Login

The Prince of Ponyville

by Kavonde

Chapter 7: The Prince Gets Grim

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

"You again?" Spike grumbled. The little dragon stood at the door of the Golden Oaks Library, glaring defiantly upward at a white unicorn stallion nearly twice his height. Above, songbirds sang and flitted about in the fading afternoon light.

"Sir dragon," Prince Blueblood said mildly. "Is Miss Sparkle available?"

"What's it to ya?"

"I just need to speak with her."

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't."

Blueblood sighed and rubbed a hoof over his eyes. "Look, I never even met you before my last visit here. What did I do to make you hate me?"

Spike tapped his chin in theatrical thoughtfulness. "Well, let's see. You got some of my friends hurt or worse, you burned down part of my home town, you treated Rarity like a jerk and then destroyed the Carousel Boutique, and you've got Twilight acting all weird."

"... But nothing to you, specifically?"

The dragon scowled. "You hurt my friends, you hurt me."

Blueblood regarded him for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "I can respect that."

"You... can?"

"Of course. Trust me, I understand. I felt the same when Cloud Kicker was attacked."

Spike frowned. "Yeah... I guess she's your friend, huh?"

"Yeah."

The prince and the dragon looked at eachother in silence for a long moment. "Okay," Spike said finally. "I'll go tell Twilight you're here. Oh, and by the way... "

Blueblood quirked an eyebrow. The dragon motioned for him to move closer, and he leaned up to whisper in the prince's ear.

"If you hurt her, I'll roast every last hair off your mane."

Grinning with fierce satisfaction, Spike turned and marched into the library, leaving Blueblood--more amused than intimidated--standing at the door. Several minutes passed before he heard hooves clomping down wooden stairs. Twilight Sparkle paused at the base of the steps to give him a quizzical look. "Um, why are you standing in the doorway?"

Blueblood looked down, then shrugged. "It seemed polite."

"It's a public library, Your Highness. You can come in."

Grinning sheepishly, he did so. "Er, Miss Sparkle, you really can drop the 'Your Highness' thing."

"Well, then you can drop the 'Miss Sparkle' thing."

Blueblood frowned. Twilight's expression was neutral, but her tone seemed combative and cold. Well, it wasn't exactly his place to pry. "Miss Spa- Twilight, do you remember that spell you discovered while I was in the hospital?"

"The Ancestral Memory spell? Yes."

"Well, if you're willing to perform it, I'm rather curious myself."

"I dunno," she said skeptically. "You sure you don't have a date or something?"

Blueblood blinked and then facehoofed. "Bloody hay. That's what's going on?"

Twilight regarded him silently.

"Look, I'm... seriously. I don't even know what to say, here. I'm sorry that you, for some reason, developed a crush on a stupid, selfish, destructive idiot with whom you're constantly getting into shouting matches? Does that cover it?"

"I- You... you're not stupid and selfish!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not! You're smart, and you care about your friends, and you quote Wiggle Spear in the shower, and- "

"W- what?!"

She flushed. "Um..."

Blueblood covered his face with his hooves. "Cheerilee told you that, didn't she?"

Twilight scraped a nervous hoof across the floor. "Um... maybe?"

The prince walked stoically over to a bookshelf and bonked his head against it.

"I mean, um... I don't think she realized that you were interested in Blossomforth when she told me that..."

Bonk.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at him. "Um, are you okay?"

Bonk.

Gingerly, she approached the prince and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Blueblood?"

He stopped and turned to her. He'd never really looked at her so closely before. Her eyes were a lovely shade of purple, and the way her bangs framed her face was rather...

He blinked, shook his head, and rapped his skull on the bookshelf again.

Twilight smirked, blushing a little. "So... spell?"

"Spell," he agreed lamely.


"Velcome... to my lah-bor-atory!" Twilight cackled in a terrible Transylmanian accent.

Blueblood looked around in genuine awe. The library's basement, also carved from the tree, was filled near to bursting with a variety of strange electrical, mechanical, or alchemical devices. Consoles full of blinking lights were half buried under tangles of thick cords that led to some sort of scale model of the solar system, which, in turn, was encompassing a desk full of empty glass vials and beakers. It was a chaotic jumble of pure science.

"This is... " He trailed off, unable to find words.

"Yeah, it's a bit messy," she giggled. "Spike and I had to clear some floor space for the spell."

She gestured to the center of the chaos, where a perfect circle had been drawn on the floor with silver ink. Mystical runes lined the interior, each spaced perfectly from its neighbor.

Blueblood let out a quiet whinny of panic. "Miss Sparkle, um, I've had some bad experiences with this sort of thing... "

"That's 'Twilight,' and don't worry. The ritual circle just helps me focus my power and keep a handle on the spell. That way I can actually pay attention to what's going on, instead of just concentrating on my magic."

He stared at it nervously. "Yes, but it's just... it looks rather like the one Azure Throne used to steal Cadance's power."

"Magic circles do tend to look alike," she agreed. "Come on, Blueblood. Magic is just a tool. There are no bad spells, just bad ponies."

"I suppose... "

"Good," she said with a smile. "Okay, we're going to start small, since this is my first time using the spell. Do you remember your parents?"

He shook his head. "They died when I was very young. Before I even started forming memories."

"Oh... " she said with genuine concern. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "As I said, I don't remember them."

She nodded and began to brighten. "Well, then this should be fun! How would you like to see them?"

A resounding "meh" would have been his first reaction, but as he began to consider the idea... the possibility of actually seeing his parents, not just in an old photograph or newspaper clipping, but to actually see them and to know that they existed...

He gulped and nodded. Twilight smiled in empathy and walked to the center of the ring. "Let's go pay them a visit, then."

Blueblood stepped up beside her. Blushing a little, she inclined her head to touch her horn to his; he bowed to make it easier for her. "You know," she noted, "it's funny that the first girl you're bringing to meet your parents isn't the one you're dating."

He flushed and started to say something, but went rigid as Twilight's eyes flared with blinding light. Sparks of magic rose from her horn, danced through the air, and then began rapidly winding themselves around his like a tiny tornado of pure energy. The hair on his coat began to stand on end, and he felt a brief flash of vertigo as his hooves left the floor of their own accord. His eyes flickered about the room, but he couldn't see through the dazzling afterimage of Twilight's. The world began to spin, slowly at first but gaining momentum quickly. And then he felt something pop inside his head, everything went black, and he felt himself fall heavily to the floor.

"Blueblood?" called Twilight. Her voice seemed oddly distorted and ethereal. "Are you there?"

"Did... did it work?" he asked. He thought his eyes were open, but he couldn't see.

Suddenly, Twilight was in front of him, gazing down with sympathetic concern. "Sorry, I should have warned you. We're inside your head now, kind of. Moving around is all about thought and purpose."

"You've done this before?"

She shook her head. "I read Starswirl the Bearded's journal about it, though, so I think I know what I'm doing. Take my hoof."

Blueblood struggled to raise his foreleg, but nothing seemed to be happening. Twilight smiled. "Don't think about moving your hoof, just think about... um, how did Starswirl say it? Just make your hoof be touching mine."

"That... makes little or no sense."

"Just try."

Blueblood narrowed his eyes in concentration, imagining himself standing beside Twilight, holding her hoof. Something finally clicked, and then he was doing exactly what he had pictured. She grinned at him. "Good job."

He tried to grunt, but forgot to imagine himself doing it. "What now?"

"Now, you hold on, while I... aha! There we go."

Blueblood felt something tugging at him, and then, a metaphorical heartbeat later, he and Twilight were floating in what seemed like a rainbow-hued ocean. Currents of color drifted past them; as they neared, he could hear children laughing, smell the cool freshness of a Canterlot morning, feel the soft warmth of Blossomforth resting on his shoulder. Images danced around him, memories that he remembered as clear as day or had long since suppressed and forgotten. There was Cadance, the first time he had seen her with Shining Armor. There was Auntie Celestia, looking down on him with worry and pity as he stared back from his cradle. She was saying something; he had been too young to understand the words, and their meaning was lost, but she heard the heartbreaking sadness in her voice.

"What is this place?" he asked aloud. Twilight turned to him, her own expression surprised and a bit confused.

"This... must be your memory," she said at last. "Starswirl really didn't do this justice."

A group of young colts laughed mockingly at him as he stood alone beneath a statue of his aunt. I don't need you, he thought fiercely. She loves me. I don't need you.

He gulped. "Can we... can we move on?"

Twilight nodded. "Just need to find the right strain of memories to lock on to. Let's see... there!"

Images, tastes, smells, and touches flashed by him. He saw a beautiful unicorn mare, perhaps a year or two past his own age. She had a golden mane that curled and tousled like his own, and a rose-pink coat. Three interlocking golden rings, each crowned with a different color of jewel, marked her flanks. She was sitting at a desk in an opulently-appointed room, her horn glowing as she used her magic to pen a scroll.

"We're here," Twilight told him softly.

He looked at her, then looked back at the mare at the desk. "Is that... my mother?"

Twilight nodded. "I think so. I pulled us through one of your memories of her, and into her own memories."

"But... I don't remember my mother."

"Not consciously. But children can still form impressions about the world around them, even if they're not totally conscious."

A baby's wail cut through the stillness of the air. The unicorn at the desk didn't look up from her work. "Mulie!" she shouted. "Blueblood's crying!"

No response came, and the child continued howling. "Mulie!" she called again, annoyance creeping into her voice. "Get the baby!"

There was still no reply. With a growl of annoyance, the unicorn pushed herself away from the desk and stormed out of the room, which began to fade into a foggy haze around Blueblood and Twilight.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We have to follow her; she left the room, so she wasn't aware of what was going on here."

Blueblood nodded. Together, they drifted after his mother as she crossed through a hallway lined with ornate sconces and a plush, red carpet, pushed open a door on her left, and stepped into a nursery room filled to bursting with stuffed animals, baby toys, and a beautiful crib carved with intricate murals and designs. Inside, an adorable little unicorn colt with a white coat and golden mane stood against the railings, his diaper sagging behind him. When he saw his mother, he gave her a delighted smile.

Twilight made one of those cooing sounds that only a girl looking at a baby can make.

Blueblood's mother reared back a hoof and slapped him across the cheek.

Baby Blue fell back to the crib, so shocked that he didn't even think to start crying. "How dare you start crying while I'm working!" his mother howled. "I am trying to establish your future, you obnoxious little rat! Where's Mulie?! MULIE!"

"I sent her home."

All four ponies looked to the door. A tall, heavyset unicorn, clad in a business suit and with a white coat and a dark blue mane, stared at the mare with something dark and angry in his eyes.

"Cobalt?" she asked. "What are you doing home?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with my family."

"B-but you should be at the office, shouldn't you? You have that meeting with Lord High Hoof... "

"He can wait," Cobalt said levelly. "My family comes first. Especially since it won't be together for much longer."

"Cobalt? What are you... "

The stallion's horn flashed. A scroll, still dripping with wet ink, floated into the room and unrolled itself. "What is this, Radiant?"

"What? I don't... "

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

Radiant reeled back from the verbal assault, tripping over a stuffed bear and landing on her rump. Baby Blue started to cry.

"Cobalt, I can explain-"

"My Dear Priestess," he read aloud, turning the scroll back to him. "I am pleased to inform you that my donation to our cause has gone unnoticed by my idiot husband, who merely believed me to be on a reckless shopping spree."

"Cobalt... "

"With these funds, I hope that you will be able to further lay the foundations for our Dark Lady's rise. The Eclipse is coming."

"I... that doesn't mean... "

"What does it mean, Radi?"

She had pushed herself all the way back against the wall. "I... I was just thinking of Blueblood's future... "

"His future? His future?!" Cobalt barked a humorless laugh. "Because there is so much future in high treason!"

"You don't understand!" Radiant snapped back with sudden heat. "The prophecies are true! Within twenty years, Celestia's reign will end, damn you! We must be ready!"

"You're insane, you stupid cow!" Cobalt roared back. "You're going to bet your future--your family's future--on some musty old tome?!"

"It's true!" she shouted back. "It's all true! Nightmare Moon will return!"

Cobalt slammed a hoof down hard enough to crack the floorboards. "Silence your idiotic, treasonous mouth, you damned harpy!"

"Oh, what?! Are you going to turn me in?! Do you think that will make them forgive you?!"

"I damned well should! This, this cult of yours is full of dangerous maniacs! I had hoped you weren't among them, but clearly-"

"Dangerous maniacs?!" she laughed shrilly. "From you?! That's rich!"

"Silence, you old nag!"

"Or what?! You'll lame me, like you did your old captain?! I think they'll do worse than discharge you for that, dear!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, maybe you can just claim I fell down the stairs, like your mother did!"

"Shut UP!" Cobalt roared. With three brisk steps, he crossed the room and slammed a hoof across his wife's face. She crumpled to the floor, sobbing and laughing in triumph. He hit her again, and again, and again. Baby Blue watched it all, still shrieking in terror.

"Celestia... " Blueblood breathed.

Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder. "Come on. Maybe we should... "

He shook his head. "I... " He swallowed. "I think I remember this."

"What?"

"I... I have to see what happens next."

Finally, Cobalt pulled himself away from his wife. Blood was splattered across his hooves, his face, and his suit. She lay there, still cackling through her broken teeth and streaming eyes. Baby Blue stared at him, lip quivering, not knowing what to do.

His father looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry you had to see that, son."

Cobalt and his son looked at eachother for a long moment. Then he turned to his broken wife. "I'm getting the guards. I don't care what they do to me. You won't indoctrinate our son into your little cult."

He turned and left. Baby Blue stared after him, then turned to his ruined, bleeding mother. He began to cry again, softly and quietly.

Long minutes passed. Twilight touched Blueblood's shoulder again. "We should go."

"It's... it's not over yet."

Slowly, agonizingly, Radiant began to pull herself up from the floor. She was covered in blood from a dozen or more cuts and contusions. Several of her front teeth had been knocked out, and one eye was swollen completely shut. She staggered unsteadily to her feet. Ignoring her child's tears, she limped towards the door.

"We need to follow her," Blueblood said numbly.

"Are you sure... ?"

He said nothing. Reluctantly, Twilight guided them into the hallway after the wounded mare. She took a different route, continuing the way she had originally come until she reached a large atrium, flanked by spiraling stairs that led up to the second story. Marble statues and porcelain urns stood on pedestals around the room's perimeter, all very ornate and expensive-looking. The only exception were a pair of old, well-cared-for spears crossing a golden shield emblazoned with the symbol of the royal guard. Radiant grinned through a mouthful of blood; her horn flared gold, and one of the spears pulled itself away to float over her shoulder.

She plodded, slowly, back the way she came, back to the office in which she'd started. Cobalt was there, freshly showered, pulling on a clean jacket. He didn't hear her approach.

"No... " said Twilight.

The spear erupted through his shoulders and out through his chest. He gasped and went rigid, staring in shock at the bloody steel.

"You're... not... taking... my son," Radiant panted in his ear.

Cobalt tried to say something, but couldn't speak through the pain. He collapsed to his knees, then fell to his side.

Radiant watched him for a few moments, cackling quietly in her moment of victory. Then she turned and limped back to the nursery, where Baby Blue again stood against the railing, his eyes wide with terror.

"It's okay, Blueblood," his mother cooed. "We're going to go away for awhile. We're going to go somewhere where no one will hurt you. Where no one will try to stop you from fulfilling your destiny."

She didn't hear the scrape of a hoof against a wall.

"Mommy loves you, Blue-Blue, very much. Mommy will take care of you. We'll just go live with some friends, and you'll grow up big and strong and handsome, and one day, you'll be the king of all Equestria... "

Cobalt rounded the corner. He was barely able to stand, and leaned heavily on the wall for support. Blood streamed through the hole in his chest. His eyes burned with something primal and ugly.

Radiant was still stuffing toddler clothes into a basket when he hit her from behind, knocking her to the ground. She tried to scream, but his hooves pressed down on her throat. She tried to kick and punch him away, but he hardly seemed to feel the blows. He just put his weight on her, intensifying the pressure of his stranglehold.

She flailed desperately at his limbs, but with each second, her blows lost strength. After a few minutes, all she could do was twitch weakly. And still Cobalt kept pressing, even as his wife's rose-colored face turned a pale, ghastly pink.

Agonizing minutes passed in silence. And then, finally, he released his hold. Radiant did not take in breath.

Cobalt looked at young Blueblood. His eyes were glassy. His white coat had turned a dull gray. "I'm sorry, son," he said.

And then he fell across his wife and joined her in death.

Next Chapter: The Prince Gets Fresh Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 36 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch