My Little Lion King

Chapter 13

Once they went through the door, Dusk Shine and Twilight Sparkle quickly hid behind the bush near the courtyard. Dusk Shine looked at Twilight Sparkle, and said "Twilight, you find my mother, and rally the other ponies. I'll look for Prince Artemis." Twilight Sparkle nodded, and went in the left direction while Dusk Shine went in the right direction. He then stopped, and hid behind a bush as Prince Artemis walked out, and said "CELESTIA!" Dusk Shine poked his head out from behind the bush to see Princess Celestia walking past the siren ponies who snapped at her hooves while she glared at them. Dusk Shine looked at his mother with pity as she walked up to his uncle, and said "Yes, Prince Artemis?" "Where is your food harvesters?" Prince Artemis asked. "They're not doing their job." "Prince Artemis, there is no food." Princess Celestia said calmly as Prince Artemis began walking left and right. "The other ponies have moved on." "No." Prince Artemis said. "You're just not looking hard enough!" "It's over." Princess Celestia said bluntly. "There is nothing left. We have only one choice. We must leave Canterlot." "We're not going anywhere!" Prince Artemis said. Princess Celestia then got angry as she said "Then you have sentenced us to death!" "Then so be it!" Prince Artemis said. "You can't do that!" Princess Celestia said feeling disgusted.

"I'm the prince, I can do whatever I want!" Prince Artemis said. "If you were half the prince Solaris was, you would never-!" Princess Celestia tried to say, but Prince Artemis fired a magic at her as she narrowly dodged it, catching her off guard. The spell hit the wall, and it created a huge hole in it. He then slapped her across the face, knocking her down in the process as he said "I'm ten times the prince Solaris was!" Dusk Shine then popped out, and said "HEY!" Prince Artemis gasped, and said "Prince Solaris? No! You're dead!" Dusk Shine went up to his mother, and nudged her a little. She looked up at her son who was glaring at his uncle, and said "Prince Solaris?" "No, it's me." Dusk Shine said. "Dusk Shine?" Princess Celestia asked. "You're alive? How can that be?" "It doesn't matter." Dusk Shine said. "I'm home?" "Dusk Shine?" Prince Artemis asked feeling shocked. "Dusk Shine!" He then glared at Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze as he said "I'm a little surprised to see you, alive." The siren ponies gulped, and walked away.

As Dusk Shine advanced on Prince Artemis threateningly, he said "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart." As he backed up into a corner, Prince Artemis said "Oh, Dusk Shine, you must understand. The pressures of ruling a kingdom-!" "Are no longer yours." Dusk Shine said finishing the sentence. "Step down, Artemis." "Oh, oh, ye-Well, I would, heh, naturally, heh...however, there is one little problem." He pointed at the siren ponies, and said "You see them? They think I'm prince." "Well, WE don't!" Twilight Sparkle said as some of the ponies helped Princess Celestia stand up. "Dusk Shine's the rightful prince." "The choice is yours, Artemis." Dusk Shine said. "Either stand down or fight." "Oh, must this all end in violence?" Prince Artemis asked. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, wouldn't you agree, Dusk Shine?" "That's not going to work, Artemis!" Dusk Shine said. "I've put it behind me." "Eh, but what about your faithful subjects?" Prince Artemis said. "Have they put it behind them?" "Dusk Shine, what is he talking about?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Ah, so you haven't told them your little secret." Prince Artemis said smirking. "Well, Dusk Shine, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them, who is responsible for Prince Solaris's death." Dusk Shine glared, but he then took a deep breath as he frowned, and said "I am."