Son of the Sun

Did you always want to be a princess?

Hm...no. But, then again, I was very much in my youth when every option was open to me.

I...am kinda bad at making decisions sometimes.

Nick had been in Luna's room for over an hour, playing a magic card game with her.

The blood-red colt exchanged with her as laid down a monster card, "Wou know...wou did'ot halve to kweep me in da dawk dis entiwe time."

Luna shrugged as she played a spell card, wiping out his last remaining monster...that'd just been laid down.

Then, when the field was cleared, promptly attacked his Life Points directly, sending him and his deck to the Shadow Realm...in game terms.

Funnily enough, she couldn't do such a thing in actuality. Considering that shadow-ponies didn't have a realm other than the one they all resided in.

Meh. They should be done with the blasted set-up by now.

She gets up, picks the child up without explaining to him what's happening, then departs for the party.

...

Nick was taken outside.

To his surprise, he saw a cake, tons of ponies with birthday hats on, and even presents.

He was brought over to a chair, placed gently in it, and had his head pat by a smiling Luna before she took her own seat on the adjacent side.

Celestia was sitting on a more modest chair, still at a higher level of decorum than every other furnishing present, but still scaled back on the royal aspect today.

The table where everything party-related occupied was a plain wooden one, styled for picnics.

The garden where they were all present in was full of pockets of sunflowers/bloodroots, neatly-trimmed hedges, and even a fountain to boot.

Sun was shining.

This is...kinda nice.

Nick thought so, at least.

Princess Celestia had a hoof keeping her head up as she slouched at the table, asking in a tone sweeter than honey, "Kindle, honey. Can you count those candles on the cake for mommy?"

Of course, I can do that.

Nick spoke aloud as he emphasized every word, every face on him as he did so, "W...wone? Twou? Tree?"

Celestia clapped modestly, eyeing everypony until they all get the message.

They began to pound the ground, drum on the table, or -- in Luna's case -- lightly chuckle.

Nick thought that didn't sound right, eyes narrowing in contemplation.

Celestia knelt down to Nick's level, whispering in his ear, "What's wrong, my little pony?"

Uncertainty in his eyes, Nick mumbled back, "No tree. Ah'm...sisth?"

Roaring back as if being tickled by an unseen force, Celestia held her sides in such a leveled amount of acting that only Luna could see through, shrieking out, "Oh! Wow! Aren't you quite the little comedian?!"

Nick was wondering what was so funny. He hadn't told a joke...had he?

I'm not three. I'm six years old. My brother is...missing. Right?

Nick declared at his own birthday party, watching for any signs of his twin, "My brudder. Where he ath?"

Celestia began to slice the cake, barely even having to pay attention as she said, "He's been very naughty. He'll be brought back when he learns to behave."

"Uh...he not see bery good, mommy. I take him cake?"

"No, no, Kindle. It's not his time for cake. Now, you have two choices: either enjoy this cake and the presents I have out for you, or be sent to time-out. With your brother."

Luna raised an eyebrow at what she perceived as a very ponysal threat towards the birthday boy.

Nick asked as the plated cake with a fork shoved in it dangled above him now, tempting him until he drooled out, "Okay. I be good."

Celestia smiled sincerely, wondering if he ever got the key words of her threat, but decided to let him enjoy himself instead of prodding the small child for an answer.

Nick ate his cake first, eating it with barely any semblance of manners.

Celestia just giggled at his childish mind, then passed out the cake to everypony else present.

...

After licking the plate clean, Nick's attention was drawn to the presents all colored red, which he assumed were designated to him.

Nick blinked, noting not a single one was blue.

Guess my brother doesn't get his presents yet? ...Maybe because he's not of time-out yet? Yeah. No way he'd be left out of getting gifts!

Nick then tugged on Celestia's hoof, which had been busy putting the fork down off her supposedly final slice of pastry.

She glanced at him, smirking as she locked onto where his eyes were headed.

Nodding to herself, she took a present from the top of the stack of ten in her magic grasp, whisking it over to replace the used plate.

Before she told Nick he could open it, Celestia addressed the arrangement of butlers, chefs, guards, and maids accompanying as civilian-clothed guests on this sunny day, "Now, as you all know, I've been told by another -- perhaps at this very table -- that somepony has been stealing from the royal kitchen. As an attempt to get some small semblance of vengeance upon me for...dealing with a warrior who had done me a disservice on a previous day."

Looks around the table were tense, but Nick had almost no idea what was happening. He wanted her to finish her speech quickly, so he might rip open his present quicker.

She continued, petting her 'son' on his head as she narrowed her eyes, "But, don't worry. I just wanted to see all you sweat it out. Think of it as...hazing? Yes, hazing. Nopony will be dealt with today by Luna or myself..."

A collective sigh of relief was delivered by everypony who had the misfortune to be stuck here on their day off.

Celestia cruelly glowed with pure amusement at her next lines of dialogue, "Oh, what's with the sighing? I'm not finished speaking just yet."

As audible as the previous relieved breathes had been, the gasps were even more evident.

Celestia pushed the present to Nick, motioning him to untie it with her hooves, bringing them together before inching the two limbs apart slowly.

Nick was overjoyed as he tore through the present, wrapping paper being strewn every which way until only the bare box remained.

With an enthusiastic slapping of the lid open, he saw his shiny, new...blade.

Tilting his head, he innocently inspected his gift, bringing it out to lay almost flat in his hooves.

Celestia rubbed the poor tiny pony's back as she stated firmly, "Slip Rift and...Sing Along! Come on down! Earn the prize of a lifetime!"

Sing immediately exclaimed, knowing where this was headed, "You royal bitch! I thought we had a deal!"

Teleporting the short mare over to her side, Celestia slung a hoof the over now-upset mare's shoulder, adding in, "You and I would have had a deal. But, you lied to me."

Slip Rift dropped a hoof onto the flimsy picnic table, breaking off a piece off the end as he shouted, "If she lied, then why am I in trouble?!"

"Why? Little Miss Along here might've planted the idea in my head that somepony'd been stealing food out of retribution for a fallen comrade", she said with a wink towards her sister for a moment, "yet, you've been getting on my nerves as of late."

Slip didn't even have words. His shoulders slumped, his chest lost all ability to puff out, and he only dragged his hooves back into his seat because the only thing he could hope for now was a quick death.

Celestia'd been struggling with the thief in her hooves...if she weren't an Alicorn. One hoof was plenty to grip the mare's windpipe, staying any resistance from the mare.

Having her hooves a little bloodied for the moment, Celestia shoved Sing into the ground. She was easily thrown to the dirt, about to get up until magic literally did the exact same task Celestia's hooves had been at a moment ago.

Now though, with added effects.

Such as lifting the girl right over to Nick, strung up with her belly right at his head level.

Nick, unsure of what to do, said afraid, "W-wha I doz?!"

Celestia ordered him without any form of kindness in her voice, only irritation, "A knife does what? It c-u-t-s! Think, my child! Think!"

Nick's response? To toss the knife out onto the table, shaking head head in objection at hurting somepony.

No!

Celestia growled, forcing the rest of the onlooking staff to get up on the table and begin stomping the presents with a quick suggestive warning.

Nick's eyes watered at his party being ruined for a reason he had a hard time understanding now.

"Now, everypony! Unless you like being as baked as that cake is, I suggest jumping off the table very soon!", Celestia broadcast her aims as she then focused a shot of magic at the stamped-out presents.

Within moments, the coal present in every last one of the gifts ignited, catching fire instantly as the 'guests' stood up to peer at the smoldering wreckage of what appeared to be a fine get-together.

Celestia then made it very simple for Nick, "Okay. Tell me you want her to die. Say it happily, and we will once more be laughing and having fun. Why, I'll even buy you a toy for making me so proud."

Nick curled up into a little ball, crying his eyes out at the parental decree.

Celestia huffed out, and rolled her eyes as she broke the mare's neck within her powerful levitating clutch.

It wasn't just Celestia's eyes that rolled in that moment.

Slip didn't put up a fight, only waited his turn this entire sequence of events. Not even the coals erupting did more than startle him.

Next, his view changed.

He was just lounging about in acceptance, next he was now the second pony to be in the solar ruler's pressing magic.

Didn't budge. Didn't see a point in asking for anything. Not like it'd be offered at this stage, anyways.

Celestia stated the same as before.

...

Nick kept crying. He took one last look at the pony suspended before him.

Slip did have one last thought before his throat collapsed from pressure.

Did make it quick, though.

Celestia, fuming, rose from her chair. Knocking it away, she roughly snatched the child still unable to come to grips with what just happened in her hold, then leaped onto the table.

It creaked from her weight, but didn't give way.

She sounded into the little one's ear as they both stared into the growing flame in the mass of coals, "This was to be such a wonderful day. You ruined it. Ru-ined it. I hope that cake was delighting. I hope dearly so. Because this won't be. I just want you to know a few things, Kindle. You could've gotten more cake, and eaten it all day, too. So many toys your eyes would spin...like those corpses' had. But...no. You chose wrong. Those ponies were destined to die. They wouldn't have made it out alive. Their fate was to fall by your hoof. Or, mine. Yet, you didn't have it in you. Maybe I've been too nice. Perhaps I've been letting you get away with too much, along with others. Fear not, for tomorrow's sunrise brings a better tomorrow. A better tomorrow...to those who don't push against destiny itself. For now? We correct the present."

In one quick mighty push, she shoved his front hooves into the blazing coals.

His tears had renewed. His fear had renewed.

But, his scars would stay as he screamed out unheard apologies, promises to be good, and finally just wails of agony.