The Silver-Blade Reprisal

by Winged Sheath

Rating: mature
Tags: Tragedy, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad
Length: 6572

One young stallion, unbeknownst to the truly abhorrent secret held by his family, embarks on a vendetta to destroy the ones responsible for the massacre of those he held dear and to uncover the truth that the monarchy fought so hard to bury.

Content warning: Contains violence.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The divine chosen rulers of Equestria; the Alicorn keepers of order and political control; the guardians of each and every subject that resides in the land, from the moment they leave their mothers’ womb, until their last gasp of air leaves their lungs upon their deathbeds as they journey into the next world. Their pure royal blood of millennia old runs through each heir their family bears, standing ready until the day comes for them to ascend to true immortality and take their place on the throne.

One young stallion, unbeknownst to the truly abhorrent secret held by his family, embarks on a vendetta to catch the ones responsible for the in his eyes, unrighteous massacre of those he held dear to him. This young, skilled, naïveté clouded colt, is Lucius Silver-Blade. A virgin white Earth Pony with a heart as pure as truth. A noble and handsome stallion on the surface. But beneath the skin lies a broken, shattered soul, consumed with vengeance.
Lucius alone must retrace his family's steps to untangle the twisted branches of Equestria's royal family and uncover the truth that the monarchy fought so hard to bury.

Cheers to Skullscroll for the amazing picture.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-03 22:00:15 UTC

Chapter One: The Becoming

The Silver-Blade Reprisal

By Winged Sheath

Chapter One: The Becoming

Eight years ago: Silver-Blade Residence

“Mummy, Mummy, look, looook!” A little colt’s voice shouted, breaking into a higher pitch at the volume.

Myriad Silver-Blade’s ears pricked up at the sound of her son’s approaching hoof steps. From the high-pitched bordering on euphoric excitement of her little gem, she knew exactly what had happened. A heartbeat later, the little pony entered the bedroom, out of breath from trotting up three flights of stairs to reach his mother’s bedroom. Lucius Silver-Blade. Myriad’s only son, an energetic little Earth Pony with a coat of pure white, his father’s pure blue eyes and a golden shade of Myriad’s bright blonde mane, tied up neatly in a ponytail – until he ran up the stairs. “Yes, Lucius darling?” She said in her usual warm tone. Myriad recoiled only slightly when she saw her husband’s family heirloom dagger and sheath clipped across his shoulder. Myriad had warned him on numerous occasions to keep out of his father’s study and not to touch the display case on his desk.

Oblivious to any punishment or scolding it may incur from going against his mother’s stern reminders, the energetic little colt ran up to his mother and beckoned her to look. “Look, Mummy, look, my cutie mark, I’ve got my cutie mark! I was in the garden playing soldiers with Daddy’s dagger and fighting some evil flour bag ponies I made and it-it just appeared!” Lucius began to re-enact his escapade, slashing and kicking at the air with the dagger gripped between his teeth until Myriad intervened and took it off him.

“That’s enough of that, darling; I don’t want you to start cutting apart the room or worse hurting yourself.”

Lucius drooped his ears. “Aww, Mummy.” His eyes began to glisten. “Please can have it back, I won’t wave it around.” He made his lip quiver; creating the most heart melting expression he could muster. “Pwweeaasee, Mummy, I pwomise,” he said foalishly.

Myriad smiled; she knew exactly what he was doing; like all mothers, she could read her Lucius like an unclasped tome. “All right then, since you promised Mummy.” She clipped the belt round his shoulder again.

“Thank you, Mummy.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Putting aside the discipline points, Myriad smiled and gave her precious gem a proud embrace. “Oh, my little Lucius, Mummy is so proud of you.”  Her eyes began to well up.

Lucius broke free of his mother’s hooves, puzzled at her tears. “Mummy, are you all right? Did I upset you?”

Myriad shook her head and wiped her eyes. “No, Lucius, Mummy’s fine, I’m just… so happy that you found your special talent–” she pulled him into another mushy motherly hug “–aww, Mummy’s little foal is growing up.”

Lucius embarrassedly fought against his mother’s affections. “Mummy, stop, you’re messing up my mane!” This of course only made his mother embarrass him further; she ruffled his mane on purpose and tickled him affectionately. “He-haha-M-Mu-hah-Mummy st-st-ha-op!”

“Alright then,” Myriad gave him a loving nuzzle and released him. She turned to her dresser and retrieved a hairbrush from the drawer. “Come here, darling, you look all silly with your mane like that.”

Lucius trotted over and sat beside her as she undid his hairband; causing his golden locks to spill of over his head and face. His nose twitched and he tried to blow away the curls tickling his nose. With the skill of a mother who had done it many times, Myriad ran the brush through her son’s mane; straightening the tangled parts without causing any pain. Once Lucius’s mane was untangled, Myriad took the hairband in her teeth and threaded his mane through it, before tying his ponytail nice and neat once again. “There we are darling, all handsome again,” she gave him a little kiss

Lucius shook his head to flick the stray curls of mane from his eyes. “Um, Mummy, can I ask you a question?”

Myriad smiled at her son’s sometimes unnecessarily formal manners. “Of course you can, darling.”

“Does this mean I’m going to be a protector like Daddy?” Lucius beamed at the prospect of it, standing tall beside the Princesses, a true symbol of valour and courage; guarding their lives and the lives of their heirs like his forefathers had done.

The Silver-Blades were the family charged with their protection, that ancient pact was sealed between the two families since the birth of the two goddesses. And since then the Silver-Blade’s ensured no harm befell them, or their family. Being the only son, Lucius was next in line. His cutie mark and the circumstances surrounding it proved he was destined for that role. And he couldn’t wait.

Myriad’s smile fell slightly, but not enough to indicate to Lucius that there was anything wrong. Was being a protector really suitable for a colt like Lucius? Myriad shook her head, Lucius was still only little in her eyes, despite the fact he did have his cutie mark – albeit a little late compared to other ponies his age. She pulled him into another hug. “Lucius, you’re too young to be thinking about that yet.”

Lucius blushed at his mother’s mollycoddling. “Mummy, I’m a big pony now; I’m not little anymore.”

Myriad giggled. “Ooh, yes you are,” she cooed. “You’ll always be Mummy’s little foal,” she rubbed his tummy with her hoof. “Oh no, it’s the tickle monster!”

“Muuummmy!” He shouted through his laughter-stifled breathing, wriggling and kicking.

Myriad gave him a big kiss on the cheek. “I love you, my little gem.”

Lucius went red again. “I love you too, Mummy,” he cuddled her back and lowered back onto all four hooves. In the corner of his eye, Lucius caught sight of his reflection in the dress mirror. He trotted over to it and stood up straight, thrusting out his chest and stood like a proud knight.

Myriad tittered at his rather dramatic pose. “Oh hail, Sir Knight.”

While looking at his noble stance, Lucius caught sight of his cutie mark, the mirror’s reflection giving him a better view. After studying the objects on his otherwise white coat, he turned to his mother looking quite confused. “Mummy, what does my cutie mark mean?” He asked, looking at the images on his flank, trying to figure out their meaning. His cutie mark consisted of a silver dagger with a feather shaped blade identical to his father’s one. This weapon was in front of two quills crossed in the shape of an ‘X’.

Myriad smiled in the tell-tale ‘know more than one is letting on’ look. “That’s something only you can find out, Lucius. Now run along and go and tell your Daddy, quick chop-chop!” Lucius’s eyes widened with excitement and he ran out of the bedroom in the direction of his father’s study. Myriad smiled to herself. “Oh my little darling. My sweet little Lucius.” She fought back her tears as she took out a parchment and began compiling a list of things she needed, as a surprise for her little Lucius.

*   *   *

“Daddy, Daddy!” Lucius shouted eagerly as he reached his father’s study door. He was about to burst in when he stopped; remembering he had to knock before bursting in. Filled with excitement still, Lucius rapped his hoof on the door, little knocking sounds emitting off it in rapid succession.

“Come!” The voice called from behind the door, with a clear tone of authority.

Breathing in sharply, Lucius opened the door and trotted inside his father’s study and quickly gazed around at the familiar things, the high ceiling with its crystal chandelier, the white gold walls with many paintings of the Princesses and a family portrait of Lucius’s father, mother and a younger looking depiction of him, which was hanging behind the desk. Haythien Silver-Blade, the father of the family, was quite a serious pony in relation to his work with the Princesses and the overseeing of her family’s safety. But when it came to his family, Haythien always made sure he gave his little foal the best that Canterlot had to offer and not simply spoil him. He was a ‘firm but fair’ parent and never raised his hoof to his son; he rather would lose that same hoof before he ever considered doing that.

“What brings you here, Lucius?” Haythien inquired not looking up from the parchment he was reading.

Lucius shifted a bit on his hooves at his father’s slight sternness. “Um-I got my cutie mark,” for some reason his voice had lowered to a barely audible whisper.

“Come on, Lucius speak up, son!” He nearly bit his tongue when he heard how loud his voice was in the room, his voice resonating off the high ceiling.

The sudden volume made Lucius jump; the shock causing a wall of fluid to rise over his sapphire eyes. “I-I… I got my cutie mark, Daddy.”

Haythien rose from his desk and came over to him. His heart sank, forgetting how sensitive his son was. However, he knew how to cheer him right up. “Haha that’s my boy!” He embraced him. “I’m sorry if I upset you, Lucius. Daddy didn’t mean to be so loud; I’m so proud of you, son!” He ruffled his hoof through his son’s mane in a chummy way.

“Ahh, Daddy!” Lucius laughed.

“I thought my dagger had gone on a walk this morning, at least it was finally put to good use. It’s certainly done more for you than it has for me.” He remarked, looking at his son in a knowing way. “Well I guess I’d better get to work.”

Lucius gave his father a confused look. “What work, Daddy? Is it another letter from the Princess asking you to watch over her again?”

Haythien laughed. “No not this time, it’s something much more important than that.”

Excitement began to fill the little colt once again as his mind went to work on what his father meant, when he had an idea he began bouncing eagerly on his hooves. “I-is it a surprise, Daddy?” Lucius’s eyes were wide with childish anticipation.

His father chuckled. “Now if I told you that it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it, now run along, Daddy and Mummy will call you when it’s ready.”

“Okay, Daddy!” Lucius turned to go.

“Oh and Lucius, haven’t you forgotten something?” His father asked holding out his hoof.  “I know you got your cutie mark but I don’t think Mummy would approve of you running round the house with it would she? You don’t want to cut anything by accident or decapitating the servants Faust forbid.” Lucius gave an “Aww.” As he pulled the silver feather blade dagger out of the sheath along with the belt and gave it to his father.

“There’s a good boy, now off you go.” Lucius nodded and walked out, still grinning all the while. Haythien returned to his desk set the dagger down on it and continued to read the parchment he had been looking at previously. In one single glide of the eyes, the happy feelings of all that had transpired in the last few minutes, melted into thin air as the contents of the letter sank in. “B-Blackblade...no… Faust forgive me…” He whispered as a small tear ran down his face, his worst fears now confirmed.

“Darling, are you all right?” Haythien jumped at hearing Myriad’s voice.

“Yes Myri, I’m fine.” On the inside that was a lie, he was terrified.

“Oh, what’s this?” Myriad asked, playfully snatching the parchment away from him. “Another guard order? Oh, the Canterlot Royal seal, let’s see.”

“NO, MYRI, DON’T!” Haythien screamed in sudden panic, but it was too late, the words inked on the paper had already imprinted themselves in Myriad’s memory. The fearful expression on her face required no words. Lowering the parchment, Myriad looked to her husband, whose eyes were filled with tears. Unable to meet his wife’s eyes Haythien looked down at his desk, before uttering a sentence that was barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry Myri,” before breaking down into uncontrollable weeping, the reality of the danger he had placed himself and his whole family in, finally sinking in.

*   *   *

“And so I would like to propose a toast, to my little son, Lucius. Who on this day, while playing soldiers with a certain dagger without a certain somepony’s permission…” he paused to let the laughter subside, seeing that his Lucius was blushing slightly. “But nonetheless, today he finally found his destiny. My son Lucius Silver-Blade now has his cutie mark–” he raised his glass. “–to Lucius!”

“To Lucius!” The family toasted.

In light of Lucius finding his cutie mark his family had put on a surprise dinner party for him and he was more than delighted, there was cake, games and all the sweets he could eat.

However, one detail was bothering him amidst the festivities. He had noticed that his mother had been acting strangely since he had left to tell his father the news. Her eyes looked almost pink, as if she had been crying. Not to mention she had been constantly on edge. His recollection ended as he saw his father walking over to him.“Now that all the boring grown-up stuff is out of the way it’s high time for you to open your present.”

Lucius’s eyes widened in excitement as Haythien took out a small gift-wrapped box and placed it in front of the eager little colt. Lucius took a moment to study the wrapping, wondering what could be inside it before looking to his mother. “Can I open it, Mummy?” He asked politely.

Myriad smiled and nodded. “Of course, darling, it’s your special day after all.” No sooner had the words left her mouth Lucius was frantically tearing the wrapping paper, abandoning his prior carefulness. Beneath the paper was a familiar looking red leather box. One that Lucius shouldn’t really be remembering that well. His father chuckled at his son’s expression, thinking exactly the same thought. He opened the box and was stunned to find a familiar object inside; it was his father’s silver dagger.

“D-Daddy, this is...”

“It’s yours now, Lucius, you’ve made far better use of it at you’re age than I’ve ever done; what’s more, it’s your destiny to.” Lucius looked at his cutie mark with pride and smiled happily. He clasped the dagger’s sheath belt around his waist – with some help from his father – before placing the quilled dagger inside it.

“Now take good care of it, son, there’s only one in the whole wide world, and you’re holding it.”

Lucius nodded, smiling all the while. “I will, Daddy.” He hugged him.

However, the night came to an abrupt end as the dining hall door swung open, three stallions walking in with one of the servants hurriedly following. “My apologies, my lord!” The servant said quickly, a look of terror in his eyes. “They just barged through demanding to see you.”

Haythien rose from the table as the three stallions approached. Lucius was puzzled at this. He hadn’t seen these three before. He knew that guards, royals and nobles used to visit his father every day, but these three seemed different. The first and most mature looking of the three was a white unicorn, a compass star for a cutie mark, a blonde well-kept mane and blue eyes, with quite a snooty air about him. Lucius almost smiled at his handsome appearance. In any other situation would have thought ‘I’m going to look like that when I’m older.’ Little did he know then that Lucius’s kind, sensitive personality was the polar opposite of the Prince’s one. Round the stallion’s neck was the Celestial necklace, a jewel only gifted to members of the royal family; it symbolised their stature in society and which side of the family they belonged to. The second appeared to be a guard, except he wore a patch over his left eye; his coat was grey and unkempt with a few scars present in pink lines where the hair no longer grew. The last and most threatening looking of the three was a rather young Luna-black Earth Pony, who looked about seventeen, also bearing the same jewel but with a crescent moon gem and a silver chain, contrasting with the other Prince’s flamboyant golden necklace. His cutie mark was a crescent moon on its side and a jet-blue forked rapier in front of it; his mane was pure white and loose. But what frightened Lucius the most were his eyes, a fiery blood red and burning with hatred at the stallion before him.

“Oh pardon the interruption to your little soirée, Haythien, but we have a little something to discuss with you,” the blonde Prince uttered dramatically; sarcasm dripping from every word.

“What do you want, Blueblood? I have no desire to speak with you on any matter,” Haythien replied sternly, unperturbed by his sickly sarcasm.

Blueblood snorted and flicked his mane to one side with his head. “Oh it’s not what I want, Haythien, my little compatriot here would like a word with you about a certain letter, hmm?” He took a glass of wine from the table and took a sip, before gagging and spitting it out.

“Choose your words carefully, Blueblood. I am in no mood to deal with your pitiful ramblings.” The younger Prince growled. Blueblood simply snorted in response. The black-clad Prince stepped forward. “Do you know who I am, Silver-Blade?” He asked bluntly; rage in his eyes.

“No I do not,” Haythien lied, which only angered the Prince further to the point of advancing toward him.

“YOU TRAITOR! I would spit on you if you were even worthy of that! You know who I am. I am Prince Iscariot Blackblade. Now does your memory return; does it ring any bells, Silver-Blade?” He pressed his face right up close to Haythien’s, trying to back him into the wall; despite the fact that Haythien was a good foot taller than he was. “You are going to pay dearly for trying to ruin me. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice; that I wouldn’t follow? I could cut off your head right now, YOU FILTHY COMMONER!” He reached for the rapier in his chest guard.

“ENOUGH!” Haythien silenced him and shoved him away before looking to his wife and Lucius. “Myriad, take Lucius upstairs; gentlecolts follow me; we will discuss this in private.”

“B-but, Daddy.” Lucius protested, as he broke free of his mother’s leading hoof and trotted over to his father, but was stopped by Blueblood stepping in front of him. The Prince took a moment to study the colt before him, judging whether he was worthy of his breath before smiling sickly.

“Now, now little one, do as your father says and run along like a good little colt, hmm?” He ordered in an austere tone; giving Lucius a nudge backwards with his hoof, before wiping the same hoof on his hoofkerchief.

Lucius felt intimidated by him, he just wanted to be with his father and who was this prince to tell his Daddy and him what to do. Frightened, Lucius tried to run past Blueblood to talk to him. “D-Daddy why is he-AHH!” His words were knocked out of him as that same Prince’s hoof swung out, hitting him square in the muzzle and knocking him to the floor. The moment Lucius hit the ground he screamed in pain as his snout began to bleed; tears streaming down his face and his nose running with salt water mixed with blood as he writhed on the floor; nursing his wound.

Blueblood lit his horn to procure his hoofkerchief and wipe the traces of the colt’s blood off his hoof. “Oh what a pity; I just had this hoof polished,” he said in sarcastic concern as he rubbed his shiny hoof.

“BLUEBLOOD!” Haythien advanced and in one swift movement pinned the blonde Prince to the marble wall and pulled out a dagger from the sheath on his shoulder. “If you ever lay a hoof on my son again, I swear to Faust I will not hesitate to slice open your neck right where you stand – Celestia be damned!” He placed the dagger to his throat.

“Oh come now, Haythien, you wouldn’t want to spill anything over my coat would you?” He smirked.  “Or yours?” Blueblood punctuated that statement with a signal of his head and Iscariot drew his toothed rapier from his armour’s chest plate.

“Put the dagger down, Haythien,” the guard moved on him as Iscariot drew closer.

“You stay out of this, Liner Sight, he’s mine.”

“Oh spare your enthusiasm, Iscariot, we need a little chat with him first don’t we? Sight, take dear Myri and this little scamp upstairs.” Blueblood approached the sniffling Lucius and directed his head towards his face with a hoof, his eyes piercing Lucius’s; instilling fear deep within him. “You had better run along; its way past your bedtime and don’t you dare make me tell you again. Do I make myself clear?”

Lucius nodded as he was led away by his mother with the guard following close behind; his spear gripped in his hoof.

Blueblood turned his attention back to the stallions still in the dining hall. “Well, dear Haythien, shall we?” The two Princes followed Haythien upstairs into his office.

*   *   *

“Now you stay here,” Liner Sight ordered to the two. “I’ll be right outside so don’t even think about leaving!” With that, he shut the door.

Myriad locked the door and lit the candelabrum, holding back her tears. “Bastards,” she whispered. Myriad heard sniffles coming from behind her and she turned to face her son and held out her hooves to him.

“M-Mummy!” Lucius ran to Myriad and hugged her tight as he began to cry.

“Shh, it’s alright darling, Mummy’s here, shh,” she cooed as she dried his tears, she was on the verge of the eye offending brine herself, but kept strong in the presence of her son. Myriad carried him over to the nearby bed and she began to rock him back and forth, letting him cry on her shoulder. A few minutes later Myriad had managed to stop her son’s tears and he raised his head to look at her, to his surprise, his mother’s eyes were full of tears as well.

“M-Mummy, what’s wrong?” He asked, his eyes filling again.

Myriad hugged him tight as she tried in vain to hold them back. “M-Mummy’s just upset that that nasty Prince hurt my little jewel.” She took a cloth and wiped the blood away from his nostrils, his white coat still holding the crimson colour.

“What do they want with Daddy?” Lucius asked, his little colt mind unable to comprehend the events that had transpired.

“Y-your…” she paused, trying to avoid the worst. “Your Daddy found something…something very important and the Princes want it.”

“Why doesn’t he just give it to them?”

“No, it’s too important if he gave it to them… they would… they would lose it.”

Lucius giggled. “They–” he sniffled “–they must be very clumsy then.”

Myriad smiled as she saw her son’s bright happy face return, even if for a moment. “There’s that smile that Mummy loves to see,” she said in relief as she embraced him, feeling him yawn. “Come on, darling, bedtime.”

“B-but, Mummy.”

“It’s alright, darling Mummy’s not going anywhere,” she assured and Lucius allowed her to tuck him into bed.

“M-Mummy?” Lucius reached his hoof out to Myriad from under the duvet, which she took in hers.

“Yes, darling?”

Lucius’s voice lowered to a whisper. “W-would you climb in with me? I-I’m scared to sleep.”

Myriad smiled as a tear fell from her right cheek. “Of course, darling,” she climbed into the bed beside him. Myriad hadn’t done this since she’d been through the ‘scared of the dark’ phase when Lucius was little. Myriad held her fore hooves out to her son.

“Come and give Mummy a cuddle.” Lucius shuffled over and snuggled into his mother hooves. He sighed and shut his eyes in her warm embrace. “Lucius?” He opened his eyes and looked into his mother’s which were tearing up. “Remember that Mummy loves you always and forever, even when I’m not around or far away my love will keep me by your side and I’ll guide you until we meet again, Mummy will never leave you… I love you my little Lucius.”

Lucius had begun to cry along with her, but this time out of happiness. “I love you too Mummy, forever and ever.” He then reached up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Lucius cuddled his mother for a while, before looking at her, his cheeks slightly flushed as he asked. “Mummy…can you sing me a lullaby?” Myriad was once again filled with happiness at the fact her son had asked her something like that without the slightest hint of embarrassment. She kissed him on the cheek and began to sing a song that she used to sing when Lucius was a foal.

As the sweet lullaby drifted through him Lucius could feel his eyes getting heavy as her soft, gentle voice began to open the gateway to dream world. Before succumbing to that call, he murmured softly. “I love you, Mummy,” before sinking into a peaceful sleep.

*   *   *

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Lucius jumped awake as an ear-piercing scream broke the silence as it resonated through every wall and corridor in the house. Frightened, Lucius fumbled to hold his mother. “Mummy…Mummy?” He was filled with horror as he found his mother was no longer beside him. Lucius gulped when he saw that the bedroom door was open. Climbing out of the bed, Lucius made his way to the doorway and poked his head outside. Liner Sight was no longer guarding the door, but he could hear male voices shouting incoherently. Flicking his dishevelled blonde mane from his eyes, he trotted across the landing, and a truly grisly sight met his eyes.

Standing in the foyer were the two Princes, their coats splattered with blood.

“Y-YOU IMBECILE ISCARIOT! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO KILL HIM!” Blueblood screamed as he writhed on the spot, frantically wiping at his coat. “Uh, it’s going to take a millennium to wash this filthy substance from my coat, and the stench will linger afterwards. OH! You could have at least asked me to move aside before you practically painted the walls with him!”

“SPARE ME YOUR FRIVOLOUSNESS, BLUEBLOOD! THAT BASTARD DESERVED IT FOR CROSSING ME!” Iscariot shouted. His rapier and coat were dripping with the still warm sanguine liquid, which trickled down onto the floor and pooled at his feet. “Get Liner Sight immediately! We need to erase all evidence of us ever being here.” Upon those words Sight emerged from the study; his armour was damaged and he was bleeding from a cut along his side, where a deep slash in the armour’s plating laid.

“And how do you propose we do that, hmm? A cleaner? Oh do pray tell,” Blueblood teased, his sick humour never letting up.

“We burn this estate to the ground and bury their filth for eternity!”

Blueblood chuckled sickly at the thought. “Oh I do adore fireworks.”

“Wait, look!” Iscariot saw Lucius on the landing. “Kill him, NOW!” Liner Sight and the Prince sped after him as Blueblood retreated into the study where Haythien’s lifeless body laid. He cautiously cantered around the corpse and the blood pool around it, not wanting to stain his coat any further and pulled out some parchments from the desk.

“Ahaha!” He giggled sweetly as he skimmed the papers. “Ooh, very clever, quite the eyes you had on us, Haythien,” he shot an uncaring glance at the stallion beside the desk. “It’s a pity you had to keep digging,” he shuffled the papers and wrapped a ribbon around them to secure them. “Ah well no matter, no-one will dare speak the name ‘Silver-Blade’ once I’ve finished my little gossip,” he floated the files into a saddlebag and clipped it around him before trotting back across the room. Blueblood stopped to give one last look at Haythien’s practically eviscerated corpse. Blueblood scoffed “Dirty, filthy commoner,” he growled and spat on the body. “Maybe you are worthy of royal spittle, it lightens up those red shades you’ve got going on there, Haythien,” he giggled gaily and leapt out of the study. When he reached the foyer, Blueblood lit up his horn and cast a masking charm to cloak the bloodstains on his coat. “That’ll have to do for now,” he muttered irritably to himself before walking out the main door.

*   *   *

“Where is he?” Iscariot growled, his forked weapon shifting in his teeth in frustration as he and Liner Sight searched the upper floors.

Lucius was hiding under the bed in his bedroom; trying fiercely to hold back his tears as he heard the door swing open. Held his breath as the sound of hooves thumped dully on the floor, until they came to a stop. There was a moment of deathly silence as Lucius tried to keep quiet. He screamed when the fire eyed Prince’s head appeared at the foot of the bed.

“I FOOOUND YOOOU!” Iscariot shouted as he pulled Lucius kicking and screaming out from the under the bed. The terrified colt frantically scrambled to his hooves but slipped over as he tried to get away from the approaching Prince. “Ha-ha, so weak, you can’t even face me without weeping. Say goodnight, Silver-Blade!” Lucius shut his eyes as Iscariot raised his rapier. “Weakling, you are a pox on your father’s ‘honourable’ name!” He tightened his grip on the rapier, lining up the point with Lucius’s heart.

But before it could make contact, Myriad appeared from behind the door and knocked the weapon away from the Prince, sliding it to the other end of the room. “You keep your hooves off of my little jewel, YOU MONSTER!” She kicked the young Prince to the ground. “Just look at you. How can you call yourself a prince? You are nothing but a heartless killer. A noose belongs around your neck rather than that necklace!”

Iscariot stared at Myriad in pain as she pressed her hoof into his neck, slowly but surely asphyxiating him. “M-Myriad,” he choked. “P-please…don’t kill me!” The Prince’s plea resembled more of a whimper as he struggled against her hoof.

Myriad picked up Iscariot’s rapier and pointed the tip at his heart. “You cut apart my husband, and you tried to kill my precious Lucius–” she stamped her hoof on his muzzle, sending little splatters of blood onto the floor as it impacted “AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO PLEAD FOR YOUR LIFE?” She removed her hoof and brought the sharpened forks of the toothed rapier’s blade to his chest, ready to bring the Prince’s own sword down upon him.

Iscariot’s eyes were flowing with tears of pure fear. “P-p-please… PLEASE DON’T!” He screamed as Myriad lunged forward, the tip of the blade ready to pierce his heart. She never got the chance to as Liner Sight leapt from the shadows, his spear pointed as it hit home, its steel tip piercing her side causing jets of blood to spurt from the cut. Gasping in pain Myriad fell to the ground, eyes shut as blood poured freely from the puncture wound in her side. Iscariot rose to his hooves; retrieved his dagger and staggered towards the incapacitated Myriad.

This awoke something in Lucius; without thinking about what he was doing, he withdrew his father’s dagger from the sheath and ran at Iscariot. The Prince ears pricked up at the sound of hurried hoofsteps; he turned to see little Lucius lunging up at his face with his father’s dagger gripped in his mouth. The last sight that Iscariot’s left eye saw was the faint glint of silver as  the blade licked cleanly through his iris; robbing the sight from the Prince and replacing it with pure red; quickly turning to pitch black as hot thick blood mixed with gel-like vitreous fluid began to pool around the lid and flow forth.

Blackblade let out an ear-piercing scream as the searing pain shot through his nerves and into his brain. “AAAAHHHH! YOU FILTHY, SNIVELLING LITTLE BASTARD!” He screamed as he lunged at Lucius scrambling to grab his neck, driven almost feral by the steamy blood and white gel leaking from his ruined eye.

“WAIT!” Liner Sight stopped him, the rapier nearly piercing his temple as he stepped in front of it. “Sire, may I remind you that we need to erase the evidence; not make more.”

Prince Blackblade huffed, wincing as the screaming pain in his eye socket was becoming unbearable even for him. “Yes, you’re right. I am going to burn you all.” Iscariot growled as Liner Sight helped him from the room.

“Mummy!” Lucius shouted as he rushed over to her. Still nursing the injury in her side, her hoof darkened from the blood as it flowed steadily, falling onto the carpet with a muffled drip-drip. Lucius began to cry again as he tried to help her. His efforts were quickly stopped as a hoof reached his cheek.

Lucius looked down to see his mother smiling a smile of reassurance, as if to say ‘It’s all right, darling’. “It’s all right, Lucius…. Mummy’s–” another flash of pain cut her off, causing her to gasp sharply as the burning in her side began to grow. It felt as if somepony was driving thousands of white-hot hair thin needles into her side.

“Mummy I-I don’t know how to I-I,” he fumbled around trying to find a cloth or some other object, anything, to stop the blood.

Myriad reached out her hooves and pulled her son close. “It’s all right, darling; Mummy’s going to be all right. But I want you to promise Mummy something.” Lucius nodded as his white cheeks were darkened with tearstains. “I need you to be a very brave boy for me okay? E-even when Mummy’s not there she will always be with you,” she kissed him on the cheek and gave him one final hug. “You’ll always be Mummy’s little jewel and Mummy will always love you...” Myriad pointed to the open window leading to the deep stream below it. “Now go darling, run while you still can,”

Lucius shook his head.

*   *   *

“It’s ready, Sir,” Liner Sight said as he secured the straps down to the catapult. “Upon your mark, Sir.”

Blueblood giggled in anticipation, on tenterhooks waiting for the ‘show’ to begin. “Oh I simply A-DORE fireworks.”

“That is the second time you have said that Blueblood.” Blackblade huffed, blood staining the patch over his left eye. “Can nothing douse that pathetic flame that is your, as the commoners put it ‘snobby’ demeanour?”

Blueblood chuckled at the Prince’s tactless attitude. “Oh my little Prince,” he cooed sarcastically. “I was only joking, no need to throw your toys out of the pram,” he ruffled the Prince’s pure mane playfully.

“GET YOUR SANGUINE STAINED HOOF OUT OF MY MANE!” Iscariot shouted, drawing his rapier and pressing it against Blueblood’s throat. “Do that again, and I will kill you!”

The black-coated Prince gave a yelp of surprise as Blueblood threw the rapier aside with his magic. “By the goddesses, if anything needs ‘dousing’ it’s that demeanour of yours. Didn’t Auntie Luna teach you any manners?”

“Shut up, Blueblood! Liner Sight, is the weapon ready?”

Captain Sight huffed at the two Princes sibling like bickering. “Yes sir, upon your mark.” His tone was deadpan due to having to repeat himself.

Iscariot grinned. “Now the truth will die with that Silver-Blade filth. Sight, FIRE!”

Sight saluted and lit the incendiary fluid; the projectile was enveloped in flames. Satisfied, Liner pulled the lever, sending it towards the mansion.

*   *   *

“I don’t want to leave you, M-Mummy,” Lucius protested as he clung onto his mother, remaining forever steadfast.

“You have to, darling, Mummy can’t come she…” Myriad looked down at her wound.  “She can’t, but remember I’ll be with you, to guide you…always... Mummy promises.”

Lucius nodded and picked up his dagger from the floor, the stench of copper hitting his nostrils from where it had cut Iscariot’s eye. Lucius placed the dagger back in the sheath and climbed onto the balcony edge. He turned to see his mother smiling at him. In tears, Lucius uttered his last goodbye. “I-I love you, Mummy.”

Myriad finally had let her tears go and she smiled once more as she replied. “I love you too, my little Lucius.” Just as she finished her sentence, a fireball crashed into the mansion’s wall. The blazing ball exploded immediately on impact, the force knocking Lucius out the window and into the stream as the entire house was engulfed in the flames.

A few hundred yards away stood the three stallions near the catapult.

Iscariot’s grinned, wincing slightly as his eye stung behind the hastily wrapped bandage, the cold air setting his nerves alight. Nevertheless, despite the pain, Iscariot felt a leap in his chest, more than simple happiness, more than amusement. It was euphoria. Iscariot began to giggle, catching Blueblood and Liner’s attention. Iscariot’s giggle grew louder, the maddening euphoria growing in him with each breath, until it reached its peak; causing Iscariot to scream at such a volume that the creatures in the deepest pits of Tartarus itself would have heard him. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YES, YEEES! NOW IT DIES WITH YOU, SAFE AT LAST AHAHAHA!” Iscariot laughed, driven almost manic as the house was enveloped in the fiery blaze. “NOW YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO FILTHY TRAITORS LIKE YOU, SILVER-BLADE! AHAHAHAHAHAH!”

“He’s all me-me-me isn’t he?” Blueblood remarked to Captain Sight, smirking.

“Quite, Sir,” Liner Sight agreed as he bore a smirk of his own. “I expect a promotion is on the horizon for my valiant efforts.”

Blueblood patted Sight on the shoulder. “Consider it done, Captain.”

*   *   *

Amidst the flames, one Silver-Blade stood, emerging from the ice-cold stream to see his home ablaze, all those he held dear dead. His eyes were transfixed on the three stallions, their silhouettes only slightly visible in the now hellfire engulfed sky. As he stared, something awoke within him. He shed no tears; he wanted to cry so much, no matter how hard he tried, the tears wouldn’t come. Instead, a deep and unquenchable rage filled him as the fire’s glow revealed the three who brought about this massacre to him; their faces burned into the little pony’s memory.

Each and every one of the three had earned a place in the deepest, fathoms of Tartarus’s liquid fire for their traitorous acts.

Looking down at them from the ridge, Lucius swore to himself by Faust and in honour of the Silver-Blade name, he would send them there.

One day they will meet again, be it in thunder, lightning, or in rain. And when he did, he would ensure that not a single hair upon their coats would be left unharmed. He turned from the fiery blaze and began walking, having no clue of his destination. To bide time, to wait, until the time for the reprisal was nigh.

This was the becoming.

Of Lucius Silver-Blade.