Subject #7

Chapters

Chapter 1-The Escape
Chapter 2-Meeting The Savior
Chapter 3-Determination Is Key
Chapter 4-When Things Get Interesting
Chapter 5-The Last War
Chapter 5: When things get interesting

Chapter 1-The Escape

If you asked me where I came from, I wouldn't have an answer. I never have. I was told my parents left me at an orphanarium when I was little, I had to leave though. The caretakers said I was too dangerous. I always scared them, with my abilities. I'm not like most ponies. I can use magic. But the strangest thing about that, the thing that scares them most of all...

I'm an Earth Pony.

***

Chapter 1

The Escape

June 7, A.C. 1014

Testing was always hard for him. Every time he thought he was done, there was another manticore to strangle or another puzzle room slowly filling up with lava. The thing was, whenever he successfully completed a test, that automatically amped up the next test even more, until he was nearly pushed to his limit. Finally, after a death-defying series of jumps across a fiery chasm, he reached the end goal and heard the sound that signaled the end of the test.

"Very good!" The scientist observing clicked his microphone off. The hologram slowly powered down and the chamber door slid open, revealing a very tired red stallion.

"Thanks, doc." The stallion walked over and leaned tiredly against the door frame. "Are we almost done? It's about lunchtime." The scientist glanced at the clock, then looked back with a smile.

"Of course, Number Seven." The red stallion gave a fake smile and trotted into the elevator, pressing the button for Level 4. The elevator groaned into life and slowly sank the 20 feet to the cafeteria. He looked up in the corner at the small security camera watching his every move. He considered cracking the lens, but thought better of it. The scientists acted nice and sweet, but they could devise some nasty punishments, and everypony knew they were all prisoners, so it was better to just cooperate. Although some cooperated more than others.

As the elevator came to a halt, Seven could hear arguing coming from the tables. The stallion came around the corner, bumping into a skinny blue pegasus.

"Oh! Sorry, Eighteen," he said. The small pegasus smiled happily at him.

"That's okay! I'm sure it was an accident."

"What's going on in there?" Seven asked. Subject Eighteen looked behind him with a frown.

"Oh, just a couple of ponies not getting along."

"The others aren’t picking on Thirteen again, are they?" Seven stepped into the cafeteria to find most of the research subjects already seated. One particular group stood out from the rest.

"Give it back!" One of the unicorns shouted. It was a young colt. He was a sort of blue-lavender with a short purple mane, and stood a little farther from all the others. There was an older female pegasus keeping a book out of his reach.

"Or what, mama's colt?" She was surrounded by another male pegasus, an earth pony, and a unicorn.

"Or I'll get the guards! That’s facility property!" The small colt's eyes started to glow a soft yellow.

"Oh, I'm sooo scared!" said the mare. She was a frightening creature, electricity crackling around her white body, standing Seven's hair on end. Her own bright yellow mane seemed to have a mind of its own, moving of its own volition. She apparently thought no foal would ever be stupid enough to mess with her, and seemed oblivious to the building tension in the colt's stance.

"GRAA!!" His horn glowed a bright yellow, temporarily blinding anypony too close, and a magical blast of yellow flame shot the pegasus across the room and into a wall. It also pushed him backward several inches. The pegasus was disoriented a bit but unharmed, and quickly got back in the air.

"Why you little..." she growled before a unicorn researcher jumped in front of her.

"Alright, alright! Break it up!" After the two calmed down, the scientist spoke more evenly. “Nopony fights. Those are the rules. If this happens again, you’ll all be cell-bound for the week.” None of them apparently enjoyed this concept. Walking to the cafeteria was the only unregulated exercise the subjects ever got, unless they had lounge privileges, which had to be earned. Being cramped in that tiny, sterile room would be worse than Tartarus for most of them. After the ponies all began moving back toward their tables, the scientist sat back down at the staff's table. One of the others spoke.

"And while you're at it, no flying." The pegasus slowly floated back to the floor. The mare glared back at the staff with a flash of sparks, then sauntered away. The Lightning Gang was led by Subject Seventeen, otherwise known by her chosen name Thunderspark; the group of ponies were notorious in the facility. Seventeen could summon raw electricity from ions in the air around her, generating more than enough charge to kill a full-grown manticore if she pleased.

Seven trotted over to her and got more than a little upset."Why were you picking on him?" he asked. "What has he ever done to you?"

"Because it's fun! And why not?" she said, looking over her shoulder with a smug grin. "It's not like he can do anything about it."

"It seemed to me like he was handling himself just fine." She frowned.

"Either way, I was obviously winning," she said, the door sliding open to accommodate her.

"That's not how it looked to me."

Seventeen stopped dead in her tracks. Sparks began to gather around her eyes, and the automatic door beeped and whirred, angry at not being able to close. She turned back toward Seven. Her voice sounded strained, as if she might snap at any moment. She got closer with every syllable, pausing in between eye twitches. "Did you... just imply... that I... am a loser?"

Seven was scared, but he hoped to Celestia that it didn't show. "Maybe."

A look of rage briefly crossed her face, followed almost immediately by frightening calm. She leaned forward until she was inches from his face. Her eyes narrowed. "You watch yourself, Seven. I could kill you with a twitch of my ear. You have no idea what I'm capable of." She turned around and sauntered out the cafeteria door.

Seven walked over to where the book had fallen and levitated it in front of the colt. “Here you go.”

"Thanks, Seven,” he said in his deceptively innocent-sounding voice, taking the book in his mouth and placing it in his saddlebag.

"No problem," he replied with a smile. "Seventeen thinks she's all that, but she knows the rules just as well as anyone else. Still can't control the powers, huh?"

"No, but I'm getting better. I can boil a cup of water now! Not much, but it's a start."

"Don't worry; it'll get easier as you get older." Suddenly somepony tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see a yellow earth mare standing behind him.

"Hey, Seven!" The mare gave him a smile. She had shimmering orange hair that was held up with a band, and her cutie mark was a sunrise above a sky of clouds.

"Oh, hi, Sierra!" he said with a smile.

Sierra, a.k.a. Subject Twenty-Three, was a recent acquisition of the facility, and one of the few ponies in the facility that they all knew by name. The scientists had trouble with it; they still called her by her number, but they disliked anypony being called by name. She had come to the facility only 6 months before; she had purportedly grown up in the outside world, her ability to talk to the dead being easy to hide. She said she came from another facility, but Seven didn't believe her, though he kept it to himself. Most of the others had been there since they were colts or younger. They all tried to get her to talk about the world, but she seemed very reluctant and never gave up anything noteworthy.

Sierra grabbed Seven’s hoof and he blushed slightly. "Come on, I heard they're setting up a pool table in the lounge!" She started for the door but stopped when she realized he wasn't going to follow her.

"I'd love to play pool, but...I'm not really allowed in there anymore, remember?" The floor had light burn marks from Thirteen's outburst and the stallion's hoof kicked up a couple of tiny grains of black dust as he walked over toward the food line. He decided to get the lemongrass sandwich and walked down the line levitating his tray, with Sierra close behind.

Sierra began speaking in a low and angry tone. "They shouldn't keep you out of there just because of one little incident," she argued. Seven chuckled.

"I don't think I would call it 'little.'"

"Maybe not, but I would. He wasn't even bruised. And it's not like you did it on purpose; he was provoking you." Seven seemed to pay more attention to getting his food.

"It's their call, Sierra." He set an apple on his tray. "I have to follow the rules..." He then walked over slowly and set his tray on the empty table nearest the line. "Everyone does." Sierra simply sighed and walked into the hallway.

Seven slowly walked down the hall of cell rooms. Several ponies had already gone to bed, even though it was still an hour before lockdown. He yawned; the day had been long, and he was ready to hit the hay. Suddenly, he was jerked into one of the cells without warning. A hoof clamped over his mouth and he was gently lowered to the floor.

"Huh? Ten, is that you?" A lime stallion looked out into the hallway to check for other ponies. When he turned back Seven saw his glasses resting on his horn, his flat, pale red mane mildly frizzy.

"Alright, Seven. Here's what's gonna happen..." Seven raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, what's going on?" The stallion clamped his mouth shut with a hoof.

"Hush!" He whispered. "Twenty-Three told me to help get you out of here, and that's what I'm gonna do." He started laying out blueprints of the facility.

Seven's mouth hung agape. He couldn't believe it! Sierra was helping him break out!

"Shh!" said Ten. "We don't want to be overheard!"

"Hey!" said Seven softly. "I thought that, I didn't say it!"

"Sorry," he apologized, "can't tell the difference sometimes. Now, I have a job to do, and I don't plan on getting caught!"

"They're going to see us on surveillance!" He looked around nervously at the many cameras on the walls.

"Don't worry; I put my cell cameras on a short-term magical loop. And let's just say I got these blueprints through a friend." His horn glowed purple, and after a little concentration a shiny black ball appeared in front of him. There was a puff of smoke, and after it settled, Seven could see that the orb was now on a chain.

"What's this for?" he asked, slipping it on.

"It's a magical orb that will make you invisible," Ten explained. "But it only works for 12 hours, so you have to leave tonight." Seven smiled and began playing with Ten's hair, but he did not appear amused.

"I can still see you." The stallion said flatly. Seven jumped back with an innocent smile on his face.

"How come?" Ten sighed.

"Because I made the orb," He stood up and pushed Seven through the doorway. "But don't worry. Nopony else can, including the cameras."

He leaned his head against Seven’s and touched his horn to his forehead. Suddenly he could see clearly the way to go to get out of the facility; up the stairs, past the manager’s office, and out the door. Wow, was it really that easy?

Ten leaned away, and the vision abruptly ended, but he gave him one last thought. Best of luck.

Thanks, he thought, and began walking down the hall.

Seven trotted down the hall, chuckling at the confused guards who thought they heard hoofsteps. He stopped at Sierra's room to say goodbye, and he heard her speaking to someone.

"Please keep him safe, Mom. I don't know what I'd do if he got hurt." She raised her head, allowing him to see a few tears stream down her face. "That's the only reason I forced Ten to break him out. He deserves better than this dump, he deserves freedom. He doesn't even know his own name!" She sat there for a minute, silent, like she was listening to someone speak. Then her eyes briefly grew wide, causing her to look startled. She turned to Seven and spoke. "Take off the necklace."

The stallion stepped back in surprise. He sighed and removed the orb. Sierra smiled and ran towards him. She grasped him in a tight hug.

"Good luck." She kissed him on the cheek and slipped the necklace back over his head. She walked back to her bed and laid her head down. The stallion lowered his head, and walked quietly toward the stairwell.

Chapter 2-Meeting The Savior

Chapter 2

Meeting the Savior

June 8, A.C. 1014

Seven sat on a cold boulder, holding himself in a futile attempt to stay warm. He had swum across a river and, after drying on an unusually large leaf, had slept fitfully, waking up in what appeared to be the early hours of the morning. He groaned, his breath visible in the cold air. Where am I? he wondered. He looked up and could've sworn the sun was rising, yet there was absolutely no sunlight below the trees.

"Um...hello?" The stallion's ears perked up. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a pale yellow pegasus. She had a long, pink mane and turquoise eyes, and a small white bunny hopped along beside her.

Should I toss the necklace or follow her in secret? he thought. He decided to follow her; maybe she would know someplace warm for him to stay.

"There's nopony here, Angel." The mare turned down towards her friend, then glanced up in his general direction. "I don't know why you woul-" A scared look briefly crossed her face, followed quickly by plain concern. "Oh, my!" She walked over to the boulder where he was sitting. "What are you doing out in the Everfree Forest by yourself? Have you been out here all night?"

She must be able to see me, he thought. Seven looked up and the mare suddenly seemed to remember how shy she was. She backed away and looked at the ground. As she scratched the dirt with one hoof, the stallion sat there slamming his necklace into the boulder angrily. Finally he gave up and tossed it aside where it harmlessly evaporated into thin purple smoke. So much for following her. I guess it expired, he thought. He turned to her with a wide grin on his face.

"Hi!" He leaned forward and crossed his front legs. "So...could you possibly help me get to the nearest town?" The mare just stood there silently. Seven groaned softly. "Shy one, aren't ya?" He smiled. "What's your name?"

"Why?"

He leaned back casually. "Well, anypony would want to know their savior's name," he answered. She blushed a light pink and looked like she wanted to turn invisible then paint herself all over with invisible ink.

"I'm... Fl--tersh-

"Pardon?"

"Fluttershy."

"Well, that explains that!" Seven joked, giving her a smile. She giggled quietly in response. This 'Fluttershy' seemed nice enough to trust, but he felt like something wasn't right. His nose ached as he smelled something sour and just plain unappealing. Fluttershy was explaining something about a town down the river, but he was too distracted by a green shimmer behind the trees. It swam and flickered, almost like it was about to... "LOOK OUT!"

Seven pushed Fluttershy out of the line of fire from a massive beast of wood. The creature missed both of them, but not without giving Seven a nice, big scratch.

"Gah!" Blood dripped down his leg. "Fluttershy! Go get help!"

The timid pegasus was frozen in fear. She suddenly shook her head and ran for the forest edge, mumbling "Please be home, please be home". The creature quickly returned its attention to Seven when a rock was thrown at it. A low angry growl protruded from its jaws. He furrowed his brows, growing more confident. "Bring. It. ON!" he yelled. There was a swipe of a wooden paw, then everything went black.

***

Fluttershy returned with an orange mare and a red stallion.

"What in tarnation!?" The orange mare rushed over to Seven, who was now lying unconscious on the ground. "Fluttershy, what happened!?"

"I-I don't know. There was a Timberwolf, and..." The deep red stallion looked at Fluttershy in confusion. She turned to the orange mare, who was also staring at her.

"Why didn't it just eat 'im?" There was a silence. The orange mare shook her head. "Never mind, that's not important right now." She lifted the unconscious pony onto the stallion's back and pressed her head to his chest. "Well, at least he's alive. That's what matters. Looks like he got a bruise or two, but he should be fine."

"Ee-yup." Her gaze wandered to his flank.

"Wait. Is he...?" Her eyes widened as she looked closer. "He doesn't have a cutie mark."

"Nope."

"Really?" Fluttershy asked. "I wonder why?"

"Aw, ponyfeathers, just forget it. We need to get 'im some medical attention." The orange mare began walking quickly in an easterly direction. Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh as they headed out of the forest. The sunlight reflected off of her tear-filled eyes. She sniffed, receiving a concerned look from her friend. "Ya alright, sugarcube?" Fluttershy let out a weak chuckle.

"I was actually afraid he was dead." Applejack stared at her, once again confused. Fluttershy smiled. "He saved my life." Applejack nuzzled her friend's cheek.

"That was awful brave." She glanced at the stallion on her brother's back. "I'll bet he knows that though. What I can't wrap my head around is how in the world he managed not to get eaten. That Timberwolf musta had a good reason for leavin' 'im there."

***

Seven opened his eyes to see a ceiling. He turned his head to the left and saw a pale yellow pegasus sleeping in a chair.

"Aah!" He pulled the covers over himself while the mare opened her eyes and lifted herself out of the chair. "Fluttershy?"

"Sorry if I scared you, I had to make sure you had everything you needed..." She turned and blushed. "You were talking in your sleep."

"You were watching me sleep?"

"Oh no, I had to!" She looked at the bandages scattered on the nightstand. "Applejack thought you might bleed to death..."

"Apple... Jack? Who's that?" Fluttershy gasped.

"You don't know who Applejack is?"

"I, um..." Seven drew an innocent grin. "I'm from Canterlot?" he said, attempting to fool her, and failing.

"Do you know Twilight Sparkle?"

"Who?"

Fluttershy frowned at him. "You're lying!"

"How do YOU know?"

Fluttershy held a hoof to her chest. "She's my friend, element of magic, and a princess." She glared at him. "If you were from Canterlot, you would know who she was!"

"Fine..." He confessed. "I'm not from Canterlot. I-" He lowered his head. "I'm not from anywhere." Fluttershy laid a hoof on his shoulder.

"That's okay. I didn't mean to make you sad." She smiled. "I just wanted you to tell the truth."

"The truth, huh?" He admired her aqua eyes for a few moments before saying, "Yeah, I think I can do that... eventually."

Seven stepped down the stairs, careful not to put too much weight on his leg. He could smell pancakes cooking. He peeked around the corner into the kitchen, and there she was, standing in front of the stove. He smiled as the yellow mare turned around.

"Oh, um, good morning,-" She frowned. "You never told me your name." He paused.

"Uh..." A nervous blush formed on his snout. "Just...uh...call me Seven!"

"Is Theseus okay?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"You've never heard of Theseus?" she asked.

"I, uh, don't get out much."

"Well, he was a hero from the country of Grass. He saved the princess Ariadne from a maze with a nasty Cyclops in it. I just thought it was fitting, seeing as you..." She blushed. "Saved my life." He sat there for a moment, silent. "Seven?" she asked.

"Theseus is fine." Fluttershy hugged him before returning to the stove.

He turned toward the mirror on the wall and straightened his dusty brown mane. It hung down over his bright purple eyes and was all tangled from not having been combed for several days. He thought about Sierra and how the scientists would react to his sudden absence. She was one of his closest friends. They would probably try to get information out of her.

"By the way," said Fluttershy, "when you were talking in your sleep, you kept mentioning somepony named 'Sierra.' Who is that? If I'm not prying, of course; it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"No, it's fine," he said. "She's a... friend of mine. She has the most awesome orange hair. I don't know why she always keeps it in a bun; it looks better let down." Fluttershy's eyes went wide.

"Are you talking about Sierra Nevada? She was an old Ponyville friend who went missing six months ago. She was a famous explorer. There was an article about it in the Equestria Times."

"What did your Sierra look like?" he asked.

"Yellow coat, sun and clouds cutie mark-"

"That's her!" He knew it! She had lied! But why?

"How do you know her?" She gasped. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. As for how I know her, it's... complicated."

"Oh, alright, I won't ask again."

"No, it's okay, really. I'll just... tell you when I'm ready." She nodded.

"Alright. I'll go fix Angel some breakfast."

"Angel?"

"Oh, he's my bunny. Actually, he's not so much mine as I take care of him, and he just comes and goes when he wants to, but I do worry about him sometimes. I take care of all the animals."

"Is that why you were so intent on taking care of me?" he asked.

"Well, that, but also..." She suddenly had that want-to-turn-invisible look again. "Never mind," she said quickly, and she rushed through the door.

Does she... he thought absently. Then he shook it off. Nah. She has other things to think about.

Chapter 3-Determination Is Key

Chapter 3

Determination is Key

June 9, A.C. 1014

Theseus dreamed of many things. A massive pack of Timberwolves clawing and biting. A pony, a stallion, rescuing him. He looked around and saw only forest. Then behind him he saw a cottage, strangely out of place. The inside was small and relatively bare; a medieval-looking shield, rough wood furniture, miscellaneous bric-a-brac.

Theseus rounded a corner and saw a pony in a black cloak.

"Who are you?" he asked. The mysterious pony turned and magically pulled back his hood, revealing a brown head with black hair, eyes glowing blue... and no horn.

"You know who I am, and you always have, though you would never remember me."

"Dad?"

"Yes, Theseus. I abandoned you as a foal, and for that I am truly sorry. It was the only way." He looked at the floor in sorrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I should not have abandoned you. I should have stood up to him, and none of it would have happened."

"None of what? Stood up to who?" He was growing increasingly frustrated. His father looked up.

"You will come to understand, in time. But not now. I must depart. To keep you safe." He trotted out the door and toward the forest.

"Wait! Safe from what!?" He tried to run after his father, but it was no use. He felt himself slowing, and it was like running through syrup. The forest began to fade into darkness...

Theseus woke with a start. Cold sweat soaked his mane and his front leg ached inside its bandage. He must have hit it on the bed frame. He relaxed a bit and opened the window, letting in the cool night air. He laid back and tried going back to sleep, but something nagged at his mind. It suddenly hit him, and he spoke out loud.

"Wait. He called me Theseus."

Fluttershy yawned and dusted the dresser as a certain stallion paced back and forth. She appeared like a zombie, not moving around, just swinging the duster robotically. He walked over and pushed Fluttershy a few inches to the right, where she continued to swing it over empty air.

"Why are you pantomiming a feather duster?" he asked. She stopped dusting and turned her sagging eyes toward him.

"I thought since I was up, I should do something productive," she said tiredly. Then she stepped over to the window and tried to dust the sill without falling asleep.

"Are you sure you should be up this early? It's okay if you're too tired." She jerked her head suddenly and snorted.

"Uh, no, that's okay. It's 3:30. I should have been up already."

"Well, in any case, we need to figure out what this means."

"I called you Theseus; it could've just jogged your memory." She yawned again. "Dreams are funny that way." He shook his head.

"No, it couldn't be." He turned to look in the mirror, staring at his reflection. "I don't remember either of my parents. And he was addressing me as a grown stallion; not as the foal I would have been then. He knew who I was." He slammed one hoof on the dresser and ran the other through his mane in frustration, causing it to become tangled. "I don't understand!"

"I'm sorry you're mad," said Fluttershy softly. "Do you want me to make you some tea?"

"No," he said, chuckling. "I don't think you should be handling fire. You should go back to bed."

"Oh, okay." She slowly and sleepily walked toward the stairs, but Theseus stopped her.

"Wait," he said. "You said your friend owned the library, right?"

"Yes, she just bought it from the mayor a few weeks ago."

"Can you take me there?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, making a sudden change in personality Theseus had seen only with the animals. "It's awfully early in the morning, and you need to save your strength. Besides, Twilight is probably asleep; we wouldn't want to bother her, now would we?"

"I guess not," he grumbled. Fluttershy walked up the stairs.

"Now I'm going back to bed," she said sweetly, "and you need to get your rest. We'll go see Twilight in the morning."

"Good night," he grumbled again.

"Sleep tight." Theseus perked his ears.

"Wait, why would I sleep tight? Are there restraints on the bed or something?" Fluttershy paused.

"You've never heard that expression?"

"I've heard 'good night.'" She stared blankly and he felt embarrassed. "Like I said, I don't get out much." She simply shook it off and went up to bed.

"I'm confused," said Twilight. "Do you need a book on magic, or a book on unicorns?" Theseus was standing next to Twilight at the train station, attempting to garner as much information as he could before she left for the Crystal Empire. Fluttershy was standing a bit away waiting for him to finish. They had gotten up at 6:30 that morning to catch Twilight before she left. They had managed to reach her at the train station at about 10 minutes 'till. Twilight did not seem to understand the concept that he was attempting to convey, as well as the fact that he was a strange new pony she knew nothing about, leading to the majority of the time being wasted.

"Neither," he said. "I need to learn about earth ponies that can do magic."

"There's no such thing," she said dismissively. "It's just an old mares' tale."

"Then what do the tales say?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you right now; I have to leave any minute."

"Well," Theseus said, "if you're leaving, then who do I talk to?" The lavender alicorn thought for a moment. She pulled a slip of paper and pencil from her bag, wrote for several seconds, then held it in front of him.

"Go to the library and give this to Spike; it's the title of the book you need. He knows the library top to bottom; I'm sure he'll be able to find it without trouble." Sparkling violet mist flowed out of Theseus' eyes and the note floated out of the mare's telekinetic grip and behind his ear. Twilight's mouth hung open in amazement. "Wha- how did you do that?"

"I've always been able to," he said. "And I'll make sure to talk to Barb," he added.

"His name is Spike," she said.

"Uh, right."

"But you're an earth pony!"

"Sorry, I know it's kind of freaky." Twilight suddenly chuckled.

"I'm friends with a certain pink pony. You can't talk to me about freaky." Her face then returned to its default scientifically curious look. She slowly walked around him, as if he were a rare, exotic creature. "I've never seen anything like that." She looked at Theseus. As she spoke she began to bounce excitedly and gave an enormous smile. "You're one of them. I can't believe they're actually real! I've heard stories my whole life about great earth pony wizards, but I never thought I would actually meet one!" Theseus felt uncomfortable.

"I don't know if I would go so far as 'wizard,'" he said.

"But why did you do that in the open?" she asked. "Aren't you afraid of somepony seeing you?"

"I don't really care what other ponies think. They can have their own opinions and beliefs without affecting me." The conductor suddenly yelled loudly, signaling the last call for passengers. Twilight looked over her shoulder at the train, then back to Theseus.

"We must speak when I get back from the Crystal Empire," she said. "I can't wait to hear everything you know!"

"Well, actually-"

"Bye!" Before Theseus could respond, Twilight had already stepped onto the train. She poked her head out the window and waved goodbye to Fluttershy.

He returned to Fluttershy with a smile on his face. "Time to head for the library!"

"Did she tell you anything helpful?" she asked.

"She said to talk to this guy, Spike." She giggled. "What?" he asked.

"You'll see when we get there," she said.

"What are you staring at?" asked the small purple dragon. "Haven't you ever seen a dragon before?"

"Um, no," said Theseus bluntly.

"Well, now you have." Inside the Great Oaks Library, a small purple dragon stood in front of a pair of ponies, holding his claws on his hips with a frown on his face. Theseus stood on Fluttershy's left. He leaned into her ear and whispered, "You didn't tell me he was a dragon!"

"I didn't tell you anything," she whispered back.

"Um, hello? Anyone paying attention to the dragon?"

"Sorry, Spines."

"It's Spike!"

"Right, sorry. I spoke to Twilight at the train station, and she told me to talk to you. I need to find something on hornless magic. She told me to give you this." He took the note out of his saddlebag and levitated it down into the dragon's claws.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"I was born with it," Theseus said in an exasperated tone, rolling his eyes.

"Like a medical condition?"

"Yes, now look for the book!"

"Okay, okay!" The dragon read the slip of paper, then went to work. He hopped onto a ladder leaning on a shelf, and his claw skimmed the books, searching for the correct one. Finally, it landed on a book with a blue spine, and he pulled it off the shelf. "Here we go," he said. "Equestrian Encyclopædia of Magical History." He jumped down leisurely onto the floor, revealing a dusty, dark blue book with ornate gold trim. He then walked over to the gem chest in the corner and grabbed a large emerald to snack on. Theseus started to become impatient.

"Hurry up! I need that information!"

"Alright," said the small reptile, "don't get your mane in a knot." He opened the book and flipped through the pages, thinking out loud as he did so. "Blah blah blah, dark magic; forbidden magic. Here we go, hoof magic!"

"Hoof magic?" Theseus grabbed the book with his nonexistent horn. The smoke again began to leak from his eyes. The dragon held onto the book for a split second before being pulled off-balance, releasing the book and falling over on his face. Theseus held it in front of him, and read from the entry.

"'Hoof Magic. Noun. A term from mythology referring to magic produced without the use of a horn. See also Earth Wizard.'" He flipped frantically through the pages, searching for the entry. In the background, the emerald gave a quiet crunch as it was being eaten.

As Theseus read, the book slowly got closer to the floor, and he leaned in further as it did, until his nose was buried in between the pages. He quietly muttered as he read, but suddenly stopped, his eyes widening. "Oh, ma gush," he said, his voice muffled by the paper. He lifted his head and turned to Fluttershy. "Listen to this," he said, and began to read aloud.

"'The Earth Wizards are a race of ponies from Ancient Equestrian mythology, believed to be based on actual earth ponies with magical abilities. According to the myth relayed by the great philosopher Platehoof, the great unicorn wizard Starswirl the Bearded had an illegitimate foal with an earth mare. Rather than face discrimination as an interracial couple, Starswirl sent the mare and foal with a set of subjects to a far-flung corner of the world to begin anew. According to the myth, Starswirl was so powerful that even though the foal was born an earth pony, he was still able to use magic.

"'The foal grew up to become King Wither, the leader of a new kingdom, called 'Wither City,' now a real country bordering on the western edge of Equestria, on the coast of the Oatlantic Ocean. He married Navy Blue, a powerful female unicorn, and began a line of powerful Earth Wizards who used what he called 'hoof magic.' The Earth Wizards were known for their incredible magical abilities, and legend has it that each one had more power than Celestia herself.'" Theseus's mouth formed a silent, "Wow."

"'The royal family consists of a line of earth wizards ruling over mostly earth and unicorn citizens, with a military very similar to the Equestrian Royal Guard.'" Theseus looked up. "It can't be." He read the section again. "'The royal family consisted of a line of earth wizards ruling over mostly earth and unicorn citizens.' I'm a prince!"

"A prince?" said Fluttershy. "Oh, my goodness." Theseus seemed lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke.

"I need to go there," he said.

"Oh no, you don't, mister," said Fluttershy sternly. "You need to stay in bed. No adventures for you; your foreleg still needs to heal." He leaned down at Fluttershy's hooves. He looked up at her and gave her puppy-dog eyes, as if to say, "Pleeeeeeeease?" Fluttershy tried to resist, but finally gave in.

"Oh, okay. But we still need to make occasional stops to make sure you're holding up okay. And we need to have Lily look after the critters. She's always been really patient with them when I've been gone. We'll have to stop by her house first."

"Alright," Theseus agreed.

Chapter 4-When Things Get Interesting

Chapter 4

When Things Get Interesting

June 9, A.C. 1014

Theseus and Fluttershy stood on the edge of a cliff, looking out in awe over the surprisingly lively Wither City. It seemed that despite the stories, Wither City had not, in fact, withered away. The late afternoon sun shone down over the buildings, causing them to shine with the reflections of tiny imperfections. The majority of the city was abandoned, but there were still maybe a hundred or so ponies living within its walls. A large castle rose majestically from the center, poking up into the sky. A single happy tear streaked down Theseus's face.

"Are you okay?" said Fluttershy.

"Yeah," he replied, wiping his face with one hoof. "It's just... I can't believe it's still here." They stood admiring the city for a moment. Then they began to make their way carefully down the side of the mountain.

"Theseus! Aah!" Theseus whipped his head around to see Fluttershy tumbling down the mountain. He could only watch in horror as she tipped over a cliff... and did not fall. Out of nowhere, she was scooped up by two armored pegasi, one clad in gold and the other in silver.

"Fluttershy!" he yelled. The pegasi stopped in midair and Fluttershy separated herself from them with a blush. After some careful climbing, they came to a flat outcropping where the strangers landed with Fluttershy. Theseus gave Fluttershy a hug, once again triggering her desire for invisibility.

"You're a pegasus," he said, letting go of her. "Why did you need saving?"

"My... my wings lock up when I get scared," she said quietly. "And I'm not a very good flyer anyway." Theseus turned to the strange pegasi.

"And who are you?" he asked.

"We are members of the Royal Army," said the one in the gold-colored armor. He sported an orange coat and a flowing red mane poking out from beneath his helmet. "And you are trespassing on the land of Wither City. You are not welcome here." Theseus floated out the Encyclopædia to tell them what he read, but before he could speak, the soldiers both gasped and knelt in front of him.

"We are so sorry, Your Majesty," said the gold one. "We did not know."

"Um, arise?" Theseus said uncertainly. The one in silver lifted himself off the ground.

"You are the Lost Prince Theseus!" he said in amazement. "All but a few citizens believed that you had perished!"

"Well," Theseus said, "not exactly." He thought about all the times he wished that he had done just that, and decided that he was thankful he hadn't.

"Come," said the silver-clad stallion, turning toward the city. "Let us take you to the palace. I will carry you." He crouched down to allow Theseus access to his back.

"Uh, thanks," Theseus said, feeling uncomfortable, "but I think I'd rather walk."

"But Your Majesty, you are obviously injured." Theseus glanced at his bandage.

"Oh, this? It was just a scratch. I'll be fine." The soldier looked skeptical, but did not press the matter further. Fluttershy and Theseus started stepping carefully down the rocks, the soldiers gliding above them.

"What are your names?" asked Theseus. The one in gold spoke first.

"I am General Fire Wind, and this is my long-time lieutenant, Razor. We are two of only a few soldiers left; after the war, most left for other places." Theseus's ears perked up.

"War? What war?"

"The war against the outer tribes for resources. They felt that we were encroaching on their territory, and they were willing to fight for it." His voice was clearly tinged with mourning. "They killed many of our soldiers, as well as innocent citizens."

"What happened to them?" asked Theseus.

"We are not entirely sure," said Fire Wind. "They have not bothered us in years. Maybe they moved to another area. They are nomadic by nature, after all."

"What happened to the citizens? This place almost looks abandoned."

"Just like the soldiers, most of the citizens left after the war. Wither City was once a bustling, lively place. Once King Rune disappeared and his advisor Crystal Lake claimed the throne, the citizens lost faith in the power of their city."

The ponies managed to reach the base of the mountain without any mishaps. Razor landed next to a gravel path and began to walk toward the center of the city. Fire Wind flew high over the buildings, stating that he would announce Theseus's arrival.

"Follow me, Your Majesty," said Razor. Theseus and Fluttershy followed the stallion through the city, past shops and houses, many of which were empty and rather run-down. After much walking, they reached the entrance of the castle. It had a stereotypical moat and ornate drawbridge, decorated all over with diamonds, emeralds, and especially sapphire. There were also a variety of small gems speckled in the stone of the castle itself. The drawbridge lowered slowly, revealing a Great Hall with a throne at the end, and several soldiers played a fanfare on saddle-mounted trumpets.

"All rise for the great Prince Theseus!" All the soldiers in the Great Hall stood at attention, each holding their left hoof to their foreheads. The majority were wearing silver, but a select few had gold. A light blue male unicorn with a sparkling flowing mane sat on the throne at the end of the hall, enjoying a wide selection of food from the table beside him. He had a small monkey sitting on his shoulder chewing on an almond, and his mane, coat, and tail all sparkled like a waterfall. Theseus cleared his throat.

"Uh, at ease!" They all placed their hooves on the floor in perfect sync, causing a slight vibration that made Theseus more than a little nervous. If he was a tribepony, he definitely would not want to cross these ponies!

"Ah, welcome!" said the unicorn happily, coming down off his throne, forcing the monkey to jump off onto the head of the throne. "The Prince Theseus; I never thought I would live to see this day! I was almost afraid that we would never find a proper heir!"

"Excuse me?" said Theseus. The unicorn chuckled, meeting Theseus and Fluttershy several feet from the throne.

"Oh, my most sincere apologies; I haven't introduced myself. I am Crystal Lake, former Royal Advisor to your father, King Rune, and current acting King of Wither City." Theseus was amazed. They knew him here. They even treated him like a king. Well, of course they did; he was one! But before he could bask in the glow of their admiration, he first needed some questions answered. He turned his attention back to Crystal Lake.

"I'd like to hear about my father," he said. Crystal Lake smiled.

"Of course, but later. First, we must find you accommodations. I am currently occupying the Royal Suite, until you take the throne, of course, but I think-"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," said Theseus quickly. "Take the throne?"

"Well, of course," he said with a frown. "You are the royal heir. You must claim your birthright." Theseus looked around nervously.

"I'm not sure I want to..."

"But you must!" said the Advisor. Without warning, Fluttershy spoke up.

"He doesn't want to!" she said, still quietly, but much louder than she normally spoke. "You shouldn't force him to do something he doesn't want to do!" Both the stallions were awestruck, Theseus even more so. She suddenly looked embarrassed and hid inside her mane, but did not immediately apologize like she normally did. Theseus put it off for later thought. He turned to the Advisor.

"Could you find us a room?" he asked. Crystal Lake smiled.

"Of course," he said, walking to Theseus's left. "This way, please."

Theseus was feeling confused. Also a little hungry, but mostly confused. About his feelings surrounding Fluttershy, but also the location of something. No matter where he went, he could never seem to find the cafeteria. After being led to his and Fluttershy's suite, with their escort making a point of leaving them alone, he had decided to explore the castle and maybe get a bite to eat. He had found soldiers' quarters, a library (where he found magic books galore and learned a couple of spells), an observatory, even a royal blacksmith, but no cafeteria. I thought there were supposed to be rooms filled with crates, he thought. He finally decided to give up and went up a flight of stairs back to the floor with his suite. According to the basic sense-of-direction spell he had learned, he thought he should be on the opposite side of the castle from the suite. Oh, well. No problem taking the long way round.

As he rounded a corner, he saw another door, this one with decorative gold plating on its face, similar to his own suite. Curious, he walked up to the edge of the doorway. A soldier trotted past, saw Theseus, and greeted him.

"Hello, Your Highness," he said. "Exploring the castle?" Theseus was still not quite comfortable with the title of Highness, Majesty, or King, but took it in stride.

"What's behind this door?" he asked.

"That's being used for storage at the moment, Your Majesty, but it can be vacated if you wish."

"No, that's okay, I was just curious." He stared at the door intently. There was something about it, something about the trimming... He turned to ask the stallion where the food was, but he had already left, and it would take forever to track him down. He decided to enter the room; maybe one of the crates had an apple or two.

He pushed the door open with his magic and was greeted by a strong, musty smell. This room had clearly not been disturbed in some time. He looked around at the boxes. Wait. There were no boxes. It appeared to be a young filly's bedroom, with a bed against the left wall covered by gorgeous pink tresses, and star charts and drawings covering the other walls. A small desk with a telescope sat in the far right corner under a shuttered window.

"What is this?" Theseus asked the air.

"This was the bedroom of Princess Starfall," the air answered. Theseus briefly thought the air had a very gruff voice, then turned to see a gold armored pony in the doorway. The black stripes on the stallion's coat were beginning to gray slightly, but when he removed his helmet, he revealed a solid jet-black mane that had clearly lost none of its sheen.

"Who are you?" asked Theseus. He stared at the amazing stripes on the stallion's body, wondering how he got them. The pony spoke slowly, as if not to disturb the air of the room.

"My name is Zane," he said, "and I would appreciate restraint on your part when viewing my body coloring."

"I'm sorry," said Theseus, shaking his head and forcing himself to look at the stranger's face. "I've just never seen a pony with those markings before."

"I'm not a pony," he said, chuckling. "You've obviously never seen a zebra before."

"Everyone seems to think I get out more than I do," Theseus said, giving an annoyed frown.

"That's okay," said Zane, "the only thing you hurt is my pride." Theseus wondered why he was not moving.

"Why are you standing there?" he asked. "Are you afraid of dust or something?" Zane suddenly looked severely uncomfortable, and started speaking uncertainly.

"No, that's not it, I-I just... I don't want to... disturb it. I have a... healthy respect for this room." Theseus decided to pity the zebra and walked out of the room into the hallway. He sat on his haunches next to him.

"You said that this was the Princess's bedroom?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," said Zane, staring longingly into the room, slowly closing the door with one hoof. He turned to Theseus. "This was the bedroom of Princess Starfall, daughter of King Rune and heir to the throne of the city-state of Wither City."

"But that's impossible!" said Theseus. "I'm the heir!" An understanding look came over Zane's face.

"You must be Theseus," he said. "I remember when you were born. Your parents loved you so much. Of course, it was more than likely compensation for the loss of Starfall."

"Wait, are you saying..."

"Yes, Theseus. Starfall was your sister."

Chapter 5-The Last War

Chapter 5

The Last War

September 17, A.C. 984

A stallion clad in golden armor stood on the edge of a hill overlooking a training camp. Below, over a hundred soldiers were honing their fighting skills for the coming battle; throwing knives, casting spells, and training in martial arts. Above, the sky was a dull whitish-gray, signaling a coming autumn storm. A white stallion in silver armor walked up behind him.

"How are the soldiers doing, General?"

"They are doing quite well, Razor." The stallion in gold huffed out a breath of steam. "And you may call me by my name, lieutenant. Though I've not been your superior more than a month, surely you must know by now that I am not as formal as the others."

"Of course... Fire Wind," he said, obviously uncomfortable not using the title. Fire Wind let out a long sigh. The army was ready for battle, but his king was not.

"I don't think he's going to last much longer, Razor," he said, turning his head. Razor knew instantly who he was referring to. He had been worrying about it all through the past week.

"He has to tell her sooner or later," he replied.

"Let's hope it's sooner," said Fire Wind. "But he'll probably keep trying harder, whether it will help or not."

"Hyah! Hah!" The young zebra stallion somehow managed to throw knife after knife, pulling them from belts on his shoulders, neck, and front. Each one hit a different target smack in the center. When the rain started, everypony else had left the training area to get some sleep, but he continued to practice. A quiet expression of admiration came from behind him.

"Wow, Zane," said a female voice. "You get better every day." He turned to see a beautiful unicorn mare with sunset-orange hair and a crown of stars as her cutie mark.

"Princess Starfall!" he said happily, bowing at her hooves with a smile.

"Arise," she said.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. She giggled, shifting her umbrella under the rain.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why didn't you go inside with the others?"

"You know me; always a hundred and ten percent." He went back to throwing knives, droplets of rain pouring down his coal black mane.

"You're not really going, are you?" she asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, my Princess," he said with a smile, grabbing her hoof. "I'll be back. I promise."

"You always say that," she said.

"I always come back, don't I?"

"Don't say that," she said frustratedly. "Ponies always say that, and it's not a good argument!" She sounded angry, but had a slight, sad smile on her muzzle. "Please don't go."

"I don't plan on dying, Princess," he said, before grabbing and throwing another knife.

A brown stallion with a curly black mane knelt in front of a golden throne, inlaid with sapphires matching his striking blue eyes. In the throne sat a light orange mare holding her belly with a pained look on her face. She had a noticeable pudge and was clearly expecting any day now. The brown stallion knelt with his head down, blue mist coming from his eyes and surrounding the mare. A pained look almost gave way to contentment, though the discomfort was still evident. A dark blue unicorn mare in gold armor suddenly burst through the main doors.

"Your Majesty!" The mist winked out and the orange mare cringed, letting out the tiniest hint of a whimper, but she put on a strong face.

"What is it, Midnight?" asked the stallion angrily, turning to face her. "Can't you see I'm busy with Sunrise?"

"I'm sorry sir, but this is urgent!" the mare said, magically taking off her helmet.

"What is it?"

"The Princess is missing!"

Zane sat on King Rune's left side, shoulders heaving, trying not to let anyone see his weakness. He and another stallion were scheduled to be on guard duty for the King at the moment, but he was too distraught to protect anyone. King Rune leaned over to the other soldier on his right.

"What is wrong with him?" he asked the soldier quietly, but not quietly enough to keep the zebra from hearing.

"'What's wrong with me?'" he said angrily. "What's wrong with me is that the Princess is gone and it's because of me!" He went back to crying, this time not bothering to hide it; everypony already knew he was bawling like a foal.

"He was Princess Starfall's lover and self-proclaimed personal protector; he blames himself for her disappearance."

"Of course I do!" he said. "I was supposed to keep things like this from happening. I should be leading the search party, not Crystal Lake!" He slammed a hoof down hard on the stone floor with the last word.

"It's not your fault," said the King, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"Don't try to comfort me!" He shoved the hoof off. "It is my fault; I should never have let her out of my sight. I was preoccupied with my training, trying to make myself the best soldier on the force, chasing after some vain vision of perfection." He hung his head low and cried some more. The King got off his throne and walked around to Zane's left.

"So," he said, draping a hoof over his shoulder, "you're the infamous Zane. My daughter was very proud of you." Zane lifted his eyes and sniffled.

"Really?" he asked. "She said that?"

"Absolutely." He jabbed his left hoof at Zane's chest. "You were the single most important thing in her life." He lowered both his hooves to the ground and took on a more serious tone. "When the war began, she was incredibly depressed; on the verge of taking her life. And then she met you, the soldier sent from above by Celestia herself. I must have heard enough about you to fill 10 books." He chuckled. "She was even willing to take time out of her astronomical studies to be with you because of schedule conflicts, and you surely know how important that was to her." The zebra nodded.

"She always joked that I shouldn't meet you because I might go protective-father on you, banishing you or locking you in the dungeon as punishment for 'fraternizing' with her. But the truth is that anything that makes her happy, I support in full. And I am glad that it was you, rather than one of the troublemakers." The zebra smiled, his tears all but forgotten.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. That means a lot to me."

"Call me Rune. If you're going to be part of our family, then I would like you to use my name." Zane's eyes lit up at the word "family."

"Really? Do you mean...?

"You have my blessing," said the King, "although it doesn't mean much until we recover Starfall."

"Wow," the zebra said. "That means a lot to me, sir."

"Again," he replied, "call me Rune."

***

Crystal Lake walked down the hall feeling very proud of himself. Everypony was completely clueless! Most likely because he had led the search party for the Princess himself. He was already set for life, but there was no harm in further deflecting suspicion. After the new foal was born, he would have to take care of it too. But King Rune had already made his suspicion clear; he would need to be exceptionally cautious. For some reason, he had trouble persuading Rune like he could others. His words could reduce the average pony to a sniveling slug, but Rune was different somehow.

He returned to his bedroom suite expecting to see a table piled up with his evening meal, but he was greeted instead with a pony in a black cloak balancing on his hoof a silver platter of dandelions, a rather common menu item, and blood-red poppies, which were much rarer in this part of the world. The pony placed the plate on the table next to him. Crystal Lake magically closed the door behind him so they would not be disturbed.

"Ken vüs na gütänin sho künos," he said in a rough, gravelly voice.

"Shuk chäfu nü Engläm. (Please speak in English.)"

"I am sorry," he apologized. "I said, 'here are the flowers you wanted.' I picked the entire bunch myself." Crystal walked over to the platter, levitated a poppy to his mouth, and took a bite. The petals had a silky texture and tangy taste, punctuated with the pleasant crunch of the opium-laden seeds. He would either have to speed this meeting along or hold off on the rest until later if he wished to remain lucid with his one-pony audience. He swallowed and placed the half-eaten flower back on the table.

"I am still mystified as to how you manage to maintain these wonderful poppies in a climate like this," he said. The pony grunted.

"Our methods are a prized secret. You think I would reveal it to an outsider like you?"

"Relax, Silverblood. I only intended to compliment. I have no intentions of that nature." The stallion pulled back his hood to reveal a gray head with a sparkling white mane cut very neatly into a jagged, bolt-like shape. His cobalt blue eyes gazed at Crystal Lake, giving off an aura of, if not hate, then at least strong dislike.

"Do not think I have forgotten; you are a Light-Wielder. It is with great difficulty that I do business with you, especially inside the city. The Tribe of the Gäld'kärin will only honor our arrangement with you to a certain extent. The Tribe is not quite content allowing a stranger to enter our lands."

"If all goes according to plan, then she will not be there for long. I cannot remove her from the picture on my own; I am counting on your Tribe to help with my predicament. It should not be difficult; all I require is that she never be found. You may do it any way you choose. Drown her, butcher her, choke her with cupcakes for all I care; just get rid of her." Silverblood stepped toward the window and turned back to look at Crystal Lake.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Advisor."

"Call me... 'Your Majesty,'" Crystal Lake said with a smile. Silverblood turned and jumped out the window into the stormy night.

Chapter 5: When things get interesting

Chapter 6

Leaving Home

June 10, A.C. 1004

"You knew her, then?" The two ponies walked along the castle halls heading for Theseus's suite. He hoped Fluttershy was still there. He still did not know how he felt. Everything was too jumbled in his head. He dragged his mind back to the conversation. "Were you her coltfriend?"

"Not exactly, but I suppose that's as good a description as any." Theseus grinned.

"So, her buck-buddy, then?"

"No!" he shouted. "Absolutely not! I would never use such a vulgar term. And we meant more than that to each other." Theseus moved his ears back and frowned.

"I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."

"I understand," said the zebra, calming down. "You're young; you do not understand these things as I do.

"I'm not that young," said Theseus stubbornly. They reached the suite and stopped in front of the door. He opened the door, turning to his new friend. "I hope we meet again."

"I hope so, as well." He bowed. "Your Majesty." Theseus partially returned the bow and Zane rose to his hooves. He saluted with his left hoof and disappeared down the hallway in the direction from which they had come. Theseus then entered the suite to find Fluttershy nervously scuffling her hooves.

"Um... Is everything alright?" he asked. The yellow filly smiled gently.

"We should probably get back to Ponyville," she said. "My friends will be wondering where I am." Theseus nodded in agreement.

"We should." He looked around nervously before whispering in her ear with a smile. "To be honest, I'm kind of getting sick of this whole 'Your Majesty' thing."

"I'm not exactly used to it either," Fluttershy confessed. Theseus raised a hoof in the air triumphantly, earning a giggle from his friend.

"It's settled then! Tomorrow morning, to Ponyville!"

Theseus awoke the next morning to a wonderful smell. It smelled like... "Paradise" was the only word that came to his mind. He opened his eyes to see a smiling Zane standing by his bedside, a plate of food on the end table.

"Zane?" The zebra nodded before saluting. "Right. At ease." The stallion dropped his hoof to the floor, reached his mouth into his saddlebag and pulled out a sword, offering it to Theseus. He took it uncertainly in his magic, looking it up and down. It was a wonderful shade of silver, sparkling in the morning sun coming through the window. The hilt was encrusted with amethyst, the color of Theseus's own eyes. There was just one problem.

"Why do I need a sword?" Zane looked at him curiously.

"Training begins today, Your Highness. This is the sword you will use in your battle training. Its name is 'Valiant.' It was forged from the finest metal within a hundred miles. The amethysts in the hilt act as a name tag, specifying you as the owner. Any pony who tries to pick it up will feel a surge of guilt and an uncontrollable urge to return it to you." Theseus looked at the sword again. It did not seem to be enchanted. Zane continued speaking, laying out the sword's abilities and merits. "It is able to cut almost anything, it will never rust, and-" Theseus stopped him by raising a hoof.

"I don't want to train," he said. Zane apparently wanted nothing to do with his laziness. He was gentle, but Theseus could tell that he was holding back frustration.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, but it is standard protocol, and you are already several years overdue for the beginning of training."

"But we're supposed to leave for Ponyville today."

"Don't be ridiculous," the zebra said. "You belong here. Besides, Crystal Lake would never let you leave." He removed his saddlebag and gave it to Theseus. "Here," he said. "If you must leave, take my saddlebag. I think it would serve you well."

"Thanks." Theseus took it and placed over his back, magically latching it around his belly. He discreetly slid it back until it covered his flank. Fluttershy, who had apparently been taking a shower, reentered the room from the attached bathroom with her mane wrapped in a towel, a small pink tuft poking out the top.

"What was that about leaving?" she asked. The two stallions were quiet. "If I'm not prying, of course," she finished. Theseus waved a hoof at the zebra in exasperation.

"Zane here says that Crystal Lake won't let us leave." Zane shook his head.

"He'd let her go in a heartbeat," he corrected. "He wants you to stay."

"What? Why? What's he need me for?"

"You are the heir!" he replied. "The rightful owner of the throne. He wants to abdicate his position to you!" Theseus became very uncomfortable.

"But I don't want to be King. I'm already having enough trouble being a prince!" Fluttershy tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see her pointing to the tray with the food on it.

"Is this yours?"

"You can have some, just leave a bit for me."

"Okay, thank you." She proceeded to grab the toast in her mouth, chomping on it quietly.

"Eat," said Zane. "You need to be strong for the training." He offered Theseus the remaining food and a fork. Theseus looked at the foreign substance uncertainly, then took a tentative bite. His mouth was flooded with flavor, a tornado of taste moving through his mouth.

"This is amazing! What is it?" He scarfed down another bite, and Zane looked perplexed.

"You've never had scrambled eggs before?" Theseus stopped shoveling the food into his mouth long enough to form an annoyed reply.

"When will the astonished questions end!?"

***

Crystal Lake sat with his legs crossed on his throne, spinning the crown around his hoof. After several revolutions, it slipped off and flew across the room, hitting the floor with a clatter. He then retrieved it with his magic and set it back on his head.

"I don't like waiting," he muttered to himself. "Where is he? I need that report." As if on cue, a monkey ran toward him with a scroll wrapped in his tail. "There you are, Arrowhide! What do you have for me?" He levitated the scroll in front of him. As he read, his mouth formed a shallow frown. "Really? That soon?" They were here early. He had hoped that he would have more time to prepare. He glanced down at the small mammal at his hooves. "Have the soldiers bring Golden Grove to the throne room. I'll need him later." The monkey nodded and scampered off with a series of yips. A voice emanated from the door to Crystal's right.

"Sir!" Crystal Lake turned his head with a wide smile.

"Oh, Theseus," he said, "You do not have to address me as such." Theseus frowned.

"Apparently, I do." Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Having power over where I go makes it seem an awful lot like you're my superior." The Advisor-turned-King smiled warmly.

"My King, I am only trying to do what is best for you."

"I don't want to be King." But Crystal Lake continued.

"You are an Earth Wizard. You belong in this city, with your brethren and your citizens. And the wild is a dangerous place. We wouldn't want you to get hurt on your way home, now would we?"

"I made it here just fine," he said, not moving. "I even took down a Timberwolf once. I think I can make it back." Crystal Lake was impressed with this claim, but he did not show it on his face.

"I'm certain that this Timberwolf you speak of was a weakling or a juvenile; one at full strength would have certainly killed you, rather than leaving only a scratch." Crystal quickly realized his mistake. The Everfree Forest was miles away; there was no way to explain how he knew of the Timberwolves. But Theseus must have assumed they lived in other places, because his expression turned ever so slightly toward uncertainty, and Crystal felt a small surge of pride in himself.

"No matter. I was planning to leave the city today, and you have no need or right to keep me from doing so. Am I understood?" Crystal nodded, though not without giving him a nasty look that he apparently didn't notice. "Thank you," he said with finality, and made his exit. Crystal whispered to himself as he peered after Theseus's retreating flank.

"That foal does not know with whom he is trifling..."

***

Theseus levitated the sword, looking it over one last time before placing it in its scabbard on his left side. He had decided to take the sword with him back to Ponyville, even after refusing the formal training that Zane had strongly suggested.

"Permission to speak, Your Highness?" Theseus groaned under his breath.

"Granted." Zane cleared his throat, obviously worrying about how to phrase his question.

"Are you sure that you want to return to Ponyville after... seeing the plight of your city? Why would you want to leave them?"

"Because," replied the red stallion, "I have friends in Ponyville. And many friends just outside it. I'm not going to leave my friends just because I have a royal inheritance."

"But you will come back, correct?"

"Yes," said Theseus, "obviously, but I need to return to Ponyville first. I will take the throne of Wither City when I'm ready, but for right now, I just need to think." That was clearly not quite the reassurance that Zane was searching for, but it satisfied. Theseus turned to Fluttershy. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she replied. "I just need to grab my saddlebag." After saying goodbye to Zane and Fluttershy exchanging a hug with him, the pair walked downstairs and out the large main doors. The Guards all saluted at Theseus's departure.

"At ease!" he said, loudly enough for them all to hear. The Guards again all stamped their hooves down in unison, earning a nervous squeak from Fluttershy. They then walked back up the mountainside, pausing only for a two-minute rest halfway up.

"To Ponyville," said Fluttershy. Theseus lifted his hoof to the sky dramatically.

"To Ponyville!"