To Begin Again

The trip back to the castle was eerily silent. Ever since he woke up, the prince didn't want to do anything but to follow D's advice and just embrace his new family as he wanted to. Yet even when he showed more affection toward his aunt Celestia, Blueblood couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, especially since she and the other elements seemed to be distant from him.

Not in hatred or fear, but more of concern. Well, all minus Rarity who was resorting to simply gives him the cold shoulder for some reason. The prince wanted to ask what was happening, but the moment his aunt told him that they needed to talk, he knew that it was something serious. Wanting to keep it private, he just kept quiet and compiled as he was discharged from the hospital, then saying goodbye to Thorax and Spike. They both excused themselves saying that they needed to take care of some important business and would come back later on. Since using magic was still dangerous for his health, and somehow Blueblood was still incognito, Twilight and Celestia resorted to using a magic special bubble that created a mirage around him, making him look like a colt to any pony that sees him. All that and the occasional glances that Princess Celestia keeps giving Blueblood were enough to make the whole walk rather tense.

The moment they entered the castle and the funhouse spell was lifted, the prince was guided to the living room where Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor were already waiting from him, and the chairs of the room rearranged to form a circle.

Oh boy, I think I know where this is going...

"Ah…is this some kind of intervention?" The prince asked, faking confusion as he looked back at the group, who all simply went and took a seat, leaving the couch for him.

"It is, nephew." Princess Celestia told him with a nod as she remained by his side. "Please take a seat."

The prince keeped looking back at her confused for a while before finally doing as she said. The princess took a seat next to him in the process.

"Ok so, what is this all about?" The prince asked, looking around the room.

"Before we begin, we just want you to know that everyone here loves you Blueblood." Celestia told him.

"And we are concerned for your well being." Twilight continues.

"That is why, if there is something that you would like to tell us, we will be more than willing to listen cousin." Cadence said with a smile placing a hoof in her chest. "Aunt Celly and I have been talking with the others and they told us that you might have…experienced something bad." Her expression turned to concern. "So please help us remove our fears and tell us. Is there something you want to talk about?" She asked him with a small smile as all eyes landed on the prince.

Blueblood's eyes widened in surprise at the question.

They know? How? I was very careful about hiding it, when did they find… The Prince shook his head and closed his eyes. No, no more lying! Time to come clean.

The prince sighed and opened them again before looking at everyone "Actually, there is something that I need to get off my chest." He mentions with a sigh. All the princesses and Starlight smiled a little in content. "Unfortunately, it's something kind of hard to explain..." He mentioned, looking unsure.

"There is nothing to worry about Blueblood, you can trust us." Starlight reassurance him with a smile. "Whatever it is that you want to tell us, we'll believe you."

"Plus you have me on your side, dear nephew." Luna told him with a smile ."You have my word that I will back you up."

"Thanks, aunty," He told her with a smile. Her words helped him relax more as he took a depth breath and weighed his thoughts, trying to find how to start his story. "I don't know how much you know already, or even if you suspect it. So I'm just going to come up and say it. Almost a week ago, I had a…" He thought hard not if he should tell the truth or not, but rather, how to describe his current situation. "…a close encounter with my own death." He finally mentions, earning a collecting of gasp throws out the room. "No, it was more than that." He said, shaking his head, before looking at everyone in complete seriousness. "I, Prince Blueblood, for a very brief period of time, actually died and then came back to life."

"Wha…What?!" Celestia yelled in alarm and Luna had to calm her down before she took off from the shock. "Sister, please calm down, and let our nephew explain."

Celestia looked back at her. "We promised that we'd listen, didn't we?"

After recovering a little, Princess Celestia nodded and after taking some deep breaths managed to sit down. "Please continue nephew". Luna encouraged him with a wave of her hoof.

"Yeah please explain, because ever since they told me about it this, I've been having a hard time believing that you actually died." Dash explained, rather confused.

"Wait, you knew?" Blueblood asked perplexedly, as Twilight nods.

"We all had our suspicious at first."

"I can tell when someone is afraid sugar cube," AJ told him with a smile, "And when we met at the farm you looked like you just saw a ghost, something that by no means was easy. With all that fur of yours, I almost didn't notice how pale you were." AJ said with a small chuckle.

"Also before going out for ice-cream, you clearly looked like you just cried." Twilight pointed out.

"And ever since the garden I have been having this feeling that you have been holding something back." Cadence chimed in.

"We all had our suspicions but it was Fluttershy who helped us understand." Twilight said.

"Really?" The prince looked at her and she just nodded.

"My little animals friends can sense when a pony is about to, had an experience, or apparently in your case come back from dying." Fluttershy explains as Owlowiscious flew in and landed on one of the chairs near the sofa next to Blueblood. "To them, you feel like a loved one that has returned. That is why all of them are and probably will always be so friendly toward you." She explains as Owlowiscious nuzzled his face.

"So that is why? I was kind of wondering why animals loved me so much recently..." The prince said with a small chuckle before resuming his story. "But you are right, I found out not too long ago and well, that kind of revelation is kind of scary so, I didn't want to tell you at first."

"I still don't understand." Celestia mentioned in worry. "How did this happen?"

The prince just shook his head at that reply. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer for that one. When I realized what was happening, I was already on the Soul Road." He said with a sigh.

"I can confirm it sister." Luna mentions looking back at Celestia. "I don't know all the details but when I explored his mind, his memories showed me his experience there. All of what he is saying is the truth." Luna said.

"Wait you knew?" Celestia looked back at her in anger. "And you never told me?"

"Our nephew was scared and needed to clear his mind," She defended herself, "I was confident that he would tell us as soon as he was ready."

"But you could have trusted me..." Celestia told them with a hurt expression, making the prince sigh and look down in shame.

"I was scared, I thought that if you knew the truth, you would destroy me."

"What?!" Celestia yelled in surprise. "Why would I do something so horrible?"

"Sister please!" Luna tried to calm her down. "Let him finish" She pleaded.

"There is more?!" She looks back at Luna in shock.

The prince nodded with his eyes closed before addressing everyone in the room again. "Unfortunately, this is where things get more complicated and I need you all to promise…no to swear to me, that you will believe me." He mentioned with a small glare. "Because as strange as this going to sound .SERIOUS" He said, marking the final words with a clap of his hoof.

The others look back at Applejack that looks back at them "He's being serious." She confirmed with a nod.

"Is this by chance related to why you have lingering body memories that weren't there before?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, and the prince nodded.

"You see, right now I'm the Prince of Canterlot, Blueblood, but in my previous life, I was known as Albert Vasilios, a being from another universe know as humans." He mentioned, and closed his eyes as there was a synchronized row of gasp on the room.

"Wait so you are telling us that you came from the world that Sunset told us about?" The voice of Twilight made him open his eyes and jerk his head upwards immediately. "Wait, what?! You…you know what a human is?" He asked in complete and utter shock.

"That can wait for later, right now we are talking about you, and how did you end up with a human soul?" Twilight asked confused at the revelation.

"A-Are you, s-some kind of ghost?" Fluttershy wondered, starting to get frightened.

"See?" He said pointing at her. "Right there, that is exactly why I was so wary of telling you about this." He mentions with some irritation, making Fluttershy whimper and back away at his reaction.

"Nephew please calm down." Luna told him.

"Well, what were you expecting us to believe after hearing that?" Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hoofs. "If you are telling the truth and you are a human, how come you end up in that body?"

"And more importantly, where is the original Blueblood?" Cadence asked with a raised eyebrow.

The prince just sighed and put his hoof down. "That is the only thing I don't know, the only thing I know for sure is that he and I ended up in the Soul Road almost at the same time." He then looks at the princesses. "Then you made a wish toward a shooting star that was aiming at him, yet instead of its original target, it found me, and in doing so, brought me back to life."

"And Blueblood?" Princess Celestia asked in worry, yet her fears were confirmed once he shook his head in shame "I'm sorry aunty, everything happen so fast, but the last time I saw him, he…" The prince closed his eyes at the memory, which was still fresh on his mind "…got too close to the light, and was engulfed in flames before disappearing."

The room stays quiet at the revelation. No one really knowing what to say or think about it, until the prince tried to grab Celestia's hoof. "Aunt Celestia I…" She just retracted her hoof and stood up before trotting out of the room.

"Tia wait." Luna said, giving chase, Cadence also following in worry shortly after.

Twilight stood up and is about to do the same when she stopped and look back at the prince, who just kept looking down in shame before looking at the rest of the group. "You should go after her as well."

"Agreed, let's go." Twilight said, beaconing to the others to follow, yet Blueblood remained seated.

"What are you waiting for Blueblood? Let's go."

He simple shook his head. "Right now I'm the last pony my aunt wants to see, to her I'm just a reminder of how she lost a relative and got replaced by someone else."

"Cousin..." Twilight tried to reach him with her hoof but he simple backed away with his eyes closed. "Just go. I need a minute to process everything as well". He looks back at her. "Alone."

Twilight retracted her hoof, and after a sigh reluctantly agreed and left him alone in the room with just the pet owl.

It's done The prince looked back at a picture of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on a coffee table . It's all in the open now, the only thing left is to wait and hope for the best

The owl came back and nuzzled him again, trying to make him feel better as the prince just pet his head in thanks.

In one of Twilight empty rooms

After checking that no one was using the room, the monarch of the day entered, closing the curtains and locking the door before kneeling in front of the bed, finally letting go of her mask to whimper and cry. Memories of the good times she spent with her nephew flashed in her head, as painful reminders of her failures and how, despite how hard she tried, she made a monster. Now she will have to live knowing that her blood relative ended up in Tartarus because of her. Fears of being hunted now shake her whole body in a cold sweat, as the shame continue to drown her, the memories feeling like hot knives that pierced her heart.

"Tia what are you doing?" Luna asked her, now standing behind Celestria, the door now destroyed thanks to a magic blast.

"Luna?" Celestia asked, looking at her in surprise "How did you found me?"

"Come on Tia, even if we are not twins, I can always know where you are, and that is not what matters now. Why did you run off?"

"Lulu..." Celestia looked back at the bed in shame. "Am I cursed? Is anypony I genuinely love destined to be tormented with suffering and pain?"

"What?" Luna asked in shock.

She snapped back at her. "I sent you to the moon, I constantly send Twilight to life-threatening missions, our family died because of me, and their last offspring is now gone forever because I did a lousy job raising him. He isn't even given eternal rest! As we speak, he is probably being tortured in Tartarus, and all of this is my own fault!" She said with tears in her eyes.

"Enough Tia!" Immediately Luna slapped her face, catching Celestia off guard. "For pony's sake, you also need to stop with this ridiculous blaming game." She said in anger before holding her shoulders. "What happened to the old version of our nephew wasn't your fault. You treated him with love and care, and even if he was spoiled, in the end the decision to turn into an inconsiderate, self-centered and manipulative brat was and always will be HIS choice. He picked that road and no-pony else made it for him. Not me, not the nobles and especially not you. It was HE alone who made the choice, and now he must live and die with the consequences of it."

"But Luna…"

"But nothing. Yes I know, it's sad that he ended up like this, and justice must be served to whoever ended his life, but right now you are being extremely insensitive sister!" She mentioned, stepping back and pointing to the wrecked door frame. "Out there, there's a poor scared soul, one that has to suffer just as much as we did about his previous life, and you are ignoring him just because you can't stop blaming yourself for the mistakes of others!"

"What?" Celestia asked in alarm.

"It's not my place to tell you Tia." Luna mentioned, looking down. "It's his story ,and he has the right to tell it. But I can tell you this; just like us, the only thing he wanted was to start anew, and it took a lot of coaching and a chat with the personification of death itself for him to let go of his fears and let himself be happy. And I would be damned if I'm going to let you ruin that chance for him." Luna told her, letting Celestia go.

"But…what happened to our nephew…."

"It already happened." Luna remarked "And as crude as it sounds, there is nothing else we can do other than move on." Luna smiled and offered her hoof to her sister ."It might have not be like we wanted, but this is still our wish Tia, we made this happen, and that boy deserves a chance. Please, sister, lets be a family once more. I'm not trying to say that we should completely forget the other Blueblood; I'm saying that even if the soul is different, that pony right there is still our dear nephew and he needs both of us more than ever. So please, I beg you, don't push him away, like you pushed me."

Celestia looked at her hoof and nodded, before taking Luna's hoof to bring her sister into a hug. "You are right Lulu, even if it's sad, we shouldn't dwell on the past anymore. Our nephew needs us just as much as we need him."

"You especially." Luna remarked. "I already had my heart to heart with him."

"Yeah..." Celestia ended the hug and give her sister a small glare. "We are going to need to talk about that too later on."

Luna just chuckle and shrugged. "You snooze you lose sister."

"You control the dream realm!"

"My point exactly."

Celestia is about to continue bickering when the voice of Cadence caught their attention. "Aunt Celestia?" She asked from the entrance, as the rest of the elements walked in with her, all who had worried expressions. Twilight was particularly confused yet surprised, seeing how the door was destroyed. "Are you ok?"

Celestia smiled, and ending the hug addressed everyone in the room. "Yes I'm fine now niece, I apologize for my earlier outburst."

"Ah, it's ok princess, we get it." AJ mentioned. "Family is family right, it always hurts seeing someone go."

"Even if that someone is an inconsiderate, egotistical, rude, petulant…" Rarity started to rant until she sees everyone staring at her "…right, not the time, sorry" She mentioned with a small blush.

"What we are trying to say here is that this is kind of a bittersweet moment, it's sad that his old version died, but at the same time he kind of came back too…sort of, and he is nice and wanting to be a better pony" Cadence said with a smile

"Yeah! So instead of being sad that a bad pony died, we should celebrate that a very nice one arrived!" Pinkie suggested.

"Erm, I would hold off on that last part for a while Pinkie..." Dash suggested "You know? Maybe after this whole thing stops being weird?"

"Okie dokie!" Pinkie quickly said with a smile.

"Plus there is still so much more that I need to ask." Starlight mentioned. "I mean with all that just happened, we didn't even ask his story, or how he died or anything of his previous life." She said with some intrigue. "And he must have had a very active life if he knew how to make flips like those..."

"It is indeed a very,…interesting story." Luna comments looking away. "But it's best if he tells it himself."

Celestia looked at the group with some confusion. "And where is he now?"

Twilight just sighed and looked down. "He decided to stay in the living room princess," She said in sadness, "He thought that you wouldn't want to see him at the moment after what happened."

"Oh…I see..." The princess said as Luna gave her a small glare.

"In that case, I should go and clean the mess I created." She mentioned as she stepped out of the room.

"Yes, you should." Luna whispered as she and the rest of the group followed suit.

Back in the library

In an attempt to distract himself from the tension, the prince resorted to look around the books on the bookshelf, trying to find something to read, stopping occasionally at a title he found interesting. Yet when trying to use a spell, the dampening ring acted up, stopping his attempt and give him a wave of itchiness at the base of his horn.

Stupid magic dampening ring

The prince cursed internally while scratching his horn, finally resorting to using his teeth to pull out the book, resulting in a bunch falling on top of him. As he steps out from the pile, he flinched and closed his eyes, almost having to kneel in pain thanks to his injuries being touched.

Once recovered, he got quite spooked when Princess Celestia stepped into the room, looking at him with some worry, the rest of the group behind her looking at him as well.

"A…I mean princess..." Blueblood said, looking away. His words hitting hard on the monarch heart.

"Sorry for the mess, I'm still getting used to this no magic thing, don't worry I will clean…" Before he can pick a book the princess uses her magic and levitates them all back to their shelves. "…them up" The Prince finished, looking back at the shelf and then at the princess, who keeps staring at him.

"Look, princess, I understand how you must be mad at me right now. What happens to the prince was something really sad, and I'm sorry for your lost. By no means, I intend to replace him or anything. That would be insensitive, I just wanted to start once more as part of your family, but if you wish me to move out of the castle and just go away, I will do…" Before the prince could say anything more, he found himself brought into a big hug.

"Please forgive me" She said in between sniffles. "I did something horrible when I didn't realize how you must have felt, so please don't go." She tightened the hug. "I already felt the pain of losing a family member, please don't make me feel it again."

"I don't understand, aren't you mad at me for taking over your nephew's body?" Celestia steps back to look at him without ending the hug. "No matter how it happened, you are still my beloved nephew, and that is never going to change. I love you nephew" She tells him before resuming the hug.

Feeling a lot better, the prince doesn't have any problem in returning the gesture as everyone watched with teary eyes. "I love you too, Aunty Celly."

"…So do we just keep calling him Blueblood? Or…" Dash wondered making everyone look at her in confusion.

"What? I just want to avoid future confusion."

The prince just chuckled at that and shook his head "Blueblood is fine Dash, it kind of grew on me." He told them with a smile.