Iron Colt

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Prologue
Chapter 2

Chapter 1

A few hours ago. . .

Lights dimmed. A small click was heard as a projector opened up. Everypony in their tables murmured in surprise as a video began to play, first showing the Ponytech logo, which consisted of a symbolic globe with a horseshoe inside . Gear Match, a unicorn with dull grey body with off-white mane and a cutie mark consisting of an intricate design of joined gears, heard soft gasps as the film that appeared before their eyes was crystal clear and the sound was amazing to hear.

Moving pictures with sound was not a relatively new concept. It dated back ages, before the First Equestrian War. It began with multiple drawn cartoons, cycled in quick succession to animate them, then evolved with live ponies captured on film. The entertainment industry began to slowly blossom.

Most of the time though, these shows, or cinema as it was now being called, was muddled up and the sound was somewhat scratchy. Thanks to R&D, cameras and recorders grew more sophisticated, films were cleaner and the new speakers gave more robust sounds. He could even hear some ponies wondering if the new Daring Do film, following the first one, would look as good as this.

“Technology.”

The logo changed to a light bulb lighting up.

“It is the bright future offered to everypony out there. It is the improvement of living that everypony deserves.”

Images of little fillies smiling; Gear Match loved that, always a classic.

“We at Ponytech Industries strive everyday to increase awareness of an underestimated part of pony life. And with each year, Ponytech has discovered or improved varying aspects of tools or infrastructures, from the more stable electro-magic system of big cities like Manehattan and Fillydelphia. . .”

An edited image showing Princess Celestia’s sun sinking quickly while Princess Luna’s night sky formed and the city slowly began to glow in artificial light.

“. . . To better medicines, improved light systems, to more advanced concepts like automated transportation.”

Everypony seemed to look at awe as a concept automated land and air chariots moving without the influence of any Pegasus or earth ponies.

“Every year, applications of Ponytech technology keeps up the average profit margins, using mass scale productions to keep products affordable”

Yeah, this was the part that Gear Match didn’t fully agree on. It had too many big words that were new, and rarely used by ponies. But at least the image of a Ponytech factory at work, an assembly line filled with different ponies each doing different jobs in creating a product, seemed to have been attracting attention. And at the center, a huge circular container, inside, magical energy spinning fast forming a blue and yellow blur powered the factory and the city.

It was Ponytech’s proudest and most advanced inventions: the Artificial Magic Reactor, which was now slowly replacing the outdated steam engines that provided electro-magic in the big cities.

“It is Ponytech’s vision that in the future, technology will be affordable for everyone. And we are proud to be part of making that happen.”

And it ended with the Ponytech logo once more.

Still, it seemed the film did its job to impress. He heard a lot of ponies stamping the carpeted floor with a warm applause. Even Princess Celestia, the guest of honor for this meeting, gave modest and dignified stomps.

Gear Match looked towards his left, and sighed.

Prince Blueblood had advised that he may or may not be present depending on circumstance, and with the Princess’ presence, Gear Match knew the Prince was not going to make an appearance.

He stood up, and waved at a few ponies, and gave them a warm smile. He slowly cantered towards the stage, and positioned himself near the microphone. The stamping gave way, but he waited until everyone stopped before he spoke.

“Everypony, welcome to Ponytech Industries annual show. . .”

-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

Gear Match gave a nod as he greeted each of his guests out. Some promised more bits to invest, some wondering how long it will take for Ponytech to create the new marvels of transportation. Some were a bit more hostile, asking what the pegasi would do if those automated chariots were created. He had given a small anecdote of trains that were usually pulled by Earth Pony stallions, yet are now running with the steam engines. All in all, though, the reception of new concept technology seemed to go over well with the others.

“I must say, Gear Match, your presentation is quite impressive.”

Gear Match bowed as none other than Princess Celestia approached. Her multicolored mane flowed with unseen and unfelt winds, and her golden crown shone unblemished. She graced him a small smile.

“Princess Celestia,” Gear Match replied. “You honor me with your presence. I hope the show was to your liking.”

Celestia nodded. “It was a spectacular show. And I am excited to see new discoveries Ponytech has made. Why, I never imagined how advanced the company would continue to be! I’d have thought after the AMR Ponytech would take the chance to relax a little. Now I’m hearing that a machine that thinks for itself is being developed!”

Gear Match’s eyes went wide. He lowered his head, and whispered, “Princess, have you been talking to Prince Blueblood regarding Ponytech projects?”

“He occasionally mutters things when he thinks he’s alone. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but honestly, speaking to oneself in the halls of a castle invites such opportunities.”

“Ah. I’ll give Prince Blueblood a warning. As for the thinking machine, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Princess Celestia, but the ‘computer’ project is still years away from production. We haven’t had much breakthrough.”

“I see,” Celestia gave him a nod. “ Well, I’d love to see this ‘computer’ of yours once it pushes through. Speaking of my nephew, I was under the impression that he would be here today, to host this event,” Celestia’s eyes roamed around, trying to spot the blonde maned unicorn. “Where is Prince Blueblood?”

“Ah, well, Princess. . .”

-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

“And there we . . . go!” Blueblood declared as he magically threw the two dice he had telekinetically held towards the green felt table. When the results came up, he gave the crowd a smile as they whooped. “And there it is, ponies! Come on, give me another shot!”

The dealer shook his head, smiling as he pushed a few credit bits to Blueblood’s direction, along with a new pair of dice.

The Prince winked at one of the mares, maroon with a silver four-pointed star cutie mark, situated on his left as he levitated the pair of dice. She was an exotic creature, definitely had some Neighpon ancestry with her canted eyes. She had a nice flank, and well combed coat, mane and tail. She was the perfect companion for the tabloids and newspapers to marvel at.

He could practically see the headlines tomorrow. ‘Prince Blueblood’s new conquest?’

“Now, my lady, would you be so kind?” he asked as he magically floated the dice nearby. The mare giggled, her dark pink mane flowed beautifully as she shifted her head. She blew the dices slightly, and with that, Blueblood threw them towards the table, only to be surprised when they stopped mid-air, and began to float away.

“What in Equestria,” Blueblood huffed as he looked around. “Who dares interfere with my. . .” and he spotted Princess Celestia followed by Gear Match in tow. For a moment, a victorious expression washed over his face before being replaced to a glaringly fake smile. “Princess Celestia. What a very pleasant surprise. What brings you here?”

The surrounding ponies paused at first, momentarily in shock. When it finally caught up with them, most murmured their greetings and bowed towards their beloved leader. Celestia spared a smile for most of them, but when her face turned to Prince Blueblood, her expression turned cold.

“Prince Blueblood, come with me please.”

Blueblood swallowed. “Oh, um, Princess Celestia, I would like to--”

“Now.”

The Prince nodded, and slowly approached the Princess. A few moments later, he felt the familiar tingle of magic as everything around him mashed into a sea of colors, fading into grey, and finally turning green as Blueblood found himself in the Royal Gardens in Canterlot.

His aunt’s magic always impressed him. From Manehattan to Canterlot in seconds; it always reminded him to tread carefully around her. As benevolent as she was, she had a temper that once stoked, cows everyone, even Princess Luna, the feared Princess of the Night.

Celestia sighed as she shook her head, and moved slightly away from Blueblood. Her odd steps informed the Prince she was trying to calm herself down. He kept quiet, and allowed her to do her work.

After a minute, she finally looked at Blueblood. “Nephew.”

Blueblood took a moment before realizing that Celestia was waiting for a response. “Yes Auntie?”

“When you first advised me of your momentous investment years ago to build up your own company and business, I was happy. I was especially proud when they told me that you proved to be an excellent leader by your own right and was able to steer Ponytech Industries in the right direction on their projects. My day was specifically brightened when I heard you were assigned to host the annual event. I was even told that you’d be honored if I was to attend. I was hoping that after what had happened in the Grand Galloping Gala, you were willing to show me that you were taking steps on the right direction.”

Blueblood swallowed. “Well, Auntie, I am honored. . .”

“Yet not honored enough to show up?” Celestia sighed. “Nephew, why do you do this to me?”

“Auntie, with all due respect, you told me to keep myself hidden.”

“From public view, Blueblood!” Celestia almost used her own Canterlot Royal Voice. Almost. “Instead of hosting the show, you were off gambling. Oh yes, that’s keeping yourself hidden.”

“I could host it next year--”

“Like how you will behave properly next time on the next Grand Galloping Gala?” Celestia asked. “Humiliating a pony hero? The holder of the Element of Generosity? Was that what were you trying to do today? Humiliate me?”

“Of course not, Auntie! And if I had known she was an important figure, Auntie, I wouldn’t have behaved like that!”

“The point is, Nephew, you shouldn’t have behaved like that at all!” Celestia sighed. She straightened up. “Prince Blueblood, I am very disappointed in you. I had hoped that after everything, you would have at least tried to improve your standing, if not with everypony, at least with your family.”

Blueblood looked at her. “I am sorry Auntie.”

“That’s the problem, Nephew. You are not.”

Blueblood felt a familiar tug and found himself once more in Manehattan, near the craps tables he had been playing. Ponies looked at the Prince carefully, half-worried, probably wondering if they should be running from a wrathful alicorn soon. He just gave them a smile.

“I must apologize, my good ponies, but it seems Princess Celestia has a need for me to run an errand for the good of Canterlot. I would stay as I have very much enjoyed the evening and the company,” and he gave a wink to the mare who had been beside him the whole night. “But alas, I must go. Fare thee well, everypony!”

The mare looked at him and whispered, barely audible, as he pushed past her ‘I’ll see you soon’ before she faded from view.

He hadn’t gone a few steps when he spotted Gear Match in a hurry to his direction. Blueblood gave him a slight wave before motioning towards the exit. His unicorn companion nodded, and made his way while Blueblood waved merrily at the ponies of Manehattan, slowly exiting the Stars and Stones casino.

Outside, Blueblood saw a carriage pulled by two pegasi and Gear Match waiting for him. Boarding the vehicle, the pegasi took a run before they were slowly lifted to the air. Only when the city was nothing but specks of light, and the cold night air reached its coldest did the Prince relax.

The pegasi pulling the chariot in the air breathed steady as they finally normalized their pace as their wings beat over in a rhythm. They were slowly travelling over the worrying expansion of the Everfree Forest. Blueblood hoped they’d be able to reach Fillydelphia in the next hour.

“So, Prince Blueblood, who was that mare?” Gear Match asked.

Blueblood blinked, and his mind recalled the maroon unicorn that blew at his dice. While she did whisper that she’d want to meet with him soon, he had no idea when that would be. Hay’s Straws, he didn’t even get her name.

“No idea,” he replied. “And really, Gear Match? Dodging the real question on your mind, hmm?”

Gear Match gave a frown, and shook his head. “I don’t like these games, Prince Blueblood. It gives me the willies.”

“I assure you, Gear Match, Princess Celestia is far too composed to lash out at you,” Blueblood said.

“Even if that is true, I do not like being part of whatever schemes you cook up to get to Princess Celestia! I know you’ve got your reasons, but deceiving her highness is not something I would like to do! Please, at least tell me you have succeeded?”

“No, Gear Match, she hasn’t disowned me yet,” Blueblood sighed. “Auntie’s been harder and harder to read these past few weeks. I had thought after what happened to the Gala would speed things up. She even sent me a letter.”

“Letter?”

“She, uh, eloquently expressed her dissatisfaction regarding my behavior at the Gala,” the Prince replied.

Gear Match blinked. “And that is a good thing?”

“She started with a ‘Dear Idiot Nephew’, so yes, I’m quite happy with it. She never usually stoops to insults, no matter how badly I misbehave, but I seemed to have pushed a few of her buttons when I ‘mishandled’ the Element of Generosity. Even accused me of stealing Aunt Luna some looks.”

“You’ve been. . . to Princess Luna?” Gear Match sounded somewhat disturbed.

The white stallion scoffed. “Don’t be a foal, Gear Match. Aunt Luna has a beautiful mane. That’s all. Auntie Celestia was just misinterpreting things. Or both of them are.”

“Then maybe you can use that as your advantage. . . if you can stomach the thought.”

Blueblood’s eyes widened and his mouth opened in horror. “Wha- . . . are you suggesting I act like I’m actually interested in Aunt Luna? Give the hints that I want to be her stallion?”

“Well, it could push a few buttons. . .”

“Are you mad? I want to get disowned, Gear Match, not banished to the moon! Not to mention that Aunt Luna scares me even more than my dear Auntie--”

Blueblood was cut off when his whole world exploded in a flash of white. Air rocked around him, and he could hear pounding in his ears. For a moment, he wondered what had happened, and where he was. Seconds felt like minutes, giving to hours as his eyes finally recovered from their temporary blindness. He could finally see the beautiful velvet night sky. blemished only by a dark cloud.

He then felt the air suddenly hitting his body as he felt sinking in the pit of his stomach. The whooshing of air transformed to whistling which sounded odd with the coldness of the air. The night sky was obstructed before he felt a painful impact on his back as his body flipped. He saw the ground just a second before he hit it.

Pain lit his body on fire. Blueblood felt tiredness he had never felt in all his life, even after spending sleepless nights working or in bed with a discreet mare. His front and forelegs felt stiff as he could hear more thunder over the air, with light flashing overhead.

He then heard voices.

“Hurry up. The gryphons won’t keep the Prince’s escorts delayed for long.”

“I think he landed here.”

“I think I can see that unicorn companion of his.”

Gear Match. Blueblood felt himself stand up as his brain cleared of indecisiveness. He was under attack, and they had his escorts pinned. It didn’t take long before he knew what direction the whole situation would turn unless he moved.

He groaned in pain as he forced himself up, and looked around. The forest grounds were not too thick, and with the lightning bolts up ahead he could see enough. Lanterns of low red fires burned around him, and he spotted Gear Match in a clearing up ahead. He checked his surroundings, wondering if there was some Dragonfire Crystal, parchment and quills so he could send out a message.

No such luck.

He took a breather. Contacting his Auntie was out. Next best step was to get to Gear Match, and hope he’s aware or at least awake. With their unicorn magic, they could at least hold off the ambushers until his escorts cleared up the skies. He even prayed that Aunt Luna was up there, watching, and would notice their predicament.

He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the sharp pain in his hooves.

“Where you going, Prince Charmless?”

The air whistled as Blueblood noticed a glint of metal coming at him fast. His horn glowed as a metallic four pointed star half his size came at him, hitting his magic barrier. He felt himself grunt as the force forced him back a few steps as more four pointed star projectiles came after him, smaller in size, but in quicker succession. He tried to form another barrier, but the projectiles came at him from everywhere, some going around his barrier, slashing shallowly at his sides.

The sharp pain took a toll in his concentration. His magic wavered as a louder whistle came at him. Then he felt unimaginable pain cut through him. He felt his magic fade, almost disappearing completely as he fell on the ground.

He looked up and saw an enormous four pointed star on the ground. And his horn.

“Silver Star, I said no damage!”

“It’s just his horn. It’ll make it easier if he can’t use magic.”

Blueblood whinnied as he tried to stand. This couldn’t be happening, he thought. This couldn’t be happening.

“I need his mind sharp for this! I’m calling a healer. Knock him out, and we’ll see if we can salvage this.”

Blueblood felt a hoof roughly shoving his side. He looked up, and saw the maroon mare with the four-pointed metallic star on her flank. She was giving him a slight smile.

“Told you I’d see you soon.”

Last thing he saw before the darkness came was her hoof slamming down on his face.

-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

Blueblood felt his whole body twitch as sharp pain from his head gave off electrical jolts all over his body. He didn’t exactly remember if he was screaming or moaning, or how long he was under. All he could see were swirls of colors. All he could hear were inaudible words. All he could feel were sharp prickling pains that lasted seconds that felt like hours.

Then . . . darkness.

-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

He woke up with a start. His eyes opened wide, his mouth giving a silent gasp as the first thing he felt was soreness on his muscles with a dull throbbing pain on his head. For three whole minutes, that was all in his head. The throbbing pain. Slowly, his mind began to recall other details.

“STAGE DIVE!”

The smell of apples and sugar.

“. . . in fact, the ONLY THING ROYAL about YOU is that you ARE a ROYAL PAIN!”

An angry mare unicorn. Somehow, the memory tickled his side. He remembered his line. He remembered to make it as arrogant as he could. In return, the unicorn shook off the icing off her face, aiming her hardest to hit him with it.

Dear Idiot Nephew. . .

Victorious. He felt a victory unlike any other. He didn’t even feel this way when he led the team that invented the AMR.

And then finally. . . pain. A white light flashing as he remembered his tumble back to earth. He remembered the whispering voices, the dark red lanterns. He remembered the mare that bucked him in the face.

“AGH!!” Blueblood grunted as he forced himself up. The pain on his muscles magnified as he felt his strength vanish and his mouth drying.

“Prince Blueblood!”

The white stallion blinked as he recognized Gear Match coming to his side. He was levitating a simple ceramic bowl of clear liquid to him, and with a little urging, gave him a drink. Blueblood gave a silent sigh as he felt the cool water pouring down his through as he drunk it hungrily.

He felt slightly stronger. The pain in his muscles faded, but even when he emptied the bowl, he still felt thirst. Not for water this time. It was for something else. For a moment, he was confused, only to remember another thing.

“No. . . No it cannot be,” he muttered as he moved in his makeshift bed made of hay, elevated slightly from the ground. His forelegs rubbed over his neck, and slowly, gingerly moved his hooves upwards. He felt the base of his horn, bandaged. He kept going upward until a quarter of the way up, where it gave way and he twitched as he felt a tinge of electrical pulse travel from his head to his body.

He stopped. For a moment, he felt his world had gone dark. He recognized the symptoms of his thirst, and even if he wanted to deny it as much as he could, reality wasn’t something that would give leeway to spare a pony’s feelings. He learned that lesson well from a young age when he last saw his father taken away by his mother’s Guard. And ever since, he would always be given more reminders.

This was the icing on the cake.

“I’m sorry, Prince Blueblood. I’m sorry,” was all Gear Match said.

The Prince felt his eyes water as he gave a silent sob. Gear Match just stood nearby but was hushed. There weren’t really any words he could give.

It took a moment before Blueblood calmed himself down. He wiped his tears away and tried to concentrate, to clear his head, to think of anything. He couldn’t. The feeling of thirst came back at him in full force, leaving him somewhat dull-minded.

Magic Thirst. All symptoms pointed it back to that particular sickness. Unicorns have been blessed with the constant magic flowing through them. Their horn would absorb the trace amounts in the air and spread it around the pony’s body constantly, and as the unicorn grew, their aptitude of their magic increases. It was not strange to hear a unicorn being well-read or versed, or have the ability to learn anything quickly. And while they would never be as hardy as an Earth Pony, they could spend sleepless nights when necessary.

That all came from their magic.

It was simple to treat. Most of the time, the condition was present when a unicorn exhausted his magic, and all he needed was a transfusion of magic from a trusted unicorn, or a concocted drink that would release a fixed amount of magic from within. Without his horn, though, any type of magic he would obtain would slowly dissipate, leaving him back where he started.

Focus on that later, Blueblood thought. Right now, asses your current situation. He looked around and they were surrounded by stone walls. They didn’t look pony-made, so maybe they could be in a cavern of sorts. There were some artificial lights but with the simple wiring could mean that. . .

Blueblood found himself feeling the dreaded cold as his mind went blank, his feeling of thirst multiplying.

“Gear Match, talk to me. . .” Blueblood muttered. “Magic Thirst is affecting my thoughts. I need something to focus on. Where are we?”

“I. . . I don’t know, Prince Blueblood. There’s really nothing descriptive of a cave. Artificial lights, some basic wiring. Could mean they have unicorns taking turns powering the whole place, or a small electro-magical generator is present. There’s an anti-magic field placed around us, probably to stop any complex spells like teleportation. It took me a good chunk of energy to do simple levitation.”

Blueblood looked around him, and spotted the dark purple coloration of the surrounding walls, forming a small square. If Gear Match could still use magic, they must not have been set at maximum, but still enough to prevent any heavy use of magic to escape. He looked back at Gear Match. “Were you awake when they transported us here?”

“Partly, but they had put a bag over me,” Gear Match replied.

“How about those that captured us?” Blueblood asked impatiently.

“Well--”

The lights dimmed as Blueblood heard the sound of the anti-magic field slowly powering down, but not completely shutting off. There was a snap of metal, and a slight screech as a large metallic door opened revealing a group. Front and center was a muscled pegasus, on his left was the maroon mare (still had that stupid smile) that had knocked him out. At her side was a female gryphon. On the left of the unicorn was a mysterious figure cloaked from head to hoof. The only thing describable about the figure was its eerily striking green orbs that could have been his or her eyes.

When they shut the door, the lights resumed its brightness.

The pegasus stepped towards Blueblood, and gave him a mock bow. “Prince Blueblood of Equestria. I bid you welcome to my humble home. I am Maelstrom. You know my lieutenant, Silver Star. That lovely gryphon is Gwendolyn.” He looked towards the cloaked figure, somewhat a little lost before he said “And. . . uh, you may call him Alternate.”

Blueblood contemplated in standing up on all fours, but with how his body was acting now, he didn’t want to chance on looking even weaker than he was.

“You introduce yourself as if you are some noble gentlecolt,” Blueblood scoffed. “Well, you sir are about the farthest thing. You know who I am, you also know my family. Release me this instant, and I may spare you from my Auntie’s wrath!”

The gryphon, Gwendolyn was it, stifled out her laughter, while Silver Star’s grin turned even bigger. Maelstrom gave a short guffaw, while the cloaked Alternate didn’t seem to move.

“You are quite far Princess Celestia’s sphere of influence, I assure you, Prince Blueblood. Besides, I have a proposition for you.”

“Whatever you have planned, I will not be a part of it!” Blueblood said.

“Don’t decide prematurely, Prince,” Maelstrom smiled. “After all, I am offering you to complete a project you had been part of. A project that your dear aunt, Princess Celestia, had deemed too dangerous for you to continue.”

Blueblood’s eyes narrowed as Silver Star’s horn glowed, floating a large roll of . . . parchment? No, it was too smooth and less thick to be regular parchment. Tied to it was a ribbon with Celestia’s Royal seal. His thoughts suddenly became bewildered as the memory of long ago came back to him.

But it was impossible. His Auntie sealed those plans, never to be brought in her light again.

He slowly undid the seal, and unrolled the piece of paper, his gasp evident as he saw the plans of a weapon system unlike anything Equestria has seen. Three large phallic weapons of untold destruction, standing by what looked like an enlarged photo tripod with wheels; these plans held details, measurement, and even notes on a prototype propulsion system. It even stated the name of the weapon.

JERICHO

Blueblood looked at the smiling Maelstrom. His brain may have been addled but he knew what direction the pegasus was thinking. He tried to throw the plans back at the pony, but without much of his strength, it, very comically, landed a bit short of its intended target.

Blueblood blanched slightly but put up a stronger expression as Maelstrom looked just a bit tad amused by the display. He stood up as straight as he could, and stared at him right in the eyes and said, “I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.”

Maelstrom’s smile never changed, but confusion was evident on his face. Blueblood almost laughed.

“That means no,” the Prince clarified.

Maelstrom scowled, and motioned Silver Star to step forward. She grinned as if Hearth’s Warming Eve came early.

“Prince Blueblood, I think you misunderstood,” the pegasus said in a low, very threatening, voice. “It wasn’t a request. Silver Star.”

She moved like lightning, and hit like thunder. Those were the words Blueblood could use to describe her. Even when he was expecting an attack, he found knocked out of breath and into the cold unforgiving rock floor, with the mare on top of him before he knew it.

“Get off me this instant!” Blueblood growled as he tried to use his four legs to kick her off.

The mare grunted as some of his hoofs found their marks, but she quickly closed her eyes as her horn glowed. Before Blueblood could say anything else, he felt magic suddenly forcing itself through his broken horn.

Magic Sharing was not an unusual feeling for Blueblood. He had experienced it quite a few times. It was usually a gentle rolling of emotions, the shared pleasure with a partner and the warmth of magic. But Silver Star wasn’t gentle. Her magic came in hard, rough, and too fast.

At first, his wits came back at him, but it only multiplied the pain of her actions. Soon, he found himself screaming as his muscle spasm were uncontrollable, as if his nerves were washed with ice and fire in succession, cycling over and over again.

“Stop.”

Pain. The feeling of thirst faded, but never the pain. Blueblood’s thoughts were finally marshalling down as he found himself drooling on the ground. He saw Gear Match pinned down by the female gryphon. He must have tried to help Blueblood but was caught.

A hoof came to view. Blueblood felt a prod on his face, forcing him to look up to Maelstrom, his smile getting wider. “Now, Prince Blueblood, what you felt was just five seconds. And I believe she was going easy on you. Now imagine being under that for at least a minute. Silver Star has told me that the longest any pony would survive that would be five minutes.”

“Four and a half,” the sadistic mare replied. Blueblood could only see her smile, the wrinkling in her canted eyes.

She was enjoying this.

This mare was enjoying this!

“Ah, yes, four and a half,” the pegasus said. “Now, Prince Blueblood. You will suffer five more seconds, and we will hear your answer. And if it’s not satisfactory, I shall have Silver Star make it last ten seconds.”

Blueblood coughed, trying to unscramble his tongue. But whatever he wanted to say was lost as he felt the pain come once more. And this time, she wasn’t holding back.

Lost in his screams, Blueblood tried to force himself to ignore the pain. But it was everywhere, it was overwhelming. Five seconds? How long has it been? He couldn’t count the time. He couldn’t help but think. . .

Father, help me!

Images flashed in his mind. His dad, his auntie . . . and then, the Ponytech logo. Before the darkness came to embrace him, he saw the AMR, its blue and yellow lights circling slower and slower, until everything was gone.

Chapter 3

The unicorns surrounding the rocket scrambled away, having underestimated the strength and heat coming out of the thrusters. Blueblood ignored them as he watched his invention slowly launch itself to the air, mentally seeing the mechanical process of the launch. The essence of magic was fed to a converter, which then turned to pure magical energy that would be fed directly to the positioned Fire Gems, producing a strong and hot flame that accelerated the phallic construct to the air.

Blueblood felt satisfied, even if he was near his most hated mare and the one holding her reins. Watching the rocket soar high in the air was somewhat of a dream come true for him. Memories of the many years ago resurfaced, as he remembered trying to convince the Royal Engineers to try and build the Jericho. He also remembered his disappointment he felt towards his Auntie, who was usually a very understanding pony, as she immediately shut him down without a real explanation.

It took years of research before he understood her reasons, years of being acting slightly coolly towards his favorite aunt, and years of resenting her. Presently, he just wished it was all explained to him since the beginning to save them both the trouble.

Now he was in the presence of well equipped and seemingly well-funded ponynappers, who may or may not kill him afterwards, and are giving everything they had so he could build them that same weapon he had tried to build those years ago. And he was resenting every minute of it.

Fate, it seemed, was not without a sense of humor.

The rocket burst into flames. Blueblood had to hide his smile while Gear Match’s horn glowed. Unseen by him, Gwendolyn, the gryphon beside him, went rigid, almost ready to jump on him if the unicorn made a wrong move. She needn’t bothered as all Gear Match did was levitate a pen and began to write notes.

Blueblood frowned, his eyes still on his invention. It still kept climbing, apparently too ignorant to know it was on fire and it was time to stop. It only did so when it exploded outwards, destroying the prototype weapon from the sky.

A lot of ponies took cover reflexively, while a lot of the younger gryphons watched with dedicated interest. Being honed predators, they were generally much more appreciative of weapons and are awed at the fiery explosions they create. Some of the smarter, mostly older ones took cover though. Interest in weapons didn’t mean they wanted shrapnel poking holes at their skulls.

Maelstrom looked at the Prince. “Well?”

Blueblood knew what had caused the explosion, but he dared not mention that. He took a moment of pause, and then looked at Gear Match. “Feeding system?”

“Most likely,” Gear Match replied.

“Thought so. Propulsion was right on the numbers, though. Leak had to be internal.”

“Would someone please speak normal Equestrian?” Maelstrom demanded, approaching closer to Gear Match and Blueblood. The latter looked at him, a vague annoyed expression showing in his face.

“Feeding system may have been faulty,” Blueblood replied. “We won’t be able to know for sure until we get that rocket back, and piece it together.”

Maelstrom blinked and his mouth opened in surprise. “I’m sorry, piece it back together?”

“Yes, quite,” Blueblood confirmed.

The pegasus trotted in a small circle, his wings quivering in palpable anger. “That weapon just blew up sky-high. There may literally be a hundred pieces of it around the mountainside, and you want me to waste pony-power to find it all together?”

“Just the interior,” Blueblood said. “The more the better of course, but most important part is--”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Prince Blueblood?” Maelstrom roared, bodily pushing the white stallion off-balance. The Prince stumbled slightly, only to be supported by Gear Match. “I know what you’re doing. You’re wasting my time, that’s what.”

Blueblood stood back steadily on all fours. “Wasting your time? What did you want me to do? Have another rocket made without knowing what had caused the previous one to spontaneously combust? The next one would explode again, or worse! And if I continue building another rocket, not knowing how to improve it, we’d be stuck here for months or longer. That means, the longer it will take to get your weapon, and the longer it will take for me to get home. So, yes please, accuse me of wasting more of your precious time so you won’t let me do my job correctly!”

Maelstrom growl seemed to have set off Silver Star. She approached the white stallion aggressively, her horn glowing as silver pointed stars started flying all around her.

“Just say the word,” the Neighpon mare softly said.

“Drop it,” Maelstrom muttered and then sighed. He motioned some of the grounded pegasi. “Take a team and see if you can gather as much of the debris as you can.”

The pegasi team saluted, and Maelstrom looked at the Prince.

“You’ll get your failed rocket soon. Meanwhile, work whatever you can with what you have,” and he nodded towards Gwendolyn and Silver Star. “Escort the good Prince and his companion back to their rooms. Do not touch them.” He left, muttering something under his breath.

Silver Star grunted, and stared at Blueblood. “Well, aren’t you a lucky little colt.”

Blueblood snorted. “If I was lucky, you disgusting, sorry excuse for a pony, you would be falling off this mountain straight into Tartarus and be violated by your own horn, so why don’t you. . .” and he clapped his two front hooves together in a very rude gesture, “. . . yourself? Oh, and if you would, please do so on the edge of the cliff so you could be on your way!”

He took a step back when Silver Star reacted violently, muttering something in Neighponese. The only reason why she hadn’t bucked him in the face was because Gwendolyn grabbed her when she moved, and stopped the mare from even reaching Blueblood.

“Whoa there pony-sister. No damage, boss-pony said,” Gwendolyn muttered.

“Shinjimae, kusottare! Kuso kurae!” the mare shouted, slowly led away by Gwendolyn.

“Well, that wasn’t Princely,” Gear Match muttered.

“Of course not, considering she’s not a Prince,” Blueblood replied. Earth Pony mares and some male gryphons began to lead them back to the entrance of the cave. “Thank Celestia though. I do not care to have her speech translated, considering how venomous it sounded.”

“I was talking about you, Prince Blueblood.”

“What?” Blueblood asked, in mock surprise. “What in the name of Celestia did I do?”

“What you did, with your hooves?” Gear Match asked. “Telling her to. . . you know.”

“I know what, exactly, Gear Match?”

The older stallion rolled his eyes, and just mouthed the expression. Blueblood opened his mouth in a comically exaggerated manner.

“Oh. My. Goodness. Was that what it meant? I had no idea, Gear Match!”

“Shut it,” one of the mare escorts muttered as she brought out to bags they were going to use over their heads.

“Right. You didn’t know,” the older stallion muttered with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“Of course not. It wouldn’t be Princely,” Blueblood replied with a smirk before his head was covered roughly with the bag. He could have sworn some of the gryphons’ beaks clicked softly, their version of chuckling, before they were shoved inside the cave.

Once more, Prince Blueblood concentrated on mapping the area. This was their second trip to the outside and second trip back (while conscious). While they kept doubling back, retracing their steps, it did not fool his sense of direction.

The trip ended with the sound of grating metal, as he and Gear Match were shoved back inside. Their bags were removed from their heads and the mares and gryphons quickly left through the metallic door, shutting it behind them before the anti-magic field powered up.

Gear Match made a retching sound. “I guess it would be too much to ask to have those bags washed?”

Blueblood ignored the comment, too engrossed over a covered table near where the different armors were placed. He took a bite of the covering cloth, and with a tug, revealed a work station. Several metals were strewn over in irregular shapes, along with crystals of different cuts. At the center of it all was a circular mess of wires and parts.

It has only been a few days since they were captured, yet Blueblood hadn’t gotten much success in getting his mini-AMR working properly. His dad was much better in manipulating objects with his hooves and mouth, but the Prince himself had his magic to do very precise work. Without his horn and with Gear Match working most of his time building the prototype Jericho, he had to contend on just doing the design and the math.

“What a mess,” Gear Match said, coming up behind the Prince.

“First thing we’re going to do when we get back home is to propose redesigns of manual tools to make precision work,” Blueblood replied before grabbing his plans. He used his hooves to flatten it over a clear area of the table, and showed it to Gear Match.

“Hmmm,” Gear Match muttered, looking over the design. “You’re using crystals instead of using proportional ratios of Anidine and Magidine?”

Blueblood nodded. The AMR that they used to power Ponytech factories were made using Magidine and Anidine in proper proportions as its core, while surrounding it was various metals and crystals that would generate a starting flow of energy for the Magidine to use to start the reaction.

It was designed in a way to at least keep the larger Magidine from breaking down completely to Anidine, while keeping magic energy production rate from dipping to a minimum rate. Unfortunately, for it to work on a smaller size Blueblood had to redesign it completely using crystals as an alternative for Anidine.

The crystal he used had the same property as Anidine, except it would not change its characteristics after a certain point, unlike the metal, which transforms to Magidine after absorbing a certain amount of magic energy. Instead, it holds magical energy into itself until absorbed off. Pieces of it, cut and placed in certain ways, would prevent the Anidine from completely forming by giving of magical energy it needs, thus allowing the Magidine core to continue giving off magic energy.

“I did the calculations and compared designs,” Blueblood replied. “Unfortunately, cutting tools and the like are not precise enough.”

“Metallurgists and Jewelers are unicorn jobs by default. No one had thought of making precision tools for Earth Ponies or Pegasi.”

“Well, we’re going to change that,” Blueblood scoffed. He motioned at his plans. “So tell me, Gear Match, what do you think?”

The older stallion studied the numbers, and nodded. “I would like to try a few changes, but I am sure this is doable.”

“Excellent. Let’s work.”

The next few hours were intensive. Using Gear Match’s magic they were able to cut precise shapes of metals and crystals, which allowed them to build the miniaturized AMR. After two initial tries, one of which was a complete failure, the third design showed promise

“Initializing start-up reaction,” Gear Match muttered as he connected a few wires on his horn. He took a deep breath before mounted a significant amount of magic through the wires, which then were transmitted towards several connections in the mini-AMR device.

Blueblood smiled as he saw the surrounding emit a spark of electrical energy, which was enough to get a reaction from the Magidine. He held his breathe as the metal began to transmit a white-blue light, slowly building intensity.

“Halting supplementary energy,” Gear Match muttered again as the glow on his horn began to fade.

“Magic production steady at two pulses per second,” Blueblood muttered as he watched the mini-AMR continue to glow. “Increasing to three. Four. Five. Pulsing stopped. Light radiating at a steady pace.”

He exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Success, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match smiled. He magically grabbed a few measuring tool, and began connecting it to the device. He took two readings, took an average, and whistled at the numbers. “Amazing. You won’t want for magic for at least fifty years!”

“Yes,” Blueblood frowned. “Or power up something big for ten minutes.”

Gear Match blinked. “Something?”

“We’ll get back to that later,” Blueblood replied. “Now, we have to find a way to redirect that magic to me.” He winced. “Preferably, nothing intensive.”

“Anything on your mind then?”

“Well. . .”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

After a few more hours, Blueblood watched as Gear Match did the finishing touches on the metallic collar that would hold the mini-AMR. The outside was smooth lightweight titanium, spaced so it would not affect the Prince if he turned his head or moved his body. The inside though was a completely different story. The mini-AMR fitting had wires that would connect to the machine, siphoning magic out towards specific crystals that would let the magic seep into the Prince.

He levitated the band, and secured it around the Prince’s neck. The younger stallion craned his neck in different directions, smiling as his movements were unimpeded.

“How do I look, Gear Match? Still dashing?”

“I’m sure Ms. Finish would not complain,” Gear Match replied as he slowly levitated the mini-AMR and attached it to the fitting.

Blueblood rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t know, Gear Match. Dear Photo always seems to complain about. . .” and he looked surprised for a moment before he almost completely fell over in pain. “UGH!”

“Prince Blueblood!” Gear Match tried to catch him, but the Prince just gently moved Gear Match’s hooves away.

“Wow, that was strange,” Blueblood muttered as he steadily stood up. “I tasted. . . pineapples.”

Gear Match sighed, in relief or exasperation Blueblood didn’t know. The older stallion had a knack of combining the two when it came to him. “You almost fell, and all you say is that you tasted pineapples?”

“Quite,” Blueblood replied with a slight smile. “The magic came in quite unexpected, filling me to the brim. Not too painful, but very surprising. I feel stronger than I ever did. If I had my horn, I think I’d be able to do fantastic feats. Plus, pineapples are very good, Gear Match.”

The older stallion ignored the pineapple comment. “We can find a crystal or gemstones to suit your needs.”

“Don’t bother,” Blueblood replied. “Best type of crystal to be used for a focus is a covalent type crystal. A blue-white diamond would be the best choice in the matter.”

“I am pretty sure that Maelstrom figure would have a few lying around, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match said.

“No, Gear Match. Maelstrom thinks he’s still at an advantage. Asking him for a crystal mostly used as an alternative source of magical foci will just make him suspicious. I want him thinking I am no threat.”

Gear Match looked at the Prince for a moment before blinking. “Doesn’t that just make them see that I’m the threat, then?”

Blueblood frowned, and then conceded. “Granted, they may think, on a threat level, that you are more dangerous than I am. However, Maelstrom and his little monster believe otherwise. This is good, though, Gear Match. As long as they think we are a minimal threat, we can move more freely, and that means. . .”

He pointed towards three thinner parchments. Gear Match magically levitated them to him, and studied the contents. They were all plans for something, but they didn’t seem complete. He looked at Blueblood questioningly.

“Stack them together, under a light.”

Gear Match did as instructed and gasped when he saw the plans fitting together forming a full bodied armor. The design was mostly based on the Royal Guard armor, but bulked up around the neck and chest area like a gryphon’s armor. The hoof areas were also enclosed, leaving just the tail exposed. The facial armor left only just a few slits for the eyes and mouth, not unlike Neighpon design.

“It’s a rough proposal, but considering our time I think it looks good.”

“Eh, you are right that refinement is in order,” Gear Match replied, studying the design.

Blueblood guessed the older stallion found at least ten of the thirty improvements that could be made. Unfortunately, considering Maelstrom had a whole team looking through the mountainside for debris of the failed weapon, time wasn’t on their side. He’d give them a day before they came back with whatever they had, and the pegasus would most likely watch just to make sure he wasn’t being duped. The armor design was as basic as he could make it. It was, in all intents and purposes, a modified Royal Guard armor.

“The rocket thruster on the saddle area. . . please tell me you are planning to install that when we have at least successfully made one that doesn’t spontaneously explode,” Gear Match said.

Blueblood smiled. “No promises there.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The next day, the Prince and Gear Match were awakened by a loud rapping at the metallic gate. It was too early for breakfast, and too loud to be anything other than a business call. If Blueblood had to guess, it was Maelstrom coming in with whatever parts they could salvage. He was still trying to get the sleepiness off his system when the anti-magic field powered down, and the gate swung open revealing some exhausted Earth Ponies carrying carts filled with blackened and melted metal.

Maelstrom walked in afterwards, a supremely confident expression washed on his face. It is as if he has someone had.

“I’ve had my pegasi team searching all night, and my earth ponies hauling the heavier parts from the mountainside,” the pegasus muttered. He blinked as he noticed Blueblood wearing his old clothes, the ones he had been wearing during the ponynapping. It was ripped and burnt on certain places, but was now patched with thick white and black clothing. He motioned at the clothes. “Prince Blueblood, if you needed clothing, all you had to do was ask.”

“Working on the Jericho would have just ruined it,” Blueblood replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He didn’t want the pegasus to get curious. He was hiding glowing blue circle attached to his pony, and his torn and burnt clothes was all he had to cover it up. “Working with a lot of moving parts tend to attract grease, and rather waste our time in requesting bathes to remove stains, I’d just wear old clothes to keep myself as clean as I can. Although since you seem to be in a giving mood, I would like to request some clothing once we are done making your weapon. Nothing too fancy, but presentable if you will.”

“Of course,” Maelstrom replied with a smile. Blueblood wondered if the pegasus got cramps maintaining such a smile. He always had them when Blueblood was speaking in length. Maelstrom then approached Gear Match, who was now in the process of studying the parts obtained. “Well? Found anything?”

Gear Match’s horn glowed as pieces of junk metal flew out of the cart. He punctuated each levitation with a dull ‘useless’, being a bit careless where he threw the parts. Blueblood had to stifle a chuckle as two sharp looking pieces almost hit a few ponies. They had scrambled out of the way, throwing glares at the older unicorn, who promptly ignored them.

“Ah, there we are,” Gear Match levitated the combustion system, surprisingly relatively intact. “Clear the area, please.”

Maelstrom nodded, and the earth ponies scattered as Gear Match levitated the huge mess of metallic tubes and gears on the ground. He did a quick study, and nodded.

“Prince Blueblood. . . a moment please?” he asked.

Blueblood approached Gear Match, and looked at the ruins of his first prototype. He half-listened as Gear Match pointed out some of the tubes, trying to confirm which were caused by the explosion, and which caused the explosion.

“Well?” Maelstrom muttered, running out of patience.

“Faulty design,” Blueblood replied honestly.

The pegasus look none too pleased. “What do you mean faulty design? The plans are right there with you!”

“First of all, the Jericho is an advanced weapon system. Its design is something Equestria, or the world even, has never seen before. It doesn’t even mention what kind of metal it uses,” Blueblood said. “It took years before my Auntie was able to create a crude prototype, and then she had those plans destroyed. Now, I’m trying to recreate. . . no, improve upon her success. That will include failures.”

Blueblood pointed at the tubing design. “See that? I had based my initial design on what was done in the plans. Problem is, it seems, it doesn’t work as it should using Fire Gems. So I have to modify it, either by design or material. Give me some time and I will guarantee the next rocket won’t spontaneously explode.”

Maelstrom looked at the Prince, face contorted with doubt, worry, and some slight hesitation. He ended up nodding, motioning one of the earth ponies. The mare nodded back, and approached Blueblood, her mouth biting on a rope tied to a vial of clear liquid of essence of magic.

Blueblood nodded towards Gear Match, and the older unicorn’s glow horned as his magic wrapped around the vial.

“I’ll have breakfast brought by later. I suggest you get to work though. I’ll be back in three days to see your progress,” Maelstrom said as he exited the cavern. “I’ll also bring Silver Star along. Just in case you need some motivation.”

Gear Match levitated the vial to an empty table as the ponies began to file out, shutting the metallic gate behind them. The anti-magic field powered up again, leaving the two unicorns alone once more.

Blueblood waited for minutes before he spoke again in whisper. “Excellent. Gear Match, let’s use the thruster designs we originally planned. We have to know if my proposed rocket saddle would be possible.”

“And what will we ‘tweak’ this time, Prince Blueblood?” Gear Match asked.

“It will either be the gyroscopes or fin design. Keep the flaw small, so it will be harder to spot. We have to at least have two repeated failures, that way we’d have more time to build the armor.”

Gear Match nodded nervously. “Understood. I’ll do the design and draw up some ‘errors’ in the thruster system that you will ‘spot’.”

Blueblood nodded. It would only take Gear Match an hour to draw up a ‘modified’ version of the initial design and he was confident in the older unicorn’s work. He did, after all, most of the modifications on the rocket they had launched yesterday.

It worked. The rocket exploded and they bought time in the expense of Maelstrom’s and his army. Now, they will have to be more careful. The next thruster design should be faultless. Blueblood didn’t think that the pegasus would buy the same failure with the same faults.

Besides, he also needed to know if his thruster designs would actually work before he placed it in the armor. Exploding in the air was not the way he’d wanted to go.

Blueblood walked towards the corner where the armors were placed, and began to separate the pieces. Once Gear Match was done, they could start altering armor pieces and slowly build it to suit their needs. They have three days, barring surprise visits, and they would be ready. Maelstrom would come in, Gear Match and Blueblood would go over the ‘new’ designs as if they had been at it for days. The pegasus then would give another deadline which Blueblood could either meet, or attempt to delay.

The next three days, he and Gear Match would have to come up with the best way to design the armor, and modify enough parts so Blueblood could start building it once Gear Match starts on building another Jericho Prototype.

Oh it would most likely be an interesting three days.

Chapter 4

Time really passes quickly. . .

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Maelstrom laughed with satisfaction as the rocket went up in the air. It didn’t burst in flame, it didn’t explode, hay, it didn’t do anything but fly up in crooked circles until the only thing visible was the flame. Afterwards, that too slowly faded to nothingness.

“I call that a success, wouldn’t you agree?” the pegasus asked Blueblood. “Much better than your first product, Prince Blueblood. I applaud you.”

“Glad to be of service,“ Blueblood replied.

“What is the next step of development then? The explosives?”

Gear Match, still scribbling on a parchment, didn’t bother to look up to reply. “Next step is the guidance system. According to the plans, the Jericho is a guided weapon that uses precision strikes. The actual method used seems to be unknown.”

“I do not like hearing words like ‘unknown’,” Maelstrom said.

Blueblood gave the widest, most insincere smile he could muster. “It’s a good thing I’m here, right? We’ll immediately start on replicating the method. First, we’ll start out in creating an effective gyroscope. The way the rocket flew didn’t sit well with me. Did you notice the spiraling movement?”

Maelstrom nodded. “I had thought it was odd.”

“It is supposed to fly straight. It’s either the gyroscope or the fin design, but we’ll see what we can work on.”

“Three days,” Maelstrom declared. He looked at Silver Star, who was right beside him, and then smiled back at Blueblood. “I have to say Prince Blueblood, I like seeing you being more supportive and agreeable this time around. Is a certain mare making you more productive?”

Blueblood shook his head. “This was a project I was never given a chance to start or complete. The prototype Jericho my aunt built was also something my father worked on, so I may have a few stakes in it.” He looked at the neighponese mare. “Besides, with a face like hers, I doubt a threat of pain would motivate me more. She would most likely be liable to throttle me whether I provide failures or successes.”

Maelstrom chuckled. “Then as a show of good faith, she won’t be present at the next inspection.”

“You are a good pony, Maelstrom,” Blueblood replied, hoping his voice sounded sincere enough.

Maelstrom called Silver Star to him as they walked away. The mare glared as she walked away, one of her forelegs rising up as she pointed her hoof to her eyes, and pointed it back to Blueblood as his and Gear Match’s escorts began to circle around them. He gave her a jovial grin, stood on his hind legs and clapped his front hooves again.

Silver Star didn’t lose control, unlike the last time. But if her stare was any indication, if she could, she would have Blueblood suffer a thousand deaths in a blink.

“Would you please stop antagonizing a mare who is most likely deranged and knows how to throw pointy stars in your direction?” Gear Match muttered.

“And miss out on all this fun? I dare not, Gear Match,” was all Blueblood said before a bag was shoved over his head, and they were escorted back to their cavern room.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Blueblood grunted as Gear Match magically fitted him with protective equipment that would be worn on his face, forelegs and chest. He stretched his jaw as he tried to accommodate the mouth piece that would keep his tongue from burning and improved jaw grip, and nodded once he was fitted.

Gear Match checked to make sure the fittings were secured before he slowly levitated a gryphon armor piece from a make-shift forge. He then carried it back to a improvised anvil they were using.

Blueblood checked the design specifications he had drawn, made a quick calculation, and grabbed a smithy hammer nearby by his jaw. He tested it with a slight swing, before he went to the anvil, and brought the hammer down.

Sparks flew and sizzled as the cold unforgiving steel met the heated armor piece. Gear Match grunted as he added more magic on his grip, keeping the metal in place as a loud clanging sound reverberated throughout the room.

The guards outside would ignore all the commotion. Blueblood had advised that building a weapon like this could take a few scale models, and he advised he worked better if he wasn’t disturbed.

Maelstrom allowed it.

Blueblood began to work in a rhythm, ignoring the slight shake and ache on his jaw at every impact. He shook out the sweat that was forming from his forehead, grunting as he felt the minor discomfort from the protective clothing rubbing on the stump that used to be his horn and from the heat emanating from the forge. He worked through the pain of overexertion that came from working two projects all wrapped together by the underlying fear that all his work may be for naught.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Maelstrom looked somewhat dumbstruck. He stared at the flying rocket circling in the air, and looked at Blueblood.

“I thought you would have this fixed!?” he demanded. “It is still flying in circles!”

Blueblood shook his head. “The gyroscope I used was definitely up to the mark. Maybe it’s something else.” He looked at Gear Match.

“Could be the fin system, Prince Blueblood,” the older stallion advised. “Margin of error regarding trajectory has been improved by at least sixty percent. Other than the gyroscope, the only thing affecting flight direction for the rocket would be the fins.”

“Uh-huh,” Blueblood replied, and looked at Maelstrom. “Well, there you go. Could be the fin design. We’ll get to work on that.”

The pegasus growled. “And in the mean time, I suppose you want me to have my ponies look for that rocket and confirm your theory?”

Blueblood shook his head. “Oh no. Unless you could get a group of pegasi nearby the rocket, and have it brought down before gravity does that for us, then we won’t be able see if the fin’s designs were faulty as they’d be mangled beyond study. I’ll have a quick look at the original designs, and compare it with my own. I’m bound to see what the mishap is all about.”

“More delay!” Maelstrom shook his head, letting his mane scatter in the air. He trotted around in a circle, and then looked at Prince Blueblood. After a moment, he nodded. “How many days?”

“I can have some basic plans drawn up in two days, but give me five days, and I’ll definitely have a perfect design and work on a few ideas regarding the guidance system.”

“You have five days then,” Maelstrom declared, resigned. “Do not disappoint me, Prince Blueblood. My patience is wearing thin.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Five days was a bargain. The day after they sabotaged the fins, Blueblood and Gear Match had finished modifying armor parts to create the basic form of Blueblood’s design. After that, they began to draw up the interior work of the armor. They had to make sure that Blueblood would be insulated from heat, line up the cloth inside (most especially the joints) so that Blueblood’s skin wouldn’t grate at the plates during movement, and provide some additional battle elements like enhanced strength.

Gear Match advised the use of an intricate gear system. He based his theory on the construct of Ponytech factories which have different working parts all doing different jobs in one seamless system for peak efficiency. While he was saying this, he stole a glance at Blueblood, who was looking up from his work table, biting a thick cloth to cover the surface. The older stallion half wondered why the Prince was still tweaking on what looked like to be a mini-AMR.

“It’s a good plan, Gear Match, but the problem is that it would take weeks to do a full complete design using miniaturized Ponytech factory designs, and maybe even longer to make it specifically for the suit,” Blueblood advised. “We just don’t have the time!”

Gear Match shook his head. He could ask Blueblood about it when they were out. “We don’t need to make a complete adoption design. Just enough to have the basics covered.”

Blueblood looked at the older stallion. “You have something in mind then?”

“Yes.”

The Prince nodded. “How long?”

“Give me a day, and I’ll show it to you,” Gear Match replied.

And show he did. Once breakfast was served, and Blueblood had hidden the vial of essence of magic away (they saved up quite a bit), they made sure that no one was listening before the older stallion unveiled his design.

It was very rough, bulky, but Blueblood couldn’t see why it wouldn’t work. Gear Match once again showed his absolute genius when it came to gear work. He had initially shown the design he was aiming for, using smaller miniature gears in tandem, but as he knew, the more intricate the design the longer it would have been for it to be built.

Instead, he opted to create a design that, while not as elegant or as smooth as a luxurious timepiece, would do the job just the same. Bigger gears were used, making Blueblood adjust his armor designs slightly to accommodate the interior workings and changing his proud minimalistic design to something far bulkier.

Granted, bigger shoulders and thicker neck made the armor look scarier than his intended design, but maybe it was what they needed right now.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Let me see if I have understood what you just said correctly,” Maelstrom said, “This rocket does not have your proposed guidance system yet.”

“Correct,” Blueblood replied. “This has the new fin design, and also the newly tweaked gyroscope. Once we can confirm it flies straight and true, then we can start applying guidance system plans.”

“It better be,” Maelstrom muttered. “If it does not, Prince Blueblood, I’ll make sure you will have a new guest in your cavern home. And from what I have been gathering, her hooves are itching to buck you.”

“Whoa!” Blueblood slowly took a step back, looking at Maelstrom. “No need for that.”

“Then you better pray this rocket does not stray from its path then, right?”

“No need for prayer,” Blueblood smiled. He gave a nod towards Gear Match, who nodded towards one of the few technician unicorns near the rocket, the very same ones around when they first tested the first prototype.

After the slight problem of technicians getting burned when they manually initialized start-up procedures, Blueblood added a receptor crystal at the base of the propped rocket. Once given the go-ahead, one of the technicians would launch a bolt of simple magic to it, and that would initialize the system instead.

The lucky pony on that job was one of the few unlucky (or more specifically, slower ones that wasn’t able to scramble out of the way last time) ones that were burnt in the first prototype test, and he looked slightly put-off at the chance of a repeat performance. Staying a good distance, he launched a spark of purple magic to the crystal, and the thrusters began to glow as the fire began to build up.

Maelstrom seemed to be holding his breath as the rocket slowly began to ascend, then launched straight in the sky. It spun slightly on its axis, but didn’t circle the sky, or stray from its flight plan by a large margin. He smiled, and slowly laughed.

“Again, Prince Blueblood, you do good work,” the pegasus declared. “Wonderful. Just wonderful.”

“It will not be as wonderful as a self-guided rocket, I assure you,” Blueblood replied. “If you recall, Gear Match and I have been making plans, opening options on how to succeed in creating the technological marvel. So far, the options I advised to you until yesterday were all viable, but I was wondering how you want us to proceed regarding this matter.”

Maelstrom looked vaguely annoyed. Anyone would be if they were given information they could only understand at a basic level before breakfast. How was he supposed to know the different processes that went between magical threading, crystal synchronization, and mathematical based positioning?

“That is why we have you, Prince Blueblood,” Maelstrom muttered. “Do what you have to do. In three days, give me your proposals on which system would you think is best.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Whoa! Whoa!” Blueblood muttered as he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

With all the free days they were able to obtain, they were now in the testing phase of the armor design. At that moment, he was wearing the interior suit of the armor, stripped of its plating and showing the inner workings of Gear Match’s system.

With magic fed in miniature engines on specific places and the smooth build and gear system made by Gear Match, the armor would give Blueblood added strength, and some speed increase. Best of all, the bulky design did not impede mobility. Joint movement was smooth and had excellent response time. The leather lining also made it comfortable to move around in.

Today, Gear Match was going to tweak the gears a bit. That wasn’t a problem for Blueblood as their escape depended on the armor working perfectly. The problem was the fact the armor design made it hard for Gear Match to fix if the Prince was on all fours, and had an in-built system that allowed Blueblood to stand on his two hind legs while the problem was worked on.

“Gear Match, you must fix this!” the Prince declared as Gear Match began fiddling on a mass of gears on Blueblood’s upright back. “Ponies are not meant to stand like this for extended periods!”

“Don’t worry too much about it Prince Blueblood. I designed it specifically to keep you balanced in the most comfortable way as possible. You can stand like that for hours, and you won’t feel any muscle discomfort. Once I’m done working on this, you can stand back to all fours, and continue with that fancy secret project of yours.”

Blueblood unconsciously looked back at his work table, covered in thick cloth. “It’s not much of a secret, though I agree it’s fancy technology. So if we could move along. . .”

“I need you there for the moment so we can make sure everything goes without a hitch when the time comes. That means you have to stand there while I tune the interior to perfection, Prince Blueblood.”

“Be done quickly then! I do not care what you say, the ground is too far from where I’m standing, Gear Match. No pony was meant to stand on only two legs!” Blueblood muttered.

“Take it as practice, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match replied. “Standing on your hind legs could save your life one day.”

“Save my life?”

Gear Match walked in front of Blueblood, and nodded. “The torso area is where most of the moving parts will be situated. Your torso also holds the mini-AMR, its power source.”

Blueblood realized what Gear Match was saying. “The torso will be the most heavily armored.”

“Exactly. Now if our necks were slightly shorter, it’d be the biggest surface area of our body as well. It would be a nice trifecta of sorts.”

Blueblood nodded. “We should reinforce the neck area as well then. . .”

“That would not be such a bad idea.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“And that’s how it would work. Theoretically,” Blueblood said towards Maelstrom.

The pegasus blinked. “So, if I understood it correctly, your guidance system uses a combination of magical threading and the mathematical base positioning to create a. . . what you call a ‘hot area’ where the rocket would be guided to.”

“Exactly,” Blueblood replied. “The gyroscope will be guided by the system, and in turn, guide the fins to steer the weapon towards the direction where you ‘painted’ the hot area. Now, keep in mind this is something new. Not even Princess Celestia or any ponies had successes in creating a system like this. We’ll be very lucky if it even works on the first try.”

Maelstrom nodded. “Well then . . . what are you waiting for?”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“I can’t believe it worked decently,” Blueblood muttered as he placed down his personal project. Gear Match had called him over and had him trot over a specified area where the interior of the armor was lying on the ground. “I don’t like it when we try something new and doesn’t spectacularly blow up in our faces.”

“We just got lucky. Or in this case, unlucky,” Gear Match replied, carrying various tools in the air and tweaking with the interior system. “The theory proved to be correct, so there. Lesson learned. Now we have actual technology to create self-guided weaponry.”

“What grinds me, Gear Match, is the fact that we are trying to sabotage them. And we have been doing a good job so far when it came to knowable factors. Now we are in the stage where we are using new technology, which was never created before, and suddenly it becomes a moderate success? It scares me. To the bone.”

Gear Match nodded as he floated his tools away. “Still, you pressed to your advantage, as usual. Now that you have bought more time, Prince Blueblood, let’s turn to matters at hand. Step forward.”

The white stallion looked at Gear Match slightly, who indicated the flattened interior armor. He was pointing at four indentations that looked like hooves, and advised the Prince where to place his forelegs.

“Now, when you get to your hind legs, I need you to stomp hard simultaneously at the indentations. That should start the process,” Gear Match advised.

Blueblood nodded and raised his hind legs high, and stomped them down. He heard a loud click, and the whole armor suddenly sprang up, as if alive, and secured itself to his body. Gears began to move, latches began securing the interior of the armor around him, and the small engines began to power up, getting its magic from the AMR on his chest.

“That is utterly brilliant,” Blueblood muttered.

“For your plan to work, we need to get you suited up as quickly as possible,” Gear Match muttered. “The interior is the most complicated piece. We can attach the plates easily, but securing the interior to yourself would take at least an hour manually. With this, we cut that time down to seconds.”

The Prince nodded, and moved his legs, making sure there was no hitch in movement. “Have we saved enough essence of magic to pull this off?”

“Not yet. We need just a bit more. How about that project of yours, Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood once again glanced back at his work table. He took a deep breath. “Let us worry about things that we can control momentarily.”

“Not going well on that end, I take it?”

Blueblood shook his head. “I can come back to it when we have less pressing matters on our plate. For now, let’s just get more essence of magic.”

This was it. They were almost home.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The next testing day, the guiding system did its job. It exhausted a group of unicorns (simultaneously using scry spells and imaging spells tended to exhaust magic), but the rocket flew true towards the intended target. It hit it almost dead center with just a few meters off, still well within the margin range of error.

Blueblood, for the first time, hated himself for being a successful pioneer in technology.

“That was absolutely perfect,” Maelstrom laughed. “Absolutely perfect. Prince Blueblood, you have made me a happy pony.”

“Glad to hear that,” Blueblood replied, trying not to grind his teeth. “Are you satisfied with this step, or do you still want us to continue refinement - maybe find a system that would be less taxing to unicorns?”

“No, this is good. A couple of sugar bars, and they’ll be right as rain,” the pegasus said. “I believe we can move to the next phase of the prototype - the explosives and the miniaturized rockets containing said explosives.”

“Ah, we’ll most likely hit a snag on that one,” the Prince advised. “Even before, the technology that the Jericho plan uses, the ‘repulsor’, has eluded a lot of scientists and engineers for years.”

“Yes, but that was years ago,” Maelstrom replied. “Surely, you could replicate this ‘repulsor’ system or adopt it somehow?”

“I’ve looked into it, believe me. I thought of using smaller Fire Gems, but considering size, the gems won’t produce a fire hot or strong enough to keep it afloat. I don’t think it could even produce it for longer than just a few seconds,” Blueblood replied, frustration in his voice.

“How long do you think until you’d be able to even be close to reproducing such technology then?”

Blueblood shook his head nervously. “You won’t like hearing this.” He paused. “Months.”

Maelstrom blinked, and then shook his head slightly. “I’m sorry, did you just say months!?”

“I know, I understand. It’s an awful estimate.”

“Awful? Awful!? My dear Prince Blueblood, awful is severely understating it!” the pegasus growled, slowly approaching the Prince in a aggressive manner.

“Now, calm down,” Blueblood replied. “Look at what we have achieved. We have rebuilt and bettered a prototype weapon built years ago, without any notes but a vague plan from technology not from this world. We have adapted the best we could, pioneering self-guiding technology. ‘Months’ is the best estimate to develop the repulsor system, and considering how advanced that piece of technology is, it’s an impressive estimate.”

Maelstrom shook his head, his chin moving forward slightly. Blueblood read the anger easily, so he kept his face neutral. His next words would either defuse the situation, or make it worse than it was, and the latter was not needed, not when they were so close to escape.

“I will make that repulsor technology happen. Meanwhile, I can start designing explosives to fit on your rockets, that way you can still use what we have developed so far. That way, your investment won’t be put on hold and you can start using it to further your plans.”

Maelstrom stopped on his tracks, and looked at Blueblood for a moment. He then shook his head, and began to compose himself. “You do that. Draw your plans. I’ll see you in two days.” He paused again. “Prince Blueblood, I received word you’d like to stretch your legs out some more. Is your room not spacious enough?”

Blueblood nodded. “It is, but dark and getting musty. I’d like to at least have some fresh air now and then.”

The pegasus nodded. “Show me those plans. Then we’ll see.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Time really passes quickly, Blueblood thought.

The past few weeks of planning came at such a rush that Blueblood wondered how in Equestria he managed to keep up for as long as he did.

Maelstrom had just left, very satisfied with all the work and research done by Blueblood regarding explosive designs. He even agreed to Blueblood’s request in more leeway, and more time to move outside the cavern wall.

Still, there was something odd regarding the pegasus. Maelstrom seemed to be under the impression that explosives were only a one-trick Diamond Dog . . . a basic outward explosion. He looked mightily surprised by the different types of explosives that Blueblood had advised, and seemed particularly interested in the strategic properties of shaped charges.

Blueblood wondered if he was over thinking it. Maybe the pegasus had bits and resources, but he may not be that knowledgeable. Besides, the only reason Blueblood was even somewhat well-informed regarding explosives was because of his brief marefriend who worked in construction as a demolition expert. Still, a pony with such ponypower and resources would have at least a few people who are knowledgeable regarding explosives, right?

It didn’t matter, however. The end game was near. There was no way Blueblood or Gear Match would allow the completion of a rocket with explosives. That final key would finally turn a scientific and technological concept into a real world weapon of destruction.

Blueblood grunted from his work table. He was still tweaking his personal project, finally putting the finishing touches and half wondering if he was going to install it to his armor. He could imagine hearing Gear Match advising him to not install untested technology because the last thing they needed was it to backfire on them.

“We have to escape,” Gear Match muttered, trotting around in circles. “We delayed for so long. If they are able to place explosives on the prototype--”

“Gear Match,” Blueblood cut him off. “Calm down. The armor has been completed, and our plans are drawn. I just need to know if we have enough essence of magic stowed away.”

Gear Match stole a glance at their hiding place. Every morning, true to his word, Maelstrom always gave a vial of essence of magic to Blueblood, not knowing that the stallion now had his own magical battery that kept him full to the brim. They have been slowly saving it for weeks, being an essential part of their escape.

“We have enough,” Gear Match replied, frowning. “Cutting it close, but it should be enough.”

“Alright,” Blueblood sighed. “I’ll start our opening gambit tomorrow. Prepare everything. Do you still remember where the Dragonfire Gems were placed outside?”

Gear Match nodded.

“And the directions to the exit as well?” Blueblood asked.

“Yes,” Gear Match replied, repeating the directions Blueblood had advised him to escape the cavernous labyrinth.

“Good,” Blueblood breathed a sigh. He had forgotten how many days they had been stuck there, how many days they were missing. Had he been declared dead? Was Auntie Celestia still looking for him? Or had she given up any hope to see him back alive?

So many questions, but no answers. But at least tomorrow, they’d know the answer to the burning question that popped in his head the time he realized they were captured:

Would they be able to escape?

“We are really going to do this soon, aren’t we?” Gear Match asked, fear tingeing his voice.

“One way or another, my old friend,” the Prince replied. “One way or another.”

Chapter 5

“Is this design accurate?” Gear Match asked, looking at the explosive device Prince Blueblood had scrounged up. It wasn’t that he doubted the Prince’s plan and math, but looking at the whole thing, it was no bigger than an apple. The escape plan was dependent on the device taking out the small power generator their ponynappers used to power their camp constantly, located at the highest peak in the mountains. Removing that first would ensure enough distraction for them to escape.

Gear Match figured the Prince would be using something big to cause a spectacular and flaming detonation. The device didn’t look like it was going to cause something of extravagance.

“Yes it is, Gear Match,” Blueblood replied, not bothering to look up as he was putting the finishing touches in the bomb. “Why?”

“I’d have thought something that would cause a fiery explosion would be . . . bigger.”

Prince Blueblood laughed. “The device may be small, but it’s not the size of the casing we’re using. The small pre-fed Fire Gems, primed with enough essence of magic, are just there to start the reaction. Once that happens, the resulting fire will be boosted by a larger Wind Gemstone. The smaller container is going to contain that fire long enough to reach a critical point and explode outwards.”

“That may be, Prince Blueblood, but wouldn’t the explosion still be too small? Not even hot enough to melt or damage the generator,” Gear Match reasoned.

“True, but the real damage is actually caused by the metal balls mixed inside. The explosion will cause them to fly outwards, and let me assure you, that will cause a lot of damage,” the Prince smiled. “A little different from the other bomb, Gear Match,” and he pointed towards a bigger covered device near the door. “Instead of redirecting hot flame towards the door locks to melt them off, this one uses contained shrapnel to take the generator out.”

Gear Match shook his head. Prince Blueblood definitely opened a few doors in his inventiveness, all due to working on the Jericho Prototype. He had even showed the older stallion what he called ‘detonators’, which were made out of linked twin crystals. For the generator bomb, he attached one of the pairs over a plastic balloon of essence of magic. When the time came, Blueblood or Gear Match would shatter the crystal they had, and the twin would follow, taking out the balloon with it and start the reaction.

He even said he’d have more plans for the relatively cheap twin crystals to be used in other capacities. Of course, they’d have to get out first.

“Let’s go over the plan again,” Prince Blueblood advised.

Gear Match nodded. “You will use your newly acquired special permission to. . . uh, stretch your legs and then approach the generator - I’m still unclear on how you’ll achieve that.”

“I’ll just advise them that I may want to make improvements, increase output, the works,” the Prince advised, closing the device he was working on. “I will tell them we could improve its efficiency, thereby improving their general condition out here. Nopony will say no to that. And once I’m close enough to inspect, I plant the explosive.”

“You come back in,” Gear Match continued. “We wait a day, we suit you up. We engage the generator bomb, and that will cause enough distraction for our door device to work.”

“I go right ahead, create enough chaos and attract their attention, take the brunt of their attacks while you search for some Dragonfire Gems, apply the magical matrix to get the word out to Canterlot,” Prince Blueblood finished. “Home free, Gear Match.”

“Let’s hope Princess Celestia’s troops are ready,” the older stallion sighed. “We still have no clear picture how close we are to Canterlot. We don’t even know if we’re even in the same country!”

Prince Blueblood paused. “True. Do we still have those leftover rations they’ve been feeding us?”

“You still have your leftovers since you refused to eat them after tasting the first,” Gear Match replied. “You advised me the taste reminded you of sewage water and rotten flowers.”

“Yes, well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Pack them, just in case.”

Gear Match watched the Prince as he wore his newly acquired thick coat. He had convinced their captors that he was feeling increasingly cold and was having some headaches. Maelstrom provided medicine to take care of the pain and even considered giving Prince Blueblood some time off to see the doctor, but the unicorn convinced him otherwise. He said he wouldn’t go down so easily, and insisted that the work should continue.

Gear Match had to say this; the Prince knew how to manipulate ponies and knew how to act. He had acquired a coat from his captives and modified it by adding a hidden pocket just for the occassion, days before he even explained the plan to Gear Match.

Once Prince Blueblood secured the small device inside his coat pocket, he shook his head, and began to raggedly cough. He approached the metal doorway, and knocked on the surface.

The older stallion didn’t know what the Prince had said to the guard on the other side of the door, but soon, the anti-magic field powered down, and the metallic door slowly opened. The Prince looked at him for a moment before giving a nod, and then disappeared through the other side.

Once the doors slammed shut, Gear Match began to work. He grabbed a few cloths and using magic, began to create makeshift bags. He raided the Prince’s food rations and did a few calculations. The whole lot would probably keep them alive for at least a week. If he spared some for Prince Blueblood, the younger unicorn could survive ten days.

He stashed the rations near the Prince’s workstation, which had seen better days. A clutter of metallic pieces, broken crystals, wires and even glassware were scattered all around, cleverly disguising the folded interior armor on the floor and the outer shell nearby. Hidden there was also the incendiary device that would melt through the metallic door once the time had come.

Gear Match doubled checked on what was needed, and thought of bringing other items just in case. He began to think of what they would expect outside, and what items would be of use. He began to pack some extra fire gems for the journey.

He was about to pack a few more potentially useful items he heard the anti-magic field power down once more. Gear Match blinked, somewhat confused. Did Prince Blueblood just return? Gear Match was surprised by how quickly the Prince had returned. Maybe a little luck was speeding them on the way, making everything go as smoothly as possible. Wanting to greet the Prince, Gear Match trotted towards the opening gate feeling relieved that they were about to escape.

Instead of the white stallion, though, he was greeted by an intimidating figure swathed in a dark hood and cape, its cold green eyes staring back at him.

Prince Blueblood stole a last glance to to Gear Match, and looked towards the open doorway. He gave a dry cough.

“Your cough sounds better,” one of the guards commented. What was his name? Copper Arc?

“The medicine must be doing its job then,” Blueblood muttered hoarsely. “I still feel that stickiness in my throat.”

“You’ll be okay, Prince Blueblood.”

“Thank you. Maybe some fresh air will assist in my health.”

Copper Arc nodded, and whistled a signal. A few moments later, a mare guard trotted to the Prince with a mask levitating beside her. The Prince allowed his head to be covered, and be led out the cave.

In a few minutes, he could smell the fresh mountain breeze, slightly colder than before. Were they approaching the cold season already? Or did the clouds just cover up the sun more this day? The only answer he received was a slight tug on his facial mask as it was pulled away.

The increasing brightness made Blueblood squint a bit. When his eyes were able to adjust, he saw Earth Ponies trampling on a rougher part of the mountain, flattening it to make it easier other ponies to walk on. Pegasi patrolled the skies and were bucking out clouds that were covering a lot of Celestia’s light. He also saw a pony he had no interest in seeing.

“Well, if it isn’t the most unlady-like mare in the mountain,” Blueblood greeted with a slight drone in his voice. “I should have recognized your stench the moment I arrived.”

Silver Star stared at him for a moment, a strange gaze flickering in her expression that sent a few chills up Blueblood’s spine. It wasn’t the hateful and angry eyes he had been accustomed to, but something else entirely. She promptly ignored him and nodded towards the mare guard that was guiding Blueblood out of the cave.

“I shall be the Prince’s escort for now,” Silver Star declared, her voice going slightly deeper than usual.

“Ma’am, Sir Maelstrom had advised us that you are not to approach the Prince,” his mare guard advised nervously.

“Maelstrom said that he needs more manpower in the D-Area. I’m here to relieve you of your current duty,” Silver Star replied. She looked at the Prince. “I’m going to be your temporary guardian for your walk-about. And make it quick. I have better things to do.”

“Ma’am-”

Silver Star just glared at her. Her horn glowed threateningly. “You are relieved of your duty, escort. And make your way to the D-Area.”

The mare shivered, and slowly backed away. Blueblood felt himself angry at the mare guard, wondering why of all days the lunatic mare picked this one to be a thorn on his side. Her presence would make it difficult for him to plant the bomb discreetly. The situation itself was too contrived for his tastes. If he were the mare guard, he’d have questioned Silver Star immediately, to try and disprove her story.

Unfortunately, his guard mare didn’t have his level of resolve and retreated in a hurry. He was left alone with her. When she turned to face him, he wanted to wipe that stupid smile off her face.

“Well, little colt? Make haste. This escort duty is taking off my fun-time.”

Blueblood slowly scratched the rough stone ground with his hooves for a moment, then walked towards the road that led up to the mountain. He didn’t bother to look back when he replied, “Then why don’t you leave, then? I would hate to cause you to miss precious seconds of your ‘fun-time’. What do you do? Rub your horn? Trying to get a stallion, or maybe even a mare to do it for you? How long have you been single and a complete waste?”

She chuckled. That definitely froze Blueblood. A sneer, a growl, those were her usual reactions. Silver Star was an orthodox mare of Neighpon, a country which was still on the precipice of mare and stallion equality. The new Empress, Gold Dawn had been a close ally of Princess Celestia, and had been fighting tooth and horn to break the stigma and had been opening jobs and hiring stallion advisors to promote her new equality program.

Silver Star was old-fashioned, sexist, and quite easy to read. She was under the command of a stallion, which mostly likely irked her even if she knew how to hide it. She took it out on whoever she openly could; Blueblood. That’s why every time she’d sneer or whisper something nasty and Blueblood would get the better of her, she would grind her teeth and stomp her hooves.

So why was she currently chuckling? Blueblood thought to himself, stealing a glance at the mare. She stared back at him.

“Something on your mind, little colt?” she asked.

“Just wondering why you’re unattached,” Blueblood replied, looking forward once more. He shivered a bit as he began to slowly ascend. “Maybe you ought to intimidate some lower ranking stallion. Who knows? Maybe luck will go your way and he’s going to be a pity case that would be glad to be in your awful company.”

“I simply don’t understand how Equestria is still running after crowning a stallion the heir to the throne,” Silver Star said, her footsteps clopping on the hard stone mountain floor. “Or how they seem to give them jobs away from the fields.”

“Progress,” Blueblood replied. “Contrary to your very outdated beliefs, mares are not better than stallions in any shape or form. Here in Equestria, we recognize that little fact and have adapted.”

“Equestria has done nothing but fool stallions into thinking they could better their place,” Silver Star said. “They made them forget there are only two places for them.”

Blueblood gritted his teeth. He took a moment to wash the anger from his chest and turned, giving her a cold smile. “Now see, that is what happens when you let your little Neighponese quim do the thinking. I don’t know if you are familiar with the times, but it’s no longer the Fields or Shed era. We are not in a Pony Tale. That generation is gone, over, done. Grow up, and move on.”

Silver Star’s face waved with subtle emotions, rage underlying beneath her smile and searching eyes. She stared hard at Blueblood for a moment, then at the sky, their surroundings, and then shivered. “Yes, I believe this is quite far enough,” she muttered.

“Far enough for-”

He never got to finish. Silver Star’s horn glowed and something hit Blueblood so hard he flew a few meters backwards that left him in quite a daze. The next few minutes were nothing but bright light reflecting on every surface of the mountain floor, and an echoing sound of giant footsteps. Blueblood tried to stand, but two hooves locked him in place. He stared up to Silver Star’s grinning face, half wondering what she was doing.

That’s when he finally noticed a musky smell.

“You’re in heat,” Blueblood muttered, shaking the cobwebs off his head. “Not only are you useless, but you’re a utterly complete disgrace to mares everywhere!”

“Save it,” she growled. “Now, be a good little colt and take it like a stallion.”

Blueblood shivered in disgust as her tongue licked the side of his cheeks, and went towards his neck. He tried to kick her away, but she planted her body close so he would not get enough leverage to force his way out. He tried to shout out for help, but the minute he opened his mouth, she invaded it with hers.

He could hear her muffled hysterical giggle as he squirmed from her hold. He felt the bile rise from his throat as he felt her tongue wash over his mouth, and was disgusted by its presence. He waited for the right moment, before he clenched his jaw.

She shouted in pain and anger, reflexively backing away away from Blueblood. The Prince now had enough space to flex his hind legs and deliver a kick to Silver Star’s stomach. Startled, she moved further away, surprise and rage swarming in her expression.

“You little-”

Blueblood never let her finish. He turned, snapped his hind legs again and bucked her face with his strongest kick. He felt the impact of his horseshoes with her teeth, and prayed to his ancestors he at least knocked some of them out before he galloped away, screaming for help.

If there was one thing his mother taught him right was that being titled heir of the Crown made him a target, more so the fact that he was a stallion. As progressive as his speech to Silver Star was earlier, the truth was that his crowning turned more than a few heads around and made him quite a target for the more politically minded mares in power.

No pony fooled themselves that Blueblood was going to succeed Princess Celestia. She was an immortal alicorn, responsible for raising the sun, and if need be, the moon as well. Granted, a body of Grand Mages could take over Princess Celestia’s job, but the fact that their ruler was considered older than time itself, Blueblood’s future as the holder of the Crown title was worthless as far as anypony knew.

However, his mother told him that being attached to the heir of the crown had clout, and that any ambitious mare would be more than willing to get their hooves dirty to get to him. She had advised him to never sign anything without consulting her or their lawyers and to never get in bed with a mare in heat, as having foals was one way to attach him.

She told him if anypony tried to force him to sign anything or bed him without consent, it was fine to play the helpless stallion, to run and scream for help. She said to attract attention, embarrass his pursuers, flank them once he was prepared to face them and catch them unawares.

Blueblood took those lessons to heart, even when his mother was trying to attach him to older mares to build her own clout, leaving him half-wondering if his mother was regretting teaching him those lessons in the first place as he efficiently began using her own teachings against her.

However, today he was not at Canterlot. He did not have guards coming to his aid as quickly as possible. He was estranged in a mountain, hoping that Silver Star was acting on her own accord, hoping to delay her enough to get some help.

“COME BACK HERE!”

There was a slight feel of satisfaction of listening to her lisp, but he dared not look back. He just kept climbing upwards moving in zig-zag movements just in case she started blasting him with magic or her pointed stars. He continued screaming for help, scrambling as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the top of the elevation.

He went past the wind generator, a a cylindrical box of shining metal propped on top of a few rocks. That allowed to give it some space, no bigger than three hooves, between the mountain floor and its metallic base. The space was made for the mesh of wires underneath the generator that would connect to the base. On the top of the generator was a spinning blade that caught the moving air.

Blueblood looked towards the other side. There was nothing but a sharp incline downwards towards a chasm. He took deep breaths, his mind half-wondering if he’d risk shouting or to just jump down, hope for the best.

A hard clop met his ears, and he automatically hid himself behind the wind generator. His ears perked up to pick up any sound as he shifted his hooves. The wind generator’s fan continued to turn undisturbed, whirling as the wind whooshed between its blades. He saw his breath frosting as he tried to keep his breathing steady.

He looked up the sky. The patrolling pegasi were still busy over that thick cloud a ways away. He had no idea if his screams reached the Earth ponies below.

He was alone.

“Where are you, little colt?” she asked, sounding somewhat out of breath. Her canter started from Blueblood’s right, as loud as possible. She was trying to scare him, hoping to scour him out. She knew the area better than he did, knew where the only escape route is. “That little buck hurt somewhat, but I’m willing to let it slide if you just come out.”

Blueblood prayed his hooves were silent as he tried to move his jacket, feeling for his pockets. His hooves touched his device.

“Come on, little colt. It won’t hurt. . . much. I just want to borrow you for a few minutes. . . or hours. I doubt that though, as you Equestrian stallions are pitifully weak, and you are not much for breeding.”

He ignored her jab, and focused on the feel of the explosive. He ignored the metallic taste emanating from his mouth, and slowly crouched, explosive on hoof. He slowly, quietly placed it underneath the generator.

“That’s because stallions here are so delusional. You think too big but you don’t act it. Neighpon stallions know that they are not meant to think, but to work hard. Because at the end of the day, we expect you back on the sheds in case we come to call.”

Blueblood shivered when his front hoof accidentally scratched part of the wind generator as he tried to stand. The metal horseshoe and metallic container created a high pitched screeching noise for almost a second before he immediately rectified that. Still, he paused, wondering if Silver Star had noticed, strained his ears hoping to hear any indication of discovery.

For a moment, there was no sound.

That should have been a hint. Blueblood felt something hard slam his side, the sky suddenly turning up as an aura of magic surrounded him. He then felt the air escape his lungs as he met the unforgiving stone floor repeatedly. For a few seconds, his vision consisted of clouds, rock, the sun and hooves. Every time he tried to take a deep breath, he’d be lifted and slammed down again until he gave up, and was finally pinned on his back by a hard hoof.

“Stay down, and feel privileged for what is about to happen,” Silver Star muttered. The pressure of her hoof intensified, leaving Blueblood looking through a tunnel that displayed her face, covered in sweat and her smile wide. “And then you will know your place.”

Blueblood couldn’t reply, except raise his front two hooves and with a last insult, clap them together. Silver Star growled and her face flushed red. She raised her other hoof, most likely to knock him out when it was her turn to be slammed on the side by a white and brown blur.

With the weight lifted off of his neck, Blueblood began to finally draw a deep, wonderfully refreshing breath. He coughed as he turned, hearing the scuffle close to him, instinctually moving farther to a safer distance. When he stole a glance, he was met with a vision of a gryphon beginning to knock the stuffing out of Silver Star, using her wings to disorient the unicorn to prevent her from using her magic, staying in melee distance to her advantage. Her beak pecked in an abnormal rhythm that prevented the unicorn from fighting back, and once the mare was backed into position, the gryphon grabbed her neck and pinned her down.

“Boss-pony said no touching!” Gwendolyn, Blueblood’s rescuer, declared in a hard tone.

“Get off me!” Silver Star replied, her hooves trying to kick the gryphon out but without success.

Blueblood heard more steps, and felt a hoof assisting him up. He looked up, and saw it was the mare guard that was his initial guard, and felt the panic run through his veins. He began pushing her hooves out of the way and scrambled from the ground.

“Get away from me!” he shouted as he failed to stand up steadily. More hooves began to touch him, and he violently tried to pry them away, but there were too many. He was forced on the ground again as more ponies, mares and stallions alike were splitting up in two groups; one to assist the gryphon in holding down the insane neighponese mare, and the other to hold him down.

“Prince Blueblood, calm down!” Maelstrom’s face became visible.

“He’s in a panic,” he heard a stallion declare. “We may have to medicate him.”

“Horseapples!” Maelstrom shouted. He disappeared from view, but Blueblood heard him screaming at someone, and Silver Star apparently screaming back.

“Hold him!”

Blueblood felt a needle prick his flank. He panicked, and his scrambling renewed as more hooves were pinning him down. Then finally, everything stilled. The shouts became indistinct, and the sky began to slowly fade into a less bright shade of blue, turning lighter and lighter until it was completely white.

“He’ll be fine.”

Blueblood blinked. White encompassed his vision, though now he could see a shadow of a stallion, shining a light gem on his eyes. The stallion was probably the doctor, checking his pupil movement. A moment later, the doctor deactivated the light gem, and the Prince’s vision swirled with ghosting images.

“He may still have some issues regarding any mares so I suggest you shift the guards, make sure stallions or gryphons will be his main contacts,” the doctor continued.

Blueblood’s wits finally returned to him, and he found himself seated in a weapons shed at the base. He stared to his upper left, and saw the wind generator spinning. He blinked once more, his mind trying to reconnect his trip back down. All he remembered was more shouting and a lot of jiggled movements.

Maelstrom came into view, his eyes directly at the doctor. “I’ll keep that in mind, doc.” He then looked at Blueblood. “Prince Blueblood. Are you still with us?”

Blueblood blinked, and then remembered why he was outside. He sprang up and toppled a few metallic tables, spilling the doctor’s tools on the carpeted floor.

“Hey now, calm down,” the doctor advised. “It’s safe now.”

“What in Tartarus was that!?” Blueblood shouted hoarsely.

“Hold on, Prince Blueblood. Calm down,” Maelstrom replied.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” declared Blueblood, his voice breaking. “What was that, Maelstrom? Huh?! Was that your way of telling me not to overstep my bounds!? A little insurance!?”

Maelstrom winced. “Prince Blueblood, what happened was done by Silver Star alone. She pulled rank, tried to get you alone. That mare that escorted you out of the cave contacted me immediately when Silver Star dismissed her, and I had the pegasi and gryphons look for her.”

Blueblood looked around and noticed a few guards surrounding them, mostly stallions. He toppled another table.

“Silver Star will be staying in a closed bunk until her heat passes, and I will guarantee that you will never see her again,” Maelstrom added. For a moment, he looked torn, and then whispered, “I’m sorry about that, Prince Blueblood. If you need some time to rest, get yourself together so you can continue your work, I’d understand.”

Blueblood shuffled from his place, still feeling sick at the bottom of his stomach. He looked around and saw stallion guards seemingly ready for him to do something, the doctor preparing another syringe just in case. He shook his head, his left front hoof shivering nonstop. He gave a nod.

“Just put me back in,” he muttered. “I had as much of the outside as I can take.”

Maelstrom nodded, and signaled a few guards to help Blueblood up. The Prince took his time before he finally stood up and let himself be escorted back to the cave.

The trip back was mentally grueling as his mind began to recall Silver Star’s actions. She had almost forced her way with him, pinning him down, licking him. He shuddered as his mind raced on how much further she would have gone had the gryphon not rescued him. She could have forced her magic in him, and with no horn to fight it off, she could have very well controlled him do unspeakable and horrible things.

Blueblood looked down, feeling his cheeks aflame in shame. He then gritted his teeth. The sick feeling emanating from his stomach faded and turned to red hot rage.

Silver Star was not an old fashioned mare. She was a monster.

And given the opportunity, he would end her.

The sound of the gate opening derailed his train of thoughts. Blueblood looked up and saw his escort waiting for him to move forward. He gave them a nod, and some returned it. They waited patiently as Blueblood took a few tentative steps and moved inside the cavern. He spotted Gear Match lounging near the fire as the metallic door slowly shut behind him.

Gear Match woke up, startled when he heard the metallic door closed down. His first reaction was to scream, but it was muffled completely. He worked his jaw, feeling an obstruction between his teeth. He worked his legs next and felt them tied tightly in an uncomfortable manner. Darkness surrounded him, like a black thick veil, and the only source of light was a pinhole that looked like a lone star in the blackest night.

He heard somepony walking, their hard clopping steps reverberating around the cavernous wall. He could hear fire crackling steadily. What was going on out there?

“Gear Match, I just realized that Maelstrom and his guards are not monsters. But not the same can be said of the insane Neighponese Mare he is now keeping on a tight leash.”

That voice. . . Prince Blueblood! Gear Match struggled with his bonds, trying to scream through whatever was muffling him, but to no avail.

“Why’s that, sir Blueblood?” Gear Match heard his own voice asking back.

“I’d rather not talk about it now,” Blueblood replied. “Let’s just say she has finally shown her true colors. One good thing that came out of this is she’s locked up and won’t be bothering anyone anytime soon.”

Gear Match heard his grunt. Whoever was mimicking him, he almost had it down pat!

“Sir, how’s the progress with the weapon?” the fake Gear Match asked.

Gear Match felt ashamed that he was hearing his voice call the Prince so informally.

There was a pause. Did Prince Blueblood notice something strange?

“The usual,” the Prince replied.

“Sir, I heard the guards talking when you were out. Apparently, they are trying to move up their schedule and relocate. It might be imperative that we get to working on how to recreate the Jericho immediately.”

He heard Prince Blueblood sigh, and a grunt of movement. “Technological advancement isn’t something that can happen immediately. Don’t worry too much about it, Gear Match. If they need to change their location, they’ll just bring us along.” There was sound of stomping hooves. “But you know what, Gear Match, you could be right. I’ll get started working on the Jericho.”

“That’s good to hear sir.”

Prince Blueblood, do not fall for that false pony’s tricks! Gear Match wanted to scream. He just struggled through his bonds once more.

“Are you okay sir?” the fake Gear Match asked after another moment silence.

“A little tired and out of it,” Prince Blueblood replied. “I may have to sleep this off. Today has not been day.”

“Sir, you can rest here by the fire. I’m still arranging our bunks, and I’m afraid I may have made quite a mess.”

“If you insist, Gear Match. Let me just grab something from my work table.”

Gear Match could hear Prince Blueblood’s steady steps drifting closely, and then a slight pause. He began to think, mentally advising the Prince not to approach the mimic and praying to Celestia with all his might that his thoughts would miraculously be transmitted to his Royal companion.

Gear Match heard a grunt, and a canter. He closed his eyes, still praying, still thinking.

There was a sick sound of impact and a thud of a body, falling down on the hard ground. Silence. . . for only a few seconds. His heart skipped a beat when he heard hoofsteps coming towards his direction.

The next few seconds went forward torturously slow. As the sound of the approaching canter got louder, he began to struggle anew. He dared not want to see what had happened, so sure that the fake Gear Match had done something villainous to his friend. He did not want to be found there, tied and helpless.

As the echoing hoofsteps got closer, Gear Match tried to scream again.

Then, with a click, everything became brighter. Gear Match’s eyes tried to adjust to the sudden brightness but all he could make out was a silhouette. He screamed and renewed his struggles against his bonds.

“Gear Match!” the shadowed figure exclaimed.

Gear Match paused as he recognized the voice. Slowly, he could make out the Prince’s features, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Goodness, are you alright?” and in a practiced motion, Prince Blueblood’s mouth bit on the leather strap and yanked off the muffler that was preventing Gear Match from speaking.

“Oh thank Celestia,” Gear Match muttered hoarsely. “You knew?”

Prince Blueblood gave him a wry grin and worked on chewing the bonds free. “You must be joking, Gear Match. Of course I did.”

“What gave him away?” Gear Match asked, feeling the bonds on his hind legs slacken. “He sounded like me, spoke somewhat like me. Was it him calling you ‘sir’, Prince Blueblood?”

“There was that and. . .” Prince Blueblood grunted as he gave a final tug that loosened Gear Match’s bonds on his front legs. “What gave it away was the fact that the guards didn’t bring up the anti-magic field after I entered. He then brought up our progress on the Jericho. I’d have to be really out of it if I missed all those details and not concluded subterfuge. I was more afraid he had killed you, Gear Match.”

“Did he look like me at all?”

Prince Blueblood nodded. “Scarily so. . . until I hit the hammer at the back of his head. Now he looks like. . . well, see for yourself,” and he motioned towards his left.

Gear Match looked, and saw a black. . . pony-like creature splayed on the floor completely knocked out. It was Alternate, the black pony that kept a cloak around him, and now he understood why. The creature had a twisted horn, insect-like wings, sharp front fangs and his legs had actual holes in them.

“What in Equestria is that!?” Gear Match whispered.

“Right now, an annoying bump in our perfect plan,” Prince Blueblood replied. “If he’s here, that means that they are investigating our progress, and if their pon. . . uh, creature does not report back, they’re going to get suspicious.” He paused, his jaw locking into a grimace. “Gear Match, I hate to ask more from you, but we may have to make our move right now.”

Gear Match took a breath and closed his eyes. He nodded. “Time to go home then.”

Prince Blueblood smiled. “Lovely. Let’s move.”

Author's Note

Wow... looking at this chapter it makes me think back at the days before The Gentlemanverse.

Thanks for Reasonandrhyme and coandco for proof-reading it for me. The latter for doing a cold reading. He had no prior knowledge of the series, but still went for it. Thanks guys.

Don't judge the writing too harshly. This chapter is months old. xD

Chapter 6

Prince Blueblood’s front left hoof wouldn’t stop shaking. It got to the point that the normally unconscious action was now so noticeable that it was bothering him immensely.

He hadn’t said a word to Gear Match, who he had just freed from Alternate’s clutches. He didn’t want his friend to know that he had thought him dead and only after regaining his wits from his panic did he realize that the odd black pony-like creature had inadvertently given away Gear Match’s position. It was a simple matter of finding him near the sleeping area. He also didn’t want to tell him of his encounter with that monstrous mare, Silver Star, or the fact that he had fallen for Maelstrom’s trap.

Just a few moments ago, he had thought that he had finally found some common ground with the pegasus. He may have been trying to build weapons of destruction, kidnapped him and kept him for weeks, but he was not a monster. He showed sorrow, regret, and anger when he had rescued the Prince from Silver Star’s hooves. . . only to find out it was an elaborate scheme. Alternate mimicked Gear Match the same time Silver Star was in heat and did a number on Blueblood’s wits.

She left him distracted for the pony-like creature to subvert.

Blueblood would not believe that Maelstrom was ignorant about it. The pegasus was suspicious, and quite effective when he needed be. Now the Prince was convinced the pony was smarter than he had thought, as well as ruthless.

Celestia forbid, Blueblood had murder on his mind.

Gear Match was wasting a lot of adhesive tape tying Alternate down. Blueblood let him. He had never seen Gear Match so worked up, and he’d rather have him tying down his cause of misery rather than anything drastic. Besides, he’d be hypocritical if he told Gear Match to calm down, when he himself was already on the fritz. At least the older stallion was doing something constructive - overboard, but still constructive.

He felt the fire inside him burn with rage and hatred, but Blueblood knew he had to hold it down, stifle it. In a few minutes, they were about to embark on an exodus using untested and very new technology.

He needed to have his wits intact.

Outside was a twisted labyrinth filled with pony and gryphon guards. Past that, even more. Each could be armed with spears, swords, or even firesticks. All that stood between Blueblood and grievous and most likely lethal bodily harm was the modified armor he had constructed from various sources.

And his focus. If he let go of that, he would make a mistake - and they only had one suit of armor. He’d never forgive himself if Gear Match paid the price for his emotional outbursts.

“I think that should hold that mimicking little blighter,” Gear Match muttered, cantering towards Blueblood. “Finished two rolls. He isn’t getting out of that one.”

Blueblood didn’t bother to look. “Wings as well?”

“Oh yes, Prince Blueblood. The works.”

“Good,” the Prince replied, trotting towards his work table. Biting down on an edge of the covering cloth, he pulled it away revealing the interior armor, the armor plates, and the incendiary device that would burn through the metal door blocking their path to freedom.

Gear Match’s horn glowed as he began to clear away the debris of scrapped metal bolts and uncut pieces of crystals that was used as extra camouflage, and made sure he swept away the broken glass near the armor pieces and the device just in case someone wanted a closer look. Once that was done and over with, he gave Blueblood a nod.

The Prince positioned himself near the indentations on the interior armor, which was lying flat on the ground. Putting his front hooves in place, he lifted his flank and stomped with his hind hooves hard on the back indentations, starting the process.

Metal clanged as the interior of the armor instantly snapped from both sides, encasing Blueblood in a mesh of wires, gears, and soon, light. With his mini-AMR now powering up the interior, he could hear the small gears moving with slight clicking sounds. Gear Match watched, patting his hooves and poking a few places. Satisfied, he smiled.

“Inner armor secured, no problems,” he advised the Prince. “I’ll begin with the outer armor. Where do I start first?”

“Body armor first,” Blueblood replied. The Prince had modified the outer armor shell slightly when he saw Gear Match’s work on the inner armor workings and was able to produce something of similar effect. He was able to create a system of intricate locks of his own, but limited in design.

The body armor was to be put on first. It was foldable, and if engaged, would encase him from flank to neck, leaving his hooves and head exposed. The helmet was next, as that could easily lock on the neck part of the armor without trouble.

The greatest difficulty was creating the hoof armor parts. He had copied Gear Match’s pressure-activated design so he could quickly wear them without assistance. That way, once the helmet and body armor was secured, Gear Match could be free to work on the next phase of the plan.

More metal clicking was heard as Blueblood’s body was encased in thick angled metallic clothing, covering almost everything in metal. Only his chest area seemed exposed, with a circular thick transparent crystal that allowed the light of the mini-AMR to shine out. Gear Match checked the armor before he lifted the helmet and locked it in place as well.

“Good. We’re almost there, Gear Match. Do you have the letter?”

Gear Match levitated a letter from a saddlebag, where he’d put all their saved up rations and some other surprises they would be using for their escape. He nodded to the Prince and placed it back in the bag.

“Strap on then, and put the incendiary device on the door,” Blueblood said.

Gear Match looked reluctant. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? It’s not that I don’t trust your hoof armor designs, Prince Blueblood, but if something were to go wrong, like a jam on the locks, I could help with that.”

“The designs are perfect. They are yours, so stop worrying and place that device on the door,” Blueblood ordered. Gear Match frowned, but nodded, and let the Prince be.

Blueblood didn’t know why he was being cross, or why he was hiding the fact he had modified his right front hoof armor and added his personal project, but had no theoretical or practical proof that would work. He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to use it, but he still told no one.

Slamming down his left front hooves on the armor part, Blueblood gave a sigh of relief when the mechanism locked in place, fitting perfectly with the body armor. His right front hoof and his hind hooves went in without a hitch as well. He stole a glance at Gear Match. The slits on the facial armor were a bit too restricting, but it was better than having something poke him in the eye. The older stallion had secured the saddlebags and was slowly attaching the device to the door, so the Prince began to run some simple diagnostics to see if there were any problems.

The first test was standing on both hind legs. The gears clicked into place easily, and the inner armor supported his whole body perfectly as he stood up vertically. Blueblood stayed like that for a moment, moving his front hooves around, checking how the shoulder and leg moved in armor.

It was smooth. No jams, no stiffness. He checked the armor around his chest, making sure the mini-AMR was well protected. Going back to all-fours, he began checking his hind legs, did some shadow bucking and made sure he could turn on a bit to unleash a quick flurry of kicks.

It felt natural.

“Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match called. Blueblood glanced back at him. “Everything is ready here.”

“Good,” Blueblood nodded. “Gear Match, gather all the notes and plans we have made. Burn them all. Leave no shred of evidence, or anything that would allow them to rebuild everything we have discovered and made. If we are to die today, they will not use our creations to forward their ambition.”

Gear Match looked at Blueblood for a moment, his smile slowly growing. He nodded, and began to scramble towards the work-table, gathering all paper pieces which contained either the armor or Jericho plans. When he moved towards the dining area, Blueblood trotted to his work station and searched for the counterpart of the twin-linked crystal. When he found it, he waited until Gear Match had finished his part.

Blueblood heard rustling and crackling of fire. He spotted Gear Match burning all their plans and double checked on the room to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. After a few minutes, the older pony seemed to have been satisfied, and joined Blueblood on the work-table.

“Are you ready for this, Gear Match?” Blueblood asked as the older unicorn magically grabbed the twin-linked crystal, and placed it on the floor.

Gear Match threw out a smile. “I think we overstayed our welcome, don’t you, Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood smiled behind his metallic mask, and just stomped on the crystal. Two seconds later, the lights and machinery inside their cavern room shut down. It would have been a total blackout if it was not for the mini-AMR glowing brightly, illuminating the area around the Prince and Gear Match.

The two ponies nodded and began to walk towards the metallic door. It took a while before Gear Match finally found the receptor crystal. He threw a bolt of magic into it, starting the reaction. The incendiary device began to glow red hot, brighter and brighter until it visibly began to deform the metallic surface around it.

Blueblood took a breath. He could hear the guards on the other side of the door panicking. He didn’t blame them. He had designed the whole plan as basic shock and awe, a tactic that was Auntie Celestia’s favorite during the Great War. During choice skirmishes, she would join the fray and usually her presence would be enough to cow down the opposing Diamond Dogs into a full retreat, saving a considerable amount of lives and supplies in the process.

They didn’t have much in the way of supplies, and they were only two ponies against an army. If they were going to get through this intact, he would have to do better than his auntie.

Once the device’s glow subsided, he dashed forward and slammed through the metallic door and device dead center. The door flew wide open, revealing two scared guards close enough that Blueblood wasted no motion and bucked the two unconscious, his hind legs slamming into their heads with a sickening sound of tortured metal.

He continued on his way, the mini-AMR lighting his way. The choice of using clear crystal on top of the device paid off. Now, not only did he have a good light source, the light was also distracting enough to oncoming guards that they would not notice Gear Match sneaking around them. All their attention would be at the armored Blueblood.

Taking another left, the Prince encountered the second set of guards. Two ponies, and a gryphon, armed with spears and gauntlets respectively. His presence temporarily blinded them, giving him time to stand on his hind legs while their eyes adjusted. And when they did, their eyes widened as they found a giant standing in front of them menacingly.

The two pony guards threw their spears, yelling in fear. They harmlessly bounced off his thick armored chest. Witnessing this, they stood, frozen. Their gryphon companion was braver. Dumber, but braver. He charged in with a battle yell, his wings spreading as his two clawed gauntlets scratched over the armor harmlessly.

The gryphon’s panicked expression lasted only for a second before Blueblood’s right armored front hoof slammed down on his face, knocking him out. The Prince then looked at the still-frozen pony guards, and did his best to sound extremely menacing.

“Run, my little ponies.”

Run they did. Blueblood couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Really, Prince Blueblood?” Gear Match asked, appearing on his side.

Blueblood shrugged. “I’m working on my aggression, Gear Match. Emulating Princess Celestia is very therapeutic.”

“At least you didn’t emulate Princess Luna. Archaic Equestrian in loud volumes would suit you ill,” Gear Match replied.

The Prince’s heard turned. “You do know that is one of Equestrian’s Royal Princesses you’re talking about, right?”

“I’m pretty sure Princess Celestia would be interested knowing that your thought of emulating her is reminiscent of the Dark Alicorn,” the older unicorn countered.

Blueblood went back to all fours and laughed a bit. “As long as I explain it to her it was really Canter Morrison’s version, I’m sure auntie would not mind.” He paused, and shook his head. “We’re not even half-way and we are seemingly celebrating.”

“I’m sorry for the distraction then, Prince Blueblood.”

“Don’t be,” the Prince replied. He stared forward. “If I am reading our situation right, they will begin to hit us with everything they have. I need you safe, Gear Match. We need those Dragonfire Gems before they overwhelm me.” He turned and faced him. “And I know you, my friend. You don’t work too well if you’re wound up.”

Gear Match sighed. “Prince Blueblood, you are asking me to step aside while you take on armed guards and projectiles. You will take a brunt of their attacks while I, in relative safety, scrounge to find Dragonfire Gems while everyone’s distracted in attacking you. I’m more worried about you.”

“Yes, well Gear Match, I work well wound up,” Blueblood replied. “Now get behind me. I’m hearing hoofsteps.”

Gear Match scrambled behind him, and the hoofsteps became louder. Blueblood let out a deep breath and cracked his neck slightly before he charged forward.

He hit the first guard, a unicorn mare, hard, knocking her back. She must have been preparing a spell because her horn was glowing, and thanks to the Prince, her spellcraft went awry and began to fire out magical bolts at random, hitting a few pony guards. She must have been a squad leader, because the whole guard just scattered without her, leaving the rest as easy pickings.

“Retreat! Retreat!” one of the ponies shouted.

Blueblood just finished knocking out the closest guard to him, and continued to charge forward. The more he could take out in the cave, the less he’d have to deal outside. He rammed, punched, and kicked any creature nearby. He may have been somewhat rougher with the unicorn mares. He kept telling himself it was only because he could not guarantee his armor’s defenses against pure magic.

The mini-AMR was built with an anti-interference system, which prevented any stray magic from affecting its workings. Theoretically, Blueblood’s armor should be protected by a slight haze of anti-magic field, but there was no way he’d test that out now. So, any unicorn that came in would be treated as a primary target to take down.

Of course, that didn’t explain why he wasn’t that rough on the unicorn stallions as well.

As more enemies poured in, Blueblood didn’t even think of questioning the presence of pegasi inside close-quarter environments. It wasn’t an effective battle tactic, as they were primarily used in wide open skies. However, he was thankful. The more of them he could take out now, the less he’d have to worry about later.

Once he was done, he continued on his charge, picking off the slower ponies or gryphons and taking them out. He took a right, went straight through a three-path fork, and turned left, where he stopped abruptly as he saw a line of earth ponies with firesticks in their mouths, aimed right at him.

“Gear Match! Stay behind me and don’t move!” Blueblood exclaimed as the squad leader shouted a signal, and the whole cavern exploded with a loud echoing explosion as the first two lines of ponies fired.

The Prince felt a shower storm of metallic pieces hitting him, and for a moment, he wondered if his armor design was up to the challenge.

Firesticks were a Zebra invention. They were first designed using hollowed tree branches, most likely from the Derk tree, whose wood was flexible enough to withstand a small explosion. They put black explosive powder in the base, and a metallic bearing afterwards. The first firesticks had to use a lit fuse to create the explosion to propel the metallic projectile in high speed.

The design evolved. Derk wood was still used, but now it was reinforced with iron. They also replaced the manual lit fuse with re-usable fire crystals at the base; all a pony needed to start the reaction was to bite onto the crystal. They also changed the projectiles, moving from ball bearings to pointed designs not unlike spear points.

It was favored mostly by strong ponies, like Zebras and earth ponies. They were strong enough to withstand the force of the explosion, and the firesticks themselves were powerful enough to penetrate Royal Guard armor. The disadvantage was that the firesticks themselves fired once before they had to be loaded with black powder and the projectiles, so the most favored tactic was lining up ponies in four or five rows, and having one or two lines take their shots. While they were reloading, the next line would fire, and the next.

If timed perfectly, once the last line finished shooting, the first would have finished reloading and ready to shoot.

A few metallic projectiles bounced off harmlessly, but some, mostly those that hit flatter parts of the armor, wedged themselves in the dents they created. Blueblood grunted as he felt the impact of some of those, and immediately stood on his hind legs once more. When the second line deployed their shots, Blueblood withstood the wave of attacks like a stone wall, positioning himself to have his thicker armor take the brunt of their attacks.

“I should research a way to move with just my hind legs,” Blueblood whispered, more to himself. He stretched his left foreleg forward and his right hoof tapped an impression. A series of clicks followed, and his left foreleg armor opened up and launched a device in front of the firestick ponies. He closed his eyes.

The device exploded in a bright blinding white light that staggered the opposing ponies. Blueblood went back to all fours again and charged, hitting their lines and breaking their formation. There were more shouts as Blueblood just rushed at them, leaving them no room to stand or react. Any ponies that came up were either punched or bucked back to the ground.

So busy was he trying to take them out, he hadn’t noticed a pony sneaking up on him until a barrel protruded in his vision and a shot fired out, leaving him with a bright spot in a corner of his eye and ringing in his ears. Blueblood, blinded, growled and pushed himself towards his attacker, who at the slightest hit, seemed to have retreated out of the way.

He glanced around; his ears were still ringing when he saw a shadow to his side. Thinking it was the attacker coming back, he whirled and was about to unleash another attack when he saw Gear Match looking at him in wide eyes.

“Prince Blueblood, are you alright?” the older stallion asked.

“Get out of here, Gear Match! There’s still a pony with a firestick around!” Blueblood replied.

“He won’t be a problem, Prince Blueblood. Not anymore,” Gear Match advised, motioning towards the ground on Blueblood’s left.

“What are you-” and Blueblood stopped talking immediately when he saw a pony with crimson liquid running down its neck. For a moment, he stood there, dumbstruck. “Is he. . .?”

Gear Match just nodded. “Prince Blueblood, it wasn’t your fault. I saw it. He tried to shoot his firestick close-range. The projectile hit your helmet, and it ricocheted. You didn’t kill him.”

Blueblood felt like he did. Death was uncommon in Equestria, where his auntie Celestia had instilled the value of life. And even then, deaths were not caused by other ponies. Most were from isolated cases in the Everfree forest. The only serious crime committed in its borders was nothing worse than scuffles.

For many years, the country had no proper military; the defenders consisted of variants of police forces and town guards until the Great War. Pony casualties were the greatest during opening skirmishes, devastating the mare population and waking the rest of the horrors of the world. One could say the war was called ‘Great’ just by the fact that it established modern Equestria as it was today.

Yet, even knowing such facts, Blueblood felt the pit of his stomach sink, its contents threatening to spill out. The image of the earth pony bleeding heavily out of his neck and laid at his feet was stuck in his head. It was no consolation that they were antagonists, or the fact that pony tried to take his life.

It ate at him.

“Let’s go,” Blueblood said, his voice slightly withdrawn. Gear Match just nodded, and they went on their way.

They had a few more scuffles, but the number of guards lessened and the cavern was getting brighter and brighter. They were close to the outside, and Blueblood knew he’d be facing the main force of Maelstrom’s guards on the other side.

A few more meters, he could see the mouth of the cave.

“Peripheral weapons,” Blueblood muttered as he tapped another button on both his front legs. The armor opened up a section, revealing placeholders made of a simple bowled platform with a thick barrel pointing towards the direction of his hooves and enclosed in a mesh of glowing wires.

Gear Match appeared on his side, levitating two fire gems and two small rockets from the saddlebags. He attached the fire gems into fitting slots on the front leg armor, and the two small rockets on his shoulder armor. He made sure to attach the switches so they could be deployed, and once that was done, began scrounging up a few small devices from the bag as well.

“I’ll take the initial salvo,” Blueblood muttered. “Once I return fire, throw the devices in a wide arc. And then, it’s phase two.”

He saw Gear Match nodding nervously, and Blueblood slowly cantered towards the exit of the cave. His eyes narrowed slightly as the bright light penetrated the eye slits of his helmet, and when his eyesight adjusted, he was met with the largest formation of ponies and gryphons he’d ever seen.

They had earth ponies with spears and swords in the first line, mixed in with gryphons with their weapons. There were more earth ponies with firesticks behind them. Third line was a formation of grounded pegasi, lightning-charged clouds hovering just above them, and the last line had some unicorns, horns glowing and ready.

As he walked and revealed himself into the light, a whole lot of ponies shifted slightly, but they stood their ground. Blueblood then stood on his hind legs, and almost every pony began muttering in panic.

Maelstrom and Gwendolyn landed between the second and first line of guards, and they both walked to the front and center. The pegasus looked like a proper soldier, his demeanor calm and almost unattached. He stared at Blueblood, spreading his wings slightly, before folding them back in. Gwendolyn made a show of revealing her clawed gauntlet as well.

“Prince Blueblood?” Maelstrom called, as if he couldn’t believe it. “Is that you?”

Blueblood looked at him, his hateful glare hidden behind his mask. He didn’t trust himself to speak. He just gave a nod.

“That armor you’re wearing,” Maelstrom began, and smiled. “That is amazing. The potential of it. . . imagine, why make weapons when you can make your soldiers immune to them!”

“Well, I’m glad you are liking it,” Blueblood muttered. “Enjoy the view, Maelstrom. It’s the closest thing you’ll ever get.”

“Now, calm down, Prince Blueblood. You can see how you can re-negotiate your release,” Maelstrom advised. “With a weapon like this, our benefactor willl be more than be agreeable to it!”

“Don’t treat me as an invalid, Maelstrom,” Blueblood replied. “I didn’t believe you the first time. I spent my time working on this to escape, and you think I’d just let you have me turn around, and become your prisoner again?”

Maelstrom frowned. “Please be reasonable, Prince Blueblood. I promised weapons. While you advised me the Jericho would take months, that armor you are wearing now is something we can use!”

“What you can use doesn’t concern me anymore, Maelstrom. Accept your defeat with dignity, and I’ll spare you the humiliation of what I’m about to do.”

Maelstrom glared at the armored Prince and sighed. “Prince Blueblood, your armor has taken damage. Your design is not as flawless as you think. If you believe you can take on so many soldiers and win, you are deluding yourself. Surrender, and I shall place you under my protection once more. If you don’t, I’ll destroy you, and rebuild that armor myself.”

Blueblood looked at the pegasus, knowing he was speaking in total honesty. He felt somewhat better about the turn of events. Moving his right leg, he motioned them to come at him.

“So be it.” Maelstrom nodded towards Gwendolyn, who took his place.

“Unicorns! Pegasi!” Gwendolyn shouted.

Blueblood stood his ground as the unicorns began to amass their magic while the pegasi jumped up to their clouds. At Gwendolyn’s signal, the unicorns shot their bolts of arcane magic at him. Lights of differing color flew like wind, passing between the lined formations of guards with disciplined accuracy, while the pegasi bucked their clouds hard enough to produce huge bolts of lightning. The two forces were on a collision course and hit the Prince like a tidal wave.

Blueblood grunted as he felt intruding magic almost penetrating aura of his mini-AMR field. It stopped the effects of their bolts and lightning, but couldn’t stop the force it produced, almost pushing Blueblood a step back. Gwendolyn ordered the firestick ponies to fire less than a second later.

The high pitched noise of metal meeting metal lasted for seconds as the guards fired in perfect synchronization, unleashing a column of deadly projectiles in every second. Unicorns and pegasi joined the assault as well, and arcane and lightning bolts flew alongside the firestick projectiles, hitting with a force of a cannon and the noise of thunder.

Blueblood could only grit his teeth, waiting for the right moment. He tried to dodge a few bolts of magic and lightning but standing on his hind legs severely limited his movement. He also had to keep himself balanced, knowing even a slight mishap would force him to the ground, giving his enemies opportunity to swarm at him with their numbers. He would not allow it.

Then, it stopped. The air smelled arid, with burnt powder and white smoke covering the surroundings. All the guard ponies seemed to have held their collective breath, wondering if their attack had successfully neutralized what seemed to be an invincible enemy.

The mountain breeze blew away the smoke, and the ponies saw an even scarier sight.

Blueblood’s armor was battered, burned, and even seemed to have been penetrated by some of their firestick projectiles. But he still stood there, smoking slightly, unwounded as he moved his hoof again, and signalling them to try again.

The ponies took a step back, visibly bothering Gwendolyn. The gryphon warrior shook her head, staring at her fellow comrades who stood their ground, apparently ready to unleash the gryphon offense. She shouted a charge, and the vanguards of gryphons charged immediately, wings spread.

Blueblood found his opening.

“My turn,” he muttered, and punched his hooves forward. Magic energy was redirected to the Fire Gem placeholders, feeding the gems enough to spew fire to whatever direction Blueblood was pointing at. In this case, it was the charging gryphons.

They might have been predators. They might not have scared easily. . . but fire was not a force that could be dealt with by courage alone. They screamed as the flames moved air currents around them. In the complete chaos and disarray, they couldn’t fall back by retreating into the sky, and with their feathers now catching fire they did what any panicked creature would do.

They retreated; right into the scattered formation of earth ponies.

Bodies of muscle, feathers, hooves and claws collided in blind and utter terror. Friendly fire was next, as firesticks shot out, cracking like explosives while trailing sharp cut lines formed on earth pony bodies. Behind the scattered earth pony lines, Blueblood pressed his advantage. He aimed his shoulders just above the pegasi collection and pushed a few elevated buttons on his chest armor, activating a fuse directly at the rockets Gear Match had placed earlier. It flew in a slight whistling sound, between the pegasi and unicorn formation, and exploded with a powerful concussive force.

Lightning clouds dispersed, and pegasi literally fell like rain. The explosive force also stunned the unicorns, halting spell production and offense for the few precious seconds that Blueblood needed.

“Now, Gear Match!” he shouted. The older stallion immediately telekinetically threw out devices in wide arcs, each landing at a different distance. Some were on the broken mesh of ponies and gryphons, while some landed on the stunned unicorns.

Blueblood looked away, closed his eyes, and hoped Gear Match did the same.

A bright light was emitted by the devices, but unlike earlier in the cave, they produced loud explosive force that left ears ringing of anyone near the devices. Blueblood thought there was a chance that there would be a few ponies or gryphons that were not in panic or unconscious, and those devices would ensure that the next phase of their escape would be uninterrupted.

On all-fours again, Blueblood charged at the mass panic, hitting and throwing around ponies and gryphons. He bucked, headbutted, and punched those nearest to him, inciting more panic in the group as they began to spread outwards, stampeding out of control.

Slowly but surely, he was routing the rest of the guards. It was as if the Running of the Leaves had come early, and unicorns, earth ponies, and even some gryphons began to run as if Tartarus was after them. Those that stayed tasted steel hooves and bucks, unable to retaliate as their hooves, spears, swords and gauntlets were not enough to even dent Blueblood’s armor.

“Stop, Prince Blueblood, please!”

The Prince blinked as he finished knocking out a unicorn that was beginning to stir. The crowd had thinned enough to see Maelstrom on the ground. His left wing bent abnormally in an angle, and judging by his position, Blueblood guessed the pegasus had just suffered the bad end of a stampede.

“It’s not too late,” Maelstrom said, panic coloring his voice. “Just surrender peacefully.”

Blueblood sneered behind his mask. “And why should I?”

The pegasus motioned to his right. The Prince turned, and felt his heart almost stop as he saw Gwendolyn, burnt, bruised and feathers ruffled, pinning down Gear Match down with her gauntlet, her steel claws shallowly penetrating his flesh as crimson liquid slowly flowed down.

“Prince. . . Blueblood. . .” Gear Match managed to choke out.

Blueblood looked at Maelstrom again, who seems to be smiling slightly. “I win, Prince Blueblood.”

“Not yet,” the Prince replied. He pointed his right hoof towards Gwendolyn’s direction.

“Please, Prince Blueblood,” Maelstrom scoffed. “Even if you were willing to burn your companion, at this distance, fire won’t reach Gwendolyn fast enough before she slits your friend’s throat.”

“Maelstrom,” Blueblood began, his neck slowly craning to the right. There was a slight click as right hoof armor began to spread open. “Remember when I said that it would take months to make the recreate repulsor technology? I was wrong.”

Blueblood looked at Gwendolyn, her eyes confused. In contrast to Gear Match’s eyes, which were wide open in surprise as recognition colored his face. The older stallion immediately covered his eyes and braced himself as much as he could to the ground as a bright light began to emanate from the end of Blueblood’s right front leg, and not a second later, shot out of his hoof at unspeakable speeds.

Gwendolyn didn’t know what hit her. One moment, she was standing there, pinning Gear Match on the ground, her sharp gauntlets threatening to squeeze and cut his life force away. The next, she was flying as if a cannon had hit her directly, disentangling her from the older stallion, and make her fly tens of meters away before she hit a stone wall with an ugly crunch.

Blueblood was not spared from the physics. It may have been due to the armor, weighing him down enough so he would not join the gryphon in her impromptu flight, but the force was sufficiently strong enough to drag him a few inches back.

The repulsor technology worked. His personal project, what he had been hiding for the past few days was a complete success. But if the feeling of thirst and exhaustion was any indication, there were vast array of improvements that should be implemented. But for the moment, it did its job.

“Impossible. . .” Maelstrom muttered in complete shock.

Blueblood looked at him, feeling his hatred for the pegasus re-ignite. It would be so easy. . . a little pressure on the neck, he could snap it in two, rid the world of a monstrous pony that had designs for destruction.

Yet, that earth pony with blood flowing from his neck appeared in his mind. It reminded him how death would look like, and warned him of its consequences: if an indirect cause of death would sicken him, how would it feel if he was the direct cause?

Blueblood left him him, unharmed. His hooves were dirty enough. Muttering few choice curse words, he cranked his neck to the left and the right hoof armor began to fold once more, completely covering the repulsor prototype, and walked towards Gear Match. The older pony took his time standing up and looked at Blueblood with disapproval as he began to shake the dust off his back.

“You said you wouldn’t put it in the armor yet,” Gear Match muttered.

“Yes, well, aren’t we glad we had it when we needed it?” Blueblood asked before he stumbled a step.

Gear Match immediately approached him. “Are you okay, Prince Blueblood?”

“Note to self, find ways to make the repulsor technology magic-efficient,” Blueblood replied. He gently nudged the older stallion’s hooves away. “I’m fine. The AMR is still trying to produce magic to overcompensate. I’m feeling better every second. Did you get it?”

Gear Match grinned. He levitated two green Dragonfire Gems in front of Blueblood. “Spell nexus was overwritten. It’s ready,” he advised.

“Phase three then,” Blueblood muttered as he pressed a few buttons in his hoof armor. The fire crystals mounted on the placeholders were forcefully ejected. Gear Match placed the Dragonfire Gems in their place.

“Put the letter in the piles,” Blueblood ordered as he secured the Dragonfire Gems. The letter was levitated over the tarp that hid the various crystals, precious gems, metals, armors and weapons. “I hope auntie doesn’t have company.”

“Wait a moment, Blueblood! What are you doing!?” Maelstrom shouted from behind the Prince.

“Getting my pay,” was all Blueblood said before he forced magic into the gems mounted on his armor, unleashing green Dragon Fire that engulfed the whole tarp. And everything vanished in a puff of smoke.

Maelstrom might have screamed. Blueblood didn’t care at that point. The thirst began to creep back, and he still had to get them out. Signaling Gear Match, the older stallion got out a rope from his saddlebags, and began to tie it securely around Blueblood’s armor, then looped it around his harness. He could barely keep his eyes open when Gear Match tapped his shoulder, signaling that he was secured.

Using every last ounce of magic he could grasp, he redirected it towards his hind legs. The hind hoof armor opened up as the magic fed into the placed fire gems and fire exploded downwards, lifting Blueblood and Gear Match, armor and all. Soon, they were up in the air, leaving the mountainside hovering above the Everfree Forest.

“We did it, Prince Blueblood!” Gear Match shouted. “We did it!”

Blueblood just nodded. He focused on the horizon, feeling his body getting heavier by the minute. He closed his eyes.

One moment, Gear Match was celebrating. He blinked, and the next thing he knew, the older stallion was screaming, banging on Blueblood’s armor as they began to fall out of the sky.

Blueblood felt his consciousness return just a few feet from the forest grounds. He quickly whirled around, keeping himself between Gear Match and the unforgiving ground. He prayed to his ancestors that his armor would hold. He prayed that his auntie got his letter. He prayed that they were far enough to not be followed.

A few seconds later, darkness.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

In Canterlot, the Morning Court was currently in session. Princess Celestia, one-half of the supreme ruling body of Equestrian government, was finally getting a normal day. The past few weeks were the most testing to the Alicorn since the Great War. Her nephew was ponynapped, and just a few days later, Discord broke out and caused havoc.

Thankfully, the Elements of Harmony had protected Equestria once more, sealing the spirit of chaos back to stone. It took more days to rebuild all the damage that wasn’t repaired by the Elements, and finally their military was back on track in trying to get the Prince’s whereabouts.

Princess Celestia wanted to personally oversee the search, but Luna insisted that she open the Morning Court. With all the chaos going on, her little ponies needed assurance that everything was returning to normalcy.

“Thou art needed to raise our citizen’s morale,” Luna had said. “We shall take thy place on our nephew’s search. Convince our little ponies that the danger has passed, and that all is well in Equestria.”

And there was nothing more convincing than normal. So, when the court was in session regarding territorial dispute, with two ponies claiming a tree that was at the edge of their territories, it was a typical day in Canterlot.

“Princess Celestia, please, you must understand,” one of the ponies advised. “That lemon tree has been in my family for generations.”

“I understand, Citrus Scent,” Princess Celestia replied in her most calming tone. “But territorial laws are quite clear.” She nodded towards the other pony on the opposite side of him. “Lime Shine’s family actually had claims on the land that particular lemon tree is rooted on.”

Lime Shine nodded. “Our family had no reason to stake any claim until recent years. We just need that particular land to expand on our crops.”

“But Princess Celestia—”

Citrus Scent was cut off when there was slight rumbling around the Court. Princess Celestia blinked as she felt a massive displacement of mass. Green dragon fire laced with magic burst out, revealing crates covered in tarp appearing seemingly from thin air. For a few seconds, all eyes went to it, and no one could stop gravity from taking a hold of it.

It dropped down in the middle of the court, wood smashed revealing precious gems and crystals, metal rods and bars, armor pieces, Zebra weapons. . . and then, as an afterthought, a small envelope floated down on top.

The Court was silent for a moment, until Citrus Scent spoke out.

“Actually, Princess Celestia, you are quite correct,” the pony advised.

“No, wait, hold on,” Lime Shine returned. “I have no use of a lemon tree. If you can pay the transfer, earth ponies can easily move that lemon tree to your territory.”

Princess Celestia blinked, and nodded. “Then we have a settlement?”

“Yes!” both ponies advised quickly. “Can we leave. . . please?”

Celestia could only nod, dumbfounded. After a moment, she shook her head, levitating the envelope to her. She opened it and took out the letter, regarding its contents. Her eyes narrowed and then her mouth opened slightly. She stood up straight.

“Shining Armor,” she called.

The Captain of the Royal Guard snapped to attention. “Yes, Princess?”

“Send a message to Luna. We may finally be able to trace our nephew,” Celestia advised.

Author's Note

Well, Chapter 6 is out. Thanks to Reasonandrhyme for doing the preliminary proof-reading and coandco for doing the finish. This chapter has been in my Google Drive for quite a long time, written before my first chapter of Gentleman for Mares. It brought back a few memories and a few embarrassments as well.

There is one more draft that needs to be proof-read, but after that, I'll have to start writing new stuff. And with my Gentlemanverse in full swing, I have no idea where on when I'll be able to do an update. What I do know is that after this chapter, it now derails from the Iron Man movies and should move on its own pace.

Any fans out there, hope you enjoy this chapter. Later.

Chapter 7

There was blood on his hooves.

Blueblood could only stare.

There was blood on his hooves.

No matter what he did, whether shaking them or rubbing them on his coat, the crimson liquid kept flowing, oozing out of his hooves.

He tried to look elsewhere. The blood-red color disgusted him beyond comparison, and seeing his clean white coat infected with it, he wanted to banish it from sight. What he got instead was a world of utter and complete darkness. Deepest black conveyed on all corners of his sight, as if everything around him had its color and life sucked off. He tried to say something, only for his voice to come out blurred and soft.

He shouted. He stomped his hind legs.

Nothing.

He looked at his hooves again, feeling his eyes watering. He tried to shake them again to no avail. Then, he heard it.

He could only describe it as a whisper, a sigh in the wind. He placed his bloodied hooves down, and looked forward. Was there someone out there? He tried to shout again.

Again, nothing!

His eyes moved, scanning the area to the left, then to his right. There was nothing but darkness. He looked down. He saw it.

The guard earth pony, lying there on a pool of blood. The Prince winced as the blood itself began to pool at his hooves.

This must be the reason why he couldn’t get rid of the color, he thought.

Blueblood tried to step away, but for some reason his legs stayed where they were. His eyes widened as he realized the blood thickened around his fetlocks and hooves, and if his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, they were transforming to dragon-like claws, grabbing him, keeping him still.

The guard pony then moved. At first, it was just a slight movement. His neck shifted as his eyelids slowly blinked, then unbelievably stood up quickly, shocking Blueblood to a sitting position. The Prince could only look in horror as an animated deceased pony stared at him with lifeless eyes, his mouth opening and revealing sharp teeth as it screamed.

“Blueblood!”

“-rince Blueblood!”

The Prince woke up with a start. He gasped for breathe as he felt a warm hoof on his shoulder. He could hear Gear Match’s voice, soothingly telling him he was okay.

He was not convinced. He could still see the image of the dead pony standing in front of him. He thought he could still feel the thick crimson liquid on his hooves. He could still feel the cold weight of guilt that he felt the day he saw that guard on the ground, the lifeblood leaving his neck.

I have to distract myself lest I go mad, he thought.

“How long was I out?” Blueblood asked, wondering why everything seemed so bright.

“You have been unconscious for a day, my dear Blueblood.”

The Prince blinked. Was that his auntie’s voice? He looked to his left and saw Gear Match. He looked in front, and saw the foot of a bed and white walls. On his right, standing as majestically as ever, was Princess Celestia, looking at him with a mix of relief and sorrow.

“Aunt-” Blueblood scrambled to sit up, only to scream out in pain as his body suddenly felt like it was on fire.

“Nephew!” Celestia exclaimed, her hoof suddenly going to Blueblood’s chest, pinning him down. “Settle down, Blueblood. The healers and I have gone through your body, but you aren’t completely healed. Settle down!”

Blueblood stopped moving and the burning sensation slowly started to fade. He stared at the white ceiling, feeling surprisingly blank. All he could feel was Celestia’s hoof circling his chest... no, wait, circling the place where the mini-AMR would be situated on his chest. Another pulse of panic vibrated in his core as he looked at his aunt, fearful of what to expect.

What would she say?

Celestia said nothing. Her gaze was neutral as she looked to Blueblood’s left. On top of the bed-side table was the vest along with the glowing mini-AMR. Her eyes then traveled towards Blueblood’s head, where his horn once proudly stood. She could only wince.

Did Gear Match tell her why he needed the mini-AMR? Had he explained to his auntie what had happened? Where was the armor itself?

“You look relatively healthy,” Celestia said, cutting off his train of thoughts. “All things considered.”

“How long was I gone?” Blueblood asked. “I lost track of days during our imprisonment.”

“Three weeks,” Celestia replied with a sigh. “We tried to find you sooner, nephew, but we were... delayed.”

“Must have been quite a situation to delay you, auntie,” Blueblood chuckled. When Celestia didn’t even crack a smile, he frowned. “What happened?”

“It’s of... no importance. Not anymore. Equestria is safe, and so are you. It is all finally over.”

Blueblood could only blink. Over; the word echoed in Blueblood’s ears and his chest. He suddenly felt everything pouring out of him. The fear he squashed down to keep his mind sharp for the escape, the strain of working on two projects, both technologically advanced for this age, and the horrors he experienced on his escape.

He didn’t break down, or at least, not completely. Prince Blueblood was raised as a noblepony, as the Crown Prince. Commoners looked up to him in a bit of reverie, so he had to give them a strong front. Fellow nobleponies would see emotions as a weakness, so he would give them nothing.

However, he was not unfeeling.

He felt a few tears leaving his eyes, and he paid them no mind. In his head, all his thoughts were focused on three sentences, repeating over and over. It was over.

It was over.

Prince Blueblood felt a hoof touch his cheek. He saw Celestia smiling at him, her white hoof feeling soft and warm as she wiped his tears away. He gave her a nod of appreciation, and just laid there on the bed, for the first time since he was captured, completely relaxed and contented.

“Is the Prince awake?” a feminine voice rang out on the room. Blueblood blinked.

“Yes he is, Doctor Heart,” Celestia replied, her hoof leaving the Prince’s cheek. She trotted out of the way revealing a unicorn mare with one of those reflective headgears and a stethoscope around her neck. She was relatively nice-looking pony with bright purple coat, mane and tail of a darker shade.

She had quite an infectious smile, though.

“Well, Prince Blueblood, how are you feeling today?” she asked with a bit of warmth. Blueblood could appreciate that.

“Sore,” he replied.

“Well, don’t worry,” she replied, her hoof reaching to touch Blueblood’s in an assuring manner. “We’ll-”

Before her hooves touched him, Blueblood suddenly felt suffocated. The image of Doctor Heart was replaced by the smiling Silver Star, and he automatically flinched backwards. As he did, everything turned back normal. Silver Star wasn’t there, and he could finally breathe.

Doctor Heart looked confused. “Prince Blueblood, are you hurt? Should I-” and when she reached out once more, Blueblood jerked again automatically.

The Prince shook his head as he felt his muscles strain on every sudden jerk his body did. He saw the doctor flinched, her eyes hurt and confused. He saw Gear Match looking utterly flabbergasted. And then he looked at his auntie, who had now had a dark look in her eyes.

She knew.

“Doctor, would you excuse us for a bit?” Celestia asked. Heart looked a bit apprehensive, but nodded just the same, bowing before she slowly left the room. With her gone, the Princess’ eyes seemed to glow with fury as she directed her gaze at the surprised Gear Match.

“Why have you not told me?” she demanded, voice deceptively calm, though one could feel the rage underneath. Gear Match looked even more confused.

“T-told you what, your h-highness?”

Blueblood shook his head, and before his aunt could say more, he spoke up. “Auntie, stop. He didn’t know.”

Celestia and Gear Match looked at him, the latter still looking angry while Gear Match looked even more confused. The Prince breathed.

“It happened just recently,” Blueblood continued. “The day we escaped actually.”

“Prince Blueblood, what are you-”

“Silver Star,” the Prince cut his friend off. “She was the right-hoof mare of their leader, Maelstrom. She was in heat.”

Gear Match’s face went through a whole lot of motion. From confusion, his eyes widened with understanding, then narrowed with disgust.

“She... she what!?” Gear Match screamed the last word.

“She was stopped,” Blueblood continued, closing his eyes. “Maelstrom and the rest came to my rescue. I... I had thought I could finally respect the pony. He was planning something dastardly, but at least he had standards. However, I had to rethink that notion with all the things that came to pass afterwards.” He felt his throat wash with fire as he opened his eyes. “He must have known that Silver Star was in heat and that she was going to assault me. He wanted me rattled enough so I wouldn’t notice his... creature mimic Gear Match.”

He could feel his eyes tear up again. He made no motion to stop it. “I had murder in mind, Auntie. I wanted to kill him, and his little monster. I almost did. Oh Stars, I almost did.”

Blueblood would never admit to anyone that he broke down in a hospital, that he gritted his teeth as he tried to force his cry from coming out of his throat. He would never admit that he was glad that the only witnesses were trusted ponies, one who had gone through the fire with him, and the other, his beloved Auntie, who nuzzled him until sleep overtook him.

When Blueblood awoke, it was nearing sunrise. Seeing it outside his window, he sighed as he drank the vision he had always missed during the confines of his cave. He shifted his blanket around him comfortably, feeling the slight thirst for magic. He looked at his side, and saw Gear Match, still with him, lying comfortably on a recliner on his left.

“Gear Match,” Blueblood called. “Are you awake?”

There was a slight mumble from the older unicorn, but he slowly turned and opened his eyes.

“Prince Blueblood?” he muttered sleepily. “W-what time is,” he yawned, “is it?”

“The sun is about to rise,” Blueblood replied. “You don’t have to dote over me, Gear Match. Go home.”

“I’m afraid going home will be more work than I’m ready to face,” Gear Match declared, sounding more alert. “Our disappearance would have definitely put the company in a bit of disarray. I trust our managers, but some of them can be a bit over-enthusiastic. I can imagine them lining up at my house, waiting for me to get home.”

Blueblood smiled. “You won’t get much rest with me awake, Gear Match. We have work to do. However, I need to know what happened when we escaped. Why did I black out?”

“I believe you overworked the mini-AMR. The fire gems suddenly lost magic, and we basically fell out of the sky.”

“Armor?” Blueblood asked.

“Shattered. The impact shredded the connectors. Pieces were flying everywhere,” Gear Match replied. He looked down slightly. “I had to dump them in a nearby tar pit to carry you on the run, just in case Maelstrom sent some ponies to chase us.”

“Tar pit?”

“Stranger things are found in the Everfree, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match said sagely.

The Prince paused, and then nodded. “Very true. However, please tell me you... oh, yes,” Blueblood sighed with relief as Gear Match levitated the right hoof part of the armor, the one that had the prototype repulsor technology.

“I’d thought you wanted this brought along,” Gear Match smirked.

“You thought right. Excellent,” Blueblood nodded a few times. “Continue.”

“I carried you a few leagues. The crash really took you out, Prince Blueblood. You were breathing shallowly, and without magic, you looked... dead.” He paused, eyes down in shame. After a moment, he recovered, and looked back at the Prince. “I gave you some of my magic. I tried to patch you up as much as I could but if Princess Luna hadn’t arrive...”

Gear Match went silent once more, and this time, Blueblood felt the older unicorn wouldn’t continue. The Prince just let him be.

After a minute, the younger stallion spoke. “I guess we have to improve the interior of the armor as well, then. Make it more... impact-resistant.”

Gera Match scoffed and almost laughed. He looked at the Prince. “Please tell me you aren’t thinking of making more.”

“Who knows, Gear Match. Right now though, we have a more pressing issues and I hate to ask more from you.”

“Ask away, Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match declared immediately.

Blueblood told him.

Once the enumeration was done, Gear Match went on his way, leaving Blueblood once more by his lonesome. Another doctor, a stallion this time, came in and did the usual checks, giving him a vial of essence of magic. The Prince drank that one eagerly.

The doctor began to explain the injuries he had sustained, and while he droned on, the Prince’s thoughts went back to Doctor Heart. He felt slightly bad for reacting that way. He had no qualms in hurting somepony’s feelings but the mare was only trying to help. It didn’t help matters that she might have assumed the worst when Celestia asked her to get out.

“Thankfully, with no broken bones, we can proceed with the rejuvenation vats,” the doctor continued. “We can also hire a few more healers to speed up the heal” – and he was cut off when the door of the room opened with fanfare.

Blueblood blinked as he saw an Earth Pony mare with dark yellow coat and light two-toned green mane and tail entering the room. She had a magnifying glass cutie mark, and looked like she was a few years older than the doctor in the room.

“Hey Blue,” she called, waving as she spotted the Prince in the bed. “Aren’t you a lazy bugger? Celestia’s sun is up already.”

The doctor barred her way. “Excuse me, miss but this is” – and once again, he was cut off when the mare shoved him aside.

“Well, whatcha lying there for? Lazing around isn’t quite your style, Blue. What would Photo say?”

“Miss!”

“Doctor,” Blueblood interjected. The doctor looked at him, still somewhat agitated that he was being ignored. “It’s fine. She’s a friend.”

“More than a friend, I’d say,” the mare muttered.

“Oh, shut it Rev,” Blueblood replied, rolling his eyes. “Doctor, do whatever you can to get me up and running tonight, at least. Whatever it takes, doctor. Hire more healers if you have to. Bits are not a problem.”

The doctor just nodded.

“Is there anything else?” the Prince asked. When the doctor shook his head, Blueblood said, “Leave then.”

The doctor gave a dirty look behind the mare, and trotted outside. The room was silent, except for the fading footsteps out the room, and it was almost a minute before the mare finally spoke.

“He gave me a glare, didn’t he?”

“Not really much of a glare, but yes,” Blueblood replied.

“Times changed. Usually, it’s you that gets all the glares,” she muttered.

“Only the mares glare at me. You are in charge for the stallions,” Blueblood grinned. He looked at her. “Thank you for coming, Rev.”

Rev was an Earth Pony whose real name was Doctor Revealing Light (she preferred Doctor Light). An Earth Pony that decided that growing plants was not for her, she discovered that her talent was a critical eye for details, and applied it on an interest: body and face language.

A self-claimed deception expert, she had gone around the world, studying different Equines, and even other species. She gauged their reactions, compared differences and had discovered that all species had the same baseline when it came to emotional indicators.

Reading those indicators, she could then reasonably conclude whether somepony was lying or not.

Blueblood met Rev when he was still a colt. His mother hired her to teach him how to read nobleponies, citing that it would ultimately help him manipulate them to do whatever was most advantageous to him. It worked so well, in fact, that Blueblood easily outmaneuvered his own mother when she began to manipulate him to increase her political clout.

Of course, reading ponies’ emotions were both a blessing and a curse; sometimes, more of the latter.

She was also another important mare in Blueblood’s life. Though he would never admit to it, Rev was his second crush. Of course, she read that easily from him, and had never let him forget it since.

“Old Gear said you wanted to see me. He said you were in need of someone who could help you face some trauma,” Rev said, sitting down near him. “Blue, you know me. I’m a deception expert, not a psychologist.”

“Oh, I know that,” Blueblood replied easily. “But there is no one else I can trust with this.”

“Well, I can still dress up in that school filly uniform you always wanted.”

“This is serious Rev.”

The mare raised her hooves in surrender. “Okay, okay. Serious Bluey here, then. Whatcha need?”

“I need eyes on the castle,” Blueblood declared. “I just found out that someone may be stealing secret documents and handing them to our enemies. I need to find out how many ponies are involved, who, and how deep they have penetrated security.”

“Does the Princess of the Sun know about this?” Rev asked.

“Yes.”

“Liar,” she declared immediately. “Investigating the ponies under her wing may raise a lot of questions. I’d rather not have our esteemed ruler’s ire at me.”

“Coward,” Blueblood teased with a slight smile. He turned serious again afterwards. “I’ll be extending my stay on the castle after I am strong enough to leave my bed. You’ll be my personal psychiatrist, who will ensure my mental well-being. And don’t worry about Auntie. She’ll be too irritated at me to pay any attention to you.”

“Irritated at you?” Rev asked. When Blueblood offered no explanation, she sighed. “Okay, Blue. As for your mental well-being...”

Her hoof suddenly touched his. Blueblood felt himself flinch but was able to keep his foreleg in place. He thought he hid the reaction well, but Rev’s face suddenly softened.

“Horseapples, Blue. That mare... she hurt you,” Rev whispered. “Oh, Blue. I’d hug you, but...” and she left her sentence hanging.

Blueblood was thankful for the silence, and relaxed as he let his foreleg rest. He knew Rev was a trustworthy mare, yet he could still see Silver Star’s evil smiling mug overtake Rev’s place. He shuddered, and he immediately felt his friend’s hoof leaving his leg.

“Rev—”

“Its fine, Blue,” the mare declared as she stood on all fours. “I’m in. Though I’m bringing Deep Forest. He’s a real psychologist.”

“Is he your new boy-toy?” Blueblood teased. “I’d love to meet him then.”

Rev just rolled her eyes. “Yes, he’s my new boy-toy. But, he’s also very good at what he does. Not a bad deception-detector either. He can assist me in your little spy game, while helping you at the same time.”

“Sounds goo—” and Blueblood was cut short when the door opened. Princess Celestia entered, with Gear Match in tow. Rev, seeing the Royal Sister, gave a respectful bow.

“Your highness.”

“Doctor Light,” Celestia declared, surprised. “I haven’t seen you for a good while. How are you doing?”

“Quite good, Princess,” the mare replied. “I’ve just been talking to Blue here”—Blueblood noticed Gear Match give her an irritated look—“and I’ve been hired to help him overcome his problem.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you more of a deception expert?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, Auntie,” Blueblood immediately interjected, “but she has people working under her that could help me. And I trust her.”

Celestia blinked, looking between Rev and Blueblood. The Prince was sure his auntie was suspecting something, but she let it go, giving a nod.

“Then, I shall accept any help you can give to my nephew. You have my thanks, Doctor Light,” Celestia declared.

“Always happy to help a friend,” Rev said.

Celestia just nodded, and looked at Blueblood. “Nephew, I’ve received word that Princess Cadance is coming to visit. She’ll be here any minute.”

“Mi Amore?” Rev chuckled. “Oh ho, I’m outta here then. Good luck, Blue. And see you in the castle.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes as Rev left in her typical brash manner. He saw Gear Match raising an eyebrow as the older stallion watched the mare leave. He looked at Blueblood questioningly, but the Prince gave him no answer. Gear Match shook his head, and looked at Celestia.

“What did Doctor Light mean by ‘good luck’?”

Princess Celestia gave him a tight smile. “Princess Cadance is Prince Blueblood’s betrothed.”

Blueblood could have laughed at his friend’s flabbergasted expression, but he could not. Hearing his Auntie say it brought back a few memories—a whole lot of them painful.

If Rev was his second crush, Cadance was the first. Having an alicorn, the Ruler of Equestria, who doted on him more than his mother did, it was no surprise that Blueblood felt that the perfect pony, the perfect mare, was his Auntie Celestia. Majestic stance, pure white coat, an aura of power and authority, she was a figure that Blueblood could look up to and knowing that with her presence he would be safe.

So when he first laid eyes on Cadance, he was smitten. She was an alicorn, like his aunt, except she had pearl-pink coat and a vibrant three-colored mane and tail; pink of darker shade sandwiched between light yellow and violet colors. She also had the most interesting cutie mark he’d ever seen – a crystallized heart.

His mother had seen his infatuation and made arrangements. When she announced that she had successfully bargained Cadance’s hoof in marriage, Blueblood felt like he was the luckiest colt alive.

And how things have changed, Blueblood thought.

Words were said, acts were done; nothing that could ever be taken back. Blueblood found himself feeling uncomfortable, remembering the past. How long ago since he had spoken with her? How long had they been avoiding each other? Had he died in the mountains, would that be all that was left of their relationship; a mangled broken line filled with lies and pain?

“I’ll make it up to her,” Blueblood found himself muttering.

“What was that, Nephew?” Celestia asked.

“I’ll make it up to Cadance,” Blueblood declared a little louder. “I’ve left a festering wound, and I almost, irresponsibly, left it unhealed. It’s time to clear the air.”

Celestia beamed. Literally. Blueblood could see her glow as her eyes sparkled giving him a smile he hadn’t seen her give him since he was a colt. He only smiled happily back as Celestia patted her hooves on his foreleg.

The arrival of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was the polar opposite of Rev’s. She trotted in gracefully, with her neck and head straight as she sauntered through the door.

She was still as beautiful as Blueblood remembered... maybe even more so. She developed pretty well, her body definitely following the way his aunts were built. He could see her long legs, accented by her golden hoofwear, a gold necklace adorned near her chest and a gleaming crown standing proud on top of her mane. Even the rather ugly rucksack that hid her cutie mark didn’t discount her beauty.

She bowed when she saw Celestia and gave Gear Match, who looked starstruck, a smile. Blueblood couldn’t blame him. She was breathtaking. When her eyes traveled to him, though, expression drained from her face, her eyes narrowing slightly before her gaze turned neutral. She gave him a courtesy bow.

“Prince Blueblood,” Cadance greeted with a neutral tone. “I am glad to see you well.”

She might have as well been screaming at him in rage. Blueblood couldn’t blame her.

“Cadance,” he greeted back with more enthusiasm. He gave her an honest smile. “I’m glad you came.”

She blinked, her eyebrows rising for just a second, indicating genuine surprise, before her expression turned neutral. “You are?”

“Yes,” the Prince replied. He sighed. “Cadance, look, I know things have been difficult between us, and I want to just say that I’m sorry for the way I acted. I was young. I thought the world of you. And while I can’t say how you’ll react, I just want you to know that I am willing to do what it takes to repair our friendship.”

Cadance looked at him for a moment, before her eyes looked down for less than a second. Before Blueblood could react, her horn glowed and she levitated a rolled parchment out of her bag. Blueblood blinked as it unrolled in front of him with pinkish glow, and his eyes immediately recognized it as a magically-bound document.

He looked at his betrothed for a moment before his eyes washed over the words printed on it. His mouth opened slightly before closing. His eyes widened in surprise as he continued to scroll down letter, which ended with Cadance’s horseshoe seal.

“Wh-what is this?” Blueblood uttered quietly.

“These dissolution papers will finalize the termination of our engagement,” Cadance replied, still with the same neutral tone. “Your mother made fool-proof arrangements, but what has happened in the past and with new precedence”—she looked at Blueblood’s head, where his horn used to be—“I was finally able to gain leverage. Just sign it.”

Blueblood went still for a few seconds, his mouth trying to form words. After a minute, he finally shook his head. “Cadance... what in tartarus—come on! Couldn’t this wait? I’m still recovering. Stars and Stones! I—”

“If you don’t sign it, Prince Blueblood, I’ll have to take action.” She levitated another roll of parchment and unrolled it in front of him.

Blueblood read the second letter, and his eyes widened. He felt his heart stop for a moment as the world faded, leaving only the printed words in front of him. He couldn’t even breathe.

“That letter indicates that you have breached our engagement contract, betraying my trust and the foundation to our marriage. With that, I shall endeavor to spend all my time in taking everything you have, including your company.”

“Cadance... why?”

“This is just a little insurance, Prince Blueblood. Please, just sign the dissolution,” Cadance whispered, her face finally betraying some emotion.

Regret.

It infuriated him to no end.

“H-how dare you!?” Blueblood seethed, his jaw trembling.

“Princess Cadance!” Princess Celestia interjected, approaching the pearl-pink alicorn.

Cadance shivered, but stood her ground. “Please, Princess Celestia, this is a lawful matter between nobleponies. You can’t interfere.”

Celestia stared at the younger alicorn hard. “I am fully aware of the limits of my authority, having written the laws myself. However, there’s a time and place for everything. Blueblood is still recovering, and you are badgering him with this? He’s not even out of the hospital yet!”

“I’m sorry, your highness, but it must be done quickly,” Cadance said with conviction.

Fire. That was all Blueblood could feel. It burned in his stomach as he felt the rage once more overtake his senses. His vision tinted red as his lungs tried to grab in more air. His muscles shook, spasm in pain as his eyes, still on the second letter, began to narrow.

“Why?” Blueblood asked, his voice with such loathing that Gear Match blinked. The Prince practically snarled. “Why in a hurry, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza? Are you afraid that my mother may have a way to grow my horn back, thus eliminating your leverage? Or maybe you are in a hurry to be done with me and over it so you can finally be free of your responsibilities and marry that stallion you prefer?”

Cadance shook her head. “Prince Blueblood, you brought this on yourself. Your slovenly behavior in regards to our relationship, your betrayal in sleeping with other mares while I remained steadfast... that is on you.”

“Don’t claim innocence, Princess,” Blueblood retorted. “You may have followed our engagement to the letter, but you never gave us a chance. Every time I talked to you about us, I could hear it—the very doubt in your voice!”

“Everypony has doubts!” Cadance exploded, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Blueblood. “Have you ever thought of that, Prince Blueblood? Or did you fool yourself that having skills in reading ponies could make you an arrogant know-it-all!?”

“Cadance! Blueblood!” Celestia began, but both ponies ignored her.

“Then you underestimated me, Princess Cadenza,” Blueblood seethed, his voice lowering in volume, yet losing none of its edge. “If it was just doubt, I wouldn’t have been hurt. No. I was hurt because you have lied to me.”

“Pray tell, when?”

Blueblood closed his eyes. His memories of his younger years were still sharp as he recalled his first talk with Cadance. He asked her simply if she was excited regarding their engagement. She changed the subject.

He grew up a little from that conversation. He decided to befriend her, know her as a pony. She readily accepted his offer of friendship, but would be quiet when it came to their betrothal. He didn’t mind. He convinced himself they were still young, and marriage was still far off.

She was then hired as a foalsitter. She said she had wanted to experience the work of a commoner to better understand her position and accepted work from a family with noble ties. She began to talk about a stallion named Shining Armor.

He felt a new emotion. Jealousy.

She’d never stop talking about him. Even during their get-togethers, she would not miss a beat where she would describe something new that Shining Armor did. Sooner, she began to cancel their meetings, citing urgent last-minute meetings.

Blueblood opened his eyes as he finally found the memory. “Do you remember the day I asked your thoughts on the future of our engagement?”

Cadance blinked.

“I do,” the Prince continued. “I remember it perfectly. Your first reaction was your eyes going down for less than a second. Your shoulder shrugged unconsciously when told me that I was still your betrothed. You stared in my eyes as you said that you would eventually learn to love me.” He sighed. “Eyes down, shoulder shrug, and finally, forced direct eye contact. Stars take me, Cadenza. I wish you knew how to lie better.”

Cadance looked down again, and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Prince Blueblood. What you have is just a theory of a lie. I have evidence of your unfaithfulness. I never wavered.”

“Of course,” Blueblood muttered as he stamped his hoof on the magical binding document. His hoofmark magically appeared on the dissolution paper, finally making it official. “You win.”

Cadance took the first parchment back, leaving Blueblood the second one. As she slid the dissolution papers in her bag, she gave one last look at the Prince, and sighed. “Blueblood... look, I’m sorry it had to be done this way. I hope we can remain friends.”

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, I had hoped we could have remained friends,” Blueblood declared neutrally. “Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future. Now, if you would be so kind to leave me in peace as you have far overstayed your welcome.”

Cadance sighed and nodded. She began to trot out of the room before Blueblood spoke once more before he could think twice.

“I must thank you, though, Princess Cadenza,” the Prince declared.

“For what?”

“That I didn’t have to marry a mare that just strung me along,” Blueblood drawled. “I wonder how long before this Shining Armor realizes that his marefriend is an unnatural freak.”

Cadance’s eyes shot wide. Blueblood was pretty sure he also garnered the attention of his Auntie and Gear Match as well, but he didn’t care.

“You’ll most likely outlive him,” the Prince continued. “He’ll grow old while you remain youthful. I wonder, would you stay with him until his dying breath, or cuckold him for the next younger colt to come your way?”

“Blueblood!” Celestia admonished, but the damage was done. Cadance’s eyes misted as her wings wilted on her sides. She quickly turned around and galloped away.

“Horseapples,” Gear Match cursed. Blueblood was sure the older unicorn was looking at him with disapproval. “Your highness, should I—”

“No, I’ll take care of Princess Cadance,” Celestia replied. She sighed, and shook her head. “Prince Blueblood... I’m disappointed.”

“Not as much as I am,” Blueblood mumbled, relaxing in the bed. “If she plans to marry this stallion, tell her I’d be happy to accept her invitation. I’m sure it could be of some use in the privy.”

Celestia’s eyes hardened for a moment, before they softened as she sighed. She shook her head with discontent and trotted away, leaving Blueblood and Gear Match alone in the room.

Gear Match mumbled something incoherently and began pacing around the bed. He stole a few glances at Blueblood, his expression far from happy, but the Prince deftly ignored him.

“Prince Blueblood,” Gear Match began, and stopped. He sighed. “What in Tartarus was that?”

“A disagreement,” Blueblood replied easily.

“I’m sorry, a disagreement?” the older unicorn asked, his voice gaining some volume. “Two differing opinions regarding how much sugar to put in a cup of tea is a disagreement. What you just did was insult Princess Cadance, and inadvertently Princess Celestia as well, and run the poor mare out!”

“That poor mare had the gall to threaten me, and worse, our company, so she could finalize a termination of a contract laid down years ago. She had the gall to wash herself clean, citing me as the sole reason why the relationship never worked. Oh, and here’s a clincher, Gear Match... she waited until my horn was cut off, essentially lowering my standing as a unicorn, and that I was in a hospital before she broached the subject,” Blueblood spat. “Oh yes, she’s quite the poor mare.”

Gear Match winced at the last part, knowing full well that even Princess Celestia agreed what the younger Princess did was more than rude. “Be that as it may, Prince Blueblood, you attacked her personally.”

“And she didn’t attack me personally when she came in with her threats?” Blueblood rolled his eyes. “What should she have done to justify my words, Gear Match? Have her put a firestick on my head? She did. I had thought we were friends. I’d have signed the dissolution without the fanfare. But now, I realize the truth. She’s nothing more than another pony that used me to get what they want. They are all the same, whether it’s Auntie Celestia to get a symbol for sociological change, Maelstrom to build the Jericho, or even Silver Star to scratch her itch. The same, every one of them!”

“Even me, Prince Blueblood?” Gear Match asked.

Blueblood shifted, his face looking at the older unicorn. He frowned.

“Am I using you as well?” Gear Match repeated. “Would you prefer I depart now, leave you be?”

Blueblood sighed. He shook his head.

“Good, then you‘ll know that when I tell you this, I’m not feeding you mule dumps,” Gear Match began, a hard edge born out of his voice. “I do not care how hurt you are, but if you compare Princess Celestia to those two monsters again, I will have stern words with you, Crown Prince or not. Am I clear?”

The Prince winced, and nodded.

“Good.”

Blueblood blinked, and looked at his friend. “What, that’s it? No mention of what I did to Princess Cadenza?”

“I am not presumptuous enough to tell you how to act. You’re a grown stallion, and my superior. I’m just hoping what you just did won’t blow back to us, though mostly me.”

Blueblood snorted. “You already know what’s coming next. If you’re afraid of a backlash, you shouldn’t be around me when the time comes.”

“Unfortunately, I agree on what you are about to undertake,” Gear Match replied, sighing. “I set it up, Prince Blueblood. I contacted as many journalists as I could. I also managed to secure the conference room in the hospital, as that way we can easily get you back to your room if something goes wrong.”

Blueblood nodded. “Get the doctor then. I need to at least look like I can stand on my own hooves when I show my face to the world.”

The next morning, Equestrian newspapers would all display the same picture: Prince Blueblood, first stallion Crown Prince of Equestria. The headlines were all the variation of ‘The Crown Prince Returns’, and some even gave a brief history of his absence for the past few weeks.

Not a whole lot of readers actually remembered his disappearance. Discord’s short-lived reign happened in almost the same time-frame, thus putting the Crown Prince’s ponynapping as a mere afterthought.

His return, though, was a different story. His picture on all newspapers had him swathed in bandages, looking dignified. More astute observers would realize his horn was missing as well, which further increased the attention. However, the real reason for remembrance was not of his appearance, but of his words.

“For the past few weeks, I’ve lived in squalish conditions under the rule of a tyrant, conditions which I would not wish on any decent pony. There, my freedom, my dignity, was stripped. I was treated as a convenience, used as a tool to further their goals. And knowing such goals is where I made the discovery that shook me to my very core.

“Like all of you, I had thought that Equestria, proud land of the three tribes, is safe—that we are secure. I discovered that I was utterly mistaken. Equestria is under threat. And I have come to the realization that we are woefully unprepared. The enemy was no nation, but within their ranks I’ve seen ponies, griffins, and even a species that I’ve never heard of. They are armed with griffin, pony and zebra weapons. They have the capital to keep their soldiers well-armed. And from what you see in front of you, they have the will and aggressiveness to further their goals regardless of who they hurt.

“So, effective immediately, I am opening a Weapons Division on Ponytech, until such a time I deem that our country is safe. It is my hope that Equestria will be ready for whatever comes to threaten her lands, and I will not stop until I can spare all ponies the tragedies I have endured.”

Author's Note

Thank you, coandco, for checking through this chapter. This is it—the last saved up Iron Colt chapter. After this, I have no new material to bring. And with all my time occupied by either school or the Gentlemanverse, I have no idea when I'll be able to update this.

For my fans of Iron Colt, mostly my first fans, thanks for all your support. Any newer fans, I hope you enjoyed the ride so far. Because after this, I'm officially putting this story in Hiatus.

I'm sorry guys.

Prologue

Leaves rustled as one of the Nightwings, Princess Luna’s personal guards, pushed through a bush and made it towards a clearing. His eyes roamed left and right, searching. He was not alone. Around him were more Nightwings, mares and stallions alike, each assigned with different duties: some secured the perimeter, land and air, while the others looked for clues.

Above the night sky, watching their movements, was Princess Luna. For her, it was a bit of wonderment. After a thousand years of imprisonment, there was little she recognized of Equestria. Histories, come and gone, wars she had not fought, and a culture and society completely alien to her—a thousand years of change was not something she had prepared to face. Now, she watched in fascination as her Nightwings now had stallions, searching for her missing nephew, the first legitimate Crown Prince of Equestria.

Those two factors had her reeling a bit when she first learned of it. At first, she had thought it was her sister's jest. Honestly, stallions taking on jobs that were, at her time, only for mares? And a legitimate Crown Prince?

Luna chastised herself for thinking about it too deeply. She had been back at Equestria for months now. She had studied history books, sociology reports and reviews, even watched those new and quite bedazzling cinema. She knew that a stallion had even reached one of the highest rank in the Equestrian Royal Military, for magic’s sakes. Was she really going to go on about stallions in her formerly all-mare Nightwings? Or that they had a male heir to the throne?

She shook her head, letting her mane, magicked to flow and ebb colored with the night sky, settle around her as she tried focusing on the task at hand. She could do more wonderment back at the castle. Right now, she was here to investigate and find a kidnapped member of the Royal Family.

It was earlier that evening that she had felt... off. The sun was on its way to set when Luna felt a slight disturbance in the weather. She promptly ignored it when she realized the source coming above an off-shoot branch of the ever-expanding Everfree forest, the only place where Chaos energies were strong enough to resist even the Elements of Harmony and went by its own rules. Thinking it was just a stray of magic making a storm cloud above it, she settled and waited until the time she had to raise the moon.

When she began to tend the night sky, she had felt the disturbance again. This time, it gave her pause. The storm brewed up into a lightning cloud and that seemed innocent enough until she had felt pegasi magic: air currents changing and the very tell-tale sign of lightning manipulation. Once she had flown over to investigate, whatever had happened was over. There was a chariot laying there in ruin. After closer investigation, she felt a familiar unicorn magic lingering in the air.

It was Prince Blueblood’s, a nephew from an off-shoot line and a descendent of Celestia’s and Luna’s, mother’s side. Apparently, that was the official story. The stallion was also Luna’s first recognized nephew, most likely the first of a long series. The times of just having a female heir were apparently long gone, and now that the mare and stallion population ratio slowly equalizing, Celestia broke tradition by giving Equestria its first Crown Prince.

Luna had no idea how to feel about the stallion personally. If rumors were to be believed, he debauched himself every night, slept with unaccountable mares without following protocol (that had bothered her the most), and loved to spend exuberant amount of bits on fruitless pursuits. Most meetings with him in pony were quiet and subdued, though he seemed to have taken a liking of watching her at times when he thought she wasn’t looking.

Once Luna established something was off, she had called her Nightwings to assist in the investigation, and sent Celestia a letter via Dragonfire Gem. The earth pony Nightwings stood guard and created a perimeter, her pegasi searched the skies, while unicorns tried to find any other traces of magic.

The pegasi reported that the clouds around the area were illegally obtained and mashed together rather violently, causing quite strong lightning reactions. Judging by the broken and and smoking chariot down below, the electrical bolts were big enough to penetrate even the spell-protected chariot wall. It didn't take an expert to know that timing those reactions precisely right and building up enough power to overcome enchantments meant that the perpetrators were pegasi well-trained in tempestology. And from how fast the storm cloud was formed, it had to be a rather large group of pegasi as well.

Before Luna could follow that line of thinking further, a sudden burst of wind derailed her thoughts as magic began to permeate the surroundings. A white ball of energy appeared right beside Luna, its magical signature familiar enough not to cause alarm. The bubble grew larger and larger, until it cracked softly and dissipated in an almost inaudible pop, scattering magic like powdered glass. It revealed another alicorn with a pure white majestic coat. Her mane and tail magicked to flow slightly straighter than Luna’s, colored with daytime colors of sky blue, turquoise green, blue and light purple.

She was not alone either. Down below, Luna’s Nightwings cleared an area as three ponies appeared in a flash of light as well—a High Unicorn in gold and silver robes, a Grand Admiral Pegasus in white, and... surprise, a stallion Field General Earth Pony dressed in camouflage clothing.

Luna felt that the fates were toying with her as she glanced towards the Field General. Hadn't she just thought of that specific pony earlier? However, another thought hit her: why were the leaders of Equestria’s Royal Military accompanying Celestia? Luna expected her sister to use her personal Royal Guards regarding this matter. The use of the recently-formed military was to be only used during war, being the first and last line of defense for Equestria.

Was the situation much worse than she had thought?

Celestia looked at Luna in the eyes and asked, “What have you found, sister?”

Luna gave Celestia a bow of greeting before motioning towards the forest clearing. “Our Nightwings have exposed illegitimately-formed cloud formations and lightning manipulations. It seems these villains are familiar with tempestology, and hath employed it to felonious ends. We have as well located a downed chariot and trace magic..”

“Can you confirm its our Nephew's?” Celestia asked, panic now entering her voice.

Luna found it odd that Celestia’s feelings were... somewhat transparent. Granted, their nephew was, for all intents and purpose, family, but so far down the line that the blood relation was severely diluted. But then again, she could be a bit biased. She had never grown up with the unicorn prince and Celestia did.

“We have found this magic to be of similar nature to Prince Blueblood’s. However, we cannot confirm this, as we have not seen trace of the prince as of yet.”

Celestia didn’t say anything. She slowly descended towards the clearing, towards the chariot, her eyes narrowing. The Nightwings bowed as she approached, giving the Princess notable space, and allowed her to inspect the vehicle herself. Luna landed right besides her, stole a glance at towards a stallion Nightwing, then went back to watch her sister’s reactions. She also noted that the Military leaders were slowly coming towards them as well. She looked at the Field General once more, sighed, and then looked back at Celestia. For a moment, her sister’s face was blank. It changed to horror the moment she read the writing on the chariot.

“Ponytech,” Celestia whispered.

A Nightwing silently made to Luna’s side. She whispered that they have found two injured pegasi just north of the clearing, and then with a grim expression, handed something to Luna. the Princess of the Night felt sick as she looked at the item in question. She prodded it slightly with her magic, then turned to face her sister.

Celestia was not going to like this.

“Sister, our Nightwings have discovered survivors and witnesses. And... this.”

Princess Celestia blinked as Luna floated a cleanly-cut white unicorn horn towards her. The white alicorn’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth opened slightly as if to speak, only for nothing to come out of her lips. Instead, she softly took the cut horn with her own magic, slowly prodding it around, and trying to garner any traces of lingering magic.

Luna didn't have the heart to tell Celestia that she already confirmed whose horn it was. It pained her when Celestia’s expression turned heart-wrenching for almost a minute before her eyes regained steel and fire. She looked towards the Military leaders, nodding for them to join, and floated the horn towards the High Unicorn.

“I am sorry to call upon you this late,” Celestia greeted them. “But we have an emergency.”

“We live to serve, your highness,” all three of them replied.

“Prince Blueblood has been kidnapped, under our muzzles. Set up an investigation right away. As of right now, we have a downed chariot, some unconscious pegasi, and... this.”

Celestia floated the horn in front of them. The High Unicorn winced while the Field General’s and Grand Admiral’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that—?” the High Unicorn began, unable to finish the question.

Celestia nodded.

“I'll use the Prince’s horn to see if we can establish a link, and see if we can scry out anything around this area that could give us a clue,” the High Unicorn declared. “I'll call on my most skilled unicorns. We shall begin immediately.”

“Thank you,” Celestia replied.

“I’ll get my swiftest and most subtle pegasi to see if anything is amiss by air or water,” the Pegasus Grand Admiral declared.

“Try the nearest towns on this area," the Field General declared towards the Grand Admiral. "I’ll see if I can coordinate local law enforcers to investigate smuggling rings, and see if they can find anything that can help you out.” He looked at Princess Celestia, and shook his head. “I don’t know how much ponies I can spare, your majesty. There has been activity at Far West, with reports of missing folks around those towns are increasing and sightings of strange black ponies. I had to deploy platoons to safeguard the borders. However, I’ll see to it that my best and brightest coordinate with the Grand Admiral. I'll have intelligence gather information for the pegasi.”

Princess Celestia nodded. “I understand, and I still appreciate your help, Field General. We will need all the information we can get on the Prince's whereabouts. Please report all your findings to me and Princess Luna. I also need a contingency of soldiers ready for rapid deployment. Is that understood?”

The Field General grimaced, but nodded before he gave a sharp salute. The Grand Admiral followed, while the High Unicorn gave a formal bow before her horn glowed, and the three of them disappeared in a flash of light.

Luna, who had been staring at the Field General as he saluted, checked back again on Celestia as she looked back at the chariot for a moment, her face expressionless. The younger alicorn watched with slight awe and wonderment as her sister just marshaled Equestria’s army.

“Sister,” Luna whispered towards Celestia. “Dost this Blueblood really mean that much to thee?”

Celestia looked at her sister and frowned. “Do you need a political angle on this, or just the truth, Luna?”

Luna felt somewhat insulted by her sister's accusation. Part of her wanted to snap back, but she reined her temper. Shaking her mane, she looked at her older sister, her defensive posture, and recalled her words. Luna spoke slowly. “Tia, we are family. If something is bothering thee, thou canst tell us. Unless suspicion still cloud thy thoughts, and are still leery that we shall turn against thee like before.”

Celestia winced, and slowly touched her sister’s neck affectionately with her own. “Of course not, Luna. I’m sorry I lost my temper. It's just...” she looked at their surroundings. “Just earlier, I had transported him back to Canterlot from Manehattan, lecturing him regarding his attitude, and in my temper teleported him back. I should have just kept him back at the castle. I should have arranged a Royal escort to bring him to Fillydelphia.”

"We may be many things, Tia—yet we are not clairvoyant. Moreover, we can distinctly recall that our Crown Prince is a bit... uncouth, and thus lecturing him for his errs is a reasonable course. However, blaming thyself for this unfortunate happenstance is as meaningless as wishing to alter the past.”

Celestia looked at Luna, her gaze hardening. Luna just stood still, challenging her older sister to protest. In the end, Celestia said nothing, sighing before staying silent for a moment.

“I suspect his attitude is nothing more but a method to drive his mother and I away. I was the one that legitimized his title, wanting to have a stallion a candidate to the throne,” Celestia whispered. She looked at the downed chariot. “My niece didn’t understand. She had thought I was giving her leeway to expand her own political prowess. I knew what she was doing to her son, but I did nothing. I should have just let Blueblood's father have him... but I didn’t.” She sighed again.

Luna looked at her sister for a moment, trying to find the right words to cheer her up. She hated seeing her like this. In the end, though, she could think of nothing else but to put a reassuring hoof at Celestia's side.

Princess Celestia looked at Princess Luna, giving a slight nod and then smiled. “I saw you keep stealing looks at the Field General and your stallion Nightwings. If you want to exercise your Royal Right of Indulgence, you'll be happy to know I haven’t done any significant changes to that decree. Though, just so you know, its proper to ask for permission first to the stallion in question, or if he has a marefriend, her permission as well.”

Luna blinked, and blushed as she glared at her older sister. “Sister! Twas not like that, and thou know it!”

Celestia's smile widened. “The Field General is not quite single"—Luna's mouth could not go any lower—"But the stallion supplementary of Nightwings you have are. And from what I’ve heard from them, you are training them harder to keep up with you.”

Lun scowled. She looked at some of the stallions Nightwings around accusingly. Sure, she had kept a closer eye on them, and personally supervised their morning routines to make sure it was adequate (though she may have been slightly stricter on the latter regard), but did they have to go to Celestia with their complaints?

“How dare they?” Luna’s Royal Canterlot voice was beginning to build. “They are under our command, yet they go to thee to voice their complaints!?”

Celestia smiled as she shook her head. “Luna,” she motioned gently. “They weren’t complaining. They wanted to thank me for transferring them to you. Apparently, they are taking your actions as proof that you want them to stay at the Nightwings and taking them seriously.”

Luna’s dumbfounded look lasted just a few seconds. She then looked at the Nightwings around her again, and shook her head. “The stallions these days are very strange.”

“You will have plenty of time to understand them, I assure you,” Celestia said. “Know them closely if you need to.”

"Thou are impossible," Luna growled.

Celestia’s smile lastedonly a few more seconds before her eyes went back to the broken down chariot. The younger alicorn nudged her sister’s side.

“Tia,” the younger Princess called after some time.

“Yes, Luna?”

“Do not worry sister. We shall find Blueblood.”

“Yes we will.” Celestia paused. “We definitely will.”

Author's Note

Edited on 6/7/2013.

Credit to Permanent Temporary for the Luna-speak. xD

Chapter 2

“Blue, come here boy.”

Blueblood found himself looking at an off-white Earth Pony with light brown unruly mane and tail. He wore a happy expression on his face behind his spectacles as he motioned the young Prince to approach. Blueblood could only smile back happily as he approached the older pony, affectionately bumping his side, a blank flank touching a lightning cutie mark.

“What is it father?” Blueblood asked.

The young colt followed the older pony until he was led to a room filled with different types of machines, each with different applications, but all were related to one common theme; electricity. His father had shown him at least fifty of them, and their usages. Most were for show, but a few of them showed some practical application. It wasn’t strange for Blueblood to find himself listening to his father as he expressed excitement on about how some of these items would change the world.

And he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“Oh come on, father, not that thing again!” Blueblood exclaimed as he saw his father lead to a metallic ball with a crank on the side.

“What? It’s fun!” the older pony said as he placed one of his hooves over the crank, and turned it. He placed another hoof over the metallic ball, and slowly his coat, mane and tail hair began to stand on their ends.

Blueblood could only laugh. His father had done this countless of times, but it never ceased to amuse him. He moved his hoof, and raised an eyebrow to his father, who only gave him a nod. The older stallion removed his hoof off the metallic ball, and let the younger colt touch it himself.

He never felt pain, but being a unicorn he could feel the flow of current travel through his hoofs and into his body. He felt his hair begin to stand on their ends.

He looked at his father as he gave him a smile.

His father just smiled back.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Prince Blueblood’s awakening was not as dramatic as the last time. His eyes opened for a second as he felt the dull pulse of pain travelling to his body, and a massive feeling of thirst. His throat wasn’t dry, so it was not water that he was craving.

He had dreamt about his father. It was strange as he had not seen him in his dreams for a good while, and it comforted him to see him again even if it was just momentarily. He moved his hind and forelegs experimentally, relieved that they responded naturally and unrestrained, though somewhat subdued. His captors were extremely confident he would not escape in his condition. He had to agree. His horn had been severed, cutting him off from replenishing his magic. His mind and body would slowly deteriorate until one would give.

If it was his body, he would face death.

If it was his mind, it would be madness instead.

Blueblood wondered which fate would be the lesser of evils. Which one would he succumb to?

“Prince. . . Blueblood?”

The white stallion blinked, and looked towards the direction of the voice. His eyes widened when he saw Gear Match. His neck, right foreleg and left hind leg bandaged, blood evident on the white coat of the pony himself, and at the white cotton of his wrappings. He could see scruff marks on his face, his eyes red from tears.

“They hurt you,” Blueblood said, his voice detached. He looked at his companion again from head to hoof, and slowly, pain began to creep on his face. “They hurt you bad.”

“It’s not as. . .” he twitched, “. . . as bad as it seems. Your Neighpon mare is a sadist. She used her silver stars on my neck and hind leg. She also packs quite a punch. I don’t even want to know how hard she can kick.”

“And your foreleg?”

Gear Match blinked, and looked at his right bandaged foreleg. He then smiled. “A minor scratch thanks to the gryphon lady when she tried to stop me from helping you. She didn’t intend to cut me, but her claws were sharp. She even apologized. Odd.”

Blueblood smiled, a laugh almost escaping his lips. He was tempted to tell his companion that her actions were most likely due to the gryphon’s rigid honor system. If she had apologized, then yes it seemed likely that his wounds were by accident. But if she intended to hurt him, she wouldn’t blink as she would tear out his limb.

“Very odd indeed,” was all Blueblood said.

“They told me to give you this when you woke up,” Gear Match said, lifting a bottle of transparent liquid near him.

It didn’t flow like water and didn’t deflect light properly. Blueblood slowly smelled the liquid, trying to identify it.

Gear Match motioned the bottle to Blueblood, trying to get him to drink it. “It’s clean. Liquid magic. You were knocked out before they could ask you again if you would build that. . . whatever it is they want you building. They said that they’d give you on everyday as a show of good faith.”

“You mean they will give me one everyday as long as I am useful to them,” Blueblood translated. He scoffed. He looked at the bottle for a moment before cringing, and nodded. Gear Match slowly tipped the bottle into Blueblood’s open mouth.

The white stallion felt the liquid magic course through his whole body as he swallowed. His mind sharpened, and his body felt more energized. He tested his limbs again and was glad that the subtle numbness was gone.

“Who’s magic is this, Gear Match? Yours?” Blueblood asked.

“It was. . . that mare’s.”

Blueblood felt the disgust and bile trying to come up his throat. He had just drunk her essence of magic. That sick, disgusting and vile mare. Was she trying to say that she owned him? She was like a bad villainess from those old Pony Tales. He would be the captured stallion, trapped in her hands. Was she to be the evil witch, baroness, or maybe a duchess? Who was going to be the heroine in this tale? His aunts? The Elements of Harmony? Maybe even Daring Do?

He laughed. Hard. Was he getting desperate, dreaming about his dad, now hoping rescue from a fictional pony? If his mother would see him now, she’d give him an earful.

“Prince Blueblood?” Gear Match asked, apprehension touching his voice.

Blueblood stopped laughing, and shook his head. He was wasting time. As long as he had magic, he had his wits. And as long as he had his wits, he could keep them alive.

“I’m sorry Gear Match. You must have thought I’d gone mad, haven’t you?”

“Uh. . . maybe a little bit,” Gear Match replied, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. “After what happened, I don’t think I would blame you. I saw them hurt you. What happened to me doesn’t seem to compare.”

Blueblood frowned. “It doesn’t matter who had it worse. Hurting me I understand. But why did they hurt you? What did they want?”

Gear Match swallowed, his eyebrows rising and crunched together. His eyes moved towards the left, widening slightly as his lips stretched. He touched his bandaged leg for a moment.

“Its fine, Gear Match,” Blueblood replied, nudging his companion on his uninjured foreleg. “If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”

Gear Match closed his eyes, and his lips narrowed, pushed together. Slowly, he nodded, motioned his horn. A few seconds later, the Jericho plans came floating. It seems their captors left it in Gear Match’s possessions.

“They wanted to know if I knew anything about this. . . Jericho, they call it. They wanted to know if I could. . . tell them how to build it.”

“But you couldn’t,” Blueblood said, as he grabbed the plans and placed it down. He opened it to reveal the Jericho.

“I told them that. . . but that pegasus,” Gear Match his face scrunched up in disgust. “And that mare. . . she just kept smiling and. . .” He paused for a moment, trying to compose himself. “I told them I have no idea what it is, or even how to build it.”

“No one has,” Blueblood said, sighing. "Not yet, at least."

“Why is that? And what is it, Prince Blueblood? It looks like some large spears on wheels! It doesn’t make sense at all!”

The white stallion looked at Gear Match for a moment, and then shook his head. “It’s a weapon, Gear Match. Plans for a prototype weapon Equestria has never seen before.”

“If it’s a weapon, it’s too bulky to be used as one if the measuring numbers here are correct. What, do you get your strongest unicorn to grab it and throw it as hard as you can?”

“From what I gathered, it uses an advanced propulsion system on the rear,” and he pointed towards the finned end of one of the phallic bodies. “Some type of liquid fuel that burns rapidly, exhausts out pushing the weapon forward. Like those firework rockets.”

Gear Match’s eyes narrowed, and then looked at the plans. His eyes widened when he saw the implication.

“An enlarged firework rocket? If it’s something of that size, and explodes like a firework, the damage--”

“Would be huge, yes. However, look at this,” and Blueblood pointed out a corner, this time indicating a smaller rockets. “These are inside the big rocket, and use a completely different propulsion system. It does not use liquid fuel or any type of fuel at all. Because of that, it keeps the rocket at smaller sizes enough to fit quite a number of them in the bigger one. And each of them has explosives on their noses that would explode out in a wide area on impact.”

Gear Match looked downright horrified as he looked at the numbers around the plans. “That one huge rocket, contain that many smaller rockets, can cause huge widespread damage. But having all three at the same time. . .”

“Massive, massive damage,” Blueblood finished.

“This. . . this is insane!” Gear Match sputtered. “I’ve never heard of this type of technology! It’s like a cross of those firesticks the Free Zebra Nation had invented and the Oreintal fireworks. But this scale of destruction. . . it's unheard of!”

“There are many things that are unheard off, yet you will discover Gear Match, if you stick around long enough, that Equestria has its secrets,” Blueblood replied, smiling slightly. “Remember when I started Ponytech years ago? When I tried to recruit you? You gave me a hard time about it too.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“I heard you have a gift in management, able to keep things running smoothly. I’m about to create a new company, and I need you to manage and recruit gifted ponies. I have the name, and even a logo. We can negotiate your starting salary, and I can be very generous.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Gear Match broke a slight smile at the memory. The young Prince Blueblood had been throwing around bits and his reputation around when he was starting his company. He had come up to Gear Match, who at that time, found the white stallion annoying and naïve.

First impression didn’t wow Gear Match, nor put any confidence in the Prince. He tactfully told the younger white stallion that it would take more than some fancy name, bits and a cute logo to get him on board. He wanted to know what the Prince would be aiming for, and what would his company be selling.

Prince Blueblood left him, only to return the next day, showing him two black boxes. Each could be opened as if it was folded, made of unknown material, and had a black glass window. At first Gear Match was confused by what the Prince was showing to him, until the Prince pushed something, and the glass window came alive with colors.

He then said the magic words that made Gear Match Ponytech’s first recruit.

“I want everypony having one of these in their homes.”

“Your prototype ‘computer’,” Gear Match said with wonder. The machine had been a wonder of advanced engineering, too advanced for Equestrian standards. It was the main reason why Ponytech was so successful. Their designs and engineering was based on those machines.

He then blinked. “Wait, Prince Blueblood. Are you telling me that the machines you had that time was. . .”

“Yes, I found it together with the Jericho plans, after years of search. They were at Royal Archives, deep in the vaults. Judging from the extent they were hidden, Auntie did not want them seen again.”

“But. . . we based our whole electro-magic engineering on items from that computer machine! The connector prong design, prototype circuitry, and even our planned data storage. . . and you’re telling me you stole them from the Royal Archives!?” Gear Match demanded, his voice with a tinge of panic.

Blueblood scoffed slightly. “Well, not stolen. When Auntie Celestia discovered I had uncovered the Jericho Plans, and was trying to get the Royal Engineers to see if we could build it--”

“You WHAT!?”

Blueblood winced when Gear Match’s voice went up, and shook his head. “Oh come on, Gear Match. Nothing happened. She just told me that she did not want the plans out in the open. Just the plans. She made no mention about the computers, so I kept the computers.”

Gear Match felt a headache coming. “Prince Blueblood, with all due respect: are you insane!?”

Blueblood blinked, and then smiled. “Well, it is not the worst thing I’ve been called, believe me.”

“Have you stopped to think that maybe the reason why Princess Celestia has locked up that machine and those plans were because they were dangerous weapons?”

“I’m not an idiot, Gear Match. The Jericho is definitely a weapon, but the computer is not. Well, unless you throw it hard enough, that is.”

“There must be a reason why the Princess hid those items!”

“Reason? The reason, Gear Match, dates back to The Great Equestrian War,” Blueblood replied.

Gear Match was struck dumbfounded for a moment, and then asked, “What do you mean by that, Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood looked at him. “How’s your history, Gear Match? What do you remember our victory during our war with the Dragon Empire?”

“Well, we, uh, had allied with the Free Zebra Nation and Gryphon Hegemony. With our numbers, we were able to slowly push the enemy back and launched a magical artifact to disrupt the Empire itself,” Gear Match replied.

“A textbook answer; generally correct, and a lot of missing details. That magical artifact was a weapon. A poor pony’s replacement of this Jericho, in fact,” Blueblood said. “While we were getting victories over the United Dog Clans, the Alliance was not getting much done directly towards the Empire. Dragon scale and its properties made dragon soldiers immune to most offensive magic spells, and resist even the sharpest claws and weapons of the gryphons. The Zebra’s were able to create potions that weakened them temporarily, but without any major victory, it would come to a long and bloody war.

“So plans were drawn. Auntie Celestia called in all her High Unicorns, spellbinders, scientists, and advisors. One plan had combining Zebra alchemists and Equestrian chemists to create a formula to toughen soldiers in battlefields. Some sort of supersoldiers. Something must have gone wrong because another plan had to be drawn out soon afterwards, which in turned to a very secret project they called ‘Manehattan Project’.”

“I heard about that,” Gear Match said. “They were recruiting scientists from all around Equestria. But I thought that was to find a way to create efficient electro-magic power plants?”

“Not wholly,” Blueblood sighed. “I had thought that too. . . until years ago, I found my father’s notes he had been hiding. He was part of the Manehattan Project and had been assigned with other scientists and engineers to build a rocket bomb. They based the design around what he wrote as ‘Jericho’, and it took me years before I would even know what that Jericho was.

“The prototype bomb they had used parts and technology available at that time. The gyroscope was easiest to make, but instead of fuel that burned hot and fast, they had used Fire Gems, essence of Magic, and a converter-feeder.”

“Let me guess, the converter-feeder would change the liquid magic to a pure form, and that would feed the Fire Gems at the bottom of the rocket,” Gear Match said.

“Never let it be said that ponies don’t know how to improvise,” Blueblood smiled. “Unfortunately, the design was too bulky to hide make smaller rockets like the Jericho. Instead, they just made more rockets to compensate.”

“But such destruction. . . the Princess wouldn’t stand for it!” Gear Match declared.

“There is some truth in that,” Blueblood replied. “According to my father’s notes, they didn’t use explosives. Auntie Celestia wanted a weapon that was non-lethal, something to incapacitate dragon soldiers to give time for the Alliance to swoop in unopposed. So, instead, they used Magidine.”

Gear Match frowned. Magidine was the main component of the ARM. Its exomagi properties worked by absorbing various types of energy, releasing pure magic energy in return. It would then break down to Anidine, which in turn, transforms into an endomagi material, absorbing magic in return.

But how would they be able to weaponise such material? Blueblood must have read his expression, because he answered.

“Dragon scale blocks offensive magic spells by dispersing the energy the spell nexus held. That means whatever type of spell hits a dragon loses momentum, and becomes useless. However, when the Magidine bombs, thrown far and fast, would impact the ground, would absorb enormous amounts of energy, thus releasing enormous amounts of magic, fast and hard.”

Gear Match’s eyes widened. “What that Neighpon mare did to you, the bomb did the same to those dragons!”

“Exactly. It caused a lot of pain for a short moment, incapacitating them, and thus allowing the Allied Forces come in and capture and subdue the dragons,” Blueblood frowned. “Unfortunately, Magidine properties weren’t fully studied then. The Empire was compensating the losses the United Dog Clans by steadily conquering Zebra and Gryphon lands. It wouldn’t be long before they reached Equestria. So, in desperation, they loaded whatever Magidine they had, and launched it towards the Empire.

“When Anidine concentrations went high, it started absorbing magic at an astounding rate. The air was sterilized of magic, runes from nearby properties were destroyed, and any nearby dragons, which had magical blood coursing in their veins, fell lifeless as the Anidine absorbed what essentially is their life force.”

“Oh Celestia,” Gear Match muttered. “How far was the fallout?”

“Hundreds of leagues. And that was just one bomb. Equestria sent three, to all its major cities. And a whole lot of them were near magical leylines.”

Gear Match felt horrified, and did not want to even imagine how many thousands of lives were lost at such attack. And he felt like this, how the Princess, who had authorized the attack, would feel?

“The unexpected results had killed a lot of Alliance soldiers, mostly Equestrian Pegasi and Unicorns, those that were mostly magical reliant. However, it won the war. The Dragon Empire’s greatest cities were consumed and would not be habitable to dragons for centuries. Most of their soldiers and a good chunk of civilians perished, and the rest spend most of the time migrating from one place to another, waiting until their cities would replenish its lost magic.”

Gear Match swallowed. Details of the war were all fuzzy to them, as most just cared that the fighting was done and over. But Prince Blueblood just told him the price of their victory, and he could understand why it was not said out publicly.

“Auntie Celestia felt that the Jericho, the real one, could be more dangerous. So, she had the plans, and whatever they found with them, the machines, hidden in the vault, never to be seen in her light again,” Blueblood finished.

Gear Match had to ask, “Where do these plans come from? Who developed such dangerous weapons?”

The Prince sighed, and looked down towards the plans again. His left hoof felt the smooth paper on the bottom left corner, and said, “No one knows.”

Gear Match blinked, and looked at Blueblood incredulously. “No one knows?”

“They were found years before my father was born. Auntie said that it was at a center of a huge magical storm that devastated a good portion of the Everfree Forest. I had engineers strip one of the machines down, see if we could make use of their technology. The other one I’ve used, exploring its data for years, trying to find out how it works. The information inside them is limited at best. There is odd yet quite catchy music, some video and pictures of weird hairless diamond dog like beings, but years of searching, I never found anypony, or anything that looked like them.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Blueblood found interesting motions coming from Gear Match’s face. The older stallion was confused, shocked, and somewhat demoralized. It was his fault. He spoke too much, revealed deflected Equestrian history that could potentially harm Gear Match in the long run. And yet, as cruel as it sounded, he needed to tell them. He needed--

He blinked when he heard the faint sound of the anti-magic field powering down. “Gear Match,” he called.

Gear Match blinked, and looked at Blueblood confused.

“There’s a reason why I’m telling you this. I needed you to understand, that way, once the decision would be made, we wouldn’t be working under friction,” Blueblood said. He then heard the sound of sliding metal. “Listen carefully. Follow my lead and trust me. I promise you this, my friend, we are getting out of here!”

Gear Match numbly nodded as the large metallic doors opened, revealing Maelstrom and his group. The pegasus smiled as he cantered towards their captives.

“Glad to see you are awake, Prince Blueblood,” Maelstrom greeted. “I must apologize, my lieutenant here was a bit. . . enthusiastic last time and knocked you out before we could ask you again for your answer.”

Silver Star gave a satisfied grin.

“I decided that since we are civilized ponies--”

Gwendolyn, the gryphon, stifled cough with her claw. Blueblood noticed she was holding some type of gem. He gave it a once-over before turning to see Malestrom’s left eyebrow going up.

“Civilized creatures,” the pegasus amended. “Since we are civilized creatures, I thought that maybe we could do this without anyone getting hurt.”

Blueblood had to get this right. He hunched his shoulders, and let anger wash his face. He took a step forward, only for Silver Star to respond. She slammed her left foreleg hard, her hoofstep sound vibrating across the room. Blueblood flinched, and widened his eyes.

“Now, come on Prince Blueblood. Like I said, there is no need to get hurt,” Maelstrom continued. “Just help us. Help us build the Jericho.”

Blueblood looked left and right, and then bit his lips. He looked at Maelstrom, and softly said, “In return for what?”

Maelstrom cocked his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”

“I said. . .” came the soft reply, before Blueblood coughed. His next words were stronger, louder. “I asked ‘what do I get in return?’”

Maelstrom blinked, smiling, confused. “We’ll stop the pain. Keep you and yours alive and unharmed.”

“You will keep me and mines alive because you need us,” Blueblood declared. “You will provide us with food and water, some commodities to make our stay comfortable. You will do this because you need our help. You will continue to provide essence of magic,” and he looked at Silver Star with disgust, “preferably from someone less unsightly.”

The mare glared at him. Blueblood ignored it.

“You will provide me with the essence because you need my mind. However, that does not motivate me to help you at all.”

Maelstrom nodded. “So you need something then. I can work with that, Prince Blueblood. Name your price, and if I can, I shall grant it to you.”

“Bits. Plenty of bits. Whatever you are planning, it is big, and I want to be in on this,” Blueblood declared.

“What are you doing!?” Gear Match demanded, one of his hooves touching the Prince’s side.

“If we are helping them, then I think it would not be remiss to ask for payment,” the white stallion replied, looking at his confused friend. He turned his face fully, making sure to hide the wink he gave. “Trust me, Gear Match. Just like I said.”

The other unicorn blinked, until understanding dawned to him. He slowly nodded.

“Well, bits I can provide. Name your price, and I will have it done,” Maelstrom replied.

“Not so fast!” Blueblood declared. “We do this job, we get paid, and we are left alive and unharmed. And if this weapon is used against Equestria, I want guarantees that my company, Ponytech Industries, will be left alone. If by chance you. . . replace the Princesses, I want to keep a title as a Baron, along with its rights and protection that go with it.”

Maelstrom blinked, and then smiled. “I see. A guarantee to be left alive now, and in the future. I will be able to deliver on those promises. Now. . . do we have an agreement then?”

Blueblood nodded. “Yes. Now. . . show me what you have.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Blueblood and Gear Match’s heads were covered as they were led outside. The caverns twisted in almost unimaginable ways, and Blueblood was sure that they had retraced their steps to further confuse anypony trying to escape.

Almost anypony. Blueblood’s cutie mark was not just for show.

He had gotten the general direction on where he was being taken, but it would probably take a few more trips before he could accurately map the whole labyrinth in his head. And even through the sack, he could see the world brightening, the smell of the forest puncturing his senses.

Someone removed the bag. Roughly.

It took minutes before Blueblood’s eyes would adjust to the brightness. The first thing he saw was a sea of green, which slowly separated into different shades until he could see an expansion of the Everfree Forest. They were elevated, just slightly above in a flat ground on the mountain range.

The flatness was artificial. Heavy work was done to keep it smoothly, which meant they had Earth Ponies. That would account workers and soldiers.

Blueblood looked around, and found himself mildly impressed. He saw a windmill generator, which at their height and wind abundance, kept spinning providing the area with electro-magic. The guards, both ponies and gryphon, were armed with firesticks and spears. They had some powerful looking unicorns, and up above, some pegasi patrolling the area.

“Impressed?” Maelstrom, beside Blueblood, asked.

“Quite,” the Prince replied, his eyes now on the pitched tents, camouflaged to look like the surrounding mountains. While Maelstrom continued talking, Blueblood checked under the tents to find the largest collections of materials he had ever seen. They had metals of differing names, gems of colors and properties, stocks of the newest firesticks and melee weapons and even firework rockets.

What caught his attention the most was armor. They had Royal Guard armor, military apparel, and even gryphon armor as well. An idea appeared in his head.

“We even have tools to help you build the Jericho,” Maelstrom finished. “Whatever you need, we have it. If not, we will find it. And once it’s done, you shall be paid the amount you ask, and be released. What do you say? Will you help us?”

Blueblood blinked, seeing the pegasus offer his hoof. He gave a slight nod, and bumped it with his own, smiling. He saw Maelstrom’s expression. He knew that his willingness to give Blueblood what he had demanded made it clear that there was only one direction the agreement was going.

They were never going to release them.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Now put all the metallic ores on this corner, and gems on the other. Separate them per groups so I won’t have to scrounge the materials and waste our time,” Blueblood ordered.

Gear Match and Blueblood were brought back to their rooms in the cave labyrinth, followed by Earth Ponies carrying all the materials he had requested. A whole lot of them were metals and gems, but he also had them bring firework rockets and building tools as well.

“Where do we put the armor?” one of the Earth Ponies asked, carrying Royal Guard and Gryphon armor.

“On that side,” Blueblood pointed to the corner nearest to the door.

They were still busy when Gear Match came right behind him. “Armor?” he asked.

Blueblood nodded without facing him. He then whispered, inaudible to the rest, “Our key to escape. I got a rough plan on my head, but we’re going to need time.”

“Time you will get by building the Jericho,” Gear Match replied on the same volume.

The Prince’s smile widened. “You are smart, have engineering and pony skills. I could not ask for a better companion than you.”

Gear Match coughed. “They aren’t stupid. They will be looking at us closely for weeks, see if any progress is made.”

“I know,” Blueblood said. “I hate to say this, but we are going to try and build them the Jericho. I’ll try to just make oversized fireworks, and tell them that we need to do this to get more information on how to build the Jericho. Advise them that no one has successfully built it, and we are doing prototypes.”

“If we do end up building such weapons, they must be destroyed before we escape.”

“Of course,” the Prince replied. For a moment, the two looked at the Earth Ponies arranging the materials around the room.

“Prince Blueblood. . . they won’t release us, will they?” Gear Match asked.

Blueblood looked down for a moment, and shook his head. “No. They’ll either keep us here, or kill us.”

“Don’t take offense in this, but I hope your plan is good.”

The Prince sighed, and looked around him. “Me too.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Princess Celestia stood from the observatory balcony, where she could see the whole Kingdom under the sun. She sighed. It had been days since her nephew, Blueblood, was missing. The Royal Military Intelligence was still gathering data, but is suspecting that the Prince and his companion were smuggled up in the Far Eastern North.

Whoever did the ponynapping was very careful. They had covered their tracks, led a few pegasi to a wild goose chase, and paid off a lot of people to hide their passing. However, the Field General and Grand Admiral had pushed through, and they are getting a solid lead.

Prince Blueblood would be rescued soon, so long as there were no distractions.

Celestia broke a smile when she noticed fillies and colts from Ponyville marveling at the Canterlot’s Sculpture Garden. Their teacher, Cherilee was it, was showing them around.

Celestia stood straighter. They will get their Prince back.