Chapters John woke up alone, as he had most every day of his life. He rubbed the tears from his eyes as he tried to push his emotions back down so they would stay out of his way for the remainder of the day. Even so, he felt another tear roll down his cheek as his quickly forgotten dream of the caring being he always craved vanished from his mind's eye.
He worked up the effort to roll out of the uncomfortable bed the college provided the dorms and barely succeeded. He looked around the 10' by 15' room that he normally shared with his roommate. He quickly remembered that is was spring break, "Not that it matters much to me..." he thought out loud.
With a sigh, he got up and began to get dressed, a pair of camo underwear, a pair of loose blue jeans, a T-shirt that was on top in the drawer, a pair of socks, a dark grey vest that he always wore, and finally a pair of steel-toe boots that he got from the college. He grabbed his bill-fold, his keys, pocket-knife and brass knuckles, and went to take a piss.
His mind remained on the blury being (possibly an angel of sorts?) he saw in his dreams every night, her alabaster skin, her rainbow colored hair, the muffled sound of a voice he could only imagine was sweeter then honey. But there was always the hint of gold that left him confused... Possibly a gown, or jewelry of some sort?
Pushing the thoughts from his mind was painful, but something he did every morning regardless. He made his way to the sink and began to comb his mid-length blonde hair. Always to the back, only changing when he didn't have time to comb it at all. He looked at himself.... Fair skin with deeply sunken eyes from lack of rest and malnutrition... His eyes themselves were a combination of grey and blue. Once many years ago when he was still ignorant and hopeful that the world was a good place, his eyes were a beautiful blue, gleaming like a combination of the ocean and the sky, but those days have long since passed...
He made his way out of his dorm, and out into the midwinter day, taking note that it was unusually warm for a March morning in North Dakota. "Of all places, why do I have to be in the frozen hell hole that is Bismarck?" he mumbled to himself...
He made his way to his car, a green Intrigue that he commonly called a hunk of shit on wheels, clambered inside of it and got it running, the large rumbling of a disconnected exhaust pipe being sure to wake any hung over people in the dorm right up. As he got the car warmed up he looked at the sun, taking not that it couldn't be where it was if it was still morning. Glancing at his phone he realized it was going on three in the afternoon.
"Well it's a damn good thing I didn't have plans today." he mumbled to himself as he pulled out of the parking lot for a drive. Little did he know today was already making plans for him...
Taking his car on the highway, John made his way into town, uncaring what would happen that day. After his car got nice and warm he began to head back to the dorm, satisfied that it was running sufficiently well. However, a passing truck hit a patch of ice on the road and flew into the path of John's car, quickly crumpling it. Traffic screamed to a stop as people began to take notice of the accident on the road.
John managed to get his seatbelt off and his door open despite the intense pain he felt throughout his body. He tried to push himself out of the car but only succeeded in having his torso land painfully on the blacktop while his legs dangled uselessly in the car. He felt warm liquid pooling around his head and back as the cold wind began to pick up, digging into his very bones.
He could hear the dull screams of people who could see the chaos unfolding. Frogs spawning from the ground itself, chocolate milk raining from the sky, a herd of bison dancing ballet across the highway.
As John glanced over, he could only think of two things: one that he would've laughed quite hardily had it happened to anyone other than him, and two, that his end could've come after he found that Alabaster angel so he wouldn't have died so miserably. As he lay there thinking, he noticed his vision darkening with a tunnel of light forming. On a hunch, he willed himself through, unaware that he was being watched...
"Hehehehe.... He has finally found his way back." a certain chaotic creature said to himself as he saw the royal spirit with white fire in its eyes charging to the light he craved.
"Yes, I can't wait to meet him again..." Discord said with a crooked grin.
"No. You will wait until I say otherwise. He needs to begin adjusting to his life before you try to ruin his peace."
"Hmmm, you're no fun..."
"Perhaps not, but I want what's best for him after what happened last time he was home... After he gave his very life to save his mother and friends not to mention the entirety of Equestria."
Author's Note
For this chapter and beyond, [ and ] will signify thought.
Return of a Prince
*John's POV*
[It's warm... So comfortably warm... I could feel myself curling up as tight as possible... It was... Wonderful, I felt strangely whole... Until I remembered the Alabaster Angel from my dreams. Then I felt tears roll down my cheeks. What was it about her that always made me like this? Was she important to me?]
"More important to you than you could ever have imagined in the world you came from, young one." A Sweet female voice said.
"Who are you?" I tried to ask, but my mouth wouldn't do what I wanted.
"My name is Faust, and don't worry about trying to speak, I can hear your thoughts quite clearly."
[Faust?]
"That's right. Do you remember your name?"
[....no....wait....what was it?....I can't remember!!]
"It's ok little one. You will remember soon. Likely after your return..."
[Return?! No!! I can't go back to that world!! ......Wait... What? Why am I crying?]
"It is all right." At this I felt something pull me into a hug that I couldn't deny felt wonderful. "Shhh....Its alright...Shhhh...shhhhhhhh....."
I felt something rub the tears from my eyes, and as my eyes adjusted I saw a gorgeous glowing white mare with a burning red mane, a horn and wings smiling at me.... Wait....Mare? Horn and wings?
"Yes, mare. And a little colt like yourself shouldn't be worrying over the beauty of a mare like me."
[Colt? I looked down to my body in the light given off by Faust and saw the legs and hooves of a colt! I was covered in dark blue fur, and my tail was as Alabaster as the Angel's was! But then I saw my wings....I have wings?!]
"Shhhhhhhh....calm down young one....shhhhh...."
[I'll admit she had a way of calming me down, but I don't even know where I am, or what I am, or why I'm crying so much!!]
"It's ok little one." I felt her rocking me slowly trying to calm me down. "Everything will be just fine. If you don't calm down you will cause harm to yourself, and thus your mother..."
[My mother?]
"Yes, you will meet her soon... Or meet her again, I should say..."
[But I don't understand...]
"Shhhh... It will be alright..." I felt her hugging me tighter, and I did my best to hug her back, and she seemed to notice this. "Such a sad thing to see a once proud Stallion turned into such a small and fearful colt..."
I just couldn't stop crying anymore. I felt like her words rung true somehow, but I just didn't understand! "Shhhhhhhh, sleeeeepp"
I couldn't help but feel myself start to nod off into unconsciousness, and so I rested my head into the space between her head and her shoulder, earning a couple nuzzles from the goddess.
"That's it, rest now... When you wake, you will find the family you lost all those years ago. But remember this, you will not do it alone, you will find an old friend shortly after your return... Midnight Shadow...
I gasped awake, with two words burned deeply into my mind: Midnight Shadow... My name.... I remembered my name!!! I looked around excitedly for Faust, but to my dismay I didn't see her. I did see a pond and trees surrounding the clearing that I appeared to be in.
Deciding that I should quench my thirst, I tried to make my way to the pond, which was notably tough as my legs didn't want to keep me up for more than a few seconds. After a few minutes of trial and error, I managed to make my way to the edge, and was treated with a shock as I saw my reflection! And then my time with Faust began to come back to me. I took a deep breath and began to study my reflection. Midnight blue fur, a mane that looked like it was pure sunlight, a pair of wings that matched my fur, a spiral horn from the center of my forehead, and eyes that glowed blue like the sky itself. As I felt like I understood my form well enough I began to take a drink from the pond.
"Shadow..." a female voice whispered not far from me, causing me to instinctively take a defensive stance while looking for the owner of said voice.
"Shadow? Is it really you? How are you back? Why are you so young?" a Violet Pony asked as she made her way from the bushes and trees that lined the clearing.
"I...who are you? You seem familiar..."
"Shadow, its me, Twilight Sparkle. Don't you remember me?"
"I think I know you from somewhere... But I just don't know..."
"Shadow... I'm the first mare of your herd..."
"My herd?!" The sheer shock of hearing a mare I just met say that to me made me stumble backwards and fall into the pond, earning a worried cry from Twilight as she used what looked like magic to try and pull me out, but for some reason it wasn't working.
I gasped for air as I pulled myself to the shore, getting some help from Twilight who jumped in to give me a... Hoof?
"Are you alright? Talk to me Midnight!"
"I'm *cough cough* ok... Was that magic you were using?"
"O...of course it was... Don't you remember anything?"
"Not really. All I remember is talking with Faust and falling asleep in her hooves..."
"YOU MET FAUST?! EVEN CELESTIA AND LUNA HAVEN'T HAD THAT HONOR!!!" At the mention of those names, I couldn't help but picture the Alabaster Angel.
"Those names... Who are they?" That earned me a look of utmost shock.
"Shadow, how could you forget your mother and aunt?"
"I don't even know who I am! How am I supposed to know who anypony else is?" I yelled with immediate regret, an quickly I felt my eyes begin to water. Strangely, Twilight pulled me into a hug and started to wipe away my forming tears...
"Heeyy...it's alright... Shhh.... You really haven't changed very much to be honest... Always quick to apologize to us for anything you thought you did wrong...*sigh* By Celestia I missed you..."
"Can I see her?" I asked from her shoulder.
"I don't know... Even I haven't seen her since you were banished five years ago..."
"Five years?" I asked getting a nod as a reply.
"Come on, we should head to Ponyville before it gets dark." Twilight said as she got up and put me on her back, and began to lift us off from the ground.
"Is that where you live?"
"Its where you lived before everything happened. Right now only Chrysalis and I still live there."
"What can you tell me about her?"
"Well, she was the queen of the Changlings, a race of insect ponies that feed off love."
I closed my eyes and rested my head on her neck as I tried to think of what she looked like, and what I knew about her from my apparent passed life.
A giggle from my mount caused me to open my eyes and take notice that we were nearing what looked to be a small town. My movement must've alerted her that I was awake.
"We're almost home. Do you want to walk the rest of the way?"
"Yes, I think it would be good for me to try to figure out how to move efficiently without getting mocked by everyone."
"Hmm in that case why don't we hold off landing until we get all the way home, ok?"
"...alright, but only if you help me get around." I said with a smirk.
"It's a deal."
I saw quite a few buildings as we flew over, but the building that really drew my attention was a home that looked like a pile of eggs laying together.
"Is that...?"
"Yes, that's the home you built before you... Well... You know..."
"No... I don't know. What happened?"
*sigh* "You... You got in a fight with your father, and your battle was causing chaos across the entirety of Equestria. We...*choked sob* we're here...." As we landed, I couldn't help but notice the tears soaking the fur under Twilight's eyes. I swung myself off of her back as carefully as I could and worked myself around to her front just to see her trying to hold back a flood of tears. She opened her eyes and smiled when she felt me trying to wipe her tears away like she did for me only an hour before.
"Please Twilight, tell me what happened."
"*sigh* We... We had to banish you with the Elements of Harmony..." As she finished her sentence, she began to break down into tears and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry! I never wanted to do it, but we had to protect Equestria... Please forgive me!!!"
"It's ok Twi. You did what you had to, I'm glad you were able to make the hard decision that I really doubt I could've made at all... And besides, I'm back now! I may not remember much, but I'm here for you..." Before I could finish my sentence, I heard an odd sounding gasp from the front door. As I looked over, I saw a frail, yet beautiful insect-like mare with tears dripping from her eyes
"It can't be possible... You're home!"
"Heh, hi Chrysalis."
All I could hear was bawling from the two mares in my herd as they hugged me in the entrance of the home. Between the apologies and the incoherent mumbling, I was starting to get a headache.
"HEY!!!" That seemed to get their attention. "One pony at a time... Please..."
"Sorry"
"Sorry" The looks on their faces was near misery.
"I'm sorry too... It's just... I don't know what is going on, and I'm kinda on edge... So please, can we go inside and talk?"
After a brief silence, both Chrysalis and Twilight nodded, and began to walk inside. After several failed attempts to walk over to the door, let alone take more than two steps, I searched for something to help me keep myself up, to no avail.
"Uhm....Twi? Chrissy? Anypony?"
"Now what do we have here?" a high pitched voice from behind me came. I moved to look but all I saw was a pink blur. "Are you a lost little colty wolty that needs some help?"
"Well I could use a hoof, but I don't even know you..."
"Yay!! Get to know each other party!!!" Quicker then a flash, she pulled what looked like a cannon from behind her back and fired it off, releasing all kinds of glitter, ballons and confetti. The sound must've alerted Twilight and Chrysalis as they came rushing out with panicked covering their faces.
"Pinkie Pie! Enough!" the stern yell from Chrissy made Pinkie and the confetti freeze where they were in midair. This earned a blatant look of confusion come over my face as Twilight pulled me from Pinkie's nearing grasp.
"Sorry about her, and about forgetting that you needed help getting in..."
With a sigh, I replied "It's alright, but why do I have a craving for vanilla cake?"
"Because you used to have Pinkie fire you from her cannon into a cake at least twice a week before....*sniffle* Before....*uncontrollable bawling*"
"WAAAAIIIITTT!!!!" Pinkie yelled at the top of her lungs, "DOES THAT MEAN THAT HE'S?"
"Yes Pinkie Pie, he is in fact Midnight Shadow returned to us, *sniff* at last." Chrissy replied.
"But why is he so small? Is it so he can fit into small places?" This earned a tearful shrug from Twi.
"Yes, I belive that's a fine idea." Chrysalis replied. She then began using her magic to take me from Twilight and place me on her back, nudging Twi to come back inside, and wave Pinkie in as well.
We made our way into what looked like a living-room that took up the majority of one of the egg-shaped parts of the house. It was decorated in a high-end type style that quickly got on my nerves, and I instinctively focused on my horn and felt a rush as the decor changed to a much more modest cottage like layout, earning surprised looks from everypony else. I quickly took notice after i fell to the floor panting from exhaustion, only to receive a great deal more help than I needed.
"How...how did I do that?"
"I don't know." Twi replied as she checked my head for injuries. "It has to be some of your memories from last time." She then got up and began to walk out of the room, yelling something about a letter and the rest was muffled do to distance, earning a look of further confusion from me to Chrissy as she began to put me on one of the newly replaced couches surrounding the fireplace before sitting next to me.
"Could you tell me how young I really look, please?"
"Hmm, I was never very good at judging the age of ponies, but I'd say your close to reaching your fourth or fith year. I think?"
"Does that mean he'll have to go back to school with other little fillies and colts?!"
"No, I quite doubt that."
Suddenly a mare with fur as dark as mine and a mane of stars appeared within a cloud of magic behind the couch we were resting on. She began looking around the room as paniced as possible until she made eye contact with me. At that, she began to tear up before rushing and hugging me screaming out "My Sweet Little Nephew!! You're Safe!! You're Home!!"
"Auntie Lulu?" I asked with a smushed face.
"Yes! It is us dear nephew!! Pray tell how you returned to us?!"
"Incredible... We never thought somepony else in our family would meet her."
"You met her too, auntie?"
"Yes," she replied, before moving to sit on the couch with me still tightly in her hooves. "Long ago, before you passed, the night we were returned from our banishment. We kept it a secret as to honor her wishes."
"... I... I remember... The moon and sun were holding equal ground that day..."
"Yes, nephew. We are glad to see you are beginning to recall your life, even though it was a sad time for us all." Just then, Twi ran back in, only to stop in her tracks when she saw Luna cradling me in her hooves, which I couldn't deny felt wonderful.
"Luna? You're here already?" her only reply was a nod without breaking eye contact with me.
Chrysalis began to rise and walk out of the room, "I suppose I should start making dinner if we are going to keep getting surprise visitors today." Suddenly a gasp from Pinkie drew everypony's gaze.
"I gotta get home!! I have to help the Cake's clean the store today!" and with a puff of pink smoke, she was gone.
"H-h-how?" The word only barely made it out of my mouth.
Twilight was the first to reply, "She's always been like that, but I guess you don't exactly remember that...do you?"
I thought for a moment, trying to recall what I might know about her, and eventually came up with something. "I think I remember something about her and me going into a place called the Everfree... What's that about?"
Both Twilight and Auntie Lulu began snickering very indiscreetly, until both broke out into full laughter. They finally quit when they saw the look of confusion on my face, but the smiles didn't leave just yet. Twilight was once again the first to speak.
"She kinda tricked you to follow her in there for a *snicker* a one night stand that she spent a week planning." The blush on my face must've been obvious under the fur on my face because the snickering was quickly replaced with coos.
A call from what I could only assume was the kitchen managed to silence the mares turned fillies, who began to smell the air and lick their lips in delight.
"It would seem that Chrysalis has finished preparing our meal." Auntie Lulu said as she used her magic to pick me up off her rear hooves and place me on her back after getting up herself. We made our way to the kitchen with Twi still giggling.
Suddenly, I was attacked... By none other than Chrissy as she began hugging me and planting kisses on my cheeks, earning more giggles and coos of adoration from the others.
"Agh, my greatest foe has found my weakness!" I said without even thinking, earning gasps aplenty. "W... What?" Suddenly Chrissy planted a tearful kiss on my lips And began nuzzling me uncontrollably. For some reason, I felt the need to nuzzle her back until I felt somepony wiping the tears I was unaware were forming under my eyes.
"Such a delicious meal like I haven't had in ages..." Chrysalis commented licking her lips.
"Perhaps we should have our meal and talk about what has been going on in Equestria in the time since your passing..." Luna said.
"And probably even some from before then..." I remarked as I was magically placed into a chair at the table. I noticed Lulu nodding in agreement as she sat down next to me.
I glanced around the table and saw a dish of something that made me drool to no end... "Is that?" I looked to the mares sitting at the table who nodded with bright smiles on their faces. "Lasagna!!" I cheered, causing laughter among the mares, not realizing that I was floating slowly higher and higher above my chair, until I did notice and promptly plummeted back down until I was caught in Lulu's magic. "Um...*sigh* thanks..." I looked at Luna who was smiling until she took a careful look at me.
"*gasp* Thou art filthy! Thy wings need preening, and thy mane needs brushing!!"
"And thy is speaking in yon ancient pony tongue." I remarked sticking my own tongue out at her teasingly.
"Well I guess we'll just have to help him get cleaned up after we're done eating then." I became blatantly nervous at the sound of that, encouraging giggles from the mares who, with the exception of Lulu, began eating faster to try and scare me. Lulu however was helping me keep my fork in my hoof so I could eat.
"What can you tell me about my herd?" I asked between bites.
"Well there's us three, and then Rainbow Dash and... Heh... Celestia." Those words nearly made me choke.
"WHAT?!" The fork I had just managed to pick up with a great deal of effort clattered on the table as my mouth quite literally fell open. "Mother is part of my herd?!" I couldn't believe the words comeing from anypony's mouth and I could no longer feel the air I was breathing matter.
Suddenly I was pulled from my chair into Lulu's hooves as she rubbed the fringe of my mane and nuzzled my face, slowly calming my hyperventilation. "Now that you've calmed down, let us try to explain. Your mother became a part of your herd merely to dissuade some rather interested parties from attempting to get her into their own herds. To my, or any of our knowledge, nothing has happened between you other then plenty of you falling asleep in her hooves and teasing each other about the whole ordeal." This gave rise to an intense wave of relief, as well as a feeling I couldn't quite describe, not one that felt good either... Until I realized what she said that scared me to begin with...
"Wait... Did you say that Auntie Lulu was in my herd too?!" The only repy I got was nervous looks among each other. "Did... I fall in love with you at least?"
"Yes, yes we fell in love, though it was quite difficult to begin with as you were already seeing Chrysalis and Twilight Sparkle."
This released another wave of relief, this time untainted by that other indescribable feeling.
"Here, I'll take you." Luna said as she used her magic to lift me up and hurry me through the house to a bathroom. "Let me know when you're done and I'll help you get cleaned up." she said as she put me down and trotted out.
"Hey no fair! I want to help too!" Twi yelled down the hallway.
"Oh no you don't!" Yelled Chrissy, "I made dinner so you get to help with the dishes while Luna takes care of Shadow!" I sighed as Luna left and I focused on using my wings to carry me onto the toilet with somewhat happy results. I managed to take care of my business and lift myself up enough to pull the chain that flushed it all away.
"Shadow, are you alright in there?" Lulu called sweetly.
"Yeah, you can come in." I called as I managed to get my wings to float me over to the tub, to the great surprise of Luna as she trotted in.
"Impressive that you are gaining control of your wings so quickly..."
"I saw how Twilight flew on our way home and got the basic gist of it. The only problem is keeping myself up is exhausting..."
Luna nodded in understanding as she helped me get hot water running into the shower/tub that I noticed could fit possibly even three full grown ponies. However, that did not stop the slight surprise I got when I saw Luna removing her regalia and climbing in with me.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just didn't think you would be quite literally helping me."
"I'll do anything it takes to help you, especially now considering you don't currently have full control of your body yet." she told me sweetly as she began rubbing what I guessed was shampoo into my fur. But the vanilla scent that caught my attention and made me sigh in something close to bliss quite clearly made Luna giggle. "I knew you would like this. You loved the smell of vanilla before everything happened."
I nodded as she began to lather up my forehooves and upper chest. "Lulu? Where is mother?"
This drew a pause from her as she looked to the doorway, possibly trying to hear if the others were spying on us. With a sigh, she said something I never expected, "She locked herself away in her room in Canterlot shortly after your banishment. I can imagin that your banishment was the final straw for self pity to overtake her already diminished self esteem as she already had to live with the shame of banishing me a thousand years ago as well..."
"But if you're here, and mother has locked herself away.... Who's running Equestria?"
"Unfortunately your corrupt cousin Blueblood has proclaimed himself king, though with you returned, you would be able to remove him from the throne with ease."
"How? I'm nowhere near as old as I was then. There's no way they'll believe I'm me..." This earned a giggle from her.
"You don't need to be the same age, you are the only one in the history of Equestria to have eyes like that, not to mention you look plenty old enough that nopony will think you were born after your banishment. The only possible argument that anypony might have is that your eyes are an enchantment, but with a simple spell that can be proven false."
I sat and thought about that as she returned to lathering me up with the heavenly smelling shampoo until she flipped me onto my back, earning a cry of surprise from me, and thus a giggle from her.
"I can't say I was expecting that..."
"I've got to get to your legs and *giggle* lower areas somehow." My only reply was another blush from me as she began her much anticipated chore. "Hmm, you'll be reaching adolescence soon enough, but I wonder..." the location of her hoof became quite a bit more provocative as she began trying to stir a certain spot on me into activation, and to her great joy, evident with a delighted squeel, it worked.
My breathing became ragged as I wanted her to keep going, my eyes opened a crack to see what she was doing. To my confusion, I saw her head moving down out of my line of sight, until I felt warm moistness envelope a part of me I hadn't realized I had yet. Suddenly something wet in the same spot as I was begin to rub around my part, earning a moan from me. This went on for a few minutes until I felt a tightness and a tingle throughout my body, until suddenly, I couldn't hold on any longer and released what little grip I still had, letting a rush flow through me and with it, memories returned to me.
"Mmm, by Celestia I missed that taste." Luna said with a smile, all while licking her lips seductively. Meanwhile I was still laying in her grasp trying to catch my breath and turn myself over onto my stomach.
"I.... I remember... My friends..."
Luna looked at me with a puzzled gaze and pulled me to a sitting position.
"Did you say you remember?" she asked with concern.
"I remember my friends, some of the fun we had...until...." I felt burning anger as the memories of the one who ruined my childhood friendships returned... "Discord..." I said, the poisonous name rolling off my tongue.
"Please, you can't go after him." I looked to the voice from the doorway to see Twilight standing with tears falling from her cheeks. "We can't lose you again..."
"Twi..."
"NO! You don't know what its been like the last few years! With you gone everything went straight to Tartarus! Celestia has locked herself away, Blueblood has seized power and nearly started several wars over petty arguments, and worst of all, *sob*, all this was because you were trying to protect me from a threat that we didn't even learn was faked until after your banishment..."
The depression in her final sentence was enough to bring another flash of memories, this time of a battle against the creature I despised most, until a blast of rainbow colored energy pushing me into darkness.
As the memory ended, I opened my eyes only to see everypony standing over me with worried looks on their faces. I looked around the best I could and guessed I was in a bedroom... With an extremely large bed...
"What... What happened?"
"We don't know." Luna began, "You looked like you had an epiphany then fainted in the tub. Did you have more memories return perhaps?"
"I saw my fight against Discord... Then I saw a flash of Rainbow colored energy, then nothing... Then I woke up." I felt one of the mares moving to sit next to me, and as I looked, I saw it was Twilight.
"I'm sorry... It's all my fault... I never should've let you chase the phony threat without me. If I didn't,"
"Thank you... But,"
"But Nothing! What's Done Is Done, And We Will Deal With The Consequences Together As We Should've Long Ago!" I yelled far harsher then I wanted to. As I sighed and began to apologize, I was interrupted by Chrysalis.
"He is right. We must deal with this as the family we are."
"I agree." Luna stated. "I say we collect Rainbow Dash in the morning and make our way to Canterlot to remove Blueblood and return Celestia and I to our rightful place."
"I agree, however we need to see whether or not mother is fit for ruling at the time, and if not, somepony will have to take her place until she is, and I will bet I'll get stuck with the damn job..." I agreed miserably.
"It's settled then, tomorrow we will make our herd whole again." Twilight said with tearful cheer. "But until then, its time for a cirtain little pony to go to bed..."
"I AM older than you Twi." I remarked dryly as the mares began to swarm me in the most wonderful snuggle-fest I could currently remember, with me pushed into the fetal position on my back, Twi on my left side, Luna on my right, and Chrissy's lithe form on top of me, I felt an unmistakable feeling of warmth and love. As I drifted to sleep, I could hear Chrissy sigh happily from a tasty meal of love...
"He knows who I am again. I do believe I will go and see him now..." Discord said.
"No. You will continue to wait here. I will not have you causing trouble to the plans I have in motion." Faust retorted.
"Fine, but I will not sit idly by as my son remembers his hatred for me."
The Train Ride to Hell (With Open Bar)
I awoke to the smell of vanilla and the feel of my face buried in somepony's chest. I pulled my face away for a moment to see who was still in bed. Surprisingly, the only pony I saw was Twilight who appeared to still be asleep. I decided that I wasn't about to try to wake her, so I nuzzled my head back into her chest and tried to go back to sleep.
It only felt like a few moments when I was awoken by the feeling of a hoof rubbing my back and somepony, presumably Twilight, nuzzling the back of my head. It took a great deal of effort just to get the strength to pull my face from her fur and open my eyes to look at her again.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked sweetly, getting only a tired nod and yawn from me. "Sorry, its just that until I opened my eyes and saw you, I couldn't believe that yesterday was true... And when I saw you, I just couldn't help myself... And." her voice was cut short as I planted a kiss on her lips, partly to calm her down, and partly to get some quiet for the moment.
"Is that enough to prove I'm real?" I asked with yet another yawn, only to be pounced on and covered with kisses back, causing an urge that I remember feeling yesterday with Lulu... And it would seem that Twi has taken notice.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here... My dear stallion has an itch he needs scratched and I seem to be the only mare of his herd around to take care of it. Now what should I do about it?" she teased as she placed a forehoof right next to my protruding stallionhood, causing it to grow a little more.
"Twiiiliiight, please!" I moaned.
"Well since you said 'please'." she replied lustily as she brought her head down to my hips and gave my shaft a long, slow lick, earning another moan of pleasure from me.
"Well you are definitely in need of my help." she giggled just before engulfing the whole of my shaft into her hungry maw, giving the whole thing a nice coating of her saliva, then a couple strong suckles, and began bobbing her head up and down again.
The pleasure quickly began to overtake me as I felt a tightness again, but with no release as Twilight pulled herself from my shaft and began licking the saliva trails connecting her maw and my shaft away.
"Don't forget that you need to give me some pleasure too." she said with a giggle as she turned around and began moving her flanks to my face. What I saw when she layed down on my body and moved her tail was beautiful, a gorgeous pair of tight pony lips that were glistening with juices, and I quickly began taking to licking the outer edges and working my way inwards, giving a certain pink nub a few twirls from my tongue every time I passed it, earning squeals of joy and squirts of fluid to come from the lusty lavender pony.
"Hold on." she said as she removed her delicious folds from my reach, and turned back around to face me. "I need you in me NOW." she said, as she positioned herself to sit on my pelvis all while moving my shaft to line up with her tight slit. As she finished lining us up, I saw her begin to slowly lower herself down onto me,and couldn't help moaning from the feeling of my shaft passing in between her tasty lips and the warmth of her tight interior.
As she came close to hilting me, I felt something halt any progress. "Just a little bit more..." I heard her mumble under the gasps of pleasure, and suddenly, I felt my tip puncture the blockage and slide in fully, only to feel it pinch my shaft as if it didn't belong there. As all this took place, I heard the gasps of pleasure and began to get worried.
"Twi? Are you" I couldn't even finish my sentence as she planted a kiss on my lips and forced her tongue into my mouth. I accepted her challenge with fervor and my own tongue began its counterattack, earning more moans of pleasure from her.
Suddenly I felt her lifting her rear off of my pelvis for a moment until I felt the tip of my shaft come to the edge of its pinchy prison, and then she suddenly dropped back down, fully engulfing me inside her once again. As she continued this I started our battle of tongues once more until I felt a familiar tightness and pulled my face from her's and wrapped my hooves around her neck. She seemed to notice as my shaft throbbed inside her and began to coat her womb with my white paint. I quickly flooded her, but without a means of escape, it just caused her womb to stretch, causing her to tighten down on the entirety of my shaft.
As I felt my cum stop flowing into her I tried to calm my high breath rate, only to have my lavender mate start planting kisses all over my face.
"That was amazing! I haven't cum so hard since before...you know..."
"I know, and I'm proud that you were able to do it. But sheesh you're tight!"
"Well it HAS been six years. And its mostly been just me and Chrissy. Not to mention you're the only stallion in our herd. I just can't wait until you're full grown again, that'll be some fun times." she said with a smirk.
Suddenly, it hit me! "Wait! Aren't you going to get pregnant now?" this earned a laugh from Twilight.
"Im not in heat, silly. I just had to have you again. It's been so bucking long..." she said as she nuzzled me. I obviously nuzzled her back as my softening shaft slipped from its tight prison, causing a moan from Twilight. It didn't take long for me to hear her slightly snoring as I began to drift into unconsciousness myself.
"Really? I thought I told you to wake him up, not drain him dry and put him back to sleep!"
"Sorry Luna... I just couldn't help myself. You remember what it's like to be with him!"
"I do, but we need to get him ready to go!"
"All right all ready! I'm up! You don't need to keep bickering with each other!" I yelled tiredly before attempting to stand, only to fall flat on my face.
"Are you all right sweetheart?" I heard Luna ask. My only response was a tired grumble. Suddenly I felt myself begin to rise and placed on somepony's back.
"The both of you need to get cleaned up before we take the train to Canterlot. And NO screwing around!"
"Yes Luna..." I heard Twi mumble as she took us to the bathroom.
I peeked open my eyes as I floated into what looked like a tub for two. Shortly after I was sat down, I saw Twilight climb in after me and turned the water on. Surprisingly, it was already nice and warm and it made me sigh as I moved to rest my head on Twi's shoulder.
"*Giggle* You always did hate getting up if you didn't want to, but at least I can get you cleaned up from our early morning fun." The whole time she cleaned my fur, I was focusing solely on the vanilla scent she was rubbing into it.
"Do you think you could help me get my back?" Twi asked me. I tried to help as best as I could in my tired state, and seemed to get most of her back lathered nicely, only to have her pour water all over my hard work shortly after.
I decided I would go back to snuggling up with her while enjoying the warmth of the bath for a few more minutes...but as I woke up once more, I was laying on the bed with a towel wrapped around me while Luna was cleaning dust off a pair of boxes. One of these boxes had her cutie mark on the top and front of it, and as she opened it, she pulled out what looked to be her royal regalia which she quickly put on with her magic.
I felt better rested now and began to try and get up so I could see what was on the other box, and it went surprisingly well, my legs still wobbled a bit, but I was able to keep myself up for at least a little while. However the markings on the box seemed to hint at memories I hadn't unlocked yet, it appeared to be a duo of cutie marks; one a solar eclipse with a ring of red flame wrapped around it, and one a lunar eclipse with a blue starburst of flames behind it. Suddenly the box floated up to the bed and I noticed it was surrounded by purple magic that seemed to be quite weak.
"Twi? Why does your magic look weaker then normal?" I asked as she appeared from the bathroom with a towel rubbing behind her ears.
"After your banishment, my magic weakened greatly, this is actually the strongest its been since then... I can only guess its because you're finally back..." As she said this, she opened the box and made its contents float out... A crown, a set of shoes, and a pendent, all made of what looked to be black metal which appeared almost corrupted. "This can't be right... Your regalia didn't look like this before..."
"I like it." I said, "Its got character to it."
"It will have to do." Twilight said as she moved my pendent and crown to rest on my shoulders and head respectively, and my shoes to my feet as well.
"Luna! Twilight! Shadow! Rainbow Dash is here!" we heard Chrissy called up the stairs.
"We're coming Chrissy!" I yelled back as I spread my wings and took off down the tubular stairway...and promptly flew into Chrysalis who was climbing the stairs herself. The two of us then tumbled down to Rainbow Dash's feet.
"Are you two okay?" she asked as she untangled us, my mane catching on the holes in Chrissy's legs, and her tail catching on my pendent.
"Oww.." I complained, but as soon as I finished I was pulled into a hug by a certain blue pegasus that began checking my over for injuries.
Sheesh, are you alright? Good, you don't look hurt.But you need to be careful little... Shadow? But... How?"
My only response was a simple shrug. "When I first woke up I didn't remember anything...still don't remember much... But I know we need to get to Canterlot. I've got a hoof to burry in Blueblood's balls... Or lack thereof... Hmm..."
"He's definitely Shadow. Only he would get lost in thought over an insult he made." Rainbow Dash said.
"I don't know, Discord might do that too." Luna said as I sat there thinking.
"We need to go ponies!" Chrissy yelled as she began pushing everypony to the door.
After a reasonably long walk, with a lot of ponies taking notice of us(I'm pretty sure I knew a few of them), we made it to the train station.
"Phew, we made it..." Twilight said as she wandered over to the ticket booth. "Five tickets to Canterlot please."
"Sooo, what are we going to Canterlot for again?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"We need to put Mother and Auntie Lulu back on their thrones where they belong, thus removing that pestilence that is my...cousin? Brother?.....Hmm..."
"Come on you, we need to get on the train." Luna said as she used her magic to put me on her back. We then proceeded to gather in a single car, only to see guards lining the inside. All of them gleaming like... Crystals?
"Uh.... What's going on?" I asked, clearly confused.
"Aunt Luna!" a pretty pink Alicorn pony with a multicolored mane shouted.
"Little sister!" a white stallion with a blue mane shouted next to her.
"Hi everyone!" shouted an alicorn that looked like the first but much closer to my age.
I slipped off Luna's back seemingly unnoticed as everypony began greeting each other, and found myself an empty seat away from the noise. I watched as the train pulled from the station, the sound of the wheels lulling me to sleep.
"Where's Shadow?" I heard Luna cry out with panic.
"Shadow? But I thought he was banished all those years ago." The pink alicorn's voice replied.
"Is this him?" a voice I didn't recognize asked.
"Yes, *sigh* thank goodness he's safe." Luna's voice sounded much closer to me and not two seconds later I felt somepony nuzzling me. On instinct I began nuzzling them back, finally opening my eyes and looking at the face of the pony that was giving me attention, nearly jumping out of my own hide as I saw the older pink alicorn's face instead of Luna's.
I quickly spread my wings and awkwardly flew to the other side of the train car and tried to calm myself down from my near heart attack. As I sat on the seat trying to calm down, I noticed Luna sit down next to me, and bring me into a hug with her wing. I fell into the hug with tears starting to form and fall.
"I'm sorry..." I mumbled into her soft fur.
"Whatever for?"
"For getting scared... I should be braver if everything with Blueblood is going to work out..." I felt her pick me up with her hooves and pull me into a much deeper hug, a hoof behind my back, and one holding my head next to hers.
"There's nothing wrong with being scared, sweetheart, least of all right now with everything thats going on. But remember that we're all here for you, we will help you through this mess of ours, okay?" I nodded in acceptance and got a peck on my lips as a reward. "Good, now how's about we try reintroducing you to your brother and sister in law and their niece?" Another nod from me got me another kiss and set down so we could talk to them.
"You're my uncle?" a voice came from just beside me and made me jump to the top of the table with a cry of panic. Looking over to Luna who in turn motioned for me to see this mare that was bigger than me but acted much younger than me.
"Y-yes... I think." I said as I looked back at her only to see her right in my face again, causing me to jump to Luna's side, burying myself in her wing to get away from this pony that won't stop scaring me.
"Flurry Heart! That isn't behavior fitting a princess!" came the voice of the stallion.
"Sorry daddy..."
"Are you okay? Shadow?" I heard the older alicorn ask, then felt somepony sit next to me and Luna. I slowly poked my head out of Luna's wings to see if it was her, and sure enough, she was sitting there with concern on her face.
"Are you alright?" she asked again, only receiving a slight nod before I pulled my head back into the feathers of Luna's wing. "Do you remember me at all?" This made me think... Did I know her before?... Was she important to me at all?... Suddenly it hit me.
"Caddy?" I asked as I poked my head back out and looked at her. She smiled and I saw her eyes water slightly. Luna lifted her wing from around me and I launched myself to my once best friend, giving her a hug as she wrapped her own hooves around me.
"You have no idea how much I missed you... I always hoped to see you again, especially since you were my first colt friend..." As she whispered the last bit in my ear, I felt a blush radiate under my fur.
"If things were different, I probably would've been the first and maybe only mare of your herd, and I won't deny there are days that I wish that had happened... But thats just between you and me, okay?"
A slow nod was the only response needed as my memories of our time came flooding back... Our first "date" to a bakery then a mountain peak overlooking Canterlot, the first time we made love, in her room while mother and Luna were away, when she broke my heart the first time by getting pissed when she thought I was also with Twilight because she kissed me in the castle library when I helped her find a book she thought she lost, and when she broke my heart for the final time when I found out she was marrying that bastard Shining Armor.
I pulled myself from her grasp so quickly that I saw the air shimmer on the path I took back to Luna. The dirty look I had planted on my face plain to all, especially Cadence whom I refused to even look at. However, I still saw her in the corner of my eye, taken aback at the sudden shift in my persona, then a look of realization, and finally remorse. I continued my unending stare at the floor even as Cadence got up and passed by, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.
"Honey, are you okay?" I heard Shining Armor ask her after she made her way back to him.
"I can already tell what memory you just got back, and it isn't one I hoped you would ever have to remember." Luna said to me sadly.
"She broke my heart Lulu. Not just once, but several times. First when she dumped me and next when she told me she was marrying that over-gloried piece of trash."
"Now you sound like Blueblood."
"Humph. After all these years we finally have something in common. A pity I had to learn it before I put his head on a pike." This seamed to surprise Luna, but before she could say anything, Shining Armor walked up with a frown on his face.
"You need to apologize to Cadence. Now."
"Hows about I take from the Crystal Empire a Prince and replace it with a Princess?" I turned to look at him and saw a red glow reflecting in his gaze, fear clearly taking hold of him. "How would you like that?" As my threat ended, he turned tail and rushed back to his wife, the only means of protection from me he has.
"Shadow, that wasn't nice."
"Yes, and he's lucky Mi Amore Cadenza is here, or else the threat would have been carried out already." I said with clear venom in my voice.
Luna sighed, and got up to move to another seat. I moved closer to the window and watched to see the city of Canterlot in the distance, at least another hour and a half away.
I decided I needed some air, and moved to the aisle. Making my way to the door, I didn't even look back as I heard somepony call my name, and slammed the door closed. The view was nice, but I decided I needed a greater amount of wind in my mane, so I did what any barely sane pony would do, and flew up to the roof. There really wasn't much more wind, but the peace and relative quiet was nice.
I sat in the center of the roof and closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. I felt an immense amount of power flowing throughout my body, and instinctively I tapped into it. I felt it flow around me, reacting to my emotions, forming eddies in my mind's eye. Suddenly I heard my name being called and opened my eyes to see a raging storm and Luna trying her best to stay on the top of the train car as tornadoes passed around the train itself. I took a deep breath and the storm almost instantly calmed down, the tornadoes vanishing without a trace.
"Shadow, are you alright?" This question made me begin to think if she was really the one who was descending to madness and not me. Clearly I was at fault for the formation of the storm, and my fur wasn't even so much as moistened. Suddenly she brought me into a hug and began rubbing my back with a hoof.
"I know you're upset, and you have good reason to be, but taking it out on everypony you love and innocents won't make you feel better. It will just bring more guilt. I know, I've been there." After a short period, and against my better judgment, I pulled away.
"I'm sorry Lulu, but I need a little time to myself... I'll meet you at the castle." and after placing a kiss on her cheek, I spread my wings and flew off, going higher and higher until I was at the very peak of the mountain that cradled Canterlot far below. Once agan, I got into my meditative position, and felt my power flow...
Author's Note
This was a long one, I ended up maxing out my word limit on my notepad app on my phone for the first part. Hopefully you enjoy this as much as I did.
