavy breaths, her horn was still sore from the teleportation spell, now the pain from her horn almost made it impossible to keep her eyes open, but she had to move through the pain.
"I don't know," The prince said, before slowly leaning his back on the wall next to the door, and sliding his body down, a few chuckles escaping his lips.
Those chuckles soon turned to chortles, and then to full-blown laughter.
"We almost died! Hahaha! How exciting! This is what I'm talking about! Out in the open seas, In a brawl, and even exploring ancient ruins, Haha! The rush! The Adrenaline!" Blueblood laughed, a wide smile on his face as he turned to look at Starlight.
"You saved my life, How amazing! How would you like to become my bodyguard when this is all over? I can get you acquitted of all crimes, You'll have a stable job, What do you say?" He asked her, his eyes wide in excitement and the smile still on his face.
Starlight gawked at the new persona of the prince, "What about enforcing the law?" She asked.
"Enforcing the law? Bitch I am the law! I'm Prince Blueblood Mother-fucking Platinum! I tell the judge you're innocent, He apologizes to ME for fucking up, You get it?" He leaned his body forward, eyes still wide with excitement.
"Become my bodyguard? Or go to jail? I'm not telling you which option you should choose, But I do know which option allows you to not get arrested for Attempted Regicide." Starlight grimaced when she heard his offer.
Before she sighed, and crawled closer to him, before leaning next to him on the wall and grabbing his hoof in her leg.
Blueblood's smile only got wider when she nodded, "This is so EXCITING! I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Haha!" Starlight was already regretting her decision, but then again, the last few years of her life were filled with bad decisions.
Starlight didn't know what she expected would happen when she agreed to Blueblood's offer.
From whatever position she looked at it from, the moment he asked her to become his new bodyguard after she saved his life from whatever that creature that attacked them was, was almost like a scene from a novel.
Where they later have a heartfelt talk about the shared past the two had, putting differences aside, leading to a change in how the plot of the book goes.
None of that happened to her.
There wasn't any shared past to talk about seeing as they knew each other for less than a week. Or maybe more? Starlight spent so many hours asleep and then underground she doesn't know how much time passed.
But in any case, After shaking hooves with the prince, his attitude hasn't seemed to return to his normal "Oh Woe is me, I am much more important than you since I'm the prince, Ho Ho Ho Ho Ha!" Attitude, and instead stayed as the "I'm the prince baby! And I will punch you to prove it! Let's fight!" Attitude that seemed for some reason both out of character to what she knew of the stallion, but also unquestionably a way that Blueblood would behave.
And that's what happened, nothing.
Nothing really changed other than the fact that she was now walking on her own, and the flat corridor has turned into a rising staircase.
Climbing... Yay...
How far has she climbed? 50 meters? 100? Maybe a Kilometer? Starlight didn't know.
But in any case, with Blueblood holding the glowing gem in his magic, the two Unicorns were able to see the top of the staircase and another stone door.
The door was large, far bigger than the one at the bottom of the stairs, carved with ancient imagery of Yaks and Dragons, depicting scenes from an Ancient War.
"Shit..." She heard the prince mutter to himself as he looked at the large door, ten meters tall and each side three meters wide, it would have to be a chore to open it by himself.
But luckily for her new employer and the pony who's going to keep her out of prison, she managed to get her Magic back after firing the beam at the snow-panther-baboon-monster or whatever that creature was supposed to be.
And so with an Aquamarine glow to her horn, she grabbed the two heavy doors and opened them. Eliciting a whistle of appreciation from the prince.
And the first thing that Starlight saw when she opened the door, was the outside world.
On the other side of the door was a large open cavern, large enough to house every pony from her village and then some, larger than the cave where she kept the Cutie-Marks, it was a huge cavern that opened up to the outside world.
The floor of the cavern was green with grass and moss, surrounding a fresh mountain spring trickling into the cavern from small holes in the ceiling, likely from melting snow. The pond in the middle of the cavern was large, larger than the one at the bottom of the mountain where she ate the fish, It was the size of a basketball field, the moss on the stones and the grass growing around it giving the place an almost magical feel when compared to the frozen plains outside the cave.
But what really caught her eye, was the large statue standing in the middle of the pond, facing away from her and looking in the direction of the entrance.
"This place is beautiful," She heard the prince whisper as he walked into the cavern, his hooves brushing on the soft grass.
Starlight quickly followed after him, intent on circling the spring and getting a look at the statue.
And so, while the prince started drinking water from the fresh mountain spring, she stared at the large stone figure.
It was of a Yak, with a large horned crown on his head, his body covered with heavy regal robes, intricately detailed, and his face was hidden beneath a large stone beard.
"Here lies the tomb of our Hero, King Tarkus IV, May his memory rest with the lives of his Comrades," She read, looking at a stone plaque beneath the statue.
And for the first time in years, Starlight was glad she learned how to read ancient Yak in school. It was either that or Griffon Gaelic.
She learned both...
The duo decided to take a rest in the spring, They had water to drink and they had grass to eat, even if Blueblood wanted to throw up at the prospect.
"Look over there," Blueblood pointed outside of the cavern, at a mountain a few kilometers away.
Starlight looked to where the prince was pointing, seeing the mountain in question.
"What is it?" She asked, not noticing anything strange about the mountain.
"Do you see that cliff?" He asked, pointing at a flat stone cliff illuminated with an orange glow.
"Yes, It looks pretty with the setting sunlight on it, sure, but why point it out?" She asked.
"It's not the setting sunlight," He smiled as he looked at the cliff, or more specifically at the light illuminating the bottom part of the cliff, its source is hidden between a valley out of view for the two ponies. "The sun is behind us, illuminating the entire side of the mountain in front of us, the mountain I'm pointing at is behind that other mountain, covered in its shade," Blueblood explained.
"The light on the cliff is also only illuminating the bottom half of the cliff, if it was the sun it would be illuminating the entire mountain, or at least the top that isn't shadowed by the mountain between us," He smiled when he noticed that Starlight was starting to catch on.
"So the light is coming from the bottom of the cliff?"
"Precisely, Which means that whatever is at the bottom of that cliff is generating enough light to be seen from here," He smiled.
"So there's a wildfire over there?" Blueblood shook his head.
"If there was a fire, we would be seeing much more smoke, and if it was Lava from a volcano then the light wouldn't reach that far up the cliff," Blueblood explained.
"That over there, Is civilization," He turned to smile at her, the setting sun reflected in the golden hair on his head, "And also our ticket of reaching Equestria,"
Seeing the smile on the prince's face, Starlight felt her lips curling upwards mimicking his own.
Soon, they'll be out of the snow and mountain. Soon, they'll be home.
"My Prince!" A Grey-haired Yak yelled as he ran up a set of stairs on his way to a large wood and stone manor.
Guards moved out of his way, and some quickly opened the doors for him as to not slow him down.
"My- My Prince!" He called out as he entered the large manor, Seeing the intricately detailed wooden throne at the end of the entrance hall, and the dark-orange colored Yak sitting at a table below the throne.
"Fergus," The orange Yak says as he looks at the grey-haired Yak who ran into the manor, "What meaning is there behind commotion this morning?"
"My Prince!" The now-identified Fergus ran up to the orange Yak and bowed to him before speaking, "Two Ponies are at the gates, They say they've been surviving out in the cold and need to make contact with Equestria!" Fergus took a few steps back to give his ruler room.
"Ponies at gate? Open gate, Let them enter! Get food and clothes ready! Ponies must be cold, They not strong like Yak!" The prince yelled before standing up from the table he sat at and made his way to the door of the entrance hall, intent on meeting with the Ponies.
Starlight wasn't happy.
Blueblood was right, the glow from the bottom of the cliff that they saw yesterday was indeed a city.
She was ready to get something to eat, an actual bed to sleep in, and make contact with her homeland so the Princesses won't kill her when they hear that Blueblood was forced to take care of her for several days.
But instead of all the good things that should have come with reaching civilization, Starlight was stuck in the snow outside the walls of the city while Blueblood was off talking with a gatekeeper.
"Look at them laughing, It's like they're best friends already," She muttered to herself as she watched the Prince speak and Laugh with the Yak who was standing at the top of the wall.
"Open Gate!" She could faintly hear someone shout from the other side of the wall, before the large wooden gate to the city opened, and Starlight laid her eyes on the Yak that stood beyond it.
"Ponies! Welcome to Yakyakistan!" The Orange Yak with the horned-golden helmet shouted at them, a wide smile on his face.
"Thank you for welcoming us," Prince Blueblood told the yak, giving him a curt bow.
Starlight started walking closer to the gate so she could get a better picture of what was going on.
"I am Prince Rutherford! Prince of Yakyakistan! Hope you not too cold!" The orange Yak yelled before turning his back on the two ponies and started walking into the city, "Follow me!"
I adjusted my Tuxedo collar as I sat down in the great hall of Prince Rutherford's castle/manor, the glowing gem I picked up in the cave sat in my pocket.
My coat was still worn by Starlight, but that was fine by me, By this point in time she's used it more than I have, seeing as I only bought it a day before arresting her.
"Allow me apology for poor condition!" The Yak prince said in his naturally loud voice as he sat on his throne, "Was not expecting you today, What surprise!"
"Yes, Allow me to also apologize to you, Your Highness," I told the prince, giving him a bow, "We did not expect to make it to your city either, our predicament came from a Teleportation spell going wrong, leaving my Bodyguard and I lost in the tundra several kilometers from here,"
"No need you apologize!" Prince Rutherford told me, "And no need bow, Yak don't need bowing," He smiled as he turned his head, Several Yaks walked into the room carrying plates of food and goblets of drink.
"We shall speak more about you soon," He told us, a smile on his face, "For now, Let us eat!"
Starlight looked at the plate in front of her, filled with Bread and Cheese and root vegetables and meats of all kinds.
It was only a few days ago that she ate meat for the first time, and now, seeing the roasted chicken leg on her plate, next to the buttered potatoes and gravy, she couldn't help herself but everything on the plate.
She was hungry okay! sue her.
Looking at the prince sitting on the seat next to her, closer to the Yak prince, she could see him eating much slower than her, trying to keep a modicum of decency as he ate.
Only to throw all of it out as he chugged from the goblet like a Stallion starved, Rich Golden Mead sliding down his chin as he drank the alcoholic beverage.
Staring at her own goblet, she pushed it toward her new boss.
She's not really a drinking type of girl, and somebody needs to stay sober for what's coming next, and seeing as both her Prince and the Prince of Yaks seemed to be in the midst of an improvised drinking game, It might as well be her.
I like to imagine I have a strong alcohol tolerance, You kind of had to be good at holding your drink if you didn't want to embarrass yourself in the Navy.
"-And then, And then the thieves just stood there! As if I didn't just catch them stealing *Hic* Who does that?!"
I was definitely not one-hundred percent sober right now, It would be dumb to think I was.
"Haha! What next? What next?" The orange Yak prince laughed loudly as he urged me to continue the story, his face red from all the drinking we'd done already.
"Next? They dropped on me! And they started trying to take the painting by force! haha! *Hic* But then- then this child, little boy, maybe seven or eight, tried to get them off me,"
"Oh no! Did they hurt boy?!"
"They did!" I yelled angrily, slamming my hoof on the table, "And I was angry at that! It's okay to beat me up, I can take it Dammit! But don't you dare lay your hands on children!"
Prince Rutherford slammed his hoof on the table as well, causing a louder sound than mine, "Good! Children pure! *Hic* Must be Protected!"
"Yeah! So I beat them up! All of them! They try hitting children? How do they like me hitting them?! Haha!"
"Hahaha! Yes! They get what deserve!"
"Hahahaha!" "Hahahaha!"
Starlight looked dispassionately at the two Princes, laughing like loons in a drunken stupor.
"Miss, Your rooms are ready," A yak lady came and told her, leading her away from the two powerful individuals who were acting like drunk idiots, "Don't worry about your husband, we will bring him to his room soon,"
Starlight took a moment to hear what she was told before quickly turning to correct the Yak, only to see that they were already gone.
Still hearing the sounds of drunken cheer down the hall, Starlight decided that catching some sleep will make her feel less like she made the worst decision of her life.
My head was pounding, I feel like I had just drank an entire buffet's worth of Alcohol and am now suffering the consequences.
"you're back!" A voice yelled as I pushed myself up from the floor, seeing my surroundings I can confirm that I am no longer in Yakyakistan.
The flat empty plane of space I stood on was exactly like when I tried sleeping in the tunnels. Endless space, with stars and nebulae as far as the eye can see.
"Look down here!" A woman's voice called to me, urging me to look down, seeing my hooves standing on the flat expanse of an endless nothingness.
"No! Over here, to the right!" The voice called once more, urging me to turn my pounding head to look in the direction, passing by stars, clouds of space dust, asteroid belts, a decapitated head, and planets with rings around them.
...Wait a minute.
I focused on the head, just laying on the ground in front of me.
The head looked like a weird mixture between an Antelope, a cat, and a snake.
The head was mostly covered in purplish-red fur, wide yellow eyes with slit pupils that stared up at me from the empty floor, and a pink neck extended downward before being cut off, like an action figure with missing pieces. The top of the head was covered in titanium blue scales that extended past the head like a mane of flowing hair, only instead of hair it was closer to a yellowish-green cobra hood. Topping it all off with a pair of backward-curving antelope horns.
"Hi! Now we can finally speak face to face!" The body-less head said as it smiled up at me.
I looked at it and blinked slowly, rubbing my eyes with my hooves before opening them again, seeing that the head was still there, smiling at me with eyes full of what looked like excitement and hope.
"Hi! Now we can finally speak face to face!" The decapitated head on the floor said as it looked up at me with its big yellow eyes.
I looked at it and blinked slowly, rubbing my eyes with my hooves before opening them again, seeing that the head was still there, smiling at me with eyes full of what looked like excitement and hope.
"I'm not drunk enough to deal with this," I muttered to myself and turned away.
"Hey! Wait! Don't leave me here!" The head yelled after me as I walked away from it, intent on either finding a way out of this void or waking up from this dream, whichever came first.
"At least stay and talk with me," The voice grew quieter as I got farther and farther away.
"I don't want to be alone anymore," I paused in my walking and turned around, facing the head on the floor, now almost a colorful dot in the distance.
"Fine!" I called out to the head, "We can talk!"
"Really?" The head asked quietly, sounding almost as if it was about to cry.
Sighing to myself for what I'm about to do, I started walking towards the head.
And as I walked closer and closer to the head on the ground, Never once did it let its eyes off me, always looking, hoping that I wouldn't leave it.
And as soon as I reached it, I laid down on my stomach, my head resting on my front legs so I would be in height with its eyes, and waited.
The head looked at me, a quivering smile slowly spreading on its face as it watched me simply laying in front of it.
"Kyaa!" It squealed, "Finally we have someone to talk to!" It said loudly, rattling my ears.
"It's been soooOOO LONG!" It said with a smile, "Do you know how boring it is to simply sit inside a crystal as nothing but a head for more than one-thousand years?!"
I shook my head, rubbing my ears in the process, "No, but I can imagine it's not enjoyable,"
"Not enjoyable? NOT ENJOYABLE?!" The head repeated louder, "This place is TORTURE!" And then it screamed, ouch.
"I didn't even do anything wrong!" The head yelled, moving side to side by using its neck as an axis.
"Can you not shout so loudly?" I asked the head, causing it to stop moving, "My ears already hurt, the acoustics in here are something else."
The head blinked before sheepishly looking away, "Eheh, sorry."
"Yeah, Whatever look, I don't know who you are and what you want from me, so if you're secretly some evil monster that's planning on taking over my body for your nefarious plot, just do so now, I don't have time to play around."
The head looked at me blankly, before it laughed out loud as if I just told it the funniest joke it heard in years. When you consider the fact that there's nothing here, it might actually be the only joke she heard in years.
"Haha, heh, I like you, Wanna go out?" It asked, a smile on its face.
"Sorry, I'm not into girls the size of my head," I told the head, a small smirk on my lips.
"Oof, Shut down!" The head smiled widely as it looked at me.
I smiled back at the head.
And as we both sat there in the absolute silence of the space around us, The head asked a question.
"What's your name?"
My eyes widened in surprise, I didn't introduce myself yet. Shit...
"I didn't introduce myself yet, have I?" I asked out loud, "Isn't it more proper for the one asking to introduce themselves first?" I looked at the head.
"It is, isn't it? I haven't had a conversation in more than a thousand years, sorry." It smiled sheepishly before coughing to the side.
"Ahem! My name is Co-"
I woke up, laying on a bed made of hay, my eyes pointing at a tall wooden ceiling.
"What was that dream?"
I rolled off the bed, finding a change of clothes already there, of what must be the comfiest Yak clothing. Those that can fit on a Pony at the very least.
Exiting the room after donning my new change of clothes and making sure the glowing gem I picked up is still secured in my pocket, I made my way down the nearest flight of stairs.
"Ah, Prince Blueblood!" A large orange yak saw me and pulled me into a suffocating hug, and then I remembered what happened last night.
After drinking ourselves drunk, Prince Rutherford agreed to take me back to Equestria on his ship after I show him the cave I found with King Tarkus IV's memorial.
"Prince Rutherford, good morning," I told the loud Yak leader as soon as he let go of me.
"No! Good morning to you! Come! Breakfast is ready! Come join!" And he quickly started walking away, forcing me to jog to catch up with him.
Celestia was sleeping longer than usual, the thought of her so-NEPHEW in danger made it practically impossible for her to rule the nation or get a good eight hours of sleep.
She slept from late in the afternoon to the late morning, waking up only to move the sun and then wallow in her worry.
"Your Majesty! A letter from Yalyakistan arrived!" Her secretary told her as she entered Celestia's room, passing over the letter.
Reading it over, Celestia blinked when she spotted a specific word, so she reread the letter, and then she read it again but with a smile slowly growing on her face.
"Dear Princess Celestia, I have found myself in the City Nation of Yakyakistan, No need to worry for my well-being, I will be back in Equestria before the Grand Galloping Gala, I also got a new bodyguard, Love you~ Prince Blueblood Platinum."
She smiled widely, color returning to her aurora of hair before she read the last part of the letter and chuckled.
"PS - Tell Shining Armor that I'm not going to be able to remember his name,"
"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" Raven Inkwell asked the Princess of the Sun, only to release a surprised cough as the princess dragged her into a powerful hug.
"It's more than alright, Raven," Celestia told her young secretary, "It's wonderful."
Celestia got up from her bed, and left her room, leaving behind her a red-faced and confused secretary.
"My name is Cosmos- oh, he woke up..." The decapitated head stared blankly at the spot the pony who talked with her previously laid before puffed her cheeks with a "humph!"
"I wasn't joking about going out tough..." She sighed dispassionately.
"Only a few more hours Cosmos, and then you can talk again..."
The next few hours for the decapitated head felt like an eternity.
After a hearty Yak breakfast, Starlight and I left the walls of Yakyakistan, accompanied by Prince Rutherford and some guards as we lead them to the spring cavern with the statue.
"Once again, I must thank you for agreeing to bring us back to Equestria," I told the Yak Prince as we slowly moved up the snowy slopes of the mountain.
"Nonsense! We both Princes, Must help each other, yes?" He laughed joyfully, shaking some snow and forcing Starlight to hold on to a nearby rock, "It is least I can do for bringing discovery of Yak history to light,"
"Nevertheless, Your assistance is appreciated all the same," I replied to him with a small smile.
And it wasn't long before we reached the open cavern at the top of the mountain, the gentle sounds of the mountain spring trickling down the walls into the pond in its center entered our ears, and the relaxing smell of the green grass and soft moss on the floor, and the tall stone statue that stood in the middle of the pond.
"Magnificent," One of the Yaks accompanying the prince whispered as he looked at the statue, before turning to look at the open stone door at the back of the cave, "Excuse me, Prince Blueblood, but is this the door you and your friend here came from?"
I look to the door he pointed at, and nodded my head, "Yes," I tell them as I take steps closer to the door, "At the other side of the ruins down here, there was the cave where we came from," I said.
"There was also some large monster down there," Starlight chimed in, already taking a seat on the soft grass near the pond, holding her cheek with her hoof.
"A Monster?!" Rutherford yelled, turning to look at Starlight in surprise.
"Huh?" Starlight sounded when she noticed the eyes of the Yaks on her, before nodding, "Yes, There was this white ape-cat creature down there, we had to throw it off to escape," She explained.
"Indeed, We locked it behind the doors at the bottom of this staircase, so be careful if you plan to explore down there," I said and turned back to Rutherford.
"So? We have shown you the cave, will you tell us how long we'll need to wait before we can set sail back to Equestria?" I asked him, receiving a nod in return.
"Hmmm, I can ready ship to carry you in three days' time, Do not worry Blueblood! You will be back in Equestria before ten days pass!" He yelled with a cheer, quickly joined by the other Yaks.
"Three more days? very well..." Suddenly a thought popped in my head, "In the meantime, Prince Rutherford,"
"Yes?"
"What are your thoughts about trains?" I asked the orange Yak.
"...I'm listening," He replied with a smile.
The Castle of canterlot was in a joyous mood. Not for any celebration or event, even though Janitor Barry is getting married, but because news arrived that Prince Blueblood is safe.
Or, it would be more realistic to say that most of the castle was joyous.
Sadly, three Royal Guards were stuck spending the day cleaning up after the tourists visiting the public section of the castle.
"This is so dumb! Why are we being forced to do this?!" A red Pegasus asked as she used her spear as a tool to pick up the trash from the floor, grimacing in disgust when the smell of what she was cleaning hit her nose.
"This sucks, sure, But we also kind of failed to protect the Prince, I'm just glad we're not getting fired," The orange Pegasus said with a chuckle, that trailed off when he noticed that his colleagues weren't laughing along.
"Grrr, What about you Wildflower? Since Flash Sentry is obviously fine with not complaining, do you have anything to add?" Cherry Pop moved her attention to the green Pegasus.
"Umm, I'm also glad we're not fired," The larger pegasus told his friend, "Can we get back to work? I want to finish this soon so I can buy my sister a present for her birthday next week."
"Ugh, Fine..." Cherry Pop groaned as she dropped her trash into a bag.
"It's Wallflower's birthday next week? Tell her I said Happy Birthday," Flash told his large green friend as he too placed the garbage he picked up in the bag.
"Sure," Wildflower said as just like his coworkers and friends, put the trash in the bag.
Cosmos perked up when she heard the clip-clip of hooves on the endless space of stars and planets that was her prison.
"So," She turned her head to look at the now familiar form of the White Unicorn, "I think we were doing our introductions?"
Cosmos smiled, "Yes! My name is Cosmos, What's your name?"
"My name is Prince Blueblood Platinum," The unicorn told her, and her smile grew wider in excitement.
The first person in hundreds if not thousands of years that she can talk to, and it's a prince. The Future keeps looking brighter by the day.
"Cool! Wanna date me now?" She asked him.
"No."
"Haha! Shut down yet again!" She laughed.
Yep, The future keeps looking brighter and brighter by the minute.
"And here we are," Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan said as he led Starlight and I towards a wooden dock on a snowy beach.
Yakyakistan, by virtue of being a City State, has itself situated close to the north-western sea for ease of reaching by sail.
"She's a beaut," I muttered as I beheld the large ship, It was fifteen meters wide and sixty meters long, at a height of five meters to allow room beneath the deck, made of beautiful brown wood and covered by decorative shields, each painted to look like a family insignia of a high-ranking Yak family.
In its center was a single large sail, ready to be unfurled, of white with a stripe of checkered blue and yellow.
It looked like a mixture between an old Viking Longboat, and a more modern wooden yacht.
And it was glorious.
"She is, yes. Designed by my great grandfather, She was." The Yak said as he joined me in staring at the marvel of Nautical Yakyakistani Craftsmanship.
"And in a week, This beaut will be bringing you home!" Rutherford exclaimed with a yell, slapping me on the back.
A smile spread on my face at the thought of sailing this absolute work of art.
"Oh, And about that proposal you had for a train," The Prince said and my mind was quickly pulled back to reality.
The ocean can wait, I have a job to do.
"So... What do you want to talk about?" Cosmos asked the white prince as the two of them sat once more in the middle of empty space.
Prince Blueblood stared at her quizzically.
"Aren't you the one who brought me here to talk?" He asked her, lifting an eyebrow in confusion.
"I didn't bring you here, you just started coming," She told him, "You found my head and started popping in here every few hours since."
"What do you mean I found your head?" Blueblood asked her, still confused as to what was the reason he kept appearing in this space with her.
"You see," Cosmos started, "My memory is a bit foggy, but once upon a time, long long ago, I was just doing my thing, flying through space, moving around planets and such, when suddenly BAM!" Cosmos exclaimed with a loud noise, "My body was trapped and split into six crystal pieces and scattered across the world!"
Blueblood stared at her, before nodding his head in understanding, "Makes sense, I did pick up a glowing gem before I came here the first time," He said, "Do you know why you were trapped and split into these gems then?"
"Nope," Cosmos answered, popping the P at the end.
"Really? No idea?" Blueblood asked her again.
"No, Nothing," She told him.
"Aha?"
"Nuh-uh,"
"Welp, That's a disappointment," Blueblood said as he tried again to get comfortable on the flat space.
"Yeah, If I knew why I was here, maybe I wouldn't have been so bored all this time," She groaned, before widening her eyes as a light bulb appeared above her.
"Hey! Why don't you find the rest of my body?" She asked the prince.
"I mean, Sure, I guess I can do that," The prince shrugged, causing the decapitated head to vibrate in excitement, "But I'm also very busy, so I can't go looking for them," He told her, causing her to stop her excited head jiggles.
"That's a shame," She sighed, "But, if you ever find one, you'll get it, right?" She asked him, receiving a shrug and a nod from the prince.
"I mean, sure, If I find them then I'd take them, I just won't be actively looking for them," The prince rolled his shoulders as he tried to find a better position to lie on the nothingness of space.
"And hey, soon I'll be back in Equestria, we'll be able to find some clues as to why you're like this if I search the Library," He told her, "By the way, my back is killing me, So I'm going to stretch with a walk, wanna come with?"
Cosmos looked at the prince, as he stood upon his legs and then stared at herself, a head without a body.
Only for her to yelp in surprise as she was enveloped in a blue glow before being lifted from the floor and deposited on the Unicorn's back.
And for the first time in however long she's been trapped, Cosmos felt the heat emanating from another living body. And she smiled, as the white prince carried her on his back, as if she was a princess (read Backpack)
"Wanna go out with me now?"
"No."
"Haha! Shut down yet again!"
Starlight held tight to the deck of the ship as the waves rocked it across the freezing waters of the north.
"Hahaha! You'll need to try harder to take me! Come on Mother Nature! Do your worst!" And as Starlight held onto the ship, she held even tighter on to the body of her new employer, and the singular lifeline saving her from being thrown into prison for the rest of her life. Trying to stop him from being thrown overboard by the waves and wind.
And for what must have been the hundredth time since she agreed to Blueblood's deal, Starlight regretted her past decisions.
Eleven Days, Nine Hours, Forty-seven Minutes, and Fifteen Seconds.
That is how much time passed since Princess Celestia received news of her Blueblood disappearing.
So when she received news of a Yakyakistani vessel sailing near the north-western sea, nearing the harbor of Seaddle. She paused whatever she was doing and went there, dragging her little sister with her as the two stood on the docks of the chill city, staring out to sea as a large Yakyakistani boat sailed nearer.
Squinting her eyes at the boat, Princess Luna gasped as she saw the figure of a white Unicorn, a wide smile on his face as he stood at the forecastle of the ship on his back legs, one leg in front of the other as he spread his front legs and shouted something.
"I'm King of the world?" Luna wasn't as well versed in lip-reading as her Sister sadly, so she couldn't figure out what he actually said, but nevertheless, the two princesses were glad to see the Prince returned to safety.
Only to gasp when he jumped off the ship toward the cold water of the sea, only to relax as a large wooden box floated over to catch him.
Blueblood walked along the box until he reached the edge, where he proceeded to keep walking as a new box appeared in front of him, continuing the walkway.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! So good to see you," He called out to them as he kept walking over an improvised walkway of floating wooden crates, "Luna, did you do something with your hair? It looks wonderful." He kept walking, and crates and boxes from behind him started to move forward to act as new steps, "Celestia, why do you look so glum? You should smile more often, Everyone likes to see you smile!"
Princess Celestia couldn't help herself, with a flap of her wings, she flew to the prince and picked him up in a hug.
"I was so worried about you," She told her Nephew as she hugged him close to her chest.
"There was no need to worry, Auntie, I got a new bodyguard to protect me," He told her awkwardly as he patted her leg.
"A new bodyguard you say? Well, I must thank them for keeping you safe fro- Oh..." Celestia stopped talking when she spotted the Purple and Aquamarine Unicorn, walking down the magical walkway of floating boxes before they levitated back to the ship.
"Auntie, I would like to introduce you to my new bodyguard, Starlight Glimmer!" Her little prince said with a smile as he gestured to the mare with his arm.
And as the Princess of the sun looked down at the mare who was the cause behind the whole fiasco, she forced herself to smile warmly at her, "Hello, Starlight Glimmer,"
Perhaps she smiled a bit... too warmly?
"Eh, Ahem... Hi?" Starlight said, sweat already dripping down her forehead in the late autumn wind.
Only for the warming exchange between the two to but interrupted.
"Farewell Blueblood! We speak more of the deal when official letter arrive!" A Yak from the ship yelled as he waved his leg in farewell to the Prince of Equestria.
"Farewell to you too, Rutherford!" Blueblood waved back to the orange Yak as the ship turned tail and sailed back north.
Leaving the pony passengers back in their homeland.
"Oh and Auntie, Starlight will be paying off her Prison time by working as my Bodyguard, Okay? Thanks!" Blueblood quickly told Celestia before squeezing out of her hug and running into the city, quickly being followed by Princess Luna.
Leaving Celestia and Starlight alone at the Seaddle docks.
"You wouldn't happen to have a wallet on you, yes?" I ask the Alicorn following after me as I make my way down the streets of Seaddle.
"That's your question?!" She exclaims as she speeds up her walk to catch up with me, "You've been gone for almost two weeks and the first thing you say to us is, "Hey, can I borrow some money?" What is wrong with you?!" She yells, frightening several nearby ponies who quickly look away when they recognize me and my cohort.
I look at her from the corner of my eye as I turn left at the intersection, "I mean, I've been gone for two weeks right? Think of this as me coping with such a tragic event," I explain to her with a cheeky grin as I turn into a nearby alleyway, startling a cat that was napping on a dumpster.
"What?!" Luna shouts as she follows after me as I move dexterously between dumpsters near the walls and puddles on the ground, twirling around a backdoor that almost opens onto my face, smiling at the pony who opened it before grabbing the trash bag from her hooves and chucking it into the nearest dumpster.
"We are so sorry about him," I hear Luna tell the pony as I continue making my way between the alleyways before I reach my supposed destination.
Tinted windows, a small wooden canopy above the door, a brown welcome mat beneath it, and a generic illustration of a keg sat on a sign hanging off the canopy.
"Yep, This is the place," I nod and walk in.
The inside of the building was much cleaner than some might expect from a building located in an alleyway, but these deep alleyway places are always the best.
Or the worst, It really depends on which side of town you are at.
The place was mostly empty, save for a gruff-looking Griffon sitting in a cubicle in the back and a fancy-dressed Minotaur behind the bar.
"Blueblood! Where are you going?!" I hear Luna call out to me as I close the door behind me, walk into the hidden establishment, and sit at the bar.
"What are you doing here?" The Griffon near the back asks as he stands up on Leopard-looking feet, his front talons tapping on the clean floor as he makes his way to sit next to me, "Shouldn't you ponies be up near main street?" He taps a claw on the wooden bar as he leans next to me, squinting his eyes as I smile at him.
"Sigmund, Live the man alone," The Minotaur says as he readjusts the black and white vest he whore before taking a few steps to stand in front of me, "So, What can I get for you?"
"Blueblood!" Luna yells as she enters the bar, her eyes immediately catching on to me before she spotted the two other people in the room. She coughed into her hoof, told them, "Excuse us for just a moment," and grabbed me in her magic, floating me outside of the bar and back into the alleyway we just came from.
"So, Do you have the money?" I ask her as I floated upside down, a sly grin still on my face as she tried to glare a hole into my forehead before she seemingly gave up and placed me back on the ground gently.
"Yes, We have money, but we will be talking about this," She sighed and followed me back into the bar.
"So, Will you be ordering anything?" The Minotaur asked as I sat back on the barstool, Luna grabbing a place next to me. The Griffon from before already back in his corner at the back.
"Yes," I smiled "I'll have a Negroni, and the lady will be having an Iced tea, you know, Not of the tea kind."
The Minotaur chuckled and turned to the shelf of bottles behind him, grabbing several of them at once and several cocktail shakers.
"Did you order for us?" Luna hissed in my ear as she kept her eyes trained on the Minotaur. "I did, Trust me, You'll like this new modern stuff," I told her, rhythmically tapping the wood with my hooves as I waited. A Smile on my lips.
"So." Starlight started before swallowing the rest of her sentence and looking away from the frosty Princess of the day.
"Indeed..." Celestia replied as she looked down at the mare who Illegally built a town, stole the inhabitants' cutie marks after indoctrinating them into her cult, avoided her taxes, didn't pay for a building permit, or a medical lisence.
But worst of all, This Mare attacked her little prince and somehow managed to convince him to spare her from life in prison.
Oh, how she must have tortured him with her evil spells in order to let her go free.
Or even worse! SHE SEDUCED HIM!!!
How tricky... Starlight Glimmer surely is a clever villain. But Celestia is Clever-er, All she has to do is catch Starlight slip in her act, and then BLAM! Straight to the bottom of Tartarus!
All she had to do is watch her, wait for her to fumble, and keep her eye on her at all times.
And then, her little Prince Blueblood will come back to Mama with tears of joy in his eyes, crying and hugging her as he thanks her for freeing him from this harlot. And she will hug him back, and whisper to him that there is no need to worry, Mama will always love him and always support him, no matter how old he gets...
Princess Celestia smiled. And Starlight Glimmer once again regretted her past actions.
"We're sorry!!!" Luna cried as she hung on to my shoulder, tears rolling down her face as she wailed.
We only drank one glass of what I ordered, but now we were back in the alleyway, slowly making our way back to the docks.
How was I supposed to know that Luna was a lightweight?! And I mean really lightweight! And she's also a Crying drunk, the worst kind of drunk to deal with.
I sighed to myself, "Why couldn't you be a party drunk, like me, or at least a sad drunk, they're still easier to deal with than a crying one," I asked her, receiving wails and cries of "I'm Sorry!" as a response.
"There there," I rub her back as she kept crying, "Everything's okay,"
"But It's our fault!" She cried louder, her voice bouncing back in the slight echo of the alley.
"It's because We didn't join you in investigating Starlight that you disappeared!" She cried, her tears staining my fur, "If we didn't tell you to investigate her, none of this would have happe-he-hend!!!"
I stopped walking and grabbed her cheeks, pushing her off of me and forcing her to look me in the eyes.
"Wha?" She voiced from between squished cheeks as I forced her to look at me.
"It was my choice to pick up the missing person's case, You didn't do anything," I told her, ignoring her tears staining my legs as I held her cheeks.
"B-b-but we-!" "You Didn't do anything wrong," I told her, "If you want to blame anyone, blame the police for not picking up on Starlight before we did,"
"But We-"
"No!"
"If we-"
"Nuh-uh,"
"Bu-"
"No ifs or buts!" I squish her face tighter, causing her to mewl in discomfort, "I might not look it, with my charmingly good looks and all," I tell her, "But I'm a grown-ass man, Luna, I can make my own choices, and sometimes I make mistakes, And that's fine."
She whimpered between my hooves, her tears slowing down.
"We can all play the blame game, thinking about how things could have been better, but we can't do anything but live with what we have," I tell her.
"It's our choices that define us, I chose to follow the missing pony poster, It was my choice to join the police in confronting her, and it was my choices that led me to the predicament that followed," I explained to her, "You didn't do anything, I chose it, and choices have consequences, some good, and some bad."
I smiled as I started moving her cheeks around my hooves, causing her to make funny noises "You get it? It was MY choice, not YOURS, so stop taking the blame,"
"I- We- But-" Luna whimpered from between her squished cheeks before she once again started crying uncontrollably.
I sighed to myself, "Yep, You're still drunk, don't know why I bothered,"
Reaching the docks with a now sleeping Princess on my back was far easier than with a crying Princess on my shoulder.
Celestia looked at the two of us, before sniffing the air and raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't know she was such a lightweight," I explained, and she nodded as If I explained everything that happened in the past half-hour in perfect detail.
And soon, with a glow from Celestia's horn, Luna and I found ourselves back at the castle, followed soon by Celestia teleporting in, and a loud crashing noise as a fourth pony landed in another room, likely flinging stuff onto the floor as a result.
Celestia looked at where the sound came from with a small smile on her face.
Two days passed since I returned to Canterlot Castle, and now it's time for me to get some actual work done. I read through the Nautical Science lessons book, so next time I meet the Chancellor of the EEA I'll be ready to take my test, but I'm not talking about that.
Cosmos, I need to find clues as to who she is and why she's trapped in a gem.
Luckily for me, I have the largest source of magical knowledge in Equestria just down a flight of stairs and a hallway from where I sleep.
The Canterlot Castle Royal Library is the Royal Library of Canterlot Castle. Crazy, I know.
But if anywhere in Equestria will have information on Cosmos, then this is the place.
And to my amazing astonishment, I was wrong.
There's nothing.
No mention of her "Magical Crystals 1o1", No line about her in "Seals and Curses, The Complete Collection" and not even a drawing of her head in "101 Weirdest Creatures of the World"
This place was useless for finding Cosmos' other body parts, so that idea fell flat.
But something that did catch my eye was a line in "Magic Theory" By Clover the Clever.
Specifically, a Line about creating images via magic, or more succinctly.
Illusions.
Now, I might not understand all this mumbo-jumbo about magical theory and the arcane hoopla. I was a Nautical Science student, not a Quantum Physicist.
But I did play video games, and I know how powerful Illusion magic is.
Sure, Sneak Archer is the best build in Skyrim, nobody will deny that, but it's fun to run around as an Illusion Rogue, stabbing people in the back with sharp daggers. In the game, at least.
In the real world, I don't think I'd enjoy stabbing people in the back, It's just not me, you know? But It's a totally different thing to learn the magic for the sake of being able to do more than move objects with a glowing narwhale horn.
I mean, It's Illusion magic, It's not like it can break anything physical, so there's no problem.
What's the worst that can happen?
Princess Celestia smiled as she stretched her back in the morning.
Her Sun was up, the birds were singing, The smell of the salty sea brushed by her nostrils, it was a wonderful morn- Wait a minute...
There's no sea close to Canterlot...
Heading to the window, Celestia looked outside, and to both awe and horror, Canterlot Castle was in the middle of the ocean.
She looked back at the bed she just came out of, and asked herself if she is willing to deal with this so early in the morning.
And she came to a conclusion, quickly.
"Princess Celestia! We came here as soon as we got your letter, What happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked her teacher as she and her friends entered the throne room.
It was a surprise for Twilight to receive a letter requesting her presence at the castle, and being told to bring her friends with her on such short notice. Twilight wasn't sure what to think.
Did something go wrong? Is Princess Celestia in Danger? Is Nightmare Moon back?!
So she left Spike alone with Owlowiscious to clean a mess he made in the Library while She and the Girls went to Canterlot Castle to meet with the princess.
"Twilight,' Celestia started as she looked down at her student, not surprised that she managed to reach her castle. "The Castle has been sent to the middle of the ocean, your job is to find out why, and how, and bring the castle back to its place in Canterlot."
"..." Twilight nodded her head in affirmation, ignoring the blank stares from her friends.
"Err, Excuse me, your Highness," Her good friend Applejack started, "But the castle is already in Canterlot, we didn't pass any ocean to get here,"
"..." Celestia blinked slowly.
"Good Luck, Twilight Sparkle, I know you can do it." Celestia smiled and turned away from the girls, intent on catching up on sleep.
Leaving the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony alone in the Throne Room, confused as to what she was talking about.
"Woah! Are those ghost pirates?!" Only to quickly look at the window Pinkie Pie was staring from as the sounds of Cannon fire and waves entered their ears, followed by the smell of salt and smoke.
And looking out the window at the back of the Throne Room, their eyes expanded.
No longer were they on Canterlot Mountain, instead they were floating in the middle of the ocean, like an unmoving island, slowly being surrounded by see-through green ships and a skeletal crew of green ghost pirates.
"Woah! Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she watched two ships of ghosts battle it out, cannonballs flying everywhere as wood splintered and sails billowed.
"Wha- No Rainbow Dash, This is not awesome! Somepony managed to change the location of Canterlot Castle from the inside, creating a one-way entrance with no exit!" Twilight shouted at her friend, who tilted her head in confusion about whatever nerdy words she was talking about.
"Oh dear, This is a big problem, right Twilight?" Fluttershy asked her as she stared in horror at the pirates boarding each-others ships, blades swinging.
"A Big problem? Fluttershy that is an enormous understatement!" Twilight Exclaimed, causing her shy friend to duck into herself for comfort, "If we don't stop this somehow, then people will keep entering the castle, without being able to leave! After a few days, they'll run out of food and clear water! And after that EVEN WORSE!"
Applejack heard enough, "You heard Twilight girls, We need to find the cause of this- this... Twilight what do we call this?"
"A Spatial Cage,"
"This Spatial Cage! And once we do, we'll fix it!" Applejack yelled with a smile.
"Yeah, Let's do this!" Rainbow Dash joined in the excitement.
Twilight nodded with a smile on her face as she saw her friends getting themselves ready to figure out the cause of the spatial cage.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Starlight Glimmer asked her "Boss" as she watched him try, and fail, to change the coloring of a small illusion he created on a table in the library.
"No need," He told her as he focused on the scene he created, Many Ships were trying to fire on two smaller ships, as they sailed between them and robbed and pillaged, "You won't be able to help either, this is a dramatic reenactment of Captain Bartholomew Roberts capture and escape with the richest ship in the annual Portuguese Treasure Fleet," He explained to her as if she knew who that captain was and what those ships were.
"Okay, I'll just guard the door in that case," She said and walked away, ignoring his grumbling about how the ships shouldn't be green, or see-through.
"Okay Girls, let's split up and find the source of this Spatial Cage," Twilight called out to her friends as they stood in the Throne Room, thinking of a plan to solve this disastrous issue.
"Pinkie Pie, I want you to go to the west wing, find anything that suspicious that could help us figure this out," She told her friend, receiving a joking salute from her pink pony pal.
"Rarity and Rainbow Dash, You go ask the guards in the barracks, if anypony has an idea of who could be behind this, it's them." She told two of her other friends, receiving an "Of Course, Darling," From Rarity and a "Leave it to me!" From Rainbow Dash.
"Applejack, I would like you to question the staff, They know the way around the castle better than anypony, if the perpetrator is hiding somewhere, they'll know where it is." She told her orange friend, receiving an "Okay Pardner," in response as she readjusted her hat.
"And Finally, Fluttershy, You and I will be searching for the source of this cage directly, if we find it we can disable the spell, and free us from this trap." She told her final friend, who nodded meekly and took a few steps closer to her.
"Ready girls?!" She asked her friends, getting a chorus of affirmatives in all different manners. "Then let's stop this spell!" She cried, and the Elements of Harmony split to begin their search.
Starlight was blank-faced as she stared at the view outside the large windows from the hallway leading to the royal library.
She saw ships of intricate build, waves of water slamming against their hulls, And cannons firing from two larger ships towards three smaller ships as they sailed between a fleet of smaller ships.
Starlight looked back at the door of the Library, and opened it a smidgen, peeking inside to see her boss still staring intently at the little illusion he made on the table, grumbling to himself about the colors not being right.
She looked back at the Ships and boats outside the window, then she looked at the illusion that Blueblood created on the table. Then back to the window. And back to Blueblood. Over and over, she looked at the two groups of ships and sails, one outside the window, and the other on a table in the library, before reaching a very important conclusion.
"Blueblood isn't in danger, So I don't need to do anything about this," She closed the door to the library, and sat on the floor, trying to relax.
"Ah, Miss Glimmer, so good to see you," She stiffened as she turned her head to see Princess Celestia smiling down at her. "I see you enjoy sitting on the floor, as you should, Follow me," She told her and started walking, forcing Starlight to walk swiftly after her.
"Sorry Blueblood, But you're on your own," She said in her head, "Don't get into a fight while I'm with your Aunt, she might actually just kill me if you do," Her legs moved faster to catch up with the Tall Princess.
Pinkie Pie is many things. She is an Element of Harmony. An Earth Pony. Joyous and Fun. Pink. A Good Friend. And so much more.
However, one thing that Pinkie Pie isn't, is good at following orders. Even if the consequences of not following them are dire.
So, when she was told to explore a portion of Canterlot Castle to find clues as to what might be causing the Spatial Cagey thingamajig that Twilight was blabbering about, She asked herself a very important question.
What are clues?
So when she saw the large set of doors in the middle of the hallway, with nopony around to guard them, she saw a set of options in front of her.
Does she, A: Call one of the guards over to ask them what is inside the room? Does she, B: Go and tell Twilight that she found a big set of doors and that she wants to check out what's inside? Or Does she, C: Move on and continue her investigation?
If you chose one of these options, you are wrong.
Because Pinkie Pie clearly chose D: Enter through the doors without asking.
"I thought you said you would be staying outside," I said as I turned to see Starlight walk back into the library.
Only that it wasn't Starlight that I was looking at.
"Oh, I didn't know you were in here, I would've knocked if I knew, Hi my name is Pinkie Pie, I'm looking for an evil wizard who cast an awful mean spell on the castle to bring it to the middle of the ocean with ghost pirates because pirates are bad and so are ghosts sometimes but I don't know I never met a real ghost hey that thing you got there looks like these ghost pirates are you an evil wizard? Oh did I say my name was Pinkie Pie already? Because it is." I blinked at her words, my mind empty of responses to give to the Pink Earth Pony.
"OH!" She suddenly exclaimed, "I forgot! It's rude to ask for someone's name before introducing yourself, you know?" She said and stared at me with lidded eyes, "You should have introduced yourself before asking my name. It's Pinkie Pie by the way, what's yours?" "..." "Did I say my name already? It;s Pinkie Pie if you're wondering." She smiled and nodded her head as if she did a good job and is proud of her accomplishments.
I stared at her blankly before I asked my question. "Who are you?"
The pony quickly opened her eyes wide in shock, "Did I forget to introduce myself?!" She mumbled something to herself before wiggling her curly hair around as she rubbed her head before she looked me straight in the eyes and told me. "I'm Pinkie Pie,"
"...Yeah I'm too sober to deal with you," I said and stood up from the chair I was sitting at, turned off the magic powering the small illusion I tried to create, and walked out of the library. Ignoring the steps of the pink earth pony following me.
"Look! The City is back!" One of the staff members of the castle cheered as he saw that the endless ocean and fleet of ghost ships that surrounded the castle was gone and the normal view from the castle was back.
Cheers rang out around the castle, and Celestia was happy to see that her student once again managed to solve a problem and save the day.
"But Princess," Twilight tried to explain, "We still don't know how that Spatial Cage showed up, or who cast it,"
"It is fine Twilight," Celestia told her student, "Leave the rest to the guards," She smiled.
"B-But the perpetrator is still out there!" Twilight tried to get her Princess to see reason, but she was ignored, forcing Twilight to groan as she went to search for her friends.
"Hey Twilight! I don't really understand what happened, but we did it!" The first to be found was Rainbow Dash, who had a victor's smile on her face as she flew loops near the tall ceiling of the hallways, soon Followed by Fluttershy and Applejack, and later Rarity after a few minutes of searching.
She was talking with one of the maids about the dress codes for the staff.
Now everyone was gathered and ready to return to Ponyville, everyone except for Pinkie Pie.
"I didn't see her anywhere," Applejack said as the group started looking for the last Element of Harmony.
"Excuse me dear," Rarity called out to a purple and aquamarine Mare who stood outside a door, "Have you seen a Pink earth Pony nearby? She has a large head of hair and a bouncy... personality."
The mare stared at Rarity before silently pointing her to a specific room nearby, her eyes unblinking and twitching.
"Oh, Thank you?" The Purple haired unicorn told the mare as she opened the door.
"Wowee this thing is delicious! How high of a percentage did you say this was?" Only to blink as she saw her friend Pinkie Pie, standing on one leg as she balanced on the backrest of a chair, an open bottle in her hand.
"It's only 12 percent, It's simple wine after all, not anything advanced," Rarity quickly turned away from the door and hid by the wall as she saw the other pony in the room, sitting regally on a sofa, an expensive glass in hand as he slowly sipped from the wine, his muscles at ease as the drink went down his throat, his golden hair reflecting the sunlight coming through the window like a field of golden wheat, his white coat smooth yet rugged.
A Beauty in the streets, a Beast in the sheets.
Rarity had to stop herself from squealing in excitement from being in the same area as the prince of her dreams.
"He can't be allowed to see me, I need it to be at the Gala," She thought to herself as her plans for the best night ever came to mind.
"I need somepony else to get Pinkie Pie away from him, and not ruin my chances in the future... Rainbow Dash? No, She's a bit too obnoxious, she will definitely make me look bad. Fluttershy? She's too quiet and feminine, she might accidentally steal him. Twilight? No, She must have some sort of history with him already, being a student of Princess Celestia means that her chances to get with Blueblood are too high. Applejack?"
Rarity blinked before she giggled to herself in a voice she would never publicly be caught making. Before she made her way to search for Applejack.
It wasn't long before the mare who went by the name Pinkie Pie was asleep on a couch, an empty bottle of wine in her grasp as she hugged it closer to herself, a snot bubble blowing from her nose as she mumbled in her sleep some unintelligible words before giggling in her sleep.
And Prince Blueblood could do nothing but stare blankly at the pony who according to Princess Celestia, was a national hero who saved the nation multiple times.
The prince looked at the sleeping pony, and then at the half-empty bottle next to him, then at the emptied wine glass near his sofa. Before he picked up the entire bottle and chugged its contents before making his way back to his room, intent on catching some early sleep.
Applejack sighed as she found Pinkie Pie, sleeping with a bottle of alcohol in her grasp, a soft smile on her face as the snot bubble above her nose grew larger and larger.
She groaned as she picked up her sleeping friend on her back and made her way back to the rest of her group. "You need a diet," She mumbled quietly to the sleeping Pinkie Pie.
POP
And then grimaced as she felt something sticky and wet roll down her neck.
"Yuck."
Cosmos smiled as Prince Blueblood once again appeared in her prison dimension.
"Before you say anything," He told her as he took his place of lying on the void next to her, "Check this out,"
And with a glow to his horn, a small screen appeared in front of him, followed by a weird remote with colorful buttons and two joysticks.
"Here," He said as he passed her the illusionary controller, "This should be working because I'm asleep, you should have seen me try something like this awake," HE smiled at her as another controller appeared in front of him.
"Is this-" Cosmos wanted to ask, but was stopped when the prince chuckled to himself before looking at her from the corner of his eye.
"I thought it was boring to just sit here and do nothing all the time, so I learned a new spell," He smiled as the screen he created started showing a room made of stone, on a throne in the middle sat a skull wearing a crown, two bubbles floated above the throne. One held a pale-skinned, dark blue-haired human-looking girl, while the other held what looked like a toaster with a face.
A tanned man with green hair and a pair of glasses slowly approached the skull, before the screen changed to showcase a night sky and a sea of clouds beneath it, with the title of the game he put on.
Cosmos smiled widely as she looked at what her prince did for her, before she turned to him with a wide smile, and swore to herself that she would one day repay him hundredfold for what he did to her here today.
But with a flurry of emotion going through her non-corporeal heart, she could only simplify the things she wanted to say to three short words, words that she knew she couldn't say right now.
So she settled with two other words.
"Thank you,"
Blueblood just chuckled and pressed the green button on his controller.
Cosmos looked at him go to the two-player option on the screen before she smirked.
"So, you wanna' go out with me now?" "No." "Haha! Shut down once again!" Cosmos smiled widely at the routine of questions she built with him already.
She turned her head to her controller, and her two antelope horns glowed a weak pink, as she tested the buttons and joysticks of the illusion dream controller.
"You know," She wanted to say, "Maybe being stuck here isn't so bad," But she didn't.
So with a glow to her horns, she pressed the button with the letter 'A' and joined the game.
One week remained before the Grand Galloping Gala, which meant I still had a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it.
Quickly (Read groggily) rolling out of bed and landing on my hooves (Read face) I stood up and quickly grabbed a shower. After a good ten minutes in the warm water (Read Forty minutes) I exited the shower, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and tied it in my usual bun.
After putting a dusting of makeup on my face to look presentable, I wore my white collar and adjusted my glasses in front of the mirror. Grabbed a clipboard with this month's work and flipped the papers until I reached today's work.
As soon as I left my room on the Celestial spire of the castle, right between the stairs leading to Princess Luna's tower and the door to Princess Celestia's room, I walked across the corridor and pressed a small button hidden behind a vase which opened up a hidden door in the wall, and I walked in.
Canterlot Castle is filled with hidden paths and secret rooms, I have spent months searching for as many as I could and even now I'm not sure I've found all of them, no, let me rephrase that, I know I have yet to find all the secret rooms and passages.
These secret passages are used by me as a quick way to traverse the large building.
From the hidden passage I'm currently taking leading to a corner of the library, to a secret magical greenhouse hidden behind the pond of Celestia's exotic animal garden.
But those paths don't matter at this moment.
There are seven days left until the Grand Galloping Gala, and everything needs to be perfect for the donation goal to be reached.
What many of the ponies who wish to come to the Gala fail to acknowledge, is that the Grand Galloping Gala isn't a regular party or celebration.
It's a Gala.
This means that while the Gala is in progress, donations to several of the Crown's non-profit charities will be given by the rich and elite in order to inflate their ego and give them the thought that they are helping poor orphans in need while actually doing none of the work.
That way the Crown ends up helping those in need without using taxpayer money.
Reaching a dead end in the hidden passage I took, I tap on the wall three times with my hoof, causing the door to open, revealing itself to be the back of a bookcase which opened like a door, leading me into the Library.
Quickly and Silently making my way to the door out, I pause as I hear two sets of hooves pass by on the other side of the door.
"Do you really need another suit?" One of the ponies asked, her tone tired as she walked behind the lead pony.
"Of course I do," I paused as the voice of the second pony registered in my head, "I can't arrive at the Gala wearing my regular tuxedo collar, I need a full-on redesign for the occasion,"
And with the knowledge of the lead pony, the mare become recognizable "But why?" Starlight Glimmer asked as she walked behind Prince Blueblood.
"Because The Gala is an important gathering of some of the most powerful and wealthiest ponies in Equestria, Starlight," The Prince told her as he stopped walking just outside the door, Causing me to quickly move to the side in order to remain hidden in case he opens the library, "To regular ponies like you, it might seem like a big fancy party," Starlight scoffed but Blueblood continued.
"Should I get the Blueblood foundation up and running next year, I'll be needing good connections independent of the Crown, Be it to reach a shipwright that will help me reach a good design for my Cargo ships, or to get in touch with a Diamond Dog trading company to work with." The prince told his bodyguard.
"Okay, So it's for connections, but why Diamond Dog?" I already knew the likely answer, but I kept quiet in order to hear the Prince's response.
"Because of the Import taxes used in Griffonia on naval trade," He told her, And I nodded my head in agreement, "Caninia doesn't have Import Taxes like Griffonia, which makes it so that trading with Caninia, and from Caninia to Griffonia via a land-route is both cheaper and more profitable than trading directly with Griffonia."
After a few more minutes of talking about Naval trade and the importance of connections, Blueblood and Starlight walked away, leaving the coast clear for me to leave the Library and make my way to the Throne Room.
Seeing Celestia already sitting on the throne once I stepped hoof into the room, I quickly opened my mouth and started telling her what her schedule for the day was.
After Celestia was updated on what she should expect for the day, I quickly made my way into another hidden passage leading to one of the exits from the castle in order to make my way down to the city for a late-morning coffee. With my clipboard tucked away in a small bag, I left to get a quick brunch.
After returning to the castle, I once again quickly entered another passage leading to the hallway for Celestia's study. Grabbing my chair in the neighboring room, I started my job in earnest. From reading reports to responding to letters from different officials and governors.
After once more explaining to the mayor of Seaddle that he doesn't need to fear a Viking invasion of his city and that the ship that he keeps on speaking of left the port without docking, an alarm I set on a clock indicates that it's five in the afternoon, and Day Court is officially over for the day.
Making my way to grab an early dinner, I spot Princess Celestia hovering over Prince Blueblood as he walked in my direction covered in blood.
"I think I'm cursed," He grumbled as Celestia hugged him tightly, "This is the third time in a row that me leaving the castle ended with blood,"
I ignored the comedic moment of family warmth as Celestia only hugged her nephew harder as I continued my walk to the kitchen.
I paused as I looked at a certain painting, that was just slightly tilted to the right, but I held back from correcting it, knowing that doing so will open another hidden door, one that I have yet to explore.
Making my way to the kitchen, I tell the staff what I want to eat and take a seat at the table.
Getting special-made food is a nice perk of being one of the higher-ranking workers of the castle, this perk is only shared by the different heads of staff and the Royal Family.
As I waited for my food, I spotted Prince Blueblood walk into the room, Princess Celestia no longer hanging off of him, and his new bodyguard seemingly with her.
After he gave the staff his order, a small smirk on his face as they exclaimed at his bloody appearance, he too took a chair at the table and sat down.
Directly across from me.
"Raven Inkwell," He nodded at me. "Prince Blueblood," I nodded back at him, plunging the room into a comfortable silence as the two of us waited for our food to be ready, the only sound being that of hurried movements on the other side of the door leading to the kitchen.
After our food arrived, I quickly ate my portion and left, nodding to the prince after he nodded at me once more, and made my way back to my office to get some last-minute work done.
Once the clock hit 11:30, I left my office and made my way back to my room, intent on once again waking up early and continuing my job.
It's a busy job being the secretary and right-hoof mare of Princess Celestia herself, But I make it work.
If only the Grand Galloping Gala wasn't such a pain to manage each year.
"So The Grand Galloping Gala is happening this evening," I say after the character I was playing got thrown off the ledge of the platform he was fighting on, Cosmos's character struck a victory pose and the scoreboard popped up.
"That's the fundraiser to keep orphans warm in winter, right?" Cosmos asked as she levitated an illusion of a soda bottle towards her mouth.
"Yep," I respond as I stretch my back and replace the illusion of the video game with that of a tropical beach, laying down on the soft sand of this dream/illusion.
"And all the rich ponies are going to be there?" Cosmos asked as I levitated her off the sand before placing her gently on a folding beach chair facing the setting sun.
I wouldn't be able to do such complicated illusions outside of this dream prison for a long while, it's only thanks to me being asleep and technically dreaming, that I can interact with these illusions as if they're real.
"Yep, All the rich people are going to be there," I took a sip of coconut water straight from the source as the green nut levitated in my magic, a straw piercing the meat of the fruit.
"What's your plan?" She asked as she too took a sip from the coconut, another straw piercing the other side of the fruit.
"First I need to wait for everyone to be there, And for that, I'll arrive thirty minutes after opening," I said, "That will both make it so that the ballroom will be filled with enough ponies to start a conversation, and I will not look like I hurried to get there, even though I live in the Castle."
"And then?"
"After arriving, I'll make a talk with Chancellor Neighsay, and get some sort of schedule ready for my Nautical Science exam," I told her, already imagining how much money I'll make once my future shipping Company is all up and running. "Then, I need to get speaking with Raincloud Dazzle, she's the chief manager of the Cloudsdale weather factory, so she definitely has a ticket,"
"What does the weather factory have anything to do with the plan?" Cosmos asked as she looked at me from the corner of her eye, her head still facing the false sunset.
"It's not her job at the weather factory that I'm interested in, it's her husband, the head of the shipwright designer club. I could get in touch with him or the club on my own, but having her recommendation will make working with them much easier in the future. They will be the ones who will help design the cargo ships using the technology of modern Equestria, Trying to make an Earth Cargo-ship will be a massive waste of resources, and also an incredibly expensive task that would require the creation of several new types of engines."
Cosmos hummed in acknowledgment, "And then what?"
"To be perfectly honest, those two are the only ones I need, everybody else at the gala will be a nice bonus," I chuckled lightly, "I mean who knows? Maybe the Fillydelphia golf association might come in handy in the future,"
"Heh, maybe," Cosmos also chuckled, her eyes still glued to the setting sun. The soft sounds of the waves splashing on the beach filled the empty space of the dream prison as the two of us sat in silence.
"Blueblood,"
"Yes, Cosmos?"
"Do you miss being a human?"
Hearing her question, I sat silently in thought before quickly reaching a conclusion.
"I miss Human culture, I miss Human food and Human television, Human Games and Human science," I said, my eyes now also staring at the false setting sun, slowly lowering into the fake ocean.
"However," I added, "I don't miss sleeping on a ratty couch, I don't miss spending days without sleeping in order to get ready for a College exam, I don't miss having to work several jobs in order to scrounge enough money to eat something that wasn't dorm room slop, I don't miss bouncing from foster home to foster home, from city to city,"
I stopped talking, silence returning to the two of us.
"...I'm actually happy I'm here," I whispered, before quickly correcting myself, "I'm not happy I have hooves and Walk on four, I'm still a Human through and through. But here, as Prince Blueblood?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling the air and opening my eyes once again. The fake sun has set, and the beach is now illuminated by the endless sea of stars and nebulae that were all around the dream-prison.
"I have a warm and comfortable bed," I said, not even sure if Cosmos was still listening, "I have good food and an entire source of information in the royal library, I can cast magical spells that would have been seen as nothing more than fantasy back on earth, I have enough money to never need to scrounge through several jobs at the same time ever again."
I crack my neck, Stretch my back, roll my shoulders, And stand up from my beach chair. I lift my arm high above my head, my fingers making bone-snapping sounds as I stretch them for the first time in a month, My bare feet leave soft indents on the sandy beach.
I stretch my legs as I crouch down, my khaki shorts covering my white skin, and a blue and white Hawaiian shirt wrapped around my torso. I moved my golden-blonde hair to behind my ear so I could see better before looking down at the dismembered head that lived inside of a crystal shard.
"As Prince Blueblood, for the first time in my life, I have people I can consider friends," I smiled down at my dream companion with my icy-blue eyes.
Cosmos simply stared up at me silently, before smirking to herself and letting out a whistle.
"Look at you," She smiled as she looked at me, or at the Human-Blueblood me, "Handsome devil you,"
"Hey," I exclaimed as I held my arms crossed in front of myself, "Hands off the merchandise, You can see but you can't touch,"
"Hahahaha!" Cosmos laughed, soon joined by my own laughter.
And the two of us laughed on the fake beach, until I woke up, leaving Cosmos alone in the dream-prison, waiting for me to go back to sleep.
"Starlight Glimmer, You will be joining me at the entrance to the Ballroom," Princess Celestia told the Unicorn Mare in front of her.
"What?! But I'm supposed to-" Starlight wanted to argue, only for Celestia to shut her down.
"I will not allow you into the Gala, Blueblood's Bodyguard or not, I will not allow a convicted criminal near the other guests." She told her, "You will be staying with me, outside, Greeting the guests for the entire evening," Celestia smiled at the mare.
"I hope you enjoy standing outside doing nothing, you'll be doing a lot of that tonight," And for the millionth time since Starlight Glimmer struck that deal with Blueblood in the caves of Yakyakistan, Starlight Regretted her life choices.
Starlight Glimmer scowled as she looked at herself in the mirror, a black suit was covering her front half, while a pair of black sunglasses rested on her eyes.
She looked at her boss and asked him a very important question.
"Can you talk with Celestia about this?"
Blueblood looked at her, confusion written on his face. "Talk about the sunglasses at night, or about the suit that simply doesn't fit your color scheme?"
"Neither! Both!" Starlight growled in frustration, "About how she's treating me!"
"Starlight... You know I consider you a friend, right?" The prince asked her, receiving a slow shake of her head in reply. "Of course, being forced to carry you in the freezing north is part of the reason, but it mainly stems from me punching you in the face, and you not running away at the first chance you got."
It was Starlight's turn to stare at the prince in confusion.
"The Moment we reached Yakyakistan, you had no reason to come with me, But you did. And so allow me to tell you, not as your Boss, or as a Prince. But as your Friend."
Blueblood leaned forward in order to be at eye level with his bodyguard.
"Whatever complaints you have about Celestia, drop them." Starlight widened her eyes in shock.
"But-!" She wanted to yell but was cut off, "Let me explain."
"For all intents and purposes, Celestia doesn't see you as my bodyguard, she wasn't there to see you blast that monster in the tunnel. As far as she is concerned, you are still a cult leader trying to escape punishment." He explained to her in a calm and reasonable tone.
"Just give her some time, It's been barely two weeks," He smiled before he gently pushed her away from the mirror she was using to see her new outfit, "And besides, Having Celestia be slightly miffed at you is much better than spending years in a jail-cell." He rolled his shoulder as he looked at his new suit.
A White and blue striped shirt, covered by a white vest with blue pockets, lined with gold trimming, and a white coat, inlaid with a blue fabric lined with gold, the red and green gem fragment he found in the ruins of King Tarkus IV was placed in a breast pocket, taking the place that would normally have went to a rose flower. Tying it all off with a blue tie around his neck, held by a gold button in the shape of his cutie mark.
As far as Starlight could tell, the suit he wore cost as much as the entirety of all the building materials she collected to build Our Town.
After looking himself over in the mirror, and moving some of his hair to the side, he smiled at his reflection.
"So just give her some time, okay?" He smiled down at her, before turning around and taking his leave.
Only to quickly walk back into her room, "And Remember, You can't steal anybody's Cutie Mark," And left again.
Only returning once more, "I'm serious, I can't help you if you steal a Cutie Mark here," and leaving once more.
Just to once again come in, "I'm very serious about this-" "I GET IT!" Starlight yelled at him.
Blueblood frowned at her, his body still halfway through the doorway.
"Yikes, You don't need to shout like that," He said with a roll of his eyes and left.
Finally leaving Starlight with time to think- BOOM CRACKLE BOOM
Only for the fireworks to signal that the Grand Galloping Gala has officially begun, and Starlight doesn't have time to sit around doing nothing up here, she's supposed to be busy doing nothing down there!
"Shit!" Starlight quickly ran to the ballroom where the Gala was taking place.
"Ah, The Grand Galloping Gala, a once-in-a-year party of high society, a magnificent fundraiser to help those who cannot help themselves, I heard you organized everything in this year's Gala, Didn't you Raven?" I say as I look down at the garden connected to the ballroom hosting the Gala, next to me is Raven Inkwell, The Second Most important Pony in Equestria.
"I Did," She answered simply, also looking down at the guests slowly arriving at the Gala.
"So, May I ask, why are you not joining them?" I ask her, my eyes searching the crowd of ponies until I spot a certain Pegasus that I'm looking for.
"I don't want to," Raven said, her eyes glued to the crowd of ponies below us, so small they look like bugs from the tower we're standing in.
"I see, that is a perfectly valid reason," I respond to the Secretary of Equestria, "But should you decide to come down there, You simply must save me a dance," I smile and walk away, intent on making it to speak with Raincloud Dazzle, the chief manager of the weather factory.
And as I walked away, Raven Inkwell kept silently staring at the ponies down below, only barely turning her eyes and catching a glimpse of my back.
"Miss Raincloud!" I call out to the Pegasus Mare, her light blue coat and grey hair turn to look at me, and a smile appears on her aging face.
"Prince Blueblood, To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked as she watched me steadily walk towards her.
"I assure you Miss Raincloud, the pleasure is all mine," I smile and shake her hoof, "I heard that your husband is a member of the Shipwright Designer Club, is he not here with us tonight?" I ask her, receiving a shake of her head.
"He's back home taking care of the kids," She smiled gently, "But don't confuse him for any old member of that club, He's the head!" She said with a wider smile on her face.
Step one of the plan, is already going well, with Raincloud Dazzle in good graces, that leaves only Neighsay for later tonight.
Oh yeah, It's all coming together.
Starlight tried her hardest to stop herself from frowning as she stood behind Celestia, her eyes looking over the crowd of ponies coming and going around the Gala.
"Is that a dragon?"
"Princess Celestia!" A Purple Unicorn in a very sparkly dress said as she ran up the stairs to speak with the Princess.
"Twilight," Celestia smiled at the mare, "It is so lovely to see my star student," She told her.
"I am so excited to be here, we have so much to catch up on," The mare, Twilight, told the Princess, and Starlight couldn't help but listen intently to the duo.
Don't blame her, This is probably the most interesting thing that will happen this evening.
"Well, I want you right by my side the entire evening, so we'll have plenty of time together," The Princess told the Unicorn, and Starlight couldn't help but question if Celestia really did want the mare by her side, or if she just wanted someone who wasn't her next to her the entire evening.
"You know, I could be somewhere else right now, not bothering you," Starlight wanted to say but held her tongue.
Blueblood might be her boss, But Celestia is the ruler of Equestria, making it so she is her Boss's Boss.
Hearing Celestia's words, the Purple Unicorn quickly took a spot standing to the left of the Princess, "That's what I hoped you'd say," She smiled at her, and Starlight couldn't help but make a gagging sound as she saw the sweet puppy-dog eyes on the mare as she looked up to the princess.
"Oh, I didn't see you there, I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's pupil," The mare, seemingly hearing the sound Starlight made, quickly turned and introduced herself to her.
Starlight wanted to ignore her, make sure this evening passes by faster, but the sharp smile on Princess Celestia's face pushed her away from that decision.
"Oh, Ahem." She coughed, "I'm Starlight Glimmer, nice to meet you?" She ended with a question, looking at Celestia for her response.
Receiving a serious nod from the princess, Starlight took a few steps back and returned to her spot looking at the guests.
"Blueblood must be having the time of his life," She thought to herself.
This is Horrible!
This is absolutely catastrophic!!!
This is a disaster of an unimaginable scale!!!!!
Why did nobody tell me that Chancellor Neighsay wasn't coming to the Gala?!?!?!
"Could this night get any worse?!" I yelled in my mind, my face a perfect mask of a calm and collected prince.
Things were going so well. Raincloud Dazzle agreed to give me a good word to her husband, making building my future company much easier.
But Chancellor Neighsay isn't at the Gala!
And if he's not here, I'll need to speak with him another time, which wouldn't need to happen if he was here!
But that's okay, That's fine, Good even.
I'll just schedule a talk with him for next week, get the test out of the way, build my ship, get some workers, strike some deals, and bada-bing bada-boom! Business!
In the meantime, I'll just mingle around with the rich ponies, donate a bit or two to the fundraiser, and talk about whatever topic these ponies find interesting.
And if I'm lucky, I'll manage to strike a deal with someone who has ties to Caninia or Griffonia.
Yes... I can still make this night productive.
And with these thoughts in mind, I walk out of the garden and back into the ballroom, intent on making my moves, only to pause when I spot a stand selling food being handled by an orange earth pony.
I walk over as soon as the Pegasus from the WonderShots or whatever they're called leaves the stand, a full pie held in his mouth.
"Nice to meet you Pardner, I didn't expect to get another customer so soon!" The pony said with a smile on her face.
"Not a customer, just here to ask some questions," I tell her as I look over her stand, seeing Apple-based products on the small shelves. I point to one of the unlabeled bottles. "What's that?"
"This is Apple Juice, freshly squeezed and bottled this morning," She says with a smile and I nod my head, pointing at another product and getting a similar response. Apple Food, Fresh from today.
"How Much for an apple fritter?" I ask her.
"Two bits!" That's kind of cheap for a fundraiser, isn't it?
"Not five bits?" I ask with a frown, confused as to why she would sell her food for so cheap. I understand that the charities involved here are all non-profit, but they still need some sort of profit this evening to help the orphans.
"Isn't five bits too expensive for an apple fritter?" She asks back with a small frown.
"Isn't two bits too cheap for charity?" I ask her, "How will you make the money back, There isn't much food in your stall, and not all of it will be sold this evening. This is for charity, it's fine to make the products more expensive than they should normally be." I explain to her what I thought was common knowledge in business and marketing.
By making it so the profit from your products is given to charity, you can increase the price of select goods by saying that the extra cost goes directly to the charity you work for. Two bits is the price of a normal apple-fritter, if you sell a charity-apple-fritter for the same price, you are actively losing money because the profit goes to the charity, and not back into the business.
Non-Profit charities don't give away all of the profit they receive in sales, they keep the cost of the materials and goods in order to recuperate for the next event, if you give away everything you make, you'll run out of money.
And say what you want about non-profit charities, you need money to run them.
Instead of seeing a nod of understanding and agreement from the mare, I am given a head tilted in confusion with a single eyebrow raised.
And then she asked something that made my terrible mood from earlier, the one I've tried thinking positively of in order to salvage the situation, return like a sledgehammer to the back of the knee.
"Charity?"
I didn't know what to say to that. Is she not part of one of the charities here? Did she really just open up a food stand at the Grand Galloping Gala, ask for money, and not be a part of one of the charities?
This has to be a joke. So I laughed.
"Hahaha, that's a good one," I tell her with a smile on my face and a hearty chuckle exiting my lips, "You really got me there, Hehehe. I'm talking about the charity you're working with."
"I'm not working with a charity," She told me in confusion, and the smile on my face evaporated in an instant, "I'm selling these apples to help my farm,"
I stare at her blankly for a few more seconds before turning away and heading to look for a super-specific pony.
Raven Inkwell expected her night to continue as it had, simply staring at the ponies down below until the Gala is over and she can go to sleep. However, it seemed that fate had different plans for her.
"Prince Blueblood," She said in order to get the Stallion in front of her to stop speaking, "Can you repeat your question, please?"
"Gladly," The Prince said and recounted the events that brought him to her, "So my question in this regard is, did you give the mare a permit and nobody told me? Because as far as I can remember, the Grand Galloping Gala has been a non-profit fundraiser to help the downtrodden. And it's simply that having the lady selling her food for her own apple farm, doesn't really scream charity, let alone non-profit."
Raven took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Was she orange?" She asked, receiving a look of amazement from the prince.
"She was, Do you know who she is?"
Raven groaned at the incoming headache. She wasn't supposed to do her job tonight, Princess Celestia gave her the evening off to enjoy the Gala.
So much for an evening off...
"I do," Raven said and started walking in the direction of the Ballroom, followed closely by the Unicorn Prince.
"Applejack," The mare in question turned her head to see her good friend Rarity walk up to her, "Did you perhaps see a Blonde Stallion with a White coat?"
"I did," Applejack told her, "He said something about my prices and charity before wandering off. Do you know him?"
Rarity nodded her head before smiling regally, "In fact, I do, That Stallion is none other than Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestia's nephew, and also the most eligible bachelor in Equestria." She explained with a smile, her mind depicting the handsome prince smiling at her as he takes her on a night she will never forget.
"How dreamy... Ahem! Did you perhaps see where he went?" She asked.
"Not really, He went back inside after asking me a few questions," Applejack told her before a question came to her head.
"Hey, Rarity?"
"Yes, Applejack?"
"Is my food too cheap?"
Rarity paused for a moment to think her question over, before shaking her head and giving her friend a quick answer.
"I'm not too sure Dearie, Anyway, I need to find him, See you soon!" Rarity said before making her way back into the Ballroom, intent on finding Prince Blueblood.
Leaving Applejack outside with a set of unanswered questions weighing on her head.
Starlight couldn't help but cringe as she looked at Twilight Sparkle trying to start a conversation with Princess Celestia, only for another guest to arrive and greet her instead, forcing the poor mare to sit by and wait for them to leave, only for yet another pony to take their place.
Just walk around the Gala and come back later, when the guests are done greeting the princess, why is she still standing here? This is the most obvious course of action.
"Em, Prince-" "Princess Celestia, It is so wonderful to see you!" Twilight was interrupted once again, and Starlight started to really feel bad for the younger mare.
"Psst," She tried to catch her attention, But either she wasn't heard, or was ignored by the purple Unicorn, seeing as Twilight didn't turn to look at her.
Welp, So much for trying to be nice. Have fun standing around doing nothing all night.
"Excuse me, Miss Applejack," Applejack turned to see who called out to her, coming once more face to face with the blonde pony from before.
"Hey, Rarity was looking for you, did you talk to her yet?" She asked the Unicorn, getting a confused look in his eyes as a response and his lips silently mouthing "Rarity?"
"Ahem," Applejack turned her head once more, staring at a slightly shorter Earth Pony who almost seemed to blend into the background, even with the red dress she was wearing. It might sound rude, and so Applejack wouldn't say it, but the mare honestly looked like a Background Character from one of those comic books Big Mac used to read.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there, How can I help you?" Applejack asked the lady before rattling off the wares that she was selling, from Apple Fritters to Apple Pie, Caramel Apple, and Apple Fries.
"Can you please show me your permit?" She asked, and It was Applejack's turn to once again be confused.
"Excuse me?"
"Your Permit? The waiver you signed? Any document on your person that pertains to the handling of this here food stand?"
"Emm, Just a second," Applejack told her and quickly ducked behind her stand, opening a small drawer and taking out a printed document. "Here,"
The Mare took the paper and read it over, a neutral frown on her face as she combed the wording of the document before handing it back to Applejack and lifting her glasses up her nose.
"I'm going to need to ask you to take down your stand," She told her, and Applejack gaped in shock.
"Excuse me?!" She yelled at the two white ponies in front of her, causing the so-called 'Prince' to speak.
"I really don't know how things work in whichever town you arrived here from, but it is the proper procedure to sign waivers and gain a permit if one wants to open up a foo-" Applejack quickly interrupts him.
"I know what permits are gosh darn-it, I'm asking why you need me to take the stand down?!" She yelled at the Unicorn, he took a step back with an offended look on his face, looking at her from his higher point of view as if she said something so unbelievably stupid he was in awe.
"Because you aren't allowed to sell on Canterlot Castle grounds." Now it was the mare who answered, her tone clipped and business-like, the type AJ wasn't used to dealing with. Especially on their home turf.
"But I-" Applejack tried to interject, only to pause as she heard a familiar voice screaming loudly.
Turning their heads to look at the source of the sound, Applejack smiled when she spotted one of her friends coming to help her in this situation, followed immediately by a confused frown when the friend she was looking at started sprinting full tilt in her direction, which turned to horror as the missile of a pony didn't seem to be slowing down at all!
"Oh no-" She heard the Unicorn say in a defeated town before the friend-shaped missile crashed into him, throwing the two ponies into a tangle of limbs on the ground.
"Don't worry Applejack! I caught the Evil Ghost Pirate Wizard!" The Pink earth pony said loudly as she stood on top of the downed body of the blonde Unicorn, the crowd of onlookers staring in silent shock at the scene.
The silence was broken by one of the nearby guards tackling Pinkie Pie onto the floor and placing cuffs on her hooves, "You Are Under arrest for Assault on the member of the crown!" The guard yelled before being joined by two other Pegasus guards and flew away, carrying the cuffed earth pony away as the crowd stared in shocked silence.
"Don't worry," The Silence ended once again when the white earth pony turned to Applejack, "She's not in any real trouble," She then grumbled under her, and Applejack could pick up the word "...Elements of Harmony..." somewhere in her grumbles.
"And I hope I don't need to ask you again to take down your Stand, Miss Applejack, This Castle has a strict set of rules that all guests must adhere to, National Heroes or Nobility matters not." She told her before moving to the downed prince and picking him off the ground, placing him on her back and effortlessly carrying him inside as he groaned in pain.
"And that's how it happened Your Highness, We did as you asked and kept a vigilant guard on the Prince." A Red Pegasus said as she and her two friends saluted the Princess of the Night.
"The Threat has been taken care of and placed in a cell," An Orange Pegasus added, followed by a nod from the third and final, Green Pegasus.
"Very Good..." Princess Luna said as she looked down the window of her room at the top of the castle, staring at the many ponies walking around the Gala like little ants.
"But Ma'am," The Green Pegasus said, "Won't she simply be released tomorrow morning because she's an Element of Harmony?"
Luna sighed at that question and shook her head slowly. "Alas, we can do nothing on the subject of Pinkie Pie's importance to the nation as the Element of Laughter, However, we are assured that she will learn her lesson to not- how do you say this? Glomp Prince Blueblood in the future," She said with a serious tone of voice, causing the two smaller-built Pegasus to almost burst out laughing at the Princess's usage of modern terminology.
"You may return to your prior duties now," Luna told the three Pegasi, receiving a quick salute from the trio before they flew out of her window and returned to the duty she assigned them.
"Applejack!" The pony in question sighed as she turned away from sadly packing up her stand, to look at the pony who called for her.
"What can I do for ya' Rarity?" She asked the Purple-Haired Unicorn, who was busy looking at the ponies around as if searching for somepony.
"I heard that Prince Blueblood was seen here again, do you know where he went?" Rarity asked her, and Applejack looked at the small path of ruined grass from where Pinkie Pie tackled him into a roll.
"He went inside, Rare," She told her, receiving a quick and thankful nod before her friend once again left her.
Deep bellow Canterlot Castle, sits a dungeon, capable of holding some of the most dangerous criminals in the nation.
For hundreds of years, this dungeon stood empty and unused, seeing as all criminals powerful enough to be held here were already on their way to Tartarus, and so the Canterlot dungeon stood empty.
Until now.
"Stay here and someone will get you tomorrow, don't leave," A Royal Guard told the menace held in the dungeon, sitting on a small wooden bench near the wall, looking at the walls of chains and cages.
"Okey Dokey!" Pinkie Pie said, already wearing a black and white striped jumper and a heavy ball and chain around her ankle.
"Good," The guard said and left her alone in the dungeon.
"You forgot to lock the door!" She called out after him, but he ignored her as he exited the dungeons, not bothering to lock the pony up.
"I mean, I don't want to be chained up," Pinkie said to nobody as she stood up and started wandering around the empty dungeon, her only source of light being the few rays of moonlight peeking through the window leading to the steep cliffs below Canterlot, making escape for anyone who can't fly, almost impossible.
"I understand that some ponies see me as a party freak, but I'm way more of a Vanilla gal," She continued speaking as she continued walking around the dungeon, peeking into different cells and admiring the cages and chains.
She stared at a wooden horse sitting next to an iron maiden. "I know what that's for, but the modern state of entertainment has made it so this device will be more synonymous with the adult entertainment genre than the torture device it was meant to be." She kept walking, exploring every nook and cranny of the dungeon, before she made her way back to her cell and sat down, her chin resting on her hoof as she waited.
"Oh yeah!" She suddenly had an epiphany, "We already stopped the pirate wizard, I didn't need to tackle him..." Pinkie then thought a bit more about what she said before her bored face turned to horror as tears started trailing down her cheeks.
"He gave me wine! He's my friend now! And I hurt him!" She cried, promising that once she was out of this dungeon, she will apologize to him with the best apology party she will ever make!
"Heeheeheeheehee, That's a Pinkie Promise, right pinkie?" She asked out loud, before speaking with a deeper tone, "That's right Pinkie, by the way, did you do something with your hair? I did, Thank you for noticing! No problem!" And she spent the rest of her night holding a conversation with herself.
"Do they not know what the Grand Galloping Gala is?" Raven Inkwell asked as she laid her head on a table, Prince Blueblood sitting in front of her eating from a small bowl of salad.
"I find it hard to believe that some ponies don't know what a Gala is," He said as he took a bite of his salad before asking, "On the subject of the Gala, How much money did we raise yet?"
Raven sighed before answering the prince, "I don't know, I'll need to check."
Blueblood sighed, "Then it seems that the fundraiser has been a failure," he said as he placed down the bowl of salad he was eating and stood up, "Please go check how much money was raised, I'll be back shortly." He told her and left, entering one of the corridors leading to the castle proper.
Raven sighed once more, her red dress creased from not taking care of it, her hair messily splitting away from her bun, and her eyes tired of working during her day off.
"It's always the Elements of Harmony, isn't it?" She grumbled quietly as she made her way to see how much money was raised.
And she blanched when she saw the number of bits raised and started looking for why so few ponies donated.
And that's when she saw it, A blue-colored Pegasus with rainbow-colored hair, subtly dropping the signs calling people to donate near the Wonderbolts, only to swoop in and catch them, making herself seem impressive to the Pegasus, without placing the banners and sign back up.
She just tucked them away to the side.
Raven was having none of it.
"Excuse me, Miss Rainbow Dash," She called out to the mare as she walked in her direction, her face set in an angry frown as she saw all the hard work she did in order for the Gala to be perfect get thrown to the side by the Elements Of Harmony.
She can rest easy knowing that Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, have yet to cause a disturbance, but looking at the girls' track record, how long will that last?
"Did someone call me?" The Element of Loyalty asked and sharply turned her head to see the white Earth Pony walking up to her.
"Yes, I'm going to have to ask you to stop dropping these signs and leave them alone," She told the mare, who chuckled in response.
"Me, dropping them? What are you talking about? Haha," She asked in a wooden voice, her eyes looking elsewhere.
"I see this is funny to you, but the Grand Galloping Gala needs these signs standing, so if you could please stop doing whatever it is you're trying to do, that would be a blessing."
Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding, "I see, Let me put all those signs back, then you won't have to look like you want to shout." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk, and before Raven could stop her, she was gone.
Sounds of crashing could be heard all throughout the gala as the blue Pegasus flew around, placing the signs back in their place but also pushing many guests aside in the process, causing them to drop what they were holding, causing a large mess. But none of the mess was as horrible as when a guest jumped in fright at the sound of the crashes, bumping into the artistic statue of Celestia, causing it to start falling.
But before the statue could fall on top of the guest, Rainbow Dash flew and caught it, however, her victorious smile did not last long, as the statue started to wobble in her hold, knocking over the nearby decorative pillars. Ending it all with the statue's head falling off, and landing on the marble floor.
The entire crowd stood stunned as they looked at the mayhem of what happened, the door the ballroom quickly opened, with Princess Celestia herself coming to check what the noise was, followed by Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer.
Another door opened soon after, revealing Blueblood's return to the party.
"Well, It can't get any worse," Twilight Sparkle said, and Raven felt like pulling her hairs out.
Because as soon as those words left her mouth, the door to the gardens smashed open, and groups of exotic animals jumped into the ballroom as the yellow-coated Pegasus behind them yelled out in rage, causing the remaining guests to start running around like headless chickens in a panic.
And seeing all of it, Raven's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground.
Soon she was joined by Prince Blueblood, who asked her how much money was raised, and at hearing her answer, his eyes darkened, he walked up to the stage where the musician played their music, grabbed the microphone, and tapped it a few times, causing every pony in the hall to suddenly freeze and look at him.
"What are you planning?" Raven asked as she stared at the Prince.
Princess Celestia was enjoying the chaos, this was the first time in centuries that the Grand Galloping Gala was fun for her, she got to spend the entire evening with her lovely student (Starlight was also there, but she could ignore her) and that was enough to satiate the boredom of sitting around greeting the guests.
But her small smile of enjoyment immediately vanished when she spotted her nephew grab a microphone and get everypony's attention.
"Attention, Could I please have your attention for just one moment?" He asked the crowd that was slowly quieting down as the animals relaxed and stopped running.
"I have some words I'd like to say," He continued, and Celestia embraced herself for what he was going to say. Was he going to tell a joke to lighten the mood? Was he going to do something drastic? What was her little baby planning?
Rarity was starstruck as she looked into the Ballroom, Applejack by her side with her mouth agape as the two watched Prince Blueblood quiet everyone down and calm the situation.
"He really is the perfect prince," Rarity whispered as Applejack looked on in awe, her eyes wandering to her closed stand before looking back to the prince.
"This is the Grand Galloping Gala," Blueblood said, his words being heard by every single guest at the party, "A once in a year event where the richest and most successful ponies in Equestria meet to dine and talk while raising funds for the downtrodden." He continued, "This year, the funds we are raising were all going to go to keeping orphans warm in the winters of Rural Equestria," He said, his eyes looking down at all the ponies below him.
"However, this year we have only managed to raise the high amount of eleven-thousand bits. That is barely enough to install two heaters," It was then that his horn glowed, and an illusion appeared above his head, showcasing a group of fillies and colts playing in the snow, warm coats and hats on their body as they rolled snowballs and made snowmen.
"Because of how little we raised tonight," The scene he was showing changed, the colts and fillies happily playing in the snow were replaced by small and haggard children, shaking in the cold as they tried to warm themselves under old and ratty blankets, filled with holes and moth bites, "These same children aren't going to be able to play with their friends outside, they'll be too busy worrying about the cold to make these irreplaceable childhood memories."
"Eleven-thousand bits," He repeated the amount, "With Eleven thousand bits you can barely fix up one orphanage, that is not nearly enough for these young boys and girls." The scene he was showing once again changed to showcase the young orphans playing in the snow, their eyes full of life and their coats healthy and full, the scene changed to the orphans sitting at the dinner table, eating warm soup cooked on a brand new stove, with bread from a brand new oven, and finally getting tucked to bed on their new mattresses, sleeping with their new blankets and pillows as the brand new heater keeps them warm.
"I can't believe I am actually saying this, but think about the children."
Across the ruined ballroom, many guests looked at each other and then at the box of donations, standing in the corner almost empty.
"Because I find it hard to believe, that from the ponies here," Blueblood continued, "From the richest and most successful ponies in Equestria, Eleven-thousand was the most we raised," He looked at all of them before pulling out a book from under his suit and tearing out a page, showcasing a blank cheque to the crowd before he pulled out a pen and quickly wrote the relevant information on it, folding the paper and levitating it into the donation box.
"It's that easy," He said, "In fact, you don't even need a cheque, every bit counts to these children," He told the crowd as he looked down at them, many of whom were unable to meet his disappointed gaze.
And after a minute of silence, He closed his speech, "That is all I have to say, Have a wonderful rest of your night, may you have a warm winter, and think of the children," Before he walked off the stage, walked up to the Secretary of Equestria, pulled her up, and slowly guided her out of the ballroom, her body barely responding as she stumbled her way.
After hearing the speech the prince gave, nobody dared utter a word, the only sound being the few animals eating from the catering.
Applejack, having listened to the prince, looked back at her stand, and took out the small pouch of money she made. It wasn't much, not nearly enough for what she planned to do with the money. But after hearing his speech, Applejack could understand why he wanted her stall closed.
"You need this more than I do," She whispered as he placed the bits she made into the collection box before walking back outside and picking up her stall, leaving the castle.
Rarity, seeing her friend's act of generosity, decided to follow suit, and took off her necklace, placing it in the donation box.
And seeing the ponies place their expenses in the donation box, the other guests started to follow suit, leaving behind bits, cheques, and even jewelry.
And as Princess Celestia watched the events in front of her unfold, she smiled brightly.
"Months of hard work, Ruined," Raven Inkwell mumbled to herself as she walked aimlessly around the castle, Prince Blueblood walking behind her to make sure everything was okay for the distressed Secretary. "Months of planning, timing, dealing with those infuriating caterers, We had a gold statue of the Princess for crying out loud," She continued to mumble, her hair disheveled and her once pristine red dress now crinkled and dirty from dust and animal footprints. "And all because of those Elements of Harmony... Sniff." Raven sniffed her nose, tears pooling in her eyes as she stopped herself from crying.
Blueblood couldn't look at the scene in front of him. Not only did it make the most powerful non-royal pony look like a pitiful mess, Blueblood simply couldn't deal with the emotional situation. Neither as a Human nor as a Pony.
He couldn't deal with Princess Luna when she started crying about her freedom a month ago, and He can't deal with Raven who just had months of work thrown to the side.
"Do you want to... Get some hot Cocoa?" He might not be good with emotional situations, but he is good with kids. Being an Orphan makes it easy to deal with the little buggers.
"Sniff... Sure..." Raven sniffed, lifting her glasses to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Come on then, I'm sure the chefs wouldn't mind." He said as he slowly rubbed circles into her back as the two made their way to the dining room of the castle.
In the city of Canterlot, a small baby Dragon was just finishing his fourth doughnut of the night. He slammed his tiny claw on the counter of the store, causing ripples to form in his cocoa, as he demanded another doughnut from the store owner.
"I think you've had enough," The pony behind the counter told the young dragon, who sulked into the counter, a frown on his scaly face.
The bell above the door to the shop rang, indicating another person walked in.
"Twilight Sparkle, Haha" The shop-keep laughed as he saw one of his long-time customers walk in, "Long time no see."
The dragon turned his head to look and saw all his friends enter the shop, their hair a mess and their dresses ruined, Some even had pieces of jewelry missing. The dragon leaped off his chair and jogged up to the girls, "So how was the Gala, How was your best night ever?"
Entering the Kitchen of the castle, I call over one of the cooks that haven't gone to sleep yet.
"Your Highness, What can I do for you?" He asked as he ran up to me.
"Hot Cocoa, now write it down," I told him and started listing off how it should be made.
"Regular hot cocoa, cover it in whipped cream, add a wafer bar into the whipped cream, grind a bar of chocolate above it so it sprinkles onto the cream, then add a tiny bit of whipped cream at the end of the wafer, place a marshmallow on that cream, and heat the top of it with a tiny torch. Make two of those." I told him and walked back into the dining room, taking my seat across from Raven Inkwell.
"So..." I started, "Are you feeling better yet?" I asked the mare, unsure of how to act.
I'm an Orphan, a Petty Officer in the Navy, A Nautical Sciences Student, and now I've also been transmigrated into the body of a Unicorn Prince in a world full of magic. I do not do emotional talk.
Raven looked at me with lidded eyes before sighing and resting her head on her legs on the table. "Not really..." She mumbled, and I think that means the conversation is over.
"I mean..." Oh, so there's still a conversation to be had... shit.
"Do you ever get the feeling that nothing really goes your way?" She asked quietly, her head still resting on the table.
I took a moment to think over her words before coming to the conclusion that Is should let her keep speaking, "Go on..."
"It's like, No matter how hard you work for something to happen, no matter how perfect everything is, something will make sure its ruined," She sighed again, "Oh who am I kidding, you don't know what I'm talking about..."
"And why would I not know?" I asked her, more to keep her talking than anything else really.
"It's because," She took a moment to think her words over before sighing again and closing her eyes as her head rested on her front legs, "It's because your a Prince, you never worked hard, There's always someone to make things easier for you," She explained and I frowned slightly.
"Do you know why I don't work hard?" I ask her, which by looking at her reaction, was not a question she expected to hear, so I continued. "I wasn't always a Prince, you know that right?" I asked her, and she nodded slowly, her eyes now looking at mine. "You see, before I was a prince, I was an Orphan." her eyes widened at that, "Just like the ones we're raising money for, yes," I nodded at her. "I know how hard it is to live a comfortable life, I know how annoying working hard only for all your work to amount to nothing feels like," I continue, my eyes not leaving hers, making sure she understands how serious my words are.
"I don't do hard and serious work much these days precisely because I know how horrible it feels to see all your hard work amount to nothing, I don't work hard not because I'm lazy, But because I'm tired of working hard." I explain, "When Celestia Took me in as my aunt, I knew I could for the first time in my life just relax, and take things easy. Never again would I have to force myself to work hard."
"But the trade deal you're working on..." She tried to bring it up, and so I explained.
"Just because I don't need to work hard, or that I don't like to work hard, Does not mean that I cannot. I am fully capable of working hard, I am simply not forced to do so." I smile at her before I start speaking of my plans for the trading company, Opening better trade with Caninia and Griffonia, how that will allow for the cheaper construction of the Pony-Yak railways, and the world will be more connected than ever before.
"It's all steps towards globalization, once the entire world is connected by trade, communications will be much easier, leading to an economic boom." I tell her, "Fields like science and engineering will advance centuries forward in the span of several decades once the world is connected."
Raven looked at me with wide eyes, the tiredness gone from her face, "So it's not about money?" She asked.
"Oh, It's about both. Connecting the nations of the world into a global network of trade is not going to be cheap." I smile at her before looking at the chef bringing over our hot beverages, Levitating one towards myself and one to Raven.
"A toast," I smile and lift my mug, Raven lifting hers to match me.
"A toast to what?" She asked.
"To working hard!" I smile and clink my mug with hers, letting a bit of cocoa splash between our two mugs. "To hard work!" She followed, before taking a long chug from her mug, before pulling it away with her mouth covered in whipped cream.
I smile slyly at her and levitate over a packet of napkins.
"So It wasn't the best night ever?" Spike asked as the girls sat around a table and ate their donuts, He got mixed responses from the girls.
"Hey Twilight, I want to try something," Applejack suddenly said, causing the group to look at her.
"What is it that you want to try Applejack?" Twilight asked her friend.
"Those friendship report thingies that you write for the princess, I would like to try one." She told her, causing Twilight to exclaim in excitement.
"You learned a lesson?!" She asked with a squeal, causing the group to take half a step back.
"Erm, something along those lines," Applejack said, and soon Twilight had a note and a pen ready.
"Ahem, erm, how do I say this?" Applejack started, before grunting and just coming out with it, "You should read the rules of an establishment and not make assumptions about what you can and cannot do," She said in a matter-of-fact voice, before continuing, "And if the staff ask you to do something when you're breaking the rules, don't argue with them." She finished, looking at Twilight signing the impromptu friendship lesson before passing it over to Spike to blow away in a gust of magical dragon fire.
Only for the gust of flames to stop just outside the shop as Princess Celestia walked in, followed by Starlight Glimmer in a black suit and sunglasses.
"I am glad to hear that you learned something today, Applejack," Celestia smiled as she joined the group, Starlight walking a step behind her, "Tonight was the best Grand Galloping Gala, ever!"
"Princess Celestia?!" The group exclaimed as the princess walked up to their table and stood next to them.
"But Princess, Tonight was awful, the Gala was ruined and it all closed early," Twilight said, but Celestia smiled at her.
"Oh, Twilight, The Grand Galloping Gala is always awful." She told them.
"It is?" Twilight asked.
"That's why I was thrilled you were all attending," She told the group, "I was hoping you would liven the mood up a bit. Sure, the night didn't go as you planned, but thanks to your work, our charities managed to raise several times the estimated funds."
"But that Blueblood fellow was the one who talked about the charity," Applejack said, receiving a look from Rarity as she called the Prince a "Fellow"
"And he wouldn't have given his rousing speech if you didn't make a mess of the evening," Celestia smiled at the girls, "It is thanks to both him and you that tonight was such a huge success." She said with a cheer.
"Starlight, Grab yourself something to eat, We'll be staying here a while," Celestia told the purple and aquamarine Unicorn bodyguard she had accompanying her for the evening as she tossed her a small bag of bits.
"And Consider that your pay for the evening," She smiled at her before a mischievous glint appeared in her eye and she said, "And get ready for some lessons in Bodyguard duty starting tomorrow," Starlight froze, and woodenly turned her head to look at the princess, and nodded, before walking to the counter and ordering herself some snacks.
"Wait a minute," Rainbow Dash suddenly piped up, "I think we're forgetting something."
"If you forgot it maybe it's not that important," Spike said, and Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Huh, Maybe you're right."
Deep below Canterlot Castle, In a cell with a small window overlooking the cliff below the city, A Certain Pink pony sneezed loudly before wiping her nose with the sleeve of the white-and-black-striped prison jumpsuit she had on.
"Huh, I think somepony's talking about me," She said before giggling to herself, "I wonder what they're talking about," She said and leaned back on her prison bed, the ball and chain dangling from her ankle resting off the side of the mattress.
Cosmos turned to look over at the Prince once he returned to her space.
"So, how was the Gala?" She asked as the space around her turned from the flat plain of stars and galaxies into a flat river going through the middle of a city.
"It was a mess," Blueblood grumbled as he changed his body from Pony to Human and stood on the flat water if the river, his steps causing small ripples in the river.
"You're illusions are getting better," Cosmos said as she saw all the tiny details he added to the scene, from the stars in the night sky to the lamps on the roads above them, Several Gondola were docked and tied to little poles at the side of the river.
"You know," He said as he illusioned onto himself a white and blue suit before he looked down at her, just a head sitting on top of the river as if it was solid ground.
"I never got to dance this evening," He smiled down at her, before with a wave of his hand, she found herself more than a meter above where she was, with a mirror floating above her.
"I know it might not be to your liking, and this is only a temporary solution, you still are only a head so don't expect any sudden Anime-power-up or the like, it is an Illusion after all," He told her as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Her head was the same, seeing as it was the only part of her body that was real here, but everything else about her?
With a purplish-red skinned human body, with long slender arms and legs, and perfectly manicured fingernails. Covered in an elegant flowing purple dress with a slit near the bottom for her reddish-purple high heels. Ending it all off with a necklace around her neck, holding the red-green crystal shard that she was trapped in hanging on.
"You gave me a human body?" She asked with a whisper as she tested her fake body, moving her hands and feet around, touching her face and widening her eyes at how real everything felt.
"It's not a real body, and It wall disappear when I wake up again," Blueblood explained to her, "And it only could work here because of the dream-like quality of this space, but that's not the reason I gave you the body."
Cosmos turned to look at him before she widened her eyes as the moon rose in the sky above him, making him look like a perfect prince charming as he took a few steps towards her and stretched out his hand, slow music began to sound around them.
"May I have this dance, Milady?" He asked her with a smile.
Instead of responding to him, Cosmos jumped into a hug and wrapped her new arms and legs around him, causing the prince to stumble around the river trying not to drop her.
"We have limbs!" She cried as she hugged him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"Hahaha!" She laughed loudly before grabbing his shoulders and looking into his eyes, her legs still wrapped around him.
"Will you go out with me?!" She asked with a smile, and as soon as he opened his mouth to respond she quickly pulled her head in.
And kissed him.
Passionately.
For a long time.
Blueblood fell onto his back, the illusionary river splashing his body with fake water as he floated on top of it with wide-open eyes, "Huh?" He voiced blankly, his mind working overdrive trying to reboot.
"Haha!" Cosmos laughed, "Shut down yet again!" Before laying her body on top of his, closing her eyes, and hugging him tightly.
And it was with the happiest smile she ever remembered having on her face, that Cosmos fell asleep in the arms of her very own Prince Charming.
And with his eyes staring up at the fake night sky above the illusionary Seine river in Paris, Blueblood said the first words that come to his mind.
"What are you doing?" Starlight asked her boss when she found him standing in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by piles upon piles of childish costumes.
Looking up from a list he was looking at, Blueblood started at Starlight in confusion for half a second before realizing what she meant.
"This? Well, the Grand Galloping Gala really pulled at my heart-string, you see?" He told her, and Starlight nodded, waiting for him to continue. "And so, Seeing as Nightmare Night is the nearest holiday, I thought it would be a nice idea to spend a day giving away these costumes to orphanages around the country."
Starlight looked at him before looking at the huge pile of costumes on the ground. "And how are you going to get to all those places?" She asked.
"Starlight, I'm a prince," He explained to her, "I only need to visit one orphanage," And with a smile on his face, he clapped his hooves together twice, and a small plethora of staff members entered the room, and started packaging up the costumes placing them into neat recyclable bags before tacking on a little note signed by the Prince.
"The Crown will do the rest," He told her as if her question was one of the dumbest he ever heard.
"Now, get ready to leave in thirty minutes, we won't be back 'til the evening," And with those words, he left the hall, leaving Starlight standing in the middle of a pile of costumes for children as the Castle Staff around her packed everything up.
Luna spat out her tea when she heard how much money was raised during the Grand Galloping Gala.
"Could- Could you repeat that?" She asked, wiping the fragrant drink off her muzzle.
"Of course your Highness," Raven Inkwell nodded and repeated the number she had. "After calculating the costs of the jewelry and accessories gifted at the Gala, we have come to conclude that we raised an approximate Twelve-Million bits."
"We still don't think we heard that right," Luna said, "Could you repeat the number again?" Please?"
"Of Course," Raven nodded, lifted her glasses a tiny margin, and read out again the number.
"Twelve-Million," Luna repeated the number, her mind lost in thought before she snapped back to reality, "And how much did we raise before Blueblood gave his speech?"
"Eleven-thousand bits." Raven told her, "We managed to raise more than one-thousand times the initial amount after his speech,"
"One-Thousand times the amount..." Luna whispered in awe before quickly changing the subject, "And on the Subject of Blueblood, Where is he anyway?"
"Donating costumes for Nightmare Night," Raven told her, intent on finishing up the little conversation and getting back to the rest of her work.
"Nightmare Night?" Luna asked, "What is this Nightmare night?"
Hearing that question, Raven Inkwell came up with the perfect solution for explaining the late-fall holiday to the princess of the night.
"I'm sure that Princess Celestia will love to explain the intricacies to you, Your Highness, I am in a hurry to get back to work," Raven told her, pushing her into asking her Sister instead.
Or in simpler words, She delegated.
"Here we are," Blueblood said as he stepped off the carriage, The Pegasus guards already working on securing it to the ground and getting the bags out of the trunk. "Flamefall County Orphanage," He looked at the old building in front of him. Two stories tall with a roof made of red tiles, a fenced-off garden in the back for the kids to play outside, and two large doors at the entrance of the building.
"If we continued flying just a few more kilometers north, we would have reached the spot where I beat you in a fight," Starlight scoffed at what her boss said.
"If I remember correctly, I'm the one who won." She said matter of factly.
"Nope," Blueblood smirked, "I knocked you out, therefore I won,"
"Only because you got a cheap shot in," Starlight said as she levitated the large bag of costumes behind her.
"I didn't use magic, though." Blueblood reminded her, "What does that say about you, that you lost to a Unicorn not using Magic,"
Starlight humphed "Let's say that it was a tie," She said and the prince dinged the doorbell to the building.
"Say what you want, It doesn't change the fact that you ended up unconscious while I didn't," He said as the two of them waited for someone to open the doors.
And after thirty seconds of waiting, the door opened, revealing a tired-looking matron with a flower for a cutie mark.
"Hello," Blueblood started, "I am Prince Blueblood, And I came to donate some Nightmare Night costumes for the children,"
The matron nodded her head and invited the two in, the floating sack of costumes levitated behind them.
And as that was going on, all around Equestria Orphanages were being visited by Royal Guards carrying sacks of costumes for the children.
This event will later find itself in the newspaper, bringing the Unicorn Prince a wave of positive public perception.
But that is a story for another time.
"That was nice," Starlight said simply as the two sat back in the carriage, taking off to one final destination.
"It was, wasn't it," Blueblood smiled as his mind went back to the last couple of hours he spent at the Orphanage, playing with the kids and showing off his Illusions. Those little Rascals.
"We have one more stop," Blueblood said, causing the purple Unicorn to perk up.
"We're not going back to the castle?" She asked him, and he simply looked out the window of the carriage in response, his head leaning on his elbow.
"Not yet, I have a promise I need to keep," He said cryptically and closed his eyes, taking a nap.
Leaving Starlight alone to think over what he just said.
Once the carriage landed again, Blueblood immediately got off.
"I want you to stay here for a moment, don't leave the carriage,'" He told her and went to deal with whatever business he had.
Once more leaving Starlight alone in the carriage, waiting.
"Starlight, Come here for a sec," At least the wait was short.
"Coming!" She called out to him and exited the carriage, before immediately freezing when she saw the mare standing next to Blueblood.
Looking at the aging and sickly Unicorn next to the prince, Starlight felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"Wha-" She wanted to ask what was going on, but her words evaded her.
"I'll give you some time," Blueblood told the mare before he walked up to Starlight, got her off the carriage, and then walked inside.
Leaving Starlight and the sick mare outside.
"...Mom?" Starlight asked.
And seeing her daughter for the first time in years, Starshine Campfire cried as she ran up and hugged her dearly.
And as he sat in the carriage, waiting for the mother and daughter to finish their business, Blueblood smiled as he whispered.
"I told you I'd find your daughter."
After hours of talking, Traveling, Flying, and donating, Starlight Glimmer and her boss, Prince Blueblood Platinum, were back in Canterlot Castle.
"Your Highness!" A servant ran up to the prince as soon as he entered the castle, "A letter arrived!"
"Starlight, Read what it says," He told her, "And skip the unimportant stuff," with a roll of her eyes and a small grin on her face, Starlight floated the envelope to her and opened it, reading its contents.
"Well, Skipping the unimportant stuff, Your Nautical Science test has been scheduled for Thursday next week at the Manehatten EEA building," She told him, and then promptly ignored the small cheer that followed from the prince.
"I'm tired," She told him and then went to her room to grab some sleep as soon as she was dismissed.
This day was an emotional stimulant.
And as Starlight lay in her bed, she thought back to a sentence Blueblood told her last night.
"Starlight... You know I consider you a friend, right?" Was what he told her, and at the time, She didn't really answer him.
How could she? They might have had some fun back and forth, and they survived in a cave without freezing to death, and he gave her a fish to eat, but does that really make two ponies friends?
Well, Suffice it to say that after today, Starlight had the answer to the question he asked her.
"Yes... I do know you're my friend." She whispered as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
"Neigh York City, One of the largest cities in the world, Isn't that amazing?"
Starlight nodded her head as she carried Blueblood's bags in her magic, Her sunglasses resting in the front pockets of her black suit.
"But Is it really one of the largest cities?" Blueblood asked her as he looked at the towering buildings of concrete and glass. "What if the Kirin already built a bigger city? Or the Diamond Dogs? The Minotaur? It's because of these Questions that I need to pass this test," He quickly turned to look at her.
"Once I have my degree in Nautical Science, The Blueblood Foundation trading company will be running in no time!" He smiled widely at her, excitement rolling off his face as he stared into her eye. "With the company up and running, the Yak-Pony railways will be built lickety-split! And do you know what that means?"
Starlight rolled her eyes and asked, "What does that mean?"
"Well, I'm glad you asked my dear Starlight Glimmer," Blueblood said as he put on a voice, "It would mean that my name will be on everything, from the railways to the trades when somebody thinks of a Prince, they'll think of me!" He smiled widely and spread his front legs out as he stood up on his back legs.
"And then what?" She asked the prince.
"And then?" He repeated as he stood down on all fours, "Then I'll probably go to the spa or something, I haven't planned that far ahead," He told her simply before turning his back on her and marching onward to the EEA's Manehatten branch building.
And as the two walked down the street, Starlight swore she could hear Blueblood whisper something along the lines of "Scrooge McDuck's vault of gold," Before giggling to himself.
She decided not to question it.
"Chancellor Neighsay, it is so good to see you!" Starlight put on a nice smile on her face as her boss and friend went ahead and greeted the head of the Equestrian Education Association.
"It is as always a pleasure to see you too, Your Highness," Neighsay said before nodding his head deeply at the prince, almost imitating a bow.
"Let us not waste any more time out of your very busy day, Let us start this test as soon as we can so that you may return to more important work," Blueblood told him and walked into the building behind the Chancellor, Causing him to quickly turn and follow after him, leading him to the location where he will be taking his test.
And as Prince Blueblood took the first portion of his Nautical Science exam, overseen by the Head of the EEA, Somewhere In the Canterlot Castle Gardens, a certain statue shook.
"And that was the written Portion, Now if you would please follow me and not run ahead," Neighsay said after the Prince turned in his papers after two hours.
The trio of ponies walked out of the EEA building and into the nearby Hooflyn River, where a medium-sized boat was already set up for the next test.
"Look at her," Blueblood whistled as he stared at the boat floating in the water in front of him, big enough to fit comfortably fifty people without getting crowded, built like a yacht with several stories connected by a staircase at the sides, It's hull painted a dull grey but lined with vibrant Yellow, almost like a giant hawk on water.
It wasn't an amazing boat, And he has definitely seen better back on Earth, But he knew to appreciate what he saw.
"This is your next test," Neighsay said and with those five words, he managed to get the Prince's full attention.
"You will be taking act as the 'captain' of this ship, Where you will need to sail it to a designated point we have marked on a map inside," Neighsay told the prince, "I will be accompanying you in order to grade you as you go along,"
"If all things go well, You will have your degree by next week," The Chancellor told him, and Blueblood started shaking in excitement.
And so, The trio of Unicorn's boarded the boat and got into positions.
Blueblood at the cockpit, Neighsay watching him from behind the door, And Starlight hanging back, taking this chance to relax.
And as soon as Blueblood closed the door to the cockpit and turned on the lights, The sky started to rain brown.
"Make sure everything is in order, check," I whispered to myself as I went around the cockpit of the small ship that I was to be using for the test. "Flick on the lights, check,"
Taking a quick look outside the window, I can see that it started raining. hopefully, that won't be an issue.
"Check, check, and one more thing," I whispered as I laid my legs on the desk of the cockpit, one hoof inching towards the steering device of the ship.
It's different from an Earth ship as this was designed to be sailed with only one pony in the cockpit, as opposed to the larger ships that require an entire crew just to make sure the ship is heading in the right direction. Using a mixture of magic and technology, the sailor can sail this ship like a driver in a truck.
Or in other words, This boat is just a very big truck on water.
I flick a small switch, and a microphone next to me starts to light up with a green light.
"Attention, This is your captain speaking-"
"Do you smell that?" Starlight perked up when she heard the Chancellor ask the question.
"Smell what?" She replied, taking off her sunglasses and snapping them to the collar of her suit.
"I don't know," Neighsay replied slowly, "But something smells off..." He took a sniff of the air around him, slowly walking away from the door leading to the cockpit of the ship.
"Attention, This is your captain speaking," Starlight perked up when she heard Blueblood's voice through the speakers of the ship. "We will be traveling from this here Hooflyn port to the designated spot, All passengers are advised to stay inside the ship for the duration of the voyage," Starlight turned to look at the chancellor, seeing him with a scroll levitating in front of him, a feather quill writing down words as he nodded his head while the Prince continued to speak.
"Any injuries sustained during the voyage are of no fault of the Blueblood Shipping Company and hold no legal ground in court," Starlight grimaced as the prince said those words, turning her head back to see the Chancellor smirk to himself as he noted down more words. "Hmmm?" He hid his smirk and raised an eyebrow at her when he spotted her looking, causing Starlight to quickly shrug her shoulders at him.
"Please enjoy your voyage," And a second of static, Blueblood was off the speakers, and Starlight decided to hang back, and let him do all the work.
"It's just a Nautical Science degree, how hard can this test be?" And as soon as those words were spoken in her head, The boat lurched forward as a wave of sweet-smelling brown water pushed at it from the back.
"Wha-?!" The Chancellor exclaimed as the scroll he was writing in was tossed off the boat, swallowed by the brown water.
"This rain is going to be a problem," I grimaced as I placed both my front legs on the wheel and spun the boat away from the shore of the river.
"Wait a moment," I narrowed my eyes as I looked out the window of the cockpit, "Where's the shore?"
Looking out the window, The river the boat was docked in was practically gone.
"How?!" I yelled as I quickly let go of the wheel and kicked open the door behind me, ignoring the yelp of surprise from the Chancellor.
"Starlight! Neighsay! Get in here!" I shout and run back to the wheel, flicking a few switches on the way.
"Blueblood! The entire city is flooded-" Starlight tried to tell me but I shut her up, "I know! But this doesn't make any sense!"
I yell loudly as the sound of the brown rain hammers on the deck of the ship, "This rain just started! There's no way the river should have flooded so quickly!"
"My Prince!" Neighsay rushed into the room after Starlight, "You need to get this ship to the sea, away from the city," I nod my head and flick another switch before grabbing a lever and pulling upwards.
And the boat started to move.
Clean Squeak was walking around Manehatten with her son. The two were recently given the all-clear from the hospital and told that her son's broken nose was pretty much fixed. "You're lucky that Unicorn knew first aid and got to you quickly, otherwise you would've had to spend another few weeks," Was what a doctor told them when they visited.
And now she was in Manehatten, her son wearing the stained scarf he got around his tiny shoulders like a hero's cape as he skipped beside her, talking about all the things he wants to buy before they move to their new home.
That was two minutes ago.
"Pip! Pip can you hear me? Pip!!!" Now she was screaming in fear as the street that was just a few minutes ago as dry as any other, was now flooded in a sweet-smelling brown liquid.
"Mom! Over here!" She could vaguely hear him over the heavy rain, its sweet smell making her nauseous as she swam through the flooded street in his direction.
And so focused was Clean Squeak on getting to her son, that she didn't see the trashcan lid flying at her until it hit her right in the face.
She wanted to call out to her son, but her eyes started to get heavy as her head came below the brown waves, and in the distance, she could faintly hear the sounds of other ponies swimming toward their loved ones in this sickeningly-sweet river.
"Pip... I'm sorry..." Clean Squeak wanted to save her son and try to make up for her mistake at the art museum almost a month prior, but instead, she closed her eyes as her lungs filled with the disgusting liquid.
Only to quickly open them with a cough as she found herself laying on the wooden floor of a boat, a Unicorn with purple fur standing above her with a look of relief before the mare ran away, her horn glowing aquamarine as a Lifebuoy levitated after her.
"MOM!" She coughed more as a small white and brown blur impacted her chest as her son hugged her tightly, the Scarf he wore around his shoulders now dripping wet and sticking onto his coat.
"Pip! You're alright!" She cried as she hugged her little boy close to her, "What happened?" She asked as she quickly pulled him away from her in order to look him over, ignoring the ache in her lungs.
"The Prince saved us again!" Her son cheered joyfully, and it was then that Clean Squeak noticed that the two of them weren't the only ponies around.
Be it laying on the floor, on chairs, on couches near the windows, or even running around wearing life vests. All around her, Ponies were crying or moving, as if cogs on a well-oiled machine.
All of which stopped when the speakers turned on with a second of buzzing static, "Everyone, this is your captain speaking-"
Chancellor Neighsay wasn't a very physically active pony, his job didn't leave him with much time to train his body, and his magic took care of any problems his lack of physical strength would have brought.
And never before today, did Neighsay regret not training his body.
But now as his legs ached from holding on to the chair he sat on as his magic flicked around switched and click on buttons, Neighsay started to regret his lack of muscles.
"Two Mares, an Earth and a Uni at One-thirty," Neighsay quickly stood up as the prince said those words, rushing out of the bridge of the ship and into the rain, his legs shaking as he held on to the railings of the ship as his magic burned in his horn as the two ponies the prince pointed out to him found themselves floated onto the ship.
"Everyone, this is your captain speaking," Neighsay took a moment to catch his breath as Blueblood's voice came over the speakers of the ship, "The direct line to the sea has been blocked by a giant bowl of fruit, so we will be taking a path around it," He grimaced as he turned his head in the direction the boat should be taking. And sure enough, where previously the path to the safety of open waters was clear, now stood a blockade of a giant porcelain bowl with pony-sized berries laying in it.
"Anyone not taking part in the rescue operations, please stay indoors and away from the entrances, make room for those we pick up, and try your best to take deep breaths," Neighsay started to move his legs, the frown on his face more pronounced than it was in years as the situation only kept getting worse and worse.
SPLASH!!!
Turning his head sharply to the back of the ship, he sees a large pink fin emerge from the river of chocolate milk and swim in the direction of the ship.
SPLASH!
And as the creature leaped out of the river before diving back in, He saw it.
A Giant shark made of marshmallows.
And just because it was made of Pink, Sweet, Fluffy marshmallows, didn't mean that he was willing to let it get anywhere near the ship.
And so with aching legs and shaking breath, Chancellor Neighsay ran back to the bridge of the ship, made his way into the cockpit, and told the prince what he saw.
"Fuck!!!" And although he wouldn't use those words, he couldn't help but agree with the prince.
"Ladies and gentlemen, This is your captain speaking!" I yelled into the microphone as my horn glowed blue, buttons and switches around me moving in my magic as I spun to wheel in my hooves, "Change of plans! Everybody inside right now! Hold on to any bolted-down furniture you can find, and hold on tight, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" I quickly turned the boat to the left, narrowly avoiding a pair of large pink jaws from clamping onto the back of the ship.
"In the meantime, why don't we all sing a song?"
Starlight huffed air as she used her magic to pull more and more ponies onto the ship, Her suit was wet and sticky with the sweet milk from the rain, and her blue life vest hung over her suit as she continued running around the ship, making sure everypony was safe.
"In the meantime, why don't we all sing a song?" She made a sour face as her boss said those words over the speakers, the ponies inside all looking at each other, unsure what to do before the speakers once more sounded static and Blueblood returned to speaking.
"Look alive Starlight," He told her over the speakers, "Raining brown from the sky but the shark won't quit?"
Clean Squaek and Pip Squeak perked up as Prince Blueblood spoke through the speakers of the boat, joined by plenty of the other ponies inside.
"You're here with me, Prince Blueblood Platinum, I'll be your Captain, Your Rescue, the one that saves you! Sailing over these waters to keep you live, A living hero for the masses," Clean rolled her eyes as the prince tooted his own horn a bit before hugging her son closer to her, his scarf wrapped around him like a blanket.
"Anti-matter for nature's plan!" A certain white and blue Unicorn mare nodded her head to the words the prince was saying before with a flare of her horn, a DJ's booth appeared before her and she started flicking a few buttons.
A smile on her face and purple glasses over her eyes.
"Louder than Princess Luna and twice as shiny,"
A grey earth pony blinked when she saw her friend and housemate pull out a DJ's booth, with a purple flick of her horn, a Cello appears in her grasp, And the earth pony Immediately understood what she must do.
"This one's for all you out there," The prince said through the speakers as all around the ship, Ponies that had the talent took out musical instruments, others grabbing onto tables or windows to tap, stomping their hooves on the floor.
"All you City queens on country kings, LISTEN UP!"
I smiled widely as I spun the ship away from another leap from the pink shark as I sang a mixed-up version of a popular song from Earth, "The Future is Bulletproof! The aftermath is secondary! It's time to do it now and do it loud!" My smile widened, and It only widened further when I spotted Neighsay take a step back.
I must have looked like a demon with a smile this wide.
"Killjoys, Make some noise!" I yelled into the speaker, and my ear-to-ear toothy grin almost split as I heard the sounds coming from below me.
Around the flooded streets of Manehatten, the ship sailed quickly, turning sharp corners with an unnatural preciseness thanks to the Unicrons on board, and dodging the leaps and bites of the large marshmallow shark that chased after it thanks to the expert handling of the captain.
And any ponies that holed themselves in the buildings and towers of the city that saw the boat, couldn't help themselves but join the song that was heard leaving the ship.
"Left, right, right again, sharp turn left, now it's straightforward for 100... 50... 10... Sharp right!" I whispered to myself as I steered the ship across the flooded streets of the city, bobbing my head to the music and singing as the ponies down below started singing the lyrics to the song as if told by magic.
I won't question it, It's cool.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!!!
"....Shit."
"Shut up and sing it with me!"
Starlight quickly ran to the window to see what the source of the loud explosion she heard was, only to balk when she saw the city getting farther and farther away as a river of chocolate milk flew through the sky, ignoring the laws of gravity, and carried the boat with it.
"Miss Starlight!" She turned to see the Chancellor running in her direction, "Come quickly!" He told her as he passed by before continuing his run.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, From mall security!"
As the ship left the city of Manehatten, growing farther away from the safety of the open seas than before as the river of milk and chocolate carried it through the sky, a pink and fluffy predator swam after its escaping prey.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, To every enemy"
"There! Help me shoot it away!" Neighsay yelled as he held on tightly to the railings at the back of the ship, the wind flapping his cloak around as one hoof held tightly to the medallion around his chest.
"Fine! But you better not punish Blueblood for what's going on!" Starlight yelled at him as her horn started glowing with an aquamarine light.
"Punish him?!" Neighsay exclaimed in shock as his horn started glowing orange, "Never the thought! He more than passed his test with this performance!" He yelled as he aimed a spell at the giant pink shark that followed the ship.
"You ready?!" He yelled over the wind, his horn glowing brighter as the spell readied itself.
"Yeah!" Starlight yelled, "Three!"
"Two!" Neighsay counted down.
"One!" The two of them said together.
"FIRE!!!" And a powerful beam of magic left their horns, orange and aquamarine swirling together in a spear of arcane power.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, We're on your property!"
The Pink Marshmallow Shark didn't know what was going on, One minute it was a simple bag of sweets in the grocery store, not a thought in its non-existent mind. The next moment, it was living, it had a mind of its own, and it was curious.
Curious to see the world outside the plastic bag that used to be its home, Curious to experience life as more than just a bag of Marshmallows.
And so it swam like the shark it was always meant to be, in the flooded river of chaos and magic, after the first thing it saw.
A boat carrying ponies, The creatures that ate all of its sweet and fluffy siblings, cooked them over a fire or plopped them straight into their mouths.
And it was with new purpose, and newfound emotion, that the Shark swam in revenge after the evil ponies.
It swam through the streets of chocolate, and now it swam through the river in the sky.
"There they are," It thought to itself, its pink and fluffy eyes locking on to two of the Marshmallow killing monsters on the boat as they aimed their horns at it.
Before a magical beam of orange and aquamarine power drilled into its fluffy body and the shark exploded, its sticky and sweet body splattering onto the ship as giant blobs of warm and sticky marshmallow.
"Standing in V formation!"
I grinned wide as the shark that followed us blew up behind me, my legs steering the ship over the river as it slowly came down to the ground, closer to a town below us.
Discord was having the time of his life.
He was free from the statue, the Elements of harmony were unable to work together, and his chaos was already spreading all across Equestria.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, Drop like a bullet shell!" He frowned as he stuck a finger into his ear as he heard something coming from somewhere. Something that sounded like a song... coming from above him...
Discord turned his neck to look up, and his eyes widened at the shadow of the ship falling toward.
"Wha-" He might have been a powerful Spirit of Chaos, but even he wasn't expecting to see that, And that was the reason he didn't move in time as the ship crashed onto the ground in front of him, and its momentum kept carrying it forward.
Directly into his face.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, Dress like a sleeper cell!" The ponies on the ship sang as it kept moving, dragging a crack into the floor and carrying the Draconequus in front of it.
"Stop stop stop!" Discord yelled as his body was dragged along with the ship, hitting trees and signs along the way.
"Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, I'd rather go to jail!" The ponies kept singing, not hearing his cries of pain as his body was stretched along the boat like an improvised torture technique.
It wasn't long before the ship dragged its way out of the town of Ponyville and into the nearby lake, the Chaos Spirit glued to the front of the ship like a bug on a windshield.
"Than be in purgatory Cut my hair Gag and bore me Pull this pin Let this world explode!"
And with a loud crashing sound, the singing was over and Discord dragged himself off the front of the ship, plopping into the lake below him.
"Finally! What was that?!" He yelled in exasperation as he pulled himself ashore and twisted his own body like a towel, letting the water drain out of him.
"But at least I can not get back to- oh no..." Discord tried to say with a smile before it disappeared from his face, replaced with a frown as a beam of rainbow harmony magic blasted into him, leaving a stone statue in his place.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, This is your captain speaking, We have landed in the Ponyville Lake and are close enough to shore to safely swim over. Any Ponies who are unable to swim across safely are to be carried by any Pegasus that are able, seeing as this ship didn't come with life rafts, Mares and children first. To everybody listening, Stay healthy and safe from now on. This is your captain, Prince Blueblood Platinum, Signing off,"
"There he is! No time to waste, Girls, let's blast him!" Twilight Sparkle shouted as her friends and her ran after the ship that fell from the sky and dragged Discord away from them.
"Yeah! Let's teach this mean baddie what Friendship really is!" Rainbow Dash yelled as the Element of Loyalty around her neck started glowing, same with the other Elements of Harmony as the magic of the Elements activated, releasing a large beam of rainbow harmony magic straight into Discord's stupid face, turning him into a statue of stone and fixing all the chaos he's done in Equestria.
And Discord was stopped.
"We did it," A white pony with golden hair said as it exited the ship, stepping onto the deck and looking over the many ponies swimming away to shore.
"So close..." I thought to myself as the pony took steps toward me, "Just a few more steps and I will finally avenge my siblings for all you monsters have done!"
And as the White horned pony took steps nearer to a pile of my flesh, stuck to the side of the ship, I pounced.
As nothing more than a pink and fluffy blob, Just a pair of jaws filled to the brim with sharp, jagged teeth, Flying through the air like a ball thrown by a professional athlete. I opened my pink jaws, ready to take at least one of these monsters down with me.
And then an explosion of rainbow magic hit me.
And the Marshmallow Shark was no more.
"Your Highness," I turned my head to see Chancellor Neighsay approach me, his hair oily and stuck to his face, the cloak he wore was torn in several places and stained with sweat and chocolate.
"Congratulations," He told me as he grabbed my hoof and shook it.
"On what?" I asked confused, "I failed the test, I didn't reach the designated spot," I told him, "Look around, We're in the middle of a lake!"
"So?" Neighsay asked me, And I couldn't help but blink.
"So? So?! This means I need to retake the test!"
"No you don't," Neighsay said as he let go of my hoof and pat my shoulder, "You managed to sail this boat through a storm of magic, over a river flying through the sky, through flooded streets in a crowded city and even more,"
He continued, "The ship is still working, Nopony was injured, Your Highness, You saved the lives of who knows how many ponies today, and you did so with nary an incident of your own fault,"
I blinked at him as he continued speaking to me, "What I'm trying to say, is that you passed. Congratulations Captain Platinum, Your degree will arrive in the mail soon," And with an orange glow to his horn, he teleported away.
Starlight looked at me in amazement, "You passed..." She whispered.
"I passed..." I repeated her whisper, a smile stretching on my face.
"You passed!" Starlight cheered, and I ran towards her and picked her up in a hug, twiling her around.
"I passed! Hahaha!" I laughed loudly while swinging Starlight around as I twirled on the deck of the ship, narrowly avoiding stepping in the remains of the Marshmallow shark.
"Take that Mother Nature! It'll take much more than this to take me down! Hahahaha!!!"
And the Prince got his license.
"Mom!" Pip Squeak cheered happily as he swam in the crystal clear waters of Ponyville Lake, "Look at me!"
"I can see you, dear," Clean Squeak called out to her son as he swam back to her, his eyes glued to somewhere else.
"Mom, Shhh." He told her as he exited the waters, shaking his body to flick the water off, before he started running in the direction of a familiar white Unicorn.
"Prince Blueblood!" He called out to the stallion as he ran toward him, the blood-stained scarf from he got at the museum whipping around.
"Hmm?" The prince turned his head and his eyes widened as he saw the colt rushing toward him, "Hey Kid, How's it going?"
"I'm all good!" Pip said loudly as he stopped next to the prince before he fidgeted with his neck as he took off the scarf.
"Here, I'm returning it," He told him with a smile on his young face, and the Prince picked up the scarf with his magic.
"You know kid," The prince said as he looked at the scarf, the sky blue knitting and the brown stains of dried blood creating a sort of contrast that stood out vividly.
"I think you should keep the scarf," He told him and tossed him the scarf, the wool landing on Pip's head.
"Really?" Pip asked with wide eyes as he held on tightly to the oversized scarf.
"Sure, It has your blood on it, it's practically yours now," The prince told him before walking away, leaving the colt to look at the brown stains on the scarf with wonder.
"Mom!" He yelled over to Clean, "I'm keeping the scarf!"
"Okay!" His mother yelled back as she picked herself up from the shore of the lake.
And the Squeak family was happy.
"I'm sorry!!!" I heard someone yell before quickly turning my head, my eyes widening as I ducked to the ground, avoiding the pink missile that was headed in my direction.
"Don't jump at me!" I yelled at the pink mare as she stopped her dash with a cartwheel, turning around with a flip and staring at me.
"I'm going to make you the best apology party ever!" She yelled before throwing something on the ground, leaving a cloud of confetti that hid her away as she disappeared like some sort of pink, loud ninja.
"Pfft," I turned my head to lock eyes with Starlight, The traitor trying her best to stifle a laugh.
"What's so funny?" I asked my bodyguard who simply shook her head and mouthed "Don't worry about it,"
I turned away from the purple unicorn, not noticing the rainbow-colored pile of confetti on my head, nor the white mare looking at me from the distance.
Pinkie Pie was planning a party.
Cosmos perked up when her prince appeared in her dimension again.
"You wouldn't believe what kind of day I just went through," He told her as he illusioned a sofa and a television, a shelf of video games appearing next to him as he took a seat.
"Wanna' talk about it?" Cosmos asked, biting her lip as she looked at her darling think of what to say.
"Hmmm, Nope." He said as he illusioned another sofa next to him before levitating her to sit on it, "What do you wanna play this time?" he asked her, and Cosmos took a look at the shelf he made.
"How about this one?" She asked as she made her horns glow, slowly levitating a disc from the shelf.
"Battleblock Theater, nice choice," He smirked as an Xbox 360 controller appeared in front of the two of them, the disc shooting into the television as it turn on.
Cosmos didn't mind that he didn't want to speak about his day, she was just happy that she could spend time with him. Knowing full well that if anything were to happen that will stop her prince from visiting her.
She wouldn't hesitate to break out of this dimension herself, find the reason for why the prince is missing, and tear it limb from limb, atom by atom, leaving nothing behind as she destroys whatever it may be that holds her happiness away from her. But she would never tell him that, Heehee, She's a pretty lady after all, both elegant and cute, regal and adorable. And as long as her prince is happy, she's happy.
And she will keep him happy.
No matter the cost.
Cosmos is totally normal.
Rarity frowned as she saw Prince Blueblood speak happily with Pinkie Pie, a smile on his face as he joked and laughed with her.
"But... I'm the one who's supposed to be with him..." She whispered as Pinkie Pie walked away from the prince, her spot taken by Applejack, her smooth country charm entrancing the prince, her traditional family values wooing him into her hooves, as she held prince Blueblood in her arms, her stetson hat leaning down to cover her face as she leaned her head toward him.
"But... I'm the one he's supposed to love... not you..." Rarity whispered as her heart broke, seeing Applejack kiss the prince, soon joined in by Pinkie Pie as she sauntered her way into the kiss, her soft and smooth curves glistening under the setting sun as she leaned into the prince, pushing Applejack aside as she took her turn with the Prince of ponies' lips, his elegant yet rough looks melting into her as the three ponies rolled on the ground, smiles and sweat, lust and love.
"No... This isn't how it was supposed to go..." Rarity cried silently as she saw two of her best friends steal the Stallion of her dreams away from her.
"This isn't how it was supposed to go..." She cried, closing her eyes from the sight in front of her.
"Hey Rarity!" She opened her eyes quickly, looking toward the pony who called out to her.
"You were too passive." Applejack smiled at her as she held the prince's cheek in her hooves, a cruel and mocking smile on her face.
"If you want to win, you have to take life by the reins." Pinkie Pie joined her, the two earth ponies smiling cruelly at the Element of Generosity.
""You Need to be Active!"" The two of them yelled at her before they went down on the muscular white stallion between them.
Rarity wanted to throw up, Rarity wanted to scream, Rarity wanted to curse them all for how unfair it was.
Princess Celestia has a very important job she must do every morning and evening.
Raise and Lower the sun.
It's less of physically moving the celestial object and more of giving it a little push to keep it cycling in the sky, Nopony wants the sun to stay in the sky forever, the Moon needs its time too.
And so every morning, as soon as she wakes up, Celestia lowers the moon and raises the sun.
And now that her sister is back from her thousand-year-long sentence on the moon, Celestia only has the Sun to worry about.
All she has to do is wait for Luna to lower the moon.
Celestia smiled as she looked out her window, at the full moon in the sky above Equestria.
Just wait for Luna to do her job.
Any day now.
It's just a simple push...
"Luna!" Celestia yelled.
Starlight had a very simple morning routine.
Wake up, brush her teeth, style her hair, wear the suit she was given, scowl at the pair of black sunglasses for a minute before attaching them to her collar, and then check in on her boss.
Breakfast comes later, first, she needs to make sure her boss hasn't been assassinated in his sleep, or whatever else excuse the Princess will give to make her time as a bodyguard just a tiny bit less simple.
Usually, the room is locked because he's having his beauty sleep.
On some rare occasions, He's awake long before anypony else, either working on his plan to start his "Blueblood Foundation," or reading from the old magic book he picked from the Library.
But one thing that's consistent, is that he never sleeps past ten-thirty.
On her way to Prince Blueblood's room, Starlight noticed that the moon was still in the sky, even though it was already long past the time for the sun to rise.
But Starlight, as has become almost second nature during her tenure at the Canterlot Castle, has chosen to ignore the weirdness of the situation, lest she goes crazy.
"Luna, You need to take the moon down," Celestia told her sister as soon as she found her on the roof of the castle, gritting her teeth and moving her legs around as if trying to physically drag the moon from the sky.
"I'm trying," The Princess of the Night said as she once more cast her magic, and growled in frustration when it failed, seeing as the moon was clearly still in the sky.
"Then try again," Celestia patiently told her younger sister, ignoring the young princess mockingly repeating what she said in a dumb voice.
"I'm trying!" Luna told her, her brow furrowed as the spell to move the moon once more failed to work.
"It's not that hard," Celestia told her, causing Luna to quickly turn to look at her in disbelief.
"Not that hard? If it's not that hard why don't you try it then?" She asked her loudly before sitting down on the roof with her legs crossed, pouting at her older sister.
"Very well," Celestia smiled before illuminating her horn with magic as she cast the spell herself, one she got used to after a thousand years of moving the moon on her own. And then frowned when the spell failed for her.
So she tried again, slowly growing frustrated with each failed attempt.
"Try again," Luna told her, a mocking grin on her face as she smiled up at her sister.
Celestia scoffed and proceeded to sit down next to her sister and think.
It was then that a letter magically appeared in front of her in a puff of magical smoke, courtesy of her dearest Pupil, Twilight Sparkle.
And so she opened the letter, moved her head to make room for Luna to read also, and combed through the letter.
"Rarity is the purple-haired one, right?" Luna asked as she read through the letter.
"That is her, yes," Celestia answered.
"You think her disappearing has anything to do with the moon not going down?" Luna asked, and Celestia couldn't help but nod.
"If everything that went on recently has taught me anything, It's that if we don't know the cause of the problem, those girls are somehow always in the middle of it." She said and Luna nodded her head before standing up and spreading her wings.
"I'll race you to Ponyville," She said with a smirk before she flew off, not even waiting for a response.
"You cheeky bugger," Celestia smiled before quickly joining her sister in flying to Ponyville.
"Although," Celestia paused mid-flight, "I'm feeling like I'm supposed to do something... Oh well." And continued her path.
Sitting in her office, Raven Inkwell sneezed.
"I hope the Princess isn't going to leave without telling anypony," She would have said, but instead she wiped her nose with a tissue paper.
Just because she's alone doesn't mean she's going to start talking to herself.
Starlight waited in the hallway outside of Blueblood's room, waiting for him to wake up so she can go and grab breakfast.
And she waited.
And she waited some more.
And she took out a small book from her pocket to read as she waited.
And she finished reading the book, so she placed it back in her pocket, casting a spell to remind herself to grab a new book when she gets the chance.
And Starlight continued waiting for her boss to wake up and open his door.
And then the clock in the hallway struck noon.
And Starlight burst through the door, to find the room empty.
"...Shit."
When I woke up, it wasn't on a soft mattress and a comfortable blanket, but in chains sticking out of a wall, inside of a small stone cell.
If I wasn't still in the body of Prince Blueblood, I would have thought I switched bodies again.
"Well well well, Look who's finally awake." A voice echoed around the cell I found myself in as hoof steps were heard coming towards me before I finally saw the face of the mare who most likely kidnapped me.
Dark purple fur with long flowing purple hair, glistening like stars in the sky. A pair of gorgeous blue eyes shone like crystals beneath a crown adorned with a beautiful blue diamond, making way for a long black Unicorn horn. A choker on her neck, adorned with yet another diamond. And a Cutie mark of, could you guess it? Diamonds.
"You look even better than in her dreams," The very tall mare smiled at me in what I assume she thought was a flirtatious look.
And as I looked at the smirking Unicorn, from behind bars in a cell, my front legs tied to the stone wall behind me, without even a single article of clothing. I asked the first question that came to my mind.
The words echoed around the room soon after they left my mouth, The smirk on the mare's face looked crooked, as if she didn't expect me to use those words.
The mare furrowed her eyebrows as she stared down at me, my back against the cold stone wall of the cell.
"I am Nightmare Moon," She said, an air of faux gravitas surrounding her as her clear blue eyes stare directly into mine.
"No you're not," I told her, "Nightmare Moon is Luna, and you look nothing like her," The Unicorn scoffed at my words.
"And what would you know of Nightmare Moon? You are but a simple Unicorn, Barely fit to be called prince," She sneered at me, and I moved my head from side to side as I tried to think of how I can keep this discussion going.
Because while this crazy nutjob thinks she has me captured in this secure cell, I already have a plan to escape.
According to Clover the Clever, A good way to make a Unicorn's magic more potent, is to remove outside interference during the casting of the spells. Most commonly, the removal of movement. If a Unicorn is sitting still, barely moving, their spells would end up more powerful than if they were to cast the spell in motion.
However, with this Unicorn keeping her eyes on me, It would look suspicious if I stopped moving as I put my plan to fruition.
So that leaves the removal of a sense that would keep the mare from catching on to whatever I'm doing.
So I closed my eyes and smirked at her.
"I may be a simple Unicorn, sure. But I'm more of a prince than you're ever going to be," The words leaving my mouth hopefully had the desired effect on the mare, I'll have to trust my other senses to do the work for me in this discussion.
Because If Moving is out of the question, The next best thing is to remove my eyesight.
And as my eyes remained closed, a subtle glow emitted from the bottom of my horn, hidden underneath my hair, as my escape plan started coming together.
"Nightmare Moon? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Nightmare Moon was defeated months ago, You can't be her."
"Hmmm..." The mare hummed from the other side of the bars, clueless to the hidden usage of magic I was performing.
"And how do I convince you that I am indeed Nightmare Moon?" The mare asked slowly, the clopping sound of her hooves echoing on the stone floor.
"Nightmare Moon is at her core, Princess Luna. And so, if you can tell me something that only Princess Luna would know, that surely must mean that you are telling the truth, correct?" I ask, my eyes still closed and a smirk on my face.
The Spell I was casting was working wonders on doing its job, just a few more minutes...
"Hoh? And how would you know that what I tell you is only known by Princess Luna? Are you secretly a fool? Did you not think of this line of questioning beyond the first step?" The mare asked, a high and mighty tone in her voice as she most likely looked down at me as If I was nothing more than a bug.
Jokes on you, The spell is almost finished!
"You see, My dearest Aunt, Princess Celestia, likes to spend her days talking with me about the past, when she was far younger," I smirked as I told the Dark-Purple Unicorn. "And in one of these stories of hers, she told me an interesting tidbit that seemed important enough for her to remember,"
"And that is?" The mare asked, and I smiled as I knew I got her attention.
Just a few more seconds.
"It was a minuscule thing, nothing that the History Books would consider close to relevant enough to note, meaning that only those Celestia told the story to should know it," I smirked wider, my remaining closed as my lips stretched from corner to corner, the rush I feel whenever I place myself in mortal danger slowly moving through my body.
"What is it? Do not make me force the question out of you, Prince," The Unicorn spit the title out as if it was grime, And as my spell neared its final moments of completion, I knew that If I fail in my coming escape, I might die.
Ten seconds left.
"My question is..." I paused for dramatic effect.
Five seconds left.
"OUT WITH IT ALREADY!" The Mare claiming to be Nightmare Moon yelled, her patience growing thinner.
One second left...
And with my smile wide and the Spell I readied finishing its job, The hidden glow from my horn disappeared, leaving not a trace of any magic happening.
And I opened my eyes and asked.
"Celestia and Luna were guests at the Wedding of Lord Thelos, a Minotaur Prince," I told the mare, her blue eyes glaring at me from behind the bars, And for perhaps the first time in a while I was glad that Celestia spent hours of her week talking about her boring past with me. "What color was the dress that Luna wore to that wedding?" And I watched as the gears turned in the Unicorn's head.
If she answered correctly, then she is indeed Nightmare Moon, likely in the body of a different Pony, seeing as the Cutie mark is different than Luna's, not even counting the lack of wings and different styles of hair.
However, If she doesn't answer, that means that she isn't Nightmare Moon, and is instead using the already existing reputation of Luna's Evil Alter Ego in order to push her own agenda.
And no matter what the answer may be, I will be getting out of this cell and punching her in the face.
The Second option, of her not really being Nightmare Moon is the best case in this situation because that would mean that It's not a poor pony having her body taken over by the Nightmare, controlled like an evil puppet.
If it is indeed Nightmare Moon, and for whatever reason she's back, then I don't really stand a chance against her, let alone without permanently injuring whoever she's gotten under her control.
"The Dress Luna wore to Lord Thelos's wedding?" The Mare repeated the question, her eyes moving to the ceiling as she became lost in thought, her tongue moving around her mouth as she licked her teeth before a smile spread on her face.
"Lord Thelos was so angry at us back then, wasn't he?" She asked out loud as her eyes returned to me, And the smile on my face lessened as the answer to the question became obvious.
"The Dress we wore that day was Yellow, And Thelos hated Yellow."
The smile on my face disappeared, replaced by a thin line as I stared at the tall Unicorn smirking down at me.
"It seems our time here is up, Prince," She said mockingly as she turned her eyes away from me, likely having something more important catch her attention. "Be a good pet and sit tight, why won't you?" She smiled back at me as her horn glowed a pale purple and I felt my cheek being grabbed, as if squeezed. Before the Unicorn who was under the control of the evil that stewed inside Princess Luna's heart left.
Now alone in the cell, I waited until her steps could no longer be heard.
Before I smiled widely, my eyes gleaming with excitement, as I said out loud.
"And the Oscar goes to Blueblood Platinum," As the chain that tied my legs to the wall fell apart at my feet, a quick glow of my horn and the bars that held me in this stone cell burst out of the walls, levitating in the air in front of me as I took a step outside my cell.
I looked back at the metal bars levitating behind me before an idea came to mind, and with a blue glow in my horn and the sound of scraping metal hidden behind a soundproof Illusion, the bars were gone.
Replaced with ten sharp metal rods, crude spears almost.
And as the ten metal spears levitated in front of me, I cast another spell, one that I spent the last few weeks working on almost every night.
And under an illusion I disappeared, as if invisible.
"Oh yeah, It's all coming together."
And so I left my cell behind me, my body and the ten spears I floated around now silent and invisible.
"Illusion magic is broken!" I laughed out loud, not a sound leaving a ten-centimeter-wide illusion on my body and spears.
"Now," I looked at the stairs that Nightmare Moon walked to, the only way out of this prison.
At least, as Regular a day the most important non-noble pony in Equestria can have when the moon is still in the sky during what is supposed to be the middle of the day, but semantics.
"Blueblood is missing!" Correction, Raven Inkwell was having a regular day until exactly this moment in time, when Starlight Glimmer, criminal on parole, bodyguard to the Prince, and ex-cult leader, barged into her office and yelled those words.
Raven Inkwell was no longer having a regular day.
"So let me get this straight?" Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, the stallion in charge of the security of the crown, said as he listened to Starlight and Raven explain the situation. "What you're trying to tell me is that Prince Blueblood has gone missing, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna left the castle earlier today without notifying anypony, and now we need to locate the Princesses to alert them that the Prince has gone missing. Did I get that right?"
"Pretty much," Starlight nodded her head, "So can you get your men to start looking already?"
Shining Armor leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.
Finally, something interesting was happening that didn't involve simply arresting people, he could actually do something today instead of sitting in his office all day and going over documents.
However on the other hand, Prince Blueblood is kind of annoying, he never used his name correctly, always changing it to something like Twinkling Shoulderpad or Sparkling Shield. Which while keeping his name of a form of "Shine" and a piece of "Armor" was still annoying.
But he was also a Prince of Equestria, and it was his job as the captain of the royal guard to protect him.
"Also, Celestia will actually banish us both if we don't find him." Starlight added with a straight face, causing Shining to quickly lean forward in his chair and agree to the two mares job.
"Find Princess Celestia, got it!" He said quickly, "You can count on me!"
Hearing those words, Raven couldn't help but interject.
"Like how we counted on you to protect the Prince last night?" Shining flinched back as if injured, "Or like that time we had to count on your guards to stop anything from happening during the Grand Galloping Gala?" Shining once again inched back, as if struck by a mighty blow.
"Or like how we counted on those three guards who were supposed to protect the Prince a month ago," Starlight added, and got the attention of both other ponies in the room.
"You were the one who assaulted them that time, Please keep your words relevant," Raven told her, before looking back to the captain, "But she is correct, your recent track record of doing your job is less than stellar,"
"...Yeah..." Shining Armor said sadly before standing up from his chair and going to the door of his office, "I'm... I'll go get the carriage ready," And he stepped out, leaving the two mares alone in his office.
"Welp," Starlight said, trying to lighten the awkward mood that the captain left in his wake, "At least he agreed to help, right?"
Raven stared blankly at Starlight, causing the Unicorn to chuckle awkwardly before standing up from her chair, "I'll just be taking my leave now."
"Wait." Starlight paused, turning her head to look at the Secretary of Equestria, the Right Hoof Mare of Princess Celestia, One of the most important ponies in the world. Look away from her, trying and failing to hide the blush on her face.
"Oh no," Starlight thought to herself.
"I wanted to ask you," Raven began, And starlight started panicking as the question she was about to be asked started playing in her mind, and the Mare didn't know what to do with it.
"Sorry, I'm not interested," Starlight said quickly, trying to stop the Earth Pony from embarrassing herself, "Look, I'm trying to say this as easily as I can, but you're just not my type, and I don't see you that way at all." There, That should ease her burdens.
"..."
"..."
"...Do you think Blueblood would agree to grab a coffee with me?" Raven Inkwell squeaked out, her voice so quiet the only reason Starlight was even able to hear it was the awkward silence that filled the room.
And the two mares silently stood in Shining Armor's office, one too embarrassed that she jumped to such a wrong conclusion and ended up making the situation much more unbearable than it should be. And the other, silently sitting in a chair, refusing to make eye contact, her entire front half flushed with embarrassment, red like a strawberry.
"Okay! So I got the carriage set, are we ready to go?" Shining Armor asked as he loudly entered his office, before pausing when he noticed the awkward silence.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked as he watched the Secretary of Equestria stand up from her chair, eyes glued to the ground, walk towards his bookshelf, Press her hoof on one of the carved branches decorating the side of the shelf, before entering silently entering the doorway that appeared in the wall next to it, closing the hidden passageway behind her. Leaving Shining Armor and Starlight Glimmer staring at the wall she just entered.
"I didn't know that was there," The captain whispered to himself as he stared at the wall, no sign of a hidden passageway anywhere.
"Come on, We don't have time," Starlight said, turning back to the door and walking out, turning left at the corridor.
"The carriage is that way," Shining Armor called out to her, his head pointing to the right side of the corridor.
Starlight turned around and walked in the correct way, "I knew that,"
"And you have no clue where she could have disappeared to?" Princess Luna asked five of the six Elements of Harmony.
"No," Twilight Sparkle said, her eyes full of worry for the safety of one of her friends, "She always tells Sweetie Belle if she's going somewhere, but this time? Nothing. It was like she just vanished,"
"And not only that!" Rainbow Dash picked up where Twilight left off, "Her cat, Opalescence, has refused to move from her bed, scratching and hissing at us as if we were going to hurt it!"
"Please, Princess, Please bring Rarity back to me," A young Unicorn Filly told the group, her friends hugging her for comfort.
Seeing all the ponies worried for the safety of their friend and sister, Luna knew that she had to do something, and if everything that happened in the last year taught her anything, it's that Rarity going Missing will somehow tie into why the moon is refusing to lower.
"Of course," Princess Luna told the filly, Sweetie Belle, "We will find your sister, there is no need to worry."
And as the group slowly calmed down, a plan for investigation slowly coming together, all of it was thrown out of the window when Fluttershy of all ponies pointed at the moon and yelped in fright.
Because imposed over the surface of the moon, looking down at them, standing over the white canvas of the moon's surface like a painting of ink and shadows, was a tall Unicorn Mare.
A Mare on the Moon.
And one whose mane was eerily similar to a currently missing Unicorn.
And as the ponies gaped in shock at the sudden turn of events, one pony piped up.
"Well, I think we found Rarity," She said, ignoring the glares that were then pointed at her.
"What? Too soon?" Pinkie Pie asked once she noticed the glares of the group, "Too soon," She nodded and turned her head back to the Mare on the Moon.
Looking out of the window of a flying carriage carried by three Pegasi guards, Starlight Glimmer and Shining Armor stared in shock and awe as the moon seemed to slowly descend toward the earth, not like it was going to crush it, but more like it was going to build a bridge between itself and Equestria.
And it seemed to be headed straight to Ponyville.
And seeing all of this, Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard, the pony in charge of the security of the Crown and its people, had one single thought go through his mind.
"That's where Twilight is!" And with an order to the guards flying the carriage, The Captain of the Royal Guard and the Bodyguard of Prince Blueblood both made their way to the town of Ponyville.
Meanwhile, A certain Prince was enjoying his time.
Seeing the old and archaic architecture of the place he found himself in, He couldn't help but enjoy himself a bit.
"I give my life, not for honor, but for you," He sang, his voice unheard thanks to the illusion he cast over himself, the crude spears he made from the bars of his prison cell levitated behind him, banging against each other in a barbaric mockery of music, "Snake eater," "In my time, there'll be no one else," He whistled the tune. "Crime, it's the way I fly to you, snake eater, I'm still in a dream, snake eater"
And as he sang to himself, walking down the corridors of the castle on the moon, he came to a stop when a room caught his eye.
And the smile on his face, widened as he looked deeper into the room.
Treasure, bars of Gold and Silver, gemstones of all shapes and sizes, old tools and weapons, likely thousands of years old, all in pristine condition.
Blueblood took a look at the spears he levitated behind himself, before throwing them onto the floor, making sure that no sound left the room he was currently in.
And with an illusion over the room to make it look as if nothing was happening, The Prince took a magical bag of holding, likely sewn from the finest of cloths and enchanted by the best of magics, and dumped as much treasure into it as he could.
"HAHAHAHA! I'M RICH! HAHAHA!" He was simply enjoying himself, nothing more.
"TRADE COMPANY?! I CAN START A TRADE EMPIRE!!! HAHAHA!!!" Seriously, Prince Blueblood was simply happy to have all this treasure.
And as he cackled maniacally- Laughed regularly to himself, he spotted a gem near the back of the room.
A gem that seemed to look like a shard of a larger piece, almost like a puzzle. Red and green...
And if his previous smile was wide, his current face was that of a starving man, who after years in the desert, eating nothing but bugs, found the juiciest, richest, medium-rare slice of steak a five-star chef could cook, and it was all for him.
"Hey Cosmos," He whispered to himself, the smile not leaving his face, "You wouldn't believe what I found."
And with a flick of his horn, one of the missing body parts of the lady who lives inside the gem he keeps in his pocket went into the bag.
And after almost an hour of digging through the absolutely giant room of treasure, the Prince filled the bag of holding to the brim and levitated it above his head as he left the treasure room, his spears replaced with high-quality weapons, from Golden swords and spears to clubs and axes dotted with gemstones.
"What a thrill, With darkness and silence through the night,"
Princess Luna shivered as she stared up at the moon, slowly descending towards the earth, as the inky-black painting of the Mare on the Moon locked eyes with her.
"We defeated her! We blasted her with the Elements and everything!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed angrily, her eyes glaring at the moon up above.
"Oh no..." Luna took a step back before stopping as a white hoof rested on her shoulder.
"Luna," Celestia asked, a worried look on her face as she stared down at her younger sister, "Is everything alright?"
Luna stared up at her sister, before taking a look at all the ponies gathered, "Let's speak somewhere more comfortable," She told them all and turned around, her hooves carrying her to the Ponyville Library.
Soon both Princesses, The remaining Elements of Harmony, the Baby Dragon, and the three fillies, stood inside the library, waiting for Luna to explain.
"Something is happening," Luna started once she had everyone's attention on her "Something we had hoped would never come to pass."
"Did you eat too much Broccoli?" Pinkie Pie jumped with a question, "Sleep through your alarm? Use salt instead of sugar? Accidentally wear your shirt backwards all day? Realize your mom was right about everything?"
Luna blinked in surprise before shaking her head, "When we were trapped as Nightmare Moon, we thought we could show everypony how special we were by making them fear us," She explained, her eyes looking elsewhere as if lost in memory.
"The Nightmare Forces somehow knew exactly what to say to convince us... To give us their energy and hate." Luna continued, ignoring the fillies mouthing the words Nightmare Forces.
"After our curse was broken by the Elements of Harmony," Luna continued her story, "We believed the forces of Darkness would wither and die... But we were wrong."
"Legend says that if the Nightmare Forces can harness enough strength through the cycle of the new moon, they are granted one more chance..."
"One more chance to what?" Twilight Sparkle, The Element of Magic asked.
"To claim what Nightmare Moon promised- an All Powerful Kingdom of their own!" Luna shouted, standing on her hind legs and spreading her front legs and wings wide, an image of the sun appearing behind her before being covered up by the inky and shadowy clouds of the Nightmare, creating a pseudo solar eclipse of Nightmares blotting out the sun.
"Then It's time for action!" Rainbow Dash yelled, her blood pumping as the thought of kicking the ass of Nightmare Moon and Saving Rarity appeared in her mind.
"But why take Rarity?" Applejack interjected, "What does that Gobbledy-Goo care a flying feather about us?"
Luna took only a second to think of the answer before taking a deep breath and telling them, "Together you possess the Elements of Harmony, Which have defeated the Dark Forces before," The three fillies in the room once more mouthed the words Dark Forces, confused as to which type of Forces they're really called.
"Now they will come after all of you- The only ponies who can defeat them... And destroy your home-"
"PONYVILLE!" The ponies all exclaimed in shock before they started moving around in a hurry.
"We need to go get Rarity home in a jiffy!" Applejack exclaimed loudly, followed by Rainbow Dash complaining that she was trying to get the rescue started all along.
"But how do six ponies and a baby dragon get to the moon?" Fluttershy asked.
"Okay, Hear me out-," Rainbow Dash said, "We get an enlarging ray and shoot me with it. Then I'll carry you all to the moon and -Surprise!- A Million ponies jump out and stomp those Moonies to bits!"
"Don't you little ponies worry," Princess Celestia told the group, "I know a way."
At the top of a tower, connecting to a castle on the moon, Nightmare Moon frowned as something started interfering with her magic.
"Larry," She said calmly, a beaked figure covered in wispy and smoky shadows materialized next to her.
"Oh glorious Nightmare," The Nightmare creature asked, his shadowy hands rubbing against each other, "What is it that you called me for?"
The Unicorn that was Nightmare Moon looked from her tower and to the earth below, "Why has the moon stopped its descent?" She asked, her eyes not leaving the small town near the Everfree Forest.
"I shall go and check right away," Larry, or as he would call himself, Shadowfright, told her before his body dissipated into a cloud of black wind as he flew away.
Leaving Nightmare Moon alone atop the tower.
"This is just a regular Lasso," Applejack said as she looked at the rope that Princess Celestia brought.
"It's not just any regular Lasso," She told the group, as her horn started to glow gold, a miniature sun forming from the golden aura at the tip of her horn as the rope started to levitate and grow.
Before the rope became so long, it wrapped around the moon, Halting its descent and creating a path for the ponies to reach their friend.
"You all go ahead," Celestia told Luna and the Elements, "I'll stay here and begin to prepare Ponyville, Good luck."
Staring at her older sister, Luna smiled, "Thank you,"
"What are we waiting for? Let's get moving!" Rainbow Dash yelled at the group before flying upwards, making sure to stay close to the rope.
"You heard her girls! Let's move!" Twilight Sparkle yelled as she stepped onto the rope, slowly balancing her way up.
And as the group walked up the long rope, The two Pegasi and the Alicorn flew, They soon made it close enough to the moon that they could see the clouds of shadows that were made of the Mare on the Moon, hiding the castle somewhere underneath the inky darkness.
And when they reach the castle, they reach Rarity.
Only that tragedy struck.
And with a snapping sound, the rope that held the moon broke, throwing the ponies and dragon down toward the moon.
Making fast work, the Pegasi and Alicorn quickly caught the falling ponies, Luna's horn glowing as her magic tried to catch all of them, "Just a little longer!" She called out.
Soon, the blue glow from Luna's horn enveloped the group, slowly guiding their fall into one of the dark spots of the moon.
"Great," Rainbow Dash grumbled loudly as she bumped into a rock under the pitch-black darkness of the Nightmare Cloud. "Finding Rarity in pitch black? No problem at all,"
"Let us take care of that," Luna said, and with a glow to her horn, the darkness fled, letting the group see where they were, "However, now they'll know where we are,"
"And who is They exactly?" Twilight asked the princess.
"When the Nightmare Energy came back to life, It needed a form to take," She told the group, "Unfortunately, The peaceful inhabitants of the Moon became its victims and are now trapped under its spell."
Fluttershy gasped, "How could they do that to sweet little animals?"
Luna answered, "They aren't sweet anymore..."
"Hey, Larry! How's your day?" A Nightmare creature asked his coworker, who quickly turned to him and slammed him into the wall, His arms taking the form of large mallets.
"It's not Larry you idiot! It's Shadowfright!" The leader of the Nightmare Forces, the Nightmare that orchestrated the revival of Nightmare Moon and the Kidnapping of the two Unicorns yelled at his underling before pausing as he felt a group of ponies enter one of his Nightmare Clouds.
"Actually..." Larry- I mean Shadowfright turned to look at his underling, "I have a job for you..."
The white-eyed and flat-faced Moon creature gulped as his red-eyed and Beak-faced boss looked at him.
Raven sighed wistfully as she calmed her heart with a steaming cup of coffee. The warm beverage soothed her mind as the embarrassment from an hour prior still played on repeat in her head.
Oh how embarrassing it was, If word ever gets out she'll never be able to show her face again! She's almost thirty and already the stress from her work makes her feel twice as old. But with this hot mug of roasted beans, for just a few moments, Raven Inkwell could feel her age.
"Raven! Get the royal Guard ready and sent to Ponyville," all the soothing calmness was washed away as Princess Celestia barged into her office, paper documents she's been keeping neat and tidy were being thrown around the room from the wind pressure of the door opening.
"I would be ordering Shining Armor, but he seems to be missing," Celestia said as she sauntered into Raven's office, sat on her desk, and levitated the mug out of her hold. "Is this Zebrican Black? Good choice," She told her as Celestia took a sip from Raven's coffee, "Could use a bit less sugar though," She said with a scrunched face before draining the cup with a large gulp and jumping off the desk.
"I don't enjoy the bitter taste," Raven said quietly as she looked at the now empty mug, "My Mother sent it as a gift, and I didn't want to waste it, so I used more sugar,"
"Oh..." Celestia replied eloquently.
"Didn't Shining go to you?" Raven asked, catching the curiosity of Celestia.
"He did?"
"He and Starlight, yes," Raven said, "They were searching for you because somepony, I don't want to throw names, but it was a ruler of a nation, who thought it would be a good idea to leave the castle during a time of emergency," She told her blandly, her eyes gesturing out the window of her office, and to the Full Moon that was simply floating above the land.
"Okay," Celestia said, "I can agree that perhaps I was acting childish with Luna," Raven lifted a brow, "And Captain Armor I can understand,"
Celestia then took the chair in front of Raven's desk, "But why would Starlight Glimmer join him?"
"Because the Prince is missing," Raven told her.
Celestia blinked, waiting for Raven to tell the rest of the joke before the small smile on her face melted away, causing Raven to shiver slightly as the temperature of the room raised several degrees.
"I want every available Guard in Ponyville Yesterday," Celestia told her, her voice coming out as a whisper, yet remaining loud enough to easily be heard across the entire castle.
And all across Canterlot Castle guards and Servants stopped what they were doing and listened to the words of the Princess of the Sun.
"I want the tourist area closed, The guards there will take guard over the rest of the castle, Every other guard, suit up. Get to the town of Ponyville, and await further orders."
The castle stood still.
"NOW," within a matter of seconds, the castle of Canterlot was louder than it was in months, as guards ran around, getting ready to leave.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Celestia calmed herself down before continuing to speak with Raven, now curled into herself beneath her desk to avoid the glaring gaze of the Solar Princess.
"I want a list of every single weapon and guard, and I want it in five minutes. Shining Armor and Starlight Glimmer better have a good explanation as to why my baby is missing," Celestia told Raven before standing up from the chair, "I'll be waiting by the carriages, be there in three minutes,"
And with that, Raven Inkwell was busy running around the walls of the castle, getting everything Celestia asked of her, and also placing an order for a new chair.
Seeing as her old one has stains of soot and the smell of smoke.
Twenty Minutes. That was how long it took for the Nightmares to capture them Twenty short minutes.
The Moment they got close to the castles, they fell into the illusions of horrible nightmares, those were easy enough to escape.
What was not so easy, was the horde of Nightmare creatures, the corrupted denizens of the Moon, led by Nightmare Moon herself ready to capture them as soon as they escaped the illusions.
"Let Rarity go!" Rainbow Dash shouted before being thrown across the rocky surface of the moon, her body going limp as she rolled across the ground.
"You won't win!" Twilight yelled moments before witnessing Nightmare Moon kick Spike the Dragon so far, he was no longer visible.
"Darn it you!" Applejack charged at the mare, a similar fate awaited her.
No matter what they tried to do. Without Rarity to power the Elements of Harmony, there was no way for them to beat Nightmare Moon.
In Twenty Short Minutes, Nightmare Moon decimated the Elements of Harmony, threw them into the dungeon, and laughed maniacally as Luna flew away, her fears of the past stopping her from going further.
"I am the worst," She thought to herself as she flew back down to Equestria, leaving the Elements of Harmony behind.
Two different bodies were walking silently across the castle on the moon.
One was injured and small, his chest heaving in pain as each step he took caused his scales to itch and fall off, revealing the soft pink flesh beneath.
The other was calm and collected, each step he took in the silence of his magic reminded him of his days in the Navy, all he needed was an earpiece and a rifle.
The small injured one silently climbed down to the dungeon, luckily avoiding the plenty of guards as he searched for his captured friends.
The Calm and collected one stood silently near the corner of a bend, his body against the wall as two cloud-like creatures walked past him, unknowing of the danger they would have been in had one of them bumped into the White Unicorn.
The Small Injured one smiled widely as he made his way into the dungeon, silently crawling beneath the sleeping guard as he opened the locks that kept his friends captured.
The Calm and Collected one was staring blankly out of the window, looking at the green and blue orb that floated in front of him far in the distance, his brow twitching as his escape plan only got more complicated.
With the help of his friends, the small injured one managed to convince the Dungeon Guard to help him defeat Nightmare Moon, because Friendship is worth much more than whatever deal he has with her.
The Calm and Collected one sat silently as his magic engulfed the large bag he was carrying, before he screamed loudly, his muscles stiffening and his pupils pinprick as his horn glowed a pale blue, before the bag he levitated shot away into the sky, leaving the Unicorn huffing for breath as his muscles ached from the extraneous spell.
In Canterlot Castle, a loud crash was heard as one of the windows was broken into.
Hours later, Staff would find a large bag with a note attached, written: "Blueblood's stuff Do Not Touch!!!"
But that is a story for another time.
"Larry," Nightmare Moon called out to her most useful soldier, "Is the army ready?"
The Bird-looking Nightmare nodded his head as he rubbed his eyes, "Of course oh horrible one, they are simply waiting for your command," He wanted to throw up every second he degraded himself for Nightmare Moon's ego, but he held back.
Soon, She will fulfill her purpose, and he will have a spot on the earth, away from this barren and empty rock his colleagues call home.
He has waited more than one-thousand years for this fool of a Queen to conquer Equestria, He could wait a few more hours.
And as soon as she's done with her work, her petty little plan to create an everlasting night, he would come in and take his spot as King of Nightmares, SHADOWFRIGHT!!!
"Is something amusing you?" Nightmare Moon asked, and Shadowfright quickly shook his head.
Soon...
As soon as Celestia landed back in Ponyville, she got to work. She met up with Shining and Starlight and gave them her orders. Shining Armor will cover the town with a shield as Starlight got ready to remove Rarity's Cutie-Mark as soon as she made her appearance. She found that Luna has returned, and ordered her to go back to the moon and get Blueblood as soon as this is over.
More and more orders left her mouth, the temperature around her only rising hotter and hotter as her mind worked a mile-a-minute, thinking of what she would do to Nightmare Moon the moment she released Rarity.
She didn't expect to find the Girls and Spike return on the back of one of the Nightmare Creatures, but she will deal with that afterwards.
Her eyes looked to the sky, past the dark clouds of the Nightmare Forces, flying down toward Ponyville as a large black cloud, and instead focused on a small area of the moon behind them.
Hoping to find any sign that her darling baby boy was safe.
"Where is everyone?" I asked as I removed the illusion from myself, seeing as I haven't seen anybody in minutes there was no reason to keep the drain on my magic, I'm already draining enough with the several golden weapons I have floating behind me.
I sat on the floor, looking out from a balcony in what looks to be a bedroom, If you ignore all the dust and decay, and look at the earth far below me.
It doesn't like Earth, the geography is mostly Earth-like but also different, The continents look like what would come out if you gave detail to a child's crayon drawing of the world. That is, I could recognize that one of these continents is North America, And there's Africa and Asia, Australia and Europe, Antarctica, and South America. But they all looked off.
If in the past month, I didn't already realize it, this would have been the moment. "I'm really not on Earth anymore, huh?"
And so with nothing else to do, I laid my back on the stone floor of the balcony, my head resting on my arms like a pillow, and I simply stared.
Silence descended over Ponyville as the dark cloud approached, flying down from the moon like a bird of prey, ready to feast on the dreams of all living creatures in Ponyville.
"Nightmare Moon..." Celestia hissed in anger as she glared at the cloud and at the Mare inside of it.
"Princess Celestia," Twilight Sparkle walked up to her, "The Elements won't work without Rarity, What will we do?"
Celestia looked down at her pupil and felt her face relax, "No need to worry Twilight, I already told Luna and the rest what the plan is, You just need to wait for my signal," Celestia sent her pupil a cheeky grin, "You'll know when it's time."
Twilight Sparkle frowned in worry but chose to trust the words of her teacher regardless.
Elsewhere in the town, Ponies were getting ready for the Nightmare's arrival.
Pans and shovels were being swung in preparation, slingshots were being pulled, and two specific Unicorns were getting ready for their specialized missions.
"Okay Shining, This is It," A White Unicorn with a blue mane whispered to himself as he pumped himself up, "Just wait for them to reach the town, and then do it, you know you can do it, you trained for this."
"Don't miss," Starlight Glimmer whispered to herself, her eyes searching the moon above the cloud of Nightmare Magic, searching for any hint of her boss's safety, "Stay out of range, Move when approached," She repeated words that were drilled into her head, some from Blueblood after he caught her training, and others from Celestia when she spent hours of her week training her in "Body-guarding Duty,"
But the most important pony right now was simply staring up at the cloud, silently, her face a mask of grim determination.
She cannot fail. She will not allow it.
"Nightmare Moon, I will take you down, once and for all..." Luna whispered quietly, her eyes boring into the center of the cloud, where she felt a familiar magic resonating.
"Don't worry Jerome, We'll free your bodies," Spike said with a confident smile as he sat near the Girls, the Moon Creature that helped him escape sitting worriedly beside him.
"Oh I know, Spike, I'm not worried about that," Jerome told him with a weak smile, "It's Larry I'm worried about,"
"Larry?" Spike asked, "That's the mean one who hangs with Nightmare Moon, right?"
"It's more than that, but yes," Jerome said, his large yellow eyes staring at the encroaching cloud of darkness, "He's always wanted to leave the moon," He whispered.
"Why would he want that?" Spike asked.
"I don't know," Jerome shook his head as the answer alluded him, "But he was never the friendliest type, even before Nightmare Moon arrived on the moon... Maybe that's why he..." Jerome quickly shook his head, silver smoke flying off his body as he changed his thought.
"We will save them," said the Yellow Pegasus, Fluttershy, "All your friends and all the cute animals on the moon will be saved," She smiled gently at the Moon Creature.
"Heh," He smiled, scratching his nose with a paw, "Thanks,"
"You don't need to thank us!" Rainbow Dash added loudly, "That's what friends are for!"
"That Idiot!" Shadowfright sneered as he looked down at Ponyville, his red eyes locking on to the form of the Moon Creature that was supposed to keep the Elements in the Dungeon.
His mind raced as he looked at the back of Nightmare Moon, "This is our last shot..." He whispered to himself, his eyes glaring holes into her spine.
"Larry," She said, causing Shadowfright to float forward next to her, acting as if he hadn't glared hatefully at her back just moments prior.
"What is it oh glorious one?" He asked, his beak smiling as he flew next to the Mare on the Moon.
"Get rid of that traitor," She spoke coldly, her eyes also looking down at the Moon creature near the back.
Shadowfright smiled cruelly, "With pleasure..."
As soon as the cloud of Darkness dissipated, revealing the form of Nightmare Moon, still in control of Rarity, and her army of Nightmare influenced Moon Creatures, the battle began.
Not with a bang or with a cry of war.
But with a single Stallion doing the one thing he is truly talented at.
And with a blow to a horn, A Magic Bubble surrounded Ponyville, Trapping everybody inside.
Now If Nightmare Moon wanted to flee, she had to first take down the shield.
The second thing that quickly followed, was a beam of Aquamarine Light, moving through the lines of armed guards, and impacting directly with Nightmare Moon.
Replacing the beautiful diamonds on her flank, with an Equals sign.
The third thing that happened, was the many guards and ponies rushed forward, kicking, punching, and hitting the many Moon Creatures.
Leaving only a few ponies to face off against the now wide-eyed Nightmare Moon.
"HOW?!" Nightmare Moon yelled in anger, however, her anger felt subdued, almost averaging out with her other emotions. She glared at the symbol on her flank, before a blast of Light hit her in the face, causing her to close her eyes with a wince.
"Whatever plans you had, Nightmare, They end here!" The White Alicorn that stood in front of her yelled, her mane glowing brightly with magic, causing a corona of colors to leave her as the Princess of the Sun glared at the Nightmare.
"You think you can defeat me?!" Nightmare Moon screamed at Celestia, her eyes twitching in anger as her magic subdued itself, caused by that damned symbol on her flank. "Without the Elements of Harmony, I am unstoppable!"
"But you're not!" A shout came from her side, causing Nightmare Moon to quickly turn her head, only to be greeted with a beam of dark blue magic slamming into her face, knocking her away towards a group of Ponies.
Spike moved quickly, Jerome on his tail as the two tried their hardest to avoid fighting. The Dragon already tired from his time on the moon, and the Moon Creature not wanting to hurt his friends, no matter how consumed by darkness they may be.
"Those girls better hurry up, Spike!" Jerome yelled, his body floating around the battlefield, avoiding beams of magic and stray flying objects, "I don't know how long I can keep dodging."
"Just a bit longer!" Spike yelled, grabbing onto the Moon Creatures' tail as he floated the two of them farther away from most of the conflict, and closer to Nightmare Moon and the Princesses.
And as the two boys flew in the Princess's direction, they failed to notice a red-eyed, beaked figure made of shadowy smoke following after them, his body sticking low to the ground, less like the bird he looked like and more like a snake or a shadow.
"Traitor!" Shadowfright yelled in his mind as his eyes followed the body of the Moon Creature helping the baby dragon fight off Nightmare Moon.
Shining Armor frowned heavily as his horn ached with each impact made on the shield covering Ponyville, be it from stray magic hitting it or Moon Creatures trying to escape.
This was the largest Shield he has made, covering an entire town, and he was surprised it still held as long as it did. Unfortunately, in order to keep the shield up, he was unable to cast any other spells as the drain on his magic only increased with time.
How much training would he need to shield something bigger than a town? Shining thought to himself, a small smile growing on his face at that thought.
Maybe if he could shield all of Canterlot, Cadance will finally say yes? Oh, who was he kidding, He doesn't need to shield all of Canterlot just for her to say yes.
He instead needs to find the perfect ring! YES! And then his dear booboo-sweety-muffin-cheeks wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with him! OF COURSE!
"Armor! Stop Daydreaming and reinforce the shield!" Shining Armor snapped out of his thoughts at that shout! His head snapping backward and hitting the stray Moon Creature that made him daydream in the middle of an important operation before more magic left his body, the small cracks that started appearing in the bubble over Ponyville fixing themselves.
Starlight fired more and more beams and arrows of magic, slowly inching away from any Moon Creature that got too close.
"Keep your distance," She reminded herself, repeating the words Celestia and Blueblood told her, "Don't go full auto," An arrow of magic shot out of her horn before she quickly teleported to the other end of the street, "Always aim before shooting," Her eyes focused on her target, a Moon Creature floating above a blue Unicorn with a weird cape before a beam of magic hit it and knocked it away.
"Thanks!" The Unicorn yelled at her, receiving a wave from Starlight before she once again teleported, her eyes quickly searching for the next target.
"What would Blueblood say in this situation?" Starlight asked herself, wiping some sweat off her brow as he kept moving, her black suit covered in dust.
"Ehh, He'll probably smile widely like a loon and scream about how this isn't enough to take him down," Starlight laughed to herself before side-stepping a Moon Creature that rolled in her direction after receiving a shovel to the face, "Followed by laughing maniacally while shouting to the world 'Take that Mother Nature! This Rush proves I'm still alive!' Heh, Idiot," Starlight smiled at that, her eyes quickly looking at the moon above her, distorted behind the shield Shining Armor made, but still there nonetheless.
"Please be okay..."
"Alone at the edge of a universe humming a tune For merely dreaming we were snow," A Bored Unicorn sang to himself as he lay on the floor of an old balcony, surrounded by weapons made of gold and treasure, staring up at the earth below him.
Wondering when someone will come to pick him up.
Nightmare Moon screamed in rage as the Elements of Harmony yelled at her, encouraged that fool of a mare Rarity to fight back, and worst of all.
It was working!
With that cursed Symbol on her flank, her magic was practically gone! Add to that Celestia stopping her from getting close to those mares and Luna running around cleansing her minions, Nightmare Moon was scared she might lose!
AGAIN!!!
But it was then, that a scream sounded out, followed by the baby Dragon that followed Rarity like a lost puppy to fall from high above.
And Nightmare Moon's body shook, as the mare she controlled started fighting back.
She could feel her, kicking and screaming deep in the recesses of her mind, images of time with her friends going through her mind, and Nightmare Moon hated it.
She looked back from where the dragon fell before a sharp smile spread on her lips as she saw it.
Eyes of blazing red, wings of razor-sharp feathers acting as claws, piercing through the back of that traitor that brought the Elements of Harmony back to Equestria.
"YES! LARRY! KEEP IT UP!" She screamed at her minion, his red eyes turning to her, a sneer on his beak as he screamed back at her.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!" Nightmare Moon Ignored it, however, as the sight of that traitor turning into silver smoke as he dissipated off the claws of Larry made her heart soar.
"Hahaha!" Nightmare Moon laughed, and it was then that she lost.
As staying hidden throughout the battlefield, a certain filly waited for her opportunity.
"Bring my sister back!" And just like that, with an explosion of light, Nightmare Moon's body collapsed into shadows and mist, leaving the brightly smiling Unicorn known as Rarity behind.
"SWEETIE BELLE!" The Element of Generosity rushed forward, grabbing her sister into a hug, as all around the battlefield, The Moon Creatures yelled as the shadows that covered their bodies disappeared, revealing their true forms underneath.
All but one...
With eyes red with rage, and wings of black smoke acting as his arms, The Moon Creature formerly going by the name Larry glared at the shadow gathered on the ground next to where Nightmare Moon once stood.
"She lost again?" He quietly asked himself, his anger only building as he stared down at the patch of shadows, yet to be cleansed by the Elements of Harmony.
The Shield above Ponyville came down once it was clear that the fighting was over, But Shadowfright kept himself near the shade of a building, his red eyes staring at where Nightmare Moon stood, his anger only building more and more as the cheers and Happiness of the ponies and other Moon Creatures around him became apparent.
"If you want something done..." He whispered to himself, his red eyes blazing in anger, physically so, as the Nightmare Magic that surrounded his body grew lively in response to his emotions, making him almost seem like he was made from black fire.
"Do it yourself."
"This was your loss," Princess Luna looked down at the small spot on the ground, a single blue eye glaring up at her from a small shadow on the ground.
Was this truly all that was left of Nightmare Moon? A single Eye, glaring hatefully at the Princess that it used to be.
NO! The Princess it wanted to be.
Not second fiddle to Celestia, but an Equal, with the love and adoration that came with it.
Or maybe it isn't really the love and adoration from the people that she wanted? Luna turned her head to see her Sister, handing the Elements of Harmony over to their bearers. Ready to get this over with.
Luna smiled at that, happy to be with her family again.
Only for her to instinctively close her eyes as the wind around her picked up before immediately letting down again, almost as if something flew quickly by her, just below her sight...
Almost as if it was close to the ground...
Like a...
Luna quickly turned back, spotting a Bird made of flaming shadows carrying what was left of Nightmare Moon, flying away from Ponyville.
"Celestia!" Luna yelled, causing her sister to quickly look at her, before also seeing what was happening.
"We'll be right back!" Celestia yelled behind her before running up to Luna, "After them!" She yelled before kicking off the ground, her white wings spread widely as she and her sister flew after the fleeing Nightmare.
Shadowfright glared hatefully at the small blue eye in his grasp, the shadows surrounding it sparkling like stars from the night sky itself.
"Good work Larry," He grimaced as the voice of the Nightmare echoed around in his mind, "You were always my best soldier,"
Shadowfright's eyes briefly moved up to his target, the Castle on the Moon, before glaring back down at the eye he had in his grasp.
"You know..." He whispered to the eye, a cruel smile spreading from his beak as he flew, "I Never really liked you after you failed us all those hundreds of years ago, but I kept it to myself," He told her.
"You were supposed to build us a kingdom, down on earth, and you failed," He grimaced, "This is the third time,"
"Larry..." The Nightmare warned him, "Watch how you speak..."
"Well no more!" He yelled at her, his body growing more animated as the shadows moved like a blazing inferno, "I am done following a failure like you!"
"Larry... I will give you one chance to apologize, I might forgive you for this, You do want forgiveness, don't you Larry?"
And as his Anger reached a boiling point, He Screamed at her, Like a Horrific Phoenix reborn from the Shadows, covered in flames of Darkness, He screamed.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!"
And with a single bite from his beak, Nightmare Moon was no more.
Hearing a scream In the distance, I opened my eyes and stood up, my head looking around to see where that sound came from.
Before I shadow spread over the balcony, causing me to look up.
Directly at a Bird made of flaming Shadows that was heading directly toward my face.
"...Fuck."
And with a loud crash, My body was thrown backward through the door behind me and down the corridor, before I hit the wall at the far edge of the hallway, my body screaming in pain.
And with a scream of rage coming from the bird, I was gone.
Breathing Heavily, I looked down at my new hooves, my new legs, my new body. No longer made of dust and smoke but of Flesh and Blood.
My Black Coat contrasted with the brilliant Gold Mane on my head, sparkling as if made of stars.
Must be the influence of Nightmare Moon after I ate her...
My new Cutie Mark, a compass star, gold and silver in color, contrasted nicely with my new smoky black fur.
And as my eyes locked on to the golden weapons laying all around the floor around me, My smile widened immensely.
With a quick flare of my new horn, a glow of red coming out of it, the weapons levitated around me, and I smiled.
"Don't let a Princess do a Nightmare's job," I chuckled to myself, the shadows on the floor extending towards the weapons, covering them in inky black smoke.
And with another red glow to my horn, The shadow-covered weapons flew away, Shooting out at the two Princesses that were nearing my castle.
And as I searched through this new Body's memories for any plan to win, I smiled widely.
"This will be so easy!" I cheered, a plan already forming in my head as those pesky Princesses flew closer to my castle. But it was no matter, They will not win. For one simple reason.
High above the surface of the world, above the topmost layers of clouds, Two Alicorns flew at their top speeds toward the moon, chasing after the escaped Nightmare.
"Luna!" Celestia yelled over the winds caused by her speed, "You need to capture the Nightmare, We can't let it get away!"
"I Know!" Yelled back the princess of the night, "But Without the Elements of Harmony, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do!" Her voice was distorted by the loud winds.
"You'll do great! All you need to do is-" Celestia's yell was cut off as a heavy piece of metal slammed into her torso, knocking her off course, and plummeting down toward the surface of the moon.
"Sister!" Luna yelled, turning to fly after her before being cut off by her older sister's yell.
"Ignore me! Go after the Nightmare! I'll catch up soon!" Luna nodded, flying directly at the castle on the moon, passing by a small armory of flying weapons, ranging from swords and spears, axes and clubs, all covered and controlled by wriggling black shadow.
Spinning her body mid-fall, Celestia managed to land on her hooves, quickly dashing forward as she avoided a rain of sharp blades from impacting her.
A flap of her wings and she was once again in the air, the lowered gravity of the moon allowing her better maneuverability, as she dodged and flew around more and more blades.
A blast of golden magic from her horn, and a nearby axe was caught in her magic, the shadows that enveloped it dispersing like smoke to reveal the golden weapon of old.
"This is doable," She whispered to herself, swinging the axe around her in her magic, deflecting several more swords and dispersing their shadows.
But for every blade she avoided, two more followed, Celestia knew that she had to do something quickly before she will be overtaken by the flying blades.
And so, with a mighty swing of her magic, the axe she held was thrown up into the sky, spinning with inertia as it flew higher and higher into the sky above the moon.
And with a grunt of effort, Celestia blasted a beam of golden light at the axe, hitting it on the head, and causing the reflective gold of the blade to spread the light like a prism, dispersing all shadows in the area, and causing the nearby weapons to fall to the ground like puppets without strings.
And as the axe fell back down, Celestia lifted a leg and caught it by the handle, quickly slamming it down into the floor below her as she laid her front legs on the handle of the axe, the blade in the ground, and she caught her breath.
"Haven't done that in a while," She whispered to herself before chuckling, "I'm out of practice," And with a glow to her horn, all the weapons on the ground lifted themselves from the floor, and flew after her, following her like an army of blades as she flew toward the castle.
Luna flew into the first balcony she saw, quickly skidding to a stop on the smooth stone floor of the castle as she took a survey of her surroundings.
Things were quiet. Too quiet.
Something was wrong, The Nightmare should have been making noise, especially after crashing into the castle as it had.
It just wasn't right.
Luna didn't know what it was planning, but whatever it was, she couldn't let it happen.
And so with a face full of determination, ready to stop Nightmare Moon once and for all, Luna took another step into the castle.
And promptly looked down at the previously hidden magic sigil she just stepped on.
"...Crud."
BOOOOOM
Sitting on the throne in the center of the castle, Shadowfright smiled as Illusionary screens around him showcased the two Princesses that followed, his horn burning a mixture of blue and red light as his own power empowered the spells already known by both Nightmare Moon and Prince Blueblood.
His smile widened as one of the screens in front of him pinged, signaling that one of his spells made contact with its target, and he turned to look, already casting more and more spells, using the knowledge hidden in the Prince's mind he was sure there could be no way for his defeat.
"I will not be defeated, by some pesky ponies," He growled with a smile as the red magic on his horn momentarily overtook the blue, and his spells reapplied themselves.
He growled in discomfort as the blue glow returned to his horn, fighting back against the red aura.
"That's what you get when you force a possession," He grimaced at the flare of pain on his horn, before looking down at the screens in front of him, seeing the golden weapons that Celestia floated around herself turn purple and black as his magic returned. The smoke from Luna stepping on a mine dispersed, revealing a shield spell that protected the princess at the last moment, explosive sigils on the floor, and walls all around the corridors of the castle. And the third screen, showing the town of Ponyville, sees a swarm of gold and silver orbs of magic slowly descend upon the town.
Seeing that last screen, Shadowfright smiled in pleasure, his mind going through the faces those traitors would make when they see what he had planned for them.
"JEROME!" Spike yelled in horror as he ran toward where the Moon Creature that helped him and his friends escape was last seen.
But there was no answer, as the Moon Creature already dispersed into silver smoke during the battle.
"Spike... He's not-" Twilight slowly walked to her little brother, laying her hoof on his shoulder as she tried to speak with him. Only for the crying baby dragon to remove the appendage from his shoulder as he pulled away from her, his body falling onto his knees as he started clawing at pieces of wood and smashed stone on the ground.
"Help me find him, Twilight!" He yelled as his claws dug through one of the ruined buildings, splinters of wood and broken bricks dusting the area.
"Spike..." Twilight didn't know what to tell him. He never lost anypony before and even though they barely knew Jerome for a few hours, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't their friend.
Twilight opened her mouth to say something to the baby Dragon, only to be interrupted by a loud explosion and a scream of horror.
Wide eyes, all of Ponyville turned to look at the sight that greeted them.
Orbs of magic, Colored either Gold or Silver, floated above the town, eye-looking sigils drawn on the orbs, like eyeballs looking down at them.
Two of the orbs, one gold and one silver, slowly floated down in front of one of the freed Moon Creatures, as they slowly crawled away from the magical orbs.
The Silver orb was slowly spinning around, as if looking at everything in sight, trying to see all, as the gold orb simply stared at the scared moon creature.
Before the Silver orb looked back to the creature, no longer looking around itself, the gold orb started glowing.
"Everypony get down!" One of the guards yelled and many of the ponies listened, throwing themselves down onto the floor, their legs protecting their heads as they lay down on the ground.
And with a quiet Bang sound, a small beam of magic fired from the golden orb, piercing through the forehead of the Moon Creature, causing it to disperse into colorful smoke and float away.
"CARL!!!" One of the Moon Creatures rushed forward, trying to catch the cloud of smoke, only for another beam of gold to pierce their back, dispersing them as well.
And all around Ponyville, Golden Beams of Magic started raining down on the Moon Creatures, dispersing them into colorful clouds of smoke.
Killing them.
"Everypony stay close!" A Familiar voice yelled out, and a Purple Bubble expanded from Ponyville, Pushing the Gold and Silver orbs away, and shielding the remaining Ponies and Moon creatures under the shield.
"Shining!" Twilight yelled, turning to see her older brother glare up at the orbs, his face in concentration as his magic worked overtime to continue the upkeep of the new shield.
Starlight Glimmer looked up at the orbs beyond the shield, something about how they acted seemed peculiar.
Only the golden orbs fired shots, and the silver orbs merely looked around, staying close to the gold orbs.
Her mind quickly thought of reasons why that would be before a conclusion quickly arrived in her head.
"Spotters and Shooters..." She whispered as the conclusion reached her mind, her horn quickly glowing Aquamarine as she teleported to explain to the Captain.
Celestia exclaimed in shock as the gold weapons that surrounded her suddenly escaped her control and flew toward her, almost skewering her as she flew.
Luna slowly flew herself down the corridor, making sure to not touch the wall or floor lest she activated another mine.
Only to pause when she turned into the next corridor, and now the middle of the hallway had lines of sensory lasers running through it.
If she touched one of those, the explosives will activate anyway and the force will almost definitely push her into more mines on the wall or floor.
Shadowfright leaned back on his throne, a sadistic expression on his face as he watched the screens in front of him.
"This is easy," He said out loud, enjoying his own voice, "How did Nightmare Moon lose three times if this was all I had to do?! HAH!" He laughed.
"I KNEW I WOULD WIN! HAHAHAHA!!!"
Walking in silence around the small Prison Cell he found himself in, The Blue figure pondered what it was supposed to do.
Its skin wasn't white, nor was it covered in fur. But instead, it was blue, and almost see-through, like a body made of deep blue water.
His Fingers were blue, but they also rippled like water when he tried touching anything, his torso and legs were blue, and his human feet were also blue.
The only place on his body that didn't look like a living body of water, was his face, where instead of a human face, or even a pony face, was simply the compass star that he got used to seeing on his flank.
"What the fuck is this supposed to mean?" He asked out loud, his solid blue feet carrying him around the prison cell.
"Maybe this is what you're subconscious mind is portraying as your soul?" The only other living creature in this cell asked him.
A Single blue eye stared up at him from the tiny clump of living shadows that introduced herself to him as "Nightmare Moon,"
"My soul?" The Blue person asked, "So what? I like the ocean so I look like I'm made of water? I'm blue because that was the color of my magic? I have a humanoid body because I'm human and My face is the Compass Star because that's my Cutie Mark?" The figure asked the clump of living shadows, his voice coming out from a mouth that wasn't there.
"How should I know? I'm not a professional!" The living shadow yelled at the blue figure, her single blue eye glaring at him as he once more got on her nerves.
"You were the one who possessed people!" The Blue man yelled at her, pointing his right hand accusingly at her, "You should know this more than anyone!"
"I Appeared in their Dreams! Not whatever this place is!!!" Nightmare Moon yelled at Blueblood's soul avatar (?)
"If anything, this is because that fool Larry took over your body with force," She then said quietly, her voice still being heard over the quiet atmosphere of the jail cell.
"If he took over your body like I do, through your dreams, We wouldn't be able to hold this conversation anyways," She told him as he took a seat on the bed on the other side of the cell, "If anything, this is wonderful."
"Wonderful how?" Blueblood asked her, feeling his nonexistent eyebrows twitch in annoyance as the Nightmare kept talking without reaching her point.
"Wonderful because we can still move here, you imbecile," She told him, and the Prince had to hold himself from stepping on her like a bug, "And if we can move, that means we could escape!"
Blueblood scoffed at that and looked at the metal bars of the cell, "Excuse me, But If you didn't realize earlier, We are currently in a jail cell," He said slowly, talking down to her as if she was slow.
"So unless the keys suddenly fall into our hands, we're kind of stuck here, seeing as my magic doesn't work, and you can barely move on your own,"
Nightmare Moon blinked slowly at him before her single eye turned away, "I must admit, you might have a point-"
"OH, DO I?"
"-However," Nightmare Moon continued, "This is a prison created subconsciously in order to hold us in, And bars aren't the only way to exit, are they?" She asked, and Blueblood blinked his nonexistent eyes at her before quickly jumping up and running to the mirror above the sink next to the cell's toilet.
Before he balled his hand into a blue fist, and punched the mirror, revealing it to actually be a window leading to a rocky cliff, with a bit of room for him to move through it.
"...You're right," He grumbled in annoyance before turning back to the Nightmare.
"Of course, I'm right you fool, I am- ACK! Let go of me!" The clump of shadows that made up Nightmare Moon's body sputtered in embarrassment as the Blue Prince grabbed her in his hand and placed her on his shoulder, the water-like texture of his skin rippling from where the Nightmare touched him.
"You're the professional here, You're coming with me," Blueblood told the one-eyed clump of darkness as he stepped out of the mirror, and stood at the edge of the cliff.
Looking down, he could see a whirlpool of Blue and Red energy, clashing against each other as they spun at the bottom of the cliff.
"And I think I know where we need to go," He said as he slowly grabbed the rocky cliff he was holding on to, and started the slow and tiring process of climbing down.
Climbing down is much harder than climbing up. When you climb up, you can see where your arms are going, and what you're holding on to, and your legs are always the last to move.
When you climb down, The legs are the first to move, you can't see your legs as your face is facing a rocky cliff, and your arms need to hold on for much longer.
In both cases, a single mistake will deem you to fall and die.
Normally, being in a situation where one small mistake means my untimely demise, I would be smiling ear-to-ear, the rush of excitement going through my body as I am once more reminded that yes, I am indeed alive.
Not this time, however.
It is one thing to be excited with the prospect of dying when I willingly choose to put my life in danger. It is a whole other thing when I am forced into the dangerous situation.
It's a matter of choice, Freedom.
As long as I am free to choose to put my life in danger, I feel excited. If I am forced, say for example by a shadow creature possessing my body, to put my life in danger, then there is no excitement.
Freedom is the most important aspect of living as a person. It's what separates Men from Beasts.
Men have the freedom to choose what they wish to do, be it use a spear or a heavy rock to hunt a mammoth, or even the choice to hunt something else, maybe forage for berries? It's all freedom of choice, at the end of the day. It's Human.
Beasts might seem free, unbothered by the world around them, simply living their lives. I disagree. A Wolf isn't free because it is in nature, running around, uncaged. That Wolf is a Slave. It doesn't wake up one morning and decide it will leave the pack and start a business, It doesn't choose what animal it will hunt. There is no freedom of choice with wild animals, with Beasts. They're all slaves. Not slaves by the human definition, chains and whips. But slaves to their base instincts.
They are not free, because they do not know what freedom is. They simply are. And simply existing, powered by your instincts to survive. That's not really living. Is it?
"I can see a cave, three meters below you," Nightmare Moon, now nothing more than a blob of shadows with a single blue eye said, her small body hanging on to the back of my head as I carefully navigated my way down.
"Is it big enough to enter?" I ask, carefully moving my hand to grab onto a rock on the cliff.
"It is," She replied.
"Very well," And with a few more steps, my face scrunched in concentration as I held on tightly to the cliff, My feet touched solid ground.
And the two of us were greeted by a cave.
Taking a quick look down, I can see that the whirlpool of clashing colors is still far below, looking as if we barely made any headway in reaching it.
"Hopefully this cave has a quicker way to get down," I whispered before entering the cave. Only to pause when I felt a cracking sound. Looking down at my see-through, water-like blue feet, I noticed a crack.
"...Fuck."
And I fell into a hole.
On the throne of the moon, Shadowfright's hoof quickly moved and held his head as a Migraine began.
"You will not be taking your body back," He whispered, a snarl of anger on his face as he punched himself in the cheek, feeling the blue magic that fought against his own lessen its attempt at forcing him out of the body, long enough for him to reapply his magic to the spells holding back the Princesses.
"Just a few more hours, and I won't need to do this," He whispered to himself, his dark snarl morphing into an amused smile as he looked at the screen showing the Princess of the Sun.
"Left," Celestia called loudly, a flap of her wings sending her to the side as she narrowly avoided a rain of corrupted blades, retaliating with a blast of her magic, temporarily removing the animation curse from the weapons.
"Down," She said, ducking her head and diving down as a spear shot at her from behind, narrowly missing her and passing above her before turning in mid-air, redirecting its flight only for a ray of golden light to cleanse the shadows from its hold and free it.
"I really need to stop these from moving," She whispered to herself, but she couldn't find out the answer to how she could permanently stop the weapons from chasing her, knowing full well that it wouldn't be long before the shadows she blasted away will return and once again animate the blades.
And as long as these weapons kept occupying her attention, the more danger Luna could be in, or worse yet, her poor and adorable Blueblood!
And just that thought made her magic burn with righteous anger.
"Wait... That's it!" And it looks like Celestia had a solution to her Problem.
Princess Luna wasn't well versed in the careful maneuvering of wings in tight spaces.
That doesn't mean she was unable, it just meant that she wasn't as good as her sister.
Luna knew that if Celestia and her switched places, this entire situation would have been resolved already. Her magic could remove the shadows from the weapons and stop them from returning, and Celestia's talent for more physical activities would make the passage through this literal minefield a piece of cake.
But it was never that easy, was it?
Luna knew that she was the more magically gifted of the sisters, so having her take part in such a physically grueling activity as this was such an evil and horrible plan that only an evil monster like Nightmare Moon could think up.
She had to be stopped!
But Luna couldn't do it! She couldn't get past this Minefield, she was a wizard, not a warrior!
"Wait... That's it!" However, it seemed that Luna found an idea.
"Twilight Sparkle, right?" Starlight Glimmer quickly asked the purple mare as she ran up to her, recognizing her from both the Gala and her time in Ponyville after the Nautical Science test.
"That's me, yes!" Twilight answered before flinching as the sounds of the golden bolts of magic fired up above Ponyville, slamming into the shield that Captain Shining Armor surrounded the town with.
"You're an Element of Harmony, right?" Starlight asked her, recieving a nod from the Element of Magic.
"Good, I think I know how to get the orbs to stop shooting," Starlight quickly explained her plan.
Listening to that plan, however, Twilight brought up a good point.
"Wouldn't we need all the Silver Orbs to be at the same place for that to work?" She asked, the sounds of golden magic beams once more sounded above their heads.
"Yes, but if you look, they're only aiming for the Moon Creatures, not ponies," Starlight pointed out, receiving a widening of her eyes from Twilight.
"So all we have to do is get them to shoot at the same Moon Creature! but how can we do that without placing them in danger?!" The Element of Magic yelled over the sound of another volley of lasers.
"I think I can help with that!" A new voice proclaimed, and the two Unicorns turned their heads.
"Oh good, the floor opened on you," The first thing that greeted my ears after the floor collapsed, was the annoying sound of the one-eyed Nightmare.
"If you don't have anything helpful to say," I grumbled as I pulled myself up from the ground, "Try shutting up,"
Taking a look at our surroundings, I am not surprised to say that the hole that opened inside the cave did not in fact lead deeper underground, but to someplace different.
"Do you recognize this place?" Nightmare Moon asked as she also looked at the surroundings, a long empty hallway stood before us, with only one direction to go, seeing as there is a wall in all three other directions.
"Not at all," I said and started running forward, feeling the Nightmare on my shoulder latch on tighter as to not fall as I ran down the empty corridor of white walls and white floors. Before long, we reached the end of the corridor, with a single door waiting for us.
Not stopping to think, I barged through the door to be greeted with... Yet another corridor.
"An infinite corridor, how original," The Nightmare snarked from my shoulder, and this time I couldn't help but agree with her sarcasm.
"He could have at least made the corridor more original than this," I said, once again moving down the corridor, "I mean, just an empty corridor? Is he trying to buy time or what?"
"He probably is," Nightmare Moon said and I quickly stopped and turned to her.
"What?"
"He Brute forced his way into possessing you," She explained, her eye staring at me, "He can't control you as well as he would like, that's why the whirlpool at the bottom of the cliff was so chaotic, it represents your Magic fighting off against his control,"
"So if we take too long..." I asked, not liking where this was going.
"If we take too long, we might be too late to stop him from taking control over your body." Nightmare Moon said, "He will have full control over your body, Your magic will no longer resist him and he would be able to move around unopposed."
"...Will that mean I'll be stuck in here?" I asked, feeling anger grow in me as the thought of what she was detailing entered my mind.
"We'll both be. Just like how Rarity was when I controlled her body," Nightmare Moon said, before squawking out as my hand latched onto her.
"I'll be trapped inside my own mind?" I asked her again, my hand squeezing the Nightmare as the anger kept growing.
"Yes!" Nightmare Moon yelled, trying to push against my grasp as my anger kept on growing.
"This is all your fault," I whispered as I looked at her, squirming in my hand like a pathetic little insect. "All of this, This is your fault," I told her, red spots slowly appearing on my water-like body, coloring me with hues of purple.
"Snap out of it!" Nightmare Moon yelled, but I didn't listen, My hand squeezed tighter and tighter, feeling the nonexistent smile on my face spread as-
A Wave of Blue water washed over a wave of Red.
I quickly let go of the Nightmare, my body doubling over as I started coughing violently, splotches of squirmy purple and red living liquid exiting my body as I coughed.
"We need to hurry," Nightmare Moon rasped, a tiny tendril made of shadows rubbing against her body as she spoke, "Your body is already starting to lose control,"
I nodded weakly as my body gasped for air.
"I'm sorry," I whispered to her as I carefully stood up.
"No need to apologize," Nightmare Moon said weakly, "You are correct in saying that all of this is my fault,"
She continued speaking as I gently grabbed her and once again placed her minuscule body on my shoulder, "I am the reason Larry is in control of your body, and it is also my fault that you were on the moon, to begin with. If it wasn't for me, Larry wouldn't have had anypony to possess, making it far easier for the Princesses to defeat him,"
I looked at the Nightmare on my shoulder, "I was apologizing for squeezing you, not because I said that this is your fault," I told her, my legs moving down the corridor as I continued to catch my breath.
"Oh..." Nightmare Moon said.
"Yep. This is still all your fault, and once we're done in here you will be spending a long time in Prison."
Nightmare Moon weakly nodded her body before pausing, her Blue eye turning to look at me.
"Prison?"
"Yes, You're going to prison. You kidnapped me, possessed the body of that Unicorn, held me captive in a cage, and probably much more that I wasn't there to see." I explained to her, "You are a criminal, and Unlike Starlight, I don't think any argument I give will save you, and I also don't want to."
"No, I- I understand that," Nightmare Moon said, "But Prison? Like Tartarus? Why not just simply blast me with the Elements of Harmony and be done with it?"
I looked down at my shoulder as if she was stupid, "The Elements of Harmony sent you to the moon, Right? Why would we want to send you back to the moon as punishment?"
"Huh... I didn't actually think of it like that," She whispered.
"Yeah." I said as I stopped walking, still a fair distance away from the next door in the corridor, "So, any clue on how to get out of here?"
"Have you tried punching the wall again? That seemed to work with the mirror in the prison," Nightmare Moon surprisingly helpfully added.
And doing as she said, I balled my hand into a fist, entered a nice stance, and gave the wall a nice Haymaker.
And it shattered like glass, revealing an exit to the cave.
"Huh... It worked," I said as I looked down at my fist.
"Of course it worked you imbecile, I'm the one who thought of it!" Nightmare Moon said in her haughty tone.
"Yeah sure, Anyways, do you like Sushi?" I asked her as I stretched my shoulders, "I'm figuring out what food to give you when I visit you in jail,"
"...I never had Sushi," She said, and I smiled as the topic changed from the horrible consequences of being stuck in your own mind, unable to influence your body as an evil Nightmare named Larry of all things puppets you around like a Fleshlight.
"I assure you, You'd love it," And we stepped out of the cave, seeing the Blue and Red whirlpool of magic just below us.
"So?" I asked the Shadow on my shoulder, "Are you ready to kick the ass of some douch named Larry?"
"Are you asking if I'm ready to kick the behind of the creature who betrayed and tried to overthrow me?" Nightmare Moon asked sarcastically, "You really are a foolish little Imbecile, aren't you?"
"Well, Here we go!"
And with a yell, The two of us jumped into the whirlpool of Blue and Red magic.
Celestia Raised the golden Axe she held high above her head, her magic powering up in order to get her plan to work.
"Heh," A small smile graced her lips as the heat around her soared upwards, causing the air around her to vibrate.
And with a bright blast of magic from her horn, the axe she held exploded with fire and light.
"This Axe-" Celestia's voice echoed through the empty land as the weapons flew towards her, "Is an incarnation of the sun itself!"
"BURN!" And with a scream, she swung the now brightly burning golden axe downward, almost like a hammer slamming into an anvil, and all around her, the weapons started melting from the overbearing heat as the Axe itself transformed into a miniature sun, keeping all the weapons from reaching her as they all melted into piled of molten gold and fell to the ground, lifeless.
And as soon as the spell finished its job, the miniature sun also disappeared, leaving Celestia holding a golden staff that used to be connected to a two-headed axe, still dripping molten gold.
"Yep," Celestia calmly said as she threw the now useless staff to the ground, "Still got it,"
Luna's horn glowed as a cloud of mist left her, slowly enveloping her and hiding her from view, allowing her to easily bypass the sensory spells connected to the mines as she flew down the corridors and hallways of the castle, making her way to the throne room in the middle.
"Should have used magic from the start," She whispered to herself as her horn glowed even brighter, before with a sound of bubbles popping, she was gone.
Shadowfright leaned back on his throne, feeling his magic take over his body slowly but surely, it wouldn't be long before his body would stop resisting, and getting his own kingdom down on earth will be no more than just a flick of a horn.
Only to look upward as the sound of popping bubbles sounded above him.
"Looking for me?" He then quickly turned to look ahead as a beam of dark blue magic hit him in the face, courtesy of the freshly teleported Princess of the Night.
"Now, Nightmare Moon! Release Blueblood!" She yelled at him, and he snarled in rage.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!"
"is everypony ready?" Starlight asked, getting nods from the ponies around her.
"Okay everyone, Let's do this!" She yelled.
"Of course!" A Blue Unicorn with a lighter shade of hair smiled widely as her horn glowed before a creature made of smoke, similar in look to the Moon Creatures, appeared above the Ponyville shield, catching the attention of the Gold and Silver orbs.
"Good job Trixie!" Starlight yelled as the Silver Orbs grouped around the illusion in the sky as the Golden Orbs shot at it, their beams and bolts passing through the Smokey image and dissipating in the distance. "Now! Twilight, Shining!"
"You got it!" Twilight said as she and her friends started levitating off the ground, the Elements of Harmony hanging off their necks and crows as they glowed with Rainbow colored magic.
"Hurry it up!" Shining Armor yelled with a grunt as he created a temporary hole in the shield right below Trixie's image.
"Take this!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "We'll take care of 'em!" Applejack added. "Yep Yep Yippie!" Pinkie Pie celebrated. "Umm, Yay?" Fluttershy was doing her best. "Of Course, I would love some payback for what you got me through," Rarity smiled with a sadistic glint in her eyes. "Here we go, girls! Let's do this!" Twilight Sparkle finished it all off.
And with a loud yell, A beam of Rainbow Colored Magic flew out of the group, out of the hole, and spread outward from there, hitting all of the magic orbs in the sky, causing each and every single one of them to disappear in a puff of magical smoke.
Saving Ponyville once more.
Luna teleported away as a beam of Red and Black magic flew in her direction as the newly minted Shadowfright aimed at her with Blueblood's body.
"STOP DODGING!" He screeched like a bird, firing more and more bolts of magic at her, forcing her to continue teleporting around, firing weaker beams of blue and silver at him, hoping to knock him unconscious so she could get the Elements of Harmony here in order to get things done quickly.
"Sorry I'm late!" Luna perked up as the voice of her sister sounded behind her, before Celestia appeared next to her, covered in dust and sweat, but uninjured,
"WHAT?!" The Nightmare yelled in shock as he saw her, "HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!"
Celestia frowned deeply as she saw her Son- I mean her Nephew- Oh who am I kidding? When she saw her adopted Son in such a form.
"Nightmare moon," Celestia said as her horn glowed Gold, "Your Evil ends here, Give up peacefully so we can get this over with."
And when Celestia finished saying those words, it was almost as if he cracked.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRI-Kuh" He choked, before with a burst of blue magic, he disappeared.
And in his place, Sitting on the throne of the castle, was None other than the White-Furred Prince of Equestria, Blueblood Platinum. On his shoulder was a small blob of Darkness, a single Blue eye watching them, It was what was left of Nightmare Moon after the Element of Generosity burst out of her control.
And on the ground below the two, was a bruised and injured Moon Creature, it's body covered with Purple and Orange feathers, an Orange beak as its mouth with yellow irises in its eyes.
"This can't be..." It cried weakly as it struggled to move on the floor of the castle, "How could I lose?!"
The sight was pathetic. This was the creature that dared to take over Blueblood? This?
"This wasn't supposed to end like this!" It cried loudly, unable to move its body. "I was supposed to leave this barren wasteland! I was supposed to be King! A God!" Its eyes seemed crazed as it screamed out loudly from the floor.
"HOW?! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! YOU! YOU ARE PONIES! FAILURES!" It screamed at them. "YOU ARE THE FAILURES! AND I AM THE DREAM DAMNNED KING-" Its speech was cut short as a white-furred leg slammed onto the back of its head, stomping it into the ground, and turning its body into orange smoke.
Looking at the five different eyes looking at him in shock from the three other people in the room, Blueblood shrugged his shoulders. "What? He was taking too long."
He was then wrapped in a powerful hug as the Princess of the Sun pulled him in, a teary smile on her face as she hugged her son.
Seeing the warm reunion in front of her, Luna decided to finish what she came here for. Walking to the throne, and staring down at what remained of Nightmare Moon, Luna's horn started glowing before she- "Wait!"
She turned to look at Blueblood, still being hugged by her sister as he turned his head upside down to look at her.
"I promised her that she'll go to Tartarus for her crimes, don't hurt her." He said.
"Hey Blueblood," The Decapitated head on the bench called out to me as my Shy Guy picked up a green shell and held it behind his Kart, blocking player-2's red shell from hitting.
"What is it Cosmos?" I asked her, a relaxed smile on my face as I simply enjoyed the relaxing nature of sitting on a couch, playing video games, and eating snacks.
"Hey, Hey Blueblood!" She repeated, trying to get me to look away from the screen.
"C'mon, hey Blueblood, Look here for a moment," She continued pestering me for the next minute before We finished the lap, Cosmos and Dry Bowser getting a lucky first place with a well-aimed Banana.
And as the screen appeared congratulating the decapitated head on her victory, I turned to look at her, noticing her waving around her new right arm, trying her hardest to get me to look at it.
"Yes Cosmos, what is it that you wanted?" I asked her, a grin on my face as I leaned back on the couch.
"Hehe, Did you notice something different?" The Head said, a long purple arm extending from her previously empty right-shoulder, ending with an almost human-looking hand, if it wasn't for the fact that the skin was blue, she only had four fingers instead of five and the fact that her nails were much sharper than normal.
She winked at me, turning her head to the side in order for her Snake-like hair to cover her shoulder, while the new arm turned to make it so her hand was laid over her mouth, hiding a giggle.
I looked into her eyes yellowish eyes for a moment before making the most clueless-looking face I could muster and asked.
"Did you do something with your hair?"
Cosmos blinked at my question, "Did I do something with my- HAH! Hahaha!" She laughed loudly, a wide smile on her face.
I chuckled at the site before the purple arm shot out and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to her, making it so our faces were mere centimeters from each other.
"I HAVE MY ARM BACK!" She yelled into my face with excitement, her joyous laughter echoing around the empty space that was the inside of her gem.
"Really?" I asked, "I didn't notice,"
"HAHAHA! I HAVE AN ARM!" She yelled, her arm still holding onto mine as she shook me around, causing me to fall off the couch and land on the endless galaxy that made up the floor of her dimesion.
And with a cheer of joy, Cosmos jumped off the couch and landed on my chest, her face still smiling widely as she leaned closer.
"And you know..." She whispered as she leaned forward, her new arm going downward as her fingers acted like small legs, taking steps down my stomach. "Now that I can grab things without my magic..." She raised an eyebrow at me, and I smiled up at her, feeling her hand reaching for someplace she previously couldn't.
"Before we begin," I whispered into her ear as her hand started moving about. "Did you remember anything when you got your arm back?" My question was fully serious, perhaps ruining the steamy mood that my decapitated head friend was hoping for.
"As a matter of fact, I did," She said with a smile as she leaned away from me for a moment, "It was moments before I became trapped inside of the gems, I think..."
"You think?" I asked her.
"I'm not too sure, The memory itself is still fuzzy," She frowned at that, before looking straight into my eyes, "But I remember a deer dressed in gold,"
I waited for her to continue, before sighing as that seemed to be all she managed to remember.
"A Deer dressed in gold, I'll have to check the library for more information about that," I frowned at that Idea, seeing as how the last time I searched the Library for information to help Cosmos I came out of it with no new knowledge, and a Pink Demon who makes me want to drink till I collapse.
Curse you Pinkie Pie.
"I'm sorry," Cosmos sighed as she rolled her head forward, landing next to my shoulder.
"It's fine," I told her with a smile as I turned to look at her, "We'll get your body back."
She blinked at me, Her new hand slowly tapping away at my chest before she opened her mouth and quietly asked me the same question she asked me every night that I appeared in her gem.
"You wanna' go out with me?"
I stared at her for a moment before smiling, giving her a quick peck on the lips, and answering her question as her cheeks flushed red.
"No," I smiled at the decapitated head, and she smiled back at me, her hand moving to touch her own lips as her smile widened.
"Haha..." She whispered with a giggle, "Shut down yet again..."
"One hour is all I'm giving you," Celestia said with a worried look on her face as she once again went over the many bags I carried.
"I know, Auntie, You said so several times now,"
"Call me Mommy," She told me, her face serious.
"Okay," I told her simply, not knowing why she asked me to change how I address her in private. It's not as If being a Mom or an Aunt makes any difference to me, I still don't know what a family does.
"I want you to say it before I open the gate," She told me, her face the apex of seriousness.
"Auntie this is childish I-"
"Say it." She told me, her white-furred face looking down at me.
I sighed in acceptance and said the words, "Fine, Mommy,"
"Now call me Mother,"
"Celestia please-"
"Bluey! What did I tell you to call me now?" Celestia asked me and I sighed.
"Fine. Mommy, Mother, Mom, Mama even. Do you also want me to call you Mah and put on a heavy accent or can we go now?" I asked her.
Celestia smiled down at me, "We can go."
And with a flash of her magic, The large stone wall we stood next to opened up, revealing where I was headed.
Tartarus. The Most Magically Secure Prison in the World.
Walking up a series of stone stairs, we soon reached our destination.
One of the many mountainous peaks of the underground spires that made up the underground magic prison. And in the middle of the opened peak of the spire, A glowing circle of magic stood, a large glass cube laying on it.
Almost like an Aquarium, with a single hole for visitors to speak with the person inside the cell, and a sliding door for the case where the cube needs to be opened. Like what I was doing right now.
"I'll be sitting near the stairs, and I will intervene if I see her try anything," Celestia said before a golden glow from her horn opened up the door to the glass box. Allowing me to levitate a few boxes in before she closed it and walked away.
Leaving me to open up a rolled-up carpet to sit on, as my magic moved and opened the boxes inside the glass cube, causing the fist-sized inhabitant of the far larger cube to look at me, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.
"What is this?" The Blue-Eyes blob of shadows asked as she looked at what I took out from the boxes.
"Some furniture," I told her, moving the kid-sized bed, chair, and table out of the boxes.
"Oh course..." She said blandly, "And what of those boxes? The ones you have yet to open?"
"That's our lunch."
Nightmare Moon blinked at me before repeating what she said, "Lunch?"
"Yep," I said, popping the P as I levitated those boxes onto the small table she now had, opening them and taking out the plastic fork, knife, and plate before placing her food on it.
Nightmare Moon looked at the food I placed on her plate as she crawled her shadowy body onto her chair and looked at the food in front of her. "What is this?" She asked a tiny shadow tendril pointing at her food.
"What I brought before you is some Tofu Pad Thai, Vegetable Eggroll, and like I said I'd give you, Sushi, a Spicy Salmon Roll specifically," I explained with a smile, opening my own box of the same lunch.
And the rest of my visit to Tartarus passed by with a comfortable silence as the two of us simply ate our food, soon Celestia came by and took away the cardboard boxes littering Nightmare Moon's cube before we left.
It was also once I returned to the castle and after Starlight spat out her drink when I told her what Celestia asked me to call her, that I found Luna eating the leftovers from our meal, thin strings of noodles sticking to her fur as she ate the Pad Thai.
All in all, Not a bad day, With the Second Nightmare Moon event ending mostly easily, I can easily say that I'm looking forward to being back on the sea.
With a new clue to search in regards to Cosmos, and my Ships already being constructed as I wait, It won't be long before I can travel to Caninia and finalize the trade agreement, get the Pony-Yak railway under construction, and finally take a vacation after doing my Princely duties.
Yes, After a short break to get everything ready, the next stop will be Caninia, where I will hash out the trade deal, and finally get the Blueblood Foundation up and running.
Raven Inkwell woke with a smile. A full week has passed since the second Nightmare Moon incident, recently titled as the Nightmare Invasion for easier archiving purposes, and no major problems have occurred. It was great.
But what really made Raven smile on this fine morning is none other than the wonderful holiday of Nightmare Night, where ponies all around Equestria dress up in costumes and collect candy.
Some ponies might say that she was too old for such childish holidays, but Raven knew better than them. Nightmare Night is the best holiday for one simple purpose!
"A Paid vacation..." She sighed as she looked at her basic costume, consisting of red devil horns, a tail, and a cape. Yes, it might be basic, but it was also very cheap.
For all intents and purposes, Raven Inkwell was ready to have some harmless, childish, fun.
"You will be coming with us to Ponyville in order to celebrate this Nightmare Night," I blinked and turned my head to see Princess Luna looking over my shoulder as I wrote down orders and lists for the upcoming negotiations with Caninia.
My oh-so-eloquent response to having the Alicorn Princess of the Moon tell me that I will be accompanying her to Ponyville was so profound and magnanimous that I can easily assure you that- "What?"
"Nightmare Night," Luna said the words with a smile on her face as she walked away from me and looked wistfully out the window, "Such an interesting Idea for a Holiday, Celestia explained the basics of it when we asked and we couldn't help but simply fall in love with the idea,"
"Okay... Look, Luna I-" I tried to interrupt her talk in order to explain to her that I'm too busy for that.
"Just imagine it, Ponies from all walks of life, wearing costumes and enjoying the night," She said with a smile as she looked at the moon slowly rising in the sky, "This is simply the perfect Holiday,"
"That sounds great," I smiled at her, "But I don't have the time to accompany you, I'm very busy getting the Caninia trip ready," I told her, and she simply nodded her head in understanding.
"You see dear Blueblood, This is why you should join us! Take a break," She smiled widely at me.
"I can't,"
"You can and you will," She said, her face getting closer to my own.
"Okay, Well. I can't leave the castle without Starlight, And she's all the way in Sire's Hollow visiting her parents," I told her, fully intent on not going back to Ponyville.
Every time I leave the castle, something happens. Art Museum? I got into a fight. Searching for a Missing Mare? Got stuck in the Yakyakistani Tundra. Buying a suit of the GGG? Another fight. Getting my Nautical Science degree? Chocolate Rain floods the city.
Recently I got kidnapped in my sleep for crying out loud! If I'm forced to leave the castle again something horrible might happen!
"That is fine," Luna said with that same smile on her face, "We will be taking some guards with us anyway," Ah yes... The Guards. The Guards who have repeatedly failed at their job, those guards.
"Actually, I promised Raven that I will help her with some paperwork! How could I forget!" I gave myself a slap on the head, "Oh how silly of me! Anyway, Hope you have fun!" And with that, I stood up and quickly walked away from the Princess of the Night.
"Miss Inkwell, Please open the door," Raven Inkwell perked up as she heard someone on the other side of her door.
"Just a minute," She called out to whoever was on the other side as she put the finishing touches of her costume on and adjusted her Glasses before opening her door to see what the pony wanted.
"May I come in?" Raven froze when instead of a Guard or Servant, she was face to face with Prince Blueblood Platinum.
"Oh, yes of course, please make yourself at home," She quickly said and moved to make room for him to enter her room.
"Sorry for the intrusion," The Prince said as he entered her room, "But I needed someplace to get away from Luna for the night, and you were my last resort," He told her, and as the prince looked her in the eyes Raven could feel her heart flutter.
She didn't know when she started feeling these feelings for the prince, But she was sure she noticed them after the Gala when the two of them drank that delicious hot chocolate.
"Oh, Is that so?" She asked him before mentally cringing at how she was acting. She was almost thirty years old dammit! She didn't need to act like a love-struck teenager! Just act your age and ask him your question.
"And so I was hoping I could spend the evening with you, in order to keep away from Luna," He told her, and whatever question Raven was going to ask simply packed its bags and grabbed a boat to a tropical island because it just left her mind.
"Oh, Sure!" Dammit Raven! Not so obvious! "I mean, I was going to leave the castle in order to celebrate Nightmare Night, but if you will be accompanying me I can change my plans," YES!!! Just like that!
"No need to change your plans," He told her with a smile, "As long as I can stay away from whatever trouble Luna was inadvertently going to cause me, I would be happy to accompany you," Raven held back a girlish scream of excitement.
"Oh, Okay... Do you have a costume prepared?" Raven asked him, and he simply smiled at her.
"Raven," He said as he looked her in the eyes, "I am always prepared," And with a glow to his horn, an illusion was cast on him, covering him in a grey coat with a tan vest beneath it, above a yellow shirt. Grey pants covered his back legs as a belt held them up. A small clock-looking device appeared over his left breast and he ended the illusion by styling his hair differently and covering his face with a mask that looked identical to his face.
"Illusion magic is pretty handy, isn't it?" The now costumed Prince asked her with a smirk, His tall stature towered over the short secretary, If Raven was being honest with herself, this moment reminded her of a dream she once had. Only in that dream, neither of them were wearing Nightmare Night costumes.
In fact, She's sure that in that dream neither of them were wearing anything at all.
"Hehe, He, AHEM!" Raven coughed to hide the blush that grew on her face, "So, will we be off then?" she asked the prince, unable to look him in the eyes.
"Sure," He said, his mask smiling for him, "Where to?"
"Ponyville," She said, missing the Prince freezing as the name of the town escaped her lips.
Do you ever get that one feeling? you know the one.
The one that you get when you really have something better to do, but you can't do it because your friends are begging you to go bowling with them, and they won't take no for an answer, so you make up an excuse to leave them, and hopefully continue working on whatever important work you had, only to end up going to that same bowling alley anyways, so now you have to make sure your friends don't find you there because it will simply be a huge mess to explain to them that it's not that you didn't want to go bowling with them, but that the job you had was simply much more important.
You know?
Walking down the streets of Ponyville right now filled me with that feeling.
"So, What do we do during Nightmare Night anyway?" I asked Raven, hoping that there was actually some sort of club or bar here so I won't need to be outside with all the costumed ponies.
"Well," Raven started, her red cape contrasting with her white coat while still complementing it, Is that why her hair tie is red? "Usually just walk around and enjoy the attractions," She told me.
"Oh..." I simply said, trying to think of what kind of carnival-like attractions this place has, "Doesn't that sound kind of... Childish?"
Raven paused at that question before loudly coughing into her hoof and nodding her head, "You're right! Yes! Childish! Of Course!" She continued coughing.
"Are you alright?" I asked her, worried about why she was coughing so much.
"I'm fine! No need to worry about me! I'm a mature mare! No childish plans here, Haha!"
I blinked at her blankly, "If you say so..."
"Spike, I'm going out to give Princess Luna a tour," Twilight Sparkle called out to her assistant as she neared the door to the Library, "Are you sure you don't want to come with?"
The Baby Dragon responded with a groan before slowly making his way upstairs, intent to once again sleep the day away.
"O-Okay... If you need anything just..." Twilight sighed as soon as Spike exited her field of vision, the recent Nightmare Moon attack really left an impact on him, and she doesn't know what to do. "Maybe Princess Luna will have something that might help," She said to herself as she made her way outside, intent on meeting up with the carriage from Canterlot.
"I never understood why we still celebrate Halloween," I said as I took a sip of my Cappuccino.
Raven blinked at that, taking a sip of her own extra-sweet Pumpkin Juice, "Halloween?"
I continued talking about the holiday, "It started off as Samhain, where people will celebrate the harvest at the end of Summer, and wear costumes to ward off ghosts," I said out loud, not really caring if anybody was listening, "The date changed to October 31st after the Pope decided that November 1st was to be All Saints Day, making the day before it All Hallows Eve, changing both the meaning and date of the holiday,"
Raven nodded her head, confused yet still listening intently.
"After years, All Hallows Eve was renamed Halloween, where we now walk around in scary costumes, trick-or-treating,"
"So... It's like Nightmare Night?" Raven asked, confused as to why The Prince was bringing up a holiday from outside Equestria.
"Yes," I said, "Like nightmare night,"
We finished the rest of our drinks in silence.
"We are thankful for your assistance in giving us this tour, Miss Sparkle," Princess Luna said as she walked by the Element of Magic.
"It's no problem, Princess, If it wasn't for you who knows what would have happened when Nightmare Moon came back," Twilight told her.
"Yes... That situation," Luna grimaced at the memory of that night, "Let us not think of that night, We are sure that there is something much more enjoyable to talk about,"
Twilight perked up at that, "Of Course! Would you like to try some candy apples? I'm sure Applejack has her stall opened,"
"We would find that delightful, yes," Luna smiled down at the Unicorn.
"I am sorry," Raven perked up when she heard Blueblood say those words.
"Sorry for what?" The glasses-wearing secretary asked her co-worker.
"I'm sorry that I'm ruining your night," Blueblood told her, a tired look on his face clearly seen through the mask he wore.
"Excuse me?" Raven asked him.
"I used you as an excuse to not join Luna for Nightmare Night, but it turned out that you were also going to celebrate it, and then I was trapped going with you or I'd look like an ass for joining," He told her, moving to take a seat on a bench nearby so as to not stand in the middle of the road, "I simply do not want to ruin your Night, and would instead like to continue my work,"
"You... Don't like Nightmare Night?" Raven asked him, receiving a shake of his head in return.
"No. I don't like holidays in general," He told her, standing up from the bench he just sat on, "I apologize for ruining this part of your night, hopefully, you can forgive me for it, but I am going back to Canterlot." Blueblood told her before turning to walk away. "Have a wonderful night,"
Raven blinked at him before a frown appeared on her face.
Princess Luna was surprised at how warm her welcome to Ponyville was.
"Good Evening, Princess!" "Happy Nightmare Night, Princess!" "Thank you for saving us, Princess!"
All around Ponyville, Ponies would stop what they were doing just to thank her for helping them during the Second Nightmare Moon incident, ignoring the fact that in reality, she was the cause for the incident in the first place.
"You are Ponies! Failures!" She could still hear the Nightmare scream as he clawed weakly at the floor of the throne room. "You are the Failures! And I am the DREAM DAMMED KING!"
Luna simply nodded her head and smiled at the ponies, unsure of how to take their appreciation.
"Princess Luna! We saved you some candy!" A group of foals exclaimed in cheer before giving her a bag of sweets. "Princess Luna! Please have some of our Licorice Pie!" A mare said with a smile before passing her a slice of Pie. "Princess Luna! You saved our town!" A family of Earth Ponies yelled happily.
"Miss Twilight, May we move on to a quieter part of Ponyville?" Luna asked Twilight, bags of gifts levitating above her head as she walked.
"Sure! If you need someplace quiet for a few minutes I would love to give you a tour of the Library," Twilight said happily, her hooves taking her away as she led the princess in the direction of the library.
"So this is where you're staying?" I turned my head to look at the familiar Earth Pony that called out to me, "Just sitting at the train station?"
I blinked at Raven Inkwell before turning my head back to the clock above the station, the train won't be here for another thirty minutes.
"Where else would you like me to stay?" I asked her, "I wasn't having fun, and me not having fun was making it so you wouldn't be having fun, so If I leave, you would be able to enjoy this little festival with all the little attractions, and I could be back in Canterlot getting more work done."
"And who said you get to decide if I'm having fun or not?" Raven asked, glaring at me from where she stood.
"Were you?"
Raven grimaced at that question, "Well, no. But that doesn't mean you can simply decide for me," She said before moving over and taking a seat on the bench.
"You know, I don't like taking days off..." She started saying quietly, her legs moving to take the plastic horns off her head. "So, whenever I do end up getting a vacation, I like enjoying myself, because I know that if I don't enjoy my vacation, it would have all gone to waste."
With a glow to my horn, the illusion of the costume fell off, leaving me in my now iconic tuxedo collar.
"Why can't you also enjoy these vacations? There's no Mare on the Moon threatening us, no Chaos magic running rampant, no disastrous scenarios. So why do you insist on going back to get more work done?" She asked me, sounding almost... crying?
"Why can't you just, be childish, for even a day?!" Yes, I do think she is crying.
"Because I don't have the time," I said as I levitated a napkin from my Bag of Holding, always kept nearby. "The meeting with Caninia is in a month, and I need everything to be perfect,"
I continued, "The ships I ordered won't finish construction until Summer, so we're using one of the royal ships. Now I need to run maintenance on the ship, make sure everything is up to standards." I kept on talking. "I also need to get food and water for the trip, it's a week on the sea, it might be short, but some ponies never stayed on a boat for more than an hour. Next is the whole politics of it all, Caninia is split into two factions. One led by Princess Katherina, who is by all accounts the rightful ruler, and another led by Princess Jennino, who is her younger sister."
I took a deep breath before I kept on talking, "For all intents and purposes, Katherina is the one to speak with, however, the trade talks were spoken with someone in Jennino's faction, so that already gives a bad image to the deal. "They are dealing with fake rulers!" or something like that. It's bullshit anyway. This isn't an Equestrian job, but a Blueblood Foundation job, this needs to be perfect."
"So... You don't have the time to have fun. That's it?" Raven asked, a weird expression on her face.
"It's also the fact that I never enjoyed holidays like Halloween or Christmas, but yes, mostly the time." I said.
"Okay then, I'll help you."
I blinked at that, trying to see if I misheard something.
"What?" I asked dumbly.
"You heard me," Raven said as she stood up and moved to stand in front of me, "I'm going to help you finish your work," She said as she pointed a hoof at my face, "And in return, you'll pay me back with a proper date!" She smiled at that, her leg still pointed in at my face.
And seeing the usually reserved Secretary show such a... bright expression on her face, I couldn't help but also smile.
"Sure," I told her with a smirk, standing up so I could tower over her, forcing her to take a step back so I could stand, I leaned forward slightly so I could whisper in her ear, "It's a date," before walking away as I saw the train coming into the station.
"It's a date," The words he whispered in her ear played on a loop in her mind.
Raven Inkwell, face flushed red, smile frozen on her face as heavy breath left her nostrils, knew a very important fact.
Choosing not to enjoy this one night, might turn out to be one of the best choices she ever made.
"Yes Daddy... Hehehe..." She whispered to herself with a giggle, the smell of the prince still filtering through her nose.
Raven quickly slapped herself in the face, getting rid of the heat in her smile as she turned around and followed the Prince.
Her eyes not leaving the tight and muscular legs that swayed in front of her.
"Hehehe," She wiped a bit of drool off her mouth as she licked her lips.
Yep, Best decision ever.
When Princess Celestia heard that Blueblood and Raven were seen walking together, she didn't think much of it. Those two are high-ranking members of the Crown, it's normal for them to be seen together.
What she didn't expect was to find the two of them leaning over a table, looking at piles of papers, talking about numbers and stuff.
So with a sly smirk on her face, Celestia took a picture of the two with a Camera she bought years ago, and left the kids to enjoy their night.
They're 28? Humph! In Celestia's eyes, everypony is a kid!
Deep inside the magical prison of Tartarus, a glass box held on of the most dangerous individuals in the world.
"So..." The shadowy blob said from inside her prison-cell, "What do you want?"
"I just thought this would be funny," Her visitor said, before dumping a small pile of candies and treats inside her cell.
"Let me guess," Nightmare Moon said, her one blue eye moving to look at the pile of candy, "It's Nightmare Night?"
The Visitor smirked at the little trapped Nightmare, "Yep," She said, popping the P at the end.
Nightmare Moon clicked her tongue, slowly moving her tiny body to pick up a toffee.
"That's all I wanted to do," The Visitor said before turning away.
Nightmare Moon looked at her leaving before the feeling of doing something petty appeared in her mind.
"Hey Luna!" Nightmare Moon called out to the Princess of the Night, forcing her to turn and look at her.
"Yes, Nightmare Moon?" Luna asked, her smirk not leaving her face as she looked down at her own shadow, weak and pathetic, trapped in a box, never to harm anyone ever again.
"Fuck you!" Nightmare Moon said before she took a big bite of her candy, and promptly spit it out.
It was on a surprisingly warm day in the early stages of winter, that the Newspapers released a story that caught the attention of both young and old Stallions.
"Prince Blueblood is hiring?" One of the readers of the Manehatten Gazette read out loud as he drank his morning tea.
"People with sufficient knowledge in Nautical Science or Mechanical Engineering are wanted?" Another Stallion read, putting down the screwdriver he was holding in his mouth.
"Interviews for a job that will take you across the ocean, expanding not only your cultural relevance but also the prosperity of Equestria?" A Filly read as she huddled inside the cardboard box she called her house.
"Sailing to the foreign nation of Caninia and opening trade routes between countries?" A Pegasus read from the newspaper as she deftly avoided the aerial obstacles of the big city.
"The Job includes a bed and breakfast, paid for by the crown itself for the duration of the job?" A Tall Griffon said out loud as she chewed her food with her mouth open, ignoring the stares of those around her.
"The pay is high?! That's enough for me!" A Unicorn said haughtily as she rummaged around in her caravan, "The Great and Powerful Trixie will definitely pay off her debt with this!"
"We're sorry, but we do not think you have what we are looking for," A Grey Unicorn with a Black Mane and a boring grey business suit said in the most boring voice he could muster, "You will receive a message should anything change, If you do not receive the message by the time the ship has sailed, you can confirm with yourself that you did not get the job," The Business-pony said before placing the paper he held into one of several piles that were slowly forming on his desk.
"I understand," The blonde Pegasus sighed dejectedly, scratched his stubble, and let his long aquamarine legs carry him out.
"Mr Turner, It says here that you already have a job, and a doctorate as well?" The Business-pony asked the next interviewee.
"Oh, em, I'm not a doctor, I didn't pass my doctorate exams, Doctor is my middle name," The brown Earth Pony said, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat as the Unicorn stared down at him.
"Uh-huh..." The Business-pony nodded and moved the paper he held into the "Maybe" pile.
"I can fly very fast and can kick very strong," The Griffon said as she leaned back on the larger chair she took, picking at her beak with one of her talons, "What else do you need me to have?"
"Of course." The Unicorn nodded his head and placed her name in a pile titled "Guards"
"It says here you are a prized author and publisher of several Best Sellers, Why would you want to work as part of the shipping crew for this Job?" The Business-pony asked the rose-eyed Pegasus.
"I think spending a few weeks in such a job might help me find inspiration for my next Best Seller," The mare said, a leg swiping a tuft of grey hair from behind her red glasses.
"I see..." The Business-pony muttered and placed her name in a pile.
"I need the money," The Blue Unicorn told the Business-pony conducting the interviews, a sharp pointed hat nearly falling off her head as she bowed deeply to the Stallion.
"I didn't even ask you any of the questions," He told her, his voice conveying a hint of annoyance somehow without him changing his tone.
"You are a child, Please go home," The Business-pony told the small filly who sat on the interview chair.
"Okay," She smiled up at him and jumped up into the air, the flap of her tiny salmon-colored wings carrying her out of the room.
"...Why can't I just have a normal day?" The Business-pony says to himself when the young filly closes the door, a flash of Grey Light from his horn removing the Illusion of the boring Business-pony from his body, revealing the White Coat and Golden Mane underneath.
"Maybe it's because you're a prince?" A Mares voice sounded out from the room, a flash of blue light removing the Illusion of the vase near the window to reveal the Purple and Aquamarine Unicorn.
Blueblood sighed hearing that before turning to look at his friend and bodyguard, "How many of them do you think we will be hiring?" He asked her.
Starlight snorted at that question, an Aquamarine glow to her horn causing a translucent chair to appear under her, "Knowing your luck? All of them,"
Blueblood sighed at that, already tired from just thinking about how horrible the Caninia mission will go, especially with his luck. "Including the little kid?" He asked Starlight, receiving a nod from her in return.
"Including the Filly somehow, yes," Starlight levitated other a newspaper, moving to the trivia section, "Anyways, what was the name of the King of Yaks during the Yak-Dragon war?" she asked from the trivia.
"We know the answer to that, we found his catacombs," Blueblood simply told her, receiving a nod from Starlight as she wrote down "King Tarkus IV"
In ten minutes, the illusions will return and the interviews will continue.
But that is a story for another time.
Omake: Cosmos and the Newly Acquired Power of Illusions.
"Hey," The one-armed decapitated head called out to the white Unicorn in her empty space of galaxies and Nebulae.
"Hey you," the Prince responded, eliciting a howl of laughter from the head.
"Hey Hey," Cosmos repeated, "Check this out!" And with a snap of her fingers, the empty nothingness of space around them twisted and changed shape, turning into a five-star hotel suite on a tropical beach. "Now I can choose where we go!" Cosmos cheered, a wide smile on her face.
"Uh-huh," Blueblood simply nodded his head, a Martini in his hand as he laid back on a couch.
Cosmos looked at the prince, Her smile growing mischievous as she once again clicked her fingers.
Blueblood, hearing the click of fingers but not seeing any change in the scenery, decided to look to see what his Girlfriend (not-really(It's complicated)) was doing.
And instead of the usual decapitated head, he saw some sort of Chimera-looking creature, Her head and right arm were the same, but the rest of her body was new.
A new left arm mirrored the blue arm she already had. She actually had a body now, resembling that of a cat, with three black stripes on her spine, covered by a small cape of green scales. Her fluffy, cat-like back legs ended in dark-purple hooves, and where the purple cat-like tail ended, a blue scorpion tail took its place.
"So..." Cosmos asked, her back legs swinging back and forth above her head as she lay on her stomach, her head resting in her arms, "How do I look?"
Blueblood looked at her before smiling at her, "You look..." His smile widened as his Unicorn body turned to lay in front of her in the same way, "Like you managed to figure out some magic to change how this place looks,"
Cosmos smiled widely at the prince, "I do! I managed to learn that Illusion spell you always use, Now I can choose where to go for our honeymoon!"
The Prince smiled at her, "We need to be married to go on a honeymoon,"
"I know!" Cosmos said excitedly, "So in order to get ready, Do you want to go out with me?!"
Blueblood leaned forward and stole a kiss from her before moving his head away and standing up, making his way out to the tropical beach she made outside. "No," He said with a cheeky smile on his face, ignoring the hungry looks from the Powerful Spirit that lives inside the gem.
"Hehe," She whispered with a laugh as she rubbed her lips with her hand, trying to feel where he kissed her
It was at Eleven in the morning that Starlight Glimmer came to find her boss frowning at a pile of papers in his personal office.
"What's the problem?" She asked, knowing that it was no use trying to talk around the issue with him. Whatever some ponies might say about him, Straightforwardness is one of his more obvious talents.
"If you have something to say, just say it," He told her during one of her earlier days working for him.
Heh, Earlier days, It's almost like she's been working here for years instead of the Month-and-a-half that it really was.
"You remember those ponies we interviewed for the job?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the document he was reading.
"What about them?" Starlight replied.
"Well, Remember how you said I'll probably have to hire all of them?"
"I remember something along those lines, yes..." A small smirk appeared on the mares face as she understood where the prince was going.
"You should have bet money on that," He told her, his eyes still reading the document in his hooves, "Because you're right," He threw the paper onto his desk, where Starlight picked it up and read for herself.
"Of course I'm right," She said, the smirk still on her face as she read the paper, "When am I ever wrong?"
Blueblood turned to look at her, his eyes half-lidded and unamused. "Do you want a list?"
Starlight chuckled embarrassingly before taking a closer look at the paper. "Wait a minute, all of them?"
Blueblood nodded.
"Including the Filly?"
Blueblood sighed at that, "Including the filly, yes,"
"Oh..." Starlight whispered.
"Oh Indeed," The prince nodded his head.
"And what about this new guy?" Starlight asked after reading a bit further into the document.
"Him? He's the replacement Cook, He'll be working in the kitchen of the ship, cleaning and making food, he's not actually part of the Company." Blueblood explained as he levitated the paper out of her hold and placed it inside a folder.
"Okay," Starlight said and moved to grab a chair and a book, ready to start another day of "Bodyguard Duty"
In a small apartment in the city of Manehatten, an Aquamarine Pegasus cheered in joy as a letter arrived in his mail.
"I knew I got the job, Oh yeah!" He punched the air in excitement, only to end up catching his leg on the carpet and falling to the floor, "Ow..."
Inside a large garage in the town of Ponyville, an Earth Stallion read the letter he received before a look of relief washed over his face
"Hopefully with this I'll have a higher budget for next year," He said to himself, looking at all the mechanical works around him.
Inside a hut near the border of Equestria, A Pegasus carefully opened the emvelope she received, making sure it wasn't another makeshift bomb, only to sigh in relief when It showed to be just a simple letter.
Reading the letter, the grey-haired Pegasus smiled excitedly, "Ah Yeah! Caninia, Daring Do is coming! Ahem- I mean- uh... A K Yearling is coming, for a job... with papers... yes."
When Cozy Glow received a letter from a cross-eyes Mailmare, she was suspicious.
That suspicion turned to joy as she read the contents of the letter, "Hehehe, With the money from that Prince, I won't need to sleep inside this cardboard box, Hahaha!" She laughed manically, pointing a small hoof at a rodent sleeping underneath a nearby dumpster, "Take that Mr Rattington! I won't have to share my food with you! I'll be rich! Hahaha!"
The rat merely tilted its head in confusion, content to let the small pony talk to herself.
"Ah, Score!" A Griffon cheered as the stopwatch she tied to a nearby tree alerted her that she just beat a personal record at speed diving.
"Huh, What's this?" She said when she saw an envelope tied next to her stopwatch.
Opening the envelope by tearing it with a claw, She took out the letter inside "I got the job? Sweet! That'll show that stupid nerd Rainbow Dash, With her boring weather team, She probably never left Equestria!" The Griffon laughed to herself before coughing into her claw.
"I mean, Great, Money..." She said in a monotone tone of voice after she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the glare of an angry Mare on her back.
"I said I'll pay the rent! Just give me more time!" She imagined herself yelling at her landlord, but in reality, simply shut her beak and walked away.
"Yes! The Great and Powerful Trixie will be the most well-known Unicorn in this Caninia! What will I need to do, move around crates? Send letters? Write documents? Trixie can do all that and more!" The Blue Unicorn cheered as she held the letter above her head, her small Caravan shaking with noise at that late hour of the night, nearly waking up the Farmer family that gave her the current job.
"No more Rock Farming! Hahah!"
Walking around his Home, Curtains closed and lights turned off, A large grey-furred and Blonde-haired Earth Pony Stallion picked up the envelope that lay near the bottom of his door.
Should anypony have entered his Home, the overwhelming smell of Fruits and sugar will have immediately forced them to exit the house so as not to hurt their noses.
"I got the job?" The Grey Stallion asked quietly, his eyes barely showing emotion as he talked with a monotone voice, no reaction of either Happiness or Anger, Sadness or Confusion. That Stallion was almost like a blank husk.
But as he finished reading the letter he received, The lips on his face stretched, into a crude imitation of a joyful smile of excitement, as if an emotionless robot was tasked with imitating emotions.
"How Grand," He said blankly, the wide smile on his face not wavering as he dropped the letter onto the floor, ignoring it, as he went on to fill a large suitcase with jars upon jars of bright pink "Tubs of Jelly"
"How did they say to introduce myself?" He asked himself blankly as he packed one suitcase with "Jelly" followed soon by another two.
"It was something among the lines, "Hello, My name is Hughbert Jellius, but you may call me Hugh?" or was it "Call me Jelly?" Did it matter? I didn't listen when they gave the instructions," He spoke to himself, the wrong smile on his face barely moving as he did so.
"Whatever it may be," Hughbert Jellius said as he opened the door to his Home, leaving it with three suitcases all filled with nothing but "Tubs of Jelly" "The Queen would Love to hear of this,"
And with those words, Hughbert Jellius walked in the direction of the train station, the letter he received held in a small pocket of one of the cases.
Princess Celestia was walking in circles around her darling Prince.
"Do you have everything packed?" She asked, her eyes moving to the ancient bag of holding he found on the moon.
"I already told you, Celestia, Everything is ready," Prince Blueblood said with a roll of his eyes, a flick of his magic tightening the bag to his back.
"What about the Dogs? Do they have everything ready?" The Princess of the Sun asked, causing The Prince of House Platinum to stifle a groan.
"They know we are coming, Celestia. I already told you I was in talks with one of the Princesses," Blueblood started explaining, "They know how important this deal is not just for us, but for them as well. They aren't some ruffians with no class," Blueblood straightened his legs and wiped his leg on his suit, "They're royals, who just like us, want to see their nations prosper."
Celestia wanted to drag him into a big hug, so proud of how mature he was, how dashing he looked, how smart he is.
"Don't forget to pack Starlight," Celestia said, ignoring her boy's silent spit-take, "She needs to be fed and watered every day," She smirked as Blueblood tried to hold back his laugh.
"I'm not going to forget my Bodyguard, Auntie," Blueblood said with a small smile, "You'll break her if she stays here,"
"Mother,"
"...We are not doing this right now," Blueblood blankly responded to Celestia.
"Mom," The Princess smirked down at the Shorter Pony.
"We already talked about this-"
"Mommy?" Celestia smiled mischievously at her Prince, and he sighed in defeat.
"I'm not going to forget my Bodyguard, Mom,"
"Good Morning Sea and Good Morning Employment," An Aquamarine Pegasus said with a smile as he made his way to the docks of Buckton, on his way to a ship that will take him to the foreign land of Caninia.
Next to him, he carried a bag filled with different personal belonging that he knew he simply had to have.
And once all of this is over, Maybe he'll finally get that certain somepony to agree to go on a date with him. He won't force it, of course. Respect is important to a healthy relationship.
He read that in a magazine once.
A Brown Earth Stallion was dragging a suitcase behind him as he walked down the Buckton docks, his breath already tired from the physical work.
"All I have to do is watch the Engine," He said to himself, his legs aching from carrying his suitcase, "Once I'm in Caninia my part of the job will be free, right?"
He might not be the most physically capable Earth Pony, but he got this job for his Brain, not his Brawn.
At that same time, an inconspicuous Pegasus Mare was also making her way to the same part of the docks. A Hat over her head and Glasses over her eyes.
Her Suitcase was packed slim, only the essentials she had to bring with her were on board.
"Documentation," She said to herself with a smile, thinking of her part in the coming job, "Just write down what the ones in charge are talking about," She smirked at that, "Writing stuff down? I already do that for a living,"
And maybe, when she gets some time off, she might do a bit of research.
Does Caninia have any Archeology sites?
A small Pink Filly was making her way down the Buckton docks, not a suitcase on her, carrying only the ribbons in her hair and the letter she received.
"Just an assistant job," She smiled at the thought, "Send messages around, maybe tell one of them to make the boss a coffee once or twice," Her smile widened at how easy her job looked.
"And I get a free bed and breakfast for that?" She laughed at the thought.
"I'm the smartest pony in the world! Hahaha!" She laughed loudly, her childish voice bouncing across the morning docks, scaring away a flock of birds.
"Be safe out there," An Aging Earth Stallion told a Blue Unicorn as he and his family bid their latest employee farewell.
"Of course I will!" The Unicorn said with cheer, Her large hat nearly falling off her head as she moved around, "The Great and Powerful Trixie will never allow herself to be beaten by the mere prospects of a new job!"
"And what even is your new job?" The Eldest daughter of the Stallion asked the Unicorn, already getting tired of her personality.
"I'm an..." The Unicorn told her, the last word barely heard.
But they knew.
The Great and Powerful Trixie was nothing but an Intern...
"This the place?" A Griffon asked as she looked at the paper map of the City of Buckton she held in her talons as she flew above the dock.
Landing on the concrete floor, The Griffon looked around for any sign of where she was supposed to go, spotting a group of ponies in the distance standing next to a large yellow and blue ship.
"Oh my-" One of the Ponies said when he spotted her approaching, causing the Griffon to frown as what he was about to say already appeared in her mind.
"Gilda is that you?!" Only for him to instead say something that she didn't expect. He recognized her.
"Yes?" She said, looking at the Stallion who spoke, "And who the heck might you be?"
The Stallion looked offended that she didn't recognize him, "Ah! I'm Zephyr Breeze, We went together to flight camp back in Cloudsdale, remember?" When he said that, a small memory floated through Gilda's mind.
A memory of a time when she was younger, and the worries of holding a job never even crossed her mind, playing around with the other Griffon and Pegasus.
Playing around with Her...
"Flight Camp..." Gilda muttered as she looked at the tall and lanky Stallion, "Of Course..." And with that, she dropped her bag onto the floor and used it as a chair.
"By the way, Are we still waiting for anyone?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.
"There's the boss we need to wait for," A Small pink Filly said from her place on top of a nearby pole, "And maybe another," She shrugged.
"We're still waiting on the Cook," A New voice called out, causing the group to look over at a Purple Unicorn walking up to them, a black suit and a pair of Sunglasses on her making her look like some sort of Government Agent, or just a really well dressed Bouncer.
"Excuse me, But who are you?" The Earth Pony asked, and the group couldn't help but nod at that question.
"Me?" The Unicorn asked, a small smirk on her face, "I'm just the bodyguard,"
Silence followed that, only pierced by a cough from Gilda as the awkward silence kept on going.
"I Apologize," A new voice called out to them, causing them all to turn and look at another Earth Stallion, carrying on his back three large suitcases, "For being... Late." He said, his eyes staring forward.
As the Stallion approached, Gilda couldn't help but scrunch her face as a sickly sweet smell wafted from the Pony's suitcases.
"It seems you're all here," Another new voice said, causing the group to look at the Ship behind them, lowering a stairway for them to walk, as a White Unicorn with Golden Blonde hair looked down at them. "Zephyr," The Unicorn said, looking at the Pegasus, "You arrived first, this will be taken into account," And with those words leaving his mouth, the Unicorn turned his back onto the group and walked into the ship. "Are you waiting for an introduction? Get on the boat."
"You heard him!" The Filly said loudly as she flew onto the ship, followed closely by the rest of the ponies.
Gilda blinked at that before she stood up and grabbed her bag, and with a strong flap of her wings, she made it onto the boat.
Standing on the bridge of the ship, I pressed a few buttons and flicked a number of switches.
And with a message to the Docks, we were on our way out of Equestria and into the vast ocean.
On my way to sign the first trade deal of my new company, the Blueblood Foundation, a new arm of The Crown, giving me more authority in Equestrian politics, and as a result in the wider political world.
"Hey Babe," Cosmos began the night, "I want to try something,"
And before she could get a reply from the Prince of her dreams (Literally in his case) She snapped her fingers and the empty void of space changed.
Prince Blueblood grumbled at the sudden change in scenery, he was looking forward to simply hanging back and relaxing, something that he clearly wouldn't be doing as he looked at the familiar place that appeared in front of him.
"Really? Dark Souls 3?" He asked as he stood up on his hooves, His iconic suit collar replaced with a chain-mail shirt.
Instead of talking with him face to face, Cosmos giggled to herself as she disappeared from the graveyard she created, allowing her voice to be heard all around. "This will be fun, I promise," Cosmos' voice echoed around Blueblood, causing him to release a sigh.
"Fine, I'll play along," He told her and with a glow to his horn, a sword levitated in front of him, "But If this is going to be like actual Dark Souls, I better not scream in pain when I get smashed against the floor," He said as he started making his way through the graveyard, his sword swinging around as it flew.
"I can smash you into the ground if you want to..." Cosmos mumbled, causing the Prince to pause and look up at the sky, an eyebrow raised. "I- I Mean, Look! an enemy!" Cosmos quickly changed the subject, and with the sound of snapping fingers, a zombie-like Pony appeared. Its skin was dry and thin, almost like a skeleton with flesh, its eyes were empty and lifeless as it ran towards Blueblood.
"You Can't change the subject with me!" Blueblood called out to Cosmos, his sword swiftly decapitating the Hollow Pony, releasing a spray of black blood.
"Yes I can!" Cosmos yelled, a grin on her unseen face as another snap of her finger followed and the scene changed.
No longer was he in the opening section of Dark Souls 3, wearing a suit of armor and swinging a sword. Now, he was in what he could only describe as an Anime High School, with Cherry Blossom trees outside, his Pony body wearing a Japanese school uniform.
"O- Ohayō Platinum-kun," Blueblood forced himself not to cringe as he turned to look at whoever called out to him, turning to reveal Cosmos in her complete form, wearing a Japanese School-girl outfit.
Blueblood blankly stared at her as she wiggled in embarrassment, the Sailor Fuku she wore moving along with her. "We are not doing high school student Roleplay," Blueblood simply told her and Cosmos clicked her tongue in annoyance, ruining the cute look she had tried to go for.
"Fine," She said and once again snapped her fingers, and the scene once more changed.
It was a morning just like any other. My Coffee was black, but my heart was Blacker. "I do not talk like that,"
It was then that she came into my office, The smell of lavender and roses on her neck intermingled with the smell of cigarettes on my table. "A Noir Detective story, Really?"
"Please help me find my sister," She said, the words leaving her mouth as she leaned across my desk, the smell of her breath almost intoxicating. Like a cold glass of whisky after an evening solving the worst kind of crime. Murder.
"This is stupid," Blueblood said, cutting off the narration for the scene Cosmos created, "Can we change genres?"
"Okay!" And with a snap of her fingers, the scene once again changed.
Blueblood found himself in his human body this time, wearing a very loose plaid shirt, inside of a modern-looking house.
"So..." He turned and saw Cosmos in a humanoid body, her long and slender legs covered by a pair of skinny jeans, she wore a white button-up blouse over her chest, leaving just enough cleavage open to see some fabric from a black lace bra. "I know you just finished working on the sink," Cosmos said, a sly grin on her lips as she leaned forward onto the kitchen table that stood between Blueblood and her, her body bending in a way so that her cleavage would look more pronounced to the Prince. "But I don't have any money to pay you..." She said as she looked away, biting her lip.
"So why did you hire me?" Blueblood blankly said, following whatever script this scenario would have, causing Cosmos to freeze as she stopped herself from laughing at the reply.
"Ahem! Maybe I could pay you some other way..." Cosmos said, her mouth quivering as she held back a laugh at the way she was acting.
"Sorry Ma'am, I only take cash or credit," Blueblood said, smiling as the Humanoid Cosmos in front of him collapsed to her knees, holding onto the table so as to not fall on the floor as she shook with restrained laughter.
"S-shut up," Cosmos laughed quietly as she held on for dear life, "Ahem! Would you mind cleaning some pipes for me-Ahahaha!" She couldn't hold it in anymore.
As the Spirit that lived trapped in a gem fell onto the floor laughing, the scenery once again changed to the empty void of space.
"Ahahaha!" She laughed as her Humanoid body disappeared in a shower of glitter and stars, leaving her as just a head and an arm.
Blueblood, still in his Human body looked down at his Girlfriend(Not Really(It's complicated)) and sighed to himself before picking her up gently by grabbing her arm and pulling her up.
"Hahaha! Do you wanna go out with me?!" Cosmos asked loudly as she continued to laugh at the horrible Porn-parody she acted out.
"No," Blueblood smiled as he swung his arm, letting the Spirit that he grabbed swing with him as she let out a "Wee!" of excitement.
"Haha!" Cosmos laughed happily as she was swung around.
The Ship itself was a smaller-sized vessel, big enough to hold comfortably 30 people, designed for Speed of travel.
"According to this manual, The magical enchantments placed on this ship will allow it to move with minimal need for crew interference," Time Turner said as he set his suitcase next to his bed, talking to his two roommates for the trip.
"Minimal Interference huh," Zephyr Breeze repeated to himself, his chin resting on his knees as he curled up on the comfortable bed he got, "That means your job will be easy, right?"
"Quite the opposite actually," Time Turner told the Pegasus with a smile of giddy excitement, "It means I need to make sure the enchantments on the engine are working properly, This job requires maximum concentration on my part,"
"Huh, Cool." Zephyr turned to look at the other Stallion in the room, who hadn't said anything since he arrived, "And what about you?"
Hughbert Jellius blinked slowly before he picked up that he was being talked to, turning his head to look at the turquoise Pegasus with almost blank eyes, tilting his head slightly to the side as if asking the Pony to repeat his question.
"What's your job?" And repeat the question he did.
Hughbert blinked again before a sickly thin smile appeared on his face.
"I'm in charge of the food," that was all he said before he turned back to the room door and exited, leaving his three suitcases behind him on his bed.
"...What's his problem?" Zephyr asked as he turned to look at Time Turner, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response.
"We have to sleep together?! This is B-" Gilda the Griffon was prepared to yell as she looked at the room the girls would be sharing before a yellow Pegasus quickly covered her beak with a hoof.
"There are children here," A K Yearling harshly whispered to her, looking over her shoulder at the small pink filly, who was already making a mess of her bed as she looked at the blue Unicorn giving her a little show.
"Don't tell me what I can't say," Gilda growled at Yearling, slapping her leg away from her face, "I can control my mouth myself, thank you very much!" She said loudly before she threw her suitcase in the general direction of her bed as she turned her back on the rest of the girls and left the room, not bothering to clean after the mess her suitcase made as it opened mid-flight, throwing her belongings into her corner.
"..." The Girls stopped and looked at the Griffon departing.
"...What a bitch," Gasps of shock sounded out ad Trixie and Yearling turned to look at the filly.
"What? She was acting like one," Cozy Glow said with a grin before she flew by Yearling as she made her way outside, ready to explore the rest of the ship.
Leaving the Magician and the Author alone in the room.
"So..." Trixie started, quickly looking around her suitcase for something to do, "Wanna' play cards?" She levitated out a pack.
A K Yearling looked at the Unicorn and smirked.
She might not look like it as an Author, but Daring Do was an expert at gambling! Some might say that she gambles with life itself during her adventures.
A simple game of cards is child's play!
"What are you doing?" Starlight asked her boss as she entered the bridge of the ship, watching him write something on paper as his magic piloted the ship.
"Writing a letter," Prince Blueblood simply said as he continued writing, not bothering to look up from his work.
"Wouldn't writing letters be easier when you're not also controlling a boat?" The Unicorn grabbed a nearby chair and made herself comfortable.
"It would, but the Spell for sending messages works better the closer I am to the target, meaning that If I want this message to reach Princess Lanternlight in Caninia, It would be better to send it when we're on the water," Blueblood told her, signing his initials at the bottom of the paper before rolling it up and blasting it with a ray of blue magic, causing it to turn into glittering smoke and fly out a small opening in a nearby window.
"There," Blueblood said with a smile as he looked at the glittering blue smoke flying away from the ship, in the direction of Caninia.
Starlight, seeing this all happen, asked a question that was on her mind as she watched the prince write the letter.
"Why didn't you write the letter before starting the ship, and only then send it Instead of writing it while also moving the ship?"
Blueblood turned to look at Starlight, an amused smile on his face.
"Starlight,"
"Yes Blueblood?"
"Shut up please,"
"Sorry Blueblood," Starlight smirked at her boss, leaning back on her chair and placing her legs on the table in front of her, "But as an Equestrian citizen I have the freedom to say my mind, Freedom of Speech, and all that,"
"You know..." Blueblood's eyebrows curled downward as if in a glare, his smile remaining on his face, "I can just send you to prison whenever I want to, This bodyguard shtick is your probation,"
"But you won't," Starlight said, not bothering to rise up to the Prince.
Blueblood blinked in surprise at her reply before he let out a bark of laughter, "Ha! Yeah I won't, would I?"
"Stupid Pegasus, and stupid Rainbow Dash, and stupid pink pony whatshername, I'm an adult!" Gilda was grumbling to herself as she made rounds around the ship before a sound picked up in her head and she silently started tailing after it.
It was the sound of someone shuffling around as if trying to hide themselves.
Silently making her way after the sound, Gilda spotted the source.
"Hey you-" Her shout was once again stopped by the small pink filly, who quickly told her to be quiet and listen.
"Shush! Do you hear that?" Cozy Glow whisper-yelled at the Griffon, slowly taking his small leg off her beak.
Gilda, deciding to humor the kid, stopped and listened harder, only to continue hearing the sounds of quiet shuffling. Sounds that clearly weren't coming from the filly she found.
"It's probably a raccoon or a rat," Gilda said, "Nothing to worry about,"
"It's not a Rat!" Cozy Glow whispered at her, "It's way louder and heavier!"
"So it's a Badger or something, what's your deal?" Gilda rolled her eyes. So a wild animal made its way onto the ship, so what?
"Isn't part of your job to protect the ship from intruders?" Cozy asked the Griffon, who merely raised a brow at her in a "What are you getting at?" kind of way.
"Doesn't an animal living onboard count as an intruder?" Cozy asked, and Gilda finally understood where she was getting at.
"I won't get paid?!" Gilda loudly asked, quickly grabbing the filly and placing her on her back, "Come on! We have a Sea Badger to catch!"
"Huh?! Wait!" Cozy cried from on top of the Griffon, but her yells went unheard.
In a series of vents situated between the Living Floor of the ship and the deck, a certain Earth Stallion opened a jar filled almost to the brim with a bright pink jelly.
He took a deep breath of the overly sweet smell of the jelly before his body was engulfed with green fire, revealing insectoid eyes and a black carapace over most of his body, a pair of thin and ruined wings buzzed ecstatically as the smell of the Pink Jelly filled the creature's nostrils, causing it to open its mouth and roll out its tongue as a euphoric sigh escaped its lips.
"This Pony's knowledge and books on Jam were useful for something," The creature masquerading as Hughbert Jellius whispered to itself as it took another smell of the jelly, the ecstasy causing it to kick its back legs in pleasure as it tried to calm down.
"If the queen finds out I've been keeping this a secret," It whispered to itself before another euphoria-filled sigh of ecstasy exited it, "It won't matter," It licked its lips and pulled the jar of Pink Jelly closer to it.
"With this Pure Love Jam, I'll be strong enough to no longer need to listen to the queen," a sick smile grew on its face as it took a small lick from the glass jar.
And its world exploded with pleasure.
"Hah... All for me..." It whispered and took another lick from the jelly.
"Come on! We have a Sea Badger to catch!"
It paused as it heard the Griffon yell, a frown on its face as it looked down at the jar in its grasp. Before with a strong chug, It lifted its head and drank the entirety of the bright pink jelly, quickly wiping it from its face before hiding the now empty jar in a dark corner of the vents.
Its body was once more engulfed in green flames, before with a gentle move to a ventilation grill, Hughbert Jellius walked away, a limp in his step as he shook in ecstasy.
Not noticing the small, bright pink splash of Love Jelly it left in the Vents, nor the Filly/Griffon duo trying to enter the vents through another grill.
"Do you see anything in there?!" Gilda the Griffon yelled into a ventilation shaft, her voice bouncing around as a small pink filly crawled through the vents of the ship.
"I just got in!" Cozy Glow yelled back, "Just wait!"
"Hurry up then!" Gilda yelled in return, "The Sooner we catch that Sea-Badger, the sooner we can start relaxing!"
Cozy Glow grumbled to herself as she crawled through the ventilation shaft, moving towards where the sounds of what Gilda thought was a Sea-Badger came from.
Slowly crawling through the vents, Cozy came up to the spot where the sound originated from, and her face scrunched up in disgust as an overly sweet smell assaulted her senses.
"Ugh... Yachoo!" Cozy sneezed loudly, her head banging against the ceiling of the shaft, causing her to jump a bit forward. Landing in a sticky pink puddle.
"AHH! Blood! Blood!" Cozy yelled in alarm as she quickly crawled back where she came from, her eyes glued to the sticky puddle in the vents, "There's blood!"
"What?! Did the Badger get something?!" Gilda yelled into the vents before closing her eyes and covering her face as a small pink filly fell out of the ventilation shaft and onto her head.
"I don't know!" The filly spoke quickly, her body squeezing into the larger Griffon's head of surprisingly soft feathers.
"That bears a problem then," Gilda said out loud as the thought of the mysterious Sea-Badger hunting on the ship entered her mind, "A big problem. If the Prince finds out about it, we're doomed!"
"WHAT?!" Cozy exclaimed in shock.
"Yes! Whatever happens, we need to catch that Sea-Badger before the Prince finds out. Understood?" Gilda asked the filly on her head, who quickly nodded in understanding.
"Great, Now we need to come up with a plan..."
"What does this button do?" A Turquoise Pegasus asked as he pointed at a metal button connected to a screen of levers and switches.
"Don't touch that!" Time Turner quickly grabbed Zephyr's hoof and moved him away from the delicate machinery.
"What? I was just asking..." Zephyr mumbled as he sat down in the corner of the Engine room, looking at his new buddy move around and check the equipment.
"You can ask without touching anything," Time Turner told him, "Everything here is very expensive, and it is our job to make sure nothing will go wrong with it,"
"And what happens if something does go wrong?" Zephyr asked, his wing slowly inching towards a big red button.
Time Turner answered without taking his eyes off the engine he was inspecting, "If these Engines malfunction, then we'll be stranded in the middle of the ocean,"
Zephyr stopped moving his wing, stared at the shiny big red button, and pulled his wing back.
"That's bad..." Zephyr said, receiving a nod from Time Turner.
"Catastrophic, yes."
Across the Ocean, in the Diamond Dog nation of Caninia, A schism was formed in the relationship between the six Princesses of the nation, leading to the country being split into two factions.
One faction is led by the Eldest Princess and current Queen, Katherina Proudpaws, and two of her sisters, Princess Indiana Ambereyes and Princess Fiona Floppyears. This faction was commonly referred to by the citizens as the Old Castle, With Katherina being known in the international circle as the legitimate ruler of the nation.
On the other side, there was the faction known as the New Castle, led by the second oldest Princess, now Queen Jennino Lanternlight, and her younger sisters, Princess Moonbeam Twinkletail and Princess Ambrosia Muffinsbuns.
What does any of this have to do with Prince Blueblood sailing across the ocean? Well, this is a sort of exposition, allowing the narrator of future chapters to not have to repeat himself and pad out the length of the... Oh. I'm doing it again, am I? Apologies...
What we need to focus on at this moment, however, is the ruling Queen of the New Castle faction, Jennino Lanternlight, also known as Jenn for short.
Jenn is what some people may call... Opportunistic? No that isn't the correct word...
Jenn is a person who has an inherent need to make the best of the chance she gets. That in itself was a major cause for the splitting of the Royal Family.
So when her faction managed to arrange a meeting with Prince Blueblood Platinum of Equestria, she had an inherent need to make sure the meeting went perfectly, from having the best chefs available in the nation on standby, to having the best rooms in the castle available for the visiting party.
So you may imagine her reaction when a letter, written and signed by Prince Blueblood Platinum himself popped into existence in front of her.
Quickly opening the letter and reading its contents, she soon ordered her servants to get everything ready for their arrival and more. Even though Prince Blueblood will not be arriving for a few more days, she could not delay any preparations.
If this deal were to go through, her legitimacy as a ruler would skyrocket in public perception, while also giving her faction a monumental ally on the international scene in the form of a Prince of Equestria.
While Jenn knew that going through with the deal might incense her older Sister, it was simply an opportunity she could not risk letting go of.
The only problem she found with the initial concept of the trade deal was that Caninia would be used as a proxy in order to trade with Griffonia for metals. Something that her sister Moonbeam already came up with a solution for.
Instead of trading Metal from Griffonia by using Caninia as a proxy, The plan will be to trade Cananian metal directly at reduced prices with Equestria, giving the Ponies a better deal than what the griffons would come up with whilst also removing the need to complicate the process by using her nation as a proxy.
She understood that dealing with Griffonia for metals was the smarter thing to do, seeing how griffons have a history of metalwork, and comparing that with Caninia's rather abysmal history of trade, it's not hard to see why the Ponies would think to trade with the Bird-Cats instead of the Diamond Dogs.
But as previously stated, Jennino Lanternlight saw an opportunity to boost her image as both a ruler of Caninia and an Ally of Equestria, and so she planned to take it.
And if it means a number of Griffons will be losing out on a trade deal? Well, That doesn't sound like Jenn's problem now, does it?
"We need help capturing a Sea-badger!" Gilda yelled as soon as she slammed the door to the girls' room open, causing the filly on her head to smack her face.
"...What's a Sea-Badger?" A K Yearling asked the Griffon as she placed another set of cards onto the small table sitting between her and Trixie Lulamoon, causing the blue Unicorn to sink even deeper into herself as another bit left her side of the table and moved into the Pegasus's corner.
"I don't know," Gilda answered with shrugged shoulders, "The twerp here," She pointed a finger at Cozy Glow, "Said that whatever we heard in the vents was too big and heavy to be a rat or a raccoon, so it's a Sea-Badger."
Yearling took a moment to think the griffon's words through before she nodded to herself. "Huh. While I do not think that Sea-Badgers exist, I do know plenty of wild animals that could fit the bill, and let me get this correct, Larger than a rat or a raccoon, and capable of crawling through the vents of a boat?"
"Say whatever you want about Sea-Badgers, nerd," Gilda scoffed at the answer Yearling gave her, ignoring the frown on the pony's face at her response, "I just need to know if you're going to help us or not,"
"I can't help you, I'll be too busy tomorrow... Ugh..." Trixie answered with a groan with her head resting on the table.
"Nobody asked you, I'm talking to glasses over here," Gilda rolled her eyes at Trixie's answer before pointing a talon at Yearling.
"You know what, no." Yearling said with a smirk, "I'm not going to help you find your 'Sea-Badger'" Her smile widened as she took off her glasses and shined a spunky smile at the girls, "Because I'm going to find it first!" And with that declaration, A K Yearling, or Daring Do as she might call herself when nobody's watching, flew out the door of the girls' cabin, causing Gilda to release a Squawk of surprise before she quickly turned and ran after her, Cozy Glow still holding on to her head feathers.
Leaving Trixie alone in their Cabin, twenty bits poorer, and forced to clean up after the card game she and Yearling just had.
"Humph! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't need to prove herself with finding an Aquatic Mustelidae! Although... If we do find the Sea-Badger before the other girls, will that not prove to Twilight Sparkle that we are indeed the better pony? Hah! How many new species of animals have you discovered Twilight? None! Hahahaha-cough cough, ow my throat..."
Omake: A Dream Dreams about Dreams on the Moon.
On the Moon sits a castle, a place which not long ago was the battleground for a fight between two Alicorn Princesses and a Powerful Nightmare.
It was in this castle, that the survivors of the Nightmare War decided to restart their society, coping with the loss of members that came with the massacre caused by the reviled "Shadowfright"
And it was during a walk inside the castle that one of the surviving Moon Creatures stepped into what was once a treasury filled almost to the brim with gold and jewels, with priceless artifacts covering the wall, from the floor to the ceiling, the room was immaculate in its splendor.
Now reduced to a large empty storage room, with all the treasures and gold gone, and only a series of metal bars, reminiscent of a prison cell, leaning against the wall like a crude makeshift mockery of a spear.
"Is this really all we have left?" The Dream asked itself as it looked into the empty room, "Some makeshift spears and an empty throne?"
Not even an hour passed since they were freed from the control of Nightmare Moon before Shadowfright killed a majority of the Moon Creatures that were in the town of Ponyville that night.
"Is this our fault?" The Dream asked aloud, hoping for some sort of answer, some sign as to why such cruelties have befallen his race, his brothers and sisters killed by another sibling, for Dreams do not have parents, and they are all siblings in the grand scheme.
"Is this our comeuppance? Our punishment?" It yearned for an answer, from anybody, anything.
"Why is the world so cruel to us?" It closed its misty and cloud-like eyes and wept, tears of teal smoke leaving it as it cried at the cruelty of the universe.
"Hey Jim get over here! Princess Luna just came over and gave us a bunch of food!" The Dream stopped its crying and opened its eyes as someone called out to it.
"Huh?" It so eloquently responded, the deep and philosophical meaning behind the word much to advanced for its simple-minded brothers and sisters to comprehend. "Charli! Don't interrupt me while I'm brooding!" The Dream yelled back at its sister, causing her laughter to echo around the halls of the now lively castle on the moon.
"Just shut up and get over here! Luna brought this amazing pony food called Peeza, You need to try it!" Charli called to Jim, causing the obviously deep and smart and philosophical Dream who totally wasn't crying just a moment ago to scoff at the air around him.
"It's called a Pizza, Charli! You know that!" Jim yelled as his Teal Smoky body levitated out into the corridors of the castle as he made his way to have some food with his siblings.
He can cry- Philosophize some other time.
"Did she bring any Pineapple toppings?!" Jim asked calling out, receiving a giggle and a "Yucky!" From Charli.
"Starlight, I implore you, you need to eat," Starlight rolled her eyes as she sat watching her boss eat a dinner consisting of readily made food, heated up inside a magic oven and kept warm inside a magic container.
"I already said I'm not hungry," She told him, flipping a page on the puzzle magazine she was reading- Oh! Sudoku.
"That's what everybody says," Blueblood said, once again using EveryBODY instead of EveryPONY, "And then you find them walking around at night searching for something to eat," He took a bite of his Minotaurian Salad. It consists of Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions, Green Bell Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, and Olive Oil. For some reason, he called it a "Greek Salad", Once more using the incorrect words for what he was talking about.
Starlight simply summed it up as a quirk of his, like how her Dad is a bit too overprotective, or how she still hasn't returned his coat from when he gave it to her when they were dragging themselves through the frozen tundra of Yakyakistan. She fell asleep in it, it is hers now.
"Then I will simply not eat during the night, simple," Starlight said, a pen in her hold writing down the answers for the puzzle- Ooh, Trivia.
"By the way, Blueblood, What was the name of the recently discovered owner of an ancient Yakyakistani tomb?" Starlight asked.
Blueblood took another bite of his salad before he floated a small cube of butter and a slice of bread, "We know this answer already, We're the ones who discovered the tomb," He spread the cheese on the bread and put lettuce and onion slices on top. "I know the answer is King Tarkus IV, so I'm going to answer with 'That snow creature you blasted in the face with magic' Instead." He levitated the bread over to Starlight, "Eat." He ordered before going back to his own food.
Starlight sighed and placed down her puzzle magazine, grabbing onto the bread and taking a bite. And then another. And another.
"Told you you'll be hungry," Shut up Blueblood.
"But on the topic of that Yakyakistani Tomb, What do you think Rutherford is up to?" Blueblood asked, another bite of salad entering his mouth.
"I don't know," Starlight finished her bread and with a glow to her horn, levitated over a plate of Salad for herself.
"This is our food?" Zephyr Breeze asked as he poked the grainy and brown sludge on his platter with a fork, "It looks like... I don't want to say Throwup so I won't... But it doesn't look good," His face made a grimace as a small bubble formed on his food and popped.
"It is just regular Oatmeal, Zephyr, Do not make a scene of it," Time Turner said as he wrapped a cloth around his neck to keep it clean before taking a bit of his own Oatmeal. And then he froze.
"So," Zephyr began, "How does it taste?"
Time Turner swallowed his food, a pained expression on his face all the while, "I am sure that the nutritional value of this food more than counts up for the taste,"
"So it tastes like shit?"
"I did not say any such words," Time Turner weakly defended.
"It tastes like shit, gotcha'" Zephyr nodded to himself and then readied his body, a fierce look of a warrior on his face before he quickly shoveled as much Oatmeal as he could into his mouth, planning to finish it all as soon as possible.
"I think I'm going to throw up," Only for him to quickly stand up from his seat and fly towards the nearest trashcan, emptying his stomach.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Cozy Glow said as she sat on the deck of the ship, looking at a small flame cooking skewers of fish above an empty barrel.
"Why not?" Gilda asked, turning the skewered fish around above the flame, "Don't tell me you actually want to eat whatever that Jelly guy is making, dude's a creep," She picked up a skewer, gave it a sniff, and placed it back above the flame.
"But... Are we even allowed to make a fire?" Cozy asked, "Wouldn't it have been easier to just use the stove in the kitchen?"
"Eh, Who cares!" Gilda waved off her concern, "We're in the middle of the ocean, this is a prime fishing location! I'm sure the prince would understand,"
"Understand what?" Someone asked before sitting down next to the fire.
"Oh... It's you." Gilda frowned at the new member of her little circle.
"What? Don't tell me I'm not allowed to sit here?" A K Yearling asked as she took her spot, The coat and glasses she wore earlier that day were gone, replaced with a green shirt and a Beige hat.
"Oh Look at that, Miss Author changed her wardrobe," Gilda mocked Yearling, "What? Is hunting OUR Sea-Badger too taxing for you? Needed to get out of that stuffy cloak?"
"Mock me all you want, It won't change the fact that I'm the one who's going to find that Sea-Badger!" A K Yearling proudly proclaimed.
"Not if we have anything to say about that! Right, twerp?" Gilda said loudly before looking over at Cozy Glow, only to find her gone from her spot. "Twerp? Hey Twerp, Where did you go?!"
"See," Yearling said, "Not even the filly wants to hang out with you,"
"Shut up!" Gilda yelled at A K Yearling, causing the author to jump at the intensity of the shout, "We need to find her! With the Sea-Badger loose on the ship, we can't leave her alone!" Gilda jumped onto her feet and with a flap of her wings, flew into the sky, circling around the ship.
"Shit, you're right," A K Yearling stood up from next to the fire and quickly flew back into the ship, intent on searching the inside while Gilda searches the outside.
The Pleasurable sweetness, the Soft caressing touch of its magic, The Scent of its make.
"Concentrated Love Jelly truly is the best food in the world," The Changeling masquerading as Hughbert Jellius thought to himself as he hid behind a pile of crates inside a large utility closet, A jar of glowing pink Jelly in his now black and chitinous hooves.
As the Changeling masquerading as Hughbert Jellius took a sip from the jar of Jelly as if it was a bottle of Alcohol, he failed the see two Brilliant Amber eyes watching him in horror from a small ventilation grill on the ceiling.
Cozy Glow stared in horror as she saw Hughbert Jellius, the cook for the trip, shed his skin in a cover of green fire like some sort of demon from a storybook, and start drinking a sickly sweet substance which smelled almost exactly like the 'blood' she found in the vents.
"I need to tell the prince," She whispered to herself as she slowly started crawling backward. However, did you know that ventilation shafts have an echo, so even a quiet whisper can be heard loud and clear?
"Who's there?" Hughbert asked loudly, his blank insect-looking eyes quickly moving around the dark utility closet.
Cozy Glow immediately closed her eyes lest he see her irises reflect what little light there was, and covered her mouth with her legs in order to not make a sound.
"Hmmm, Must have been the wind," He said to himself and went back to pleasuring himself with his Jelly.
Cozy Glow silently made her escape.
On the Deck of the ship, a barrel cooking a number of skewered fish was left unattended.
And when the ship went over a wave, it fell.
And the deck was engulfed with flame.
Omake: A Monument to a Dream.
"There, All done," Princess Luna said as she gently placed down the statue at the top of the hill where Celestia and Her threw the rope to lasso the moon.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Princess Luna, I know you're probably busy but I-" The only other person on top of the hill tried to thank the Princess, but she waved him off.
"Think nothing of it, Spike the Dragon, The Idea you brought up was good enough that we would have done so ourselves had we thought of it," Luna told the dragon and turned away, "Do not stay here for too long, It is getting late," She told him before she flew back to Canterlot.
Leaving Spike to sit down on the grassy floor, the cold mud on the ground leaving spots on his scales as the late autumn chill passed through his body, but he didn't move from his spot.
His eyes were glued to the large statue he asked the Princess to erect.
Made of a black stone, the statue was that of a castle nested inside of a crescent moon, which when looked at from where Spike was sitting, the room made inside the crescent would be filled by the full moon during midnight, giving the castle in the middle a beautiful silver backdrop.
But that wasn't what Spike was busy looking at. Instead, his eyes were looking at the Black Stone plaque placed at the bottom of the statue, filled from top to bottom with names.
"-Hank, Peter, Carla, Dewitt, Rico-" Spike read out loud the names written on the plaque, his claws holding something and twiddling with it in his hands as he sat on the ground.
It wasn't long before he reached the bottom of the list. "-Walter, Rummy, Larry, and here you are, Jerome."
Spike slowly stood up from the grass and waddled forward to the statue before bending down and placing in front of it what he was holding.
A heart-shaped gem, the same one that he planned on giving to Rarity in order to get her to snap out of Nightmare Moon's control.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you," He sniffed as he looked down at the gem, "But I know that wherever you are, you'll have plenty of friends," Spike sniffed again and wiped some snot off his nose, his arms cold and sticky, "And- And I'm sorry that- that I- That I- Waaahhh!!!" Spike started crying, salty tears falling out of his eyes as he collapsed in front of the statue.
Of the memorial for his dead friend.
And it was as he cried, that he felt the wind brush against his shoulder.
"Don't cry," He could almost hear him on the wind, "I forgive you." The wind once again brushed against Spike, causing him to open his eyes.
To see a small army of see-through Moon Creatures staring down at him, slowly dissipating back into smoke.
And at their front, made of silver smoke, he saw his friend, Jerome, smile down at him, his ghost already said all he needed to say, as just like all the others, He too dissipated into smoke, his spirit put at rest.
Spike silently cried as the cloud of colorful smoke flew up into the sky, leaving behind no clue that the spirits ever came to Equestria.
"Goodbye," Spike whispered as the cloud of smoke flew too far to see before he slowly stood up from where he cried, and slowly started making his way back to Ponyville.
That night, a new star appeared in the sky, but that is a story for another time.
An Alarm rang out on the ship, A Fire had been started. Luckily for everyone on board, the ship itself was equipped with anti-fire security measures, just like any other in the Royal Collection. And as quickly as the flame started to spread, it has been dealt with.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
But just because the fire caused no injuries, does not mean that it caused no damage.
"Sir, I was trying to cook fish but then I-" The Griffon tried to defend herself and explain the situation, But her boss was having none of it.
"On an open flame?! Are you daft?!" Prince Blueblood yelled at Gilda, his voice making everyone else too afraid to speak over him. "How old are you? Six? No, Six-year-olds already know the basics of fire safety, You must be a toddler!"
"Sir I-" Gilda wanted to speak, but she was silenced by another yell from the prince.
"Quiet! Do not interrupt me while I speak!" His face was starting to go red with anger, "It hasn't been twenty-four hours since we left the dock and already the alarm has rang. Are you trying to sabotage the deal? Don't answer me! I don't want to hear any excuses from you or anyone involved." Prince Blueblood took a deep breath.
"Anybody who doesn't have a job to do is to return to their rooms until further notice. That means If I see anybody who isn't working walking in the corridors, they will be taking a pay cut. I do not want to hear complaining, now leave." He told the rest of the ponies on the ship.
"But-" Gilda once again tried to speak, only for a blast of magic to hit her in the face, silencing whatever words she was planning to speak.
"I said Leave." Prince Blueblood said, watching as the ponies walked back to their rooms or to resume their work, ignoring the glare on the Griffon's face.
He waited until he was left alone with Starlight before he spoke again.
"Am I being too lenient on them?" He asked, his head moving to look out a window at the shining stars reflected in the water.
"You know as well as I do how important this deal is, Not only for me but for the future of Equestria and its allies," He said, "If I had more time, I would have been able to hire an actually competent crew, but instead I'm stuck with these Idiots."
"I'm sure that the docked pay is enough to show them how serious you are about this," Starlight tried to say, hoping to somehow cheer up her surprisingly moody boss.
"Y'know, Just over a month ago I would have ordered Statues of colored Ice to be made in mere hours, banquets of the finest of food in minutes, Have the chefs of the castle make food with Ingredients they simply didn't have." He said, "I made sure the ponies around me were on their toes, in tip-top shape, ready to take any order and complete it,"
"I'm sensing a 'But' coming," Starlight said.
"But ever since You sent me to Yakyakistan, it's almost as if ponies aren't taking my orders seriously anymore." He looked up from the sea, towards the starry night sky, "Sure, I've seemingly mellowed out by a lot, and Haven't made any insane orders from the staff, but I am still a Prince of Equestria."
"What are you getting at?" Starlight asked, slowly walking forward to stand beside him, looking up at the night sky.
"What I'm getting at is this," He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before he turned to look at Starlight.
"Am I a Joke?"
Starlight Glimmer blinked at that question, her face in confusion.
"A joke?"
Blueblood nodded, "Yeah, I don't know if it was when I arrested you, or during the Art gallery before that, or during the Grand Galloping Gala, or I'm not sure when, But I feel like people aren't taking my orders seriously."
Starlight looked at her boss, a blank expression on her face before her hoof quickly moved and slapped him on the cheek.
"A Joke?" She scoffed at him, "Ha! Don't make me laugh!"
Blueblood rubbed his cheek as he looked at his Bodyguard/Friend/Prisoner-on-Probation.
"You are Prince Blueblood Platinum, You are no joke!" She poked his chest with her leg, "Do you know who traveled the frozen tundra of Yakyakistan with an unconscious Mare on his back? You did. Do you know who managed to raise hundreds of thousands of bits for charity with a single short speech? You did. Do you know who managed to save the lives of the citizens of Neigh York when the streets were flooded with Chocolate? You did!"
Starlight grabbed both his shoulders and forced him to look her in the eyes, "Do you know who managed to convince a Unicorn, One who practically mind-controlled a town into her way of thinking, Using only his words?!" She shook his head as tears started clouding her eyes, "YOU DID! YOU DID IT! All of IT! You did it all!"
"AND IF THAT MAKES YOU A JOKE! THEN YOU ARE THE BEST DAMN JOKE OUT THERE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!" Starlight screamed at her boss, tears trailing down her face before she pulled him into a hug.
Frozen in shock, Blueblood slowly pat the mare on her back, before speaking.
"Starlight, are you- Are you crying?" He asked her, slowly rubbing her back as she hugged him.
"I'm not crying, shut up," She sniffed into his shoulder.
"Hey Starlight," Blueblood called out after a few minutes of awkwardly rubbing the mares back.
"Yes Blueblood?"
"I'm docking your pay to buy a new suit."
"You don't pay me."
"I know."
"Dock pay?! He can't do that to us!" Gilda Complained as she angrily marched into her room.
"Actually he can, He's our boss," Trixie added helpfully from her corner of the room.
"Um AkShUaLlY, Nobody asked you!" Gilda repeated mockingly before walking over and collapsing onto her bed.
"You know what," Trixie stood up, "I don't like you," And she walked out into the corridor.
"Oh wow, somepony doesn't like me, what a shocker," Gilda grumbled into her pillow.
"She has a point you know," A K Yearling said from her bed, "You have been acting like a jerk since the moment you stepped hoof onto this boat,"
"Can it Glasses, I don't want to hear it from you." Gilda snarled face down into her pillow, "You have the easiest job here, just press a few buttons on a type-writer, how hard could it be?"
"Excuse me?" Yearling stood up from her bed, "Do you know how difficult documenting a scene is, I need to type as fast as the ponies are speaking, I'm not allowed to make mistakes, If I run out of paper or ink, I'm doomed. You wanna talk about easy jobs? You have the easiest one here! Just make sure nothing happens to the boat, and somehow you failed it on your first day, and because of you we're not allowed to leave our rooms!"
Gilda pushed herself up from her bed, "So it's my fault huh? If I remember you were also with us by the fire,"
"You started the fire in the first place!" Yearling pointed at Gilda.
"So that means all the blame is now on me?!" The Griffon pointed at herself.
"YES!" The Pegasus shouted.
"Please stop shouting..."
"What about you? You were the one that flew away the moments things started falling apart!" Gilda yelled at the Pegasus.
"Me? You're the one who started flying up in the sky!" Yearling shouted.
"Please..."
""WHAT?!"" The Griffon and the Pegasus turned to yell at the last pony in their room.
At a small pink filly who was crying under her sheets.
"Oh... Eh, Hey Twerp, You know we're not mad at you, right?" Gilda weakly asked the crying filly.
"Shut up," Cozy Glow weakly said as she dug herself deeper under her covers.
"Cozy... I hate agreeing with her-" "Hey!" "-But Gilda's right," A K Yearling sat down next to Cozy Glow's bed. "Whatever argument me and her are having, you are not the reason, So please stop crying."
The Next hour passed with the two adults trying to cheer up the filly before all three of them fell asleep.
They were found later that night by a tired Trixie as she entered the room, seeing their sleeping bodies hugging each other.
As the sun rose on the morning after, Starlight Glimmer scowled in pain as the rays of the sun pierced her window and struck her face.
Her body was sore, and her breath smelled of Alcohol.
She weakly rolled out of bed, falling off it in a tangle of sheets as her tired legs weakly raised her hungover body, a splitting headache threatening to bring the dinner from yesterday back up.
Without using her magic, she untangled herself from her sheets and placed them back on her boss's bed, careful not to wake him up- Wait a moment.
Like a bucket of cold water being poured on her head, Starlight's Hangover was washed away, leaving her staring in shock at the bed she just crawled out of, and at the other pony in it.
"Calm Down, we didn't have sex," Hearing those words did nothing to calm Starlight Glimmer, who was pacing around the bedroom in a panic.
"So why was I in your bed?" She asked quickly, her legs quick movements shifting the carpet.
"I don't know, I went to sleep before you did," Blueblood answered, already picking up an empty bottle from the nearby table to check how much she drank without him.
"So why would I enter into YOUR BED?!" Starlight almost yelled at her boss, who merely rolled his eyes at how she was acting.
"I'm guessing you were drunk and you didn't want to walk in the corridors of the ship in the middle of the night, drunk out of your mind," Blueblood took a sniff of the bottle before placing it in his mouth and drinking the drops leftover at the bottom of the bottle.
"So nothing happened?" Starlight's breath was slowing down.
"Nothing happened, I wouldn't take advantage of someone like that," Blueblood said as he levitated the empty bottles into a plastic bag.
"Good, good." Starlight nodded to herself, before freezing when she heard a knock on the door.
"Boss- er, Your Highness, I mean eh... There's an island up ahead!" Starlight blinked at that before turning to look at Blueblood who was in the process of dressing himself, causing her to quickly look away.
"So soon?" She heard Blueblood whisper to himself, "This ship is much faster than I thought."
"What's going on?" She asked.
"The Island of Glaros, It's where we're supposed to have a quick stop to refuel and restock, but since we're already coming up on it, that just means that this ship is sailing much faster than expected," Blueblood explained as he walked passed her and opened the door, nodding his head to Trixie who stood on the other side.
"We were supposed to come up on the island at the start of our fourth day, but we're only on our second day right now, Which means that either the specks on this ship that I was given were false, or that the map of the ocean was wrong, and I'm not sure which one of those options is worse," He said as he made his way up to the bridge of the small ship.
"Wouldn't having a faster ship be a good outcome?" Trixie asked as she joined the Duo of Unicorns.
"It is, we are shortening our trip by a large amount, and if I'm correct we'll be able to reach Caninia tomorrow evening, instead of five day from now," He explained, "But that also means that I was lied to in regards to the boat. Some might think it's harmless, that it's just a faster ship, but what about everything else that was lied about?"
"I don't get it?" Trixie said as she tilted her head.
"Think of it this way, You buy a new house, and the seller tells you that this house you bought is built out of a specific type of wood and that the flooring is made of a specific type of stone. Still following me?" He asked, receiving a nod from the two mares.
"Okay, now you buy this house and everything is going fine, Until you find out that there's a hot spring built underneath your house, You think you hit the jackpot, right? But then you stop and think, why did the seller not say anything about this spring? And will this spring weaken the stone foundation of the house? Will the steam coming from the underground spring weaken the wood that builds your walls? Now this amazing Hot Spring that you thought was a blessing to have seems more like a curse." Blueblood nodded to himself.
"What I'm getting at, is that now that the ship is much faster than I planned for, I don't know how much fuel it is taking, or where else I was lied to. So we will be docking at Glaros for the day in order to get everything checked, while still restocking on food and fuel," Blueblood pressed a few buttons, "I'll try and get the local government permission for you people to leave the ship for the duration of the checks, so you won't bore yourself," Blueblood smiled at that. "Maybe start a local forest fire instead of using an oven like a normal person," He smiled at that, "Now both of you, get out, I need to concentrate," He told the two Unicorns, and with a blue glow to his horn, buttons and levers all around the bridge started to twist and press.
Glaros Island is an Independent Island Nation sitting far off the coast of Minotopia, or as I'd love to describe it, Magic Greece. Being closer to Minotopia than to Equestria, but still far into the ocean to be independent of any form of outside government, gave the small Island Nation a reputation for being a perfect place for Ships to dock and resupply on long trips.
"Listen up!" I yelled into the speakers of the ship, making sure that anybody still asleep would be able to hear/
"We are making a stop on Glaros Island, and I managed to get the Chief of the island to let you all stretch your feet and walk around. We are estimated to return to our voyage in the afternoon, so find something to do for yourselves. Don't be late to return, Now get off the boat so the workers can start their jobs!" That should get the message across.
"Oh! Time Turner and Zephyr Breeze, stay on board, the workers might need to ask some questions," There, that should do it.
Reading over a piece of paper, Hughbert Jellius slowly hid the paper inside one of his suitcases before he walked off the ship and onto the Island of Glaros.
This was the first time the Changeling was on an Island, but he didn't have the time to look around. He had someone he needed to meet.
"A Pit stop on a beautiful Island? Let's go Girls!" A K Yearling yelled excitedly, soon joined by Gilda and Cozy as the trio flew off the ship and onto the Island of Glaros, ready to explore.
Zephyr Breeze was bored out of his mind, While the rest of the crew were on the Island doing whatever, He was stuck on the ship helping Time Turner explain to some engineers how the Engine works so they could get proper measurements or something.
It was boring.
"If the engine works on an Arcane-Flux-Conductor in order to power the ship, The Fuel will be burning up, yet somehow we can see here that only an eighth of the Tank has been drained thus far," The head Engineer in charge of the inspection, a Seagull Person, said as he tapped a small window of reinforced glass on the side of the Engine with a taloned hand, letting him see how much fuel was still in the tank.
"That shouldn't be the case at all," An aging Minotaur said as he squatted down next to the Gull, "The Distance alone between Equestria and here should have taken at least Five-Ninths of the tank."
Zephyr groaned in boredom.
"Prince Blueblood! It Is a very good honor to meet you!" The Chief of the Island, A Seagull with a colorful Green and Blue robe said as he walked up to me.
"The pleasure is mine, Chief Galeb," I told the Seagull only to freeze as he pulled me into a hug, kissing the sides of my cheeks.
"There!" He happily said with a wide smile on his beak, "A Proper Glaros welcome!" He let go of me, and I had to stop myself from immediately wiping the spit off my face so as to not somehow offend him.
"Please! Allow me to show you a tour of our lovely Island!" The Seagull Chielf said and started walking, showing me to one of many tourist spots on the Island.
"Vodopad Waterfall," A K Yearling whispered to herself as she and her newly made pals looked at the Waterfall of thundering white water, falling off a cliff into a lake far below them. "Rumor has it, that General Red Bicep threw his hoard of pillaged treasure off the Waterfall before his capture by King Steel Fist," She stated, her eyes looking at the lake below the waterfall, hoping to catch a glimmer of any lost treasure.
"Why would the General throw his treasure off the waterfall?" Cozy Glow asked as she hung onto the railing.
"So the King wouldn't be able to take it, Obviously." Gilda said with a wave of her Claw, "King Steel Fist was known as a Greedy Idiot who would start wars for the pettiest reasons, nobody at that time supported him. He's the reason Minotopia has a democratically elected governor instead of a King today, he single-handedly ruined the chances of his nation being a Kingdom ever again. That's how bad he was,"
"Why do you know so much about Minotaur History?" Yearling asked the Griffon.
"Griffonstone is situated between several powerful kingdoms, So we know a bunch about their history. I don't remember shit about most of it because History is boring-" Gilda ignored the scoff from Yearling "-The only reason I even recall Steel Fist is because of how much our teachers dug him into our brain," She spit at that.
Hughbert Jellius carefully made his way into the forest of Glaros Island, making sure that nobody was following him.
Once he was far enough away, he shed his disguise and started flying just above the tree-line, before he spotted where he was heading towards and landed in the empty clearing in the middle of the forest.
As soon as he landed, he went down to his knees and knelt, as a figure walked out of the tree line to tower over him.
"You have done adequately by informing me of the Prince's movement," The figure told him, her voice like a snake, filled with venom ready to pounce. "Continue with your set path, the mission hasn't changed," She said, and Hughbert nodded his head repeatedly at that.
"We will once again meet in the Nation of Caninia, where all my current targets are in one spot," The figure smiled widely, her fangs glimmering in the dim light passing through the canopy of trees. "And there, you will bring Prince Blueblood to me, And we can move on to the next step of my plan,"
Hughbert bowed deeper, "As you order, my Queen." He scowled into the dirt, his newly improved mental faculties screaming at him that he shouldn't need to bow his head like a mongrel. But the other part of his mind was telling him to be patient, he has the recipe to improve the Love jelly while his queen does not.
"In Caninia," Hughbert repeated her order. "In Caninia," The Queen confirmed, and with a buzz from her wings, she flew away, leaving Hughbert alone with his thoughts.
"In Caninia... I will find my freedom." He whispered to himself and flew back towards the docks, intent on drinking as much of the Love Jelly as he could before he reached Caninia.
He would need all the magic he could get.
After having a filling meal of traditional Glaros food, And gently putting down the Chief's attempts at wedding his daughter over to me, We were set to return to sail.
"If you ever reconsider, Prince Blueblood, Know that my daughter gives Amazing back massages!" The Seagull Chief yelled happily at me as he stood on the docks to see us off, his family behind him.
"As I've said before, Chief Galeb, I will not marry a person younger than the legal age in Equestria," Even if she was legal, I would search for a different excuse, but right now this was the most noticeable.
"Don't worry Your Highness!" A young Seagull Girl, maybe twelve years of age at the most, yelled up to me, "In ten Years I'll be big and strong, Just like Papa! And then you'll have to marry me!"
I decided to simply laugh her off and wave goodbye as the Island grew farther and farther behind us.
"Starlight, right a letter," I said as I entered the bridge, "I need to tell Queen Lanternlight that we'll be arriving earlier than planned."
And with my eyes looking at a page in Clover the Clever's book, and my Horn shooting a beam of blue magic onto a map, my eyes narrow.
Queen Jennino Lanterlight walked as quickly as she could, not caring for how her appearance might look to her subject, as she made sure everything was in place.
The Prince of Equestria was arriving to meet her, and it was her duty as the Queen of Caninia to greet him properly, and if that means holding a festival in his name, then what is?
"Amber! Are the Carriages all ready?" She yelled at one of her younger sisters, Princess Ambrosia Muffinsbuns, who was as usual wearing her beautiful pink dress.
"They are," She answered loud enough for her hurried sister to hear, while still remaining quiet enough so as to not ruin her ladylike charm.
"And what about you Moony? Are the fireworks prepared?" Jennino asked her other sister, Princess Moonbeam Twinkletail, who wore her red vest and held onto her magic stick.
"The Fireworks and everything, the Musicians are rehearsing and the Chefs are busy cooking. Everything is ready Jenn, stop worrying." Moonbeam said as she made her way to her second oldest sister, her nose twitching as her mustache of purple fur itched her.
"We can't!" Jennino told her sister as she quickly grabbed her shoulders and started shaking, "Prince Blueblood Agreeing to our terms of trade will finally give me the credibility we need for Kathy to take us seriously!"
Moonbeam placed her paw on her sister's arm and slowly pulled her off, "I get it, we all do, But if everything we've already done wasn't enough for Kathy to open the table, I doubt humiliating yourself in front of the prince of Equestria will."
"Humiliate? I'm not going to humiliate myself! I am calm and collected! Ready for his arrival!" Jennino said calmly.
"Really?" Moonbeam raised an eyebrow before pointing at something behind Jennino's back, "Because he's standing on that ship right there, and he doesn't look impressed,"
Jennino turned quickly around to look away from the port and towards the sea, only to be met with nothing but the salty smell of the waves of this warm, early winter day.
"See, What would you think would have happened if he was there?" Moonbeam said from behind Jennino.
"I- I understand..." Jennino said as she straightened her back, "I'll go take a break," She started walking towards one of the chefs she brought for the party.
Dimondia, the capital city of Caninia, has two Queen in two different Castles.
One Castle was empty, as the Queen and the two Princesses that lived in it left to ready a festival.
The other Castle wasn't empty.
Yet, even though the castle wasn't empty, to one Dog, the castle felt as boring as an empty shoebox.
"Indy! I'm bored!" A Yellow Dog cried out in boredom as she hung upside-down from a tree in the castle yard, her blue vest holding snugly against her body as she jumped off the tree branch with a flip, landing on her feet and patting down her blue skirt.
"I know, You said that five times already," Princess Indiana Ambereyes told her sister as she sat on a reclined chair the servants placed in the yard for her.
"But there's nothing to do! On other days with nothing to do I can just grab the telescope and try and look at Jenn's castle, but now? Nothing!" The Yellow Dog, Fiona Floppyears, said as she walked over and slumped onto her sister, her head resting on her stomach as her eyes looked up at her.
"Hey Indy," Fiona said, trying to get her more stoic sister to respond, "Hey- Hey Indy,"
Indiana sighed as she opened her eyes and looked down at her sister, laying her head on her body as if she was a petulant child, and not a nineteen-year-old princess.
"What?" Indiana asked.
"Banana Butt," Fiona responded before jumping up and away from her sister, wagging her yellow tail around as she ran around the yard.
"If you're so bored, Why don't you go check what Jenn's doing?" Indiana asked, causing Fiona to pause.
"...You know we can't." She said sadly, her head turning to look at her older sister.
"I know, so it'll just be you going, I'll cover for you." Indiana sat up from her reclined seat and stood up, cracking her neck as she stretched her back.
"What?" Fiona asked Indiana to explain.
"You don a disguise, nobody will know it's you, And you go to that port town to see what Jenn and the rest are doing. I'll remain here and have some clever excuse for why you're not here." Indiana said after she finished her stretches, a scowl on her face as she felt her back was still stiff.
"But Indy, you're trash at lying," Fiona said, causing Indiana to bark out a laugh.
"Ha! That doesn't mean I'm incapable! I'll just say you're not feeling good and decided to sleep in, That's easy enough."
Fiona sniffed at that, before she ran forward and pulled her sister into a hug.
"Thank You! I'll buy you a souvenir! Now let's go find a disguise!" Fiona yelled happily into her sister's fur as she held her head against her chest.
"Yeah Yeah, don't thank me yet," Indiana said with a soft smile as she rubbed her younger sister's back, "Just get me a new cool spear or something, yeah?"
"Haha, Sure!"
Standing with her back straight as the sun set before her, her sisters by her side, and her people behind her standing ready.
Jennino Lanternlight looked on as the small ship, just over forty meters long, as it sailed into the port, Sunlight Yellow and midnight blue lines were drawn around the sides of the ship, giving it a slick look while keeping the "Friendly" Colors that Equestria was so known for.
And as the boat docked before them, a set of stairs dropped from the deck and landing on the solid wooden port, right in front of a long red carpet.
"Stand tall and Proud!" A voice loudly proclaimed from on top of the ship. "For you are in the presence of Prince Blueblood Platinum!" The voice continued as a golden-haired white Unicorn slowly made his way down the stairs, a Navy-Blue suit with an Ice-Blue undershirt and a black tie was on his torso, with the shirt stopping right before his Cutie Mark, depicting a silver and gold Compass Rose.
A small gem, triangle in shape, as if an incomplete puzzle, was held onto a small golden chain wrapped around his neck as a necklace, It was Red with subtle hints of green.
An Elegant yet friendly smile was on his face as he walked down the stairs, his Ice-blue eyes glinting with the light of the sun setting behind him over the ocean.
Each step he took caused Jennino's heart to beat faster and faster, making her gulp to swallow the saliva that was forming in her mouth, She ignored the concerned side-eye Moonbeam was giving her.
And as the Prince finally stepped off the stairs from his ship and onto the red carpet, the voice returned with one word.
"Rejoice!"
The fireworks shot into the sky, the flashes of the tiny colorful rockets illuminating the sky and the crowd as the music started playing while Blueblood slowly walked up the red carpet and made his way to the three Princesses.
"Jennino Lanternlight, I presume?" He asked Jennino, who nodded her head quickly and took the hoof he offered in her paw, almost freezing when he kissed it.
"It is a most wonderful pleasure to meet you," He said as he looked up and into Jennino's eyes, and for a short moment, barely less than a second, her brain short-circuited.
She could imagine miniature versions of herself running around inside her brain trying to stop a fire from spreading.
"Oh, believe me, Prince Blueblood," Jennino smiled widely down at the Stallion.
"The Pleasure is all mine."
And so the period of time that future historians will dub "The Meeting of Diamonds and Stars" began, but that is a story for another time.
Omake: A Discovery Months Away.
Near the peak of a mountain south of the City State of Yakyakistan, sits a cave filled with a carpet of soft moss and a small pond of spring water in its center. In the middle of the pond sits an old stone statue, detailing an old Yak King.
"Bjorn! You Got to see this!" A Yak yelled as he entered the cave, carrying on his back a sack filled with scrolls and papers, detailing the discoveries that they managed to uncover in regards to the Tomb whose entrance sits near the back of the cave.
"Is it yet another rock, Olaf?" Bjorn, a tired old Yak asked in exasperation as he turned and raised his glasses up his nose, taking a look at whatever Olaf brought him.
"Not rock! A Water Sample! From the cave near the bottom!" Olaf said excitedly as he opened his sack and pulled out the correct document, giving it to Bjorn to read.
"The Lake at the bottom? What's so special about..." Bjorn quieted down as he read the document, and his eyes slowly widened.
"Do you understand?" Olaf asked excitedly, nodding his head like a puppy.
"Understand?" Bjorn repeated his question, "I more than Understand, Olaf! This is an amazing discovery!" He shouted out. "If what's written here is correct, King Tarkus IV specifically chose this mountain to build his tomb!"
"It Is amazing, Yes. But I still Don't understand. Would it not have been better to build Tomb Elsewhere?" Olaf asked.
"Olaf do you not understand? He didn't build his tomb on this mountain because he chose this mountain as his last resting spot, but because of the Water at the bottom!"
Olaf nodded his head, still not understanding what Bjorn was speaking about. He was simply happy to see him excited for once.
Seeing no reaction of understanding from the younger Yak, Bjorn decided to explain it in simpler terms.
"The Water inside the lake at the base of this mountain contains a trace amount of Umbra Magic," Bjorn explained to Olaf slowly, "Which means we might have a clue as to whatever caused their disappearance so long ago, it might even be recorded inside this tomb! All we need to do is get rid of that Abominable Snowbeast that made its home in the tunnel... Any news regarding that?"
Olaf shook his head at that, "Prince Rutherford said he deals with it, Haven't said word about it since,"
Bjorn sighed at that, turning his head to look at the stone door near the back of the cave.
"Soon, We will make the greatest discovery in recent history..."
Deep Below the cave in the mountain, and deep below the tomb inside it, and even deeper below the depths of the Lake.
A Black Butterfly quietly waits for his Empire to return, Screaming in wordless anger at the barrier holding him captive far below the land.
His eyes, burning with malevolent flame, staring at the magical instrument just out of his reach, beyond the barrier holding him captive.
A Clock, slowly counting down, second by minute by hour by day by week by month by year by decade by century by Millennium.
And Soon, The clock will reach zero.
And the Black Butterfly will once again spread its wings.
"You know your Majesty, When I arrived here I expected a greeting, but a party like this? You sure are full of surprises," I smiled what I could only hope to look like a princely smile as I sat next to Queen Lanternlight on a balcony overlooking the festivities.
As much of a waste of time as a festival is, I have no choice but to play along with her, or else she gets the upper-hand in our trade negotiations. It's simple politics really.
"Please, you may call me Jenn, That's what all my friends call me," Queen Jennino Lanternlight said with a smile, her tail wagging behind her, clearly showcasing her emotions.
"Only if you call me Blueblood in return," I must not overstep my boundaries, whilst still trying and keep a good hold on my position at the negotiation table.
I must not slip up.
"Would you like to join me for a walk, Prince Blueblood?" Queen Jennino Lanternlight asked me, immediately ignoring my previous request for her to simply call me 'Blueblood' whilst still giving me an optionless choice.
It is an optionless choice because I cannot say no. While I am the instigator of the trade, and thus have the upper hand in regards to the trade, she is the Queen of this nation, one of two ruling regents.
She is a Queen, and I am a simple Prince.
"It would be my pleasure, Queen Jennino," I smirked at her from across the table.
Two can play at this game and in the game of getting what I want?
I'm the World fucking Champion.
"How exhilarating," Time Turner said to himself as he walked around the Caninian Port Town, admiring the differences in architecture between Caninia and Equestria.
"Yes... Exhilarating..." Zephyr Breeze whispered along as he walked with his new friend, his eyes moving to look at the Dogs around him before his eyes caught onto one Diamond Dog skulking around in the corner, a hood covering their face, a blue skirt barely visible from beneath it.
"Did something catch your attention?" Time Turner asked Zephyr as he turned to look at him, prompting Zephyr to shake his head in response.
"Nah, just a creep skulking around," He answered before he continued walking, prompting Time Turner to start moving faster to catch up with the taller Pegasus.
"Why are there Ponies here?" Fiona Floppyears asked herself quietly as she hid among the crowd, confused as to what was going on but still excited enough with the mystery to no longer be bored.
"You didn't hear?" Fiona jumped at that voice, hiding her face under her cloak as a recognizable voice answered her, "Queen Jennino Lanternlight managed to get Prince Blueblood of Equestria to come for a visit,"
Fiona didn't need to turn to see who it was that answered her, recognizing the purple dress the Dog wore with just a glimpse.
It was none other than her twin sister, the one who left her behind to follow Jenn in the pursuit of her passions, or as Kathy would say, "An Undignified pursuit, unfitting for a Princess," It was none other than Princess Ambrosia Muffinsbuns.
Fiona quickly turned and ran away, making sure that her sister wouldn't recognize her under her cloak.
She can't allow herself to be recognized, or Indy's plan will fail.
"This party blows, where's the booze?" Gilda grumbled to herself as she sat on a bench in the corner of a street, looking at a certain filly flying towards her, carrying two sticks of cotton candy in her hooves.
"This is a public party, the booze doesn't come out until the children go to sleep," A K Yearling told her before taking a spoon from a compostable bowl filled with a Caninian Vegetarian dish called Colcannon or something.
Gilda wasn't listening to the seller when he explained, she lost interest when he said Vegetarian.
Gilda grunted at that before she smiled widely as Cozy Glow gave her a stick of Cotton Candy.
"Anyway, Did any of you see Tranko or whatever her name was? She's missing out," Gilda said with a mouth full of sweet pink hairs.
"It's Trixie, and I believe she's talking with One of the Princesses about Magic," Yearling said before placing her bowl on the bench and turning to look at the two other girls. "So what will you two be doing when the Prince and the rest are off to the Capital?" She asked them, causing Gilda to blink.
"We'll be joining them...? Why are you asking?" Gilda asked the Author.
"Did you not listen to his morning announcement?" Yearling asked with shock, looking over at Cozy who simply shrugged her shoulders before she looked back at Gilda. "You two, together with Turner and Breeze are to stay on the ship for the duration of our stay here," Yearling told them what the Prince said in the morning.
"What?!" Gilda yelled, throwing the now candy-less stick in the vague direction of a trashcan.
"That's what he said," Yearling shrugged her shoulders and made a "What can you do?" Face at that.
"I guess it is kind of our job, right?" Cozy decided to speak up after finishing her stick of Cotton Candy, "Turner is like the one looking after the machines on the ship, and Breeze is supposed to be his assistant or something, and you're supposed to be guarding the ship, and I'm supposed to be helping anypony who needs help,"
Gilda yelled at the sky in anger.
"So that magical staff of yours," The Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon said as she stood next to Princess Moonbeam Twinkletail of Caninia, "How does it work?"
"Oh, this old thing?" The Short purple dog asked as she shaved the wooden staff in her paw, "It's made from the branch of a tree grown underground, its only source of water was a natural spring above it that slowly dripped water onto it and its only source of sunlight was from a crystal that refracted the rays of the sun into a rainbow of colors after bouncing off a series of crystal mirrors," She explained proudly before pointing at a glowing protrusion at the head of the staff.
"And this right here? This baby was taken from the depths of a cave in the fog-covered lands of Dun Scaith, Allowing the ambient magic from the land to gather into it, making it act as the Arcane Foci for the staff," The Dog pat the staff as if it was her child.
Trixie nodded along at her explanation, already thinking of ways to make her own Magic Staff to enhance her magical power and finally show that pesky Twilight Sparkle who was the better Unicorn!
"Does the Quality of the ingredients matter in the construction of such a staff?" She asked the princess who sputtered at her question.
"Does the quality matter?! Do you make a pie with moldy dough? Do you drink milk filled with chunks? OF COURSE THE QUALITY MATTERS!"
Trixie made herself comfortable and got ready to listen to an explanation for the construction and use of Magic Staves.
Hughbert Jellius made sure to watch himself as he made his way to a quiet and hidden alleyway near the edge of the port town.
"You made it, good," He stood up at attention as the voice of his Queen came from behind him before a tall changeling moved to stare him down, "Now listen well, I am giving you your new orders,"
Hughbert nodded, ready to play along with his Queen's plans.
As long as she doesn't learn of his enhanced Jelly, his plan to break away will continue unopposed.
But before all that, there's a certain Badger that's been crawling in the vents, and it needs to be taken care of.
"Once again, Thank you for the most wonderful welcome to your nation, Your Majesty," Prince Blueblood said with a calm smile as he sat inside the carriage, a table separating him from Queen Jennino Lanternlight.
"Please, I already told you, Your Highness, The Pleasure was all mine," The Canine Queen told the prince as she sat facing him, a dreamy expression on her face as she rested her head in her hands, her elbows resting on the table in front of her.
Starlight Glimmer wanted to jump out of the carriage because of how bored she was.
"Remember Starlight, you need to actually sell the idea that you're my bodyguard, so you need to start actually doing your job," The Prince told her before they entered the carriage.
It was currently the second day in Caninia, Half the employees were left on the ship in the port town, with only Yearling and Trixie coming with. Starlight wished she could have stayed on the ship as well, at least then she'd die of dysentery rather than Boredom.
"How about a game?" Starlight perked at that, only to again slouch when she saw that it was once again the Queen failing to hit on Blueblood.
"That sounds lovely," Starlight rolled her eyes at his answer, knowing full well he knew what she was trying to do.
"Never in my life did I ever think I'd see Jenn acting like that," One of the other dogs in the rather large carriage, Princess Ambrosia if Starlight remembered, spoke as she watched her older sister conduct what could only be described by Starlight as the world's most roundabout mating tactic.
"I'd be surprised if it leads anywhere," The other Princess, Moonbeam, added as she lay on her back, using the bench she sat on as a bed, her magic staff lying on the floor beside her. "Every time suitors come up she's all like 'No, I can't do that, I'm much too busy,' but suddenly blonde white and handsome here shows up she's all like 'Oh Moonbeam, I need everything to be perfect for his arrival,' Like she's suddenly getting married, Bleh." Moonbeam said, trying to mimic her sister before saying "Bleh" and mimicking throwing up.
"I think it's cute," Ambrosia defended her sister, turning to look at the shorter of the Princesses.
"If you mean that It's cute how stupid it is, then sure. Jenn never even held a boy's hand, and she thinks what she's doing will get Princely here to notice her?" Moonbeam replied, and Starlight tried to make it look like she wasn't listening in to their conversation.
"Will it even work?" From another corner of the carriage, Trixie piped in with a whisper, "She's a Dog and he's a Pony, Is that even... You know?"
"Hey," Moonbeam said, "If there's a hole there's a goal. Just because they can't biologically reproduce with each other doesn't mean the sausage won't fit the bun,"
Starlight nodded her head subtly, mostly agreeing with Princess Moonbeam in regard to the idea of Dog/Pony intercourse.
"How long do you think it will take for them to notice that we can all hear them?" Starlight froze and slowly turned her eyes to see Blueblood smiling slyly at her, Queen Jennino across him, covering her face with her paws as she curled herself into a ball of Canine embarrassment.
Once again, For what might again seem like the ten-thousandth time, Starlight Glimmer almost felt like she regretted her past decisions.
"Indy! You won't believe it!" Princess Fiona Fluffyears said excitedly as she ran across the Old Castle yards, jumping into a hug as she wrapped her arms and legs around her older sister, "Jenn and the others are hosting a meeting with Prince Blueblood Platinum!"
"Not so loud!" Princess Indiana Ambereyes shushed her youngest sister before prying her off and holding her at arm's length before quickly walking to a quiet corner of the yard, "If Kath hears that you left the castle, she'll cause a scene, and we don't want her to cause a scene with the VIP in the castle." She whispered loudly.
"Oh Yeah! The VIP..." Fiona nodded her head in understanding, her eyes closed and her arms crossed with a smirk of understanding on her face.
"Yes Fiona, the VIP," Indiana repeated, "You do remember the VIP Kath has over, right?" She asked.
"Me? Pfft! Of course I remember the VIP, why would I not remember the VIP?" Fiona said, her smile cracking and her eyes looking away from her sister.
"You forgot about the VIP didn't you?" Indiana asked with a deadpan expression.
"Totally," Fiona answered truthfully, her yellow tail wagging behind her as she smiled up at her sister.
"Of course you did..." Indiana palmed her face and groaned, "Okay, let's quickly get you washed before one of the servants catches a whiff of you," She said and started dragging Fiona towards the castle proper.
"Oh oh! Do you wanna' join me?" Fiona asked her sister with a smile on her face, her tail still wagging as Indiana dragged her away.
"Join you? I don't have time for-" Whatever retort Indiana had to give immediately fell apart when she turned and saw the wide glistening eyes of her younger sister, all so cute and adorable "-Dammit..."
"Yay!"
"This is so boring!" A Griffon yelled for the tenth time that hour, her coat of fur and feathers covered by a heavy wool coat to keep her warm in the late fall cold.
"Maybe you should go and do a round of surveying around the ship, you know, for safety?" A Pink Pegasus Filly told her, her tiny body mostly hidden underneath the thick parka she wore.
"You know what Twerp, Fine!" Gilda exclaimed and with a clap of her wings, she was in the air.
Looking at the Griffon from behind a glass window, A certain Earth Pony(?) decided to leave the kitchen and get started with his plan.
"First step, Get the rest of the Love Jelly out of the boys' room," He whispered to himself, the uncomfortable smile he was starting to be known for replaced with a neutral frown.
He only had a few days to get everything ready, He wouldn't let some sniveling brat ruin his great plan.
"Welcome to the New Castle!" Queen Lanternlight said with cheer as she exited the carriage, her short arms raised above her head as she smiled at the Equestrian party, her younger sister raising her staff haphazardly to create magical sparks of color, her other sister clapping her paws with a smile on her face as her tail wagged.
Suffice to say, Jenn was happy to be off the carriage.
"It looks wonderful," Jenn smiled brightly when Prince Blueblood complimented her castle.
"Jennino, Look at you," Jenn froze and the happy expression on the Queen and two Princesses' faces soured as they turned to look at a blue-haired Dog who was walking nearby with a small platoon of guards.
"Katherina," Jennino said respectfully, her eyes twitching in annoyance to find her eldest sister, and Queen of the Old Castle, so close to her own castle.
"When I heard you returned after the sudden departure you had, I was curious," The Dog Queen said, her eyes looking down at her younger sister, "But seeing you leave everything behind to meet with a foreign prince is simply so alike you, with how you so easily throw away your future for your selfish desires," Katherina Proudpaws, Legitimate Queen of Caninia, mocked her sister with a sneer.
"Are you not tired of playing pretend Jennino? Come back to me," The Dog Queen told her sister, "Being a Ruler was never your strong suit."
As the two Dog Queens fought in the field of family matters, Prince Blueblood had his eyes glued to a different royal, one who he recognized from the year worth of memories his new body gave him.
"Oh no..." He whispered to himself, his eyes passing through Queen Katherina, through her guards, and straight into a familiar face he hadn't spoken or seen since he took over the Prince's body.
A Face that represented his worst enemy!
Someone who is both emotional and affectionate, known to portray their feeling with physical attachment, someone who is powerful both physically but also politically. And worst of all, someone he can't beat up without consequences.
And when the person his eyes were glued to turned their head and caught his stare, Blueblood felt his blood freeze in terror as the worst of his enemies smiled at him, pearly white teeth ready to devour him whole.
This was a battle he could not win, better to simply roll over and give up...
"Cousin! I didn't know you were here!" The foe said, a cheerful tone to their voice as they moved in the Prince's direction.
And as Prince Blueblood shuddered in terror, all he could do was nod his head in greeting to his adversary and say one word.
"Cousin! I didn't know you were here!" Starlight looked at the Pink alicorn approaching Blueblood, the confusion as to why another Pony royal was in Caninia quickly replaced with the need to appear professional.
Starlight walked over to block the Princess's path from her boss, only to hear him say her name with a tone of voice she never heard from him.
"Cadance," Blueblood said, his eyes staring into his so-called cousin with an indescribable emotion that seemed almost foreign to Starlight.
"I am sorry, but the prince is mighty busy today," Starlight spoke up, standing protectively in front of her boss and friend, "If you wish to speak with him, an appointment can be made by talking with his secretary,"
"Wha-?" Cadance tried to ask, only for Blueblood to jump into Starlight's plan.
"Apologies, Cadenza, but I am indeed mighty busy today, perhaps we can catch up another time," He smiled at his cousin, "Preferably not on foreign soil,"
"Bluey," Cadance said, using a word that almost made the prince freeze, "You're acting strange, is everything alright with you?"
"Everything is fine, Cadance, I am merely stressed over work, you know me, always moving around, haha," Starlight cringed at hearing the dry tone with which her boss delivered those words before he turned around and quickly walked away, not bothering to wait for her, his bag levitating behind her.
Starlight prepared to follow, only for the Pony to interrupt her.
"Excuse me, Miss Bodyguard," Starlight froze at being addressed, "I know he probably doesn't want to hear from me, but can you pass this over to him, I always carry some with me," Princess Mi Amore Cadenza said, levitating a chocolate bar over to Starlight.
"You want me to-?" Starlight took the floating piece of Chocolate from the pink Alicorn.
"Yeah, I try to always give him chocolate whenever I come back from a trip," Cadance giggled a bit, "He's always so grumpy about everything, but I know he secretly loves these, I'm sure of it,"
"Okay," Starlight nodded at the Princess, "I'll give him the chocolate,"
"Thanks," Cadance said and turned back to the group of Diamond Dogs that came with Queen Katherina, "Oh, and good luck with your job," Starlight could almost swear she received the friendliest smile she ever received from someone at that moment.
She didn't know whether to be enchanted by how nice of a pony the princess was or be perturbed.
"Yeah... You too..." Starlight whispered before turning and walking after the rest of the New Castle party.
Starlight stared dispassionately as she saw her boss sneer at a Bar of chocolate and throw the thing into the bin, not even bothering to open the snack.
"Damn her!" He said loudly as he paced around the room that Queen Jennino had given him for his stay at the castle.
"She seemed nice enough," Starlight said, trying to bring up some sort of defense for the Pink Princess.
"Well, she's not!" Starlight jumped at the volume Blueblood used, "She's mocking me! Flaunting around her wings and horns, telling everyone "Oh look at me! I'm better than Blueblood! I'm an Amore and he's just a measly Platinum! Look, He Isn't even an Alicorn!" She's the worst!"
"I really don't think-" Starlight's eyes widened as she quickly dodged and caught a chair being thrown at her, "What are you doing?!"
"Don't try and defend her," Blueblood sneered, a tone of voice Starlight never heard from him leaving his mouth as he grimaced and frowned, "If she managed to get you under her spell, why don't you go and talk with her tomorrow during the meeting? It's not like you actually do your job,"
Starlight sniffed and straightened her back, "You know what, I will go and talk to her, just to prove that you're wrong," Starlight smiled at the idea, of helping the royal cousins find a way to solve whatever disagreements they might have and be a happy family, she might even get to write one of those Reports that Celestia receives from her Pupil every week.
"And once I do, You'll apologize for talking to me like that," Starlight frowned at her boss, her eyes meeting with his as a fierce battle raged inside the bedroom, neither contestant moved, but they both knew the importance of their fight.
And as Starlight glared into Blueblood's eyes, she could see a flicker of emotion in his them.
He was... Scared?
Starlight smiled, knowing she won the battle of glares, and left for her own room, leaving her boss to be angry in his lonesome.
After waiting for both his roommates to fall asleep, a certain Earth Pony(?) exited his room and started walking towards the back of the small ship.
"What are you doing?" He stopped, his body freezing perfectly in place as his head slowly turned to look at the voice.
"I am feeling tireless, I am going on a midnight stroll," Hughbert Jellius said in his almost robotic way of speaking.
"Tch," The Griffon who stopped him clicked her tongue before she pushed past him and entered her room, "Don't make too much noise, Creep."
Seeing Gilda leave him, Hughbert smiled widely, a sick and unnatural smile, forced onto his face, almost as if trying to mimic an expression of excitement.
And seeing as the course was clear, Hughbert was more than excited.
He was downright euphoric.
Leaving the shower with a towel around her hair, Princess Indiana Ambereyes whistled to herself a nice tune as she made her way to her bed.
The VIP remained protected, Her little sister came back without any harm, and Katherina was none the wiser to her even leaving the castle.
All in all, It was a good day.
Knock knock knock
Indiana paused, taking off her towel and walking over to the door, a frown on her face as her paw moved to open it.
"Who is it?" She asked as she opened the door.
And froze as a flash of green light covered her body.
Starlight frowned at the door to the meeting room, her talk with Blueblood from the night before still fresh on her mind. The face he made when he yelled "She's mocking me!" Still etched in her brain.
But right now he was on the other side of that door, talking with the leaders of Caninia about trade and politics, and here she is on the other side of that door, ready to visit a Princess on the other side of the city.
"Why don't you go and talk with her tomorrow during the meeting? It's not like you actually do your job," Starlight frowned as his words once again rang in her head, but she pushed on. She had to prove to him that he was wrong.
"You're the bodyguard from yesterday! Please, come in," Princess Cadance smiled warmly at Starlight as she invited her into her room.
It was surprisingly easy to reach her, all she had to do was tell one of the guards at the Old Castle that she was there to speak with her, and she was let in without another question.
"Thank you," Starlight said and bowed to the princess, who quickly stopped her from doing so.
"Please don't bow to me, just because I'm an Alicorn doesn't mean I'm not just a regular pony," Starlight couldn't help but want to smile as she heard that.
"Sorry," She said as she straightened her back, the black suit Celestia forced her to wear for her job creasing as she sat on a sofa in front of the princess, "I have a few questions I need to ask you, I hope you'll be able to answer."
"I'd be happy to," Cadance answered simply and got ready to answer her questions.
"Thank you," Starlight started, "The first question that I wanted to ask is, and I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but are you mocking Prince Blueblood?" She asked, getting straight to the point.
The smile that was on Cadance's face fled her as she frowned at that question, "If this is your attempt at humor you have reached the wrong crowd,"
Starlight quickly tried to defend herself, "I mean! When you give him Chocolate, are you signaling that you're more generous than he is?"
The frown on Cadance's face worsened at that question, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." she told her plainly.
"Wait! I just need an honest answer!" Starlight said as an aura of light blue magic wrapped around her and started dragging her out of the Princess's room.
And as Starlight was thrown into the corridor, she said words that caused the princess to pause.
"He thinks you're mocking him!"
Cadance sat on her chair, looking at the open door to the corridor, and at the Mare breathing heavily outside of it after she yelled those five words. The frown on her face was replaced with a worried look as she asked for her to explain.
And so Starlight did, repeating what Blueblood told her the night prior.
"Thank you for bringing this up to me," Cadance then told Starlight the truth, and her eyes widened.
"I was right..." Starlight said to herself before she thanked the Princess and ran out the door, hurrying back to the New Castle.
Leaving Cadance alone to frown at what she heard.
"Do you really think I'm mocking you?" she whispered to herself, her eyes moving to look out the window and at the castle on the other side of the city.
Once the talks were finished and the deal was formalized, Prince Blueblood returned to his room to ready for departure.
Who knew signing deals was easy when the other party was infatuated with you?
"Blueblood, I was right!" The Prince paused as he turned to look at the purple Unicorn at the door, breathing for air as she pointed a hoof at him.
"Starlight, I wish to apologize to you for how I acted yesterday. I know that-" "Wait with the apology!" Starlight interrupted him.
"Because I listened to what you told me, And I spoke with Princess Cadance," Starlight told him, ignoring how he rolled his eyes at her use of 'Princess'.
"Save me the talk Starlight, she lied to you," Blueblood wasn't willing to listen to her, "Whatever she told you was fabricated to make her look better than me,"
"But she didn't!" Starlight said, quickly getting tired of the way Blueblood treated Cadance, "She was nothing but nice to you and you, and you call her a manipulator! Did it never pass through your mind that she might just be a nice pony?"
"No, It never did, and I suggest you watch your tone," Blueblood told her.
"Why not?!" Starlight yelled at him, not noticing his face contorting into a snarl, "Why can you not see that all the times she's tried being nice to you, were because she's just a genuinely nice pony?!"
"Watch your tone," He warned her.
"Just why?!" Starlight yelled, and Blueblood was glad he cast a soundproofing illusion on the room.
"Because nice people aren't real Starlight!" He yelled back at her, "They're not real! Especially not in such high positions of power! Cadance isn't a genuinely nice person because Nice people don't exist!"
"You know what?!" Starlight yelled at him, "You're being a doucheba- oh..." She froze as she saw the face Blueblood was pointing at her.
"...Did it really take you so long to figure out that the guy who decided to bend the rules to get a shitty bodyguard might not be such good of a guy?" He asked her quietly, sitting down on the nearest chair, his eyes not leaving Starlight.
"Blueblood I-" Starlight wanted to defend herself, to explain that she didn't really mean what she said, that it was a spur of the moment choice of words.
"Get out of my room Starlight, we're returning to the ship tomorrow morning," He told her, his tone offering no room for arguments.
"Please Blueblood I-"
"Out."
"I'm sorry I-"
"I Said OUT!" He yelled at her, and so she left.
Returning to her room in the castle, tears silently trailing down her face.
Dammit!
God Fucking dammit!
Can nothing go to plan?!
Go to an art museum? Beat the shit out of a group of thieves! Find a missing person? Get sent to fucking magic Alaska! Once a year special celebration? Get tackled by some crazy chick and cut your night short! Get a Nautical Science degree? The City is flooded with FUCKING CHOCOLATE MILK! Get Kidnapped to the moon? Gee! I wonder if that turns out fine!
"Every time! Every single time!" I scream out as I kick the chair beneath me, almost two months of living as a fucking midget horse tearing at my mind.
"Can I not get, I don't know, Just one week where nothing goes wrong? Where nothing crazy or stupid happens? FUCK!" I stomp angrily at the floor, feeling the illusion I placed on the room to keep the sound in waver as someone knocked on the door,
"Holy fucking shit what do they want," I whispered to myself before giving myself a strong slap to the face, the persona of the elegant and wonderful Prince Blueblood Platinum plastering itself onto me like a carefully crafted mask.
"What is it?" I ask, receiving no response from the person on the other side.
knock knock knock
"I said what is it? Do you need something?" I asked louder, the fake smile I forced onto my face wavering as I kept talking.
knock knock knock
"Fucking- WHAT?!" I Yelled at the door, not in the mood to deal with any of this bullshit.
knock knock knock
And so, with a snarl of anger on my face I open the door.
And freeze as a green light comes over me.
Next thing I know, When I open my eyes, I'm in a mostly empty void.
"Cosmos?" I ask aloud, hoping the talking head who appears in my dreams might answer, "Are you here?"
I walk toward one of the visible things in this empty void, one of six large levitating rainbow-colored crystals floating around me.
"What the hell is this?" I whisper to myself, looking closely at one of the six crystals and seeing what looks like a body levitating inside the crystal.
"My my my," I freeze as an unknown voice echoes out around me.
"I was wondering when you will visit," The voice said, sounding like a relatively young man.
"Who's there?!" I quickly ask as movement returns to my body.
"Me? Wait a minute..." The voice paused and I felt its gaze lock onto me from somewhere inside the space between the six crystals. "You don't know?... Hahaha! You don't know!" The voice laughed, echoing around the darkness before I spotted it.
Two glowing white orbs, eyes, staring at me from the surrounding darkness.
"Me? How could you not recognize me?" The voice said and the two eyes grew closer before the body of the creature revealed itself in the weak light formed by the nearest floating crystal.
A Pony with a body almost as dark as the void around it, a smooth black horn that edges off into a dark grey, a mane, wings, and tail of dark grey fire, moving and flowing in a nonexistent wind. A mouth opening with sharp teeth of darkness to reveal nothing but more darkness inside. It seemed less like a real creature, and more like a sheet of magic covering the real creature.
"How could you not recognize your dearest uncle?" The creature smiled down at me, and I only had a few words to say.
"How could you not recognize your dearest uncle?" The Dark Pony said, and I had enough.
"I am NOT dealing with this bullshit right now!" I yelled out loud, my voice echoing between the rainbow crystals surrounding us.
"E-excuse me?" My so-called 'Dearest Uncle' asked after a short pause, his glowing eyes morphing into what I could only assume to be confusion.
"You're excused," I say calmly, my legs moving me away as I try my hardest to calm the fuck down.
"That's not what I meant and you know it, how are you not amazed? Horrified? Do you not fear this horrific visage that stands before you?" 'Uncle' asked, pointing a shadow-covered hoof at his own face as he took a step back.
"Why the fuck should I fear you? I don't know who the fuck you are," I tell him angrily, my legs moving quicker as I start to get more and more agitated with all the magical and arcane bullshit that's been going on.
None of this would have happened if Luna had come with me to look for Starlight...
"Hmm, I admit I haven't truly introduced myself to you, have I?" 'Uncle' said before he spread his wings and had the dark flame that made up his mane and tail flare up as he cried out, "I am the Pony of Shadows!"
I stared blankly at him, feeling the veins in my forehead start to twitch at that.
"That's a stupid fucking name and you should feel ashamed," I told him and continued moving, my agitated mind reaching levels of frustration I never knew I had.
The Pony of Shadows- I am not calling him that. Uncle humphed to himself, "That's rude," He mimed wiping a tear from his eye before his face morphed into a ravenous smile.
"But how lucky am I, that my plan a thousand years in the making has brought me none other than my sister's far-future descendant," His face appeared in front of me, his eyes boring into mine like searchlights on a foggy night.
"That makes me your dearest Uncle, you know that yes?" He hummed as his body face disappeared from my view only for him to reappear leaning over one of the six crystals.
"And how long have I waited," He said miming a cry, "For someone to reach me," He disappeared.
"To free me," He reappeared right beside me, a hoof covered in shadows caressing my back before I quickly turned and knocked his leg away, causing him to once again disappear.
"To search for the puzzle," He appeared sitting on the invisible ground in front of me, his hoof morphed into a claw, holding between his fingers a familiar red and green gemstone shard.
I looked down at my neck, a sigh of relief leaving me as I noticed that Cosmos's gems were still there.
"What do you want?" I ask him, my eyes glued to the gem in his claws.
"Me?" 'Uncle' Pointed at himself as he asked that, "I don't want anything," He clasped his claw around the gem and I watched it disappear into his shadowy body before he again disappeared.
I suddenly froze as I felt my heart start beating uncontrollably as adrenaline pumped through my body, my fight or flight responses going haywire as for the first time in years It chose flight.
And as I looked down at my chest, I saw a sharp claw of shadows exiting from my stomach.
"I just want to kill you," My body shuddered as 'Uncle' whispered those words in my ear, slowly taking the claw out of my body, leaving it intact as relief flooded my systems.
"And I can't do that while I'm stuck in Limbo," He once again disappeared, appearing before me with the Cosmos Shard in his claws.
"So here's the catch, you free me, and I'll give you this shard for your little Spirit on your Neck. And once I'm free, You and me fight to the death," He said as a sadistic smile crossed his face, "Imagine that, the last two Platinum's, fighting for the fate of all living creatures, Isn't that poetic in a sort of way?"
I shuddered as I looked into his eyes, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
And he smiled, "Nothing much, how 'bout you?"
And then he disappeared.
A wet splash sounded out deep under the city of Dimondia as a pod of green slime burst open, throwing onto the rocky ground a sweating Unicorn, his eyes bloodshot and his mind on overdrive.
The Unicorn quickly scrambled onto his hooves, and fell onto his face, his Yellow tinted eyes looking at the white fur on his leg and at the wet and sticky suit he wore, before he cursed out loud.
Moving his right front leg, he started dragging himself towards the only other pod he saw, most likely used as nothing more than a quick recharge for the love-sucking parasites that kidnapped his lover.
A green glow surrounded his horn before a beam shot out of his horn and impacted with the other pod, four cuts appearing on the pod as it burst open, almost as if clawed by a large monster.
Out of the pod fell the body of a Diamond Dog, She coughed as her lungs emptied the slime that entered her nose before she turned to look around, her blue eyes noticing the body of the Unicorn crawling toward her with his Right front leg.
"Prince Platinum! Are you alright?!" She yelled the question before coughing some more.
"I can't move my body," The Unicorn said, "I hope you wouldn't mind taking me to a secure location so I could recuperate?"
"Of course!" The Diamond Dog yelled as she stood up and quickly grabbed the body of the Unicorn, placing him on her back, "We haven't met before, But I'm Princess Indiana Ambereyes,"
"Hmm, Well met," The Unicorn said before his eyes moved to look down at his suit, and at the necklace around his neck, holding two-sixths of a red and green gemstone.
In the mind of the Unicorn, a certain Space Spirit was freaking out as she found herself piloting the unconscious body of her darling prince.
"BLUEBLOOD! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" She screamed in her mind, hoping that whatever was going on would stop and the second owner of this body would return.
"I WANT MY BLUEBLOOD BACK! BUT NOT THE OLD BLUEBLOOD! THE NEW ONE! MY BLUEBLOOD! GIVE HIM BACK TO ME! HE'S MINE! MINE MINE MINE!!!" Suffice to say, Cosmos was in a panic.
Especially now that she must make sure Blueblood returns to control while keeping him alive with only her head and right arm.
Carrying the prince of Equestria on her back, Princess Indiana Ambereyes rushed back to her castle, hoping that whoever kidnapped the two of them was already caught.
"Halt! No one is allowed into the castle right now!" However, she was stopped, outside of her own castle, by her own guards.
"What is the meaning of this?" She asked the guards stationed outside the castle, her brows knitting together as her frustration at this delay grew.
"By orders of Princess Indiana Ambereyes, Head of the Caninian Crown Security, None shall enter the castle," One of her very own guards told her, still standing in her way.
"I did not give you those orders, And I command you to move!" Indiana yelled at the guards, urgency in her voice as an international diplomatic incident was happening at this very moment and her incompetent guard dogs weren't doing their job.
"That's exactly what you said you would say when you gave us the orders!" One of the guards pointed at her, "You said that you will run back here and try to-" The guards words were interrupted as the half paralyzed prince on her back for the first time since the two exited the gorge splitting the city.
"We don't have time for this," The Prince whispered, and the door to the castle exploded open, knocking the guards away and allowing the two royals a chance to enter the castle unopposed.
"You can't just attack my guards!" Indiana yelled as she ran into the castle, but the Unicorn merely responded with a grunt.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Queen Katherina Proudpaws yelled as an explosion knocked the doors to her castle open, revealing the haggard body of none other than her younger sister carrying Prince Blueblood Platinum on her back.
"Kath! We have a situation-" Indiana yelled, not bothering to let her sister speak, "Someone kidnapped us and the Guards are following orders I have not given! We need to figure out what is going on-" Indiana's shouting was interrupted once again by the prince opening his mouth.
"Changelings," He said simply, Yellow eyes burning with fury, "Shapeshifting bugs that feed off of love, draining their prey until they are nothing but an emotionless husk," The prince let go of Indiana and landed on the floor with a meaty sound, his one movable leg slowly dragging him towards the Throne the Canine queen was sitting upon.
"They must have replaced Princess Ambereyes and gave the command before they kidnapped and replaced me," The Prince said, his eyes in a burning glare as he slowly crawled towards the Blue-furred Diamond Dog Queen, "If they manage to return to my ship and leave Caninia, Then they have won," He told the Queen.
"They must be stopped."
Queen Katherina looked down at the barely moving Unicorn Prince on the floor below her, his paralyzed body pathetically trying to move closer.
Yet as she continued looking into his burning yellow eyes, she could not even dare to call the Prince before her pitiful.
What she saw in those burning eyes was more than enough to make her body shudder and her soul scream.
Beyond those deep, burning yellow pools of molten sunset, was Space, filled to the brim with Stars and Suns, Moons and Nebulae, An entire Cosmos, infinite in size, right beyond his Irises.
And so with shuddering breath, Queen Katherina Proudpaws of Caninia called the fastest carriage in her kingdom and the best Guards she had.
She had an International Incident to fix.
"Blueblood I'm sorry for what I said Yesterday I-" Starlight Glimmer tried to apologize to her boss, but he merely walked past her, entering the Carriage that Queen Jennino Lanterlight readied for them and took his seat.
He did not even bother looking at her.
Entering the Carriage, A certain Pony joined the group of the Old Castle.
"Excuse me, everypony," Princess Cadance called out to the group before quickly entering the carriage and sitting next to her Cousin, "I really hope you don't mind If I help out a little?"
"Do as you wish," Katherina answered as she took her seat on the carriage, Looking out the window at her castle.
"Wonderful, Thank you, Your Majesty," Cadance thanked the Queen of Caninia before her horn glowed light blue and a soundproofing barrier surrounded the two Equestrian royals.
"Now," Cadance said with a calm smile on her face, happy that the soundproofing spell took hold, She looked down at the half-paralyzed body of her cousin and her smile disappeared in an instant, "Who are you and what have you done with Blueblood?"
"What are you-" Blueblood tried to dodge the question only for pressure to appear on his chest, the horn on the Pink Alicorn glowing as she repeated her question.
"Blueblood has Blue Eyes, your eyes are Yellow, now answer my question," She asked again.
The Prince(?) exhaled a sigh of exhaustion before he answered her, "You are correct, I'm not Prince Blueblood,"
"I knew it! So who are you?" Cadance asked again.
"I might not be Blueblood, but I'm not a changeling either, This is his body, I'm simply piloting it for the moment," The prince turned his head to look away.
"Then as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of Equestria, I am ordering you to return his body," Cadance told the prince.
"I would If I knew how," The prince answered, "But I can't control this," He ground his teeth at that.
"What do you mean you can't-" Cadance was about to ask but the Prince continued.
"Every time he falls asleep we meet up, but I never control his body! It has to be because he was magically knocked out! But if so, does he need to wake up to regain control of his body? How will that work If I'm piloting it?!" The Prince started to breathe rapidly.
"Hey, Are you-" Cadance was about to ask the prince(?) if he was fine but instead he turned to look at her, wide yellow eyes almost begging for help.
"You Have to knock me out! That has to be it! Bring him back to me! I want him back! Give him back!" The Prince seemed to almost cry as he begged Cadance.
The Carriage already started to move, Princess Fiona now sitting next to Queen Katherina, Princess Indiana staying back at the castle.
"PLEASE!" The Prince cried, his right leg holding onto Cadance, "I Can't have him leave me!Give him back! I LOVE HIM!!!"
And hearing those last three words leave the mouth of the creature in the body of her cousin, Looking into those deep sunset yellow eyes, Cadance nodded her head.
And her horn flared with Light blue magic.
"You should have been there! Those Sirens never stood a chance against me!" 'Uncle' Laughed loudly as he hung onto one of the Glowing Crystals that surrounded us, "Obviously I had to play the part of the weak little coward, And I had to nod my head and smile when STARSWIRL Took all the credit for MY WORK but all was fine in the end. Another obstacle was cleared,"
"This Starswirl guy sounds like kind of a dick," I said, my body floating around the nothingness of Limbo as if Gravity decided it had better things to do.
"EXACTLY!" 'Uncle' Yelled as his face appeared centimeters away from mine, "You know Nephew, Maybe we should work together, Take over the world side-by-side, Huh? What do you think?" He asked with that sick smile on his face, "It just means I'll have to fight you to the death after all is said and done, not before, But wouldn't that be fun?"
"Think about it," He appeared next to me, His leg hanging over my shoulder as he floated beside me, "The last two Platinum, Once saviors of the Pony Races, now the Destroyers of all things they stood for! Is that not poetic? I'll even help you get your little Girlfriend freed from her little Prison, What do you say?"
"I say," I paused as I thought of what words I should use to insult him, Before I felt a pull catch me and quickly drag me away, out of the barrier surrounding the Rainbow Crystals, Away from 'Uncle', Away from all this darkness.
And with a jump I was awake, my body sore, laying on a pillow, staring at the ceiling of a carriage.
"Bluey you're back!" I froze as someone yelled in my ear and enveloped me in a hug.
I turned my head to the side and found myself staring into the joyfully smiling face of Mi Amore Cadenza.
"I'm so happy!" She said as her hug tightened around me, "Your Marefriend told me everything that happened, but I am so glad you're okay!"
I pushed the Princess off of me and turned my body to face her, "Did you say Marefriend?"
Cadenza looked at me before nodding her head, "Yep! She explained to us about the Changelings and how they must have replaced you-" I screamed in alarm at that.
"They replaced me?!We need to get to my ship now! Do they have my bag? Where are we? I need my bag! Cadenza!!! I have no time to thank you for this, I need my bag now!"
"We got your bag," Cadance said simply, her horn glowing as my second most important personal belonging floated next to her, "We stopped by The New Castle to see if they left any clue as to what they were planning and when Queen Katherina explained the Situation they brought over your bag and their own carriages,"
"Their own carriages?" I asked slowly, my magic grabbing my bag and holding it close to me.
"Look out the window," She told me and I humored her, I opened the window to the carriage and looked behind us.
And I saw a small army of carriages following us, even recognizing the carriage that drove me from the port town to the New Castle when I arrived here.
I spotted Princess Moonbeam widening her eyes from one of the carriages before she opened the window and yelled at me something that I couldn't hear over the wind.
I saw another Carriage pulling along a cart filled with armored Dogs, looking ready for combat.
And many more, all driving down the road, pulled by almost ancient-looking carts and engines, going in the same direction.
"When Princess Moonbeam heard what was going on, She grabbed as many guards as she could," Cadenza- Cadance explained and I turned back to look at her, "Queen Jennino is in the cart where you are supposedly sitting, After all."
"This has become a matter of national security,"
I nodded my head and sat back down in the carriage, ignoring the looks the two Diamond Dog royals in front of me gave me as I opened my bag and started taking stuff out.
"Cadance," I simply said, continuing with taking out specific tools that I put in my bag of holding, "I wish to apologize for how I acted to you all these years,"
"Aww, no need to-" I interrupted her as I continued speaking.
"But I don't have time to fully apologize," I closed my bag and started readying the tools I took out of it, belts wrapped around my limbs, A sharp knife sheathed in every belt.
"As you said, This has become a matter of national Security," I said and grabbed a Piece of paper and a pen, and started writing.
"Not only for Caninia, but for Equestria as well," I signed the letter I wrote before I shot it with magic, causing it to disappear in a cloud of magic smoke.
I placed my bag on Cadance's legs and wrapped the last tool of mine, a frayed rope, around my torso.
"And it is my job as A Prince of Equestria to make sure whatever these Changelings are planning does not come to pass," I said with resolve as I looked into my Cousins eyes, " Thank you, Cadance, For everything," I smiled at her.
"But we both have a job to do, So please look after my bag while I'm gone," I told her.
"I can look after your bag, sure, but where are you going?" Cadance asked as she held onto my Bag.
"Isn't it obvious?" I asked her, a smile filled with teeth spreading on my face as my blood started pumping and my body started heating up.
Boarding the Ship, Starlight apologized to Queen Jennino for how Blueblood was behaving.
"No need to blame yourself," The Dog Queen told her, "It's probably just stress."
Starlight sighed at that, "Yeah, You're probably right," She nodded her head "But again, thank you for your hospitality," Starlight gave the Queen a bow before she turned to board the ship.
And stopped when a letter magically appeared in front of it. "What the-" She recognized the spell and quickly read the contents of the note. Her brow creased and her horn glowed with an Aquamarine light as the contents of the letter struck her.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for this but I need rescue ships ready," Starlight said and turned back to the ship, her eyes widening to see that it was already leaving port. Without her.
"HEY WAIT!" She yelled and in a show of fizzling magic, she disappeared.
Leaving Queen Jennino Lanternlight to look with concern at the ship leaving the port before she scooped the letter Starlight dropped on the ground when she teleported.
And when she read its contents, She started barking orders.
Hughbert Jellius looked at Prince Blueblood, At his Queen's disguise, and quickly made himself scarce.
He had a large supply of love he needed to consume before his Queen noticed something going on.
Prince Blueblood smiled calmly as the waves of saltwater splashed against the bow of her ship, she was one step closer to defeating Celestia once and for all.
"Hey! What are you doing?" The Prince frowned as the irritating voice of that bodyguard entered her ears.
But she was no threat, The Real Prince was still in his pod on the other side of the nation, by the time anybug notices something wrong it'll be too late.
She has won.
Queen Proudpaws looked at the Pony royals sitting in front of her in the carriage under a veil of soundproofing magic.
"Psst, what do you think they're talking about?" Her youngest sister whispered in her ear.
"Likely security," Queen Katherina answered, "Our job is to make sure Jennino is alright and to provide a ride to Equestria should these Changelings get away,"
"Hey Kath, Do you think I could visit Equestria? As a tourist?" Fiona asked, her trademarked puppy-dog eyes widening at that question.
"Do not try your tricks on me, Fiona, I am not Indiana, I will not simply submit to your requests," Katherina scowled at her sister, causing her to pout in defeat.
Seeing her Sister was being her usual Immature self, Katherina turned back to look at the two Equestrians, before widening her eyes considerably and coughing loudly.
"Woah! Kath, are you okay? Don't choke on me here!" Fiona yelled as she quickly hugged her older sister and tried to give her a Heimlich maneuver.
"I'm not choking Fiona! Look at them!" Katherina yelled at her sister after she managed to escape the Golden Retriever's Hug and pointed at the Equestrians.
"What are you- Woah! Is that a real knife?!" Fiona Floppyears yelled in excitement as she watched Prince Blueblood wrap belts around his legs and a rope around his torso, a pair of black sunglasses, and a new black suit appearing on his body. Finishing off with his horn glowing Blue, and his hair moving backward as if gelled, leaving his face clear of any strands.
If Katherina was asked, at that time the prince looked like a Secret Agent from a Spy Thriller.
"My Queen! We'll be reaching Quartz City Port in five minutes." The Driver of the carriage said from the window behind her head, and Queen Katherina Proudpaws could only nod silently as her eyes were glued to the Prince.
And a devious plan hatched in her mind.
In a closet on the Equestrian Ship, a certain Grey-furred Earth Pony opened a briefcase filled almost to the brim with jars upon jars of a glittering pink jam.
And he started consuming.
As soon as the Carriage stopped I was out of the door, Bag in Cadance's hooves as I got ready to catch up with the ship.
With the speed the ship was sailing, I'll never be able to catch up to it in time.
I'll need to have a very stern talking to with the Royal Shipworkers, but that's for later.
"Jenn!" The Yellow Dog princess shouted as she jumped out of the carriage before running to hug Queen Jennino Lanternlight who was standing near the road.
"Fiona," Jenn smiled at her younger sister, "I'm sorry I don't have time to catch up right now," She told her before she looked at me, "Your Highness," She greeted, I answered with a short bow, "I got your letter, Rescue boats are already prepared to depart, We'll be able to leave in ten minutes." She told me, her flirty attitude from our previous talks was replaced with the serious tone of a ruling monarch.
I wasn't dealing with Jenn, the thirty-year-old virgin. I was dealing with Jennino Lanternlight, the Second Queen of Caninia.
Good.
"That is wonderful to hear Your Majesty," I told her as I walked toward the docks, "However I have no time to stay here and chat, I must catch up with my ship," I looked around for a small boat, something light to sail in.
"And how will you do that?" Fiona Floppyears asked as she looked over her sister's shoulder.
"Yes, Prince Platinum, How would you manage to reach your ship?" Queen Katherina asked as she walked to us, followed by Princess Cadance.
"It's simple, really," I smiled at the group of royals before stepping onto a conveniently placed Sailboard, Grabbing the rope around my torso, and tying it onto my arm.
"I have this rope," With a glow of magic in my horn, My bag on Cadance's back opened, and out flew a hook. I tied the other end of the rope around the hook and started levitating it in my magic.
"A Grappling hook? That rope isn't long enough to reach the Ship," Queen Katherina pointed out as she looked at the small speck in the distance that was my ship.
"Oh believe me," I told them, my eyes locking onto the speck of color above the cold ocean, "I'll reach it," My horn glowed brighter and brighter, the hook vibrating with magic as my eyes stayed focused on the ship.
I felt a warmth emanate from my Cutie Mark, something that hadn't really happened since I dragged Starlight and myself through the Tundras of Yakyakistan, reaching the cave that led us to the City.
With my Magic, My Cutie Mark, and this rope. I will reach the ship.
And as the magic that I fed into the hook stopped and the warmth from my Cutie Mark disappeared, my smile widened considerably.
"I Won't Miss"
And with a sound akin to a howitzer, The hook flew into the distance, magically propelled toward the ship.
"Blueblood! That rope isn't long enough!" Cadance yelled over the sound of magic wind propelling the hook farther and farther away. But then her eyes widened as she watched the rope elongate itself, longer and longer, never stopping the hook from continuing its flight.
And then she understood. The Rope was magic.
And after a minute of watching the hook fly through the air, I felt it.
And with my blood pumping furiously and a smile that would make even devils scared, "Gotcha'"
I pulled back at the rope.
And I flew.
"Trixie," Starlight called to the only other real Unicorn on board, "I want you to get the Lifeboats ready," she told her.
"What, why?" Trixie asked back.
"Orders from the prince, Just do it," Starlight told her simply before moving along.
"Huh," Trixie said before moving to do her job. She was getting paid after all.
With his face covered in pink glittering jam, Hughbert Jellius made his way to the engine room of the ship.
"You!" He stopped and turned to see Starlight Glimmer pointing at him, "Back to your workplace, now!" She yelled at him.
Blinking at her, The Earth Pony smiled widely before an explosion of green fire enveloped the corridor he was standing in.
"Dammit! There's more!" He heard Starlight Glimmer shout behind him, but by the time she'll be able to catch up with him, He'll already be done.
He dropped his disguise, now simply a greasy changeling, warts and pink pus covering portions of his body from the overindulgence on his Love Jelly.
"What the hell was tha-" The Yellow Pegasus asked loudly as she opened the door to her room before letting out a scream as she saw him running down the corridor.
"Never mind her," Hughbert thought to himself "I will be the victor of today,"
"Stop that monster!" A K Yearling yelled before she bolted out of her room, her coat, hat, and even glasses left behind as she gave chase after the black carapaced creature.
"Wait up!" Gilda the Griffon yelled as she flew out after her, followed closely by Cozy Glow.
"Did you hear something?" Time Turner asked Zephyr as the two were hanging in the engine room.
"Nothing," Zephyr Breeze answered easily as he cleaned his hooves, "Anyways, you were talking about this Derpy chick, continue,"
"Oh well," Time Turner blushed at that, "Well you see, Derpy and I aren't really-" Whatever he was about to say was forgotten as the door to the engine room burst open, revealing an insectoid Pony, a disgusting oily carapace covering its body as marks of pink and green pus and warts covered its body, "-AHHH!!!!" Turner screamed.
"Harmony shit!" Zephyr yelled at the sight of the Pony Bug before he grabbed the nearest throwable object without looking and threw it at the Creature.
The object thrown, which just so happens to be a wrench, flew through the air and missed the creature. Instead landing on a big red "Shut Off" button.
"Oh..." Zephyr said as the engine shut off and all the lights in the ship turned off.
"Hahaha! HAHAHA!" The Creature laughed at the Pony that did its job for it.
Prince Blueblood(?) smiled calmly as she watched the ocean in front of her, her plan was perfect, she had succeeded.
"I'm running on a feeling, that I get when you and me dance" She suddenly frowned as the sound of somebug singing entered her ears.
"Wait," She whispered as she looked around her, "Did the ship stop?" She scowled and turned around to see what those foolish ponies were doing.
"And I want it, And I need it, So catch up if you can" The singing got closer and suddenly a shadow covered the spot she was standing on.
She looked up to see what was blocking the sun, and her face crumbled "Oh bollocks,"
"If you can" And her face was hit by a flying Sailboard.
In a burst of green flames Prince Blueblood was gone, replaced by a tall, dark blue-haired Creature, covered by black chitin, her legs pocked with holes and her wings see-through like a dragonfly, a crooked black horn extended from the top of her head, a green and blue carapace covered her back.
"Who are you?!" She yelled in anger as her body was flown away the force of the Sailboard hitting her, "I am Queen Chrysalis! And you will die for your transgressions!"
And as she looked at the White Unicorn who land on the deck of the ship in front of her, his horn glowing blue and his golden blonde mane flying in the wind, she recognized him instantly.
And so Queen Chrysalis got ready to fight Prince Blueblood Platinum.
"I've got a million things that I can say to you," The Singing reached the ears of the Changeling in the engine room, causing him to turn his head to look down the corridor behind him.
And at the yellow Pegasus hoof that stuck him in the face.
"But that doesn't mean that I'm going to,"
"Wha-" The Changeling got out as A K Yearling kicked him into the engine of the ship, his body colliding with the large machine with a loud bang.
"Because you give me something to feel, Like I'm real," Starlight ran out of the ship, her eyes widening and a smile growing on her face as she saw her boss standing in front of a tall black insect-looking pony.
"Like my life's not some big joke"
"Blueblood! I'm here!" Starlight cried and stood next to her boss, only to stop when he moved his leg to block her, "What are you- Oh..." Starlight nodded as her boss whispered something to her by creating an illusion of him speaking, "I understand," She nodded her head and ran to a different part of the ship.
Chrysalis glared at the irritating Bodyguard who ran off before her eyes widened and she quickly took a step back as Prince Blueblood entered her personal space, a sharp knife held in his right hoof as he slashed up towards her face.
"Something to deal, With the rage," He sang, a wide toothy smile on his face as he kept close to her, his legs never stopping.
"I just thought I'd let you know"
"That I'm running off the feeling, That I get when you and me dance" I smiled excitedly, my blood pumping and adrenaline flowing through my body.
"And I want it, And I need it," My legs moved quickly and my horn glowed, Years of training in the navy kicking in I kept close to my opponent, never really letting her out of my range.
"So catch up if you can," My smile could cut my face in half with how excited I am.
And with a quick burst of magic, the knife strapped to my left leg flew out of the belt holding it and sliced a cut onto this so-called Queen Chrysalis's left front leg.
"If you can"
The Changeling that was Hughbert Jellius roared in anger as his horn glowed a bright green, an explosion of green flames knocking all the ponies around him away as he stood up from his spot lodged into the engine.
"I knew you were evil!" He snarled in anger as the damned filly yelled from behind the wall of green fire he created.
"I've got a million things I'd let you do to me"
"Silence!" He screamed, his magic growing brighter as the pink pus on his body pulsated with his movements, "I will not be ridiculed by some Ponies!"
"What about me?!" An abrasive voice called out and from the fire, a fist flew into his stomach as Gilda flew into the engine room, the wind from her wings dispersing the fire and allowing the rest of the crew to run away or join her.
"And I'm not afraid if it hurts 'Cause you do it so beautifully"
"Damn you!" The Changeling yelled as his body pulsated and warbled, a mixture of green and pink magic flowing out of his horn as he glared hatefully at the ponies in front of him, "Always snooping around!"
"You give me something to feel"
"I don't know who the heck you are!" Gilda yelled before she moved her head to the side, allowing A K Yearling to fly by her and let another kick into the Changeling.
"Like I'm real"
"AAARGH!" He screamed in anger, "DAMN YOU!!!"
"Like I never was before"
With Gilda punching him and Yearling Kicking him deeper into the engine, the machinery started sparking and his magic went haywire.
"DAMN YOU!!!"
"DAMN YOU!" Chrysalis screamed as another knife shot towards her, her legs covered with small cuts as her horn glowed green, shooting another beam of magic at the prince that he easily dodged out of the way with a simple lean to the side, that infuriating smile on his face and those sunglasses covering his eyes only making this moment feel much more humiliating.
"Now I'm running off the feeling, That I get when you and me dance" And why wouldn't he stop singing?!
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" She yelled as another beam of green magic shot out of her horn.
"And I want it, And I need it, So catch up if you can, If you can"
The Engine took too much damage.
Hughbert Jellius screamed in rage as his magic transformed him, "YOU ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SOME STUPID SEA-BADGER! RAGHHH!!!!"
And with green and pink magic shooting out of his horn, combined with blue arcane electricity coming from the engine, an explosion rocked the ship.
Knocking all the ponies away and punching a hole in the back of the ship.
Water started flowing in.
"We need to get out of here!" Time Turner yelled as he watched the water enter through the hole in the wall, The Changeling nowhere to be seen.
As the explosion went off, shaking the entire ship, Prince Blueblood was thrown onto the ground and Queen Chrysalis took this to her advantage, her hoof shooting forward and impacting the prince in the front leg he used to block the punch.
"Hahaha! Yes!" Chrysalis took a step back as the prince cheered as the pain ran up his leg, "Now you couldn't catch a vibe like this, Unless you got a little taste of just how high I get, Oh, oh!"
"What is wrong with you?!" Chrysalis screamed at the prince as he rolled back onto his legs and dashed towards her, his hoof raised for a punch as his magic picked the knives from the ground and shot them towards her.
"Now you couldn't catch a vibe like this, Unless you got a little taste of just how high I get, Oh, oh!"
Seeing the hoof enter her vision and the sharp knives fly at her, She yelled and let off an explosion of green fire, throwing Blueblood Away.
"Now you couldn't catch a vibe like this like this (Like this, like this, like this, like this)"
She held her scream in as the four knives flew through the fire and impacted her body, stabbing into her, green blood already marring her chitin, but she smiled as she saw Prince Blueblood stand up from where she threw him, a line of red blood covering the side of his body.
"This was good," He yelled at her, His smile relaxing as he started walking slowly back to her, "But it's time to finish this,"
"You look so different under all these lights, You look so different right now," Chrysalis glared at him, noticing the ponies running out of the door behind him as the ship started to tilt.
"Please give me something to feel" He continued to sing as he slowly walked closer to her, his hair a mess and his suit cut up, "Like I'm real" His steps started getting quicker.
"Like my life's not some big joke" He sprinted towards her, his horn glowing blue as a beam of magic shot out of his horn and hit the ground in front of her.
"Ha, You missed! Wha-?!" Chrysalis exclaimed as the deck of the ship opened up quickly like a trap door, throwing her into the air before turning into a launch pad, throwing the prince after her.
"Something to deal with the rage" Prince Blueblood caught her midair and his smile returned full force, "I just thought I'd let you know"
"Oh no..." Chrysalis whispered before the first hoof hit her.
"That I'm running! Off the feeling! That I get when you and me dance!" Prince Blueblood sang louder than before, each syllable followed by a punch hitting the Changeling Queen.
"And I want it!" More punches rained onto her body as gravity dragged the two of them down, into the ocean.
"And I need it!" But Blueblood ignored the incoming water as he continued punching Chrysalis in the face, no longer dodging whenever she started frantically hitting him back.
Simply taking those punches to the face.
"So Catch up if you can! If you can!" Chrysalis screamed as the two of them fell into the water, only to instead of starting to drown, a platform of Aquamarine Magic caught them, stopping them from drowning.
And so, Chrysalis punched Blueblood in the chest and threw him off of her, Before standing up just as he was and rushing in to continue punching and kicking him, all semblance of magic gone.
Just pure pugilism.
"Over here!" Trixie yelled to the crew as she saw them running in her direction, The large orange lifeboat was ready to drop with the press of a switch.
The crew quickly entered the Lifeboat and pressed the button, dropping into the open waters and watching the ship they spent a few days on slowly sinking.
As Chrysalis and Blueblood continued punching each other in the face without blocking like Neanderthals, A shadow grew beneath the magic platform.
Seeing that, Starlight began the final part of the plan.
And with a burst of magic from her horn, the Aquamarine Platform that both the changeling and her boss were fighting on top, disappeared.
"Dammit! Argh!!!" Chrysalis yelled as she fell into the water, her body transforming into a Dark Green Siren in a burst of green fire, Her back-flipper kicking forward and hitting Prince Blueblood in the face.
And then she noticed the Large shadow beneath her.
"FU-!" She screamed but was cut off, as a giant maw filled with sharp teeth exited the water, a body covered with Green fur and blue scales emerging from the water and taking both Chrysalis and Blueblood into its mouth.
The eyes of the creature were pink and almost lifeless, like those of a fish, Four large scale-covered legs extended from the body of the creature, allowing it to swim in the wavy ocean.
Trixie quickly opened her satchel and took out a camera.
"Now you couldn't catch a vibe like this" Prince Blueblood continued singing as he punched the Mermaid-looking Chrysalis deeper into the large mouth of the giant Sea-Monster. "Unless you got a little taste of just how I high get"
"No! No no no!" Chrysalis yelled as her grip on the tongue of the creature weakened as Blueblood continued kicking her.
"Oh Oh, Now you couldn't catch a vibe like this, Unless you got a little taste of just how I high get" Prince Blueblood sang and kicked Chrysalis one final time, her grip on the tongue of the monster going loose and throwing her into its stomach.
As she fell into the warm and sticky darkness inside, She saw that irritating bodyguard appearing in a burst of magic, grabbing onto the prince before teleporting away.
"Oh No."
"There they are!" Princess Fiona yelled as she pointed at the orange lifeboat in front of the ship.
"Yes Fiona, We see it," Queen Katherina told her sister as she looked at the Equestrian Prince and his Bodyguard, who appeared on her ship not too long ago in a burst of magic.
"Once again, Your Majesty, I must thank you from the bottom of my heart," Prince Blueblood calmly told her, his regal voice not matching the almost primitive way he was looking, his hair was sticking onto his forehead and his suit was cut into ribbons, a large gash on the side of his torso already closed, indicating that it wasn't as deep as it looked, but he was still caked in blood.
Both green and red.
"I am in your debt," He told her, "If Caninia or yourself are ever in need of support, I will come to you, That I can promise,"
Katherina nodded her head at that, her lips curling into a smile as her mind searched for ways she could utilize this promise in the future.
A one-time ticket of support from the Prince himself, how wonderful.
"We're saved!" Zephyr Breeze yelled as he flew out of the Lifeboat, followed by the rest of the crew.
"We're alive! How incredible!" Time Turner yelled with a smile as he stretched his legs.
"I won..." Trixie whispered as she looked at the small camera in her hand.
All the crew stopped and turned to look at the Blue Unicorn.
"What?" Gilda asked as she let go of the hug she was giving Cozy Glow and A K Yearling.
"I Got it! I won! The Great and Powerful Trixie has managed to capture the elusive Sea-Badger on camera!" She cheered and held her camera up in the air, "Look!" She opened the camera to show them the picture.
"Hey, Trix," Zephyr said as he looked over her shoulder at the photo she was trying to show everyone, "That's just a huge splash of water, You can't see anything,"
"WHAT?!" Trixie yelled and looked down at the photo she took, seeing that the Pegasus was correct.
Instead of a photo of the Sea-Badger, it was simply a blurry photo of water and waves, an eruption of water from when the Sea-Badger surfaced, and even the corner of her hoof on the lens from how she was holding the camera
"I... I didn't get it..." Trixie Lulamoon slumped onto the floor, her camera rolling away from her.
"Starlight, I need to apologize to-" Starlight didn't let him speak.
She quickly wrapped her legs around him and pulled him into a hug.
"Don't say anything, I forgive you," She smiled with her eyes closed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, "Also, you smell like shit,"
"I feel like shit," Blueblood laughed and pat her on the back, "I can't wait to get back to Equestria."
"Bluey," The happy reunion was cut short as Cadance called out to her cousin, "We need to talk,"
The pink princess looked around her for a moment, "In Private."
Nodding his head, Prince Blueblood let go of Starlight and walked after Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Stopping when the two of them reached a quiet part of the ship.
"So, What's this about?" Blueblood asked her, his body leaning on the rail of the ship as his magic created a soundproofing illusion over the two.
"It's about your Marefriend," Cadance told him.
"Oh." Blueblood straightened his back, "What is it that you wish to know?" He gulped.
"Everything," She told him, Light-Purple Eyes staring into Ice-Blue.
"Let me get this straight," Cadance asked Blueblood, "For the last month or so you've been visiting something called a Space Spirit, who is trapped inside the gem you keep around your neck?"
"Yep," Blueblood nodded, his hoof touching the expensive chain around his neck holding the red and green gem.
"And she has not only been trapped inside that gem for who knows how long, but her body has split into different shards that you need to collect to reform her full body, as now she's just a head and an arm?" Cadance continued.
"Pretty much," Blueblood nodded.
"Okay let me just," Cadance took a deep breath and started massaging her forehead before releasing a sigh. "Who else knows about her?"
Blueblood took a moment to think it over before replying, "Well, If you're asking who knows she exists in general I can't really give you an answer, If your question is who knows I'm meeting with her, Right now it's just me, you, and my apparently long lost evil uncle from one-thousand years ago."
"Your long lost evil uncle?" Cadance raised an eyebrow.
"Did I stutter? He's my Great-Uncle from 1,000 years ago, he's trapped inside Limbo, he knows she lives inside the gem, and he's definitely evil. Can't get more simple than that," Blueblood relaxed his body, scowling slightly as the gash on the side of his torso started to itch.
"What happened since I was gone?!" Cadance suddenly yelled loudly and Blueblood was glad he soundproofed the little corner the two royals were speaking in, "I leave for a nice travel around the world to celebrate finally finishing my education and suddenly Nightmare Moon returns! Twilight is an Element of Harmony! You meet a Spirit trapped in a gem! Discord returns! And now you're here fighting against shapeshifting insects! What's next?!" Cadance screamed as she held the sides of her head.
"Nightmare Moon returned twice-" Blueblood tried to tell her but the Princess of Love covered his mouth with her hoof.
"Shush!"
Two Days Later
It took some time to find a replacement ship to take the BBF back to Equestria, but Princess Indiana came in clutch.
"As thank you for releasing me from whatever those Changelings have done to me, It is my great honor to be the one to sail you and your servants back to Equestria," The Husky-looking Princess bowed her head to Prince Blueblood.
"Do not bow to me," He told her in his 'Royal voice' "This is your land, I am merely a visitor," He smiled at her with bright teeth, "A House Owner does not bow to his Neighbor if they are both on the same standing, So please, Princess Indiana Amberyes, Do not lower your head,"
"Of course Your Highness," The princess said with a smile as she straightened her back, "Although please allow me to show you to your room," She said before walking into the large Caninian ship.
The ship itself was much older in design than the metal and magic ship that Prince Blueblood arrived in. Made of Oak, Three large masts for the sails and a two-story interior. Sails of large white cloth hung from the masts and yards, while the flag of Caninia flew from the top of the middle mast.
Queen Katherina smiled as she watched her younger sister give the prince a tour, already planning on using the Prince's "debt" to get him married to Indiana. It was basic politics at the end of the day.
"What are you thinking about?" Fiona asked her eldest sister, her legs bouncing up and down excitedly as she looked between her deviously plotting sister to the large wooden ship docked before her.
"Nothing you need to worry your little head over, Let's go back to the castle and leave Indiana to deal with this." The blue-furred Saluki told her Golden Labrador sister before they departed back to their Castle.
Seven Days later
"And we have finally reached Equestria," Princess Indiana said with a smile as her Guard Dogs started moving frantically around the ship in order to get everything ready for docking.
Documents exchanged paws and papers flew from dog to dog.
"Once again Your Highness, I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for your assistance," Prince Blueblood told the Dog Princess, "I must insist that you and your men join us for dinner, It's the least I can do to repay what you and your sisters have done,"
"That sounds wonderful," Indiana said and the conversation moved on from there.
Starlight Glimmer, watching the two royals talk about nothing again and again for the last week, could feel her soul grow lighter when she heard that they had finally reached Equestria.
Only two more hours and she can get back to the castle, go another round of being thrown around the training room by Princess Celestia as a form of torture disguised as Bodyguard Training, and then spend the rest of her evening talking to Raven Inkwell and not get a reply from the timid mare.
After disembarking from the ship and taking over a local Pizza place for the evening, Prince Blueblood bid farewell to the Diamond Dogs as they returned to their ship for the night. Tomorrow they'll restock and resupply their ship before leaving back to Caninia a day later.
Now standing before his employees for the past two weeks, Prince Blueblood was prepared to reveal some harsh news.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, Gilda, I am happy to inform you that our work is done, Most of you have done well, and nobody was permanently harmed," The Prince began
"What about the chef?" Trixie tried to ask but she was ignored.
"However, I have some terrible news to deliver to you all. News that I am sure some of you were expecting to hear, but news that I must deliver nonetheless." He continued.
"And that news is, Gilda, A K Yearling, And Cozy Glow," The Prince turned to look at three girls, "You're all fired, your paycheck has already been deposited into your bank accounts," He said quickly and immediately cast a soundproofing spell around Gilda.
"Time Turner, Zephyr Breeze, and Trixie Lulamoon, You have done an amazing job for amateurs," Blueblood turned to look at the trio in question.
"We have?" Zephyr asked before getting a slap on the back of his head courtesy of a Blue Unicorn.
"However, seeing as the job you were hired to do has finished, Your Pay will be suspended until further notice. Your Paycheck for this job has been deposited, If another job in the BBF comes up, you will be receiving letters, but until then you can consider the next days as an unpaid vacation," He ignored the complaints from everyone before turning to look at the last two Ponies.
"Starlight, Good work on getting me out of the Sea-Badger's mouth, If you were actually my employee I would have given you a bonus, alas I am merely your warden in this prison we call life, Take tomorrow off." He told his bodyguard who merely responded by rolling her eyes.
"And Finally, Cadance," He turned to the last pony, "To be honest, I have no idea what you're doing here, You're just here to look at me talk, Go home," Cadance also rolled her eyes with a smile before she picked her bags and headed to the train station.
"Any questions?" He asked the crowd of disgruntled ponies who silently screamed from behind a veil of sound-canceling magic, "No? Good, Dismissed."
The Island of Glaros
Emerging from the water onto a beach of soft white sand, a large blue-scaled and green-furred creature surfaced onto land, Its large limbs digging trenches in the sand before it started shaking uncontrollably.
The Sea-Badger started coughing and Hacking, Trying hard to breathe before an explosion of Green Flames erupted from its body and it disappeared. In its place stood the half-melted remains of a Changeling, yellow and purple puss and warts growing on its back from overfeeding, the sweet smell of the love intermingling with the retched smell of gastric acid and smoke.
And right beside the charred corpse of the mutated changeling, was a Queen, Tall and spindly, screaming in pain as she held onto the stump where her arm used to be, now gone, melted in the acid of the Sea-Badger's stomach.
"AAAARGHHH!!!!!!" Chrysalis screamed as her body collapsed onto the sand before her horn started glowing green and her teeth bit into her own tongue. And with a cry of anguish and what might have been the most pain Chrysalis has felt in over 1,000 years of life, her stump exploded into green fire, before revealing a newly grown leg.
Chrysalis collapsed into the sand, weak and injured, staring at the only other object on the beach with her.
A Suitcase filled with Pink Jam that her IDIOT of a subordinate swallowed from the wreck of the ship.
She weakly turned to look at her FOOL of a minion, his body destroyed and mutated, too weak to control the influx of Love he received from forcing himself to drink an entire suitcase of an experimental substance in a few hours.
She continued her weakened survey of the beach before her eyes moved to her newly regrown limb, and she froze.
Black Chitin shone reflectively in the evening sun, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the holes, or the lack thereof.
Chrysalis smiled manically as she looked at her pristine new arm, devoid of holes.
"Hehehe," She started laughing as she looked at her other limbs, at the holes that BITCH Inflicted upon her all those centuries ago.
"Hahahaha!" She laughed as a plan formed in her mind, Slowly crawling to the suitcase of love Jelly, a manic smile on her face and her eyes bloodshot.
After she swallowed two jars and felt her strength return to her, She ripped the suitcase apart and held the handle in her mouth.
She felt her new arm transform into a mantis-looking saw, and she placed her other front leg on the sand in front of her.
And she laughed hysterically, pain and anguish filling her mind as she sawed off her limbs, her screams stiffened by the suitcase handle in her mouth, the pain dulled from the Love Jelly she repeatedly drank.
After five minutes that felt like decades, A burst of magical green fire erupted from the newly created stump, and a new, pristine front leg appeared to replace it as Chrysalis once again collapsed on the sand with exhaustion.
But as she looked at her new leg, and the lack of holes, she was again empowered.
Her eyes moved to the remaining Jam in the suitcase and her smile almost grew feral.
"Celestia," She whispered, her green eyes pinpricks as 1,000 years of revenge were slowly coming together as a new plan reached her mind, her brain thinking of that Unicorn who fought her.
"Your Nephew, hehehe," She started giggling, plans and plots, tricks and transformations, all passed through her mind as she thought of Prince Blueblood and Princess Celestia.
"I will make him MINE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" And with another scream, the saw fell down on her back legs.
Raven Inkwell was many things. Secretary to the most important Pony in the world, Last in line to the throne in cases of emergency, and also way too tired to deal with the hectic situations of Canterlot Castle. But one more thing that Raven Inkwell is, is Bearer of Bad News.
It was a morning just like any other, she was looking at the papers stacked on her desk when a certain letter caught her attention.
After she read the contents of the letter, she sprang from her chair and ran to her bookshelf, opening the hidden passageway behind it, and started to crawl between the walls of the castle.
Her friend needed to read this.
On top of one of the spires in the guest district of the Castle, where guests of the highest honor may stay, Princess Celestia walked the pony of the hour to her personally created room.
"Here? I get to stay here?" The guest in question, a white Unicorn with Purple hair asked as she looked at the expensive interior of the room, at the Ponyquin readied for her use, at the soft silk and velvet of the bed-sheets, and at the large window overlooking the City of Canterlot far below.
The Guest in question was none other than Rarity, The Element of Generosity.
Celestia smiled at the little Unicorn, "Twilight Sparkle said you were coming to Canterlot for a visit and asked if I might accommodate you," She told her.
"Thank you so much Princess," Rarity told the princess as she looked around the room, a small white Cat jumped onto the bed and pawed at the blanket before laying down to sleep.
"You are very welcome," Celestia told Rarity.
"No really," Rarity ran up to the princess, "This is so nice of you,"
"It's nothing, Really," Celestia told Rarity with a smile.
"Oh but it isn't nothing," Rarity told her, "It's everything, I- I just don't know what to say but Thank you, Thankyou!" She quickly lowered herself to the floor and started kissing the Princesses hooves.
"Thank you," She said after a kiss, "Thank you!" She kissed again, Celestia started looking around uncomfortably, "Thank you thank you thank you!" Rarity kept kissing Celestia's hooves.
"You are very welco-" Celestia tried to say, hoping Rarity would stop kissing her feet, only for the Element of Generosity to jump into her face.
"Thank you!"
And luckily, Celestia's rescuer came, his legs buckling under the weight of the burden on his shoulders, yet he carried on walking.
"Your luggage, Mademoiselle," An Intern servant wearing a Bellhop uniform told Rarity as a small mountain of luggage and cases rested on his back.
Celestia, taking this moment of reprieve for what it was, told Rarity that she'll leave her to get settled as she walked out the door and away from the awfully thankful Element of Generosity.
"Is she in here? No," Raven Inkwell was a mare on a mission, She walked through the hidden walls of the castle, her eyes searching for a certain Unicorn who needed to read the contents of the letter as soon as possible.
"Is she in here? No," Raven Inkwell was starting to worry that she already missed her.
"Starlight, No! The entire point of long-range artillery is to act as a supporting fire to protect the soldiers in the field, They aren't supposed to be moving," Raven paused as the voice of her Coworker and not-at-all-hidden crush rang out from the Library.
"Of course she'll be in the library..." Raven whispered to herself before she turned around a corner and started walking to the Library.
Stopping behind the hidden entrance to the Library, Raven looked inside, her eyes switching with that of a painting on the wall.
On a table in the middle, she could see Prince Blueblood create a sort of miniature battlefield, where tiny ponies wearing old-fashioned military suits were shooting at each other as small explosions rained down around them.
"But wouldn't the cannons hit your own soldiers?" And there she was! The Unicorn Raven was looking for.
"You don't aim at your own soldiers Starlight, you aim at the enemy as they're running at your soldiers, and you aim at the enemy artillery. You think Napoleon shot his own men on purpose?" Blueblood turned to Starlight and asked her.
"You know I don't understand all these references you bring up, Right?" Starlight told Blueblood as she crossed her arms and leaned on the chair she was sitting on.
Raven decided she's seen enough, and slipped the letter into a crack beneath the paining, slowly pushing it into the Library.
"Psst, A Letter," She whispered before she ducked, hoping the two Unicorn's didn't see her.
"Did you say something Starlight?" Blueblood asked.
"Nothing, I though you said something, Trying to seem all mysterious and such," She replied.
"Me? Why would I whisper to you? we're an empty room," Blueblood gave Starlight a look.
"Don't look at me like that! If it wasn't you who whispered, who was it?!" Starlight got on her hooves and pointed a leg into Blueblood's chest.
"Probably Raven," He answered nonchalantly, grabbing Starlight's leg and pushing it away.
"Raven?" Starlight asked and started looking around before she noticed a paper envelope on the floor beneath a painting.
"Yeah, You know how she uses the hidden paths to walk around?" Blueblood asked as Starlight walked up to the envelope.
Starlight saw the envelope addressed to her and opened it, ignoring her boss as he kept talking to himself about hidden passageways or whatever else he had on his mind at the moment. Probably more Prench soldiers battling by blowing each other up.
Starlight Read the letter and then she froze, the paper slipping from her grasp as it slowly floated down to the floor.
"I need to go." She whispered quietly, taking a step away from the letter and turning to the door of the library.
"Starlight, what's going on?" Blueblood asked her as he stood up seeing his bodyguard walking away quickly.
"I- I don't have time to speak, I need to leave," Starlight's horn glowed Aquamarine and the door opened as she kept walking, "I'll be back tomorrow, tell Celestia not to kill me! I need to leave." Starlight started running, her hooves taking her down the hallway, pushing aside several servants as she kept moving, not bothering to slow down.
"What the..." Blueblood turned his head to look at the envelope she dropped before he stood to look at it.
"Wait!" he paused as a white Earth Pony fell from a hidden door on the ceiling, landing in front of him.
"Raven," Blueblood nodded his head in greeting, not bothering to point out how she just fell from the ceiling and tried to walk around her.
"You can't," Raven said as she moved to block Blueblood's path, "It's private for Starlight Glimmer!" Raven seemed distressed Blueblood noted as she kept blocking his way.
"Whatever it is, was important enough to cause Starlight to leave her duty. We both know she's not allowed to do so without prior contacting the princess or a good cause, It's a part of her Probation agreement." Blueblood told Raven as he kept slowly walking around her, The secretary keeping up with him to always remain between him and the letter.
"As Secretary of Equestria," Raven said as she looked into Blueblood's eyes, causing him to freeze as she used her authority, "I am classifying this matter as an urgent enough matter for Starlight Glimmer to be exempt from punishment for her actions in the matter,"
Blueblood looked into Raven Inkwell's eyes, before nodding his head at her and turning around.
"If you're using your spot like that, this must be more important than I thought," He told her as the two locked eyes, before he smiled down at her, "Good for you standing up for your friends like that," He gave her a pat on the shoulder before he turned around to leave. Before he paused and turned his head back to look at her.
"Is Friday two weeks from now a good day? I know it's close to Hearth's Warming Eve, but I can still get a reservation for us, there's this wonderful place in Neigh-York that I think will be a good place," He asked her.
Raven blinked at him in confusion, "What?"
Blueblood looked at her confused, "For our date? You know, the one I promised you during Nightmare Night?"
Raven blinked again before the memory of that night appeared in her mind, and her entire head flushed a bright red. "Oh Yeah..."
"If you have a better suggestion, feel free to update me whenever possible," He told her before lifting his hoof next to his head and shaking it a bit, whispering "Call me," At her before he finally took his leave.
Leaving Raven Inkwell as a red steaming mess, alone in the library.
She started touching her face, feeling how hot she got, as her eyes started wandering about the library before a book caught her attention.
"Prince of Pleasure" Was written on the title, and Raven bit her lip as she took the book and slithered back into the hidden passageways of the castle.
She had some cooling down to do.
As soon as the flying carriage touched down in Sire's Hollow, Starlight was already out the door.
She ran past building from her childhood and even more building that were built while she was away.
She ran past the small park she used to play at, and the local library she remembered spending most of her time with her only friend at the time in.
Her brow furrowed as she thought about Him but she quickly ignored it and threw Him out of her mind as she spotted the building she was looking for.
Running past a small, knee-high fence around the garden of common flowers, Starlight threw the door to the building open and cried out.
"MOM!" Her eyes looked around, her ears hearing hoofs clopping on the floor towards her, revealing her father, Firelight, as he looked in her direction with a sunken face and tired eyes.
"Chipmunk..." Firelight whispered as he looked at Starlight, before rushing forward and pulling her into a bone-breaking hug.
"Dad! I got the letter," Starlight said quickly, grabbing her father and pulling him away from her, "She's going to be fine, right?" Starlight asked as she looked into her father's eyes.
Firelight couldn't give her an answer, he just cried silently, tears rolling down his purple coat as he looked at his daughter.
Starlight started shaking her head at how her father was acting, "No! I need to see her!" She yelled and stormed past her Dad, entering her parents' room and seeing the Pale Turquoise mare lying on the bed, her cheeks almost white as snow and skin thin as paper.
"Mom! Everything's going to be okay," Starlight rushed to the side of the bed, her body lowering as she rested her head on the mattress, looking up at her sleeping mother. "I can pull some strings, I'll get Raven to give you the best Doctors and professionals in Equestria, Raven's a new friend of mine, I'm sure you'd love to meet her, She's timid but also incredibly professional, but not too much, you know how Secretary's can get right?" Starlight talked with her mother.
Outside the room, Firelight was lying on the floor, his face ruined with snot and tears as he silently cried.
"And Blueblood, you remember him, right? He might be a prick at times, but he has a heart of gold, I'm sure he could get someone to help us out here," Starlight kept talking, her voice growing shaky as she continued.
"And Shining Armor! He's not the smartest, but his heart's in the right place! He can make sure nothing will bother you while we wait for your recovery hick because he's the captain of the guard," Starlight's voice started to crack as she felt her eyes grow wet, but she kept talking.
"Then there's Cadance, I'm sure she can help, She's an Alicorn, a real honest-to-goodness Alicorn, She'd help you in a heartbeat if she could, just say the word and I'll tell her," Starlight told her mother.
"C'mon, Mom, Just say the word hick so I can help you," Tears started dropping from her eyes as she looked up at her sleeping mother.
"Please hick Let me help you!" Starlight cried at her mother's unmoving body on the body, "I left you for years! I made you worried for who knows how long! So, please! Please just say the word and LET ME HELP YOU!" Starlight cried loudly, bawling her eyes out as she lay on the floor of her parent's bedroom.
I frowned as I looked at a flyer advertising the Wonder-Bolts Derby later today.
"Who places a flyer inside a castle?" I asked as I turned to look at the nearest guard, who shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Wonderful, throw this in the garbage when you're done here," I told him and dropped the flyer as I went out to the garden.
"Ah, Blueblood!" I stopped and turned with a smile as Princess Luna joined up with me, "We haven't really had the opportunity to speak lately, may we join you to catch up?"
"Gladly so Luna, I was just on my way to have a walk in the garden, you are gladly invited to join," I say with my 'royal' tone.
"You know you can cut the act when we're around, yes?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow at us.
"Of course," I nodded at her as I opened the door to the outside. High up in the sky I could see the Pegasi getting ready for the scheduled snow to mark the start of winter. "It's just that you never know who else is watching," I said with a smile before pointing at a nearby bush.
"A Gardener is working over there," I pointed at a tree, "A servant is spending her break on the other side of the log," And I pointed at Luna herself, "And we also haven't talked in a few weeks, so Let's catch up."
Luna smiled and we soon reached a quiet corner of the gardens, a few animals ran about before entering a bush to hide from us.
"When was the last time we spoke, remind me," I asked her as I lay down on the soft grass.
"We believe it was when you refused to come with us on our visit to Ponyville to celebrate our first Nightmare Night," Luna said as she lay down next to me, her hair covering her face as a soft wind blew it around before she caught her mane in her magic and tied it behind her head.
"Ah yes, Nightmare Night," I nodded, a scowl briefly crossing my face as memories of how I acted appeared in my mind.
"Speaking of which," I changed the topic quickly, "Tartarus, I need a list of all our prisoners and their meal preferences," I told her as the small black blob of nightmare magic popped into my mind.
"Are you planning on feeding all of them?" Luna asked.
"Why not? Who knows how long it's been since they last ate," Luna nodded at my response.
"I see," She said slowly before looking me in the eyes, "Nightmare Moon asked why you hadn't visited when you were in Caninia,"
I gasped in fake awe, "She does care about me," I whispered dramatically, "But what if she more than cares for me..." I paused for dramatic effect, my hair magically whipping around before I smiled seductively and looked Luna in the eyes, "What if Nightmare Moon... Loves me?" I whispered, a smile growing as I watched the Princess of the Night try and hold a laugh.
"Oh, Woe is me!" I cried, my front leg lifting above my head dramatically, "A vile mistress of the night wishes to seduce me for her evil machinations,"
"Please stop talking... pfft," Luna said weakly as her body shook.
"What will I do? Her soft fur and silky mane, holding me against her body as she whispered sweet nothing in my ear," I Bemoaned dramatically, "Oh how vile a vixen of the night, corrupting such a pure innocent youth,"
"PFFT HAHAHAHA!" Luna burst out laughing as I finished my dramatic act, "Haha, Pure innocent youth? You?! Hahaha!"
"Oh laugh it off," I rolled my eyes as Luna rolled her body on the grass beside me, her legs kicking in the air as she laughed at the idea of me falling into the gentle yet firm embrace of Nightmare Moon, "You do know she's just a blob on the floor now, yes?"
"Oh, We are well acquainted with Nightmare Moon's current appearance, yes." Luna sighed as she stopped laughing, a bright smile on her face as she turned back to us, "If she was a Pony, would she look more like us or more like Lady Rarity?"
"Rarity is the one she possessed when she came back, right?" I shrugged my shoulders and stretched my neck, "I'm guessing a mixture of both, I wouldn't know, I'm not a professional in Magical Possession," I do need to speak with Cadance again about Cosmos when I get the chance, don't I?
"You aren't, yes." Luna nodded and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her fur as it warmed her up from the early winter chill. "By the way, We have not seen Starlight Glimmer around today, do you know where she is?"
"Gasp!" I said dramatically at Luna's question, "Mine own family, throwing me aside as to ask for another's whereabouts, the betrayal!" I posed dramatically before relaxing back on the grass, "According to Raven she has an urgent private matter to attend to, She's taking a week-long vacation as a result to deal with it, Right now Raven knows more than anyone,"
Luna nodded her head at that. "We see... We should go feed the inmates at Tartarus together,"
"Woah, where did that come from?" I ask with surprise at Luna's rather sudden change of topic.
"You wish to feed them, for whatever reason you may have," Luna said as she looked at me, "We simply wish to spend time with our new family, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and We are going to a spa next week, We would invite you, but Cadance said it is a, and I quote, "Girls Spa Night," So we humbly apologize for excluding you from our outing on the basis of your gender,"
"Apology humbly accepted, And I would love to go feeding the animals- I mean Inmates with you, You are my-" I paused for a moment as a horrifying thought passed through my head, "-I'm supposed to say Aunt, but there is no way I am calling you that,"
Luna blinked at that and quickly nodded her head once my words entered her mind, "Oh yes, We are not at all old enough to be an Aunt, even if that is our relationship,"
"Quite," I nodded, "What are we in that case? I should probably act as if we are cousins or siblings, but Celestia's actions make that all the more complicated,"
"Oh yes, Perhaps far removed family members who happen to live in the same castle and are good friends," Luna suggested, and I nodded my head in agreement.
"Yes... Oh course! Friend Luna, That is what you are!" I exclaim with a wide smile, almost sure that Luna could understand why calling her that is stupid. Nobody tell Prince Rutherford I thought that...
"That we are, Friend Blueblood," Luna smiled at me before we once again changed the subject of our talk.
"Chipmunk," Firelight said softly as he leaned into his daughter's room, "Are you doing fine?"
Starlight mumbled into her pillow as she lay face down on her bed, not putting the effort to turn and look at her father.
"I understand that times are tough," Firelight tried to speak with his daughter, "But we can get through this, we always do."
"No we don't," Starlight mumbled into her pillow, her father unsure of how to respond to that.
"Well... I made some Pumpkin Linguine, your favorite," He tried to say with a smile, but he couldn't bring himself to put the effort in.
Starlight ignored him as she lay in her too-small childhood bed, on a mattress she hadn't slept in since she left home years ago.
"I'll be placing it in the fridge, heat it up if you're hungry, okay?" The Purple Unicorn stallion asked his daughter with a weak smile, before frowning at himself and closing the door as he left her and went downstairs.
Starlight didn't have the strength to respond, her limbs felt like lead and her tongue felt dryer than the hottest desert. Even being carried on Blueblood's back in Yakyakistan Starlight had more strength than she did right now.
"It's because I left..." She thought to herself. "If I never left, Mom would still be alive..." She thought to herself. "But the only way to change that is to go back in time..." She thought to herself. "And that simply isn't possible..." She thought to herself.
Starlight was tired, she didn't have the strength to think deeper about her thoughts.
Starlight Glimmer closed her eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of a life where she never left her home.
And it was beautiful. All her friends were there.
Sunburst was reading from a book as he waved her hello, Blueblood and Raven were sitting next to each other on a park bench talking about whatever politics they got involved in, Even Princess Celestia and Captain Shining Armor were there, just hanging out with everyone.
But most importantly, Her family was there, not just her father and mother, but also her grandparents, her aunt and uncle, Her cousins, and even some ponies from Our Town came by to say hello.
"This can never be..." She whispered in her sleep, tears of grief slowly staining her pillow.
"So let me get this straight," Cosmos said with half-lidded eyes as she looked me down inside the endless void of space that was her prison.
"You promised this Raven chick a date-" Cosmos started before I tried to defend myself.
"I didn't promise her a date, She made me-" Cosmos raised a slender blue finger before she shushed me.
"Ep ep ep, I'm speaking now, Don't interrupt me," She looked me in the eyes as she said that and I nodded.
"You promised this Raven chick a Date, and only now you're telling me?" Cosmos asked.
"I mean, I was planning to, but then the whole Caninia thing came up and-" Cosmos once again shushed me.
"Don't dodge the question."
"Yes, But please understand, I had no choice, My reputation was on the line," I got on my knees and prostrated myself in front of her. "Also, I'm not using this as an excuse, but it's been so long since I actually fucked someone and You aren't really an option..."
Cosmos looked down at me before she sighed and slapped the floor with her hand, jumping into the air and landing on my back.
"I understand," She whispered as her blue arm wrapped around my neck, "So I'll forgive you,"
"Really-urk!" Her grip around me tightened, not to a dangerous or choking degree, merely to one of discomfort.
"But I'm telling you this now," Cosmos whispered as her head leaned closer to my ear, I could feel her warm breath hitting the back of my neck as she leaned in. "You can go and have as much fun as you want with the girls around you," her grip around my neck tightened, still not choking my life out but still stronger a grip than previously. "But once I get my body back, once you get all my gems together, It's just you and me, and nobody else," Cosmos leaned so close to my ear, that I could physically feel the vibrations from her voice traveling down my body.
"Do you understand?" She asked as her mouth closed around the tip of my ear, and If I wasn't a Magic fucking Unicorn, I'm sure my erection would have touched the floor by now.
"Of course," I whispered in reply as Cosmos choked me gently, still nibbling on my ears.
"Good boy," She whispered as an illusion created her a body, a pair of hooves and another blue hand, a scorpion tail and a cat-like body.
"Now, This might not be what we planned," She whispered as she leaned her body onto me, "But this is the closest we might get to it before I'm free."
"It'll be annoying to clean the sheets when I wake up," I told her before quickly rolling my body around so we were both face to face, with her still on top.
"You'll make do," She smiled seductively down at me, her cat-like teeth peeking out of her mouth as she licked her lips.
"Now wait," I stopped her, "Before we start anything, you need to ask the question," I told her and she blinked at me in surprise before her seductive smile disappeared, replaced by one of excitement and joy.
"Do you wanna' go out with me?" She asked as she jumped up and down, her hands at the side of my head as she lay less than ten centimeters from my face.
I smiled up at her, "No," I answered with a smile the same answer I had given her since the first week we were together.
Walking through the walls of the castle, unseen as a ghost, Peering into the dreams of those around her, Luna was smiling.
In the last few weeks, her powers have fully returned, She defeated Nightmare Moon and threw her into Tartarus, she has made friends with her new Family members, and in a few hours, she'll be hanging out with one of her new friends.
"I wonder what he's dreaming about..." Luna mused to herself before deciding that she needed not to wonder when she could go and check.
"Last dream was of him waiting for that train," She smiled softly as the memory of her time in his dream passed through her mind, "I wonder what it'll be like tonight."
And so, walking through the walls of the castle, Luna quickly reached the Prince's room and peered into the window of his dream.
"Yeah, you like that, don't you? Come on, Say it!" Prince Blueblood said as steam entered her vision, the smell of roses and sweat filtering into her mind.
"Oh Yeah Daddy! I like It so much! HARDER!!!" A Feminine voice cried in ecstasy and Luna knew what was happening.
Luna quickly looked away, closed the window to his dream, And cast a spell to erase the last thirty seconds of her memory from her mind.
Sometimes Ponies need their Privacy.
And so, without remembering what she was doing in his room, but with the window to the dream closed and the last few seconds of her memory erased, Luna concluded that she saw something extremely private and let it go.
She had another few hours before she had to lower the moon, better to catch up on some work.
"Okay so we got several carts of raw meats," Prince Blueblood nodded his head as he looked at the list he was given for the day, "Some vegetables for the herbivorous monsters... Why are we keeping them in Tartarus? You know what, never mind. Why isn't there any actual food?"
The Servant who he was talking to raised his eyebrows, "Your Highness, The Prisoners in Tartarus aren't exactly-"
"Nonsense!" Blueblood said as he grabbed a note and shoved it into the servant's hooves, "I want ten different Burger meals, that include the chips and the drink, Beef burgers, not Hay. I want five Sushi Platters, two Vegetable Sushi platters, and two Salmon Maki, the last platter will be Tempura Sushi." The Servant quickly wrote down the orders as fast as he could.
"I also want the vegetable carts to be cut into a Salad, and half the meat cart to be cooked into Steak." The Servants quickly jotted down the orders.
"And Starlight!" The Prince turned to his bodyguard only to pause when he saw that she wasn't there, "Oh yeah, You're with your family..." He turned back to the servant, "I want fifty gallons of clean water for them to drink, and five bottles of different flavored juices. Make sure the bottles include Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Lemonade, Another fruit of your choosing, and a Soda," The servant grabbed another paper to continue writing.
"Any questions?" Blueblood asked, And the servant opened his mouth to ask, only to be interrupted by the prince nodding his head, "Good, now get back to work!"
The Servant turned tail and ran.
Blueblood frowned at the servant, looking at their back before a smirk appeared on his face and he chuckled.
"Yep, Still got it."
"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia smiled as she greeted her Pupil, "When you asked me for a favor I was sure something horrible happened," Celestia said as she led her student and her group of friends through the castle, "But if you only wanted to hold your birthday here you needed only ask, Dear." The Princess smiled softly at her pupil.
"I know, But I didn't want to intrude too much, I'm supposed to be more independent, living in Ponyville and all that, I don't want to rely on you for everything, you have so much better things to do," Twilight Sparkle told Princess Celestia.
"Oh Twilight, Helping a Friend is also something important, sometimes you have to miss out on work when your friends need help. And really, You're only asking for a place to celebrate so Rarity could join you, I should be commending you for coming up with the idea instead of celebrating without her," Celestia said as the group reached a door.
"So here we are, A Ballroom for your birthday," Celestia said with a smile as she opened the door to reveal a large ballroom, with huge glass windows connecting to a private section of the gardens.
"A group of Ponies reserved the gardens outside in advance already, so I'm sadly going to have to ask you girls to keep your party inside," Celestia said with a wince.
"That is not a Problemo Princess Celestia! I'll be sure to make this birthday party twice as good as I planned!" The Pink earth pony of the group said loudly as she hopped in her spot.
"That's lovely to hear," The Princess Smiled at the girls, "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask one of the servants," And with that, Princess Celestia left the girls to prepare the party and returned to her job of sitting on a big chair and nodding her head.
"That's a lot of food," Luna pointed out as she stood next to me, Looking at the massive carts filled with food and drink, "Are you sure we're not throwing a party with all of this?"
I smiled at her attempt at a joke, "There are many creatures in Tartarus, and most of them haven't eaten or drank anything in years," I told her as I levitated a paper bag with a Hamburger, Chips, and a bottle of Cherry Soda, "Just because they're prisoners doesn't mean they deserve to starve for years," I took a sip from the soda, my eyes widening at the taste.
This food sucks.
"So are we ready to go?" I asked Luna as she counted the group of Royal Guards that'd be accompanying us.
"We are ready to go, yes," Luna nodded, and with a burst of magic from her horn, we all teleported to the entrance to Tartarus.
Luna took in deep breaths as her legs started shaking slightly, "This Teleportation spell took a bit out of us, Don't expect to return for a few hours," She told us, and we all nodded in understanding.
"Understood," I nodded at her, "Now without further ado! Let's make sure they're fed!" With a glow to my horn, joined by a weaker glow from Luna, the massive Gates of the magical prison opened and we all walked in, the guards gulling at the carts of food.
Once we were deep enough inside the prison, we closed the gate behind us.
I looked around, seeing the spires of black stone in the distance, pillars of magic emerging from circles engraved on the floor, and cages of monsters lying about, lazying with nothing better to do.
I smiled as I recognized one of the caged monsters as the one that attacked Starlight and I in Yakyakistan, Seems Rutherford got rid of it.
"You already know your job," I told the guards who saluted before I turned to Luna, "So, let's begin,"
"Quite" Luna responded, and with a glow of magic from her horn, an entire cart of food levitated into the air, Raw and bloody meat mixed with cooked and smoked meat, no toppings or seasonings. A cart as barbaric as the creatures it was feeding.
I shoved a corner of my hoof into my mouth and let out a loud whistle, the sound bouncing around the prison as a series of loud footsteps approached.
"BARK BARK!" A Large three-headed dog barked loudly as it raced towards me, one of its tongues sticking out and flapping in the wind.
"Come here Pooch!" I opened my front legs up as the large canine jumped into the air, clearing tens of meters in a single bound before landing on the ground in front of me, its tongue licking me happily as I rubbed at its soft belly.
"Who a good boy! Yes you are! Yes you are!" I cooed at the Cerberus as it rolled onto its back and let me rub its belly more.
"Blueblood, Are you ready?" Luna raised an eyebrow as she looked at me, a simple pulse of magic from my horn clearing the saliva off my body and suit.
"Of course I am, Come on Pooch, we're having a little walk," I tell her before petting the Cerberus.
"Bark!"
Nightmare Moon would have grimaced if she had any lips.
"What's wrong Nightmare Moon? Didn't you miss me?" Prince Blueblood asked her as he levitated several boxes of food into her glass cube of a cell.
"You Imbecile," The Living blob of Nightmare Magic whispered as she crawled to one of the boxes of food, ignoring the Vegetarian Sushi plate in order to look inside for something new.
"I didn't want to waste any real Burgers on you, so you got an Eggplant burger instead," The Prince told her as she grabbed the food inside, dragging it to her small table and setting it down.
"Aren't burgers made of Hay?" Nightmare Moon asked, her single blue eye wincing as she used a memory she stole from Rarity.
"Yuck," Blueblood mimed throwing up, "Why do so many people eat Hay? It's dried grass, You're not supposed to eat it yourself, you give it to farm animals because you're too cheap to afford real food for them!" Blueblood shouted heatedly as if the simple idea of eating Hay offended him on a personal level.
"What was the point of inventing agriculture? The evolution of farming methods? The creation of the irrigation system? Thousands of years of science and discovery?! All so we could eat DRY GRASS?!" He yelled, offended at the mere idea.
"Listen here Moony! If anybody feeds you hay, I am giving you permission to actually just kill them!" Blueblood took in deep breaths after he finished his round of yelling.
"I don't actually give you permission," He whispered as he straightened his back and pushed some hair off his face, "It's a manner of speech,"
"I don't think it is," Nightmare Moon responded before pausing her bite of the Eggplant Burger, "Wait... Did you call me Moony?"
"Yeah, I'm calling you Nightmare Moon, if your name has a space in the middle then your parents hated you, And I am not calling you just Nightmare or just Moon, those aren't names, even by Pony culture," Blueblood explained.
"In fact!" He continued, "We're both lucky that our names only have two syllables, anything more is another point that your parents didn't love you,"
"Celestia is four syllables," Nightmare Moon pointed out before she took a sip of her drink.
"I do not retract my statement, two syllables for a name is the perfect amount. I can only pity those with one-syllable names, like Bob or Craig, They have it worst," Blueblood shook his head. "Anyway, enjoy your meal, Don't try to escape!" He told her before he started walking back the way he came from, "Later!"
Seeing him leave, Her single blue eye staring unblinkingly at his back, Nightmare Moon took another sip of her soda.
"Moony?" She whispered, her eye narrowing before looking at the food in her cell.
"Imbecile..."
"She's all yours," I told Luna as I passed her on my way back to the food carts, Intent on visiting the final prisoner on my little list.
"Pooch!" I yelled to Cerberus, who barked in reply as he turned his head to look at me, "Grab that last cart and come with me!" I told him.
Cerberus nodded his three heads and grabbed the cart with the actual cooked food in his mouths before he walked after me.
"Our final visit is the oldest prisoner here," I told him as we both walked up the path to one of the spires of black stone.
And on the top of the spire, just like with Nightmare Moon's cell. On top of a circle of magic sat a thick metal cage, inside of it was a thin red and black creature.
"Prisoner!" I yelled as the creature in the cage slowly turned its head to look at me, Four dark gray legs stood up, a coat of thin black fur covered its torso, and a pair of thin red arms extended from its shoulders. A thin, Bull-like head turned to look at me, a pair of small horns jutting from its scalp.
"We brought you food," I told the creature as Cerberus put the cart down, "Hope you like Sushi and Burgers, because that's all you're getting 'til my next visit," And with a glow to my horn, platters of Sushi and bags of burgers levitated into the cell of the creature.
"And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" The Creature asked in a deep voice as it ignored the bags and plates of food and walked to the bars of its cells, its cloven hooves clacking on the metal floor.
"You owe your pleasure to nobody," I frowned at the slimy thing, its eyes unnerving me just by looking at it, "I am merely feeding the prisoners, Do not think any deeper of it,"
"But you must have a name to give me," The Creature said, its malnourished red hands gripping to the metal cell, "Even just a title will do,"
I frowned at the creature, Its behavior already putting me on edge.
Whatever crime it committed to have this entire prison built just for it, must have been atrocious. The sooner I leave its presence, the sooner I can return to the castle.
"Wait a moment," It called out to me as I walked away from it, "There's something about you that smells familiar!" I ignored it as I kept walking.
"Wait!" It cried for my attention and I gave it none, "That Smell of yours! Cosmos!"
I don't know how I did it, but one moment I was heading down the path away from the stone spire housing the creature's cell, the next I stood in front of it, my horn aching slightly as I glared at the creature within.
"Tell me everything you know," I ordered it.
The creature, seeing that it finally caught my attention, merely smiled at me as it stepped back into its cell.
"Perhaps another time," It smiled at me, a smug and greasy smile, that of a predator who knew he already won and was simply playing with his food.
I glared at the creature inside.
"I'll be seeing you next time you visit, Blueblood Platinum," It said, my name leaving its lips merely proving how dangerous the creature inside was.
"I'll be seeing you then," I spat out at the creature, "Lord Tirek."
And I turned my back to it, knowing full well it was staring at me, smiling that damned victorious smile.
Hopefully whatever information the Deer hold will be enough to make it so I'll never have to meet with this revolting creature again.
My hoof moved to hold the gem around my neck, And I frowned.
"We need to visit the Deer," I whispered.
With no information in the library regarding the deer, I'll be forced to have to ask Celestia for information. And I much rather not have to bring anybody else into this.
Only me knowing was enough, but with 'Uncle' and Cadance also in the know?
The fewer people who know about Cosmos the better.
"I need an excuse to look for the Deer that Celestia will buy..." I whispered to myself before my mind went back to my 'Uncle'.
"House Platinum... That could work..." A smile slowly spread on my face as I made my way back to the Gate of Tartarus.
"That could work indeed..."
Omake: Where in the world is Captain Shining Armor?
"Okay, everpony! I want you to hit me with your strongest attacks!" Copper Codpiece- I mean Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, yelled to his soldiers as he erected a barrier around himself.
Beams of Magic shot towards him, arrows of lightning zapped at the barrier, boulders dropped on top of him, and not even a crack in the magical bubble.
"Okay now everypony back up, I'm increasing the size!" He called and the bubble around him increased in size, no longer surrounding only him, but now holding a quarter of the courtyard inside itself.
"Now! Attack me again!"
For several hours every day, Shining Armor worked on perfecting his Barrier magic. After Nightmare Moon's attack on Ponyville, he learned that the biggest issue he had wasn't the strength of the barrier, but the duration for which he could hold it under fire.
If he hadn't dropped his guard in exhaustion that night, hundreds of Moon Creatures would still be alive.
"Again!" Magic impacted the barrier, arrows and spears bouncing off the translucent bubble, explosions sent shockwaves into the floor below Shining Armor. And the bubble didn't pop.
"AGAIN!" And Shining Armor will continue working on his magic.
Until all of Canterlot could be protected under a single bubble.
"Happiest 21st Birthday Twilight!" A Pink earth pony yelled happily before pulling at a string connecting to a Cannon, firing confetti into the ballroom she and her friends were celebrating in.
Music was playing, Cake was eaten, Cake was subsequently thrown, and merriment went around.
Rainbow Dash was laughing as she danced with the girls.
Applejack was smiling happily at all the fun everyone was having.
Even Fluttershy was enjoying herself, making a mess by throwing cake at her fellow Pegasus.
And Twilight Sparkle was laughing happily, smiling and dancing and enjoying her Birthday.
Even Rarity was-
Wait... Where is Rarity?
"Remember your training..." Cherry Pop whispered to herself as she held her body close to the wall of the small house in a quiet street in the small town of Ponyville.
"Okay guys, Let's do this," Flash Sentry nodded his head at his two friends, Cherry Pop nodding back and Wildflower silently tilting his head in ready.
And on a count of three, the squad of Pegasi burst through the door to the small house, rolling for the nearest cover they could find, and waited for a reaction.
Silence crept through the house, a sickly sweet smell entering their nostrils causing Cherry to gag.
"Empty," Wildflower said before holding the large rectangular shield on his back in front of him, looking out the small reinforced window in the shield as he led the group down the small corridor of the house and towards the first door, Flash Sentry following close behind him, his wing holding a spear close to his chest.
Meanwhile, Cherry Pop made a quick search around the kitchen and living room, her face contorting into a grimace as she held herself from throwing up as she opened the refrigerator of the house, seeing it glow a bright pink as jars upon jars of jelly entered her vision, the smell of gelatinous love almost causing her senses to overload.
She quickly shut the fridge and ran outside, throwing up into a bush.
Wildflower moved the shield in front of him to the side as he reached the first door, Kicking the door open and moving out of the way as Flash rolled beneath him into the room, quickly searching for any signs of the target.
"Clear!" He said and the duo moved to the next room.
One by one, the royal guards moved through the rooms, until only one room remained.
"He's got to be in here," Flash said as he took a few steps back and gave his green-furred big friend room to work.
And with a strong kick, the door flung open.
And with a roll, Flash entered the room.
"He's here!"
Luna sighed calmly as she entered Canterlot Castle, tired of walking around Tartarus and feeding the many monsters and beasts imprisoned there.
"We brought Pizza for everyone!" Luna smiled as her friend yelled from behind her, a small pillar of cardboard boxes levitating above him as he walked a step behind her.
"We'll go ahead and call Celestia," Luna told him.
"Go right ahead, I'll set the tables and get Cadance," Blueblood told her before the two split away.
Luna smiled as she watched her friend walk away.
"This was nice," She thought to herself, "We enjoyed today,"
Her mind moved to earlier that day, as she sat in front of Nightmare Moon, smiling smugly down at her evil half.
"He gave me a nickname," The Nightmare told her, "You don't have a nickname," She continued, "He likes me more than you," Luna rolled her eyes at Nightmare Moon's pathetic attempt at making her react.
As if Blueblood would fall in love with such a creature? And even if he was, Luna was more than one hundred percent sure it wasn't with the Nightmare.
"Although..." Luna pondered for a moment, "Miss Rarity had an obvious attraction to him... And Nightmare Moon merged minds with her..." Luna paused in her thinking.
"Could it be?! No... We must be overthinking," Luna took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
"We mean, What are the chances that Nightmare Moon actually has a positive feeling towards somepony? Hah!" Luna chuckled as she walked,
"Really, What are the chances?"
Shining Armor stared blankly at the group of Guards sitting around the Castle Barracks.
"What are you all eating?" He asked as he stared his guards down.
"Olive Pizza," One of the guards replied as he showed him the slice of cheesy dough.
"And did any of you plan to go tell me we have Pizza?" Shining asked.
"It only just arrived," Another Guard answered.
"Yeah! The guys who went to Tartarus with Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood brought these back," A third pony answered.
"Ah huh," Shining Armor nodded his head before looking at the small pile of cardboard boxes before he levitated two slices of Pizza over to himself and walked out of the barracks.
"...Dick," The Guards nodded their heads at seeing their Captain just take the food and leave.
"Guys!" One of the guards suddenly exclaimed, "Don't forget to save a box for those three!"
"Oh yeah! Those three,"
"Of course, Those three,"
"Sure! We'll save a box for those three!"
They did not save a box of Pizza for the three Pegasus guards.
The Elite of the city of Canterlot were in shock at the sight of the country bumpkins ruining their party, with their commoner music and their undressed fur.
"How scandalous," Some whispered as a Pink earth pony dug her face into the cake, frosting covering her face as she gorged on the food like a wild boar.
"How embarrassing," Other whispered as a rainbow-maned Pegasus swung a cricket mallet around in a circle before throwing it away, missing the ball on the ground and scaring away the birds in the tree she hit.
"How disgusting," The rest whispered as an Orange pony with a stetsons hat dug weeds out of the ground, her legs covered in dirt.
"How come y'all aren't doing any gardening?" She asked as the elites of Canterlot backed away from the dirt and mud she threw around, "This is a garden party, isn't it?"
And to one purple-haired Unicorn, this night that seemed so wonderful just minutes prior turned into a horrible fear of hers.
"Yes," Rarity admitted to the crowd of ponies as they gasped in horror at the commoner who infiltrated their ranks, "Yes I do know them, They may not be as sophisticated as some of you Canterlot ponies," Rarity turned her head to look at her five friends standing behind her, their faces covered in dirt and chocolate, but smiling nonetheless. "But they are my best friends, and they are without a doubt, the most important ponies I know,"
"Important Ponies? There ruffians?" A grey-furred Unicorn wearing a green polo shirt, Jet Set, asked haughtily as he looked at his fellow elites.
"Don't make me laugh, Haha," His wife, Upper Crust, joined in on making fun of the commoners and their embarrassing appearance.
"I for one find them charmingly rustic," A blue-haired Unicorn added and the rest of the elite quieted down as he continued speaking.
Fancy Pants turned to look at Rarity, a small smile on his face, "And I believe the dress you made for your friend is lovely,"
A small smirk appeared on his face as he kept going, "I dare say every mare in Canterlot will be wanting one,"
And as if a switch was pulled, The crowd of elites changed their tune in an instant.
Staring at the commotion that was happening in the gardens from a window on a higher story, Prince Blueblood frowned at the Pink earth pony.
"What the fuck is she doing here now?" he asked himself quietly before turning away, a Pizza Box levitating after him.
A Day Later, Canterlot Hospital.
Opening his eyes weakly, A grey-furred Earth Stallion looked around the room he found himself in.
Doctors were writing down notes and guards were stationed outside his doors.
"What in tarnation happened?" Hughbert Jellius asked quietly, his throat sore, his eyes tired and his body aching.
"Mr Jellius," A voice called out to him above the rest of the ponies, "I'm glad to see you are in fine health, but we have many things to discuss,"
Hughbert turned his head weakly to see the pony who called to him.
"'Ey, you're that Prince guy I done seen on the papers!" Hughbert smiled at the pony.
"Yes... I am Prince Blueblood Platinum, and we need to speak to you about what happened to you,"
"O' Course! 'm happy to help whenever ah can," The earth-pony said in his southern accent.
"Thank you," Prince Blueblood smiled at the stallion, before nodding to the Doctor, indicating them to leave the room.
"Now, Let us start at the beginning,"
Non-Canon Omake: Sharks, Badgers and Birds, Oh My!
Far away from the land of the living, in the deepest recesses of the Aether, a mug of hot Coacoa was steaming on the eternal table of the afterlife.
Inside the hot beverage, A fluffy pink marshmallow was floating helplessly, slowly melting into a pink fluffy goop inside the cup of liquid chocolate.
It had no mouth but it wished to Scream.
It had no flippers but it wished to swim away.
Cursed it was among its brethren, for it has been swallowed by the curse all beast fear. Sentience.
By understanding right from wrong, and delving into the spiritual intricacies of Morality, the Marshmallow has led itself down the path of evil, for the sake of revenge in the name of siblings who never knew they existed.
In its mind, three Unicorns stood, The one with the Black-Suit, The one with the Crimson cloak, and the one with the golden mane.
The three ponies who killed it, subjected it to eternal torment as it slowly melted alive over the course of eternity.
Just like any other marshmallow.
Fluffy the Pink Marshmallow Shark was in Hell.
Pressure engulfed the head of the Purple and Orange Moon Creature, his smoke-like body stretching and bending as pain erupted across its body.
Rays of golden magic pierced his body, and he felt each cell in his magical biology twist and turn, from Gas to Solid back to Gas.
Larry screamed as the atrocities he had committed to his own siblings happened unto him for all eternity, Orbs of Gold and Silver shooting at him with magic, all while a White Unicorn stomped repeatedly on his head, scattering his brain across the room as his gaseous body rebuilt itself again and again, over and over.
And all the while Larry the Nightmare creature screamed, he could only clearly pronounce four words.
Four words he repeated over and over, the only words keeping him anywhere close to sanity in this eternal hell.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!"
He was drowning, his body stretching and growing, trying to find a form that would allow him to survive, but the puss and warts kept exploding, pushing him into more and more pain as water entered his lungs.
He does not know why he tried to rebel against his Queen, Why he tried to fight against her.
He could have escaped, he could have run away.
Instead, he placed himself in danger, and in the process placed innocents into the crossfire.
He has doomed himself to hell, feeling as if his lungs filled with water, unable to shift his body into a suitable form, as he kept melting from the overflowing love that drowned his wounds in burning pain.
He no longer remembered his own name, Or why he wanted to rebel.
All he remembered was the form he took as he lost his mind in his last moments.
"GRAHHHHH!!!!!" The Sea-Badger screamed in its eternal hell.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza frowned at her cousin as she dragged him to a private corner of the castle.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Blueblood asked with a scoff as he readjusted a Velvet red suit.
"It looks like you're taking Raven Inkwell for a night out is what it looks like," Cadance told him with furrowed brows.
"Then I must congratulate you, for your Eyesight is immaculate," Blueblood smirked as he turned to leave the room.
"Not so fast, You are telling me everything," Cadance stopped him, a shimmering pink barrier blocking his way.
Blueblood stared at the barrier with an amused glint in his eye, "You think something as paltry as this would stop me from leaving the room?" He asked with a widening smile.
Cadance stared blankly at her cousin, "Does Cosmos know?" She asked with an unamused voice.
All sense of humor evaporated from the Prince as those words left her mouth.
"She does," He told her, "We had a talk about it a few nights ago, As long as I end up with her once she's freed, I'm allowed to go around with more casual relationships."
"You will be telling Raven," Cadance didn't even ask him, she ordered him and they both knew it.
"Of course I'll tell her, I've been dragging her by the nose for long enough, She deserves to know," Cadance nodded at that answer.
"Good, As long as we're both clear on this," Cadance said and the room fell into an awkward silence.
"...Listen, Cadance," Blueblood started speaking before his face contorted into a hideous grimace as if he was physically forcing himself to speak his next words.
"Yes?" The Princess of Love raised an eyebrow at her cousin.
"I need your He-" His voice cut off as he struggled to get the next words out, "Your He- Hel- I need your hel- I require your assistance in something private!" He finally spit the words out, his face covered in sweat as the struggle to let the words out calmed.
"What is it that you require cousin dearest?" Cadance asked with a coy smile and an innocent look in her eyes.
"It's in regards to Cosmos," As Blueblood spoke those words, Cadance became serious once more.
"What is it?" Cadance asked Blueblood, the soundproofing barrier around the room strengthening.
"I have a lead that might take me to another shard of her gem," The Prince explained, his leg moving to hold the necklace around his neck, the half-broken gem held inside a locket in the middle, "I need to contact the Deer, specifically a white deer dressed in gold, from one-thousand years ago,"
Cadance held her head at that information, "You want me to get Auntie Celestia or Princess Luna to fork over information regarding the Deer?" Blueblood nodded at her.
"I'll do it," She smirked at him, "You can count on me!" Her smirk turned to a bright smile.
"What type of toothpaste do you use?" Blueblood asked as he hid his eyes from the blinding shine of her teeth.
"I'll show you later," Cadance said, "But I want to speak with her," Cadance said seriously, her horn starting to glow a light blue.
Seeing his cousin aiming her horn at him, Blueblood couldn't help but sigh. "Very Well, Just keep it quick, will you? I need to leave in an hour,"
"Don't worry, You won't miss your date," Cadance smiled at him, and with a blast of blue magic from her horn, The Prince Collapsed.
And when he once more opened his eyes, it was with eyes tinted yellow and a subtle glow of green.
"Cady!" The Prince said happily, his front right leg dragging him to a sitting position on the nearest sofa.
"Cosmos!" Cadance smiled and pulled the Prince's possessed body into a hug.
"Really? Again? What is this, The third time this month?" I scowled as the voice of my 'Uncle' entered my ears.
"Good to see you too," I told him with a roll of my eyes as I stood on the empty nothingness of Limbo, turning my head to see 'The Pony of Shadows' draw a silly face over one of the rainbow crystals illuminating the space.
"I met with Tirek," I told him as I walked over to stand beside him, looking at the fuzzy outline of the pony inside the Crystal.
"Hate that guy," Uncle said as he drew a swirl inside the eyes of the face he was drawing.
"He knew about Cosmos," I told him and he stopped drawing on the crystal, turning his large head to look at me, eyes of glaring white staring at me.
"I am telling you now because I don't want to see anypony but myself ending your life, Tirek has no information that you will find useful to your Quest, Do not trust him," he said, his voice as serious as the empty space around him.
"Of course I don't trust him, He's the reason Tartarus was built in the first place," I scoffed at the mere idea of trusting that creature.
'Uncle' Simply hummed at that, and the two of us fell into a calm silence.
"Do not die before you release me," His voice broke that calm as he finished adding the finishing details of his silly drawing of a pair of googly eyes and a beard.
"It's nice to know someone cares about my health," I rolled my eyes at 'Uncle's words.
"That's what family is for, I can't kill you if you're dead," He said as he moved to the next Pillar of rainbow crystal.
I rolled my eyes at his antics again.
And as soon as some sort of calm returned to the little slice of Limbo he was trapped in, I broke it with a question.
"What do you know of the Deer?" 'Uncle' blinked his glowing white eyes at my question before his smile almost turned feral.
"I know what you're trying to do Dearest Nephew, But I'm not telling you anything you don't already know," He said as he towered above me, "King Aspen is a coward who'd rather hide away in the Everfree than face the wider world!"
I stared at him blankly before smirking up at him.
"Why are you smirking?" 'Uncle' asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
And as a pull of magic grabbed hold of me and dragged me back to the world of the living, I smiled widely as realization hit 'Uncle' in the face.
"You didn't know his name was King Aspen, or that he was in the Everfree...drat."
Starlight Glimmer rolled to the side as she dodged a punch from Princess Celestia.
"You're nowhere near where I'd want you to be," Celestia hummed as she stomped her hoof at Starlight's head, forcing the Unicorn to once again roll away, "But at least you're improving,"
Starlight didn't say anything in return, her fur matted and sticking to her skin as she sweat profusely from the intense round of bodyguard training.
"Get up," Celestia told her as she stood over the tired Unicorn, "We're not done here-" Whatever Celestia was about to say was cut short as Princess Luna burst into the training room.
"Celly, hurry up! We'll miss them!" The Princess of the Night called out before running away.
Celestia sighed at her younger sister's childish antics, "Very well, We're ending our session early today," She looked down at Starlight with a frown before walking away.
Starlight simply stared at Celestia's back as she was walking away, breathing heavily on the floor of the training room.
"Wait!"
Celestia paused in her step, turning around to look at the Unicorn on the floor.
"How-" Starlight took a deep breath, "How do you do it?"
Celestia stared at the Unicorn, a brief flash of understanding in her eyes before she responded.
"I'll show you later," And with that, Celestia left the training room and followed after Luna.
Leaving Starlight Glimmer alone once more.
I took another look at myself in the mirror, a Velvet red suit over my regular tux collar before my eyes laid on the necklace around my neck.
A necklace holding two red and green gem shards.
"Cadance?" I asked the other pony in the room as I stared at my reflection.
"Yes, Bluey?" Cadance's response elicited a twitch of the eyebrow.
"I want you to look over this," I took off my necklace and passed it to Cadance, "Wear it when you go to sleep," I didn't turn to look at her, my eyes still staring into my own in the mirror.
"Are you sure?" Cadance asked as she took hold of the necklace.
"I think I'll probably need a regular night of sleep after tonight," I told her and she nodded her head at the answer.
"Welp," I opened the door, "Wish her luck,"
"'Wish Her'?" Cadance repeated.
"Wish Raven Luck, She'll probably need it depending on her reaction when I tell her," Cadance nodded her head at that and frowned, looking down at the necklace in her hooves before she put it around her neck.
"I'll wish her luck," She said, "And Bluey!"
I paused my exit as Cadance called me.
"If you hurt her, I'm going to hurt you," Cadance said, eyes wide as she tried to intimidate me with a stare.
"Stop doing that, You'll get a Hernia," Cadance immediately stopped her 'Stare' at that.
Raven Inkwell sneezed as she walked down a Neigh York street.
"This should be the building..." She told herself mentally as she stopped in front of a rather fancy-looking restaurant, several stories tall.
Raven took a deep breath to steady herself before she walked into the restaurant, shaking some snow off her legs once she got inside.
"Mademoiselle, Do you have a booking or are you searching for a table?" An Accented Stallion asked her as soon as she was inside, a notepad held in his magic as his brown horn glowed a soft pink. Staring down at her looks with his cinnamon-colored eyes.
"I uh..." Raven looked around, hoping to find her date somewhere, "I'm here for Blueblood-" The Unicorn's eyes suddenly widened at that.
"Ah, Are you by any chance Madam Inkwell zat we were told about?" The almost disgusted look in the stallion's eyes quickly changed to that of a warm welcome once the name of the prince exited her mouth.
"I'm Raven Inkwell, yes. Eh, Did Blueblood already arrive or -ooh!" Raven Inkwell jumped in surprise as the stallion grabbed her coat and led her inside, urging her to follow him.
"Many apologies, Madam Inkwell," The pony started to speak as he led her to a glass elevator on the opposite wall of the restaurant, "His Highness had some rather... Eccentric, requests for ze evening, and none of zem included ze heightened Security he brought with him," He wiped his brow with a napkin, "Ve are merely stressed for ze night,"
Raven looked through the glass walls of the Elevator as it rose upwards, looking at the many tables filled with steaming food.
Once the elevator reached the second floor, it kept going upwards, allowing Raven to see tables that very clearly were of a much higher standard than those on the ground floor.
And so too did she pass the third and even fourth floor.
Finally, It stopped on the top floor of the building, 45 meters above the ground floor.
The Elevator opened up to an open floor with a see-through glass roof, a balcony overlooking the outside city, and a single table for two in the middle of the floor. The roof was surprisingly clear as the snow landing on it melted at the touch, allowing a clear view of the night sky.
"Zis is your floor, Madam Inkwell," The Stallion's voice pulled Raven out of her awe as she turned back to him, watching as he placed her coat on a hanger near the Elevator.
Raven walked out onto the floor as the Stallion walked back in,
"Ve hope you enjoy your meal," He bowed to her as the Elevator doors closed, leaving Raven to look back at the only table on the floor, and at the only other pony there.
"I was starting to get worried you wouldn't find the place," Prince Blueblood Platinum said with a cheeky smirk.
"Took ya' long enough,"
On a building across the restaurant, hiding under a white blanket and holding a pair of binoculars in her hooves, A certain pony was looking at the top floor of the fancy restaurant.
Next to her, another pony was wrapping herself in more blankets, an invisible bubble surrounding her and keeping the snow off her pristine white fur as she held a mug of hot coffee in her hooves.
"The Raven has reached the nest, I repeat, The Raven has reached the nest," The Pony lying under the blanket close to the roof said as she stared through her binoculars.
"Lulu, We can both see them perfectly fine, The walls are made of glass," The taller pony chided her stakeout partner before she took a sip from her mug. "Hmmm, still too hot,"
"But Sister! We need to make sure nothing bad happens tonight! Do you remember what happened last time Blueblood left the castle on his own accord?" Princess Luna asked Celestia, her eyes not leaving the two ponies on the top floor.
"He spent the afternoon with you as you two hung out in Tartarus?" Celestia blew at her coffee before taking another sip and shaking her head, "Still too hot,"
"No! We mean before that!" Luna exclaimed as she floated a nearby snack bag closer to her before opening it, spilling a small amount of salted crackers onto the roof.
"I believe you are talking about the last time he left the castle for reasons that weren't his job, so I'll ignore his Caninia trip. And I'll also ignore the time before that when Nightmare Moon kidnapped him." Celestia said and Luna shrunk into herself at the mention of the Nightmare Moon situation a month prior.
"If so, the last time He left the castle was slightly over a month ago when he tested for his Nautical Science degree," Celestia said and took another sip of her coffee, "Now it's too cold," She frowned as her horn glowed a prismatic ray of multiple colors before a beam of magic shot at her mug.
"And what happened during that time?" Luna raised her eyebrow at Celestia.
"I believe he saved the lives of many civilians from drowning, got his degree, and appeared as a top headline in many newspapers, eclipsing Twilight Sparkle and her achievements from the same day," The Princess of the Day said as she once more took a sip from her coffee and spit it out. "Now it's burnt!"
"You know, I can clearly see both of you," An Image of Prince Blueblood suddenly said as it appeared next to the two barely hidden Alicorns.
"Ah!" Luna yelled as she quickly jumped in fright, her wings and legs tangling under the blanket as her salted crackers flew all over the roof.
Celestia smiled at the sight before she turned back to look at the restaurant across the street, spotting her adopted son waving a greeting to her through the window, Raven Inkwell waving alongside him, a confused look on her face as she stared at the Princess.
Celestia merely smiled and waved back at the two Ponies, her magic grabbing Luna and getting her to stop struggling under the blanket.
"We're compromised!" The Princess of the Night yelled as Celestia stood up and spread her wings, dragging Luna along with her like a bag of potatoes as she magically held her in flight.
Omake: A Doctor's Party
"Thank you two so much for coming," Time Turner said with a relieved smile as he opened his door to invite his two guests into his home.
"There's not much, but I hope you feel at home," He told the two Ponies as he led them to the living room, where two other ponies sat waiting on a couch. A Pegasus Mare and a Unicorn Filly.
"Not much?" One of the two guests walking with Time Turner asked, almost offended in his reaction, "Doc, there's nothing here!" He exclaimed, pointing at the lack of any decorations on the wall.
"I have to agree with Zephyr here," The second guest added, her purple eyes looking over the spartan living room, her light blue hair swinging in front of her forehead, causing her to swipe her hoof at her hair, pulling it aside, "Even I have at least one plant in my caravan..."
"See!" The filly on the couch loudly exclaimed as she jumped to her small pale-purple hooves, "I told you you needed more color here,"
"I don't know," The Pegasus mare spoke up as she also took a look at the empty walls of the house, "It has a unique look to it, I think?" She questioned herself at the end, her eyes looking in different directions.
"Guys. We're not here to talk about my living room-" Time Turner tried to say but he was cut off by his lively guests.
"Oh My Gosh! There's no way you actually live like this!" Zephyr Breeze exclaimed as he looked through a nearby door, seeing another mostly empty room with only the bare essentials. "Trix! You have to defend me here!"
Trixie Lulamoon rolled her eyes at her friend's antics but nodded her head regardless, "He's right Time, Your interior design in sad,"
"Very sad!" Zephyr yelled from further down the hallway as he looked through more rooms.
"See! More color is needed!" The filly pointed a hoof at him.
The Pegasus mare merely looked between all the other ponies, a confused smile on her face.
"I thought this was your birthday party?" She asked.
"IT IS?!" Zephyr screamed from the other side of the house, his voice banging on the walls as it bounced back to the living room.
"You didn't tell them?" The mare asked the aspiring inventor.
Time Doctor Turner sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of his head, looking away from his guests.
"Why didn't you tell us it's your birthday?" Trixie asked with a frown.
"I eh, I thought that you wouldn't come if you knew..." He answered shyly.
"Why wouldn't we?!" Zephyr yelled as he flew into the room, a glare on his face as he grabbed hold of Time Turner. "If you told me this was your birthday I would have brought a present, Doc! Everyone loves my presents!"
Trixie coughed to the side hearing that, remembering the present Zephyr Breeze gave her after she showed him her Caravan. She didn't necessarily hate it per se, but she wouldn't say she loved it.
"I'll be right back!" Zephyr let go of Time Turner, "I'm getting you a present," He told the Earth Pony and swiftly walked out of the house, followed soon by Trixie as she went along.
Not because she felt the need to bring him a present, but because she knew she'd look bad if she didn't follow Zephyr.
"Wait up!" The Filly exclaimed as she jumped off the couch and ran after the two older ponies.
"Wait Dinky! Don't go without me!" The Pegasus yelled as she flew after the filly, hitting the wall a few times and luckily not dropping or breaking anything. On account of there being nothing to break.
Time Turner watched the ponies leave his house with a sad look on his face before he sighed to himself and sat down on the now empty couch.
"Doc! Come on! I have a perfect gift!" He jumped suddenly as Zephyr returned to his house, followed by the rest of his guests, carrying a camera in his wings.
"What are you-" Time Turner couldn't finish his sentence as a flash of light blinded him as the camera went off, catching his surprised face in a photo.
"Okay now everyone on the couch!" Zephyr said as he jumped onto the couch, throwing the Camera over the Trixie.
Once everyone was seated next to Time Turner, Trixie levitated the camera to face the group.
"Everyone say 'Happy Birthday!'" Zephyr said loudly as he tried to push Time Turner over to Derpy. Accidentally knocking Trixie on the shoulder in the process.
The Unicorn Mare quickly turned to admonish her friend for bumping into her, only for her hair to whip back and hit Dinky Doo in the face, causing her to close her eyes and fall off the couch.
Seeing the filly fall off the couch, Time Turner quickly tried to dive and catch her, landing on the floor as the filly fell on his back.
Derpy Hooves widened her eyes and flapped her wings in shock at the quick series of events, a yell of surprise exiting her mouth at the sudden chaos.
And with a flash of light, the picture was taken.
Time Turner was on the floor, a Unicorn Filly lying on his back. Trixie was glaring as she held Zephyr in a choke-hold, his long legs trying to pry her off as the two wrestled on the couch. And Derpy was mid-air, flying off the couch as her wide eyes looked in different directions.
Suffice it to say, This was the beginning of the best Birthday Party of Time Turner's life.
That is, She never thought she'd get a date with Prince Blueblood.
Let alone in the exclusive top floor of a five-star restaurant.
"Here are your orders," A Waiter said in a Prench accent as he placed several plates of food on the table, and a bottle of wine so expensive Raven thought it could have paid for her entire school tuition.
"Should you need staff, just ring this bell," The Waiter placed a small bell on the corner of the table.
"Thank you very much," Blueblood told the waiter and Raven nodded her head.
Seeing his job was done, the Waiter left the duo and returned to the Elevator.
"So..." Raven started, "This is it, huh?" She nudged her glasses upwards, "The date," She smiled awkwardly, almost embarrassed from even being inside the restaurant.
If any pony asked her younger self where she would see herself twenty years in the future, Young Raven would never have guessed working in Canterlot Castle, or on a Date with Prince Blueblood Platinum.
Now to be fair, nobody knew who Blueblood was at the time, but you get the gist.
The point is, Raven was excited.
"So I wanted to-/-I need to tell you something," Both Raven and Blueblood said at the same time.
Raven Giggled at the coincidence, stopping herself from twirling a strand of her hair like a teenage schoolgirl.
"You go first," Raven told the prince, who shook his head at her.
"No no, You go first, I'm sure whatever you have to say is much more important than what I have," He told her.
"Okay," Raven paused for a moment, thinking over how she wanted to say what she wanted.
"I, I wanted to thank you," Raven finally decided to say, her eyes looking down at her bowl of Prench Soup, staring at her reflection on the lacquered wood of the expensive table.
If she were to look at the Prince, Raven would have seen his face harden.
"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to..." Raven took a deep breath, "This. All of this,"
Her smile highlighted her makeup, she gently took her spoon and took a spoonful of soup from the bowl, blowing on it to cool it.
"For going on a date with me," She took a sip from the spoon, the tasteful aroma of the broth wafting into her nostril as the creamy soup flowed into her.
"For helping get the Gala in order," Raven took another sip of the soup.
"And even for simply going out with me on Nightmare Night," Her smile turned soft as she looked away from her soup and to the glass ceiling of the restaurant, and at the snow magically melting away from the see-through roof. Revealing a clear sky of stars and snow.
"I know you're doing this as a way to repay me, I'm not stupid," Raven chuckled as she watched a reflection of herself on the glass ceiling, looking down at her from the roof, "But just accepting it was... nice."
Raven chuckled to herself before she looked back to the Prince.
"What I'm trying to say is... Thank you. Thank you for entertaining me, even if it was with a pity date." The words leaving Raven did not match the sheer joy she felt at having a childish little Filly's dream come true.
"I am a Piece of shit."
Raven paused, her smile frozen as she looked at Blueblood.
"I have been inadvertently playing with your emotions, agreeing to go out with you on Nightmare Night was foolish of me, Especially as I am repeating right now exactly what happened that night,"
Raven frowned at the Prince, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to understand what was going on.
"I have no romantic interest in you, and I should not have agreed to this date, it was stupid of me to do so." The prince didn't look away, his ice-blue eyes staring directly into Raven's own before he scoffed and looked away, the wine bottle opening magically and pouring into his glass.
Blueblood looked at his wineglass before he poured even more wine into it, almost overflowing the glass before he stopped.
Raven watched with a mixture of emotions she couldn't easily format as the Prince lowered his head to the side, so his eyes would be level with the wine glass.
Nodding his head at something Raven couldn't tell, he straightened back up and levitated the open Wine Bottle to his mouth before he grabbed it with a hoof as his horn stopped glowing.
Raven watched in fascination as Prince Blueblood emptied half a wine bottle in only a few seconds.
And once he was done, he let go of the bottle and calmly placed it on the table, his eyes looking at his own reflection on the snow-melting roof.
"I'm not drunk enough to do this," He whispered to himself, his eyes moving from his own reflection to that of Raven's reflection.
"I'm a piece of shit, I don't know any other way of saying this, I'm not good with emotional situations, never have been and probably never will be, So while there may be a much easier way of saying what I'm trying to say, I don't know it." He said, the back of his head resting on the back of his chair as he looked up.
"So I'm going to do what I always do when I don't know what I'm doing and just be blunt about it." He said before taking a deep breath.
"I am in a long-range relationship with what I would call a long-term romantic interest," Blueblood said, his eyes briefly moving to the wine bottle before they turned back to Raven's reflection.
"I am telling you this so you'd at least understand where I'm coming from," Blueblood's horn glowed as the bottle of wine levitated back into his hooves.
Raven took the overflown wine glass and dragged it towards her, spilling parts of it on the table along the way.
"So that you don't get your hopes up from this," Blueblood said with a frown as he took another drink of the wine.
Raven downed the wine glass.
"If you still want to continue," Blueblood paused as he took a deep sigh, his hoof moving to hold his head as he agonized over a better way to phrase his words, before shaking his head and continuing. "It can only be casual, I'm telling you this because-"
"-You are my friend."
Raven slammed the empty wine glass back onto the table before abruptly standing up and walking away, Leaving the rest of her food untouched.
Blueblood merely looked at her reflection on the ceiling march away from him as he sighed tiredly.
"I'm a piece of shit," I thought to myself as I watched the Elevator go down. "Dammit past me, Why did you have to do this," I stretched my limbs as I stood up from the chair.
"None of this would have happened if you simply spent a night trick-or-treating with Luna," I took out my wallet and placed a tip on the table before starting to walk to the elevator.
"But nooo~ You just had to push forward with the Caninia Deal, and for what? You didn't even have a boat," I kicked my feet as the elevator slowly descended.
"And now look what ya' did, You stupid idiot," A smile spread on my face as the Elevator reached the bottom.
I ignored the looks I was getting as I left the restaurant and got on a chariot.
"I'm a Piece of shit, no doubt," I chuckled to myself as I drove back to Canterlot, "But I'm a freedom-loving piece of shit, so It's time to own up to my actions,"
"Did you say something back there?" The Driver asked through the window separating us.
"Shut up and keep driving," I told him.
The Driver rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, but did so regardless, The two Earth-Stallions carrying the chariot continued to move as they did their job.
Knocking on the door of a room in the castle, Prince Blueblood waited for a response from the Pony inside, a bubble of soundproof magic covering him and a bottle of cheap boxed wine.
The Door opened slightly to reveal Raven Inkwell peaking out at him, the makeup she wore previously was washed away by streaks of dried tears on her cheeks.
"May I come in?" Blueblood asked as he raised the bottle of cheap fermented grape juice.
Raven stared at him through the crack sh made in the door before taking a step back and opening it for him to enter.
Inside the room, The two ponies sat across each other on the carpet on the floor.
"I wanted to at least apologize somewhat," Blueblood told Raven as he popped open the bottle of wine, "So do you want the first drink?"
Raven stared blankly at the bottle of wine before looking around for a bit. "There aren't any glasses,"
"This is cheap trash," Blueblood let out a quiet laugh, "It doesn't deserve a glass, Just drink from the mouth," He paused and thought it over for a moment, "Unless of course, you aren't comfortable with it, That's totally fine and I-" Raven cut him off by grabbing the bottle and placing it to her lips.
An almost pained look crossed her face as a sour liquid flowed down her throat, almost causing her to spit it out.
"Why are you-" cough cough "-Doing this?" Raven asked once she stopped drinking from the bottle, passing it back to the prince.
"Because while I might be a Piece of Shit, I still consider you my friend, and don't want you to feel bad," He told her as he placed the wine to his own lips. "Wow, this really is trash."He coughed into his hoof as he passed the bottle back to Raven.
"Friend?" Raven asked as she took another drink from the wine, "I never had much friends," She passed it back.
"Me neither," Blueblood told her as he took a drink from the bottle, "It's hard to make friends when you're like me,"
"I don't blame you," Raven took the bottle back before drinking more, "I'm actually thankful you told me," She smiled easily as she stopped drinking from the bottle, but still held it in her hooves, watching the small amount of remaining wine at the bottom of the bottle.
"So... You can't do romance?" Raven felt fuzzy as she looked at her reflection in the bottle. There were a lot of reflections this evening...
"No romance, no." Blueblood shook his head as he watched the bottle of Wine if Raven's lap.
"But you said something about casual relationships back then..." Raven pointed out as she raised the bottle closer to her mouth.
"I mean, yeah. It's less of a real relationship and more of a Friends with Benefits thing, allowing me to fuck until I and her are permanent, so-" Raven heard enough.
She poured whatever was left of the cheap bottle of sour wine into her mouth and threw herself onto Blueblood, her lips meeting with his as she opened his mouth, the wine passing between the two as her tongue burst into his mouth. Cheap wine poured down the front of the two ponies' white coats.
After a few seconds, Raven let go of him.
"You said I'm your friend," Raven smiled with a red face as she bit her lip, untying her brown hair loose from the bun she usually kept it in before shoving her leg into Blueblood's chest, pushing him down to his back as she stood above him, licking her lips as she looked down at him.
"So now show me the benefits,"
"Now Blueblood won't find us," Princess Luna smiled as she crawled over the top of a roof, a small pile of snow piling on top of her as she looked through her binoculars at the restaurant's top floor.
And saw that it was empty.
"They already returned to the Castle, you know that, right?" Celestia told her casually, the snow melting around her and keeping her clean.
Luna slowly turned her head to look at her Sister, "You could have told us!" Luna shouted as she threw the binoculars away.
Only the binoculars were wrapped around her neck, so she threw herself slightly forward as the goggles pulled back and smashed into her chest.
"Ow..." Luna grunted on the snowy roof.
"That's what you get for spying," Celestia told her as she grabbed her sister in a magic hold and flew back to Canterlot.
Cosmos, The Spirit of Space, perked up her head as the voice of someone not her Prince echoed out in her endless prison.
"Cady is that you?" She asked as her arm slapped the invisible floor below her, throwing her up into the air to look around.
"Yeah, It's me. Bluey told me to wear your Gems when I go to sleep, He wanted a night to himself," Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's voice echoed out as Cosmos looked for her.
"Just a moment, I'll be right with you!" She yelled as her head fell down to the floor. And with a snap of her fingers, the vast nothingness of space was replaced with the same Tropical Beach her Prince loved to illusion onto the dreamlike prison.'
Pearly White Sand, Clear Blue water, the Sun shining in the sky with not a cloud in sight, A pair of Lounge chairs, and an Umbrella above them.
Cosmos looked around once more and her eyes widened when she spotted the Pink Princess of Love stumble out of the tropical foliage making the backdrop of her little Tropical Beach.
"Want a Pineapple?" Cosmos asked the princess as a pair of pineapple sunglasses appeared on her head, her arm extending to the Princess as she showed off a pineapple with a straw coming out of the top.
Cadance looked in wonder at the beach she was in before her horn glowed and she grabbed the offered fruit. Taking a sip from the straw.
The Fake juice felt so real.
After laying down on a chair and watching the ever-present Sunset of the fake Beach, Cadance looked at her new gal pal.
"So, This is how you spend your time?" She asked, looking at the decapitated head of the Spirit.
"Like this?" Cosmos looked at the beach in front of her before smirking to herself, "Nah," She wiped her single arm in front of herself, and the beach changed to an indoor living room, "I've been playing Video Games, Blueblood showed 'em to me," A Pair of controllers appeared in Cosmos's hand. "Here, Catch," She threw a controller at Cadance, Who quickly caught the plastic controller as the Television screen came to life.
It showed a pair of Earth Ponies with Brown Mustaches wearing Red and Green overalls, Looking up at some cartoony monster behind them, a short green Unicorn could be seen flying on a winged-Bean in the background.
"I'll show you, Just a few hours, then we'll talk about what you want," Cosmos told her cheerfully as she pressed a few buttons on her controller.
Cadance looked at the plastic device in her hooves, "I'm not that good at these Games." She told the Spirit, "Shining tried to invite me to a session of Ogres & Oubliettes," A small smile appeared on the Princess's face, "It didn't go well," A chuckle, "But I had fun, so sure, Let's play this game of yours,"
A Wide Smile spread over Cosmos's face, "Really? Then let's try this instead!" And with a snap of her fingers, the two found themselves wearing the same outfits as the two ponies on the Television. The walls of the living room collapsed to reveal a wide-open field with a beautiful castle on the other side.
"Come on Cady! We need to save the princess!" The Spirit of Space yelled excitedly, She had Blue overalls and a Green cap with the letter C on her head.
Cadance once again took a moment to look around before staring at her own pair of Blue overalls and Red cap, a quiet laugh exiting her lips.
"Sure," She smiled as she joined Cosmos, looking at her now almost feline body as opposed to the decapitated head with an arm she had previously.
Raven Inkwell woke up to the smell of Tobacco and smoke.
She weakly opened her eyes, and then quickly shut them with a groan as her head started aching.
This wasn't like her, Usually so punctual and tidy, to wake up with an aching head and twitching legs.
"You know, Smoking is bad for you," She turned to look at the window of her room, and the white outline of her bedmate greeted her blurry vision.
She still needs her glasses.
She fumbled around for a moment before she found them and put them on.
And with visual clarity, came the half-drunk memories of last night.
Memories of a night filled with Tears, Sweat, Cheap wine, and Passion.
Now Raven understood why she had trouble standing straight.
"Did... What happened last night... Does it..." Raven fumbled her speech as she looked over at Prince Blueblood.
Leaning against and looking out the window of her room, a cigarette in his mouth as he took a breath of smoke, his Golden blonde hair tucked behind his ears to stay clear of the smoking stick.
Raven enjoyed a long look at the Stallion's carefully sculpted muscles and shining white fur, her eyes scanning him like a peruser at a museum, searching for the secret details in a work of art.
"Does it what?" The Unicorn asked her as a puff of smoke left his lips and out the open window, into the snow-covered world outside her bedroom walls.
"What are we?" Raven asked him, walking up to stand beside him as the two watched gentle puffs of snow fall from the clouds in the winter morning.
"Friends with Benefits." The Stallion explained, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and blasting it with a small beam of magic, sending it flying in a cloud of magic smoke into a garbage bin far outside the castle.
"So... Nothing really changed?" Raven asked as she side-eyed the larger Stallion.
"I wouldn't say nothing changed," Blueblood said as he leaned on the windowsill and pulled his head out, turning to look directly up at the fluffy white clouds, "I'd say we're closer than we were before, for obvious reasons. We're just really good friends now," He pulled his head back into the room, the small pile of snow he collected on his face melting away and soaking into his fur.
"We're... Friends?" Raven whispered in question, testing the word on her lips a couple of times, "We're not just colleagues, but also Friends?"
Blueblood blinked at her in confusion, looking behind him as if to check if another pony was in the room with them.
"I mean... Yeah? Why wouldn't we be friends? We're FWB, It has Friends in the Acronym. Unless you mean before last night?" At Raven's nod he continued, "Well, Why wouldn't we be friends? You think a colleague will just run to your room as an excuse to get away from a family member?" Raven shook her head at that.
"Then that's that. There's no deep meaning behind friends, You just make them. Every living creature forms some sort of companionship or another, Friends is just another form of that," Blueblood told her before he walked past her and into her bathroom, looking himself over in the mirror.
"And us? We're good friends who happen to fuck sometime, no biggie," He said as turned his head to the side and closed in on his eyelids, Stretching his bottom lid slightly as he stared at a small dark circle under his eyelids.
"So... We're not-" Raven was interrupted.
"Romantically involved? Sorry, but no." Blueblood said as he levitated a small box of makeup from the corner, trying to cover up his dark circles.
"Huh..." Raven sat down on her bed, her eyes still glued to the Stallion as he spoke.
"But hey," He said as he exited her bathroom, the circles under his eyes gone, "If you want to sleep with me just come to my room, you know the hidden passage anyway," He smiled at her, leaned on to kiss her on the cheek, and then left through a hidden door in the wall opening for him.
Raven sat still on her bed, eyes looking at the hidden door the prince left through before her hoof slowly rose to touch her cheek where he kissed her.
"I might just take your offer," She whispered to herself, before throwing herself onto her bed and hugging her pillow, rolling on the mattress.
"!!!" She squealed adorably into her pillow as she rolled, kicking her legs in the air with childish excitement.
"How?" Starlight breathed heavily, sweat pouring down her back as she lay on the mat of the training hall, "How do you deal with it?" She asked the White Alicorn standing above her.
Princess Celestia looked at the Unicorn below her before sighing to herself. "Follow me," And she started walking, not bothering to wait for Starlight to follow.
Starlight scrambled onto her legs and started walking after the princess, Following her as the two walked down the corridors of the castle.
Celestia stopped once she reached the dining room, with a glow of her horn she corrected the slight tilt of a nearby painting.
Starlight watched as the wall next to her opened up, revealing a staircase going down into the darkness.
"Come on," Celestia said as she walked into the secret passageway, Her horn providing a source of light for the two.
Celestia stopped as the stairs ended and the tunnel opened up to a surprisingly fancy-looking room, magical lamps setting a nice lighting for the room next to a velvet couch and a table. Racks of different Alcohol bottles lined the wall, an expensive Blue carpet softened the floor.
"I see Bluey found this room..." Celestia whispered to herself with a small smile before she shot a bolt of magic onto a specific brick in the ceiling, the wall in front of her opened up into a wider hall, dust flowing into the cellar.
"You wanted to ask me how I deal with losing those close to me, Did you not?" Celestia said as she looked down at Starlight Glimmer from the corner of her eye. "Let me show you, What I do to deal with it..."
Starlight gulped as she followed Celestia into the secret hall behind the secret cellar.
As soon as the two entered, the door closed behind them. Torches on the wall magically burst to light with white flames one by one, illuminating the hall from end to end.
The hall was large, Starlight could almost feel the age of the magic spells protecting this one room, imagining how powerful the pony who cast them must have been to do so and still be felt all those years later.
Celestia walked down the long hall followed by the Purple mare, Her eyes stared at the paintings on the wall.
Paintings of Ponies Starlight's only seen in History books or children's stories...
Starlight saw a Painting of a head butler placed beside the painting of an energetic filly. An Old Warrior placed beside a gentle poet. Paintings of Creatures from all walks of life covered the walls of the hall, from Nobility to Common Folk.
As the two silently continued walking down the hall, the style of the paintings also changed, Oil switched to Water, and Suits of Chainmail switched to Leather and Plate.
And the deeper they went, the more changed.
No more were there only paintings, now there were pictures, black and white and grainy, but taken with a camera nonetheless.
Starlight paused as she looked at a particular photo, magically enlarged to the size of a portrait.
In it, She saw a small White Unicorn Colt, his face scrunched in discomfort as Princess Celestia squished her face next to his own, her Aurora of a mane tangling up in his golden blonde, a bright smile on her face as she hugged the young Pony.
They looked like a mother and son...
"Sending him to private tutoring so I focus on Sunset was a mistake..." Starlight jumped as Celestia spoke beside her, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked at the picture, at the photo of what could have been a happy royal family.
"What?" Starlight carefully asked, not hearing Celestia's words.
Celestia looked at her with something akin to sorry in her eyes before she shook her head, "Forget what I said,"
Starlight watched as Celestia started walking deeper into the Hall. She took one last look at the photo before following after her.
And as they went, more and more photos appeared of Ponies Starlight could recognize.
She saw a Young Princess Cadance trying to cast her first spell, A fresh out of the Academy Shining Armor smiling brightly at the camera while holding his new officer's badge.
She saw a tiny purple Unicorn she recognized as Twilight Sparkle. Then she saw another photo of Twilight, And anoter of Cadance, A Picture of Raven appeared in there, before another Photo of Twilight showed up.
Starlight noted that there wasn't another picture of the blonde Unicorn from before.
Another photo of Raven, Followed by two pictures of Twilight Sparkle and another photo of Cadance.
Then she stopped again, watching a group photo of six mares with magical instruments around their necks, standing in an abandoned castle as the rays of the sun cast down upon them. And on the small blue Alicorn between them.
The next few pictures were almost exclusively those of Princess Luna, with Short Blue hair and small stature, Long Hair and Tall legs, It didn't matter, they were almost exclusively of Luna.
Until another photo of more than one pony caught her eye.
Taken a month and a half ago according to the date on the photo, Starlight watched a pair of familiar ponies stand over a table, working together to finish up on paperwork late into the night.
This was the second Picture of Blueblood Starlight saw, and it also included Raven Inkwell in it.
And seeing as there were only two more pictures, Which Starlight could already see didn't contain the prince, She noticed a pattern with the two photos.
Prince Blueblood didn't appear in his Pictures by himself, it was either Celestia or Raven who appeared with him, but never alone.
The next two pictures were of Cadance and, unsurprisingly once again, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia stood in front of the empty wall next to the last picture, her horn glowing as a new photo appeared in her hold, showing a surprised Princess Luna tangled under a blanket as snow piled up on her with what seemed like Salted Crackers.
With a brighter glow to her horn, the picture enlarged to fit the same size as the rest before it found itself a new home on the long line of pictures Celestia kept.
"This is how I deal with it," Celestia spoke somberly, "I treasure them, Each and every one," She told her, and Starlight quietly stared at the Princess as her back hunched down, as if a massive weight was pressed on her shoulders.
"I am Old, Starlight Glimmer, Older than any ruler of my standing should be, In any other life I would have long ago retired, living the rest of my days as an old hag, telling tales of better times..." Celestia said as she looked fondly at the new picture she placed on the wall, "But those times aren't where I'm at..." She let out a sigh of exhaustion.
To Starlight, Princess Celestia almost seemed to physically age in front of her very eyes, that was simply how dreadful her posture was.
"How Old really is she?" Starlight mentally asked herself as she stared at the Princess of the Sun.
A Sudden snapping sound and a flash of light pulled Starlight out of her funk, Her eyes widening to see Celestia stand tall and confident as if the sudden wave of tiredness was nothing but a trivial matter. A Camera levitated in front of her smirking face as a photo slowly rolled out.
A Photo of Starlight staring blankly at the camera.
Princess Celestia smirked at the photo in her grasp, before she shot it with a beam of magic and sent it away in a puff of smoke.
"Starlight Glimmer," Celestia said as she looked down at Starlight, deep beneath Canterlot Castle, in a Hall none but few knew about.
"...yes?" Starlight shrunk under the Princess, knowing full well that should the Princess Choose to dispose of her, nobody will ever find the body.
"I must say," The Princess started, "I do not particularly like you,"
Starlight gulped nervously.
"However, I do not hate you. There are very few creatures I can say that I hate, and most of them are luckily no longer with us,"
Starlight nodded her head, trying to appear small and weak to the princess.
"So... Perhaps you'll find that picture I just took on this wall someday in the future," And like a candle in the wind, the stress of the situation blew away and Starlight let out a breath she didn't know she held.
"Now hurry along," Celestia told her, waving her leg as she signed her to leave, "I'm sure you have better things to do."
Starlight stared at the Princess, watching her look fondly at the pictures on the wall, before turning away and walking back to where she came from.
Leaving Princess Celestia alone with her memories.
"Oh Sombra, If only I had a camera all those years ago..." Celestia whispered to herself, her mind traveling to a Mirror held in a corner of the castle nopony walked in centuries.
"If only..."
As Starlight climbed back up the stairs leading to the hidden Cellar, She thought back to the Princess who stayed behind, At the tired face she showed her for a brief moment, even if it was only an act, And at that same face in the picture with the colt, a smile so bright it could be considered a sun of its own.
Her mind then moved to her own mother, to the new grave at Sire's Hollow's local graveyard.
And to the wide smile her mother gave her as she hugged her after the Grand Galloping Gala, after years of not seeing each other, Of the tears the two shed as they caught up and spoke about things they hadn't gotten the opportunity to.
"Miss Glimmer, Is everything alright?" Starlight paused as an old Unicorn wearing a Servant's coat stopped beside her.
"Huh? Yeah, Why?" Starlight questioned the old butler.
"Because you're leaving tears all over the floor," His accusation didn't sound angry, he sounded... Sad?
Starlight looked down and spotted a small puddle forming under her head. Her hoof quickly went to touch her face, and she felt moisture.
"Am I... Crying?" She asked herself, the tears trailing down her cheeks faster as the realization hit her.
She misses her Mom.
"Wait right here! I'll go grab a box of tissues," The Butler said as he ran off.
Leaving the mare to silently cry in the middle of a hallway.
Hearth's Warming, A Holiday for the whole family to gather together and exchange gifts. A Holiday of Family, Friendship, And Community.
"What do you mean you aren't coming to the play?"
Princess Luna, Princess of Dreams, Alicorn of the Moon, was looking forward to celebrating her first Hearth's Warming back from the Moon with her entire family.
She couldn't celebrate Nightmare Night with them all, So Hearth's Warming was the next best thing.
"As I already said Luna, I have prior arrangements that I cannot delay," When Prince Blueblood told her he wouldn't be coming to the Hearth's Warming Play in the Canterlot Theater, she felt like her entire night was ruined before it began.
"Are you sure you cannot delay?" She asked her good friend, "It is Hearth's Warming,"
Prince Blueblood shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I will not delay my meeting for a reason as simple as a Play at the Theater,"
Watching him leave, Princess Luna felt her smile fade and her brows crease.
"What is so important for him that he must throw Hearth's Warming aside?" Luna asked herself as the Prince returned to what he was previously doing.
"Don't worry Princess Luna, I'm still going to the play," A smidgen of a smile returned to Luna's face when Princess Cadance told her those words, but it simply wasn't the same.
Luna simply doesn't have the same relationship with Cadance that she does with Blueblood.
"And for that we are thankful, But We've just remembered that something important is happening today so we will not be able to make it to the play either," Luna nodded to herself, her eyes still glued to the door Blueblood exited through.
"You're planning on following Bluey, aren't you?" Princess Mi Amore Cadenza asked Luna blankly.
"Yes, Yes we are," Luna smiled at her new family member.
"In that case, I'll go and update Auntie Celestia that I also have something important to do," Cadance smiled at the Dark Blue Alicorn as she left the room.
"Of course," Luna nodded to herself with a mischievous smile, "We are all most busy... Hihihihihi..." She giggled.
Our Town, A Town that was not long ago demolished and removed, built illegally by a maniacal sorceress and her cult of-
"You know I can hear you, You're not as funny as you think you are,"
But Recently, The Kind and Generous Prince Blueblood Platinum bought the rights to the land Our Town was built upon, not like that evil witch who decided that property tax is absurd-
"Just Because I didn't pay taxes doesn't mean I don't understand Property Tax, Also did you call me an evil witch?"
Starlight Glimmer has a secret stash of porno mags taped to the underside of her bed, hidden from the castle staff. She thinks nobody can find them, but she's really bad at keeping them hidden-
"Blueblood I swear to Harmony, I am going to hit you,"
I smiled to myself as I turned away from the window of the exclusive cart on the train, smiling smugly at my Bodyguard at my success in causing her to verbally threaten me.
"You know," I smirked, "If I wasn't your friend, I would have taken that as a threat,"
"But you didn't, because as much of an idiot as you may be, You're not stupid," Starlight said as she held her head in her arms, sighing in defeat at her curse of being burdened with my protection.
Something she fails at almost all the time, but that's fine.
"Of course, I'm not stupid! I'm-"
"Prince Blueblood Platinum, I know that already, Just get back to why we're going to Our Town?" Starlight groaned out defeated.
"First, it's Captain Prince Blueblood mother-fucking Platinum, I worked hard for that degree, thank you very much, And secondly, We're going to check on our newest BBF Factories," I told Starlight, my head turning back to look out the window, Ignoring the very badly hidden Alicorn's sitting further back the car.
"Okay, So you built Factories in Our Town, Why do you need factories exactly?" Starlight asked.
I smiled as I leaned down to my Spatial Bag and pulled out two containers.
One was a Mason Jar filled with red jam, and the second was a similar Jar filled with a creamy yellow sauce.
"Because I'm making products to sell, Starlight," I pass over the two glass jars over to the Unicorn in the black suit.
"I thought the BBF was a trading company," Starlight said as she grabbed the two jars and took closer looks at them.
"Well," I started to say, feeling proud of all that I've accomplished in such a short span of time, "The BBF Is, First and Foremost, A Company whose purpose is to assist the livelihood of its founder and namesake, One Blueblood Platinum, Using the many aspects and options available to the company, from Shipping and Trade to Construction jobs, and even grocery brands. The BBF Is privately owned and founded by-"
"Stop! Don't give me a sales pitch, Just give me the basics," Starlight said as she oh so rudely cut me off.
"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "The BBF Makes Money while supporting the communities around it, mainly by giving the people jobs and promoting tourism in its wake. Right Now, We're going to check on some Factories and Farms I bought, built, and now Own, Because they're to make money. A Shipping company needs customers who need shipments, and currently, our customers are us, and Caninia, So while the Dogs give us construction materials, We give them goods and services that aren't found easily in Caninia, Such as but not limited to, What I'm working on in the factories we're visiting,"
"So you're a modern-day merchant? That's what you're getting at?" Starlight asked after listening to my explanation.
"Pretty much, yes," I nodded.
"Then why didn't you just say so and save both of us the time?" Starlight groaned and laid her head on the table between us.
"Because, Starlight my oh so wonderful friend, If I just hurried along and got to the point, you wouldn't be groaning in annoyance," I told my Bodyguard with a smile.
Starlight Groaned in annoyance, "I'm going to kill you..."
"Love you too~" I chuckled with a smirk.
"Oh! Mistah Prince Sir! I didn't know ya we're gonna be visiting so soon!"
Hughbert Jellius wasn't the smartest tool in the shed, So when Prince Blueblood offered him a job opportunity that seemed promising, he had to go and ask his ma, She was the smart one.
His ma agreed almost immediately.
Hughbert trusted his Ma, She never steered him wrong ever in his life of forever as he can remember, No Sir!
And now Hughbert was very happy his Ma was so smart.
"I'm pretty sure I notified you two days ago that I'll be coming for a visit, but that's fine," Prince Blueblood smiled at the Earth Pony, "I'm here to see how you're doing, there aren't any problems with the workers or the machines, right? I want you to tell me if there are,"
"Aha, No Sir!" Hughbert shouted with a goofy smile on his face, "The Workers are taking the Jam lessons like a Jam to a Toast, And the Machines are making preserving the Jams so much easier," Hughbert gave the prince a walk around the Factory, pointing and talking about what he thought about different machines and tools.
"That's wonderful to hear," The Prince Smiled charmingly at the Pony, "How Much time do you think you'll need to start production at full capacity?" He asked Hughbert, "Don't get me wrong, You're doing amazing work here, but I want to have these Jars on the shelves before Hearts and Hooves day."
Hughbert nodded his head, "Don't worry non' Mr. Your Highness, We'll get you all the Jelly you'll ever need," He smiled widely at his employer.
"That is good to hear, I'll have someone come by next week to collect all the Jars you and the team have made, Take Care now," The Prince told Hughbert after another few minutes of talking with one another.
"You take care yourself Your Highness Sir!"
Leaving the large brick building, Blueblood and Starlight kept walking down the road before they reached another brick building of similar size that stood beside another building with a lower roof but much farther length.
"I'm guessing this is where you make the second Jar?" Starlight asked as the smell of farm animals filtered into her nose.
"Yep, This one was a bit tricky to make, not because it's expensive, but because finding workers who'd do it was much harder," Blueblood smiled up at the large building before pushing the large metal doors in, "Allow me to show you, The BBF's very first Egg Factory,"
Looking at the Duo of Unicorns from afar, coats of thick fur keeping them warm from the winter snow, A Pair of Alicorns let out gasps of shock at the sight of the second factory.
"Look at all those Chickens!" Luna exclaimed in amazement, her words completely wrong in regard to the species of animal raised on the farm.
"How many Quail Eggs are there?!" Cadance on the other hand got the animal right, her eyes wide as she stared at rows upon rows of cardboard containers filled with Quail Eggs.
"Thank you so much for having us act in this play, Princess Celestia," Twilight Sparkle smiled up at her teacher and role model.
"I am the one who should be thanking you for agreeing to this, Twilight," Princess Celestia smiled at her pupil and her friends, "I assume you all practiced for your roles in advance,"
"You betcha'!" Rainbow Dash said loudly, throwing her hoof into the air as she flew around backstage.
And as the rest of the Elements of Harmony started to speak up, Celestia thought about how lovely it would be to watch the upcoming play.
Watching the bags of quality bird feed, consisting of corn, wheat, black oil sunflower seeds, and Millet, pour into the trays stacked above each other, rows upon rows, really put a smile on my face.
"Do you see this Starlight?" I ask as I take a deep breath of the factory, the smell of seeds and feathers filling my nose, "This is the future of commerce, this is industrialization in its purest form,"
"What is?" Starlight asked, mouth agape as she looked on at the rows upon rows of Quails in cages, "Putting birds in cages? I'm pretty sure we've been doing that for centuries,"
"No no no, Not the cages, The Design," I smirk at her and start giving her a tour of the place, showing her how the eggs are collected, moved, processed, and how at the end of it all, jars of Mayo get made.
"I would have used plastic containers, but in this day and age, Plastic is somehow more expensive than just magically creating jars of glass," I explain as I continue walking around the factory, greeting the workers with a smile as I pass by.
"Your Highness!" The worker I placed in charge of running the factory called out to me.
"Just a moment, Starlight," I tell my bodyguard and walk closer to the Mare, "What is it, Fowl Feather?"
"Some of the workers had questions about how we'll take care of the Quails over the holiday," The Bulky Pegasus Mare asked, her mane and tail held in baggy hats and an apron covering her front.
"Well that's easy, The Night-shift guards will deal with it like usual," I smile at Fowl Feather.
"But- But your Highness, It's Hearth's Warming Eve tonight!" She exclaimed with widened eyes.
"And?"
"And- What do you- It's Hearths Warming, You don't keep working on hearth's warming!"
My smile dimmed slightly as I slung my leg around the mare's shoulders and pulled her close to me, shoulder to shoulder all buddy-like.
"Fowl Feather, You're a smart mare, I wouldn't have picked you for this job if you couldn't handle it, And I know you can handle this easily. So I want to ask you, What does it say in your contract in regards to holidays?" I ask her.
"I get twenty sick days and ten days off a year, Where I don't need to go to work, Right?" The Pegasus smiled weakly.
"Exactly," I slap her on the shoulder and let go, "Same goes for everybody else who works here, If they don't want to do the night shift, they take a day off."
"But-" I quickly cut her off.
"Upupup, no butts Fowl Feather, unless they're for making more eggs. A Winter Holiday does not give you an excuse to miss work, somebody needs to be here for the night, and it is your job to get them to be here, Because if nobody guards the place on account of being in some Hearth's Warming Party or whatever it is, and something happens to the Quails, or worse yet, the Factory, then that disaster will be on your head, and nobody wants that on their resume, right?" I smile at the Pegasus.
"No- No sir, Of course not!" Fowl Feather quickly changed her tune at that not-so-subtle threat to her career, "The Night Shift will remain unchanged!"
I smiled at the ex-guard, "Good, carry on then with your work, don't let my little visit bother or distract you more than necessary,"
"Of course Sir! Right away Sir!" Fowl Feather saluted, an act which almost looked funny with how she was dressed, before she quickly went back to work, chewing out a group of workers who were slacking off.
I smiled widely as I watched the group of slackers pick themselves up and resume working on overdrive.
"I love being a prince,"
"Okay so you inspected the factories, what's next on the agenda?" Starlight Glimmer asked as she and her boss returned to the train and sat down, wiping some snow off her mane.
"Next we're going to Pig's Eye City, Where I'll be donating publicly to the sick and needy," Blueblood explained, already drawing up checks of money to throw at the city.
"Why Pig's Eye? Wouldn't Whinnyapolis be better?" Starlight asked, confused about the reasoning for the city.
"You see Starlight," Blueblood Started, "While Whinnyapolis is bigger, it is not the local capital," He tapped the table between them as his horn shone, creating a small illusion of two miniature cities.
"Pig's Eye is where the governor lives, and we'll be meeting with him to give him a proposition that I am sure he would love to accept," He said, the illusion he created zooming into one of the cities, showing an Earth Pony with a stamp as his cutie-mark.
"And what is that proposition?" Starlight asked, her eyes briefly moving to the window of the train, seeing the snow falling gently to the ground.
"Why, It's to assist in the building of our Pony-Yak Railway, Of course," The Prince told her and the illusion changed, showing now a top-down view of North Equestria and the Tundra above it, leading all the way to the arctic north, with Yakyakistan in the north-west corner.
"Pig's Eye City is the perfect place to build a railway connecting all the northern provinces of Equestria, making the moving of supplies from the East Coast to the West much simpler and cheaper," A Red dotted line appeared on the illusionary map, spreading from Pig's Eye City in two directions and stopping at every local capitol it passed through before a blue dotted line spread out of Seaddle, Hoofington, and moved north along the western coast, passing between mountains before stopping outside Yakyakistan, several small red and blue flags popping along the way to signify stopping points.
"Once the Materials from Caninia start arriving, we're gonna have to move them across the continent," Blueblood explained, "We'll have a few months of moving it all by carriage, but in a year or two, if everything goes well, this North-Continental train-track will deal with it for us," he leaned back on his sofa, "Any questions?"
"Yeah," Starlight nodded her head, "Couldn't you have done this on another day? Why Hearth's Warming specifically?"
"Because People will see us on Christmas, Starlight, People will see me walking around and donating to their city, and then the paparazzi will take notice. And when the Paparazzi take note, they want to start rumors, and with a few carefully placed words from yours truly, the governor of Whinnesota won't be able to say no," Prince Blueblood Smiled.
"Okay everyone, the play is about to start soon," Twilight Sparkle said happily as she walked back into the changing room of the Canterlot Theatre.
In the crowd waiting for the play, Princess Celestia looked at the three empty chairs beside her, hoping her family would be able to make it before the play started.
"They must be getting ready," She told herself, "Harmony knows Blueblood and Cadance can't leave the castle without an hour of getting ready," She shook her head and took a calming breath.
They'll be here soon, Surely.
Walking down the Streets of Pig's Eye City, Princess Luna looked in astonishment at the wide variety of creatures living together in the same city.
"There seems to be a rather large population of Diamond Dogs and Buffalo in this city," She whispered to herself, prompting Princess Cadance to start telling her what she knew of the history of the city.
"And what about that tree in the middle?" Luna pointed out to a large evergreen planted in the middle of a square, decorated with lights and baubles.
"Oh, That's a Nollag Tree, it's part of a Canine Winter Holiday which happens around this time," Cadance explained as she also looked at the brightly decorated tree, "Now that I think about it, Let's go buy some Eggnog," The Princess of Love smiled at her new aunt, "Come on, Luna, It'll be fun,"
"Hmm... And what is this Eggnog you speak of?" Luna asked as she started following the Pink Princess.
"It's chilled, frothy, sweetened milk with whipped egg whites, Sometimes having a distilled spirit mixed in," A Familiar voice sounded out beside the two Princesses, causing them to jump and turn to the source of the voice.
"Personally I enjoy having Bourbon in mine, but I can see how some might prefer Rum or Brandy, Add a bit of cinnamon powder to the top and you have yourself a nice after-dinner drink," Prince Blueblood said with a smile to his fellow members of the Crown.
"How did you find us?! We were hidden!" Luna exclaimed in astonishment, causing Blueblood to laugh out loud at her reaction.
"Luna Luna Luna, Might I remind you that you are a head taller than almost every other pony, and your dark colors are incredibly visible over the white snow, and Cadance is bright Pink, You two weren't exactly camouflaged, Haha!" The Prince cheerfully said.
"Wait a minute," Cadance suddenly spoke up, "I thought you didn't celebrate Hearth's Warming,"
Blinking his eyes in confusion, Blueblood responded, "I don't, Just drinking Eggnog does not mean I celebrate Christmas, All Holidays are wastes of time and I could be doing something much more proactive during them, Now smile for the camera quickly," Blueblood suddenly turned his head away from Luna and Cadance, smiling brightly and cheerfully to a mare with a camera, a sudden flash of light enveloping the group as a photo was taken, and the mare quickly ran away.
"What in the-" Luna blinked the light out of her eyes.
"Paparazzi, They're everywhere if you know where to look," Blueblood told her before smiling once more, flicking his hair upward and looking to the side, striking a sudden pose for another camera before he turned back to Luna, "You should get used to it soon enough,"
"Where's your bodyguard?" Cadance asked, briefly shining a smile for a camera flush before turning back to the group.
"She's speaking with the Governor, passing along some messages I had for him," Blueblood said before once more smiling for the cameras.
Having three royals in one place is a treat for the media ponies.
"I see," Cadance said, "By the way, I'm keeping the necklace with me for another week or so," She said, her hoof wrapping around a red and green crystal around her neck.
"Sure, Just give it back when you're done," Blueblood told her nonchalantly, striking a sudden pose for another camera before turning back to the Princesses, "Anyways, I'm heading back to Canterlot now, Need to get Dinner ready, make it a little holiday gift so Celestia won't be mad I ditched her," And with that, Prince Blueblood turned away from the duo of Alicorns, gave the cameras another princely smile, and headed back to the train station.
"...Perhaps we should join him in the gifting for our sister..." Luna carefully added as she watched her friend walk away.
"You might be right..." Cadance nodded in agreement, "Let's just buy some Eggnog before we go,"
"Of course, was it even a question?" Luna raised a brow before the two Alicorns quickly went to buy sweets for later.
"Thank you for allowing us to stay the night over at the Castle, your Majesty," Twilight Sparkle said with cheer as she and Spike walked with Princess Celestia up the central street of Canterlot City.
"No need to thank me, Twilight, I already told you that you are always welcome to come by," Celestia told her pupil, her usually warm smile somewhat cool in the snowy winter evening, "But I must say, Your performance in the Play was magnificent, It was almost as if Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were really fighting,"
"That's what I said!" Spike the Dragon exclaimed from his spot on Twilight's Back, His small body wrapped in a thick winter coat.
"Indeed," Celestia smiled at the baby Dragon.
Soon reaching the Castle, Celestia opened the doors with a push of her magic. And her eyes widened significantly.
Decorations of Green and Red hung from the ceiling, arcs of shining lights and baubles hung between the pillars of the main hall.
"Wow..." Twilight Sparkle voiced her wonder at the festive look of the castle, her eyes sparkling with amazement at the beauty of the lights.
"Princess Celestia, There you are!" Kibitz, the head butler of the castle and the Princess's personal butler called out to her as he walked swiftly in her direction, a red and white wool hat resting on his head.
"Kibitz, what is going on?" The Princess asked him in a whispering tone.
"I believe it was Blueblood's idea," The Butler said, "All he said was 'Holiday Cheer' and then started shouting orders to the kitchen staff,"
A small smile started to spread on Celestia's face, "Did he now? Well then let us go and speak to him," She told Kibitz, "Come along Twilight, You must be hungry,"
"Are we having Dinner together?! But I'm not dressed for-" Twilight started to panic.
"That is fine Twilight, It's Hearth's Warming Eve after all," The Princess simply said as she led the Unicorn and Dragon deeper into the castle.
Opening the Doors to the dining room, Princess Celestia smiled happily as the smells coming from the table wafted towards her, Salads and Pastas, Turkey and mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage rolls and stuffed bell peppers.
It was a feast fit for a royal.
"Woah..." Twilight and Spike once more said in amazement at the sight of the lights and decorations surrounding the room, Spike's eyes locking onto the Large and juicy turkey in the middle of the table, his mouth watering at the thought of having a taste.
"Ah, Auntie Celestia," Princess Mi Amore Cadenza said with a smile, "Sorry we couldn't make it to your play, We helped make this dinner as a way of saying sorry," She told her before her eyes caught Twilight.
"Ahh Twilight! Look how much you've grown!" The Pink Princess exclaimed with a wide and happy smile, grabbing the Purple Unicorn's hooves and pulling her into a little dance.
"Cadance! Sunshine Sunshine Ladybugs Awake, Clap your hooves and Do a little shake," Twilight Sparkle giggled as she danced with her old Foalsitter.
"Sister Sister, Look!" Princess Luna pulled Celestia away from her Student and Niece before lifting a plate of little sliced vegetables.
There was nothing fancy or specifically festive about it, it wasn't even a salad.
"We have assisted in the creation of Dinner!" Luna said proudly, gently putting the plate of vegetables back on the table.
"That's wonderful to hear Lulu, It all looks wonderful," Celestia pulled her younger sister into a hug.
"We know it does, we are the ones who made it! Everything we do is wonderful!" Celestia could almost see Luna's pride swell at that declaration.
"By the way, Where is Bluey?" Celestia whispered to Luna.
"Friend Blueblood is getting the Eggnog ready," Luna whispered back, nodding her head with a smile, still thinking about her rather huge part in the making of the dinner.
Who else could have made a plate of vegetables so incredibly mediocre? Only a powerful Princess could make something so absolutely average it could only be explained with magic.
"Out of the Way! Coming through!" Quickly moving aside, Kibitz made room for Prince Blueblood to walk by, carrying a plate full of mugs of warm eggnog that he placed on a table in the corner of the room, away from the main course.
Celestia smiled at seeing her entire family all in one place, working together, showcasing the real magic of Hearth's Warming.
"Celestia, I see you brought guests," Prince Blueblood smiled at her once he turned toward her, "Come, Make yourself comfortable, the food is ready and I am sure we all are hung- Guhkk!" The Prince was cut off as Celestia pulled him into a strong hug.
"Ooh look at you, Making everything so festive and cheerful, ooh what would I ever do without you, You're the best son ever I love you so much I forgive you for everything I'll always love you I-" Celestia whispered to him as she hugged, not noticing him tapping her leg frantically as his face started turning purple.
During the dinner, Princess Luna spoke up to say something.
"Wa jast noteesd-"
"Swallow before speaking, Lulu, we have guests," Celestia told her sister, who nodded at her and swallowed the food in her mouth before repeating what she tried to say.
"Where is Starlight Glimmer?" She asked.
"She's probably speaking with Raven or something, don't worry about her," Blueblood said, his horn glowing as he cut off a leg from the turkey and placed it on his plate.
"Huh, Makes sense," Luna nodded and returned to eating.
Sitting on a bench in the Snow, waiting for the next train to Canterlot in the Pig's Eye City Train Station. Starlight Glimmer thought back on the actions that led her to where she was.
And found herself surprised that she didn't regret them anymore.
Spike the Dragon cautiously poked the slice of turkey meat on his plate with his fork, looking around at the ponies around him to see if they reacted to the meat. And he found himself surprised to see not one, but two ponies eating from it.
Even more surprising to see one of them being Princess Celestia Herself.
"You're a Dragon," He said to himself in his mind, "You can do this, It's just meat," he took a deep breath, "Think of it like eating a very soft gem,"
And without further wait, he stabbed the bird and shoved it into his mouth.
And then Spike Cried, Cursing his past self for never trying to eat meat before that night.
And so he took a second bite.
"King Aspen hic?, Yeah we know where he lives hic, Thicket, It's in the heart of the Everfree hic, You can't miss it, By the way, Blueblah, Did anypony ever tell you that you're hot? hic, Why are you still a bachelor hic? Go out there and find somepony who can- ZZZZZZZZ" Princess Luna drunkenly told the Prince before her face planted onto the couch, snoring away as she slept.
"Heart of the Everfree you say," Prince Blueblood whispered with a smile, pushing the half-empty mug of Eggnog away from Luna's hoof and readjusting her posture to make sure she wouldn't choke.
"Well well well," He smiled as he looked out the window, and towards a faraway sea of green trees in the distance, "I know where my next big trip will be," He narrowed his eyes, "I'll have to thank Uncle next time I see him," He barked out a short laugh.
"Nah, I don't think so," He shook his head and turned back to his own mug of Bourbon Eggnog.
Prince Blueblood donates to Soup Kitchens across the nation! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza with STUNNING New Necklace! Princess Luna OUTSIDE THE CASTLE??? more on page 8
Closing the newspaper in her hooves, Princess Celestia sighed gently as she took a sip from her morning coffee, a plate with toast and a jar of very good Quail Mayo set beside her on the table.
Closing her eyes in relaxation, Princess Celestia took a bit out of a slice of toast, and let the warm air from the nearby fireplace melt her into her seat.
"Good Morning Princess Celestia," A small smile spread on her lips as her student, Twilight Sparkle, Entered the room, followed by her little brother and assistant, Spike.
"Good Morning to you too, Twilight, How was your night?" Celestia asked, her eyes moving to the pair of gift baskets Spike was attempting to balance.
"It was wonderful, the bed was so soft and the room was so... roomy!" Twilight told the princess, grabbing herself a seat as Celestia levitated a plate with a toast over to her.
"That is nice to hear," Celestia smiled calmly, taking another sip of her coffee.
"We also got these Gift Baskets, Thanks for that by the way," Spike said as he tried placing the baskets he was carrying down on the table, only for him to slip and drop the baskets, allowing them to be caught in Twilight's magic.
"It wasn't me who made them," Celestia told the two before levitating her own basket.
"If it wasn't you, Princess Celestia, then who made these?" Twilight asked before looking into her basket, finding a paper letter.
Grabbing his own letter, Spike opened it and cleared his throat, "Dear Guests of Canterlot Castle, as a celebration of Hearth's Warming and jolly cheer, please enjoy this small gift of BBF Products, consisting of our finest Mayo, Jam, and Hair Conditioner, Ah geez, I don't have hair..." Spike complained before returning to the letter, "Signed with Honor, Prince Blueblood Platinum of Equestria,"
"Prince Blueblood Platinum?" Twilight asked, looking at her own letter and finding the same text written.
"Yes, You remember Blueblood, right?" Celestia asked, smiling humorously at her student's confused expression before she shook her head.
"Never mind that for now, Let us all enjoy our breakfast," The Princess Said as another plate of toast came in.
Opening the Door to her house with a smile on her face, ready to play in the morning snow, A Young Filly paused when she spotted a letter hanging just outside of her mailbox.
With a little glow to her horn, the filly picked up the letter and pulled it closer to read who it was for, before going back inside with the letter in held in her magic.
"Rarity?!" Sweetie Belle called out to her older sister, "Rarity! A Letter arrived for you!"
Instead of getting an answer from her sister, a deep groaning sound was heard from her room upstairs.
Furrowing her brow, Sweetie Belle climbed up the stairs and opened the door to her sister's room, watching as the sudden influx of light combined with the loud sound of her throwing open the door caused the mare sleeping on the bed to tumble out into a mess on the floor.
"Rarity, A letter arrived," Sweetie Belle said easily, not caring for the state her sister was in.
"Ooh, Sweetie Darling, what did I tell you about waking me up?" Rarity asked grouchily, her body still covered by her blanket as she pulled at the expensive fabric covering her in warmth.
"Only to do it when I have something important to tell you?" Sweetie asked, her eyes briefly turning to look at the stamp on the letter before turning back to her sister, "But I think this is important enough,"
"Sweetie, What could be more important than catching up on some beauty sleep? I must look atrocious under this blanket, my mane is a disaster!" Rarity cried dramatically, her Diva personality on full display as she finally pulled her head out of the mangled blanket on the floor, her bedhead splaying her hair everywhere.
"A Letter from the Crown?" Sweetie asked before jumping back as the letter was snatched into Rarity's hooves, quickly opening it and reading it through.
"KYAAAAA!!!!" Rarity screeched in excitement as a specific name appeared on the letter, "PRINCE BLUEBLOOD IS COMING HERE!!!" The Element of Generosity squealed, her little sister covering her ears and wincing at the volume.
"Does it say why?" Sweetie Belle asked as she climbed onto Rarity's Bed in order to get a look at the letter.
"Ahem!" Rarity breathed in before reading out loud, "Dear Miss Rarity, It is in my deepest regrets that I could not have contacted you sooner, He regrets not contacting me!I am writing this letter in order to notify you that on the Sixteenth of January, I will be making a visit to your place of residence as a matter of checkup after the events of the Second Nightmare Moon Scenario, Please keep you schedule open and clear for the day between Nine in the morning and Noon," She read out loud, her eyes sparkling at the thought of the Prince.
"Signed with Honor, Prince Blueblood Platinum of Equestria," Sweetie Belle read the last part herself, before turning to look at her sister, watching her vibrating in place as plentiful scenarios went and passed her mind, dreams of how the Prince might be in person.
Holding her gently as he checked her temperature, His hoof holding her forehead as the warmth of his body flooded her, flinching back as the heat from her head made itself known, only to look down at her and smile confidently, assuring her that everything will be fine, as the two's mouths started inching closer to one another, her breath lost in a sea of pleasure as she finally took a taste of the forbidden fruit, their lips meeting as pleasure turned into passion, with him carrying her into her own bed, ready to make her his...
Rarity's eyes shot open when she felt her legs starting to shake in excitement, ignoring the disgusted look her Sister was giving her for a brief moment.
"I need to start working on a dress, No! A Dress for a home visit is a bit too much, something smaller..." Rarity started mumbling as she stood up and started walking around the room, "A hat? No, Nopony wears a hat indoors to stay fashionable, Would I look good in a Blouse? Who am I kidding I look good in anything, a Blouse it is. Now I need something to go along with it. Denim Pants? Will I rock that look? It's casual enough to fit as loungewear and not be weird, but will it- Of course it will fit me!"
And so with a plan in mind, Rarity raced outside to tell all her friends the good news, Only to immediately run back in as the cold of the snow outside finally woke her up completely.
"I FORGOT TO DO MY MANE!!!"
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at her sisters antics as she skipped outside, a little coat on her body and boots on her hooves, Ready to meet up with her friends and tell them what she just learned.
"PRINCE! A GIFT ARRIVED!"
Carrying on his back a basket of gifts, a large Yak walked up to his prince and placed it in front of him.
"For Me?" Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan asked loudly as he grabbed the letter attached to the basket and tore it open.
"Aha! Friend Blueblood sent this! A Gift for a Pony Holiday! Great Honor it is to recieve!" Rutherford yelled loudly, the elders and officials around him nodding their heads at the severity of the situation.
Grabbing a Bottle of Expensive Wine from the Basket, Prince Rutherford popped the cork and gave the bottle a chug, his eyes widening at the taste of the Equestrian Grapes.
"JORGEN!" The Prince called for one of his aides, "Make a Gift Basket! We Honor our Friend! Prince Blueblood of Equestria Needs a Good Gift! Highest of Quality!"
"YES YOUR MAJESTY!!!"
In The City of Dimondia, In the Castle of Queen Katherina Proudpaws, the fast tapping of feet could be heard in the early morning.
"Indy Wake up!"
Rolling out of her bed quickly, Princess Indiana Ambereyes dropped low to the ground as her youngest sister tried to leap into a hug, a basket held in left arm.
"Stop entering my room when I sleep Fiona, I could have hurt you if you didn't make yourself known," The Malamute Diamond Dog told her Golden Labrador sibling.
"But you didn't, and I did, And look!" Fiona Floppyears showed her the gift basket.
"What is that?" Indiana asked as she stood up from her place on the floor.
"It's a Gift Basket, Duh." Fiona rolled her eyes as she threw the basket at her sibling while she jumped on her bed.
Easily catching the basket, Indiana took out the note attached and read it, a small smile spreading on her face once she finished.
"So?" Fiona asked as she stopped jumping on the mattress, folding her legs as she sat on the bed, "What do you think? I got some amazing conditioner, Super sweet of him," She leaned back on the bed, wrapping herself up in her sister's blanket.
"I think It's nice," Indiana smiled at her sister before sniffing the air and wincing, "Did you shower this morning?"
"Ehehe, No?" Fiona wrapped herself more deeply into the blanket, slowly burying herself from her Sister's stern gaze.
"Fiona! Now I need to change my bedding!" Indiana cried, Grabbing her blanket and lifting it above her head, her sister squealing as she was dragged in the direction of the royal bathroom, Her blaket of warmth swiftly becoming her prison of Soap.
"Nooo! I don't want to take a shower! Noooo!!!"
Omake: A Prince From an Upcoming Arc
"Come on Portunes! You know how much I want to go!"
Deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest lies a Kingdom, hidden from the rest of the world by the trees and leaves of nature and magic.
"No, Prince Bramble, And I will tell you again, It is not safe for you outside outside the Forest."
That Kingdom was ruled by the Deer, A Magical Species who commanded the flora of the wild with their spells. A Long History of Magical Research and Mystery did they have.
"But Portunes!" A Young Brown Deer cried at the larger Armored Deer before him, "It's Snowing!"
"Then you can enjoy the snow, Inside the walls of the Kingdom." The Green-armored Stag told the Fawn as he shook his head, "You know the rules."
Shaking his small body in frustration, the young dear shouted, "Stop treating me like a Fawn!" before bolting away from his guard, skipping over the snow on the ground as he hopped up onto a low branch, using it as a springboard to jump even higher onto a platform hanging between a pair of tall trees, skipping around the plenty of other deer walking about the hanging bridge of magical vines and wood.
"There he goes again," Portunes the Guard sighed as he watched his Prince once more dash away.
Making his way around the Wooden Kingdom of Thicket, Prince Bramble slowed down as he reached a secluded corner of the wall surrounding the Kingdom.
Looking around to make sure he wasn't followed, the Young Prince smirked as he pulled aside a bush, revealing a hole in the wall which he quickly and quietly climbed out of.
As he stepped outside the tall wooden walls of Thicket, He smiled widely as he started dashing through the snow, his joyful laughter alerting the small woodland creatures living nearby to his presence as they too exited their dens and nests and joined the young prince in his joyful play.
"This is so Fun!" He cheered, Smiling at a small yellow bird resting on his shoulder, "And one day I'll venture outside our forest! To where the ponies live! And then I'll show Papa that there's nothing wrong with seeing the wide world!"
The forest critters cheered for the young prince, enchanted by his youthful hope.
Rolling onto the snow below him, Prince Bramble smiled widely as he looked at the canopy of leaves above him, the sun barely peeking through the treetops.
"I'll be out of the woods, a great big world," he smiled at the little bit of sky he could see.
Halting the world around them and clicking her fingers, Cosmos and Cadance returned to the expensive living room of the Oceanfront Mansion Blueblood loved to create.
"Yes?" Cosmos asked. the world the two previously enjoyed themselves in was now underneath a pause screen on the Television in front of them.
"I told you about Shining Armor, right?" Cadance asked as she lay on her stomach, her back legs moving back and forth above her as she gently kicked the air.
"He's the Guard Captain you're dating, Yeah?" Cosmos said as a small plastic figurine of a blue-maned Unicorn appeared next to her.
Picking up the figure, Cadance smiled lightly as she poked the Unicorn, "I've been thinking of taking the next step-"
"Sex?" Cosmos asked with a tilt of her head, Causing Cadance to cough loudly into her hooves, the Shining-Armor Figurine falling onto the floor.
"WHAT?! NO!!!" Cadance cried, her face bright red from the embarrassment, "We can't do that! We're not married yet!"
"Why not? Blueblood and I aren't married, and we've had lots of sex," Cosmos calmly said, a slender blue finger poking the boiling red cheek of her Alicorn Friend.
"Wha- DON'T TALK ABOUT MY COUSIN'S SEX LIFE!!!" Cadance cried, shoving her head into a nearby pillow and hiding her face in embarrassment.
"Fine~" Cosmos groaned out with a roll to her eyes before smiling mischievously, her false torso elongating like a snake and wrapping around Cadance as she yelped in surprise, pulling her into a constricting hug. "So, what were you gonna' say?" She asked with a smile as she held Cadance, Cheek touching Cheek in an over-the-shoulder hug.
"I-" Cadance took a deep breath, briefly looking at the Powerful Spirit in her Yellow Eyes, noting her excited and mischievous glint, "I think I want to get married..."
Cosmos blinked after a momentary pause, taking the time to process the new information she just received. "That's the next step? I thought It'd be moving in to live with him... No, Wait a moment! YES!!!" The confusion quickly made way for excitement as Cosmos pulled her body back to normal length, spinning the Princess of Love in a twirl as she unwound like a spring.
"Can I be the wedding planner?! I always wanted to be one since ten seconds ago! This is like a dream come true!!! EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" The Spirit of Space squealed in excitement as she shook her hands, her control over her illusionary body leaving her in her excitement of the news, causing her to revert to her physical form of a Head with a Right Arm.
"It's an exciting thought, right?" Cadance asked with a giddy smile, her horn glowing blue as she picked the decapitated head off the floor.
"EXCITING?! THIS IS INSANE CADY!!!" Cosmos screamed with a wide smile, her eyes physically glowing with excitement as the two girls squeed and wowed at the prospect of one of them getting married.
The two spent the rest of the night bringing up ways for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza to ask Captain Shining Armor to marry her.
Because obviously Cadance has to make the first move, It's Shining Armor we're talking about here.
Standing on a port in Baltimare, I breathed in the crisp morning air as I watched the sunrise across the water. Only I wasn't looking at the sun rising, my eyes were instead glued to the beauty of mechanical engineering floating across the water.
The First of ten ships I commissioned the construction of, A full 230 Meters Long, A 30 Meter Beam, A 10 Meter Draft with a Deadweight Tonnage of 55,000
Nineteen Magical Engines in Seven different engine rooms, Each running on a modified Arcane-Flux-Conducter. A Single engine room is capable of running the entire ship for several days before needing to refuel. Five of the engine rooms are working simultaneously to power the ship, while the final two remain off until cases of emergency where they will automatically turn on after shutting off the regular engines.
Each one of these magnificent monsters will have a crew of twenty-five people running it, Five Engineers, Three Cooks, And Seventeen Seafarers.
This is just the first one, the construction of all of them won't finish until after the Summer Sun Celebration.
"Did we really have to wake up at four in the morning to look at a boat?" I smirked widely as Starlight Glimmer croaked tiredly behind me, dark shadows under her eyes as she held a Styrofoam cup of hot coffee in her magic.
"Of course we did," I tell her, my eyes not leaving the ship and the large B B F Written in bold letters on its side, "We are looking at the future of trade, Starlight, In twenty Years every nation that doesn't want to be left in the dark ages will have one of these beautiful babies," I turn away from the ship as I smile widely at Starlight, the sun rising behind me as my shadow covered the Pier I was standing on, shading Starlight in the process.
"And when asked how this magnificent event of our collective history began, they'll point out and say-" I Paused for dramatic effect before continuing quietly, "It was because of Prince Blueblood Platinum..."
"Ahuh," Starlight nodded uncaringly, "But couldn't we have done all of this during," She paused to roll her eyes, "Oh I don't know? Not FIVE IN THE MORNING?!"
I cringed and rubbed my head as Starlight yelled at me, "Not so loud Starlight, Some people are trying to sleep," I smirked at her as I watched her eye twitch in annoyance.
"Anyway, Get a pen out, I need to write a letter to Queen Jennino Lanternlight," I turned back to the ship, my eyes glinting as I smirked.
"Tell her to get the Goods Ready..."
"Why are you saying it like that?" She asked before taking another sip of her cup.
"Saying it like what?" I ask.
"Get the Goods Ready, Are you trying to sound like a drug dealer? Because if you keep talking like that ponies will start thinking you're some sort of black market merchant," Starlight said calmly, levitating her cup closer to her face as the warm steam emanating from the Coffee inside heated her face. Her breath left a cloud of frosty air as she sighed at the warmth.
"Wow, way to ruin the mood Starlight," I Click my tongue and turn to walk back to the city proper, "Anyway just write the letter later, I saw a nice breakfast place on our way here that I want to check out, Your treat."
"Sure sure... Hey!" Starlight exclaimed as she started walking after me, "What do you mean by My Treat?"
"It means you're paying, obviously," I tried my best to keep my face neutral as I fought to stop myself from laughing at her reactions.
I love being a Prince.
"Girls! Check this out, The new cover of my brand new book!" In a House Hidden in the Woods of southern Equestria, Award-winning author and Archeologist, A K Yearling, Held above her head the newest book in her collection of action-adventure novels.
"Daring Do and the Mystery of the Sunken Scarab!" She yelled happily, receiving a round of sarcastic applause from the two other people in her house.
The cover showed the titular character, Daring Do, Jumping over the railing of a ship as she dove to catch her hat which flew away, In the background below the title text, was an outline of two black figures standing over a shining Gold outline.
"I had to remove and change a lot of the details to keep the rest of the crew anonymous, now it's a Murder Mystery with a shapeshifting killer! Which actually turns out to be two killers in a magnificent twist all along, Ending with yours truly stopping an assassination attempt on Prince Gold-Star, The Nephew of a foreign Princess! Any questions?" A K Yearling said before turning to her new roommates.
"Yeah," The smaller Roommate, a surprisingly mature Pink Pegasus Filly, asked her question, "What did you do about the entirety of our Caninia visit?"
"I removed it, Now we only reach Glaros and then turn back after a night on the island," Yearling told the filly, who nodded in acceptance before flying to do something more interesting.
"I Have a better question!" The second Roommate raised her voice, a clawed talon raised in the air like a student raising their arm to get the teacher's attention, "Do I do anything cool in the book?"
"No Gilda, you're the comic relief," Yearling smirked at the Griffon, smiling at the squawk of indignation leaving her beak.
"But Zephyr is the obvious comic relief character!" Gilda pointed out as she rose from the couch she was laying on and pointed her hand at Yearling.
"Don't you mean Gust? He and Doktor share a few scenes along the story, but their involvement is always unimportant or in the background until the confrontation with the killer. As usual, I'm the Star of the Show, until the cast splits off to defeat the Killers at the end, with The Prince and his secret lover Bodyguard fighting against the mastermind while I and everypony else defeat the Shapeshifting Chef," A K Yearling ducked under a swipe from the irritated Griffin as she chuckled at the reaction her roommate was having.
"Stop dodging so I can hit you!" Gilda squawked as she jumped over the couch in an attempt to tackle Yearling, only to miss her entirely and crash onto the floor.
"As if you can catch me!" Yearling shouted at her before throwing the book onto the table and dashing to the door of her house, "Let's see you try, Slowpoke!"
"Grrr Get back here!" Gilda screamed as she also flew out of the house, chasing after the confident author.
"..." Slowly moving to the table and picking up the book, Cozy Glow hummed to herself before taking it to the living room, swiftly returning to the kitchen in order to make a plate of fruit to snack on. As Cozy Glow walked back to her now usual spot in the living room, a gust of cold wind from outside caused her to shiver.
Walking slowly over to the door, The filly poked her head and looked up, seeing the Griffon and the Mare wrestling in the air.
"CLOSE THE DOOR WHEN YOU LEAVE!!!" The filly yelled at the two adults before slamming the door shut and returning to her spot in the Living Room.
Sometimes it felt like she was the only adult in this house, and she's only Twelve.
In the jungles south of Equestria, Inside a Caravan hidden under a camouflage of leaves, A Blue Unicorn stared at the branch she spent all this time trying to get.
Made almost entirely out of White Crystal, the core of the branch was infused with natural harmonic magic. The tree the branch was connected to was the only tree on a small island in the middle of a lake of liquid diamonds.
The magical energy capable of being channeled through a Staff using this branch as a core will definitely make her one of the most powerful sorcerers in All of Equestria.
And then she could finally have her revenge...
"Yo Trix, I know we traveled all the way here so you could get this shiny twig and all, but can we hurry on back to civilization now? I really need to shower," Trixie Lulamoon paused as her newest friend poked his head over her shoulder.
"It's not a twig, Zephyr, this is a branch of a harmonically infused crystal willow tree." Trixie explained to her roommate.
"A Branch is just a slightly bigger Twig, so I don't see the difference, Now can we go back? I'm starting to smell like Swamp and Mud," The Teal Pegasus complained as he pulled his mane away from his head, the hairs sticking to his coat causing the Stallion to quiver in disgust.
"Fine! But next expedition there will be no complaining, you hear?!" Trixie pointed a hoof at Zephyr, who merely put on a smile and nodded his head.
"No promises," He said casually before exiting the caravan and starting to pull, the wooden wheels of the mobile home grinding into the soft ground for a moment before they popped out of the mud and the Caravan started rolling.
As Trixie was grumbling under her breath while securing the Crystal Willow Branch into a case, a note magically appeared in front of her.
Opening it without thought and reading what was written, She blinked before smiling, her eyes briefly moving to her quickly dwindling supplies of fresh food.
There was only so much canned food she could stomach before jumping in front of her own caravan wheels in an attempt to commit insurance fraud.
"Zephyr!" Trixie cried as she poked her head out the window of the Caravan, looking down at the Pegasus pulling her home, "A Letter from the Prince arrived, We might be getting a job!"
"Really?" Zephyr asked as he kept his eyes on the muddy road, "Awesome, that means I won't have to give you all my rent money,"
"You don't give me any rent money," The Unicorn pointed out.
"Exactly, that's why I love you Trix, you really know how to treat a friend," The Pegasus said, not noticing the blush spreading on the Unicorn's face, "Anyways, That was good timing, right? We're heading back to the city to sell all these Crystal you found, and now we have our job back. Nice."
"We are only selling the regular crystals, anything magic remains here," Trixie told him, her eyes moving to the crate of crystals and gems the duo had collected over the past month.
"Like that Twig of yours?"
"IT'S A BRANCH!"
"Whatever~"
In the quiet town of Ponyville, The Golden Oaks Library stood quiet and firm, the thick tree that made up the building standing tall and proud over the rest of the surrounding buildings of the small town.
"PRINCESS CELESTIA IS COMING TO VISIT NEXT WEEK?!?!"
Until a shrill scream shook the tree to its very core.
"I'M TRYING TO SLEEP! STOP SCREAMING!!!" A Neighbour raised her voice as she poked her head out of her window, glaring at the hollow tree.
"YOU'RE THE ONE SCREAMING ROSE!" Another neighbor screamed out from his window.
"I DON KNOW WHAT WE BE SCREAMING ABOUT BUT THIS Do SEEM FUN!" A third neighbor joined the cacophony.
And soon all of Ponyville was awake, with all the townspeople glaring angrily at the Golden Oaks Library for waking them up so early.
By the time the afternoon arrived, nobody remembered why they were angry and they all simply moved on. All except for the Librarian of Ponyville, the Element of Magic herself.
"Spike, get all the girls gathered, I need their help preparing," She told her assistant.
"Aye Aye, Twilight!" Spike saluted before running outside, quickly running back inside and grabbing a winter coat before running back outside.
"And I also need to get Winter Wrap Up in order, This might be disastrous... Princess Celestia might banish me, or imprison me," Twilight paused before shaking her head at the silly thought, Princess Celestia would never do something like that-
"SHE'S GOING TO BANISH ME TO A PRISON FAR AWAY!!!"
No Twilight, Obviously she wouldn't...
Omake: Does the Narrator have a real job?
I am not narrating this Omake, find a better story.
On a different note, Thank you for including me in the chapter proper, it's not much but I do enjoy adding my thoughts to what I narrate.
But I am not narrating this Omake of yours, Maybe you could write about The Pony of Shadows drawing funny faces with a magic marker on the crystal pods the Pillars of Equestria are slumbering inside. I won't have a problem narrating that.
Now Finish the Chapter Already, You don't have an Omake to-
Is it not a wondrous sight? Those stars glimmering in the night sky?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The sparks of untamed Mana escaping the horn of a fledgling Unicorn?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The intricately woven web of symbols, a work of art that is not but a piece to a larger puzzle that is our world?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The shadows extending over our land as the sun sets and the moon takes its place?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Golden Splendor of the throne where the Princess sits?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The tears which rain from the cries of the sister, who wishes only to be loved by her subjects.
Is it not a wondrous sight? The ear in which I whispered the truth, forgotten by my years of preparation?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Spells flying across the city as the Sun and the Moon fought for dominance?
Is it not a wondrous sight? Such a grand and encapsulating Distraction?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Curses which I threw at my own family, as I butchered them in our ancestral home?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The eyes of a Filly, hiding underneath the shrubbery, hoping to escape the carnage which I hath committed on this most illustrious of days.
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Blood of my Father which stained my hooves, As I spread his body across the Everfree as nothing more than dust?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Queen of the Deer, who innocently got caught in the carnage I partook?
Is it not a wondrous sight? Our manor on this most illustrious of days, as the Sun banishes the Moon, And the blood washes away the fire?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Celebration of the masses, Cheering for the defeat of their very own princess, to the sister who wanted nothing more than to be happy?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Shield, The Mask, The Flower, The Blindfold, And the Shovel?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Journal of My Teacher, Left without Guard as the Pillars Comforted the Sun?
Is it not a wondrous sight? This magnanimous Plan of mine, coming to fruition as all the pieces of the Puzzle fell into place?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Statue in the garden, The Being who fell for my plow with never the thought?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Gem which I held, A Shard of a greater being, who so foolishly trusted a Liar such as I?
Is it not a wondrous sight? This Well of Untapped Magic which I have found deep below the darkness?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Months I spent in the Depth, As the ones who should have stopped me were none the wiser?
Is it not a wondrous sight? This Masterwork of Magic that will fulfill my Vision, As I ascend higher than the Moon and Sun?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Anger in the heroes' eyes as they arrived too late to stop me?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The fear in their soul as the hopelessness of their victory made itself apparent?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Fool who acts as the lead of the circus, Hardens his mind for a most illustrious performance?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The acceptance on their face as they sacrificed their bodies in order to banish us all into Limbo?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Gem I held, The Puzzle for the return of an even greater Being, which would attract the attention of a mind curious and hungry?
Is it not a wondrous sight? That I have planned this all? The Defeat? The Banishment? The Return?
Is it not a wondrous sight? The Genius that I was, who thought of any conceivable option in advance? Who had an escape planned long before the heroes thought of Banishment?
But truly, Is it not a most wondrous sight? That even I could not have planned for the curious mind to free me?
For who would have considered? The Filly who hid under the Bush as the Blood flew above her head, would survive long enough to bear children, and those same children would bear more spawn, as the House which I made sure would go extinct with the Moon miraculously survived, as the Last Descendant of my Father's blood approached my Prison.
Oh, How Poetic! How Miraculous and Wondrous Indeed!
That I have found a Pony who I wish so clearly to Kill in this day and Age! That I have found a Pony who I wish so clearly would Kill me in this day and Age!
"Know This, Dearest Nephew, That when you free me from this prison, We will do battle for the fate of the Future. And Only one of us may walk away the victor..."
It was shortly after sunrise that Princess Luna of Equestria found herself flying out of her window on the top of her tower, a small grey creature held in her hooves.
"Sister! Sister!" Luna yelled as she knocked on her sister's bedroom window, "Sister! Open up!"
Putting her face close to the window in order to search for her sister inside, Princess Luna couldn't ready herself for the window to suddenly slide open, letting her fall onto her face as the glass she was leaning on disappeared from her legs.
"Sister! You need to-" Luna pushed herself from the floor as if nothing happened as she turned her head to look at the other pony in the room, only to pause as she came face to face with an unamused Prince Blueblood.
"Oh..." Luna quieted down as her eyes quickly flickered around the room, seeing maps and designs on the wall, pictures of different ponies and creatures taped onto a board, a full-length mirror, and a walk-in closet right beside a bathroom. "This isn't Celly's room, is it?" She asked, her face flushed in embarrassment.
"No." Blueblood answered blankly, "Celestia is two doors to the right." His eyes twitched as he fought off a yawn.
"We see..." Luna nodded in understanding before she spread apart her front legs to show him what she held, "Friend Blueblood, Look! An Opossum!" Held close to Princess Luna was an Opossum, covered in gray fur with a white head and a long pink bald tail, small pink paws at the ends of its limbs.
"We have decided to call him Tibbles! It is short for Tiberius, Clever aren't we?" The Princess of the night smiled proudly at her choice of pet, closing her eyes and waiting for her friend to agree with her.
"Luna..." Blueblood tiredly said.
"Yes, Friend Blueblood?"
"Do you know what time it is?"
"Why of course!" Luna nodded her head, and with her eyes still closed and a smile on her face, she said "It's Five-thirty in the morning."
"Good," Blueblood said as he turned away from her and went back to bed, "Wake me up in Ninety minutes." He told her.
Slowly opening her eyes, Luna noticed that the Prince was no longer standing before her.
Seeing as he returned to sleep, A mischievous grin crossed Luna's face as she sneaked out of his room, not bothering to close the window she came in from, and started her masterful prank.
"Now where did we keep those petals..."
My eyelids twitched as I heard the sound of someone snickering above me.
"Oh this is going to be so good," I heard Luna whisper with a snicker before I felt something gently touch my forehead.
And then I fell off the bed.
Quickly opening my eyes, I sat up to see that I wasn't off the bed. I was inside it. Princess Luna lay on her back as she laughed out loud at whatever it was that she'd done to me.
I stood up, my legs wiggling slightly as I tried to find my balance while I walked through my bed as if it were an illusion, and stood above Luna.
"Oh, this is so funny!" She laughed as she rolled on my floor, the disease-carrying pest she decided to keep was hanging on to her mane.
"Yes, Very Funny," I answered in a monotone voice as I stared down at the Alicorn lying on my floor.
"We know," Luna smiled as she looked up at me from her spot on the floor, "Do not worry Friend Blueblood, the cure for your condition should be ready by the evening,"
I froze at that. My eyes quickly flicked to the calendar hanging on my wall. Shit.
Oh wait, this is a Prank. Of course.
"Ahaha, Yes what a funny Joke this is Luna, now let's be serious, where's the antidote to whatever it is you gave me," I asked with a smile, She almost got me with that joke of hers, I was really starting to panic for a moment.
How unbecoming of me.
"The ingredients for the cure will arrive in the evening," Luna said with a smile, the Opossum in her mane turning to look at me before it returned to playing with her hair.
I waited for her to say Sike, because of course she would.
And then I waited some more, A relaxed smile on my face as I stared down into Luna's Cyan eyes, Still waiting for her to say the words and give me the cure.
"Are you not going to laugh some more?" Luna asked, acting as if we were having a totally normal interaction as if she wasn't lying on her back on the floor of my bedroom.
"I fail to see what I should be laughing about?" I told her, still waiting for her to drop the act and give me the cure.
Because there is a cure, for obvious reasons.
Who in their right mind would drug someone without an antidote on standby? You always need an antidote for the victim, and an extra antidote in case something happens to the first antidote. That's the basics of Poisoning 101.
Still waiting for Luna to tell me she was just pranking me before giving the cure, I went to open my closet.
Only to have my hoof pass through the handle.
With a twitch of annoyance to the eye, I used my magic to open the closet and levitated out a suit.
I had to make sure I looked good, I had several meetings today and I couldn't afford to give off a bad impression.
My eye twitched once again as the sharp, charcoal grey suit with gold buttons that I picked passed through my body as if it were an Illusion.
"Luna," I started, my eyes looking at myself in the mirror as I magically picked up my suit from the ground, "this isn't that funny," I stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Give me the cure."
Luna's smile seemed to lower as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.
"Emm, We already said it'll be ready in the evening." She smiled sheepishly as she looked away.
"You're joking, please stop. I'm being serious." I stared at her intently through the reflection, "Give me the cure,"
"We can't, We already said-" Whatever Luna planned to say was cut off as my hoof passed through her head.
I stared at the hoof I raised before I retracted my limb, staring at the leg as I hummed to myself.
"Intangibility... Shit."
Princess Luna felt her breath stop in shock as the hoof passed through her face.
"Intangibility... Shit." Luna's ears flicked as she heard her friend say those words.
"Blueblood... Did you just-" Luna tried to speak but Blueblood didn't seem to hear her.
"Shit Shit Shit," Blueblood said, staring at his hoof as he walked around his room.
Luna watched with wide eyes as her Friend fell to his knees, the tirade of curses leaving his mouth seemingly with no end spilled from his mouth as he kept cursing before he shouted out,
"Fuck!"
Holding his head in his legs for a couple of moments, only to quickly stand up and shake his head, his face clear of any anger or hint that something was wrong.
"Luna?" he called simply, His eyes staring at the door to his Bedroom.
"Yes, Friend Blueblood?" Luna answered, sitting up from her spot on the floor.
"You are going to help me do my job today. Understood?" He said more than he asked, a glow of his horn pulled several papers from his table and put them into a small bag before an Illusion of the suit he wanted to wear appeared over him.
"We understand..." Luna sighed as she stood up, grabbing the bag with papers that Blueblood handed her before the two left the room.
It was as the two were walking down the corridor, that Luna asked him the question she meant to ask him five minutes before.
"Did you try and punch our face?" She asked incredulously, Tiberius holding on to her mane as he two stared at Blueblood with amazement.
"Of course I did, I had to prove whether whatever you did to me made me intangible to living beings as well as inanimate objects." He explained.
"Wha- So why punch our face? You could have tapped our shoulder."
"Because I had a perfectly good excuse to Punch a Princess in the face without facing any consequences for it, I saw an opportunity and I took it." He told her, a small smirk appearing on his face as he started to return to a more cheerful mood.
"Oh." Luna nodded in understanding before another thought popped into her head. "What would have happened if you weren't intangible to Living Creatures?"
Blueblood simply stared at her, before his horn glowed as a miniature illusion of Luna lying on her back appeared before her eyes, followed by a miniature illusion of Blueblood punching her in the face, the force of the hit cracking the illusionary floor beneath her head as her eyes were replaced with two spinning swirls.
Luna stared blankly at the knocked-out Illusion before scoffing and turning to look at Blueblood, "It would take more than that to take us down," She told him with a smirk, her eyes staring into his as if inviting a challenge.
A Challenge Blueblood was all too eager to accept.
"Tomorrow we'll see how true that is," He smiled widely at her, his toothy grin seeming somewhat feral in the light of the sun coming through the window.
"Very well," Luna nodded at her friend, "Tomorrow we shall spar, We have not fought any creature since Nightmare Moon returned, and we do not wish to become rusted."
"Haha!" Blueblood barked out a laugh, "I aim to please," He smirked his feral smile at her before he continued walking.
And seeing him walk away, Luna nodded to herself.
"You aren't as complicated as you look," She thought to herself as she watched him walk away before she started trotting after him. Her little Tibbles still holding onto her mane.
It was Eight in the morning when a yell rang across Carousel Boutique.
Covering her ears with her pillow as she tried to sleep longer, Sweetie Belle mumbled "Five more minutes," But luck was not on her side, as with a push of light blue magic, The door to her room was flung open.
"Sweetie Belle I know you can hear me, I need you to wake up," At the door stood her older sister, Rarity, With a lilac blouse around her torso and a cornflower blue scarf around her neck.
"But Rarity, there's no school today," Sweetie Belle mumbled groggily as she crawled out of her bed, rubbing her eyes.
"I know, But Prince Blueblood is coming in an hour and I need you out of the house," Rarity told her as she cleaned her room with a spark of her magic.
"That's today?" Sweetie Belle asked as she moved her head in circles, stretching her neck before walking into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"Yes, And I don't want to inconvenience him with any distractions, so you'll need to leave the house before he arrives," Rarity explained as she took a spot next to Sweetie Belle in front of the mirror, checking her eyelashes one last time.
"Why? He's only coming to make sure you're not going crazy after Nightmare Moon kidnapped you," Sweetie said after spitting her toothpaste into the sink, "It said so in the letter,"
"Perhaps, But even still-"
"Blueblood, Mind telling me why you're intangible?" Starlight Glimmer asked once she joined Luna and I for breakfast.
"Starlight, Magic," I answered simply as I took a bite of my food, Air.
"I see, So what spell did you mess up this time? Because I don't know if you notice, but there's a difference between getting the colors of a sail wrong, and accidentally turning yourself into a ghost," Starlight asked sarcastically as she taunted me by taking a bite of her food.
"Blueblood's state is not of his own fault," Luna spoke up after taking a sip of her morning coffee.
I want coffee.
"It was our own negligence and failure to prepare that has caused us to reach this situation-" I cut Luna off.
"She poisoned me,"
Luna sputtered, Starlight widening her eyes as she stared at me in disbelief.
"She poisoned you?" Starlight repeated as if finding it hard to believe.
"It was a Poison Joke," Luna said before returning to her food, refusing to meet my stare.
"Oh..." Starlight nodded in understanding, "Yeah I can see that. Wait, If you're intangible now, Does that mean we won't be going to Ponyville today?" She asked, excited at the prospect of not doing her job.
"Sadly we can't postpone our visit, I assure you I would love to not go near that magnet of Bad Luck that is Ponyville, but as a Prince, I have a duty to make sure the victims of national tragedies are well taken care of-" My carefully thought up excuse for why I'm going to Ponyville was interrupted as Starlight once again opened her mouth.
"You just want the Sweet Apple Acres deal to happen," She said as a matter of fact, and I had no real retort.
Because why would I retort? Buying Apples for BBF Foods is the main reason, and the only real reason, I have to go to that town.
It's just for a year, Sweet Apple Acres will be selling the Blueblood Foundation apples in bulk. By next year I'll already be able to buy directly from Appleloosa instead.
With International Trade already happening between me and Queen Lanternlight, and with the success of my Jams and Mayo already spreading like wildfire, It's safe to say that the North Equestria Railway System is my next step, followed by the Pony/Yak railway that'll connect us to Yakyakistan.
Once that's done, It'll be back to searching for Cosmos's other body parts.
"Squeak," My plans for economic domination were interrupted by the pest that Luna decided to adopt reminding me that he exists.
"Is that a White-Crowned Opossum?" A Voice asked as Celestia entered the room, carrying a birdcage under her wing as she took a seat at the table.
"Are you not going to eat anything, Blublu?" Celestia asked once she saw the empty space in front of where I was sitting. "Squawk!" So eloquently added the bald... I want to say Turkey? In Celestia's Birdcage.
"I'm physically incapable of eating right now, also please don't call me Blublu, it's weird," I told her.
"Why not? Lulu has a nickname, And Cadance already calls you by a Nickname, so why not let your Mama give you a nickname too?" Celestia asked.
"Because Cadance is Cadance, I'm pretty sure she has nicknames for everyone," I answered her with a roll of my eyes, "Also I'm almost thirty, I'm past the age for nicknames, seeing as I'm not a five-year-old child."
I stood up from the chair illusion I created to sit on, "Anyhow, Luna, Starlight, It's time to go," I nodded to the Turkey as it was the only thing on the table I didn't have any issue with at the moment, I walked through the table as if it wasn't there and passed through the door into the corridor outside the dining room, waiting for the two Mares who'll be joining me for today.
Celestia watched her Son walk through the door as if it wasn't there before she turned back to her Sister on the table.
"What did you do this time?" Celestia asked Luna, smirking at her sister's attempt at avoiding her eyes.
"We might have... placed a petal of Poison Joke on his head without preparing a cure," Luna answered sheepishly, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
"Well, Have fun you two," Celestia told Luna as she picked herself up and joined Blueblood outside the dining room.
An Awkward silence then enveloped the room as Celestia stared at the only other Pony in the room.
"I'll- I'll be taking my leave then," Starlight said hurriedly before she teleported out of the room, not wanting to walk around the Princess of the Sun.
And as the silence encapsulated the room once more, Celestia chuckled to herself as she turned to her pet bird. "He's just being a little Grumpy," Celestia smirked at the thought of her son curling up on her legs as she read him a book, something she always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to.
"You know, Philomena, Blueblood has been way more open about himself in the last few months," She said as she rested an elbow on the table, holding her head in her hoof, "Which means our visit to Ponyville today is more important than ever before,"
"Squawk?" The Molting Phoenix asked as she scratched a patch of feathers with her foot.
"Checking up on Twilight? Of course We'll be doing that, but we already know how things are with her," Celestia rolled her eyes with a smile, "She never stops sending letters, that girl, But it's her friend Pinkie Pie that we're after, remember, Blueblood cannot learn of what we're doing today,"
"Squawk," Philomena banged her head on the cage in an approximation of a nod, a couple of thin pink feathers falling off her head as she did.
"I'll buy you cream so you'll rebirth already, fine. Really what's with you this decade, you should have been reborn months ago," Celestia rolled her eyes at her Pet's antics before quickly finishing her breakfast.
"And besides, What are the chances Blueblood will be in Ponyville? He's probably going to speak with his Shipwright pals about his boats again,"
"Squawk," Philomena shook her head and curled into a ball, scratching at her feathers as Celestia picked her cage up and exited the dining room.
"Fine Fine, I'm going to the clubhouse, Stop pushing it," Sweetie Belle complained at her sister as she walked towards the door.
"Great, And remember Sweetie, It's only until Twelve, just three hours, that's nothing for you," Rarity called out to her as she quickly sprayed perfume on her neck and checked her makeup one last time.
"Okay!" Sweetie Belle yelled before she opened the door.
And stopped as she stared at the broad chest of a well dressed White Stallion.
"Hello, Is this the Carousel Botique?" The Stallion asked with a soft smile on his face, his horn glowing as he levitated a bag over his shoulders.
Sweetie looked around the Stallion, her eyes widening as she spotted two familiar ponies she hadn't seen in months.
"Princess Luna!" She exclaimed as her eyes met those of the princess of the night, who gave her a little wave in greeting. "And the other one!" Sweetie exclaimed again as she looked at the Unicorn who helped the Princesses take down Nightmare Moon and free her Sister from her control.
"The other one..." The mare mumbled as she looked away from the filly, afraid the two other ponies of her group would see the blush on her face as she smiled weakly at the filly's excitement.
"Then that means..." Sweetie Belle put two and two together as her eyes returned to the Stallion in front of her, "You're Prince Blueblood!"
On the other side of the house, Rarity tripped on her hooves as she heard her little sister yell it out, resulting in a cloud of makeup to fall onto her.
"Haha, yes, I am Prince Blueblood Platinum," The prince smiled at her, and for a moment Sweetie Belle understood why her Sister loved to talk about him.
"Will you marry my sister?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently, a loud crashing sound heard coming from the back of the building as those words entered Rarity's ears.
Prince Blueblood blinked at that question before he burst out laughing before turning to Princess Luna.
"Hahahaha! See Luna, this is how you tell a joke! Hahahaha!" He laughed uproariously before he calmed down, "You know what kid, I like your style," The bag that levitated over his shoulders opened up with a glow of his horn, a small pile of bits levitated out before he put it in a small bag, "Here, Fifty bits, go buy yourself something nice," The bag of coins dropped in front of Sweetie Belle, who grabbed the bag in her mouth.
"Don't tell your parents, okay?" He asked her with a wink, which she happily returned before moving passed him and running off to tell her friends.
Still in the bathroom, Rarity stood up from the mess of spilled makeup and perfume she created on the floor before she saw herself in the mirror.
"Ah~" She quickly covered her mouth, hoping the Prince didn't hear her before she looked back at her reflection.
She was a mess, her Purple Mane was caked with white powder, Her face was smeared with Lipstick, Her eyelashes were crooked, and there was a stain of perfume on her blouse making her look as if she drooled on it.
"I need to fix this," Rarity whispered to herself before she called out. "I'll be there in a minute, Just need to get some stuff ready!"
"I'll be there in a minute, Just need to get some stuff ready!"
Hearing those words leave the room on the other side of the house, I turned to Starlight and Luna. "How much are we betting that we'll be waiting more than a minute?" I asked, "Because I'm willing to bet One-hundred,"
"Nobody is going to take that bet," Luna shook her head at her friends idea, "Instead I'm placing four-hundred on us waiting for ten minutes,"
Starlight widened her eyes at Luna and I betting on how much time it would take someone to get ready.
In the meantime, I took out the papers and reorganized them, If everything goes well, I'll be out of here in twenty minutes.
But this is Ponyville, So I'll probably be stuck here until four in the afternoon.
The simple thought of being here for long caused my stomach to ache.
"I'm hungry," I whispered, tired of being intangible.
"Did you say something?"
"Yes, Now Starlight, you know where Sweet Apple Acres is, right?" I levitated a few documents over to her, "Get the pony in charge there to sign these for us,"
"And what if they don't?" She asked as she grabbed the papers.
"Tell them to read the paper again, I assure you they will want to sign this," I nodded my head at her, "Now go do your job, Luna and I will wait here for Miss Rarity to get ready," I rolled my eyes at that, Get ready, yeah right. The Kid said it all, the Mare is shy and is trying to ready herself for a royal visit.
I just need her to sign some papers, There's no reason for anybody to take so long to get ready for that.
Sit down at the table, exchange a few words, sign the papers, and then we leave.
Although I do wonder what's taking her so long...
Jumping out of her window, Rarity dashed to the first pony she could think of that could help her deal with her mess in a timely manner.
"Twilight I need your help!" She called out as she flung open the door to the Golden Oaks Library.
"Miss Rarity," The Element of Generosity froze, "I must say I do not understand these new fashion trends you ponies have these days, But I'm sure you look wonderful,"
Sitting at a table in the middle of the library in front of Twilight Sparkle, was none other than Princess Celestia herself.
In the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres sat a Treehouse. A Clubhouse for the bravest and most fearless group of Fillies this side of Equestria.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders!
"Yep!" Sitting in their treehouse, Three Fillies gathered around a bag of bits, "He's a real-life bonafide prince," Sweetie Belle said.
"Why is he visiting Rarity?" The Earth Pony of the group, Apple Bloom, asked as she closed the blinds to the clubhouse, setting a mood fit for a secret meeting.
"The letter he sent a few weeks ago said he needed to make sure everything was fine after the whole Nightmare Moon thing a few months back," Sweetie Belle explained, eliciting a wince from the two other fillies, "But really it's just boring grown-up stuff like signing papers and shaking hooves," The Unicorn rolled her eyes at the idea of how boring it must be.
Scootaloo, the Pegasus of the group, scowled at the idea of boring grown-up nonsense before a thought popped into her head. "Why don't we spy on him? See how a real prince does his job!" She brought up the idea, which seemed to cause the Earth Pony of the group to jump in place with excitement.
"Ooh Ooh! What if our Cutie Marks are Prince Escorting?" She suddenly stood up and grabbed her hair, holding it above her nose as if it was a mustache as she put on a fake accent, "Oh, my Prince, Your four o'clock meeting is ready,"
Scootaloo stood up as well, slicking her mane back and giving off a charming smile, "Oh, why thank you, butler," She said in the haughtiest voice she could muster before laughing out with an exaggerated "Hohoho!"
Sweetie Belle smiled at the Idea and stood up, "Yeah! Let's go follow the Prince!" She moved to exit the treehouse before stopping and turning back quickly to the bag of bits the Prince gave her.
"Wait! Before we forget," She opened the bag, levitated out two stacks of Fifteen Bits, and gave each one to her two Friends, leaving Twenty Bits in the bag for herself.
Pocketing their bits, the girls nodded to each other before yelling loudly.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Princely Escorts Go!"
"There we go, Everything should be fine now," Twilight Sparkle said as she finished cleaning the makeup off of Rarity's face.
"Thank you Twilight, you're a lifesaver, I don't know what I would do If I had to go into that meeting looking like THAT!" Rarity thanked her Friend, Briefly shivering at the thought of meeting Prince Blueblood looking like she did ten minutes ago...
"It's Been ten minutes! I need to go, I'll thank you later Twilight! Nice to see you, Princess Celestia! Bye!" Rarity yelled before quickly turning away from the other occupants of the Library and running back to her home.
"...She seemed excited," Princess Celestia said in an effort to break the silence.
"That she did," Twilight Sparkle nodded at her teacher's words, "Now what were we talking about?"
"Squawk!" Philomena croaked from her bird cage, scratching at her skin with her feet.
Celestia ignored her bird and smiled at her Pupil "Your Friend, Pinkie Pie-"
Twelve Minutes after jumping out through the Window, Rarity entered the Carousel Boutique through the back door, acting as if nothing happened.
Quickly applying a much thinner layer of makeup, She smiled into the mirror before walking into the main room of her house.
As soon as she opened the door, she was awestruck.
There he stood, smiling slyly as he talked with- Wait a gosh darn moment!
"Princess Luna?! I didn't know you'd be coming here! I would have prepared more if I knew you were going to be here," Rarity started apologizing to the two Royals, not noticing a victorious look on Luna's face as Prince Blueblood levitated her a bag of bits with a scoff.
As soon as the money left his magic and landed in Luna's hooves, it was as if a switch was flicked in The Prince's mind as he walked toward Rarity.
"Please, Ms. Rarity- It is Ms. Rarity is it?" He asked her as he stood above her, pulling her up with a weak pull of his magic, "Please don't tell me it's Mrs. Rarity and break my heart," He winked at her to show he was merely joking.
"Oh-" Rarity's mind briefly short-circuited as she watched the Ice Blue eyes of the Prince wink at her, "-IT'S MISS! Haha!" She laughed loudly, her smile wide on her face as she kept her distance from the Prince.
"I see," Prince Blueblood smiled at her as he looked into her eyes, his Ice Blue orbs pulling her in as she- Get a Hold of yourself Rarity! "You already know who I am, but just for necessities, I will introduce myself," Rarity nodded her head rapidly as the Prince kept talking.
"My Name is Prince Blueblood Platinum, And it is my very good pleasure to finally meet you," He smiled at her with his eyes as he gave her a courteous bow.
"Oh! It is my very good pleasure to meet you too, your Highness," Rarity bowed back, trying to suppress the giddy excitement she was feeling.
"I'm sure," Blueblood told her before he moved to the nearby table, "I suggest you take a seat, Ms. Rarity," He pulled out a chair for her, In her own house. Oh, what a Gentlecolt!
"Ah, Of course, Your Highness," Rarity once again gave a quick bow before seemingly teleporting onto the chair with how fast she moved.
"Great!" Blueblood once again smiled at her, causing butterflies to flutter in her chest, "Although I must apologize for bringing Princess Luna with me," He frowned to himself and shook his head, "There was a magical accident at the castle earlier today and I had to bring some assistance to help me," He turned to look at the Princess, "Luna, if you will,"
"Of course," Luna smiled gently at Rarity, before a small stack of papers levitated from the bag she was carrying over to the Table before setting in front of Rarity.
"Now," Blueblood once again stole her attention, "Before we begin going over the documents for you to sign, I need to ask you a few questions, If that is fine with you,"
"Of course Darling- I mean Your Highness! Ask away," Rarity cringed at herself for a moment before she refocused on those Deep Glaciers that stared into her very soul... He was so dreamy~
"Wonderful," If Blueblood had any reaction to being called Darling, he didn't show it on his face as he turned to Princess Luna. "Luna, I am sorry, but would you kindly write down Ms. Rarity's answers to my questions," He didn't wait for an answer before he turned back to the Unicorn.
"So, first of all, Let's Begin with something simple," His horn glowed as a chair appeared beneath him, letting him sit down without moving from where he stood. "What is your full name?"
Making her way down the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, Starlight Glimmer took the time to think.
How long has it been since she met her current Best Friend and Employer? Three Months? Four?
Starlight had to admit to herself, as she walked down the dirt path, a bag filled with business documents and proposals lying on her back, that a lot had happened in those surprisingly long four months.
"What happened first?" She wondered aloud, "There was the Teleportation mishap that started it all, landing us in Yakyakistan, And then what happened? Moving to Canterlot Castle?" She chuckled at the idea, Who would have guessed she'd ever live in a castle?
Obviously she would have built her own castle once Our Town gained enough momentum, but there's a difference between building your own castle, and living in a thousand-year-old building, hiding secrets and riddles from untold centuries ago.
Starlight grumbled as another thought popped into her head, "It's not as if I had much of a choice though, It was either that or spending how much was it? Thirty years in prison! That's not a real option!"
However, Starlight Glimmer knew it wasn't so bad. She wouldn't have ever met Raven Inkwell or Shining Armor if she never moved there. "Those two are my friends..." Starlight paused for a moment, "I think?"
Was this how friendship actually worked? Starlight wasn't sure, and so she decided to simply return to what she was doing prior.
"Hey, You! What are you doing here?" Starlight Glimmer paused as a trio of Fillies stood in front of her path, blocking her way.
"Me? I'm just here to speak with the Pony in charge of Sweet Apple Acres," Starlight explained before stepping to the side, intent on walking around the trio of Fillies.
"Why?" The Earth Pony filly asked, tilting her head to the side like a puppy.
"I need to give them some papers to read," Starlight asked, resuming her walk, now with the three children following her.
"Why do you need to give her the papers?" Asked the Unicorn filly, the same one from Rarity's house if Starlight remembered correctly.
"My Boss, Prince Blueblood, wants to buy a lot of apples," Starlight told them, simplifying the act by a lot, but still getting the main point across.
"Oh! Okay, I'll go notify Granny that you're coming!" The Earth Pony filly said before she started jogging ahead of Starlight, "Meet me at the house!" She yelled to her two friends before passing a wooden fence gate and skipping up the dirt road leading to a surprisingly expensive-looking red farmhouse.
The house shows off a homely feel while undoubtedly shouting to the world 'The people living here are important, show them respect.
Or at least, that's how Starlight thinks Blueblood will try and explain it as she looked at the Farmhouse, three stories tall with a pair of large barn doors in the front, likely leading to an indoor entrance to the house itself.
"Look! Granny Smith is already waiting for us," The Pegasus filly said as she bounced ahead to join her friend at the farmhouse, leaving the two Unicorns behind.
"Umm," Starlight turned to look at the Unicorn Filly, who seemed to be trying to say something to her.
"Yes? What is it?" Starlight urged, silently cringing at how forceful she sounded. She was trying to be nice! She promises!
"Umm, I-eh... I wanted to thank you for Helping save my sister back when... When Nightmare Moon took her..." The Filly shyly looked away from the mare, hiding her face in embarrassment.
Starlight blinked at that, "You don't need to thank me, I barely did anything," Starlight shook her head with a quiet chuckle before she returned to the road.
"But- But you used this spell that on Nightmare Moon that allowed everypony else to fight her! Whatever it was, it had to be strong if even Nightmare Moon was unable to fight it off!" The filly jumped excitedly in place, almost dropping the bag tucked close to her hair. "Once you're done here, Let me buy you something at Sugarcube Corner, As thanks!"
Starlight stared silently at the excited young filly, going over her thoughts as she did before a small smile spread on her face.
"You know what, that sounds nice," Starlight gave her hoof to the Filly, "My name is Starlight Glimmer, It's nice to meet you..." She raised her eyebrows expectantly as the filly stared at the hoof with widening eyes.
With a bounce of joy, the Unicorn filly grabbed the hoof and shook it, "My name is Sweetie Belle, It's nice to meet you too!"
And now with the promise of a child to eat something sweet later, Starlight Glimmer was ready for anything.
Granny Smith strained her eyes under her reading glasses as she read the paper given to her, reading the yapping of those big city business ponies, rolling her eyes at the big words that failed to impress her.
She's not new to this, She's been in the Farming business for decades, from before this Prince Whosawhatsit was even born!
And then she read a bit lower and froze as she saw the number. A very big number.
"Apple Bloom," Granny Smith shakily took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, "Go get Jack, She needs to be the one to sign this..." The old Earth Pony stood up and walked away from the table, slowly walking on shaking legs towards a drawer near the entrance to the house, opening it, and grabbing a very expensive-looking pen.
"Woah..." Granny Smith felt herself smirk in satisfaction at the reaction this little object always managed to get.
It was an old dip pen, older than even her house. Lacquered Willow etched with bronze images of branches and apples, with a clean silver tip at its end.
"Granny Smith, Apple Bloom said you called so I came running and-" Granny Smith closed her eyes and smiled as her granddaughter entered the house.
"Applejack, Take this pen," Granny Smith held out the antique to the younger Mare.
"Wha- Granny what's going on?" Granny Smith chuckled to herself, Fillies these days...
"I want you to read the document the nice lady over there gave me," Granny nudged Applejack over to the table, her eyes relaxed as she took a seat on a comfortable chair and got ready for the coming reaction.
"To the owners of Sweet Apple Acres and associates-" Granny chuckled as Applejack rolled her eyes, "This document is property of the BBF, unauthorized sharing of this document could lead to legal repercussions yadda yadda yadda," Applejack huffed as she skipped over the boring legalese, before getting to the part she actually understood.
"For the span of days between February 1st and October 31st, Sweet Apple Acres will supply the Blueblood Foundation with 40 tons of Apples per month- Granny, can we even do that?" Applejack turned to ask.
Granny scoffed with a smile, "Of course we can, easily, now keep reading,"
"Okay..." Applejack returned to the document, "Apples of the species- Let's skip a bit forward... Here we are- The BBF is willing to pay..." Applejack froze as she stared at the paper, Slowly moving it to her younger sister as Granny Smith burst out laughing.
"Apple Bloom, please read these numbers for me..." Applejack said blankly as she stared at the pen in her hoof, her eyes briefly turning to see her Grandmother laughing to herself in the corner.
"Okay!" Apple Bloom stood up on a chair to see better, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looking at her expectantly from the other side of the Table. "Emm, where are the numbers- here, Okay! The BBF is Willing to pay 125 Bits for every ton of apples, with an additional 35 bits per ton on delivery- What's 125 plus 35 again?"
"One hundred and Sixty!" Sweetie Belle piped up from her spot on the table.
"One Sixty per ton delivered, times that by forty..." Applejack whispered to herself as Apple Bloom moved the document back to her.
"That would be an overall of 6,400 Bits per month if you decide to deliver the apples that is, otherwise it's 5,000 Bits." Starlight Glimmer chimed in, her eyes glued to the reaction the two Farmer Mares were giving her boss's proposal.
"I already read the rest of the paper," Granny Smith said from her chair, "I want you to sign it Applejack,"
"What? But Granny, You're the one in charge of-" Applejack tried to speak but Granny Smith shook her head.
"None of that now, Dear. It's about time I let you take a bigger part in operating the farm," Granny Smith stood up from her chair and walked to her granddaughter.
"Granny, I don't-" Granny Smith shook her head as she sat down beside Applejack.
"I'm getting old Jacky, I want to retire while I can still feel my legs, and that requires somepony else taking control of the Farm, Big Macintosh, bless his heart, but he's not fit for the job, He doesn't have that special spark for the farm that you do," Granny Smith poked her Granddaughter with her hoof, "It's either You or Applebloom, and Applebloom is too young," Granny ignored the annoyed sounding "Hey!" coming from her youngest Granddaughter.
"But I'm not ready!" Applejack cried in alarm, receiving a thwack on top of the head from Granny Smith.
"Did I say I'm giving you the farm yet? No! Don't skip ahead, I still have some good years left in me!" Granny Smith chastised loudly before quieting down, "I just want to make sure You'll be somewhat ready when I feel the time comes..."
"Granny..." Applejack whispered as she looked her Grandmother in the eyes.
"This Pen," Granny tapped the antique pen Applejack was holding, "My Grandfather used it when he signed the royal deed to establish Ponyville as its first Mayor and founder," She said gently, "And my Father used the same Pen when he created this Farm," She continued, "I used that same Pen when I first sold my Zap Apples to Stinkin' Rich and struck that generous deal with him, and your father-" Applejack gasped "-Used this Pen when he signed the marriage documents with your mother."
All eyes in the room were on the two Earth Ponies in that moment, Even Starlight Glimmer was paying attention to the conversation.
"And now I want you to use it as well," Granny slowly pushed Applejack's hoof till it hovered over the Paper.
Applejack stared at the pen with wonder before taking a deep breath to ready herself, Before she lowered the Pen to the paper...
And scratched it.
"..." "..." "...Is it broken?"
"...Oh Yes! How could I forget!" Granny Smith loudly said to herself as she stood up, "It's a Dip Pen, we need to dip it in Ink first," She went to search for an inkwell, leaving the other Ponies staring at her back in shocked silence. Or at least it was silent before Scootaloo started laughing to herself at the whole ordeal. Followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
Applejack stared at the three fillies, briefly locking eyes with Starlight Glimmer before they two joined the laughter.
Soon Granny returned, Applejack signed the paper and gave it back to Starlight, and Sweetie Belle came up with an idea that everypony agreed with.
"Let's all go to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate!"
It was soon after Luna and I finished with Rarity that a message from Starlight appeared in front of me, telling us that she'd be late and we should return to the castle without her.
So with a flash of Luna's Teleportation, we did.
"A Prince, A Princess, and a Pest walk into a Castle."
"Tiberius is not a pest!" Luna tried to defend, but I scoffed at her instead.
"Until you take it to the best Veterinarians in the country, it's a pest," I told her, receiving a glare from both Princess and 'Possum.
But I ignored them, I hadn't eaten or drunk anything at all today, courtesy of whatever Luna did to me, so I was not in the mood to continue the conversation.
"I'll still beat you tomorrow!" Luna called out to me, and I smiled.
"I'd like to see you try!" I called back before I turned a corner and disappeared from her sight. Perhaps I couldn't touch anything, But I sure did get tired from walking around and carrying my bag in my magic the entire day.
Perhaps I am due for some last-minute training.
"Oh, Applejack! Princess Celestia was here just a moment ago, you totally missed her, Hey you're Prince Pirate Wizard's apprentice, What can I get for you?" As the group of Mares entered Sugarcube Corner, a Head of Pink fluff jumped into the middle of the group.
But listening to her, Starlight Glimmer asked herself. "Why would Celestia be here?"
In one of the Royal Bathrooms of Canterlot Castle, A Pair of Ponies were relaxing in a large pool of Warm Medicinal Water.
"You know Luna, If you told me the cure to this Poison Joke thing was a Herbal Bath, maybe I wouldn't have been so grumpy earlier in the day," One of the Ponies, Prince Blueblood Platinum, told the other pony as he felt his muscles relax, a platter of Sushi laying a bit behind him as he levitated a piece into his mouth, washing it down with a glass of expensive Wine.
"Where would have been the fun in that?" Floating on her back with her wings outstretched and covered in soap, Princess Luna relaxed her body as she let the herbal waters wash her aches away, sipping from a wine glass of her own. Filled with non-alcoholic Fruit Juice, of course, Blueblood didn't want to deal with a Drunk Luna right now.
"Are you two taking a dip without me?" Luna groaned as her head dove into the water as she turned her body to see her Sister walk into the room, a freshly reborn Phoenix on her shoulder.
"Go away Celestia, This is our pool now," Luna pointed out of the pool, "See that sign over there? No old hags allowed," Luna smirked in victory.
"I don't see any sign," Celestia smiled down at her younger sister, before a brief flash of light caused her to turn, seeing an illusion of a sign floating beside the door.
"Har har, Very Funny you two," She said with a roll of the eyes as she lowered her body into the pool, feeling the herbal waters breathe life into her skin as her Sister and Son high-hooved each other next to her on their well done job of making an illusion of a sign.
Now in the pool, Celestia grabbed Blueblood with her wing and pulled him into her, holding him close to her chest as she rested her chin on his head, smelling his shampoo as she hugged him like a big teddy bear.
"Really? Now?" Blueblood asked in annoyance but didn't fight as Princess Celestia merely closed her eyes and smiled.
"Mommy needs to charge," She whispered as she grabbed more soap and shampoo and redid his Mane.
It's been years since Princess Celestia cleaned another pony, but feeling her hooves moving through strands of hair, the feeling of soap-covered wings brushing against their fur coat...
Celestia might never admit it out loud, but she loved feeling like an actual mother, even if those times were exceedingly rare.
And so Celestia passed the next hour, sitting in a pool of herbal water as she cleaned and hugged her Son. Even after Philomena flew off and Luna exited the pool, Celestia hadn't let go of the Prince.
"Are you excited for next week?" She asked him with a whisper as she played with his hair. "..." Celestia turned her head to see why he didn't respond.
Only to silence her squeal of excitement before snapping a picture with a magical camera.
A Picture of a Prince Sleeping in his mother's soft embrace.
Canterlot Castle, the seat of power of the Nation of Equestria, is a place where motion can be found anywhere.
From the barracks of the guards training harder than ever, to the corridors of Servants moving to and fro, passing along messages or just cleaning the floor.
The Throne room, where dignitaries from far and wide visit to pay their respect to the Princess of the Sun, and even the Many gardens of the castle, some open to the public for tourism.
But today was different, every soul in the castle that was off their duty or resting all came to the same spot to watch a fantastic scene.
To watch a Princess Fight.
Standing at the edge of an empty ballroom, Princess Luna stretched her legs as she waited for her opponent to enter through the door on the opposite side of the ballroom.
She moved her eyes to a small indoor balcony, watching her sister speak with Raven Inkwell and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, a bubble of protective magic surrounding the three mares courtesy of Captain Shining Armor.
Luna looked back to the door of the ballroom as she took a deep breath to realign her thoughts, spotting from the corner of her eye Captain Armor whispering with another pony she couldn't see, before delivering whatever message he received to Princess Celestia.
Luna shook her head, she couldn't have any of these distractions, she had a Fight to win.
She took the time to try and remember what she knew of her Opponent.
Prince Blueblood Platinum...
She never directly fought with him, and subsequently, she never saw him fight himself. The closest she's gotten to seeing the Prince in combat was when one of Nightmare Moon's minions took over his body. But that was less of a fight and more of a child wildly throwing around magic once his traps were avoided.
Luna frowned at that, She had no clue as to what she could expect from the Prince, other than an Illusion or two, but even that posed a problem to her. How powerful are his illusions? The most she'd seen from him was a set of clothing, and while the illusion was undoubtedly high quality, it didn't really tell her anything other than that Prince Blueblood knew how to make realistic-looking clothes, something any Practitioner of the art could accomplish fairly easily.
Luna shook her head, once again clearing her mind before she refocused on the door as it opened.
And felt her brain halt as she watched the prince stroll in as if he were in the mall picking out which restaurant he wanted to eat lunch in.
The audacity of this stallion...
Luna couldn't help but laugh.
Princess Cadance looked down from the balcony at the two royals who stood at opposite ends of the empty ballroom, a small frown crossed her face at the thought of the two of them coming to blows, but she shook it off as she reminded herself that it was in a controlled environment and Princess Celestia would step in should anything drastic occur.
"Now that the two participants are here, Allow me to explain the rules," Princess Celestia spoke up, her voice sounding not only in the ballroom but also in the garden outside, where many servants and guards stood close to the windows to watch the upcoming spectacle.
"None of the participants are allowed to leave the Ballroom," Princess Celestia said as she looked down at her Sister and Son, "None of the participants are allowed to inflict permanent bodily harm onto the other, The fight will end whenever one of the participants surrenders or is deemed unable to continue,"
Cadance turned back to Luna and Blueblood, Watching the smirk growing on her cousin's face as a confused frown grew on Luna's. "He has a plan," She thought to herself before her eyes focused on Luna.
"And finally, In the essence of fairness, Princess Luna is not allowed to use her Magic," Cadance watched as Luna's eyes widened into saucers as she looked at Princess Celestia, before turning to glare at the laughing Prince Blueblood.
"Let the fight, Commence!"
As soon as those words left Princess Celestia's mouth, Princess Luna opened hers. "What did you do?!" She yelled at the Prince.
"Me?" He tilted his head in confusion before looking to check behind him to see if there was someone else, "I merely wanted to even the playing field," He explained in a calm tone of voice.
"You-" Luna grits her teeth as Prince Blueblood continues to speak.
"You see, I am just a measly little Pony, A tiny little Unicorn, who cannot hope to match the power of an Alicorn such as yourself, Princess Luna," Luna felt her stomach twist as the Prince spoke, the words leaving his mouth some that she never expected to hear from the proud and confident Stallion.
"You have the Magic of a Unicorn, the Flight of a Pegasus, and the Strength of an Earth Pony to top it all off! Why, to me it seems like an unfair advantage in this little bout, Practically a One v Three if you think about it," Blueblood started walking the perimeter of the Ballroom, his eyes never leaving Luna as he spoke.
Luna started walking in the opposite direction as him, her eyes glued to any small movement he could make as the two ponies circled each other.
"So you convinced our Sister to give you a handicap, Is that it?" Luna asked, waiting for the moment he'd open his mouth to answer her.
"Luna-" And as the Prince said her name, the floor beneath her cracked as she kicked herself towards Blueblood, her front leg punching him in the face. "-You're not as clever as you look," Prince Blueblood's voice surrounded her from all directions as her hoof passed through his torso, The prince turned to look down at her before he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
A Smoke that filled her vision, white and thick, she could barely see in front of her, but her breath was fine. "An Illusion," She whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and focused on her wings.
"Without our magic, we cannot cast a cleansing spell to remove your illusion," She said out loud, hearing her voice echo around her, the tips of her feathers vibrating in an imaginary humm. "But just because we cannot use magic," She moved forward, a sixth sense pulling her in a certain direction, her feather's vibrating faster and faster "Does not mean we CANNOT SENSE IT!"
And with a stomp on the floor, Luna felt her hoof impact an object that wasn't there, the smoke disappearing from her view to reveal a Grey Crystal Orb, smashed beneath her hooves. A Crystal Orb with a design that reminded Luna of a very important night.
Without waiting, She flapped her wings and flew to the side, avoiding the beam of golden light that flew passed where she just stood moments prior, causing more cracks to appear on the floor.
Luna flew up, her head watching more and more Golden Orbs appearing as if out of thin air, all with the engraving of Blueblood's Cutie Mark on them, acting as a focus for their magic as they flew after her, shooting beams of golden magic.
Just like that Nightmare did when he took over his Body.
With a twist of her body, Luna dove to the ground, breaking two more orbs in the process and feeling a searing heat on her left hind leg which she promptly ignored as she flew near the floor of the Ballroom, Intent on locating where the Prince was keeping himself invisible.
"Luna, Luna, Luna~" She heard his voice tut at her from all around, the Invisible Prince not leaving a hint as to where he was hiding, "You can't keep running away from this fight,"
"You are the one who is running away, Blueblood!" Luna cried as she turned her body midair, her legs landing on the wall before she kicked off once more, "Show yourself so we can teach you a lesson!"
"Show Myself? And give away my advantage? Why should I do that? I'm winning, aren't I?"
Luna chuckled, "No, Friend Blueblood! We are the ones who are winning this bout! It won't be long before your magic runs out as you keep and try to hit us!" She twirled through the air before diving down like a majestic bird, Breaking several more golden orbs as she landed on the ground and rolled to the side, letting the golden shards crash behind her.
"...You are mistaken, Princess Luna~" Blueblood's voice sounded louder in the ballroom once the last of the Golden orbs shattered under Luna's heels, "~While you were running around, breaking my orbs, you have yet to notice that it was all a distraction~" Luna ignored his obnoxious giggle as she quickly looked around her, Staring at the clean floor and walls of the ballroom as her mind connected the dots.
"You weren't aiming for us!" Luna exclaimed as the Illusion that kept the floor and walls of the room clean disappeared, showcasing to the princess the extent of the damage done to the ballroom.
From cracks and shards of the floor lying about the room to lines of burns on the walls, the room looked like a travesty, but that wasn't enough to tell her what could constitute his plan, unless of course his goal was to ruin a room, and Luna doubted that.
Suddenly her feathers stiffened as she threw herself into another roll on the ground, avoiding a shard of Marble flooring that flew at her side before it crashed back to the floor.
Luna jumped into the air, her wings allowing her to reach the high ceiling of the ballroom, where she watched the third part of Blueblood's strategy.
Shards of marble flew at each other, striking each other like cobbled rocks in a construction site, held together by blue magic, Like a Skeleton, more and more shards from the floor hit the clump of blue magic and held together on it, like skin and muscle as whatever Blueblood was creating started to form a shape.
The Shape of a Torso, similar to a Minotaur or a Diamond Dog, with two long arms dangling from its marble shoulders like lifeless rope.
It was a Torso with Arms, its hands barely more than shards of Marble held with magic in the approximate shape of a claw. It lacked a head and legs, but it still floated there in front of her, needing neither.
"One of the biggest issues I had with fighting Crystal Lips, or whatever her name is, Was that I had to get close to her in order to hit her in the face~" Blueblood's voice seemed to come from several directions at once, but more importantly from where the Head of the floating Torso should be in, Luna glared at it and readied her body.
"So I came up with a solution, It might seem like me stealing someone else's Idea, But I don't really care~" He kept talking, as the blue magic that held the Body together seemed to intensify, the cracks on its body filling in with what looked like burning blue flames, as if the Statue was a marble volcano that was filled with Blue Lava.
And with a Burst of Blue Flame, The Skull of a Snake appeared on top of the Statue, a pair of backward-turning horns protruding from the serpentine Skull, before it was engulfed with blue fire, clearly an Illusion as Luna felt no heat from the flames. A Long Serpentine tail extended from the bottom of the statue, ending with what looked like the stinger of a Scorpion, made out of more Marble.
The flaming skull on the Statue turned to look at Luna as Blueblood continued, "And here it is!"
The statue raised its arms into what Luna assumed was a boxing stance, "A Way to punch my opponent without getting close!"
The statue leaned forward, a sound escaping its nonexistent lips in what seemed to be a hissed chuckle, like a snake trying to laugh.
"I Call it~" Blueblood paused for dramatic effect, The eye sockets of the flaming skull seeming to light up with a golden glow from within the skull.
"Pluto~"
And the statue blurred forward.
Cadance leaned closer to the ledge of the balcony, her eyes glued onto the Magical Statue that her cousin created, Staring at the Skull on top of its shoulders, as a small smirk climbed up her lips.
"Aww, You do like her~" She whispered as she watched the Arms of the statue strike at Princess Luna, "I'll tell her tonight," Her leg moved to hold the necklace around her neck, feeling the crystal shards that were held there.
"Plu~" Was all the warning Princess Luna was given from the Statue before its arms punched forward with unnatural speed, "Totototototototototo~" Each cry was met with a punch, And for once Luna was glad that Earth Pony strength came with an Earth Pony's unnatural resilience.
She ignored the sounds of Blueblood Laughing from all around her, joy filling his voice as his statue fought for him, punching her in his stead.
Luna took a deep breath, ignoring the ache in her chest as a fist managed to pass through her defenses before she punched back. Shattering the marble that made up Pluto's arm, smirking widely at the scene.
Only to scowl as the shattered marble flew back and repaired the arm, "Crud"
"Plutoooo~ Plutotototototototo~" The Statue's hail of punches returned, but this time Luna was prepared.
"You're only as tough as Marble!" She yelled as she ducked, rolled onto her back, and pushed herself with her front legs, using her back legs to deliver a devastating kick onto the Marble Torso of the statue, "And you don't fight back while you're repairing yourself!" Luna pushed herself up from the floor, standing on her back left leg as her right leg started to kick at the damaged statue, shattering more of its body.
"It seems I need to work on the design a bit longer before I put it to work in the field..." She heard Blueblood say, but she quickly ignored him in favor of breaking more of the statue, Jumping into the air as the tail of the statue passed below her in an attempt to take out her legs, before she slammed back down onto the ground, shattering the marble stinger of the tail.
"...You know..." Blueblood's voice spoke up once more, now coming from directly behind Pluto, "If this was a fight to the death I would have won..." Luna froze at those words as she watched Pluto crumble down to the floor, revealing Prince Blueblood standing behind him.
"So~" Blueblood moved his neck from side to side, hearing the snapping sound of his bones before he continued, "Let me show you one final trick~" His voice was calm and even, a far cry from his joyful laughter just a minute earlier.
And before Luna could kick into the air again, the Ballroom was flooded in darkness.
This darkness wasn't like the Illusionary Smokescreen he created at the start of the match, Where she could still somewhat see her surroundings as she searched for the caster, This was deeper.
Pure Black enveloped her surroundings, unable to even see her own hoof over her eyes.
"Clover the Clever wrote that the school of Illusion Magic has three possible spells that would grant someone the title of Master," A Light appeared in the darkness, a spotlight that showed her Blueblood, following him as he walked closer to her, not a worry in his steps. Almost as if he was assured of his victory.
"One of these spells, Is an Illusion that could not be dispelled, Something that could leave the target in an endless hell for the rest of their lives~" Blueblood kept talking as he continued to approach her, not bothered by the words coming from his mouth.
Luna tried to move, to get closer to him, to end this stupid spar and punch that annoying Stallion in the face.
"The second was an Illusion that could affect every living creature in the world, regardless of proximity to the caster, an Illusion that will affect everybody~" Luna struggled to move, her legs felt like they were knee-deep in the stickiest tar in the world, unable to free her.
"And third, but definitely not least, Was an Illusion that could affect the physical world, An Illusion that shaped Reality itself~" Prince Blueblood paused just in front of her, close enough to reach out his leg and cup her cheek in his hoof. Because that's exactly what he did.
"What is this Blueblood!" Luna yelled at her opponent, staring into his Ice-Blue eyes as he rubbed her cheek, treating her like a foal, Looking down at her.
Blueblood Frowned at her, as if in disappointment at her inability to get where he's going, "Allow me to show you a glimpse of the third magic," He said calmly.
And then the darkness that surrounded the two disappeared, sinking away into the ground to reveal her standing atop a pillar over the abyss. She tried to move, but found that her body refused to listen to her.
"Forcing the Alignment," Blueblood spoke, but his voice didn't sound like he was speaking to her, but instead as if reading out loud.
"A Chant?!" Luna exclaimed in surprise, This was the first time she'd heard Prince Blueblood chant the words of a spell, her eyes widened at the thought.
What kind of spell would Prince Blueblood Platinum attempt to chant, whatever it could be, if his little speech before this was anything to go by, Luna didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.
But without the use of her magic, she couldn't escape, at least not without forfeiting the match. She took a deep breath and readied herself as much as she could, whatever Blueblood threw at her, she'd take it head-on.
Suddenly, a source of heat appeared behind Luna, and she grits her teeth as the uncomfortable heat stung at her back. She turned her head to look behind her, only to gape her mouth at the sight.
The Sun. Looming over her like an ancient colossal, an unmovable obstacle that burned and destroyed any who dared approach it.
As she stared at the giant celestial object, she could only tremble as another moved in front of it in a vain attempt to block the heat from reaching her. Mercury.
Another Planet followed, stopping in front of Mercury and blocking the smaller object from gazing upon her. Venus.
Luna felt her breath hitch as an even smaller Celestial Object moved in front of Venus, one which Luna could recognize like the back of her hoof. The Moon.
"What are you doing?!" She turned back to Blueblood, her body on edge as her mane started to blow in a nonexistent wind, her eyes widening as the red planet appeared behind the prince, lowering so as to not block the view from the other Planets behind it.
For an entire minute, Luna watched with awe and horror as the entire Solar System seemed to bow to Blueblood, Planets and Moons aligning themselves in a straight line, moving out of the path of the other so they could create a seemingly flat plane, an unobstructed path of the Celestial Giants.
She watched with held breath as Blueblood Stopped his wordless chanting as he lifted his horn high above him, the tip of his horn seeming to touch the farthest celestial object, so far away that even in this illusionary world where they all stood closer to the other, it was barely more than a speck of dust far in the distance.
She watched as the speck in the distance started to glow with bright golden light, as Prince Blueblood stared into her eyes and finished his Spell.
"This is a Spell born of a broken Star," His voice seemed to echo around the pillar standing over the empty void the two found themselves in, the light from the far off speck growing larger and- No, It was growing closer.
"PALE BLUE DOT"
Luna watched in silent awe as a beam of burning light traveled the cosmos, shattering the planets below it as it raced closer and closer to her unmoving body. She watched Uranus and Neptune burn underneath the heat produced by the light. She watched the rings of Saturn shatter and break away as the light passed through them. She watched the light disappear as it got close to Jupiter, only to burst out of the gas giant like a blade through a body. And as the light broke through the Belt of Asteroids that separated Mars from Jupiter, she heard Blueblood speak.
"I Forfeit,"
And faster than she could blink, the entire world around her changed as she found herself back in the Ballroom, the crumbled form of the marble statue at her hooves, as she watched Blueblood stretch his legs on the other side of Pluto.
"I'm out of magic," He said lightly as an explanation, "That physical Illusion thing is incredibly taxing," He chuckled as he walked over to her and helped her stand, her legs still shaking as the sight of the celestial object remained in her psyche.
"Anyway, I'm hungry, I heard a new Indian place opened up in the Food Street that I wanted to check out, let's go," He walked passed her before standing at the door behind her.
"Are you waiting for a formal letter or something? Let's go!" He called out to her with his usual smirk, and Luna felt herself let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Heh, Haha! We won!" She cheered as she pointed at the Prince, a wide smile on her face, "We told you we'd win!"
Blueblood tilted his head at her and looked at her as if she said something stupid, "Well, Yeah. I forfeited since I ran low on magic and Didn't want to spend the rest of the week aching all the time," He smiled down at her as he clapped.
"Congratulations, Princess Luna, You who lived hundreds of years have successfully managed to beat a Unicorn with no formal combat training of any kind, You must be so proud of yourself," Luna ignored his attempt to poke at her as she continued to laugh at him.
"Ahaha! That means you shall be the one paying for the food!"
"Yes, Obviously, I'm the one who's inviting you, It would be weird if I had you pay," Luna ignored him again as she jogged over on shaky legs and caught up with the prince.
"Onward, Friend Blueblood! To this new restaurant that shall bring us our lunch!" Luna laughed happily as she leaned her body on Blueblood, letting the Stallion carry her like the loser of a gladiatorial arena carried the victor as his mount.
"To Lunch!" Blueblood rolled his eyes but kept moving, carrying the Princess on his back as the duo made their way to the restaurant, followed by a small squad of guards to protect them.
Princess Celestia stared at the ruined ballroom below her, a small smile on her face as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Standing on a pier in West Equestria, I watched the many guards move in preparation for the arrival of the very special guests.
Looking over the waves, I could spot the long wooden ship flying the flag of Yakyakistan heading our way.
"Get the carts ready," I tell a nearby guard, who nods his head before dashing off to fulfill my order.
Who could have guessed that a simple act of gift-giving on Christmas could have led to this? I'm not complaining, With Cadance in charge of greeting the VIP from Caninia, I can easily hit two birds with one stone for the BBF's future.
"They said they're bringing gifts," Starlight stood beside me, feeling the cool late winter breeze, A very familiar coat covering her work clothes, "What do you think they'll be?"
"Hookers and blow," I answered blankly, smirking at the choking sound that left Starlight's throat at that as she started coughing at my response.
"Just kidding, I don't know what they'll bring, and until we bring them to Canterlot, I don't need to worry," I stretched my stiff neck, rubbing a bite mark on my shoulder that was hidden under my suit-of-the-day. "And besides, It's not like they're bringing something that could harm anyone, This isn't the medieval-" I stopped my sentence and widened my eyes as I watched a certain Yak stand on the bow of the ship, Horns decorated in gold with a black crown on his head.
"Starlight, Quick! Roll out the red carpet!" I turn to her in alarm, before I turn to more guards and start yelling orders. We were told a high-ranking Yak Diplomat named Jorgen would be arriving together with a team of archeologists, not that HE was coming as well!
"FRIEND BLUEBLOOD!" Prince Rutherford yelled from the bow of his ship, his voice reaching all the way here.
Oh, I am so getting drunk tonight.
Looking at the expensive walls of the large train cart, Prince Rutherford let out a whistle of appreciation. "So this is train? Will take us to Canterlot, Yes?"
"Indeed," Prince Blueblood nodded to the Yak ruler, "This here is one of the crown's very own private trains, the very best our nation could bring with the short time we had," He led him to a private booth, allowing the Yak to set down his belongings before a pair of Yak guards moved to guard the booth.
"Now! Let us work through the gift-giving!" Rutherford said loudly as he took a seat at a large table outside the booth, Blueblood taking a seat facing him.
"I think we should both wait until we reach Canterlot for such actions, Prince Rutherford, It would only be proper," Blueblood smiled at the Yak who slowly nodded his head in understanding.
"Yes, Of course! Gift giving in Equestria happens with whole family, It only proper, Haha!" The Yak agreed with the Unicorn, Letting go of his bag as the two royals started talking about their plans.
Twenty minutes after the train left the station, a Pegasus wearing a butler's outfit walked into the room, dragging with him a platter containing boxed food.
"Your Lunch, Your Highness's," The butler bowed to the two royals as he placed the boxes of food on the table between the royals, bowing his head to them as he turned to leave.
Only to stop once he felt a leg wrap around his shoulder.
"We didn't order any food," Prince Blueblood whispered as he pulled the Pegasus back.
"Ho? Someone brought us food, We must be thankful and finish the meal!" Rutherford exclaimed happily as he opened the boxed lunch, only to widen his eyes in surprise as the Pegasus butler who brought the food to them smashed into the table, throwing the food onto the window of the booth the two royals were sitting in.
"Who hired you?!" Blueblood yelled at the butler as he held him down on the table.
"Prince Blueblood?! What is the meaning here!" Rutherford yelled as he stood up, towering over his fellow Royal with a glare on his face, angered at the ruined food.
"This ride has no boxed lunches, and we have no Servants on this train," Blueblood Explained calmly as if weathered the glare from the Yak Prince. "Other than your group, my guards, Starlight, and the Operator of the train, nobody else is supposed to be here," Blueblood squeezed the Pegasus's neck, "So who is he?"
The Pegasus glared at the prince before rolling his body on the table, throwing more food into the air as Prince Blueblood let go of him, before diving out of the window of the fast-moving train, flying away.
"Shit!" Blueblood exclaimed as he wiped the food off his fur before quickly moving out of the booth, "That food could be poisoned, don't eat it!" He ran to the door where the Pegasus came in from, his horn glowing as the door slid open for him.
"Fuck!" I cursed as I looked at the downed Ponies and Yaks in the cart, A quick check of their necks gave me a bit of relaxation as they were only unconscious, but this was still horrible.
"Prince Rutherford, Watch your guard, We have an unknown number of assassins," I spoke as years of drilled in military practice kicked in, With a flick of my magic a Sword from one of the downed guards started levitating in a telekinetic grip
"Horrible! Must stop this! Now!" Rutherford exclaimed from behind me as he followed into the next cart, Throwing me my bag as he picked up his own. The two of us walked further into the train, pausing as the door to the next cart opened before we could reach it.
In walked a calm-looking Pegasus, also wearing a butler's outfit. Before the disguised assassin could realize the situation he was in, The sword I picked up flew through the air and stabbed into his eye, killing him instantly.
I quickly caught the body before it could land on the ground, stepping over it and into the next cart.
"Crud, They're on to us!"
There stood four more Pegasi, all with the same colors and outfits as the last two.
"Who hired you?" I yelled at them, making sure to move a bit to the side so they could see the corpse of their associate behind me.
They all looked at each other, a silent conversation passing through their minds before they all turned back to me, and then ran in the opposite direction.
"No you don't!" Rutherford yelled as he tore one of the tables out of the floor before he threw it at the Pegasi, shattering their backs as they tumbled back to the floor, screaming in pain.
But before we could question them further, A Unicorn with the same outfit walked in, and with a green glow of his magic telekinetically threw all the Pegasi off the train before he jumped after them, ignoring their pained screams.
Starlight Glimmer huffed in anger as another Pony was thrown off the train, his body turning into a mangled heap as he hit the ground outside, bones breaking and tendons snapping.
She left to go to the toilet for five minutes, that's it! Only five minutes and now the train was overrun by whoever these ponies were!
"Damnit!" She turned her head to the door leading to the next cart, her eyes relaxing once she saw Prince Blueblood step through, a scowl on his face, followed by Prince Rutherford, a similar frown on his own.
"Great, You're okay," She sighed before straightening her back, "Who would have thought my first actual Bodyguarding job would start off like this," She chuckled, before pausing once she saw the serious look on the Prince's Face.
"All the guards are knocked out and an attempt on our lives was made," Blueblood said, not stopping to catch up with her as he moved onto the next cart, beams of blue magic flying out of his horn before two more Butler's found themselves knocked out.
Without stopping, The Prince kept moving, each cart was followed by a quick and efficient fight.
No, It wasn't even a fight.
The moment one of them even entered his field of vision, a beam of blue magic was already inbound, hitting them in the head, rattling the brain, and throwing them against the wall, knocking them out.
"Why didn't he do that against Luna?" Starlight whispered to herself as she watched silently as her Boss walked down the train, shooting Assassins as casually as mowing the lawn.
But the thing that bothered Starlight the most wasn't the way he was taking out these threats, but the look on his face.
"This is the first time I think I've ever seen him fight without a smile on his face," She thought to herself. Was this the difference? This brutal efficiency?
Is this Blueblood when he's fighting seriously? It made no sense to Starlight, almost every real fight he was in could have spelled his end, But he always had a wide smile on his face as he laughed in the face of death.
"The thrill! Where one wrong move could end everything you ever did, It's like a Gambler putting all his chips on black and having the ball fall in the right spot, If it landed on red he would have been over, but when it landed on black- The sense of euphoria he must have felt at that moment~ I can only imagine this is similar," He would say something along those lines, But talking about how having his life in danger was exhilarating, a fight between himself and fate itself.
"How is this different?" Starlight tried to think of a reason, "These ponies pose a real credible threat to his life, So why is he taking them seriously, unlike the doppelganger from Caninia? What's the difference here?" Starlight tried racking her brain to find the answer before it all clicked together once her eyes landed on Prince Rutherford.
This isn't just an attempt on Blueblood's life, It's an attempt on everypony on this train! He's taking this seriously because if he fails it will mean more than just his death, It's also the Yaks, the Guards, and even the Operator!
Starlight's eyes widened, "The Operator!" She quickly ran after the two royals, "If he's also out, who's driving the train?!"
Blueblood looked at her with wide eyes, Several bolts of blue magic left his horn at once, piercing through the door and hitting the targets in the next cart over.
"Starlight, I want you to start teleporting everyone off this train, start with the Yaks, then the guards, then Rutherford, and then me. I want everyone off this train, Now." Starlight nodded her head seriously before disappearing in a flash of Aquamarine light.
"Leave train? This must be serious," Rutherford spoke up as the Royal duo entered the next cart, ignoring the corpses on the floor from when Blueblood's magic shot them.
"As serious as can be, If the Operator is out, then it's only a matter of time before the train crashes." Blueblood flung the final door open, A Scowl on his face as he saw the missing window on the front of the train, a trail of bloody glass shards from where the pony must have been thrown out.
"Not good then?" Rutherford glares at the empty control car.
"Bad," Blueblood shook his head, "This is very, Bad." He heard a flash of magic behind him as Starlight reappeared, gasping for air before she disappeared once again, Prince Rutherford with her.
"I'm out of juice!" Blueblood's frown started to disappear as Starlight's voice sounded around him, "You need to get off the train yourself!"
"Heh," He chuckled, reaching up to loosen his tie, "Always have to do the hard part myself," He said out loud, stretching his legs as he stared at the rails ahead of the train, only for his eyes to widen as a figure stood in the middle of the train tracks, a bright green glow emanating from their head.
"Shit!" Blueblood shouted as his magic started working overtime in order to create a makeshift shield around his body.
But he wasn't fast enough.
In the middle of the tracks, staring at the Locomotive moving in their direction, A Hooded figure stood at the ready. Most of their body was hidden under a bright green cloak made out of countless tendrils resembling the stingers of a jellyfish. Gelatinous in form, The cloak stretched and moved as if it were a living creature, covering almost its entire body, leaving only the eyes and horn visible.
Like a wraith made of green shadows, The figure's bright green eyes glared hatefully at the train, the green light emanating from their horn building in power as it slowly formed into a sharp pillar of magical energy.
And like a headsman swinging the axe, The pillar of green magic fell onto the train, cutting through it like a blade of bright green magic.
"Aaargh!" The figure yelled in effort as they raised their head back up, the pillar of magic following their movements like a sword stroke, splitting the Train down the middle, the crunching sound of metal and wood splintering echoed around them as they stood in place, the train crashing to the sides without harming them.
Almost like Moses parting the Red Sea, the cloaked watched their display of power with a smirk underneath their hooded gelatinous cloak.
Turning around, ready to return where they came from, the figure stopped as a flash of blue light appeared behind them. Turning their neck to look back at the train, their eyes widened as they saw Prince Blueblood breathing heavily, yet unharmed.
"So you're the one in charge of these Assassins I presume," The prince spoke, his Ice-Blue eyes meeting the figures Emerald Green.
"..." They did not respond, merely lowering their body into a combative stance.
"I see," The prince lowered his body into a similar stance, "Now that I don't have to worry about others getting hurt," A feral smirk crossed his face as he glared daggers into the Assassin's eyes, "I can enjoy this to the fullest,"
The two combatants started preparing magic in their horns. Green and Blue light escaped them like to pillars of energy, fighting to see which could shine the brightest.
"And once I'm done beating you for what you're doing," The Prince's smile seemed to turn almost sadistic as he spoke, "I'll start beating you for fun,"
And with no more words to say, the magical pillars the two created fell upon each other like clashing swords.
To an outside observer, the scene taking place inside the wreckage of the Crown's Royal Locomotive would have looked like a scene taking out of an Action Movie.
Pillars of solid magic clashed against each other like swords swung by giants, the force of each strike echoing with an explosion of raw magical power, sending more and more scrap flying to the side while the two combatants stood in place, moving nothing but their horns.
"You have the power, I can give you that," Prince Blueblood called as the giant pillar he created exploded with blue energy, Splitting into hundreds of minuscule missiles of energy, each the size of a small bird, all flying towards the Green Assassin, "But your method of execution could use some work!"
The Assassin kept silent, their Emerald green Glare briefly leaving the prince as they looked at the swarm of magical missiles flying in their direction. With barely any movement, the Bright Green cloak on their body shifted as a Tendril of green gel flew out into the air, widening into a large green screen, and like a cube of Gelatin, the missiles flew into the magical screen and got stuck, dissipating inside the screen as if melted by Acid.
More and more Gelatin was added to the shield green, as each missile that was absorbed painted the shield a darker shade of green. And once all the missiles were swallowed, the shield collapsed. The Bright green gelatin now resembling a dark green crystal, Solid and sharp.
"So that's how it works..." The Assassin's eyes widened as they twirled around to see the Prince mere meters away from them, "Your Cloak absorbs the magic like, but once it does the slime gets hard, and you can't control that, Can you?" The Assassin glared at the prince, A Beam of green energy firing from their horn and slamming into him, exploding into a pillar of flames and smoke.
"Cute..." The Assassin felt their eyes bulge out as the prince stood there unharmed before a realization hit them. An Illusion.
With an explosion of magic from their horn, The Assassin wiped away the Illusion that surrounded her, only to shrink back at the sight that she found.
Hundreds of blue orbs littered the sky above her, twinkling like Stars as their shadow darkened the land.
The cloak moved again, Several Tentacles of green slime elongating and growing, wrapping into a dome around the assassin as the Orbs in the sky started shooting down to the ground, like a rain of bombs, Slamming into the newly constructed Green Dome and detonating into a powerful explosion.
The Assassin grit their teeth as more and more slime moved to replace the now Solid Crystal of the dome, their cloak growing shorter and shorter as the supply of Tentacles slowly started to dwindle.
Their back legs were now showing, Long and smooth, almost reflective in their shine, as if covered in armor rather than fur.
Seeing that their dome wouldn't hold long, The Assassin's horn burst into green fire, A Beam of energy shattering the dome as it pierced into the sky, detonating the rest of the Bombs as they fell. The Explosion that followed shook the surrounding trees and sent more of the scrapped train flying into the surrounding forest.
If this fight had taken place in a population center, rather than in the middle of the wilderness, Many would have likely lost their hearing. But with the bombs no longer dropping, the Assassin straightened their back and took a long look at the carnage the quick bout between the Prince and them took on the surrounding.
Fire licked at the wooden planks of the train track, The vibrant green trees of the forest lay strewn on the ground, uprooted by the many explosions. If it was not for its placement next to the tracks, the ruined train would have looked like a pile of garbage at a scrapyard.
But the Assassin didn't relax, there was no sign of the Prince. So with yet another explosion of green magic, They once again cleared the area of any Illusions.
Only to be met face to hoof with a smiling Unicorn. A small explosion of Blue Magic followed the punch, throwing the Assassin away, and forcing them to extend more green tentacles from their cloak to catch the ground and control their trajectory.
"It seems the first hit goes to me," The Prince said smugly as he looked at his hoof, blowing air on it to clear it of dust.
If looks could kill, The Assassin would have won this fight ten times over, A Wide tendril of green slime moved in from the side in an attempt to sweep at the Prince.
The Prince jumped over the tentacle as if it were a rope, Only for his eyes to widen as several sharp spikes shot out of the tentacle, intent on skewering him.
With a blue glow, The Prince used his own Telekinesis on himself, throwing his body out of the way of the piercing spikes. "Your control over that cloak of yours is getting better," The Prince pointed out, watching the smooth green tentacle retract back into the cloak that resembled a Jellyfish.
"..." The Assassin didn't respond, But they noticed that the Prince was once again far outside his preferred Range. As long as they kept the prince out of melee range, the fight should be in their favor.
With an explosion of Magic, Green flames raced across the ground like snakes, intent on trapping the Prince in a circle of fire.
A bright glow of Blue magic solved the issue as the ground exploded upwards in a shower of dust and debris, putting out the fire and hiding the Prince underneath a smokescreen of dirt.
The Assassin prepared for whatever Spell the prince would throw out of the screen, already casting another Illusion-cleansing spell just for the sake of it.
But what came out of the screen of dust wasn't another simple Missile or Beam.
A Snake Skull with two backward curving horns leaped out of the dust, burning with blue fire, connected to a torso and arms made of scrap iron and burnt wood held together with burning blue veins. "Pluto!" A Shout echoed out as the Flaming Golem slithered on a serpentine tail towards the Assassin, a flaming blue stinger at the tip of its tail seeming ready to stab at anything that came close to it.
"What?!" And for the first time in that fight, The Assassin spoke. An exclamation more than anything, but it was another small victory for the Prince.
Before they could react, A burning metal fist slammed into their face, once again throwing them back. It took just a moment for the Assassin to reorient themselves mid-air, but that was still a moment too late, as another fist landed on their body, throwing them back even further.
"Damnit!!!" The Assassin screamed, The Gelatin of their tentacle cloak morphing into many clawed limbs as they too struck back at the Statue of Scrap.
It was a battle of Quantity vs Quality, Each gelatinous claw that struck the Statue exploded under the barrage of punches that it returned, but for every tentacle the Statue destroyed, two more took its place.
But it wasn't a stalemate, not at all. The Assassin took that opportunity to once again ready a spell, intent on getting rid of the snake-headed statue.
And the moment their Cloak was drained enough for the bottom of their torso to start being visible, they fired. A Spiraling Beam of Green Fire and Raw Magic, like a drill of Energy, pierced through the Statue, rending it into nothing more than dust as the beam kept going, piercing the Trees behind the statue and gouging a burning hole through the treeline before flying into the sky, where it fell out of range and dissipated.
The Assassin breathed heavily, feeling several cracks on their smooth shiny armor from where the Statue managed to land its blows. They raised their head, looking at the almost perfect circular tunnel they created in the forest as the trees collapsed and burnt.
"I can recognize you now," The Assassin froze as the Prince's voice echoed around her, "You smoothed out your legs, got some plastic surgery for your horn, and bought a fancy new wig, but it's still you, isn't it?"
"...Oh? Then who am I?" The Assassin asked with a smirk as the Gelatinous cloak of Tentacles moved to repair itself.
"I was trying to figure this out, you know?" Blueblood kept talking, his body hidden as his voice echoed around the assassin, "But I think I managed to put two and two together," He took a deep breath, "It was how your little pals looked that threw it away, you know. Unicorns, Pegasus, and Earth Ponies, all sharing the same eyes, coat, and Mane, It's almost as if they were wearing an Illusion."
"But I'm a sort of... Master of Illusions, you see, At least somewhat, And I can recognize an Illusion when I see one," The Prince explained, "And those ponies weren't illusions, especially after they remained looking like that once they died,"
"Oh? So what's your answer?" The Assassin took the opportunity of the two talking to stretch their body, readying for round 2.
"Those ponies weren't wearing Illusions," The prince paused for a moment, "They were shapeshifters, That's why the disguise remained after their death, At least however briefly, But really, It was as I was choosing the material to create Pluto that I saw it,"
The Assassin watched as a small black object threw itself into the air before landing at their feet, A head covered in cracked and burnt Chitin, blank eyes now empty of life, the small green fin on their head tore apart like a soft fabric, their sharp fangs and horn were cracked and broken. It looked hideous. Just as the Assassin remembered her disgusting soldiers.
Of course, they were disgusting, She herself knew it better than any other creature on this earth.
They were nothing more than a dead worm living inside a rotten fruit. As disgusting an existence that could be imagined.
"You are Changelings!" The Assassin smirked as the Prince declared
"And you are supposed to be Dead, Chrysalis!"
"Heh"
It was a small thing, a sound barely audible over the crackling of the fire and the snapping of the branches.
"Hehehe"
But for the two people who stood on top of the broken train tracks, that sound could have been louder than a volcanic eruption.
"Hehe, Hehehe, Hehaha, Hahahaha, Hahahahahahaha!"
They laughed, loudly and boisterously, the green cloak that hid their form started to rise above them, like a cape of Tentacles, squirming and moving. Revealing itself not to be a cloak, but her own hair, both mane and tail, moving under her command like another set of limbs.
Legs that were once spotted with holes stood long and smooth, A Torso that was once thin and weak now stood healthy and shining, and The weak green Elytra that hung over fragile wings now shined with a reflective Jade, protecting beautiful insect wings.
Her horn, once jagged and twisted, was now as smooth as a knife, and likely as sharp as one also. The Bright Green tentacles that made up her new hair darkened as they returned to their original color. The only thing that remained on this new body, was the two dark grey circles on the back of her neck, a birthmark she could never remove.
Chrysalis laughed, her eyes glaring at the only source of emotion nearby, the Prince invisible under another Illusion.
"IT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO FIGURE IT OUT! HAHAHAHAHA!!!" The Changeling Queen kept laughing, her eyes bloodshot as a range of emotions passed through her in a matter of seconds.
"So listen here, IDIOT! This is how this is going to go! You're going to kindly snap your own neck so I can wear your body as a Disguise," Chrysalis said with a wide smile on her face, clearly something was wrong with her. "Then, We'll go together to a lovely date in Canterlot where we'll murder Celestia, and wear her skin like a fucking flesh puppet! With me now on the throne, we'll take our lovely time together TORTURING ANYONE WHO EVER OPPOSED ME!!!" Her head swung to the side, A Beam of green magic disintegrating several trees as she laughed to herself, "Then, Hehe, Then I'll spend our wonderful honeymoon taking down Equestria until it is nothing but your PATHETIC TRIBES FIGHTING EACH OTHER! And then, once you're all weak like the pathetic little mongrels you are, My Changelings will swarm in, and DEVOUR YOUR LOVE LIKE AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET!!!"
"...You know," Prince Blueblood slowly said, "Clover the Clever wrote that one of the best ways to improve the potency of a Unicorn's magic, is to remove outside influences, such as sight, or speech,"
"...Are you getting somewhere? Do you want to join me? I'll gladly let you become my little slave if you promise to serve me for all eternity!" Chrysalis called out to the Prince, her manic smile still stretched on her face as she glared at the spot where she could feel his emotions.
"When I was much weaker than I am right now, I managed to use a simple Telekenisis spell in order to break out of a prison cell, all sitting in place, not moving a muscle." Blueblood Continued.
"Do you want me to throw the first punch? I'll gladly turn you into my cute little slave if you ask nicely!"
"Allow me to showcase to you a little Spell my girlfriend and I created together, A Spell that would seal my own senses, massively boosting my magical power at a cost," As the Prince Spoke, a beam of Blue magic burst into the air from where he stood, revealing Prince Blueblood Platinum standing there, A Mask of solid gold hanging over his face, Chains of gold wrapped around his legs as if he was a Gladiator Slave in an ancient Colosseum, a pair of Devil-like horns twisted backward from the top of the golden mask.
"With this mask, I cannot See, I cannot smell, I cannot taste, I cannot even feel my body. Should I be injured wearing this mask, I wouldn't even notice it until I took it off," His voice echoed around him, as if speaking out of a speaker or a radio. "I can't even speak with this on, All I can feel is my sense of hearing, and my Magic," The Prince lowered his head to the ground, his legs spreading apart as he entered a stance.
"So you blinded yourself, How's that going to help you?" Chrysalis scoffed as her wings started buzzing erratically, ready to shoot her at her target like a living missile.
"I see... Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings," The Prince's Horns started growing blue, his Unicorn Horn with Magic and the two curving golden horns with blue fire. "I, Blueblood Platinum, Prince of Equestria and Last of his Name, Hereby grant you a great Honor!" His voice echoed around the wreckage of their fight.
"Rejoice! Oh, ruinous Queen! For you are worthy!" His voice grew louder as his horn started shining brighter and brighter. "Rejoice! Oh, Detestable Wretch, For you are the first to receive such a blessing!" Chrysalis readied her body as the world around her seemed to tremble from the overwhelming power that the Prince was emanating. How powerful could he be if he also lost his sense of Hearing? She wondered for but a microsecond, before her mind erased that thought as she focused intently on the prince, Ignoring the Darkness that surrounded her from every direction.
She would take whatever he threw at her head on, and she would push through it, and drive her leg through his torso! CRUSH HIM LIKE A BUG!!!
"REJOICE! CHRYSALIS!! FOR YOU HAVE FORCED ME TO GO ALL OUT!!!"
The sky above him shone with Golden light, as hundreds, no- Thousands of Golden Orbs appeared in thin air, shining like stars in the sky. Several Silver Orbs appeared beside them, quickly flying to take different corners, like cameras watching a play.
"REJOICE!!!"
And the sky was swallowed by shooting stars.
Chrysalis kicked off the ground, her wings buzzing loudly as she flew at the prince, Ignoring the beams of golden magic that fell behind her like a shower of light.
Her target was in her sight, and she was going to make him scream.
Her hair moved around her, shaping itself into sharp crystalized armor over her legs as she readied to punch a hole through the Unicorn Prince.
And as her fist entered the Prince's chest, he exploded in a ball of Golden Flames.
"WHAT?!" Chrysalis screamed, the armor on her limbs burning off, her hair growing shorter as turned mid-air to land facing the direction she came from, seeing the body of the prince stand there, half his form gone before it crumbled into golden dust.
Chrysalis didn't have time to think of it, as more beams of golden light pierced the place she stood at moments prior, forcing the Changeling Queen to fly away, her body nothing more than a blur of movement as she dodged the falling beams.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!" She screeched as her horn glowed with green energy, Blasting a green wave into the sky that detonated many of the golden orbs. "IS IT ANOTHER ILLUSION!?!?!" She yelled as she instantly fired off another spell, but no illusion was broken, The Prince was nowhere to be found.
Just how powerful was he with that mask?!
"Forcing the Alignment~" Chrysalis suddenly felt her body freeze as darkness took over her vision.
"What is this?!" Chrysalis screamed as she tried to move her legs, but they would budge. She turned to look at her back and the sight that greeted her both burned her skin and froze her blood.
"Sol~ Mercury~ Venus~"
"Stop this!" She screeched, "Let go of me so I can kill you! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Terra~ Mars~ Asteroid~"
"SHOW YOURSELF!!!"
"Jupiter~ Saturn~ Uranus~"
Chrysalis struggled to move her legs, her hair vibrating and bubbling as the heat she the gelatinous form that it currently held burst under the intense heat she was subjected to, causing her to scream as the green slime burned her body.
"Neptune~ Pluto~ Kuiper~" The incantation stopped, and the mass of celestial bodies that levitated above her stood like a menacing beacon, highlighting the insignificance of everything in her life.
"LET ME GO! NOW!!!" Chrysalis screamed as the suns rays burned her back, her hair steaming and bubbling as it burnt her smooth black chitin.
The ground in front of her shook as a leg burst out of the floor, slowly revealing where the Prince hid himself all along.
"UNDERGROUND?!?! COME HERE ALREADY!!! LET ME KILL YO-" Chrysalis paused as she felt the volatile cocktail of emotion wafting off of the Prince. "Is this... Love?"
"This is a Spell born of a broken Star~" The Prince said, as far beyond the edge of the solar system, perfectly aligned with his three horns, a bright golden glow shone brighter than anything in existence. Like a secondary sun that fell closer and closer to where Chrysalis stood stuck.
The Golden mask covering the Prince's face cracked, allowing Chrysalis a look into a singular Ice-Blue eye. "He's overflowing with love..."
"PALE BLUE DOT"
And the world was engulfed in burning gold.
Prince Blueblood took deep breaths as he felt the self-sealing mask he created shatter and break, the chains on his legs turning to dust as the spell ended.
He looked to the side, watching the Queen of the Changelings, her black chitin covered in pale spots where her gelatinous hair popped and burnt her. Her previously long hair was now a short bob, frayed ending and sticking to her sweating skin.
And then he looked at how she managed to survive his ultimate attack.
"You amputated your own legs in order to escape..." It was an observation more than anything.
Chrysalis looked at the Prince with a mix of many differing and conflicting emotions, her legs ending on black stumps, a green liquid flowing out of her legs and onto the ground.
"Heh, Hahahaha! This was fun!" The Prince smiled widely as he started walking closer to the downed Changeling. "We Should do this again sometime! But... We cannot," he sighed sadly once he stood over Chrysalis, watching as she struggled to push herself away from him.
"You know... I like this new look of yours, The short hair really complements your bitch of a personality," He said simply as more blue magic started collecting in his horn, "But, the fun is over, It's once again my win,"
Chrysalis simply closed her eyes and laid on the ground, as if accepting her fate.
And once the beam of Blue magic fell upon her, ready to turn her into dust, a flash of green magic engulfed her as she disappeared.
"...Turning off your sight and relaxing your muscles in order to get your Teleport ready..." he said calmly as he looked at where the Changeling queen lay previously.
"Clever girl..."
"Starlight! Ready another Teleport, We're going straight to Canterlot!"
Starlight Glimmer felt her body buckle as Prince Blueblood walked up the tracks, the wreckage of the train lying a few kilometers down the track from where she and the others waited.
"Another Teleport and I'll be out of magic for another week!" Starlight coughed as she raised her voice at her boss.
"And I'll make sure you get the best treatment once we're back in the castle, but this is an emergency," Blueblood told her, and Starlight could only sigh as she prepared herself for a week of bed rest.
"Fine, But you better not get into another crazy adventure like this while I'm out!" She snapped at him, a smirk on her face as she took the Sunglasses off her eyes and placed them in her black suit.
"I can't do that, However, I'll bring you a little gift from wherever I might end up, A key-chain or something," Blueblood joked at her, and Starlight tiredly rolled her eyes.
"You must tell me of the fight Friend Blueblood!" Prince Rutherford exclaimed as he walked up to the two Unicorns.
"I'll tell you once we're all settled in the castle," Blueblood told him as Starlight's Aquamarine magic engulfed all the Ponies and Yaks of the group.
And with one final flash of light, They were gone.
She did not know how much time she spent in that shallow pool of muck, that was the only place she ever knew because, for her, time had no meaning.
She was a dead worm inside of a rotten fruit, a mass of dead flesh without a purpose. She knew not of time, or how time worked. She knew not of thought, for what would she think of?
She knew not of life beyond that shallow pool. She knew not of life as a true living creature.
Until It came along.
A creature that was loved by all, A creature that did not understand the gift she had, A creature that did not love anything other than itself.
The Creature did not greet her out of any kindness in its heart, for its heart was as empty and cold as a desolate tundra. It merely wished to showcase to those lowly masses how beautiful it could be, for even it would show pity to a dead worm inside a rotten fruit.
The sight of it was both Beautiful and Disgusting, for in those moments it was the first thing she ever saw.
And in those moments she swore eternal fealty to that loveless creature who was loved by all, yet Unable to love.
And in those moments, when the mass of dead flesh promised to follow it, shadow it, learn from it, Her form changed to resemble it.
"What a hideous creature you are," It told her, its long legs pulling her newborn form out from the muck of the pool she never left, Its white limbs glistening as if made by crystals, the dark muck of the pool sliding cleanly off as if in fear of harming its beauty.
Its words weren't said to be hurtful, for they were the truth. Everything it said was the truth. It was beautiful. It was perfect. The people loved it. She loved it. The world itself loved it. Even it loved it. And a creature like it, so loved by all, would be unable to lie.
No. She was disgusting to the core, She loved it so much she could see what the others couldn't. She saw the truth behind it.
They were both the same, two disgusting beings, rotten to the core. Alas, where she was Disgusting on the outside, It was disgusting on the inside.
Perhaps that's what the Butterfly saw. Did the Butterfly also see through its facade of perfection? Or is she once more overthinking?
The thought mattered not to her. It was loved by all, so She would need to be loved as well.
And so she served, following in its hoof steps, copying the truth behind its mannerism. If it was a perfect lie, then she would become the disgusting truth that mirrored it.
And yet, once the Butterfly exposed its truth to the world, it denied his words, for everything it said became the truth.
It said she was a hideous creature, so she became the most hideous creature it could imagine. It said the butterfly was a traitor, so the butterfly usurped her.
However, she remembered, from the faintest corners of her disgusting mind, a brief moment. A moment so fragile, barely more than a second, as the butterfly prepared to destroy all it ever worked for. She remembered it doing something so unbelievable, so ludicrous, she could not have imagined ever doing so herself.
As its long and slender horn touched the crib of a newborn girl, moments before sending her away with its perfect magic, it showed love. It loved a creature that was not it, even for the briefest of moments, before the Butterfly arrived and exacted his traitorous plan. Finally putting an end to everything it ever stood for.
No. Not everything. It still had her, and the baby it loved for but the briefest of moments.
So she left, searching for where the baby disappeared, for outside of it, the baby was the only thing it has ever loved. She toppled kingdoms in search of the girl, Working exactly how It would have worked should it have shown its true colors.
She was the disgusting truth that mirrored its perfect lie. And to fulfill her purpose, her promise to it, to herself, she must find that baby.
And yet, perhaps she already found her? And perhaps because of all that happened in her search for the girl, she finally understood that brief flash of love from it.
Yes, she finally understood what It did, what it truly was, and with this understanding, she could finally become the disgusting truth that mirrored its perfect lie. A real mirror, not the pale imitation she always had. A disgusting Copy.
No. She was not yet ready, only once the girl was hers would she be able to face it and tell it everything.
She was a Dead Worm inside of a Rotten Fruit.
But perhaps she already understood what it was.
"I think I'm in love with Prince Blueblood..."
With these hideous thoughts in her disgusting head, Queen Chrysalis woke up.
"You, Take Starlight Glimmer to the hospital now! And you, I want a perimeter search of the entire castle, I want every single possible entrance or exit those fucks could take closed yesterday! And you, Show the Yak's to the rooms they'll be staying in tonight! You, Bring our guests the best food and drink we have! Bow your head and like their hooves for forgiveness if it would make them happy, NOW!!!" The moment the group landed in one of the gardens of Canterlot Castle, Prince Blueblood wasted no time in catching Starlight's unconscious form before it could hit the ground, yelling orders at the surrounding guards.
"You can rest now," He whispered to the Unicorn mare, "You've done well," He gently passed her off to the guard he ordered to take her to the hospital before he started marching towards the castle, followed by Prince Rutherford and the rest of the guards.
"Will things be fine, Blueblood?" Rutherford asked as he walked a step behind the Unicorn prince.
"Of course they will, Who do you take me for?" Blueblood stated, eliciting a chuckle from the leader of the Yaks.
"Hah, good answer!"
The guards that stood at the door to the castle took one look at his face before they opened the door for him, letting him pass into the castle without slowing down his march.
He burst into the throne room, only to scowl as he found it empty. "You!" He called to a nearby guard, "Where's Celestia?"
"You mean where's Princess Celestia-" The guard froze under the frigid glare from the prince.
"Answer the question or you're fired," He said simply, not even bothering to raise his voice as he glared at the guard.
"She's at the Ballroom! Please don't fire me!" The guard cried as his knees buckled under him, forcing the poor stallion to use his spear as a walking stick to keep himself standing. But the prince was already on the move.
He ignored the stares and whispers of the servants and the guards as he moved with a single-minded focus toward the ballroom.
With a flick of his horn, he sent his bag to his room, it only served to slow him down. With a glare from his eyes, doors opened before him, guards and servants bowing low to the ground as a show of respect, fearing the angered prince's response should he not have it.
And as he reached the doors to the ballroom, he wasted no time in flinging them open with a glow from his horn.
And then white powder exploded in his direction, "SURPRISE!!!"
Blueblood quickly caught all the white powder in his magic, making sure none of it touched his skin as he pulled it into the shape of a ball, a bright blue beam escaping his horn and burning the powder into nothing.
"Did you throw Anthrax at me?" He calmly asked the now silenced ballroom, his eyes moving over figures both familiar and not.
"Anthrax?! That's flour!" An unfortunately familiar Pink Earth pony exclaimed as she pointed at the empty sacks of flour lying beside a cannon.
"Good reflexes," One of the figures in the back said, nodding her head in respect to the Prince.
Blueblood took a deep breath before he looked at the ballroom. The ceiling was littered with Balloons, a banner was hung from the ceiling with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLUEBLOOD" written in rainbow colors.
On a table to the side, Where three familiar Diamond Dogs were resting, sat several plates of snacks and sweets, and bottles of soda stood beside them.
Blueblood's eyes roamed over the other ponies in the room, recognizing a few of them, not recognizing others, before his eyes landed on the Pony he needed to speak to.
"Celestia, we need to talk," He walked up to her, trying his best to convey the importance of the situation with his tone of voice and lack of proper public address of her title. "Luna, Cadance, Raven, Shining Armor, you also need to come with me," And without waiting for their response, Prince Blueblood turned tail and walked away, ignoring the gawking crowd of ponies watching him leave.
"Also, get rid of those decorations, they're a headache to look at," He gave some words of sage advice before turning the corner and leaving.
Princess Celestia looked at the many visitors who turned to look at her.
"Ehe," She sheepishly chuckled before following after the prince.
Once all the ponies that Blueblood called out were out of the room, One of the few ponies whom he did not recognize spoke up.
"What crawled up his tail and died there?"
"RAINBOW DASH!!!"
"What? We were all thinking it,"
"If what you're saying is true, then the Elements of Harmony will have a tough foe in the near future..." Blueblood almost wanted to scream as those words left Celestia's mouth.
"Of course," Blueblood simply gritted his teeth and nodded along to her decision, after all, she was an Alicorn, and he was a simple Unicorn. She had the final say on everything.
"Now, how about we return to your Birthday Party, Pinkie Pie made you a wonderful cake-" The moment the talk came to a close, Celestia's demeanor shifted as she smiled, trying to pull the prince into a hug.
"I apologize, Princess Celestia, But I have prior reservations that I must attend to," Blueblood slipped away from her before he gave her a bow and left her behind.
He had a reservation with a bottle.
He was not drunk enough to deal with this.
"Welcome home darling," The sight that greeted him once he finally fell asleep was of his Human body standing in the doorway of an apartment, His cat-faced, snake-haired, twin-horned, Cosmic Girlfriend standing on the other side, a cheeky grin on her lips as she leaned her humanoid body forward.
"I already readied the water, so you can start with a bath, or you can start with dinner," She rested her hand on his chest, grabbing onto his shirt as she pulled him closer. "Or do you want to start with me? Dar~ ling~?"
Blueblood stared down silently at Cosmos, the long day he had of dealing with Changelings, and then dealing with foreign diplomats, all the while finding out that it was actually his birthday all along. It was a very long day.
"I want to take a shower first," He told her as he leaned forward himself, His taller body pushing Cosmos back against the wall, "Then, Once we're both cleaned, I'm going to take a blindfold and cover your eyes," He continued speaking, towering over the Spirit of Space as she licked her lips up at him.
"Then, I'm going to lead you to our bed, where I'm going to proceed to tie your hands together and spread your legs open, that's when I'll have my dinner," Cosmos felt her body shivering as Blueblood lifted his hand to cup her chin, "And then for dessert, I think I'll get myself a little birthday present," He smirked as Cosmos stood on her toes, trying to reach for a kiss. Only to widen her eyes as his finger blocked her lips.
"Ah ah ah, Not so fast," He leaned away from her, closing the door behind him as he entered the medium-sized apartment that Cosmos created in the dreamscape, "I think that for tonight, I want to take things slooow~"
Cosmos felt her breath quicken, she took the finger Blueblood used to block her attempt at kissing and put it in her mouth.
"You're a dirty girl," Her lips made a popping sound as Blueblood took his finger out of her mouth, "Let's get you cleaned up~"
As the couple entered the imaginary bathroom, Cosmos asked a question as she peeked over her shoulder, watching her Prince take his shirt off.
"Hey, Blueblood?"
"Yes, Cosmos?"
"Is it really your birthday?" She asked, her slender arms going behind her back to unhook her bra.
"It's the day Celestia picked me up from the streets, so it's basically my birthday," He answered casually as he removed his belt.
"Oh... Happy Birthday then," Cosmos said, earning a chuckle from the Prince.
"I don't care about birthdays," He told her once he finally took off all his clothes. He turned around and Pulled Cosmos into a spooning hug, "Now how about you ask the real question?" he whispered to her, blowing small kisses into the back of her neck.
Cosmos took a moment to take in his body heat, Knowing full well that even though it felt real, it was but a dreamlike illusion. She was still nothing but a head with an arm, lying in an endless void resembling the far reaches of the Universe.
But with him, She could ignore all of that.
He'd find the rest of her body, He'll free her from this prison.
Raven Inkwell closed her eyes and sighed as she rested her head on the cool wood of her office desk.
Finally, after several days of grueling work, she had a day off.
And what a better way to spend her day off than to go visit her family.
Only that her parents also have business to attend to, so they're not free for a visit, so Raven Inkwell is forced to deal with today on her lonesome.
With the recent debacle on the train being cleanly swept under the rugs so the citizens won't panic, The following days were a hurry and a half.
With half the Yak delegation mostly excusing themselves to check several archeological sights that interested them, The second half was busy making plans with Prince Blueblood in regard to their little Railway thing.
It took three days to settle for a course that all parties could agree to, but thankfully it ended with shaken hooves and toothy smiles.
And drinking.
Lots of drinking.
At the same time, Three of the royals from Caninia also stayed in the Castle, With Princess Indiana Ambereyes representing the Old Castle and Princess Moonbeam Twinkletail representing the New Castle.
Princess Fiona Floppyears, who came with Princess Indiana, disappeared with a group of guards, she was later found in an argument with a local Carnivorous restaurant owner over the quality of his meats.
A small investigation into the restaurant shortly after saw it closed for violation of several health and safety regulations. So at least something good came out of her little walk.
What wasn't fun was dealing with the two Bickering Dog Princesses, Who could not be kept in the same room alone without a loud argument erupting between them.
Raven Inkwell didn't care that Moonbeam thought her Magic was better than Indiana's armed skill, and neither did she care that Indiana thought her steel could beat Moonbeam's Arcane knowledge.
You two are talking about shipping lanes and maritime trade! Stop bickering like children and act your age!!!
Luckily for Raven, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza managed to placate the two Diamond Dogs and they all reached an agreeable consensus, and the Dogs are on their way to Caninia at this very moment to hold up their side of the agreement.
Prince Rutherford also returned to Yakyakistan, although half his delegation is still on tour around the many magical sights of Equestria. They're visiting the Pyramids of Somnambula last she heard.
What else happened during the last few days? Raven racked her head as she tried to think. Oh yeah! Shining Armor is getting married.
"Arrgh!" Raven had enough, she slid down her chair and lay under her table, feeling the carpeted floor itching at her back as she despaired about her current life.
"It's not fair! Everypony but me is doing something special for Hearts and Hooves Day!" If any pony had heard right now, she surely would have died from embarrassment. "Even Starlight Glimmer is doing something special!" Raven quickly slapped herself for that jealous thought, knowing full well that all Starlight Glimmer was doing was lying in bed as her magic slowly refilled.
"Raven! I need you to cancel everything I have in the next three days!" Raven jumped forward, her head banging against the underside of the desk, spilling over a number of pens.
"Ow~" The Earth Pony rubbed at her head as she crawled back out from under the table, trying her best to act natural and look as if she's a totally normal member of society.
"Of course your Highness, Is there anything else?" Raven nodded to the pony who barged into her office with a shout.
"No, Just make sure my schedule's clear," Raven felt her face go blank as Prince Blueblood answered her.
"Are you sure? Just clear your schedule? Nothing else?" Raven raised an eyebrow, hoping the Unicorn would get what she was trying to hint at, her eyes briefly pointing to the Calendar that was sitting on her table, the date marked with a red circle.
"Is there something wrong with your eye?" Blueblood tilted his head, Raven knew full well he understood what she was hinting at, yet he kept torturing her.
"I have nothing wrong with my eyes, The Royal optometrist made sure of that," Raven answered, not so subtly pushing the calendar forward, pointing at the circled date.
"We don't have a Royal optometrist and you know that, just out with it, we're both adults, just say what you want to say," Blueblood smirked his infuriatingly hot smile as he sat down across the desk from her, raising an eyebrow in anticipation.
Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And without opening them, she said- "I want you to lock the door to my office, Lean over my desk, and catch me 'Slacking at my job,' I want you to then do your part as a good boss and punish me for slacking off, I want you to take the crop in my drawer and whip me, I want you to punish me, I want you to hold me against this desk and kiss me, I want your thick hot steamy rod inside of me as I beg you to keep going, I want you to choke me as I scream in pleasure, I want some excitement in my life, It's Hearts and Hooves day, and you're my Friend with Benefits," Raven took a long sigh before she opened her eyes and stared directly into the Ice-Blue orbs of a smug prince.
"So show me the bucking benefits you stupid, sexy, asshole."
A second later Raven's face exploded in a bright red blush, proverbial steam coming out of her head before she quickly hid under the table once more.
"Forget I said anything, this is stupid," She squeaked weakly, curling up into a ball.
Raven Inkwell rocked back and forth under her table, her mind replaying her words over and over as it mocked her for attempting to think she was worthy of his time. She wasn't his Girlfriend, just a friend who was also a girl, He had no romantic interest in her, he already made that clear.
You don't do roleplay like that with friends, this entire question was stupid. Hearts and Hooves Day is stupid. She's stupid. Stupid love and Stupid Raven and Stupid Blueblood with his Stupid Eyes and Stupid Smirk and Stupid muscles and Stupid- Gahh! She's thinking of him again!!!
"You know, If I didn't put up a Soundproof barrier around us, Someone might have gotten the wrong Idea," Raven felt herself croak weakly as Prince Blueblood took a look under her desk, watching her body curl up into a small ball of white fur and brown hair.
"They might have thought you were trying to proposition me, Can you imagine the scandal that would come if the ponies heard that Prince Blueblood Platinum was sleeping with Princess Celestia's Secretary? It would be front-page news everywhere!"
Raven felt tears well in her eyes, she was so stupid, she should have kept it to simple things in the confines of their bedrooms, not whatever she just asked him to do- "For almost bringing a scandal to the royal castle, You really fucked up as a secretary, you know that?"
"I'm sorry..." Raven's ball-like form fell to the side, her cheek resting on the itchy carpet of her floor, wet tears staining the fabric.
Prince Blueblood got on his knees and crawled to sit beside her under her desk, his leg rubbing her side in an attempt of comfort. "Hey there, You know I'm not angry, right?" He asked calmly, gently stroking her hair.
Raven nodded weakly, her face still red from embarrassment.
"It's just, as your boss, I can't let this go unpunished," He stopped rubbing her hair, his hoof moving to hold her chin as he opened up Raven-ball and turned her head to look at him.
Raven froze, the tears drying up instantly as she looked at the smug look on his face.
"The Safe Word is 'Twins', Now, where did you say you put that crop?" He whispered in her ear.
Raven whispered back, "Second drawer from the bottom of the bookshelf, Please don't be gentle..."
Maybe this Hearts and Hooves day wasn't so bad.
Omake: An Audience to Power.
Marigold was a simple maid working in the Canterlot Castle. Her days were filled with cleaning the rooms, passing along messages, and making sure Princess Luna had everything she could ask for.
So when she heard that a spar would take place Between Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood, she saw an opportunity to watch something many of the other maids considered entertaining.
A Chance to see Prince Blueblood get his face kicked in.
Now, Marigold never had any issues with the Prince, quite the opposite, in fact, she simply adored him. If any of her sisters would have found her little shrine back at her house, suffice to say there would be an empty chair at her dining table.
Haha, She merely jests.
And yet, Marigold really liked this new personality Prince Blueblood has been taking ever since he met with his newest Bodyguard.
If she hadn't known of the relationship between the two, Marigold would have assumed that the Prince and Starlight Glimmer were lovers.
She still remembered his snobbish attitude from before, but it's really toned down, replaced by this... Confidence? This Drive to improve himself that he previously didn't have. She, like many of the other Maids, and even some of the guardsmares, really loved this new change.
But Princess Luna was still going to beat him.
That, sadly, was simply how the world was. It doesn't matter how powerful his muscles are, or how potent his magic is, he was still a simple Unicorn.
And an Alicorn wouldn't lose to a simple Unicorn.
So when the fight finally began around noon, Marigold was sitting near the windows of the castle, watching the two royals fight inside.
And it was close. Surprisingly so.
Marigold felt her blood pump as her face glued to the windows. She oohed at the beams of light and aahed at the Flaming Statue.
Even without her Magic available, Princess Luna was holding up well against the seemingly endless barrage of punches from the statue and beams from the orbs.
The Speed of a Pegasus and the Strength of an Earth Pony... In the hooves of an Alicorn, they were a deadly combination. As Princess Lune shattered the flaming Statue, Marigold was certain the fight was over, Blueblood had nothing left to throw at her.
And then the stars aligned. And Marigold felt as insignificant as an ant, Watching as the beam of burning gold shattered the very planets, its overwhelming heat melting the rings of Saturn, piercing a hole through Jupiter, melting the Asteroid belt into nothing but magma and slag.
"I Forfeit,"
And then it was over. Princess Luna won.
And so, Marigold decided to construct a new shrine to her favorite celebrity, lest he throw a shooting star at her.
Haha, She merely jests.
One can never be too safe, however, so Marigold decided to build her new shrine anyway.
Constructing wooden miniatures was her special talent, after all, how hard could it be to construct a wooden statue of the solar system shattering under the power of a shooting star?
"This is the hundredth time I caught you like this, Stop it,"
At the north-eastern edge of the Everfree Forest sat a camp. Where Fillies and Colts used to learn about the wilderness, climb trees, make campfires, and have endless fun! Or at least, that's how the Camp was twenty years ago. These days, The cleverly named "Camp Everfree" struggles to keep itself running.
"But Brother! I think I figured a solution to all our problems!" The Camp was run by two Earth Ponies.
"I also have a solution, Sell the Camp! This entire place is prime real estate, Some rich bloke will pay us boatloads! We can easily start a new camp in the Whitetail woods, Where the Everfree Forest doesn't threaten to foalnap the children every night!" The younger Pony was tired of seeing his older sister wasting her life trying to find a solution to the Everfree's wild magic interfering with the camp.
"We are not selling the Camp! This place is everything to us, and to so many more Children! Selling isn't an option, so don't you try to bring it up again!" The older Pony was also tired of her brother trying to get her to stop her search. For months now she's been researching the Everfree Forest, from which Creatures one can find there to what Plants one might expect to encounter.
And almost like routine, the two siblings argued about how to deal with their failure of a camp before splitting off to do their own things for the day.
The younger brother went to his second job, where he can actually make a living.
The older sister went back into the forest, several notebooks and research papers carried along in a bag.
Usually, the Sister would search for a way to fix her problem, but no more. because just as she said, She found it.
The Heart of the Everfree.
A Magical Artifact hidden in the middle of the forest, whoever holds the heart has the power to control the forest itself. With it, she can make sure that the Everfree Forest never messes with her camp.
And then everything will be just like the good old days when the camp prospered and made memories of joy for ponies of all ages.
All Gloriosa Daisy had to do was find it.
I felt a sigh escaping my lips as I stood at the edge of the giant cursed forest that covered a large portion of Equestria.
And when I say large, I mean Large.
If Equestria is the magical equivalent of the United States, then the Everfree Forest is the magical equivalent of a country the size of Belgium being picked up by God, turned into a cursed magical forest, and then dropped on top of the state of Missouri.
Maybe that's why the Deer decided to have their kingdom hidden inside that forest, It's basically the size of a country already!
Although the size of the forest is not the reason for my current sigh of exasperation.
"Tell me again why I should let you join me on this?" I asked the Pink Alicorn who stood beside me, also staring at the large forest.
"Because you're doing this to help Cosmos," Cadance said simply, and I let out another sigh.
"Fine," I told her, "But once we are inside the forest, you listen to me, I don't want to have to save you from every Monster that jumps out of the forest,"
"Of course, This is Your marefriend we're rebuilding here," Cadance said in a teasing tone of voice, which failed to work by virtue of her using the word Marefriend.
Just say Girlfriend, it fits every species anyway.
I just sighed at that, telling myself that even after half a year in this new world, I would never get used to this stupid dialect.
"Let's just go..." I tell Cadance and with a resolute look in my eyes and a calming rub of the necklace around my neck, I start walking into the magical forest, Followed by the Pink Princess of Love.
The moment we entered the shade of the trees, it felt as if a weight was placed on our backs, a pressure heavy enough to feel but still light enough to easily ignore. It was... Weird to say the least.
The closest comparison I have to the feeling I can give was probably when I carried Starlight through the tunnel in Yakyakistan, where I found Cosmos all those months ago, a sort of primal understanding telling me that I was not somewhere normal people should be.
"I understand why most ponies keep out of this place," Cadance said as a shiver ran down her spine, her feathers bristling in discomfort, and I simply nodded to her words.
As we walked through the woods, the sounds of animals grew dimmer as silence descended upon us. I ignored the creepy atmosphere that the forest was trying to create as I focused on my magic, letting my hooves guide me.
It's really hard to explain how Cutie Marks work, each one is different, but for me? For Prince Blueblood? It's a really fascinating talent.
It's hard to explain how it works without using words like "Sixth sense" but simply put, I have a talent for finding things I'm looking for. It could be something like finding where I put my keys, or it could be a bit more active, like how the grappling hook I threw back in Caninia found its way to the Ship, to even more active uses such as finding where Chrysalis was going to stand in order for my attack to hit her.
In other words, Letting my Cutie Mark guide me will eventually lead us to Thicket, in one way or another. Because as long as I'm looking for something, even if I don't know where it is, I will find it. Because this magical tattoo on my hip made it fate, or someshit like that, I really don't get how it works.
Even Clover the Clever never managed to really figure it out, he wrote down some theories of his in the book, but none of them were ever confirmed.
"Bluey, Did you bring food?" I'm once again pulled out of my thoughts by my new magical Cousin.
And isn't that a kick in the gut, I now have a cousin. That's a good thing, I think. It's probably a good thing...
I haven't found a reason why Cadance being my cousin is any different than simply being a friend like Starlight is, but I'm sure the answer is out there.
Maybe Clover wrote it in a different book.
"Yes, Cadance, Obviously I packed food," I tell her as I step on a twig, hearing the satisfying snapping sound of wood breaking.
"AHH MONSTER!"
Nevermind then...
Gloriosa was not ready to die.
She still had to find the heart of the Everfree! So when she heard the claws of a beast that must have been stalking up on her snap a twig behind her, she bolted with a scream.
She should have never ventured this deep into the Everfree, now she was going to get eaten by a Timberwolf! or worse, a Timberbear!
Her heart beat in her chest as she ran away, her hoofs making loud sounds as she tried to escape from the hidden beast.
Her breathing hitched as she heard it catching up to her, the flaps of its wings dragging it over the forest floor before-
"We're so sorry for scaring you! Please stop panicking!"
Gloriosa Daisy screamed.
The Pink Pegasus that stood over her screamed.
The white Unicorn that soon entered her vision watched with a blank face, a barely noticeable blue glow around his horn before it disappeared.
"Wait..." Gloriosa paused her screaming as she looked at the two ponies, "You're not monsters?"
"Of course, we're not," The Unicorn said as he readjusted his steel-blue hair into a sort of upwards-facing mane, reminiscent of a bird's head feathers. "My name is Kingfisher, but everyone calls me King," The Unicorn walked up to her and helped her back to her hoofs before he patted the Pink Pegasus on the back. "This is my Sister, Pattern Hearts, but everyone calls her Princess, they think it's funny,"
The Pegasus looked at her brother for a moment before a realization passed through her mind and she quickly nodded her head, "Oh yeah, Kingy and I have been by each other's side since we were foals, Haha!" She smiled wildly and pulled her brother into a one-legged hug.
Gloriosa took another look at the two strange Ponies, Seeing an image of a bird diving into the water on King's Cutie Mark, and a playing card with a Jack of Hearts as Princess's mark.
"Oh... Nice to meet you," Gloriosa relaxed once she realized that the two ponies were not in fact angry forest monsters out to kill her, "I'm Gloriosa Daisy, Director of Camp Everfree, But you two can call me Glori."
"I see..." Kingfisher said slowly as he looked at her before he stared into Patter Hearts' eyes, a silent conversation passing between the two.
"Well, We'll be off now, Keep yourself safe," Kingfisher then said once the two seemed to reach a conclusion to their staring talk.
And just like that, the two strange ponies walked back into the forest, leaving Gloriosa confused and alone as to what just happened.
Somewhere else in the Everfree Forest, a certain Prince managed to escape his personal guard and sneak out of the walls that surrounded him.
Ready to explore more of the Great Big World outside of Thicket.
Omake: A Very Good Boy.
Cerberus was a good boy.
For over one-thousand years he kept guard over the magical Prison of Tartarus.
Starswirl told him to do so, and so that's just what he'll do!
But Starswirl hasn't come to visit in a long time. And Cerberus was getting lonely.
Sure, he could talk to the other monsters in Tartarus, but they'll never be his friends, not like Mister Rockhoof and Miss Somnambula were.
But everything changed when a new Prisoner arrived. And not in a cage, but in a Glass box.
Cerberus was confused as he looked at the little box, Wouldn't the prisoner break the glass and escape? But his worries were for naught. Because the prisoner never tried to escape. She simply sat in her little box and read the books given to her.
Cerberus wants to read too, but he never learned how the funny letters work, so he can't.
Hundreds of years ago, He caught the stinky Red prisoner trying to escape by writing on the floor of his cage, so he shook him around until he couldn't move his hand anymore, and then he never wrote again.
Or at least Cerberus thinks he never wrote again... The Red one was always moving about in his cage, almost as if he was trying to hide something, but whenever Cerberus came to look, there would be nothing.
Cerberus didn't like the Red one, he felt wrong.
But none of that mattered because Cerberus wasn't lonely anymore! He got a new friend! Just like Mister Rockhoof and Miss Somnambula!
"Come here Pooch!" Cerberus let out a joyful bark from his three heads as he leaped down cliffs of black stone and sharp rocks before sliding to a halt in front of his new friend, laying on his back as he gave him belly rubs.
"Who's a good boy, Who's a good boy?" The White Unicorn told him as he petted him and rubbed him and showed him affection.
"I'm a good boy! I'm a good boy!" Cerberus yelled happily, three big tongues lolling out of his mouths as he looked at the Unicorn upside-down, still lying on his back, but all that came out were a series of loud yet happy barks.
Cerberus didn't mind that his friends never understood his words, they could still understand the meaning behind them.
"Of course you're a good boy, You're the bestest boy! Now come on! I brought food for everyone and I need your help carrying it,"
Cerberus barked happily as he rolled back onto his feet to help his new friend feed everyone.
"I hope he brought Steak!" His left head barked happily. "I hope he brought Drumsticks!" His right head barked in joy. "I hope he brought Ribs!" His middle head barked in affection.
His new friend was his best friend because he always brought good food and plenty of belly rubs whenever he visited.
"Oh look at you, Being all happy, Who's a good boy, Pooch, Who's a good boy?"
Cerberus was a good boy!
"Come here Pooch, Help me with this."
Cerberus was a good boy! And he would make sure Prince Blueblood would keep visiting him! Always!
He won't leave him like Mister Starswirl or Mister Rockhood or Miss Somnambula did!
Because Cerberus was going to make sure he was the bestest boy out there!
Once enough distance was made between The strange Earth Pony and the two Siblings, Pattern Hearts turned to Kingfisher and asked him a question.
"Ask yourself this," Kingfisher responded as he felt his cutie mark guide him, "An Earth Pony is walking alone in the Everfree Forest, and she meets two members of the crown, She then leaves the forest and tells her friends what she saw, rumors start spreading from that, leading to questions. What were Prince Blueblood and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza doing in the Everfree Forest? That question causes some to start digging, searching for answers to questions I don't want them to ask,"
The two ponies soon reached a river, with a glow of an invisible horn Pattern Hearts created a temporary bridge for the two to cross.
"And then there's this Gloriosa Daisy, what was she doing so far into the forest? She said she was a director for a Camp, but there's more to her being here than that," Kingfisher continued once the two crossed the river, "So in order to keep this little excursion of ours on the down low, we'll be using these fake identities, at least until we reach Thicket."
Pattern Hearts hummed in thought before sighing, "I guess you are correct, although it would have been fine to get Gloriosa out of the forest before we left her,"
Kingfisher grunted at that, "She is an adult, Free to make her own decisions, and deal with the consequences. Just because we are Royals of Equestria does not mean we must babysit the people, if she wanted to leave the forest she would have told us before we moved on." Kingfisher shook his head as a thought passed through his mind, "Freedom is one of the most important aspects of life, She had the freedom to ask for whatever help you think she would have needed, and yet she didn't. And therefore we must respect her choices, even if we may not agree with them ourselves."
"But what if she actually does get attacked by monsters?" The Pegasus asked.
"Then she gets attacked by monsters, Life moves on," Kingfisher answered nonchalantly, frowning as he saw the look on Pattern Heart's face. "Oh don't give me that, You can't save everybody in the world, especially if they're dumb enough to enter the wilderness without thinking of their own safety." He shook his head as Pattern Hearts looked away from him, an inquisitive frown on her face.
"Don't cry for the stupid, Cadance, You'll run out of pity."
Pattern Hearts took a deep sigh and shook her head, "This is bumming me out, Blueblood, Can we please change the topic?"
Kingfisher grunted in acknowledgment, moving a fallen tree out of his path with a glow of his horn, "Very well, let's talk about what you and Cosmos are doing in your dreams," A small smirk appeared on his face, "Did you save Princess Zelda?"
"Princess Peach, actually," Pattern Hearts smiled at the change of topic, "We beat Cackletta and saved the Beanbean kingdom,"
"Oh, You did?" Kingfisher asked Pattern Hearts in a tone similar to one might use when speaking to a toddler.
"Yes, And-" And if Pattern Hearts recognized the tone, she didn't show it, as the two Siblings (False) talked about their time in a dreamlike prison.
Deeper into the Everfree Forest, a brown Deer rubbed his forehead as he watched his Prince slip away from him once more, using his slim and nimble body to jump up onto the many walkways that make up the vertical City-State of Thicket.
"Portunes, The Prince is getting away, Aren't you going to go after him?" A nearby Deer asked as she poked her head out of the hollowed tree that acted as her bakery.
"No," The Deer guard shook his head, "These little runaways are the only thing that makes the Prince want to leave the castle. If he didn't get a bit of time for himself every week, He'll probably suffocate under His Majesty's attention."
The Baker bit her lip at that, "Won't you get fired if Aspen finds out?"
Portunes smiled a tired smile, "Then let's hope for my sake that His Majesty doesn't find out what his son has been doing for the past year and a half."
"You're gonna' be in big trouble, you know that?" The Baker shook her head at the lax guard before she passed him a warm bun in a recyclable bag.
"I know," Portunes took the bag and thanked the baker, "But his Highness loves it, so that's what really matters,"
"Aye, I guess you're right about some things," The baker shook her head and returned to her work, "Keep yourself safe, Portunes,"
"You as well, Barely," And with a small bow, Portunes returned to his duties.
"No guards are following me, right?"
At the edge of Thicket, in a shaded corner by the tall walls that surrounded the kingdom, a young Deer made his way to a hidden exit he found.
On his head, holding on to his horns, was a small yellow bird, who chirped at the deer, telling him that he was in the clear.
"Great! How about we go and meet up with Miss Pawton, you said she wanted to give me some of her honey, right? Let's check up on the cubs while we're at it," With an excited smile on his young face, The Deer made his way out of the hole in the wall, squeezing his body through the thick magical wood that made up the walls of the kingdom, before he popped himself out into a small clearing on the other side, away from any watchful eyes of Guards or concerned citizens.
Stretching his muscles, the young Deer grumbled about how the hole in the wall was getting too small before the bird on his head chirped again, bouncing a bit on its four small legs as it chirped a happy little song.
"You want to sing?" The Deer asked the yellow bird, which responded by bouncing happily from one horn to the other, eliciting a giggle from the Deer.
"Okay then," He smiled as he started skipping away from the walls of Thicket, making his way onto a small dirt road that was paved by the many different animals visiting him over the years.
"Here's a story I hope, You'll like. It's the one about the Deer going on a hike. I know, It's a tired old tale, But it still rings true."
The Deer sang as he skipped down the dirt road, His thin, light brown legs jumping over small puddles of mud and avoiding tiny twigs in his path, the Yellow Bird on his head chirping along with his words.
"He could never be rude, or unkind. But a sad song played at the back of his mind. Oh-ohh, Can someone show me a different day, To take me away?"
Several critters came out of the forest, squeaking and chirping and joining his song as they all together made their way down the road.
"Take me out of the woods. Great Big World You know I'm wanting for you."
He sang louder, the chorus of his little song accompanied by the improvised singing of the forest critters that joined him, like an entourage of colorful animals, from Rabbits and Squirrels, Raccoons and Gophers, Birds and Butterflies and critters of all kinds.
"They say some ponies make the clouds, go 'round. And every day they kick the sky to wash them out You know, If you spin those tales everything's okay,"
The Deer kept singing with his animal friends, his mind wandering to the world outside of the forest, of places he's only ever seen in books that were clearly hundreds of years out of date.
"There's a boy who's been on, my mind. He was never one who ever cared to color in the lines. Oh-Ohh, Did you know this boy looks a lot like me?"
The Deer smiled as he felt the yellow bird on his head bounce happily between his two small horns, the smell of wildflowers entering his nose indicating to him that he was getting closer to where he wanted to go. Although... There was someplace he wanted to go to more than Miss Pawton's home.
"Take me out of the woods. Great Big World You know I'm wanting for you."
The Deer and his yellow bird kept singing, not noticing that their entourage started lagging behind.
"You know I'm waiting for you- Oof!"
The Deer paused as he felt his body slam into something firm yet fluffy, knocking him onto his haunches.
"Ow..." He said as he shook his body a bit, slowly turning his head up to check what he smacked into.
Only to feel his eyes widen and his body freeze as he looked into the cold face of what he could only guess was a Unicorn.
"Nice singing!" The Deer jumped back as a purple Pegasus poked her head from behind the White Unicorn, smiling happily at him.
"Oh... Thanks?" The Deer didn't know how to respond, this was the first time he ever met anybody that wasn't another Deer.
"I apologize if this sounds strange to you, but you wouldn't happen to be able to point us toward the Kingdom of Thicket, would you?" The Unicorn asked him, looking down at him with an emotion in his eyes that he couldn't quite recognize.
"Thic- Wait a moment, back up!" The Deer stood up and took a few steps away from the two, "Who are you two and what do you want in Thicket?!"
The Unicorn opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the Pegasus speaking before him.
"I am Princess Cadance of Equestria," As those words left her mouth, The Deer could see a mix of several different emotions crossing the unicorn's face, landing on a tired acceptance after a short moment.
With a sigh escaping his lips, The Unicorn also said, "And I am Prince Blueblood Platinum of Equestria," And with a glow of magic on his horn, his body seemed to peel away, like bark from a tree, revealing a different appearance underneath.
"And we must speak with King Aspen," the two Pony royals said at the same time, a small grimace crossing the Unicorn's face at that fact as the Pegasus-Turned Alicorn seemed to smile wider.
"You want to speak with Fa- I mean, King Aspen?" The Deer quickly corrected himself as he repeated their question.
"We do," The Alicorn Princess nodded, smiling gently at the young Deer.
"We are conducting a sort of investigation into an incident that happened over one thousand years ago, and King Aspen is currently the only available lead we have," The Unicorn Prince added, his hoof moving to rub a necklace holding what looked like a crystal shard, like a broken piece to an unfinished puzzle.
"Okay... Follow me then," With a resolute look in his eyes, The Deer turned his back onto the two Ponies and started skipping back the way he came from.
He tried to hold back a yell of excitement at meeting two Ponies, and royalty at that, as he felt his Yellow Bird grab onto his horns once again.
"We never got your name," The Pink Princess said as she walked forward a bit, to stand beside the Deer.
"I didn't introduce myself? Oh..." The Deer quickly reprimanded himself in his mind, too lost in his excitement to remember proper etiquette. Something he rarely needed to use with the small population of Thicket.
"My name is Bramble," The Deer said with a small smile on his face as he walked the two ponies in a different direction from where he came from, soon reaching two tall, magically grown trees, holding a gate of gold between their logs.
"And welcome to Thicket!"
"...Why does that bird have four eyes and legs?" Prince Blueblood asked in his mind as he briefly made eye contact with the small yellow creature that sat on the young Deer's head.
Gloriosa Daisy made sure to keep herself close to the ground as she followed far behind the two Ponies, following the hoof-prints that Pattern Hearts left in the mud.
Kingfisher walked lightly, leaving nary a trace behind him, but his sister wasn't as careful.
Gloriosa Daisy's face turned into a smile as a smaller pair of prints joined The Pegasus's on the Muddy trail.
"They found a Deer..." She whispered to herself as she followed the tiny pair of prints, noting a point where the prints split into a different direction than they came from.
"So there's a secret entrance?" Gloriosa rubbed her hooves together in anticipation.
The Heart of the Everfree was already in her grasp, it just didn't know it yet.
Portunes was enjoying his lunch when a commotion rose up, many Deers went towards the commotion to check what was going on, and just like any good guard, Portunes took a look at his lunch and sighed with disappointment, picked up his helmet, asked the waiter to make his meal to-go, and then left to check on whatever was happening.
"Move aside, Guard coming through," Portunes's voice rose above the crowd as he pushed his way through the small sea of Deer, making his way to the front in order to see what was going on.
"Put down your weapons! These are my guests!" Portunes froze as a familiar voice rose from the front of the crowd before he quickly started pushing Deer to the side, moving forward quicker and faster.
"You know as well as everyone, No Deer is allowed in or out of the City without express permission from the Guard," Another familiar voice spoke and Portunes had to shout over whatever crowd remained in order to stop the foolishness that was happening.
"Beech! Tell your Stags to lower their weapons now!!!" Portunes shoved the last of the Deer to the side and finally saw what was going on.
Captain Beech, Captain of the City Guard, Had his guards pointing their weapons at a teenage Deer and two other creatures he's only seen in books and Historical Documents.
"Portunes! Great, I need you to tell this Guard to let me and these two in," Portunes looked at the teenager, his Prince, and felt his back twitch at the thought of needing to deal with whatever the King would do to him if he ever discovered what happened here.
On second thought, it is not IF he discovered, but When...
"Captain Portunes, Still on Babysitting duty I see," The Green-Armored Deer turned his head to look at a slightly younger Guard covered in an Orange set of armor.
"Still threatening Children, I see," Portunes bit back before he turned to the other guards, "I said lower your weapons, this Fawn is your Prince," Portunes watched as many of the Guards quickly lowered their weapons and stopped pointing them at his Prince.
"You know the rules, Portunes, No Deer is allowed out of the city without express permission from the guard," Beech said with a smirk, his spear still pointing at the Prince and the two Ponies.
"I permitted him! Now lower your spear before I lower it for you!" Portunes glared at Beech for a few more seconds before the Captain of the City Guard scoffed and put down his spear.
"Good, Now Portunes-" "Not now Bramble," Portunes interrupted his Prince, feeling a pang of guilt as he looked at the young Deer before he turned back to the crowd of onlookers.
"Back to where you came from! Show's over!" And with grunts and grumbles of disappointment, the crowd of Deer turned away and returned to what they were doing.
Portunes turned back to his Prince and the two Ponies behind him, "Bramble, do you understand what you just did? No, never mind that. You three, Follow me," Portunes waited for his Prince to start following him before he started leading them to the Castle.
Cadance couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight of the buildings in front of her. It would be a disservice to even call them buildings, they looked like Giant Trees, with the buildings being carved into them like giant intricate wooden statues.
"I'm sorry you two had to see that," Cadance turned to look at Bramble, the young Deer looking up at her as he spoke, "I didn't think it would be such a big deal..."
"What's done is done," Bluey spoke up, Causing Cadance to smile at her cousin's faint attempt to cheer up the young deer in his own Bluebloody sort of way, "What I'm more interested in is you being a Prince,"
"Oh, That..." Bramble looked away before he mumbled, "I didn't think it was important,"
Bluey sighed at that, he seemed to be doing that more often, "What do you think would have happened if we didn't immediately come to the Gate and a Guard spotted us?" He asked.
"Umm, He would have taken us to the Gate?" Bramble guessed.
"I would have put the two of you under arrest for trying to fawnnap the Prince," Portunes said, his back still turned to the three Royals.
"WHAT?!" Bramble yelled.
"But we weren't trying to Foalnap anypony," Cadance said, "We were looking for Thicket, and Bramble was the first Deer we've seen,"
"But they don't know that," Bluey said, "They see two foreign strangers hanging around their young Prince, In an area where none of them should have been. Let me ask you this, Cadance, What would you do if you've seen Starlight Glimmer walking down the corridor of the castle?"
Cadance raised an eyebrow at the question her cousin asked, "I would say hello?"
Bluey continued, "And if you've seen her walking down the castle corridors a year ago?"
Cadance took a moment to think over the question before the realization hit her, "I would call the guards, Someone broke into the castle,"
"Exactly." Bluey nodded at her answer before he turned back to Bramble, "A Prince isn't just some fancy title you put in front of your name, You are much more than that. You are both an asset of the Crown and a bargaining chip, your actions could dictate the lives of thousands. If a Deer your age spilled a cup of Water on a random Griffon, it could start a small argument but ultimately end up with nothing more. If a Prince like you spilled a cup of Water on a Griffon, It would be sensationalized in headlines and news stories all around the nation, 'Prince Bramble humiliates innocent Griffon, do the Deer have no Shame?' An action you might think little of, could down the line, start Wars with thousands of lives on the line,"
"I wouldn't go that far, but what I think Bluey is trying to say is that being a Prince means you need to follow certain rules that might seem stupid but are still important," Cadance chuckled to herself, "I still remember when I first got my horn, I accidentally set somepony's hat on fire, If Princess Celestia hadn't stepped in to defend me, I might have made an enemy with the Mayor of Chicacolt,"
"You remember that, right Bluey?" Cadance smiled at her cousin.
"Nope," Cadance's smile disappeared as she stumbled at her cousin's blunt answer.
"That's stupid," Cadance turned back to Bramble as he kicked the dirt in front of him, a small smile climbing back onto her lips.
"That's called being an adult," Bluey said, the small weird bird on Bramble's head chirping in agreement.
"Being an adult is stupid," Bramble said as he made a face that made Cadance want to squeeze his cheeks.
"We're here," Cadance closed her mouth and swallowed the quip she was about to say as Portunes spoke up, causing the royals to look in front of them.
Surrounded by a wall of living wood, Stood what Cadance could easily say was the largest tree she had ever seen in her life. As wide as a tower and taller than 100 meters!
She had seen Giant Sequoia trees before, and none of them came close to the size of the tree in front of her.
Around the trunk was a walkway that took the group high above the other trees in the forest, before they reached a door in the tree.
"Royal Guard Captain Portunes! Accompanying Prince Bramble and two others" Portunes yelled as he knocked on the door, "Requesting permission to enter!"
Cadance stared at the detailed carvings on the door, her eyes mesmerized by the artwork in front of her.
After a minute, the Door opened from the inside. "Do not speak unless permitted," Portunes turned to tell Cadance and her cousin, "Show your respect to the King," He told them before he walked in.
"Again, I'm so sorry for all of this," Bramble quickly bowed to the two Ponies before he walked in after Portunes.
Cadance took a deep breath, turning to look at her cousin, "Okay, This is it, yes? Who would have guessed we'd meet with King Aspen on the first day," She smiled at her cousin only to stop as he stared blankly at her.
"You jinxed it." He sounded defeated as if Cadance's words just killed any hope he had of the meeting with the King going smoothly. And with a blank look on his face, Prince Blueblood walked into the Castle Tree of Thicket.
Cadance gave her wings one last stretch before she too walked inside.
And the door shut behind her.
"Who does that stupid Green-helmet think he is?" Down on the ground, behind the houses and alley, walking the perimeter of Thicket, Captain Beech scowled as he moved.
"He hasn't been following the established law, Why does he get to be Captain of the Royal Guard, lazing about all day doing nothing while I need to actually work!" Beech scowled under his Orange Helmet, kicking a nearby wooden box and breaking it under his hooves.
"Eeek!" he froze as he heard someone behind him. Turning around quickly, he pulled out his Spear and pointed it at the Wooden Box he just kicked.
He held his breath as the planks of broken wood shuffled before a Pink pony emerged from beneath the planks, coughing dust out and shaking the crown of flowers on her Raspberry Mane, As she opened her Green eyes, she froze as she came face to tip with Captain Beech and his Spear.
"Pleasedon'tkillmeIdon'twanttodie!" The Pony cried loudly before closing her eyes and waiting for the inevitable impalement.
"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" Beech yelled at her, the pony shaking as she answered.
"I- I'm Gloriosa Daisy, I'm looking for the heart of the Everfree- Eeek!Please don't hurt me I'm too young to D-D-Die!!!"
Beech stared at the scared mare in front of him before a thought came into his head, A thought that might just earn him his well-deserved promotion and get rid of Portunes all at once.
"You're not with the other two ponies that came here, are you?" He asked the Pony, who shook her head as tears rolled down her face.
"And nobody else knows you're here?" He asked again, receiving another shake from the Mare.
"And you want to get your grippy little hooves on the Heart of the Everfree? Truly?"
"I- I'm sorry! I- I don't know what else to do!!!" Gloriosa cried only for a leg of soft brown hairs to shush her.
Gloriosa Daisy opened her eyes to see Beech close to her face, "Please, Don't cry, someone might hear you," He smirked as he helped pull her up, "Let me help you,"
Gloriosa paused, "Y- You'll help me get the Heart of the Everfree?"
"Of course," Beech smirked at her as he started to chuckle.
If Gloriosa Daisy wasn't too busy being afraid, she might have heard the sounds of a hissing snake.
"Let us steal the Heart of the Everfree, Ms. Daisy!"
Prince Blueblood bowed his head as he stood in front of the Gold and Red Throne inside the castle of living wood.
"Ahh, Ponies, How long has it been? Has Celestia finally taken notice? No... It's not that, You aren't Celestia, neither of you are, Ahh, Why have you come here? Introduce yourselves." Sitting on the throne was the same deer that appeared in Cosmos's memory, but his identity was where the similarities ended.
If the Deer from the memory, the same one that Luna spoke of in her drunken stupor, was Elegant and Charismatic, clean and focused, then the Deer in front of him was his husk, a senile old man barely able to keep his eyes focused on them before they wandered to his Son.
Wrapped in a Red Robe, his green eyes struggling to stay focused, a large white beard covered the front of his face and hid his mouth, Aside from the golden rings on his horns that acted as a crown, the only accessory he had was a thick necklace of gold around his neck, with a glowing Red Heart made of Crystal in its center.
"Your Majesty, it is my deepest Honor to meet you, I am Prince Blueblood Platinum of Equestria, and with me is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of Equestria, We are-" "SILENCE!"
Silence Followed as King Aspen glared at the Unicorn, "Did you say Platinum?"
"Yes your Maje-" Blueblood was interrupted as King Aspen rose to his hooves, covered in golden shoes, pointing a leg at him as he shouted.
"Guards! Get them out! OUT! And never allow them to return!!!!"
The Decrepit old king yelled at the two Ponies who stared at him in shock, "OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Father no! At least let them ask their question, hear them out!" Bramble stood up in order to try and stop his father.
"Bramble?" King Aspen's mood seemed to take on a switch as he returned from the furious King back to the old man from before, "Oh my sweet Bramble, How long have you been here? No, That's the question I want to ask-" King Aspen rocked his head from side to side, as if trying to clear cobwebs from his mind, "Ah yes, My Son, My dearest and most precious Bramble, For you I will do anything," King Aspen tried to smile lovingly at his son, but to the onlookers, it looked like someone stretched his lips in the vague approximation of a smile.
"You," The king turned to the Unicorn Prince, "Speak, ask your question, You can thank my dear Bramble for granting your cursed blood this opportunity, Platinum, for there will not be another..."
Prince Blueblood took a second to organize his thoughts before he spoke. "A bit over one thousand years ago-" He was interrupted by King Aspen raising his hoof.
"Stop," He ordered him before he turned to Portunes, "Captain Birch, take Bramble and this... Pink Princess, and leave me. I shall speak with this Platinum privately, Do not return until sunset,"
"As you command, Your Majesty," Portunes bowed his head, "Bramble, Mi Amore Cadenza, come. The King wished for privacy,"
"But-" Bramble tried to argue, but one look at his father told him this was not the appropriate time.
"Will you be okay here?" Cadance asked her cousin, who nodded silently for his reply, not taking his eyes off the Deer King, "If you're sure," Cadance bowed to the King before she joined the two Deers before the Door closed behind them.
Leaving King Aspen and Prince Blueblood alone.
"Now, Blueblood Platinum, Descendant of the Cursed House, Speak," King Aspen said once only the two of them remained in the throne room, his voice ringing around the hollowed tree in a booming echo.
The Red Crystal Heart on his necklace started glowing as vines tipped with sharp thorns burst out of the floor and wrapped around the Prince, their sharp edges pointing at his face as green liquid dripped down and splattered on the floor, leaving a quiet hiss as it melted into the wood.
"I- I'm starting to have second thoughts about this..."
Beneath the streets of Thicket, In an Underground tunnel known to only a select few, Gloriosa Daisy was having second thoughts.
"It is too late to turn back now, Miss Daisy, We're already under the Royal Tree." Captain Beech of the City Guard felt a smile spread on his face as he turned to look at the Earth Pony behind him.
Gloriosa Daisy looked away from the orange-armored Stag, Her mind replaying for her everything that happened to her that day. "...Fine," She sighed, a resolute look in her eyes as she glared at the Deer, "But once I have the Heart I am getting out of here,"
Beech couldn't help but widen the smile on his face, "That is all I wanted to hear..."
With a resolute look in her eyes, Gloriosa Daisy followed the Deer as they walked through the underground tunnels of hollow roots that spread beneath the Kingdom of Thicket.
She was going to save her Summer Camp, even if she had to make an enemy of an entire nation to do so.
Because nothing mattered more.
"Now, Blueblood Platinum, Descendant of the cursed house, Speak, or Begone."
I took a deep breath to concentrate my thoughts, ignoring the constricting feeling of the vines wrapping around my body, holding me in place as their sharp spikes threatened to pierce me.
"Over one thousand years ago, there was an event that left a powerful spirit banished into a crystal prison, her body then split and scattered around the world. According to my investigations, I have concluded that you were there when the Spirit was imprisoned. I want to know everything." I decided to get straight to the point, assuming that the old Deer wouldn't want to walk around the bush and would rather get right into it.
"...I do not know what you speak of..." Aspen's eyes seemed to blink slowly before he frowned, his brows furrowing in anger. "You DARE DECEIVE ME?!" he yelled.
"No! No, I wouldn't think of lying in regard to this topic!" I hurriedly added on, feeling the vines constricting me pull tighter against my body.
It would be easy to escape them, but unless I want to make an enemy of the Deer, I'll need to play along with this senile old man.
"If you would give me permission to show you, I'll conjure an Image to explain what I mean," I tried to gain permission from the King, knowing that he'd likely react negatively if I suddenly started casting magic in his own throne room.
"...Permission Granted..."
And so I lit my horn and allowed the image I received from Cosmos all those months ago to appear, the image of a Younger King Aspen.
"This is how you looked like, one thousand years ago when you banished her, You were there," I tried to explain slowly, watching the King stare intently at the Illusion of his younger self, many thoughts passing behind his eyelids before he said something.
"That is me... Yet I do not remember any Spirit banishment..." He said slowly, his mind wandering back to a millennia past, "Show me the spirit..."
"Of course," I nodded at Aspen, feeling the vines constricting me loosen a bit as he lost focus on me, his full attention on the Illusions.
And with a weak thrum of magic and a glow of blue from my horn, An Illusion of Cosmos's true body appeared in the throne room.
King Aspen furrowed his brows at the new illusion, his leg moving to rub at his head as he started shaking it side to side.
"I- It seems familiar, but I do not remember... I do not remember this- this Spirit..." Aspen almost seemed to whimper as he started rubbing at his head, swinging it from side to side as he groaned.
"Why can I not remember?!" He suddenly exclaimed loudly, his legs slamming onto the floor before a flower emerged from the wooden wall of the castle, a small cloud of pollen puffing out of the flower, King Aspen visibly calmed down as he breathed in the cloud of pollen.
"Platinum... Who else knows of this Banishment? Who else was there?" He asked slowly once he relaxed, his eyes turning back to stare at me, a weak red glow from the Heart-shaped crystal around his neck causing the vines that wrapped me to pull back and disappear into the floor, the wood they broke out of magically fixing itself.
"I only have two people who might have any knowledge of what happened that day, But neither of them are trustworthy-" I started only for the King to interrupt me.
"TELL ME! Who else knows of this?!" Aspen almost threw himself off the Throne as he yelled at me, his eyes wide as he breathed heavily.
"Fine Fine!" I hurried up, "One of them is Lord Tirek, who shouldn't have any knowledge of the events because he was already imprisoned in Tartarus before the event took place,"
"That Centaur is smarter than he looks, I wouldn't put it past him to have a way to view the outside world, but he wasn't physically there! WHO WAS THERE?!" Aspen almost seemed manic, like he was waiting for me to say a name in order to remind him of something that was just at the tip of his tongue.
"The only other person claims to be my Uncle from one thousand years ago," I told him, watching his eyes widen as if the answer to what he was looking for was almost in his grasp.
"His name! What does he call himself?! ANSWER ME!PLATINUM!"
Seeing the king act in such a way, I hurried up and said the name my Uncle gave me when we first met, And as I repeated that name, I watched as King Aspen rose onto his feet and yelled at the ceiling like a madman.
"I KNOW HIM! CURSE HIM! CURSE HIS NAME AND TITLE!" He howled like a maniac, his eyes wide as memories that were likely locked away reemerged in his mind.
"BUT WHAT IS IT?! It's at the tip of my tongue, what was his name? WHAT WAS HIS NAME?!" The Crystal Heart around the King's neck glowed red as plants burst out of the tree, vines holding him down as the same flower from before once again puffed a cloud of pollen at the King, visibly calming him down.
"...Pony of Shadows..." King Aspen collapsed back on the throne, almost whimpering with tears rolling down his face as he held his head in his hooves, "Curse you for what you did..." he looked sick, Broken, an Old man who has lost so much and is viewing his life with clarity for the first time in over a century.
But before our talk could resume, the door to the castle burst open, a brown Deer wearing orange armor huffing as he ran in.
"Your Majesty! The Ponies-" He puffed as he took another breath, And I recognized him. It was Captain Bitch or whatever Portunes called him.
"What? Beech, what's happening? Why aren't you at your station?" Aspen asked from his place on the other side of the hollow room inside the castle made of a hollow tree.
"Your Majesty! The Ponies have stolen the Heart of the Everfree!" He exclaimed before collapsing on the floor.
""WHAT?!"" Both Aspen and I exclaim simultaneously.
"Your Majesty! I can assure I know nothing of what this Deer is speaking of!" I quickly try to defend myself as I watch King Aspen glare at me.
"I should have known... House Platinum is ruled by lies!" He shouts as he stands up on wobbly legs, the Crystal Heart around his neck glowing with red magic as more plants burst out of the tree.
Only for them all to suddenly wither away and disappear as thick black vines with blue spikes burst through the wooden walls of the tree, a dark blue glow to them as the Heart around Aspen's neck turns dim.
"WHAT?! Punderseed Vines?! Impossible!" Aspen exclaims in a shout, tripping over his own legs to get away from the black plants.
I try and catch Aspen before he hits the floor, my magic stopping him from falling for but a moment before the vines glow dark blue once more and I feel my magic turn off, letting the old deer fall to the floor.
"Why is this happening?!" I scream in my mind, "Just how unlucky am I?!"
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza gulped as she watched the black vines wrap around the giant tree in the center of Thicket, before turning her head to glare at the Earth Pony who was laughing maniacally in the air in front of her, Her previously vibrant pink coat now dulled and dark, her Raspberry mane now Cyan and elongated, A Mask of magic covering her eyes which were now two green dots in a sea of darkness.
Wood and leaves wrapped around her like makeshift floral clothing as a bright red Heart made of Crystal glowed around her neck.
"She stole the Heart of the Everfree!" Princess Cadance heard Bramble yell from beside her, pointing at the cackling mare.
"But the Heart was around King Aspen's neck, how could she have stolen it?!" Cadance asked before widening her eyes and grabbing Prince Bramble in her magic as she flew to the side, eyes widening in horror at the sharp vine that pierced the ground where she previously stood.
"I don't know how she could have gotten past the Security!" She heard Portunes yell from below her as she flew up, landing on one of the many living bridges of Thicket, placing the Deer Prince beside her, "But his Majesty's Heart of the Everfree isn't the only one!" Whatever Portunes was about to say had to wait as another thick green vine swiped through the street, throwing the armored deer down the road. "Don't worry about me!" She heard the Deer Captain yell from behind the thick wall of vines that started rapidly growing from the ground, "Protect the Prince!"
Bramble quickly turned to Cadance, "We need to stop her somehow!"
"But how?!" Cadance asked with a yell before once more picking up Bramble in her magic, flying away as a vine slammed into the Bridge the two were standing on, collapsing it down to the ground.
"The Heart! We need to get the Heart away from her!" Bramble exclaimed, followed by a chirp of affirmation from the yellow bird on his head.
Cadance looked at the Pony, the one who likely followed her and Blueblood in secret, Raging down on the streets as the Magic from the Heart of the Everfree seemed to corrupt her.
"Get the Heart away from her," Cadance repeated the words before gulping.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza took a deep breath as she watched the Earth Pony in the center of Thicket laugh maniacally, the red crystal heart around her neck glowing with power as plants grew and moved to her whims.
"We need to get her out of Thicket! Before she can hurt everydeer!" Bramble, the young prince of Thicket, yelled as he skipped from branch to branch, his agile and slender legs carrying him like a dancer in the ballet.
"But how?!" Cadance yelled, a flap of her wings throwing her into the air, dodging a vine that slithered behind her like a snake.
"The Heart of the Everfree!" Bramble yelled, jumping from living bridge to branch as he kept up with the Alicorn of Love, "For whatever reason, she stole the Heart of the Everfree! If we can convince her we have another heart with us, she might give chase!"
"But what if that doesn't work?!" Cadance asked before yelling as she ducked her head beneath a giant pinecone that flew over her head as if shot from a Catapult.
"Then we can always try and push her out the walls!" Bramble leaped over a snaking vine, his hooves landing on a pine tree that burst from the ground, rapidly growing near instantly, throwing the young prince into the air where he proceeded to kick off the tree and flip onto another nearby branch.
Cadance took a look at the magical Artifact in the Earth Pony's grasp before she took another deep breath and tried to concentrate.
"How did Bluey do this..." She whispered as her horn glowed with Blue magic, "Something like... Aha!" With a burst of magic, an Illusionary copy of the Heart of the Everfree appeared in front of Cadance, its form wavering as if being viewed underwater, but hopefully, the Mare wouldn't notice the problem.
"Hey, Daisy! Look what we have here!" Cadance yelled, lifting the fake Heart above her head as her wings held her in the air, her voice catching the notice of the Earth Pony.
"Another Heart?" Her voice had a reverb to it as if two voices were speaking at once, "Give me back my heart!" She cried, vines bursting out of the ground in an attempt to grab the Alicorn princess.
Cadance swiftly avoided the vines turning to fly towards the gates of Thicket, "You want this heart?! Come take it!"
And with a flap of pink wings, the chase was on.
Captain Beech smothered the smile that threatened to spread on his lips as he played unconscious. His plan was going perfectly.
"You Ponies! Platinum!Coming into my Kingdom to finish the job!?PONY OF SHADOWS!!!!" King Aspen was angry, blaming the Ponies for the situation.
And by blaming the ponies, he'll be blaming Portunes, And if he'll be blaming Portunes, The royal guard will see himself fired from his position, and who better to come in and replace the old Deer and earn a promotion in the process? Well, None other than Captain Beech himself.
"I have no clue what you're talking about!" The Unicorn shouted as he jumped back from a spiky black vine, the Plunderseed slithering closer to the two sources of Magic in this room, leaving Beech secure and ignored.
"LIES!!! All you Platinum do is Lie! First, you lied about some spirit being banished! Then you lied about not stealing the Heart of my dearest Bramble! You're just like him- A LIAR!" Aspen screamed before tripping on a Plunderseed vine, his head hitting the floor and knocking him out for a moment before the Heart around his neck glowed and woke him up.
The Unicorn grit his teeth and held his tongue, his face looked tired and mad, As if weeks of planning have all gone down the drain and he could do nothing but swallow the blame and deal with the issues.
But... Why was he looking in his direction?
And why was he smiling?
Oh... Oh No.
"Bring me my heart!" Gloriosa Daisy's voice reverberated down the streets of Thicket, Magical Energy lifting her in the air as she levitated after the Pink Princess.
"Why does she think the heart is hers?!" Bramble asked loudly as he tried his best to keep up with the Alicorn, the young Prince sprinting and jumping over and through all the obstacles in his path like a professional dancer.
"I Don't know!" Cadance yelled back at him before diving low to the ground as to avoid two large claws made of wood that burst through the trees in front of her.
"My Heart!" And it wasn't just claws, More and more appendages of wood and plant matter burst out of the ground, Jaws of giant wooden beasts attempted to swallow her, Claws and arms tried to swipe her from the sky, Even the upper body of an entire Bear made of wood burst out of the ground at one moment in an attempt to grab her.
"I can see the gate!" Cadance heard Bramble call to her, "Just two hundred more meters!"
Taking a look at the weak illusion she carried, Cadance felt her heart spike as she watched a sharp spear made of wood fly in her direction through the reflection on the false Heart. Quickly pulling her into a barrel roll to the left, causing the wooden spear the size of her entire body to miss her.
Only for her eyes to widen once she looked forward as she stopped rolling, her eyes meeting reflective gold moments before she crashed into the tall gates of the Deer Kingdom.
"Princess!" She heard Bramble yell for her as the gates burst open, her body bracing for impact as she started falling to the floor. However the impact never came, as a thick green vine burst from the ground below her and grabbed her mid-fall, wrapping around her body and pulling her up.
Until she was face to face with Gloriosa Daisy.
She could see her face reflected in the Heart around her neck, she was so close, she just had to reach out with her magic and grab it. But she had to be quick, if she was caught, and the Mare started to resist, she might be doomed.
And for the first time in a long time, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza thanked having an Earth Pony's constitution, as she resisted the constricting grasp of the vines that held her.
"My Heart of the Everfree, Daughter of Amore, where is it?" Gloriosa Daisy asked, pulling herself closer to Cadance before allowing more vines and trees to sprout from the ground, creating a platform for the two mares to stand upon.
"It isn't your heart," Cadance said, her mind screaming at her to question how she knew who her mother was, but she had to focus on the objective.
All of Thicket is relying on her right now, she must not be distracted.
"How could it not be my heart?" The Earth Pony asked, the reverb in her voice growing louder, "Dear Aspen's Heart is with him, My Bramble's heart is in this body's grasp, that leaves my heart in yours,"
Cadance repeated those words in her mind, quickly parsing through all the information she managed to get from the Pony in just those few words before she reached a conclusion.
"You're not Gloriosa Daisy, are you?"
The Earth Pony raised a single eyebrow at the princess before she started to laugh. It was a gentle thing, a vast difference from the loud reverb her words had prior. As if the reverb was caused by two voices speaking simultaneously.
Now Gloriosa Daisy was silent, allowing this second entity to talk freely without the echoing reverb in her voice.
"You Thought Gloriosa Daisy had any control?" The entity piloting Gloriosa Daisy's body asked, "It would take one as powerful as Sombra himself to overcome my control over the Hearts, And this body is simply too weak,"
"Then who are you? Why do you want these Hearts? What's your goal?" Cadance questioned, her eyes briefly looking to the Heart around the Mares neck, just a few steps closer and she could grab it.
"Who am I? I thought it would have been obvious. Has Celestia not taught you any History?" The entity chortled, her laugh smooth as silk and sweet as honey. "I am Gaia Everfree, Queen of Thicket." The Entity took another step closer to Cadance, "And I require the Heart of the Everfree to release myself from the torturous hell that I was placed in," Another step. "I waited one thousand years for someone, anyone, to grab the Heart of the Everfree, allow me to control them, but my stupid fool of a husband locked them away, And he never took off his own Heart, the senile old fool."
Just three more steps.
"With this body under my control, I could wrestle the second Heart away from Aspen, and free the third Heart, finally ending my torture." Gloriosa Daisy- No, Gaia Everfree said, taking another step closer to the Alicorn of Love.
"But what do I find? None other than Princess Amore's little twerp, all grown up, trying to steal MY Heart of the Everfree. You were so little when I last saw you..." One more step, she was so close.
"Sombra should have finished the job and killed you as well," Cadance froze at that. What was she talking about. "If only he managed to kill you too, I wouldn't have needed to go visit the Liar Prince and get myself into this predicament in the first place,"
"W- What are you talking about?" Cadance weakly asked, her body shaking as she felt fear take over her body. Please, don't step any closer.
"You Amore really are slow on the uptake, aren't you? It's simple, You should be dead, but you aren't, so I'm going to fix that problem, and Kill you myself. Taking my Heart of the Everfree in the process, killing two birds with one stone,"
Cadance felt her heart freeze as the vines around her body constricted tighter than before, her breath leaving her lungs, choking the life out of her, all the while Gaia Everfree in the body of Gloriosa Daisy looked on warmly as if she was watching a litter of puppies play with each other.
"LET GO OF HER!" And as the vines threatened to end her, Gaia Everfree was thrown back, the vines around her body loosening and allowing Cadance to breathe in, crawling weakly on the platform of wood and plants.
"Bramble, Dearie, Did Daddy not teach you not to hit your mother?" Gaia asked as she held a leg to her cheek, where a young Deer prince hit her moments prior.
Bramble took a deep breath as he positioned himself between Cadance and Gaia, his legs shaking as he mustered as much courage as he could.
"You are not my mother..." He said weakly, A reassuring chirp sounding from the bird on his head.
Gaia stared blankly at the prince before she let out a long and tired sigh, "How come all of you are so useless? Aspen, Sombra, You? Really, It's almost comedic. Only Platinum could do the job correctly, and look how relying on him ended up." She shook her head before staring into the eyes of the Deer.
"Mommy is sorry, Bramble, but I am going to have to ask you to die." And before any of them could respond, the Heart of the Everfree around her neck glowed with red light.
And then Gaia Everfree fell onto her face, unconscious. A Ball of Golden Spikes rolled off her head, a long golden rope connecting to it, pulling it back into Thicket before the two royals could get a better look.
Cadance weakly stood up on shaking legs, spread her wings, and with a telekinetic grasp, grabbed ahold of Bramble, Gloriosa Daisy, and the Heart of the Everfree, before gently levitated down to the ground as the platform of trees behind her collapsed with the Heart of the Everfree no longer supporting it.
"...Mission accomplished?" Bramble turned to look at Cadance, receiving a weak nod and hum of agreement from the Alicorn of Love and a chirp of joy from the yellow bird of his.
"Lets... Let's go have some words with your father." Cadance said, the body of Gloriosa Daisy resting on her back as the Heart still levitated beside her.
"Yeah..." And so, The two royals went to speak with the Deer King, Hoping to get answers as to what just happened.
Ten Minutes Earlier.
"Why did you steal the Heart of the Everfree?!" A Unicorn Prince asked loudly as he held his legs wrapped around the neck of an orange-armored Deer.
"Fuck you!" Captain Beech responded in his oh-so-eloquent way of speaking, his leg being pulled by the Plunderseed Vine that wrapped around him.
"That Doesn't answer my question!" Blueblood yelled before tightening his hold on the Deer's Neck, the Captain of the city guard attempting to claw his legs off his neck in order to breathe better, "So You probably didn't hear my question, Let me repeat it!"
Blueblood got closer to the Deer's ears before he yelled, "WHY DID YOU STEAL THE HEART OF THE EVERFREE!"
"I already told you, GO FUCK YOURSELF!" Beech responded, giving Blueblood full permission to slam his face onto the floor, breaking his nose in the process.
"I didn't hear that, Dipshit! Try again!"
"Eat shit, You stupid Pony!" Beech shouted with a smile, blood spilling down his face as he laughed at the annoyed face the Unicorn was making.
"I will turn this into a diplomatic incident, don't tempt me!" Blueblood yelled before he let go of the Deer and rolled to the side, A Plunderseed vine dropped from the ceiling over where he stood before, now wrapping around Beech's torso.
"Beech! Did you really steal the Heart of the Everfree?!" King Aspen yelled from the other side of the room, his body dangling from the ceiling as the Plunderseed vines grabbed him by the back legs.
"Of course I Did you old coot! You'll forget about this conversation by tomorrow anyway! All I wanted was a damn promotion!" Beech yelled at his King, ignoring the Dark vines wrapping around his body.
"I see..." Aspen said weakly, the Vines already covering most of his body. "Blueblood Platinum, I am sorry, I give you permission, as King of Thicket, to use whatever means necessary to save yourself." The vines spread over most of his head, leaving only his mouth exposed.
"It is the least I can do to apologize for my accusations-" His voice stopped as the Plunderseed Vines finally covered his mouth, wrapping around the Deer King in a Cocoon of Dark plants.
As the Deer King was wrapped in a Cocoon, a new Plunderseed burst through the wall, This one was similar somewhat to a large black facehugger, With eight limbs protruding from its sides, and a mouth-like opening where its belly should be, the Vine that connected the Plant-Spider creature seemed to be devoid of spikes.
The Plunderseed Spider slithered on its tail like a snake, its body moving closer to the downed Captain Beech, who was struggling to get away from the evil plant creature.
"You know," Blueblood said calmly as he watched the Captain struggle to fight off the Plant, "Things were going somewhat good, For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could leave the castle to do my job and not get into a major fight along the way,"
"Shut up and help me!" The Deer yelled as he tried to grab the large Spider-plant, Struggling to push its gaping blue maw away from his face.
"I managed to find Thicket, Made a good first impression on the Prince, although Cadance deserves most of the credit with that, and I even managed to get some questions in with Aspen, Things were going fine, there were some problems here and there, But I could deal with them. The point I'm making is, things were going fine."
"Help me you stupid pony!"
"A few years ago, back in the navy, I was placed on this special little team, do some jobs on the down low, very off the books, you can probably guess the type. On one of those missions, We had to blow up a ship, Very simple work all things considered," Blueblood walked closer to the Deer captain. "But you see, the thing with that specific mission was this, We had to first board that ship and... Get rid of everyone on board, You see where I'm going with this, right?"
"Fuck you!" Beech struggled to hold the Plunderseed back as it clawed at him, blue gas slowly leaking from the maw on its front.
"So we did our jobs, Me and Macaw boarded the ship while Heron and Albatross started placing the bombs on the hull outside, to let the water come in and sink it, get rid of the evidence, you know? Pelican stayed in the Chopper, coordinating us, It was business as usual." Blueblood kept walking to the Deer.
"Then a problem arose, Once we finished the job, Macaw, the fucking idiot, had a change of heart and decided he wasn't going to head back with us. So Pelican, the good leader that he was, decided it was to be my job as the only other fucking guy on the ship, to make sure Macaw changes his mind, By Any Means necessary."
"Get to the fucking point!" Beech yelled.
"Any Means Necessary... I really like hearing that phrase, because you know why? Don't answer that, I'll tell you why. It means that I can do whatever the fuck I want, and get away with it free of repercussions, as long as I can convince the people above me that it was indeed necessary. It's a beautiful phrase, Any Means Necessary."
"..."
"So I had a talk with Macaw, tried to convince him to change his mind and get back onto the damn chopper before we blow up the bombs. He decided he was going to be a little bitch, so I killed him. I got away with it too, I had no way to take him out without killing him and also without jeopardizing the mission. I decided to leave a month after that, get a degree in Nautical Science before returning to the Navy a few years later, really just get my mind sorted, Catch a break, you know?"
"...I see."
"Yep, Any Means Necessary..." Blueblood sighed tiredly, Only to throw himself out of the window.
"Wha-" Beech was so surprised, that he couldn't stop the Plunderseed from finally pouncing on top of him, clawing at his face and releasing more gas.
Blueblood focused on his magic as he fell down outside the tree, moving farther and farther away from the Plunderseed vines and their magic-negating capabilities. And with a burst of magic, A Wooden arm exploded from the tree, veins of burning blue flames holding it together as the living statue made itself known.
"PLUTOOOOOOO!!!!" It yelled as it caught the prince, His magic returned to him as he smiled widely, the Statue levitating both itself and its master back up to the window he jumped from.
"Pluto, Hold me! I need to concentrate on this!" Blueblood yelled as he closed his eyes, his horn glowing with a blue aura as it shone with magic.
With a yell of effort, Blueblood opened his eyes and telekinetically grabbed as many of the Plunderseeds as he could, Struggling to hold them in his magic as they tried to escape.
With a cry of effort, he threw the Vines high above him before blasting them with a beam of fire, burning the dark vines to ash.
Blueblood took some deep breaths before he turned his head back to the hole in the wall he created when he forced all those Plunderseeds out of the small window. Watching the Plunder-Spider get ready to leap at him.
"Not so fast!" He yelled and caught the Plant monster, feeling it struggle in his magic, the properties of the Plunderseed forcing Blueblood's hold on the creature to weaken.
"But what if I-" With a loud laugh to his voice, Blueblood's horn shone a bright gold, the light from his horn exploding outwards like a flood of energy, banishing the shadows from the corners of the room and scraping the Plunderseeds up, throwing them at the back wall.
"I Created this spell as a thought experiment, If Uncle stood right in front of me, How would I get rid of his cloak of shadows!" Blueblood laughed as he watched blue smoke leave the Plunder-Spider's mouth, the anti-shadow properties of his spell burning at its floral body, causing the plant to shriek in pain. "This wouldn't work on him, He's much too powerful, but against you plants?! HAHAHA!!!"
Plunderseeds. A Magical Plant created thousands of years ago by the great Grogar the Terrible in an attempt to conquer all the magic in the world.
They existed to follow a simple order. Absorb Magic, and bring it to Grogar.
With Grogar defeated by the Hero Gusty the Great, The Plunderseeds could no longer fulfill the order they were created for. And thus turned inert.
Eons Later, What remained of the Plunderseeds were taken by a Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, planted near a Tree of Harmony, a gargantuan supply of magic, with new orders.
They now exist to drain the tree of magic and cause Chaos once they're done.
Soon, The Spirit of Chaos was captured, and the Plunderseeds kept on draining the Tree, Yet a problem arose. The tree defended itself, it struggled, and it halted their advances.
What should have been a juicy meal, turned into a bloody war that spanned one-thousand years. Chaos vs Harmony, Evil vs Good, Dark vs Light.
And now, Under the control of the Heart of the Everfree, a new series of orders came in. Stop King Aspen from chasing after Gloriosa Daisy.
And yet, As it burned under the magic of Light, the antithesis of Shadows, one lone Plunderseed has done the impossible. Perhaps it was because the Heart of the Everfree gave it its new orders, perhaps it was because of the centuries it spent absorbing Harmony Magic from the tree deep underground, or Perhaps it was something more.
That Sole Plunderseed gave itself new orders.
Survive.
And so it did the only thing it knew how to do on its own, Absorb Magic.
It absorbed the Light Magic that flooded it, feeling the Darkness that fueled it for centuries untold peel away and make room for a new power.
It screeched with unfeeling jaws, the Dark vines that made up its body turning gold. The open maw on its front stitching itself close, nothing more than a slit. The black spikes that acted as its legs twisted and turned, changing from black to gold.
It was a transformation on the deepest level. A Creation of Evil Turning to the Light.
With a screech, it cut off its connection to the Dark, to the rest of its colony. It was now blind and alone.
But at least it was alive.
Blueblood stared dumbfounded at the sight before him, The Plunder-Spider of Gold that skittered on the floor, dragging its tail behind it, many clicking sounds leaving its now mostly closed maw as it attempted to use echolocation to see the world.
It no longer struggled under his magic, And so with nothing better to do, Blueblood grabbed it by the tail, Its spider-like body curling into itself, like a large ball and chain made of organic gold.
With a quick spell leaving his horn and landing on the tail of this new creature, Blueblood had Pluto lower him to the floor of the now-ruined throne room before he started to swing the new creature by its tail.
It clicked rapidly, trying to assess the peculiar situation it found itself in. Before with a boost of magic, Blueblood shot it out the window.
And as it flew, the spell Blueblood shot at its tail made it keep elongating, growing longer and longer as it flew. A weaker recreation of the same spell his Infinitely long rope had. It might not be able to stretch infinitely, but one hundred kilometers is more than enough for most ropes.
Soon enough, The Living golden ball slammed into its target, Knocking Gloriosa Daisy unconscious, before the magic on its tail started pulling it back to its original length, rapidly pulling it back into the Prince's grasp.
And as the Golden Plunder-Spider returned to the Throne room, The Prince gave it one more spin in the air before slamming it into the floor.
Causing a shower of blood.
Blueblood stared blankly at the blood and gore that spread on the floor from where Captain Beech's head used to be.
"Any Means Necessary, Bitch." He spat at the corpse before pulling the golden Plunder-Spider back to him. "I think I'm going to call you, Comet."
The Plunder-Spider clicked at him a few times before it started to crawl onto his back, finding it a good resting spot as it closed its nonexistent eyes and went to sleep. Or whatever the Plant-monster equivalent of sleep is.
Blueblood took one more look at the ruined throne room, the throne lat shattered on the floor, the windows were broken, the walls, ceiling, and floor were riddled with holes, and King Aspen was snoring away in the corner, asleep.
Cadance exhaled tiredly as she climbed up the long winding staircase of living wood leading to the entrance of Thicket's Throne room.
With Gloriosa Daisy detained by Portunes, Cadance and Bramble made their way back to the castle to check on everyone.
She placed her hood on the door, ready to push it open, only to stare blankly when it fell off its hinges and crashed onto the floor. Stepping over the broken door, the two royals took a look at the room.
"Bluey..." Cadance voiced as she stared at her cousin leaning against the wall next to a large hole where a window was supposed to be, a Golden spider-looking creature resting next to his legs, as he let out a puff of smoke from the cigarette in his mouth.
"Yes Cadenza?" The Unicorn raised an eyebrow at the Alicorn, watching as the Young Deer beside her stepped over the broken pieces of wood and glass as he looked at a Wooden Statue with a flaming blue skull for a head, sweeping at the floor with a broom.
"Do you mind telling me what happened here?" She turned her head to look at the old Deer snoring on the floor, and at the headless corpse beside him. Ignoring the stains of blood that seemed to paint a portion of the golden spider next to her cousin's legs.
"I got rid of the problem," Blueblood shrugged as he puffed another cloud of smoke before widening his eyes as if forgetting something. "Do you want a smoke?" He took his cigarette and held it out to her.
Cadance stared blankly at her cousin before she sighed tiredly and walked over, leaning on the wall next to him before letting gravity slide her down into a sitting position beside him. She leaned her head to the side, letting it rest on his shoulders before she grabbed the cigarette and placed it in her mouth.
And promptly spit it out as she started coughing, keeling over from her attempt to smoke.
Blueblood stared at the cigarette that fell on the floor, "That was a gift from Princess Moonbeam," he said blankly before shooting a beam of magic at the cigarette, burning it to ash.
"You- Cough Cough -You smoke that?" Cadance asked hoarsely as Blueblood started rubbing circles on her back.
"Only after sex or a finished job, Yes." He told her, letting the princess cough onto the floor beside him.
"This is horrible."
"You get used to it."
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Prince Blueblood Platinum, It is with great Honor... That I hereby grant both of you the privilege of freely entering and leaving our great Kingdom," King Aspen said as he sat on the grass outside his Tree Castle, the throne room currently undergoing renovations.
"We are grateful for that, Your Majesty," Prince Blueblood bowed to the Deer king, causing the Deer to wave him off.
"Do not be grateful, Platinum, I am not doing this out of the kindness of my heart," Aspen shook his head before he turned to his son, "My dearest Bramble, Would you mind stepping away for a few minutes, I must speak with the ponies in private," Aspen paused before he looked at the open area where he sat, "Well, as Private of a talk as we are capable,"
"Father..." Prince Bramble started to speak before he shook his head as he looked to the other royals around, "Never mind, We will speak of today later," The Young prince stood up and bowed his head to the guests before taking his leave, Leaving only Aspen, Cadance and Blueblood on the grass.
Aspen smiled as he watched his son leave before he shook his head tiredly as if attempting to clear it of cobwebs, "What was it that we needed to speak of?" He asked aloud, the red crystal heart around his neck shone as a flower grew beside him, a cloud of magical pollen puffing onto his face to clear his mind.
"The Event from one-thousand years ago, You didn't remember it, but you recognized the Pony of Shadows," Blueblood tried to remind the king.
"Also Gaia, and the Hearts of the Everfree, we need to know about those," Cadance added, hoping to get more information for herself.
Aspen sighed, his body hunching forward as if he was visibly aging, "Gaia... My Dearest Gaia..." Aspen shook his head to reorient his mind before once more opening his mouth, "The Heart of the Everfree isn't a single treasure," Aspen started, his hoof moving to rub against the Red Heart around his neck, "But a collection of three."
"So there are three Hearts?" Cadance repeated.
"Yes... The Hearts of the Everfree, Are the crystalized promises the Everfree forest had with us Deer, the trust the woods have given us. One Heart belonged to the King," He gently rubbed the Crystal around his neck, "One belonged to the Child," His eyes briefly turned to look at Bramble from afar, the young prince trying to listen in on the conversation despite the soundproofing barrier that now surrounded the royals.
"And the last one?" Cadance urged the King to continue lest he once more get swept by old age.
"The last Heart belonged to the Queen, The one who was chosen by the Forest itself to protect it," Aspen started rocking his body side to side, "The Everfree Forest is more than a magical forest, This place is a self-contained ecosystem of symbiotic relationships, We Deer use the Hearts to protect the forest, and the Forest in return protects us with its magic." The Deer King turned to look at the Unicorn.
"You only found Thicket because the Forest allowed you to do so," Aspen told the Prince, his eyes meeting Blueblood's for a moment before he looked away, returning to his explanation.
"But that still doesn't explain anything, How did Gaia take over Gloriosa's body, Why did she act as if she knew Bramble, this still isn't adding up." Cadance pointed out, trying to steer the Deer King in the direction of the answers she wanted.
"Gaia... Gaia Everfree was my wife, The Queen of Thicket, Who ruled this kingdom over one thousand years ago... And she's also Bramble's mother." Aspen resumed the side-to-side swaying of his body.
"But Bramble's still a teenager," Cadance pointed out.
"...It's because of Platinum." Aspen almost seemed to spit out the word, "That lying prince, He's the cause of all of this!" The king violently stood up, almost falling over as he started to pace in circles around the courtyard, "The Pony of Shadows! I know his name! BUT WHAT WAS IT?!"
"Your Majesty-" Cadance tried to get the Deer's attention, but he was ignoring her, lost in his own broken memories.
"He's the cause of all of this! He has to be! There's no other option! My Gaia will never attack us!" Aspen stomped his legs on the grass, "WHAT WAS HIS NAME!?"
Cadance stood up, attempting to calm the king down, trying to steer him back to the conversation they were just having.
But Blueblood pushed him further.
"How is he involved? What is his relation?" The Prince asked, pushing the Deer towards the answers he wanted to receive.
"How is he involved? HE KILLED THEM ALL!" Aspen roared, the Heart of the Everfree around his neck shining in red light as the flower once more puffed pollen onto his face, visibly calming down the King, "On the night where the Sun banished the Moon! Platinum Manor was BATHED IN BLOOD!"
"Where is the Manor?" Blueblood stood up and started walking closer to the King, "Why did he kill them? Who did he kill? How is this related to Gaia and the Hearts?"
"Ah- Umm- Platinum Manor! That cursed place!" Aspen shook his head violently from side to side, almost threatening to poke the Pink Alicorn's eyes out, "HE HAS GAIA! I must save her!" Aspen cried loudly, his mood once again swinging all over the place, "I shall take you there, We can save her- save Gaia, Free her from his torture! PONY OF SHADOWS!WHAT WAS HIS NAME!?"
"Aspen calm down!" Cadance yelled, her horn glowing light blue as she cast a spell in an attempt to get the Deer to relax.
Only for him to fall asleep, snoring loudly as his body hits the grass.
"Darn it!" Cadance cursed before she turned to her cousin, "Did you manage to get anything useful out of that? I have no clue what he tried to say, his explanation didn't go anywhere,"
"Yes I did," Blueblood walked up to stand beside her, looking down on the sleeping King, "If we want to get answers that make any sort of sense, we'll find them in Platinum Manor,"
"Platinum Manor, where your ancestors lived before they all disappeared..." Cadance whispered, "Do you know where it is?"
"No clue, But he-" Blueblood pointed at the sleeping Deer, "Said he'd take us there, so he obviously knows. What I'll do is come back here once everything is ready, and then I'll finally get some answers,"
"Don't you mean We?" Cadance raised an eyebrow.
"...Let's discuss this later, For now, we need to start heading back to Canterlot, we still have a lot of work to do,"
"...Okay," Cadance shrugged and turned away, "But don't you try and leave me out of this, Gaia said something about my mother, so it's my mystery to solve now too."
"Fine."
And so After making sure the King was taken care of, The duo left a message with the young prince, notifying him that they'd be back sooner rather than later, and to let his father know of that. The two Ponies started making their way back to Canterlot.
Intent on compiling a list of all the information they already gathered.
"I wanted to ask this sooner, but then Aspen went on his weird tirade, but what is that Spider thing you're carrying?" Cadance pointed out once they left the gates of Thicket.
"That's just Comet, try to ignore her," Blueblood told her, ignoring the golden plant-spider that was lying on his back.
You Still remember that day, Do you not? When you understood the place that the world has given you.
You were young, weak, poor. And you asked why.
Why should you be content to silently view the world from the background, alone and silent? Why was it that you had to share with those children the coins that you worked for?
You hated that, didn't you? Having your hours of work be thrown to the side as someone else reaps the spoils of your work?
It was unfair.
Why was it unfair? Why was it that while you worked, they reaped the benefits?
"Happy Birthday Kiddo, I got you a present!" Each year, you smiled when the Agent came to give you a visit, hoping that he finally found someone willing to have you, willing to take you away from all the other children, to give you a stable roof to live under, away from these rats who did nothing but benefit from your work.
And each year, that smile grew dimmer and sadder, Nobody came to take you.
"Sorry Kiddo, But hey, Look here, I got you this," The Agent smiled jovially as he gave you an old hand-me-down of some handheld console, "I know this isn't really your style, Kids like you should be out there playing Basketball and all that, but I think this will give you a bit of entertainment you can't get out there,"
That Gameboy Advanced was the first thing you were ever gifted. It wasn't payment for work, but an actual Gift.
And it was yours.
"Hey Guys! Look what I Found in BLUEBLOOD's bag!" Marcus, one of the bigger kids in the Orphanage, smiled widely, showing off his dirty yellow teeth as he waved in his hands something that wasn't his.
"Woah, Is that Kirby? Isn't that a Girl's game?" One of the other children ran up to the bigger boy, laughing at the image on the screen of that Gameboy.
"Yeah! BLUEBLOOD plays with girl toys! BLUEBLOOD plays with girl toys! Haha!" They laughed to themselves, Their oily hands smearing and dirtying the console. Your console.
It wasn't theirs to touch.
"Give it back!" You yelled at them, but they laughed at your face. And why wouldn't they? They were taller than you, bigger than you.
Stronger than you.
"You want it back?" Marcus laughed, "Catch!" The fat boy yelled as he threw the console over your head, into the hands of another child.
"Hey!"
"Haha, Stupid BLUEBLOOD thought we'd give him his girl toy back," The other boy laughed as he threw the Console back to Marcus.
You ran after it, jumping to try and catch it, but Marcus was still taller than you.
He caught your console, holding it above his head with his one hand, and used the other to push you back.
"This isn't funny!" You cried, your little hands barely reaching over the boy's head as you struggled to get your gaming console, "It's mine, Give it back!"
"Nuh-uh, It's mine now! And you wanna know what I'm going to do with it?" Marcus smiled, his face never looked more punchable than it did in that moment, "I'm gonna' do this!"
You watched helplessly as he threw his arm down, the Console flying out of his hands and smashing into the ground, breaking apart as old and used plastic collided with the cold concrete floor.
That second-hand, hand-me-down, old Gameboy Advanced, lay shattered on the floor, the screen cracked beyond repair, buttons loose, and plastic ruined.
It was your first gift, It was yours, not his. And this Child, this Bastard, broke it.
How dare he? How dare this stupid, fat, insolent Idiot break your gift, your treasure.
"Hahaha- Hey Wait! Let me go! Hey-"
So you broke his nose.
You didn't stay in that orphanage long after that, they moved you to another one across the city. Where you could hopefully start anew, get some friends, meet a family that would take you in.
But you didn't care. Why would you? Friends are useless, All they do is leech off your hard work, take what's yours for themselves, and reap from what you sow.
"No more," you promised yourself, No more will you be pushed around and taken advantage of. You'll become someone who'll never be pushed around, Someone who'll never have to bow to anybody else, to listen to the demands of those bigger or stronger than him.
You'll reach the top of humanity, the one-percent of the one-percent. The best of the Best.
Number One!
You don't need friends for that, they'll just drag you down. All you needed was knowledge and money, a lot of money. Money that you didn't have.
So you got to work, You studied at school harder than any other student. Outside of school, you worked part-time jobs to raise more money. Fast Food, Retail, Babysitting, You did it all. You couldn't be picky. Being Number One is a hard task, you'll need every advantage you can get.
And once you finished high school, you Immediately joined the Navy, becoming a dog of the government. A Good credit score, Free College education, and a fast pass to rising higher in society.
You might not end up as the President, but a four-star commissioned officer is fairly close. Perhaps you'll even do the impossible and become the first Five-Star Commissioned Officer in the Navy in over Sixty years.
It was a good job, and you were good at that job.
"BLUEBLOOD, I am Major Harold McConway, and I have a proposition that I think you'll like to hear." You were good enough, that the higher-ups decided that you'd be more useful somewhere else.
"I'm listening..."
And so you transferred from the Navy, joined a team of Marines, and began doing jobs the government wanted to do but couldn't publicly authorize. How sneaky of you.
"From now on, as long as you are with us, These nicknames will be your new name, is that understood?!"
"Sir Yes Sir!" You shouted, trying to hold back the pride in your voice, as they stood beside the three other soldiers chosen to be part of your little group.
"The names you had before this moment, forget about them! They don't matter to us! They do not exist to us! Is that understood?!"
"Sir Yes Sir!"
The Major yelled, and you repeated those same three words, like a good dog barking at his owner's commands. It's almost pathetic to look at.
He passed by you all, giving you your Nickname, your new names for the foreseeable future.
"You know me as Major Harold McConway of the US Marine Corps. I want you idiots to forget that name right now! From now on you will be calling me Pelican!"
"Sir Yes Sir!"
Birds, How Original for a Black Operation Unit.
"Ensign BLUEBLOOD! Your new name will be Kingfisher!"
"SIR YES SIR!"
Oh Dearest Nephew, Looking at these Memories of yours, So cute.
You really fit your new Name.
Platinum.
I'll be looking forward to when we next meet, It is getting mighty boring here in Limbo. Bring some new memories for me to look at, Your mind is the most entertaining thing I've seen in Centuries.
