My Little Lion King

Chapter 6

In the gorge that's just a few miles outside of Canterlot, Prince Artemis and Dusk Shine walked up to a rock underneath a small tree. "Now you wait here." Prince Artemis said as Dusk Shine sat down on the rock. "Your father has a marvelous surprise for you." "Oooh. What is it?" Dusk Shine asked. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Prince Artemis asked. "If you tell me, I'll still act surprised." Dusk Shine said. Prince Artemis chuckled and said "You are such a naughty colt." "Come on, Uncle Artemis." Dusk Shine said in a begging tone. Prince Artemis shook his head, and said "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is just for you and your daddy. You know, a sort of father-son...thing. Well, I better go get him." As he turned to leave, Dusk Shine got up to follow him, and said "I'll go with you." "NO!" Prince Artemis snapped. He quickly regained his composure, and as he made his nephew sit on the rock, he laughed a little, and said "No. Just stay on this rock. You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the siren ponies." "You know about that?" Dusk Shine asked in shock. "Dusk Shine, everypony knows about that." "Really?" Dusk Shine asked feeling meek and embarrassed. Prince Artemis nodded and said "Oh, yes. Lucky Daddy was there to save you, eh? Oh, and just between us, you might want to work on that little magic of yours. Hmm?" "Oh...okay." Dusk Shine said as Prince Artemis started to walk away. "Hey, Uncle Artemis, will I like this surprise?" Prince Artemis looked at his nephew, and said "Dusk Shine, it's to DIE for." He then walked off.

Above the gorge, a herd of buffalos were eating some grass while Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze were hiding under a rock arch, and waiting for the signal from Prince Artemis. Aria Blaze's stomach growled, and Adagio Dazzle said "Shut up!" "I can't help it, Adagio!" Aria Blaze said. "I'm so hungry! I gotta have a buffalo!" "Stay put!" Adagio Dazzle said. "Well, can't I just pick off one of the little sick one?" Aria Blaze asked. "NO!" Adagio Dazzle said. "We wait for the signal from Prince Artemis." Just then, Prince Artemis showed up, and gave the siren ponies the signal. "There he is. Let's go." Adagio Dazzle said as she, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze started to do there job. Back in the gorge, Dusk Shine was sitting on the rock, waiting for Prince Artemis and Prince Solaris to arrive. "Little magic." He said as he pouted. "Puh!" Suddenly, a lizard appeared, and Dusk Shine tried to fire his magic at it, but it only came out as a spark. As the lizard walked past him, Dusk Shine tried it again, but it still came out as a couple of sparks. He jumped down, and tried again. The magic fired, and hit the lizard as it ran off, and the noise echoed. Dusk Shine smiled, but then he heard a low rumble He looked down to see some pebbles, and looked up at the rim of the gorge to see the herd of buffalos running down, and towards him. He gasped in horror, and started running for his life.

Above the gorge, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze had chased all of the buffalos down the gorge as Dusk Shine continued running for his life. Two miles away, Spike was riding on Prince Solaris's back when he spotted the herd of buffalos, and said "Oh look, sire. The herd is on the move." "Odd." Prince Solaris said. Suddenly, Prince Artemis went up to his brother, and said "Solaris, quick! Stampede! In the gorge! Dusk Shine's down there!" Prince Solaris's face paled in fear as he said "Dusk Shine?!" In the gorge, Dusk Shine ran as the herd of buffalos caught up with him, and he climbed up a dead tree, and held onto the branch. As Prince Solaris and Prince Artemis ran to the gorge, Spike spreaded his small dragon wings, and flew ahead of the princes, and went down into the gorge. He looked around, and spotted Dusk Shine. Spike went up to Dusk Shine who said "Spike! Help me!!" "Your father is on the way!" Spike said. "Hold on!" As he flew off, Dusk Shine almost lost his grip, and said "Hurry!" Prince Solaris and Prince Artemis went down on the ledge, and looked around. Spike landed near Prince Solaris, and pointed at Dusk Shine still hanging on the dead tree as he said "There! There! On that tree!" Prince Solaris looked at his son, and said "Hold on, Dusk Shine!!" One of the buffalos rammed into a tree, nearly breaking it as Dusk Shine screamed in terror. Prince Solaris immediately rushed to the rescue as Spike said "Oh, Prince Artemis, this is awful! What will we do?! What we do?! Hah! I'll go back for help, that's what I'll do! I'll go back for-!" Prince Artemis had enough of Spike's babbling, so he pushed him into a rock wall, knocking him out cold.

Prince Solaris rushed through the herd of buffalos, and one of them ran into him. He looked up to see one of the buffalos ran into the tree, breaking it, and throwing Dusk Shine in the air. He screamed, but his father jumped up, and caught him with his magic as Prince Artemis walked along the ledge. Prince Solaris rushed though the heard of buffalos, and one of them hit him, making him drop Dusk Shine. He dodged some oncoming buffalos, and Prince Solaris caught his son with his magic. He jumped to a near rock ledge, and set Dusk Shine down, but he then got struck down by a buffalo, and got carried off into the stampede. "DAD!" Dusk Shine cried out in terror as he tried looking for him in the swirling mass of buffalos below him. Then at the last second, Prince Solaris leapt out of the herd of buffalos, and held onto the rock slope much to the relief of Dusk Shine. One of Prince Solaris's wings was broken, but he made it out ok. As he started to climb up with great difficulty, Dusk Shine turned, and climbed up to the top of the gorge. Prince Solaris then reached a point where he couldn't climb any longer due to the steepness. He looked up at Prince Artemis who walked up to the ledge, and said "Artemis!" He almost slipped, and said "Brother! Help me!" Prince Artemis just looked at his brother disdainfully, and then suddenly latched onto Prince Solaris's hooves. Prince Solaris hollared in pain, and he looked up at his brother in horror as Prince Artemis said "Long live the prince." He then threw his brother backwards. Prince Solaris free-fell, and screamed as he fell to his death, and Dusk Shine cried out "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The herd of buffalos passed, and everything was clouded in dust as Dusk Shine bounded to the gorge floor. He coughed from the dust and said "Dad!" There was no answer because he was nowhere to be seen. Dusk Shine heard a noise, and said "Dad?" But it was only a stray buffalo who was running to catch up with the rest of the herd of buffalos. It went past the broken dead tree where Prince Solaris was laying on his side. Dusk Shine looked on in horror as he ran up to his dead father. He gently approached the dead body, and in a hopeful tone, he said "Dad?" When there was no answer, Dusk Shine said "Dad, come on." He gently nudged Prince Solaris's head as he said "You gotta get up." There was still no response. "Dad." Dusk Shine said as his voice cracked from sadness. He gently pushed his father as he said "We gotta go home!" He then tugged at his father's mane, but it was all in vain. Dusk Shine started to get very scared as he began to hyperventilate. He ran off a bit as he said "HEEEEELP!" His voice echoed off the sides of the gorge. "Somepony!" He said as he looked around. "Anypony." He then started choking on his sadness as tears started falling down his face, and said "Help." He started crying, and he looked at his dead father as he walked up to him. He nuzzled up under the limp hoof, so that his father is embracing him, and he layed down on the floor as he continued to cry.