The day was over at Canterlot Castle. Twilight Sparkle; Princesses of Friendship and ruler of Equestria, had just seen here old friends, the former Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, leave to their own homes after another wonderful evening. Once every moon they all met at the castle do discuss any issues in the kingdom, reminisce about old times and just chat about things in their life. Today was very interesting in deed. Apparently, a student named Luster Dawn came to Twilight and just couldn't grasp the importance of Friendship. Luckily the Princess knew of a certain town that would be the perfect place to start. Some things just never change.
As she performed the Solaris Spell, Princess Twilight watched as the blazing golden orb set under the mountains to its secret lair at night. The evening sky was alive with purple, red and gold, like liquid fire. The alicorn remembered when she was a little, unicorn filly asking her mentor, former Princess Celestia, to sponsor an expedition for her to lead to find where the Sun and Moon went after they set. She was an unstoppable ball of questions back then.
Normally after setting the Sun, Twilight would spend a few hours reading or working in her personal study before retiring. However, it was a beautiful evening and the day's events made her a bit nostalgic.
There was no one to see her leave so unceremoniously. No one, except the night-shift patrol of guards, but if they cared how their ruler acted, it was above their pay grade. The purple alicorn leaped of the tower ledge, spreading her magnificent wings and glided down into the Canterlot Royal Gardens. Landing, she trotted down the old paths like a she was a filly again. No one was there to tell her she wasn't acting 'properly' for her rank. At heart the Princess of Friendship was nothing more than Twilight Sparkle, unicorn egghead just learning for the sake of learning and helping for the sake of helping. She remembered her visits with Celestia in the same garden some twenty or thirty years ago. She darted here and there excitingly taking in everything new and what was still the same. But her mood dampened as she came to the statue.
Still standing in Discord's old spot; by the hedge maze just next to an old, crumbling fountain that was almost forgotten was the combined force of the worse of Equestria for all to see. Lord Tirek the Lesser, never to satisfy his endless hunger for magic again, stood cowering as to not see the blow to strike him. The former Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, was there as well, angrily pouncing as if to strangle a foe with her bare hoofs that she never caught. Finally, the young evil mastermind Cozy Glow, in a state of fear and confusion on how it all happened. The three stood there in stone as a reminder to all the consequences of those who try to fight against Harmony and Friendship. There were rumors that the three could still be heard bickering on who's fault their defeat was. Twilight never personally heard anything whenever she passed by, but she did enjoy the idea of them forever annoying each other, adding to their own punishment. Still after all these years she started to feel a sense of sympathy for the three.
The Princess spent much time researching the three these many past moons. From what she could discover, (the confirmed sources were few and far between) Tirek was a prince of a strange, far-off kingdom who had a falling out with his father over use of power or something of the like. This led him to develop a deep desire to prove himself strong and to discovering a way to steal magic Twilight hoped no one would ever learn again. Taking a name from the great fiend from Historica Equus, the oldest known book on record, Tirek the Lesser set out suppress any force that came his way.What could have happened to fuel that drive?
For Queen Chrysalis there was even less. When Twilight questioned the Changeling's current ruler, King Thorax, there was no record of how she came to power or even an origin of the Changelings to begin with. They just always existed and Chrysalis was their queen. This just brought up more questions. Did they have a deeper history only forgotten, maybe destroyed? Is this because of the former queen's ego? To appear ageless and eternal? All Twilight was convinced was that Chrysalis's real enemy all along was herself, a slave to her own megalomania.
But neither of them hurt Twilight as much as Cozy Glow. What to say about her, so little and yet it told the most. She was the daughter of a turnip farmer and an assistant manager of a modest board game company living near Fillydelphia. They weren't cruel or uncaring parents; she had no trouble in her original school or anything; even had a few friends growing up there. As happy a childhood as anyone would want. And when the Princess of Friendship had to bear the bad news to them for the second time those glares could scare a windigo. Twilight had to personally order the Royal Guards not to arrest them when they threatened to hang, draw and quarter her if they ever saw her again. So, what happened to Cozy Glow? What made her such a sadistic, power hungry monster at such a young age?
Questions without answers charged threw Twilight's mind like a buffalo stampede. Cozy Glow was her student, went to the school she founded, so her responsibility. She should have been the first to notice, nip the bud before it bloomed. Yet she didn't until it was too late. In fact it was her School of Friendship that gave Cozy Glow the resources for her scheme in the first place. She could have done great things with her life but threw them all away for a failed gamble for power. Twilight Sparkle should have done more but didn't. She failed not only her pupil, but her duties as both a teacher and the Princess of Friendship as well. A failure, thats what she was. It was her fault.
All. Her. Fault.
In her heart Twilight knew this wasn't true. Heck, it was her teaching that defeated Cozy Glow the first time. But try as she might she could not shack off the guilt she felt. It pierced like a knife every time she thought of it. Maybe this is what Princess Celestia felt about Sunset Shimmer's betrayal all those years ago. Only this time there was no portal and no amends.
How could all this happen to them? Couldn't I have helped them? Can I still make them see their mistakes? If I free them, will they eventually see the Magic of Friendship? These and similar thoughts flooded threw the Princess of Friendship's head. And it was far from the first time she thought them. Then, almost like it read her mind, a familiar voice almost heartlessly stated, "Why you still pity them is beyond me."
"Prince Blueblood," Twilight Sparkle said, slowly turning to the white unicorn stallion stepping out of the labyrinth, "I haven't seen you since your...congratulations at my coronation." There was a time when Princess Celestia's nephew was one of the most popular stallions in Equestria. Handsome, clever, charming and rich; not to mention a title other could only dream of; who wouldn't? Every mare wanted to marry him and every stallion wanted to befriend or better yet, to BE him. But there was a darker side that his charm. Blueblood was also known to be rude, demanding, and insensitive. He could change from witty and likable to very bitter and even heartless with no warning. There was nopony's hooves he wouldn't step on.
It didn't help that he was very outspoken about his opinion of Princess Twilight. When she first became an alicorn, Blueblood would talk the ears of anypony who would listen on how it was a mistake. She would bring nothing but misery for Equestria, he would say. But the day she was made ruler he went two steps further. Always an active writer, Prince Blueblood published Princess of Fools: A Bitter Pill to Take, an entire book on how Equestria was doomed with Twilight Sparkle and her 'Council of Friendship' ruling. He even suggested Twilight have her wings magically removed. It was no imagination that the Princess of Friendship was not pleased to be with him, especially alone with no other witnesses where he could be as unpleasant as he wanted. But she was the Ruler of Equestria now and after his book, Blueblood had been keeping a low profile. Maybe he had cooled down over the years. The Prince calmly walked closer.
"It's been a while, Twilight," she should have taken offense that he didn't use her title, but Twilight Sparkle never personally liked all that extra formality. It always felt gaudy to her. "I see you've grown lately, and I love what's been done to your mane. Looking more like Auntie every day."
"And you look like you haven't aged at all. I know several who would love to know how you do it."
"You can say it’s an 'old family secret.' So, what brings you out to the garden this evening?"
"Oh I was just thinking a bit of my student days tonight and thought I would get some fresh air here before retiring tonight."
"Heh, what do you know, so did I. You see, tomorrow I'm going to the continent of Giraffrica for a while. I have heard that the fifteen Gazelle tribes have reunited under someone claiming to be the legendary 'Biped Emperor,' of all things. I decided to go see for myself."
"Oh that's wonderful, Blueblood," Twilight happily said. "It always great to hear of others learning the Magic of Friendship. Perhaps we could start an alliance with them in the future."
"Um, yes, well," Blueblood continued, slightly annoyed, "Before I leave Equestria I like to take a little stroll here in the evening to clear my head. I like how serene it is at this time with nopony around."
"Nocreature, Blueblood, it's now 'nocreature.'"
"Thank you for reminding me," he dryly remarked. "Anyway, this place is very special to me. When I was a colt, Auntie would take me here on the weekends when court ended early. Here there was no rules, no regulation as a young royal. I could be myself, a wide-eyed little trouble maker with daydreams of being a pirate or knight in search of adventure. You should have seen me back then, no evil doer was safe from my wrath in those days, the Hooded Avenger strikes yet again!" Blueblood rose up on his hind hooves swinging his forehoof like he was holding a sword. Twilight couldn't help but giggle.
"Sometimes we would go on picnics here as well," Blueblood continued. "And there was always some interesting street performer or vendor to spice it up a bit."
"Well part of this was an old market place once."
"Market place? Twilight, you have no idea! It was a miniature carnival here year-round. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Tumblers, medicine shows, bards, everything! Over there was the tea stand ran by an old zebra storyteller who always spoke in rhyme."
Just like Zecora Princess Twilight thought happily. "And here was the pegasus sword dancers." the Prince continued, "I was always amazed how the held those with just their hoofs. And sitting in this corner was that old basket weaver from Gallopshiels and her husband, selling those wonderful homemade candy balls. He even had this song for them. How did it go, 'Ally Bally, Ally Bally Bee...'"
Twilight smiled. Never had she seen him so genially happy. She didn't interact with the prince much but he always seems so fake or overly serious to her, like he had some deep secret that he never would let go. Now for a moment he was like a colt again. Blueblood went probably for five minutes describing the old market ground in detail. However, a thought did enter her mind; These grounds haven't been a market in centuries, how could he remember unless...
"Anyway," Blueblood said interrupting Twilight's train of thought, "the remodel of Canterlot couldn't be helped. But we still had our walks. I like to think Auntie bought this part just for me." The prince turned to the trio's statue and his mood dampened. "I still remember when she put that hideous thing in the Garden."
"You mean Discord?"
"Who else? That statue always felt so... forbearing. Like it was ridiculing everything about us. Auntie insisted that the laughter was just the wind but even then, I never believed that. I wouldn't even pass by this way without her by my side. Still, she convinced me I had nothing to fear, but now we all know better. If there was one thing Celestia was, in was convincing. I'll always give her that."
"Maybe she was just trying to protect you," Princess Twilight said, trying to be comforting.
"Come again?"
"Well, maybe if she thought if you truly knew you'd just worry," Twilight did not really know what she was talking about.
"Would you 'protect' a colt by telling him his house isn't on fire when it clearly is?" A sense of offense was in the prince's voice. It soon turned to a hint of anger. "No, you don't. You take care of the problem and remove the danger as soon as possible, no matter what! But thanks to my foolish aunt we now live in constant fear of that monstrosity, yet everypony else is to blind to see what danger is right in front of them. How am I the only one who understands?"
"Your fear is understandable, but we don't have to worry. He has discovered Friendship now and has helped save Equestria almost as much as I have."
"And how many of those times was he the cause? Celestia sent Discord to stop Tirek, he joined him at the drop of a hat. That demon only helped you when he got stabbed in the back for once. He was nowhere when the Storm King attacked and lets not forget that little 'final test' that almost took everything we know and love. You have done nothing to really punish him, just some charity service and you think everything fine again."
"He has his shown his remorse and has done much in return. I think it's obvious he is a different...well, he's not the monster he once was."
"Discord is the living avatar of chaos; eternal, uncontrollable and he knows this all too well. It’s only a matter of time before he gets bored again. When he does, we'll all suffer for it. Do you really think one timid pegasus is enough to keep a leash on him? Maybe if somepony," Blueblood flashed an angry glare at her for a moment "didn't let our only real weapons get destroyed we might stand a chance!" Blueblood famous ever-changing mood was showing.
"Don't underestimate Fluttershy's real strength. As for the Elements of Harmony, as sad as their loss was, we no longer need them. They are a part of us all now so as long as we have the Magic of Friendship, we have nothing to worry about."
"Uuugh, 'Magic of Friendship?' Is that all anypony can say now? Nothing but, 'Friendship this, friendship that. We don't need common sense anymore; friendship will easily solve everything.' I'm so sick of hearing this stupidity every day, I could almost vomit."
"Well, it’s still true. I never would have become the princess, the pony I am now without my friends. Whether you think it's cheesy or not, Friendship is Magic plain and simple and it's still protecting us now."
Blueblood just looked Twilight in the eyes and glared bitterly. "If friendship is magic, why didn't we all realize it a hundred, a thousand, two thousand years ago? Because it never was then and it isn't now. It may have its strong points but without the Elements there's nothing magic about it. It just leaves us unprepared and defenseless for whatever new dangers comes our way and it will come."
"Have you been living under a rock? What about the Legion of Doom those years ago or how many other threats stopped? That all looked like the Magic of Friendship to me."
"Or maybe, just maybe, it was all excess magic left over from the Elements to begin with. You and your friends were bound with those rocks for a pretty long time. And before you mention your so-called students, don't forget their little escapade with the Tree of Harmony. It's magic must of rubbed off on them and their emotions channel its raw power against Cozy Glow. Did you ever think of that? Obviously not, apparently. One thing is clear to me, friendship didn't make you an alicorn. Nor some made-up lost spell of your crazy childhood hero. My lazy aunt just turned you into one for being a good pawn!"
Princess Twilight was flabbergasted. "I beg your pardon, Blueblood, Starswirl confirmed the spell himself!"
"You blindly cast an unfinished spell that nopony's knows it's purpose, isn't tested or even heard of in the first place; not to mention I've yet to see it used since. Somehow this reviles your 'destiny' as yet another alicorn? A likely story!"
Blueblood looked at her mockingly. He had waited his life for this moment to say this to her face and wouldn't miss the chance regardless of consequences. "'The Princess of Friendship?' Ha! What a joke. There's no 'Kingdom of Friendship,' it's just some corny, made-up-on-the-spot title to keep a gullible, petty minion happy. You're just like that over-glorified orphan Cadence, we never asked for ether of you and don't need you as well. You're nothing but a means to an end at best, but what else would I expect form some pathetic, two-bit librarian and her merry band of ignorant yokels."
Now he stepped over line. "Equestria is the Kingdom of Friendship! I became an alicorn and a princess because I earned it. What did you do for your title, get born? My friends and I risked our flanks time and time again for everypony, everycreature who lives here. It may interest you that we didn't do it by writing insulting books or complaining like a spoiled brat. And we certainly didn't do it by using other ponies as a cake shield to get anything done," Twilight Sparkle still remembered that incident at the Grand Galloping Gala. Blueblood never apologized for how he treated her friend and fellow Element-bearer, Rarity. "You think I'm pathetic? Look in a mirror if you want pathetic!"
But the Prince was not at all fazed. "First of all, she had it coming. Do you have any idea of how many gold-diggers I have to put up with? How many greedy, ladder-climbing, little tramps or idiotic, love-sick broads blindly looking for their fairy-tale 'Prince Charming' that pester me to no end? I can't even count the how many. Rarity was no different."
"That's still no excuse to how you treated her."
"Oh, and I suppose nopony goes crazy whenever you step out for a breath of fresh air. As for what I've done, I'm actually glad you asked," Blueblood continued much calmer and with a sense of pride in his voice, "I won't deny my royal blood may have given me a boom; but unlike you, I didn't have everything spoon fed to me on a silver platter. Yes, I had the finest tutors and went to the most prestige schools money can buy. But after that I did real work, starting out small in business and bit by bit working my own way up the ladder. Not with friends but with my own skill and mind, proving my ability to lead. Would you care to hear my resume? My investments help keep the economy afloat. I keep Equestrian culture alive as a patron. Heck, I gave a small fortune to the Royal Canterlot Museum of Art just last week. I write books that sharpen the mind. I helped balance the nation's budget as the Lord Treasurer. I have been a member of the Princess's Privy Council, the Mayor of Canterlot, in the House of Lords, and head of the EEA, practically everything! I can't think of anypony else more qualified to rule Equestria."
"Good for you Blueblood. You think you would do a better job than me?"
"Looks like there's hope for you yet, that's exactly what this is all about. I have real experience, you on the other hoof, barley ran anything with more than ten ponies at a time. Just like the Royal Sisters, all you have going for you is the power over the Sun and if recent history has proven anything, even that is no longer enough to ensure safety in this land. If they planed on retiring it should have been me to take over. In fact, why should they retire at all, especially Luna. She still has centuries to make up for. But if they couldn't take it, then too bad. That's the price for being the all-powerful, immortal rulers of the greatest nation in the world. But instead, they left the asylum to the inmates just so they could go lounge around Silver Shores getting fat."
"Oh, like you would be any better? I know of your writings, Blueblood, 'End justifying the means,' 'Better to be feared then loved.' If anything, that always sounded more like King Sombra."
The Prince half smiled, "I respect King Sombra, and Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Tirek and even young Cozy Glow, all in their own way. They were all cunning, understood strength, knew what they wanted and were willing to do what was necessary to achieve their goals. All traits necessary for a capable ruler. I see none of that in you. True, they could not keep their desires under control and were all menaces that had to be removed for the greater good, and for that you and your friends do have my thanks and to a point, respect. I'll even say that maybe I was too hard on you in my last book, now that I think about it, but the point still stands. You don't have what it takes to rule Equestria."
"Not what it takes? Then enlighten me, why not?"
"Gladly my dear little librarian, you are the worst kind of idiot around, an over-educated and idealist one. You may be well read on everything but you're naive, obsess, worry over the smallest detail but barely think of the long term when it counts. Just look at them," Blueblood pointed with his hoof towards the petrified figures. "Do you really think that spell will last forever, I don't! Discord was tuned to stone by two alicorns with the Elements of Harmony. It took quite a while but he escaped. What do you plan to do if they somehow get free? If not then what if some other ancient evil or a new threat comes around someday? Maybe Tirek the Greater or the real Gorgar, what then? Do you really think your old friends will still be up to the task after all these years, if they'll still alive by then? You're the alicorn, not them. One day they'll be worm food and what good is a Princess of Friendship without friends? Maybe you're hoping that High Princess Megan will finally return or some new generation of heroes will come out of nowhere and take care of everything with love and friendship? There's no guarantee that it will work the next time around. We can't let even the slightest chance exist. But you use them as a garden party decoration instead of grinding them into sand or banish them to the Sun. Anything just destroy them before they destroy us. Heck I'll do it myself!"
Blueblood positioned himself by the old fountain and just like Applejack at a tree, bucked a loose brick out and sent it flying straight at Cozy Glow. A terrified Twilight caught the brick in her magic a mere millimeter away from striking her, putting it back on the fountain. She looked back at the Prince in shock and horror but Blueblood smile triumphantly at her. She was furious at him but was too embarrassed say anything. Blueblood was right, even with the Spirit of Chaos's power as well there was no true guarantee that they might be freed somehow. She of all creatures should know by now to expect anything and as princess she should be prepared for whatever danger might come. But is has been a long time since there was any major threat to her kingdom and in that peace maybe they were getting soft. At worst, Princess Twilight assumed the Tree of Harmony would choose new bearers if necessary. While her old students were still active, they could only do so much. Also most of the old Pillars were dead and her friends were getting up there in age, unlike her.
"See? You talk of a utopia but don't have the stomach to do what’s necessary for it, whatever the cost. I'm not going to Giraffrica for fruity drinks and friends, but as a spy. If the Gazelle tribes united into one empire, they will be on a path to rival us on more even grounds someday. I'm going to see if so and how we can keep them from getting too powerful. Are you willing to risk the security that our status provides because you want more friends? You can't rule Equestria. All you ever ran was a local library and an over grown kindergarten; one that among other things, failed all EEA standards. Call then cruel but those exist for a reason-"
"Yes, and those 'standards' kept my students from properly learning their lessons, lessons that saved us all twice at least, including you. Unless you still thing that power was just dumb luck on their part."
"Why not? The way I see it you became Celestia's personal student through 'dumb luck.' She was passing by saw what raw power you had and realized what a good underling you'd be properly groomed. Just another hopeful my aunt took in every generation or so to play schoolhouse with and hope they might be useful one day."
"And just what is so wrong about Princess Celestia 'playing schoolhouse?' Looks like it worked well to me," What really bothered Twilight wasn't just that Blueblood would insult her and her friends to her face, but would talk about his own aunt like that. "With the centuries she has, who could be a better teacher?"
"Nopony really, other then it's a waste of time that she could be, oh I don't know, running a kingdom. A true ruler is a slave their duty and their country. That means none of these side jobs or too many useless hobbies to waste their time and energy. They must give a thousand percent to the state. No breaks, no long vacations, no adventures with friends. Barely any friends actually. They make you predictable, venerable and open to manipulation, all things a monarch must never become. Your friends must be few and far between and they must be based not only on their loyalty, but what they will provide to the kingdom at large. In other words, the complete opposite of you."
"I would have never saved Equestria without any of them, Mister Prince. How is that for 'what they provide,' or would you rather be drained of your magic by Tirek instead?"
"No, I'd rather you and your monthly knitting club know your place as Equestria's trump cards. Saving a country is not the same as running it and from what I've seen you and your friends hardly know a thing about that. So you'd go back to your library in Hickville and leave ruling to the professionals. We'll stay here and keep the machine going because we know what we're doing and we'll call you if needed."
"Well apparently I'm doing something right," Twilight snapped back. “I’ve reigned for over twenty years with the Council of Friendship and we seem a lot better off to me."
"'A lot better?' Didn't you of all ponies bother to read my book? The Equestria I knew had order and strength, this one is just blindly naive and weak. Ponies with no qualifications are being put in high ranks just because they're someone's 'friends.' You obsess with these pointless 'Friendship Missions' that accomplish nothing useful as a whole but keep others from solving their own petty problems. You're constantly playing peace maker in conflicts that are none of our business to begin with and won't profit from, most likely they won't even last. Instead of raising a properly trained, professional army like I've been suggesting since the Changeling Invasion, you waste our budget on these ridiculous friendship festivals, all in this hopeless pipe dream to make every living creature friends. We don't need friends. We need real Harmony! Order, Competence, Identity, Pride, Obedience, Strength; that's Harmony. We need to send all these foreign creatures out of Equestria and back to their own countries and keep them there before it's too late!"
Twilight Sparkle was utterly shocked from this. "How dare you say that Blueblood. They have as much right to live here as we do!"
"They have no right at all. Equestria was made for the ponies, not them. They have their own mud-holes to fill up, why should they bother us? The Battle for Equestria is long over and we have no need for those creatures anymore. Now they just eat our food, breath our air," Blueblood bitterly spewed, this time even worse than before. "Steal our secrets and slowly corrupt our beautiful pony way of life with their disgusting, foreign ideas as they mooch off us for every little bit. All because of your stupid friendship we will be destroyed from within!"
"You, you sound just like Neighsayer," Even though the now long retired head of the Equestiran Education Association had changed his way after Cozy Glow's attack, his name had still been unfairly used for the few who criticized the new multi-cultured policy. Princess Twilight had never expected for even Blueblood to say something so hateful.
"Why not, he was my old protegee. Haven't seen him in a while, not since you brainwashed him. Neighsayer was one of my best, what a shame."
"Oh, so it's OK if you take a student but Celestia is 'wasting time instead of ruling?' What makes YOU a special case?"
"Unlike her, I do it properly, Little Miss Librarian. I teach them these simple facts that only a chosen few can capably rule and you stay with your own kind because it's the only kind you'll ever belong. Your friendship cult won't work and I don't need to explain any more to you. I have a long journey tomorrow and it’s getting late. Everything I do, I do for Equestra. Good night," and with that, he turned and walked off. But the prince was not expecting to hear what Twilight said next.
"How old are you really, Blueblood?"
"...What's it to you?"
"I'm not stupid despite what may you think, Blueblood. You describe the old market place from centuries ago like you were there, you look just as young as I remember at the Grand Galloping Gala years ago, your entire recorded family line looks just like you; believe me I checked the archives, Celestia has only one sibling and Luna's never had any children. Under all that bitterness, that dedication to duty and country that you're so proud of, I think you have a secret, one you've been hiding for a very long time. Maybe it's about time you let it out."
Blueblood stared at her, stunned, angry and lost for words, yet also wanting to finally to be free of a heavy burden. He looked over at the three petrified villains and motioned with his head to entrance of the hedge maze. He had heard that the three fiends could still hear and were aware of everything that happened around them. Blueblood would not take any chances if they escaped. He and Twilight entered the labyrinth and walked in for a while. When he was sure no one else was there he turned to her and said, "Nopony, nocreature will ever of this from you, promise? Whatever happens here, stays here."
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," childish looking or not, Blueblood knew Princess Twilight was dead serious when she made these 'Pinkie Promises.'
"If you must know I'm 937 next spring. The truth is, well, not like it matter in the long run but Celestia is, is.... she’s not really my aunt. She never was, only Luna is."
"What, do you mean she's your..."
"Yes Twilight, yes she is," sadness starting to build up in Blueblood's eyes. "About a century or so after Luna's banishment, Celesta had an affair with the captain of the Royal Guard at that time, Archduke Pure Heart, the great grandson of Princess Platinum. I assume she still hadn't gotten over the loneliness and taking a lover helped ease the pain. Children out of wedlock was very taboo back then and to have the Princess of the Sun bear one would have been unthinkable. So, they raised me as her distant 'nephew' to hide any suspicion and after all these years we just told that lie is so much we couldn't stop it. Maybe we thought her subjects would lose faith in her for lying to them all. I always knew the truth. They all think it's so great to have alicorn blood in your veins, try playing ball with colts your age one day and a decade latter they're all learning trades when you still go to bed at seven. As soon as you catch up with them, they barely remember the day before if they're still alive. And when you try to make more all they want is money, positions and a pardon from whatever happened last night. I had to learn that lesson the hard way, more than once." Blueblood sat on a stone bench to catch his breath.
"Are you also, you know, ageless?" Twilight asked both concerned and genuinely curious like any scholar.
"I... I’m really not sure. I mean besides Flurry Heart there's not really any records of an alicorn breeding. In theory I might be but it's not like there's much to work with."
"Sorry if it's personal, but do you get lonely after all this time?"
"Do I get lonely, how can I not? Celestia has the luxury of Luna being there for her, even during her banishment she never gave up hope. But me, all I have are memories of friends that are slowly getting fuzzier and fuzzier, and yes, I had friends once, believe it or not. Four Speed, Quarterback, Salty, Paradise, dozens of them. Each and every one of them gone and now forgotten by everyone but me. They keep saying that it gets better as you have them in your heart but after centuries of hearing it, it doesn't help. You just learn to live with the loneliness and keep on living. You’re in the same boat as me but at least you'll be appreciated for it. Where's my wings, my kingdom, my statues in town square? My duty is all I really have. But everyone wants a hero to lead them, not the likes of me. I'm just someone to get things done, a hoofnote at best. All because of...Oh why should you care? Your Princess Twilight Sparkle, your perfect no matter what you do. Kick babies and they'll still love you."
"I'm not perfect and you know that. I promised I will never tell any creature anything tonight and I mean it, because of what?"
"This," with that Blueblood lifted his hoof to his horn and knocked it right off. It fell from the prince's head, rolled off the stone bench and landed right by a shocked alicorn's hoofs. In its place was a small, stubby, sickly looking nob of dirty, yellowish ivory. It reminded Twilight a bit of an infected hoof. Blueblood stared at the fake horn and concentrated, gritted his teeth and sweating bullets. It was almost like he was trying to give birth. From the pitiful excuse of a horn came a faint light blue glow and after what seemed like several minutes, the fake horn moved barley half an inch. An exhausted Blueblood then stopped, panting like a dog. Twilight summoned him a cup of water that he drank greedily.
"There, that's why!" Blueblood cried once he caught his breath. "I have cornuis infirmius, a malformed horn, happy now? Me, the only Equestrian Prince of the Blood and I get a migraine if I pick up a toothpick. I've seen fouls still in diapers that can do better magic then me. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? For almost one thousand years I have to live with this, dreaming of magic like a proper unicorn but never able to do the most basic. That alone took me over a century learn, and it’s still all I can do. I practice each day and I never get any better. I am an heir who will never inherit my birthright. Why do you think Celestia was always looking for new pupils? If I had a real horn, I could have been everything you are now. But I don't and will never become an alicorn, never!" Blueblood fell into tears.
Twilight, for all the bitterness she held against Blueblood, all the anger she felt for the horrible things he called her and her friends over the years was washed away with a title wave of sympathy for the poor, angry Prince. She remembered all too well the feeling of helplessness when she had her magic drained from her or captured in the Changelings' hive. But to feel that way your whole life, denied the one special thing that made you proud of your tribe and surrounded by such powerful magic of must have been pure torture for him.
"Blueblood, I'm so sorry, I never knew. If I knew how to fix your horn I would do it right now. Look you might not be able to do magic, but you can do so much more. Your smart, capable, you can be quite a leader when you try. It's not just magic that makes you an alicorn, maybe you can still find a way."
"Oh, save your breath, Twilight, I've heard all that hundreds of times from my mother. If it never helped me before, do you think it will now? Besides how could you have known anyway? It doesn't matter anyway. I don't matter. You're the one Celestia brags about, who moves the Sun now and has friends everywhere, that's all that matters now. Nobody cares what I really think. They have what they want and it'll never be me."
Twilight knelt down to his level and put a comforting wing over him, "Blueblood, all your life you served Equestria and you should be thanked for it. I'll even consider some of the things you said, especially when I look for a successor. But while you may know politics, I know Harmony. Maybe that's what Celestia saw in me. It's more than following orders like a machine. Yes, there working together for a greater future but it's also understanding each other as more then statistics on a graph or a means to an end. Friendship, no matter how much you’re tired of hearing it, does that better than anything I can think of. That's my experience Blueblood, that's what I bring to the table. Equestria now prospers and is at peace, at least for now. If any danger threatens this I, my friends and every creature will do our best to stop it. Ponies are now friendlier and are learning much from non-ponies, like it or not, and they from us as well. It's hard I know, but things change even if it's not always what we want. Hay, I never wanted to be a princess in the first place. The most I was hoping for was to be the headmaster of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns or the next Starswirl, but this is what life gave me. It's not always fair but the most we can do is get up and either find another way or go with it. And I am quite aware of the possibility of losing my friends. They might live longer or even be immortal as well because of the Elements but we don't know for sure. I may not be in the same spot as you are now but I've decided I won't let that stop me from making more, what is a Princess of Friendship without friends anyway," she gave a small laugh here as Blueblood dried his eyes and reattached his fake horn. "Come, let’s get some hot cider. I have a proposition for you..."
...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ......
"What, this has to be a joke, Twilight," a shocked Blueblood said with his mouth full of his third plain doughnut. "After everything I said about you in the past, you suggest this? We'll both be the laughingstock of Canterlot. The tabloids have enough with the Heliocentrist and the Nightmare Moon Truth movement."
"I'm aware of that Blueblood, I'm not saying you have to decide now. I'm just saying think about it. You say everything you do is for Equestria, think of what you can do for her with this. The offer is on the table and it's not leaving. You can come in any time you want and leave whenever you want as well. However, if you do there is a few small...requirements you'll have to do first," Twilight broke her apple fritter in half and dunked it in her cider.
"Let me guess, you want me to take a course in your 'School of Friendship' first? Really hitting below the belt there."
"No, I don't think that's what you need unless you really want to. You just have to say a certain something to a certain unicorn about a certain night some years ago," she smiled cheekily saying that.
"You just won't let that go will you. All right I'll think about, you make a good point anyway. You'll hear of my report in a few months, I'll try to say some things positive about the New Gazalian Empire, but don't hold your breath."
"That’s all I ask for, hope you have a good trip Blueblood."
"Thanks, good night Princess Twilight."
She almost choked when Blueblood said that. Blueblood left a few bits on the cafe table and silently walked out the door. Both he and Twilight Sparkle left for home that night with many things on their minds.
Author's Note
This is it, the first of two stories of my MLP fan fic I've been working on. The 'Biped Emperor' and 'the New Gazalian Empire,' are a nod to unfinished 'A Zebrica for a Human' fan fiction by
It is one of the more original ideas for a 'HIE' story that I've seen. I must warn ahead that it has an M rating and for good reason. I am working on the second part hopefully before G5 makes it to Netflix. My creative flow is a bit slow at times.
NEW UPDATE: I'm giving you all a boom. The deal Twilight is making with Blueblood is she is inviting him to her 'Counsel of Friendship.' Yep she's going to try to make friends with Prince Blueblood. She hopes that this way she can help sear him to be the pony, and who knows maybe even alicorn, he really wants to be and at the same time do what he does best. He will have to make amends with the rest of the Mane Six especially Rarity but the first step is always the hardiest. I'm telling you all this because I'm working on the sequel but I'm not sure if it will be done. I've written about half of it by now but I can't quite get it all together yet. I can't promise it ever done except that I will try to complete it.
