The Strange Destiny of Prince Blueblood

Chapters

The Prince and the Zebra
The Prince and the Spectre
The Prince and the Princess
The Prince and the Prisoner
The Prince and the Construct
The Prince and the Knight
The Prince and the Dragon
The Prince and the Tyrant

The Prince and the Zebra

Zecora wandered the forest in search of a fruit; she was brewing a potion that it would suit. Across her shoulders, a basket was slung. It had herbs, and roots, and other such fun. But her journey was halted when she heard a pained sound. She looked for the source, and found a pony on the ground.

The source of the noise was a white unicorn colt. When he heard her approach, he awoke with a jolt. But his strength had all left him, and he could not rise; instead he uttered the most pathetic of cries. He looked up at Zecora, and his eyes filled with tears.

"Oh no, a cannibal," he said with great fear.

He struggled to flee, but could not even crawl. His eyes became glassy, his head started to fall. Zecora took pity, and reached for an herb.

"Don't worry, young pony, this will settle your nerves."

Blueblood floated in a numb, cottony darkness.

He could feel memories pushing at the corners of his plush void, trying to force their way into his head. He ignored them. Here, he didn't have to think about the mistakes he had made. He didn't have to think about how empty his life was. He didn't have to think about what an embarrassment he was to Auntie Celestia. He didn't have to think about Cadance and her idiot husband, or that indigo-maned pony who had humiliated him in front of all of Canterlot, or that small-town school marm he'd managed to fall for because of one, simple gesture of kindness.

Most of all, he didn't have to remember that he'd left behind his life of ease and luxury to commit suicide by Everfree Forest.

No. Here, it was just soft, comfortable blackness. Whatever that cannibal had given him sure felt good.

Wait. Cannibal?

Bright red panic suddenly filled the void. Blueblood felt himself rushing towards consciousness. Light started to stab at the corners of his eyes. He groaned and tried to stir, but found his body nonresponsive. Finally, with a burst of willpower, he managed to open his eyes.

It took a moment for things to come into focus. He was in some sort of hut. Freakish painted masks decorated the walls, and implements of dark magic hung from the ceiling. Long shelves contained an assortment of colorful flasks, no doubt evil poisons or bewitching potions. A kettle bubbled in the center of the room, steam rising through a hole in the hut's center.

The cannibal had captured him.

Blueblood groaned incomprehensibly, trying to fight off the effects of the evil creature's poison, but could only barely manage to raise his head before dizziness washed over him and nearly sent him spinning back to unconsciousness. He gritted his teeth and kept his bearings, but only just.

Well, he'd wanted to die, right? Being eaten alive wasn't the way he'd have preferred to go, but the end result would be the same. And besides, at least the cannibal would get a good meal out of it. At least Blueblood would finally prove useful for something.

He hardly stirred when the door opened and the cannibal walked in, baskets full of vile reagents across her back. She glanced at him for just a moment, then set about unloading her packs. Some things got placed on shelves, some got thrown into the stew pot, and a few others were hung from lines that descended from the hut's ceiling. When she was finished, the cannibal tucked the baskets in a corner and turned to the prince. "Finally awake, little lost foal? Good thing I found you, though that wasn't my goal."

Blueblood tried to speak, but his mouth was numb and the words came out slurred and indecipherable. The cannibal quirked an eyebrow at him, then smiled.

"The herbs that I gave you eased your illness and pain, but they have a disorienting effect on the brain."

What? The prince's confusion must have shown on his face, because the cannibal chuckled.

"What, did you think I was some evil mare? That you had awoken in my shadowy lair? I am Zecora, a healer by trade. Many I've helped with the potions I've made."

A healer? Likely. The book Blueblood had read on zebras as a child claimed that they were vicious monsters who cast wicked spells and feasted on the flesh of normal ponies. Everypony knew that they were not to be trusted.

His skepticism must have again registered on his face, because the cannibal rolled her eyes and reached for a small, glass vial. "Go back to sleep, oh paranoid colt," she told him as she approached. "Perhaps when you arise, you won't be such a dolt."

Blueblood struggled against the zebra's foul magic, but her words snaked into his ears and wrapped themselves around his brain. His eyelids grew too heavy to bear any longer, and the void reclaimed him.

Blueblood eased into consciousness gradually this time. He was aware of birds chirping and the sun warming his face. A blanket with far too low a thread count was pulled up to his chest. An odd smell, like scented smoke, filled the air around him. His eyes opened slowly, and he found himself inside the cannibal's hut once again. The fire under the cauldron had gone out, and the zebra was nowhere to be found.

He waggled his hoof experimentally, and was relieved to note that it actually responded to his commands. With a groan, he pushed himself out of the bed and stood. Every joint in his body pulsed with aching agony, his head still felt heavy and fuzzy, and his eyes weren't quite focusing on what he was looking at, but he was alive and not boiling in a cannibal's stew pot, so it was a net win.

Somepony had left a plate piled high with odd fruits and vegetables on a small table near the bed, along with a pitcher of water. Blueblood sniffed them mistrustfully, but a sudden rumbling in his guts reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything since those tasty red berries he'd found in the forest yesterday. He took a tentative bite of one fruit, an orange object with a hard outer shell, found it rather palatable, and set about devouring the entire plate.

He didn't realize that the zebra had returned until she set her baskets down with a loud thunk. Blueblood halted mid-chew, panic returning to him in a rush. He watched as the cannibal went about her business, not looking at or even acknowledging him.

Finally, the zebra glanced at him with an inquisitive expression. "I see you're awake and enjoying your meal; tell me, little pony, how do you feel?"

The prince swallowed his mouthful of food. "Better. Certainly well enough to defend myself. Don't think I don't know what you're doing, cannibal, trying to fatten me up for the slaughter."

The zebra rolled her eyes. "So much for hoping you'd be less dumb. Your accent is odd, pony; where are you from?"

"I am Prince Blueblood of Canterlot, nephew to Princess Celestia herself. So don't get any ideas."

"A prince, you say, but so far from your home. What brought you to Everfree, unarmed and alone?"

"Alone? Who said I'm alone? Why, I have a squadron of royal guards no doubt surrounding your hut as we speak!"

The zebra covered her eyes with a hoof. "The stories they tell of my people are mad. I rescued and fed you; am I really so bad?"

"Rescued?" the prince scoffed. "Hardly! I had the situation well in hoof. I just... was tired, you see."

"Exhaustion does not enter into it; you ate the red berries and made yourself sick. I know your symptoms, and you're lucky I do. Red berry poisoning has been the end of no few."

"Oh. Well." Blueblood considered that for a moment. "So you're not going to eat me?"

"I eat plants, berries and roots. The hunting of ponies is not my pursuit."

"Ah. Well, then. Um. Thank you for helping me, miss... ?"

"I already told you, but I suppose you were sick. My name is Zecora; hopefully this time it will stick."

"Right. Zecora. A... pleasure to make your acquaintance." Blueblood looked around the hut; in the daylight, it was significantly less terrifying. The strange masks were painted in warm, pleasant colors, and the previously sinister objects hanging from the ceiling were herbs and roots and other odd, but certainly nonthreatening, things. Reluctantly, the prince was forced to admit that Dangers of the Southern Lands: Zebras and Lemurs might have not have been entirely accurate.

He finished his breakfast with silent gusto, his only concession to manners being to chew with his mouth shut. Zecora set about placing sticks under her cauldron and lighting them with a few expert scrapes of a gray stone. As the water inside began to boil, she started taking things from her baskets and slicing them with a knife.

Blueblood watched her work, his curiosity growing. "What are you making?"

The zebra finished slicing some sort of plant, then placed the knife on her table. "A brew to strengthen muscle and bone. After you drink it, you should return home."

The prince snorted. "May as well stop, then. I'm not going home."

"You're not going back?" Zecora asked, turning to him. "And why is that?"

"Because there's nothing for me there. And I mean nothing to anypony."

"But you said you're a prince? Surely, you will be missed."

"Not particularly. I doubt anyone will even notice I'm gone. They'll be too busy fawning over Cadance and her idiot husband."

Zecora considered him for a moment, then turned back to her table and began scraping chopped bits onto a plate. "Ah, I see. You are plagued by jealousy."

"And complacency. And inadequacy. And depression... " he waggled a hoof vaguely, "... cy."

The zebra offered him a small grin as she picked up the plate and dumped its contents in the cauldron. "Most ponies would try to deny these flaws. And yet you embrace them without any pause."

"When you have as many as I do, it seems rather pointless to try hiding them."

"And yet you are humble, and clearly quite smart. These are signs of light in your heart."

"Humble?" He snorted. "You don't know me very well."

"I know what I see, and that is a hurting pony."

Blueblood gave a thoughtful grunt. He watched in silence as the zebra continued preparing her concoction, the steam rising from the pot taking on a slightly purple hue as more ingredients were added. Once she had dropped in the final piece, she found a long, wooden ladle and set about stirring the brew.

"So tell me, Prince Blue," she said after a moment, "what troubles you?"

"Me," he sighed. "I'm just... worthless. I've never been of any real use to anypony, but now, it's like any purpose I might have served is just... gone. I don't know where I fit in. I have no friends, nopony who really cares for me."

"So you came to the Everfree to find who you're meant to be?"

Blueblood shook his head. He'd come here to die. To starve, or to throw himself off a cliff, or even to be ripped apart by a monster. Just a few hours ago, he had been convinced that it was the only rational and noble thing to do. But as he looked into the zebra's concerned eyes, the words stuck in his throat. He looked away.

"I understand," Zecora said solemnly. "That is how I came to this land."

The prince looked up again in surprise. Zecora was staring into her stew, eyes sad and distant. "A shaman I was, or was soon to be. Respected and feared by everypony. But my chieftan took ill while my mentor was gone, and the potion I made to cure him was... wrong. I had not done research, had assumed I was right, and so my poor father died badly that night.

"I fled. I felt worthless. I'd let my own father die. I ran to the north, blinded by the tears in my eyes. Through savannas, through mountains, across rivers and streams. Until I reached the feared legend that was Everfree.

"I expected to die, I will tell you that. But, as I wandered, my knowledge came back. I could identify plants, animals, and tracks. I found places of safety, and where fresh water's at. I learned to survive, and never took ill. And I kept moving on 'til I found Ponyville.

"I was not at first welcomed, but finally made friends. And here I found purpose, and shall stay 'til the end. So I know how you feel, o wandering colt. Though you may seek to end things, you should not give up hope."

She continued stirring while Blueblood absorbed her story. "That last part didn't really rhyme," he said after a moment.

She just grinned.

"Honestly, though, I'm glad for you, Zecora," he continued. "But we're very different. You already knew what your purpose was before you came here. You knew about healing and mysticism and such. Perhaps you didn't expect to be practicing your skills here, but you knew your strengths already. I mean, look at your cutie mark. I bet that means 'magic healing powers' or something in your language."

"That is close, you see; it denotes alchemy."

"But look at mine! A compass. What, am I supposed to be really good at reading maps? Huzzah."

Zecora quirked an eyebrow. "Most ponies have a good story, I hear, of what events led their cutie mark to appear."

Blueblood rubbed a hoof across his chin. "I'm actually not even sure when it specifically did. There was... something going on at the castle. Some sort of attack. I was very young, I didn't really understand. But I started shouting at the servants to follow me to a hidden room I knew about. I spent a lot of time exploring the castle as a foal, and I'd found all sorts of old passageways. So I gathered as many as I could, and we all went there and hid. And when we came out a few hours later, I had this mark."

"And it does not seem clear to you what your cutie mark suggests that you do?"

"What, shout orders at people?" He laughed. "I suppose I have gotten a lot of practice at that."

The zebra rapped Blueblood gently on the skull with her ladle, drawing a surprised bark of protest. "It seems quite obvious to me, you know. You're meant to blaze trails while others follow. You find paths others can't perceive. Your special talent is to lead."

"Lead what? Equestria is ruled by a pair of immortal goddesses, Zecora. I doubt they'll abdicate just to make their idiot great-great-great grand nephew feel better about himself. Besides, even if they did, they'd probably just give the throne to Cadance and her numskull husband. I mean, great, if my special talent is leadership, what is there for me to lead?"

The zebra regarded him calmly, again stirring her pot. "You seek answers about your fate; I can help, if you'll just wait. You can put your very soul to the test; I will place you on a vision quest."

"Yes," the prince deadpanned, "wandering through the Everfree Forest while under the effects of hallucinogens sounds like an excellent idea."

Zecora shot him a glare. "This is an ancient practice of my folk; it has given many lost souls hope. I will brew you a potion and give you supplies, and you shall see your path laid out 'fore your eyes. So what do you say, o heartsick prince? Are you desperate enough to undergo this?"

Blueblood stared at the bubbling surface of the cauldron. This was, obviously, insane. He'd read about "vision quests" in Dangers of the Southern Lands, and how zebras would eat a paste that warped their perceptions of reality and would then wander for weeks across the savannah, usually starving to death or being eaten by lions. Granted, the book was proving less and less reliable, and pony-eating lions were unlikely to be an issue, but the Everfree was probably even more dangerous than the wilderness of Zecora's homeland.

To his surprise, Blueblood realized that he didn't particularly want to die anymore. Just talking to this zebra for awhile had made him care about living again. Part of him felt relief at that, but a larger part rebelled. He had come to Everfree because he believed, truly, that the world would be better off without him in it... hadn't he? He had come with purpose and with a noble, if grim, goal. But if his death wish was simply the result of loneliness, if a simple expression of kindness from a stranger was all it took to shake his resolve...

Then he was just a coward, taking the coward's way out.

"I'll do it," he said.

The Prince and the Spectre

The sky was cacophonous, and the air was filled with the sound of yellow.

The Self floated through a maze of lights, utterly lost and yet completely present. It knew the direction it must go; its path was lit with the scent of destiny. And so it drifted along, dodging and weaving and turning corners of its own accord, growing ever closer to its goal.

Dimly, it remembered being a pony, once. A tall, handsome stallion with a white coat, turquoise eyes, and a golden mane. Or was it a frail, weak colt made of wisps of gray cloud, empty and insubstantial? Both were true. Both were gone. The Self was only an idea now, a pair of stars overlaid, one silver and one gold, encompassing the universe and smaller than the eye could see.

It drifted through what passed for reality, only dimly aware that the shapes around it resembled trees and mountains. Monstrous phantasms leapt out at it, but it brushed them aside easily and continued on. On the other side of infinity, voices called the name that once belonged to the Self, shadows passing before the sun. It did not believe them real, and so it continued on in silence.

As eternities passed, it began to recall more of its former existence. Blueblood, its name used to be. A sad, pathetic creature with a core of potential buried away beneath endless layers of waste. It had grown up apart from others, knowing only an immortal goddess as a friend. It had lived in the shadow of that eternal, perfect beauty, and it saw all others as inferior and flawed in comparison, itself most of all.

As it had matured, so to speak, the shallowness and emptiness of the world around it asserted itself constantly. Nopony cared for the Self, only for the title attached to the name. Young fillies would attempt to charm it; young colts would attempt to conspire with it. But it never saw them as equals, as friends; it only ever saw them as shallow, pathetic imitations of Celestia's perfection. They were not worth knowing. And the Self was not worth sharing.

Except for her. Except for the one who shared Celestia's image. She was beautiful, staggeringly so, possessed of that same elegance of form and spirit that the Self so admired. But it had stood in the shadows so long that it could not see itself worthy of such grace. It knew it could never compare to her. And so its love turned to fear, and that fear turned to resentment, and that resentment grew and festered in the Self and made it less and less perfect, less and less like Celestia, less and less worthy of her love.

It ached when it thought of her. And it thought of her constantly. And it hated itself for its weakness. And then he came along, the heroic knight, somehow believing himself worthy of her. He was too stupid to realize how pathetic he was. Too self-centered to realize that no matter how brave and loyal and courageous he might be, he would never deserve even an ounce of her affection. Cadance was perfection. Cadance was the very goddess of love.

"I am standing on a cliff," the Self heard itself remark.

That was an odd thing to think, it observed. I wonder why I thought that?

And suddenly, reality snapped back into place.

"I am standing on a cliff!" Prince Blueblood shouted in surprise. He reeled back from the edge, the world spinning dizzily around him in a kaleidoscope of green, brown, white and gray. Utterly disoriented, the prince decided the only reasonable course of action was to vomit. He did so, not particularly noticing or caring where it went, and immediately felt the world begin to stabilize. He lay still for a long time, eyes closed, steadying his breathing as reality began to make sense again.

He was very cold. There was a sharp wind blowing, sinking right past his bare fur. Wait, bare fur? Why was he naked? He always wore clothes. He was a civilized pony.

He was particularly cold where his body was making contact with the ground, and dimly, he also realized that his fur there seemed to be wet. This was likely related to the small, cold puffs of water that kept blowing into his face. Snow. He was lying, naked, in the snow.

He opened his eyes. The world began to spin again, but not before he could make out a few more details. There was, in fact, quite a lot of snow around him. There also seemed to be a lot of bare, brown rock, and some sparse vegetation. The sky was overcast with gray clouds, from which flurries of snowflakes were billowing in a constant downpour.

This was odd. When he'd left Zecora's hut, it had been a rather warm, spring afternoon. Had he been in a haze for months? No, that couldn't be right. The zebra had only prepared him for a journey of a few days.

"Think, Blueblood," the prince told himself. It was cold and snowy. There was a lot of rock. And, oh yes, there was a cliff.

"...I'm on a mountain?!"

He opened his eyes again, and this time the world hardly wobbled. He was, indeed, lying prone on a mountainside. Far below, the endless expanse of the Everfree Forest stretched to the horizon. If he squinted, Blueblood thought he could just make out the distant spires of Canterlot on a peak dozens of miles away.

"Okay. I'm on a mountain," he observed. He took some comfort from the sound of his own voice. "Why am I on a mountain?"

"Eat but a spoonful of this special paste," called a voice from his memory, "and it shall guide you to your fate."

"Oh, right. I let the crazy zebra lady drug me. Fantastic."

Blueblood groggily pushed himself to his hooves and took stock of himself. His coat was dirty and he'd suffered a few cuts and scratches, but he seemed to have made the journey intact. He noted a chip on his right front hoof with dismay; he hated getting them filed, if only because hooficure specialists could never seem to just shut up and work. Well, that wasn't currently occupying a top slot on his List of Things to Be Concerned About. Being naked and freezing on top of a mountain seemed somehow more pressing.

He took a look around, trying to get a sense of why this place was so important to his "destiny." There wasn't much to see; almost everything was covered in layers of snow and ice. He noted curiously that the path he'd apparently taken up here was actually a long series of wide, carved steps, worn smooth by time and nature. They continued on further, rounding the side of the mountain and likely continuing on to the peak. Without much else to go on, Blueblood followed them up.

The stairs wound their way along the edge of the surprisingly wide mountain, rising only very gradually. As he walked, the prince began to notice small niches carved into the cliffside along the path, just deep enough for a pony to take some shelter from the wind. In one, he found a bouquet of some strange flowers he didn't recognize, preserved under a layer of permanent frost. In another, a few round bits, so tarnished that he almost mistook them for flat rocks, were scattered here and there.

"Some sort of offering?" he mused. "Or memorial?"

The wind didn't seem inclined to answer, so he continued on. Finally, the stairs wound around a blind corner to end abruptly at a stone archway. Blueblood took it for a natural formation at first, but a moment's examination revealed it to be stone-and-mortar, undoubtedly of pony make. A wall, then, one stretching across across the mountain's peak, its edges lost in the constant, billowing snowfall. Two heaps of fallen rubble flanked the opening from above, once guard towers and now little more than frost-coated mounds of rock. The prince's hoof clopped off something wooden as he passed under the arch; the frozen remnants of an iron-bound gate, battered into shards by wind and time.

Past the gatehouse was the ghost of a city. Blueblood was surprised at its size; it seemed that the inhabitants had simply sheared away the top portion of the mountain and put up buildings in its place. The rime-crusted ruins of stone buildings spread as far as he could see, arrayed in rigid lines along ancient boulevards now hidden beneath snow.

The wind shrieked at Blueblood as it whistled through the gaps in a half-fallen wall. The ghostly sound sent a chill up his spine with even more vigor than the temperature.

"Is... is anypony here?" the prince asked aloud. He hardly heard his own voice as the wind whipped the words back at him. "Hello?"

There was no response beyond the continued wail.

"Clearly, this place is just brimming with destiny," Blueblood observed. "Well, I think that's about enough of the creepy mountain ruins. I need to get to warmer climes before I freeze to... "

Oh, right.

Well, may as well keep looking, then.

A particularly strong gust of wind cleared the air long enough for Blueblood to spot a larger and more seemingly intact structure towards the center of the ruined town. The castle, he supposed. That seemed like a promising enough place to start searching. Steadying himself against the gale, the prince trotted onward.

The castle—or keep, he supposed, he wasn't entirely sure of the distinction—was only slightly more intact than the city around it. The walls circling it had likely once stood thirty or forty feet high, but had tumbled in so badly that the tallest segment barely rose to half that. The square bases of watch towers hunkered on each corner of the walls, in no better shape. An ancient portcullis, crooked and rusted but still solid, blocked entry through the old gatehouse; instead, Blueblood just climbed a slope of fallen stone and slid into the courtyard on the other side.

There, he found what had likely once been a wonderful garden; the frozen skeletons of trees and shrubs still reached out to him like clawed hands. He also saw his first real sign of life, so to speak: the snow-stripped remains of a long-dead unicorn, lying on its side among the petrified flora. No scrap of clothing remained on it, save a small, tarnished silver medallion depicting a silhouetted yet fiercely scowling unicorn's head, though with a spiraling ram's horn instead of a typical straight one.

The prince examined it without touching it. "I've seen that symbol before. In one of the books on pre-Equestrian history. This place... " He looked around again, his eyes wide with sudden appreciation. "This place must be thousands of years old. How is anything still standing?"

"Magic, of course."

Blueblood nearly leapt out of his skin. He whirled around, forgetting in his surprise all of the defense lessons he had largely ignored, his eyes darting around for the source of the voice. It took a moment before he spotted an old, gray-hided unicorn with a mane of faded gold looking at him calmly from beneath the hood of a burgundy robe.

"Who- Who are you?!"

The unicorn smiled; Blueblood detected a bit of mockery in it. "Just an old stallion, wondering who his young visitor he is, why he's talking to himself, and why he didn't dress a bit more warmly."

"I... " The prince eyed the stranger, trying to sense any hostile intent. "I am Prince Blueblood of Canterlot. So don't try anything."

"I've never heard of you. Or this... 'Canterlot.'"

Blueblood quirked his head, and then jerked it back up in surprise as his mind registered something his eyes had been trying to tell him. "The snow! It's passing right through you!"

The stranger glanced at the flakes dancing merrily through his shoulder, and shrugged. "One of the side effects of being dead, I'm afraid."

"Wait, you're... a ghost?"

The robed unicorn shrugged again. "Technically, I think I'm a spectre. I still have free will, you see. Ghosts are mostly mindless, tied to a specific location and essentially reliving the same events over and over. As a spectre, while I too am bound to a location, I maintain my ability to reason and communicate with the living. I... studied such things in my youth."

Blueblood shook his head. "So you've been here for... what, thousands of years?"

The spectre rolled his eyes. "That would be another side effect of being dead, yes. Thank you for not stealing my pendant, by the way. You likely would have popped my head right off. It's bad enough having to see my own corpse every day without having it decapitated."

"That skeleton is you?"

The spectre covered his eyes and sighed. "Couldn't have gotten a bright one, could I?"

Blueblood glowered at him. His surprise was quickly being replaced by annoyance towards this patronizing old goat. "Who are you, exactly?"

"You may address me as King Azure Throne, ruler of Castle Arctus and the unicorns of the Greatspire Mountains," he replied, puffing his chest and drawing himself up into a more regal pose.

"Yes, quite the lovely domain you've got, here."

It was Azure's turn to glower. "Yes, well, you should've seen it in its prime. Ours was the most wondrous and prosperous of unicorn lands. We produced feats of magical engineering unrivaled by any; our armies cowed even the brash pegasi, and earth ponies kept our tables filled in exchange for our protection and knowledge. Celestia herself feared to cross us!"

"You knew Au- er, Princess Celestia?"

"Princess?" the dead king asked. "She took a throne? After all her talk of uniting the races and living as equals, she deigned to rule over our people when the opportunity presented itself?" He barked out a laugh. "And everypony was worried Luna was the treacherous one."

"Treachery? Auntie Celestia would never... "

"Auntie?!"

Blueblood cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Well, sort of. I mean, yes! In a spiritual sense, at least. I... Look, Celestia is kindness and benevolence incarnate, she would never betray anypony!"

Azure stared at the prince for a long moment, then burst out laughing. Blueblood glared at him in smoky silence while the dead king's mirth gradually played itself out. "Oh, my dear boy. What has she had written in the history books, I wonder? What lies has she filled your head with? Kindness and benevolence? She was never anything more than a freak and a revolutionary, willing to do whatever was needed to further her ambitions."

"I don't believe that."

"Oh, of course not. Not yet." Azure passed a ghostly hoof through Blueblood's shoulder, eliciting another chill, and began walking into the castle proper. "Come, boy. My old quarters are still intact. I'm sure you can find enough wood to start a fire and get warm. In the meantime, I'll tell you the true history of your beloved 'princess.'"

"Did you have to use my old armoire? I was rather fond of that thing. An earth pony woodcrafter made it for me in exchange for saving his wife."

Blueblood ignored the plaintive king, using a combination of telekinesis and old-fashioned hoofwork to break the rotting old wood down and shove it into the low-burning flames. He smiled grimly as a piece of the armoire's door took flame and began spreading it to the rest.

"Well, I'm in no danger of freezing to death now, ghost. Go on, tell me your version of history."

"That's 'spectre,' boy, and very well. How much do you know of Celestia's origins?"

The prince considered the question. "Not much. It's said that she and Luna were created at the dawn of time, to govern and sun and moon respectively."

"Really," Azure said with a mocking grin. "How strange. Haven't you heard that unicorns used to be responsible for raising the sun and moon?"

"I... believe I have heard that, yes." Blueblood frowned as he considered, for the first time, some of the implications of the traditional Hearth's Warming Eve story.

The dead king nodded. "As long as anypony could remember, it was the responsibility of a unicorn king and his court to take charge of the cycle of days throughout their kingdom. It was part of a delicate balance of power; without us, there would be no sun; without the pegasi, there would be no rain; without the sun and rain, the earth ponies could not grow food. This was the way of things since before ponies began recording history.

"But then, a freak was born. Two earth ponies, both with unicorn and pegasi bloodlines in their past, gave birth to a mutant who had both wings and horn. Some more... radical ponies took this as some sort of religious sign, and began claiming that this young filly, 'Celestial Light,' would become the great leader of all pony races. The fact that a second freak was born just a few years later did little to deter them. These poor, deluded girls grew up surrounded by those who convinced them that they were special, that they had a divine mandate to rule. Little surprise that they grew up so twisted."

Azure paced back and forth in front of the fire as he spoke, the flames dancing through his translucent form. "As I'm sure you've seen, Celestial Light—'Celestia,' as she began calling herself—received an image of the sun as a cutie mark. Her sister, Lunar Sky, received a moon. So, obviously, their followers began claiming that fate clearly wanted them to take charge of raising the sun and moon for the entire planet. This led to arguments, later to conflicts, and eventually to several outright wars. The sisters were rather popular among the earth ponies, and were ready and willing to whip up sentiments against us. They would send their peasant armies against our strongholds, and we would crush them and send them scurrying for cover.

"Eventually, it became apparent that in addition to their obvious physical defects, the sisters were functionally immortal. Neither aged past a certain point. And so they and their radical followers engineered war after war and coup after coup to further their ambitions. This went on for centuries, boy. The loss of life was... staggering. But then, one day, the sisters vanished. Their followers claimed that they'd left to deal with some great, malevolent threat. I was new to my throne at the time, but I knew better than to believe it. And I was right; within a year, the wendigos had arrived."

Blueblood looked up. "You knew what they were?"

The king shook his head. "Not at the time. You're familiar with this part of the story?"

"Yes. The wendigos led to the unification of the pony races and the founding... of... Equestria... "

Azure flashed a sharkish grin. "Ah. You begin to see."

"But... I can't... " Blueblood ran a hoof over his mane. "I mean, surely... "

"Keep listening, boy. As the famine worsened, we received word that a new land, a paradise, had been found. But in order to protect it from the wendigos, everypony would have to unite under a single banner and live in harmony." He chuckled darkly. "Oh, it was tempting. We were starving. We were dying. But as I pondered the decision, Celestia and Luna came. They said that they would help us evacuate, that they would bring their pegasi and earth pony followers to help us relocate, but we would have to swear subservience to them.

"I allowed my people to make their own decisions. Many of them, including my wife and daughter, left. For my part, I refused. I believed that once the sisters had their little empire, they would call off their wendigos and let the rest of us live in peace. I underestimated their ruthlessness.

"And so, we died," he sighed, sweeping a hoof to encompass the castle and city around them. "Slowly. Horribly. Clinging to hope that this would pass. I was the last to go. My loyal subjects refused to let me starve before them. I knelt out in what had once been my mother's beautiful garden, and I waited for death to take me. Imagine my surprise when it didn't last."

Blueblood stared at the dead king, and through him, into the crackling flames. This couldn't be right. He knew Celestia. She was, perhaps, the only pony in the world who loved him. She was perfect, beautiful, kind, gentle... But then, why wouldn't she be, if she had won? If she had everything she wanted? After all, she'd banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years. Sure, Luna had been under the influence of Nightmare Moon, had been a danger to everypony... or so the story went. But a millenium was a long time. Nopony who'd been alive back then was around to refute Celestia's claims.

No... it couldn't be true.

No. That wasn't right. It was plausible. Understandable. Blueblood just didn't want it to be true.

"And now, it's your turn to tell a story, boy," Azure said, placing a chilly hoof on the prince's shoulder. "How did you come to be here? Why did you seek out this time-lost ruin?"

"I... I was on a vision quest," he answered, shaking his head free of his ruminations. "A mystic sent me here. Sort of. She said I would find my purpose... my destiny."

"Indeed?" the ghost asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "What destiny could you hope to find here?"

"I don't know."

"Hm." The dead king resumed pacing in front of the fire, a hoof under his chin. "There is something at work here. You are the first to find this place since my kingdom died. And you say you are a prince?"

"Technically," Blueblood said with a shrug. "I don't have any real power. I'm supposedly descended from the ruler of an ancient unicorn... oh."

The two met eachother's eyes. "Ah," said Azure. "There we are, then."

"This is insane. I can't possibly be your descendant."

"And why not? This mystic sent you here, did she not?"

"Yes, but... " Blueblood shook his head. "I just... I suppose I didn't really believe anything would come of this. I didn't think I'd really find anything here. Or even that I'd end up here."

"Magic has always been something of a mystery. Even Starswirl admitted such."

The prince just stared blankly into the fire. A brief look of sympathy crossed Azure's face as he looked at his young descendant. "Take heart, young one. You came seeking purpose. You found it."

Blueblood glanced up at him and laughed. "What purpose? All I've found is a dead kingdom and a dead king, a king who says that the only pony I've ever really loved is actually a liar and a monster. If anything, I've got less to live for than I did before."

"Then don't live for yourself. A king never does." Azure stopped in front of the prince, putting both hooves on—and partly through—his shoulders. "Live for your people, Blueblood."

"My 'people' are dead."

"They needn't be for long."

Blueblood tilted his head, looking up at his undead grandfather skeptically.

"I told you before, boy. I studied the nature of death. I even apprenticed under Starswirl the Bearded for a time. With your help, our people can live again. Our kingdom can thrive. You can lead them to a glorious new age. You can provide a haven for those who will no longer bow to Celestia's tyranny. Please, Blueblood." He paused, looking deep into the prince's eyes. "Please, my grandson."

"... What must I do?"

Azure's face split into a wide grin. "Just listen."

"Blueblood?" called an achingly familiar voice. It was high and sweet, and it pierced the howling wind like a velvet knife. "Blueblood, are you here?"

The prince stared towards the voice in shock. "... Cadance?"

[Author's Note: I don't know how many readers I've lost because they bailed at the slightest hint of "Tyrantestia." Let me just say, without spoilers, that it is generally never a good idea to take undead kings in creepy, millenia-old castles completely at their word.]

The Prince and the Princess

"Blueblood? Are you there?"

Cadance walked as softly as she could, wincing a bit at the intense cold on her bare hooves. She'd left behind the delicate little slippers she'd grown accustomed to wearing; after she'd lost a pair while flying over the Everfree, she'd decided that appearances weren't quite as important as practicality. Now, though, she was having mixed feelings on the matter; on the one hoof, she could have had some protection against the cold; on the other, they would have clacked even more loudly on the time-worn flagstones.

Calling this place "creepy" was a severe understatement. She couldn't quite tell how old this castle was, but it certainly predated Equestria. As she walked, she passed empty rooms full of furniture so ancient that the mild breeze she stirred nearly crumbled them to dust. Nopony had lived here for a very, very long time. And yet, she'd seen light from within. She'd seen hoofprints through the snow.

She knew her cousin was here, somewhere.

The sound of a heavy hoof hitting stone made made her jump. She spun around, crouching into a defensive stance as she searched for the source of the noise. A moment later, a large shadow stepped into a beam of fading sunlight. A unicorn stallion, with a white coat and golden mane, his features all but concealed in darkness.

"Cadance?" he asked, and the princess couldn't help but wince inside when she heard the mixture of hope, sadness, and longing.

"Blueblood? Blueblood, you're alright!" She stepped towards him, thinking to wrap him in a sisterly hug, but he made no move to respond. "Blue, where have you been? We've been looking for you for weeks! Are you okay? Please, say something!"

"I'm fine," he told her, all emotion suddenly absent. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been helping with the search," she explained nervously, brushing back a cream-colored lock of mane. "So have Celestia and Luna, when they can. And half the royal guard. Even this teacher in Ponyville and her coltfriend organized a search party."

"... Why?"

The princess blinked at him. "Because we were worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because... because you're family, Blue. We love you. We thought... we thought you might have... "

"Tried to kill myself?"

Cadance winced. "Well... "

"I did."

She looked up sharply. "You what?"

"I did," Blueblood repeated, his posture slumping as he let out a great sigh. "I realized how worthless I was. That I didn't matter. That I didn't add anything to the world. That nopony really cared about me."

"Don't be stupid. Celestia cares about you. Luna cares about you. I care about you."

"Why?"

She blinked again. "What?"

"Why do you care?" he said again, anger starting to creep into his voice. "We're not 'family,' Cadance. Not really. We're both just royal orphans that Celestia took in. I'm not related to any of you. We don't have any ties of blood. Why would you care?"

"Blue, I care about you because I know you're a good pony. You've got a good heart. You just... need help. And, well, maybe when you come home... "

"Home?" he laughed darkly. "I am home, Cadance. Take a look around. Lovely, isn't it? I admit, it could use a little fixing up, but it's nothing some hard work and elbow grease can't get done."

"Blue, what are you talking about?"

The prince chuckled again. "I've learned a lot since I've been gone, Cadance. About myself. About who I am. About Celestia."

Cadance just stared at him as he began to pace, passing in and out of the small circle of light her horn illuminated. "I've learned that we've all been lied to, Cadance. Oh, I didn't want to believe it, but all the evidence is right there if you'll just look. All those books we used to read, all that history they taught us, it's all just... just a myth. A filly tale to hide the truth."

"Blue, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry. It's all very fresh to me. Maybe I'm being a bit too intense."

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, placing a hoof on his foreleg. He paused in his pacing and looked at her, an old, deep hurt in his eyes.

"I can't go back, Cadance."

"You can't live out here on your own, Blue."

He flashed a mirthless grin. "Oh, I won't. I believe I have two choices. Three, if I can muster the courage."

Cadance stared at him. He didn't elaborate. Instead, he changed the subject. "I met a mare while I was in Ponyville, you know."

"Oh? That's great, Blue."

He smirked again and shook his head. "She was taken. But she was... she was so beautiful, and kind, and caring, and compassionate. She commanded respect just by virtue of her being... well, her. She reminded me a lot of... a lot of you, Cadance."

She offered him a sincere, if uncomfortable, smile. "That's... very sweet, Blue."

He looked into her eyes. She felt herself almost falling into them; they held so very much pain, and sorrow, and unattainable hope. It was standing at the edge of a black hole. "I love you, Cadance."

She closed her eyes and looked away. "Blue, you know I... I mean... I love you like a brother... "

He ducked his head and turned away, falling completely into shadow. "Yeah."

"Blue, I'm sorry, but I can't... "

"I know."

She felt tears running down her cheeks, cooling so rapidly that they almost froze before they fell. She'd forgotten how cold she was, and the realization brought an uncontrollable shiver down her spine. Blueblood looked up. "Come on. I've got a fire going upstairs."

They went in silence, walking carefully up a crumbling old stairwell to the keep's third floor. Dim, flickering light filled the corridor, and the air warmed as they approached Blueblood's appropriated bedroom. She was surprised to see how intact the chamber was; aside from a broken wardrobe that was currently acting as firewood, everything seemed more or less serviceable. "How is everything so well preserved?" she asked.

"This was the capital of the most advanced unicorn kingdom in ancient times. Castle Arctus. There's still quite a bit of magic embedded here, though most of it's worn away over the centuries. I suppose the king had the strongest enchantments on his personal belongings."

She nodded absently, not really paying attention as she settled by the warming light of the fireplace. The sun was sinking over the distant horizon, and the air was becoming increasingly frigid. As she warmed herself, she felt Blueblood's gaze lingering on her, drinking in how she must look in the firelight. He had probably dreamed of this scenario for years.

She couldn't suppress a shudder.

"I'll add more wood," he volunteered softly.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I just... it was just a draft."

Silence fell again. Eventually, Blueblood's longing eyes moved away from her, and she let out a relieved sigh and started to relax. This was not going as she had expected. She'd hoped to find her wayward cousin... brother... whatever, give him a shoulder to cry on, and then bring him home safely. She couldn't have dreamed that she would find this hollow, lonely colt who seemed so intent on just... not being. Not being around. Not being anything.

She started a bit when one of Blueblood's hooves struck the stone. "I'll be right back, Cadance."

"Okay."

She watched him leave the bedroom. She noted that, oddly, he seemed to be able to find his way around without needing any light. Just one more mystery to ponder.

What should I do? she wondered. She wanted to bring Blueblood back safely, but... she really didn't want to stay here. And it was definitely too dark and too cold to try flying back home. She was stuck until morning, and that was if she went back alone; Blue couldn't fly, and the trip back on hoof through the Everfree Forest might take a week or more. And while she loved him, she truly did, she... really didn't want to be alone with him for that long.

Her ears perked up. She thought she heard voices from down the hall. But Blue was the only other pony here, wasn't he?

Moving as quietly as she could, Cadance crept into the corridor. Yes, there were definitely two voices. One was Blue, but the other she didn't recognize. It sounded like a male pony, but carried with it some sort of... hollowness? Echo? She couldn't quite explain it.

"... am I supposed to do?" said Blueblood, his words becoming more distinct as she neared.

"As I told you, grandson. You have two choices."

"But she doesn't love me!"

"Then you have one choice."

"I can't... "

The second voice hissed for silence. "Outside."

Cadance tried to hide, but she couldn't have moved fast enough. Blueblood appeared in a nearby doorway, staring at her with sadness and regret.

"Blue? Who were you talking to?"

"Cadance... please go back to the room."

"Blueblood, I'm not-"

She didn't get a chance to finish. A stone the size of her head suddenly levitated up and hurtled towards her. She ducked just enough to protect her skull, but took a hard blow to her back instead. The strength in her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor, fighting back sudden tears of pain. "Blue, what are you... "

But the prince was facing somepony else. "What are you doing?!"

"This is for your people, boy!"

"Don't hurt her!"

"She's getting away!"

He turned to look, and found Cadance crawling away as fast as she could on the cold stone floor. Her rear legs were responding only vaguely to her commands, so she was pulling herself forward by the hooves, scrambling to reach the stairs.

"Cadance, please, don't run!"

The princess gave a wordless, terrified sob and lunged for the stairs. She hit them with too much momentum, and went sliding down the first several, scraping her legs and chin on the jagged rock. She didn't pause to examine her wounds, but kept moving as fast as she could, desperate to get away.

"Cadance!"

She rolled out onto the second floor and cast about for someplace to hide. A rotting door hanging ajar revealed another large bedroom, this one filled with several inches of snow thanks to the large, open patio on the other side. There. If she could just reach it, could just get her wings to support her weight...

Hoofsteps thudded on the stairs above. Cadance gritted her teeth and pulled herself forward. She slammed open the door so hard that it fell off its hinges and onto her rear legs; she hardly noticed the impact. She just kept pushing, kicking, flapping her wings, anything she could to build momentum... and then her hooves went right out from under her as she hit a slick patch of ice underneath the snow. She let out a whuff of breath as her chest made sudden, hard contact with the ground, and struggled to suck in air while regaining her hooves and still moving forward.

"Cadance, please!"

She hazarded a glance behind her. Blueblood had reached the door. He was looking at her with desperate, terrified eyes. She snarled and kept pulling herself towards the balcony. She was almost there...

Something tugged at her rear legs. The sudden pressure on her spine sent a flame of agony across her body. She looked back again to see herself surrounded by a growing field of turquoise energy. With a desperate shriek, she fired a blast of raw force at Blueblood; the blow knocked him off his hooves and dissipated his telekinetic grip. With a final, desperate burst of effort, she reached the balcony and leapt off.

Her wings wouldn't respond.

She let out a panicked cry as the ground rushed up to meet her. She hit hard, the nearly thirty-foot drop only slightly softened by the snow below. Dazed and hurting, she glanced back up and noticed that her wings were enveloped in that same turquoise glow. A moment later, Blueblood appeared on the balcony, limping slightly but intact, his horn glowing to match his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cadance. I truly, truly am."

"You didn't need to hurt her," Blueblood told the spectre of King Azure as the two stood side by side in the castle's ancient throne room.

"I told you, grandson. You had two options. Make her your queen, and use her power to fuel my spell... or make her your slave and do the same."

"She might have come around... eventually."

The dead king grunted noncommittally. "Regardless, it's easier this way. Trust me. Better a terrified servant than an unconvinced partner."

Blueblood sighed and looked away. "How long will it take?"

"Not long. I've been preparing this ritual for nearly three thousand years, after all."

The prince nodded and trotted over to the cage in the center of the room. It was as ancient as everything else here, and made of solid gold, yet had somehow remained undamaged and untarnished. It sat in the center of a chalked ring, which was in turn surrounded by various arcane glyphs that Azure had instructed his grandson to draw. Four braziers stood around the edge, each lined up with a corner of the cage. And in that gilded prison lay Cadance, her beautiful, multicolored mane spread out around her, her expression peaceful in unconsciousness. She hadn't been hurt too badly. She'd be okay. Eventually.

"I am ready," Azure called.

Blueblood nodded and backed away, his eyes never leaving his beloved princess. Azure began his chant, his hollow voice growing with volume until it boomed off the castle's walls.

"Ancient spirits that predate the world,

"I offer the power of this girl,

"Of noble birth and purest heart,

"To tear these spells that bind apart.

"Break these bonds, set me free!

"Who shall oppose Tyranny?

"O masters of death, o generals of sin!

"I ask only the chance to have revenge!"

The braziers began to flicker and dance as a sudden wind began to rise and whip about the chamber. Azure cackled with maniacal glee at the sight, and then launched into his chant again. With each repetition, the wind grew stronger. After three, the chalked runes on the floor began to glow with a cold, blue energy. After six, the flames in the braziers turned the same shade. After nine, Cadance began to stir from her torpor, and her eyes widened in sudden terror as she realized what was happening.

"Blueblood!" she screamed at him. "Don't do this! Don't do this! Please!"

"I'm sorry, Cadance," he replied, shouting to be heard, "but this is for the best! I love you, but my people need me!"

"Blueblood! This isn't... this can't be good! Don't you see what's going on?! Don't you see that this sorcerer is-"

"Ancient spirits that predate the world!

"I offer the power of this girl!"

"It'll be okay, Cadance! You'll be okay! You won't have your powers for awhile, but you'll be alright eventually!"

"Blueblood, no!"

"O masters of death, o generals of sin!

"I ask only the chance to have... REVENGE!"

Lightning flashed out of the braziers and struck the cage.

Cadance screamed.

Blueblood's eyes went wide with horror.

When the light faded, she was gone.

"What have you done?!" he screamed, rounding on Azure.

"What needed to be done, you fool! To bring back my kingdom! To bring back my power!"

"NO!"

Blueblood lowered his head charged the dead king. Azure smirked at him for a moment, and then, with a flick of his horn, launched the prince across the chamber. He slammed hard into the wall; a second gesture sent him smashing into and then through the opposing one. The world swam dizzily around Blueblood as he tried and failed to stagger back to his feet; inside the chamber, the winds had reached a fever pitch. The blue light of the flames and the runes grew brighter, blindingly so, and the prince could barely lift a hoof to shield his eyes.

And then, darkness.

It was silent. Blueblood was alone, blind, and suddenly very cold. He couldn't move his head without feeling as if he were about to throw up. He couldn't think of Cadance without doing the same.

Oh, Celestia. What had he done?

He lay there in the rubble, and he cried. He cried like he hadn't since he'd been a foal. He could hardly gasp in breath between the wracking, wrenching sobs. Cadance, he repeated like a mantra, oh Celestia, Cadance.

An eternity later, when he finally had no more tears left to shed, he rolled over and began struggling to stand. He broke away a few patches of ice that had formed on his face from his tears and his snot. He staggered up, head still spinning. He noticed, for the first time, a dim, blue light permeating the air around him. It seemed to be coming from outside. He left the throne room. He limped through the courtyard. And then, as he stood atop the ruined castle walls, he looked down on Arctus City.

A legion of the skeletal dead, blue flames glowing where their eyes should be, stared back at him. And one, clad in a burgundy robe and with a tarnished silver medallion around its neck, somehow managed a mocking smile.

"You've found your destiny, boy," Azure Throne told him. "Congratulations."

The Prince and the Prisoner

"I dunno, girls, this is gettin' kinda old. The Cutie Mark Crusader Search an' Rescue Team was fun fer awhile, but can't we all go back to makin' pies or somethin'?"

Three fillies, each clad in a red cloak, marched through the Everfree Forest. Well, two of them marched; the pegasus and the unicorn had their heads up and their eyes alert, scanning the undergrowth around them with determination. The third, a yellow earth pony filly with a pink bow in her mane, seemed considerably less invested in the activity. She aimlessly kicked a loose branch in frustration.

"Apple Bloom, the Prince needs our help," the orange pegasus told her. "He's lost out here somewhere! For real! What if he's hurt?"

"Why do we even care?" Apple Bloom retorted. "I thought that guy was jus' a big, dumb jerk."

Sweetie Belle rounded on her friend with such surprising fury that the earth pony froze in her tracks. "Don't you call him that!"

Apple Bloom stared at the white unicorn for a moment, then shook her head. "Y'all are crazy."

"My little ponies!" called a familiar voice. The girls stopped and turned to find their teacher trotting up to them. Her magenta coat was looking a bit careworn, and her pink-and-white mane was unruly and filled with twigs and leaves. Behind her came Big Macintosh, looking nearly as exhausted as his marefriend.

"Girls, I thought I told you not to wander too far," Cheerilee scolded gently.

"Aw, we weren't, Miss Cherilee," insisted Scootaloo. "You and Big Mac are just walking really slow."

The teacher sighed. "Girls, just stay in sight. The Everfree Forest is always dangerous, even this close to town."

"Yes, Miss Cheerilee," the girls said with a choreographed eye roll. The teacher shot them a tired glare, but resigned herself to a simple shake of the head as the trio started off again.

"Macintosh... do you think we should give up?"

The big, red stallion considered this. "Nope."

"But we've been searching for weeks. I've never been so exhausted... " She sighed. "Twilight's been nice enough to substitute for me when I needed her, but I can't help feeling like I'm letting my students down. I don't really even know why I'm still out here. I barely know the prince. I just... I want to help him."

Big Mac stared at Cheerilee in compassionate silence, and then placed a hoof on her shoulder. She nuzzled it and leaned into his weight, taking comfort from his big solidity. "I'm just so tired, Macintosh... "

"I'm here for ya, Cheeri," the stallion rumbled. "Uh, girls are gettin' ahead again."

The teacher looked up in time to see her students disappearing into the underbrush. "Girls!"

They didn't reply. With an angry snort, Cheerilee pushed herself away from her coltfriend and stomped towards them. "Girls, please, I appreciate your help, but stop being so... "

The fillies screamed. A moment later, they came charging out of the brush, nearly bowling their teacher over. Cheerilee watched them pass in confusion, then looked back in the direction they came... and right into a pair of flickering blue flames.

The skeletal pony gave an unearthly howl and charged her.

Cheerilee barely had time to register the threat before Big Macintosh was there, slamming into the thing from the side and hurling it into the woods. Their eyes met. "I'm okay," she told him.

An arrow whipped out of the forest, sinking into the dirt inches from Cheerilee's hoof. She screamed and reared back, bumping right into another skeletal monstrosity. The teacher had just enough presence of mind to buck, knocking the thing away before it could grab her, and then Big Mac was lifting her bodily onto his back and galloping away.

"The girls!" Cheerilee cried. The stallion was already on the same page, however, scooping up his sister and her friends and tossing them up to their teacher.

"Miss Cheerilee, what are they?!" cried Sweetie Belle.

"Just close your eyes, girls, we'll be okay!"

Another arrow zipped past, taking Apple Bloom's bow with it. The fillies stared at the missing accessory and then let out a simultaneous shriek.

"This way, friends!" called a voice. "Quickly, come in!"

Macintosh huffed a breath and changed course towards the speaker. They emerged into a small clearing dominated by an odd-looking hut. A zebra stood at the door, motioning them inside. She slammed the door behind them as they passed, barring it and then sprinkling some strange, red dust on the jam.

"Zecora!" Apple Bloom wailed. "They got mah bow, Zecora!"

"We would mourn if we could; stallion, give me a hoof!"

Cheerilee and the girls slid off of Macintosh's back, and he and the zebra got to work on fortifying the hut while the teacher comforted her students. Outside, the strange howling of the skeletal ponies continued and intensified. Cheerilee hazarded a glance through a window, and saw dozens of pinpricks of blue flame dancing in the dense shadows of the forest.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice strained.

"I fear I have made a grave mistake," Zecora answered, stepping in front of Cheerilee to splash some strange paste on the window. "Perhaps the prince shouldn't have found his fate."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I sent Prince Blue on a vision quest; that this be the result is my best guess."

"You knew where he was?"

"Yes, I lied to my friend Twilight. We'll deal with that later, if we survive this night!"

The fillies huddled together, staring around in terror.

"Girls, we'll be okay," Cheerilee told them, though she didn't quite believe it. "Just stay with me. I'll protect you. Nopony will hurt you."

Scootaloo looked up at her, her purple eyes wide. "I'm scared, Miss Cheerilee."

The teacher wrapped a hoof around her student and hugged her tightly. "Me, too."

The undead began pounding on the hut's door.

"Comfortable, Your Highness?"

Blueblood didn't respond. He just stared at the puddle on the floor. Another drop of water slid down the icicle above and splashed into it. Four hundred and ninety-seven.

Azure Throne's fleshless expression never changed, but the prince could sense his grin. "I do hope you're not still upset about your little marefriend. It was an unfortunate but necessary deception; would you have gone along with my plan had I told you the truth? I think not."

Plunk. Four hundred and ninety-eight.

"Now, my armies march across the Everfree, bringing me fresh... recruits. They found a dragon, in fact! A rather large one. I think it will make a suitable mount for the King of the Greatspire Mountains, don't you?"

Drip. Four hundred and ninety-nine.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic. My offer still stands, boy. Join me. You can be the face of my empire. You will have everything you could ever want. Wealth? Beyond your wildest imagination. Mares? I shall provide you an entire harem."

Blueblood scowled. Another drop fell. Five hundred.

"Very well. Keep sulking. You'll change your mind eventually, boy. You'll see that, however questionable you might find my means, my ends are well justified. In the meantime, make yourself presentable. You'll be having another visitor, I think."

The dead king trotted away, bones creaking as his skeletal hooves struck the ancient flagstones. Blueblood was left alone again, with nothing but the crackle of a small fire and the drip of an icicle to keep him company.

Oh, Cadance. I'm so sorry.

He'd lost track of the days since Azure had performed his ritual. From deep in Arctus Castle's dungeons, it was nearly impossible to mark time anyway. Every once in awhile, a skeletal pony would bring in a bit of food: uncooked herbs and roots, a bit of unidentifiable fruit. Blueblood had refused to eat at first, hoping to just let starvation take him, but had finally given in to his body's demands and wolfed so much down that he became sick after.

He didn't even have the strength to die. "Pathetic" hardly began to cover it.

Lately, he'd taken to counting how many drips an icicle could give off before it ceased to be an icicle. A rather large one had lasted nearly four thousand drops before its base was too thin to support its weight any longer. He'd picked the shard of ice up; it was still sharp. Sharp enough to open a vein and end his torment, easily.

He couldn't do it, of course. And he hated himself even more.

Water splashed. Blueblood shook himself out of his ruminations and realized he'd lost count. With an angry snort, he lay down on his cot and rolled over, facing the thin strip of open air that counted as a window.

His heart stopped. His head jerked up. "Cadance?!"

He could only see her eyes, her achingly familiar eyes. But they met his, and he felt an electric jolt run down his spine. "Cadance, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

Her eyes closed. When they opened, they were looking at the cell door. Blueblood followed her gaze and frowned. "What? What's with the door?"

When he looked back, she was gone.

Blueblood sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Wonderful, I'm going mad." With a sigh, he pushed himself off the cot and poked gingerly at the door.

It swung open with a low creak.

"Wonderful. I'm going mad and I'm an idiot."

He looked up and down the hall. He'd lost his ability to see through the castle's darkness after Azure's ritual, but the burning brazier in Blueblood's cell gave off enough light to see by. The stairs up would be just down the hall. From there, he could... well, what, exactly? Elude an army of undead ponies, journey back through the Everfree without the benefit of Zecora's mind-altering drugs, and arrive just in time to warn Celestia about the army that was no doubt already ransacking her kingdom? No wonder the door hadn't been locked. Blueblood was trapped regardless.

He glanced at the cell behind him. At least there, he had a cot and a warm fire. If Azure caught him trying to escape, he might take even those luxuries away. With a sigh, he returned to the cell and closed the door behind him.

"You really are a coward, aren't you?"

Blueblood jumped. He spun about to find another skeletal pony standing outside his door. This one's eyes burned a brilliant pink, and matching light drifted from its mane like a sparkling cloud. He noted with dismay that the abomination had a horn... and wings.

"Oh, Cadance," he moaned.

"Look at you," she monstrous vision hissed. "So weak. So pathetic. And you wonder why I could never love you?"

He shook his head. "I never wondered."

Cadance barked a laugh. "Celestia, you're a sad excuse for a pony. Don't you have any pride, Blueblood? Don't you have even a hint of it?"

"Not really. Not anymore."

She snorted and turned away. "You're already broken. I was told I'd get to torture you, to play with your emotions, to make you pay for what you did to me. But there's nothing left of you, is there? You're not even worth tormenting."

Blueblood sank into his cot with a sigh. "How?"

"How did I become this?" She gestured to herself. "I'm an alicorn, Blueblood. I hadn't come into my full power yet, not in life, but death unlocked my true potential. I was supposed to be the Princess of Love, can you believe that? The first in a new generation of divine royalty. But I think I've found a better calling, thanks to you. Now, I'm the Princess of Wrath."

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of it."

"What?"

Blueblood shrugged. "I'm not angry at you. I don't blame you. This was my fault, not yours. I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry for what happened to you."

Cadance just stared at him for a long moment before rolling her eyes. "We'll see. Come, Blueblood. I have something to show you."

She turned and left, the door swinging open behind her. Blueblood watched her go, then sighed and followed. They walked upstairs in mutual silence, Cadance's skeletal grin never faltering and Blueblood's weary resignation never showing any hint of nervousness.

Finally, they reached the ancient oaken doors that led into the castle's throne room. Cadance pushed them open and gestured for Blueblood to enter. He looked into her burning eyes, trying to read her intent, but finally shrugged and stepped forward.

The doors slammed behind him. Braziers around the room lit up with blue flame. The chalk scribblings from the ritual had been wiped clean, and a fresh carpet had been rolled all the way up to the throne's dais. On it sat Azure Throne, his silver amulet once more shining brightly, staring at him with amusement.

"Ah, grandson. I see my queen has managed to draw you from your cell."

"Your queen?" Despite everything, the words still hurt.

"Of course. A king needs a consort, after all."

Cadance brushed past Blueblood, trotting up the dais and taking a seat next to the dead king. He idly ran a hoof through her ethereal mane. "She could have been yours, of course, had you joined me sooner."

"I'm not joining you at all."

"Oh?" He looked at Cadance. "Then how did you lure him here?"

"I hoped to show him your surprise," she purred.

"Ahh... yes, of course."

Azure clapped his hooves together twice. A side door to the throne room opened, and a group of skeletal unicorns dragged in a prisoner. He was a large, red stallion with an orange mane and the mark of a half-open green apple on his flank.

"Macintosh?" Blueblood gaped.

The big pony looked up at the prince, worry in his eyes. "They've got Cheerilee."

"Cheerilee?" Cadance mused. "The school marm? Perhaps we should bring her out, first. "

Azure placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Patience, my dear. There is an art to this sort of thing. Just watch."

"Let them go, Azure." Blueblood stared at his undead grandfather, tears starting to creep into his eyes. "Please. I'll join you. Don't hurt them."

Cadance rolled her eyes. Azure covered his and shook his head, laughing. "I haven't even started threatening them yet!"

"I told you. No spine whatsoever."

Macintosh met Blueblood's eyes. It was hard to read the stallion's expression. There was relief there, and gratitude, and... disappointment?

"You know, I had rather looked forward to torturing a few prisoners," Azure mused idly. "You really are cramping my style, grandson."

"Just let them go. I'll do what you want. These are good ponies; they shouldn't suffer for me."

"Hm," Azure said, rubbing his chin. Cadance glanced at him, then at Blueblood, and then rolled her eyes and blasted Macintosh with a thick, scorching beam of pink energy. The big stallion howled in agony as he was thrown to the floor; smoke rose from the burnt patch on his flank that used to bear his cutie mark.

"No!" Blueblood shouted.

Cadance grinned at him, and zapped Big Mac again. The earth pony tucked himself into as tight a ball as he could, gasping in pain.

Blueblood leapt in front over the fallen stallion, turning broadside to cover as much of him as he could. Azure looked between him and his queen, then sighed. "Dear, this isn't helping us recruit him."

"We don't need him," she hissed. "He's worthless. Pathetic. What use could he possibly be?!"

Cadance's eyes went wide as she was suddenly hurled from her seat, smashing into the far wall with an audible crunch of bone. She hit the ground hard, her wings twisted into an unrecognizable shape and one foreleg rattling across the floor.

"You dare question me?!" Azure bellowed, now on his hooves. The air darkened and thickened around him as the cold points of blue flame in his skull blazed furiously. "Do not forget who gave you new life, my queen! Do not forget who can take it away!"

Cadance whimpered and tried to crawl away. A gout of blue flame stopped her. "I'm sorry!" she cried, cringing back. "I forgot my place!"

Blueblood ignored the dispute, kneeling next to the moaning Macintosh. "Are you okay?"

"Nope," the stallion grunted through clenched teeth.

"I'll get you out of this. Where's Cheerilee?"

"Tower. Up top. Girls, too. An' Zecora."

The prince blinked. "What?"

"We were in the forest... buncha them attacked. Tried to hold out at Zecora's. Didn't last."

"Dammit." Two hostages would have been a lot easier to free than a whole group of them.

"Pull yourself together, my wife," came Azure's hollow voice. "I will continue this audience alone."

"Yes, my king," Cadance gasped, limping away as she clutched her severed leg to herself.

"Now, then. I do apologize for my queen's outburst, grandson." He sat back down in his throne, his voice returning to its usual, mocking calm. "You said you were willing to cooperate in exchange for these prisoners' lives?"

Blueblood nodded. "All of them. Let them go. Give them enough food to have a fair chance at getting home. I'll do whatever you want."

Azure regarded his descendant in silence. "Where does this courage come from, boy? You were an empty shell only minutes ago. Now you're jumping in front of helpless ponies to protect them from a crazed goddess."

"Somepony once told me that a king lives for his people, not himself."

The dead pony stared at him for a moment longer, and then a grin seemed to split his skeletal face. "You are my grandson, boy. Whatever you may think of me, know that I am proud of you. The prisoners will be released, as you request. And you and I shall begin making plans. Guards?"

Blueblood helped Macintosh to his hooves. The big pony tried to hide his limp as the undead soldiers led him away. The prince watched them go, his eyes lingering even after they disappeared. He hardly noticed when Azure put a bony hoof around his shoulder.

"Come, boy. Tomorrow, we invade Equestria."

The Prince and the Construct

Fluttershy was in a near panic. She'd managed to procure the largest wagon in Ponyville (the trick Rarity had taught her about batting her eyelashes had helped) and was currently loading it up with every weasel den, fox hole, dog house, cat tower, bird nest, snake lair, squirrel cubby and duck demesne she could find, piling them atop eachother like a makeshift apartment complex.

"Oh, Angel Bunny, I just don't know what to do!" she whimpered as she carefully placed a family of robins atop the heap. "We can't possibly get everypony out of here in time! But anypony left behind might be... "

The white rabbit pounded his foot on the ground impatiently.

"Fluttershy, I don't know if we can even lift this thing," Rainbow Dash groused, kicking the side of the wagon and barely getting a wobble in response. "Even with the two of us, Derpy, Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth, this thing's gonna be really heavy."

"I'm sorry, Dashie, but we have to get as many animals away as we possibly can!"

"Helpless animals, maybe! Do we really need to evacuate the bear?"

The large, brown grizzly in question huffed, crossed his arms, and looked away.

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy snapped, stomping a hoof down. "I am saving every single one of my animal friends that I can! And you are either going to help me, or you are going to get out of my way!"

Dash gulped and backed away.

"She's cute when she's absolutely furious," a blonde-maned pegasus with a light purple coat observed.

Her companion, white and with a pink- and green-streaked mane, rolled her eyes. "Just grab the bee hive, Cloud Kicker."

"Oh, bee-hive."

The other pony groaned.

"Girls!" shouted a newcomer, a gray pegasus with a yellow mane. "They're coming! We've only got a few minutes!"

"Oh no," Fluttershy moaned. "We haven't rescued the badgers yet!"

"We don't need the stinking badgers!" Dash shouted. "Those things are coming! We have to go, Fluttershy! Right now!"

The yellow pegasus looked between her friend and the forest, chewing her lip. She nodded.

"Finally! Cloud Kicker, Blossomforth, you girls get the back! Fluttershy, get on the other side! Derpy, get the middle as soon as it's airborne! On three, girls! One, two... "

An arrow hissed past, scoring a jagged gash along Rainbow Dash's flank and drawing a surprised yelp of pain. Out of the forest came five skeletal unicorns, their eyes glowing with blue sparks of flame. Spears hovered around the heads of four of them, while a fifth used its telekinesis to notch another arrow on its bow.

"Three!" Dash shouted, and the pegasi heaved with everything they had. The cart began to rise, but far too slowly; even when Derpy zipped underneath to add her strength, it still wasn't going to be enough to escape before the skeleton fired again.

"I thought you said we had a few minutes!" the rainbow-hued pegasus shouted at her wall-eyed friend.

"Sorry!"

Another arrow flashed past, striking the underside of the carriage with a thunk. Fluttershy stared at it in horror. "Mr. Turkey! Are you okay?!" She sighed in relief when he gobbled to the affirmative.

The others were looking below. More skeletons were arriving by the second, and many more of them had bows. They were forming ranks, now, lining up to unleash a deadly volley on the fleeing ponies.

"Blossom," Cloud Kicker said softly, "if this is the end, I just want you to know... I'm really sorry I never got to bang you."

The white pegasus barked a helpless laugh.

The undead soldiers drew back their bows. The strings of their ancient bows went taut. And then, with a wordless howl, they fired.

A wall of magenta energy appeared in the sky between them. The arrows struck it and fell harmlessly away.

"Protect the civilians!" cried a pony in royal guard armor, a shockingly blue crest on his helm. With a roar, hundreds of soldiers charged forward. The skeletons gave a bone-chilling howl of their own and rushed to meet them.

The din of battle gradually faded as the pegasi moved further away and upward. Finally, Fluttershy turned to her old friend. "Wasn't that Twilight's brother? I hope he'll be... Dashie?!"

Rainbow Dash looked pale, and her wings were flapping weakly. Derpy had moved up to help support her corner of the wagon, but Dash still looked like she was barely staying afloat.

"Dashie, you're hurt! We need to land!"

"I'm... fine," she growled through clenched teeth.

"But--"

"I'm fine," she repeated, looking her in the eyes. "We're not far enough away. Need to get... further. I'll be okay. Keep going."

Fluttershy stared at her friend, still wanting to protest, but saw that iron stubbornness that composed her friend's core. She chewed her lip for a moment, then sighed and nodded.

"She's cute when she's worried about her friends," Cloud Kicker observed.

Blossomforth sighed. "Just fly."

Prince Blueblood, Heir to the Greatspire Mountains, Lord Protector of the Realm and General of its Armies, stood on the roof of the Ponyville city hall and watched the battle raging below. He wore a suit of ancient plate mail that covered his features and his cutie mark. The narrow-slitted great helm did little to stop the stench, though; the acrid smoke from the burning Carousel Boutique alone was enough to make him wretch, to say nothing of the carnage taking place beneath him.

He distantly remembered that the worst thing a general could do was stand out in the open and look like he was obviously in command. And so he'd climbed up here, shouting orders in a booming voice and hoping the living ponies below wouldn't notice that he was being ignored. He'd tried taking a more active hoof in commanding the battle, ordering his forces to split off from the front lines to give the Canterlot soldiers some breathing room, but the skeletons didn't seem to particularly want or need his guidance. Perhaps the fact that Cadance was floating around somewhere prevented him from doing so; as queen, she did outrank him. So he'd climbed up here in hopes that somepony would spot him and bravely take out the obvious target, boosting his side's morale and inspiring his troops to fight even harder. So far, no one had.

Why was it so damnably hard to just die?

Below, Shining Armor and his ponies were valiantly losing ground to the endless hordes of Azure's undead. The brave ponies fought hard, taking a dozen or more skeletons for each of them that fell but being forced back nonetheless. As he watched, a group of soldiers led by one of Luna's bat-winged royal guards broke away from the fighting in a full retreat. The undead surged to pursue them, but walked into an impromptu ambush as a second pack of soldiers burst from an abandoned house to hit them in the flank. The first group turned about and set to work, smashing the skeletons to pieces with hardly a scratch. But it didn't matter; more undead were already pressing against them.

Honestly, Blueblood wasn't quite sure where the dead king had found so many soldiers. He knew the graves and catacombs of Arctus City had been exhumed, but while the place was fairly large, it couldn't have supported more than a few hundred ponies at a time. But, he supposed, the Everfree was likely full of other ancient pony cities, just bursting with corpses ready to be drafted into the Greatspire Army.

Azure had even managed to add a few monsters to the mix. In addition to the skeletal dragon he'd claimed as a mount, he'd added a pack of dead griffons, a rotting chimera, and a squadron of undead minotaurs that were currently circling around to hit Shining Armor from behind.

Blueblood began shouting orders to the minotaurs, hoping somepony below would notice. Sure enough, a soldier spotted his theatrical gesturing, turned to follow his gaze, and immediately sent up the alarm. Shining Armor showed some actual sense for once and ordered a retreat, though he himself remained in the rearguard, smashing any skeletons who dared threaten his men.

"Ah, Prince Blueblood. I see the battle goes well."

The prince turned to see the monstrous form of Cadance floating beside him. Her ethereal, pink mane had taken on a firey energy and her eyes blazed with excitement.

"Your husband's a capable warrior," he noted.

"What?" Cadance followed his gaze down to the valiant soldier with his blue-hued shock of mane. "Oh, yes. Him."

" 'Oh, yes, him?' That's all you have to say?"

"What, should I weep for my long-lost love?" She chuckled. "Perhaps I loved him, once, when I was a pathetic mortal. But I have transcended my former limitations."

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I think Azure Throne might disagree."

She said nothing. They stood there awhile, watching the battle below, until she finally broke the silence. "You hate him, don't you?"

Blueblood looked over the carnage, the dead ponies, the burning town. "Yes."

"We need not serve him forever, you know."

He glanced at her. He could sense her mischevious grin. "We could overthrow him, Blueblood. We could find a way. Join with me, and perhaps--"

"Why don't you call me 'Blue' anymore?"

"What?"

He turned to her. "You always used to call me 'Blue.' I hated it when we were foals. Eventually, though, I started to enjoy it."

She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "Those days are long past."

"No, that's not why."

She waited for him to continue, but he only smiled. "You are an odd duck, Prince Blueblood."

"Oh, yes," he agreed.

Below, Shining Armor and his soldiers had managed to break free from the undead horde just in time. The guard captain was still at the very rear, personally battling a skeletal minotaur armed with an axe as large as he was. With a well-placed buck, Armor took the giant's legs; with another, he crushed its skull. "Retreat!" he cried, and his forces finally broke into a trot as they escaped the pressing throng of abominations.

"Any word from Azure?" Blueblood asked casually. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to socialize."

"Indeed, I received a scroll not long ago. All is going according to plan. As you predicted, the bulk of Equestria's force is gathering outside Canterlot to repel your invasion. Meanwhile, Azure and his forces moved against Fillydelphia and acquired several trains, warded against Shining Armor's protection spell. He and his soldiers are steaming towards Canterlot as we speak. Once inside, he will destroy the barrier, and I shall join him as we defeat and cast down the divine sisters."

"Hooray."

"You no longer wish to unseat the tyrant Celestia?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure Azure's version of history is entirely objective. And even if he's telling the truth, I don't see how replacing the princess with an evil, undead sorcerer will be an improvement."

Cadance made a thoughtful sound. "You should take the throne."

The prince said nothing.

"Yes. Azure will no doubt be weakened after the battle. Perhaps, together, we can destroy him. And then you, Prince Blueblood, shall take your rightful place upon the throne, to create a new Equestria in your own vision."

"And where does the 'Princess of Wrath' fit into this new kingdom?"

"Perhaps... perhaps I could be restored to a more," she gestured to her empty ribcage, "robust form. Would you like that, Blueblood? To finally have me as your own? To hold me in your hooves, as you always dreamed?"

He glanced at her sidelong. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"Very."

"Fair enough," he admitted. "But I'm not that much of an idiot. If we defeated Azure Throne, then you would be free to use your power as you wished. You'd destroy me and take the throne for yourself, ruling the world as the omnipotent 'Goddess of Wrath,' mwa ha ha." He rolled his eyes. "Spare me your sudden but inevitable betrayal."

"You cast aside a valuable ally," she warned.

"Perhaps."

She laughed and turned away. "Are you really such a coward that you would--"

She stopped as Blueblood's hooves went to either side of her head and his weight came down against her spine. With a heave and a wrench, Cadance's cranium was torn free of her skeleton, which immediately crumbled into a chaotic jumble of bones. She shrieked in surprised, furious terror as he turned her around, looking directly into her burning eyes.

"Yes, I am. That's why I waited until your back was turned."

"Unhoof me! How dare you--"

He tilted the skull up, causing Cadance's blast of pink flame to burst into the sky above him. "You see, I realized something, back at Castle Arctus. You wield a lot of power, there's no question of that. But all that magic is bound up in a fragile, brittle bundle of bones. All it takes is for somepony to get past your defenses, and, well... you really lose your head."

"Shut up!" she screamed, another blast passing right past Blueblood's unblinking face.

"And that also lead me to another theory. Azure said that he needed your power to raise his armies. I thought that meant that he'd consume your power to fuel the ritual, but no, he brought you back as well. Now, I don't know much about magic, but I'm a reasonably smart stallion. If you weren't the source of his power, then you were just a supplement for it. How do I put this... Have you ever seen a battery? It's an earth pony thing. They try to invent things to make up for their lack of magic, it's rather touching."

He casually dodged another blast as Cadance screeched in fury.

"Anyway, what a battery does is, it holds a charge. And it uses that charge to power something. Well, and forgive me, I'm stretching the analogy here, but if one battery is empty and another battery is full, they can actually transfer the charge from one to the other. And then, through... I don't know, some sort of chemicals or something, both batteries fill back up! I'm sorry, I'm not boring you, am I?"

"I will unleash the unholy fury of ten thousand worlds against you!"

"Good, good. Now, bear with me, here. Now, if you have two full batteries, you can hook them up to the same machine. And the machine will draw power off of both the batteries equally. Do you sort of get where I'm going with this? You and Azure are batteries. He used you to power himself up, and now he's splitting with you the energy drain of keeping our undead friends here moving."

Cadance's anger finally seemed to be giving away to annoyed resignation. "Fine, fine, you're very clever. So, what happens now? We both know you're not going to destroy me. Not beautiful, unattainable Cadance, your one true love."

"Actually, that brings me to another theory. Are you sure I'm not boring you? I've had a lot of time to think over the last few days, marching with an army of silent, undead horrors who ignored everything I said. Anyway, there's something rather odd about your new form, Cadance."

She rolled her eyes. "That I'm a skeletal, undead mockery of life?"

"Well, sort of. The 'skeletal' bit is the key issue. See, during the ritual, you disappeared. There were no bones left in the cage, no smoking remains. So why do you look as you do? Well, and I admit that this is mostly guesswork, but I suspect that it's because you're not actually Cadence."

"What?"

He shrugged. "You're not Cadance. You're a... what's the word? An equipomorphic representation of her power. See, I think that Azure separated the real Cadance from her potential magical strength, and then twisted that strength into a form that pleased him. That would be you. I'm not sure why you're sentient, but I suspect Azure put a bit of his own mind into your creation... which suggests all sorts of unpleasant things about him."

She rolled her eyes. "You're insane, Blueblood. I'm the real Cadance. I've just transcended... "

"No, I don't think you are," he interrupted. "I think that, by destroying you, I will accomplish two things: I will increase the strain on Azure Throne's ability to animate his armies, and I will free Cadance's power to return to her, hopefully letting her escape whatever prison Azure has locked her away in."

"W- Wait! You don't know! I'm Cadance, don't-"

Blueblood smashed the skull into the side of city hall. And then he dropped it to the ground and crushed it with his hooves, stomping over and over again until nothing was left but a fine powder. Pink energy flickered between the shattered remnants for a bit, and then finally faded away.

"If I'm wrong... I'm sorry, Cadance. And I will always love you."

He turned to the army of undead ponies. Most were still mindlessly pursuing the retreating soldiers, but others were milling aimlessly about the ruined town.

"Soldiers!" he shouted. "Form up!"

To his genuine surprise, they did, falling into neat ranks in front of the town hall. Blueblood glanced at the remains of "Cadance's" skull. Apparently, with her gone, he was now the ranking authority in the area.

Excellent.

He turned back to his assembling army. "Ponies! Beasts! Monsters! We march to Canterlot! We will not stop to engage the enemy; we will not slow to pursue those that flee! We have a train to meet!

"And I," he added softly, "have a destiny to face."

The Prince and the Knight

The three sleeping fillies snored gently on their makeshift cot. Cheerilee smiled fondly at them as she fought back a yawn. The adults had created a functional hammock out of leaves and sticks and had slung it between them, with a limping Macintosh holding up the front and she and Zecora at the rear. The Cutie Mark Crusader Wilderness Explorers had insisted that they didn't need any help, but for all their stubborn courage, they just couldn't keep up with the pace that their elders were setting.

"Ahead we should find a place to rest; another half hour, should we do our best."

Cheerilee glanced at the zebra, and then at Macintosh. The big stallion nodded and quickened his steps.

"Zecora," the teacher asked as they walked, "why do you always rhyme?"

The zebra managed a tired smile. "It is a tradition of my folk; the shamans all rhymed whenever they spoke. It helps us to remember our ancient stories; the rhyming and rythm are recalled with ease."

"Okay, but why do you rhyme when you're not telling stories?"

"Because it amuses me; what more reason do I need?"

Cheerilee couldn't suppress a smile at Zecora's infectious grin. "Would you mind if I tried?"

"This should be good; Macintosh, you'd best hide."

The teacher blinked. "That didn't rhyme!"

"I don't just rhyme with myself all the time."

Macintosh chuckled.

"But why did you suddenly stop?"

"You asked to join, did you not?"

"Zecora, what the hay are you talking about?"

"Shh, you'll wake the fillies if you start to shout."

The makeshift cot started to shake as Big Mac struggled to suppress his laughter.

"What's so funny?!" Cheerilee hissed.

"Jus' bein' sunny," he replied.

Zecora burst out laughing. Macintosh joined her. Cheerilee looked between them, glaring furiously. The fillies woke up at the sound and looked at the adults in confusion. "What's goin' on?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Go back to sleep, nothing is wrong," Zecora assured them.

Something clicked in Cheerilee's head. "Hey! I know what you're doing now!"

"She's onto our game," Zecora stage whispered to Big Mac, "we must lose her, but how?"

"Wait, Zecora, why ain't ya'll rhyming?"

"She thinks she's got comedic timing," Cheerilee deadpanned.

Big Mac offered her a smile. "Don't be mad, li'l snugglebear."

"Keep it up and I'll tear out your hair."

Zecora wiped a tear from her sparkling eye. "We used to play games like this. We'd keep it going 'til somepony missed. We'd often play for weeks with no end. I'm glad to share it with my new friends."

"What game?" Apple Bloom demanded. "Y'all are just talkin' funny!"

"It's okay," Cheerilee assured her. "Just go back to sleep, honey."

Scootaloo snorted and Sweetie Belle started giggling. Apple Bloom rounded on them. "What?!"

A flash of light split the darkening sky, lighting up the entire forest. The ponies looked at eachother, and then towards the source of the disturbance. "This way," Macintosh grunted, and the group started moving towards it.

Several minutes later, they arrived at what was now a blasted clearing, broken trees leaning away from the smoking crater at its epicenter. And as the steam began to clear away, they saw what lay at its heart.

"Hey," shouted Apple Bloom, "ain't that... "

"Princess Celestia!" the guard shouted, snapping a salute. "A messenger from Prince Shining Armor!"

The Princess of the Sun looked up from the map of Equestria over which she, Luna, and a handful of advisers had been plotting. She nodded. "Send him in, please."

Moments later, a green-maned pegasus in battered and dented armor trotted into the war room, doing his best to hide a limp. His only nod towards decorum was a quick, tired salute. "Princesses, generals, ministers. I'm afraid we've lost Ponyville."

Celestia winced. "Was everypony evacuated?"

He nodded. "There was a small group still there, trying to rescue some animals, but we managed to stall the undead long enough for them to escape."

"Fluttershy," the princess said with a small smile.

"We tried to hold them off or redirect them, Your Highness, but there were just too many. We did spot one living pony among them, though. He was wearing armor that concealed his appearance, but he appeared to be a large unicorn with a white coat."

Luna gasped. Celestia cast her sister a worried look, and sighed. "Then the reports were true."

"Princess," a young, purple unicorn mare asked, "do you mean it's... "

"Twilight, gather the Elements of Harmony. I'm afraid we've been betrayed."

The unicorn chewed her lip nervously. "Princess, we still haven't heard from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Without them... "

Celestia tried to give her student a comforting smile, but she wasn't sure she succeeded. "Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure they're okay. But please, have the Elements ready for when they arrive."

"Yes, Princess Celestia."

The princess watched her student leave, and dismissed the messenger and the rest of her court soon after. With a sigh, she paced over to the map, staring down at the little wooden blocks representing her armies and the projected forces of the enemy. She hardly noticed as Luna stepped beside her and put her head on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, my sister."

Celestia tried to fight back her tears, but felt her eyes watering nonetheless. "I thought he was a better pony, Luna. I thought... How did I get it so wrong? How did I raise... "

"Shh," Luna whispered, stroking her sister's mane. "It will be okay, Celes. It's not your fault. Some ponies are just... born bad. Look at his bloodline."

"I thought I could help him. I thought... After his parents.. " She choked on the words, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I suppose it was too late, wasn't it? Once you see your own parents... just... how could he ever hope... "

Luna hugged her sister tight as Celestia broke into incoherent sobs. They stood like that for a long time, mourning the loss of the young Prince Blueblood.

Blueblood marched on Canterlot.

His vast, skeletal army stretched to the horizon behind him, their blue eyes illuminating the growing darkness as the sun faded from the sky. They marched tirelessly and at a steady pace; those with broken limbs or shattered spines crawled along at the rear of the column, advancing as quickly as they could. Ahead of them, barely visible in the twilight, Shining Armor and his exhausted soldiers were building what fortifications they could in preparation for the undead onslaught. And just a few miles beyond rose the spires of Canterlot, obscured slightly behind the translucent wall of energy created by the valiant knight's magic.

Blueblood had cast aside his helmet. He wanted everypony to see him, to recognize who he was. His golden mane was matted and sweaty and his flanks heaved in near exhaustion, but he marched with his head held high and tried to conceal any sign of discomfort. He had an image to present.

As his army neared the makeshift encampment, brass warhorns began to blow, and the air around the living ponies lit up in a dazzling array of colors as unicorns used their power to help prepare for the coming onslaught. Archers and pegasi divebombers formed ranks, while other soldiers fell into ragged lines behind them. And at the front of them all stood Shining Armor and his personal retinue, brave and steadfast against the oncoming horde.

Perfect.

Blueblood's horn blazed with turquoise light, revealing him clearly to the world. He stepped forward, puffed out his chest, and bellowed, "I surrender!"

He grinned at the confused murmurs from the other side. Finally, Shining Armor called, "What?"

"I surrender!" he repeated. "As do my soldiers. Lay down your arms, gentlecolts."

There was a clatter of metal striking stone as thousands of spears, swords, and axes fell from telekinetic grips.

There was another long pause. "... What?"

"I, Prince Blueblood, Heir to the Throne of the Greatspire Mountains, Protector of the Realm, yadda yadda yadda, do hereby surrender, unconditionally and in front of all these witnesses, to Prince Shining Armor of Canterlot." He shrugged. "Sorry, I would have done that sooner, but I wasn't actually controlling the army."

"... What?!"

Blueblood rolled his eyes. He began pulling his own armor off, throwing it absently to the side, and started walking calmly towards his old rival. "Look, it's actually pretty simple. I accidentally helped an ancient necromancer raise an army of the undead to take revenge on Princess Celestia, and now I'm betraying him."

Shining Armor blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely and completely. I sort of got roped into this."

"Uh... then order your soldiers to disperse!"

"That's actually not a good idea," Blueblood said, looking behind him. "I don't know how far my control extends. If they go wandering the countryside, they might default back to burning and pillaging."

"Oh." Armor looked absolutely nonplussed by this entire situation, and the confused expression on his old rival's face made Blueblood's smile widen. "Well, can't you, like... order them to destroy themselves?"

"Well, see, that's actually a bad idea, too. They're currently draining power from that undead necromancer I mentioned. He's on his way here via a train from Fillydelphia, and while I'm not sure how powerful he actually is, I'd say that the less magic he can throw at the princesses, the better."

Shining Armor just stared at Blueblood. He looked like he was halfway between attacking him or bursting out laughing. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. Now, look, you need to send a messenger to Celestia. Tell her to cut the rails coming in from Manehattan and Fillydelphia. Those trains are warded against your spell, somehow."

"What? How? Why?"

"They're from Fillydelphia, Armor. You probably don't want to know."

He frowned, but nodded and turned to one of the soldiers next to him. He paused, though, a dangerous thought crossing his face.

"Blueblood, have you seen Cadance?"

The prince gulped. "Yes."

"Where?"

"Armor, I'll tell you everything, but you really need to... "

"WHERE." The word hit with the threatening weight of a sledgehammer.

Blueblood stood his ground, but couldn't help leaning back from the stallion's hot intensity. "She... she was used in the ritual to create this army."

"Explain."

"Armor, I swear, she's fine. I don't know where she is, exactly, but... "

Shining Armor's hoof slammed into the prince's face, sending him sprawling. He hardly had a chance to notice the pain before the other stallion was on him again, hammering another hoof across his snout. "What did you do to her?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Hoof after hoof slammed into Blueblood before he finally managed to push the furious Armor off of him. He rolled to his hooves unsteadily and backed away, looking desperately at the knight's escorts, who made no move to restrain their leader.

"I didn't know, Armor!" he cried, his words somewhat slurred as his jaw began to swell. "I didn't know what would happen! He told me that I was saving my people!"

"What. Did. You. DO?!"

Blueblood fell more than dove to the side as Armor hurled himself at him again, barely missing with another punch. Whimpering, half blinded by pain, the prince scurried away on his hindquarters as far as he could. "Azure stole her power and teleported her somewhere! But it's okay! I destroyed the focus he was using to keep her power trapped here! She's fine, wherever she is, she just needs to be rescued! Stop hitting me!"

Shining Armor was on him again, one hoof pushing the prince down while the other rose for another strike. Blueblood cringed and covered his face, waiting for the blow to fall. Time passed. It didn't.

"You're pathetic," Armor spat, pushing himself away.

Blueblood just nodded, tears streaming down his bruised cheeks.

"Stalwart Shield, send word that we have Blueblood in custody, and that more enemy forces may be arriving soon via train. And tell her that Cadance may be in enemy hands; we need a locating spell. We need to find her."

"Yes, sir," the soldier said, snapping a salute before turning to leave.

"Stand up," snarled Shining Armor, rounding back on the fallen prince. When Blueblood made no response, he shoved him hard enough to roll him onto his back. "I said, stand up."

"I'm sorry, Armor," the prince whispered as be pushed himself back to his hooves "I love her, too."

"Shut up. Prince Blueblood, you are under arrest for the abduction of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the practice of the blackest magic, and high treason against the court of Canterlot. You have the right to remain silent." He leaned forward, teeth bared. "Use it."

"Shut down the railway!" the guard shouted, trying to force his way through the mob of civilians. "By order of Princess Celestia, shut down the railway!"

His words were lost in the cacophony of hundreds of desperate ponies pushing and shoving to claim a spot on the last train out of Canterlot. Most of the city's wealthy elite had booked passage to Trottingham the moment they'd learned of the imminent attack, but the majority of Canterlot's citizens hadn't been so lucky. Sure, rumor had spread through the capital like wildfire, but it wasn't until now, when a vast army of the undead stood only a few miles from the city, that fear had truly taken hold.

Now, any pretense of order at the train depot had been lost. The ticket window had been closed and boarded shut after a few ponies tried to smash through and grab tickets for all of their friends. The guards in charge of keeping things under control had retreated to a corner of the building, where a few civil-minded and rather oblivious ponies were haranguing them for not doing their jobs.

Try as he might, the royal guard could not make himself heard. So, reluctantly, he gave a desperate look to his companion and covered his ears.

"CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA!" The Royal Canterlot Voice shook the very foundations of the depot, and immediately silenced the commotion. "WE HATH RECEIVED WORD THAT THIS TRAIN STATION MAY SOON COME UNDER ATTACK! PLEASE, RETURN TO THINE HOMES! BAR THINE DOORS AND KEEP THINE FAMILIES CLOSE! WE SWEAR, THOU SHALT COME TO NO HARM THIS NIGHT!"

The mass of stunned ponies stared at Princess Luna, who regarded them with regal calmness. And then somepony screamed, "Oh no, they're in the city?!"

Panic erupted tenfold.

Luna watched it unfold with annoyed resignation. She turned to say something to her escort, but was cut short by a shrill whistle from nearby. She turned to see a train rounding the bend of Canterlot Mountain, approaching much more quickly than any locomotive that intended to stop soon should be.

"No," she whispered. Calling a cloud of starry darkness to her, she leapt into the sky and dashed towards the tracks. Only a few of the civilians seemed to have noticed the rapidly approaching train, and their efforts to escape were impeded by the mass of ponies pushing the opposite direction. They couldn't hope to get away.

Luna's horn flashed with black light as she willed her powers into a solid shape, creating a thick, flexible wall across the tracks. As she concentrated, the barrier became thicker and thicker, the better to absorb the coming impact. It was a strain, even for her; with part of her power focused on raising the moon, and with the lack of heavy magical lifting she'd done since being freed from Nightmare Moon, she just didn't have the raw mystical muscle that Celestia did.

Nevertheless, as the wall grew wider, she let herself smile in relief. It would hold.

And then a pillar of blue light struck the barrier through its center, cutting it in half and dissipating it into smoke.

"Oh, hay," Luna muttered as the train rushed towards her. She tried to take flight, but as dizzy as she was from her effort, she'd hardly lifted herself from the ground before the locomotive slammed into her. She crashed through the wall of the train depot, nearly flattening a crowd of surprised ponies. Outside, the train hurtled forward, blasting right through the crowded terminal as, finally, somepony inside hit the brakes.

Before the thing could even begin to slow, cargo doors flew open and skeletal ponies with glowing blue flames where their eyes should have been began leaping out. They were followed by monstrous beasts, undead manticores and minotaurs and other, less identifiable creatures. And above the screams, the shrieking brakes, and the unearthly howls of the dead, a dragon bellowed a cry of triumph.

Luna lay there, hardly able to move, watching and listening to the chaos. The ponies she'd landed near were shaking her, trying to get her attention, but she just couldn't seem to focus on their words. She noticed only dimly when they left her. She drifted in a haze for what might have been moments or days. And then, a skeletal hoof slammed into the ground next to her head.

She looked up, into the dancing eyes of one of the undead ponies. This one wore a burgundy robe with the hood pulled up over its skull, and a silver medallion hung from its neck. Something about it tickled her memory. The sigil on it, the unicorn with a ram's horn, it was the sign of...

"You," she whispered hoarsely.

"Hello, Luna," Azure Throne said with wicked glee. "Miss me?"

The Prince and the Dragon

Prince Blueblood was stirred from his stupor by a cry of alarm. "Sir, the shield is down!"

Shouts of panic and confusion went up through the camp. Blueblood pushed himself up, stretching his aching neck until it popped. The manacles around his forelegs were bolted to a chain only a few feet long, making it difficult to do anything about the pain in his shoulders and back. All in all, it wasn't much of a prison cell, but he supposed they hadn't really been expecting to take prisoners.

The magenta dome around Canterlot was crumbling away like shattered glass, dissipating as it went. In its place, smoke began to rise from the lower sections of the city, and he could hear the howls of the skeletal dead drifting down from the mountainside. A massive bellow of triumph shook the earth, and the skeletal silhouette of a dragon passed in front of the rising moon.

"That's... not good," he remarked.

"What have you done?!" demanded a familiar voice. Blueblood turned to find Shining Armor pressed against the palisade that surrounded the cell, his eyes wide with fury. "Answer me!"

Blueblood regarded him mildly. His jaw ached abominably, and one of his eyes was swollen shut; he didn't particularly feel like humoring the pony responsible. "Absolutely nothing. You, however, were more concerned with beating the hay out of me than with warning Auntie Celestia about the trains. Well done."

Armor's nostrils flared, and he turned away in frustration to bark orders at his soldiers.

Well, that was that. If Azure and his forces had arrived in Canterlot, then Celestia and Luna were likely the only ones who could hope to stop him. Perhaps that Twilight Sparkle filly and her friends might lend a hoof, assuming they had all escaped Ponyville, but if the Elements of Harmony hadn't been brought to combat the massive army of undead sitting on Canterlot's doorstep...

... Wait...

"Shining Armor!" he shouted, pounding the wooden pillars around him as hard as he could. "Shining Armor! Listen to me! I have to tell you something!"

If the knight heard him, he made no sign of it. Fear began to sink into Blueblood's belly. He slammed the posts as hard as he could and screamed at the top of his lungs. "The army, you idiot! If Azure's here, I might not be in control of... "

Right on cue, unearthly howls rose around them.

Shining Armor halted mid-sentence. He turned to Blueblood. Their eyes met.

"To arms!" the knight shouted. "We're under attack! Prepare the defenses! We have to hold them here!"

"Twilight, the girls aren't coming! We have to take shelter!"

"No!" the purple unicorn snapped. "They're out there, somewhere! We have to be ready for them! We need the Elements to-"

Rarity stepped directly in front of her friend's face and stared her in the eye. "I'm worried about Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, too, darling, but this place isn't safe. We have to go."

Twilight stared at her for a moment, and then looked to her other friends. Pinkie was nodding enthusiastically with a look of genuine worry on her face. Applejack hesitated, but nodded as well.

"We ain't sayin' we should give up on 'em," she added, "but we need to go somewhere else. If they're hurt, you don't want 'em flyin' into the middle of a fight, do ya?"

"Twilight, please," Rarity said, cupping her friend's face with a hoof.

"... Fine," she sighed. Rarity smiled sadly at her, and touched her forehead to her friend's. Together, the four of them retreated. The first line of Canterlot Castle's defenses left the field.

Skeletal soldiers poured over the encampment's makeshift walls. The living fought bravely, giving far worse than they got, but they were surrounded on three sides and had nowhere to retreat. It was a brave, heroic, and ultimately doomed effort.

Blueblood watched it all from his cell. He tried to shout orders, to make himself heard over the battle, but the undead either didn't hear him or didn't care. With little else to do, he'd taken to trying to pull his shackles out of the ground. When that hadn't worked, he'd tried digging instead, and was making slightly more progress.

A thunderous roar split the sky. Ponies cried out in panic as Azure's pet dragon dropped into the middle of the battle, sweeping aside a dozen ponies with a flick of its tail. It sucked in breath—a rather odd gesture, Blueblood thought—and unleashed a torrent of blue fire that threatened to engulf a dozen more before one of Shining Armor's domed shields appeared in its path. The flames licked harmlessly around it.

The prince shouted an encouraging cheer, but as the flames faded, he caught a glimpse of his old rival. Armor was clearly exhausted. His shoulders were slumped, his head dipped, and his eyes seemed slightly unfocused and glassy. Of course; he'd been fighting and marching all day. He simply couldn't have much left.

"Damn it!" Blueblood snarled, kicking at his chains. "Damn you, you stupid, arrogant, pigheaded, self-righteous idiot! I'm not going to stand here and watch you die!"

"Um, hello?"

The prince looked up in surprise. Perched atop of one of the palisade posts was a vaguely familiar pegasus mare, with a yellow coat, pink mane, and wide, blue eyes.

"Uh... hi?"

The pegasus offered him a weak smile, and then looked around at the battle. "Um, this is probably a really silly question, but do you know any good ways to get into Canterlot? It's just that my friend is sort of hurt, so we don't really want to fly in, but we sort of need to get there so we can use the Elements of Harmony and save the kingdom. Um, if we can."

Blueblood blinked at her. "Wait, you're... Bumblefly?"

"Fluttershy."

"Right. One of the Bearers. Well, as it happens, I do know a few ways into the city. There's just one little problem... " He shook the manacles.

"Oh, right," she nodded. "Um, just give me a second, we'll get you right out."

The meek little pegasus flapped away into the night. Blueblood watched her go, then shrugged and turned back to the battle. "Right. She's going to get me out."

He sat there in helpless silence for awhile, watching as Shining Armor and his soldiers somehow dug into the very depths of their souls to keep fighting. He had to admit, as much as he resented the knight and his delusions of self-worth, he was an extremely impressive warrior. He had martial skill, certainly, but also an unshakable determination. No matter how many times he was knocked down, he stood up again. No matter how exhausted he was, he found it in himself to summon another shield to divert the dragon's flame. Grudgingly, Blueblood began to understand what Cadance might see in him.

And then someone shouted, "Look out below!" This was followed by a bear.

"AGGHYEEAHHH!" Blueblood shrieked, recoiling from the thing as it picked itself up from its fall. The beast just looked at him mildly, wrapped a massive paw around the manacles' chain, and snapped it cleanly in half. The now-loose bindings fell to the ground. The bear stared at the prince expectantly.

"Erm... thank you?"

It huffed a breath and nodded.

"Um, I'm sorry if that scared you," Fluttershy offered apologetically, landing beside the prince.

"I'm not," another pegasus filly, this one purple with a yellow mane, giggled. Blueblood glared at her.

"Yes, well. Thank you for the rescue, ladies. Now, if we could just be on our way before the undead notice us... "

Blueblood didn't even have to look over his shoulder to realize that the dragon was staring at them. Fluttershy's panicked expression told him well enough.

"D-d-d-" she stammered.

The purple pegasus zipped down and scooped up both her companion and the prince. She smiled apologetically at the bear. "We'll be right back, buddy. Go wreck some zombies if ya want."

The bear grunted and pounded a fist into his paw.

Moments later, the prince and the two pegasi were in the air. Behind them, the skeletal dragon bellowed again and launched itself into the sky in pursuit. Blueblood glanced behind him with concern, then at his would-be rescuer, currently frozen in fear, and then at the pony who was carrying them both with an expression of strained determination.

This was going to be a rather short-lived rescue.

"There's an entrance along the eastern edge of the mountain!" he shouted, drawing the flyer's attention. "It's hidden in a small cave! Walk in about thirty feet, then place a hoof on the right wall and say 'mellon.' I don't know what it means, don't bother asking."

The pegasus looked down at him in surprise. "Wait, you're going to do something stupid and heroic, aren't you?"

"More the former than the latter, but, yeah."

She grinned. "You survive this, I'm putting you on my list."

"What li-"

The pegasus released her grip, sending Blueblood hurtling through the sky. He barely had time to scream before he hit a tree, fell through it, hit a dense shrub, rolled through that, and finally came to rest in hoof-deep water at the edge of a small stream. Above, his rescuers' speed doubled, beginning to outpace the undead dragon. Realizing this, it started to suck a torrent of air into its nonexistent lungs.

So he threw a rock at it.

The stone, glowing with turquoise energy, struck the dragon just under the eye and disrupted its concentration. It looked around for the source of the attack and found Blueblood, waving at it with a manic grin on his face. "Down here, you overgrown calcium deposit! Your mother had scoliosis! Your father suffered from brittle bone syndrome!"

It regarded him blankly. It was difficult to read the expression on a fleshless dragon skull, but Blueblood detected a hint of bemusement. "Come on! I've a bone to pick with you! I'll keep ribbing you if I have to! I've got a pretty shinny sense of humer, but I think I've got a good ankle on how to rile you!"

The dragon growled, sucked in another breath, and unleashed a massive torrent of flame towards the prince. As he watched it approach, he felt an odd, detached calmness. He smiled. Reuniting the Elements of Harmony while making skeleton puns at an undead dragon. What a strange destiny.

Celestia, Princess of the Sun and immortal ruler of Equestria, sat in calmly in her throne. Her castle was empty. Her guards were gone. At her orders, they'd accompanied Twilight Sparkle and her friends to one of the hidden shelters she'd secreted about the city. She didn't know where. She wanted to be sure that, if the worst happened, she wouldn't be able to find them.

The front doors of the castle exploded. Unearthly howls echoed through the corridors. Celestia took a breath to steady herself, never blinking, never looking away from the entrance to her chamber.

Long minutes passed before, finally, she heard the clacking of hooves on the floor outside. There was a pause, and then, with a flash of blue light and the stench of brimstone, the doors burst inward. Celestia didn't move. Neither did her adversary.

The smoke finally cleared, revealing a cloaked pony in a burgundy robe, a silver pendant around his neck.

"I should have known it was you."

The intruder lifted his head, revealing a skeletal grin that matched the dancing lights in his eyes. "Ah, Celestia. Always so very grim."

"Where is Luna?"

"Oh, she's safe enough for now. I didn't have time to steal her powers yet, but I doubt I'll need them for just you."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "You think rather highly of yourself."

"I've bested you before, Celestia. Need I remind you? It was a rather similar situation. Except, of course, I defeated you first that time."

"That was more than three thousand years ago. I've grown since then."

"Oh, of course," the skeleton said mockingly. "Grown complacent. I heard what you did to my brother. Or rather, what you left to your disciples, while you cowered on the sun."

"I'd think you'd be worried that a group of mortal ponies can defeat one of your kind."

He laughed. "Discord was always a fool. So... distractable. All his power, and he only ever wanted to play silly children's games with it. I lack his shortcomings."

"Oh, you share at least one of them," Celestia retorted. "You're both far too arrogant."

The skeleton shrugged. "Perhaps. But there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence."

Celestia scowled. "How did you do it? How did you turn Blueblood against me?"

"Oh, I didn't. Not really. I just convinced him that I was a poor, old ghost in need of his help. Do you remember Azure Throne? The mad little dictator who wouldn't let his wife and daughter flee my wendigos? Apparently, your prince hadn't studied him. All I had to do was convince him that I was Azure and that he was my descendant, and he was willing to do anything I asked of him. Such a lonely boy, that one. So desperate for a little love and recognition."

"How did you get free?"

"Why, I tricked him into sacrificing his beloved Cadance, of course. 'Here thou shalt be bound until evil overcomes love.' Your sister always such had a way with words. Oh, and you should have seen the look on your 'nephew's' face when he realized what I'd done! And yet he still didn't leave me. He still cooperated, still helped me plan this moment. I simply cannot fathom what damage you must have done to the poor boy."

"You're a monster."

"And you're a terrible parent. Now then, Celestia, I believe this is the point at which we engage in an epic duel of godlike powers. Would you like to begin, or shall I?"

"Let's begin by casting aside your little illusion."

"What?" The skeleton glanced down at himself. "Oh, yes. Silly me."

The air around the dead king began to ripple. His bones began to stretch and pop as they elongated and twisted into a new shape. Flesh, fur, and scales began to appear in patches around his body, spreading to cover him entirely. He rose to nearly quadruple his previous height, standing on two legs instead of four. His robe grew along with him, covering most of his freakish form. A pair of curled ram's horns pierced through his hood. Yellow eyes, their irises an intense, electric blue, stared out from beneath them. Clawed hands, like the talons of a bird, jutted from his sleeves, and a pair of hooves like those of a pony or goat struck the floor.

"Ah," he sighed, "that is much more comfortable. Ready, Celestia?"

"Ready, Tyranny."

The Prince and the Tyrant

"Hey! Hey, cute guy! You okay?"

Water splashed on Blueblood's face. He sputtered and coughed, raising a hoof to protect himself. "Auntie, I wasn't cloppi- oh. You."

The purple pegasus grinned down at him. She was flanked by two more of her kind, one white with a mane streaked green and pink, and the other an oddly wall-eyed mare with a gray coat and yellow mane.

"What happened?"

"Funny story. As soon as Fluttershy noticed that you were about to get cooked, she jumped right out of my hooves, flew over to that dragon, and bucked it right in the face. Then she scolded it. And it flew off." She shook her head, her smile almost reaching her ears. "Damn, that pony is fine."

Blueblood shook his head, trying to clear some of the fog from it. He was lying next to the stream he'd landed in, though several feet away from his point of impact. A wide, blackened circle denoted where the dragon's breath had scorched the earth, though, oddly, the center was untouched. The prince gaped at it. "But how did I survive that?!"

"I think Twilight's brother did that," the white pegasus suggested. "One of his shield things appeared around you."

"Yeah, you guys should totally bang."

"Uh, what?" asked Blueblood.

"Just ignore Cloud Kicker," she suggested. "I'm Blossomforth, and this is Derpy Hooves. Or Ditzy Doo. One of those."

"Want a muffin?" the gray pegasus asked, offering the prince a pastry.

"Uh, yes, thank you." He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "You know, I think I met your daughter."

Cloud Kicker glanced up. "Hey, Fluttershy's back with Rainbow Dash. Time to get going."

The yellow mare landed gently near the group, supporting the weight of another pegasus, this one blue with a rainbow-hued mane. This one looked rather weak and exhausted; the jagged scrape on her thigh suggested the reason. The moment she caught Blueblood looking at her wound, though, she scowled at him. "I'm fine."

"Shush," Fluttershy told her sternly. "Um, are you okay, sir? I'm sorry, I didn't ask your name earlier... "

He extended a hoof with a smile. "Prince Blueblood."

The girls recoiled with a collective intake of breath.

"You're the one Mrs. Cake said raised the skeletons!" Blossomforth shouted.

"You tried to hit on Cheerilee, and got all creepy when she shot you down!" Cloud Kicker yelled.

"And you were a big, stupid jerk to Rarity!" Fluttershy squeaked.

Blueblood sighed. "Sort of, no I didn't, and yes, sorry about that. Look, it's a long story. But I can get you into the city to save Auntie Celestia. Will you please just let me help?"

"Do it."

The gathered ponies looked up. Shining Armor, one foreleg tucked up against his chest and his centurion's helmet missing, frowned down at them. "My soldiers broke through their western line and are falling back towards Trottingham. But the princesses need help, and I can barely walk. Take him."

"Oh, you're hurt," began Fluttershy.

"I'll be fine, miss. Just go."

Blueblood stared at his old rival. Shining Armor met his eyes.

"I will never forgive you for hurting her."

"Neither will I."

They held the shared gaze for a moment longer, and then Armor nodded. Blueblood picked himself up and turned to the cluster of pegasi. "Come, then, ladies. Destiny awaits."

Canterlot Castle exploded.

Celestia rocketed into the sky, firing blasts of radiant energy as hot as the sun into the rubble below. Tyranny rose after her, snaking past the shots and idly returning fire with a snap of his talons. The princess jerked as firey blue claws wrapped around her, pinning her wings at her sides. With a cry of effort, she shattered the constructs and darted away, putting more distance between herself and the draconequus.

"My, you really have let yourself go," the monster cackled. "Blasts and bubbles? Where is your imagination?"

Celestia's snarled, and a pack of golden phoenixes suddenly appeared and dove towards Tyranny, circling the creature so rapidly that they created a vortex of fire. The draconequus laughed delightedly, and suddenly the phantasmal birds were trapped in individual cages that plummeted to the earth below.

"Better!" he cackled. "But still far short of your best work. Whatever happened to that thing you did, with the snowflake that turned into complex shackles? I rather liked that one."

"Be silent!" the princess roared. A pillar of white light as thick as her body erupted from her horn, shearing the creature in half. Tyranny glanced down at his severed form, rolled his eyes, and sprouted a new pair of legs.

"Honestly, Celestia, are you even trying? Don't you remember how you beat me the last time? I believe you and Luna opened portals to the moon and sun, blasting me with flame while freezing me with the cold vacuum of space. Oh, but I suppose you'd need her here for that. Too bad I hit her with a train."

Celestia fired another rapid series of blasts. The draconequus easily weaved past them, all while idly inspecting his claws.

"Marvelous invention, trains. I'm rather impressed with the things your ponies have come up with! They'll make excellent subjects, I think. I must try not to crush their wills too thoroughly."

"Never!" she screamed. "You may defeat me, Tyranny, but you won't rule Equestria. My ponies will find a way to bring you down. I promise you that."

"Yes, hmm," the creature said vaguely, brushing its knuckles on the front of its robe. "Well, I'm afraid this is getting really rather dull, my dear. I think I'll turn you to stone and place you next to my idiot brother. I think he'd enjoy that; he always did have a bit of a crush on you, you know."

"You--"

Celestia's response was cut off abruptly. One moment, she was the furious Princess of the Sun, glowing with radiant power and righteous wrath. The next, she was a statue of a meek little filly, barely old enough to have earned her cutie mark. Tyranny examined his handiwork and smiled. "And now to conquer the world."

"Yuck, good thing Rarity isn't here," Rainbow Dash observed dryly.

The pack of ponies were moving through an ancient, secret passageway that, thanks to a burst pipe somewhere, was also serving as an unofficial sewer. This turn of events must have come within the last few years; Blueblood distinctly remembered the tunnels being free of anything worse than cobwebs and the occasional spider. He made a mental note to have the sewage line found and repaired as soon as possible.

"We'll pass a few doors soon," he told them. "Take the second one on the right."

Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth nodded back to him.

Blueblood fell back into his thoughts, putting aside a bit of mental power to keep his horn lit. He didn't have much of a plan beyond "find the other Bearers, blank, profit." And judging from the distant explosions that kept shaking the entire mountain, he wasn't sure that plan was going to be relevant anymore. Twilight Sparkle and the others might well be dead by now, along with almost everypony else in Canterlot. Hay, if it wasn't for the continued battle, he'd be worried that Celestia and Luna were gone, too.

If the other Bearers were dead, then it was very likely over. There were enough ponies here to make a new group, but he wasn't exactly confident that any of the potential replacements, including himself, would match any of the Elements. Derpy could probably take Generosity, and Cloud Kicker was pretty Honest about her desire to copulate with anything on four legs, but...

The lead pegasi reached the indicated door. Blossomforth moved to push it open, but to no avail. "It's locked."

"What? It is the second door on the right, isn't it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, let's see. One," she pointed to the door Blueblood stood next to, "two. I'm pretty sure, yes."

"Sorry, I just meant... that door shouldn't even have a lock. This is an escape route known only to a handful of ponies."

"Um, did you try knocking?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy," Dash groaned.

Derpy shrugged, pushed past the others, and knocked politely.

"Uh... who's there?"

The others jumped, but Derpy just smiled. "Hi, Applejack! It's me, Ditzy. Can we come in?"

There was some muffled discussion from the other side. "How do we know it's you?"

"Well, remember how, the other day, I delivered you that thing that you really didn't want me to tell anypony about? The one that kept buzzing inside the box, because somepony accidentally turned it--"

The door opened. An orange earth pony in a Stetson hat ushered them in, her cheeks burning a bright scarlet. "Ditzy! Good to see ya! Come in, come in!"

Blueblood followed the others in. The room beyond was as he remembered: an ancient waypoint for those needing to escape the mountain, equipped with a few barrels of dried food, fresh water pouring gently from a hidden opening above, and a few uncomfortable but serviceable cots. On them sat five ponies; two of them were clearly guards, while the other three were a familiar-looking set of two unicorns and a bright pink earth pony.

"FLUTTERSHY!" said pony cried. "DASHIE! You're okay!"

"Hey, Pinkie," the rainbow-hued pegasus said with a weak grin. She cringed as her friend went to wrap her in a massive hug, but fortunately, the other pony noticed the wound in her flank first.

"Oh, Dashie, what happened?! Here, lay down on this cot! Somepony get me some bandages, some hot water, and 50ccs of methadone, stat!"

Blueblood stared at the pink pony in confusion, but the others seemed to be ignoring her, so he decided to follow their lead. Meanwhile, the other Bearers gathered around Fluttershy, hugging her and asking quiet, intense questions about her journey.

"We were so worried... "

"What took you so long? ... "

"How'd Rainbow get hurt? ... "

Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth stood a little to the side, clearly not part of the main circle here. Derpy was a bit closer, evidently waiting her turn for a hug, too. With a shrug, Blueblood turned to the guards. "What happened?"

"Castle's evacuated. Something happened to Princess Luna when those things first showed up. We're under orders to guard the Elements and get 'em out of town."

"New orders. We have to get them upstairs so they can fight Azure."

"Dashie isn't fighting anypony," Pinkie scolded, surprising the prince by suddenly appearing right in his face. "She's hurt! She needs serious medical attention!"

Blueblood matched her stare with his own. "And Auntie Celestia needs your help or she could die, you annoying little twit!"

All conversation stopped, and all eyes turned to Blueblood. One of the ponies, a white unicorn with an indigo mane, began to seethe as recognition sank in. "You!"

"Oh, here we go," Blueblood growled. "Listen, just shut up! All of you, just shut up! I know I'm a bad pony, okay? I know none of you like me. But do you hear those explosions? Do you feel the ground shaking? Auntie Celestia is fighting for us up there, alone. You are the only ponies that can help her. So stop yammering, stop fussing over eachother, and get to it!"

Rarity's nostrils flared. "Listen, you arrogant, uncouth, snobbish piece of... "

"He's right."

Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash. Despite her obvious pain, despite heaving to lean on Pinkie for support, her ruby eyes were shining with defiance. "He's right. We hafta get up there. I keep telling you guys, I'm fine. And it won't matter how hurt I am if we're all turned into skeletons or something, right?"

Grudgingly, the others nodded agreement. Twilight Sparkle reached into her saddlebags and began wordlessly passing out the Elements of Harmony. Nopony looked at Blueblood. Even the guards were staring at the floor uncomfortably.

"Okay, then," Twilight said, once the girls were ready. "Um. Wish us luck."

"Good luck," said Tyranny. And then the Bearers were gone.

"Well, this has been a rather productive evening, I must say," the draconequus told his audience as he lay draped across the remains of Celestia's throne. "Captured two goddesses, banished the only threats to my power to the moon, and became the undisputed ruler of Equestria. I wonder what I'll be able to knock off my to-do list tomorrow?"

Blueblood said nothing. Beside him, Cloud Kicker struggled to make herself heard through the rags stuffed unceremoniously in her mouth. Blossomforth heard enough to roll her eyes.

"Perhaps I should thaw out my brother. Let him see what I've managed to accomplish, while he found himself turned to stone, not once, but twice by the same magical doodads." He laughed. "I think it might be fun to crush his will. Maybe I could get him to stop making that stupid chocolate rain."

He smiled at the thought for a moment, before turning his attention to his captives. "You know, Blueblood, I'm rather surprised at you. I almost wish you were my grandson. You showed such cunning, such intelligence, such courage in the face of certain death. Why, if you kept it up, you might even make other ponies like you some day. I mean, you were ready to make your last words a series of awful jokes directed at a dragon. You've got style, boy."

Blueblood just glared at him.

"Speaking of style... You wouldn't happen to know what happened to my queen, would you? I was rather looking forward to showing off her new look to our subjects. Why, I have a feeling that it would soon be all the rage." He chuckled weakly. "All the rage? Queen of Wrath? No? Hm."

"Oh, I get it!" Ditzy chirped.

"Thank you, my dear, I'll kill you last."

"This isn't over yet," Blueblood said calmly.

Tyranny quirked an eyebrow. "Really, boy? I'd say it very definitely is. My army holds the city, everyone who might oppose me is gone... really, I think you're out of cavalry."

"There's still me."

That elicited a derisive snort, followed by a gail of laughter. Blueblood did his best to keep the annoyance off his face as the draconequus roared with such mirth that he almost fell off the throne. After more than a minute, he finally began to settle... and then he looked at Blueblood again, snorted, and broke into an even longer giggling fit.

"Okay," Tyranny finally gasped, wiping a tear from his eyes. "Okay. And how, exactly, are you going to stop me? You're shackled to a wall in my throne room, boy."

"I'm going to talk you into surrendering."

The draconequus tilted his head, a wide grin splitting his face. "Do tell."

"I destroyed the construct you made from Cadance's power. That means that the burden of powering your army now rests on you alone."

"Hardly a drop in the bucket, boy. I still defeated both of your princesses."

"Sure, but eventually, that toll is going to start to wear on you. Especially when Celestia, Luna, and Twilight start fighting against whatever spells you've cast on them. You're going to have to choose; do you keep the undead horde, or do you keep your enemies trapped?"

"Again, you're wildly underestimating my power."

Blueblood shrugged as best he could. "Maybe, maybe not. Meanwhile, I know Shining Armor. Right now, he's out there gathering every pony that can carry a spear. You'll have to raise every skeleton in the Everfree Forest before you stop him."

"Go on."

"Then there's the fact that Cadance's powers are free. Once she has them back, she's going to come after you. And I know her, too; she's smart. She won't fight you directly. She'll free Auntie Celestia, and then the two of them will find a way to release Luna and the Bearers."

"Fascinating."

"And then, you'll be faced with three pissed-off goddesses, the Elements of Harmony, a knight who doesn't know the definition of the word 'yield'--I'm being serious on that, I literally don't think he does--and every ally and resource they can call up. You should just save yourself the beating and get out of town while you still can."

Tyranny stroked his chin thoughtfully. "An interesting proposition. I'll take it under consideration." He paused for a moment, then pantomimed crumpling a piece of paper and throwing it over his shoulder. "Nah."

"Well, your funeral." He fell silent, staring at the wall behind the draconequus' head.

Tyranny watched him. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw nothing there. He looked back at Blueblood and saw him grinning. He frowned. Blueblood's grin widened.

"Okay, I admit, you're sort of creeping me out now."

The prince just smiled.

"Ooh... kay. This needs to stop. How about a nice execution? You, the annoying one, you're up first."

The shackles around Cloud Kicker's limbs disappeared. She floated over to the center of the throne room, and Tyranny rose from his throne to pace a circle around her. "Let's see, how should we do this? It's been a few millenia since I tortured a pony to death. Do you have qyzincks? I forget."

He glanced over at the prince. He was still staring into the distance, smiling that creepy little smile.

"Well, we can start with the basics. How would you like to be flayed, girl?"

Cloud Kicker's response was lost in her gag. Tyranny smiled and, with a snap of his fingers, the rags disappeared. "Could you repeat that, dear?"

"I said, 'I love gettin' flayed.' Though you're not really my type."

The draconequus chuckled. "Tell me, little pony, what is your name?"

"Duke Stenchwind the Flatulent of the nineteenth district of Up Yours."

"I see. And what is it you do for a living?"

"I'm a professional sex toy engineer. I test 'em on Blossom. Oh, and sometimes I collect my own feces and do hoof paintings with it."

The pegasus suddenly went rigid, as if she was being stretched taut in every direction. Tyranny leaned forward, his eyes level with hers, and put a hand to her head. "Let's try that again."

"My name is Cloud Kicker," she said in a hollow monotone. "I am a weather pony in Ponyville. I am one of Rainbow Dash's assistant managers."

Blossomforth gasped. "What are you doing to her?!"

The draconequus rolled his eyes. "I'm named 'Tyranny' for a reason, girl. I'm bending her to my will. I thought that was rather obvious. Now then," he continued, turning back to his chosen victim, "of the ponies in this room, which would you least like to kill?"

"Blossomforth."

"Good, good." He grinned. "Kill Blossomforth."

Cloud Kicker fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Slowly, she rose to her hooves, and then lifted herself into the air. She began advancing on her friend, hooves outstretched.

"No," the white pegasus whimpered, trying to struggle free of her shackles. "No, please, Cloud Kicker... "

Tyranny laughed, low and menacing. He glanced at Derpy and saw her mouth hanging open in wordless horror. His eyes fell over Blueblood...

And he was still grinning.

"Stop that!" he shouted, pounding a hoof on the floor. "I am literally causing one of the worst tragedies imaginable, and you're still smiling off into space like a lunatic! Pay attention to me!"

Blueblood blinked and glanced at the draconequus. "Sorry, what?"

"If you hadn't noticed, I am forcing one of your friends to murder another!"

The prince glanced at them, frowned, and shrugged. "Eh, we'll be rescued before that happens."

"What?!"

"Cadance just freed Princess Celestia, and they're working on getting back Luna. Two minutes, tops. Then they just need to get the Bearers, and... "

"You're lying!"

Blueblood shrugged.

The draconequus went into a fury. He smashed the throne to kindling with a flick of his hand, sent a wall exploding outwards with another, and cracked apart the flagstone floor with a frustrated stomp. "You're lying! I know you're lying! If Celestia were free, I'd know it! Look!" He waved, and suddenly a statue of a terrified young filly appeared floating beside him. "You see?! Still here!"

"That doesn't look like Auntie Celestia."

"Of course it doesn't, you idiot!" Tyranny roared. "I reverted her to a foal before I imprisoned her!"

"So you know what she looked like as a foal?"

"I... " He paused, doubt flashing across his face.

"Turning ponies to stone is one of Auntie Celestia's trademarks, Tyranny. Do you really think she'd let you do it to her? I'm sure she felt terrible about using some poor filly in her place, but come on, bigger picture."

"No! It's her! Look at the cutie mark!"

"How do you know it wasn't just etched onto the statue?!"

"You- I'll prove it!"

There was a flash of light, and then Princess Celestia, looking a bit dazed, hovered beside Tyranny in all her adult glory. "See?!" the draconequus cried.

"Eeyep," said a large, red stallion as he slammed into the creature, knocking it onto its back.

"What the--"

"Cutie Mark Crusader Royal Liberation Squad, ATTACK!"

Before the draconequus knew what was happening, three young fillies had pounced on him and were gnawing industriously at his legs and arms. Tyranny shrieked in outraged fury, but was cut short when a zebra dropped a ball of some acrid, green powder into his mouth. Coughing and gagging, he managed to roll away, only to find a magenta earth pony clutching a warhammer in her mouth. He cringed back as the hammer smashed into the stones where his head had been, and, finally coming to grips with the situation, leapt to his hooves and reared up.

"ENOUGH! I will not be defeated by- by commoners and, and CHILDREN!"

"No, you won't."

A blast of blazing blue energy slammed into the draconequus, knocking him back to the floor. He tried to rise, but another hit him in the chest and then spread to pin down each of his limbs.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, her mane a halo of rose-hued energy, stared down at him with righteous fury in her eyes. "It's over, Tyranny."

He sighed. "Discord's never going to let me hear the end of this."

"It's okay, Cloud Kicker," Blossomforth sighed. "I forgive you for trying to kill me."

"I'm so sorry!" she purple pegasus sobbed, burying her face in her friend's chest.

"It's okay. Tyranny was controlling you, you weren't-- h-hey!"

Cloud Kicker grinned. "You taste nice."

The throne room was packed with ponies. More and more had filtered into the ruined castle after the skeletal horde had, without explanation or preamble, suddenly collapsed into lifeless piles of bones. Guards, nobles, peasants and merchants alike milled about the halls, gossiping to eachother and trying to figure out what, exactly, had happened.

"Princess Celestia, I'm so sorry!" Twilight Sparkle told her mentor, tears streaming down her face. "We were on our way to help you, and then we were just... "

"Shh," the princess murmured, striking her student's mane. "It isn't your fault, Twilight. Tyranny was always smarter than his brother. Not, of course, that that's saying much."

Twilight wiped a tear away and flashed a wry grin in the direction of the pony who'd helped save the day. "Good thing, huh?"

Blueblood caught her eye and her smile, and returned it in kind. He frowned a bit when Twilight immediately burst into giggles. With a shrug, he turned back to Cheerilee and Big Macintosh. "I can't thank you enough. Finding Cadance, risking your lives to distract Tyranny for her... you saved Equestria."

"Aw, shucks," Macintosh blushed, scraping a hoof across the ground.

"I'm just glad that you're okay," Cheerilee told him with a smile. "I mean, after all you've been through... "

He shook his head. "This, all of this, is my fault. I'm glad you were there to save the world despite me."

"Destiny is a two-edged sword," Zecora told him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "But those who chase it are rarely bored."

He managed a small smile, which grew in size when three fillies in tattered red capes leapt up and wrapped themselves around his neck.

"We love you, Prince Blueblood," Sweetie Belle told him, punctuating the statement with a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"Well, yeah, I suppose ya ain't all bad," Applebloom added. "I mean, I reckon 'love' might be a li'l strong, but..."

She was silenced as her friends pressed themselves closer in another group hug.

"Girls," called Cheerilee, "Prince Blueblood needs to breathe sometime. And I think he has somepony who wants to speak to him."

The fillies disentangled themselves, and Blueblood looked up to see Princess Cadance, her newly ethereal mane billowing around her head, looking at him with an unreadable expression. He gulped and followed her out of the room.

They walked in silence, ignoring the ponies calling for their attention as they passed further into the castle. Finally, they reached the old library they'd spent countless hours in as foals. Cadance opened the door and waited for Blueblood to enter; he did.

They stood there for awhile, not looking at eachother, and not speaking.

"Cadance," Blueblood finally said, "I'm sorry."

"I don't know if that's good enough."

The words hit him like a stone. He bowed his head.

"What you did... Blue, I could have died. And, and, your fixation on me... honestly, it's not good. I'm married, Blue. Even if you can't let go of your obsession with me, you need to respect that. We will never
be together."

He nodded. He couldn't speak past the lump in his throat.

"We don't know how many ponies died because of this. We don't know how many families were broken apart, how many lives were shattered. We don't know how many little foals will grow up without parents because of you, because of your... I don't even know what to call it, Blue."

"Stupidity?"

"That's a start, yes. Blue... I don't want you here anymore."

He swallowed back tears. "I understand."

"Thank you for helping me defeat Tyranny. If you hadn't recognized my telepathic voice, if you hadn't been able to stall him so we could surprise him... I don't know if I could have beaten him in a fair fight. And getting him to release Celestia, well... I admit, that was an extraordinarily clever. Reversing his de-aging spell might have been... complicated. So... thank you for that. You did well."

She turned to look at him, and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "But you can't stay here any longer."

He nodded. He moved towards the door.

"Blue, you... you don't have to go yet. Get some rest. Pack your things. I'm not just throwing you out."

"No," he said, forcing a smile. "It's okay, Cadance. You're right. I need to get out of here."

He moved past her and into the hall. "Oh, and Cadance?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for calling me 'Blue.' "

She pretended not to hear him cry.

Dear Auntie Celestia,

I'm doing well here. I admit that Ponyville is a bit more... well, rural than I'd like, but the folks here are friendly and hardly seem to hold the destruction of their town and livelihoods against me.

(I think it helps that the Cutie Mark Crusaders loudly and vehemently shout down anypony they hear saying a bad word about me.)

I've taken a part-time job at Sweet Apple Acres. As it turns out, I've got a decent head for numbers. Just by going over expenses and adjusting a few prices, I've set the farm on the path to the largest profits they've seen in years. Apparently, Granny Smith is going to get a new hip soon. Would it be too much to ask for a referral to one of Canterlot's better surgeons? I'm not sure I trust Dr. Sawbones.

Also, yes, I am dating. Thank you for inquiring. Constantly. With every letter. And no, I am not going to tell you who. I know you, Auntie; you'll be planning weddings in no time. I will say that you have met her. And that is all the hint I am going to give you. (And don't you dare send spies.)

Cheerilee's been kind enough to invite me to her class again. I was supposed to talk about the First Equestrian Bank, but somehow, I ended up regaling the students with the story of that private eye from Fillydelphia who uncovered the bank's corruption. Regardless, the students rather enjoyed it, and she and Macintosh even bought me dinner in gratitude.

All things considered, I couldn't be doing much better. I am... happy. How strange it is to write that and actually mean it.

Please, give my regards to Cadance and Shining Armor, and give Auntie Luna a big hug on my behalf.

Thank you, once again, for your eternal love and patience. I love you, Aunt Celestia.

Your Devoted Newphew

Blueblood