The Stallion Without A Mark

The stallion without a mark

Sleep for heroes are never blissful whether it be dreaming sleep or dying sleep. I awoke in the room that was to be mine for years to come. The world seemed to stop and watched as I awoke, sunlight beaming upon my coat from the window. “Where am I?” I thought out loud as I looked around and whipped my watery eyes. “Whose room is this? Oh, it’s mine… That’s right. Adopted.” Staggering out of bed, I saw a mirror on my new shelf.

Forgetting what they do to me, I walked up to it and judge myself critically. “Hmm… You look like you could use a shower… And just how much did you whine last… nigh- ache… AH!!!”

Pain and dizziness coursed through me even worse than normal! I backed up and tried to close my eyes but this almost made me black out in pain as the room felt like it was melting! There was only one thing I could do to stop the pain in my head. I walked back to the mirror and forcefully punched it with my hoof. The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the palace. Princess Celestia must have heard it and came to my room. I was in the bathroom splashing water on my face to try and settle my nerves when she came in.

“Hello… Are you alright my new son?” She asked in a worried voice.

“I’m all right… I need to warn you about something” I said as I returned to the room. “Mirrors give me headaches. They always have. Anything that reflects my image does this. Please, don’t put any mirrors in this room.”

She smiled at me even though this sounded absurd. We exited the room and walked to the garden to sit for a moment.

“The First order of business for today...” She said. “We need to name you. Let’s see.”

I stared at the ground and thought hard about this and asked “Can that be the last order of business?”

She looked at me with a smirk that told me my answer was no. “What do you think… about Titan?” She asked.

I had heard of this name before. The meaning when put into name reference was defender. I liked the sound of it and it suited me. “I like this name!” I said with a bit of enthusiasm.

“Titan it is.” The princess said. “So, Titan, when is your birthday?”

I caught myself staring at the grass again as she asked me this. I hadn’t ever celebrated my birthday because it just wasn’t important to me or Jack, the abusive farmer I use to live with. Finally, I told her that I did not know.

“How can you not know your own birthday my son?” She sighed. “Well, I guess it would be the day he made you… which is July twenty fourth, only a month away.”

This caught my attention rather stunningly. “Who made me on that day?” I asked.

She just looked at me… And then the ground. “Your father… I guess it’s time to show you who you really are.”

We left the garden and headed to the Canterlot sculpture garden located outside the palace. So many sculptures representing so many things could be found here. The princess came up to one sculpture that seemed to be… Singing… Or at least looked like singing. We stood there staring at it.

“This creature is called a Draconequus.” She began. “His name is Discord and this creature is your father… Over a millennium ago; He was the ruler of Equestria. He brought destruction and chaos to the land. In his moment of glory, when he was creating you, me and my sister used the elements of harmony to imprison him like this. He was singing at the time and didn’t realize he was being turned to stone mainly because he was sending you into the future… Do you remember the poem I recited when we first met?”

I scanned my head to remember it, and said “And so, the son will come to you bearing the name of nothingness and missing his mark. Hair of white and the smell of chaos, He is my son and will act as my body when the time comes.”

She shook her head yes to let me know I was correct. “Those words were the last thing he said before becoming… This.”

I looked at my father, rage boiling within my chest. This is who gave me life but one thing I didn't understand was the last phrase of the poem. I asked her what it meant and she said “You were supposed to be nothing more than a vessel for him. He would need a new body, so he sent you to this time frame when he thought you would be most useful.”

So... This was who I am… son of Discord and the vessel he intended to use as a new body! Was that my fate? Was it my destiny? To be kicked out of the body I had been using for years now by my father?

The truth hurt, and as I stared at this creature known as Discord, I couldn’t help but feel that he was watching me, even though his eyes were shut. The princess wrapped her hoof around me for comfort. “Don’t be afraid.” She said with a smile. “He can’t harm you. I won’t let him touch you.”

I felt compelled to run but pressure kept me from doing so. The world stopped spinning it seemed as truth and vague depressions settled into my being. I asked to be left alone for a moment and the princess understood. “Just don’t stay here too long, otherwise I might worry about you, young Titan.”

She left me with the statue of my father. The image of what seemed could be the one thing that made my world stand still and stare back at me was right here. The deformed body seemed to mock me with its looks of singing. He was the image of death it would seem and this, in turn left me questioning my existence. “Was I made with a mind, or did that part develop on its own? Would he ever return to this world to seek out my body only to take it away? Who would protect me when and if the time came?” the questions would not be answered for years to come. Some answers would reveal themselves at the appropriate time and some would bring me to my knees begging for lies rather than honesty but for now, I could do nothing but wrap the air I sat in with enigmas.

Returning to the walls of the palace, I met the princess in the entrance hall. She stared at me smiling. “Let’s go out for breakfast. What do you say?” She asked, as if I had to answer.

We stopped by this nice little dining area where breakfast was still being served. People all over Canterlot stared with their mouths open as we passed them by. News reporters quickly jumped on the story but the princess told them to leave her and me in private for now. We were seated almost immediately because of who she was. “I’ll have some salad.” She said to the waiter.

“And for your… uh, date?” The waiter asked almost making her cough on the sip of water she was taking.

“Date… Oh, no, no, no! This is my son!”

“Be-, but-, be-, beg your pardon?” The waited asked looking very surprised. “When did this happen???”

The princess smiled and said it was none of his concern and asked him if he was going to take my order.

“Uh, yes, of course, your majesty!” he said almost bowing before her.

The press crowded around the entrance as we ate, and the waiter came out ready to explain what he learned. We finished our meal, and were heading out when the press backed up from the entrance to let us exit. They were all asking questions but not daring to crowd us as Princess Celestia was there next to me. She raised her right hoof to signal them to stop and told them the information they so desperately wanted to hear.

“I understand this is a confusing and odd occurrence in today’s life but this is the truth. The stallion with me today… Is in fact my adopted son, Titan!” The press was taking notes while I just stood there embarrassed beyond all comprehendible reason.

“I did this.” She continued. “Because he showed extraordinary possibilities as a knight and a son. My decisions have meaning behind them as all my decisions always have. This one is no different than the rest. Treat my son with as much respect as you have towards me for being royal blooded… Oh, and no pictures.”

Her horn lit up and all the pictures they had taken disintegrated with in the films, jamming the cameras, which disabled them from being able to take any more photos of me and Princess Celestia. We walked off to the palace with the press still following us. It was really uncomfortable but at the same time, very flattering. The doors shut and I got some peace and quiet for a few minutes, that is until Twilight came galloping towards my direction. “Titan, Titan, is it true? Did Princess Celestia really adopt you?” She asked when she finally reached me. The princess answered for me and smiled at Twilight. “But don’t worry; You are still my most promising student yet.” She said happily.

A month had passed, and the news was everywhere by now about who I was and questions left unanswered. I knew why she had broken the cameras that day. If the streets were filled with my image in the paper, I would never be able to leave the palace because everywhere I would go, I’d see myself and collapse due to overwhelming headaches. She instructed that no pony was to take my picture. I would walk the streets and every pony would be happy to see me. The descriptions in the papers were very detailed but I was a unique looking pony.

You couldn’t miss me considering I had no cutie mark. Every once in a while some pony would try and steal a snapshot of me, only to be stopped by another pony who had great respect for me. Things were turning out to be pretty good. I had a home, a mother, which I finally got use to calling her mother my now and a friend, Twilight. We would play in the garden when she wasn’t studying. Despite the fact that I was Discord's son, I didn’t feel any powerful magic in my body. Mother decided to do a test on my mind to see if anything had developed but it said I was just as normal as any other earth pony.

Today marked my birthday. I was now nineteen. My mother summoned me to the throne room where she was signing papers and approving applications but as soon as I entered, she seemed to stop what she was doing almost immediately.

“You wanted to see me, mother?” I asked curiously.

“Yes.” She began. “Do you know what day it is?”

I searched my skull for the answer to this question. “Isn’t it the twenty fourth? Oh!”

She smiled and said “That’s right. It’s your first birthday here. I’ve decided to let you have whatever you want on this day, so long as it’s logical, of course.”

I hadn’t really been thinking about what I wanted lately. Sure I wanted my cutie mark but then, I hadn’t had much time with mother lately. She was always so busy with work; She never had that much time to spend with me. “Would it be all right” I began slowly “If you spent the day with me… As mother and son?”

She giggled at the request and said “That’s all you wish for? No party, no gifts?”

“You’ve given me so much." I said modestly. "I don’t think I could accept anymore. If I do, I think my heart will be fit to explode with happiness. All I want now is just one day with you. We could go and have breakfast together, or see the Wonderbolts perform at the Canterlot coliseum.”

She got up and walked over to me and said she couldn’t think of a better present for me to have. We spent the entire day together. We did so many exciting things like go to an amusement park and saw the Wonderbolts. I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun! When we got back, I asked her if we could do this every birthday, which she agreed to full heartedly.

Seven long and enjoyable years had passed since I first came to Canterlot. My friend, Twilight had become Princess Celestia’s favored student, and I was her best friend but now, she had to go to some town called Ponyville. It was a little depressing seeing her leave but I knew I would see her again soon enough.

That day was like, the loneliest of days to me. I didn’t know where mother ran off to and the castle seemed so empty! I must have walked through exploring every single room twenty times before the night had come. I fell asleep in the throne room waiting for mother to come. I was next to the golden throne, when a blue manned mare came into the room. She bid mother goodbye as she was about to raise the moon for the first time in years, that is until she spotted me.

She walked up to me and proceeded to sniff my mane. Jumping back and staring at me like I had committed the worst crime she said “Foul beast! Thou art not welcome here this day!” her booming voice woke me up in an instant. Imagine you’re waking up to the scariest thing you can think of. Got it? Good. Now take that thing and make it ten times as frightening than you imagined. That’s what I was staring at.

Her horn lit up with blue light as she telekinetically lifted my body up and said “Thou art the son of Discord! Thou shall die thin night!” and with that said, she threw me out the stained glass window with the force that almost broke my back! I fell into the raining night. Glass floated around me. Some pieces were launched into my back from the impact.

I had no idea what was going on. I hit the garden ground hard and felt my leg break as it hit the grass. Princess Luna followed as she glided down to my location. “This is thou day of death!” She said as she lifted me up to a tree and broke off a thick branch from it. It slammed onto my throat as I let out a shriek for help. I couldn’t breathe as she strangled me. She looked into my eyes with a smile that told me she was enjoying my torture.

“Now, our subject.” She said in the same ruthless voice. “Thou will DIE!!!” as she said this, laughter echoed throughout the night sky. I felt myself shed tears of pain and sadness. I was able to choke out the one word that I could think of. “please.” My voice sounded shriveled and weak. She looked at me now angrier than ever. her eyes were harsh and the way she judged me was painful to even think about.

“Please?” She asked. “Why should we spare thou? Thy will not be worthy of sweet life! It would be a crime if we let you live! We will strangle the life out of thou, son of Discord!”

I felt myself fading into darkness. My vision blurred as if I was drowning. The world spun around me as I tried to beg for forgiveness from this mare but it was pointless as I fainted from lack of oxygen.

Then, by a miracle on my behalf, Princess Celestia entered the throne room to find the shattered window. She ran up to it, looked down and saw her sister strangling me. She flew down to us and ordered her sister to cease and desist. “Do not worry, sister” Princess Luna said. “We know what we are doing. This is the son of Discord!”

Celestia used her magic to furtively push her sister down and grabbed me. Holding me in her arms, she yelled at Luna “What were you thinking?”

Luna simple got back up and said in the same booming voice “Tis the son of Discord? Did thou not hear us thy first time?”

Princess Celestia then teleported us all to the medical wing that was inside the palace. They took me and started to heal my wounds immediately. She looked at her sister and said “You idiot! That was my son!”

Luna stood with her mouth open unable to process this bit of information. “Thou have gotten married in our absence?” She asked, voice still booming.

“No! He was adopted” she screamed in frustration for her sister. “Yes, he is the son of Discord but he is harmless! No such magic had ever been exalted from his being! I, to, almost killed him for the same reason but he proved to be kind hearted. So I took him under my wing hoping to help him receive his cutie mark and live a safe life. And now, you almost murdered him. You almost murdered my SON!”

Tears left Luna’s eyes as she realized her horrid mistake. She apologized many times towards mother but she would still need to apologize to me. Meanwhile, I had sharp stained glass sticking into my back. Blood poured onto the medical bed I lay on. My leg was now broken in three different locations. Still passed out, I dreamed of nightmares. The worst kind was one with Princess Luna.

The incident replayed in my mind. The choking, the agony of feeling my soul slip from my body, there was only one thing that pulled me out of the chaos my memories played in my mind. That was the voice of Princess Celestia, my mother. She was calling my name. In the darkness, I could hear her beckoning me to return to reality but where was I to go? Black nothingness surrounded me and it felt like I would never find a way out.

Three weeks passed and I was still asleep. Slowly, my eyes opened. The light poured into the medical room from a window found to my right. Mother walked in right when I was starting to see more clearly.

“I’m so sorry.” She said in a weak and sobbing voice. “I should have known better than to not inform Luna about you. The thought completely slipped my mind. Please forgive me.”

I tried to speak and it hurt when the words left my throat. “It’s… All right… Mother. I... Forgive you!”