The Humans Returnby Synthetic SoulChapters1. The Temple2. What to do?3. Heading Home4. I'm too old for this crap5. Announcement 1. The TempleThe Complete History of Humans Intro Thousands of years ago, before the unification of the three pony tribes, there existed a great and horrible race called Humans. These creatures stood on two legs, and were devoid of fur, except for their head. These creatures were cruel. They enslaved all other creatures, sentient or not, on the planet. They were even able to control the dragons. They ate both meat and plants, yet their diet mostly consisted of meat from the creatures they ruled. Even the demons of Tartarus would think twice about approaching these beings. But just how were these creatures able to conquer the world? It was a combination of their ferociousness, tactical genius and strange powers. Humans had unparalleled physical strength, speed, and endurance. They were capable of moving objects with their minds, which was linked to their ability to fly without wings. Their final power was their ability to concentrate energy into weaponized spheres which they launched from their hands. Most humans were trained in martial arts, and they were also trained to use various weapons. They crafted magically resistant armor, and they themselves were truly the most feared beings on the planet. But then, one day, they just disappeared. Pony slaves of humans served their masters one day, and then the next, they awoke fo find their oppressors gone. There is no information detailing why humans disappeared, and even to this day, it remains a- "TWILIGHT!" Twilight Sparkle jerked in surprise and looked up to see her friend Rainbow Dash. "Oh, sorry Rainbow. What is it?" asked Twilight. "We're supposed to be searching for artifacts and stuff, but you're just sitting here reading." "Rainbow, I happen to be reading a book about humans. I'm researching." "Well, can you help us look?" "I guess." Twilight put down her book, stood up, and followed Rainbow. She took a look around her. A week ago, Princess Celestia had been informed of an uncovered human temple. She, Princess Luna, and the element bearers rushed to the temple. Twilight took the opportunity to observe the temple. It was constructed from silver colored metal, with glowing veins and runes. Glowing crystals hung from the ceilings, illuminating the structure. There were many other ponies in the temple who worked in excavating. the ancient artifacts contained in the temple. Just as Twilight and Rainbow rounded a corner, a pink pony dashed towards them. "Hey Twilight, hey Dashie! Guess what, guess what, guess what!" said the excited Pinkie Pie. "Uh, what is it?" asked Rainbow. "The rest of us found something in this super huge room! Come on, follow me!" Pinkie grabbed Rainbow and Twilight with her hooves and dragged the two along with her. In a flash of pure speed, the three found themselves in front of a set of large metal doors. The doors each had an engraving of a human in full body armor, each one holding a sword and shield. "Pinkie released her hold on the other two ponies, and proceeded to rapidly knock on the door. A few moments later, the doors glowed in a golden light, and opened to reveal none other than Princess Celestia. "Ah, Pinkie, I see you brought Rainbow and Twilight with you. Come on in." The Princess stepped aside and allowed the three ponies to walk inside. Twilight and Rainbows eyes widened in awe when they saw the room they were in. They stood on an elevated plane. A small set of stairs led down to a large open floor. Filling the area was an army of statues. These statues were tall and bipedal, clad in menacing looking armor. The statues appeared to be made of dark marble. Twilight, Rainbow and Celestia walked past the rows and rows of human statues, to find Luna, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy standing in front of the army. In front of them stood a raised pedestal. An octagonal object stood, and protruding from it was a large crystal, glowing with arcane energy. The ponies could all see a strange object inside the crystal. The ponies were unable to see exactly what the object was, because the crystal distorted it. "It's simply marvelous!" exclaimed Rarity. "What is this thing?" asked Twilight. "We aren't sure, but it's radiating ancient magical energy," answered Luna. "I though humans couldn't use magic?" asked Fluttershy. "They can't. That's what makes this so surprising," replied Celestia. "You were reading that book on humans. What do you think Twilight?...Uh, Twilight?" Rainbow spoke, but Twilight couldn't hear her. All of her attention was focused on the crystal. Twilight gazed at the crystal. The whole world darkened, leaving the crystal as the only light in the world. Twilight slowly but surely began walking towards the crystal, ignoring the protests of the others present. Twilight could hear faint whispering in her ear. The voice sounded like a combination of many voices brought together as a single entity. It whispered in her ear; 'The chosen one will set us free!When Twilight reached the crystal, she reached out with her arm and pressed her hoof against the pedestal. Twilight felt a rush of energy coursing through her arm, rushing into the crystal. The runes on the pedestal began to glow light blue. Twilight regained her awareness, and stepped back with the others. "W-what happened?" The crystal began to vibrate, rumbling in place. Then it began to crack. And as it cracked, some sort of fluid leaked from the crystal. Then, the crystal shattered completely, exploding in a bright light. The ponies all dove for cover, and shut their eyes. Before the first pony rose, the group heard the last noise they were expecting to hear in the ancient temple. They heard crying. The group stood up and looked to where the crystal once stood. Lying there, on the pedestal was a small sand colored creature. It was a small, and pudgy little creature, squirming like a worm. Celestia stepped up and looked down at the creature. "No...it...it can't be!" Twilight stepped up and looked down at the creature. "But it is. It can't be anything else! It's...it's-" the entire group spoke at once. "A baby human!" 2. What to do?Author's Note Temple Temple Temple Temple TempleTemple Temple Temple Temple TempleTemple Temple Temple Temple Temple. There, now that that's out of the way, heres the next chapter of the humans return. Also, my patreon is all set up, if you care, if you don't that's fine. It's primarily for my video making, but I think eventually, I will post a comic version of CMC ManBearPig hunters on patreon and deviant art. 2. What to do? Here's something to listen to while you read; Silence filled the air, no sound at all in the room. That was, until a high-pitched crying could be heard. Everyone turned their attention to the source, the naked infant lying on a cold pedestal. “It’s alive?” questioned Celestia. When she first saw the youngling, she assumed it wasn’t alive. After all, there was no known method of magical preservation that could keep a being alive for this long. Just what other secrets did the humans keep? “Oh, goodness! The poor thing must be freezing!” exclaimed Fluttershy. She flapped her wings, and floated over to the creature. She scooped it up in her arms, and cradled it close trying to keep it warm. It’s crying died down to quiet whimpers. “Fluttershy!” cried Twilight. “Put it down! It could be dangerous, or contaminated!” “Oh, but it’s just a baby. It, oh hold on a sec…He, he is just a baby. And he’s probably cold, it is pretty chilly in here.” “Fluttershy, this human is the first of his kind to be seen in thousands of years. We need to at least examine it,” said Celestia. “Well, alright. But just don’t hurt him,” said Fluttershy reluctantly as she passed the infant to the Solar Princess. Celestia took the baby in her magic, and brought it close to her muzzle. After a few minutes of squinting her eyes and staring at the creature she turned to look at her student. “Twilight, did you read that ancient human medical book I sent you?” “Of course Princess!” replied Twilight. “Alright good, that means you can examine him, because I have no idea what I’m doing,” said Celestia as she passed him to her apprentice. Twilight took the baby in her magic. “Rainbow, can you get the blanket out of my saddle bag? I left it behind when Pinkie dragged us here.” “Sure thing Twi,” said Rainbow as she dashed out the room. A few moments later, she returned with said blanket, and set it down on the floor. “Thanks Rainbow,” said Twilight, as she laid the human down the blanket. She then pushed her ear down on its chest, and listened to his heartbeat. It sounded normal. She then lifted her head up, and lit her horn, casting a spell on the baby. This spell was a basic medical scan, checking the rest of the infant’s vitals. After a few moments, Twilight seemed satisfied with her evaluation. She wrapped the boy in the blanket and handed him back to Fluttershy. Twilight turned to face her teacher. “He seems healthy. The scan showed that he’s six months old. It’s amazing that he was preserved this long. It’s almost as if he was put in that crystal yesterday.” “That still leaves the question of what we should do with him,” said Luna while pointing towards the baby. “Well, first things, we should probably name him something. I’m getting tired of calling him, ‘him’,” Said Rainbow Dash. “What’re y’all talkin’ bout?” asked Applejack. “You haven’t been contributin’ ta this conversation at all.” “Neither have you!” retorted Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, well neither has Pinkie!” “Hey, don’t bring me into this, or I’ll turn you into cupcakes!” replied Pinkie. “Everypony quiet!” cried Twilight. The three arguers looked a little embarrassed for a moment, before looking back to Twilight. “Sorry. Where were we?” asked Rainbow. “Oh, um, I think we were going to give him a name,” said Fluttershy. “Oh, right. Well, we should probably start thinking of names,” replied Rainbow. The ponies sat on their haunches, and started thinking. “What about Mensch?” suggested Twilight. “Mensch? What kind of name is Mensch?” questioned Applejack. “It’s the Germane word for Human,” replied Twilight. “Yeah, no, that’s awful,” replied Rainbow. “How about Quick Strike! It’s cool, and tough!” “No, that’s no good. How about Radiance?” suggested Rarity. “Uh, in case you haven’t noticed Rarity, but he’s a boy human,” replied Applejack. “Radiance is a boy name!” retorted Rarity. “What about Spike!” chirped Pinkie. “You can’t be serious,” replied Twilight. “I think I have an idea!” stated Fluttershy. “What is it?” asked Celestia. “How about Apollo Brightstar?” suggested Fluttershy. “Hm. I like it,” said Luna. “Yes, it’s strong, yet graceful,” said Rarity. “So, is everypony in agreement?” asked Twilight. When everypony nodded, the group turned to Fluttershy, or more rather the human she cradled. “That just leaves the question of who will take care of the foal,” said Luna. “Well, Fluttershy seems to be doing rather well with him. And she takes real good of her other animals,” said Rarity. “Oh, I don’t think I could. Most of my animal friends are able to take care of themselves after a few years. But a foal is a long commitment. I just don’t think I could,” replied Fluttershy. “What about you Rarity?” “Oh, I couldn’t. With all the work I have, it’s a wonder that I’m able to take care of Sweetie Belle!” “Well, I can’t do it,” said Rainbow. One by one, the rest of the mane six gave their reasons for not being able to care for the child. With no one left, the entire group turned to Celestia and Luna. “Oh, um, sister, I think they expect us to take the child,” said Luna as she turned to look at her sister. “Who, US? Oh, I don’t know. I, well when I was young, before Luna was born, I was actually pretty scared that humans would sneak into my room and take me away to do who knows what with me,” said Celestia. “Sister, we’re the only ones left,” said Luna. “And since I usually sleep during the day, that kind of makes you the only option.” So, Celestia took the moment to think. She had long ago conquered her fear of the human race. And she had thought of being a mother, but the fact that she was a immensely powerful god like being who was larger than the tallest of ponies; well let’s say it made most stallions feel inadequate. Maybe this was the fates way of granting her wish. “Well, I guess I could take care of him,” said Celestia, somewhat reluctantly. “Well then, it’s settled!” cried Luna. Fluttershy passed the baby over to the solar princess, who held it in her magic. “Well, we’ll need to get him back to the palace without anypony seeing him,” said Twilight. “I’ll get your saddle bag,” said Luna. She galloped away, and when she returned, she had a golden saddlebag. Celestia put it on her back, and placed the baby, along with the blanket in her saddlebag. She then lit her horn, casting a silencing spell, so no passersby could hear the child’s cries, just in case there were any. Satisfied, the group left the room, and preceded head towards the exit of the temple. After they left, another presence made itself known. A voice, raspy and dead sounding spoke up. “The child has been freed, and soon we shall make our return,”/i] said the voice. [“It will take time, but soon the king will awaken. And when we regain our strength, we shall rise again as the dominant power in this world.” i] Behind the crystal podium, unseen by the ponies, was stone throne. If one were to look closely, they would see a sizable crack appear on the seat. “Soon my subjects. Soon.”/i] 3. Heading HomeAuthor's Note Alright, so I've been really busy with school, so I haven't had much time to write, so I'm a little out of practice, but I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Also, I noticed some complaints about this story hating humans, but in actuality I am basing human behavior on the saiyans from DBZ. I wanted to make humans ruthless warriors. If you have a problem with that, then feel free to leave. 3. Heading Home The group of mares made their way through the temple, careful not to attract too much attention from the architects, especially Lyra. If she knew that they had acquired a live human, her tits would explode. As they made their way through the ruins, they took note of the many excavators who were unearthing artifacts. When they made their way to the entrance, they were about to exit the building, when they heard a feminine voice calling out to them. “Princess, Princess!” The group turned to face the pony that they least wanted to see at the moment; Lyra. The mint colored unicorn, dressed in paleontologist clothing, including a pith helmet, sprinted up to the group, halting a short distance away from the mares. She quickly bowed, and then rose back up. “Princes, I’m glad I found you! Some of the others and I found this amazing room! We think it might be a burial chamber! Just think, we might be able to recover some human DNA!” Celestia glanced back to her saddlebag, before returning her attention back to the head paleontologist. “That is wonderful news Lyra. Although, I would prefer it if any experiments made with this DNA where run by me before commenced.” “Yes, of course your highness. Um, What’s in the bag?” asked Lyra as she pointed towards the princess’s saddlebag. “Oh, um…these…they’re artifacts that we found. We’re taking them to Canterlot, so they can be looked at,” said Celestia. “Oh, alright…hey um, is it just me, or is that bag moving?” Celestia’s eyes widened, as she looked down to her bag. Sure enough, it was indeed moving. Celestia’s mind raced for a lie, or some way to weasel out of the situation. Luckily for her, Luna stepped in with a solution of her own. “I don’t see anything. Do you Twilight?” asked the lunar princess. “Uh…no?” replied Twilight. “What about you pinkie?” questioned Luna. “Nopey Dopey!” said Pinkie, who somehow knew to play along with Luna’s plan. “Well Lyra, it appears none of us can see anything moving,” said the Alicorn. “But I could’ve sworn-“ but before Lyra could finish, Luna cut her off. “You know Lyra, there were legends in the past that this temple had the ability to drive certain ponies MAD.” “W-what?” “That’s right. I think you might have been afflicted.” Lyra’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Oh my gosh! I AM going insane! I have to get out of here!” with that, Lyra ran screaming out of the temple. Once she was gone, Luna chuckled to herself. “All too easy.” “Luna, I’m not sure if I approve of your methods. You may have just turned that mare off of paleontology forever,” said Celestia. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” said Luna nonchalantly. Celestia shook her head and sighed. “Alright…let’s go.” After the group left the temple, they mounted their chariots and flew back towards Canterlot. During the flight, Celestia looked into her saddlebag to check on the child. She found him sleeping peacefully. Sighing in relief, she closed the bag and turned her attention to the pegasi who were pulling her chariot. “Guards, I want you to bring us strait to my chamber balcony.” “Yes your highness,” replied the guard on the left. Once they reached the castle balcony, the group dismounted from their chariots, and went into Celestia’s room. Once the pegasi guards left, Celestia opened her saddlebag, and magically levitated the infant out, and onto her bed. “So, what do we do now?” asked Fluttershy. Celestia sighed, and sat on her bed next to Apollo. “Elements, you may return to your respective homes. I need some time alone to think,” said the princess as she massaged her temples. Twilight looked to the others, before nodding. “Alright girls, we should head back home. I’ll teleport us to the chariot hub.” The group got within proximity of Twilight. She then lit her horn, and teleported the group to the lower part of the castle, leaving just Celestia, Luna and the baby. “Luna, would you mind taking over the day court for me. I have a lot to think about.” “Wouldn’t you like me to stay here? You know, maybe we could talk about what you plan to do?” “If you don’t mind Luna, I think I just need some time alone.” “Should I leave the child, or should I say Apollo?” “No, he’s being quiet.” “All right then…” said Luna as she walked to the door. “If you need somepony to talk to, or any help, just let me know.” And with that, she left the room, leaving just the princess and Apollo. After a few minutes of just sitting there, thinking, Celestia sighed and looked to the baby. In all honesty, she was not feeling very confident about taking the child. Sure, she had experience with children, given the students she had over the years, but those were all ponies. True, she did help raise Spike, but well…this here was a human. Yes, dragons were ferocious, but they didn’t normally bother ponies, usually choosing to stick to their own territory. But this…this was a human. Their race was known for its violence and cruelty to all other species. They lived to fight ant kill. In fact, it wasn’t fully understood whether this trait was taught, or simply learned by their elders. Celestia wasn’t lying when she said she used to fear humans. Her parents would tell her of their power and might. But what she had feared most was the fear that they would eat her. The idea of being cooked, and consumed filled her with dread. When her parents told her that they would be invading human territory, she felt relieved at the possibility that the species would be defeated. She felt ashamed for feeling that way though. But now, looking down at “her” new child she saw only innocence. Perhaps she could teach this child different. Maybe he could prove that all beings have the potential to be good. She magically lifted the child into her forearms, and held him. He felt warm. She could feel his heartbeat, and his breathing matched her own. Perhaps this was a good thing. Perhaps she could learn love this child as her own. Only one thing concerned her now. And that was whether to tell her citizens about the child or not. 4. I'm too old for this crapCelestia fell asleep with ease. She and the others had arrived at Canterlot during the late hours of the night, and thus she was prepared to get some well-deserved sleep. She knew she’d have to get up to raise the sun, eventually, but for the moment, she was content with resting on her bed. She was at complete peace, warmed by her blankets, and the body heat of the child. This moment was peaceful and content…until she was awoken by the crying wails of said Human. Celestia jolted upward, eyes wide open. She scanned the room, searching for the source of the noise. After about ten seconds, she remembered the infant in the room, and turned her head to look at him. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot about you,” said the sleepy princess. She then turned her head to gaze out the window, to see a star covered night sky. “Oh, come on! The sun’s not even out yet, I shouldn’t be awake yet…oh wait.” Once she remembered that she always awoke before the sun, she got up from her bed, with the infant in her magical grasp. She then set him down on the covers, and inspected him to see what the matter was. It didn’t take long, because once she smelled the air, she turned green with sickness. “Oh sweet merciful me, that is foul! Ew, I was holding him next to me! That is so gross, I’m going to need to bathe for an hour!” Her entire body shivered, before she returned her gaze to Apollo. “Well, little one, it is clear you need to be changed.” Celestia was about to go find some diapers, when she realized that she didn’t have any. The castle was populated souly by adults. The last infant to be housed in the palace was Spike, and that was many years ago. His had long since been thrown out. So what was she to use? Celestia looked around her room. She couldn’t leave the castle, and leave the child unattended, and she wasn’t ready to tell anypony about him yet. She needed some sort of temporary solution. Her gaze finally settled on the curtains hanging from her windows. “I didn’t care much for those curtains anyway,” she said as she magically ripped one of the curtains off the rack, and then levitated it over to her. She then ripped it in two, setting one on the bed, and moving the baby onto it, while setting the other next to it. She then used her magic to remove the diaper. She levitated it in the air for a few seconds, trying to think of how to dispose of it. She decided incinerating it would be the best and most sanitary way of getting rid of it (she clearly needed more sleep). That instantly backfired on her, filling the air with the worst smell she’d ever smelled, nearly causing her to drop it. Coughing, and choking on the air, she ran into her private bathroom, disposed of the diaper in her trashcan. Sighing, Celestia walked back into her room with her head hanging low. “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing,” she muttered. She was tired and inexperienced in the skill of caring for a child. She sat down and took a moment to compose her thoughts. But after a few seconds the whining of the human returned her to the situation. “Oh, that’s right.” Focusing her task, she finished the process of changing the child’s diaper. Once she finished, she sighed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe some ponies have to do this with their mouths.” She shuddered at the thought. Once finished, she was finally able to take a moment to rest. She climbed onto her bed with the human. She levitated him over to herself, and closed her eyes, preparing for a few hours of sleep before she had to raise the sun. She quickly succumbed to her tiredness, drifting into a blissful sleep. For about five minutes, until she heard the chiming of her clock, signaling it was time for her to raise the sun. “Oh me dammit!” she muttered. It was now a few hours after the raising of the sun. Celestia had teleported into her sister’s room, and asked that she watch Apollo, until she made the announcement to the ponies of Canterlot about the newest member of the royal family. She had made a decree that all castle staff and citizens of Canterlot be there for the announcement, which was scheduled for later that day. Currently, Celestia was busy reading up on as much information as she could find on humans. She had borrowed the book Twilight had been reading, as well as a few other books on the subject. So far, she had found that Human infants, for the most part, they were similar to pony foals. They drank milk for a long time, ate baby food, and behaved the same as foals. They also leaned to speak at the same rate as baby ponies. But where pony foals were capable of walking on all fours in virtually no time at all, Human babies took a long time to learn to walk on two legs. Also, their teeth took a longer time to come in. What worried Celestia was the fact that eventually, humans needed to consume meat, in order to gain the protein that they needed. This would be a challenge. The only nearby nation that consumed meat was the Griffin Empire, but Equestria wasn’t exactly best friends with them. But perhaps there was some way to get it. But that was an issue for another day. As she read, she found herself fascinated with the knowledge she was obtaining. What interested her most was the information about the Humans strange powers. Instead of using wings to fly, they were able to levitate themselves through an advanced form of telekinesis. Their levitation was far stronger than the average Unicorn. Their physical strength started to develop around 7 years of age. Around that point, they gained high levels of natural strength. It was at that point that the Human Empire put it’s young through advanced strength training, designed to push them to even more extreme levels. And, through meditation, and breathing exercises, they were able to connect to their inner life force, their Chi. They used this to not only enhance their physical prowess, but also to produce energy attacks, which could be used much like combat magic. As Celestia read more and more, she found herself drifting from the fear she used to feel, towards a more relaxed, and curious state. She was learning so much. The thing that really gave her hope about raising this child was the fact that the cruelty that the race was associated with was learned, and not actually a natural trait. Human society had developed itself as militaristic, and while they had evolved as a predator species, they actually had the potential to be kind and caring, depending on how they were raised. Even with these established facts, the generations of living this way made aggression and the desire to be strong warriors became somewhat of a genetic trait. The ability to gain strength, and harness higher brain functions and chi was present and easily accessed by all humans, but practice was required to bring them to the advanced level. And apparently being an apex predator, along with fighting for so long led to aggressive tendencies. But as previously stated, only if the fire is stoked does it lead to the cruelty that the Humans were known for. Without warning, Celestia heard her name being called. She jolted up in surprise, her focus finding a solar guard in front of her. “My Apologies your highness, I didn’t mean to scare you,” said the guard. “It’s quite alright,” replied the princess after calming down. “What can I do for you?” “Your highness, it is time for your announcement to the city.” Celestia’s eyes widened as she gazed at the clock on the wall. It was indeed time. She must have been reading for hours. “Thank you. You are dismissed.” The guard saluted, and then turned to leave. Celestia looked down to her book. She placed a bookmark in it, and closed the book. She hovered it next to her and used her magic to teleport her to her room. She set the book down on her bed. She then turned to gaze at her balcony. It would be there that she would make the announcement. Luna would appear soon with the baby. “Alright,” said Celestia to herself. “Show time!” 5. Announcement 5. Announcement Celestia trotted down the halls of her palace, guards standing at attention along the walls. Hovering low at her side in her magical grasp was a basket, containing the human infant. As she walked, she thought of the different ways she would tell her subjects about the newest resident, and royal family member. Her thoughts ended, when she reached the double doors leading to the balcony. Celestia stopped, and stood before the doors. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts. Once she was ready, she opened the doors, and walked through. She kept the basket low to the floor, keeping it hidden. Celestia could hear the cheers of her subjects as she stood over them. As she requested, there were guards separating the crowd from the castle, just in case they didn’t take the news about a human living in Equestria well. Celestia took a moment, and then addressed her subjects. “My Little Ponies, today I have a very important announcement to make.” Celestia gazed over her subjects, and then continued. “Legend tells of an ancient race that existed long ago. One of incredible power, and ferocity. But long ago these beings, the humans, disappeared leaving nothing but their monuments, and structures.” She could see the ponies discussing, and talking amongst themselves, wondering why the Princess was talking about a long dead race. Celestia looked down to the child, who was awake, but sitting quietly, and then returned her attention to crowd. “I am here to tell you that some time ago, archaeologists discovered an old human temple, untouched for years.” The ponies once again started talking amongst themselves, only louder this time. “It was in the antechamber of that temple that the elements of harmony and I discovered this.” With that, Celestia used her magic to levitate Apollo out of the basket, and raised him so everypony could see him. The child started to squirm, and get fussy, but Celestia kept him there. “This is a human infant!” The ponies all gasped in response, their conversing becoming louder. “And as of yesterday, I have made him my son!” This caused uproar from the ponies, and soon enough, Celestia could hear their outcries. “That thing is a monster!” “It must be destroyed!” “Kill it!” Having enough of this, Celestia returned the baby to its cradle, and put a silencing spell over it to protect it from what she was about to do. Celestia then used the Royal Canterlot Voice to project her message. “ENOUGH!” The citizens all went silent after that, allowing the Princess to speak in an un-amplified voice. “I understand your concern. I myself felt the same way just a few days ago. But the fact is, this is a child, an infant. And like a baby pony, he has the potential to grow up to be bad. But he also has the potential to be good!” “The fact is, this child, Apollo Brightstar, is now a member of the royal family, and will be treated as such. He is now your prince, and if anypony means to harm him, that pony will be punished…. My Little Ponies put your faith in me. I will see to it, that this child grows up to be an honorable, just prince. Of that, you have my word.” With that, Celestia turned, with the basket in her magic, and walked back through the doors. As they closed, they cut off the sounds of the ponies’ displeasure. Celestia had closed the day court for the rest of the day, deciding to take some personal time to herself and her new human child. She currently sat in the dinning room, feeding Apollo a bottle of milk, with her sister Luna sitting next to her. “The announcement was…well, it could have gone worse,” said Luna in an attempt to appear optimistic. “Well, they didn’t full on riot, so that’s a plus. Still I’d feel a bit better about adopting this child if the public didn’t want him destroyed.” “They’ll come around eventually. And so will you. Just give it time. He’ll grow on you,” said Luna with a smile, as she rested her hoof on Celestia’s wither. “I hope you’re right Lulu. I just hope I can make enough time for him, what with my duties and all.” “Don’t worry. You have me, plus an entire castle to aid you.” Celestia smiled, and looked to her sister. “You’re right. Thank you Luna.” A few moments later, the comfortable silence that the two had been enjoying was interrupted by the doors to the dinning room being slammed open, to reveal none other than an angry Prince Blueblood. Once his eyes gazed upon the child, he let his anger fly. “Well, I had to see it to believe it, but it looks like the commoners anger was well placed! I cannot believe you would-would allow a filthy beast like that into the castle!” “Good morning nephew,” said Celestia with her eyes closed, taking a sip from her teacup. “Auntie Celestia, how could you allow a human into the castle? That monster must be DESTROYED!” “You would have me destroy an infant?” questioned Celestia. “It may look innocent now, but if we allow it to grow up, it will become a monster!” “He wouldn’t be the only one,” muttered Celestia under her breath. “Nephew, I know from personal experience that the potential for good, or evil, is present in all beings. Humans may have a bad record, but I believe that if raised by good ponies, this child will become an upstanding individual,” said Luna. “The thing is a monster! I am telling you, if you allow this vile beast to live, you will regret it!” Celestia closed her eyes, let out a calm breath, and then opened her eyes again. “Luna, please take Apollo to another room.” “Of course sister, said Luna as she took the child in her magic, and proceeded to leave the room. Once she was gone, Celestia addressed her nephew. “Nephew, I understand your discomfort. I myself have had human phobias in the past. But looking at that child, I do not see a monster; I see an infant, one that has the potential for greatness, if we just push him in the right direction. Now I don’t expect you to be happy about this, but I do expect that you respect him as a member of this family, and as my son. Do you understand?” “But Auntie-“ “Do you understand?” Blueblood bit his tongue, and sighed. “Yes Auntie,” said Blueblood with a dejected tone. “Good.” With that, Blueblood turned, and left the room, leaving Celestia alone. Once Blueblood found himself alone, he let his frustrations fly. “Damn that beast! I cannot believe Aunt Celestia would take that creature in as her son, and a prince! I am the ONLY prince of Equestria! I was here first! And I will be damned if that monster is higher in line for the throne than me!” And with that, Blueblood stormed off, back to his room.
1. The TempleThe Complete History of Humans Intro Thousands of years ago, before the unification of the three pony tribes, there existed a great and horrible race called Humans. These creatures stood on two legs, and were devoid of fur, except for their head. These creatures were cruel. They enslaved all other creatures, sentient or not, on the planet. They were even able to control the dragons. They ate both meat and plants, yet their diet mostly consisted of meat from the creatures they ruled. Even the demons of Tartarus would think twice about approaching these beings. But just how were these creatures able to conquer the world? It was a combination of their ferociousness, tactical genius and strange powers. Humans had unparalleled physical strength, speed, and endurance. They were capable of moving objects with their minds, which was linked to their ability to fly without wings. Their final power was their ability to concentrate energy into weaponized spheres which they launched from their hands. Most humans were trained in martial arts, and they were also trained to use various weapons. They crafted magically resistant armor, and they themselves were truly the most feared beings on the planet. But then, one day, they just disappeared. Pony slaves of humans served their masters one day, and then the next, they awoke fo find their oppressors gone. There is no information detailing why humans disappeared, and even to this day, it remains a- "TWILIGHT!" Twilight Sparkle jerked in surprise and looked up to see her friend Rainbow Dash. "Oh, sorry Rainbow. What is it?" asked Twilight. "We're supposed to be searching for artifacts and stuff, but you're just sitting here reading." "Rainbow, I happen to be reading a book about humans. I'm researching." "Well, can you help us look?" "I guess." Twilight put down her book, stood up, and followed Rainbow. She took a look around her. A week ago, Princess Celestia had been informed of an uncovered human temple. She, Princess Luna, and the element bearers rushed to the temple. Twilight took the opportunity to observe the temple. It was constructed from silver colored metal, with glowing veins and runes. Glowing crystals hung from the ceilings, illuminating the structure. There were many other ponies in the temple who worked in excavating. the ancient artifacts contained in the temple. Just as Twilight and Rainbow rounded a corner, a pink pony dashed towards them. "Hey Twilight, hey Dashie! Guess what, guess what, guess what!" said the excited Pinkie Pie. "Uh, what is it?" asked Rainbow. "The rest of us found something in this super huge room! Come on, follow me!" Pinkie grabbed Rainbow and Twilight with her hooves and dragged the two along with her. In a flash of pure speed, the three found themselves in front of a set of large metal doors. The doors each had an engraving of a human in full body armor, each one holding a sword and shield. "Pinkie released her hold on the other two ponies, and proceeded to rapidly knock on the door. A few moments later, the doors glowed in a golden light, and opened to reveal none other than Princess Celestia. "Ah, Pinkie, I see you brought Rainbow and Twilight with you. Come on in." The Princess stepped aside and allowed the three ponies to walk inside. Twilight and Rainbows eyes widened in awe when they saw the room they were in. They stood on an elevated plane. A small set of stairs led down to a large open floor. Filling the area was an army of statues. These statues were tall and bipedal, clad in menacing looking armor. The statues appeared to be made of dark marble. Twilight, Rainbow and Celestia walked past the rows and rows of human statues, to find Luna, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy standing in front of the army. In front of them stood a raised pedestal. An octagonal object stood, and protruding from it was a large crystal, glowing with arcane energy. The ponies could all see a strange object inside the crystal. The ponies were unable to see exactly what the object was, because the crystal distorted it. "It's simply marvelous!" exclaimed Rarity. "What is this thing?" asked Twilight. "We aren't sure, but it's radiating ancient magical energy," answered Luna. "I though humans couldn't use magic?" asked Fluttershy. "They can't. That's what makes this so surprising," replied Celestia. "You were reading that book on humans. What do you think Twilight?...Uh, Twilight?" Rainbow spoke, but Twilight couldn't hear her. All of her attention was focused on the crystal. Twilight gazed at the crystal. The whole world darkened, leaving the crystal as the only light in the world. Twilight slowly but surely began walking towards the crystal, ignoring the protests of the others present. Twilight could hear faint whispering in her ear. The voice sounded like a combination of many voices brought together as a single entity. It whispered in her ear; 'The chosen one will set us free!When Twilight reached the crystal, she reached out with her arm and pressed her hoof against the pedestal. Twilight felt a rush of energy coursing through her arm, rushing into the crystal. The runes on the pedestal began to glow light blue. Twilight regained her awareness, and stepped back with the others. "W-what happened?" The crystal began to vibrate, rumbling in place. Then it began to crack. And as it cracked, some sort of fluid leaked from the crystal. Then, the crystal shattered completely, exploding in a bright light. The ponies all dove for cover, and shut their eyes. Before the first pony rose, the group heard the last noise they were expecting to hear in the ancient temple. They heard crying. The group stood up and looked to where the crystal once stood. Lying there, on the pedestal was a small sand colored creature. It was a small, and pudgy little creature, squirming like a worm. Celestia stepped up and looked down at the creature. "No...it...it can't be!" Twilight stepped up and looked down at the creature. "But it is. It can't be anything else! It's...it's-" the entire group spoke at once. "A baby human!"
2. What to do?Author's Note Temple Temple Temple Temple TempleTemple Temple Temple Temple TempleTemple Temple Temple Temple Temple. There, now that that's out of the way, heres the next chapter of the humans return. Also, my patreon is all set up, if you care, if you don't that's fine. It's primarily for my video making, but I think eventually, I will post a comic version of CMC ManBearPig hunters on patreon and deviant art. 2. What to do? Here's something to listen to while you read; Silence filled the air, no sound at all in the room. That was, until a high-pitched crying could be heard. Everyone turned their attention to the source, the naked infant lying on a cold pedestal. “It’s alive?” questioned Celestia. When she first saw the youngling, she assumed it wasn’t alive. After all, there was no known method of magical preservation that could keep a being alive for this long. Just what other secrets did the humans keep? “Oh, goodness! The poor thing must be freezing!” exclaimed Fluttershy. She flapped her wings, and floated over to the creature. She scooped it up in her arms, and cradled it close trying to keep it warm. It’s crying died down to quiet whimpers. “Fluttershy!” cried Twilight. “Put it down! It could be dangerous, or contaminated!” “Oh, but it’s just a baby. It, oh hold on a sec…He, he is just a baby. And he’s probably cold, it is pretty chilly in here.” “Fluttershy, this human is the first of his kind to be seen in thousands of years. We need to at least examine it,” said Celestia. “Well, alright. But just don’t hurt him,” said Fluttershy reluctantly as she passed the infant to the Solar Princess. Celestia took the baby in her magic, and brought it close to her muzzle. After a few minutes of squinting her eyes and staring at the creature she turned to look at her student. “Twilight, did you read that ancient human medical book I sent you?” “Of course Princess!” replied Twilight. “Alright good, that means you can examine him, because I have no idea what I’m doing,” said Celestia as she passed him to her apprentice. Twilight took the baby in her magic. “Rainbow, can you get the blanket out of my saddle bag? I left it behind when Pinkie dragged us here.” “Sure thing Twi,” said Rainbow as she dashed out the room. A few moments later, she returned with said blanket, and set it down on the floor. “Thanks Rainbow,” said Twilight, as she laid the human down the blanket. She then pushed her ear down on its chest, and listened to his heartbeat. It sounded normal. She then lifted her head up, and lit her horn, casting a spell on the baby. This spell was a basic medical scan, checking the rest of the infant’s vitals. After a few moments, Twilight seemed satisfied with her evaluation. She wrapped the boy in the blanket and handed him back to Fluttershy. Twilight turned to face her teacher. “He seems healthy. The scan showed that he’s six months old. It’s amazing that he was preserved this long. It’s almost as if he was put in that crystal yesterday.” “That still leaves the question of what we should do with him,” said Luna while pointing towards the baby. “Well, first things, we should probably name him something. I’m getting tired of calling him, ‘him’,” Said Rainbow Dash. “What’re y’all talkin’ bout?” asked Applejack. “You haven’t been contributin’ ta this conversation at all.” “Neither have you!” retorted Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, well neither has Pinkie!” “Hey, don’t bring me into this, or I’ll turn you into cupcakes!” replied Pinkie. “Everypony quiet!” cried Twilight. The three arguers looked a little embarrassed for a moment, before looking back to Twilight. “Sorry. Where were we?” asked Rainbow. “Oh, um, I think we were going to give him a name,” said Fluttershy. “Oh, right. Well, we should probably start thinking of names,” replied Rainbow. The ponies sat on their haunches, and started thinking. “What about Mensch?” suggested Twilight. “Mensch? What kind of name is Mensch?” questioned Applejack. “It’s the Germane word for Human,” replied Twilight. “Yeah, no, that’s awful,” replied Rainbow. “How about Quick Strike! It’s cool, and tough!” “No, that’s no good. How about Radiance?” suggested Rarity. “Uh, in case you haven’t noticed Rarity, but he’s a boy human,” replied Applejack. “Radiance is a boy name!” retorted Rarity. “What about Spike!” chirped Pinkie. “You can’t be serious,” replied Twilight. “I think I have an idea!” stated Fluttershy. “What is it?” asked Celestia. “How about Apollo Brightstar?” suggested Fluttershy. “Hm. I like it,” said Luna. “Yes, it’s strong, yet graceful,” said Rarity. “So, is everypony in agreement?” asked Twilight. When everypony nodded, the group turned to Fluttershy, or more rather the human she cradled. “That just leaves the question of who will take care of the foal,” said Luna. “Well, Fluttershy seems to be doing rather well with him. And she takes real good of her other animals,” said Rarity. “Oh, I don’t think I could. Most of my animal friends are able to take care of themselves after a few years. But a foal is a long commitment. I just don’t think I could,” replied Fluttershy. “What about you Rarity?” “Oh, I couldn’t. With all the work I have, it’s a wonder that I’m able to take care of Sweetie Belle!” “Well, I can’t do it,” said Rainbow. One by one, the rest of the mane six gave their reasons for not being able to care for the child. With no one left, the entire group turned to Celestia and Luna. “Oh, um, sister, I think they expect us to take the child,” said Luna as she turned to look at her sister. “Who, US? Oh, I don’t know. I, well when I was young, before Luna was born, I was actually pretty scared that humans would sneak into my room and take me away to do who knows what with me,” said Celestia. “Sister, we’re the only ones left,” said Luna. “And since I usually sleep during the day, that kind of makes you the only option.” So, Celestia took the moment to think. She had long ago conquered her fear of the human race. And she had thought of being a mother, but the fact that she was a immensely powerful god like being who was larger than the tallest of ponies; well let’s say it made most stallions feel inadequate. Maybe this was the fates way of granting her wish. “Well, I guess I could take care of him,” said Celestia, somewhat reluctantly. “Well then, it’s settled!” cried Luna. Fluttershy passed the baby over to the solar princess, who held it in her magic. “Well, we’ll need to get him back to the palace without anypony seeing him,” said Twilight. “I’ll get your saddle bag,” said Luna. She galloped away, and when she returned, she had a golden saddlebag. Celestia put it on her back, and placed the baby, along with the blanket in her saddlebag. She then lit her horn, casting a silencing spell, so no passersby could hear the child’s cries, just in case there were any. Satisfied, the group left the room, and preceded head towards the exit of the temple. After they left, another presence made itself known. A voice, raspy and dead sounding spoke up. “The child has been freed, and soon we shall make our return,”/i] said the voice. [“It will take time, but soon the king will awaken. And when we regain our strength, we shall rise again as the dominant power in this world.” i] Behind the crystal podium, unseen by the ponies, was stone throne. If one were to look closely, they would see a sizable crack appear on the seat. “Soon my subjects. Soon.”/i]
3. Heading HomeAuthor's Note Alright, so I've been really busy with school, so I haven't had much time to write, so I'm a little out of practice, but I hope this chapter is satisfactory. Also, I noticed some complaints about this story hating humans, but in actuality I am basing human behavior on the saiyans from DBZ. I wanted to make humans ruthless warriors. If you have a problem with that, then feel free to leave. 3. Heading Home The group of mares made their way through the temple, careful not to attract too much attention from the architects, especially Lyra. If she knew that they had acquired a live human, her tits would explode. As they made their way through the ruins, they took note of the many excavators who were unearthing artifacts. When they made their way to the entrance, they were about to exit the building, when they heard a feminine voice calling out to them. “Princess, Princess!” The group turned to face the pony that they least wanted to see at the moment; Lyra. The mint colored unicorn, dressed in paleontologist clothing, including a pith helmet, sprinted up to the group, halting a short distance away from the mares. She quickly bowed, and then rose back up. “Princes, I’m glad I found you! Some of the others and I found this amazing room! We think it might be a burial chamber! Just think, we might be able to recover some human DNA!” Celestia glanced back to her saddlebag, before returning her attention back to the head paleontologist. “That is wonderful news Lyra. Although, I would prefer it if any experiments made with this DNA where run by me before commenced.” “Yes, of course your highness. Um, What’s in the bag?” asked Lyra as she pointed towards the princess’s saddlebag. “Oh, um…these…they’re artifacts that we found. We’re taking them to Canterlot, so they can be looked at,” said Celestia. “Oh, alright…hey um, is it just me, or is that bag moving?” Celestia’s eyes widened, as she looked down to her bag. Sure enough, it was indeed moving. Celestia’s mind raced for a lie, or some way to weasel out of the situation. Luckily for her, Luna stepped in with a solution of her own. “I don’t see anything. Do you Twilight?” asked the lunar princess. “Uh…no?” replied Twilight. “What about you pinkie?” questioned Luna. “Nopey Dopey!” said Pinkie, who somehow knew to play along with Luna’s plan. “Well Lyra, it appears none of us can see anything moving,” said the Alicorn. “But I could’ve sworn-“ but before Lyra could finish, Luna cut her off. “You know Lyra, there were legends in the past that this temple had the ability to drive certain ponies MAD.” “W-what?” “That’s right. I think you might have been afflicted.” Lyra’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Oh my gosh! I AM going insane! I have to get out of here!” with that, Lyra ran screaming out of the temple. Once she was gone, Luna chuckled to herself. “All too easy.” “Luna, I’m not sure if I approve of your methods. You may have just turned that mare off of paleontology forever,” said Celestia. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” said Luna nonchalantly. Celestia shook her head and sighed. “Alright…let’s go.” After the group left the temple, they mounted their chariots and flew back towards Canterlot. During the flight, Celestia looked into her saddlebag to check on the child. She found him sleeping peacefully. Sighing in relief, she closed the bag and turned her attention to the pegasi who were pulling her chariot. “Guards, I want you to bring us strait to my chamber balcony.” “Yes your highness,” replied the guard on the left. Once they reached the castle balcony, the group dismounted from their chariots, and went into Celestia’s room. Once the pegasi guards left, Celestia opened her saddlebag, and magically levitated the infant out, and onto her bed. “So, what do we do now?” asked Fluttershy. Celestia sighed, and sat on her bed next to Apollo. “Elements, you may return to your respective homes. I need some time alone to think,” said the princess as she massaged her temples. Twilight looked to the others, before nodding. “Alright girls, we should head back home. I’ll teleport us to the chariot hub.” The group got within proximity of Twilight. She then lit her horn, and teleported the group to the lower part of the castle, leaving just Celestia, Luna and the baby. “Luna, would you mind taking over the day court for me. I have a lot to think about.” “Wouldn’t you like me to stay here? You know, maybe we could talk about what you plan to do?” “If you don’t mind Luna, I think I just need some time alone.” “Should I leave the child, or should I say Apollo?” “No, he’s being quiet.” “All right then…” said Luna as she walked to the door. “If you need somepony to talk to, or any help, just let me know.” And with that, she left the room, leaving just the princess and Apollo. After a few minutes of just sitting there, thinking, Celestia sighed and looked to the baby. In all honesty, she was not feeling very confident about taking the child. Sure, she had experience with children, given the students she had over the years, but those were all ponies. True, she did help raise Spike, but well…this here was a human. Yes, dragons were ferocious, but they didn’t normally bother ponies, usually choosing to stick to their own territory. But this…this was a human. Their race was known for its violence and cruelty to all other species. They lived to fight ant kill. In fact, it wasn’t fully understood whether this trait was taught, or simply learned by their elders. Celestia wasn’t lying when she said she used to fear humans. Her parents would tell her of their power and might. But what she had feared most was the fear that they would eat her. The idea of being cooked, and consumed filled her with dread. When her parents told her that they would be invading human territory, she felt relieved at the possibility that the species would be defeated. She felt ashamed for feeling that way though. But now, looking down at “her” new child she saw only innocence. Perhaps she could teach this child different. Maybe he could prove that all beings have the potential to be good. She magically lifted the child into her forearms, and held him. He felt warm. She could feel his heartbeat, and his breathing matched her own. Perhaps this was a good thing. Perhaps she could learn love this child as her own. Only one thing concerned her now. And that was whether to tell her citizens about the child or not.
4. I'm too old for this crapCelestia fell asleep with ease. She and the others had arrived at Canterlot during the late hours of the night, and thus she was prepared to get some well-deserved sleep. She knew she’d have to get up to raise the sun, eventually, but for the moment, she was content with resting on her bed. She was at complete peace, warmed by her blankets, and the body heat of the child. This moment was peaceful and content…until she was awoken by the crying wails of said Human. Celestia jolted upward, eyes wide open. She scanned the room, searching for the source of the noise. After about ten seconds, she remembered the infant in the room, and turned her head to look at him. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot about you,” said the sleepy princess. She then turned her head to gaze out the window, to see a star covered night sky. “Oh, come on! The sun’s not even out yet, I shouldn’t be awake yet…oh wait.” Once she remembered that she always awoke before the sun, she got up from her bed, with the infant in her magical grasp. She then set him down on the covers, and inspected him to see what the matter was. It didn’t take long, because once she smelled the air, she turned green with sickness. “Oh sweet merciful me, that is foul! Ew, I was holding him next to me! That is so gross, I’m going to need to bathe for an hour!” Her entire body shivered, before she returned her gaze to Apollo. “Well, little one, it is clear you need to be changed.” Celestia was about to go find some diapers, when she realized that she didn’t have any. The castle was populated souly by adults. The last infant to be housed in the palace was Spike, and that was many years ago. His had long since been thrown out. So what was she to use? Celestia looked around her room. She couldn’t leave the castle, and leave the child unattended, and she wasn’t ready to tell anypony about him yet. She needed some sort of temporary solution. Her gaze finally settled on the curtains hanging from her windows. “I didn’t care much for those curtains anyway,” she said as she magically ripped one of the curtains off the rack, and then levitated it over to her. She then ripped it in two, setting one on the bed, and moving the baby onto it, while setting the other next to it. She then used her magic to remove the diaper. She levitated it in the air for a few seconds, trying to think of how to dispose of it. She decided incinerating it would be the best and most sanitary way of getting rid of it (she clearly needed more sleep). That instantly backfired on her, filling the air with the worst smell she’d ever smelled, nearly causing her to drop it. Coughing, and choking on the air, she ran into her private bathroom, disposed of the diaper in her trashcan. Sighing, Celestia walked back into her room with her head hanging low. “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing,” she muttered. She was tired and inexperienced in the skill of caring for a child. She sat down and took a moment to compose her thoughts. But after a few seconds the whining of the human returned her to the situation. “Oh, that’s right.” Focusing her task, she finished the process of changing the child’s diaper. Once she finished, she sighed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe some ponies have to do this with their mouths.” She shuddered at the thought. Once finished, she was finally able to take a moment to rest. She climbed onto her bed with the human. She levitated him over to herself, and closed her eyes, preparing for a few hours of sleep before she had to raise the sun. She quickly succumbed to her tiredness, drifting into a blissful sleep. For about five minutes, until she heard the chiming of her clock, signaling it was time for her to raise the sun. “Oh me dammit!” she muttered. It was now a few hours after the raising of the sun. Celestia had teleported into her sister’s room, and asked that she watch Apollo, until she made the announcement to the ponies of Canterlot about the newest member of the royal family. She had made a decree that all castle staff and citizens of Canterlot be there for the announcement, which was scheduled for later that day. Currently, Celestia was busy reading up on as much information as she could find on humans. She had borrowed the book Twilight had been reading, as well as a few other books on the subject. So far, she had found that Human infants, for the most part, they were similar to pony foals. They drank milk for a long time, ate baby food, and behaved the same as foals. They also leaned to speak at the same rate as baby ponies. But where pony foals were capable of walking on all fours in virtually no time at all, Human babies took a long time to learn to walk on two legs. Also, their teeth took a longer time to come in. What worried Celestia was the fact that eventually, humans needed to consume meat, in order to gain the protein that they needed. This would be a challenge. The only nearby nation that consumed meat was the Griffin Empire, but Equestria wasn’t exactly best friends with them. But perhaps there was some way to get it. But that was an issue for another day. As she read, she found herself fascinated with the knowledge she was obtaining. What interested her most was the information about the Humans strange powers. Instead of using wings to fly, they were able to levitate themselves through an advanced form of telekinesis. Their levitation was far stronger than the average Unicorn. Their physical strength started to develop around 7 years of age. Around that point, they gained high levels of natural strength. It was at that point that the Human Empire put it’s young through advanced strength training, designed to push them to even more extreme levels. And, through meditation, and breathing exercises, they were able to connect to their inner life force, their Chi. They used this to not only enhance their physical prowess, but also to produce energy attacks, which could be used much like combat magic. As Celestia read more and more, she found herself drifting from the fear she used to feel, towards a more relaxed, and curious state. She was learning so much. The thing that really gave her hope about raising this child was the fact that the cruelty that the race was associated with was learned, and not actually a natural trait. Human society had developed itself as militaristic, and while they had evolved as a predator species, they actually had the potential to be kind and caring, depending on how they were raised. Even with these established facts, the generations of living this way made aggression and the desire to be strong warriors became somewhat of a genetic trait. The ability to gain strength, and harness higher brain functions and chi was present and easily accessed by all humans, but practice was required to bring them to the advanced level. And apparently being an apex predator, along with fighting for so long led to aggressive tendencies. But as previously stated, only if the fire is stoked does it lead to the cruelty that the Humans were known for. Without warning, Celestia heard her name being called. She jolted up in surprise, her focus finding a solar guard in front of her. “My Apologies your highness, I didn’t mean to scare you,” said the guard. “It’s quite alright,” replied the princess after calming down. “What can I do for you?” “Your highness, it is time for your announcement to the city.” Celestia’s eyes widened as she gazed at the clock on the wall. It was indeed time. She must have been reading for hours. “Thank you. You are dismissed.” The guard saluted, and then turned to leave. Celestia looked down to her book. She placed a bookmark in it, and closed the book. She hovered it next to her and used her magic to teleport her to her room. She set the book down on her bed. She then turned to gaze at her balcony. It would be there that she would make the announcement. Luna would appear soon with the baby. “Alright,” said Celestia to herself. “Show time!”
5. Announcement 5. Announcement Celestia trotted down the halls of her palace, guards standing at attention along the walls. Hovering low at her side in her magical grasp was a basket, containing the human infant. As she walked, she thought of the different ways she would tell her subjects about the newest resident, and royal family member. Her thoughts ended, when she reached the double doors leading to the balcony. Celestia stopped, and stood before the doors. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts. Once she was ready, she opened the doors, and walked through. She kept the basket low to the floor, keeping it hidden. Celestia could hear the cheers of her subjects as she stood over them. As she requested, there were guards separating the crowd from the castle, just in case they didn’t take the news about a human living in Equestria well. Celestia took a moment, and then addressed her subjects. “My Little Ponies, today I have a very important announcement to make.” Celestia gazed over her subjects, and then continued. “Legend tells of an ancient race that existed long ago. One of incredible power, and ferocity. But long ago these beings, the humans, disappeared leaving nothing but their monuments, and structures.” She could see the ponies discussing, and talking amongst themselves, wondering why the Princess was talking about a long dead race. Celestia looked down to the child, who was awake, but sitting quietly, and then returned her attention to crowd. “I am here to tell you that some time ago, archaeologists discovered an old human temple, untouched for years.” The ponies once again started talking amongst themselves, only louder this time. “It was in the antechamber of that temple that the elements of harmony and I discovered this.” With that, Celestia used her magic to levitate Apollo out of the basket, and raised him so everypony could see him. The child started to squirm, and get fussy, but Celestia kept him there. “This is a human infant!” The ponies all gasped in response, their conversing becoming louder. “And as of yesterday, I have made him my son!” This caused uproar from the ponies, and soon enough, Celestia could hear their outcries. “That thing is a monster!” “It must be destroyed!” “Kill it!” Having enough of this, Celestia returned the baby to its cradle, and put a silencing spell over it to protect it from what she was about to do. Celestia then used the Royal Canterlot Voice to project her message. “ENOUGH!” The citizens all went silent after that, allowing the Princess to speak in an un-amplified voice. “I understand your concern. I myself felt the same way just a few days ago. But the fact is, this is a child, an infant. And like a baby pony, he has the potential to grow up to be bad. But he also has the potential to be good!” “The fact is, this child, Apollo Brightstar, is now a member of the royal family, and will be treated as such. He is now your prince, and if anypony means to harm him, that pony will be punished…. My Little Ponies put your faith in me. I will see to it, that this child grows up to be an honorable, just prince. Of that, you have my word.” With that, Celestia turned, with the basket in her magic, and walked back through the doors. As they closed, they cut off the sounds of the ponies’ displeasure. Celestia had closed the day court for the rest of the day, deciding to take some personal time to herself and her new human child. She currently sat in the dinning room, feeding Apollo a bottle of milk, with her sister Luna sitting next to her. “The announcement was…well, it could have gone worse,” said Luna in an attempt to appear optimistic. “Well, they didn’t full on riot, so that’s a plus. Still I’d feel a bit better about adopting this child if the public didn’t want him destroyed.” “They’ll come around eventually. And so will you. Just give it time. He’ll grow on you,” said Luna with a smile, as she rested her hoof on Celestia’s wither. “I hope you’re right Lulu. I just hope I can make enough time for him, what with my duties and all.” “Don’t worry. You have me, plus an entire castle to aid you.” Celestia smiled, and looked to her sister. “You’re right. Thank you Luna.” A few moments later, the comfortable silence that the two had been enjoying was interrupted by the doors to the dinning room being slammed open, to reveal none other than an angry Prince Blueblood. Once his eyes gazed upon the child, he let his anger fly. “Well, I had to see it to believe it, but it looks like the commoners anger was well placed! I cannot believe you would-would allow a filthy beast like that into the castle!” “Good morning nephew,” said Celestia with her eyes closed, taking a sip from her teacup. “Auntie Celestia, how could you allow a human into the castle? That monster must be DESTROYED!” “You would have me destroy an infant?” questioned Celestia. “It may look innocent now, but if we allow it to grow up, it will become a monster!” “He wouldn’t be the only one,” muttered Celestia under her breath. “Nephew, I know from personal experience that the potential for good, or evil, is present in all beings. Humans may have a bad record, but I believe that if raised by good ponies, this child will become an upstanding individual,” said Luna. “The thing is a monster! I am telling you, if you allow this vile beast to live, you will regret it!” Celestia closed her eyes, let out a calm breath, and then opened her eyes again. “Luna, please take Apollo to another room.” “Of course sister, said Luna as she took the child in her magic, and proceeded to leave the room. Once she was gone, Celestia addressed her nephew. “Nephew, I understand your discomfort. I myself have had human phobias in the past. But looking at that child, I do not see a monster; I see an infant, one that has the potential for greatness, if we just push him in the right direction. Now I don’t expect you to be happy about this, but I do expect that you respect him as a member of this family, and as my son. Do you understand?” “But Auntie-“ “Do you understand?” Blueblood bit his tongue, and sighed. “Yes Auntie,” said Blueblood with a dejected tone. “Good.” With that, Blueblood turned, and left the room, leaving Celestia alone. Once Blueblood found himself alone, he let his frustrations fly. “Damn that beast! I cannot believe Aunt Celestia would take that creature in as her son, and a prince! I am the ONLY prince of Equestria! I was here first! And I will be damned if that monster is higher in line for the throne than me!” And with that, Blueblood stormed off, back to his room.
