The Broken One

I cringed in dread as Luna barreled toward us. She landed at the last moment and slid through the door. I backed away as quickly as I could.

“Prince Jackson, wait”, my aunt begged. “Hear our plea.”

I stopped moving and stared at my aunt for several seconds as she stood there nearly in tears but holding her head high. I nodded and approached her, slowing to a stop several feet away. With a jolt and a pop we appeared in a darkened room with luscious carpet and plush furniture.

“Where are we”, I demanded as I backed away.

“Our private chambers”, my aunt replied. “Apologies of this nature are best unobserved.”

“Aunt Luna, what’s going on”, I asked. “And stop with the ‘we’ and ‘our’ stuff.”

“Very well. I must apologize to you. No words may forgive what I insinuated, but I felt it prudent to express my regret”, she said, bowing her head as she finished.

“I know we’re not related by blood”, I hesitated, “but the fact of the matter is that we are still related.”

“That is the reason for my apology”, she muttered morosely. “I had forgotten that things have changed in the last millennium. Practices that were commonplace in my time are now taboo.”

“It’s a lot to take in”, I smiled sadly. “I should know that better than anyone. After all, I was created by Discord.”

“I had heard of your circumstances”, Aunt Luna said.

“Yeah, the whole thing of every bone being shattered sucked”, I chuckled.

“I would imagine”, she smiled. “How are you able to do magic?”

“I can do spells and true magic”, I explained, “because I’m basically a magical golem created for who knows what purpose.”

“A golem”, my aunt repeated slowly.

“Yeah”, I smiled. “These wings were some kind of accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yeah, I used to not have wings”, I sighed. “I was using a spell to give myself wings but something went wrong and I couldn’t get rid of them. They have their advantages, but also their downfalls.”

“I am quite familiar with those difficulties”, she laughed.

“Hey, what causes the wings on a Pegasus to shoot straight out”, I asked suddenly.

“There are a few reasons”, she said slowly. “The most common are surprise and anger.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me”, I said as my aunt blushed. “I want to know what.”

“Arousal”, she eventually murmured and blushed harder.

“So I turned Dash and Fluttershy on”, I shouted. “You seriously mean to tell me I gave them both wing boners?!”

“That is a rather crude explanation, but yes”, she blushed.

“I have a few apologies to issue”, I grimaced.

“Why would you apologize for being attractive”, she asked nonplussed.

“Because I’ve been teasing the hell out of them without realizing it”, I said in shame.

“How have you been teasing them”, she asked as she cocked her head to the side.

“I’ve been kissing them both at random points.”

My aunt drooped her head and rubbed her temple with a hoof. She glanced at me and rubbed her temple again. She took a deep breath and dropped her hoof to the floor.

“Jackson-“

“I know, I know”, I muttered. “Fluttershy already calls me ‘her stallion’ and last night Cindra sucked me off, so-“

“Sucked you off”, she asked and cocked her head slightly.

“She put my penis in her mouth and sucked until I ejaculated in her mouth”, I explained simply.

“What vulgarity”, she muttered before a look of concern flashed in her eyes. “Who is this Cindra pony?”

“A changeling I almost killed but Fluttershy stopped me”, I shrugged.

“CHANGELING”, she shouted in alarm and darted her eyes around the room.

“It’s okay”, I assured her. “She won’t hurt anyone.”

“Why do you say that”, she asked.

“Say what?”

“You say anyone instead of anypony and it confuses me”, she sighed.

“I don’t know”, I shrugged. “If it will help I can use Equestria terminology.”

“It is a small matter”, my aunt replied. “However, what is not a small matter would be your duties as a prince. Surely my sister has discussed this with you?”

“Nope.”

My aunt sighed and shook her head. Her horn lit up and a cozy fire burst into life in the fireplace nearby. Two chairs materialized out of thin air. The two of us sat in silence for a few minutes.

“As a Prince of Equestria there are certain duties expected of you”, my aunt smiled. “One of which is the protection of the kingdom.”

“No problem”, I laughed as I patted my sword.

“And what if your weapon fails you or is lost”, she asked calmly. “Is your magic sufficient for the task?”

“I’m pretty decent at magic”, I replied hesitantly.

“I’m sorry to say that ‘pretty decent’ is not good enough”, she said sternly.

“What do you want me to do, then”, I asked with just a hint of annoyance.

“Train your mind and body both”, she said, poking me in the stomach and giggling as I squirmed slightly. “The academy at the edge of town can help with your magic, but I would suggest training with the night guards instead of the day guards to build your strength and stamina.”

“Why the night guards”, I asked.

“The night guards have no qualms about violence”, she said with a glint in her eye.

“Neither do the day guards”, I laughed.

“My sister’s guards are foals in breastplates”, she said with contempt.

“Okay”, I replied with my hands held up in front of me. “I’ll train with the night guards.”

My aunt smiled and continued speaking. She informed me of my duties during all of the major holidays, Nightmare Night being the closest holiday after the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Speaking of the Gala”, my aunt asked, “have you decided on your appearance?”

“I haven’t thought about it”, I admitted.

“But the Gala is in two months”, my aunt shouted in worry. “There isn’t time to get a wardrobe tailored!”

“Guess I ain’t goin’ then”, I replied flippantly.

“Oh, you are going”, Luna said as her horn lit up.

I was blinded by the flash of light that burst forth and fell forward. I expected to fall to my hands and knees but something felt off. Maybe it was the Shiver that told me magic had been used on me, but I had a bad feeling. I opened my eyes to see my aunt staring at me with an odd look on her face as her nostrils flared.

“Impressive”, she muttered.

I looked down and instead of seeing hands on the floor I saw two hooves attached to pitch black legs. I jumped back but fell on my ass as my balance swirled in my head. I shakily stood up on my new legs and stared in shock at my aunt.

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME”, I shouted, wincing as my voice echoed around the small room. “Dafuq was that?!”

“That was the Canterlot Voice”, she grinned as she pranced in place.

“What did you do to me”, I asked in a normal tone.

“I used a spell that was supposed to turn you into a Pegasus”, she said as she continued grinning. “Somehow you’ve been transformed into an alicorn!”

“Do what now”, I asked in shock.

She motioned to a full size mirror and I slowly stepped in front of it. The reflection showed a massive alicorn as dark as night that I realized was me. My muscles stood out slightly as I flexed and stretched in an attempt to get used to my new body. I turned this way and that, allowing a slight touch of narcissism to creep in. At first glance I didn’t notice it, but my crimson colored Cutie Mark was just barely visible.

“Damn”, I muttered. “I look good.”

“Indeed”, my aunt replied as she came up beside me.

She eyed my reflection with desire and brushed her wing against mine. A startled whinny somehow slipped from me as I stepped away from her. She turned and began following me with a wild look in her eyes again.

“Aunt Luna, we just discussed this”, I said nervously as I continued backing up.

As I spoke she shook her head and shame replaced the burning desire that had just been in her eyes. She started to turn from me but I placed a wing against her cheek. She stopped in her tracks and turned her eyes back to me.

“Please forgive me”, she whispered. “I lost control of my thoughts momentarily.”

“It’s a small matter”, I replied and folded my wing against my torso. “How long will this spell last?”

“That particular spell will last three days”, she answered. “Unless the caster cancels the spell before then.”

“Would you cancel the spell please”, I asked.

With a nod her horn lit up again and I was blinded by another flash. When my vision cleared I found myself staring up at my aunt as the Shiver made itself known. She extended a hoof and helped me up with a small smile.

“Cool”, I smiled.

She turned her head toward the fireplace and the small fire instantly turned into an inferno. I shouted in alarm and fell backwards.

“You said the air was cool”, she said as she cocked her head. “Did you not want the room to be warmer?”

“I meant that the spell was awesome”, I laughed.

“Ah”, she replied and let the fire return to normal.

“Well”, I sighed, “I’m exhausted, so I’m going to bed.”

We said our goodnights and I left her chambers, only to find myself in a sitting room with the drapes thrown wide to the moonlight. The furniture looked well maintained aside from being faded with age. I ran my hand across the high back of a reading chair as I made my way to the door and opened it.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I instinctively ducked. I looked up as a red bolt of magic impacted the wall and scattered pieces of stone across the floor. I rolled out of the way of a spout of flames and took to the air.

“Hold your fire”, I shouted. “It’s Jackson!”

“Land and be recognized”, a female voice shouted.

I complied right away and held my hands in the air. A purple helmet smashed into my face dropping me to my knees. I felt my blood begin to leak from my nose as I reached for my face.

“State your name”, my female attacker growled.

“Jackson of Everfree”, I groaned.

“Prince Jackson of Everfree Forest”, she asked somewhat nervously.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Dammit”, she growled quietly. “Forgive me, your Highness.”

“Can I fix my shit so it’ll quit hurting”, I asked.

“Do as you please, your Highness.”

I pooled healing magic into my hands and pressed them into my face, grunting in pain before the healing began. As soon as my nose was better I pulled my hands away from my face to see what looked like a dark gray bat pony. Her ears were longer than a normal pony’s with little tufts of fur at the tip. The width and depth of her ears was also greater than normal, which made sense to me considering she was a bat pony.

Her eyes captured my attention right away. The irises were a yellow that seemed to glow faintly in the dark and the pupils were menacing slits. As she stared at me I could almost see the rapid contractions and dilations as she seemed to study me. It was as if those eyes could see right through the empty space where my soul was supposed to be.

“Your Highness?”

I blinked several times as she spoke and stared at her now closed mouth. The light glinting off of her sharp fangs sent a jolt of excitement and curiosity through me but left just the barest taste of fear in my throat.

“You have fangs”, I said dumbly.

“All us night guards look like this, your Highness”, she explained and shifted slightly under my stupefied gaze.

“You have fangs”, I repeated.

“Yes, your Highness, we discussed this”, she said as if speaking to a child- I mean foal.

“That is so awesome”, I exclaimed as I jumped to my feet and started toward her to get a closer look.

I must have moved too fast because her leathery bat like wings popped out as she spun and bucked me in the chest. I went down hard. It hurt.

“Oh my Luna”, she swore and hung her head. “I’m dead.”

I stood up as best as I could and rubbed my aching sternum. I waved off her apologies as I struggled to breathe normally. She apologized twice more before I told her if she didn’t stop then I would have her scrubbing toilets for a month.

“Your Highness, are you sure you’re alright”, she asked and eased closer with a look of concern on her face. “That was a pretty solid hit you took.”

“Yeah, it’s just a bruise”, I groaned before I turned a serious face to her. “Don’t call me ‘your Highness’ or anything like that again. Or else.”

“Yes, Prince Jackson”, she replied with a slight bow.

When she looked back up I went with my modus operandi and reached forward to grab the back of her neck. Before my hand made contact I felt my arm knocked forcefully away and a hoof slammed into my chin. I felt bone crack when it made contact and had the sudden sensation of flying backwards and up.

“Well, fuck.”