Son of the Sun

I don’t remember much…

I felt something warm…

Then, woke up here.

Nick was currently unsure of where here was. From what he could tell from the darkness, he’d been locked up in a dungeon of sorts. Horn, as is the case in circumstances of imprisonment, fitted with a ring of nullification.

Why was he in a dungeon? This place of barely-lit pitch black seclusion, soundless aside some drips and drops from cracks in the ceiling was suitable for him?

What had he done?

At least, a notice or hint of his crime could be useful to stop him from raging against his chains.

This was crazy.

Insane.

They looked official. Guards. Different décor mounted their armor for sure, but there was no mistaking who these guards were subjects to.

Nick raised his voice once more, “I said tell me why-”

Crack. Crack.

He was left particularly shaken after that blow.

Shivering uncontrollably. Not from the cold of this room, though it was depressingly freezing to any who decided to even creep near its entrance.

But, that blow had some force behind it.

No longer just a gut-punch. Or, a grinding of his head against the wall. Just a good old-fashion swing of the hoof to his muzzle, blood now coursing down his lips to dribble off to the ground, making the tiled flooring itself that much less unsanitary.

Nick drank some blood after a quick coughing fit, not that he desired to. Just not much of a choice. Otherwise, he’d choke.

He tried reasoning with them, “I’m a hero. You’re both he-”

Crunch.

Immediately, without any grounds to do so, the deep-red Unicorn’s face got a bit more color to it as blood splattered from his now cut lip. Such a mean uppercut to inflict on somepony who couldn’t fight back, not that it seemed to bother either guard.

Coughing fit again. Almost asphyxiating on his own fluids again.

These gotta be Princess Celestia’s guards. No way they’re not. The color schemes match too much to not be. Maybe…

Nick’s face slightly puckered at the taste of his own blood washing down his throat as he reared his head back, far enough as it would let him with how he was essentially bound to the wall by chains that felt too tight, to bark at the top of his lungs, “Princess! Princess Celestia! There’s guards down here! I’m down here! I-I think they’re not who they say they are!”

Both guards let him keep screaming throughout the entirety of his statement. Neither yelled at him. Nor, threatened or actually beat him some more. Just laid back, appearing to relax. Not a care in the world.

That was...until a flame sprang from the center of the room, casting light every which way to shower the room in warmth.

Their eyes lit up, eyebrows raising to look at the intense form of fireworks.

They tensed up, pulling themselves up to a stature proper of a soldier as they watched the flames coil and dance into an inferno.

When the hiss and crackle of the fire died around the mere ponies, she appeared.

Princess Celestia, in all her glory, radiated pure sunshine, warmth pouring out from her body like a heat wave.

She stared at them all for a decent minute before declaring, “What’s going on down here?”

One of the guards flicked a hoof up in his defense, momentarily confused by the question, “Um...what you asked?”

Nick’s look of confusion at the pony’s phrasing was reworked to joy as Celestia got in the stallion’s face, “Why is he like that?! What have you two been doing down here?!”

The other guard spoke on their behalf, looking frightened, “Y-you said to deal with him-”

Princess Celestia moved them out of her way, coming over to Nick to softly look upon her little student, “His face. It’s so...bloody.”

Turning around, she growled out at the two, “Strong Back! Direct Break! You two...”

She reared up, silent.

Balancing on her back hooves with the grace of a ballerina, she stared down at the two, far surpassing them in height and power.

Then, brought her hooves down.

…

Both stallions winced as the blows...never came. She was still gazing into their wildly-worried faces, but she didn’t strike them or anything.

Nick was also concerned as he saw a hind leg of the solar royal lift back, only to spring at Nick.

A short quick gasp later, Nick was reeling from a kick with enough force to easily break bones.

His body desperately tried to curl into a defensive ball, but no such mercy occurred.

Then, Celestia began to swiftly launch kick after precise kick into his body, landing shots into everywhere except his face.

She shouted in hot-breathed fury to her ponysal guardians, “You two are to help me! Anywhere I kick is where you can feel free to break. That can mend. But, don’t hit him in the damn face! Only I can.”

Soon, it was over. Like a stampede, it lasted only seconds. Those were some of the longest seconds imaginable.

Nick’s body hung loosely from the shackles, no longer able to muster the fortitude to keep his balance up.

He managed to slip out as he hung nearly suspended from the binds, “W-what are you doing, Princess? W-what’s going on? W-what-t-t-t-t...”

Celestia had withdrawn from reprimanding her guards, neck turning to the side.

One piercing royal eye looked Nick up and down, then the rest of her body followed suit as she sauntered over to her gift.

Princess Celestia remarked as she saw him angle away from being touched by a hoof inching its way towards his bruised face, “No, no. Don’t run away.”

Celestia, growing tired of him shoving his face away from her grasp, roughly smashed her hoof into his muzzle, specifically on his cheek.

She elaborated on what would happen to him in the coming days, cryptically, “By the end of this lesson, you’ll promise me something, little pony. Whilst I promise not to fail you as I did...my previous adoptee. Forget all you’ve learned. Remember all our moments, this one included.”

She cast a spell, its casting shining so bright Nick couldn’t see.

Flash.

When he opened his eyes, everything seemed taller.

The chains that still bound him didn’t, but the world around him seemed to grow exponentially.

The guards were even more large, the walls were oppressive in their length and width, and Celestia...was Princess Celestia.

Always taller than anypony he had ever known, yet somehow bigger and now...badder than before.

She grinned at Nick, the warmth emanating from her still no longer bringing comfort. It only brought sweat to his face.

She said before leaving the room in a more normal fashion, via walking, “That should help you begin to forget some details, my child. My little one. My...son.”

As she departed the dungeon by the staircase, the looming guards loomed much more so over Nicholas.

First lesson learned: Love hurts.