The Broken One

After lunch we hurried to the palace. We speculated about why I was needed in the throne room but I honestly didn’t care. I just wanted to get everything from the palace and get it moved to our new home. As we walked up the steps to the palace we were flanked by two guards on each side which made me nervous.

“What’s up guys”, I asked but got no response.

The guards silently led us to the throne room and stayed outside the door. We walked up the carpet in the middle of the oddly empty throne room and stopped in front of the dais. My mother glanced around with wild eyes before her magic closed all of the doors to the throne room.

“Who are you”, she hissed as she advanced on Cindra.

“C-cindra”, the changeling stammered as she hunched down in fright.

“WHO ARE YOU”, my mother bellowed.

“Mom, what the hell is going on”, I shouted.

“She is not who she says she is”, my mother snarled and pointed at my assistant.

“What are you talking about”, I asked incredulously. “This is the same changeling that’s been around since I was staying with Fluttershy!”

“Yes, but there’s something she hasn’t told you”, she spat as she stared at the changeling. “Isn’t that right Cindra? Or should I say Princess Cindra?”

“Princess”, Shadow and I shouted in shock.

“It’s true”, she whispered. “I am the princess of the changelings.”

Isn’t this a twist, Discord chuckled in the back of my mind.

“Not now”, I whispered.

“What was that”, mom asked.

“Nothing”, I said as I shook my head before turning to Cindra. “Princess, huh?”

“Yes”, she replied as her ears drooped.

“Cool”, I said as I started to walk toward the doorway. “Let’s get our shit packed as soon as possible.”

The two mares followed me out the door but almost ran into me as I stopped in the hallway. I poked my head back in the door, told mom I loved her and pulled my head back out the door.

“Oh, what’s going to happen to him now”, I heard her sigh.

I snickered as we resumed our trek to my former chambers and the two mares fell into step beside me. We quickly made it to the room and within fifteen minutes everything was packed up just waiting to go.

“How are we gonna carry all of this”, Cindra asked with wide eyes.

I simply smiled, focused on the foyer of Castle Everfree and sent the bags on their way. My quick thinking was rewarded with a hug from Cindra and a kiss from Shadow as we turned to the open door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw my mother standing in the doorway.

“Son, what are you doing”, she asked. “Keeping Cindra around is just inviting war with the changeling nation.”

“I stay of my own free will”, Cindra replied.

“That doesn’t matter”, mom said in a near shout. “You are a princess of another nation! You must return to your kind!”

“Her kind”, I asked pointedly. “She is an adult that can make her own decisions. Besides, what army can stand up to the Lord of the Dead?”

“Have you learned to use the Reaper’s Touch”, she hissed.

“No.”

“Have you summoned the Deathscythe?”

“No.”

“Have you phase walked yet?”

“No.”

“Then what good will it do to be the Lord of the Dead with none of the abilities?!”

“Mom, I got this”, I shouted. “I may not have Death powers but I am the Prince of Chaos! I can do whatever I imagine!”

She groaned loudly, rolled her eyes and stormed from the room. I shrugged at the two girls and we headed for the door. A silver glint under the dresser caught my attention so I went to the dresser and got on my hands and knees to reach underneath. My fingers touched metal and I pulled my hand back.

“I never noticed it but you’re right”, Shadow whispered to Cindra. “He really does have some amazing flanks.”

“Stop staring at my ass”, I laughed as I eyed the triangular pendant.

I stuffed it into a pocket and the three of us stepped out into the hallway. I noticed a group of fancy looking ponies making their way toward us and I whispered for the two mares to follow my lead. We continued walking toward the ponies until we reached an open window.

“Now”, I shouted and leapt out the window.

The two mares followed me out into the sky as the ponies rushed to the window looking down. I laughed hard at the looks on their faces and waved before we headed for our new home. The flight was wonderful and it made my heart soar to hear all three of our wings beating the air as we flew. Just before nightfall we reached the castle and had to dodge bolts of magic on the way down.

“Silver Lance”, I shouted as I hit the ground and rolled.

“Yes your Highness”, he called as he galloped from the other side of the courtyard.

“Didn’t I tell you we were returning?!”

“In two days, your Highness”, he nervously replied.

“Oh. Well, carry on”, I said awkwardly.

He bowed his head and went about his business. I motioned for the mares to follow me inside and they complied. We went inside and I led the way to the royal bedchambers ignoring the architecture and decorations as we passed them. At long last I shoved the doors to our private chambers open and strolled right in.

The antechamber was adorned with plush couches and cushioned chairs. In the corner was a door that led to a handmaiden’s quarters. In the center of the floor a polished oak coffee table was situated between the sitting furniture perfectly spaced. A pull rope of some sort hung beside the other doorway that led to the actual bedchamber.

“Do I have to sleep in there”, Cindra moaned as she stared at the small door.

“No”, I replied with a shrug. “I mean, if you want to miss out on mind numbingly good sex then be my guest.”

“I prefer our current arrangement”, Cindra grinned. “It’s so much warmer!”

I laughed and led the way into the bedchamber. Impressed gasps slipped from the two females. On a raised platform in the middle of the room was a massive canopy bed with black and gold velvet bedclothes that looked like they cost a fortune. On the left wall was a door that led to a bathroom and there were two doors on the right wall. I inspected the doors and found they hid two huge closets.

“Hey, what does this do”, Cindra’s voice floated from the bathroom.

Seconds later we heard the sounds of running water mixed with sputters and shrieks. We turned our attention to the bathroom door and saw Cindra emerge, her mane plastered to the back of her neck.

“Don’t pull the middle chain”, she coughed.

I burst into laughter and made my way into the bathroom. I noticed water all over the floor and stepped up to the toilet. I stood to the side and pulled the middle chain hanging from a tank on the wall. A stream of water rushed from the toilet and landed a few feet away on the floor.

“It’s a butt washer”, I laughed.

“Lovely”, Cindra remarked dryly.

“Hey Cindra, do you feel like showing me where the foalflower is at”, I asked.

“I’ll get it, master”, she smiled. “You two take a nice hot bath and I’ll join you when I get back.”

“If you’re not back in an hour I’m coming after you”, I warned. “Seriously, I don’t want you getting lost or hurt.”

She assured me that she would be fine and buzzed out through an open window. Shouts and magical explosions reached my ears but Cindra zipped back in the window before I could make it to the window.

“Maybe I better walk”, she chuckled nervously.

“Perhaps that would be best”, I remarked with a cocked eyebrow.

She trotted out the door swishing her tail to give a good parting view. I turned around and realized that Shadow had been watching her leave too. We went back into the bathroom and Shadow helped me strip my smoky dirty clothes off before running a nice hot bath.

“I gotta say she does have nice haunches”, Shadow smiled.

“Eeyup”, I agreed.

“Which one of us has the better plot”, she suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

“Whose ass looks better”, she reiterated.

“Oh”, I mumbled and cleared my throat. “Cindra’s hips are narrower than yours, but yours is more comfy to snuggle against. Honestly, I can’t decide who has the better ass.”

“So Cindra’s looks better”, she asked with an unreadable expression.

“I didn’t say that”, I replied cautiously. “Which one looks better really depends on the beholder.”

“So you like both the same.”

“No”, I replied. “I like your ass better because of how soft yet firm it is. Also because you’re Mein Liebsche.”

“I love you”, she sighed quietly as she hugged me.

“I love you too”, I replied as I turned her head up and kissed her.

“I have a feeling Cindra is going to want to break in the bed tonight”, Shadow smiled.

“Yeah, Dash wanted to break it in today”, I laughed.

“Is that so”, she asked evenly.

“Yeah, but I told her no”, I answered. “I’m not going there without you.”

“That means a lot to me, Jackson”, she smiled.

We shared a tender little kiss before we climbed into the massive tub sunk into the floor. I was kind of worried it would be too deep since the water was up to my collar bones when sitting flat on the bottom, but my fears were abated when I noticed Shadow floating just beneath the surface of the water. I smiled and flicked water at her only to find soft lips pressed to mine lovingly.

“Finally we can be ourselves”, she whispered as she laid her head on my chest.

We soaked in the steaming water for a long time just letting the heat work into muscles I didn’t even know were sore. The sound of knocking on the door drew my attention and I called for the pony to come in. I waved to Silver Lance as he trotted in with his eyes averted.

“Your Highness, you have a visitor”, he saluted.

“Who is it”, I asked as I began climbing from the tub.

“It’s a zebra”, he replied and blushed. “She said her name was Zecora and she was here to stop horrors or something like that.”

I dried off and summoned a shirt and trousers from my belongings which had already been brought up. As I pulled the clothes on I asked about Cindra.

“I haven’t seen her for almost two hours, your Highness”, he replied.

“Well, fuck.”