Chapters "Wow this is certainly a lot of letters," Said Celestia as she looked at the stack of mail she received this morning.
"Indeed, after you closed Day court yesterday ponies resorted to mailing you their concerns about the white light in the sky awhile back and the magic Spike and magic instability that followed soon after" explained Raven
Celestia furrowed her brows at that explanation. "Ok, then notify the council that we are having an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss this"
"Right away your majesty" With a bow Raven left, leaving Celestia alone with Entropy who was sleeping on her bed.
"I wonder what caused this, it ended pretty quickly when it happened. I wasn't expecting this much of a panic. I'll have to make a public announcement at some point so I can calm my ponies, not to mention telling them about you sweetie" Celestia looked over to Entropy who was peacefully sleeping.
"You're such a cutie" Celestia then proceeded to start reading the letters one by one. Even if it was a bit taxing.
"Hmm, most of these are a little repetitive" Celestia lifted letter after letter with her magic and read them quickly while still making sure not to skim anything. Entropy's sudden fussing and bad smell in the air broke her concentration.
"My goodness, somepony needs a diaper change" Celestia floated over Entropy and a diaper and quickly changed him."There we go, a clean bottom is a happy bottom" Celestia playfully nuzzled Entropy which made him giggle.
"I wonder if you can use any magic, I'll have to get you checked out at some point anyway. Look at me talking like I'm your mother" as soon as those words left Celestia's mouth, her smile faded. "But I'm not your mother, there's even a chance I might never see you again if...when your family comes for you"
Celestia sighed and looked at Entropy. "My goodness I'm already getting attached to you and you're not even my foal or even a foal at all"
When Celestia looked into Entropy's eyes she could have sworn she saw something in them, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"You truly are an odd one Entropy" Celestia returned to the letters and once again began to read them rather quickly. One letter caught her attention, however.
"Princess Celestia I feel that the magic Spike, the ball of light in the sky, and the appearance of that creature are no coincidence. For your safety, I beg of you to send that creature away."
Yours truly Shining Light
Celestia merely scowled as she crumpled up the letter and threw it away. Unfortunately, that wasn't the last letter with a similar message. It seems like quite a few nobles heard about him and we're thinking the same thing.
'Ugh, sometimes I forget how insufferable these nobles can be, Entropy is just a baby! How could he be dangerous!" Celestia picked up Entropy in her magic to probe her point.
"How could you ever hurt anything?" Celestia asked no one in particular as she moved Entropy around in the air which he seems to enjoy. "Nothing, that's what you can hurt, nothing!"
Entropy once again took on a weird pose with both arms stretched out in front of him.
'I wish you could speak so I could ask you what that means if it means anything at all that is" Inquired Celestia while gently tickling Entropy's stomach. The result was an instant giggle fit from him." I don't think I'll get over how happy and cute you are all the time"
"Now then, back to napping with you" Celestia floated him back to her bed where he began to sleep again. "Wow, knocked out already, looks like you're also a sleepy baby"
"Now then, let's see who I need to talk to. There's Shining light and Flawless white, Mr and Mrs uptight and Sky stream. Those are the nobles I'm going to talk to later, I won't stand for them blaming a baby for such a thing. " Celestia knew she might have to be a little harsh so they could listen, otherwise they might not take it seriously. Sometimes ponies need a stern talking to, especially the nobles.
Now onto more pressing matters. The magic surge that occurred is indeed a little troubling. Although it affected her less than it did most ponies, what could be the explanation for it?
"You know what? I should check on Discords Statue. Just in case, even though it's not likely he's the cause of the surge" Just before Celestia was about to Teleport she looked over at Entropy. " I should take you with me, I could use the exercise" Celestia gently floated Entropy over onto her back and began the walk to Discords statue.
"If I am correct the seal shouldn't be too weakened yet, it should be at least a decade or two before there is a danger of him being able to escape. Though it never hurts to be thorough"
Celestia then made a left and passed by a patrolling guard. After being in this castle for so long she's completely memorized the castle layout. Why she could even do this blindfolded if she tried.
"Maybe I should try that someday, it seems like it could be fun," thought Celestia as she now made a right.
"Waaaah! Waaaah!" Entropy just suddenly began crying out of nowhere even though he was asleep mere moments ago.
"Aw, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Cooed Celestia gently as she gently rocked him with her magic, but that only seemed to slightly calm him down.
"You're ok, you're ok" Celestia gently repeated while she continued walking. In time Entropy stopped fussing and was once more just a happy baby.
"All better?" Celestia leaned forward and gave him a tiny peck on his forehead before putting him on her back again.
"Here we are! Now I just continue straight, make a left, and Voila!"
In front of Celestia stood the statue of Discord. To think that he was one of the most feared creatures in the land and now he's nothing but a stone statue.
Celestia lit up her horn with magic and began to inspect the statue. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, his magic is still locked away and the seal is still intact enough for him not to escape.
"Ok do it seems like- Entropy what are you doing?" Asked Celestia as she felt Entropy try to climb up to her head. "What's wrong?"
Celestia picked him up in her magic and when he was in front of her, he tried to turn around to face Discord's statue.
"You want to see the statue?" Said Celestia as she floated him closer to the statue. Entropy reached out and grabbed Discord'ss mismatched horns and looked like he was trying to pull them off.
Celestia chuckled at the adorable display," Entropy those aren't coming off, he's a statue"
Entropy made adorable little grunting sounds as he continued despite her words.
"Right, you're still a baby." Celestia shook her head and began trying to bring Entropy back to her only for him to hold onto the horns tightly.
"Sweetie let go please" Asked Celestia as she kept trying to get him away from the statue. Once she realized he wasn't budging she had an idea and began to use her magic to tickle him. That did the trick as he was too busy laughing to hold on and she managed to get him away.
"There we go, as much fun as it would be to see you keep trying. I still have Royal duties to attend to we can play all you want once I'm done"
"So is everypony aware of what we are discussing?" Asked Celestia as she sat in a circle with the council.
"Yes we are here to discuss the magic spike and how we should address it to the public" Chimed in a random council member
"Quite right, now as we all know a while ago there was a bright light in the sky and a spike in magic"
"Not to mention the appearance of that creature on your back"
"He's just a baby, who I decided to name Entropy" Said Celestia while holding Entropy close to herself.
"Entropy?! Princess why in Equestria would you name a child that of all things?"
"I-it just came to me! Like that's the name that's just right for him and I feel like he likes that name" As if to accentuate her point Entropy hugged Celestia as best he could with his tiny arms.
"I just don't like the way he looks, with his lack of fur except on his head where his name is, strange brown skin and tiny...fingers I believe they're called"
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind Uppercrust," Said Celestia with an eye roll." now back on the topic any ideas on what I could tell the public? I could do it myself but I just feel like it's more prudent to ask for your assistance"
"Well, perhaps you could lie to them" Suggested another random council member before being silenced by a look from Celestia.
"And pray to tell, why should I lie to my subjects?" inquired Celestia and she looked over when she saw a pony raise his hoof. " Something to add InkQuill?"
"I believe that lying could help to calm down the populace"
"I refuse to lie to my little ponies, I shall tell them the truth and nothing but the truth" Stated Celestia while puffing out her chest proudly.
"Well if you absolutely must, then just do what you do best and assure them that they are fine, apologies for not being more helpful in that regard princess.
"It's alright, now then do any of you have anything regarding the strange phenomenon?"
"From what little we've gathered all remnants of it seem to have completely disappeared, no matter what type of magic is used, it doesn't seem like we can sense it anymore"
"That is peculiar, very well, just keep me informed at all times"
InkQuill raised his hoof and began to speak when he got a nod from Celestia. "Your majesty if you truly wish to care for that baby, I suggest you get a pediatrician to take a look at him"
Celestia gasped as she processed the information. "My goodness, you're right! I didn't think of that! I need to get one right away, we shall have another meeting in about two days and do what you can so the public knows that tomorrow I shall make an announcement"
"Yes, your majesty" Spoke all the council members at once.
"So is he healthy, doctor?" Asked a nervous Celestia as she was close behind the doctor.
"Well to my knowledge, yes, however, there is one fact that is concerning-" The doctor was interrupted as Celestia suddenly teleported in front of him.
"Is it fatal?!"
"Doesn't look like it, but I must say it's odd that Entropy has no magic whatsoever, I've never met any creature without at least a little bit of magic.
"Oh, that is strange"
"Indeed all creatures from Equestria have at least a tiny amount of magic in them, yet he has absolutely nothing"
Celestia sat down and raised a hoof to the bottom of her ching and began to lightly tap it. "He couldn't have...no impossible" Celestia muttered.
"Are you ok princess?" Asked the Doctor
"Yes just thinking to myself, nothing to worry about"
"Then if that's the case, I believe we're all done here, I've done the best I can under the circumstances," Said the Doctor as he was beginning to pack up.
"Alright then, thank you very much Dr. Sedative" Celestia floated over some bits over to his bag as compensation for the job.
"Anything for you, your majesty. Have a nice day" With a bow he left. Leaving Celestia to her thoughts.
"I doubt what I'm thinking is the cause, if only Starswirl were here, he'd be a huge help in figuring this out" Celestia sighed as she began to wander the castle." Alas, he disappeared a very long time ago, I wish I could have figured out what had happened to him" In her state of deep thought Celestia failed to notice Entropy tilt his head when she said star swirls name.
"The other pillars disappeared as well, I wonder what they were like and if the legends about how they were are true"
Celestia yelped as her head was suddenly pulled back as Entropy pulled on her ears." Careful their little one, no pulling on my ears" she used the same tactic as before and tickled him so he'd let go.
"So you having absolutely no magic confirms you do not come from Equestria, which means you come from outside Equestria, I can't remember the last time I left Equestria" Pondered Celestia before Shrugging and making her way to her throne where her assistant was as well.
"So how long are you planning to do night court today, if you're even doing it today," Asked Raven as she floated a pen and a clipboard in front of herself.
"I shall do it for about 4 hours and I start at eight. Until then I shall be in my bedroom for some relaxation"
"Yes your majesty"
Celestia grunted as her hair was pulled by Entropy and he seems to have a quizzical look in his eyes as he put his hands in Celestia's hair.
"Curious about my mane are you? You wouldn't be the first" Celestia grunted again before using her magic to hold him in front of her, "Please don't pull on my mane, it may look ethereal but it's still hair, got it?" Entropy's response was to merely blow a raspberry.
"You're so cute, I almost don't want to let you go" cooed Celestia as she floated him closer and lightly nuzzled him. Then she began to walk to her room, she had a feeling night court was going to be a little boring.
"And it was madness I tell you! Madness!" Shouted as town pony only to be silenced by Celestia's slightly raised hoof.
"Calm down Silver Breeze, start over and this time speak calmly"
Silver Breeze breathed deeply a few times before speaking again. "Right, forgive my outburst, as I was saying, I really could use some help rebuilding my shop after my brother accidentally destroyed it after his magic went out of control"
"And how much help are you looking for?" Celestia calmly asked.
"Not much, I'm missing about 100 bits, please Princess, I'll do anything"
"And how much would it cost to repair the entire thing?"
"A-about 700 bits, why?" He asked her a little nervously as he gulped.
"Because consider it paid for, by me. My assistant shall give you a letter with my signature on it"
His jaw dropped as he seemed to be at a loss for words. "I-i don't" tears began welling up in his eyes as he was holding back the urge to cry. Instead, he bowed to Celestia. "Your kindness knows no bounds! Thank you, your majesty!"
"No need to thank me, wait outside and my assistant shall be with you shortly and send in the next pony"
Silver Breeze nodded and walked away happily, however, the next pony wasn't so happy, they bore a scowl on their face as they walked in, though they still bowed to Celestia.
Nothing much happened the rest of the night, outside of a few requests to be lent bits and a few complaints. Though nothing to remember.
Celestia nearly groaned out loud in relief as she later on her bed. "So much work, at least it's the end of the night and I can relax"
Light pokes on the side of her face made her look to her left to see Entropy. "What is it Entropy?" She jumped a little when he suddenly hugged her face. "Well aren't you sweet"
"I think it's time for bed, don't you?" Celestia moved Entropy to her left side and wrapped her wing around him. He snuggled into her and pretty soon began to fall asleep.
"Goodnight Entropy, sleep tight"
"Peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo!"
Entropy just stared at her as she kept hiding behind her hooves to play. Celestia pouted when she noticed he wasn't laughing.
"What's the matter? You don't like playing Peek-a-boo?" Asked Celestia as she gently rubbed the top of Entropy's head with her right hoof.
A few knocks on the door made Celestia quietly groan as she had to get up and open the door.
"Yes? Who is it?"
"It's me, my princess"
"Oh! Come right in Raven, what news do you have for me?"
"Well your schedule is a little more open than usual, but you're still going to be pretty busy, and don't forget that later today you're going to make an announcement"
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, I do hope my ponies take it well, panic leads to injury after all"
"Very true, however. There is another thing?"
Celestia gave her assistant a weird look before asking. "What other thing? Did something happen while I wasn't looking?"
"No, nothing like that, but how are you going to explain Entropy?"
Celestia looked behind her and saw Entropy who was on his back making typical kid noises.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, ponies are going to want to know what he is and what you plan on doing with him"
"Well right now I am just making sure he has a roof over his head and food to eat"
"Your majesty, are you sure you're not getting too attached to Entropy?"
Celestia blinked several times before nervously looking away." W-W-What makes you say that?"
"You're constantly doting on him for one" Said Raven pretty bluntly.
"He needs attention, I am merely giving him that attention, nothing more"
Raven sighed before getting a little closer to Celestia. "Your majesty, what would you do if his family ever showed up"
"I-I-I-"
"Exactly, there's nothing wrong with you loving him, just don't get too attached to him is all I'm saying. You'll save yourself some heartbreak if his family ever shows up for him"
Celestia nodded reluctantly as she knew her assistant was right. "I know you're right, but I just can't help it"
"Very well, it's your call. I just didn't think it would be right if I didn't give my two cents in"
"And your concern is very much appreciated, now then, what's first on the schedule?"
Raven levitated her checklist close to herself and began to flip pages. "It seems like in about an hour you're going to need to check on the soldiers and a visit from you always boosts morale amongst them"
"True, sometimes I feel like my little ponies love me a little too much" Joked Celestia with a chuckle
"Well you do receive quite a few marriage proposals now and then"
"Yes I do indeed, though it's quite easy to tell most of them just want to either brag about me or use me and the few that don't haven't seen the real me or gotten to know me"
"Remember that time a stallion burst through the doors of the throne room and demanded you marry him?" Said Raven with a very amused tone as she remembered that day.
Celestia laughed lightly as she began to remember as well. "Of course! The faces of all the other nobles and ponies were priceless! I had to, unfortunately, break his heart by asking him to leave and eventually have the guards escort him out when he wasn't leaving"
"Don't forget he was also crying, I swear, some ponies feel too entitled to things"
"Quite true, even if one of those things is me"
"Did you just objectify yourself?"
"Not intentionally" Laughed Celestia as she realized what she said.
"Look, alive soldiers! The princess is here!" Shouted the captain as all of the soldiers lined up in an orderly fashion and saluted.
"No need to make a fuss over me, I'm just here to check up on things" Celestia slowly walked as she looked at every one of the soldiers, quite a promising bunch indeed. "We have some fine Soldiers here, may I see a demonstration of their abilities?"
"Anything for you, your majesty" Captain Spearhead turned to the soldiers and shouted. "To the training yard! Stat!"
"Sir yes Sir!" All of them immediately started marching to their destination and once they were there they began to commence their drills with Celestia patiently watching and observing. She could see that some of them would still need plenty of practice. Thankfully they're in a time of peace, as they have been for centuries.
"If only I could have shared it with you sister," thought Celestia before she was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the captain say something.
"Forgive me Spearhead, what did you say?"
"I said I can see the green from over here, I know they haven't been soldiers long, but some of them just don't seem to give it a complete one hundred percent"
"Would you like me to talk to them?"
"if it's not too much trouble"
Celestia shook her head. "Not at all, it would be my pleasure"
Celestia cleared her throat before calling the soldiers back, to which they quickly display.
"Ok, that wasn't a bad display, but I'm going to make a few suggestions" Celestia pointed to a random Stallion and began her observation. "Your stance should be firmer and stronger, otherwise an opponent could easily make you lose your balance, your spear should also be held less loosely"
"Yes, princess!"
Celestia turned and pointed to another stallion. "Your focus isn't good enough, work on it, otherwise an opponent could easily get the drop on you."
And so the pattern continued, with Celestia giving advice here and there for her soldiers as they all listened closely, Celestia also made sure to get the attention of those who just seemed to be ogling her before.
"Now is that understood or do you need me to repeat?"
A mare guard nervously raised her hoof which caught Celestia's attention."Anything I need to explain again?.
"Um, how do you know so much on how to fight?"
"Well I was a fighter in the past, but that's what it is, the past, though I'd be willing to spar with you if you wish" Celestia gave a teasing smile to which the mare nervously shook her head to show she didn't like that idea.
"Then perhaps a demonstration is in order?" Asked Celestia as she already floated a spear to herself, however before she began she gave Entropy over to Raven. Once he was away she began with her demonstration. "See how I hold it? See my stance?" Celestia took a firm stance while holding the spear in her right hoof. She gave it a few jabs here and there to prove her point. "See how my attacks come out? They must be precise, they must be quick, with a spear you space your opponent and prevent them from coming too close"
All the soldiers were surprised at how expertly and gracefully Celestia was doing this, while it's true Celestia was once said to have been active in the past, it seems she hasn't lost her edge too badly.
"Now then, after this, I will bring in some of the veteran soldiers so that they can practice with you, I'll tell them not to be too hard on you, I expect good results!"
All the soldiers saluted before shouting. "Yes, your Majesty!"
"And with that, I take my leave" Celestia then proceeded to leave the courtyard with Raven following close behind.
"I didn't think you were going to demonstrate" Said Raven who was honestly surprised that Celestia did that.
Celestia floated Entropy onto her back before responding with "Sometimes I need to work with the soldiers directly so they can be properly motivated, we've been at peace for so long that it's easy to get lazy, though I prefer this over being at war constantly"
"That's true, I wouldn't want to live in a war-ravaged land either, it'd be too depressing and sad"
"It is, I've seen war and it is not a happy thing at all"
"You have been alive for quite a long time"
Celestia feigned being offended when she heard that. "Are you calling me old ?"
"No not at all, more like experienced"
They walked for a while chatting on the way till they finally reached their destination
"Are you ready?" Asked Raven as she looked at the door leading to the balcony.
"Yes, I am," Responded Celestia as she stepped forward.
"Now presenting the ruler of night and day, Princess Celestia!" The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as they gazed upon their beautiful and benevolent ruler.
Celestia raised her hoof and the crowd quickly became silent. "My ponies, as I'm sure you're aware, a strange event occurred a while ago and I'm here to inform you that we are investigating the cause of it and you shall be notified immediately once we have an answer, any questions?"
"Princess if I may, how soon do you think you'll have an answer?" Asked a news reporter unicorn.
"I'm afraid I do not know, but I guarantee you, we are working hard to find the cause" out of the corner of her eye Celestia saw another pony who wanted to ask a question and turned to face him.
"And what about that strange creature that is supposedly living in the castle now?"
"Ah, you mean Entropy, yes it is true I am taking care of him for the time being, I am currently trying to find his family"
"How did he come to be with you?"
"While I was out in the garden I heard a child crying and he was there, I don't know how he got there, I think it may be a magical mishap"
"Is that wise your Majesty? He could be very dangerous"
Celestia had to hold back an eye roll when she heard that. "I can assure you he is no danger whatsoever, in fact, he does not even possess any magic"
The crowd of ponies began to murmur amongst themselves in astonishment at the news, a creature in Equestria with no magic was unheard of. Could he have come from beyond the Equestrian border?
"So you're saying he's from outside Equestria?"
Celestia nodded before retorting. "While it does seem like he is from beyond our borders, that does not mean he should be treated any differently. He is a living, breathing creature like us and he should be given the same respect we give to each other, for now, I am making sure he has the means to survive"
The ponies seemed to be unsure of that, something which Celestia quickly noticed.
"My ponies, I am asking you to trust me, have I ever led you astray? I swear on my crown, no harm shall befall you! Not while I'm here!"
The crowd cheered for Celestia once she finished that statement, most of the ponies in the crowd were beginning to feel bad for ever doubting their great and powerful ruler.
"And with that, I bid you all, adieu" Celestia turned around and met up with Raven.
"Well that went well," said Raven who had Entropy"
"Why yes it did, I've done this for long enough to know what to say, it'd be pretty silly if I didn't," said Celestia with a light chuckle as she and Raven began to walk.
"So what are you ultimately going to do about Entropy?"
Celestia sighed deeply as she looked sadly at Entropy. "I'll wait for a while, a month at best, then we'll see what happens"
"Will you be ready by then?" Asked a concerned Raven, she normally doesn't see Princess Celestia this sad, normally she is all smiles and sunshine.
"I'm a grown mare, I can handle it"
"So how long has it been now?"
" A month, his family still isn't here"
"Then you remember what you said right?"
Celestia nodded solemnly as she looked at Entropy. "I'll give him to an orphanage here in Canterlot, so at the very least he can be close by"
"At the very least you can visit him"
"That wouldn't be very prudent, it would look kind of bad if I kept visiting for only one child"
Raven raised her hoof to try to object, but then lowered it when she realized the princess was right.
"So when is the caretaker coming?"
"Later tonight"
Raven raised her right eyebrow as she walked closer to Celestia. "Are you going to be ok, your majesty?"
Celestia turned towards her assistant and gave her the best smile she could muster. "I'll be fine, either way, it needs to be done. It's what's best for him"
"If you say so"
"I know so"
They heard hoof steps to their left and looked to see a pony coming in.
"So you're the caretaker I presume?" Asked Celestia hesitantly as she knew what was about to happen
"Yes, I am Lullaby, it is an honor to be in your presence, your majesty, now where is the child?"
Celestia gulped as she floated Entropy over.
"My goodness! He's cute in an exotic sort of way! I'd be happy to take him, does he have the same basic needs as a pony?"
"Yes, yes he does, please take good care of him" and with that, Celestia gave Entropy over to Lullaby. Celestia sniffled as she saw Entropy be taken away. She knew she'd miss him, but this was the right thing to do.
"Mama!"
Celestia gasped as she heard that. "W-W-What did you say?"
"Mama!Mama!Mama!" Yelled Entropy as he reached out to Celestia from within Lullabys magic grip. Said pony was now standing still as she saw Entropy trying to go to Princess Celestia.
Lullaby smiled and sent Entropy back to Celestia, once he was within reach Celestia grabbed him and began to lightly sob.
"I'm your mama, I'll take care of you. If your original family wants you they'll have to fight me for you!"
"My goodness your majesty, I can tell you two have already bonded, will you officially adopt him now?"
Celestia nodded and wiped her tears away. "Indeed I will, from this day forward, he won't just be Entropy" Celestia looked into Entropy's eyes before lightly kissing his forehead. "He shall be 'Prince' Entropy, my son"
Sunset wasn't sure where she was right now. It was Equestria, but it was just her. There weren't any animals or other ponies around at all.
"Hello? Anypony there?" Sunset's voice echoed a bit through the space, this only served to unnerve her further. She just wanted to get out of here.
Sunset began running in the direction of what she thought was Canterlot, however, it didn't seem like she was getting closer, and that frustrated her even further. She tried teleporting but found that her magic wasn't working.
"Aw c'mon!" Sunset kept trying and trying until her face began to turn red from the effort until she eventually gave up.
"Is this just my life now? Huh?" Sunset looked above her and saw a giant white mass of what she assumed was magic, before she could even start thinking about what it is or if someone made it, it exploded and woke her up.
Sunset was sweating quite a bit from the stressful dream.
"That has to be the weirdest dream I've ever had in my life ...why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" Sunset looked over to her calendar and she froze, today was the day she was going to be meeting Celestia to potentially be her student!
"I need to get ready!"
"Just breathe, just breathe, it'll be fine. You're just meeting the ruler of the entire country and the pony who controls the sun and moon " Sunset was currently sitting in a waiting room of sorts. She was told to stay here and that the Princess would arrive shortly. She was trying her best to calm down, but she just couldn't stop overthinking the whole thing. It was a great honor just to be in Celestia's School and an even greater one to be her student.
Sunset stood up straight when she heard the door open, she gulped when she saw who came through, it was Celestia herself.
"Hello there, Sunset I believe?"
In her nervousness Sunset blurted out "Hello! Nice to Princess meet you, Celestia!"
Sunset covered her mouth while a blush was made evident on her face, she felt like just running after having something so embarrassing happen in front of the Princess.
"I-i-I'm sorry it's just-" Sunset was silent as she saw Celestia raise a hoof
"It is quite alright, I'm used to it, just relax, do you want something to drink? Juice maybe?"
"N-n-no thank you"
"Very well, now then. You're here to know if you are Qualified enough to be my student and I just wanted to say ... absolutely"
Sunset sat there frozen, not knowing how to react.
"Sunset?" Celestia waved her hoof in front of Sunset's face to get her attention and held her with her wing when she saw she almost fell over.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just felt a bit lightheaded, but did you say you'll take me as your student?"
Celestia gave her a bright smile before explaining herself." You appear to be a very bright student, so I don't see why not, though I warn you, it won't be a walk in the park"
"I'll do whatever it takes! I want to be a powerful Unicorn! One of the strongest!" Sunset once again covered her mouth when she realized her outburst."Forgive me, Princess Celestia, I just got excited"
"Well you're still young, that means you can't help it, you're full of youthful vigor"
"As you Say, Princess Celestia"
“Have you eaten yet, Sunset?” Celestia asked
“N-no your majesty, I arrived a few minutes ago.” Sunset said as her stomach chose that time to growl at the mention of eating, causing a furious blush to spread from ear to ear.
“Well that won't do, will it?” She asked-rhetorically-as she rang a bell on the wall directly behind her with her magic. Shortly after, a caterer entered through a side door to the left of her, a notepad held within his arctic-blue aura. “Two plates of pancakes please, and two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice....actually make that three of each” The caterer bowed, writing her order with a quill before leaving back through the same side door.
"Hey, Mom you done yet?" Shouted a new voice from down the hall
"Just about done sweetie"
Sunset tilted her head to the side in confusion until she realized who that might be. "Was that prince Entropy?"
"Yes, that was my son, still attached to his mother" Celestia turned her head towards the door just as Entropy walked in which made Sunset even more nervous as she was now in the same room as two members of the royal family.
"Hello Entropy prince, today you are how?" Sunset couldn't believe she had messed up her first sentence with a royal...twice!
"Heh, you're funny and your hair is kind of like bacon, don't worry about the prince thing"
"Ooook? What's bacon?"
Celestia cleared her throat before interrupting them." Don't worry about that, so Sunset do you have any other plans for today?"
Sunset tapped her chin with her hoof and shook her head to say no.
"Well how about hanging out with Entropy?" Celestia moved closer and whispered into Sunset's ear. "I think it's time he made a friend"
"What are you guys talking about?" Asked Entropy as he got closer.
"Nothing to worry about sweetie, now would you like to spend some time with Sunset?" Asked Celestia hoping that he would not decline.
"Hmmmmm" Entropy looked at the nervous Sunset shimmer for a bit before shrugging. "Sure, why not"
"Well then let's all go to the dining room and eat shall we?"
The air was pretty tense, for one of them at least. Sunset was the only one who was nervous. Entropy seemed to be just fine. He was even whistling nonchalantly. Celestia was also pretty calm but then again nopony has ever really seen her actually lose her cool before.
"Why are you so tense?"
"Because I'm in the presence of royalty! This is such an honor!"
"Yeah everyone seems to think so, but I don't get it"
"Why?"
"Because it's not like I'm that different from you guys, outside of appearances"
"You know it is quite odd that you're the only one of your kind here," Said Celestia to her son.
The doors opened, with a white pegasus, his cutie mark hidden by his uniform, lifting three plates of stacked pancakes with his magic. Hot steam leaked out of the air pockets within the doey pancakes. The whipped cream and various berries scattered throughout the dish created an alluring scent. As if practiced, the pegasus placed the dishes gently in front of the three, along with the glasses of juice without any spillage.
Bowing, the pegasus left the room, shutting the door. There was a short pause in the room before Celestia began to eat, followed shortly by Sunset and then Entropy. Sunset was rapidly growing more and more nervous as she thought about Celestia's offer.
'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would be a fool not to do my best.’ She thought, as she forked another mouthful. Her thoughts were turned momentarily to Entropy, who seemed to have no tables manners at all and was even making a small mess while eating. Sunset giggled, her small hoof covering her mouth.
"Entropy how many times have I told you to mind your table manners" Said Celestia before floating some napkins over and cleaning his face.
The rest of breakfast time went without a hitch, Sunset and Entropy even started conversing happily, Celestia watches both of them with a big smile.
"So it seems to me you're getting along quite well with Sunset"
Entropy looked at his mother weirdly. "Yeah, so what?"
"I'm just saying, it's good that you have a friend, you never really seemed that open to making friends"
"Yeah well, she seemed kind of cool, so I figured I'd give her a chance".
"That is very nice of you sweetie, I hope you two become the best of friends"
Sunset layed in her bed late that night, sleep eluding her as if she were a disease. She tossed and turned for hours, her mind plagued by thoughts that should not have befallen her. She sighed, focusing on the clear, star-riddled night sky; Her view only slightly obscured by the frost growing on the window, closing in from the edges. Three days and nights she had been like this, thinking on how she had been accepted as Celestias student. She groaned, grinding her head into the pillow in an attempt to get comfortable before flipping the pillow and doing the same to the cooler side.
“Gah, ponyfeathers.” She cursed, laying a leg over her eyes to block what little light there was. “Normal fillies don't have to worry about this stuff.” Then again, she isn't a normal filly. At least by societal norms she wasn't. Normal fillies would be having fun with other foals, laughing and prancing around and hating the very thought of school or learning. Not her though. She loved to study and learn, her books within her bookcase well beyond worn and used from repeated reading and re-reading. Sunset, for her age, was more mature than any other foal she met, even rivaling most adult ponies, and was even teased for this by the common bully. But she never let it bother her. Not by much, at least.
She grunted as she opened her eyes to the blank, dark ceiling of her room. A light hung from the centre by a thick, white wire; It's crystal hidden from sight by a golden shade. She concentrated on the flow of magic in the wire that was diverted from the house’s magical leyline. For some reason, it helped her relax when she got stressed or was unable to sleep. Like the current problem she was having right now. However, it wasn't the case this time.
“Alright,” she said to herself. “I’ve decided. I'll enrol in Celestia's school. I'll become the greatest unicorn out there!” She launched out of her bed like a catapult, standing on her mattress with two hooves, somehow keeping her balance as she pointed to the ceiling with another hoof. “I'll learn everything about magic, every secret, every spell! I'll be so powerful I'll be stronger than the princess herself!”
Two loud thuds echoed from the wall behind her, surprised by the sudden noise she lost her balance and landed face first into her pillow.
“Keep it down in there!” A male voice said through the wall, irritated about being woken up so early.
“Sorry dad!” Sunset said, a small blush of embarrassment spreading across her muzzle. “I'll become the greatest mage in existence.” She quietly said, her mind made up and no longer bothering her. Sleep finally got her in its clutches as she smiled, determined in her path to greatness.
Sunset rotted through the streets of Canterlot, a little skip in her steps as she made her way to Celestia's school. Almost two months of preparation, and ruthless studying of what she already knew, have come down to this. The entrance exam. Something that every young unicorn had to go through to show what they could bring to the table and how effective they could perform it. Sunset stopped just before the threshold of the school grounds; the golden emblem above the door practically glowing in the sunlight. Releasing a breath of air, Sunset did a final check of her belongings inside her saddlebags.
“Books, check. Blank scrolls, check. Quills, check. Extra quills, check. Ink pots, check Snacks, check. Thank you mom. Alright, everything is with me.” She breathed in and out one more time, calming herself before trotting onto the school grounds. Excitement welled within her as she got nearer to the main section of the building, golden-coloured steps leading up to the white and purple building. The pink, brown and purple swirls on the roof held a nice contrast to the original black roof. Two towers sprouted from either side of the building, both of them connected by a golden rail that ran the length of the roof and connected to a much larger tower at the back of the school. The cone-shaped roofs of the small side towers tapered off into a bulbous-like spire while the main tower’s roof led into a sharp point.
Sunset entered the building, marveling at the ancient building’s interior. Paintings depicting great and powerful unicorns, each with varying titles and trophies. The most famous of course being Star Swirl the Bearded. White marble pillars and support beams sprouted out here and there, as if they were trees in a forest. A mahogany desk, previously unnoticed by Sunset, sat in the back of the room, with two slightly ajar side doors sitting on either side of the desk, light from the rooms beyond spilled out like a cracked water pipe into the main room.
“Ahem.” Sunset heard from behind her, startling her and making her spin around. Before her stood an old unicorn mare, her face slightly wrinkled, displaying her age out to the open. Her faded pink bushy mane held a flower within close to her ear. The flower, red like a rose, wafted a pleasing scent in the air. Her coat, similar to her mane, was a faded purple, silky and smooth. Her cutie mark was a plain white quill, writing on a blue clipboard.
“Are you Sunset Shimmer?” The mare asked her, pushing up a pair of red glasses.
“Yes, I am Sunset, miss.” Sunset confirmed, nodding as she puffed out her chest, her chest fluff bouncing.
“Alright then, my name is Velvet Serenity. I, along with two others shall be evaluating your entrance exam today.” The pony droned on as she began to walk, opening the door that was on the left side of the desk with her magic, motioning Sunset to follow, as she did so. “Unfortunately the participant before you has, um, well, blown up the examination room.” Velvet said, passing by the destroyed room as she did so. Sunset could see the charred remains of desks and chairs, the room was chipped and broken, coloured black by the smoke and ash. The only part of the room that wasn't black or destroyed, and remarkably preserved, was a small circle in the center the room, to which Sunset could only guess was the epicenter of the explosion. Behind Sunset was the remains of the door, having be blown off its hinges and shattered into many pieces along the ground.
“Fortunately, the princess has allowed us to borrow one of her rooms to take the exam, not to mention personally being there to watch over it.” Velvet opened the closest door, which happened to be on the left, revealing a mostly-empty room. A small table and chair sat in the left corner of the room followed directly by a bookcase filled with various books. In the center of the room was a circle drawn out of chalk with runes and other lexicons of a language she had never seen before. She could only tell that it had a powerful and potent magical signature. “The other two who will be evaluating you are already there waiting for us, so when you are ready, please step into the circle.” Velvet trotted over onto the circle, to which the circle responded by glowing a blinding white. Taking a deep breath, Sunset trotted over beside her future mentor. The blinding light shifted a few colours, matching Sunset’s fur and teleporting the both of them into Celestia's castle.
Once in the castle, Sunset shook her head, clearing the daze from her mind after the teleportation spell. The other unicorn, Velvet Serenity if she recalled correctly, simply walked over to her fellow lecturers, also levitating her clipboard.
“Sunset Shimmer,” Velvet spoke with authority in her voice, looking down at Sunset through her glasses, “today you will show us why we should let you into Celestia's school. Use whatever you have learned to show how effectively you can put your knowledge into action. Begin when you are ready.” Sunset nodded, breathing in and out, closing her eyes in concentration. A cyan aura surrounded her horn, the hum of magic heard by all. Sunset furrowed her brow, struggling with all her might. Slowly, she rose into the air, her aura spreading throughout her body, wisps of magic sparkling over an invisible dome created to protect Sunset. The magical exertion causing an unbelievable strain on her. Multiple chairs and desks began to levitate and were drawn towards Sunset, slowly flowing around her in circles, getting faster and faster. One by one the furniture was enveloped in a brilliant flash that changed them. Each and every object was constantly changing, never staying the same, and with time became nothing but a blur as they span around Sunset at intense speeds.
Then, the objects started to slow down as she descended from the air, returning to their normal shape and floating back over to where she picked them up. As her hooves touched the ground, her magic cut off, dropping the chairs and desks onto the ground with a hard thud. Gasping and with sweat dripping from her forehead, she looked up to her examiners, smiling softly at their shocked faces. She looked over to Celestia, who was also shocked, and her smile grew wider.
“I...Uh, ahem. As shown from your… demonstration, you have proven your worth, and will be joining Celestia's school as of next semester, which also happens to be next week. We hope to see you there. Oh and, don't be late. I'm sure the princess would like to talk to you, so we shall show ourselves out.” With that, the three ponies stood from their seats and trotted over to the chalk circle before vanishing.
“I must say, well done Sunset Shimmer. That truly was quite the display you showed us.” Celestia said, sitting Entropy down on her barrel in-between her wings as she walked towards Sunset. “What do you think Entropy?” She asked with a gentle smile.
"I think that was pretty cool! Good job sunny!"
Sunset Tilted her head at the nickname, "Sunny?"
Entropy frowned when he saw her face, "What? You don't like it?"
"No no, it's fine"
"Cool! C'mon let's go play!" And with that Entropy jumped down and grabbed Sunset Shimmer and started taking her so they could play together, all while Celestia looked on finally happy her son made his first friend.
Entropy gently cupped his horseshoe-shaped bruise on the left eye as a nurse examined his broken nose. A tissue was held gently against his nostrils to hold back the bleeding. His nose was bent at an awkward angle, puffy and swollen red. A yelp escaped his mouth as the nurse set his nose in place, whispering an apology to him. His head throbbed with an intense pain, as if somepony was banging on some drums inside his skull.
“How's Rosary?” He asked, tracing the bruise with a finger.
“Well considering you broke her fall with both your body and your spell, she's perfectly fine.” She said with a joking smile, applying a thick- supportive plaster on his nose. “She feels awfully guilty though, you might want to talk to her later.” She levitated her equipment back into a small medical box and slid the box into a cupboard.
“I'll be off then.” Entropy slid off of the table that he was sat on and held it, shaking the dizziness out of his head before he walked out of the nurse’s office. “Ugh, I hate breathing through my mouth. I can literally taste the antee, the antieh, bugger, I can taste the chemicals in the air.”
“The word you're looking for is antiseptic.” The nurse said, amused as she busied herself with some paperwork.
“I knew that!” With a huff, he left the small room and into a waiting area, where he was attacked by a rather strong hug, metallic plates digging into his already sore body.
“I’m sooooo-ho-ho-oooo sorry I wasn't there to protect you!!” Yellow cried out, tears streaming down her face as she nuzzled his side. “What kind of guard am I if I can't even protect the person I'm assi-hii-gned too!?” Entropy bared the weight of the lieutenant with a deadpan stare. 'How did a mare like this get into mom’s guard?’
He huffed as he opened the door to his class, which went quite easily upon his entry, dragging the guard in with him, who promptly snapped out of her emotional state and swiftly trotted to a dark corner of the room. Her armor helping to blend her into the shadows trying to hide her from the class. That didn't stop the sniffles, however. Entropy slammed his head against his desk, an exasperated sigh leaving his lungs in embarrassment. Shortly after, the class returned to what they were doing, mostly ignoring miss Pinkheart and whispering in their little groups. 'Probably talking about what happened at break’.
rest of the day was an awkward one, what with Lt. Yellow 'sneaking’ behind Entropy in his shadow. Box was sent home, possibly for a few days, while his parents thought up a suitable punishment for him. Entropy talked to Rosary every chance he could, both in class and at lunch. Over the relatively short amount of time they had to talk, they had grown to be quite good friends, coaxing her to come out of her shell. This had a snowball effect on the rest of the class; groups coming up to her and Entropy, talking about random things. He was fifty-five percent certain that it due to a prince hanging out with a quiet mare like Rosary.
“So what are your plans for the rest of the day, Rose?” He asked her, arms behind his back as he breathed in the warm afternoon air.
“R-Rose?” She asked quietly, stumbling a little from the unexpected nickname.
“Yeah, I thought it would be easier to call you that rather than Rosary Pea or just Rosary. Why, do you not like it?”
“N-no! It was just, well, unexpected is all.” She said with a blush forming on her cheeks. “W-well I'm probably going to go to a garden and read a little.
“You like reading in gardens?” He asked curiously as he tilted his head.
“Uh-huh. It's a perfect time to on a beautiful day like this.” She sighed, her ears folding to the side of her head. “I would love to see to royal garden though. I hear it has all types of exotic plants and critters scurrying around.”
“Well hey, if you'd like, you can see them right now.”
“Really!?” She exclaimed, joy written all over her face, her second out of character moment today. “I- I mean if I'm allowed to, yes please!”
“Sure thing.” Entropy said with a laugh as Celestia's school popped into view. “We just have to pick up somepony first.” Entropy jogged over to the school, Rose quickly falling into place, jumping slightly as plated armor clanged behind her. The pair reached the school quicker than they thought, so, to recover some strength, the two sat down and leaned against the stone. Entropy dug around within his bag and pulled out three stones, each scaling up in size. The first stone fit comfortably within his palm, his fingers barely surrounding half the stone. The second stone was about the same size as his hand and the third was half the size of his head.
“Why are you lugging around three stones?” Rose asked as she tilted her head, her left ear flopping to the side.
“I'm practicing my magic. After all, I could barely hold you with that levitation spell. Soooooo, I decided to practice on stones that I found in the courtyard.”
“Ah.”
The same as all the other times, his aura encompassed the smallest stone, lifting it a good few feet into the air with, surprisingly, little resistance. Applying a small amount of force, the rock began to spin clockwise in place before orbiting Entropy. 'Alright, easy enough so far.’ He thought to himself as he watched the stone orbit him. 'Lets try the second one.’ The second stone raised into the air slightly above the first, albeit with a greater strain. The stone wobbled as he made the stone orbit him at an angled path, the stone spinning in an anticlockwise rotation. The addition of the second stone made the first one rock slightly as he divided his concentration between the two. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he lost himself in his thoughts.
Suddenly, he lost his grip on the stones, his matrix overtaxed from the strain. He yelped as the first stone pelted his head with a 'thwack’, narrowly missed by the second.
“Ow, owowowowowowow!” He held his head in his hands, reeling from both a horrendous headache and from the impact. A thin trail of blood leaked down his forehead and dripped off of his nose.
“Entropy? What's wrong?” Sunset asked as she descended down the steps, books caught in her magic.
“Eh?” Entropy turned to her, rubbing the spot where the stone hit him, smearing some blood into his hair, causing her to gasp after she noticed the painful looking bruise on his face. The gasp grew into a growl after she spotted Rose behind him covering her mouth.
“Did you do this!?” Sunset screamed as she walked closer to her, getting right in her face. “Well!?” She shouted, glaring at her as she stumbled backward, trying to get away from her as her ears pinned themselves to her head. “Answer me!”
“Sunset, calm down, she didn't do anything!” Sunset broke her glare from the filly, looking concerned as she quickly trotted over to her friend, making a big deal out of his wound. “Sunset will you just stop and listen for a sec? Please?”
“I,” she started before the harsh look from Entropy silenced her, “alright, I'm listening.”
“Thank you, I was only practicing my magic with those stones before it gave out and they dropped. Rose had nothing to do with this. Now say sorry or else!” With a glare, Entropy stared at her before, with a sigh, she gave up what she was going to say and turned to the young filly.
“I'm,” she paused before shaking her head, “I'm sorry about the way I acted, I just assumed things.” Sunset hung her head in shame.
“Its okay.” Rose whispered as she turned away from Sunset. An awkward silence filled the air as the three rubbed their necks.
“Right well, I don't think introductions are in order but I'll do it anyway. Sunset this is Rose, my new friend. Rose this is Sunset, also my friend.” The two nodded to each other, catching each other's gaze before turning away again. “Riiiiiiiight. Anyway, let's head to the castle!”
Sunset snarled under her breath as she watched the duo talk about random things children do, all the while being looked at every now and again. 'I know what you're planning.’ Sunset thought darkly as a hateful glint caught in her eye. 'You're planning to take him away from me, aren't you? I see how you hang off of his every word like he was a tankard of water and you're dying of dehydration, planning to take advantage of his title. Well it won't work! I won't let you take him. He's MY friend! My best friend. You're nothing, you'll only ever be nothing! He doesn't need any more friends, he only needs me!!’ She shouted in her head, her eyes were drowned in shadow as more and more dark and morbid thoughts crossed her mind.
“What about you Sunshine?”
“Huh?” Sunset snapped out of her thoughts. Entropy and Rose were staring at her. “I- I'm sorry, what was the question, I wasn't listening. could you repeat it?”
“Tch, dummy. I asked how you and your friends were doing.” Entropy asked with a beaming smile as he walked backwards.
“Huh, well I'm doing fine. And I wouldn't know, as I don't have any friends.” She said nonchalantly, staring blankly at the ground.
“WHAT?!” Entropy shouted, drawing the eyes of everypony around them, causing Sunset to, for some unknown reason other than base instinct, take a few steps back with her ears pinned to her head. “Why don't you have any other friends?”
“W-well, I-I don't need other friends. The only friend I need is you, nopony else.” She said with a huff, pointing her nose in the air.
“Suuuuuunnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyy.” He droned out, crossing his arms. “I know I'm wonderful and all that, but you need other friends apart from me. Ooh! I know, you and Rose can be friends. Yeah! Great plan Entropy! Score one for me!” He said proudly with a large, cocky smile as the two mares exchanged looks. “Let's hurry to the castle!” Entropy bolted towards the castle leaving the two mares in a state of shock.
“My lord, wait up!” Yellow shouted before taking off after him, pouncing from the shadows and frantically flapping her wings. ‘Where in Equestria did she come from!?’ Sunset thought to herself as the two shot out towards the castle. With a sigh her thoughts were drawn to the prince. ‘You have to admire his carefree attitude. One of the things that I like about him.’
Once again, a thick, awkward silence drifted between the two ponies as they walked, like a morning fog from the sea on a particularly hot day. A cold, condescending glare kept Rose from speaking, averting her eyes every time they met with Sunset’s. Their hooves echoed on the surprisingly empty streets, the sun just about to be submerged under the horizon.
By the time that they got to the castle and passed through its gates, it had become dark. Candlelight filled the streets and homes of Canterlot. Entropy sat on the steps leading into the castle, kicking his feet as he read a book, waiting for his friends.
“Ah, finally!” Entropy said, slipping his book into his bag and standing up. “It took you long enough! Did you two become friends yet?” He said with a hopeful smile etched onto his face. “Ooooooohhhh, please tell me you did!” Not wanting to dash his hopes, Sunset spoke, albeit with strain.
“Yes, I think we made some progress, right Rose?” She spat venomously, glaring at the filly.
“Eeep, Yes! T-the best of friends!” Timidly, she hid behind her mane, hoping to avoid further confrontation. Entropy, being the poor innocent soul he is, didn't pick up what was going on and instead smiled gleefully.
tween everything within the garden. It was as if they were viewing another world.
Entropy walked forward, patches of grass lighting up as his feet made contact before disappearing after a short moment. Hesitantly, the two ponies followed him, utterly tranced by the alien-like garden, silenced for its beauty. Strange and glorious smells filled their lungs as they breathed as deep as they could, lulling them into a sense of bliss. Leading them up a hill, Entropy sat down overlooking the small village of Ponyville, smiling sweetly to his friends as he patted the ground on either side of him. With a heavy blush, Rose sat down next to him as she hid her face behind her mane. Sunset followed suit, sitting on the other side of him and sending a hateful glare at Rose.
“W-woah.” Rose gasped out, holding a hoof to her face as she absorbed the sight before her. Ponyville was set ablaze with light from the street lamps, setting a warm glow from the village.
“Hm, you can't see much with your mane in the way Rose.” Entropy pushed a few locks of hair behind her ears and smiled as her gaze remained on Entropy as he looked back towards the village, the silver-white moon poking through the mountaintops beyond the village. The three of them remained there for what had to have been hours, just watching the stars, bugs and animals that scurried about. Before they knew it, it was time to leave, having said their goodbyes and going their separate ways, leaving Entropy alone walking down a hallway.
“........W……..p.” A voice called out in the void of darkness that Entropy found himself in. He stumbled forward like the undead, as if he was wounded badly, mostly blind and deaf to the world. The sound of his own ragged breathing echoing in his ears, his heart thumping in his head. A warm sticky substance oozed from his side, staining his shirt red with blood as the wound stung from the cold, heavy air. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. He screamed bloody murder as he fell to his knees, loud enough to shatter glass, but no sound reached his ears, as if he had mouth to begin with.
“P…...Wa……….P!” It shouted this time. The voice sent shivers down his body, chilling it like ice as pins and needles spread throughout. But, strangely, it killed his pain, silencing his voice. 'W-who is that? Wh-what it? That voice, why- why does it sound so familiar?’ Entropy asked himself as he shakingly stood up, his breath and his blood the only source of heat in the cold barren void, causing goosebumps to form on his skin. Blood dripped from his lips as he held back a cough, grimacing from the taste. He hugged his arms as he continued to walk, footprints of blood following in his wake. A cold sweat formed on his brow, the salty liquid mixing with the metal taste of blood.
“Plea….as...!” Like a veil being removed, he could suddenly hear the voice clearly, if only for a second. It echoed in his mind, bouncing off the bony walls of his skull. Like an addiction, he grew obsessed with it, overriding any other thought he had at that particular moment. He wanted, no he needed, to know who that was.
“WAKE UP!” The voice shouted, clearer and louder than before. With enough force to propel him through the void, beams of bright white light burned his eyes.
Entropy awoke with a gasp, his heart pounding and his body doused in sweat. The first of the sun's rays crept into the room as it rose above the horizon. Swiveling, he planted his feet onto the carpet, feeling the threads slide in between his toes. He breathed in the rather stale air of his room as he calmed himself, resting his palms over his knees. Focusing his magic, he pushed open the window of his room as he walked over to it, letting the fresh air fill his lungs. He sat down on the windowsill and watched the ponies of Canterlot go about their morning routine. Well, what little he could see, anyway.
“What was that dream just now?” He asked himself, wiping his face with a hand. He lost himself in thought as he stared blankly at the floor, leaning against the side of the window. He shivered as the light from the sun passed over him, warming his body as the sweat-covered shirt clung to his frame. He sat there for a solid hour, trying to figure out what the voice was, who it was and why it was talking to him. It sound so, motherly and gentle, but so desperate as well.
With a heavy sigh, he stripped down as he walked to the bathroom, dumping his dirty clothes into the hamper in the corner. Today was the day he was supposed to meet with Cadance, and he had to be at his best. So, shaking the thought of the dream out of his head, he stepped into the bath and let the hot water from the showerhead pour over him, warming him further.
Subconsciously, his hands drifted towards where the wound was, feeling nothing but smooth skin. He rested his forehead against the lukewarm bathroom tiles, the water cascading down his neck. With worried eyes, he turned the faucet off,mildly bugged by the squeak it made.
“Ugh, enough about that damn dream!” He shouted as he pounded the tiles with a fist before getting out and drying himself. Soon after getting out of the shower, Entropy was dressed in a light pink shirt and black tie, with a silver waistcoat and silver trousers with light gray shoes. It had been a few days since the whole Rose incident, and the bruise was looking much better. Less red and more yellowish-blue. The plaster came off in his sleep on the day he got it.
Humming a tune, the prince opened the door to his room and walked out into the hallway. He was greeted by a mostly empty pathway, the castle staff just getting to work, cleaning and dusting the vases. Entropy smiled and greeted everypony that he came across, which they returned.
“Howdy mom!” Entropy said, waving as he opened the door to the dining room. Celestia jumped, her fork embedding into the roof as it shot away from her magic, bits of tomatoes and lettuce dropping and sticking to her face. Tomato juice ran down the length of her horn as a single, lonesome cherry tomato was impaled. “Oh, um, oops?” With a smile, Celestia shook her head, using a cleaning spell before retrieving her fork.
“Good morning, my son. You're up early today, did you have a good sleep?” She asked gracefully as she continued to eat.
“Yeah, I had a pretty good sleep.” He lied, sitting next to Celestia. “I'm just really excited to meet Cadance. Is she here yet? Can I meet her?!” He asked, fidgeting in his chair as he looked to her with stars in his eyes.
.
“Yes, yes, in all due time. She only arrived last night so she may be asleep for a bit. Now will you calm down for just a few seconds?” Her serious face was betrayed by the mirth in her voice.
“Okie, doki.” He said with a mock salute, immediately sitting still as the chair wobbled slightly. Breakfast had already been served, as evident by the plate of eggs, lettuce and cucumber slices and a side plate of toast with butter spread upon them, accompanied by a glass of fresh orange juice.
Gorging himself on the food, Celestia could only watch in a stupor as bits of food were sent flying this way and that, clinging to his face and hair. She gave him a deadpan stare as Entropy gulped down his juice sloppily, shaking her head as it trickled down his chin.
“For goodness sake, Entropy.” Celestia muttered, Facehooving as he stopped momentarily, giving her an innocent, questioning stare before shrugging and finishing off his drink. “Entropy, please don't act like that, you're not a slob.”
“Oh, hehe, sorry.” He smiled sheepishly before Celestia cleaned him up with a spell, using a cloth to wipe away any remaining residue left behind.
“What's gotten into you? I mean, I know you have your spouts of randomness, but this is far from normal, well, your type of normal. I get you're excited for meeting Cadance, but still, that's no excuse.”
“I know, but I just can't help myself!” He shouted rocking back and forth. With a exasperated sigh, Celestia prepare herself to scold him before the doors opened once again.
“Morning, aunty.” A pink pegasus yawned out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her mane and tail was comprised of three colours, a moderate shade of violet with light rose and pale gold streaks. Her cutiemark depicted of a diamond Heart wreathed in golden lace. Her brilliant light purple eyes caught the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows in such a way that it captivated ponies around her.
“Good morning my dear. How was your slee-?” Celestia was cut off as Entropy hopped off of his chair and ran towards Cadance, sliding to a stop a few inches from her.
“Hiya!” He beamed, waving his hand in a large arc around him. Taken aback by his sudden appearance before her, Cadance fell onto her flank with an 'oof' in surprise.
“Um, hi?” She said cautiously, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, with a look of realization, she wrapped Entropy up with a tight hug. “Oooh! You must be Entropy! It's so good to see you!”
“Agh, you're choking me.” Entropy wheezed out, his face turning blue.
“Oops, sorry!” Cadance release him with a sheepish smile as he breathed in lungfuls of air. “I've just been so excited to see you! I could barely fall asleep.”
“Really?! I've been excited to meet you too!” With stars in his eyes, he began to laugh, with Cadance following his lead.
'Those two are the exact same.’ Celestia thought with a sigh and a smile. 'I can already tell they'll be good friends.’
ings. “Oh that reminds me, how is Shining Armor doing?”
“He's been doing good. He's still a trainee, but from what I've heard from captain Cross, he has potential to even surpass the likes of him and the ponies above him.” Celestia replied, keeping an eye on Entropy as he raced on ahead of them, running to the next place that he wanted to show them. They had already visited his school, the comic book store and were on their way to Doughnut Joe's. “But, having said that, he still has much to learn. Though I have to ask, why the interest in him?”
“Oh, uhm, no reason really. I was just, uhm, well he just crossed my mind is all, ehhehehe.” She said, with a heavy blush that spread from ear to ear.
“Hmmm.” Celestia hummed, amused by her actions.
“Come on, slowpokes! It'll be nightfall by the time we get to where we are going!” Entropy shouted, cupping his mouth.
“Yes, yes, we're coming dear!” Entropy watched with a grumpy face as they trotted a bit faster than before. 'That's not any better.’ He thought, crossing his arms and tapping the stone bricks beneath him.
“What are you so impatient for, En?” Sunset asked, speaking up out of nowhere. Entropy jumped from the sudden voice, leading him to fall on his behind with a filly-like scream.
“Where'd you come from!?” He shouted as he stood up, inches away from her face.
“Uh, out of my home, duh.” She pointed to a house directly behind her. “You've seen it before dummy, now answer my question, idiot.”
He harrumphed before answering. “If you must know, I'm heading to Doughnut Joe's with mom and Cadance.” he crossed his arms and turned away from her, sticking his tongue out at her.
“Again? You gonna get fat if you keep eating there. Wait, who's Cadance?” Entropy jabbed a thumb in their direction as they caught up with him.
“That would be me. Hello! Are you one of Entropy's friends?” Cadance asked, sticking a hoof in front of her.
“Erm, yeah. Names Sunset, good to meet you.” Sunset said, shaking Cadance's hoof with reluctance.
“Hey, Sunny! You want to come with us? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaase?” He nagged, giving Sunset the best puppy dog eyes that he could give. With a sigh she caved in and nodded.
“Fiiiine, I'll have to cancel my plans for the day but-”
“Yes! Come on Sunny, Candy! Let's go! You too mom!” He shouted as he ran down the street away from the dinner.
“Wrong way, dummy!”
“I knew that!!”
"Wait, I'm confused, who's Candy?” Cadance asked as she cocked her head.
“Knowing him, that's his nickname for you. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Eventually.” Sunset shook her head and followed after him, Cadance following suit. “Tartarus, I've unknowingly been calling him ‘Em’ every now and then.”
“Huh.” Cadance hummed as she rustled her wings.
“Hey wait!” Celestia shouted after them, trying her best to catch up. “I have got to stop eating so many cakes.” She gasped out, unused to the exercise. “Great idea you had, Tia. Use less magic, you said, get more fit you said. Now I'm left behind.” She gasped once more before gaining a second wind, galloping after the trio.
It had taken a while but, eventually, she caught up to them, bursting into the store with a grunt. Immediately, everypony unused to the princess bowed respectfully to her before being dismissed. Celestia slumped into the table as she sat next to
“What? I'm just like everypony else you know, I get tired.” Celestia grumbled, taking note of the stares that she was receiving from the occupants. A long silence ruled over the group before the door opened, a royal guard made his way towards her before saluting.
“My princess, can I have a word with you, in private?” He asked seeking a look the group around her.
“Sure.” She sighed, standing up before flexing her wings as she trotted alongside him. “I won't be long, my little ponies.” As she walked off, Entropy fixed her a cold vacant look as she strolled over to the bathroom.
“She better not be sneaking cakes in there.” Sunset facehooved from the stupid remark.
“Entropy, we're at a bakery, she's going to eat fatty foods anyway, you idiot.” She fixed him a ludicrous stare. “Besides, she's going to talk with a guard, not stuff her face in secret!”
“Yeah, well then you obviously don't know my mom. And for your information, cakes are way fattier than doughnuts!” He snapped at
“Is he always like this?” Cadance whispered to Sunset, cocking an eyebrow.
“Pretty much, his antics keep on switching. At times he acts like a grown up, while at other times he's just a kid.”
“Am not!” He spoke up, blowing a raspberry in her direction.
“See?” She spoke with a monotone voice, as if she had to deal with this on a daily basis. “You sort of just get used to it. Just think of him as a poorly written character in a story.”
“That hurts, ya know?” He fixed Sunset with a deadpan stare. “That really hurts.”
“Oh, cry me a river.”
“Fine, I will.”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
They harrumphed in unison, turning away from each other before bursting in laughter, wiping tears from their eyes. Cadance sighed, shaking her head. '
Cadance sighed, shaking her head.
“Alright, so what are we ordering?” Celestia asked as she sat back down, a noticeable dollop of pink frosting in the corner of her mouth.
“Moooom.” Entropy growled, glaring at her. “What's that in the corner of your mouth?”
“Hmm?” She dabbed her mouth with her hoof, her eyes widening at what she saw as she drew it back. With a sheepish smile, beads of nervous sweat rolled down her forehead as she turned to her son. “Would you believe me if I said toothpaste?” He didn't reply, the pillow thrown off of her face was enough of an answer.
Entropy sat alone in the dimly-lit archives of the castle, frantically flipping through a worn book, determined to seek the answers he was looking for. The dull light above flickered, forming a migraine in the back of his head. With an exhausted sigh, he sat back and leaned against his chair, focusing on the flickering light as he thought back on what happened yesterday.
Entropy grinned as his eyes sparkled with stars, hopping from stone to stone, avoiding the cracks in the masonry, arms pressed against the back of his head. Cadence and Celestia had to go back to Canterlot to do something, which was explained to him, but he quickly forgot about it. The mountain air quickly grew cold as the sun hid behind large, cotton like-clouds, prompting the two to huddle close for warmth.
“Ugh, if I knew it was going to be cold this afternoon, I would have brought a scarf or something.” Entropy shivered, rubbing his arms frantically.
“En, it's close to winter, you should know better. You're lucky I brought an extra scarf.” She scoffed, levitating a red and orange scarf to him.
“Why would you bring an extra scarf? You're ninety-nine percent fur.” He accepted the scarf and wrapped it tightly around his neck, using a part of it to hide his nose and mouth from the biting cold.
“Incase this one gets damaged or lost, you fool!” She wrapped an exact copy of the scarf around her own neck. “You really are an idiot if you didn't think of that.” With a scowl etched onto her face. A giggle left him, his breath steaming out.
“Huh?” Out of the corner of his eye, Entropy saw a figure standing in an alleyway clouded with shadow, its pure, milky-white eyes the only part that was visible. The figure looked much like himself, despite having no features that could be seen. It was bipedal and as tall as his mom, maybe a bit taller. Knowing it had been spotted it gave Entropy a disheartened wave, before it backed up and walked out of sight, vanishing behind a bend.
“Hey wait!” He shouted, running after the figure, as Sunset sent him a questioning stare. His shoes squelched against the wet, mossy cobblestone alleyway, sending shivers down his body from the disgusting sound. 'Can it be?’ He thought as he turned the corner from which the figure disappeared behind, slipping on a strange mix of moss and ice and almost slammed his head against the hard stone walls, dirt and greasy grime staining his sleeves. He shook off the pain and stood up, slipping slightly before continuing the chase after the familiarly-shaped figure. His legs burned and he found it difficult to breath in the icy air after a while, but he kept on running after it.
“Found, you.” He said, in between gasps of air as he eventually caught the figure, after what he thought to be hours of running. The figure had its back to him, finding itself trapped as walls of stone surrounded it in all directions. The figure turned and looked at the prince, sadness caught in its pupil-less eyes as they watched each other. “Who are you?” Silence ruled over it as it shook his head, shrugged his shoulders. “it doesn't know who it is?” Entropy asked himself Slowly, it began to fade away, strange black particles flowing off of it like steam. “What are you?” It's eyes lit up, as if clarity crossed it's mind.
“Human.” The figure finally said in a guttural, ghostly voice. It's body breaking apart until nothing remained, leaving Entropy in a stupor.
“Human?” He repeated, rolling the name over his tongue a few times.
“Is that what I am? Human?” He asked nopony in particular as he brought himself from the sudden flashback. He repeated the foreign name over and over again, trying to make sense over what it meant. 'Am I the only one of my kind? If that's true then where did I come from?’ His thoughts were interrupted when a stack of heavy books dropped onto the table beside him.
“That's every book that even remotely describes what you told me. However there was nothing on record about this 'human’ thing you spoke of. I did however find images of this weird triangle with a top hat, it does not seem to have a name though.” Sunset said, sitting beside him as she picked a random book and flicked through it, finding a few images of said triangular creature with its name scratched out. When she couldn't find anything else on it she shrugged and floated the book back to where it was. “I asked the princess if I could access the restricted area, but she denied my request. Sorry buddy.”
“It's okay, Sunny.” He slouched in his chair, leaning his head on the open book in front of him, using it as a pillow. “Question, am I crazy? I mean, shadow creatures and creepy dreams aren't a good thing are they?” He watched for her reaction, barely moving his head.
“Its weird, yeah, but I don't think you're crazy. I've heard much worse stories. It could just be a case of magical build up, or your matrix is responding to an outside force that's stimulating it, thus seeing weird things. I've heard that some ponies can even view the memories of others if the stimulation is just right.”
“Have you ever had it?” She shook her head with a saddened gaze.
“‘Fraid not, my friend. It seems you're the freak of this little duo.”
“Gee thanks, that really helps my problem.” He said with a deadpan stare, to which Sunset replied with tongue sticking out. With a smile, Sunset returned to her research, occasionally glancing over at Entropy as he did the same.
'I wish I could help him more.’ She thought, breezing past pages of the thick book held in her aura with ease. Entropy sighed as he closed the book he was reading, setting it aside as he levitated another over. His aura flickered slightly, trying to compensate from the taxing use of magic. He grunted as his spell gave out, plopping the book onto the table with a heavy thump.
“Why does that happen with your magic so much?” Sunset asked, as she rested the book she was reading down. “It's expected with newcomers of magic, but the amount of times you have practiced that spell alone is enough to mostly master it. Why does yours give up?”
“I don't know, Sunny. Another thing that's wrong with me I guess.” He said with a nonchalant shrug, barely focusing on the book in front of him.
“Hey, do me a favor, would you? Turn that frown upside down, I'll do as much research as I can to help you ok?” With a sigh, Entropy pulled himself from the book and focused on his friend and gave her a nod before leaving.
“Entropy, you've been moping about all day, what's wrong?” Celestia asked, washing down her lunch with a glass of cider. Entropy poked at his pasta with a fork, watching the tubes of wheat deform under the pressure while leaning onto the table, resting his head on an outstretched arm. “Are you worried about something?”
“Kinda.” He replied, distant as stabbed the slightly cold food. With a concerned look, Celestia draped her wing over him, nuzzling his neck.
“Speak to me, please.” She begged, looking into his eyes with her own pleading ones. With a frown, he let go of the metal fork, wincing as it clanged against the plate. He sat up, smiling from the warm contact from her wing.
“It's just. I don't know what's happening to me anymore. My magic is being weird, I'm seeing things I don't understand and I'm freaking out!” Tears leaked from his eyes as he vented to his mother, quivering as he let his stress pour out as his mother held him in her wings. “So many things are happening and I don't know what to do, I'm so confused and scared.”
“Hey, shhhhh.” She cooed, rubbing his back gently. Tears stained her fur as he let out built up stress and worries. The two sat like that for a while, with Entropy just crying into his mother as he explained what was happening. Eventually, albeit hesitantly, he pulled away from her comforting fur and heat, wiping away and residue tears from his face, blowing his nose with napkin.
Celestia's wing never left his back as he gained his composure again, taking a long gulp from a glass of water, choking slightly as it dripped down the wrong passage, making his eyes tear up again. After the vent, the two made small talk, to take a break from the heavy stuff and to cheer Entropy up, if only slightly.
With all things said and done, and with his belly stuffed with reheated pasta, Entropy made his way from the dining room and up the stairs to his room. Too emotionally drained to study or to research what he is, he collapsed face first onto his bed with a heavy sigh, kicking off his shoes as he turned his head to watch the setting sun. His eyelids grew heavy and before he knew it he fell asleep.
“Z….n” A faint voice spoke up as Entropy regained his bearings. Startling him as he recognized the voice as the same one that screamed at him in the other dream he had. The void he found himself in was dark and fuzzy, as if looking through an unfocused camera. 'Here again?’ He thought, taking a quick note of his surroundings. He checked himself over, no wounds or blood or sweat, his toes dug into the carpeted floor. A strange anxiousness ran through him. 'No, something's different, but what?’
“Zyon.” A gentle, voice whispered in his ears.
'What? Who is that?’ Entropy thought
A voice steadily growing more and more clear through the fog. “Zyon, do we have a deal?”
'who in the world is Zyon? Who the heck is talking?'
"The answer to the first part of your question is that I am Zyon.” Time froze as an older copy of Entropy strolled out of the fog and into the clearing, standing directly next to a shadowy figure that manifested out of thin air. “If it eases your mind, nothing you say will affect anything, the decision was already made.”
“You- i- what the fuck is going on?” Zyon chuckled, evolving into a bellowing laugh.
“Jeez, not even an hour and you're already swearing. Fucks sake, guess even D’ ain't perfect.”
“D? Who's D? Can you please just tell me what's going on!?” Zyon held a hand up, shaking his head.
“Everything will be explained in due time. And in time you'll remember a lot, maybe not everything, but a lot.”
“Remember? What are you talking about.”
“Where do you think you are, Entropy? You're in a memory. How else were you able to remember things that you haven't even seen or heard before” He shook his head again, scoffing slightly. “Geez, if I knew I'd be a moron, I'd never taken D’s offer.”
"You still haven't told me who D is!"
Zyon shook his head once again and gestured towards the shadowy figure, "This is D, the one who offered me a deal. Asshole didn't tell me this would happen though"
"Accept the deal, accept the deal, accept the deal" D kept saying this over and over again until Zyon got too annoyed and hit the apparition making it disappear.
"That was annoying, you're not even supposed to really be here, not yet anyway" Zyon and walked closer and pinched Entropy causing him to whine in pain. "Huh, thought that'd work"
"Stop being a jerk"
Zyon rolled his eyes and made his right hand glow with magic, "Don't Tell me I've also become a wimp" before Entropy could do anything, Zyon grabbed his shoulder and Entropy felt some type of surge go through his body and he started to wake up.
Entropy saw Zyon smiling as he walked backwards, letting the fog eat him up as it grew closer and closer to Entropy.
“I'll see you again someday, Entropy. It's only a matter of time.”
Entropy woke up to find that his face was buried into his pillow, he stared blankly out the window, the recent events playing clearly over and over again in his mind.
“Well, shit."
Entropy stared at the hypnotic lava lamp that he teleported into his room, once he learned how to that is. It took immense amount of power and concentration just to get over the 'limiter’ as he dubbed the magical block on his matrix. The teleportation of the lamp almost hospitalized him, apparently the spell almost tore his heart into thousands of pieces.
“Ugh, that was painful. Lucky for me Sunset was around, huh?” He asked the lamp, watching the blobs float up and down, bouncing off of each other. He learned that day to never ever go beyond his limiter, especially without Sunset or his mother around.
It's been quite some time since his dream and since then nothing had happened. No other dream about his 'past’ nothing to do with a
“What...who am I really?” He asked himself as he opened his window with magic, replacing the stale air with clean, fresh air. He leaned away from the lamp, lifting and resting his feet on his desk as he cupped the back of his head with his hands. “More importantly, who the hell is this ‘D’?” A hard knock drummed on his door, scaring him from his thoughts as he tumbled to the ground, cursing as he hit the ground with a hard thud.
“Just a minute.” He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his back. With a painful crack, he stood up and dusted himself off, shaking his head as he quickly walked over to the door and opened it. Rose stood on the other side, her mane done up in a bun, a pink hair clip holding her bangs out of her face, a pink flower in a sea of darkness.
“That sounded painful, you okay?” She tilted her head up slightly so that she could see his face better. He'd suffered another growth spurt, making him the tallest in the class and making him just short of being eye level with the adults. With a huff, he nodded, leaning around the door to pick up his coat that was meant for the more colder months of the year.
“Yeah, just fell over my chair, Christ that hurt.” He said as he wrapped himself up. He noticed that Rose was dressed up in a forest green sundress that rested tightly against her barrel. A more appropriate attire for the beginning of summer.
“Who's Christ?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Absolutely no idea.” He strolled down the hallway, resting his hands in his pocket, leaving her confused. Snapping out of it, she quickly caught up with him. “So, what's the plan? Since it's the holidays 'n stuff.” She shrugged, blushing out of embarrassment from the deadpan stare he gave her. “Well, You're useless huh?” He joked, patting her hair, smiling from the soft squeak she made. “Well I guess that means we'll just walk around till we find something, huh?”
She smiled and nodded, leading Entropy to do the same. A sudden thought breached his mind as he quickly patted his sides, the soft clinking if bits reassured him. 'Thank goodness I didn't forget my bits.’ With a mental chuckle and a shake of his head, the two of them made their way to the main doors, the guards saluting as they walked past. It was midway through autumn, so the cold air wasn't that bad, but the sudden chill sent shivers down his spine. Snuggling deeper into his coat, he breathed in the autumn air, watching the orange leaves drift along with the breeze.
“E-e-excuse me, young lord?” A stallion stuttered behind him. With a confused hum, Entropy turned to look at the pony as he straightened himself. A young-looking guard stood motionless, saluting Entropy as a lock of multi-blue-coloured mane hung in front of his face, the rest of it hidden behind his golden helmet, a white horn jutting out. His coat was the same as the other guards in the castle. His cutiemark depicted a blue shield with a purple six-pointed star in the centre. Three white, five-pointed stars were above the shield. It was obvious that his special talent was in defensive magic. “Private Shining Armor, at your disposal. I've been tasked to follow you.”
“At ease, Shining. There's no need to work yourself up.” Entropy chuckled, noticing the stallion relax rather quickly as he quickly brushed his mane out of view. “You're new the the royal guard aren't you?”
“Yes sir!” He saluted, before cursing under his breath as he relaxed. “I finished training not that long ago.” He said with a proud smile.
“Cool, you can help us decide where to go then.” Entropy said nonchalantly as he made his way to the gates, Rose plodding along beside him. Stammering, Shining quickly caught up to them, listening and answering any questions. Captain Cross watched the trio as they walked from the castle balcony his one good eye watching for any excuse to rip into the newbie as they made their way out of sight. With a sigh, the old stallion sat on his haunches.
“Your son sure has grown, princess.” He said, turning his head to face Celestia as she sat down next to him.
“I see you noticed too, huh?” She giggled, watching the pegai push their clouds around for an oncoming storm. “It's a strange thing to witness, I wonder how big his species grows?” She asked herself, lifting a hoof to her chin. Allowing a small smirk, Cross shook his head.
“Who knows, he could be as tall as you one day.” A small chuckle left him, his tired eyes concentrating on a leaf as he thought about what he was going to say to her. “Listen princess, I'm getting on in my years, I've been a captain for a long time and I've stuck by you whenever you needed me, but, I can't go on anymore.” Celestia gave him a questioning stare, but otherwise said nothing, motioning with a hoof for him to continue. “I'm hanging up my armor, setting my sword down. Yadda, yadda.” He waved his hoof around. “I'm just too tired. I'm not a spunky, arrogant teen anymore.”
“Are you sure, captain?” She asked, placing a hoof on his shoulders. He nodded, staring her in the eyes.
“Yeah, the world doesn't need me anymore. They need a pony like Shining Armor, he's got the devotion that I don't. Unlike me, he could go beyond the rank of captain.”
“You do realize that I could've promoted you countless times, right? You could have been a Major general by this point, all you needed to do was ask.”
“I know, but like I said. I'm not as devoted as I once was.” He took off his helmet, letting his navy blue hair fall over his dead eye. “Besides, I've been looking forward to my retirement for a long time.” He stood up, walking towards a pair of doors. “It's been a fun ride princess, till next time.”
“Goodbye, Cross.” Celestia watched as he left, thoughts running through her head a hundred times per minute. A cold chill run up her spine as she snapped her gaze to the sky with hard, cold eyes.
“....Well since I couldn't make it to your tenth birthday, I was thinking we could, I don't know, have a picnic somewhere?” Rose blushed, looking away from Entropy. The blush went unnoticed as he took another bite of the steaming hot blueberry pastry, humming from the taste. “I could give you a late present while we relaxed.”
“Come on, you don't have to get me a present, but a picnic does sound nice. Oh! We could do it In the statue garden! It always has a great view!” He smiled, holding the pastry in his magic as he turned to his companion, raising an eyebrow at her as she missed a step and nearly fell on her face, a scarlet blush spreading from her cheeks to the tops of her ears.
“Yo, you alright, Rose?” Entropy asked, concerned as he held a hand against her shoulder, inches away from her face, causing her blush to deepen in colour. With a nod and a hum, she quickly looked away from him concentrating on anything other than Entropy. With a shrug, he turned to the armor-clad stallion who stood stiffly, a sentry scanning the environment while also keeping an eye on the two. “You alright there Shiny?” Taken back a little, Shining Armor snapped to the prince as if somepony slapped him across the face.
“Yes, my Lord!” he saluted before resuming to scan the area.
“Um, oookay.” Without hesitating, Entropy devoured his treat before taking off back towards the castle leaving the two in a cloud of dust, laughing at their wails and pleas to slow down. He made it to the castle gates in record speeds and, albeit breathless, walked proudly through. As he entered the castle shortly after, he waved down a member of staff and relayed his plans to the pony, who nodded and began to prepare for the picnic. He walked back outside, and with a skip to his step, made his way to the statue garden, weighed down with a blanket under his arm.
Halfway down the path he spotted a strange, mismatched creature that was somewhat familiar to him. A smorgasbord of different animal parts, some of which he couldn't quite describe. Frankly it kinda hurt his head as it tried to make out what it was. It had the head of goat with a deer antler and a goat horn; a long, thick noodle-like body ending in the tail of a dragon. It had a lion's paw and a eagles claw as well as a lizard’s leg and pony leg. It's mane was styled like a zebra's with big bushy eyebrows and goatee. It also had a single, sharp tooth.
Entropy dropped the blanket in fright as an ominous laugh permeated through the air, seemingly coming from everywhere. Something brushed against his back, causing him to spin around and began to back up. An unearthed root tripped him up, smacking his head against the statue, a thin trickle of blood leaking from his head. Groaning, he looked up from his position, scaring himself greatly from the rather evil looking face of the statue. He crawled backwards from it, gasping for air as he kept his eyes on it.
Once he was far enough away, he took a moment to compose himself, reassuring himself that it was just a lump of stone. Something shimmered within the vegetation that consumed the base of the statue, piquing his curiosity. With a calming breath in and out, he slowly walked towards the vegetation, making quick glances to the statue every now and then. With a deep breath, he grabbed a handful of the plants and pulled them away from the stone, tearing leaves and branches to get to his goal. The bright golden plate shimmered in the sunlight, blinding Entropy ever so slightly as he read the title of the plate.
‘Discord, the spirit of chaos. May his reign of terror never come to pass again.’
“Discord?” He said to himself. As he stared at the statue. “Why does that sound familiar?” A shiver ran the length of his spine as he could hear laughter drift along the wind. Something wasn't right with this statue, like he knew there was more to the cold stone than meets the eye. Floating the blanket towards him he slowly walked away into a clearer area, far away from Discord's statue, occasionally passing glances at it as he walked.
Regardless if it was just a statue or not, that thing creeped him out.
Entropy sighed as he stretched on the rooftop, soaking up the spring sun and listening to the teachings that his mother gave Sunset. He'd been 'spying’ on them for a few years, picking up things here and there. Ways to reduce blowback chance, increasing the overall magic pool, and so forth. Of course, the two knew that he was spying on them and even invited him to learn, but, he denied, opting to take the 'cooler’ and ‘stealthier’ option.
Pushing the sunglasses onto his brow, he stared blankly at the spires of the castle, watching birds make nests in the holes that couldn't be patched up. He thought about telling Sunset about the dream he had long ago, but figured she already had enough on her plate, what with her studies. ‘Being mom's student is hard enough. He thought, as he slowly tuned their conversation out. 'She doesn't need my problems and worries.’
He closed his eyes and let out a longing sigh. What he was yearning for, he didn't know, he only knew that he wanted it. A sense of understanding he guessed, something that would show him what was happening to him.
“One can dream, huh?” He asked nopony in particular, sitting up and cracking his back, before sliding his sunglasses back onto his nose and beginning to walk towards the window that he crawled out of. Sliding through the opening, he landed onto the tile floor with a thud. His saddlebag was stuffed into the corner under the window, which he himself had heavily modified to fit comfortably on his back. Rummaging through the backpack, the name he had so proudly given it, he pulled out a journal that he was writing in. With a single white quill, he opened the journal to a blank page and began to write.
'I've been thinking about that dream again, no matter what I do I just can't push it out of my head. What the heck does it mean? On another note, Sunny has been acting weird recently. She's more… controlling I guess, more commanding. I don't know what's going on with her. It's like I can't do anything without her knowing or without her approval. Hell, she's shouted at Rose a good few times when she thinks I'm not around. Maybe it's stress? I don't know. I-'
“My lord?” Somepony asked, causing Entropy to jump and press too hard onto the page, breaking the quill in his hands and spilling the ink in it and smudging the page. “My lord, you should really be careful with that stuff.” Entropy mentally sighed, as he turned to face the pony who was speaking. A noble filly called 'Silky Sky’. A filly that ever since his eleventh birthday tried to get on his ‘good side’ by sticking to him like glue. Although that's only when Sunset isn't around, like right now.
“Oh, Miss Silky.” He said as he began to clean the spilled ink with a handkerchief as Silky began to trot over to him. 'Happy’ with his work, he folded it up, and shoved it back into his pocket. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh nothing my lord, nothing at all. I was just wondering what you were doing in such a, ugh, dirty and dank corner of the castle.” She visibly shivered, as if the words were just as disgusting. Packing away his things, Entropy met her half way, taking her hoof in one hand and gently kissed it. Earning a short giggle from her. “Oh my, since when were you a charmer, hmm?”
"One question at a time.” He sang waving a finger back and forth. “ As to your first question, I was basically sunbathing on the roof.” He shrugged, slugging his backpack over his back. “As to your second question well, I know how to appreciate beauty when I see it.” Resisting the urge to throw up, he smiled as she giggled, lifting a hoof to her mouth as she did so.’Ugh, how does mom put up this this stuff.’ He thought as he let go of her other hoof. “May I ask what you are doing in the castle?”
“Well i was on my way to see-.” And like a light bulb, he switched off. Paying little to no interest to her. He sighed mentally nodding every now and then, 'ohh-ing’ and 'ohh-ing' as she talked. He trudged along side her, thinking of ways he could get out of this terrible conversation when he was suddenly teleported about a thousand feet in the air.
“Huh?” He stood frozen in midair for a few seconds, blinking a few times before plummeting to the ground, screaming like a filly as he waved his limbs back and forth. His backpack was torn from his back, spilling their contents all over the castle grounds. “What the hell?! Did I just teleport?! ACK!” He coughed and sputtered as he got a face full of cloud, passing through with a 'pomf’. The wind stung his face as he picked up speed, threatening to tear his skin.
Concentrating, Entropy cast a levitation spell on himself, slowing down fast enough for him to collect his thoughts. “What just happened? I know I didn't cast a teleportation spell, especially considering the last time I tried to teleport something.” He shivered at the thought and held his chest, remembering the painful sensation. A flock of birds squawked above him, pulling his attention from that particular memory, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him. As he stared beyond the city spires.
In the distance, he could ponyville. Managing to calm himself down properly, he adjusted his spell slightly, allowing him to pass through the air gently, as if he were a balloon tied to a stone. It put some stress on his matrix, but nothing like it used to be. 'I guess practice does make perfect.’ He thought to himself, making himself drift towards his mother's chambers.
“Okay, now that I'm not going to die anytime soon, what in Equestria is goin' ON!” He shouted to the heavens, waving his around. “I know my magic has been acting weird lately, but still!”
“Hohohoho, it is strange isn't it?” A familiar voice said, knocking him from his ramblings, instead searching for the disembodied voice.
“Who's there?” He asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. Suddenly, the castle rumbled and rocked, cracking and breaking. Flag poles fell, colliding with the ground below as the castle... transformed into a blank face, sort of resembling his own face, the white stones melding and knitting together, simulating what he could only guess to be flesh. The white stone faded into a bright pink as 'eyes’ formed and locked onto him.
“Hello!” the face beamed cheerfully, as the rocky mountain twisted acting as a neck for the face getting a better look at him. Entropy could only stare in shock and disbelief, not fully comprehending what was going on. It stared at Entropy in confusion. “Hellooooo, can yooooou heeeearrr meeeee?” It drew out its words, speaking loudly.
“Wha-, what the hell?”
“Hey! Watch it sailor! I'll tell Tia on you.” it joked.
“Zyon? What's go on?!” He asked, keeping himself still in the air with his magic.
"well….” The world around him faded to black as he lost control of his magic. He fell with a high pitched scream, falling into an endless void, the velocity making his stomach twist and turn. He landed with a quack onto a bed-like floor that squeaked, barked and various other sounds with each step. The checkered blue and pink pattern messed with his eyes, dazing him momentarily. “This is a sort of…test.” It said, echoing within the limitless space he found himself in.
“Test? What kind of test? I thought you said I wasn't supposed to be here yet!” Silence was the only answer he received. “Oh come on! You can't just drop this on me!” A sigh left him as he awkwardly walked along the 'Ground’, picking a random direction, the random noises quickly irritating him. “Okay, so I must be having some sort of very vivid dream. Realistic dream? Oh ponyfeathers, I don't know anymore. More to the point, when did I fall asleep? Can somepony pleeeease explain this to meeee?”
“Well, you're right about one thing. You are having a dream.” Sunset spoke, popping into existence with a flash of magic. Entropy's scream was less than manly. Landing on the ground with a beep, he scrambled away from Sunset, leaving a cartoonish after-image of white cloud.
“W-wha? Sunny, what are you doing here!?” He pointed an accusing finger at her from his defensive stance.
“What do you mean? You wanted somepony to explain.” Sunset said almost robotically, tilting her head to the side, never blinking.
“Well, I-, Gah! I'm so confused!” He gripped the sides of his head, shaking it side to side, before coming to a realization. “Wait, you're here because I asked somepony to explain?” She nodded, saying nothing. “Okay, so that must mean you're not actually Sunset, right?”
“Correct, I am a mental construct created by your wishes. Basing my form off of your friends.” She blinked.
'Okay, totally not creepy at all.’ Entropy thought as he relaxed somewhat.
“Okay, so there's no point freaking out about this stuff, I guess. Take it all in stride. Even if it does weird me out. Alright, why the hell am I doing this test? And what do I do?” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“As to the first question, I'm afraid I cannot answer. Not because I do not know, but because I am prevented from doing so by Zyon. As to the second, it's simple, anything.” Entropy's mental gears stopped turning, failing to comprehend. Fulfilling its purpose, the image of Sunset vanished in a flash, leaving him once again alone.
'Anything?’ He repeated mentally, scratching his chin. “Is it really that simple? It's not like what she said is really all that helpful.” He deadpanned.
“Whelp, better start with some lighting I guess. Ahem, let there be light!” He proclaimed in the darkness.
Nothing happened.
“Damnit!” He slammed his foot on the ground in frustration.
“Ah, rats.” He sighed disappointedly, snapping his fingers. Suddenly the ground rumbled and shook, knocking Entropy down onto his butt. The ground erupted not two feet away, a huge flood of multicolored rats bursting out like a geyser, spraying the rodents everywhere.
“Oh for the love of-! I didn't even mean that. For crying out loud, dream, pick your rules and stick to them! Dirty, stinking, cheater.” He pouted and crossed his arms, glaring at the ever flowing river of rats. Before long, an epiphany reached him and he tore his gaze from the rats to his hand. 'I summoned them by snapping my fingers, right? So what if I…?’
“Begone?” He questioned, snapping his fingers, his eyes widening as every rat disappeared. “Okay, so I have to snap them to trigger it. If only magic was like this.”
“What would be the fun in that?” A clone of Entropy said as he stepped out from behind him, dressed up in Butler attire. Entropy stared at the clone in shock before signing and making the 'I dunno’ sound.
“I guess it would be easier, you know, to snap and do whatever you want.” Leaning back, he fell onto a plush bench that appeared, sort of resembling a chaise longue.
“Easy things that come to you are bad my friend, at least that's what I believe.” Another clone said as it appeared dressed up in a business suit and glasses, writing something onto its clipboard. The first close went about dusting nonexistent shelves. “I mean, think about how proud you felt when you learned how to do magic.”
“True. I guess. Man, none of this makes sense.” Entropy groaned rubbing his face.
“Sense? Where's the fun in making sense? Order and harmony. Such things, while good, can also be bad in large amounts. After all, perfect order and Harmony is nobody having any individuality or fun at all.” Entropy blinked, unfazed about the fact that he was now upside down dressed in a pink tutu and having a tea party with himself in all red clothing. The clone in front of him was- “And another thing you! We're not clones you prick!”
“W-what?”
“Nothing, nothing, just teaching you not to disrespect us.” The….other Entropy said, in fact let's call him red, humming a small tune. 'Ooohhh-kay?’ The original thought as he rubbed the back of his head. “Anyway, what's happening bub, looks like something's eating you”
“I don't know, this all feels….familiar, like I've been here before. In this... endless void.” Entropy said taking a long, spanning look around the place as he found himself.
“You have, well one of you has,” Red continued, “The feeling of déjà vu will pass, it's most likely from Zyon when he was here. Now, how about some music?” Adjusting his shirt, Red snapped his fingers, a group of Entropy's im mariachi band, complete with sombreros and ponchos as a few more tables flashed onto existence. Some were upside down and floating, while others were sideways. Each of them was filled with two or more Entropys, each varying in clothing. Some left their seats and began to dance as the band played, some shape shifting and playing pranks on each other.
“Okay, I know I said I didn't care anymore, but this is messing with me baaad.”
“Why should it? We only exist because of you. You're mind is subconsciously creating us.”
“I know!!” The original Exclaimed, as shown by the exclamation marks. “It's just super weird!”
“I guess, by your current idea of normalisation, this is weird. But to us, it is delightful chaos!” Red laughed, throwing his arms up in the air, spinning in a swivel chair. “And that's completely different!” 'How in the hell is that different?’ Entropy thought as four candles jumped onto the table, before lighting themselves on fire. Another Entropy appeared, dressed in a full piece waiter suit with a bushy moustache, holding a silver tray, two wine glasses somehow balanced off of each other but never touching the tray. Next to the glasses was a bottle of chocolate milk.
“A bottle of the finest choccy milk, made in nineteen sixty-six. I do hope you enjoy.” The two glasses and the chocolate milk floated towards the two before sitting in the table, the bottle pouring the liquid into the glasses by itself. “If you need any assistance, please give me a call.” And with that he vanished.
“Ahh, some good old vintage chocolate milk.” Red sighed blissfully, swirling the liquid along the lip of the glass, taking a whiff of the aroma before gently nursing it, sorta like one would do with a good scotch or whisky.
“Is it even safe to drink that? It smells...off” The original said, poking the glass. Red shrugged as a downed the remaining liquid. He hummed with caution as he picked it up and took a swig. “Huh, not bad."
“That's the beauty of chaos, me. Anything can be everything. As long as you wish it to be.” With a piercing crack, Red took a large bite out of his glass, humming in delight from the 'taste’. “So, you gonna try something?”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Well, I mean you haven't really tested out your ‘powers’, have you? Well, apart from a failed attempt to create light.”
“Hey! I'm doing my best here! This isn't exactly how I'd thought I'd be spending my time, ya know!” Red said nothing, flashing the original a smug smile, irritating him to no end. “Grr, fine!” He snapped his fingers, changing the scenery of the void. Multicoloured strands of light and magical energy wove together, creating a chaotic sky. Gold, gray, purple, the background never stayed the same, always switching at least three colours at a time. Rocky, stone staircases sprouted from the ground like thick trees, sometimes leading to a door, sometimes leading nowhere. Some were as small as mice, some were as large as buildings. A large chunk of the ground was ripped out, floating high into the air as liquid gold materialized and carved its way out of the floating chunk, flowing further up as it burst out of one side, rounding back down towards the ground, the tip of the stream fading into nothingness before it touched.
A huge, life-like version of himself rose in the distance, dressed in a green gown and tiara. holding a flaming torch in the air and holding a book of some sort close to his chest. Red whistled in astonishment as he stroked his white goat beard that had just showed up.
“Nice touch with the statue of liberty. Veerry niiiice.” He clamped his teeth around the stem of the wine glass, crunching on the shards before chucking the remainder of the glass away, unfazed by the explosion that followed suit. “Yes, I think it's almost time.” He smirked and with a snap, every Entropy disintegrated before the original, who looked on in horror. The waiter from before grabbed onto the originals shoulder with a vice like grip, staring him in the eye with desperation as he whispered.
“.....I don't want to go….” The desperation in his voice shook the original to the very core as he disintegrated into a pile of ash.
“W-what…..what did you do!?” The Entropy shouted at Red as the world returned to its original state, the blank void sending chills down his spine. He could no longer tell if he was upside down or not, but then again, he guessed it didn't matter anymore.
“Nothing. At least, not yet. You did well enough. Someday you'll be able to cause delightful chaos, how unfortunate that time hasn't arrive yet.
Princess Celestia shivered slightly as the cold air began to affect her, if only barely. It wasn't too far into winter so the pegasi haven't made it that cold yet. Celestia sighed as she reminisced about her sister. The time for her return draws ever closer with each passing winter as the stars will soon help her escape. While her return will still take several years, to Celestia who has waited centuries, a few years is nothing.
“Oh dear sister, I wonder if you've forgiven me? Oh, who am I kidding, of course, you haven't, I haven't even forgiven myself” Celestia mumbled to herself while absentmindedly looking around. She was currently in the royal garden, specifically where all the stone statues are. Despite the protests of her guards and assistant, she was currently by herself and unprotected. Well, as unprotected an Alicorn princess of the sun can get anyway. She did still possess powerful magic after all.
“Yet it wasn't enough to save you Luna” Celestia thought woefully as she began to feel tears well up in her eyes, however, she was interrupted by what sounded like…a crying baby. That's odd, why is there a baby here of all places?
Celestia immediately got up from her sitting position and tried her best to focus on the sound. After listening for a bit she pinpointed its location and began to go after it. The crying sounded like one a scared child would make. Celestia ran past statue after statue as the sound got closer and closer. She finally stopped when she got to the source of the sound, it was as she suspected. A child was responsible for the noise, a very young one at that. This poor thing couldn't have been more than a few months old. It was all swaddled up and next to...Discords statue. No, that doesn't matter, what mattered now was the baby.
“My goodness, how in Equestria did you end up here by yourself?” The baby took notice of her and reached out for her as if asking for her protection and love. Both of which Celestia was more than happy to give. Her horn lit up in a golden aura which soon enveloped the baby as well, floating it towards her. A regal hoof wrapped soon wrapped around it and Celestia teleported herself and the baby to her bedroom.
“Ok, time to warm you up” Celestia whispered gently as she went next to her fireplace and lit it. “Well now, I guess you're a he” Celestia giggled as she unswaddled the baby and spread her wings nice and wide as she brought the baby closer, much to the baby's delight as he cooed softly and cuddled into her.
“Such a sweetie, I wonder how and why he's by himself. In any case, I'll watch over him until I figure out what to do with him” said Celestia not noticing the mystery baby had climbed on top of her back. She only noticed when he suddenly flopped onto her back, once again cooing as he tried to push himself deeper into her fur.
“My goodness, how did you manage to get up there? You know what, now that I think about it we need to get you some clothes and food if you're hungry” Celestia carefully stood up with him on her back and began to walk out of her bedroom to seek out some food first. If he's anything like a foal, he'll want some milk. Her schedule wasn't that full today anyway, so she can spare some time to help.
“There we go little one, drink up. You need to keep your strength up,” said Celestia feeding the baby with a bottle. Both the baby and the bottle were being levitated by her. He's drinking it earnestly, which is good because it shows his appetite is still doing fine. Once he was done she proceeded to burp him, once he did she once again put him on her back and walked back to her bedroom. The new clothes she asked for will be there soon and he needs a bath too. Once they arrived Celestia made a beeline to the bathroom to commence the bath. Celestia filled up the tub and checked the temperature to see if it was ok, with a nod she levitated the baby over to into the water. He started giggling the moment he entered the water, good, he seems to be in good condition as well, despite being outside for who knows how long.
“Who's happy he's getting a bath? You are! Yes, you are!” saying this resulted in more giggles from her new little friend, much to her joy. Still, why did this child appear under the Discords statute? In all the years of looking at that statue, this was the first time it felt like it looked back at her. Which is quite incredible considering his eyes are closed. A sudden splash of water to the face brought her out of her thoughts. Smiling to herself she got into the tub with him, making sure not to accidentally hurt him. “You're lucky I need a bath too mister” her only response was him splashing more water at her. He's certainly lively, that's good. It would be sad if he wasn't.
“Come here you!” Shouted Celestia as she tried to grab him as he giggled nonstop. Even though she was smiling and having fun she knew that the hard parts are still to come.
"By the end of today I have to find his family or find him one, such a tiny thing could never hope to survive by itself" Celestia thought to herself as she bathed the child. Who would do such a thing as to leave a baby out in the cold? Celestia would have a thing or two to say to them if they are found. A random blast of water to her face brought her out of her thoughts as she looked and the baby was laughing and spinning in place as well.
"Such a random child" Celestia muttered as she kept cleaning him, she managed to clean him up in record time and went on to bathe herself, which took a little longer considering she was bigger than the baby. A few knocks on her door caught her attention.
"Who is it?" Celestia asked as she dried the baby and herself with a simple spell.
"The clothes you asked for are here princess, where do I leave them?"
"Give me a second I'll be right there!" Shouted Celestia as she went to the door, she quickly thanked the maid who brought her the clothes and left to put these clothes on the baby. Once she was done she silently squealed as he looked so cute in these new clothes. When she heard more knocks she groaned and opened it to see one of her guards standing there.
"Princess Celestia, Day court is about to begin"
Celestia kept up her smile and answered with "Very well, let's be off" and floated her new friend to her back. Before she passed the guard she looked at him and asked "Oh, by the way, see if you can get some toys and tell the kitchen staff to stock up on baby food"
The soldier nodded and saluted before wandering off to complete the task. Celestia couldn't help but smile at the thought of the stuck-up nobles' faces when she shows them the boy.
"Princess? What is that...that...thing!" Said a noble as he pointed a hoof at her side where the baby was playing.
Celestia breathed deeply through her nose and rubbed the side of her head, this wasn't as fun as she thought. " He, not an it" she simply replied.
"Ok, but how do you know he isn't dangerous?" Spat the noble with nothing but the venom in his voice
"He's a baby Shining light, not a monster and I will not humor this so please hurry up and speak your request," Celestia told him with spite evident in her voice, so he shut up about it and asked his request. At this point all this is white noise to Celestia, her thoughts were still occupied concerning the baby, she should name him. It's getting redundant calling him the baby.
"Hmm, what to call him, what to call him, What could I possibly call him? The name needs to reflect his personality" Celestia thought back to the baby, he seemed to act a little randomly, more than most babies do. "Well I suppose I'll just give him a temporary name until I fully decide, how about Entropy, that seems like a good one, he seems random enough for a name like that after all"
"My princess, are you listening?" Asked Shining light which snapped Celestia out of her thoughts. Celestia chuckled awkwardly and sat a little straighter before clearing her throat. "Forgive me, I was lost in thought. Please repeat what you were saying"
"Well as I was saying I think we should take Griffonstone from those foul Griffons. It island they are not using to its fullest and it's being wasted on savages like them!" He finished his sentence with a hoof stomp as if to accentuate his point.
Celestia barely held back an eye twitch as she heavily sighed, why were so many of the nobles so racist? One of these days she'll need to give all the nobles a stern talking to. For now, she'll start with this one. Her powerful gaze made the noble put his ears against his head and gulp in fear.
"Why in Equestria would we do that? Sure they aren't always the nicest creatures, but that doesn't mean we should invade them!"
"B-but Princess Celestia, they are barbarians and they eat meat!"
Celestia merely shook her head and retorted with " So? Every creature has different dietary needs! Dogs and cats eat meat and so can we in small amounts. I'm sorry, but if this is all you came here for then I suggest you leave and any other pony with ideas or requests similar to yours may leave too"
Shining light bowed and left the room with his head down. A few nobles also left the room while glaring at Entropy, only to look away as Celestia glared at them even harder. The rest of day court did go a bit better, but like always it was pretty boring. The only slightly interesting thing that happened was when Entropy needed his diaper changed and Celestia had to pause day court to change him. While it is true Celestia loves all her little ponies very much, they can be a lot to handle.
"You know what, I think I'll cut day court short for today, today is all about you Entropy," Said Celestia to Entropy who wasn't paying attention. She giggled and lightly nuzzled his face making him laugh.
"Your majesty, are you coming back?" Asked Raven inkwell or just Raven as everyone calls her.
"I'm afraid not, tell everypony day court will end a little early today"
Raven nodded and pointed at Entropy "Does it have anything to do with him, your majesty?"
"Yes, yes it does. I'm going to see if I can find his parents, worst case scenario I give him up to an orphanage. Speaking of which can you find me a few, you know, just in case?"
"I see, very well. I shall Inform everypony that day court is done for today and look for orphanages, although I hope you can find his parents and give them a stern talking to" And with a bow, she left Celestia alone with Entropy. Who out of nowhere began to cry.
"Shh, shh, it's ok. You're ok, I've got you" Celestia gently rocked him with her magic and gently hummed a lullaby which greatly helped to calm him down "Are you hungry? Or are you just cranky? I'm pretty sure it's time for you to eat again. Let's go on an adventure to the kitchen!" Celestia gently moved him around in the air which he seemed to like as she was hearing nonstop laughter from him. The walk there was uneventful unless you count the odd look now and then from passing castle staff, but they knew better than to question the princess.
"Up up and away!" As soon as she said that Entropy posed with his legs straight and arms in front of him
"Wee! Super baby!" Said Celestia as she moved him around in the air.
"He's so fun to have around, I haven't been this happy in a while!"
"Time to land weeeee!" She told Entropy as she put him on her back. Once she was at the door to the kitchen she opened it much to the joy of the servants who bowed.
"Princess Celestia to what do we owe your visit?" Asked a unicorn mare who smelled like pastries.
"Oh hello Cookie Dough, do you have the baby food I asked you to stock up on," asked Celestia with a kind smile.
"Oh! Why yes I do! What flavor would you like for the little one?" Asked Cookie Dough
"Can I have some peas and carrots along with a few that have some kind of fruity flavor?"
Cookie nodded and floated the little jars over to Celestia in a bag.
"Thank you very much Cookie"
"No problem your majesty, I hope the little one enjoys them"
Celestia chuckled at that and began to head to the door. " I'm sure he will"
However, Raven Inkwell suddenly appeared at the door." Oh there you are, I was looking for you, I have found a few orphanages you might want to see and left the notes in your room and have ordered the guards to start searching and asking for information on a creature similar to the baby"
Celestia nodded before saying." Very good, I shall review them tomorrow" after that she began to walk away but was stopped by Raven's voice.
"Um, Princess I recommend you review them as soon as possible, I fear that if you wait too long you might get too attached"
Celestia merely sighed before responding with "Very well, stow your fears, I shall review them as soon as I get to the room. Also tell everypony I shall be canceling night court today as well, you are dismissed" she ended her statement with a wave of her hoof.
"Thank you princess and goodnight" And with that Raven walked away to a different part of the castle.
"I'm not going to get attached" Celestia looked at Entropy and couldn't help but smile at his cute little face.
"I know it will probably hurt when you leave, but it's for the best" Celestia once more began her walk to the room. It was almost time to lower the sun and raise the moon too.
Celestia sat on her bed with Entropy by her side who was looking tired as he let out a little yawn and began to suck his thumb. Celestia giggled at the sight," We should get you a pacifier, let us hope tomorrow brings good results sweetie"
Sunset yawned as she walked the streets of Canterlot, more specifically, towards Donut Joe's. The young prince, in a similar state as Sunset, walked alongside her. Enjoying the sound of grinding rocks and gravel, taking in the sights and smells of Canterlot, waving at ponies as they bowed to him. Two expressionless guards silently trailed behind Sunset and the prince on their walk, two more trotted in front of them deterring those who would interfere with them.
“So, what's your favourite….drink?” Sunset said out loud, watching the city life flow by her. With summer just around the corner, Sunset could see ponies of all types galloping around, splashing in puddles of water kept cold by unicorns, or with an ice cream held within their grasp.
“Uh, chocolate milk, duh!” Entropy said with a ludicrous gaze, as if it was the obvious choice.
“Oooh, chocolate milk, I haven't had one of those in ages!” Sunset said with a dreamy look upon her face. Donut Joe's came into view, a blue, single-story, square building with a cartoonish donut sign nailed onto the roof. The donut was a rich chocolate color with pink icing and blue sprinkles. It was all wooden, so it wasn’t particularly good to eat.
She breathed in the smell of freshly baked dough. The air was filled with a sugary tint, the kind that you could taste at the back of your throat without causing discomfort at all. Her hooves tapped against the black-and-white checkered floor, the freshly cleaned tiles creating a reflection of Sunset and Entropy, his rubber shoes squeaking on the tiles, irking the other ponies in the establishment to no end. Donut Joe, stood behind a purple bar, with a clear glass case off to the side displaying various doughnuts of all colors. Behind the pony, racks upon racks of the freshly-baked doughnuts cooled to an edible state, permeating the room with their scent.
Her mouth watered as she strolled towards Joe, the guards taking up positions beside the doors, their stoic faces waiting and watching for any sign of trouble.
“Howdy Sunset!” Joe proclaimed as he ducked behind the bar, doing who-knows-what. “What can I get you and the young prince today?” He continued, calmly waving to Entropy with a smile. The calm facade didn't fool her though, she was sure he was freaking out on the inside.
“A baker's dozen of your strawberry and chocolate chip doughnuts, please-” Sunset said, looking up at him since she only reached near the halfway point of the bar.
“And a chocolate milkshake!” Entropy cut in. Unlike his friend, Entropy was now tall enough to look at the pony without straining his neck, his eyes rested above the horizon of the bar, thanks to an unusual growth spurt that not even the royal scientists could not figure out. He offered the working pony a sweet smile that only children could somehow pull off. With his wide smile, a missing front tooth could easily be seen, giving the child a very slight lisp.
“Yes and a chocolate milkshake, better make that two, please.” Sunset sighed and shook her head with a smile. The pony nodded, running a large beige hoof through his dark brown mane. As the bulky stallion went to work, Sunset thought on the past year learning from Celestia's school. She remembered helping to teach Entropy to speak and read, upon the princess’ request, and he has made astounding progress. He still had problems learning words and writing them down, but then again, who doesn't at that age?
She remembered how jealous Entropy was of her expertise of magic and wanted to use it himself. He would pick books at random, most of them being too advanced for him to understand himself, but the fire within him refused to stop burning when he became stuck, often coming to Sunset with a list of words he hastily wrote down with crayon. She felt sorry for him, for neither she nor Celestia could detect a ‘Magical Matrix’ in him, something that enabled each of the pony races to use some sort of magic. He would often stare at unicorn guards and servants that were using magic, writing down notes and questioning said ponies about the topic. She jumped out of her reprieve as a single box of doughnuts dropped onto the table, stamped with 'Donut Joe’s Doughnuts™’ in blue fancy writing. Alongside the box slid two glass cups with a brown iced liquid, red and white paper straws stabbed through the thick drink.
“Here you go, that'll be five bits, please.” Sunset levitated the golden coins onto the counter and the two walked to the nearest booth, which just so happened to have a large window facing the streets of Canterlot. Dropping the drinks and the box gently onto the maroon table, Sunset sat down by the window, bathing in the sunlight that streamed through the window. Entropy walked over and sat next to her, having momentarily forgotten what he was doing at the time.
Entropy poked at the condensation on the glass with a finger, seemingly enjoying the cold layer of water. A small sigh of content passed his lips as he drunk heavily on the milkshake, amusing Sunset greatly as she sucked on her own milkshake. The pair enjoyed their 'meal’ in silence, enjoying each others company. This was the first in a long time that the two of them could venture out and visit Canterlot freely. The both of them rarely had any spare time to spend together, mostly having to go to lessons or do chores, or sometimes both, depending on the day.
Sunset spared a glance towards Entropy, who was current relishing the chocolate shake.
“Whatcha thinkin bout, Sunshine?” Entropy asked, tilting his head slightly with a small smile;
“Nothing much.” She sighed, before she gave him a sly grin, “You smelly monkey.” The glare he gave her was pure satisfaction.
“Humph, you have to do better than that Sunny.” Stuffing a doughnut in his mouth, he turned to view the populous of Canterlot. Being in the middle ring of the city, Entropy could see all manner of ponies going to and fro. Shops ranging from designer clothes, to knick knacks and props. The ponies there were happy, regardless of how rich or poor they were, something that couldn't be said about the upper ring of Canterlot, where the ponies were mostly narcissists and snobby. That being said, you do, occasionally, get the same snobbiness here. However, the instances are rare.
Later on that day, both bellies filled, Sunset and Entropy found themselves in a study room. The earthy scent of books filled the room as dust drifted on the wind, glinting in the beams of warm sunlight. Entropy sat in a dark corner of the room, completely unnoticeable unless you knew he was there, old worn down books laid in a semi-circle around him that were filled to the brim with ancient magic and scrawlings made by great wizards of old. One particular book caught his attention, a book about basic teleportation. He couldn't read the title of the book as it had new words that he had never heard of before and he didn't want to disturb Sunset with it. Despite this, he continued to read the obviously advanced book for him, ‘basic be damned’, and took notes on his notebook, equations and mathematics that he could ask one of his teachers about later.
A thought came to his mind while he was reading, if he couldn't do the most basic of spells, then he had no hope of learning spells like teleportation. So, with a heavy heart, he set the book aside and picked up another, one with a much easier title to read. 'The Fundamentals of Levitation.’ After a brief read, he closed the book and set it on the ground before shutting his eyes and cleared his mind before focusing on the brown book in front of him. An image of the book materialised in his mind, with heavy breathing he lifted his arm up and out and visualised the book lifting from the ground.
He cracked an eye open to check. Nothing. The book lay lifeless on the ground, unmoving. Disgruntled, Entropy tried again, focusing harder on the lifting, and less on what it looked like. Droplets of sweat formed on his brow, dripping down as he grasped at too-small threads of what he thought was magic. He checked once more, the same result present in front of him, causing to gave up, for the moment.
“Horseapples.” He cursed, falling to the ground with a disheartened thud. He wanted to learn magic so bad it was killing him. But he knew that building up magic and using it was just like any other skill. He'd just have to keep on trying till he got it, and nopony could stop him. Still, he can't help but feel jealous of ponies like his mother and Sunset, ponies gifted in magic and among the strongest of their kind. It doesn't help when he might not even be able to use magic in the first place.
No matter what event through his mind, one thing was certain. He will not give up.
He can't.
A few days had passed since then, all of them spent practicing magic on a medium-sized red mug. Entropy's eyes were level with the desk, concentrating solely on the mug, blocking most everything else in his line of sight. Like before, he cleared his mind and pictured it levitating a few inches above the wooden surface. Entropy soon heard soft tapping emanating from the desk as the handle, hidden behind the mug, was wrapped in a grey-ish aura with light golden filaments dotted here and there. Slowly beginning to lift the mug millimetre by millimetre, the strain on the handle caused it to wobble slightly.
“Yes!” He shouted as he raised his hands in triumph, only to cause him to lose his grip and drop the mug back onto the desk. “Oooh, sugar honey ice tea.” He sighed in disappointment as he slammed his head down. 'Look at you, laughing at me with your...muggyness...nis.” He thought as he glared at the inanimate mug, mocking him at his failure to do basic magic. Just then, three knocks came from the door. “Come in!” The large grey stone door opened swiftly and quietly, no doubt due to various enchantments, revealing the pony behind it. “Hey, mom!” Entropy greeted the alicorn as he turned his head to see her.
“Hello, my dear.” Celestia said as she strolled into his room, opening the window and the blinds covering it, letting rays of the afternoon sun bleed into room. Entropy hissed like a snake and covered his eyes with his arms. “Oh, hush. This room is way too stuffy, and you need the fresh air.” Entropy grumbled as he buried his face into the nook of his elbow of one arm and motioned a 'go-away’ signal with his other. “Any luck?” She said with a frown as she sat on her haunches next to him, rubbing his back with a hoof.
“Kinda-sorta.” He said with a shrug, sighing as he enjoyed the back rub. “ I managed to lift the mug for a few seconds, but that's it.” He sighed, resting his chin on his arm and stared at the mug, lost in his own thoughts. “You need me for something?” He asked, scooting his chair back away from his desk and standing to attention. She motions him to follow her, to which he complies as he walked beside her, her wing guiding him along.
“Yes, I do. While I am beyond happy to hear you are getting a grip of your magic situation, I have something important to tell you.” She started as she matched his slow pace. “My niece, princess Cadence, should be arriving in about a week, and she's been very excited to meet you as of late. So, when she does arrive, I want you on your best behaviour alright? None of your pranks, none whatsoever. Alright?”
“Yes mom.” Entropy replied, disappointed as he slid a small book titled 'Epic Pranks’ back into his pocket. “I’m guessing she was sent there for diplomatic reasons?”
"Kind of. It's more like a vacation of sorts, spending casual time with king Ironbeak, a good friend of mine. Do you know who he is?” She asked him, tilting her head in his direction.
“Yep, second son of the late king Asvarkin, head of the Valkyrie clan, second most powerful clan in Griffonstone.” Celestia's eyebrows rose in shock, before sighing with a shake of her head and a soft smile “What?”
“You've been spending to much time with Sunset. Not many know that sort of information offhoof, my son.”
“Yeah well, once you start reading, sometimes you just can't stop.” With a shrug, Entropy dove his hands into his pocket and looked at the city life below him as the two of them passed by the many windows of the castle. A silence had fallen between the two, not an awkward silence, like one that would usually follow after Entropy told a very bad pun; a content, blissful silence.
“So, how are your studies going?” Celestia asked after a while of walking, curious of her son's school life.
“Alright I guess, made a few friends here and there. I'm getting better at math and equish.” He counted off of his fingers as he spoke. “Magic…well you already know about that. And Sunset helps me with things I don't understand. “He shrugged, his hands sliding back into his pockets. “That's about it.”
"I see, well perhaps your magic is just different sweetie"
"Different how?"
"Magic can come in my different forms, I remember they told me you had no magic yet that has been proven false,it may simply be that you have a new form of magic we do not yet know how to detect"
"Yeah that is true, I'm gonna go wait for Sunset. See you later, mom.”
“I- w-wait!” Entropy waved a hand back, ignoring what she was about to say, and jammed his hands into his pockets, walking down a passage leading to the gates. “No goodbye kiss for your mom?" Celestia sighed as she began her journey back to her throne room.
Entropy sat on the steps of Celestia's school, waiting for classes to end. He watched the weather pegai push large fluffy clouds around the sky, losing himself I thought. 'Why was this school called 'Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns’ if mom barely teaches there? Did she fund it herself?’ He asked himself before shrugging it off. A golden glint caught his eye to the left of him, a royal guard that was instructed to follow the young prince, the light reflected off his armor.
Entropy grumbled as he noticed his unkempt hair and pulled a rather large brush somewhere out of his pocket and combed his hair. In the corner of his eye he could see a small group of three colts walking up to him with smirks on their faces. 'Oh, great. It's them. Wonderful, just what I need right now’. Yes it was in fact his bullies from school, however not all of them. Two are missing from their group. Neither of the three seemed to see the guard to the left of him, perfectly obscured by the staircase.
“Well, well, well, look what we have here. It's the freak.” The leader of the group says as he stops a few metres away from the staircase. The guard immediately flinches, an angry scowl on his face as he turns to scorn the bullies, only to be stopped by Entropy, raising a hand and shaking his head slightly. The guard stiffly nods back, obviously perturbed.
“Good evening, Box Cutter.” Entropy sighed out as he watched the group snicker behind the leader. Box Cutter was a light grey bulky unicorn with a darker grey mane and tail with large brown eyes that had a few freckles underneath each of them. He had no cutiemark, unlike his 'friends’. To his left was Sugar, a light green pegasus with a lighter shade of yellow for his mane and tail with bright green eyes.He has a golden blueberry muffin as a cutiemark. And finally on his right was Rosary Pea, a lanky earth pony mare with a crimson coat and black mane and tail and frosty blue eyes. Her cutiemark was three red and black peas connected to a beautiful white flower by a few vines that wrapped around each pea. Entropy honestly felt sorry for the mare, being the younger sister of Box Cutter, she was often forced to go along with her brother's antics. The shy mare mouthed sorry at Entropy when their eyes met.
“So who left a turd like you on the steps of the most famous school in all of Equestria?” He asked mockingly, looking smug as he usually does.
“No idea, but it somehow rolled onto the ground and started to talk to me.” Nonchalantly, Entropy leaned back, propping himself up with his elbows.
“Tch.” His smile narrowed and quietly trotted towards Entropy, leaning towards him in a threatening manner. “So, somepony is acting tough all of a sudden.” He snarled, glaring at the prince. “What, are you stupid or something?.”
“Not as stupid as you, apparently.” Entropy pointed to the guard beside him, the cold glare he was giving Box Cutter made him blanch as the colour drained from his face. “Did you really think I wouldn't have a guard by me at all times? By Celestia, you're really dumb. Now I think you and your friends should leave, don't you? Don't want to be put on the record at your age, huh?"
“You're gonna regret this.” Box growled before galloping away.
“Toodles!” Entropy waved at them as they ran, giving Rosary a genuine smile. He gave a nod of gratitude towards his guard before watching the sky again. 'Kinda wish I brought a book with me’.
Sharp continuous ringing awoke Entropy from his daydreaming, jumping as the unexpected sound scared him. A large group of ponies galloped down the steps, oblivious to him and leaving cloud of dust in their wake. Gaining control of his heart and senses, he painfully turned to face the entrance of the school, as a lone amber unicorn that he had become familiar with walked out of the school, their eyes immediately catching each other's gaze.
“Heya, Sunny!” He shouted, waving a hand back and forth, catching passing glances from nearby ponies. Blushing in embarrassment, Sunset swiftly jammed a hoof in his mouth.
“Shut up, dung head!” She glared at him, an embarrassed blush spread ear to ear, to which he smiled innocently. Carefully, she removed her hoof before huffing and trotted down the steps.
“Hey, wait up!” Entropy pounces from the steps and landed next to the mare, matching her pace.
“So, what are you doing here anyway. Shouldn't you be studying or something?” She asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Eh, I've already gone above my quota for today. Besides I wanted to hang out with mah best bud.” He shrugged, wrapping an arm around her.
“Ooh, a new word. Where'd you pick that up, a dictionary?”
“Why yes I did, thank you.” He beamed, giving her a noogie.
“Ow! Hey, I'm older than you, I'm supposed to do that to you!” Pulling him into a headlock, and grinding her hoof against his head violently.
“Ow ow ow! Hey, quit it! Guard she's attacking me, do your job!” The amused guard snickered behind his hoof.
“I'm sorry, my lord. You brought this on yourself.” He said, his laughter barely holding.
“Gah! You're the worst guard on the planet!” Entropy shouted as he pointed towards him, shattering the guard's steel will and causing him to breakout out in laughter. Finally, after a full minute of torture, Sunset relented her attack, leaving a small pillar of grey smoke billowing from atop of Entropy's head. Mumbling, he rubbed his sore head and glared at the bane of his existence. “My hate for you is beyond words.”
“And yet, you still hang around with me.” She smirked as she started to walk again.
“So, where we headin?” He asked, at a much safer distance from his tormentor, staring daggers at her head.
“Well, I still have to study for an oncoming test, so I can't really do anything with you, unfortunately.”
“Aww man.” Entropy's shoulders sagged, disappointed.
“Buuuut, I suppose since you're here, you can walk me home. But, you have to carry my bags!” She added after the look Entropy gave her.
“Done deal!” He exclaimed happily, taking off her saddlebags and throwing them over his shoulders, jogging in front of her. “Come on slowpoke!”
“Wah-? Hey!” Sunset stammered before galloping after him. “Slow down, ya idiot!”
Early in the morning, around one o'clock, Entropy laid on his bed concentrating hard on a small ball of yarn floating in his aura, a beaming smile scrawled across his face. Its golden filaments illuminated the room like a disco ball. With light gestures from his hands the ball rolled in mid air, slowly separating the strands from each other and becoming a long, single strand of thread. The singular strand circled the room multiple times before reforming into a ball again. With a yank of his arm, the ball came rocketing towards him and almost pelted his face, him catching it with only centimeters to spare.
“Well, that was close.” He muttered to himself as he chucked the ball into his bedside table. Barely holding in his excitement, he concentrated on a book on the other side of the room, extending his arm. Exactly like the ball of yarn, the book was surrounded in his magical aura, levitating it off of the ground and gently floated towards him. Opening the book to a random chapter, he placed the book into his waiting hands.
“Ha ha! Yes! I finally did it!” Shutting the book and laying it on the ground, Entropy took a deep breath. “I can't wait to try other spells.” He whispered to himself before groaning in pain, the pressure caused by the spell putting an agonizing level of pain in his head, as if something was hitting him with a mallet. “Ouch, maybe I should focus on mastering levitation first before trying other spells.” Harrumphing, Entropy curled into a ball, hugging his duvet tightly as he buried his face into the pillow.
Entropy groaned as sunlight passed through his curtains, hitting him square in the eyes, a monstrous headache spreading deep within his head. Groggily, he got out of bed and landed on his face, his headache worsening. 'Ugh, why does it have to be a school day?’ He asked himself as he got off of the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes while he was making his way towards the bathroom to get ready for the day. Freshly showered and a clean set of pearly white teeth, he donned a suit of smart clothes. A buttoned, black shirt with a light maroon tie, its shell hidden behind the tough collar of the shirt. A pair of dark gray trousers hung slightly loose on his frame for better movement, tightening around the ankle. Blue socks were hidden by a pair of smart black shoes. Most of these articles of clothing where experimental for his tailor, apart from the socks and tie.
With a stretch, he took one last look around his room. It wasn't special, no nicknacks or other things to give his room any personality, apart from a few books littered around here and there. With light breath, he opened the door to be greeted by a royal guard.
“Good morning, my lord!” The cheery face of the guard bolstered Entropy's mood greatly, partially forgetting his headache.
"Morning!” Entropy waved at her with a contagious beaming smile. The guard trailed behind him as they walked in the direction of the castle entrance. Entropy rarely noticed any difference between the guards due to their armor enchantments, even if they were different races. They either had white coat with blue manes and tails or a dark grey coat with white manes and tails. They even had the same cutiemark! This guard, however, was different. She was a pegasus and had a light blue coat with a yellow mane and tail, with a strange shade of yellow for her eyes that Entropy just couldn't figure out. Her cutiemark depicted a yellow lighting bolt. Lightly-plated indigo armour rattled with each step she took, a streamlined helmet rasping against her side.
“I don't want to be rude or anything, but why don't you look like the others?” He questioned as he strolled along side the guard.
“Huh? Oh! Well I'm a lieutenant of the third branch, thus I am allowed to switch the enchantment on or off when I wish.” She smiled sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. “By the way, my lord, my name is Yellow Flash.”
“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Yellow Flash!” Entropy gleefully said as he stuck a hand, to which Yellow reciprocate with her hoof. Which was kind of awkward due to the differences. The kind-hearted guard stiffened as, what Entropy could only assume was, her superior rounded the corner.
“Captain!” She saluted with a hard voice.
“At ease, lieutenant.” He replied with a wave of his hoof, acknowledging both of them with a simple nod. “My lord.” Entropy nodded to him, creeping him out with his dead dull-blue eye. Entropy shivered once the captain left from sight, leaving the two of them in a respectable silence.
“Captain Cross always gives me the creeps. I mean, he isn't a bad pony, but that eye of his? Uuugh,” Entropy shivered again, “I know it isn't his fault, but still.”
“I know exactly how you feel, his cold uncaring gaze terrifies the rookies. But eventually you get used to it. Now, come on, we don't want to be late now do we?”
“Ugh, when school is involved, I don't care if I'm late. Especially if Cutter is there.” He grumbled, sliding his hands in to his pockets.
“He still giving you trouble?”
“Yeah, but nothing I can't handle. I mean, he's the one stupid enough to make fun of a prince.” The pair came across a set of stairs, leading to the entrance of the castle.
“Hey, wait. Aren't you supposed to have a bag with you?” Yellow asked, blocking the sun's rays with a hoof as they crossed the threshold.
“Yeah, but I left at school by mistake. I'm just glad we had no homework to do.” After a brief moment of thinking his face paled. “I hope.”
"Ok class, I want all of you to hand in your math homework, please.” A rather chubby pink mare said over the chorus of ponies speaking to their friends, walking down the rows of desks.
“Ponyfeathers.” Entropy cursed under his breath, having forgot his homework. Rummaging around his modified saddlebag, he faked looking for his homework, despite knowing his fate.
“Entropy, your homework?” He froze, fearing the face of his teacher. Biting the arrow, he looked up from his bag with a nervous laugh. He found it hard to focus on anything other than her eyes, while they weren't angry or disappointed, he didn't want to know how they would react to what he was about to say next.
“I, uhhh. I seem to have-”
“Entropy, please don't tell me you've forgotten your homework?” The teacher looked at him with concern as she brushed a lock of her snow white mane out if her face. “I-.”
“Here it is! He dropped it on the ground.” A filly said next to him as a sheet of paper dropped onto his desk, surprising him. The usually shy Rosary Pea raised her voice to draw the teachers attention, as well as the whole class, taking her sudden puff of bravery. His eyes flicked to the sheet of paper, noticing the recently erased name of the filly behind his own hastily written down name. Picking up the paper up with a hoof, she scanned over the numbers written in the boxes next to the questions with an intense stare.
“Very good, Entropy. Full marks.” She said, handing the sheet to him, all answers ticked.
“T-thank you miss Pinkheart.” His head snapped to Rosary with enough force to crack his neck as the teacher left, making the young filly to wince. “Why did you do that!” He whispered harshly. “Now you're gonna get in trouble. I'm grateful yes, but why?”
“I don't know. I just...did.” Shrugged, not looking him in the eyes as if she were being scolded by a parent.
Entropy didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything, feeling guilty that she did what she did for him. She was held back after class, as he knew it would happen, which made him feel worse as he left the class for break, watching the filly as he did.
After around ten minutes, he counted, Rosary was let out to join the rest of the children, only to be pulled aside by her brother, rather violently from the looks of it. From his spot in the playground, Entropy stood up and began to walk towards the three of them, catching a glimpse of Sugar's tail. From what he could see and guess, Box was trying to force his sister to climb the tree, for some stupid reason, making her distraught and panicky which made Entropy speed up considerably. But, he was too late as she reluctantly started to climb, managing to reach a good three quarters up.
“Rosary, what are you doing!?” The young prince shouted, drawing the attention of everypony and nearly scaring her off of the branch that she so happens to be perched on, clinging for dear life. “What in the name of Tartarus below have you made her do, Box!?”
“What?” He half asked, half laughed, as if it was the most funniest thing ever created. “She needs to get over her shyness, it's honestly such a pain to even be related to a filly like her.”
“Are you mad!? What if she falls!?”
“Who cares, prince, she's an earth pony, as disgusting as it is, she'll live a small fall. Besides why do you care, you're Royalty earth ponies are below you.”
'Ooooh, you're soooooooooooooo gonna get a punch in a second, Box.’ A snap brought Entropy out of his thoughts as Rosary yelped. Without warning the branch snapped, causing her to fall, fast. Upon instinct, Entropy raised his hand and tried to levitate her, only to rapidly slow her descent. Knowing that it was without a doubt possible for his spell to fail, he quickly walked under her, ready to catch.
And fail it did.
