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“Adult male. Non-Equestrian. Alicorn.”
At first, Celestia thought she’d misunderstood. Male alicorn? Surely her guards had made a mistake. But when she asked them to repeat, they said the same.
“Adult male. Non-Equestrian. Alicorn.”
It was impossible - Celestia had tracked every living alicorn since Cadence’s ascension. There were only 6 - Luna, Cadence, Twilight, Flurry, Cassiopeia, and herself.
Perhaps he was a hybrid, a rogue changeling, a different species unknown to Equestria… because Celestia knew the existence of another alicorn wouldn’t have just slipped past her like this.
But now she was looking at him, a boy confined to chains, ring around his unicorn horn, chains draped over his wings. And there was something so unsettlingly familiar about him. She’d had years of practice to make sure she appeared completely neutral when interrogating foreign visitors, but she couldn’t help the way her eyes widened, the way she frowned in genuine confusion.
“You Celestia?”
She blinked when she heard him speak, realizing his accent was not an Equestrian one.
“Speak when spoken to,” a guard growled into his ear, shoving a hoof into the boy’s shoulder. His eyes did not stray from Celestia’s, and instead, he scoffed, fangs showing as he gave her a humorless smile.
“I’ve heard about you,” he spoke again, which landed him another shove, this time against his chest.
“But I’ve not heard of you,” Celestia finally willed herself to speak. She lifted her head just slightly, looking down at him from her throne. “Why’ve you travelled to Equestria? Your accent isn’t from here.”
His eye contact was almost unsettling, and the way they glowed so familiarly… Celestia could’ve sworn she knew him from somewhere, or at least met him before.
“I’m here for the throne,” he finally responded. The guards beside him laughed, but Celestia’s frown only deepened. She felt a shiver go up her spine as she began to put the pieces together, but… there was no way he could be who she thought. It was impossible.
“Many have tried to take the throne, and none have succeeded. It’s not within your rights regardless.” Celestia paused for a moment. “Is that all?”
He laughed. “It’s within my blood right.”
The same guard shoved into him again, and Celestia’s eyes landed on her soldiers. “Take him away,” she directed, projecting her voice as calmly as she could.
As the guards began to drag him away, he squirmed against them, kicking. “Ask me who I am!” He shouted, his green eyes staring into her purple ones, piercing into her like knives. “Ask me.”
Celestia didn’t respond, but didn’t avert her eyes, either. She could hear his growling from across the room.
“I’m Panther, son of Luna, rightful heir to the throne.”
And at that, she was standing, eyes wide again, looking from him to the guards, to the mosaics on the wall picturing her sister, Luna, and looking back to him again. The guards had stopped pulling him away, planted there in disbelief.
“Liar.” She’d said it coldly, but watched as he laughed again in response.
“Nice to finally meet you, Auntie.”
%%%%%%~
notes
At first, Celestia thought she’d misunderstood. Male alicorn? Surely her guards had made a mistake. But when she asked them to repeat, they said the same.
“Adult male. Non-Equestrian. Alicorn.”
It was impossible - Celestia had tracked every living alicorn since Cadence’s ascension. There were only 6 - Luna, Cadence, Twilight, Flurry, Cassiopeia, and herself.
Perhaps he was a hybrid, a rogue changeling, a different species unknown to Equestria… because Celestia knew the existence of another alicorn wouldn’t have just slipped past her like this.
But now she was looking at him, a boy confined to chains, ring around his unicorn horn, chains draped over his wings. And there was something so unsettlingly familiar about him. She’d had years of practice to make sure she appeared completely neutral when interrogating foreign visitors, but she couldn’t help the way her eyes widened, the way she frowned in genuine confusion.
“You Celestia?”
She blinked when she heard him speak, realizing his accent was not an Equestrian one.
“Speak when spoken to,” a guard growled into his ear, shoving a hoof into the boy’s shoulder. His eyes did not stray from Celestia’s, and instead, he scoffed, fangs showing as he gave her a humorless smile.
“I’ve heard about you,” he spoke again, which landed him another shove, this time against his chest.
“But I’ve not heard of you,” Celestia finally willed herself to speak. She lifted her head just slightly, looking down at him from her throne. “Why’ve you travelled to Equestria? Your accent isn’t from here.”
His eye contact was almost unsettling, and the way they glowed so familiarly… Celestia could’ve sworn she knew him from somewhere, or at least met him before.
“I’m here for the throne,” he finally responded. The guards beside him laughed, but Celestia’s frown only deepened. She felt a shiver go up her spine as she began to put the pieces together, but… there was no way he could be who she thought. It was impossible.
“Many have tried to take the throne, and none have succeeded. It’s not within your rights regardless.” Celestia paused for a moment. “Is that all?”
He laughed. “It’s within my blood right.”
The same guard shoved into him again, and Celestia’s eyes landed on her soldiers. “Take him away,” she directed, projecting her voice as calmly as she could.
As the guards began to drag him away, he squirmed against them, kicking. “Ask me who I am!” He shouted, his green eyes staring into her purple ones, piercing into her like knives. “Ask me.”
Celestia didn’t respond, but didn’t avert her eyes, either. She could hear his growling from across the room.
“I’m Panther, son of Luna, rightful heir to the throne.”
And at that, she was standing, eyes wide again, looking from him to the guards, to the mosaics on the wall picturing her sister, Luna, and looking back to him again. The guards had stopped pulling him away, planted there in disbelief.
“Liar.” She’d said it coldly, but watched as he laughed again in response.
“Nice to finally meet you, Auntie.”
%%%%%%~
notes
- Celestia absolutely knew what was up the moment she saw Panther, but she was in denial until he actually confirmed her thoughts aloud. Panther looks just like his mother, from the hair, to the mannerisms, down to his eyes. And Celestia’s pretty sure she knows who his father is, too.
- Luna happens to be in Ponyville when this happens, so she has no idea what’s going on yet, but she will soon.
- Celestia still counts Flurry Heart as one of the 6 alicorns even after her horn gets blown off, because technically she still is one.
- There’s a lot that leads up to Panther’s first visit to Equestria, and I’ll have pieces for that part of the story up later.
- Panther decided to come alone, but he has a method of communicating with his zebra tribe (using his unicorn magic) if he needs to.
- Panther’s motivations aren’t just “mom abandoned me, i want the throne cuz it’s mine.” Growing up, he heard tales of the famous Equestrians, their advanced technology, their sustainable lifestyles. He and his zebra tribe never had that. Equestria drowns themselves in riches while ignoring every other nation in the world, even though they have the means to help. But they never have. Panther thinks it’s his turn to share all that wealth and live expensively, comfortably. That’s only fair, right?
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